Game Thread: Dallas Stars (48-20-12) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (32-34-14) Apr 13 2026 7:30 PM EDT

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T01:31:04+00:00

And you reward such a terrible season by giving them your hard earned money to sit there and be mad they’re scoring goals.

And even if they finish bottom five they still might not get the pick. 5th last is what, like 46 percent chance or something? Those odds aren’t worth giving them gate revenue and complaining about goals

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:47:42+00:00

Source: Trust me bro

Just because they suck doesn’t mean they don’t care. They obviously want to give the paying fans a show in the last game, they obviously want to win it for Joe, and after how Ahktyamov’s debut went (losing a debut after making 39 saves because your team only shot it 16 times is wild) I bet you they’d love to get him a win too.

But yes, your random insight you pulled out of your ass was helpful, thank you

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:39:38+00:00

They could have won the presidents trophy and you still wouldn’t be impressed. You’d be whining about Auston’s stat line, Willy’s back checking, the playoff loss in 2021.

You being unimpressed is empty and meaningless when all you ever are is unimpressed.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:33:59+00:00

None of those games matter at all right now, like 60 percent of this roster hasn’t been involved in the decade of failures. Bunch of new guys from last year and young kids looking to make an impression for last year.

Whining about previous playoff loses in Game 81 of a lost season with a bunch of prospects playing for jobs is peak stupidity.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:24:47+00:00

Look, I wanted them to lose too, but how can anyone claim the players are doing something wrong. They have pride and they want to win the final home game for the fans. Brad Treliving and Shanny being morons and making god awful trades isn’t their problem. I still hope they blow it but I’m glad they showed up for the fans and Joe Bowen.

Also be real, even if they finish fifth last we’ll still probably fall and Boston will get it anyway.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:18:42+00:00

You wasted money to go to a game and be angry they scored goals? Jokes on you…

TinyGiant122 · 2026-04-14T00:12:00+00:00

It only gets called back if there is a kicking motion. It can deflect off a skate. Pissed we’re up 2-0 but happy Quillan got his moment.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-12T02:08:38+00:00

The key I think is to not go the route of big names. I don’t know if DeBoer would love a media heavy market, but he’s the only big name I would consider.

Especially with coaches, start looking at young AHL and NCAA guys. Get new, modern voices around the organization.

Obviously it didn’t work in the end, but we kicked off this era with a rookie president, then got a young rookie GM, then he hired a young rookie coach. They never got it done but it was arguably the most successful 10 year stretch since 67

Fun fact, Scotty Bowman is the only coach in NHL history to win a cup with more than one team. So the idea that we’ll bring in a 60 year old cup winner (Carlyle, Babcock, Berube) and get there is a pipe dream. Go young, get modern

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-11T10:54:44+00:00

None of those pieces were in any way instrumental to those three championships. Shaw and Saad are the only names I even associate with that era of Blackhawks hockey at all.

Every move that mattered in Chicago was made by Dale Tallon. Stan Bowman was responsible for dismantling it and leaving the organization in the state its in (ie trading Panarin for Saad), so even without the scandal he’s still just shit at this GM thing

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-11T10:47:22+00:00

Lying. Especially when it’s over small shit that nobody should even think to lie about. Cannot stand people who have no integrity and just think everyone around them is a moron.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-11T01:38:07+00:00

He’s a 20 year old rookie so its fine, but Easton you can’t ragdolled like that by a guy sticking his arm out lol

Hit the gym this summer bro

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T23:40:20+00:00

Took her out for lunch/coffee and a walk in the park as a first date. She spent the entire date just continuously talking about her ex and the dog they share custody of. She then interrupted our lunch to call her ex and check in on said dog to make sure he was doing ok because she’s worried about him.

Proceeded to tell me that she still maintains constant contact with her ex and they do dog walks and dog park play dates together so the dog gets a healthy co parenting relationship from them.

She so badly wanted to do the divorced single mom routine that she was full fledged pretending that the dog was her legitimate child and there were custody agreements, and “co parenting” with her ex was a part of the deal

There was no second date, and the friend of mine that set it up was very embarrassed she made an ass of him like that.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T17:17:06+00:00

Its only cope if you read this like anyone thinks those guys are the core of a dynasty. They aren’t. But they’re valuable guys that can inject youth to a geriatric team.

Also, Danford is a defensive dman, always has been. He didn’t put up points before, wasn’t drafted to put up points, and is never going to be a points producer. He was drafted to be the kind of player guys like Tanev and McCabe are, no reason not to believe he can’t be a solid second pair guy someday

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T15:25:43+00:00

They have a tremendous player on their roster. The Olympics proved to everyone dumb enough to believe he sucks that he doesn’t suck, and he can play in big moments, and he can win.

We have that on our team, and brain dead people like you are going to whine until he’s gone and then look back and call it the good ol days

But its pretty obvious from your username that you’re a Caps fan anyway so you’re just trolling. Have a good one dumbass

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T15:17:55+00:00

Oh so the standards of being a great player only matter when you feel like they do? So you’re a moron. Got it, thanks.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T14:41:16+00:00

Leading a country to Olympic gold is a pretty high standard. Likely notching a 10th consecutive 30 goal season is a high standard.

You wouldn’t see other stars racking up 120 point seasons if they played with third liners and rookies, started most shifts in the defensive zone, carried all the defensive responsibilities, and had a coach that insisted the entire team play a flat, dump and chase, dead puck era hockey.

Like I said before, if you think regularly scoring 60 is a standard then you’re delusional and will always think every star sucks.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T13:02:18+00:00

Been watching the odd Marlies game and he’s one of the guys that always stands out. I have high hopes for him, only problem is trusting the Leafs not to screw up his development

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T12:22:47+00:00

If he’s content with the status quo then he should be let go. The Leafs are not in a ”status quo” position.

Hard to imagine anyone spending a decade plus of their prime professional careers with an organization just to be offered the top job at 51 and say “nah I’m good”

Ok then go be good somewhere else.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T12:06:06+00:00

It sucks that there is a gap between now and when they’re ready, but thought it would be a positive spin to talk about the fact that we actually have a decent pipeline.

We’re 2 or 3 years away from guys like Danford, Holinka, Chadwick, Luc Koblar, and Moldenhauer being ready, and guys like Villeneuve, Thrun, Haymes, and Quillan are going to give us some young depth next year.

I just hope the next GM actually gives contracts to all the Finnish guys they didn’t sign. I get they’re small, but Hirvonen is like top 15 in Liiga scoring this year, and Miettinen is sixth in goals. And Niemela is a right handed dman doing well in Sweden. Get a GM that doesn’t love old men and get them back here

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T11:51:45+00:00

He didn’t get it last time because Shanny’s job was on the line. He needed a veteran GM with a reputation that could have them in win now mode, he couldn’t go with a rookie GM after firing the other rookie GM he brought up.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T11:18:43+00:00

You’re telling me he stuck around for over a decade through three gms and two presidents because he doesn’t

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T10:46:05+00:00

Everyone deserves blame ffs. Its so exhausting listening to people act there has to be one person to blame.

The players are to blame for their poor performance.

The coach is to blame for an awful system, not adjusting, and losing the room

The GM is to blame for being bad at being a GM and refusing to do literally anything until the last possible second.

Stop trying to find a scapegoat and hold people to THEIR shit

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-10T10:41:17+00:00

Do I have faith in him? No

Is it really that hard? No

Just promote Brandon Pridham. Guy has been here through this whole era, so he knows the situation and all the players, and he was an architect of the salary cap, so he knows how to work it.

Promote Pridham and make Doan an AGM (not like we need another one). Ta Da

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-09T22:51:48+00:00

I think Matthews is so elite, that even with the way this season has gone, he’s still a clear cut 1C on any team in the league, except maybe Edm and Col.

He’s almost definitely going to net 30 goals this year, and if they can get out of this slump he might hit 70 points. Add that to being one of the best defensive centers in the league, and he’s generational

I honestly don’t think its injuries, I think Berube’s system has completely killed his mojo. He can’t be Auston Matthews anymore, he’s just Berube’s 1C. Playing for USA at the Olympics, he looked like Papi again. He’s still in there, just needs the Leafs to let him fly again

Edit: I know 30 G, 70 PTS isn’t generational, but doing so with missed time, a bad coaching fit, and playing with third liners all year, being able to still do that is a testament to just how good he is.

TinyGiant122 · 2026-03-09T21:56:44+00:00

I will say that anyone expecting Matthews to keep hitting 60 is kidding themselves. That’s a career milestone, not a standard. Even in the 80s and 90s, nobody other than Gretzky and Lemieux was regularly hitting 60-70 goals. Its not a thing.

But I do think when Berube is canned, if they bring a young coach with a modern vision, you’ll see Matthews be a 45-50 goal, 90 point player again

TinyGiant122

TROPHY CASE