WordsOfWisdom

Flyers seem to have good goaltending this year as well. Won't be an issue for you guys any longer. Well unless you believe the Canadiens really were a better team than Pittsburgh. It sure didn't look that way back in March while they were having their fire-sale.

The playoffs are a small sample size but if I were the Flyers, I'd want the Habs. The Habs are clearly the weakest team in that group of three. They got lucky defeating the Penguins. Their luck will run out in round 2, and you want to be that team that gets to face them just as their Cinderella clock strikes midnight and the wheels come flying off.

Holy sheet! The Blue Jackets "Leaf'ed" it tonight! The first NHL team to do it since the innovators of the collapse themselves!

Didn't realize the next game was tonight. Columbus up 3-0 late in the 3rd. Series over. As far as I'm concerned, this doesn't count as a playoff appearance for Toronto. They didn't make the top 16 teams, so playoff "streak" ended at 3 seasons is it? Enjoy the rest of your summer. See you all next year.

I hate basketball. Toronto was a much nicer city before the Raptors got here. I'd trade them for a second hockey team any day.

Here's my predictions: Game #4: Toronto wins 5-2. Game #5: Toronto is leading 3-2 heading into the third period and gives up 5 unanswered goals to lose 7-3.

My prediction was a Toronto loss in 5, so I think they trade wins all the way through before Toronto chokes in the final game. I mean, they've already choked in game #3, but I'm curious what they have in store for game #5 to one-up themselves. The Leafs like to drag out the series to the maximum number of games before losing. Just watch. They'll play to their maximum ability in game #4, defeat Columbus easily, play well for 40 minutes of game #5, and then stop playing altogether in the third period.

Could also go with a more precise definition like: "To give up a 3-goal lead in a playoff game and lose by allowing 4 or more unanswered goals is what it means to Maple Leaf a game."

Wow. Toronto really "Maple Leaf'd" this game tonight. I think it should be a new hockey term. The definition is as follows: "To snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is what it means to Maple Leaf a game."

Leafs come alive. This should have been 6-0 Toronto but as mentioned previously it takes a little while longer for teams like Toronto to find their timing and dial in their shots. The Leafs are getting there. They dominated Columbus.

Always need to have some handy when you're a Leafs fan. Like tissues/toilet paper. I guess I'm surprised to still be getting disappointed after all this time. It's the duration more than anything lol. lol.

Another key here is that "skill" players usually require some time to get their timing back. Hard working, grinder type players can pick up where they left off more easily. If your game is built around speed, puck movement, and precision shooting like the Leafs, then you can't just be 100% at those things after a four month layoff. I can't say I'm surprised the Leafs got shutout in their first game back. In essence, they did pick up right where they left off: in the midst of a scoring slump. It's just disappointing that this team never surprises me. They never rise to the occasion and they never exceed expectations. If you look at the last 25+ years of the Leafs, when was the last time they caught anyone by surprise with their play? They're always right where you expect them to be, both in the standings and in the playoffs. When they run into a higher seed like Boston or Washington, they lose as they're expected to. Each time the Leafs go deep into the playoffs, it's with a team that is stacked with great players on paper. When you roll into a conference final with a 100+ point team that includes Sundin, Mogilny, Roberts, Nieuwendyk, Belfour, etc....... you're doing the expected. You didn't "sneak up" on anybody. If you go deep with a group of castoffs like the Knights did, you're exceeding expectations.

Hope he doesn't get shut out. If they are indeed treated as playoff stats, does that affect playoff-based records in any way? Wins, losses, goals, points, etc. Some interesting details for the NHL to work out here. Or maybe they keep the stats for the qualifying round separate from the other stats and don't count them as playoffs or regular season.

As another point of inquiry..... do these games count as playoff games or regular season games? According to the NHL, the bracket challenge will be up again once the NHL gets down to 16 teams..... so that would mean the playoffs haven't really started until it gets to 16 teams. That would mean this play-in series is like regular season games trying to earn a playoff spot and those stats should (in theory) count towards regular season play and not the playoffs. And you know what that means......

You know the more I think about it, why aren't the Leafs playing against the Panthers or the Canadiens in round one to qualify? I know we have wild card spots and everything but Toronto's real competition for a playoff spot was the Panthers or (barely) the Habs. No matter what Columbus did, it wasn't going to affect Toronto's playoff chances directly. The Leafs were top 3. They should have had Columbus vs Pittsburgh, Toronto vs Montreal/Florida, or whatever. Keep it within the division.