TropicalFruitGirl26

Chicago should throw Gnome Bettman a giant curve ball and draft Fantilli 1st overall instead!

Well...Bedard may be going to the Hawks, but it will be interesting to see if he has the stomach for a lengthy rebuild before he starts to whine about wanting to be elsewhere. Chicago has a LOT, I mean, A LOT of holes in that lineup, and the division as a whole is pretty solid, so they may find their 'reconstruction' to not go as fast as when they first got Kane and Toews!

Exactly. Which is why ANY team, ANY GM that puts in the work, puts in the research, and puts in the smarts can ice a Stanley Cup contender, whether they play in a sunbelt city or a freeze yer arse off city. Shame on the fans if they don't show up for their team, I am 100% in agreement with that, but I'd never hold that against the players who are actually taking the beatings on the ice. Even with a team like Toronto whom I LOVE to make fun of (yea, yea....me and millions of others ), I'd poke fun at their front office more than the players for not properly outfitting this team. Sure, the team itself can perhaps have whiners, or floaters, or guys who only play half the game, but from where I sit, the Leafs actually DO have some pretty damned good players, some complete players even..... but ownership and/or the GM simply do not know how to get those pieces to fit properly.

@pilldoc Ha...that is some good stuff. ONLY in Toronto!

The Florida Panthers may not draw well at all, but to even attempt to insinuate the PLAYERS don't deserve success, after all the hard work THEY put in during the season, simply because the fans aren't showing up to the arena, is downright shortsighted! Maybe the Panthers don't make the Finals, but they've already had 'success' in a good measure by knocking out the Bruins, and if they can do the same to the Leafs (in sweep fashion would be grander, but not necessary...just win the series), then they can double their success, AND that would mean a trip to the East Finals....a worthy goal and accomplishment for many NHL teams...INCLUDING your Sabres who have yet to even taste what a post season is like in many, many years. Keeping in mind I am no fan of the Florida Panthers, but I will continue to call out anyone who thinks the players who play for the team deserve any less success than players who happen to play for a 'traditional' (another outdated term, BTW) hockey market. Hockey entitlement? Sounds like it to me...

Seriously, Toronto...seriously!??

I am as surprised as anyone at what the Florida Panthers have been able to accomplish so far in these playoffs. First off, even MAKING the playoffs after their wildly inconsistent play throughout the season, then to knock off the season wins record setting Bruins, THEN to be up 2-0 in a best of seven against the Leafs, keeping their 'vaunted' offense to just 2 goals per game. But, if you dig a bit deeper into the Florida team, you realize, 'Hey, not so long ago, these guys were considered by many to be a team on the rise!' I believed that too. Until I saw the steps backwards they seemed to take during the season, and while the acquisition of Mat Tkachuk was splashy, and frankly, pretty damned good, they DID give up long time Panther, fan favorite, and consistent goal scorer, Jonathan Huberdeau, and just as important, gave up defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who, IMO, helped keep the Florida defense stable. So Florida needed help strengthening their defense WITH Weegar still, then go and trade him, and not get any real replacement for him. Then the end of the season rolls around, there are the Panthers in it, and here we are now with them in the 2nd round, having already eliminated one SC hopeful, and dealing with another. They must have figured out SOMETHING on their defensive side and Bobrovsky has helped his own cause by playing some of the best hockey I've seen him play in years, under the big spotlight of the playoffs! As a TB fan, I don't really care for either the Leafs or the Cats. But dammit all if Florida doesn't impress me and I find myself rooting for those damned felines, even if they DO employ that rat fink Ryan Lomberg on their squad You would think I'd root for the Leafs so that, if they win it all, I can say my team lost to the very best. But, in this case, %$#@ the Leafs. If they can't deal with a Florida Panther team that just managed to figure things out after 82 games, then they deserve whatever further misery they get! Lots of series left, but for fans of the Maple Leafs, it HAS to feel like a pressure cooker.....Florida patio style!

No, no, no!! There is NO firing in today's kinder, gentler, politically correct environment! Now, the Leafs and Keefe may "mutually agree to part ways", sure. But NEVER firing!

But what a nice, polite, politically correct society we live in now, eh? Remember when it used to be "Coach X was fired (no, not OUR @CoachX )......or "Coach Z canned"...I mean, these would be the headlines. Even just "FIRED" in huge front sports page letters! Now everyone seems to be "mutually parting ways", or "agreeing to pursue other avenues". Good grief....how DO comedians make a living nowadays??

Would it surprise you to learn that perhaps front offices don't like it when he starts replacing all the vending machine items with granola bars and all the coffee machines with veggie smoothie makers?? I know LOTS of offices where that would get one drawn and quartered...

Maple Leafs 'back on track'

Yes, 58 is way too soon. He, along with a few other players, represented my time as a kid, beginning to enjoy then later truly understand this wonderful sport of hockey, because he played for my TB Lightning, back when that was all I knew about, and flaws as a player aside, he WAS my superstar playing for MY team and I always looked forward to "#85 Petr Klima scoring because that was going to help my team win!" Details out of the Czech Republic are nil at this time, and one has to wonder if the full truth will be known anytime soon, as sometimes news can be spotty and sketchy coming from that part of the world, but RIP nonetheless. Condolences to his family.

Shhhh....don't you know it's dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker!!??

Too much celebrating after beating the defending Eastern Champions and getting past round 1??

Toronto Maple Leafs stole back the momentum, tie the game, but here comes Carter Verhaeghe...the massively UNDERRATED, Carter Verhaeghe...with a breakaway, and beats Samsonov clean to give his team the lead once again. 3-2 Panthers.

Haha...I think you mean Steve Levy. Longtime ESPN face. And yea, he does go a bit over the top unnecessarily at times.

How about that? Game was ALL Leafs for the first 10 minutes, even getting two PP's to Florida's none, had the ice tilted heavily towards Sergei Bobrovsky, but it is the Panthers, who, after getting some pressure of their own on the Toronto net, who get the opening score. 1-0 Cats on a Nick Cousins goal.

As shown in the last round, sure looks that way. I think the Wild PK isn't terrible, but was simply eviscerated by the Dallas PP in the first round and MADE to look worse than what they are. That said, since this is the playoffs, not the regular season, and the Kraken have done a better job in the playoffs than they had during the regular season in that department, it is fair to say that, so far, yes, the Kraken have shown themselves to be better than MN shorthanded. But if Dallas continues their insanity with the man advantage, Seattle can look equally inept.

Dallas will face in the Kraken, a team pretty similar to the one they faced in the Minnesota Wild....that is to say, a team that plays, to a man, like a complete unit. Even strength, special teams, goaltending, speed game, grinding game....Seattle, like Minnesota, doesn't do anything spectacularly well, but they do everything well enough to give a lesser working team fits, and even beat them, as they did against the Avalanche. Now, the one thing Seattle likely does better than Minnesota is score goals, so Dallas will have to be on the lookout for those 'almost chances' the Wild had that can turn into "get those goals" the Kraken can turn those into. A bit more tightening up of the Stars defense should do just fine against Seattle, and if the Kraken insist on taking penalties, the Stars can then use their lethal PP to do away with them. This series can be real short if the Dallas PP is allowed to take control, but I don't think Seattle lets things get to that level of ridiculous. But still, I think the Stars continue to do what they do, make the proper adjustments, and despite the good fight from Seattle, still manage to turn home ice into an advantage and take the series. Stars in 7.

Many congratulations to the Florida Panthers for their upset of the record setting regular season Boston Bruins. Very few people had Florida pulling off that series win and that is certainly understandable. The Panthers were supposed to be a rising team, rising to elite status based on their progression the last couple seasons, but took some steps backwards it seems, this year, and had to really scramble and get things together to even make the playoffs. In fact, some would even go so far as to say, that Florida made the post season only because teams like Ottawa, Detroit, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh DIDN'T take control of the situation when they had Florida struggling in the standings. Well, Florida remembered who they are, what they were supposed to be doing, and a guy like Matthew Tkachuk, through sheer will, dragged his team kicking and screaming into the post season and scored a big big win over the big bad bears. Many congrats are also in order for the Toronto Maple LEAFS...yes, I said LEAFS, as my patent on the other thing expired with their equally big series win against the former defending Eastern Champion Lightning, and scored their first series win since when the Bolts won their FIRST ever Stanley Cup! Toronto, over the years, has tried to address their goaltending and defensive woes with various players....THIS year, they just may have gotten the recipe right! Not just bringing in grinders, role players, skill and tough players at random, but those types of players who have actually WON in the past and really know what it is like, and brought them in to better compliment their already impressive offensive players and their already talented secondary players. So...with both Florida and Toronto doing all the right things to win their respective series, feeling good about themselves, and getting to this point....how can one decide which goes on the East Finals? While I think what FLA did was amazing, I still think, fundamentally, the Panthers still have some holes in their defense that the Maple Leafs can exploit. And in goal, Sergei Bobrovsky is a killer of record setting teams in the playoffs....but seems pedestrian against everyone else in the same scenarios. I see this series as high scoring, with the goalie that can somewhat contain the other team really giving his team the advantage. That guy is Ilya Samsonov. The sometimes maligned Ilya Samsonov. Yes, he was exploitable in the previous series, but there were just as many times that he came up super large when he needed to and his play was just enough to keep the series from turning the way of the Lightning. Toronto and Florida are both teams on the rise or at the top....but I think Toronto, for once, has the more complete roster. Boston wasn't a slow team, but the Toronto overall team speed is better. The one big exploit I can see the Panthers possibly having is in the physicality department. Leafs have that too, but Florida has more guys on their roster whose game IS to hit and get under the skin of the opposition. If they can drag Toronto into a nonsense affair while throwing in some hockey, they got a shot. But I see the vets on the Leafs keeping things calm, someone putting a zipper on Michael Bunting when necessary, and Toronto will give as good as it gets in the extra curriculars, but will mostly stick to the game of hockey which they have proven they are damned good at. Leafs in 6, although this series should be anything but boring, and I won't completely discount Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Alex Barkov, and the rest of the Florida Panthers that they can't give the Leafs all they can handle...and if the Leafs underestimate ANYONE on that team, maybe even steal the series too. Should be a fun set! One that I can truly enjoy as a neutral fan, no dog in the fight, and not be affected either way no matter who comes out on top. Just enjoying the games.

Erik Haula with what could be the kill shot goal. 3-0 NJ with just 5 minutes to play, but worse yet for the Rangers, the Devils are just flying, not looking like they are sitting back in any form, and Akira Schmid has been fantastic for NJ. Rangers shooters gonna see Schmid in their nightmares tonight if they can't come back.

Timo Meier is no flyweight pansy, but Jacob Trouba just blew him up like the guy had C4 in his jersey! Meier dropped his line of sight for just a second, but it was long enough for Trouba to pounce. Ruled a clean hit, though Meier's head took a hit from the shoulder, but the Trouba elbow was kept tucked, and the primary point of contact looked like it was the chest of Meier....Timo was awfully low too. Hope he is ok, but THAT is why you don't go ostrich heading through traffic like that....especially with someone like Trouba on the hunt...

@OccamsRazor He sounds a bit inebriated. He must've been Bourboning Up as the series went on

As @Brewin Flames pointed out, Bob is carving out a rep as being a President's Trophy killer! Never mind that he hasn't won any championships....if you are haunted by a poltergeist of a 62+ win team...Who Ya Gonna Call? BOB-BUSTER!! What he does after that may be pedestrian, but you record setting teams...beware when The Bob is around

NY has an early advantage with the PP, but NJ isn't sitting back and instead, using their PK to attack. Ballsy! Results in NY taking a holding penalty, so the NJ PK turns a disadvantage into a 4 on 4 situation, followed by a brief PP. Not bad. Also, Akira Schmid once again in net for the Devils. At this point, win or lose for NJ, I would be very surprised if Schmid wasn't given the opportunity to win the starter's job next season....meaning one of Blackwood or Vanecek would have to be on the way out.