Series Talk: Leafs vs Lightning Pre-Playoff Thread

[ToneDog]

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.

I hear you but these guys have lost their last 3 OT games in which they could have closed out their opponent. It is not all on the refs.

 

[willmma]

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.

Leafs have been .615 pts% since the trade deadline. Bolts .531 pts%

 

[shaner82]

It's either Leafs in 6 or Lightning in 7.
There's something about this group that crumbles under the pressure of game 7. They did it vs the Habs and the lightning last year. They just don't even show up. So if it goes 7, the Leafs will lose again, and I'm guessing we'll see Keefe fired.

 

[ToneDog]

Leafs have been .615 pts% since the trade deadline. Bolts .531 pts%

No excuses. Leafs should be favoured and should win the series.

 

[Drytoast]

If Matthews and Marner can't figure this shit out this time around...

Lace em up and try again next year...

 

[Gary Nylund]

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.

Seems like a pretty good summary, agree with all this. Except the Leafs in 6 part, Leafs in 5!

 

[robertmac43]

Here we go again....

 

[ToneDog]

Seems like a pretty good summary, agree with all this. Except the Leafs in 6 part, Leafs in 5!

That would be too good to be true. Would definitely be going into Boston rested and on a high.

 

[robertmac43]

 

[Optimist]

I think that we have the talent to win round one. Our biggest threat is being outcoached. Again.

 

[saltming]

I think that we have the talent to win round one. Our biggest threat is being outcoached. Again.

This is also my concern.
The lineup is less vulnerable now vs last year though specifically the defense.
McCabe and Schenn and even Gio makes our defense safer than last year.
Also if goaltending stays the same we could win in 5 or 6.
ROR obviously has the attitude to not take the foot off the opponents throat, let's hope its contagious

 

[andora]

This is only coming down to one thing.. who wants this more. And we know by wanting what that means, who wants the corners the front of the net the puck battles etc...

You have some guys that can step up and say the right things but actions speak louder than words

 

[Gary Nylund]

If Matthews and Marner can't figure this shit out this time around...

Lace em up and try again next year...

Early candidate for POTY!!

 

[3blizzard4]

If we are fully healthy especially our new bottom 6, Leafs take it.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Entire series will hinge on us winning the special teams battle. I am pretty confident in outplaying them at 5v5. Our PP has been our downfall many times though in the playoffs.

 

[AvroArrow]

Similar to last years final, should be Leafs in 5 but the league will probably make the most dog shit calls/non-calls in game 5 to extend the series, and then we close it out in 6. Still voted 5, I think we are the far superior team this year.

Tampa's D core is going to get exposed, McDonagh was such a stud for them last year he made life hell for our top 6. Sergachev is a complete fraud, IMO this guy is a glorified Jake Gardiner, I fully expect the Leafs to dominate and expose him. They paid him a ridiculous amount to be their #2, when he's really not strong enough defensively for that role. Cernak is solid, Perbix is a decent depth D man, and obviously Hedman. Apart from those guys, their D core is pretty shit. Losing Palat obviously hurts their top 6 as well.

I think we win the forward match up and the D-men match up overall. Hedman is quite easily the best defender between both teams, but looking at both groups as a whole I prefer our D-men. Edge in net to Tampa.

The 2 guys we need to beat IMO are Cirelli and Point, these guys are pretty much elite defensively and they were huge difference makers last year. Our top guys need to be better than them and I'm comfortable they will. We are adding O'Reilly back to this team, it's going to be a matchup nightmare for Tampa.

Entire series will hinge on us winning the special teams battle. I am pretty confident in outplaying them at 5v5. Our PP has been our downfall many times though in the playoffs.

This is another huge point, despite all the shitty calls and non-calls we like to discuss, we were literally 1 PP goal away from winning the series. Just 1 more PP goal. We cannot control the officiating, but the team is fully responsible for how well or poor they run the PP and special teams. We need to match Tampas desperation and intensity on the special teams.

 

[TorMapleJays]

I think the Leafs goaltending is better then Vesy this year. (And ours from last year)

 

[Jojalu]

My heart is already racing just reading this thread. Ugh.

 

[Nineteen67]

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.

For some reason Point wasn’t very good last year, buti doubt it had anything to do with the injury he sustained in game 7.

 

[Nineteen67]

Entire series will hinge on us winning the special teams battle. I am pretty confident in outplaying them at 5v5. Our PP has been our downfall many times though in the playoffs.

The Keefe factor is a concern.

 

[Leafsfan74]

I hear you but these guys have lost their last 3 OT games in which they could have closed out their opponent. It is not all on the refs.

Without question they have lacked the killer instinct but it is difficult for any team to knock off the back to back Champs when the Champs get every opportune/timely call, including three 5 on 3s, one which was a phantom call to give T.B a 5 on 3 while down a goal in Game Six that would have knocked them out.

The called back goal for an interference away from the play in a game 7 at home was just overkill at that point. Tavares could have shown a little more emotion in that situation also...

I've watched countess series in my life and this had a foul odor to it.

 

[Canadian Finn]

Tavares? Show life?

 

[Jmo89]

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.

I also think Leafs in 6, though I'm not sure how confident I am.

 

[Nhlpowerweek]

Its amazingly wrong that these playoff series are known 3 months before they even start... the wild card shit is the most wrong nhl has ever done. That old 1st vs 8th was the thang. 2 vs 7 etc. Easy and realistic. This is just pure dirt. There is no more exitement and tactique concerning the last games of the season. Dumb dicision to do it like this. Die.

 

[ToneDog]

Tavares? Show life?

He certainly showed life after tying it up. Not so much after goal was called off.