Standings- position

[Deebo]

So, 5th locked up, a Boston win tomorrow and the Leafs play Montreal, a single point by Boston and they play the Bruins

A single point by Boston still gets them the division I think.

Montreal has the ROW tiebreak.

 

[L K]

So, 5th locked up, a Boston win tomorrow and the Leafs play Montreal, a single point by Boston and they play the Bruins

A single point by Boston still gets them the division I think.

Montreal has the ROW tiebreak.

So Ottawa loses in OT.  Ottawa moves into 7th and avoids facing Pittsburgh while Boston faces the Senators in a fun affair in the playoffs.  The Leafs get to face Montreal still.  Wins all around.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

So, 5th locked up, a Boston win tomorrow and the Leafs play Montreal, a single point by Boston and they play the Bruins

A single point by Boston still gets them the division I think.

Montreal has the ROW tiebreak.

Right right, was confused why Boston was ahead of them going into last night so assumed they had the tiebreak - but it was number of GP then.

 

[oakl0008]

Does it matter who we play, honestly? Okay, if we play Boston we're out in 5 tops. If we play Montreal we might be able to push it to 6.

Chances of a 4-0 sweep are very likely.

We are porous defensively. We got to 5th because of a shortened season, luck, and offence. Those things most likely won't be in play in the opening round. It's more likely our offence drys up (as it is want to do in the playoffs) but I doubt we shore up defensively, we couldn't all season pretty much.

This was a year of good luck and fortune for us - it most likely won't be repeated next year, and likely we'll be on the outside looking in.. again.

Just enjoy the extra games, and being part of (what will most likely be) a short playoff atmosphere again.

I can't say I share your pessimistic outlook!  :
We WON the season series vs. the Habs, so why would they steamroll us in the playoffs?

I think Brystine is saying this based on how the team is playing lately.

That, AND we only won the season series 3-2 I think. Years ago Ottawa beat Toronto in every regular season game only to be swept in the playoff matchup. So that doesn't mean a whole lot.

I think the media made too much too early about a Leafs-Habs playoff run way before anything was certain, so this situation was bound to happen. It's not over yet but I always had this feeling that it was going to be Bruins-Leafs in the first round. Not sure how I feel about that but I know I wouldn't feel all that confident over a Leaf-Habs matchup. No more Jinx!

 

[Jalili]

I still say I'll take Boston. I think it will be just as fun watching us and them as it would Mon.

Nothing excites me more than a matchup against a team that psychologically owns us.

 

[Brystine]

Wow, what a terribly pessimistic outlook. I'm not sure why the Leafs' offense is going to dry up while all the other teams will continue to be prolific scorers.

One of the best penalty kills in the league, very good goaltending, four  players on 30-goal pace, two top-10 scoring defensemen, etc. It's not luck, this team is genuinely better.

All offence will dry up - it happens in the Playoffs. Less PP's, tighter defense, tighter match-ups etc. So when that gets taken from us, we are left with having to do the same - I don't trust this team defensively, and despite Reimer having an excellent season, there's very few games we play where luck didn't play a part in keeping the puck out of our net.

I think you'll see scores like this 3-1, 4-2, 2-1, 2-0.

PKing won't really matter - the whistles largely get put away in the Post-Season, it's all about 5on5. Kessel will most likely be matched up against a great shadowing forward, who's sole job will be to make him disappear, I'm not sure Kessel can fight through this, we've seen Boston already use this against us by having Chara on Kessel, and Kessel can't produce against the Bruins because of it. In a 4 Game series, against the same team, players are going to take pride in shutting down the offence from the other team.

 

[Brystine]

I can't say I share your pessimistic outlook!  :
We WON the season series vs. the Habs, so why would they steamroll us in the playoffs?

Means nothing. Two games we won because Price was sleeping and it seemed every shot of ours found the back of the net. I doubt he turns into Fleury.

We'll see - but I'm saying it now - we're out in 5 or under. I don't even think we'll push it to 6.

 

[bustaheims]

Means nothing. Two games we won because Price was sleeping and it seemed every shot of ours found the back of the net. I doubt he turns into Fleury.

No need for Price to turn into Fleury. His own playoff history isn't exactly stellar. He crumbles in big games.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

All offence will dry up - it happens in the Playoffs. Less PP's, tighter defense, tighter match-ups etc. So when that gets taken from us, we are left with having to do the same - I don't trust this team defensively, and despite Reimer having an excellent season, there's very few games we play where luck didn't play a part in keeping the puck out of our net.

...

PKing won't really matter - the whistles largely get put away in the Post-Season, it's all about 5on5.

Do you have a link or something that shows this to be true?

Just quickly on my own, last season in the playoffs there were around 3.7 power plays per game.  This season, the Leafs have had 3.4 power play opportunities per game.

 

[Brystine]

Means nothing. Two games we won because Price was sleeping and it seemed every shot of ours found the back of the net. I doubt he turns into Fleury.

No need for Price to turn into Fleury. His own playoff history isn't exactly stellar. He crumbles in big games.

1 Averagely Bad, 2 Horrible, 1 Excellent. The Excellent being his latest foray into the Playoffs.

Over his career:

1 Averagely Bad, 1 Averagely Good, 1 Horrible, 2 Excellent.

Certainly allows for scrutinization. Then, we don't know how Reimer will do.

Looking at his career we have:

1 Horrible, 1 Excellent.

 

[oakl0008]

Wow, what a terribly pessimistic outlook. I'm not sure why the Leafs' offense is going to dry up while all the other teams will continue to be prolific scorers.

One of the best penalty kills in the league, very good goaltending, four  players on 30-goal pace, two top-10 scoring defensemen, etc. It's not luck, this team is genuinely better.

All offence will dry up - it happens in the Playoffs. Less PP's, tighter defense, tighter match-ups etc. So when that gets taken from us, we are left with having to do the same - I don't trust this team defensively, and despite Reimer having an excellent season, there's very few games we play where luck didn't play a part in keeping the puck out of our net.

I think you'll see scores like this 3-1, 4-2, 2-1, 2-0.

PKing won't really matter - the whistles largely get put away in the Post-Season, it's all about 5on5. Kessel will most likely be matched up against a great shadowing forward, who's sole job will be to make him disappear, I'm not sure Kessel can fight through this, we've seen Boston already use this against us by having Chara on Kessel, and Kessel can't produce against the Bruins because of it. In a 4 Game series, against the same team, players are going to take pride in shutting down the offence from the other team.

And this right here is what worries me, as good as Kessel is (without him there would have been no post season).  :-\

 

[bustaheims]

1 Averagely Bad, 2 Horrible, 1 Excellent. The Excellent being his latest foray into the Playoffs.

Over his career:

1 Averagely Bad, 1 Averagely Good, 1 Horrible, 2 Excellent.

Certainly allows for scrutinization. Then, we don't know how Reimer will do.

Looking at his career we have:

1 Horrible, 1 Excellent.

Price has one playoff season where his Sv% was noticeably above .900, and in that playoff, he played poorly in the pivotal 7th game of the 1st round, as well as in the very important 3rd and 4th games, that would have given his team a stranglehold on the series. He's not a closer. In the 1 playoff round he's won, he game perilously close to blowing a 3-1 series lead by playing terribly in games 5 and 6. He has not shown himself to a goalie to be feared in the playoffs, nor was he particularly spectacular in the regular season.

 

[Kin]

PKing won't really matter - the whistles largely get put away in the Post-Season, it's all about 5on5.

Last year the Kings were shorthanded 3.57 times per game in the regular season and then 3.8 times per game in the postseason. The Devils were shorthanded 3.16 times per game in the regular season and 3.42 times per game in the postseason.

Both teams had top 3 PK's in the regular season. The idea that a good PK doesn't matter in the postseason is laughable.

 

[Stickytape]

Ottawa just pulled ahead 3-2 over Boston with 3 minutes left.  Hey, if the Sens can beat 'em, maybe we can too.

 

[pnjunction]

Sens get the empty-netter.  Bruins it is.

 

[Kaberle15]

Oh boy... Bring on the Bruins I guess...

 

[Redleaf]

Alright. It seems like a foregone conclusion to me
that we will meet the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. I know it's still early, but doesn't it seem inevitable?

I know it's not real cool to reply to yourself, but......

 

[Derk]

Alright. It seems like a foregone conclusion to me
that we will meet the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. I know it's still early, but doesn't it seem inevitable?

I know it's not real cool to reply to yourself, but......

Not cool, dude.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Mirtle says there are "rumblings" the series might not start until Thursday.  Not good if true.

EDIT: And just as I press post, Gord Miller says it starts Wednesday.

 

[Capn_Crunch]

Wow, what a terribly pessimistic outlook. I'm not sure why the Leafs' offense is going to dry up while all the other teams will continue to be prolific scorers.

One of the best penalty kills in the league, very good goaltending, four  players on 30-goal pace, two top-10 scoring defensemen, etc. It's not luck, this team is genuinely better.

All offence will dry up - it happens in the Playoffs. Less PP's, tighter defense, tighter match-ups etc. So when that gets taken from us, we are left with having to do the same - I don't trust this team defensively, and despite Reimer having an excellent season, there's very few games we play where luck didn't play a part in keeping the puck out of our net.

I think you'll see scores like this 3-1, 4-2, 2-1, 2-0.

PKing won't really matter - the whistles largely get put away in the Post-Season, it's all about 5on5. Kessel will most likely be matched up against a great shadowing forward, who's sole job will be to make him disappear, I'm not sure Kessel can fight through this, we've seen Boston already use this against us by having Chara on Kessel, and Kessel can't produce against the Bruins because of it. In a 4 Game series, against the same team, players are going to take pride in shutting down the offence from the other team.

Quite the negative nancy you are.... Reg season has traditionally meant little as pointed out via the stats against the sens. They owned us all season every season until it came crunch time. Then they went down faster then a toothless hooker on welfare day. To sit there and say that the PK means nothing is also a joke. Special teams are key to any team let alone a contender. I don't have the stats in front of me atm but if you take a look back i would be willing to bet you that you'd see almost every championship team has not only a good PP but a solid PK unit as well.

Mind you i am not near ready to call us a true contender yet...but we got a invite to the big dance and now we move forward from here. Even if we loose in the first round, it is key experience that will become invaluable to us in the future. Everything has a purpose and i find it hard to believe that Reims will turn into Toskala V2.0 and that all of our offense goes into the tank against the bruins. We have more in our arsenal then we have had in years past and we have a little something that we can finally see burning in the guys eyes.... It's called HOPE. You my fairweathered friend seem like you need to find your passion once again.

The habs would have been a dream come true in the first round. Now we have to hope and cheer for the chance to break them in the second round when they really think they have a chance. Pitts and Wash are the odds on favs to be in the ECF and for good reason.

Above all else... Look at last year's Champs. From 8th to a Cup, proof positive that once the puck drops on the real season anything is possible.