So I can't use JVR's stats from last season but you can use Boston stats 7 years ago....

And no, just no. The Bruins team of today is barely a fraction of what it was when they won the cup.

They have 5....5 (frank)ing players from when they won.

Don't compare a team that won the cup to a team that has 5 players from the team.

The Bruins have the same amount of wins in the playoffs in the last 3 years as the Leafs. This is getting ridiculous with you using stats that are bullpoop.
- Santo_44

Bergeron.
The end.

Strongly agree
- Mahoney87

The team just isn't ready for the way the game changes in the playoffs. The defense isn't strong, the forwards don't play a hard nose style, they haven't been able to learn the hard lessons or fully grow into the stronger group they need to be to get through tough, talented teams. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's just the reality of the Leafs being a young, developing, inexperienced group of guys. But some people are in a rush because they're worried the window of opportunity is small. Fact is, they have a lot of time to get the pieces together to make more legitimate runs in the future if they bide their time and not waste assets in hopes of a miracle.

Blockbuster:

Chicago
Levio
Brown
Leafs 1st 2018

Toronto
Seabrook
4th 2020
- DrEnvironmentalist

Those 5 players aren't 4th liners, they're core players and they're huge difference makers. Not to mention the team is playing like a well oiled machine, playing like a real team and playing a playoff style that the Leafs do not play. Keep ignoring the facts though to fuel your fantasy of "anything can happen."
- Unholy_Goalie

Those players are in their mid 30s......Chara is 40....and yes Mcquaid is a 3rd pairing d..barely.

Chicago has almost 10 players from their cup winning days. Does this make them good? Nope.

What about Detroit with Zetterberg, Kronwall, Adblekader, Ericson, Helm?? Once again. You are spewing useless poop from 7 years ago.

And stop with the Bruins play good playoff hockey. They have 2 playoff wins in the last 3 years. Seriously man. What the (frank) are you even saying. You are making 0 sense.

Bergeron.
The end.
- Barx

He won a cup 7 years ago. Good for him.

Teows and Kane have won 3. And they won't even sniff the playoffs this year.

Guys, look out for Detroit.

They have made the playoffs 25 out of the last 26 years. They won a cup in 2008 and still have 6 players on their team from then.

They play good playoff hockey.

Look out. They will beat Tampa first round.

-UG

Those players are in their mid 30s......Chara is 40....and yes Mcquaid is a 3rd pairing d..barely.

Chicago has almost 10 players from their cup winning days. Does this make them good? Nope.

What about Detroit with Zetterberg, Kronwall, Adblekader, Ericson, Helm?? Once again. You are spewing useless poop from 7 years ago.

And stop with the Bruins play good playoff hockey. They have 2 playoff wins in the last 3 years. Seriously man. What the (frank) are you even saying. You are making 0 sense.
- Santo_44

Marchand, Bergeron, Krejci and Rask are not in their mid 30s and are all in their prime. Chara is the only old one there and he's still effective. Chara is literally the only guy over 33 so you're dead wrong about the team being in their "mid 30s."

Detroit is old and their core players are all gone. Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Holmstrom, Franzen. You're the one making zero sense right now.

Chicago has a career AHLer in net otherwise they'd be in the playoffs and a contender. Crawford isn't amazing but he was stable and it's kept them from being their usual self. Not to mention Hossa being injured hurts them too. Your comparisons are absolutely atrocious.

The Bruins are playing playoff hockey far more effectively than the Leafs. The last 3 years have been because of terrible management and the need to change coaches. They addressed their issues and the proof is on the ice because the Bruins are way better than the Leafs right now and that's not going to change unless their entire team blows out their knees tomorrow.

You're dreaming and it's obvious.

Marchand, Bergeron, Krejci and Rask are not in their mid 30s and are all in their prime. Chara is the only old one there and he's still effective. Chara is literally the only guy over 33 so you're dead wrong about the team being in their "mid 30s."

Detroit is old and their core players are all gone. Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Holmstrom, Franzen. You're the one making zero sense right now.

Chicago has a career AHLer in net otherwise they'd be in the playoffs and a contender. Crawford isn't amazing but he was stable and it's kept them from being their usual self. Not to mention Hossa being injured hurts them too. Your comparisons are absolutely atrocious.

The Bruins are playing playoff hockey far more effectively than the Leafs. The last 3 years have been because of terrible management and the need to change coaches. They addressed their issues and the proof is on the ice because the Bruins are way better than the Leafs right now and that's not going to change unless their entire team blows out their knees tomorrow.

You're dreaming and it's obvious.
- Unholy_Goalie

2 wins vs Washington for the Leafs

2 wins vs Ottawa for Boston

Boston has been no better than the Leafs in the playoffs the last 3 years.

And no, the Bruins missed the playoffs the last 2 out of 3 years because they missed the playoffs.

the Bruins of the last 3 years are way more similar than the Bruins of 2010. It is not hard to understand this. In fact I can't believe I have to explain this to you....it is simple math. it blows my mind the way you think. I truly feel bad for you.

2 wins vs Washington for the Leafs

2 wins vs Ottawa for Boston

Boston has been no better than the Leafs in the playoffs the last 3 years.

And no, the Bruins missed the playoffs the last 2 out of 3 years because they missed the playoffs.

the Bruins of the last 3 years are way more similar than the Bruins of 2010. It is not hard to understand this. In fact I can't believe I have to explain this to you....it blows my mind the way you think. I truly feel bad for you.
- Santo_44

Or because Chiarelli made a mess of the team and Julien needed to be replaced. You still can't address the fact that the core players are not in their mid 30s (which you were wrong about) and that they are the same core players that gave the Bruins tremendous playoff success. You also can't address the fact the style of play the Bruins play which the Leafs don't come even close to playing.

Bergeron: 101 playoff games, 70 points. 32 years old.
Marchand: 72 playoff games, 43 points. 29 years old.
Krejci: 96 playoff games, 77 points. 31 years old.
Chara: 147 playoff games, 59 points. 40 years old.
Vezina winner Rask, 30 wins in 53 playoff games, .928 SV%. 30 years old.

Or because Chiarelli made a mess of the team and Julien needed to be replaced. You still can't address the fact that the core players are not in their mid 30s (which you were wrong about) and that they are the same core players that gave the Bruins tremendous playoff success. You also can't address the fact the style of play the Bruins play which the Leafs don't come even close to playing.

Bergeron: 101 playoff games, 70 points. 32 years old.
Marchand: 72 playoff games, 43 points. 29 years old.
Krejci: 96 playoff games, 77 points. 31 years old.
Chara: 147 playoff games, 59 points. 40 years old.
Vezina winner Rask, 30 wins in 53 playoff games, .928 SV%. 30 years old.
- Unholy_Goalie

You're clearly basing this on Saturdays game. Leafs are every bit as good as BOS.. Standings fluctuate.

You're clearly basing this on Saturdays game. Leafs are every bit as good as BOS.. Standings fluctuate.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

No chance. The Bruins are better by almost every measurable amount. Better goals against, better differential, fewer shots against, better PP, better PK, better puck possession, more experience, more playoff success from their core players, better defense, better playoff style, better record; everything is clearly pointing to the Bruins being a better team.

No chance. The Bruins are better by almost every measurable amount. Better goals against, better differential, fewer shots against, better PP, better PK, better puck possession, more experience, more playoff success from their core players, better defense, better playoff style, better record; everything is clearly pointing to the Bruins being a better team.
- Unholy_Goalie

Would you have been saying the Bruins were the better team a few months ago when the Leafs were higher in the standings and had beaten them twice this season, six times in a row over the last two seasons?

What exactly has changed since those six victories to make Boston such a better team than they were? Their coach? Well he was put in charge in February of 2017, so he was their coach for about half of last season and all of this one to date, so he's been their coach for several losses to the Leafs.
They were certainly beatable those six consecutive games we played before the most recent one.

Would you have been saying the Bruins were the better team a few months ago when the Leafs were higher in the standings and had beaten them twice this season, six times in a row over the last two seasons?

What exactly has changed since those six victories to make Boston such a better team than they were? Their coach? Well he was put in charge in February of 2017, so he was their coach for about half of last season and all of this one to date, so he's been their coach for several losses to the Leafs.
They were certainly beatable those six consecutive games we played before the most recent one.
- Thecakeisalie

Everybody knows the Leafs were overachieving early in the season. Babcock said it himself. The Leafs played an unsustainable style of hockey and it caught up to them and brought them back down to Earth.

The experience factor and the new coach getting his system to finally start working. Coaches take time to get their team to adapt to the new system. Babcock has been here years and the young Leafs still have trouble with it and are pretty inconsistent at staying on task.

Whatever the reason is though, the fact remains that the way the Bruins win games during the regular season is done using a style that is repeatable during the playoffs. The same can't be said about the Leafs. The way the Leafs win games sometimes is the polar opposite to how games are played and won during the playoffs. Babcock knows this too and it's why he's been trying to get this team to play a certain way but they're still struggling with it, especially against teams that have already mastered it like the Bruins.

Everybody knows the Leafs were overachieving early in the season. Babcock said it himself. The Leafs played an unsustainable style of hockey and it caught up to them and brought them back down to Earth.

The experience factor and the new coach getting his system to finally start working. Coaches take time to get their team to adapt to the new system. Babcock has been here years and the young Leafs still have trouble with it and are pretty inconsistent at staying on task.

Whatever the reason is though, the fact remains that the way the Bruins win games during the regular season is done using a style that is repeatable during the playoffs. The same can't be said about the Leafs. The way the Leafs win games sometimes is the polar opposite to how games are played and won during the playoffs. Babcock knows this too and it's why he's been trying to get this team to play a certain way but they're still struggling with it, especially against teams that have already mastered it like the Bruins.
- Unholy_Goalie

You offer an excuse that we only beat the Bruins all those games in a row because we were overachieving and/or because their new coach hadn't finished teaching his system. These are excuses and not concrete fact.
You can't just assume that if Cassidy had been installed as their head coach a year earlier or some such that they would've won the majority of our recent games. There is no way for us to verify such a thing, only your opinion.

Does every playoff team play the same system or style? Not all teams that have won the cup did so with the grinder/defense first style of play. Although I will admit it seems like the most successful.

Anybody got 500,000 laying about Icould borrow to buy Sittler’s historic jersey Meigray just got a hold of??!!

You offer an excuse that we only beat the Bruins all those games in a row because we were overachieving and/or because their new coach hadn't finished teaching his system. These are excuses and not concrete fact.
You can't just assume that if Cassidy had been installed as their head coach a year earlier or some such that they would've won the majority of our recent games. There is no way for us to verify such a thing, only your opinion.

Does every playoff team play the same system or style? Not all teams that have won the cup did so with the grinder/defense first style of play. Although I will admit it seems like the most successful.
- Thecakeisalie

It's not an excuse, it's a fact. Babcock literally said it himself that the Leafs were playing unsustainable hockey and it was almost immediately followed up with a slump because he was exactly right. Anybody watching the games could clearly see it and understand it.

Most successful teams definitely play a possession style and in some rare situations, like the Penguins with Crosby and Malkin, raw talent makes up whatever difference exists. The Leafs do not have enough to bridge the gap.

It's not an excuse, it's a fact. Babcock literally said it himself that the Leafs were playing unsustainable hockey and it was almost immediately followed up with a slump because he was exactly right. Anybody watching the games could clearly see it and understand it.

Most successful teams definitely play a possession style and in some rare situations, like the Penguins with Crosby and Malkin, raw talent makes up whatever difference exists. The Leafs do not have enough to bridge the gap.
- Unholy_Goalie

I think you are misquoting Babcock for your own purpose.
Was he not suggesting that they were scoring at an unsustainable pace? Not that they simply couldn't keep winning at such a pace, but that they wouldn't be able to outscore their problems?

I'm unsure where this quote is from exactly, so maybe I'm incorrect, but I'm betting he was suggesting they needed to play more defensively because they likely wouldn't be able to keep winning by outscoring opponents.

But guess what, the two games they won against Boston earlier in the year, they won by scores of 3-2(OT) and 4-1. So in both games they kept the other team to 2 goals or less. So they didn't win those games by unsustainable scoring.

Last season, in only one game did Boston score more than 2 goals, a crazy 6-5 win for the Leafs.

I'm not checking the shots against, so maybe the Leafs held Boston to so few goals only because of Andersen. I'm not doing that much research to verify that lol.

can someone please ban ug?
last years were way nicer on here.
i see most of the regular posters already left - probably something to do with the toxic environment on here

can someone please ban ug?
last years were way nicer on here.
i see most of the regular posters already left - probably something to do with the toxic environment on here
- MaximusAurelius

he's right though

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/standings#/division

Boston: 51 GP, 72 Pts
Toronto: 55 GP, 67 Pts

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/standings#/division

Boston: 51 GP, 72 Pts
Toronto: 55 GP, 67 Pts
- twiztedmike

also, LOL, 1967!!!!

I'm all in for trading JVR, there are plenty of replacements in the pipeline.
- Barx

I'd try and pry Hanifin out of Carolina for JVR (extended) and a 1st.

Then try and flip Gardiner and Kapanen for Trouba.

Replace JVR and Kapanen with guys internally (Leivo, Sosh, maybe give Johnsson a look next year).

Rielly Trouba
Hanifin Zaitsev
Dermott Hainsey
Borgman Carrick

Poopstash wins GM of the year, then wakes up all sticky.

Holy poop this UG guy is dumb as (frank). Definitely needs to be banned. Completely delusional.

There's no point in even playing playoffs this year.. Bruins are Champs no matter what. Right UG?

Whoa.
I think we went over a day without a new blog.
Record?

I see burrows is still a real piece of sh!t

I'd try and pry Hanifin out of Carolina for JVR (extended) and a 1st.

Then try and flip Gardiner and Kapanen for Trouba.

Replace JVR and Kapanen with guys internally (Leivo, Sosh, maybe give Johnsson a look next year).

Rielly Trouba
Hanifin Zaitsev
Dermott Hainsey
Borgman Carrick

Poopstash wins GM of the year, then wakes up all sticky.
- poopstash

Umm sosh and leivo will not replace anything jvr and kap bring....not even close.
The jets are one of the best teams in the league, they wont be moving trouba anywhere.

I wouldn't mind hanifin but i cant see the canes moving him yet