NHL 2022-23 Playoffs Eastern Conference RD 2: Toronto (A2) vs. Florida (WC2) - (Florida wins series 4-1)

[pilldoc]

Game 1: Panthers 4 Maple Leafs 2

Game 2: Panthers 3 Maple Leafs 2

Game 3: Panthers 3 Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

Game 4: Maple Leafs 2 Panthers 1

Game 5: Panthers 3 Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

*Sunday, May 14: Toronto at Florida, TBD

*Tuesday, May 16: Florida at Toronto, TBD, TNT

 

All Discussion here

Edited May 13, 2023 by pilldoc

[pilldoc]

Poll is now open

[Buffalo Rick]

The Leafs will win this series.  Count on it. Too much firepower for these lucky Turkeys that pulled off the upset.  I am betting Toronto in game one also as I feel Florida will be mentally trapped in their win over Boston for some time.  Still celebrating until Matthews, Marner and Tavares awaken them.  

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

I'll go on with one of my bald prediction: If the Leafs go past the first round, they will be unstoppable. No more monkeys on the shoulders, they will play with less pressure IMO. But don't underestimate the Cats. Leafs in 6 if they don't poop in the fan.

[NHL HHOF]

 

[Buffalo Rick]

How would you like to be scalping and selling the whiskey at this game?  Imagine the stampede to see the games in Toronto.  And I’ll bet that the games in Florida will have more Leafs fans than Panther fans. Even when winning Florida can’t draw.  I am shocked they still have a team.  

[yave1964]

Must see TV.

 

  I am taking the Leafs in six, either way one of these two will be in conference finals for the first time in God knows how long. Reilly a man on a mission, Tkachuk a one man wrecking crew, should be on ehell of a fun series, i just think Toronto has a bit more in net.

[pilldoc]

Partial Schedule available:

 

Tuesday, May 2: 7 p.m., Florida at Toronto (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)  
Thursday, May 4: TBD, Florida at Toronto (TBD)

[J0e Th0rnton]

 

avalanche, bolts, and bruins out, leafs advance. cant say i had that on my playoff bingo card.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

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.  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

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.

[GratefulFlyers]

ESPN and the NHL - a bad combination.

 

Who is this play by play guy? A couple great saves and the ESPN guy blows his top: "Samsonov has taken over the game!"

 

Okay the whole world is in awe - Rejoice the Leafs are in the 2nd round. A little respect for the Cats wouldn't be out of line.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

16 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

ESPN and the NHL - a bad combination.

 

Who is this play by play guy? A couple great saves and the ESPN guy blows his top: "Samsonov has taken over the game!"

 

Okay the whole world is in awe - Rejoice the Leafs are in the 2nd round. A little respect for the Cats wouldn't be out of line.

 

Haha...I think you mean Steve Levy.
Longtime ESPN face.

And yea, he does go a bit over the top unnecessarily at times.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

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.

[GratefulFlyers]

13 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

the massively UNDERRATED, Carter Verhaeghe..

Yep but not for much longer. I imagine he won’t be underrated, at least not by his opponents, after the POs. Even if the Cats don’t advance Verhaeghe has had a great run and should already have “clutch” next to his name…!
 

Duclair’s resilience was impressive too, after getting leveled, found Verhaeghe for the breakaway. 

[SaucyJack]

11 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Verhaeghe has had a great run and should already have “clutch” next to his name

I didn’t exactly know it two nights ago when I predicted he’d score the series winning goal…but just as the OT started, they showed a graphic of Florida Panthers who’d scored playoff OT goals.  Four or five had one; only Verhaege had two.  Now three! 

 

Without knowing those stats, I picked him because buried deep in my mind somewhere was a memory, yeah THIS guy…Big Situation player.

 

P.S. Can’t resist:  Verhaege leads Ovechkin in this ‘big play’ stat by 3

Edited May 3, 2023 by SaucyJack

[GratefulFlyers]

Brandon Montour is steadily becoming another clutch player for FL. Cost them a 3R pick…unreal. He’s got how many goals in these POs now? They just said it and I missed it. Got to be 5 or 6 now.

 

edit: they repeated it he’s got 6. And none in his previous 47 PO games, did I hear that right? Now that’s unreal!

 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by GratefulFlyers

[FD19372]

I'm late to this one, but I'm sticking with what I thought before this game. Toronto in 6.

[GratefulFlyers]

7 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

I'm late to this one, but I'm sticking with what I thought before this game. Toronto in 6.

Looks like the Leafs were late to this one too. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

8 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Looks like the Leafs were late to this one too. 

 

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

[GratefulFlyers]

Just now, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

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

could be lol. The lion’s share of the credit has to go to Bobrovsky he was incredible especially with the EN. Talk about clutch I thought for sure they’d score when he lost his stick. 
 

Okay Cats 3 more just like that please!

[FD19372]

13 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Looks like the Leafs were late to this one too. 

Not just that. Florida was the better team tonight. They were the much more tenacious, physical team, and Bob was sharp. Florida flat out dominated the first two periods tonight.

[Brewin Flames]

 

[pilldoc]

Updated Schedule

 

Game 1: Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 2

Thursday, May 4: Florida at Toronto, 7, TNT

Sunday, May 7: Toronto at Florida, 6:30, TBS

Wednesday, May 10: Toronto at Florida, 7, ESPN

*Friday, May 12: Florida at Toronto, TBD, TNT

*Sunday, May 14: Toronto at Florida, TBD

*Tuesday, May 16: Florida at Toronto, TBD, TNT

[JR Ewing]