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2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

Chris said:
Regarding these shutouts - when do the score effects kick in for the Leafs? Other teams get down 3-0 and they throw everything they have at the Leafs, the entire period is spent in the Leaf end, Leafs get outshout 15-5. In past years the Leafs were like that - no lead was ever safe. How many times did they score 3, 4, even 5 third period goals when they were losing?

I get Berube wanting the team to stick to a system, but if you're down 3-0 halfway through the third the system won't get you anything other than a L. Might as well throw caution to the winds and go all out. If it's game 7 and you're losing 3-0 in the third, you better find that extra gear. Does this team even have it anymore?
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Yes totally agreed.

If down by 2+ going into the third, just switch back to the east west firewagon brand hockey these guys did for 7 years. Just unleash these spoiled stallions to cut loose with their dipsy doodles and wicked shots.

Whats to lose?
 
Chris said:
Regarding these shutouts - when do the score effects kick in for the Leafs? Other teams get down 3-0 and they throw everything they have at the Leafs, the entire period is spent in the Leaf end, Leafs get outshout 15-5. In past years the Leafs were like that - no lead was ever safe. How many times did they score 3, 4, even 5 third period goals when they were losing?

I get Berube wanting the team to stick to a system, but if you're down 3-0 halfway through the third the system won't get you anything other than a L. Might as well throw caution to the winds and go all out. If it's game 7 and you're losing 3-0 in the third, you better find that extra gear. Does this team even have it anymore?
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They did it once against the Caps I believe and many of us doubted it would happen. Berube wants them playing the same way, every shift no matter the score. What drives me is when there's 6mins left or whatever and down a goal or 2, he continues to play the 4th line. If you're losing with 10mins left in the 3rd, the 4th line shouldn't see the ice. I also dislike the 4th line out after a goal for or against. Keefe did it as well do a number of other teams. We'll see if this type of play pays off when the playoffs start.
 
Ozzie said:
Yes totally agreed.

If down by 2+ going into the third, just switch back to the east west firewagon brand hockey these guys did for 7 years. Just unleash these spoiled stallions to cut loose with their dipsy doodles and wicked shots.

Whats to lose?
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Yeah. In the latter half of close games, you need to do whatever it takes to win. Sometimes, that means abandoning your system and taking chances. We know, when let loose, this team has the talent to run up the score. We just haven't seen them let loose this season.

Structure and system and such are important, no question, but, we're now halfway through the season. At this point, the players understand the system as much as they're going to. Stubbornly sticking with it for every shift of every game will mean leaving points on the table. Gotta adapt to the game situation. Better to work that in now, because it's something they'll definitely need to be able to do if they're going to get anywhere in the playoffs.
 
Guilt Trip said:
I guess we're counting on the 3rd line to score? Not feeling Lorentz on L1
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I think the premise is: Lorentz has done really good work in his slot, and they've been lacking energy. He is a Big Energizer Bunny. Marner and Matthews really just need a body who can F1 hard and fast to free up pucks, and park his butt on the crease with his stick down.

Knies needs a bit of sheltering away from top D and has worked well off Nylander in the past, and has some chemistry with his former landlord, so why not see how he does there.

Pacioretty clearly needs some down time, even if he doesn't want it. Hasn't looked the same since his hamstring injury.

The lines on paper match what Berube is asking for: crash bodies, generate turnovers so you can use your skill game.
 
I guess in theory, Lorentz on line 1 could work just like Hyman worked there. In reality almost anyone should work with Matthews and Marner. That said - I don't think Lorentz is nearly as effective in the corners as Hyman was (he's not as fast for one thing). As long as Lorentz doesn't handle the puck too much. I remember so many plays dying on Hyman's stick in those early seasons. Of course, he got so much better as time passed but Lorentz is quite a bit older than Hyman was at the time.

Pacioretty has really fallen off but so have Tavares and Nylander. Hard to say how much is one vs the other. A shakeup can't hurt.
 
PTO to Matthews and Marner... I don't hate it. Lorentz like Hyman will do what he has to do to contribute to the situation he's in. I think we could be surprised by how this goes.
 
cabber24 said:
PTO to Matthews and Marner... I don't hate it. Lorentz like Hyman will do what he has to do to contribute to the situation he's in. I think we could be surprised by how this goes.
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When a GM negotiates sweetheart deals with NMCs and top ten in league highest pay..... there is no hunger, no fire that can be lit.

A guy like Lorentz (and prior to it was Hyman and Bunting) doesn't have that comfort. You can light the fire, dangle the carrot and they may jump. He already surprised as a PTO.

I wish there was a way to ignite Domi with Matthews. It worked so well last season.
 
Ozzie said:
I wish there was a way to ignite Domi with Matthews. It worked so well last season.
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I still think an interesting, balanced lineup could look a bit like:

Knies Matthews Domi
McMann Tavares Marner
Robertson Kampf Nylander
Pacioretty Holmberg Lorentz

Domi needs a stabalizing defensive forward (and is better suited towards the wing) and Tavares needs some extra help in the D zone.
 
Ozzie said:
When a GM negotiates sweetheart deals with NMCs and top ten in league highest pay..... there is no hunger, no fire that can be lit.
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No offense, but this narrative is a little too pat. Are we really to believe that the Core 4 aren't hungry for playoff success? You don't get to be an elite athlete without that kind of drive. (Well, there are a very few rare exceptions, but none of them are 16 / 34 / 88 / 91.)
 
ZBBM said:
No offense, but this narrative is a little too pat. Are we really to believe that the Core 4 aren't hungry for playoff success? You don't get to be an elite athlete without that kind of drive. (Well, there are a very few rare exceptions, but none of them are 16 / 34 / 88 / 91.)
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They lack heart, or don't care narrative is total bs. Literally every single player in the league has drive and heart. You don't play in the NHL without it. Truth is, it's hard to win in the NHL.
 
Ozzie said:
Who on this Forum is going to be the first (and brave enough) to try a Smokey Quarter Papi?
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I tried one last week, but made it a double.

Review:
Basically it's a bacon and cheese quarter pounder with barbecue sauce, fried onions, and pickles instead of the usual ketchup/mustard/pickles/raw onions, so if you liked the original but want something a little sweeter and smokier, you'll be fine. It's probably their most interesting offering on the beef menu right now, with more flavour than their standard fare.

McDonald's patties are on the fast food patty spectrum leaning towards greasy cardboard chunks, so it really needs the fixin's to carry it. If you can't tolerate McDonald's patties, this papi will not change your mind.

A competitive comparison would be Burger King's Roadhouse King, but that one you can really feel the arteries seizing up because it doesn't have the pickles to cut the fattiness up front.

This isn't me:
 
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ZBBM said:
No offense, but this narrative is a little too pat. Are we really to believe that the Core 4 aren't hungry for playoff success? You don't get to be an elite athlete without that kind of drive. (Well, there are a very few rare exceptions, but none of them are 16 / 34 / 88 / 91.)
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Yeah. It's a little too convenient of a narrative, and it just doesn't hold water when we see how competitive they are on the ice. A lot of people are conflating lack of success with a lack of drive, and they're very much not the same thing. It's never felt like they weren't trying in the playoffs or that they take a ton of nights off. Sure, some nights, they don't seem to be able to get it going, but that's not necessarily from lack of effort. Sometimes, it doesn't matter what you do, things just don't work and no one can give 100% effort every game of the season.
 
herman said:
I tried one last week, but made it a double.

Review:
Basically it's a bacon and cheese quarter pounder with barbecue sauce, fried onions, and pickles instead of the usual ketchup/mustard/pickles/raw onions, so if you liked the original but want something a little sweeter and smokier, you'll be fine.

McDonald's patties are on the fast food patty spectrum leaning towards greasy cardboard chunks, so it really needs the fixin's to carry it. If you can't tolerate McDonald's patties, this papi will not change your mind.

A competitive comparison would be Burger King's Roadhouse King, but that one you can really feel the arteries seizing up because it doesn't have the pickles to cut the fattiness up front.
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You are my hero @herman

For some reason your review doesn't show up unless someone responds to it like I did.

The next frontier is the four patty Big MacDavid. Greasy cardboard chunks with special sauce and toasted sesame seed buns! Plus pickles to cut down on artery seizures.
 
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