TSN: Craig Button says the Leafs should rather want to play Tampa and not Boston in the playoffs

[Sniper99]

Just curious, kinda off topic,

Seeing how Tampa clinched a playoffs spot and we're not really that far behind them, anyone know how to figure out our "magic number" is to clinch a playoff spot?

 

[glue]

Going to have to beat them both in all likelihood. I am not sure it matters which one you have to play first. If you want to win, you have to beat the best.

It does totally suck though that the top three teams in the conference are in our division... imagine how worried Tampa and Boston are though...

Bingo, I feel hardly anybody is mentioning this..the pressure in my opinion is on TB and Boston to win. Leafs have less pressure but are extremely capable of beating either of those teams.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Bingo, I feel hardly anybody is mentioning this..the pressure in my opinion is on TB and Boston to win. Leafs have less pressure but are extremely capable of beating either of those teams.

Compared to last year if the Leafs lose in the 1st round once again it will feel like a disappointment because they aren't just happy to be there and will want to improve on just making it to the 1st round.

 

[glue]

Compared to last year if the Leafs lose in the 1st round once again it will feel like a disappointment because they aren't just happy to be there and will want to improve on just making it to the 1st round.

I think leafs are a far better team this year then last (I think most would agree), but playing either Boston or Tampa and losing in a close series I don’t think should be seen as a disappointment given both those teams are cup contenders.

I’ll also add, taking the caps to OT every single game might have made last years series closer then it actually was, caps were clearly the better team that series

 

[PuckMagi]

Tampa is a lot better than Boston.

I'd rather we play Boston.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I think leafs are a far better team this year then last (I think most would agree), but playing either Boston or Tampa and losing in a close series I don’t think should be seen as a disappointment given both those teams are cup contenders.

I’ll also add, taking the caps to OT every single game might have made last years series closer then it actually was, caps were clearly the better team that series

Personally I think I could handle losing to Tampa which would still be very disappointing.

However seeing the Leafs lose to Boston I could not take because of some of their fans are rude and very obnoxious.

Also last year 5/6 games against Washington went to overtime, however all the games were decided by no more than 1 goal.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Tampa is a lot better than Boston.

I'd rather we play Boston.

Boston still has quite a few cup winners, Tampa doesn't. It's a pick your poison scenario. Either way, it won't be easy and in all likelyhood, you're gonna have to beat teams like them if you're gonna go far. No way around it.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Personally I think I could handle losing to Tampa which would still be very disappointing.

However seeing the Leafs lose to Boston I could not take because of some of their fans are rude and very obnoxious.

Also last year 5/6 games against Washington went to overtime, however all the games were decided by no more than 1 goal.

Boston is full of awful fans. Whether it be the Bruins,Celtics,Patriots or Sox. It's a cocky and entitled sports town.

 

[Halla]

im fine with whoever.

BOSTON
7-1 vs boston since last year. a chance to exercise demons. bruins have bergeron,macavoy, chara and backes out, but they are still rolling. rask has been lights out though, which worries me

TAMPA
Vasilevskiy hasnt just been average of late, he has been terrible (3.63gaa/.894SV% last month)
the kid is clearly running out of gas. he hasn't started more than 47 games before and he is already at 57 this year (and will likely get to at least 65). to put things in perspective, vas was running away with the vezina 6 weeks ago, and now i doubt he even gets nominated (Rinne/HellyBuyck/Fleury)

 

[rent free]

Tampa is a lot better than Boston.

I'd rather we play Boston.

Tampa's overrated. Boston is a better team.

 

[Warden of the North]

Just curious, kinda off topic,

Seeing how Tampa clinched a playoffs spot and we're not really that far behind them, anyone know how to figure out our "magic number" is to clinch a playoff spot?

To control our own destiny we need 10 points (meaning no matter what anyone else does we're in IE Florida can win out and still not beat us).

It could be possible we could lose every single game and still make it though. 93-94 points is the historic average cutoff for playoff teams.

If we win our next couple games and Florida drops theirs, were probably clinched by the weekend. Its not only us winning, but also other teams losing and failing to get points.

 

[Warden of the North]

Boston is full of awful fans. Whether it be the Bruins,Celtics,Patriots or Sox. It's a cocky and entitled sports town.

Can you blame them? They have just had arguably the greatest run in professional sports history for a city.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think leafs are a far better team this year then last (I think most would agree), but playing either Boston or Tampa and losing in a close series I don’t think should be seen as a disappointment given both those teams are cup contenders.

I’ll also add, taking the caps to OT every single game might have made last years series closer then it actually was, caps were clearly the better team that series

So true, we're going to have our hands full with either one of those teams. Boston is just scary, despite all their injury issues they just keep rolling along and played maybe their best game of the year Saturday night dominating TB. And TB is obviously just as scary, I'll be watching tomorrow night's game with great interest.

This idiotic playoff format needs to be changed!

 

[The Apologist]

This is some of the most ass eyed reasoning I've ever read

You seed this thing on regular season records or you don't but the 2nd and 3rd teams in the Atlantic having to play each other in the first round no matter what is so stupid it's beyond belief

The regular season counts except when it doesn't because "reasons"

I find it funny how the good teams get home ice except that's bull because we're the 3rd or 4th best team in the East but don't because the draw and seeding has been screwed with

Woops

Why seed at all on the regular season? Let's do it on jersey colors or how were feeling at the time because we're playing someone good anyway so who cares about the 82 game regular season


OK Daisy give me one good reason why the 93 point Leafs play the 98 point Bruins in the first round without home ice when the 87 point Penguins play the 83 point Flyers with home ice? That #3v#4 and #5v#6 by the way

Best of luck arguing that

Like in 2002 when the 91 point Hurricanes got home ice against the 95 point Devils while the 100 point Leafs got the 96 point Isles instead?
Unless the NHL eliminates divisions altogether and goes to a full 82 game equal schedule there is always going to be inequalities.

And why are you stopping at 1v8? Why not go full 1v16?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Like in 2002 when the 91 point Hurricanes got home ice against the 95 point Devils while the 100 point Leafs got the 96 point Isles instead?
Unless the NHL eliminates divisions altogether and goes to a full 82 game equal schedule there is always going to be inequalities.

And why are you stopping at 1v8? Why not go full 1v16?

You're right in that no system is perfect. 1v16 has been done before BTW, I liked it a lot myself.

 

[The Apologist]

You're right in that no system is perfect. 1v16 has been done before BTW, I liked it a lot myself.

The only way this makes sense is with a balanced schedule. Otherwise it's really not a true 1v16.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If the format was league wide 1 verses 16, etc, Leafs could play Colorado. That would interesting.

I think there is a minor pro league in the southern US that gives the top team the option to choose their 1st round opponent.

There is it's the SPHL

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I want Boston why? because the Leafs are getting healthy and Boston is without Bergeron, Debrusk, Backes, Chara, Macavoy, they are a beat up team and they don't have the depth Toronto does

 

[Gary Nylund]

The only way this makes sense is with a balanced schedule. Otherwise it's really not a true 1v16.

Yes that's true, like you said, no system is perfect. I liked 1vs16 a lot though, it's really cool to not know until the very end in many cases who's playing who. I know the argument for divisional play is rivalries etc. (and there is some merit to that IMO) but I think it can also get boring to have the same match-ups all the time.

 

[1specter]

Like in 2002 when the 91 point Hurricanes got home ice against the 95 point Devils while the 100 point Leafs got the 96 point Isles instead?
Unless the NHL eliminates divisions altogether and goes to a full 82 game equal schedule there is always going to be inequalities.

And why are you stopping at 1v8? Why not go full 1v16?

Just use the NBA model. Doesn't matter if you're a division winner there, teams are seeded where they should be. E.g. Celtics are in the same division as the Raptors and are 2nd in the division but are still 2nd in the conference.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I want Boston why? because the Leafs are getting healthy and Boston is without Bergeron, Debrusk, Backes, Chara, Macavoy, they are a beat up team and they don't have the depth Toronto does

On the contrary, the fact that they keep winning despite all their injuries indicates that they have excellent depth. They may be beat up now but most if not all those guys should be healthy by the time the playoffs start.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

On the contrary, the fact that they keep winning despite all their injuries indicates that they have excellent depth. They may be beat up now but most if not all those guys should be healthy by the time the playoffs start.

or it could indicate they have gone up against A LOT of soft teams

Sure they beat Tampa last game but they have also faced Chicago twice, Carolina Edmonton etc.
Boston for the most part has had a creampuff schedule

 

[The Apologist]

But

Just use the NBA model. Doesn't matter if you're a division winner there, teams are seeded where they should be. E.g. Celtics are in the same division as the Raptors and are 2nd in the division but are still 2nd in the conference.

But again, why are we stopping at conferences? And unless they are playing each team equally, it's not really a true ranking.

 

[Gary Nylund]

or it could indicate they have gone up against A LOT of soft teams

Sure they beat Tampa last game but they have also faced Chicago twice, Carolina Edmonton etc.
Boston for the most part has had a creampuff schedule

We've lost enough games to weaker teams to know that no games are easy. 8-2 in their last 10 games despite all their injuries is pretty impressive and indicates good depth.

 

[1specter]

But

But again, why are we stopping at conferences? And unless they are playing each team equally, it's not really a true ranking.

Because the travel would create a lot of problems if we just did a free for all, like jet lag and time zone difference as well as increased costs. At least with the conferences that aspect is somewhat limited. And to your point about not playing each other equally, the difference is literally one game more against most divisional opponents, and two games more against 2 of those teams, compared to rest of the conference. That's not exactly a startling difference.

In terms of NBA they actually give a lot of thought to strength of schedule and creating balance in scheduling. You rarely see nonsense like multiple back to back games or 5-in-7 type weeks.

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