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The 2019-2020 MotherFucking Season Thread

theathletic.com

Stanley Cup tiers: Anonymous exec, coach, scout and player rate every team

"I just don’t trust them to put it together." Analysis and ratings from people in the game on every playoff team.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

This postseason is an opportunity for the Maple Leafs to prove wrong the critics who think they’re a collection of high-end talent that still doesn’t know how to win big games.

“They’re a team that is a lot like the Washington Capitals 10 years ago or five years ago. Great in the regular season. Unbelievable amount of talent. For some reason, they just can’t get over the hump,” said the executive. “When I play them, we’re like, ‘Yeah, they’re good. (Auston) Matthews. (Mitch) Marner. (John) Tavares. They’re superstars but do they do everything right all the time?’ That’s a question that has always surrounded that group of guys. Do they play 60 minutes or is it just, ‘I’m going to get some points and I had a good night. Things are good.’ What’s their commitment to doing the right thing all the time?”

There’s more.

“They’re a softer team. That’s why they got (Kyle) Clifford,” continued the executive. “At the end of the day, they’re not the hardest team to play against, their D doesn’t make you pay for mistakes. They don’t finish you in front of the net. They’re looking for offense all the time. That doesn’t necessarily translate in the playoffs.”

From the player: “I just don’t think they defend very well. They’re explosive and talented. I don’t love their depth after their top five or six forwards. There’s not enough defensive depth and forward depth to compete with the Washingtons and Tampas and Bostons. Big names. Big talents. They’re not a soft team to play against but their young guys haven’t proven it and shown come playoff time that they’re there to battle and grind and win a series.”
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Leafs were rated in the 3rd of 4 "tiers".
 
Sounds about right.

Up to them to change this kind of reputation that is very much deserved thus far. Great chance for them to do it.
 
"There’s not enough defensive depth and forward depth to compete with the Washingtons and Tampas and Bostons"

6gms, 7gms, 7gms, none with home ice advantage.
 
That being said, looks like they're ranked 8th in that article, well up from their regular season record, with 5 of the 7 teams ahead of them being proven elite teams which, which is fair given the weird year they've had.
 
Lol their rating is actually closer to PIT in tier 2 than it is to CAL and NYI in their own Tier 3.
 
Volcanologist said:
theathletic.com

Stanley Cup tiers: Anonymous exec, coach, scout and player rate every team

"I just don’t trust them to put it together." Analysis and ratings from people in the game on every playoff team.
theathletic.com theathletic.com



Leafs were rated in the 3rd of 4 "tiers".
Click to expand...


I mean, in the end, this group needs to win some damn playoff series. Until then, I won’t complain too much about them not getting respect.

But still, this piece is chock full of a lot of tired, old-timey bullshit. They definitely went to a charter member of the old boys club for those anonymous quotes.
 
Thats a fair ranking. 5th in the conference behind the teams that have made the last 5 Cup finals and won 3 of them.

Colorado is the only team ranked ahead of them that hasn't at least made the Cup final in the last few years. So they are #2 on the teams that have something to prove list.
 
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I think the ranking is fair. Having said that, I also think the narrative around this team would be massively different if they win one of those 7 game Boston series.
 
leafman101 said:
Thats a fair ranking. 5th in the conference behind the teams that have made the last 5 Cup finals and won 3 of them.

Colorado is the only team ranked ahead of them that hasn't at least made the Cup final in the last few years. So they are #2 on the teams that have something to prove list.
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it's funny how Colorado gets referred to as "young, fast, loaded", whereas the Leafs are "soft, uncommitted, not deep enough".

p.s. the leafs are younger, faster, deeper, and as good in all non-goalie defensive metrics, this is the first year the avs have finished ahead of the leafs (in a historically bad conference), and this Avs core has won one playoffs series against the Flames, while losing to the Sharks and Preds.
 
The Avs are what people thought the Oilers would be. Leafs west. Adding a legit #1 dman in Makar made all the difference.

They should ranking similarly, but the Avs had their best season and the Leafs had their worst, so fair enough.
 
The issue I have is more talk specifically about Jackets/Leafs series. It makes my head-spin. Blue Jackets are appreantly a hitting machine all of a sudden and scoring will not matter and injuries to Leafs do not matter.
 
I agree with everything Zeke is saying, but I've also come to grips with the fact that the media is incapable of anything other than trolling Leaf fans. That's their entire purpose in life, to get a rise out of us. I've checked out. Give me hockey back. I'm not interested about the opinions of people I wouldn't hire to shovel my snow.
 
JackBurton said:
The issue I have is more talk specifically about Jackets/Leafs series. It makes my head-spin. Blue Jackets are appreantly a hitting machine all of a sudden and scoring will not matter and injuries to Leafs do not matter.
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yeah I actually don't mind them calling the series close, but as always it's the reasons.

for the series to be close, the BJ's are going to need the same huge goaltending advantage that they had during the regular season. they might get it, but that's what they need.

and yeah, the Leafs had injuries every bit as devestating as the BJs, so the injury talk is dumb too.
 
The funny thing is, the media narrative that Freddy "Carries" the Leafs actually applies to Blue Jackets more than any team with their goaltending.
That's a small sample size of elite goaltending. If it doesn't continue after 5 months off it will be a short series.
 
and a reminder, even with Freddy struggling this year, we were still a ~103pt pace team with him in net.
 
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