Post-Game Talk: Canucks Kick Bruins Ass 3-2 OT (Boeser 2, Hronek), We Are So Back!!!

[Canucks LB]

Figured I would read the first 30 or so pages of the GDT before I read this one. I am howling with laughter; the most bi-polar fan base in the NHL by a mile. Let's face it; we got lucky. The Bruins gave us that game with that stupid penalty in OT. Most of the team actually played pretty well I thought but the Bruins are a really good team even though they were on the road. If we meet these guys in the playoffs we won't last 6 games IMHO...

We outplayed them basically the entire game

 

[MS]

We outplayed them basically the entire game

First period was pretty even.

Second we significantly outplayed them.

Third we absolutely blew the doors off them.

 

[oceanchild]

My only worry is that if we lost to the Leafs, giving them their first SC since 1967, we would never, ever be able to live it down.

We wouldn’t

Somehow upgrading on Mikheyev could be massive for our top 6.

I think Kesse might be the upgrade (not saying it’s ideal)

 

[Zippgunn]

We outplayed them basically the entire game

They were a) on the road b) playing their backup goalie (who outplayed our goalie even though our guy played great) and c) shorthanded for the tying and winning goals. The whole team played quite well I though and even then we had a real hard time dealing with these guys. The white hot hatred for Boston in this town distorts reality for some fans.

 

[Britton]

They were a) on the road b) playing their backup goalie (who outplayed our goalie even though our guy played great) and c) shorthanded for the tying and winning goals. The whole team played quite well I though and even then we had a real hard time dealing with these guys. The white hot hatred for Boston in this town distorts reality for some fans.

In what universe is Swayman their back up goaltender.

 

[Hodgy]

We got *unlucky* that we were down 2-0 in a game where we were outplaying them.

The win was a just result.

I’m not so sure. It was a really good road game for the first two periods for Boston. They did a good job of shutting us down. The Canucks absolutely dominated in the third but that’s somewhat expected based on the score (I.e., score effects).

 

[Josepho]

i don't think ive ever seen a comeback be discredited because their net was empty for one of the goals

 

[MS]

I’m not so sure. It was a really good road game for the first two periods for Boston. They did a good job of shutting us down. The Canucks absolutely dominated in the third but that’s somewhat expected based on the score (I.e., score effects).

We dominated possession in the 2nd period and had several odd-man rushes in the first 40 minutes that weren't converted as Swayman was fantastic.

 

[Zippgunn]

In what universe is Swayman their back up goaltender.

Hey, you're right, he's played more games than Ullmark, my bad. Even has better numbers than Demko which surprised me. Maybe HE will get the Vezina this year. He sure played a whale of a game IMHO.

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

Anyone who didn't see the Canucks outplay the Bruins for the majority of the game is delusional.

 

[Wisp]

They were a) on the road b) playing their backup goalie (who outplayed our goalie even though our guy played great) and c) shorthanded for the tying and winning goals. The whole team played quite well I though and even then we had a real hard time dealing with these guys. The white hot hatred for Boston in this town distorts reality for some fans.

imagine trying to spin Swayman as a backup goalie. He's started more games than Linus Ullmark and repped the Bruins at the All Star game. maybe stop to examine what else you might be wrong about because that's just the tip of the iceburg.

 

[Zarpan]

Hey, you're right, he's played more games than Ullmark, my bad. Even has better numbers than Demko which surprised me. Maybe HE will get the Vezina this year. He sure played a whale of a game IMHO.

Swayman has played well this year, but it will be hard for him to win the Vezina if he ends up with around 45 games played for the season.

 

[Hodgy]

Anyone who didn't see the Canucks outplay the Bruins for the majority of the game is delusional.

I think this is true, but road teams that are leading generally get outplayed. Bruins played a really good road game until the third when they gave up more than they would have lined. But still, they were like 60 seconds away from the win.

 

[Nucker101]

One thing I'll say about Boston is that I love their in-zone defensive play. They're one of the best teams at boxing out forwards near the front of the net, reminds me a lot of Sutter's Kings teams. Tocchet was well aware of this so his layers of screens/traffic strategy makes sense since boxing out in the bumper/high slot area is not as easy as net front, and I feel like defenders are also more likely to get called for interference/holding if they box out in more less crowded areas further away from the crease.

First period was pretty even.

Second we significantly outplayed them.

Third we absolutely blew the doors off them.

I think some of this was score effects though

 

[MS]

One thing I'll say about Boston is that I love their in-zone defensive play. They're one of the best teams at boxing out forwards near the front of the net, reminds me a lot of Sutter's Kings teams. Tocchet was well aware of this so his layers of screens/traffic strategy makes sense since boxing out in the bumper/high slot area is not as easy as net front, and I feel like defenders are also more likely to get called for interference/holding if they box out in more less crowded areas further away from the crease.


I think some of this was score effects though

Both goals in the 2nd period were against the run of play and not really the time/score for score effects.

In the 3rd, sure, but when you score effect it that much you're playing well.

 

[krutovsdonut]

bruins were trying to play a good road game and they got overmatched in the third. canucks had too many different guys going at once.

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

Bruins record is kind of inflated by 13 OTLs.

 

[IDJOTBOY]

early afternoon we were downtown and walked by the bar in the building across from international village, i think it’s called the pint. and my wife was like wtf, why is this bar that doesn’t even seem to be an irish bar filled with ppl in bruins jerseys? saw a bunch of scattered ppl walking around west hastings in bruins jerseys too. who are these ppl and where did they come from?

a fantastic game. early enough that my kid got to watch through to the end and he was running around the house screaming after the tying goal and game winner. tbf he lost interest at the beginning of the third and went to play but he came back after i yelled after the first boeser goal and was riveted.

what on earth got into zadorov? he was like defenceman jtm out there. and i caught slack upthread for talking about demko winning this game but if demko wasn’t demko in the first period and during that flurry of weak play by us iirc at the end of the second, this game could have gotten out of hand. he was every bit as good as swayman, who also was excellent.

Hey man, Rogers is hallowed ground for Bruins fans. If I were them I'd be down to go to a Bruins game where they won the cup too

 

[strattonius]

That was the most glorious win of the season.

Marchand looked like garbage. And not just because I hate the player. He was bobbling the puck, making poor passes and slowing down the Bruins PP. I've never seen him look so bad he usually scores against us.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I want him to pump up his value so we can trade him at the draft.

I want him to get to 40 badly.

I’m not so sure. It was a really good road game for the first two periods for Boston. They did a good job of shutting us down. The Canucks absolutely dominated in the third but that’s somewhat expected based on the score (I.e., score effects).

Yeah, I’m just not seeing what some other people are seeing because I think you can split the game right in the middle and it’s more or less symmetrical or whatever.

The first half of the game the only two real scoring chances we had was a 2-1 with a pass the went behind Garland because the D played it well. The other better chance was the Zadorov rush jump but though it looked good, it’s quite difficult in that play to score IMO if you raise your stick to wind up. Your accuracy is off-balance, the whole idea of the slap shot is you use the foot you step into for aim. So to do it in-stride and get a half-decent shot off takes a disproportionate amount of skill compared to how it looks.

Bruins I thought had chances before scoring where the Canucks were making odd-ball zone choices in coverage. I thought we were lucky the Bruins passing game wasn’t on point last night. And the whole unlucky to be down 2-0, I mean the 2nd yeah sure. I don’t know how a piss poor judgment call to pinch is luck, though. Can someone explain that to me really slow? That just seems like a player you chose to have on the team.

And while it’s normal to carry the run of play down with score effects, I would say that in the 3rd definitely it was past score effects and outright domination.

 

[Ita]

Figured I would read the first 30 or so pages of the GDT before I read this one. I am howling with laughter; the most bi-polar fan base in the NHL by a mile. Let's face it; we got lucky. The Bruins gave us that game with that stupid penalty in OT. Most of the team actually played pretty well I thought but the Bruins are a really good team even though they were on the road. If we meet these guys in the playoffs we won't last 6 games IMHO...

This is a hilariously bad take if you think "we got lucky" here.

 

[Shareefruck]

Interesting comments here. I thought we outplayed them on balance for sure, but as far as eye-test goes, I was generally more impressed by the Bruins game in the first period, personally (even though both were pretty abysmal on the powerplay). Especially defensively.

 

[alternate]

Feel this win is going to set us up well for the home stretch. Always great to beat the Bruins, but snapping our longest losing streak of the season when down 2-0 50+ minutes into the game...just sweetness.

I was beginning to worry we had peaked too early. We hadn't been playing terribly through the losing streak, but certainly weren't playing 60 minute games, and things just weren't as sharp as they had been.

Now we get rest, practice time, and stay in the west, if not at home, for most of our remaining games.

I do have some concerns that our cushion in the division will lead to relaxing a bit, which can be a double edged sword. We've all seen teams that are dominant in the regular season and coast into the playoffs, but then have to play a team that has been scratching and clawing and the "better" team just can't find the intensity until it's too late. Not sure the conference, or even President's Trophy is the motivator playoffs or the division is. This team is still relatively inexperienced, so I've got some concerns here...but that's likely just my Canucks Fandom shining through.

The top priority going forward, give or take the trade deadline, needs to be getting our special teams figured out. Hopefully the OT winner will encourage Tocchet to get Boeser back in front of the net and give up on this recent obsession with having a RHS one timer. JtM up high. Boeser down low, make it happen.

 

[Zippgunn]

Swayman has played well this year, but it will be hard for him to win the Vezina if he ends up with around 45 games played for the season.

Yeah you are probably right.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Late to post on this one, a few comments:

1. Zadorov impressed me. This was a high point game for him. This team needs Dmen to push the play beyond Hughes-Hronek, and he did exactly that in this game.

2. Lindholm-Garland, yes, finally. Give him his own line and pair him with Garland. He didn't do much offensively, but he's now in the best position to succeed imo. Put Joshua with them and see what unfolds.

3. JT Miller has been excellent. He plays like this, and you gain insight on his potential in the playoffs. Well done. Great tactics to set up the Boeser goal.


Generally, BOS had the slight advantage in the 1st period. The run of play somewhat evened out in the 2nd though. VAN started well and then BOS had a late flurry. You could see VAN forechecking more than BOS, but the plays created by the forecheck were nullified by the BOS Dmen. Swayman highlighted this by not having to face 2nd and 3rd chances. In the 3rd, however, the dam broke. The Canucks took over.

I think Tocchet figured something out this game: Run the 4 centre rotation and let the wingers show you who they can work with.