Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins - Round 1

[disco]

It has begun.
https://twitter.com/hockeynight/status/1114898793231679490
https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/1114879290754183168
Boston Bruins (A2 - 107pts) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3 - 100pts)

Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Maple Leafs @ Bruins | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 13, 8 p.m.: Maple Leafs @ Bruins | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Monday, April 15, 7 p.m.: Bruins @ Maple Leafs | CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN
Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m.: Bruins @ Maple Leafs | CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN
*Friday, April 19, TBD: Maple Leafs @ Bruins | TBD
*Sunday, April 21, TBD: Bruins @ Maple Leafs | TBD
*Tuesday, April 23, TBD: Maple Leafs @ Bruins | TBD
* if necessary

Different from last year:
- John Tavares.
- Matthews is healthy (revealed a back issue after last series).
- Kadri will (hopefully) ride the physical line without a suspension.
- All young players a year older and wiser.
- Stronger down the middle and arguably stronger on D with the addition of Muzzin.

Different over the regular season:
- Everyone giving 100% every minute of every game with heightened attention to detail.
- Some timely physical play, now an investment with a series on the line.

Leafs in 6.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Going to stay positive.....Leafs in 6. JT will be the difference maker this time around.

 

[AtomicMapleLeaf]

Time to put the Babsocks on.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

This will be fun. Too close to call an outcome, but I really want to see which leaf players elevate their game, and which ones don't - and make off season adjustments accordingly.

 

[ZBBM]

Going to stay positive.....Leafs in 6. JT will be the difference maker this time around.

Put me down for this too.  To hell with what my head is telling me.  Shut up, Head.

 

[princedpw]

What is different for the Bruins this time?  How did they manage the league?s 2nd best record despite many injuries to top players?

 

[lamajama]

Going to get flamed for this but based on last 30+ games the Leafs will be hard pressed to win even 2.

Obviously and incredibly simple but if having Rosen in with our other 5 and IF Freddie can get some actual help from
the D AND the F we might push it to 7.

I just hope somehow we can contain or limit the top line and Chara's bones seize up.

 

[Zee]

Prayer might work. Then again....

I'm hopeful the Leafs can play their best and win the series; finally getting over the hump, but I'm not expecting it. Even though they've only really lost to Boston once with this core (2013 was totally different), it just *feels* like they're our nemesis.

Reminds me of the feeling I had in 1992 with the Jays vs Oakland in the ACLS, Jays always seemed to lose to the A's, Eckersley would close the door late and the Jays couldn't win. I didn't believe the Jays would win that series. Then Alomar hit that home run, and everything changed. Older folk on here will know what I'm talking about.

Every playoff year I hope for the best but expect the worst. So here goes another kick at the can.

 

[AtomicMapleLeaf]

I'm seriously hoping (praying to the Bob Cole gods) that we've been playing possum for the last 2 months. I mean we knew we were playing Boston since like August. So maybe Babcock is a secret genius? He did get bounced out of the first round after winning the President's cup.

I know, a girl can dream.

 

[TML fan]

Bruins in 6, and only because they slack off after going up 3-0.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I'm seriously hoping (praying to the Bob Cole gods) that we've been playing possum for the last 2 months. I mean we knew we were playing Boston since like August. So maybe Babcock is a secret genius? He did get bounced out of the first round after winning the President's cup.

I know, a girl can dream.

A season long rope a dope!  Leafs come out guns blazing and finish the Bruins in 4. 

 

[Zee]

I'm seriously hoping (praying to the Bob Cole gods) that we've been playing possum for the last 2 months. I mean we knew we were playing Boston since like August. So maybe Babcock is a secret genius? He did get bounced out of the first round after winning the President's cup.

I know, a girl can dream.

A season long rope a dope!  Leafs come out guns blazing and finish the Bruins in 4.

Lol let's hope man

 

[Andy007]

Dress 7 D, put Moore with Kadri and Kapanen and use them solely against Bergeron's line, double shift Matthews/Nylander with Marleau and Brown on the 4th line and hope Andersen doesn't let in any ridiculously soft, blue-line goals. If all of this happens......Leafs in 6. Otherwise....Bruins in 3  :-X

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Dress 7 D, put Moore with Kadri and Kapanen and use them solely against Bergeron's line, double shift Matthews/Nylander with Marleau and Brown on the 4th line and hope Andersen doesn't let in any ridiculously soft, blue-line goals. If all of this happens......Leafs in 6. Otherwise....Bruins in 3  :-X

The Leafs didn't sign one of the only centres on the planet probable capable of shutting down Bergeron only to play two 3rd liners and a 4th liner against him instead.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

How did they manage the league?s 2nd best record despite many injuries to top players?

Bergeron, 16 games Pastranak, 16 games McAvoy, 28 games Krug, 18 games Chara, 20 games

Matthews, 14 games Nylander, 28 games Gardiner, 20 games Dermott, 18 games Andersen, 7 games

From what I can tell these were the primary injuries on both teams. I'm not saying that each player beside each other is directly comparable (Pasta is obviously vastly outperforming Nylander this season) but it's somewhat close.

 

[Andy007]

Dress 7 D, put Moore with Kadri and Kapanen and use them solely against Bergeron's line, double shift Matthews/Nylander with Marleau and Brown on the 4th line and hope Andersen doesn't let in any ridiculously soft, blue-line goals. If all of this happens......Leafs in 6. Otherwise....Bruins in 3  :-X

The Leafs didn't sign one of the only centres on the planet probable capable of shutting down Bergeron only to play two 3rd liners and a 4th liner against him instead.

Kadri has shown he is capable of playing very well defensively against top centres. And then you can use those two other elite centres to destroy the Bruins' inferior 2nd and 3rd lines. I actually think it's a pretty good strategy but hey, I thought Luca Caputi was gonna make it...

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Kadri has shown he is capable of playing very well defensively against top centres. And then you can use those two other elite centres to destroy the Bruins' inferior 2nd and 3rd lines. I actually think it's a pretty good strategy but hey, I thought Luca Caputi was gonna make it...

Kadri, maybe. But Moore and Kapanen would get eaten alive out there.

 

[Andy007]

Kadri has shown he is capable of playing very well defensively against top centres. And then you can use those two other elite centres to destroy the Bruins' inferior 2nd and 3rd lines. I actually think it's a pretty good strategy but hey, I thought Luca Caputi was gonna make it...

Kadri, maybe. But Moore and Kapanen would get eaten alive out there.

I don't see how it can possibly be any worse than how badly that line outplayed us last playoff. I like the idea of letting the Kadri line try to neutralize that threat as best as possible and having the others dominate offensively. And I think Moore will be a heck of a lot more effective than Marleau at this stage.

 

[Bullfrog]

Going to get flamed for this but based on last 30+ games the Leafs will be hard pressed to win even 2.

Obviously and incredibly simple but if having Rosen in with our other 5 and IF Freddie can get some actual help from
the D AND the F we might push it to 7.

I just hope somehow we can contain or limit the top line and Chara's bones seize up.

If we're relying on Rosen to be the difference maker, we're already sunk.

 

[princedpw]

How did they manage the league?s 2nd best record despite many injuries to top players?

Bergeron, 16 games Pastranak, 16 games McAvoy, 28 games Krug, 18 games Chara, 20 games

Matthews, 14 games Nylander, 28 games Gardiner, 20 games Dermott, 18 games Andersen, 7 games

From what I can tell these were the primary injuries on both teams. I'm not saying that each player beside each other is directly comparable (Pasta is obviously vastly outperforming Nylander this season) but it's somewhat close.

That?s a nice comparison. Thanks.

The other aspect of my question is how the bruins managed to improve this year.  I mean, we got Tavares ... why did they do so well? Their backup goaltender?