Pre-Game Talk: Bruins @ Leafs | Friday @ 7pm - Gardiner Not @ Practice

[Walshy7]

Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after practice Andersen and Gardiner both had maintenance days, while Matthews remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
I expect 2 out of 3 in the lineup for Friday.

great news (except Matthews news obviously) no matter what anyone thinks about Andersen we don't have a better goalie option without him we are sunk. Similar for gardiner, brain farts aside he is still a top4D and we need all we can to help us win

 

[Kiwi]

Giving Carrick more minutes is not an improvement on anything.

More than the four points this weekend, which I think are attainable, I'm really hoping for Nylander and Marner to break out of their funks. Nylander gets the fire in his eyes when he sees Pastrnak, and Marner played very well against Boston last year. If both of those guys get going, the rest of the team will fall into place. It's hard to be competitive when your offensively built team has weapons #2 and #3 cold as ice. We smoked Boston last year and they're having another rough go this year. These are big games against a divisional opponent, getting 3 or 4 points could have real playoff implications.

Carrick would probably be the best option, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement though just a realization of what we've got behind him right now

Those other two will come around shortly they two talented not to and getting more than 2 points this weekend is going to be tough, whoever wins the first game is going to face a motivated team the next game

Keep Borgman-Carrick as a sheltered bottom pairing, Dermott would be a much better top-4 option for now.

He's not even in the NHL yet so vaulting him into the top 4 is a big ask

 

[Martin Skoula]

He's not even in the NHL yet so vaulting him into the top 4 is a big ask

He plays by far the safest game out of all of our options right now. Carrick can't handle cycles and Borgman plays too risky of a game.

It's not a long term solution (unless he absolutely crushes it obviously) but probably the best we have in a pinch.

 

[1specter]

Boston is really bad right now. Need to take advantage

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

Boston is really bad right now. Need to take advantage

Well we know how the leafs do against bad teams. They lose

 

[Cleetus]

so no Anderson, Matthews, or Gardiner. Ouch! I hope they will all play this weekend I doubt it though!

 

[Clark4Ever]

Something more valuable than Jake and Sosh combined. They would be the throw ins.

Jake has his warts, but I wouldn't consider him a throw-in in any trade. He's a legit top 4 defenceman with flashes of brilliance.

 

[Trapper]

great news (except Matthews news obviously) no matter what anyone thinks about Andersen we don't have a better goalie option without him we are sunk. Similar for gardiner, brain farts aside he is still a top4D and we need all we can to help us win

With a back to back against Boston we are going to see McBackup in one game. I would expect Andersen for Friday but if he does need the extra day then I would imagine Saturday for sure.

 

[Mugzy97]

Jake has his warts, but I wouldn't consider him a throw-in in any trade. He's a legit top 4 defenceman with flashes of brilliance.

I agree, my point was that a piece being added to that to get OEL would have to have more value than Gards.

 

[ULF_55]

Boston is really bad right now. Need to take advantage

Last 10:

Leafs 4-6
Bruins 4-3-3

Both teams are really bad right now, and it would look worse if Andersen didn't steal last night's game.

 

[jrgtml67]

I have to wonder why Matthews played against Vegas, now he missed the one game, and sounds like he wont be in tomorrow, and I am in high doubt for Saturday--however Leafs play only two games next week, the first is Thursday, so maybe just being extra cautious, which I am fine with.

Not sure why people think Gardiner is going to be traded for a defensemen. That is not usually how things work (subban for weber, those type of trades rarely occur). Our area of strength is the wing, so our trade partner would likely be a team that needs a scoring/speedy winger. Anaheim, Edmonton just sent Yamamoto down earlier in the week. Kyperos the other day said if they wanted Marner it would start with Nurse, which makes no sense because Nurse is left handed. Further, he used the "Taylor Hall trade," as an example, which is dumb since at that time Edmonton just drafted Mcdavid so they had; Hall, Nuge, Eberle, Leon, and Mcdavid---we have Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Brown--not the same at all.

 

[Mugzy97]

Last 10:

Leafs 4-6
Bruins 4-3-3

Both teams are really bad right now, and it would look worse if Andersen didn't steal last night's game.

Difference is they've mostly been on a home stand while we did the west coast swing, which is typically the toughest trip to win on.

 

[Walshy7]

With a back to back against Boston we are going to see McBackup in one game. I would expect Andersen for Friday but if he does need the extra day then I would imagine Saturday for sure.

good point there. I meant more as an extended injury to Andersen and extended starts for mcbackup/sparks/pickard

 

[jrgtml67]

Problem is we have always had issues with Bergeron and his faceoff prowess, and if last night was an example of how good we are on the dot, that is a bad omen, we won 1 defensive zone draw all night, no good. Also I see a lot of similarities with Boston and us. They have several good young speedsters on offense, and McAvoy on their number 1 pair. Goal-tending could be the difference, if that is the case I think we win, if Andersen plays like he has the last 2 games.

The hole left by Matthews is gaping. We did not look very dangerous most of the night. Really shows how important he is, even though we know that, seeing it in a game is different. I still think a trade will happen soon, especially with Sosh and his contract quirk. He may play, but if he does, and he stays up then still a trade needs to happen. I think Lou has been active, but because he is the godfather of GMs you (we) never hear a peep until something happens. Lou knew this was coming, and I think that played a part in playing Leivo and Kapenen lately too, see which guy we want, which guy we cant put in a deal. From what Ive seen, I want to keep Kapenen. Guess we will find out within several days.

 

[ULF_55]

Difference is they've mostly been on a home stand while we did the west coast swing, which is typically the toughest trip to win on.

Both teams have 12 home points - from 9 home games.
Bruins have 3 games in hand.

Regardless, neither team is tearing it up.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

It just doesn't feel right that the Leafs are the ones hosting on a Friday instead of a Saturday night of a back-to-back.

 

[1specter]

Last 10:

Leafs 4-6
Bruins 4-3-3

Both teams are really bad right now, and it would look worse if Andersen didn't steal last night's game.

Bruins have only played 14 games, there's no point of knocking off their first 4 games which they split.

Also, the Bruins have had a butter soft schedule. They have mostly played mediocre teams, with lots of rest in between games and 9 games of 14 at home.

In comparison, the Leafs just came off what is statistically the hardest road trip in the NHL with 4 games in 6 nights and are now playing another 4 games in 6 nights. As well, statistically the Leafs have been assessed as having the most difficult schedule besides Columbus thus far (sort by 'SOS'):

2017-18 NHL Standings | Hockey-Reference.com

I haven't been impressed with the Leafs, but if they do not take advantage of a struggling team that is also injured, I will be disappointed. Andersen is playing better recently so that is encouraging.

 

[Mugzy97]

Both teams have 12 home points - from 9 home games.
Bruins have 3 games in hand.

Regardless, neither team is tearing it up.

I thought it was implied as 'recent' struggles, and thinking the past 5 or 6 games. Our past 5-6 games were on the west coast and there's have been at home.

 

[Gallagbi]

Another back to back? What's that 8 games in 13 days? Tough stretch.

 

[Pookie]

Andersen and Gardiner are taking a maintenance day according to Babcock

I'm tempted to take a maintenance day from work but I'd probably spend it drinking beer.

 

[Pookie]

Both teams have 12 home points - from 9 home games.
Bruins have 3 games in hand.

Regardless, neither team is tearing it up.

We are a bubble team on top of the bubble with points in the bank.

All systems a go.

 

[Mugzy97]

I'm tempted to take a maintenance day from work but I'd probably spend it drinking beer.

Maybe that's what Fred, Auston, and Jake are doing.

 

[Kiwi]

He plays by far the safest game out of all of our options right now. Carrick can't handle cycles and Borgman plays too risky of a game.

It's not a long term solution (unless he absolutely crushes it obviously) but probably the best we have in a pinch.

They won't use the kid in the NHL yet so it's highly doubtful there going to do something like that, I agree with your assessment but it's just not going to happen

 

[DarkKnight]

What I find interesting, the moment we entertain an injury on D to a core guy, we start realizing how little real depth we have, the options aren't good. I haven't liked Carrick's game lately, he looks like a guy who shouldn't even be dressing, nevermind filling in on the top 4. Anyways, this just highlights how thin we are on the blue line.

 

[MJ65]

Both teams have 12 home points - from 9 home games.
Bruins have 3 games in hand.

Regardless, neither team is tearing it up.

The team is pretty awful on the defensive side and even though we won last 2 games but we were not better by any means. We were out shot / out played and out chanced against both Vegas and the Wild. The teams are exploiting our deficiencies and we are looking so lost in our own end