Leafs 2023-2024 Thread
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I read your last post asking who would make a good coach, and I jokingly thought of these two guys that you just now mentioned.
Even though I get mildly annoyed, when I watch fans cheer regular season goals because they mean absolutely nothing, the Jays pissed me off so much this year, that I’m going to give the leafs a chance this season because I’ve got nothing better to do. I went to the game against Chicago on Monday. They look a little tougher. I get a tougher vibe. I like that.
Philip
The Oracle
Pronouns: Who/Cares
Well Brophy did win 3 championships in the ECHL as a head coach so he did have some success.
Yes there was Maloney, Nykoluk and Tom Watt was in there as well.
It's interesting that they pivoted from Brophy, an advocate of beat em in the alley hockey, to Watt.
Watt considered fighting to be as he called it '' dinosaur hockey''. He preached fundamentals and systems.
Neither worked well.
Under Ballard ownership nothing was going to succeed I'm afraid.
They did succeed at being the joke of the league.
There was one move Ballard pulled that I thought was great.
Ballard did not want to put the players' names on the jerseys, but the league said that they had to.
What did Ballard do? If the jerseys were blue he made the names blue and if the jerseys were white he made the names white. It was virtually impossible to read the read the names because they blended right in.
The leafs are unusual in that almost all their forwards are super soft. Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, etc. Not one forward comes halfway close to the physicality of a Matthew Tkachuk.Where was Revo last night when Willie was sent flying head first into the boards? There goes the Christmas Rolex!
Like Cournoyer and Pocket Rocket? (You could put Keon in the same category.) Matthews and Tavares both play more physically against their opponents than those others.
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The current Leafs could use some of the toughness exhibited by "little" Henri Richard.
Greatest Hockey Legends.com: Henri Richard: As Tough As They Come
Greatest Hockey Legends.com: Henri Richard: As Tough As They Come
How many guys did Henri lay out the same way that Tkachuk has? That seems to be your standard for toughness.
I suspect that it's a round number. Like ZERO.
The Oracle
Pronouns: Who/Cares
A better example would be Rick Vaive.
One of the better trades the Leafs ever made. Vaive was a tough customer and in a way which garnered respect from his opponents.
Brophy was more fun to watch. When he'd lose his temper behind the bench, his face would turn red and contrast well with his white hair. It looked like he was going to have a stroke.
Since we rightly acknowledge Brophy's 3 ECHL championships, let's acknowledge Watt's 9 championships in Canadian university hockey as a head coach.
I think the best example of hockey talent and toughness was probably Gordie Howe. A close second would be Bobby Orr. Of course, one had to be tough back in the bad old days.
The only reason I'm bringing this up is because of Ryan Reeves. He's taking up a roster spot because the Leafs need a bodyguard.
The current Leafs are a bunch of smores eaters. I remember Alex Ovechkin's rookie year, he lined up Mats Sundin for a hit, then passed at the last second. Mats knew he was coming, he was going to give him the good ol Chris Smellios.
I see the Leafs are spotting Tampa a 4-1 lead to make a comeback strategy.
