TSN: What do you think about the whole canadian division?

[JT AM da real deal]

They also carry the worst record, against the other Canadian teams, both last year, and over the last three years. They just don't match up very well, against the other Canadian teams.

Horvat, Peterson and Beagle as a big defensive 3rd wow I don't see anyone in west matching up ... this year will be Horvat's coming out party but most people saw it in da playoffs last year ... he is a beast ... if they have weakness maybe defense but it is ok as is tending ... Oilers will score more but their defense and tending is bottom of barrow ... Flames are overall solid but not enough offense ... Jets I think will take 4th spot and are a tough out with best tender but again it is a 1 line team and not enough behind

 

[Dekes For Days]

Understanding, the Habs were 3-0 against us last year, with essentially those C's.

Two of those were in OT/SO, and Montreal was playing rested against Toronto (backup goalies) on back-ends of back to backs.

 

[Fogelhund]

Two of those were in OT/SO, and Montreal was playing rested against Toronto (backup goalies) on back-ends of back to backs.

And such situations will be common place this coming year. There are no asterisk besides points totals, you still have to win those games. With those C's, they beat us. I would expect better from our guys this year, but they (the Habs) still seem to match up, against Canadian teams fairly well.

 

[Dekes For Days]

And such situations will be common place this coming year.

That scenario is not remotely close to common.

 

[X66]

And such situations will be common place this coming year. There are no asterisk besides points totals, you still have to win those games. With those C's, they beat us. I would expect better from our guys this year, but they (the Habs) still seem to match up, against Canadian teams fairly well.

Except this year it's likely the Habs will be back to back as well in those games against us...

I am not worried about the Habs at all.

They will work hard and do what hard working teams do, but until they get elite talent they aren't doing any real damage.

They were very fortunate schedule wise against us last year and two of the three games was in the Babcock era. That 3rd game was another back to back and the Leafs had the lead IN Montreal with like 2 mins left.

 

[Fogelhund]

That scenario is not remotely close to common.

Just wait until the schedule comes out....

 

[Fogelhund]

Except this year it's likely the Habs will be back to back as well in those games against us...

I am not worried about the Habs at all.

They will work hard and do what hard working teams do, but until they get elite talent they aren't doing any real damage.

They were very fortunate schedule wise against us last year and two of the three games was in the Babcock era. That 3rd game was another back to back and the Leafs had the lead IN Montreal with like 2 mins left.

I'm not worried about them either. If the Leafs play to their full capability, on a consistent basis, we should easily take this.

This is all discussion related to me ranking the Habs, as likely around the 3rd place team, in the Canadian division. Both last year, and the past three years, the Habs have matched up quite well, to other Canadian teams. This isn't a discussion where I'm trying to say they are better than us. They just match up well against Canadian teams, and will likely do ok here.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Just wait until the schedule comes out....

Even if there are going to be more back to backs this year, that would apply for both teams, not just one.

 

[Fogelhund]

Even if there are going to be more back to backs this year, that would apply for both teams, not just one.

At times yes... at others, maybe not so much. As always... the point here, as described above, isn't to say the Habs are better than us. They've competed well against all Canadian teams, so I was justifying that I ranked them finishing third in the division. I don't think they are better than us. Even with said Centers, they've done very well against Canadian teams the last few years.

 

[The CyNick]

Even if there are going to be more back to backs this year, that would apply for both teams, not just one.

You can't expect NHL teams to be competitive in back to backs. It's virtually impossible.

 

[Dekes For Days]

You can't expect NHL teams to be competitive in back to backs. It's virtually impossible.

Nobody said that. However, it is a big disadvantage if one team is playing their backup on the back-end of a back-to-back, and the other is playing their starter while the team is rested. That's pretty obvious.

 

[Legion34]

And such situations will be common place this coming year. There are no asterisk besides points totals, you still have to win those games. With those C's, they beat us. I would expect better from our guys this year, but they (the Habs) still seem to match up, against Canadian teams fairly well.

which Cs?

 

[Fogelhund]

which Cs?

leafs canadiaens games - Google Search

leafs canadiaens games - Google Search

leafs canadiaens games - Google Search

 

[The CyNick]

Nobody said that. However, it is a big disadvantage if one team is playing their backup on the back-end of a back-to-back, and the other is playing their starter while the team is rested. That's pretty obvious.

You would think all teams have to deal with a number of back to backs, injuries, personal issues that never get reported, and a bunch of other stuff over a season. Some teams complain about it, other teams just go out and win.

 

[Dekes For Days]

You would think all teams have to deal with a number of back to backs

Except we're talking about specifically 3 games, and in those 3 games, both teams did not deal with remotely the same situations. Thus, drawing conclusions from those 3 games can be misleading.

 

[X66]

You would think all teams have to deal with a number of back to backs, injuries, personal issues that never get reported, and a bunch of other stuff over a season. Some teams complain about it, other teams just go out and win.

This is actually proven to be incorrect.

Good teams don't "just go out and win" in back to backs, they're terrible in them aswell.

A lot of teams with A TON of talent doing much, much worse in the second half of back to backs vs rested teams.

The leading theory here(not a conclusion, just food for thought) is that it's harder to implement skill in back to back games when you're tired as it is to implement grinding style hockey.

That's why the teams at the bottom of the list will look the same way on either night because they don't have a ton of skill throughout the line-up.

Where as the top teams in the league that need their stars to come through i.e Jets, Leafs, Caps, Bolts, Canucks, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, Bruins are all much worse because those teams win on talent before they win on good ol' Canadian hockey.

 

[Faltorvo]

I love it

A) it was the only way this could get the league back

B) it will help me see if my premise is accurate or not.

My premise is , we constantly finish near the league bottom(for shister reasons) when it comes to earned PP opportunities
i am betting heavy that we won't finish near the bottom of the league this season,,(Just a educated tin foil hat hunch)

 

[Dayjobdave]

I love it

A) it was the only way this could get the league back

B) it will help me see if my premise is accurate or not.

My premise is , we constantly finish near the league bottom(for shister reasons) when it comes to earned PP opportunities
i am betting heavy that we won't finish near the bottom of the league this season,,(Just a educated tin foil hat hunch)

Interesting point on PP and I hope you are right. However I suspect it will be the same because the anti-Leaf penalty bias isn’t an American thing, it’s good old Canadian anti-Toronto bias that some (not all) non-Toronto Canadians have and it is large enough to be statistically demonstrable.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Interesting point on PP and I hope you are right. However I suspect it will be the same because the anti-Leaf penalty bias isn’t an American thing, it’s good old Canadian anti-Toronto bias that some (not all) non-Toronto Canadians have and it is large enough to be statistically demonstrable.

Our Leafs have played soft for years now so many fewer penalties both ways ... we should play a little tougher this year and more PPs for sure

 

[Golden_Jet]

Interesting point on PP and I hope you are right. However I suspect it will be the same because the anti-Leaf penalty bias isn’t an American thing, it’s good old Canadian anti-Toronto bias that some (not all) non-Toronto Canadians have and it is large enough to be statistically demonstrable.

Less physical teams generally will draw less penalties and have less called against them, is
statistically demonstrable.

 

[HolyCrap]

Less physical teams generally will draw less penalties and have less called against them, is
statistically demonstrable.

Why does a Sens fan spend so much time on the Leafs forum.? Honestly just wondering?

 

[nsleaf]

Interesting point on PP and I hope you are right. However I suspect it will be the same because the anti-Leaf penalty bias isn’t an American thing, it’s good old Canadian anti-Toronto bias that some (not all) non-Toronto Canadians have and it is large enough to be statistically demonstrable.

Danm those non- Toronto Canadians and their anti-Toronto penalty bias,

 

[VanW27]

Less physical teams generally will draw less penalties and have less called against them, is
statistically demonstrable.

Good old game management

 

[Golden_Jet]

Good old game management

I don't know if game management, physical play can lead to players maybe stepping over the line.

 

[BlueForever75]

I personally think it will be cool to watch us play against only Canadian teams. The rivalries are already there and will only get stronger. It will be like watching playoff hockey from the start to end of season. Im expecting more scraps too. Should be fun.