Maple Leafs.......

[Dythbringer]

Another point I wanted to make was leadership within the team. Your current captain I would argue is not someone who inspires his teammates. He isn't someone opposing teams fear unless you are Sean Avery and have just made an unflattering comment about Elisa Cuthbert.

[BIG MAC]

Another point I wanted to make was leadership within the team. Your current captain I would argue is not someone who inspires his teammates. He isn't someone opposing teams fear unless you are Sean Avery and have just made an unflattering comment about Elisa Cuthbert.

Dyth, I don't think right now in today's leaf's line-up there is 1 player that puts fear into the other team when he is on the ice, they lack GRIT. As much as I dislike the Senators, Chris Neil comes to mind as that type of player, when he is on the ice guys are getting rid of the puck faster ( that is when you make mistakes )as they don't want to get hit by him, and he hits everyone and anyone he can and keeps the other team accountable for their actions on the ice, leafs are deeply lacking in that department, teams playing them right now know they only have to bump them off the puck and there is no fight back to get the puck. And think most people know in today's NHL rebuilds take 4-6 years at least. Then you have about a 5-6 year window and then you have to start trading parts away as they become to expensive. So hopefully sometime in the next 10 years we might , a BIG might, see the leafs win a playoff round. but don't get your hopes up.

[Oddmott]

Correction Big Mac... Chris Neil USED TO hit everyone.

The last few years, he misses (by inches!) so many checks against opponents on the boards that i seriously think he's gone blind in one eye and his depth perception is off!

[Dythbringer]

Dyth, I don't think right now in today's leaf's line-up there is 1 player that puts fear into the other team when he is on the ice, they lack GRIT. As much as I dislike the Senators, Chris Neil comes to mind as that type of player, when he is on the ice guys are getting rid of the puck faster ( that is when you make mistakes )as they don't want to get hit by him, and he hits everyone and anyone he can and keeps the other team accountable for their actions on the ice, leafs are deeply lacking in that department, teams playing them right now know they only have to bump them off the puck and there is no fight back to get the puck. And think most people know in today's NHL rebuilds take 4-6 years at least. Then you have about a 5-6 year window and then you have to start trading parts away as they become to expensive. So hopefully sometime in the next 10 years we might , a BIG might, see the leafs win a playoff round. but don't get your hopes up.

Big Mac,

I am not going to argue with you because you are right; however, in this era of the league, grit is only going to get you so far. Perhaps I will clear up my statement a little bit. IF (capitalized letters aren't a mistake) Phaneuf was an effective captain and leader on the Leafs team and IF he was a player the opposition feared, he could certainly take players to task within the dressing room for not doing their jobs out on the ice (think Kessel's lackluster backchecking) or coming into the season not looking like you walked out of the beer league (again Phil Kessel). But Phaneuf isn't a good captain. Good captains lead great teams. Great captains inspire their teammates to sacrifice themselves for their team.

As for getting my hopes up, it won't happen because I am not a Leaf supporter and I don't watch much hockey anymore since the NHL decided they didn't want to play ball with Balsillie and move the Coyotes to Hamilton (I am not blaming the NHL entirely for this one but you have a struggling team in a struggling market with ownership issues and along comes a man with more money than the Pope and you don't want to play ball with him? But Balsillie could have played better with Bettman though. I just shook my head at that entire series of events and how the NHL would rather run an unsuccessful team in the desert than give Canada another team).

Dyth

[Exo200]

Today's kw record ( paper ) letter to the editor. The leafs should change their name to the Toronto possums " They play dead at home and get killed on the road "

[Hunter John]

LMAO Exo ,, I am gonna use that.

[BDH]

Bulletin Toronto Hydro is warning customers of the rotating winter power blackouts that are expected to occur on: Saturday, Jan 31, 2015 Saturday, Feb 7, 2015 Monday, Feb 10, 2015 Monday, Feb 17, 2015 Saturday, Feb 14, 2015 Saturday, Feb 21, 2015 This is a province wide alert. The lack of power seems to consistently occur just after 7 pm on Saturday or 7:30 pm weekdays and is attributed to the excessive power required to run the goal light behind the Leafs' net. Sincerely Yours, Toronto Hydro

[BIG MAC]

Big Mac,

I am not going to argue with you because you are right; however, in this era of the league, grit is only going to get you so far. Perhaps I will clear up my statement a little bit. IF (capitalized letters aren't a mistake) Phaneuf was an effective captain and leader on the Leafs team and IF he was a player the opposition feared, he could certainly take players to task within the dressing room for not doing their jobs out on the ice (think Kessel's lackluster backchecking) or coming into the season not looking like you walked out of the beer league (again Phil Kessel). But Phaneuf isn't a good captain. Good captains lead great teams. Great captains inspire their teammates to sacrifice themselves for their team.

As for getting my hopes up, it won't happen because I am not a Leaf supporter and I don't watch much hockey anymore since the NHL decided they didn't want to play ball with Balsillie and move the Coyotes to Hamilton (I am not blaming the NHL entirely for this one but you have a struggling team in a struggling market with ownership issues and along comes a man with more money than the Pope and you don't want to play ball with him? But Balsillie could have played better with Bettman though. I just shook my head at that entire series of events and how the NHL would rather run an unsuccessful team in the desert than give Canada another team).

Dyth

Dyth, hopefully both will be shipped out of town this coming Summer, Kessel stating he only skated a couple times in the offseason is a joke in this day and age and the fact not one thing is done about getting him in shape now......like you say , it's like beer league hockey, he can't back check because he is out of shape.............

[Wahoo]

At least the Leafs are doing 'bad' in an exceptional way. Winless in 11, a new club record.

If they lose to the Oilers tomorrow evening......

[LiveBates]

I try not to comment on Leaf threads as I've bled blue for37 yrs. it's like having a little brother 135lb and mouthy as shyte. Ya don't wanna back him, but you have to. Had a few pops the other night and heard the new leaf parody (YouTube it), SOB, it hit home....