Pre-Game Talk: 8/11 8:08 PM - ECQF Game 1 - Whalercanes vs BRUINS - NESN, CBC, SN4K, NBCSN, TVAS, 98.5 WBZ-FM

[Fenway]

Games 1, 2 and 4 will be on NESN

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Click to read more...

 

[Trap Jesus]

Hope for the best, expect the worst. How the Bruins D handle the puck vs. the Canes' forecheck is the biggest thing I'm looking at in Game 1. McAvoy, Grzelcyk and Krug will have to be at their best.

 

[BMC]

The Bruins better pull their heads out of their asses, Carolina is not to be taken lightly.

 

[lopey]

Marshy admitted that the B's played the round robin as if it was the preseason. Marchand admits Bruins treated round robin like 'preseason games'

 

[lopey]

And Felger and Maz barfing over the Bruins! What else is new...

 

[Bruinaura]

Kind of bugs me that at least a couple Bruins viewed the round robin as preseason. While I kinda get it on one hand, they don't have 5-10 regular season games to "get up to speed." I'd hope as a veteran team that was one win away from the Cup last year that they can flip the switch in game one. We'll see. Carolina is going to be ready to take it to them after last year.

Starting a fresh batch of cookies now....

 

[lopey]

The round robin did not mean anything really, home ice is not there so why go hard. I get it and I hope to hell it works because if they suck against Carolina, this statement will bite them in the ASS

 

[Bruinaura]

Marshy admitted that the B's played the round robin as if it was the preseason. Marchand admits Bruins treated round robin like 'preseason games'

I remember in one of the calls before the games started he was asked what he thought the quality of play would be like in those games, and he kind of rolled his eyes and said it would be ugly hockey. I don't think he was too enthused about playing in them. But that's just my perception.

 

[BAD BOY]

No more Excuses
No more the games mean nothing
No more will be alright
No more lip service

It starts right now !

Let’s Go !!
Let’s Go Bruins !!!
LFG !!!!!!

 

[Trap Jesus]

Kind of bugs me that at least a couple Bruins viewed the round robin as preseason. While I kinda get it on one hand, they don't have 5-10 regular season games to "get up to speed." I'd hope as a veteran team that was one win away from the Cup last year that they can flip the switch in game one. We'll see. Carolina is going to be ready to take it to them after last year.

Starting a fresh batch of cookies now....

View attachment 359798

Marchand's had a few odd comments about the RTP. He was the only one I saw openly talking about how he thought the games would be sloppy (the cliche answer was like, "yeah it'll take a game or two but these are the best hockey players in the world"), and that he thought teams like Toronto and Tampa would have the advantage as younger teams easing back into it. I appreciate candid/honest answers, but I don't like the idea of players not caring at all about seeding. What were they doing for the entire season then.

 

[Blowfish]

Insert Studnicka for Ritchie and I'm a happy guy.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Bruins 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Canes.

Bring them on.

Bruins in 5.

 

[Alicat]

And Felger and Maz barfing over the Bruins! What else is new...

Sounds like they're reading the boards

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Hope for the best, expect the worst. How the Bruins D handle the puck vs. the Canes' forecheck is the biggest thing I'm looking at in Game 1. McAvoy, Grzelcyk and Krug will have to be at their best.

The perfect motto for the "Ankle-Shaking Bruins Fan Club".

 

[bardown23]

Imagine if Pastrnak can’t play

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

My kids are ready for playoffs:

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Kind of bugs me that at least a couple Bruins viewed the round robin as preseason. While I kinda get it on one hand, they don't have 5-10 regular season games to "get up to speed." I'd hope as a veteran team that was one win away from the Cup last year that they can flip the switch in game one. We'll see. Carolina is going to be ready to take it to them after last year.

Starting a fresh batch of cookies now....

View attachment 359798

Yeah their strategy has been pretty clear and they're going to live or die by it. If they switch on against the Canes and play like the top team in the East again then their gradual, injury-free build up will look inspired, if on the other hand they continue to struggle and get beaten, while a team like Philly that hit the ground running does well, then it'll bite them hard and be rightly condemned as the just product of a misplaced arrogance.

I really don't know what to expect. They're fit and healthy and their best is certainly more than a match for Carolina. Their goaltending and defense are both clearly a cut above. But on the flip side they really legitimately struggled to generate offense in the RR - I'm convinced that was a real problem to at least some extent no matter what Marchy or anyone else says - they still don't know their best middle 6 combo, and their D had an uncomfortable number of uncharacteristic lapses. You can't always go up a gear just because you know it's there, and if they are even 5% off this Canes team is good enough and packing more than ample offensive punch to hurt them quickly.

Game 1 will not the decide the series but I think it will definitely tell us whether the Bruins have actually come to play and are still hungry and a contender for the ultimate success, or whether we should expect an early exit. Naturally hoping for the former but still harboring a suspicion it may be the latter. Such worries aside, still looking forward to it immensely - this has been a long time coming!

 

[jgatie]

Once a whale, always a whale.

 

[caz16]

My kids are ready for playoffs:

They are soooo cute!!

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

It’s pretty clear based on their play, and on interviews with players, that they weren’t fully engaged in the first four games. And let’s be honest, Brad is basically right. They earned a playoff spot long before any of this started and the advantage to going all out and winning those 3 games (not including the exhibition which literally did mean nothing) seems negligible.

If they can switch it on against Carolina, no one is going to care about them half assing it during the round robin. But if they bow out in the first round...it’s kind of deserved that they take some heat for dogging it.

 

[bruins repeat time]

The seeding games were not exhibition or life and death . Let's call it like it was . The Bruins including Marchand did not play them like they had no meaning but they also and shouldn't have played them like they were super important .

You saw a lot of puck battles , hits and scraps you wouldn't see vets do in pre season .

I am worried about the Canes but honestly are draw isn't that bad . We wouldve had to win every game to get a slightly better one . Tell me in two weeks how happy tbay is they got Columbus . I really doubt Washington will survive Isles either .

Carolina looked great but honestly it was the rangers . The rangers are not ready yet for big competition. I am not too sure florida was ready to play so I am really not sure what Isles accomplished yet but caps will at the very least be stretched very far . Columbus beat a very very talented team and if we lose to canes we sure as hell wouldve lost to them .

If we get by canes we will likely avoid Columbus/ tbay winner and to me that is a treat .

The problem with Bruins has zero to do with effort or anything since showing up . I personally have posted earlier and still believe we were behind most teams as far as individuals go when this started back up and the Pasta , Kase stuff sure didn't help .

The real bottom line though is the RESULTS of the seeding games did nothing to hurt this teams long term chances . Just to be clear I am worried how we are playing but the seeding doesn't hurt one bit .

 

[Ratty]

And Felger and Maz barfing over the Bruins! What else is new...

Does anyone here really care what these two dolts say?

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Imagine if Pastrnak can’t play

?

 

[roflstomper]

We'll know within the first 10 minutes if they were playing possum or if we're really f***ed.

 

[RustyBruins72]

We'll know within the first 10 minutes if they were playing possum or if we're really f***ed.

My sample is 2 games. if they go down 0-2, they might be in trouble.