Post-Game Talk: Game 29 - BAH HUMBUG!!!! - Chicago 4 BRUINS 3 F/OT

[BMC]

I would hope that it works that way, but I have never been convinced it does. So an Oiler runs Pasta, then a Bruin runs McDavid in retaliation. Great. So now both guys are out and the league is worse for it. Then someone runs Brad, and then Draisaitl ad infinitum. The real issue goes back to the NHL and as Jack referenced last night, what Mario Lemiuex was saying all those years ago: fans don't pay good money to see poor players injure good ones (paraphrase). All the cheap hits need to be punished and punished swiftly and harshly. This is far better to me than a tit for tat scenario which just gets more players hurt.

Well until that utopia arrives teams have to deal with what happens on the ice. I don't want opponents cheap shotting a Bruin without paying a price for it. Relying on an official to make a call is a fool's errand.

 

[Seidenbergy]

in the 1970s we had oreilly, wensink,secord, Jonathon and about 6 other deterents dressing every night... and people still went after ratelle and middleton

I live in Edmonton and saw semenko and brown and mcsorely and laraque here... and the fans still complained every single night on the talk shows how the other team was going after the soft oiler star players.

there was a time... some extremely soft teams were intimidated by goon squads and you could make the oppoents 'quit' by goon tactics. there was NEVER A TIME IN MY HISTORY where you could stop the goons on another team from going after your star players through fighting.

I guess Detroit had the best solution... get a deadly pp and beat the other team so badly on the scoreboard that their coach is unable to put their goons onto the ice

the true solution… stay team tough... one for all and all for one. go after their star players if they go after yours... and dont back down.

you simply cant convince someone fighting for their 700k a year job... to not do what they are paid for. if they end up in a fight over it, it just helps them get hired for next year too. the worry of a fight doesnt make anyone behave

{ironically... worrying you might catch some lumber from a guy like marchand or a low bridge... that does enter into players minds. guys like raffi torres and steve downie and sean avery got into peoples heads and effected how they played.} we all complain about dirty tactics like this... but if you did want to discourage the other team from taking liberites… this would work

Exactly. I love how HUTCH keeps disagreeing with me yet "likes" this post even though it's just a longer version of exactly what I wrote.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

We need a hard-nosed stay at home defenseman that will defend Pasta. That is Miller. Moore had to defend Pasta last night and we almost lost him again.

Clifton cannot do that.

Would you have rather Clifton or Miller in the Stanley Cup final against the Blues last year?

clifton was drectly responsible for 2 of our goals in our only home win. i was upset clifton didnt play game 7

 

[Seidenbergy]

We need a hard-nosed stay at home defenseman that will defend Pasta. That is Miller. Moore had to defend Pasta last night and we almost lost him again.

Clifton cannot do that.

Would you have rather Clifton or Miller in the Stanley Cup final against the Blues last year?

If we do not ensure we have someone that can protect our elite players team like the Blues will take liberties yet again in the postseason.

We all know the Bruins were the better team and if the SC final was officiated correctly the Bruins would have hoisted the Cup last season. So hoping things will change will not win us a Cup.

Making sure we are prepared to deal with how playoff hockey is called is just smart because nothing is going to change. Watching the Blues carry the Cup on our ice is proof of that.

Clifton. He at least scored in the SCF and our #6 defenseman had nothing to do with losing that series. It was the inability of our top line to score 5 on 5 goals.

 

[Sheppy]

Clifton. He at least scored in the SCF and our #6 defenseman had nothing to do with losing that series. It was the inability of our top line to score 5 on 5 goals.

Fair, I think Clifton was solid.

That said, why do you think guys like Pastrnak weren't scoring?

 

[Seidenbergy]

Fair, I think Clifton was solid.

That said, why do you think guys like Pastrnak weren't scoring?

Marchand got hurt in the scrimmage.
Pasta messed up his wrist falling on the ice after that random team event and was never the same after it. He didn't have enough time during the postseason to rest it and heal.

 

[Sheppy]

Marchand got hurt in the scrimmage.
Pasta messed up his wrist falling on the ice and was never the same after it. He didn't have enough time during the postseason to rest it and heal.

I noticed Pastrnak shying away from contact in the final because the St Louis Blues were hammering him every chance they got.

 

[Seidenbergy]

I noticed Pastrnak shying away from contact in the final because the St Louis Blues were hammering him every chance they got.

I noticed our defense taking more of a beating than the forwards. They were the ones dropping like flies that series.

It was clear that Pasta's wrist was not right. His shot and puck handling were not the same. Combine that with Marchand's injury that was sustained before the series and that could easily explain the issues they had scoring.

 

[Sheppy]

I noticed our defense taking more of a beating than the forwards. It was clear that Pasta's wrist was not right. His shot and puck handling were not the same.

I would agree, Gryz and Krug took an absolute beating back there.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

Marchand got hurt in the scrimmage.
Pasta messed up his wrist falling on the ice after that random team event and was never the same after it. He didn't have enough time during the postseason to rest it and heal.

oh man. the scrimmage. dumbest idea ever. marchand was never the same after that.

 

[DKH]

I noticed Pastrnak shying away from contact in the final because the St Louis Blues were hammering him every chance they got.

Agree

I’m very disappointed the Canadiens and Black Hawks would hit our star players high in regular season games

one scenario I’ve read on the Dark Hockey Web is neither will be in the playoffs to do it so this is there chance

hmmmm

 

[Aussie Bruin]

His style leads him to be hit and he's going to be targeted. The Bruins as team need to solve that problem.

100% agree, and I said the same in another post. I get that this team don't really want to be fighters and don't want to buy in to retaliatory tit for tat hits, or at least it's being coached that way, but when it comes to protecting their own, whether it be Pasta or some of our smaller guys like Grzelcyk who also get targeted quite often, they need to do better and have more effective strategies to counter that sort of stuff.

 

[Dr Hook]

Okay, so this might be a roundabout thing that folks will not agree on but (and for the record I am NOT against adding some size and toughness to the lineup) let's suppose the Bruins get a couple guys like Anderson or whomever that can and will lay the body. I am not at all convinced that this stops anything in terms of targeting a player like Pasta? Why? Because a guy taking a big retaliatory hit is worth the price to get a Pasta or a Crosby or a MacDavid off their game. Remember when Gretzky had his enforcer Marty McSorley around? Teams knew they would deal with him if they went after Wayne. And they did it anyway. McSorley still had plenty of fights, altercations, etc. It didn't stop doodly shit. It did make for some entertaining hockey though.

Where the size and toughness matters for the Bruins is not protection in my book, because I believe it to be a myth, but in wearing down the opponents over a tough series. The past two playoff seasons Krug and Gryz were pounded. It takes a toll. Let's do that to the other guys. Wear them down so they have less jam to do the same thing back. That would be a good thing. Pasta because he scores is going to get hit. A lot. Brad rarely complains, he takes his beatings and keeps going because it's going to happen whether you have more physical guys in the lineup or not.

 

[BMC]

I would agree, Gryz and Krug took an absolute beating back there.

Same beating they took from Tampa Bay in the playoffs the year before. That's another area that needs to be addressed and why I want Killer (or a defenseman like him) in the lineup

 

[Ladyfan]

You need a mix of different skills (including hard hitting) on a team.

The B's got beat up in the last series of the SCF. Brad and Pasta can only "suck it up: so much. The B's need an answer (not a goon) to this problem. Miller IMO may have been a game changer. I miss Quaider who always was good in the playoffs. I know that ship has sailed but I still miss him.

 

[Dr Hook]

Same beating they took from Tampa Bay in the playoffs the year before. That's another area that needs to be addressed and why I want Killer (or a defenseman like him) in the lineup

What would be even more helpful to me (not knocking Miller here) is to have a couple of physical forwards that will back check and help the hobbits out back there. That didn't happen against TB and not so much against St. Louis. Both Krug and Grizz are tough young men, but they can only take so much abuse. You can't have their d partners doing that though, because they have coverage assignments that are pretty critical, so you need wingers that will come back clean some house and give them room.

 

[Dr Hook]

Well until that utopia arrives teams have to deal with what happens on the ice. I don't want opponents cheap shotting a Bruin without paying a price for it. Relying on an official to make a call is a fool's errand.

I remain hopeful that the league will sort it out. But they probably won't the a-holes

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Okay, so this might be a roundabout thing that folks will not agree on but (and for the record I am NOT against adding some size and toughness to the lineup) let's suppose the Bruins get a couple guys like Anderson or whomever that can and will lay the body. I am not at all convinced that this stops anything in terms of targeting a player like Pasta? Why? Because a guy taking a big retaliatory hit is worth the price to get a Pasta or a Crosby or a MacDavid off their game. Remember when Gretzky had his enforcer Marty McSorley around? Teams knew they would deal with him if they went after Wayne. And they did it anyway. McSorley still had plenty of fights, altercations, etc. It didn't stop doodly ****. It did make for some entertaining hockey though.

Where the size and toughness matters for the Bruins is not protection in my book, because I believe it to be a myth, but in wearing down the opponents over a tough series. The past two playoff seasons Krug and Gryz were pounded. It takes a toll. Let's do that to the other guys. Wear them down so they have less jam to do the same thing back. That would be a good thing. Pasta because he scores is going to get hit. A lot. Brad rarely complains, he takes his beatings and keeps going because it's going to happen whether you have more physical guys in the lineup or not.

This is 100% why I want some heavy added to the lineup. Not for retribution on hits via fights. It's needed so you can wear down the opponent.

It's funny though.... The bruins never have enough toughness in the eyes of some fans.

Remember when we had Lucic, Thornton, McQuaid, Chara (prime)??? Just to name the main guys....It didn't prevent shit.

Savard concussed by Matt Cooke. There wasn't a response when it happened.

There is some mythical idea that if we had some tough guys in the lineup it would prevent bad hits, or whatever. It doesn't.

 

[Ladyfan]

This is 100% why I want some heavy added to the lineup. Not for retribution on hits via fights. It's needed so you can wear down the opponent.

It's funny though.... The bruins never have enough toughness in the eyes of some fans.

Remember when we had Lucic, Thornton, McQuaid, Chara (prime)??? Just to name the main guys....It didn't prevent ****.

Savard concussed by Matt Cooke. There wasn't a response when it happened.

There is some mythical idea that if we had some tough guys in the lineup it would prevent bad hits, or whatever. It doesn't.

I hate this comment. NO PLAYER OTHER THAN RYDER (that was on the ice) saw the hit. cooke isn't a normal player. He was a cheap shot artist who went after the best players. He is sick in the head. You can't compare him to a normal player.

I have seen players back off from hitting our players because of Looch and Quaider. It won't stop everything BUT there is no way these enforcers don't prevent SOME of that stuff.

 

[jgatie]

Okay, so this might be a roundabout thing that folks will not agree on but (and for the record I am NOT against adding some size and toughness to the lineup) let's suppose the Bruins get a couple guys like Anderson or whomever that can and will lay the body. I am not at all convinced that this stops anything in terms of targeting a player like Pasta? Why? Because a guy taking a big retaliatory hit is worth the price to get a Pasta or a Crosby or a MacDavid off their game. Remember when Gretzky had his enforcer Marty McSorley around? Teams knew they would deal with him if they went after Wayne. And they did it anyway. McSorley still had plenty of fights, altercations, etc. It didn't stop doodly ****. It did make for some entertaining hockey though.

Where the size and toughness matters for the Bruins is not protection in my book, because I believe it to be a myth, but in wearing down the opponents over a tough series. The past two playoff seasons Krug and Gryz were pounded. It takes a toll. Let's do that to the other guys. Wear them down so they have less jam to do the same thing back. That would be a good thing. Pasta because he scores is going to get hit. A lot. Brad rarely complains, he takes his beatings and keeps going because it's going to happen whether you have more physical guys in the lineup or not.

Wayne Gretzky was 175 lbs soaking wet, and never had a serious injury that kept him out of the game for long, except his back at the end. If you think that wasn't at least partially because of McSorely and Cementhead, we were watching different games. There is no way Gretzky could last in the 80's NHL without those two and there's a reason he lobbied to get Jay Miller in LA. Hint: it wasn't his scoring ability.

 

[chizzler]

You know this because....

It’s been an ongoing thing since last year. His groin has plagued him for a while now. It’s not a secret.

 

[Dr Hook]

Wayne Gretzky was 175 lbs soaking wet, and never had a serious injury that kept him out of the game for long, except his back at the end. If you think that wasn't at least partially because of McSorely and Cementhead, we were watching different games. There is no way Gretzky could last in the 80's NHL without those two and there's a reason he lobbied to get Jay Miller in LA. Hint: it wasn't his scoring ability.

Yes, and for every Gretzky, there was a Pat LaFontaine (Langdon, Beukeboom, P.J. Stock, some other tough guys on that Rangers team). We were watching the same game, just drawing different conclusions from it. The cheap shots happened back then too, just as much as they do now, enforcers or not. What we don't have anymore very often is the satisfaction of retaliation.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

the reason why is the enforcers now have to have a skill set other than simply an enforcer.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

agreed, love Kuraly and Wags but there is no world in which a skilled player, Bjork or otherwise, should be on that line

For the moment Bjork and DeBrusk can't both play with Coyle, and while I do think there is some merit to the argument for moving Anders up to Jake's place, I'm not convinced and in any case I can't see Cassidy making that move.

As an alternative I'd get Bjork together with Backes. A lot of you will have an instant aversion to this but think about it for a moment - Backes can make clever plays, his passing is good and his shooting from the slot in particular is really solid. Even now he has skills and situational awareness that guys like Kuraly just don't - assets that Bjork can feed off and work with. He and Backes played together in a couple of games in the preseason, and I know, I know, it's just the preseason, but they definitely had a little something going on there which might be worth looking at again. Backes' lack of speed relative to Bjork need not be detrimental as long as they acknowledge and work with it in how they sort out their plays and setups.

I'm not suggesting it as anything other than a temporary solution, just something that could potentially elevate Bjork a little more while he's missing his preferred line-mates.

 

[Clode]

We lose in OT in a game we are playing terribly at and now all of a sudden people are panicked and want to reaction trade for toughness?

We are the best team in the league and the fans are panicking.

I don't want toughness because they lost, I want toughness because Pasta is going to be getting stretchered off the ice any day now with the amount of runs that are being taken at him.