My thoughts on the OTT/TOR series...

[Ranger68]

"Wholistic" is not actually a word, but if you use "holistic" around here we're going to get wrong whole piping in from the massage forum wanting to know pricing on Goober's BS...and we don't need that.

Agreed.

I like to think that the coaches are more realistic and not self-effacing. As well as many of the professional analysts who work for the networks take a more impartial view of the game, who unlike the rabid fan, is paid to be objective. And those objective observers, believe that the Leafs were outplayed and were lucky to walk away with the series victory.

If the Leafs are to win in Philly, they will require better efforts from the forwards and defense and not just relative to their round 1 performances, but relative to the Philly forwards and defense that are on the ice with them.

Coaches are pretty grumpy, for the most part. In any case, Quinn's assessment, and the assessment of most everyone who watched the series, was probably accurate - the Leafs skaters need to play better.

That having been said:

the Leafs, MINUS ED BELFOUR, were badly outplayed - swap the two goalies, and the Leafs are probably destroyed;

the Leafs, INCLUDING ED BELFOUR, were the better team.
The better team won. This is all I have ever said.

I agree with your last paragraph entirely.

AARGG! Here we go again - "Bottom line, a poor team effort!"
*sigh*
You realize, of course, that MOST of this argument is semantic.
If you mean to imply that MOST of the Leafs players put in a poor effort - perhaps. If you mean to imply that the Leafs ON THE WHOLE played poorly - well, they limited the best offensive team in the league to a paltry number of goals and pulled what many people consider an upset. This would imply that it WASN'T a poor team effort, despite the poor effort of many on the team.

 

[Drunken Master]

Cage or Handicap match?

A horrifying, mind-boggling combination of the two.

 

[Ranger68]

Cage or Handicap match?

The answer is obvious.
Ed Belfour would kick all their asses.

The Afghan shepherd left-winger would finish second.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

And He-Man would never go into the corners. He's gay....

 

[Drunken Master]

And He-Man would never go into the corners. He's gay....

Well so is Superman, but that never stopped him....

 

[The Doctor]

I'm so\rry but I will not be able to see how you can so staunchly defend your position, nor happy about the way the Leafs won.

The Sens put forth a strong TEAM performance (strong forwrads, Defense, shooting, chances, overall effort), but were let down in a crucial aspect (goaltending). The Leafs put forth a weak TEAM effort (weak offense, defense and effort) but were exceptional in one aspect (goaltending). If I'm a betting person, I'm thinking 8 maybe even 9 of 10 tries, Ottawa is going to win.

In this case, I'm taking my win and now I'll be quiet.


*conceeds last word*

 

[Ranger68]

Yeah, Supe - total queer. He was going to call his hidden arctic base "The Fortress of Sodomy", but thought America probably wasn't ready for it ....

 

[Drunken Master]

Yeah, Supe - total queer. He was going to call his hidden arctic base "The Fortress of Sodomy", but thought America probably wasn't ready for it ....

ROFLMAO

Plus, it turns out his girlfriend was actually a transgendered trucker from North Carolina named Louis Lane....

 

[Ranger68]

I'm soory but I will not be able to see how you can so staunchly defend your position, nor happy abou the way the Leafs won.

The Sens put forth a strong TEAM performance (strong forwrads, Defense, shooting, chances, overall effort), but were let down in a crucial aspect (goaltending). The Leafs put forth a weak TEAM effort (weak offense, defense and effort) but were exceptional in one aspect (goaltending). If I'm a betting person, I'm thinking 8 maybe even 9 of 10 tries, Ottawa is going to win.

In this case, I'm taking my win and now I'll be quiet.


*conceeds last word*

Doctor - nobody said I was happy about the Leafs win. This whole thing would have stopped MANY pages ago if people would stop putting up these straw dogs. I'm happy about the win, not happy about the play of most of the Leafs. Okay? I've said this before, by the way.

I staunchly defend my position that the better team won. Goaltending is a huge part of hockey, a huge part of a team's success. ED BELFOUR LED THE LEAFS TO A DESERVING VICTORY. (Maybe some of them should sign over their cheques to the Eagle, but nevertheless.)

But, now, another argument is put up. *heavy, heavy, heavy sigh*
You wouldn't bet that the Leafs could duplicate that? Why? Because their skaters were outplayed? You'd bet, if the series were played again, that the Leafs skaters would continue to play like crap, AND that Belfour wouldn't be able to duplicate his feat. Why isn't it just as likely that Belfour wouldn't be able to duplicate, but that the Leafs would play better? Or that Belfour would play even better, regardless of everyone else, and put up FOUR shutouts?

You're saying it was a fluke.
Maybe.
That's a weak, weak argument, but I'll buy it. Maybe it was a fluke. This would be one reason a team that was outplayed *including goaltending factors* could lose. Total fluke. (Oh, BTW, almost everyone would disagree with this - that Belfour's performance was a total fluke. Weren't you watching? I didn't hear anyone say that - in fact, they said the opposite - that Belfour's one of the best players in the league, a total money goalie. NOW who's the one who wasn't watching. )

Anyway, this isn't really saying anything - you could say this about ANY series, any time. It's hard to prove or disprove. "It was just a fluke."
Pshaw.

I think I'll stick with my conclusion that the Leafs, led by Ed Belfour, deserved to win, since I have yet to hear anything remotely convincing otherwise.

(Oh, and please don't come back with "I guess he just wasn't watching" or "Everyone else disagrees with you" or "Stop banging your heads against a wall, guys". I watched. They don't, really - disagree with me, that is. I agree that the Leafs, except Ed Belfour, were bad, for the most part. Fortunately, Eddie played well enough that HE, and thereby THE LEAFS, deserved to win. ... Okay?)

 

[MojoRisin']

I have been reading this thread this morning and it strikes me how even Leaf fans recognize how the Senators were the better team in the series. The local and natinal media: tv, radio or print all agree that the Senators took it to the Leafs. Outplayed and out hit. Yet Ranger feels otherwise. If it wasn't for a couple of fortuitous bounces the Leafs got (own goal by Smolinski in Game 5) it would be the Leafs playing golf rigth now!

I know Ranger has put me on ignore, but that just shows, and this thread that he thinks he knows all and the rest of us are all idiots.

Blah blah blah once again from n_v...these are the excuses you have always been saying we leaf fans would use if we lost..LOL you crack me up. looks good on you...oh and Ranger I thought id quote this so you could see the senseless babble coming outta here. You and Goober have covered way more than needed...ive got a headache from it so carry on

 

[MojoRisin']

I This seems to not be sinking through your thick Jofa-like skull.

:

I always thought Jofa made thin whimpy helmets with little or no substance...sorry Ranger...lol i had to say it. GO LEAFS GO.
Sens...lol lol lol

 

[Ranger68]

Thanks, mojo - I can read n_v's marvellously intelligent quote.

If he'd been reading he'd know how much b*llshit he's spouting.
The Leafs SKATERS were outplayed by the Sens SKATERS - how many times do I have to agree with this - with everything the media, coaches, players, and mascots are saying. HOWEVER, the Leafs, as a team - said team including Ed Belfour - outplayed the Sens - said team including Patrick Lalose and Josef Prusuck.

I don't expect him to be able to comprehend much of what I'm saying.

Oh, well. He'll get over it.

 

[wildone99]

Hey Goober!

Ranger68: What about the entire ACC booing everytime Alfredsson touched the puck?

And get over your unhealthy man-love for Domi. Don't you think it's a bit sad that Domi is regarded as one of the best offensive players in the series?

I've given credit where I feel it's due. To say that the entire Leaf team out-played Ottawa is looking through blue and white coloured glasses. The Leafs are advancing because of the efforts of a very few players. McCabe, Roberts, Nieuwendyk and (most importantly) Belfour.

Give your head a shake if you think otherwise.

Yes the Sens lost and the excuses go on but think from the start that most of the Sens fans on here were the first to throw insults towards the leaf faith so go cry in your beer and watch baseball you team is getting ready for golf!

 

[galt]

I have to agree that the sens skaters outskated the Leafs players but at the end of the day, the leafs won. Was it a Fluke? who knows but we also have to consider that the Leafs won the season series and the Leafs won the playoff series.

Ultimately all that matters is results

 

[n_v]

Blah blah blah once again from n_v...these are the excuses you have always been saying we leaf fans would use if we lost..LOL you crack me up. looks good on you...oh and Ranger I thought id quote this so you could see the senseless babble coming outta here. You and Goober have covered way more than needed...ive got a headache from it so carry on

Mojo - Where in this thread, or any other for that matter, have I cried foul or started going on about meaningless excuses?? At the end the final tally in goals counts and I also know sometimes a team gets breaks and sometimes they don't. And just as the team has to deal with that, the fans have to also!!! Leafs won Sens lost.
BTW you quoting me just so Ranger reads my quotes strikes me as VERY immature by you.

Ranger - I don't hurl insults at you even though I know you won't read them (or can't actually). You think you are better than anyone here and find it necessary to belittle anyone who doesn't share your view. If you had any class you wouldn't repsond to any of my posts, regardless if they are quoted by someone else, in such immature and ignorant ways because I don't to yours!!

</and no I don't give a S**T if he reads it or not>

 

[blitz]

can we retire this thread!

the series is over and all 3 of you are acting silly. grow up, get a life or at least get laid ya freaks

GO LEAFS

 

[MojoRisin']

I If it wasn't for a couple of fortuitous bounces the Leafs got (own goal by Smolinski in Game 5) it would be the Leafs playing golf rigth now!


I know Ranger has put me on ignore, but that just shows, and this thread that he thinks he knows all and the rest of us are all idiots.

Ummm heres one excuse n_v. lol

immature for quoting you? Um well i didnt do it just for him to read your crap i did to respond to your crap and him seeing it was just a bonus...lol....your passive aggressive comments are too funny man....isnt there an Ottawa Lynx game somewhere for you to watch?

 

[n_v]

...isnt there an Ottawa Lynx game somewhere for you to watch?

1. I can't stand baseball. Burn Blue Jays burn.
2. Didn't we go through this that I don't live in Ottawa.
3. That is not an excuse. Leafs got the bounces, Sens didn't. I aknowledged that already. Sheesh.

 

[MojoRisin']

1. me neither
2. Oh yeah ill write it down this time
3. It sounds like an excuse to me...and bounces? what bounces?

 

[Don]

Unfortunately the going too far isn't limited to normal fans though - Ottawa city council agreed that fans wearing Leaf jerseys should donate to the food bank and the Leafs responded by donating $5000 to the Ottawa food bank. IMHO that was really sillyness taken to a new level.

The booing of players and chanting "<insert team name here> sucks" is normal fan behavior in my opinion.

But I gotta admit that the Leaf jersey food bank thing was beyond the norm and made me shake my head.

As for the Sens... well when it came down to one game that decides all, their goalie gave up 2 bad goals that broke their spirits. bad time to have a crap game.