Time to assume the Bruins will play Tampa Bay in Round 1

[DarrenBanks56]

Posted this in the standings thread, but just saw this thread.

Is it worth going balls to the wall to try and pass the Rangers and avoid Tampa?

yes. only because the 8 seed will be pretty bad this season

 

[DKH]

I like the bruins defence better. I also think Boston is tougher. Outside of Jeannot how tough are they really? They do have a lot of weapons I agree with that much.

Bruins have mcavoy, lindholm and Carlo. All three of these guys are amazing defensively. I’m not sure if sergachev will be back by the first round but outside of hedman I don’t like any of their defence more than Bostons. I’d take lindholm Carlo and mcavoy over sergachev. The defence depth isn’t any where near Bostons imo.

Cernak is very tough and the Tampa D last week was tossing the Bruins around - not sure if Dumba will be in lineup

The Forwards like Hagel, Cirelli, Paul etc seem tougher to me - and Jeannot just picks on whoever

Howevahhhhh

The hockey Gods could be smiling on Boston

Cirelli got hurt a couple of days ago and may be out or not 100 % when playoffs start in 13 days - something to watch

Jeannot also out and possibly that upper cut punch to head by Reaves did a significant damage to him - fist on jaw that concussed him. I’d be gun shy if I was him regardless that was the type of shot I shop only in the Trent Frederic, Andrew Peeke aisle

And Pat Maroon could be playing which would be in my theory a good thing against his old team and friends

Maroon post 23-24 season viewings looked like a young Christmas Chronicles Santa Claus or a bearded 1970’s Beach Boys Brian Wilson when he was living in his bed

But

When I saw him with Minnesota early in the year Ice level Maroom looked lean and sleek - he was skating very well so much I grabbed him in our HFL SIM

So he could cause havoc or invoke calmer shifts for the Bruins

If Cirelli & Jeannot out it’s a significant plus for Monty’s merrymakers

 

[Aeroforce]

5 on 5 I like the B's. So stay out of the box.

Love Vasilevskiy, but Ullmark/Swayman can go toe-to-toe. Rotating goalies in the playoffs is unheard of, but it will keep shooters from getting in a comfort zone.

Sure, the B's don't have anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Jeannot, but that's easy to fix - just don't volunteer to get your head caved in after a clean hit.

Tampa looks likely, but I think something bizarre will happen at the end standings wise.

 

[DiggityDog]

They have already exceeded my expectations for this season. Anything can happen in the playoffs.

 

[wintersej]

If the Bruins take care of business against Carolina, I think it's 50/50 they catch the Rangers. Because of the two games against the Islanders the Rangers are playing. Just a hunch those games are more ripe for upsets than the Philly/Pittsburgh/Caps games on the schedules.

 

[sarge88]

There’s a part of me that wants to see them go “old school” and deploy a checking line against Kucherov, obviously based on the situation.

At least at home, I wonder if going with JDB, Coyle, Heinen whenever he’s out there might make sense.

3 good defenders who can skate, but also three guys who don’t take a lot of penalties.

Then go.

Marchand, Zacha, Pasta
Geekie, Freddy, Brazeau (if he’s back)

I know it’s not the way most teams do things now a days, but Kucherov is a special talent and it’s not like doing this makes it so the other three lines are bad defensively.

Just a thought.

 

[aguineapig72]

There’s a part of me that wants to see them go “old school” and deploy a checking line against Kucherov, obviously based on the situation.

We negate Kucherov with Heinenov and Boqvistski

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Posted this in the standings thread, but just saw this thread.

Is it worth going balls to the wall to try and pass the Rangers and avoid Tampa?

Yes.

 

[Gordoff]

Posted this in the standings thread, but just saw this thread.

Is it worth going balls to the wall to try and pass the Rangers and avoid Tampa?

Seems like forever since the two teams met. IIRC it was around 1973 or '74 when the Rangers eliminated the Bruins?

 

[McGarnagle]

Seems like forever since the two teams met. IIRC it was around 1973 or '74 when the Rangers eliminated the Bruins?

2013 east semis, Torey Krug absolutely lit them up in an easy five game series

 

[smithformeragent]

Carolina gets to stand pat and draw the Islanders, Flyers or Penguins.

Rangers have to try to win these last few games or risk having to play Tampa.

 

[sarge88]

Carolina gets to stand pat and draw the Islanders, Flyers or Penguins.

Rangers have to try to win these last few games or risk having to play Tampa.

Need to go back to..

1-8
2-7
3-6
4-5

IMO

 

[DKH]

Need to go back to..

1-8
2-7
3-6
4-5

IMO

For entertainment give me Tampa

I would rather play them and see what they got

They play and beat Tampa could set them up for a run

 

[b in vancouver]

Ha ha really

that irked me but of course if I was GM and could pull that off - hell yah

I want some entertainment and juice and watching TB blows away even Toronto and certainly the boring islanders and hard to figure Red Wings.

Tampa is fascinating and I respect them way more then every other team in the East


If this was a different time and Lucic didn’t F up and the Bruins had another tough guy like a Randy McKay or even Tanner Jeannot this would be the Lunch Pail Bruins 1976-1992 group

Lucic, Brazeau, Maroon would’ve been fun to see for a game or two. They’d get caved but that’d be about as old school of a 4th line as you could get.

 

[sarge88]

For entertainment give me Tampa

I would rather play them and see what they got

They play and beat Tampa could set them up for a run

I don’t know if this 53 year old heart can take the stress that my hatred for TB will cause if we play them.

 

[DKH]

I don’t know if this 53 year old heart can take the stress that my hatred for TB will cause if we play them.

Seriously I’m already excited like Christmas is coming if it’s Tampa. The specific feeling watching the Bruins up a goal against Tampa knowing they are pulling the goalie and rolling out HOF group you can’t get anywhere

 

[Alicat]

Can't wait for all the Tampa is better than Boston" bullshit takes that will be all over the radio and then regurgitated on social media.

Don't care who we play. I feel a hell of a lot better about this team than I did last year's team. The adversity plus the sting of last year plus we actually have a number of days off between games to rest guys.

Bring on Tampa or whomever. Ullmark and Swayman are just as good as Vasi on any given night.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Lucic, Brazeau, Maroon would’ve been fun to see for a game or two. They’d get caved but that’d be about as old school of a 4th line as you could get.

Who would take the draw? Seems like that like would just chase the puck around the whole time they would be on the ice.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Could end up being Detroit, Pens, Tampa, Flyers, Isles or Caps. They can still pass the Rags and play the 2nd wild card holder.

 

[NeelyDan]

I’m not scared of Tampa one shred

 

[McGarnagle]

Need to go back to..

1-8
2-7
3-6
4-5

IMO

Under a 1 through 8 format the matchups as of today would be

#1 Rangers vs. #8 Pittsburgh
#2 Bruins vs. #7 Islanders
#3 Carolina vs. #6 Tampa
#4 Florida vs. #5 Toronto

 

[Ladyfan]

Can't wait for all the Tampa is better than Boston" bullshit takes that will be all over the radio and then regurgitated on social media.

Don't care who we play. I feel a hell of a lot better about this team than I did last year's team. The adversity plus the sting of last year plus we actually have a number of days off between games to rest guys.

Bring on Tampa or whomever. Ullmark and Swayman are just as good as Vasi on any given night.

To me ..it will be what it will be.

 

[sarge88]

Under a 1 through 8 format the matchups as of today would be

#1 Rangers vs. #8 Pittsburgh
#2 Bruins vs. #7 Islanders
#3 Carolina vs. #6 Tampa
#4 Florida vs. #5 Toronto

Overall, more fair and interesting, IMO.

Carolina - TB
Florida - Toronto

Would be really fun, IMO.

 

[Gordoff]

2013 east semis, Torey Krug absolutely lit them up in an easy five game series

Oh, okay thanks. I do remember now. I was at my buddies daughters wedding the night that they eliminated the Rags. I was listening to the game on my phone and my wife took a picture of me listening intensely to the phone. There was loud music and I was straining to hear the game. For some reason I didn't have a headset or an ear thingy. So that became my FB profile picture for a while because she thought it was "funny."

Need to go back to..

1-8
2-7
3-6
4-5

IMO

Leave it to the NHL to f*** up a natural common sense thing like that.

 

[Gordoff]

Lucic, Brazeau, Maroon would’ve been fun to see for a game or two. They’d get caved but that’d be about as old school of a 4th line as you could get.

Couldn't be any more wrong, but we'll never know now.