Hot take- leafs should NOT have homeice in playoffs

TML Dynasty

Registered User
May 2, 2016
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898
LOL this should be fun

But yeah its hard to argue with our road record though. As someone mentioned in the Bruins pre game thread, being able to line match especially against a 1 line team is a huge advantage.........just don't look at our stats to prove it
 

Mr Hockey

Toronto
May 11, 2017
11,156
3,660
for a few reasons- one they play better on the road, 2. babs cant worry too much about line matching. 3. i believe they will get an easier opponent in the 1st round if they finish 3rd or 4th. thoughts........

Babs doesnt really line match, and when he does he tries to catch the other team in a mismatch, against Tavares or Matthews line, this stuff is never-ending, lol
 
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LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
6,572
6,718
for a few reasons- one they play better on the road, 2. babs cant worry too much about line matching. 3. i believe they will get an easier opponent in the 1st round if they finish 3rd or 4th. thoughts........
If you finish 2nd you play Boston at home. Finsh 3rd you play Boston on the road. 4th you play Tampa Bay or the defending Stanley Cup champions on the road. where exactly is the easy matchup?

I'll take home ice please!
 

LeafFever

Registered User
Feb 12, 2016
18,890
6,178
I do agree that Babcock's obsession with line-matching is a big reason all their stats are better on the road and why it might be better not to have home-ice.
Babcock is so obsessed with it, he matched the 4th line with 5 minutes left when they were down 2-0 against the Preds at home. That's an absolute joke. That 4th line needs to sit.
 

Buds17

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
8,221
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For a few reasons, teams are going to try to finish as high up in the standings as possible. There aren't ever any guarantees, but I'd like to see the Leafs go into a first round playoff series with home ice advantage.
 
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Kazparov

Registered User
Jan 2, 2017
1,055
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Leafs have to exercises their Boston playoff demons one way or another. But road games in the playoffs are simply different than the regular season. If home ice didn't matter why do all the experts (players, ex-players, coaches etc) say it does?

I'll take home ice please.
 
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socko

Registered User
Nov 26, 2013
7,433
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Martinez, GA
I wouldn't pass up home ice but it's not worth a whole lot either. Like, I wouldn't overplay my starting goalie for it or anything like that. It's not like the NFL where the best teams get a bye. Now, THAT, is worth it.
 

NoName

Bringer of Playoffs!
Nov 3, 2017
2,790
1,635
for a few reasons- one they play better on the road, 2. babs cant worry too much about line matching. 3. i believe they will get an easier opponent in the 1st round if they finish 3rd or 4th. thoughts........
Yeah, because NOT having home ice worked out so well in game seven against the Bruins last year... again.
 
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Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,031
18,042
Toronto, ON
I want home ice. I became a fan in 2000 and I have never seen the Leafs win game 7 on the road (0-4). It's simple, I'd rather have a game 7 at home 10 out of 10 times. If they have a game 7 on the road again this season, I will not like their chances.
 
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LeafFever

Registered User
Feb 12, 2016
18,890
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I really hope Babs stops having the 4th line on with a few minutes left and we are down a goal. Do we really need to line-match late in the game and we are down? What the freak is the point?
 

Vaive50

Registered User
Dec 24, 2015
1,102
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If you finish 2nd you play Boston at home. Finsh 3rd you play Boston on the road. 4th you play Tampa Bay or the defending Stanley Cup champions on the road. where exactly is the easy matchup?

I'll take home ice please!

I totally agree and another scary thing of not finishing in 2nd is that with the Sabres and Habs staying pretty close to the Bruins, they might pass us also if we have a few games slump and we might not even make it in a WC spot. So yes, we have to keep fighting to secure that 2nd place and home ice advantage.

In the last 5 years, we took the Bruins twice (who on both occasions were better than us in the regular season) to 7 games (after being down 3-1 both times) when they had home ice, let's see what they can do when we have home ice.
 
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zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
The Leafs would likely have made it out of the first round in both the last 2 playoffs if they had had home ice advantage.
 
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justafan22

Registered User
Jun 22, 2014
11,629
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The Leafs would likely have made it out of the first round in both the last 2 playoffs if they had had home ice advantage.

Eh. I disagree with 2017 since they got a bit lucky with their bounces, but last year, absolutely.
 

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