Post-Game Talk: Game 2 - The B's shuffle out of Buffalo with a 4-0 win.

Glove Malfunction

Ference is my binky
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Don't you feel guys the Bruins season lies in the hands of Halak ? If he's great we go deep. Rask is great but come playoff time he lets in a softie and deflates the team and series. Halak might be more dependable . I hope I'm wrong but it seems it's heading that way. I think Cassidy and management will make a decision on rask after this year.
After two games, this is the very definition of Hot. Take.
 
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Dr Hook

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I think he will pleasantly surprise you this season. We'll see. For me - I don't see a player that's completely 'lost it' yet and see a player that can still contribute 20-30, responsible play and leadership - but I've been wrong enough times before (I actually liked the Gagne signing) and will be wrong many more times. I'll definitely give him another 20 games at least and re-evaluate.

I liked the Backes signing when it happened and I still like the player, and I am hoping he has a strong season. I don't like $6 mill parked on the 4th line, even if TB has the same problem with Callahan. I get that Backes is doing more than just 4th line stuff, but it pisses me off that he is not our 3c right now. He might be a bit slow, but he is better there than Kuraly. The guy was a top 6 center on a good Blues team not all that long ago.
 

TheReal13Linseman

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I have yet to see anything further than cautious optimism.

Is that really too much for you? Should we all be impressed with your “realist” point of view?

I think the first loss of the season put things in perspective and I don’t think anyone thinks this team is ready for “prime time” as currently built and playing. That being said...not sure anyone was really thinking that before Wednesday but if you insist.

I guess we just happen to be fans of the team.
Of course everyone should be impressed by my point of view! Whydaya think I'm posting all this stuff?? For my health???

In all seriousness, I think there are quite a few people here who really believe that things aren't as bad as they are. That is to say, I think the team is in pretty weak shape and I'm voicing that concern, whereas a lot of others are just content to wait and see how things play out and hoping for the best. To a degree, that's all we can do given our weak position of being saddled with albatross contracts like Backes and having to pay out next year for guys like McAvoy, but let's just say having $4 million in retained salary of Belesky/Hayes/Seids and Backes' atrocious $6 million tied up equals 25% of the $40 million we pay for our entire forward line component, is, my friends, quite depressing.
 

wintersej

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Good point. I am much more concerned with output than salary. One impacts team success, the other primarily affects cap management. If he is a force on the fourth line and helps get us deep in the playoffs, I won’t care that some may think him overpaid. His price tag is already set. Everyone has a role; do your job.

I want him in a role he succeeds in. If that is fourth, and I think it is, cool. On the fourth he is a crazy asset. And if he is good in some role, moving him to a non-cap team after paying his July 1st bonus next year becomes doable. Not that we should be looking ahead that far as fans :)
 

Mick Riddleton

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”
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As for them playing the Canadian anthem. I think it is out of respect for what I would guess is probably half the crowd. Without Southern Ontario supporting them there is no way Buffalo still would have a team. So many times I was asked if I wanted tickets to games from season ticket holders.

The Buffalo population is only 256,000. That is about half of Hamilton. The Niagara region alone is 500,000. That is over a million people half an hour away. I remember going to games and we would go over in buses, so many Bruin and original six fans here that go to Buffalo. It is cheaper and easier to get to then Toronto.
 
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jgatie

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Buffalo has always played both anthems. It is due to their location on the border of Canada.
 

jgatie

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right now I have them somewhere between the 77 Canadians and 75 Capitals. Hope they keep playing Donato with Krejci

75 Caps only had one road win. We play the Habs twice in Montreal. We aren't going to be the 75 Caps. :thumbu:
 
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Wooren

no longer perennial 4th place losers
May 17, 2015
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Well I am glad I decided to watch this game (only the 1st period though) and not the 1st one against Washington. Wise decision haha.
Marchand is so good, it's a joy to watch him. HFBoard obssesion with him makes it that much better too.
 
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DKH

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You guys realize that we beat the Buffalo Sabres, who finished last in the league last year, after getting smoked by the best team in the league the night before, right? Ok, we didn't lose, but winning that game was a classic case of cold comfort IMO. This team, as presently constructed, is still nowhere near "ready for prime time" and will not be able to hang with the top talented teams. And, it's a sluggish, laboring brand of skating I'm seeing out there. Boring to watch, really. I watched much more of the Patriots game last night and I don't even really like football all that much. The starry-eyed dreamers and ostriches with their heads in the sand can continue to remain in denial, but this roster is looking mighty thin in too many spots.
I knew the Bruins game meant nothing so I watched the Patriots.

Glad to hear they won. Who scored? I heard Marchand got one and Bergeron got an EN. Who got the others.
 

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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Of course everyone should be impressed by my point of view! Whydaya think I'm posting all this stuff?? For my health???

In all seriousness, I think there are quite a few people here who really believe that things aren't as bad as they are. That is to say, I think the team is in pretty weak shape and I'm voicing that concern, whereas a lot of others are just content to wait and see how things play out and hoping for the best. To a degree, that's all we can do given our weak position of being saddled with albatross contracts like Backes and having to pay out next year for guys like McAvoy, but let's just say having $4 million in retained salary of Belesky/Hayes/Seids and Backes' atrocious $6 million tied up equals 25% of the $40 million we pay for our entire forward line component, is, my friends, quite depressing.

I'm a lot more worried about what happens on the ice than how much cap space the Bruins have or don't have.
 
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Mainehockey33

Powerplay Specialist
Jul 15, 2011
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I knew the Bruins game meant nothing so I watched the Patriots.

Glad to hear they won. Who scored? I heard Marchand got one and Bergeron got an EN. Who got the others.
I’ve been trying to figure out all day if Chara’s goal or Bergeron’s empty netter made me realize we’re winning the cup this year.
 

TheReal13Linseman

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I'm a lot more worried about what happens on the ice than how much cap space the Bruins have or don't have.
Er, yes, but isn't that my/the point? I mean, my position is that "we are where we are" because we have $10 million in dead money (and yes, I've concluded that Backes IS Beleskey 2.0) and because that figure equals about 25% of our forward payroll, we are profoundly affected by that.

Just think where we'd be if we didn't have to pay the buyout/salary kick ins and had been able to acquire, say, an Oshie rather than a Backes...

Can our AHL bottom 6 overachieve? Yes. Will they? Maybe. Do I feel good about the prospects of that? No.
 

PlayMakers

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I know it's "just the Sabres" but kudos to the Bruins for a much better effort. The leaders really led in this one, starting with Chara scoring the first goal of the season, to Marchand putting up 4 assists to Cassidy making a bold call and going with Halak.

It will be interesting to see if this ends up another bad Sabres team. On paper, they're much, much improved with high-end guys like Dahlin, Skinner, Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson as well as some solid middle 6 depth in Sheary, Berglund and Sobotka.
 
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Grimey

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I know it's "just the Sabres" but kudos to the Bruins for a much better effort. The leaders really led in this one, starting with Chara scoring the first goal of the season, to Marchand putting up 4 assists to Cassidy making a bold call and going with Halak.

It will be interesting to see if this ends up another bad Sabres team. On paper, they're much, much improved with high-end guys like Dahlin, Skinner, Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson as well as some solid middle 6 depth in Sheary, Berglund and Sobotka.

I didn't watch the game but caught the condensed highlights. Looked like Buffalo had plenty of chances but Halak looked rock solid. I think they might actually be decent this year but who knows. They've had Boston's number recently so I'll take it.
 

talkinaway

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Mar 19, 2014
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To me, the first two games have given me absolutely no more information about the Bruins than I had a week or two ago.

We lost to the Stanley Cup Champions on their home opener, where it took an extra 40 for them to raise the banner.

We won against a team whose wins last year I can count on one hand. (Okay, it's one hand if I use binary digits. But still.)

Between the disgustingly small sample size, and the extremes of teams we've faced...there's literally no "there" there. I don't think anyone can make even preliminary judgements about the team's "Cup fitness" until the Western Canada trip is over. We've got a decent shot, but we're not guaranteed. We're definitely better than 30 to 1 to win the Cup, but we're certainly not 4 to 1.
 
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BMC

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To me, the first two games have given me absolutely no more information about the Bruins than I had a week or two ago.

We lost to the Stanley Cup Champions on their home opener, where it took an extra 40 for them to raise the banner.

We won against a team whose wins last year I can count on one hand. (Okay, it's one hand if I use binary digits. But still.)

Between the disgustingly small sample size, and the extremes of teams we've faced...there's literally no "there" there. I don't think anyone can make even preliminary judgements about the team's "Cup fitness" until the Western Canada trip is over. We've got a decent shot, but we're not guaranteed. We're definitely better than 30 to 1 to win the Cup, but we're certainly not 4 to 1.

This is a well thought out, reasonable post.

WTH are you doing in this forum? ;)
 

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