ECSF: Toronto Maple Leafs (A2) vs. Florida Panthers (WC2) ( Florida Leads 3-1 )

[Tuggy]

Took Leafs in 6 against Tampa...I think I'll go with that again. Although Leafs in 5 wouldn't shock me.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Tkachuk is about to annoy the f*** out of Leafs fans. Don't sleep on this Panthers team. Ive been saying it since they clinched the playoffs. They have been playing playoff hockey since January.

Leafs lose and I will be happy.

Panthers lose and we get 17th.

win/win for this upcoming series!

Is that true? Since they made it to the second round, I thought the pick would be lower?

 

[CashMash]

If it's not Edmonton, I hope the Panthers go on to win it all just because the team has so many Finns on it. Or Carolina.

 

[waitin425]

Is that true? Since they made it to the second round, I thought the pick would be lower?

Losers from first two rounds are place based on where they finish in the regular season. Conference final teams are place 29-32. Bruins (Now the Leafs pick) have locked in 28th place even though they were eliminated in 1st round.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Losers from first two rounds are place based on where they finish in the regular season. Conference final teams are place 29-32. Bruins (Now the Leafs pick) have locked in 28th place even though they were eliminated in 1st round.

Thank you.

 

[BobClarkesfrontteeth]

Am I the only one who thought Boston was going to lose the series to Florida
alot of people laughed when I said I had a gut feeling Florida was taking it

I thought that with about a month to go that if Florida gets in and plays Boston. Boston's coach concerned me all season long. They were playing really sloppy hockey. Lots of missed defensive assignments.
Too many players talking about how they like to play for him and he has them playing the way they want. Rookie coaches don't often win in the playoffs. Rookie player's coaches even less.
They were ripe for the picking.

Told my friends day before the playoffs Florida was going to beat them.

 

[AvroArrow]

I don't understand why the Leafs are a massive favorite (other than typical HF arrogance). Panthers just beat the greatest regular season team ever and you think they'll just be some pushover against an inferior team?

Because Leafs finished higher in the standings, are a better team on ice and on paper ? Not that hard to figure out. Panthers are a solid squad, they demonstrated that but not sure what you're confused about here

 

[goldnblack]

I took Leafs in 7, but by the time it goes 7 it can really go either way. Going to be a tough series.

I want Oilers vs Leafs cup final. The absolute mayhem of that is too much. But if not that, gimme Oilers vs Panthers final or Oilers vs Devils

 

[GKJ]

The leafs somehow go from being the team with the longest second round drought to playing a team with a longer conference final drought

 

[HockeyVirus]

so we're just all going to assume we're going to destroy Florida? that fired them up against Boston. I think it's a mistake to think this will be won easily. I get the feeling its going to as tough as the TB series

Every playoff series is going to be tough. I am just saying over 7 games, Leafs are the better team.

Not scared of the fired up Panthers.. They should be scared of the fired up leafs who see a path to the cup

 

[snag]

Man, I wouldn't want to play against either of them in that situation. Toronto energized by making history, Panthers by making a crazy comeback against the greatest teams ever assembled.

I think Florida takes it.

How did Toronto "make history"?

 

[Homesick]

Kind of a cringe comment - that's like saying we did what Florida wasn't able to do last year. We beat the team that swept them

Well by that logic; the team to knock off the Presidents Cup champ goes to the final.
Boston owned the Leafs this year and FLA has been playing desperation hockey for months now

 

[thusk]

In paper toronto is better everywhere

Offensive
Defensive
Depht
Goaltending

But it was also the case vs boston

But the biggest differenfe for me is goaltending under pressure. Samsonov showed in 1st round than he was now ready to handle pressure vs ulmark/swayman who just cost the serie when pressure became high.

I will say leafs in 5

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Now I'm actually excited for round 2. I think Florida is a better match up, but also and more importantly (for me anyway) a much more fun and interesting series to watch than Leafs v Bruins yet again. Should be interesting seeing Chucky go up against two former line mates (Marner in London, Matthews with the USNTDP).

 

[Rob Brown]

How did Toronto "make history"?

They broke a 19 year drought. Not necessarily 'history' in the context of the league, but it's a big event for the team.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Leafs need to win this series and show it wasn't a fluke. We played the Panthers a bunch down the stretch during their crazy run and the only reason those games were even close was Lyon was playing like a man possessed and it seems his mojo has left.

I am not scared of Bobrovski.. I am just not. Panthers D and goaltending are going to be EATEN ALIVE by the Leafs big guns.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I think this is going to be a much tougher series than the lopsided poll results show (and also Leaf fans outnumber Panthers fans on here so kind of unfair sample). I voted Leafs in 7. I think we can get it done but we have to bring more consistency than the Tampa series where we won despite sucking in 2 of the games.

 

[Sal Iaccuzzo]

How did Toronto "make history"?

Everything is history after it happens

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

This is going to be a really fun series.

Both groups are big and fast up front, and have some snarl on D.

 

[All Mod Cons]

The Panthers now have the largest fanbase in the NHL.

 

[speedyjyj]

Lets get the tangibles out of the way.

- The presidents trophy choke syndrome - been proven since the cap-era started
- Yes, statistically, getting to the finals in the NHL is difficult - been proven for decades
- The underdog monkey off-the-back teams that have found a way to win a series - it's been proven this season thus far in round one

Now for the intangibles:

- Father time doesn't always stand by your side - ask the bolts
- That extra 'gear' every player on every team needs to find
- The coaching decisions (or lack thereof) that can unravel a team's effort, no matter how hard they are committed - the Ullmark/Swayman topic
- Lousy refereeing - ask anyone but there's no solution
- Home ice advantage (leafs win 3 on the road?)

It comes down to each team 'finding' their way around their shortcomings, finding the 'luck' to win. The Bolts had a run on the Leafs for several periods and the Bruins were found sleeping during several more while the Cats worked their way out of the litter box.

While you can't throw the stats and metrics out the window, the intangibles never go away either. IF if were purely stats, I'd take the Leafs, but it isn't purely stats.

We now have a series of unlikely opponents and a lack of playoff history between them. I say the intangibles will rule the roost. Tough to call but I'm calling Leafs in 6 as I did over the Bolts.

Why? They've got a bigger fence to swing for; they seem to embrace the intangibles. They know their shortcomings and have 'seemingly' acknowledged them.

This series will define each team if they win but moreso the Leafs.

Gunna be a damned opportunistic series. Can't wait.

 

[banks]

Leafs in 6.

I probably should have picked 7, considering how the Panthers have been playing.

 

[NyQuil]

 

[Sharkbomb]

I love the hubris being displayed by Leafs fans here. If there is a sport where you don't want to face a low seed that has been on a late-season tear and playing for its life for at least a month it is hockey. This is also not a traditional low seed, but a team with a core that recently won a President's trophy and struggled to adapt to a new coach for a bit before it found its legs. This Panthers team feels more like an LA-Kings-ish low seed than a team like the Kraken or the 2019 Blue Jackets.

 

[Tarmore]

Why is Toronto favourite now.

Are you aware of the regular season standings by chance?