Preferred First Round Matchup

[hab29RETIRED]

So after another loss to Toronto, who do we want to play in the first round?

If we hold off the Bruins, most likely matchup would be either NYR, NYI, or the Sens. NYR are an entirely different team then we faced all year after their deals with SJS and CLB. I don't think we've beaten the Isles this year. Sens would be preferred matchup, but any word on whether Karlsson or Spezza will be back?

IMO worst case scenerio is finishing behind the bruins and having to play the leafs. Frankly, i think the leafs are first round fodder, for anyone but else. For some reason, whether them getting up for the HNC games, or us just not caring, the leafs for the most part tend to bring out the worst in the habs.

I'm a bit worried. The Pleks and DD lines haven't really been clicking as they should and despite the play of the Eller line, IMO they are still under utilized.

On defence, I'm hoping Diaz is back, but if he does, who do we take out? Frankly, I've really liked how Bealieau is playing and would love to see him with Diaz on the 2nd PP unit.

[TheDriveFor25]

Preferred matchup is the Isles.

I know they've been tough against us all year but I think the Habs would win the series.

If Karlsson is not back then the Sens would be option 2. Habs matchup pretty well.

I would love to avoid the Leafs and Rangers... Leafs seem to play their best against us and the Rangers have a team built for a playoff upset.

I think the standings now are perfect...

Pens beat Rangers (tough series)

Habs beat Isles.

Caps beat Sens.

Leafs beat Bruins (tough series) (And I do believe Leafs win a series with the aid of the zebras... big $$ for NHL)

Pens beat Leafs (tough series)

Habs beat Caps

Pittsburgh would be banged up after two tough series while Montreal would be skating after two fastpaced series.

[illWill]

I am disappointed with everybody being scared to face the Leafs in the first round. This is a team that has failed to reach the playoffs for like NINE years. The only thing that they have had to cheer about since then is a matchup with the superior Canadiens. Of course they are gonna get up for those games. There is no way that these Habs fall to the Leafs in a 7 game series. Shame on everybody

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Preferred match up is the Rangers.

I'll face anyone. I don't care. Proud of this team.

[Bostonhabs]

I am disappointed with everybody being scared to face the Leafs in the first round. This is a team that has failed to reach the playoffs for like NINE years. The only thing that they have had to cheer about since then is a matchup with the superior Canadiens. Of course they are gonna get up for those games. There is no way that these Habs fall to the Leafs in a 7 game series. Shame on everybody

who on the leafs team was there for all of the last nine yrs? where did we finish last yr? so you cant really go by that. I hate the leafs but u have to admit they have some very good players and they are built pretty well.

[JMMR]

Preferred match up is the Rangers.

I'll face anyone. I don't care. Proud of this team.

That's the correct answer.

[PMAC]

Preferred match up is the Rangers.

I'll face anyone. I don't care. Proud of this team.

Agreed. Price apparently could not have stopped a beach ball during that game. I don't think that will happen again anytime soon

The one thing that has impressed me most about this team is their resiliance. I expect them to come back hard and I expect them to up their game in the playoffs. BTW, was the puck anywhere near Gally on that hit that TSN is so fond of showing?

[Lovett's Magnatones]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not a good hockey team. Sure, they've beat us three times, but so what? Over the course of a seven game series, the better team wins. If we can take of our "reactionary hats" and look at what that team really is, they have some serious holes. Let's start with playoff experience. They have none, and after all these years away from the postseason, they have all the pressure in the world on them. A team who plays both Colton Orr and Fraser MacClaren on a nightly basis has no depth. A first line center like Tyler Bozak is not good enough. James Reimer is NOT a number one goaltender. Dion Phaneuf is great, the rest of that defense is not. They dress Leo Komarov. All of these are good reasons to take our fingers off the panic button. We haven't been good against the Islanders either, where is the unreasonable panic there?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I don't want to face the Leafs for reasons that go way beyond their drubbings of us this season. I took the same stance in 1993, that I wanted no part of a Leafs-Habs Final - because if we lost, we'd be hearing about 1993 for the rest of our lives even if the Habs went on to win 30 Cups in a row, while if we won, we'd still be hearing about 1967 ad nauseum. Because of Leafs Nation hegemony over HNIC and the Central Canadian media, there is simply nothing to be gained by playing the Leafs for a team that's won the Cup 11 times since 1967 and made the playoffs regularly over the past decade where they haven't.

That said, as far as this season goes: there are no bad teams in the playoffs - like it or not, the Leafs are NOT a bad team - but it's also true that the playoffs are a whole other kettle of fish. It would be a bit much to extrapolate from two bizarre losses (one early in the season when the team was still finding its identity, the other when our goalie suffered a highly unusual meltdown) that we can't beat these guys. Machine has the right attitude: this team has surprised us all season. They've earned our faith. Plus, if you want to go deep you can't continually rely on preferred matchups; sooner or later you gotta pummel the motherf*ckers no matter what their jersey. So, y'know, bring ANYONE on.

[habs rule]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not a good hockey team. Sure, they've beat us three times, but so what? Over the course of a seven game series, the better team wins. If we can take of our "reactionary hats" and look at what that team really is, they have some serious holes. Let's start with playoff experience. They have none, and after all these years away from the postseason, they have all the pressure in the world on them. A team who plays both Colton Orr and Fraser MacClaren on a nightly basis has no depth. A first line center like Tyler Bozak is not good enough. James Reimer is NOT a number one goaltender. Dion Phaneuf is great, the rest of that defense is not. They dress Leo Komarov. All of these are good reasons to take our fingers off the panic button. We haven't been good against the Islanders either, where is the unreasonable panic there?

Dion Phaneuf is great? Then PK Subban is Bobby Orr and Doug Harvey reincarnate. I wouldn't have that goof as the water boy on my team. Ok I don't like him. I agree that there is no reason to panic if we face the laffs cause they are not a team that can win a 7 game series against us. My not wanting to play them is more that I would like the broons and laffs to kick the living crap out of each other for 7 games, making our job easier. If we have to play them let's do it later, so the games are more important and the wins are more wonderful. We should play the isles or rangers in the first round or in a really good move the jets could take 8th spot and the rangers be out completely. I loves a good old John Torts firing. Imagine the press conference.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I also think it's pessimistic to think we're going to play the Marble Loafs in the first place. When was the last time we were in second place for more than a one game? I'm not preparing to buy Cup championship gear, but Martin is gone, Goat is gone, Gomez is gone, the team is healthy and Kaberle is on the bench.

[xXx..CK..xXx]

For a few weeks now, I've felt as though there's not a single team in the East outside of Pittsburgh that should beat us in a 7 game series. When it comes to Pittsburgh beating us, I wouldn't necessarily say "should" is the right word, but they match up pretty well against us.

Anyone on here who talks about the Leafs is biased in one way or another but I would love to face them in the first round. With that being said, if that means falling down to 4th place to face them, then my mentality changes. Between Ottawa, the Rangers and the Isles, I think the Sens would be the toughest matchup for us despite their injuries. When it comes to the Rangers, Lundqvist is the type of goalie that can steal a series. He hasn't really done it in the playoffs outside of maybe once but I'd like to stay clear of them as well. Finally, when it comes to the Isles, the only thing that really scares me is their solid road record but in the end I'd like to face them the most out of any team currently in the playoffs.

[brobin]

The leafs have the same number of ROW as us. If they suck and are full of holes, what are we?

All teams have strengths and weaknesses. All teams have better or worse matchups. I don't think the Habs match up well against the Leafs. We might beat them, but we will be angled up and bloody. It will be like all those years we knock out the Bruins in round one , only to fall apart in round two.

I want to go deep this year, so I would take ottawa, rangers, or isles in the first round.

[Commandant]

Remember when we were 8-0 vs Boston in the regular season and they forced us to 7 games?

Remember when Ottawa was 7-1 vs Toronto, and the Leafs swept them?

Remember when Carolina was 0-4 in the regular season vs Boston, but knocked them out of the playoffs?

and on... and on....

The regular season head to head series here mean nothing.

[PMAC]

Remember when we were 8-0 vs Boston in the regular season and they forced us to 7 games?

Remember when Ottawa was 7-1 vs Toronto, and the Leafs swept them?

Remember when Carolina was 0-4 in the regular season vs Boston, but knocked them out of the playoffs?

and on... and on....

The regular season head to head series here mean nothing.

Remember when Bobby Boucher showed up at half time of the Bourbon Bowl, do ya?

Remember when Brendan Gallagher opened a can of whup ass on Nazem Kadri in the 2013 playoffs and scored the series winning goal? (I dare to dream)

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

It could go either way. But pessimists need to ask themselves this question: were those losses to the Leafs representative of the Habs' game? Because looking at the 6-0 and 5-1 wipeouts, what I see is

1. A team that was still finding its identity and rebounded from the ass-whuppin' to coalesce into a top team in the Conference and

2. A team whose all-star goalie had a rare disastrous night and consequently lost.

Because neither scenario is representative, we should be less worried that we 'match up' badly than that these aberrant losses have gotten into the heads of our players.

[Trizzak]

It could go either way. But pessimists need to ask themselves this question: were those losses to the Leafs representative of the Habs' game? Because looking at the 6-0 and 5-1 wipeouts, what I see is

1. A team that was still finding its identity and rebounded from the ass-whuppin' to coalesce into a top team in the Conference and

2. A team whose all-star goalie had a rare disastrous night and consequently lost.

Because neither scenario is representative, we should be less worried that we 'match up' badly than that these aberrant losses have gotten into the heads of our players.

#2 is key, because up until that 4th goal I believed that Montreal was going to come back and win it, and it looked like the team felt that way too. The 4th bad goal took away all the wind in the sails.

But up until that 4th goal, Montreal looked like the better team.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

#2 is key, because up until that 4th goal I believed that Montreal was going to come back and win it, and it looked like the team felt that way too. The 4th bad goal took away all the wind in the sails.

But up until that 4th goal, Montreal looked like the better team.

Exactly. I don't want to make excuses for these guys, but the better team wins a 7 game series.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

I'm still pretty open to whatever result happens.

This team has overachieved. Of course I'll be super excited if they win the Cup and of course I'll be disappointed if they get eliminated but I'm just happy with progress.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm still pretty open to whatever result happens.

This team has overachieved. Of course I'll be super excited if they win the Cup and of course I'll be disappointed if they get eliminated but I'm just happy with progress.

Ha ha, if they win the Cup, my head will explode The only blemish will be a twinge of regret that Saku will not be raising the mug with them.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Ha ha, if they win the Cup, my head will explode The only blemish will be a twinge of regret that Saku will not be raising the mug with them.

Eh, I never held that much loyalty to Saku. I always defended him but I wasn't that loyal to him. He's a Duck now and that's fine.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I loved Koivu, but that has more to do with my age than anything else.

[JMMR]

Loved Koivu and love that when he left he went as far away as possible!

[sakiqc]

Ha ha, if they win the Cup, my head will explode The only blemish will be a twinge of regret that Saku will not be raising the mug with them.

My head will explode if I see Koivu and Souray raising the Cup on centre ice in Montreal in a Ducks uniform.

[johnnyhasbeen]

As long as we have a date for the prom I am happy! It isn't the one we show up with that matters, as long as we go home with someone from the west.