Qualifier Game 4: Leafs @ Blue Jackets - Aug. 7th, 8:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

@

  36-25-9, 81 points | 33-22-15, 81 points
CBJ leads 2-1

Projected Lines

Hyman-Matthews-Marner Nylander-Tavares-Mikheyev Robertson-Kerfoot-Kapanen Clifford-Engvall-Spezza Dermott-Holl Rielly-Ceci Marincin-Barrie Andersen ​

Texier-Dubois-Atkinson Foligno-Jenner-Nyquist Foudy-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand Robinson-Nash-Bemstrom Werenski-Jones Gavrikov-Savard Murray-Nutivaara Merzlikins​

Scratches

Frederik Gauthier Rasmus Sandin ​

Nathan Gerbe Scott Harrington Dean Kukan​

Game Notes

TOR
?Andersen will likely start for the Leafs
?The Leafs will now face elimination and must win back to back games to advance to the playoffs

CBJ
?Merzlikins will likely start for the Blue Jackets

Injuries

?Andreas Johnsson - Knee - Injured Reserve ?Jake Muzzin - Neck - Injured Reserve​

?Josh Anderson - Shoulder - Injured Reserve ?Brandon Dubinsky - Wrist - Injured Reserve​

Stream Options

Sportsurge.net
Volokit
​

 

[Zee]

I hate hockey

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I hate hockey

Hey, there's lots of room on my tank for lafreniere bandwagon! The leafs just last night installed a snack bar. 

 

[ZBBM]

Wipe that smirk off your face, Mike Babcock.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Wipe that smirk off your face, Mike Babcock.

Babcock opening his newspaper this morning:

 

[Kaberle15]

I though that they could only melt down like that against St. Louis in the regular season (yes, that 5-0 that turned to a 6-5 loss still bugs me) or Boston in game 7.

Anyway, I had a bad feeling about this one. (but could be as simple as been a Leaf fan)

 

[L K]

Outside of this series has made me again realize that I have too much attachment to the team, I honestly don't know how to make any basis off this little run.

If they win I think it means something about the team breaking through and winning tough games.  If they lose, I'm not so sure that we can write off the group as not being able to get things done.  If they do lose this will be 4 years in a row of the team failing to succeed in the 1st round of the playoffs.  The defense doesn't get worse when we lose Ceci and Barrie has been a big meh all year but even his meh season is still 39 points.  Taking away Rielly's offense, the next highest scoring defenseman was Jake Muzzin with 23 points.  We really just don't have scoring coming from the blueline and as much as I like Sandin I'm really not banking on him to put up a lot of points on the back end. 

It's kind of amazing how little offense our blueline puts up seeing as they pinch in behind the net as much as they do.

Hopefully they can step up tonight but my confidence in this group is pretty low.

 

[bustaheims]

If they win I think it means something about the team breaking through and winning tough games.  If they lose, I'm not so sure that we can write off the group as not being able to get things done. 

It's a tough post-season to judge things on, for sure - and I think you have a pretty good analysis of things. If they can come back and win the series, it shows something about their ability to "toughen up" mentally - but only because they'll have fought off elimination in back to back games. Had they won the series with out that, I'm not sure we would have been able to glean much of anything.

If they lose? With the long pause (basically as long as a typical off-season), the quick process to get back to meaningful games, etc., there are just too many unusual factors to make any real definitive judgments on the core/group as a whole or even tie it to previous failures.

 

[Zee]

I hate hockey

Hey, there's lots of room on my tank for lafreniere bandwagon! The leafs just last night installed a snack bar. 

I have a sinking feeling that Lafrieriene is going to the loser of Habs/Pens.  That would just be the last kick to the balls.

 

[Sandinius]

We really just don't have scoring coming from the blueline and as much as I like Sandin I'm really not banking on him to put up a lot of points on the back end. 

I can see Sandin put up a lot of points, eventually.
I think he's going to be awesome next season.
I can see Dermotts number increase as well.

Rielly, Muzzin, Holl, Dermott, Sandin sounds pretty good to me. Hopefully a free agent/trade for someone solid and Liljegren pushing for a spot could be good.

Then again this team always finds a way to dissapoint me.  :-\

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I hate hockey

Hey, there's lots of room on my tank for lafreniere bandwagon! The leafs just last night installed a snack bar. 

I have a sinking feeling that Lafrieriene is going to the loser of Habs/Pens.  That would just be the last kick to the balls.

Meh. As long as it's not Edmonton. I'd have difficulty not cracking heads and feasting on the goo inside if that happened.

If I'm toooootally honest, I'm still of the opinion that the leafs are going to win the series. They're a flawed team, no question, of which their flaw is almost perfectly exploitable by a team like CBJ, but they've outplayed them handily.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I will not be making any further predictions.  Thank you.

 

[Guilt Trip]

If I'm toooootally honest, I'm still of the opinion that the leafs are going to win the series. They're a flawed team, no question, of which their flaw is almost perfectly exploitable by a team like CBJ, but they've outplayed them handily.

And there's the kicker. I think they've outplayed CBJ also. For some reason they stopped playing after the 3-0 goal. They def were the better team in OT but weren't rewarded. I still think they'll win the series.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/hennytweets/status/1291578209604120577

It would have been pretty funny if Henny turned full heel post-retirement and just started ripping into the team.

 

[Andy007]

You know, I just can't get over that nasty crosscheck Dubois got away with. No second look by the NHL, who laughably call it a "freak" play? Then the guy scores 3 goals the next game?!

I have to think there is some ancient hockey irony creature-god who just despises the Leafs that every now and then is accidently awoken and ends up spending his limited time awake wreaking maniacal anti-Leafs havoc. Is there any other explanation?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Is there any other explanation?

I'm afraid there is. And this is it - if you were to take an average hockey game, let alone a physical matchup, and slow it down, just like this incident was - you'd see probably 10-15 similar plays. It's a rough sport played by strong kids. The majority of these physical plays don't result in injury, so they're not dissected in isolation.

 

[Andy007]

Is there any other explanation?

I'm afraid there is. And this is it - if you were to take an average hockey game, let alone a physical matchup, and slow it down, just like this incident was - you'd see probably 10-15 similar plays. It's a rough sport played by strong kids. The majority of these physical plays don't result in injury, so they're not dissected in isolation.

I'm talking about the irony of the plight of the Leafs, and I'm joking.

But for the record it was a particularly nasty crosscheck to the back that I noticed before the injury and certainly reviewable.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/snstats/status/1291759318610698242

I reported this tweet for being abusive and harmful.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Is there any other explanation?

I'm afraid there is. And this is it - if you were to take an average hockey game, let alone a physical matchup, and slow it down, just like this incident was - you'd see probably 10-15 similar plays. It's a rough sport played by strong kids. The majority of these physical plays don't result in injury, so they're not dissected in isolation.

I'm talking about the irony of the plight of the Leafs, and I'm joking.

But for the record it was a particularly nasty crosscheck to the back that I noticed before the injury and certainly reviewable.

I was referring to your first part of your post, which you doubled down on here. Again, it's not an egregious play. It just turned out badly. Homerism doesn't change that. I can only imagine what leaf fans would be saying about the clifford hit if the teams were reversed.

 

[Highlander]

You know, I just can't get over that nasty crosscheck Dubois got away with. No second look by the NHL, who laughably call it a "freak" play? Then the guy scores 3 goals the next game?!

I have to think there is some ancient hockey irony creature-god who just despises the Leafs that every now and then is accidently awoken and ends up spending his limited time awake wreaking maniacal anti-Leafs havoc. Is there any other explanation?

Would have loved to see Clifford have a go at Dubois right from the get go.  Could have unsettled him a bit.