Pre-Game Talk: Bruins - Leafs, Game 4

[fahad203]

A crushing win would be a decisive momentum shift. I'm a glass half full kind of guy.

6-2 Leafs. Book it

 

[Enniskillen]

On the balance, they have controlled, and I expect the balance will tip even more in their favour the rest of the series.

Where are the promised OTs?

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Scores some freaking goals!

Really hate how Keefe gets so close to a perfect set up and then galaxy braoms himself into trying to win a game 0 to -1.

Bertuzzi-Matthews-Domi
Knies/Jarnkrok-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Holmberg-Nylander
Knies-Jarnkrok-Kampf-Reaves

When McMann is healthy the bottom 9 to score goals should be this since the PK sucks anyways:

McMann-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Holmberg-Nylander
Knies-Kampf/Dewar-Jarnkrok

and the defense is set up nicely in practice:

Rielly-Liljegren
Benoit-McCabe
Edmundson-Brodie

If you need Boosh in the lineup then pull the 4C and double shift Matthews and Tavares at times.

Taking Robertson AND Liljegren out when Nylander returns is stupid

 

[mcleex]

I'm tired of these barely squeeze out a 1 goal win with a hectic final 2 minutes

I want a decisive crushing 5-1 lead

 

[Evilhomer]

Where are the promised OTs?

I'm surprised the last games didn't go to overtime. They were certainly both trending that way.

 

[Magic Man]

Dewar has been a stabilizing force on that 4th line. But, he is an easy odd man to insert Nylander. They need to score some goals. Brodie in for Lube adds offense and Nylander in for Dewar adds offense. Swayman won't be able to keep up.

 

[lowski]

Zach Hyman has as many goals (6) as the Leafs do in 3 games...needless to say we need to score more goals and we also need to capitalize on our PP.

 

[The Masters]

 

[Shanwhatplan]

Really hate how Keefe gets so close to a perfect set up and then galaxy braoms himself into trying to win a game 0 to -1.

Bertuzzi-Matthews-Domi
Knies/Jarnkrok-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Holmberg-Nylander
Knies-Jarnkrok-Kampf-Reaves

When McMann is healthy the bottom 9 to score goals should be this since the PK sucks anyways:

McMann-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Holmberg-Nylander
Knies-Kampf/Dewar-Jarnkrok

and the defense is set up nicely in practice:

Rielly-Liljegren
Benoit-McCabe
Edmundson-Brodie

If you need Boosh in the lineup then pull the 4C and double shift Matthews and Tavares at times.

Taking Robertson AND Liljegren out when Nylander returns is stupid

Liljegren needs to come out. Too soft in the corners. Brodie should be okay for a game or two. At least he’s serviceable on the PK. Just make sure he plays on his natural left side.

 

[The Iceman]

Tonight would be good but tomorrow is fine. 8pm start I'm not a fan of at all.


Huh?

If fan of 8 pm start. Today only. I can catch the 4:30 rock playoff game and be home for puck drop

 

[Roo]

Don’t want to see us take out Dewar for Nylander, we need him as a pker and the 4th line has been a strength. Robertson is the one that should come out.

 

[The Masters]

Don’t want to see us take out Dewar for Nylander, we need him as a pker and the 4th line has been a strength. Robertson is the one that should come out.

 

[Gallagbi]

I like how Robby has played, but I'm not sure it makes sense to have him play on line 4

 

[DarkKnight]

I've liked Dewar, but Robertson staying in is a good move. I thought he had a monster heart shift last game third period when we needed a push, nothing came of it obviously but loved his jam and poise. Kid is doing well defensively too. Evolvong before our eyes.

 

[fahad203]

I've liked Dewar, but Robertson staying in is a good move. I thought he had a monster heart shift last game third period when we needed a push, nothing came of it obviously but loved his jam and poise. Kid is doing well defensively too. Evolvong before our eyes.

Given that we are averaging 2 goals per game, we need someone with finishing touch. It makes sense to me
Dewar's line has been great though. That 4th line has been outstanding. But I can see Jarnkrok moving down easily and take his spot

6-2 Leafs. Lets go. I am tired of 1 goal games

 

[Jojalu]

Tonight is the night Marner wins a game for the Leafs!

 

[Buds17]

It IS a must-win. Zero doubt.

They are absolutely not winning three games in a row against the Bruins in the playoffs. It's not realistic.

In fairness, they can still advance after winning tonight's game while also not winning three games in a row...they'd just have to win Game 7 in Boston. How difficult can that be?

 

[BraveCanadian]

Let’s gooo

It’s gut check time for M&M

Get er done

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I don’t like taking Dewar out for Robertson. I hope he proves me wrong but I’m not sure Robertson can help keep that fourth line effective with a heavy forecheck.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

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.

Nailed it!

 

[NJG]

The puck moving abilities of their defensemen will no question be an issue in later rounds, but I don't think it's as impactful against Boston because of Boston's generally anemic offense and transition game. Against teams like Florida, Carolina or the Rangers, some of these big slow Leafs defensemen are going to get slaughtered.

Although I think they need another puck mover next year and agree. That wasn't our problem the problem is brain farts and brain-dead plays and guys not playing the system and not covering their man and mistakes that are leading to 90% of their goals.

 

[ACC1224]

I like how Robby has played, but I'm not sure it makes sense to have him play on line 4

Wonder if they're thinking he can be moved up if they need scoring or Nylander can't finish the game.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Boston has won 8 of the last 9 games against the Leafs.

That suggests this is essentially a MUST WIN game for Toronto, if they want any realistic chance of advancing,

With a loss the Leafs are not beating Boston 3 of the final 4 games with 2 in Beantown.

It is essentially a must win game, but not because of the last 9 games, that's just a completely irrelevant factoid.

On the balance, they have controlled, and I expect the balance will tip even more in their favour the rest of the series.

They have controlled? Seriously? I mean maybe, if you completely ignore special teams where we've been completely destroyed as usual but why would you ignore what has been the difference in the series up to this point?

nylander back

I just heard something on the TV about that. It sounds like there's a good chance he will be back but he'll be on the 2nd PP unit which seems galactically stupid. The PP has been garbage and I was hoping Nylander back could spark something but of course Keefe is going to bury him on the 2nd unit that hardly sees the ice. My biggest problem with Keefe last spring was that Nylander didn't see enough ice when we were desperate for a goal despite being our most dangerous player on offence. Doesn't this clown ever learn?

Please hockey gods, say it isn't so.

 

[Evilhomer]

They have controlled? Seriously? I mean maybe, if you completely ignore special teams where we've been completely destroyed as usual but why would you ignore what has been the difference in the series up to this point?

We are saying the same thing. They have controlled 5 on 5 and are losing because of special teams. That is easier to reverse than losing 5 on 5.

 

[Menzinger]