It'll go down to the wire with TBay, but hopefully we can put the Panthers behind us for good in the next handful of games.
2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
For clarity on the FLA - 5.
If the Leafs beat FLA in regulation, Leafs would be up 8 pts on FLA with FLA having 4 games left (8 pts)
The first tie breaker is RW which the Leafs would win because they would have 40 RW to FLA's 35 with 4 games to play.
That would 'eliminate' FLA's chances of passing the Leafs.
If FLA gets a point with an OTL or SOL, the magic number would be 1 (FLA would be 7 pts behind and could win 8 pts in their final 4 games)
So as I understand it, if the Leafs win in regulation on Tuesday, they would clinch home ice in the first round and the only issue left to decide is whether they or Tampa will win the division.
Go Leafs Go !!
bustaheims
Well-known member
Redleaf
Active member
I’m more concerned about our first opponent. I’m seeing Ottawa catch up and eventually pass Forida. That’ll put the Panthers in the WC spot to play the Leafs instead of the sens.
AtomicMapleLeaf2
Member
Bring those pussies on!!
dappleganger
Well-known member
Knocking off the Panthers in the first round will probably give this group a huge confidence boost.
Ottawa swept the Leafs this season. I don't think either of them are going to be easy.
Half the league is golfing in a couple of weeks.
The opponents left in a league with considerable parity are not going to be easy.
That is why it is such a tough trophy to win and partly why the Leafs drought has been so long.
L K
Well-known member
We thought that about beating Tampa too. The reality is you win and then play another good team.
There is probably an exception but I can't recall a playoff where it got progressively easier.
Another one I have had a problem rationalizing is: if the eventual Cup winner or finalist beats your team in round 1, that is supposedly considerably worse than the eventual Cup winner or finalist beating your team exactly the same way in round 3. Obviously, the fans of your team got to see more playoff hockey which is fun/great, etc. But the importance of the additional rounds in the hierarchy of how close your team got seems a bit murky - like maybe too much importance is placed on it.
Ozzie
Active member
Maurice said (paraphrasing): "1st place is not important because you have to play a team from Ontario and a team from Florida for where we want to go."
Panthers are going for the Cup and so they dont care about matchups. They have to beat everyone.
If the expectations for a team are to win only one or two rounds, then jockeying for a favorable first round match up makes total sense.
Panthers are going for the Cup and so they dont care about matchups. They have to beat everyone.
If the expectations for a team are to win only one or two rounds, then jockeying for a favorable first round match up makes total sense.
Guru Tugginmypuddah
Well-known member
#NoLosers
Berube answered that by claiming to just focus on how his team is playing.
If you gave either coach and probably every other NHL coach the choice of home ice advantage or not, I bet indifference would not prevail though home ice is not an overwhelming advantage in the playoffs.
Ozzie
Active member
bustaheims
Well-known member
The sens almost always had got the better of the Leafs in the regular season in the years they met in the playoffs. Regular season head-to-head doesn't mean much once the playoffs start. Playing a series against the same team is a very different beast than a game here and there during the season. It allows teams to really focus in on what works and what doesn't, what weaknesses can be exploited, etc.
I was there in 2001 when the Leafs swept those Sens in the playoffs. Faceoff wizard Yanic Perreault. That was a fun game as I recall it. How I got there is a little murkier ... something about winning the tickets in a strip club.
Bill_Berg
Well-known member
He me too! Only Leaf playoff game I've ever been to. I had my Bill Berg jersey on and my wife had my Perreault jersey. Perreault scored the game winner and Berg had the primary assist. Wrong Berg though.I was there in 2001 when the Leafs swept those Sens in the playoffs. Faceoff wizard Yanic Perreault. That was a fun game as I recall it. How I got there is a little murkier ... something about winning the tickets in a strip club.