Does Toronto make it out of the 1st round next year?

[LeafFever]

We also had the fourth most shots against per game, so it just means that Andersen played well. We need to stop pushing this "we had a lower GAA than Tampa" thing.

Andersen had a .918 save %. Our backup had better numbers with the same D.
People are pushing the GA because it is fact and saying "Leafs D Sucks" is not. There is nothing wrong with using afats and stats.
And people have to stop with the Andersen was amazing stuff after the GA is posted. it is not true.,

 

[Rob Brown]

Andersen had a .918 save %. Our backup had better numbers with the same D.
People are pushing the GA because it is fact and saying "Leafs D Sucks" is not. There is nothing wrong with using afats and stats.
And people have to stop with the Andersen was amazing stuff after the GA is posted. it is not true.,

I didn't say he was amazing. My point is yes, we didn't let in a ton of goals, but we also gave up a ton of shots (you can argue that they were all perimeter shots or whatever). I agree that the Leafs D isn't as bad as other people think but it's not a top D core. It's just not.

 

[LeafFever]

I didn't say he was amazing. My point is yes, we didn't let in a ton of goals, but we also gave up a ton of shots (you can argue that they were all perimeter shots or whatever). I agree that the Leafs D isn't as bad as other people think but it's not a top D core. It's just not.

Yeah but I don't get why you would take issue with the low GA posted when people have no statistical proof to back up that the D is one of the worst.

 

[Rob Brown]

Yeah but I don't get why you would take issue with the low GA posted when people have no statistical proof to back up that the D is one of the worst.

Again, I didn't say it was one of the worst. It's just clearly not better than Tampa's despite us having a lower GA.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

I hope not.

 

[LeafFever]

Again, I didn't say it was one of the worst. It's just clearly not better than Tampa's despite us having a lower GA.

Me posting that is not stating it's a top D. But people go way overboard in the criticism. Calvin DeHaan was called better than Morgan Rielly today.
I really think many don't even thik Rielly is a top 4 D.

 

[Rob Brown]

Me posting that is not stating it's a top D. But people go way overboard in the criticism. Calvin DeHaan was called better than Morgan Rielly today.
I really think many don't even thik Rielly is a top 4 D.

And people post shit to get reactions. And you react all the time. You're in almost every Leafs related thread going off about how great the Leafs are and how people treat the Leafs poorly. Who cares. Let the performance on the ice do the talking.

 

[Sam Spade]

Andersen in the playoffs, 3.76 GAA, .896 SV% is all that matters and should matter to the Leafs and their fans.

Regular season numbers mean nothing and are a non-factor.

I am sure Dubas will do something if Zaitsev doesn't recover and get back to '16-'17 level of play, cause a 19 year old who's never played an NHL game in Liljegren and Connor Carrick who doesn't have an NHL brain won't cut as the "backup" plan.

 

[Pyrophorus]

They haven't done it since 2004 but since they added JT they have a very good chance to finally move on to the second round. Do you think this happens or does the curse continue?

Curse of 2 years?
Both times they were closish and formidable.

 

[LeafGrief]

We've certainly got a better chance than most. Of course, we'll somehow end up playing against the Canadian national team coached by Scotty Bowman somehow and people will still tell us that the Leafs are failures for losing to that.

 

[Pyrophorus]

We also had the fourth most shots against per game, so it just means that Andersen played well. We need to stop pushing this "we had a lower GAA than Tampa" thing.

I do agree that we have to allow less shots.
This would go such a long way.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Yes.

Bring on anyone, I don't care.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Yes.

Bring on anyone, I don't care.

We'll have to do heavy lifting anyways-lets do it.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

We've certainly got a better chance than most. Of course, we'll somehow end up playing against the Canadian national team coached by Scotty Bowman somehow and people will still tell us that the Leafs are failures for losing to that.

That excuse may have been valid two years ago against Washington.
But last year you played the Bruins who didn’t get too far and weren’t that far ahead of you. No need for excuses. There’s no easy matches in the playoffs.

 

[Spirit of 67]

We'll have to do heavy lifting anyways-lets do it.

If we get a bad match up and lose, we stink.
If we get a good match up and win we're lucky.

Screw it, gimme the toughest. It's always more satisfying to win that way anyway.

 

[Pi]

They're a legitimate cup contender now. If you can't make it out of the first round with Matthews-JT down the middle, there's something seriously wrong and their defense is serviceable enough much like Pittsburgh's most recent championship teams.

I don’t think there is anything wrong if they can’t make it out of the first round. It’s too soon.

I’d be worried if we made the playoffs every year for the next 5 years and never won a series.

Atlantic is really, really top heavy. Boston and Tampa are amazing teams. If Toronto wants the best odds of winning a round, they need to win the division or you are stuck playing toss up series against Tampa or Boston.

They have to try to get 1st or 2nd in the division.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Yeah I’m not sure I understand the curse the Leafs have?

Crosby is a great player. First two seasons: 1 playoff appearance, no playoff series win.

Ovechkin is a great player. First two seasons, no playoffs at all. No playoff series victories till the 4th season.

Leafs by all means have exceeded just about every expectation. Also “Leafs don’t match well with Boston” is BS. Forced Game 7 with Kadri out for three games and liabilities like Bozak, JvR, Komarov and Polak also on the team.

Didn’t most people say after Matthews was drafted that they wouldn’t even make the playoffs for 3-4 years? Well we are so far ahead that playoffs and 100+ point seasons are basically a guarantee now.

Thank you!

People lose all perspective when they chirp the Leafs as “first round fodder.” By all accounts Matthews and company are on the same track if not ahead of Crosby, Toews, Ovechkin, and Stamkos their first couple of years in the league.

It also didn’t help in game 7 that out our #1 Defenseman took a puck to the face and wasn’t able to play all that much afterwards. Not to mention Matthews’ nagging injuries hampering him and now he’s a “no-show” in the playoffs, despite playing great as a rookie in the Caps series.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Thank you!

People lose all perspective when they chirp the Leafs as “first round fodder.” By all accounts Matthews and company are on the same track if not ahead of Crosby, Toews, Ovechkin, and Stamkos their first couple of years in the league.

It also didn’t help in game 7 that out our #1 Defenseman took a puck to the face and wasn’t able to play all that much afterwards. Not to mention Matthews’ nagging injuries hampering him and now he’s a “no-show” in the playoffs, despite playing great as a rookie in the Caps series.

Every team had injuries. That’s not a valid excuse.
Bergeron was hurt for the Bruins as well.
Good teams work through that.

 

[Jozay]

if we avoid Tampa, yeah.

 

[dukeofjive]

All depends on how healthy the leafs are and who is there first round match up againts.

50/50 they go throught to the 2nd round.

 

[ricky0034]

probably not

that's mostly just because Tampa will win the division and I don't think they beat Boston though

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Honestly, even with average defence, they are still top heavy enough to do so. I think they can make the 2nd easily.

 

[Skolman]

Yes.

Bring on anyone, I don't care.

You think you'll beat everyone?

 

[Spirit of 67]

You think you'll beat everyone?

One day, ya.

 

[Skolman]

One day, ya.

The OP is about this year bud...