John Tavares is a Maple Leaf

[CarltonTheBear]

Why would Calgary have hated Phaneuf for a trade?  It's not like it was his choice to leave, he was dealt.

Didn't people used to link to the Flames' HFboards thread about that trade and laugh at the Flames fans disgusted reactions as they learned about the return?

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=86158

 

[Zee]

They better have good security at that Feb game in NY (or wherever the hell the Islanders play), based on the vitriol I've seen online, I really worry something stupid might happen when Tavares goes back to play.

Yeah, things might get tense after he scores his 3rd goal and 5th point of the night.

Hey, it's NY, I wouldn't feel there was any issue if he played in say, Calgary all these years and moved to Toronto, but people can be fairly crazy down in the U.S.  I'm just saying I hope that after a few months the crazies have let go of their hatred and the worst that happens is he gets constantly booed when he touches the puck.

You should probably find a Calgary thread online that tool place during the Phanuef trade.

Why would Calgary have hated Phaneuf for a trade?  It's not like it was his choice to leave, he was dealt.

Didn't people used to link to the Flames' HFboards thread about that trade and laugh at the Flames fans disgusted reactions as they learned about the return?

But those type of reactions would be directed at the team itself for not getting more of a return for Phaneuf, not like Phaneuf had any say whatsoever in the transaction.  The vitriol towards Tavares is to him alone, fans burning his jersey, calling him Judas Tavares, wishing his career would end on an injury, all sorts of vile and crass comments. 

When you get all that hate directed towards one person, and that person can be somewhat accessible during a game, you have to be worried that all it takes is one nutjob to do something really really stupid.  I still remember the incident way back when when Monica Seles was stabbed by a fan of Steffi Graf because she lost her #1 ranking to Seles. Extreme example but fanatics are fanatics.

 

[Kin]

But those type of reactions would be directed at the team itself for not getting more of a return for Phaneuf, not like Phaneuf had any say whatsoever in the transaction.

Yes. I was agreeing with you.

 

[caver]

Props to the Leafs management at the time for spinning the situation with that 'Muskoka Five' tripe to ensure the highest performing players at the time took the brunt of the vitriol.

...and this brings us back to Babcock's statement about making it a safe place...

 

[LuncheonMeat]

The best part of that letter was: 'I have a special connection with this franchise that you will never understand.'  ???

 

[rdowdall]

They better have good security at that Feb game in NY (or wherever the hell the Islanders play), based on the vitriol I've seen online, I really worry something stupid might happen when Tavares goes back to play.

Yeah, things might get tense after he scores his 3rd goal and 5th point of the night.

Hey, it's NY, I wouldn't feel there was any issue if he played in say, Calgary all these years and moved to Toronto, but people can be fairly crazy down in the U.S.  I'm just saying I hope that after a few months the crazies have let go of their hatred and the worst that happens is he gets constantly booed when he touches the puck.

You should probably find a Calgary thread online that tool place during the Phanuef trade.

Why would Calgary have hated Phaneuf for a trade?  It's not like it was his choice to leave, he was dealt.

Didn't people used to link to the Flames' HFboards thread about that trade and laugh at the Flames fans disgusted reactions as they learned about the return?

Ah, I must have gotten that confused somewhere.  I thought I remember fans posting stuff about how he was useless, and a cancer in the dressing room and things along those lines.  It seemed irrational towards a player being traded to say these things about him when it wasn't even really his fault that he was being moved along.   

 

[Zee]

The best part of that letter was: 'I have a special connection with this franchise that you will never understand.'  ???

The sad thing is the letter was penned by some old guy (I assume he's old since he knows Butch Goring).  You would think with age comes perspective and a certain level headedness but alas.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Lindros high on Tavares' signing with Leafs:

"I think it's fantastic for anybody who roots for the Toronto Maple Leafs," Lindros, who grew up in Toronto and played for the Maple Leafs, told TSN on Monday. "You look at the lineup they already had and you bring in a stud like John Tavares ... he's the real deal. It's going to be linteresting."

"You're going to have him going up against on the road, the checking line," Lindros said. "Auston Matthews isn't going to have to face it anymore, or vice versa. And [center Nazem] Kadri is on the third line. You've got a real good one-two-three punch there."

https://www.tsn.ca/video/lindros-on-tavares-signing-great-for-anyone-who-roots-for-the-leafs~1439690

 

[rdowdall]

Anybody worried that a guy like Clutterbuck may take a run at Tavares just to prove a point?

 

[Bill_Berg]

I think there is a general respect that few violate. Heat of the moment aside.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I think there is a general respect that few violate. Heat of the moment aside.

Yeah, Tavares still has a lot of friends in that Islanders dressing room, Clutterbuck included probably. I can't see anybody deliberately attempting to injure him just because he left. They'll play him hard and of course finish their checks, but there's still a line that they won't cross.

 

[Zee]

Anybody worried that a guy like Clutterbuck may take a run at Tavares just to prove a point?

Nah, I'm more worried about some nut in the crowd than anyone on the ice.

 

[rdowdall]

Anybody worried that a guy like Clutterbuck may take a run at Tavares just to prove a point?

Nah, I'm more worried about some nut in the crowd than anyone on the ice.

I was just thinking of the crowd being fired up, lots of booing, lots of adrenaline.  Islanders want to make a statement, and someone crosses the line.  He probably does have a bunch of friends on the team still, and it's not like anybody on the Islanders is Gudas level. 

 

[hockeyfan1]

Anybody worried that a guy like Clutterbuck may take a run at Tavares just to prove a point?

Nah, I'm more worried about some nut in the crowd than anyone on the ice.

I was just thinking of the crowd being fired up, lots of booing, lots of adrenaline.  Islanders want to make a statement, and someone crosses the line.  He probably does have a bunch of friends on the team still, and it's not like anybody on the Islanders is Gudas level. 

The players will get caught up with the emotions displayed by their fans, but I doubt they (Islanders) will want to butcher Tavares, so to speak. 

Play competitively, yes.  Play to injure him, no.  Of course, that said, it doesn't mean that Tavares will be able to waltz in there, by far and wide he'll have it tough which will include a sprinkling of animosity on the part of some of the Islanders faithful, and a sprinkling of applause from the more sensible and sober-minded Islander fans. 

 

[cabber24]

https://editorinleaf.com/2018/07/24/toronto-maple-leafs-islanders/

Ridiculous article about how Toronto is not sorry about getting Tavares because of a game in 2007 between NJ and NYI that eliminated the Leafs from the playoffs. If NYI got less then 2 points the Leafs were in the playoffs but they won in a shootout.

I was at a Raptors game that day and watched the end of the game with a bunch of other Leaf fans in the ACC on our way out after the basketball game. Madden scores twice in the last 5 minutes to tie the game, nothing happens in OT, and NYI goalie goes poke check on both NJ shooters and NYI wins. Meaningless game to NJ but I was pissed, I thought it was obvious he was going to poke check again but the second NJ shooter got poke checked anyway. Still a vivid memory. The pain of a TML fan is real.

 

[Bill_Berg]

I remember that game. We were at my Grandma's. The whole family watched it. I was more mad at the Devils than Isles.

 

[herman]

Just all of Tavares' 2017-18 goals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvddCIgbtJQ

There are a lot of similarities in Tavares' game to the way Matthews scores from anywhere in front of the net, any which way he can. Matthews has a bit more flash and sizzle, while Tavares is more simple and... assertive? I can see how a Hyman - Tavares - Marner line would work quite well: Hyman has a knack for causing chaos, Marner has a a knack for threading passes through a chaos, and Tavares has a knack for finding the net in chaos.

 

[rdowdall]

There is a downside to signing Tavares that I did not consider. 

At some point throughout the season I will be torn between whether I want Babcock to put Nylander, Matthews and Marner together for multiple shifts to see what happens or to put Nylander, Tavares, and Marner together for multiple shifts to see what happens. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

There is a downside to signing Tavares that I did not consider. 

At some point throughout the season I will be torn between whether I want Babcock to put Nylander, Matthews and Marner together for multiple shifts to see what happens or to put Nylander, Tavares, and Marner together for multiple shifts to see what happens. 

Kadri-Matthews-Marner
Tavares-Nylander

 

[Zee]

HOLY CRAP TAVARES IS A LEAF!