Hockey fans in the house???

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #46
    Originally posted by Neil Frarey View Post

    Montgomery should've been fired today.

    After game 5ive I was watching and waiting for some sort coaching strategy analyzing Panther's weaknesses ... but nope!

    Be surprised if the Bergy and some others come back to play for this guy next year.
    By contrast, Seatle must have the best coaching staff in the league. No superstars, and their leading scorer missed most of the Colorado series, yet they won with 13 different players scoring. And now they win game 1 against Dallas. Something special is developing there.

    And Florida, wow they look so good all of a sudden. They were down 3 games to 1 against Boston, lost game 4 by a score of 6-2. Suddenly they just can't be beat. They shut down the Leafs in every facet of the game in Game 1.

    Look for a LOT of booing of the Leafs get behind in game 2.

    Comment


    • #47
      I agree that Seattle are a well-coached team. But keep in mind that they had the same luxurious draft conditions that Vegas did. I am not sure why it took them two years while it only took Vegas one. But when you are able to draft like these teams were, you immediately have by far the deepest, most balanced team in the league with by far the best third and fourth lines, by far the best third defensive pair, almost as good a second line and second defensive pair as anyone and about 10 other good players to trade for players to play on your top line and your top defensive pair. All you need to do is find a good goaltender. There would have been something very wrong if these teams were not contenders in their first year, or two.

      Seattle beat Dallas because Dallas do not work hard enough, they do too much standing around watching, play too casually and seem to expect someone else to make the plays for them. They are loaded with talent but lack proper attitude. They do have an excellent goaltender.

      The Leafs only beat Tampa once in regulation time, the other wins were in overtime, which means that they basically got lucky and won three consecutive coin tosses. I am still not convinced by Toronto who are clearly built to win in the regular season, but this is not playoff hockey (right Neil?). Remember too that the Leafs traded for 25% of their lineup at the trade deadline, is this the way to have a long-term plan to win, or is this a General Manager flying by the seat of his pants trying to save his job? Something inside of me would like to see Toronto win another Stanley Cup before I leave this planet, having been born and raised in Toronto as a devout Leaf fan. But I find myself rooting against them.

      Yes, it was comical to see the official bounce the player. Yes, Neil, I thought the same thing as you about Boston, what they were doing was not working very well at all and yet they never seemed to adapt, this means that they were not properly coached. Two more games tonight, you have to love this time of year for our national religion in Canada!!

      Comment


      • #48
        Wow .... on 2 consecutive nights, 2 players scored 4 goals each in a playoff game, AND their team lost in each game.

        Pavelski for Dallas, Draisaitl for Edmonton.

        Draisaitl already has 11 goals ... NHL record for an entire playoffs is 19 goals, shared by Reggie Leach (Philadelphia 1976) and Jari Kurri (Edmonton 1985).

        Interestlngly, Mike Bossy of NY Islanders had 17 playoff goals for 3 consecutive playoff seasons (1981, 1982, 1983).

        EDIT: I did another search, this one on plus / minus for Stanley Cup playoffs.

        Career leader: Jari Kurri +101, Larry Robinson (Montreal) +100

        But the most interesting thing ....

        5 of the top 7 career plus / minus leaders in Stanley Cup playoffs are all from the late 1980s Edmonton dynasty.

        Kurri, Charlie Huddy, Wayne Gretzky, Randy Gregg, Glenn Anderson.

        Only 1 player from the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s to be in the top 30 of this stat was Denis Potvin (#6).

        WOW......... shows a big difference in characteristic between the two dynasties that imo were the 2 greatest dynasties in NHL history.

        Plus / minus seems to be a stat that favors defensemen, slightly.
        Last edited by Pargat Perrer; Thursday, 4th May, 2023, 04:10 AM.

        Comment


        • #49
          The plus/minus statistic is a very good way to judge players on one team in relation to each other, but it does not at all carry over to other teams. Edmonton with their high-powered offence used to bomb teams, so their individual plus/minus records would be different and more impressive looking than a team like the Flyers, the Broad Street Bullies who won two Cups on violence and goaltending, normally by much lower scores.

          Comment


          • #50
            Originally posted by Brad Thomson View Post
            The plus/minus statistic is a very good way to judge players on one team in relation to each other, but it does not at all carry over to other teams. Edmonton with their high-powered offence used to bomb teams, so their individual plus/minus records would be different and more impressive looking than a team like the Flyers, the Broad Street Bullies who won two Cups on violence and goaltending, normally by much lower scores.

            Agreed, Brad, and this is why there is no active player in the top 40 career plus / minus in the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is so much parity in the league now, blowout games are a rarity. You pointed out about Seattle and Vegas being allowed to build strong teams right from the word go.

            Comment


            • #51
              Best goaltender I ever saw was Grant Fuhr

              Comment


              • #52
                Originally posted by Fred Henderson View Post
                Best goaltender I ever saw was Grant Fuhr
                One of the very best NHL goaltenders, yes. What about the Russian, Tretiak?

                Comment


                • #53
                  Ok, there is 1 player on the Leafs I really don't like. He is, imo, not a team player. He gets his points, he's a talent, but his attitude just isn't right for a Stanley Cup team. And by saying this, I am not saying the Leafs' season is over, although it looks grim. Florida looks like they could go all the way.

                  The Leafs player is Nylander. He's always hanging out waiting for a breakaway pass (which he often gets, and often scores, let's be fair).

                  But more important, he doesn't seem to get emotionally involved. He's on an even keel for every game. Maybe I'm being unfair, I don't even play hockey, but if the Leafs go out this playoffs without the Cup, someone has to take the fall. Yes, the coach, yes the GM, but who on the actual TEAM? My candidate is Nylander.

                  This team will look very different next year if there is not a Cup win now. The next 2 games in Miami will decide if this team has it or not. They at least have to show some fight, which they did NOT show in either of the first 2 games. Blowing a 2-0 lead on home ice after losing game 1 on home ice ... that shows lack of character.

                  EDIT: the TV commentators on CBC were giving the Leafs kudos for their 3rd period offensive zone performance ... but the Leafs should have had that performance when they had the 2-0 lead. Instead they sagged.
                  Last edited by Pargat Perrer; Friday, 5th May, 2023, 02:48 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Originally posted by Fred Henderson View Post
                    Best goaltender I ever saw was Grant Fuhr
                    Super stoked that I have his mint condition rookie card.

                    First ever Black NHL player to win the cup!
                    Last edited by Neil Frarey; Friday, 5th May, 2023, 03:47 AM.

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Pargat, I agree completely about Nylander, I have always felt that way about him. He is a prima dona, he plays only for himself and for the money, the rest does not seem to matter to him, it never has. He would just as soon miss the playoffs and relax until next season when the going is not as tough. He was a contract holdout a few years back and I believed at the time that the Leafs should just trade him for the best they can get, probably for two good grinders, which is what they needed and what they still need. The Leafs, as usual, demonstrated great strength with their top two lines, and weakness with their next two because they paid their elite players too much of the total pie. Also, they stunk in their own end, as usual. They played well enough to win against average goaltending, but not against excellent goaltending. This is a team built for the regular season, their General Manager has no real understanding of hockey. The Leafs kept the game close because their own goaltender played very well also.

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        In the spirit of Frank Dixon's "GLOAT" post in the Trump thread, I have something to offer about the Leafs....

                        When the going gets tough, the Leafs get golfing.

                        Greatest Leafs Of All Time (GLOAT):

                        9998. Matthews
                        9999. Marner
                        10000. Nylander







                        Comment


                        • #57
                          I think the problem with the Leafs is simple, the general manager has no idea how to build a winning playoff hockey team. They paid far too much to the top four offensive players, and therefore have not had enough to fill out the lineup with good role players. Thus, they pick up crumbs that have fallen to the floor to complete the roster. Year after year the general manager flies by the seat of his pants hoping to come up with a combination that happens to work, but he does not have enough money left to make this very likely at all, he is handcuffed by his having spent so much on the top four boys. Marner and Matthews needed to be very well paid, to be sure. But Tavares, while very effective, is overpaid. And as we have noted, Nylander is a bust and he and his salary should have been traded for two or even three role players.

                          The Leafs continue to be very dangerous on offense with their top two lines, but their third and fourth lines are not good enough, and their defensemen overall are not good enough either. There was not enough money left to pay good support players. As a result, the Leafs completely stink in their own end. They are a recipe for winning in the regular season and then going bust quickly once the games that truly matter begin.

                          Anything is possible, but to this point in the playoffs the Leafs have, before overtime, won exactly one game out of nine.

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Originally posted by Brad Thomson View Post

                            One of the very best NHL goaltenders, yes. What about the Russian, Tretiak?
                            I remember seeing him play, but I was too young to appreciate, but many say yes, also Valeri Karlamov.

                            Ed Belfour was the best goalie the Leafs ever had. :)

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              Originally posted by Fred Henderson View Post

                              I remember seeing him play, but I was too young to appreciate, but many say yes, also Valeri Karlamov.

                              Ed Belfour was the best goalie the Leafs ever had. :)
                              Interesting enuff ... Ed Belfour flourished under Tretiak's goalie coaching !!!

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Originally posted by Brad Thomson View Post
                                I think the problem with the Leafs is simple, the general manager has no idea how to build a winning playoff hockey team. They paid far too much to the top four offensive players, and therefore have not had enough to fill out the lineup with good role players. Thus, they pick up crumbs that have fallen to the floor to complete the roster. Year after year the general manager flies by the seat of his pants hoping to come up with a combination that happens to work, but he does not have enough money left to make this very likely at all, he is handcuffed by his having spent so much on the top four boys. Marner and Matthews needed to be very well paid, to be sure. But Tavares, while very effective, is overpaid. And as we have noted, Nylander is a bust and he and his salary should have been traded for two or even three role players.

                                The Leafs continue to be very dangerous on offense with their top two lines, but their third and fourth lines are not good enough, and their defensemen overall are not good enough either. There was not enough money left to pay good support players. As a result, the Leafs completely stink in their own end. They are a recipe for winning in the regular season and then going bust quickly once the games that truly matter begin.

                                Anything is possible, but to this point in the playoffs the Leafs have, before overtime, won exactly one game out of nine.

                                Well now the Leafs are out. They just looked so ordinary. They fought hard in games 4 and 5, but didn't look at any point like potential Stanley Cup champions.

                                The media is referring to the "Core 4" meaning Matthews, Marner, Tavares and Nylander. I think each of those should give 50% of their playoff earnings to charity. They don't deserve to keep their entire paychecks.

                                But pro sports doesn't work like that. With very rare exceptions, the athletes are entirely and completely out for themselves.

                                And next season, Leafs fans will once again fill the building.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X