Eastern Conference First Round: (2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (3) Tampa Bay Lightning

[Daydream Nation]

Leafs in 5

[Feenom]

Oh oh, shaky start for Leafs. Look a bit unorganized on the back end.

[hockeyrobot]

Much better response the second half of the period. Now just need to come through.

[CAN-AM Commish]

TB flipping that playoff switch to ON mode.

[hockeyrobot]

TB flipping that playoff switch to ON mode.

TB with the old rope a dope down the stretch to make everyone pick Toronto.

[Invictus]

It's one period. Chill.
This is how it started out vs Columbus.

But I am loving these TBL goals

[Feenom]

Bunting doing his best impression of Kadri. What a moron.

[2014olympicgold]

My quick notes:
- Bunting deserved a game misconduct. And he deserves a game suspension.
- The reffing was awful. That "slash" on Perry was embarrassing. He loses the puck and does the exact same "slash" right after (Kampf got the slashing penalty)
- The score to me is closer than 7-3 suggested. This might be controversial thought though.
- I still don't get how Wes McCauley can ref vs the Leafs.
- I don't think Tampa played well in the 1st. I think it was the Leafs playing bad. Once the Leafs got their feet under them, that's how I thought the series would go.
- Leafs got caught trying to line match WAY too much in the first minute, and that's what lead to the goal. I get line matching, but if it's like what that first 30s of the game was like...the Leafs can't get caught in that. Their power is you can't line match vs them. Or that's how they should be looking at it.
- Huge loses by Tampa if Hedman and Cernak can't play going forward.
- Leafs put the choking at the front of the series and not the back of the series. Big Brain play.

I think Knies is in Game 2. Samsonov is back in Game 2. Refs will keep up the tight calls till game 4 or 5, and it'll fall into the "traditional calls".

[Belexus75]

to me as bad as refs were they did not loose this game for the leafs....they did however set negative tone imo...they did help TB building on the confidence but teams at this level should easily snap out of it and leafs did not...instead Mr. Idiot got himself suspended and as much as i liked what i saw in Knies...this really hurts leafs as Bunting he is their best LW.

[tweetdrivr]

Problem here is now the Leafs are gripping the stick even tighter. This 1st round thing has firmly taken up residence in their collective psyche and game 1 just took that up to 11. Game 2 is a must win.

[Locke]

While the terrible start and ultimately the Bunting idiocy cost the Leafs the game, a couple of really weak calls sapped their momentum. The Schenn 'crosscheck' was a joke. The Kampf 'slash' also, and that one came just as the Leafs were getting back into the game. Frustrating to watch.

[2014olympicgold]

While the terrible start and ultimately the Bunting idiocy cost the Leafs the game, a couple of really weak calls sapped their momentum. The Schenn 'crosscheck' was a joke. The Kampf 'slash' also, and that one came just as the Leafs were getting back into the game. Frustrating to watch.

2nd period:
7:19 - Cernak Roughing Penalty (the hit after the whistle on Bunting, could be argued as a Bunting Dive)
8:06 - ROR PP Goal
9:27 - Schenn Cross Check Penalty

11:31 - Colton Slashing Penalty (the slash on Rielly on the 2on1 pass)
13:11 - Nylander PP Goal
13:59 - Kampf Slashing Penalty

[Locke]

2nd period:
7:19 - Cernak Roughing Penalty
8:06 - ROR PP Goal
9:27 - Schenn Cross Check Penalty

11:31 - Colton Slashing Penalty
13:11 - Nylander PP Goal
13:59 - Kampf Slashing Penalty

If you're saying it's inaccurate to say the Schenn penalty sapped their momentum I agree. The Kampf one certainly did though, and they were both terrible calls.

[2014olympicgold]

If you're saying it's inaccurate to say the Schenn penalty sapped their momentum I agree. The Kampf one certainly did though, and they were both terrible calls.

I'm saying both calls were awful, and they were the refs managing penalties rather than actually calling penalties.

The timing of the penalties, and the penalties called...just scream "ok now it's Tampa's turn on the PP"

The Leafs PK on the Schenn penalty actually gave the Leafs momentum. They had like 30 blocks on that PK.

[Feenom]

It’s the Leafs who lost that game. They came out flat and with no real energy. Giveaways and dumb penalties sealed it.