ECSF: Toronto Maple Leafs [ATL2] vs Florida Panthers [WC2] - Florida Wins 4-1

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Spurs

There was an article a few months ago about Treliving potentially going to TO. It was all speculative not based on any rumours but I think that has got people thinking about it.

In terms of the fit teams often go in a different direction when moving on from a coach/GM and I think Treliving would offer a clearly different approach than what Dubas brought. Based on his experience he would have to be considered by Toronto at the very least.

I hope they go old school and bring in some curmudgeon. Maybe Lou will get fired and we can bring him back.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah that signing was always going to be risky especially with a full NMC. For it to be worth it he needed to tip the scales for them in the playoffs and he's never done that. Now they are a year away from losing both Matthews and Nylander and it seems like this may have been their last shot as a group. He's a good 2nd line center but they could have gone about filling that position without sinking $11 million into it. Florida seems to be getting a lot more out of their 2nd line center for a lot less money.

If I was management I work signing an extension with Matthews before July 1st. If he's unwilling or wants a huge raise I trade him.

[Vinny01]

The Leafs would get a nice haul for Matthews. I am sure LA would consider moving Byfield and Clarke plus some serviceable contracts to Toronto to make that work.

It is funny when I see Leafs fans suggest getting the Bedard pick or even worse the Bedard pick ++ for Matthews. I could maybe see a top 5 pick as the key piece (Columbus) but not the 1st or 2nd overall choice.

[Paulie Walnuts]

The funny thing about this is how everyone here is talking about Flames players mailing it in and pouting.

Dubas should be irate he put everything into this core and these efforts look lousy and like players mailing it in.

Even against Tampa it sounded like they got out played and out chances but relied on some overtime luck.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

The funny thing about this is how everyone here is talking about Flames players mailing it in and pouting.

Dubas should be irate he put everything into this core and these efforts look lousy and like players mailing it in.

Even against Tampa it sounded like they got out played and out chances but relied on some overtime luck.

Keefe must be a meanie. Maybe he joked about Matthews bowel movement.

The Toronto core is soft. They always have been. And they need a goalie. I hope Dubas is not even considered for the GM role here when he is inevitably canned.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah that signing was always going to be risky especially with a full NMC. For it to be worth it he needed to tip the scales for them in the playoffs and he's never done that. Now they are a year away from losing both Matthews and Nylander and it seems like this may have been their last shot as a group. He's a good 2nd line center but they could have gone about filling that position without sinking $11 million into it. Florida seems to be getting a lot more out of their 2nd line center for a lot less money.

He scored a series winning OT goal.

He hasn't had it this round though, and neither have their other big names. The stars had big games in round one and they tipped the scales, but they haven't been impactful this round. They really needed those big guns to step up last game on the score sheet, but they didn't deliver.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Keefe must be a meanie. Maybe he joked about Matthews bowel movement.

The Toronto core is soft. They always have been. And they need a goalie. I hope Dubas is not even considered for the GM role here when he is inevitably canned.

Keefe has to be fired. He made a post game crack about not knowing Knies number.

[ResAlien]

Is the mean coach meme going to get driven into the ground the way intellectual honesty was post Feaster? That’ll be fun.

Toronto is cooked and I don’t even believe game 4 will be competitive. They haven’t seem to have shown any spine to battle back and it could get ugly quickly to put them out of their misery.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

They actually did show spine in Rd 1 which was very un-leaf-like... several late game heroics and obviously 3 OT winners, and the bounce back in game 2 after getting run out of their own building in game 1. So that was a change. I think there's a decent chance they win game 4, which I kind of hope for so that they can lose the series at home, get booed, jersey throws, and so forth. That'll be fun.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They actually did show spine in Rd 1 which was very un-leaf-like... several late game heroics and obviously 3 OT winners, and the bounce back in game 2 after getting run out of their own building in game 1. So that was a change. I think there's a decent chance they win game 4, which I kind of hope for so that they can lose the series at home, get booed, jersey throws, and so forth. That'll be fun.

I'm cheering for a sweep. So it's as if they were never even in the 2nd round, and we can continue the streak with a slight wording difference.

Leafs haven't won a game in the 2nd round since 2004.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

If I was management I work signing an extension with Matthews before July 1st. If he's unwilling or wants a huge raise I trade him.

That's the best way to approach it but the Flames in a similar situation decided to give the core one last chance and I wonder if the mandate in Toronto is to win over retool as trading Matthews would indicate a direction of retooling. Their goaltending is pretty mediocre as is their defense group and I'm not sure that team would be a shoo-in for the playoffs without Matthews as we found out with the Flames, things aren't the same when your best player leaves.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I'm cheering for a sweep. So it's as if they were never even in the 2nd round, and we can continue the streak with a slight wording difference.

Leafs haven't won a game in the 2nd round since 2004.

I'm stunned that this could actually be a sweep. Looking at the early predictions people had here, did anyone even pick Florida to win the series? There were some really bad takes about Toronto destroying Florida etc. which I though didn't make sense at all considering what they did to Boston. But I also though it would be a long series, this is something else. That team has some magic right now.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

Yeah I don't get why Flames fans keep acting like the Leafs would want Treliving. Is there some connection I'm not aware of? Because Trev reminds me a lot of Dubas. Makes deals that on paper look great but when the games are played the team never produces.

This team has no heart and is a chore to watch. I'm pretty sure Flames fans said the same thing about their team this season.

I wonder if it is more an internal issue. The Florida coach loves Bennett and Tkachuk. Florida started off by calling Tkachuk a generational player, they raised the stakes and gave him room to shoot for the moon. Bennett they showed tons of faith in him. He wasn't moved around and expected to stick on the 3rd, 4th lines. That is Sutter, Maurice and coach Q who all loved Sam Bennett. Is it something within the organizatio, that needs to change?

Do we see some similarities in the Huberdeau, Bennett situation? Is it an organizational issue?

[MoneyGuy]

The way Florida is playing I’d say they’d be the cup favourites now.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Saqe

I'm stunned that this could actually be a sweep. Looking at the early predictions people had here, did anyone even pick Florida to win the series? There were some really bad takes about Toronto destroying Florida etc. which I though didn't make sense at all considering what they did to Boston. But I also though it would be a long series, this is something else. That team has some magic right now.

I didn't think it was a good match up for the Leafs.

The quick, Physical forward group for the Panthers was never a good match up for the Leafs d-men. And the top end skill isn't a big advantage for the Leafs (Tkachuk+Barkov > Matthews+Marner).

And if they got "Good Bobrovsky" then they had the big goaltending advantage.

It's funny because I thought this year that Leafs would match up well with Boston, Tampa matched up better with Florida, and in the end Florida/Toronto winning actually created a great second round match up for Florida.

[hah]

It's interesting to note that the efforts of former Flames defensemen, Brodie, Gio, and 7-gamer Gustafsson, seem to be falling short for the Leafs, especially when compared to the praised performances, rightly so of Tkachuk, Bennet, and not really Lomberg.If the Leafs were leading the series, would we be having the same remorse for Gio etc?

[JohnnyB]

Gio's in his twilight. There are no illusions about him being a top defenseman anymore. The Flames got his best years. At this point, he's expected to be a smart and reliable defenseman. He looked like that in the most of the Lightning series, but he hasn't looked the same since getting run over by Maroon and he has really struggled at times against the Panthers. That's a totally different situation than with Tkachuk and Bennett who are in their prime years now with lots of room left to run in front of them.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I didn't think it was a good match up for the Leafs.

The quick, Physical forward group for the Panthers was never a good match up for the Leafs d-men. And the top end skill isn't a big advantage for the Leafs (Tkachuk+Barkov > Matthews+Marner).

And if they got "Good Bobrovsky" then they had the big goaltending advantage.

It's funny because I thought this year that Leafs would match up well with Boston, Tampa matched up better with Florida, and in the end Florida/Toronto winning actually created a great second round match up for Florida.

Everyone forgets that two seasons ago Fla was a top team and they were ousted by a TB team who (a) rested for the year and (b) wennt to the Cup finals. And then they added swapped out Huberdeau's points seamlessly and now their goalie is playing up to his contract more or less.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by hah

It's interesting to note that the efforts of former Flames defensemen, Brodie, Gio, and 7-gamer Gustafsson, seem to be falling short for the Leafs, especially when compared to the praised performances, rightly so of Tkachuk, Bennet, and not really Lomberg.If the Leafs were leading the series, would we be having the same remorse for Gio etc?

That says more about the Leafs blueline depth than it does Gio and Brody. Gio's 39 years old and Brodie is an old looking 32 years old. They don't have a stud on the blueline. They have Reilly who's a #2 defenseman and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd pairing defensemen.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I still think Carolina is the best shot at the cup, and hypothetically if it were to happen, dismantling the Oilers.

They're the most solid team holding up to its reputation in the playoffs currently.