GDT #56: Leafs @ Habs HNIC

[Habsy]

A missed playoff this year and a first round loss next year and I think Kyle is gone.

Teams go through ups and downs, you know this. It's a little too soon to be writing the Leaf obituary. Only in Toronto can a struggling team get 3 of 4 points in a back-to-back and have people crying it's over. I don't think you'd even see that in Montreal. That's ridiculous pressure expecting 4 of 4 all the time.

 

[Habsy]

Yep. You guys played a tight game and we decided to dump and chase for some fucking reason. Montreal's gap control was good through the neutral zone, but I saw us dump with open ice in front of us a bunch of times. It was maddening. The first time I've seen them look more like Babcock's Leafs offensively than Keefe's.

They had no choice but to play tight. I posted the D the Habs used. 3 are basically AHL/Borderline NHL defenders.

 

[Preston]

Teams go through ups and downs, you know this. It's a little too soon to be writing the Leaf obituary. Only in Toronto can a struggling team get 3 of 4 points in a back-to-back and have people crying it's over. I don't think you'd even see that in Montreal. That's ridiculous pressure expecting 4 of 4 all the time.

3 in 4 aside they're in tough to make the playoffs. If you can't see that you're blind.

I still think they make it but they'll need Freddy back soon

 

[trujaysfan]

Go against the grain? Are you implying the Leafs blackball reporters or is it the media outlets themselves?

I think that the fan base is made up of people who want to be told the team is terrible and everything they are doing is wrong. Negativity and fear sell to all the mouth breathers.

 

[Habsy]

Duh

You missed my point. I didn't expect Price to give up 4 last night. He's been playing too well lately.

That said, Campbell made some outstanding saves last night. He stoned Kovalchuk 3 times before giving him the winner on the rebound. That one save post to post on the PP was insane. Kovalchuk had the inside of the post pegged. That's a goal 9 times out of 10. Not only did Campbell get there but he held his pad strength not allowing the puck to bounce off his pad and go in. It was a stellar save.

 

[Habsy]

3 in 4 aside they're in tough to make the playoffs. If you can't see that you're blind.

I still think they make it but they'll need Freddy back soon

Sure they are, you seem to be thinking that other teams in the mix won't have slumps the rest of the way. They will.

 

[Artnes]

A missed playoff this year and a first round loss next year and I think Kyle is gone.

No

 

[Preston]

Sure they are, you seem to be thinking that other teams in the mix won't have slumps the rest of the way. They will.

Of course. Like I said I think they make it but the emotions from fans (yes, even from 2005) are entirely fair game. If Dubas reacted the same way as 2005 and based his decisions off those emotions, that's where I'd see an issue. But fans are allowed to be on edge and have brain-dead moronic opinions similar to those of 2005. It's frustrating to listen to because they're so dumb but emotions are what makes following sports so addicting.

 

[zeke]

3 in 4 aside they're in tough to make the playoffs. If you can't see that you're blind.

I still think they make it but they'll need Freddy back soon

They aren't in tough to make it tho.

2 games over 1/3 a season is nothing.

 

[Preston]

They aren't in tough to make it tho.

2 games over 1/3 a season is nothing.

I don't care who you are, expecting a team to play at a 105+ point pace over a small sample size is never a lock. They're in tough. They need to be really good and with a sample size this small, luck will play a far greater role.

 

[zeke]

I don't care who you are, expecting a team to play at a 105+ point pace over a small sample size is never a lock. They're in tough. They need to be really good and with a sample size this small, luck will play a far greater role.

We are 1 game back of FLA, 2 games back of CAR, 3 games back of CBJ.

With a 3rd of the season left.

Based on historical comps, our 97pt pace might be playoffs calibre even if we just maintain it.

This is not "hard pressed", this is just being in the thick of a playoff race.

As a bonus we also just happen to be the one team of all of them that actually has a good reason to think an improved pace the rest of the way is not just possible, but likely, given how badly the babcock near 1/3 of the season is still impacting our pace.

 

[LeafOfFaith]

Babcock and Hutch, which carried past that.

 

[CH1]

I’d bet heavily the Leafs make the playoffs. I also think Dubas will make a significant deadline deal that will leave this board covered in jizz.

 

[Habsy]

The target is third in the division. Wildcard may be more difficult.

 

[Habsy]

We are 1 game back of FLA, 2 games back of CAR, 3 games back of CBJ.

With a 3rd of the season left.

Based on historical comps, our 97pt pace might be playoffs calibre even if we just maintain it.

This is not "hard pressed", this is just being in the thick of a playoff race.

As a bonus we also just happen to be the one team of all of them that actually has a good reason to think an improved pace the rest of the way is not just possible, but likely, given how badly the babcock near 1/3 of the season is still impacting our pace.

You’re describing a bubble team. You know that right?

 

[zeke]

After what happened the first 23gms, it's amazing that we're even in the bubble with a third of the season left.

Especially since this is only the bubble because the east is so much better than the west this year. Leafs would be in 4th place in the west right now. 1st in the pacific.

 

[Habsy]

After what happened the first 23gms, it's amazing that we're even in the bubble with a third of the season left.

Try two 8 game losing streaks. Utter garbage.

 

[zeke]

Try two 8 game losing streaks. Utter garbage.

Cute, but no.

 

[hockeylover]

When I'm thinking about it logically, if you'd told me they would start the season under Babcock playing at a 73 point pace for 23 games, get below average goaltending from Andersen most of the year, and have everyone but Matthews and Barrie miss games to injury... I'd probably be pretty astonished we were still in the hunt.

Of course, aside from the injuries, they put themselves in this mess. Should've fired Babcock in the summer, should've gotten a competent backup.

 

[Habsy]

Cute, but no.

?

I was referring to the Habs. That was the killer. Yeah they had injuries but dropping 16 games with just a smattering of loser points? Unacceptable.