Game 1 ECQF: Toronto Maple Leafs (3) at Boston Bruins (2) 7 PM ET | NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, NESN

[IPS]

Yeah, this format has to go.

Winnipeg and Nashville will meet in the second round whereas teams from the Pacific division with fewer points play each other. What is the advantage of winning the President's Trophy if you don't get the weakest team every round?

Penguins get to play a team with no goalie and the Bruins and Leafs have to duke it out...and their prize for winning this series? They likely face Tampa. Penguins? They could potentially face another team that is easier than the match up that Toronto or Boston would have in the second round despite the fact that these teams had 5 and 12 more points than the Penguins.

The more and more series that get decided by this playoff format the more and more it pisses me off.

I hated it when it first came out and my hatred for it has grown exponentially ever since.

 

[SnizzNasty88]

Considering Dermott isn't on the Bruins, the only thing those fans care about is Carlo>>Gryz/Holden

Getting tired talking about all these dud dmen now, this coming from a fan of a team with years of different duds on the blueline, if we're gonna talk defensemen in this series at least mix in a little Krug, Rielly, McAvoy or Dermott..

 

[The Winter Soldier]

an ear laceration is keeping him out? Did he get cut by a skate at practice?

Hit in the ear by a Krug shot. Should be back soon if he skated. He will make the Bruins #3 line much better when he does.

 

[NewJackEdwards]

an ear laceration is keeping him out? Did he get cut by a skate at practice?

Took a puck off the ear. Needed 40 stitches.

 

[CupInSIX]

Took a puck off the ear. Needed 40 stitches.

oof that sucks. That must have been scary.

 

[IPS]

@The Winter Soldier

Are you a Leafs fan again for this series, like you were back in 2013?

LOL some people are more emotionally invested in the Leafs losing than most fans are in them winning.

 

[LeafFever]

I never understood how fans can just change favourite teams. Who is your favourite team this year, Winter Soldier?

 

[La Masse]

How long before Bruins fans start blaming the refs for favouring Toronto like every other opposing fan base does?

This is a myth and it needs to stop I mean the Leafs are at the bottom of the league for penalties drawn yet are one of the better teams in the league. Plus they have had a couple goals called back on questionnable calls lol

 

[Cotton]

I actually love the Leafs as a team. Matthews is one of my favorite players in the league and I've always liked JVR. But man, their fans are tough to like. Using this thread as an example.

Right back at you

 

[Fatty McLardy]

this is gonna be the best series of the 1st round..

by the way, are the Nash brothers playing today?

 

[Sniper99]

Don't love this matchup for Boston, I think this series goes the distance. Still a shame that 2 of the top 3 teams in the conference have to play each other in the first round.

exactly, this ****** wild card format just doesnt work in the NHL, should be 1-8 2-7 etc all the way down.

 

[DanM]

For people that know hockey and follow teams closely, Riley Nash has been huge the Bruins this year. But seeing some people comment on Nash scoring in boxscore threads, I kinda chuckled, did you know there are 2 Nash's on the Bruins? More proof just how Underrated a Player Riley Nash is.

I don't disagree that Riley Nash has played well or isn't important, they have drafted some nice young grit plays to fill out the roster, and they are tough to play against. However, this team goes as far as the top line takes them, they have depth in the lower part of the lineup, but not the kind of offensive depth (when I say depth I don't mean scoring by committee, but single player dominance) that will strike fear into anybody. So you shut down the top line, and you beat this team.

Of course that doesn't mean it's easy or even possible all the time, they are amazing. Also, as a team game, they play as well as anybody.

But I am not going to fear the Riley Nashs, Wingles, Heinens, DeBrusks, of the world.

I look to shut that top line down, and slow down Krejci in case he gets in going.

 

[Loosie]

How long before the Leafs fans start blaming the refs for favoring Boston like every other opposing fan base does?

By the end of the game both fanbases will be thinking the ref are favoring the opposing team...as always.

 

[DanM]

I actually love the Leafs as a team. Matthews is one of my favorite players in the league and I've always liked JVR. But man, their fans are tough to like. Using this thread as an example.

You know every fan base has them, and to be honest many B's fans on here are twice as cocky. Just because other fan bases don't fall in line and say what you want to hear, doesn't mean all our fans are cocky or arrogant.

 

[HoBOonFiRE]

I never understood how fans can just change favourite teams. Who is your favourite team this year, Winter Soldier?

His favourite team is anyone that plays the leafs

 

[Tiggaracing]

So I wish good luck to all the old BWO guys.....you know who you are.

Ya, I googled it ...

"Urban Dictionary
TOP DEFINITION
bwo
A kid's attempt at saying "bro" with a speech impediment. Instead of "bro" it sounds like he is saying "bwo."

lmaoooooo

 

[NewJackEdwards]

By the end of the game both fanbases will be thinking the ref are favoring the opposing team...as always.

This x 10000000. We're all guilty of it.

 

[Gee Wally]

Ya, I googled it ...

"Urban Dictionary
TOP DEFINITION
bwo
A kid's attempt at saying "bro" with a speech impediment. Instead of "bro" it sounds like he is saying "bwo."

lmaoooooo

If you had to google it I'd say you are a disgrace to your HFBuds senior council and you should spend more time there learning something.

kids........................

 

[egd27]

True.

Leafs are now the favorites to win their first playoffs series since 03-04 and avenge the ultimate 2013 choke job.

That wasn't the ultimate choke job, granted it was bad, but check out this one:

Chicago Blackhawks - Boston Bruins - June 24th, 2013

under 90 seconds to go
2 goals
15 seconds apart
bye bye Cup

now that's a choke worthy of Bill Buckner

(was adding Buckner too much?)

 

[AvroArrow]

His favourite team is anyone that plays the leafs

Pretty much. The leafs losing ways crushed his soul, now he's trying to crush theirs. I think Skeletor would've been a better alias.

 

[Sniper99]

Having already won the Cup in 2011, knowing Bergy wouldn't have played game 7 with his ponctured lung and the fact that the Bruins eliminated the Leafs in the ultimate comeback/choke fashion made it much easier to stomach that SCF game 6 loss.

In 7 games or less, we'll see if the Leafs are able to win their first playoffs series since 03-04 or if again, they won't...

I see you Bruins fans seem to forget your 3-0 series choke job against the Flyers a few years ago. Interesting how that works.

 

[BruinLVGA]

But see the thing is, they don't. Man you Bruins fans are a cocky bunch where you say the only way the Buds will beat the Bruins is if the Bruins "lay an egg", sure man, cause 7 pts in the standings really separates the "good Boston team" and the "Leafs team who made us lay an egg and that's only how they beat us, not cause they're actually good". I really can't wait to see what happens here pal..

Compared to some very outlandish stuff I have seen from some of yours, Bruins fans are incredibly tame.

 

[BruinLVGA]

I see you Bruins fans seem to forget your 3-0 series choke job against the Flyers a few years ago. Interesting how that works.

I would subscribe to a "3-0 series choke job", if that meant winning a Cup the year after.

 

[SergeiSamsonovFan]

I see you Bruins fans seem to forget your 3-0 series choke job against the Flyers a few years ago. Interesting how that works.

The Stanley Cup the next year kinda makes you forget about it

 

[MR4]

Wow, I can tell you haven’t seen a lot of playoff GDTs.

I'm a leafs fan, that's quite obvious eh