R1, G6: Lightning vs. Maple Leafs - Apr. 29th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[princedpw]

Wordle. Started with "Leafs". Took 6 rows to get it.

Wordle 680 6/6

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[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Everybody still breathing?

Good.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

I'm going to reinforce something azzurri posted yesterday.  I don't know how far we'll get from here on out, but I do think you'll see the team play better — play our game.  We had the first best goalie in R1 but the second best team overall.

Now that the weight of the past is off their shoulders (and out of their heads) they'll be free to play the gamestyle they do best without being held back by fear of failure.  Which they need to do ... as herman mentioned they kind of rope-a-doped the Lightning (and got away with it because of Samsonov).  But they can't afford to keep having tentative starts and playing from behind.

I think it will be really interesting to see how they play R2G1.  Best-case scenario, they use this win over TB as a catapult.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

If anyone's interested, here's a take from the NYT.  They lean heavily on Borje symbolism:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/30/sports/hockey/toronto-maple-leafs-nhl-playoffs.html

[Frank E]

I'm going to reinforce something azzurri posted yesterday.  I don't know how far we'll get from here on out, but I do think you'll see the team play better — play our game.  We had the first best goalie in R1 but the second best team overall.

Now that the weight of the past is off their shoulders (and out of their heads) they'll be free to play the gamestyle they do best without being held back by fear of failure.  Which they need to do ... as herman mentioned they kind of rope-a-doped the Lightning (and got away with it because of Samsonov).  But they can't afford to keep having tentative starts and playing from behind.

I think it will be really interesting to see how they play R2G1.  Best-case scenario, they use this win over TB as a catapult.

I can run with this...I hope you're right.  Monkey off their back on all, play a little looser.

[herman]

I wouldn't say the Leafs rope-a-doped them deliberately, but they did concede the first periods knowing there would be opportunities later in the games if they limited the scoring chances off the extended zone times.

I definitely agree it would be much better to see the Leafs exert their will and playstyle on the opponent.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

I wouldn't say the Leafs rope-a-doped them deliberately, but they did concede the first periods knowing there would be opportunities later in the games if they limited the scoring chances off the extended zone times.

I definitely agree it would be much better to see the Leafs exert their will and playstyle on the opponent.

That makes sense.  I'm sure they would have imposed their will on TB if they could have.  But almost no one can, which is why they are the best team in recent years. 

But in Capworld, by design, you can only stay at the top so long.  My guess is that TB is now going to drift downward.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

BTW one thing I think the Leafs did very well was take care of Kucherov and Point (and Stamkos).  Did Kucherov even score at even strength?  If he did, I can't remember it.  Our top guns outplayed theirs.

[cabber24]

Three OT games and the Leafs legit stole two wins from Tampa.  He wasn't wrong.  Tampa put up a good fight.

I agree. Tampa played very well and the series easily could have gone the other way. Saying so doesn't take away from what the Leafs did. Playing as well as they did with the monkeys on their backs is a legit accomplishment no matter how the other team played but Tampa, a team that was really only in this position because the Cap has basically gutted their depth, did themselves proud.

I actually agree with Cooper and you guys.

I take solace in the fact of the number of games, the leafs out played their opponent, and still lost in the last 19 years. How many times we would say the other teams should not have won and the leafs should have but we could never figure it out... well this time it was finally the reverse.

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years? Felt dumbfounded more times than I care to remember. We were so overdue. How could we possibly feel unworthy? Leafs Nation is entitled to some breaks and some. The best part, like some have said, they have not played their best hockey. Let's enjoy the ride because I think they got a long run in them.

[Nik]

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years?

I mean, it's really not that crazy when you factor in that for 12 years the team was very poorly managed and only made the playoffs once. Not making it out of the first round the last five years was some bad luck and bad matchups but it was also a young team figuring its stuff out.

Also, and I hope now that the streak is over this can be seen as just a fact rather than an "excuse", but the Leafs went from one of the worst teams in the league to a playoff team over night. Some of the years where they made the playoffs in that stretch were them over-achieving regardless of how they actually did in the playoffs. Most teams in the third year of a rebuild are still getting 80-90 points while the Leafs were making the playoffs with 100+ points and losing a 7 game series and people were categorizing those years as failures.

[Joe]

Three OT games and the Leafs legit stole two wins from Tampa.  He wasn't wrong.  Tampa put up a good fight.

I agree. Tampa played very well and the series easily could have gone the other way. Saying so doesn't take away from what the Leafs did. Playing as well as they did with the monkeys on their backs is a legit accomplishment no matter how the other team played but Tampa, a team that was really only in this position because the Cap has basically gutted their depth, did themselves proud.

I actually agree with Cooper and you guys.

I take solace in the fact of the number of games, the leafs out played their opponent, and still lost in the last 19 years. How many times we would say the other teams should not have won and the leafs should have but we could never figure it out... well this time it was finally the reverse.

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years? Felt dumbfounded more times than I care to remember. We were so overdue. How could we possibly feel unworthy? Leafs Nation is entitled to some breaks and some. The best part, like some have said, they have not played their best hockey. Let's enjoy the ride because I think they got a long run in them.

Look I'm going to be a dick here and say that I've had enough of this 'haven't been out of the first round in 19 years' narrative bull#$#%.

10 of those 19 years they didn't even qualify for the post season (technically 11). But the way it's presented it sounds like they've been eliminated for 19 straight seasons in the first round, which is ridiculous.

You can't "get past the first round" if you weren't a participant in the first round to begin with.

[Bill33]

Three OT games and the Leafs legit stole two wins from Tampa.  He wasn't wrong.  Tampa put up a good fight.

I agree. Tampa played very well and the series easily could have gone the other way. Saying so doesn't take away from what the Leafs did. Playing as well as they did with the monkeys on their backs is a legit accomplishment no matter how the other team played but Tampa, a team that was really only in this position because the Cap has basically gutted their depth, did themselves proud.

I actually agree with Cooper and you guys.

I take solace in the fact of the number of games, the leafs out played their opponent, and still lost in the last 19 years. How many times we would say the other teams should not have won and the leafs should have but we could never figure it out... well this time it was finally the reverse.

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years? Felt dumbfounded more times than I care to remember. We were so overdue. How could we possibly feel unworthy? Leafs Nation is entitled to some breaks and some. The best part, like some have said, they have not played their best hockey. Let's enjoy the ride because I think they got a long run in them.

Look I'm going to be a dick here and say that I've had enough of this 'haven't been out of the first round in 19 years' narrative bull#$#%.

10 of those 19 years they didn't even qualify for the post season (technically 11). But the way it's presented it sounds like they've been eliminated for 19 straight seasons in the first round, which is ridiculous.

You can't "get past the first round" if you weren't a participant in the first round to begin with.

I guess based on this, the Kraken can say they've never not gotten past the first round in the history of the franchise.

[cabber24]

Three OT games and the Leafs legit stole two wins from Tampa.  He wasn't wrong.  Tampa put up a good fight.

I agree. Tampa played very well and the series easily could have gone the other way. Saying so doesn't take away from what the Leafs did. Playing as well as they did with the monkeys on their backs is a legit accomplishment no matter how the other team played but Tampa, a team that was really only in this position because the Cap has basically gutted their depth, did themselves proud.

I actually agree with Cooper and you guys.

I take solace in the fact of the number of games, the leafs out played their opponent, and still lost in the last 19 years. How many times we would say the other teams should not have won and the leafs should have but we could never figure it out... well this time it was finally the reverse.

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years? Felt dumbfounded more times than I care to remember. We were so overdue. How could we possibly feel unworthy? Leafs Nation is entitled to some breaks and some. The best part, like some have said, they have not played their best hockey. Let's enjoy the ride because I think they got a long run in them.

Look I'm going to be a dick here and say that I've had enough of this 'haven't been out of the first round in 19 years' narrative bull#$#%.

10 of those 19 years they didn't even qualify for the post season (technically 11). But the way it's presented it sounds like they've been eliminated for 19 straight seasons in the first round, which is ridiculous.

You can't "get past the first round" if you weren't a participant in the first round to begin with.

It's ugly any which way you want to spin it, not making the playoffs 11 of 19, not winning any rounds the times they did. Going 0-11 with 3 wins in a series was a statistical anomaly that is hard to comprehend.

https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/movies/nhl-playoffs-maple-leafs-inability-to-close-out-a-series-reaching-extreme-levels-of-improbability-161535511.html

The Leafs were due even in a series we got outplayed in, we were due.

[Joe]

Three OT games and the Leafs legit stole two wins from Tampa.  He wasn't wrong.  Tampa put up a good fight.

I agree. Tampa played very well and the series easily could have gone the other way. Saying so doesn't take away from what the Leafs did. Playing as well as they did with the monkeys on their backs is a legit accomplishment no matter how the other team played but Tampa, a team that was really only in this position because the Cap has basically gutted their depth, did themselves proud.

I actually agree with Cooper and you guys.

I take solace in the fact of the number of games, the leafs out played their opponent, and still lost in the last 19 years. How many times we would say the other teams should not have won and the leafs should have but we could never figure it out... well this time it was finally the reverse.

Right? How is it possible we couldn't get out of the first round in 19 years? Felt dumbfounded more times than I care to remember. We were so overdue. How could we possibly feel unworthy? Leafs Nation is entitled to some breaks and some. The best part, like some have said, they have not played their best hockey. Let's enjoy the ride because I think they got a long run in them.

Look I'm going to be a dick here and say that I've had enough of this 'haven't been out of the first round in 19 years' narrative bull#$#%.

10 of those 19 years they didn't even qualify for the post season (technically 11). But the way it's presented it sounds like they've been eliminated for 19 straight seasons in the first round, which is ridiculous.

You can't "get past the first round" if you weren't a participant in the first round to begin with.

It's ugly any which way you want to spin it, not making the playoffs 11 of 19, not winning any rounds the times they did. Going 0-11 with 3 wins in a series was a statistical anomaly that is hard to comprehend.

https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/movies/nhl-playoffs-maple-leafs-inability-to-close-out-a-series-reaching-extreme-levels-of-improbability-161535511.html

The Leafs were due even in a series we got outplayed in, we were due.

Yes. Absolutely. But the proper context changes the narrative.

Yes it's ugly no matter you spin it. But how is Dubas' or this team's core responsibility to carry the burden of the complete failure of JFJ and Burke? It's not on them.

Now, the record in elimination games in the Matthews era? Absolutely. You can pin that on Dubas and the current core.

I'm just so tired of headlines over context. It's just so tiring.

[cabber24]

The one constant through the past 19 years has been Leafs Nation (the fans) and it's been rough and we can be pissed about the whole 19 years. It is unfortunate that the current group feels the weight of past failures but the angst of the fans is very real.

The Kraken won a friggin round in year 2! 19 years! Come on!