Potential TOR vs FLA playoff matchup: Who do you take?

[bert]

But I was responding to a post about last year lol

I shouldn’t be policed for posting literal facts, because you guys don’t like that it exposes your bad takes.

Coin flip again this year. Imo. If a goalie gets hot, that team wins. If a goalie grenades, that team loses. Same as it’s always been.


What depth does Florida have over toronto? It’s certainly not up front. Behind their top line, they’re pretty thin.

Better D, definitely. Bob is a game breaker when he’s on.

But specifically depth, where does that come from?

Posting literal facts? You clearly dont watch florida and the style they play. They are suffocating, they play heavy winning playoff hockey. They are built to win come playoff time, they have proven it, they have won. They are way harder to play against and play a way tighter system. Those are the facts. As a neutral fan these teams are very far apart in all these aspects. Matthews is an incredible talent and is the only reason this would be close. But this is a really bad matchup for Toronto make no mistake.

 

[LeafsNation149]

So leaf fans dont understand hockey?

Cringe

 

[winnipegger]

Florida in 4 is the only logical answer here. I don't see what's changed from last year.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Let’s not pretend like it wasn’t 80% Bob ‘giving a shit’ last year. Once he cooled off, your panthers were toast.

Barkov really have a shit though. Played 2 more rounds than the leafs and an additional game in the first round and ended up with (drumroll please)……






5 more points. So impressive!

Lol Barkov played a much stronger two-way game than anyone on the Leafs can dream about, you have no clue what you're talking about . He had a great playoffs. He was a major reason they beat the Leafs, he shut Matthews down.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

Well we have the history of the Leafs vs Habs and Leafs vs Columbus in previous years. Lol.

The leafs finished like a single point ahead of Columbus that year... We were so bad we fired Babcock mid season. That series was basically a cointoss considering it was a best of 5. Also not technically playoffs.

Also MTL made finals the year they took out Toronto, beating Winnipeg, and the Golden Knights along the way. Price nearly willed a very average team to victory. He was that good.

Fun fact, the last 4 teams that beat the Leafs in a playoff series ended up in the cup finals. If they were in an easier division (or we had a half way decent playoff format) they'd probably have as much playoff "success" as the Oilers. Not good enough to win it all those years, but had some very tight series against champion calibre teams. Hell they even beat one.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

If the Panthers play like they did until March 7, Panthers in 5. If they play like they did from March 8th until April 5th, Leafs in 5.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Also does Bob go into god mode again? If he does then they probably win. If he plays just average or slightly above then I like Toronto's chances

What if he just plays very good, like he has all season and what has him in running for the Vezina?

 

[The90]

Posting literal facts? You clearly dont watch florida and the style they play. They are suffocating, they play heavy winning playoff hockey. They are built to win come playoff time, they have proven it, they have won. They are way harder to play against and play a way tighter system. Those are the facts. As a neutral fan these teams are very far apart in all these aspects. Matthews is an incredible talent and is the only reason this would be close. But this is a really bad matchup for Toronto make no mistake.

Lol. K

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Every team is in danger of being 'Goalie'd'.

It unfortunately happened a LOT to Toronto in the ploffs.

Not just Price, Bob, Rask, and Vasi, but even had their share of mid-tier goalies getting insanely hot at the wrong time.



The reason people are picking FLA is it's Bob amidst a career resurgence. It's not a sleight to Toronto. Panthers seem built for the ploffs.

 

[bobholly39]

Outside of Matthews rookie year where Leafs were a major underdog, I rarely remember a year with Leafs entering playoffs with less expectations.

Reminds me a bit of Washington in 2018. Everyone had just about given up on them...and that's when they finally figure it out and win.

I could see Leafs do quite well this year.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Florida in 4 is the only logical answer here. I don't see what's changed from last year.

It wasn’t Florida in 4 last year tho?

As for what’s changed, the Leafs makeup is pretty different. Matthews is as productive as ever without Marner which frees them up to spread out their stars across three lines instead of two. And they’ve added more guys that play “playoff style hockey.” They’ve been better than Florida over the last couple of months. I think it will be a close series, like every Leafs 1st round has been.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

quite the outfit for the parade that will never happen.

Leafs dress up and have a parade at the end of every season.

Lucky for them, Florida has some prime parade routes.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Florida will pummel Toronto

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

It will be a close series, and it will be a fun one to watch. I expect a lot of gamesmanship from both teams here, Florida probably thinks they'll be able to bully Toronto physically, and Toronto will be eager to prove they're willing to stand their ground. Game 1 will be very important for both teams. I imagine Reeves will dress and Florida will start the mind games right from puck drop. Florida's going to have to show they're not scared of him.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think it is similar to the Tampa series. First series Leafs were the better team but lost, then finally beat them the next season. Leafs were the better team for large stretches of last years series outside of that awful game 3.

Panthers have been struggling lately. Leafs are also probably one of the few teams able to go with them in the toughness department. Leafs have been in the 3 games with the most hits all season and won all three, and top 3 in hits / game.

I think it is going to be one hell of a series but the Leafs have this one.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

No more Radko Gudas on Florida, so the Leafs will still take a beating in the series, just not as bad as last year with Gudas.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Really depends how the series is reffed. If the refs allow the teams to play and put the whistles away like they do in every other series, Toronto has a tiny chance.

If they decide to start calling everything, Edmundson is suddenly being called for his cross checking and players are getting suspended for 3 or 4 games +, Florida should do this in 3.

 

[Rude Dog]

And Bruins were going to win last year. This is closer than many want to believe. leafs in 6

 

[Rude Dog]

Florida in 4 is the only logical answer here. I don't see what's changed from last year.

Love how people like to remember last years series was a blowout. Every game decided by one goal with the exception of 4-2 game. 2 in OT. I completely understand how Fla is built and why that should be an advantage. But
means nothing.

 

[torontoblood]

Let’s be objective here.

Offense: toronto(the leafs are the scoring team in the East and the third highest scoring in the league, just behind Colorado and Dallas)
Speed:florida
Physicality: still florida but Toronto improved on that department, they closed the gap.
Defense:florida
Powerplay : equal
Penalty kill:Florida
Goals against average/save percentage/Goaltending in general :Florida
Coaching: florida
Playoff experience: Florida(yep, with their cup run to the finals last year, the panthers have had more success and experience in one spring than the leafs in 8 years. I know the leafs made the playoffs every year since 2017 and still haven’t made it to the ECF. 3 rounds won in one year(2023)> 1 round own in 7 years. (207,18,19,20,21,22,23*)

 

[Felidae]

I think it is similar to the Tampa series. First series Leafs were the better team but lost, then finally beat them the next season. Leafs were the better team for large stretches of last years series outside of that awful game 3.

Panthers have been struggling lately. Leafs are also probably one of the few teams able to go with them in the toughness department. Leafs have been in the 3 games with the most hits all season and won all three, and top 3 in hits / game.

I think it is going to be one hell of a series but the Leafs have this one.

The legend is back.

 

[Felidae]

Let’s be objective here.

Offense: toronto(the leafs are the scoring team in the East and the third highest scoring in the league, just behind Colorado and Dallas)
Speed:florida
Physicality: still florida but Toronto improved on that department, they closed the gap.
Defense:florida
Powerplay : equal
Penalty kill:Florida
Goals against average/save percentage/Goaltending in general :Florida
Coaching: florida
Playoff experience: Florida(yep, with their cup run to the finals last year, the panthers have had more success and experience in one spring than the leafs in 8 years. I know the leafs made the playoffs every year since 2017 and still haven’t made it to the ECF. 3 rounds won in one year(2023)> 1 round own in 7 years. (207,18,19,20,21,22,23*)

I'd actually say Maple leafs have the powerplay edge, if slightly.

Panthers are far too reliant on the bumper move to Reinhart, who has a unsustainably high shooting%. He goes cold and I'm not sure how the FLA PP fares. They've also been in a slump the past month. Something like 2 goals in 20+ PPs.

And overall, Leafs simply have more dangerous offensive weapons.

 

[pb1300]

Guess the Panthers were so scared to play the Leafs in the first round, they had to pummel them tonight so they wouldn’t meet.

Once again, the Leafs captain gets pummeled, and none of the new big, bad Leafs players come to his rescue. Matthews just nonchalantly doing his part.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Out of the frying pan and nto the fire.

Leafs are too soft, weak, fragile and heartless to succeed in the playoffs...regardless of the opponent.

 

[Dr Pepper]

200 posts, for a series that never was.

Guess there's still a chance these teams dance in Round 2......I'll vote if they get there.