Pre-Game Talk: Time to talk Playoffs

[Leafsfan74]

Here's how i see the playoffs. The North division is the best chance to advance in years for the Leafs. If the Leafs don't win two rounds and get out of the North the season will be a failure in the big picture. That being said I'm not sure you can expect a team to go from three wins in the playoffs to sixteen and win the Cup. Getting to the final four makes the season a success. I'm hoping they go further, but can you realistically expect a Cup after all the first round knockouts? Looking forward to the playoffs.

Or, you could look at it this way. Unless they play the Habs, they will have beaten two teams they wouldn't play in a normal year.

They need to have Cup or bust on their mind.

 

[Pi]

Here's how i see the playoffs. The North division is the best chance to advance in years for the Leafs. If the Leafs don't win two rounds and get out of the North the season will be a failure in the big picture. That being said I'm not sure you can expect a team to go from three wins in the playoffs to sixteen and win the Cup. Getting to the final four makes the season a success. I'm hoping they go further, but can you realistically expect a Cup after all the first round knockouts? Looking forward to the playoffs.

Why would the past have anything to do with the future in this case?

Did you expect Vegas to go to the Cup Finals in their first year and likely win the Presidents Trophy this year?

 

[BertCorbeau]

if we shat the bed and went 2-4 then Edmonton would have 2 go 6-2 . not gonna happen

Could happen. Never say never.

Edmonton has 5 games against Vancouver left.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Sounds great but it still means whoever comes out of the North is treated to a tournament against something like Tampa, Boston and Vegas.

So what? I want to see how this team matches up against those guys. Everyone acts like we would be steamrolled but we're every bit as good or at least very close to all those teams.

 

[Golden_Jet]

at this point i hope jets end up 4th because they are a mess.

and question last i heard there will be another bubble for rounds 3 to finals. Is this still happening ?

No, but good chance North winner moves to the States for round 3 in a city that has been eliminated.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

So what? I want to see how this team matches up against those guys. Everyone acts like we would be steamrolled but we're every bit as good or at least very close to all those teams.

Just saying this is really no different than any other year. You always have a handful of Cup favourites, a few of which get eliminated by other favourites, and you have to face a couple of them eventually.

 

[Mess]

I'm hoping for a 1st round match up of Leafs vs. Habs something that we as Leaf fans haven't seen since the late 1970's.

Last 2 playoff series between Toronto & Montreal

1977–78 Semifinals ................Montreal won the series 4–0
1978–79 Quarterfinals..........Montreal won the series 4–0

Getting swept in back to back years still leaves a bad taste against an arch rival that still irks Leafs fans to this day that were around to witness that.

It's finally an opportunity for payback that has been 42 years in the making and the waiting.

PS. Teams like Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets were still members of the WHA at that time as this was prior to the merger.

 

[shaner8989]

Leafs and Habs are a lock

 

[Mess]

The last Canadian based team to win the Stanley Cup was Montreal in 1993, some 28 years ago now.

Our Leafs haven't even won a single playoff round since 2004, some 16 years ago and counting.

The Canadian teams have been the weak little brothers in Cup competitiveness comparison to the powerful Cup successful USA teams that have dominated for over 2 decades now, what we call Canada's game.

This once in a century pandemic has provided one Canadian team a 25% or 1/4 chance that this years Cup with a guaranteed final 4 finish.

Never going to be a better opportunity for the Cup to return to Canada, so lets hope its our Leafs that take this golden opportunity and run with it, as next year when things return to normal the odds diminish significantly when we're forced to go through the entire USA again and not just 2 of the 24 teams and there are no free rides to the final 4 for any CDN based team.

 

[garce]

The last Canadian based team to win the Stanley Cup was Montreal in 1993, some 28 years ago now.

Our Leafs haven't even won a single playoff round since 2004, some 16 years ago and counting.

The Canadian teams have been the weak little brothers in Cup competitiveness comparison to the powerful Cup successful USA teams that have dominated what we call Canada's game.

This once in a century pandemic has provided one Canadian team a 25% or 1/4 chance that this years Cup with a guaranteed final 4 finish.

Never going to be a better opportunity for the Cup to return to Canada, so lets hope its our Leafs that take this golden opportunity and run with it, as next year when things return to normal the odds diminish significantly when we're forced to go through the entire USA again and not just 2 of the 24 teams and there are no free rides to the final 4 for any CDN based team.

I was around for both those sweeps and frankly getting a win in either would have been a victory. That Habs team was one of if not the, best team of all time.
Leafs could grind and fight with anyone and had some top end talent but really we all knew there was no chance. It was however a time of great optimism Sittler, Lanny and the greatest Leaf Salming, were all hitting their prime. Then Ballard.

 

[zeke]

Last 5 cup winners, opponents ranking:

TBL 20: CBJ #14, NYI #11, DAL #10, BOS #1
STL 19: DAL #15, WPG #10, SJS #6, BOS #3
WSH 18: CBJ #14, PIT #10, VGK #5, TBL #3
PIT 17: NSH #16, OTT #12, CBJ #4, WSH #1
PIT 16: TBL #12, SJS #11, NYR #9, WSH #1

most cup winners need to beat only one other elite team to win a cup. occasionally they need to beat two.

Current North Rankings: TOR #5, EDM #12, WPG #13, MTL #16

 

[Garthinater]

Why would the past have anything to do with the future in this case?

Did you expect Vegas to go to the Cup Finals in their first year and likely win the Presidents Trophy this year?

We have lost the last 4 years in a row in the 1st round with basically the exact same core. We have yet to see matthews, marner, jt or nylander take over a series and bring us to the next round. How is that not relevant?

Also nobody expected Vegas to go to the cup finals in their first year lol

 

[weeweeballs]

I'd love to eliminate the bruins

also Tampa for legitimacy

 

[Gary Nylund]

Leafs and Habs are a lock

Not quite, pretty close though. I was so happy MTL won last night. Leafs vs Habs, yippee!!

Edit - wait, MTL could actually catch WPG, FML.

We have lost the last 4 years in a row in the 1st round with basically the exact same core. We have yet to see matthews, marner, jt or nylander take over a series and bring us to the next round. How is that not relevant?

Also nobody expected Vegas to go to the cup finals in their first year lol

I believe that was exactly the point he was making.

 

[X66]

Last 5 cup winners, opponents ranking:

TBL 20: CBJ #14, NYI #11, DAL #10, BOS #1
STL 19: DAL #15, WPG #10, SJS #6, BOS #3
WSH 18: CBJ #14, PIT #10, VGK #5, TBL #3
PIT 17: NSH #16, OTT #12, CBJ #4, WSH #1
PIT 16: TBL #12, SJS #11, NYR #9, WSH #1

most cup winners need to beat only one other elite team to win a cup. occasionally they need to beat two.

Current North Rankings: TOR #5, EDM #12, WPG #13, MTL #16

I've been saying this for so long...

You can't boast about a conference finals appearance when you end up losing to the team the Leafs play in the first round lol.

Even that St.Louis year, Boston cruised to the finals after the played the Leafs, the seeding teams were low as well.

 

[Mess]

I was around for both those sweeps and frankly getting a win in either would have been a victory. That Habs team was one of if not the, best team of all time.
Leafs could grind and fight with anyone and had some top end talent but really we all knew there was no chance. It was however a time of great optimism Sittler, Lanny and the greatest Leaf Salming, were all hitting their prime. Then Ballard.

1977-78 was the Lanny MacDonald OT heroics in game #7 OT in round #2 against the soon to be dynasty NYI's, only to lose in a 4 game sweep in round #3 to those stinking Habs. Talk about a roller coaster ride of extreme highs and then low of lows to follow as Leaf fans.

I'm sure you remember back then in 1978-79 our Leafs after getting beaten 5-2 and 5-1 in games #1 & #2 and then in game #3 were giving those Dynasty Habs all they could handle. Dave "Tiger" Williams take a careless high-sticking penalty on Larry Robinson in 2nd OT and moments later on the PP the "the big Bird" makes the Leafs pay and Leafs are down 3-0 in the series. In game #4 again our Leafs left everything on the ice only to lose a close game in OT again and be eliminated. ith a little bit of luck and good fortune that series could have been 2-2 after 4 games.

We almost got our 1st chance at Habs revenge in 1992-93 with Dougie Gilmour and company, but the was the year that Wayne Gretzky high-sticks Dougie in the face and gets away with it only the score the GWG a little later as Kings eventually win that series in 7 .. Had Leafs won that series it would have been Toronto vs Montreal in the Stanley Cup final instead of LA . Montreal went on to win the Cup and that was the last time any Canadian would do that, but I thought our Leafs might have won that series and extracted their revenge back then.

So that takes us to present day in what looks like a 1st round series of Leafs vs Montreal shaping up which I'm so looking forward to in order to finally get another chance at payback.

Leaf fans have loooooooooong memories, so bring on those Habs its time to even the score !!!

 

[shaner8989]

Not quite, pretty close though. I was so happy MTL won last night. Leafs vs Habs, yippee!!

Edit - wait, MTL could actually catch WPG, FML.

Winnipeg plays Ottawa twice. There in. It’s Leafs vs Habs 99.9%

I believe that was exactly the point he was making.

 

[Dayjobdave]

1977-78 was the Lanny MacDonald OT heroics in game #7 OT in round #2 against the soon to be dynasty NYI's, only to lose in a 4 game sweep in round #3 to those stinking Habs. Talk about a roller coaster ride of extreme highs and then low of lows to follow as Leaf fans.

I'm sure you remember back then in 1978-79 our Leafs after getting beaten 5-2 and 5-1 in games #1 & #2 and then in game #3 were giving those Dynasty Habs all they could handle. Dave "Tiger" Williams take a careless high-sticking penalty on Larry Robinson in 2nd OT and moments later on the PP the "the big Bird" makes the Leafs pay and Leafs are down 3-0 in the series. In game #4 again our Leafs left everything on the ice only to lose a close game in OT again and be eliminated. ith a little bit of luck and good fortune that series could have been 2-2 after 4 games.

We almost got our 1st chance at Habs revenge in 1992-93 with Dougie Gilmour and company, but the was the year that Wayne Gretzky high-sticks Dougie in the face and gets away with it only the score the GWG a little later as Kings eventually win that series in 7 .. Had Leafs won that series it would have been Toronto vs Montreal in the Stanley Cup final instead of LA . Montreal went on to win the Cup and that was the last time any Canadian would do that, but I thought our Leafs might have won that series and extracted their revenge back then.

So that takes us to present day in what looks like a 1st round series of Leafs vs Montreal shaping up which I'm so looking forward to in order to finally get another chance at payback.

Leaf fans have loooooooooong memories, so bring on those Habs its time to even the score !!!

Definitely time for a rematch. That 77-78 Habs team was ridiculous.

The best part of Lanny’s goal was that my high school history teacher was a part time scout for the Isles, and he was so smug about how much better they were than the Leafs.

The Isles went on to be a phenomenal team, but I have to tell you the morning after Lannys goal was the best 9am history class ever.

 

[Pi]

We have lost the last 4 years in a row in the 1st round with basically the exact same core. We have yet to see matthews, marner, jt or nylander take over a series and bring us to the next round. How is that not relevant?

Also nobody expected Vegas to go to the cup finals in their first year lol

Again, Toronto's success is also a curse at the same time. Young players often don't make the playoffs at all consistently to start their careers let alone win in them. Ovechkin was a year older than most first overall picks because of the lock out, he won one playoff round in his 4th year, didn't make the playoffs for the first 2 years.

MacKinnon won a round in sixth full season, didn't make the playoffs three times in that time frame. Stamos, one deep year on a veteran team in his second year, but failed to make the playoffs 4 out of 6 years to start his career, and got swept in his 6th year in the first round.

Tavares, same shit till he scored the OT winner to give the Islanders their first series win since 1993.

Crosby is really the only outlier who was winning in the playoffs at a young age.

You would agree that Patrice Bergeron is a great player right? and he's been the reason why the Bruins have won against the Leafs?

He didn't win a playoff round till his ~6th season.

 

[Gary Nylund]

WPG has lost 6 in a row, being outscored 26-9 in that span, yikes!

First I was thinking EDW could still catch us, then I was worried about CAL maybe catching MTL and now, I have to worry about WPG falling behind MTL. Oh well, I guess MTL could always beat EDM and after toasting WPG we would play MTL in the 2nd round, that would be even better. I'll be pissed if don't get to play them at all, that's all I can really say at this point.

 

[Deebo]

The last Canadian based team to win the Stanley Cup was Montreal in 1993, some 28 years ago now.

Our Leafs haven't even won a single playoff round since 2004, some 16 years ago and counting.

The Canadian teams have been the weak little brothers in Cup competitiveness comparison to the powerful Cup successful USA teams that have dominated for over 2 decades now, what we call Canada's game.

This once in a century pandemic has provided one Canadian team a 25% or 1/4 chance that this years Cup with a guaranteed final 4 finish.

Never going to be a better opportunity for the Cup to return to Canada, so lets hope its our Leafs that take this golden opportunity and run with it, as next year when things return to normal the odds diminish significantly when we're forced to go through the entire USA again and not just 2 of the 24 teams and there are no free rides to the final 4 for any CDN based team.

No matter how many times you post the same nonsense, it's still nonsense. The leafs opportunity is no diferent than anyone else.

None of the teams are forced "to go through the entire USA" they are all within a smaller division until the final 4.

 

[zeke]

Again, Toronto's success is also a curse at the same time. Young players often don't make the playoffs at all consistently to start their careers let alone win in them. Ovechkin was a year older than most first overall picks because of the lock out, he won one playoff round in his 4th year, didn't make the playoffs for the first 2 years.

MacKinnon won a round in sixth full season, didn't make the playoffs three times in that time frame. Stamos, one deep year on a veteran team in his second year, but failed to make the playoffs 4 out of 6 years to start his career, and got swept in his 6th year in the first round.

Tavares, same shit till he scored the OT winner to give the Islanders their first series win since 1993.

Crosby is really the only outlier who was winning in the playoffs at a young age.

You would agree that Patrice Bergeron is a great player right? and he's been the reason why the Bruins have won against the Leafs?

He didn't win a playoff round till his ~6th season.

Yep.

And then add in the fact that the three real playoff series they've played were all against legit elite proven contenders.

 

[Deebo]

Last 5 cup winners, opponents ranking:

TBL 20: CBJ #14, NYI #11, DAL #10, BOS #1
STL 19: DAL #15, WPG #10, SJS #6, BOS #3
WSH 18: CBJ #14, PIT #10, VGK #5, TBL #3
PIT 17: NSH #16, OTT #12, CBJ #4, WSH #1
PIT 16: TBL #12, SJS #11, NYR #9, WSH #1

most cup winners need to beat only one other elite team to win a cup. occasionally they need to beat two.

Current North Rankings: TOR #5, EDM #12, WPG #13, MTL #16

Too many "leaf fans" trying to cheapean any potential success before it even happens.

 

[zeke]

No matter how many times you post the same nonsense, it's still nonsense. The leafs opportunity is no diferent than anyone else.

None of the teams are forced "to go through the entire USA" they are all within a smaller division until the final 4.

It's fun to see how many times Mess will massage his (lengthy) story until he finds the perfect spin for himself.

 

[Mess]

I'd love to eliminate the bruins

also Tampa for legitimacy

Round #3 vs Boston, and then SCF vs TB the defending champs would be the perfect story book ending .... Bring it on !!!

Playing them in rounds number 3 and 4 instead of #1 & 2 just to get there is an opportunity I hope we wouldn't squander if that opportunity presents itself, but I agree it would add a boat load of legitimacy to this season for Leafs to be able to say they went through both our Atlantic Div arch Cup competitive rivals, even if we need to go through our Canadian bacon North Div opponents first to do so.

Round #1 ... Montreal (extracting revenge on an Original 6 arch nemesis) ...
Round #2 ... Edmonton (eliminating the best player in the game McDavid and send him golfing)
Round #3 ... Boston (take that for 2013, 2018 & 2019 and 3 losses in 6 years payback)
Round #4 ... Tampa Bay the reigning Cup champs (if you want to be he best you have to beat the best).

Now lets talk that into existence !!!!