Thoughts? I didn't think the Leafs were good enough to beat Boston before the series started, but now.....could be a quick ending series.

Losing Kadri does suck... I still think we have the depth to make it work... I thought adding more size would help us vs Boston... make Boston think twice before running down every star on our roster...

Gardiner was also horrific in GM 1... would like to see him sit to mull his play over

I don't know how "depth" helps. You basically play three lines anyway, so playing your fourth or "fifth" lines more are pretty meaningless. OK sit Gardiner and what play Carrick? If anything (if possible) I would play the top two lines, who ever they are as much as possible. Even dress seven Dmen, if it meant to keep them fresh.

Rielly and Hainsey were horrific, not Gardiner. All year it's been the same story with that pairing, they're brutal in their own end.
Gardiner had a horrible give away in the first period but he was great the rest of the way.

Babcock and everyone else need to stop with this" Rielly is the #1 D" narrative, he's not. Yet. He is terrible defensively but can skate and likes to shoot.

Gardiner is the best D the team has and has been for years. Hainsey is flat out garbage now.

If the lineup isn't shuffled significantly, this will be a short series. Hyman is off of the 1st line which is shocking but he's replaced by Komarov? Talk about useless.

Rielly is still young... makes a lot of mistakes yes... Gardiner is a Top 4 d man. Getting asked to do too much. I think as of right now Zaitsev is who impressed me the most. Granted I only watched the 1st two periods of the Leafs game because after the Bruins got their 3rd goal, I was just frustrated. So I likely missed something to warrant praise to Gardiner.

If the Bruins get too chippy, the 4th line I have can play chippy. I believe the Leafs did play a 4 line game though in Game 1. I saw Pleks, Kapanen and Komarov out quite a bit... didn't see Bozak, JVR out as much

Rielly will learn and has a bright future, no doubt, but his defensive play is one of the reasons the Leafs are who they are.
Zaitsev had a horrible year but he was hurt and is only now starting to come around. Hainsey on the other hand, is trending the other way.
Gardiner takes the brunt of the criticism but it is entirely undeserved. Polak, Hainsey and Rielly were the problem in game 1, and most nights for that matter.

Dermott needs a bigger role and they need some men to step up because they all looked like a bunch of boys