Pre-Game Talk: Habs vs Leafs Now that's hockey.

[sampollock]

Habs are weak
They can't defend strong enough. They done hit enough

 

[sampollock]

Caufield to outgoal Matthews
Suzuki to outpoint Marner
Price to put Campbell in his little pocket

Caufield to out-GWG the whole Leafs

Habs in 6

Hahahaha

 

[Habs13]

Going in following a five game losing streak, only making the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Terrible team playing awful hockey. Leafs in 4.

 

[WeThreeKings]

We will know early the fate of the team.

Can't wait for the first practice lines.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Yeah, it feels like this was all the best way for this to play out. If the expectations for the Habs were higher the disappointment if they lost the series would be that much greater. With expectations in the basement for the Habs and through the roof for the Leafs, either the Leafs win and everyone shrugs and moves on or the Habs do and chaos ensues.

For me–with this version of the Habs vs. this version of the Leafs–taking it to 6-7 games and giving them a bit of a scare + wearing them down a bit for the next round is the best case scenario I'll let myself hope for. Anything beyond that is just gravy.

This board is saying that the disappointment will be small because the series hasn’t started. Ive been around long to know if we lose, that tone will change and they’ll be treated as if they were cup contenders and the fact it’s the Leafs will make the loss sting that much more. I feel bad for the goalie/goalies who have to play in this series. They’ll get it the hardest when we show up with around/under 2 GF of goal support.

 

[ngc_5128]

So someone mentioned that Weber has ligament damage in his hand that will require surgery.

This is the type of stuff that is worrisome. There's a difference between getting bodies back because they are healthy, and getting bodies back because it's the playoffs.

If this is true, then at least in Weber's case, they are not getting a healthy body back.

He was wearing a brace when he got his COVID jab (in a video that the Canadiens had on social media that they quickly took down)

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Carey Price in 6

 

[Habs]

I find it funny anyone has some sort of faith in the Leafs, like they have a track record of post season success lol. It's easy to shit on this injury-ridden Montreal team, but they have nothing to lose and aren't expected to do much. That's the spot I would rather be in, ZERO pressure.

Yeah yeah, we had a bad year, but its a new season and our core players up front are young and can skate. Stay out of the box, 5 on 5 we can play with anyone if healthy... and we should be.

 

[Cenzo_]

Back to back home games for us. Even the schedule makers think this will end in 4 for the Leafs

Very hard to understand why they do back to back games in the playoffs. You can clearly see that players in back to back games struggle, which adds to injury risks and provide a worst spectacle.

 

[Saundies]

I just can't write us off before the series has even started, especially against the Leafs. It's going to be easy to get motivated for these games, and we might finally be relatively healthy for the first time in two months or so.

I don't think this team is as bad as they were down the stretch. Do I think we can get back to the start of the season level? I doubt it. But anything close to that will make for a decent series at least. I don't see us getting steamrolled in 4 or 5 like a lot of people are predicting.

This depends on Ducharme's coaching. Will he play it 100% safe and only dress veterans? Will he make adjustments if that plan completely falls on it's face?

We've surprised before in this spot many times. Ask all those Bruins teams in the 2000's, Washington and Pitt in 2010, and Pittsburgh again last year in the play-ins.

Point is, this is far from a sure thing. Campbell's never played in the playoffs, which is a different animal of pressure from the regular season, and right now all of the pressure is on them to deliver.

Habs in 7.

 

[WinterLion]

It's a new season.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Points in last 11 games:

Suzuki: 14
Matthews: 13
Marner: 13

 

[JianYang]

Very hard to understand why they do back to back games in the playoffs. You can clearly see that players in back to back games struggle, which adds to injury risks and provide a worst spectacle.

It's all a business at the end of the day. The league doesn't give a damn about compressed schedules, and what it does to the team or the product itself unless the stakeholders stop consuming the product.

I think it's an absolute joke that a professional team is expected to play 25 games in 43 days (especially in a multiple time shift division like this) but I'm also to blame because I still watched for the most part.

 

[OldCraig71]

So, I guess that we are going to magically flip some switch and our D will become solid puck movers, our forwards will magically possess skills that they lacked during the regular season and DD will turn into Scotty Bowman. Yawn.

 

[Archy]

we might be on a 5 game losing streak but Toronto is on a 16 years streak of not winning a playoff round. Habs in 6

 

[Tyson]

On paper the Leafs are superior but the game is played on ice.

If the Habs are healthy they do have some seasoned playoff vets to lean on

 

[1909]

On paper the Leafs are superior but the game is played on ice.

If the Habs are healthy they do have some seasoned playoff vets to lean on

Leafs have many vets too: Thornton, Spezza, Foligno, Edmunds.

 

[26Mats]

He was wearing a brace when he got his COVID jab (in a video that the Canadiens had on social media that they quickly took down)

If he's been playing with a thumb injury, that would explain all his stick handling and passing blunders.

 

[Tyson]

Leafs have many vets too: Thornton, Spezza, Foligno, Edmunds.

Is Muzzin the only cup winner?

 

[Captain Mountain]

Habs are weak
They can't defend strong enough. They done hit enough

No team in the NHL hits more than the Habs.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Would be nice if the jets can rough up Matthews today

 

[1909]

Is Muzzin the only cup winner?

Doesn't mean much. You prefer Staal ?

 

[1909]

Would be nice if the jets can rough up Matthews today

Would had been nice if Habs would had got more points in the last stretcht and finish 3rd in their division.

 

[1909]

No team in the NHL hits more than the Habs.

Hitting more means that you don't have control of the puck much.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Hitting more means that you don't have control of the puck much.

I know. And Montreal even bucks that trend somewhat by getting a lot of pucks on the net and still generating quite a lot of scoring chances.

But they suck at actually holding onto the puck, in transition and cycling the puck. But hey, big D core.