So why is it impossible to catch Boston?

[Chief Leaf]

BOSTON SITS AS OF NOW: 46 games (47 after tonight and yes they are winning) with 78 points
TORONTO SITS AS OF NOW:
48 games and 66 points

BOSTONS UPCOMING GAMES:
At Tampa Thurs jan26th
At Florida Sat jan28th
At Carolina Sunday @ 4pm
break
@Toronto Feb 1st
BIG BREAK
@Home vrs Caps feb 11
@Dallas feb 14
@Nash feb 16th
Home vrs NYI 4pm feb 18th
Home vrs Ottawa

then on the road facing Seattle,Van, Edm, Calgary then home against BUFFALO march 2nd

vrs Leafs schedule
Jan 25th home vrs NYR
Jan 27th home vrs OTT
Jan 29th home vrs Wsh
Feb 1st HOME VRS BOSTON
feb 10th Road vrs Jackets
feb 11th Home vrs Jackets
feb 15th home vrs Chic
Feb 18th Home vrs Habs
feb 19th road vrs CHIC

then face Win in tor and Montreal on the road and HOME against NYI,NYR,OTT,Wash

IMO if we could ever overcome beating bottom dwellers with this schedule it could shake the monkey off the camels back and get us over the hump.

Anybody else see us over taking Boston or at least making it closer than what most think right now?

Yes- the NHL could be renamed and they could call it "GOALIE"

I dunno I just feel we can up our game and beat bottom dwellers at crucial points to give it a go and slide past those nasty Boooooins

Click to read more...

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Catch them and do what

 

[Stephen]

Anything is possible, but is it more important that Toronto beats Boston in the standings in a 34 game sprint to avoid Tampa Bay? Or just go toe to toe with Tampa Bay and kick their ass when time comes?

 

[Chief Leaf]

Catch them and do what

Gain confidence!!

 

[Chief Leaf]

Anything is possible, but is it more important that Toronto beats Boston in the standings in a 34 game sprint to avoid Tampa Bay? Or just go toe to toe with Tampa Bay and kick their ass when time comes?

I actually wouldn't mind concentrating on Tampa after writing the schedule out and think if we ended up playing them come playoffs it could be a good thing. Kinda like knowing the devil you face rather than not knowing the devil you face. and let Boston be Boston and if we face them...MAN UP!

(psst love the "kick their ass" plug)

 

[bax]

It'll be tough, Boston never seems to lose. Just keep waiting for them to come back to earth. Any day now lol

 

[egd27]

Anybody else see us over taking Boston or at least making it closer than what most think right now?

No

 

[leafsfan5]

Boston has the division, they don't lose games anymore

Just focus on ending the season strong and getting ready for the playoffs. They're too far ahead to catch

 

[ACC1224]

It’s impossible because Boston shows up every night and rarely loses

 

[Buds17]

It isn't impossible. Unfortunately, the task does appear to be incredibly unlikely and rather daunting (14 PTS behind with one less game to play).

 

[LeafalCrusader]

We can't catch them because of all the points pissed away against Arizona Montreal and the other bottom feeders.

 

[Racer88]

It’s impossible because Boston shows up every night and rarely loses

Ya this.

 

[BertCorbeau]

The likely hood of Boston slumping enough is slim. Not impossible but slim. They’re on a historic run. Pacing the 5th best winning percentage of all time and best in a 82 game season ever.

All Time Best NHL Regular Seasons

A list of the top 50 best win-loss records during a NHL regular season, and whether or not that team won the Stanley Cup.

champsorchumps.us

 

[Racer88]

Obviously by thier record Boston doesn’t take nights off just because they are so far ahead. They come to win every night.
They don’t use the excuse that’s it’s mid January and they are locked into who they are playing first round so who cares if they win or lose.

 

[egd27]

The likely hood of Boston slumping enough is slim. Not impossible but slim. They’re on a historic run. Pacing the 5th best winning percentage of all time and best in a 82 game season ever.

All Time Best NHL Regular Seasons

A list of the top 50 best win-loss records during a NHL regular season, and whether or not that team won the Stanley Cup.

champsorchumps.us

It should be noted that none of the other Top 10 teams played in the OT era.

The site shows a 37-5-4 record but removing the bonus points adjusts the record to 33-5-9. Still impressive but not necessarily 5th best "all time"

 

[ToneDog]

Obviously by thier record Boston doesn’t take nights off just because they are so far ahead. They come to win every night.
They don’t use the excuse that’s it’s mid January and they are locked into who they are playing first round so who cares if they win or lose.

DId not take night off vs Habs last night. Pasta with 1g and 3a. Can't wait to see if he gives the Bruins a discount.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Boston is currently on pace for a ~139 point season. If the Leafs won all 34 remaining games, they would end up with 134 points. That's a big gap.

 

[Dekes For Days]

It’s impossible because Boston shows up every night and rarely loses

Yeah, they sure showed up when they lost to Arizona, Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa twice, and got shutout by Martin Jones.

 

[TheDoldrums]

They don’t use the excuse that’s it’s mid January and they are locked into who they are playing first round so who cares if they win or lose.

They're not locked into who they're playing. Realistically that only applies to the 2/3 matchup this early. And every other 2/3 matchup is still very much undecided. Its uniquely a Toronto/Tampa situation.

 

[ToneDog]

Yeah, they sure showed up when they lost to Arizona, Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa twice, and got shutout by Martin Jones.

38-5-4. +83 Goal differential. If anything, they should be taking a few more night's off. It is the regular season afterall.

 

[Cor]

The Bruins and Hurricanes are the two best defensive teams in hockey. At 5v5 adj;

Boston; 1.69 GA/60 (1st) | 2.20 xGA/60 (2nd)
Carolina; 1.94 GA/60 (2nd) | 2.15 xGA/60 (2nd)
Toronto 2.00 GA/60 (3rd) | 2.50 xGA/60 (T-10th)

Offensively;
Boston: 3.12 GF/60 (2nd) | 2.79 xGF/60 (12th)
Carolina: 2.70 GF/60 (11th) | 3.36 xGF/60 (1st)
Toronto: 2.77 GF/60 (7th) | 2.89 xGF/60 (7th)

A few take aways comparing, IMO, the three best teams in the East;

1. Leafs need to tighten up defensively again.
2. Boston is due for some serious regression offensively. They've been capitalizing on poor goaltending.
3. Carolina is due for some serious progression offensively.

Overall, Boston is catchable if the Leafs tighten up the chances they allow again, and Boston regresses offensively.

 

[Mess]

Toronto has 66 points after 48 games that puts them on pace for 113 point season.

Boston has 80 points after just 47 games and that puts them on pace for 140 point season.

However for the Bruins to surpass the Leafs pace 113 points pace - 80 points current = 33 points in the remaining 35 games which is just a little over .500 hockey.

Bruins would need a record of something like 15-17-3 = 33 points when they have lost just 5 in regulation and 4 in OT all year.

While anything mathematical is still possible the odds are very unlikely thinking Boston is going to lose 20 of their last 35 games to give Leafs a chance to pass them at current pace.

PS.

Of course for giggles sake lets say the Leafs try and run down the Bruins at their current pace then Leafs would need 141 points (66 current) = 75 points required
& 75 points in 34 games (68 points max available) makes mathematically that impossible at current pace even if Leafs won all remaining games.

 

[ACC1224]

38-5-4. +83 Goal differential. If anything, they should be taking a few more night's off. It is the regular season afterall.

To find fault with the Bruins this season, although expected, it's certainly a special take.

The Bruins and Hurricanes are the two best defensive teams in hockey. At 5v5 adj;

Boston; 1.69 GA/60 (1st) | 2.20 xGA/60 (2nd)
Carolina; 1.94 GA/60 (2nd) | 2.15 xGA/60 (2nd)
Toronto 2.00 GA/60 (3rd) | 2.50 xGA/60 (T-10th)

Offensively;
Boston: 3.12 GF/60 (2nd) | 2.79 xGF/60 (12th)
Carolina: 2.70 GF/60 (11th) | 3.36 xGF/60 (1st)
Toronto: 2.77 GF/60 (7th) | 2.89 xGF/60 (7th)

A few take aways comparing, IMO, the three best teams in the East;

1. Leafs need to tighten up defensively again.
2. Boston is due for some serious regression offensively. They've been capitalizing on poor goaltending.
3. Carolina is due for some serious progression offensively.

Overall, Boston is catchable if the Leafs tighten up the chances they allow again, and Boston regresses offensively.

While it could certainly happen, it seems like wishful thinking more than anything.

 

[Al14]

The answers are simple. Boston keeps winning, and our Leafs keep dropping points to bottom feeders!

 

[Mess]

38-5-4. +83 Goal differential. If anything, they should be taking a few more night's off. It is the regular season afterall.

One should fully expect once the Bruins have locked up 1st place in the Atlantic that they will rest some of their veterans Bergeron, Krejci etc down the stretch making them even more playoff ready.

With the DEADLINE CAP SPACE

: $2,325,000 available I also expect them to bulk up and add to the current roster.