R1G7: Leafs @ Bruins - May 13th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[Zee]

Petty much everything that was wrong with the team all season long explodexto the foreground in the last 10 minutes.

They defeated themselves.

You've described it succinctly.  In fact, when the Leafs were up 4-1, I cringed knowing their penchant for having blown leads all season long. 

It seemed  that after Lucic lambasted Gunnarson into the boards, (should have been a penalty there), the 'momentum' changed.  Having Lucic & Chara parked on Reimer's doorstep with nary a Leaf in sight spoke volumes on Boston' ability to create havoc & distraction that led to their goals.  Reminded one of Game I when the Leafs looked confused and (mentally) intimidated.

No leadership in the last few minutes of the game was evident.  No shot-blocking, getting-down-on-the-ice to force the opposing player off-angle, etc., similar to the way the New York Rangers use that technique quite effectively.  Nothing.

I feel sorry for Reimer.  His teammates left him to roost in the ensuing craziness.  In the final crucial moments, when he needed it the most, they failed him miserably.

I had no expectations that the Leafs would even have come this far against the Bruins. They probably exceeded the expectations of Leaf fans everywhere.  It's just that no one wants their team to implode the way they did.  That's the ugly part none of us will want to remember.

Oh well, in the words of Randy Carlyle, time to move on.

Reimer's inability to catch a puck and not give up juicy rebounds didn't help either.  Sure the team collapsed all around him, but he was also part of the problem.  I'm referring specifically to the 3rd goal.  Puck hits his glove, he HAS to catch that.  The goalie was out and there would have been a faceoff there.  That doesn't go in, Leafs hang on.

No team in the history of the NHL has ever blown a 3 goal game 7 lead.  That's over 100 years of hockey.  This will be joked about and laughed about for years and years to come until the Leafs win a cup.  No other organization does this to it's fans.  Maybe the Cubs I guess.

 

[GoBuds]

This was a Leaf Team, that at the beginning of the season most all of the media said didn't have a chance to make the playoffs.

This is a young team that faced an experienced Boston team that many would say is the 2nd best team in the conference next to the Penguins. Which again most realistically believed they would lose in 4-5 games.

This is a team that was down 3 games to 1 in a series and never quit, taking it all the way back to overtime in game 7.

Looking at the last 2 games I saw some of the best hockey this team has played in a long time. Did they make mistakes? Absolutley - but I never saw the quit that I have seen from Leaf teams in the past. To a man they cared and played like it.

In the end we lost, the Leafs didn't blow a lead in the last game as much as Boston dug down from their experience and played themselves back into it.

What a run boys! Thank you for a great year and an unexpected playoffs!

Looking forward to next season with some experience and maturity added to this team.

GO LEAFS GO!

 

[PG]

Maybe the Cubs I guess.

It's funny you say that because I was saying last night that I put this team right up there with the Cubs. Laughable history and each team's target demographic wasn't even born the last time they won anything.

 

[Zee]

Maybe the Cubs I guess.

It's funny you say that because I was saying last night that I put this team right up there with the Cubs. Laughable history and each team's target demographic wasn't even born the last time they won anything.

Cubs are the last remaining one.  The White Sox and Red Sox both had huge dry spells from 1919 and 1918 respectively, and the Red Sox had their massive collapse moment in 1986 with Bill Buckner.  Both teams finally got over their historical failure and won championships.  In  hockey there was long time futility from the Rangers and Blackhawks too, they both won.  Now it's just the Leafs and Cubs.

 

[Kin]

Maybe the Cubs I guess.

It's funny you say that because I was saying last night that I put this team right up there with the Cubs. Laughable history and each team's target demographic wasn't even born the last time they won anything.

Cubs are the last remaining one.  The White Sox and Red Sox both had huge dry spells from 1919 and 1918 respectively, and the Red Sox had their massive collapse moment in 1986 with Bill Buckner.  Both teams finally got over their historical failure and won championships.  In  hockey there was long time futility from the Rangers and Blackhawks too, they both won.  Now it's just the Leafs and Cubs.

Not that it matters fundamentally but the White Sox dry spell actually dated back to 1917. They lost the 1919 World Series. Kind of famously.

 

[Zee]

Maybe the Cubs I guess.

It's funny you say that because I was saying last night that I put this team right up there with the Cubs. Laughable history and each team's target demographic wasn't even born the last time they won anything.

Cubs are the last remaining one.  The White Sox and Red Sox both had huge dry spells from 1919 and 1918 respectively, and the Red Sox had their massive collapse moment in 1986 with Bill Buckner.  Both teams finally got over their historical failure and won championships.  In  hockey there was long time futility from the Rangers and Blackhawks too, they both won.  Now it's just the Leafs and Cubs.

Not that it matters fundamentally but the White Sox dry spell actually dated back to 1917. They lost the 1919 World Series. Kind of famously.

Yeah I didn't look it up, just threw out the dates I mis-remembered. 1919 stuck out because of the black sox which they should have won. I guess the bad karma from that over the organization actually made it deserving for them to be futile for so long.  What the hell have the Leafs done to deserve their fate?

 

[BrownRolo]

I just watched this game on gamecenter. And now I feel sick...and it's not from the brutal Chinese beer I've gotten drunk on (sadface)

 

[BrownRolo]

I was ready to wear my fake Chinese knock-off Kadri MapleLeafs jersey tomorrow in the 30 degree heat. Now, I won't even get the pleasure. What happened? I can't believe they lost that game.

 

[L K]

Yep,  definitely still sucks.  I seem to recall closing out games being a bit of an issue with this team.  The sluggish defenseman had trouble clearing the zone a lot.  Down the stretch the O'Byrne type defenseman play for their positional work but do a horrid job on clearing the zone.

I think that might be something important to get in the offseason is a defenseman who can play positional hockey but still have a reasonable outlet pass.  Well if Carlylr insists that Gardiner wasn't the Leafs best defenseman in the postseason.

The face offs.  I really hope they work on Kadri a lot in the offseason.  Joe Nieuwendyk got fired.  Have him come in and consult.  If hate to pay Bozak a tonne of money simply because he's generally strong on the draws.  Having him as a 3rd line center would be fine but the roster isn't going to be cheap with a franson style raise on top.

 

[Kin]

What the hell have the Leafs done to deserve their fate?

...Oh right.

 

[moon111]

Wish it weren't the case, but with 30 teams, it takes years to build a team to it's peak. 

 

[Zee]

What the hell have the Leafs done to deserve their fate?

...Oh right.

Germany had Hitler and they've won World Cups since then...surely Ballard isn't that bad...

 

[BrownRolo]

What the hell have the Leafs done to deserve their fate?

...Oh right.

Joe Bowen isn't that bad of a guy.

 

[AlmosGirl]

Still pretty numb and extremely sad.  I'm sure tomorrow will be better. :-\

 

[pnjunction]

And now my inbox is full emails from people in MA reminding me that it was a record collapse/comeback and laughing. It's the gift that keeps on giving, I have to work with these people and hear about this for years.

 

[Peter D.]

I'm sick of hearing about Boston being experienced and that's what pulled them through.  Screw that...the Leafs blew it plain and simple.  That collapse is completely unacceptable.

Gawd am I still bitter/sick about this loss.  There is no reason the Leafs should not be preparing for the Rangers today. 

 

[Champ Kind]

I'm sick of hearing about Boston being experienced and that's what pulled them through.  Screw that...the Leafs blew it plain and simple.  That collapse is completely unacceptable.

Gawd am I still bitter/sick about this loss.  There is no reason the Leafs should not be preparing for the Rangers today.

Well, there is one reason:

Ummm, well, um...how did that get in there....I mean.....ahem....there is one reason:

 

[Bender]

One thing I noticed was god awful reffing. I was livid at the pub I was watching in: Grabbo's non-call even though he's been getting pulverized night in night out, no call on JVR getting elbowed in the face, completely offside on one play and it wasn't blown, the copious amounts of knee on knees that the Bruins kept attempting.

And not to give the Leafs an excuse, the reffing was farcical at best last night, and one of the worst displays I've seen in recent memory.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I have a hangover and didn't even drink.

This is how comic book bad guys are born.

 

[cabber24]

I have a hangover and didn't even drink.

This is how comic book bad guys are born.

Or Randy Quaid type fan from the movie Major League.