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Post by blny on Mar 29, 2015 12:30:44 GMT -5
While it's really hard to prove, I don't think there's any doubt that the Leafs are playing to lose. IMO, that goes against the spirit of the draft, and it's what the lottery is trying to fight. We just have to hope the fix isn't in and they land somewhere outside of Eichel and McDavid.
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Post by franko on Apr 7, 2015 5:52:31 GMT -5
I refuse to quit piling on! It would be poor form to allow the NHL regular season to come to a close without taking a moment to deliver a heartfelt message of appreciation to the unsung heroes of 2014-15:
Thank you, Toronto Maple Leafs.
On behalf of hockey fans with the good taste not to cheer for you, thanks for being so unfailingly, so unexpectedly, so unabashedly terrible this season. You brought so much joy to so many—to millions who delight in their own team’s successes, but who find deeper pleasure in moments of blue-team haplessness. And you sure showed zero hap this year.
So thank you, Leaf players, for scoring so few goals in 2015 that your sticks should be affixed with the advisory: “For ornamental purposes only.” Thank you for coming face to face with adversity—and immediately handing over your lunch money. Overcoming adversity is such a tired sports cliché: it was refreshing to see you go the other way.
Thank you for being a franchise so comfortable with losing that, of late, your game-day roster basically includes a scarecrow in a helmet and that hologram of Tupac. Thank you for your locker-room suck fits, your misdirected hostility and your array of anti-inspirational quotes, headlined by Phil Kessel’s legendary oration: “No one is not trying.” If your season got any less attractive, Paulina Porizkova would marry it.
Here’s what made this year so special: You didn’t owe us this, Leafs. Since 2012, you’ve spoiled us with one epic flame-out after another.keep reading: thank you for sucking |
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Post by 24in93 on Apr 7, 2015 6:55:55 GMT -5
That's a good article. Here's to hoping they somehow screw up this upcoming 'can't-miss' prospect they're about to draft! Pro volleyball in Turkey, haha.
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Post by franko on Apr 11, 2015 11:34:08 GMT -5
it never grows old . . .  |
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Post by franko on Apr 11, 2015 11:37:04 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Apr 11, 2015 21:59:16 GMT -5
In the "Piling-on" department; Steve Simmons firing a salvo ... Simmons says: The Leafs need to get rid of Kessel
STEVE SIMMONS, QMI AGENCY
Apr 11, 2015, Last Updated: 10:38 PM ETPhil Kessel has to go. More than any single player in blue and white, Kessel needs to be removed for his part in the stench of this Maple Leafs tire fire. Kessel’s unwillingness to lead, his seeming inability to lead, his negativity on the bench and in the dressing room, his surprising influence he has over his teammates is just a growing short list of why the Leafs must rid themselves of their most talented player. More ... |
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Post by jkr on Apr 12, 2015 6:52:11 GMT -5
Did anyone see Kessel in OT after taking the slash. He sat on the bench with his glove off & a pained expression on his face. You could see a little bit of blood on his pinky. That's probably why this diva sat on the bench during the shoot out.  |
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Post by CentreHice on Apr 12, 2015 7:21:25 GMT -5
Cherry with his hyperbolic Leaf apologetics in full swing last night. Let me tell ya somethin' folks about Orr, McLaren, and Fraser. At one time, two years ago, the Leafs were the most feared team in...in the world! Never mind the NHL! In the world! Everybody, when they come into the ACC, they were terrified--some guys--they didn't want to go on the ice. They led the league in fights! Now, it's just coincidence, I guess, they made the playoffs that year. And except for a fluke, they would've been in the second round. They were the most feared team in the league, and now they come in...they're soft! Losing that 4-1 third period lead in Boston, Game 7, is a "fluke" now.  The most feared team in the world! The Leafs had the goon squad last year, too, Don...and they still collapsed down the stretch....was that a "fluke", too? Anything to further his agenda. MacLean just sits there, nodding in approval. What a shame....MacLean deserves a much better fate than being relegated to the role of Cherry's ringmaster. I've read/heard that perhaps Bettman had something to do with MacLean's "demotion". i.e. that Bettman hasn't approved of the way MacLean has interviewed him over the years. Who knows? Something happened. Always good when Cherry's heart team and his wallet team can start booking tee times before the playoffs start. ======================================================================================== It dawned on me last night...just as he's done with Orr over his TV/VHS/DVD career, Cherry has also associated himself with all the great players, goals, saves, hits, and fights over the years. Especially in his extended versions of Coach's Corner called the "Rock 'em Sock 'em" series. Over the highlights he continues to use phrases like, "My kinda guy!" "My buddy...." "When I was coachin' the Bruins, I'd always tell 'em this is how you do it...." He's simply hijacking the talent of others to make himself look good. Last night, when talking about Price, he said, "I had him in the Prospects Game!", which is akin to showing that he ate in the same restaurant as Jean Beliveau. He mentioned having another great player in the Prospects Game, too. |
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Post by franko on Apr 12, 2015 7:28:18 GMT -5
I'm so glad Cherry's heart team and his wallet team can start booking tee times. both teams gone. I say he favours Calgary . . . "good Canadian boys, my type of team!" |
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Post by jkr on Apr 12, 2015 9:27:24 GMT -5
Cherry with his hyperbolic Leaf apologetics in full swing last night. Let me tell ya somethin' folks about Orr, McLaren, and Fraser. At one time, two years ago, the Leafs were the most feared team in...in the world! Never mind the NHL! In the world! Everybody, when they come into the ACC, they were terrified--some guys--they didn't want to go on the ice. They led the league in fights! Now, it's just coincidence, I guess, they made the playoffs that year. And except for a fluke, they would've been in the second round. They were the most feared team in the league, and now they come in...they're soft! Losing that 4-1 third period lead in Boston, Game 7, is a "fluke" now. The most feared team in the world! The Leafs had the goon squad last year, too, Don...and they still collapsed down the stretch....was that a "fluke", too? Anything to further his agenda. MacLean just sits there, nodding in approval. What a shame....MacLean deserves a much better fate than being relegated to the role of Cherry's ringmaster. I've read/heard that perhaps Bettman had something to do with MacLean's "demotion". i.e. that Bettman hasn't approved of the way MacLean has interviewed him over the years. Who knows? Something happened. I have no sympathy for McLean at all. He gets a big paycheque to be Cherry's lapdog. There have been plenty of opportunities for him to speak up but he compromises his integrity for the money. I don't know why people have any sympathy for the guy. |
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Post by franko on Apr 12, 2015 9:46:58 GMT -5
Cherry with his hyperbolic Leaf apologetics in full swing last night. Let me tell ya somethin' folks about Orr, McLaren, and Fraser. At one time, two years ago, the Leafs were the most feared team in...in the world! Never mind the NHL! In the world! Everybody, when they come into the ACC, they were terrified--some guys--they didn't want to go on the ice. They led the league in fights! Now, it's just coincidence, I guess, they made the playoffs that year. And except for a fluke, they would've been in the second round. They were the most feared team in the league, and now they come in...they're soft! Losing that 4-1 third period lead in Boston, Game 7, is a "fluke" now. The most feared team in the world! The Leafs had the goon squad last year, too, Don...and they still collapsed down the stretch....was that a "fluke", too? Anything to further his agenda. MacLean just sits there, nodding in approval. What a shame....MacLean deserves a much better fate than being relegated to the role of Cherry's ringmaster. I've read/heard that perhaps Bettman had something to do with MacLean's "demotion". i.e. that Bettman hasn't approved of the way MacLean has interviewed him over the years. Who knows? Something happened. I have no sympathy for McLean at all. He gets a big paycheque to be Cherry's lapdog. There have been plenty of opportunities for him to speak up but he compromises his integrity for the money. I don't know why people have any sympathy for the guy. there's a campaign on to have him on more often during the playoffs. why? he does nothing anymore. too bad really. |
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Post by CentreHice on Apr 12, 2015 10:39:18 GMT -5
I agree, jkr. I've certainly criticized MacLean for selling-out to Cherry and the Leafs......so, in that respect, I take it back. He doesn't deserve a much better fate.
A lot of Leaf sell-outs in that production.
The reason he doesn't speak up to Cherry is because it's obvious that Cherry can't handle intelligent debate.
Cherry's starting point is a pompous low-point on the hill. "I know best. I know everything." Any disagreement, argument, rebuttal goes right to the bottom....shaming, taunting, yelling.
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Post by Skilly on Apr 12, 2015 13:17:22 GMT -5
I have no sympathy for MacLean. I posted on that Facebook group that he compromised his integrity too many times by just nodding in agreement with Cherry's bias ramblings, his bigotry, and his downright lies. Of course I was lambasted, but oh well ...I've got big shoulders.
He won't let Bettman get away with side stepping issues , but he gives Cherry all the room in the world to spew drivel. I don't get it. If Bettman is the reason he is gone, well ... That says more about Bettman. But I wish MacLean would at least, perhaps in a separate segment (I don't know) , correct Cherry's errors
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Post by CentreHice on Apr 12, 2015 16:26:40 GMT -5
Always wondered about the firing of Dave Hodge. It's widely considered a result of the "pen flip" incident. But I also recall Hodge not playing along with Cherry's rants/schtick. Cherry was hired by HNIC producer, Ralph Mellanby....so maybe Hodge had already been ruffling Mellanby's feathers by putting Cherry in his place a few times.
With MacLean's acquiescence, Cherry's segment got exactly what it needed: a competent, intelligent host who was also willing to be a yes-man to lies, revisionist history, bigotry, etc.
MacLean has kept the segment moving as smoothly as possible, taken many pies to the face, and honked Cherry's nose at the end with his clever puns. Nice little package that they've both ridden to the bank.
A sell-out? I'd say so. Here's MacLean trying to formulate a reason as to why Cherry has been so important. Can you say maudlin?
Starting at around the 8:44 mark.
MACLEAN: You know there's no question the attraction of Don, long before Twitter, long before social media, was that he was giving us more than just, "We're gonna live in a beer commercial. We're gonna polish the shield, and we're gonna say nice things about hockey." He was giving you something far greater than that, and you may not agree with his politics or his opinions, but we needed that. An "edge" is kind of...now it's almost like we're bored with edge, cause everybody's trying to have it. But Don was giving us a whole picture that was such a...you know, in that plastic veneer that was television, it was just a joy.
Followed by--Cherry just can't help himself--another example of revisionist history. He not only stands by what he said about Grimson, Nilan, and Thomson....but MacLean backs him up by saying it was all a misunderstanding about Georges Laracque's usage of the word "puke". Who knew, it was all BGL's fault!!
Such a joy, indeed!
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Post by franko on Apr 12, 2015 16:34:07 GMT -5
It's all about the ratings, and Cherry brings them in. To bad that McLean lost his integrity along the way.
Except when it came to Bettman. Then he was still gold.
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Post by blny on Apr 12, 2015 16:37:21 GMT -5
I've always felt that Hodge's dismissal from CBC was because he wouldn't play ball. The pen flip might have been the last straw.
There was a time when MacLean would hold Cherry to task. Those days are long gone. He just sits there. He's a puppet.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Apr 12, 2015 18:32:00 GMT -5
They can put anyone at head coach, but the Leafs really have to sort out that leadership core ... there's no one on that team who can take the team by the short hairs when need be ... I thought Phaneuf brought some leadership to the team, but he's become a target now and he's a lot less effective than he was before ... speaking of defense, the Leafs would do well to do what Gainey/Gauthier did and focus on defensemen ... however, they did a spot on Leaf draft choices over recent years and that will have to improve too ... there are far too many draft picks that some fans have never heard of (like my neighbour) ... it's the whole organization ... I remember reading somewhere that Ted Nolan was pretty good with young players ... if that's true, bring him in where he can develop that core of young players ... maybe consider getting Pierre Gauthier in town to run scouting ... the guy knows talent ... it's going to be a long process if Shanahan does it right ... Cheers. Edit: Will San Jose be cleaning house ... will Doug Wilson be available ... in my opinion, he's done as much as he can do in SJ ... powerhouse teams that, for whatever the reason, just couldn't close the deal ... |
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Post by franko on Apr 17, 2015 22:49:53 GMT -5
just so you know I'll keep adding to this until the start of the next season . . . then we can start a new thread this, though, refers to the not-so-poor Leafs When Toyota Motor Corp. announced a series of recalls in 2009 and 2010, a 20% share price drop wiped out US$35 billion of the company’s value. When Target Corp. failed to keep shelves stocked at its Canadian stores and deliver the low prices cross-border shoppers expected, it lost an estimated US$2 billion over 22 months and made a hasty retreat from the country. And when BlackBerry Ltd. announced disappointing U.S. sales of its Z10 handset after a delayed launch in 2013, its share price dropped 7.7% in New York that day and a further 6.3% shortly after markets opened the following day.
Leafs fans may whine, boo, and toss their jerseys – but they also keep paying the highest prices, by far, to watch the team lose. Despite being one of the worst-performing teams in the league, the Leafs are the most valuable in the NHL, with Forbes estimating they’re worth $1.6 billion.
About 90% of the seats at Leafs games are occupied by season ticket holders and 99% of them renew those tickets each year. According to event ticket aggregator TiqIQ, Leafs fans paid an average of $373.50 for those few remaining single-game tickets on the secondary market last season, about $90 more than they paid to see the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL’s second-most expensive team.
There are signs that Leafs fans may finally be reaching their breaking point, however. A March 24 game against the Minnesota Wild drew a rare under-capacity crowd, the smallest in the Leafs’ 16 years at the Air Canada Centre. Two days before that, Hockey Night in Canada pulled a Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators game in favour of the San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens, the first time that has happened since 1972/ FPliked this comment: The Leafs are a substitute for boredom....a sports world equivalent of a trip to Costco. |
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Post by CentreHice on Apr 22, 2015 15:05:20 GMT -5
I always thought Jeff Blair has a pretty good grasp on sports. But not in this case… Sounds like an opinion I'd hear in Grade 8….or from Cherry….ha! In Blair's estimation….the league should've "given" McDavid to Toronto…i.e. rigged the lottery. a. As a thank-you to the Leafs for bankrolling the league for years. b. McDavid (reportedly) wanted to play for Toronto. c. The fanbase won't support a long rebuild. d. Bettman should know that "pro sports is about entertainment and marketing and money and TV"….therefore, McDavid would've served the league best in Toronto. BlairThis much is clear: Gary Bettman and Bill Daly are the most honest folks in professional sports. Never doubt them again after Saturday’s draft lottery, which will result in a generational player – Connor McDavid – wasting the early stages of his career in Edmonton.
Of all the cities or franchises that didn’t deserve McDavid, it’s Edmonton. Who knew that just one season of tanking wasn’t enough? Who knew you had to tank four times? Or just hire Kevin Lowe – the General Patton of NHL tanking.
Not to be parochial, here – truth is, my fan sentiments lie more with the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks than with the Toronto Maple Leafs – but let’s be honest: McDavid would have been of maximum marketing value and would have had the most immediate positive impact in Toronto. (Sorry, Buffalo.) There is a softening in this marketplace that I’m not certain will withstand a long rebuild without a transformative figure like McDavid. You won’t have to hold a tag day for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Ltd. but you will be able to buy tickets, and as much as I like Morgan Rielly, I’m not certain he pushes product in the manner of a McDavid. Rielly’s a nice player; McDavid is a kilowatt-emitting machine whose first choice (c’mon, you know it as much as I do) was to play with the Maple Leafs.
Folks around the rest of the country won’t like hearing this, but the Maple Leafs have bankrolled the NHL for a long time. They were printing money while other Canadian franchises were on financial life-support, or wringing their hands over weak Canadian currency. It would have been nice to get a McBone thrown in their direction, you know? And you’d think that Bettman’s background in the NBA would have taught him a thing or two about the strategic value of, um, “directing” generational players. Remember how Patrick Ewing ended up with the New York Knicks in 1985 (the frozen or creased envelope conspiracy)? Remember how the Cleveland Cavaliers went from fourth to first in the 2011 draft lottery (hmm … don’t the Leafs have the fourth pick?) after losing LeBron James? Or how about 2008, when Chicago native Derrick Rose ended up with the Bulls when that team, in dire need of a star after the post-Michael Jordan years, cashed in on a 1.5 per cent pre-lottery chance of getting the first pick overall? Coincidence? Yeah, right. Professional sports is about entertainment and marketing and money and TV and such. Fairness sometimes sucks. Connor McDavid should be a Maple Leaf, and everyone knows it – including McDavid himself. |
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Post by franko on Apr 22, 2015 15:13:47 GMT -5
he misses the obvious, CH . . . the Leafs don't need a bone . . . they are a money-printing machine with or without a decent roster top lottery pick.
fans will keep going. Calgary and Montreal will be watched in Canada (ad revenue) and ignored in the States next round . . . Calgary as the dream-of-a-lifetime team, and Montreal as the our-greatest-nightmare team.
Toronto? who cares any more? next season the place will sell out: if one fan drops his tickets another will take his place, glad for the opportunity to finally see a game live. McDavid or no McDavid.
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Post by CentreHice on Apr 22, 2015 15:49:28 GMT -5
he misses the obvious, CH . . . the Leafs don't need a bone . . . they are a money-printing machine with or without a decent roster top lottery pick. fans will keep going. Calgary and Montreal will be watched in Canada (ad revenue) and ignored in the States next round . . . Calgary as the dream-of-a-lifetime team, and Montreal as the our-greatest-nightmare team. Toronto? who cares any more? next season the place will sell out: if one fan drops his tickets another will take his place, glad for the opportunity to finally see a game live. McDavid or no McDavid. Right, franko… Pretty sure I heard that there's an 18-year waiting list for season's tickets at the ACC. They won't be going through a rough financial stretch any time soon. But I think Blair means that Bettman should throw them the "fan-enjoyment, legitimate contender, probable Cup champ" bone. More Toronto entitlement….. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 11, 2015 16:08:32 GMT -5
Oh dear ...  |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 15, 2015 8:18:03 GMT -5
Chicago might have won the Cup in this article, but it was at the expense of the Leafs ... and how ... a good read ... some selective cuts and pastes: 1938 Black Hawks:
1 of most improbable winners in NHL history
June 27, 2013|Tribune reportWhen the Black Hawks clinched the 1938 title in Chicago, Lord Stanley's Cup wasn't in the house. Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL, thought so little of the 1937-38 Hawks that, prior to the Cup finals against the heavily favored Toronto Maple Leafs, he had the Cup dispatched from Detroit — where the Red Wings had won it the previous season — to Toronto and didn't bother to re-route it to Chicago even as the Hawks had a chance to clinch the series at home. What's more, the '38 team is one of the most improbable winners in NHL history. Those Hawks were the lowest scoring team in the league and had backed into the playoffs with a record of 14-25-9. The team had an unheard-of eight American-born players and was coached by Bill Stewart, the first American to steward a team to the Cup. And the clincher? The Hawks' starting goaltender for Game 1 against the Maple Leafs was Alfie Moore, a member of the Leafs' farm team, the Pittsburgh Hornets. The Hawks' No. 1 goalie, Mike Karakas, had a broken toe, and it wasn't clear until the afternoon of the first game he would be unable to play. Backup Paul Goodman was at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and couldn't make it to Toronto on time. Stewart tried to bring in a ringer, Davey Kerr, the standout goalie for the Rangers. But Conn Smythe, Toronto's legendary manager, protested and the league nixed the plan. Finally Smythe agreed to let Stewart use his minor league goalie. But time was short, and Hawks left winger Johnny Gottselig, who knew Moore, found him at a tavern, already several drinks for the worse. "He'd had about 10 or a dozen drinks," Gottselig said, recalling the incident years later in an interview with John Devaney, author of "The Stanley Cup." "We put some coffee into him and put him under the shower. By game time, he was in pretty good shape." The Hawks stunned the Leafs 3-1 and even won over Leafs fans, who gave Moore a standing ovation as he was carried off the ice by his teammates. Smythe was irate to have been "beaten by a hungover, minor league goalie," and refused to allow Moore to play in Game 2. Moore was given $300 and a gold watch for his efforts but only played in three more NHL games in his career. Moore's Game 2 replacement, Goodman, promptly was burned for five goals in a 5-1 loss. The Hawks devised a way to fit Karakas' skate with a steel guard to protect his broken toe and he came back to lead the team to a 2-1 victory in Chicago in front of 18,496, the largest-ever crowd to watch a hockey game at that time. Practically overnight, the underestimated team had become the toast of the town. But Calder wasn't buying into the Cinderella story, and the Cup remained in Toronto as the Hawks clinched the title with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 of the best-of-five series. The link |
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Post by seventeen on Jun 19, 2015 15:09:52 GMT -5
Included in the top headlines at TSN - "Leafs trade Greg McKegg for Zach Hyndman. Top headline. That would be like us trading Daniel Carr or Drayson Bowman. A snoozefest on any site other than the Toronto Sports Network. Sigh.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 19, 2015 15:19:18 GMT -5
Included in the top headlines at TSN - "Leafs trade Greg McKegg for Zach Hyndman. Top headline. That would be like us trading Daniel Carr or Drayson Bowman. A snoozefest on any site other than the Toronto Sports Network. Sigh. Centre of the hockey universe, baby. Hyman had a very good senior year at Michigan and was a Hobey Baker candidate, and suddenly generated interest as a free agent when he turned down Florida's entry level deal after the season. Interesting...yes. Earth shattering...no. Parade route first steps...absolutely if you bleed blue and white (lol). |
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Post by seventeen on Jun 19, 2015 15:59:23 GMT -5
See, I can't even get the guy's last name right. That's how awe-inspiring this deal is.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 19, 2015 16:19:43 GMT -5
Included in the top headlines at TSN - "Leafs trade Greg McKegg for Zach Hyndman. Top headline. That would be like us trading Daniel Carr or Drayson Bowman. A snoozefest on any site other than the Toronto Sports Network. Sigh. Don't forget #1 "Wings no longer interested in Phaneuf" (it's mentioned twice on the main page) ... just under that are two articles, #2 "Off-season game plan: Toronto Maple Leafs" and #3 "Dreger: 50/50 Kessel moved before draft" ... scroll down to see your article (#4) then #5 "What's next in the Leafs rebuilding plan ... further down a bit, #6 " Leafs file for arbitration with G Bernier" ... #7 "Could Leafs make big splash" ... that's all on the left side of the page ... then move to the right side of the page, keep scrolling down and see #8 " Maple Leafs yard sale. Kessel is a canoe" ... that's all on one TSN page ... Edit: I forgot one at the top-right of the page, #9 "Price for Kessel too high" ... that's the TSN main page ... the only other Canadian team mentioned on that page are the Senators ... Cheers. |
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Post by franko on Jul 9, 2015 14:02:49 GMT -5
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The most feared team in the world! 
