November Leafs discussions

ablatt · Post #41 » by **ablatt** » Mon Nov 8, 2010 10:11 pm

Can't I get any support from another pessimist (realist) on this board?

Are there nothing but optimists here?

Post #42 » by **Crowned** » Tue Nov 9, 2010 5:52 am

ablatt wrote:Can't I get any support from another pessimist (realist) on this board?

Are there nothing but optimists here?

I wouldn't consider people 'optimists' on here. The Leafs have simply had an average start. There's no reason to think they'll dominate or finish in the upper half of the league. However, at the same time, there's no reason to think they'll finish where they did last year either.

We're not expecting a lengthy playoff run with home ice advantage. Personally, I'm rooting to sneak into one of the last playoff spots.

Post #43 » by **YogiStewart** » Tue Nov 9, 2010 11:54 pm

ablatt wrote:Can't I get any support from another pessimist (realist) on this board?

Are there nothing but optimists here?

hey, i admitted that i was wrong about their hot start. their recent games, to me, show me the true Maple Leafs.
they lack talent, their D is big and slow with little scoring punch and their goaltending rests on a Conn Smythe winner from a decade ago and a 2nd year keeper who didn't prove much in his first year.

i expect them to fall in the bottom 3rd of the standings and Ron Wilson should get coach of the year if they finish anywhere near 20th overall. i expect them to be a bottom 5 team. and if you think i am wrong, please realistically compare the top 6 forwards and top 3 D men to every other NHL team, then tell me i'm wrong.

Post #44 » by **darth_federer** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:32 am

Ron Wilson is in trouble

J Dilla · Post #45 » by **J Dilla** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:25 am

Time to bring up Kadri. .

hsb · Post #46 » by **hsb** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 4:54 am

Tampa Bay will be a scary team come playoffs.

Leafs lose 4-0.

ablatt · Post #47 » by **ablatt** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:46 am

The Leafs are in big trouble.

As Yogi said, you are now seeing how little talent they have. And I agree about the goaltending. It is now adequate, and nothing more. All they did was get rid of Toskola who was horrible. But when is the last time a Leaf goalie stole a game?

Burke has made more of a mess than JFJ. Kessel is showing how he can disappear for games on end. He doesn't make anyone around him better, he's not tough - he can do one thing once in a while and that's score, when he feels like it. And for Burke to trade TWO (yes I said TWO) first round picks (and a second?) when the team was going nowhere has proven to be a HUGE mistake. There is nothing to look forward to and he overpaid Kessel. The Bruins will most likely get another top 5 pick. Kessel is proving to not be worth one first round pick.

Phaneuf was another huge mistake. Burke's old school mentality picked a has-been big lug of a defenceman who he hoped would bring trucculence to the team. I don't care how rah-rah this guy is in the dressing room - he is not a top 3 defenceman on any good team. He is slow, not tough and can't shoot. And he makes mental mistakes EVERY game. And the desparation move of making him captain is just mind-boggling.

Then there's Versteeg. Burke traded a 24-year old who has now made it to the Chicago 1st line, who has 8 points, for another over-rated more expensive player. Versteeg has done nothing. Ya, he had 20 goals last year. So what. I don't know how he got them. But you can see he is another anti-trucculent, floater who accomplishes very little, like all the other Leaf forwards.

Does Burke think that in today's hockey, he can steel an under-the-radar gem like Versteeg from the likes of Bowman? Rotating scrubs in and out of the lineup, won't accomplish anything. The ONLY way to move ahead is through the draft. Is Burke the right guy to do that?

The team has also obviously stopped playing lately for Wilson. The forecheck is not as agressive. Perhaps they're tired or they've stopped listening to Wilson or they're sick of losing. Not sure, maybe all of them.

Just like the Raptors, another highly touted GM has screwed up the team, left the cupboard bare and provided us with little to look forward to. It really is amazing that these two bumbleheads could make so many bad moves. It is depressing to be a sports fan in Toronto. At least if they had built properly through the draft and had even the bare minimum of talent evaluation skills, we could have something to look forward to.

As someone said on the TSN web site, this team is more about flatulence than truculence.

Post #48 » by **YogiStewart** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:13 pm

the best thing about the Leafs?
no chance of rebuilding for another 2 years.
it will take two high 1st round draft picks for them to finally have enough talent...and then 1-2 years for those players to mature.
so you're talking about 2014/15 season until you see the Leafs POSSIBLY become a good team.

we're also seeing that idle threat of "we're gonna call up some Marlies!" yeah. scary. Zigomanis will be called up and opposing teams will be quaking in their boots.

if you want to become more depressed, go look at the Marlies' player stats

Kadri's on pace for a point a game...but the Leafs will refuse to bring him up for another month or so.
the 2nd leading scorer is Justin Hodgman. who the hell is he?

3rd leading scorer? Lashoff, who plays D. the Leafs could sure use a scoring D-man (Kaberle looks useless out there) but there are too many hefty contracts on D. so Lashoff will "mature" (read: rot) in the minors.

after that, things look grim.

Lionel Messi · Post #49 » by **Lionel Messi** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:37 pm

We need to make some moves. Get rid of some defencemen and bring in an A-quality player like Brad Richards or something.

I've had enough of Komisarek and Beauchemin, they're horrible.

Post #50 » by **YogiStewart** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:46 pm

any trade will be like the Phaneuf trade.
you need to trade awful to get awful back.
just hope your awful has a shorter contract

whysoserious · Post #51 » by **whysoserious** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:28 am

About to be shutout again, what is that like 4 times in the last 5 or 6 games we've been shut out and yet Kadri still is not up. Enough of Ron Wilson's BS about he needs to learn, that's your job. Teach while he's playing.

ablatt · Post #52 » by **ablatt** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:40 am

Kadri will not be the saviour of the Leafs. Won't matter where he plays.

Anyone who has any background in hockey can see the skill level on the Leafs is pathetic. There's no way they can compete, no matter how hard they try.

They are simply one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the entire NHL. And where's the future?

You can talk about getting more production from the D, getting more bodies in front of the net, putting in more effort, getting a better start. None of it will help when you have such a talent deficiency.

Burke only made it worse through all his trades. And the biggest joke of all is there is no truculence on this team.

J Dilla · Post #53 » by **J Dilla** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:46 am

4-0 as we speak lol.

I feel sad for this team, but I'll probably pass by the ACC next time and see Leaf fans in their 220 dollar jerseys holding 200 dollar tickets and ready to get hammered from 20 dollar beers.

Until the Leaf nation boycotts this team, there's nothing happening. Balsillie needs to bring a team to Hamilton so I finally don't have to worry about the Laughs winning the cup.

hsb · Post #54 » by **hsb** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:51 am

There needs to be another team in Toronto, that's for sure.

Grabovski scores, avoiding the second shutout.

Post #55 » by **darth_federer** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:59 am

ablatt · Post #56 » by **ablatt** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:57 pm

Let's recap.

Points to date.

Hagman 8
Stajan 8
White 4
Stalberg 8
Seguin 6

Versteeg 6
Kessel 9
Lebda 0
Armstrong 1
Phaneuf 4

This is what Burke has done.

Oh, and by the way. For those who are wondering, Alex Steen has 9 points. Not a Burke trade, but another dumb move by Leafs management.

whysoserious · Post #57 » by **whysoserious** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:25 pm

ablatt wrote:Kadri will not be the saviour of the Leafs. Won't matter where he plays.

Anyone who has any background in hockey can see the skill level on the Leafs is pathetic. There's no way they can compete, no matter how hard they try.

They are simply one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the entire NHL. And where's the future?

You can talk about getting more production from the D, getting more bodies in front of the net, putting in more effort, getting a better start. None of it will help when you have such a talent deficiency.

Burke only made it worse through all his trades. And the biggest joke of all is there is no truculence on this team.

I don't think anyone expects Kadri to be the saviour. The fact is if you're gonna be bad, might as well have the kid up here logging minutes and playing all situations. And maybe atleast there might be some excitement every now and again instead of watching them constantly be shut out.

SDM · Post #58 » by **SDM** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 5:16 pm

The Phaneuf deal was terrible. Burke knows it too since he praises his intangibles and "culture changing" attributes.

Unfortunately for him, the rest of the world dictates how a team performs by win/loss record and you ain't winning games if you aren't delivering on the ice.

But, the fans are wrong in Burkieland. Couldn't possibly be his superhuman ego. Or his numbskull coach who hasn't said a kind word to anyone in years.

Post #59 » by **darth_federer** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:02 pm

If youre going by win/loss record, Leafs are 7th in the East with Phaneuf playing

Their goals against with him on the team is 3rd best in the league (he plays the most minutes.) So Im not sure what other metric you could use to measure his success.

ablatt · Post #60 » by **ablatt** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:24 pm

I measure his success by the skills I see on the ice - skating, passing, shooting. And if you want to add it in - truculence.

What I see is a slow, lumbering skater, who is a decent passer, but is mistake-prone and can't shoot or score. And he's not tough, like Schenn, for example.

That's what I see. I don't care who he is or what he's done in the past.