Is the Bruins loss the biggest choke job ever?

[The Flying Octopus]

probably the most embarrassing collapse in the history of sports

No, the falcons up 28-3 and loosing the Super Bowl, biggest collapse in sports history

 

[McGarnagle]

Absolutely yes, and watching this Panthers team keep winning with Tkachuk scoring all these clutch goals just twists the knife a little further every night. They should've won this cup and only have themselves to blame. Especially Montgomery and Ullmark.

 

[Divine]

It's an even bigger choke job when you remember that the Bruins played the first 3 games against Lyon and then Bobrovsky came in after a long layoff and sucked (below .900 save percentage) in 2 of his 4 games as well.

If the Bruins beat Florida, which they should have, I think the Eastern conference winner, whoever that is, easily wins the Cup.

Florida rode an extremely hot goaltender to the Finals getting outplayed every game, including every game against Vegas so far.

 

[wintersej]

It's an even bigger choke job when you remember that the Bruins played the first 3 games against Lyon and then Bobrovsky came in after a long layoff and sucked (below .900 save percentage) in 2 of his 4 games as well.

If the Bruins beat Florida, which they should have, I think the Eastern conference winner, whoever that is, easily wins the Cup.

Florida rode an extremely hot goaltender to the Finals getting outplayed every game, including every game against Vegas so far.

If you go by fancy stats like goals saved above average... Bob didn't suck against Boston...he was better against Boston than against Toronto.

Boston just put up a lot of high quality chances and it tanks his save %... but Ullmark sucked starting from late in game 5 so they couldn't take advantage.

 

[BraveCanadian]

It is definitely up there..

 

[Divine]

If you go by fancy stats like goals saved above average... Bob didn't suck against Boston...he was better against Boston than against Toronto.

Boston just put up a lot of high quality chances and it tanks his save %... but Ullmark sucked starting from late in game 5 so they couldn't take advantage.

Can you provide a source? That seems very, very unlikely given he didn't save as many goals and had a much worse save percentage.

 

[McGarnagle]

The Bruins' offense scored a lot of goals the last few games, Bob didn't steal a thing. It was Ullmark and the defense that managed to choke.

 

[Jozay]

Yeah

 

[baabaa]

Boston lucked into a cup because of Tim Thomas. After that it's been choke after choke.

 

[Divine]

The Bruins' offense scored a lot of goals the last few games, Bob didn't steal a thing. It was Ullmark and the defense that managed to choke.

That's my take also.

Arguing Bob was better in 4 games against Boston when he allowed 16 goals in 4 games compared to Toronto where he allowed 10 goals in 5 games is a ridiculous take. I knew that poster was pulling stats out of his ass for the sake of an argument.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

Pretty big choke job by the Bruins.. don't need me to point that out but watching Vegas bully the Panthers in Sunset makes me thing it probably didn't matter this year.

 

[Hockeyholic]

I'm not so sure they match up well with Vegas. So if they were here, it would be very tough for them.

They did choke. No doubt. Doing it over three games I think is the worst. From giving a gift OT goal to not being able to hold onto a lead with a minute left. You add in the points record. It's bad. Unfortunate too. Because you can't tell the story of the 2023 Bruins without this collapse. Just like you can't tell the story of the 18-0 Patriots without bringing up the fact they lost in the Super Bowl. Granted, they didn't really collapse per say in that game. It was close all the way. In the end, you will probably have the majority of Bruins players saying the season was a failure.

In sports history, I'm not sure anything can top the Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl. And they did it with like 20 minutes left. It wasn't like the collapse happened over 2.5 quarters or anything.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Boston lucked into a cup because of Tim Thomas. After that it's been choke after choke.

Just imagine if Luongo plays one great road game. We may be talking about one of the best 15 year stretches without a title.

They did get the one. So I give them that. But the way 2013 ended was brutal. Looked like game 7 was upcoming. Then, 2019. Laying an egg at home in game 7. Not to mention all those game 7 OT losses at home too.

 

[BB79]

No, the falcons up 28-3 and loosing the Super Bowl, biggest collapse in sports history

Absolutely this times 100. Even us Patriots fans thought they were cooked, that was and always will be the most amazing comeback/choke of all time. Once Brady retired so did I as a fan. Let's face it, he's our pinnacle. It'll never be as good as what we had in his prime. Never, ever happening again. And I'm perfectly happy with that. The league isn't what it used to be either

 

[VanIsle]

Even funnier Cassidy is going to win the cup. Way to rub it in.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Yeah, it looks like Florida played the Stanley Cup finals in their first round.

How true does this feel now that they are getting smashed in the actual Stanley Cup finals?

 

[ToDavid]

If you go by fancy stats like goals saved above average... Bob didn't suck against Boston...he was better against Boston than against Toronto.

Boston just put up a lot of high quality chances and it tanks his save %... but Ullmark sucked starting from late in game 5 so they couldn't take advantage.

Not sure where you're getting that from.

According to Natural Stat Trick:
Against Boston - 17 GA on 15.78xGA
Against Toronto - 10 GA on 17.75xGA

Edit, for reference:
Carolina - 6 GA on 18.93 xGA (jesus)
Vegas - 13GA on 12.78xGA

 

[Stephen]

I actually don't think so. Boston really overachieved in the regular season, so a 1st round blown 3-1 lead looks awful relative to a 135 point team. But I wouldn't have put them in the class of the '96 Red Wings or '19 Lightning for the on-paper potential, star power, age of stars.

 

[BruinLVGA]

How true does this feel now that they are getting smashed in the actual Stanley Cup finals?

It feels like 20/20 hindsight, captain obvious. What else could it feel like?

 

[Namikaze Minato]

It feels like 20/20 hindsight, captain obvious. What else could it feel like?

The desperate, hilarious attempt of bruins fans to pretend they didnt have a major meltdown because "stanley cup finals were in the first round!" lol.

 

[BruinLVGA]

The desperate, hilarious attempt of bruins fans to pretend they didnt have a major meltdown because "stanley cup finals were in the first round!" lol.

We have had 3 finals, 1 Cup and 2 President Trophy seasons in the past 12 years: our „happiness tank“ is pretty much full. Before we have „meltdowns“ (whatever your definition of that is…), it will take quite a while.

On the other hand… Your „happiness tank“ by now is a blown up hunk of rusted steel, and that measly series win this year is a band aid on it: solves nothing, helps nothing. To conclude, if you want to worry about meltdowns, you need to look in the mirror. Because Bruins fans are sitting nice and happy. You guys… don‘t think so.

 

[wintersej]

Not sure where you're getting that from.

According to Natural Stat Trick:
Against Boston - 17 GA on 15.78xGA
Against Toronto - 10 GA on 17.75xGA

Edit, for reference:
Carolina - 6 GA on 18.93 xGA (jesus)
Vegas - 13GA on 12.78xGA

I was also using Natural Stat Trick but neglected that it was defaulted to 5 on 5 only. The all situations stats tell a story that is different than mine, but is more accurate. My bad! The Bruins PP ripped Florida a new one, but at 5 on 5 Bob was excellent.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

We have had 3 finals, 1 Cup and 2 President Trophy seasons in the past 12 years: our „happiness tank“ is pretty much full. Before we have „meltdowns“ (whatever your definition of that is…), it will take quite a while.

On the other hand… Your „happiness tank“ by now is a blown up hunk of rusted steel, and that measly series win this year is a band aid on it: solves nothing, helps nothing. To conclude, if you want to worry about meltdowns, you need to look at the mirror. Because Bruins fans are sitting nice and happy.

I think your "happiness tank" is filled with copium from your first round finals silver medal.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Not sure where you're getting that from.

According to Natural Stat Trick:
Against Boston - 17 GA on 15.78xGA
Against Toronto - 10 GA on 17.75xGA

Edit, for reference:
Carolina - 6 GA on 18.93 xGA (jesus)
Vegas - 13GA on 12.78xGA

People shit on Rod for his silly "we didn't get swept" comment as obviously the reality is the Canes did get swept, but I can't think of a less embarrassing sweep in any best of 7 series across the sports which have them... Lost the series by 4 goals and Bob had those absolutely insane numbers.

 

[wintersej]

Just imagine if Luongo plays one great road game. We may be talking about one of the best 15 year stretches without a title.

They did get the one. So I give them that. But the way 2013 ended was brutal. Looked like game 7 was upcoming. Then, 2019. Laying an egg at home in game 7. Not to mention all those game 7 OT losses at home too.

2013 doesn't actually hurt so badly knowing that Bergeron wasn't going to be cleared by any doctor in the world for game 7 and that Chicago was the better team. I mean the divot in the wall of my 2013 apartment wall doesn't agree with how those 17 seconds felt, but the retrospect of it all made it feel not so bad. 2019 hurts a lot more because they were the better team and Tampa got removed from their path.

This season was just more of a "are you kidding me?" than the horrible pain of 2019. They were up 3-1 without their top 2 centers and we were all looking ahead to the next round. And then Ullmark goes from a .926 save percentage in the first four games to an .825 in games 5 and 6 and clearly looking like he has lost his lateral movement from an injury but isn't taken out until game 7. Bergeron and Krejci come back from their injuries and have no pace and the coach decides that it's a great time to create four new lines that have never played together. Why not break up Gryz/McAvoy while we are at it and put Gryz in the press box? Pucks brush against DeBrusk's fingers and goals get taken away for being a "hand pass". Shit, and then in game 7 they come back from 2-0 to take the lead in the third and a nothing shot to deflects off McAvoy's stuck into the net. Not angry. Not sad. Just aghast at the combination of horribly timed luck and self inflicted wounds.

Boston fans have had some crazy highs and some crazy lows since Adam Vinatieri's foot beat the Rams in 2001. I'll trade all the chokes for the good stuff in a heart beat. And shoot. After being a Boston fan for the 90s ... I'll take the chokes over being mediocre any day.