Not very effective on your part and repetitious. I never, ever said this year that I thought that Karlsson was going to win the Norris. Burns scored 29 goals.

But this was an exceptional year for the Precious One. Nobody comes even close to what he offers to his team.
- spatso

you've never said he was going to win the norris eh?



you've said it dozens of times.

I will agree with you though. nobody offers the turds as much as he does. just like nobody offers the sharks what burns does.

This was far and away Karlsson's best season ever.

Guys like Bob MacKenzie were saying (yesterday) that Burns gained all his votes on the first half of the season and there is no doubt that if you look at the entire year and playoffs Karlsson is the best all around defensemen in the NHL.
- spatso

good for him. but burns was still better. if this was his best season ever, why wasn't it good enough for best in league?

you've never said he was going to win the norris eh?


- prock

In past years I have predicted he would win the Norris.

I knew this year he would be nominated, I believe he is the best Dman in the NHL by a long way. But, because of Brent Burns great first half I have always thought winning was an uphill battle this year. I don't think that I have purposely made an outright prediction on this year that he would win.

Oh for God's sake, grow up. It is summer and these are loser lists. It is all about scoreboard and last I looked Leafs were a last place team. These are merely distractions to keep readers interested.
- spatso

"loser lists"

summer talk

Winners and losers are determined by the scoreboard. Leaf summer talk is legendary and entertaining. But, it is just talk. Expectations get raised but everyone knows once the puck drops it is time to talk about what happened on the ice.

So, the first puck has been dropped. Marner is competing but not very well. He has had trouble especially yesterday with the speedy Finns. Most of the Finns are two years younger than Marner. He did not show much on the scoreboard.
- spatso

summer talk.

good for him. but burns was still better. if this was his best season ever, why wasn't it good enough for best in league?
- prock

29 goals is a huge number, I think the Norris criteria wants us to recognize that kind of year. That does not take anything away from Karlsson and our seeing this as his best year since coming into the NHL.

i thought i was very explicit saying I liked the changes the Senators made. But, it is clearly nothing more than opinion on mu part. You cannot forget that I spent many years as a Leaf fan and I sometimes revert to old behaviours of pumping expectations in advance of results.

Marner looked pretty feeble against the US yesterday. Kid is staying in junior.
- spatso

summer talk

Do you really believe what you just said. Marner is likely going back into junior for another year. This is when teams begin to worry that he cannot make the jump. I am telling you the reviews coming out of the USA WJC are not good on Marner. Nobody has panicked. But if goes back to junior you start to think that he is more Sam Gagner than Patrick Kane.
- spatso

summer talk

Sure you are. You guys have been upset with me ever since I told you that Brian Blowhard was more con than substance. I like what Shanahan is doing and how he is going about getting the changes he wants. But I have little patience with the media and fans that are pumping tires and expecting the Leafs to make the playoffs this year. it is not going to happen. Just look how long it has taken Edmonton to work it out despite the best run of draft picks in modern hockey history. Same for a bunch of other teams. You cannot expect kids to compete with men overnight.
- spatso

oh.


summer talk

I don't see the Leafs being any stronger than the Oilers of 5 years ago. Do they have anyone as good as Taylor Hall? Don't think so. How many years did it take the Islanders to make the playoffs after drafting Tavares?

Don't think it serves any purpose to raise expectations based on the performance of a group of young players that have not yet played a full NHL season.

We don't know if Marner is the next Patrick Kane. Perhaps he is Sam Gagner, another of those sure fire first round Oiler picks of the past. I like how Shanahan is managing the rebuild. I don't like the way expectations are being raised by some fans and media when there is absolutely no reason to believe the Leafs will be any stronger than what they were last year.
- spatso

summer talk.

summer talk
- systemtool

You cut too easily.

Bleeders tend to spend too much time worrying about their wounds.

No need to fight last summer's battles. You heal faster if you just press forward and stop festering around the past beatings. Treat old news like old news. Don't give it so much power over how you feel about others and yourself.

You cut too easily.

Bleeders tend to spend too much time worrying about their wounds.

No need to fight last summer's battles. You heal faster if you just press forward and stop festering around the past beatings. Treat old news like old news. Don't give it so much power over how you feel about others and yourself.
- spatso

all I've done is post your summer talk

We are moving into stage II of a typical blue koolaid summer. Fans are beginning to notice the stories being floated that Marner might not be fit enough or ready for NHL prime time. Leafs are a last place team, they are sort of like a very young Edmonton crew of last year without McDavid.

But Leaf fans are great hockey fans and now that the silly summer chatter is winding down, they are getting around to a more balanced level of hockey discussion. We will see the Stage III early season euphoria when they win a few games at the beginning of the season and the Toronto based media predicts good things for them. But the Stage III crash into despair will come like clockwork in early December. Stage IV acceptance of reality will include some anger and frustration but it is not long lasting. And, come early March, Stage I starts again with a high degree of hopefulness as speculation of the guaranteed Tavares signing gets ramped up and fans discuss the great potential of the impending lottery and draft.
- spatso

summer talk

You cut too easily.

Bleeders tend to spend too much time worrying about their wounds.

No need to fight last summer's battles. You heal faster if you just press forward and stop festering around the past beatings. Treat old news like old news. Don't give it so much power over how you feel about others and yourself.
- spatso

you should tell usbhow the leafs won't be any higher and won't compete for the division title so wer can do this again next year.

I think Mathews was the right pick for the Leafs. I think Laine wins the Calder. I was disappointed Leaf fans were not more open in the discussion of draft options.
- spatso

summer talk

I haven't said anything. all I've done is post your summer talk.


I can see rattled you. mission accomplished. but I'm not done. lots more summer talk to post. you might want to read the rest sitting in church.
- systemtool

You know this is not really very good. You are taking events from last summer and trying to create context around a completely different set of immediate events.

Try and deal with the immediate and I think you will have much more effective input.

I don't understand why it is so upsetting to Leaf fans when I suggest Matthews was the right pick for the Leafs but I think Laine will win the Calder. That has always been my point. What about that statement is so upsetting?
- spatso

summer talk

you should tell usbhow the leafs won't be any higher and won't compete for the division title so wer can do this again next year.
- prock

I thought the Leafs had a fine season. Not nearly as successful as the Sens, but more than good enough.

I have always been entirely honest about my engagement with both the Sens and Leafs and my total loss of confidence in the Leafs under Brian Burke. I have been positive about Shanahan. I despise the Leafs media. And, I have been very considerate and accommodating to all my friends on this thread. I know that you love me and if I were gone you would miss me.

Mrs. Spatso thinks that it is entirely weird that I take time each day to talk to my Leaf friends. She does not think you like me or are polite in your language towards me. But, I assure her that is not the case and I am fully appreciated by my friends.
- spatso

summer talk

Now there you go! I agree. Nobody should care if Laine wins the Calder.
- spatso

summer talk

I believe they have only made playoffs once over a long period of time. But, unfortunately, sadly, even painfully, the only year they made the playoffs they met Boston in the first round and coughed up an incredible choke.

I have a theory, I believe the Boston choke changed Leaf fans. Leaf fans are knowledgable and passionate about hockey. But after the choke many became highly embittered, deeply wounded by the way the series was lost. It has left a bad taste in their mouth and they just want to win.

I have an example. I think Matthews was the right choice by the Leafs. Yet, I think Laine is probably a more talented force and will likely be the Calder winner. Purely from a hockey perspective this is fascinating stuff. But, Leaf fans have no stomach for the discussion. Perhaps, I am wrong. But, it appears to me that if Laine wins the Calder it will be taken personally, another Leaf loss. Logically, we understand this is really nonsensical. Many top drafted players did not win the Calder.

It is like the Boston series altered the psyche of many Leaf fans. They are not nearly as much fun and incredibly sensitive. A good young team playing competitive hockey should be enough to turn things around. I certainly hope to see some improvement in the Leafs play over last year. But, I also expect they will again be the long term beneficiary of another lottery draft pick.
- spatso

summer talk

you should tell usbhow the leafs won't be any higher and won't compete for the division title so wer can do this again next year.
- prock

I think the Leafs have good young talent. They are young (not as young as Columbus) and because of that I would not be surprised to see them to see some fall back this year.

Kind of humour we all appreciate.

Fans of the team with the worst record in the NHL show up and talk about other teams without regard for the speck in the eye of their own team. Perhaps Leaf fans would be wise to check the scoreboard and standings before launching into criticism of other teams. If the Leafs were a really awful team last year that would be one thing. But, it has been 10 years of failure and this year does not look any better.

If the Leafs are following the Oiler rebuild model (which I think they are). The Leafs are in the second year of the rebuild. Oilers are headed into year 7 without having made the playoffs and the Leafs don't have McDavid.
- spatso

summer talk

That is a cop out. Right from the start everyone know the Kessel trade was just plain crazy. The exact opposite of everything that was needed to be done. So a whole bunch of fans rolled over and said they were happy with the trade. They "refrained," as you suggest, "from showing up."

These are the same fans who won't show up for a discussion on the draft or the Calder Cup. For the most part Leaf fans are great hockey fans. But these guys that take the word of MLSE on everything are not real hockey fans. They are merely cheerleaders jumping up and down on the sideline without any real serious understanding of the game and how it is played.
- spatso

summer talk

summer talk
- systemtool

Gosh did I write that last summer.?

It was a very strong comment by me.