Teams can’t afford to treat the regular season as a playoff rehearsal, only 16 out of 31 make the playoffs.
2020-21 Maple Leafs Thread
- Thread starter gcostanza
- Start date
And what about rankings of junior hockey players or college football players before they're drafted? Also useless?
And how would it change if it was a poll? It still means nothing come playoff time so I am not sure why you made that distinction.
Regardless, we have our own impressions of which teams are better and it can be fun comparing what we think to what the so-called experts think.
Again, nobody is trying to say that these rankings actually mean anything in the end. It's opinion not fact. As such I don't understand the level of hate-on for occasional rankings. There seems to be a bit too much passion.
Those draft rankings are made by qualified people such as league scouts, but even than teams have their own scouts to evaluate players and don’t need to follow what Central Scouting ratings are.
NCAA football rankings matter because it determines the Bowl Championship series...basketball ranking determines seeding for March madness...those are down nationwide by regional representatives....this ESPN power rankings is done by one women and it has no bearing on anything.
it wasn’t me with a hate on for them...somebody else brought them up because the Scabs were rated #2 and they thought that was a big deal.
No shit...now go tell that to the poster who was bragging about Montreal being rated #2.
Why are you telling me that? Tell that to the people who read it...
Also, analytical analysis and those ESPN rankings aren’t even close to the same thing.
Didn't mean to single you out. It just seemed like a general tone in this discussion and I picked your post to reply to.
All he needed was Nic Petan out there to make him look good.
Nice to see Petan get the chance and deliver. Awesome game and hope it continues. Spezza is skating like a 20 year old out there. This team just might be the real thing.
...Spezza is skating like a 20 year old out there.....
Jason Spezza mentioned before the season that he had been working hard since the 2019-20 season ended, with the Maple Leafs' training, fitness staff, on his legs. Spezza said he hadn't been able to run for a long time (I think he said 8-10 years), due to knee & other leg issues. With the help of the off-ice medical staff, he's been able to reintroduce running into his workout regimen. He can see the end of his NHL playing career on the horizon. Might as well leave absolutely everything on the ice.
I've learned from experience not to hold my breath when it comes to the Leafs. It's an encouraging start all the same.
Probably a good thing, never trade a defenseman, especially one as versatile as Dermot.
As for hitters...
you do know they were playing vancouver right?Nice to see Petan get the chance and deliver. Awesome game and hope it continues. Spezza is skating like a 20 year old out there. This team just might be the real thing.
True - but still nice to see. Starts with Vancouver - he builds confidence over the next 3 games and plays against the Canadians and then who knows. Each game builds upon another.
This Leaf squad is a definite upgrade, however I feel they are still not ready for playoff hockey. The elephant in the room is Nylander. He is a talented player who puts up points against weaker teams and plays on a strong power play. However, he coughs up the puck too easily when pressured, he doesn’t make the second effort to get the puck back when checked, he rarely back checks, and his positional play in his own zone is weak. In the playoffs guys like him disappear and disappoint. My opinion
Spezza is the second oldest NHL player to score a hattrick at 37. Jagr is the oldest when did it at 42.
The Leafs got the tired Canucks who played a lot of games in 4 different time zones. I'm sure the Canucks will play better next game but will it be enough?
You'll never be satisfied with Nylander...I disagree with your assessment...Nylander has been one of the Leafs best players.
You’re right, I’m not satisfied at all. He makes me cringe every time he’s on shift. He’s soft, gets knocked off the puck easily. He’s always late covering the point in his own zone, and seems to always loose one on one battles on the boards.
What he does do well: Other than generate points on the power play, I like how he can break out of the neutral zone. He is great in the open ice (shit in tight spaces). I’ve noticed that he is learning to feed the open point as opposed to forcing a pass in the slot where JT has 2 guys on him.
well said. some of these other pundits on here, cant see the forest for the trees. he,s a liabilty, dont seem to matter to a lot on here. as long as he is putting up points. his day will come.
