Pre-Game Talk: Boston Bruins

[rkhum]

Thirdly, Boston hasnt seen any team even close to the pens thus far. Toronto, which pushed Boston to 7 games was significantly inferior to the pens in both offense and defense. The Rangers were abysmal offensively all season, and were only 5% better than the regular season pens in defense. Like the Sens, they have to sell out on D to score.

This third part I agree with most.

The Bruins aren't the Kings. They aren't physically, defensively, and goaltending dominating to that extent.

In round one, they looked slow, and the Leafs had no problems penetrating the Bruins defense and pushing the pace.
In round two, the Rangers are limited offensively so the Bruins have been able to get their trademark sustained forecheck.

Against the Pens I think if the Leafs can dictate the pace, the Pens can, and Tukka isn't a bad goalie, but he isn't Thomas or Quick, he can be had.

Plus the Pens have experience and such a deep lineup, they can go big (Glass, Vitale, Morrow, Murray, perhaps Englland). Not a finesse team.
We have the depth to play an offensive or grinding game.

Tukka's shakiness and the Bruins older, tired legs would be exposed more.

 

[Steve Durbano]

Looking forward to Kunitz grinding Chara into a fine powder again.

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

People are going to pick against the Pens because there is an absolute refusal to give them credit for anything.

And yet when the Pens are successful then all this crap about refs, lotteries and empty arenas come up. Which has everything to do with the games as we all know. Hell even if the Pens managed to go all the way, you know people would tack an asterisk onto it given the length of the season. Never mind that nobody would do that if their own team won.

 

[NastyNick]

Boston fans should read the quotes from the Ottawa players. They aren't going to roll in and just topple the Pens. They are going to have to survive.

I think the series will be won or lost based on the play of Boston's young D. If they all play Norris caliber, the Bruins can win. If not, they are out. Chara is going to get abused regardless.

 

[open0rclosed]

IF this is the series (and yes probably will be), I say it goes 7.

B's are definitely a very good team but I think they are being overrated lately. It depends what Pens team shows up each game. I hope Disco Dan stays steady and doesn't make too many boneheaded decisions.

 

[Sivek]

Not sure if I'll be able to handle losing to another whining Clod, so it better not happen.

 

[madinsomniac]

I think if it comes to fruition, it will be a closer series than the Sens series, for sure, but the bruins are still very dependent on their D to generate offense, moreso from shots at the point than the Pens O that uses passes from the Defensemen and dmen pinching in when they are generating offense from their blueline. The pens also have the skilled guys to create their own offense without the D as well... I think Boston will face the choice of playing safe sound defensive hockey or trying to outscore the Pens, because they dont have the system or the players to play both ends against them.
Thats where I think their problem will be. Boston is built to handle traditional hockey offenses, I do not think the Pens system combined with the current roster makeup is good for the Bruins. Chara is going to get hit on dump ins by Dupuis, Neal, Morrow, and Cooke a lot. The pens wont play in front of the net like the Bruins D excels at... they will play perimeter hockey and make Rask move right to left. I think Murray was obtained almost exclusively for this series. If he is out against Lucic, Im not sure the Boston offensive resurgence can keep going.


I keep hearing from several of the hockey circles i hang in that the Bruins are the worse team for the pens to face right now... I don't see that as true by a long shot. Even going into the playoffs, Toronto and the isles seemed like the worse matches for the Pens... out West Chicago was clearly the worse, and of all the defensive minded clubs, The Kings were probably the team that had the goalie and depth to give the pens problems. I see Boston as the second most talented team in the east, but I think the margin is greater than people are expecting. Id expect more 2 and 1 goal wins in this series, But I dont see the Pens overlooking the Bruins and i don't see the bruins having an edge at all.

The past two years the pens have had a slight edge on the bruins, but they added so much at the deadline its hard to expect a few young defensemen and jagr to make any sort of dent in the edge the pens have had.

 

[wgknestrick]

Pens gotta stop Krug..and remember Boston is not the same team now that took 7 games to beat TOR. They are much better now with Krug replacing Redden.

Pens gotta rough Krug up and shutdown the Krejci line = win series. BOS is not overrated as they are completely dominating NYR. The scores are not indicative of the games. NYR really have no chance to come back in this series unless they change something huge. BOS is averaging 5 more shots / game than their opposition. That goes a long way to evening up the Pen's shooting % advantage.

Pens should win this series, but it is close and anything can happen. An injury to a major Pen's player is maybe all they need to turn it into a coin toss.

 

[insomniac34]

My reaction upon going into the Bruin's around-the-NHL discussion thread and seeing their opinions of the Penguins:

I wasn't expecting Pens love, of course, but they are straight up delusional. They think every win is a Bettman-approved gift from the refs, it's unbelievable. I hope we embarass them.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

My reaction upon going into the Bruin's around-the-NHL discussion thread and seeing their opinions of the Penguins:

I wasn't expecting Pens love, of course, but they are straight up delusional. They think every win is a Bettman-approved gift from the refs, it's unbelievable. I hope we embarass them.

I pretty much expect that we are going to miss greatly the classy and intelligent hockey talk of Senator fans whichever emerges from the Bruins - Rangers series. The main board will become unreadable.

It is going to feel like going from dating Mila Kunis to Rosanne Barr to attempt to talk the intricacies of what goes on on the ice I am anticipating.

I anticipate Cole talking about the stretch pass and getting answered with a fart noise gif.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Bruins have unparalleled depth down the middle and on defense. They will be rolling 5 lines all series long and I don't think the Penguins will be able to handle their depth in the end. Also expect Jagr to "kill" his old team.

Even bringing in references from other threads? At least somebody is on top of their game. It sure as hell isn't the Pens. They are just lucky to be here.

 

[insomniac34]

Even bringing in references from other threads? At least somebody is on top of their game. It sure as hell isn't the Pens. They are just lucky to be here.

Lucky? Lucky is an understatement. I'm all for the first GDT being "ECF Game 1: Boston Bruins @ Kansas City Penguins"

 

[Tender Rip]

To be honest, if this does come to pass, and it is way premature even to think of, the Pens certainly would be the underdog.

Oh please.

 

[madinsomniac]

Pens gotta stop Krug..and remember Boston is not the same team now that took 7 games to beat TOR. They are much better now with Krug replacing Redden.

Pens gotta rough Krug up and shutdown the Krejci line = win series. BOS is not overrated as they are completely dominating NYR. The scores are not indicative of the games. NYR really have no chance to come back in this series unless they change something huge. BOS is averaging 5 more shots / game than their opposition. That goes a long way to evening up the Pen's shooting % advantage.

Pens should win this series, but it is close and anything can happen. An injury to a major Pen's player is maybe all they need to turn it into a coin toss.

I disagree... I think Boston is exactly the same team... I think Toronto had more creative scoring ability than New york does and that really gave Boston fits as the series went on. I also think Toronto was a much less defensive team than the pens are and certainly a lesser offensive threat. I think the rangers just fit into the standard playoff team that Boston is built to throttle. Good goalie, overly conservative defensive play, little offense... I think Boston is in for a rude awakening.

Krug simply hasnt had any test defensively.. its one thing to generate offense from the blue line against Rick Nash and the offensively inept Rangers, where really there isnt any real threat if you gamble and lose... its another ballgame with crosby Dupuis, Kunitz and Malkin Neal, iginla or even Sutter, Cooke and Morrow... Boston got a break when toronto flubbed away game 7 and a real break when the Rangers, who were right in the bruins' wheelhouse, beat the Caps and Ottawa upset the Canadians... Even boston knows that Both Washington and Montreal were bad matchups for them. I think if they continue with the same gameplan against the Rangers vs the pens, you will seea short series, though I doubt they do that...

 

[Shrimper]

Task isn't as good as people like to think. He's been poor so far if you ask me.

 

[KIRK]

My only objection to this thread is that op didn't address the Bruins by their proper name . . . 'the big, bad Bruins'.

 

[wolffy66]

Task isn't as good as people like to think. He's been poor so far if you ask me.

Agreed, hes been shaky more than a few times in this playoffs.

 

[madinsomniac]

My only objection to this thread is that op didn't address the Bruins by their proper name . . . 'the big, bad Bruins'.

Would you accept "the Killer B's" instead... lol....

 

[Crafton]

Would you accept "the Killer B's" instead... lol....

 

[cheesedanish87]

Im interested to see what match ups DB will use, don't mind seeing see Sid vs Chara, but i don't wanna see Sid vs Bergeron, Boston is gonna have a huge advantage at face offs, DB needs to find somebody who can at least hold there own vs Bergeron, i think Murray would be a good guy to have out there vs Krejci/Lucic but i dont want Nisk out there with Murray.

 

[Waffle Fries]

The last time we played Boston our lineup was:
Kunitz-Jokinen-Iginla
Morrow-Dupuis-Bennett
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Glass-Vitale-Adams

and we still won.

It'll be a tough series for sure, but it's nothing that this team shouldn't be able to handle if Boston makes it through.

 

[Fordy]

We are designed to beat Boston. Our biggest weakness is speed at this point, and we just beat two teams that are significantly faster than Boston.

 

[IcedCapp]

Even bringing in references from other threads? At least somebody is on top of their game. It sure as hell isn't the Pens. They are just lucky to be here.

Sometimes I think these people on the Pens board forget where they came from or something.

 

[Harv]

Boston had serious trouble with Toronto's forwards..

I'm sure Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski will have no issues with Crosby and Malkin..

 

[specialized]

The only team that can beat the pens in a 7 game series is the pens.