LeafsNation75
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After seeing what Mike Babcock did with his coaching decisions it will be great to see what Sheldon Keefe chooses to do. One thing we do know is he will give Matthews a lot more ice time and Babcock didn't do that.
Who wins the best of 5 between the Blue Jackets and the Leafs?
- Thread starter Kamiccolo
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PatriceBergeronFan
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Seems like the first time in years they had any injury trouble and even then it still is comparable to other teams over recent seasons.
LeafsNation75
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Why should recent seasons matter? Whatever injuries they had effected them this season and they were significant, even though you might think other teams still had it worse than them.
PatriceBergeronFan
Registered User
I don't think it is noteworthy to use as an excuse. Other teams have dealt with the same or worse is all. Leafs suddenly deal with injuries and it's immediately cited for any struggles the team may have had, if not the former coach... it is always something! Rather than the team.
Merrrlin
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I wouldn't say it's comparable. Losing your 1 and 2 D and 3 top 6 forwards all for months isn't something you see everyday.
However, that's just life and I would agree that you can;t really use it as an excuse, even though we hear people do it with teams all the time. It's the aspect of winning cups we rarely talk about - luck.
Dion TheFluff
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the Leafs actually played pretty well (especially with the key injuries on their blueline). It's just that Freddie was an absolute sieve after November and Hutchison was even worst.
Dion TheFluff
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it's not most of the year but don't pretend that it's not a significant amount of time
tsujimoto74
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Also Bobrovsky. I don't see how CBJ's goaltending could hold up against Toronto's offense.
Rob Brown
Way She Goes
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If this were a regular season and the Leafs limped into the playoffs this way I would agree that Columbus would have the edge, but we're so far removed from the time of the pause that I don't think that momentum really exists anymore.
I think goaltending is going to be the biggest wildcard in all of the series. A lot of goalies take a while to get in form during the season. With a five game series after a long break they won’t have that luxury. It will be interesting to see which goalies can get up to speed right away.
Rob Brown
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Every single fanbase cites injuries as a reason that a season didn't go as well as it could have...
McDavidCrushedLarkin
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Blue Jackets are built for the playoffs where the Leafs are a mediocre 1st round exit team that may have regressed. Should be close!
Columbus in 3.
Columbus in 3.
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Bomber0104
Registered User
If it were a best of 7 series after a full 82 game season I might think differently, but the Leafs for years now have come out of the gate flying.
I imagine it will be the same for them after the lengthy break they've had.
I imagine it will be the same for them after the lengthy break they've had.
On paper it should be the Leafs because when healthy there's no debating they've got a much better roster. But unfortunately games aren't played on paper. We spend hours debating strengths and weaknesses every year, but in the end pretty much every series isn't that far off from a coin toss. That's just how hockey normally shakes out since the salary cap was introduced. It's way tougher to predict than any of the other major North American pro sports.
Cotton
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I think people forget we’ve only played Boston twice, the past two years with both series going 7 games.
I feel like if your using the word “constantly” it should reference more than only three post-seasons following a rebuild.
It would be worse because of expectations, doesn’t matter who the opponent is at this point, players have been paid and Dubas is on the hot seat. If they fail then it’s time for some heads to roll.
King K Rool
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This might be the most evenly-matched and intense series. I can see both teams trading wins back and forth until we get to the most exciting three words in hockey: GAME 5 OVERTIME
CanadienShark
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I could see it going either way. Leafs are better on paper, but the Jackets could shut them down and take it.
ProfessorFink22
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- May 28, 2020
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Wait, wait, are we talking about the Leafs, or are we talking about Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, Zach Werenski (albeit for only a couple weeks), Bjork, Atkinson, and Anderson? Not to mention Korpi in net and countless depth players.
I'm not trying to make this a pissing match about who has the worst injuries, but it is definitely a waste of an excuse to pretend the Leafs have some sort of entitled claim to being the better team because of injuries. Columbus could flip the narrative so easily.
"We lost our top two D men for significant time" - Well, Columbus has lost a lot more man games lost to injury than them, and with significant players, too.
"You can't discount Sheldon Keefe just because he's new, we blame our old coach" - Well, you can't say Andersen is a better goalie than Elvis either, in that case. Elvis has been a relevant NHL goalie about as long as your coach, with better save % than Andersen. As has been pointed out, Keefe's point % since the new year is not as high as Torts.
"We're better because we have 3 more wins" - Well, imagine if Columbus won even half of their 3 on 3 or shootout games? Then they'd be ahead of Toronto in the standings. I don't think 3 on 3 or shootout numbers matter much come playoff time.
"Top end talent" - I give the Leafs an edge in overall talent, sure. But if the rosters were reversed, Leafs fans and TSN would be touting Jones/Werenksi as basically the defensive version of what they call Matthews and Marner. There isn't some giant gap in talent like some choose to believe. Columbus' style is different, for sure, but it's given them pretty much the exact results this year as the Leafs.
I see this as basically a coin flip of a series, just like the standings would dictate, and I'm already salivating at being able to watch it. It will be exciting hockey by two good teams. But can we stop pretending the Leafs have all these ready made excuses for why they should have more respect than anyone else? Both teams can pick and choose to argue their own narrative, or to make excuses, forever.
Just because a couple teams may have dealt with worse, it doesn't mean it didn't have significant impact. Mentioning it is completely valid.
Golden_Jet
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- Sep 21, 2005
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Exactly, Columbus was more devastated by injury than the Leafs.
Columbus was first or second in man games lost.
Dubi Doo
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Leafs are soft and seem to struggle against teams that play a strong defensive system. Have to go with the BJs here.
Dion TheFluff
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Toronto has a 5 - 4 - 1 record against the top 5 defensive teams this year. I wouldn't exactly call that struggling.
Team Cozens
Registered User
These whole playoffs are going to be decided by the refs. Are we going to see typical smash mouth playoff hockey that would favor the Jackets or are we going to see
wide open pond hockey which would favor the Leafs. Which two teams would generate the most revenue these playoffs??? Expect that to be the Finals matchup.
Leafs vs Oilers or Leafs vs. Avalanche.
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