That Ottawa team was super fragile mentally, and had limited experience of success in the playoffs every time they come up against the Leafs. Recall that their run to the cup final came after the many years they got dumped by the Leafs.
And that Chara is not the same Chara that we are seeing now. Cup winner, bags of experience, etc etc
I'm not saying he's immortal, just that he's hard to wear down and beat.
You are always exceedingly negative, I don't even think you're a fan of this team. Just reading your posts in the PGT's and the like make it obvious you seem to watch just to criticize.I'm being a realist zeke. Most of you guys are being optimistic. I don't see anything wrong with either side. Shots for, shots against, goaltending, fenwick, their top 6 group (I know their underacheiving at the moment, but they're more skilled and better rounded), etc all favour the Bruins. It's clear we're at a disadvantage are the underdogs. Aside from the Minnessota Wild, we're the 2nd likely underdogs in the playoffs.
Leafs have a chance if Reimer stands on his head, Kessel becomes a man, and the team stops with it's giveaways and turnovers. Turnovers and the giveaways are number 1 reason that may cost this team the series.
You are always exceedingly negative, I don't even think you're a fan of this team. Just reading your posts in the PGT's and the like make it obvious you seem to watch just to criticize.
Chara is hardly impossible to wear down.
The man is 36 years old.
The problem is that only one or two players on our team have the balls to hit Chara every time he has the puck:
Komarov and Kulemin.
At least he improved Garbo to Grabo
We have a lot of young Leafs fans that do not remember what Leafs used to do in the Tucker, Corson, Roberts, Domi days.
No player is impossible to wear down in the playoffs, especially one that logs 30 mins a game. This is a playoff strategy teams have been employing for years now.
When Ray Bourque played for the Bruins, he was a horse, but a team employed a dump into his corner strategy and hit him until he cracked, even the great Ray Bourque was worn down.
Leafs fans have forgotten what Playoff hockey is like or maybe they are too young to witness it, it's a game within a game, not a sprint but a marathon.
Beg to differ. Leafs lose first game, win 2nd; they've stolen home-ice and have a great chance to win the series going home 1-1. I guess you mean momentum-wise?
Let's say Kessel doesn't perform early on in the series, would you guys want Carlyle to spread out his wingers throughout the lineup to make matchups harder for Boston?
For example, something like this:
Lupul - Kadri - Kulemin
Komarov - Grabo - Kessel
JVR - Colborne/McClement - Frattin/MacArthur
McLaren - McClement/Colborne - Orr
Basically give Kessel his own line so if Boston wants to shut him down with Chara, we still have 2 lines that are capable of putting the puck in the net and they'll get second/third pairings instead.
Picked up my tickets for games 3 and 4 today, and met Sittler who was at the ACC.
Pretty successful lunch break if I must say so.
Let's say Kessel doesn't perform early on in the series, would you guys want Carlyle to spread out his wingers throughout the lineup to make matchups harder for Boston?
For example, something like this:
Lupul - Kadri - Kulemin
Komarov - Grabo - Kessel
JVR - Colborne/McClement - Frattin/MacArthur
McLaren - McClement/Colborne - Orr
Basically give Kessel his own line so if Boston wants to shut him down with Chara, we still have 2 lines that are capable of putting the puck in the net and they'll get second/third pairings instead.
Our coach has an odd fetish for everything Kostka.
Expect Chara to play nearly 30 minutes a night, being on the ice for almost 1/2 the game in all situations.
not a bad idea actually.
we don't necessarily need a checking line against them. if we try and run balanced scoring lines, then chara can't stop them all.
No fetish, just free membership renewals...
We have a lot of young Leafs fans that do not remember what Leafs used to do in the Tucker, Corson, Roberts, Domi days.
No player is impossible to wear down in the playoffs, especially one that logs 30 mins a game. This is a playoff strategy teams have been employing for years now.
When Ray Bourque played for the Bruins, he was a horse, but a team employed a dump into his corner strategy and hit him until he cracked, even the great Ray Bourque was worn down.
Leafs fans have forgotten what Playoff hockey is like or maybe they are too young to witness it, it's a game within a game, not a sprint but a marathon.
Let's say Kessel doesn't perform early on in the series, would you guys want Carlyle to spread out his wingers throughout the lineup to make matchups harder for Boston?
For example, something like this:
Lupul - Kadri - Kulemin
Komarov - Grabo - Kessel
JVR - Colborne/McClement - Frattin/MacArthur
McLaren - McClement/Colborne - Orr
Basically give Kessel his own line so if Boston wants to shut him down with Chara, we still have 2 lines that are capable of putting the puck in the net and they'll get second/third pairings instead.
realistic, not negative. Unless you think we're the favourites here or that we've played good hockey the last while? Getting outshot the last 20 of 23 games is not going to cut it.
I believe that this series will be much tougher for Boston than most fans think. The Bruins are not the same team from their cup year, or last year for that matter. I think the Leafs will want this series more than Boston does. The energy of Toronto the city will flow to the players, they will get what it means to be a Leaf, and will thrive from it. Toronto in 7!
didn't carlyle say bozie was playing this wednesday?
like the idea btw. Also gotta say right now that jvr will be huge for us at one point in the series (game 3/4 is my guess)