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

[TheMightyOdin]

I’m going to do the same thing I’ve done the last 3 seasons.  I don’t watch any Leaf games until they’ve secured a playoff spot. It’s been much healthier for me.

[tomcom]

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.

When forwards scored such great goals and the goalie let in beach ball, it will be hard not to fall apart!

[Oracle]

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.

I blame Andersen a little bit, but mostly you're right. So, just how old are Rouse and Lefebvre now anyway? Think they've been keeping in shape?

[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.

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).

It will be quite interesting to see how that plays out (Tampa vs Boston)

[cabber24]

I think it’s okay to be frustrated that we did nothing to upgrade our D.

[Zee]

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.

I'm game 7 you can pretty much throw out the rest of the series. It's one game winner take all and he didn't show up. Sure if he doesn't play great in a few other games Leafs don't even get there, but he crapped the bed huge tonight. That's the goalie position and what you're remembered for. It's the toughest job in hockey

[CarltonTheBear]

There were some weird face-off decisions too, especially in the 3rd. Like when Marleau took it on the 4-on-4 that led to the Krug goal. Hyman was also taking face-offs even though Nylander was on the ice a couple of times and he lost them both.

[azzurri63]

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.

Freddie had an off night. Too bad it was game 7 but he got us here. He had some spurts this year same as last either really good or really bad but he's the only reason we got 105 points. He's the MVP of this team this year plain and simple. Like it was said d zone coverage is horrible, number of shots against most night horrible, good quality chances again high due to our defensive play. I know it's only year 2 of the rebuild and we've come a long way. I just wished we would have addressed some of the problems after last year. Maybe made a difference. I'm sure management has a plan. I honestly don't think inserting Kappy and Johnsson full time will hurt our offense. Upgrade the D and we are headed in the right direction. Sign Doughty in 1 year and we'll be unbeatable.

[herman]

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

The kids from the Marlies were nice-to-haves; I agree they're generally the better option, but the coach has gone through the entire season leaning on his prime players to pretty good effect and you sort of have to bank on that. I'd like Babcock to be faster on the uptake, but that's just how I see it.

I thought Kapanen and Johnsson should've been up with the Leafs last year instead of Matt Martin and whoever so that they'd be ready to be relied upon this year, but there's also their confidence and developmental readiness to account for. Johnsson said he appreciated the extra time they afforded him with the Marlies, rather than calling him up to be the franchise saviour and yo-yoing him when he inevitably faltered a bit.

[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

The kids from the Marlies were nice-to-haves; I agree they're generally the better option, but the coach has gone through the entire season leaning on his prime players to pretty good effect and you sort of have to bank on that. I'd like Babcock to be faster on the uptake, but that's just how I see it.

I thought Kapanen and Johnsson should've been up with the Leafs last year instead of Matt Martin and whoever so that they'd be ready to be relied upon this year, but there's also their confidence and developmental readiness to account for. Johnsson said he appreciated the extra time they afforded him with the Marlies, rather than calling him up to be the franchise saviour and yo-yoing him when he inevitably faltered a bit.

You pay the coach 6 million a year to do whatever it takes to win. He's got to assess who's playing well and who doesn't have it. It was fairly evident to everyone that Gardiner didn't have it tonight, evident to everyone but the coach. Part of the blame goes to the coach

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Kapanen could have had 4 goals in this series.  That guy is a clutch player.

[Zee]

There were some weird face-off decisions too, especially in the 3rd. Like when Marleau took it on the 4-on-4 that led to the Krug goal. Hyman was also taking face-offs even though Nylander was on the ice a couple of times and he lost them both.

Yeah I forgot about that. Defensive zone faceoff with no icing and you're protecting the lead, why not have your best faceoff guy take it every time?

[BermudaBudsFan]

Perspective is hard this soon after, but despite their young age, there are some issues here.

I think there are some concerns about Matthews.  He was largely ineffective and for a player of his talent and size it is of concern.

There have to be questions about Andersen.  While some games he was great, in three of the games he was not.  Is he consistent enough to be the guy?  That isn’t clear to me.

The defence is bad.  Really bad and if it isn’t fixed there won’t be much chance of being a Cup competitor at all.  Not sure what they do about that.  No more high picks to find a stud D-man.

There were of course some positives, but difficult to see those in the context of a Game 7 loss.  It is so disappointing because the Bruins were there to be taken tonight.

[Oracle]

Well another emotional roller-coaster for Leaf fans comes to a crashing halt. It's been real folks have a great summer!

[Zee]

Kapanen could have had 4 goals in this series.  That guy is a clutch player.

He'd probably need to play more than 8 minutes a game though