Series Talk: ECQ: Boston Bruins (2-0) Toronto Maple Leafs. Well. We can Win at Home. We Have to.

[The Man with a Plan]

I cant wait to see Marchand get crushed by Polak or Martin...

I'd settle for Kadri driving him nuts and making him take some dumb penalties so that our PP can take advantage.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Because?

Because I feel Komi and Plecs get slaughtered by Bergeron's line. While they may be ok defensively and bad offensively the latter won't matter because that line will probably be in its own end. Kadri's line brings a nice balance of defense and offense against them.

 

[MR4]

Because I feel Komi and Plecs get slaughtered by Bergeron's line. While they may be ok defensively and bad offensively the latter won't matter because that line will probably be in its own end. Kadri's line brings a nice balance of defense and offense against them.

Yep. The best way to defend the Bergeron line is to try to keep the puck in their zone and break up their zone entries, not defend defend defend in our zone and flip it out and defend again. Really that applies to any line, and is why pure defense no offense players are actually bad at defense.

 

[Polaris1010]

As a ma'adirtin underdog its always the better way to at it! Underdog never have pressure, we might be like the 48% favourite to win, but mayne that underdog no pressure way is the purest dirt out there. I always want exactly that when I go the big show to win. Then just take the trophy home and bounce on that thang real hard.

You da man! Boston has the pressure because they loss to that twerker Dion Phaneuf last season in the playoffs! Didn't Phaneuf score an overtime winning goal?

Bean Towners gonna watch that Kadri - Marner twrek, and smell the breath of Uncle Leo in close!

 

[Polaris1010]

I doubt everyone wants this thread filled with going over the Johnsson > Komarov argument though, so won't spend more time on it

You do not trust a kid to do a man's job.

How many times the coach must say that?

If Babcock don't trust someone, he don't trust someone.

He pulls Nylander off the first line and puts Brown in there late in games if the team got a lead. Low trust in Nylander's defensive effort.

Babcock has his reasons. Komorav is in. No story here.

 

[Polaris1010]

(honestly, when i hear fan boy, i want to dig someone's eyes out with a teaspoon).

Just use a nail.

Someone is in a playoffs mood.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

All i know is komarov has like the worst CF% on the team, and Johnsson has one of the best. Johnsson-Plek-Kap was always pushing the play into the other teams zone. When Komarov came back, the play started to be tilted back towards ours.

Puck retrieval, breakout, skating, tenaciousness is all important traits that Komarov no longer has. He just kind of floats around and it sucks.

Johnsson, even though smaller, is a puck hound. Komarov is reacting more than being proactive. You need to be proactive to be helpful.

*stands up and starts clapping*

 

[LeafingTheWay]

You do not trust a kid to do a man's job.

How many times the coach must say that?

If Babcock don't trust someone, he don't trust someone.

He pulls Nylander off the first line and puts Brown in there late in games if the team got a lead. Low trust in Nylander's defensive effort.

Babcock has his reasons. Komorav is in. No story here.

He trusts Johnsson to be on the PK, hold onto leads, etc. He trusts him for sure. But no one can beat the trust he has in Komarov.

 

[Atrusai]

Maple Leafs Scoring and Shots by period 2017-18

View attachment 112503

I'm starting to think this is by design. Come out strong, rest up in the 2nd, finish strong.

 

[Polaris1010]

I always want exactly that when I go the big show to win.

Hey coach, what do you think will happen with the line matchups?

That Plakanec angle, that he knows how to play the Burins well, is a curious angle.

All the Leafs need to do is to contain that top line, one of the best lines in hockey. Then Andersen is good enough to contain the rest of the Boston offense.

It really could be send the 4th line out against the 1st line. Then Babcock tells everyone else go score.

If Boston starts to rough house it, then it is their 1st line against the 4th line.

 

[saffronleaf]

Go Leafs Go! Can't remember being this excited for a series.

Matthews shall dominate this series.

 

[MR4]

Go Leafs Go! Can't remember being this excited for a series.

Matthews shall dominate this series.

He's gonna be against the best defensive forward in the NHL for up to 4/7 games, I wouldn't place the expectation of dominating on him. But if he does, he re-enters the conversation for #1 in the league

 

[pulfordfan]

He talks. Komarov always talks. He has the ability to rile people with his yap. Always has.

In more then one language.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I'm somewhat glad the TSN panel is all in on Boston.

Hopefully the Bruins come in thinking they haven't lost every game but 1 in the last 10....and take us like they did Florida or the other teams they squandered points to in the final stretch.

 

[TorMapleJays]

I don't think we are sneaking up on anyone

 

[Auston Marlander]

Hey coach, what do you think will happen with the line matchups?

That Plakanec angle, that he knows how to play the Burins well, is a curious angle.

All the Leafs need to do is to contain that top line, one of the best lines in hockey. Then Andersen is good enough to contain the rest of the Boston offense.

It really could be send the 4th line out against the 1st line. Then Babcock tells everyone else go score.

If Boston starts to rough house it, then it is their 1st line against the 4th line.

So very happy you have no say in the lineups. Out in 4 would suck.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

Why is everyone worried if Boston just has 1 good line? We have more depth and fire power. The Bergeron line will be exhausted if they are relied to heavily upon.

 

[ACC1224]

Hey coach, what do you think will happen with the line matchups?

That Plakanec angle, that he knows how to play the Burins well, is a curious angle.

All the Leafs need to do is to contain that top line, one of the best lines in hockey. Then Andersen is good enough to contain the rest of the Boston offense.

It really could be send the 4th line out against the 1st line. Then Babcock tells everyone else go score.

If Boston starts to rough house it, then it is their 1st line against the 4th line.

That would be a disaster which safe to say, won't happen.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I also looked at that leafs lineup from 2013 and puked everywhere. Boston’s first line is dynamite after that? Rick Nash? David backes? Chara at 41? Krejci had a horrible year. Our top 3 lines roll em. Let’s go.

After the top line they have:
Krejci, 55 point two-way player
Heinen, 50 point two-way player
Backes, 50 point two-way player
DeBrusk, 45 point rookie
Riley Nash, 40 point guy who is one of the more underrated two-way players in the league
Rick Nash, 40 point player
Donato, 9 points in 12 games

This idea that Boston have no depth need to die.

Why is everyone worried if Boston just has 1 good line? We have more depth and fire power. The Bergeron line will be exhausted if they are relied to heavily upon.

Because that is an ignorant take. Boston has a top 9 that is just as good as ours.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

1 more sleep!

 

[Gary Nylund]

After the top line they have:
Krejci, 55 point two-way player
Heinen, 50 point two-way player
Backes, 50 point two-way player
DeBrusk, 45 point rookie
Riley Nash, 40 point guy who is one of the more underrated two-way players in the league
Rick Nash, 40 point player
Donato, 9 points in 12 games

This idea that Boston have no depth need to die.

Because that is an ignorant take. Boston has a top 9 that is just as good as ours.

I'm tired of it too but it's like the monsters in horror movies - they can't be killed, period but you really wish they could be.

 

[Nithoniniel]

As for Marchand and Plekanec, there's a whole lot of talk about that matchup but for some reason nobody has bothered to even check if it has actually been effective.

Answer: It has not.

Over the last four seasons or so, Marchand has 10 points in the 12 games where he has faced up primarily against Plekanec. That's pretty much identical to his normal point pace over that stretch.

If Plekanec can get under his skin, all the better. But that's all we should hope for, and it's unlikely as they will likely not see the ice at the same time.

 

[Gary Nylund]

As for Marchand and Plekanec, there's a whole lot of talk about that matchup but for some reason nobody has bothered to even check if it has actually been effective.

Answer: It has not.

Over the last four seasons or so, Marchand has 10 points in the 12 games where he has faced up primarily against Plekanec. That's pretty much identical to his normal point pace over that stretch.

If Plekanec can get under his skin, all the better. But that's all we should hope for, and it's unlikely as they will likely not see the ice at the same time.

I've been wondering about this myself over the last few days. I seem to remember some talk about how people shouldn't worry about Plecanek during the regular season, that a big reason we traded for him was because he can get under Marchand's skin in the playoffs. But how is this even possible when it seems highly improbable that Babcock would dare put our 4th line on the ice against Marchand's line as that just seems suicidal. If it does happen and Plecanek/Komarov do a credible job shutting down Boston's top line (seems preposterous), Babcock/Lamoriello will go down as perhaps the greatest due in modern NHL history and I will never question anything they do ever again.

 

[ACC1224]

I've been wondering about this myself over the last few days. I seem to remember some talk about how people shouldn't worry about Plecanek during the regular season, that a big reason we traded for him was because he can get under Marchand's skin in the playoffs. But how is this even possible when it seems highly improbable that Babcock would dare put our 4th line on the ice against Marchand's line as that just seems suicidal. If it does happen and Plecanek/Komarov do a credible job shutting down Boston's top line (seems preposterous), Babcock/Lamoriello will go down as perhaps the greatest due in modern NHL history and I will never question anything they do ever again.

I assumed Plecanek was brought in for PK and to give another defensive zone faceoff option other than Bozak.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I assumed Plecanek was brought in for PK and to give another defensive zone faceoff option other than Bozak.

Maybe so. It seems more plausible than planning to have him lead our 4th line against Bergeron's line in the playoffs, that's for sure.