ECQF: Game 6 - Toronto Maple Leafs Vs Boston Bruins, 8 p.m. ET, TBS

[Divine]

Leafs will lose and you will complain about goalie save %. Book it.

Woll played great today. Book it.

 

[LeafAttack]

Matthews injury gets aggravated when he plays for a while.He cant play the way the rest of the team is playing right now,so he should sit.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

So are the Bruins going to say what happened last year isn't in their heads?

Give them a call

 

[OVO16]

Benoit,and McCabe = SandPaper Duo .

Leafs have the toughest defense in the playoffs. Benoit, McCabe, Edmundson, Lybushkin and even Reilly have been giving it to the bruins all series

This D-core is big and nasty. Complete opposite of the DUbas era

 

[BayStBullies]

So are the Bruins going to say what happened last year isn't in their heads?

Nothing is in their heads. It's why they are always lightheaded and falling over.

 

[Leaf Fans]

What happens if Matthews plays in game 7 and the leafs lose?

Then the series is over and Boston will advance. It is the same as if Matthews doesn't play and the Leafs lose. Hopefully, the Leafs will win though.

 

[flying squirrel]

Leafs were about to "Leaf it" late in 2nd, and Bruins were coming on to help them do it. But..... then Leafs took advantage of favorable winds that change complexly of game, like teams have to do if they want "Cup". Leafs deserved game, goalie played great( Shame on shutout), and Leaf made enough plays to win elimination game. Boston didn't come out with needed intensity, and waiting to play until 1/2 through game, isn't a great strategy. Game 7 should be dozy, hopefully both teams bring it and refs let players decide things.

Kudos to both Leafs and Bruins for 4 consecutive game 7's, entertaining NHL fans indeed!

 

[DavidpauseReinbacher]

If leafs do this they will own marchands rat ass for the last few years of his career.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Pastrnak should not be untouchable either. The dude brings absolutely nothing in the postseason..

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Matthews did have a great Game 2. I'd never seen him play as well on both sides of the puck as that game. but yeah, Leafs have played a more direct style of hockey these last two

Agreed. Matthews was a beast in game 2. Really battled hard in both ends.

 

[pcruz]

Matthews did have a great Game 2. I'd never seen him play as much on both sides of the puck as that game. but yeah, Leafs have played a more direct style of hockey these last two

Matthews had a great game 1 too.

The team didn't, but he did.


The team has this weird fetish of relying on him to be the dominant defensive player in their zone, and then also rely on him to be the entirety of the offense.

On the power play, they look for Matthews so much, that they put themselves in terrible positions and end up not even getting a pass across to him for the shot. The other teams have noticed this and can cheat on him on the pp because the play is blatantly obvious.


These last 2 games, the saviour has been missing, so they've finally felt a pinch of necessity to be more desperate.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

I really dont follow you team but I feel like your team has been pretty well operated so far? At least tracing back to 2011 where we both know what happened.

What makes you so unsatisfied with your management group?

They anticipated Bergy and Krejci would play forever and never planned to restock that cupboard, they trade away 1st like crazy on acquisitions that were extremely temporary, meh, or passed their prime, they protected Gryz over Lauzon when everyone saw that was not the play, and drafting is kinda a toss up, they hit on lower rounds but can’t draft in the 1st round consistently when consensus BAP’s are there, to name a few. The team success was greatly benefited by having two of the best HOF leaders of the last era and finding great goalies.

 

[YukonCornelius]

If leafs do this they will own marchands rat ass for the last few years of his career.

Remember when he speed bagged Sedin and then won a cup over the Canucks?

 

[trilobyte]

Matthews had a great game 1 too.

The team didn't, but he did.


The team has this weird fetish of relying on him to be the dominant defensive player in their zone, and then also rely on him to be the entirety of the offense.

On the power play, they look for Matthews so much, that they put themselves in terrible positions and end up not even getting a pass across to him for the shot. The other teams have noticed this and can cheat on him on the pp because the play is blatantly obvious.


These last 2 games, the saviour has been missing, so they've finally felt a pinch of necessity to be more desperate.

Simplification can be good. More chance that every player knows their resposibilities and can execute them

 

[BB79]

In 2 years fro now, the B's will be surpassed by the Habs. Book it!

Yeah, that overrated Caufield is taking you places right? Just a matter of time before he requests a trade

 

[LeafAttack]

Leafs found a way to play as a team without Matthews.They should play that way all the time with Matthews.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I think it's time for Wes to enter the fray.

 

[thegazelle]

Matthews had a great game 1 too.

The team didn't, but he did.


The team has this weird fetish of relying on him to be the dominant defensive player in their zone, and then also rely on him to be the entirety of the offense.

On the power play, they look for Matthews so much, that they put themselves in terrible positions and end up not even getting a pass across to him for the shot. The other teams have noticed this and can cheat on him on the pp because the play is blatantly obvious.


These last 2 games, the saviour has been missing, so they've finally felt a pinch of necessity to be more desperate.

Agree with the good observation. Strangely I have seen this even in my son's hockey teams over the years when he used to play. Guys who were really dominant - when they couldn't make the games - for some reason there was more team cohesion and the team put up more of a concerted holistic effort and the results were almost always positive (on the scoreboard). I wonder whether some of this is psychological, like you alluded to, that teammates have certain expectations of other teammates, whether rightly or wrongly, and adapt their play accordingly.

I don't watch the NBA, but I remember years ago there were some teams that thought they could put together a powerhouse team by signing all these big name stars who had previous individual accomplishments in terms of scoring. But for some reason, the end result was not what was quite scripted. Those are maybe some of the intangibles in sports, how player chemistry just organically happens with certain player combinations or the presence/absence of other players.

 

[DavidpauseReinbacher]

Remember when he speed bagged Sedin and then won a cup over the Canucks?

Oh yeah the 1 cup in 20 years. I remember. The dynasty that had the shameless audacity to call last year the last dance after Jordans bulls. The real goat. Comparing the Bruins core to Jordans bulls is like comparing Mitch marner to Gretzky.

 

[All Mod Cons]

So extremely frustrating to watch. All the stuff Boston did right in the first few games - it's like they totally forgot about what helped win and dominate the earlier games. Winning the small puck battles, getting the puck out of their zone quickly.

Boston was playing like a group of individuals the last 2 games instead of as a team. All these players trying to bring the puck into the offensive zone only to lose it or get tied up. I was telling my son when Maroon tried to bring it in the Leafs zone with three guys in front him instead of just shooting or dumping it in - it was indicative of the whole game. I also noticed a number of Boston players were wiping out or falling down while skating. This didn't seem to be happening earlier. Something was definitely off with the Bruins.

I don't like the Leafs but I will concede they did many things right and deserved the win. The blocked shots, taking the man instead of watching the puck. And Woll played great as he has done most of the time he has been given an opportunity since last playoffs. If Boston doesn't even come close going back to how they were playing earlier, they will lose game 7. And as much as it pains me to say it, they will deserve it. I have to give the Leafs credit tonight for playing with significantly more heart with their backs against the wall.

From what I can see, the Bruins haven't played well all series. Don't think the Leafs have either.

Boston won 3 of 4 by basically just being around and letting the Leafs beat themselves. The Leafs made loads of mistakes in those games and the Bruins capitalized. They also made sure to connect on the PP when they had a chance.

The Leafs haven't been making anywhere near the same amount of mistakes in the last 2 games. And the PP opportunities for the Bruins have dried up.

It'll be interesting to see how game 7 is reffed. Let things go? Or make it a special teams game?.

 

[LeafAttack]

If he plays,Matthews has to play with Domi or Bertuzzi more or both,and put Marner with who is a sandpaper leftover, or with Nylander.

 

[PaulD]

I thought you said Bruins in 4?

They missed Nylander for 3 games, Matthews for 2 and a 1/3rd. Series is going to Game 7.

Nitbthe firs time I've been wrong.......picked the leafs in four when they played my Habs too. ha!

 

[Divine]

Nitbthe firs time I've been wrong.......picked the leafs in four when they played my Habs too. ha!

So we should just assume the opposite of your takes.

Leafs got this then

 

[TheNumber4]

No, they changed the rules because any team getting multiple #1 picks over a short period would (or at least should) in most cases completely destroy competitive balance, which was the most crucial stated priority of the salary cap / lockout whatever year that was. It has literally nothing to with whiny fans.

I don't have a horse in this fight, if anything I'm slightly anti-Leafs because of the absolute (not relative) number of trolls that fanbase has. And in this current conversation you are imo rivaling the worst of them. Please stop saying stupid things

Please cite one source that said the no more than 1 first overall pick rule was because of "competitive balance"

Also please give me one example of multiple first overall picks ruined "competitive balance" of the league. You won't find any, which means your argument is that NHL sought out to fix a problem that didn't exist.

 

[PaulD]

From what I can see, the Bruins haven't played well all series. Don't think the Leafs have either.

Boston won 3 of 4 by basically just being around and letting the Leafs beat themselves. The Leafs made loads of mistakes in those games and the Bruins capitalized. They also made sure to connect on the PP when they had a chance.

The Leafs haven't been making anywhere near the same amount of mistakes in the last 2 games. And the PP opportunities for the Bruins have dried up.

It'll be interesting to see how game 7 is reffed. Let things go? Or make it a special teams game?.

True. They are playing better hockey and smarter hockey the last two games. And the third period of game 4.
When Matthews went out.