2019 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 still stings

[JOKER 192]

They went 30-10-5 starting January 3rd. During that same period, the Bruins were 26-10-5.

Now...let's consider that for many of these games, the Blues were still starting who I think is possibly THE WORST starting goaltender in the league in Jake Allen. Binnington went 24-5-1 during the 2018-2019 regular season. It's pretty clear that with Binnington, the Blues would have been easily better than the Bruins during that time period.

My overall point is that this board loves talking about the Blues as if they are some "lucky" team who somehow walked into a Stanley Cup Final, but they were a great team during the second half of the year, quite possibly the very best in the league when they had a real goaltender in the net.

Discount the reality of it all you want. The fact remains that we lost and it was to a very good and very deserving team. And professional hockey players don't just decide to "not show up" for a game 7 Stanley Cup Final as is being implied.

At least we can agree on your last sentence.

 

[LouJersey]

They went 30-10-5 starting January 3rd. During that same period, the Bruins were 26-10-5.

Now...let's consider that for many of these games, the Blues were still starting who I think is possibly THE WORST starting goaltender in the league in Jake Allen. Binnington went 24-5-1 during the 2018-2019 regular season. It's pretty clear that with Binnington, the Blues would have been easily better than the Bruins during that time period.

My overall point is that this board loves talking about the Blues as if they are some "lucky" team who somehow walked into a Stanley Cup Final, but they were a great team during the second half of the year, quite possibly the very best in the league when they had a real goaltender in the net.

Discount the reality of it all you want. The fact remains that we lost and it was to a very good and very deserving team. And professional hockey players don't just decide to "not show up" for a game 7 Stanley Cup Final as is being implied.

The eventual Conn Smythe winner was very prophetic before game 7.

“We know if we play our best game, we can take these guys,” O’Reilly said. “Go there and get it done.”

Guessing this loss will suck forever.

What the Bruins are saying about playing Game 7 in Boston | Boston.com

 

[member 96824]

Going into the series. Vancouver 117 pts, Bruins 103. That's how people are looking at Boston being better than St Louis.

Yeah, but there was no game in that series where it was like “wow, Vancouver is the better team here”

Can’t say the same this year. Bruins were the better team and it showed everywhere that didn’t matter unfortunately because of one period in one game that ultimately came down to a couple individual decisions.

 

[KrejciMVP]

The eventual Conn Smythe winner was very prophetic before game 7.

“We know if we play our best game, we can take these guys,” O’Reilly said. “Go there and get it done.”

Guessing this loss will suck forever.

What the Bruins are saying about playing Game 7 in Boston | Boston.com

I thought the Bruins had the edge at center before the series but Schenn and Oreilly really knocked the D around and they produced. Made Krejci and Bergeron look their age quite a bit when the game got physical

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Where are the Spooner, koko, JFK type picks of years past? Thank goodness they pulled the trigger w Pasta when they did. Also Studnicka is the same height as Kuraly.

JDB/Senny over Connor, Konency, Barzal…...Freddy over ADB, Steel, Kyrou....Beecher over Kaliyev, Brink....

I don't really want to nit-pick but on the official Bruins roster Studnicka is listed as an inch shorter than Kuraly and weights considerably less. Of course Studnicka will put on a few extra pounds but the point is he's not really a big guy and doesn't seem like being the forceful overly-physical sort.

On paper Olson and Mantykivi look quite a lot like Spooner and Koko to me, though I hope they turn out better.

It's just a question of degrees. I totally accept that there's clearly an awareness that size and physicality are things the Bs need more of, but, while there's a gentle trend in that direction, looking at our trade and draft history over the last couple of years I'm not seeing it as a factor that's really high in our recruitment priorities. Grit and compete absolutely, heaviness not so much.

If you and others see it differently that's fine. Perhaps you're right. I'm just not so sure.

 

[Fenway]

The Bruins lifetime are 6-2 in games where they could win the Cup.

Both losses happened in Boston but in 1972 they were able to win Game 6 in NY.

Game 2 of this years SCF is the one that gives me nightmares



and then Game 5



This panorama of Game 7 shows how scared the fans at TD Garden were in the second period.

2019 NHL Stanley Cup Gigapixel Fan Photo - Powered by Blakeway Panoramas

I look at the SCF losses the B's have had in my lifetime

1974 Philly - they lost Game 2 in OT at home and lost all 3 in Philly
1977 Montreal - That 76-77 Habs team was one of the best ever.
1978 Montreal - closed the gap a little but lost in 6
1979 Montreal - OK it was the semifinal but they had a disastrous line change
1988 Edmonton - That Oilers team was close to perfection
1990 Edmonton

2013 Chicago


So yes 2019 is going to sting for a long, long time

Linda Ronstadt - Long Long Time

 

[Fenian24]

The Bruins lifetime are 6-2 in games where they could win the Cup.

Both losses happened in Boston but in 1972 they were able to win Game 6 in NY.

Game 2 of this years SCF is the one that gives me nightmares



and then Game 5



This panorama of Game 7 shows how scared the fans at TD Garden were in the second period.

2019 NHL Stanley Cup Gigapixel Fan Photo - Powered by Blakeway Panoramas

I look at the SCF losses the B's have had in my lifetime

1974 Philly - they lost Game 2 in OT at home and lost all 3 in Philly
1977 Montreal - That 76-77 Habs team was one of the best ever.
1978 Montreal - closed the gap a little but lost in 6
1979 Montreal - OK it was the semifinal but they had a disastrous line change
1988 Edmonton - That Oilers team was close to perfection
1990 Edmonton
View attachment 252121

2013 Chicago


So yes 2019 is going to sting for a long, long time

Linda Ronstadt - Long Long Time

79 is still the worst for me, I hated that Canadiens team and knew that if the Bruins lost it would mean the end of Cherry.

13 was just such a missed opportunity, a more pro active Chiarelli at the deadline and the Bruins win that series.

90 even if Wesley hits the empty net I don't think it changes anything, maybe it goes seven but Ranford was outstanding in that series and Janney was cowed by Tikkanen.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

The Bruins lifetime are 6-2 in games where they could win the Cup.

Both losses happened in Boston but in 1972 they were able to win Game 6 in NY.

Game 2 of this years SCF is the one that gives me nightmares



and then Game 5



This panorama of Game 7 shows how scared the fans at TD Garden were in the second period.

2019 NHL Stanley Cup Gigapixel Fan Photo - Powered by Blakeway Panoramas

I look at the SCF losses the B's have had in my lifetime

1974 Philly - they lost Game 2 in OT at home and lost all 3 in Philly
1977 Montreal - That 76-77 Habs team was one of the best ever.
1978 Montreal - closed the gap a little but lost in 6
1979 Montreal - OK it was the semifinal but they had a disastrous line change
1988 Edmonton - That Oilers team was close to perfection
1990 Edmonton
View attachment 252121

2013 Chicago


So yes 2019 is going to sting for a long, long time

Linda Ronstadt - Long Long Time

game 2 was def a killer. we had like 8 wins in a row. stl had lost like 13 sc games in a row.
grizz got bumdled after he gave stl a goal . but we gained momentum right back on tbe nordstrom goal.

then our top line gave it back. another turnover by -7 pasta and then marchand makes his first of 2 peewee level plays in the series by going to tarasenko and leaving s hwartz all alone. then doesnt backcheck. brutal series from that top line.

 

[Stone Clode]

Yeah, but there was no game in that series where it was like “wow, Vancouver is the better team here”

Can’t say the same this year. Bruins were the better team and it showed everywhere that didn’t matter unfortunately because of one period in one game that ultimately came down to a couple individual decisions.

Sort of disagree. I think when you break it all down, Bruins may have had the slight edge in lines 2 and 3, and the 4th line I'd give a slight edge to the Blues, but the Blues top line DOMINATED this series in the final 5 games. Ryan O'Reilly was THE best player in the series. They hemmed the Bruins in their own zone a lot. I think the Bruins were a step behind in adjustments. The Blues knew when to pack it in, and make adjustments for the next game, and when to make adjustments mid-game to try and take the game back. The Bruins didn't do either. They win a game, tried to execute the exact same strategy, the Blues counter-punched, and the Bruins had no answer. I think the Bruins were the more talented team, but the Blues outplayed them when it mattered.

Don't think it was all because of Game 7. At all. That was just another case of what had happened the whole series.

 

[member 96824]

Sort of disagree. I think when you break it all down, Bruins may have had the slight edge in lines 2 and 3, and the 4th line I'd give a slight edge to the Blues, but the Blues top line DOMINATED this series in the final 5 games. Ryan O'Reilly was THE best player in the series. They hemmed the Bruins in their own zone a lot. I think the Bruins were a step behind in adjustments. The Blues knew when to pack it in, and make adjustments for the next game, and when to make adjustments mid-game to try and take the game back. The Bruins didn't do either. They win a game, tried to execute the exact same strategy, the Blues counter-punched, and the Bruins had no answer. I think the Bruins were the more talented team, but the Blues outplayed them when it mattered.

Don't think it was all because of Game 7. At all. That was just another case of what had happened the whole series.

I agree if you go line by line and player by player you'll see areas where the Blues were better. I agree ROR was the best player in this series and that the top line for the Blues was better than the top line for the Bruins, the Blues did very well adjusting when they had a lead in order to keep that lead, but overall in team play the Bruins were the better team in this series. It showed on the scoreboard, it showed in the stats.

Bruins played 4 games in the series with 6 defenders and 12 forwards. They were 3-1 in those games. The 1 was the one that mattered unfortunately, but it was one where they absolutely 100% outplayed them up until one of the dumbest hockey decisions I've ever seen in my lifetime and from there it was over because like you said, the Blues could pack it in, clog every single lane and they blocked 3x as many shots as the B's.

I'd also point to game 5 as well as a game that the Bruins absolutely 100% blew the socks off the Blues in every single important category(including the eye test) except the score, which is just as frustrating as G7 to me. I don't really think Chara should have been playing that game, but the results they got were strong. They win G5 and G7 95 of the 100 times they play those games.

Realistically, there were 2 games in that series where it was like "ok, the Blues really took it to the B's there" and those were G2 and G4. They also happen to be the games where the Bruins had to go down to 5 D and were just absolutely gassed by the end.

There are a lot of people who are being very opportunistic in this thread though to push an agenda that they've had for years. One could almost call those people wolves in sheep's clothing.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I agree if you go line by line and player by player you'll see areas where the Blues were better. I agree ROR was the best player in this series and that the top line for the Blues was better than the top line for the Bruins, the Blues did very well adjusting when they had a lead in order to keep that lead, but overall in team play the Bruins were the better team in this series. It showed on the scoreboard, it showed in the stats.

Bruins played 4 games in the series with 6 defenders and 12 forwards. They were 3-1 in those games. The 1 was the one that mattered unfortunately, but it was one where they absolutely 100% outplayed them up until one of the dumbest hockey decisions I've ever seen in my lifetime and from there it was over because like you said, the Blues could pack it in, clog every single lane and they blocked 3x as many shots as the B's.

I'd also point to game 5 as well as a game that the Bruins absolutely 100% blew the socks off the Blues in every single important category(including the eye test) except the score, which is just as frustrating as G7 to me. I don't really think Chara should have been playing that game, but the results they got were strong. They win G5 and G7 95 of the 100 times they play those games.

Realistically, there were 2 games in that series where it was like "ok, the Blues really took it to the B's there" and those were G2 and G4. They also happen to be the games where the Bruins had to go down to 5 D and were just absolutely gassed by the end.

There are a lot of people who are being very opportunistic in this thread though to push an agenda that they've had for years. One could almost call those people wolves in sheep's clothing.

Great analysis. The shame of game 5 particularly is that the Bruins had games like that all season, and a couple against the Leafs too. Games where it felt like they were just content to be in the contest and taking the game deep with an even score or a goal down, and persisting in the same methods in the expectation that eventually they would pay off. But then our opposition suddenly would go 1 or 2 up and only then did they really respond, usually when it was too late. I think the Bs would have been better in those games to have tried to force the issue sooner, changing up our plays or even our lines if they were't working and really trying to hit the scoreboard and put the heat back on the opposition, even if that came with some added risk of a goal the other way.

The effort was always there, I think just at times there was a lack of urgency, an unwillingness to really take the game on and be a little more audacious, and a perhaps subconscious falling into following the other team's playing style.

Looking ahead to next season, I'd like to see Cassidy be a little more on top of this. Obviously over the course of a long season there are going to be some games that are simply flat in which the players are just happy to be in the game. But during some at least of the ones where we're just coasting a bit I'd hope he'll be really pushing the guys and working the tactics a little more to try and make them a team that really wants to take the game on and adjust their play so that they're the ones setting the tone and style of the contest. If we can do that during the season it might reduce the possibility of it happening again in the playoffs.

 

[Boston Bruno]

Kids back at school and the smell of hockey rink abounds in my neighborhood.. it's time to start a new!

Nope. STILL pissed.

I'm really bitter about this one.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

Marchand got suspended 5 games a few months later for the same cherry bailout he did in game 6. Was a different world back then.

Yeah, but we all knew that suspension was pure bullshit because it came against the Canucks and their fanbase HOWLED for it. I've watched that play easily two dozen times and I have trouble even calling it a penalty (clipping has to be at or below the knees, and that hit was mid-thigh). Did Marchand duck the hit, sure. But that's not a penalty either. using that as an example isn't really proving much of any point.

 

[LouJersey]

Yeah, but we all knew that suspension was pure bull**** because it came against the Canucks and their fanbase HOWLED for it. I've watched that play easily two dozen times and I have trouble even calling it a penalty (clipping has to be at or below the knees, and that hit was mid-thigh). Did Marchand duck the hit, sure. But that's not a penalty either. using that as an example isn't really proving much of any point.

He should have gotten ten games for being a p***y in all honesty. Dangerous and gutless play IMO.

 

[Midship]

This one will always sting because it will be the last kick at the can for this era of the Bruins. Bergeron, Chara, etc deserved more than one cup.

 

[McGarnagle]

The only bad thing about Marchand's hit on Salo was that it was away from the puck, so a 2 minute interference penalty at worst.

Otherwise it was a clean hip check with the point of contact at the upper thigh. Calling it clipping was an absolute joke and the league bent over to Vancouver's whining.

 

[LouJersey]

The only bad thing about Marchand's hit on Salo was that it was away from the puck, so a 2 minute interference penalty at worst.

Otherwise it was a clean hip check with the point of contact at the upper thigh. Calling it clipping was an absolute joke and the league bent over to Vancouver's whining.

Only hip check in history where the guy "hip checked" wasn't carrying the puck. Was mid though. Textbook clip. I mean he could have taken the hit/delivered one instead of bailing like a cherry, but I digress.

 

[LSCII]

Only hip check in history where the guy "hip checked" wasn't carrying the puck. Was mid though. Textbook clip. I mean he could have taken the hit/delivered one instead of bailing like a cherry, but I digress.

You're both right and wrong at the same time. It was a cheap shot. Not even a question. It was also hilarious. And I don't consider it Marchand bailing, so much as it was a great example of why he is who he is and why everyone hates him. He didn't do it because he was afraid, as he's been hit many times over his career. He did it to be annoying and a dirtbag. And it was all of that.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

Only hip check in history where the guy "hip checked" wasn't carrying the puck. Was mid though. Textbook clip. I mean he could have taken the hit/delivered one instead of bailing like a cherry, but I digress.

Did you mean "mid thigh"? Because that is what I see as well. Definitely higher than the knees. If that's what you meant, then I don't follow your reasoning that this could be both "mid thigh" AND a textbook clip. I'm with Lonnie, he didn't do it to bail, or not get hit - he did it to be a douche. Because he is.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I LOVE when Marchand goes low on guys and sends them flying. Sucks the NHL won’t let him do it. Hockey needs more hits like that.

 

[Gee Wally]

I LOVE when Marchand goes low on guys and sends them flying. Sucks the NHL won’t let him do it. Hockey needs more hits like that.

Yeah..more cripples like Bobby Orr and Cam Neely.

 

[jangerhofer]

To all who say, “this one will sting for a long time/forever,” I ask: do you think a 2020 Cup raise would erase the feeling as completely as 2011 did the Flyers series the year prior?

For me, I think it would go even further. To see this core advance to four Final series and win two is more than I could possibly ask for ex ante. Sure, they would have had the talent to go 3/4, but the wonderful and terrible thing about the league is its parity.

 

[TheFerenceWheel]

To all who say, “this one will sting for a long time/forever,” I ask: do you think a 2020 Cup raise would erase the feeling as completely as 2011 did the Flyers series the year prior?

For me, I think it would go even further. To see this core advance to four Final series and win two is more than I could possibly ask for ex ante. Sure, they would have had the talent to go 3/4, but the wonderful and terrible thing about the league is its parity.

It would for me, but the real problem is that the odds of it are just not good.

 

[LouJersey]

Yeah..more cripples like Bobby Orr and Cam Neely.

Truth.

 

[LouJersey]

I LOVE when Marchand goes low on guys and sends them flying. Sucks the NHL won’t let him do it. Hockey needs more hits like that.

Guessing you loved when Samuelsson went low on Neely too?