Playoffs Round 2: Panthers vs. Maple Leafs

[Chris]

This "core" group has repeatedly shown that it cannot come through when it really matters. I would argue that most of the role or bottom six players have as well. I mean, Jarnkrok now has a blistering 5 goals in 105 playoff games. Lorentz has 2 in 45. McMann is well on his way to similar numbers. Laughton is the only one who was scoring at a reasonable rate in the playoffs before this year (6 in 24) but he was stuck with Lorentz and Jarnkrok so what could anyone expect.

So you have a group of 4 highly paid forwards, all highly skilled but severely lacking in other areas and who disappear in the big games, plus a group of bottom-6 forwards who can't put the puck in the ocean. I guess not exactly a recipe for winning the Cup.

 

[cabber24]

Depth scoring… OMG. Talk about beating a dead horse. The core didn’t score making half the salary, don’t give me the depth scoring BS! Seriously, it’s the worst argument . The core sucks full stop, nothing else to discuss.

 

[cabber24]

This "core" group has repeatedly shown that it cannot come through when it really matters. I would argue that most of the role or bottom six players have as well. I mean, Jarnkrok now has a blistering 5 goals in 105 playoff games. Lorentz has 2 in 45. McMann is well on his way to similar numbers. Laughton is the only one who was scoring at a reasonable rate in the playoffs before this year (6 in 24) but he was stuck with Lorentz and Jarnkrok so what could anyone expect.

So you have a group of 4 highly paid forwards, all highly skilled but severely lacking in other areas and who disappear in the big games, plus a group of bottom-6 forwards who can't put the puck in the ocean. I guess not exactly a recipe for winning the Cup.

Most teams stars score come playoff time and also, you know what you can afford without over paying the core 4, depth scoring

 

[Chris]

Most teams stars score come playoff time and also, you know what you can afford without over paying the core 4, depth scoring

The Leaf stars score too, but not in the big games (5-7, elimination type games). I've said it before, they are not good enough when it matters to command the amount of salary they've been given. And it ripples down through the lineup (well, maybe more like a tidal wave).

 

[Guilt Trip]

Depth scoring… OMG. Talk about beating a dead horse. The core didn’t score making half the salary, don’t give me the depth scoring BS! Seriously, it’s the worst argument . The core sucks full stop, nothing else to discuss.

Fla had 15 different goal scorers in this series. Leafs had 10 and 1 was Robertson. Depth scoring is huge whether you care to admit it or not. You don't think it mattered that Laughton or Lorentz couldn't burying one of those chances in the 1st period last night? Look at their 3rd line compared to the Leafs 3rd line. It wasn't close.

 

[mr grieves]

Most teams stars score come playoff time and also, you know what you can afford without over paying the core 4, depth scoring

If the Leafs have the 1st, 6th, 8th, and 9th highest paid forwards in the league, they really should have at least a couple of the top 10 playoff scoring leaders over the last several seasons. They're at 19, 22, 24... and I stopped scrolling.

 

[mr grieves]

Fla had 15 different goal scorers in this series. Leafs had 10 and 1 was Robertson. Depth scoring is huge whether you care to admit it or not. You don't think it mattered that Laughton or Lorentz couldn't burying one of those chances in the 1st period last night? Look at their 3rd line compared to the Leafs 3rd line. It wasn't close.

Are we all on the same page that depth wins Cups? Of course, you need your stars to come through, but, even if they're among the half dozen who can truly take over a game, you need depth to win multiple series?

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Fla had 15 different goal scorers in this series. Leafs had 10 and 1 was Robertson. Depth scoring is huge whether you care to admit it or not. You don't think it mattered that Laughton or Lorentz couldn't burying one of those chances in the 1st period last night? Look at their 3rd line compared to the Leafs 3rd line. It wasn't close.

Compare salaries of Leafs L3 vs Panthers L3. $4.375 vs. $11.0625

 

[Guilt Trip]

Compare salaries of Leafs L3 vs Panthers L3. $4.375 vs. $11.0625

The Leafs 3rd line is around $6M. Leafs also wasted 5.8M on Kampf, Jarnkrok and Reaves. You telling me the Leafs couldn't get better value from that money in the bottom 6?

 

[Guilt Trip]

Are we all on the same page that depth wins Cups? Of course, you need your stars to come through, but, even if they're among the half dozen who can truly take over a game, you need depth to win multiple series?

Leafs have not had an issue of defending in the playoffs. It's lack of scoring that kills them. You need to sign the right players to add to the depth, not waste it on guys that offer nothing offensively. Everybody says the top lines neutralize each other The depth guys are the ones making the difference.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

The Leafs 3rd line is around $6M. Leafs also wasted 5.8M on Kampf, Jarnkrok and Reaves. You telling me the Leafs couldn't get better value from that money in the bottom 6?

Management could have done something different. Would it be any better? Who knows?

 

[Frank E]

Are we all on the same page that depth wins Cups? Of course, you need your stars to come through, but, even if they're among the half dozen who can truly take over a game, you need depth to win multiple series?

I think it can be both, guys...top guys didn't punch through, and depth didn't punch through.

And further to this, Woll was pretty consistently the 2nd best goalie on the ice.

I thought that the only positive thing that they showed is that the dmen were pretty decent as a group.

 

[mr grieves]

Leafs have not had an issue of defending in the playoffs. It's lack of scoring that kills them. You need to sign the right players to add to the depth, not waste it on guys that offer nothing offensively. Everybody says the top lines neutralize each other The depth guys are the ones making the difference.

That's where I am on it. If the Leafs top players aren't outscoring the opposition's top players, but just battling them to a draw, then it's going to be the depth that determines outcomes. If you're paying the premium for the stars, they have to not only come out ahead of the other teams' stars, they have to do it by so much that they make up for losing the depth vs depth battle. If they can't, then a team so constructed can't win. Simple as that.

 

[ZBBM]

This will totally sound like fanboy sour grapes but as you all know part of the problem is structural. Think about it for a minute: last night's game was played under basically a different set of rules, one which is absolutely designed to stifle open-ice skillers like 16 and 88. The only penalties that were going to be called — that "had" to be called, in the funhouse world that is NHL playoff officiating — were literally the two most trivial on the books: too many men and over the glass. High stick to the face? We didn't see it. Hook down someone driving the net? Let it go. Obstruct all talented skaters all the time? Have at it, gritty playoff warrior team.

Don't get me wrong: Florida kicked our ass over and above all that. They wiped the floor with us and deserved to win.

But I'll say it again: subtract all the hype and playoff hockey is objectively worse than regular season hockey. There is something deeply wrong in a league where they follow a different set of rules in the tournament that decides the championship.

 

[Guilt Trip]

This will totally sound like fanboy sour grapes but as you all know part of the problem is structural. Think about it for a minute: last night's game was played under basically a different set of rules, one which is absolutely designed to stifle open-ice skillers like 16 and 88. The only penalties that were going to be called — that "had" to be called, in the funhouse world that is NHL playoff officiating — were literally the two most trivial on the books: too many men and over the glass. High stick to the face? We didn't see it. Hook down someone driving the net? Let it go. Obstruct all talented skaters all the time? Have at it, gritty playoff warrior team.

Don't get me wrong: Florida kicked our ass over and above all that. They wiped the floor with us and deserved to win.

But I'll say it again: subtract all the hype and playoff hockey is objectively worse than regular season hockey. There is something deeply wrong in a league where they follow a different set of rules in the tournament that decides the championship.

The NHL is the only league that punishes talent. This crap about being two different seasons is a load. Penalties should always be called the same regardless of the game. There's a rule book...follow it.