Category Archives: 2014 NHL Playoffs

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Preview

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Reilly Smith Game winning goal vs. MontrealGame 1 & 2 Recap: The Split

How is it that the Bruins could have won the game where they were at their worst and lost the game when they played great? Bad bounces in Game 1 and grit and determination in Game 2. The Boston Bruins lost Game 1 to the Canadiens because of some bad bounces and terrible penalty killing. The Bruins were only 2-4 on the penalty kill and they have yet to score a power play goal against Montreal. As I wrote going into this series, I thought special teams was going to be the biggest advantage for the Bruins. Now it appears that P.K. Subban is going to continue to kill the Bruins with his slappers from the point and the Boston power play has lost their rhythm.

Period 3 in Game 2 will go down as one of the greatest Bruins vs. Canadiens periods ever played by the Bruins. The Bruins were down and out, completely flustered, and had just lost Shawn Thornton (who would later return). The stage was set for an epic comeback of 4 goals on Carey Price in under 10 minutes to come from behind and beat Montreal 5-3 with the empty netter from Lucic tacked on.  The Bruins need to play with that intensity throughout all periods and reduce turnovers in the neutral zone.

Game 3 Preview

I am already preparing myself to get very angry and frustrated watching these games in Montreal. If the officials were calling bench minors and Montreal diving penalties on the Bruins in Boston there is no telling what they could do up in Montreal. That being said, the Bruins appeared to slow down the Montreal power play in Game 2 and, hopefully, they can neutralize that weapon moving forward. All the Bruins have to do is ride out the initial wave of energy from Montreal to start the game, start dictating, and pour it on Montreal.  I am surprisingly confident going into this game, and I see the Bruins winning it in regulation 3-1.

As always please follow me on twitter for all Boston Bruins news and Lets Go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadians Round 2 Preview

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Bruins versus Canadians. It is the best rivalry in sports. Period. End of discussion. We now know that Game 1 will be on Thursday night at the Garden followed by a matinee at the Garden on Saturday. I can’t wait to get this series going. We all know how this series is going to go. It will grind us out, and kill us a little inside. Let’s pretend that numbers matter in this rivalry and take a look at how this series should play out.

Special Teams:

Traditionally we usually see a strong power play unit from the Canadians and a strong penalty kill for the Bruins. During the regular season and thus far in the playoffs we have seen the Bruins dominate in both areas of the game. The Bruins were 3rd in the league in the regular season on the power play while Montreal was 19th. On the penalty kill both teams were in the top 10 with the Canadians ranking higher than the Bruins. However, in the playoffs, the Bruins have been the best team on the power play while Montreal is the worst team remaining on the penalty kill. Advantage: Bruins

Forwards:

The Montreal Canadians had only 1 goal scorer over 20 goals this season, and that was Max Pacioretty with 39. The Bruins have a balanced attack and get great scoring production from all lines and from many different players. One advantage that the Bruins feasted on during the Detroit series that, most likely, will not be the case this time is third line production. The Canadians have a solid third line of Rene Bourque, Lars Eller, and Brian Gionta that will match up fairly well with the Bruins third line of Carl Soderberg, Louis Eriksson, and Justin Florek(?). The addition of Paille for Boston will be a huge help on the 4th line and in penalty killing.   Advantage: Bruins

 Defense:

This one isn’t even close. The Bruins have been great all year defensively and with the addition of Dougie Hamilton stepping his game up offensively, I don’t see any holes for the Bruins. The Canadians have P.K. Subban, who is a great offensive weapon but can struggle when he is caught in the back-end. Top to bottom it is a clean sweep. (Did I mention that Dennis Seidenberg started practicing with the Bruins in non-contact drills?) Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending:

Carey Price did not play a single game against the Bruins this season as the Habs went with Peter Budaj in all 4 games. The playoffs are a time where you have to ride your guy, and despite his struggles against the Bruins, Price will be the starter, but he could have a short leash. Tuukka Rask has had his struggles against Montreal especially in the Belle Centre. Ultimately, you can’t pick against Rask and what he has done for the last two seasons.  Advantage: Bruins

Coaching:

Michel Therrien is no match for Claude Julien strategically or in any other sense. Claude Julien is coming off a terrific series where he took every punch from Mike Babcock and countered perfectly each time. Just think Montreal, Julien was yours, you had him, and you let him walk to Boston. Thanks! Advantage: Bruins

Other Factors:

Player You Will Hate: P.K. Subban. This is section writes itself. Just watch the video above and look for number 76. The embellishing, diving, and goating the Bruins makes him the most hated player on the ice by fans and players alike.

Player Who Will Haunt Your Dreams: Thomas Vanek. This guy has scored more goals and has more points against the Bruins then any other team he has played against. Although the Bruins have kept him in-check this year; I can’t help but think history will rear its ugly head at some point.

Series Prediction:

On paper this looks like the Canadians should be a team that the Bruins should be able to handle very well. But this is Boston vs. Montreal. This is different. Too many flukey things happen against Montreal. Made up calls, weird bounces, fans calling 911 on a player, there is never a dull moment. This series will be no different. A key for the Bruins is to get on the power play as often as possible without resorting to the embellishment and diving tactics. Special teams is the biggest advantage the Bruins have and they need to play to it this series. This one is going to go down to the wire despite the Bruins best efforts. Let’s enjoy the ride and get ready to be angry, annoyed, pissed off, and (hopefully) thrilled.  Prediction: Bruins in 7.

As always follow me on Twitter for the latest Boston Bruins news and Lets Go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Game 4 Recap & Game 5 Preview

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 Boston Bruins Game Winner vs. Detroit Red WingsGame 4 Recap

What a game and what a comeback!!! The Bruins pulled out the win in OT where they found themselves down by 2 goals at one point and came back to win. Tuukka Rask was huge and stole this game for the Bruins.

Detroit had their best period to start and the Bruins had their worst of the series so far. Tuukka Rask stood on his head and made a few ridiculous stops. Even though the Red Wings put on all of their pressure in the first, they were only able to score 1 goal in that dominant period. The Bruins could have had two goals with Marchand missing his first of 2 open nets and Reilly Smith hitting the post. In the second period, the Bruins got their act together and it was a very competitive period with each team netting a goal. The Bruins were in control for most of the third period with Lucic tying the game early in the period. And that momentum carried over into overtime with the Bruins dictating the tempo after successfully wearing down the Red Wings. After Tuukka Rask came up big with a huge stop on Justin Abdelkader, Iginla tipped the Krejci drive home to win it.

Game 5 Preview

I do not expect the Detroit Red Wings to lay down in Game 5 on Saturday. Detroit seemed to pull out all the stops to try and win Game 4 and the Bruins shouldn’t be surprised by anything they will see from Detroit on Saturday. Another solid defensive effort is needed and the Bruins will have the coveted last change to match up against the Zetterberg – Datsyuk line with Chara. Tuukka Rask is feeling it right now and it is hard to bet against the Bruins at this point. The Bruins take this game and series. Hopefully we’ll be getting ready for Montreal next week.

Follow me on twitter for all Boston Bruins news and my in game thoughts. Lets go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Game 3 Recap & Game 4 Preview

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Dougie Hamilton Goal vs DetroitGame 3 Recap

Solid road game performance put in by the Bruins tonight. The Bs got on top early with a great power play goal by Dougie Hamilton who took the puck in alone and beat Howard with a heck-of-a shot. That was followed up by a goal by none other than Jordan Caron (YES, Jordan Caron!) that gave the Bruins a quick 2-0 lead in a dominant first period. For the remainder of the game, the Bruins played a great defensively and frustrated the Red Wings as the game went on.  Tuukka Rask played a big role as well coming up huge more than a couple of times in the third period including on a crucial penalty kill. Patrice Bergeron sealed the game with an empty net goal with just under two minutes left to put the icing on the cake in the third. The Bruins have taken back home ice advantage and, more importantly, have left the Red Wings with a lack of confidence in their ability to beat Rask and the Bruins defensive layers.

Game 4 Preview

After another stellar defensive outing by the Bruins I would expect Detroit to make some drastic personnel adjustments. Mike Babcock was already showing late in this game that he was willing to juggle his lines in a desperate attempt to generate offense when he moved up Nyquist to play with Datsyuk and Abdulkater. I would expect more line juggling, as well as getting Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup for Game 4 on Thursday.  Game 4 is a must win for the Red Wings and they will be pulling out all the stops at home. I can easily see this game going to overtime in a low scoring affair. I will stick with my original prediction of Bruins in 6 so I will give this game to Detroit which would even the series heading back to Boston. Anything is possible in this series and I am looking forward to it.

Follow me on Twitter for all of my in-game thoughts and Boston Bruins news. Lets Go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Red Wings Recap & Game 3 Preview

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Chara_Laughing

Game 1 & 2

What an interesting weekend it was at the Garden. There are two completely different takeaways from each game and it is hard to tell which way Game 3 will go. The Bruins were completely out of Game 1 emotionally, and then were the exact opposite in Game 2 which culminated in the exchange Zdeno Chara had with Brendan Smith above.

Game 1

The Bruins came out hot in the first 2 minutes of the game that gave way to a slow, methodical, unemotional pace. The pace of play that the Red Wings thrive playing. Instead of the Bruins dictating their own tempo and style, they played right into Detroit’s hands. With a tight game late, Milan Lucic saw his scoring chance squeeze by the post, then, less than a minute later Pavel Datsyuk makes a couple of moves and beats Tuukka Rask through a screen. I wonder if the Wings won that game, or if the Bruins lost to the flu with Kevan Miller, and Matt Bartkowski out. A very disappointed BruinsBeliever left The Garden upset and frankly angry at the effort.

 Game 2

This was a totally different game. Jimmy Howard looked like the Jimmy Howard that has frustrated Wings fans all year. He gave up a bonehead goal to Justin Florek who was fore-checking along the boards when Howard practically passed the puck to him. Shortly after that, the Bruins capitalized on the power play a couple of times throughout the game including a goal from Zdeno Cara to seal it. The biggest difference in Game 2 was the presence of Kevan Miller on the blue line. His physicality set the tone for the Bruins early in the game and his solid defensive play was a welcome relief to the nail-biting play of Corey Potter. The most surprising aspect of the game was how quickly the Bruins got in the head of the Red Wings. Suddenly the Red Wings were taking roughing penalties and initiating the rough stuff after the whistle. That equals a worst case scenario for the Red Wings who were dominated throughout the game and played right into the hands of the Bruins.

 Game 3 Preview

After Game 1 the Bruins publicly and privately complained about the lack of obstruction and holding calls that should have been made on Detroit. Sure enough, in Game 2 we saw more holding and interference penalties called on the Red Wings. Now, after Game 2, Coach Mike Babcock has been complaining about how the Bruins are getting away with a lot of rough stuff after whistles and during game play. History has shown that we should see a correction from the officials; meaning that Game 3 will be called a lot tighter overall. While I am expecting the Red Wings to win 1 in Detroit, I don’t think it will be this one. I see the Bruins winning this game taking a 2-1 series lead and taking back home ice advantage.

Follow me on Twitter for all of my in-game thoughts and as always, Let’s Go Bs!

2014 Boston Bruins Playoff Preview – Round 1

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Bruins vs. WingsIt is that wonderful time of year again, the weather turns warmer and playoff hockey begins. As a casual fan, you could not ask for a better first round match-up with the Boston Bruins playing against the Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs for the first time in over 60 years. With the Red Wings spending the majority of their time as a franchise in the Western Conference, there is not much to speak of as far as a rivalry is concerned. But, with their move to the Bruins own Atlantic Division, it was only a matter of time before these two Original 6 powerhouses clashed. Let’s get right down to it:

Special Teams:

For the past decade plus this category was a no brainer. But now, because the Bruins have improved leaps and bounds on the Power Play this year, it appears to be a no-brainer in the opposite direction. The Bruins had the 3rd best Power Play in the NHL this year while the Wings were only 18th. On the penalty kill the Bruins have their usual advantage where they were 8th in the league and the Red Wings were 12th. Advantage: Bruins

Forwards:

The Bruins had two 30 goal scores for the  first time since 2004 in Jerome Iginla and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins also had 5 players score at least 20 goals while the Red Wings only had 1  in the young Gustav Nyquist with 28. Granted, the Red Wings were decimated by injuries throughout the year to key players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg; but their scoring production was way down over the course of the year. The Wings finished the year 16th in goals while the Bruins were 3rd. Even though the Red Wings have the flash, speed, and big names, I have to give this category to the Bruins based on numbers. Advantage: Bruins

 Defense:

Even without Dennis Seidenberg for the entire second half of the season, the Bruins still managed to rank 2nd in the league in goals against average (2.08 goals per game). Normally in playoff situations I am wary of trusting young defenseman, but, all of the Bruins’ defenseman have Stanley Cup experience, including Finals experience. They know what it takes to get the job done in the playoffs and I would expect nothing less. Detroit is once again in the middle of the pack at 16th in goals against and don’t have anyone who stands out on the back line. Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending:

Not much needs to be said here. The Boston Bruins have the, soon to be Vezina Trophy winning Tuukka Rask going against the struggling Jimmy Howard. This is by far the biggest advantage in the series for either side. Think back to how bad the goaltending situation was for the Flyers against the Bruins during the Stanley Cup year and expect something similar from Howard and the Wings. Advantage: Bruins

Coaching:

I don’t know where I stand on this one.  Mike Babcock is one of the best coaches in Red Wings history which says a lot. He is widely regarded as the best coach in the game. As the head coach of Team Canada at the Olympics this year he named Claude Julien as his top assistant coach. Their game plan against the United States looked eerily similar to the Bruins game plan against the Penguins the year prior. These are two of the best coaches in the game today and I am willing to give Claude a lot of credit in this one. Advantage: Push

Other Factors:

Player You Will Hate: Justin Abdulkader. Detoit doesn’t really have any guys that evoke hate, even in the playoffs. But, there is always that one player that gets under your skin. This guy would fit in perfectly on the Bruins. He is a top line guy for Detroit who isn’t afraid to go into corners and grind and even throw his weight around, a rareity for them.

Player Who Will Haunt Your Dreams: Tomas Tartar. He is one of those small, quick guys on Detroit who puts the puck in the net. Straight out of the Thomas Vanek mold. You will be sick of him by the end of the series, after he is done leading Detroit in scoring for the series.

“Fun Facts” You Will Be Sick Of: Did you know that Claude Julien and Mike Babcock were roommates in Sochi during the Olympics? Well if you didn’t, you know now and I am sure that the good folks at NBCSN will remind you a hundred times. The other fact that will become super annoying: Reilly Smith’s brother Brendan plays defense for the Red Wings so get ready for all of those stats about brother vs. brother playoff match ups and shots of Mom and Dad in the crowd.

Series Prediction:

On paper this looks like it should be a short and sweet series, get in, get out, kind of deal. Unfortunately, this is the NHL we are talking about and things never go according to plan, or easy. Two things that the Boston Bruins will find extremely annoying are the fast skating game and the lack of willingness to play physical from the Red Wings. The Bruins love to be the bullies and love it even more to be challenged physically. That is where the whole, “Don’t Poke The Bear” thing came from and make no mistake, the Red Wings will not do anything that comes close to poking. They are unemotional robots and won’t feed into the Bruins bully tactics. Bottom line, the Bruins get the job done but not as soon as we would all like it to be. Prediction: Bruins in 6.

As always follow me on Twitter especially during Game 1 as I will be there in Section 326. Tweet at me and come say “Hi”. The playoffs are here, let’s enjoy the ride, and, of course, Lets Go Bs!