Maple Leafs are better, but are they a playoff team?

[KW Sluggo]

It is beyond disappointing - that was 3 years ago.

This is embarrassing to be life and death to make the palyoffs after so many years of ineptitude.

We have the largest front office in the League with supposedly the most talent. We have cut loose assistant coaches while gifting Ron Wilson an unearned extension.

For all of this we are looking up at Ottawa!

Ottawa has been at this rebuild thing for less than a year.

I have lost all patience with Burke, Wilson and Nonis.

I would put this in Rick Dudley's experience hands today and find out whether Dallas Eakins can coach at the NHL level. Otherwise we run the risk of losing them both -- and to what end?

Time for MLSE to pull the trigger on this failed management team.

 

[nutman]

Can you say motavation.... this is the leafs  biggest issue, they can't get up for the big games, last night they should have had the jump, and all the drive to go with the speed and skill. I think this team comes out way to flat to often.

we have changed all the players, all the assistent coaches, even the water boy. so what does it take to prove to Burke that our coach is just not cutting it. I was in his corner but these last few games have pushed me out. lets try our Marlies coach, or i am sure there is one out there that could get the buds playing some inspired hockey.

nuff said I am just wore out watching a solid team like this under acheve.

 

[leafplasma]

Sorry guys but do any of you really think Burke would fire RW after just giving him a one year extension.  BB is too proud to do that.  If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs I could see him getting fired, if a good candidate becomes available, in the off season or if the Leafs are slow out of the gate next year.  However, there is no way it is done this soon after the extension though, I just don't see it.

 

[bustaheims]

Sorry guys but do any of you really think Burke would fire RW after just giving him a one year extension.  BB is too proud to do that.  If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs I could see him getting fired, if a good candidate becomes available, in the off season or if the Leafs are slow out of the gate next year.  However, there is no way it is done this soon after the extension though, I just don't see it.

It's not just that - coming into the season, pretty much everyone should have known that, as long as the Leafs were close to a playoff spot, Wilson wasn't going anywhere until after the season.

 

[Tigger]

Sorry guys but do any of you really think Burke would fire RW after just giving him a one year extension.  BB is too proud to do that.  If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs I could see him getting fired, if a good candidate becomes available, in the off season or if the Leafs are slow out of the gate next year.  However, there is no way it is done this soon after the extension though, I just don't see it.

It's not just that - coming into the season, pretty much everyone should have known that, as long as the Leafs were close to a playoff spot, Wilson wasn't going anywhere until after the season.

Yeah. The extension won't mean anything if they don't make it this year but it'll likely go down to the wire. I would imagine Carlyle is at the front of the line at that point.

 

[princedpw]

nice post etiam.  on the leafs new strategy of 3 scoring lines -- im glad they are going in this direction but disappointed they took so long. the leafs should be ahead of the curve like detroit has been for the last couple of decades.

i agree with your thoughts on goal differential and im crossing my fingers.

 

[Mike1]

nice post etiam.  on the leafs new strategy of 3 scoring lines -- im glad they are going in this direction but disappointed they took so long. the leafs should be ahead of the curve like detroit has been for the last couple of decades.

Is that what the Leafs really have though? Seems to me like too often the scoring is coming from one line. While we may be paying others to contribute goals in a top 9 set-up, we rarely seem to get the production. Too many nights where certain guys have a stat line of 0 0 0.

 

[sampson]

I liked it better when Toronto was in the top 8. It angers me so much when games like tonight(PIT/WAS) happen and it turn into a 3 pointer. #angry

 

[Ronco]

The Leafs are lazy. Not making the best of their situation their play is off.

The coaches are not an issue. They play lazy.
Up front they have the weapons on the back end they can bulk up that forward group.

It's the time to make a statement.
Kullemein has to get it on. Grabovsoski is doing a great job.
More effort from the back end will push em into the playoffs.

Go Leafs Go!!!

 

[rdowdall]

3-2 against the Wild, Habs, Islanders x 2 and the Penguins, isn't good enough.  They need to win those games.  Mainly because they are teams below them, and they don't have points to give up.  Also, they no longer control their own fate.  Once you are out of a playoff spot, you now rely on someone else dropping out, which means you need things to fall in to place for you.  I was fine as long as they held on to the 8th spot because they just had to keep pace.  Now they have to keep pace and hope that someone else can't.  And the reality is if they only go 3-2 against the 4 teams listed above, then how are they going to compete against the teams that are ahead of them.  You can call it doom and gloom if you like, but there is a certain urgency to the Leafs current situation.

Sure there's urgency, no argument there. But you can have urgency and optimism at the same time.

At this point it makes no difference to me whether they're in 9th or 8th. It's not statistically significant. It would be if every team finished the season at exactly the same point winning rate, but they won't. Teams will drop and fall. The standings you see now won't be the standings you see next week, or next month.

Well I have 7 years of history on my side that says when the urgency sets in, things do not end well for the Leafs.  If I went back to 67, I bet I could come up with some sort of percentage value.  That's mainly where my pessimistic view comes in to play.  In order for me to be optimistic, I need a reason to be optimistic.  Right now, I don't see a reason.

My main concern is that I am not sure how the Leafs get better in the short term.  I guess Burke could pull a deal out of a hat, but I am not sure that there is anything available that would really help the Leafs.  This leads me to believe that if the Leafs are going to get better for next year, they need to do it internally, and I just don't see anything coming down the pipe that is the difference maker when it comes to the Leafs making the playoffs. 

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Can you say motavation.... this is the leafs  biggest issue, they can't get up for the big games, last night they should have had the jump, and all the drive to go with the speed and skill. I think this team comes out way to flat to often.

we have changed all the players, all the assistent coaches, even the water boy. so what does it take to prove to Burke that our coach is just not cutting it. I was in his corner but these last few games have pushed me out. lets try our Marlies coach, or i am sure there is one out there that could get the buds playing some inspired hockey.

nuff said I am just wore out watching a solid team like this under acheve.

I've been at it about 40 years now and can tell you and fairly pleased just having a solid team.  That said, I am getting sick of sitting in front of the television while the excitement/hope/will to live drains out of my body.  I give up.  Time to buy Thunderbirds season tickets again and punish myself in a different way.  :'(

 

[Big Daddy]

The leafs have not won a playoff series since 03/04 so enough sugar coating.  This pathetic trend needs to turn around. The entire team has got to want it or we lose.

 

[maplesyrup]

It's certainly looking like a 10 team race for the top 8 spots, doesn't it? I'm thinking one of NJ or Florida (hopefully both of them) has to fade for us to have a chance as the other teams (yes - Ottawa included) might be too strong and/or too far ahead to catch. These are the two teams that just need to lose no matter who they're playing I think.

 

[Corn Flake]

It's certainly looking like a 10 team race for the top 8 spots, doesn't it? I'm thinking one of NJ or Florida (hopefully both of them) has to fade for us to have a chance as the other teams (yes - Ottawa included) might be too strong and/or too far ahead to catch. These are the two teams that just need to lose no matter who they're playing I think.

I'm just looking straight at Ottawa. ... not going to say it out loud.... but..... you know.

 

[bustaheims]

It's certainly looking like a 10 team race for the top 8 spots, doesn't it? I'm thinking one of NJ or Florida (hopefully both of them) has to fade for us to have a chance as the other teams (yes - Ottawa included) might be too strong and/or too far ahead to catch. These are the two teams that just need to lose no matter who they're playing I think.

I expect Winnipeg is about to fall out of the race, so, 9 teams for 8 spots.

 

[maplesyrup]

It's certainly looking like a 10 team race for the top 8 spots, doesn't it? I'm thinking one of NJ or Florida (hopefully both of them) has to fade for us to have a chance as the other teams (yes - Ottawa included) might be too strong and/or too far ahead to catch. These are the two teams that just need to lose no matter who they're playing I think.

I expect Winnipeg is about to fall out of the race, so, 9 teams for 8 spots.

I haven't counted Winnipeg out just yet... They're a much better team then I though they'd be. I hope you're right though.

 

[Zee]

It's certainly looking like a 10 team race for the top 8 spots, doesn't it? I'm thinking one of NJ or Florida (hopefully both of them) has to fade for us to have a chance as the other teams (yes - Ottawa included) might be too strong and/or too far ahead to catch. These are the two teams that just need to lose no matter who they're playing I think.

I expect Winnipeg is about to fall out of the race, so, 9 teams for 8 spots.

I haven't counted Winnipeg out just yet... They're a much better team then I though they'd be. I hope you're right though.

I would feel much better if Leafs win their game in hand over Winnipeg to go 5 full points up. 

 

[bustaheims]

I haven't counted Winnipeg out just yet... They're a much better team then I though they'd be. I hope you're right though.

They're struggling a little, and have a stretch of games that are mostly on the road (8 of 10), where they've been pretty poor so far this season. When they get home, 3 of their next 5 are against Philly, Boston and St Louis. For them, that's quite likely a recipe for disaster. They coudl easily be 10+ points out by the trade deadline.

 

[maplesyrup]

9 of the next 11 on the road for the Jets... You might be right Busta. On the other hand, id they get out of the next 11 with a dozen or so points, it could be trouble for us.

 

[bustaheims]

9 of the next 11 on the road for the Jets... You might be right Busta. On the other hand, id they get out of the next 11 with a dozen or so points, it could be trouble for us.

With their road record so far this season, that seems highly unlikely.