Pre-Game Talk: Game 6 - Leafs @ Tampa

[NightTrain1]

Honestly for once I just want the Leafs to go out with a relatively easy win. They always always always make it much harder on themselves for some reason.

Just get the first goal, then the second and never take your foot off the gas. Especially in the third where they just seem to fall back which is soul crushing.

 

[Marshy]

Honestly for once I just want the Leafs to go out with a relatively easy win. They always always always make it much harder on themselves for some reason.

Just get the first goal, then the second and never take your foot off the gas. Especially in the third where they just seem to fall back which is soul crushing.

The champs have their backs against the wall it will be far far from easy.

 

[hfman]

lol we've been informing everyone from before the series started that it is going 7. It has to go the full 7, not 6. You'll see.

 

[Damisoph]

18 1/2 hours til puck drop. I'm not counting or anything.

Won't the start the next series in Florida?

Unless Washington can win the last two games. I'm not hopeful.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Whats going on with all the penalties this series... It just seems like an absurd amount of penalties. I find it way less enjoyable with a whistle every couple of minutes to call a penalty. And its killing the excitement of playoff hockey for me

Yeah, it does seem over the top, but ultimately, I think it will end up being for the good of the game. You just can't have a different set of rules (so to speak) for regular season than the playoffs. I think players will adjust and things will normalize a bit, although that likely won't happen this year. Personally, I've always hated how refs would never call an infraction in the 3rd period, let alone the last 10 minutes.

 

[Mr_Fun]

When did diving start becoming a thing in sports? It’s so pathetic to pretend to fall.

Off topic a tad, but I wish they'd give red cards to players that dive in soccer. It's a chicken shart way of trying to win a game by diving; same for pretending your hurt in order to influence the referee. Play like real men and women and earn your breaks legitimately.

 

[RealisticLeaf55]

We need to just focus on the game plan. With the Leafs proving they can make a come back and be the first team in this series to win a game despite a 2 goal deficit, that will be a factor in the Bolts game plan, might even shake their core a smidge. Vasi has not been himself this post season, and we need to jump on that. An early goal would be everything. Scoring on powerplay chances, crowding the net, getting Bunting and company to get in Kucherov's head will eliminate him from the game.

Tampa hasn't had this tough of a fight over the past 2 years. You have to believe that plays a role in getting in their heads. Most their series wins were in games 4,5,6. Now they are on the losing end of a series and up for elimination for the first time in a very long time.

 

[BigBlu]

Off topic a tad, but I wish they'd give red cards to players that dive in soccer. It's a chicken shart way of trying to win a game by diving; same for pretending your hurt in order to influence the referee. Play like real men and women and earn your breaks legitimately.

OT: I'm of a certain vintage now,, but when I was young it was emblazoned on me that soccer players were tough! You get up! I was a MUCH better soccer player than hockey player, that's true. But it's so sad to see these pathetic fakers in all sports. I'd rather cut off my left ear than fake pain.

 

[Mr_Fun]

If they win tomorrow night, we'll still have to endure the "but they can't win a game 7" crowd. lol

 

[Jmo89]

I usually end up being wrong in elimination games, so I'm gonna say the Leafs get blown out and the game is over in the first.

 

[Mr_Fun]

OT: I'm of a certain vintage now,, but when I was young it was emblazoned on me that soccer players were tough! You get up! I was a MUCH better soccer player than hockey player, that's true. But it's so sad to see these pathetic fakers in all sports. I'd rather cut off my left ear than fake pain.

Soccer player are as tough as any athletes. I played all of my soccer out here on the west coast where you'd have to play in the winter, in ~0.1 C temperature, with 50 mile an hour winds bringing down sheets of freezing rain. I was goalie and I remember it felt like my hands had been injected with Novocaine during some of the conditions.

Anyways, my apologies for the OT reminiscing, peeps; back to hockey...

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

I'd love to see them finish this off tomorrow. Just to finish it and not have to sleep with the thought of them being chokers the years before and play that way in game 7. Just put the foot down on the pedal and give a complete 60min game. Take a few days off with the monkey of your backs and grind for round 2!.

 

[IPS]

We need to just focus on the game plan. With the Leafs proving they can make a come back and be the first team in this series to win a game despite a 2 goal deficit, that will be a factor in the Bolts game plan, might even shake their core a smidge. Vasi has not been himself this post season, and we need to jump on that. An early goal would be everything. Scoring on powerplay chances, crowding the net, getting Bunting and company to get in Kucherov's head will eliminate him from the game.

Tampa hasn't had this tough of a fight over the past 2 years. You have to believe that plays a role in getting in their heads. Most their series wins were in games 4,5,6. Now they are on the losing end of a series and up for elimination for the first time in a very long time.

When the NYI dragged the to 7 games last year they won game 6 2-1 while hanging on for dear life. Game 7 rolled around and Tampa utterly smashed them.

I honestly believe Tampa would have had any other team beat or on the ropes with their own 3-2 series lead. For some reason Vasilevsky just doesn't have his mojo against us.

 

[cesareborgia]

Really hoping we manage to take out the covid champs in game 6. If we play like we did in the 2nd and 3rd of game 5, we will.

Don't turn this into a game 7 coin toss, let's end it here. Show them this isn't the covid cup anymore, they have no business in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

If this series has proven anything, it's that momentum from game to game has been virtually non existent.

I fully expect Tampa Bay to come out strong and win the game. I hope I am wrong.

I hope you’re right.

When the NYI dragged the to 7 games last year they won game 6 2-1 while hanging on for dear life. Game 7 rolled around and Tampa utterly smashed them.

I honestly believe Tampa would have had any other team beat or on the ropes with their own 3-2 series lead. For some reason Vasilevsky just doesn't have his mojo against us.

He hasn’t been his usual all universe self.

 

[Kiwi]

Tampa won't give us anything, if we want to end there season we will have to play hard from minute one and not take a step back

I genuinely believe we can do this, I said Leafs in 6 games before the series started and I'm not backing off that nownow

Don't make me wrong for believing in you

 

[Knies iT]

They need to utilize the low shot-tip more. Doesn't need to only come from Marner's right face-off circle either.

Vasilevskiy's been beat by this constantly in the last three months. The Nylander goal in game 4 is a perfect example. Low, half-speed LD shot on the ice.

Probably the most under-utilized weapon on this team yet when they do it, it has a high conversion rate. This is basically Dallas' entire offense in their tight series, but tbf they have Pavelski. Mo shooting chest high is not getting tipped by anyone other than JT/Bunting 1/5th the time.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

They need to utilize the low shot-tip more. Doesn't need to only come from Marner's right face-off circle either.

Vasilevskiy's been beat by this constantly in the last three months. The Nylander goal in game 4 is a perfect example. Low, half-speed LD shot on the ice.

Probably the most under-utilized weapon on this team yet when they do it, it has a high conversion rate. This is basically Dallas' entire offense in their tight series, but tbf they have Pavelski. Mo shooting chest high is not getting tipped by anyone other than JT/Bunting 1/5th the time.

I have been saying that for a while.

Tavares may not be able to pull a JvR in-tight with his hands, but he has the hand-eye to tip almost anything that comes his way, and Rielly's wrister with a bit of space is absolutely perfect for tips. It is flat and fast, but not too fast. Fairly accurate too, when he is deliberate with it and doesn't try to force it on net.

If Tavares can't find space, he needs to look for tips and rebounds as much as Tampa will let him. Otherwise, it is on his wingers to use the space Tavares opens up for him because I can assure you that nobody on Tampa's defense is fully containing Tavares in tight on their own, so a second guy is somewhere lurking around him to support the other guy.

No reason for Bunting not to get his share that way too. May not work as well for the bottom 6 but that bottom 6 does have the bodies and gumption to get a cycle going, and that is what starts a lot of those tips.

 

[Knies iT]

I have been saying that for a while.

Tavares may not be able to pull a JvR in-tight with his hands, but he has the hand-eye to tip almost anything that comes his way, and Rielly's wrister with a bit of space is absolutely perfect for tips. It is flat and fast, but not too fast. Fairly accurate too, when he is deliberate with it and doesn't try to force it on net.

If Tavares can't find space, he needs to look for tips and rebounds as much as Tampa will let him. Otherwise, it is on his wingers to use the space Tavares opens up for him because I can assure you that nobody on Tampa's defense is fully containing Tavares in tight on their own, so a second guy is somewhere lurking around him to support the other guy.

No reason for Bunting not to get his share that way too. May not work as well for the bottom 6 but that bottom 6 does have the bodies and gumption to get a cycle going, and that is what starts a lot of those tips.

Yup open blade, high re-direct. Rielly does this perfectly just not often enough. It’s easy to defend against teams that overuse it like DAL/CGY/LA but opponents don’t defend/respect shots from the Leafs D as much because they’re hyper aggressive on box outs and one timer threats. Kerfoot has a great touch for this kind of play up higher than JT or Bunting too.

Diversifies your offense off a simple play and even the best goalies struggle with it.

 

[Spargon]

If they win tomorrow night, we'll still have to endure the "but they can't win a game 7" crowd. lol

Nah it'll be "Leaf fans acting like they won a cup cause they got past the first round" the goal post will just move round by round until they win a cup and even then there will be some technicality of why it was fixed and a fluke and didn't count etc. I've already seen some people prepping excuses.

 

[Visnovsky]

I just wish, that the Leafs start on time and don't have to hold on to dear life after the first five minutes.

Prepare and deliver - LFG!

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

I have been saying that for a while.

Tavares may not be able to pull a JvR in-tight with his hands, but he has the hand-eye to tip almost anything that comes his way, and Rielly's wrister with a bit of space is absolutely perfect for tips. It is flat and fast, but not too fast. Fairly accurate too, when he is deliberate with it and doesn't try to force it on net.

If Tavares can't find space, he needs to look for tips and rebounds as much as Tampa will let him. Otherwise, it is on his wingers to use the space Tavares opens up for him because I can assure you that nobody on Tampa's defense is fully containing Tavares in tight on their own, so a second guy is somewhere lurking around him to support the other guy.

No reason for Bunting not to get his share that way too. May not work as well for the bottom 6 but that bottom 6 does have the bodies and gumption to get a cycle going, and that is what starts a lot of those tips.

Liljegren is really good at getting pucks through as well if he ever gets back in an back on PP2. When all three of Rielly/Sandin/Liljegren were playing it was such a breath of fresh air to see pucks not hitting shin pads.

 

[saltming]

If they win tomorrow night, we'll still have to endure the "but they can't win a game 7" crowd. lol

While technically the truth, I would be very ok with that 'predicament'

 

[Advanced stats]

I really hope and think vasilevskiy is in his own head with us right now. A few times he seems to be guessing where shots are going as opposed to making the save.

Plus, he's played a crazy among of hockey lately.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Really don't want to see this go to 7. They need to come out flying and pot one early.