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

[Golden_Jet]

Rielly on his poor year is 5x the defensemen Montour is

Spoiler for the Florida fans: Tkachuk isn't going to keep shooting at 23%.

No Reilly is good at carrying the puck, not at defending. That’s from your own forum.

 

[Dotter]

Best is a matter of perspective. Florida eliminated the best regular season team this year, Toronto eliminated the best playoff team the past 3. Up to each individual to decide what they feel is more meaningful

Yup 3 years. Nothing to play for and out of gas. That Tampa playoff team wasn't the same team as yrs past.

Boston have proven winners. You can't discount that amazing 135 point season. They were hands down the best team. Bruins aren't PO chokers like other teams of recent times. The upset Panthers just pulled off is nothing less than astounding.

I have a feeling this next series is going to be just as spectacular. With possible riots and people losing jobs at the end. It's going to be glorious for a well deserving team. I'm not betting against the Cinderella team after what they just accomplished.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Same could be said for the Tampa Toronto series. Tampa dominated most of the play.

Leafs also just had a massive emotional weight off taken off their shoulders. Will it propel them, or are they going to have a letdown? Same question as the Panthers.

People are focusing on the Leafs progression over the last few years and treating Florida as this upstart just happy to be there, but their core has been building towards this as well.

19/20 - Lost in play-in round
20/21 - Lost in first round
21/22 - Won President's trophy but lost in second round
22/23 - ?

Maybe the Leafs have struck the right mix to win in the playoffs. But maybe the Panthers have as well, after the bad taste that last year left in their mouths.

 

[IPS]

No Reilly is good at carrying the puck, not at defending. That’s from your own forum.

You don't read the Leafs forum when they're winning, so you don't know anything.

The board was pretty unanimous about how well Rielly is defending these playoffs. It was the regular season where he got the criticism.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Rielly on his poor year is 5x the defensemen Montour is

Spoiler for the Florida fans: Tkachuk isn't going to keep shooting at 23%.

Oh... will Morgan Rielly keep shooting at 25%? And Matthews at 23%? Tavares at 20%? Probably not?

Matthews shot 12.2% this year. Tkachuk shot 12.4%.

Seems like they're both due for some regression.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I’m just glad to see something different in terms of teams.

 

[stealth1]

Panthers in 6. The Leafs were outplayed a lot in the Tampa series was lucky to win 3 OT games. I don't think the Leafs can match the physicality of the Panthers.

 

[IPS]

Oh... will Morgan Rielly keep shooting at 25%? And Matthews at 23%? Tavares at 20%? Probably not?

And I don't think it's accurate to call them any of them the best forward in the series based on the 1st round sample size.

New series, new game. Tkachuk's body of work is behind Matthews and Marner's, and it's not much of a debate.

 

[Dotter]

Panthers in 6. The Leafs were outplayed a lot in the Tampa series was lucky to win 3 OT games. I don't think the Leafs can match the physicality of the Panthers.

That's what I am thinking. They are going to fold like a beach chair.

 

[DaveMatthew]

And I don't think it's accurate to call them any of them the best forward in the series based on the 1st round sample size.

New series, new game. Tkachuk's body of work is behind Matthews and Marner's, and it's not much of a debate.

Last 2-year sample size. Tkachuk has averaged more points per game than both Matthews and Marner. Matthews/Tkachuk is a pretty good debate. Tkachuk is above Marner, though.

 

[IPS]

Last 2-year sample size. Tkachuk has averaged more points per game than both Matthews and Marner.

I won't take away from his offense, he's great offensively but defensively he's very suspect and he benefited a lot from that whacky all-offense Florida scoring system.

Florida does have some fantastic offensive guns but it doesn't look like a very complete team to me. I'll confess I haven't watched a heck of a lot of Montour but you rating him as the best D in the series seems way off base to me. We'll see what he's about come game time.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I won't take away from his offense, he's great offensively but defensively he's very suspect and he benefited a lot from that whacky all-offense Florida scoring system.

Florida does have some fantastic offensive guns but it doesn't look like a very complete team to me. I'll confess I haven't watched a heck of a lot of Montour but you rating him as the best D in the series seems way off base to me. We'll see what he's about come game time.

Might not look like a complete team to you, but they just beat the most complete team in decades.

 

[34]

The leafs are going to have to play much better than they did versus Tampa in the first round. They had some puck luck and the bounces went their way in OT. The Panthers are going to play them much harder I am guessing. On thing also, the Leafs have not shown anywhere near to their best, so it might be a real powerhouse Maple Leafs team that shows up in round 2 against the Panthers.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Rookie of the year? Lol cool?

Matthews had an outstanding year last year. This year, Tkachuk has been better. In terms of who's a better player right now, it's an argument. I'd take Tkachuk.

Why lol at Rookie of the year? It's part of his resume why wouldn't I bring it up? Point is Tkachuk has done of the things, Matthews has done, but Matthews has done everything Tkachuk has done and more.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

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.

Daddy T always struck me as being a prick. Matty we all know is one lol. I remember the game where that happened and the Flames players wanted nothing to do with helping MT out. Lucic and/or Gio said they were tired of his antics happening every single game. That was indeed the beginning of the end of his time in Calgary so a big THANK YOU to Jake Muzzin.

Would have been better had he hit him with the puck though.

Good luck to you guys, going to be a great series. If my preseason prediction happens to come through we will see you in the Final!

 

[DaveMatthew]

Why lol at Rookie of the year? It's part of his resume why wouldn't I bring it up? Point is Tkachuk has done of the things, Matthews has done, but Matthews has done everything Tkachuk has done and more.

Winning rookie of the year has zero bearing on who the best player, right now, is heading into this series. Aaron Ekblad won rookie of the year. Who cares?

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

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.

There’s a very special hatred reserved for the likes of Matt Tkachuk. I’m sure you guys will find it.

Agree with Kucherov. Can’t stand him either.

 

[Stubu]

Leafs in 6. Can't believe this is the timeline we're living in with Leafs vs Panthers.

The timeline we live in probably affects things. Not to point out the bi-cultural Barkov, and not to get into world politics in Europe, but...

Not to say Leafs aren't a uniquely balanced team this time around.

Way to say nothing, huh? lol

 

[Dotter]

Might not look like a complete team to you, but they just beat the most complete team in decades.

That begs the question what does Toronto have that Bruins didn't. Panthers just beat the most complete and best NHL team in history.

I have a feeling Cats are going to put on another spectacular show. How couldn't they after what they just did to Boston?

 

[HabzSauce]

Will be a helluva match. Leafs in 6 but it will be close. Tkachuk faces his former mates in Brodie and Giordano. Leafs are going to the cup final this year.

Leafs only threat in the east is NYR because of sheshertkin. No other teams left have grade A goaltending and we all know that a hot goalie can take down an entire team all by himself.

 

[violaswallet]

The leafs are going to have to play much better than they did versus Tampa in the first round. They had some puck luck and the bounces went their way in OT. The Panthers are going to play them much harder I am guessing. On thing also, the Leafs have not shown anywhere near to their best, so it might be a real powerhouse Maple Leafs team that shows up in round 2 against the Panthers.

It should be a great series: I fear Toronto more than Boston in as far as what I saw in the regular season. Toronto plays us well

The x-factor I think is Bennett for Florida.: he only played in one regular season game against the Leafs--that first one with the horrendous reffing that the Leafs won in OT.

The x-factor for Toronto I think is Reilly: can he continue his insane first round? If so, the Panthers need to be very very worried of him

 

[Steve]

I think people are sleeping on Florida. Series could go either way but people seem to be discounting the Panthers.

 

[leafsfan5]

That begs the question what does Toronto have that Bruins didn't. Panthers just beat the most complete and best NHL team in history.

I have a feeling Cats are going to put on another spectacular show. How couldn't they after what they just did to Boston?

Well for one Toronto has players playing like superstars, Boston was running Pasta + old Marchand and Bergeron as their big guys

Toronto is running prime Matthews, Marner and Nylander. Overall there are 4 PPG players and a conn-smythe winner on the 3rd liner who is one of the best playoff performers in the world (he's above PPG so far). Boston can't match that

 

[authentic]

Yup 3 years. Nothing to play for and out of gas. That Tampa playoff team wasn't the same team as yrs past.

Boston have proven winners. You can't discount that amazing 135 point season. They were hands down the best team. Bruins aren't PO chokers like other teams of recent times. The upset Panthers just pulled off is nothing less than astounding.

I have a feeling this next series is going to be just as spectacular. With possible riots and people losing jobs at the end. It's going to be glorious for a well deserving team. I'm not betting against the Cinderella team after what they just accomplished.

Their top two centers and starting goaltender were injured. You also clearly didn't watch the Tampa and Toronto series, where Tampa looked like a far better team than Boston did.

 

[x Tame Impala]

All systems go for Toronto. If they're ever going to make a run this is the year. They finally got over their hump and the two big demons in the East are gone. If they can't beat Florida it's safe to say this core doesn't have it and the rebuild was a failure. I think they pull out in in 6 games.

The Leafs and Oilers will be in the Final Four IMO