Maybe we should give the Habs some credit.

[JayfromNB1219]

The Habs have the best goalie on the planet, 4 big horses on the back end and can roll 4 lines. They are built for the playoffs and deserve a ton of credit. 6 straight playoff wins. Last time they had a streak this long they won the cup.

I feel like at this point you’d be more at hoke over there chanting Alez Montreal honestly

 

[mydnyte]

You must be new to the boards. Leaf fans crapped all over the Islanders for a long period and some still do.

LOL ...I'm one of the oldest guys on these boards, and this is actually, my 2nd account (had lost the first one)
I've been on these boards longer than some have been alive.
I used to always argue about the Islanders with Darth Milbury (or something like that, but, i dont think i've seen him on the boards for a few years)

 

[ToneDog]

Uhh I will laugh at all of them…us melting down does not make them any better lol Winnipeg being low key trash without helley standing on his head doesn’t say anything about MTL either…now if they sweep Vegas or Colorado come back and talk to me…until then though…definitely not interested in this hot take lol

They are not sweeping anybody past the 2nd round, nor would the Leafs. There is a reason the Leafs "melted" down and credit where credit is due goes to the Habs.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

They are not sweeping anybody past the 2nd round, nor would the Leafs. There is a reason the Leafs "melted" down and credit where credit is due goes to the Habs.

We watched different games lol that’s fine…the Habs did nothing special but actually work…if that’s all it takes to get credit lol then there are a ton of teams in the NHL that deserve it

 

[ToneDog]

We watched different games lol that’s fine…the Habs did nothing special but actually work…if that’s all it takes to get credit lol then there are a ton of teams in the NHL that deserve it

Sure Leafs failed to show up games 5,6 and 7 because Habs did nothing but work. OK.

 

[TheScandal89]

It is strange.. countless Leaf fans have repeatedly said that NYI and Montreal suck.. yet they keep winning in the playoffs and Toronto keeps losing.

Montreal is about to make it to the final 4. Something the Leafs haven’t done since 93. I really wish the Leafs sucked as much as NYI and Montreal.. maybe then the Leafs would win a playoff series.

The Leafs made it to the final 4 in 94, 99 and 2002. Still a long time ago though, I was in grade school for those, grade 7 in 2002 go be exact.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

Sure Leafs failed to show up games 5,6 and 7 because Habs did nothing but work. OK.

You actually answered your own statement there “the leafs didn’t show up games 5,6,7” that has 0 to do with Montreal and everything to do with Toronto

 

[ToneDog]

You actually answered your own statement there “the leafs didn’t show up games 5,6,7” that has 0 to do with Montreal and everything to do with Toronto

So the Habs ratching it up after going down 3-1 had nothing to do with Leafs not showing up. OK. Got it.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The opening line will be Montreal +180 to +200.

Considering the fact that MTL was a bigger underdog than that against the Leafs, I'd say you're almost certain to be well off with that prediction.

I'd bet heavily that MTL will be more than +200, depending on how the games between now and then play out, they may even be better than +300.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

So the Habs ratching it up after going down 3-1 had nothing to do with Leafs not showing up. OK. Got it.

Lol sure man you think MTL taking advantage and just working (cause that’s literally all it was…they’re still as unskilled as they were heading into the playoffs) of a Toronto team who decided to check out after game 4 says something amazing about their team…I just don’t see it…it’s ok we can disagree here and you can go on about how they’re “unsung” or whatever adjective you’d like to use to pretend like we didn’t lose to an absolute SHT team who had and still has no business being in the playoffs much less being the rep from the North division and that’s cool find those excuses my dude

 

[justashadowof]

Never

 

[Gary Nylund]

I don't think it's fair to say how things will play out with any level of certainty (which is, of course, part of what makes the Stanley Cup playoffs interesting).

There are so many examples of the razor thin edge between winning and losing, greatness and mediocrity--and of us imposing the narrative after the fact.

That Bruins team that we lost to in 2013 was by any definition a good team; they had a great lineup and went all the way to the Cup final...but just to get out of the first round they needed a totally improbable third period comeback and OT win against an inferior Leafs team that hadn't made the playoffs before under that regime and didn't make it again. If Matt Frattin scores on that breakaway...or James Reimer makes one more save in the 3rd period...or Joffrey Lupul scores in OT instead of hitting the post and the Leafs win that game/series, were they any better than the team that didn't but instead collapsed so embarrassingly?

In 2018, when they won the Cup, the Capitals fell behind to Columbus in the first round 2-0 and Game 3 went to double-OT. If they give up the OT winner in that game (which of course they easily could have) and go down 3-0, they almost certainly lose that series and go out early yet again. Instead they completed the comeback, won the series, and never looked back. The legacy of the Ovechkin Capitals is totally different if things go just a little differently in that Game 3. History now sees them as a team that overcame adversity and learned how to win instead of a perennial choker. But that's B.S., really; they just took advantage of the right break at the right moment and went on a run at the right time.

Great post! Every now and then I find myself thinking back to TB getting swept in the first round. They were up 3-0 in game one, not sure what the hell happened there but if they hang on to win that one ...

 

[keonsbitterness]

Most here are arguing it's because they have faced two weak(ish) teams and will get smoked next round. Solid case for that.

On the other hand, they started by scoring hardly any goals, then timely goals, now many goals, all the while with Price playing well and a disciplined defensive structure throughout this run. And after starting with a veteran line-up, their younger players are now seeing ice time and contributing. That's the kind of progression you want to see in a playoff team.

Hate to say it, but I think they have a legit shot at winning it all.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Credit to the Habs for relying on Price to bail them out and credit to them for converting every single time our guys were f***ing idiots and made the most egregious giveaways possible. Guaranteed the Leafs would botch that Galchenyuk giveaway if it happened in our favour, or overpass that Kotkaniemi game winner instead of just shooting it like he did.

 

[Andrewcoursol]

Lol sure man you think MTL taking advantage and just working (cause that’s literally all it was…they’re still as unskilled as they were heading into the playoffs) of a Toronto team who decided to check out after game 4 says something amazing about their team…I just don’t see it…it’s ok we can disagree here and you can go on about how they’re “unsung” or whatever adjective you’d like to use to pretend like we didn’t lose to an absolute SHT team who had and still has no business being in the playoffs much less being the rep from the North division and that’s cool find those excuses my dude

so what happens to the leafs next season in the first round when they play a better team than the habs , who beat them? what going to change with this team to make anyone truly believe that they (the leafs) can be real contenders, instead of pretenders, regular season points do not matter much, you have to get out of the first round at least once to be put into serious contention conversation, I can not think of any teams in the conference who would not want to play the leafs in the playoffs, as they are constructed right now, and I do not see any cap relief in sight.

 

[Andrewcoursol]

sure it was Simmonds and not Thornton they picked over Perry?

does it matter.?

 

[keonsbitterness]

so what happens to the leafs next season in the first round when they play a better team than the habs , who beat them? what going to change with this team to make anyone truly believe that they (the leafs) can be real contenders, instead of pretenders, regular season points do not matter much, you have to get out of the first round at least once to be put into serious contention conversation, I can not think of any teams in the conference who would not want to play the leafs in the playoffs, as they are constructed right now, and I do not see any cap relief in sight.

You hope they'll figure it out with more maturity.

That's all I got.

 

[67leafs]

You dont get it : if Habs win it is a pure random statistical abnormality…if Leafs loose it is due to a curse…

Whatever happens will just prove the vast superiority of the Leafs over the Habs

That makes zero sense

 

[Cobra777]

My biggest regret losing this series is not getting that damn monkey off our back. Like in life when negatives keep happening to certain people over and over they lose hope after time, same to be said to some positives happen and they in turn are a half glass full bunch.

Games 5, 6 and seven they came out flat starting with 5 and just seemed like a different team waiting for the worse to happen and it did down 3-0 and somehow mustered tying the game sending it to ot. to have hopes crushed after 1 minute due to a stupid play, rinse repeat game 6 only ot we dominated and they get 2 chances and another stupid turn over and score. That is deflation at its finest I'm not making excuses for this team here but the constant losses must be mentally in their heads over the last 5 seasons, I have seen peeps with mental illness for less.

I just wanted to see the team get by that round to excorsise that ugly what can go wrong does off their back because I would have loved to see the team play with a confidence for a freakin change.

Yes you have to be base good but confidence in sports or life can make you soar like an eagle, it brings the best out of you and we would be able to see objectively if our team was any better for it finally shedding that black hole or just more of the same. It would have been interesting just to see.

 

[mikeyz]

You must be new to the boards. Leaf fans crapped all over the Islanders for a long period and some still do.

That demographic of Leafs fans are only the Dubas defenders. And that's only because they're in denial that Lou is a much MUCH better GM then Dubas is. And they feel like they have to shit on the Islanders to justify it. No matter how far they go in the playoffs.

The Islanders could lose in game 7 of the stanley cup finals in the 5th overtime and that group will immediately come out of the woodwork and spew their "YoU tHiNk LoU iS a BeTtEr Gm ThEn DuBaS? LoL" diatribe.

 

[Coachcorner]

Most here are arguing it's because they have faced two weak(ish) teams and will get smoked next round. Solid case for that.

On the other hand, they started by scoring hardly any goals, then timely goals, now many goals, all the while with Price playing well and a disciplined defensive structure throughout this run. And after starting with a veteran line-up, their younger players are now seeing ice time and contributing. That's the kind of progression you want to see in a playoff team.

Hate to say it, but I think they have a legit shot at winning it all.

Of course they have sire. They and Lou have them all. Hard players, komarov and martin always in the playoffs. killing it more than we. Special guys like price, perry, edmundson, anderson, suzuki, armia... others as well. Lou only needs komarov and martin, cheap. He better than us. Our doll team is full of DOLLS. Not thugs, no hardness enough. Rich money though That's enough and cool. We is satisfied. Lets play with our money and consols.

Isles or montreal can win the cup. We can't. The proof and history is there, every year. Lets keep doing our thang. Not thugging it up cheap, but only paying big money for DOLLLS. I LOVE IT SIRE.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

so what happens to the leafs next season in the first round when they play a better team than the habs , who beat them? what going to change with this team to make anyone truly believe that they (the leafs) can be real contenders, instead of pretenders, regular season points do not matter much, you have to get out of the first round at least once to be put into serious contention conversation, I can not think of any teams in the conference who would not want to play the leafs in the playoffs, as they are constructed right now, and I do not see any cap relief in sight.

I don’t disagree

 

[Lightsol]

so what happens to the leafs next season in the first round when they play a better team than the habs , who beat them? what going to change with this team to make anyone truly believe that they (the leafs) can be real contenders, instead of pretenders, regular season points do not matter much, you have to get out of the first round at least once to be put into serious contention conversation, I can not think of any teams in the conference who would not want to play the leafs in the playoffs, as they are constructed right now, and I do not see any cap relief in sight.

They play better, that's what happens. The Leafs always seem to play down to their opponents, and they did the same thing this year.

 

[Brown Dog]

My biggest regret losing this series is not getting that damn monkey off our back. Like in life when negatives keep happening to certain people over and over they lose hope after time, same to be said to some positives happen and they in turn are a half glass full bunch.

Games 5, 6 and seven they came out flat starting with 5 and just seemed like a different team waiting for the worse to happen and it did down 3-0 and somehow mustered tying the game sending it to ot. to have hopes crushed after 1 minute due to a stupid play, rinse repeat game 6 only ot we dominated and they get 2 chances and another stupid turn over and score. That is deflation at its finest I'm not making excuses for this team here but the constant losses must be mentally in their heads over the last 5 seasons, I have seen peeps with mental illness for less.

I just wanted to see the team get by that round to excorsise that ugly what can go wrong does off their back because I would have loved to see the team play with a confidence for a freakin change.

Yes you have to be base good but confidence in sports or life can make you soar like an eagle, it brings the best out of you and we would be able to see objectively if our team was any better for it finally shedding that black hole or just more of the same. It would have been interesting just to see.

Totally agree. This inability to get past the first round is totally a monkey-on-the-back thing and I think we'll see them play differently if/when they ever get past that. Really unfortunate because they won't have a better opportunity than they had this year.

Next year there's a great chance they'll have to go up against Boston/TB/Florida in the first round, even if they have a good year. No gimmes there and they'll be going in with that first-round dragon still left to be slayed.

Argh! Still burns me that they let this chance get away.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

In 2018, when they won the Cup, the Capitals fell behind to Columbus in the first round 2-0 and Game 3 went to double-OT. If they give up the OT winner in that game (which of course they easily could have) and go down 3-0, they almost certainly lose that series and go out early yet again. Instead they completed the comeback, won the series, and never looked back. The legacy of the Ovechkin Capitals is totally different if things go just a little differently in that Game 3. History now sees them as a team that overcame adversity and learned how to win instead of a perennial choker. But that's B.S., really; they just took advantage of the right break at the right moment and went on a run at the right time.

IIRC, Columbus actually hit the post in OT (Foligno?). And the winner was the ultimate fluke ping pong goal. Werenski tried to clear the puck out of the crease but it went off Eller's leg, his own leg, and then Eller's foot (it was going wide) and into the net.

Game of inches.