Post-Game Talk: GAME #79 - Dobby leads the B's to the playoff gates - BRUINS 3 Chicago 2 F

[wintersej]

The Bruins were without Savard and Horton.

That alone kills that argument. I can't believe a Bruins fan just tried to use that excuse.

I don't think you can really count Savard, but even if you did, the Canucks were missing half their D, Kesler lost his speed because of a groin and labrium tear, and by the end of the finals, the Canucks bottom 6 was gutted (Samuelsson, Raymond and Higgins).

Injuries are part of the game, and I think a healthy Bruins team wins in 2013.

But, would the Bruins have won in 2011 if they kept Horton, but Boychuk, Siedenberg, McQuaid, Peverley, Kelly, Paille, and Krejci were all out, suspended, or playing with a bad injury? Thats a lot of Bartkowski, Hunwick, Caron and worse on the ice. Saying the Canucks were beat up both before and during that series shouldn't be a controversial statement.

Anyway, the banner is hanging and it was the best sports thing I have experienced outside of 2004 Red Sox. Just don't think you can reasonably complain about health in 2013 without talking about the flip side in 2011.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

To this day I say the Bruins have another cup if Bergeron wasn't mostly dead in 2013.

Did anyone else read this and think immediately of this?

 

[DarrenBanks56]

I don't think you can really count Savard, but even if you did, the Canucks were missing half their D, Kesler lost his speed because of a groin and labrium tear, and by the end of the finals, the Canucks bottom 6 was gutted (Samuelsson, Raymond and Higgins).

Injuries are part of the game, and I think a healthy Bruins team wins in 2013.

But, would the Bruins have won in 2011 if they kept Horton, but Boychuk, Siedenberg, McQuaid, Peverley, Kelly, Paille, and Krejci were all out, suspended, or playing with a bad injury? Thats a lot of Bartkowski, Hunwick, Caron and worse on the ice. Saying the Canucks were beat up both before and during that series shouldn't be a controversial statement.

Anyway, the banner is hanging and it was the best sports thing I have experienced outside of 2004 Red Sox. Just don't think you can reasonably complain about health in 2013 without talking about the flip side in 2011.

losing hamhuis in game 2 hurt the Nucks the most. Ill give you that. The other injuries played no part.

 

[wintersej]

losing hamhuis in game 2 hurt the Nucks the most. Ill give you that. The other injuries played no part.

They had already lost Erhoff earlier in the playoffs. If Boychuk and Seidenberg had been lost how do the Bruins do?

Anyway, we are way off topic and it feels very dirty playing the role of Canucks defender .

 

[TaroTsujimoto]

Why was Krejci so quiet. Is he just not that good anymore? He still makes the occasional good play, but seldom controls the game. IMO we need at least two high impact scoring lines in order to go deep in the playoffs.

 

[Dr Hook]

Why was Krejci so quiet. Is he just not that good anymore? He still makes the occasional good play, but seldom controls the game. IMO we need at least two high impact scoring lines in order to go deep in the playoffs.

Nothing has been said by the team that I know of, but I believe he has been battling injury most of the year. He had a pretty nice stretch recently, then took that hard shot to the body and left for a couple shifts- 3 games back now? Hasn't looked right to me since. I am not sure he came back 100% from that hip surgery in the off-season- he might have been 100% from a healing standpoint, but you do have to wonder if he'll never get his old game back, whether it is a permanent loss of mobility, persistent pain, who knows.

 

[Aeroforce]

I don't think you can really count Savard, but even if you did, the Canucks were missing half their D, Kesler lost his speed because of a groin and labrium tear, and by the end of the finals, the Canucks bottom 6 was gutted (Samuelsson, Raymond and Higgins).

Injuries are part of the game, and I think a healthy Bruins team wins in 2013.

But, would the Bruins have won in 2011 if they kept Horton, but Boychuk, Siedenberg, McQuaid, Peverley, Kelly, Paille, and Krejci were all out, suspended, or playing with a bad injury? Thats a lot of Bartkowski, Hunwick, Caron and worse on the ice. Saying the Canucks were beat up both before and during that series shouldn't be a controversial statement.

Anyway, the banner is hanging and it was the best sports thing I have experienced outside of 2004 Red Sox. Just don't think you can reasonably complain about health in 2013 without talking about the flip side in 2011.

As far as the injuries go, every team playing in June is banged up. I have less sympathy for the Canucks depleted roster, because some of it was their own faux brashness blowing up in their faces. Their defense depth lacked due to Aaron Rome; but that was an idiotic, dangerous hit that was completely unnecessary.

Hamhuis tried for the big hit on Lucic. That didn't work out too well.

But beyond that, two other factors cannot be ignored. The Canucks were mentally weak. The images from that series linger - Marchand using Sedin as a punching bag, Thomas tackling Sedin, Thomas chopping Burrows' legs, Lucic daring a cowering Burrows to bite his finger, Recchi doing the same to LaPierre, Canucks not going into the corners later in the series, etc.

And goaltending. Luongo was good in the three wins, but terrible on the road, and not great in the final game. He was greatly outplayed by Tim Thomas, which played into the notion of the Canucks being mentally weak. They seemed to know they weren't going to score on him.

We all have our opinions on 'what if,' but injuries aside, the Canucks lacked the mental fortitude and the goaltending to win that series.

My opinion, of course!

 

[BruinDust]

Canucks could of had their entire team, healthy, and the Bruins still would of defeated them. Even with a full-squad, they were a team that lived and died with it's PP, trying to draw calls, and didn't have half the internal fortitude of that Bruins team, meanwhile the 2011 Bruins team were still to this day one of the best 5 on 5 teams in recent memory.

It's amazing to me how little credit the 2011 championship team gets even on a BRUINS message board. That squad was very, very, very good. It's only flaw was a lousy PP.

 

[bruins repeat time]

Nothing has been said by the team that I know of, but I believe he has been battling injury most of the year. He had a pretty nice stretch recently, then took that hard shot to the body and left for a couple shifts- 3 games back now? Hasn't looked right to me since. I am not sure he came back 100% from that hip surgery in the off-season- he might have been 100% from a healing standpoint, but you do have to wonder if he'll never get his old game back, whether it is a permanent loss of mobility, persistent pain, who knows.

I think D.K is playing fairly good but he does at least currently have some injury he is battling through. The fact he doesn't have a spot on the number 1 p.p anymore takes away a chance to stand out he excels in. The number 1 p.p looks awesome so I am not saying he should be on it just pointing out he often did a lot of his damage there.

 

[spylogic3]

First Goal Changed

Bruins first goal against CHI, originally credited to Spooner, has been changed to:

Zdeno Chara (Carlo, Kuraly).

 

[Dr Hook]

Bruins first goal against CHI, originally credited to Spooner, has been changed to:

Zdeno Chara (Carlo, Kuraly).

Kuraly's first NHL point?

 

[22Brad Park]

NO NHL IN OLYMPICS ..was never meant for professional athletes anyways .They are not going it must have to do with money

 

[Gee Wally]

NO NHL IN OLYMPICS ..was never meant for professional athletes anyways .They are not going it must have to do with money

ummmm................ooookay.

 

[LSCII]

NO NHL IN OLYMPICS ..was never meant for professional athletes anyways .They are not going it must have to do with money

Tell that to the Red Army teams of the 60s-80s. Sending kids to play against men that were essentially professional players was a joke,

In terms of the game against Chicago though, it was a well fought, well deserved win.

 

[Tampbear]

Tell that to the Red Army teams of the 60s-80s. Sending kids to play against men that were essentially professional players was a joke,

In terms of the game against Chicago though, it was a well fought, well deserved win.

Is there any sport in the olympics that is amateurs at this point or is just going to be hockey? I'm sure the KHL will still send players anyway.

 

[LSCII]

Is there any sport in the olympics that is amateurs at this point or is just going to be hockey? I'm sure the KHL will still send players anyway.

If the point of the Olympics is to see whose athletes are the best, why wouldn't you want the actual best? And yes, countries have always circumvented the rules and sent people who were merely amateurs on a technicality. It's also crap that players "migrate" to other countries simply to play for that team during the Olympics. If your country doesn't have a good enough athlete, why take people from other countries? Isn't that really against the spirit of the games?

But again, in relation to the game yesterday, I was really impressed with Dobby's play. It's amazing how the backup goalie was a big issue under Claude, but that's evaporated now that he's gone. Personally, I think it's because Cassidy is letting the players play and not trying to win every game 1-0. They're scoring more goals, so the margin or error isn't razor thin like it was under Fraud Julien.

 

[BruinDust]

If the point of the Olympics is to see whose athletes are the best, why wouldn't you want the actual best? And yes, countries have always circumvented the rules and sent people who were merely amateurs on a technicality. It's also crap that players "migrate" to other countries simply to play for that team during the Olympics. If your country doesn't have a good enough athlete, why take people from other countries? Isn't that really against the spirit of the games?

But again, in relation to the game yesterday, I was really impressed with Dobby's play. It's amazing how the backup goalie was a big issue under Claude, but that's evaporated now that he's gone. Personally, I think it's because Cassidy is letting the players play and not trying to win every game 1-0. They're scoring more goals, so the margin or error isn't razor thin like it was under Fraud Julien.

Fraud Julien.

But I think your right.

In the last few years under Claude, to me, these guys were tight and tense, like you said trying to win every game 1-0 and 2-1, and it started up front and trickled down to the goaltenders.

Hockey is such an instinctual game that when it's played at it's best, your just using your instincts to make plays, not really having to think, or in many cases over-think, what your doing.

Claude's system became so ingrained into these guys, they were constantly tightly wound on the ice, squeezing sticks, trying to adhere to his rigid system. Folks talk about the Bruins and how unlucky they were under Claude with that miserable shooting %, but I think it was part confidence, part systematic, part squeezing the sticks too tight and overthinking instead of just playing/shooting.

That robotic system stuff may work for teams like the Habs who severely lack true offensive talent outside of Pacioretty. But for a team like Boston who do have some legit offensive talent up front, it was square peg in round hole, and it simply didn't work. At least Cassidy is smart enough to realize this current group aren't going to be the 1995 Devils, the 2014 Kings, or the 2011 Bruins, and allow the players to play to their strengths.

 

[LSCII]

Fraud Julien.

But I think your right.

In the last few years under Claude, to me, these guys were tight and tense, like you said trying to win every game 1-0 and 2-1, and it started up front and trickled down to the goaltenders.

Hockey is such an instinctual game that when it's played at it's best, your just using your instincts to make plays, not really having to think, or in many cases over-think, what your doing.

Claude's system became so ingrained into these guys, they were constantly tightly wound on the ice, squeezing sticks, trying to adhere to his rigid system. Folks talk about the Bruins and how unlucky they were under Claude with that miserable shooting %, but I think it was part confidence, part systematic, part squeezing the sticks too tight and overthinking instead of just playing/shooting.

That robotic system stuff may work for teams like the Habs who severely lack true offensive talent outside of Pacioretty. But for a team like Boston who do have some legit offensive talent up front, it was square peg in round hole, and it simply didn't work. At least Cassidy is smart enough to realize this current group aren't going to be the 1995 Devils, the 2014 Kings, or the 2011 Bruins, and allow the players to play to their strengths.

Oh no doubt. He took the natural instincts out of players and turned them into systemic robots. Skating their lanes. Never varying from that role. It's why they were so easily defended by many of the top teams. They never changed. They never varied, If a player dared to do that, at best they sat and at worst they got moved.

 

[Trap Jesus]

So this is how Bergeron closed out the game for faceoffs:

Period | Time Left | Opponent | Won/Lost | Zone | Strength | Score | Reason
3 | 13:43 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 4v5 | Bos 2-1 | penalty,tv timeout
3 | 10:20 | Jonathan Toews | won | Neu | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | goal
3 | 9:51 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped,tv timeout
3 | 2:46 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | puck in crowd
3 | 1:10 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped,home timeout
3 | 0:20 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | icing,visitor timeout
3 | 0:08 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped

 

[TMac21]

So this is how Bergeron closed out the game for faceoffs:

Period | Time Left | Opponent | Won/Lost | Zone | Strength | Score | Reason
3 | 13:43 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 4v5 | Bos 2-1 | penalty,tv timeout
3 | 10:20 | Jonathan Toews | won | Neu | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | goal
3 | 9:51 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped,tv timeout
3 | 2:46 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v5 | Bos 3-2 | puck in crowd
3 | 1:10 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped,home timeout
3 | 0:20 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | icing,visitor timeout
3 | 0:08 | Jonathan Toews | won | Def | 5v6 | Bos 3-2 | goalie stopped

He ate Toews for lunch on those last 3 draws, clean wins.

 

[jgatie]

He ate Toews for lunch on those last 3 draws, clean wins.

He's eaten Toews for lunch for years. Even near dead in 2013, he scored 4 to Toews' 2 over the 6 game series.

 

[Ladyfan]

Adam McQuaid was huge last minute tonite. He worked really hard and was key killing that clock off .Kudos to him.

Adam is a much better d man than many give him credit for. PLUS he plays with so much