Post-Game Talk: Leafs make a trash goalie look great, this is a recording. | 3-2 Florida in OT

[Stephen]

2021-22 Avs went 1-5-1 in their last 7 regular season games before winning their Cup.
2020-21 Lightning lost their last 3 regular season games before winning the Cup.
2019-20 Lightning went 3-6-1 in their last 10 games before winning the Cup.

The regular season is just a 6 month long revenue stream for the league. Once you've qualified for the playoffs and your opponent has been set, what's the point in sweating the results of any of these hockey games?

The way I see it, every time special players go on the ice, it’s an opportunity to showcase who you are.

Fans love bigging up their guys on message boards. Every game is an opportunity to prove your fans right. At least don’t feed them crap 2.5 hours on a weeknight or ruin their Saturday evenings because you’re not feeling it. It’s important to someone.

Even if the games are “meaningless” from a standings POV I would prefer to see high quality everything from our team than give them the night off. Also have to remember that even though we have home ice vs Tampa, you still might be playing for home ice vs NJ or Carolina coming out of the Metro should the right combination come out in the east. Or home ice in the finals. There’s always something to play for.

Anyway general comment. Last night was a fine effort in the OTL.

 

[notDatsyuk]

1/16 format 2-3-2 in the first round and then 2-2-2-1

It's only fair to the teams that excel all season long, the teams near the bottom may have already been in a playoff race for the last 4 weeks of the season trying to make it in so they'll be ready to take on a team that's had a great regular season

if the season stopped right now you'd have;

Boston Calgary

Carolina Winnipeg

NJ NYI

Leafs Seattle

Vegas TBay

Rags Avs

Minny Dallas(battle of the North Stars)

Oil LAK

thats some really great 1st round match ups

The problem with that is that there will likely be only two Western teams in the second round, and Butthead wouldn't allow that.

I'm ok with the first two rounds being within the conference, but I'd like to see a crossover in the semifinals, so we have a better chance of seeing the two best teams in the final.

It would also make possible a Leafs/Habs or Leafs/Bruins final.

Some interesting possibilities:

Rags/Isles?
Kings/Sharks?
Lightning/Panthers?
Oilers/Flames?
Pens/Flyers?

 

[notbias]

Yes 38-36 and 18-26-4 the year before and the year that he took over the team in the last 8 games. Definitely a cup team he took over.

Glad you could take time out of your daily dubas circle jerk to be wrong again though

Not to mention that the point of that was just informative to show where he is on the all time win percentage list but whatever we all get what you're here for

I mean... talent wise Tampa was the best in the years they won... just like Colorado last year... you are saying that anyone can coach to one of the best win % if given the team to do it... should apply to winning a cup too, no?

And are you finally saying Dubas has done an amazing job? or is it only for this thread?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Grand scheme, this loss really doesn’t matter. Leafs got a point so they gained on Tampa for home ice and still have a game in hand, they controlled play for the majority of the game which makes it three games in a row now so it’s good they’re getting back on track, and Samsonov looked fine so goaltending there is still solid.

Biggest issue is Willy taking a step back recently. Really need him to start getting back to his dominant self heading into the playoffs. We know he’s capable of it and as far as we know he’s as healthy as he can be so there’s no excuse. Tavares also needs to clean up his act defensively, he’s been getting points but that’s the fourth time in seven gams that he’s a minus and had major brain farts defensively.

 

[Gabriel426]

I think the playoffs format nomatter how you do it is will never be 100% fair unless it is a playoff league instead of playoff rounds, like top 8 teams in each conf. will play each other twice(home and away) and the top two teams of each conf will proceed to ECF.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Clearly Keefer did not care about getting those 2 points .. he was happy with 1 point .. only reason Cats got 2 points was his selection of Willy/ JT/ Rielly as a threesome .. Willy with da careless giveaway, Rielly who has zero idear how to play a 2 on 1 (OMG put that on D coach too - you gotta take away either guy) (a rover playing D for sure) and then JT who can't skate who can't stay with his man .. likely da 3 worst guys you can play together in OT none of whom cares about D in slightest .. felt bad for Sammy .. and playing Holl late in a playoff game is a NO NO .. we just can't have that last 4 minute giveaway like that .. without Sammy there was NO points in that game

 

[ITM]

Because if he took part in the warmup all of his decedents they could find in Russia could be round up and publicly tortured and executed. Some things are bigger then beliefs smh.

Those Teams do it too, think it's league mandated.


Habs suck no matter what they wear.

Of the Original Six teams I think we're a little too enthusiastic in our participation.

I share MSL's perspective.

 

[ACC1224]

Of the Original Six teams I think we're a little too enthusiastic in our participation.

I share MSL's perspective.

Not sure what you mean by enthusiastic.
I hate the shirts regardless.

 

[egd27]

In terms of win %, yes he is.

His .421 playoff winning % has him ranked 133rd.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Aside from TML vs TBL, what other series have been decided with 20-30 games to go?

Boston running away with the division (and no one else being good enough) was the reason that happened to the 2 & 3 teams this year, not the format.

Nonsense. You could bet your house that we would play either the Broons or TB at the beginning of this season without breaking a sweat.

 

[egd27]

Nonsense. You could bet your house that we would play either the Broons or TB at the beginning of this season without breaking a sweat.

You had no faith in them winning the division huh?

 

[ITM]

Not sure what you mean by enthusiastic.
I hate the shirts regardless.

Well if there's a league mandate to participate in a program that requires attention, Detroit seems to do the minimum amount and we seem to jump in with both skates...when we could just do the minimum amount.

 

[Jojalu]

Outside of the 11 million caphit, Tavares is far from painful to watch. Still a top 50 producer in the league.

I am not calling out you, but these ridiculous over reactions to everything is tiring

 

[57 Years No Cup]

You had no faith in them winning the division huh?

They don't show consistent commitment in their game to do that. That said if it was a 1-8 format we would still not "know" our opponent as Tampa, NJ, NYR, and Carolina would be still in play right now (+/- 6 points).

Wouldn't that be a lot more engaging?

 

[egd27]

They don't show consistent commitment in their game to do that. That said if it was a 1-8 format we would still not "know" our opponent as Tampa, NJ, NYR, and Carolina would be still in play right now (+/- 6 points).

Wouldn't that be a lot more engaging?

With the lack of consistent commitment you mentioned, I'm content playing the 6th place team (maybe even 7th if the Isles get hot) while finishing 4th or 5th in the Conference.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

With the lack of consistent commitment you mentioned, I'm content playing the 6th place team (maybe even 7th if the Isles get hot) while finishing 4th or 5th in the Conference.

Again, the OP that you responded to was about the interest or lack thereof of in late season hockey, not what is to the Leafs' advantage.

 

[egd27]

Again, the OP that you responded to was about the interest or lack thereof of in late season hockey, not what is to the Leafs' advantage.

And the to that OP, I asked..........aside from TML and TBL being locked due to Boston's incredible season, which of the other 7 1st round series were decided at the 50 game mark?
How many are locked now at the 72 game mark?

Most other playoff bound / bubble fanbases are still interested and scoreboard watching

 

[ACC1224]

Well if there's a league mandate to participate in a program that requires attention, Detroit seems to do the minimum amount and we seem to jump in with both skates...when we could just do the minimum amount.

What’s the minimum amount?

 

[ITM]

What’s the minimum amount?

If the mandated program is to produce alternative jerseys, and our aim is to remain as close to our foundational aesthetic as possible, then doing the least amount of alteration to our default jerseys would be the minimum amount.

 

[ACC1224]

If the mandated program is to produce alternative jerseys, and our aim is to remain as close to our foundational aesthetic as possible, then doing the least amount of alteration to our default jerseys would be the minimum amount.

I thought you were referring to amount of times they had to wear them.

 

[Menzinger]

The NHL plays 82 games each during the regular season to determine the 1/2 the teams 16 that qualify for the playoffs and the other 16 the don't.

The regular season separates the haves from the have-nots.

Yep. And the Leafs have been a defacto lock for the playoffs since.the fall and will finish with one of the stronger records in franchise history.

 

[griffon1]

My 3

1st Star Lyon, the guy was unconscious, stopped everything and owned the deuce

2nd Star. 34 really has the motor running now and with 8 games left I'd say a lock to hit 40 with an outside chance of dare I say 45! Whatever the final number winds up being he has to start playing the best hockey of his life for the next two months or more.

3rd Star. 78 T.J.Brodie super steady, he made the right plays got the puck up ice without a whole lot of loss of possession all in all the Leafs defenders as a group had decent games w/o too many blunders. As a group I think they'll be alright in the playoffs, they have some physicality now and some offense and they'll need both in bucketfulls coming up

I was singing the praises all season long, I was so impressed with how his game had finally blossomed, how he was in charge when he was carrying the puck, how he had started using his team-mates, how he had started sacrificing himself to make the best play instead of the best play that suited him, how he had stopped taking shifts off. I'd really like to see that guy back!

Will is vitally important to the Leafs success, especially when he's displaying a full 200 foot Pasta like game that he is definitely capable of, capable because we've all seen it this year.

I'm not going to take a strip off of him for that mind numbingly poor decision in OT that hung his team-mates out to dry and gifted a point to the Panthers. It's just that he can't do that anymore, that's a rookie error. It was ill conceived and selfish, he could have done something with it, but he didn't. Enough said.

Come back Will and come back soon, you have a shot at 40 goals and could still hit 90 points and in doing so give the Lightning a lot more to think about, more maybe then they can handle, but you gotta be that guy we saw up until about the 60 game mark. If you're just taking a bit of a rest then it's cool, but you've only got 8 games as your runway, thrill us Will.

They gave up that early one, then most of the shots they fired at Lyon in the first were quite stoppable. He did start making some dandies as the game wore on. That one toke over the line by AM and that late game PP for the cats, finished us.

 

[Anthrax442]

I prefer these jerseys to the AreTnas jerseys from a few years ago.

 

[Mess]

Yep. And the Leafs have been a defacto lock for the playoffs since.the fall and will finish with one of the stronger records in franchise history.

Yup they were setting historical team records in the regular season wins and points even before Dubas took over ,and even lost in game #7 to Boston in round #1.

The orchestrating of finishing last overall and drafting Auston Matthews the franchise turning point, because the very next year the team was back in the playoffs and never looked back since the past 6 years now..

So making the playoffs now after all those high draft picks Rieily, Nylander, Marner earlier etc. is a bit melodramatic and more of a given that Leafs would be in the top 1/2 of the eastern standings. IMO

Lets hope now all these years later that these young kids on their ELCs back then and in their teens, are up for the challenge of beating TB and Boston this year now that they're in their primes.

Now all of Leaf Nation is waiting for playoff progress.

 

[therealkoho]

They have taken our needs into consideration which is why they scrapped the 1-16 in the first place.
If they get to the final that is a different matter.

The problem with that is that there will likely be only two Western teams in the second round, and Butthead wouldn't allow that.

I'm ok with the first two rounds being within the conference, but I'd like to see a crossover in the semifinals, so we have a better chance of seeing the two best teams in the final.

It would also make possible a Leafs/Habs or Leafs/Bruins final.

Some interesting possibilities:

Rags/Isles?
Kings/Sharks?
Lightning/Panthers?
Oilers/Flames?
Pens/Flyers?

OK but that was more the union thinking transcontinental travel was to hard on the player, and the owners thinking of reduced costs.

The fan is the last consideration especiallyif it possibly effects the money

@Jamason two west teams would probably infringe on some TV deal or something crazy like that.

I'd love to see the crossover and make it a 3 game round Robin kind of thingand then two 7 game series you'd probably have to make the 1st round a best of 5 or something so as not to have over 28 games for any one team