I think a point most people aren’t realizing is a lot of Toronto fans were upset with Marner because we KNEW he could be this player when it mattered most and he always fell short.
Getting real hard to keep putting this whole situation on Leafs fans "not letting things go" when every media member, player, and executive in the league won't shut up about it/them
lot of people saying colorado got swept by vegas
misses the point that the canadiens have got their shit absolutely ROCKED for four straight games. i don’t think we’ve ever really seen a team get dominated like this. feels like we’re watching CARvsVAN
If anything, watching a Marner-type work in Vegas (who aren't pure skill either, but at least play with an understanding that the puck should be going north for 60 minutes), should show that this is possible. Also, not facing Tier-1 contenders in R1/2 almost every year helps.
I honestly thought the same thing but I tracked the series at 22.4 xG for Tampa and 18.9 for Montreal. Certainly didn't feel that way from watching but I'm not gonna argue with the numbers. I'll take the analytics nerd comments but the same models that spit out this data are the ones I've used to bet hockey professionally for years. Tampa was the better team. Montreal just had the better goalie and the better bounces. Sometimes that's how hockey works and that's what makes it great! Habs/Sabres feels like a better series to me anyways.
The Habs just won a Game 7 with under 10 shots on net and a goal that bounced in off the goalie's back. Hockey gods carried them. If the Leafs played that same game they lose by 5 and the country makes a documentary about it. Being a Leafs fan is a disease.