Devils @ Leafs - Nov. 8th, 7:00pm - TSN4

[cw]

Fairly wide consensus was they were a bubble team to start the season. They're still roughly that now. They're probably going to have a tough 3 games and then pick up some points in the easier 4 games after.

 

[rjd]

Fairly wide consensus was they were a bubble team to start the season. They're still roughly that now. They're probably going to have a tough 3 games and then pick up some points in the easier 4 games after.

That consensus came with the caveats that Bob played well, they stayed healthy, and Matthews and Nylander played like superstars.

2.5 of those things aren't happening right now, so I think that means they aren't a bubble team. Matthews has had a couple off games. Hopefully he's just tired. But if it's more than that, it's hard to see how this team isn't in tough. They are barely above Detroit for last in the division.

 

[cw]

That consensus came with the caveats that Bob played well, they stayed healthy, and Matthews and Nylander played like superstars.

2.5 of those things aren't happening right now, so I think that means they aren't a bubble team. Matthews has had a couple off games. Hopefully he's just tired. But if it's more than that, it's hard to see how this team isn't in tough. They are barely above Detroit for last in the division.

I don't think so
The odds makers didn't have those caveats for example
No discussion. Just odds:
ESPN Stanley Cup Odds
FanDuel Sports Odds

plus, for example ...
The Hockey News

"There's a wide range of outcomes for the Maple Leafs and a lot of it will hinge on keeping a very old defense and goaltending healthy and fresh, along with Auston Matthews' ability to be an elite goal-scorer again. Ultimately, it's still tough to say if the Maple Leafs will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline at this point."

Daily Faceoff

"The Leafs have without question the widest range of outcomes in the NHL this season. Anyone who claims to know what they’ll do is lying. It’s impossible to predict what results Chayka’s delightfully deranged chemistry experiment yields. The Leafs do look like a better team on paper year over year, with the upside to rejoin the playoff picture, but it’s tough to imagine a world in which they’re superior to the Lightning, Panthers, Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres or even the Senators in the Atlantic. The guess here: the Leafs improve to the Wildcard bubble and play meaningful games into early April but still fall short of a playoff berth. The roster construction includes a few too many gambles, as fun as they are."

The very term "Bubble team" generally implies they might make the playoffs or they might not. Some of that relates to where they finished last season. Some of that was probably due to them being one of the oldest teams in the NHL and therefore, they are a higher risk for injuries or decline. Some of that was probably due to the uncertainty of which Matthews or Tanev they were going to get. Some of that was due to the uncertainty of the goaltending, etc, etc.

To begin the season, they were not regarded as a serious contender to win a Cup. They were regarded by many as a team that might or might not make the playoffs. That is roughly about where they are right now. It will probably get a little bleaker after the next 3 games against good teams. And it will probably brighten some after the easier 4 games that follow.
Welcome to the 2026-27 Leafs rollercoaster!!

 

[Frank E]

Raddysh scores his first Leafs goal tonight and we eke out a win. That is what I say.

 

[L K]

Its certainly too early to write the team off. Injuries and personal slumps could explain some of the drop off. What I haven't liked the last few games is that there doesn't seem to be much in the way of push back for the poor outcomes. Cowan will jump guys but where have Duhaime/Blueger/McEwan/Sissons/Paul been to throw a few big hits and try and get momentum back in these games. Overall they have been useful players for other things but the bottom 6 should be able to do something to get the momentum going. McEwan has a handful of fights. But the rest of them?

Matthews got thrown around a lot by Hamilton last night. No change in response in Matthews game.

It's the same soft team.

Losing this game on its own I'm fine with. Rielly has been useful this year. Tanev shouldn't be relied on but is still important. Rifai/Blankenburg hurts the depth even more. Tavares hasn't looked good in either game so I suspect he's coming back not quite at 100% given the team slump. Nylander looked better on Saturday but his game has seemed off for a while so I wonder if he's banged up. Marchenko and Roslovic were big losses.

The loss is understandable. The poor efforts game over game aren't.

--------------------------
Also penalties are my thing to complain about.

Nylander has drawn 2 penalties all year. Matthews has drawn 6. Cowan has drawn 5. Matthews is the only player who has drawn more than 1 penalty more than they have taken.

25-14 penalty differential over the last 7 games.

Some of that is playstyle. Some of that is effort but its hard to win games when you are taking 1-2 more penalties than your opponent every game.

 

[YYZ]

That McWard feller looked better than any other Dman on the Leafs.