Series Talk: Leafs vs Lightning Pre-Playoff Thread

[TorMapleJays]

Gm1:

Gm2:

Gm3:

Gm4:

Gm5:

Gm6:

Gm7:



Lets go!!

Images: Maple Leafs Vs Lightning Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

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[Havoc]

Where's the poll. I'm going Leafs in 4 again. Ride or die Matthews lets gooooooo

 

[WillyC]

Leafs in five.

 

[PromisedLand]

I ain't playing this game this post season. Every post season I choose and Leafs find a way to lose in 7. This time I shall not choose and here is hoping for a different result

 

[AHockeyFanatic]

Oh no, no, no

 

[TorMapleJays]

Oh no, no, no

Tampa Boo!

 

[MoreMogilny]

I’d love to say I’m confident the Leafs could pull this series out, but who am I kidding.

There is so much pressure on Toronto and literally almost none on Tampa. That’s a factor.

Also worries me that Tampa is seemingly getting hot the last few games. Three straight wins and have only let in on goal over that span.

I think it’ll go at least 6 games.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Oh boy, I can’t wait to watch another gruelling series against these dirty diving pricks who’ve got the refs in their back pocket.

 

[OVO16]

Whole team full of Cheapshot artists. Watching Corey Perry lose gives me life. If he retires without winning another cup, thats a win for the NHL.

f*** that fat f*** Maroon tooo

 

[cipher]

Oh boy, I can’t wait to watch another gruelling series against these dirty diving pricks who’ve got the refs in their back pocket.

It is amazing how much they dive and how dirty they are with Kucherov near the top in both categories.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Sergachev went down tonight, don't know the extent of the injury

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

7-6 removing the loser point column since deadline. Coming into playoffs a .500 team

Brayden Point played on one leg, Vasi had crap stats and we had muzzin owning all his matchups last season.

It doesn't look good for us this year but I'm still saying Leafs in 6 because of matthews marner nylander tavares and o'reilly. That top 5 cannot be beat if they as a whole have a good series.

 

[The Podium]

7-6 removing the loser point column since deadline. Coming into playoffs a .500 team

Brayden Point played on one leg, Vasi had crap stats and we had muzzin owning all his matchups last season.

It doesn't look good for us this year but I'm still saying Leafs in 6 because of matthews marner nylander tavares and o'reilly. That top 5 cannot be beat if they as a whole have a good series.

You’re counting 2 ties as losses?

They are 7-4-2

 

[Steven1562]

We all know this is going 7. Too much talent on both sides. Just got to hope we finally pull it off in a big game. I think we win in 7 and finally get a series win in forever. Key will be if Tampa finally shows some wearing down after 3 cup final runs. I mean sooner or later your going to hit a wall. Maybe it's against Boston and not us but i know it's going to be a war just like last year.

 

[BallardEra]

Comes down to Sammy and Murray.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Well, ladies, it's almost that time again. Full send.

 

[leafsfan5]

7-6 removing the loser point column since deadline. Coming into playoffs a .500 team

Brayden Point played on one leg, Vasi had crap stats and we had muzzin owning all his matchups last season.

It doesn't look good for us this year but I'm still saying Leafs in 6 because of matthews marner nylander tavares and o'reilly. That top 5 cannot be beat if they as a whole have a good series.

Point was fine all series until game 7

TB is also missing Ryan McDonagh, a huge piece on their backend who was paired with Cernak against our top players. That's one of the best shutdown pairs in the league gone with no replacement for it

 

[Dekes For Days]

7-6 removing the loser point column since deadline.

Treating the tied after regulation points as losses would make Tampa 8-8 over the same timeframe, for the record.

Brayden Point played on one leg, Vasi had crap stats and we had muzzin owning all his matchups last season.

Point did not play on one leg against us. He was healthy through the series until partway through game 7, when he got injured.
Vasilevsky wasn't his generational playoff goalie self but he still provided positive impact goaltending for Tampa.
And while we don't have Muzzin anymore, we do now have McCabe, and he and Brodie have formed a decent shutdown pairing themselves.
Tampa, in contrast, didn't replace their shutdown defenseman.

 

[Leaf Fans]

No option for Tampa Bay?

 

[TorMapleJays]

Leafs in 3 !!

 

[DraftSchmaft]

Don't get fixated on Tampa's lackluster regular season.

Finals 3x in a row where they won the cup 2x. These guys checked out of the season harder than Nylander since god knows when. League is watered down, a roster like theirs has a 100% chance of making the playoffs. And these guys know what it takes to win in the playoffs.

Forward lineup that is at worst equal to ours (and we still lost to them when our core played significantly better than theirs), a no.1 D and a vezina caliber goalie.


Sorry, I choose the pessimist life for this one. Most of my anger is towards the GM, not the boys.


My heart says Leafs in 4, but arm-chair GM is going Tampa in 6.


*Forgot to mention for the hits crowd that like Dubas' non O'Reilly moves...Tampa is in the top 10 for hits and Leafs are in the bottom of the league as usual. Adding Luke Schenn doesn't make us a gritty team. We are not fundamentally gritty. Tampa has the luxury of playing a skill game, a slow and heavy game or a hybrid of the 2. Keefe keeps getting blasted, but his hands are tied. Tampa's coach is spoiled by his GM. It's easy for him to play out his visions and adjust on the fly when needed.

 

[Nineteen67]

I still think the Leafs will win, but it’s a little early to make a final prediction on this series.

 

[DarkKnight]

Picked Leafs in 6. Suckered in again. Here’s the thing though, this is the best 200 ft Marner we’ve seen. This is the best 200ft Matthews we’ve seen. And, this is the best Nylander we’ve seen. JT looks the same and a O’Reilly is clearly an upgrade on what we presented last year. We’ve added lots of grit, our goaltending looks at least on par and defensively we’re tighter. On paper, this is our most persuasive lineup.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Don't get fixated on Tampa's lackluster regular season.

Finals 3x in a row where they won the cup 2x. These guys checked out of the season harder than Nylander since god knows when. League is watered down, a roster like theirs has a 100% chance of making the playoffs. And these guys know what it takes to win in the playoffs.

Forward lineup that is at worst equal to ours (and we still lost to them when our core played significantly better than theirs), a no.1 D and a vezina caliber goalie.


Sorry, I choose the pessimist life for this one. Most of my anger is towards the GM, not the boys.


My heart says Leafs in 4, but arm-chair GM is going Tampa in 6.


*Forgot to mention for the hits crowd that like Dubas' non O'Reilly moves...Tampa is in the top 10 for hits and Leafs are in the bottom of the league as usual. Adding Luke Schenn doesn't make us a gritty team. We are not fundamentally gritty. Tampa has the luxury of playing a skill game, a slow and heavy game or a hybrid of the 2. Keefe keeps getting blasted, but his hands are tied. Tampa's coach is spoiled by his GM. It's easy for him to play out his visions and adjust on the fly when need

The most important players in this series will be the ones wearing the striped jerseys. Leafs didn't lose to T.B, they lost to the refs and whatever influences leaned on them to ensure such an insulting series.

if the Leafs get the same call benefits in their favour as T.B did last year in their favour, Tampa will be lucky to get to Game Six. That is how.poor the officiating was.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Until the Leafs prove that they can win they have to keep proving they can win.

Respect in the handshake line in game 7.

Tampa wins in 7.