Pre-Game Talk: Game 3: Tuesday May 6th 7:00 PM

[yianik]

Julien: Just a whiner or whining a good strategy

This whining thing of the Bruins, or at least that is how most every non- Bruin sees it is a subject of a lot of talk. Not something that bothers me as I couldn't really care less, but then I was thinking how Julien could take himself seriously. Then a thought.

I remember about how Bowman was always concerned his Dynasty Team would get complacent as he knew the team had to be intense, focused and be a tight knit team, or it could lose. Skill was there, keeping the mental part of the game was also important.

Adversity could bring or keep a team together but the Habs were so good I guess finding that adversity could be hard, but it was so important to Bowman he would go so far as to make himself the lightning rod. I read how one day he announced how some veteran was being sat out, like Cournoyer or someone. The players held a meeting, a delegation is sent to try to talk Bowman out of doing it, which of course they do, since this was all a set-up by Bowman. This brought the team closer, an us versus whomever.

So Julien. Is he really serious that the Bruins are hard done by and that his boys are stand up manly clean players, but everybody else isnt ? Or , is this a ploy by him to have the Bruins think everybody is out to get them and the only chance they have is to be that much better than everybody because only being better will not cut it because they will not get any breaks, those go only to other teams and especially , the Habs ? Is this a strategy to keep his guys tight knit and to bring out their best ?

 

[Whitesnake]

This whining thing of the Bruins, or at least that is how most every non- Bruin sees it is a subject of a lot of talk. Not something that bothers me as I couldn't really care less, but then I was thinking how Julien could take himself seriously. Then a thought.

I remember about how Bowman was always concerned his Dynasty Team would get complacent as he knew the team had to be intense, focused and be a tight knit team, or it could lose. Skill was there, keeping the mental part of the game was also important.

Adversity could bring or keep a team together but the Habs were so good I guess finding that adversity could be hard, but it was so important to Bowman he would go so far as to make himself the lightning rod. I read how one day he announced how some veteran was being sat out, like Cournoyer or someone. The players held a meeting, a delegation is sent to try to talk Bowman out of doing it, which of course they do, since this was all a set-up by Bowman. This brought the team closer, an us versus whomever.

So Julien. Is he really serious that the Bruins are hard done by and that his boys are stand up manly clean players, but everybody else isnt ? Or , is this a ploy by him to have the Bruins think everybody is out to get them and the only chance they have is to be that much better than everybody because only being better will not cut it because they will not get any breaks, those go only to other teams and especially , the Habs ? Is this a strategy to keep his guys tight knit and to bring out their best ?

It's pretty much the "everybody is against us" strategy and it seems to work for them. Also, it's their way to try to have the refs not be as hard on them. Pure strategy yet....Julien do seem to take the colors of the company he works for...

 

[_vivelequebec_]

Just a whiner, Bruins would just destroy us if they were not that ******.

 

[Bob b smith]

Julien is clearly using whining as a strategy but I don't like the poll choices... The wording of "Julien using it to bring best out of Bruins" is not what Julien is doing... He's not using it to influence his own team. He uses it to influence the refs, the NHL, the media, the fans and the other team....

Julien's smart. He's trying to get something out of his whining. He isn't doing it in a vacuum.

 

[Genesis76]

It doesn't help when cbc is cheering for Boston

 

[Shaby23]

It's rare but i have a good feeling about this one.

 

[Road Rage]

I'm 3-0 this year when I go to the Bell Centre.

Ginette is 2-0.

We have a combine record of 5-0.

It's going to be 6-0 this tuesday.

 

[yianik]

I believe Julien is clearly using it as a strategy but I don't like the poll choices... The wording of "Julien using it to bring best out of Bruins" is not what Julien is doing... He's not using it to influence his own team. He uses it to influence the refs, the NHL, the media, the fans and the other team....

See I thought about that and I don't see the Bruins getting a lot of breaks. Its like the Refs know the Bruins yap about everything and they know Marchand is a diver and is snapping somebody in the hands in back of the play, so they just roll their eyes and ignore them.

I have seen over the years coaches do that where they have no history of complaining a lot to catch breaks from Refs in a series. All of a sudden this coach makes it clear all the calls seem to have gone against his team and then next game his team seems to be catching breaks from the Refs.I don't see this constant thing of the Bruins getting them anywhere with the Refs.

 

[No More Subban]

If Patches-DD-Vanek shows up to play, we win the series. It's really as simple as that.

 

[HuGo Sham]

habs got kicked in the nuts saturday BUT some good takeaways:

1) Team led for 50 mins of game 2
2) habs may be down and lost momentum BUT they're coming home and will get a boost from the crowd
3) Bruins have scored 7 of their 8 goals in the 3rd...habs can take comfort in knowing they're playing relatively well through two - and correct 3rd period meltdowns
4) PP at 50%
5) still waiting for king sniper pacioretty to wake up and help at 5 on 5
6) 3 of 5 games at home. Win home games and win series. Simple math

 

[VAN-HAB]

Home ice will do wonders for the DD line.

That is true, I expect a huge game from DD and Co.

Series could have been 2-0 CH, thank you so much for ruining it.....Bouillon...

 

[Kimota]

Watching the last two games I kept thinking I like the Habs-Bruins series but i'm starting to get tired that ever since the start of the Millenium, the Habs have been the smallish underdogs getting beat or dominated(or sometime both) and that require a hot goalie or doing the rope-a-dope to get a few wins. I wonder if one day we're gonna have a more agressive GM with an attitude of getting tougher and bigger with smaller or scared guys being unacceptable.

 

[Shawarma*]

I think the Habs are going to kick ass on Tuesday. They are coming home after a big collapse, but still with some hope since the series is 1-1.

I thought game one was totally dominated by the Bruins but game 2, outside of the first ten minutes and the last ten minutes, was actually quite well managed and played by the Habs.

The Bruins are good but I think whereas the 2011 edition wasn't give enough credit (goons, Julien sucks, not enough speed, etc) the 2014 edition is given way too much credit. Their defense is good but not what is was in 2011, Chara isn't nearly as dominant in a shutdown role, and Rask is oftentimes shaky. When they get going in the offensive zone they are incredible, but the cough the puck up more than I remember and some of the younger defensemen (Miller, Bartkowski) are just substandard, no matter how much their fans pump their tires.

They are a good team and they deservedly won the President's Trophy, but I think the Habs can give them a bad time at home.

 

[David Suzuki]

Watching the last two games I kept thinking I like the Habs-Bruins series but i'm starting to get tired that ever since the start of the Millenium, the Habs have been the smallish underdogs getting beat or dominated(or sometime both) and that require a hot goalie or doing the rope-a-dope to get a few wins. I wonder if one day we're gonna have a more agressive GM with an attitude of getting tougher and bigger with smaller or scared guys being unacceptable.

How are we scared by them? Davey is our weakest, "softest" player and he's going in to the corners against Chara. This is such a tired dialogue, so I'm not going to go deep on it, but we're not being bullied by them at all lol.

 

[Habs]

It looks like coaching and player IQ is killing the team right now. The boys lose their intensity, positions and can't pressure. I'm not sure what to think, but going through round two by the seat of your pants isn't a great strategy.

 

[Wats]

Everything they say is calculated IMO. They strongly believe in the concept of 'lobbying' and 'propaganda'.

 

[Shawarma*]

How are we scared by them? Davey is our weakest, "softest" player and he's going in to the corners against Chara. This is such a tired dialogue, so I'm not going to go deep on it, but we're not being bullied by them at all lol.

This really is a tired dialogue, moreso due to the fact that even the Bruins have changed their style a lot since 2011.

The 2011 team was a bunch of thugs. They had talent, but they were dirty and got away with anything. This year's edition, minus Marchand, who continues to be a total clown, actually sticks to hockey way more than we give them credit for. Lucic barely fights anymore, Chara crosschecks but that's about it, and the rest of the big guys (Iginla, Bergergon, Eriksson, Krejci) are pretty much innocuous.

I'll also take an unpopular stance and say that when they do venture into more "rugged" play, they get away with a lot less than they once did. Game 2 was a good example; the wheels started coming off in the second when they wanted to "send a message". When they got back to 5 on 5 in the third, they were fantastic. This is a solid hockey team that plays well in all three zones and is much more disciplined than previous editions.

I still despise their ignorant fans and have little to no respect for their franchise, however. So if any Boston fans were reading this and starting to think I was gaining a newfound respect for the Bruins, too bad. This team is good; but the franchise they represent will always be crap.

 

[Blind Gardien]

I'm 3-0 this year when I go to the Bell Centre.

Ginette is 2-0.

We have a combine record of 5-0.

It's going to be 6-0 this tuesday.

So is Ginette singing _or_ are you going?

 

[JohnnyB11]

habs got kicked in the nuts saturday BUT some good takeaways:

1) Team led for 50 mins of game 2
2) habs may be down and lost momentum BUT they're coming home and will get a boost from the crowd
3) Bruins have scored 7 of their 8 goals in the 3rd...habs can take comfort in knowing they're playing relatively well through two - and correct 3rd period meltdowns
4) PP at 50%
5) still waiting for king sniper pacioretty to wake up and help at 5 on 5
6) 3 of 5 games at home. Win home games and win series. Simple math

Actually, that's wrong - the Habs only led from 18:09 of the 2nd period until 14:17 of the 3rd - just over 15 minutes.

 

[JohnnyB11]

This really is a tired dialogue, moreso due to the fact that even the Bruins have changed their style a lot since 2011.

The 2011 team was a bunch of thugs. They had talent, but they were dirty and got away with anything. This year's edition, minus Marchand, who continues to be a (Edit), actually sticks to hockey way more than we give them credit for. Lucic barely fights anymore, Chara crosschecks but that's about it, and the rest of the big guys (Iginla, Bergergon, Eriksson, Krejci) are pretty much innocuous.

I'll also take an unpopular stance and say that when they do venture into more "rugged" play, they get away with a lot less than they once did. Game 2 was a good example; the wheels started coming off in the second when they wanted to "send a message". When they got back to 5 on 5 in the third, they were fantastic. This is a solid hockey team that plays well in all three zones and is much more disciplined than previous editions.

I still despise their ignorant fans and have little to no respect for their franchise, however. So if any Boston fans were reading this and starting to think I was gaining a newfound respect for the Bruins, too bad. This team is good; but the franchise they represent will always be crap.

You shouldn't paint all fans with the same brush - I was at Game 2, wearing my Habs jersey, and for the most part was treated quite well by the B's fans I interacted with. They're a passionate bunch, in many ways like us (like it or not).

 

[Road Rage]

So is Ginette singing _or_ are you going?

I will be there.

And she's going to sing from what I read.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Back-and-forth we go. We take this one. Two games of rust, some humble pie. The guys should come out strong. We might as well throw Murray out there just for ***** and giggles because he and Bouillon are ultimately a wash, but some body whacking would be nice to see rather than Frankie's general hopelessness.

 

[Tyson]

I would play Ryan White because he is the only decent face off guy we have.

 

[Bob b smith]

See I thought about that and I don't see the Bruins getting a lot of breaks. Its like the Refs know the Bruins yap about everything and they know Marchand is a diver and is snapping somebody in the hands in back of the play, so they just roll their eyes and ignore them.

I have seen over the years coaches do that where they have no history of complaining a lot to catch breaks from Refs in a series. All of a sudden this coach makes it clear all the calls seem to have gone against his team and then next game his team seems to be catching breaks from the Refs.I don't see this constant thing of the Bruins getting them anywhere with the Refs.

The Bruins use the physical strategy of "death by a thousand cuts". It's the old Hall of Fame Coach Roger Neilson's strategy perfected by the Anaheim Ducks... You're the dirtiest team in the league. You do more cheapshots than everyone. You do more punishable offenses than anyone. You wear down the opposition. You also use it as part of your defensive strategy. You stop goals by more interference, more crosschecks, more slashes, etc...

Fact: The refs can't call everything. And refs try to balance out penalties... They'll let go 3 slashes, and call a soft touch hook on the other team... Ultimately the Bruins will benefit by tons of extra physical abuse with as only downside a slight edge in penalties.

"It plays on the one constant in NHL officiating. That is the official’s internal calculator. No matter how many changes to rules and their interpretation officials rarely drastically over penalize one team compared to the other."

"What if you flood the game with fouls? Commit 100 fouls per game on purpose knowing the officials are only going to nail you for 6 or 7 or 8 because calling much more than that would slow the game down into un-watchability. Does the avalanche of fouls not somewhat level the playing field? It’s like death by a thousand cuts. There is no one egregious foul that changes the game, but rather a constant, numbing, frustrating dripping tap of continuous fouls which keep the opposition from ever feeling settled and in control of the game."

http://deanbrownblog.blogspot.ca/2008/03/ducks-are-right-kind-of-dirty.html

To really benefit from this cheapshot/penalty ratio you chirp the refs, whine to the media, spin that it's not you playing dirty, it's the other team embellishing. Get your fans agitated and angry... Julien has elevated this to an artform.

 

[Rapala]

It looks like coaching and player IQ is killing the team right now. The boys lose their intensity, positions and can't pressure. I'm not sure what to think, but going through round two by the seat of your pants isn't a great strategy.

I'm not sure about the player IQ quip but the rest of it falls back to the game plan.
We are showing little or no forecheck and none of the 5 man pressure we saw aginst Tampa.
We are constanly giving up our blue line and basically look like the team we saw for most of the season.
For me this is not the style of play or type of game plan we need to employ to be successful.
We played one of our best games at home against the Bruins late last year. We used a heavy forecheck
and a zone pressure. You could literally see all five players in your screen at all times. Our breakouts were coordinated using short passes and took advantage of the middle of the ice the Bruins wanting to control the boards. Once again ALL the forwards were moving in unison and were always supporting each other. This system requires skating and more skating. You would think it would be easy convincing the boys that skating actually requires less energy than getting beaten into oblivion along the boards...
I love watching teams like Chicago interchange the pieces on the ice without thinking about it.
D stands up forward covers back they use it on both blues. This keeps them constantly moving and allows them to be first on the puck.