The Official MERB 2010-2011 NHL Free For All Thread

[gohabsgo]

One thing we can say for sure: the Leafs are pathetic right now.

but few figured the club to be as lousy as last year. As we speak, however, the Leafs are right back where they were in 2009-10. Their record since Oct. 15 is 4-11-3. In the dreadful first 20 games of last season, the Leafs were 3-11-6. Looks familiar, doesn’t it? Having finished 15th in the Eastern Conference and 29th overall, the club is teetering on the brink of both positions just past the quarter-pole of this season. Toronto is four points removed from the conference basement and three away from second-last in the league.


http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=3

but according to Leaf blowhard #1:

I must admit that his moves so far have been quite impressive. The Leafs are definitely on the right track:

Based on the current standings, Boston would only get the #4 overall pick (instead of #2 overall), so they must be on the right track ... LOL !

 

[gohabsgo]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=133

Maple Leafs and Brian Burke have little to show so far

The Leafs have yet to make the playoffs, don’t have a first-round pick until 2012 and, after bottoming out in 29th place in the 30-team NHL a year ago with 74 points, are on pace for just 71 this season.

THE BAD

One of Burke’s first curious decisions came three months after his hiring at his first trade deadline. With the Leafs well out of the playoffs and netminder Vesa Toskala out for the season with an injury, Burke claimed Martin Gerber on waivers.

Gerber played fairly well, the Leafs won half their remaining games and went on to finish just one win out of the draft lottery. Minus Gerber, Toronto’s 2009 first-round pick could have been two to six spots higher than seventh overall (where they selected Nazem Kadri).

Burke’s two free-agent signings this past July were also head scratchers. With his team desperately in need of offensive help, the Leafs GM added only winger Colby Armstrong and defenceman Brett Lebda, with both receiving generous deals given their roles.

THE UGLY

The Leafs are currently on pace to finish with the fifth worst record in the NHL, which would mean a second consecutive lottery pick going to Boston Bruins as part of the Phil Kessel deal.

Kessel’s output of five points in his past 14 games isn’t helping the optics of the controversial trade, either.

Burke’s strategy to deemphasize the draft has backfired in general. His mantra that “July 1 will be our draft” has resulted in signings such as Mike Komisarek and Colton Orr – both overpaid and signed for four-plus years – as the talent level of players making it to free agency has cratered in a big way the past two seasons.

The majority of teams have locked up their young stars for the long term, with 16 of the top 20 scorers in the NHL this season all still playing with the team that drafted them.

One-quarter of the Leafs’ cap space, meanwhile, is dedicated to the early July signings of Komisarek, François Beauchemin, Armstrong, Lebda and Orr, who have a combined five goals this season.

yet village idiot #1 (and his cretinous parrot) , think Burke has got the Leafs "on the right track" ! Talk about delusion! LOL !

 

[joelcairo]

One thing we can say for sure: the Leafs are pathetic right now.

Whenever I read an article about the Leafs I expect to see certain words, and this article had all the usual ones, namely: "pathetic, lousy, dreadful, apathetic, basement, and firing blanks". Well said and very accurate.

I also learned something I did not realize: Number one Leaf center Tyler Bozak had (still has?) gone 18 games without a single assist! This is a MAGNIFICENT achievement and MUST be a record - NO assists in 18 games for a number one center? Even by the "pathetic, lousy, dreadful" etc., etc. "standards" of the Leafs, this is AMAZING!

 

[joelcairo]

yet village idiot #1 (and his cretinous parrot) , think Burke has got the Leafs "on the right track" ! Talk about delusion! LOL !

Their philosophy is like the river in Egypt: Da Nile, Da Nile, Da Nile!

They just create a No Truth Allowed thread and pretend that their beloved Leafs are the reincarnation of Gretzky's Oilers. Hey, if someone is unlucky enough and unwise enough to be a Leafs fan, the REAL world provides no pleasure, so their only hope is to SHUT OUT the real world and deny, deny, deny.

 

[gohabsgo]

I also learned something I did not realize: Number one Leaf center Tyler Bozak had (still has?) gone 18 games without a single assist! This is a MAGNIFICENT achievement and MUST be a record - NO assists in 18 games for a number one center? Even by the "pathetic, lousy, dreadful" etc., etc. "standards" of the Leafs, this is AMAZING!

and a $3.75M cap hit - OUCH !

Blowhard Burke doesn't think you need first round picks when you can sign undrafted NCAA players like Bozak and Hanson. There's a reason they were undrafted - what a strategy - D'OH !

 

[joelcairo]

Let's be fair here: there's a lot of great humor in the No Truth Allowed thread. One of the world's two remaining Leaf fans just posted an article about a TSN interview with the hockey world's biggest blowhard. In it Burke tries to defend himself, his actions, and even his hated coach and comes off as just a pathetic liar and loser. Meanwhile the two Kings of Da Nile are loving every word he says.

One of the excuses Burkie pulls out is "injuries". First, Leaf Fan Number Two has MANY TIMES stated that injuries are not an excuse. Whether he's right or wrong on that issue is not the point - the point is that he has expressed that opinion many times in reference to both hockey and baseball. However when Burkie uses the injury card as an excuse, all of a sudden it seems to be a valid one. In short, the old double standard once more, mixed in with the usual denial and the usual blinding ignorance of hockey.

 

[joelcairo]

Leaf Fan Number Two has posted something in the baseball thread about Habs fans being chickens and not betting.

Kind of funny, since all readers of the hockey threads are aware that Leaf Fan Number Two has run like a scalded chicken at least four times when offered to put up or shut up regarding his beloved Leafs. (In fairness, he was RIGHT to run every time, since he would have lost all four bets - no surprise, since his team sucks the big one!)

 

[joelcairo]

As everone probably knows, veteran actor Leslie Neilsen died a couple of days ago at the age of 84. R.I.P. to this talented Canadian star.

Meanwhile there are currently pictures of Brian Burke circulating on this board and I couldn't help but notice the striking similarity that Burkie has to the late Mr. Neilsen.

True, the deceased Mr. Neilsen was about 30 years older than Burkie, looked taller and certainly slimmer tahn the Leaf GM, and didn't carry around those bags under the eyes that Burkie does (bags that would probably be deemed too large to pass through a luggage checkpoint at any North American airport), and true, the late Mr. Neilsen looked much more alert and intelligent than Burkie does, but there is still a strong similarity between Burkie and the deceased.

 

[joelcairo]

Gee after all the bad things I said about the Leafs, I noticed they were beating Tampa Bay 3-1. I guess they must have won the game. Well, congratulations. Oh no, it seems they managed to LOSE even after being up 3-1. Gee, that's not very good.

Maybe it shows a lack of ability...maybe even a lack of guts... for a team to BLOW a 3-1 lead. Let's analyse: hmm, first T-Bay made it 3-2...and then with NINE seconds left, the Leafs allowed the tying goal...and then of course they completed the fold by losing in OT. Now THAT is the Leaf team hockey fans everywhere are familiar with!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

...with the youngest team in the entire NHL, i'd say only a few points out of a playoff spot with about 60 games to go is not to shabby

Six points and five positions out barely a quarter of the way through the season is mighty shabby indeed. The Leafs finished 14 points out of the playoffs last year; right now they're on pace to finish about 20 points out. Only you could suggest that they're headed in the right direction.

 

[G1GBallday]

 

[gohabsgo]

I remember a year or two ago when some Habs fans were making fun of the Leafs being an old & slow team. No more!!! The Leafs are young, fast, tough, skilled & will scrap with anyone other teams throw at them. No one will dare push around their smaller, skilled players, knowing full well Ron Wilson will send out an army of tough guys to take care of business if that every happens! The Leafs have one top player who could be considered up there in age, and that's Jason Blake. But Blakie is still one of the fastest players on the team & can still score. He'll be relied upon for his leadership more than ever now. Watch out folks, the Leafs mean business & not a single team will take them lightly this season. Habs fans, be afraid! Be very afraid!!

I wish I could make this shit up but who needs to when this board has a fool like the above quoted poster (who later deletes their own posts)

 

[Octavian]

I wish I could make this shit up but who needs to when this board has a fool like the above quoted poster (who later deletes their own posts)

It's like reading one of his escort reviews.

 

[joelcairo]

I wish I could make this shit up but who needs to when this board has a fool like the above quoted poster (who later deletes their own posts)

If you, I, or anyone else could make up such unbelievable stuff, we'd be paid MILLIONS in Hollywood!

 

[gohabsgo]

Watch out folks, the Leafs mean business & not a single team will take them lightly this season.

I'm sure a few OHL teams won't ...


Ron Wilson will send out an army of tough guys to take care of business

Is that why Wilson has Kadri on the 4th line centering goons Orr and Roseweed ? after having been a complete failure as the Leafs #1 centre the game before ?

Rookie Nazem Kadri was dropped down to the fourth unit with a pair of enforcers on his wings, including Jay Rosehill, who was recalled from the minors today

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/kessel-shifts-to-centre/article1824274/

Leafs top line bottoms out

The reviews are in for the Toronto Maple Leafs' revamped first line, and after just one game, they aren't all that pretty.

Winger Clarke MacArthur, who skated alongside Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri on the team's nominal top line in a 4-3 overtime loss Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lighting, ... our line, we were a non-factor ... MacArthur said, All three players picked up big minutes and went pointless in the game,

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/leafs-top-line-bottoms-out/article1821552/

 

[gohabsgo]

Leaf fans in panic mode

WHAT CAN BE DONE????

The frustration in the city of Toronto regarding the sad state of the Maple Leafs has reached a critical mass. The level of displeasure became was all too audible during last night’s 5-0 loss to Edmonton. Beginning with a rather noticeable chorus of boos at the end of the second period after Toronto had allowed a third Oilers goal in the last minute, rising with the fourth and fifth goals during a painful third period and reaching a crescendo with the chants of “Fire Wilson” at the end of the game, the patrons who pay the highest ticket prices in the NHL were very clear in sending a message that the product of GM Brian Burke’s maneuvers and Coach Ron Wilson’s tutelage have been a dismal failure.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=120

 

[joelcairo]

Leafs top line bottoms out

The reviews are in for the Toronto Maple Leafs' revamped first line, and after just one game, they aren't all that pretty.

Winger Clarke MacArthur, who skated alongside Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri on the team's nominal top line in a 4-3 overtime loss Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lighting, ... our line, we were a non-factor ... MacArthur said, All three players picked up big minutes and went pointless in the game,

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/leafs-top-line-bottoms-out/article1821552/

The article is good but the comments (by Leaf fans, yet!) after the article are GREAT.

 

[Jman47]

The article is good but the comments (by Leaf fans, yet!) after the article are GREAT.

At least some of them are in touch with "reality"...to quote one of the comments:

"The Leafs are terrible because they are being run by a GM and coached by a coaching staff that are still stuck in 1998. Why would you trade to first round picks for a one dimensional player that expects the puck on a silver platter? When today the model for building a great team is through drafting. And if mr. burke builds teams from the net out why would he "again" trade for kessel? When the centre position should be a bigger priority along with goaltenders and defencemen. Burke doesn't have the patience to rebuild a team the way it's done in today's nhl. He needs to enter the picture when the young core is already in place an then he just has to make a big splash and your pronger's and phaneuf's to get to the next step.

Sorry Leaf fans but this team has been set back once again. To bad that by the time anything is done another couple of years or three will have gone by. They would have been a solid team by the 2011-2012 if they had kept their first rounders. That's all it would have took. I don't understand why they can't ever do it right."

Have fun,

Jman

 

[joelcairo]

WHAT CAN BE DONE????

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=120

Some of the more amusing - and accurate! - observations from the article:

1. The highest ticket prices in the NHL (!!!!)

2.GM Brian Burke’s maneuvers and Coach Ron Wilson’s tutelage have been a dismal failure.

3.Wilson may be a caustic personality, who is eminently unlikeable and was perhaps the wrong hire.

4.Leafs roster is amongst the weakest in the league.

 

[gohabsgo]

Leafs are a $505 million bust

They can't win, they can't score either

what do you get for your $505-million US Maple Leafs these days?

- Eight wins in 24 games, four in the past 20 or once every five games.


http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/03/16424871.html