I don't love Marner. He's the one core guy I would move if he's really bad in the playoffs again. And it is entirely due to how he gets inside his own head and just sucks. The moment things start going bad for him, he is lost mentally. Shoots when he should pass and pass when he should shoot.

I think he desperately wants to be the hero, so much so that he tries to be too much. Matthews and Nylander know who they are and don't care what anyone else says or thinks. Marner should just accept he's not the best player on the team and doesn't need to be the home town hero. Just be the best you can be and enjoy the ride. One day he will figure that out and I hope its for TO.

Bringing money into this is just another blatant self justification to hate on Marner. He deserves more money than Sammy, he's an elite player, top 5 at his position. Sammy isn't even a true starter. Comparing dollar amounts is apples to cement bricks. Not different types of fruit but two random unconnected objects. What's next? They are different because Sammy can grow some facial hair? Or is taller? Maybe their eye color.

My point is, the one thing Marner said and it's clear it's a problem for him, is he struggles mentally. Samsonov struggles mentally as well. This has plagued him his professional career. Same with Marner. Two hockey players with the same struggle. One is elite and still terrific even at his worst and the other is a tandem goalie. If you don't understand this, you are just looking for excuses to fuel your own emotions. Which is clear in this case.

I don't hate Marner BTW, I think he just makes too much money and the Leafs can't afford him, especially after Nylander...

I just think the way he could have conveyed - a good message - to try and relate to Sammy would be to compare when he was at a place of uncertainty... Bc that, IMO, feels a lot more genuine than the example he used, it just is...

And your last paragraph proves my point: "One is elite and still terrific even at his worst and the other is a tandem goalie"... How is the tandem goalie's struggles supposed to be relatable to an elite player's struggles?

Because they are both people in the same profession, struggling with the same issue. In this case both are also millionaires as well.

Look, you have made it abundantly clear you want some of the core traded. It's your big thing, you wanted Nylander traded for anything rather than see him get paid. Once he did, you moved onto Marner and now in your mind he has to go. And like way too many people in this day and age, all you do is look for reasons to make your desire seem more legitimate and reasonable. In this case, a absolutely minor comment about his own struggles mentally. You have blown it completely out of proportion and are throwing anything you can at it to make it seem reasonable. So much so you literally are fabricating a potential locker room issue when by all accounts, Marner is beloved by his teammates for his positive energy and joy for the game. But that doesn't help your argument at all, so let's bin that and make up stuff so you can feel better about your hopes and desires instead of living in reality.

On a side note, Marner full NMC means he's resigning in TO or leaving for nothing. He isn't and the leafs can afford him. They actually can't afford to trade him because it will be an awful trade for TO. It was the same for Willy. No one was going to offer anything close to his value.

Just please consider the financial differences

Last year the standard for repeat headshot crosschecks = 4 games

DOPS decided **** it and gave Perron 6. He appealed and Bettman went FU

This is probs gonna **** up Rielly and it shows DOPS incompetency. Set an actual standard and not pick and switch

As watch someone gonna do the same as what Rielly and Perron did and get 2 games

Mo is gonna get 10 games. Appeal down to 6.
Just letting y'all know so you can come to terms with it

Your right forgot leaf tax

Would be funny though if they did all that MLSE bribes Parros and we get 1 game lul

But yea Leafs should be fine they have a good record without him only many with how the Dcore is might be a problem. Hopefully someone steps up of we get our new toy

Still wondering why Parros has such a hardon for leafs and first time offenses

Matthews 2 games
Spezza 6 games
And soon Rielly 10 games lul

I watched it, it’s unquestionably a headshot.

He absolutely did try to get him in the head

Friedman said the principal contact was shoulder but it does rise up. Thats where Rielly was aiming but unfortunately it went higher

Posted the tweet somewhere but yea it was not a direct HS.

Never said it didn’t catch him in the head. But it wasn’t the first or even second point of contact. That much isn’t up for debate.

But it was a forceful cross check that made head contact. He’s going to get punished, as he should.

Not gonna lie forgot this even happened lul

https://twitter.com/josephdzita/status/1756776430686380330

You are talking about Morgan Rielly. He is the classiest player in the league. He wouldn't try to hit someone's head with a cross check. He was going for the shoulder he lifted his arm and his stick slide upwards into his head. Will get a suspension still but it wasn't an intentional head shot.

Classy player - so was Jason Spezza.
Wasn't intentional Head shot - Neither was Jason Spezza's
- but neither seemed to matter.

Spezza's was confusing from the start. Yes was retaliation but at the same time that game just went into chaos as the refs lost it


Same with the OTT game now the motive was a bit meh but both = 6 games gonna be a bruh moment

Also notice the theme bad officiating = **** like this

Its almost like these kinds of plays can be avoided with proper officiating lul

But everyone knew that Spezza was going to something as soon as Sandin got hurt

Yes - Spezza was going for a clean hit while play was still going on - that's definitely a hockey play. Hitting someone well after the goal is not a hockey play.

Don't try and pretend that Spezza's play was remotely close to a hockey play either... Pionk didn't even have a stick and was on 1 knee

Honestly whether it was aimed at the shoulder or not he threw a crosscheck well after whistle that unquestionably hit his head. Intent really shouldn't matter because he really didn't have to crosscheck him.

So whats he supposed to do... nothing?

What Greig did was not a hockey play and knowing him he would have been to ***** to drop the gloves with Rielly. Basically there was gonna be a response like that unless he had the ballz to drop but we all know Greig would scamper away like a rat. Its like when u shoot at the final seconds of a blowout game in basketball there is gonna be a response.

Its a lose/lose situation

If Rielly did nothing people would say team has no spark or heart. He does something oh no need for that. So what we want people. Yes should have aimed lower but what can you do

No team would have allowed Greig to get away with what he did and he would have been lying on the ice anyway

Greig is lucky this was not BOS, FLA, or any of the other more vicious teams as they would have sent him to the ER as if u dont think Marchand or Bennett wouldnt take a suspension to make a point oh boy.

Anyways Greig learned a valuable lesson and knows if he does that again there gonna be a response from other teams.

Spezza went to make a hit and Pionk then bend down to glove the puck (also not much of a hockey play). Spezza went down as well to try to make the body check.

I don't mind what Greig did. I don't remember anyone crosschecking Walman to the head when he hit the gritty. Absolutely within his right to show some emotion when ending a game/ season series against a rival and absolutely a hockey play. Can Morgan Reilly respond? Absolutely, but start a scrum. Don't cross check a guy in the head on the boards.

If I were a leafs fan I wouldn't support this. The team needs to show emotion when playing the game. What Morgan Reilly did was frustration and that costs you games in the long run. Look at Jamie Benn last playoffs.

6 game suspension minimum is what is deserved.
I'm not a fan of either team, so I can say this with an outside perspective.

This is an overpunishment and everyone agrees on it. Only reason its this high as Parros overpunished Perron

Last year for repeat offenders this play got 4 games. But nah Parros got a hardon for Leafs players.


Starting scrums involves punches, crosschecks, and smashing opponents to the ground which can lead to more severe injuries. When the opponent makes a non hockey play against you a response like what we saw with Rielly is what to expect. Everyone agrees what Greig did was wrong but clearly some people dont see that and think anything's fine but thats okay its a good educational point for them to learn. What he did was like in the NBA in shooting at the basket in final 30 seconds in a blowout game. There is gonna be a response and often they involve punches. Nobody in the NHL slapshots at an empty net with all that space.

In general where you aim a crosscheck can change on the fly based on an opponents reaction. Go for the shoulder guy tries to duck out of the way hits the head. Either way what can you do

Rielly showed he aint taking this BS and fans are in support as Greig be lucky he got this lesson from Rielly and not Bennett or Marchand. As then he would be in a hospital bed if those two had their hands on him

Thats really all you need to look at it as such. But in the end the youngster learned a lesson and thats all we really need to look at it as such. He does it again hes learned there gonna be a response

You keep saying its not a hockey play like its a well accepted fact. Unwritten rules don't excuse breaking written rules that are violent and could really hurt somebody. Imagine if Grieg were actually hurt from the play. Put aside being a sports fan and this is a real person who was attacked after the whistle was blown. Keefe and Leafs fans are the ones sprouting silliness. What Morgan Reilly did wasn't tough at all, in fact it made him look like a chump.

Best of luck with the rest of the season though.

If its a hockey play why nobody else slapshotting at empty nets with that amount of space?

Easy cause its not. He broke the unwritten rules pucked around and got what was coming to him. As mentioned before its like in the NBA with shooting final 30 seconds in a blowout game where your teams up 20-30

Now not saying for anyone to get hurt but if he did it would be a lesson for him to never do it again. He would learn k I cant do that **** as look where it got me. Its like when rookies try to embellish for penalty calls then finally get caught and penalized. Ask Stutzle guy dove left right and center then one day started getting penalized

What Rielly did was a response that got a little out of hand but hey to teach a guy he cant do that you can argue it was warranted. Thats all there is to it.


In the end Greig now knows not to do that **** as this is what will happen. Giroux probs also told him hey u cant do that despite the win. Thats how it should be viewed, both did something wrong and the rookie learned a valuable lesson