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

[KapG]

Dunno if that’s the reason but the NHL really botched the scheduling for this series. Really bizarre decision making.

I mean I know it’s just Twitter but that’s the rumour floating around. The NhL is such a joke of a professional league that it wouldn’t at all surprise me if this is the actual reason for having the leafs play Sunday night.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

IMO the refs were a non-factor in the game. I thought Bennett should have been given a major for his charge elbow considering he left his feet and targeted the head, but otherwise they let a lot go both ways.

My favourite was when McCabe pushed Bennett and he basically leaped backwards and fell on his back, trying to draw a call lol. It was Pastrnak-esque. He learned from the best!

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I mean I know it’s just Twitter but that’s the rumour floating around. The NhL is such a joke of a professional league that it wouldn’t at all surprise me if this is the actual reason for having the leafs play Sunday night.

The reason is that the Panthers don't want to go head to head vs the Heat, and really the Heat run that arena so they get first dibs on scheduling. Sucks for us hockey fans but hard to argue with the Heat being a bigger fish than the Panthers. We will survive

 

[Rob Brown]

The reason is that the Panthers don't want to go head to head vs the Heat, and really the Heat run that arena so they get first dibs on scheduling. Sucks for us hockey fans but hard to argue with the Heat being a bigger fish than the Panthers. We will survive

The Heat don’t play in the same arena

 

[WetcoastOrca]

IMO the refs were a non-factor in the game. I thought Bennett should have been given a major for his charge elbow considering he left his feet and targeted the head, but otherwise they let a lot go both ways.

My favourite was when McCabe pushed Bennett and he basically leaped backwards and fell on his back, trying to draw a call lol. It was Pastrnak-esque. He learned from the best!

In your opinion as a Leafs fan the refs weren’t a factor when your team only got one penalty.
That’s big of you! Lol.

 

[IceManCat]

lmao remind me what happened last series in game 1 and what the result was of that series

Remind me what the result of game 1 against Boston was for the Panthers?

 

[The Management]

I dont think they were more disciplined, they just didnt get called for the stuff they were doing. It wasnt as bad as the Boston series, but it will be a factor to keep an eye on as the series progresses. Panthers need to stay out of the box, or at least have the calls evened out, in order to win the series.

Im not saying that the whole team is soft, but from watching them, the last few seasons I believe that throwing the body takes them off their game a bit, or at least some of your top end players. And when its the playoffs, and things are not as wide open as the regular season, that can take a toll on those players. Nylander for example, who is great offensively, is a bitch IMO, and I think the Leafs could fare better in games overall if he was a bit more willing to play the body.

Yeah, no argument here really. Nylander hasn't been great so far.

When he's at his worst he's not moving his skates and letting guys skate by him. Looks like he's coasting. When he's at his best, he's stealing pucks in the neutral zone and carrying them over the blueline. Didn't get the version we needed last night, but there's still a lot of hockey left to play.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Good game, penalties lopsided 5-1, but that happens sometimes. Probably more even next game.

 

[IceManCat]

The D of florida is heinous and held on for dear life. None of them can move the puck or break out under pressure at all.

This will be like the first round, where TO drops the first game but storms back and takes the series. After the first, FLA got dominated but capitalized on the couple of opportunities they had. Bob won't be able to stand on his head much longer. TO puck possession game just generates so many chances versus a weak defensive team.

A defense who's number 2 overall in scoring can't move the puck? A defense that includes a player with 73 on its backend, and two other ones with 40 pts. This defense can't move the puck?? LMAO stick to the Blue Jays pal.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Remind me what the result of game 1 against Boston was for the Panthers?

It's almost like... the series is far from over and making claims otherwise doesn't make any sense if you've followed the game for any length of time?

 

[IceManCat]

In this game he did. He was so-so against the Bruins.

That's because he hadn't played in a long time.

 

[Golden_Jet]

@HockeyVirus
Looks like your smack came back to bite you then. Here’s your post since you disappeared, only coming back if they win then despite the smack talk.

Really hoping the Leafs blow you guys out otherwise will be a long 48 hours the amount of smack I have talked. If we win the smack talk goes up to 15 tho

 

[DueDiligence]

Haters need to keep up appearances.

"Haters" ? Leafs are now the favourites to win the cup so calling them chokers if they lose to a panthers team which finished 19 points below them is not far off.

 

[Just Rude]

"Haters" ? Leafs are now the favourites to win the cup so calling them chokers if they lose to a panthers team which finished 19 points below them is not far off.

Really? I thought the Panthers were really good and just knocked off the best regular season team of all time?

Did the other team "choke"? Or are the Panthers really good?

Which one is it? Depends on the narrative?

 

[DueDiligence]

Imagine Bob goes full Tim Thomas

Bob hasn't been "him" for over 4 years since his Columbus days. But if he continues to play like he did in game one Leafs are in big trouble.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Just watched the highlights from Dangle's stream and saw that Matthews should have gotten an interference penalty for moving Bob's stick out of the crease o the play before RoR got high-sticked. You can't move a goalie's stick away from him if he loses it. It's a clear penalty that wasn't called and ended up w/ the Leafs getting a double PP.

24:58

Yep. I gotta be honest, I think the officials just really, really dislike Paul Maurice in general, and it bleeds over into how the games are called. I have no other explanation for a lot of what gets called and doesn't get called this season.

 

[DueDiligence]

Really? I thought the Panthers were really good and just knocked off the best regular season team of all time?

Did the other team "choke"? Or are the Panthers really good?

Which one is it? Depends on the narrative?

Well Leafs have zero excuses unlike the Bruins whose top 2 centres who both missed have their series and were barely functioning in the games they played.

 

[PostBradMalone]

Really? I thought the Panthers were really good and just knocked off the best regular season team of all time?

Did the other team "choke"? Or are the Panthers really good?

Which one is it? Depends on the narrative?

Nah that’s a fair point. According to the esteemed PHWA, the Leafs not only have the current MVP but a top three defensive forward in the game on their team. How is it NOT a choke if they fail to beat Florida?

 

[pb1300]

Yeah, no argument here really. Nylander hasn't been great so far.

When he's at his worst he's not moving his skates and letting guys skate by him. Looks like he's coasting. When he's at his best, he's stealing pucks in the neutral zone and carrying them over the blueline. Didn't get the version we needed last night, but there's still a lot of hockey left to play.

Of course there is, this series has a lot of twists and turns, and plot twists yet to come.

 

[Mathews28]

IMO the refs were a non-factor in the game. I thought Bennett should have been given a major for his charge elbow considering he left his feet and targeted the head, but otherwise they let a lot go both ways.

My favourite was when McCabe pushed Bennett and he basically leaped backwards and fell on his back, trying to draw a call lol. It was Pastrnak-esque. He learned from the best!

Oh, why take a shot at Pasta when the leafs have a Greg Louganis-quality diver in a bunting?

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

Bennett's slew foot on ROR where he got the double minor high-sticking was such a dangerous play. Just a concussion waiting to happen.

 

[Leonardo87]

Hey Folks,

I understand emotions are high but can we please refrain from talking about other fan bases as well as other members on the forum here, and focus on the series at hand. Appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I like that unlike the Lightning series, the other team just got up and kept playing hard rather than scrumming every clean hit.

I think this is such an important element to victory. When a team hyper-focuses on getting back at the other team or feeling sorry for themselves in the case of poor refereeing, it’s a quick way to derail. Short of ensuring nobody is being pushed around or targeted, teams have to stay focused on the only thing that matters - winning.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Let me rephrase that: I am sure that the Toronto Maple Leafs have many valid complaints about the officiating of a game in which they received a 4-1 advantage in on-ice power plays, despite spending the entire evening desperately clutching and grabbing and hooking at Matthew Tkachuk and interfering with Sergei Bobrovsky.

 

[Necrobutcher]

Is the leafs game actually on Sunday because the Florida owner has a horse in the f***ing kentucky derby?

Miami Heat are playing on saturday so maybe that has something to do with it.