ECQF Game 5, 4/30, Leafs at Bruins, 7:00 p.m.

[islamorada]

May 1, 2024 21:15:01 GMT bookboy007 said:

May 1, 2024 2:18:39 GMT Fletcher said:

I never come here to bitch or be dramatic, but I am so thoroughly disappointed in that effort. The whole game was pathetic, from an effort and execution standpoint. Embarrassing. The Leafs were basically Ottawa in Game 82 -- not good, but opportunistic if there's no pushback.

You could see it 2 minutes into the game. They thought it was over. They weren't ready to skate, or hit, or compete. They got a little better as the game went on, but they still looked like a team that thinks they can win without working harder, winning battles, and out-competing their opponent. They can't, and it's only gonna get harder from here. I feel bad for Swayman, who at least showed up.

Honestly?

Like...honestly?

This is STILL the poison fruit of last year's record, and in some ways it's the curse of this franchise since the Julien era. Because over and over again, this franchise has had teams that won games by killing time for two periods and then somehow getting the winner, or maybe the loser point. They did it all last year - they weren't a dominant team for 50 minutes, but it was tied or they were down one, and they'd get one to win or tie and then ride the momentum to a win. Happened all year last year, but most regularly in March and April where the quality of their overall game had visibly dipped but they still kept putting up points.

It WAS a consequence of being a bully. In the 2010-2014 window, I used to say "here it comes" because they would show little in terms of offensive pressure but they would just play heavy hockey all game and teams would wear down from just trying to attack against Chara and Boychuk and Seidenberg and Miller and McQuaid, and battle on the boards with Lucic and Horton and Iginla. You'd see it get easier and easier to regroup and the Bruins would sustain pressure, and when the opponent got the puck out, it was just getting it out - no counter attack to defend and the Bruins would go right back at it. Sometimes that lasted the last 15 min of a game. They were a meat grinder.

They kept that mentality when they lost the personnel. They still seem to expect that eventually the seal will break and it will get easier. They seem surprised when it doesn't. And I think Marchand and Pastrnak are the worst culprits for that expectation that they can turn it on when the time comes. They've been rewarded for the heavy work of the team around them for so long they don't seem to realize that they need to be better. That culture has helped them win a ton of games in the regular season because it means you stick with the plan and keep the faith and play a game that is hard to score against, so you're not usually down more than a goal when you hit that "turn it on" point. Last year was like Montreal in 1993 winning OT games. They won a ton of games they shouldn't have. And they took it for granted like they're the chosen ones.

The sad part is...I still think this team can beat anyone in a 7 game series. I don't care about the lineup changes. I don't care about Grz. I don't care about the goaltending questions - it's still which Vezina calibre goalie will they start. The marginal improvement of each of these things is so minuscule that it's not worth it. If they play the way they did in games 3 and 4, the Leafs are done and the Panthers should remember they had no answer for the Bruins all season. If they play like game 2 or game 5, they'll be back in Boston with everyone ready to label them choketown USA. Playing Beecher over Brazeau isn't going to make that difference. Taking 4 minutes off of Grz's TOI isn't. That's just noise.

There are a ton of things to venerate about the culture that Chiarelli, Julien, Chara, Bergeron, and Recchi built in Boston. This is the kryptonite that comes with it.

Sorry, but you are defining Fletch’s use of the word culture. I think what you wrote is your definition of the culture of the Bs.

[fifthline]

Gryz made a mistake on the OT winner by skating towards Tavares who once he saw Gryz do that accelerated around Gryz on the outside and then used his strength and leverage to get the puck out front of the goal where it was essentially tapped in for the winner. Brazeau and Big Rig play the same type of fourth line role. Beecher wins face offs and plays like Freddie but on the fourth line, keeping Freddie on the third line where he belongs. Coaches decisions were terrible, as was Marchand, Coyle and Mac. They all need to do better going forward.

[Fletcher]

May 1, 2024 21:15:01 GMT bookboy007 said:

May 1, 2024 2:18:39 GMT Fletcher said:

I never come here to bitch or be dramatic, but I am so thoroughly disappointed in that effort. The whole game was pathetic, from an effort and execution standpoint. Embarrassing. The Leafs were basically Ottawa in Game 82 -- not good, but opportunistic if there's no pushback.

You could see it 2 minutes into the game. They thought it was over. They weren't ready to skate, or hit, or compete. They got a little better as the game went on, but they still looked like a team that thinks they can win without working harder, winning battles, and out-competing their opponent. They can't, and it's only gonna get harder from here. I feel bad for Swayman, who at least showed up.

Honestly?

Like...honestly?

This is STILL the poison fruit of last year's record, and in some ways it's the curse of this franchise since the Julien era. Because over and over again, this franchise has had teams that won games by killing time for two periods and then somehow getting the winner, or maybe the loser point. They did it all last year - they weren't a dominant team for 50 minutes, but it was tied or they were down one, and they'd get one to win or tie and then ride the momentum to a win. Happened all year last year, but most regularly in March and April where the quality of their overall game had visibly dipped but they still kept putting up points.

It WAS a consequence of being a bully. In the 2010-2014 window, I used to say "here it comes" because they would show little in terms of offensive pressure but they would just play heavy hockey all game and teams would wear down from just trying to attack against Chara and Boychuk and Seidenberg and Miller and McQuaid, and battle on the boards with Lucic and Horton and Iginla. You'd see it get easier and easier to regroup and the Bruins would sustain pressure, and when the opponent got the puck out, it was just getting it out - no counter attack to defend and the Bruins would go right back at it. Sometimes that lasted the last 15 min of a game. They were a meat grinder.

They kept that mentality when they lost the personnel. They still seem to expect that eventually the seal will break and it will get easier. They seem surprised when it doesn't. And I think Marchand and Pastrnak are the worst culprits for that expectation that they can turn it on when the time comes. They've been rewarded for the heavy work of the team around them for so long they don't seem to realize that they need to be better. That culture has helped them win a ton of games in the regular season because it means you stick with the plan and keep the faith and play a game that is hard to score against, so you're not usually down more than a goal when you hit that "turn it on" point. Last year was like Montreal in 1993 winning OT games. They won a ton of games they shouldn't have. And they took it for granted like they're the chosen ones.

The sad part is...I still think this team can beat anyone in a 7 game series. I don't care about the lineup changes. I don't care about Grz. I don't care about the goaltending questions - it's still which Vezina calibre goalie will they start. The marginal improvement of each of these things is so minuscule that it's not worth it. If they play the way they did in games 3 and 4, the Leafs are done and the Panthers should remember they had no answer for the Bruins all season. If they play like game 2 or game 5, they'll be back in Boston with everyone ready to label them choketown USA. Playing Beecher over Brazeau isn't going to make that difference. Taking 4 minutes off of Grz's TOI isn't. That's just noise.

There are a ton of things to venerate about the culture that Chiarelli, Julien, Chara, Bergeron, and Recchi built in Boston. This is the kryptonite that comes with it.

Yes, honestly. But probably not so much on the terms that you're describing. My reaction is based on these premises to start.

-That effort in game 5 wasn't just bad. It was much worse than that. I've seen mistake-riddled games with better effort. I've seen 5-0 losses with better effort. From a standpoint of compete level, motivation and execution, that really was an grand embarrassment. As bad as it can be, except that it was perhaps on par with games #81 and #82. Honestly, I was shocked in the 1st period, in particular. I just don't understand how you come out that way on your home ice, in a playoff game, with the opportunity to finish a bitter rival, on a big stage. The context of what happened last year doesn't help, of course.

-This all has very little to do with roster changes, or Grizz, or any tweaks or singular things. I agree with you on all that. I would have kept Beecher in place, but that's all really a side note. Grizz was bad, but one of many there.

But that's what brings me to the culture issue. We're not talking about symptoms, we talking about 18 skaters coming out of the locker room unprepared to compete and play hockey. It's bizarre. Of course they can bounce back. Of course they can win any series if they play their game. They may well still close out Toronto in 6. I do not expect players to just be able to "turn it on" either, but I do expect a certain, base level of motivation and competition. It's more about their tendency to "turn it off" that's the issue. Like, all the way off. To me, the difference between Games 3-4 and Game 5 was a range that almost hard to comprehend. 

I honestly can't think of a game in recent memory where I was more disappointed. Consistency, accountability, and preparation just seem so critical to any playoff team's success and to vacillate between a 100% effort and a 10% effort within three days hints at a culture flaw. I hope Monty lost his shit after the game. There is a lot of hyperbole here, and I usually try to avoid it. But that was unacceptable for playoff hockey.