ECQF Game 3: Boston Bruins (2) at Toronto Maple Leafs (3) 7 PM ET | CBC, TVAS, NBCSN, NESN

[Liferleafer]

Not a fan of either team, but it's hilarious how inactive leafs fans are in this thread now that they are in a bit trouble.

Looks like the Bruins forums.

It is. If you want to see what Leafs fans are saying....

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...t-to-win-leafs.2478195/page-21#post-144663199

 

[AvroArrow]

At this point I’m just hoping to lose in a respectable fashion.

I think it'll be a competitive game, we have final change and everyone should have had enough waffles by now. Gardiner/Rielly need to wake the f*** up on defence and Andy needs to be ready. I wasn't too upset with the forwards last game, but our D (mainly Gardiner) made me want to smash my tv. If Andy can survive the first 10 mins we may have a good game, we need to show up on time and weather the early storm. Also its become quite obvious you cant make lazy mistakes against a team like Boston, they will make you pay for stupid turnovers. So just gotta hope the boys are prepared and ready to go.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Not a fan of either team, but it's hilarious how inactive leafs fans are in this thread now that they are in a bit trouble.

Looks like the Bruins forums.

Probably because a Leaf fan can fart in here without being tolled how terrible their team is and being laughed off the board. Gotta love how toxic this forum has been the last week.

 

[PromisedLand]

Putting Plekanec in offensive role beside two scorers is a huge mistake. He doesn't have any offensive upside left in him. To put it lightly, he'll end any offensive pressure or chance when the puck is on his stick. I know Kadri is out but Bozak on the 2nd line seems more fitting.

Having seen Plekanec fir a few games in blue and white I already know that is a bad idea. Let’s see if somehow magically it works

 

[rent free]

that 2nd line is very bad. johnson-nylander-kapanen needs to be a line

 

[Commander Clueless]

Now THIS is funny

You would think after decades of failure, we'd be a bit more tentative with the confidence.


Apparently, you'd think incorrectly.

 

[3rdLiner]

Marner and Plex on a line. Interesting, someone to really finish all those sweet Marner plays (seriously the kid makes great plays).

 

[AvroArrow]

Probably because a Leaf fan can fart in here without being tolled how terrible their team is and being laughed off the board. Gotta love how toxic this forum has been the last week.

There are some actual good hockey fans who discuss the game, but way too many ignorant trolls intentionally taking parts of posts out of context, and literally just here to stir shit up. I'm still here because i like interacting with other fan bases members since we barely ever do during the regular season. If Trump was an NHL fan, those are posts/tweets i would fully expect him to make.

 

[PromisedLand]

So with Leafs new lines-does it look like Babcock plans to match Plekanic to Bergy or Krejci?

I would imagine he will try to mismatch Matthews against our bottom 6 and/or bottom pair when he can.

But seems like the challenge for Toronto is shutting down the Bergy line and getting the Leafs top line scoring.

-Bozak line needs sheltering
4th line isn’t good enough to go against Bergeron or Krejci lines

That leaves (fir tonight atleast)

Matthews line and Plek line to go against Bergeron and Krejci lines

So not much of an advantage IMO. From Boston’s POV it’s not anything worst.

The idea was that Bozak line will win their match ups and score heavily if Matthews and Kadri/2nd Line was a stalemate but of course that hasn’t been the case

 

[Sam Spade]

that 2nd line is very bad. johnson-nylander-kapanen needs to be a line

I can see why they like Nylander with Matthews though they have proven to be deadly.

I really like the idea of Johnson-Moore-Kapanen, speed and guile, I bet they score a goal.

I do agree however that eventually Kapanen needs to be on line one.

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

Heres to hoping every person that paid stupid money to see a Toronto game live is let down

No arena should be that expensive and I wish them nothing but failure until those prices come down

 

[AvroArrow]

Marner and Plex on a line. Interesting, someone to really finish all those sweet Marner plays (seriously the kid makes great plays).

Plekanec has been beyond awful all season, i don't even think he scored 1 goal since being here if i'm not mistaken. No chance he buries anything Marner sets up. He doesn't have bad hockey IQ, he just isn't physically capable of competing at a "high" level anymore. Too slow and just doesn't look like he has it in him anymore. I hope he can prove me wrong but i am fully expecting him to do absolutely nothing.

The whole issue with Marner and his slow start (on the stat sheet at least) his line-mates weren't ready for the play or able to keep up with the play. I expect the same thing to happen with Plek. He'll be way behind on rushes or not ready for a pass when the puck arrives. I do not like the idea of him centering Marleau/Marner at all.

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

There are some actual good hockey fans who discuss the game, but way too many ignorant trolls intentionally taking parts of posts out of context, and literally just here to stir **** up. I'm still here because i like interacting with other fan bases members since we barely ever do during the regular season. If Trump was an NHL fan, those are posts/tweets i would fully expect him to make.

You're completely omitting knowledgable trolls. It's a tough but skilled job.

 

[3rdLiner]

Plekanec has been beyond awful all season, i don't even think he scored 1 goal since being here if i'm not mistaken. No chance he buries anything Marner sets up. He doesn't have bad hockey IQ, he just isn't physically capable of competing at a "high" level anymore. Too slow and just doesn't look like he has it in him anymore. I hope he can prove me wrong but i am fully expecting him to do absolutely nothing.

The whole issue with Marner and his slow start (on the stat sheet at least) his line-mates weren't ready for the play or able to keep up with the play. I expect the same thing to happen with Plek. He'll be way behind on rushes or not ready for a pass when the puck arrives. I do not like the idea of him centering Marleau/Marner at all.

Yeah, I am second guessing that pairing. Why not just go with like Hyman-Matthews-Marner and try to just match it against the Bergeron line and hope for the best.

 

[PromisedLand]

You would think after decades of failure, we'd be a bit more tentative with the confidence.


Apparently, you'd think incorrectly.

Leafs fans hav jinxed their team if you believe in it or not. I had requested the leafs fans for not doing that in the series thread but......



Hey if cubs won anything is possible

 

[BigGulpsEh]

I really don’t see how leafs can play any worse at this point. Bruins are beating them at every facet of the game.

Leafs need the first goal to try and get some momentum in their favour.

 

[PromisedLand]

I can see why they like Nylander with Matthews though they have proven to be deadly.

I really like the idea of Johnson-Moore-Kapanen, speed and guile, I bet they score a goal.

I do agree however that eventually Kapanen needs to be on line one.

Moore is known to take stupid penalties just lay a bit hit on him and he will take roughing minor.

I hope he keeps his cool

 

[Fvital92]

He got banged up last game. Pierre said he could barely walk.

Going to miss Grizzy bu am confident in Holden.

Welcome Back RILEY!!!!!!!

Poor you.

 

[rent free]

Yeah, I am second guessing that pairing. Why not just go with like Hyman-Matthews-Marner and try to just match it against the Bergeron line and hope for the best.

hyman-matthews-marner would be a pretty dumb line to have. they'd get neutralized by bergeron and our most explosive offensive player (marner) would get shutdown.

 

[3rdLiner]

hyman-matthews-marner would be a pretty dumb line to have. they'd get neutralized by bergeron and our most explosive offensive player (marner) would get shutdown.

But neither have done much yet, maybe you could get a spark?

Just feels to me like he's make Julien style moves mixing styles on his lines. You also have last change next 2 games so you could avoid that if matchup if you wanted.

 

[rent free]

But neither have done much yet, maybe you could get a spark?

Just feels to me like he's make Julien style moves mixing styles on his lines.

if they haven't done much yet, chances are they won't do much against bergeron. the best option imo is to put hyman-plekanec-brown against bergeron and pray for the best, which will open up the big 3 and the rest of the lineup against the rest of boston's lineup and hopefully it will create a mismatch

 

[Commander Clueless]

Leafs fans hav jinxed their team if you believe in it or not. I had requested the leafs fans for not doing that in the series thread but......



Hey if cubs won anything is possible

Hey, I'm not saying don't have hope!

I'm just thinking a teensy bit of pessimism is healthy.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Probably going to be a ton of Matthews vs. Krejci today. Nash being back would give the 3rd line ore of a defensive presence, so Babcock will probably want to push him out vs. the Krejci line.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Poor you.

Holden actually looked good on the 3rd pair in Boston. Not so much when he was in the Top 4 due to injury, or on the first pair with McDonagh in NY.

 

[Alicat]

Poor you.

He's better than the traffic cone known as Roman Polak