The Reason The Leafs Arent First

[serge 904]

I posted this in another thread however..The Leafs have lost 297 man games to injury this year..This is fourth worst in the league behind Philly, Chicago and St louis...We all know how these teams are doing.Not only have they lost this many man games, its been to their top players.Also in the article Maurice talks about the "save the crosby campaign" that the Penguins have been promoting..This has led to them getting way more power plays than they should.I honestly believe that the Leafs are top 4 team in the conference.Please read the articlehttp://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Games...3732004-cp.html

[gruven 530]

I posted this in another thread however..The Leafs have lost 297 man games to injury this year..This is fourth worst in the league behind Philly, Chicago and St louis...We all know how these teams are doing.Not only have they lost this many man games, its been to their top players.Also in the article Maurice talks about the "save the crosby campaign" that the Penguins have been promoting..This has led to them getting way more power plays than they should.I honestly believe that the Leafs are top 4 team in the conference.Please read the articlehttp://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Games...3732004-cp.html

Wow, the coach of the team is backing up his squad. I'm convinced now... Paul Maurice quote: "We're not going to be an elite team. We'll be in tough to make eighth place in the conference"

[serge 904]

Wow, the coach of the team is backing up his squad. I'm convinced now... Paul Maurice quote: "We're not going to be an elite team. We'll be in tough to make eighth place in the conference"

Thats a safe statement..This team is definetely an elite team...They have survived massive injuries to still fight for the playoff spot..keep spinning

[dEv~ 19]

This has led to them getting way more power plays than they should.

I wish they kept the stat of drawing penalties because Crosby would have to be up there. It's also not because he's a diver, it's because D can't keep up with him and are forced to hook/hold him.Watch the games and you'll see that they earn the power plays they get from working hard.

[gruven 530]

Thats a safe statement..This team is definetely an elite team...They have survived massive injuries to still fight for the playoff spot..keep spinning

Serge, you made more sense when you were on your pouting time out....FACT: Elite teams have elite goaltending. Raycroft is adequate. He is not a star.Fact: Elite teams have strong defense. 'Nuff said. Kaberle is a borderline elite defenseman. After that... forget it.Fact: Elite teams are strong down the middle. Sundin is a hall of famer. After that??? No, serge, wellwood is good, but not elite. YOu can't sell that.Fact: Elite teams have two lines that can dominate. The Leafs don't. The TRUE plusses the leafs have? Great coaching. Maurice has done an amazing job. A hall of fame can't-be-stopped-when-he-doesnt-want-to-be centre in Sundin. He is in the top 5 in the NHL when it comes to power centres. No question about it. Too bad he has no support.....

[Jason12 0]

I wish they kept the stat of drawing penalties because Crosby would have to be up there. It's also not because he's a diver, it's because D can't keep up with him and are forced to hook/hold him.

Crosby embelishes everything, if he gets high sticked he yells and then goes down. Sundin got high sticked last night against the Lightning by Boyle, no call and Boyle goes down the ice and scores. Same thing happened a few game back against Montreal.

[mrdannyg 274]

Thats a safe statement..This team is definetely an elite team...They have survived massive injuries to still fight for the playoff spot..keep spinning

you're joking right? do you have no sense of logic, or just ignore it. Gruven simply gave an exact quote, from the exact same source. No spin. You took an article and came to your own conclusions. You took his quote, and suggested an alternative motive. That is spin.You spun, Gruven quoted.

[serge 904]

Serge, you made more sense when you were on your pouting time out....FACT: Elite teams have elite goaltending. Raycroft is adequate. He is not a star.Fact: Elite teams have strong defense. 'Nuff said. Kaberle is a borderline elite defenseman. After that... forget it.Fact: Elite teams are strong down the middle. Sundin is a hall of famer. After that??? No, serge, wellwood is good, but not elite. YOu can't sell that.Fact: Elite teams have two lines that can dominate. The Leafs don't. The TRUE plusses the leafs have? Great coaching. Maurice has done an amazing job. A hall of fame can't-be-stopped-when-he-doesnt-want-to-be centre in Sundin. He is in the top 5 in the NHL when it comes to power centres. No question about it. Too bad he has no support.....

Raycroft is more than adequate and he has done a great job this yearThe young guys White and Carlo C have done a great job and Kubina and Gill have performed ok...Mccabe is an elite offensive defencemanWith the team healthy two solid line are there...Not to many teams can match upKeep spinning...the fact of the matter is this is a very well balanced team....and they are not that far away from contending

[digitalmonkey 929]

Serge, it's really interesting how you pick out comments from Maurice that support your stance and disregard his comments that contradict you. And by 'interesting' I mean 'gradeschool'.

[serge 904]

you're joking right? do you have no sense of logic, or just ignore it. Gruven simply gave an exact quote, from the exact same source. No spin. You took an article and came to your own conclusions. You took his quote, and suggested an alternative motive. That is spin.You spun, Gruven quoted.

You sir are acting like a donkey...You usually post good things..but that quote is nowhere in the article...Gruven probably heard him saying it somewhere(probably off the record without reporters)....Thanks again for showing how donkish you guys can be.

[serge 904]

Serge, it's really interesting how you pick out comments from Maurice that support your stance and disregard his comments that contradict you. And by 'interesting' I mean 'gradeschool'.

I repeat THAT QUOTE IS NOT FROM THAT ARTICLE...Just because gruven says it to be true , it doesnt mean its there..DONKEY and MONKEY...good combo

[digitalmonkey 929]

I repeat THAT QUOTE IS NOT FROM THAT ARTICLE...Just because gruven says it to be true , it doesnt mean its there..DONKEY and MONKEY...good combo

Did I mention that quote or the article you linked specifically?

[doox 15]

I just love how logical it is to compare the amount of power plays the Pens either do or do not receive to how the Leafs are doing. I think I'm witnessing online tourette's.

[mrdannyg 274]

You sir are acting like a donkey...You usually post good things..but that quote is nowhere in the article...Gruven probably heard him saying it somewhere(probably off the record without reporters)....Thanks again for showing how donkish you guys can be.

thank you, but you are still contradicting yourself. assuming gruven is not lying, the quote not being in the article suggests the opposite of spin. as you said, it was probably not said to reporters (since gruven is...a ghost?)you are suggesting that your interpretation of a public article is more accurate than something maurice said and had no reason to disguise. yours is full of spin, and the other completely lacks it.i do disagree with the entire thing though. yeah, the leafs have lost more man-games than most other teams, but our injury situation has not been significantly worse than plenty of other teams. arguably our most important players (sundin, kaberle, raycroft) have missed little to no time. and some of the important players we did miss (tucker, antropov, ponny, etc) wouldn't have been such a big problem if we had players to fill their shoes a bit better than kris newbury and boyd deveraux.

[nell789 0]

Maurice said what Gruven quoted at the beginning of the the season.

[rinswun 6]

it seems to me that the leafs have a lot of heart and effort but not a whole lot of elite skill outside of sundin, kaberle and, offensively, mccabe.there is no doubt the guys work hard but in terms of pure skill at forward i would say they are certainly in the bottom half of the league. that they are competing is testament to great coaching now doubt but in my opinion they dont seem to have that wow factor that scares you when you look at there forward group. buffalo have there brieres, vaneks, drury; ottawa has alfreddson, heatley, spezza; atlanta has kovalchuk, tkachuk, hossa; new jersey has elias, gionta, gomez. toronto has sundin, tucker and o'neill, not really in the same league. i think that is the difference between the leafs struggling to make the playoffs off and pushing on to becoming a top 4 team. too many grinders, not enough flair.

[Rated-R 0]

Raycroft is more than adequate and he has done a great job this yearThe young guys White and Carlo C have done a great job and Kubina and Gill have performed ok...Mccabe is an elite offensive defencemanWith the team healthy two solid line are there...Not to many teams can match upKeep spinning...the fact of the matter is this is a very well balanced team....and they are not that far away from contending

I'd rather have an elite defensive defenseman that does not give the puck away

[Rated-R 0]

Crosby embelishes everything, if he gets high sticked he yells and then goes down. Sundin got high sticked last night against the Lightning by Boyle, no call and Boyle goes down the ice and scores. Same thing happened a few game back against Montreal.

Boyle scored because Tucker was too busy crying to the ref instead of joining the play

[serge 904]

it seems to me that the leafs have a lot of heart and effort but not a whole lot of elite skill outside of sundin, kaberle and, offensively, mccabe.there is no doubt the guys work hard but in terms of pure skill at forward i would say they are certainly in the bottom half of the league. that they are competing is testament to great coaching now doubt but in my opinion they dont seem to have that wow factor that scares you when you look at there forward group. buffalo have there brieres, vaneks, drury; ottawa has alfreddson, heatley, spezza; atlanta has kovalchuk, tkachuk, hossa; new jersey has elias, gionta, gomez. toronto has sundin, tucker and o'neill, not really in the same league. i think that is the difference between the leafs struggling to make the playoffs off and pushing on to becoming a top 4 team. too many grinders, not enough flair.

People who dont have knowledge of the argument should not post....YOu can argue all day...I know i m right

[serge 904]

I just love how logical it is to compare the amount of power plays the Pens either do or do not receive to how the Leafs are doing. I think I'm witnessing online tourette's.

because its all in marketing...The penguins are whiners, they are doing all they could in the media to protect Crosby....Crosby in all honesty is a wimp and a crybaby...That is the fact and if you dont think its true you are blind. Not saying he is not an exceptional talent...He is just a crybaby

[serge 904]

I'd rather have an elite defensive defenseman that does not give the puck away

then you sir are a bigger donkey then we believed...Mccabe is a phenomenal defenceman...He is a compliment to the other dman that we have..Please go back to wiping the toilets and cleaning out the slurpee machine.

[Governator 54]

then you sir are a bigger donkey then we believed...Mccabe is a phenomenal defenceman...He is a compliment to the other dman that we have..Please go back to wiping the toilets and cleaning out the slurpee machine.

Do you think McCabe is worth the money he is paid? (Highest paid Leaf if memory serves me right)

[rinswun 6]

People who dont have knowledge of the argument should not post....YOu can argue all day...I know i m right

you argument is that the leafs arnt first as they have suffered injuries my argument is that even with a fully fit 23 they dont have enough top end skill to compete with the best team in the east. plenty of heart yes, fearful scoring prowess no. if i dont have knowledge of the argument in your opinion then that is fine but we are all entitled to our opinions. telling me i shouldnt post is a little arrogant eh?

[serge 904]

you argument is that the leafs arnt first as they have suffered injuries my argument is that even with a fully fit 23 they dont have enough top end skill to compete with the best team in the east. plenty of heart yes, fearful scoring prowess no. if i dont have knowledge of the argument in your opinion then that is fine but we are all entitled to our opinions. telling me i shouldnt post is a little arrogant eh?

yes I am arrogant however you are entitled to your own opinion..I dont agree but I respect...to governator..Mccabe at 3 million is great...so he is a bit overpaid

[Rated-R 0]

then you sir are a bigger donkey then we believed...Mccabe is a phenomenal defenceman...He is a compliment to the other dman that we have..Please go back to wiping the toilets and cleaning out the slurpee machine.

You must not be paying attention when watching the Leafs play! McCabe is NOT a phenomenal defenseman! The fact that you even argue that he is tells me you are not a very intelligent human being. As far as wiping toilets and cleaning out slurpee machines...those jobs are usually reserved for Leaf fans. Thank you.