GDT: Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00pm October 19th

[PromisedLand]

What else is new? Backhanded compliment by Babcock.

Right comment by Babcock. Willy should be ashamed of the last season and so should Dubas.

1 yr out of the 6yr contract right in the gutter. Willy was paid to perform for all 6 years not just 5 years.

If Willy played to his potential last year may be we have home ice and may be we beat Boston in the playoffs

 

[Zybalto]

Wait, what's so bad about that quote?

Hes feeling better as hes with the team this year from the start. Hes not wrong. Willy has looked much better too.

I think I'm really out of the loop here. That isnt anything to get upset about.

You can even read it as a defense of his poor play coming back. Easier to start a solid season with your NHL team than put in the middle of nowhere in a contract squabble.

What am I missing folks?

 

[Maple Leaf]

Beach in Sweden
What a low blow
Babcockian nonsense needs to stop

 

[Notsince67]

I wish Babs just stacked 1 line and said **** it. Nylander - Matthews - Marner. W have enough depth to make a decent 2nd line in Johnsson - Kerfoot - Kappy and still have Mikeyev and Moore on the third line

Matthews line needs to continue building its chemistry and in that, I am ok that it is left undisturbed. They have only been together for a short time and should get better as things progress. I am not upset over the lineup. It could have been far worse. I just think that people should enjoy the experimentation and see what it yields and stop being so critical of a lineup set up in response to a pretty significant roster loss. I dont expect Marners line to be a liability but I also dont think it will be the top line in the league. I do think that there are people who will criticize it regardless of the outcome.

 

[Stephen]

Pens are suffering through injuries as well but the team as a whole has stepped up.

I see no reason this team can’t do it especially after the key players got paid handsomely

Feels like they won't step up.

 

[Advanced stats]

What else is new? Backhanded compliment by Babcock.

Saturday morning presser? Babs trying to be funny? What else is new?

I'm sure he went back in the dressing room and had a laugh with Willy about it.

Anyone reading anything more into this is just desperate

 

[ToneDog]

Right comment by Babcock. Willy should be ashamed of the last season and so should Dubas.

1 yr out of the 6yr contract right in the gutter. Willy was paid to perform for all 6 years not just 5 years.

If Willy played to his potential last year may be we have home ice and may be we beat Boston in the playoffs

Did not hear the interview but from this thread I agree. I can see showing up out of shape after holding out 2 months and signing for more money than he was worth, and then laying an egg for most of the season and playoffs, pissing off the coach. Now up to Willie to make things right on the ice.

 

[ToneDog]

Saturday morning presser? Babs trying to be funny? What else is new?

I'm sure he went back in the dressing room and had a laugh with Willy about it.

Anyone reading anything more into this is just desperate

Most of what Babs says has a hidden agenda.

 

[Rogue Leader]

@Burnie97 thanks for the thread once again dude!
Damn, I want us to win tonight so much. It's time.
Really hope Babcock uses the lines correctly and doesn't lose focus of the grand picture with line matching.
Tavares is down, but Boston is also hurting.
We can do this.

 

[Eye Test]

Honest question, should I start Freddy, rittich, or Rinne. Can start two/three

 

[Cor]

The Leafs have one of, if not the toughest schedule to start the year.

- Started the year with 4 games in 6 nights to start the year, including a back-to-back
- 4 total back to backs in October, playing tired against rested division opponents in 3/4 of them, while the 4th one is against Washington
- All the back to backs include travel between the two games. No back to back with both at home.
- Now, the Leafs begin a stretch of 5 games in 8 nights, including two back to backs, an then a monthly finale against Washington


November's schedule doesn't get much better, with 3 back to backs, all with travel. One is a home and home with Buffalo, One of the back to backs is in the middle of another 4 games in 6 nights, and the other is in a 3 games in 4 nights situation.

Then even in December, it's not great. A Western trip, 3 more back to backs (all with travel), and we are one of the handful or so of teams who only have 3 nights off for the Christmas break.


The first 3 months of the year for is ROUGH in terms of schedule. January-March is a lot easier for us.

 

[PromisedLand]

@Burnie97 thanks for the thread once again dude!
Damn, I want us to win tonight so much. It's time.
Really hope Babcock uses the lines correctly and doesn't lose focus of the grand picture with line matching.
Tavares is down, but Boston is also hurting.
We can do this.

It’s a 4 pt game; divisional rival. I expect the team to show up and if they don’t I would be seriously pissed

 

[Cor]

Honest question, should I start Freddy, rittich, or Rinne. Can start two/three

You'd be silly to not start Rittich and Rinne there. LA sucks, and FLA is off to a poor start. Rinne and Rittich are far more likely to get W's and low GA's than Freddy is tonight.

That's not to say Freddy can't come out tonight and steal the game, but gotta play the odds

 

[SprDaVE]

Honest question, should I start Freddy, rittich, or Rinne. Can start two/three

Andersen has been pretty bad so far and the Leafs are a bit in a rut... He's bound to kick out of it but until the team wakes up, might not be a bad time to sit him?

Flames are playing the Kings and the Preds are playing the Panthers while the Leafs are playing the Bruins.

 

[PromisedLand]

The Leafs have one of, if not the toughest schedule to start the year.

- Started the year with 4 games in 6 nights to start the year, including a back-to-back
- 4 total back to backs in October, playing tired against rested division opponents in 3/4 of them, while the 4th one is against Washington
- All the back to backs include travel between the two games. No back to back with both at home.
- Now, the Leafs begin a stretch of 5 games in 8 nights, including two back to backs, an then a monthly finale against Washington


November's schedule doesn't get much better, with 3 back to backs, all with travel. One is a home and home with Buffalo, One of the back to backs is in the middle of another 4 games in 6 nights, and the other is in a 3 games in 4 nights situation.

Then even in December, it's not great. A Western trip, 3 more back to backs (all with travel), and we are one of the handful or so of teams who only have 3 nights off for the Christmas break.


The first 3 months of the year for is ROUGH in terms of schedule. January-March is a lot easier for us.

I think someone had posted that Leafs have 19 back to backs compared to 8-9 back to backs for Tampa, Montreal and Boston

How the F is this parity in the league especially for Leafs?

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I don't have much doubt our skaters will show up, but it would be nice to get some saves

 

[BertCorbeau]

I don't have much doubt our skaters will show up, but it would be nice to get some saves

Yep .. Andy's going to have to be good.

 

[Apotheosis]

What else is new? Backhanded compliment by Babcock.

Man, f*** this guy. I never bought in to "he lost the room" thing, but I'm started to come around to it. The big 3 are good friends, he constantly gives backhanded compliments to Nylander, Matthews had to meet with him in Arizona. This might actually be a reality.

 

[SprDaVE]

Andersen needs a big game. The Leafs need a goaltender making consistent tough saves and to give them a chance when the ice is tilted the wrong way. Heck I'd take routine saves for a game.

 

[IPS]

Hmm this is good info..


Coach Bruce Cassidy said after Friday’s practice that David Krejci, whose undisclosed upper-body injury has lingered, will miss his third game in a row. Boston also may be without Patrice Bergeron, who took a wrister by Tampa Bay’s Ryan McDonagh off his leg with 25 seconds left in overtime Thursday.

Weird, must just be some soft pathetic team who doesn't stand up for their star players so teams take liberties on them.

 

[MoreMogilny]

We need an engaged team to show up.

Our captain is out, and we are facing the team that once again beat us in game 7.

If an unmotivated team shows up again, that’s a huge problem for the mentality of this group going forward, and I’ll definitely be concerned.

Boston is killing it this year and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They have their issues, but they don’t need excuses because they’ve won the vast majority of their games.

 

[IPS]

I think someone had posted that Leafs have 19 back to backs compared to 8-9 back to backs for Tampa, Montreal and Boston

How the F is this parity in the league especially for Leafs?

That's completely insane. I'm honestly convinced the league is trying to handicap the Leafs at this point.

 

[Notsince67]

That's completely insane. I'm honestly convinced the league is trying to handicap the Leafs at this point.

Its an unfortunate situation. The biggest problem with the leafs though has been abysmal goaltending and high dangerzone defense. Until our defenders and goalies can start playing at least on an average level, this team will continue to suffer. All the other underlining metrics seem to be ok.

 

[Cor]

Hmm this is good info..


Coach Bruce Cassidy said after Friday’s practice that David Krejci, whose undisclosed upper-body injury has lingered, will miss his third game in a row. Boston also may be without Patrice Bergeron, who took a wrister by Tampa Bay’s Ryan McDonagh off his leg with 25 seconds left in overtime Thursday.

 

[SprDaVE]

We need an engaged team to show up.

Our captain is out, and we are facing the team that once again beat us in game 7.

If an unmotivated team shows up again, that’s a huge problem for the mentality of this group going forward, and I’ll definitely be concerned.

Boston is killing it this year and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They have their issues, but they don’t need excuses because they’ve won the vast majority of their games.

The one thing that makes a HUGE difference:

1.72 GAA and .946% save percentage from Rask and 1.69 GAA and .956% save percentage from Halak.

3.14 GAA and .893 save percentage from Andersen and 3.98 GAA and .886 save percentage from Huch.

I get that people love to blame defense, heart, grit, etc etc etc... but you simply cannot win games when you're goaltenders are letting in that many shots a game. Andersen in particular has had some relatively easy games (Columbus and Wild) and still can't even be among the average.

They've had their goaltenders stand on their heads, while the Leafs can't get one... and there hasn't been a single game where I'd say Andersen or Hutch have been a reason why the Leafs won or were even that good.

There will be some form of regression for them and some progression for us... but let's hope the latter doesn't happen to late.