Pre-Game Talk: Ottawa @ Toronto - Game 1 - Sunday 7pm

[Drew4u]

My advice to everyone on this board is that if the Leafs lose this series PLEASE DO NOT go to the main boards until at least July. Like, under any circumstances.

This board will have to get shut down too. Marner will get most of the hate but realistically the ENTIRE core 4 should be traded, and the team should rebuild.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

This board will have to get shut down too. Marner will get most of the hate but realistically the ENTIRE core 4 should be traded, and the team should rebuild.

If they lose this series this core, and this whole era in general, is over. Period. They won't move off of all of them immediately, that's not possible, but they will.

This is it. Kill or be killed. This is the core's last chance as the team is currently constructed. If they lose this series and keep everything the same then no one should ever take this team seriously ever again.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Can't wait for this to get going already. Let's see what they got. I still can't believe this franchise has been running with the same core for the 7th year now, 9 if you go the two years before JT. They have to go far, that's it. No more excuses. Take both home games and make life a little easier for yourself. Get greedy here. Series should be 2-0 Toronto once it shifts to Ottawa. Toronto is the better team, more experienced, more polished, better coached, with the best goaltending they have seen in 20 years. No excuses.

 

[Jojalu]

I wonder if we’ll see Patches back in the lineup.

I wonder how long he has been healthy?

My guess is they signed him for just this. To be a warrior in the playoffs.

Load management all year

 

[Mugzy97]

Can't wait for this to get going already. Let's see what they got. I still can't believe this franchise has been running with the same core for the 7th year now, 9 if you go the two years before JT. They have to go far, that's it. No more excuses. Take both home games and make life a little easier for yourself. Get greedy here. Series should be 2-0 Toronto once it shifts to Ottawa. Toronto is the better team, more experienced, more polished, better coached, with the best goaltending they have seen in 20 years. No excuses.

Agreed, even winning in 7 is unacceptable. Win this convincingly in 4 or 5 and get a solid rest in for whichever team comes out of the Florida series. They don’t start until Tuesday, and if they go 6 or 7 we’ll have a massive rest waiting for them

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Can't wait for this to get going already. Let's see what they got. I still can't believe this franchise has been running with the same core for the 7th year now, 9 if you go the two years before JT. They have to go far, that's it. No more excuses. Take both home games and make life a little easier for yourself. Get greedy here. Series should be 2-0 Toronto once it shifts to Ottawa. Toronto is the better team, more experienced, more polished, better coached, with the best goaltending they have seen in 20 years. No excuses.

This.

One of the things I've always liked about your posts is the lack of bullshit. There is no bullshit here and it's totally correct.

This is it.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I'm so happy that it's a new opponent. Battle of Ontario should be fun.

 

[mikeyz]

I will ask one of the fine mods here to ban my account till September lol

I have been saying this for a while now.

If we lose this series, the overreaction takes that we’ve seen in the past on here is going to be childs play compared to what we will see after that series.

 

[Jojalu]

Can't wait for this to get going already. Let's see what they got. I still can't believe this franchise has been running with the same core for the 7th year now, 9 if you go the two years before JT. They have to go far, that's it. No more excuses. Take both home games and make life a little easier for yourself. Get greedy here. Series should be 2-0 Toronto once it shifts to Ottawa. Toronto is the better team, more experienced, more polished, better coached, with the best goaltending they have seen in 20 years. No excuses.

It's not that rare to keep a core together this long.

It's rare that a core make the playoffs from year 1 and never misses.

Ever rarer to continiously lose in the final game of the series.

What a time to be alive.

 

[garce]

I wonder how long he has been healthy?

My guess is they signed him for just this. To be a warrior in the playoffs.

Load management all year

Hakanpaa too, for insurance at least

 

[GoonieFace]

The path is open. The east is weak. It’s now or never

 

[garce]

Linus Ullmark Vs Maple Leafs All-time Record | StatMuse

Linus Ullmark has a 6-5-1 record against the Maple Leafs in his career.

www.statmuse.com

Ullmark has a 6-5-1 record against us all time and is on a winning streak lately. But I don’t remember him being intimidating to play against in the game he started vs Boston last year.

Just a good journey man goalie, one big year aside. Always seemed capable of being great or terrible on any given night, nothing to lose sleep over

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I have been saying this for a while now.

If we lose this series, the overreaction takes that we’ve seen in the past on here is going to be childs play compared to what we will see after that series.

In that scenario it won't be overreaction, it would be deserved. If they lose this series not a single person on here should ever defend the core ever again.

 

[garce]

Kind of hoping Tkachuk is more interested in putting on a show rather than sticking to the system and being focused on the big picture. Tkachuks do love the spotlight.

Tkachuks a great presence but not a huge producer. When the Yankee networks show up his proclivity for capering and playing to the cameras may be an advantage for the Leafs. That is of course if the officials don’t get caught up in the excitement

 

[DarkKnight]

My head says Leafs in 5, my learned experience tells my head to STFU lol.

 

[ruaware41]

I think the real question is do you go with a winning team with momentum or do you take out guys like Mermis and Robertson and put Patches/OEL/McCabe back right away. I have a feeling it is going to be more the latter than former but I think Robertson deserves to stay in the lineup unless he turns cold.

 

[Jojalu]

My head says Leafs in 5, my learned experience tells my head to STFU lol.

I would be happy with 5 or 6.

7 would be fine after the experience.

F@#$ it. If it takes 28 games to win the cup I somehow will get through it

 

[Mugzy97]

My head says Leafs in 5, my learned experience tells my head to STFU lol.

Cautiously optimistic

 

[Stephen]

I have been saying this for a while now.

If we lose this series, the overreaction takes that we’ve seen in the past on here is going to be childs play compared to what we will see after that series.

I don’t sense a lot of frustration or anxiety this year over the long weekend going into the playoffs. The strong finish really helps but it’s time for this group to just grow up and do what they’re supposed to do.

 

[Stephen]

Tkachuks a great presence but not a huge producer. When the Yankee networks show up his proclivity for capering and playing to the cameras may be an advantage for the Leafs. That is of course if the officials don’t get caught up in the excitement

The key is to contain and weather the storm with Brady’s physicality and use it against him where possible to draw penalties and frustrate him, get him off balance so he’s too focused on running around than playing the game properly. He’s a formidable force but still a playoff virgin at the end of the day. The Leafs are built like a redwood forest on the back end so you hope between Stolarz, then Tanev, Carlo, Benoit, Myers, OEL, the physicality of McCabe will contain, repel and stop him dead in his tracks.

 

[Aashir]

My advice to everyone on this board is that if the Leafs lose this series PLEASE DO NOT go to the main boards until at least July. Like, under any circumstances.

Apart from once when we lost to tampa in 2022 i just stay off the board until like the finals….

It’s been a nearly yearly tradition at this point….Hopefully it changes this year

 

[Gary Nylund]

Can't wait for this to get going already. Let's see what they got. I still can't believe this franchise has been running with the same core for the 7th year now, 9 if you go the two years before JT. They have to go far, that's it. No more excuses. Take both home games and make life a little easier for yourself. Get greedy here. Series should be 2-0 Toronto once it shifts to Ottawa. Toronto is the better team, more experienced, more polished, better coached, with the best goaltending they have seen in 20 years. No excuses.

No excuses. But wait, what if we get "outgoalied"?

I have been saying this for a while now.

If we lose this series, the overreaction takes that we’ve seen in the past on here is going to be childs play compared to what we will see after that series.

If we lose the series, what would constitute an overreaction?

Cautiously optimistic

Only way to be IMO.

 

[fahad203]

Excellent!!!!

…… now keep him the hell out of the lineup for the entirety of the playoffs and next season.

His time here needs to be over. We have better options available right now.

Why exactly. He was actually really good last year against Boston for 5 games

He did his thing. He shouldn't be dressed if all healthy but you'll need bodies

 

[Aashir]

No excuses. But wait, what if we get "outgoalied"?

Their goalie could have a .930
Stolarz and woll could have a .890

Matthews and nylander better score once every game, Marner better be double digits in points, JT better be a ppg. We better outshot them 50-25 and win 4-3 every game if that’s what it takes

There’s no situation that can play out and we lose and we don’t blow this shit up

 

[garce]

The key is to contain and weather the storm with Brady’s physicality and use it against him where possible to draw penalties and frustrate him, get him off balance so he’s too focused on running around than playing the game properly. He’s a formidable force but still a playoff virgin at the end of the day. The Leafs are built like a redwood forest on the back end so you hope between Stolarz, then Tanev, Carlo, Benoit, Myers, OEL, the physicality of McCabe will contain, repel and stop him dead in his tracks.

Wouldn’t mind seeing a Benoit or Domi drawing BT into a even up penalty situation, Greig and Perron could be candidates for dumbbell over amped starts ala Kadri and Clifford etc,