Toggle sidebar

Eastern Conference playoff picture: Leafs HOST Tampa Bay

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Reader mode
Bluelines said:
As middling as Toronto has been over the last month, Tampa has been on a Torontoesque mediocre performance and that is with Vas in nets. I'd take pretty much any team but Boston, Carolina and Pitts. Boston because they have been on an extended heater, Carolina because they are just so balanced from top to bottom and Pitts because they feast on the Leafs.
Click to expand...
Tampa might be playing possum at present, coming off 2 straight Stanley Cups, and knowing what a 20+ game playoff marathon drive involves, may be taking their foot of the pedal at present and conserving their energy for the playoffs.

Tampa might not care where they finish in the Atlantic as as defending champs they fear no one.

While the other teams might burn themselves out down the stretch, jostling for position and emptying the tanks in the regular season, only to reach the playoff starting line spent.

Bluelines said:
Do you think Champs hide from a challenge? I don't think it's in Coopers DNA to intentionally play Meh! I'm no where near these guys in terms of skill and I'm so competitive that I play full contact no holds barred Scrabble with the wife, to the point she wont talk to me afterwards, because I take no prisoners'. Imagine being a pro athlete and how conditioned you are to compete. Maybe your right, I just can't conceive Cooper, Stammer, Kucherov. Vas, Hedmon, all intentionally tanking to rest.
Click to expand...

Not intentionally tanking, but not giving 110% effort every game and every shift and basically coasting into the playoffs knowing there is a lot of season left beyond the regular season..

The old Tortoise and the Hare moral of the story. Slow and steady wins the race so while other teams are sprinting down the regular season stretch, TB might be pacing themselves for another long playoff run based on experience of a long marathon ahead still.

There is likley no lack of confidence among Lightning players as to who they play, but it reminds of some famous Art of War quotes.

The Art of War ... Quotes

1648567911939.png


“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom your real intent.”

“If your enemy is secure, be prepared for him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant".
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Morbo
Bluelines said:
As middling as Toronto has been over the last month, Tampa has been on a Torontoesque mediocre performance and that is with Vas in nets. I'd take pretty much any team but Boston, Carolina and Pitts. Boston because they have been on an extended heater, Carolina because they are just so balanced from top to bottom and Pitts because they feast on the Leafs.
Click to expand...

They also aren't $20 million over the cap this year either, and they are slumping.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Confucius and Le Cobra
Tak7 said:
I can 100% guarantee we do not get swept if we go up against Tampa in the 1st round.
Click to expand...

you know this is the Leafs we are talking about right

the same team that put up a measly 6 total shots vs NJ, was up 3-1 in countless playoff series and gave it away...we are cursed. When that curse breaks watch out for lightning (no pun intended)

Leafs have a total of 13 cups. Lucky 13.

It is hard to believe that the Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the last year before the National Hockey League expanded from its original six teams to twelve teams

Before the expansion, Toronto had won 13 Stanley Cups, second to the Montreal Canadians’ 15 Stanley Cups.

Since the expansion, the Maple Leafs have not even made the Stanley Cup Finals and are the only “Original Six” team that has not won the Stanley Cup since the expansion in 1967.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Le Cobra said:
you know this is the Leafs we are talking about right

the same team that put up a measly 6 total shots vs NJ, was up 3-1 in countless playoff series and gave it away...we are cursed. When that curse breaks watch out for lightning (no pun intended)

Leafs have a total of 13 cups. Lucky 13.
Click to expand...

If you're so confident about this so-called curse, feel free to put a friendly wager on it.

My offer still stands.

$100, to a charity of the winner's choosing. They won't get swept.
 
You feel it in your bones. It is simply destiny.

Guess who's coming to dinner? Fire up the Boston baked beans. (Bruins at Tampa on Friday 4/8)

1649129074362.png
 
zeke said:
View attachment 528766


Since deadline....

View attachment 528767
Click to expand...

Who ever said that must be a hockey GENIUS... all the points in that post that that BLUE HOCKEY WIZZARD brought up were addressed and now the team is rolling.. that HOCKEY RAINMAN knows his hockey....

- They broke up the Nylander/Tavares line and both have been on fire since and much better defensively.

- They've added Blackwell, benched Simmonds and Spezza and have been interchanging the 4th line with various energy types. Now, they actually look like a line that deserves 5 min a night.

- They added a future HOF d-man to the bottom D pairing and now we have 3 very good parings.

Bravo whoever you are, you hockey prophet!
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: aingefan, Le Cobra and zeke
Leafs are 3rd in the NHL, they have the tiebreaker over Carolina.

Their reward? They get to play the hotter team of Boston or Tampa. :laugh:

The new format punishes the Leafs. I remember one year they finished 5th in the NHL, and their reward? Playing the 3rd place Boston Bruins.

The new format came in the worst time, the Atlantic is the most stacked division. If Buffalo gets it together, then it's really going to be horrendous, they need to change the format.

On the plus side, at least you can hardly debate the Atlantic being the best. 2 Atlantic teams in the Finals last year. Whatever team goes into WC1 probably wins the Metro also - so it would probably be an all Atlantic ECF.

I see some Rangers/Carolina posters are debating if it's worth winning the division because they know it's easier to play the 3rd seed in the Metro instead of the WC out of the Atlantic.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Pinto, Blowfish, Le Cobra and 2 others
Divine said:
Leafs are 4th in the NHL, they have the tiebreaker over Carolina.

Their reward? They get to play the hotter team of Boston or Tampa. :laugh:

The new format punishes the Leafs. I remember one year they finished 5th in the NHL, and their reward? Playing the 3rd place Boston Bruins.

The new format came in the worst time, the Atlantic is the most stacked division. If Buffalo gets it together, then it's really going to be horrendous, they need to change the format.

On the plus side, at least you can hardly debate the Atlantic being the best. 2 Atlantic teams in the Finals last year. Whatever team goes into WC1 probably wins the Metro also - so it would probably be an all Atlantic ECF.

I see some Rangers/Carolina posters are debating if it's worth winning the division because they know it's easier to play the 3rd seed in the Metro instead of the WC out of the Atlantic.
Click to expand...

Maybe if we beat the Bruins, should we face them as the higher seed, Jacobs will bitch and moan enough to get it changed back to 1-8 in the conferences. God knows Bettman doesn't give a f*** what anyone thinks north of the 49th parallel.
 
Divine said:
Leafs are 4th in the NHL, they have the tiebreaker over Carolina.

Their reward? They get to play the hotter team of Boston or Tampa. :laugh:

The new format punishes the Leafs. I remember one year they finished 5th in the NHL, and their reward? Playing the 3rd place Boston Bruins.

The new format came in the worst time, the Atlantic is the most stacked division. If Buffalo gets it together, then it's really going to be horrendous, they need to change the format.

On the plus side, at least you can hardly debate the Atlantic being the best. 2 Atlantic teams in the Finals last year. Whatever team goes into WC1 probably wins the Metro also - so it would probably be an all Atlantic ECF.

I see some Rangers/Carolina posters are debating if it's worth winning the division because they know it's easier to play the 3rd seed in the Metro instead of the WC out of the Atlantic.
Click to expand...

Leafs are 3rd.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Le Cobra
zeke said:
Leafs are 3rd.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I corrected it.

This is the only format where the 2nd and 3rd overall teams in the NHL could have to play each other in the first round.

In a 1v8 format, the Leafs would be playing Pittsburgh.

Even in the Pacific. If the Flames win the division, they get a harder matchup right now in Nashville. Meanwhile, the Oilers get an easier matchup for finishing 2nd and getting LA.

In a 1v8, Flames would get LA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zeke
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom