NDSF: (1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (4) Montreal Canadiens | Canadiens win series 4-3

[CanucksJay]

11 minutes ago, sassbs said:

The homer fans of Toronto will no doubt say “this would be a different series if Tavares and muzzin were playing”

 

tbey would’ve lost regardless of who they had.  

I do think Muzzin and Tavares would have been enough to punch a ticket to 2nd round. 

Losing Tavares in game 1 was devastating. 

But now we are in that tough dilemma. 

Do they think those 2 injuries would have made a difference? Do they try running it back without major changes? 

 

Fool me once, shame on you

Fool me twice - shame on me? 

What is it for fool me 5 times? 

[Junkyard Dog]

1 minute ago, oldnews said:

They're only half of the 4 forward 40+ million equation though.

 

And they didn't make those decisions.

 

You can win with two players making 20+ million - if you balance the rest of your build.  The Leafs did not / do not. 

 

 

And they'll have only 12.5M in cap space to sign almost an entire bottom 6, a solid 3rd pairing D and Hyman.

 

I wish we could steal Hyman away from them. He'd be a great fit here.

[Nucksfollower1983]

6 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

The Sedins being selfless players is what allowed us to build such a deep team in 2011.

The rest of the team then bought in and followed suit. 

Horvat has already done that. 

Miller is also in a good contract. 

We need the rest of the young guys to follow. 

have to wonder what would have happened if McDavid took 10 instead of 12.5, or if M&M and JT took 9

[oldnews]

Just now, BPA said:

Either way.  The team is screwed.  They need to trade at least 2 high priced players.

I agree.

 

Babcock was at odds with their new age managment approach - because they never acquired a second top pairing defenseman.

They spent 40 million on 4 forwards - and then thought they could patchwork their depth - and win with guys like Gardiner in their top 4 (and now Sandin and Dermott still in over their heads in the playoffs).

 

They lack balance.  They get one idea in their head - and overdo it - repeatedly - on various counts.  Stockpile all the picks.  Sign all the 40 year olds.  Score all the goals.   They have no concept of a balanced team, built from the net out imo.

 

[oldnews]

3 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

And they'll have only 12.5M in cap space to sign almost an entire bottom 6, a solid 3rd pairing D and Hyman.

 

I wish we could steal Hyman away from them. He'd be a great fit here.

Hyman is expiring - so it could happen.

 

I like the guys like Hyman, Kerfoot, Campbell, Mikheyev....I think those are support players you can win with. 

But they notoriously lack balance as a build - have real weak spots that can't be hidden in spite of their strengths.

 

I'd fire Dubas and Shanahan tomorrow/yesterday/years ago if that's my team.

[TheRick]

Loui Ericksson would've made a difference for the Leafs winning the series! Leafs missed the boat for not acquiring him!

[PhillipBlunt]

Just now, TheRick said:

Loui Ericksson would've made a difference for the Leafs winning the series! Leafs missed the boat for not acquiring him!

There’s still time. 

[BigTramFan]

I'm so happy the Leafs and Oilers were eliminated in Round 1 

[Iron Fist]

8 minutes ago, Nucksfollower1983 said:

have to wonder what would have happened if McDavid took 10 instead of 12.5, or if M&M and JT took 9

By the time the cap goes up in 2-3 years. They're all going to be 1 or 2 years away from ufa

Edited June 1, 2021 by internationalhippy

[oldnews]

Kudos to Manny Malhotra - he did make a notable difference there.

 

Guys like Matthews - are considerably better players without the puck this year.

 

But there's only so much one Manny can accomplish there - that's a team in general determined to do it the Leaf way.  

 

[CanucksJay]

1 minute ago, oldnews said:

It's not a 'pass' - it's assigning responsibility where it belongs imo - not solely on those two.

 

A better built team - a better blueline for example - and those two produce more....

 

It's a team game - a unit game.

 

I see the failure as Dubas'  and Spamaplan's.   They built that team - not Matthews or Marner (and like I said, I'm not a fan of either of them - but if the Leafs want things to change - complaining about a pair of 23 year olds is not the answer.

That's similar to a situation here. 

Loui Erikson gets a lot of flack but Benning is the one that paid him. 

If Loui was a 3rd liner getting paid 2m, ppl wouldn't bat an eye... 

Yes Dubas paid those 2 but the players aren't living up to the contract signed. 

At that money, they should be dominating the game. They clearly weren't. 

Ppl dump on McDavid and Draisatle  but they were 1 pt / game and 1.25 / game. Oilers defence was crap too. 

When you sign a contract that pays you as a premier player in the league and you don't produce, the heat will be on... McDavid and Draisatle combo make less (almost 2m) than M&M yet they produced. 

Blaming Dubas is right though. The boss is ultimately responsible. In hindsight, when Marner was threatening to hold out for more money, Dubas should have traded him and filled other holes on the team. 

 

 

[TNucks1]

2 hours ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

We have 25 winners who correctly predicted the outcome of this series:

 

@internationalhippy
@TNucks1
@Twilight Sparkle
@BarnBurner
@FaninMex
@Apricot
@KariyaSakicAnderson
@canuck73_3
@iinatcc
@D-Money
@Canucklehead53
@ForestFalcon
@Jimmy McGill
@JC2
@Herberts Vasiljevs
@Jaimito
@oldnews
@Chickenspear
@Bllewellyn
@Gelinas34
@Disgruntler
@philtbc829
@EP Phone Home
@Deets
@PistolPete13

 

Congrats!

@LeafsFanDan

[oldnews]

20 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

Reminds me of when Ehrhoff left the Canucks - for Buffalo - to "win a cup" LOL.

[canuck73_3]

5 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

There’s still time. 

Not old enough yet

[Nucksfollower1983]

1 minute ago, internationalhippy said:

By the time the cap goes up in 2-3 years. They're all going to be 1 or 2 years away from ufa

I'm sure McDavid will be thrilled to hear that. just wait 4 to 5 years things will be better, oh and you will have lost 85% of the prime of your career. 

[Hairy Kneel]

2 minutes ago, oldnews said:

Kudos to Manny Malhotra - he did make a notable difference there.

 

Guys like Matthews - are considerably better players without the puck this year.

 

But there's only so much one Manny can accomplish there - that's a team in general determined to do it the Leaf way.  

 

Manny for head coach? 

[johngould21]

I, too don't think that Matthews was a reason for the Leafs to lose, he actually played a decent series, had lots of chances, but, Carey Price was in a groove, and the only two that seemed to have his number were Nylander and of all players, Spezza. I've been saying all along that the Coilers and the Leafs weren't built for a Stanley Cup run. No D, and no goaltending. That, and a very top heavy 3 or 4 players eating all the Cap. 

Picking up guys like Thornton, Simmonds, Riley, Hutton, and Foligno, the last three for multiple picks is one of those moments when I say I'm glad I'm not a fan of those franchises.

[HKSR]

Honestly if the stars on a team leave $1m to $2m on the table each, it would make a massive difference to the depth of a team.  Imagine if the 3 leafs forwards all left $2m on the table... that's an additional $6m in cap to work with.

 

Ah well, who am I kidding... lmao laffs suck!!! Hahaha

[Junkyard Dog]

1 minute ago, oldnews said:

Hyman is expiring - so it could happen.

 

I like the guys like Hyman, Kerfoot, Campbell, Mikheyev....I think those are support players you can win with. 

But they notoriously lack balance as a build - have real weak spots that can't be hidden in spite of their strengths.

 

I'd fire Dubas and Shanahan tomorrow/yesterday/years ago if that's my team.

Doubtful but we'll have to see how he off-season pans out.

 

After Hughes/Petey are signed we won't have much left over and whatever little we have to be used to address our defence first, whether that be Hamonic/Edler or an upgrade like Savard/Larsson.

 

If we do manage to do all those things and sign Hyman we could drop Miller to 3rd C and have three really good lines. Hyman would be a good fit with Petey/Boeser. Would give us some gnarly depth.

 

[Iron Fist]

Just now, Nucksfollower1983 said:

I'm sure McDavid will be thrilled to hear that. just wait 4 to 5 years things will be better, oh and you will have lost 85% of the prime of your career. 

McDavid has Draisaitl and Nurse, They all built homes in same area, They're gunna ride it out in edmonton