Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins – ECQF Game #6 Preview, Analysis & Projected Lines

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the tragic incident at Yonge and Finch and their families.

A statement from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization:

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m.  |  Arena: Air Canada Centre  |  TV: CBC  |  Radio: SN 590

Playoff Stats

Game Day Quotes

Babcock on Nazem Kadri’s first game back and returning in between Marleau and Marner on the matchup line:

I thought Naz played real well last game with Johnny and Willy and had a solid night for us, but I thought we had a real good game going, then we took six penalties, and then the game disintegrated for us. I said yesterday: Lots of guys sat there and froze to death. Other guys played too much. So, ideally, we can stay out of the box tonight and play right.

Nazem Kadri on the keys to shutting down the Bergeron line:

Their transition game is so good. Their D move the puck up to the forwards so well. Those guys can definitely pick lanes through the neutral zone and hit the offensive zone with speed. They’re pretty crafty and elusive. I think it’s just trying to congest that neutral zone as much as possible.

Babcock on what he thought of Connor Brown on Auston Matthews’ wing:

I thought Matty was more engaged, didn’t spend much time in his own zone and did a better job of playing defensively fast so he could get on offence quick. In this league, especially against good players, you end up in your own zone chasing the puck all the time, and it ends up being a long night; usually zaps the life out of you. I think both teams understand that, so when you have the puck, you don’t want to give it back to them.

Babcock on the benefits of having the pressure of a must-win game:

You want to consider yourself — part way through your career, or at least by the end — that you’re a guy who got it done at this time, when it mattered. I don’t think you’ve got to do special things, I think you’ve got to do your job. If you all do your own job, you can be great together. I think so often we think of a big game and someone hit a home run over the fence, but it was all those plays before that allowed him to hit a home run over the fence. Just do your job, start on time, be mentally tough. On lots of shifts tonight, nothing’s going to happen. There’s not a lot of room and a lot of 50-50 shifts, so understand that and be patient with it.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy on what he’s liked about his bottom line in this series:

Lots of determination and foot work. They all kill penalties. They’re not labelled as scorers, but they can all score a goal here and there, and they have 5-on-5. Good puck possession guys. They can play a physical game yet they’re fairly disciplined. Lots of good traits. They’re not fast, but they have an ability to play north south so that they don’t play slow. They’re reliable for us; that’s why we like them the most. We trust them against anybody.

Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lineup

Forwards
Hyman – Matthews – Brown
(5-1-3-4) – (5-1-1-2) – (5-1-3-4)  |  Total Goals: 3
Marleau – Kadri – Marner
  (5-2-1-3) – (2-0-1-1) – (5-1-5-6)  |  Total Goals: 3
Van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Kapanen
  (5-3-1-4) – (5-2-2-4) – (5-0-0-0)  |  Total Goals: 5
Johnsson – Plekanec – Nylander
 (4-1-1-2) – (5-1-1-2) – (5-0-1-1)  |  Total Goals: 2

Defencemen
Rielly – Hainsey
 (5-0-5-5) – (5-0-0-0) |  Total Goals: 0
Gardiner – Zaitsev
 (5-0-1-1) – (5-0-0-0) |  Total Goals: 0
Dermott – Polak
(5-0-0-0) – (5-0-0-0) |  Total Goals: 0

Goaltenders
Andersen (.895 sv%)
McElhinney (.826 sv%)

Extras: Leivo, Martin, Carrick, Komarov

Boston Bruins Projected Lineup

Forwards
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
(5-2-5-7) – (4-0-5-5) – (5-4-7-11) | Total Goals: 6
Debrusk – Krejci – Rick Nash
  (5-2-2-4) – (5-2-2-4) – (5-1-0-1) | Total Goals: 5
Heinen – Riley Nash – Backes
(5-0-0-0) – (3-0-0-0) – (5-2-0-2)  | Total Goals: 2
Schaller – Kuraly – Acciari
(5-0-2-2) – (5-2-2-4) – (5-1-1-2)  | Total Goals: 3

Extras: Gionta, Wingels

Defencemen
Chara – McAvoy
 (5-1-1-2) – (5-0-1-1) | Total Goals: 0
Krug – Miller
 (5-2-7-9) – (5-1-1-2) | Total Goals: 3
Grzelcyk – McQuaid
(4-0-1-1) – (5-1-1-2) | Total Goals: 1

Goaltenders
Rask (.904 sv%)
Khudobin (N/A)

Injuries: Brandon Carlo