Potential TOR vs FLA playoff matchup: Who do you take?

[Fatass]

Leafs are only a couple points away from falling out of the top three in their division. Who do they play in round one if they are the first wildcard team?

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Toronto is the underdog for every potential playoff matchup.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Leafs are only a couple points away from falling out of the top three in their division. Who do they play in round one if they are the first wildcard team?

Might still be Florida, which would be hilarious.

If Florida takes the division, and Tampa leapfrogs Toronto, then it's Tampa-Boston in round 1 and Toronto faces Florida since I doubt they catch the Rangers for tops in the East.

 

[The90]

Guys like The90 like to pretend goalie is a separate entity that’s not actually part of the team and how it’s constructed. Kyle Dubas tried for years with the “spin a wheel, throw a random goalie in there and cross your fingers and hope for the best” strategy because there are a few instances where it worked out for different teams. It never worked for his teams. At this point, it looks like Samsonov again this postseason. More “cross your fingers and pray”. Hopefully it works out for him.

I don’t at all pretend that. I will pretend goalies are super volatile and a hot goalie masks a ton of problems that some fan bases don’t like to hear about

It’s weird. If Matthews led the Leafs on a deep run I doubt he’d make an excuse about the Leafs only winning because of Matthews. But somehow Bob having a great playoff run for Florida means the Leafs were the better team.

The bad part of your made up hypothetical is that I would say that because I know it’s possible to play poorly and win on talent alone. The leafs have done it all year long. They haven’t looked nearly as good this year as they have in years past.

Your hypothetical is both made up and incorrect. I’m not self conscious enough to not be able to admit that Nylander and Matthews have been pretty near solely responsible for the leafs not being in the 2024 Washington-Detroit-Pittsburgh realm right now.

Just because you guys don’t want to recognize truths doesn’t mean I won’t.

 

[Fatass]

I don’t at all pretend that. I will pretend goalies are super volatile and a hot goalie masks a ton of problems that some fan bases don’t like to hear about


The bad part of your made up hypothetical is that I would say that because I know it’s possible to play poorly and win on talent alone. The leafs have done it all year long. They haven’t looked nearly as good this year as they have in years past.

Your hypothetical is both made up and incorrect. I’m not self conscious enough to not be able to admit that Nylander and Matthews have been pretty near solely responsible for the leafs not being in the 2024 Washington-Detroit-Pittsburgh realm right now.

Just because you guys don’t want to recognize truths doesn’t mean I won’t.

A great goalie like Vasileski allows the elite skilled guys to trade high danger chances with their opponents knowing their goalie will stop the puck while they are likely to score. A club like Tampa (and Florida when Bob is hot) win games against teams like Toronto (poor goaltending) when those clubs’ elite skill cheat for offence. Trading high danger chances, for the Leafs, is a losers game against a great goalie.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Might still be Florida, which would be hilarious.

If Florida takes the division, and Tampa leapfrogs Toronto, then it's Tampa-Boston in round 1 and Toronto faces Florida since I doubt they catch the Rangers for tops in the East.

We want Florida!

 

[The90]

A great goalie like Vasileski allows the elite skilled guys to trade high danger chances with their opponents knowing their goalie will stop the puck while they are likely to score. A club like Tampa (and Florida when Bob is hot) win games against teams like Toronto (poor goaltending) when those clubs’ elite skill cheat for offence. Trading high danger chances, for the Leafs, is a losers game against a great goalie.

…. But what happens when they didn’t trade chances and had more chances around the clock than Florida. The ‘leafs run and gun’ narrative has been incorrect aside from this year under Sheldon keefe. You guys run with this stuff but don’t have anything to back it up.

We want Florida!

We want boston

 

[WetcoastOrca]

A great goalie like Vasileski allows the elite skilled guys to trade high danger chances with their opponents knowing their goalie will stop the puck while they are likely to score. A club like Tampa (and Florida when Bob is hot) win games against teams like Toronto (poor goaltending) when those clubs’ elite skill cheat for offence. Trading high danger chances, for the Leafs, is a losers game against a great goalie.

Leafs cheaped out on goaltending and spent the cap on offense. It’s hardly surprising that Florida and Tampa have an advantage in net given the cap they allocate to their goalies.

 

[Chaos2k7]

Going to be a great first round regardless.

The better team will win, and the losers will justify why.

 

[The90]

Leafs cheaped out on goaltending and spent the cap on offense. It’s hardly surprising that Florida and Tampa have an advantage in net given the cap they allocate to their goalies.

So did vegas and Colorado

 

[WetcoastOrca]

So did vegas and Colorado

Yep. But they allocated a good chunk of their cap to D. The Leafs allocated it to four forwards. It’s hardly surprising that their competitors have a better D or goaltending or both. The Leafs core 4 forwards need to be difference makers as that is how the team structured their cap. To date the core 4 have not been difference makers.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

31 NHL teams...

We want Toronto!

 

[AvroArrow]

I dont need too. The guy has been a disappointment whenever he is clearly given the number 1 role. Sure he shows flashes of brilliance and even had some good regular season numbers but he will be the reason leafs fans are disappointed again in the playoffs. Even if you believe he has turned the corner who would you rather have in a pretty evenly matched series, Bob or Sammy? and that was my point in the post. When Sammy and Vanny signed with their new teams I said both teams made a mistake and they would be the reasons those teams failed. neither has disappointed. It reminds me of the caps trying to do any damage in the playoffs all the years before they got Holtby. It was all make believe goalies and hoping they could pull miracles. Huet, Theodore, Varlamov, Neuvirth. Think they even tried to go with Halak at what point. It wasnt till they got Holtby that they started making progress in the playoffs. They still lost to Pitt and NY a few times before winning but the goaltending was not the issue in those losses. When Toronto gets a real starter, look out, that team will be scary.

That's not what your point was in the post, you said the Leafs goaltending is a dumpster fire,. Completely clueless post here. You said the Leafs should just play with the goalie pulled because of how bad Samsonov and Woll are, don't go back on it now.

And yes you do need to look at his numbers since he was recalled, if you're not going to even watch the games before commenting


Since being recalled

16-4-1

.911


He's been good enough. Laughable post.

 

[Caps8112]

That's not what your point was in the post, you said the Leafs goaltending is a dumpster fire,. Completely clueless post here. You said the Leafs should just play with the goalie pulled because of how bad Samsonov and Woll are, don't go back on it now.

And yes you do need to look at his numbers since he was recalled, if you're not going to even watch the games before commenting


Since being recalled

16-4-1

.911


He's been good enough. Laughable post.

wasnt going back on anything. literarlly what you bolded was the point in my first post. I said the teams are even everywhere but goaltending. dont know how you think thats walking something back. I stand by what I said and followed up with a reply that continued to say the leafs goaltending is a dumpster fire. Samsonov has proven time and time again what he is. If you want to believe a string of 21 games has changed that, your entitled to your opinion. Ived watched him play as much or the same as leafs fans given where he started his career. yes players develop and get better but as most leafs fans would agree and made a 1000 threads about it earlier in the year he showed exactly what he is, unreliable. hopefully for leafs fans Im wrong but I wouldnt bet on Sammy suddenly becoming a good goalie because of 21 games but we will know in a month or so.

 

[Sypher04]

The Leaf’s goaltending and D
The problem is not the depth it’s the core players. Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares and Rielly simply can’t match the physical play of Tkachuk, Barkov, Bennett, Ekblad, Verhaege etc.
Until the Leafs core who play 25 minutes a night commit to playing a more physical style they will be at a disadvantage in the playoffs when the games get tighter and more physical. We’ve seen this every year so far.
The other edge I’d give Florida is in net and on D.
I’d take Florida in 6.

Matthews and Rielly I don’t overly agree with. Nylander, Marner and Tavares however need to raise their physicality.

 

[AvroArrow]

wasnt going back on anything. literarlly what you bolded was the point in my first post. I said the teams are even everywhere but goaltending. dont know how you think thats walking something back. I stand by what I said and followed up with a reply that continued to say the leafs goaltending is a dumpster fire. Samsonov has proven time and time again what he is. If you want to believe a string of 21 games has changed that, your entitled to your opinion. Ived watched him play as much or the same as leafs fans given where he started his career. yes players develop and get better but as most leafs fans would agree and made a 1000 threads about it earlier in the year he showed exactly what he is, unreliable. hopefully for leafs fans Im wrong but I wouldnt bet on Sammy suddenly becoming a good goalie because of 21 games but we will know in a month or so.

You watched him play on the Capitals or this year ?

"A string of 21 games" is a way to put lmao, I've seen him play all year and I have seen how well he has played since being recalled in January. Acting like that's a small irrelevant sample size is eomthing.

Your "opinion" on him is literally based on nothing. You haven't seen him play, you didn't even know what his numbers looked like. Why even make uninformed posts about players ? Like what's the point ?

16-4-1 with a .911 save percentage is far from being a dumpster fire, but go ahead and double down on this horrible narrative you're trying to push.

Telling us that we are better off playing with an empty net than Samsonov is straight up disrespectful and completely clueless.

 

[Caps8112]

You watched him play on the Capitals or this year ?

"A string of 21 games" is a way to put lmao, I've seen him play all year and I have seen how well he has played since being recalled in January. Acting like that's a small irrelevant sample size is eomthing.

Your "opinion" on him is literally based on nothing. You haven't seen him play, you didn't even know what his numbers looked like. Why even make uninformed posts about players ? Like what's the point ?

16-4-1 with a .911 save percentage is far from being a dumpster fire, but go ahead and double down on this horrible narrative you're trying to push.

Telling us that we are better off playing with an empty net than Samsonov is straight up disrespectful and completely clueless.

well we agree to disagree. like i said well see in a few weeks. cheers

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

Florida in four or five games.

Gave Toronto the sympathetic vote and went with Florida in five.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Since being recalled

16-4-1

.911


He's been good enough. Laughable post.

Samsonov has been great since being recalled and after being put on waivers. but I don't know if those numbers are sustainable through the playoffs.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Samsonov has been great since being recalled and after being put on waivers. but I don't know if those numbers are sustainable through the playoffs.

I mean, if he puts up those numbers in the Playoffs the leafs win the Stanley cup very easily.

 

[Leafidelity]

A great goalie like Vasileski allows the elite skilled guys to trade high danger chances with their opponents knowing their goalie will stop the puck while they are likely to score. A club like Tampa (and Florida when Bob is hot) win games against teams like Toronto (poor goaltending) when those clubs’ elite skill cheat for offence. Trading high danger chances, for the Leafs, is a losers game against a great goalie.

You realize the great Vasilevski and Tampa lost to the Leafs in the playoffs last year, yes?

 

[pb1300]

Thanks for your input. I value it greatly.

But I was responding to a highbrow comment about how the leafs core 4 need to ‘give a shit’, when the reality is the core of Florida were carried by a goaltender.

Inability to recognize when teams play well / lose or play shitty and win is insecurity. I don’t think they deserved to win either series last year. Tampa included. But the ‘durr the leafs stats have been terrible’ is greatly overplayed.

4-1 is 4-1. I could care less how it works out for ya.

Yeah, Bob stood on his head, but that is what goalies are supposed to do in the playoffs. Our goalie made the saves when he had to, and yours didnt. Oh well, boo hoo. The Leafs losing the series was more than just Bob though.

The Leafs core 4 SUCKS in the playoffs. They are soft as butter, and do not do what it takes it win. I have yet to see Marner or Matthews or Nylander do anything that resembles what the Panthers top players did, in order to win. You take the body to them, and they shrivel in the corner. Your captain was getting pummelled, and they just watched it happen.

The Leafs are not going to win shit until they learn to play playoff hockey.

 

[Strangle]

The support players aren’t the problem. It’s the core. Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares and Rielly just don’t match up well against Tkachuk, Verhaege, Ekblad, Bennett etc. Unless and until Toronto’s core prove they can play through the closer checking and more physical play without disappearing you have to take Florida. That’s been the book on the Leafs’ core for a number of years now.

The core is pretty soft, but I think the team toughness is better than it’s been in over a decade.

I don’t think the core will shrink this year like they have in the past, because they have a gaggle of players tougher than the panthers this time.

The core will play much taller this year, and I can see Florida becoming scared and frustrated when they’re being beaten on the ice and in the alley

It’ll take a couple games for Florida to realize they don’t want that smoke

 

[pb1300]

The core is pretty soft, but I think the team toughness is better than it’s been in over a decade.

I don’t think the core will shrink this year like they have in the past, because they have a gaggle of players tougher than the panthers this time.

The core will play much taller this year, and I can see Florida becoming scared and frustrated when they’re being beaten on the ice and in the alley

It’ll take a couple games for Florida to realize they don’t want that smoke

Who is tougher? Reaves? Yes please, play Reaves more in the playoffs!

The core players will still shrivel, because they will be the ones on the ice taking the hits, and wont respond. You think there is anyone on that Leafs team that actually intimidates the opposition, phyisically?

 

[Strangle]

Who is tougher? Reaves? Yes please, play Reaves more in the playoffs!

The core players will still shrivel, because they will be the ones on the ice taking the hits, and wont respond. You think there is anyone on that Leafs team that actually intimidates the opposition, phyisically?

The best part about it? We will get to see!

There won’t be any ambiguity. I think the leafs improved and are much better than the panthers in everything except in goal.

You don’t.

Let’s start the games and find out!