If the Leafs play Tampa, Clifford and Simmonds shouldn't see the lineup. Tampa will play physical and the Leafs will get pushed around regardless, those two aren't deterring shit while also being huge liabilities out there.
Eastern Conference playoff picture: Leafs HOST Tampa Bay
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If the Leafs play Tampa, Clifford and Simmonds shouldn't see the lineup. Tampa will play physical and the Leafs will get pushed around regardless, those two aren't deterring shit while also being huge liabilities out there.
riffle
Registered User
The projection never stops. I saw the permutations and was very concerned they would come to pass. Very close to happening. Glad it didn't. The Wings game would've been horribly uncomfortable. Now, if we lose that one in regulation, Boston will then become what both Detroit and Boston would've been with a regulation loss last night.
Perhaps, I'll still get to see what I'm "cheering" for?
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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People typically don’t suffer from stage fright when there isn’t an audience. But it sounds like you have first hand experience what the pressure of playoff hockey are crowd or no crowd so I’ll defer to you on this one.
They were two evenly matched teams that played a relatively even series. That doesn't suggest the team was too busy playing around in the other locker room to adequately prepare.
It's an embarrassingly bad take and you know it.
And no, effort and coaching aren't the only two factors for playing below expectations-especially after an unprecedented break coming into playoffs.
Nobody said they suffered from "stage fright", and for the record, just because there wasn't a live audience doesn't mean there wasn't an audience. You think nobody watched or cared about that playoff series? Then why are we talking about it 2 years later?
I haven't seen anybody subscribe to this narrative. The "pressure to win" they were facing was only brought up as one of the many counters to this idea that the Leafs looked down upon this team that equaled them in the standings, and didn't bother to prepare or try like everybody else. A claim suggesting something incredibly abnormal that you have spread with absolutely zero evidence.
Tufted Titmouse
13 Cups.
- Apr 5, 2022
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Agreed. PLay the fastest, most tenacious lineup and put as much pressure on Ruuta, Cernak and Foote as possible.
We're going to lose the physicality battle, it's just a fact we have to accept. We got to 3rd in pts% by having a relentless forecheck and strong backcheck, not from body checks.
Brobust
Registered User
- Sep 29, 2017
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4th line should be Blackwell - Kampf - Kase, but I don't know if Keefe will sit Simmonds. He's given way too much opportunity, IMO.
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Just saw the remaining schedule for the Bolts and Bruins. I don't think it's realistic for the Bruins to catch them.
Even with home ice advantage, Keefe needs to prepare the team with the mindset of being the underdog, because in reality we will be.
This team has demonstrated the ability to elevate their game against all of the best teams in the league. If Campbell can be at his absolute best, we have a chance.
Even with home ice advantage, Keefe needs to prepare the team with the mindset of being the underdog, because in reality we will be.
This team has demonstrated the ability to elevate their game against all of the best teams in the league. If Campbell can be at his absolute best, we have a chance.
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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A quick search would tell you the Leafs were heavily favoured to win this series. What’s next, Montreal was the favourite in 2021?
Yup. The ship has sailed to get some physicality and toughness into the line-up, the time for that was last off-season or at the very latest the trade deadline. This team needs some tougher top 6 forwards in the mold of Brayden Schenn or Tom Wilson, or at the very least some bottom 6 forwards who are tough yet can actually play like Sammy Blais or Barclay Goodrow. Until that happens this team can't be taken seriously.
At this point yea, best case scenario is play the best players they've got. That kind of lineup doesn't win in the playoffs but its their best shot given how the roster is currently constructed.
No argument here. I'd still like to see Nylander on his "own" line and Blackwell with him or Tavares, but agreed on Simmonds.
Wayner will play because Maroon does not want to trade with him .. it takes Maroon off his game while he avoids Wayner on ice .. if Wayner catches him then he just talks to him and tries to hold him off from unloading during fight .. Cliffy is getting beat up in fights recently so doubt he plays as he just does not scare anyone anymore .. it is always best when toughest guy on ice sits on your bench .. it changes how game gets played even if he doesn't play much because everyone knows da score
If this team is playing Simmonds for the sole purpose of getting the opposing team's 4th liner rattled, then this coaching and management group is somehow even stupider than I originally thought
Mess
Global Moderator
Or as legendary HHOF coach Scotty Bowman would say "Good teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense .... " because "Defense wins Championships". Easy for him to say he had Ken Dryden in net and Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe on defense when winning 4 Stanley Cups in a row.
No better way to prove your point then watch #18OV and lowest ranked playoff qualifying team Montreal Canadiens go all the way to the Stanley Cup finals because Carey Price simply outgoalied the competition. Take Carey Price away from Montreal and find then at the bottom of the NHL standings now. Probably why Montreal is paying Carey Price $10.5 mil the 9th highest Cap the nearly what Leafs are paying JT or Marner.
TB's goalie Vasilevskiy the Conn Smythe winner makes $9.5 mil, because goaltending is the key and makes more than his high scoring teammates, and Florida the team competing for the President's trophy in goalie Bob $10 mil per and his 39 wins on season leads all goalies.
Our current Leafs are built the exact opposite with the majority of the Cap $$ spent on building on high scoring forwards down , with the so called tandem goaltending of Campbell and Mrazek & now Kallgren the weakest link and exposes the team most if "outgoalied in each round is the #1 determining factor.
The stats show our Leafs are built and coached to outscore their mistakes and breakdowns, or they will be outgoalied, unless Jack Campbell defies all the preexisting stats currently in evidence. since apparently by some the coaches system, strategy and ability to have his team compete and prepared at a high level and defend at one are irrelevant to such discussions.
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It is not that simple in game of pro hockey .. if Wayner does not dress then Maroon can roam around da ice and unload on all our skill guys especially Rielly .. da last thing we need is Maroon to rock Rielly into da glass and he is out with da concussion early .. boom series over before it even starts .. like I said it is always best to have strongest guy on your bench it acts as best deterrent you can have in playoffs
...now search the standings and reflect on the series. Seems evenly matched, no?
Montreal is a different story - not sure what that has to do with your original claim. Did they ignore those game tapes because they were sitting in thr wrong locker room too?
Tufted Titmouse
13 Cups.
- Apr 5, 2022
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I'm not sure why people are questioning if teams get goalied or not; there is no sport I can think of where luck plays as great role (maybe football if only because it's 1 round elimination). Hockey has a long history of goalies stealing series when their team had no business doing so.
The Bruins won a Cup behind one of the best goalie performances we've ever seen in the playoffs. Without a legendary performance by Thomas, they are sitting here right beside us with long Cup droughts.
The good news for Toronto is that getting goalied is much harder to do when you have scoring depth. I really like our scoring depth, and I've never said that in any other recent playoff run. Liljegren and Giordano both add some heat from the back end.
The Bruins won a Cup behind one of the best goalie performances we've ever seen in the playoffs. Without a legendary performance by Thomas, they are sitting here right beside us with long Cup droughts.
The good news for Toronto is that getting goalied is much harder to do when you have scoring depth. I really like our scoring depth, and I've never said that in any other recent playoff run. Liljegren and Giordano both add some heat from the back end.
No real reason to expect that the Leafs will get pushed around by Tampa.
Martin Skoula
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 12,526
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You don't think Maroon is willing to eat a couple punches from Simmonds to help his team threepeat and make him a legend?
It's more than luck in many cases, but there's definitely some stretching of what actually occurred to fit a pretty shitty narrative
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The Leafs got pushed around by Montreal last year and the BJ's the year before. Tampa is arguably the team with the best physicality to skill ratio in the league. As long as Marner and Nylander and even Tavares are the core this team will get pushed around, its even worse when they're still surrounded by smurfs.
We're also still waiting for Matthews to truly "take over" a series the way other greats have.
As a former fighter I could tell da way he handled da Wayner fight last game he was holding him to avoid taking a shot .. he could have chosen to exchange but he passed .. probably a smart move from his point of view why get knocked out and lose .. once your team mates know other guy is da king of jungle it changes da way they play too
I say this with the utmost respect for fighters, ya'll play a huge and often under-appreciated role.
That said, the bolded explains so much about your posts
Le Cobra
Rent A Goalie
the main reason NJ kept winning was bc of Brodeur, the reason Detroit won was because of Hasek. Reason Colorado won was Roy. The Stars won once bc of Belfour outdueling Hasek and Roy. Goaltending is the NUMERO UNO reason teams win Cups.
Good thing we have Campbell, a playoffs proven goalie. Question is, was last year a fluke?Can he reproduce his under 2.00 GAA and stellar save % of above .930? I hope so. Against a team like TB thats a tall order.
I originally predicted we would be swept by Tampa. Seeing the way Matthews and Marner are this season and how they have both matured, I change my mind. I think we will still lose, but we will not get swept.
Realistically, Tampa wins in 5 or 6.
The Leaf fan in me says we win in dramatic fashion in 7, breaking the game 7 curse of what feels like the last 10 years of losing game sevens to Boston, CBJ, Montreal, Washington, whoever.
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If you have endurance you hold and keep distance. Then you show mercy later.
Not really much to discuss here if you really think the Leafs were pushed around Montreal; they were not. Montreals physicality had no material impact on how that series ended.
Also the Leafs now aren’t even the same as they were last year. They’ve been a top 10 team in physicality since the Lyubushkin acquisition. Gio added to that. The hitting from those 2 have had a clear impact on this team’s willingness to throw the body. And I expect they’ll ramp up a bit just like the other teams when the playoffs begin
And beyond that, sometimes having a lot of physical play and hits is just an indication you didn’t have the puck enough
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