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

[Peasy]

The Leafs are favourites certainly. Your Regular season record vs Florida now means nothing, just ask Boston. Tkachuk should know how to best get under Marners skin then, probably has some juicy liners waiting just for him.

Seriously I hate the Leafs so I cheer for anyone they play other than Calgary, then I just wish for an earthquake to hit the arena.

But Tkachuk and Bennett will make you hate them before this is over, win or lose.

Best of luck, should be a good series.

Bro theres people youll end up hating on pretty much every team. Kucherov is a dirty pos and annoying to play against for that reason alone.

 

[Eat The Rich]

Bro theres people youll end up hating on pretty much every team. Kucherov is a dirty pos and annoying to play against for that reason alone.

Kucherov, Perry, Maroon.

This series it'll be Tkachuk, Gudas, maybe Bennett. Though with the last one on the list he's good for at least one minor penalty per game.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

My money is on the leafs but I'm still hoping Florida pulls this out.

 

[Makaveli]

any guesses on your teams opening night line up?
I am thinking
Bunting/Jarnkrok-Matthews-Marner
Knies-Tavares-Nylander
Jarnkrok/Bunting-ROR-Accairi
Kerfoot-Kampf-Lafferty>went with Lafferty over ZAR due to Lafferty's speed advantage

Rielly-Brodie
McCabe-Lilj
Gio-Schenn

Sammy
Woll

#Leafs in practice:
Knies-Matthews-Nylander
Jarnkrok-Tavares-Marner
Bunting-O’Reilly-Acciari
Aston-Reese-Kampf-Kerfoot

McCabe-Brodie
Rielly-Schenn
Giordano-Liljegren
Gustafsson-Holl

Samsonov
Woll
Murray

 

[Rude Dog]

I wanted the Oilers to draft him SO badly but we took Puljujarvi LOL. A classic Oiler move.

Well I have a funny feeling that you will hate Tkachuk by the end of the series. He has that effect on his opponents fan base.

Good friend of mine played for the Jets back in the day. Whenhe played in TO, we would all go out afterwards. For the record, Selanne and Teppo Numminen were top shelf human beings. In the not so amazing human being category was a Mr. Keith T Chuk. Let's just say I couldn't believe what he would say to people (especially half the population). Left you laughing and cringing like no other. If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I have a pretty good sense of what Matty may be like. Great player though.

Ironcially, the Leafs may have been one the reasons he left Calgary. I recall Muzzin shooting a puck at him and none of his teammates came to his defence. He was openly pretty upset about that and felt like the team didn't have his back.

 

[Telos]

Definitely on the Panthers bandwagon. It would be hilarious if they knock off both Boston and Toronto. I am for whatever outcome is most chaotically amusing

 

[Community]

Having watched all Tampa-Toronto games because they were on the offdays from Boston-Florida, I wouldn't really count Samsonov as an advantage in this series. Not that Panthers goalie situation is any better.

Bobrovsky is very hot/cold and could either be the MVP or the worst player for Florida IMO.

Having said that, it sounds like you're underestimating Samsonov quite a bit? After his first game, I believe somebody posted that he had a .919 sv% and on memory, he only really allowed ~2 bad goals the rest of the series while saving a lot of high danger saves.

I'm not saying that he's a guarantee, but he just did what no other Leafs goalie has done for quite a while which was to keep his team in the game instead of costing them at pivotal moments (despite mediocre stats). Everytime a goalie had a good series (Campbell in 21, Andersen a couple years prior), they ended up letting in back breaking stinkers in game 6/7s.

 

[D1az]

The thing with Bob is he is soft as hell mentally. When things don't go his way he folds. Who do the Panthers have to turn to if he does? Lyon is a 30 year old AHLer who had a good 10 games

I had to check if Dale Tallon was born i Toronto. Would have been a heck of a conspiracy theory and long term planning move, all in one, if he would have been.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Did they just forget Tkachuk, who also had 11 pts?

That's from before yesterday's games. They left out:

Tkachuck 11
Raantanen 10
Bertuzzi 10
Marchand 10

 

[HockeyVirus]

Definitely on the Panthers bandwagon. It would be hilarious if they knock off both Boston and Toronto. I am for whatever outcome is most chaotically amusing

Technically the most chaotic scenario is the Leafs easily defeating Panthers and whoever they meet in the ECF and then blowing the series in the finals to the Oilers after leading every game in the series or something

 

[Seras]

Good thing they are pretty good at getting the puck. Helps when you have physical specimens along the boards and a two way Selke center.

They will have to be while playing against the takeaway leader in the NHL this season

 

[Prominence Problem]

Since I was one of the few posters who said the Panthers would win in seven games against the Bruins, I feel like my vote might carry a little more weight to it.

I said Panthers in six this series.

 

[Eat The Rich]

Bobrovsky is very hot/cold and could either be the MVP or the worst player for Florida IMO.

Having said that, it sounds like you're underestimating Samsonov quite a bit? After his first game, I believe somebody posted that he had a .919 sv% and on memory, he only really allowed ~2 bad goals the rest of the series while saving a lot of high danger saves.

I'm not saying that he's a guarantee, but he just did what no other Leafs goalie has done for quite a while which was to keep his team in the game instead of costing them at pivotal moments (despite mediocre stats). Everytime a goalie had a good series (Campbell in 21, Andersen a couple years prior), they ended up letting in back breaking stinkers in game 6/7s.

Yes, outside of game 1 he put up a .919 SV% and ~2.42 GAA

By comparison, outside of game 2, Vasilevskiy put up .870SV% and ~2.92 GAA

 

[Arthur Morgan]

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.

I wish I could like things again I got way too many replies that would be fine with just a Like but I went on a rant few weeks ago lol.

Im not scared of Bob either or Florida. I think we can beat them but I think we will have to be good and have a few bounces go our way. Florida is a great team and got hot at the right time.

both teams havent made it through the 2nd round in atleast 20 years so both will likely look to end that. Florida also with extra motivation after being swept in the 2nd round last year.
Hope our boys are ready

 

[93gilmour93]

Since I was one of the few posters who said the Panthers would win in seven games against the Bruins, I feel like my vote might carry a little more weight to it.

I said Panthers in six this series.

So you will be 1 for 2 after this round. 50% isn’t that bad

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Remember when you said Tampa or Toronto would get swept by the Bruins. You're really good at this predictions thing!

Jimmy doesnt bring logic to his opinions very often, especially if Toronto is part of it.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I wish I could like things again I got way too many replies that would be fine with just a Like but I went on a rant few weeks ago lol.

Im not scared of Bob either or Florida. I think we can beat them but I think we will have to be good and have a few bounces go our way. Florida is a great team and got hot at the right time.

both teams havent made it through the 2nd round in atleast 20 years so both will likely look to end that. Florida also with extra motivation after being swept in the 2nd round last year.
Hope our boys are ready

I also miss my like button lol. So please consider this comment a like.

Leaf fans have a lot to be confident about right now. Maybe our best chance at a cup in my lifetime

 

[AvroArrow]

Since I was one of the few posters who said the Panthers would win in seven games against the Bruins, I feel like my vote might carry a little more weight to it.

I said Panthers in six this series.

Won't argue with anyone picking the Panthers in this series, they knocked off the best team in hockey. They can beat anyone. Should be a fun one.

 

[Jmo89]

It's going to be a tough series.

Florida was a way better team than Boston

Agreed. Florida didn't change enough to go from 122 points last year to 92 points this year imo. It was an off year. They're much better than their regular season record, as proven by them beating Boston.

 

[Rude Dog]

Since I was one of the few posters who said the Panthers would win in seven games against the Bruins, I feel like my vote might carry a little more weight to it.

I said Panthers in six this series.

Nah. Carries no weight.

 

[Peasy]

Kucherov, Perry, Maroon.

This series it'll be Tkachuk, Gudas, maybe Bennett. Though with the last one on the list he's good for at least one minor penalty per game.

Funnily enough, the big bad that Tampa brought in didnt annoy me one bit. Hell I was more annoyed when Tampa decided to scratch him.

But yeah, I'm sure Tkachuk, Gudas and Bennett will be hella annoying, but its nothing the Leafs haven't had to deal with in the past.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I also miss my like button lol. So please consider this comment a like.

Leaf fans have a lot to be confident about right now. Maybe our best chance at a cup in my lifetime

I dunno how I feel about that. I always thought very highly of the Toronto teams of the early 00's especially the year we got Leetch but lost to Philly
im excited to see how this turns out I think we got a legit chance to win but cant assume we will win. Florida is a team that can make us pay for mistakes very quickly.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Dating myself here, but a good friend of mine played for the Jets back in the day. Every time he would come to town, we would all go out with the team in TO afterwards. For the record, Selanne and Teppo Numminen were top shelf human beings. In the not so amazing human being category was a Mr. Keith T Chuk. No chance I give details, but the things he would say to people (especially half the population) left you laughing and cringing like no other. If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I have a pretty good sense of what Matty may be like. Those guys are tough to find.

Ironcially, the Leafs may have been one the reasons he decided to leave Calgary. I recall Muzzin shooting a puck at him and none of his teammates came to his defence. He was openly pretty upset about that and felt like the team didn't have his back.

Muezzin flipped a puck at him. He threw a tantrum like a three year old. I suspect his teammates were embarrassed

 

[Golden_Jet]

Murray not ready to play the backup role yet?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Murray not ready to play the backup role yet?

Probably is - wonder if he eventually comes back in BU capacity. Allowing Woll into the AHL playoffs.