Toronto Maple Leafs (8) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (9) - East Play In Round

[DusterDave]

That Foudy goal is on Keefe, the skaters that changed and Freddy. Blame goes all around for that one. Funny thing is, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. They were so bad that 1-0 would have been enough.

[Axeman33]

I know lots of people are blaming the bad line change for the Foudy goal, but I’m just not sure I’m buying it. I mean it was definitely a terrible line change, but what did it cost them? Based on their positioning, Foudy was getting that puck either way, and they didn’t even give up a scoring chance. He shot at a bad angle, from distance, from the bottom of the circle. I like Freddie and he’s a good goalie, but that is simply a stop that an NHL goaltender has to stop 100% of the time. There was no threat of a pass and no angle for the shot and it somehow still goes in.

Agreed. It was a 1 on 1 play (there was a Dman back between Foudy and Andersen) that was a bad goal for Freddie. He should have had that one. Just a crappy break for him. You cant let that goal in from that angle.

The better team won. As I said when I made my prediction here, CBJ is a team built for playoffs. Better coached, harder working and for some of us who actually follow the Blue Jackets (I am a closet Blue Jackets fan), better goaltending. They dont have the big named snipers but they work hard for every goal and work harder to make sure you dont score on them. That's normally a recipe for success.

It was funny watching the clip a couple games ago of Torts barking at Dubois on the bench, and Dubois coming back at him. A few friends mentioned that to me and I simply told them that was Torts being Torts, energizing his players. That was the same game Dubois scored a hattie. Motivation at it's finest right there!

[2014olympicgold]

Congrats CBJ, that was a fun series to watch. 2 different styles coming at each other. Had fun watching the chess match. The loaded up line in game 5 for the Leafs was fun to watch, they had their chances too. Jones/Werenski shut things down and when Tavares slipped through, Korp denied it.

2 things I did not agree with Keefe doing was Marincin over Sandin. And Nylander at center for game 5 (had to though for the loaded up line). Marincin when he gets hemmed in his own zone, he has 0 energy and it's a PK with 5 guys on the ice because he doesn't move. Johnsson coming into game 5 was a gamble, and he was absolutely robbed when I think it was 2-0, which if he scored different game and the play to have him in the lineup over Robertson looks like a good move.

Congrats CBj once again.

[Eskimo Brother]

Robertson is probably going to take that pretty hard and I think now he has some added motivation coming into next season and just goes off.

[Axeman33]

I missed the first couple minutes of the game last night, but was there any mention where Dubas was last night? Is he not in the bubble? I saw Shanny lots but no Dubas.

[2014olympicgold]

I missed the first couple minutes of the game last night, but was there any mention where Dubas was last night? Is he not in the bubble? I saw Shanny lots but no Dubas.

I honestly didn't notice that. Maybe he was going through some form of protocol for possibly being at the draft lottery tonight? Maybe there was some form of testing they had to do?

[DusterDave]

I missed the first couple minutes of the game last night, but was there any mention where Dubas was last night? Is he not in the bubble? I saw Shanny lots but no Dubas.

I noticed that too. No mention of Dubas but he was MIA. Could have been picking his bags.

[Daydream Nation]

I am now disappointed since Tampa/Toronto would have been very entertaining. Columbus playing Tort's playoff hockey is boring.

[rataylor22]

That Foudy goal is on Keefe, the skaters that changed and Freddy. Blame goes all around for that one. Funny thing is, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. They were so bad that 1-0 would have been enough.

Again, this is fine, but why? Because you dislike Keefe? At the time Foudy shot, it was a 2 on 4. Even with the line change, Toronto had numbers.

[GinFizz]

It was funny watching the clip a couple games ago of Torts barking at Dubois on the bench, and Dubois coming back at him. A few friends mentioned that to me and I simply told them that was Torts being Torts, energizing his players. That was the same game Dubois scored a hattie. Motivation at it's finest right there!

Marner and Matthews would have cried in their towels. Ill take PLD over either of those 2 any day.

[hockeyrobot]

I am now disappointed since Tampa/Toronto would have been very entertaining. Columbus playing Tort's playoff hockey is boring.

Gotta agree with this.

Upsets are fun and all but more often than not they end up with that underdog running out of steam in the next round anyway so I would always rather have the best teams moving on.

[Axeman33]

Gotta agree with this.

Upsets are fun and all but more often than not they end up with that underdog running out of steam in the next round anyway so I would always rather have the best teams moving on.

I actually like that gritty, hard forechecking hockey. It's not like the old Devils trap hockey by any means thankfully.

[Axeman33]

Torts showing once again why he's my favorite coach in the NHL. He defends Keefe and the criticism he's getting after the game last night.

https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/2000063

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is well-known for his unapologetic attitude, but this time he's showing support for first-year Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe after his squad fell in the qualifying round to the Blue Jackets.

"I just can't get over people ripping Sheldon Keefe and his staff as far as the job he's done with that Maple Leafs team," Tortorella said, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "They have done a terrific job with that team."

"Some of the things I read, some of the things I watched last night ... it just pisses me off for a fellow coach in the league, and I know it's Toronto, a great city, great hockey town, love being here," he added. "But some of the things he's criticized for are beyond belief, and it just shows that people have no clue what's going on in this game. I just want to support him."

[blayze]

What are people ripping Keefe for? (legit question I try to avoid the local media here)

I think he made the right moves. Loading up the top line worked in game 4 and would've been foolish to break up for game 5. That leaves Nylander at C... what else can you do. Johnsson/Robertson wouldn't have made a diff.

At some point the players have to be held accountable.

[The Comish]

What are people ripping Keefe for? (legit question I try to avoid the local media here)

I think he made the right moves. Loading up the top line worked in game 4 and would've been foolish to break up for game 5. That leaves Nylander at C... what else can you do. Johnsson/Robertson wouldn't have made a diff.

At some point the players have to be held accountable.