2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[rdowdall]

Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated?

Turns out he was only "mostly dead", and they were able to bring him back because of his true love for Kase.

Lifetime movie: Czech Mates

You have not acknowledged my Princess Bride reference, and it disappoints me.

I was waiting to see how Kampf played tonight, and if he was struggling I was going to break out "It's okay Kampf, you've been mostly dead all day"

 

[Highlander]

Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated?

Turns out he was only "mostly dead", and they were able to bring him back because of his true love for Kase.

Lifetime movie: Czech Mates

You have not acknowledged my Princess Bride reference, and it disappoints me.

I was waiting to see how Kampf played tonight, and if he was struggling I was going to break out "It's okay Kampf, you've been mostly dead all day"

He took a pretty hard Czech to the heed.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/kyle_cush/status/1464234130837753869

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated?

Turns out he was only "mostly dead", and they were able to bring him back because of his true love for Kase.

Lifetime movie: Czech Mates

You have not acknowledged my Princess Bride reference, and it disappoints me.

I was waiting to see how Kampf played tonight, and if he was struggling I was going to break out "It's okay Kampf, you've been mostly dead all day"

Full marks!

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/suihkonen77/status/1463487237623058445
The front office recognizes this. The priority in seasons past was to get more skill (puck handling, shooting, passing) into the system. Now they are focused on acquiring and developing retrievers (Matthew Knies, Ondrej Ka?e, Joey Anderson, Michael Bunting sort of).

https://twitter.com/coachrevak/status/1464617985730039809

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/JFreshHockey/status/1464982617061838860

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/KPapetti/status/1464406062149390341

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/SNstats/status/1465165142715424777

 

[Joe S.]

I know it?s hard for us to admit this but this team is really impressive.

I wonder if the embarrassment last year finally woke them up. If this balanced and smart play means lower scoring but sound defensive play I?m all for Matthews not getting 50+ goals.

I don?t want to get ahead of myself but I haven?t seen a leafs team this in control since? I mean I don?t know. You don?t see them scramble, you don?t see them panic. Colour me impressed.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/theoakleafs/status/1465171781417852940

 

[Bullfrog]

wait, so Hyman WON'T score 60 goals this year?

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/domluszczyszyn/status/1465694947328229386

 

[L K]

I know it?s hard for us to admit this but this team is really impressive.

I wonder if the embarrassment last year finally woke them up. If this balanced and smart play means lower scoring but sound defensive play I?m all for Matthews not getting 50+ goals.

I don?t want to get ahead of myself but I haven?t seen a leafs team this in control since? I mean I don?t know. You don?t see them scramble, you don?t see them panic. Colour me impressed.

They definitely did this for stretches last year (the 3-game sweep of the Oilers in the middle of McDavid's ridiculous season comes to mind) but this is by far the longest stretch of solid play from the Matthews/Marner/Nylander/Tavares group.  It's probably the best sustained stretch of play for the team since the Quinn era Leafs.  It's regular season production so it will always have an asterisk until they can win a playoff round but this team legitimately looks like a contender right now.  Scoring greasy goals, having good defensive structure.  The forwards cover for the defense.  The defense isn't making silly pinches and for the most part they dictating the style of play far more often this year. 

The Anaheim game in the first period was an example of the Leafs playing the Ducks game.  Then they turned it on in the second period and made the Ducks play the Leafs pace for the majority of the game.  It's just really nice to see.

Of course if they don't win the division they have a decent chance of having to face Tampa in the first round because the NHL has a stupid playoff structure but it is what it is.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/jim03bjays/status/1465525240788828171

 

[Guilt Trip]

Lock him up long term lol....

 

[princedpw]

I know it?s hard for us to admit this but this team is really impressive.

I wonder if the embarrassment last year finally woke them up. If this balanced and smart play means lower scoring but sound defensive play I?m all for Matthews not getting 50+ goals.

I don?t want to get ahead of myself but I haven?t seen a leafs team this in control since? I mean I don?t know. You don?t see them scramble, you don?t see them panic. Colour me impressed.

They definitely did this for stretches last year (the 3-game sweep of the Oilers in the middle of McDavid's ridiculous season comes to mind) but this is by far the longest stretch of solid play from the Matthews/Marner/Nylander/Tavares group.  It's probably the best sustained stretch of play for the team since the Quinn era Leafs.  It's regular season production so it will always have an asterisk until they can win a playoff round but this team legitimately looks like a contender right now.  Scoring greasy goals, having good defensive structure.  The forwards cover for the defense.  The defense isn't making silly pinches and for the most part they dictating the style of play far more often this year. 

The Anaheim game in the first period was an example of the Leafs playing the Ducks game.  Then they turned it on in the second period and made the Ducks play the Leafs pace for the majority of the game.  It's just really nice to see.

Of course if they don't win the division they have a decent chance of having to face Tampa in the first round because the NHL has a stupid playoff structure but it is what it is.

I feel the biggest thing making the run look so good is simply Campbell?s .950 save percentage or whatever it is.  Throw that save percentage on any team and the team looks good. Is that Cambell? Is it the team defensive strategy? Is it luck?  I don?t know.  The skaters are a little less impressive offensively than in the past.

 

[Joe S.]

I?m not taking anything away from Campbell but it?s not like we?re watching cujo and Belfour bailing the team out.

He?s been steady and reliable but has he stood in his head and bailed them out of games they shouldn?t have been in? I?d argue that no he hasn?t.

 

[bustaheims]

I?m not taking anything away from Campbell but it?s not like we?re watching cujo and Belfour bailing the team out.

He?s been steady and reliable but has he stood in his head and bailed them out of games they shouldn?t have been in? I?d argue that no he hasn?t.

Agreed. He?s had some great games and some excellent sequences, but the team in front of him has been equally good. They?ve done a pretty good job of limiting the grade A chances, haven?t spent many long stretches hemmed in their zone, etc. The team has helped make Campbell look good just as much as he?s made the team look good. They?ve been putting together really complete performances.

 

[rdowdall]

Think the Leafs have any interest in DeBrusk?

 

[ZBBM]

I?m not taking anything away from Campbell but it?s not like we?re watching cujo and Belfour bailing the team out.

He?s been steady and reliable but has he stood in his head and bailed them out of games they shouldn?t have been in? I?d argue that no he hasn?t.

Agreed. He?s had some great games and some excellent sequences, but the team in front of him has been equally good. They?ve done a pretty good job of limiting the grade A chances, haven?t spent many long stretches hemmed in their zone, etc. The team has helped make Campbell look good just as much as he?s made the team look good. They?ve been putting together really complete performances.

I think what you guys think.  It's been the most impressively complete hockey I've seen since (as someone else said) the Quinn days.