Tank Nation UNITE!!!

[LuncheonMeat]

Carolina beat Arizona in the shootout last night. Hooray for 3-point games. Arizona getting the win would have been ideal but this keeps more options open I guess.

Like a very outside shot at 3rd!

I fully expect the Leafs to win the next 2 games in convincing fashion and start a run of good hockey.

I'm fairly confident that we finish with the 7-9th overall pick which is a shame but we should still get a good player there.

It wouldn't be surprising if they did.  The team isn't good but it also isn't this bad.  Of course trades could change that, but all these players won't stay offensively challenged for too much longer. 

And then I fully expect to see Kessel criticized for starting to score again.

Count me in!!! 

He doesn't even need to score.  I'm mad at him just at the thought of it.

The Devils have won 2 in a row, and are 6-2-2 in their last 10.  They're also 10-7-7 on home ice.  The truth is, with a little luck they could have easily been 17-7 on home ice which is better than Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Jose.

I think this one gets ugly... like the awesome kind of ugly.  6-0 Devils, with the Leafs been driven out of town in Panzers.

 

[Bender]

Carolina beat Arizona in the shootout last night. Hooray for 3-point games. Arizona getting the win would have been ideal but this keeps more options open I guess.

Like a very outside shot at 3rd!

I fully expect the Leafs to win the next 2 games in convincing fashion and start a run of good hockey.

I'm fairly confident that we finish with the 7-9th overall pick which is a shame but we should still get a good player there.

It wouldn't be surprising if they did.  The team isn't good but it also isn't this bad.  Of course trades could change that, but all these players won't stay offensively challenged for too much longer. 

And then I fully expect to see Kessel criticized for starting to score again.

Count me in!!! 

He doesn't even need to score.  I'm mad at him just at the thought of it.

The Devils have won 2 in a row, and are 6-2-2 in their last 10.  They're also 10-7-7 on home ice.  The truth is, with a little luck they could have easily been 17-7 on home ice which is better than Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Jose.

I think this one gets ugly... like the awesome kind of ugly.  6-0 Devils, with the Leafs been driven out of town in Panzers.

Sounds exciting! 

 

[herman]

I re-read what I wrote earlier and indeed I misspoke and made it sound like I was advocating deliberately drafting bottom six players. My bad, Nik and Bender!

What I was trying to say was if we draft for certain the Santorelli personality (alongside top six potential skill), the worst that will come of it will be good bottom six players due to their work ethic.

 

[Redleaf]

I think Kessel (and linemates) is in on the tank. How else do you explain the pathetic performance of the top line in the last game? It's all part of the plan...

Shhhhhh!

 

[Kin]

I re-read what I wrote earlier and indeed I misspoke and made it sound like I was advocating deliberately drafting bottom six players. My bad, Nik and Bender!

What I was trying to say was if we draft for certain the Santorelli personality (alongside top six potential skill), the worst that will come of it will be good bottom six players due to their work ethic.

No, I got that. My points were:

1) If a player has an easily identifiable positive work ethic and top six potential skill he's going to be highly sought after by every single team in the draft.
2) There is no "right" personality type for what determines success as a hockey player, star or third liner.
3) Even if there were, it's not easily identifiable in 18 year old amateurs. As per the article you referenced Santorelli admits that the Santorelli "personality" was something he developed through struggle and set back through his years as a professional.

So there's really not much to guide the Leafs in terms of drafting there. If the Leafs are picking highly in the draft then they should really emphasize skill above all else(otherwise they'd make the same mistake Pittsburgh did and pass on players like Phil Kessel) and if they're not picking highly then the kind of player you're talking about won't be available. If the talents and mindset that made for successful bottom six players were easily identifiable, if any sort of successful NHL career was a "worst case scenario" for any draft pick, then good bottom six players wouldn't fall to the sixth round like Mike Santorelli did.

 

[Manson]

Y'know what's crazy?  Despite how bad this current slide is (and it's not like they were having the greatest season before this) the Leafs still have more wins than LA. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Another good night in Tanksville, as Columbus destroyed St. Louis. They're now 1 point back with 3 games in hand, which puts us one bad decision by the 4th place team away from drafting Strome.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

It's hard to stay positive with the Leafs setting franchise records (who says they don't accomplish anything?), but Tank Nation needs to press on!

Hopefully tonight the Oilers stay on their hot streak and the Leafs continue setting records.  Then we need:

New Jersey to destroy Montreal (please!!!!)
Columbus beating Ottawa in overtime
Coyotes beating Detroit at home
Carolina to beat San Jose on the road

If all goes according to plan the Leafs could be in a top 5 position, and only 3 points away from a top 3.  THAT is exciting!

 

[ZBBM]

Y'know what's crazy?  Despite how bad this current slide is (and it's not like they were having the greatest season before this) the Leafs still have more wins than LA. 

Which is where our captain is heading.

 

[Highlander]

We can only pray.

 

[rdowdall]

I don't like the Leafs chances of winning the lottery.  Last year Horachek took over as an interim coach for Florida, they finished second last and won the lottery.  Can't see that happening again. 

 

[Kin]

I don't like the Leafs chances of winning the lottery.  Last year Horachek took over as an interim coach for Florida, they finished second last and won the lottery.  Can't see that happening again.

If it makes you feel better it's pretty unlikely that Horachek is still the coach come the draft.

 

[ZBBM]

I don't like the Leafs chances of winning the lottery.  Last year Horachek took over as an interim coach for Florida, they finished second last and won the lottery.  Can't see that happening again.

If it makes you feel better it's pretty unlikely that Horachek is still the coach come the draft.

You'd think but according to the second intermission Cox is sure Nonis will be GM through the trade deadline, so....

 

[rdowdall]

I don't like the Leafs chances of winning the lottery.  Last year Horachek took over as an interim coach for Florida, they finished second last and won the lottery.  Can't see that happening again.

If it makes you feel better it's pretty unlikely that Horachek is still the coach come the draft.

I don't think he was Florida's either when they drafted Ekblad.

 

[bustaheims]

You'd think but according to the second intermission Cox is sure Nonis will be GM through the trade deadline, so....

Yeah, but he's the legman, not the idea man.

 

[bustaheims]

If it makes you feel better it's pretty unlikely that Horachek is still the coach come the draft.

Come the draft, likely not. Come the lottery, which takes place a couple days after the regular season . . . he still technically could be. Not that I think that will have any impact on things.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

?It?s pretty crazy to even think about,? McDavid said, referring to the possibility of being a Leaf one day. ?But that would be an absolute dream come true.?

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/07/mcdavid-says-being-a-leaf-would-be-a-dream-come-true

MAKE IT HAPPEN NHL

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

?It?s pretty crazy to even think about,? McDavid said, referring to the possibility of being a Leaf one day. ?But that would be an absolute dream come true.?

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/07/mcdavid-says-being-a-leaf-would-be-a-dream-come-true

MAKE IT HAPPEN NHL

I think that if Colorado got their fan Nathan MacKinnon, it's only fair that the Leafs get McDavid.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I saw a guy maybe in his late 30s yesterday walking around with a Toronto Maple Leafs "Stanley Cup Champions" jacket yesterday.  I literally did a quadruple-take, stunned by both the product and the willingness to wear it.  So tempted to take a photo, but I resisted.  As much as I could tell, it didn't even say 1967 or any other Cup year on it.  I can't even imagine what would possess somebody to buy and wear such a coat, and during an 11 game losing streak, no less.  I felt like saying, "please stop wearing that coat, you're embarrassing all of us".

 

[Joe S.]

?It?s pretty crazy to even think about,? McDavid said, referring to the possibility of being a Leaf one day. ?But that would be an absolute dream come true.?

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/07/mcdavid-says-being-a-leaf-would-be-a-dream-come-true

MAKE IT HAPPEN NHL

I think that if Colorado got their fan Nathan MacKinnon, it's only fair that the Leafs get McDavid.

Didn't Matt Duchene grow up an avs fan as well?