I don't think Thornton looked fantastic last game at all. He had a couple decent plays and scored a goal I'll give him that. Again, anyone in the league is going to get the chance to score the odd goal playing with those two.

He was still behind a lot of plays, and still made the odd error which resulted in offense killed and the puck going the other way.

Overall through 3 games he has been slow, inefficient and mistake prone. 🤷‍♂️
- joel878

No exhibition games a couple of intrasquad games and 3 games in and you think Leafs will forget they signed a first ballot HOF player for league minimum playing for a team he cheered for as a kid? IDK sounds unlikely. I suggest enjoy the ride hopefully something good will happen.

- Arctic_AARDVARK

😂😂😂

Keep acting like this on the internet and moms gonna take your iPad away. 🤷‍♂️

Looool. Says the guy who starts 80% of his sentences with "most leaf fans". Says the guy who made a list putting people who criticise Andersen worse than Isis. 🤣

Are you actively shifting back and forth between alts? My goodness man, get a life. 🤦‍♂️
- joel878

No exhibition games a couple of intrasquad games and 3 games in and you think Leafs will forget they signed a first ballot HOF player for league minimum playing for a team he cheered for as a kid? IDK sounds unlikely. I suggest enjoy the ride hopefully something good will happen.
- winsix

🤔... I never said forget about him.

They can convince Gretzky to come out of retirement too, they're still a team trying to go deep into the playoffs and therefore would need to play him within his means.

😂😂😂

Keep acting like this on the internet and moms gonna take your iPad away. 🤷‍♂️
- joel878

🤔... I never said forget about him.

They can convince Gretzky to come out of retirement too, they're still a team trying to go deep into the playoffs and therefore would need to play him within his means.
- joel878

Fair enough, I thought that line was the best the Leafs had yesterday and he is a big body that can go into corners and come up with the puck. Granted he is not nearly as fast as Hyman giving him some looks on the Matthews line and the PP might be a pretty good thing.

Fair enough, I thought that line was the best the Leafs had yesterday and he is a big body that can go into corners and come up with the puck. Granted he is not nearly as fast as Hyman giving him some looks on the Matthews line and the PP might be a pretty good thing.
- winsix

I agree that was our best line yesterday, but I kind of had this feeling while watching that that was in spite of Thornton not because of him.

Might be a better fit with Tavares and Nylander If that is the goal. 🤷‍♂️

What I would like to see for a game:

Matthews between Marner and Simmonds. (Simmonds is there to forecheck, puck battle, stand in front of the net, punch people who crosscheck Matthews and just let’s M&M do their thing)

Tavares between Willy and Hyman(replacing Vesey with Hyman makes this line so much better)

Kerfoot between Vesey and Soup. (Still a decent 3rd line)

Spezza, Thornton and Barabanov(meh, what can you do? Better than most teams 4th line. Jumba can still get a few shifts with M&M once in a while).
- rSole

I could sign off on that

Oh, okay.. So it's previous cup win or (frank) off when deciding if a line will work. Looks like we have 4 trash lines on the leafs. 🤣

You seem overly offended by the idea that some people think we can do better than a guy who looks half dead playing with the 2 best players on the team.
- joel878

I like better I just haven’t heard it. Simmonds offers nothing. He’s less skilled and slower than Hyman. The only advantage is he doesn’t break up the third line. We’ve got three lines working now and the top line is playing great with a dead guy. Seems fine to me.

I could sign off on that
- Zezel

Leafs finally play a good game - let’s change it up

Leafs finally play a “good” game - let’s change “it” up
- Canada Cup

Does this help?

My gf introduced me to this version and I love it
- Dozzer

I love the guitar solo.

Does this help?
- mr.sir

I guess. I mean it’s easier than an actual argument.

U.G.expected to be among pardons issued by Trump on Tuesday.

Bills vs Brady Super Bowl🙄

I like better I just haven’t heard it. Simmonds offers nothing. He’s less skilled and slower than Hyman. The only advantage is he doesn’t break up the third line. We’ve got three lines working now and the top line is playing great with a dead guy. Seems fine to me.
- Canada Cup

1 game great.
2 games not so great.

So 66% of our sample period to date would go against what you're basically stating as fact, but I suppose most things in life are subjective so... 🤷‍♂️

1 game great.
2 games not so great.

So 66% of our sample period to date would go against what you're basically stating as fact, but I suppose most things in life are subjective so... 🤷‍♂️
- joel878

Let’s do easy math. 1 + 2 = 3. 3 games they’ve played together after a short camp with no exhibition games. The last game was the great one so breaking them up when they’re improving seems, subjectively, stupid. If it gets to a point where it doesn’t work, that might be the time to change it up.

1 game great.
2 games not so great.

So 66% of our sample period to date would go against what you're basically stating as fact, but I suppose most things in life are subjective so... 🤷‍♂️
- joel878

I'm a math guy, three games is not a sample size for a player that has played 1639 games. Not subjective at all, there are projections, probabilities and results. You can predict what you want, doesn't make it so.

Can we use the same mentality between the pipes or does Andersen keep getting handed starts with a spiralling sv%... 🤔
- joel878

works for me... but we do need to be a little "realistic" about comparing goalie starts. Leafs as a team were terrible defensively against Ottawa in the first of the two games - gave up way more shots which the second game bore out. Was Andersen sharp - no he wasn't - but he didn't get anywhere need the support Campbell did. I would go Andersen and Campbell alternating until it works itself out. That would be enough of a message

Seems to me that this version of the Leafs takes their publicity a little too literally at times... they thought Ottawa was going to lay down... they didn't. This is a bad habit that this franchise has had for decades.

They were the best line last night which is too bad because the brain trust in here decided after the Friday game that he sucks.

I'm not really sure who they'd replace him with anyway. Hyman isn't really an upgrade or much of one and Keefe really wants that third line. Robertson was a possibility but that's gone.

I personally like the idea of 14 minutes or so a night, mixing in other guys. It's been three (frank)ing games
- Canada Cup

I don't know what the magic number of minutes is... but completely agree - dumb to draw too many conclusions after 1 game that's for sure.

U.G.expected to be among pardons issued by Trump on Tuesday.
- Canada Cup

well - if the pardons are for being a__hole... then it would fit.

I'm a math guy, three games is not a sample size for a player that has played 1639 games. Not subjective at all, there are projections, probabilities and results. You can predict what you want, doesn't make it so.
- winsix

Oh absolutely. As a math guy I'm sure you also do probabilities, and as a sports fan I'm sure you would also work into that equation how little of a portion of those 1600 games you're going to work in as a baseline to how a 40+ year old athlete is going to perform.

I don't know if I'm right, all I said was of our very limited sample size there looks bad then good.

My personal opinion would be that given Thornton was playing in Europe, what we see out of the gate should be closer to his ceiling than anyone on the team. He's one of a few that came in at game speed. Im not really liking what I'm seeing there.

I get the give it time argument too, the question then becomes how much time is considered practical to see where it goes in a shortened season during which every single game is against a divisional opponent?

Let’s do easy math. 1 + 2 = 3. 3 games they’ve played together after a short camp with no exhibition games. The last game was the great one so breaking them up when they’re improving seems, subjectively, stupid. If it gets to a point where it doesn’t work, that might be the time to change it up.
- Canada Cup

Thornton had a hell of a lot more 'exhibition' games than most...

Also season does not afford much on the give it time eventually try something else department. I get that it's only 3 games. I think where we differ is our understanding of how important 3 games is this season and how little room there is for trail/error and patience.

Oh absolutely. As a math guy I'm sure you also do probabilities, and as a sports fan I'm sure you would also work into that equation how little of a portion of those 1600 games you're going to work in as a baseline to how a 40+ year old athlete is going to perform.

I don't know if I'm right, all I said was of our very limited sample size there looks bad then good.

My personal opinion would be that given Thornton was playing in Europe, what we see out of the gate should be closer to his ceiling than anyone on the team. He's one of a few that came in at game speed. Im not really liking what I'm seeing there.

I get the give it time argument too, the question then becomes how much time is considered practical to see where it goes in a shortened season during which every single game is against a divisional opponent?
- joel878

Reasonable take - I would think 10 to 12 games

Thornton had a hell of a lot more 'exhibition' games than most...

Also season does not afford much on the give it time eventually try something else department. I get that it's only 3 games. I think where we differ is our understanding of how important 3 games is this season and how little room there is for trail/error and patience.
- joel878

Yeah we are already about 5% through the season. 56 games will go by quickly and an extended period of poor play will have you on the playoffs outside looking in.