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GDT: Apr. 27, 7:00pm: The BWO proudly presents "The Leafs vs TB - It's Game 5 Baby!" - The Opposite Edition

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Divine said:


Ref looking right at the play too. The amount of dirty stuff Tampa get's away with and then we get called for light taps or a push in a scrum or a crosscheck while on the boards, it's been crazy.

The ref couldn't wait to get his hands up right away when Nylander touched Stamkos earlier in the game, or when McCabe crosschecked a Tampa player after shooting the puck after the whistle though.
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Honestly, I think the explanation is simple. Tampa embellishes like crazy and we don't, except Bunting, who's coincidentally the only guy who can draw penalties on our team.

Anything up high, stick/hand whether it hit them hard, or even hit them at all and the head snaps back. Anything questionable from behind or whatever and they lay on the ice "hurt". It forces the refs to make a call.
 
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Westlander said:
The last time they won a series, I didn’t even get to watch. I’d moved to the Netherlands a year and a half earlier, there were no online video streams like now, but there was online radio. I got up in the middle of the night (6 hours ahead here) to listen to Joe Bowen’s call of game 7 against Ottawa.
Get it done tonight boys, fix bayonets!
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Your post got me thinking.

With the Leafs not having won a playoff round in 19 years since 2004, I'm curious how many of younger Leaf fans haven't witnessed this happening and this series might be the 1st time they witnessed a Leafs winning a playoff round or being old enough to appreciate it, last time it happened.

Thought for sure the streak was going to end a few years back against Montreal, but now here we are again up 3-1 and about to do something that hasn't happened in almost 2 decades.
 
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Mess said:
Your post got me thinking.

With the Leafs not having won a playoff round in 19 years since 2004, I'm curious how many of younger Leaf fans haven't witnessed this happening and this series might be the 1st time they witnessed a Leafs winning a playoff round or being old enough to appreciate it, last time it happened.

Thought for sure the streak was going to end a few years back against Montreal, but now here we are again up 3-1 and about to do something that hasn't happened in almost 2 decades.
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My boys are 18 and 20. Neither of them remember the Leafs winning.
 
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Mess said:
Your post got me thinking.

With the Leafs not having won a playoff round in 19 years since 2004, I'm curious how many of younger Leaf fans haven't witnessed this happening and this series might be the 1st time they witnessed a Leafs winning a playoff round or being old enough to appreciate it, last time it happened.

Thought for sure the streak was going to end a few years back against Montreal, but now here we are again up 3-1 and about to do something that hasn't happened in almost 2 decades.
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how old were you Mess when the leafs last won a round?
 
Mess said:
Your post got me thinking.

With the Leafs not having won a playoff round in 19 years since 2004, I'm curious how many of younger Leaf fans haven't witnessed this happening and this series might be the 1st time they witnessed a Leafs winning a playoff round or being old enough to appreciate it, last time it happened.

Thought for sure the streak was going to end a few years back against Montreal, but now here we are again up 3-1 and about to do something that hasn't happened in almost 2 decades.
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19 years....god man I remember that 2004 series like it was yesterday. All my fondest memories from hockey as a kid were the 98 - 2006 leafs.

As an adult now I have a hard time getting as emotionally invested and pumped up for the games. But I can think back to how excited 12 year old me would be tonight for this game. Going to school watching the clock. Coming home putting the jersey on and going to play some road hockey before puck drop. Just the best time of the year.

Here's to all the kids creating new memories tonight. Hopefully the leafs do it for them.
 
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ponder said:
I thought game 1 was pretty even (despite the score), game 2 we dominated, game 3 and 4 though, Tampa really controlled the play, and we were very lucky to win. Keefe's opinion is "stick with what's working", but ... I dunno, getting dominated but having some puck luck and miraculous comebacks, I wouldn't consider that an approach we can keep replicating.

Don't get me wrong, I've been having a blast watching the games, very proud of the boys for these amazing comebacks, but I do think we need to realize there's lots of luck in hockey. Coaching/lineup decisions should try to block out the noise, focus on what's most likely to make us win. It's nice that the luck has been turning our way, compared to past playoffs where we've often lost despite outplaying the competition, but we shouldn't be counting on luck, it's too random.

IMO:

- We get DOMINATED at ES with Holl out there, he's our biggest ES liability by far. The problem is primarily breakouts, Tampa's forwards pressure him and he just forces bad passes up ice, which constantly leads to Tampa getting the puck right back. This is a major issue, it means we spend most of Holl's shifts without the puck, in our own end. The #1 thing we can do to start controlling the play more at ES is take out our biggest ES liability (Holl), and replace him with a very strong ES player (Lily). Holl is better on the PK, but Gio/Brodie/McCabe/Schenn are all on par with Holl on the PK, they can take his minutes​
​
- Bunting is simply better than ZAR and Lafferty, should be in over one of them. The 4th line has been our #2 ES weakness, after Holl, worth a shot. Of course it is expected that 4th lines get kinda dominated, but will probably be less the case if we put Bunts on it​

Based on that, I'd go with:

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - JT - Marner
Acciari - ROR - Kerfoot
Bunting - Kampf - Lafferty

Rielly - Schenn
McCabe - Brodie
Gio - Lily

Sammy
Woll

Also, for those who disagree with Holl getting dominated at ES these playoffs, here's our 5v5 on/off ice playoff stats so far (from NHL Player Statistics -Advanced Stats):
View attachment 697750

Holl with atrocious stats, and the eye test has been just as bad. Gio's stats are bad too, but that's because he's playing with Holl IMO, he's consistently done great with Lily all year.

FWIW, Holl's PK stats are also the worst on the team, although him and Brodie do go up against Tampa's PP1, so this is less of a fair comp. But at the very least, the PK hasn't been particularly good with Holl.
View attachment 697756
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Forget about stats .. they mean nothing .. Holl's problems are very simple -- he is an in between AHL and NHL skater and thinker and he is not a mean son of a b*tch .. his skills are just not good enough .. I have told everyone this now for years .. Muzzy made him look way better then he was .. and Gio now at his age can't do it .. but you don't take out a VET D when he is hitting and blocking shots now .. as soon as he goes Flamingo again then I would pull him .. game 1 shift 1 against Perry was so chicken sh*t it was .. well i can't say what needs to be said anymore .. but in old days my friends Holl would not have seen ice rest of that game
 
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Morgs said:
I want 0 negativity in this thread when we're inevitably down 4 after the first.

Personally I don't understand no Bunting, but we know he should be back next game no matter what. Seems bad to bench one of your best forwards for Lafferty or ZAR.
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I think it was a very tough call by Keefe & company. But sometimes you have to be safe.
 
Westlander said:
The last time they won a series, I didn’t even get to watch. I’d moved to the Netherlands a year and a half earlier, there were no online video streams like now, but there was online radio. I got up in the middle of the night (6 hours ahead here) to listen to Joe Bowen’s call of game 7 against Ottawa.
Get it done tonight boys, fix bayonets!
Click to expand...

My son was born later that year. 18 years old and has never seen the Leafs win a round. Think about that for a second. CRAZY.
 
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Mess said:
I was a kid in the 1960's when Leafs last won their last Stanley Cup, and now I'm in my 60's waiting for another Cup.

Winning a round nevermind the Cup has been a long time coming.
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yea I was in my last year of High school when they last won a round was full of hope back than that they were going to win a cup soon! lmao!
 
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Mess said:
Hey bud, how much blame are you placing on yourself for past seasons for not invoking it earlier? :wg:

That comeback in game #4 down 4-1 heading into the 3rd and coming out the winner could really be the turning point for this organization that will be looked back on for years where we turned that corner and now the snowball is running downhill and unstoppable.

Momentum is building that something special is happening this year.
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All of it, for sure.

Ya, it feels like we got something going here. Tonight we get the King Kong monkey off our back and I wonder how we look next round not clenching the sticks so bad?
 
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