[Johnston] Nouveau, pour @TheAthletic : à moins d’un retour improbable et inattendu, c’est la fin des Maple Leafs tels que nous les connaissons.
New, for @TheAthletic: Barring an unlikely and unexpected comeback, this is the end of the Maple Leafs as we know them.https://t.co/DwvG9XYRJEhttps://t.co/DwvG9XYRJE
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 28, 2024
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DevOpsMakesMeDrink
27 Comments
Good
https://theathletic.com/5455012/2024/04/28/maple-leafs-marner-matthews-keefe-core/
This was a make-or-break game, yet another night when they were trying to shed the weight of their past, and the Leafs instead came apart at the seams in front of national television audiences on both sides of the border and a sellout crowd at Scotiabank Arena that started off supportive and ended up sneering.
Barring an unlikely and unexpected comeback down 3-1 in a first-round series to the Boston Bruins, this was the end of the Maple Leafs as we knew them.
I want to believe that but what could possible change unless you beg Marner to lift his NTC? Tavares is unmovable so no point even begging there.
Even a major change at president and/or coaching leaves the roster core still in tact for another wasted year…
We lack « tradable » veterans. Trading the likes of Kampf, Jankrok, Reaves, McCabe & McCann ain’t changing anything assuming they even have value. *That is actually the full list too…everyone else is a UFA or young enough to keep around…LOL.*
Easier to tear down than build up, and I do not trust this gm for the latter.
I don’t want to post the full article, but the last few sentences nailed it for me:
> … there really isn’t any evidence that suggests this Leafs team doesn’t have individuals with a desire to win.
> They’ve just given us no reason to believe they’re collectively up to the task of actually doing it.
I want the summer to be uncertain for everyone because there wasn’t anyone left on staff to talk to the players. Just send them a form letter, the next MLSE staff will be in touch.
But can anyone explain, realistically, what can the Leafs do to “clear house”? The team is stuffed full of NMCs. Even IF you got Marner to waive, how do you win a trade moving him out? Teams will know Toronto are trading from a place of zero leverage. What’s a fair return for him? I just don’t see how the Leafs get a trade done and come out winners
That was said in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023….. kind of boring now.
So boring.
We tried and we failed. The lesson is…never try.
In all seriousness it’s about time shit got real for these players and the people in management. Consistently below expectations year after year. This will be the 4th time we’ve lost to Boston in the playoffs since 2013. 3rd time with this core. No Bergeron. No Chara. You have to ask yourself have we really improved at all since 2013 because the results are the same.
Does anyone really give a shit if Matthews hits 70 goals next year? Personally idgaf. I hate the term core players. Every player on the roster is a core player but the way this team is built it’s like a bunch of overpaid stars and everyone else is a 4th liner/AHLer. Our defense is Mo Rielly and the rest are 3rd pairing dmen or AHLers again. Our goalie is always second best in every series. I dunno what you do with this team but one thing is for sure it’s time for real change. No more safety net.
Hire an analytics darling who did anything but. Signed Tavares then shot himself in the foot with the « We can and we will » about signing the other three, gave them all the leverage, gave Paul a blank cheque.
Made it a comfortable place to play, and when he left, did the same thing and signed EK, missed the playoffs with the Penguins.
What we now know has not been able to deliver in the payoffs. I don’t see a down side unless the goal is to get to the first round.
I watched the DAL-VGK game last night and wow, what a stark difference between a Vegas team that is down 2-0 and a Leafs team that is down 2-0, hell even 1-0.
Watching good teams play in the playoffs makes it painfully clear how far we are, and how much we’ve deluded ourselves.
Fucking good.
>Keefe: “You can question a lot of things; you can’t question the effort.”
Yup. That was *unquestionably* a terrible effort.
I’d take a top 4 right D for Marner. Doesn’t even need to be top pairing. Just a guy who can eat minutes in the top 4.
Team should have been blown up after the loss to montreal… but I guess the next best thing is now?
Honestly if it isn’t, I’m done with this team. I’m gonna be an Oilers or Rangers or neutral fan.
So many of us were saying this after then Montreal series ffs. It’s almost too late now.
This team is the Dallas Cowboys of the NHL
Good, start with demanding a list of teams from the crying baby Marner and sit him indefinitely if he refuses, dump Keefe and Shanahan and bring in Gallant.
that’s a bold prediction, the funniest part about the team is the curse (this year it’s Nylander injury and Matthews tummy ache) always gives them excuses to roll it again
I wanna see Tree pull out the Lou Lamoriello playbook and fire keefe before game 5.
watching marner with bert and domi in the 3rd was quite sad
I remember last season when we were losing to the Panthers O’Rielly said to Keefe that maybe we should try something different. Of course fucking Keefe didn’t listen to him. And they fucking lost. And then I pointed that out as one of his major failures and there were some brain dead Leafs fans saying that no coach would ever listen to advice from their players and that Keefe wasn’t the problem. Where are those idiots tonight? Keefe was outcoached and outclassed in every single area of the game tonight.
The only way I see this going to 7 is if Woll starts and he’s just absolutely unstoppable and the guys figure out how to fucking beat swayman and play tight
How would we know it’s spring without an early Leafs playoff elimination. It’s as regular as the tides.