GDT: League of Justice @ Cowardly Smurfs, 7PM EST

[Cardiac Jerks]

I see we've already had a thread on the main board full of bruins fans talking about Skinner having tears streaming down his face during his altercation with Bergeron. Luckily, it got locked up pretty quickly. Unreal.

 

[Identity404]

I'm not a Ward basher, but a 4.5 GAA and a .861 Save % flat out sucks. I can see not blaming him, but defending him is also not right. A good goalie helps his team win. Dan freakin' Ellis can perform behind this group but Cam can't??

Doesn't fly with me.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and just admit Cam Ward sucks right now. Our D is obviously not helping, but it's not all the D's fault. Cam Ward knows he sucks right now. He has no confidence in his game and was flopping around all night...

 

[hopkinsj31]

I see we've already had a thread on the main board full of bruins fans talking about Skinner having tears streaming down his face during his altercation with Bergeron. Luckily, it got locked up pretty quickly. Unreal.

There were two Bruins fans, the OP, and myself. I just want to know what happened, as neither the NESN feed or the FSN feed really showed anything. TSN just highlighted it and looks like he put his arm in front of Bergeron and slewfooted him. I'm not sure, it quickly cuts to the Seguin goal and then there is no footage until you see Bergeron and Skinner yelling at each other.

It's out of character for Bergeron to go nuts like that, so I figure Skinner must've done something.

FWIW, I have no idea if Skinner was crying or not.

 

[Vagrant]

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and just admit Cam Ward sucks right now. Our D is obviously not helping, but it's not all the D's fault. Cam Ward knows he sucks right now. He has no confidence in his game and was flopping around all night...

Exactly this. Mueller is trying to play him into some confidence but it's just not working for him right now. The time off really messed with him more than anybody else it seems. I can imagine as a goaltender it's probably harder than any other position to simulate game action. It's not like he doesn't have a built in excuse, but he is flat out no good right now.

I can forgive two of the goals without even discussing them. Allowing two goals shouldn't lose you a game. However, his actions when the puck was on Horton's stick were just .... ECHL caliber goaltending.

 

[Tony1028]

Exactly this. Mueller is trying to play him into some confidence but it's just not working for him right now. The time off really messed with him more than anybody else it seems. I can imagine as a goaltender it's probably harder than any other position to simulate game action. It's not like he doesn't have a built in excuse, but he is flat out no good right now.

I can forgive two of the goals without even discussing them. Allowing two goals shouldn't lose you a game. However, his actions when the puck was on Horton's stick were just .... ECHL caliber goaltending.

Get used to it...I am pretty sure he will start Friday night.

 

[normalpsychology]

so keeping him as the starter despite performances which suggest otherwise hasn't inspired his game. maybe time to make him feel like he has to earn it back again? one of the goals wasn't really his fault but the others...

also: we need more maturity out of staal. he's the captain and this team needs leadership now but he's not bringing it.

fun game to be at though!

 

[Novacane]

So I take it this was a frustrating loss...

I guess I'm glad I wasn't here to watch it. No surprise the D sucked. Everyone was playing way above their heads BEFORE the Faulk injury. Can't imagine how bad it looked tonight.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

Most opposing fans I have seen in the building in a long time. Crowd was louder for the mighty mite celebrations than the game tying goal at the end of the second.

 

[Tony1028]

Most opposing fans I have seen in the building in a long time. Crowd was louder for the mighty mite celebrations than the game tying goal at the end of the second.

That is simply not true....the building was rocking on that tying goal.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Let's be fair, it wasn't just the D that sucked, the offense had trouble getting the puck out of the zone when the D did get it to them and had trouble getting much sustained pressure in the Bruins zone, except for a period in the late 1st and into the 2nd period where they finally were able to forecheck.

The Bruins are a better team right now so to me it wasn't that much of a frustrating loss. They are good at face-offs, they forecheck aggressively yet still clog up the neutral zone and play the body well in their own zone.

The 3rd period seemed like the Canes were either out of gas, or playing for OT as it was constant dump and very little chase.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Wow. I could've sworn I saw Ward out there stopping breakaways, deflections, screened shots, guys standing wide open in the slot. Could've sworn the first goal was by a guy left completely alone on the weak side, the second by a shot through three Hurricanes and Lucic's ass, the third by a guy who strolled straight through three defenders and into his kitchen, and the fourth on a total defensive breakdown.

You want to hold a couple of those against him for failing to make a spectacular stop, ok... but balance that off against the spectacular stops he DID make that kept the Hurricanes in the game.

The problem with this team is so obviously with the collective defense. It takes a ridiculous performance to keep the GAA in a winnable range. Are we really going to sit here and say the guy "sucks" and is a problem element because he didn't have a first-star type performance? Because that's basically what it would have taken for him to come close to a win tonight.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Why does the fact that it's a quality scoring chance mean that Ward has to make a spectacular stop? How about he just doesn't go on his knees and give someone the entire upper half to shoot at?

Great scoring chance != great shot

 

[Identity404]

Like others have pointed out, I really don't understand Westgarth and his 3 minutes of ice time a game. Why does Muller continue to dress him and give him less than 4 minutes of ice when other players are out there fighting? He is a complete waste of a roster spot. I have no idea what Boychuck did to get in the doghouse, but he looked pretty good the first game and certainly adds more to a team than a tough guy that doesn't fight...

 

[tarheelhockey]

Why does the fact that it's a quality scoring chance mean that Ward has to make a spectacular stop? How about he just doesn't go on his knees and give someone the entire upper half to shoot at?

Great scoring chance != great shot

Stopping Marchand would have been spectacular.

Stopping Chara would have been flat-out lucky.

Stopping Horton would have been spectacular, considering Horton was 10 feet away and shooting high.

Stopping Krejci would have been the clutch save of the year so far.


Any others? I mean, we aren't talking about the Florida game here. Boston scored 4 times where they flat-out beat our defense for easy goals.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Ward was great tonight. People seem to have already forgotten that it was 3-3 going into the 3rd, and 3-3 with 2 minutes remaining.

The Bruins outplayed us the first period. We outplayed them the second period. The third, after the first ~5 minutes where both teams had quality chances, was playing for OT hockey.

Neither team was forechecking. The Hurricanes were taking potshots from the middle. The Bruins would dump it in and send one guy with 4 players watching.

Then suddenly, the Bruins turn it up with 2 minutes to go. There is a total defensive breakdown. Harrison is watching Gleason shove a Bruin to the ground. They surprise the Hurricanes and score.

This wasn't a frustrating loss because it was a blowout. It was frustrating because we dug a hole early and then dug ourselves out before the 3rd. It's frustrating because outside the first 10 minutes, we were trading scoring chances and blows with the Bruins. It's frustrating because Cam Ward made great saves tonight, and it wasn't enough.

I don't know whether the Bruins as a collective pounced or Julien decided to have turn it on suddenly at a set time, because it certainly seemed like the latter after ten minutes of tennis. So props to him for lulling us into prevent defense, then surprising us when the time was right.

This was going to be a benchmark game, and at least at ES, we were not too far behind the Bruins. I'm excited at what I saw.

On a different note, I can not wait until Ruutu gets back. We are not getting any production out of our bottom six. I'll compare it to the other bottom sixes in the League, but they have converted on nothing. Ruutu-Jokinen-Bowman (provided Bowman looks like he has right now) will look great.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Stopping Horton would have been spectacular, considering Horton was 10 feet away and shooting high.

I think this quote says it all. Shooting high requires a spectacular save? Why? Because Ward is down on his knees yet again.

 

[Novacane]

I would hope they put Boychuk in against the Sens. I mean, they really don't have a major tough guy other than Neil and I consider him more of a pest anyway. Westgarth's role on this team is so minimal, and he's not doing anything anyway, so you have to give the nod to Boychuk. Right?

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I think this quote says it all. Shooting high requires a spectacular save? Why? Because Ward is down on his knees yet again.

This is the NHL. You give 4th line grinders space and time and they will pick corners all day.

Nevermind former 3rd overall draft picks.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Like others have pointed out, I really don't understand Westgarth and his 3 minutes of ice time a game. Why does Muller continue to dress him and give him less than 4 minutes of ice when other players are out there fighting? He is a complete waste of a roster spot. I have no idea what Boychuck did to get in the doghouse, but he looked pretty good the first game and certainly adds more to a team than a tough guy that doesn't fight...

I think the problem is twofold. First, Westgarth is terrible so that's why he is getting only 3 minutes a game. The guy is a wreck out there.

Second, I don't think Boychuk is a 4th line type player. To have any chance at being effective, Boychuk needs to be in a top 9 (probably top 6) role. Unfortunately for him, the coaches feel that Dalpe, Bowman, Tlusty and LaRose are better options right now.

I think LaRose has struggled this year and don't think he is really helping that 3rd line. I wouldn't mind seeing Boychuk get a chance on that line and move LaRose to play with Dwyer and Brent on the 4th line. I realize that is a tiny 4th line, but a big 4th line that isn't very good and plays 3 min/ game isn't really helping either.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

This is the NHL. You give 4th line grinders space and time and they will pick corners all day.

Nevermind former 3rd overall draft picks.

Why do the other team's goalies and Dan Ellis stop shots so often?

 

[dogbazinho]

Yeah I agree. This one isn't on Ward. He played more aggressive than in his first few games but still went down early 2 or 3 times. His D left him out to dry, especially Horton's goal where it looked like Gleason tried to footcheck him.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Why do the other team's goalies and Dan Ellis stop shots so often?

I don't recall any of our players being granted such time and space by the Bruins D.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The Hurricanes were taking potshots from the middle.

What was with Pitkanen doing that? Is Khudobin known for softies or something?

On a different note, I can not wait until Ruutu gets back.

We certainly missed him tonight. If nothing else, his ability to lay the body on the forecheck would have made it a lot tougher to simply break right past our defense.

 

[dogbazinho]

I wish Pitkanen would skate 2 more feet to get the blue line before he tries his shots/dumpins/whatever the hell they are.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

What was with Pitkanen doing that? Is Khudobin known for softies or something?

No idea: though Khudobin has only played 7 NHL games, so I guess there wasn't much footage on him.