Evilhomer
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- Oct 10, 2019
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Uh, the Leafs have played Florida....once?
LEAFS GDT Atlantic Division - Race to the 1st
- Thread starter PromisedLand
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willmma
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willmma
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Vaive50
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The huge advantage of having home ice throughout the divisional playoffs is that Florida, Tampa and Ottawa all have horrible road records where as the Leafs have a great home and road record. Lets get back to the Final Four this year and by coincidence, the last time our Leafs made the Final Four is the last time we played Ottawa in the playoffs.
The Hanging Jowl
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- Apr 2, 2017
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If Tampa goes 5-1 and we go 3-3, we match them in points but not in the standings because then they'd have the first tie breaker (RWs).
If we want to be realistic, we have to assume we'll lose to Tampa this week (2nd game of a B2B, Tampa rested). So the way I see it, we have a 2 point lead with 5 other games remaining. Gonna be tight.
Holtby - Vezina
Rask - Vezina
Rask - Vezina
Price - Vezina + Hart
Vasilevsky - Vezina + Smythe
Bobrovsky - Vezina x2
Swayman
You're not misinterpreting, you're intentionally ignoring the point. So let me make it clear for you once again.
Losing the last 8 years has nothing to do with what this years outcome would be
Even though they lost the last 8 years, they played some really competitive series against really good teams. Every single team we lost to except Columbus, either won the cup or made the finals.
Hopefully you don't "misinterpret" that again
TheDoldrums
Registered User
Florida will not catch the Leafs. Tampa can if they win two more games than the Leafs out of the last 6 assuming it's all in regulation.
Tampa 6-3-1 last 10
Toronto 8-1-1 last 10
Both teams are due for a bit of a slump. Hopefully they don't slump hard enough to lose 1st place
Tampa 6-3-1 last 10
Toronto 8-1-1 last 10
Both teams are due for a bit of a slump. Hopefully they don't slump hard enough to lose 1st place
So were they supposed to be unbeatable teams with that goaltending? Or did they eventually lose to someone else in the playoffs other then Vasi in 2022?
"
Every single team we lost to except Columbus, either won the cup or made the finals.
"
this is also wrong.
The Podium
Registered User
This is all I hope for.
Sadly because of their playoff failures a lot have become hardened and can't see that they have been one of the most successful cores in franchise history.
Perennial 100 point playoff team that loses in Game 7 every year. It is frustrating as hell but better than it was. They hold the current record for most consecutive playoff appearances which is hard to do in a hard cap world.
Just finish the job one time so we can appreciate this.
thusk
Registered User
I don't think Andersen era it was the issu, more the D in front who was just totally bad except maybe 1 year but clearly since 2021, goaltending had been a huge issue for leafs
-Vs habs Campbell weak goal cost the series. Just out a Stolarz or Woll the way they playes this season, leafs won it in probably 5
-Same in 2022 vs Tampa, remove campbell for Stolarz or Woll and leafs won this series, i'm pretty sure...
-same last year vs Boston, start with Woll from the beggining or probably the result would be completly different...
-The only serie leafs won is the only serie opposite goalie been as trash than our.
and mentally, it's not the same playing in front a good goalie vs a goalie who's struggling. Just watch right now leafs don't play the same way in front of Stolarz who's hot vs Woll who's pretty cold. It's pretty easy to see
Without good goaltending in playoff espevially at key time, its pretty impossible to make a long run
Because it doesn't matter and doesn't mean the Leafs would go to the final if they had gone past the first. Sometimes it's just a momentum thing or coincidence. At the end of the day this team has a hard time winning a playoff series. That's the only relevant truth out of all of this. Let's see if they can change that this year
kevsh
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- Nov 28, 2018
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Another way of looking at it instead of the "they always play tough teams" excuse is that the Leafs have had 8 years to be as good as those teams or better.
In 2016-17 the Leafs finished ahead of both the Lightning and the Panthers. Yet since then, the Bolts & Panthers have each won the division twice (as well as the Bruins who the Leafs tied in 2016-17).
"We played really well" also is kind of weak. Three times they had a 3-2 or better series lead and still lost. And unless I'm mistaken they had a 3rd period lead in two (three?) of the game 7s? And I don't even need to mention their record overall in game 7s (and one game 5 in a 5-game series).
Admirable they were a tough out, sure, but can't really excuse blowing so many chances to win a series. And that's one of many reasons why I can't be optimistic about their chances this year: I do think all that losing takes its toll and these guys have so much pressure on them that I'm not sure they have in them, at least between the ears.
In any case, so yes I do think that past performance is the best indicator of future performance - especially when most of the main cast is the same, but no it doesn't automatically mean they'll lose again this year. Winning the division this time will at least take away any excuse that they're facing tougher teams, so maybe we can see how they do when they're the top dog (again - remember, they were the "Kings of the North" once).
For me personally, there have been some good signs this year, especially lately, but a few old habits too, so I'm going to wait until they win a round or two before I believe anything has changed.
The Leafs average like 2.1 goals a game in the playoffs.
The goaltending obviously an issue, is not the biggest one.
The goaltending obviously an issue, is not the biggest one.
No one wants to have this discussion... our defensive play and keeping the puck out of the net was never an issue.
Good thing we doubled down, got worse offensively, and tried to get better defensively though.
Was a flaw of the last group too... focused on toughness or something else for the season too much thinking that was the missing ingredient to scoring more.
ULF_55
Moderator
Replace the word team with players, and do you agree?
They've outplayed the players a lot, and the goaltending has been the difference.
That is all anyone ever says, and for some reason, it is a hard point for some to grasp.
Washington won the cup the year after
Boston made the finals in 2019 after beating us
Tampa won 2 cups and made 3 finals, including the year they beat us
Florida went to the final after beating us, won the cup the following year
Montreal went to the finals after they beat us
Also every single one of those teams had a Vezina winning goalie.
Sure you can say Washington won the year after we played them, it was still the exact same core/team
Regardless all I'm saying is
Context matters when discusses playoff losses, we're not playing trash teams like the old LA kings or Ducks in the 1st round, we have had some tough series and more than held our own in all of them except the Panthers one
Previous years do not determine how this year will turn out
Sure I guess
But all of those teams have since declined and we've gotten better
We have a legitimate starter for once and the overall team/depth is better, the defence is better and the way they're playing under Berube is better
If you wanna keep whining about the last 8 years be my guest, I just think it's silly to dwell on the past
Evilhomer
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I've spent the entire season saying literally this. Maybe now people are finally starting to wake up to it. The leafs lost those prior series because the other team was better, whether on the ice or behind the bench, or sometimes both. Because the Leafs have stuck with their star players, and management has finally figured out how to fill out the roster around them, and improved its coaching, the Leafs have gotten better as those other teams have declined. I don't think it's any more complicated than that. The Leafs will go through the same cycle in 4 or 5 years as teams below them today improve to the point where they are better than the Leafs. For the next 3 or 4 years, however, assuming the defense holds up, the Leafs should perennial Cup favourites from the Eastern conference.
CabanaBoy5
Registered User
I know people don't want to hear this, but this year is different. The goaltending can steal you games. Even if goaltending wasn't a problem in the past, the goalies did allow goals they should have saved in key games and times.
Our overall defensive structure is better, blocking alot more shots than we have in the past.
We are playing a grittier north south game that is more suited for playoff games. We stand up for eachother, finish checks better, etc.
I really believe there has been a growth in maturity for both Matthews and Marner. It looks like they understand the commitment required to win tight checking games.
Finishing first will be important for the first two series and maybe three because it'll give us a home game 7 if necessary.
Finally, our coach will not be out-coached by the other coach as has happened too often.
This doesn't guarantee a win, but it does give us the best chance we've had in the core era.
Our overall defensive structure is better, blocking alot more shots than we have in the past.
We are playing a grittier north south game that is more suited for playoff games. We stand up for eachother, finish checks better, etc.
I really believe there has been a growth in maturity for both Matthews and Marner. It looks like they understand the commitment required to win tight checking games.
Finishing first will be important for the first two series and maybe three because it'll give us a home game 7 if necessary.
Finally, our coach will not be out-coached by the other coach as has happened too often.
This doesn't guarantee a win, but it does give us the best chance we've had in the core era.
ULF_55
Moderator
Just stating facts they've been unsuccessful, well since 1967.
They have been better than the Matthews era though, if you're looking at the playoffs.
So this year there are no excuses.
I'd say last year with the injuries they showed better than other series other than the O'Reilly year.
Would not be surprised if they won a round this year, especially if they have home ice and last change. A coach with a Cup under his belt should not be outcoached. Last change, get the easier match-ups. Nothing to complain about.
leafsfan5
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- Jun 14, 2014
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Potentially, it'll depend on how many of their wins in the 5-1 are RW and how many ours are
We have a huge ROW advantage so we just need to match their RW
Evilhomer
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People can tie themselves into whatever pretzel they want to argue that Tampa or Florida will catch the Leafs, but neither team will. When people have to try so hard to find the exception, it means the rule is pretty solid.
