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

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I guess he was trying to defend. Chasing a guy behind your own net is bad defending though, I'm sure he realized as the play was developing how much trouble he was in. Very rare to see that kind of clean wrap around attempt anymore.

That whole sequence was a mess of indecision and poor judgment by the Leafs. Reinhart going through three guys at the blueline who were all caught waiting for someone else to stop him typified how the Leafs looked all game. They were all looking nervous, uncertain, and mentally out of the game.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

That whole sequence was a mess of indecision and poor judgment by the Leafs. Reinhart going through three guys at the blueline who were all caught waiting for someone else to stop him typified how the Leafs looked all game. They were all looking nervous, uncertain, and mentally out of the game.

They choked hard IMO.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Fans and even NHL management overreact to playoff success / failures IMO. (Flames management overreacted to playoff losses in both 2009, and 2019 IMO)

The best way to win the cup is to be a consistently good (100+ point) regular season team.

Because come playoff time luck, timing, and goaltending play a huge role in determining the outcome.

Look at Florida and Calgary.

Florida: 92 points
Calgary: 93 points

Last 20 Games:
Florida: 12-6-2 (26 points)
Flames: 11-5-4 (26 points)

But Florida gets in the playoffs because of the conference they were in and the Flames don't.

Flames are in turmoil, and the Panthers are the hottest team in the league right now because of circumstance. Boston was in a bit of injury issue as Krejci and Bergeron were not close to 100% and it burned them. Now they are taking it to a Leafs team who was honestly lucky to get past Tampa (3 OT wins), and who wasn't a great match up for the speed and grit that Florida's forwards bring.

Timing, Luck, Goaltending.

So much good in this post.

But, especially the bolded part.

The Flames could easily bounce back to being a 100+ point team again next year. So much went wrong this year it's ridiculous, and their margin for losing was razor thin all while being backed by some of the worst goaltending in the league.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

So much good in this post.

But, especially the bolded part.

The Flames could easily bounce back to being a 100+ point team again next year. So much went wrong this year it's ridiculous, and their margin for losing was razor thin all while being backed by some of the worst goaltending in the league.

The only thing that went right was health. But even there an injury to a skater or goalie might have had unintended good consequences - a goalie goes down and Wolf comes up, or Sutter is forced into using more young guys.

[bluejays]

Brodie and Giordano are great guys and all, but there's no way at this stage of their careers are they more than bottom 3 dmen. I said it. In Toronto they're in the right spot, but just given a bit more ice time than necessary.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Brodie is getting absolutely ripped on Toronto sports radio for his play on the OT goal....he isn't alone though

Rightfully so.....he hasn't been very good all playoffs. Though he is not alone in that.

McCabe/Brodie were supposed to be the shutdown pair for the Leafs, and they have not been anywhere near that.

I always have been convinced he was severely over rated by many on this board among others.

He is a good skater with decent hockey IQ...that does not equate to being a top pairing guy though.

Looks like that is exactly what is playing out....just leaning on him way to much.

1 regulation win for that club in 9 playoff games.....and he is as big a part of why that is as anyone....albeit not alone.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Fans and even NHL management overreact to playoff success / failures IMO. (Flames management overreacted to playoff losses in both 2009, and 2019 IMO)

The best way to win the cup is to be a consistently good (100+ point) regular season team.

Because come playoff time luck, timing, and goaltending play a huge role in determining the outcome.

Look at Florida and Calgary.

Florida: 92 points
Calgary: 93 points

Last 20 Games:
Florida: 12-6-2 (26 points)
Flames: 11-5-4 (26 points)

But Florida gets in the playoffs because of the conference they were in and the Flames don't.

Flames are in turmoil, and the Panthers are the hottest team in the league right now because of circumstance. Boston was in a bit of injury issue as Krejci and Bergeron were not close to 100% and it burned them. Now they are taking it to a Leafs team who was honestly lucky to get past Tampa (3 OT wins), and who wasn't a great match up for the speed and grit that Florida's forwards bring.

Timing, Luck, Goaltending.

Mostly true, but when you appear in only one conference final in a 33 year span, it can't just be chalked up to bad luck...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Rightfully so.....he hasn't been very good all playoffs. Though he is not alone in that.

McCabe/Brodie were supposed to be the shutdown pair for the Leafs, and they have not been anywhere near that.

I always have been convinced he was severely over rated by many on this board among others.

He is a good skater with decent hockey IQ...that does not equate to being a top pairing guy though.

Looks like that is exactly what is playing out....just leaning on him way to much.

1 regulation win for that club in 9 playoff games.....and he is as big a part of why that is as anyone....albeit not alone.

Overrated maybe but not severely IMO. He had his warts but there was a time he was adequate as a #2 paired with Gio but he's almost 33 years old now and it's more of an indictment of the Leafs blueline depth that he's playing over 23 minutes/game in the playoffs than anything else.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Mostly true, but when you appear in only one conference final in a 33 year span, it can't just be chalked up to bad luck...

I never said that was specific to the Flames - more the league in general.

The Flames have been trying to chase the "luck" for the majority of that time, which is why they haven't had success.

They haven't really structurally built to try to have a team that is going to consistently be 100 point team...and when they have had stronger teams they have tended to overreact to what happened in the playoffs.

They overreacted to losing to Chicago in 2010.

They overreacted to winning a round in 2015.

They overreacted to losing to Colorado in 2019.

They were somewhat forced to overreact after losing to Edmonton in 2022, and losing Tkachuk/Gaudreau.

My point is more that when you get that 100 point team you can't overreact to it. Colorado didn't overreact after losing in the 1st or 2nd round 4 straight years. They just continued down the path they were on and kept building.

Teams that try to overreact, make big sweeping changes, and who believe they can accelerate something too quickly are the ones that fail. And Flames tend to always fall in that short term decision making camp.

[Erick Estrada]

I agree that fans and management typically overreact to playoff failure but I think the Leafs are at the state where changes probably need to be made especially with key players on expiring contracts next season. The core 4 combined with a pretty average defensive core and goaltending group just isn't working out in the playoffs for them.

[dustygoon]

The hell is wrong with this leafs team. I've never liked nor disliked them. But I got on the train hoping they get to the SCF for Gio.

Turns out being a leaf fan, albeit temporary, is kind of soul destroying. You never know what you are going to get. And their top players fade in and out of the play so often.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

The hell is wrong with this leafs team. I've never liked nor disliked them. But I got on the train hoping they get to the SCF for Gio.

Turns out being a leaf fan, albeit temporary, is kind of soul destroying. You never know what you are going to get. And their top players fade in and out of the play so often.

Is it really that much different than being a Flames fan?

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Is it really that much different than being a Flames fan?

Ha! good point. i just feel TO has way more elite talent, but maybe its hype.

[stang]

Let’s go Panthers!

[CroFlames]

Omg ew, I'm agreeing with an Oiler fan.

[midniteowl]

I want this series go the distance. Let's Go Leafs!!

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

I want this series go the distance. Let's Go Leafs!!

You should feel ashamed of yourself for every typing out those words

[Chi-Town Hustler]

Let's go FLA.

Go Flams

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You should feel ashamed of yourself for every typing out those words

[hwy19man]

Let's go Panthers. Rake those Leafs and burn them!