| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| andyhack |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 13:37:40
One of the all-time worst periods for any pro team in any sport may very well have been the Leafs of the '80s. They were Pathetic with a capital P! If history would have resulted in Wayne landing on that Leafs team, with all the other players being the same, do you think Wayne could have led them to a Cup, or do you think Wayne would have suffered a similar fate to that of Marcel Dionne - a great player on a crappy team? |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| andyhack |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 07:00:37
Some players were talented. Vaive I guess was their big guy of the first half of the decade, then Wendel Clark. But then a diehard Leaf fan has to start talking about the talent of guys like Anderson, Derlago, Thomas, Leeman, Courtnall, Frycer, Ihanacak, Salming (past his prime), Iafrate (he was unique actually), Gill, Richardson, Wregget and Bester. I am not saying these guys were duds (some may have been close though - not duds but not so great dudEs perhaps you could say ), but, to take the third-tier contender discussion a step futher, if we were to run down the talent on a team like the Blackhawks, particularly in the latter part of the '80s, I bet you that the list would be significantly more impressive for the Blackhawks.
Also, when talking about the '80s Leafs, you have to consider the Ballard factor. The guy was NOT a constructive force for the team, and particularly for its star players. Interesting question. Would Gretzky have been as adversely affected as Sittler was by Ballard's antics? Both were pretty sensitive guys - not the types who actually enjoyed characters such as Harold (like maybe Clark did).
Edit - check this out for more info http://www.mapleleafs.com/history/1980s.asp
Keep in mind that it was really easy to make the playoffs then, so the fact that the Leafs did sometimes doesn't say a lot, and the fact that they didn't make the playoff a number of times, SAYS A LOT |
| SlowShot |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 23:29:12
The question was more like what wasn't wrong witht the 80's leafs. I was never old enough to watch them but the storys my brother tells me about them sound terrible. Mind you the only players he liked on the leafs in the 90's where wendal, and potvin
I love Charles Wang |
| PainTrain |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 23:27:36
quote:
Originally posted by willus3
I voted he suffers a similar fate. I don't care who you are, no one would have been able to make those Leaf teams challenge for a cup.
"You are not your desktop wallpaper"
Please tell me what was so wrong with the Leafs? |
| willus3 |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 20:51:05
I voted he suffers a similar fate. I don't care who you are, no one would have been able to make those Leaf teams challenge for a cup.
"You are not your desktop wallpaper" |
| andyhack |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 14:34:25
Fair enough. I added that choice, but I had to fit the wording into the given space.
I suppose part of the problem with this choice though is how to define "contender". I assume you mean kind of a third tier contender then? Certainly not up there with the Islanders and Oilers of the '80s, probably not near the Flyers, Bruins, Habs and Flames but maybe something like the Savard-led Black Hawks? Personally, if you are saying the first or second tier contenders, I can't buy this as a choice. Third-tier contender - maybe I could be convinced if some pro-Gretzky guys got me really drunk and spouted off Gretzky stats for three or four hours.
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| Guest0928 |
Posted - 06/16/2007 : 14:20:25
I wish there were a 3rd option on this pole: Wayne turns the team into a contender, and achieves far greater success than Dionne, finishing his career with almost every offensive record. |
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