The Thread Where We've All Got Playoff Beards

[Toe]

I don't understand how it took until for the third period for this team to show some passion and fight. How were they not fired up right from the drop of the puck? I think Ron Wilson needs to go. Now.

[Ruki]

I was never big on the 'Fire Wilson' thing, but honestly? After these past 10 games (We had a 80-90% chance of making the playoffs...down to 30% now)...he needs to go. Let's bring up the Marlies coach, or let's give Randy Carlyle a job....just...fuck.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

Honestly, I called it before the game started to my girlfriend. The whole ceremony/tribute before the game will kill/killed them. Just like the night for Sundin.

The whole Leafs team is standing for at least a solid 20 minutes for the ceremony, while the opponents are either A: Sitting on the bench (Montreal) or B: In the locker room, probably sitting as well (Washington).

The result is the Leafs having tired legs from it all, while the opponents are fresh and ready to go. The Leafs come out flat for at the very least the first period, and usually spend the 2nd period getting themselves up to the speed of the game. By the 3rd, they're able to play but it's usually too late.

My opinion? Shoot whoever planned so many pre-game ceremonies.

Also, not to completely bash the guy or anything, but get rid of Francois Allaire. He breaks goalie's natural style.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Mountainous Cleavage

[Ruki]

Shoot whoever plays the songs! Apparently there is a song they occasionally play during warm-up...the Leafs are like...0-6-1 when they play it!

[SeanDMan]

Honestly, I called it before the game started to my girlfriend. The whole ceremony/tribute before the game will kill/killed them. Just like the night for Sundin.

The whole Leafs team is standing for at least a solid 20 minutes for the ceremony, while the opponents are either A: Sitting on the bench (Montreal) or B: In the locker room, probably sitting as well (Washington).

The result is the Leafs having tired legs from it all, while the opponents are fresh and ready to go. The Leafs come out flat for at the very least the first period, and usually spend the 2nd period getting themselves up to the speed of the game. By the 3rd, they're able to play but it's usually too late.

This is seriously the excuse that you're using? "They stood around and did nothing for twenty minutes, and that wore out all their energy! If they didn't have to do absolutely dick all during that time, they'd have been fine!"

Also, not to completely bash the guy or anything, but get rid of Francois Allaire. He breaks goalie's natural style.

Ladies and gentlemen, Francois Allaire, infamous goaltender breaker.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

This is seriously the excuse that you're using? "They stood around and did nothing for twenty minutes, and that wore out all their energy! If they didn't have to do absolutely dick all during that time, they'd have been fine!"

Also, not to completely bash the guy or anything, but get rid of Francois Allaire. He breaks goalie's natural style.

Ladies and gentlemen, Francois Allaire, infamous goaltender breaker.

That's not my whole excuse, don't really have an excuse either. I'm just pointing that out. The team didn't play good at all today (or for the last few games for that matter), there's no hiding that. I'm not saying that that right there is the whole reason they're losing, by any means.

Still though, the standing does effect them. Sure, they're only standing there, but after having their pre-game warmup and then standing for the whole ceremony, it's bound to tighten their legs back up and, in a way, almost nullify their warmup. It's not much of an edge for the opposing team, but at the end of the day, it's still an edge. I'd also assume that's why you'll often see players constantly moving their legs as often as they can (besides during the anthem I'd think), to try and keep everything flowing. (italic's edited in after)

And about Francois Allaire, I know he is a good coach, a very good coach at that. Maybe saying he 'break's goalies natural styles' might not have been the best way to phrase it, but all I'm trying to say is that he tends to force goalies to change their style towards what he wants them to play, instead of working to improve on the style they already have. It's almost like telling them to re-learn how to play.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Mountainous Cleavage

[SeanDMan]

That's not my whole excuse, don't really have an excuse either. I'm just pointing that out. The team didn't play good at all today (or for the last few games for that matter), there's no hiding that. I'm not saying that that right there is the whole reason they're losing, by any means.

Well okay.

Still though, the standing does effect them. Sure, they're only standing there, but after having their pre-game warmup and then standing for the whole ceremony, it's bound to tighten their legs back up and, in a way, almost nullify their warmup. It's not much of an edge for the opposing team, but at the end of the day, it's still an edge.

...the fuck? "I am not going to use this as an excuse. However, I am going to use this as an excuse in the next paragraph." NO. NO. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU NOT DO SOMETHING. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING, DON'T DO IT. Don't say "I'm not going to do this", add a couple line breaks, and do it anyway!

I'm not going to say much more other than this:

2010/2011 Vancouver Canucks

10/26: Pregame Ceremony to Honor Orland Kurtenbach, Game Result: Canucks victory.

11/24: Pregame Ceremony to Honor Kirk McLean, Game Result: Canucks victory.

12/11: Pregame Ceremony to Honor Markus Naslund, Game Result: Canucks shootout loss.

01/24: Pregame Ceremony to Honor Thomas Gradin, Game Result: Canucks victory.

03/14: Pregame Ceremony to Honor Harold Snepsts, Game Result: Canucks victory.

That's an absurd winning percentage. They managed to get 9/10 possible points in those games. Imagine how much more dominant they could have been if they didn't have to stand around and do nothing and waste all that energy in the pregame! Hell, maybe they could actually put some points up and avoided games where they came out with low energy and eeked out the contest, like the 7-1 victory where they barely edged Dallas after a pregame ceremony. Alas, we'll never know what the results of a pregame ceremony are and how many possible points the Canucks might have lost. Can you imagine what effect there would have been on their potential playoff positioning if you'd eliminated these ceremonys? How much energy they might have saved for a potential playoff run that, sadly, because of roughly 100 minutes lost to standing around and doing nothing over an 82 game schedule, they never got to make because they were too exhausted?

It's a goddamn shame. The league should really do something to eliminate this awful practice.

And about Francois Allaire, I know he is a good coach, a very good coach at that. Maybe saying he 'break's goalies natural styles' might not have been the best way to phrase it, but all I'm trying to say is that he tends to force goalies to change their style towards what he wants them to play, instead of working to improve on the style they already have. It's almost like telling them to re-learn how to play.

...this is what an NHL Coach does! Do you not understand that a coach gets paid to force a player to change the way he plays to make him a better player? Holy fucking shit, what do you think they fucking hire these guys for, to stand on the bench and yell "FUCK!" when a penalty gets called? They're supposed to make the players better by forcing them to change. It's their goddamn MO.

[SeanDMan]

But enough about the Leafs, let's laugh at Sami Salo.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

You're acting like that's my one and only excuse, and I'm sticking to it. It's not. Part of what I think, sure, but I'm not saying that's the sole reason they're losing. I'm not saying it's the sole reason they lost this game, or any game. I'm saying it's a potential FACTOR into it. It's not so much an excuse as it is an opinion on that issue.

Also, as much as I love Toronto, you're comparing them to Vancouver. The same Vancouver who went to the Cup Finals last year, which despite losing, is no easy task. Plus, they've got the fucking Sedins.

Allaire has completely changed Gusty from the goalie he was when he was drafted, and Gusty hasn't adapted well. Gusty wasn't a goalie that really should've been trained by Allaire, purely because of the style-difference, but alas he was and look how he's ended up now.

I'd imagine it's slightly the same for Reimer. My best guess for Reims is this; when he came in last year, dominated and had a great half a season, he hadn't spent a lot of time with Allaire to be able to pick up the way he wanted him to play. This season comes around, Reimer gets his injury and is forced to spend a lot of time with Allaire while he's getting healthy again, and starts trying to adapt to Allaire's style. Fast forward to where we are now; how's it working?

Once again, that's just my opinion on those things. I don't really feel like arguing about it anymore with ya Sean, so if we can lets just agree to disagree.

[SeanDMan]

Allaire has completely changed Gusty from the goalie he was when he was drafted, and Gusty hasn't adapted well. Gusty wasn't a goalie that really should've been trained by Allaire, purely because of the style-difference, but alas he was and look how he's ended up now.

Okay, I'm tired of arguing with you when I know I'm right and I know you're wrong, so I'm going to put a stop to this right now. You are not a knowledgable hockey fan, and should not try and post like one. You're a homer, and not even a particularily good homer either.

We can argue all day about whether Francois Allaire is a good coach or not, and you could never agree with me that I'm right and you're wrong, all despite the 3 Stanley Cup rings that Allaire has compared to the 0 that you have (just two of those are thanks to Patrick Roy, a goalie that Allaire famously ruined when he forced him to change his style from the way he played when he was drafted).

So here is something you are concretely wrong about that is easily proven:

Gusty was never drafted. He didn't get drafted by the Leafs and develop. He didn't get drafted by anyone (outside of the possibility that he was taken in some obscure CHL Import Draft that he promptly ignored). He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an undrafted free agent, allowed under the new CBA rules, and joined the Leafs straight out of the SEL once the international transfer window opened. His wiki page can confirm that; I already knew it because I actually follow the sport, but a cursory glance at any of a thousand hockey sites could have confirmed it if I wasn't sure.

So, let me reiterate:

You are not knowledgable. You are, in fact, wrong. You're a homer for the Leafs. Despite that, I know more about them than you do, because I am actually knowledgable about the game.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

Last thing I'll say about this is that you got me on him not being drafted. Slip up by me there, but I more-so meant when he came to the Leafs.

EDIT: Missed a good D'oh joke.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Mountainous Cleavage

[SeanDMan]

Slippity dippity.

[Toe]

Washington was playing their third game in four nights. Toronto should have been all over them, ceremony or not.

Other teams have those ceremonies too.

[Mountainous Cleavage]

Slippity dippity.

Doo-daw-day.

[Guest mr. potato head]

It's almost like the Leafs worked really hard for the first few months of the season because they knew they didn't have the talent of other teams and hard work was the only way they could do well, but now they've maxed out their bodies and are exhausted and that's why their play is slipping...

...but no, that can't be it, not even when this is the third year in a row they've followed the same general trend.

[SeanDMan]

It's almost like the Leafs worked really hard for the first few months of the season because they knew they didn't have the talent of other teams and hard work was the only way they could do well, but now they've maxed out their bodies and are exhausted and that's why their play is slipping...

...but no, that can't be it, not even when this is the third year in a row they've followed the same general trend.

Fire Wilson obvs.

[Toe]

It's almost like the Leafs worked really hard for the first few months of the season because they knew they didn't have the talent of other teams and hard work was the only way they could do well, but now they've maxed out their bodies and are exhausted and that's why their play is slipping...

...but no, that can't be it, not even when this is the third year in a row they've followed the same general trend.

The trend over the last few seasons has been the team struggling until this time, then going on a run late. This is the opposite.

[Cactus Drags]

SUCK IT DETROIT

Also, I thought Downie was supposed to be more of an agitating, pest type player than a point getter on the first line. Or am I jsut REALLY missing NHL coverage this year?

[Guest mr. potato head]

No, you're right.

It's probably a temporary blip.

[caucasianheat]

SUCK IT DETROIT

Also, I thought Downie was supposed to be more of an agitating, pest type player than a point getter on the first line. Or am I jsut REALLY missing NHL coverage this year?

I joked on the phone with my dad tonight that the Wings have the home wins record and are now trying to sweep the books by getting the home loss record as well.

Downie put up points for Tampa but for obvious reasons never got a top assignment there when they have so many other talented players. It's either a "just got traded" burst of energy or the Avs saw something in him that nobody else in the league has prior to now.