Pre-Game Talk: Leafs @ Bruins game 2.

[PROUD PAPA]

While my expectations are low I certainly hope they put in a better effort tonight. Another loss and the fat lady can start warming up.

 

[notbias]

This one actually makes me laugh, considering the Leafs outhit the "big bad Bruins"...

Soft? No, they're really not. But the hitters need to choose their spots better. And Keefe, can you do us all a favor and restrict pinching to the D-men who are actually fast enough to do it and get back? If I see Edmundson pinch one more time in this series...

Who can pinch? Liljegren and Rielly?

We signed a bunch of D who aren't mobile.

We'd just have to change our entire system and play a trap most likely.

 

[TorMapleJays]

ReavO nearly had three goals last night and I gotta say most of the good looks Matthews has was when ReavO was on the ice.

 

[Jojalu]

Ah yes, this major injury that he has right now, that's making him sit out, as he is back on the ice 4 days later.. clearly a major injury for him.. And im the clueless one..



I would argue a 80% Nylander is more effective then our entire bottom 6 roster right now. Sure you want him a 100% but are they even going to be playing when that's the case?



Bergeron is a warrior, played through a separated shoulder, broken rib and punctured lung in the cup finals in 2013. Tkchuck played through a broken sternum in game 3 and 4 of the finals last year, then missed game 5. And Leon played through a high ankle sprain suffered in game 6 of round 1 (they made it to the 3rd round and leon put up 7 goals and 25 assists in the 16 games..

But I got to read about Nylanders little "tweak" thats kept him out of game 1 so far..

So I guess it isn't a little tweak. Nylander has rarely missed a game due to injury, and this being the playoffs I am 100% positive he would play if he could.

Why would anyone think otherwise?

 

[sxvnert]

They're better off putting JT on the wing.

Bertuzzi Matthews Domi
Tavares Jarnkrok Marner
Holmberg Kampf Robertson
Knies Dewer Reaves

 

[Rude Dog]

People will start to judge you based on their experience with you. Not always good, but what did you do to overcome it? It made me think about the Leafs and Boston over the last number of years. Fans from both sides have built up an expectation as how they believe a player will perform when it matters most. Unfortunately game 1 pretty much punched us in the face with every Bruin Leaf sterotype there is.

Then again, there were only 6 teams still playing last year when the Bud's got put out. I hate Boston and the rest of the Cdn teams. Watching them all advance would make me ill.

Make me a believer. GLG

 

[Lexicon]

I hate losing, but by far the part I hate the most is having to listen to so many god awful takes.

So far I have heard the Leafs top lines don't backcheck (which is complete nonsense. One has Marner a Selke finalist winger and we have been talking about Matthews defensive game all year. And to be honest, Matthews was helping the D moving the puck a lot game 1 which is why he wasn't in scoring positions. If anything, he needs to focus on scoring more).

Another is of course the classic they are soft and therefore won't battle for pucks (nonsense).

And finally of course, that they simply aren't engaged or trying at all.

Maybe they simply don't have the clutch in them to score when it counts I can buy that, but I refuse to listen to they are losing due to not playing defense or trying or battling for pucks. It's all such complete BS so easy to disprove by simply watching the games.

Lol.

I was there in Boston on Saturday.

They didn't backcheck. Matthews I barely knew he was playing. He wasn't playing defense. And if he was, well I guess it didn't help as they scored five goals.

They didn't battle for pucks.

I've seen away games in Boston for the last 6 years as a Leaf fan. I don't think I can recall such a horrid effort in my life. It was so bad, that Boston fans were telling us, Leaf fans, they felt sorry for us. Boston fans.

If you can't call what happened Saturday night what it was - which is some of the worst hockey we've seen from this team - I don't know how anyone can take your words you type seriously.

This team won't win a cup. They won't win this series. They won't win. Serious changes need to happen.

 

[Tak7]

ReavO nearly had three goals last night and I gotta say most of the good looks Matthews has was when ReavO was on the ice.

I thought the 4th line played really well - not only the goal, but they seemed like the only line that was able to get a persistent forecheck and zone time. I expect that Reaves would have been the one who made way should Nylander be ready to go, but now I'm guessing it could be Robertson, who was a bit of a train wreck in game 1.

 

[rumman]

Come playoff time Morgan Rielly is a number 1 defenseman

didn't look like a number 1 last game...........

And, no heavy shot from the point is a big deal for me !!!

me too.........

 

[wingman75]

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins
7:00 PM EST​

REFEREES​
	Garrett Rank #7	Jean Hebert #15
Games ’23-24	74	75
Career Games (RS/PO)	598 / 13	749 / 85
First NHL Game	1/15/15	3/30/11
Birthplace	Elmira, ON	Bouctouche, NB
Goals/Gm	6.4 (17)	6.4 (20)
PP Opp/Gm	6.9 (4)	6.1 (18)
PPG/Gm	1.5 (7)	1.4 (18)
Penl/Gm	8.4 (5)	7.5 (27)
PIM/Gm	19.7 (12)	17.1 (31)
% of Penl on Home	47.1% (34)	51.1% (5)
% PP Opp for Home	52.1% (13)	50.0% (36)
Penl Diff.*	1.4 (9)	1.1 (39)
Home Win %	56% (28)	59% (20)
Home Rec.	36-27-11	24-16-7
OT/SO Games	23.0% (23)	19.1% (30)
Team Records	22-23	21-22	20-21	22-23	21-22	20-21
TOR	2-1-1	6-1	0-0	3-0-1	1-0	0-0
BOS	1-1-0	2-2	4-3	2-1-0	1-3	3-2

 

[Gabriel426]

Nonsense. If anything the problem has been they care too much and overthink everything. Matthews suddenly forgets how to score goals, is it because he doesn't care if he loses or because he wants to win so badly he plays differently trying to score instead of letting plays naturally develop?

This is the kind of take I am talking about. You can fault them for never getting it done but laughable to suggest the problem is lack of playing the right way or caring.

Which part did I wrote, they didn’t care?
I wrote they don’t hate losing enough and they might not know what it really takes to win and believe that they are on the right path and eventually would win.

 

[Jojalu]

I guess I knew this but I just heard it again.

Last 6 playoff games

Marner 3 points
Matthews 2 points
Tavares 1 point.

Now this could get skewed really fast is someone has a 4 point night, but this is rather disheartening

 

[Rude Dog]

Keefe should be starting Woll 100% tonight before this series gets away from us. I am not even putting the loss on Sammy and I still do it.

Just wish he looked playable over the last few weeks. I actually blame Sammy a lot for that loss. At least two, maybe three needed tobe saved. His angles look off again. 825 save percentage. The only thing stopping pucks were the post or the mesh. I like the person and the team, so really hoping he rebounds.

 

[Jojalu]

Which part did I wrote, they didn’t care?
I wrote they don’t hate losing enough and they might not know what it really takes to win and believe that they are on the right path and eventually would win.

I posted about this earlier.

Who can possibly be enabling them?

Is Keefe just saying "Trust the process"?

Was it Kyle or Shanny?

I think all the failure has caused them to press a little too much, and I am confident they care.

But Keefe's job is to figure that out and straighten it out.

 

[Clark4Ever]

The conspiracy theory that he was sat out game 1 and not injured

I don't buy that for a second.

 

[KaN19]

It's hard to overstate how bad this D-core is. A #2 (Rielly), a #5 (McCabe), and a bunch of fringe NHLers...

 

[tmlms13]

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins​

7:00 PM EST​

REFEREES​
	Garrett Rank #7	Jean Hebert #15
Games ’23-24	74	75
Career Games (RS/PO)	598 / 13	749 / 85
First NHL Game	1/15/15	3/30/11
Birthplace	Elmira, ON	Bouctouche, NB
Goals/Gm	6.4 (17)	6.4 (20)
PP Opp/Gm	6.9 (4)	6.1 (18)
PPG/Gm	1.5 (7)	1.4 (18)
Penl/Gm	8.4 (5)	7.5 (27)
PIM/Gm	19.7 (12)	17.1 (31)
% of Penl on Home	47.1% (34)	51.1% (5)
% PP Opp for Home	52.1% (13)	50.0% (36)
Penl Diff.*	1.4 (9)	1.1 (39)
Home Win %	56% (28)	59% (20)
Home Rec.	36-27-11	24-16-7
OT/SO Games	23.0% (23)	19.1% (30)
Team Records	22-23	21-22	20-21	22-23	21-22	20-21
TOR	2-1-1	6-1	0-0	3-0-1	1-0	0-0
BOS	1-1-0	2-2	4-3	2-1-0	1-3	3-2

Nothing stands out, hopefully fair

 

[Rare Jewel]

They're better off putting JT on the wing.

I think they're better off hiding him from the CRA. Does Robidas Island have the same tax exemption as the Cayman Islands or other such tax havens?

 

[Divine]

 

[ZEBROA]

What is "mark" in Swedish?

Land or ground...

 

[BTP]

f***ing hell why can we NEVER EVER face this team with a fully healthy/ non suspended line up in the playoffs?

 

[BallardEra]

I have it at 4-2 Leafs tonight or 5-2 with the ENG.

 

[banks]

I still believe in this team. Last year they started the playoffs with a blowout loss to Tampa, and ended up winning that series. So I don't think the sky is falling just yet. And I also subscribe to the old theory that you're never in trouble until you lose at home. So even going down by 2 and I wouldn't be in a panic.

Everyone said it would be a close series. So why does it feel like everyone thinks it's all over after one game?

Leafs win tonight. Going home with a split is pretty good. Then it'll be a stranglehold after winning games 3 and 4 at home just in time for Nylander to return and put Boston out of their misery in game 5.

Can't lose a game 7 if you win the series in 5. *taps smart brain*

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I thought the 4th line played really well - not only the goal, but they seemed like the only line that was able to get a persistent forecheck and zone time. I expect that Reaves would have been the one who made way should Nylander be ready to go, but now I'm guessing it could be Robertson, who was a bit of a train wreck in game 1.

If Reaves can calm down with the dumb kind of physicality, along with the rest of the team, we should be in much better shape. Going out of position to make a hit or taking dumb penalties is an easy and sure way to hand the game to Boston.

 

[ToneDog]

f***ing hell why can we NEVER EVER face this team with a fully healthy/ non suspended line up in the playoffs?

Good teams should be able to step up and not miss a beat when a player goes down. We won playoffs without Sundin. We beat the heavily favored Isles in game #7 in their barn without Salming. Time for Marner and Matthews to impose their will and win this game. Otherwise WTF are we paying them millions for?