Last week or so I have been cheering for Boston... so they can come crashing down to earth right around when the playoffs start.
- Aetherial

We won't have to worry about them until they win their ALDS round vs Cleveland, and the Jays win the wild card game, then beat Texas in the ALDS.

But yeah, hopefully they're peaking at the right time (to start slumping once the playoffs start).

new blog

lefas vs sens tonight!

Good chance to see some of the kids though.
- LeftCoaster

Marner

Not Nylander or Matthews I think?

Anyone know what is up with Nylander?

I wouldn't say closed but it seems to be trending towards it. Rask has looked human. Zdeno loses a step every season. I've always considered those two + Bergeron and Krejci to be the catalysts for that team. With Rask and Chara coming down to earth rather quickly, that back end could be in some trouble.
- markmark

Boston, IMO, lacks what the Canucks did, a second wave of players coming to fill important roster spots.

Thus I'd agree that they're definitely trending downward.

We won't have to worry about them until they win their ALDS round vs Cleveland, and the Jays win the wild card game, then beat Texas in the ALDS.

But yeah, hopefully they're peaking at the right time (to start slumping once the playoffs start).
- 1979AD

God am I ever looking fwd to that series.

They’re an aging middle of the pack team.

Not good enough to win the cup.

Not bad enough to bottom out yet…. But on a downward trend.
- Tumbleweed

So they're def better than the Canucks then

he said new blog

I think it is closed as far as contending.

Pitt Tampa Montreal Washington all look to be Eastern Conference contenders, with Florida a dark horse.

Boston is in that group with NYI and NYR and maybe Philly.

We haven't even mentioned, Detroit, Jersey, Carolina... which really shows how unlikely it is that the Leafs are contending for playoff spot this year.
- Aetherial

TBH I don't see Montreal as "contenders". I think they'll make it, but it'll be because our division is weak as poop.

I also don't see how the team that won the Atlantic last year can be "a dark horse", especially with the young and ever-improving talent that they have.

Finally, Detroit is garbage. This is the year that their streak ends.

We won't have to worry about them until they win their ALDS round vs Cleveland, and the Jays win the wild card game, then beat Texas in the ALDS.

But yeah, hopefully they're peaking at the right time (to start slumping once the playoffs start).
- 1979AD

The thing about Boston is that they were "good" most of the year, but been lights out for about a month. There is some hope that they will come back to earth from this latest streak

this might sound odd..but I would prefer my team just be playing decent..not smoking hot like Boston has been going into the playoffs... Baseball is like that..stuff starts to even out and all the bounces that went your way start to go to the other team.

I hope that when the Boston series comes up the Jays already locked up a WC spot though
- senstroll

It's nice to see guys getting on base with good at bats. It's seems like less of the lineup is in that funk and they are pumping out singles/doubles more frequently with good connection as opposed to looking for only the HR blast.

The thing about Boston is that they were "good" most of the year, but been lights out for about a month. There is some hope that they will come back to earth from this latest streak
- Aetherial

And we've all become very familiar with David Price in the playoffs....

TBH I don't see Montreal as "contenders". I think they'll make it, but it'll be because our division is weak as poop.

I also don't see how the team that won the Atlantic last year can be "a dark horse", especially with the young and ever-improving talent that they have.

Finally, Detroit is garbage. This is the year that their streak ends.
- lumlums

I put Detroit in there because they always seem to find a way to contend.

If Price stays healthy, Montreal contends. Beaulieu and Galchenyuk with another year of experience and Weber maybe has the same impact as Subban, for a year anyway. If Gallagher is healthy, and Radulov contributes, I think they contend. Obviously it is all about Price, even Habs fans have to admit this now.

I don't see Florida being quite on the same level as the other top east teams, yet.

the WS champ Royals were 11-17 in Sept last year...the Jays are currently 10-12
...maybe they do last a month for other good teams also
- senstroll

That's great.
Doesnt really related to my post. They needed to win the series... they did. That's the point...they needed this series win to turn their september around.
Prior to this series they were 7-12.

Omg. One of the Sens fans mentioned trading a first rounder or two for JVR to replace Clarke Macarthur.

If the Leafs got offered two Sens firsts for Clarke Macarthur, I would jump all over that. They could be very high picks. Hell, one or two key injuries, and they’re in the running for Nolan Patrick.

It could be our Tyler Seguin redemption song.

We won't have to worry about them until they win their ALDS round vs Cleveland, and the Jays win the wild card game, then beat Texas in the ALDS.

But yeah, hopefully they're peaking at the right time (to start slumping once the playoffs start).
- 1979AD

Texas is much better this year too.

Boston, IMO, lacks what the Canucks did, a second wave of players coming to fill important roster spots.

Thus I'd agree that they're definitely trending downward.
- LeftCoaster

I guess it can't be argued that these spots are being filled.

Omg. One of the Sens fans mentioned trading a first rounder or two for JVR to replace Clarke Macarthur.

If the Leafs got offered two Sens firsts for Clarke Macarthur, I would jump all over that. They could be very high picks. Hell, one or two key injuries, and they’re in the running for Nolan Patrick.

It could be our Tyler Seguin redemption song.
- prock

Texas is much better this year too.
- Fakepartofme

Waaaay better. Almost too better.

Texas is much better this year too.
- Fakepartofme

are they? they currently have a +11 run differential..thats what they were last season
I am not sure how they have the record they do with a crap RD like that

Omg. One of the Sens fans mentioned trading a first rounder or two for JVR to replace Clarke Macarthur.

If the Leafs got offered two Sens firsts for Clarke Macarthur, I would jump all over that. They could be very high picks. Hell, one or two key injuries, and they’re in the running for Nolan Patrick.

It could be our Tyler Seguin redemption song.
- prock

Fax it in to Lou to get the paperwork going - was Spatso OK with this, he oversees player transactions and draft picks.

are they? they currently have a +11 run differential..thats what they were last season
I am not sure how they have the record they do with a crap RD like that
- senstroll

Umm
Yes they are.
almost 30 games above .500 92-64...last year they finished only 14 games above.

Playing much better as a team.

Marner

Not Nylander or Matthews I think?

Anyone know what is up with Nylander?
- Aetherial

Nothing's up with him. Just isn't in the lineup tonight.

They have like 70 guys at camp. Can't ice everyone

You do realize that the NHL ratings from Rogers' are far worse than Bell's?

Not to mention the pretty much own the rights of NFL playoffs and most regular season with Rogers owning very little (so how is that little?). TSN traded their Blue Jays rights for the ESPN games in 2010, which gives a more stable ratings than Blue Jays games.

Not to mention Bell took a lot of the EPL, Champions League, and Europe League games from Sportnet. Which Rogers was mainly using Sportsnet World for. To compete Rogers then brought a lot of the games to their main network, yet still charges like $20 a month for Sportsnet World.

Last I checked the CFL was dying before TSN became their sole broadcaster.

So, how again does Bell kill everything it touches?
- Venom.

Their overpriced landlines, Bell Mobility, Bell Expressvu.....TSN is a shadow of itself. They were outsmarted by the suits at Sportsnet. Don't get me wrong, I hate Sportsnet and prefer the TSN commentators and analysis, but TSN has been losing ground for a while now.

Some random on twitter says we should trade Reilly for truba cause it balances out right left and truba is significantly better

Their overpriced landlines, Bell Mobility, Bell Expressvu.....TSN is a shadow of itself. They were outsmarted by the suits at Sportsnet. Don't get me wrong, I hate Sportsnet and prefer the TSN commentators and analysis, but TSN has been losing ground for a while now.
- PrinceLH

Agreed
Although Bell TV is much better than Rogers.