Howard Berger: Leafs Typical, Not Alarming

same old Berger, same old Leafs

same old Berger, same old Leafs
- wingz4life

The more things change the more they stay the same...

AAAAAnd he's off the bandwagon again. Easy come easy go....I just wish he spend more timing going.

We either have to go on a very good winning streak or a very good losing streak. I hate when we play good enough to be close to a playoff spot but not good enough for a great draft pick. We either make the playoffs or get a good pick.

Please Burke if you make a trade don't include our first round pick.

So,what did Berger say here that isn't true?

So,what did Berger say here that isn't true?
- Old Pappy

Howard is right....Some will never admit it...

Ramble, ramble, ramble.. Blah,blah,blah..Leafs suck..seriously Berger, take a hike..we are all sick of your rambling BS.. Next week you will be writing about how great they are..are you bi-polar??

Ramble, ramble, ramble.. Blah,blah,blah..Leafs suck..seriously Berger, take a hike..we are all sick of your rambling BS.. Next week you will be writing about how great they are..are you bi-polar??
- nascarguy

It's clear that you didn't read the blog so why even bother posting a response? Berger isn't the one who should be taking a hike...

Here is the simple solution to as why toronto, montreal, dallas, buffalo and teams like are always mediocre and will be for years to come.

Hold on this one is a shocker

Draft picks.

Toronto isn't getting better because toronto doesn't finish in the bottom 5. And when they do they give their pick up for a player. Now Im not saying Kessel is a bad player but in all honesty, Seguin will be much better.

Using montreal as an example. Besides Carey Price who was the number 5 pick, and their only allstar (also be known it was the lock out lottery year) montreal has not picked a player above 12 since before 2000. And that number 12 was Mcdonough. Montreals highest pick playing for them right now who is under 30 is Eller (13), and he wasn't even a habs prospect.

That can also be said for toronto. Now Toronto has had a bit higher picks. Schenn, Kadri. And with those players they will get better. But it is not enough at this point in time to get toronto out of that middle pack.

There isn't a recipe for success.. you can say Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh used the draft one.. but then you can say Columbus, NYI have failed that one. You can also look at San Jose and Detroit who have managed to stay competitive even without those high draft picks. But one thing for sure is, teams who are at the bottom of the pack reach the top alot quicker then middle of the pack teams.

Edmonton will be an elite team before Toronto or Montreal is. Fact.

I actually thought it was a good read, and pretty spot on.

It's a young team with young leaders...it takes time to figure out how to put together an entire season of good hockey.

It's clear that you didn't read the blog so why even bother posting a response? Berger isn't the one who should be taking a hike...
- lomez

Who are you the sheriff?? When I want your opinion I will ask, till then I can express whatever I want so take your head outta your ass..your not the only one here..

It's clear that you didn't read the blog so why even bother posting a response? Berger isn't the one who should be taking a hike...
- lomez

Oh snap guy!

Right that the leafs shouldnt panic yet.


Other the Boston being number one who could have predicted the NE division would look like it does so far. When you talking about expectations Ottawa, Buffalo, Montreal, and maybe Toronto have defied expectations in some major way.

Howard is right....Some will never admit it...
- Fruitcakenipple

I dislike him because he is an ass.

He is correct about the Leafs though.

Who are you the sheriff?? When I want your opinion I will ask, till then I can express whatever I want so take your head outta your ass..your not the only one here..
- nascarguy

Pretty sure he has the same right to express his opinion about your post.

This blog is one of the few times I've agreed with Berger...a few losses aren't worth freaking out about; the Leafs have plenty of company with them in the standings and aren't being left behind by the top 8. Did anybody really expect them to lead the league all season long?

"After a 4-0-1 break from the gate on home ice, Toronto is a .500 hockey club (19-19-4) in 42 games"

Guess what else, after a 1-5-2 start, the Habs are 17-16-7, 1 game above .500 (really, the game they won against the Leafs). You can say the teams are even after their abnormal starts. Leafs over the past 42 and the Habs over their past 40 are even (.500) teams, so it should suprise no one the result no matter how it turned out on Saturday night.

"After a 4-0-1 break from the gate on home ice, Toronto is a .500 hockey club (19-19-4) in 42 games"

Guess what else, after a 1-5-2 start, the Habs are 17-16-7, 1 game above .500 (really, the game they won against the Leafs). You can say the teams are even after their abnormal starts. Leafs over the past 42 and the Habs over their past 40 are even (.500) teams, so it should suprise no one the result no matter how it turned out on Saturday night.
- Puckers

neither team is .500. The leafs have 19 wins in 42 games (0.452) and the habs have 17 wins in 40 games (0.425).

Here is the simple solution to as why toronto, montreal, dallas, buffalo and teams like are always mediocre and will be for years to come.

Hold on this one is a shocker

Draft picks.

Toronto isn't getting better because toronto doesn't finish in the bottom 5. And when they do they give their pick up for a player. Now Im not saying Kessel is a bad player but in all honesty, Seguin will be much better.

Using montreal as an example. Besides Carey Price who was the number 5 pick, and their only allstar (also be known it was the lock out lottery year) montreal has not picked a player above 12 since before 2000. And that number 12 was Mcdonough. Montreals highest pick playing for them right now who is under 30 is Eller (13), and he wasn't even a habs prospect.

That can also be said for toronto. Now Toronto has had a bit higher picks. Schenn, Kadri. And with those players they will get better. But it is not enough at this point in time to get toronto out of that middle pack.

There isn't a recipe for success.. you can say Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh used the draft one.. but then you can say Columbus, NYI have failed that one. You can also look at San Jose and Detroit who have managed to stay competitive even without those high draft picks. But one thing for sure is, teams who are at the bottom of the pack reach the top alot quicker then middle of the pack teams.

Edmonton will be an elite team before Toronto or Montreal is. Fact.
- ShudBeFamous

Perhaps......the only thing is, Edmonton has sucked for so long that by the time they are ready to compete they won't be able to afford the salaries that Hall, Eberle, RNH, Paajarvi, Yakupov (yes they'll probably be last again) and their other young guns will command. Sucking for a few years and building through the draft works great, but at what point do you stop playing like poop???

*Edited for small minds

Perhaps......the only thing is, Edmonton has sucked for so long that by the time they are ready to compete they won't be able to afford the salaries that Hall, Eberle, RNH, Paajarvi, Yakupov (yes they'll probably be last again) and their other young guns will command. Sucking for a few years and building through the draft works great, but at what point do you stop sucking???
- jimdavis

Never, keep doing it, right there, yeah, almost, ahhh, a litlle more, ahhh.....

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.........

Here is the simple solution to as why toronto, montreal, dallas, buffalo and teams like are always mediocre and will be for years to come.

Hold on this one is a shocker

Draft picks.

Toronto isn't getting better because toronto doesn't finish in the bottom 5. And when they do they give their pick up for a player. Now Im not saying Kessel is a bad player but in all honesty, Seguin will be much better.

Using montreal as an example. Besides Carey Price who was the number 5 pick, and their only allstar (also be known it was the lock out lottery year) montreal has not picked a player above 12 since before 2000. And that number 12 was Mcdonough. Montreals highest pick playing for them right now who is under 30 is Eller (13), and he wasn't even a habs prospect.

That can also be said for toronto. Now Toronto has had a bit higher picks. Schenn, Kadri. And with those players they will get better. But it is not enough at this point in time to get toronto out of that middle pack.

There isn't a recipe for success.. you can say Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh used the draft one.. but then you can say Columbus, NYI have failed that one. You can also look at San Jose and Detroit who have managed to stay competitive even without those high draft picks. But one thing for sure is, teams who are at the bottom of the pack reach the top alot quicker then middle of the pack teams.

Edmonton will be an elite team before Toronto or Montreal is. Fact.
- ShudBeFamous

One has to look at this in a different light. We are not playing an elite style of hockey, nor do we have a tough, defensive team. So as much as we want to win it may be a lost cause. A general has to know when to pull his troops back from a battle so he has a better chance to win the war. Hopefully Mr. Burke will do this.

For all you metro men: If you go to the store to buy a shirt you pay top dollar for what is in style. It is supply and demand that drives the market. Smart and rich people go against the trends to succeed. Years ago Lacoste was a hot brand, then it fell out of fashion and was sold in discount stores and nobody would wear it. Everyone wanted Polo and Ralph Lauren so Lacoste devalued, even though they had the same brand made the same way. That 70's show reinvented the branding and BANG they are back in style at $100 each.

If the Leafs can't win they should pull back and let the other middle of the pack clubs beat each other into salary cap troubles by signing people to please their fan base today. We can lose a couple players from our roster (ie. Liles, Connolly, Grabo etc) to fetch some prospects or draft picks. Not saying sell the farm but gett as much as you can off a few key players. Fuel the rebuild so we have a good team for many years not a moderate team for a couple.

Kessel, Phaneuf, Schenn, Lupul, Kadri, Colbourne, Gardiner are key core guys of the future. See if anyone outside this core can bring in more than their worth for an overpayment.

I think the Leafs should be sellers not buyers this time, as much as it pains me to say.

Leafs in 6