I'm a Leaf hater as you know, so it was a very nice night for me. But in response to your last sentence - Morgan Rielly was excellent in that series. And the Leafs did quite a good job revamping their D group so they could compete with Tampa in that series.

What the Loafs don't have is a Viktor Hedman who is easily the most dominant Dman in the NHL (and I include Roman Josi in that assessment). Combining him with that goaltender makes the Lightning so tough to beat.

And the Leafs aren't the only team that made a mistake involving Tavares - The Islanders chose Tavares first in the draft, leaving Hedman for the Lightning and the critical ingredient for a championship calibre team.
- RickJ

I've read here that Hedman has lost a step.....

While it looked like Toronto had improved, I wonder how much of that was the result of Tampa losing their third line last off season.

Trouble is Jones would probably waive his NTC to go to Toronto, zero chance Tavares would waive his to go to a rebuilding club.
- paulr

Yeah, there is that , plus likely no contending club would want Tavares with that cap hit.

I've read here that Hedman has lost a step.....

While it looked like Toronto had improved, I wonder how much of that was the result of Tampa losing their third line last off season.
- mohel

Hedman sucks, obviously.

I've read here that Hedman has lost a step.....

While it looked like Toronto had improved, I wonder how much of that was the result of Tampa losing their third line last off season.
- mohel

Not sure what the context was of the post regarding Hedman losing a step, actually he lost a few steps, but he did last yr and had either knees or hips surgery in the offseason and came back as good as ever this yr.

Personally I'd have rather seen TOR advance as a fan. Would much rather see their up tempo go go brand than Cooper's structure, structure, structure brand. Yes it wins cups but sometimes not so much fun to watch.

Watching Hedman, the Cossack goalie, the punk Cossack, Stamkos' shot and Hagel is a nice consolation prize though. ........ Can the Panthers do what no NHL team has done in 3 yrs, solve USHL's Jon Cooper?

Not sure what the context was of the post regarding Hedman losing a step, actually he lost a few steps, but he did last yr and had either knees or hips surgery in the offseason and came back as good as ever this yr.

Personally I'd have rather seen TOR advance as a fan. Would much rather see their up tempo go go brand than Cooper's structure, structure, structure brand. Yes it wins cups but sometimes not so much fun to watch.

Watching Hedman, the Cossack goalie, the punk Cossack, Stamkos' shot and Hagel is a nice consolation prize though. ........ Can the Panthers do what no NHL team has done in 3 yrs, solve USHL's Jon Cooper?
- Mr Ricochet

No worries it's just their obsession with me. He's still a good dman but with my eyes he's lost a step. He barely challenges the blue line entries anymore, when someone gets by him its over and he can't get on the forward in the corners as quick as he used to. But i guess I'm the only who sees it. This Florida series is going to be fun

No worries it's just their obsession with me. He's still a good dman but with my eyes he's lost a step. He barely challenges the blue line entries anymore, when someone gets by him its over and he can't get on the forward in the corners as quick as he used to. But i guess I'm the only who sees it. This Florida series is going to be fun
- BetweenTheDots

Everyone loses a step. The question, especially for the stars is how they adapt. Is Hedman still dominant? Yes. Is he still elite? Yes. I am sure he picks his spots more and has learned to conserve his energy.

Everyone loses a step. The question, especially for the stars is how they adapt. Is Hedman still dominant? Yes. Is he still elite? Yes. I am sure he picks his spots more and has learned to conserve his energy.
- LAHawk

In addition, every single great defenseman is occasionally made to look bad by high end NHL forwards. They get paid, too. Hedman remains a great hockey player.

Not sure what the context was of the post regarding Hedman losing a step, actually he lost a few steps, but he did last yr and had either knees or hips surgery in the offseason and came back as good as ever this yr.

Personally I'd have rather seen TOR advance as a fan. Would much rather see their up tempo go go brand than Cooper's structure, structure, structure brand. Yes it wins cups but sometimes not so much fun to watch.

Watching Hedman, the Cossack goalie, the punk Cossack, Stamkos' shot and Hagel is a nice consolation prize though. ........ Can the Panthers do what no NHL team has done in 3 yrs, solve USHL's Jon Cooper?
- Mr Ricochet

I would agree with you if it was any team playing TBY other than TOR. (I thoroughly enjoyed CBL sweeping TBY in 2019).

However, watching the TOR fan base deal with 1st round exit after 1st round exit… it’s top notch schadenfreude.

I'm a Leaf hater as you know, so it was a very nice night for me. But in response to your last sentence - Morgan Rielly was excellent in that series. And the Leafs did quite a good job revamping their D group so they could compete with Tampa in that series.

What the Loafs don't have is a Viktor Hedman who is easily the most dominant Dman in the NHL (and I include Roman Josi in that assessment). Combining him with that goaltender makes the Lightning so tough to beat.

And the Leafs aren't the only team that made a mistake involving Tavares - The Islanders chose Tavares first in the draft, leaving Hedman for the Lightning and the critical ingredient for a championship calibre team.
- RickJ

You are correct about Reilly, I should have mentioned him, Reilly doesn’t get enough credit from Leaf fans, he would be a decent #2 on a championship team, unfortunately he’s a #1 on the Leafs. Reilly is the only legitimate top three defender on the Leafs, Giordano and Muzzin are #4’s at best, there lies the problem. By the way, Josi is a great offensive dman, but not very good on defense, same with Fox, now Makar, that’s a different story, he’s a beast on offense and very reliable on defense, as a matter of fact he’s on their PK.

Not sure what the context was of the post regarding Hedman losing a step, actually he lost a few steps, but he did last yr and had either knees or hips surgery in the offseason and came back as good as ever this yr.

Personally I'd have rather seen TOR advance as a fan. Would much rather see their up tempo go go brand than Cooper's structure, structure, structure brand. Yes it wins cups but sometimes not so much fun to watch.

Watching Hedman, the Cossack goalie, the punk Cossack, Stamkos' shot and Hagel is a nice consolation prize though. ........ Can the Panthers do what no NHL team has done in 3 yrs, solve USHL's Jon Cooper?
- Mr Ricochet

I don't know about your structure/structure evaluation thing Mr.R? The Lightning get blown out in Game 1; are unprepared in Game 3 at home; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 5 and lose; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 6 and manage to win after Goalie V makes 9 saves first in OT; and win Game 7 after losing his top center (my opinion) Braydon Point.

To me Hedman, Vasilevsky and McDonaugh were very ordinary thru 6 games and Kucherov's play thru most of the series stunk. Credit the Leafs for some of that. Guys like Perry and Maroon got ice time but are clearly in the last furlong of their NHL careers. So I call it a very professional coaching job by Cooper and his staff to win that series. The team knew how to close it out, the Leafs did not.

Now if you want wide open, hair on fire offence stuff, you will get it with the Panthers.

I don't know about your structure/structure evaluation thing Mr.R? The Lightning get blown out in Game 1; are unprepared in Game 3 at home; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 5 and lose; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 6 and manage to win after Goalie V makes 9 saves first in OT; and win Game 7 after losing his top center (my opinion) Braydon Point.

To me Hedman, Vasilevsky and McDonaugh were very ordinary thru 6 games and Kucherov's play thru most of the series stunk. Credit the Leafs for some of that. Guys like Perry and Maroon got ice time but are clearly in the last furlong of their NHL careers. So I call it a very professional coaching job by Cooper and his staff to win that series. The team knew how to close it out, the Leafs did not.

Now if you want wide open, hair on fire offence stuff, you will get it with the Panthers.
- RickJ

I agree Rick. They also look tired. The Lightning have played a lot of Hockey the past couple of years, and the team is not young anymore. They don t win game 7 or the series if not for Vasilevsky. He put on a master class of goaltending when the Leafs had that power play in the third period.

Five of the eight first round series went to seven games this year. The most seven games series for an entire postseason is seven, in 1994. Previously, 2014 and 2019 had three first round series go to seven games. https://en.wikipedia.org/...i/List_of_NHL_game_sevens

I don't know about your structure/structure evaluation thing Mr.R? The Lightning get blown out in Game 1; are unprepared in Game 3 at home; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 5 and lose; blow a 2 goal lead in Game 6 and manage to win after Goalie V makes 9 saves first in OT; and win Game 7 after losing his top center (my opinion) Braydon Point.

To me Hedman, Vasilevsky and McDonaugh were very ordinary thru 6 games and Kucherov's play thru most of the series stunk. Credit the Leafs for some of that. Guys like Perry and Maroon got ice time but are clearly in the last furlong of their NHL careers. So I call it a very professional coaching job by Cooper and his staff to win that series. The team knew how to close it out, the Leafs did not.

Now if you want wide open, hair on fire offence stuff, you will get it with the Panthers.
- RickJ

The USHL playoffs are going on so until that's over my NHL watching is limited to the 5:00 replays of each game from Dobber's site so I'll take your word for the blow by blow of the series......... But reading it doesn't sound like TB has been very dynamic.

And yes, TB's calling card, identity, is structure and it won them 2 cups. Before they won their cups not playing structured got Kucherov benched. This yr? Reading you and LA guess not.

Trouba i guess things do even out, what a dumb penalty

The USHL playoffs are going on so until that's over my NHL watching is limited to the 5:00 replays of each game from Dobber's site so I'll take your word for the blow by blow of the series......... But reading it doesn't sound like TB has been very dynamic.

And yes, TB's calling card, identity, is structure and it won them 2 cups. Before they won their cups not playing structured got Kucherov benched. This yr? Reading you and LA guess not.
- Mr Ricochet

It's all these coaches preach, Brindamour, Cooper, Q, i could go on and on and on, i laughed cause i heard Brindamour say good defense leads to good offense the other day.

I think Cooper said last week, it doesn't matter how we play in the offensive zone if we don't play the right way in our own zone.

It's all these coaches preach, Brindamour, Cooper, Q, i could go on and on and on, i laughed cause i heard Brindamour say good defense leads to good offense the other day.

I think Cooper said last week, it doesn't matter how we play in the offensive zone if we don't play the right way in our own zone.
- BetweenTheDots

Structure is the common denominator of all good teams and franchises. Guess it is kind of stating the obvious but some preach it and some franchises/coaches demand/insist on it. Some know how to recruit it both on and off the ice, develop and teach it.

Now i remember why i wasn't a big fan of Panarin. $11.5 mil and he just looks like another player in the playoffs

Now i remember why i wasn't a big fan of Panarin. $11.5 mil and he just looks like another player in the playoffs
- BetweenTheDots

Agreed.

So they listened, no Leah Hextall doing the play by play tonight

Now i remember why i wasn't a big fan of Panarin. $11.5 mil and he just looks like another player in the playoffs
- BetweenTheDots

And that is why he is getting $11.5 mil.

Now i remember why i wasn't a big fan of Panarin. $11.5 mil and he just looks like another player in the playoffs
- BetweenTheDots

You were saying?

Can I have a take-back on the Panarin thing?

That's what I get agreeing with Dots!

Can I have a take-back on the Panarin thing?

That's what I get agreeing with Dots!
- mohel

Kind of what Kane is famous for, score the big goal in the big game.

Kind of what Kane is famous for, score the big goal in the big game.
- LAHawk

Yep. I do think that Breadman didn't play very well in regulation. Of course, that's irrelevant now.

I would dump the Swedish Meatball's $7M ticket before I moved Tavares.
- RickJ

Not me Nylander's just the type forwards the Blackhawks need; Skater and handlers who can free style openings in the defense=ive schemes.