Series Talk: ECQF: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs (Series Tied 3-3)

[The Gr8 Dane]

Willy styles is the only guy of the three that doesn't wear purses , not suprised he's got more dog in him than the others. ( I hope nobody posts a pic of willy w a purse and breaks my heart)

 

[HockeyVirus]

Willy styles is the only guy of the three that doesn't wear purses , not suprised he's got more dog in him than the others. ( I hope nobody posts a pic of willy w a purse and breaks my heart)

Funny watching people say this stuff, shows the lack of memory in sports fans. We're 3 games removed from Matthews dominating start to finish and carrying the Leafs to a win before he got sick/injured. After he did that against Tampa round 1 last year.

 

[Neil Racki]

Joel Edmundson .. seems like a good trade deadline pickup for a 3rd and 5th

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Matthews was also part of the reason they were down 3-1 to be fair.

Matthews played well in games 1-3. Nylander wasn’t available. Marner and Tavares were completely invisible.

Last game was the best game of the series for Toronto and it’s not shocking matthews was watching and not playing…. If he comes back and they lose…. We know why

Nonsense.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Adding Matthews at his cap hit relative to his playoff performance absolutely makes a team worse.

In this scenario, where the team is playing better by replacing him with a league minimum guy, it's about how they're playing as a team without him. When he's in the lineup guys are forcing the puck to him where he's done f*** all. Without him, other players have to do it themselves and are playing a more responsible game

lol so Gregor is better than Matthews

 

[Steven Toast]

So whichever team loses game 7 fires its coach right?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Joel Edmundson .. seems like a good trade deadline pickup for a 3rd and 5th

He’s really good at clearing the crease and blocking shots. He was solid in Montreal’s run as well.

 

[JKG33]

Toronto barely scored 2 goals per game without Matthews. It's not like the other guys stepped up and replaced his production.

The difference isn't the absence of Matthews, it's the addition of a red-hot Woll and a highly-motivated team backcheck. The last two games Leafs have been blocking shots, winning board battles, making smarter & faster outlet passes, and not giving the Bruins time to set up. I don't see why Matthews can't take on that same role while adding offence.

The thing is we've got over 7 playoffs worth of a sample size. Matthews underperforms in the playoffs. That much is obvious. We've also had several months of the team game plan being "get the puck to Matthews" and that continued thru game 4 of the playoffs, but the reality is he's just not that guy in the post season. Now all of the sudden he's out, and the team is playing the best playoff hockey they ever have over the last 8 years? I doubt adding him back into the lineup will result in anything other than the same old shit from this team.

I do agree Woll is the guy and is carrying this team right now. I've said it all along coach shit for brains should've started him right from game 1.. of last year. But Matthews absence forcing the team to play playoff hockey is a huge factor as well

 

[HockeyVirus]

So tiring even when the Leafs win the haters gotta try and be negative. Oh the team is better without Matthews. Yeah yeah, people said the same thing when we lost Rielly. Maybe teams find another gear when their backs are against the wall and they lose a leader and top player?

 

[The Management]

This feels like an impactful series in terms of the ramifications for a game seven loss.

The Leafs are facing yet another first round elimination and there have been rumours change would be forthcoming if they have another disappointing playoff performance.

The Bruins haven't had a ton of playoff success in recent years, either, and are looking at potentially coughing up another 3-1 series lead.

Feels like heads will roll whatever the outcome.

 

[PocketNines]

Bruins Leafs in their 6th Game 7
Bruins are 4-1
One was decided in OT (2013)

The former most common Game 7 was Blues Stars with 5
Blues are 4-1
Four of those games went to OT (1968, 1972, 1984) including one in double OT (2019)

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

So whichever team loses game 7 fires its coach right?

Both teams should fire their coaches to be honest

 

[AvroArrow]

Willy styles is the only guy of the three that doesn't wear purses , not suprised he's got more dog in him than the others. ( I hope nobody posts a pic of willy w a purse and breaks my heart)

Cancel this man!

No but Willy has been awesome, Tavares is noticeably slower than years past but he's been good the last couple games, not great but good.

 

[The don godfather]

Bruins have to look like at the jets who had a similar season and are out. They have a wonderful opportunity at home to go to the next round. Take advantage of it. Jets would love this chance if you ask then right now.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Leafs proved to the entire world that this current roster is capable of playing solid team D. That is cup champs level defense.

 

[Patdud]

embarrased to be a bruins fan

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Cancel this man!

No but Willy has been awesome, Tavares is noticeably slower than years past but he's been good the last couple games, not great but good.

made a big play on that OT goal

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Boston was well ahead of FLA last season in the playoffs without Bergeron (Krejci too). When he came back the team reeled off loss after loss. No way that was Bergeron's fault. Matthews same thing. He wasn't the reason the Leafs went down 1-3.

I just think the other players on a team sometimes circle the wagons and play harder when the star is out. In this series Toronto's D and Woll have been the ones to pick up the slack with Matthews out. They have done awesome the last two games shutting down Boston.

 

[AvroArrow]

Bruins have to look like at the jets who had a similar season and are out. They have a wonderful opportunity at home to go to the next round. Take advantage of it. Jets would love this chance if you ask then right now.

Bostons big guys haven't shown up so far. Marchand was really good in the first 3-4 games but took some bad penalties in the last 2 and hasn't done much.

From the B's perspective they need a lot more from McAvoy defensively, he just hasn't provided that high level of play you'd expect from your #1D. In all 3 losses he made some huge mistakes, the OT winner he was just puck watching, not even paying attention to the front of the net. On the gwg last night, bad step up on Knies leading to the breakaway.

I know we'd be tearing Rielly apart on our boards if it was him in McAvoys shoes.

Praying Matthews can come back for game 7, throw him on the 3rd line, top 2 lines have been solid.

 

[wintersej]

Three things have changed in the last two games:

1. The Leafs have only had to kill 1 PP a game the last two games. The Bruins had been reliant on the PP and now they ain't getting them. The games changing to being more 5 on 5 based is in Toronto's favor. Some of it is Bert and Domi keeping their shit together. Some of it is the refs have been letting more go as the series has gone on. Which isn't unnormal, just annoying when you are the special teams based team.

2. Woll hasn't given up any bad goals. He hasn't had to stand on his head with the Bruins anemic 5 on 5 offense, but he hasn't done anything to ruin things either.

3. The bounces are going Toronto's way. Earlier in the series it was Toronto fans complaining about Bert and Marchand not getting matching penalties to blow the play dead. Now it's Boston fans complaining about the Lorhei non-call. That shit is going to happen for both sides, but the hockey gods are on Toronto's side now.

Now, will the hockey gods remain on Toronto's side for game 7? They are fickle. Will the Bruins only get one PP for the third straight game? On home ice in a game 7? We will see.

Toronto has really played the last couple games like they have never been able to play before. Ugly playoff hockey. Regardless of the outcome, it's going to be good for their DNA. Regardless of the outcome for the Bruins, they need more talent in the forward group. The Zacha/Coyle mirage worked in the regular season, but has shat itself in the post season.

 

[Kranix]

What are you talking about they almost never play on the same line at once

What are you talking about. The reason they were down 1-3 was because the big three were never in the lineup together.

 

[NDiesel]

Who will choke harder - what a game 7 we have here

 

[wintersej]

Bostons big guys haven't shown up so far. Marchand was really good in the first 3-4 games but took some bad penalties in the last 2 and hasn't done much.

From the B's perspective they need a lot more from McAvoy defensively, he just hasn't provided that high level of play you'd expect from your #1D. In all 3 losses he made some huge mistakes, the OT winner he was just puck watching, not even paying attention to the front of the net. On the gwg last night, bad step up on Knies leading to the breakaway.

I know we'd be tearing Rielly apart on our boards if it was him in McAvoys shoes.

Praying Matthews can come back for game 7, throw him on the 3rd line, top 2 lines have been solid.

I think most Bruins fans have a different perspective on McAvoy. He is being asked to do everything and the Leafs are scoring less than 2 goals a game. Goals against happen. When you are out their 26-27 minutes a game mistakes happen. But if your team is only putting up one goal like they have in the last couple it amplifies.

 

[NDiesel]

So whichever team loses game 7 fires its coach right?

100%

 

[Lshap]

The thing is we've got over 7 playoffs worth of a sample size. Matthews underperforms in the playoffs. That much is obvious. We've also had several months of the team game plan being "get the puck to Matthews" and that continued thru game 4 of the playoffs, but the reality is he's just not that guy in the post season. Now all of the sudden he's out, and the team is playing the best playoff hockey they ever have over the last 8 years? I doubt adding him back into the lineup will result in anything other than the same old shit from this team.

I do agree Woll is the guy and is carrying this team right now. I've said it all along coach shit for brains should've started him right from game 1.. of last year. But Matthews absence forcing the team to play playoff hockey is a huge factor as well

You've got a point that the Leafs have been forced to change 'Plan-A': Get Puck to Matthews. Adapting their game has allowed other players like Knies and Domi to take on greater role. By doing so, the unexpected benefit has been it's thrown off Boston's game plan.

By Toronto being forced to change their game-plan, Boston has been forced to change theirs, as well. It's still only two games, but the takeaway seems to be Keefe's coaching revelation that his top-heavy roster didn't have to play a top-heavy game.