Playoffs vs. regular season

Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,033
18,049
Toronto, ON
I just want to fast forward through the regular season and get to the playoffs. I want this team to prove that they can win. Whatever they do in the regular season is not going to prove anything. So many people assume Leafs will lose in the first round again. To me, this season is all about the playoffs. Sure, it's going to be fun to see our guys rack up a bunch of points but without playoff success it will be all hollow. Even if they win the President's trophy but lose in the first round, it will not be seen as a successful season by me. How much stock do you put in the regular season this year vs the playoffs?
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,758
1,257
Canada
I just want to fast forward through the regular season and get to the playoffs. I want this team to prove that they can win. Whatever they do in the regular season is not going to prove anything. So many people assume Leafs will lose in the first round again. To me, this season is all about the playoffs. Sure, it's going to be fun to see our guys rack up a bunch of points but without playoff success it will be all hollow. Even if they win the President's trophy but lose in the first round, it will not be seen as a successful season by me. How much stock do you put in the regular season this year vs the playoffs?
There's no guarantee that the Leafs will make the playoffs, half the league misses. Even when you make the playoffs if you only finish 2nd or third you're going to play a strong team in the first round and losing to a strong team is no shame.
 

TopCheese

Registered User
Mar 16, 2016
1,233
1,116
canada
Let’s just say that squeaking into the playoffs and winning at least one round would be a more successful season than winning the presidents trophy and losing to Boston again in round 1. The leafs have proven they are a good regular season team, now time to show they can do it in the playoffs as well. With our revamped d core, full year of Nylander, and all our stars 1 year older, I think this year will be our best shot to go all the way in quite some time
 

ZippityDooDa

Registered User
Dec 22, 2018
429
199
There's no guarantee that the Leafs will make the playoffs, half the league misses. Even when you make the playoffs if you only finish 2nd or third you're going to play a strong team in the first round and losing to a strong team is no shame.

If we miss the playoffs this season, might as well blow it up because it'll be hard to get a better chance than this in the foreseeable future. I'm exaggerating but missing them would be a colossal failure in so many ways. Can you say pressure?
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
29,787
21,963
The team mailed in the final third of the season last year, so those thinking the regular season matters -- it didn't to them.

Hopefully, they take it more seriously - home ice advantage is a must this season

I don't see it that way, especially after what happened last season.

Winning a round is a must, period. Winning 4 rounds would be better.

I don't GAF about the regular season, just hope we're healthy and ready to play like we mean it when the playoffs start.

Let's GO!
 
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HoweHullOrr

Registered User
Oct 3, 2013
11,585
2,198
I just want to fast forward through the regular season and get to the playoffs. I want this team to prove that they can win. Whatever they do in the regular season is not going to prove anything. So many people assume Leafs will lose in the first round again. To me, this season is all about the playoffs. Sure, it's going to be fun to see our guys rack up a bunch of points but without playoff success it will be all hollow. Even if they win the President's trophy but lose in the first round, it will not be seen as a successful season by me. How much stock do you put in the regular season this year vs the playoffs?

IMHO, this year they need solid success in the playoffs. Its mandatory.

We have assembled a talented group of players. Our young stars have their contracts and are getting paid the big bucks. The Leafs have deep pockets and the numerous advantages that do along with its wealth.

I'm not wanting to hear excuses & we are long overdue. IMHO, winning just one playoff round is setting the bar way too low.
 
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hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,758
1,257
Canada
I don't see it that way, especially after what happened last season.

Winning a round is a must, period. Winning 4 rounds would be better.

I don't GAF about the regular season, just hope we're healthy and ready to play like we mean it when the playoffs start.

Let's GO!
The regular season is important because you have to play well enough to MAKE the playoffs, which some here think is a given.
 

Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,033
18,049
Toronto, ON
There's no guarantee that the Leafs will make the playoffs, half the league misses. Even when you make the playoffs if you only finish 2nd or third you're going to play a strong team in the first round and losing to a strong team is no shame.

That's not good enough. We have to see playoff success or the season is a waste.
 

Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,033
18,049
Toronto, ON
The regular season is important because you have to play well enough to MAKE the playoffs, which some here think is a given.

I think it's a given we are going to make it because we have one of the best teams in the East. Unless we get hit by injuries hard, we will make it.
 

Buds17

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
8,223
3,343
Hopefully it's fair to say a playoff berth is an expectation at this point. I'd like to see a regular season improvement, and would be more than happy with the home ice advantage that goes along with that. It has to be about when the season ends at this point though, and ideally that will happen (a lot?) later than Round 1. The Stanley Cup is more of an endgame than the Presidents' Trophy is, tough as the former especially is to win (which explains its appeal).
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,758
1,257
Canada
We finished 4 points ahead of MTL who missed out.
Missing the playoffs isn't the shame that it once was, every team has the same or similar payroll and any team can beat each other on any given night. It doesn't seem that long ago that 16 out of 21 teams made the playoffs, that's when missing the playoffs was when you should feel ashamed missing the playoffs, not now.
 

Vaive50

Registered User
Dec 24, 2015
1,102
741
Who knows what to think anymore after last year when both conference champs were swept in the first round against teams that just squeaked in. Yeah, Calgary won the first game but after that, it was a 4-0 sweep for the Avalanche.
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,096
15,176
I want them to advance past the first round, that will be the only way I see success this season.

The team is good enough to accomplish it, they have been a period away from advancing the past 2 years, just need a little more to get over the hump.
 

1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
10,261
14,371
I just want to fast forward through the regular season and get to the playoffs. I want this team to prove that they can win. Whatever they do in the regular season is not going to prove anything. So many people assume Leafs will lose in the first round again. To me, this season is all about the playoffs. Sure, it's going to be fun to see our guys rack up a bunch of points but without playoff success it will be all hollow. Even if they win the President's trophy but lose in the first round, it will not be seen as a successful season by me. How much stock do you put in the regular season this year vs the playoffs?
After the last season, I really soured on the league for a few reasons.

1. The sport is refereed completely differently in regular season vs playoffs, to the point where you question why there's even rules anymore. There is also a serious double standard in reffing, as we saw the numerous disgusting things that Boston got away with, yet Kadri gets suspended for an entire series for doing less. Chara f***ing sucker punched Tavares and didn't even receive a motherf***ing penalty.

2. This league seems to reward boring grindfest styles. This year's finals were one of the worst I've ever seen. People want to watch the best of the best go at it; NBA finals do extremely well because generally speaking you'll see the absolute best in the game face off, like LeBron vs Curry or Kawhi etc. With the NHL grinders and role players get glorified in the playoffs as they have free reign to take liberties on star players and slow the game to a crawl. I enjoyed watching Boston shit the bed in game 7, that was about it.

3. The hard cap has made free agency boring, punishes teams for being good at drafting and developing, and has also resulted in less exciting trades, and has created too much parity . NBA manages to be relevant year round because they have crazy free agency and player movement so fans are talking about teams and players the entire year and are always excited.

4. Regular season performance, outside of securing a playoff spot, seems to be meaningless now. Tampa Bay set a record, then proceeded to get swept in the first round of the playoffs. Maybe it was funny and exciting in the moment but overall it's not a good look for the league. There's too many games to care about regular season anymore. In addition, the playoff format is awful and doesn't give a huge incentive for a better regular season record. Stacked divisions suffer more and we get lopsided matchups deep in the playoffs like Boston sweeping the Hurricanes.

I don't give a f*** about this regular season and I'll be tuning in far less this year. I'll enjoy the Saturday night games as it's a classic past time but I don't see the need to devote a lot of time on weeknights only to see this team lose in the first round again.

The NHL has a lot to fix as far its product goes, and this isn't even touching the marketing aspect where they also fail miserably.
 
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The Iceman

Registered User
Sep 22, 2007
5,069
3,707
I don't see it that way, especially after what happened last season.

Winning a round is a must, period. Winning 4 rounds would be better.

I don't GAF about the regular season, just hope we're healthy and ready to play like we mean it when the playoffs start.

Let's GO!

We already know how game 7 ends in Boston, time to wrestle home ice away from the Bruins.
 
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robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,096
15,176
After the last season, I really soured on the league for a few reasons.

1. The sport is refereed completely differently in regular season vs playoffs, to the point where you question why there's even rules anymore. There is also a serious double standard in reffing, as we saw the numerous disgusting things that Boston got away with, yet Kadri gets suspended for an entire series for doing less. Chara ****ing sucker punched Tavares and didn't even receive a mother****ing penalty.

2. This league seems to reward boring grindfest styles. This year's finals were one of the worst I've ever seen. People want to watch the best of the best go at it; NBA finals do extremely well because generally speaking you'll see the absolute best in the game face off, like LeBron vs Curry or Kawhi etc. With the NHL grinders and role players get glorified in the playoffs as they have free reign to take liberties on star players and slow the game to a crawl. I enjoyed watching Boston **** the bed in game 7, that was about it.

3. The hard cap has made free agency boring, punishes teams for being good at drafting and developing, and has also resulted in less exciting trades, and has created too much parity . NBA manages to be relevant year round because they have crazy free agency and player movement so fans are talking about teams and players the entire year and are always excited.

4. Regular season performance, outside of securing a playoff spot, seems to be meaningless now. Tampa Bay set a record, then proceeded to get swept in the first round of the playoffs. Maybe it was funny and exciting in the moment but overall it's not a good look for the league. There's too many games to care about regular season anymore. In addition, the playoff format is awful and doesn't give a huge incentive for a better regular season record. Stacked divisions suffer more and we get lopsided matchups deep in the playoffs like Boston sweeping the Hurricanes.

I don't give a **** about this regular season and I'll be tuning in far less this year. I'll enjoy the Saturday night games as it's a classic past time but I don't see the need to devote a lot of time on weeknights only to see this team lose in the first round again.

The NHL has a lot to fix as far its product goes, and this isn't even touching the marketing aspect where they also fail miserably.

I had so many of these feelings as well. I stand by that Hockey is the best sport to watch but the world around it makes it harder and harder to follow for me. It seems to make every move in its power to make it a worse league than other pro leagues.
 
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1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
10,261
14,371
I had so many of these feelings as well. I stand by that Hockey is the best sport to watch but the world around it makes it harder and harder to follow for me. It seems to make every move in its power to make it a worse league than other pro leagues.
Yes I love the sport and that's why it pains me to see the league mismanage things so badly. The NHL is so far behind the NBA as a complete product and business model and that became abundantly clear watching the two playoffs in contrast to each other.
 
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