Nic thinks if your team isn't as good as the other team because of depth then losing is inevitable, I assume he's also saying that Columbus and Montreal were better teams, not necessarily in the regular season but definitely in the playoffs because of their depth. I think TO has had decent depth over the years except in superior player effort/results.
I think TO has been the better team both in regular seasons and in the playoffs but due to the quality of TO's superior players TO has consistently lost in the 1st round. They are paid like they can move mountains but when the crunch comes they wilt, they need to be motivated to give their all like Drisaitl did for Edmonton during these playoffs, TO's stars remind me of Kessel, they shot from the perimeter and don't hang onto the puck when physically challenged, when was the last time you saw Matthews carry the puck to the opposition's net, shot yes carry no, same for Mitch. I don't expect players like Kerfoot or Mikhey to win anything for TO, I simply hope they can hold their own against players of similar ability. JT at least makes himself available to contribute but MM, AM and Willie are generally difficult to see during the crunch, they need to be reminded that they are paid to make TO better than the opposition and play that way in the playoffs or at any time all year long. When I watch Crosby I see a player that seems to take losing personally, that's what we need from AM and MM and from Willie if he seriously wants to be paid like AM and MM.
Keefe has had 2 years of playoffs to motivate TO to win, he hasn't and I don't think he has the ability to do so, it's time to move on to someone that might be able to coax that extra effort, that desire to win at all costs out of JT, WN, AM and MM. If the desire to win continues to wane from those players then the sooner TO moves on from them the better.
