Pre-Game Talk: Time to talk Playoffs

[Deebo]

No matter who they play, its legitimate.

 

[TheGreatOne11]

We have to beat the best team out of the west regardless to win the cup.

It's all legit Covid or not.

The Stanley cup is remembered by who you beat to win it, not by who you beat to play for it.

Best vs Best is still happening.

GO LEAFS GO

 

[ACC1224]

Nice to see them back in the playoffs. They should have a pretty easy ride to the final four.

 

[BudForLife]

Could really care less who we face in the first round. Taking out the Oilers is the real prize, their fanbase will go suicidal over losing a playoff series to us.

Honestly, doesn't matter which Canadian team we take out...the fanbases will be suicidal

I can't even imagine what would happen if eventually we win a cup

 

[crump]

I don’t know how I missed it, but apparently Ehlers is out for the regular season after that collision with Muzzin, or according to Maurice...”a combination of things”

That puts a huge dent in their offense, there is a real possibility the Jets collapse a bit as Hellebuyck is looking mortal recently.

No matter, confident going up against anyone in this division, I just hope we play the Habs in a series.

 

[kevsh]

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

True, but having to beat two of them is better than all three, which would have likely been the case in the normal divisions.

 

[The Assclown]

Nice to see them back in the playoffs. They should have a pretty easy ride to the final four.

Going to have to disagree with you there. It's going to be tough regardless.

 

[The Assclown]

I don’t know how I missed it, but apparently Ehlers is out for the regular season after that collision with Muzzin, or according to Maurice...”a combination of things”

That puts a huge dent in their offense, there is a real possibility the Jets collapse a bit as Hellebuyck is looking mortal recently.

No matter, confident going up against anyone in this division, I just hope we play the Habs in a series.

ME TOO. Looking forward to a Leafs-Habs series.

 

[TopChedder]

I love hearing that Hyman & Nash are skating. Both will be solid down the playoff stretch.

 

[The Assclown]

I love hearing that Hyman & Nash are skating. Both will be solid down the playoff stretch.

f*** yes that was nice to read. I can't wait to have Hyman back. Imagine a top six with Hyman/Foligno.

 

[TopChedder]

f*** yes that was nice to read. I can't wait to have Hyman back. Imagine a top six with Hyman/Foligno.

Hell yeah! It will be glorious!

 

[3blizzard4]

So tired of playing the same teams all the time. The last three or four games of the season will be like watching paint dry. Unbearable. Hell no to the North division next season.

 

[Rob Brown]

Realistically the Leafs first playoff game will be Saturday, May 22 yes? Then probably looking at Monday/Wednesday/Saturday or Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday the following week.

 

[Varcus]

I really want an Edmonton Series, and id prefer Winnipeg over Montreal. As those are series we will probably never see. Montreal is in our division and hopefully we will meet that way.

Foligno - Matthews - Marner
Kerfoot/Galchenyuk/Simmonds - Taveres - Nylander
Hyman - Nash - Mikheyev
Thornton - Brooks - Spezza

Sandin/Reilly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Sandin/Reilly - Dermott

 

[Nylanderthal]

Nah, the Norris division was brutal for several years. The Leafs once made the playoffs with 52 points.

This is the easiest bracket in a while though. Typically we're playing what either is or effectively is the 4/5 matchup.

16 out of 21 teams made the playoffs, there were plenty of bad teams making the playoffs then.

 

[3blizzard4]

I too would love an Edmonton series. Only to see the big heads deflate over there.

 

[Macallan18]

is this the pre-game thread or pre-playoffs thread? So confused. A glass of rose will help no doubt.

 

[garce]

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 !!!

Yes I was about 20 at the time McDonald scored against the Isles I thought for sure it’s was a harbinger of great things to come.
Around that time I was at a regular season game at the Forum and was sitting very low for the first time there. Leafs outplayed them, which never happened in Montréal Lanny scored both goals and the Habs tied them 2-2. Another step in the road to a dynasty, I was convinced. A lot of dark days and disappointments, hoping this playoff run can be special, gettin old

 

[darrylsittler27]

Who we playing? I hope Montreal first.

 

[123offtheglass]

Boston would be so satisfying to watch

Think if they faced Boston it'd likely be the Cup Finals; that could go so good or so bad which would make it even more exciting to watch. Something we'd likely never see again too.

 

[LeafsGuy16]

Leafs should make it to the top four and be the favorites to win that third series IMO unless we play Colorado who I think is playing better than us. Anything else is a let down. I've got sky high expectations this year and I am ready to be letdown because I think this year is Cup or bust.

This year just feels like our year. I don't know why I feel so optimistic but I just do. I think they're winning it all.

After all of these years, and the “plan the parade” jokes, winning the cup in a year where we probably can’t have a parade (right away anyways?) would be a very Leafy thing to do. Either way, sign me up - cup or bust!!

 

[egd27]

So tired of playing the same teams all the time. The last three or four games of the season will be like watching paint dry. Unbearable. Hell no to the North division next season.

Was thinking about that today. On the one hand it has been a little much seeing them play the same team 2 or 3 games in a row, but on the other, I can't really say I miss midweek games against teams like the Wild, or the Yotes.

Seems like there's more at stake each game this season.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

is this the pre-game thread or pre-playoffs thread? So confused. A glass of rose will help no doubt.

Have a few and it won't even matter anymore.

 

[Obo]

So tired of playing the same teams all the time. The last three or four games of the season will be like watching paint dry. Unbearable. Hell no to the North division next season.

I think it's been kind of neat getting to know the opposition so well. It's given us a taste of what being a fan of the old original six league must have been like.

That said, I'm glad this is just for one year only. Especially with the Leafs being a top-tier team at the moment, you want to see them measured against the entire league, going head to head with the best.

 

[GrizzGreen]

Can't wait for Padres/Dodgers playoff series

Absolute meat grinder of a series. Love the bad blood