Post-Game Talk: Game #1 - Goodbye Columbus - Marchand and Friends win the Opener 6-3

[BruinDust]

What an entertaining game! Some thoughts...

I thought the youth struggled.
- O’Gara with turnovers and chasing the play,y vacating the front of his net to chase pucks in his partners corner.
- Carlo didn’t cover back door on the PP goal against. On the third goal he had two chances to make a play and he just swats it into Blue Jackets twice.
- Next shift O’Gara has a chance to make a play on a puck in front of his own net and zips a pass right to the CLB defenseman who hits the outside of the post on a shot.
- Czarnik takes a penalty that sets up the PP goal, lost 83% of this draws. Good effort and drive though. Loved the hit on JJ.
- Acciari took a bad penalty, but looked solid on the 4th line.
- Heinen was fairly quiet but he was also the only kid not making glaring mistakes. He did take a penalty but it looked like a very soft call. He also made some clever passes in the face of incoming hits.

After the first period I couldn't help thinking "be careful what you wish for" since these young players had really put them in a hole.

-I would have pulled Rask after that BS softy 2mins in. Pure garbage at a time when the leaders should have been setting the bar for being sharp and competing. Shameful way to start the season.

-Didn’t like Spooner’s game. Maybe he was bummed he didn’t get to play center in Bergeron’s absence, but it seemed like every time he had the puck he turned it over.

Liked the 4th line a lot. Seemed like they spent all their time in the offensive zone and Nash won 77% of his draws.

Backes and Marchand played like leaders. Pasta had a great game too.

I liked Colin Miller's game.

I thought Liles was our best defenseman. 22mins, 6 of our 22 blocked shots, a great blocked pass on a 2on1.

Despite the rookie mistakes on D, the Bruins dominated that game. Edwards said the scoring chances were 20-11 B's with 7mins left and we had a few more good chances (and a goal) after that. Loved the drive from the vets.

I give Rask the benefit of the doubt on that goal.

How long did he go between seeing a puck with that drawn-out ceremony? Half hour, maybe more.

 

[BBB24]

If he's not 100% yet why play him 20 mins a night if you don't have to.

Have not heard any team med personnel, GM, or coach say he wasn't 100 percent, so I am taking it that he is 100 percent.

 

[LouJersey]

And how about a bit of praise for Rask.

Half the board was ready to trade him after the Wennberg goal. 1st shot after a long, drawn out ceremony, small deflection.

No chance on CBJ goals 2 and 3.

Pretty solid game all around.

Amen. I've been down on him probably too much but he got the big saves when needed and helped w the two points.

 

[BBB24]

Pasternak is super fast and rangy and looked great tonight hustling off the puck making things happen. We want to be aggressive with our PK...so he's going to see some time on it this year.

My guess is he will get one tenth the time on the PK, at the most, that Marchand gets on the PP.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Rask responded and kept the door shut in the 3rd. Colin Miller shouldn't have backed off so much on that shot. He was almost at the faceoff circle when it was released and gave up the middle for no reason. I know Rask should have had it but the guy got close enough to the net where the shooting angle was good and a well placed shot could go in and it was close to a deflection as could be. They showed it from the behind the net angle and it looked worse on Miller and better on Rask.

Rask just needs to keep Matthews to a hat trick or less Saturday and play well in the season opener and he'll be off to a good start WHOOOOdobin should play Tuesday in Winnipeg (will be much better than last year which is important) soft goals happen he/we responded.

 

[PlayMakers]

Great points but if you pull Rask that quick in game 1 it could really **** with players heads, including Rask's and.....well.....you know Rask of past with the rattled thing.

That would be the idea. I think he needs someone to start ****ing with his head. I mean, the brass literally hung last season's failures on him, all sorts of talk about him being better this year, and that's how he starts the season?

It's probably just a hot-head response from me but I would have yanked him. Embarrassed him in the media. Got in his face until he got mad and then told him to stop talking and start proving it on the ice.

 

[Mpasta]

I'd try

Marchand - Bergeron - Czarnik
Spooner - Backes - Pastrnak
Belesky - Krejci - Heinen
Hayes - Moore - Nash

I like these lines. I would switch Backes's line with Krejci's so people won't complain about the 3rd line making so much

 

[pierre gagnon*]

We and I am guilty cannot praise Carlo/Chara separately.They were on the ice for the PP goal against and both were caught out to high. Chara let his man down low have way too much space and time to get that pass and make the cross ice pass. Carlo left the guy too open and let the pass across. The one Carlo had chances to get it, Chara also bumbled it behind the net setting up the keystone cops and Czarnik made a tape to tape to Seth Jones. Beleskey should only be a checker, groom him as the next Paille

 

[PlayMakers]

I give Rask the benefit of the doubt on that goal.

How long did he go between seeing a puck with that drawn-out ceremony? Half hour, maybe more.

The wait didn't seem to hurt Bobrovsky early on.

I'm not cutting Rask any slack. He gets paid to be an impact player. A difference maker. Consistently. He's got to get back to that level.

 

[jdz]

Someone needs to tell spooner if he's wing on a breakout he shouldn't be hauling ass up the middle of the ice in front of the actual center that has the puck.

Happened a few times.

Marshy's 5-3 goal was dirrrrrty.

Actually didn't mind carlo's game. O'gara definitely struggled with the speed of nhl though.

 

[Pia8988]

We and I am guilty cannot praise Carlo/Chara separately.They were on the ice for the PP goal against and both were caught out to high. Chara let his man down low have way too much space and time to get that pass and make the cross ice pass. Carlo left the guy too open and let the pass across. The one Carlo had chances to get it, Chara also bumbled it behind the net setting up the keystone cops and Czarnik made a tape to tape to Seth Jones. Beleskey should only be a checker, groom him as the next Paille

Beleskey makes way too much money for that. 3.8 million is not something you pay a 4th line PK guy that will give you 15 points a year. If he continues to struggle this badly they should either look to trade him or pay Vegas to pick him.

 

[BklyNBruiN]

I was watching form work as I just got home now. WooHoo what a start. Marchand, Backes, and Pasta each with 2 goals apiece. We came back from 2-0 and 3-1 to win 6-3!

It wasn't a must win game but its a nice start to the season.

 

[pierre gagnon*]

Beleskey makes way too much money for that. 3.8 million is not something you pay a 4th line PK guy that will give you 15 points a year. If he continues to struggle this badly they should either look to trade him or pay Vegas to pick him.

He skates and plays like a checker energy guy and has Pailles hands. We paid high on him value wise, still like his game but not a scorer.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

He skates and plays like a checker energy guy and has Pailles hands. We paid high on him value wise, still like his game but not a scorer.

He is paid 100k less than Andrew Shaw. Going rate for those kind of vets.

Had a dud tonight but hes the right age, fast, tough, good leader, and has potted 20 goals the right guy to overpay and we have plenty of bargains to offset what Beleskey makes. Was a UFA as well cost no assets.

Hayes and McQuaid are the 'bad' contracts at the moment. But we don't have that much NHL ready forward depth and OGara isn't ready Hayes and McQuaid can earn their 2.5 mil salaries this year with solid play in a lesser role.

 

[PlayMakers]

My three big takeaways from that game...

They showed heart to come back from deep holes.

Marchand looking like one of the best players in the game.

Backes' drive and leadership on full display from the opening shift.

 

[HockeyMomx2]

I'm just happy that I'm actually excited now. What a fun game that was to watch. Glad I missed the first. Going to be a hurricane force wind gusty and rainy day here Saturday. Figuring out my cooking/baking plan for the day and then come Saulturday, I get to cook, watch hockey and other legal here but not there activities all day. Can't wait.

 

[Fenway]

 

[JOKER 192]

Carlo and O'Gara got progressively better as the game went on after a rather shaky start. Carlo was the better of the two.

Marchand was nothing short of amazing. (I don't remember seeing such a dominant performance in a very long time if ever). We would have been saying the same thing about Pasta if he hadn't been overshadowed by Brad's incredible game .

Backes all I can say is welcome to the Boston Bruins. Just what the doctor ordered.

Gonna give Rask a pass on that god awful goal. Really seemed to deflate the team, he can't have to many of those. He had no chance on the other two but did make the big stops the rest of way. Overall he was quite good except for that wiff.

Krejci and Krug also get a pass given they're coming back from injuries , they weren't bad but they both have to be much better than what we saw tonight.

Spooner, well let's just be nice and say that wasn't his best game.

Beleskey was putrid, as was Liles .

Chiller impressed but IIRC he impressed in the early going last year as well. Hope he can play that way consistently.

Chara , well if you can't say anything nice best to say nothing at all. Don't let the stat line fool you.

Love , love , loved, Moore's game. Always hated playing against this guy, good to see him wearing the right jersey for a change.

We went into the game with 4 players who were playing their 1st NHL game. We had Miller, Accari and Schaller who haven't played 100 games between the 3 of them.

Overall I thought the youngsters acquitted themselves well.

We were lucky to be playing the BJ's on this night, I'm not sure we would have had the same result against better competition but it's 2 points and we'll take every point we can get, we are probably going to need them.

 

[Clode]

Things I took away from tonight

-The first line was unbelievable. Marchand truly is an elite scorer and he looks like he will pot 35+ goals for the second straight year. Backes is as advertised. Pastrnak looked like a vet, could be a breakout year for him.

-Krejci line invisible.

-Carlo and O'Gara had some hiccups at first but were good once they settled down.

-Rask was good aside from the Wennberg goal.

-Was pretty impressed with Dominic Moore.

 

[Sevren]

-I would have pulled Rask after that BS softy 2mins in. Pure garbage at a time when the leaders should have been setting the bar for being sharp and competing. Shameful way to start the season.

I don't know if you saw the replay but the puck was deflected by a stick. This goal is 100% on whoever had his stick in the way. I think it was Carlo but I could be wrong. You cannot give the attacker so much space and then deflect the puck, leaving your goalie no time to react.

Source : I'm a goalie

 

[reffree]

What an entertaining game! Some thoughts...

I thought the youth struggled.
- O’Gara with turnovers and chasing the play,y vacating the front of his net to chase pucks in his partners corner.
- Carlo didn’t cover back door on the PP goal against. On the third goal he had two chances to make a play and he just swats it into Blue Jackets twice.
- Next shift O’Gara has a chance to make a play on a puck in front of his own net and zips a pass right to the CLB defenseman who hits the outside of the post on a shot.
- Czarnik takes a penalty that sets up the PP goal, lost 83% of this draws. Good effort and drive though. Loved the hit on JJ.
- Acciari took a bad penalty, but looked solid on the 4th line.
- Heinen was fairly quiet but he was also the only kid not making glaring mistakes. He did take a penalty but it looked like a very soft call. He also made some clever passes in the face of incoming hits.

After the first period I couldn't help thinking "be careful what you wish for" since these young players had really put them in a hole.

-I would have pulled Rask after that BS softy 2mins in. Pure garbage at a time when the leaders should have been setting the bar for being sharp and competing. Shameful way to start the season.

-Didn’t like Spooner’s game. Maybe he was bummed he didn’t get to play center in Bergeron’s absence, but it seemed like every time he had the puck he turned it over.

Liked the 4th line a lot. Seemed like they spent all their time in the offensive zone and Nash won 77% of his draws.

Backes and Marchand played like leaders. Pasta had a great game too.

I liked Colin Miller's game.

I thought Liles was our best defenseman. 22mins, 6 of our 22 blocked shots, a great blocked pass on a 2on1.

Despite the rookie mistakes on D, the Bruins dominated that game. Edwards said the scoring chances were 20-11 B's with 7mins left and we had a few more good chances (and a goal) after that. Loved the drive from the vets.

Agree with everything you said, but particulary with Spooner. Seems like he just can't play 5 on 5. He's good at 3 on 3, 4 on 4 and PP, but he's just too bad in traffic at 5 on 5. Yes here and there he will make a plays that wow fans and they remember that play, but 9 out of 10 time (if not more) he'll just turn it over. Krejci was by no means "magical" tonight, but he's getting alot of flake from fans that should be directed at his linemates. He was still far and away the best player on his line, just didn't had alot to work with.

 

[Pia8988]

I don't know if you saw the replay but the puck was deflected by a stick. This goal is 100% on whoever had his stick in the way. I think it was Carlo but I could be wrong. You cannot give the attacker so much space and then deflect the puck, leaving your goalie no time to react.

Source : I'm a goalie

Colin, I thought it was tipped too. I'm surprised no one else on the tv staff said anything about that and went full on Tuukka blame.

 

[Sevren]

Colin, I thought it was tipped too. I'm surprised no one else on the tv staff said anything about that and went full on Tuukka blame.

I had the Fox Sports Columbus feed (from Centre Ice in Canada) and it was clear as day. First you can see the attacker coming into the offensive zone way too easily. The two dmen backed way too far and gave the attacker too much time and space. Then the puck was deflected by a stick and completely changed direction. That's why Rask didn't even seem to move, he had no time to react to the deflection.

I get mad all the time at my beer league dmen for doing that

 

[Mpasta]

Colin, I thought it was tipped too. I'm surprised no one else on the tv staff said anything about that and went full on Tuukka blame.

I honestly didn't get a great look but if it was tipped then Tuukka, I'm sorry for what I said. It wasn't one of the worst goals I've seen from a Bruins starter in the last 10 years.

Edit: I just watched the replay 90 times and I still can't figure out if it was tipped. If it was, it was a very slight deflection but still not really on Rask if that's the case.

 

[Mpasta]

It starts at 44 seconds. I honestly can't tell. Either way, Rask played well after this goal so I'm not worried about it.