OT: Leafs/NHL Thread

[raptorstime]

This team is so friggin embarrassing

[Lord_Zedd]

They’ve changed the coach.
They’ve changed the GM.
They’ve changed the 3rd and 4th liners multiple times.
They’ve changed 5 of the d-men multiple times
They’ve gone through countless goalies.
They even changed the captain.

The common denominator has always been those core 5 guys, none of which have done a single meaningful thing in the playoffs.

Is it too much to ask that just once one of those guys put the team on his back and lead them to a win? Rantanen has done exactly that 3x in the last 10 days lol. Draisaitl did it last week. Someone, anyone, name me ONE memorable Matthews playoff game.

Matthews is just like Embiid. I honestly can't remember the last time he was "healthy" in the playoffs..... maybe against WSH way back in 2017

3 goals in the past 18 playoff games....

[720]

Can someone explain to me this leafs game in NBA terms? Is this like that one year when we played the cavs and Lebron started trying game 5 onwards and destroyed us? Or do the leafs have a chance at coming back in this series and winning it in 7?

[MiamiSPX]

The Leafs will likely bring their golf clubs here for Friday because they'll be teeing off first thing Saturday morning.

[AbC?]

Even in the 1st round they didn't look dominant. Sens carried play for long stretches, they just didn't have the offensive firepower to capitalize. They could have lost that series.

Against Florida outside of the first 2 periods they've been totally outmatched. They got lucky in the 2nd game. Variance has evened out now and you're seeing the results of being massively outshot, crappy systems, poor zone entries/exits and bad special teams. The defense core is better and they got amazing goaltending this season, but under the hood this team wasn't as good as the standings would have you think. If you gave Keefe this D-core and goaltending I think you'd actually look better lmao.

[Brinbe]

they will push this to a game 7 because they love to punish us

[tecumseh18]

Against Florida outside of the first 2 periods they've been totally outmatched. They got lucky in the 2nd game.

Yeah, in Game 2 Leafs couldn't get out their own end with possession in the 3rd period while desperately trying to hold onto their lead. I've never been less encouraged by a 2-0 series lead.

[Reeko]

Leafs gonna Leaf I guess.

[RealFaction]

[GoRapstheoriginal]

OILERS WIN! OILERS WIN! IN OT!!! WOOHOO! HOORAY OILERS WIN THE SERIES 4-1 ! ! !

[DatHomieYouHaTe]

Leafs always fall in May no matter who the coach is it's the same group of chokers.

[Raps in 4]

Leafs always fall in May no matter who the coach is it's the same group of chokers.

Matthews and Marner are like the Embiid and Harden of hockey. We need to move on from them.

[MoneyBall]

I mean, they were one OT goal away from going up 3 games to none. The Stolarz injury was a turning point.

[EastonEddy]

I have a confession. I don't think I have seen a regular season Leafs game in a decade but I always tune in for Game 6 and 7. In this crazy world that is always rapidly changing there is something comforting watching the historic futility of the Leafs. It's like receiving a call from an old friend, hearing your siblings voice or visiting your childhood home. We know that, no matter how much the world changes around us, there are still those bastions of stability present throughout our lives that can always be counted on to ground us and remind us of who we are and where we came from. The Leafs choking in the playoffs is one of these things.

Next sure if this makes me a fan of the Leafs or not? Anyways I have Panthers in 7.

[mdenny]

Listened to leaf radio today while stuck in traffic.

They laughed at the idea that it was schemes or x's and o's that was the problem.

What a joke. Are these guys even watching the games? No wonder they thought the leafs played well in games 1 and 2. They are purely judging results rather than the process.

Florida schemes ARE killing the leafs. It's not just effort. When Florida decided to make a push and starts the intense cycling scheme....the leafs can only clear the puck by icing it.

Same was true in games 1 and 2. I wish I knew how to find the offensive zone stats. Panthers have been dominating that. Leafs only won a couple games because Bobrosky was letting in weak goals on the counter-attack.

Florida has outplayed them in every game. Leafs media are the equivalent of the "derrr ball goes in derrr ball goes out" raptor fans.

You can get lucky in hockey and win even when you are outplayed. And that's what the leafs will need to beat Florida. That's what EVERY team will need to beat Florida

Panthers might be amongst the best teams jn decades. Up there with the devils, bruins, penguins, lightning over the past 30ish years.

They are poised to make their 3rd finals appearance in a row. Noone has made 4 in a row since the 80s Islanders. Not sure what their cap situation is....but they could definitely do 4, 5 or 6.

I don't think ppl realize how stacked they are. And stacked with rugged stars.....not finesse ones.

Bennet
Jones
Tkachuck
Ekblad
Barkov
Marchand
Rienhart
Verhaege
Bobrovsky


All 9 of those guys are in the 90th percentile for nhl players. An average team should have approx 3. The leafs have 3? Maybe 4 if you count Tavares but thats borderline. And 2 of those leafs are finesse skill types....the type that often doesnt thrive in playoffs. I doubt any other team has more than 6. And 8 of those 9 Florida guys are rugged and strong. Only one of those 9 is a finesse skill type.

The leafs really shouldn't have been expected to beat Florida. And it's likely Florida doesn't lose 2 games against any other team.

Uless they have salary problems....I could see Florida being a dynasty

[dafan590]

All 9 of those guys are in the 90th percentile for nhl players. An average team should have approx 3. The leafs have 3? Maybe 4 if you count Tavares but thats borderline. And 2 of those leafs are finesse skill types....the type that often doesnt thrive in playoffs. I doubt any other team has more than 6. And 8 of those 9 Florida guys are rugged and strong. Only one of those 9 is a finesse skill type.

The leafs really shouldn't have been expected to beat Florida. And it's likely Florida doesn't lose 2 games against any other team.

Uless they have salary problems....I could see Florida being a dynasty

The Leafs need to steal more players from the Panthers then lol
They got a few now, but they can still get more.

[Merit]

I swear the fanbase is super reactive. Yes, the Leafs dropped the ball big time. They played like absolute crap last game and I’m thankful I was too busy to watch it. However, hockey playoffs are a crapshoot and the never-ending saga of the leafs leafing is mostly created by people who insist on believing it. The dudes in the dressing room need to step the eff(ort) up. Stolie being out cannot be an excuse. These dudes have got to be-leaf in themselves. The series isn’t over, despite the media circus. They won a round, handily. They deserved to win game 3. They’re not getting pushed around physically (minus last game). I can see progress. I wish them well. Go, Leafs, go!

[gp2015]

I'm expecting them to win tonight just so they can really stomp on the hearts of all their fans when they choke in game 7 again.

[God Squad]

I ain't gonna lie.. I care little about the Leafs, and I'm old enough to remember how arrogant Leafs fans were to Raptors fans back in the day when we were dog water. I root for all Toronto teams, but admittedly, I enjoy the tears they shed come playoff time. I love the "It's our year" or the patented "Just gotta get outta the first"

Go Leafs Go

[Dr Positivity]

The roster will not have underperformed if they lose in 6 to the Panthers, it's neither the most talented or the most balanced team in the league. They don't have a defenseman in their 5 best players. Trade one of Matthews or Marner.