Series Talk: Leafs vs Jackets- Series Preview and Discussion - II

[X66]

I thought it was all 3 of those reasons.

Outside of game 2 last year the Leafs were the more physical team.

But they couldn't kill a single penalty, largely due to Babcock not adapting.

 

[ACC1224]

Outside of game 2 last year the Leafs were the more physical team.

But they couldn't kill a single penalty, largely due to Babcock not adapting.

Your prior post you said tougher. I don't think there was any question the Bruins were a tougher Team.
I agreed they were out coached and out skilled.

To bring it back on topic, the Leafs won't be the tougher team in this series either and they shouldn't need to be.

 

[X66]

Who gets last change in this series?

 

[ACC1224]

Who gets last change in this series?

It would go game by game, not the entire series.
Leafs would be the home team so I would expect them to get last change in games 1,2 and 5.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Your prior post you said tougher. I don't think there was any question the Bruins were a tougher Team.
I agreed they were out coached and out skilled.

To bring it back on topic, the Leafs won't be the tougher team in this series either and they shouldn't need to be.

I am hoping Clifford can make some of our guys play a foot taller but overall lets hope we don't get pushed around ... hits are one thing but that is subject to who/how a hit is recorded ... being tough/strong on puck is more important

 

[X66]

Your prior post you said tougher. I don't think there was any question the Bruins were a tougher Team.
I agreed they were out coached and out skilled.

To bring it back on topic, the Leafs won't be the tougher team in this series either and they shouldn't need to be.

The point is the Bruins didn't win the series because of physicality or toughness.

 

[ACC1224]

The point is the Bruins didn't win the series because of physicality or toughness.

Yes I agreed with that earlier.
It was one of the reasons not the sole reason.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

The point is the Bruins didn't win the series because of physicality or toughness.

I don't think da bruins can keep up smash mouthing teams for a full 60 minutes anymore ... they don't have da endurance anymore with age ... but they can do it at certain points in a game to gain momentum and advantage ... but you are right only game we got completely intimidated was game 2 ... but there were points in other games where it occured

 

[Mess]

Really no different than any series ever played where one team is vastly superior offensively than the other.
Leafs will focus on scoring more than Columbus.
Columbus will focus on giving up less than the Leafs.

Agreed just like last year !!!!

#1 TB offensively with Kucherov the Art Ross and league MVP, Stamkos got swept by CBJ the #2 WC team (our opponents this year).
&
#5 Washington with OV (the Rocket trophy winner) and defending Cup champs went down to Carolina the #1WC team.
&
NYI gifted our Leafs John Tavares for free, (their best offensive player), and then turned around and swept #6 Pens offensive & recent 2 X time Cup winners lead by Crosby and Malkin out in round #1.

Summary: Eastern Conference results (Offense vs Defense)

#1 TB @ 325 GF vs WC#2 CBJ @ 258 GF = +67 GF ........................ Winner Columbus in 4
#5 WAS @ 278 GF vs WC#1 @ #16 CAR @ 245 GF = +33 GF ... Winner Carolina in 7
#6 PEN @ 273 GF vs #21 NYI @ 228 GF = +45 GF .......................... Winner NYI in 4
#4 TOR @ 286 GF vs #11 BOS @ 259 GF = +27 GF ......................... Winner Boston in 7

Offense vs Defense in round #1 = 0 - 4 record

There is a lesson and moral to that story, in that just because you have star offensive players and a significantly better offense then your opponents in your line-up, you're not guaranteed happy endings as history showed by having the more talented offensive team. "Defense wins" and won is the takeaway here.

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

#3 Toronto @ 238 GF vs #28 CBJ @ 180 GF = +58 GF
#26 Toronto @ 227 GA vs #3 CBJ 187 GA = -40 GA

#8 Toronto 81 points in 70 games vs #9 Columbus 81 points in 70 games = Offense vs Defense Part II

 

[Spargon]

I think they key is not to go in with the mindset that we have to change to match Columbus. That was a problem against Boston we deviated from our style and tried to match theirs and we are obviously not built for it.

We should be dictating how the game is played because Columbus lacks the firepower to hang with us in our style. Let them play heavy while we dance around with speed and skill and draw penalties then make them pay on the PP much like Boston did to us.

 

[Gallagbi]

Torts held the #1 offense in hockey TB with the leagues MVP coming off a 62 win season and 320 GF to just 8 goals in the entire series.

Kucherov, Stamkos, Point and Johnson combined for 153 regular season goals and managed only 2 goals and 6 points combined in those 4 games combined and only 1 PP goal the entire series.

That similar defensive game plan and PK% system will attempt to replicate that strategy and do that this time to Matthews, Tavares, Nylander and Marner in this series.

If successful I don't think our Leafs will advance into the playoffs, as I can't see Leafs winning without impactful contributions from Leafs 4 gifted offensive players, while holding the entire Leafs team to 2 goals or less a game as even with all the offensive departures this CBJ team still have a top 3 defense via GA and strong top 5 goaltending.

Torts doesn't need a magic trick to make the best line in hockey reappear on his team, as his #1 objective is to make Leafs best offensive players disappear from the series instead just like he did to TB last year.

If the Leafs can muster 3 or more goals a game, then CBJ has NO chance in this series and it will be short and sweet even though Leafs defense and goaltending is unpredictable, because CBJ lacks the offensive fire power to compete offensively. IMO

Gotcha, so when you said they'd review the TOR v. BOS series to implement similar tactics you actually meant they'd ignore that and instead re-deploy their successful system from last year's first round that had nothing to do with the Leafs.

Don't know how I could have missed that point.

Anyways, we better prepare for that Panarin/Duchene attack and should start game planning for Bob too. Those will be keys to preventing a similar fate to TB.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I believe Columbus will come well-preppared and play a strong defensive game. The questions will be:

- How does Columbus' goaltending hold up?
- Can the Leafs demonstrate responsible puck management and avoid high danger chances against off of turnovers?
- Can Andy perform under these circumstances?
- Can the Leafs win the special teams battle and make their PP their biggest threat?

 

[Maplebeasts]

I believe Columbus will come well-preppared and play a strong defensive game. The questions will be:

- How does Columbus' goaltending hold up?
- Can the Leafs demonstrate responsible puck management and avoid high danger chances against off of turnovers?
- Can Andy perform under these circumstances?
- Can the Leafs win the special teams battle and make their PP their biggest threat?

I'm not sold the Jackets are going to be playing that tight defensively. After a regular off-season defensive structures are normally really, really off, even for the strong defensive teams. When play resumes they'll have had maybe even more time off than normal.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm not sold the Jackets are going to be playing that tight defensively. After a regular off-season defensive structures are normally really, really off, even for the strong defensive teams. When play resumes they'll have had maybe even more time off than normal.

Quite possibly although after a normal off season of roster changes players need some time to get use to each other, this won't be the case now.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Quite possibly although after a normal off season of roster changes players need some time to get use to each other, this won't be the case now.

We'll see. I think this series is going to be more of a goalfest than people think.

 

[ACC1224]

We'll see. I think this series is going to be more of a goalfest than people think.

Leafs will win that type of series.

 

[zeke]

I'm not sold the Jackets are going to be playing that tight defensively. After a regular off-season defensive structures are normally really, really off, even for the strong defensive teams. When play resumes they'll have had maybe even more time off than normal.

it definitely takes a little bit before team defense gets dialled in completely. this is why scoring generally trends down from the start of the year to the end of the year.

 

[mikeyz]

Who gets last change in this series?

Leafs are the higher seed, so, games 1,2,5 they will and games 3 and 4 Columbus will.

 

[FraumBallard]

yup. CBJ has received much better goaltending than the leafs.

so that better change.

promisingly, Freddy ended the year on a 5-1-1 run thanks to .931sv%, and seemed on his way back to salvaging the year and ending up near his typical .917-.918 level.

Merzlikins on the other hand ended the year on a 1-3-4 run thanks to .900 goaltending, and has no track record to speak of. His rookie year has been a strange one:

1. 10gms: 0-4-4, .889
2. 14gms: 12-2-0, .953
3. 9gms: 1-3-4, .900

Do we look at his average? or did he just get one of those fluke rookie streaks before the league started to figure it out?

we'll see.

Zeke.
Other thread locked.
Not too fancy numbers.
Fair point.
Small sample size?
Would like to have seen Babcock get some love for what he did with Leafs.
Better numbers?
I have no clue.
I know they had more success.
5 of 6 to O.T. with Wsh.
2 7 game series against Bos.
Points record.
Hard to argue with his coaching job while here.
Sure he made mistakes.
All coaches do.
Jury still out on Keefe I would say.
I get some like the numbers but I'm not a fan of the expected Yada Yada.
You're miles better than Tanner though.
You do provide much detail and it seems like you really do care.
True Leaf fan.
Much respect for that.
Hope you were sitting down for that.

 

[zeke]

Zeke.
Other thread locked.
Not too fancy numbers.
Fair point.
Small sample size?
Would like to have seen Babcock get some love for what he did with Leafs.
Better numbers?
I have no clue.
I know they had more success.
5 of 6 to O.T. with Wsh.
2 7 game series against Bos.
Points record.
Hard to argue with his coaching job while here.
Sure he made mistakes.
All coaches do.
Jury still out on Keefe I would say.
I get some like the numbers but I'm not a fan of the expected Yada Yada.
You're miles better than Tanner though.
You do provide much detail and it seems like you really do care.
True Leaf fan.
Much respect for that.
Hope you were sitting down for that.

Babcock did lots of good. He helped make sure none of the kids busted, most of all.

But he thought he was bigger than the team. And also, he never did manage to coach any defensive success into the team.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think they key is not to go in with the mindset that we have to change to match Columbus. That was a problem against Boston we deviated from our style and tried to match theirs and we are obviously not built for it.

We should be dictating how the game is played because Columbus lacks the firepower to hang with us in our style. Let them play heavy while we dance around with speed and skill and draw penalties then make them pay on the PP much like Boston did to us.

Agreed. IIRC Babcock said this a few years ago - that at some point when we got good enough, teams would be trying to match up with us instead of it being the other way around. Depends on the opponent of course and yes when it comes to Columbus, we should not be afraid to just play our game.

 

[zeke]

Agreed. IIRC Babcock said this a few years ago - that at some point when we got good enough, teams would be trying to match up with us instead of it being the other way around. Depends on the opponent of course and yes when it comes to Columbus, we should not be afraid to just play our game.

Would have been nice if babs had practiced what he preached and forced other teams to match our elite talent, instead of grossly overplaying the likes of marleau in an effort to match up with them.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Maple Leafs 'very motivated' for Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Rielly says

 

[LeafsNation75]

 

[Gallagbi]

I believe Columbus will come well-preppared and play a strong defensive game. The questions will be:

- How does Columbus' goaltending hold up?
- Can the Leafs demonstrate responsible puck management and avoid high danger chances against off of turnovers?
- Can Andy perform under these circumstances?
- Can the Leafs win the special teams battle and make their PP their biggest threat?

I think the big questions are whether our effort and goaltending show up, those were the big issues throughout the season IMO