ECSF: (1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (2) Boston Bruins | Tampa Leads Series 3-1

[BoltsFanPinellasPark]

It makes me feel better that, after we inevitably win this series and knock out the bruins, the multiple pages of complaining about the leafs fans will all but guarantee that the bruins fans will keep quiet in our next series. I mean; it would take an absolute insane person to be able to crawdaddy out of the collective conscience agreement that they wouldn’t do that.

Also, quote this post when they inevitably do so. Cuz, lmao.

+1 for using crawdaddy in a hockey thread

 

[Bread and Circuses]

Except that the very first thing I saw him do in this series, maybe five minutes in, was drop Brayden Point with an ugly crosscheck to the kidneys/ribs.

I don't recall the incident but that would not really bug me even if a Bruins player was on the receiving end, those types of plays are very common in big games, especially in the playoffs. I don't mind chippy play that rides the line at all and understand that eventually any player riding that line is going to cross it but I will admit Marchand has a really hard time riding the line and the licking thing is quite odd to say the least.

 

[Bolt 45]

I don't recall the incident but that would not really bug me even if a Bruins player was on the receiving end, those types of plays are very common in big games, especially in the playoffs. I don't mind chippy play that rides the line at all and understand that eventually any player riding that line is going to cross it but I will admit Marchand has a really hard time riding the line and the licking thing is quite odd to say the least.

It was just a scummy shot. It set the tone for the series. Essentially, those types of plays don't necessarily go unnoticed even if they don't get called, and Marchand opened his tab the first chance he got and started running it up.

 

[SavedByRoy]

I wonder, is Marchand embarrassed about the licking and the attention it has suddenly gotten lately? Totally oblivious? Or internally smirking that he got a ton of people pissed off?

It certainly seems embarrassing that the main thing people will remember about Marchand this playoffs is that he kept licking people.

 

[DFC]

I wonder, is Marchand embarrassed about the licking and the attention it has suddenly gotten lately? Totally oblivious? Or internally smirking that he got a ton of people pissed off?

It certainly seems embarrassing that the main thing people will remember about Marchand this playoffs is that he kept licking people.

It was obviously a thing he planned to do, when given the opportunity. This is the third time.

I don't think he's embarrassed by the league-wide reaction, but I do think there's a good chance he's embarrassed by what his teammates may or may not have said to him. It sure looked like Chara was telling him to knock it off in that one shot that keeps getting played. Realistically, that's probably what puts an end to the behavior.

 

[Elliman]

Marchand attempted to bring out his inner Sean Avery but ended up summoning gene simmons...

 

[Lilou]

Bruin fans loved the officiating when they had 6 PP's (one 5 on 3) and the leafs had 1 PP in game 5. Somehow they still lost that even with the refs help. But now NHL head office is conspiring to bring down the bruins right. If the refs called everything by the book you will see at least a dozen bruin penalties per game. I wish they would call everything so bostons humiliation will be even greater.

 

[kutskova]

Marchand attempted to bring out his inner Sean Avery but ended up summoning gene simmons...

I see this thread has devolved into a wet turd, maybe we can discuss some hockey. What can the Bruins do different to get the puck up and out of there zone? The constant home run pass isn't working.

 

[PaulGG]

Marchand wants the attention and apparantley he gets a kick out of doing stuff to stir it up. All that will be remembered is he played poorly and was a bad sport in this series. I will never forget his whinny face.

 

[joe dirte]

If you are a true hockey fan you would be embarrassed by the officiating you saw last night . If you want the sport to grow , you can not have games being won or loss by poor officiating

I think if you were to ask a hockey fan what theyvhave to be embarassed about theyll probably say marchand and his antics first.

You'll get no sympathy until that stops.

And quite frankly refereeing isn't easy. Mistakes will always be made. No team has gotten screwed. The better team is winning.

 

[joe dirte]

Honestly I am not sure what surprises me the most...between so much people being angry at Marchand for doing it, or the few people understanding it's the league that needs to fix the problem.

I'm not angry at him. Hes doing what he does. You're right the league should have stopped it long ago.

That doesn't make marchand any less of an embarrassment though. He's going to be remembered with the likes of Sean Avery.

 

[joe dirte]

I see this thread has devolved into a wet turd, maybe we can discuss some hockey. What can the Bruins do different to get the puck up and out of there zone? The constant home run pass isn't working.

Get a better team. They're outmatched.

 

[joe dirte]

Marchand wants the attention and apparantley he gets a kick out of doing stuff to stir it up. All that will be remembered is he played poorly and was a bad sport in this series. I will never forget his whinny face.

Marchand wants the attention and apparantley he gets a kick out of doing stuff to stir it up. All that will be remembered is he played poorly and was a bad sport in this series. I will never forget his whinny face.

Whiny. Whinny would sound more like win-knee.

 

[kutskova]

Get a better team. They're outmatched.

Ok, good start. How would you begin to acquire a better team? Trades to surround current players or burn it down and draft Edmonton/Toronto style.

 

[stampedingviking]

Listen, Tampa is a great team, they and the Bruins were the two best teams in the conference the whole season. Losing a 7 game series to them shouldn't be something to be ashamed of.

But I hope people can see why Bruins fans are frustrated with the officiating. With a changed call here or there, it could be 3-1 the other way.

I'm not saying Tampa sucks and only wins because they get handed games by the league. Tampa is awesome. Great team, great defense, well coached. They could have tied it anyway last night down the stretch if the Stamkos goal was rightfully nullified. But just hasn't felt like a level playing field and the officiating has not been up to a standard that these two teams deserve. These are the best two teams in the east, and the fact that basically every game this series has had at least a couple controversial officiating decisions is a bad look on the league.

The reason you're whining about the refs is because the Lightning made something of a "missed" call but the Bruins didn't when calls were missed on them.

Reffing has been equally bad for both teams.

 

[stampedingviking]

Bad move. McAvoy does not have poor balance. Kuch took a hand off his stick and grabbed McAvoy. And there is no way he would dive in that situation. You have not watched enough of McAvoy to make a statement that he has poor balance.

Grabbed? he barely touched him

 

[joe dirte]

Ok, good start. How would you begin to acquire a better team? Trades to surround current players or burn it down and draft Edmonton/Toronto style.

For boston? That depends on how they see their team. Boston is an interesting team. Theyve got a fair bit of good youth, but they've also been terrible outside of their first line this playoffs. And similar to wunnipeg, some of their most key players are in the sunset of their career.

Lots of questions.
- as chara becomes decreasingly effective how do they feel their defense, who relied him for 23 minutes a night, in all situations, can hold up without him?
- Bergeron is now 32 and on the decline, yet just had one ofbhis best years. Do they feel he can replicate that?
- their offense is obviously VERY dependent on him. Do they have anyone they feel will be able to pick up his slack as he declines?
- if they feel these guys can sustain 8t for a few more years, do they feel they have enough pieces to pick up a player or two to put them over the top?

I mean, they have to decide if they think they can sustain their team long term when they lose these guys. If not, do they take one last kick at the can? Can they afford to?

 

[wintersej]

Bruin fans loved the officiating when they had 6 PP's (one 5 on 3) and the leafs had 1 PP in game 5. Somehow they still lost that even with the refs help. But now NHL head office is conspiring to bring down the bruins right. If the refs called everything by the book you will see at least a dozen bruin penalties per game. I wish they would call everything so bostons humiliation will be even greater.

I think its hilarious that Leafs fans keep bringing up one game that their team won when the power plays the rest of the series were just about even.

This is where a Leafs fan disingenuously replies stating the total PIMs for both teams while failing to mention how many of those PIMs are from Kadri getting (rightfully) booted.

There is no conspiracy. Bruins got unlucky on a couple late game calls. They happen. At the current pace of games its harder to call the games than ever. Its up to the team to be overcome. Bruins have not. Its been frustrating as a fan and obviously its been frustrating for the players. Especially given that they had finally played a good game where they were not relying on Vas sucking to be on Tampa's level.

Saying the Bruins have gotten unlucky on the Marchand and McAvoy non-calls takes nothing away from Tampa being the better team so far. Tampa has been the better team 5 on 5 and it has kept the Bruins from being able to take advantage of their one true advantage, special teams.

Bruins seem to have really figured out their zone exist and problems containing Tampa's third line last game and going forward the 5 on 5 difference looks like it might have evened out. If this series is 2-2 right now its very interesting. But its not. Can the Bruins win three in a row against Tampa? Sure. They already have this season. Without Krug its a tall order. But if they win today they get to come back home. Toronto was a period away from pulling it off. No reason Boston can't.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

GDT open.