Is this the turning point???

[Corn Flake]

Ok the turning point is nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntwo weeks ago, when they broke out of that 0-3-2 funk and pulled out of what could have easily been another tail spin like last year.

 

[Redleaf]

So, getting the job done isn't enough anymore? Now we need Reimer to make it look easy?

I'm with the nutman on this one. Just look at the win column and enjoy. If this team fizzles out in the playoffs, then so be it. We have a young and upcoming team that will take the playoff experience and build off of it. When have we been able to say that in the last 10 years?

Did anyone say that? I said he doesn't make it look easy. He's very, very beatable. He has tremendous weaknesses that are very, very exploitable. High-glove, he gives off tons of rebounds, he gets scatterbrained a lot of loses sight of the puck and so on and so forth.

He's gotten the job done, and he's young, so it's likely he'll improve - but let's not pretend he's infallible out there.

And, did I say that?

He's getting the job done. That should be enough of an analysis at this stage of his career and considering where the Leafs are currently sitting in the standings, heading toward their first playoff round in nearly 10 years.

Why take pot shots at a goalie that wins 3 of every 4 games played this season, and has been a big part of this teams success?

Lets see how he does when the games count, and Nonis can take the appropriate steps should he not live up to expectations.

 

[Crucialness Key]

Ok the turning point is nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntwo weeks ago, when they broke out of that 0-3-2 funk and pulled out of what could have easily been another tail spin like last year.

Good candidate for the TSN turning point, I agree.

But whatever happens, I personally think this season is a big turning point for one fundamental reason... in previous years we've been scrambling to put together a full roster of competent players.  This feels like the first season in a loooong time where we're now debating which competent, or even good, player to put into the lineup.  That instead of being forced to play guys because they're the only option, we now have options to choose from.

 

[Deebo]

I must say I kind of agree with this. For so many years the team would ride a bit of a high at first and all would be hopeful, only to go on a massive losing streak and humiliate themselves out of the postseason. It was hard to watch.

That really only happened last season.

 

[lc9]

I do agree that we won't be making much noise with the current goaltending setup.

I think the rest of the team is pretty good though.

 

[nutman]

Ok the turning point is nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntwo weeks ago, when they broke out of that 0-3-2 funk and pulled out of what could have easily been another tail spin like last year.

That was a big turning point. it showed we have turned the corner and will just fold any more, this club has gained respect, somthing we have not had in yrs. I'll say that shows we have turned a corner. now if only some of our fans can let go of the past and get there srses on the waggon all will be fine  ;D.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

I don't know what would happen if this season was 82 games instead of 48.  But to say that the leafs always start off well and then fade is to forget the year when they just went out and lost what...like the first 10 games of the season?  So I guess I feel the problem for the leafs was more stopping skids not when they happened. 

The worst one they had this season was five games and they still got 3 points out of it.  They easily could have dropped the backtobacks against boston, but they didn't.  they managed to squeeze out 3 of the 4 points available.  And I guess i tend to think that past incarnations of this team would have lost these two games to the Rangers.  After all the rangers need the points badly and it seemed like whenever that came up the leafs just couldn't close out the other team.  But this year the best the Rangers can do is get back to 4 pts behind. 

I've often heard over the last years that the leafs can't win games when it matters.  Shortened season or not these games matter and so far they're still finding those wins.

Do I think this team is going go deep in the playoffs?  No.  I don't.  I'll be more than happy to be wrong but I think that winning a round is about the most I could hope for.  But to say this team is crap.  I guess I just don't get.  We're leafs fans, we're well versed in crap.  This isn't it. 

I know the argument is that over the same sample size that wilson did just about as well last season.  Of course that's kind of cherry-picking those numbers because well..if we went with the second half of it, not so much.  Still it's pretty obvious that this team is better in one rather important area.  The penalty kill.

The only way Wilson's teams to be effective on the penalty kill was not to take them.  This team since Feb 7th (my birthday no less) is over 90%.  And over all is 3rd or 4th in the league.  That's respectable.  A word we haven't been able to associate with this club in quite some time.  It's something I don't even really worry about anymore.  I expect that the leafs will kill penalties.  Isn't that a strange feeling?

What's more, arguably this teams best player has sat for most of the year.  This would have seemed like a good excuse for the teams of the last decade to pack it in.  But no there they go finding ways to win.  This isn't a team that you would say has depth really but they do have some.  Our "weakness" going into the season was goaltending.  Yet both have played well enough.  Scrivens held the leafs head above water when Reimer went down.  It might not be as impressive as what Ottawa has gotten out of their Goaltending this year.  But we certainly didn't pull a Carolina either. 

So I guess I get being pessimistic.  It's hard not to be with the leafs.  But I guess I really feel if there was a way to have this team play last year's team.  This year's team would mop the floor with them.  They would hit them until they didn't want to play anymore.  They would score almost as easily and they would kill every damn penalty they took. 

And that's all I'm looking for this year.  Next year it'll be time to want more.  This year that...and a round of playoffs...is enough.

 

[Zee]

Thing is we don't know how this team will hold up over 82 games.  They've played really consistently so far this season, but when you look at it, only 39 games so far, that's not even at the halfway point of a normal season.  ANYTHING could happen over the final 43 games in a normal season, even with the Leafs sitting nicely in 5th place.  It would have to be a very bad stretch of games for sure, but last season's collapse is still fresh in many people's minds.

That being said, I'll take this year and the playoffs, come what may.

 

[PG]

I don't think you can read too much into this season. Something huge that people are overlooking is the travel schedule (or lack thereof). Eastern Conference teams have only had to leave their time zone a couple of times to go to Winnipeg (a measly hour difference).

Let's see how this team performs in those dreaded 3-games-in-4-nights West Coast road trips. Or the 5-game road trip that takes them across multiple time zones.

*Sidenote - That's why Pittsburgh's win streak did not really impress me. If you compared that to all the past 10+ game winning streaks in history, you will find theirs was (BY FAR) the easiest travel schedule.

Now it's quite possible that the Leafs would have done just as well, but we will never know. That's why a full regular schedule should be the true measuring stick.

There were also quite a few players that were literally sitting on their couch 2 weeks before the season started. Many, many players were not in shape (their fault, I know, for not being prepared).

I fully understand that the teams in each conference are at the exact same advantage/disadvantage. I just think a complete regular season would tell us a more accurate story.

I would just be cautious about using this season to assume they are now a perennial playoff team, especially when a lot of the stats say this team's style is not sustainable.

Having said that, I have always said that I don't care how they make the playoffs, as long as they do. So I will enjoy this season, asterisk or not. In fact, it's such a weird season that I could even see them winning a round.

 

[nutman]

Thing is we don't know how this team will hold up over 82 games.  They've played really consistently so far this season, but when you look at it, only 39 games so far, that's not even at the halfway point of a normal season.  ANYTHING could happen over the final 43 games in a normal season, even with the Leafs sitting nicely in 5th place.  It would have to be a very bad stretch of games for sure, but last season's collapse is still fresh in many people's minds.

That being said, I'll take this year and the playoffs, come what may.

I think the team as a whole would be right about where they are now if it were an 82 game season. last yr we learned what loosing was all about, this year we fixed that and learned winning, and will get some playoff exp to boot. I think we are becoming a team that will hang at the top for a while. so next year I see yet another step. as I have said this season has been a turning point for the Leafs. we are strong, and it did not come at the expense of our farm system as in yrs past.

 

[Zee]

Thing is we don't know how this team will hold up over 82 games.  They've played really consistently so far this season, but when you look at it, only 39 games so far, that's not even at the halfway point of a normal season.  ANYTHING could happen over the final 43 games in a normal season, even with the Leafs sitting nicely in 5th place.  It would have to be a very bad stretch of games for sure, but last season's collapse is still fresh in many people's minds.

That being said, I'll take this year and the playoffs, come what may.

I think the team as a whole would be right about where they are now if it were an 82 game season. last yr we learned what loosing was all about, this year we fixed that and learned winning, and will get some playoff exp to boot. I think we are becoming a team that will hang at the top for a while. so next year I see yet another step. as I have said this season has been a turning point for the Leafs. we are strong, and it did not come at the expense of our farm system as in yrs past.

I'm excited to see what the playoffs can bring for this young team.  I really hope they don't go out in 4 games, I'd want them to taste some success, maybe even win a round if possible.  Will be a great experience, especially for the goalies, and guys like Kadri.

 

[nutman]

Thing is we don't know how this team will hold up over 82 games.  They've played really consistently so far this season, but when you look at it, only 39 games so far, that's not even at the halfway point of a normal season.  ANYTHING could happen over the final 43 games in a normal season, even with the Leafs sitting nicely in 5th place.  It would have to be a very bad stretch of games for sure, but last season's collapse is still fresh in many people's minds.

That being said, I'll take this year and the playoffs, come what may.

I think the team as a whole would be right about where they are now if it were an 82 game season. last yr we learned what loosing was all about, this year we fixed that and learned winning, and will get some playoff exp to boot. I think we are becoming a team that will hang at the top for a while. so next year I see yet another step. as I have said this season has been a turning point for the Leafs. we are strong, and it did not come at the expense of our farm system as in yrs past.

I'm excited to see what the playoffs can bring for this young team.  I really hope they don't go out in 4 games, I'd want them to taste some success, maybe even win a round if possible.  Will be a great experience, especially for the goalies, and guys like Kadri.

All they need is one win to get the taste. And I can't see them getting swept by any team, we just have not lost like that this season. i'll bet even Boston does not want to play us.

 

[Bullfrog]

Did anyone say that? I said he doesn't make it look easy. He's very, very beatable. He has tremendous weaknesses that are very, very exploitable. High-glove, he gives off tons of rebounds, he gets scatterbrained a lot of loses sight of the puck and so on and so forth.

He's gotten the job done, and he's young, so it's likely he'll improve - but let's not pretend he's infallible out there.

I don't see anyone claiming Reimer is infallible or even a top goalie in the league. Right now, he's middle-of-the-pack, and that's better than what we've had in awhile.

If you look back at the previous 10 stanley cup winners, the goaltending has been quite varied. Excellent goaltending in the last couple of years, but somewhat average in most of the years before that.

Reimer gives the Leafs a chance to win. I'm good with that.

 

[Kin]

I think people need to remember that we're fans of a hockey team, not hosts of a cable news show. There's room for nuance in our positions. You can be looking forward to the playoffs and not think the team will do well there. You can count this season as a success and not be wild about their chances next year. You can appreciate what Tyler Bozak has brought to the team and think about how they'll deal with him in the off-season.

 

[oakl0008]

I too think you should join TMLS pitty party. it seems to me you guys cant see talent. this leaf team was almost here last season, so a hockey fan with some kind of Hockey sense could see that, if we did not have the Reimer injury, we would not have took that dive. anyways thats water under the bridge.
This team is full of talent and if you cant see it then your hockey blind. we keep getting stronger and stronger. Last night showed me lots, NYR are a solid team and no easy win, yet we found a way. I  also think that any teams that are in the playoffs will be wishing they dont get us. we may not be ready for a cup, but we wont lie down eather.
So stop being such a downer, your only giving yourself a rougher ride through live being like that. and have fun at that downer\pitty party.

Nutman....Me saying that this whole playoff thing is new to these guys and that I don't think they're ready because of that....where on earth did you get the notion that I said this team wasn't talented? I never said it. This team is plenty talented. More talented than in many years. But talent doesn't equal experience and that's what these guys need before doing anything. Not placing such unrealistic expectations on a young an inexperienced team is not being a downer, it's being patient. I was once invested in this team. I was never invested in any other team since. After nine years of letdown after letdown, forgive me for being a little cautious for these new guys.

I'm not going to accuse you of wearing the blue and white coloured glasses. So, in the future, feel free to disagree, but spare us the insulting posts telling the cautious to "go somewhere else". This is a fan forum and we all have a right to be here unless we're hurting others and/or deliberately breaking the rules.

 

[caver]

Over the last few years the NHL has had a lot of success from it's younger players. This young Leaf team could surprise a team or 2 in the playoffs. 

 

[Bullfrog]

But given that the Leafs are currently 5th in the conference and 8th in the entire league (4th and 7th if you ignore seedings based on division leaders), should it still be considered a surprise if they have some playoff success?

 

[nutman]

I too think you should join TMLS pitty party. it seems to me you guys cant see talent. this leaf team was almost here last season, so a hockey fan with some kind of Hockey sense could see that, if we did not have the Reimer injury, we would not have took that dive. anyways thats water under the bridge.
This team is full of talent and if you cant see it then your hockey blind. we keep getting stronger and stronger. Last night showed me lots, NYR are a solid team and no easy win, yet we found a way. I  also think that any teams that are in the playoffs will be wishing they dont get us. we may not be ready for a cup, but we wont lie down eather.
So stop being such a downer, your only giving yourself a rougher ride through live being like that. and have fun at that downer\pitty party.

Nutman....Me saying that this whole playoff thing is new to these guys and that I don't think they're ready because of that....where on earth did you get the notion that I said this team wasn't talented? I never said it. This team is plenty talented. More talented than in many years. But talent doesn't equal experience and that's what these guys need before doing anything. Not placing such unrealistic expectations on a young an inexperienced team is not being a downer, it's being patient. I was once invested in this team. I was never invested in any other team since. After nine years of letdown after letdown, forgive me for being a little cautious for these new guys.

I'm not going to accuse you of wearing the blue and white coloured glasses. So, in the future, feel free to disagree, but spare us the insulting posts telling the cautious to "go somewhere else". This is a fan forum and we all have a right to be here unless we're hurting others and/or deliberately breaking the rules.

Fair enough.

 

[nutman]

Its almost time to dust off the leaf flags for my car. As soon as we clinch, All the blue and white comes out.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Its almost time to dust off the leaf flags for my car. as soon as we clinch All the blue and white comes out.

Gotta admit nutman, you called it.