Series Talk: ECSF: (A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (A3) Florida Panthers (Series Tied 2-2)

[Strangle]

I don't remember what the exact price was (but it was similar), but that sounds pretty similar to a promotional ticket package the Coyotes regularly had, but I don't think it was available for games when the visiting team was one of the popular ones. It was also soda instead of beer, I do remember that much. Come to think of it I think it was actually $99, and it got you four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas. Don't know where the seats were, but obviously they would have been somewhere in the upper bowl, presumably in the ends. The single-game price for a ticket in those sections was normally $25. As for parking, at the time I remember those packages being available, I'm pretty sure it coincided with the years where the Coyotes did not charge for parking anyway.

I never bought one of those packages, even though they were a pretty good deal. The reason I never did is that it was a struggle to find people who wanted to go to the game with me, primarily because the people I knew who were hockey fans usually were already going to the game anyway, and I also had full season tickets myself. Although, if I had ever actually found three other people who wanted to go in on one of those packages with me, I'd have gladly sold off my usual seat, which most of the time would have covered my portion of splitting the cost.

I would be an annually season ticket holder for those prices!

Parking in Toronto is $25-$50 depending on where you choose to park

 

[Summer Rose]

Check it out, I woke up this morning and there are a bunch of Blue Jays all over my yard which is not typical at all whatsoever. Yesterday I saw an injured cat limping through my yard and I think if you put those two things together it equals the FACT that Leafs are going to win this series.

THESE ARE THE FACTS AND THEY ARE UNDISPUTED

Blue Jays all over your yard, eh? Is your yard the Rogers Centre?

 

[flyingfingers]

I’ll bet anybody on this forum that wants it, that Knies will beat Bennett down if they fight.

Playoff aren’t about fights. They’re about hits, goals and wins.

Bennett has proven he provides those. No one on the Leafs has.

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Isn’t this the same thing the Leafs did, except they got a couple extra screened/tipped shots? Lot of gameplay where they generated nothing over that series. Especially that top line with Matthews.

Why should Florida be afraid of them if an average and insexperienced team like Ottawa took them to 6 games with 3OTs?

The Leafs were hitting posts, and got the puck behind Ullmark almost a dozen times without it trickling in.

They held Ottawa to almost nothing

 

[X66]

I give him a lot of credit, he was able to keep Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio off the scoresheet (although they generated more scoring chances for than his line did), and he was even able to score one 5v5 goal in the six games!

That’s a big performance for Auston Matthews.

The thing that concerns me going into this round is that he’ll be playing against much better players…

Matthews at 60%

7 points

5-0 battle of Ontario.

Let’s go!

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Matthews at 60%

7 points

5-0 battle of Ontario.

Let’s go!

Exactly! And we were told Amadio and Pinto would own us.

Knies knocked them over and laughed about it

 

[Summer Rose]

I would be an annually season ticket holder for those prices!

Parking in Toronto is $25-$50 depending on where you choose to park

Full season was steep discount over the single-game price in Arizona. I paid $23 per game in a section that would have been $40 (sometimes jacked up to $45 for popular opponents) for a single game.

I once tried to research what kind of discount each team in the league gave you for the full season compared to what the single-game price was for the same price point. That was back before the Knights or Kraken existed. I don't recall off hand what I found out, but you can probably accurately guess what the results were.

 

[flyingfingers]

The Leafs were hitting posts, and got the puck behind Ullmark almost a dozen times without it trickling in.

They held Ottawa to almost nothing

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

 

[MCR74]

Exactly! And we were told Amadio and Pinto would own us.

Knies knocked them over and laughed about it

Great screen name!

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

They sure did!

When they were down by 2+ goals.

We all know how to check/read advanced stats. Cherry picking them won’t help you.

 

[flyingfingers]

The Leafs were hitting posts, and got the puck behind Ullmark almost a dozen times without it trickling in.

They held Ottawa to almost nothing

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

Toronto won because they had a better defense that blocked a ton of shots and got better goaltending.

Their top offensive players, though, were pretty poor in terms of driving play, just like in previous playoffs.

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

Toronto won because they had a better defense that blocked a ton of shots and got better goaltending.

Their top offensive players, though, were pretty poor in terms of driving play, just like in previous playoffs.

Again, incorrect. I’ll once again state that we all have access to the same stats, you just choose to use the ones to fit your narrative.

The Leafs play that style when they have the lead. Otherwise when tied or trailing (outside of one game) the leafs out chanced them. It worked. One team is moving on, and it’s not the team that gets a few minor chances when they’re down by 2+ goals.

 

[Rob Brown]

Bobby Ryan's best playoff run with the Senators: 6 goals, 15 points
Auston Matthews' best playoff run with the Leafs: 5 goals, 11 points

 

[Rob Brown]

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

Toronto won because they had a better defense that blocked a ton of shots and got better goaltending.

Their top offensive players, though, were pretty poor in terms of driving play, just like in previous playoffs.

Nylander, Marner, and Matthews were all over PPG in Round 1. Only Tkachuk was on the Sens side.

And yes, the classic 'your team only won because you were better in 2 out of 3 of the positions'. Good take.

 

[Ignatius]

Blue Jays all over your yard, eh? Is your yard the Rogers Centre?

If panthers, marlins, or dolphins start showing up in my yard only then will I begin getting worried about this series. Until then THE PARADE IS STILL ON

 

[93gilmour93]

Their top offensive players, though, were pretty poor in terms of driving play, just like in previous playoffs.

Top players except for game 5 were fine.

 

[The Podium]

Ottawa generated more scoring chances in that series than Toronto. Pinto was on the ice for more scoring chances for than Matthews.

Toronto won because they had a better defense that blocked a ton of shots and got better goaltending.

Their top offensive players, though, were pretty poor in terms of driving play, just like in previous playoffs.

The series really wasn’t all that close.

The leafs dominated games 1 and 6, 2-4 were close but ultimately the leafs controlled play when score effect wasn’t a factor. They were 1 post away from sweeping ffs. Game 5 and the ensuing media meltdown and opportunistic bukkake by Sens fans and Leafs haters is the only thing that gave the illusion of a close series.

Matthews wiped the floor with the Sens on the draw, didn’t have a 5on5 GA outside of game 5, had 7 points in 5 games all while playing injured.

Matthews essentially transformed his game by playing like Barkov or Kopitar while not being at his best offensively yet will not get credit for that because he isn’t doing what he does best.

 

[AcerComputer]

Leafs squeaked by a team that was just happy to be there, this is a different animal with the Panthers

maybe winning a round will allow the Leafs to relax and play their game...but this will be a physical test

Panthers in 6

Going up 3-0 and OTT getting very lucky in game 4 to avoid a sweep is not sqeeking by. OTT finished the regular season with 1 less point that then FLA. Are the Leafs going to lose to FLA. Yes. But not because they didn't Sweep OTT.

 

[93gilmour93]

The series really wasn’t all that close.

The leafs dominated games 1 and 6, 2-4 were close but ultimately the leafs controlled play when score effect wasn’t a factor. They were 1 post away from sweeping ffs. Game 5 and the ensuing media meltdown and opportunistic bukkake by Sens fans and Leafs haters are the only thing that gave the illusion of a close series.

Matthews wiped the floor with the Sens on the draw, didn’t have a 5on5 GA outside of game 5, had 7 points in 5 games all while playing injured.

Matthews essentially transformed his game by playing like Barkov or Kopitar while not being at his best offensively yet will not get credit for that because he isn’t doing what he does best.

 

[Summer Rose]

If panthers, marlins, or dolphins start showing up in my yard only then will I begin getting worried about this series. Until then THE PARADE IS STILL ON

You forgot the Heat. Is the temperature slowly rising in your yard?

 

[Leonardo87]

If panthers, marlins, or dolphins start showing up in my yard only then will I begin getting worried about this series. Until then THE PARADE IS STILL ON

Fins Up!

 

[Madap]

Sens fans actually ripping on Matthews and saying he’s not a top 10 player lol.

Hes been hurt since last years playoffs.

This was Matthews at 60% and he still owned his minutes, played in every situation and put up 7 points in 6 games.

Sens fans were cheering “Let’s go Panthers” on the way out of their own arena lol. Wouldn’t worry about what they have say

 

[Strangle]

Sens fans were cheering “Let’s go Panthers” on the way out of their own arena lol. Wouldn’t worry about what they have say

Sens fans so desperate for their team to feel relevant that they will hitch their wagon to just about anybody

Pretty sure they hate the leafs more than they like their own team

 

[MCR74]

Sens fans were cheering “Let’s go Panthers” on the way out of their own arena lol. Wouldn’t worry about what they have say

At least they'll be able to watch their captain in the second round, cheering on and living vicariously through his brother in Florida.

 

[Strangle]

Isn’t this the same thing the Leafs did, except they got a couple extra screened/tipped shots? Lot of gameplay where they generated nothing over that series. Especially that top line with Matthews.

Why should Florida be afraid of them if an average and insexperienced team like Ottawa took them to 6 games with 3OTs?

A teenaged leafs core took a president trophy winning, onthe cusp of Stanley cup winnning capitals team to 6 games with multiple OT’s.

We thought that meant we were on our way to greatness shortly as well. So I know where you heart is at right now.

But the reality turned out to be the leafs struggled until 2023 to put a team away, after many, many heartbreaks the fans went from thinking there was a lot of success coming to burning leaf jerseys before series were even over.

Look hard enough and you can see videos of leaf fans burning jerseys after game 5 of this series.

Might want to keep that in mind while you’re celebrating your moral victories.

Congrats on making the playoffs this year. It never gets easier. Especially when you share the same division as Toronto, Tampa, Florida and Boston.

You’ll have to surpass at least 3 of those teams and stay ahead of Montreal who is fast on the rise.

Temper your expectations, you won 2 playoff games in 7 or 8 years.