Pre-Game Talk: Time to talk Playoffs

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LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
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So who sits out?

Everyone's been hunting that it's Galchenyuk, but I like him... Playing.

What do you guys think of.

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Foligno - JT - Nylander
Galchenyuk - Nash - soup
Thornton/Simmonds -kerfoot- Spezza


I think if anyone should be sat it might be Soup.. he's good but just can't put it together... He's had terrible finish this season. But he's a good PKer..

This line up is going to be tough to figure out once everybody is healthy.. a good problem to have but you don't want to mess up the line up and sit someone or demote someone that could be fire come playoffs.
Nash is not a 3C but I think Galchenyuk comes out as he doesn't PK and doesn't really fit our bottom 6.

I think we end up with:

Folingo-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Thornton-Brooks/Nash-Spezza
Engvall/Galchenyuk/Nash/Brooks
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,975
32,364
St. Paul, MN
The elevation thing is an interesting question! I'm kind of hoping for VGK to grind them out in 7 games and then come away gassed in the final fours to be honest.

Colorado indeed gets a lot of powerplay time and calls on a regular basis. You'll see guys like Mackinnon, Rantanen and Makar drawing a lot of penalties with their speed game causing someone to maul them or trip them up.

The thing with Colorado (and Tampa for that matter) is their playing styles lean into the Leafs strengths (free flowing to let stars do their thing). I'm not particularly worried about running into them. Not that it won't be a hard series, it will be, but some folks on here act like these other teams are juggernauts when it's not the case.

I'd agree with you that best case scenario for Toronto is Vegas grinds them out over a bitter hard fought seven game series where the Avs manage to win and allows the Leafs to face the scraps
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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The thing with Colorado (and Tampa for that matter) is their playing styles lean into the Leafs strengths (free flowing to let stars do their thing). I'm not particularly worried about running into them. Not that it won't be a hard series, it will be, but some folks on here act like these other teams are juggernauts when it's not the case.

I'd agree with you that best case scenario for Toronto is Vegas grinds them out over a bitter hard fought seven game series where the Avs manage to win and allows the Leafs to face the scraps

I think Colorado are juggernauts, and have higher end pieces on defense (there is no answer for Makar) and a more established goalie in Grubauer at the moment. Otherwise their strengths are similar to ours. That said, the way Dubas has stocked the team with veterans and they seem to be hitting their stride gives me some hope that the Leafs are a little bit more mature and battle hardened than Colorado.

In terms of Vegas, they're a bigger, older team and ran out of gas against Dallas after their 7 game series vs Colorado. Hoping that means if they prevail in their division and we somehow meet them in the third round or finals we could see a Toronto Vegas match up unfold like Tampa Dallas.

In terms of Tampa, my hope is their run has added a lot of mileage on them and their Hedman/Vasi strengths can be negated if we run into them. They're also in a snakepit division a young Carolina and Florida teams ready to challenge. Florida is missing Ekblad so they won't be at full strength, but Carolina is picking up steam. We need these guys to annihilate each other too.

In the East, we have Washington, Boston, Islanders and Pittsburgh. They feel like a more geriatric division and would love to blow the doors off them whomever we play if we get there.
 

Havoc

Registered User
Jul 25, 2009
7,271
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Loseipeg is falling apart and might be our first round match up. Who would be the easier match up Jets or Habs?
For an opponent in the playoffs you always want the team that has non-playoff caliber defence.

Jets.

Even if our goalies let in softies and we're down 0-3 going into the second, the Jets will give you tons of chances to catch up. We've seen this in some of our losses to them. We just didn't score.

With Montreal I get more nervous if they can get that early lead. Trap you up and let Price take over.
 

Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,031
18,044
Toronto, ON
For an opponent in the playoffs you always want the team that has non-playoff caliber defence.

Jets.

Even if our goalies let in softies and we're down 0-3 going into the second, the Jets will give you tons of chances to catch up. We've seen this in some of our losses to them. We just didn't score.

With Montreal I get more nervous if they can get that early lead. Trap you up and let Price take over.

Yea, if your goal is to just win a round and that's it then yes. But the Leafs goals are loftier right now, you have to beat good teams to win the Cup. Bring on all comers. Leafs have to win the first round whether it's Jets or Habs. If Leafs can't handle Montreal, then they are not a Stanley Cup contender. Teams that you have to beat in order to win the Cup are much much better than Montreal.
 
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Havoc

Registered User
Jul 25, 2009
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Yea, if your goal is to just win a round and that's it then yes. But the Leafs goals are loftier right now, you have to beat good teams to win the Cup. Bring on all comers. Leafs have to win the first round whether it's Jets or Habs. If Leafs can't handle Montreal, then they are not a Stanley Cup contender. Teams that you have to beat in order to win the Cup are much much better than Montreal.
Well yeah lol but the context is who would you choose based on easier to get by. I'm saying Jets are easier.
 
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Suntouchable13

Registered User
Dec 20, 2003
43,031
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Toronto, ON
Well yeah lol but the context is who would you choose based on easier to get by. I'm saying Jets are easier.

I understand that we are all here with a fragile psyche when it comes to the Leafs lol. We are scared. So we are choosy as to our first round opponent. I am saying that we shouldn't fear Montreal if we think our team is as good as we think. But I get it. We can not be 100% confident in this team.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
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I think Colorado are juggernauts, and have higher end pieces on defense (there is no answer for Makar) and a more established goalie in Grubauer at the moment. Otherwise their strengths are similar to ours.

Interesting how PP reliant Colorado is - even Makar has only 18pts at even strength, albeit in 38gms.

In general I'd say while the avs top 3 D is the best in the league the leafs top 3 is actually one of the very few that can come close to matching it.

Meanwhile, the Avs simply don't have a 2nd line comparable the the Leafs' 2nd line.
 
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kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,202
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I think Colorado are juggernauts, and have higher end pieces on defense (there is no answer for Makar) and a more established goalie in Grubauer at the moment. Otherwise their strengths are similar to ours. That said, the way Dubas has stocked the team with veterans and they seem to be hitting their stride gives me some hope that the Leafs are a little bit more mature and battle hardened than Colorado.

In terms of Vegas, they're a bigger, older team and ran out of gas against Dallas after their 7 game series vs Colorado. Hoping that means if they prevail in their division and we somehow meet them in the third round or finals we could see a Toronto Vegas match up unfold like Tampa Dallas.

In terms of Tampa, my hope is their run has added a lot of mileage on them and their Hedman/Vasi strengths can be negated if we run into them. They're also in a snakepit division a young Carolina and Florida teams ready to challenge. Florida is missing Ekblad so they won't be at full strength, but Carolina is picking up steam. We need these guys to annihilate each other too.

In the East, we have Washington, Boston, Islanders and Pittsburgh. They feel like a more geriatric division and would love to blow the doors off them whomever we play if we get there.
Colorado would be far more worried about the Leafs than vice versa....
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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Interesting how PP reliant Colorado is - even Makar has only 18pts at even strength, albeit in 38gms.

In general I'd say while the avs top 3 D is the best in the league the leafs top 3 is actually one of the very few that can come close to matching it.

Meanwhile, the Avs simply don't have a 2nd line comparable the the Leafs' 2nd line.

There isn't anything wrong with Colorado being PP reliant/dominant. It's pretty clear that would be an aspect of the game the Toronto Maple Leafs would want to dominate as well, but haven't, since the Leafs don't seem to be able to draw penalties or have struggled for whatever personnel or tactical quirks this year. Only thing I guess you would be worried about if you're the Avs is those calls might dry up in the playoffs.

As far as the blueline, I think Makar just tips the scales in their favour at the top of the pecking order, basically as a high end forward who happens to play defense. Girard has really closed the gap with Rielly being a great puckmoving defenseman who can QB. Toews probably lines up well with Brodie, and then we probably have them beat in terms of all around defensive capability and depth. Sandin and Liljegren coming up and playing well is a real shot in the arm too, although they have Byram.

Second line, if the Tavares unit is clicking we have them beat, but aside from Kadri, they do also have a good collection of big skilled mix and match wingers like Saad, Nichushkin, Burakovsky who gives them a bit of that Alex Galchenyuk (on his game) mix of puck handling, offense and crash and bang. Then guys like Donskoi, Jost, etc. whom I don't really profess to pay a lot of attention to.
 

kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,202
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Colorado only wishes they could beat the Leafs. Overrrating in here is hilarious.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
There isn't anything wrong with Colorado being PP reliant/dominant. It's pretty clear that would be an aspect of the game the Toronto Maple Leafs would want to dominate as well, but haven't, since the Leafs don't seem to be able to draw penalties or have struggled for whatever personnel or tactical quirks this year. Only thing I guess you would be worried about if you're the Avs is those calls might dry up in the playoffs.

As far as the blueline, I think Makar just tips the scales in their favour at the top of the pecking order, basically as a high end forward who happens to play defense. Girard has really closed the gap with Rielly being a great puckmoving defenseman who can QB. Toews probably lines up well with Brodie, and then we probably have them beat in terms of all around defensive capability and depth. Sandin and Liljegren coming up and playing well is a real shot in the arm too, although they have Byram.

Second line, if the Tavares unit is clicking we have them beat, but aside from Kadri, they do also have a good collection of big skilled mix and match wingers like Saad, Nichushkin, Burakovsky who gives them a bit of that Alex Galchenyuk (on his game) mix of puck handling, offense and crash and bang. Then guys like Donskoi, Jost, etc. whom I don't really profess to pay a lot of attention to.

A big part of their PP advantage goes away with the inevitable game management from the refs evening out the PP time. The Avs lead the league in PP time per game, the Leafs are 29th. Avs get near 40% more PP time than the leafs - that won't happen in a head to Head matchup.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
77,850
51,520
A big part of their PP advantage goes away with the inevitable game management from the refs evening out the PP time. The Avs lead the league in PP time per game, the Leafs are 29th. Avs get near 40% more PP time than the leafs - that won't happen in a head to Head matchup.

Maybe, but they know how to draw penalties and they get calls. The Avs played in only 15 postseason games last year but scored 15 PP goals. Despite not even getting to the conference finals they had more PP opportunities than the Vegas Golden Knights who played in 5 more games. Head to head, things can change, but at the end of the day, a skilled team like Toronto should be firing on all cylinders on the PP as well.
 

RealisticLeaf55

Win it clean for J.T
Sep 28, 2010
4,312
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A place
I really want to see this team go on a run. I remember when I was young, and I mean really young, the boys went on a tear and made it to the conference finals before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.

I want those series wins again.
 
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smitty10

Registered User
Aug 6, 2009
9,805
2,643
Toronto
Foligno-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Galchenyuk-Simmonds
Thornton-Nash-Spezza

Extra: Kerfoot

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Dermott (until Bogo is ready
 

Pi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2010
48,856
13,830
Toronto
Yea, if your goal is to just win a round and that's it then yes. But the Leafs goals are loftier right now, you have to beat good teams to win the Cup. Bring on all comers. Leafs have to win the first round whether it's Jets or Habs. If Leafs can't handle Montreal, then they are not a Stanley Cup contender. Teams that you have to beat in order to win the Cup are much much better than Montreal.

Yeah, if the Leafs can't beat a team that has won 23 games and lost 27 games out of the 50 games they have played, I am not sure they are Cup contenders. I am not worried about playing the Habs or the Jets.
 
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TMLAM34

Registered User
Oct 15, 2020
4,546
5,392
Foligno-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Galchenyuk-Simmonds
Thornton-Nash-Spezza

Extra: Kerfoot

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Dermott (until Bogo is ready
No chance Kerfoot sits. Not sure why some fans really dislike him.
 
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The Podium

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
22,846
10,014
Toronto
I’d personally do

Foligno - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Nash - Hyman
Thornton - Brooks/Kerfoot - Spezza

which means Simmonds sits.

I was impressed with Dallas’ pure shutdown line on their Finals run. That Cogliano line went out there and shut everything down. I think Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman can be that line for us.

Probably not the sexiest lineup, but it has it all; chemistry, offense, defense and role players.
 

Notsince67

Papi and the Lamplighters
Apr 27, 2018
15,854
11,052
For an opponent in the playoffs you always want the team that has non-playoff caliber defence.

Jets.

Even if our goalies let in softies and we're down 0-3 going into the second, the Jets will give you tons of chances to catch up. We've seen this in some of our losses to them. We just didn't score.

With Montreal I get more nervous if they can get that early lead. Trap you up and let Price take over.
If the habs play the leafs tough, consider it a gift. A long stretch between regular season and playoffs coupled with an easy couple of rounds will not hone the leafs to a sharp edge. The leafs need to find an rpm closer to a red line than an idle to beat teams in the next round.
 
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