Who would win a 7 game playoff series, Toronto or Boston?

[Pyrophorus]

Its only in their building...I feel we should gun for home advantage.
This roster used to run their house, they themselves said they gave them way too much respect.
This year is Halak, who has always been unconscious against us.

2013 is far from 2018.

 

[DFF]

Boston in 5

 

[Pyrophorus]

I'd put my money on Boston today, but also think they're more than likely to add another top 9 forward or two by the deadline.

I understand why Leaf fans are excited as there's a lot of talent out there, but I think their team is constructed more to blow away the bottom half of the league playing end-to-end hockey than grind it out in the playoffs against more structured teams. Too many stretch passes and inconsistent forecheck will have them on their heels against teams like Boston, Tampa, Washington, Pittsburgh.

Beaten 3 of the 4, and dominated the 4th team.

 

[b in vancouver]

Beaten 3 of the 4, and dominated the 4th team.

Just think they might be more of a November team when talent shines through more as compared to later in the season when other team's adjust and the more structured teams take over.
Not many teams go far in the playoffs without more structure than what The Leafs have shown. They're a great fast offensive team and will catch a lot of teams off-guard - but that doesn't work as well in a 7 game series and don't think they're that much of a dynamo that they don't have to worry about it.

 

[LarKing]

Leafs. I think Tavares will make a huge difference.

 

[PG Canuck]

Boston

 

[Holymakinaw]

Leafs. I think Tavares will make a huge difference.

This.

The kids in Toronto are another year older, quite a bit wiser, and faster and more talented. The addition of Tavares is massive. This is not the same Leaf team that lost in 7 games last year. Toronto wins this time around.

 

[Drytoast]

I'm going to be bold and declare that Toronto does not beat Boston until they beat Boston.

There! Now I fit in with every other prediction on these boards.

/facepalm.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Points arent everything.

Hes a modern mike green Or bigger version of Krug.

Plus no other D has the luxury of being on an offensive juggernaut team.

ANY other top offensive D playing on the leafs would be putting up similar. Numbers this year .

Rielly is also horrible in his own zone when there's sustained pressure.

Unfortunately Defensmen are also required to play "Defense" something Rielly is average at best

Last year he was one of three defensemen to score 50 points or more, play against the top percentile of competition, and put up positive possession stats both raw and relative to team mates. The other 2 were hfdarlings Hedman and Doughty. This year his offensive output is partially attributed to a high oish% but saying he's nothing special would be incredibly ignorant. Comparing him to Mike Green is insulting

 

[Pyrophorus]

Just think they might be more of a November team when talent shines through more as compared to later in the season when other team's adjust and the more structured teams take over.
Not many teams go far in the playoffs without more structure than what The Leafs have shown. They're a great fast offensive team and will catch a lot of teams off-guard - but that doesn't work as well in a 7 game series and don't think they're that much of a dynamo that they don't have to worry about it.

How come we can't adjust too?

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Gotta go with Boston in 7 here. Although who knows what would've happened if Kadri wasn't a dumb ass and got himself suspended in that series.

 

[MikeyMike01]

I see the trend.
Lose in 8?

java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException

 

[indigobuffalo]

Reminds me of the Keith Primeau Flyers vs the Sundin Leafs.

Eventually you get over the hurdle. I expect if they meet this year the Leafs win.

 

[Peiskos]

Leafs essentially upgraded Tyler Bozak to John Tavares. That's like trading in a Toyota Corolla for a BMW.

They went 7 games without Kadri for 3 games.

Boston simply doesn't have the depth to contain the improved Toronto offence, its just that simple. The Bergeron line was great at shutting down the Matthews line last season, but now they have to deal with a Tavares line too.

Toronto wins the next meeting.

 

[BHD]

The Bruins until the Leafs prove otherwise.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

It was a lingering shoulder injury that he suffered near the end of the season and missed multiple games from.

He played the last 10 games of the season, during which he had 6 goals and 7 assists.

I guess his shoulder got re-injured between the last game of the season and the start of the playoffs ?

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Toronto, Boston BARELY won it with Toronto's ECHL tier goaltending for 1/2 the series, Babcock's Jr C tier coaching decisions, Naz's goof, Nylander and Matthews' disappearance, Gardiner's goofs and Rielly's meh series.

Boston did NOT get better and the Leafs added JT, Rielly has taken A MASSIVE step forward, Andersen looks even better this year, Bab's lost his plug toys and Mitch and Auston look even better this year.

The fact that Boston is winning says something about the delusions of this website.

There is no serious argument for them winning that is based on anything apart from past data that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT TEAMS.

I guess Boston can win IF:
1.Their first line plays lights out
2.Rask plays his mind out
3.Naz gets suspended again
4.Leafs trade for Komarov and put him on the first line instead of Kapanen
5.Auston and Willie disappear again
6.JT disappears as well considering we almost beat Boston WITHOUT him
7.Rielly regresses badly in the playoffs
8.Gardiner returns to his previous season's goof form
9.Andersen plays awful for half the series again

So yeah, I guess Boston can win if those 9 things go well for them, if someone wants to tell me the odds of those things, feel free.

The only one of these things that surely won't happen is the Komarov one...

 

[authentic]

He played the last 10 games of the season, during which he had 6 goals and 7 assists.

I guess his shoulder got re-injured between the last game of the season and the start of the playoffs ?

Are you trying to say he would publicly lie about it just so he has an excuse for a poor performance in the playoffs? I'm not sure what people are on about here.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Just follow the trend:
Lost in 6
Lost in 7
Next will be a win.

What I see in the last 4 series they've played:

Lost in 6
Lost in 7
Lost in 6
Lost in 7

I definitely see a trend/pattern...

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

2013 is far from 2018.

Did you really just quote yourself ?

Carly Simon has a nice song for you.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Are you trying to say he would publicly lie about it just so he has an excuse for a poor performance in the playoffs?

Long answer: That's in your head.

Short answer: No.

As someone else so wisely wrote, few players are 100% healthy when the playoffs start.

 

[authentic]

Long answer: That's in your head.

Short answer: No.

As someone else so wisely wrote, few players are 100% healthy when the playoffs start.

Delusional, sorry. He wouldn't make a point of saying he wasn't 100% if it was something 90% of the league was dealing with. I'm aware of the wear and tear and minor things players play with after a long season, this was clearly a little more than that.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Delusional, sorry. He wouldn't make a point of saying he wasn't 100% if it was something 90% of the league was dealing with.

Very honest of you to admit it.

And you really believe that a sizeable portion of the players are 100% healthy when the playoffs start ?

 

[Pyrophorus]

What I see in the last 4 series they've played:

Lost in 6
Lost in 7
Lost in 6
Lost in 7

I definitely see a trend/pattern...

Nothing to do with the current group of Management/Coaches/Players
Thought you would do better than this?

 

[Torontonian]

Boston and Toronto are going to meet in the first round again this year, and again its going to go to 7 games. The difference will be if Toronto can stop Pasta/The Rat/Bergeron from running wild over them like they did last playoffs. For Toronto to win 2 things need to happen:

1) Matthews/Nylander and whoever is on that line can't disappear like they did against them.
2) Either our 3rd line or whoever needs to find a way to slow down their top line.. Although this time I think we are better suited since we added Tarvares.