I think 80 games in jr is very different from 80 games in the NHL........not saying he's going to falter or anything, just that in the NHL it's not just the games, it's morning skates, practices on off days, plus all the travel. you don't have nearly as much of any of those things in jr hockey. if anything I would think the travel is more exhausting than anything else.

I think if any of the rookies will "fatigue" though it's likely going to be Matthews. he only played 40 games last year (plus WJC) so lets say like 46..........he's already past that this year. not saying he will fatigue, but I imagine he's the most likely having never played anywhere near 80 games.
- sensarmy_11

Travel in the OHL can be pretty crazy. Ever taken a bus from London to Sudbury? Easily 5 hours. On top of that they also still have high school to deal with and they practice too. The travel in the NHL is a non issue entirely imo.

Travel in the OHL can be pretty crazy. Ever taken a bus from London to Sudbury? Easily 5 hours. On top of that they also still have high school to deal with and they practice too. The travel in the NHL is a non issue entirely imo.
- daeth

matthews had a real easy travel schedule in switzerland

matthews had a real easy travel schedule in switzerland
- Tumbleweed

I think that country is smaller than the GTA............he probably has further to go from his home to the ACC then the furthest trip in that league.

Travel in the OHL can be pretty crazy. Ever taken a bus from London to Sudbury? Easily 5 hours. On top of that they also still have high school to deal with and they practice too. The travel in the NHL is a non issue entirely imo.
- daeth

there is definintely an advantage to playing at home.


sens have more road games, but have also been ok on the road.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think that country is smaller than the GTA............he probably has further to go from his home to the ACC then the furthest trip in that league.
- sensarmy_11

i think they come home after every road game.

i think they come home after every road game.
- Tumbleweed

my brother went to school there and said that you could drive across the entire country in about 4 hours ( I think it's less than 200 miles from one end to the other), so it would make sense

I think I heard (on the radio) that the leafs & Sens have something like 35 games remaining, in 69 days, so slightly less than a game every second day on average ...... not leaving much time for practicing for the rest of the season.

Then I guess if you look at each teams' travel schedule, you could say one team has a "harder" schedule than the other.

So I would suggest that this will rest the depth of each team, as fatigue, injury and illness will undoubtedly have an impact on both teams, and roster changes and call ups will be used much more over the rest of the season.

I'm familiar with Ottawas' depth in Binghamton, as there have been a number of call ups over the season so far, but not so much with the leafs depth in the AHL.
- D0PPELGANGER

as a player I'd be ecstatic

no practice!!

I figured I'd do a quick check. Marner played 80 games last year and only got better as the games went on in the Memorial Cup. Interesting.

Matthews played less. 57 games total? Something like that.

Brown has played a full AHL season in the past.
- daeth

LOL LEAFS HOMER

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris
There are 69 days remaining in the NHL's regular season. Four teams (COL, NYI, TOR, OTT) will average more than a game every other night.

But Ottawa plays crappy teams ..so wont matter

But Ottawa plays crappy teams ..so wont matter
- senstroll

are you being sarcastic...........Ottawa has 35 games left and 22 of them are against teams not currently in the playoffs. that's a pretty soft schedule

are you being sarcastic...........Ottawa has 35 games left and 22 of them are against teams not currently in the playoffs. that's a pretty soft schedule
- sensarmy_11

congrats on all those wins already

congrats on all those wins already
- senstroll

did I say Ottawa would win them all?

I'd rather have Ottawa's schedule than the leafs......who I believe play more than half their games against playoff teams

I think that country is smaller than the GTA............he probably has further to go from his home to the ACC then the furthest trip in that league.
- sensarmy_11

As someone who has played hockey in switzerland, I can assure, you are way off. I'm assuming Swiss teams take team bus, and some of those bus trips are treacherous. The roads twist all over the place up the mountains. It's time consuming, and you're not sleeping by any stretch of the imagination, you're turning every 30 seconds.

As someone who has played hockey in switzerland, I can assure, you are way off. I'm assuming Swiss teams take team bus, and some of those bus trips are treacherous. The roads twist all over the place up the mountains. It's time consuming, and you're not sleeping by any stretch of the imagination, you're turning every 30 seconds.
- prock

Are you Frederik Andersen???

As someone who has played hockey in switzerland, I can assure, you are way off. I'm assuming Swiss teams take team bus, and some of those bus trips are treacherous. The roads twist all over the place up the mountains. It's time consuming, and you're not sleeping by any stretch of the imagination, you're turning every 30 seconds.
- prock

I was just being facetious....I've been there several times, I remember what the roads were like.

I was just being facetious....I've been there several times, I remember what the roads were like.
- sensarmy_11

Just saying, bus trips from some of those cities that there are Swiss teams in to others, they may not be 8 hour trips, but they can easily take 2-3 hours, and the rides are not the kind of rides you sit back and chill out on. In my experience anyway.

Ottawa has a stretch in late March that could decide their fate. Chicago, Montreal, Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal. Brutal 6 game stretch. Toronto's schedule might be harder overall but they don't have a 6 game stretch anywhere near that brutal.

did I say Ottawa would win them all?

I'd rather have Ottawa's schedule than the leafs......who I believe play more than half their games against playoff teams
- sensarmy_11

I get that the conventional wisdom is..playing a team lower in the standing = better

but sometimes its hard for a team in a playoff spot like Ottawa to get up for a game or generate any excitement playing against Carolina or Buffalo on a Tuesday night with the building half empty.. and you get those let down games where a team thats not playing for much comes in loose..doesnt care and just beats you.

on the Flip side, playing teams you are battling with..its easier for a team to stay focused and get up for the game.

Careful what you wish for is all I am saying.

But its the schedule thats the biggest challenge anyways..lots of short breaks between games

Are you Frederik Andersen???
- twiztedmike

No. Wasn't aware he was in the Swiss league at one point. I was playing at a slightly lower level. And by slightly, I mean yugely. I've done some tours on a mens league tour group. I've played in various cities in Switzerland (Zurich, Ambri, Zug, and a few others), Italy (4 or 5 cities in the north around Milan, Turin, etc), the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Tilburg), Belgium (Turnhout).

Kind of a beer drinking hockey playing tour of a bunch of mens league guys that get together and go play in Europe.

As someone who has played hockey in switzerland, I can assure, you are way off. I'm assuming Swiss teams take team bus, and some of those bus trips are treacherous. The roads twist all over the place up the mountains. It's time consuming, and you're not sleeping by any stretch of the imagination, you're turning every 30 seconds.
- prock

Don't you still go back on a Hockey Trip to Italy?

Ottawa has a stretch in late March that could decide their fate. Chicago, Montreal, Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal. Brutal 6 game stretch. Toronto's schedule might be harder overall but they don't have a 6 game stretch anywhere near that brutal.
- daeth

At the End of the day, the Sens and leafs both play the same amount of games vs the same teams ....... so it's not like one team has a huge advantage over the other .......... unless you're preemptively looks for an excuse?


Look, neither fan-base, at least those who post in this thread, thought their respective teams were going to make the playoffs this season ....... if one or both do, great, there's no need to prepackage a reason why either team fails to make the playoffs, as none of thought it would happen ............ if we're being honest with ourselves.

At the End of the day, the Sens and leafs both play the same amount of games vs the same teams ....... so it's not like one team has a huge advantage over the other .......... unless you're preemptively looks for an excuse?


Look, neither fan-base, at least those who post in this thread, thought their respective teams were going to make the playoffs this season ....... if one or both do, great, there's no need to prepackage a reason why either team fails to make the playoffs, as none of thought it would happen ............ if we're being honest with ourselves.
- D0PPELGANGER

Thoughts on Trudeau being the root cause of Québec terrorism?

At the End of the day, the Sens and leafs both play the same amount of games vs the same teams ....... so it's not like one team has a huge advantage over the other .......... unless you're preemptively looks for an excuse?


Look, neither fan-base, at least those who post in this thread, thought their respective teams were going to make the playoffs this season ....... if one or both do, great, there's no need to prepackage a reason why either team fails to make the playoffs, as none of thought it would happen ............ if we're being honest with ourselves.
- D0PPELGANGER

The last two games for Toronto are against Pittsburgh and Columbus. On paper that looks tough but there's a decent chance that both teams will already have their positions secured and resting their vets and starting goaltenders will be a priority at that point. It could be 4 easy points for the Leafs.

Discuss.

The last two games for Toronto are against Pittsburgh and Columbus. On paper that looks tough but there's a decent chance that both teams will already have their positions secured and resting their vets and starting goaltenders will be a priority at that point. It could be 4 easy points for the Leafs.

Discuss.
- daeth

nothing to discuss. Both those teams are ahead in the standings.. so they will win those games not the leafs

Don't you still go back on a Hockey Trip to Italy?
- D0PPELGANGER

No I haven't been in a few years. Last I went was 2015. 2016 I was getting married in May, we actually decided to go on our honeymoon before our wedding. We went to Australia, Bali, and Fiji in February. We went before the wedding because if we went after it would be their winter. I wasn't going every year before that either. 2013 I took some time off work and went to Thailand in January. I was there when the guys went on that trip. 2012 I went on the trip, it was in Switzerland.