Series Talk: How do we beat Boston in round 1?

[JT AM da real deal]

OK we know our team now. It is set. Probability of facing Boston in round 1 is around 95.3% as per Sports Club Stats. So folks brace yourselves Leafs v Bruins III.

What is our optimal lineup for game 1?

How do we beat the Boston fore check and cycle game?

Click to read more...

 

[LaPlante94]

We need our depth to score. We're a deeper team,especially this year so we're gonna need the other 3 lines that aren't matching up against Bergeron to produce. Also, Andy might have to stand on his head when that stacked 1st line is out on the ice.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Babcock needs to lighten up on the line matching and let the guys play their game. And not over-use hainsey
The players need to play their game and don't let Marchand et al get in their head

 

[Leaftors]

We're playing boston in the first round? I didn't know we clinched a playoff spot already, or that the bruins did too, or that we're matched up against them.

Come on.

boston lives in some of your heads rent free.

 

[Jackson14]

Pair Muzzin with Rielly, match them up with the Bs top line as much as possible. Conversely...keep Gardiner and Zaitsev as far away as possible from their top line.

 

[I am Canadian]

Logically we should win, we added Tavares, Muzzin and the young guns have had another year of development.

They just need to not get blown out the first couple games, which would help to have them in Toronto.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

The race for home advantage should be fun.

 

[ACC1224]

Be assertive, start on time and use speed.
Be the headlights, not the deer.

 

[WestCoastLeafs]

1. Get home advantage. We're one point back with even games played. Win 14 or 15 of the last 20 and make sure we're at home if there's a game 7.
   
2. Find a line that can play against Bergeron's. Tavares' maybe?
3. Make sure we don't have any lines or D pairings that can be overmatched. (Moore should help the fourth line in this regard.)
4. Play fast, beat the forecheck, and don't let them establish the cycle - what we've always done when having success against them.

 

[Craig Button]

We just need Matthews, Andersen and Nylander to show up and we are fine.

the refs could be bad and we would still win the series.

 

[GoonieFace]

Start losing some games and slide into the first wildcard so we can play the Islanders?

Seriously though, who cares who we play. If the big guns show up, we win.

 

[SprDaVE]

Get good goaltending and score goals.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Our core is very young and is a year more experienced since last season. Their core are ten years older (minus Pastrnak) and may be starting to lose a step. Also, we added Tavares.

All that considered (given we took it to 7 last year), i think we’d likely win a series against them this year.

 

[Clark4Ever]

If we want to beat Boston in the playoffs, the answer is simple. Bench Gardiner in the 3rd period of game 7.

 

[sxvnert]

Tell the prima donna star players to sack up and stop playing the perimeter/dump & chase against them to avoid getting hit.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

1) don't go with Matthews-Plekanec-Bozak-Moore as our center depth for half the series
2) don't get the 2nd worst goaltending of the first round
3) don't get killed on special teams
4) don't play Hainsey against the best line in the league
5) have Matthews get more than 2 points
6) have Nylander, Kapanen, Johnsson, and Kadri play bigger roles

 

[Warden of the North]

Play our game.

Dont get drawn into reactionary suspensions (Kadri)

Its arguable Kadri's suspension alone cost us the series last year.

 

[Buds17]

Boston still has that top line that's going to be tough to overcome. The Leafs aren't the same team that bowed out in seven last playoffs (Tavares-provides three significant Cs, Muzzin-can't imagine our most experienced playoff D isn't significantly relied upon, more experienced Matthews, Marner, Nylander) and I'm sure Boston feels they've also improved their team since. Home ice advantage would be a different way of going into the series compared to previous times. Barring that, Toronto-Boston is looking like the Atlantic's answer to Pittsburgh-Washington. Washington didn't appear to be able to defeat Pittsburgh...until they finally did.

Don't know how it can be done (overall depth is obviously one significant hope), but it'll have to happen eventually to get anywhere meaningful. Would be great if eventually happens during these playoffs, assuming this is the matchup.

 

[al secord]

Be good. Start on time. Love your families.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Make the pairings

Rielly Muzzin
Dermott Zaitsev
Gardiner Hainsey

Need scoring from all four lines. Win the puck battles and with the faceoffs against Bergeron and Krejci.

 

[GBLeaf]

We beat them with speed.

Be willing to take a hit to make a play, be willing to make a hit to show them you're in the fight. Then skate hard and fast, get them chasing.

 

[IPS]

First and foremost, our top-4 needs to not get wrecked by their top line.

If they perform even marginally better than they did last year against them, we probably win that series. And we got Muzzin now, for the love of god use him.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Get home ice, play to our ability, let our depth take over and avoid playing Hainsey 25 minutes a night against the Bergeron line.

 

[Duffman955]

Tightly check their top line

Star players play to their potential

Play without fear

 

[1specter]

If Hainsey is playing with Rielly still we probably lose. That MBP line is going to run train on Hainsey.