Tampa defeats Toronto 4 games to 3

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Tampa didn't look overly impressive this series. They showed glimpses here and there of what they've been the last two years but overall looked beatable, and they were up against a team with a $1.65 million goalie and no killer instinct.
 
Congrats Tampa, you were smarter. Crying about the refs is for real losers. Refs are only humans and they make way less mistakes than all the players on the ice. Tough loss, but at least they tried. Hopefully next year will be the year...
 
Trading the pick is a good strategy in Toronto's case, since they are competing right now.

Tavares isn't a great contract, but there's no escape from this one.

Other than that, 115 pts isn't bad lol
wins mean nothing unless it comes in thr playoffs. they do have too much spent on forwards you’re right. the tavares signing crippled them.
 
Honestly great series from Leafs. I did not expect them to put this good of a fight. They didn't deserve to get eliminated this early. NHL playoff format has to change. Regular season means absolutely nothing if 115 point team has to play 110 point team in the opening round.
 
Honestly great series from Leafs. I did not expect them to put this good of a fight. They didn't deserve to get eliminated this early. NHL playoff format has to change. Regular season means absolutely nothing if 115 point team has to play 110 point team in the opening round.
I'd like to go back to the old 1-16 format, no division or conference. But it won't happen. League doesn't that much potential travel in early rounds.
 
Cooper is the worst Cup winning coach since Mark Crawford

I think anyone can coach that team and they'd be winning. Cooper I cannot truly speak for as I do not follow the team day in and out but one thing is for sure. He is probably a tad too layed back because his teams constantly lose game 1 at home, or game 1 of the series and have let both NYI/TOR just in the past 2 TB series back into series they had them buried in with multi goal leads in games they could have gone up 3-1 or won the series 4-2. I have said here recently its amazing Yzerman or new management never took up the issue with Cooper
 
It's not quite to the point where it's no longer funny and it's just sad, but we're getting there.

I like Tampa and some of their players so I don't mind seeing them win and go on another run - and Leafs losing is always funny - but I was actually rooting for Leafs, because I feel bad lol.

Oh well
 
As an impartial fan of a different team, I was really pulling for the Leafs. It would’ve been nice to see them get out of the first round for once. I’m not sure what’s worse, missing the playoffs year after year like my team or taking the first round exit every year in the playoffs. Both really suck and I feel for the leafs fans. Sorry guys. Somebody please knock off Tampa.

this was a hell of a series. They played their hearts out and just barely wasn’t good enough. They should hang their heads high at least. They didn’t choke. They just got beat.
 
Went to bed relieved that I would not have to watch a Stanley Cup parade in an election year. Did not want someone who will not be named coasting in to a re-election on the euphoria of a Stanley Cup championship.
 
Probably should have traded for Manson and Rakell :D
The players/roster is fine. I can live with losing this series in the fashion we did. It's obviously heart breaking there's no denying that, but at least we can respect the effort they played with especially after how bad the Montreal series ends. I just hope ownership doesn't make drastic changes, I said it before the series started. If we lose a long competitive series in 7 games, game 7 by 1 goal how can anyone say we need to blow it up ? We don't. We need to add pieces for sure to get us over the hump, but the core pieces are there. Despite how I feel about officiating and despite people trolling us, I'm proud of this group for that series, just not the result we wanted.

IMO we need to move on from Muzzin/Holl, promote Lily/Sandin full time. Re-sign Gio and Campbell. Dubas has made a lot of mistakes, but he's made a lot of very good moves as GM as well. It's just such a hard spot to be in, you can look at 6 straight first round exist, but then look at the way this series was played and it becomes very difficult to suggest firing him and Keefe.
 
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The players/roster is fine. I can live with losing this series in the fashion we did. It's obviously heart breaking there's no denying that, but at least we can respect the effort they played with especially after how bad the Montreal series ends. I just hope ownership doesn't make drastic changes, I said it before the series started. If we lose a long competitive series in 7 games, game 7 by 1 goal how can anyone say we need to blow it up ? We don't. We need to add pieces for sure to get us over the hump, but the core pieces are there. Despite how I feel about officiating and despite people trolling us, I'm proud of this group for that series, just not the result we wanted.

IMO we need to move on from Muzzin/Holl, promote Lily/Sandin full time. Re-sign Gio and Campbell. Dubas has made a lot of mistakes, but he's made a lot of very good moves as GM as well. It's just such a hard spot to be in, you can look at 6 straight first round exist, but then look at the way this series was played and it becomes very difficult to suggest firing him and Keefe.
I think everyone around the league is praying the Leafs keep Dubas and Keefe… the gift that keeps on giving. Leafs aren’t built to win when it matters. It doesn’t matter if it’s Washington, Boston, Tampa or Columbus, the one consistent is they come up short when it matters the most.
 
I think everyone around the league is praying the Leafs keep Dubas and Keefe… the gift that keeps on giving. Leafs aren’t built to win when it matters. It doesn’t matter if it’s Washington, Boston, Tampa or Columbus, the one consistent is they come up short when it matters the most.
Ok Jimmyapples, maybe we should hire you as GM :laugh:
 
I think people will realize that the Leafs lost to an inferior Tampa team compared to the last two years. This year's Lightning team won't make it to the SCF. Leafs had a very healthy team and should have beaten them.
 
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Tampa didn't look overly impressive this series. They showed glimpses here and there of what they've been the last two years but overall looked beatable, and they were up against a team with a $1.65 million goalie and no killer instinct.
They looked bad because leafs were good
 
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Another reminder for all my fellow Leaf fans

Ovechkin didn't win until his 13th year
Stamkos didn't win until his 12th year
Yzerman didn't win until his 14th year

Matthews is going into year 7

Yes it hurts more than ever right now, but blowing up this core is not the answer. You keep adding to it, the core guys are only getting better and growing. Stick with it. Trolls are gonna troll. If it was a badly played series with zero compete/structure etc. Yes we can make a case for serious core issues. That was not the case. Stick with it, run it back, add some more pieces, keep this core.
 

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