Leafs’ first round opponent: Boston (who tanked for us)

[Hellcat]

So the Jays look interesting this year...

 

[TheScandal89]

My expectations aren't as high as last seasons around this time but it would be nice to finally beat the Bruins, although thats not likely.

I feel like if we ever win a cup again, we will never win it without beating them en route. Like the Red Sox having to beat the Yankees to get over the hump.

The worst part is if we manage to beat one, we probably gotta face the other anyway lol

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Give me Boston any day, I like the Leafs chances there.
I don't think they have much chance against Florida.

Pasta is a mutant and a big problem but I'd be so disappointed if we lost to a team whose tops centre's are Coyle and Geekie. We should in theory be able to win that series. Won't be easy but that's an obvious weakness compared to Barkov and company

 

[NVious]

Pasta is a mutant and a big problem but I'd be so disappointed if we lost to a team whose tops centre's are Coyle and Geekie. We should in theory be able to win that series. Won't be easy but that's an obvious weakness compared to Barkov and company

Only in Toronto can 4 players get paid more than the other teams star and everybody then only talks about how good that OTHER star is vs our guys lmao.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

If they lose in the first round everyone from Shanny right on down to the assistant coaches should be shown the door as well as some of the core.

No more excuses, no more moral victories and certainly no more respect in the handshake line

How that hasn’t already happened is mind boggling to me.

It’s like it’s not about winning, it must be about something el$e ?

Pasta is a mutant and a big problem but I'd be so disappointed if we lost to a team whose tops centre's are Coyle and Geekie. We should in theory be able to win that series. Won't be easy but that's an obvious weakness compared to Barkov and company

You are only as strong as your weakest link.

Did you not play red rover as a kid ?

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

You are only as strong as your weakest link.

Did you not play red rover as a kid ?

indeed. Every game we should have 3 of the 4 best players on both Toronto and Boston and if we don't, that's a problem

 

[Byron Bitz]

I want Boston. I like that Bergeron is no longer there, Marchand is older and the chance to beat them and rub it in the face of those scumbag Bruins fans is too good to pass up.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I want Boston.

Boston won again.
Florida solidly in second now.

Boston 3 points ahead of Florida now.

 

[hullsy47]

Only in Toronto can 4 players get paid more than the other teams star and everybody then only talks about how good that OTHER star is vs our guys anyone lmao.
[/QUOT
Let's face it ,the shanaplan failed.any team the leafs face in the first round if the Leafs beat them ,the coaches will be fired
The leafs ,if they win or round or even 2
Are as good as this bunch will be .
It's been some nice entertainment ,but it's not playoff worthy team

 

[goldnblack]

Sadly Leafs core 4 forwards are too soft and aren't built to beat either Florida or Boston physical style of play.

Ontario GTA native, Bruins fan. Just wanted to mention that the Bruins don't play physical. if you read that board you'll see that it's the #1 complaint about the team. Maroon and Peeke were brought in to help. Peeke is helping. It's not clear what Maroon has left. But essentially all year despite being 1st, fans have groaned at how soft the team is. It's running away with being the #1 complaint about this Bruins squad.

Boston is getting carried by goaltending. Their C depth is atrocious, and their scoring is way too dependent on Pasta/Marchand, and their McAvoy-Lindholm pairing also carries too much of the load.

The Leafs' top 3 lines will be too much for a team with only one good forward line and one good D pairing. Only the goaltending can save them.

The Bruins have scored 5 less goals than the Leafs. I think they average a quarter goal less per game than Toronto, and are in the top 10 in the league for scoring.

There is no McAvoy-Lindholm pairing. Lindholm is paired with Carlo. Also if your concern is for Marchand, he does not play with Pastrnak. Marchand plays with Coyle and Debrusk.

 

[sxvnert]

Bertuzzi matthews domi
McMann tavares marner
Holmberg jarnkrok nylander
Knies dewar kampf

Rielly boosh
Benoit mccabe
Edmundson lily

 

[Fogelhund]

Bertuzzi matthews domi
McMann tavares marner
Holmberg jarnkrok nylander
Knies dewar kampf

Rielly boosh
Benoit mccabe
Edmundson lily

No for multiple reasons.

 

[Stephen]

Ontario GTA native, Bruins fan. Just wanted to mention that the Bruins don't play physical. if you read that board you'll see that it's the #1 complaint about the team. Maroon and Peeke were brought in to help. Peeke is helping. It's not clear what Maroon has left. But essentially all year despite being 1st, fans have groaned at how soft the team is. It's running away with being the #1 complaint about this Bruins squad.




The Bruins have scored 5 less goals than the Leafs. I think they average a quarter goal less per game than Toronto, and are in the top 10 in the league for scoring.

There is no McAvoy-Lindholm pairing. Lindholm is paired with Carlo. Also if your concern is for Marchand, he does not play with Pastrnak. Marchand plays with Coyle and Debrusk.

I do like that you clarified that Boston doesn’t play physical. Definitely not physical as compared to their 2011-2014 heyday. But whenever we play the Bruins it seems like the big dogs are scared by the ghost of those former teams. Like Chara’s shadow might chop them in the corners or something.

 

[m1ker]

that never happened. how were we dominated for 2 periods every game when we outshot them in literally every game except game 3. we lost every game by 1 goal and the 1 game we lost by more than 1 was because we had a goal called back.

I remember Knies getting ragdolled and injured with no response and then us having no offence once Knies was out of the lineup. I also remember game 5 being disgusted the first 2 periods because we couldn’t get the puck out of our zones. The response from fan base was we couldn’t be happy with a series win because how badly we got out played.

You make it sound like it was a coin flip Florida won.

 

[hoglund]

It seems like the Leafs play one of the cup finalists in the 1st round every year.

 

[maskingagent]

if Boston - Leafs in 5. Boston always gets caught up at times playing the speed and skill game and Nylander will punish them.

if Florida - Leafs in 7 as Florida will at times defeat themselves, make costly mistakes looking at Matthews and Marner too much, and the Leafs gritty guys will get the ugly but timely goals. (ie bertuzzi , domi and tavares) , and then Samsonov owning the crease. I think here comes the deep playoff run. Be ready for it.

 

[Suntouchable13]

It seems like the Leafs play one of the cup finalists in the 1st round every year.

Maybe they should rise to that level then? I don't get this. If they want to win the cup, they have to beat good teams.

 

[The Iceman]

Boston won again.
Florida solidly in second now.

Boston 3 points ahead of Florida now.

Remaining strength of schedule has Boston with the #1 toughest remaining matchups.
I am confident we will play Boston first round.

The way the playoffs are set up it is conceivable Toronto plays the #2 team in the NHL round 1 and the #1 team in the NHL round 2. Boston and Florida are currently 1-2 in the NHL.

 

[Sypher04]

The reality is our path probably goes through both anyway, so I’m not too fussed on which comes first.

That said, in the spirit of the OP, I’ll say Boston is the preferred matchup.

 

[Atrusai]

Gotta break the Bruins curse first, and hopefully have Reaves send Marchand to Robidas Island.

 

[hoglund]

Maybe they should rise to that level then? I don't get this. If they want to win the cup, they have to beat good teams.

I agree, but usually the tough teams start in the later rounds not the 1st.

 

[34]

hopefully they show up.

 

[WillyC]

I’m cool with facing either team… I think this year’s playoffs, we see the core step up.

Domi and Bertuzzi are going to lead the way in showing there’s a playoff gear and everyone needs to play tougher.

I seriously like our chances if they play that way… regardless of how Keefe runs the bench.

 

[HolyCrap]

I actually don’t care which team we face. I feel they are both tough outs and that’s fine. I actually think Leaf’s being the underdog in the first round will help them.

 

[Confucius]

If they lose in the first round everyone from Shanny right on down to the assistant coaches should be shown the door as well as some of the core.

No more excuses, no more moral victories and certainly no more respect in the handshake line

if Boston were a weaker team than us you might have a complaint, but they are a better team and currently have beaten us 6 straight. Only in a fluke do we beat them. So if we don’t get flukey fire everybody? lol!

Panthers are also a better team than us but we play better against them, maybe we stand a chance there.