Sois calme.

Leaf fans are just hyper agitated over the fact that Kessel is about to win the Conn Smyth.

All the talk is about Phaneuf is merely a distraction away from the Leaf's awkwardness around Kessel's huge success.

Phaneuf will be very strong with Ceci next and Leaf fans will search desperately to find something else they can provide a distraction from the world of hurt they are going to absorb next year.
- spatso

I hope Kessel wins the Conn Smythe personally, always knew he was a fantastic player.

I guess now you're pretending you liked him all along?

Ticket prices are determined by supply and demand. There is literally no link to player salaries at all. Zero.

if there were, the Sens would have had rock bottom ticket prices for most of their franchise's existence.
- prock

What, you're saying the Sens player's salaries don't spike every time Toronto visits?

you're the type that blindly obeys everything the media says.

you don't have the brain capacity to understand that many people actually think for themselves.
- Tumbleweed

You would feel a lot better if you could argue your points without having to resort to personal insults.

Curios. I'm disappointed. We know that you know better. Phaneuf will be playing a #4 in Ottawa. The only expectation on him is that he provide strong support for Ceci's development. In addition, Chabot is coming forward on a fast track and is going to need support as well. Phaneuf looked really good at the end of the season. Karlsson played phenomenal hockey that got even better when Phaneuf arrived. I think we are going to have to wait to see the full impact. But the initial indications are positive all around.
- spatso

There is no dman you can add, especially in the fourth slot, that is going to take the worst defensive team in the league to a half decent defensive team.

Karlsson had some of his worst stats from the arrival of Phaneuf to the end of the season. I'm not a fan of =/-, but a -11 is pretty glaring. his point totals were among the lowest as well, which as we all know, is all he has going for him.

the sens got bent over and (frank)ed up the arse in that trade.

I hope Kessel wins the Conn Smythe personally, always knew he was a fantastic player.

I guess now you're pretending you liked him all along?
- Feeling Glucky?

Never, ever, avoided the opportunity to always point out that I liked Kessel the player but did not like the trade. I said that on the day they made the trade for Kessel and I still believe it today. In the case of the Senators.I like Bobby Ryan as a person and as a player but I do not like the trade to bring him here and the commitment the team made in resigning him.

Never, ever, avoided the opportunity to always point out that I liked Kessel the player but did not like the trade. I said that on the day they made the trade for Kessel and I still believe it today. In the case of the Senators.I like Bobby Ryan as a person and as a player but I do not like the trade to bring him here and the commitment the team made in resigning him.
- spatso

yeah, phaneuf and ryan are arguably the two worst contracts in the league.

You would feel a lot better if you could argue your points without having to resort to personal insults.
- spatso

(frank) off soft cock

insulting a whole fanbase is personal

go eat a bag of Richards.

There is no dman you can add, especially in the fourth slot, that is going to take the worst defensive team in the league to a half decent defensive team.

Karlsson had some of his worst stats from the arrival of Phaneuf to the end of the season. I'm not a fan of =/-, but a -11 is pretty glaring. his point totals were among the lowest as well, which as we all know, is all he has going for him.

the sens got bent over and (frank)ed up the arse in that trade.
- prock

In 1995, (at age 34) after being named to the second-team All-Stars Murphy was traded to his hometown Leafs from the Penguins for Dmitri Mironov and a second round pick. Leafs fans booed Murphy, the highest paid player on the Leafs, mercilessly as a scapegoat for the lack of success the team was having. He was traded to Detroit for future considerations, and was an integral part of their two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. In the 1997–98 NHL Playoffs, he tied Paul Coffey's record for most shorthanded goals scored by a defenceman in the playoffs with 2.

In 1995, (at age 34) after being named to the second-team All-Stars Murphy was traded to his hometown Leafs from the Penguins for Dmitri Mironov and a second round pick. Leafs fans booed Murphy, the highest paid player on the Leafs, mercilessly as a scapegoat for the lack of success the team was having. He was traded to Detroit for future considerations, and was an integral part of their two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. In the 1997–98 NHL Playoffs, he tied Paul Coffey's record for most shorthanded goals scored by a defenceman in the playoffs with 2.
- spatso

what the hell are you blathering on about? If you think Phaneuf is somehow the Sens version of Larry Murphy, you should probably realize the Wings were probably the best team in the league BEFORE Murphy got there.

The Sens are among the worst. I can assure you, we're safe on this one.

Ticket sales is, by far, the number one revenue stream for NHL teams. And when you've miss manged your franchise to the point where (in the leafs case for next season) you're paying 13 MILLION to players who will never set foot on the ice, for whatever reason, this cost is passed onto the fans who buy the tickets.

And yes, supply and demand in toronto is definitely a factor that ownership can use to sweep 13 MILLION under the rug, as the well will never run dry ................. unless the NHL expands into the GTA in the future.
- D0PPELGANGER

yeah, it's awesome being able to sweep 13 million under the rug.

But again, this is not something that raises ticket prices. At all. It has nothing to do with it. zero. nil. nada.

yeah, it's awesome being able to sweep 13 million under the rug.

But again, this is not something that raises ticket prices. At all. It has nothing to do with it. zero. nil. nada.
- prock

If you are going to be the best at anything you need discipline. Some of the worst movies ever made were big budget busts. I really like the approach that Shanahan is taking. But, when you start forgetting that you need to get value for money you make yourself vulnerable, become sloppy, lose focus.

I think that the Kessel situation and the Conn Smyth may be reflective of a lack of message discipline. If Phaneuf becomes a catalyst to help stabilize the Sens D it will add another level in the pattern of confidence and discipline for the Leaf faithful.

If you are going to be the best at anything you need discipline. Some of the worst movies ever made were big budget busts. I really like the approach that Shanahan is taking. But, when you start forgetting that you need to get value for money you make yourself vulnerable, become sloppy, lose focus.

I think that the Kessel situation and the Conn Smyth may be reflective of a lack of message discipline. If Phaneuf becomes a catalyst to help stabilize the Sens D it will add another level in the pattern of confidence and discipline for the Leaf faithful.
- spatso

yeah, you end up with dead weight contracts like Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf.

Sois calme.

Leaf fans are just hyper agitated over the fact that Kessel is about to win the Conn Smyth.

All the talk is about Phaneuf is merely a distraction away from the Leaf's awkwardness around Kessel's huge success.

Phaneuf will be very strong with Ceci next and Leaf fans will search desperately to find something else they can provide a distraction from the world of hurt they are going to absorb next year.
- spatso

Not to mention the first round pick they traded to Boston (Seguin) has a Stanley Cup ring, and the player that was acquired (Kessel) may very well have one of his own soon.

yeah, it's awesome being able to sweep 13 million under the rug.

But again, this is not something that raises ticket prices. At all. It has nothing to do with it. zero. nil. nada.
- prock

So the owners do NOT pass this cost (13 Million) onto the fans, via increased ticket prices, or higher insurance premiums??? You really think that they just absorb this cost and take it away from their bottom lines? Do you not think they're in business to turn as much profit as possible?

Not to mention the first round pick they traded to Boston (Seguin) has a Stanley Cup ring, and the player that was acquired (Kessel) may very well have one of his own soon.
- D0PPELGANGER

Does it bother you that Chara and Hossa have cups?

Most Leaf fans are happy for Kessel.

And we can be sure Phaneuf won't get one.

So the owners do NOT pass this cost (13 Million) onto the fans, via increased ticket prices, or higher insurance premiums??? You really think that they just absorb this cost and take it away from their bottom lines? Do you not think they're in business to turn as much profit as possible?
- D0PPELGANGER

yes. they absorb that. Every team in the league charges what they can for tickets, no more, no less.

So, why do you think the media is pushing this story? Surely your not suggesting that there is some inherent bias by the media against the Leafs? Perhaps you are just overly sensitive on the subject.
- spatso

How is he overly sensative on the subject if he said he's hoping for it and looking forward to it happening?

Never, ever, avoided the opportunity to always point out that I liked Kessel the player but did not like the trade. I said that on the day they made the trade for Kessel and I still believe it today. In the case of the Senators.I like Bobby Ryan as a person and as a player but I do not like the trade to bring him here and the commitment the team made in resigning him.
- spatso

Yes I destinctly remember you coming onto Leafs boards and spending weeks straight talking about how much you loved Kessel.

Guys, close this thread. Whether you're on either side, you all sound retarded.

Yes I destinctly remember you coming onto Leafs boards and spending weeks straight talking about how much you loved Kessel.
- Feeling Glucky?

you can go back and check, it is all still fairly fresh. i always hated what the leafs traded away but I did like the player they got.

Does it bother you that Chara and Hossa have cups?

Most Leaf fans are happy for Kessel.

And we can be sure Phaneuf won't get one.
- prock

Did Ottawa trade one for the other, and then trade away the one they traded for?

Look, it is pretty straight forward. The Leafs are the last place team in the league and they are about to discover how little impact a group of 18 and 19 year old players have once the hard pace of the NHL kicks in. This is the normal summer buzz of the blue and white. It is completely gone by Christmas and we will see the same pattern next summer.

Much of the bravado is intended to mask the loser results of the past years. But the scoreboard does not lie. The Leafs had the worst record in the NHL. As they stand right now, they are actually a lot less competitive than what they were at this time last year. So get ready for the same result next year.

Also get ready for a whole bunch more postings on how bad the Sens are. Shame is a toxic emotion. It seeks darkness and the edges of our feelings. It becomes infused with our identity. Most Leaf fans feel trapped by an overwhelming identity with the stain of shame. Shame in this case is not how you feel as a Leaf fan, it is what you are. People begin to think that losing is not just what we do, it is the foundation of our being.

It is important to properly read the signals when you see Leaf fans reverting to anger, threatening tactics, name calling and personal insults. The responses are essentially self protective. These fans believe they have been beaten around so badly, especially over the last few years. They have been ridiculed, trivialized and dismissed. They have been excluded from the competitive hockey debate. So, they make irrational hockey claims. They come to despise anyone who forces them to face reality.

This summer is about a grand illusion. Matthews, they tell themselves, can do better than Tavares, Stamkos or Eichel or, dare we even say, McDavid. He will instantly pull the Leafs into the playoff mix in his first year and "we will matter again."

When the reality of the situation finally settles into the thinking of Leaf fans they will revert to lashing out against others. They are unconsciously trying to inflict the humiliation they feel unto to others. They want others to know the pain that they are living every day. Leaf fans, for example, do not hate Karlsson. They just intuitively know that he causes them so much pain. It has everything to do with how much Senator fans love Karlsson. They adore his skill his speed and the fact that he is so unique and special. He laughs, he smiles and delights. He is so much like Alphie and entirely fused into our hearts. Leaf fans just want a player who is special for them, someone to love, somebody that they know they can believe in.

One last thought. Shame is always held together by a deeply held wound. You can only escape the wound by naming it, by defining and by choosing not to let it define you from the secret recesses of your own mind. I stopped feeling ashamed when I finally stopped drinking the blue and white kool aid and called out and named the pain. When I publicly let go of the Leafs, when I chose to no longer carry the burden of their failure, I became free. So, I understand their bitterness, their invective and mostly their hurt. I understand how badly they have suffered. I try not to add to that suffering by responding in kind when they become so disrespectful of others.

It is important to properly read the signals when you see Leaf fans reverting to anger, threatening tactics, name calling and personal insults. The responses are essentially self protective. These fans believe they have been beaten around so badly, especially over the last few years. They have been ridiculed, trivialized and dismissed. They have been excluded from the competitive hockey debate. So, they make irrational hockey claims. They come to despise anyone who forces them to face reality.

This summer is about a grand illusion. Matthews, they tell themselves, can do better than Tavares, Stamkos or Eichel or, dare we even say, McDavid. He will instantly pull the Leafs into the playoff mix in his first year and "we will matter again."

When the reality of the situation finally settles into the thinking of Leaf fans they will revert to lashing out against others. They are unconsciously trying to inflict the humiliation they feel unto to others. They want others to know the pain that they are living every day. Leaf fans, for example, do not hate Karlsson. They just intuitively know that he causes them so much pain. It has everything to do with how much Senator fans love Karlsson. They adore his skill his speed and the fact that he is so unique and special. He laughs, he smiles and delights. He is so much like Alphie and entirely fused into our hearts. Leaf fans just want a player who is special for them, someone to love, somebody that they know they can believe in.

One last thought. Shame is always held together by a deeply held wound. You can only escape the wound by naming it, by defining and by choosing not to let it define you from the secret recesses of your own mind. I stopped feeling ashamed when I finally stopped drinking the blue and white kool aid and called out and named the pain. When I publicly let go of the Leafs, when I chose to no longer carry the burden of their failure, I became free. So, I understand their bitterness, their invective and mostly their hurt. I understand how badly they have suffered. I try not to add to that suffering by responding in kind when they become so disrespectful of others.
- spatso

I wonder what kind of deep wounds make you feel like you need to rant like this, in not one but two posts. I think your wounds extend beyond once pretending to be a Leafs fan.