2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[princedpw]

https://twitter.com/jtbourne/status/1515024771284619266

Leafs, Lightning, and Bruins all have 8 games remaining. Toronto's 7 points up on Boston and 4 points up on Tampa. They also almost definitely (maybe even definitely not doing math/possibilities) have the tie breaker on both teams. So we're pretty comfortably in that 2-3 spot in the Atlantic but still need to finish strong to get home ice.

I really dont think it matters.  All the teams are good---the differences between them are in the noise.  Anyone can win.  And even if the leafs got to play the "lesser" team, they could easily lose.  Because Leafs.  See Montreal, Columbus.

 

[ZBBM]

Not a surprise...hope he's ready to go soon.
https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1515014161989881864

I hope Sandin is ready because I think we are gonna need him.

 

[ZBBM]

The only other Leafs site I have time to follow is MLHS, and I just want to commend to you a new writer they've brought on within the last month, Alex Drain.  I've read 3 or 4 columns by him and he's really good, I think.  Here's his write-up of the Caps game:

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2022/04/15/maple-leafs-capitals-game-in-10/

 

[herman]

Extremely funny to me:
5v5 Tavares and Nylander: lol ass butt
4v4 Tavares and Nylander: woohoo goals goals goals, baby! pew pe-pew pew!

Anyway, their disappointing season has them both producing at the same or higher level as the 1Cs on some (bad) teams ? i.e. the guys that play all the possible offensive minutes.

 

[Zee]

So of course with Matthews hitting 100 points, the idiotic hot takes are happening on Twitter, making fun of the leafs as he?s only the 3rd player in franchise history to hit 100 pts. But got me thinking, how often does that happen? There are a group of players for sure that hit 100 points many times, but how many unique 100 point scorers have teams had.

So I just looked quickly, and the habs for example have only had 4 unique 100 point scorers, the last of which was Naslund in 86.

So if Marner gets hot over the last few games and hits 100 Leafs will have same number as Habs. Good to know.

 

[bustaheims]

So of course with Matthews hitting 100 points, the idiotic hot takes are happening on Twitter, making fun of the leafs as he?s only the 3rd player in franchise history to hit 100 pts. But got me thinking, how often does that happen? There are a group of players for sure that hit 100 points many times, but how many unique 100 point scorers have teams had.

So I just looked quickly, and the habs for example have only had 4 unique 100 point scorers, the last of which was Naslund in 86.

It?s like these people don?t actually look at the number of players that have hit 100 points (because they haven?t). The first 100+ point season was in 68/69. So, for the first half of the Leafs? existence, it wasn?t a thing. Since then, there?s been around 120 players who have hit that mark - roughly 4 per team. It?s not like there are a bunch of teams out there with dozens of guys who hit the mark.

 

[Deebo]

So of course with Matthews hitting 100 points, the idiotic hot takes are happening on Twitter, making fun of the leafs as he?s only the 3rd player in franchise history to hit 100 pts. But got me thinking, how often does that happen? There are a group of players for sure that hit 100 points many times, but how many unique 100 point scorers have teams had.

So I just looked quickly, and the habs for example have only had 4 unique 100 point scorers, the last of which was Naslund in 86.

The whole league:

PIT	12
BOS	10
AFM/CGY	9
EDM	9
LAK	7
NYI	7
NYR	6
PHI	6
QUE/COL	6
STL	6
BUF	5
CHI	5
DET	5
VAN	5
HFD/CAR	4
MTL	4
WSH	4
MNS/DAL	3
TBL	3
TOR	3
WIN	3
ANA	2
OTT	2
ATL	1
FLA	1
SJS	1
Multiple	6

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

[herman]

I like our Baby Buds a lot and it's very nice to see how they've grown this year into expanded roles, but for the playoffs, I kind of want the steadier hand, especially with Muzzin being a question mark (even if he comes back and gets sufficient warm up games). The built-in chemistry with Brodie means getting a strong top-4 LD gives us back a solid RD (Brodie is better on the right side). Lyubushkin working well as Rielly's safety blanket for non-shutdown matchups opens the door for something like this.

I've said again and again the teams defence group, if healthy, is nowhere near as bad as some of the talking heads or fans make it out to be. But with no real clear and reasonably priced targets to go after at forward or goaltending if the Leafs make a move going after Giordano makes the most sense. He a) wouldn't cost a 1st or top prospect, b) has built-in chemistry with Brodie already, and c) has reportedly expressed an interest in coming here.

Rielly-Lyubushkin
Giordano-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl

Assuming Muzzin is healthy and ready to go, that's six 20-minute NHL defencemen there. Any one of those pairings could reasonably go up against any teams top line in the league. None of those pairs would need sheltering or comfy zone starts to succeed. It'd especially be a massive luxury to have since our path to the Finals goes through Florida and Tampa, both of whom would absolutely need at least two shutdown pairings. The two bottom pairings would be the primary match-up guys there, which would take a lot of pressure off Rielly. With those 6 and Sandin and Liljegren next up in line (Dermott gone for cap space) the team also isn't at risk of crumbling if anyone struggles or goes down with an injury like they did with Muzzin last playoffs.

If Muzzin still looks off when he returns, you could switch to Muzzin-Sandin and have them play in more of a sheltered role, which while obviously a non-100% Muzzin is far from ideal but that still wouldn't be a bad 3rd line.

Apropos of nothing

 

[ZBBM]

My antennae are signaling that there's a subtext in play here.

I shall ruminate upon it.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[herman]

That?s not what apropos of nothing means!

 

[ZBBM]

Sorry thought you were basking in the glow of having plumped a trade in for Giordano.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Leafs are 9(!) points up on 4th place Boston now, Bruins with a game in hand. Tampa is 6 behind, also with game in hand.

 

[bustaheims]

Leafs are 9(!) points up on 4th place Boston now, Bruins with a game in hand. Tamps is 6 behind, also with game in hand.

Going to be in the wildcard spot any day now, clearly.

 

[Joe S.]

I don?t know why but I kind of want Boston to drop to 8th to take on the panthers in the first round. It?s possible I guess but not probable.

 

[herman]

Can you imagine what this defense would've looked like if we didn't pony up for Giordano? Sans Muzzin and Sandin and Dermott? It's okay, but pretty bleak.

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Brodie - Holl
Rubins/Dahlstrom - Liljegren

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Can you imagine what this defense would've looked like if we didn't pony up for Giordano? Sans Muzzin and Sandin and Dermott? It's okay, but pretty bleak.

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Brodie - Holl
Rubins/Dahlstrom - Liljegren

You gotta figure the Dermott trade would have waited until the offseason if they didn't get Giordano, but yeah still.

It's also a little funny to look back and think that many expected Liljegren to be a healthy scratch come playoff time once Giordano was acquired and nobody really batted an eye about it. His stocks have skyrocketed since then.

 

[herman]

I think Liljegren is a bit ahead of Lyubushkin at this point. Justin Holl is still ahead of all the right shots who somehow makes everything he does look way worse than anyone else.

I think the bigger story is, holy moly if Kadri hadn't nixed the deal with Calgary (TJ Brodie+), the Leafs might have already won by now (or at least gotten rightfully smoked by Tampa in the ECF).

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/JaredOfLondon/status/1516133508527317001
If I was drinking something, I would've spit it out

 

[bustaheims]

Amazing. If only we had half a dozen players with better numbers than he does.

 

[Kin]

I'll be 100% honest, I read this and had to think for a second as to who Tim Stutzle is and what team he plays for.