The Bruins "Physicality" is Overblown. Let me explain why

[CanadasTeam]

What does it mean to be a Bruin?
What do you need to have in addition to skill to be one of 18?
If you don’t have it, or have a different mindset, you aren’t a Bruin.

Gone are the days of the big bad Bruins or broad street bullies but there is still an underlying identity to those teams.

Overrated for sure. Not intimidated at all by the Bruins which probably how Leafs feel about them in the locker room. I'll give credit when they win the series but until then they're just pretenders. They drop like flies when Leafs started hitting back with couple of them almost taken out in the stretcher.

No such thing as "poke the bear" as most people think still exist. those days with McQuaid, Lucic, Thronton have passed and left with just a couple of rats.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Tampa has no issues with Boston's aggressive style (and I'll say aggressive style instead of physicality here).

It's coaching at the end of the day imo. If you can't adjust and do things like make shorter passes with greater puck support when the other team is being that aggressive then you'll lose and not be able to make 2+ passes in a row like they couldn't last night. Awful awful coaching imo.

 

[ORRFForever]

Tampa has no issues with Boston's aggressive style (and I'll say aggressive style instead of physicality here).

Yes, but will Tampa be there in Round 2 ?

I bet they also wish they were a more physical team.

 

[dubplatepressure]

I would make the argument that the Leafs are less tough mentally than they are physically, especially among our core players.

I would have to agree with this based on results against Boston the last 2-3 years

 

[PromisedLand]

isles are up 3-1 against the pens in game 3; hard nosed hockey pays dividends in the playoffs

playoffs is not EA Sports hockey; when time and space is not available they have to fight for the puck

Dubas the rookie gm missed the boat on what it takes to win in the playoffs and how not to ruin cap space

 

[trellaine201]

Wish we had Matt Martin and Komarov

Look at the NYI success

 

[JJ68]

Until you guys try and assemble a roster the likes of a Roberts, Corson, Domi, Tucker, Green, McCabe and Nolan etc you wont win a round.

 

[Menzinger]

Until you guys try and assemble a roster the likes of a Roberts, Corson, Domi, Tucker, Green, McCabe and Nolan etc you wont win a round.

Those guys managed to bring the same number of cups to Toronto as the current roster has

 

[authentic]

isles are up 3-1 against the pens in game 3; hard nosed hockey pays dividends in the playoffs

playoffs is not EA Sports hockey; when time and space is not available they have to fight for the puck

Dubas the rookie gm missed the boat on what it takes to win in the playoffs and how not to ruin cap space

Yeah what was he thinking acquiring Muzzin and Tavares.

 

[Pookie]

Until you guys try and assemble a roster the likes of a Roberts, Corson, Domi, Tucker, Green, McCabe and Nolan etc you wont win a round.

We either have to add physicality or remove it altogether and double down on skill and lack of agitation.

 

[Joedoggy]

Boston's physicality is not overblown......The NYI physicality is not overblown...especially against a physical team like the Pens.

Physicality is all about having the personel that will contribute Physically..then having the leagues best hitter as in the case of NYI in #17.....The combination of the above makes for Playoff teams that move on...Coaching that believes in the heavy game will out do any Euro coach anytime especially one that pats himself on the back that winning is all about his line changes. You have to have offence but without the heavy physical defensive minded team all you have is a 1st round knock out.

Soft is for diapers and bed sheets and Euro coaching styles...The Leafs had their best chance of moving on the last 2 years until coach softy decided to bench anyone who would not kiss his arse.
Anyone blaming Dubas is plain wrong.....Leafs have a coach that plays 3 lines heavily..and the 4th line is used as a AHL line...Euro hockey...Soft on top/middle and nothing on the bottom.

Leafs could have been a force in both departments..they had the right GM in Lou...lou brought the right people in...then took them back with him....So much talent not being used and surrounded by what other talent that is needed.

Then again what team hires a coach before the GM?......It will be costly

 

[AreBe]

Why is it tomorrow all of a sudden? Something is fishy with this league office.

Welcome to the National Hockey Entertainment!

Madison Avenue, what do you say? Need good Canadian teams advancing? Does Winnipeg get you a rating boost? How about skilled Leafs team defeated and ratings generator Boston advancing? I bet you like story a lot, don't you Madison Avenue, ?! Ok We at the NHE will deliver! Winnipeg Advancing? You'd rather Secaucus !

We at the NHL used to be concerned about fair play and making sure that the integrity of the game was above board and paramount, otherwise, it used to be believed, if the game is seen as pre-determined, it is ruinous to the business model. But the NHL, like the NBA became the NBE (National Basketball Entertainment) the NHL needs to promote US ratings generators given that Canadians can be taken for granted, the NHE has a Madison Avenue friendly arrangement.

Dear reader, I really want to be wrong. And it's just hockey and not religion and I get that, but sometimes I watch games like last night's and I have questions and doubt, as if some Doubting Thomas.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Yeah this thread aged well.

 

[Crysis]

The Bruins finish their checks.

The Leafs do flybys.

Anybody who gets rough with any Bruin in a manner the Bruins deem inappropriate gets swarmed.

Anybody who touches any Leaf gets ignored.

Chara and Backes are the Bruins enforcers.

The "power play" is the Leafs enforcer.

Any questions?

Post of the decade.

 

[LeafsNation75]

isles are up 3-1 against the pens in game 3; hard nosed hockey pays dividends in the playoffs

playoffs is not EA Sports hockey; when time and space is not available they have to fight for the puck

Dubas the rookie gm missed the boat on what it takes to win in the playoffs and how not to ruin cap space

If you are referring to Dubas trading Matt Martin and not re-singing Leo Komarov there is something you left out. Last year when both were on the Leafs it was Babcock who made them healthy scratches during the playoffs. So you can see why Dubas choose to trade Martin and not re-sign Komarov.

 

[nobody]

Yesterday wasn't about the Bruins playing physical. It was about the Bruins taking liberties with our players which went uncalled by the refs. This eventually led to Kadri getting overzealous and being an idiot and taking things into his own hands. We are now paying the price for the refs incompetence.

Boston got their bounces yesterday on all 4 goals and they converted. Kudos to them for doing so. Leafs were seemingly disinterested in playing hockey all together except for Kadri who was bullied into becoming more engaged in the game.

At the end of the day, Toronto is a better hockey team than Boston in every way, should they choose to be. We have seen this so many times this season but the team just does not look like they can be bothered to show up for some games. If they can manage to figure out that issue (100% on Babs) and put in atleast a 60-70% effort, we can walk the Bruins in 5 games. If we continue to be a no-show like yesterday, we're going to get walked pretty quickly.

 

[v4karuna]

We will be just fine once the leafs are ok taking hits and are aggressive on the forecheck.

I agree Boston's physicality is overblown and it shouldn't even be a concern once the leafs players realize they are taller and heavier than the Bruins and understand how physics and momentum will work to their advantage. This may take sometime..

 

[ORRFForever]

If we get dominated in Game 3, move Nylander to Matthews line and fill lines 3 and 4 with Marlies' grit. Then let the chip fall where they may.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

At the end of the day, Toronto is a better hockey team than Boston in every way, should they choose to be.

Boston is a better team and finished higher in the standings.

The are a much more physical team and made the Leafs look like scared schoolgirls.

Matthews was a non-factor again.

 

[darrylsittler27]

We needed to pick up a 4th line pinch hitter such as Pelly- Smith on waivers. Sometimes you lose a game but you send a message so you can win the war. Last night Boston sent the message, Game 3 will be the response. It isn't Kadri's job and it is costing us..again!

 

[ORRFForever]

We needed to pick up a 4th line pinch hitter such as Pelly- Smith on waivers.

 

[LeafsNation75]

If we get dominated in Game 3, move Nylander to Matthews line and fill lines 3 and 4 with Marlies' grit. Then let the chip fall where they may.

I rather see Babcock make that adjustment before Game 3 so we don't have to worry about making changes like that before Game 4 and possibly being down 2-1.

 

[ORRFForever]

I rather see Babcock make that adjustment before Game 3 so we don't have to worry about making changes like that before Game 4 and possibly being down 2-1.

I want to give the team, in its current form, one more chance to play like Game 1. Having said that, if they bring up more grit for game 3, I won't complain.

 

[nobody]

Boston is a better team and finished higher in the standings.

The are a much more physical team and made the Leafs look like scared schoolgirls.

Matthews was a non-factor again.

Boston went on an 18 game undefeated streak with 14 of those being wins and only finished with 6 more points than the Leafs. Them finishing higher in the standings means diddly squat.

 

[Hclass47]

Leafs as a whole have stepped up in the physicality department. The difference to me is the recklessness the bruins play with compared to the leafs. On a number of occasions bruins players are coming in full tilt with only blue and white waiting to get plastered. Leafs need to do a better job in all zones slowing the for checkers down. That 1-2 strides makes a difference between getting labeled and getting out of the way