Game 44: Islanders @ Leafs - Apr. 18, 7:00pm - LeafsTV, TSN 1050

[TheMightyOdin]

So we lost and Winnipeg won. Glad I was at the Clutch concert instead of watching that.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Big win for the Islanders.
Big flunk for the Leafs.

The real problem for the Leafs is that, again, they cannot hold a lead.  If this trend keeps up, they won't have any hope in hell of even winning a single playoff game.  Heck, if they don't start winning soon....

Time for a wake-up call, fellas! 

 

[L K]

Ho boy.

I yield to no one in embracing pessimism, but people -- seriously -- the Leafs are NOT going to miss the playoffs.  All this hand-wringing borders on the embarrassing.

You could shrug it off all you want but the way Leafs are playing they could easily lose the final 4 games. Then its out of the Leafs hands. Rangers have an easy 5 games left as well. Play NJ twice, Canes, Sabres, Florida. They can win 3 or 4 of those. This isn't a slam dunk for Leafs

I go with probabilities, not with emotion after 2 losses in a row.

Even playing like crap we should be able to beat either Tampa or Florida, and I'm sure we'll come out better against Ottawa on Saturday.

Well I'm not sure about beating Tampa or Florida at this point.  I think it would probably be more of a game where the Leafs would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and then Florida would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and the puck would kind of just sit at center ice with all of the Leafs players scrunched up away from any possible opportunity to make an outlet pass.  0-0 game that they lose in the shootout is more likely.

 

[Zee]

Ho boy.

I yield to no one in embracing pessimism, but people -- seriously -- the Leafs are NOT going to miss the playoffs.  All this hand-wringing borders on the embarrassing.

You could shrug it off all you want but the way Leafs are playing they could easily lose the final 4 games. Then its out of the Leafs hands. Rangers have an easy 5 games left as well. Play NJ twice, Canes, Sabres, Florida. They can win 3 or 4 of those. This isn't a slam dunk for Leafs

I go with probabilities, not with emotion after 2 losses in a row.

Even playing like crap we should be able to beat either Tampa or Florida, and I'm sure we'll come out better against Ottawa on Saturday.

Well I'm not sure about beating Tampa or Florida at this point.  I think it would probably be more of a game where the Leafs would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and then Florida would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and the puck would kind of just sit at center ice with all of the Leafs players scrunched up away from any possible opportunity to make an outlet pass.  0-0 game that they lose in the shootout is more likely.

Problem with the Florida/Tampa games are they're back to back.  You can pretty much pencil in the Leafs loss in the 2nd game since they always seem to be out of gas in a back to back situation.  So that leaves Saturday against Ottawa -- if the Leafs play like the last 3 games they'll get beat handily by Sens.  Then the final game against the Habs.  If the playoff spot comes down to that final game, the Habs would love nothing more than to humiliate the Leafs out of a playoff spot.  I'll say this, if the Leafs miss, it'll be the biggest joke of the NHL and be talked about for years to come.  In 5th a week before the end of the season and not making it is embarrassing.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Ho boy.

I yield to no one in embracing pessimism, but people -- seriously -- the Leafs are NOT going to miss the playoffs.  All this hand-wringing borders on the embarrassing.

You could shrug it off all you want but the way Leafs are playing they could easily lose the final 4 games. Then its out of the Leafs hands. Rangers have an easy 5 games left as well. Play NJ twice, Canes, Sabres, Florida. They can win 3 or 4 of those. This isn't a slam dunk for Leafs

I go with probabilities, not with emotion after 2 losses in a row.

Even playing like crap we should be able to beat either Tampa or Florida, and I'm sure we'll come out better against Ottawa on Saturday.

Well I'm not sure about beating Tampa or Florida at this point.  I think it would probably be more of a game where the Leafs would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and then Florida would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and the puck would kind of just sit at center ice with all of the Leafs players scrunched up away from any possible opportunity to make an outlet pass.  0-0 game that they lose in the shootout is more likely.

That 1 point should be enough.  8)

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Problem with the Florida/Tampa games are they're back to back.  You can pretty much pencil in the Leafs loss in the 2nd game since they always seem to be out of gas in a back to back situation.

Last time we played Florida was 2nd game of back-to-back and the Leafs beat them.

And we're 3-4 this season in back-to-backs.  It's hardly a guaranteed loss, I'm sure most teams records in back-to-backs suffer.

 

[nutman]

I'm thinking we win three of the next four.

 

[oakl0008]

Ho boy.

I yield to no one in embracing pessimism, but people -- seriously -- the Leafs are NOT going to miss the playoffs.  All this hand-wringing borders on the embarrassing.

You could shrug it off all you want but the way Leafs are playing they could easily lose the final 4 games. Then its out of the Leafs hands. Rangers have an easy 5 games left as well. Play NJ twice, Canes, Sabres, Florida. They can win 3 or 4 of those. This isn't a slam dunk for Leafs

I go with probabilities, not with emotion after 2 losses in a row.

Even playing like crap we should be able to beat either Tampa or Florida, and I'm sure we'll come out better against Ottawa on Saturday.

Well I'm not sure about beating Tampa or Florida at this point.  I think it would probably be more of a game where the Leafs would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and then Florida would turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and the puck would kind of just sit at center ice with all of the Leafs players scrunched up away from any possible opportunity to make an outlet pass.  0-0 game that they lose in the shootout is more likely.

Problem with the Florida/Tampa games are they're back to back.  You can pretty much pencil in the Leafs loss in the 2nd game since they always seem to be out of gas in a back to back situation.  So that leaves Saturday against Ottawa -- if the Leafs play like the last 3 games they'll get beat handily by Sens.  Then the final game against the Habs.  If the playoff spot comes down to that final game, the Habs would love nothing more than to humiliate the Leafs out of a playoff spot.  I'll say this, if the Leafs miss, it'll be the biggest joke of the NHL and be talked about for years to come.  In 5th a week before the end of the season and not making it is embarrassing.

What's sad is that I can actually see that scenario happening. More than any other. It would definitely make this club the joke of the NHL. Just when they couldn't shake off the 9-years-no-playoff AND the no-cup-since-67 stigma (not that a cup is even a thought this year or anytime soon), going from 5th to 9th in the last month of regular season hockey would kill any respect this team ever had.

Ottawa will be hungry on Saturday.

 

[nutman]

Ottawa will be hungry on Saturday.
[/quote]


And so should we be, this should be a war.