This ridiculous Maple Leafs team is at the end of an era. Fans might as well enjoy it – The Athletic
May 10, 2023
This ridiculous Maple Leafs team is at the end of an era. Fans might as well enjoy it – The Athletic
17 comments
I’m down on this team but holy fuck can we stop pretending they’ve been eliminated?
Hopefully the era of them hiding in their dressing room ends here.
Enough of the “we don’t care about anything outside of this room” shit. 7 years of that being said to no avail.
If it was Tampa or Boston, they’d acknowledge they need to be better. State they believe they can win tonight. That the pressure is on Flordia to eliminate us. Confidence. Swagger.
We have none. We’re cowards.
Facing the music in Toronto is the hardest. Hiding from it isn’t the answer. Face it head on you fucks. Show your teeth.
“End?” – Dubas, when he returns with the core 4 next year because it’s probably the objectively best decision given how the how contracts are structured.
If they get swept tonight. I can’t be upset if there’s a shake up. I love the team. But it’s not winning.
Why oh why do we need to blow up the team?
Re-starting this process, taking years, and then inevitably blowing it up again when we don’t immediately win the cup is going to be fucking infuriating.
We’ve had a top 5-7 team the last 5 years, our core are still in their mid 20s. I’ll never understand it.
Blowing it up is dumb. Changing it is possible. A slow, plodding, offensively challenged defense causes our star center to spend way too much time defending and not enough time creating offense. And our star right winger is not a playoff performer. That will not change. Trade Marner for a young defenseman with speed and offensive upside. Use the cap space to sign another defenseman with offensive upside. Get the puck into the other teams end way more often. Score more goals.
Fire Keefe and trade some of the core 4. Also fuck Justin Holl.
Is the problem that they are too predictable? They have no problem dominating for the majority of the season but once they are playing a series with a team they have problems winning. Every other team I’ve watched takes the offensive zone with possession and leafs are still playing dump and chase damn near every single time. Careless no look passes and Florida seems to know exactly when those are about to happen because they capitalize and steal the puck back. I think this is a strategy issue and that would come down to coaching.
honestly it’s come down to a win win at this point. They failed so much that if they lose i’m glad there will be shakeup. If they win they win
You’ll be scrolling for a while to find our “CORE FOUR”
I’d try a coaching change before I blow up the core, there has to be a reason they dont perform as well as they do in the regular season
TBH I’m kinda over DGB.
​
as for blowing it up? ridiculous. the team may need to take a pause for 2 years…get the extensions for the big3 done and play out JTs contract. that money reallocated, a few more years of growth for some of the younger guys (woll knies etc) and this team will be there to compete.
Trade 34 and 16 for Bedard.
i’m trying to enjoy it ..but the rest of sports media keeps getting in the way telling me that the team doesn’t care ..and is bad ..and not worth watching…like pick a lane..
Blow it up. The team doesn’t even look like they’re trying to win. No heart, no battle, nothing. It isn’t about the elite cores age, or comparing them to other teams and their struggles to win. It’s about consistently getting better. I could setttle with a loss if they went down swinging but were being out coached and the effort isn’t there. Not moving key players is delaying it even more with our cap situation.
Could be the last time you see Marner in a leafs jersey
What a brilliantly depressing article to read. The parts about Marner, Matthews, and Keefe are so well written. It’s a funeral. I hope it ends tonight. I’m ready for this chapter to be closed.
17 comments
I’m down on this team but holy fuck can we stop pretending they’ve been eliminated?
Hopefully the era of them hiding in their dressing room ends here.
Enough of the “we don’t care about anything outside of this room” shit. 7 years of that being said to no avail.
If it was Tampa or Boston, they’d acknowledge they need to be better. State they believe they can win tonight. That the pressure is on Flordia to eliminate us. Confidence. Swagger.
We have none. We’re cowards.
Facing the music in Toronto is the hardest. Hiding from it isn’t the answer. Face it head on you fucks. Show your teeth.
“End?” – Dubas, when he returns with the core 4 next year because it’s probably the objectively best decision given how the how contracts are structured.
If they get swept tonight. I can’t be upset if there’s a shake up. I love the team. But it’s not winning.
Why oh why do we need to blow up the team?
Re-starting this process, taking years, and then inevitably blowing it up again when we don’t immediately win the cup is going to be fucking infuriating.
We’ve had a top 5-7 team the last 5 years, our core are still in their mid 20s. I’ll never understand it.
Blowing it up is dumb. Changing it is possible. A slow, plodding, offensively challenged defense causes our star center to spend way too much time defending and not enough time creating offense. And our star right winger is not a playoff performer. That will not change. Trade Marner for a young defenseman with speed and offensive upside. Use the cap space to sign another defenseman with offensive upside. Get the puck into the other teams end way more often. Score more goals.
Fire Keefe and trade some of the core 4. Also fuck Justin Holl.
Is the problem that they are too predictable? They have no problem dominating for the majority of the season but once they are playing a series with a team they have problems winning. Every other team I’ve watched takes the offensive zone with possession and leafs are still playing dump and chase damn near every single time. Careless no look passes and Florida seems to know exactly when those are about to happen because they capitalize and steal the puck back. I think this is a strategy issue and that would come down to coaching.
honestly it’s come down to a win win at this point. They failed so much that if they lose i’m glad there will be shakeup. If they win they win
[https://www.capfriendly.com/cost-per-point/2023/playoffs/forwards](https://www.capfriendly.com/cost-per-point/2023/playoffs/forwards)
You’ll be scrolling for a while to find our “CORE FOUR”
I’d try a coaching change before I blow up the core, there has to be a reason they dont perform as well as they do in the regular season
TBH I’m kinda over DGB.
​
as for blowing it up? ridiculous. the team may need to take a pause for 2 years…get the extensions for the big3 done and play out JTs contract. that money reallocated, a few more years of growth for some of the younger guys (woll knies etc) and this team will be there to compete.
Trade 34 and 16 for Bedard.
i’m trying to enjoy it ..but the rest of sports media keeps getting in the way telling me that the team doesn’t care ..and is bad ..and not worth watching…like pick a lane..
Blow it up. The team doesn’t even look like they’re trying to win. No heart, no battle, nothing. It isn’t about the elite cores age, or comparing them to other teams and their struggles to win. It’s about consistently getting better. I could setttle with a loss if they went down swinging but were being out coached and the effort isn’t there. Not moving key players is delaying it even more with our cap situation.
Could be the last time you see Marner in a leafs jersey
What a brilliantly depressing article to read. The parts about Marner, Matthews, and Keefe are so well written. It’s a funeral. I hope it ends tonight. I’m ready for this chapter to be closed.