The loss to Boston was awful and inexcusable, there is no way around that. For myself the loss has been really difficult to absorb. I thought the Leafs were capable of defeating Boston. In fact, I wanted the Leafs to match up against the Bruins primarily because I wanted to see how they would fare against a top team. I really believe that other than the Bruins the Leafs were at least even with every other team in the Eastern Conference (I don’t think much of the Pittsburgh Penguins). Therefore, a true test to gauge what the young Leafs were was only available by facing off against Boston. Regardless of how the series ended, the Leafs left their mark. You will be hard pressed to find someone who thinks the Bruins deserved that series. Many will actually remark that the Leafs were the better team throughout the entirety of the series and were unfortunate to not win. The Bruins themselves acknowledged how strong the Leafs were following their victory in Game 7.

As frustrated as I was with the loss to Boston what really pisses me off is the ongoing narratives that will now be continued about this Leafs team. The reality is that the Leafs were inches away from winning this series. Say whatever you will about Toronto’s inability to hold a 4-1 lead with less than 11 minutes remaining in the game, the Leafs were one shot away from defeating a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Fortune is not something that fans want to hear while the Leafs are eliminated and the playoffs continue on, but both the Bruins and Leafs were one shot from winning the series, so there is no denying that lady luck had an impact on that night. Not surprisingly she once again decided to forsake the blue and white.

Win or lose though the series demonstrated many things that should silence the skeptics. First off, Phil Kessel is a legitimate offensive player in the NHL capable of producing when it matters. Kessel registered 4 goals and 2 assists including a goal and an assist in Game 7. Kessel (should have) silenced all the critics that questioned his ability to produce in the playoffs (even though he was a point per game playoff performer while in Boston). However, throughout this week there have been people questioning Kessel’s future in Toronto. Come next season, when the Bruins roll into town, rest assured the infamous trade chatter will once again rear its ugly head. A Leafs win in Game 7 would have quieted all of that. Sadly, this will now continue on. A Leafs win in Game 7 would have also eliminated the attacks towards Mikhail Grabovski and all talk of buying him out. Grabovski was a man possessed throughout the entire series and by far the Leafs best center. Days after the loss to Boston the absurd media in Toronto recommenced the talk about buying out a player that the Leafs cannot replace. The loss doesn’t take away from the fact that James Reimer stepped up and proved himself to be a #1 goalie in the NHL, nor did the loss prove that the Leafs need that big tough physical winger that people so desperately want the Leafs to acquire. This summer the Leafs don’t need to overspend in order to bring David Clarkson to town, all of Kessel, James Van Riemsdyk, Nikolai Kulemin, Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin proved that the Leafs are perfectly capable of competing with their current crop of wingers. Size down the middle and proven depth on defense are needed for the Leafs to take that next step. Carlyle’s reliance on Tyler Bozak, Mark Fraser and Frazer McLaren were also proven to be things that had no impact on the success of the club (considering the Leafs played their best hockey without these players in the lineup). Without Bozak in the final two games the Leafs still produced offense and they were also the two games in which the Bruins recorded their lowest shot total of the series. Bozak’s absence was a blessing.

While the knives have come out towards Kessel, Grabovski, Reimer, Dion Phaneuf and Nikolai Kulemin perhaps the real criticism should fall on coach Randy Carlyle’s shoulders. Carlyle of course decided to make Jake Gardiner a healthy scratch in Game 1 of this series (the Leafs worst game of the series). Once re-inserted into the lineup Gardiner went on to be the Leafs top blueliner as he averaged 23:01 a night while recording 1 goal and 4 assists in his 6 games. Is that not the most appropriate question to ask of the Leafs? Not dressing one of his best players because the coach thought career AHL’ers Mike Kostka and Mark Fraser were better is certainly the biggest mistake any member of the Leaf organization made throughout the entire first round.

The manner in which the Leafs eventually lost to Boston was something that no other team in NHL history has ever accomplished (for lack of a better word) and it is probably something that I will never see in my lifetime. A loss that rare doesn’t take away from what the Leafs actually did. In the end though it is the only thing that people will look at. Toronto winning two games on the road and storming back from being down 3-1 in the series and coming within a breath of winning the series are astonishing things that deserve to be applauded. The effort that the youngest team in the league put forth is worthy of respect and should restore pride to a long suffering organization. The Leafs blowing that 4-1 lead in Boston not only crushed the hopes and dreams of many Leaf fans, but it ignited an off-season full of absurd criticisms. The Leafs effort throughout the first round was enough to prove that those questions have now been answered. General Manager Dave Nonis and crew can look forward to big things with a core that features: Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri, Grabovski, Gardiner, Kulemin, JVR, Phaneuf, Carl Gunnarsson and James Reimer. The key is to now build on it. Had the Leafs held on in Game 7 the final nail in the narrative coffin would have been driven in. Unfortunately a summer of asking the wrong questions lies ahead.

The series began with a dominating performance by the Bruins. It was a result that was all too familiar when these two teams usually met in the past and it led many members of the media and the fanbase to question whether the Leafs could even win a game against the mighty B’s. The Leafs bounced back with a win in Game 2 after (finally) making the appropriate lineup adjustments necessary to compete with the Bruins. Since re-inserting both Jake Gardiner and Matt Frattin into the team the Leafs have been a completely different squad. The speed and competitiveness have been a major reason for their success. The Bruins took the next two games in the series, yet the Leafs were right there in those games. The heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 4 seemed to be the final nail in the blue and white coffin. The 3-1 series deficit left many deflated. While the effort was admirable, many were resigned to the fact that this Leafs team was finally done. The knives also came out as the Toronto media began calling for the head of Captain Dion Phaneuf after his costly pinch in overtime. While Phaneuf wasn’t as much to blame on that goal than Ryan O’Byrne, the media in this town loves to create a story and controversy where there is none.

The Leafs Captain didn’t hide from the spotlight though. He stood up for his mistake (while there were many other culpable people on the team) and took all the abuse head on. Leadership is often something that gets quantified by big hits or sacrifice, but I think Phaneuf’s reaction to the overtime goal in Game 4 was a big moment in his captaincy of the Leafs. As many began preparing for the Leafs offseason the players had different ideas. Following a heart wrenching Game 5 win in Boston, the Leafs came out in Game 6 and once again made their fanbase proud outlasting the Bruins 2-1 at The Air Canada Center. I believe that having a teammate stand up to the heat like Phaneuf did really made the rest of the team try to compete for him. Phaneuf saved his best performance of the series for Game 6 as he logged a team high 25:16 and scored the opening goal in the third period of an ultra tense affair. #3 in blue and white answered the critics with a big effort in the Leafs’ biggest game of the season. His goal was the moment in which the Leafs grabbed this game that was there for the taking. Following the game an emotional Phaneuf told reporters:

“I owed it to the guys,” said Phaneuf. Hell of a captain.

May 12, 2013 10:50 pm via Tweetbot for iOSReplyRetweetFavorite

@vaswani_

Navin Vaswani

Dion deserves a lot of respect from many that were calling for his head. Curious to see if it comes his way.

James Reimer has been the biggest reason that the Leafs have drawn level in this series as he has stopped 72 of the Bruins’ last 74 shots. Reimer has been the saviour to an area that has been an all too familiar black hole since the last time the Leafs were in the post season. His abilities have not only allowed the Leafs to force a deciding game, but he may very well be in the heads of the Bruins shooters. Boston was a team that struggled to score down the stretch this year. Looking at the 6’3″ Reimer in the net may cause them to question whether they can beat him. Where Reimer may be in the head of the Bruins shooters, it appears as if Phil Kessel has become a source of frustration for Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara. Kessel has three goals and one assist through the first 6 games of the series (two of those goals being game winners), and it seems as if he’s finally figured out how to exploit the slow Chara. The tide has seemingly shifted in the battle between Kessel and Chara. It’s funny that Phaneuf and Kessel were the Leafs’ two goal scorers in Game 6 considering the media in Toronto has repeatedly said that the Leafs two best players weren’t capable of performing when the games mattered. Guess that narrative can be put to bed too. In fact they can put that narrative next to the one about the Leafs needing an experienced goaltender for the playoffs.

These two teams know each other from top to bottom. There is no longer any mystery as to what either the Bruins or Leafs are going to try and do come Monday night. At this point though the Leafs are already ahead. They’ve already reached the levels that nobody thought they could, and the experience gained by players such as Reimer, Gardiner, Frattin and Joe Colborne is invaluable. The leagues youngest team is fresher than the Bruins (Toronto played a balanced lineup in Game 6 while the Bruins leaned heavily on Chara 28:06 and Dennis Seidenberg 28:01) and have nothing to lose. With no days off in between games the workload that the Bruins top defensive pairing took on in Game 6 could have a major impact on Monday. Expectations were non-existent for the Leafs while the Bruins were expected to make a Stanley Cup run. It would be beautiful if the Leafs could eliminate a Bruins team that enjoyed embarrassing them over the past few seasons. Nine years was too long, but a win in Game 7 on Monday night will make it worthwhile. I can’t wait.

The above clip is the tying goal in the Game 4 of the Leafs v Bruins series. Clarke MacArthur scored the goal and it was assisted by Matt Frattin and Jake Gardiner. Does anybody know what those three Leaf players have in common?

Leaformation

Justin Bourne with an amazingly accurate breakdown of David Krejci’s OT winner in Game 4. 

Vintage Leaf Memories with some things to expect from the Leafs in Game 5

I was skeptical due to the fact that the entire 2013 schedule took place in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs have many pieces on their roster that should be able to perform, but their weak areas (defensive depth and size down the middle) are components that every winning team needs. Considering the Leafs went up against weak team after weak team on a nightly basis (look at the hockey being played in the Western Conference series compared to the ones in the Eastern Conference. Which Conference do you think is better?), it just didn’t seem like the 2013 campaign provided an accurate picture. Yes, the theories about regressing to the mean in the categories discussed above are certainly valid, but the Leafs were able to have a very successful season without Joffrey Lupul and Jake Gardiner in the lineup for large stretches. They also overcame a down year from the normally consistent Mikhail Grabovski (due to Carlyle’s usage of #84). Therefore, with healthy bodies back in the lineup (and hopefully a new Coach behind the bench), this Leafs team should only be better next season as the young players continue to develop.

Through four games of their first playoff series in nine years, the Leafs have demonstrated that the 48 game regular season wasn’t a mirage. The blue and white are for real. The Leafs have stood toe to toe against one of the best teams in the NHL and in my mind have actually outplayed them in every game other than Game 1. Unfortunately in the playoffs sometimes things just don’t go the right way. Every player in that dressing room though should feel proud about their performance and effort. Boston is a legitimate Stanley Cup threat and the Leafs have been (at the worst) their equal through 4 games. The flawed opponents faced throughout the regular season made me skeptical about whether this Leafs team was getting by due to the quality of their opponents and not their capabilities. However, the Leafs haven’t backed down one inch from the Bruins and they are definitely not a weak opponent.

Should this series end on Friday the Leafs have done enough to make this a successful season. The Leafs effort and drive were fully on display last night during their hard fought overtime loss to the Bruins. Pride has been restored to the blue and white. Toronto has competed and put forth a better effort than other teams in the NHL Playoffs. Difficult losses like the one in Game 4 are tough learning experiences, unfortunately all teams are forced to endure them. One day soon we’ll look back on this loss and tip our glasses in bitterness at one that got away.

Throughout the first 30 games of the bizarre 2013 campaign, MacArthur played a major role in the Leafs’ surprising record. While many predicted the injury to Joffrey Lupul to be detrimental to the Leafs success, MacArthur stepped in and provided critical secondary scoring for the blue and white. Creating offense and providing solid positional play on Kadri’s wing, MacArthur had become a vital member for Carlyle. Through the opening months of the season MacArthur averaged 16:01, 15:01 and 15:43 of ice time per game respectively through January, February and March. However, in late March, MacArthur mysteriously missed four games with an undisclosed injury. Upon return, he has averaged only 13:13 of ice-time a game. As mysterious as MacArthur’s injury was, so is Carlyle’s treatment of his once heavily relied upon winger. The Leafs alternate Captain has struggled mightily since that injury having recorded only 1 goal and 2 assists in the 10 regular season and one playoff games since. MacArthur’s struggles aren’t only attributed to his decreased ice-time, but also his linemates. Since returning to the lineup he has found himself more on a line with Jay McClement and Leo Komarov than with Kadri whom he enjoyed so much success with earlier in the year.

My fondness for MacArthur and his abilities on the ice are well documented. He is a proven scorer (.64 points per game average since becoming a Leaf). The undervalued Leaf is easy to overlook considering his game isn’t one that stands out. What MacArthur does though is provide a consistent effort night in and night out regardless of whatever position he is put in. Capable of riding shotgun on one of the top scoring lines or a willing battler on the forecheck on the bottom lines, MacArthur does what is needed on the ice. The fact that a player so willing to compete (and one who doesn’t hurt the team in their own zone) has sat in the press box for both Games 2 and 3 of the Leafs – Bruins series is astounding to me. Carlyle removed MacArthur from the lineup following the Leafs loss in Game 1. In favour of MacArthur Carlyle has decided to play Colton Orr, Leo Komarov and Ryan Hamilton. As noted above, MacArthur has registered 20 points in 40 games this season. Orr, Komarov and Hamilton have combined for 15 points this season in 96 games. Had fan favourites like Komarov or Orr been strangely removed from the lineup without explanation there would be an outcry from the blue and white faithful. MacArthur has left everything out on the ice for this organization since arriving here, yet he is quietly being punished while inferior players are in the lineup. Sound familiar?  *cough Gardiner cough*

There is no doubt in my mind that MacArthur would embrace occupying the 4th line in order to help the Leafs. Is his inclusion in the lineup not a bigger asset than Komarov, Orr or Hamilton? As much as people like to praise those players MacArthur is just as willing to battle along the boards while also providing a significantly greater skill level. His absence was noticeable in Game 3. Late in that contest the Leafs were pressing offensively in an attempt to get within a goal of the Bruins. Carlyle proceeded to throw out the inexperienced line of Frattin-Kadri-Hamilton. The Bruins took advantage of that matchup and completely dominated the puck in the Leafs zone for over a minute. It was a major moment in the game and one that MacArthur’s experience and competitiveness would have most likely prevented. Similar to my argument for Frattin’s inclusion in the lineup prior to Game 2, MacArthur’s value on the ice is determined in many different ways. Should the Leafs suffer an injury to one of their scorers MacArthur can easily slide up onto a top scoring unit and not miss a beat. Also, I’d feel much more comfortable with MacArthur on the ice in overtime than one of Orr, Komarov or Hamilton. It’s nothing against those particular individuals, they are just inferior hockey players.

The writing appears to be on the wall for MacArthur’s exit from the blue and white this summer. Mark my words, if that happens the Leafs will live to regret it. MacArthur is a very capable scorer in the NHL and players like him aren’t easy to find. When looking at MacArthur I can’t help but think of Chris Kunitz of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both players have similar styles and (prior to this season for Kunitz) fail to receive the respect they deserve. As mentioned above MacArthur has a .64 points per game average in his past three seasons. At the same point in his career Kunitz had a .65 ppg average over the same time. MacArthur will be snapped up quickly by an astute General Manager once he hits the open market. Much like Kunitz exploded on a loaded Penguins team when placed in a position to maximize his abilities, look for MacArthur to shine when used properly.

The MacArthur situation raises an alarming question about Carlyle. The current Leafs Coach failed to properly use Lupul during his time in Anaheim. The Ducks subsequently offloaded him to the Leafs where he has become an impact player in the NHL. This season we have seen Carlyle not identify Gardinder’s immense talent and the need for his abilities on the team. Finally, it appears as if Carlyle has resigned himself to the fact that MacArthur is not capable of helping the Leafs when it really matters (using AHL veterans and limited energy guys instead of the under appreciated winger). In a league where the players normally last longer than their head coach, does it make sense to have Carlyle’s faulty eye judging these valuable assets? He’s (admittedly) made mistakes when gauging what players are capable of. This is a really scary idea considering how young the Leafs are. If Leaf fans don’t think that’s such a big deal, think about how bad a mistake it was misjudging Alex Steen a few years ago.

If all is right in the world, MacArthur would find his way back into the Leafs lineup against the Bruins and play a pivotal role in helping the Leafs eliminate their Northeast Division rival. That may seem far fetched to some, but so is playing Orr, Komarov and Hamilton over a talented winger like MacArthur. Stranger things have certainly happened.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bruins deserve credit for capitalizing on their chances. They took full advantage of the miscues from a young and flawed Leafs team. All four of Boston’s goals (the fifth was an empty netter) were a direct result of a blue and white mistake. For those that did not watch the game (for those who did I apologize for rehashing these memories), Boston’s first goal was off of an innocent point shot that Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf screened James Reimer and (in my opinion) also tipped past the Leafs goaltender. The second goal was courtesy of Ryan O’Byrne’s lack of ability with the puck. Future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr picked O’Byrne’s pocket behind the Leafs net and fed Rich Peverly in front who beat a helpless Reimer. Milan Lucic outraced a sloooooow Mark Fraser to feed Nathan Horton for the Bruins third goal and Daniel Paille stripped a confused Phil Kessel leading to a shorthanded breakaway. Paille made no mistake and beat Reimer (who had just stopped Jagr on a breakaway minutes earlier). Reimer was completely hung out to dry on the four goals. In reality, Reimer kept the Leafs close throughout the game. No blame should find its way to the shoulders of #34.

The frustrating thing is, these were pretty much the only mistakes the Leafs made on the night. O’Byrne and Fraser are slow and will be exposed by good forwards. It was no surprise that a team as talented as the Bruins have been able to exploit those two weak points of the Leafs roster. When it comes to O’Byrne, this tweet pretty much sums it up perfectly:

Yeah, it’s true. ROB is definitely a downgrade from Komisarek.

May 6, 2013 10:12 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@So_Truculent

Bower Power

It is imperative that Carlyle limits both O’Byrne and Fraser’s exposure to the Bruins because if he doesn’t they are going to continue to burn the two weakest links of the blue and white defense corps.

Ping

While the Leafs were guilty of making mistakes that ended up directly in the back of their nets, they were on the wrong side of lady luck in the offensive zone as well. Prior to the empty net goal that made it a 5-2 game, both goalies were beaten four times. While the shots that got past Reimer found twine behind him, the Leafs hit the post twice behind Tuukka Rask. This game could very easily have gone in a different direction if the fans at home were wearing their lucky socks (damn you guys).

In my opinion there is nothing more that I could want from the Leafs team at this point in the series. They are competing tooth and nail with the best team in the Eastern Conference, with a horribly young and inexperienced roster. Including backup goalie Ben Scrivens, the Leafs dressed 12 players in Game 3 who are taking part in their first ever post season series. On the other side the Bruins had 15 members of their 2010 Stanley Cup roster in the lineup. Pretty big discrepancy.

On paper the Leafs appear to be severely overmatched, yet they have stood tall and competed like hell the past two games. Were the Bruins good on Monday night? Sure. Were the Leafs? Damn right. In fact:

The 48 shots by the #leafs tonight were the most they’ve had all season.

May 6, 2013 10:29 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@reporterchris

Chris Johnston

Quite an effort for the youngest team in the NHL. I’ll take 48 shots and two goal posts in a losing effort any day of the week. If the effort remains consistent eventually the luck begins to flow the other way.

Rising Star

Throughout the first three games of this playoff series James Van Riemsdyk has stood out as the best Leaf player. Being the most experienced post season player on the Leafs’ roster (42 games so far at the tender age of 24), JVR has been leading by example for Carlyle. JVR had an assists on Kessel’s goal early in the third and was also causing a major disturbance in front of the net when Jake Gardiner scored in the second period. With two goals and one assist so far in the series JVR has raised his game and become a thorn in the side of the Bruins. At 6′ 3″ and 200 lbs the big winger has elevated both his intensity and his physical play since the puck was dropped in Game 1. The first year Leaf has been absolutely fantastic so far against the Bruins seemingly creating offense every shift. In Game 3 he played most of the game with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin which combined to be the best Leaf forward unit in the game. JVR led all Leaf forwards with 22:28 of ice time in an inspiring effort. Before the series began I said that JVR was going to need to raise his game in order for Kessel to find space offensively. In Game 3 the big winger attracted all the Bruins attention in front of the net leading to Kessel’s goal. Including Game 3, JVR has 7 goals in 14 playoff games against the Bruins. Nice to have one of these guys on our side for once.

As I said following Game 1′s horrific showing, I think that outcome was the best thing that could have happened to the Leafs. The effort and display in the first game against the Bruins demonstrated that Carlyle needed to shift his focus from brawn to speed, and boy did he. Off the opening puck drop Carlyle impacted this game shifting Phil Kessel around from line to line and properly using the strength available to him (the Leafs depth at forward). Creating chaos for the opposition was a huge bonus in Game 2. Using different combinations as decoys not only freed Kessel up, but also allowed the other Leaf forward lines to attack and target the mountain that is Zdeno Chara. On Friday I discussed how I thought Carlyle was finally going to make the appropriate adjustments and he came through. Question is, why didn’t he make these moves before? The game the Leafs played on Saturday was one that has been available to them all season. Look through the various articles on this site begging for Carlyle to play around with line combinations and allowing Kessel to float around from line to line. Instead Carlyle has stubbornly kept Kessel tied to Tyler Bozak all year. Game 2 provided a glimpse of just how good this Leafs team can be. I always thought this lineup was capable of that effort and it is a big reason why I predicted the Leafs to win this series in 7 games.

While I have now been forced to switch topics – thanks James, Jonas and Chris – I decided to focus on nine plays from the game Saturday night that impacted the outcome majorly:

1. James Reimer’s glove save on Gregory Campbell – Just over five minutes into the first period the Leafs were attacking the Bruins relentlessly. Despite being aggressive and feeling confident there is no denying that falling behind in an arena of horrors for the blue and white would have dramatically altered the tone of the game. During that fragile time 22 year old Jake Gardiner – in all his confident glory – mistakingly judged the carom off the boards in an attempted pass coughing the puck up directly to Bruins 4th liner Campbell just inside the Leafs zone. The son of Colin came in all alone and wired a shot low to Reimer’s glove hand. The Leafs number 1 goalie flashed the leather making a great save to keep the game scoreless. It was a save that number 1 goalies in the NHL make and one that Reimer has made all season (bailing out a troublesome Leafs blueline consistently). It is also a save that fans of the blue and white have been longing for since the last time the Leafs were in the post season. Reimer made another big save later in the first period on Tyler Seguin as he raced by a slow footed Mark Fraser. Reimer was huge in the first period and the young and fragile Leafs escaping the first period on the road even with the Bruins was massive to their psyche.

2. Kessel’s quick stop up on Chara – While Kessel was floating between different lines throughout the night – primarily alongside Bozak and Joffrey Lupul or Nazem Kadri and Ryan Hamilton – it was evident that he was up to the challenge of facing the behemoth that is Chara. Midway through the first period Kessel flew down the right wing (the top of my television) and appeared ready to make his typical rush along the boards followed by a shot at a bad angle. Chara expected the same and edged towards the wall himself. Kessel however stopped up and completely avoided Chara, leaving the Bruins captain behind. Kessel proceeded to give the puck away on his attempted pass, but that quick move took Chara completely out of the play and was a glimpse of some good things to have. The Leafs used their speed perfectly in Game 2 and Kessel himself was sprung on two separate 2-1′s in the first period. Chara was chasing all night and that quick move early in the first was just the beginning of a confusing and frustrating night for him.

3. Colton Orr bowling over Chara on the forecheck – Don’t get me wrong, I would have rather seen Clarke MacArthur in the lineup than Orr. I think MacArthur provides much more to the Leafs team and it only adds to their wonderful depth up front. MacArthur is also the type of character individual that wouldn’t be sour about playing on the 4th line, while doing everything asked of him. Saying that, Orr was very productive in his 9:08 of ice time. As noted above the Leafs made it a point to target and attack Chara all night. In the first period Chara went back into the Bruins zone to collect a Ryan O’Byrne dump in only to be flattened by a hard charging Orr. Everyone gets hit, and this certainly wasn’t a groundbreaking body check, but it did establish to Chara that the Leafs were going to be giving as much as they were going to be getting on the night. I have discussed the role of team toughness for the Leafs all season and Orr hitting Chara was a fine example of it. Later in the first Cody Franson also levelled Patrice Bergeron (Bruins coach Claude Julien admitted Bergeron suffered an injury on the play) and Leo Komarov also went in on the same shift as the Orr hit to bother Chara again. The Leafs got under Chara’s skin all night and it led to him taking two minor penalties (the Leafs scored on the first one). Orr’s hit got the ball rolling in that department. Carlyle also deserves credit for not overplaying Orr (9:08), Komarov (10:51), Fraser (18:40) and Hamilton (8:38). He has been guilty of overplaying certain players all season causing their effectiveness to be limited. Playing them less maximizes their output while not allowing the opponent to exploit their weaknesses.

4. Nazem Kadri’s patience – Following Nathan Horton’s opening goal less than two minutes into the second period, it looked like things could once again turn ugly for the young Leafs. Hamilton though proceeded to draw Chara into a tripping penalty providing the Leafs with a crucial power play. After the Leafs first unit wasn’t able to get the job done, the second unit took matters into their own hands. Initiated by Gardiner’s poise in carrying the puck into the Bruins zone to establish possession, the puck eventually found its way to Kadri on the near half wall. Kadri was pressured by Campbell but adeptly drew the Bruins penalty killer closer to him before sending the puck back to Carl Gunnarsson at the point. Gunnarsson slid it over to Gardiner who one timed it on net. The original shot was stopped by Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, but Lupul grabbed the rebound to tie the score. Kadri didn’t get an assist on the Lupul goal, but his ability to not panic when pressured created an opportunity for the Leafs to get a shot on goal, leading directly to the tying goal. Kadri admitted that he pressed too much in Game 1 and that skillful play on the Lupul goal was a big play for a player that the Leafs are going to need in this series.

5. Carl Gunnarsson’s strength – The game had reached the midway point and both teams were matching blow for blow. Seguin attacked the Leafs zone and looked to get by the highly underrated and extremely valuable Gunnarsson. The Leafs top pairing defenseman allowed the puck to get by him but not the player as he angled Seguin into his own bench, allowing the Leafs to recover the puck. Recover they did. As Seguin complained to the officials about the play (which was totally clean), winger Matt Frattin picked the puck up and flew into the Bruins zone. Frattin made a great move to get by the Bruins defenseman and made a smart pass to Lupul who scored to give the Leafs a lead they would not relinquish. It was a big play by the unfairly maligned Frattin capable only because of Gunnarsson’s solid play immediately prior. Gunnarsson was fantastic in Game 2 as he logged a team high 24:04. The play on Seguin was critical but so was his diving play on a shorthanded Bruins 2-1 in the third period when the score was 3-1. Gunnarsson is an extremely underrated part of this Leafs team and he was a major reason they evened the series.

6. Reimer’s save on Seguin – With just over three minutes left in the second period the Leafs were clinging to a one goal lead as the Bruins pressed. Similar to the third goal in Game 1, the Bruins were creating confusion in the Leafs zone and Seguin once again found himself in a prime scoring area. The puck fell to Seguin in between the circles and he fired a low shot towards the Leafs net. Unlike David Krejci in the first game, this time Reimer was able to close the five hole preventing the Bruins from tying the game. Once again it was a big save at a critical moment, one that allowed the Leafs to end the second period ahead. Lost in all the joy of the Leafs offense and Kessel’s goal was Reimer’s great play. #34 in the Leafs crease was big when the team needed him most.

7. Hamilton’s back check – At 28 years old and with only 12 NHL regular season games of experience, Ryan Hamilton had a major impact in Game 2 for the blue and white. Already having mentioned his drawing the penalty on Chara early in the second period, he found himself on the ice in another big moment for the Leafs. Less than a minute into the third period the Bruins pushed deep into the Leafs zone looking for the equalizer. As the Bruins defense came into the slot, Hamilton chipped the puck away from harm and into a safe area for the Leafs. The puck found its way to Kadri who launched Kessel on a breakaway. Both Kadri and Kessel did what they do best on that play, but Hamilton’s contribution to a goal that could potentially dramatically alter this series flew under the radar. Hamilton will do everything asked of him and is responsible in his own zone. As noted many times on this site, the Leafs offense begins with creating speed from their defensive plays and Hamilton’s effort on the Leafs game winning goal is a perfect example of exactly that.

8. Dion Phaneuf’s hit on Daniel Paille - Johnny Boychuk brought both the Bruins and their raucous crowd back into the game with just under ten minutes to go with a big goal. The Bruins followed that with big pressure as they looked for the tying marker. With the crowd on their feet, and the wind in the Boston sail, Paille was set to receive a pass just over the red line on the Leafs side of center. Both the puck and the Leafs Captain met Paille at the same time and Phaneuf completely crushed the Bruins 4th line winger with a CLEAN hit. Phaneuf led with his shoulder creating a turnover, a bloody nose for Paille and the Bruins faithful to sit back down. Phaneuf hit the brakes on the Bruins comeback attempt. I’ve already mentioned Orr’s and Fraser’s hit from earlier in the game. O’Byrne also flattened Rich Peverley in the second period and the Leafs are beginning to make it be known that the Bruins need to keep their head up throughout the series. Phaneuf’s hit was the final blow on a physical performance by Toronto.

9. Nikolai Kulemin’s board play – As underrated as Gunnarsson is for the Leafs I think him and Kulemin are 1 and 1A in that category for Carlyle’s team. Kulemin has been one of (along with JVR and Mikhail Grabovski) the Leafs’ best forwards in both games of this series. His play seems to be suited for the grind that is post season hockey. Late in the third period of Game 2 following the Bruins making the score 3-2, Kulemin found himself on the ice in many important moments. On this particular play Jay McClement won a big defensive zone faceoff and the puck squirted to Kulemin. The Bruins winger looked to engage with Kulemin while the puck was still up for grabs, but the Leafs big Russian forward established great body positioning before feeding a streaking Grabovski out of the zone. As the puck exited the Leafs zone McClement went to the bench in favour of JVR and Grabovski entered the Bruins zone. Kulemin stayed back in a good defensive position which gave him a great view of Grabovski feeding JVR for a big insurance goal. Much like Lupul’s second goal that could not have happened without Gunnarsson’s strong defensive play, JVR would have never scored if not for Kulemin. This was one of many big plays in Game 2 from one of the Leafs best two way forwards.

Long Road

The Leafs left Boston with exactly what they wanted: a split of the first two games. With the next two games set for The Air Canada Center it is imperative that the Leafs provide the same effort that they displayed Saturday night and that Carlyle doesn’t revert back to brawn over speed. If this lineup stays intact I foresee an entertaining and hard fought battle until only one team is left standing. That’s all any of us can ask for.

Leaformation 

A great article from Blue Chip Prospects discussing the Leafs’ hybrid approach at attacking Boston

Vintage Leaf Memories has 5 thoughts on what the Leafs need to do in order to defeat the Bruins

There are a couple of reasons as to why I think Carlyle will finally bless many people with the moves we have all been longing for. Game 1 demonstrated that the Leafs are incapable of defeating the Bruins by focusing on playing physical hockey. The key to success lives and dies with Toronto’s ability to properly break out from their defensive zone and attack the Bruins with speed. The Leafs also need the blueliners to jump into the attack as much as possible against a frustratingly stifling Bruins defense. The Leafs lone goal was scored primarily because of Cody Franson’s jumping in and creating a mismatch in the offensive zone. That is something that needs to happen much more regularly beginning on Saturday night. While Carlyle could have remained stubborn in the regular season with his physical favourites, the playoffs are a completely different animal. Throughout the regular season the Leafs insisted on playing that tough hard nosed brand of hockey and succeeded more often than not. The Leafs were able to overcome dressing players such as: Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren, Mark Fraser, Korbinian Holzer and Mike Kostka for the majority of the season due to both their easy competition and their stellar goaltending. Establishing an identity in the regular season and sticking to it night after night is one thing. In the playoffs though it is crucial to adapt to your opponent while establishing a plan to defeat them. The plan must now change. Is a playoff proven coach like Carlyle going to continue to be stubborn or is he finally going to accept what needs to be done?

Based on Carlyle’s comments following the loss on Wednesday night it appears as if he is both aware of the problem and knows what must be done to correct it (see the full press conference here).

When asked how Toronto was going to react to the loss Carlyle responded with:

We’re going to take the next two days and focus on how we can play faster and better…from a puck movement standpoint.

It’s refreshing to hear that at least Carlyle has identified the problem. It may not seem like much, but the Leafs have been struggling with this particular issue all season and Carlyle has repeatedly refused to acknowledge it. Instead, Carlyle usually made a sarcastic or smart ass comment to the media when confronted. This may not seem like much, but this comment followed one in which Carlyle said that the Leafs needed to take responsibility for the way they played. Responsibility begins and ends with the man behind the bench. Carlyle can’t preach accountability to his players yet not hold himself to the same standard. The second part of the press conference that stood out to me (in regards to this article) was when Carlyle was asked what the Leafs needed to do in order to combat the Bruins:

How do you slow them down? Don’t give them the puck so often

Once again very simple solution, but words won’t get the job done. Carlyle needs to properly insert players capable of handling the puck. Finally, this note following practice yesterday confirms that Carlyle is prepared to push the appropriate buttons come Saturday night:

Kostka broke bone in a finger and is out … O’Byrne or Gardiner draw in … Carlyle hints both could play as changes are coming

May 2, 2013 3:20 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@markhmasters

Mark Masters

Now, I am not saying that the insertion of Jake Gardiner and Matt Frattin into the Leafs lineup will automatically cure them of all that ails. In all reality the Leafs may still lose just as badly (if not worse) with these players in the lineup. These changes are not a magic pill to get back into the series. The Leafs core players certainly need step up and provide a better effort than the one from Wednesday night. However, a lineup that has Gardiner in place of Kostka and Frattin in place of (one of) Orr or McLaren is the absolute best one that Carlyle has at his disposal. Are the Leafs still a flawed team? Absolutely. Are they more capable of winning with fast, skilled and creative players like Gardiner and Frattin? I think we all know the answer to that question.

In the end, Albert Einstein defined insanity as:

doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Is Carlyle the insane one for repeatedly running out limited one dimensional players, expecting them to finally learn how to properly handle the puck, or am I the insane one for constantly assuming Randy has finally learned the errors of his ways and will stop dressing the same players? Time will tell.

The writing was on the wall midway through the first period. Soon after James Van Riemsdyk’s opening goal, the Leafs began making some all too familiar mistakes with the puck in their own zone. As mentioned multiple times on this site (as well as numerous other places), the Leafs major area of weakness is their inability to properly break out of their own zone. While everyone knows this problem, coach Randy Carlyle has repeatedly dressed poor puck moving defenseman all season (Korbinian Holzer, Mark Fraser and Ryan O’Byrne) in favour of the highly capable Jake Gardiner. Many may say that the Leafs would have lost regardless of whatever players were in the lineup, but in my opinion the loss tonight falls squarely on the shoulders of the man behind the bench. On the road, with a 1-0 lead and a young team looking to explode, the Leafs ended up shooting themselves in the foot as they proceeded to gift the Bruins the puck over and over again.

This Isn’t Football

Considering the talented forwards that the Bruins dressed on the night, Leafs Coach Randy Carlyle decided to dress two career AHL defenseman in Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka. Not only did Carlyle dress these two blueliners, but he relied on them heavily as both Fraser and Kostka logged major minutes (24:00 for Fraser and 22:22 for Koskta). It was a recipe for disaster. The wheels began to fall off in the first period once the Bruins began pressuring the Leafs defense. With these limited players in the lineup Carlyle’s breakout consisted primarily around flipping the puck into the air and hoping it fell to the players in the right sweaters (it didn’t). That plan not only failed to relieve the pressure, but it also caused the Leafs offence to become stagnant as the forwards never received a proper pass in order to attack with speed.

With the Leafs inability to properly get into a flow offensively on the night (only 14 shots through two periods), the Bruins began attacking the Leafs at will. Wave after wave of Bruin pressure exposed the limitations of the Leafs blueline (Kostka and Fraser specifically). Boston struck twice before the first period ended and followed that with two more goals in the second period. This lack of puck moving ability caused the Leaf forwards to struggle mightily as Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri and Clarke MacArthur all looked horrible. In fairness to them, how are they supposed to create offense when the Leafs defenseman are running around in their own zone unable to properly relieve pressure? The key to any offense is attacking with speed, yet the Leaf forwards tonight were far too often left digging for the puck in their own zone and dumping it in while standing still.

Goals Not Punches

Another turn of the screw into my criticism of Carlyle comes with his absurd usage of Frazer McLaren, Colton Orr and the Leafs fourth line in general. For the majority of the season Carlyle has repeatedly put the fourth line on the ice following a goal against. It has been said many times that the shift immediately following a goal scored is a crucial shift and Carlyle deploys the Leafs worst line. This line (Jay McClement aside) is incapable of playing in their own zone or creating offense. In Game 1 both Orr and McLaren played the next shift following both David Krejci’s third goal and Johnny Boychuk’s fourth goal. The Leafs were in desperate need for offense, yet the players capable of providing offense weren’t on the ice. In fact, with the Leafs desperate for goals through the first 40 minutes, Kessel say idly by as he played less minutes than Bozak, McClement, Joffrey Lupul, Nikolai Kulemin and JVR. With his best (and one of the leagues elite) scorers, fresh and at his disposal, Carlyle thought Orr and McLaren were better options. I’m beginning to think there are better options than Randy.

Funnily enough, even though the Leafs were abysmal on the night they also were unlucky on a couple of occasions not to be in this game. Immediately before Nathan Horton’s goal in the final minute of the first period, Van Riemsdyk made a beautiful play and wired a shot past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask only to hit the post. Boston took the puck up the ice and proceeded to take the lead for good. It was a huge swing as the Leafs could have been up 2-1 heading into the first intermission instead of being behind. Following that opportunity, with the score 2-1 in the second period, Tyler Bozak broke free on a clean cut breakaway. Even though the Leafs were being completely dominated Bozak had a chance to even the game. Bozak missed however. Boston quickly capitalized off of that miss with a long siege in the Leafs zone (Kostka and Fraser on the ice for over two minutes). That siege eventually lead to David Krejci making it a 3-1 game. With a little luck the game could have been completely different. It was not meant to be though. To be honest, it wasn’t deserved either.

There will be many people that will criticize James Reimer for his play in the first game, but I for one think he was completely abandoned by the team in front of him. Playing in his first career playoff game, the Leafs left Reimer deserted on an island all night as their numerous turnovers and horrible defensive zone coverage provided the talented Bruin forwards with multiple chances. Instead of protecting their inexperienced goalie, the Leaf skaters hung Reimer out to dry. Yes, both Wade Redden’s first goal and Johhny Boychuk’s fourth goal could have been stopped, but Reimer is the only reason that the final scoreline was a somewhat respectable 4-1.

Only One Game

In reality, I think this game may have been the best thing for the Leafs. Yes they lost with a very ugly effort, but it’s only one game. Best case scenario heading into the series was if the Leafs could win one of the first two games in Boston. That opportunity still exists with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday night. What this game does establish is the fact that Carlyle is now forced to make major changes. It is obvious that the bruising lineup iced in Game 1 will only lead to a quick Leafs exit. If the loss tonight leads to Gardiner’s inclusion in the lineup (at the expense of Kostka), in addition to Matt Frattin slotting in over Frazer McLaren, then the Leafs stand a much better chance at getting back into this series. I also think the Leafs made the Bruins look a lot better than they actually are. This series is still there for the taking. Toronto gifted this game to Boston, but with the right adjustments they can certainly compete. Also, having missed the final two games of the regular season and looking awful (more so than usual) in Game 1, it isn’t that far fetched to think that Bozak may not be able to play in Game 2. Should Bozak come out of the lineup, Joe Colborne and his desperately needed size would be another great addition to the Leafs.

The pieces are available for Carlyle to get the Leafs back into the series. Many will point to the Leaf players and question whether they will rise to the challenge and put forth a better effort, I instead ask the same thing of Carlyle. Has the time finally arrived to put the pugilistic approach aside and use the offensive weapons at his disposal? If the stubbornness persists, be prepared to be seeing handshakes sooner rather than later.

Lines/color schemes-white: Lucic-Krejci-Horton/gold: Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin/grey: Daugavins-Kelly-Jagr/merlot: Paille-Campbell-Thornton^CS

April 30, 2013 10:57 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@NHLBruins

Boston Bruins

That is a formidable group capable of holding its own against any other team in the NHL. It is also a group that certainly should strike fear in Randy Carlyle and the Leafs braintrust. Carlyle’s team finished the season struggling dramatically in their own end. Breakouts have become a major concern as Carlyle has preferred brawn to mobility. Since the Leafs defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 on March 28th they have been outshot 434 to 298 combined in their final 13 games of the year (statistic courtesy via @SteveBurch). An ability to right the ship and properly transition from defense to offense is critical. Through that final stretch the Leafs were also disjointed offensively. The forwards were guilty of not making themselves available for an outlet pass, while the defense proceeded to handle the puck like a grenade. The Leafs are at their best when using their team speed to attack in waves. Hopefully that speed becomes a factor once the puck is dropped in Boston.

Having looked at the forward combinations yesterday, here are the expected defense pairings for the Leafs and what they need to do to be effective:

Carl Gunnarsson – Dion Phaneuf

The number 3 on the back of Phaneuf’s blue and white sweater might as well be a target because the Bruin forwards are going to be attacking him all series long. Perhaps the Leafs’ most important player (other than Reimer), Phaneuf impacts the game in every single way. Averaging 25:10 a night for Carlyle, and entrusted with handling the oppositions top forwards, the Leafs captain is going to see (and feel) a lot of Milan Lucic, Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand throughout the series. Phaneuf will not only need to handle the Bruins top forwards but also pitch in offensively. Having finished 10th overall among defenseman this season (9 goals and 28 points), he is a big part of the blue and white offense. Gunnarsson is an under appreciated member of this Leafs team. Adept at blocking shots and making a quick outlet pass he is the perfect foil to the Leafs captain. It will be interesting to see if Gunnarsson will be able to withstand the physical punishment considering he has been playing hurt all season. His presence is key.

Cody Franson – Mark Fraser

Nobody would have predicted this to be the second pairing of a Leafs playoff team. Both players have enjoyed a renaissance to their careers under Carlyle and their styles compliment each others perfectly. Fraser is limited when handling the puck and can be exposed on the outside by quick skaters (Tyler Seguin can really exploit this), but he will protect the crease with the best of them and make his presence felt every shift. Look for the Bruins to try and exploit both Fraser’s and Franson’s lack of foot speed. Franson has developed a mean streak of late and has begun using his large frame to lean on opponents. He has always had above average offensive abilities for a blueliner and has put all the pieces together this year. With 16 career playoff games under his belt Franson should be prepared for the aggressive play that will come his way. Make no mistake, the Fraser – Franson pairing can either boom or bust for the Leafs. Hopefully it’s the former and not the latter.

Mike Kostka – John-Michael Liles

The 28 year old Kostka has been able to stick around all season with the Leafs, but expectations aren’t that high for him. Can he provide the Leafs with any stability (in limited minutes) as a third pairing guy? I just don’t know. I am skeptical to see Kostka participate in the post season and would prefer to have Gardiner playing here instead of him. For what it’s worth, Kostka was a major contributor to the Norforlk Admirals run in the AHL last season as they won the Calder Cup. Kostka has difficulty making quick decisions on the ice and is not big enough to handle the Bruins forecheck. I don’t think he will last that long in this series. Liles is the best puck handling defenseman that Carlyle is planning on dressing. While limited in his own zone, Liles is fully capable of joining the rush creating odd man situations. A bit of a gambler, the Leafs will need his skills at some point.

Wildcard

Jake Gardiner – There is no reason in my mind for Gardiner to not be in the lineup for the Leafs. His good far outweighs his bad and he has the ability to control the play when on the ice. The bigger Bruins struggle when the pace of the game is elevated and that is when Gardiner is at his best. Considering Kostka’s limits and Carlyle’s quick hook (not to mention the fact that all teams suffer injuries to their blueline in the post season) I expect Gardiner to see action against Boston. When he finally does get in, look for big things. Gardiner is a special talent.

While the Leafs defense is certainly limited, the forwards are going to need to help out as much as possible to get the job done defensively. Just like the Leafs offense needs the blueline to pitch in the defense requires just as much (if not more) support. As cliche as this sounds, the Leafs are going to need a total team effort to overcome the Bruins. There have been many occasions this season where Carlyle’s team has demonstrated an ability to contribute at both ends of the rink and provide a significant amount of hostility. That unified toughness (not the face punching) is what the Leafs are going to need to get over the hump.

Having looked at both the forwards and the defenseman during the past couple of days, the most important factor will be Reimer. Can he continue his extraordinary play? Reimer has emerged (once again) as a #1 goalie in the NHL. The next step for Reimer is to demonstrate that he can maintain that position in the post season. I have become a true believer in Reimer, his imposing frame in the net in addition to his outright willingness to battle for everything in the crease makes me confident that the Leafs will pull through.

Prediction

Toronto will win this series in 7 games. I see the Leafs’ offense carrying the load against the Bruins and making up for their defensive deficiencies. I still think the Bruins will be able to exploit the Leafs poor back end, I just think the Leafs are going to be able to outscore their problems. Reimer will continue to make the team in front of him look good. Just my gut, but I think Carlyle’s crew has a lot more left to prove.

Leaformation 

Was interviewed briefly yesterday by Sarah Petz of The National Post on what it’s like to see the Leafs back in the playoffs. I was grateful for the conversation and Sarah ended up making me look a lot better than I think I sounded. Click here to read the article.