Leafs 2014-15 Season Thread

Brew666 · Post #81 » by **Brew666** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 12:56 pm

Carlyle will be out soon but you can't blame a coach if the team doesn't care. Look at the individuals on the ice who think it's lucky bounces, facing a good goaltender and any other excuse except being outworked every night.

I don't think Carlyle is a good communicator but if you're a pro hockey player and your motivation strictly comes from your coach lighting a fire beneath you, then you shouldn't be in the NHL. Winning requires hard work and it feels like this team is more interested in being celebrated as Leafs players than being hockey players.

whysoserious · Post #82 » by **whysoserious** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 4:24 pm

Brew666 wrote:Carlyle will be out soon but you can't blame a coach if the team doesn't care. Look at the individuals on the ice who think it's lucky bounces, facing a good goaltender and any other excuse except being outworked every night.

I don't think Carlyle is a good communicator but if you're a pro hockey player and your motivation strictly comes from your coach lighting a fire beneath you, then you shouldn't be in the NHL. Winning requires hard work and it feels like this team is more interested in being celebrated as Leafs players than being hockey players.

Carlyle will absolutely take the fall soon but he's not the problem. Not a fan of his but these issues that currently plague the team were the same ones under Wilson to an extent. At some point you have to look at the players and say they aren't good enough or collectively this group doesn't work together.

And making changes on the outside is not enough, you need to change the core.

Stolen Identity · Post #83 » by **Stolen Identity** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 2:48 am

The Toronto Maple Leafs set a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in a game, and scored three times in the third period of a 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Well, it was against th Sabers, but still something you aren't always going to see.

Highlight of an otherwise bad season so far.

whysoserious · Post #84 » by **whysoserious** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:41 pm

Stolen Identity wrote:
The Toronto Maple Leafs set a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in a game, and scored three times in the third period of a 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Well, it was against th Sabers, but still something you aren't always going to see.

Highlight of an otherwise bad season so far.

Apparently they only tied the record. Still impressive and while the Leafs looked like they were imposing there will on the Sabres I'm still not sure if that game was as much if not more a reflection of what the Sabres are vs. what the Leafs are.

I liked that Carlyle shook up the lineup and I like that he gave Gardiner a chance to play with Franson on the first PP unit.

I think Jake has a bit of fear in his game right now around Carlyle pulling him or sitting him. Instead, he just needs to be let loose. He'll make mistakes but you gotta live with them as he learns.

Also, this team is still horrible in their own end at making the simple plays to get out. Even the Sabres had them hemmed in their own zone at one stretch. They make too many stupid plays backwards or to the middle or on the boards at weird angles that just puts the rest of the team in bad position and turns the puck over forcing themselves to play another 40 or 50 seconds in their zone when they should have got it out.

Brew666 · Post #85 » by **Brew666** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 2:03 pm

whysoserious wrote:Still impressive and while the Leafs looked like they were imposing there will on the Sabres I'm still not sure if that game was as much if not more a reflection of what the Sabres are vs. what the Leafs are.

A bit of both and I don't think we can judge until a few more samples. I expect any NHL team to look good versus Buffalo right now excluding Carolina. If the Leafs lost to Buffalo, who were just returning from a west coast trip, I'd probably be on here ranting about a fire sale that needs to start asap.

Columbus is pretty beat up right now and the Leafs have to take advantage Friday. If the Leafs want to get into the playoffs, these are the games they need to win. When healthy, I like Columbus. It's a team that I think is poised for a deep playoff run in the next few years and a team I wouldn't want to play a series against. Physical team w/ a solid goaltender and fairly good forward group with balance. It's rare that I can even remotely like another eastern conference team, but I guess it hasn't been long enough to grow any animosity against them yet.

iancartoons · Post #86 » by **iancartoons** » Sat Nov 1, 2014 1:28 am

Happy Halloween guys! I've put together a quick Toronto related Halloween Special cartoon featuring Tim and Sid ...with a cameo from Phaneuf! Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/3BNaHEQ7upM

whysoserious · Post #87 » by **whysoserious** » Sun Nov 2, 2014 10:52 pm

Big win beating Chicago. Nice little stretch. When things are clicking this team can def go on some runs.

Still not a fan of the roster overall but still will always support the Leafs.

J Dilla · Post #88 » by **J Dilla** » Wed Nov 5, 2014 3:16 am

leafs playing like ass against phoenix.

BramptonYute · Post #89 » by **BramptonYute** » Sat Nov 8, 2014 6:09 pm

At least we got a point in the Avs game.

Hopefully we get the W tonight, but beating the Rangers is gonna be tough.

Bankai · Post #90 » by **Bankai** » Sun Nov 9, 2014 12:26 am

Ouch Rangers score 1 min in.. sigh. Why are the Leafs so ass at home?

BramptonYute · Post #91 » by **BramptonYute** » Sun Nov 9, 2014 11:21 pm

Glad we got the win last night.

Hopefully we really beat the Sens tonight. **** them.

Sidenote: This game is on City.

Stolen Identity · Post #92 » by **Stolen Identity** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:08 am

Leafs should keep on winning. Not the they had a chance at McDavid but now he's out indefinitely and probably hurts his stock as well.

Any other interesting prospects at C ?

Brew666 · Post #93 » by **Brew666** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:24 pm

Nice little run going on right now and the Leafs looked really good last night. Rask played a horrible game but the Leafs outplayed Boston for the entire game. There's zero reason why this team shouldn't be using all 4 lines on a regular basis. They were used a bit more b/c of the early lead but you can see what they bring to the table. Like I've said before, this team needs to outwork their opponents to compete and you need 4 lines to maintain that pressure/high level of play.

It would've been tough to out tank Buffalo and Carolina this year but my understanding it's a pretty decent draft and you're getting a quality player in the top 10. I've been meaning to follow the CHL a bit closer than I have in the past so I'm not too familiar w/ the prospects. Other than Eichel and McDavid, I'm really only familiar w/ Dylan Strome and he seems like an alright prospect. Not going to be a superstar but potential to be a top line/six center. World Juniors is when I start learning who is who w/ the prospects.

Bankai · Post #94 » by **Bankai** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:23 am

The Leafs need a proper tank for McDavid, not sure if MLSE and fans is willing to throw away their Leaf pride for one year and just tell them to tank. Like Knicks fans, the misguided majority are expecting playoffs this year.

BramptonYute · Post #95 » by **BramptonYute** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:54 am

Wonder if Nashville will get to 10 .

So pathetic.

Brew666 · Post #96 » by **Brew666** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:20 pm

They need to blow this thing up asap. I don't care how many changes you make w/ coaching/mgmt, this team isn't good enough. They're a mediocre team and need to hit refresh.

MLSE has to recognize the reason why we're waiting and why it's failed so miserably year after year is because they keep trying to band aid a playoff team together instead of building it properly from the get go. They're constantly sold on quick fix plans whether it be Burke or Colangelo. In a salary cap world you need to develop your own talent like the raps have. You can't trade yourself into a contender or overpay free agents to a contending team.

I don't think it would be a tough sell to Leafs fan because the history speaks for itself. Everyone is talking about how bad Buffalo is but they already have a solid bunch of prospects and will be adding another elite prospect to that bunch. Seriously, the east is filled w/ mediocre teams and wouldn't even have to be a long rebuild if you want that route. As bad as Buffalo is this year, if they still had Miller and added a piece or two they'd be fighting for a playoff spot too.

Carlyle will be gone and it really doesn't matter when he goes, it's not going to change a thing. I'm at a point where I'd rather see Carlyle sink w/ the team than bring in a new coach that might motivate these players b/c it's fool's gold and will be short lived.

whysoserious · Post #97 » by **whysoserious** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:54 pm

I love how Dreger was on TSN last night and they were saying some changes may come and it's the usual suspects on the trade block - Kadri, Lupul, Gardiner.

These guys are the furthest thing from the problem. It's Phaneuf and Kessel. Kessel, talented scorer but not a leader and not a guy to build around.

Someone needs to step up here and do something. I said it last year, they would have been better off walking away from Phaneuf and letting him hit the market, if someone overpays on the market then let em have him. And I'm not a complete hater of Phaneuf, but he's not good enough for the role this team tries to slot him in to.

LLJ · Post #98 » by **LLJ** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 5:26 pm

There's no quick fix for this. I shake my head when I hear Leafs fans talk about an easy fix that doesn't require a multi year rebuild. This team has talent, but building a truly good playoff team is probably at least 3 years away if we start making moves now.

I think Kessel is talented enough to play on a truly good team but only with another elite player on the roster who's a true locker room leader. Kessel would be a great Malkin to someone else's Crosby. But he's the best player on a team that sorely needs another elite talent or two, someone whose talent and leadership are equal in size.

whysoserious · Post #99 » by **whysoserious** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 6:11 pm

LLJ wrote:There's no quick fix for this. I shake my head when I hear Leafs fans talk about an easy fix that doesn't require a multi year rebuild. This team has talent, but building a truly good playoff team is probably at least 3 years away if we start making moves now.

I think Kessel is talented enough to play on a truly good team but only with another elite player on the roster who's a true locker room leader. Kessel would be a great Malkin to someone else's Crosby. But he's the best player on a team that sorely needs another elite talent or two, someone whose talent and leadership are equal in size.

So true and the way they've managed the cap, they've made it impossible almost to get that second star (that should be a first star) to play with him. Which is why I'm in favour of moving him at this point. It's not that he's not talented or good, but we're in such bad shape cap wise that moving youngsters is not the answer. We need to clear a guy like Kessel, Phaneuf, Lupul and get young assets and picks back and build it back up.

Let the Gardiner's and Kadri's stay, play big minutes and play through mistakes.

Bankai · Post #100 » by **Bankai** » Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:47 am

Kessel needs a legit partner, he needs his Malkin. Phaneuf needs to go though, the Leafs need a real captain that is actually good defensively.