[POLL] Is Toronto going to make it out of the first round?

[bov]

I would love nothing more than to see them lose but they will destroy Ottawa.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I want Ottawa because I want excitement.

If we're going out in the first round as per usual, let it be The Battle of Ontario...........

I want it so bad.

Funny thing is, not that long ago, there was a thread on here "Could the Leafs miss the playoffs"

And I posted my thoughts, and ended those thoughts with "this is a stupid thread, I mean, could Florida miss the playoffs?"

And a mod edited my post and removed that, and I had a notification saying "your post was edited: stop being a jackass"

And that was it.

Pretty sure I have an idea who that moderator was............

Well well well..........................

Come on everyone, let's get pumped here! Leafs vs. Sens, Caps vs. Habs, Tampa vs. Florida and then who cares.

That's an awesome first round in the Eastern Conference!

 

[Boud]

Realistically Leafs should win this.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Realistically Leafs should win this.

Not true, Ottawa will be so pumped to beat the Leafs.

Ideally as a Leafs fan I should want Tampa, but gimme the Battle of Ontario and let's get down and dirty with the shit talk (I love Sens fans in real life, they're awesome and humble, and realize that a whole lot of Leafs fans don't live in downtown Toronto)

And if Ottawa wins, I will fully support them afterwards.

But until then, gloves off and Go Leafs Go!

 

[ORRFForever]

All those years when Ottawa had the NHL's best team and the Leafs would beat them in the first round...

I would not be surprised if Ottawa returns the favour.

If Toronto gets thru the first round, they are going to the Cup.

 

[FMichael]

Brady Tkachuk is gonna wreck Tronna…

 

[Dirty Mind]

No they don't and you know it. They treat it like a game where Leaf fans take over their arena and they hear go leafs go chants. They treat it like they are the younger brother begging for the scraps of the media coverage from Toronto based sports giants. It means something personal to them.

The Leafs perspective, Senators have been a non playoff team and non threat including most games of this season between us. It's just another game.

Except the reality now is:

1. The Sens ARE a playoff team
2. The Sens ARE a threat
3. It’s NOT just another game anymore. They ARE meeting in the 2025 playoffs it’s all but offical at this point.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I have the Leafs in the Conference Final. They are a much harder team to play against this year.

Yeah they’ve been a team who’s heavily relied on Matthews/Marner to succeed and those to have subsequently let them down every single time.

With Matthews being pretty average this season, it looks like the team had to learn to win without him. Should come in handy should he have another disappearing act.

Could be a year they go deep (will of course be hoping for another hilarious demise).

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

All those years when Ottawa had the NHL's best team and the Leafs would beat them in the first round...

I would not be surprised if Ottawa returns the favour.

If Toronto gets thru the first round, they are going to the Cup.

You keep your dirty Bruins mouth shut,

You are no longer involved, this is between TO and Ottawa.

I mean that in the nicest way possible btw. I just know what you're trying to throw out there

My father ran the Boston marathon 26 years in a row btw, so that keeps me from thread ban I'm assuming?

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Except the reality now is:

1. The Sens ARE a playoff team
2. The Sens ARE a threat
3. It’s NOT just another game anymore. They ARE meeting in the 2025 playoffs it’s all but offical at this point.

Imagine at the start of the season, someone said both the Habs and Sens would make the playoffs?

You'd be laughed off this forum.

And Atlantic teams taking both wild card spots? Pffffft, what?

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Ottawa not having any playoff experience is certainly going to tilt things in Toronto's favour. Plus the Sens can't match Toronto's scoring depth.

The Sens have the better goalie though, and an experienced one. Plus the best defenseman in the series. And if Tkachuk is healthy he could go nuclear.

Honestly could go either way. If I were a betting man I'd put money on the team that's been there more though.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Except the reality now is:

1. The Sens ARE a playoff team
2. The Sens ARE a threat
3. It’s NOT just another game anymore. They ARE meeting in the 2025 playoffs it’s all but offical at this point.

Which is why it is different now and makes no sense to use reg season

 

[NyQuil]

All those years when Ottawa had the NHL's best team and the Leafs would beat them in the first round...

I would not be surprised if Ottawa returns the favour.

If Toronto gets thru the first round, they are going to the Cup.

The Leafs were the higher seed as the better regular season team 3 out of 4 times.

This narrative has to die.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The Leafs were the higher seed as the better regular season team 3 out of 4 times.

This narrative has to die.

Yeah they were both good teams....if my memory isn't shit I believe it was the 4-5 series a few times. The Sens regularly handled the Leafs in the regular season those years though.

 

[Chuck Testa]

This has more than likely been asked in this thread somewhere already but:

If (and that's a big if) the Leafs are gone in one round again, do they finally move on from their core guys?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

This has more than likely been asked in this thread somewhere already but:

If (and that's a big if) the Leafs are gone in one round again, do they finally move on from their core guys?

Maybe? Nobody really knows.

 

[Chuck Testa]

Maybe? Nobody really knows.

Year after year they just try and run it back. Maybe the 10th time's the charm.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Year after year they just try and run it back. Maybe the 10th time's the charm.

Probably the most likely year for it to happen with Marner and Tavares contracts up....but nobody has any idea what they will actually do. Nothing would surprise me anymore.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

This has more than likely been asked in this thread somewhere already but:

If (and that's a big if) the Leafs are gone in one round again, do they finally move on from their core guys?

I think a better question is:

Where’s the line you draw if you’re the Leafs management? What does the team have to do in this playoffs for you to believe in the future of the core?

Is beating the Sens in the 1st round enough? Or do you want to see them go to the ECF at least? What about winning the 1st round and losing in 7 to the Lightning in the second round in a hard fought series?

 

[HockeyVirus]

Yet somehow the pressure is still on the other team. They drew the Atlantic free bingo card. Go directly to the second round. Do not collect 200 dollars.

Sure. Let's hope the Sens see them the same way.

I absolutely love the leafs in the playoffs

If they want to win 16 games and hoist the cup I will enjoy it and cheer to the end.

If they bow out in Round 1 for the 10th time, I will laugh my ass off.

Must see TV IMO

I always respect anyone who is purely in it for the chaos.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think a better question is:

Where’s the line you draw if you’re the Leafs management? What does the team have to do in this playoffs for you to believe in the future of the core?

Is beating the Sens in the 1st round enough? Or do you want to see them go to the ECF at least? What about winning the 1st round and losing in 7 to the Lightning in the second round in a hard fought series?

Why do fans post this stuff? Leaf fans have no clue what they are going to do. They were begging for changes to the core at least 5 years straight now.

Most likely if they are out early it is out of their hands as Marner chooses to walk. They re-sign Tavares to be 2C for 3/4 years and Knies and look to UFA to try and add as many forwards as they can with remaining cap space and next season is a retool year.

Not going to even bother thinking about this too much because it is a hypothetical that is unlikely. Casual fans don't watch the Leafs, they haven't seen them growing and changing each year and maturing into a legit team. This is the year they have put it all together.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I think a better question is:

Where’s the line you draw if you’re the Leafs management? What does the team have to do in this playoffs for you to believe in the future of the core?

Is beating the Sens in the 1st round enough? Or do you want to see them go to the ECF at least? What about winning the 1st round and losing in 7 to the Lightning in the second round in a hard fought series?

Obviously not Leafs management...but I feel like ECF has to be the minimum. This isn't a young upstart team with a decade to figure it out. But again...we are just idiots on a message board, they will do what they want to do regardless.

 

[kevsh]

If (and that's a big if) the Leafs are gone in one round again, do they finally move on from their core guys?

Matthews & Nylander aren't going anywhere and I can't imagine the Leafs being okay with Marner walking. Despite his playoff struggles he's an exceptional talent. The only way I see JT walking is if he demands way too much to stay. And even then I'm not sure.

So in short, no. MLSE has proven repeatedly they are all in on this group.

 

[Killer Orca]

Leafs take round 1 and Marner leads them in scoring book it.

 

[Golden_Jet]

No sense getting ourselves all worked up. Senators might be choking the WC2 spot as we speak and all of this for them to just be run over by Washington round 1 instead. Would be sad.

Wrong again lol, I guess the lesson is when betting, take the opposite.