Pre-Game Talk: Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs | SN | October 8th, 2014 | 7:00PM

[Pyrophorus]

Montreal 100 regular season points and final 4 in last years playoffs.

Max Pac scored more goals then Kessel
Subban scored more points then Phaneuf
Price SV% > Bernier SV%

While I personally can't stand Montreal as a lifelong Leaf fan as the arch rival, but our Leafs enter this game as the underdogs.

When we beat them however, its a very sweet feeling.

Called over achievement and playing the right teams.
They don't suck, but they are a bit of a mirage.

 

[Pyrophorus]

If that place is dreamland sure lol

There was a thread on the main board during the summer, that for what he does and produces, he's middle of the pick.

Many including here would say he's bottom 3, he's probably about #15.
He was on a 27G pace last year, he could score 30, not saying he will be he can.

 

[DCHabitant]

Called over achievement and playing the right teams.
They don't suck, but they are a bit of a mirage.

Yes, Tampa Bay and Boston. Easy pickings.

Btw, think Leafs are underrated. If they could avoid collapse at season's end, they should contend.

 

[Cor]

A Tampa Bay team who lost Bishop and had to deal St Louis who both carried them to where they were

Reffing pretty much gave Montreal the Boston series. It was gross

 

[Leafidelity]

Nah, Ill give the Habs credit for the Boston series. They always have the Bruins number.

But the Lightning series... the Sabres could have beat that team. They were awful.

Thems the breaks when you make the playoffs though. Sometimes you get a team that's in way over their head.

 

[p.l.f.]

We have to re-establish our mean physical game vs Mtl
They noticably sucked when we got then scared lol (2 seasons back and last season's opener)

Hopefully we can do this without needing Colton

 

[Budsfan]

Montreal 100 regular season points and final 4 in last years playoffs.

Max Pac scored more goals then Kessel
Subban scored more points then Phaneuf
Price SV% > Bernier SV%

While I personally can't stand Montreal as a lifelong Leaf fan as the arch rival, but our Leafs enter this game as the underdogs.

When we beat them however, its a very sweet feeling.

Your right, this will not be a walk in the park but I like the team we have put together and this will be a real test of how we might fare this year.

Go Leafs Go!

 

[Paradoc]

They have only won 2 out of the last 10 season series against us and that was when we had a horrible team. Leafs can win this, no doubt about that.

 

[Cor]

Habs are a worse team this year too IMO.

They will be lucky to be in the playoffs

 

[BertCorbeau]

Habs are a worse team this year too IMO.

They will be lucky to be in the playoffs

They'll go as far as Price takes them - remember they were on a bad slide late last season while he was injured

 

[crump]

Maybe one day we will be back to classic battles between these two former rivals.

Potential Stories..
Bernier vs Price
JVR Vs. Subban
Kozun. Vs Gallagher
Robidas vs his home province

If the leafs come out flying they will be ok.

 

[Daisy Jane]

They'll go as far as Price takes them - remember they were on a bad slide late last season while he was injured

which people tend to ignore. I'm going to throw shade on Montreal's parade, but for all the flack that the Leafs get (a lot of it deserved) I truly feel that a lot of it is growing pains. I think i referred to it as a swinging pendulum. We swing WAY left, or WAY right - we don't balance well. (yet).

Montreal is balanced, but a lot of it has a tonne to do with Price. Aaron Ward said this last year, and it cracked me up because of how two-faced it is. "Toronto isn't good enough because they rely too much on their goal tending, braw braw braw." two minutes later. "Montreal goes as far as Price leads them, and that's why they're really a good threat in the east."

Ookay there.

 

[zeke]

Nah, Ill give the Habs credit for the Boston series. They always have the Bruins number.

probably because they don't care a whit about trying to match them physically, and use their speed to skate circles around them instead.

 

[ThrillinPhil]

You know how we have those "Ontario boys" always go beast mode against us. I hope the "Quebec Boys" (Bernier, Robidas) goes beast against Montreal on Wed!!!

 

[Hurt]

You know how we have those "Ontario boys" always go beast mode against us. I hope the "Quebec Boys" (Bernier, Robidas) goes beast against Montreal on Wed!!!

Bernier hasn't so far in his career: 1-3-1 in 5GP, 3.40 GAA, .895 SV%. He's going to be a key cog going forward so hopefully he can get his act together against Montreal as we face them multiple times a year.

 

[Delicious Dangles*]

Montreal 100 regular season points and final 4 in last years playoffs.

Max Pac scored more goals then Kessel
Subban scored more points then Phaneuf
Price SV% > Bernier SV%

While I personally can't stand Montreal as a lifelong Leaf fan as the arch rival, but our Leafs enter this game as the underdogs.

5-4-1 against them over the last 2 years. Most games close. Biggest blowout among them was Toronto decimating Montreal like they were a CHL team.

You can point to records against other teams, and arbitrary comparisons between random players all you like. We have just as good of a chance or better chance of beating Montreal as they do of beating us.

Not to mention that this is a GAME thread in the TORONTO board for a game against a RIVAL.

Maybe suck all the fun out with unfounded pessimism against Toronto over on the Montreal board.

 

[Anthrax442]

Can't wait...

 

[HellasLEAF]

Habs are a worse team this year too IMO.

They will be lucky to be in the playoffs

ridiculous

 

[HellasLEAF]

Nah, Ill give the Habs credit for the Boston series. They always have the Bruins number.

But the Lightning series... the Sabres could have beat that team. They were awful.

Thems the breaks when you make the playoffs though. Sometimes you get a team that's in way over their head.

Habs were gifted the TBay series by the refs. One of the most lopsided reffed series I've ever seen in my life, if not THE most bias reffed series. They have EVERY decision go their way.

I don't know about the Bruins though. Can't say the same applies there.

 

[zeke]

habs are always underrated, because people underrate the value of third line scoring.....and people underrate one Andrei Markov.

that being said, price had the best year of his career last year by a good margin, and could be due for some regression.

 

[HellasLEAF]

^^

I agree on a bit of a regression, but some of these Leaf fans just dismissing the Habs out of hand, not even playoffs is absurd.

They have PK Norris trophy dman, Markov, Galchenyuk/Gallagher a year older, they are very deep. and 3 very good scoring lines agreed. I also think addition by subtraction with who left.

Price is gonna be Price. The best goalie in the country. Habs are still a threat.

Leafs?

We have potential. We'll see.

 

[FlareKnight]

^^

I agree on a bit of a regression, but some of these Leaf fans just dismissing the Habs out of hand, not even playoffs is absurd.

They have PK Norris trophy dman, Markov, Galchenyuk/Gallagher a year older, they are very deep. and 3 very good scoring lines agreed. I also think addition by subtraction with who left.

Price is gonna be Price. The best goalie in the country. Habs are still a threat.

Leafs?

We have potential. We'll see.

I think that's just being overly negative. Norris trophy just means you are a good scoring D, which is a positive but no different than pointing out the high scoring players we have on our team. Surprisingly everyone on the Leafs roster is older than they were last year so yeah .

I think it's a we'll see on all sides. Thus this is a pre-game threat, not a post game thread .

 

[HellasLEAF]

^^

All I'm saying is, I don't think the Habs got 'lucky' last year, as some are suggesting.

Their a contender again, and right now are the better team.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

These Komarov - Santa - Clarkson third line solutions are a terrible idea. We need a third line that can provide depth scoring rather than pointlessly grind in the defensive zone. Holland, for that reason, needs to be on that line as could Santa ( displacing Clarkson).

Komarov/ Leivo/ Nylander? - Holland - Clarkson/ Santa

 

[SprDaVE]

Some posters in here are way overconfident. I guess a good pre-season was enough.

It should be a tight game. It usually is. We'll see how it plays out. It's a looooong season.