Oh that I know as well as anyone
- Dozzer

Don’t mind him, he’s just having a senior moment.
- Steven_Seagull

yes I am...

I'm thinking back ... reminiscing about what we used to do to flying shyte hawks when we were kids.

Personally I’m rooting for Boston (and it hurts) because I think the leafs will be far better off facing TB in the first round. They likely won’t have Stamkos and even the road games will have home-like crowds for the leafs
- Dozzer

The Leafs would probably be better off playing Boston than Tampa Bay.

Boston has played a lot of hockey in the past year and their players are older and a little slower. Boston mentally "owns" the Leafs the way the Leafs use to own Ottawa but it still went to 7 games every time. Leafs could catch a tired Boston team that peaked too early.

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, hottest team since Jan. 1st (we saw how that helped St. Louis last year) and on paper better than the Leafs in every category except offense where they would be tied. Tampa Bay has the blueline and the goaltending to survive the Leafs attacks but the Leafs don't put up the same resistance. Even without Stamkos, Tampa Bay is a bad match-up for the Leafs. Don't think the crowd will be 50/50 either for the playoffs.

No worries, we’re all a little damaged here.
- shack67

understatement

It’s a toss up for me honestly.

Leafs are due to beat the bruins and I think they actually could this year.

On the other hand if they beat the bruins they would play Tb next with a healthy stamkos coming back.

Maybe it’s better to have Tb 1st round without stamkos then challenge Boston if they can get past Tb.
- bryant

I doesn't and won't matter much either way.

The outcome - based on recent year's playoff history - will be more dictated by the abject level of total shyte show officiating that is provided.

if the Leafs get the same garbage they have gotten from the past two years' series with the Bruins, nothing will change. Except perhaps if Chara actually begins to tire from all those cross checks.

I doesn't and won't matter much either way.

The outcome - based on recent year's playoff history - will be more dictated by the abject level of total shyte show officiating that is provided.

if the Leafs get the same garbage they have gotten from the past two years' series with the Bruins, nothing will change. Except perhaps if Chara actually begins to tire from all those cross checks.
- BorjeFan4Ever

Leafs fans have to stop crying about the referees, especially in the playoffs. That's the way the game is called. It's been like that for a long time and it's going to continue for a long time.

How many games and series do you think the Leafs won because they played on the edge? Clark? Belak? Domi? King? Markov? Tucker? Roberts? Corson? Marchment? Manson? McCabe? Shall I continue listing names of players that played border line hockey? Players that physically abused teams like Ottawa, game after game?

Here's the reality check; the game changes in the playoffs and the Leafs aren't built to deal with it. The NHL doesn't need to adapt to make the Leafs or their fans happy. It's the Leafs that need to adapt and figure out what playoff hockey is and what it means.

understatement
- BorjeFan4Ever

Imagine refreshing the page and seeing this without any context whatsoever.
- TheMussel

Leafs fans have to stop crying about the referees, especially in the playoffs. That's the way the game is called. It's been like that for a long time and it's going to continue for a long time.

How many games and series do you think the Leafs won because they played on the edge? Clark? Belak? Domi? King? Markov? Tucker? Roberts? Corson? Marchment? Manson? McCabe? Shall I continue listing names of players that played border line hockey? Players that physically abused teams like Ottawa, game after game?

Here's the reality check; the game changes in the playoffs and the Leafs aren't built to deal with it. The NHL doesn't need to adapt to make the Leafs or their fans happy. It's the Leafs that need to adapt and figure out what playoff hockey is and what it means.
- JohnFergusonJr

Those Leaf teams never won a series after beating Ottawa. And Domi's elbow on Nerider,mayer cost us a trip to the finals,

new blog everyone

Those Leaf teams never won a series after beating Ottawa. And Domi's elbow on Nerider,mayer cost us a trip to the finals,
- RogerRoeper

That's not the point. The point was, the Leafs have had teams in the past that had players on it that toed the line and did a lot of physical damage in playoff series. It helped them win series. They took advantage of it instead of crying about the referees. This current Leafs team has the opposite problem in terms of playing playoff hockey. Neither way works as well as having a mixture of both.

Those teams lost because they didn't have enough talent to help Sundin and their best players were always over the hill or on their last legs at 35-40.

That's not the point. The point was, the Leafs have had teams in the past that had players on it that toed the line and did a lot of physical damage in playoff series. It helped them win series. They took advantage of it instead of crying about the referees. This current Leafs team has the opposite problem in terms of playing playoff hockey. Neither way works as well as having a mixture of both.

Those teams lost because they didn't have enough talent to help Sundin and their best players were always over the hill or on their last legs at 35-40.
- JohnFergusonJr

They actually did scream at the referees a lot. Quinn was the biggest whiner

They actually did scream at the referees a lot. Quinn was the biggest whiner
- RogerRoeper

Find a team that doesn't. They all do. But when the puck gets dropped, they played harder, they hit harder, they punched somebody etc. They played on the line and sometimes it hurt them and sometimes it helped them. Point is, they understood playoff hockey and played it the best they could.

Some Leafs fans need excuses and scapegoats why the Leafs lost to mentally cope with their team not being good enough to win, like you do with Babcock and Andersen. There are people still complaining about Kerry Fraser in 1993. Nobody talks about Game 7 though. They pretend as if the series ended in Game 6.

Eating out period has become very expensive.
- aminnes

That sounds gross. Let her have her week.

Leafs fans have to stop crying about the referees, especially in the playoffs. That's the way the game is called. It's been like that for a long time and it's going to continue for a long time.

How many games and series do you think the Leafs won because they played on the edge? Clark? Belak? Domi? King? Markov? Tucker? Roberts? Corson? Marchment? Manson? McCabe? Shall I continue listing names of players that played border line hockey? Players that physically abused teams like Ottawa, game after game?

Here's the reality check; the game changes in the playoffs and the Leafs aren't built to deal with it. The NHL doesn't need to adapt to make the Leafs or their fans happy. It's the Leafs that need to adapt and figure out what playoff hockey is and what it means.
- JohnFergusonJr

sanctimonious garbage... "here's a reality check"... really , from you?

I'm not talking and never have about the rough play and hitting aspect - that is part of the game - and yes about that you are correct - the Leafs don't seem particularly well prepared for that type of game.

what I am "very accurately talking about" is the cheap hits, like Pastrnak on Muzzin - where he jumps, the cheap hit by Chara, where he jumped to hit Muzzin high - yes because Chara at 6'9" needs to elevate to get his elbow up to hit Muzzin.
The complete garbage from Debrusk that DIRECTLY lead to Kadri get suspended.

defend it, comment on it any way you like - those plays, and there were plenty more were not handled well by the on ice officials and even worse by those off ice.

the garbage that isn't called - is what I'm talking about.

that's got nothing to do with "tough playoff hockey" - those are cheap shots, nothing more nothing less.

one Leaf does it - gets suspended - multiple Bruins do it - crickets ...

that is not whining - that is a reality check.

Leafs fans have to stop crying about the referees, especially in the playoffs. That's the way the game is called. It's been like that for a long time and it's going to continue for a long time.

How many games and series do you think the Leafs won because they played on the edge? Clark? Belak? Domi? King? Markov? Tucker? Roberts? Corson? Marchment? Manson? McCabe? Shall I continue listing names of players that played border line hockey? Players that physically abused teams like Ottawa, game after game?

Here's the reality check; the game changes in the playoffs and the Leafs aren't built to deal with it. The NHL doesn't need to adapt to make the Leafs or their fans happy. It's the Leafs that need to adapt and figure out what playoff hockey is and what it means.
- JohnFergusonJr

different era completely, different rules - not as much disparity between the regular season and the playoffs as now... just like how goal scoring was quite a bit easier in the 80s... times have changed. Leafs fans have every right to comment complain whatever you want to call it as much as any other fan base... think Vegas was happy last year?

Not calling it out it plays into the dumb narrative that you just have to put up with it... why?

Karma's a female dog ... look how the Bruins whined during the series with the Blues.

sanctimonious garbage... "here's a reality check"... really , from you?
- BorjeFan4Ever

You may want to look up the meaning of the word sanctimonious before you use it. Your usage of the word sanctimonious is actually far more sanctimonious than anything I previously wrote.

I'm not talking and never have about the rough play and hitting aspect - that is part of the game - and yes about that you are correct - the Leafs don't seem particularly well prepared for that type of game.

You can't play that game without riding the line. Teams that play that style thrive in the playoffs because of it. Crying about it won't make the Leafs a better playoff team. Dealing with it will.

what I am "very accurately talking about" is the cheap hits, like Pastrnak on Muzzin - where he jumps, the cheap hit by Chara, where he jumped to hit Muzzin high - yes because Chara at 6'9" needs to elevate to get his elbow up to hit Muzzin.
The complete garbage from Debrusk that DIRECTLY lead to Kadri get suspended.

defend it, comment on it any way you like - those plays, and there were plenty more were not handled well by the on ice officials and even worse by those off ice.

Very biased is what you are talking about. Biased Bruins fans could just as easily talk about all the things the Leafs got away with. Fact is, in a playoff series, the referees aren't going to call everything. The losing side is always going to feel cheated but the Leafs can't control the referees. All they can do is control themselves and figure out how playoff hockey changes.

the garbage that isn't called - is what I'm talking about.

that's got nothing to do with "tough playoff hockey" - those are cheap shots, nothing more nothing less.

one Leaf does it - gets suspended - multiple Bruins do it - crickets ...

that is not whining - that is a reality check

It's whining. Be the better team and win the series. Stop looking for excuses. The franchise has had enough excuses the past 50 years.