Canadiens @ Leafs - May 31st, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590

[BermudaBudsFan]

Is anyone watching the post-game interviews?  What a bunch of losers.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Once again, our opponent had the team better built for playoff success (or at least one round). 
The style of play differs so much from regular season and our guys were worn out by game 6.  Dubas has to go.  The Foligno trade looks terrible right now.

Dubas isn't going anywhere. He did a great job this year. This is a very good team but they're just not there yet. Leafs main need is a goalie. I love Jack but he isn't good enough. Price showed us that.

 

[Kin]

I think maybe we should be careful about saying a team can't win just because they haven't. I think the history of the NHL is fairly littered with guys who couldn't win until they did.

And likewise, as insignificant as it may seem now, I think we need to remember that the only reason this team is in a position to lose so painfully is because they have shown they can play well in important situations. Just not enough or with enough frequency. I do think those things improve with time.

The best-case scenario template here is the Caps, I guess, but they had won some playoff series before breaking through.

Something that I think people just need to acknowledge in the modern NHL is that come playoff time, stars can be shut down and games can come down to goaltending. It happened this year to the Leafs. McDavid, Ovechkin and Crosby also all didn't make it out of round 1.

Again, I know it's frustrating because we look at this loss as just the latest in a series of round 1 losses but it's important to remember that one of the reasons for that is that this team got better faster than most people expected. They were a young team that lost a few series that they really had no business winning. Now they're a less young team that has lost two series they probably should have won(albeit in the two weirdest playoff environments in the history of the game).

So to just be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I see a pattern. I certainly don't see a team who always plays badly in important games. They just haven't played well enough in the most important games yet. I really hope the frustration doesn't result in making bad decisions just for the sake of change.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Agree Nik. I don't think Dubas will "blow" it up.

 

[dekedastardly]

Once again, our opponent had the team better built for playoff success (or at least one round). 
The style of play differs so much from regular season and our guys were worn out by game 6.  Dubas has to go.  The Foligno trade looks terrible right now.

Dubas isn't going anywhere. He did a great job this year. This is a very good team but they're just not there yet. Leafs main need is a goalie. I love Jack but he isn't good enough. Price showed us that.

So they should just go out and trade for a Price. Ok bud

 

[Bender]

On the plus side, you have to like how being a Leafs fan has a certain consistency to it.

I was wondering when we were going to hear your witty quips!

I know people are upset right now, which is fine, we all need to feel our feelings as my mother likes to say and so some perspective may not be as welcome but I've had some tough personal news recently. Nothing too bad, fortunately, but enough so that I wish being upset about a hockey game is the most bummed out I've been this week. And really, considering all that's gone on around the world this last year, we should all consider ourselves lucky if it is one of the biggest bits of bad news in our lives.

Sports are great. They can be a distraction from the real bad stuff out there. And it's super frustrating when something you invest in as a distraction tends to kick up more bad feelings than good. But, and I speak as someone who for a good part of his life was on the wrong side of this divide, you can't take it too seriously and you have to be able to not be too invested in the part of fandom you can't control.

So, you know, I get it. But at some point all you can do is laugh and hope things are better next year.

I hear you man. I and a few others were wondering if you left. Glad to see you posting again. Hope everything's ok.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Once again, our opponent had the team better built for playoff success (or at least one round). 
The style of play differs so much from regular season and our guys were worn out by game 6.  Dubas has to go.  The Foligno trade looks terrible right now.

Dubas isn't going anywhere. He did a great job this year. This is a very good team but they're just not there yet. Leafs main need is a goalie. I love Jack but he isn't good enough. Price showed us that.

So they should just go out and trade for a Price. Ok bud

No but they need a better goalie bud

 

[BermudaBudsFan]

I think maybe we should be careful about saying a team can't win just because they haven't. I think the history of the NHL is fairly littered with guys who couldn't win until they did.

And likewise, as insignificant as it may seem now, I think we need to remember that the only reason this team is in a position to lose so painfully is because they have shown they can play well in important situations. Just not enough or with enough frequency. I do think those things improve with time.

The best-case scenario template here is the Caps, I guess, but they had won some playoff series before breaking through.

Something that I think people just need to acknowledge in the modern NHL is that come playoff time, stars can be shut down and games can come down to goaltending. It happened this year to the Leafs. McDavid, Ovechkin and Crosby also all didn't make it out of round 1.

Again, I know it's frustrating because we look at this loss as just the latest in a series of round 1 losses but it's important to remember that one of the reasons for that is that this team got better faster than most people expected. They were a young team that lost a few series that they really had no business winning. Now they're a less young team that has lost two series they probably should have won(albeit in the two weirdest playoff environments in the history of the game).

So to just be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I see a pattern. I certainly don't see a team who always plays badly in important games. They just haven't played well enough in the most important games yet. I really hope the frustration doesn't result in making bad decisions just for the sake of change.

I appreciate this post and I respect your view.  Some people come through when it counts and some don?t.  This group doesn?t. 

 

[dekedastardly]

No but they need a better goalie bud

Jack's fine. They need a better team around him.

 

[gunnar36]

Once again, our opponent had the team better built for playoff success (or at least one round). 
The style of play differs so much from regular season and our guys were worn out by game 6.  Dubas has to go.  The Foligno trade looks terrible right now.

Dubas isn't going anywhere. He did a great job this year. This is a very good team but they're just not there yet. Leafs main need is a goalie. I love Jack but he isn't good enough. Price showed us that.

Well the team better get there soon, we have 3 more seasons of Matthew's before he heads home to the desert.

 

[Chris]

Have a good summer everyone. If the Leafs make some significant changes I'll be around to talk about them but for now, I need to de-Leaf (or is it de-tox). Maybe watch some other teams for a change. I hear Tampa, Colorado and Boston are pretty good.

 

[Captain Canuck]

Also, no more trading high picks or other valuable assets for guys that aren?t going to be with the team for more than one playoff run.

Have we ever benefitted from a rental deal?

Brian Leetch? Not a true rental, but he basically became one due to the labour dispute.
Phil Housley was an absolute smurf.
I had tickets to Dougie?s next home game in 03, was to be right after the Calgary game he was injured in.

Those late 90s-early 00s Leafs teams were fun to watch. We might be down on the current group a bit, but I?d take them any day over Kessel/Phaneuf...those teams just flat out quit towards the end.

 

[Kin]

I hear you man. I and a few others were wondering if you left. Glad to see you posting again. Hope everything's ok.

I appreciate the sentiment and I'm fine. Just dealing with something that we all have to deal with from time to time.

 

[rdowdall]

I think maybe we should be careful about saying a team can't win just because they haven't. I think the history of the NHL is fairly littered with guys who couldn't win until they did.

And likewise, as insignificant as it may seem now, I think we need to remember that the only reason this team is in a position to lose so painfully is because they have shown they can play well in important situations. Just not enough or with enough frequency. I do think those things improve with time.

The best-case scenario template here is the Caps, I guess, but they had won some playoff series before breaking through.

Something that I think people just need to acknowledge in the modern NHL is that come playoff time, stars can be shut down and games can come down to goaltending. It happened this year to the Leafs. McDavid, Ovechkin and Crosby also all didn't make it out of round 1.

Again, I know it's frustrating because we look at this loss as just the latest in a series of round 1 losses but it's important to remember that one of the reasons for that is that this team got better faster than most people expected. They were a young team that lost a few series that they really had no business winning. Now they're a less young team that has lost two series they probably should have won(albeit in the two weirdest playoff environments in the history of the game).

So to just be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I see a pattern. I certainly don't see a team who always plays badly in important games. They just haven't played well enough in the most important games yet. I really hope the frustration doesn't result in making bad decisions just for the sake of change.

I appreciate this post and I respect your view.  Some people come through when it counts and some don?t.  This group doesn?t.

I think what Nik is saying is that they don't come through yet.  It took the Red Wings a while to bust through with Yzerman.  My fear is they become more like the Sharks or the Sens where they only get one shot at it, and they lose that shot.

I love the quote I heard on Rome once.  "Don't confuse can't win the big game with hasn't yet."  That was about Peyton Manning.

 

[Kin]

I appreciate this post and I respect your view.  Some people come through when it counts and some don?t.  This group doesn?t.

They certainly haven't yet, which sucks. And as an outsider, I think there are definitely things to address. A team with that much offensive talent shouldn't struggle that much on the power play. Likewise, I'm very frustrated by the way this team seems to resist making changes when things aren't working. I feel like that's gone on too long.

I just don't think a team, and individual players, can have the sort of seasons we just saw if they don't care or aren't mentally tough. Winning the Richard or scoring at a 100 point pace are tough things to do. And the guys who accomplished those feats are rare talents and I think it would be a real shame if some of the ways this team has failed at building around them lead to them shouldering too much blame for what was, without a doubt, a couple of bad performances in one round of the playoffs.

 

[Guilt Trip]

No but they need a better goalie bud

Jack's fine. They need a better team around him.

If Freddie was in net you wouldn't be saying that.
Last I checked fine isn't good enough. He let in 6 very stoppable goals. And at the podium he said it himself.  I need to be better in game 5 and game 7. 

 

[BermudaBudsFan]

I appreciate this post and I respect your view.  Some people come through when it counts and some don?t.  This group doesn?t.

They certainly haven't yet, which sucks. And as an outsider, I think there are definitely things to address. A team with that much offensive talent shouldn't struggle that much on the power play. Likewise, I'm very frustrated by the way this team seems to resist making changes when things aren't working. I feel like that's gone on too long.

I just don't think a team, and individual players, can have the sort of seasons we just saw if they don't care or aren't mentally tough. Winning the Richard or scoring at a 100 point pace are tough things to do. And the guys who accomplished those feats are rare talents and I think it would be a real shame if some of the ways this team has failed at building around them lead to them shouldering too much blame for what was, without a doubt, a couple of bad performances in one round of the playoffs.

This is fair ? I do wonder though, at what point do the cumulative failures prevent you from performing when it counts?  Not sure ? but a question to ask.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I wonder if they can get Foligno back on a cheap contract.

 

[gunnar36]

This was the season that we had the gravy route to a final 4. After watching a lot of other playoff hockey, I'm pretty certain the North was the weakest division.  This team is nowhere close to playoff success, and unfortunately I dont think they will be with the top heavy contracts handcuffing and chance of remodeling this squad.  If we want to resign Hyman, we will essentially have an even weaker squad by virtue of cap room to fill out roster.

 

[Guilt Trip]

This was the season that we had the gravy route to a final 4. After watching a lot of other playoff hockey, I'm pretty certain the North was the weakest division.  This team is nowhere close to playoff success, and unfortunately I dont think they will be with the top heavy contracts handcuffing and chance of remodeling this squad.  If we want to resign Hyman, we will essentially have an even weaker squad by virtue of cap room to fill out roster.

Kerfoot will probably be gone so there is money for Hyman. They simply can't overpay him. He doesn't deserve it. That's 2 playoffs in a row for subpar Hyman.