Leafs @ Bruins - Apr. 25th, 7:30pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

You can't go 9+ minutes without a shot with a 1-goal lead to start the 3rd.  That's inexcusable.

Nope. This isn't on any player in particular. This is a team failure.

Yeah.  Gardiner and Andersen definitely fell apart but the whole team just quit playing.

There's a lot of work to do over the summer.  Matthews needs to commit himself to never have a playoff series like this again.  He just didn't get it done.  Nylander too was way too late in bringing it.

Eh... the 6th goal was on Gardiner, but otherwise... you don't just lose a playoff game after scoring 4 goals unless your goaltender really falls flat.

I don't know that Andersen is any worse than Rask though. It's hard to say either way when the team fails to generate any sort of offense for, like, 15, 20 minutes.

Yeah, Rask had better improve quick or Tampa will shred him.

[herman]

Mad props to the Bruins. They know how to play and they did what it takes for every inch of their ice.

I like to think we gave them a bit of a scare. We are on the cusp of something more special than this.

We gave them a helluva scare.  But we are still more than a year away from being a serious playoff threat.  They've got to win a series first.

It’s all about the culmination of positive steps forward. It’s the first season playing with real expectations. We are going to cut bait with some anchors on the roster and the kids (who will still be kids) will be a bit wiser next time around. No way Kapanen, Johnsson, and Dermott don’t get full seasons with the big club.

[CarltonTheBear]

The Leafs took a lead into the third period of Game 7 against a team that's absolutely good enough to win the Cup. Be wary of those who say they're a disaster.

— Will (@HeyMyNameIsWill) April 26, 2018

The Bruins are a damn good team. I'm curious to see how Tampa matches up against them.

[cabber24]

Upgrade the D, you didn’t last summer, same result. Our D sucks, plain old sucks, surely we can get better. Trade from an area of strength wingers and offensive type D for defensive type D. Do it, you have to.

 I don’t blame Andersen. We were lucky to get 7 games.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

This is twice now that the Leafs have been absolutely humiliated by Boston in a game 7. As much as I am trying to remain objective and dispassionate, I can't really look past that.

There's no way you can class this loss with the last one.

It feels the same.

I won't try to deny you your feelings, but blowing a 3 goal lead they way they did is objectively a whole different animal.

[lc9]

Kapanen, Johnsson, and Dermott were bottom-3 in ice-time tonight. Kappy played under 10 minutes. Can't imagine we'll see that next year in the playoffs.

Do you think Babcock will change his stripes?  There is a point you have to ask why Babcock does what he does.  Limiting the better players minutes is a legit concern.

Yes because if the plan goes right, you won't see JVR, Leo, Polak, Bozak will be gone so he can't revert back to his go to guys

I can get on board with this.  All those players need to go.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Mad props to the Bruins. They know how to play and they did what it takes for every inch of their ice.

I like to think we gave them a bit of a scare. We are on the cusp of something more special than this.

We gave them a helluva scare.  But we are still more than a year away from being a serious playoff threat.  They've got to win a series first.

It’s all about the culmination of positive steps forward. It’s the first season playing with real expectations. We are going to cut bait with some anchors on the roster and the kids (who will still be kids) will be a bit wiser next time around. No way Kapanen, Johnsson, and Dermott don’t get full seasons with the big club.

As I said before the series began, this is the last year they get to play with house money in the playoffs.  They'd better win a playoff round next year or there will be some major rebellion due.

[Chris]

I'm looking forward to seeing this team next year minus JVR, Komarov, Bozak, Polak and maybe Gardiner.  But I do think we need to add some size and grit to the forward group. We need someone big who can skate and is willing to punish defenders. I don't know if there is anyone in the system like that, unfortunately.

Freddie was not in his superhuman mode tonight, but when you look at the way the Leafs run around in the dzone and leave players wide open...can't lay all the blame on him.

I hate the Bruins

[Guilt Trip]

The leafs are completely ok with mediocre play and actually encourage it.

ROFL, yeah, Shanahan is totally like, "ok guys, let's go be mediocre".

 

Some of the stuff I've seen written here in the last few minutes is really quite pathetic.

Agreed. This is the 2nd year of the rebuild. Relax. We need to up our D. Changes up front are coming also.

Yeah it's disappointing but Leafs are only 2 years removed from 30th overall, people seem to forget that. When you're in the playoffs you want to have it all now but it doesn't always work out like that. Disappointing playoffs for Matthews and Nylander and Andersen. Marner was the only star who brought it throughout the series. Props to old man Marleau too.

Not to let anyone of the hook, but remember Chara is still a beast and Matthews was up against him for most of the series. I'm not worried about him tho.
I think the Leafs as a whole sat back to much.

[mr grieves]

Nobody here can defend his game tonight or in the first 2 but he was excellent in the Leafs 3 wins and good in the home loss.  He set a team record for wins, man.  If he's a "problem," then I'll take that problem.

He was excellent in game 6. Otherwise, he was fine. (except, of course, when he was bad -- in games 1, 2, and 7)

I'm old enough to remember the last time we had a really great goalie who definitely wasn't "a 'problem'" because he set -- or tied -- a record for wins.

[Guilt Trip]

Mad props to the Bruins. They know how to play and they did what it takes for every inch of their ice.

I like to think we gave them a bit of a scare. We are on the cusp of something more special than this.

We gave them a helluva scare.  But we are still more than a year away from being a serious playoff threat.  They've got to win a series first.

It’s all about the culmination of positive steps forward. It’s the first season playing with real expectations. We are going to cut bait with some anchors on the roster and the kids (who will still be kids) will be a bit wiser next time around. No way Kapanen, Johnsson, and Dermott don’t get full seasons with the big club.

As I said before the series began, this is the last year they get to play with house money in the playoffs.  They'd better win a playoff round next year or there will be some major rebellion due.

Agreed

[Guilt Trip]

I'm looking forward to seeing this team next year minus JVR, Komarov, Bozak, Polak and maybe Gardiner.  But I do think we need to add some size and grit to the forward group. We need someone big who can skate and is willing to punish defenders. I don't know if there is anyone in the system like that, unfortunately.

Freddie was not in his superhuman mode tonight, but when you look at the way the Leafs run around in the dzone and leave players wide open...can't lay all the blame on him.

I hate the Bruins

Agreed. Leafs have some holes still. Should be interesting to see what they do next year.

[herman]

I'm looking forward to seeing this team next year minus JVR, Komarov, Bozak, Polak and maybe Gardiner.  But I do think we need to add some size and grit to the forward group. We need someone big who can skate and is willing to punish defenders. I don't know if there is anyone in the system like that, unfortunately.

Grundstrom has a bit of that to his game, and Babcock has kind of earmarked him to be Matthews' winger down the road.

Tampa does just fine with even smaller wingers though, so I don't know if big and gritty is necessarily the answer. Players who pay the iron price to play though, you can always use those (a Hyman with even better hands and stickhandling, for example).

[Zee]

I wonder if any of the reporters give Babcock a grilling on his ice time distribution. It was evident pretty early on that Gardiner was struggling and Dermott was playing well yet Gardner ends up playing 24 minutes to 11 for Dermott.

Kapanen scored an amazing shorty and be played under 9 minutes??? Like c'mon some of this is on the coach for not managing his team in game

[Nik]

Ah well. Can't win 'em all.