Toronto Maple Leafs TIDBITS & QUICK HITS!

Leafs scratch Schenn & Lombardi. Franson and Ashton in.

I don't know if this was a must-win for Toronto, but it was close. Man, they love to set themselves up to fall short.

leafs lose again... how sweet it is

It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. Miller got really hot just in time.

By the time Wilson got fired it was already too late. There is no way in the world they can make 5 points *and* three teams. When they went on that 1 win in 11 or something like that, that's when their season was done. No injuries, no excuses, not even all that much pressure, other than the pressure of "Uh-oh, looks like we'll make it."

I don't relish in another team imploding like this, not even the Leafs. I *want* them to make the playoffs. I want all Canadian teams to make it, even if that means more Vancouver coverage. I miss the Sens/Leafs rivalry of (nearly) a decade ago. My hockey obsessed 14-year-old has not first-hand recollections of it and that's a shame. Perhaps remembering those playoff losses would make some of us Sens fans a little more humble and sensible. We have accomplished sweet %&$* all, so far. Future possibilities look very promising, but we are just as likely to be swept in the 1st round as we are to advance to the second round -- and neither one is anything to write home about. Yes, some Leafs fans are tools, and because there are more Leafs fans than any other team's fans, and because the loudest ones (across all "nations") are typically the ones with the lowest hockey IQ (or maybe you can skip the hockey part altogether) there is this misconception that Leafs fans are the worst fans in the world. They aren't. They just love a hockey team that happens to not be the same hockey team that others love. Big effin' deal. You think our $4!7 don't stink?

I want Burke fired so we don't have unfair competition from other teams in our Division with undeserved lottery picks. I want him fired so we can have great playoff hockey that I can actually care about. I need the Leafs back in so the Sens can finally beat them in the post season because that is the *only* way to shut up *those* Leafs fans.

If a Leaf fan ever brings up their playoff "dominance" over us, just tell them that we'd like an opportunity to change that, but Ol' Bluey has to make the playoffs first for that to happen.

Anyway, I enjoy watching the yearly Toronto implosion.

And I consider making the Stanley Cup Finals an accomplishment, even if we didn't win. I have many, many, many fond memories of that playoff run.

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

There's actually 4 teams between them and 8th spot... they would need to pass Winnipeg or whoever is in 8th to take over 8th. 5 points seems close, but the teams in between are an issue too. With all the 3-point games going on... it gets even harder. Islanders and Hurricanes are only 2 points behind the Leafs now.

On the flip side, Toronto's only 2 points out of a Top 5 pick.

shabbs wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

There's actually 4 teams between them and 8th spot... they would need to pass Winnipeg or whoever is in 8th to take over 8th. 5 points seems close, but the teams in between are an issue too. With all the 3-point games going on... it gets even harder. Islanders and Hurricanes are only 2 points behind the Leafs now.

On the flip side, Toronto's only 2 points out of a Top 5 pick.

Maybe we'll see Toronto deal their 1st rounder in a big package for Nash. That would make me happy. Unfortunately, outside of that 1st rounder, I just don't think Toronto has the assets that Columbus would want. Schenn has gone down the tubes, and now Kadri's value is diminishing. It's pretty clear, at this point, that the best the Leafs can hope for out of Kadri is a fringe 2nd-line centre.

The best thing that could happen to the Leafs at this point is sliding as far down as possible in the standings.

shabbs wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

There's actually 4 teams between them and 8th spot... they would need to pass Winnipeg or whoever is in 8th to take over 8th. 5 points seems close, but the teams in between are an issue too. With all the 3-point games going on... it gets even harder. Islanders and Hurricanes are only 2 points behind the Leafs now.

On the flip side, Toronto's only 2 points out of a Top 5 pick.

We had a top-five pick, then those b******s from the Swamp took it from us. It's not a guarantee unless you really, really, REALLY suck.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

There's actually 4 teams between them and 8th spot... they would need to pass Winnipeg or whoever is in 8th to take over 8th. 5 points seems close, but the teams in between are an issue too. With all the 3-point games going on... it gets even harder. Islanders and Hurricanes are only 2 points behind the Leafs now.

On the flip side, Toronto's only 2 points out of a Top 5 pick.

We had a top-five pick, then those b******s from the Swamp took it from us. It's not a guarantee unless you really, really, REALLY suck.

Would you rather have Larsson or Zibanejad right now? Legit question.

Larsson.

tim1_2 wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:It was pretty much a must-win for the Leafs...although not quite. Toronto is now 5 pts out, with three teams between them and 8th. Two of those three teams have one game in hand. If I had to put money on which team would finish 8th at this point, I'd go with the Sabres. They're 7-1-2 in their last 10. They got really hot just in time.

There's actually 4 teams between them and 8th spot... they would need to pass Winnipeg or whoever is in 8th to take over 8th. 5 points seems close, but the teams in between are an issue too. With all the 3-point games going on... it gets even harder. Islanders and Hurricanes are only 2 points behind the Leafs now.

On the flip side, Toronto's only 2 points out of a Top 5 pick.

We had a top-five pick, then those b******s from the Swamp took it from us. It's not a guarantee unless you really, really, REALLY suck.

Would you rather have Larsson or Zibanejad right now? Legit question.

Larsson.

Yeah but if we finished 5th we would have taken Strome and I'd rather have Zibanejad.

How can you say that is who the Sens would have taken. By all accounts Larsson is and was the BPA. Taking him regardless of depth on D is a no brainer. He provides a bargaining chip or makes others expendable to trade for a forward in a worst case scenario.

Larsson > Strome, which os obvious by him playing in the NHL already, despite injuries, and logging the most minutes on the team.

Riprock wrote:How can you say that is who the Sens would have taken. By all accounts Larsson is and was the BPA. Taking him regardless of depth on D is a no brainer. He provides a bargaining chip or makes others expendable to trade for a forward in a worst case scenario.

Larsson > Strome, which os obvious by him playing in the NHL already, despite injuries, and logging the most minutes on the team.

I'd rather have Larsson over Strome but he would have been taken before our pick regardless. He wasn't dropping to 5.

That being said Larsson is not a franchise D by any means.

Oh yeah, Larsson was taken 4th... so why are we even debating this?

Well, I guess you can say that Larsson isn't a franchise defenceman, since he is only in his rookie season. But he definitely can be... will he, I don't know. But he could very well be.

Big Ev wrote:

Riprock wrote:How can you say that is who the Sens would have taken. By all accounts Larsson is and was the BPA. Taking him regardless of depth on D is a no brainer. He provides a bargaining chip or makes others expendable to trade for a forward in a worst case scenario.

Larsson > Strome, which os obvious by him playing in the NHL already, despite injuries, and logging the most minutes on the team.

I'd rather have Larsson over Strome but he would have been taken before our pick regardless. He wasn't dropping to 5.
That being said Larsson is not a franchise D by any means.

I bet the Islanders would have taken Strome at 4. Regardless Dougie Hamilton might wind up being the best Dman in the draft. Oh what the leaves could have had.

Riprock wrote:Oh yeah, Larsson was taken 4th... so why are we even debating this?

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