Series Talk: ECSF-Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins (FLA leads 3-2)

[BB79]

Maybe you hid it? Everyone is a suspect at this point.

I blame the Leafs

 

[Rydan]

I blame the Leafs

brother... please dont summon them.

 

[BB79]

brother... please dont summon them.

I'll page HockeyVirus back

 

[qwertyaas]

Holy f*** that’s weak. Take the fine. My God.

Gotta muster up his inner Torts.

 

[Chaos2k7]

Panthers experienced this exact 2nd round series just 2 years ago with TB, it sucks, the emotions run high, but the main problem in the series isn't missed calls and GI, it's just not.

Would I be pissed, absolutely.

But these personal attacks on fandom and our market, is just sour grapes the Bs had two home games with the series tied 1-1, they no showed, if not for an uninspired loss in game 1, the series would have ended last night. It hasn't been all that close, which is surprising to me, and disappointing to you guys.

 

[qwertyaas]

Panthers experienced this exact 2nd round series just 2 years ago with TB, it sucks, the emotions run high, but the main problem in the series isn't missed calls and GI, it's just not.

Would I be pissed, absolutely.

But these personal attacks on fandom and our market, is just sour grapes the Bs had two home games with the series tied 1-1, they no showed, if not for an uninspired loss in game 1, the series would have ended last night. It hasn't been all that close, which is surprising to me.

The bigger problem is, the refs just absolutely suck.

It isn't against a single team even though in a best of 7, it could seem that way.

It's the same problem, year after year, series after series, game after game and period after period.

There is zero consistency in what they call, what they review, how they review and what and how the penalize players.

 

[Chaos2k7]

The bigger problem is, the refs just absolutely suck.

It isn't against a single team even though in a best of 7, it could seem that way.

It's the same problem, year after year, series after series, game after game and period after period.

There is zero consistency in what they call, what they review, how they review and what and how the penalize players.

Bruins have taken 2-3 absolutely brain dead penalties in every game 2-4, that's your officiating difference. We have 7 PPGs and a SHG in those games.

TB had 10 more PPs than us in round 1, in a less physical series, you can find a way if you have the horses.

Monty seems absolutely oblivious on the bench.

 

[BTO]

Panthers experienced this exact 2nd round series just 2 years ago with TB, it sucks, the emotions run high, but the main problem in the series isn't missed calls and GI, it's just not.

Would I be pissed, absolutely.

But these personal attacks on fandom and our market, is just sour grapes the Bs had two home games with the series tied 1-1, they no showed, if not for an uninspired loss in game 1, the series would have ended last night. It hasn't been all that close, which is surprising to me, and disappointing to you guys.

The main problem in this series is that Florida is better than Boston. A lot better. Refs haven’t helped, but Boston hasn’t helped either.

 

[Chaos2k7]

Why would they he is a non factor, lol

 

[Mathews28]

Panthers experienced this exact 2nd round series just 2 years ago with TB, it sucks, the emotions run high, but the main problem in the series isn't missed calls and GI, it's just not.

Would I be pissed, absolutely.

But these personal attacks on fandom and our market, is just sour grapes the Bs had two home games with the series tied 1-1, they no showed, if not for an uninspired loss in game 1, the series would have ended last night. It hasn't been all that close, which is surprising to me, and disappointing to you guys.

You haven’t watched the bough bruins hockey this year if you’re surprised. lol. It’s been smoke and mirrors all year!

Some of us were wanting to be TDL sellers despite hovering a pound first in the division. Or was grossly apparent the team was not contending. Would have taken epic failure by Florida’s, NY or Carolina just to get there.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

The main problem in this series is that Florida is better than Boston. A lot better. Refs haven’t helped, but Boston hasn’t helped either.

I don't think (many) fans on both sides would disagree with this. But there's no accountability in the league when it comes to officiating so all you can do is move on.

 

[Chaos2k7]

You haven’t watched the bough bruins hockey this year if you’re surprised. lol. It’s been smoke and mirrors all year!

Some of us were wanting to be TDL sellers despite hovering a pound first in the division. Or was grossly apparent the team was not contending. Would have taken epic failure by Florida’s, NY or Carolina just to get there.

The demise of the Bruins and Lightning are not coming anytime soon, much clearer paths to retool than say Toronto for example.

I said after Game 1 the series would be decided on whose top players rose to the occasion, I thought while an impressive emotional win, that Boston could not afford to hope for that kind of depth scoring every game. So far that has borne true. Too many passengers.

 

[PaulGG]

Bruins issues last night:

1) Not shooting the puck
2) Refs

They were outplayed in second and third.

 

[Mathews28]

The demise of the Bruins and Lightning are not coming anytime soon, much clearer paths to retool than say Toronto for example.

I said after Game 1 the series would be decided on whose top players rose to the occasion, I thought while an impressive emotional win, that Boston could not afford to hope for that kind of depth scoring every game. So far that has borne true. Too many passengers.

If passengers = talentless you’re right. If it means they’re not trying, meh. Easy to look like lack of compete when you’re totally overmatched.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

There have been some high profile calls that definitely benefitted the Panthers. No question. What some are missing is that the Bruins are getting away with a whole lot of interference and holding due to chasing the play so much.

There's a reason there is a PP discrepancy. It should actually be more but the refs are not calling all that they could against Boston by a longshot. FLA is utterly dominating the Bruins. Swayman is the only reason the Panthers aren't winning by more. The reffing is pretty well last on the list of why the Panthers are going to win the series.

 

[Drytoast]

We still think that wasn't a punch?

It's clearly a punch. let's move on.

 

[wintersej]

Bruins have taken 2-3 absolutely brain dead penalties in every game 2-4, that's your officiating difference. We have 7 PPGs and a SHG in those games.

TB had 10 more PPs than us in round 1, in a less physical series, you can find a way if you have the horses.

Monty seems absolutely oblivious on the bench.

I'm of two minds on Monty.

He got the team to 109 points in the regular season with Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie as his top 3 centers. The team really only has two good play drivers, Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak is an elite offensive talent who turned Zacha into a 60 point player and made the rotating guys on the other wing like Danton Heinen into useful offensive players... but he isn't an elite play driver. Marchand is 35 and a good but not great play driving winger. The Panthers have several guys of his play driving quality at wing alone. McAvoy is clearly trying to do too much and his play has suffered tremendously. They are asking him to be Lidstrom or Bourque with this roster construction and he ain't that. It's a flawed roster in the first year of a re-tool that was in the gunning for the President's Trophy almost all year. Credit to Monty.

But, he has been seriously out matched three playoff series in a row. When they did have the horses last year, he completely failed to adjust his game plan to account for Florida's ultra aggressive play (I don't mean the physical part, I mean aggressive forecheck and aggressive activation from the D). Against Toronto this year he completely failed to adjust to Toronto moving to the 1-3-1 in game 5, 6 and 7. And in this series against being completely rag dolled. If it was just this year, I would give him the benefit of the doubt. It's hard to game plan around either an aggressive team or against a 1-3-1 when you don't have many guys who can skate with the puck. But, when you add in last year...

His post-game presser where he was giving off "aw shucks" vibes to the GI non-call and to the new Bennett camera angle sealed it for me. The team has taken on his personality and it just isn't going to work in the post-season. Folks joke about Maroon being awful, and he is, but he at least is trying to drag the guys into the fight. Shouldn't need a replacement level plug to do that.

As far as the PP stuff, you are right that having the horses and getting through the adversity is what great teams do. That isn't this Bruins team. They needed everything to go a certain way to win this series. Some of it is going their way. Swayman is doing his job. They are getting dominated on shots and possession, but the high danger chances are close and actually in the Bruins favor. It's 8 to 7 in goals at 5 on 5. Obviously, they wish they were getting out of their zone better, but they were never going to be *good* at it with this group. But, they aren't *that* far off from what they wanted to do given their limitations.

But the special teams stuff is killing them. And some of that is luck they created themselves, granted. But, it also sure feels like Florida has gotten away with some of the dumb penalties the Bruins have gotten called on. And the two Bennett incidents are total amplification points that are easy to point to rather than nickel and diming every potential call and non-call in the series. So all the frustration is getting poured into those two things.

But, the refs are not the top reason why this series is 3-1. It is certainly on the list, and I think most Panthers fans have been reasonable in thinking Boston has gotten some raw deals here, but if the Bruins were a really good team, they could have been able to overcome it. It's just not what they are right now. Which was expected in what is a re-tool year.

If you told me coming into the season they would win a round, Swayman would steal the starting job and that Lorhei and Poitras (before getting hurt) would solidify their roles on the roster while showing top half of the roster upside I would have taken it and ran. Fast. But, of course, once the games happen you want to win them, lol.

 

[TD Charlie]

Bennett sneaking into the video room with a fake mustache on top of his.

The mental picture of this is good shit though

 

[swiftwin]

Bruins in 5, Florida can't handle the physicality
Road split, we got this!
They don't respect the code! Pasta isn't a fighter!
Pat Maroon is gonna send Tkachuk to the ER!
The refs f***ed us!
Injure their star players! f*** it! Retribution time!
BETTMAN SUNBELT CONSPIRACY
Dey ain't even got real fans <============= YOU ARE HERE
The Rangers are going to sweep them.
Pasta and McAvoy played so poorly because they were injured.
At least we beat the Leafs.

You seem pretty riled up. Is everything ok?

 

[Laus723]

You're not going to get penalties when you don't have the puck. How many periods with 3/4/5 SOG? Too many.

It's lopsided. Badly. FL is just so much better.

I get the frustration from Bruin fans, we all carried on about Trocheck being tripped, Kucherov getting calls, how was that not...it sucks, but the elite find ways, play on the fringe and get the wins. Zito watched Tampa dive in front of pucks, play with that edge, and push the play. He took notes, let Bruno go, brought in Maurice and went to work on the team needed to succeed in the playoffs. As fans we want all things to go OUR way, I'd be upset too, I WAS upset, but that last time they beat us I said it takes THAT. And Zito recognized it as well.

 

[TD Charlie]

I get the frustration from Bruin fans, we all carried on about Trocheck being tripped, Kucherov getting calls, how was that not...it sucks, but the elite find ways, play on the fringe and get the wins. Zito watched Tampa dive in front of pucks, play with that edge, and push the play. He took notes, let Bruno go, brought in Maurice and went to work on the team needed to succeed in the playoffs. As fans we want all things to go OUR way, I'd be upset too, I WAS upset, but that last time they beat us I said it takes THAT. And Zito recognized it as well.

I don’t disagree with any of this. The championship caliber teams find ways to win the games they shouldn’t win. Aaaand the rest of us watch teams find ways to lose the games they have a shot in.

Boston, in this series, earned game 1. They had a chance for a bit in game 4, then they quit once shit didn’t go their way. That’s it

 

[dez]

Just found out Gregory Campbell is on the Florida Panthers Mangament team… interesting.

 

[ShootIt]

But, he has been seriously out matched three playoff series in a row. When they did have the horses last year, he completely failed to adjust his game plan to account for Florida's ultra aggressive play (I don't mean the physical part, I mean aggressive forecheck and aggressive activation from the D). Against Toronto this year he completely failed to adjust to Toronto moving to the 1-3-1 in game 5, 6 and 7. And in this series against being completely rag dolled. If it was just this year, I would give him the benefit of the doubt. It's hard to game plan around either an aggressive team or against a 1-3-1 when you don't have many guys who can skate with the puck. But, when you add in last year...

I agree with this, with a non bias train of thought.

Bruins started out well last year, with the depth to overwhelm them. And they did for the first half of the series.
But then after game 4 it just seemed like the Bruins started to coast with a 3-1 lead and Jim couldn't get them to stay in that killshot mode either.
Add in Ullmark being injured, not switching to Swayman before game 7 and seeing that Bergeron was still dealing with an injury as well, I'm not for sure how Boston keeps him after this year if they lose this series.

Sure, he's dealing with a roster with a center lineup that needs some love, but he had the talent last year and couldn't adjust.
Not sure if he's the guy the front office would still want to roll with after this year but that's just my opinion.

Shades of Andrew Brunette's time here as a coach. Failure to adjust to the other team.

 

[Over the volcano]

There have been some high profile calls that definitely benefitted the Panthers. No question. What some are missing is that the Bruins are getting away with a whole lot of interference and holding due to chasing the play so much.

There's a reason there is a PP discrepancy. It should actually be more but the refs are not calling all that they could against Boston by a longshot. FLA is utterly dominating the Bruins. Swayman is the only reason the Panthers aren't winning by more. The reffing is pretty well last on the list of why the Panthers are going to win the series.

Up 2-1 in PP opportunities through 4 games and crying that it should be more is something I don't think I've seen in here before.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

I get the frustration from Bruin fans, we all carried on about Trocheck being tripped, Kucherov getting calls, how was that not...it sucks, but the elite find ways, play on the fringe and get the wins. Zito watched Tampa dive in front of pucks, play with that edge, and push the play. He took notes, let Bruno go, brought in Maurice and went to work on the team needed to succeed in the playoffs. As fans we want all things to go OUR way, I'd be upset too, I WAS upset, but that last time they beat us I said it takes THAT. And Zito recognized it as well.

This is pretty bang on and I think most bruins fans are hoping this is that same lesson taken by the bruins management group (though I think they need a new one)