Exploring Stanley Cup Playoff: Leafs Face Tough Rivals

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00:00Let's go through the playoffs, like what we're talking about here.

00:06So the Capitals have the number ones.

00:09I understand that, Montreal, Ottawa.

00:11Those are the two wild cards.

00:13But Ottawa's the one.

00:15Montreal's the two.

00:17So the Capitals are the top team in the conference.

00:20They've already clinched that.

00:22And then the Leafs, right now as it stands,

00:25obviously are going to go to the playoffs.

00:28But they would be the two, correct?

00:32Yeah, so if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs,

00:36you're either most likely going to play the Montreal Canadiens

00:39or Ottawa Senators in the playoffs if you hang on to first place, right?

00:46So the Leafs have a motivation.

00:48They would rather do that.

00:49You don't want to end up with the Tampas and the Floridas of the world

00:52right in that 2-3 matchup.

00:54The NHL playoff format is stupid.

00:56It's confusing.

00:57Players don't like it.

00:59I don't, you know, it is what it is with this, you know,

01:01the top three teams in a division and the top two wild cards.

01:04But so basically, Scott, like if you're the Canadians and Senators,

01:08you're right now if you're the Montreal Canadiens,

01:10you're playing the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

01:13Right.

01:13Let's say you pass the Senators, then you're getting the Leafs.

01:18Canadians don't fear the Leafs, right?

01:21They beat them in the playoffs.

01:22Like if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs, Scott, this is a nightmare for like,

01:26there's no good scenario for the Leafs in this.

01:30If they play the Canadians, it's one of the biggest rivalries in sport.

01:33Throw out the regular season records and stuff.

01:36And the fact is, the Canadians are the hottest team in the NHL right now.

01:39So it's not like, oh, they're not very good.

01:42You know as well as I do, Scott, and anyone who knows hockey, bro,

01:45one versus eight and all this stuff doesn't mean anything in the NHL, bro.

01:48This ain't the NBA, bro.

01:50Like, this ain't the NBA or the NFL, son.

01:53Right?

01:53Like, dude, there's upsets.

01:55Like, it means nothing.

01:56Like, I'm telling you.

01:57Everyone knows this.

01:58Like, who cares?

01:59Good for you.

01:59Once we play in a seven-game series, anything can happen.

02:02Let me ask you.

02:04You think that the Leafs would actually fear the Canadians more than playing the

02:10Lightning or Panthers?

02:12No, I think they would still say we could beat the Canadians.

02:17But then they won't.

02:18Because they never win in the playoffs.

02:20No, they do.

02:22They were, like, minus 500 favorites against the Canadians four years ago, Scott.

02:25Three or four years in the COVID year.

02:27The Canadians beat them.

02:28I know.

02:29You know what I mean?

02:30Like, the Leafs have won, like, two playoff series in 30 years, guys.

02:34And Montreal just has that pedigree.

02:37You go into their building.

02:38Like, it just, you know, it freaks the Leafs out in the playoffs.

02:41And then Ottawa, Scott, Ottawa is, like, Texas San Antonio playing against the

02:46Longhorns or something.

02:46Like, they freaking hate them.

02:47Like, you know what I mean?

02:49Do you think the Leafs are the longest suffering team in the NHL?

02:53Like, the Bills and, like, the Lions.

02:56By far.

02:56They just never get it done.

02:58They're the one?

02:59By far.

03:00Think about it, dude.

03:01Like, there's teams that haven't won before.

03:03So, it's like, all right, the San Jose Sharks haven't won a couple.

03:06They haven't been around as long.

03:07But, like, still been around a long time, the Sharks now.

03:09Okay, fine.

03:10Like, it's not the same as a market.

03:13I would equate very similarly, Scott, the Leafs, the Bills.

03:17Yes.

03:18From an athletic standpoint, the Leafs and the Bills are mirror images of each

03:21other.

03:22Dominant regular seasons every year.

03:24Austin Matthews is Josh Allen.

03:25Oh, he's one of the greatest players ever.

03:27And blah, blah, blah, blah.

03:28It's okay.

03:28Well, whatever, dude.

03:29They're always golfing in the summertime during the playoffs, aren't they?

03:33Right?

03:33So, all that stuff.

03:35But, I would say, though, the Leafs are very Nick-like in the sense, you know,

03:40like, the Knicks have sucked and they haven't won for so long, Scott,

03:42but they still sell out every game.

03:44Yeah.

03:44Like, the Leafs sell out every night.

03:46The Leafs haven't won in 63 years or whatever now, 60 years.

03:50And they sell out.

03:52Like, there's never been a time in my lifetime where it's like, oh, yeah,

03:55you can't get into the Leafs.

03:56Dude, even in, like, the 80s when they were bad, bad, they sold out.

03:59So, you have a rabid fan base.

04:02And I'm not going to lie, Scott.

04:03You know, we talk about it on Sports Rage.

04:06It burns Cam up a lot as a lifelong Leaf fan.

04:10To see, like, Vegas coming to the league and go to Cups and winning, like,

04:13six years in.

04:14I know.

04:15And Florida win.

04:17Not hockey markets winning all the time.

04:18It really, like, enrages Leaf fans.

04:21Right.

04:22I'll bet it does.

04:23And I've been there for games.

04:24I've called games there.

04:26That's one of the most.

04:27Like the Garden in New York, the Leafs tickets are one of the most expensive in sports.

04:32Yeah, it is.

04:33It's one of the biggest franchises, brands.

04:36And it's a big deal.

04:38Tomorrow night will be a really big deal.

04:39The Demidoff kid, the kid from Russia we talked about, Scott,

04:42they're throwing him into the fire.

04:43He's going to make his debut tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto.

04:47Can't wait to see him play.

04:51I watched his highlights.

04:52He's a badass.

04:54Yeah, I want to see what he does.

04:55And imagine, too, if it's the Canadians versus the Capitals, Scott.

04:59New Russian prodigy versus Ovechkin in the playoffs.

05:02Kid just got to the end.

05:03It's like the cycle of life.

05:05The old dude versus the young dude.

05:06It's in the hard way against the hoping.

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