Why Mike Gillis is to Blame for the Vancouver Canucks Debacle

It's been another disappointing season for the Vancouver Canucks. After an early exit in the first round of the playoffs, for the second season in a row, one has to expect changes are coming for the Canucks. Aside from the goalie saga, the first major change that everyone is talking about is the need to fire Alain Vigneault. But why fire Vigneault when Mike Gillis is to blame for the Canucks debacle?

Where did things go wrong? The Canucks built themselves a skilled team with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler and Derek Roy. They have two solid number one goalies in Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider and they have the all time winningest Vancouver Canucks coach behind the bench. On paper there is no way the Canucks, with all the talent they have should be getting swept in the first round.

With any disappointing season comes finger pointing. While Alain Vigneault will probably bare most of the blame and be dismissed, the Canucks management needs to think long and hard about keeping Mike Gillis.

The Vancouver Canucks were built by Mike Gillis. He built the team he thought could win a Championship, only problem is he traded many key players along the way. Perhaps one of his worst moves was destroying the confidence of Cody Hodgson and then trading him for Zack Kassian. Hodgson for the Canucks is a perfect 2nd or 3rd line centre and would have provided that scoring depth they needed. The Canucks scored just 8 goals in their first round match with the San Jose Sharks, simply not good enough. When 3 goals is the "bench-mark" to win a hockey game, the Canucks fell short by only scoring 3 goals once in the last game.

Turns out Hodgson isn't as bad as the Canucks were leading everyone to believe. He finished with a point-per-game pace for the Buffalo Sabres and has turned into a first-line centre. Maybe you should have given him a shot Gillis.

The Canucks, led by Mike Gillis have become one of the most hated teams in the NHL and they brought it on themselves. Outside from Vancouver there's not too many hockey fans sad to see the mighty Canucks fall once again in the first round. They're a smug team who looks down on everyone else in the league. They've made a mockery of diving and embellishing to draw penalties and then whine and complain when their opponents return the favour.

It's pretty ironic how the Canucks, particularly Kevin Bieksa went to the media to complain about Joe Thornton and Logan Couture diving and not playing the game the right way. Yet who was sitting in the box when the Sharks tied the game to force OT- Kevin Bieska. Daniel Sedin was also handed a questionable penalty in OT that probably wouldn't have been called on another team. Sometimes players need to realize when to shut up and just play hockey.

The main reason Mike Gillis is to blame is for how he handled the goaltending situation. What he needed to do is unload Luongo for a solid forward who would have helped the Canucks in the postseason. Instead he kept the goalie hoping to luck out and in the end it cost the Canucks. The goaltending was a distraction and a topic of discussion all season long and when Luongo started games one and two over the injured Schnieder the plot only thickened.

It's understandable that Gillis wanted to hit a home run when trading away Roberto Luongo. He's a great goalie who would improve any team, but his contract stinks. Gillis needed to accept the fact he wasn't going to get equal trade value for his goalie. Instead his reward would have been moving the netminder and putting an end to the goalie saga thus ending to the distraction. Look at the Columbus Blue Jackets, did they get equal trade value for Rick Nash, not really. Yet they still banded together and just narrowly missed the playoffs. It's not always about what you can get back, instead it's about who you already had stepping up.

I talked about how the Canucks needed to get rid of Luongo at the beginning of the season if the team was to move forward and have success this season. They didn't trade him, they didn't move forward and they didn't have any playoff success and that's because they kept Luongo.

The Vancouver Canucks and Mike Gillis are at a crossroads. After 7 years it's time for a new coach behind the bench, the Canucks core is aging and can't seem to get it done in the playoffs and the Canucks can't possibly bring back Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider again next season can they?

It's time for the Vancouver Canucks and Mike Gillis to face the facts; They don't have a team that is built for playoff success. From the head coach to goalies, for whatever reason they can't seem to conquer the playoff demons. Before you point the finger at Alain Vigneault for another dissapointing season, make sure you remember who built this team behind the scenes.

Is It Time for the Pittsburgh Penguins to Play Tomas Vokoun?

On paper when you see the Pittsburgh Penguins squaring off against the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs, you wouldn't expect the series to be tied at 2 after 4 games. Some fans may have expected the Islanders to have already been eliminated, but the Islanders are sticking around and they owe a huge thank you to Marc-Andre Fleury. With Fleury not playing his best hockey, is it time for the Penguins to turn to Tomas Vokoun?

After the Pittsburgh Penguins made major strides to build the team for a deep playoff run, seeing them struggle in the first round is a big shock. Heading into the playoffs the Penguins had a roster boasting the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Jarome Iginla, and Kris Letang. When looking at their roster it's hard to find a weak spot but it's becoming more apparent goaltending may be that weak spot.

After last years melt-down in the first round against the Philadelphia Flyers, there have been questions about Marc-Andre Fleury's goaltending. Just how worried were the Penguins about their goaltending? Worried enough to acquire Tomas Vokoun to help lighten the load and be ready in case Fleury has another playoff implosion.

It appears that once again Fleury is having a playoff meltdown and that meltdown appeared to hit rock bottom after a laughable 6-4 loss in game 4. The Penguins helped out their netminder as much as they could but when they needed a big save they didn't get it, instead they got several questionable goals.

This is nothing new for Marc-Andre Fleury and is a major cause for concern for the Penguins. For a goaltender playing behind a world class team Fleury's lack of playoff success is alarming. In his last 10 playoff games (including last year) he's 4-6 with a 4.11 GAA and a .860 Save Percentage, not the type of numbers a team needs to advance in the playoffs. For those who don't put their stock in GAA and Save Percentage, Fleury has allowed 3 or more goals in 10 of his last 13 playoffs games and 4 or more goals in 9 of those last 13. Whatever Fleury is doing isn't working and he's beginning to get a reputation as a playoff "chocker".

Even when you look back at the year Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup, Fleury's numbers weren't good at all. He recorded a 2.61 GAA and .908 Save Percentage in 24 games. When you dig a little further and look at Fleury's regular season stats he's right around the middle of the pack, average, he seems to just float by in the regular season. Which begs the question, does Marc-Andre Fleury just benefit from a skilled Penguins roster?

For a goalie that has a Stanley Cup ring, Olympic gold medal and two World Junior Championship silver medals, Fleury certainly isn't playing like a championship level goalie.

It doesn't matter if a team has the skill to score 8 goals a game, if they don't get key saves from their goalie when they need them they will continue to lose. When a goalie lets in a weak goal, the team know's and it takes a lot of momentum out of their game. What good is it to score 6 goals if your goalie is just going let in 7?

If you watched the game and saw the reactions of the Penguins players after the weak goals, you can see how frustrated the Penguin players are with their netminder. The players have lost faith in Fleury and now is the perfect time to play $4 million back-up Tomas Vokoun.

Tomas Vokoun is 3-0 against the New York Islanders this season with a .90 G AA and a .970 Save Percentage. Putting in Vokoun who has been solid against the Islanders, may be the Penguins only move in game 5. Fleury and the Penguins are reeling and looking for answers, Vokoun may be the answer. Switching goalies may serve as a wake-up call for the Penguins who have been out-played 5 on 5 by the Islanders in games 2, 3 and 4. Vokoun is a very capable goalie and not your average back-up goalie. With 13 NHL seasons under his belt he's been around the league and has experience.

Two things people can take away from this series; The Penguins aren't as good as everyone believes they are and the Islanders aren't as bad as everyone believes. The Islanders have been, out-working and out-skating the Penguins, using their speed and youth to their advantage. The Islanders also don't have any pressure, no one gave them a shot in this series, if they pull off the upset all the focus will still be on what went wrong for the Penguins. The Islanders deserve some credit for playing their best and forcing the Penguins to make a goalie change, they've come out a lot better than everyone expected.

While goaltending isn't the only issue for the Penguins in this series, it's a big piece of the puzzle. At this point heading into game 5 the Penguins don't have any other choice than to play Tomas Vokoun. You can't throw a delicate ticking time bomb in Fleury back out there, that would be feeding him to the Wolves who already know they can eat him.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If the Penguins want to advance in the playoffs they'd be wise to give Tomas Vokoun some playing time. Crosby has the skill and wants to win multiple Stanley Cups, don't waste his skill waiting for a goalie to figure out his playoff woes.

The Unsung Hero Of Each Playoff Team

Every team has big name players that are counted on to produce and carry the team. These players like Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry, get all the glory when the team is successful. But when the stars stop producing it's up to the secondary players to step up and fill in the hole. While the unsung hero of each playoff team may not get the recognition or attention, their team wouldn't be nearly as good without them.

Chicago Blackhawks- Niklas Hjalmarsson

When you look at the Blackhawks blue line the names that pop out are Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Rarely do you immediately think of 25 year-old Niklas Hjalmarsson as one of the team's top defenceman. Despite being a relative unknown, he's paired with Keith on the Blackhawks top defencive pairing and has been given the task of facing the Minnesota Wild's top players.

He's one of the Blackhawks best penalty killers and leads all Blackhawk players in time on the ice while shorthanded averaging 2:45 a game. New this year Hjalmarsson has also added some offence to his game. He put 10 points on the board in 46 games on the Blackhawks blue line.

Pittsburgh Penguins- Matt Niskanen

Much like Niklas Hjalmarsson, when you look at the Penguins blue line Matt Niskanen isn't the first name that comes to mind. But Niskanen had a solid season, putting up 14 points (3rd best for Penguins D) and averaging over 20 minutes a night. To pick an unsung hero for a team like the Penguins is so difficult as they have stars all throughout their line-up but Niskanen is a guy who is a consistent producing defenceman who continually flies under the radar.

Anaheim Ducks- Daniel Winnik

Daniel Winnik has turned himself into a key player for the Ducks. Winnik finds his home on the third line wing with Saku Koivu and Andrew Cogliano. The three of quickly become one of the Ducks most creative and dangerous lines combining for 69 points in the regular season. In addition to the lines offence, they've also become the Ducks go-to shutdown line and have been given the task of shutting down the always-dangerous Pavel Datsyuk.

Winnik has been a fantastic two-way forward this season, focusing on his own end first (+13) and still putting up 19 points. Daniel Winnik is the type of forward that teams win with and right now the Ducks are benefiting from his strong play. Look for him to play a big role in the Ducks Stanley Cup run.

Montreal Canadiens- Brandon Prust

When a guy is voted as the unsung hero of a team, then you can't not put him on the list. Brandon Prust has had a huge impact on the Canadiens. From helping with their physical play to mentoring Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, Prust has done it all for the Canadiens and he's even had an impact on the scoreboard.

Prust suited up for 38 games in his first season with the Canadiens and put up 14 points and led the team with 110 penalty minutes. He's stepped up as leader for the Canadiens and proved to be a very valuable asset. For the Canadiens to make a deep playoff run they'll need Prust to play his best and by the off-ice leader of the Habs.

Boston Bruins- Dennis Seidenberg

Dennis Seidenberg may be one of the most underrated defenceman in the entire Eastern Conference. He has a Stanley Cup ring, 52 games of NHL playoff experience and is one of the Boston Bruins top defenceman night in and night out. Yet he is continually overlooked.

Seidenberg is the type of player who can do it all. The coach has faith to send him into any situation. He ranked second in the NHL in plus/minus, was 2nd amongst Bruins defenceman in points (17) and he took just 5 penalties all season. He's the type of defenceman who understands just how valuable he is and what it takes to win. He laid his body on the line to block 115 shots this season, that dedication and heart.

St. Louis Blues- Chris Stewart

When I looked at the St. Louis Blues' stats from this season, I was shocked to see Chris Stewart leading the team in scoring. Chris Stewart is not only the Blues unsung hero he's also one of the most under-appreciated players in the Western Conference.

Stewart put up 36 points this season with the Blues, more than he has in any other season and doing so this year in just 48 games. He lead the Blues in goals, power play goals and points, despite playing four minutes a night less than David Backes who put up 28 points. The Blues in general are a pretty under the radar team, but despite that they've managed a 2-0 series lead over the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Teams overestimating Christ Stewart and the Blues can only help the Blues.

Los Angeles Kings- Trevor Lewis

Anytime your own teammates crown you the unsung hero of your team you know you're doing something right. Trevor Lewis plays wing on a line with Jarret Stoll and Dwight King, the line was a key part in the Kings Stanley Cup win last season. Once again the three will show what they can do in the playoffs. Dwight King was the surprise last playoffs scoring 5 goals and finishing 3rd on the team in playoff scoring and this post-season many are expecting Trevor Lewis to play the same role.

“He’s got the skill, he’s got the shot, he’s got the speed. Just a matter of not only our line but every line coming together and ramping it up an extra notch or two." ~ Jarret Stoll

Lewis finished with 14 points through 48 games while averaging 15 minutes a night and was one of the Kings best penalty killers. If the Kings are to come back from being down 2-0 in round one, Trevor Lewis will need to start scoring again.

Vancouver Canucks- Jannik Hansen

Jannik Hansen finished the season as the 4th leading scorer for the Canucks behind the Sedin twins and Derrick Roy. Hansen put up 27 points in 47 games this season and continued to prove just how valuable he can be- despite being the 10th highest paid forward. Hansen kills penalties, spends time on the power play and uses his great speed for both offence and defence. He plays a great defencive game and was +12 on the year. He's one of the most versatile Canucks forwards as he can play either wing and fit in on any line.

Toronto Maple Leafs- Jay McClement

At the beginning of the 2013 season no one expected the Leafs to even come close to the playoffs. But thanks to a break out season from Nazem Kadri, stellar goaltending from James Reimer and great coaching from Randy Carlyle, the Leafs are in the playoffs. But aside from the big names on the Leafs another player who deserves some major credit is Jay McClement.

The biggest turnaround for the Leafs has been their penalty killing. Last season they were the 3rd worst penalty killing team in the league, this season they're 3rd best. Who's been killing all these penalties- Jay McClement. If you're questioning the impact that McClement could have had on the PK, just remember he was the cornerstone of the Avalanche PK that went from 30th to 12th once he joined.

McClement is a versatile forward who can fit anywhere in the line-up and take key face-offs when Tyler Bozak needs a break. He wears an A his jersey and provides solid veteran leadership for this young Leafs team. Picking up Jay McClement may have been one of Brian Burke's best moves.

Washington Capitals- John Carlson

Time to put another defenceman on the list. When you think of the Washington Capitals you don't exactly think of a shutdown defencive team, you think of the highflying Alex Ovechkin. Even the Capitals defenceman have exceptional offence and a prime example is John Carlson.

But Carlson's defence is extremely underrated. Carlson ranks 7th on the Capitals and 2nd in defenceman with 22 points. But aside from the offence Carlson is 2nd on the blue line with 59 hits and leads all Capitals defenceman with 17 takeaways. He ranked 3rd in the NHL with 123 blocked shots. Adam Oates also trusts John Carlson on the penalty kill and as a result is the Capitals best penalty killer averaging 2:53 on the power kill. Not bad for an "offensive-minded defenceman".

San Jose Sharks- TJ Galiardi

Galiardi is a player who has struggled to find his place in the NHL and at the beginning of this season it looked like he still hadn't found his place. But Galiardi picked up his play near the end of the season and began to look like the player of the future that the Sharks thought he was. He but up 14 points in 36 games with the Sharks and was a +1.

New York Rangers- Derek Stepan

It's easy to get over-looked in New York City. With all the bright lights, big names and sports teams there is so much happening in the city. The Rangers stars include the king Henrik Lundqvist, Rich Nash, Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards, but one player who's managed to fall through the cracks is Derek Stepan. For a player whoes coach was worried about centering the 2nd line, Derek Stepan has silenced all his critics.

The 22 year-old had a break-out season that saw him lead the New York Rangers with 44 points and 18 goals. He had a stellar end to the season, notching 3 game-winning goals and recording 7 multi-point games insuring his Rangers a spot in the Playoffs. John Tortorella has gone from being worried about the youngster to using him in any situation- Power play or penalty kill.

Detroit Red Wings- Justin Abdelkader

Aside from Red Wings fans, how many of you have heard of Justin Abdelkader? Now how many of you have heard of Pavel Datsyuk? Well Abdelkader is a winger on the Pavel Datsyuk line. He brings a strong net presence and is one of the Red Wings best Penalty killers. He put up 13 points in 48 games this season.

Ottawa Senators- Patrick Wiercioch

Senators rookie defenceman Patrick Wiercioch put up 19 points from the blue line, ranking him 2nd amongst Senators defence. Wiercioch has been brought up through the Sens program and has transformed into a solid offencive defenceman.

Minnesota Wild- Mikko Koivu

After a big offseason all the focus this season was on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, someone who was overlooked was the guys wearing the C- Mikko Koivu. To the surprise of many Koivu actually out-scored James Neal, Corey Perry and Jarome Iginla, not bad for the Wild captain who was overshadowed. These numbers are typical for Koivu yet he still doesn't get the recognition he deserves around the league; Hopefully the playoffs will be his coming out party.

New York Islanders- Frans Nielsen

The Islanders this season were carried by the play of John Tavares and Evgeni Nabokov, but those two got a little help along the way. Frans Nielsen finished 4th on the team in scoring with 29 points, now while Nielsen has never lead the Islanders in scoring or even made an all-star appearance he's still a key member of their team. He's become a key member of the penalty kill and often generates short-handed chances based on his creativity. While Tavares may lead the way, without the help from players like Nielsen it would have been another year without a post-season birth for the Islanders.

Why Eric Gryba Shouldn't Have Been Suspended

By now I'm sure you've seen the Eric Gryba hit that left Lars Eller unconscious and lying in a pool of blood. It was a nasty hit to watch, as Eller was unconscious before he hit the ice and a hit you knew the NHL was going to take a look at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNOwP3fUW6c

After contact Eller's body flew violently through the air and he landed face first on the ice. He lay unconscious with blood pouring from his face. He lay motionless for several minutes and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He was released from hospital and is said to have suffered a concussion, multiple facial fractures, and he lost some teeth.

Immediately after Eric Gryba laid the hit, debate broke out about the legality of the hit and whether it was a head shot or a suspendable offence. League disciplinary Brendan Shanahan decided that the hit did deem a suspension and handed Eric Gryba a two-game suspension.

While the NHL saw the hit as suspendable there is still some serious debate about the hit; Is this really the type of hit the NHL is trying to take out of the game or was this just the Shanahan appeasing the fans?

It's never a good scene to see a player unconscious and lying in a heap of blood. Your heart breaks for the player and his family as there's no guarantee he'll ever play again or be the same. But at the same time this is playoff hockey and with playoff hockey comes hard, bone crushing hits.

Gryba was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct, but the hit wasn't interference. I'm okay with Gryba receiving a game misconduct right after the hit. It's best to get him off the ice after that huge hit. Emotions are running high and the Montreal Canadiens would have had a bounty on his head. But the referees need to at least get the call right, this was in no way interference.

Eric Gryba delivered the hit while the puck was on Eller's stick. Interference is called when a player hits an opposing player who isn't in possession of the puck. Eller had the puck on his stick making him fair game for a big open ice hit. If anything, the better call on the play would have been a major for elbowing.

This was a horrible suicide pass from Rafeal Diaz, but I'm sure he already feels bad enough so let's not harp on him. Plain and simple this was a hockey hit gone horribly wrong. It's a collision you see virtually in every NHL game and a play that the Ottawa Senators use in their game plan.

Take a look at Jared Cowen levelling Jeff Skinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2A4Z2ikaHU

This is in essence the same hit, but Cowen wasn't suspended. The reason Cowen wasn't suspended as opposed to Gryba is due to the extent of the injury. As much as the NHL doesn't want their suspensions to be based off the extent of the injury on the play, sometimes that's the way it works. After seeing Eller unconscious in a pool of blood there isn't anyway you can't suspend Eric Gryba, it looks bad.

When you fully look at the hit and dissect it, Eric Gryba didn't leave his feet, he didn't land a flying elbow and Lars Eller's head wasn't the principal point of contact. Which makes this a clean hockey hit, anytime you take the puck up the middle of the ice you open yourself up for a big hit. The blood that was pouring from Eller's face was from the impact of his face hitting the ice, not the hit.

The toughest thing about this play is Eric Gryba had to lay a hit there in the neutral zone, it's his job. What if Gryba chose not to hit Eller and Eller passed the puck to another player or takes the puck himself and scores? Gryba read the play perfectly and wasn't going to pass up the hit, after all he's in the NHL because of his physical play. The injury to Eller was unfortunate but Eric Gryba's hit was the right play.

This is the prime example of how the NHL deals with borderline hits and suspensions. If there's a player lying on the ice unconscious or in a pool of blood, or if the player leaves the ice on a stretcher chances are the player who laid the hit is going to get suspended. If you look at the elbow Andrew Ference laid on Mikhail Grabovski, there's more intent to injure in that play yet Ference only got a one-game suspension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Aq5kTC2XpY

The NHL needs to take a long hard look at the way they're handing out suspensions before the NHL turns into the no hitting league. Eric Gryba laid a clean, hard hockey hit that any defenceman or player would step up to make. It's the type of hit players anticipate in their sleep, a big open ice hit.

Aside from the injury to Lars Eller, there is no way Eric Gryba should have suspended at all. In fact if Eller had not been injured and skated off under his own power there's no suspension. This was a clean, big, hockey hit that unfortunately went wrong. The suspension was the NHL's attempt to please people who thought this was a dirty hit and to make up for Eller's injuries.

Why the Leafs Stand A Chance Against the Bruins

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs played their first playoff game in 9 years. What was supposed to be a happy moment for Leaf fans, turned into a nightmare when they found out just how good the Boston Bruins are.

Despite the fact the Leafs got manhandled during the opening game of this series, there's still a lot of hockey to be played and the Leafs still have a shot against the Bruins. There was no question heading into this series that this would be a tough match for the Leafs, but every match-up in the playoffs is tough.

My biggest pet peeve is many Leafs fans' started counting the Leafs out before the puck even dropped on this series. I understand that the Bruins have won 9 of the last 10 games against the Leafs, but the playoffs are a different story, everything else gets wiped away. Yes the Bruins destroyed the Leafs last night, but a bounce or two in favour of the Leafs and it's a different hockey game. If James van Riemsdyk had buried the puck instead of hitting the crossbar, then the Leafs are up 2-1 instead of down 2-1 after the first.

The Leafs, at least for the first period were in the game and competing hard against the Bruins. If you call yourself a Leafs fan and are saying they don't stand a chance, don't call yourself a Leafs fan. You're not being a realist, anything can happen in the playoffs and Leafs match up just fine against the Bruins.

The good news for the Leafs is players like Nazem Kadri, James Reimer and Tyler Bozak who didn't have any NHL playoff experience, now have an NHL playoff game under their belt. They got their first taste of playoff hockey and now they know what's it's like and what it takes to be successful in the playoffs. Using what they learned in the last game, not just the rookies but all the Leafs, can now come out better prepared for game two.

Here's my three reasons why the Leafs stand a chance and if they utilize these aspects, could defeat the Bruins.

1. Goaltending

As inexperienced James Reimer is in the playoffs, Tuukka Rask is also pretty inexperienced. Rask was the backup in 2011 and 2012 and was responsible to the Bruins mega collapse in 2010. Last night Rask did not look good. He looked shaky and frustrated early on and if the Leafs had managed some sustained pressure they would have been able to beat him early.

While this may not be a popular opinion, I think the Leafs have better goaltending this year  in James Reimer than the Bruins do in Rask.

Reimer has something to prove, he wants to show the Leafs brass that he can get the job done and be the number one goalie for the Leafs in the future.

If James Reimer can find his game and hold the Leafs in games where they're being outplayed the Leafs will have the edge between the pipes.

2. Special Teams

The Leafs have a very skilled roster. With players like Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak. Aside from Tyler Seguin the Bruins don't have any young skilled forwards.

The Leafs also boast the 2nd best penalty kill in the league. While the Bruins also have a solid penalty kill heir power play is horrendous ranking 26th in the league. If the Leafs can make the most of their opportunities with the extra man and limit their time spent in the box, they'll win the special teams battle.

3. Leafs aren't afraid of the Bruins

For the Leafs to go into this series thinking they're going to beat the Bruins physically is just wrong. You can't beat the Bruins at their own game. Many have tried and all have failed, the Bruins WILL ALWAYS win the physical battle. There's not one player on their roster who won't beat the crap out of an opposing player.

But the Bruins count on hard-hitting and intimidating their opponents to win games. The good news is the Leafs aren't intimidated or afraid of the Bruins. They know what to expect from the Bruins and they know they're going to get hit and beat up in this series. You saw Mikhail Grabovski get assaulted several times last night but he never shied away.

So while the Leafs can't be more physical than the Bruins, they can frustrate them by not giving up or joining them. The old saying- "If you can't beat them join them", is what the Bruins count on. They coax their opponents into an intense physical battle and strike when their opponents are off their game plan. The Leafs need to play tough but stick to their game plan and not roll over. If the Leafs can hang tough and keep coming back for more punishment, they'll frustrate the Bruins and likely force them into taking dumb penalties.

Here's an interesting tidbit for all you Leafs fans out there. The last time a 5th seed won the Stanley Cup was the New Jersey Devils after the last lockout shortened season. Guess who the Devils beat in round one? The Boston Bruins.

While it isn't going to be easy and it wont be likely, if the Leafs can get stellar goaltending from James Reimer, make the Bruins pay for taking stupid penalties and force them into taking stupid penalties, there is a chance the Leafs can take this series.

 

Having said that I still stick to my prediction of Bruins in 6 games.

 

Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Stand A Chance Against the Boston Bruins

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs played their first playoff game in 9 years. What was supposed to be a happy moment for Leaf fans, turned into a nightmare when they found out just how good the Boston Bruins are.

Despite the fact the Leafs got manhandled during the opening game of this series, there's still a lot of hockey to be played and the Leafs still have a shot against the Bruins. There was no question heading into this series that this would be a tough match for the Leafs, but every match-up in the playoffs is tough.

My biggest pet peeve is many Leafs fans' started counting the Leafs out before the puck even dropped on this series. I understand that the Bruins have won 9 of the last 10 games against the Leafs, but the playoffs are a different story, everything else gets wiped away. Yes the Bruins destroyed the Leafs last night, but a bounce or two in favour of the Leafs and it's a different hockey game. If James van Riemsdyk had buried the puck instead of hitting the crossbar, then the Leafs are up 2-1 instead of down 2-1 after the first.

The Leafs, at least for the first period were in the game and competing hard against the Bruins. If you call yourself a Leafs fan and are saying they don't stand a chance, don't call yourself a Leafs fan. You're not being a realist, anything can happen in the playoffs and Leafs match up just fine against the Bruins.

The good news for the Leafs is players like Nazem Kadri, James Reimer and Tyler Bozak who didn't have any NHL playoff experience, now have an NHL playoff game under their belt. They got their first taste of playoff hockey and now they know what's it's like and what it takes to be successful in the playoffs. Using what they learned in the last game, not just the rookies but all the Leafs, can now come out better prepared for game two.

Here's my three reasons why the Leafs stand a chance and if they utilize these aspects, could defeat the Bruins.

1. Goaltending
As inexperienced James Reimer is in the playoffs, Tuukka Rask is also pretty inexperienced. Rask was the backup in 2011 and 2012 and was responsible to the Bruins mega collapse in 2010. Last night Rask did not look good. He looked shaky and frustrated early on and if the Leafs had managed some sustained pressure they would have been able to beat him early.

While this may not be a popular opinion, I think the Leafs have better goaltending this year in James Reimer than the Bruins do in Rask.

Reimer has something to prove, he wants to show the Leafs brass that he can get the job done and be the number one goalie for the Leafs in the future.

If James Reimer can find his game and hold the Leafs in games where they're being outplayed the Leafs will have the edge between the pipes.

2. Special Teams
The Leafs have a very skilled roster. With players like Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak. Aside from Tyler Seguin the Bruins don't have any young skilled forwards.

 The Leafs also boast the 2nd best penalty kill in the league. While the Bruins also have a solid penalty kill heir power play is horrendous ranking 26th in the league. If the Leafs can make the most of their opportunities with the extra man and limit their time spent in the box, they'll win the special teams battle.


3. Leafs aren't afraid of the Bruins
For the Leafs to go into this series thinking they're going to beat the Bruins physically is just wrong. You can't beat the Bruins at their own game. Many have tried and all have failed, the Bruins WILL ALWAYS win the physical battle. There's not one player on their roster who won't beat the crap out of an opposing player.

But the Bruins count on hard-hitting and intimidating their opponents to win games. The good news is the Leafs aren't intimidated or afraid of the Bruins. They know what to expect from the Bruins and they know they're going to get hit and beat up in this series. You saw Mikhail Grabovski get assaulted several times last night but he never shied away.

So while the Leafs can't be more physical than the Bruins, they can frustrate them by not giving up or joining them. The old saying- "If you can't beat them join them", is what the Bruins count on. They coax their opponents into an intense physical battle and strike when their opponents are off their game plan. The Leafs need to play tough but stick to their game plan and not roll over. If the Leafs can hang tough and keep coming back for more punishment, they'll frustrate the Bruins and likely force them into taking dumb penalties.

Here's an interesting tidbit for all you Leafs fans out there. The last time a 5th seed won the Stanley Cup was the New Jersey Devils after the last lockout shortened season. Guess who the Devils beat in round one? The Boston Bruins.

While it isn't going to be easy and it wont be likely, if the Leafs can get stellar goaltending from James Reimer, make the Bruins pay for taking stupid penalties and force them into taking stupid penalties, there is a chance the Leafs can take this series.

Having said that I still stick to my prediction of Bruins in 6 games.