Pre-Game Talk: Toronto @ Boston -- game 5.

[PROUD PAPA]

Hmmm, not good. If he's been having stomach issues for a few days his energy level probably isn't going to be very good even if his gut settles down.

 

[Arzak]

After sleeping on it, I realize I need more sleep.

Anyways...

Knies - Matthews - Marner
Bert - Tavares - Nylander
Domi - Holmberg - Robertson
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok

Rielly - Boosh
Benoit - McCabe
Ed - Liljegren

PP1
Matthews
Bert
Marner
Nylander
Liljegren

Woll starts

Stack the top six that worked earlier in the season
Keefe gets his shutdown line.
3rd line exists
Liljegren with his flaws can still move the puck so he's in
Recreate the powerplay that last worked
Woll leads us to series win

If anybody has other ideas, I'm all ears

Go back to sleep, you want to kill the first line with Marner and the second one with JT?

 

[The Masters]

 

[Tak7]

This team is broken. I dont know how ppl can think they will come back from 3-1

No one genuinely thinks they can.
Even the positivity ponies with their pompoms & their BeLeaF nonsense have gone quiet.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

too bad bobby was injured.

 

[wingman75]

This series is over but if Joseph Woll doesn't get the start tomorrow, I want keefe fired literally the first minute the game ends

He probably feels Samsonov has earned the start. He has not been the problem imo. Two questionable goals against. I would have started Woll.

 

[Arzak]

Why not us with the epic comeback… one game at a time.

We’re long overdue

It could happen, win the next one to give Bruins PTSD from last year.

But I'm afraid they'll try and close it next game for the very same reason.

 

[egd27]

Guess no Matthews gets everyone off the hook.......again.

 

[wingman75]

Agree with Masters' commentary there. The guys filling in would play in those holes and the rest of the lines speak to that as well.

Might be something serious for Matthews. Harold Ballard is to blame.

Marchand absent as well... I thought they would go back to Ullmark.

 

[Tak7]

Not too concerned about Matthews right now. If he is not on the ice tomorrow, I will be.

Gregor and Dewar have skated as a placeholder for Matthews in the past.

Fact that it's Domi, and Domi on PP1, means there's no Matthews tomorrow imo.

Nice.

 

[Stephen]

Agree with Masters' commentary there. The guys filling in would play in those holes and the rest of the lines speak to that as well.

Might be something serious for Matthews. Harold Ballard is to blame.

Marchand absent as well... I thought they would go back to Ullmark.

Wonder if Marchand is feeling a bit of a tummy ache.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Which loss was it where we received very good praise from the other team in the handshake line? I think it was the first loss to Tampa. To be fair, I think that was my favorite loss. Solid 7 game series loss.

Yes I'm being cheeky. This is a nightmare.

 

[Stephen]

Gregor and Dewar have skated as a placeholder for Matthews in the past.

Fact that it's Domi, and Domi on PP1, means there's no Matthews tomorrow imo.

Nice.

I wonder how they know he’s not going to be in good shape 36 hours from now.

 

[Tak7]

Gregor and Dewar have skated as a placeholder for Matthews in the past.

Fact that it's Domi, and Domi on PP1, means there's no Matthews tomorrow imo.

Nice.

https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1784964428917559425

Masters saying the same thing. Don't expect Matthews to play tomorrow.

 

[Rare Jewel]

I am not worried about losing the player, I am worried about making a deal like the Huberdeau one where you have a worse player coming back that you have to sign because of optics, so now you've made your team worse by making the trade, and for a long time.

Making the team worse, as far as the playoffs are concerned, will take some effort. Re-signing Marner to a 12m+ deal for 8 years while having only 5 goals in his last 30-odd playoff games could be like a self-inflicted Huderdeau move, as you characterize it.

 

[Nineteen67]

Not too concerned about Matthews right now. If he is not on the ice tomorrow, I will be.

Groin injury?

 

[Arzak]

EDIT: and this site can shove its profanity filter up its collective ass. I can't believe I gave warnings for bypassing the filter when I was a mod here, what a delusional power tripping turd I was.

hh that's a good one, but far from power trip, I suggested our players play like ladies and got a gender slur warning ...

I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to all ladies hurt by my comments

 

[Community]

Woll should be starting over Samsonov. He hasn't been the biggest issue, but you put Woll in for 20 mins, the Leafs had one of their best periods of the series, and Woll looked a lot calmer back there.

Sammy could bounce back, but he has allowed a couple of softies and a couple of goals which probably go in either way but he was well out of position for.

As for Matthews, hopefully he wakes up feeling much better tomorrow... in that case I'd actually suggest he goes on line 2 and bump JT to line 3.

Give Bert - Domi - Marner a shot And mix up our middle 6 to try and catch lightning in a bottle. If Matthews is out for game 5, I think winning it sets up another game 7.... although they always surprise, you'd have to imagine that going back to Toronto and getting your best player back on the ice SHOULD give you a good jump for game 6.

 

[Suntouchable13]

What in the world did Matthews eat?

 

[Al14]

Can we at least injure Marchand to have something to show for this year in game 5?

For all the shit he gets away with, he deserves to be decapitated. Earlier in the season, he injured Liljegren with a blatant slew foot and doesn't even get a penalty on the play. He goes low on Bertuzzi, takes his legs out doing so, and nigh a penalty again in the playoffs.

I don't think Liljegren has been the same player since that injury earlier in the season.

Our Leafs will play against him like they have no ill will towards him. It has to be IMHO, that to a man, every Leaf player are scared of him. If they weren't scared of him, they'd take every opportunity to hit him hard every chance they got.

 

[Tak7]

I wonder how they know he’s not going to be in good shape 36 hours from now.

Two likely scenarios:

1. He's really unwell, and doctors have told him he can't play
2. It's an actual injury, not an illness, and they aren't being forthcoming with what's really wrong

 

[AllHeartNoSkill]

Management is already setting up their "run it back" excuses. Matthews "sick", Marner "injured", and Willie just back and rusty. We can't let them get away with it.

Gross. But it’s been a few years now where I’ve been thinking “SURELY they realize a new direction is needed” and the folks in charge haven’t realized it. So I guess you’re right that until something happens there’s no reason to expect any different. If they haven’t realized it YET, why would they now?

 

[1specter]

Last playoff game with this group may not even have Matthews suiting up at all. Unreal.

 

[Stephen]

Two likely scenarios:

1. He's really unwell, and doctors have told him he can't play
2. It's an actual injury, not an illness, and they aren't being forthcoming with what's really wrong

From following the Nylander and Matthews absences and health issues the past two weeks, my takeaway is vague information from the Leafs just ends up hurting the player. Info vacuum leads to speculation, comparisons with other players who have played through other conditions at key times and general confusion and frustration.

 

[Amadeus]

I don't know guys, there is just a lot of weirdness around this team. I feel for Matty as I think he's definitely ill. Just hope he gets better for himself. This series is over!