• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

Around the League 2019-2024 Edition

CH1 said:
Dom agrees

>>Maybe this all stems from roster construction. It’s hard to take risks when there has only ever been one defenseman on the backend capable of doing so. Doubling down on that with three safety blankets, one on each pair, in these playoffs felt like a complete misunderstanding of what was wrong with Toronto’s blue line. It’s true they were all solid defensively and rarely made many mistakes. It’s also true they offered next to nothing in terms of jumping into the play or creating much of anything in the offensive zone. Can the team’s superstars really be expected to deliver offensively to their usual degree when they don’t have a defenseman on the ice helping them attack with numbers?

Then again — maybe they’ve had to do it that way because the Leafs have never had the best goalie in a series. It’s easier to take calculated risks when your goalie is Jeremy Swayman, Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carey Price, Tuukka Rask, or Braden Holtby. After all, the “safe” defense corps have routinely been able to mask the Leafs goaltending deficiencies, enough to make every series close. They did their part in these playoffs too.
Click to expand...
Now granted, that kind of d corps is what the coach asked for. But the GM has the final say and builds the team. If he disagrees with the vision he will remove the coach's toys and/or fire him. Tre did neither. He gave Keefe every single toy he asked for, even more than Dubas ever did. And Dubas was guilty of it too.
 
Tldr: I wouldn't even classify firing Keefe as a bandaid. If that is the shanaplan and shanahan isn't getting fired then Keefe is nothing more than a scapegoat. The marginal improvement in coach won't be enough to move the needle if they continue with this dumbass philosophy.
 
leafman101 said:

View: https://x.com/JhanHky/status/1788201452407529535
Click to expand...


I hate replying to myself, but the "hockey reasons" for moving Marner and not paying him $12 mill a year are starting to pile up. These are good clips on why Willy is awesome in the playoffs and Marner isn't.

His impact numbers in the regular season this year were also not good.

Last 3 years:
xGF%:
2021-22: 62.42
2022-23: 55.42
2023-34: 52.46

xG/60:
2021-22: 3.58
2022-23: 3.08
2023-34: 2.93
 
JackBurton said:
The great thing is the lasting narrative about the Wings is Yzerman's "2 way game" won them cups.
These hockey stories are hilarious.
Click to expand...

it's no different than any other type of religion.... where identity and self interest are not always aligned
 
Yeah the narrative that they couldn't have won with the 150 point version of Yzerman is kind of nuts.

Just compare the bluelines and goaltending between prime Stevie and Cup Stevie and you'll see what you need to know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top