Around the League - PLAYOFFS!?

[BallardEra]

Florida just keeps on chugging. Leafs won’t even get home ice, let alone win the division.

Florida's schedule looks pretty soft going forward as well.

 

[Evilhomer]

Florida's schedule looks pretty soft going forward as well.

Lots of home games. They had a pretty road-heavy first half.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

LA is really struggling. Only 3 points up on Edmonton all of a sudden.

 

[HolyCrap]

Florida's schedule looks pretty soft going forward as well.

Honestly, I dont even know if it matters all that much if we place second or win the division. As long as we don’t drop outta top 3. We are stuck playing Florida or Boston anyways and they both have our number in the playoffs. We’re the under dogs regardless so maybe being the underdogs will light a fire. Or we got crushed like normal.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Another OT game

 

[Dekes For Days]

Well, I'm pretty sure they are going to gain two points on the Bruins tonight, so I guess you can re-run the numbers after that.

A tied game against the Islanders going into the third period is basically two points.

Turns out a tied game against the Islanders going into the third period is basically one point, not two, and we gained zero points on the Bruins tonight, not two.
Shows that not everything is going to go the way you want or expect it to, and gaining ground later in the season is hard.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I feel like Florida will pass Boston and it’s going to be us and Boston in the 1st round.

 

[BallardEra]

Boston vs Vegas felt like a playoff game last night.

 

[TheShape]

I feel like Florida will pass Boston and it’s going to be us and Boston in the 1st round.

Same, which I’m alright with. Boston are very beatable. As it stands, I’m not expecting a different result in the playoffs should we face the panthers.

 

[Nineteen67]

Even after the Cali trip the Leafs are 8th in the NHL in Pts%. The four teams directly behind them are LA, VGK, Canes, and Edmonton, the four above them are Dallas, NYR, Avs, Florida.
Interesting.

The‘ll likely end up playing Boston, which is probably a good thing.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

I honestly didn't expect the Senators to be this bad this season. Every year since they got Stutzle and Tkachuk you keep expecting them to do damage and claim a playoff spot but they just don't have the horses. They're 14-23-0 right now and have eliminated themselves from the playoffs not even halfway through their season. They'd have to go on a 20 game win streak or something crazy like that to get into a spot.

 

[ToneDog]

Even after the Cali trip the Leafs are 8th in the NHL in Pts%. The four teams directly behind them are LA, VGK, Canes, and Edmonton, the four above them are Dallas, NYR, Avs, Florida.
Interesting.

The‘ll likely end up playing Boston, which is probably a good thing.

Reward for beating the Bruins would most likely be Florida in 2nd round. Need to win the division for best chance to get to ECF. Losing in round 1 would be a disaster for Shanny.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I honestly didn't expect the Senators to be this bad this season. Every year since they got Stutzle and Tkachuk you keep expecting them to do damage and claim a playoff spot but they just don't have the horses. They're 14-23-0 right now and have eliminated themselves from the playoffs not even halfway through their season. They'd have to go on a 20 game win streak or something crazy like that to get into a spot.

A team that has nice individual pieces but have not meshed, bad coaching doesn’t help.

 

[Nineteen67]

Reward for beating the Bruins would most likely be Florida in 2nd round. Need to win the division for best chance to get to ECF. Losing in round 1 would be a disaster for Shanny.tOn paper, Boston might be the best 1st round opponent and They’d get Florida either way in round 2.

On paper, Boston might be the best first round opponent for the Leafs and they’d likely get Florida in round two anyway.

They way they’ve played lately, winning a round would have to be considered a success this season.

 

[ToneDog]

On paper, Boston might be the best first round opponent for the Leafs and they’d likely get Florida in round two anyway.

They way they’ve played lately, winning a round would have to be considered a success this season.

If they beat Boston in round #1, it might be cause for another banner and promotions for all Leafs staff.

 

[Nineteen67]

If they beat Boston in round #1, it might be cause for another banner and promotions for all Leafs staff.

Boston is one team they could be favored to beat and it would be a step in the right direction.

From what I’ve seen of the Broons this season they still rely on goaltending, which suits the Leafs better than playing a speed team.

 

[Fogelhund]

Right, and if the Leafs win the two games they have in hand on Boston, they are looking at a 3 point deficit, meaning that over a 40 game stretch the Leafs have to play just slightly higher than that .600-.650 pace. I'm not sure I see the mountain that others seem to see. I suppose you can factor in home and road splits in the second half, as the Bruins will have more home games than road games, whereas the Leafs will have a pretty even split.

Of course they didn't win against NYI, and now likely have to go 14-4-3 the next 21... that's not going to be easy.

 

[Evilhomer]

Of course they didn't win against NYI, and now likely have to go 14-4-3 the next 21... that's not going to be easy.

Fair point that achieving that kind of record could be tough, but it doesn't have to be in the next 21 games. As long as they get to first at some point. While I agree that Boston would be a great match-up for the Leafs in the first round, I think they will be better off playing a wild card team in the first round and having home ice in the second round.

 

[BallardEra]

Edmonton's Iron Horse: Draisaitl the next big Canadian contract to watch

He’s a Top 5 player in the NHL — we’d say Top 3 — as handsome as he is skilled. Now that William Nylander has signed in Toronto — with due respect to pending RFA Elias Pettersson in Vancouver — Draisaitl’s is the next big contract watch in Canadian hockey circles.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Insane that Foligno has made a lucrative late career as nothing more than an intangibles guy.

 

[Fogelhund]

Insane that Foligno has made a lucrative late career as nothing more than an intangibles guy.

That's a heck of a payday, to stay in the tire fire.

 

[BertCorbeau]

… initially I thought he was just rental fodder.. but a 2 year extension?

Jeeez man

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

… initially I thought he was just rental fodder.. but a 2 year extension?

Jeeez man

Hawks don't have many players signed beyond this year, so they'll need to overpay for guys like Foligno and take on some bad contracts via trade.

Should be a popular destination for bottom 6/fringe players looking for some cash this summer.

 

[Fogelhund]

Hawks don't have many players signed beyond this year, so they'll need to overpay for guys like Foligno and take on some bad contracts via trade.

Should be a popular destination for bottom 6/fringe players looking for some cash this summer.

I've got a few contracts, that could help them out.... Maybe they'd like Kampf and Reaves?

 

[Jojalu]

Too many nights the NHL has too few games.

Friday seems to be the worst night every week.