John Tavares is a Maple Leaf

[Bates]

Minor difference with Nash being from Ontario.

I know when choosing a team to play for that I would pick the rival of the team I grew up cheering who has a closed window on contention and likely will have 3-4 years of being prevented from truly being awful enough to have a quick rebuild because their goaltender (if healthy) is too good.

Total non-story but I do remember being personally insulted when Rick Nash resigned in CLB.

 

[cabber24]

I really don't understand how anyone is personally insulted when someone signs for another team. I mean, I guess I could see that a fan might be a bit pissed off, but to be personally insulted seems like an entirely other level

I was not being serious.

Just implying that there is a lot of homers out there that try to will something into reality and when it doesn't come to fruition they're left disappointed and sometimes pissed off. How long was our Stamkos thread?

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I really don't understand how anyone is personally insulted when someone signs for another team. I mean, I guess I could see that a fan might be a bit pissed off, but to be personally insulted seems like an entirely other level

I was not being serious.

Just implying that there is a lot of homers out there that try to will something into reality and when it doesn't come to fruition they're left disappointed and sometimes pissed off. How long was our Stamkos thread?

I do know quite a few Hab fans that wrote Vincent Lecavalier off once he resigned with Tampa instead of going to Montreal

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/davidnestico200/status/1047625483494539264
https://twitter.com/TheLeafsIMO/status/1047654477195399168
https://twitter.com/TheFlintor/status/1047667870912503808

 

[hockeyfan1]

Tavares is off to his best career start -- ten points in the first five games this month.

"It was a ?special thing? to be a Leaf, he said. ?I think I just appreciate it,? Tavares went on. ?I don?t always pinch myself, although there?s definitely been moments.?

[tweet]1050754116107026434[/tweet]

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1050567819551625217
Nine seconds into it Johnny Toronto in his office between the legs to Awesome Matthews. Red Light.

 

[Matthew-]

I haven't been active here on tmlfans since probably the 07-08 season.  Had to remake my account because I had completely forgotten all my information.    Reading through this entire thread,  I feel all the feels! all of them!

 

[hockeyfan1]

I haven't been active here on tmlfans since probably the 07-08 season.  Had to remake my account because I had completely forgotten all my information.    Reading through this entire thread,  I feel all the feels! all of them!

That's great and welcome back! 

 

[disco]

I haven't been active here on tmlfans since probably the 07-08 season.  Had to remake my account because I had completely forgotten all my information.    Reading through this entire thread,  I feel all the feels! all of them!

Welcome back. We're... having fun.

 

[Highlander]

Welcome Back

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/TheFlintor/status/1053063073391534080
Tavares: can do this cuz John Tavares.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Sick move for sure.

 

[herman]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/john-tavares-toronto-marlies-dynasty-profile/

Naylor had a clearer view from the bench and doesn?t fall back on the clich?s about character and the like ? excellence is the residue of hard work, etc. ?John had a great work ethic but I?ve seen that with a lot of kids over the years,? he says. ?Other things, though, made him unique. He had an ability to get to the net, through traffic, that was probably something that carried over from playing lacrosse. He always had great ability to anticipate the play. Every game there?d be at least a couple of times when I?d wonder how he got so wide open for a scoring chance. You see that with [Alexander] Ovechkin and it really jumps out, that type of hockey sense. It?s rare [even] with stars in the NHL but John had that at age 12. That?s not stuff that comes with hard work. That?s just vision and awareness and the ability to process the game so much faster than everyone else.?

Also of note, a lot of Tavares' off-ice time was spent on Sam Gagner's backyard rink, which was only large enough for 3-on-3, i.e. consider Auston Matthews' development on half-sheets in Arizona where he had to learn to battle for his space and handle the puck in traffic. Tavares and Matthews are the types of centres that can score from just about anywhere in nearly any conceivable fashion, and usually do it right in the eye of the chaos on top of the crease.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1083520116413878272
"Yeah... imma just tip this, sweep this and backhand this."

https://twitter.com/FAN590/status/1083785831926648832
Johnny Toronto on pace to surpass Vaive/Andreychuk/Leeman.
Mitchy's hockey IQ/passing/terrorizing simply yuge part of it
And props to Hymie's digging, it's just a superb line.

 

[cabber24]

I agree with Jeff Blair... that's why I was recommending possibly breaking up the duo to spread the wealth around a bit since no one else is going right now.

 

[dappleganger]

I think more than his current line mates, this is the first time in John's career where his line isn't the only line that can be dominant. For his entire career that game plan was simple, top unit shut down Tavares.

With the Leafs this year, you have to make a choice, go after Matthews line or Tavares line. I think that makes a difference as well.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I think more than his current line mates, this is the first time in John's career where his line isn't the only line that can be dominant. For his entire career that game plan was simple, top unit shut down Tavares.

With the Leafs this year, you have to make a choice, go after Matthews line or Tavares line. I think that makes a difference as well.

Agreed. I don't agree with Blair. This isn't just the Marner show. JT and Marner are helping each other reach these numbers. JT creates a lot of space for Mitch because he's a threat on his own. I said it before, anyone here think Marner gets these numbers with Marleau and Kadri? Not a chance.
Now add in Matthews who does still gets a heavy dose of the other teams #1 and it all helps. Don't take it wrong, I'm not saying anything negative about Marner but it's far from what Blair and some in the media suggest.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

It would be interesting to see where the leafs would be in the standings if JT hadn't signed.

 

[Guilt Trip]

It would be interesting to see where the leafs would be in the standings if JT hadn't signed.

It certainly would. I'm betting a lot further down the standings considering we were missing Nylander and Matthews for significant time together. We may be outside the playoffs right now. I don't think people are giving him the credit he deserves and the impact he's had on this team.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/TheFlintor/status/1094428319355817987
Dynamic Duo. Mitchy is aware of him the entire time. Those edges and that backhand 8)