Can we beat Tampa?

[Arzak]

Nobody who has won the Stanley Cup has beat the 4 other best teams in the league. Paths are very different across the league, and they impact outcomes.
Much more than they should right now. It's bad for the game.

While I'm aware it's not happening, with how weak the West is right now 1-16 playoff format should be new standard.

Otherwise, this format always benefits the weak West. One of them gets to play in finals vs Boston Toronto Tampa etc, a team that went through hell already...

Put Leafs or Bruins in the west conference and they get to play the SC finals well-rested.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If only those were the only two possible outcomes.


Get what done, win the cup? Win a round?

I'm thinking one isn't going to do it, 2 rounds - I doubt it too. I don't think 2 rounds is enough to save Dubas's job either

 

[ACC1224]

While I'm aware it's not happening, with how weak the West is right now 1-16 playoff format should be new standard.

Otherwise, this format always benefits the weak West. One of them gets to play in finals vs Boston Toronto Tampa etc, a team that went through hell already...

Put Leafs or Bruins in the west conference and they get to play the SC finals well-rested.

Then people would weep about the unfair travel and 10pm start times.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Kinda scary! If they can't get it done this year, it's not happening with this core. And I don't mean blowign up the core, just one piece traded.

But who should that piece be? Marner? He's too good and improving each year. Matthews? Generational scorer who has found a 200 ft game. Nylander? He's having his best season. Truly skilled, going to the front of the net, improved defensively. The theme seems to be these guys are getting better. To bail on one of them now after having invested so much time would be a shame.

The one who should go, but will be very difficult to get rid of, is Tavares. He loves it here, signed as a free agent, and most importantly, he has a NMC for the duration of his contract. Rielly is another we could trade but I'm not sure he's part of the core.

 

[Stephen]

If only those were the only two possible outcomes.


Get what done, win the cup? Win a round?

I don’t even get where the playoff format is unfair. Everyday we are presented with data, evidence and context about how we have the best of everything in this organization.

So how can it be unfair that we have to go through strong teams?

 

[ToneDog]

I don’t even get where the playoff format is unfair. Everyday we are presented with data, evidence and context about how we have the best of everything in this organization.

So how can it be unfair that we have to go through strong teams?

It is the case for 6 of the 8 teams this year. Only the division winners get a break.

I'm thinking one isn't going to do it, 2 rounds - I doubt it too. I don't think 2 rounds is enough to save Dubas's job either

If they get out of the Atlantic, I can't see them not resigning him. Heck there might be a mini parade of we beat Tampa.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Would you rather be the first team that won a cup going through the best 4 teams in the league or make a bunch of excuses about how unfair it is?

I'd rather our path be dictated by our regular season, keep regular seasons exciting and meaningful, and see the cup be rewarded fairly.

Too bad Boston is playing so well this year, and Buffalo and Detroit aren't quite good enough yet.

Too bad the NHL's current system sucks.

 

[ACC1224]

It is the case for 6 of the 8 teams this year. Only the division winners get a break.


If they get out of the Atlantic, I can't see them not resigning him. Heck there might be a mini parade of we beat Tampa.

Might be???

 

[Stephen]

I'd rather our path be dictated by our regular season, keep regular seasons exciting and meaningful, and see the cup be rewarded fairly.

Too bad the NHL's current system sucks

Sounds like you’re not very confident in this team.

We should be the ones making it unfair for others.

 

[IPS]

Too bad Boston is playing so well this year, and Buffalo and Detroit aren't quite good enough yet.

Yeah well Montreal didn't look "quite good enough yet" and we all know how that went

 

[Gary Nylund]

I don’t even get where the playoff format is unfair. Everyday we are presented with data, evidence and context about how we have the best of everything in this organization.

So how can it be unfair that we have to go through strong teams?

Not sure unfair is the right word, perhaps dumb is better. Nah, both words are fine. You could have the 1-2-3 teams in the NHL all in the same division and two of them have to play in round 1, makes no sense to me.

Others have also pointed out that it can't be good for the league or the fans to have a 1st round matchup more or less locked in in December the way it now with us and TB. If it was 1-8 format, there would be so much more intrigue and many matchups would be up in the air right up to the end. Wouldn't that be a good thing?

It doesn't matter as much for the Leafs this season as in some previous years because the East is so deep so playing against TB is perhaps not much tougher than playing NYR or NJD but still, dumb system.

My favourite all-time was 1-16, now that was interesting! But 1-8 would also make more sense than what we have now.

 

[Dekes For Days]

While I'm aware it's not happening, with how weak the West is right now 1-16 playoff format should be new standard.
Otherwise, this format always benefits the weak West. One of them gets to play in finals vs Boston Toronto Tampa etc, a team that went through hell already...

Yep. Colorado was a great team, but part of the reason they won last year was because they got to cakewalk through the West and face a grinded down Tampa without their #1C.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Yeah, and this is the commissioner making fun of the fans of the leagues biggest market

And this quote from Bettman makes me me want to bitchslap him more than ever. The system sucks, instead of making fun of fans in your biggest market, how about actually doing something you ignorant dickbrain.

 

[Stephen]

Not sure unfair is the right word, perhaps dumb is better. Nah, both words are fine. You could have the 1-2-3 teams in the NHL all in the same division and two of them have to play in round 1, makes no sense to me.

Others have also pointed out that it can't be good for the league or the fans to have a 1st round matchup more or less locked in in December the way it now with us and TB. If it was 1-8 format, there would be so much more intrigue and many matchups would be up in the air right up to the end. Wouldn't that be a good thing?

It doesn't matter as much for the Leafs this season as in some previous years because the East is so deep so playing against TB is perhaps not much tougher than playing NYR or NJD but still, dumb system.

My favourite all-time was 1-16, now that was interesting! But 1-8 would also make more sense than what we have now.

If we go into the playoffs with the premise that we want to be champions the Leafs just need to beat who they play.

Doesn’t matter the order, quality of opponent and overall path. Could be easy at the start. We could be favorites. Could be underdogs. The path could get harder and harder or easier. Doesn’t matter.

If you’re looking for easy matchups and paths of least resistance, all that tells me is you’re not confident in the team.

 

[egd27]

Yeah well Montreal didn't look "quite good enough yet" and we all know how that went

That was under a different playoff format that we also failed to succeed at.
If I recall correctly, no one was complaining about that one when it started

 

[Dekes For Days]

Sounds like you’re not very confident in this team.
We should be the ones making it unfair for others.

I'm extremely confident in our team.
This has nothing too do with our team. This has to do with a broken playoff system.
We also make it unfair for Tampa and Boston.

 

[egd27]

Too bad the NHL's current system sucks.

 

[Gary Nylund]

If we go into the playoffs with the premise that we want to be champions the Leafs just need to beat who they play.

Doesn’t matter the order, quality of opponent and overall path. Could be easy at the start. We could be favorites. Could be underdogs. The path could get harder and harder or easier. Doesn’t matter.

If you’re looking for easy matchups and paths of least resistance, all that tells me is you’re not confident in the team.

Of course is matters. That's why COL has such good odds to win the cup, they're not that good but they have a much easier path to the final whereas in the East, only one of BOS/TB/TOR/CAR/NJ can make it.

 

[GoonieFace]

A week ago I would have said yes, now not a chance

 

[Gary Nylund]

If it doesn't matter who we play, what's the point of having any playoff seeding at all? Just take the 16 teams, throw the names in a hat and have a lottery.

 

[kevsh]

The closest thing to fair that teams may actually go along with is 1-8 in each conference.

Cross-conference playoff series (before the final obviously) simply will never happen again, for so many reasons but starting with the nightmare scenario of any of the major market Eastern teams (which is almost all of them) playing playing two or three consecutive rounds against a West coast team.

Imagine the Leafs, Rangers or Hawks playing games 1-2 (or 3-4 for that matter) in San Jose 10pm Eastern time on two weeknights. That would be the end of that experiment and we'd be back to this.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The closest thing to fair that teams may actually go along with is 1-8 in each conference.

Cross-conference playoff series (before the final obviously) simply will never happen again, for so many reasons but starting with the nightmare scenario of any of the major market Eastern teams (which is almost all of them) playing playing two or three consecutive rounds against a West coast team.

Imagine the Leafs, Rangers or Hawks playing games 1-2 (or 3-4 for that matter) in San Jose 10pm Eastern time on two weeknights. That would be the end of that experiment and we'd be back to this.

Yup, you're right. 1-16 was awesome, but not really practical so 1-8 is the best we can do.

 

[hotpaws]

In the old format (not really the ‘old format’ because there’s only 2 division winners now) there’s a real possibility that Leafs could pass NJ, and their path to the the finals could be something like NYR>CAR>BOS

Some other conference jockeying, plus an upset or two along the way, could see the leafs path be NJ>CAR>NYR, or even something crazy like NJ>PIT>NYI/NYR.

Saying the one phrase that might be those repeated on HF this season (insert SpongeBob meme) “tHey’D sTIll pLaY TaMpA” isn’t really such a gotcha moment you want it to be because your ignoring the very real likely hood of standings movement over the course of the season or down the stretch. Which is now basically impossible, short of a nuclear bomb going off in the cities of Tampa Bay or Boston.

Players and even coaches might take these conference games differently if there were tangible standings implications on the line. That and the 2nd round reseeding goes a long way to making different paths in the ‘old format’.
I think it would be a more fun regular season too

All that being said, just win

it has nothing to do with a ''gotcha'' moment but if people are going to complain about the playoff format they should at least look at what the alternatives could be and this is the same team that lost to Mon/Col in what should have been easy matchups

also say we did win the division and got the Islanders , do actually believe we'd walk through them ? there a gritty team and Sorokin can easily be good enough to backstop them to 4 wins

 

[diceman934]

Leafs in 5

 

[Stephen]

Of course is matters. That's why COL has such good odds to win the cup, they're not that good but they have a much easier path to the final whereas in the East, only one of BOS/TB/TOR/CAR/NJ can make it.

The way I look at it, someone has to come out of the East. Someone has to win the Stanley Cup, and why not us?

All the handwringing about matchups and fairness in the standings. It misses the whole point of sports. And that is elite teams beating elite teams is what it’s all about. And if your elite team is winning it all, that is the pinnacle. So let’s win, enjoy how hard it will be and how sweet it will be.

All this other stuff is just f***ing sad.