Pre-Game Talk: 4/25 7:41 PM - ECQF GAME 7 - Hogtown Buds at BRUINS | NESN, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, 98.5 WBZ-FM 98.5

[KrejciMVP]

The teams stength and identity this year was the playing the kid's but with the chips on the table we roll out the grinders and the leafs skate around them. Make a big change game 7. Heinen Donato in.

 

[LouJersey]

I think at very least this team has earned our support until the very end, so it's pretty disappointing but predictable to see the part time bitch and moan losers club sending some members here to spread their doom and gloom.

 

[Bmessy]

Convert on your chances or go home. It's as simple as that.

 

[Hali33]

Game 7’s are the best when you win them.

And they are certainly capable. Just have to do it.

 

[Estlin]

Time to fight fire with fire. Wingels out, Schaller has been pretty ineffective. The vaunted 4th has already been broken up with the promotion of Kuraly. Sit Schaller too.

Insert Donato and Heinen. I don't care about their defensive warts, this team can't score right now. If they get a lead late, it's a Game 7, empty the tank and roll 3 lines.

To start:

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak

Debrusk - Krejci - Donato

Rick Nash - Kuraly - Backes

Heinen - Riley Nash - Acciari

With a lead late:

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak

Debrusk - Krejci - Backes

Rick Nash - Kuraly - Accari/Riley Nash


Increasing the quantity of veteran grinders IS NOT THE ANSWER to winning THIS series vs THIS opponent.

Hey, that is the exact same lineup that I posted in the Cassidy thread. Great minds think alike.

 

[ODAAT]

I think at very least this team has earned our support until the very end, so it's pretty disappointing but predictable to see the part time ***** and moan losers club sending some members here to spread their doom and gloom.

I`ll always support our boys but over the last 2 games, I`m not feeling overly optimistic. I don`t like the momentum the Leafs now have, don`t like watching them move the puck more often than not with confidence and I don`t like that the sticks have gone cold. Does that mean the B`s can`t win? Of course not, but I`m not feeling as optimistic as many here are about tomorrow night, my concern is the Leafs will expose the B`s with their speed and nobody with wheels is walking through the B`s door tomorrow night

I`m not feeling "it", if that makes me a fair weather fan, so be it. I`d like to consider myself a bit of a realist, I see a frustrated B`s team and a Leaf team whose playing pretty loose hockey and that`s a dangerous combo

 

[Gee Wally]

 

[ODAAT]

great, now Wally is jumping ship

 

[Gee Wally]

great, now Wally is jumping ship

nah. I'm too old to jump. I'd hurt myself.

Besides, I survived Bobby Orr walking out the door and still stood by this team.

But yeah, I don't like this game 7 shit one bit.

My nerves................

 

[Fenian24]

They should put Donato in but there is no need to dress Heinen, he has been invisible this series. Krecji has been abysmal the last three games, Rick Nash has been putting in a good effort but he needs to score, Dancing Pastrnak needs to stop trying to score pretty goals and shoot when he has an opening, McAvoy is obviously still injured, he is trying to make up for physical inability by doing to much and has been making mental mistakes to compound his physical limitations, Rask is Rask I fear choking from him in any big game, his track record isn't very conducive to any other argument. Last night wasn't his fault, you can't expect him to have to get a shutout to win, but he needs to pick his game up when it counts, something he has never done.

Too many passengers right now, Andersen is playing well but they are not getting enough traffic in front of him and now they are starting to look for the perfect play to beat him.

Also Babcock has given Cassidy a coaching lesson this series, he has made adjustments that have worked while Cassidy has not, also he has used the media effectively, his constant whining about faceoffs has resulted in Bergeron getting booted from more faceoffs than I can remember and clean wins are being called back.

Neither team has a history of stepping up when it matters, game seven could well be decided by the team that chokes less instead of the team that goes out and takes control of the game. I think the Leafs goaltending will be enough to give them the win 3-2.

The good news is Jake DeBrusk looks like a future star who is everything you want in a top 6 winger, he has handled the pressure of this series, been producing with an ineffective Krejci and couldn't bring much more to the table. A left side with him and Marchland for the next 5 years at least is something to look forward to.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Time to fight fire with fire. Wingels out, Schaller has been pretty ineffective. The vaunted 4th has already been broken up with the promotion of Kuraly. Sit Schaller too.

Insert Donato and Heinen. I don't care about their defensive warts, this team can't score right now. If they get a lead late, it's a Game 7, empty the tank and roll 3 lines.

To start:

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak

Debrusk - Krejci - Donato

Rick Nash - Kuraly - Backes

Heinen - Riley Nash - Acciari

With a lead late:

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak

Debrusk - Krejci - Backes

Rick Nash - Kuraly - Accari/Riley Nash


Increasing the quantity of veteran grinders IS NOT THE ANSWER to winning THIS series vs THIS opponent.

I’m not sure about Donato? I love his future, but dropping the kid into a Game 7 with only one playoff game under his belt seems a little unfair (and unwise). Also, I thought Schaller was pretty good last night, just no finish after his hustle created chances.

If I’m Cassidy, I decide on the 18 players I want for the game (personally, I go with the guys that got you there), but I mix up the lines a bit to try to spark them. If that doesn’t work, you go back to the normal stuff.

I would start off:

63-37-88
74-46-43
61-52-42
59-20-55



And be prepared to go back to:

63-37-88
74-46-61
43-20-42
59-52-55

 

[BruinDust]

Hey, that is the exact same lineup that I posted in the Cassidy thread. Great minds think alike.

I have no expectations that Cassidy will do what we are suggesting, but it's pretty clear at this point trying to grind the Leafs into the dirt isn't working. You can win all the board battles you want (and they aren't winning many of them currently), bottom line is you have to put the puck in the net.

 

[Braunbaer]

Would be just a perfect ending to a ridicilous series if Matthews breaks through and scores 3 or 4 points in game 7.

 

[JCRO]

I’m not sure about Donato? I love his future, but dropping the kid into a Game 7 with only one playoff game under his belt seems a little unfair (and unwise). Also, I thought Schaller was pretty good last night, just no finish after his hustle created chances.

If I’m Cassidy, I decide on the 18 players I want for the game (personally, I go with the guys that got you there), but I mix up the lines a bit to try to spark them. If that doesn’t work, you go back to the normal stuff.

I would start off:

63-37-88
74-46-43
61-52-42
59-20-55



And be prepared to go back to:

63-37-88
74-46-61
43-20-42
59-52-55

I like it.

 

[KrejciMVP]

I’m not sure about Donato? I love his future, but dropping the kid into a Game 7 with only one playoff game under his belt seems a little unfair (and unwise). Also, I thought Schaller was pretty good last night, just no finish after his hustle created chances.

If I’m Cassidy, I decide on the 18 players I want for the game (personally, I go with the guys that got you there), but I mix up the lines a bit to try to spark them. If that doesn’t work, you go back to the normal stuff.

I would start off:

63-37-88
74-46-43
61-52-42
59-20-55



And be prepared to go back to:

63-37-88
74-46-61
43-20-42
59-52-55

Id replace #20 Nash with Donato and let Backes center that line with Heinen. Nash isnt effective this series. Maybe if they make it to play Tampa he'll play better

 

[BruinDust]

I’m not sure about Donato? I love his future, but dropping the kid into a Game 7 with only one playoff game under his belt seems a little unfair (and unwise).

Has inserting young players hurt the Leafs? How many playoff games did Andrea Johansson play before this year? Will he be taken out in Game 7 for the Game 7 experience of Komarov?

Folks have been ragging on Rick Nash, and David Backes. But Tim Schaller has been largely ineffective in the 2nd half of this series. It's not like Schaller has a ton of playoff experience himself.

 

[JCRO]

Its time for the veterans to make a stand and get this team to the next round.

Need to see more life from this core.

 

[sooshii]

Would be just a perfect ending to a ridicilous series if Matthews breaks through and scores 3 or 4 points in game 7.

Well, no. Actually that would suck. I really don’t understand people who give up on their team. Is that how they act IRL?

Sadly this was destined to go to 7. Let’s turn the page, start at 0-0 and bring home a win. We got Kate, DKH, Ladyfan, GahdenRinkRat, etc on our side. This win will be a big one.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Has inserting young players hurt the Leafs? How many playoff games did Andrea Johansson play before this year? Will he be taken out in Game 7 for the Game 7 experience of Komarov?

Folks have been ragging on Rick Nash, and David Backes. But Tim Schaller has been largely ineffective in the 2nd half of this series. It's not like Schaller has a ton of playoff experience himself.

Wingels had 2 goals in 57 career playoff games before he found himself on the 2nd line in game 6. Experience is overrated
Still cant believe that move.

 

[LouJersey]

I`ll always support our boys but over the last 2 games, I`m not feeling overly optimistic. I don`t like the momentum the Leafs now have, don`t like watching them move the puck more often than not with confidence and I don`t like that the sticks have gone cold. Does that mean the B`s can`t win? Of course not, but I`m not feeling as optimistic as many here are about tomorrow night, my concern is the Leafs will expose the B`s with their speed and nobody with wheels is walking through the B`s door tomorrow night

I`m not feeling "it", if that makes me a fair weather fan, so be it. I`d like to consider myself a bit of a realist, I see a frustrated B`s team and a Leaf team whose playing pretty loose hockey and that`s a dangerous combo

But this is exactly how Leaf fans felt after 7-3 game 2. Each game is different.

 

[Braunbaer]

I'd consider splittung up the first line and spreading the talent a little bit.
Since 63-37-88 play like 20 minutes a game, it's obvious that we need more from lines 2 and 3 ... or anything at all.

How about:

Marchand - Bergeron - Donato
DeBrusk - Krejci - Pastrnak
Nash - Kuraly - Heinen
Acciari - Nash - Backes

 

[MAINE-IAC]

Personally I'm ok with the same line - up. I thought they clearly out played them. They can't catch a break. I knew we were in trouble when the puck somehow didn't go in the net on marshy's early 5 hole shot. Still don't know how that didn't end up in the net.

 

[BruinsFan1990]

I'll be at the game. Crowd has to be better than game 5. Show this team you believe!!!

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Has inserting young players hurt the Leafs? How many playoff games did Andrea Johansson play before this year? Will he be taken out in Game 7 for the Game 7 experience of Komarov?

Folks have been ragging on Rick Nash, and David Backes. But Tim Schaller has been largely ineffective in the 2nd half of this series. It's not like Schaller has a ton of playoff experience himself.

The problems with your comparison are:

1) Johnsson wasn’t in the lineup until an injury to Komarov necessitated it.

2) He now has 4 games under his belt and has played pretty well. He’s not coming in cold to Game 7 after not playing in games 3-6.

3) Johnsson is a strong enough defensive player that he can be used on more than one line. If Donato comes in, he’s there for one reason, to bring offense. Unfortunately, I think he is a liability defensively, so it’s a pick your poison scenario.


Look, I don’t care who Cassidy plays, as long as the team wins. I thought Schaller was pretty good last night at creating turnovers, but he doesn’t have the “consistent hands” to convert those turnovers regularly (despite the occasional highlight goal).

I think the idea that you need to be physical with the Leafs is not a bad one, but you need to have the “regulars” be physical, not insert grinders in the lineup that are one dimensional.

I think it was Game 2 when Heinen was on the 4th line and he was noticeably physical in the first period on the forecheck. He was not blowing people up, just finishing his checks every time.

All of the Bruin’s players need to do this against a very susceptible TOR D, and then use their other skills to bury the chances their hustle and forecheck create.

 

[smithformeragent]

Someone mentioned in the GDT that Babcock has “figured the Bruins out”.

What have those in the know noticed as far as adjustments? Obviously the stretch passes are exposing Boston defensively. What about TML defensive zone adjustments? Or is it a matter of just failing to bury the chances and/or Andersen coming up big?

As far as the coaching match up. Babcock is supposedly the best, right? Shouldn’t they have the edge in that department?