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Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs. Lightning

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GoBuds14 said:
Tampa hasn’t been sharp lately, I’ve watched a few of their games lately. A little loose defensively, and Vasilevsky hasn’t played like the best goalie in the world lately either. It’s certainly a game the Leafs can make a statement in. Selfishly, I want the Leafs to draw Boston, therefore I really hope they get that W tomorrow
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I'm betting Tampa will be hungry coming off a loss to Les Habs. Battle for 2nd in the division and home ice.
 
The clinching scenario seems to be thus:

The Leafs have 93 points.

Everyone below the Isles and Blue Jackets cannot catch the Leafs.

Seider and Raymond Look great but sorry Detroit, you suck.

Buffalo you beat the Leafs a few times but that doesn’t change that you still suck.

OTT, NJ and Philly, if they win all of their remaining games aren’t even within ten points of where the Leafs are now.

CBJ has 69 points in 69 games, nice, but if they lose one more game or the Leafs get two more points, they’re out.

The Isles have 73 in 68. If the Leafs earn 4 points or the Isles lose 4 points, those bitches are out and they’re drafting 13th or whatever. If only they had a #1 center - a real one, not Barzal, he’ll leave too.

So if the Leafs sweep Florida they clinch, but realistically I expect it in and around the 9th against Montreal.
 
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Voodoo Child said:
The clinching scenario seems to be thus:

The Leafs have 93 points.

Everyone below the Isles and Blue Jackets cannot catch the Leafs.

CBJ has 69 points in 69 games, nice, but if they lose one more game or the Leafs get two more points, they’re out.

The Isles have 73 in 68. If the Leafs earn 4 points or the Isles lose 4 points, those bitches are out and they’re drafting 13th or whatever. If only they had a #1 center - a real one, not Barzal, he’ll leave too.

So if the Leafs sweep Florida they clinch, but realistically I expect it in and around the 9th against Montreal.
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Isles are going on a nice run for 17th overall.
 
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LeafalCrusader said:
Isles are going on a nice run for 17th overall.
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And almost 40 million in their forward ‘core’ of Lee, Nelson, Palmieri, Pageau (5 til 2026-27, hahahahahahahahahaha!), Bailey, Beauvillier, Clutterbuck and Cizikas.

None with less than three years of term as of today.

They’re also paying their backup 5 this year and next.

They’ll be okay if they can get Barzal for 7 and Dobson for 5. Likely Barzal demands 9 (his QO is 8.4) or a trade because why would he want to stick around playing Trotz hockey getting 20-40-60 when he can plug into a top line role on almost any other team and walk to PPG (I watched him when they played the Leafs, his body language was not good at all), and Dobson is going to cost at least 6.5.
 
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Screw Tampa and Florida.

I think the Leafs have some swagger in their game and are ready to take on all comers.

Florida. Boston. Tampa. Florida. Carolina. What have you. I think they're looking forward to these games to show what they can do.

The Hell with them all! Bring on the Martians!
 
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Working towards home ice in round 1 of the PO’s should be a carrot for this game. Plus putting a boat load of pucks past Vas and stopping a boat load for Soup is going to help confidence.
 
Should be a high tempo couple of games. Especially tonight with us and the bolts neck and neck for home ice in round 1. Hoping that 4th line from practice gets a look. I had mentioned before wanting to take a look at that as a potential energy line for playoffs. Clifford-Blackwell-Simmonds should be able to get in hard on pucks and play with good pace. Unfortunately I find someone like Spezza kind of slows down Clifford & Simmonds on the 4th line because Spezza is so used to being elite throughout his career that he's always looking for the good offensive play when transporting the puck or gaining the zone with possession. This 4th line should just be able to flip it into the corners and go to work, making opposing Defence feel pressure. Simmonds makes Clifford feel tougher too....I think his only fights this year have been with Simmonds as his linemate. Could make a good line for us that's tailor-made for playoff hockey
 
Fogelhund said:
They are still a very good team, and we are playing them on the second of a back to back. Not afraid of them, but they will still be a challenge for our team, given the circumstances.

If we can get four points here, that would be huge for us. We would be within five points of The Panthers, and with one more game... it could get us within three... Maybe it's improbable we catch them, but it isn't impossible. For now, let's concentrate on home ice advantage where we can, at least the first round.

First though, let's take care of Tampa, and send them a message for what they've got coming in the playoffs.
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I remember years of watching the senators own us in the preseason and we would always send them packing in the post season. That was very satisfying.
I don't want this team to get a false bravado going into the post season against a team we handled in the regular season.
 
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Voodoo Child said:
And almost 40 million in their forward ‘core’ of Lee, Nelson, Palmieri, Pageau (5 til 2026-27, hahahahahahahahahaha!), Bailey, Beauvillier, Clutterbuck and Cizikas.

None with less than three years of term as of today.

They’re also paying their backup 5 this year and next.

They’ll be okay if they can get Barzal for 7 and Dobson for 5. Likely Barzal demands 9 (his QO is 8.4) or a trade because why would he want to stick around playing Trotz hockey getting 20-40-60 when he can plug into a top line role on almost any other team and walk to PPG (I watched him when they played the Leafs, his body language was not good at all), and Dobson is going to cost at least 6.5.
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They must have a great GM! Better than our at least.
 
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This is, for all purposes, a playoff game. Both teams should come out showing what they can do to set themselves for the playoffs.

It is probably the game that Tampa is looking forward to. It will show if the Leafs are ready for the playoffs
 
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kb said:
Meh, why is there this downer attitude of defeatism? Florida and Tampa are no better than the Leafs.

Yes, Florida came back to win 7-6 the other night, but let's be honest....they allowed themselves to get down 6-2 to New Jersey. Tampa just doesn't look the same.

The team has won 4 straight, 3 of which were in dominating fashion, 2 of which were against divisional rivals.

And we now have Jack back and looking good.
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I am with you completely on this. Tampa is not the same team from previous years and I think we match up well against Florida. I think we take both and start solidifying home ice for the start of the playoffs. I think Tampa and Boston will fight it out over 3rd place and the wild card. Go Leafs Go!!
 
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Gary Nylund said:
I'm betting Tampa will be hungry when the playoffs start. Becoming the first team in about 40 years to win three straight cups is there for the taking.
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A lot of people think the regular season doesn't matter at all -- and I've seen the videos of Darryl Sutter and others saying exactly that -- but I don't know that you can just flip a switch come playoffs and turn on your "A" game.

These are all professionals playing against professionals. It's all work. Every year is different and every game matters. I think that what they do in the regular season doesn't carry over to the playoffs, but it prepares them for that.

I don't think they will kick the snot out of anybody, but I want to see them win!

Go Leafs Go!
 
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I like the Leafs tonight without Nylander, assuming he doesn't go.

This back-to-back very well could go a long way toward the Leafs playoff seeding.

Sweeping a back-to-back on the road in two buildings where the teams have lost a combined 13 games is a tall order.

Sweep and you're moving in on a potential 3rd seed overall in the conference.

Get swept and you're moving toward a potential 7th seed in conference and a date with Carolina or Florida.

Split and who knows?

Being swept is not what you want but not sure it will hurt them all that much in the long run. You're really playing for a potential Game 7 at home and matchups.

Looking forward to seeing Abruzzese. Nylander's absence may stir something in him. A line promotion and a huge game on the road vs. the back-to-back champions? Get dialed-in, kid. Leh goooooooooo.
 
I love games against Tampa. The talent level is absurd.

Marner - Matthews - Kucherov
Stamkos - Point - Nylander
Killorn - Tavares - Palat
Bunting - Cierlli - Maroon

Hedman - Rielly
Sergechev - Giordano
McDonagh - Brodie

Vasi
 
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The 6ix said:
A lot of people think the regular season doesn't matter at all -- and I've seen the videos of Darryl Sutter and others saying exactly that -- but I don't know that you can just flip a switch come playoffs and turn on your "A" game.

These are all professionals playing against professionals. It's all work. Every year is different and every game matters. I think that what they do in the regular season doesn't carry over to the playoffs, but it prepares them for that.

I don't think they will kick the snot out of anybody, but I want to see them win!

Go Leafs Go!
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Not quite flip a switch but when you win the cup and know you'll be in the playoffs again, it's natural to not be too hyped up for games in October/November when the playoffs are still so far away. I'm sure TB will be more into tonight's game then for games a few months ago and they're slowly getting into gear, but they also know better than any team what it takes to win in the playoffs and that's when we'll see them at their best.
 
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AuraSphere said:
Any reason spezza keeps getting scratched? Weird you sit him out for simmonds
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I think when you look at the fact that Simmonds scored a goal and had a big tilt in Saturday's win, it would be hard for Sheldon to look Simmer in the face and say it was not enough to stay in the lineup.

It's about as hard of a game as Simmer could have played, and I think you have to reward that. I am not saying he's a lock every game, I just think Keefe needs to reward solid play. Especially from a tenured vet like Simmer who has been in and out of the lineup recently. My guess is Wayne and Sheldon have had plenty of conversations recently on what it's going to take to have Wayne consistently in the lineup night over night. So when Simmer steps up like he did on Saturday, you have to imagine that is in line with what Sheldon has told him he needs to do more consistently. It would be an odd approach to HS him after that IMO. It would send the wrong message not just to Wayne, but the entire team.

My assumption is Simmer will play today, and Spezz will play Tmw.
 
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saltming said:
I remember years of watching the senators own us in the preseason and we would always send them packing in the post season. That was very satisfying.
I don't want this team to get a false bravado going into the post season against a team we handled in the regular season.
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After losing in the first round of the playoffs for the past years, I don't think that is even possible now.
 
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