Pre-Game Talk: Bruins - Leafs, Game 4

[Jimmy Firecracker]

The home crowd isn’t constantly rocking in the building because:

A) It is very expensive for people to go so the ones that can afford to aren’t your typical fanatic.

B) The Leafs in the playoffs is not a new novelty. This isn’t 2017 when it’s the first time we made it in a real season in forever. Vancouver is going nuts because they haven’t been to a postseason game with fans in years.

C) The Leafs during the Matthews era have given very little reason for the fans to be confident or cocky when it comes to this team. It’s hard to have any swagger when the primary characteristic of this team is choking. If we had a few more playoff runs sprinkled across this cores past it’d be a different story. Instead we have one series win where fans got slightly cocky (“We Want Boston/Florida”) and the team immediately fell flat on their faces in round 2, embarrassing themselves and us.

The barn should be rocking every playoff game but it’s hard to when everyone and their mother is waiting with bated breath to see which way the Leafs will once again f*** up. Will Samsonov allow a back-breaker like Campbell and Andersen before him? Will our special teams fail again? Will we allow a goal immediately after scoring ourselves or in the dying moments of a period? So many ways things can go wrong and so often they have.

Want the fans to be loud? f***ing curb stomp Boston then like you did Tampa in Game 2 last season. Make it a party, give people a reason to be confident again. Because right now it’s looking like the same old song and dance with this team.

 

[Leafsfan74]

View attachment 859897

Sport is emotional.

Yeah, the first couple of games after a big contract probably provide some encouragement. After awhile it is just the usual paycheck. Believe it not, any of us would be the same regardless of our station in life beforehand. Money gets old, it becomes normal after awhile.

However, the emotion of the big moment can get raised when the crowd is behind you. It's human nature. This is true from sports, to political speeches to war. There is a reason the term "war drums" exists, it is a real historical aspect of war.

A prime example. Consider when players play for their country. Talented Multi-millionaires who all want to represent their country. It is nostalgia, a non-monetary drive that can't be replicated anywhere else be it the Dream Team of the 90s in the NBA, the '72 Team Canada, Miracle on Ice USA 1980 or 1987 Canada Cup. These players didn't make much for their efforts, the motivation of winning for country was enough.

So, fans are vital. I am lucky enough to have been at games as a kid when the fans in the cheap seats would yell "ARGOOOOOS" for the Leafs game (as they were down 6-2) and blow their $5 long horns. The team was horrible but the crowds loved them to death.

Speaking of Argos, go to an Argos/Tiger Cats game. Incredible fans. They know the CFL isn't the top of the heap for ratings but they go their as loyal fans. It's loud and energetic. You can even mess with the hardcore, (old days, Steel Town) Hamilton fans with their steel boots on and they have a good laugh. They give it out just as much as they take it.

Sports is supposed to be intense and fans get just to the line of insanity and a coarse throat, if they care enough...

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[SprDaVE]

I hope Woll plays as well. Liljegren probably earned to sit out, he hasn't had much of an impact.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Glad to see Brodie finally in. Should probably switch around the D even more. Sitting Robertson would be beyond stupid. Quite frankly, if Nylander is back, we should probably be switching around the forward lines too. The hot streak for the top line seems over, and they're bleeding chances against with Bertuzzi and Domi both up there.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Not sure why dewar is sitting. I get it. We need goals but I feel like you are losing an effective 4th line

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[AvroArrow]

Lily out ? He's been really bad, he was my biggest worry this playoffs, Boston has been abusing me.

 

[Torontonian]

Must win game, can't go down 3-1 in the series, Toronto will not play perfect hockey to beat Boston 3x in a row, and I don't like the thought of having to play Boston TWICE at the TD garden in a elimination game.

 

[Roo]

Got to stay positive and hope this team will figure things out. They are crertainly capable and showed that in g2. We were right there in g3.

I suspect Swayman in goal, Nylander in for Robertson, and maybe Brodie in for liljegren.

 

[myleafs]

Pastrnak is mostly only useful on the power play in the playoffs.

hmmmm

80 playoff games
36g 46a 82 pts
14g 23 a 37pp pts

45 non pp points

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[myleafs]

Except that Pasta hasn't been very useful for the Bruins.

82pts in 80 playoff games....seems a little bit useful

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Willy is back baby

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Why is Matthews again not on practice? Is he injured? I know he was sick but that was 2 says ago

 

[Rob Brown]

Why is Matthews again not on practice? Is he injured? I know he was sick but that was 2 says ago

Maintenance. He'll play, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Gabriel426]

Willie will win the game b/c his name starts with a W

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Maintenance. He'll play, I wouldn't worry about it.

He will play but is it gonna be like last game where you could tell he wasnt 100% and struggling….we need a matthews who is 100% since it is up to him and nylander to carry us

 

[fahad203]

They won't beat Boston with Samsonov imo. It's a risk to run Woll after his poor finish, but it's a sure loss (over 7 games or less) to run Samsonov imo.

Woll is not ready. There's nothing tells me he's ready.

Go with the guy that won you the only series in last 20 years.

It's not like Boston scored 6 goals per game on us. We just haven't scored more than 3 per game.

That's what 12 playoff games in a row ?

 

[Fogelhund]

""

""

 

[mapleleafs34]

Messing with that very effective 4th line is worrisome.

Robertson or Holmberg should be coming out for Willy, not Dewar.

 

[puckie]

Even I could score on those two.

 

[Community]

Messing with that very effective 4th line is worrisome.

Robertson or Holmberg should be coming out for Willy, not Dewar.

I understand why you and some others think that, but I would personally disagree.

The 4th line has won their matchup (which is good), but they don't offer much offense which is currently needed more. Nylander will hopefully add some more offense to the 3rd line and Robertson will hopefully help with some offensive pop to that 4th line, especially if they can maintain some o-zone pressure like they did before.

Our 4th line killed some time in the offensive zone, which is good, but did you feel like they were ever a real offensive threat? In addition, I felt like last game was the 4th lines worst game of the three (maybe part of that is their last shift leaving a sour taste in my mouth).

Edit: I thought Holmberg should be out before Robetson, but I think he's been improving each game and was better in game 3 than Dewar.

 

[wingman75]

I understand why you and some others think that, but I would personally disagree.

The 4th line has won their matchup (which is good), but they don't offer much offense which is currently needed more. Nylander will hopefully add some more offense to the 3rd line and Robertson will hopefully help with some offensive pop to that 4th line, especially if they can maintain some o-zone pressure like they did before.

Our 4th line killed some time in the offensive zone, which is good, but did you feel like they were ever a real offensive threat? In addition, I felt like last game was the 4th lines worst game of the three (maybe part of that is their last shift leaving a sour taste in my mouth).

Disagree. The 4th line has given this team confidence. You can put them out in almost any situation and come away at worst even. Producing positive minutes to allow the supposed scorers time to recoup and go after it in their next shift.

I would not have that confidence with Robertson, he is not physically strong enough to do what that line does. I do think it is positive that the coach's confidence has grown, and that is credit to the player to has been good since his most recent call up.

To suggest we need Robertson on the 4th line to generate offence is laughable. Lines one and two and now three with Nylander on it own that responsibility. Anything from the 4th line is a bonus, and if keeping Robertson is to bring more offence to it, then the purpose of that line is lost. That line's purpose is to create a fast and physical forecheck, create some chaos and put the opponent on their heels in preparation of the next line...

I was not a Dewar fan, but he has been extremely solid and reliable since this series has started. I believe taking him out is a mistake.

Happy to be proven wrong, but all I have visions of is Robertson not being physical and turning the puck over, which will be a disaster for that line that they will not be able to survive.

 

[arso40]

Lily out ? He's been really bad, he was my biggest worry this playoffs, Boston has been abusing me.

He had one bad game and that's game 3 he deserves to be out