GDT: GDT: ECSF: (A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (A3) Florida Panthers - GAME 1 - 8 PM EST IN TORONTO

[Power Surge]

Love to see you here! Can we count on the support of your cats again?

Yes! They are off my back now.

 

[Felidae]

Leafs need to prove they're different. You're not going to win every shift, but there just needs to be that attention to detail and not melting in the moment like they have in the past. When they lost to Florida in 2023 they threw the series away in the 2nd period of G2. Took a 2-0 lead into the second period and puked it away in 90 seconds with a terrible goal and lazy turnover. Stuff like that just can't happen. You have to step on someone's throat when you have the chance. G7 against Boston last year, they take a 1-0 lead and before you can blink, Boston ties it on a brutal goal, and they lose quickly in OT on an absolute dog's breakfast of coverage and Samsanov sitting back in the net. Blowing the 3-1 against Montreal in 2021, no-showing G5 against CBJ, and blowing a series lead against BOS in 2019, it's not been bad luck, it's been a case of not being able to get the job done. Berube has made a different, they play a style more suited to playoff hockey, but until they're playing in a Conference Final, until they slay a contender, the question marks hanging over them are more than fair.

Yeah let's not pretend that every team doesn't fail on the "details" occasionally

The difference was the chasm in goaltending and now that's been addressed with Stolarz in net.

Panthers will be having a much harder time than they did in 2023, which was already a very close series despite only going to game 5.

 

[BB79]

Hey Leafs, I just might actually pull for you this round

 

[Gjman2019]

OMG, so hilarious, so original. We've never heard that one before.

Keep regurgitating the same lame quips over and over, page after page, because we've seen and heard it all already. Shit is old and corny.

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I mean the last time the Leafs won anything, the newspapers looked like this. You've must have heard quips from other people about the Leafs since then, that you can use against us, instead of the lame jokes over and over and over.

I don't mind post like these because a bit of ribbing is part of the fun but the fact that they have 13 cups despite the drought (more than the Cardinals who have the 2nd most in baseball) speaks volumes to their historical significance though......Eve if they were a long time ago......

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

How many games before Tanev gets taken out by a dirty play?

He could play a massive role . I could see this . They’ll definitely be targeting him me thinks ( along w the core 4 / Knies )

 

[TheImpatientBoomer]

I don't mind post like these because a bit of ribbing is part of the fun but the fact that they have 13 cups despite the drought (more than the Cardinals who have the 2nd most in baseball) speaks volumes to their historical significance though......Eve if they were a long time ago......

But there was like 2 rounds for most of their Cups. I mean they had a ~20% to win the Cup every year just by existing

 

[Power Surge]

Love to see you here! Can we count on the support of your cats again?

I know you'll like this. I have a mother daughter so they are bonded

However as the daughter's getting older I know they both will gang on me more next year.

 

[Ratsreign]

But there was like 2 rounds for most* of their Cups. I mean they had a ~20% to win the Cup every year just by existing

*all
Getting past FL would be the Leafs first time reaching a third round.

I expect them to be determined in their effort.

 

[Gjman2019]

Round 2 is in the house....

How Toronto deals with the forecheck and how Bob plays are the two biggest factors in the series i think.....

If i'm Toronto's coachng staff i'm pulling an Andy Reid and have some hidden plays in the bank as far as beating the forecheck and transitionnig the puck.........Gotta win some foot races and puck battles regardless of how good your strategies are though...That never goes away in hockey........

 

[Delete1]

I know you'll like this. I have a mother daughter so they are bonded

However as the daughter's getting older I know they both will gang on me more next year.

Mothers and teenage daughters fight like cats and dogs. My best advice is try to stay out of the way. The collateral damage can be significant.

 

[Gjman2019]

But there was like 2 rounds for most of their Cups. I mean they had a ~20% to win the Cup every year just by existing

That's fine but it's in the books regardless.........Too much to type out but i'm sure if we looked hard enough we can find all kinds of advantages teams from the past had in multiple sports.....

 

[TD Charlie]

Who wins the goalie battle, and what versions of each goalie do we get?

Exactly how healthy is either side going into this, and how might it change?

Will anyone on the Panthers do something stupid and end up suspended?

Will the top guys in Toronto ever play like top guys and get over the mountainous hurdle of the second round?

 

[ACC1224]

"Hey Paul, you've gained a bunch of bandwagon fans since your team became relevant, how many actually have a clue as to what's happening on the ice?"

 

[pb1300]

I don't mind post like these because a bit of ribbing is part of the fun but the fact that they have 13 cups despite the drought (more than the Cardinals who have the 2nd most in baseball) speaks volumes to their historical significance though......Eve if they were a long time ago......

Dude cmon, their last cup run consisted of a 4 team playoff

 

[Ratsreign]

Will anyone on the Panthers do something stupid and end up suspended?

Or will Domi?

 

[Power Surge]

Mothers and teenage daughters fight like cats and dogs. My best advice is try to stay out of the way. The collateral damage can be significant.

For me not when the Lightning play the Panthers. They literally stood in front of the tv all series. Especially when the Panthers were up or at the start of the game


They see me as their slow dad who likes the Lightning and knows no better.

 

[AvroArrow]

Or will Domi?

Most likely this is what happens

Bennett/Marchand takes a dirty run at someone, guy gets injured, no call

Domi gets pissed retaliates, gets 5 min major and a suspension

Happens almost every year

 

[Cleatus]

Pretty sure Florida wins this series, but hoping the Leafs keep it competitive and win more than 1 game this time. If they do happen to beat Florida, I think they can beat any other team in the playoffs.

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

OMG, so hilarious, so original. We've never heard that one before.

Keep regurgitating the same lame quips over and over, page after page, because we've seen and heard it all already. Shit is old and corny.

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I mean the last time the Leafs won anything, the newspapers looked like this. You've must have heard quips from other people about the Leafs since then, that you can use against us, instead of the lame jokes over and over and over.

When did the Sens raise Lord Stanley last ? Glass houses all that stuff …

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Pretty sure Florida wins this series, but hoping the Leafs keep it competitive and win more than 1 game this time. If they do happen to beat Florida, I think they can beat any other team in the playoffs.

This . Once they get over the hump
They could roll ( or not , and I’m not saying this year in particular) .

 

[Gjman2019]

Dude cmon, their last cup run consisted of a 4 team playoff

See my post above to the other Florida fan.....

I know this is off topic but i gotta ask.......Do you ever go to any Panathinaikos or Olympiacos Basketball games in person ?

My Cousin was obsessed with betting the Euroleague at one time and man that was a crazy environment over there......Crvena Zvezda's building was insane....

 

[TD Charlie]

Or will Domi?

It's possible for sure. He's more likely to be a total non-factor the entire series IMO

 

[Delete1]

For me not when the Lightning play the Panthers. They literally stood in front of the tv all series. Especially when the Panthers were up or at the start of the game


They see me as their slow dad who likes the Lightning and knows no better.

I think they all see us as the "slow dad". I usually take it as a compliment.

 

[IdleTraveller]

Having said all that, It is Stolarz that terrifies me this series. I do think the Leafs have better sniping ability than we do (dont misinterpret that as me saying Leafs have better forwards)....and if both goalies are playing great, I tend to lean towards the sniping ability to triumph over everything else.

We are a team known to have lapses in finishing ability. Our scoring can grow extremely cold. Thats the biggest concern to me.

Agreed - although I'm more worried about our finishing ability than I am about Stolie - obviously the two are linked but there's only one we can do anything about. And we did manage to get past Vasy when he was playing really well in later games of the series.

If the Leafs top lines become game breakers (which they obviously have the talent to do) and our scoring goes cold, then we'll obviously be in trouble. That said, if our top two lines manage to play the Leafs' to at least a draw, I think our depth will get us through and we take this. On special teams, I'm pretty confident on our PK but our PP needs to be better.

Anyway, should be a fun series with loads of storylines! I think the pressure is probably more on Toronto (as always) than it is with us as there's more at stake for them from an organisational/roster perspective, but bragging rights would be brutal if we lost this. I have cousins who are hard core Leaf fans and I would have to block them if the worst happens...

Yes! They are off my back now.

VICTORY IS ASSURED!!! Resistence is futile, as any cat parent can testify...

 

[Summer Rose]

I think they all see us as the "slow dad". I usually take it as a compliment.

I'm probably lucky that I don't have any kids since I'm so into sports. I can't imagine having a toddler ask me, "mommy, why are you yelling at the TV?" There's nothing you can say to a kid that age that will make sense to them.