WordsOfWisdom

Unfortunate ending to tonight's game. I thought the Leafs clearly outplayed the Rangers. Bounces just didn't go their way. But it's another point and another game closer to the playoffs and the inevitable match up with the Bruins.

I'm not hitting the panic button yet. These last 10 games mean nothing for the Leafs. Tampa is #1, and it's Bruins vs Leafs first round no matter what. Who really cares which team has home ice "advantage"? It means nothing in hockey. The Leafs should focus on getting/staying healthy, rest up, and begin to run hot just as they enter the playoffs. I would rather see them play well in the last 3-4 games going into the playoffs then to play well now and cool off just as round one begins.

Tan and green are meant for each other. Case in point:

The legacy green jerseys of the Leafs have been trotted out lately for St. Patrick's Day/week/month?... My thinking is, they messed up because they didn't include the tan colored trunks. It's not supposed to be all green. It's supposed to be green and tan. If you're going to "kick it 1926 style" then get the pants right.

But how do you earn that trust? He puts them in those situations sooner or later and sees how they handle it. So far, Matthews hasn't shown enough defensive ability in those situations to be trusted come playoff time.

It's at the point now where players are afraid to throw a body-check because every time they do, they get penalized for it.

Two minutes for interference... and even that's dubious. May not call anything at all on this one because the puck was there. No fine. No suspension. That's all. The player ran into his back lol. How is that "targeting the head" lol? This is why I wrote that thread about hitting in hockey and what happened to it.

Might actually be a smart decision for Toronto to drop into the first wildcard position and face the Capitals... .... but looking at how far down the Canadiens are, even that won't work. The Metro division has five teams in right now and Montreal is out.

I think if you look at the Leafs, this season has been all about Tavares, Marner, Rielly, and Andersen. Matthews is just sort of "there" sometimes and injured other times. He's like a traditional #2 center. He isn't the reason the Leafs are having a good season but he helps it along. Although his defensive play scares the hell out of me right now.

I think he's testing Matthews to see if he can play in those critical late game situations as a tune up for the Bruins.

You write some of the best posts in this forum! Nicely done. I agree with your analysis. I think the Leafs are done here. Either team can win. I think it'll be a long series, but Boston is Toronto's kryptonite.

For me personally, I hate seeing the Bruins out of sheer boredom. I'm not surprised they're here. I knew they would be. Someone needs to run the numbers on that franchise because I think the Bruins make the playoffs more than any other NHL franchise. My analysis: Toronto has the edge in forwards yes, but forwards always have a way of running cold in the playoffs. Boston is the better defensive team. Boston is always the better defensive team in every year that they have existed in the NHL. Boston will always be the better defensive team. If someone reads this 50 years from now, Boston will be the better defensive team. Goal-tending is a draw in this case, so any strategy that involves Andersen stopping a 2:1 ratio of shots while the Leafs out-score the opposition's weak goalie is a non-starter against Boston. Ultimately, it will come down to the intangibles. Boston's size and physical play will knock the Leafs around and frustrate them. Can the Leafs respond and show that they have what it takes to win when the whistles get put away? That's the question. Boston is built for playoff hockey. The Leafs are built for regular season hockey. That's the difference. Given that it's Boston in round one (the one team Toronto just mentally can't get by), I think it's over for the Leafs.

Leafs hang on for a close victory against the Oilers! Nice. I guess the lesson here is: Never sit on a lead. Never stop adding goals. It looked like the Leafs were home free at 3-0 but things change quickly in today's NHL.

lol I don't see players hitting when they're along the boards, and if/when they do, I see penalties being called. Maybe it's just a Leafs thing? EDIT: Several notable hits along the boards in the game against the Sabres. (Finally.) I think maybe my perspective is skewed from watching the Leafs lol.