Pre-Game Talk: GM#6 Toronto @ Tampa - SNO

[Squiffy]

Bruins-Leafs is destiny. The hockey gods are not having it any other way.

 

[Gary Nylund]

If you had to choose between Boston winning their Game 7 and the Leafs winning their Game 6, where would you put your money?

For me, that would depend on what odds I'm being offered. The bookies currently have the Leafs as very slight favorites in game 6 and while the line for Boston's game 7 isn't up yet, Boston will likely be bigger favorites than the Leafs. The bookies know what they're doing and I trust what they say more than I trust anything else. So again, if I had to choose, I would bet on either game only if was able to do so getting a substantially better price than the one being offered by the bookies and if such a bet wasn't available, I would keep my money in my pocket.

 

[Nineteen67]

If you had to choose between Boston winning their Game 7 and the Leafs winning their Game 6, where would you put your money?

Boston.

 

[Nineteen67]

For me, that would depend on what odds I'm being offered. The bookies currently have the Leafs as very slight favorites in game 6 and while the line for Boston's game 7 isn't up yet, Boston will likely be bigger favorites than the Leafs. The bookies know what they're doing and I trust what they say more than I trust anything else. So again, if I had to choose, I would bet on either game only if was able to do so getting a substantially better price than the one being offered by the bookies and if such a bet wasn't available, I would keep my money in my pocket.

The bookies have the Leafs favoured? Is that because the money is on TB and their trying to draw money?

 

[seventieslord]

You don't know what goes on in any dressing room. For all you know Boston's confidence has taken a big hit, we know for sure that they've shown vulnerability in this series that they haven't shown all reason. And for all you know our players aren't as mentally fragile as this fan base and they are just focused on getting ready for the next game and believe in each other 100%.


Or perhaps it shows that your emotions are getting in the way of rational thought. If you think the Leafs chances are that poor, feel free to put your money where your mouth is. Here's a screenshot from one betting site, if you bet 1000 dollars and TB to win the series and you win, you'll get back 4 250 for a profit of 3 250.

View attachment 698953

I didn't say their chances were "poor", that would be outrageous being the favourite and having to win one of two games.

I said I'm more sure of Boston winning game 7 than I am of the Leafs winning game 6 OR 7.

Both outcomes are more than 50% likely, but I wouldn't be too worried as a Bruins fan. Or maybe it's too easy to say that when I f***ing hate them.

 

[mikeyz]

Please fire Keefe and make this woman the coach tomorrow night.

 

[Seras]

cmon, end this in 6, GLG!

 

[Gary Nylund]

The bookies have the Leafs favoured? Is that because the money is on TB and their trying to draw money?

Nah, there's too much "smart money" out there and the betting public these days is more savvy than they once were.

I didn't say their chances were "poor", that would be outrageous being the favourite and having to win one of two games.

I said I'm more sure of Boston winning game 7 than I am of the Leafs winning game 6 OR 7.

Both outcomes are more than 50% likely, but I wouldn't be too worried as a Bruins fan. Or maybe it's too easy to say that when I f***ing hate them.

The bookies have the Leafs at roughly 75% to win the series, which means they have to win game 6 OR 7. And while the Boston game 7 line hasn't been posted yet, I can tell you right now there's no way they're going to be 3-1 favorites to win that game.

I bet Bruins fans are at least a little bit worried. They're not dumb so they know any team can beat any other team on any given night. And after being up 3-1 they lost 2 in a row so ... yeah they're not dumb, they know they could easily lose.

 

[Gary Nylund]

For those who think Boston fans aren't worried, this is what the title of their PGT looks like:

 

[34]

Betting on TB to win the series pays nicely, about 4-1 I think so assuming you have money to bet, there's free money just waiting for you? Do you have any money?

Toronto is the favorite to win??

 

[seventieslord]

For those who think Boston fans aren't worried, this is what the title of their PGT looks like:

View attachment 698994

I never said their fans weren't worried.

(someone else may have)

 

[Squiffy]

Toronto is the favorite to win??

Better team and ahead in the series. Vegas doesn't money line on emotion. Of course they are.

 

[Burnie97]

Please fire Keefe and make this woman the coach tomorrow night.

I do like that lineup but probably never happening. I agree though that forsure should be the game 6 lineup.

It's not hard to figure it out but for the coach it's tough apparently.

I hate to shit on Keefe... we're up 3-2 but Holl should be shot out of a cannon and Lilly in. This isn't hard to do or see why.

Last game no Bunts I can understand... now he's in forsure. Lafferty can come out.

If they do that leafs are winning. They're winning anyway... I'm going into the game positive. I'm pissed about the last game but f*** Tampa. Let's go curb stomp them. Why not. No more loser mentality and over thinking ... get it f***ing done.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Toronto is the favorite to win??

I've looked at two sites. On one the game is pickem and on one they're very small favorites.

I never said their fans weren't worried.

(someone else may have)

Right, you said that you wouldn't be worried if you were a Bruins fan. Fair enough, though I suspect that you really were a Bruins fan, you'd be at least a little bit worried. I've now read a few pages of their PGT just for fun and it's fun I tell ya, there are a lot of worried people over there and I do mean a LOT of people!

Better team and ahead in the series. Vegas doesn't money line on emotion. Of course they are.

They're favoured to win not just the series, but favored to win game 6. Mind you that was just one site I looked at and they were only very small favorites, I just looked at another site and they had game 6 as pickem. So probably fair to say that game 6 is a tossup but if it goes to game 7, the Leafs will likely be solid favorites to win that one despite the many people here saying they're guaranteed to lose.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I do like that lineup but probably never happening. I agree though that forsure should be the game 6 lineup.

It's not hard to figure it out but for the coach it's tough apparently.

I hate to shit on Keefe... we're up 3-2 but Holl should be shot out of a cannon and Lilly in. This isn't hard to do or see why.

Last game no Bunts I can understand... now he's in forsure. Lafferty can come out.

If they do that leafs are winning. They're winning anyway... I'm going into the game positive. I'm pissed about the last game but f*** Tampa. Let's go curb stomp them. Why not. No more loser mentality and over thinking ... get it f***ing done.

Lineup's not bad but if it was me, I'd move ROR and Kines to the 2nd line with Marner. I would also have put Bunting in last game but whatever, agree 100% he should be in next game.

I'd have Lily in for Holl as well but I don't think it's as obvious as people think. Lily didn't play well down the stretch and hasn't played at all in a while so if wouldn't be shocking if he came in and played poorly. I think I'd go with 7 dmen myself. Let Holl kill penalties and ease Lily in, see how it goes, a couple of 4th liners hardly got any minutes anyway and I'd also be giving a lot of minutes to M&M (and Nylander) so 11 forwards is plenty.

 

[Jojalu]

What is the biggest gong show in sports currently?

There are a tonne of teams that never even make the playoffs.

Kings finally made it this year after year of failure. Washington in football. Cowboys screw it up every year. The Lions.

The Marlins are awful. The Angels have never won with Trout and Ohtani.

The list is endless for teams that suck.

As brutal as it is for the Leafs, at least they have put together a team worth watching and have a chance. For whatever reason they just can't close it out.

 

[danron1376]

false hope, but the road team is 4-1 in this series and 24-16 overall for the playoffs.

 

[Gary Nylund]

There are a tonne of teams that never even make the playoffs.

Kings finally made it this year after year of failure. Washington in football. Cowboys screw it up every year. The Lions.

The Marlins are awful. The Angels have never won with Trout and Ohtani.

The list is endless for teams that suck.

As brutal as it is for the Leafs, at least they have put together a team worth watching and have a chance. For whatever reason they just can't close it out.

And so did the Knicks. And hey, they finally won a series after a long drought, maybe we will do the same!

The misery of losing the last game is starting to wear off for me. Losing always sucks and of course all that history magnifies the misery of the loss but if we just look at this season in isolation, the loss came after 3 consecutive wins and we're still up 3-2 so things aren't as bad as they seem for some people. I mean after losing the first game, did people really think we were going to win the next 4?

 

[Divine]

Leafs need to go out there and go all-out this game. They can't be complacent and think we still have Game 7 at home.

If Keefe actually wants to be a decent NHL coach, he needs to show them what happened to the Bruins and how you have to earn wins.

Keefe also needs to wake up and stop playing Holl & playing our 4th line against Boston's top-line so much.

If Keefe is obsessed with Holl for whatever reason, I agree with what Mike Johnson said on OverDrive today, go 11F 7D - Laffery and ZAR out, Bunting and Liljegren in.

Even the media is pointing out how the Lightning are targeting Holl and he's failing miserably. Stamkos/Point/Kucherov have basically done nothing this series and it's not over because of Justin Holl.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Leafs need to go out there and go all-out this game. They can't be complacent and think we still have Game 7 at home.

If Keefe actually wants to be a decent NHL coach, he needs to show them what happened to the Bruins and how you have to earn wins.

Keefe also needs to wake up and stop playing Holl & playing our 4th line against Boston's top-line so much.

If Keefe is obsessed with Holl for whatever reason, I agree with what Mike Johnson said on OverDrive today, go 11F 7D - Laffery and ZAR out, Bunting and Liljegren in.

Even the media is pointing out how the Lightning are targeting Holl and he's failing miserably. Stamkos/Point/Kucherov have basically done nothing this series and it's not over because of Justin Holl.

100% this. I'd play the shit out of M&M&Nylander anyway so I'd have no use for the 12th forward even if we went with 6 dmen.

 

[Squiffy]

There are a tonne of teams that never even make the playoffs.

Kings finally made it this year after year of failure. Washington in football. Cowboys screw it up every year. The Lions.

The Marlins are awful. The Angels have never won with Trout and Ohtani.

The list is endless for teams that suck.

As brutal as it is for the Leafs, at least they have put together a team worth watching and have a chance. For whatever reason they just can't close it out.

Oakland A's are going full fictional Indians "Major League" so far this year with no reason to think its changing. They are a contender in this conversation.

Hope getting dashed is heartbreaking, but lest we all forget, no hope is infinitely worse. Depends how long you've been around. Personally my fandom dates back to early/mid 80's. Those teams were bad, and run by a psychopath to boot. That shit was way worse then anything that has come since.

Second worse was post-lockout to AAM time (After Austin Matthews). Frigging depressing. For a long long time. No hope. Been on this board for all that. Not pretty.

Give me this over those two eras all day long and twice on Sunday.

Do I expect more? Yes, yes I do. I will be severely emotionally upset if they can't get past this round. And I should be. But another 20 years from now, if I am looking back over the eras, it's not going to be this one I'm discussing, win or lose, as the darkest chapters of Leaf fandom. Not even close.

 

[Divine]

100% this. I'd play the shit out of M&M&Nylander anyway so I'd have no use for the 12th forward even if we went with 6 dmen.

The only hesitation I have with that is, Keefe sucks at line matching, especially on the road. With both of them out and Bunting in, we're worse defensively. Knowing Keefe, he's going to get caught with their first line against our weakest every time.

Even OverDrive was pointing out today how Keefe was intentionally playing Toronto's 4th line on the Kucherov line and it made zero sense to anyone as they kept getting caved in. Keefe seems to think he's the smartest guy in the room and will double down on bad decisions until it works, he has that Mike Babcock syndrome in him.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The only hesitation I have with that is, Keefe sucks at line matching, especially on the road. With both of them out and Bunting in, we're worse defensively. Knowing Keefe, he's going to get caught with their first line against our weakest every time.

Even OverDrive was pointing out today how Keefe was intentionally playing Toronto's 4th line on the Kucherov line and it made zero sense to anyone as they kept getting caved in. Keefe seems to think he's the smartest guy in the room and will double down on bad decisions until it works, he has that Mike Babcock syndrome in him.

Yeah fair point. Keefe ... I don't even know what else to say. I mean I guess you could say that no matter what the lines are, Keefe's capable of f***ing it up so maybe it doesn't matter so much who plays? I've been really patient with Keefe but my patience has pretty much run out.

 

[Jojalu]

And so did the Knicks. And hey, they finally won a series after a long drought, maybe we will do the same!

The misery of losing the last game is starting to wear off for me. Losing always sucks and of course all that history magnifies the misery of the loss but if we just look at this season in isolation, the loss came after 3 consecutive wins and we're still up 3-2 so things aren't as bad as they seem for some people. I mean after losing the first game, did people really think we were going to win the next 4?

If the Leafs do go onto blow this series, it wil be shocking and our hearts will be torn out.

In the end we have to put up with the humiliation of being a fan of a team that finds a way to break our hearts.

For the majority of us, the Leafs have never won. The Sittler years, Keon, Salming, Gilmour, Clark, Tucker etc.

None of them won.

We can romanticize days gone by and yes wiñing around or 2 would be great, but at the end of the day how is the Leafs winning the Cup going to change our lives outside of being able to brag to our friends thay they did.

I love the thrill and anticipation of every game. I cheer for everyone on the team because the name on the front is bigger than the name on the back.

Dubas and Keefe are here so I hope they find journey next yearsuccess no matter if I agree or disagee with them.

The culture that comes with being a fan is worth the price of admission. The ups, the downs mirrors life and the struggles we all face.

I want nothing more than the Leafs to win so we all fwwl that momentary jubilation. But if they blow it again, I will be rady to start the journey next year, naively believing this is the year

 

[Squiffy]

Keon won.. good post, love it.