I think Pacific is indeed the toughest division in the league

[McPoyle]

No reasonable fan thinks Edmonton is a better team than Toronto.

Toronto gets the harder playoff match ups which contributes to the less than stellar playoff record

Like Columbus and Montreal.

 

[Three On Zero]

Like Columbus and Montreal.

Like Chicago and Winnipeg.

Montreal at least went to the finals where as Winnipeg swept Edmonton only to get swept in the next round

Over the last couple seasons LA is a much more favourable first round opponent than Tampa/Boston

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

Like Chicago and Winnipeg.

Montreal at least went to the finals where as Winnipeg swept Edmonton only to get swept in the next round

Over the last couple seasons LA is a much more favourable first round opponent than Tampa/Boston

Over the last two years:

Toronto lost to a 110 point Tampa in 2022.

Toronto beat a 98 point TB team before losing to a 92 point Florida in 2023.

Edmonton beat a 99 point LA and a 111 point Calgary before losing to a 119 point Colorado in 2022.

Edmonton beat a 104 point LA before losing to a 111 point Vegas in 2023.

The only time Toronto won a series it was against the second weakest of all the opponents the two teams have faced in the last two years. Toronto also lost to the worst (by some margin) of any opponents they have faced.

 

[TheOrangeDesk]

The west has 6 cup contenders the east has maybe 1

 

[JarvisFunk]

No reasonable fan thinks Edmonton is a better team than Toronto.

Toronto gets the harder playoff match ups which contributes to the less than stellar playoff record

Oh you mean the last two Stanley Cup Champions?

 

[CupofOil]

They had four 100+ point teams last season and the Cup champ, who steamrolled the East Champ, came out of the Pacific. The two best teams in the league this season quite possibly reside in the Pacific. There seems to be this narrative that it's been the weakest division for...reasons but it's not based in reality.

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

They had four 100+ point teams last season and the Cup champ, who steamrolled the East Champ, came out of the Pacific. The two best teams in the league this season quite possibly reside in the Pacific. There seems to be this narrative that it's been the weakest division for...reasons but it's not based in reality.

The Pacific being weak is a lazy narrative that come from eastern writers/fans who are asleep when the west coast is playing.

 

[CupofOil]

No reasonable fan thinks Edmonton is a better team than Toronto.

Toronto gets the harder playoff match ups which contributes to the less than stellar playoff record

Didn't they lose to the #8 seed in 5 games while the Oilers lost to the #1 seed and Cup champs in 6? Another swing and a miss from you.

 

[Three On Zero]

Oh you mean the last two Stanley Cup Champions?

LA went on the win the cup? That’s interesting

 

[BTP]

I agree. It is. Toronto sports media just needs to call it the weakest to cope with the Oilers being better than the Leaf’s.

First post in a thread that has nothing to do with Toronto or the Leafs and you babies cant resist making it about us then complain when we get all the attention LMAO

Like Columbus and Montreal.

The team that had the same record as the Leafs in the regular season (leafs were not favorites, we had the same record) and swept a 60+ win Tampa team and another that beat the pride of the Pacific in Vegas and went to the finals. Yes

Oh you mean the last two Stanley Cup Champions?

Teams that Leafs have lost to in ound 1 also went to the finals.
Yay

 

[Three On Zero]

Didn't they lose to the #8 seed in 5 games while the Oilers lost to the #1 seed and Cup champs in 6? Another swing and a miss from you.

Why move the goal posts with seeding?

Toronto lost to the finals team, Edmonton lost to the finals team

Toronto had to go through a tougher 1st round opponent than Edmonton did. Few teams would rather play Tampa over LA

 

[geebster]

This conversation has veered a bit off topic but it wouldnt be smart for Leafs fans to compare their playoff record against Edmontons... Regular season you could easily make the case the Leafs have been consistently as good or better for a few years but post season there is no argument. The Oilers top guys didnt do a disappearing act in every elimination game for the last half decade like the Leafs did. I am not an Oilers fan, but that much is obvious to me.

As for the topic of the thread, the Pacific has the best top end in the league but the bottom end is also bad as well. A few years ago when Leafs fans were arguing their division was the best in hockey it was set up a bit like the Pacific right now. A really bad bottom end and a very very good top end that the other teams couldnt break into. It comes down to definitions. If you believe the best division is the one with the best teams, then Pacific is it right now. If you believe the best division is the most competitive where all teams are somewhat even, then the Pacific isnt that.

To me the best division is the one that has the best playoff teams, i.e. the best top 3-4 teams, so I'd say thats the Pacific right now, though that could change.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I’d say the Pacific is above average.
The Cup champs and favourite this year in Vegas.
Then a top contender in LA.
A solid playoff team in Vancouver
And then forth a likely wild card team with the best player in the world in Edmonton.

 

[Three On Zero]

This conversation has veered a bit off topic but it wouldnt be smart for Leafs fans to compare their playoff record against Edmontons... Regular season you could easily make the case the Leafs have been consistently as good or better for a few years but post season there is no argument. The Oilers top guys didnt do a disappearing act in every elimination game for the last half decade like the Leafs did. I am not an Oilers fan, but that much is obvious to me.

As for the topic of the thread, the Pacific has the best top end in the league but the bottom end is also bad as well. A few years ago when Leafs fans were arguing their division was the best in hockey it was set up a bit like the Pacific right now. A really bad bottom end and a very very good top end that the other teams couldnt break into. It comes down to definitions. If you believe the best division is the one with the best teams, then Pacific is it right now. If you believe the best division is the most competitive where all teams are somewhat even, then the Pacific isnt that.

To me the best division is the one that has the best playoff teams, i.e. the best top 3-4 teams, so I'd say thats the Pacific right now, though that could change.

So not the Pacific? They only have Vegas as a best top playoff team

 

[Kerberos]

Teams that Leafs have lost to in ound 1 also went to the finals.

The Oilers' difference makers actually show up when the games matter. The reason the team has lost to the Avs and Vegas is because of defense and goaltending.

Matthews and Marner? Well, their production evaporates in the playoffs. Paper tigers in every sense and the primary reason for the Leafs' woes.

 

[Beerz]

Is it just me...but if I was a playoff team I wouldn't go in scared of any team from either conference. Seems there is a good number of "good" teams but nothing scary.

 

[WhataKnight]

The Pacific being weak is a lazy narrative that come from eastern writers/fans who are asleep when the west coast is playing.

To many in the ETZ/MTZ, Hockey relevance pauses at bedtime and picks up the next morning - excluding any team they won’t see during the first three playoff rounds or the next three days.

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

To many in the ETZ/MTZ, Hockey relevance pauses at bedtime and excludes any team they won’t see during the first three playoff rounds or the next three days.

Its true. But I can't blame people too much for not watching sports into the early hours. I lived in Ontario for several years and I remember just how harder it was to be an educated fan about the western teams then. Very happy to be back in the west where the games start at 4 or 5 pm and end at 11 pm.

 

[WhataKnight]

Its true. But I can't blame people too much for not watching sports into the early hours. I lived in Ontario for several years and I remember just how harder it was to be an educated fan about the western teams then. Very happy to be back in the west where the games start at 4 or 5 pm and end at 11 pm.

Oh - totally! Hell, I’m in Mountain and I still don’t always make it to the end of the Knights’ home games. I only know what I know of the EC from growing up northeast and still having some interest in how Ottawa & Toronto are faring.

 

[thefutures]

I like how people in the east pretend to watch hockey from the west. We know your not awake lol.

 

[dirtydanglez]

The west has 6 cup contenders the east has maybe 1

this is what it comes down to really.

too bad the playoffs are sorted by conference. if it wasnt divided by conference you might not even see an eastern team make the final 4.

 

[Mattb124]

It is funny how many people here are just looking at season totals and don’t have any sense of where certain teams are at. Like not having any idea EDM is 8-2 in their last 10. Even SJS is 6-2-2 in their last 10 after losing the first 11 games of the season.

TOR is 6-1-3 over their last 10, so 1 point ahead of the Sharks over that period.

 

[1specter]

Over the last two years:

Toronto lost to a 110 point Tampa in 2022.

Toronto beat a 98 point TB team before losing to a 92 point Florida in 2023.

Edmonton beat a 99 point LA and a 111 point Calgary before losing to a 119 point Colorado in 2022.

Edmonton beat a 104 point LA before losing to a 111 point Vegas in 2023.

The only time Toronto won a series it was against the second weakest of all the opponents the two teams have faced in the last two years. Toronto also lost to the worst (by some margin) of any opponents they have faced.

2022 Tampa made the Finals, 2023 Florida made the Finals, Colorado and Vegas won the Cup. You're arguing yourself into a circle as both Toronto and Edmonton lost to the eventual Conference champions.

I agree. It is. Toronto sports media just needs to call it the weakest to cope with the Oilers being better than the Leaf’s.

Toronto has been beating that Edmonton ass pretty nice in the McDavid era. Leafs are 17-4-2 vs the Oilers since McDavid was drafted.

 

[Ezekial]

Seattle Anaheim and San Jose > Montreal Buffalo and Ottawa confirmed.

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

2022 Tampa made the Finals, 2023 Florida made the Finals,

Playing a team that made it to the Finals isn't actually that rare in a 16 team bracket. 8/16 teams end up playing a team that makes the Finals.