Pre-Game Talk: The (legendary) Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tortorella's Blue Jackets game 1

[Golden_Jet]

And yet they just mentioned on the Oilers/Hawks broadcast that all stats are being registered as Playoff Stats.

I mentioned that in my forward. It’s weird.

 

[67Leafs67]

I'm really hoping that we come out strong, consistent, and composed on our breakouts. Columbus is prepared to be the most annoying, persistent forecheck we could imagine, and if we can't navigate that...it will be rough, rough going.

Quick counterattacks, good power-play, and limited mistakes with the puck in the o-zone will be crucial. I know we are capable, I just never know which version of this team will show up.

 

[MSZ]

I mentioned that in my forward. It’s weird.

Back in the days 16 of 21 teams made the playoffs. If the stats from those bottom feeders(including the 1980s Leafs)were considered playoff stats, I don't see why this 24 teams tournament can't be the same.

 

[Havoc]

I'm just worried about our disorganized defence in the face of heavy Columbus fore checking.

Columbus is well organized and it's going to be tough for the Leafs to get in close and bang a rebound home.

On the bright side we had a 70% points percentage with Keefe + Rielly.

D is fully intact again.

 

[Coachcorner]

Ready to go, there's way too much hockey on right now and I love it. Leafs for life! These guys got so much to prove this year, getting Babs outta here has me feeling like we could go far if the D improves even just a little and Andersen plays like he can, not like Anderseive.

Call me cocky I don't care but Columbus has no chance against our squad. Next round I want Boston and I wanna spank them like we should. They're good and got our number so far but they gotta be nervous and know if not for classic meltdowns every year by Kadri and Gardiner, both now gone, as well as the refs putting their whistles away when it's Boston-Toronto playing, we could and we should beat them.

I think we got the depth this year more than any other recent year, with that dirty fast 3rd line and Spezza and Clifford shoring up that 4th line with a ton of experience.

Sho' nuff we be twerkin dat thang up that pole and down in that dirt like Demi Moore back in 96. Na bawty boi Marchand be stoppin dis thang

De Mi Moore back in 96 mayne..... That brang more memories back to mind also with that claude lemieux conn smythe on the pole in 95. He was one bad mother on that there. One of the best beast in the playoffs. Guy scored 6 goals during the reg.season then, and 13 in the playoffs. That's hard. On the pole and still winnin, what!

 

[willmma]

On the one hand I think we should dominate. On the other hand, this team breaks my heart, always.

I'm feeling very confident and very nervous at the same time

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

On the one hand I think we should dominate. On the other hand, this team breaks my heart, always.

I'm feeling very confident and very nervous at the same time

How did my thoughts get here...

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Hopefully they watched that Oilers game. They need to come out ready to play and stay that way. No more taking a period off.

 

[Coachcorner]

On the one hand I think we should dominate. On the other hand, this team breaks my heart, always.

I'm feeling very confident and very nervous at the same time

Like I know my sire, it's gon get hard out there. Mister T's team always got that twerk, they hard on the pole. Still hittin, what! But we do have that speed........ it's gon kill everybody out there on the beach. Just look in to that eye. Of the tiger. Get that beat. And we gon do it. Might get exciting, but that's the beauty of it. I'm expecting rocky 3 and 4 type of get back of tortorella (mister T). Nothing to it. He hard, but our team is more talented offensively and speed wise. We got it mayne. Bourb'd up for this one.

 

[willmma]

Like I know my sire, it's gon get hard out there. Mister T's team always got that twerk, they hard on the pole. Still hittin, what! But we do have that speed........ it's gon kill everybody out there on the beach. Just look in to that eye. Of the tiger. Get that beat. And we gon do it. Might get exciting, but that's the beauty of it. I'm expecting rocky 3 and 4 type of get back of tortorella (mister T). Nothing to it. He hard, but our team is more talented offensively and speed wise. We got it mayne. Bourb'd up for this one.

I read that over 10 times and I think I got the spirit of what you are saying.

 

[Nylander88]

Maybe it's blind optimism. But I truly have a good feeling about this series. Outside of Johnsson we're a healthy squad. Keefe has gotten time to tweak some things that he didn't have time for before. We have a Captain for the first playoffs in the last 4 years, and hopefully Tavares rises to the occasion. Our kids are going into their fourth straight playoff, and I hope by now they know what it takes to win a series. Kyle Clifford I think may be a bigger factor than many think, in the fact he's a deterrent that can also play. And last but not least, it's the first playoff in the last 4 that we have a legitimate back-up goaltender. Can't wait for pick drop. Go Leafs Go!

 

[FlareKnight]

Tomorrow will be big. With a series like this all the more important to start off well. They've got the talent to win, as complete a roster as they've had all year, and a coach they like. So time to go out there, dig deep, and overwhelm Columbus.

All obvious. But the playoffs (official or not) begins here.

 

[Kiwi]

I think our best chance of winning this series is if we're the team who instigate the physical contact and attack Columbus in an area of supposed strength over us

We can out skill them but the best way to blunt a physical, in your face aggressive style is to turn the tables on them and show them we won't be intimidated from the tough areas of the ice and they're the ones who will be paying a price every time they're on the puck

We are inconsistent but we are capable of anything if we can get the mindset right

 

[Primary Assist]

The title of this thread is startling in its clarity.

GO LEAFS GO!!!!

 

[Nylander88]

I think our best chance of winning this series is if we're the team who instigate the physical contact and attack Columbus in an area of supposed strength over us

We can out skill them but the best way to blunt a physical, in your face aggressive style is to turn the tables on them and show them we won't be intimidated from the tough areas of the ice and they're the ones who will be paying a price every time they're on the puck

We are inconsistent but we are capable of anything if we can get the mindset right

Agreed. They can't suddenly overwhelm us with the same star power we have on offense. But we can beat them at their own game if we're willing. Which will come as a surprise to them I'm sure

 

[jaric1862]

I think the biggest thing for the Leafs will be the physical play. The Blue Jackets are going to come out like the Bruins did in game 2 last year or like the Islanders did in Tavares’ first game back on the island.

 

[Mikeyg]

Gotta play our game, we won’t win a dump chase/retrieval game against these guys. Need good possession numbers and we need to be able to connect on some skill plays and we’ll kick their ass.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I know there was a lot of back and forth on this, but the NHL says they are qualifiers and not playoffs. Points will count as playoffs as regular season trophies voted on.

That's from May 26th, before the NHL set things and then came out and explicitly confirmed that this is the playoffs.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Man, the ice for this Montreal/Pittsburgh game is a complete disaster. This is the same time slot for the Leafs game tomorrow. You'd have to think these conditions favor CBJ, who will look to down the skilled Leafs team.

 

[Havoc]

The physicality is being over blown.

Our D throws the body around more than theirs. Muzzin and Savard is a wash in terms of physical.

Foligno and Jenner are their mass hitters for forwards. However, these two had one goal each last post-season. These two currently score at the same rate as Kyle Clifford.

The rest of the players aren't overall more physical than us. Nyquist, Wennberg, Texier, Bjorkstrand, Bemstrom, Robinson, Foudy....I don't see how these guys have more heart than our players.

PLD and Atkinson are obviously the guys we need to watch most. Shut these two down and it's a sweep.

 

[Green Snow Storm]

On the one hand I think we should dominate. On the other hand, this team breaks my heart, always.

I'm feeling very confident and very nervous at the same time

Same for me. I hear a ton of the "analysts" say this is a very tough series for us, and it could end up going that way. I don't think it should be all that close, but I'm so nervous because all this team does is let us down.

 

[meefer]

Maybe it's blind optimism. But I truly have a good feeling about this series. Outside of Johnsson we're a healthy squad. Keefe has gotten time to tweak some things that he didn't have time for before. We have a Captain for the first playoffs in the last 4 years, and hopefully Tavares rises to the occasion. Our kids are going into their fourth straight playoff, and I hope by now they know what it takes to win a series. Kyle Clifford I think may be a bigger factor than many think, in the fact he's a deterrent that can also play. And last but not least, it's the first playoff in the last 4 that we have a legitimate back-up goaltender. Can't wait for pick drop. Go Leafs Go!

I can't remember who said it in another thread, but Clifford is someone we can see move up and play with one of top two lines should CBJs try to take liberties. Players have to stand up for themselves, but there's a time and place for a fella like Kyle to be used as a deterrent. Though not a 'dirty' team, Clifford will help keep them honest.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

After watching all of the games today, I feel more confident the Leafs can be successful. It seems like a style they could achieve and maintain for a deep run.

 

[Nineteen67]

The physicality is being over blown.

Our D throws the body around more than theirs. Muzzin and Savard is a wash in terms of physical.

Foligno and Jenner are their mass hitters for forwards. However, these two had one goal each last post-season. These two currently score at the same rate as Kyle Clifford.

The rest of the players aren't overall more physical than us. Nyquist, Wennberg, Texier, Bjorkstrand, Bemstrom, Robinson, Foudy....I don't see how these guys have more heart than our players.

PLD and Atkinson are obviously the guys we need to watch most. Shut these two down and it's a sweep.

Is Atkinson playing?

 

[IPS]

After watching all of the games today, I feel more confident the Leafs can be successful. It seems like a style they could achieve and maintain for a deep run.

It's precisely the sloppy hockey that we all thought it would be. Along with penalties galore.

The only team that managed to put on a defensive show was the Isles, and quite frankly Florida looked like they didn't even care to be here today.