GDT: Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 1: Leafs Vs Bolts; May 2nd. 7:30 p.m. EST

[Tufted Titmouse]

Ladies and Gents...my outfit for today, should fit in nicely in all the corporate zoom calls

 

[robertmac43]

Blue at home, White on the road No?
I

That would normally be the play. I just had bad memories of JT in game 1 form last year so I'm going a different route tonight!

 

[ShaneFalco]

This is my fear as well - Keefe: The key matchups that will determine the Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series winner

This is a really, really good team. They have proven that throughout the season. Hardly anyone would argue otherwise.

I’d also argue the Leafs have been outcoached in every playoff series since the Washington loss (in that series, I simply thought Frederik Andersen was below average). Stacking up the top line despite questionable depth, overworking and gassing the top players, under-performing special teams, tinkering with winning lineups for no reason, inserting young players who have barely played all season, giving Montreal the Matthews – Danault matchup pretty well all series… You name it, the Leafs’ coaching staffs have done it at this point.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I feel the same way. My expectations are low and unless the team just completely bombs and gets swept. I can't be mad at them losing against the back to back champs.

Every year is a chance to win it all and that's all I can realistically ask for. Within the next 2-3 years you will see the demise of Washington, Pittsburgh, Tampa and Boston and out of the rebuilding/non playoff teams, I don't see anyone taking over so the East will get considerably weaker within a few years with Matthews/Marner still in their primes. So just be good every year and one of the years you will have a chance to win it just like Washington.

All I know is that this series won't be easy even if we wind up somehow being 2-0 by Wednesday night. Leafs never make anything easy on themselves so I am expecting a 7 game series.

I still think changes need to be made if they lose the series. You can’t wait till someone gets weaker, how about get stronger yourself? A loss is unacceptable in my eyes.

 

[Northernguy10]

I've learned to take a "expect the worst but hope like hell for the best" attitude. I just want them to play hard and smart and I'll accept whatever happens. It sucks getting old. I've become too pragmatic in my old age.

 

[Sypher04]

Matchups aside, it’s crazy to me how many people are bullish on Florida this year and down on us. It defies logic.

Since November 1st:
Toronto:
73GP: 50W, 17L, 6OTL, 106PTS, .726P%
3.99GF/G, 3.05GA/G, 28.9PP%, 82.0PK%
27.0NETPP%, 88.3NETPK%, 54.9FOW%

Florida:
73GP: 50W, 18L, 5OTL, 105PTS, .719P%
4.12GF/G, 3.08GA/G, 25.0PP%, 78.5PK%
22.0NETPP%, 83.4NETPK%, 48.6FOW%

They hit more (although we’ve improved a great deal here over the course of the season)

Neither team has won anything in ages
Goals scored and allowed virtually a wash between the two.
Both have had shakey goaltending.

We have far better special teams and faceoffs.
We win far more games in regulation. You don’t get 3 on 3 to end games in the playoffs

While I don’t have stats for this, Florida came back in a lot of games, but that also means they got down a lot. Not sure the regularity of these massive comebacks will be so easy to just continue in the playoffs.

The only thing that separated us in the standings this year was our brief stumble out of the gate in October.

We are just as good as Florida. Or Colorado.

Or Tampa.

We can beat anyone.

The only question now is, will we

 

[Suntouchable13]

I've learned to take a "expect the worst but hope like hell for the best" attitude. I just want them to play hard and smart and I'll accept whatever happens. It sucks getting old. I've become too pragmatic in my old age.

6 years since we drafted Matthews and we’re still in the moral victory stage? Personally, that’s not acceptable. I expect to win this series. I expect to go far. No moral victories. IT’s not a young team anymore.

 

[ryno23]

This is my fear as well - Keefe: The key matchups that will determine the Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series winner

This is a really, really good team. They have proven that throughout the season. Hardly anyone would argue otherwise.

I’d also argue the Leafs have been outcoached in every playoff series since the Washington loss (in that series, I simply thought Frederik Andersen was below average). Stacking up the top line despite questionable depth, overworking and gassing the top players, under-performing special teams, tinkering with winning lineups for no reason, inserting young players who have barely played all season, giving Montreal the Matthews – Danault matchup pretty well all series… You name it, the Leafs’ coaching staffs have done it at this point.

Yup that scares me too. Babs at the end got outcoached by being stubborn and Keefe seems to be overmatched and worries too much about the opposition vs reacting to what he thinks they might do then to force their coaching staff to react to what the Leafs do.

 

[horner]

How long is Bunting out.

 

[Pi]

I still think changes need to be made if they lose the series. You can’t wait till someone gets weaker, how about get stronger yourself? A loss is unacceptable in my eyes.

What changes would you make to get stronger?

This is a 115 point team. You can try to get heavier and play more "dirtier" but I can guarantee you that the Leafs won't get away with the after whistle crap like teams like Tampa, Boston etc. get away with.

 

[hoglund]

I still think changes need to be made if they lose the series. You can’t wait till someone gets weaker, how about get stronger yourself? A loss is unacceptable in my eyes.

Playing Tampa Bay isn't a typical 1st round, they're a typical 2nd or 3rd round series. Montreal didn't face them until the finals. Even if the Leafs lose 1st round, this has to be realistically considered 2nd or 3rd because of the match-up.

 

[Suntouchable13]

What changes would you make to get stronger?

This is a 115 point team. You can try to get heavier and play more "dirtier" but I can guarantee you that the Leafs won't get away with the after whistle crap like teams like Tampa, Boston etc. get away with.

Sure, let’s stick with same core that hasn’t won jack. I couldn’t care less about their 115 points. Masai didn’t care about the Raptors brilliant regular season back in 2018, he still made changes that led to a championship.

 

[ToneDog]

I still think changes need to be made if they lose the series. You can’t wait till someone gets weaker, how about get stronger yourself? A loss is unacceptable in my eyes.

I can see Dubas and Shanny facing the media sweating knowing they can't use the same excuses they did last year. 6 1st round exits should be inexcusable. Just get it done.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Sure, let’s stick with same core that hasn’t won jack. I couldn’t care less about their 115 points. Masai didn’t care about the Raptors brilliant regular season back in 2018, he still made changes that led to a championship.

Bro, can you just chill for 1 day and allow us to get pumped for playoff hockey without 30 pages of dooming?

Trust in the Long Neck of Fate

 

[ShaneFalco]

So some are ok going out in the first round because of 2 time cup winners?! We're already making excuses?
CBJ took them out and we keep hearing about that.......

 

[Pi]

Sure, let’s stick with same core that hasn’t won jack. I couldn’t care less about their 115 points. Masai didn’t care about the Raptors brilliant regular season back in 2018, he still made changes that led to a championship.

Masai got lucky and found a disgruntled superstar to trade for in Kawhi who left after one season.

No Kawhi, no championship.

Unless we're getting Sidney Crosby because he's upset with Pittsburgh, I don't think we can do much to have the same sort of impact.

Hockey is a high variance sport. You don't see 8 seeds upsetting 1 seeds in basketball. 99/100 times the more skilled and talented team wins.

Did you know the Toronto Raptors this year were the first team in like 3-4 years to even have a first round series go past 5 games in the Eastern Conference?

 

[SprDaVE]

 

[IPS]

So some are ok going out in the first round because of 2 time cup winners?! We're already making excuses?
CBJ took them out and we keep hearing about that.......

Lol it's the narrative that's going to dominate HF Leafs if we do lose to Tampa, god forbid.

Dubas' employment is more important to the team than winning for some posters around here.

 

[Mess]

I've learned to take a "expect the worst but hope like hell for the best" attitude. I just want them to play hard and smart and I'll accept whatever happens. It sucks getting old. I've become too pragmatic in my old age.

Our Leafs have not won a playoff series in 18 years and never since the Salary Cap was instituted.

You are not alone in your position of "hoping for the best, but not expecting it" because Leafs haven't earn that trust and based on the past 2 series against CBJ and Montreal have in fact done more to create uncertainty and disbelief.

When your team struggles and fails against easy QofC then what does one expect when now we are playing the best of the best?

This is a real "Prove It" year for the Leafs to build that trust, and the only way to do that is through winning, and what better way to get off to a great start than dethroning the 2 X Cup champs.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

 

[Sypher04]

So some are ok going out in the first round because of 2 time cup winners?! We're already making excuses?
CBJ took them out and we keep hearing about that.......

Not really the same thing, and not my argument, so I’m not exactly going to defend it, but I don’t think people are making excuses exactly. I do think it’s reasonable to consider the context around a potential loss should it happen. For example, I think the Leafs win, but say they don’t, they still have to own that, and there likely will be changes as a result. The cap virtually garauntees it. I’m pretty confident however that unless the Leafs get embarrassed in the series, who they played will matter to determining the signifcance of course taken and both Dubas and Keefe will stay.

 

[Pi]

Lol it's the narrative that's going to dominate HF Leafs if we do lose to Tampa, god forbid.

Dubas' employment is more important to the team than winning for some posters around here.

Dubas would get hired the very next day if he was fired. There is very little that he has done wrong over his tenure.

His stars have let him down and I bet that Marner and Matthews know that. They have to show up and play like they are capable of.

 

[SprDaVE]

 

[Pi]

Not really the same thing, and not my argument, so I’m not exactly going to defend it, but I don’t think people are making excuses exactly. I do think it’s reasonable to consider the context around a potential loss should it happen. For example, I think the Leafs win, but say they don’t, they still have to own that, and there likely will be changes as a result. The cap virtually garauntees it. I’m pretty confident however that unless the Leafs get embarrassed in the series, who they played will matter to the course taken and both Dubas and Keefe will stay.

I am not going to be happy if we win against Tampa only to lose in the second round. We're at a point where every year is a chance to win it all.

Just because they haven't won in the first round yet doesn't mean my expectation of the team will be lower. Matthews/Marner in their prime with great depth on F and D with a solid goalie? Yeah I think they can win it all.

I just don't want massive changes just for the sake of making changes because we lose in the first round.

 

[Sypher04]

Lol it's the narrative that's going to dominate HF Leafs if we do lose to Tampa, god forbid.

Dubas' employment is more important to the team than winning for some posters around here.

I don’t think there is even a shred of truth to that claim.