Pre-Game Talk: Time to talk Playoffs

[zeke]

So we've officially qualified. Lots of things to talk about - lines, opponents, whatever.

Looking like Habs First round and Oilers second round. Tons of good story lines there.

So post about any facet of the Leafs in these coming playoffs that you want.

I'll start with a quick snapshot of the Leafs and the other imo elite contenders so far this year:

Colorado looks scary....but with big question marks in net and they're slumping hard at the moment.

TBay is the champ - but they haven't been dominant this year. Though of course Kuch is due back at some point.

Canes and Knights are red hot and play quality hockey - buy both seem to be being buoyed by surprisingly great goaltending that I'm not sure they can count on going forward.

Leafs have been dang good - but let down by the goaltending so far.

Click to read more...

 

[BertCorbeau]

Magic number for the division is 12.

 

[zeke]

Magic number for the division is 12.

That high? I thought it would be lower.

Good thing we've saved the easiest part of our sked until the end.

 

[Welsh Maple Leaf]

Kings of Canada will take on anyone - we don’t care

 

[MR4]

Anything less than winning the Canada Cup will be a disappointment.

Definitely hoping for one of TBL/COL/VGK to get knocked out early. Especially Tampa, before Kuch gets up to game speed

 

[BertCorbeau]

That high? I thought it would be lower.

Good thing we've saved the easiest part of our sked until the end.

Edmonton's two games in hand are big right now. But as long as the Leafs' limit their losses in regulation, they should be fine.

I.e. if the Leafs go like 3-2-2, the Oilers just need to lose 2 of their 9 games in regulation.

 

[kevsh]

The good news is that, at worst, only one of Vegas and Colorado will make the semi-finals along with only one of Tampa Bay, Florida & Carolina. Hopefully, they take each other the distance and don't have much left ...

In any case, I'd hate to be a team in either the Central or West knowing those are the teams you have to beat just to get out of your division.

 

[29Potvin]

Edmonton's two games in hand are big right now. But as long as the Leafs' limit their losses in regulation, they should be fine.

I.e. if the Leafs go like 3-2-2, the Oilers just need to lose 2 of their 9 games in regulation.

I believe the Leafs need 12 for the Oil and 5 for the Jets
2020-21 NHL Magic Numbers and Clinching Scenarios | National Hockey League

 

[willmma]

Vegas looks terrifying.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Going into this season even with the Canadian division, I thought winning 1 round would be a success. Now the expectations have adjusted a bit. Leafs need to win 2 for this season to be a success. 1 is not enough.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Vegas looks terrifying.

And of course they're exempt from the expansion draft. They clearly don't need the help that was expected when that decision was made.

 

[LFCTML]

Colorado, Tampa and Vegas are terrifying. Not saying we don't have a chance against any of them, but those are three terrifying teams.
Everyone else, I feel confident we should come out ahead in a 7-game series.
Let's hope for some upsets before we get to the final 4.

 

[GrizzGreen]

Leafs look great with a little more physicality. Gonna be a fun May, fellas.

 

[sxvnert]

Hyman Matthews Marner
Foligno Tavares Nylander
Kerfoot Nash Mik
Thornton Spezza Simmonds
Extra:Brooks/Gally/Robertson/Engvall

or

Nylander Matthews Marner
Foligno Tavares Hyman
Kerfoot Nash Mik
Thornton Spezza Simmonds
Extra:Brooks/Gally/Robertson/Engvall

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Going into this season even with the Canadian division, I thought winning 1 round would be a success. Now the expectations have adjusted a bit. Leafs need to win 2 for this season to be a success. 1 is not enough.

Fully agreed, it’s a smaller, easier division than the average and the Conference finals needs to be the minimum expectation.

 

[Brobust]

I think it's a toss up with any of those teams.

That being said, it's bad karma to look that far ahead. There's a path for any of the Canadian teams to beat the leafs.

 

[BTP]

I like our chances against anyone in the league.
Any series can at least go 7.

And Kadri is guaranteed a suspension if he faces us lol.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I like our chances against anyone in the league.
Any series can at least go 7.

And Kadri is guaranteed a suspension if he faces us lol.

There is, but no excuses. If they don’t advance this year, then there will have to be changes to the core of this team.

 

[123offtheglass]

Vegas looks terrifying.

They already play playoff style hockey too, I think they'll beat Colorado in that division; they're my pick to win this year.

The Metro has 4 really solid teams, the difference between 1-4 is basically nothing.

Central has Tampa (+Kucherov) & maybe Carolina who could upset them, really good as well.

Leafs will have their work cut out for them if they make it to the final 4, which I expect them to.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Going into this season even with the Canadian division, I thought winning 1 round would be a success. Now the expectations have adjusted a bit. Leafs need to win 2 for this season to be a success. 1 is not enough.

While the playoffs won't be easy and other divisional teams will step up their game, there's no reason for the Leafs to not be able to beat them in a series.

This year represents a golden opportunity to go on a run into the Conference finals and get that series win monkey off of their backs.

 

[Captain14]

Leafs look great with a little more physicality. Gonna be a fun May, fellas.

Man, I really hope you’re right.
I’ve dreaded this time of year for too long.

 

[seanlinden]

Something interesting to consider as the Leafs head into these north division playoffs...is our record versus the other teams in the division this year...

They're .778 against Edmonton, .714 against Montreal, and .667 against Winnipeg.

The Leafs worst opponent has been Vancouver, whom they're .500 against. The North may not have the biggest sample of teams, but they have shown the ability and versatility to match up well against whatever type of team they play.

Meanwhile, you look at the Oilers, who seem likely to take 2nd place... but one of the reasons for that is that they beat up on Ottawa (perfect 9-0) and have dominated Winnipeg (.778). Against Montreal & Toronto, they have pretty poor records. (.357 and .389)

The Jets are probably the second most versatile team. They haven't relied on a 9-0 record against Ottawa, are .750 against Montreal, and even against Toronto, have managed to eek out a .444. They're probably the most dangerous team for the Leafs to play, but how the heck do you have confidence in them getting out of the 1st round when they are .222 against Edmonton?

 

[Fogelhund]

For a minute, lets' assume (hope) that we make the Semi-Finals, and win the Canada Cup. The Semi-Finals will be 1 vs 4, and 2 vs 3, in regular season points. Right now, if all division leaders are the winners of their conference, we are #4. That is Vegas, Carolina, Washington, Toronto. Now, I'm not suggesting that everything will go to the top regular season point getter, or that even the regular season will end the way it is. My point is that Vegas looks pretty scary. Our goal should be to try and ensure ourselves, a 2/3 seeding, to avoid Vegas in that round. I think we match up pretty good against Tampa, Florida, Washington, Pittsburgh... Carolina and Islanders could be challenges... Colorado we can match with... Vegas will be tough... let's avoid Vegas as much as possible, and fight for a top three seed in the Semi's.

 

[123offtheglass]

Looking like Habs First round and Oilers second round. Tons of good story lines there.

This is a really cool opportunity, other years a Leafs-Oilers Matthews-McDavid series wouldn't be in the cards unless it were a Stanley Cup Final; Leafs & Habs likely meeting for the first time since 1979 is something special as well.

Also an opportunity for 2 teams from the same conference to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals, a Toronto vs. Boston Stanley Cup Finals would be crazy. I'd love to see Toronto vs. Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh is my 2nd favorite team.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

I was born in 93, this is the most confident I’ve ever been in the leafs going into the playoffs as a life long fan.

The important thing is to get out of the regular season healthy while keeping good habits.