Archive for the 'Playoffs' Category
Posted in Playoffs, Screw the Habs April 21st, 2008
Wow.
So this is it. After blowing ten straight regular and post-season games to the Habs this season, the Bruins now find themselves going to Montreal for game seven.
Let’s say that again. THE BRUINS NOW FIND THEMSELVES GOING TO MONTREAL FOR GAME SEVEN.
Our Bruins. The ones who the experts said wouldn’t make the playoffs. The one who people wrote off as easy pickings when they DID make the playoffs, especially the Bruins ineptitude against the Canadiens during the regular season. The team that seemed headed towards that predestined path after losing the first two in Montreal. And now this. I guess not many people counted on this team to play their balls off when it counted (sorry Phil). And Boston karma (who said that?).
At this point, the Bruins have won no matter the outcome of Monday’s game. If they win, they exorcise their demons (annual and perennial) in the Canadiens and stand a chance against anyone. If they lose, they showed the world that they weren’t going to simply roll over and submit to their archenemy, one that particularly had their number this year. All of this battling is fantastic experience to build on for the kids, and especially for Phil Kessel who’s seen himself go from goat to hero in the course of one series. One could argue that that’s a transition Joe Thornton was never able to accomplish while he was in Boston.
Lets see, we have a serious underdog who has a shot at upsetting the heavy favorite. A Rocky analogy is usually pretty tired in this scenario…especially since Rocky lost in the end…but don’t forget Rocky II when Rocky beat the dreaded powerhouse who traditionally wore red, white & blue.
And, especially, don’t forget the trunks that Rocky wore.
Posted in Playoffs April 12th, 2008
Well, so much for the Karma train. It apparently got derailed two minutes in and by the time they cleaned up the mess the game was over. There was even some similarly-named Kostopoulos guy who scored as well as some dude named Smolinski who looks like he may have had some talent in the early nineties.
So what have we learned here today? Kostitsyn + Kostitsyn + Kostopoulos ≠ Karma
One concern I have about all this is Tim Thomas. Many of you out there are firm Thomas backers. Some, like myself, are skeptical. I have no doubt that he’s a damn good goalie and is one of the main reasons the Bruins are in the playoffs. However, be it for reasons of age and/or the fact that he was a late bloomer, Bruins management has never been sold on him as “The Answer” and have habitually tried to bring in (or groom) other goalies in their quest to find that person (Hannu Toivonen, Tuukka Rask, and Manny Fernandez). Now that he’s in the playoffs, Thomas needs to prove to the doubters…especially those in management who are deciding his future…that he can carry this team in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, starting off his NHL playoff career by giving up two goals in just over two minutes to the hated Canadiens isn’t going to impress anyone.
Let’s hope for a better performance on Saturday.
Posted in Playoffs April 9th, 2008
I guess if you’re looking at ideal matchups, this is the ONE team the Bruins didn’t want to face in the first round. Eight regular season tilts, eight losses. At least they managed to lose in OT the last time out, but the Canadiens probably got bored and let their guard down. The Penguins, the Devils and the ‘83-’84 Oilers would all be better matchups at this point.
However, I’m not a matchup guy. Here’s my take: You play to win it all. If you can’t beat everyone, you’re not the best team…period. So bring on Montreal. If the Bruins can beat Montreal in the first round, they can beat anyone.
That being said, here’s the reasons why we should think positively about this.
- Savard is due back soon. Even Bergeron has a chance of playing in the postseason. If anything, this team has gelled in the last couple of weeks without their offensive anchors. The young guys are proving their worth. Bring that to the 1st round and get Savard back sometime in the 1st few games and this team has a damn good chance.
- Tim Thomas has been hot, giving up no more than two goals in any of his last seven starts.
- The Canadiens can’t win EVERY game against the Bruins, can they? If the Bruins can win a game, preferably Game One, then they might get the monkey off of their back.
- Boston karma. Assuming Celtics playoff success this year, the Bruins are the last of the Boston teams to turn their franchises around.
And finally, the longtime underdog status. Habs-Bruins are the Yanks-Red Sox of the NHL. Historically, the Habs have had their number. This year, the Habs are the 1-seed in the conference and the Bruins are the 8. Few people expected the Bruins to make the playoffs and even fewer expect the Bruins to make it past the first round. An upset in this series could mean the Bruins start riding the karma express.
We’ve got the bastards right where we want ‘em.
LET’S GET IT ON!!!
Posted in Playoffs, Joe Thornton May 10th, 2007
With the recent elimination of the San Jose Sharks at the hands of the Red Wings, many Bruins fans…who have had to endure this when he was with Boston…were quick to point out Joe Thornton’s dismal performance in the final two games of the series: 0 goals, 0 assists, a -4 plus/minus and two shots on goal. You could almost hear the “A-ha!” rising in unison from the Massachusetts coast.
But the criticism seems awfully short sighted. None of his struggles, of course, can be attributed to playing against the Red Wings who allowed the 3rd fewest goals in the league this year and are anchored by arguably one of the best…if not THE best…goaltenders to ever play the game.
The Sharks had a total of nine goals in six games against the Wings. Thornton had five points. That means he contributed to 55.5% of the team’s scoring against the Wings. By comparison, Sidney Crosby led the league in scoring this year with 120 points. The Penguins scored 277 goals, meaning that he was involved in 43.3% of their scoring.
In addition to all that, in the five playoff games against the Predators, Thornton scored six points while his team tallied 16 goals…a 37.5% contribution. That means that, even despite being shut out the last two games, he contributed even MORE against the Red Wings than he did against the Predators.
Sorry guys, I was never happy with his playoff performances here in Boston either, but I can’t knock him this offseason in San Jose. He was shut out in the final two games, but aside from a single goal by Marcel Goc in game five, so was the rest of the team. Perhaps if a few more players on the Sharks NOT donning a #19 jersey were able to put some points on the board in the Wings series, the Sharks would still be alive and the conversation would be how Joe Thornton had shaken the monkey from his back and was leading the Sharks in scoring this postseason (with his 11 points, he nearly doubled the output of his closest teammates who had only 6).
I know Thornton will always be an easy target, but in this case the focus needs to lie on crediting the Red Wings and not on Thornton’s continued crucifixion.
Posted in Toivonen, Rask, Playoffs May 9th, 2007
Well, so much for a prodigy preview in the Providence postseason.
While Hannu Toivonen came within two minutes and nine seconds of a shutout last night during last night’s win, it wasn’t Tuukka Rask watching from the bench, it was still Jordan Sigalet. Today’s Providence Journal clears up matters.
He (Rask) will remain with the P-Bruins for the rest of the postseason, but he’s not going to play, according to Providence coach Scott Gordon. Starting goaltender Hannu Toivonen has been told as much, too.
Rask, whose rights were acquired by Boston from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andrew Raycroft last summer, has joined the P-Bruins to get himself acclimated to the North American environment in preparation for next season.
Well, I guess that makes sense. You know, give the rookie a tour of the campus, provide him with a security badge, a cubicle and an email account before he starts doing REAL work.
Still. It’d be nice to see him sneak in there for a little while. Maybe during some garbage time (God forbid that happens) to see what he can do.
But enough about Rask, how about that Hannu! A 1-0 shutout going late into the third period, an Oleg Tverdovsky power play goal with 2:09 remaining to tie it up, and then a retaliation power play goal by T.J. Trevelyan a mere 39 seconds later to put the Bruins on top again and to put Providence up two games to one in the series.
Oh Oleg, how far have you fallen? The former #2 overall pick thirteen summers ago and the defensive anchor of my fantasy hockey teams in the late nineties and early “aughts”. Now, you’re playing in Manchester. What a shame.
