Series Talk: Leafs vs Jackets - Cup quest begins...Camp is open!!

[ACC1224]

Kyle Dubas feeling no added pressure as Toronto Maple Leafs get set to begin Phase 3 - TSN.ca

It all starts today.

First goal, making the Playoffs. Ultimate goal, 19 wins.

Less interesting to Dubas is the prospect of Toronto potentially making the playoffs for a fourth straight season and also earning the first-overall pick in this coming NHL draft. During the NHL’s lottery on June 26, the top selection was awarded to a “placeholder,” necessitating a second lottery that will be made up of the teams that lose in the qualifying round of this coming postseason tournament.
But that’s not the kind of consolation prize Dubas is gunning to win.
“If you lose, you get a 12.5 per cent chance of winning the first overall pick and all of those eight teams get the same chance,” Dubas said, ‘but to me the probability of losing and then winning the pick is still so low, relatively speaking, and it's so far away from where our franchise is at and what we're looking to do, that we don't really look at it that way. Our whole focus is on doing everything we can to get our team ready to try to win 19 games.”

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[robertmac43]

Crazy that it's been the length of a full off season since the hole team has been together like this!

 

[qqaz]

Hope they stay safe and healthy. With that in mind, I'm super excited to have real hockey games back soon! Just real Leafs news is a thrill.

Man, I could use some good entertainment right now! Go Leafs, go!

 

[ACC1224]

Hope they stay safe and healthy. With that in mind, I'm super excited to have real hockey games back soon! Just real Leafs news is a thrill.

Man, I could use some good entertainment right now! Go Leafs, go!

A run into September would really make the rest of this messed up summer tolerable.

 

[Rob Brown]

Is there any coverage today? Or will there just be a dump of player interviews and stuff throughout the day?

 

[ACC1224]

Is there any coverage today? Or will there just be a dump of player interviews and stuff throughout the day?

I would expect they will make a few guys available each day plus Keefe.

 

[Suntouchable13]

1 of the very few things that is good about this pandemic is that it allows us to see a fully healthy Leafs team finally after the 4 month shutdown.

 

[ACC1224]

Have they announced when the exhibition game will take place and who the opponent will be?
I would assume they will play the Habs.

 

[Rob Brown]

1 of the very few things that is good about this pandemic is that it allows us to see a fully healthy Leafs team finally after the 4 month shutdown.

Auston always starts seasons off on fire, so this could be good.

 

[deletethis]

I wonder what the NHL's policy regarding the reporting of positive virus tests are going to be? It's very different than reporting on injuries, a shoulder injury isn't contagious.

 

[Nylander88]

Excited to see the line rushes/ what Keefe is thinking for August 2

 

[Mess]

A run into September would really make the rest of this messed up summer tolerable.

Lets hope that we don't encounter Murphy's Law.

Best possible outcome 19 wins and Stanley Cup.
vs
Worst possible outcome missing the playoffs, and not winning the lottery and having no 1st round pick would make this messed up summer even more intolerable.

If we don't get the best possible outcome at least lets hope we get close by at least playing into the 2nd round of the playoffs something that hasn't happened since 2004. This is my minimum expectation for this season. First making the playoffs, and then winning a playoff round.

 

[ACC1224]

Excited to see the line rushes/ what Keefe is thinking for August 2

Does anyone recall the lines used in the last game?

 

[HoweHullOrr]

I wonder what the NHL's policy regarding the reporting of positive virus tests are going to be? It's very different than reporting on injuries, a shoulder injury isn't contagious.

I also wonder if there's a NHL policy on a threshold of positive cases on a team where they trigger some kind of action? Is it 2 players, 5 or 10? Seems like something that would need to be contemplated & planned for.

And, for me, I would think a deep run is in order for our Buds just to even things up for the past playoff outcomes.

 

[ottomaddox]

Go Leafs Go!

Let the chess game between Keefe and Torts begin.

 

[nsleaf]

Having a hard time getting very excited about this, given the risk! But good luck and hopefully it works out without too much infection spread.

 

[robertmac43]

Hope they stay safe and healthy. With that in mind, I'm super excited to have real hockey games back soon! Just real Leafs news is a thrill.

It was such a relief to simply see the roster the other day and have something to talk about!

 

[ACC1224]

Having a hard time getting very excited about this, given the risk! But good luck and hopefully it works out without too much infection spread.

That's a shame. I find myself really looking forward to this.

 

[X66]

I’m excited that I get to watch these games with my son, he’s a quarantine baby!

He’s got some leafs gear ready, time to start him on the path of a lifetime of disappointment!

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Covid cup begins, 19 wins to take it.

 

[Gallagbi]

Does anyone recall the lines used in the last game?

I don't but it likely doesn't matter with all the injuries.

We commonly had Hyman - AM - Marner together and JT - Nylander, that's about the only consistent groups I recall upfront other than our 4th line shuffle (Goat, Clifford, Spezza, Engvall, Malgin)

It'll be nice to have something to watch, but I'm really not very excited for this

 

[deletethis]

Having a hard time getting very excited about this, given the risk! But good luck and hopefully it works out without too much infection spread.

The risk to the players is probably very low but the risk to some of the ancillary personnel might be higher.

The product isn't going to be the same. It is something instead of nothing. Playoffs from a standing start in empty arenas with quarantined players including lameduck UFAs who thought they would have gotten their retirement contracts by this time. It's going to feel very different even after the level of play improves over the weeks. It's not going to feel like the real thing. But then again neither do those dreadful outdoor games and we seem to lap that up.

 

[biotk]

Liljegren not in his group this morning. No word yet as to why.

 

[Nineteen67]

That's a shame. I find myself really looking forward to this.

I have been doing well without hockey and baseball but I’m beginning to look forward to having both back.

 

[willmma]

Glad to see Matthews is healthy enough to practice.

Looking good too!