EAST Playoffs '23-'24 Round 1: (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs at (A2) Boston Bruins (BOS Leads 3-2)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

                                                 

 

Leafs playing the Bruins in the post season.
Hmmm...does this movie seem familiar to anyone else? And will it end the same? Seems all the remakes over the years have the same ending with some variance in some plot details.....
Some Leaf fans are viewing this as the 'worst possible matchup' to begin the postseason, and, well, I can't say I blame them.

But still, this version of the Leafs may be one of the strongest in years, and this version of the Bruins, while capable, aren't exactly the dominant team that won a Cup some years ago, or even like the one that ran through the regular season last year....albeit with a crashing thud in the playoffs....

Toronto Maple Leafs tale of the tape:
Season Record: 46-26-10, 102 pts _______ Home/Road Splits: 22-15-4 / 24-11-6
Offense-Defense:  303 GF, 263 GA good for a +40 differential
Special Teams: PP 24.0% (7th), PK 76.9% (23rd)

 

Boston Bruins tale of the tape:
Season Record: 47-20-15, 109 pts ______ Home/Road Splits: 24-11-6 / 23-9-9

Offense-Defense: 267 GF, 224 GA good for a +43 differential

Special Teams: PP 22.2% (13th), PK 82.5% (7th)

Sooo....after finally getting by the first round last season, will the Leafs go back to being one round wonders? Can they slay the bear this time?
Or maybe the Bruins slice, dice, and eat up Toronto en route to completing the business they failed to finish last season.

All Toronto vs Boston talk goes right here!

Edited 14 hours ago by TropicalFruitGirl26

[SaucyJack]

Toronto is surely grateful to be playing anyone other than the Lightning Bolts in round one.  (As they were reminded of, just last night )  

 

OK, does that add, or lessen, the pressure on and expectations of the Maple Leafs in this series vs the Bruins?

Edited April 19 by SaucyJack

[mojo1917]

This group of Leafs is one of the most talented they've iced in 50 years.

I still don't think thy have the playoff guys to advance beyond a round. As much as I like Matthews,  Marner, and Johnny Pajamas I don't think they have the defense or the toughness/skill combo in the bottom 6 to win the cup.

 

I picked Boston in 6, I know they're not setting the world ablaze with their play lately.  They have had the Leafs number in the playoffs, I don't see where Toronto has made any adjustments to change that narrative. 

[Brewin Flames]

Bruins in 5 or 6, perhaps six.

 

Bruins stink one game, and perhaps the leafs squeak out another....

 

Bruins def depth and netminding will be the difference.

[thegx.ca]

Toronto in 6...but if they do lose Round One at least Treliving will probably fire the coach anc maybe hire Sutter

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

The Leafs are more talented while the Bruins still have blatant holes in their C spine. Should be a close one but the Bruins seems to be the logical oucome. Because the Leafs.

 

Bruins in 6.

[FD19372]

The Bruins, particularly on defense, are more built for playoff hockey. The game changes a bit in the postseason. The Leafs give the Bruins all they can handle, are tougher and better than previous versions of themselves..but fall short in Game 7 at Boston.

[JR Ewing]

2 hours ago, FD19372 said:

The Bruins, particularly on defense, are more built for playoff hockey. The game changes a bit in the postseason. The Leafs give the Bruins all they can handle, are tougher and better than previous versions of themselves..but fall short in Game 7 at Boston.

 

So much (good and bad) flows downhill from your best player. Auston Matthews, at his size, getting badly bullied by Steve Stamkos a couple of years ago, was embarrassing. Two things need to improve for the Leafs to make much noise:

 

-Matthews needs to improve his playoff performance. So far, his offense has dropped a lot from his regular season standard, and he has to become more hard-nosed.

-The Leafs need to improve defensively. Only one playoff team gave up more high danger chances this year.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Let me start off by saying I certainly love making fun of the Leafs' decades of futility as much as the next person.
And yea, this Boston killing Toronto joke is more than just a joke....it is proven facts over the years.
Furthermore, the Leafs, as always, have the heavy weight of fan expectations on them, and the SECOND they don't perform how fans think they should, they hear about it on the ice, in the broadcast media, and on internet media.

Having said all that, I did mention in my opening post this is one of the better teams the Leafs have iced in years, and even though they STILL have some question marks, I actually believe they have a shot here.
Boston is Boston....structured, balanced, good veterans, supreme agitators (no prize for guessing who leads THERE), solid defensively, and good goaltending.....but their record is misleading as they built up their point totals with LOTS of overtime losses.

How is that relevant? Because if the Leafs and Bruins play close games, and we go into extra frames, Toronto would have the edge due to the scary nature of their top six players.....and Boston goalies might have it in their heads that "they don't win these OT games".

Overall, I think both squads can be exploited in net.
Yes, the numbers show Swayman and Ullmark are 'better' than Samsonov and the army of generic goalies the Leafs have used throughout the season, but I've seen where BOTH Swayman and Ullmark have looked out of their element, perhaps, dare I say, propped up by the solid structure of the defense.
While Samsonov's numbers are very 'meh', even though he finished the season pretty decently.

No. If this gets to where the goalies are suspect, and it comes down to a scoring fest, then obviously, I HAVE to go with the blue n white to win higher scoring affairs....particularly if the Bruins start doing stupid things on the ice and get into penalty trouble.
If things stay low scoring, and the Bruins execute in all phases, then they manage to keep the Leafs at bay and further add to the "Toronto can't beat Boston" mystique.

But I am going Leafs in 7. Yep, you read that right.
If Toronto gets this done, it won't come easy and will need ALL SEVEN games to get it done.
If Boston were to win, I think they get it done in a shorter amount of time, because then, that means they are living rent free in the heads of Leafs players, fans, and everything that resembles a Maple Leaf.

But that won't happen here. If Boston wins, I won't be too surprised, but I think the Leafs have enough in many areas, and MORE than enough in others, to get it done and truly slay the big brown kodiak.
What the Leafs do afterwards is anyone's guess....but, one step at a time, eh? 

[yave1964]

Leafs in six. I believe that they are stronger this year and a long run begins here and now.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Well now... Toronto gets the initial shots on goal....but then, a terrible pinch in, leads to an odd man rush for Boston, and on their first shot on net, get one past the Toronto goalie...
1-0 Kodiaks

That is NOT the way to get it done Toronto...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

John Beecher (who???) with his first NHL playoff goal.

Oh, and some dude named Pat Maroon assisted on that goal...

Edited April 21 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Trent Frederic causing a bit of stir near the Toronto net.

Leafs better be careful...the Bruins would LOVE for them to take stupid penalties.
Frederic really wasn't doing anything, but the mere fact he skated towards Samsonov while he covered the puck was enough to get Toronto thinking he would try something.
Probably what Trent was looking for.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Did I say Toronto taking stupid penalties?
Careless stick by the Leafs, and Charlie Coyle sold it well...high sticking... PP Boston, already leading, looking to add.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Charlie Coyle, in TRUE former Minnesota Wild fashion, hits a post on a chance where he should have buried it to make it 2-0! 

Post was wearing blue n white that time, however, so score remains the same.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Pat Maroon goes BOOM!
Sends Lillegren into the Boston bench.

He is getting long in the tooth, but dammit, he is gonna help the Bruins with all the yapping, drawing attention, and dirty work he does!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Now Charlie McAvoy hits a post!
But wait...it gets better...it was a clean face off win to get the puck to McAvoy....won by Charlie Coyle.
I dunno.....that ex Minnesota Wild "close but no cigar" thing might be permeating the Bruins  

Oh, and someone on Boston should REALLLLY repaint those posts from blue n white to black n gold....just sayin...
What do they pay those arena personnel for anyways, eh??

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Boston does have the right game plan so far though, gotta say..

They are hitting any and all Leaf players whenever possible (that will pay off down the series road), and they are mucking and grinding along the boards when Toronto players go to retrieve pucks....and the Bruins are WINNING those puck battles!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Another careless stick by Toronto (this time by Tyler "I'm Just As Smart As My Dad" Bertuzzi) and another Boston PP.

He tried to agitate Brandon Carlo to take him with him, but Carlo wasn't buying it....hell, he wasn't even gonna RENT it...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And ANOTHER post by Boston.....
Talk about cap circumvention.... those posts definitely put Toronto over the limit.....  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Toronto survives that penalty kill.
Boston comes up empty, but NOT for lack of trying!

Those posts have kept this game from being 4-0 Kodiaks right now!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Period 1 winding down.
Boston certainly won that period, dominated in fact....but only have a 1-0 lead to show for it.

If you are Toronto, you are thanking your lucky posts for only that kind of deficit, then take advantage and come out firing in the 2nd.

And as I finish this, Max Domi taking shots at McAvoy's head in front of the Boston net.....dumb, dumb, dumb....
McAvoy retaliates leading to coincidental minors, but Toronto looks like they are losing their chit a bit.

Those boys need to calm down....again, only 1-0 deficit.
Blue n white need to do their retaliating on the scoreboard with all that firepower they have.

They will get a PP to start the 2nd period.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2nd period....Game ON!!

Leafs have the PP due to an ill advised penalty during 4 on 4 by the Bruins, so we will see if Toronto can capitalize on this 4 on 3 OT style PP

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

LOL....Mitch Marner is wide open....and he's like, "wait guys....noooo, I'm the PASSER, remember? I don't shoot that crap! Give it back to Auston!" 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Now the Leafs hit a post!

People screaming about goalie pads being too big....I think someone should make those posts skinnier...