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

[NyQuil]

Yeah but the Sens were loaded with young talent, that didn't have to be paid yet so the their payroll didn't reflect the talent. The Leafs had some good teams no doubt but man those Sens teams were loaded.

What the Leafs did have was a lot of playoff experience, because they could afford it.

By the time the Sens guys got theirs, quite a few of them went on to win Cups elsewhere.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

It does make me feel better, thank you I will.

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How can you be so confident in the maple leafs in this thread , Hats of to you you must be one of the only toronto fans that still believes in your guys , that's passion

 

[Do Make Say Think]

and ullmark is better than woll...

Ullmark doesn't have a great playoff record though.

I get it fellow Sens fans, f*** the Leafs, but some of you are gearing yourselves for a huge letdown.

If Toronto doesn't win, it will be one of the biggest choke jobs ever. I'm hoping for it, but I expect us to get crushed.

 

[SpezDispenser]

It does make me feel better, thank you I will.

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Excellent! You should have the series locked up then.

 

[NyQuil]

How can you be so confident in the maple leafs in this thread , Hats of to you you must be one of the only toronto fans that still believes in your guys , that's passion

To his credit, he's been saying the Leafs are going to win the Cup all season long.

 

[CupofOil]

What the Leafs did have was a lot of playoff experience, because they could afford it.

By the time the Sens guys got theirs, quite a few of them went on to win Cups elsewhere.

Sadly true, I was heavily into rooting for the Sens back then but the Leafs kept crushing their hopes.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

To his credit, he's been saying the Leafs are going to win the Cup all season long.

Yes I know , that's why I'm saying hats off to him , I'd be the biggest negative nancy complainer if i was a leafs fan

 

[SpezDispenser]

Toronto fans have to understand that Ottawa cannot be taunted. It's what playing with house money means. We're HEAVY underdogs here, if we lose, so be it. If we win...oh boy

 

[swiftwin]

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.

Ottawa has some playoff experience.

Giroux 95GP
Perron 104GP + cup
Amadio 21GP + cup
Jensen 27GP
Cousins 63GP + cup
Hamonic 22GP
Ullmark 10GP

Also, Tkachuk and Sanderson looked excellent at the four nations tournament, which was playoff-like.

 

[NyQuil]

Yes I know , that's why I'm saying hats off to him , I'd be the biggest negative nancy complainer if i was a leafs fan

At the same time, he thinks the future of the team is incredibly bleak.

 

[NyQuil]

Ottawa has some playoff experience.

Giroux 95GP
Perron 104GP + cup
Amadio 21GP + cup
Jensen 27GP
Cousins 63GP + cup
Hamonic 22GP
Ullmark 10GP

Also, Tkachuk and Sanderson looked excellent at the four nations tournament, which was playoff-like.

I think they showed a stat on Hockey Central and we had some 200-300 games and the Leafs had like 1000 games.

Pretty much our entire core has zero playoff experience.

 

[SpezDispenser]

At the same time, he thinks the future of the team is incredibly bleak.

That seems silly. When the Sens beat them and they sell off all their players, it'll be incredibly sunny.

 

[TheImpatientBoomer]

Domi...

A) He's a firecracker every game
B) He does something extremely stupid
C) A&B

Tons of B. The guy is an emotional idiot who can't control himself.
Tkachuk or Cousins will goad him into some penalties no doubt.

 

[HockeyVirus]

How can you be so confident in the maple leafs in this thread , Hats of to you you must be one of the only toronto fans that still believes in your guys , that's passion

I'll give you a real answer.

The answer is I watch all the games and follow the team heavily. Non fans just see the same 4 stars upfront and think the team has not changed since a decade ago or hell even 5 years ago when they played the Habs.

In reality, the team has significantly transformed it's identity starting around 2022/2023. It took a few seasons, but the way they win games and the type of player that fills out their roster has changed a lot.

Take a peek at the size of the Leafs defense when healthy and how they play. Big, long sticks, physical. Block a ton of shots. Even when teams like the Habs were skating around fast as they could trying to make plays, Leafs just held their structure, let them take low % shots and blocked as many as they could.

When the shots get through, the Leafs are actually built from the net out now. We have 2 legit goalies. No more trying to win the cup with a budget defense and Samsonov / Campbell in net.

On forward, well they have changed a lot there too. Emergence of Knies is absolutely massive for the top 6. Finding guys like Bobby McMann these big bodies who skate really fast and drive the net gives the Leafs so much depth.

On top of that, the coaching change is the biggest reason. Keefe was outcoached in every series he was in. Berube has them playing a system that can win.

One pattern of the Leafs, they started strong and faded as the year went on, usually luke warm at best as the playoffs rolled around and tried to turn it up and couldn't. This year since March 15 the Leafs are 11-3-1. Playing the best hockey of their season as the playoffs roll around.

 

[swiftwin]

I think they showed a stat on Hockey Central and we had some 200-300 games and the Leafs had like 1000 games.

Pretty much our entire core has zero playoff experience.

Obviously, the Leafs have way more experience. I'm just saying the Sens have some solid veteran support and aren't going in completely green. They basically have one solid playoff veteran on each line (Giroux-Perron-Amadio-Cousins). Plus Jensen in the top 4 on the back end.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

The answer is I watch all the games and follow the team heavily. Non fans just see the same 4 stars upfront and think the team has not changed since a decade ago or hell even 5 years ago when they played the Habs.

In reality, the team has significantly transformed it's identity starting around 2022/2023. It took a few seasons, but the way they win games and the type of player that fills out their roster has changed a lot.

Take a peek at the size of the Leafs defense when healthy and how they play. Big, long sticks, physical. Block a ton of shots. Even when teams like the Habs were skating around fast as they could trying to make plays, Leafs just held their structure, let them take low % shots and blocked as many as they could.

When the shots get through, the Leafs are actually built from the net out now. We have 2 legit goalies. No more trying to win the cup with a budget defense and Samsonov / Campbell in net.

On forward, well they have changed a lot there too. Emergence of Knies is absolutely massive for the top 6. Finding guys like Bobby McMann these big bodies who skate really fast and drive the net gives the Leafs so much depth.

On top of that, the coaching change is the biggest reason. Keefe was outcoached in every series he was in. Berube has them playing a system that can win.

One pattern of the Leafs, they started strong and faded as the year went on, usually luke warm at best as the playoffs rolled around and tried to turn it up and couldn't. This year since March 15 the Leafs are 11-3-1. Playing the best hockey of their season as the playoffs roll around.

Leafs have always been a decent team , hockey gods and AM34 just have no love for your crest.


The real answer is you are allowed to roast your own team but if a Ottawa or Habs fan does its war. Which is quite understandable and probably the same thinking for all 3 fanbases

 

[DueDiligence]

So if the Leafs win, they don't know how to win in the playoffs? Sens logic 101.

Leafs haven't won anything meaningful in 8 years.

 

[X66]

This made me laugh because it's true, but it also makes us hypocrites because we literally loved Roberts, Tucker, Domi and Corson lol

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This is the difference though when we used to do it…

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Obviously, the Leafs have way more experience. I'm just saying the Sens have some solid veteran support and aren't going in completely green. They basically have one solid playoff veteran on each line (Giroux-Perron-Amadio-Cousins). Plus Jensen in the top 4 on the back end.

People are exaggerating the Leafs playoff experience. Their experience is repeated losses in the first round, including some series that they should've won. Respect in the handshake line. Can a lot be learned from getting beat up and losing in the same fashion every year?

They have more experience than the Sens core, but this isn't some grizzled vet team that knows how to win in the playoffs vs a rookie Sens team. This is a team with a long history of playoff blunders going up a team playing with house money.

 

[NyQuil]

People are exaggerating the Leafs playoff experience. Their experience is repeated losses in the first round, including some series that they should've won. Respect in the handshake line. Can a lot be learned from getting beat up and losing in the same fashion every year?

Yes.

 

[AvroArrow]

This made me laugh because it's true, but it also makes us hypocrites because we literally loved Roberts, Tucker, Domi and Corson lol

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Was a different time, all that stuff was normal and routinely went uncalled. I actually like Tkachuk though, he's not a dirty player just extremely physical and he actually plays with an edge unlike some of the clowns in the league.

Nick Cousins on the other hand, he's a dirty pos.

 

[SensFactor]

Can TB still catch the Leafs? I thought the Battle of Ontario was a lock to happen?

 

[NyQuil]

Can TB still catch the Leafs? I thought the Battle of Ontario was a lock to happen?

They have to win both in regulation and the Leafs have to lose both in regulation IIRC.

 

[AvroArrow]

People are exaggerating the Leafs playoff experience. Their experience is repeated losses in the first round, including some series that they should've won. Respect in the handshake line. Can a lot be learned from getting beat up and losing in the same fashion every year?

They have more experience than the Sens core, but this isn't some grizzled vet team that knows how to win in the playoffs vs a rookie Sens team. This is a team with a long history of playoff blunders going up a team playing with house money.

They had some tough series with Boston/Tampa, laugh at us if you want, but we won 1 of those and lost the other 3 in game 7's.

Did we want a better outcome ? Obviously, but these were some great teams who we put up a good series against. It's experience.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Yes.

I'm not so sure. I watched the Leafs series last year, I still saw Marner and Nylander avoiding contact, I still saw the same big mistakes that they always make every year. You can learn from that, you have to want to learn though. The question is does the Leafs core players care enough to put aside their egos and learn? Because so far they really haven't.