Pre-Game Talk: Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs - 3/23/2013

[X66]

Excuses, excuses. Kessel needs to sack up and get it done. Everyone knows that playing against Chara is difficult and that Boston is a suffocating defensive team, but once in awhile, you've just got to man up and get the job done. I don't even think the fans are expecting Kessel to dominate the Bruins (like Seguin dominates the Leafs), but expecting him to actually show up once in a while isn't unreasonable.

It's legit, Chara is very tough to play against. It's your linemates that are suppose to bail you out when you draw all the attention. With Lupul, Kessel actually put up decent numbers vs the Bruins. No knock to Bozak, but he simply doesn't deliver IMHO, still a solid player however.

 

[LeafOfBread]

Yeah, Bruins and Leafs never really fight as much as you think they would.

Lucic won't drop the gloves with anyone on our team, and he's not going to take himself off for 5 minutes to fight somebody like Orr, McLaren or even Fraser.

We're probably just going to see Thornton vs McLaren and Fraser vs McQuaid again.

Meh.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

And my point still holds. Seguin arguably plays better against us than other teams. And people do score goals when Chara is on ice.

And my point still holds. One has a beautiful teammate like Bergeron and Marchand in the line while the other has Bozak majority of the time. Funny thing is kessel has worked well when Lupul was at the side. Skill to insulate skill helps quite a bit.

 

[Duffman955]

We have given the bruins a tough time in our 2 losses this year. IF we don't have too many defensive gaffs, or soft goals, it is a very winnable game

 

[Doshy]

We're gonna win. Beating Boston will give us the confidence to continue playing our way into the promised land.

 

[LeafOfBread]

We have given the bruins a tough time in our 2 losses this year. IF we don't have too many defensive gaffs, or soft goals, it is a very winnable game

Problem is with the Bruins cycle game, it's bound to lead to costly mistakes by Phaneuf or Gunnar. Gunnar is especially quite soft and as soon as he gets pressured he turns it over and gets hemmed into his own zone.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

Although JVR was EXCELLENT at the front of the net, he has disappeared a lot about his offensive skill. He seems have lost a bit of confidence in his offense

That's what his major problem will be against Boston. He's not a mean player and with Chara around, it'll be more apparent.

Montreal has shown that Boston can be beat. Maintaining pressure in the offensive zone is essential. If we're going to bank on Bozak, he MUST shoot the puck. Passing to Kessel and expecting JVR to obstruct the goalie is not going to work. Kessel is not going to be driving through players.

It has nothing to do with lacking a playmaker. Bozak is a decent distributor. Kessel can make his own plays. Even for Wayne Gretzky passing alone would not suffice. He'd be busy behind the net, "his kitchen", and distribute from there. Why? Because much like directly driving through opposition ( something Grabs would do), you'd create space for others. This is a team game. Watch Gretzky's game if you can, it's rather obvious.

I think we have the potential to replicate Montreal.

 

[Peasy]

Lots of positive thinking around here. I'd settle for two points from these two games and run like a thief.

They don't really give us anything to be positive about this past month. They've won one of their last 7, and have lost 8 straight against Boston. Plus Lupul is out for this game, and our goaltending has been horrendous this past month.

 

[SprDaVE]

If they can play like the last 2 games, perhaps with above average goaltending though, the Leafs should do just fine.

The energy they had against Buffalo was good to see. They had a bit of a breakdown in the 2nd period, but a bubble playoff team won't play a full 60 minutes very often.

Anyway, I just hope they start the game like they did last night. Too bad Lupul won't play though.

 

[iArts]

Does anybody seriously think that if Kessel wasn on Bruins he wouldn't be scoring on us like Seguin does?

Are you joking me?

 

[12345678910]

Leafs will win. Kadri will start chewing them up, where they then put big z on him, where he then goes through chara's legs for the gwg.

 

[dredeye]

Yeah, Bruins and Leafs never really fight as much as you think they would.

Lucic won't drop the gloves with anyone on our team, and he's not going to take himself off for 5 minutes to fight somebody like Orr, McLaren or even Fraser.

We're probably just going to see Thornton vs McLaren and Fraser vs McQuaid again.

Meh.

McQuaid is injured so you can scratch that fight card.

 

[LeafOfBread]

McQuaid is injured so you can scratch that fight card.

Ah, alright.

Guess we'll be seeing Fraser vs Thornton or McLaren vs Thornton most likely. Maybe Orr vs Thornton? Not too sure if Thornton would want to get involved in that, he's had good fights with Orr but his fight with Scott was pretty ugly

 

[Leaftors]

if the leafs play the way they have against boston, and get a few bounces our way, we can win a close game.

 

[legendinblue]

Can we get at least a point?

 

[trickster]

Psychology will play a large role in this home/home.

What's it been? Eight games since the Leafs prevailed against Boston?

If the Leafs are going to make the playoffs and have any success, they need to continue growing. Games against Boston over the last few years have been very revealing about the team's weaknesses. They've been closer against Boston this year, but still have not been able to come out on top.

Lupul would have given me more hope, but I am cautiously optimistic that the Leafs can win one of these games.

Boggles my mind that the Bruins lose to teams the Leafs have been successful against.

 

[Cor]

I think we will win....

It's more hope, really

 

[TheBigThree]

We're losing the next 2.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Per @MapleLeafs - Mats Sundin will take part in Saturday's ceremonial puck drop before game v Bruins

Saturday night, against Bruins, and Sundin part of ceremony. We all know how this will turn out.

 

[The Reaper]

Saturday night, against Bruins, and Sundin part of ceremony. We all know how this will turn out.

Another ceremony? Yup, we lose this game

 

[mikebel111*]

Saturday night, against Bruins, and Sundin part of ceremony. We all know how this will turn out.

awesome!!!!!
however, leafs usually don't go on the ice when there is a long ceremony, when it's over, than they come out. I think it's happened a couple times this year
I like the idea, this team gets distracted a bit too much sometimes IMO,

 

[TMLife*]

Another ceremony? Yup, we lose this game

Except now all signs point to us losing, you know what THAT means

 

[frankthetank91]

Man **** the Bruins. At the end of the day they are humans and can be beat. Gotta grind these *****es down. The boys should be aware the Bruins always demolish them so they should rise up and say enough of this ****.

Please someone run Seguin over.

 

[Budsfan]

Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets

Scrivens leaves net in obvious frustration favouring right arm. Leo komarov will be assessed this afternoon. #tmltalk

 

[stakesishigh]

Nervous as hell about these next two games.

Could we just PLEASE win one of them? Wish we had Lupul for both. I feel like if we lose the first we'll be super demoralized going into the second.