Pre-Game Talk: Boston Bruins

[Dying Alive]

I couldn't care less what their fanbase thinks about the Pens or their fans. Their opinions influence neither this potential series nor my life in any way, shape, or form, so I refuse to exert the energy it would take me to give even half a ****.

I think the Pens have the edge but either team could win.

 

[ColePens]

My boy Dennis Seidenberg is back for the B's. He is a hitting and shot blocking machine. Plays a great game. Really appreciate him. I'd rather us play rookie dmen but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Looks like Chara gets him back as a d-partner which he needs. Chara has looked human recently.

 

[BHD]

We'll see how it goes, but the Bruins aren't the 78 Habs on defense like some will have you believe.

When healthy, the Bruins' defense is pedestrian outside of Chara.

 

[DeadGator401]

Can't believe people are still complaining about Savard. Let it go. It's over, nobody listens to techno.



I'm not even remotely afraid of the Bruins. Sure, they have some bigger than average players. Whoop de do. Krejci is their top forward. Pens will be fine. Just hit Chara.

 

[plaidchuck]

Yeah sorry, Savard is no Crosby.

 

[bradshaw06]

I'd expect Iggy and Morrow to have a big series. They'll want to prove they made the correct choice.

 

[td_ice]

I swear, the worst thing about internet discussion is the "Two Extremes" blinders that settle in over discussion.

It's like we're playing by the "Rules for Radicals" here.

The idea that if you don't say that X is going to steamroll Y, then you're saying that Y is going to steamroll X.

Come on, it doesn't work that way. Their fanbase is still going to hate us even if we all say that Boston is superior and will pick us apart as if they were the Red Wings of the 90s.

They're good, and they can beat us, yes. We can also beat them.

I have no idea how many games the series will go, and frankly, at this point before it has even started (and assuming that the Rangers don't came back, which they still could), I don't particularly care how many it goes.

It's going to go however long it goes, and whoever wins is whoever wins.

Their fanbase isn't going to like us no matter how much any of us supplicates ourselves and espouses their superiority, so it's a waste of time. There's a case to be made for either team.

Waiting sucks.

Yeah, that's a great post.

For me, if I was a Bruiins fan, of course I would feel confident. A recent Cup winner, some great players, and a great team. And if they advance, they will have had 8 wins, just like us. That gives you confidence, just like our advancing to the ECF gives us great confidence. We aren't the Leafs, or the Rangers, and the Bruins aren't the Isles or the Sens. Each team will be facing its toughest task.

Should be a great series. I think it will go 7 games. I pick the Pen's, but of course I am biased. I am sure if I was a Bruins fan, I would go Boston in 7.

 

[plaidchuck]

Anything could happen, but sayings things like "The Pens have never played a real offense/defense/goaltender/system/conference" is just pure hate with nothing to back it up.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I like Torey Krug. I like him a lot. Watching him play makes me wish we'd give our young guys more of a chance to play in the playoffs. It's almost more exciting when young players are the ones doing good things.

 

[rocketdan9]

I like Torey Krug. I like him a lot. Watching him play makes me wish we'd give our young guys more of a chance to play in the playoffs. It's almost more exciting when young players are the ones doing good things.

Krug is the Bruins Letang. 4 goals in 5 games in the playoffs

 

[ColePens]

Krug is the Bruins Letang. 4 goals in 5 games in the playoffs

But this isn't the Rangers offense* Krug is gonna go up against. I think that will play a role. Seidenberg coming back was huge.

 

[Fordy]

Cooke getting all the blame for Savard is pure revisionist history. The guy came back too fast from that hit and got another concussion. If he listened to his doctors he'd probably still be playing.

 

[Shrimper]

You know that Jagr will break his scoring duck against us at some point. Probably in OT.

 

[rocketdan9]

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.

Many many fans are ignorant of how the Bruins played vs the leafs vs rangers.

Its not change of style as much as injecting two or three mobile d's in Hamilton, Bartowski and NYR series mvp Krug into the lineup .

Prior vs the leafs, the older d lineup would mainly try to pass it out, and it was 50/50 clean passes vs turnover. They didn't skate with the offense as a unit. Inject these young more offensively skilled d's , and they can skate into the offensive zone themselves.

Penguins should expect a war. Malkin and Crosby historically has had a tough time against Chara also.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Yeahh.. Sid has a 1.45 ppg career average against Boston. I don't think Chara is too big of a concern for him.

 

[PensFan6687]

Yeahh.. Sid has a 1.45 ppg career average against Boston. I don't think Chara is too big of a concern for him.

Regular season and playoffs are two different animals. One is a tabby cat and the other is a siberian tiger. Look, i like siberian tigers. Whatever... pffft!

 

[ColePens]

Yeahh.. Sid has a 1.45 ppg career average against Boston. I don't think Chara is too big of a concern for him.

But we cannot take away from what Chara is - a damn good defenseman. Probably one of the best in the game. He's a tougher challenge than any defender the Pens had to go up against.

 

[IcedCapp]

Many many fans are ignorant of how the Bruins played vs the leafs vs rangers.

Its not change of style as much as injecting two or three mobile d's in Hamilton, Bartowski and NYR series mvp Krug into the lineup .

Prior vs the leafs, the older d lineup would mainly try to pass it out, and it was 50/50 clean passes vs turnover. They didn't skate with the offense as a unit. Inject these young more offensively skilled d's , and they can skate into the offensive zone themselves.

Penguins should expect a war. Malkin and Crosby historically has had a tough time against Chara also.

I definitely believe it is Penguins fans who are underestimating their opponent. The Bruins have unparalleled depth. The Penguins can't match their top-2 lines let alone the Bruins dominant 4th line.

The Bruins have also looked better while dispatching higher seeds in the Leafs and Rangers while the Penguins have struggled with the much more horriblednessing Islanders and Senators.

 

[Waffle Fries]

But we cannot take away from what Chara is - a damn good defenseman. Probably one of the best in the game. He's a tougher challenge than any defender the Pens had to go up against.

Absolutely. He's definitely at the top of my list when thinking about the best dmen in the league. I was just disagreeing with the notion that Sid has historically struggled against him.

 

[HuskerTornado]

But we cannot take away from what Chara is - a damn good defenseman. Probably one of the best in the game. He's a tougher challenge than any defender the Pens had to go up against.

Pens players seem to enjoy playing against and grinding hard on Chara.

 

[plaidchuck]

Man I wish the regular season didn't matter for Pens last playoffs, but it sure as hell predicted that playoff round to a tee.

 

[ColePens]

Pens players seem to enjoy playing against and grinding hard on Chara.

Agreed, mostly Neal and Kunitz. But is Kunitz healthy? I'm not so sure. He really was terrible in the last couple games against the Sens.

 

[Coach Travis]

We're about to see Zdeno Chara's worst stretch of hockey in his career coming up. As the playoffs have gone on he's looked slower and slower. We're gonna grind that big ***** down.

 

[ColePens]

One HUGE advantage the Bs always have against us is faceoffs. Sid struggles badly against PB.

 

[Dying Alive]

But this isn't the Rangers offense* Krug is gonna go up against. I think that will play a role. Seidenberg coming back was huge.

I wasn't aware that they had any.