Sabres @ Leafs - Mar. 11th, 7:00pm - SN, TSN 1050

[GhostofPotvin29]

Excuse me if I don't really buy that people would enjoy a different set of players who lost just as much or more.  Losing just sucks, period.  Seeing some career AHLers or young guys trying hard for a short period of time is no different than when we see it in exhibition and people say "ohh 26 year old Joe Schmoe looks great out there!" - well yeah, he has to give every single thing he's got for every second because that's all he's really got.  Over 82 games it doesn't keep up.

I believe that people think they would, but losing sucks regardless of how hard or not hard you think players are trying.  Me?  It doesn't embarrass or insult me.  It's not my life, I'm not the one out there.  I have nothing to be embarrassed or insulted about when it comes to the Leafs.  I have enough of that in my own life, thank you.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Excuse me if I don't really buy that people would enjoy a different set of players who lost just as much or more.  Losing just sucks, period.  Seeing some career AHLers or young guys trying hard for a short period of time is no different than when we see it in exhibition and people say "ohh 26 year old Joe Schmoe looks great out there!" - well yeah, he has to give every single thing he's got for every second because that's all he's really got.  Over 82 games it doesn't keep up.

I believe that people think they would, but losing sucks regardless of how hard or not hard you think players are trying.  Me?  It doesn't embarrass or insult me.  It's not my life, I'm not the one out there.  I have nothing to be embarrassed or insulted about when it comes to the Leafs.  I have enough of that in my own life, thank you.

I can handle the losing if the team at least tries, God knows I've done it for decades.  Or if there are guys that are fun to watch, who hit, who play tough, and make an effort.  But these guys don't even try.  They just mail it in and then mope around and spout cliches. 

I agree, losing does suck.  And if you're a Leaf fan you're probably quite familiar with it.  But some flavors of losing just suck a lot more than others, and this team is redefining how bad it can be.

 

[cw]

I actually really dislike this team.  Winning does nothing for me at this point. 

Never cared for a Leafs team less than this one. I've seen a lot of bad hockey over the last five decades but this season ... it's so ugly, I feel kind of insulted and embarrassed. When a team like this one has considerably more talent than they demonstrate by not making the effort on the ice, it gets hard to take as a fan. I truly do not like this collection of players. Why should I care about a bunch of players who don't give a crap about their fans and how they perform on the ice? They can dump the whole lot of them and I won't miss them. I'd rather watch worse hockey players who try and make an effort.

I'm with you cw.  I've been following this team for a long time, and I can't remember every disliking a particular cast this much.  Win, lose, whatever, they're not very enjoyable to watch.  I made arguments before for keeping particular guys, but at this point I hope they're all gone.

A bubble team, that the Leafs were forecast by many to be, is around .500-.590 hockey over the season - roughly. I'd agree they were probably playing above their heads to start the season - playing .600+ hockey.

But over the last 35 games or so, they've been playing .235 hockey or so. There's no way they're that bad. No way. To be that bad for that long, goes beyond a lack of skill. It's evidence they've given up.

L K has posted on here for years (always liked his posts). He takes his Dad to see the Blues game last Saturday. I reflected on me taking/going with my father over the years. But my father and I got to see something different than what L K got - can't say they won every time but we were not embarrassed by their lack of effort to the extent this club did last Saturday. The Leafs have had stinkers in the past but I feel this team's lack of caring is it's biggest malaise at a franchise all time low. It's stuff like that that has recently made me angry and question why I should continue to support this team. It's a real slap in the face.

 

[sampson]

I actually really dislike this team.  Winning does nothing for me at this point. 

Never cared for a Leafs team less than this one. I've seen a lot of bad hockey over the last five decades but this season ... it's so ugly, I feel kind of insulted and embarrassed. When a team like this one has considerably more talent than they demonstrate by not making the effort on the ice, it gets hard to take as a fan. I truly do not like this collection of players. Why should I care about a bunch of players who don't give a crap about their fans and how they perform on the ice? They can dump the whole lot of them and I won't miss them. I'd rather watch worse hockey players who try and make an effort.

I'm with you cw.  I've been following this team for a long time, and I can't remember every disliking a particular cast this much.  Win, lose, whatever, they're not very enjoyable to watch.  I made arguments before for keeping particular guys, but at this point I hope they're all gone.

A bubble team, that the Leafs were forecast by many to be, is around .500-.590 hockey over the season - roughly. I'd agree they were probably playing above their heads to start the season - playing .600+ hockey.

But over the last 35 games or so, they've been playing .235 hockey or so. There's no way they're that bad. No way. To be that bad for that long, goes beyond a lack of skill. It's evidence they've given up.

L K has posted on here for years (always liked his posts). He takes his Dad to see the Blues game last Saturday. I reflected on me taking/going with my father over the years. But my father and I got to see something different than what L K got - can't say they won every time but we were not embarrassed by their lack of effort to the extent this club did last Saturday. The Leafs have had stinkers in the past but I feel this team's lack of caring is it's biggest malaise at a franchise all time low. It's stuff like that that has recently made me angry and question why I should continue to support this team. It's a real slap in the face.

I'm with you guys. It's not possible to like all players on a team, but usually you have a bunch of guys you can rally around because of the effort level and determination and desire to win, which they show us on the ice. Who is like that on this team? There's no likable players right now, and it's terrible.

When Kadri is playing with fire, he hits people and you get excited, but it's so rare.

Komarov is probably the most likable guy on the team right now. He's not been himself since the concussion though.

We need a Clark, a Gilmour, someone who can excite the fans.

We got nothing.

 

[Chris]

Regarding liking the team better if "other" players were doing the losing - NO if it's just a rag-tag collection of career minor leaguers. YES if it's a bunch of young, hard working players who are developing together as a team.

I have a hard time believing the team (before the recent spate of injuries and deadline deals) was as bad as they have played since December. Yes they over-achieved early and that was unsustainable. But there was way too much talent on the team, along with some decent character players (especially Santorelli and Winnik), to accept the results and on ice effort that has been displayed over the last couple of months.

The fact that this team has essentially the same record as Buffalo over the past 30 or so games is inexcusable. Compare the rosters (before the trades)...Kessel, JVR, Lupul, Bozak, Kadri, Santorelli, Winnik, Phaneuf, Franson, Rielly, Polak...there should be no way that roster achieves the same results as Buffalo.

 

[cw]

Excuse me if I don't really buy that people would enjoy a different set of players who lost just as much or more.  Losing just sucks, period.  Seeing some career AHLers or young guys trying hard for a short period of time is no different than when we see it in exhibition and people say "ohh 26 year old Joe Schmoe looks great out there!" - well yeah, he has to give every single thing he's got for every second because that's all he's really got.  Over 82 games it doesn't keep up.

I believe that people think they would, but losing sucks regardless of how hard or not hard you think players are trying.  Me?  It doesn't embarrass or insult me.  It's not my life, I'm not the one out there.  I have nothing to be embarrassed or insulted about when it comes to the Leafs.  I have enough of that in my own life, thank you.

I can handle the losing if the team at least tries, God knows I've done it for decades.  Or if there are guys that are fun to watch, who hit, who play tough, and make an effort.  But these guys don't even try.  They just mail it in and then mope around and spout cliches. 

I agree, losing does suck.  And if you're a Leaf fan you're probably quite familiar with it.  But some flavors of losing just suck a lot more than others, and this team is redefining how bad it can be.

I'm with you, LuncheonMeat. I'll go back just a few years recollecting when Stajan, Wellwood, Steen, etc came up. They were not going to win all, like this year a bubble team at best. But it was fun seeing them try to bring some kids along and for the most part try to win as many as they could. I can't develop the same excitement for the current group. Kadri needs to grow up. Gardiner need to learn to be better defensively, etc. And those problems with 24 yr olds seem to have more of an edge to them.

 

[Highlander]

We have to remember that this collection of players where at one point in the season just  a few games away from first place.
Why did the wheels fall off again, where they overachieving, the goaltending didnt seem specatular?
I think back to some comments I made about Randy when we met him in Collingwood while the team was on bonding time there.  He had a very pensive air to him, like he knew he was treading water, putting in the time, like he knew what was going to happen. At least that was my read on him then.

 

[cw]

I actually really dislike this team.  Winning does nothing for me at this point. 

Never cared for a Leafs team less than this one. I've seen a lot of bad hockey over the last five decades but this season ... it's so ugly, I feel kind of insulted and embarrassed. When a team like this one has considerably more talent than they demonstrate by not making the effort on the ice, it gets hard to take as a fan. I truly do not like this collection of players. Why should I care about a bunch of players who don't give a crap about their fans and how they perform on the ice? They can dump the whole lot of them and I won't miss them. I'd rather watch worse hockey players who try and make an effort.

I'm with you cw.  I've been following this team for a long time, and I can't remember every disliking a particular cast this much.  Win, lose, whatever, they're not very enjoyable to watch.  I made arguments before for keeping particular guys, but at this point I hope they're all gone.

A bubble team, that the Leafs were forecast by many to be, is around .500-.590 hockey over the season - roughly. I'd agree they were probably playing above their heads to start the season - playing .600+ hockey.

But over the last 35 games or so, they've been playing .235 hockey or so. There's no way they're that bad. No way. To be that bad for that long, goes beyond a lack of skill. It's evidence they've given up.

L K has posted on here for years (always liked his posts). He takes his Dad to see the Blues game last Saturday. I reflected on me taking/going with my father over the years. But my father and I got to see something different than what L K got - can't say they won every time but we were not embarrassed by their lack of effort to the extent this club did last Saturday. The Leafs have had stinkers in the past but I feel this team's lack of caring is it's biggest malaise at a franchise all time low. It's stuff like that that has recently made me angry and question why I should continue to support this team. It's a real slap in the face.

I'm with you guys. It's not possible to like all players on a team, but usually you have a bunch of guys you can rally around because of the effort level and determination and desire to win, which they show us on the ice. Who is like that on this team? There's no likable players right now, and it's terrible.

When Kadri is playing with fire, he hits people and you get excited, but it's so rare.

Komarov is probably the most likable guy on the team right now. He's not been himself since the concussion though.

We need a Clark, a Gilmour, someone who can excite the fans.

We got nothing.

That's the same thing that struck me a while ago about this team. I have not developed any fan attachment to anyone on the current Leafs NHL roster. I can't recall that ever happening before this group (Ramage years or some others were pretty lean but you had Salming or Clark or someone).

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

While I know it's a dire situation.

There are still half a dozen or so guys I really like and hope to see retained during the rebuild.

 

[dappleganger]

That's the same thing that struck me a while ago about this team. I have not developed any fan attachment to anyone on the current Leafs NHL roster. I can't recall that ever happening before this group (Ramage years or some others were pretty lean but you had Salming or Clark or someone).

I haven't had any attachment since Tucker and Sundin left.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

That's the same thing that struck me a while ago about this team. I have not developed any fan attachment to anyone on the current Leafs NHL roster. I can't recall that ever happening before this group (Ramage years or some others were pretty lean but you had Salming or Clark or someone).

I haven't had any attachment since Tucker and Sundin left.

I think the one guy that I could point to on this squad that I really like in that way would be Polak.  He's definitely not one of the better players on the team, but he embodies everything I would like to see out of the rest of these guys.  He hits, he's tough, he sticks up for his teammates, and he always seems to give full effort.  It's just sad that he happens to be a 3rd pairing defenceman who's been with the team less than a season.

 

[cw]

That's the same thing that struck me a while ago about this team. I have not developed any fan attachment to anyone on the current Leafs NHL roster. I can't recall that ever happening before this group (Ramage years or some others were pretty lean but you had Salming or Clark or someone).

I haven't had any attachment since Tucker and Sundin left.

I think the one guy that I could point to on this squad that I really like in that way would be Polak.  He's definitely not one of the better players on the team, but he embodies everything I would like to see out of the rest of these guys.  He hits, he's tough, he sticks up for his teammates, and he always seems to give full effort.  It's just sad that he happens to be a 3rd pairing defenceman who's been with the team less than a season.

I don't mind Polak. I like what I've picked up about Robidas character helping the young guys but he's at or near the end of the line.  Don't mind Reimer's character but I don't think he's the answer as a starter. Liked Komarov's play before the concussion. Have hopes for Kadri, Gardiner & Rielly. etc But if any of them got traded, aside from hoping for a fair return, I wouldn't care much as I don't feel "attached".

When Sundin or Karbele (for example) wrapped up their time in Toronto, I was sorry to see them go - I'd developed some fan attachment to them. I like Alex Steen - was sorry to see him go. Sorry to see Mogilny go. etc

I guess the effect of the last number of years is that I'm just kind of numb.