Leafs Habs poll

[WinterLion]

We will win the first game off a vintage Price performance causing an explosion of MB truthers and people chest bumping about being built for the play-offs.. and then we will get demolished in 4 straight games.

I actually think you are correct.... but I hope not

 

[WinterLion]

Leafs are not the same team in playoffs, they're a disaster.

Yeah but it's different this time time. They went and got some veteran leaders like Spezza, Thornton and Simmonds.... playoff warriors...

 

[Milhouse40]

There's one way to win this in my book. Only one.

1- We need to be mostly healthy at least for our top players
2- Carey Price need to be the Carey Price of last season's playoff
3- The rest need to have the same effect on the Habs it usually do. They usually come out strong after a long break, usually last for 10-12 games like most start of every season, or last year's playoff.

If all those 3 things are happening, then the Habs has a very small chance. Toronto is on a mission this year and even if all of that happens, I would still put Toronto favorite to win this.

 

[Canadienna]

I have a hard time separating my prediction from my fandom. It's why I don't bet on sports.

I picked Habs in 6, but I'm aware the odds are stacked against them.

 

[JianYang]

I have to wait and see who is ready to come back for the post season. It's also hard to predict how those guys will fare after the layoff.

There's too many variables to consider right now.

 

[Habs Icing]

There's one way to win this in my book. Only one.

1- We need to be mostly healthy at least for our top players
2- Carey Price need to be the Carey Price of last season's playoff
3- The rest need to have the same effect on the Habs it usually do. They usually come out strong after a long break, usually last for 10-12 games like most start of every season, or last year's playoff.

If all those 3 things are happening, then the Habs has a very small chance. Toronto is on a mission this year and even if all of that happens, I would still put Toronto favorite to win this.

So it's not one. It's three.

 

[tazsub3]

So it's not one. It's three.

hahaha well we could get techincal and assume he said one way meaning one path that needs 3 conditions. so still one way not 3

 

[Milhouse40]

hahaha well we could get techincal and assume he said one way meaning one path that needs 3 conditions. so still one way not 3

Exactly...one way, one path and everything has to be right to create somekind of perfect storm.

 

[tazsub3]

Exactly...one way, one path and everything has to be right to create somekind of perfect storm.

and every playoff we see such a series, but will it be the habs, no one knows, we have the possibility but not the probability.

 

[Chili]

By my count, teams who won game one of a series in last summers playoffs:

won 7 of 8 series in both the play-in and first rounds.

overall won 19 of the 23 series (.826 pct.)

If the Habs can win that first game, as they did against Pittsburgh last summer, will at least make things interesting.

 

[calder candidate]

It should Toronto but I still don’t feel think that defense is up to part. So we would have a shot...

 

[Fenwick McCorsi]

I have no idea how this is going to go. This team is better than what it shows in its losses but not substantially so, healthy they've been a gong show too many times. I think they take one and Toronto gets by on their talent/Campbell making just enough stops.

That said, Montreal could win in 7 as well with Campbell being a key helper there as he's not as solid as his winning streak may have people thinking. Neither would surprise me, but they both have tremendous consequences: win and the memes live on for all humanity, but Bergevin is extended for another decade. Lose and maybe Molson lucks into a new approach to hockey and the team goes somewhere in the next few years with some suave maneuvering... Or nothing because it's Molson.

YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, GEOFF!!

 

[Bouboumaster]

If we even make the playoffs, I have the Leafs in 5.
Would obviously prefer Habs in 4 or 5, that shit would be HILARIOUS.

 

[SpeedyPotato]

I'll never cheer against the Habs in the playoffs, but if we lose and it gets us rid of the current management team, I won't be sad. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe this team led by this coach is capable of anything in the playoffs, but it's happened before.

 

[Barilko]

Leafs in 5 over Flames...

 

[HabsQC]

Ive been pretty sure that we were going out in the 1st round since about mid season. I just don't feel it this year. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Gamimenos]

Leafs in 4 or 5. Against the Leafs this season we look like we did against Tampa when they swept us in 4, so I expect the same outcome.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

We lose in 6 games, full team or not.

 

[McGees]

This poll tells me 25% of people here are overly optimistic...well tbh straight up delusional

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

If Habs are healthy, if they are rested, if they decide to play rough and if the refs aren't too biased, the Habs will win.
I know, lot of "if's ".

 

[dkd]

Leafs in 5-6.

 

[Lshap]

I was surprised that so many Leafs fans felt compelled to vote in this poll. Coming here to vote for their team renders the results useless.

 

[Shabs]

The reffing this year has been the worst I've ever seen. Department of player safety decisions are a kangaroo court. And Toronto goal review? Puh-leez! Here's how it will go:

If game looks close
Hab penalty until Leafs score 1st goal on PP
Momentum change
Leafs go up a few goals and put game out of reach
Then Habs get PP to make boxscore look even

 

[gillyguzzler]

Before the year, a buddy of mine, a die hard Leafs fan, and I agreed on the following :

Habs had a slight edge in goaltending.
Habs had a better defensive core.
Habs had more depth.
Coaching was a toss up.
Leafs had much better high end talent.

Now, we can probably say that the only thing we were right about is that the Leafs had much better high end talent.

The bottom 6 for the Leafs has proven better than expected with Spezza, Kerfoot, Mikheyev, and others being solid contributors. Although their D is much maligned, the Leafs have proven to have better team defence. Coaching has been much better for the Leafs and their deadline aquisition of Foligno will be a much better contributor than our Staal in the playoffs.

That being said, Habs in 7

 

[gillyguzzler]

IF, and that's a big IF, everyone but Drouin is healthy enough to play, we're looking at :

Danault - Gally - Tatar (how much rust for them?)
Suzuki - Toffoli - Armia (best line by far of late)
KK - Anderson - Lehkonen (their importance cannot be understated)
Staal-Perry-Byron (I know, should be Evans and Caufield but it won't unless they lose the first two)

Petry-Edmundson (top pairing)
Weber-Chiarot (health is key to have a chance)
Romanov-Kulak (Gustafsson better not play and Merrill has been almost as bad lately)

Price - needs to be healthy and ON.

Some keys to a long series :

- stability with the lines
- injured players return and not too rusty
- 3rd line contributes offensively
- Weber-Chiarot can somehow play like they did in last year's playoffs
- limit their penalties
- 20%+ on the PP
- better starts to games
- Ducharme doesn't panic and start the blender

That being said, Habs in 7