General Leafs Talk

[Bender]

Looks like we'll be sitting in the 7th or 8th seed if we can sneak in at all. The stronger teams are finally starting to pull away.

I don't know how far off we are really. Ottawa is sitting in 4th with 60 points but the Leafs have 3 games in hand. If we won all 3 that's 3 points behind Ottawa's pace.

True, but they really have to go on a run for that to happen. Ottawa's run doesn't seem like a fluke, to be honest. I don't expect a crazy leveling off from them. I see Florida collapsing though.

 

[bustaheims]

True, but they really have to go on a run for that to happen. Ottawa's run doesn't seem like a fluke, to be honest. I don't expect a crazy leveling off from them. I see Florida collapsing though.

With 5 wins in their last 18 games, I'd say Florida is already mid-collapse.

 

[Zee]

The beauty of these last 3 games is they happen just before the all-star break.  Usually when the Leafs go on a mini-streak of 3-4 wins, they always seem to hit a mini-slump right afterwards.  This time, the Leafs can roll into the break on a (hopefully) 4 game winning streak, and then enjoy a week off before the Pittsburgh game.  That way they MAY be ready to play that Pittsburgh game and not the inevitable "let down" game after a 4 game winning streak.  That's my plan anyway.

Oh how naive I was even with all these years of being let down.  The Leafs just don't believe in making things easy. 

 

[brothert]

The beauty of these last 3 games is they happen just before the all-star break.  Usually when the Leafs go on a mini-streak of 3-4 wins, they always seem to hit a mini-slump right afterwards.  This time, the Leafs can roll into the break on a (hopefully) 4 game winning streak, and then enjoy a week off before the Pittsburgh game.  That way they MAY be ready to play that Pittsburgh game and not the inevitable "let down" game after a 4 game winning streak.  That's my plan anyway.

Oh how naive I was even with all these years of being let down.  The Leafs just don't believe in making things easy.

I honestly think that starting the countdown to elimination thread for this year is the way to go.  We should know for sure by the end of next week though.  There is no way we stay .500 during march and april.  If we want to get in we need the wins in Jan and Feb.  So far it's been disappointing.

 

[Zee]

Does Damian Cox do ANY checking before he writes an article?  His latest article he states :

1) Leafs are 3 points out of 8th place Florida -- wrong it's 1 point behind Washington in 8th

2) Leafs play Islanders at home on Tuesday -- wrong Leafs play Isles in Toronto on Monday and in NY on Tuesday.

He gets paid for this?

 

[maplesyrup]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\ 

 

[Kin]

Does Damian Cox do ANY checking before he writes an article?  His latest article he states :

1) Leafs are 3 points out of 8th place Florida -- wrong it's 1 point behind Washington in 8th

2) Leafs play Islanders at home on Tuesday -- wrong Leafs play Isles in Toronto on Monday and in NY on Tuesday.

He gets paid for this?

That's really more his editor's job.

 

[nutman]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Ha Ha.... just like the rest of us you will not go away for any amount of time, for fear of missing something.

 

[ZBBM]

Does Damian Cox do ANY checking before he writes an article?  His latest article he states :

1) Leafs are 3 points out of 8th place Florida -- wrong it's 1 point behind Washington in 8th

2) Leafs play Islanders at home on Tuesday -- wrong Leafs play Isles in Toronto on Monday and in NY on Tuesday.

He gets paid for this?

That's really more his editor's job.

That's right.  Nowadays, I wonder if they even have editors checking what's posted on the website.  Was this story in the print edition too?

Anyway, he's about 75% right.  As I said in the playoff thread, we needed to make big hay over this 11-game run to the ASG.  Two wins against the Isles puts us at 7-4 over that stretch -- not wildly great, but enough to keep breathing.  A win and a loss would not be good, and 2 losses would be a disaster.

After the break we have 16 at home and 19 on the road -- not such a big challenge as Cox wants to think.  But we'd have to go at least .500 on the road and much better than that at home to get in.  And then, just barely in.

Of course his comments regarding Wilson are right on the money.  Disgraceful of Burke, that extension.

 

[maplesyrup]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Ha Ha.... just like the rest of us you will not go away for any amount of time, for fear of missing something.

Kinda like how you can't stop watching a train-wreck until the last car comes to a stop?

 

[nutman]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Ha Ha.... just like the rest of us you will not go away for any amount of time, for fear of missing something.

Kinda like how you can't stop watching a train-wreck until the last car comes to a stop?

yes... I believe you got it, lol

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Nope, can't really say that I have.  I've often wished I could take a break from the site, but not the Leafs.

 

[skrackle]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Nope, can't really say that I have.  I've often wished I could take a break from the site, but not the Leafs.

I don't have much time available to post these days, but I'm usually lurking a bit, and definitely following the Leafs.

I think it's a matter of keeping expectations in check. There are some signs that the Leafs are becoming a team that might have a shot in the somewhat near future. Right now as a young team, they are still very error prone and maddeningly inconsistent. There are major gaps in the roster that Burke has to find a way to fill.

In short, the Leafs aren't there yet, but at least they are often more fun to watch this year.

 

[maplesyrup]

On a completely unrelated note... and not at all intended to spread gloom. Has anyone ever felt they just needed a little break from our beloved Leafs? I'm talking a few days, a couple weeks, even a month type thing? If it weren't for the upcoming deadline, I'm thinking now would just be a perfect time for a little seperation... it still might be.  :-\

Nope, can't really say that I have.  I've often wished I could take a break from the site, but not the Leafs.

Agreed re. the site for sure.

 

[Andy007]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AoDhVUofDeh3kfghnFL9r_hShgM6?slug=capress-hkn_leafs_practice_fight-16374269

FIGHT!

Joey sounds pretty Crabby

 

[Bullfrog]

He [Burke] revealed at least two teams in search of a new GM had approached him in 2011 about releasing senior vice-president of hockey operations David Nonis. But Burke said Nonis is content here and has no summer window, unlike vice-president Dave Poulin, assistant GM Claude Loiselle and player personnel director Rick Dudley.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2012/01/11/19232686.html

Glad to hear Nonis isn't going anywhere, as one of the teams current strengths is its strong management team.

Ditto.  I see Nonis as the future GM to take over when Burke decides he wants to move up into some other higher role / semi retirement.

It depends on if Burke delivers anything of value. If the team misses the play offs every year under Burke when he decides to move on I don't see the ownership handing the reigns to his protege. Why would you.

Why wouldn't you? It would depend solely on Nonis's merits as a manager. Just because the person above you fails doesn't mean you can't do the job.

Responding to the post previous to yours though, Burke has stated a number of times that "the juice" is in being a general manager and he's not really as interested in the business side. He also said that he'll hang on to the Toronto GM job until they fire him.

 

[Tigger]

Leafs 18-0-0 when leading after 2 so far this season.

 

[Zee]

Leafs 18-0-0 when leading after 2 so far this season.

What's their record when leading after 3?

;-)

 

[Fanatic]

It seems that the Leafs goal for this year is to squeak into the playoffs.

Too bad, because they won't be competitive in the playoffs anyway, and whether they make the playoffs or not they are still (at least) a few years away from being the team that Burke used to talk about.

I would have no hesitation at all about trading away Lupul and others to give this team prime assets that will begin to peak in 2 - 3 years. If not, then it looks like mediocrity is the only achievable goal.... and we have lived with that for far too long already.

 

[Zee]

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Next 10
Detroit W
Buffalo W
@Buffalo L
NY Rangers L
Ottawa L
Minnesota W
Montreal L
NY Islanders W
@NY Islanders
@ Pittsburgh

4-4 so far, hopefully 5-4 after tonight.  Looking back on that list, those outright losses really hurt.  I mean if the Leafs could have lost one or two in OT at least, that's 2 more points and we'd be sitting in a playoff spot today.