Pre-Game Talk: Boston @ Toronto - Saturday Jan 12

[Bluelines]

The Cup is won by stats you can’t measure.
Sure you can tally it all up at the end and say save percentage was this or Corsi was that but it’s the key moments you refused to lose a battle, that one or 2 giant saves that don’t really change the save percentage by that much on paper but in a series it did.

The will to take a big hit/block a shot or whatever to win.

That needs to be proved on the ice.

PREACH!!! Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Bluelines]

tampa didn't employ a stretch pass system i.e. there were no jake gardiner gaffe plays by tampa in the playoffs

also if i recall correctly marchand-bergeron-pasta and xxx -stamokos-kucherov line (forget who played LW) played each other to a stalemate basically none of the two lines scored much;

but tampa won on depth scoring.

also, its not like tampa got physically invovled a lot with the bruins (not that bruins didn't try it); tampa was just always first to the puck; won most of the 50-50 battles basically :

bolts matched bruins compete level; and because bolts were more skilled they beat bruins quite easily.

if leafs matched bruins' compete level; leafs skill will take over and win the game for them

the way I see it is like this:

Boston: Compete Level + Skill Level > Leafs: Compete Level + Skill Level

obviously boston isn't much skilled; leafs have much more skill than boston but boston's compete level is ALOT better; boston wins most of the battles and usually has the puck quite often in dangerous parts of the ice.

If Leafs upped their compete level Boston is toast; if Leafs stay status-quo against boston and rely on skill alont they are toast

Ya know I can disagree with what you posed, the difference in compete level is the Leafs are playing not to make a mistake and the B's are loose and free of fear.