2017-18 Boston Bruins Thread PLAYOFF EDITION: Rd 1 Toronto

Will the Bruins make the playoffs?

  • Yes. As a wild card

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    3
  • Poll closed .

BDL

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Hi everybody.

It was a tense off-season for us Bruins fans. There were no major free agent pick ups. There was the eye to eye showdown that was the contract negotiations between the B's and Pastrnak. And then as camp finally broke, the starting line-up looks like a MASH unit. Bergeron, Backes and Krug are all starting the season on the IR.

But, all hope is not lost. It looks like Coach Cassidy is going to go with a "youth movement" identity for the team this year. All those 1st rounders from the past few years, showed their maturity in camp and some of them have gotten the nod to stay up with the big club. There should be 5-7 guys on this roster that have less than 3 yrs of experience.

The preseason pundits have the Bruins, at best, as the 3rd seed in the Atlantic Division. And some have them missing the playoffs all together. As for me, and I am 100% biased here, I think they can challenge for 1st in the Atlantic. But I am not so deluded to think that the B's will challenge for the President's Trophy. Baby steps...

Here's to another great season.

LET'S GO BRUINS!!!!!!


ETA:

In recent weeks it was finally announced that the Bruins will be facing the Chicago Blackhawks under the watchful eyes of "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, New Year's Day 2019. Can't wait for the hotel New Year's Eve party.
 
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1 game down, 81 to go...

The season is officially under way. And BDLsgal and I were there. Sort of... We were both stricken with the flu, and felt like Hell. But what did we do? We chugged 32 oz. of Gatorade and cowboy'd up. We were not going to miss the season opener. It was a touch disappointing, that there was no fan rally before hand. Damned construction. But that took a back seat to the start of another Bruins season.

Especially when that season starts against last year's Western Conf champions, the Nashville Predators. BDLsgal felt a little conflicted during the game. She will always be a Bruins fan in her heart. But; for her birthday last year, I got us tickets to CMA Fest this past Summer. It was a great time. And I'm not that into country music. At the same time, the Stanley Cup Finals was going on. And you could feel how the whole city was backing their team. You'd see more people wearing Preds sweaters (in 90* heat with 80% humidity), than you saw cowboy hats. And you couldn't help but being swept up in it. And the fact that EVERYONE, was hoping the Preds would dethrone the Pens. Unfortunately, it was not to be. But still, BDLsgal seeing the Preds, brought back all the good feelings. But, the conflicts ended once the 1st time the boards rattled.

Now, if everyone followed the smart money and bet that Pastrnak would score the 1st Bruins goal of the year, go see your bookie. Now for everyone that bet that Jake DeBrusk and BU's own Charlie McAvoy would score their 1st goals in their regular season debuts, go buy a lottery ticket. In the 3rd per. Marchand added a 3/4 length empty netter. As it turns out, the Bruins needed that 4th goal. The Preds would not go quietly. In 90 sec, the Preds brought their team to within 1 goal with 30 sec left. And in that last 30 sec, it was a nailbiter. But the Bruins walked out of the Garden with 2 pts.

3 things about going to the game, that doesn't have to do with what went down on the ice.

1) Apparently the Garden took a crowd selfie, that the fans in attendance could go online and see themselves. BDLsgal went online, saw the pic and says to me "We had no business going to the game last night. We look terrible."

2) During the intro's, David Backes was announced as "alternate captain," even though he couldn't play, because of his injury. THEN, when David Krejci was announced, he was NOT announced as alternate captain. But he did get to wear the 'A' because of the Begry and Backes injuries (Marchand wore an 'A' too). Now, I don't want to get too hopeful, because I don't know if Cassidy is following Claude's old system of Home A and Away A, wearers. But, if Backes is the full time alternate captain that would make me SO happy. If any of you had followed me for a while, you know my disdain for Krejci. Not the man, but the player. He could be the next Pope for all I know, off the ice. But on the ice, I never saw why everyone fawned over him. He was all about cumulative stats, couldn't play D or PK, he doesn't seem to elevate his wings, he needs them to elevate him and didn't have much of a leadership quality, I saw. He had 2 INCREDIBLE playoff runs. I'll give him that. But what else?

3) I am livid at Garden management. I don't know if this is only for the Bruins games or for all events going forward, but "cash" is now a dirty word at the concession stands. At least 80% of the registers at the concession stands did not take cash. And in some cases, there were whole stands that could not take cash. They would only take chipped cards or Google/Apple pay. I do not know the status of the registers at the pro shops. Now this might not bother most. But I hit an ATM with my swipe debit card before the games to get the money I am going to spend. So, I cannot use the chip reader. Nor can I use insta-pay with my flip phone. So I had to walk around section by section to find stands that had both, what I wanted and took cash. It was a pain.

But, let's look to the future. The Bruins have a matinee today against the Avs. The walking wounded haven't revealed their status yet. But I'd rather see them healthier in April/May/June than a game in Oct.

1pm face-off. Let's Go Bruins!!!!
 
I was beginning to wonder if you were setting up the thread this season. But it's good to be back.
Good effort for the first game, not so much today. I just can't figure out why they can't beat the Avs here. It's frustrating.
One thing for certain is they better defend home ice much better than they have the last two years.
Don't know how far they'll go this season, but intend to have fun finding out. GO B's !
 
It was a rough beating. But like I said in my post, I'm more worried about keeping Bergy and Backes healthy down the stretch. The one thing that the Bruins have now that they haven't had in years is speed. And they need to know how to channel that. If I was a coach, I would lock every youngin' on the Bruins in a room and make them watch film of the 12-13 Blackhawks. Yes I know they beat the Bruins. But they also knew how to incorporate youth with veteran players. From the top lines to the bottom D pair, everyone contributed. And it didn't matter if it was mix and match or all youngin's.

One thing's for sure... We are in for a ride this year.
 


Here we are, 3 games into the 2017-78 NHL season. So far the Bruins are 1-2-0 for a whopping 2 pts. And, in the last 122 min, you can sum up ALL of the Bruins highlights in a 15 sec video. It just hasn't been pretty. Especially in regards to the D in front of the net. It just hasn't been good. The 1 glimmer of hope that has come from these games, is that aside from Marchand's 2 goals, all other goals have been scored by the youth movement. DeBrusk, McAvoy, Schaller, Krug and Pasta each have 1 goal in this young season. And that's where the bright side ends. There still is no timetable on Bergy's or Backes' return. And after they do, there will still be a 2-3 game period where they will have to build up chemistry with their linemates.

The next game will be against the 'Yotes on Saturday. And then the Bruins re-unite with Dave Goucher on Sunday when the B's go to Vegas.

And speaking of Las Vegas, if you haven't had a chance to see the Golden Knights' pregame tribute to the first responders was a really great thing to witness. Look it up online, if you can.

Face-off tomorrow at 9pm.

Let's Go Bruins!
 
Almost shutout by Malcolm Subban. The Apocalypse is upon us.
Felgar's already given up.
 
A fictional conversation I had on Monday with a co-worker that is a faux Bruins fan:

Me: That was some kind of weekend for the Bruins, huh?
Him: Yeah. I know. Right.

Me: They really lit the lamp on Sat night.
Him: Yeah.

Me: And it's good to see the kids get off to a quick start. And Bjork getting his first goal.
Him: I know right. It's about time the Bruins gave Chris a real shot.

Me: <silent pause>
Him: I've been saying for years, that Ray's boy was getting buried under Claude's system.

Me: <testing limits of co-worker's fandom> It's too bad the offense didn't carry over to Sunday. But at least Malcolm Subban only let up 1 goal.
Him: He's another one. I knew once the B's stopped trying to make him another Thomas, he would be their future #1. Rask's days are numbered.

Me: Well, I gotta get back to work, now.
 


Hi all...

It's been a while. But I'm back. Unfortunately, the Bruins have gone 2-3 in that time. BUT, there is a brights side. Every 1 of those losses were 1pt losses. Either in OT or SO. And further in the bright side category, in 3 of the games, the B's scored at least 3 goals. That's not to say there wasn't some controversy in this run. Yes, the goal did come off the moorings in the closing minutes of the game against the Sharks. But it looked like a pure accident. Yep. Nothing to see here. No need for the refs to come up with a make-up call when the B's travel to San Jose, later this month. :scared:

On the less-bright side, ALL of the scoring has been coming from Marchand and Pastrnak. If the Bruins want to get on a winning streak, they are going to have to get some scoring from ANY other line. Sooner or later, other coaches are just going to follow the 2011 Bruins playoff model, and just throw the top D-pair against the other team's top line. And when that happens, the Bruins won't even come close to getting 1pt losses.

Now, for the gloomy, dark side, if the season ended right now, the B's wouldn't even be a wild card team. In fact, there wouldn't be a wild card team in the Atlantic division.

Tomorrow, the Bruins welcome the shockingly, 8-3 Golden Knights. If you can, see if the NHL will show the Las Vegas broadcast and welcome Goucher back to your living room. This game will start a run where the B's will be playing 6 games in 10 days. Finishing up with a 'home and home' against Maple Leafs.

Face-off is at 7pm. Let's go Bruins!
 
Boston's only real hope is that the Atlantic is down right now outside the top 2. Tampa is in a league of their own in this division. Toronto (despite falling apart right now) is pretty significantly better than the Bruins. Sens are skating by on luck right now, so they could MAYBE catch them, but you always have to worry about Price returning to form and taking that third spot. And the Metro is too good not to get the wild cards. Bruins just don't have that good a team, and they don't even have a ton coming for help. Sweeney has done a pretty good job tanking this team, and can't say I'm too upset by it (sorry, hate the Bruins).
 
I just got back from a trip so I've been out of touch. Did notice two OT losses and another loss to the Caps (what else is new). Time to get back into the groove.
 
Tale of 2 games. In both the game vs. the Golden Knights and the game vs. Caps, the Bruins scored 2 goals. In the 1st game, the Bruins won 2-1. In the 2nd, they lost 3-2. It should have been 3-1, but for Pasta scoring with 2:30 left in the 3rd. Don't get me wrong. I love that the Bruins are showing a 'never say die' attitude. But they gotta get offense from more than just 1 line. And I can't even blame the B's for this. They have so many injuries right now, that if you looked in the team parking lot, most of the cars would have Rhode Island plates.

As for the Knights game... It was a game I circled on the calendar, that I wanted to attend. At first, it was to see the new expansion team and to see the return of Malcolm Subban. But with the way that the team has put their city on their backs to give them something to cheer for, after the recent tragedy, I wanted to support them. I did enjoy the game. And I liked seeing the youth on the ice. But in the back of my head, I couldn't help but wonder how much a better game it would be, if both teams were 100%. 1/2 of the Bruins were on the shelf, and the Knights were playing their 4th string goalie.

Tonight, the B's face a Wild team that is coming off a tough loss against the 'Hawks. Face-off is at 7pm.

Let's go Bruins!!!!!
 
5 goals, 5 different players and 2 scary moments. That is what the game against the Wild was to me. 3 of the goals were 2nd or 3rd chance goals, 1 was a blast from top of the circle and 1 was an EN-er. All of them were scored by guys that receive extra scrutiny when buying beer at a liquor store. None of them were scored by the 1st line. It was good to see offense coming from someone not named Pastrnak or Marchand. Speaking of Marchand, he missed the game with an "upper body injury." And with other injuries in the line-up, the 2nd 'A' was sported by Kevan Miller. I am a pretty big fan of Miller, but I don't think I'd see him wearing an 'A' outside of a preseason game. Now for the 2 scary parts. 1st, was a penalty shot that THANKFULLY Tuuk shut the door on. If I was MN's coach, I'd make the whole team watch video on Tuukka Rask and show how susceptible he is around the shoulders. The 2nd occurred when Eric Staal cut the lead to 1 goal with a shorthanded goal, with 4min left. And that was a tense 3 min after that, until Schaller scored the empty netter.

A very eventful game. And better yet, a 2 pt game. Bruins face the Rangers tonight at that OTHER Garden. Face-off is at 8 on NBCSN.

And in other Bruins news, it was revealed that in 2019, the Bruins will be playing in the shadow of "Touchdown Jesus", when they face the Blackhawks at Notre Dame. Not sure if it will be a Winter Classic game or an Outdoor Series game. The full reveal should be out on 11/18.

Let's Go Bruins!!!!!!
 
Bad first period last night, then couldn't solve Lunquist (I know my spelling is wrong).
I know we need patience with the young guys and I'll give it, but could we see a little more fortitude please.
 
Happy Thanksgiving. Nice 3 game win streak with Dobie in net but that shootout last night was nerve racking.
Pitt tomorrow, that'll be tough.
 
Happy Thanksgiving. Nice 3 game win streak with Dobie in net but that shootout last night was nerve racking.
Pitt tomorrow, that'll be tough.

It was a good streak. I never thought it would get to 4 games (the Pitt game) with the caliber of the teams that they were playing. Especially after losing the Home&Home against the Leafs. The B's beat 3 playoff contenders (at the time) on the way to this point. And goals are coming all over the place. Not just a top line F. Every line and even every pairing. And there is some light on the horizon. Doby is playing way above his head. And some of the walking wounded are starting to skate around now. Also, the young blue liners are really stepping up. Whether it's the blocks or the outlet passes, they keep getting better from 1 game to the next.

But on the downside, we are on the wrong side of American Thanksgiving, and the Bruins are out of the playoff standings. Add that to the fact that Tuuk is still giving up anything that heads to his left shoulder, it will be a rough run.

Also, since the Oilers just left town, there was a trade rumor that was floated.

To Bruins: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
For
To Oilers: Peter Cehlarik and Danton Heinen

This would obviously be a cash dump for EDM, and try to get some young 2-way players to ease the burden off of McDavid.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It is EXACTLY 4 weeks until Christmas. And, as a heads up to any lapse Catholics, this Sunday, is the 1st Sunday of Advent. So, if you want the Sister to recognize you and give you a decent seat or pew for Christmas/Christmas Eve mass, you might want to attend this weekend.

Tampa Bay comes to town Wednesday. Let's Go Bruins.
 
Also, since the Oilers just left town, there was a trade rumor that was floated.

To Bruins: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
For
To Oilers: Peter Cehlarik and Danton Heinen

This would obviously be a cash dump for EDM, and try to get some young 2-way players to ease the burden off of McDavid.

Let's Go Bruins.
I never heard that one. Doubt there's anything to it.

Yesterday Felger and Mazz spent time hoping and expecting that the B's would get crushed by Tampa. I felt either that would happen or they would rise up, and they did. Tuukka, I think, need to get out of the butterfly a little since opponents just keep shooting above his shoulders.

I see by your countdown clock you'll be at Disney next week. Enjoy!
 
Lord Stanley giveth, and he taketh away.

It was really cool enjoying the 5 min that the Bruins were in the playoff picture. Now we have to hope that the US Thanksgiving thing can be disproved. I enjoyed the 4 game win streak, and now 6 of 8 run. But now comes the compact schedule. The B's have played 2-3 games less than most other teams. And now the rent has come due. The Bruins will have to play 9 games in 19 days. I will enjoy it. It will give me something to watch while I attempt to shop online for gifts (and then give up and buy gift cards) or attempt to wrap presents (and then give up and just shove them in gift bags). But it will take a toll on a team that is just starting to get its players back from the IR.

And even though the B's lost last night, it was good to see the 3 proper letter-wearers all on the ice in the same game. Also, the fact that they kept fighting, despite being down 4-0 in the 2nd. They got within 4-3, only to unfortunately lose 5-3.

Next game is Thursday against the 'Yotes.

I hope everyone's shopping is going better than mine.

Let's go Bruins!
 
I was at the game last night, good game. I am a Predator fan but have to give you guys credit for handling the puck. It was a strange game because the Bruins were controlling and moving the puck up and down the ice well for most of the game but we were the ones scoring. Maybe too much passing, maybe goalie strength. After just playing the Ducks with all of the fighting and cheap shots it was nice to see another style of play.
 

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