All i am pointing out is the leafs missed the playoffs 7 years in a row and yet are not in a playoff spot this year. Lots of good draft picks for a team on the outside looking in. Your also comparing them to a team that only missed the playoffs two of those years
- jordan456789

A little bit of good news for leaf fans. Heard on the radio, that the leafs have the easier schedule than all the teams they're competing with for a playoff spot.

Someone compiled all the teams points percentages and the collective P% of the teams the leafs face in their final eight games was .481 (if I remember correctly) while the others were facing collective P%s of over .500.


The "Magic numbers" for the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Capitals (to eliminate the leafs) is now 16.

The leafs do not control their own future, and need at least two of these teams to totally collapse.



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The Leafs have eight games remaining and have been stuck on 80 points for the past two weeks — out of the Eastern Conference playoff mix heading into Friday night’s date with the Flyers. It will likely take at least 92 points to advance. That means they can finish out the season no worse than, say, 6-2-0 or 5-1-2. They are in a four-team dogfight with Washington, Columbus and Detroit for the two wild-card spots in the East, and each of those teams has at least a game in hand. The Leafs’ remaining schedule: Philadelphia Friday, Detroit Saturday, then home games against Calgary, Boston and Winnipeg before finishing with three on the road at Tampa, Florida and Ottawa. Of those eight opponents, only Boston is a bona-fide Stanley Cup contender. The rest are in the middle of the pack at best. Half of Columbus’ 10 remaining games are on the road, including Colorado, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Detroit, with nine to go after Thursday night’s date with Montreal, plays woeful Buffalo twice plus Carolina, but also gets Boston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis to finish the campaign. And five of Washington’s final nine games are on the road. They play six more times against playoff contenders. For the Leafs, it may come down to that final game in Ottawa on April 12.

read it all at http://www.thestar.com/sp...stanley_cup_playoffs.html

So Bobby Ryan averages 31.1 goals for every 82 games he's played in the NHL, and that's not Elite???


But Phil Kessel who averages 31.4 goals for every 82 games he's played in the NHL, is elite?

So about a third of a goal, for every 82 games played, makes Kessel worth Seguin and Hamilton?


Silly leaf fan.

- Doppleganger

What does career average, including a rookie season where the guy was suffering from cancer, and years of playing with 3rd liners have to do with the present?


the guy pushing 40 goals is much better than the older 23-goal guy.

What does career average, including a rookie season where the guy was suffering from cancer, and years of playing with 3rd liners have to do with the present?


the guy pushing 40 goals is much better than the older 23-goal guy.
- Feeling Glucky?

same thing goes for Ryan, who played last season with a viral intestinal infection, and this year with the "sport hernia" injury.


Average goals scored per every 82 games played is about as fair as it gets.

easier schedule or not they need to win out pretty much, only way to keep their fate somewhat in their own hands

easier schedule or not they need to win out pretty much, only way to keep their fate somewhat in their own hands
- nightmare3020

Their "fate" is not in their own hands, even if they win all 8 games, and not give anyone a loser point.

They need "help" from other teams, by having them lose games.

http://www.playoffmagic.com/

But, let me say, if they win all eight games, they would at least beat Detroit, and that could make the difference if Detroit goes on to lose more games, but have no games vs the Blue Jackets or Capitals and need other teams to beat them for the leafs.

It's not impossible................but their playoff chances currently sit at 29.2%.

Columbus 75.3%
Detroit 46.4%
Washington 36%

So it looks like Washington and Detroit are the teams the leafs need to lose, to have any shot at a playoff spot.

same thing goes for Ryan, who played last season with a viral intestinal infection, and this year with the "sport hernia" injury.


Average goals scored per every 82 games played is about as fair as it gets.
- Doppleganger

"Fair" for people trying to defend a player who sucks without the star power they used to.

I don't really care about fair. I care about accurate.

A guy who's play has been declining for 3 straight years to the level of 23 goal scorer is not comparable to a guy who's been trending upwards and is currently producing at elite levels.

you all suck

you all suck
- Shutdown

we arent the leafs!

toronto maple leafs Playoff Chances
Lost to Philadelphia 2-4, playoff odds down 9.5 to 19.7%

This has not been a good year.

The core of this team, including Kessel, Clarkson and Phaneuf are locked into longer term deals. Not sure this bodes well for future of the team.

This has not been a good year.

The core of this team, including Kessel, Clarkson and Phaneuf are locked into longer term deals. Not sure this bodes well for future of the team.
- spatso

Could be worse, we could be a basement team with no first round pick, no budget, a top goal scorer set to jump ship in a year's time, etc, etc.

toronto maple leafs Playoff Chances
Lost to Philadelphia 2-4, playoff odds down 9.5 to 19.7%



- Doppleganger

As always, still miles ahead of the senaturds

What are their playoff odds like?

Beginning to think the Leafs have to be worst managed franchise of the past decade. One lousy playoff appearance resulting in a monster, humiliating collapse. If it were not so calamitous and painful, you might think it was funny.

Oops, dp

Beginning to think the Leafs have to be worst managed franchise of the past decade. One lousy playoff appearance resulting in a monster, humiliating collapse. If it were not so calamitous and painful, you might think it was funny.
- spatso

The worst third period collapse, in a game 7, in Stanley Cup history to be precise.

Beginning to think the Leafs have to be worst managed franchise of the past decade. One lousy playoff appearance resulting in a monster, humiliating collapse. If it were not so calamitous and painful, you might think it was funny.
- spatso

Maybe. Probably not though. There are several teams that have spent longer in the basement, are still there, and consistently finished much lower.

Over a short timeframe, I'd say the Sens may be the worst managed team over the past year. They've set themselves up very nicely for quite a few down years.

The first day of training camp was more than half a calendar year in the rear view. The opening night of the playoffs is less than three weeks away. So as the maple leafs commenced practice on Thursday, you might have assumed they’d partake in some fine-tuning and light skating — an easy workout in advance of back-to-back games Friday in Philadelphia and Saturday at home to Detroit.

Instead, the maple leafs engaged in what looked like a full-on crash course in NHL fundamentals. The 90-some-minute sitting of Hockey 101 might have looked ordinary if it had been convened on, say, the eve of a pre-season game. Given it was conducted with eight games remaining in toronto’s bottoming-out regular season, it only cast the leafs as perennial slacker students desperately cramming for final exams in a handful of subjects with which they’ve shown little aptitude and less interest.

read (and weep) more are http://www.thestar.com/sp...ics_approach_feschuk.html

toronto maple leafs Playoff Chances
Lost to Philadelphia 2-4, playoff odds down 9.5 to 19.7%

- Doppleganger

i have them at 1% chance

not to stray off topic but you all suck

Maybe. Probably not though. There are several teams that have spent longer in the basement, are still there, and consistently finished much lower.

Over a short timeframe, I'd say the Sens may be the worst managed team over the past year. They've set themselves up very nicely for quite a few down years.
- prock

The Sens have not done a good management job over the last year. But they have a very good talent pool.

The Sens have not done a good management job over the last year. But they have a very good talent pool.
- spatso

Certainly nothing to replace Bobby Ryan in a tears time, and the continued decline of Jason Spezza.

The Sens have not done a good management job over the last year. But they have a very good talent pool.
- spatso

Only three teams have an average age younger than Ottawa's.

Certainly nothing to replace Bobby Ryan in a tears time, and the continued decline of Jason Spezza.
- prock

Stop crying, Bobby Ryan will most likely stay with Ottawa.

BTW, Mark Stone has stepped in and done quite well on that line, so no worries, stop crying, and if Bobby is traded for more players or prospects, there will not be a problem replacing his offence, Ottawa has deep deep prospect pool.

I have actually thinking about writing Eklund about my becoming a regular Leaf blogger. I would want a catchy name for the blog. I have thought about several different themes but tend to favor something like, "Beyond the Koolaid."
- spatso

Golden!

Stop crying, Bobby Ryan will most likely stay with Ottawa.

BTW, Mark Stone has stepped in and done quite well on that line, so no worries, stop crying, and if Bobby is traded for more players or prospects, there will not be a problem replacing his offence, Ottawa has deep deep prospect pool.
- Doppleganger

That is essentially true. I would prefer to see Ottawa deal both Ryan and Spezza. They are going to be very good. But, it would be a mistake to push the rebuild too fast.