Round #1 Eastern Conference: Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)

[pilldoc]

 

All discussion regarding  this playoff season between the Bruins and Leafs go here.

Edited April 7, 2019 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Buffalo Rick]

This is close to a toss up.  Leafs in 7 I would say

[OccamsRazor]

Leafs D and goalies are questionable.

 

So Bruins in 6.

[WordsOfWisdom]

2 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Leafs D and goalies are questionable.

 

So Bruins in 6.

 

I was going to say that it would be a close series but the Bruins would win out in a 7-game series...... but seeing how the Leafs have played the past few months and knowing that Gardiner only just got back from an extended injury, I think it will be over quickly. 

 

Bruins in 5. 

 

[ruxpin]

This really should not be a close call.

 

Bruins in 5.

[pilldoc]

The Bruins and Maple Leafs meet for the second straight postseason and third time since 2013. Boston has won the previous two playoff matchups in seven games.

 

The Leafs goatending and defense has sucked down the stretch.  Andersen cost me big time during FHL.  I just don't see a reversal of last year.  Bruins in 6.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I actually agree with @Hockey Junkie here..... this series COULD be a 'pick'em' because each team plays in such a way that they could conceivably take advantage of the other's weakness areas.

Sure, the Leafs limped into the playoffs, but fact is, they still sport a very nice collection of forward lines, who, at any moment, can simply blow up and run up the score on ANYONE.
I don't care much for the Leaf defense...I think they are pretty good on the rush and pinching in, but I seriously question their actual coverage, decision making with the puck, and their ability to maintain composure under tremendous zone pressure.

But that's where Frederik Andersen comes in.
Guy has made a living out of bailing out his less than stellar defense, and IMO, IS the reason some Leaf defenders have nice +/- ratings!

 

Toronto's offense (the entire 5 man unit) has the potential to overwhelm even the stingy Boston defense and the very good tandem of Rask and Halak.
Speaking of which....WHAT VERSION of Tuukka or Jaroslav will show up for these playoffs??

Is it the ones who play like Vezina candidates, or the ones who look flustered and couldn't stop a beach ball coming in at 30 mph?
I've seen both sets this season.

Over on the positives for the Bruins, they sport one of the top lines in the entire NHL in Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak.
Easily up there with anything the Leafs have (albeit, the Leafs seem to have MORE of them up front!).

Those guys can take over a game and all the rest of the lines need to do is chip in and frustrate the opposition...hell, The Rat can do that on his own too.
The Boston defense is in transition, going from the 'old guard' to the newer, faster model of players, but still, the Bruins DO play a nice tight brand of defense, and even Big Bear Chara, old as he is, slow as he is, still has the smarts, the intimidation factor and the freakin pterodactyl wingspan, that he can offset any deficiencies he may have as he goes on in years.

 

Now...this is where I disagree with HJ...
I will go Bruins in 7 due to the overall team cohesion on both sides of the puck I believe Boston has over Toronto....but man, if Boston even ONCE takes Toronto for granted, and if their top line gets shut down somehow, it could be the Leafs moving on in the same amount of games....

[yave1964]

am taking the Leafs in 7 hard fought games, I think this series is much closer than a lot of folks are making it, Boston is old and I think the speed of the Leafs grinds the Bruins down in the end. Tavares with the game winner game seven. Mark it.

[Kings Redeem LA]

What's this rot with refs calling Charging?
Guy lines up an opponent with a shoulder hit and

a calls "Charging"?
There some plot underway to make the

NHL softer than the NFL...?

[WordsOfWisdom]

Well, after a sweet opening game effort, the real Bruins showed up for game two.  They dominated the Leafs from the opening puck drop. It was unreal. If not for Andersen, this was 7-1 easily. 

 

Kadri might be getting another suspension.  Oh well.  This felt like old time hockey tonight. Lots of hitting. Fun to watch. It's a shame the league is penalizing this kind of play out of existence.   

 

Edited April 14, 2019 by WordsOfWisdom

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, thenewestlights said:

What's this rot with refs calling Charging?
Guy lines up an opponent with a shoulder hit and

a calls "Charging"?
There some plot underway to make the

NHL softer than the NFL...?

 

Yeah it's dicey these days. Almost any solid hit now results in a penalty, especially along the boards. I think I know the hit you're referring to and it was pretty much checking from behind/boarding as well. So I'm not worried about that one so much. 

 

I'm more worried about Kadri getting suspended for 6 games for what used to be a two minute penalty (cross-checking). 

 

[Kings Redeem LA]

22 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Yeah it's dicey these days. Almost any solid hit now results in a penalty, especially along the boards. I think I know the hit you're referring to and it was pretty much checking from behind/boarding as well. So I'm not worried about that one so much. 

 

I'm more worried about Kadri getting suspended for 6 games for what used to be a two minute penalty (cross-checking). 

 

 

The one I'm referring to was shoulder-to-shoulder and nobody was boarded. 

I've got no problem with refs calling Boarding; but if Charging's gonna get called,
there'd better be a bayonet or jousting-stick involved.    

 

 

[Stephen Koithan]

This series is very back and forth. I think it comes down to game 7 in Boston where they will win it. 

[OccamsRazor]

And Rask has been very inconsistent too...could he be their weak link???

[OccamsRazor]

On 4/10/2019 at 1:06 PM, yave1964 said:

am taking the Leafs in 7 hard fought games, I think this series is much closer than a lot of folks are making it, Boston is old and I think the speed of the Leafs grinds the Bruins down in the end. Tavares with the game winner game seven. Mark it.

 

How much better would games be if we could have Bill Burr do the commentary...

 

 

...this made me laugh so hard...