The Leafs Playoff Road

[WordsOfWisdom]

This is what the Leafs (projected to finish with 102 points) have in front of them for the playoffs this year:

 

Round 1: Boston Bruins (106 points -- projected)

 

This is a match up that does not favour the Leafs. The Bruins turned things up a notch to pull ahead of Toronto in the standings and get their home ice advantage. The Bruins are a stingy defensive team and history is on their side. They have Toronto's number. They seem to do just enough to always be one step ahead of the Leafs.

 

Personally, I think it's over for the Leafs right here, but assuming they get past Boston.....

 

Round 2: Tampa Bay Lightning (128 points -- projected)

 

The Lightning are playing the game at another level than everyone else. In a parity driven league with most teams roughly equal, the Lightning are definitely better than the rest. If the Leafs were to get this far, I think they would get humiliated by Tampa. This would have all the makings of a four game sweep and some ugly scores (7-2, 9-3, etc.) with Toronto coming out on the wrong end of them. If the Leafs throw defence out the window and try to out-score Tampa, they will pay dearly for that "strategy" because there are no weaknesses on the Lightning this season, and the Leafs have no strengths going into that match up. 

 

Round 3: Washington Capitals/New York Islanders (104/101 points -- projected)

 

This would be a refreshing break from the first two rounds if Toronto somehow managed to get here.

 

Round 4: Flames/Jets/Sharks?

 

Again, nobody in the West that would scare the Leafs..... IF they could ever get this far. The biggest obstacles for the Leafs are in the first two rounds.

 

[hobie]

What does TO need to do, to do well in the playoffs, first I think an understanding of what constitutes doing well needs to be understood. I think a bare minimum of winning at least 1 series has to be considered acceptable. For the talent that TO has I don't think we should be expecting a 1 series win to be satisfying but the reality of how poorly the team has played since the new year a 1 series win should be considered monumental. TO will be facing the 3rd best team in the NHL in the 1st round so beating them will be a considerable test.

How to win?

Matthews, is an absolute key, TO will need the Matthews that was in evidence against Buffalo March 20, he was a dominate force both offensively and defensively. He needs to bring his linemates with him rather than expecting them to set him up. He can do it, will he.

Nylander, needs to stop looking pretty and get dirty. He needs to spend more time finishing plays rather than his normal shoot or pass then watching/admiring himself.

Johnsson needs to play like he did against Ottawa.

Hy/JT/Marner, more of the same should be enough to handle the Bergeron line.

Kappy, needs to figure out how to finish, enough with the high shots, use his speed to get to the opposition's net, be a distraction. The knock on him was he was a periphery player and that's what he's reverting to.

Kadri, maybe what he was against Ottawa helps but it didn't help TO to win against Ottawa, the worse team in the NHL. He needs to be his feisty best where it matters in front of the opposition's net.

Marleau, needs to be demoted, maybe playing 8 minutes a game will give him the rest he so obviously needs.

Ennis needs to be elevated either to the Matthews or Kadri lines, he wants an opportunity to earn a better contract for next year and he has the ability to do so.

Brown, Goat, Petan, needs to be better defensively by out playing the other team's 4th line.

Rielly/Gardiner need to lead and join the rush more, contribute more to a possession game rather than playing defense. Their strength is offense moving the puck, leading rushes, supporting O zone pressure, their strength isn't defending.

Muzzin/Zait be physical, move the puck,

Dermott/Rosen/? need to be mobile, always moving.

Andersen needs to pretend it's December.

I have no idea what brand of d TO is using but I'd like to see more of a proximity man on man, extremely aggressive so that whenever the opposition has the puck TO is directly pressing. that causes TO to lose.

I like the stretch pass but I'd prefer it happen from outside of TO's d zone by using Rielly's, Gardiner's, Dermott's and Rosen's mobility.

I don't care what the playoff format is, TO will have to play against quality opposition somewhere in the playoffs so why not from the onset.

[WordsOfWisdom]

3 hours ago, hobie said:

I don't care what the playoff format is, TO will have to play against quality opposition somewhere in the playoffs so why not from the onset.

 

The hope is that you can dodge the best teams or at least face them later in the playoffs when they're riddled with injuries. 

 

I know that's not a very warrior-like mentality but the Stanley Cup playoffs are a grind. If you can dodge a difficult team for whatever reason, it can save your Cup chances later on. Toronto isn't going to have that option unfortunately. The grind will start early for T.O. and it would be a shock if Tampa didn't advance to round two. So whatever is left of the Leafs after a (likely) six or seven game physical series with the Bruins is there for Tampa to pick apart in round two, because I imagine the Lightning are going to finish off their first round series in four or five games and be waiting a week for the winner of Leafs/Bruins. 

 

3 hours ago, hobie said:

For the talent that TO has I don't think we should be expecting a 1 series win to be satisfying but the reality of how poorly the team has played since the new year a 1 series win should be considered monumental.

 

I think the season is deemed to be a failure if Toronto can't get out of round one for the third straight year. 

 

3 hours ago, hobie said:

Matthews, is an absolute key, TO will need the Matthews that was in evidence against Buffalo March 20, he was a dominate force both offensively and defensively. He needs to bring his linemates with him rather than expecting them to set him up. He can do it, will he.

 

I think you nailed it. Matthews is really the key here. He has the potential to carry the Leafs on his back. He's that good. This would be the perfect opportunity/perfect stage for Matthews to establish himself as the NHL's new best centerman. He's in that "one of" group but could easily jump to #1 if he helps the Leafs bury the Bruins.