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Series Talk: North Division Round 1: Leafs (1) vs. Canadiens (4)

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Series Prediction

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Words can't describe how pumped I am for this. Even my friends who don't care for sports know how crazy this Habs against Leafs matchup is. This is long awaited fuel to a historical rivalry.

I don't care about the worthless game tomorrow. Bring me the playoffs. Time to rewrite the narrative and force people to respect the blue and white. No excuses.
 
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I'd be more excited if the Leafs' have had some playoff success in recent memory but my desire want to see them win a damn series and go on a run trumps who they're playing.

They're definitely favourites against the Habs but even with the Habs sputtering, they have some players that can be playoff PITA's. A series loss here would probably hurt the most out of any we've had in the last 5 years.
 
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BertCorbeau said:
I'd be more excited if the Leafs' have had some playoff success in recent memory but my desire want to see them win a damn series and go on a run trumps who they're playing.

They're definitely favourites against the Habs but even with the Habs sputtering, they have some players that can be playoff PITA's. A series loss here would probably hurt the most out of any we've had in the last 5 years.
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It's less about excitement and more about fear.

This team and this core scares me in playoffs at the best of times. Add in a "can't lose, just happy to be here" series for the Habs (they're expected to be bounced and relatively early) and it isn't a great feeling
 
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Gallagbi said:
It's less about excitement and more about fear.

This team and this core scares me in playoffs at the best of times. Add in a "can't lose, just happy to be here" series for the Habs (they're expected to be bounced and relatively early) and it isn't a great feeling
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I think there is a fair bit of pressure on the Habs to win, far from "just happy to be here", but the Leafs clearly have more. The Habs losing likely means a GM change and a longer term restructuring of the team. The Leafs losing likely means more significant roster changes and heavier scrutiny on the core.
 
Gallagbi said:
It's less about excitement and more about fear.

This team and this core scares me in playoffs at the best of times. Add in a "can't lose, just happy to be here" series for the Habs (they're expected to be bounced and relatively early) and it isn't a great feeling
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The Habs are not just happy to be here (like last season). They have a ton of pressure on them as well based on the expectations of their fan base going into this season.

Bergevin and Ducharme's future are going to be determined based on the outcome of this series.
 
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Gallagbi said:
It's less about excitement and more about fear.

This team and this core scares me in playoffs at the best of times.
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Weird because in every real playoffs series they've been in they've actually played better than expected

Add in a "can't lose, just happy to be here" series for the Habs (they're expected to be bounced and relatively early) and it isn't a great feeling
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Habs are a cap max team with an old core that expected to contend this year - not sure "just happy to be here" applies.
 
Things always tighten up in the playoffs but we are by far the more skilled team. If our boys play the way they should it should be a series we can win.

I know that a lot of talk radio has been putting our lines in a blender but I really question why we should do that. Personally I leave the skill on the Ice and ensure our lines plate balanced:

Hyman Matthews Marner
Galchenyuk JT Nylander
Foligno Kerfoot Mikheyev
Thorton Nash/Brooks/ Spezza
Simmonds or Engvall

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Sandin Dermott
Bogo-Replaces Dermott if healthy

Campbell
Andersen
 
zeke said:
Weird because in every real playoffs series they've been in they've actually played better than expected
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I'd say the expectation was to win last year and the final Boston was closer to a toss up. Add in the 3-2 series lead coming back to Toronto and that's a series we pissed away.
Habs are a cap max team with an old core that expected to contend this year - not sure "just happy to be here" applies.
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Nobody reasonable expected them to contend for anything other than a playoff spot and we've watched plenty of capped out Leafs teams that were never expected to do anything other than content for a playoff spot.
 
Gallagbi said:
I'd say the expectation was to win last year and the final Boston was closer to a toss up. Add in the 3-2 series lead coming back to Toronto and that's a series we pissed away.
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Last year was some weird stuff. 5gm series after months off was more like preseason hockey.



Nobody reasonable expected them to contend for anything other than a playoff spot and we've watched plenty of capped out Leafs teams that were never expected to do anything other than content for a playoff spot.
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Their GM certainly did, and the Habs were media darlings at the start. Habs players have been arrogantly trashing the leafs all year. This has been a humiliating season for them and now they face the prospect of getting dumped on by the hated leafs of all teams.

I don't think happy to be here applies tbh.
 
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zeke said:
Weird because in every real playoffs series they've been in they've actually played better than expected
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I did the math a while ago and the odds of us losing every time for the last 4 years were roughly 10%. You really gotta do some fancy mental gymnastics to say we have "played better than expected".

Unless you think that favoured teams should be expected to win every time?
 
zeke said:
Last year was some weird stuff. 5gm series after months off was more like preseason hockey.
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...but still disappointing. They haven't really earned the benefit of the doubt

Their GM certainly did, and the Habs were media darlings at the start. Habs players have been arrogantly trashing the leafs all year. This has been a humiliating season for them and now they face the prospect of getting dumped on by the hated leafs of all teams.

I don't think happy to be here applies tbh.
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I'll definitely admit to some hyperbole, but this Habs team reminds me a lot of the mediocre Leafs teams we used to see. Some promising your players, some overhyped young guys and some veteran presence that leads to a fringe playoff team.
 
daethfromabove1979 said:
Can i safely assume Sandin hasn't been playing strictly for cap reasons?

He HAS to be in there for the playoffs. Like absolutely no question, he's looked fantastic since getting back.
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Ya it appears that way. Aside from a couple bad turnovers he has been outstanding. And even in the games he had those turnovers that lead to goals against, he was still good overall in the game. Have to think he's a lock over Hutton at this point
 
Gallagbi said:
...but still disappointing. They haven't really earned the benefit of the doubt


I'll definitely admit to some hyperbole, but this Habs team reminds me a lot of the mediocre Leafs teams we used to see. Some promising your players, some overhyped young guys and some veteran presence that leads to a fringe playoff team.
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Yeah but imo this kinda sounds like turning being a worse team into an advantage, cuz "nothing to lose".

But we never felt that way when we were the underdogs in a series. Except maybe that first year.
 
Foligno looked great with Matthews and Marner, confused as to why that was removed.

Galchenyuk looked very good with Tavares and Nylander again left confused as to why that was removed.

Foligno Matthews Marner
Galchenyuk Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev Kerfoot Hyman
Thornton Spezza Simmonds

Nash, Engvall, Brooks
 
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Gary Nylund said:
I did the math a while ago and the odds of us losing every time for the last 4 years were roughly 10%. You really gotta do some fancy mental gymnastics to say we have "played better than expected".

Unless you think that favoured teams should be expected to win every time?
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Yeah your math skills are suspect tho.
 
BertCorbeau said:
Honestly I'm expecting a series loss because this core has done nothing but disappoint when the pressure has been on.

Prove me wrong Leafs.
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This core needs that first playoff series win.
Doesn’t matter how or against who but they need it.
It doesn’t matter who you like and are sworn to protect against Marner/Nylander/Rielly/whoever if they can’t win a series.

Sometimes just getting that first can ease your mind and play. Nothing is ever a given but as matchups go, this is an exceptional opportunity for it.
 
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