How well (or poor) do you think we will play in the playoffs?

[AvroArrow]

I think we will dominate. We'll dominate 5v5 badly, we'll have significantly better special teams and defensive play, but get under .900 goaltending and lose in dramatic fashion again and have a meltdown. Hoping I'm wrong about the goalie part but I just don't have confidence in our goalies to get it done in the playoffs.

 

[trellaine201]

Like most NHL playoffs things are much tighter defensively, refs ref diffrently. I think we struggle to score goals.

 

[crump]

We go as far as our goalie all take us.

 

[TGB]

*Shrug* Seemed like a slam dunk against Montreal last year. With this team, who knows?

 

[Scott r]

Have to go with Tampa Bay in series....nothonna beat Tampa and Florida no way. Tangers r just as good as Toronto and much better goalie

 

[Seras]

Same as every year.

I think they will win the cup, if they don't win then idc if they lose 2nd, 8th or 16th.

I don't understand the title, is it assuming that hockey players will not play their best for some reason? Very strange wording

 

[Craigo85]

My expectation is that Matthews is the best player in the series. If we win at least one round it'll be in part or largely because of him.... If we lose it'll be because we got out goalied.

 

[Tak7]

My expectation is that Matthews is the best player in the series. If we win at least one round it'll be in part or largely because of him.... If we lose it'll be because we got out goalied.

I love the ambiguity of this lol.

 

[justloveleafs]

I think the city will be burned down in celebration. I would love to attend the party, but at this stage of my life, I don't think I could handle it.

I don't think the poor city will be able to handle it either.

Just think of little ole me. A half mile away on the Toronto Island, observing, Liljegren carrying around the cup, as the MVP of the series.

Lets imagine that right? Stead of this morbid old Leaf curse type crap.

Has anyone watched the Leafs this year? Nylander is just comig out of his nap.... Guy is ready to ROCK.

Does he look sad a lot of the time, ya he does, want a secret?

Joves his brother Alexander so much, wants alex to be happy and in the NHL. Willy is actually quite a great guy to know.

He wants his bro to be in the NHL.. Being happy.

Nylander is a deep cat. He barely raises his arms any more when he scores.

It would not shock me if a forward thinking guy like Dubas, trades for Alex. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

The Jays won the World series, two years in a row, I attended every game cept one. Fluke actually.

We had a guy called Paul Beeston, and another guy, Gillick.

Just two great, great, great management guys.

Well, we have Shanahan and Dubas.

Players adore these two guys.

I have a front row seat on the island.

But when we win the cup, no way I am getting into the heat of that scrum.

Me watching from da island brothers.

By the way, zeke and I look very similar, and this is our older, clone brother, and he is ready to carry the CUP for us.



Gotta love booosh eh? Has anyone figured out boosh is Dmity'r kid,?

Yushkevich is BACK brothers.

 

[nsleaf]

I think the city will be burned down in celebration. I would love to attend the party, but at this stage of my life, I don't think I could handle it.

I don't think the poor city will be able to handle it either.

Just think of little ole me. A half mile away on the Toronto Island, observing, Liljegren carrying around the cup, as the MVP of the series.

Lets imagine that right? Stead of this morbid old Leaf curse type crap.

Has anyone watched the Leafs this year? Nylander is just comig out of his nap.... Guy is ready to ROCK.

Does he look sad a lot of the time, ya he does, want a secret?

Joves his brother Alexander so much, wants alex to be happy and in the NHL. Willy is actually quite a great guy to know.

He wants his bro to be in the NHL.. Being happy.

Nylander is a deep cat. He barely raises his arms any more when he scores.

It would not shock me if a forward thinking guy like Dubas, trades for Alex. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

The Jays won the World series, two years in a row, I attended every game cept one. Fluke actually.

We had a guy called Paul Beeston, and another guy, Gillick.

Just two great, great, great management guys.

Well, we have Shanahan and Dubas.

Players adore these two guys.

I have a front row seat on the island.

But when we win the cup, no way I am getting into the heat of that scrum.

Me watching from da island brothers.

By the way, zeke and I look very similar, and this is our older, clone brother, and he is ready to carry the CUP for us.



Gotta love booosh eh? Has anyone figured out boosh is Dmity'r kid,?

Yushkevich is BACK brothers.

 

[Bluelines]

This is a fan base looking for an opportunity to explode, that could be a good explode or a bad explode. I watch them play vs Washington and it was men playing vs boys. I wonder if this team has finally arrived and is now at a point where they can roll their sleeves up and get to work, ignore outside distractions and be focused on the goal?

I love Clifford and Simmonds creating havoc but it seems those two guys cant keep a consistent energy effort for more than a few games in a row. I'd love to see Simmonds and Clifford feed Debrusk and Marchand their lunch. Two teams concern me in the East, Carolina and Pittsburgh. Against the rest I think we are favorites. Florida scores a lot but their D is garbage and their goaltending is hot or cold. Boston is Boston, they had a hot streak but they are a one line team (although they split up the perfection line), NYR simply put is a goalie away from being a lottery team. TBL I think they are toast, they have played a lot of games and look tired. Washington, well their goalie sucks and their old and slow.

I have zero expectations of this team which is sad to say considering the talent on this team but I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[Clark4Ever]

I am more confident than ever in our forwards and our defense core to bring it in the playoffs.

Our goaltending? Not so much.

 

[Leafsfan74]

For what it's worth, Campbells post game reaction to the contact from Tom Wilson may show a sign of a guy ready for battle come playoffs. This would be an ominous sign for opponents.

Calling Wilson a "nice guy" and shrugging off the contact, even seeming to embrace it, "love a little cointact here and there".

If I had read that quote attributed to a random goalie I would have thought it was Patrick Roy.

If Campbell is already in the zone, the Leafs can go as far as they want to.

 

[Bluelines]

It's odd to say that a 3rd pairing dman has made this team look like a playoff team but man Gio has changed the attitude of this team. We have a quiet swagger that I haven't seen since the Clark days in the 90's.

 

[Mess]

Leafs have shown in the regular season that they can compete with all the top contenders, so time will tell when the pressure of the playoffs is on if this continues or changes.

Based on the past 3 years collapses and 1st round disappointing losses Leafs haven't earned the trust of the fan base confidence that this year will be any different until they go out and prove otherwise. IMO

 

[TiMo15]

JT will show up big in the series. D has enough depth after Gio and Boosh addition. Goaltending is the only concern.

 

[ToDavid]

The way I see it, there’s no point in sitting here and worrying about the team blowing it again. That’s not going to make me feel any better when/if it happens.

They look good, they’ve got the best record in the East against playoff teams, they’ve got as good of a chance as any other team. I’m optimistic until proven otherwise.

 

[Statsman1]

I think if we win Game 1, we will win the series. If we lose Game 1 in OT, we will likely be competitive for the rest of the series, but it sucks being down one and having to win 4 of 6 against any team from FLA - we would definitely have to win Game 2.

If we get smoked in Game 1, I worry that Jack will get inside his own head and we are cooked. I can only hope that Keefe could get him to forget about it and start new, but I am not sure Kallgren is ready to lead us out of Florida just yet.

 

[TMLegend]

They might win a round, they aren't winning the cup as long as they struggle to even get a bottom of the barrel .900 goaltending mosr nights. Having to score 4 every night isn't very conducive to Success imo.

 

[The90]

No prediction here. I will say I pity the fools that live in endless negativity. It must suck to watch this team and be unable to enjoy it.

 

[Mess]

Last year my belief was FInal 4 or Bust, when all it would have taken to be in the final 4 and win 2 rounds was beat #18OA Montreal and then Winnipeg/Edmonton as level of competition.

This year my belief system is "Prove It" that you can be successful playoff team against strong competition and our stars better show up to make that happen and no more excusses or changes are coming. They have to earn trust of being successful not been given it, because that is perhaps Leafs problem they believe because they have a lot of skill they don't need to compete and work hard also to advance.

In the playoffs Will beats Skill !!!

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I think the city will be burned down in celebration. I would love to attend the party, but at this stage of my life, I don't think I could handle it.

I don't think the poor city will be able to handle it either.

Just think of little ole me. A half mile away on the Toronto Island, observing, Liljegren carrying around the cup, as the MVP of the series.

Lets imagine that right? Stead of this morbid old Leaf curse type crap.

Has anyone watched the Leafs this year? Nylander is just comig out of his nap.... Guy is ready to ROCK.

Does he look sad a lot of the time, ya he does, want a secret?

Joves his brother Alexander so much, wants alex to be happy and in the NHL. Willy is actually quite a great guy to know.

He wants his bro to be in the NHL.. Being happy.

Nylander is a deep cat. He barely raises his arms any more when he scores.

It would not shock me if a forward thinking guy like Dubas, trades for Alex. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

The Jays won the World series, two years in a row, I attended every game cept one. Fluke actually.

We had a guy called Paul Beeston, and another guy, Gillick.

Just two great, great, great management guys.

Well, we have Shanahan and Dubas.

Players adore these two guys.

I have a front row seat on the island.

But when we win the cup, no way I am getting into the heat of that scrum.

Me watching from da island brothers.

By the way, zeke and I look very similar, and this is our older, clone brother, and he is ready to carry the CUP for us.



Gotta love booosh eh? Has anyone figured out boosh is Dmity'r kid,?

Yushkevich is BACK brothers.

Please kids, don't do drugs. Thank you.

 

[kevsh]

This core just had/has to get experience. Dubas was right in that they'll figure it out but just not quick enough for a market desperate for success. So while I understand the push to "win now" the past few seasons, it was unrealistic; It seemed to be based on expectations not on evidence. The first-round exits while disappointing, it's giving up so many assets and letting so many UFAs walk with no return that is the cost of those expectations.

Will they they finally figure it out this year? The obvious answer is "we'll see". I'm not convinced and won't be until they actual do. However, while I was opposed at the time to giving up any more real assets (top prospects, 1st/2nd round picks) at this year's deadline I'm glad that Dubas *finally* addressed the clear issue of size, experience, physicality and depth on the blue line (even if temporarily), virtually a necessity for any playoff run.

On the glass half-empty side, Muzzin and (more so) Campbell's lingering injury problems are a big concern, more so than the very troubling trend of blowing leads in games. At times both forwards and D can still look lost, or just watching the puck too much in their own end. Keefe has to prove that he's capable of being a winning playoff coach. There is going to be a ridiculous amount of pressure on this group, even more so than last year (I'm not sure how having fans now in attendance will affect that pressure. More? Less?)

Half-full view, Matthews has taken another step, leading by example, playing physical and like a man possessed to bury any notion that this team lacks that killer instinct. There are 3 lines now that can produce, a veteran blue line and Campbell has shown he can be great.

 

[WillyC]

I think we play for the Conference Championship… and ultimately go farther.

 

[Coachcorner]

One wesord: Gangsta