So why is it impossible to catch Boston?

[Dragao6]

If you watched tonight’s game allot of your questions should have been answered lol

 

[mcleex]

I'll tell you why it's impossible, because we play down to our opponents and lose to trash teams like Ottawa, Montreal and Arizona

 

[ACC1224]

I'll tell you why it's impossible, because we play down to our opponents and lose to trash teams like Ottawa, Montreal and Arizona

Imagine believing this team is comparable to Boston because they both lost to Arizona

 

[Stephen]

Don't look now, Boston lost to Tampa Bay earlier in the week and drop one in OT to Florida.

 

[Havoc]

We don't need to catch Boston. We dont even need to finish top 3 in division. We just need to figure out how to be a good team when it matters. Both the players and the GM. Let's see if everyone decides to remain status quo on the playing style or if we finally learned from mistakes.

Standings are a joke in today's NHL. Any team with a good set of guys up top can stomp the regular season or make the playoffs.

I mean if we're sending out Engvall again to start games against Tampa and have D fishing pucks instead of taking the body leading to another first round exit, I'm probably done with this team until Dubas and Keefe are removed. We sabotage ourselves.

We should have at least 2 cups right now since matthews draft year. If you're still watching the standings you don't have a good grasp on what is wrong with this team.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's not quite but ANY shot requires that they win, their next 2 and Boston loses their next 2.

That would put them within 9 and the next 6 weeks or so are very soft.

The better question is why are they in that position?

The answer is simple.

This team can go out and put it on Pittsburgh, Carolina, Tampa, Boston, Colorado, the Rangers.

They can slap those teams around I've seen them do it.

Would it surprise ANYBODY if they slapped Washington in the mouth today, say 5-2 and then pulled out a 3-1 win over Boston with an empty netter?

That wouldn't surprise me one bit It's the Leafs It's what they do It's why for most of this year they have either been #2 or tied for #2 in points in the entire league this is a VERY good team, a legitimate cup contender.

They SHOULD be #1 but they aren't why?

Because that same team that I seen slap the good teams in the mouth also loses twice to Arizona, Twice to Montreal, once to the Ducks where they blew a 3-1 lead, once to Detroit, Once to Ottawa you aren't going to win every game but you can't lose those ones.

And let me say this, I don't give a f*** if Auston Matthews and Matt Murray are out of the lineup or not you CAN NOT lose to the Ottawa Senators, especially an Ottawa Senators team without Josh Norris you can't f***ing do it especially 6-2.

That's why they are where they are.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Because that same team that I seen slap the good teams in the mouth also loses twice to Arizona, Twice to Montreal, once to the Ducks where they blew a 3-1 lead, once to Detroit, Once to Ottawa you aren't going to win every game but you can't lose those ones.
And let me say this, I don't give a f*** if Auston Matthews and Matt Murray are out of the lineup or not you CAN NOT lose to the Ottawa Senators, especially an Ottawa Senators team without Josh Norris you can't f***ing do it especially 6-2.
That's why they are where they are.

If both Boston and Toronto won all of their games against teams at the bottom of the standings... Boston would still be ahead, and we'd be in the same place in our division.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If both Boston and Toronto won all of their games against teams at the bottom of the standings... Boston would still be ahead, and we'd be in the same place in our division.

Slightly yes but if Toronto had won the games I mentioned that's 14 points pissed away they would be much closer and we wouldn't be having this conversation because this thread wouldn't exist.

They have 30 wins they should have at least 37 because every game I mentioned should be a win.

They aren't because if It's Arizona or the Ducks or Montreal etc. The Leafs don't try.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Slightly yes but if Toronto had won the games I mentioned that's 14 points pissed away they would be much closer and we wouldn't be having this conversation because this thread wouldn't exist.
They have 30 wins they should have at least 37 because every game I mentioned should be a win.
They aren't because if It's Arizona or the Ducks or Montreal etc. The Leafs don't try.

First off, of course the Leafs try. Losing doesn't mean not trying.
Second, winning all of the games you mentioned would add 12 points, not 14.
And third, if Boston won their games against that quality of opponent, they would add 8 points, and we'd be here having the same discussion.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

First off, of course the Leafs try. Losing doesn't mean not trying.
Second, winning all of the games you mentioned would add 12 points, not 14.
And third, if Boston won their games against that quality of opponent, they would add 8 points, and we'd be here having the same discussion.

No they don't you can't tell me they took Ottawa seriously on Friday, they didn't they abandoned Samsonov Friday night and if they took Montreal and Arizona seriously they wouldn't be a combined 0-4 against them.

They don't take the lesser competition seriously if they did they win those games way more than they do.

The 5 games following Boston are Columbus X2, Chicago X2 and I think Montreal.

They should go 5-0 in that stretch with or without Matthews.

I'm betting they go 3-2 maybe even 2-3 because they do not take the lesser competition seriously because if they did they wouldn't be 13 back of Boston.

 

[Dekes For Days]

No they don't you can't tell me they took Ottawa seriously on Friday, they didn't they abandoned Samsonov

They outplayed Ottawa on Friday night, for the record. Samsonov got outdueled by Forsberg after getting switched in at the last second, and Ottawa got some lucky snipes.
Sometimes, that's how she goes. That does not equate to "not trying".
It happens to every team. Which is why, if both us and Boston won those games, it wouldn't make much difference and we'd be in the same spot we are now.
We all want to win every game, but it's important to realize how unrealistic that is.

 

[ACC1224]

No they don't you can't tell me they took Ottawa seriously on Friday, they didn't they abandoned Samsonov Friday night and if they took Montreal and Arizona seriously they wouldn't be a combined 0-4 against them.

They don't take the lesser competition seriously if they did they win those games way more than they do.

The 5 games following Boston are Columbus X2, Chicago X2 and I think Montreal.

They should go 5-0 in that stretch with or without Matthews.

I'm betting they go 3-2 maybe even 2-3 because they do not take the lesser competition seriously because if they did they wouldn't be 13 back of Boston.

You can’t watch the games and say they play with the same effort and intensity every night. It’s pretty much admission that you either don’t watch or don’t understand what you’re seeing.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You can’t watch the games and say they play with the same effort and intensity every night. It’s pretty much admission that you either don’t watch or don’t understand what you’re seeing.

I think you qouted the wrong person, I think you meant to qoute @Dekes For Days because if you actually ready what you qouted You'd realize it says basically what you just did.

 

[ACC1224]

I think you qouted the wrong person, I think you meant to qoute @Dekes For Days because if you actually ready what you qouted You'd realize it says basically what you just did.

Yes I was agreeing with you and pretty much the rest of the world.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I think you qouted the wrong person, I think you meant to qoute @Dekes For Days because if you actually ready what you qouted You'd realize it says basically what you just did.

It's just a tactic to respond to/insult me, but by not quoting, lessen the chance that their incorrect statements will be corrected or they'll face consequences.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's just a tactic to respond to/insult me, but by not quoting, lessen the chance that their incorrect statements will be corrected or they'll face consequences.

I think you SEVERELYoverestimate how much people care about "consequences" on this website, this is a hockey website the worst that's going to happen is you get a warning or an infraction that eventually expires.

Neither of which has any impact on anybody daily life, and if I'm wrong and it does that person would have their priority mixed up.

 

[Stephen]

Boston now winless in three, with two regulation losses and an OTL mixed in.

 

[leafsfan5]

Alright, here is the absolute longshot:

Boston has 3 more games on their road trip, they play the following teams: Florida, Carolina, Toronto. Let's say it's a disastrous trip and they go 0-3, not unreasonable since Carolina/Toronto are very good, particularly at home. Only big leap is Florida. At this point they will enter the break with 80 points in 51 games

Toronto also has 3 more games left before the break, they play the following: Ottawa, Washington, Boston. Let's say they end off on a high note, going 3-0 with sunshine and rainbows everywhere. At this point they will enter the break with 72 points in 52 games

Now, after the break Boston's first 5 games are against the following: Washington, Dallas, Nashville, NYI, Ottawa. Let's say they go 3-2-0, losing to Dallas and Ottawa, who have their number for some reason. That leaves them with 86 points in 56 games

Toronto's 5 opponents after the all star break are the following: Columbus, Columbus, Chicago, Montreal, Chicago. Now let's assume Toronto doesn't behave like Toronto and beats up on these bottom feeders, going 5-0. That leaves them with 82 points in 55 games



There is your gap cut down to 4 points with a lot of season still left. The likelihood of this occurring? Probably less than 5% or something. We're playing Tampa lol

It's happening!!!!!

(but we lose to awful teams all the time so probably not)

 

[bax]

Boston now winless in three, with two regulation losses and an OTL mixed in.

And about to be 4

 

[Nhlpowerweek]

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

That team has G inside them written all over it. Even their coach is a whiskey drinker.

 

[Nhlpowerweek]

Yes, they are a great team. Great teams still lose sometimes, even to teams low in the standings.
Unfortunately, some people have a double standard where if the Leafs lose, they will incorrectly label it as "not showing up", and yet they'll still claim other teams "show up every night" when they lose the exact same to the exact same type of teams.

Great teams even lose by purpose. I've written about it in the past sire. For a team to collect energy, for all those important games, its important not to show up every game. 82 games is not possible to win, therefore some games are better to lose. Save energy, so you can beat a sucka down in the playoffs or in a game during reg.season. (important games). We must lose, to win something big. I know about life .

 

[Damisoph]

11 points back and Broons have one game in hand.

 

[Schennanigans]

I don’t understand how they’re doing it. I thought they would be the bottom pack of teams in the playoffs.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Just for fun:

Leafs have 31 games left. To this point, they have just under a 69% points percentage. Let's say they up that to 75% for the remaining games (which would be insane BTW), they would end with 116 points.

Boston needs 35 points to reach 116 with 32 games to go.

So unless you think Boston is going .500 for the rest of the season plus Toronto will play lights out, it ain't happening. It's very hard to make up 11 points in 31 games. It seems possible at first glance but it's almost impossible. The entire purpose now is to see who has home ice vs. Tampa and I'm not even sure that makes any difference compared to the clear psychological issue with closing a series the team needs to overcome.

 

[wingman75]

Just for fun:

Leafs have 31 games left. To this point, they have just under a 69% points percentage. Let's say they up that to 75% for the remaining games (which would be insane BTW), they would end with 116 points.

Boston needs 35 points to reach 116 with 32 games to go.

So unless you think Boston is going .500 for the rest of the season plus Toronto will play lights out, it ain't happening. It's very hard to make up 11 points in 31 games. It seems possible at first glance but it's almost impossible. The entire purpose now is to see who has home ice vs. Tampa and I'm not even sure that makes any difference compared to the clear psychological issue with closing a series the team needs to overcome.

Very good analysis.

We have two games against Boston. We have to win both in regulation for us to even have a chance. I don't see them falling off a cliff, so I would say our focus should be on retaining 2nd in the division.