Is it panic time yet?

[AtomicMapleLeaf]

talk about panic, my mother in law just came out to live with us after the passing of my wife's step dad. After two weeks she was heading for the fiord thank god. Can't live with these crazy tequila swigging lunatics.  She should have known better!

Advice to anyone who's Mom in Law is coming to stay with you long term. Act like a down and out alcholic for a week and they go running. I will accept my Academy Award next February. 

Been there, done that. And you are correct sir.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I dunno. This seems like another first round bounce for the Leafs the way things are shaping up. Is it panic to think this? Until they prove me wrong i just can't see this team taking a step forward yet

There's nothing we can do but be observers, so I'm not sure what we're panicking over.

It's not literal panic, it's only in the sense of fandom and watching another year go by when you hoped for so much more at the start. I've said multiple times I just want to see the Leafs win 1 Cup before I die, and after they signed Tavares that possibility seemed much closer to reality. Now, seems like there's a lot more work to do unless they catch lightening in a bottle come playoff time.

Does that not say more about your expectations being too high?

I really do get it. My expectations have been high with this team. Perhaps some times, too high. But the bottom line is, this team is very young. If they somehow fall apart after this year due to salary restraints, then it may be time to panic

 

[Bender]

talk about panic, my mother in law just came out to live with us after the passing of my wife's step dad. After two weeks she was heading for the fiord thank god. Can't live with these crazy tequila swigging lunatics.  She should have known better!

Advice to anyone who's Mom in Law is coming to stay with you long term. Act like a down and out alcholic for a week and they go running. I will accept my Academy Award next February. 

With a name like Highlander I took you as more of a Scotch guy

 

[Highlander]

talk about panic, my mother in law just came out to live with us after the passing of my wife's step dad. After two weeks she was heading for the fiord thank god. Can't live with these crazy tequila swigging lunatics.  She should have known better!

Advice to anyone who's Mom in Law is coming to stay with you long term. Act like a down and out alcholic for a week and they go running. I will accept my Academy Award next February. 

With a name like Highlander I took you as more of a Scotch guy

Scotch, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Vino's both red and white and rose. Lighter fluid, aftershave; you name it.

 

[slapshot]

I am not in panic mode. I admit they have really kind of sucked lately, but as long as Freddie is solid, they have a decent shot of upsetting the Bruins. I say upsetting because everyone will be saying the Bruins are the favorites because 1) the Leafs haven't proven they can beat them in the playoffs yet 2) the finished above them and have home-ice advantage.

I have a hunch that Gardiner won't be back for the playoffs.

So here is why I am predicting the Leafs will finally upset the Bruins...

1) John Taveras. They didn't have him last time around and I expect him to be on fire come playoffs, easily outweighing the loss of JVR and Bozak combined.
2) The emergence of Kappy and AJ.
3) Better goaltending from Freddie. He wasn't great against the Bruins, especially in the game Gardiner got slammed for. A bad goal from the point went in on one, and he should have stopped DeBrusk on that other one. I blame him more than Gardiner on that. It was very weak.

I expect the defense will be...

Rielly    Hainsey
Muzzin (replacing Gardiner)  Zaitsev (we really need this guy to step up)
Dermott      Ozi  (played together half of the year)

Bottom line is I think we are a better team than last year, even if we finish with fewer points, due to more injuries.

I think they been just kind of coasting the past couple of weeks, with their minds on the playoffs more than the current games. They just want to get those playoffs going. Then, I think you'll see a different Leafs team. I really do.

 

[Highlander]

You know in the great cosmic scheme of things that the injuries to Gardiner and Dermott may have come at the best time. They gave Holl and Marincin and Oz to some extent, a lot of playing time.  It gave Dermott and Gardiner a rest and time to watch tons of film on how to close gaps and not panic with the puck.
If they are with us for the playoffs which now seem certain, if either was to go down in the playoffs, at least Holl, Marincin and Oz have been playing a lot more and will be better for it.

And it now looks like Rosen and the Borg will be available if need be.

I for one feel a lot better about this than the Blue Jays Bullpen.

 

[Bullfrog]

Gardiner is skating. I'm pretty confident he'll be back for the playoffs.

 

[Zee]

You know in the great cosmic scheme of things that the injuries to Gardiner and Dermott may have come at the best time. They gave Holl and Marincin and Oz to some extent, a lot of playing time.  It gave Dermott and Gardiner a rest and time to watch tons of film on how to close gaps and not panic with the puck.
If they are with us for the playoffs which now seem certain, if either was to go down in the playoffs, at least Holl, Marincin and Oz have been playing a lot more and will be better for it.

And it now looks like Rosen and the Borg will be available if need be.

I for one feel a lot better about this than the Blue Jays Bullpen.

You're saying this thread has become the anti-panic thread now?  Perhaps it's now the supreme confidence thread.  Everything is lining up right before the playoffs start.  I like your style...

 

[Highlander]

You know in the great cosmic scheme of things that the injuries to Gardiner and Dermott may have come at the best time. They gave Holl and Marincin and Oz to some extent, a lot of playing time.  It gave Dermott and Gardiner a rest and time to watch tons of film on how to close gaps and not panic with the puck.
If they are with us for the playoffs which now seem certain, if either was to go down in the playoffs, at least Holl, Marincin and Oz have been playing a lot more and will be better for it.

And it now looks like Rosen and the Borg will be available if need be.

I for one feel a lot better about this than the Blue Jays Bullpen.

You're saying this thread has become the anti-panic thread now?  Perhaps it's now the supreme confidence thread.  Everything is lining up right before the playoffs start.  I like your style...

Yes its time to press the NO PANIC button....

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Gardiner is skating. I'm pretty confident he'll be back for the playoffs.

As an impending UFA, he'll sure be motivated.  How the rest of season plays out for him is almost certainly worth multiple millions to him, between potential contract value and length.

 

[Zee]

Gardiner is skating. I'm pretty confident he'll be back for the playoffs.

As an impending UFA, he'll sure be motivated.  How the rest of season plays out for him is almost certainly worth multiple millions to him, between potential contract value and length.

That may be so, but the body has to cooperate for him. The most motivated person in the world can't perform if he's having medical issues that impede him. For Gardiner's (and the Leafs) sake, I hope he's close to peak Gardiner for the playoffs. 

 

[Phileas Fogg]

As an impending UFA, he'll sure be motivated.  How the rest of season plays out for him is almost certainly worth multiple millions to him, between potential contract value and length.

I think as a UFA, he has far more to lose than he does to gain by coming back for the balance.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

As an impending UFA, he'll sure be motivated.  How the rest of season plays out for him is almost certainly worth multiple millions to him, between potential contract value and length.

I think as a UFA, he has far more to lose than he does to gain by coming back for the balance.

I don't disagree, and I framed my statement accordingly.  There's potentially a very wide variance for him financially between the various outcomes of not coming back at all, or coming back and only playing a handful of games, or playing out the season/playoffs but being ineffective, or playing out the season/playoffs reasonably effectively.  Nonetheless, his motivation to come back would be to try to prove suitors that he's not damaged goods going forward.  If he doesn't play another game for the Leafs, that perception of damaged goods will be there.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

As an impending UFA, he'll sure be motivated.  How the rest of season plays out for him is almost certainly worth multiple millions to him, between potential contract value and length.

I think as a UFA, he has far more to lose than he does to gain by coming back for the balance.

I don't disagree, and I framed my statement accordingly.  There's potentially a very wide variance for him financially between the various outcomes of not coming back at all, or coming back and only playing a handful of games, or playing out the season/playoffs but being ineffective, or playing out the season/playoffs reasonably effectively.  Nonetheless, his motivation to come back would be to try to prove suitors that he's not damaged goods going forward.  If he doesn't play another game for the Leafs, that perception of damaged goods will be there.

As will his blow up in game 7 next year. I think for him to realize his top value, he needs to play in the playoffs and play well.