R1G3: Bruins @ Leafs - May 6th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[Jalili]

Hopefully Gardiner is with us for good now.

 

[oakl0008]

:'(

 

[CupOneDay]

The Leafs were the better team most of the night, they just didn't capitalize on their chances and let Boston put their's home. I mean really, 2 posts? Are you kidding me? Bruins get that lucky first goal and we hit two posts after? To be honest, I am not overly worried about the next game, the Leafs will watch the tape and see they can beat the Bruins if they just play consistent for 60 minutes. If they can't come out and prove it then they don't deserve to be there anyway.

 

[Kin]

I'll just say, a win on Weds and I'll count the series as a positive no matter what the outcome.  We're holding our own against a much more experienced team with a top-notch D corps.  The score doesn't indicate it but our effort tonight was way above Game 1.

Congratulations. You've managed to find the light grey-ish lining to this dark cloud.

 

[pnjunction]

Yeah a win on Wednesday and they'd at least guarantee a game 6 back at home.

Not to mention even if all the games are close most people will only remember the final series tally.  4-2 or 4-3 seem respectable, 4-1 is barely above a sweep.

 

[Bonsixx]

The roller-coaster reaction on here is hilarious. It's why I never usually post until after the game.

Tonight's loss was a combination of Rask outplaying Reimer, and the Leafs beating themselves with insanely bad turnovers and puck management. The giveaways are killing them.

The bright side, the Leafs have now hung with the Bruins two out of three games. I no longer have a sense of dread about playing the Bruins, but that being said, I don't think the Leafs have what it takes to win this series. At least not from what I've seen so far.

Bozak is struggling on the draw, y'know, when the linesman actually lets him take it, which is unfortunate because he's apparently the only centre capable of winning them at all. Kadri is absolutely invisible, when he's not making terrible decisions. Remember how everyone thought he was a superstar a few months ago? Yeah, that's probably not happening, but he can still be an effective player. Right now, however, he is not. He's a liability.

Hopefully they can muster up a stronger puck possession game in Game 4, otherwise this thing is lights out.

Still, playoff hockey is pretty fun!

 

[Bonsixx]

Gardiner had a great game.  Mistakes for sure but he's been dominant with the rush at times.

Him and Franson looked incredible in the third when they got paired together. It's too bad it took Carlyle 50 games to break up that Fraser-Franson pairing. I know they looked good at first, but everybody knew why (they were playing against the weakest opposition). Fraser just can't keep up with the top players.

Incidentally, I agree with the doubts about Fraser the last few games, but I thought he was solid tonight for the most part. I wouldn't despair if Liles went in over him though.

 

[hockeyfan1]

The roller-coaster reaction on here is hilarious. It's why I never usually post until after the game.

Tonight's loss was a combination of Rask outplaying Reimer, and the Leafs beating themselves with insanely bad turnovers and puck management. The giveaways are killing them.

The bright side, the Leafs have now hung with the Bruins two out of three games. I no longer have a sense of dread about playing the Bruins, but that being said, I don't think the Leafs have what it takes to win this series. At least not from what I've seen so far.

Bozak is struggling on the draw, y'know, when the linesman actually lets him take it, which is unfortunate because he's apparently the only centre capable of winning them at all. Kadri is absolutely invisible, when he's not making terrible decisions. Remember how everyone thought he was a superstar a few months ago? Yeah, that's probably not happening, but he can still be an effective player. Right now, however, he is not. He's a liability.

Hopefully they can muster up a stronger puck possession game in Game 4, otherwise this thing is lights out.

Still, playoff hockey is pretty fun!

If that trend continues, then no.  But if they regain the total team effort that they showed capable in Game 2, then the possibilities become that much more possible.


The way the Leafs tendencies sway them, so shall the score go!

 

[Andy007]

Poor result but I can't say I am too disappointed with the effort. Lots of strong offensive chances, two posts and some dominant play by the Grabovski line. On the defensive side, however, ugh, what a mess. Phaneuf looked awful; slow, sloppy and soft (well until he finally decided to throw a bodycheck in the later stages of the game). They really need some more mobility back there; I'm surprised RC keeps scratching Liles.

I did find it kind of curious that Caryle started tinkering with the lines, particularly after such a strong start to the game. Things seemed to spiral downward once Kessel was moved from the top line. The insistence of playing Bozak as a top line centre and as the top PP centre isn't helping either.

Finally, I would have liked to have seen Komarov and McLement get some more playing time. 7 and 8 minutes, respectively, isn't enough based on the level of play these guys are capable of. If having Orr on their line is a reason for the limited minutes then get that guy (0 fights in 3 games, very useful) off the line.

 

[Leaflifer]

Disappointed with Dion as well. Thought he would be more capable to step up as an on ice leader. He looks more jittery than most.

I was starting to get use to him during the reg season.

I also  concur with the chorus that the Leafs could do with a big centre right about now. Bozak was super jittery. Getting kicked out of al those draws...the refs were in the right, he was jumping the gun constantly. Losing also those draws (the Leafs in general) really hurt their chances last night IMO.

 

[ZBBM]

I'll just say, a win on Weds and I'll count the series as a positive no matter what the outcome.  We're holding our own against a much more experienced team with a top-notch D corps.  The score doesn't indicate it but our effort tonight was way above Game 1.

Congratulations. You've managed to find the light grey-ish lining to this dark cloud.

It's more of a lustrous pewter color.

Seriously, I agree with Andy007's analysis, which is bang on.  Last night's game was one of those ones that could have easily gone to OT had a couple of breaks gone our way.  We were not outplayed by a country mile or anything of the sort.

 

[Corn Flake]

Seriously, I agree with Andy007's analysis, which is bang on.  Last night's game was one of those ones that could have easily gone to OT had a couple of breaks gone our way.  We were not outplayed by a country mile or anything of the sort.

Yeah if they could have gotten one in on Rask early - one of the many great chances they had that he stopped - it would have been a different game.  Rask stood on his head IMO and was the difference.

 

[Rebel_1812]

playoff stats:

Mikhail Grabovski 3 0 1 1 -4
Nikolai Kulemin         3      0      1      1      -5   
Clarke MacArthur 1 0 0 0 0

I would miss any of these guys if the aren't back next year.  Please stop talking about Grabbo like he is the best player on our team, because he isn't.  One assist and a minus 4.  Thats pretty bad.

 

[drummond]

playoff stats:

Mikhail Grabovski 3 0 1 1 -4
Nikolai Kulemin         3      0      1      1      -5   
Clarke MacArthur 1 0 0 0 0

I would miss any of these guys if the aren't back next year.  Please stop talking about Grabbo like he is the best player on our team, because he isn't.  One assist and a minus 4.  Thats pretty bad.

MacArthur is most probably gone, not sure about Grabbo, but Kulemin is a keeper. If they let him go - as you suggest - they would spent the whole summer trying to replace him and would come up with less effective and most likely brutally overpaid alternative. What he brings to the table is not neccesarily measured by amount of goals/points scored.

Btw. using your methodology, everyone with less than 2 points, which is 3/4 of the team, should be sent packing... such as Phaneuf, Gunnarsson, Kadri, Frattin, McCLement, they are all also minus players with one or even no assist...

 

[Redleaf]

I can't help thinking that the Leafs could really, really use another experienced D-man like Paul Ranger in the lineup.

It's too bad they couldn't sign him to a Leaf contract this season. He's got playoff experience and could help rid us of some of the costly mistakes we are seeing from the likes of O'Byrne and Fraser. Hopefully they can sign him in the offseason

Edit: Ranger's collected 7 pts in 11 NHL playoff games. Not too shabby.

 

[Zee]

I can't help thinking that the Leafs could really, really use another experienced D-man like Paul Ranger in the lineup.

It's too bad they couldn't sign him to a Leaf contract this season. He's got playoff experience and could help rid us of some of the costly mistakes we are seeing from the likes of O'Byrne and Fraser. Hopefully they can sign him in the offseason

Yeah he'd look good with the Leafs, but wasn't there some sort of thing where he'd have to clear waivers before the Leafs could have called him up? Would have lost him at that point.

 

[Redleaf]

I can't help thinking that the Leafs could really, really use another experienced D-man like Paul Ranger in the lineup.

It's too bad they couldn't sign him to a Leaf contract this season. He's got playoff experience and could help rid us of some of the costly mistakes we are seeing from the likes of O'Byrne and Fraser. Hopefully they can sign him in the offseason

Yeah he'd look good with the Leafs, but wasn't there some sort of thing where he'd have to clear waivers before the Leafs could have called him up? Would have lost him at that point.

I think the issue was that Ranger didn't want to play in the NHL this year. I hope he'll change his mind for next season. It would really help shore up the defense.

Gunnarsson-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Franson
Liles-Ranger

 

[bustaheims]

I think the issue was that Ranger didn't want to play in the NHL this year. I hope he'll change his mind for next season. It would really help shore up the defense.

It was both. He doesn't want to the return to the NHL right now for personal reasons, and, on top of that, if he were signed to an NHL contract mid-season, he would have had to clear waivers - even if the Leafs intended to keep him with the Marlies.

 

[Redleaf]

I think the issue was that Ranger didn't want to play in the NHL this year. I hope he'll change his mind for next season. It would really help shore up the defense.

It was both. He doesn't want to the return to the NHL right now for personal reasons, and, on top of that, if he were signed to an NHL contract mid-season, he would have had to clear waivers - even if the Leafs intended to keep him with the Marlies.

Right. Too bad it didn't work out for Leafs to have him in the lineup for this series. I suspect he would be playing and would be a pretty big upgrade over some of the defensemen we are playing.

 

[pnjunction]

playoff stats:

Mikhail Grabovski 3 0 1 1 -4
Nikolai Kulemin         3      0      1      1      -5   
Clarke MacArthur 1 0 0 0 0

I would miss any of these guys if the aren't back next year.  Please stop talking about Grabbo like he is the best player on our team, because he isn't.  One assist and a minus 4.  Thats pretty bad.

MacArthur is most probably gone, not sure about Grabbo, but Kulemin is a keeper. If they let him go - as you suggest - they would spent the whole summer trying to replace him and would come up with less effective and most likely brutally overpaid alternative. What he brings to the table is not neccesarily measured by amount of goals/points scored.

Btw. using your methodology, everyone with less than 2 points, which is 3/4 of the team, should be sent packing... such as Phaneuf, Gunnarsson, Kadri, Frattin, McCLement, they are all also minus players with one or even no assist...

Agree Kulemin should stay.  He's contributed on the penalty kill and his offence did warm up when he was with a hotter center in Kadri rather than stone cold Grabovski.