Scotto74
taking a break
Look beyond the stats. Look at the game logs.
Here are some of Kaberle's points that they couldn't have done without.
Game 6 against Vancouver- with the score 3-0 Boston with less than 10 minutes gone in the 1st, Kaberle takes a point shot on the pp that gets tipped in by Ryder to make it 4-0 against a clearly rattled and beaten Luongo. Later on with 7 minutes gone in the 3rd and the B's up 4-1 Kaberle gets a 2nd assist on a 5-3. Watch the play on NHL.com and tell me if it was really anything special (great pass by Recchi on the 1st assist though). It's telling that Kaberle got 18 minutes in that game that the B's controlled throughout, but in game 7, when it really mattered, he got 9 minutes.
Game 3- With the Bruins up 7-1 and 30 seconds left in the game, Kaberle gives a 1 ft back handed pass to Ryder at the blueline. Ryder then skates 20 feet in, curls and snaps a shot to make it 8-1 with less than 30 seconds to go.
Game 6 against TB (which the B's lost)- 4-2 TB with 10 minutes left in the game. Boston on the PP. Kaberle makes a 10ft pass to Horton on the 1/2 wall. Horton holds it for a couple seconds and then finds Krejci attacking the net. Horton makes a centering pass and Krejci tips it in. Then with 6 minutes to go in the game and boston down by 2, Kaberle makes a similar pass to Lucic on the half wall. Looch throws it to the net and Horton tips it in.
2 secondary assist that were pretty meh plays in a game they lost. Don't take my word. Watch them on NHL.com
Game 4 against TB (which the B's lost) 16 minutes into the game, the B's up 1-0. Kaberle gets the puck at his own blueline. Makes a pass to center ice that actually looks like is intercepted by a Lightning player, but Kelly pokes it free and it goes to Ryder who skates into the TB zone and snaps a wrister from the dot. I honestly watched it 3 times and I don't even think he deserves an assist on it since I think his pass hits a TB stick but I'll let you decide.
Game 2 against Philly. 13 minutes into the 1st and Philly up 2-0. Great rush by Peverly with a drop pass to Kaberle. Kaberle makes a nice move and snaps a shot that hits Boucher or the traffic in front. Ryder pokes at it, it goes to Kelly who scores. Nice shot that created a rebound.
Game 5 against Montreal. 5 minutes into the 3rd in a scoreless game. Kaberle at the left point passes the puck 20 feet to the half wall, Bergeron tips it and passes it so that goes behind the net to Marchand. Marchand circles out in front and scores. Bruins end up winning in OT.
Game 4 against Montreal 2 minutes into the 2nd, Bs down 1-0. Kaberle makes a great stretch pass to Ryder who streaks in and scores. Great pass. B's end up losing.
So I saw about 8 secondary assists, most of them totally meh. I saw 2 decent shots that were tipped in by a F or jammed in after a rebound by a f, and I saw one nice pass. A lot of his points came in games they lost or in games (8-1) that they had under control.
Again, in the biggest game though he played the fewest minutes. I really think that with or without Kaberle they win the Cup.
But let me be clear: I don't think getting him was a bad move at all, and I liked the fact that they went out and got a player whose skillset they needed. I just don't think he lived up to what I thought he was going to bring.
Fair enough and I agree with you on the last point he did not live up to what I thought either but I still think we don't win it without him and with the sheriff in his place.
