I think if we stay healthy we have a good chance at making a deep run!

[67leafs]

The potential first round lineups I think look very good from the other thread. We are looking pretty deep….I really don’t see a huge gleaming weakness anywhere. As I said if we can stay healthy.

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[Leafblooded]

G is a wild card. D is still pretty soft. O can't stay consistent. This team should be better than it is. Unfortunately they will never get out from under the shadow of paying their top 5 players 50 million dollars. Another thread asks what our identity is. I think it is that of overpaid, underwhelming, entitled prima donnas unwilling to sacrifice more than they have to for the team to win because their paycheques are guaranteed regardless.

 

[HolyCrap]

Win or lose I suggest stick to the booze. Lol. Could be a wild ride though.

 

[WillyC]

We can and we will.

 

[Canadian Finn]

First we need our goalies (or at least one of them) to play lights out (career best).

THEN we need our big four to also play hockey. ALL of them.

THEN we need our D to play hockey.

so yes, if all the stars align, we have a chance of making it deep.

 

[Puckstuff]

Goaltending is neither a strength nor a weakness. About average imo.

Defensively I think Rielly, Brodie, Liljegren, McCabe, Giordano, Schenn is quite good with the forwards playing a good defensive game.

Top 6 is elite. Bottom 6 can hold their own.

We have a chance of winning a round.

 

[slozo]

Make a thread after the first round finishes, and we can talk.

 

[blueberrie]

Yeah, they've had a team good enough for a run for a while. Hopefully Matthews, Marner and the powerplay can finally pot some goals late in the series this year

 

[napoleon in rags]

56 years. Let's just shut up and watch.

 

[TML Dynasty]

The dynasty starts now!

 

[ACC1224]

Seems like we’ve had this thread started every Spring for a while now.

 

[LeafGrief]

We have this thread every spring because the team is good enough every spring. But to actually win one, the team needs to execute on the details and want it more than the other guys because hockey is a game of inches. Not to mention we need a goalie to play well, which is scary when our first round opponent has Vasilevskiy in net.

We can go deep. We might go deep. We might lose in the first round again because these are the Leafs and the universe doesn't owe us anything.

 

[AvroArrow]

Top 6 teams are all legitimate cup contenders. Sucks that a couple will have to go out in the 1st round but really anyone can take it. Carolina's chances have dropped with the loss of Svechnikov but just a stacked conference.

 

[banks]

Make a thread after the first round finishes, and we can talk.

I mean, you could say this about almost every thread. If this is your opinion then why would you bother logging into HF until after he first round finishes?

 

[ToneDog]

It is unfortunate that the Bruins outsmarted the cap by paying their top 2 C $6+m with their bonuses going against their cap next year, allowing them to load up for a one and done run. Add that everything seems to have clicked for them. If the Leaf can get by Tampa and avoid Boston and NYR, they could go to the SCF but that might take an act of God.

 

[Niagara Bill]

The potential first round lineups I think look very good from the other thread. We are looking pretty deep….I really don’t see a huge gleaming weakness anywhere. As I said if we can stay healthy.

Love your positivity, I think we have goaltenders who are a problem. Never have I ever seen 2 goalies have sooooo many injuries, year after year. Makes you wonder is they just want the paycheque more than actual game time.
This game can be more about the head than body with the long season. Makes me be amazed by guys like Marchant who seems to be in every game he plays.
Go Leafs Go
55 years is enough.

 

[TheScandal89]

It is unfortunate that the Bruins outsmarted the cap by paying their top 2 C $6+m with their bonuses going against their cap next year, allowing them to load up for a one and done run. Add that everything seems to have clicked for them. If the Leaf can get by Tampa and avoid Boston and NYR, they could go to the SCF but that might take an act of God.

We're locked in to face Boston round 2 if we get threw Tampa. Highly unlikely the Bruins lose to Florida, NYI or Pittsburgh. We basically need to beat argubly the 2 top teams to just make it to the conference final

 

[ToneDog]

We're locked in to face Boston round 2 if we get threw Tampa. Highly unlikely the Bruins lose to Florida, NYI or Pittsburgh.

Yup, Bruins are a big hurdle to get over for a deep run. We'd need Rielly to play like Ian Turnbull a Lanny McDonad moment.

 

[Morbo]

the reason why is their defensive ability. the last time they were a good defensive team before this recent stretch was the Pat Burns days.

 

[therealkoho]

Obviously this team looks and feels a lot different from past teams. They are no longer a bunch of kids waiting to grow into their man strength. They are now young men who have a lot of NHL experience, including the experience of losing, which is a bitter experience and hopefully they have reached the point of doing everything they can to avoid it.

Health is important no doubt, but as important as that is, is the willingness to play through pain and still be as effective a player who doesn't have those ow'ees that slow down lesser men. That is what separates the winners from the losers.

Wayne Gretzky tells the story of visiting the Islander dressing room with Messier after the Islanders beat them in the final round, and how the Isles had guys who in Messiers words wouldn't have been playing if they were Oilers because of the extent of injuries they played with.

It's not necessarily about the degree of desire to win, because they all have that otherwise they wouldnt have ever got there. Its completely about the strength of will that doesn't allow you to lose.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Wayne Gretzky tells the story of visiting the Islander dressing room with Messier after the Islanders beat them in the final round, and how the Isles had guys who in Messiers words wouldn't have been playing if they were Oilers because of the extent of injuries they played with.

I don't remember that quote but it's a famous story. A lot of people probably remember what Gretzky said that night but might not know what really happened. Anyone interested can check out Trottier's perspective here:

Bryan Trottier Tells Islanders Side Of Wayne Gretzky's Legendary Stanley Cup Story

There's a pretty well-known legend about the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. The New York Islanders swept the up-and-coming Edmonton Oilers for their fourth straight title and Wayne Gretzky told this story ab...

www.barstoolbets.com

 

[therealkoho]

I don't remember that quote but it's a famous story. A lot of people probably remember what Gretzky said that night but might not know what really happened. Anyone interested can check out Trottier's perspective here:

Bryan Trottier Tells Islanders Side Of Wayne Gretzky's Legendary Stanley Cup Story

There's a pretty well-known legend about the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. The New York Islanders swept the up-and-coming Edmonton Oilers for their fourth straight title and Wayne Gretzky told this story ab...

www.barstoolbets.com

Just finished Trottiers book, he talks about having to help Bossy get to the rink because his back was so bad, and how no matter how bad it was for some of them they just wouldn't be defeated.

There's a hundred stories of those Islander hay days that have all evolved over time, the core of it remains though.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Top 6 teams are all legitimate cup contenders. Sucks that a couple will have to go out in the 1st round but really anyone can take it. Carolina's chances have dropped with the loss of Svechnikov but just a stacked conference.

Agreed. Sucks a great team like Tampa has to lose in round 1 but they have had their time in the sun. Leafs turn to have some late spring fun.

 

[TMLife17]

 

[Brown Dog]

Yeah, what could possibly go wrong?