Series Talk: [A1] Toronto Maple Leafs vs [WC1] Ottawa Senators (TOR Leads 1-0)

[Random Comment]

You're right. The Sens performance over the last 7 years was much better.

You’re slowly starting to understand

 

[TheGreenTBer]

We aren’t talking about prime Boston, Florida or Tampa Bay here. We are talking about the inexperienced Ottawa Senators.

This core has lost to worse teams on paper than the current Ottawa Senators. They could lose to anyone in the playoffs.

Also, I think the Leafs under Berube are much better prepared and play a tighter game than under Keefe

I agree with this, and I'm picking Leafs in 6, but no one at all should be surprised if Ottawa takes this series, I promise you. They are a good team and they play us hard, and the pressure is on us.

EDUT: Sheldon Keefe is a dingus.

 

[Voight]

Honestly dude, Reddit is a shithole

100%. In the last few months you can't escape political talk on there and it's annoying as hell. I usually use it for other sports (football, basketball, baseball) but even on those subs you tend to see political comments and honestly I dont care for it. Hear enough about that stuff as is, I want to read and discuss sports and sports alone on there.

 

[notbias]

We aren’t talking about prime Boston, Florida or Tampa Bay here. We are talking about the inexperienced Ottawa Senators.

Also, I think the Leafs under Berube are much better prepared and play a tighter game than under Keefe

They have similar xGA/60 as most years... their goaltending has just been great this year.

Also, scoring has been an issue for the Leafs in every playoff series.

Other than the narrative that this is true, I haven't seen much to support it.

 

[Voight]

Saturday or Sunday for the first game do you think?

All signs point to Sunday.

This is "trust me bro" thing but I know somebody who works at Scotiabank Arena and according to them it'll be Sunday. Tho some hockey media types are reporting the same thing.

 

[MCR74]

He has 30 mins of playoff experience, he'll be great for sure. No reason to have any doubt whatsoever

Ullmark's playoff appearance for Boston last time around was nothing to write home about either.

 

[notbias]

He has 30 mins of playoff experience, he'll be great for sure. No reason to have any doubt whatsoever

Woll is the best playoff goalie based on playoff experience.

Ottawa is going with the goaltender who has a sub .900 over 10 games?

Seems weird to badmouth the guy with 30 minutes of playoff experience over the guy who has much more and has been terrible in it.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

Leafs in 5 or 6. Can’t believe how many people actually think the Sens will win… Tkachuk isn’t some mythical creature that we’ve never seen before.. After playing Bergeron and Kucherov a million times the Sens don’t scare us.

Tkachuk 71 games 29 goals 55 points
Knies 77 games 29 goals 56 points

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Jealous of the sens who get the piss easy first round bye , they deserve it though great season I didin't think they would make it at the start of the year

 

[The Panther]

Marner is just that good in big games. He can even make the best player in the league look silly.

I guess he can, but... "that good in big games"...?:
_________________

Select players' statistics in the playoffs, starting from the 2006 playoffs up to 2024, and averaged out to per / 82 GP:

McDavid: 41G + 89A = 130 PTS (+31)
Draisaitl: 45G + 74A = 119 PTS (+11)
MacKinnon: 45G + 62A = 107 PTS (+31)
Kucherov: 30G + 64A = 94 PTS (+21)
Crosby: 32G + 59A = 91 PTS (+8)
Makar: 24G + 67A = 91 PTS (+27)
Point: 48G + 42A = 90 PTS (-2)
Malkin: 31G + 52A = 82 PTS (+3)
Kane: 30G + 49A = 79 PTS (+2)
Ovechkin: 39G + 37A = 76 PTS (+2)
Matthews: 34G + 37A = 72 PTS (+3)
Marchand: 29G + 43A = 72 PTS (+16)
Marner: 16G + 56A = 72 PTS (+14)
Stamkos: 32G + 33A = 65 PTS (-7)

I mean, it's not abysmal production, but I don't think it's worth chest-beating over. (Might be a different story, with this same production, if the Leafs had actually won several series, but...)

 

[Yorkshire Leaf]

Not just the last 15 years, but also in the Auston Matthews era.

And how many of the players currently playing for Ottawa were involved in that play off run of two rounds?

 

[NyQuil]

And how many of the players currently playing for Ottawa were involved in that play off run of two rounds?

Three rounds.

The last time the Leafs played three rounds of hockey, Nelly had just released "Hot in Herre".

 

[Golden_Jet]

Keep telling yourself it’s the guy with the .887 in the playoffs.

So you think it’s the guy with the 5.17 gaa and .842 record in playoffs.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

If the Leafs don't win in 4 or 5, they should feel shame. If they lose, it will be hilarious.

 

[NyQuil]

Regardless of what you think about Stolarz as a goalie, he has incredible stats playing on that team in that system.

If he outgoalies Ullmark, Ottawa is in deep trouble because they're at an offensive disadvantage.

 

[mix1home]

In the playoffs D includes your proven goalies and supportive forwards. Going into the playoffs the leafs have neither.

Stolarz has best sv% in entire nhl, third ga. And there is literally no forward that would float and not block shots. Those who didn’t buy in were benched during the season. Berube made this team into well oiled machine with emphasis on D.

 

[Strangle]

Leafs in 5 or 6. Can’t believe how many people actually think the Sens will win… Tkachuk isn’t some mythical creature that we’ve never seen before.. After playing Bergeron and Kucherov a million times the Sens don’t scare us.

Tkachuk 71 games 29 goals 55 points
Knies 77 games 29 goals 56 points

Knies is our 5th or 6th best player, and outperformed Tkachuk this year

 

[93gilmour93]

Knies is our 5th or 6th best player, and outperformed Tkachuk this year

Knies is going to be a problem for Ottawa to deal with. I expect a big series from him....

 

[57special]

This should be a fun series.

 

[MCR74]

Knies is going to be a problem for Ottawa to deal with. I expect a big series from him....

Looking forward to him turning up a notch. The kid can be a pain in the ass when he gets going.

 

[Fatass]

Stolarz has best sv% in entire nhl, third ga. And there is literally no forward that would float and not block shots. Those who didn’t buy in were benched during the season. Berube made this team into well oiled machine with emphasis on D.

Leafs goaltending is a function of their ability, as a team, to limit high danger chances and lock down a game. When needed, the Leafs can play a very mature defensive structure.
Imo the Sens aren’t a mature enough team (yet in their development) to match the Leafs in defensive maturity. I see the Sens goalie, Ulmark, needing to make the far more difficult saves because of the two clubs difference in commitment to defensive structure.
Leafs in five.

 

[The Panther]

Three rounds.

The last time the Leafs played three rounds of hockey, Nelly had just released "Hot in Herre".

The last time they won three rounds, Babe Ruth was getting ready for his final World Series win as a player.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

The last time they won three rounds, Babe Ruth was getting ready for his final World Series win as a player.

1932 last time leafs won 3 rounds

 

[authentic]

This core has lost to worse teams on paper than the current Ottawa Senators. They could lose to anyone in the playoffs.

I agree with this, and I'm picking Leafs in 6, but no one at all should be surprised if Ottawa takes this series, I promise you. They are a good team and they play us hard, and the pressure is on us.

EDUT: Sheldon Keefe is a dingus.

Also the narrative about this team being different because Berube is hogwash. I also say this as a Leafs fan, the only difference in our team now compared to previous years is our goaltending. I would argue that infact Berube has the team playing worse as he is not utilizing their biggest skill which is rush offense. Their actual defensive play has not improved at all and they’re a slower team than before, up against Ottawa who’s a fast team with a heavy forecheck they will have their work cut out for them.

 

[authentic]

1932 last time leafs won 3 rounds

At first I thought this was some sort of sick joke until I remembered O6 era only had 2 rounds