Tavares was legit hurt, their team doctor could sign off on a medical note for the NHL to approve LTIR.
Leafs 2023-2024 Thread
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The Flyers coach was pissed about Keefe sending out the top PP unit in a 6-1 lead. Keefe said "They got a shorthanded goal out of it".
Leafs in their last playoff series with Boston used 2 wingers to kill penalties. It was Hyman and Marner. Couldn't win faceoffs. Not against Bergeron. Boston's PP steam rolled over the Leafs. They couldn't use Tavares since he can't kill penalties.
The Kucherov situation was easier to accomplish for Tampa. It was a retaining players issue (since they were over the cap) rather than acquiring additional players issue. It was a shorter season that year (Covid) that lasted about 4 months.
It was a legit surgery that typically heals in 3-4 months. They just had to stretch out the final healing process for a few weeks at the end when he was healthy enough to play. Others didn't like it but it was very plausible timeline.
Adding a few months to the injury process for Tavares (he will need to be out for 6 months) if you intend to attract FA's just makes it harder to pull off.
They only got the short-handed goal after Keefe took out the top unit and put on the 4th line with Reaves. The penalty looked like a punch to the head of a Leaf. A free shot. If that's the case then why not put out your top unit and put another dagger in it.
The penalty at 17:11 of the 3rd period was officially Cam York roughing on Matthew Knies so if the game was already over in the Flyers eyes why is Cam York roughing up a Leaf player. If it was an accidental tripping penalty that would be a different story.
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I think faceoffs are going to be huge in the playoffs. Tavares wins faceoffs and is one of the best in the league.
They were able to put Muzzin on LTIR without surgery. For 2 whole years. Albeit he's probably legit injured since there's no sign of him making a miraculous comeback in the playoffs. Leafs have been very good at getting players on LTIR. They created Robidas island for just that. Remember Joffrey Lupul?
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Sure, but Tavares does not take faceoffs when Leafs are on the PK and their PK this season has been terrible.
Both Florida and Boston have very good power plays. Florida is 2nd in the league. TB is 1st.
They relied on Kampf and now Dewar. Maybe on the PK Tavares wins the faceoff, Leafs get the puck down the ice and Tavares goes off. Leafs have games to try it before the playoffs.
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Regardless of how pissed the coach was, does not excuse how poorly the Leafs played that shift. They looked like the Keystone Kops there.
... and if he loses the faceoff then what? Hence why he's not out there taking the faceoff on the PK. Back in the Boston series I wondered just that since Boston got possession all the time on the PP.
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Leafs vs Kings 1978 playoffs. There was the 2-line offside rule, you cannot stretch pass from below your blueline past the centre ice line.
This is JT's 6th season as a Leaf and he's never killed penalties.
Probably never killed penalties in his 9 years as a NYI as well.
You think Keefe will all of a sudden have a revelation and start using JT on the PK at this stage in his career?
Wouldn't hurt to try it before the playoffs and Keefe has always tinkered with the lineup and tried new things. Keefe started to put Nylander and Matthews on the PK.
Three other teams were also out of their minds. Boston Montreal and San Jose all offered him more than the Leafs did. That's how free agency works when there is little supply and high demand for a number one center which he was on long island. And the Leafs made a bigger offer to Steve Stamkos the prior year also. No one predicted covid in 2018 which prevented an increase in the salary cap too. The mistake in signing him had more to do with PR of bringing home the local boy than a hockey decision. Prior to the 2018 draft Dubas said that they wanted to add depth at center which they didn't need because they already had Mathews and Kadri on a team friendly deal plus Nylander and Marner can also play the position to some extent. They desperately needed D-men and still do. He's got one year left on the contract so it will make things easier after next season.
You are correct I do speak to many Leafs who are exactly as you described. The one part you are unaware of is I hear these same people call into the Fan 590 and unfortunately read comments in reddit which is a breeding ground for people who have grasp on reality or hockey. That's why I call them homers. Some believe Woll is the answer between the pipes and so many like Steve Dangle went ballistic when they signed Max Domi. I still don't get why Leafs fans are so hyped about him and his cement head father.
Weren't you the one who compared Leafs to Vegas and criticized Leafs for having 4 10 plus million forwards? Nylander by the way, is under 7 mill. Technically they only have 4 10 plus million forwards for one season and that is next season.
Are you saying Dubas and Shanahan are genius for signing Tavares because that's how free agency works? Leafs when they signed Tavares were not ready. The core was still developing. More or less rookies. They should have waited to bid on Pietrangelo when the core was more ready. Dubas was not the boy wonder. He was a rookie learning on the job. Same for Keefe. Same for Shanahan his first job running a team.
What's the main complaint of the team right now? They have no defense.
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