Tampa or Boston?

HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
20,130
10,639
Leafs are 3-1 vs Boston this year.
Doubt they want to play us first.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
73,091
38,156
Never really got these wish type threads, they'll play who they're scheduled to play no matter the fans wishes.
 

Faltorvo

Registered User
Feb 18, 2008
21,067
1,941
Doesn't matter really. We can beat both.
The bigger factor is the officiating. Will the bruins be allowed to hit from behind, interfere, hold/hook/slash or will they be penalized?

Gimme a break ,you know the answer to that, of course they will.

I want Tbay all the way.
 

willmma

Registered User
Jan 5, 2017
3,180
4,058
Boston has had a grueling schedule the past few weeks, mainly to catch up on all their games in hand. I expected they would tire out and slow down. They did slow down a bit earning only 5 wins in their last ten, but are still hot enough to take it extra time and have earned a respectable 14 points in those 10 games.

Tampa has slowed down considerably, not sure if they are in a bad slump or if they don't care and are just waiting for the playoffs. They went 4-6 in their last 10.

If all stays the same I think I wold prefer Tampa in the first round and then an utterly exhausted Boston in the second, if they (and we) make it that far.
 

ottomaddox

Registered User
Oct 31, 2017
10,592
4,600
Toronto
Many Leafs fans took Carolina lightly years ago.

We can take no one lightly. We can beat both, but if we are not on our game we will be crushed.

No one will be happy with a 2nd round exit.
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
29,787
21,963
The current Bruins team is much better than the Bruins team we beat back to back early in the season. Those numbers don't count for much for me.

Yeah it reminds me of when Zeke was posting our record against "good" teams and I was like - we beat WPG in the beginning of October for crissakes, what's that got to do with anything?
 

Pi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2010
48,856
13,830
Toronto
Leafs are 3-1 vs Boston this year.
Doubt they want to play us first.

Neither Tampa or Boston want to play us first if it’s possible not to...NJ or Philly are a much easier opponent.

IIRC, there are some models out there that favour the Leafs against Tampa despite the fact that they have home ice advantage.
 

Drytoast

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
6,334
4,498
How many Devil's games have you watched this year? Nico is one of my favorite players, so I watch them on a semi-regular basis. They're not a team I'd be afraid of...in fact they'd be one of the teams I'd prefer to play in the East.

Boston's defense is susceptible to speed. The Devil's have speed for days. They may in fact be quicker than we are.

They are also playing with a free deck of cards with zero expectations, and if they get to raske early (which is easy to do) and ride a hot goalie...it's bye bye boston.
 

Wafflewhipper

Registered User
Jan 18, 2014
14,114
5,694
Neither Tampa or Boston want to play us first if it’s possible not to...NJ or Philly are a much easier opponent.

IIRC, there are some models out there that favour the Leafs against Tampa despite the fact that they have home ice advantage.

With good reason also i would suspect. The leafs special teams are combined much better and we take the fourth least penalties in the league.

Discipline play and maintaining low amounts of penalties is already looking in our favour.

If you were to rank all eastern conference playoffs teams powerplay, penalty kill, goals for and goals against and rank it as lowest numbers being best, we rank 2nd in the conference with the Bruins coming in first.

No playoff teams though have been more disciplined over the regular season than us.

It could come up big in a short season with our high ranked powerplay.

Our special teams are ranked 2nd to only the Bruins also of all playoff teams.

We can skate with anybody in the league and are mostly young legs throughout the lineup.

I think there is lots any team can be worried about in playing us.
 

phillipmike

Registered User
Oct 27, 2009
12,491
8,293
Likely will have to play both if you want to go far but from a round to round perspective you likely want Tampa in the 1st round.

Match up better, Tampa is weaker in net as Vas is burnt out, and the amount of Leaf fans travelling to Tampa games might make it feel like a home game.

From a better chance at winning you want Tampa but from a redemption standpoint you want Boston... want a chance to beat them in the playoffs after 2013.
 

Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,639
16,315
Tampa then Boston is easier to pull off than Boston then Tampa. Especially if NJ or Philly wear down Chara/McAvoy over 7 games first.
 

inthe6ix

Registered User
Oct 3, 2008
5,497
1,870
Toronto, Canada
TB

Boston was not the same team we beat easily earlier in the season.

Don't want any part of Bergeron in the first round, thanks.
 

pheasant

Registered User
Nov 2, 2010
4,226
1,376
I would prefer Tampa. I think they're stumbling a bit. And I think we have the better goalie. Plus it would be more fun for me to watch as a fan. I like the skill against skill style.

Plus I'd rather not deal with Bruins fans. I have a few acquaintances that still mention the game 7 meltdown, and any hockey talk is just insufferable with them. I'd rather not have to deal with it at all.
 

TimeZone

Make the pick
Sep 15, 2008
19,600
8,106
Lost
Boston's defense is susceptible to speed. The Devil's have speed for days. They may in fact be quicker than we are.

They are also playing with a free deck of cards with zero expectations, and if they get to raske early (which is easy to do) and ride a hot goalie...it's bye bye boston.

The Bruins have bullied the Devils in the two games I seen between the two this year. The Devils are a quick team, but I'd put Toronto and Tampa ahead as far as pure speed goes. The Devils need more offense out of some players outside of Hall, and to a lesser extent Nico.
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
29,787
21,963
It certainly does, just like if I dont change my underwear for the duration of the playoff season..it matters

I'm planning on drinking the same kind of beer during games. At least until we lose, then I might change it up. Change it up as in adding whiskey into the mix that is. Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket. :)
 

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