Pre-Game Talk: Toronto @ Boston -- game 5.

[Duffman955]

Not sure if everyone is sick or not.

But this is the worst we have ever looked

 

[WillyC]

Leafs record without Matthews in the lineup… 35-19-2

This ain’t over yet

 

[AllHeartNoSkill]

Not sure if everyone is sick or not.

But this is the worst we have ever looked

The team looks like they themselves are sick of “running it back”

 

[Rare Jewel]

Not too concerned about Matthews right now. If he is not on the ice tomorrow, I will be.

Thanks for coming out TJ.

Back to the popcorn for you.

 

[Srsly]

Clearly none of Mitch, Matthews & Nylander are 100% healthy which means the odds on the Leafs coming home for game 6 are pretty bleak.

I expect a very ugly loss and then the "blow up everything" fun on this board really starts.

I’m honestly expecting them to squeak out another win or two. That said both our viewpoints will probably lead to the same result as it feels pretty unlikely they take the series in seven.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

How exactly are you going to hold management accountable?

As individuals we can't but fans as a group can apply a lot of pressure by simply not accepting their excuses and saying so publicly. We can also vote with our wallets.

 

[fahad203]

Tavares has 1 goal.
For 11 million dollar captain, that's a joke

He doesn't carry the puck, he doesn't hold the puck, he doesn't push back
Dude has been the biggest dissapointment

During times like these you would expect him to manage the team, manage the situations, keep the room calm

I won't lie. I was very excited when we first got him. But he has to be the worse signing of this franchise

 

[All Mod Cons]

I think we should re-visit the last couple weeks of the regular season, and why it was so important to get Matthews and Nylander their milestones.

The coaching has not been serious for months. Obviously this is 90% on the players, but the coaching staff has not given the team much of a chance to succeed. I actually think Sheldon gave up a while ago. You can hear from his interviews, he is down and completely out of answers.

When asked about specific shortcomings he responds with they don't know why they are happening.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Seems like he won't go. No playoff games with both Matthews and Nylander healthy after they were fine throughout the season, so cursed. So many bad vibes around this franchise, they can't possibly run things back. We need an exorcism.

 

[bax]

Leafs win this game in convincing fashion.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

I try:

Knies - AM - Bert
Robertson - JT - Mitch
Holmberg - Domi - Willie
Dewar - Kampf -Jarnkrok

Rielly - Boosh
Benoit - McCabe
Gio - Edmundson

Samsonov
Woll

 

[m1ker]

Even if the Leafs win the series, I still want it broken up. You can't erase the 8 years of horrible playoff hockey except for like 4 good games.

It won’t happen. Everyone forgets the beating we got last year from Florida. They watch the replays and think we lost by a few bounces. The will forget again next year.

 

[Fogelhund]

It seems they are preparing for no Matthews for tomorrow.

""

 

[Buds17]

Thanks for coming out TJ.

Back to the popcorn for you.

I suppose shuffling the pieces around won't accomplish much of anything anyway if the pieces themselves aren't contributing at any level of significance? It's been a rough road for that third line and third pairing (all three of them) in particular though.

 

[Gallagbi]

Babcock was too much of an egomaniac to me, but as a coach I think he had a great mind for hockey. He knew what he was doing. I bet he despised Dubas.

Babcock got stuck IMO, bought into his hype a little too much and became unable to adjust

 

[Evilhomer]

You have a kind heart man, I don't know where you find the positivity. Honestly, good on you.

Thank you, but all I'm doing is taking a step back from the madness and noting that a 100+ point team didn't just lose all of its talent in a week. I don't think it's outlandish to suggest that the team can win two games in a row. It's easy (and lazy) to say things like "what makes you think this team can win?" when 9 days ago most of the very same people who are now asking that question were picking the Leafs to win this series. History has shown that there is no momentum between playoff games. A team that looked terrible in one game can look great the next game. I expect that it what will happen here, in particular when it comes to Toronto's goaltending (assuming that Woll starts).

 

[TheGreenTBer]

hh that's a good one, but far from power trip, I suggested our players play like ladies and got a gender slur warning ...

I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to all ladies hurt by my comments

OH NO SOME FAKE NAMELESS MORON ON THE INTERNET IS OFFENDED HOW CAN THEY GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES HOW DEVASTATING

God I hate that shit. All of it.

 

[m1ker]

Good maybe Matthews being out is the shake up we need

Why is Nylander always 2nd to Marner? Domi-Nylander played how many games together?

 

[wingman75]

Thanks for coming out TJ.

Back to the popcorn for you.

I mean, didn't that play out in the most expected way?

 

[57 Years No Cup]

OH NO SOME FAKE NAMELESS MORON ON THE INTERNET IS OFFENDED HOW CAN THEY GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES HOW DEVASTATING

God I hate that shit. All of it.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Babcock got stuck IMO, bought into his hype a little too much and became unable to adjust

A little?

The dude refers to himself in the 3rd person.


However, he did try to teach them about earning your ice and preparing them for playoff hockey, which was the right idea.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Tavares has 1 goal.
For 11 million dollar captain, that's a joke

He doesn't carry the puck, he doesn't hold the puck, he doesn't push back
Dude has been the biggest dissapointment

During times like these you would expect him to manage the team, manage the situations, keep the room calm

I won't lie. I was very excited when we first got him. But he has to be the worse signing of this franchise

He’ll go down as a weak Captain in this franchise’s history. Not that the list is exceptional but he’s closer to Phaneuf and Vaive than Clark and Sundin. It’s a real shame how things all turned out.

 

[Tak7]

From following the Nylander and Matthews absences and health issues the past two weeks, my takeaway is vague information from the Leafs just ends up hurting the player. Info vacuum leads to speculation, comparisons with other players who have played through other conditions at key times and general confusion and frustration.

Particularly with Nylander, I said that their whole "fog of war" BS was actually hurting them. Instead of just coming out and saying he's "week to week", they allowed the rampant speculation, which is fine, but that fueled 9 or 10 straight media availabilities where the players were asked about it - which is not fine at a time of year where you want minimum distractions.

 

[hamzarocks]

They're 5-15 as the home team in the Playoffs under "Coach" Keefe...........and not sure they've won a game at home after Game 4

Leafs have to complete the story

4 straight game 7 losses to the bruins in just over a decade

 

[egd27]

Sammy could bounce back, but he has allowed a couple of softies and a couple of goals which probably go in either way but he was well out of position for.