Series Talk: ECQ: Boston Bruins (3-3) Toronto Maple Leafs. GAME 7 AWAITS!

[LeafSteel]

THis team plays only as well as Anderson plays.

If they are confident he’s dialed in, they play very differently.

I think giving up the first goal on the first shot absolutely rattled them and giving a team like Boston a lead that early altered how they played the game.

It’s not over TIL it’s over, but to win 3 games in Boston?

Let’s give credit where it’s due, Boston is a damn fine team and they are my bet to take the East.

Our team is young and trending in the right direction, but we aren’t there yet.

 

[Coachcorner]

Boston is a real trippy team, they fine like that.

We shall give our best tomorrow and beat on that ass, real hard. Imagine how tough kadri plays against them tomorrow.... his best playoff hockey, ever. Bergeron if he's gone still, we might take this next game and make it a 3-2 series. Then it's 3-3 in toronto after that one. Cause we got komarov and kadri both bouncing on that thang in the ACC. THat's smells trouble and cigarilloes for those fools. We still have a chance to win and we might take advantage of that. We that fine, but so is they.

 

[stuart5035]

We are the better team in terms of talent, the series may read 3-1 but that is not an accurate assessment of the 4 games: just one example is the +65% possession number in favour of the Leafs in game 4.

-However, the better team doesn’t always win, sometimes the smarter team wins. Look at how clogged up the front of the Bruins net is, we can’t get through, shots don’t get through, they get blocked. Look how much room our D has in the Bruin zone because of that clogging-oh for a Shea Weber cannon point shot. Look how big bodies like Chara, Miller and McQuaid make it even more difficult. Not sure what this defensive approach is called, don’t think it’s the old neutral zone trap best practiced by the New Jersey Devils of years gone by.

Is it really fair to criticize Matthews and Nylander in these circumstances? With no room? What are they supposed to do? Shifty Mariners and lightening fast Kapanens and Johnsson’s Taking stretch passes have a better chance that a 6ft 3 inch straight ahead shooter.

-maybe the fragile Leaf defense needs 3 big decent bodies to compliment our 3 fast non physical ones in Rielly, Gardner, Dermott? Is that the blueprint needed? Is that what Lou should acquire?

-don’t see the need to criticize, our boys are trying. Sure they seemed to not care in the latter part of game 4 but they were frustrated, the entire series has been a bunch of bad bounces and flukes by the Bruins, and they were discouraged trying to get through that wall in front of Rask.

It’s down to coaching now, Bruins have made the changes needed, can we?

 

[IPS]

Before the series Boston clearly noted these things:

-Freddy is seriously susceptible to side angle shots on the right side
-Matthews/Nylander rely on the middle of the ice being open for their cross-seam passes, they almost never work from their opposite sides. Clog up the middle, and they got nothing. Boston clearly does not give a f*** if they shoot from the left/right sides at bad angles, it's not threatening.
-Choke off Marner's passing/tip options on PP1 and they got nothing
-Right side defense are very poor at outlet passing. Put heavy pressure on the left side and they never get into the zone clean.

4 games through, and Babcock has made ZERO adjustments/counters to any of these things. He just keeps doing the same f***ing shit over and over again. This f***ing coach has no ability to adjust game-to-game in a series and this goes way back to his days in Detroit. Cassidy is outcoaching him very badly.

 

[ottomaddox]

Before the series Boston clearly noted these things:

-Freddy is seriously susceptible to side angle shots on the right side
-Matthews/Nylander rely on the middle of the ice being open for their cross-seam passes, they almost never work from their opposite sides. Clog up the middle, and they got nothing. Boston clearly does not give a **** if they shoot from the left/right sides at bad angles, it's not threatening.
-Choke off Marner's passing/tip options on PP1 and they got nothing
-Right side defense are very poor at outlet passing. Put heavy pressure on the left side and they never get into the zone clean.

4 games through, and Babcock has made ZERO adjustments/counters to any of these things. He just keeps doing the same ****ing **** over and over again. This ****ing coach has no ability to adjust game-to-game in a series and this goes way back to his days in Detroit. Cassidy is outcoaching him very badly.

This thesis only highlights Toronto' struggles. Half of which are personale issues and not coaching. Can you write 4 paragraphs on why Cassidy is so good.

Thanks

 

[Coachcorner]

We are the better team in terms of talent, the series may read 3-1 but that is not an accurate assessment of the 4 games: just one example is the +65% possession number in favour of the Leafs in game 4.

-However, the better team doesn’t always win, sometimes the smarter team wins. Look at how clogged up the front of the Bruins net is, we can’t get through, shots don’t get through, they get blocked. Look how much room our D has in the Bruin zone because of that clogging-oh for a Shea Weber cannon point shot. Look how big bodies like Chara, Miller and McQuaid make it even more difficult. Not sure what this defensive approach is called, don’t think it’s the old neutral zone trap best practiced by the New Jersey Devils of years gone by.

Is it really fair to criticize Matthews and Nylander in these circumstances? With no room? What are they supposed to do? Shifty Mariners and lightening fast Kapanens and Johnsson’s Taking stretch passes have a better chance that a 6ft 3 inch straight ahead shooter.

-maybe the fragile Leaf defense needs 3 big decent bodies to compliment our 3 fast non physical ones in Rielly, Gardner, Dermott? Is that the blueprint needed? Is that what Lou should acquire?

-don’t see the need to criticize, our boys are trying. Sure they seemed to not care in the latter part of game 4 but they were frustrated, the entire series has been a bunch of bad bounces and flukes by the Bruins, and they were discouraged trying to get through that wall in front of Rask.

It’s down to coaching now, Bruins have made the changes needed, can we?

Would like to see Matt Martin coming in for game 5. Making that room of our otha suckas. Kadri is coming in so that means penalties for the bruins. Kadri always doin his thang. For real.

We are getting our mothas back and even kommy komarov might play. So he be doing his thang too, bouncing on that thang like a weird sucka. He truly is that PK killa number uno for real esee.

 

[fahad203]

If Matthews doesn't have the game of his life, we are done

Simple as that. You need your best player to be your best player
Anderson has to stand on his head. Everyone needs to have their best game tomorrow

 

[willmma]

I feel dirty saying this, buy I'm jealous of Winni.

 

[htpwn]

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Before the series Boston clearly noted these things:

-Freddy is seriously susceptible to side angle shots on the right side
-Matthews/Nylander rely on the middle of the ice being open for their cross-seam passes, they almost never work from their opposite sides. Clog up the middle, and they got nothing. Boston clearly does not give a **** if they shoot from the left/right sides at bad angles, it's not threatening.
-Choke off Marner's passing/tip options on PP1 and they got nothing
-Right side defense are very poor at outlet passing. Put heavy pressure on the left side and they never get into the zone clean.

4 games through, and Babcock has made ZERO adjustments/counters to any of these things. He just keeps doing the same ****ing **** over and over again. This ****ing coach has no ability to adjust game-to-game in a series and this goes way back to his days in Detroit. Cassidy is outcoaching him very badly.

Yeah I think the most damning thing is that Boston still won when Bergeron got hurt. A lot of it was Rask, but it showed that Cassidy was able to get Boston to adjust a lot more quickly and easily than Babcock

 

[Al14]

I feel dirty saying this, buy I'm jealous of Winni.

If not for THEIR FANS, I could definitely cheer for that team. Too bad their fans ruin it!

 

[Liminality]

Yeah I think the most damning thing is that Boston still won when Bergeron got hurt. A lot of it was Rask, but it showed that Cassidy was able to get Boston to adjust a lot more quickly and easily than Babcock

More like Matthews line couldn't take advantage of the situation. They should have been dominating that line but came up with nothing.
Babcock adjusting with Plek seems like a move that worked, it's our top line that's been a disappointment.

 

[TheRexman]

Man he's such a tool.

 

[Zybalto]

The good news is that we have gotten better with each passing game and I think Boston is banged up worse than people realize and is slowing down after their tough end of year schedule.

We really do need the offence to finally step up and start finishing their chances. Matthews, Nylander and Rielly need to show us why they were our leaders during the regular season and Anderson needs to quiet the haters and show us he is the keeper that is going to bring us a cup. Its been the biggest problem in this series and yet I see needless threads bickering about bad pinches. We have the 2nd ranked offence in the league and have actually played the bruins far better than I expected in terms of getting scoring chances and controlling play but its no good setting up scoring chances if we miss the net or shoot it into the keepers crest. There has been a fair amount of puck luck involved here but its time to produce. Period.

Finally, Gards and Zaitsev have been our best dmen and are analytically one of the top pairs in the playoffs. Its a GOOD thing that they are playing so well. Our keeper lets in a softie 30 seconds into the biggest game of the season, we double Boston in scoring chances and our snipers are out to lunch for the 4th game in a row but, yea, lets make a thread bashing the best player that played that night. Its madness.

 

[Zybalto]

More like Matthews line couldn't take advantage of the situation. They should have been dominating that line but came up with nothing.
Babcock adjusting with Plek seems like a move that worked, it's our top line that's been a disappointment.

Its hard for many around here to bring themselves to bash the players that deserve it this series considering our best players havnt been our best players (and real fan favorites too). Thats why you see so many deflections to going after Babcock or targets that dont deserve it.

 

[frog]

Man he's such a tool.

Cant stand simmons he is the whiniest little rat ive seen in a long time. I still remember when he told phaneuf he should apologize to the entire toronto fan base because he pinched during a 2 on 1 during the 2nd period (as if phanuef did it on purpose.) Where is the accountability in his sleazy reporting?

 

[Suntouchable13]

I feel dirty saying this, buy I'm jealous of Winni.

Well, give us a decimated Minni team and I am pretty sure we would win too Winnipeg is a great team, by the way.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I am looking forward to seeing this team compete at its best. I just hope andersen doesn't screw everything up

 

[Suntouchable13]

It's hard to get excited for the game because of how the 1st 2 games went in Boston. I'll be much more pumped if I see a win tomorrow. Then we got somethin.

 

[SavedByRoy]

I'm hoping for a win in Game 5. Start there.

 

[scotian1]

NM

 

[Hockey Crazy]

If Philly can do it, so can we. If kadri is back and Bergeron is not, that’s a big mismatch. I guarantee Matthews does not stay silent again.

We WILL win game 5. Hold me to it... I knew we would lose game 4 too.

 

[Suntouchable13]

If Philly can do it, so can we. If kadri is back and Bergeron is not, that’s a big mismatch. I guarantee Matthews does not stay silent again.

We WILL win game 5. Hold me to it... I knew we would lose game 4 too.

Matthews needs to have a great game for us to win and Freddy needs to make a couple of ten bellers.

 

[Nineteen67]

It would be a good time for Freddie to not give up a softie

I feel like the Leafs will win tomorrow and I pick Boston in 5. The Leafs were the better team the past two games.

My goodness Nashville and Nashville North is going to be the best series of the playoffs.

Go Preds

 

[Nineteen67]

Matthews needs to have a great game for us to win and Freddy needs to make a couple of ten bellers.

Freddy needs to make ALL the easy saves as well as the 10 beller