Shanahan's Plan to Restore Respectability

[Gary Nylund]

Saw the thread title, was hoping Shanahan had said something about a new plan, something substantial that would give me some hope. I guess I should have known better.

I haven't watched any post game interviews, anyone say anything interesting?

 

[Commander Clueless]

I think we should seriously consider folding the franchise

 

[Suntouchable13]

Meh, we're a perennial playoff team but nothing more than that. No division wins (except the joke North division) and they start the playoffs on the road most of the time. So even their regular season prowess is largely overrated.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

Considering Matthew Tkachuk’s casual clowning of the Leafs I’d say the organization is due for another restoration of dignity.

Another? It never got one to begin with.

 

[frizzer1]

Start with a bunch of teenagers and young vets.
Matthews Marner Nylander Rielly kadri JVR
Hyman brown kapanen and johnsson.
Young, fast,skilled.
What you need are d men.
Draft or trade for them and you’re on your way.’
So they sign Tavares who wasn’t close to being a superstar.
That’s why we are here.
Gross incompetence!

 

[socko]

I mean we drafted a crap load of young talent. Hit on our draft picks. Lucked out on the Matthews lottery. Had a ton of cap space. And then squandered all of it with a spreadsheet nerd who was totally clueless. Does that equal respect?

 

[Raging Bull]

Worse AINEC

Exhibit A below.

Until bullshit like this actually offends management and ownership, nothing will change.

 

[Stephen]

Until bullshit like this actually offends management and ownership, nothing will change.

It's got to offend the players to the point that comments like that become bulletin board material, and the Leafs have a heavy response next year when they play Florida.

 

[TMLife17]

It’s definitely better but it feels worse as a fan. At least in the past we knew we were trash and no one really cared. Now most fans think we have a real shot and other teams fans are able to clown on us once again.

 

[TheOne]

Kinda an odd question. Fans used to cheer with humility for the joke, like we were in on it. Now fans cheer with arrogance for the joke, like we're selling what we've bought. It's a weird generation of fans right now, and I think our own fan bases' entitled behavior affects other fanbases "respect" towards the Leafs.

 

[sxvnert]

Keep the parts that showed up in postseason and remove the ones that didn't + plug a few holes (goaltending + offensive d, etc).

 

[seanlinden]

As others have mentioned, it is unquestionably better. The Leafs have been consisent playoff teams for the majority of Shanahan's tenure, and even in the last few years, it's not like they're sneaking in on the last day of the season... they've been 2nd or 3rd in the atlantic every year since Matthews' sophomore season, and led the North division that one year.

Throughout that time, they've been able to attract UFAs, and probably have few players listing Toronto on their NTCs.

Their problems come down to a few really glaring mistakes... getting rid of Lou Lamourello and promoting Kyle Dubas right before they had to sign their big 3 kids to their 2nd contracts; and then kind of doing it again with the Dubas/Treliving transition right before Matthews and Nylander were up for renewal.

 

[DitchMarner]

When the Canadiens were good enough to make the playoffs but not win it all, I used to argue with their fans and say that being good enough to lose in the playoffs is nothing to brag about.

I used to watch their games in the playoffs and relish watching them fail.

Now the tide has turned.

I do think being a consistent playoff team is better than being a bottom-feeder or a ninth/tenth type of team. But I maintain that it's nothing glorious and nothing to brag about.


As far what fans of other teams have to say: they're just trolling. They know Leafs fans get worked up easily and I'm sure it's fun for them to mess with their psyches. I do think that playoff choke against Montreal was really bad and embarrassing. It really incensed and devastated me, especially because it was to Montreal. The playoff losses to Tampa and Boston were seven game series between the A2 and A3 teams. One team had to win and each series could have gone either way. The loss to Florida was worse, but FLA looks to have become a dominant playoff team. They did sweep Carolina (a better team than Toronto) that year.

Let's say Seattle had lost to Los Angeles in OT of a seven game series where both teams had over 100 points - no one would be making a big spectacle out of the occurrence or sensationalizing it. It would just be another series.

Don't get me wrong: I want to see the team win the Cup and I don't brag about how good the Leafs are. I also don't think there's been anything particularly embarrassing about this team lately. It's just another good regular season team that can't get over the hump. Some teams can't even make the playoffs despite being years into a rebuild. Others can win rounds but haven't won it all yet, either. Everything is under a microscope because it's T'rana. It is always, "LULZ OMG U GUIZE ABSOLUTELY SUK WORST TEAM EVERZ WTF DIEEEEEEEE!#^^#" and fans get all worked up over it, which fuels that kind of drama further.

That said, I'd be fine with a shake-up. I think with the right moves, no Atlantic division team should be better in the next couple of years except FLA.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

It’s worse

We get openly mocked by media, fans, and even players

We embarrass and piss over ourselves every year and don’t change a thing

We have players with horrible attitudes and shitty takes on their performances

We are a joke still, just a different more painful kind

 

[Brew]

People arguing that it's worse didn't live through 2006-2016. Times were very tough being a Leafs fan.

It's better, not by much, but it's better than what it was post-lockout.

 

[ruaware41]

its about the same IMO

Teacher's Pension Plan era they wouldn't allow a rebuild and became a JOKE

Shanahan era new owners Rogers/Bell allowed a rebuild and then became a JOKE


Its just a different kinda JOKE. But still a JOKE

Although I gotta say pre-Shanahan team never lost to a zamboni driver which is another freakin' JOKE

If only we stuck w the plan instead of Ufa hunting justifying it with yolo philosophy of we don't know if we'll ever be back next year and all that crap.

We've had a few Zamboni type moments. Team not showing up in jt's return to long island, losing to the Providence bruins in the regular szn (this was a game where nearly their entire roster was injured) and a few others I can't remember

 

[TonsofPuppies]

If only we stuck w the plan instead of Ufa hunting justifying it with yolo philosophy of we don't know if we'll ever be back next year and all that crap.

We've had a few Zamboni type moments. Team not showing up in jt's return to long island, losing to the Providence bruins in the regular szn (this was a game where nearly their entire roster was injured) and a few others I can't remember

Blowing a 5-1 lead to the Ottawa Senators at home, getting blown out 7-0 to the WBS Penguins and losing twice in a week to the COVID ravaged Canucks all come to mind.

 

[Racer88]

I wish Shanny had never heard of Dubas

 

[Albz]

I think shanny gets one more year chance here since he signed the new gm last year. I think this is the time for a big change in players. Somehow get riddd of tavares

 

[keonsbitterness]

It's got to offend the players to the point that comments like that become bulletin board material, and the Leafs have a heavy response next year when they play Florida.

Nothing seems to offend our players.

 

[robertmac43]

Shanny took this team in the rigth direction and then somewhere along the way he lost the plot...

 

[tokyoite]

show him the door ASAP

 

[IPS]

Shanny lost the plot completely when he hired Dubas. I wasn't even a Lou guy but atleast he knew what a playoff team was supposed to look like.

 

[joepeps]

It's got to offend the players to the point that comments like that become bulletin board material, and the Leafs have a heavy response next year when they play Florida.

why now? Boston players have said many time, that they dont have what it takes to win... They said they only care about money, the reason we (Boston) are better because we took less money to stay.

So if that doesn't get to them, what will?

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Whether the team's a bigger joke now than before Shanahan took over is argueable.

What's not up for debate, however, is the fact this team is STILL a joke. It may not be the same sad sorry joke it was prior to Shanahan's arrival. But nobody is denying it's a f***ing joke.

Just a stupid, stupid man.

Who convinced an even more stupid man he's not as stupid as everything he says and does indicates. The dumb owner and dumb president. Or maybe it's the other way around.

The dumbnamic duo can't possibly lower expectations again.

The bar has been set as low as it can go. The only thing left is to admit just making the playoffs is good enough. We already know they're not a serious threat to win the cup any time soon.

It's an indictment of just how bad Shanahan's been at his job they're still gonna be a joke for years.