Post-Game Talk: ECSF Game 4 - We Wuz Robbed - And the NHL knows it!!! - Tampa Bay wins in OT and leads series 3-1

[Alicat]

 

[Number8]

I don’t care about the blown calls at the end of the game(s). Refs notoriously put away the whistle at end of games and I’m generally ok with that. Let them play.

What infuriates me is the ticky tack calls that they’ve made in the first periods. They are ridiculous and if I were a player I’d have no idea how to play the game.

When you have to waste energy early in the gam on PK defending disadvantage coming from literal non penalties it makes a tough match up tougher.

When you have Pierre, who spent most of last night GUSHING over Tampa saying “yikes — well that sets the threshold” you know it’s bad. Starting last night I haven’t watched a moment of NHL since the OT goal, and don’t plan on changing that soon. I don’t feel any the worse for not seeing VGK vs. SJ last night.

I’m an avid fan, watcher, ticket buyer. However if NHL is going to allow this BS to continue then maybe it’s time for me to spend more time doing other things I love.

Not going to change anything, but it makes me feel less of a fool/lemming right now.

Dear Gary — I watch the NHL to see the players, not the refs. Fix it or lose a fan. Maybe I’m alone. Maybe not.

 

[Bruinfanatic]

Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, I'd like to see something like this:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Donato
Heinen-Nash-Nash
Schaller/Acciari/Wingels/Gionta-Kuraly-Backes

Maybe flip Donato and Heinen or Nash and Kuraly. I don't really care which of Schaller, Acciari, Wingels, and Gionta is out there, but I only want one of them. I'd say try breaking up the 1st line, but that's not going to happen at this point.

If they're eliminated tomorrow, I'd at least like to know they had their best/most talented players in the line-up. Cassidy's going to need to be able to move guys around depending on how the game is going, and the easiest way to do that is if you've got your best options available. They've struggled with 5-on-5 offense, and with no Krug, they're going to have to rely on the forwards, so they can't afford to have 3rd and 4th lines that have almost no chance of providing offense.

All options will be on the table as far as line changes tomorrow even the first line should be.

 

[Marcobruin]

Really don't want to talk about next year yet, but realistically, they need to push Chara down to 2nd maybe 3rd
pair, krejci to 3rd line and Backes to 4th. Sweeney has a lot of work to get a #1 D to play with McAvoy and and
Good 2nd line center.

Agreed except id still like krejci on second line at least for another year

 

[Alicat]

 

[KrejciMVP]

will the NHL start calling blatant hooks and slashes against the Bruin players next game?

 

[nORRis8]

 

[Alicat]

 

[McGarnagle]

I don't know how they keep themselves composed with the officiating. It's been an issue all year long and has to boil over. We've had our players headshotted all year long (McAvoy by Hornqvist the prime example) with no punishment. Marchand gets 5 games if he even breathes on someone, Backes got 3 games on zero history for a borderline at worst hit. Refs have been putting the screws to us consistently since game 3 in Toronto. They affected the result of game 2 and frankly handed Tampa game 4. There are clear and obvious double-standards. and whether it's the implicit bias against the Bruins over them ragdolling Vancouver 7 years ago that never went away or there are just two rulebooks, we've constantly been screwed all year long.

We just saw Stamkos elbow Nash in the head and Killorn violently board Krug, breaking his ankle and ending his season, and not a peep. But all they want to focus on is Marchand licking someone.

You know why Marchand does stuff like that? Because of the double-standard, he can't physically touch anybody because the refs overreact to everything he does. If he just shoved Callahan, he'd get 4 for roughing and Callahan would get 2 and we'd be on the PK. So he has to do other things to agitate - and that's what makes him a great player, read his Player's Tribune article, he even says that if he didn't learn how to get under guys' skin, he wouldn't be in this league. And now they want to take that away, but it's still open season on Boston players and this joke of a league doesn't care at all.

I'm impressed by Cassidy and Chara being able to hold it in check and not just go on a Mike Keenan-esque tirade against the refs from the bench. And if I were Charlie Jacobs I'd be calling Vince McMahon to try to set up the XHL and threatening to secede one of the NHL's original six cash cows if they're going to keep treating us so corruptly.

 

[Trap Jesus]

All options will be on the table as far as line changes tomorrow even the first line should be.

Hell no to changing the first line. Everything else should be up in the air though.

@Smitty93 lines are pretty much exactly what I'd do. DeBrusk has still looked good, just hasn't been able to finish. I like him with Krejci still, and see if Donato can spark something. Rick Nash to try to spark the 3rd line, even if he hasn't been very good, and insert Riley and Heinen back in; always a good idea to see how players respond to being benched. Heinen was big in Game 7 after sitting Game 6. Riley Nash is probably more of an injury thing, but we'll see.

 

[GoBs]

Debrusk is hurt has nothing to do with finishing and everything to do with an injury

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Yes, when the story is told of the builders of the Tampa Lightening, names such as Phil Esposito and Jeff Gorton ought to be at the top of that "builders" category.

it was actually Detroit's Bill Davidson, and that's why it took a long time to get the Pistons downtown until recently....

 

[crimsonace]

Tuukka just looses concentration, composure, call it what you want but he just seems to loose all control in big games and looks rattled and shows no poise. The Bruins wont win the Cup with him. I have yet too see him put two stellar playoff games back to back. I'd try to package him in a deal where they can acquire another #1.

Apparently, you didn't watch the 2013 playoffs, when Tuukka was on fire, especially against the Penguins in the ECF. He put together about 10 straight incredible games in that postseason.

 

[BBB24]

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. He seems on no use to anyone. Probably, most likely a hindrance to Sweeney but if looked at from Jacobs point of view, a countermeasure to Sweeney's cerebral dealings.

There is not a word of fact in this post, merely your opinion, not one that I share but we can agree to disagree.

 

[BRUINS since 1995]

Hell no to changing the first line. Everything else should be up in the air though.

@Smitty93 lines are pretty much exactly what I'd do. DeBrusk has still looked good, just hasn't been able to finish. I like him with Krejci still, and see if Donato can spark something. Rick Nash to try to spark the 3rd line, even if he hasn't been very good, and insert Riley and Heinen back in; always a good idea to see how players respond to being benched. Heinen was big in Game 7 after sitting Game 6. Riley Nash is probably more of an injury thing, but we'll see.

I disagree... imthink a one line playoff team won't go anywhere. Move Pastrnak down and let hi. Play against lesser opponents. First line with PB and Marchand will get some opportunity. What's left... Nash ain't producing, i think DK is not at his best and Debrusk never came back from the big hit in front of Tampa Bay net in one of the 2 first game.

Bottom 6 is not responding... 48 seem to have lost confidence, gap his allowing is atrocious, McaVoy is a rookie, Chara doesn't have the energy to bring the same physicallity, Krug is out, McQuaid is playing on ome leg for sur (what a teamate he is) and that leaves Miller.

So, try something... statut quo won't solve any issu. Bring kids if there is any, change the line up.... but they need to spark comfidemce again.

And as much as i can come down in Rask... he is not an issu in this series, is playimg very well.

Marchand should stop his licking... not sure where he is going with that. Won't disturd Callahan and does not help the Bruins doing it.

 

[Rubber Biscuit]

Sorry to tell you buck but he hasn't he's far from a money goalie and if you think the Bruins can win a cup with him.I have some swamp land to sell you Florida.

I didn't say anything about them winning a Cup with him. I said you claiming to have never seen him put together two stellar playoff games back to back is f***ing stupid. Like clearly you haven't been watching very long if thats the case

 

[Hockeyholic]

If the Bruins and Lightning respectively win the next two games, that would mean the following:

Two years straight of being swept at home in losing a series.

7 out of 9 series since 2008 where the Bruins are eliminated on home ice. Is it just me, or has this team not been very good at home in the postseason over their History?

 

[BMC]

Sad but not surprising

Nick Holden, you're up!

 

[crimsonace]

OK. Mrs Rask.

The Rask takes are just plain dumb. Essentially, it's people seeking a pelt because they're still mad about 17 awful seconds five years ago when a flurry of turnovers and missed coverages let one of the top lines in hockey do its thing - and forgetting about the stellar goaltending that got the B's to that point. He and Tim Thomas are the only two Bruins goaltenders of the last quarter-century to start a Stanley Cup Final game.

For all of the "Rask is a choker" narrative, his career playoff save percentage (.924) is *better* than his regular season save percentage (.922) .. and his career save percentage and GAA are both tops among active goaltenders in the NHL.

But, I'm sure Sweeney should jettison him for spare parts to create a scapegoat, just like Sinden did in 1993 when he jettisoned Andy Moog for Jon Casey, leading us through a decade of Blaine Lacher, Rob Tallas, Bill Ranford, Jim Carey, Byron Dafoe, Steve Shields, Andrew Raycroft, Manny Fernandez ... the Bruins had some really good teams in that span that could never get past the second round (and often the first) because of goaltending.

 

[BMC]

will the NHL start calling blatant hooks and slashes against the Bruin players next game?

* Best TV announcer's voice* "Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of the NHL's Officiating Problem, coming up Sunday at 3PM"

 

[crimsonace]

Never going to happen. Chara's role won't change until he is on another team. And it absolutely won't change next year if Krug and Grizz are the other 2 LDs in fact is not even close to being an option.

I thought Z looked bad at times against Toronto, but I saw a heat chart that showed nearly a huge imbalance of Leafs shots coming from the left side of their offensive zone ... Z was cutting off that half of the ice. He's getting long in the tooth and maybe only has 1-2 good years left, but he can still play.

 

[Alicat]

What the hell is our line up going to be tomorrow

 

[Ladyfan]

Yeah okay we'll see how that turned out in the next "game." When your owner, a big-wig board O' governors directorate doesn't get his nose bent out of shape, you know that it won't matter IMO. Jacobs doesn't open his mouth because the insignia that is most important is the $ not the spoked B.[/QUOTE]
I don't believe that is true about Don S. or Cam.

 

[Ladyfan]

I don't know if its Marchand but if the Bruins fall to the lightning I'm willing to bet one of Krejci,Tuukka or Marchand will be on the move.

Although Marchand is a world class talent his antics and immaturity are getting old. Hes exactly the type of player Neely himself would of put in the 3rd row with a devastating body check or pummeled him half to death. I love Marchands hockey skill its world class, and the way he will stick-up for his teammates, but some of his side antics are getting old, especially when it starts to hurt the team as it becomes more of him being undisciplined and selfish.

Tuukka just looses concentration, composure, call it what you want but he just seems to loose all control in big games and looks rattled and shows no poise. The Bruins wont win the Cup with him. I have yet too see him put two stellar playoff games back to back. I'd try to package him in a deal where they can acquire another #1.

Krejci is Krejci he still has value but he's not the answer here in Boston. They need a 2nd line Center. One that can put the puck in the net and play with speed and energy. He'll be hard to move but either way I'd like to see someone else playing 2nd fiddle to Bergeron next yr.

Brad won't be moved.

 

[Ladyfan]

No surprise there.