Here we go, with two series that will light the lamp a few times...
On Tampa vs. Toronto...
The good news for Leafs fans is you don't have to play Boston in the first round...the bad news...you get an angry Tampa, hell-bent on revenge..Hooray?
The Leafs/Lightning matchup is about as high powered and entertaining as it gets and there is hope for Toronto given how tough they played the Lightning this season, winning two of three, including two in the last few weeks fo the season....and also BOTH these teams have fragile mindsets going into the playoffs...the first two games, in Toronto will hold the keys...If the Leafs can take both somehow the energy in the series will shift to Tampa being 0-7 in their last 7 playoff games..
Not many teams can match Toronto's firepower up front...The problem is Tampa is one team who can do just that. No one scored more goals this season than Tampa's 245. The Leafs were third in scoring in the NHL at 238...(who was second? answer at the bottom*)
And on defense the Lightning are WORLDS better than Toronto...giving up 195 goals to Toronto's 227...
In Goal....Freddy versus Vazzy
The pressure will be all ln these two..not to be perfect, but to be timely...momentum saves will be EVERYTHING in this matchup..
Frederik Andersen has the ability to win games for the Leafs, but so far in the playoffs he hasn't been that guy..He is however suited more to play the "side to side" game that comes with facing Tampa vs the "straight at him" game Boston brings.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best and truly a master of the position. And his best record-setting game came on December 13th, 2018 versus the Leafs when he stopped 48 shots in a 4-1 Lightning win...
Prediction...
I know many will go with Tampa, but I don't see this as a 5 game, easy-out series...this will be seven long, hard-fought games where the Leafs offensive-minded defense will have to play a style they don't like. The Leafs have get the puck deep and make the Leafs D go back for it and turn their backs...Only Hedman is ok playing that game..
In the end I do think Tampa finds a was to get rid of last year...in 7 games...
How about you? What's your pick? Tell me how the leafs can beat the bolts in this series?
Day 28 of Quarantine...The top 5 #28s in the NHL are...
#5 Connor Brown OTT
#4 Zemgus Girgensons BUF
#3 Elias Lindholm CGY
#2 Timo Meier SJS
#1 Claude Giroux PHI
The NHL's other #28s....Some tough calls...
Jaret Anderson-Dolan LAK
Lias Andersson NYR
Andreas Athanasiou EDM
Oliver Bjorkstrand CBJ
Kyle Brodziak EDM
Paul Carey BOS
William Carrier VEG
Ian Cole COL
Michael Dal Colle NYI
Phillip Di Giuseppe NYR
Gabriel Dumont MIN
Cody Goloubef OTT
Jani Hakanpaa ANA
Stephen Johns DAL
Ondrej Kase BOS
Brendan Leipsic WSH
Gustav Lindstrom DET
Mackenzie MacEachern STL
Marcus Pettersson PIT
Mike Reilly MTL
Jack Roslovic WPG
Aleksi Saarela FLA
Marco Scandella MTL
Damon Severson NJD
Luke Witkowski TBL
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