MHF - Hockey Thread

[Smitty-48]

He played Matthew less than 20 minutes in game 7, despite the fact that he was the Leafs star choking the least throughout this series, he refuses to give his best players ice time, so he can play third and fourth liners that he likes more often, he needs to go.

I think he will go, but not next year, unless the team spiraled down right out of the gate, but they're not likely to do that. If they do this again next year, another choke, then I could see him going.

It's Tannenbaum who has to fire him basically, and I think Babcock would argue that he never got the player upgrades he needed, and Tannenbaum would probably agree.

I don't agree, obviously it's the Mike Babcock Country Club, but the lack of a decisive trade or two to upgrade the lineup probably gives him an out.

I concur.

And in fairness to Babcock, the team does have two hugely glaring deficiencies.

They don't have a power forward and they don't have a power defenseman.

Matthews and Rielly are big, but they're soft.

You need at least one power forward and one power defenseman.

Too many Hobbits not enough Orcs.

[Smitty-48]

This is why it's pointless to put Rielly on the penalty kill.

Rielly doesn't clear the front of the net, he's the softest Leaf defensemen of them all.

He's totally useless without the puck, 220 lbs, yet he gets pushed out of the way like a bird.

[Smitty-48]

Like I want to say Rielly has improved defensively in the last six years.

But he hasn't.

This is why he doesn't really deserve the Norris.

Rielly is totally useless in his own end without the puck.

He's a better version of Keith Yandle.

[StCapps]

Like I want to say Rielly has improved defensively in the last six years.

But he hasn't.

This is why he doesn't really deserve the Norris.

Rielly is totally useless in his own end without the puck.

He's a better version of Keith Yandle.

Harsh.

[Smitty-48]

Like I want to say Rielly has improved defensively in the last six years.

But he hasn't.

This is why he doesn't really deserve the Norris.

Rielly is totally useless in his own end without the puck.

He's a better version of Keith Yandle.

Harsh.

It's tru tho.

He's a pampered rich kid from North Vancouver.

He's soft as baby shit.

He's basically like a skilled forward, he's elite offensively, but he doesn't play defense and he doesn't use his size.

It's like Brad Marchand is 5'10" 180 lbs, and he can lay a beat down on 6'1" 220 lbs Rielly.

That is soft. Baby shit.

[Smitty-48]

Same thing with Matthews.

GQ Pouty Time. Mathoozlander.

6'3" 225 lbs, playslike he's 5'9" 179 lbs.

Actually that's an insult to Tyler Ennis, because Ennis plays heavier than Matthews.

[Smitty-48]

Now Marner is great. Marner is tough. Marner plays heavy for 6' 175 lbs.

I don't know what happened to him.

He vaporised. He was a ghost.

And when McMarner disappeared, all the mojo went with him.

[StCapps]

Rantanen used to be soft, but he's really starting to get the hang of using his frame now, and it's taken his game to the next level.

[Smitty-48]

Rantanen used to be soft, but he's really starting to get the hang of using his frame now, and it's taken his game to the next level.

Reilly is what he is. He's a better version of Keith Yandle.

When people say they need an RHD, what they really are seeing is that they need someone to play with Rielly who is tough, to compensate for Rielly being butter soft.

[StCapps]

Rantanen used to be soft, but he's really starting to get the hang of using his frame now, and it's taken his game to the next level.

Reilly is what he is. He's a better version of Keith Yandle.

When people say they need an RHD, what they really are seeing is that they need someone to play with Rielly who is tough, to compensate for Rielly being butter soft.

True. Rielly is soft as partially melted butter, especially for his size, he hasn't improved his physicality despite filling out, and it hurts his defensive game in his own zone in particular.