Why did so many of you WANT this match up

[Do Make Say Think]

For real?

Did you honestly expect us to win? I still can't believe so many of you wanted the Leafs when it was clear it was the perfect match up for them: a young team that is ok but not great, not very big at all, and a goalie with a bad track record in the playoffs (and I think he's been fine, we are losing because we can't score)

So: do you regret hoping for the Leafs?

EDIT: to clarify, it isn't that I think we beat Washington. Its that losing to the Leafs is awful. This is 2001 all over again.

 

[NyQuil]

Not really.

We might have shown up a bit better against the Caps but I don't really see much difference.

Put another way, what team doesn't want us as their match-up?

We weren't playing our best hockey going into the post-season, we had some injuries to some key guys, and Ullmark came back from injury in poor form just like the last time, only this time right before the post-season.

The hope was that Ottawa could summon some desperation and some emotion against a rival but the Leafs have managed to stifle that out.

Yeah, it's another loss to the Leafs but it feels different because I don't feel like this team was ready to do much damage anyway, unlike some of our past squads.

 

[robsenz]

They would lose against anyone in the playoffs right now. No urgency for this group, you'll see it when they completely bend over tomorrow for the leafs

 

[MiscBrah]

I wanted this match-up and I don't regret it. I think we had the best chance against the leafs and we have two OT games to show for it. We have outshot and outchanced them throughout the series thus far. I expected us to have PK trouble against the Leafs, but I thought the other factors that favour us would outweigh the risks of their lethal PP and our middling PK. I did NOT expect us to do so poorly in faceoffs. We were a top 5 FO team league-wide this season.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Not really.

We might have shown up a bit better against the Caps but I don't really see much difference.

Put another way, what team doesn't want us as their match-up?

We weren't playing our best hockey going into the post-season, we had some injuries to some key guys, and Ullmark came back from injury in poor form just like the last time, only this time right before the post-season.

The hope was that Ottawa could summon some desperation and some emotion against a rival but the Leafs have managed to stifle that out.

Yeah, it's another loss to the Leafs but it feels different because I don't feel like this team was ready to do much damage anyway, unlike some of our past squads.

Losing to Washington would not hurt as much though.

That's the thing. I don't mean "we could've won a series" I mean:

"we could have not been the team to give them their second series win in 21 years in a sweep while having to hear how incredible Toronto is despite the series having been very close so far"

 

[Karterthadon]

For real?

Did you honestly expect us to win? I still can't believe so many of you wanted the Leafs when it was clear it was the perfect match up for them: a young team that is ok but not great, not very big at all, and a goalie with a bad track record in the playoffs (and I think he's been fine, we are losing because we can't score)

So: do you regret hoping for the Leafs?

Everything you just wrote would apply to a series with Washington as well. Montreal can't score against the Caps neither.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Everything you just wrote would apply to a series with Washington as well. Montreal can't score against the Caps as well.

Yeah I edited the OP to make it clear that it isn't "we would have beat Washington"

Although I do think we would have had a better shot against them.

This is match up against Toronto is nightmare fuel for us.

 

[NyQuil]

Losing to Washington would not hurt as much though.

That's the thing. I don't mean "we could've won a series" I mean:

"we could have not been the team to give them their second series win in 21 years in a sweep while having to hear how incredible Toronto is despite the series having been very close so far"

I think Toronto has played a very mature, methodical, competent playoff series so far.

If they earn the win, what can you do?

What's heartbreaking is having a team that is capable of a deep run, and had done so, only to lose because Lalime tries to save the puck from a bad angle shot on his blocker side with his trapper.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I think Toronto has played a very mature, methodical, competent playoff series so far.

If they earn the win, what can you do?

What's heartbreaking is having a team that is capable of a deep run, and has done so, only to lose because Lalime tries to save the puck from a bad angle shot on his blocker side with his trapper.

Toronto is way better than us for sure, hell I bet on Leafs in 4!

It is mostly that I still can't believe so many here were all gung-ho about this match up when it was clear, in my mind, that we didn't have any chance of winning.

I think we can win a game or two against Washington.

 

[swiftwin]

Wanted the Leafs and no ragrets.

Low risk, high reward.

We were always going to be the underdog. We're playing with house money. If we lose, it's not a huge deal.

But if we somehow won, it would have been monumentally epic and hilarious. It would have basically ended this era of the Leafs.

That being said, being swept would really not be ideal. I really really hope we can at least win a game or two like we did in 2015. It really softened the blow back then, and it would again this year.

 

[NyQuil]

Toronto is way better than us for sure, hell I bet on Leafs in 4!

I had Senators in 6.

Sure, it was a bit of hope, but I did say the keys to the series were special teams and Ullmark outduelling Stolarz and we came up woefully short in both.

 

[NyQuil]

That being said, being swept would really not be ideal. I really really hope we can at least win a game or two like we did in 2015. It really softened the blow back then, and it would again this year.

Well, what I wanted going into this season was a home playoff win. Just to give the fans something. If they lose Game 4, they will have disappointed me there.

 

[aragorn]

Not having Tkachuk at 100% has hurt a lot but all the mistakes they keep making also hurts but hopefully it's a painful lesson they will learn from. Losing Norris for faceoffs has hurt, not to mention his 35 goals, but he has been injured a lot. They are killing us on faceoffs especially on special teams. They also have lots of experience at centre while our centres are all in the playoffs for the first time & Gaudette is not a centre, he's a winger. We traded Kastelic, Norris & Ostapchuk all centres, two of them 4th line centres. There should be numerous changes for next season starting with the 4th line we need a much better bigger tougher 4th line.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Not having Tkachuk at 100% has hurt a lot but all the mistakes they keep making also hurts but hopefully it's a painful lesson they will learn from. Losing Norris for faceoffs has hurt, not to mention his 35 goals, but he has been injured a lot. They are killing us on faceoffs especially on special teams. They also have lots of experience at centre while our centres are all in the playoffs for the first time & Gaudette is not a centre, he's a winger. We traded Kastelic, Norris & Ostapchuk all centres, two of them 4th line centres. There should be numerous changes for next season starting with the 4th line we need a much better bigger tougher 4th line.

We need to be much bigger at almost every position. Especially on D.

And like other keen posters have noted: our pipeline is bone dry, there's no help coming from anywhere within the program.

Staios is going to need to get very creative and aggressive if we hope to progress next year.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I had Senators in 6.

Sure, it was a bit of hope, but I did say the keys to the series were special teams and Ullmark outduelling Stolarz and we came up woefully short in both.

I wish I had shared your confidence in Ullmark.

I still like him, but until this season, he's mostly been shit in the playoffs. I was worried on that front the moment we signed him.

 

[NyQuil]

I still like him, but until this season, he's mostly been shit in the playoffs. I was worried on that front the moment we signed him.

I guess. The issue for years with Ottawa was actually getting into the playoffs. Our previous goaltending had a pretty massive hand in that.

This year, we won a lot of games with the lead and that's because our goaltending was substantially better, allowing us to finally score first and actually retain a lead.

Ultimately, the issue with paying a goalie $8M is it makes you reticent to give the guy the hook, which is problematic.

It's not fair to Ullmark maybe but the coach isn't supposed to be a friend.

When you go into a series expecting a goalie to stand on his head because you can't generate any shots and that's the key for a win, you're probably going to end up disappointed anyway.

But in that case, if the goalie you have isn't working, you have to yank them and hope that someone else who isn't quite as good might have the hotter hand.

 

[Karterthadon]

That said, this is the not the same Leafs team of years past, they have a new coach for one and what looks like a legit #1 goalie so far. But I honestly don't see them as a top tier team in the East.

Top dogs: Florida, Carolina, Tampa

Pretenders: Washington, Toronto

Rounding out the numbers: Ottawa, Montreal, Jersey

I tend to think Columbus would have put up a better fight than the three teams at the bottom on the sheer strength of the roll they were on at the end of the year.

 

[Mr Hat]

Ullmark would get exposed against any match up. Our team simply isn’t good enough to overcome anything less than great goaltending against any team in the playoffs except maybe NJ. Leafs haven’t looked good and we still are down 3-0. If Leafs were facing anyone else but us they would be behind, possibly in the same spot we are in now.

It’s a game of inches and some small disadvantages we have shown have added up to the current situation.

Leafs are middle tier. Sens and Habs are bottom tier of playoff teams. Florida teams and Washington are top tier. None of the Canadian teams have any Real chance at a cup this year.

 

[NyQuil]

I honestly think Columbus would have put up a better than the three teams at the bottom on the sheer strength of the roll they were on at the end of the year.

There's a reason they didn't make the post-season. And there's a reason why Montreal is getting jobbed also.

There's a pretty big gulf between the established divisional teams and the up and comers.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

That said, this is the not the same Leafs team of years past, they have a new coach for one and what looks like a legit #1 goalie so far. But I honestly don't see them as a top tier team in the East.

Top dogs: Florida, Carolina, Tampa

Pretenders: Washington, Toronto

Rounding out the numbers: Ottawa, Montreal, Jersey

I honestly think Columbus would have put up a better than the three teams at the bottom on the sheer strength of the roll they were on at the end of the year.

Agreed that the Leafs aren't that good, they win series against a two-time champion running on fumes and us.

We'll see how they handle a real playoff team like Florida (or Tampa if they someone overcome them)

 

[NyQuil]

Doing the bare minimum to win is a pretty good strategy if you want to play four rounds.

We'll see if they play any differently against better competition.

 

[Karterthadon]

There's a reason they didn't make the post-season. And there's a reason why Montreal is getting jobbed also.

There's a pretty big gulf between the established divisional teams and the up and comers.

Aye, but Ottawa and Montreal limped into the playoffs and Columbus finished on a heater. If the poor play of OTT/MTL carried over into the playoffs, I presume the heater of Columbus would of as well but it's all what if's at this point.

 

[MarkStone]

(Probably) losing against a rival obviously sucks but from an analytical point of view this matchup and experience is probably very valuable for Staois, Green and the players.

As we are all too familiar with, progress isn't always linear so I don't automatically take for granted improvement after this playoff baptism but I think playing a year 9 Leafs core with their own past playoff demons, motivations and how they have adapted for this year to win the division exposes the Sens own shortcomings and areas for improvement.

Our flaws are very evident yet we are still playing them very close. I think the fans (and Rod Brind'Amour) can still be very proud of how the series has turned out a couple of different coin-flips and this series could be 2-1 Sens but it wouldn't really change my overall perception of the play of the series as a whole.

 

[swiftwin]

Aye, but Ottawa and Montreal limped into the playoffs and Columbus finished on a heater. If the poor play of OTT/MTL carried over into the playoffs, I presume the heater of Columbus would of as well but it's all what if's at this point.

We didn't limp into the playoffs. We had the 5th best record in the league in April. The Leafs had the 1st best record. Columbus was 6th.

The Panthers(27th), Devils(29th), Canes(30th) and Stars(31st) all limped into the playoffs. Yet, 3 of those 4 teams are currently winning their series.

 

[ottawagm]

I wanted Washington, but to do that we would need to fall back to the pack and may have missed. Toronto is a much better option than Tampa or Florida, which is obvious, we were right in 2 of 3 games and the first was a ref failure, otherwise we would have been in that one too.

A 'cup contending', 9 year playoff vet team, is currently barely ahead of us in each game this series. What does that say about each team?