Pre-Game Talk: Florida @ Toronto - Game 1 - Monday 8pm

[PromisedLand]

 

[Stephen]

Does anyone think that Nick Robertoson will be added to the lineup for Max Pacioretty? I thought that they would do that before game 6, but after his winning goal thoughts may have changed.

I don't think it's possible at the moment. Florida would dominate Robertson like a weak link physically, he won't generate the offense required to justify his inclusion on the roster and Pacioretty literally just saved their season.

 

[Stephen]

This is pretty impressive and not good for 16, 34 and the Leafs if this continues.

View attachment 1029295

Incumbent on Matthews and Knies to be a physical challenge to Seth Jones. Point, Kucherov and Guentzel is such a lightweight line against a giraffe out there.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Marner and Matthews will have to be great for us to win, I don't care what anyone says. They have to lead the way. Last time against Florida they really shit the bed, that's why we lost in 5. There's nothing wrong with asking them to be great. If they are playing great, then everything else will fall into place.

 

[LeafEgo]

Chief should have never taken McMann off L2. Now we're down a top six forward and he's chased himself into a lineup where our fourth line is now our third line and McMann and Domi are on L4.

Maybe McMann would have sunk in round one anyways, but it kinda seems like he spiraled into a mess of things. Hopefully it works out.

 

[ACC1224]

Marner family blessed with good timing. At home for the next 5-6 days to nurture, enjoy and celebrate. Dad strength Marner on the way! (Or super tired...)

I remember the first. He’s going to be a bag of hammers tomorrow night.

 

[Roo]

I’d rather see Patches and McMann swapped, but that’s just me.

We have big bodies to punish their D, and need to make good on that. This will be a war of attrition.

 

[arso40]

Marner and Matthews will have to be great for us to win, I don't care what anyone says. They have to lead the way. Last time against Florida they really shit the bed, that's why we lost in 5. There's nothing wrong with asking them to be great. If they are playing great, then everything else will fall into place.

Have yet to see it and the way barkov plays them I would flip marner and Matthews or flip patches and mcmann and hope the second line can force them to change the match up

 

[Stephen]

Have yet to see it and they way barkov plays them I would flip marner and Matthews or flip patches and mcmann and hope the second line can force them to change the match up

I feel like they would be wise to split up Matthews and Marner at 5 on 5 and just let one be the Barkov decoy so the other can live to play heavier minutes on an improved third unit.

 

[arso40]

I feel like they would be wise to split up Matthews and Marner at 5 on 5 and just let one be the Barkov decoy so the other can live to play heavier minutes on an improved third unit.

Only problem is for some strange reason chief refuses to split them up he rather remove the forecheccer on the line to add Willy when we know the doesn’t work without one

 

[Stephen]

Only problem is for some strange reason chief refuses to split them up he rather remove the forecheccer on the line to add Willy when we know the doesn’t work without one

I don't think it will happen and it's not worth clamoring for, but it would be a bit of coaching to make a team rethink their strategy just a little bit. Like Matthews vs Barkov, neutralized. But Marner and a new line vs Lundell, Eetu and Marchand? Something different.

 

[weems]

How we handle their forecheck will decide the outcome of the series imo.
Our defence isn't the most mobile, so they will be under constant pressure and will need to be poised and not routinely turn over pucks.
Our forwards will have to do a good job of collapsing down and giving strong puck support.

 

[Stephen]

How we handle their forecheck will decide the outcome of the series imo.
Our defence isn't the most mobile, so they will be under constant pressure and will need to be poised and not routinely turn over pucks.
Our forwards will have to do a good job of collapsing down and giving strong puck support.

This version of the blueline can absorb pressure better than Giordano, Brodie, Liljegren and Holl and would be curious to see how the Leafs park the bus static zone defense holds up against Florida's desire to move up the ice quickly and blast you on the counter rush.

 

[ZEBROA]

I’d rather see Patches and McMann swapped, but that’s just me.

We have big bodies to punish their D, and need to make good on that. This will be a war of attrition.

Not just u. I dont remeber why they took him off the 2nd line to begin with.

 

[Stringer Bell]

You could argue that we are "deep" on forwards right now. Kampf and Robertson as healthy scratches - I've seen worse.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Game scores the last time the Leafs played the Panthers in Round 2 in 2023.
Game 1 4-2 Flo
Game 2 3-2 Flo
Game 3 3-2 Flo OT
Game 4 2-1 Leafs
Game 5 3-2 Flo OT

All close games, the OT"s could have gone either way. I believe we're a better team that is better prepared for Florida's game. The defence is better, the goaltending is better, the coaching is better, the system is better, and the core 4 are more mature.

Florida is a very good team and should be favoured to win. But that doesn't mean it's automatic. That same year, the underdog Panthers beat a Bruins team that had a historical regular season and very few if anyone predicted they could upset the Bruins. Boston had a 65-12-5 (135 points) record compared to Florida's 42-32-8 (92 points).

We have to play very well to beat them with everyone contributing their skills to the games. I'm predicting Leafs in 7.

 

[ClarkSittler]

I'm predicting Leafs in 7 too.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Does anyone think that Nick Robertoson will be added to the lineup for Max Pacioretty? I thought that they would do that before game 6, but after his winning goal thoughts may have changed.

I think It's possible Robertson has played his last game as a Leaf

 

[ClarkSittler]

I think It's possible Robertson has played his last game as a Leaf

It's possible, but he'll still be a RFA and some people forget he's only 23. I could easily see him scoring thirty goals by the time he's 25. Patches and Lorentz are free agents, so the Leafs will need wingers from somewhere.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's possible, but he'll still be a RFA and some people forget he's only 23. I could easily see him scoring thirty goals by the time he's 25. Patches and Lorentz are free agents, so the Leafs will need wingers from somewhere.

After last year I said I thought he could be a 25 goal guy because he scored 14 or 15 goals I think 27 points in 56 games.

This year he proceeded to get more opportunity and do less with it.

It is true they are going to need to rework their wings a little bit.

They don't need him.

 

[The Shadow]

After last year I said I thought he could be a 25 goal guy because he scored 14 or 15 goals I think 27 points in 56 games.

This year he proceeded to get more opportunity and do less with it.

It is true they are going to need to rework their wings a little bit.

They don't need him.

I think he was working on being a more complete player with new coach here.

I think they want to get bigger and faster. If he was 6’2” he’d be signed longterm. But I don’t think Tre loves his size.

 

[ClarkSittler]

After last year I said I thought he could be a 25 goal guy because he scored 14 or 15 goals I think 27 points in 56 games.

This year he proceeded to get more opportunity and do less with it.

It is true they are going to need to rework their wings a little bit.

They don't need him.

I'd keep him and see if can develop into something. Not up to me though, if Berube doesn't have any plans for him, he's probably gone like you said.

 

[ZEBROA]

I will not speculate, they have a lot to prove. I leave it to that.

 

[HarryLime]

I'll say Leafs in 7

Panthers with b2b cup runs and injuries has me hopeful. Then again, we were playing TB in '22, as they were going for the 3 peat, and they got back to the finals..... I still think that 22 series was the best series Toronto has played in the core 4 era tbh.

Anyways, Leafs in 7. Berube is a real one.

 

[Clark4Ever]

This is why I hate when they bring in a veteran OGWAC.

They always play too high up in the lineup than either their merit or entitlement on this team would suggest they deserve. We saw it with Marleau, Thornton, Foligno and now Pacioretty. McMann is more deserving of that coveted 2LW position and unlike Pacioretty I expect McMann will be back next year.

Pacioretty is just a mercenary and not a very good one either at that.

He just returned after a long layoff and scored the series clinching goal for us.