Series Thread: Round 1 - Boston vs. Toronto

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Only one comment to add. What always happens AFTER a playoff series is over? We find out the truth about injuries.

Not saying anyone on the Leafs is banged up, point is you just never know.

We know Matthews isn't 100%. He said as much when he returned from that shoulder injury back in March.

I doubt anybody else is terribly banged up though, and if they are the Leafs have only themselves to blame. They had absolutely nothing to play for for 3 months. They played the fewest games after the trade deadline in the NHL. I don't think this is a conditioning issue beyond Matthews.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Throw in the 6th overall pick and you can have Zaitsev and the 20th.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

And I would think that was an overreaction on the part of Bruins' fans too.

It is one series. Hell, not even an entire series.

He should make it up on Saturday, then. Less of this:

I said it during one of the Oilers recent "rebuilds" and it applies to Toronto to a degree too, IMO. You need to start the rebuild with good young blueliners and THEN get the high end forwards. They take longer to develop into impact players (most of the time) and are every bit as important. If you fill your stable high end forwards first you don't really have the option of drafting good D who will be good enough before the young forwards cheap window ends. Then you have to liquidate some of your top end forwards at bargain basement prices, eg. Hall and Eberle.

The Leafs have done better than the Coil with Rielly being a legit top pairing player but it's going to be tricky for the Leafs to address blueline needs as Marner, Matthews and Nylander come up for extensions. But who knows, maybe a guy like Lilljegren breaks out sooner rather than later and Jim Hughson and company won't have to cry themselves to sleep for a couple of weeks every April.

Or maybe the Leafs come back and win 3 straight starting on Saturday.

The only draft where there were d-men for whom the argument could've been made that they were BPA was 2015 where they could've taken any of Provorov, Hanifin or Werenski and been better for it today, but then no Marner and TBH I'd rather have Mitch than any of them, defence be damned.

I said years ago that moving someone like Nylander for a top d-guy was palatable and, knowing his skill set is great and he's only going to get better, I'd still stick to that. You gotta pay to get quality. As long as it's not for Adam Larsson...

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Throw in the 6th overall pick and you can have Zaitsev and the 20th.

ewwwww lol blech!

/in all seriousness, I think Canucks are destined to get scraps for glass jaw tanev at this point ... probably get something like Vegas got for Methot

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

ewwwww lol blech!

/in all seriousness, I think Canucks are destined to get scraps for glass jaw tanev at this point ... probably get something like Vegas got for Methot

I mean, if the Canucks took Martin and Hainsey's deals off the Leafs' hands along with a sweetener I'd gladly take the chance on Tanev. It's two more years at whatever money (plus Robidas Island if he can't avoid the injuries) and if he somehow miraculously stays healthy that's a big problem solved.

But yeah, I wouldn't want to give up much for him and I don't think there's many teams that do (Chia??).

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I mean, if the Canucks took Martin and Hainsey's deals off the Leafs' hands along with a sweetener I'd gladly take the chance on Tanev.

 

[DragonfromTO]

He should make it up on Saturday, then. Less of this:




The only draft where there were d-men for whom the argument could've been made that they were BPA was 2015 where they could've taken any of Provorov, Hanifin or Werenski and been better for it today, but then no Marner and TBH I'd rather have Mitch than any of them, defence be damned.

I said years ago that moving someone like Nylander for a top d-guy was palatable and, knowing his skill set is great and he's only going to get better, I'd still stick to that. You gotta pay to get quality. As long as it's not for Adam Larsson...

I think maybe we should just take a break BBB. After suggesting that we shouldn't overreact to a couple of games I definitely wasn't expecting to get a 20 second clip in response.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I think maybe we should just take a break BBB. After suggesting that we shouldn't overreact to a couple of games I definitely wasn't expecting to get a 20 second clip in response.

He should make it up on Saturday, then. Less of this

I mean, that was quite clearly just hopeful that he would maybe wake up from yesterday going into tomorrow. I didn't say "Can't wait to see this for the next ten years!" or anything.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I said it during one of the Oilers recent "rebuilds" and it applies to Toronto to a degree too, IMO. You need to start the rebuild with good young blueliners and THEN get the high end forwards. They take longer to develop into impact players (most of the time) and are every bit as important. If you fill your stable high end forwards first you don't really have the option of drafting good D who will be good enough before the young forwards cheap window ends. Then you have to liquidate some of your top end forwards at bargain basement prices, eg. Hall and Eberle.

The Leafs have done better than the Coil with Rielly being a legit top pairing player but it's going to be tricky for the Leafs to address blueline needs as Marner, Matthews and Nylander come up for extensions. But who knows, maybe a guy like Lilljegren breaks out sooner rather than later and Jim Hughson and company won't have to cry themselves to sleep for a couple of weeks every April.

Or maybe the Leafs come back and win 3 straight starting on Saturday.

It is much harder to get the forward(s) without a top lottery pick than it is the defenseman though I think.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I mean, that was quite clearly just hopeful that he would maybe wake up from yesterday going into tomorrow. I didn't say "Can't wait to see this for the next ten years!" or anything.

I know you didn't "mean" it like that BBB, I know you're smarter than that and this is the time and situation where emotions can get in the way. I hope it didn't sound like I was insulting you or your opinions.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Deserved it all in the first two periods. They didn't capitalize on any of the chances they had and after giving up the go-ahead goal on that utterly unbelievable sequence it was like they totally lost faith.

That is not a good recipe for playoff success. Really disheartening to see from the core they want to take them to the promised land.

Nobody knows how to play with the puck at RD. Nobody. I counted ten times Polak received the puck one way or another and just launched it at the glass behind the net. I'll bet every Leaf icing came from the RD, too.

Boston gets three chances to close out. I don't think they'll need all 3. Go Raptors.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

It is much harder to get the forward(s) without a top lottery pick than it is the defenseman though I think.

True. The Blackhawks "lucked" into them with Keith and Seabrook. Then before those guys were true impact players they tanked to get their forwards.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

you're smarter than that

False.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

True. The Blackhawks "lucked" into them with Keith and Seabrook. Then before those guys were true impact players they tanked to get their forwards.

I think there's some hope that Dermott can become a top 4 guy. Liljegren probably still needs a year before he gets to the point where we can judge him in the show so for current purposes he's not a factor.

With the above and with Gardiner's deal done after next year (and my guess is he'll be too expensive for them to keep) they're going to have to find one really good d-man somewhere. They really shouldn't have as much trouble doing that as it appears they've had. I think Ryan Ellis is up after next season too, maybe they can work something out with Nashville when they lose the Cup to the Pens for the second consecutive year.

 

[DragonfromTO]

False.

Just to clarify because I didn't write it all that perfectly, the "that" that I was saying you were smarter than was the "10 years" idea that you agree you didn't mean in the first place.

That sounds even more confusing, but yeah. I know you weren't saying that, even indirectly. I just didn't really get the point of the clip otherwise.

 

[DragonfromTO]

True. The Blackhawks "lucked" into them with Keith and Seabrook. Then before those guys were true impact players they tanked to get their forwards.

I think it's kind of similar to how things used to be in the NFL. There was a point in time where you weren't going to win without a top QB and it was also very very difficult to find one outside of the very top of the first round. So if you were a shitty team with a top pick and no QB and you took a top player at another position instead you'd slide up to 7-9 or something. Now you're not in a position to win and not in a position draftwise to get what you need to win.

But it's like that with "#1 centres" for sure I think. It's not impossible to get one some other way, but who knows when someone will prove not to be a "real Bruin" again?

 

[dash]

One thing to keep in mind as well is that Boston has a damn good team and could very well end up representing the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[BGDave]

One thing to keep in mind as well is that Boston has a damn good team and could very well end up representing the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Eff Boston.

 

[dash]