Series Talk: North Division Round 1: Leafs (1) vs. Canadiens (4)

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Can’t believe we have to wait another 5 days to start this...

 

[Clark4Ever]

Can’t believe we have to wait another 5 days to start this...

It's good for our walking wounded though.

 

[stickty111]

The Leafs are good enough 5 on 5 to win this series. But they can't let Montreals' PP get rolling if their own PP can't score. Need to maintain some even play on special teams if they want to advance.

I've lost hope on the PP heating up and getting right. There has been virtually no improvement since it went cold.

I see the PP going one of two ways. Either the PP flips a switch right from game 1, or it costs us game 1, and then from game 2 the PP figures it out.

 

[Suntouchable13]

So Price is going to come back after a month+ of no action and suddenly you expect him to be in top form?

 

[Rokker]

The PP is a huge concern, it's just such a deflating factor.

The more I think about this match-up the more un easy I am about it.

If they can't pull this off though, we just didn't have the horses we thought we did, and hopefully there will be some major changes to the core (Rielly, Marner/Willy.. JT? Only guy you don't move is Auston after another first round exit IMO, although it is very unlikely JT would waive and doesn't look good on anyone)

On the flip side, if we get the monkey off our back there's no telling what these boys could do.

 

[3blizzard4]

Isn’t that cute?

 

[egd27]

I am not as pissed today at the team going through the motions in their final tune-up for the playoffs - but should we start slowly in the beginning of Round 1 - it will really make me go "hmmmmmm....".

A slow start in the series vs. the Habs, even if we win, will be taxing in a long drawn out series that could affect their 2nd round matchup.

Yea, I see your point to a degree. However, you can hardly claim that the effects of a win last night was going to carry over in their psyche when it is followed by a 6 day layoff.

 

[Nylander88]

Bogo won't be back for the 1st round more than likely.

It will likely be Sandin-Dermott unless they want Hutton on the PK.

I've liked Hutton too. Not sure if I've liked him more than Sandin or Dermott though. Dermott and his ability to play the right side really helps him out

 

[Nylander88]

Tavares, Marner, Hyman, Spezza, Thornton, Simmonds, Brodie, Muzzin, Dermott...and kinda Foligno (born in Buffalo but hometown of Sudbury).
Love seeing this many GTA boys on the roster. Hope this series with the Habs means a lot to a bunch of them.

 

[AvroArrow]

Isn’t that cute?

Love the attitude, that's the mentality you gotta have. I'd hope our guys feel the same way if we make it to a series where we are the underdog.

 

[Mats13]

Isn’t that cute?

I’m sure he’ll care Tuesday morning when he notices they’re down 3-0

 

[Rob Brown]

Can’t believe we have to wait another 5 days to start this...

Really sucks. At least there are other games to watch. Would be a lot worse if the first playoff game wasn't until next week.

 

[saffronleaf]

Can’t believe we have to wait another 5 days to start this...

so dumb kills the momentum just let the canucks and flames play while the North playoffs are going on or even just let them cancel the games if they want to

 

[Superstar]

Love the attitude, that's the mentality you gotta have. I'd hope our guys feel the same way if we make it to a series where we are the underdog.

What do people expect him to say? "We're scared...we lost the season series to the Leafs badly...I'm not 100% and Price is not either, not sure about Danault and Weber is out...we tripped ourselves heading into the playoffs with a bunch of losses, I'm not confident about that..."?

 

[AvroArrow]

What do people expect him to say? "We're scared...we lost the season series to the Leafs badly...I'm not 100% and Price is not either, not sure about Danault and Weber is out...we tripped ourselves heading into the playoffs with a bunch of losses, I'm not confident about that..."?

Of course not lol, but I also wouldn't call his response "cute" is all i'm saying. He's a tough guy and I respect his game/attitude is all.

 

[Kiwi]

So Price is going to come back after a month+ of no action and suddenly you expect him to be in top form?

They are a pretty sizable underdog so I could understand them rolling the dice on Price hoping he gets on a heater and steals them the series

 

[Superstar]

They are a pretty sizable underdog so I could understand them rolling the dice on Price hoping he gets on a heater and steals them the series

If this team can't knock off the Habs with Price in net, heads will roll.

 

[Suntouchable13]

They are a pretty sizable underdog so I could understand them rolling the dice on Price hoping he gets on a heater and steals them the series

Leafs have to light Price up in game 1, not let him get into any kind of groove. Break their sprits. That's the kind of Leafs team I wanna see, jump all over them in game 1. Don't let them think for a second that they have a chance.

 

[saffronleaf]

What do people expect him to say? "We're scared...we lost the season series to the Leafs badly...I'm not 100% and Price is not either, not sure about Danault and Weber is out...we tripped ourselves heading into the playoffs with a bunch of losses, I'm not confident about that..."?

Yes they should willingly submit

 

[Anthrax442]

I have anxiety. Scabs played so well in playoffs. We wont live it down with the stupid Scabs fans ever if we lose this one

 

[egd27]

Leafs have to light Price up in game 1, not let him get into any kind of groove. Break their sprits. That's the kind of Leafs team I wanna see, jump all over them in game 1. Don't let them think for a second that they have a chance.

These GDT's are going to be a tire fire at the first sign of adversity.

 

[Kiwi]

If this team can't knock off the Habs with Price in net, heads will roll.

Depends, if Price does something insane I could understand us losing. I'd hate it but I could understand it and wouldn't want management to take a hatchet to the team

Getting goalied is one thing, it happens, underperformance is another matter entirely however

Leafs have to light Price up in game 1, not let him get into any kind of groove. Break their sprits. That's the kind of Leafs team I wanna see, jump all over them in game 1. Don't let them think for a second that they have a chance.

Yep, I think we have the ability to end this Habs threat quickly, if we're mentally strong and committed I think we have more than they can handle

If we let them hang around and grow some belief this thing could be a real slog however

 

[Menzinger]

The funny thing about this power play narrative (and don't get me wrong, I agree that it's a concerning problem that the coaches need to fix), is that in previous years folks would tell Leafs fans that they can't count on their hot pp to save them in the playoffs since the refs out away their whistles.....


The Leafs are an absolute dominate force at 5v5 - that's how playoff series will be win or lost

 

[Menzinger]

All signs seem to point towards Hyman and Nash being healthy for game 1 of the series. Has anyone heard any word on Bogosian? I haven't liked the 3rd pair quite as much without his presence. Guessing it'll be Sandin-Dermott to start

Mirtle said last week he thinks he will miss some playoff games, but that could be outdated info at this point

 

[rojac]

Tavares, Marner, Hyman, Spezza, Thornton, Simmonds, Brodie, Muzzin, Dermott...and kinda Foligno (born in Buffalo but hometown of Sudbury).
Love seeing this many GTA boys on the roster. Hope this series with the Habs means a lot to a bunch of them.

The only one that are actually from the GTA are Tavares, Marner, Hyman, Spezza, Simmonds, and Dermott.

Contrary to what some Torontonians think, the GTA does not cover all of southwestern Ontario.

Thornton is from London, ON (~190 km from Toronto)
Brodie is from Chatham, ON (~290 km)
Muzzin is from Woodstock, ON (~140 km)

And kinda Foligno???? Sudbury is ~400 km from Toronto! He's closer to the GTA if you consider his birthplace of Buffalo (~160 km). Heck Ben Hutton's birthplace of Brockville ON (~340 km) and Jack Campbell's hometown of Port Huron, MI (296 km) are both closer than Sudbury.