NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[StCapps]

Huge Patty Marleau fan, he is the very model of a perfect NHL pro, superficial and silly fan bashing of San Jose Sharks nothwithstanding.

Professional NHL playoff choke, maybe. Him and Thornton are the best of the best in that department. The Sharks suck, Marleau sucks, Thornton sucks. I could give two shits about how good they are in the regular season.

[Smitty-48]

Again, 62 goals, 58 assists, 23 power play goals, 16 game winners, in 177 playoff games, is Jaromir Jagr in the playoffs, by definition.

[StCapps]

Again, 62 goals, 58 assists, 23 power play goals, 16 game winners, in 177 playoff games, is Jaromir Jagr in the playoffs, by definition.

Meaningless stat, free of context. The refuge of those with no good argument. Jagr didn't choke every time his team got close to the championship, Marleau on the other hand.

[Smitty-48]

Again, 62 goals, 58 assists, 23 power play goals, 16 game winners, in 177 playoff games, is Jaromir Jagr in the playoffs, by definition.

Meaningless stat, free of context. The refuge of those with no good argument.

There's simply no factual basis to your assertion that Patrick Marleau has not performed in the playoffs, having no evidence to back up your assertions, is the logically deduced definition of having no argument at all, good nor otherwise.

[StCapps]

There's simply no factual basis to your assertion that Patrick Marleau has not performed in the playoffs, having no evidence to back up your assertions, is the logically deduced definition of having no argument at all, good nor otherwise.

The Eyeball test backs up my assertion, you are just mad it isn't reflected in the stats and you can't get away with never watching him in the playoffs and just look at the stat sheet to determine how well he played in the playoffs. That's your problem, if you had seen him choke year after year, for more than decade, you wouldn't be so easily fooled by the stat line. The man is a ghost when it really matters, it's a thing.

[Smitty-48]

Anecdotal and ad hominem, is inherently unfounded, you invoke argument, I present evidence to the contrary, you resort to superfan bashing and "I watch a lot of TV". Meh.

[StCapps]

Anecdotal and ad hominem, is inherently unfounded, you invoke argument, I present evidence to the contrary, you resort to superfan bashing and "I watch a lot of TV". Meh.

You'll see. Now that he's on the Leafs, you will actually get to watch him during the playoffs, instead of just looking at the stat sheet, we'll see what you think once you have the eyeball test to go by. Watch how he turns into a ghost when you need him most, you might be shocked by such a result, but I saw it coming a mile away and told you so, because I've seen him play in crucial playoff moments before. It's doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure that is the most likely outcome given his playoff history. You are basically hoping that because Babcock is his coach, things will be different this time, sounds like wishful thinking to me.

[Smitty-48]

I remain bulllish on Patrick Marleau as an affordable and appropriate stopgap complimentary veteran player for the Leafs over the next two to three years, while acknowledging the risks of any free agent signing, none the less finding the risk in this case to be calculated and mitigated accordingly, nothing you have presented so far, is swaying me to the contrary.

[StCapps]

I remain bulllish on Patrick Marleau as an affordable and appropriate stopgap complimentary veteran player for the Leafs over the next two to three years, while acknowledging the risks of any free agent signing, none the less finding the risk in this case to be calculated and mitigated accordingly, nothing you have presented so far, is swaying me to the contrary.

Only him choking in the playoffs and being an anchor on a perennial cup contender will change your mind, I've seen it for decades already, so I already know what happens next, you'll get around to seeing it this year, then you'll change your mind, and if not you'll change it when it happens again a year later. I don't expect you to change it before then, you'll have to learn the hard way, like every observant person who watches the Sharks in the playoffs already has.
/shrugs

Just don't forget that I told you so. Maybe Babcock is a god and can make him clutch in the playoffs, but I find that possibility rather remote, it would be the single most impressive feat of coaching I'll have ever witnessed if he can make one of the great chokes in NHL history into a Stanley Cup Champ.

I kind of want to be wrong, because it would be such a great story, I just know that I won't be, because he's Patrick Marleau, and that's just the way she goes. Good luck, y'all are going to need it, now more than ever come playoff time.

[Smitty-48]

Again, I acknowledge the risks of any free agent signing, but remain bullish on Patrick Marleau as a veteran stopgap for the Leafs over the next two to three years, until such time as Nylander will be playable in the Tyler Bozak slot, and/or JVR can be replaced internally, at this juncture, this afforable and appropriate signing meets all the requirements of the Leafs mid to long term development plans to a tee, without surrending any assets to acquire him, nor signing him to a long term contract with serious downside cap related issues.