Series Talk: Leafs vs Lightning Pre-Playoff Thread

[kevsh]

Btw,

This is what this team has needed for the past 7 years, someone to bring the energy on the bench.



Not sure who it was, but a few seasons ago a player pointed out that even in the playoffs the Leafs bench was as quiet as a funeral (my words not his, whomever he was). No energy, no one trying to rile the boys up, no leader.

In ROR, they finally have all of that in one. Now if they can just bring him back next year and slap the C on his jersey...

 

[Suntouchable13]

Tampa's record
Home: 27-7-5
Away: 18-21-1

Toronto's record
Home: 26-8-6
Away: 20-13-5

Looks pretty big that the leafs were able to get home ice.

You should know that you can throw out regular season records out the window come playoff time. TB knows how to win on the road in the playoffs. None of that means anything in a 7 game series. Tampa knows they can win a big game on the road. They know they can beat Toronto with or without home ice.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

That stat in last night's broadcast about their goal differential per period was worrisome, and oh-so-this-team: They are -2 on the season in the 3rd period (not sure if that included last night as I believe it was shown after Boston scored).

So, first two periods they are pretty much juggernauts (for some reason even more so in the 2nd), but fade in the final frame. Much like most (all) of their playoff performances: Start relatively strong but in the final 1/3rd or so of the series they fade (choke).

Perhaps the only answer is to bring in a team of world class team of sports psychologists to convince this team in-game that every period is the second, and each game is the 3 or 4 of the series?

You are aware of this thing called score effects right? The leafs spend a ton of time leading the game, so naturally they will have a worse goal differential in the third. It’s like that for every team. No need to try and spin everything into a dumb narrative.

 

[ToneDog]

You should know that you can throw out regular season records out the window come playoff time. TB knows how to win on the road in the playoffs. They know they can beat Toronto with or without home ice.

Looks like they lost Jeannot last night. Only way I see them beating us is if Vasi owns us, Sammy implodes or 16,34,88 and 91 shit the bed. Bruins will be a much tougher out.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Looks like they lost Jeannot last night. Only way I see them beating us is if Vasi owns us, Sammy implodes or 16,34,88 and 91 shit the bed. Bruins will be a much tougher out.

I hope you're right, but we have seen 16, 34, 88, and 91 shit the bed before. I don't trust them to step on Tampa's throat and finish them.

 

[Peasy]

You should know that you can throw out regular season records out the window come playoff time. TB knows how to win on the road in the playoffs. None of that means anything in a 7 game series. Tampa knows they can win a big game on the road. They know they can beat Toronto with or without home ice.

Well yeah, we saw it happen last year.

Still worth pointing out they have a way worse record away than at home.

Last year tampa's record:
Home: 27-8-6
Away: 24-15-2

Quite the difference between the two years.

 

[Mess]

You should know that you can throw out regular season records out the window come playoff time. TB knows how to win on the road in the playoffs. None of that means anything in a 7 game series. Tampa knows they can win a big game on the road. They know they can beat Toronto with or without home ice.

Home is advantage is a fickle & fleeting thing and I agree when you have won multiple recent Stanley Cups you know how to win at home and on the road.

I believe TB does not fear not having it by how quickly they can regain it in a series.

Leafs played 82 regular season games to earn home ice in round #1 in a best of 7 series, However TB likely goes into the series with the mindset of split the first to games on the road and you return home for game #3 now having home ice advantage in a best of 5 series. Home ice in best of 5 >> Home ice in best of 7 as the threshold of games remaining declines.

All the pressure is on Toronto to hold serve and win both games #1 and #2. Leafs under pressure in key must win games is not a known team strength. I kind of wish Leafs didn't have it because they play better as underdogs then favorites against their opposition.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Home is advantage is a fickle & fleeting thing and I agree when you have won multiple recent Stanley Cups you know how to win at home and one the road.

I believe TB does not fear not having it by how quickly they can regain it in a series.

Leafs played 82 regular season games to earn home ice in round #1 in a best of 7 series, However TB likely goes into the series with the mindset of split the first to games on the road and you return home for game #3 now having home ice advantage in a best of 5 series. Home ice in best of 5 >> Home ice in best of 7 as the threshold of games remaining declines.

All the pressure is on Toronto to hold serve and win both games #1 and #2. Leafs under pressure in key must win games is not a known team strength. I kind of wish Leafs didn't have it because they play better as underdogs then favorites against their opposition.

Then Toronto just has to split in Tampa to get home ice back again! now having home ice in a best of 3 is better then having it in a best of 5.

 

[Leaffan1991]

A lot of people won't like this but I think we should run these lines:

Kerfoot Matthews Jarnkrok
Tavares ROR Marner
Bunting Acciari Nylander
ZAR Kampf Lafferty

McCabe Brodie
Giordano Holl
Rielly Schenn

I find the Matthews line actually effective when these three play together and it helps balance out the lineup more.

Tavares needs to be put on the wing I think. Also get Willy off his line because they are horrible together. Marner works well with ROR and JT.

Third line Nylander gets a couple of grinders and Bunting has decent enough hands to pot a few. Willy has shown us he raises his game when he's the main driver on his line. Acciari is also very responsible defensively.

Fourth line has good chemistry together, might as well keep intact

 

[Mess]

Then Toronto just has to split in Tampa to get home ice back again! now having home ice in a best of 3 is better then having it in a best of 5.

Name the last playoff series Toronto won where they entered with home ice advantage?

If Toronto and TB split the first to games, and IF TB wins game #3 at home, Leafs are in a must win game #4 to get home ice back, and still have to win 3 of the remaining 4 games regardless.

For any Leaf fan that has followed the Leafs closely they know series close out or series clinching games under immense pressure is not Leafs strength but rather a known weakness.

 

[Peasy]

Name the last playoff series Toronto won where they entered with home ice advantage?

If Toronto and TB split the first to games, and IF TB wins game #3 at home, Leafs are in a must win game #4 to get home ice back, and still have to win 3 of the remaining 4 games regardless.

For any Leaf fan that has followed the Leafs closely they know series close out or series clinching games under immense pressure is not Leafs strength but rather a known weakness.

Welp the last series they won they had home ice advantage!

But leave it to Mess to try and put a negative spin on literally anything.

If the leafs had not gotten home ice i'm sure you would be posting the mountain of evidence that shows home ice is an advantage to have.

 

[notbias]

Name the last playoff series Toronto won where they entered with home ice advantage?

If Toronto and TB split the first to games, and IF TB wins game #3 at home, Leafs are in a must win game #4 to get home ice back, and still have to win 3 of the remaining 4 games regardless.

For any Leaf fan that has followed the Leafs closely they know series close out or series clinching games under immense pressure is not Leafs strength but rather a known weakness.

Name the last time Boston won the President's trophy and the Cup in the same year. They shouldn't be heavy favoutites... this carries as much weight as your post.

You also just assumed so many hypotheticals to arrive at your conclusion...

 

[wc17]

Then Toronto just has to split in Tampa to get home ice back again! now having home ice in a best of 3 is better then having it in a best of 5.

I can’t believe how quickly you turned that f***en stupid narrative of starting on the road is good cause all you need is a split! hahaha

This is probably a series going 6 or 7 games…having an extra game in Toronto is good…period!

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Name the last playoff series Toronto won where they entered with home ice advantage?

If Toronto and TB split the first to games, and IF TB wins game #3 at home, Leafs are in a must win game #4 to get home ice back, and still have to win 3 of the remaining 4 games regardless.

For any Leaf fan that has followed the Leafs closely they know series close out or series clinching games under immense pressure is not Leafs strength but rather a known weakness.

I was just turning your dumb narrative back around on you. You literally used the exact same logic and are now sitting here trying to move the goalposts around. That is all I need to see and frankly expected from you.

 

[Clark4Ever]

With home ice locked up, it's time to rest our key players down the stretch. Other than ROR and Acciari who need some games to get into a rhythm, there's no sense in risking injury in meaningless games.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

With home ice locked up, it's time to rest our key players down the stretch. Other than ROR and Acciari who need some games to get into a rhythm, there's no sense in risking injury in meaningless games.

I agree. If we go with Jarn-Matt-Nylander, and Bunting-Tavares-Marner, they have played enough games to conclude they don't need to develop chemistry. ROR will keep playing to get in game shape so put him with Kerfoot and Acciari ( I like the speed of the wingers to offset ROR's lack of it). Fourth line looks good. So rest the core 4 as much as possible, as well as Gio, McCabe, and Brodie on defence.

 

[stickty111]

Could still be Monday/Wednesday in Toronto and then Saturday/Monday in Tampa, but yeah the Tuesday/Thursday is more logical if they want to limit breaks between games. I guess depends on if they want our series going night 1 of the playoffs. And I'd guess that the Saturday game would be 7pm not the afternoon.

Apparently there are events in Tampa's arena on the 21st and 23rd which is when game 3 and 4 would be if series starts on Monday according to a user who posted it, so if thats the case, the series likely starts on Tuesday.

 

[Cleetus]

Apparently there are events in Tampa's arena on the 21st and 23rd which is when game 3 and 4 would be if series starts on Monday according to a user who posted it, so if thats the case, the series likely starts on Tuesday.

so that would be the 18th? for game1?

 

[Suntouchable13]

so that would be the 18th? for game1?

All speculation at this point. They could still do Monday-Wed-Saturday.

 

[Gallagbi]

I kind of wish Leafs didn't have it because they play better as underdogs then favorites against their opposition.

For sure. You definitely wouldn't be fear mongering if we were starting on the road as the standings underdog. Thats not like you at all.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

2001 vs Ottawa was the last series we won without home ice. Though do games in Ottawa count as road games?

 

[TorMapleJays]

Well yeah, we saw it happen last year.

Still worth pointing out they have a way worse record away than at home.

Last year tampa's record:
Home: 27-8-6
Away: 24-15-2

Quite the difference between the two years.

Tampa is 18-21-1 on the road this year.

Tampa is 27-7-5 at home.

Home ice matters.

 

[Peasy]

Tampa is 18-21-1 on the road this year.

Tampa is 27-7-5 at home.

Home ice matters.

Yes I literally posted this the last page lol. Just some posters trying to argue it doesnt matter. Tampa's road record is way worse this year than last year, theres no denying that.

 

[TorMapleJays]

Yes I literally posted this the last page lol. Just some posters trying to argue it doesnt matter. Tampa's road record is way worse this year than last year, theres no denying that.

I noticed it as I was reading backwards.

I would love 2-0 going into Tampa and getting a split, coming home game 5, up 3-1.

Few days ago flights out of Buffalo to Tampa for that weekend was 150 for round trip.

Most expensive part of the trip would be getting a hotel on the monorails.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I’d say the Leafs are heavily favoured this year.

The only three things that could make a difference are:

(1) Murray losing every game he plays. I’d say this has a 40% chance.

(2) The referee union has lots of money on Tampa.

(3) We get goalied.

I think the Leafs should play Woll.

Murray isn’t playing as well as he can and blindly supporting a goalie that isn’t at his best is pretending.