Pre-Game Talk: It's official: Leafs vs Bruins [Game 1 on Wed]

[Duke Silver]

Fun facts:

Leafs only took 7 penalties against the Bruins in 4 games, and went 7/7 on the penalty kill.

Leafs went 1/11 (9.1%) on the powerplay against Boston.

Leafs out-hit the Bruins in 3 of 4 games, going 143 to 111. Per-game average: 35 to 27.

Bruins out-shot the Leafs in 3 of 4 games, going 121 to 86. This includes a 33-to-13 game (which we won, funnily enough). Per-game average: 30 to 21.

Face-off advantage goes to Boston (59%).

 

[Trap Jesus]

it wouldn't surprise me if that's what happens (ie: put out Mcclemment/double shift Bozak, get them off and get the proper match). I've said it up thread, it wouldn't surprise me if Randy creates set plays to anticipate a faceoff loss.

(it blows my mind how Boston is always like #1 in the league in faceoff percentage. that's just really really great, and it doesn't matter WHO takes it, a winger, a centre, a 4th line guy, it's just,boom! boom! boom! it's impressive)

Randy Carlyle is a crazy matchup guy... was during the reg. season, and if you ever watched any past Ducks series, its almost maddening in the playoffs.

Bozak will C the first line with Kessel and take a ton of draws. If McClement is the 4th line C I could see him taking defensive zone draws for the Kadri line and then going straight to the bench.

Funny enough, thats the role Bergeron played on the Can olympic team.

Thanks for the input, guys. Yeah, Julien has been doing what you guys are describing for a while now. Bergeron takes nearly every single strong-side faceoff in the defensive zone and Kelly takes nearly every weak-side faceoff in the defensive zone. Krejci and Peverley are there for us as well on the strong-side and Julien has used Campbell a surprising amount on the weak-side as well (especially when Kelly was out) despite him not having a great %.

Not sure if Carlyle will want Bozak primarily on the strong-side or not as that would keep him away from Bergeron and more towards Kelly. McClement and Grabovski as your lefties would take your weak-side then. Again, not sure if you guys would do that, but the Bruins are very strict about that short-side/weak-side stuff.

 

[Leafidelity]

I'm not afraid of the Bruins like some of the cowardly fans in here. Welcome to the big dance, if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. I expect an extremely physical series.

Go ****ing Leafs Go!

 

[Christ]

Keys to this series:

- Use our speed
- Capitalize at even strength
- TAKE MORE SHOTS
- Traffic in front of Rask
- Match them physically
- Smart, low-risk defensive plays
- Keep their big forwards away from the front of the net
- Don't get sucked in by their after-the-whistle crap (Marchand, Lucic)
- Kessel exorcising his demons

Agreed with all your points but more than anything else, this last point has to happen if the Leafs are to have any chance against Boston.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Chara is 36
Jagr is 41
Ferrence is 34
Thornton is 35
Redden is 35
Pandolfo 38
Seidenburg 31

Our oldest guy is Liles at 32, Mcclement and Orr are the only other 30 year olds.

 

[phillipmike]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668206

Looks like NHL.com sped through a few things.

Apparently Boston finished the season with 72 points.

Grabovski is a Bruin and Jagr is a Leaf.

And under "WHAT IF..." the teams are swapped

 

[garce]

Chara is 36
Jagr is 41
Ferrence is 34
Thornton is 35
Redden is 35
Pandolfo 38
Seidenburg 31

Our oldest guy is Liles at 32, Mcclement and Orr are the only other 30 year olds.

Hammer the D especially Chara.

 

[The Reaper]

Any word if Bozie will play Game 1?

 

[KLM-Line]

Glass was half full before the Habs game. Now it`s half empty.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

Komarov is going to be so important in this series. He's gonna do his job wonderfully, just hope we can capitalize.

 

[Garbs]

Note the home game sequence. Also, only Games 4-6 are optional, Game 7 is a must play as it has no asterisk.



http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=668207

wtf is this? Sunday? I don't know her.

 

[mix1home]

I think keys will be:
- score 3 goals on Bruins every game, they have trouble matching that
- we have better PP and should absolutely capitalize on PP to win series
- concentrate on Seguin as after him there are not much snipers on Bs team
- hit Marchand at every opportunity, I would like matching Komarov against him
- try to get into Rask head, he has anger in him that gets him off his game and he can eventually explode and Bs team with him.

I feel that this series will be decided by scoring, not physicality or experience. Leafs have better scoring power than Bs. Only thing that remains to be seen in this series if it comes through or not.

 

[garce]

Komarov is going to be so important in this series. He's gonna do his job wonderfully, just hope we can capitalize.

Komarov and Kulemin can both make hits without taking penalties, hitting the Bruin D down low in their end is crucial. Wearing down Chara and Seidenberg will put pressure on Ference and others.

 

[White Out 403*]

I'm a little confused on who to cheer for. I love Dion and the Leafs are a canadian team; yet almost every single leafs fan I work with is a giant **** about it. So conflicted. I guess whoever wins will claim victory in the Kessel trade??

 

[LEAFSIN4]

Komarov and Kulemin can both make hits without taking penalties, hitting the Bruin D down low in their end is crucial. Wearing down Chara and Seidenberg will put pressure on Ference and others.

don't forget Kadri

 

[Muston Atthews]

Komarov is going to be so important in this series. He's gonna do his job wonderfully, just hope we can capitalize.

I think it'll be his personal goal to run Chara every time they're both on the ice. Hopefully get him to take a penalty or 2

 

[Crispy Crust]

Grabovski is going to be key in this series. He also has a penchant for showing up against the Bruins. If Grabovski can give us some much needed secondary scoring from the third line, I like our chances of extending this series to maybe 6 or 7 games.

 

[LeafsFIO*]

I'm not that optimistic but hey, the Senators had Toronto's number in the 2004 regular season, they won that series after totally wearing down Chara and Redden, just saying.

 

[garce]

don't forget Kadri

Right and Klupul.

 

[LeafsMonster]

Imagine the confidence boost our team will get if we beat boston.

Regardless, this should be a very fun series to watch if the leafs bring their all and don't play like **** like they have been lately.

 

[go_leafs_go02]

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m
BOS/TOR: Hughson/Simpson/Healy/Oake MON/OTT: Cole/Galley/Campbell-Pascall STL/LA: Lee/Hrudey/Amber CHI/MINN: Brown/Millen

Sigh......

 

[Dwight K Schrute]

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m
BOS/TOR: Hughson/Simpson/Healy/Oake MON/OTT: Cole/Galley/Campbell-Pascall STL/LA: Lee/Hrudey/Amber CHI/MINN: Brown/Millen

Sigh......

Gut punch

 

[garce]

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m
BOS/TOR: Hughson/Simpson/Healy/Oake MON/OTT: Cole/Galley/Campbell-Pascall STL/LA: Lee/Hrudey/Amber CHI/MINN: Brown/Millen

Sigh......

Surprised CBC didn't give Ottawa Brown/Galley then they would have their normal boosters. They really hate poor old Bob though, they will be convinced that he was sent by the Habs to conspire against them.

 

[LeafsMonster]

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m
BOS/TOR: Hughson/Simpson/Healy/Oake MON/OTT: Cole/Galley/Campbell-Pascall STL/LA: Lee/Hrudey/Amber CHI/MINN: Brown/Millen

Sigh......

Ah ****.

 

[Leafidelity]

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m
BOS/TOR: Hughson/Simpson/Healy/Oake MON/OTT: Cole/Galley/Campbell-Pascall STL/LA: Lee/Hrudey/Amber CHI/MINN: Brown/Millen

Sigh......

Worst news since we made the playoffs.