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LEAFS GDT Atlantic Division - Race to the 1st

Jojalu said:
How will this be spun?
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Evilhomer said:
It won't be spun. People will just ignore it because it doesn't fit their narrative.
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What's there to spin? The Leafs have been marginally better against the worst of the league than our direct competitors for the Division title. Big deal, Florida can still leapfrog us with a win tonight and be even in games played. Our slight edge in this stat doesn't even help.

And in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Which franchise has choked in the first round 90% of the time since their core entered the league, and which two franchises have Cup banners from this century hanging up in their rafters?
 
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Jimmy Firecracker said:
What's their to spin? The Leafs have been marginally better against the worst of the league than our direct competitors for the Division title. Big deal, Florida can still leapfrog us with a win tonight and be even in games played. Our slight edge in this stat doesn't even help.

And in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Which franchise has choked in the first round 90% of the time since their core entered the league, and which two franchises have Cup banners from this century hanging up in their rafters?
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While the past is dreadful, each season has to be treated as it's own entity.

The overwhelming majority likes to believe that only Tor loses to bottom feeders. It's simply not true.

I would wager that over the past 9 years their winning % would be lowest against bottom teams between those 3, but not by a wide margin
 
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Jojalu said:
While the past is dreadful, each season has to be treated as it's own entity.

The overwhelming majority likes to believe that only Tor loses to bottom feeders. It's simply not true.

I would wager that over the past 9 years their winning % would be lowest against bottom teams between those 3, but not by a wide margin
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I'd love to believe that, but the reality is is that these Leafs have earned no benefit of the doubt. It means more when Leafs piss away four points in less than a week against the 30th and 32nd ranked teams in the league when they have a chance to put some real ground between them and 2nd place in the division. If this Leafs team had won a few rounds and division titles in years prior many of us would be more willing to ignore these snafus. It's different when this team has only earned home ice in legitimate seasons twice and has developed a bad habit over the years of playing down to their competition.
 
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Jimmy Firecracker said:
I'd love to believe that, but the reality is is that these Leafs have earned no benefit of the doubt. It means more when Leafs piss away four points in less than a week against the 30th and 32nd ranked teams in the league when they have a chance to put some real ground between them and 2nd place in the division. If this Leafs team had won a few rounds and division titles in years prior many of us would be more willing to ignore these snafus. It's different when this team has only earned home ice in legitimate seasons twice and has developed a bad habit over the years of playing down to their competition.
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This!!!!
 
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Panthers sneak out the win in OT and take over first place in the division again.

Tampa on the ice tomorrow at 2 vs the Isles. Panthers off until Sunday vs the Habs.

So, sitting in 2nd for the night.
 
The Podium said:
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Jojalu said:
How will this be spun?
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In a vaccum it can't be, losing to the sharks in shootout x2 isn't really that bad considering the other 3 teams we've whipped this season + some others. Problem is the margins are so thin (4 vs 6) and Florida always beats us, we are 0-2 against them this season and we have almost no answer for them. Those two 4 point swings more than make up for the two extra points we gathered from the nashville + sharks games. We need to be essentially perfect to get first beause we can't beat Florida in a game of hockey this season.
 
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The Hanging Jowl said:
In 2007 (I think it spilled over into 2008) I went with buddies to watch the California trip. LA, Anaheim and SJ. The Leafs lost all three games. Hard for me to get excited about this trip ever since.
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I remember the spring of 2014. The year after the Boston collapse, so that wound was fresh. On the verge of the California road trip in March, we were sitting 3rd in the Atlantic and I was terrified (probably based on the kind of history they had there that you referenced in your post) that this road trip would trip us up.

But they bookends a blowout loss to SJ with gutsy wins vs. LA and ANA and I was so relieved. We had stepped up and dodged a bullet. We were going to be OK.

We then proceeded to lose 8 consecutive games in a nightmare stretch (2-12 overall to finish the season) that recalled memories of Brian Burke's "18 wheeler" collapse of 2 years earlier. And of course ended of missing the playoffs by a mile.

It continues to be a defining moment for me as a Leafs fan, especially coming so soon after the 2013 playoff ordeal. It's not just that bad things happen to the Leafs--it's that bad things happen on an epic scale, always in the cruellest, most unlikely, most painful, or most embarrassing way possible--even when you think things will be ok.
 
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Brown Dog said:
I remember the spring of 2014. The year after the Boston collapse, so that wound was fresh. On the verge of the California road trip in March, we were sitting 3rd in the Atlantic and I was terrified (probably based on the kind of history they had there that you referenced in your post) that this road trip would trip us up.

But they bookends a blowout loss to SJ with gutsy wins vs. LA and ANA and I was so relieved. We had stepped up and dodged a bullet. We were going to be OK.

We then proceeded to lose 8 consecutive games in a nightmare stretch (2-12 overall to finish the season) that recalled memories of Brian Burke's "18 wheeler" collapse of 2 years earlier. And of course ended of missing the playoffs by a mile.

It continues to be a defining moment for me as a Leafs fan, especially coming so soon after the 2013 playoff ordeal. It's not just that bad things happen to the Leafs--it's that bad things happen on an epic scale, always in the cruellest, most unlikely, most painful, or most embarrassing way possible--even when you think things will be ok.
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Funny because my version of a cruel Leafy memory is the exact opposite: that year in the mid-2000s when the Leafs were way out of it but then finished out the season with something like a 10W-1L streak and all they needed was NJ to beat the Islanders on the last game of their season and NJ rested almost all of their best players including Brodeur. Islanders won in a close game and we missed the playoffs by one point. The hockey gods hate Leafs fans.
 
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The Hanging Jowl said:
Funny because my version of a cruel Leafy memory is the exact opposite: that year in the mid-2000s when the Leafs were way out of it but then finished out the season with something like a 10W-1L streak and all they needed was NJ to beat the Islanders on the last game of their season and NJ rested almost all of their best players including Brodeur. Islanders won in a close game and we missed the playoffs by one point. The hockey gods hate Leafs fans.
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That was on the Sunday after the Leafs had an epic game against the Habs Sat night.

One of my favourite memories was that game. I thought they were in. Then heartbroken as the Devils lost that shootout.
 
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Fogelhund said:
It's way too soon to call, but at this point. If they can put together some games, and win the division, it will be the first wild card spot which is Ottawa, and if they can't, likely Tampa.
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Tampa might be a better bet than Florida to win the division. They have a big game vs Isles this afternoon. Will be interesting to see if they can keep it rolling against a desperate but sad Islanders team.
 
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ToneDog said:
Tampa might be a better bet than Florida to win the division. They have a big game vs Isles this afternoon. Will be interesting to see if they can keep it rolling against a desperate but sad Islanders team.
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Maybe... it's going to be one of Tampa, Florida or Ottawa they play for sure at this point. Any other possibility seems unlikely now.
 
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Florida's the Champs and a mindf**k for us...
Ottawa's a bad matchup and a nightmare draw...
And Tampa's hot as all hell and rollin'...

None are easier.. Maybe it'll just be time for the Leafs to walk into the Fire willingly, but come out with the valuables, for once.

Funny - I still take Tampa cuz our guys have actually beaten them twice before (ok.. once.. thx Justin Holl).
 
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TopCheeseShotta said:
Florida's the Champs and a mindf**k for us...
Ottawa's a bad matchup and a nightmare draw...
And Tampa's hot as all hell and rollin'...

None are easier.. Maybe it'll just be time for the Leafs to walk into the Fire willingly, but come out with the valuables, for once.

Funny - I still take Tampa cuz our guys have actually beaten them twice before (ok.. once.. thx Justin Holl).
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Leafs 5-4-1 in their last 10 - Skidding into the playoffs
Tampa 5-4-1 in their last 10 - hot as hell and rollin
 
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Jimmy Firecracker said:
What's their to spin? The Leafs have been marginally better against the worst of the league than our direct competitors for the Division title. Big deal, Florida can still leapfrog us with a win tonight and be even in games played. Our slight edge in this stat doesn't even help.

And in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Which franchise has choked in the first round 90% of the time since their core entered the league, and which two franchises have Cup banners from this century hanging up in their rafters?
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Sure throw winning the Cup into the argument as if that matters. :sarcasm:

Just took a look at a couple of the NHL winning Odds sites ... Leafs around 10th. in both to win the Cup.

All comes down to goalies ... okay okay Leafs drew the short straw there again ... anything can happen right?

Leafs do have the 2nd. leading scorer (goals are scored) maybe that helps?
 
Fogelhund said:
It's way too soon to call, but at this point. If they can put together some games, and win the division, it will be the first wild card spot which is Ottawa, and if they can't, likely Tampa.
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So likely Tampa. Who is looking like a force lately.

Apparently not according to last 10 games, my bad.
 
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