Leafs @ Bruins - Apr. 25th, 7:30pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[cabber24]

Leafs don't strike any fear in anyone. Nylander for sure as stated played the Kessel of years past going into the corners.

Yup. And if there's one thing we can say definitively it's that having someone play like Kessel won't help win a team win a cup. Or two cups.

I am not least concerned about being "soft". Scare them on the score board. The projectory of our forwards is scary for our opponents.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Nylander didn't have a great series but it had nothing to do with him being soft.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/Bmarch63/status/989863349579079681

 

[Guilt Trip]

Nylander didn't have a great series but it had nothing to do with him being soft.

Agreed.

 

[Arn]

I think this "being soft" thing is a load of balls. I think the side showed a huge amount of heart and grit even dragging the series to 7 games. Even more so after being pretty much down and out after a couple of games.

 

[Strangelove]

The media is saying that Gardiner may have played his last game as a leaf.

That stuff plays well because a lot Leaf fans don't like him. The fact that he was probably their best defencemen in the second half of the season and in the first 6 games of the playoffs is easily forgotten.

The reality is that Andersen was way too leaky at an inopportune time, and our young stars didn't play like Stars. I think Babcock's wonky break-outs and defensive "system" had a lot to do with it.

The Leafs were lucky game 7 was as close as it was.

I just want to say, I think you've been pretty bang on all season long with your analysis and I also couldn't agree more with this (and your following) post. It's almost as if Babcock is trying to handicap his team. I genuinely feel that this core is so much better than the way they've been playing.

I think trading in Komarov's 16 minutes of ice time per game and Bozak/JVR's atrocious even-strength play for the (increased) likes of Johnsson and Kapanen will be a big boost.

And giving some of these young superstars more minutes certainly can't hurt.

Agreed re Komarov. A lot of people underestimate the impact that one relatively terrible player (even a fourth liner) can have on a team, particularly when he plays a central role on special teams.

I think a full year of Johnsson plus a revamped breakout system that isn't as reliant on the stretch pass/dump-out  could take the Leafs to the next level.

Also Matthews and Hyman may, at some point, have to break up.

 

[Strangelove]

I think this "being soft" thing is a load of balls. I think the side showed a huge amount of heart and grit even dragging the series to 7 games. Even more so after being pretty much down and out after a couple of games.

Their biggest problem wasn't softness, it was their inability to leave their own zone with control of the puck.

 

[Guilt Trip]

The media is saying that Gardiner may have played his last game as a leaf.

That stuff plays well because a lot Leaf fans don't like him. The fact that he was probably their best defencemen in the second half of the season and in the first 6 games of the playoffs is easily forgotten.

The reality is that Andersen was way too leaky at an inopportune time, and our young stars didn't play like Stars. I think Babcock's wonky break-outs and defensive "system" had a lot to do with it.

The Leafs were lucky game 7 was as close as it was.

I just want to say, I think you've been pretty bang on all season long with your analysis and I also couldn't agree more with this (and your following) post. It's almost as if Babcock is trying to handicap his team. I genuinely feel that this core is so much better than the way they've been playing.

I think trading in Komarov's 16 minutes of ice time per game and Bozak/JVR's atrocious even-strength play for the (increased) likes of Johnsson and Kapanen will be a big boost.

And giving some of these young superstars more minutes certainly can't hurt.

Agreed re Komarov. A lot of people underestimate the impact that one relatively terrible player (even a fourth liner) can have on a team, particularly when he plays a central role on special teams.

I think a full year of Johnsson plus a revamped breakout system that isn't as reliant on the stretch pass/dump-out  could take the Leafs to the next level.

Also Matthews and Hyman may, at some point, have to break up.

Def agree. The difference when Babs moved Leo off the Kadri line was a huge turning point in his season. Remember he only scored 1 in 20 games and had like 2 points or something crazy like that. Then when with Komarov out and off the 4th line. All of a sudden with Johnsson on it the line was alive and crazy fast and was actually to a point where we could run 4 lines without worry. When Leo came back, the line was worse. That's why I'm so baffled with Babs sometimes. He's not stupid but it was obvious to most of us watching that Leo was done, like Martin, and then Babs puts him with Matthews in game 2. Like does that make any sense to anyone here? Same as Brown and Hyman with him. And we wonder why Matthews can't score?
I agree with Strange here, at some point Hyman needs to be off this line to.

 

[Frank E]

Anybody do the math on the 4th line productivity pre-Plekanec and Johnsson vs. post?

 

[Andy007]

The media is saying that Gardiner may have played his last game as a leaf.

That stuff plays well because a lot Leaf fans don't like him. The fact that he was probably their best defencemen in the second half of the season and in the first 6 games of the playoffs is easily forgotten.

The reality is that Andersen was way too leaky at an inopportune time, and our young stars didn't play like Stars. I think Babcock's wonky break-outs and defensive "system" had a lot to do with it.

The Leafs were lucky game 7 was as close as it was.

I just want to say, I think you've been pretty bang on all season long with your analysis and I also couldn't agree more with this (and your following) post. It's almost as if Babcock is trying to handicap his team. I genuinely feel that this core is so much better than the way they've been playing.

I think trading in Komarov's 16 minutes of ice time per game and Bozak/JVR's atrocious even-strength play for the (increased) likes of Johnsson and Kapanen will be a big boost.

And giving some of these young superstars more minutes certainly can't hurt.

Agreed re Komarov. A lot of people underestimate the impact that one relatively terrible player (even a fourth liner) can have on a team, particularly when he plays a central role on special teams.

I think a full year of Johnsson plus a revamped breakout system that isn't as reliant on the stretch pass/dump-out  could take the Leafs to the next level.

Also Matthews and Hyman may, at some point, have to break up.

Def agree. The difference when Babs moved Leo off the Kadri line was a huge turning point in his season. Remember he only scored 1 in 20 games and had like 2 points or something crazy like that. Then when with Komarov out and off the 4th line. All of a sudden with Johnsson on it the line was alive and crazy fast and was actually to a point where we could run 4 lines without worry. When Leo came back, the line was worse. That's why I'm so baffled with Babs sometimes. He's not stupid but it was obvious to most of us watching that Leo was done, like Martin, and then Babs puts him with Matthews in game 2. Like does that make any sense to anyone here? Same as Brown and Hyman with him. And we wonder why Matthews can't score?
I agree with Strange here, at some point Hyman needs to be off this line to.

Completely agree. What say you, I and Strangelove get out of here for a bit....