ECSF: Toronto Maple Leafs [ATL2] vs Florida Panthers [WC2] - Florida Wins 4-1

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by blankall

Darryl also needs to give up his love of grinding vets and accept that successful teams have:

A. Kids playing on the lineup to bring energy.
B. Sometimes you need to abandon the system and let your offensively gifted players play their game.

.... And the personality stuff.

Fair enough, but I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said about predicting who would score the overtime goal!

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Something's got to give.

LOL I stand by what I said. The Leafs had very little through 2 periods. Had one nice goal and one lucky goal. They picked it up in the first 10 of the 3rd period, but the Panthers kept them to the outside and very few shots were dangerous.

The Panthers were mediocre at best in the regular season on defense, but something has clicked in the playoffs and they seem to be able to at least handle pressure and skilled attack now.

Either that or the leafs are mailing it in. Either way, I'm good with where this team stands at the moment.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Man, I’m a complete convert at this point. The Boston series was incredible and I had to laugh at people writing off the Panthers after that (talking about regular season, oddsmakers, things that just don’t matter if you actually watched them play that series). I’m laughing again at the people still after last game and this game discounting guys like Bennett or the team as a whole.

Boston didn’t lose the last series and Toronto isn’t losing this one, the Panthers won/are winning it. They’re chasing this top teams and making them look ridiculous and I don’t know how they’re doing it considering the season they had with the ups and downs, but they’re doing it regardless.

Maybe the magic runs out but I don’t see how anyone can’t love this team right now and have full faith in the way they’re playing. Especially Flames’ fans. The Flames’ helped build the best part of this team. Super fun to watch.

The magic runs out in game six, when the officials/league mess up a call on a goal that was in the net but gets waived off. They lose game six and shattered, they also lose game seven.

I've already seen this movie.

[Vedder]

“Something has clicked” - they may be playing better defensively but Bob going back to Vezina form is the biggest reason they’re here.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I think Treliving will be the frontrunner for the TO job if they decide not renew Dubas. Almost too convienient of a hire.

Dubas is so overrated it's ridiculous. Hey, my top defense D man is down and I now have cap space, let's get another high priced forward on a team full of high priced forward with mediocre D and no goaltending. Acquiring Murray was just plain stupid. I pray to God he doesn't get a sniff in Calgary if the Leafs let him go..

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I've already seen this movie.

Saddest movie ever.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Vedder

“Something has clicked” - they may be playing better defensively but Bob going back to Vezina form is the biggest reason they’re here.

Good goaltending and good defense are sometimes indistinguishable from each other. As long as the puck stays out everyone gets credit.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by BoLevi

I'm enjoying watching the Leafs lose, but this really does highlight how bad the Flames actually are as a franchise.

So, it's giving you two sources of happiness then. Leafs losing and a bad look for the Flames!

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Wait, isn't Bennett and Tkatchuk almost singlehandedly out-muscling the Leafs "high octane" offense more of a good look on the Flames and their scouting/development?

It's a mix of good and bad. We couldn't make it work with these guys but we also made these two (now) playoff monsters who are terrorizing the league's darlings.

I just hate that we never had people with the vision and patience to squeeze the best out of Tkachuk, Bennett and Valimaki and slot them properly (in Tkachuk's case, earlier).

Bennett was worth keeping for his playoff super saiyan mode alone.

[JohnnyB]

Flames could have benefited from Bennett in the playoffs last year. He has always been a playoffs competitor.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

I think you're going to be surprised.

Tre walked into a huge mess, a bunch of bad contracts, and had a decent core to work with but no superstars. His best trade work (probably the Hanifin/Lindholm trade) was excellent. His worst signings turned out to be worse than anyone could imagine (I don't remember people predicting a total James Neal career-ending fail).

Bennett wanting out is less Treliving's fault than the coaching, and who knows what was going on in Tkachuk's mind at any given time, he may never have stayed here. Maybe Calgary has a bad reputation as a destination, I don't know. But I don't put all this on Treliving alone.

He wasn't a magical GM but he wasn't awful. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Pitt. There's not that many people qualified for the job, really (look at Calgary's current options, it's not like there's a clear bona fide obvious choice).

Time will tell.

You might be right.
I don't think he was awful either, but on the balance of his pros and cons, the weight of his cons are sitting really heavy right now and Florida's success is hurting him.

In time if Huberdeau turns things around (I think he will), that may not look so bad; but trades are judged by what the players go on to do and these 2 guys in Florida are killing his resume at this moment.

I actually think him taking a year off would be smart, as there's time for the toxic situation in Calgary right now to get disassociated from him and Huberdeau to make his trade look better.
Right now he looks like he lit a house on fire and walked away.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Flames could have benefited from Bennett in the playoffs last year. He has always been a playoffs competitor.

Perfect guy against the Stars.

Against the Coil, probably a liability with the penalties.

Hockey becomes a no contact sport against the baby club. Bennett doesn't play that way. Too much man.

[direwolf]

Goodnight Leafs. Hope you enjoyed your 1st round win, 'cause that's all you're getting, lol.

[ComixZone]

Flames had the opportunity to build a team around Bennett and Tkachuk.

Flames chose Backlund and Giordano.

Poor coaching hires and a lack of vision really stood in the way of this team becoming more than it did. I do get it though - by all accounts Giordano and Backlund are excellent people, hard not to bet on people like that.

The further we get from Treliving resignation, the more I’m okay with it. He was good - and fear of the alternative is very, very real - but I’m happy we’re going in a new direction in management and coaching.

I #%^*ing love Benny and Chucky as players.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Wait, isn't Bennett and Tkatchuk almost singlehandedly out-muscling the Leafs "high octane" offense more of a good look on the Flames and their scouting/development?

It's a mix of good and bad. We couldn't make it work with these guys but we also made these two (now) playoff monsters who are terrorizing the league's darlings.

Not sure how you can give the Flames a lot of credit there. Scouting had nothing to do with it, they were both high picks who were pretty much no brainers at the draft, it's not like they were 3rd rounders or something. As for development, they did a pretty good job with Tkachuk putting him with Backlund early to learn a 200' game then switching him to the top scoring line, Tkachuk's natural talent helped a lot. They couldn't have done a worse job with Bennett.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

Tre walked into a huge mess, a bunch of bad contracts, and had a decent core to work with but no superstars.

What?
What bad contracts did he inherit?
He walked into a team that had just been blown up, had some decent (some excellent) young players, a #1 defenceman, good vets, all of the draft picks including #4 overall in the next draft and boatloads of cap space. It was a blank slate to build the team that he wanted.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I was talking about what he did in Calgary, not now, in the context of what Treliving was dealing with at the time. Apparently if people doubted his ability to be more, they didn’t have eyes.



And yeah, he’s doing fine now, playing with an elite player. But I still think he’s a hammer, not a scalpel.

It wasn't doubting his ability to be more it was ignoring his actual playoff performance. In the 19/20 playoffs he had 8 points in 10 games. 19 points in 30 playoff games as a Flame. While playing a physical, fast game just like he's doing now.

The no eyes comment was if you couldn't see this, not regular season play.

I agree he's not a scalpel and with his draft position we all wanted him to be one. But he's a pretty good hammer to have in the playoffs.

[FanIn80]

I'm starting to wonder if Fox choosing not to sign here had more to do with the franchise than just wanting to play in NY. I mean, the guy has a psychology degree from Harvard, so it's not like he's an idiot. He probably picked up on a few things during his trip(s) out here and was like... yeah I'm just gonna finish my degree and then sign wherever I want.

We probably would've had a better shot at signing him if he'd studied communications at BU.

[WCW Nitro]

Kind of bad luck for Fla that the Heat are doing well too, could have had all the attention to themselves in that market.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Flames had the opportunity to build a team around Bennett and Tkachuk.

Flames chose Backlund and Giordano.

Poor coaching hires and a lack of vision really stood in the way of this team becoming more than it did. I do get it though - by all accounts Giordano and Backlund are excellent people, hard not to bet on people like that.

The further we get from Treliving resignation, the more I’m okay with it. He was good - and fear of the alternative is very, very real - but I’m happy we’re going in a new direction in management and coaching.

I #%^*ing love Benny and Chucky as players.

I took quite a few digs at Bennett in the couple years after we traded him. Making fun of his ability to win you Games 2 and 3, but then lose you Games 6 and 7... but Bennett this year is a thing of beauty. Like I can't think of a better duo in the league right now than Tkachuk and Bennett... other than the PP twins in EDM of course.