The NHL Thread

[Standing Room]

The Bruins have done alright... I guess...

 

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[jung]

I may just be looking for a silver lining for tonights game but I think the Hawks gong balls to the walls may just play into the Bruin's hands.

 

Some teams play great balls to the walls. Others...not so much. I think there is a pretty good chance that the Hawks will simply give up too much defensively playing balls to the walls hockey. I noticed that in the last game, when the Hanks really got to a point where they felt that they needed to go balls to the walls in an effort to dent Tuukka, they really started to give up a bunch of odd man rushes to the Bruins. So I am hoping for that if nothing else presuming the Hawks do end up going balls to the walls tonight.

[mvp 78]

Heard that Toews and Kane may play on the same line tonight. Think that Chara and Seidenberg would like that.

[VA Sox Fan]

Win Bruins!

[User Name]

I may just be looking for a silver lining for tonights game but I think the Hawks gong balls to the walls may just play into the Bruin's hands.

 

Some teams play great balls to the walls. Others...not so much. I think there is a pretty good chance that the Hawks will simply give up too much defensively playing balls to the walls hockey. I noticed that in the last game, when the Hanks really got to a point where they felt that they needed to go balls to the walls in an effort to dent Tuukka, they really started to give up a bunch of odd man rushes to the Bruins. So I am hoping for that if nothing else presuming the Hawks do end up going balls to the walls tonight.

 

So just to be clear, are balls going to be hitting walls tonight?

[jung]

No they are not for better or worse. Hawks are playing well within themselves. Bruins have been skating in mud though. They need to pick it up.

[jung]

Bruins just can't seem to get their skates under them tonight. Bruins score to make it 3-2 Hawks. Hawks come right back and create an odd man rush just by out-skating the Bruins through center ice and go up 4-2. Hawks are just skating right by them at every turn tonight.

[jung]

5-5 in the 3rd. Battle of wills. Hawks strong on their skates and through center ice. Bruins strong in the corners, behind the net and out in front of the net.

 

On an optimistic note...this looks like the best the Hawks can play and the Bruins are far from playing as good as they can play. With all that the Hawks have not been able to manage more than a 5-5 tie.

[italstallianion]

On the bright side, with the way teams are scoring I doubt OT will last very long shall it get there.

[italstallianion]

Blackhawks won, oh well f*** it. 2-2 series.

[mvp 78]

Soderberg may go tomorrow.

[Standing Room]

Soderberg may go tomorrow.

 

Yeti sighting in practice! I'll believe it when I see it.

[jung]

Bruins solid in game 6 so far. I like their energy but they are still leaving themselves exposed the same way they have in the games they have lost. They still give up the puck too often. Hawks don't seem to ever give up the puck. The Bruins still do not just shoot the puck as often as they should. A shot on goal is never a bad play. Hawks still beating the Bruins through center ice. That is to be expected. What I would not have expected is how effective the Hawks quickness has been in front of the net. I would have expected the Bruins to be better than the Hanks both behind and in front of the nets and that unexpected edge to the Hawks has really turned out to be important in this series.

 

There is a little more wide open play than would be to our liking. Tuukka just stopped what was close to a breakaway. Great save.

[jung]

Hawks are taking the puck off of Chara's stick constantly and it just turned into a goal for the Hawks.

[jung]

Bruins offensive ineptitude which has haunted them this entire final series is once again a real problem. Four power plays...no goals. They can't find the net with the puck when it is a gapping wide open hole. In the meantime the Hawks sidle up to Chara, take the puck off his skate down the ice and ram the thing into the net. They have taken it off his stick at least three times in this game and that does not include whacky Chara passes that the Hawks have jumped on.

 

Bruins puck handling is basically abysmal. Ice is crummy but it is crummy for both teams.

 

1-1 tie and scary.

[jung]

As this game moves along the Bruins have no answer for the Hawks skating. The Hawks are in and out of the corners with the puck before a Bruin can get there to play their heavy hitting game. The game looks like the Bruins have control but only because they have possession of the puck more than the Hawks. However they can't do anything with it and it just takes one rush by the Hawks and BANG the puck is in the back of the Bruins net.

 

Bruins are being put in a real bad spot as they really don't have a way to survive without Chara's defense but the minutes appear to have finally taken their toll. Chara cannot stay out there for more than one trip up and not even a trip back and he is gassed. I won't be at all surprised if the Hawks score the winning goal with Chara on the ice as he has turned into a stalled truck with Hawks buzzing all around him. He just can't move.

[italstallianion]

Bruins take a 2-1 lead but now had a penalty with 5:39 left.

[italstallianion]

You gotta be f***ing kidding me. Blackhawks tie it with 1:16 left.

[italstallianion]

And again with 51 seconds left? Are you s***ing me? Looks like the Blackhawks just won.

[jung]

Like I said earlier, Hawks have been beating the Bruins in front of the net. Bruins are just gassed and are covering nobody in front of Rask. Hawks will win this Stanley Cup and I have to admit they are going to have earned it. Just outplayed the Bruins when it counted and where it counted. Bruins simply played horrible defense in front of Rask when they needed to be at their best defensively. I don't see how the Bruins would have beaten the Hawks on their ice in game 7 anyway.

[italstallianion]

I'm f***ing glad that hockey and basketball are over after two horrible playoff series. f*** the heat, f*** the blackhawks, and f*** god for making teams I like lose in the finals to teams I don't like. I'd rather miss the playoffs entirely.

[kapsis21]

I can say this was by far one of the best final series.

[italstallianion]

Unless you're a fan of the losing team imo.

[YAZMAN]

I don't see how the Bruins would have beaten the Hawks on their ice in game 7 anyway.

 

But they should have had a chance, that last minute and one half was a disaster.

[kapsis21]

Unless you're a fan of the losing team imo.

 

true. well I am a redsox fan, but for hockey I root for my home team. solid effort by both teams.

[Standing Room]

Well, the Bruins had a good season at least. I'll be interested to see what injuries Chara was dealing with, it would have been a different series if he was healthy.

 

Bergeron playing with broken rib, torn cartilage and a dislocated shoulder. Manly.

[Standing Room]

Bruins have a bright future with guys like Seguin, Marchand, Hamilton, Krug, Bartowski still young and improving. Should be interesting to see how Soderberg fits in to the third line now that we've finally gotten him from Sweden. Ference should be addition by subtraction, he was terrible this year.

[mvp 78]

Do they bring Horty back? Maybe dump Peverly and Kelly? Hope Rask's pay increase is manageable.

 

Agreed that Ference is gone. Wouldn't be surprised if McQuaid or Boychuck were moved.

[Standing Room]

Do they bring Horty back? Maybe dump Peverly and Kelly? Hope Rask's pay increase is manageable.

 

Agreed that Ference is gone. Wouldn't be surprised if McQuaid or Boychuck were moved.

 

Peverly and Kelly will be gone. Soderberg will slide on to the third line, Caron will probably get a shot. Rask should be a bit cheaper than he would have been if he won the Conn Smythe. Would not mind losing Ference or McQuaid one bit. Between Hamilton, Bartowski and Krug we should be able to come up with a couple good defencemen.

 

Horton, it will depend on what he asks for.

[jung]

But they should have had a chance, that last minute and one half was a disaster.

 

I don't think Bergeron could have gone in game 7. He was taken from game 6 in an ambulance and with three injuries that severeI don't think he could have gone. Plus, now we know that it was not entirely fatigue that had Z basically motionless. He has some sort of severe hip injury. Those two players plus Rask are the three most important players on the Bruins roster. Take two of them off the table and combine that with the way the Hawks were playing and I really don't see the Bruins having a chance. In fact I suspect game 7 would have been an embarrassment. This Bruins team has given too much and done too much to end up embarrassed.

 

Bruins had a great season and they don't owe me a thing as a fan. Just as soon not see them put in a bad situation in Chicago.

 

Noticed today all sorts of people wanting to get rid of this Bruin and that Bruin. Total BS. Hawks skating game was just too much for the depleted Bruins to handle. However going after individual players and wanting to run them out of town makes no sense.