ECR2: Florida Panthers (A3) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) - PANTHERS WIN 4-3

[SuperMatt18]

To me Treliving's issue remains the same as it was in Calgary.

He wasn't willing to move the substantial package required to bring in that premium help.

But is willing to make numerous trades where you end up spending all your assets to bring in non-premium help.

Carlo
Laughton
2025 4th
2027 6th

for

2027 1st
2026 1st
Fraser Minten
Nikita Grebenkin
2025 4th

I feel like 2 1sts, Minten and Grebenkin should have been able to bring in a more impactful piece than Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo. At least in Toronto's case he was able to get guys with extra term remaining with the salary retention to make it a bit more palatable (Laughton - 1 x $1.5, Carlo 2 x $3.5M) but still feels like that type of package could have gotten them a top pairing or close to true number 1 d-man they desperately need in the offseason.

The top forwards will get blamed for their failures again - but the problem remains that the Leafs have a poor forward group beyond their top 5 guys (Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Marner, Knies) and they have no real top pairing d-men but have a lot of guys that would ideally be on your second pairing.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Come on, at this point their top forwards are absolutely the problem. They just don't win the big games for them and they're the only constant over the last near-decade of futility. It may simply be that they need a change of scenery, I don't know, but you just cannot roll it back with those guys and tinker with the bottom 6.

[dino7c]

I would bet a large sum of money the Leafs are worse next year and don't get as far as game 7 of round two. They won't have the option to run it back anyway, Marner is gonna go someone else and make millions to be a great hockey player and not face the ridiculous fans and media.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Ped

Chris Johnston on what he's hearing about the Leafs in the wake of the loss:

Just as I suspected, Treliving will be given the Pres title because he knows how to titillate the higher ups with cliches and promises. His father taught him well. Book it.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Come on, at this point their top forwards are absolutely the problem. They just don't win the big games for them and they're the only constant over the last near-decade of futility. It may simply be that they need a change of scenery, I don't know, but you just cannot roll it back with those guys and tinker with the bottom 6.

I'm not saying roll it back though.

I'm saying the rest of the roster is flawed and it's easy to point the finger at the big guys.

Even in the series against Florida - it was the Panthers bottom 6 that killed them.

At 5V5:

Matthews: 6 GF / 6 GA
Tavares: 5 GF / 7 GA
Laughton: 1 GF / 4 GA
Neither: 3 GF / 3 GA

Barkov: 6 GF / 5 GA
Bennett: 3 GF / 6 GA
Lundell: 8 GF / 3 GA
None: 3 GA / 1 GA

Matthews outscored Lundell 1-0...Lundell went 8 GF - 2 GA against the rest of the Leafs centers.

Leafs top stars didn't win them the series, but they also didn't lose them that series IMO. It was the Panthers bottom 6 that won them that series. Doesn't help that the Leafs defense was also very much a tire fire in that series and they don't have the d-core to be able to stop a team like Florida.

[CroFlames]

It's no secret you need depth to win. Takes a lot of things going right.

But even still, Mathews and Marner do not elevate their play in the playoffs.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

It's no secret you need depth to win. Takes a lot of things going right.

But even still, Mathews and Marner do not elevate their play in the playoffs.

The Panthers can also afford more for good depth players. Their players all sign at discounts.

Matthews makes 13.5 million to disappear.

Nylander makes 12 million to be a 2nd liner.

Tavares makes 11 million to be a ghost.

Marner was making 11 million to disappear.

That is a LOT of money spent on players who all disappear and suck come playoffs. No money left for depth. They have to perform better at those cap hits.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

It's no secret you need depth to win. Takes a lot of things going right.

But even still, Mathews and Marner do not elevate their play in the playoffs.

Maybe, but they also keep running into a Florida team that makes lots of teams look bad.

Leon Draisaitl is a pretty good playoff performer...he had 3 points in 7 games against Florida last year.

Nikita Kucherov is a pretty good playoff performer...he had 1 point in 5 games this year.

This Florida team is built with Barkov and Tkachuk on their top two lines to be able to control the puck and dominate possession against the other teams top lines.

If your bottom 6 can't play even with their bottom 6 then you aren't going to beat them.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1925261372579094605

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Leafs top stars didn't win them the series, but they also didn't lose them that series IMO. It was the Panthers bottom 6 that won them that series. Doesn't help that the Leafs defense was also very much a tire fire in that series and they don't have the d-core to be able to stop a team like Florida.

And if we were only concerned about how one series went, and not 8 years of this, that might be persuasive. But we're not. Nor are we looking at years and years of data that say Barkov and Bennett aren't the guys moving the needle for Florida.

What happened in this series wouldn't matter at all if it weren't part of a broader context of this continuously happening. And when you've got 5 guys who amount to more than $54 million of your cap - over 60% of the $88M max - saying "they didn't win them the series but they didn't lose it for them either" simply doesn't cut it, year after year after year. Those guys have to win you the series. That's how your team is constructed.

[Ped]

The Islanders can't hire someone not from the Leafs?


Yeah, and CHL is right; no one should be looking at the Leafs-Panthers series in a vacuum. One could argue (and many have been) that that argument is one of the Leafs' problems in evaluating their team; every year they can come up with a stat or something that shows something positive or not as bad as you might think. It's the sheer repetition that is the point.

[hwy19man]

Hey Leafs, this song is for all of you!

[Ped]

Friedman reporting that Shanahan's contract won't be renewed.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Ped

Friedman reporting that Shanahan's contract won't be renewed.

So promotion for BT?

[activeStick]

Stolarz confirmed during garbage bag day that he indeed had a concussion (wasn't faking the hospital visit as some suggested) and it also wasn't from the shot taken to the helmet, which was also being suggested.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Stolarz confirmed during garbage bag day that he indeed had a concussion (wasn't faking the hospital visit as some suggested) and it also wasn't from the shot taken to the helmet, which was also being suggested.

The swipe by Bennett, from the overhead view, look like it cranked his head pretty well.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

So promotion for BT?

If TOR really wants to fix their team, they should make Tree the first ever President/GM/Coach.

[Rhett44]

Sign Marner and bring all the boys back. Leafs were the 2nd best team in the east!

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Stolarz confirmed during garbage bag day that he indeed had a concussion (wasn't faking the hospital visit as some suggested) and it also wasn't from the shot taken to the helmet, which was also being suggested.

What basis does Stolarz have to make this assertion?

If you ask ChatGPT:
when playing ice hockey would a puck travelling at 70 miles per hour that hits a goalie square in the mask have enough force to create a concussion

You may get this answer


Yes, a puck traveling at 70 miles per hour (about 113 km/h) striking a goalie square in the mask can potentially cause a concussion, even with modern goalie masks.

Here's why:
High kinetic energy: A standard hockey puck weighs about 6 ounces (170 grams). At 70 mph, it carries over 200 joules of kinetic energy — roughly equivalent to being hit in the head with a hard-thrown baseball or a strong punch.
Modern goalie masks do a good job of spreading out impact forces and absorbing energy, but they are not perfect. The mask can:
Flex or deform slightly under impact.
Transmit vibrations and acceleration to the head and brain.
Cause the head to jerk backward suddenly (rotational acceleration is a major cause of concussions).
Concussions happen not just from direct impact, but from rapid acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the skull. Even without the puck breaking through the mask, that sudden jolt can be enough.
Real-world context:
Many professional goalies have suffered concussions from pucks hitting their masks — even at lower speeds than 70 mph.
NHL goalie masks are required to meet high standards, but no equipment can fully prevent concussions in all scenarios.
Summary:
Yes, a 70 mph puck striking a goalie in the mask can generate enough force to cause a concussion, depending on the angle, mask quality, impact location, and the individual's tolerance.

[Ped]

It's his head.