Post-Game Talk: meh bruins lose.. again

[lopey]

Rask already has more blown third period leads in a season and a half than Thomas did in 4 years.

I'm not saying Rask is a bust, but fading late in games and series has been his one major flaw to this point and the game last night didn't do anything to make anyone feel more secure about it going forward.

Your 100% correct. I love Rask, I think he can be a great goalie, but he has to be on late in games. Playoff hockey is all about timely saves, and Rask has not made to many of those in his brief playoff apperances.

I have seen many real good goalies just not produce in the playoffs. Can Tuukka be a money goalie? I guess time will tell

 

[22Brad Park]

Bruins lack firepower.We have to all wait and hope Chia can make team more deep by creating a decent third line or add a top end player which at moment looks dim.Rask not to blame.His numbers are real reason Bruins record as good as it is.Not many teams win games with 1 goal.That is back to back games this team scored 1 lousy goal. This team had some scoring they win last nite easy.The powerplay is so bad I cringe watching it.Lots blame on this team to go around.How about way Clode manages the lines at key times? Yet he passes buck to others.Time he looks in mirror too.But at end the day Chia has to be the guy to fix it.Lets wait and see.

 

[ODAAT]

Yes this team right now has one line going. Lucic just does not look right to me.. Very indifferent. I mean he is not hitting never mind scoring.

Something is wrong with him.

Pretty sure he`s top 5 in hits or close, I`m far more concerned about Horty`s way too frequent MIA act

 

[KrejciMVP]

Sigh... Nothing is wrong witht the top 6, Our offensive D production stinks, the is no fluid puck movement coming out of the zone, it bogs the forwards up in the neutral zone

 

[22Brad Park]

Bruins are team that needs depth and contributions from all 4 lines cause really that top line they have is not really a top line.What I am saying is Lucic and Horton and not 1st line players on most contending teams.So when they are all beat up like now and other lines are not intact they get exposed more easy.Bruins won Cup cause they were deep.Right now they are a little thin.Need Chia to add the help or it will be early exit.Pretty simple math there you ask me. And that is not saying its Lucic or Horton fault.Its the way Chia has built his team.He built it to be deep and win by contributions through out lineup.When they get injuries they do not have the high powered skill that can carry them through it.No Crosbys or Malkins or Perrys or Getlafs,Hossa,Toews,and kanes on this team.

 

[ODAAT]

Sigh... Nothing is wrong witht the top 6, Our offensive D production stinks, the is no fluid puck movement coming out of the zone, it bogs the forwards up in the neutral zone

Um, sorry, what boggles up the neutral zone is forwards standing still, outside of a few shifts here and there, we have wingers standing on the wall who tip the puck into the zone and nobody else with their feet moving.

Two players had their feet moving all night last night, Bergy and Spooner, yep, the kid with 2 NHL games under him did what everyone needs to do, keep moving. You can have all the lovely tape to tape passes from the D you want, if it`s to players standing still, it`ll mean nothing

 

[bp13]

I see a lot of bemoaning that this team lacks "firepower" and nobody want to be the "man".

When is the grace period over for Seguin? Are we allowed to wonder aloud about whether he'll get there or are we still supposed to think this in our heads and not say anything? I forget what the agreement was.

 

[8thRoundPick]

I do hope we spend a little bit here at the trade deadline to bolster the lineup, but generally I think this team needs games like this. It's a wakeup call, and they are going to be driven hard in practice today is my guess.

 

[CamFan81]

now that i'm medicated, I can reflect on last nights game (and season) with more clarity lol

OFFENSE
The powerplay will haunt this team. No, it shouldn't be relied upon, but a good team uses it to CRUSH their opponent. Your up 1-0 or 2-1, theres nothing like doubling up a lead like a ppg. 1st It stresses out their Defense. 2nd it makes them open up which leads to mistakes and turnovers.

Also, the bruins finishing last night was horrible. Chara took forever on a beauty of a pass (on the pp) and missed an open net. Bergeron couldn't/didn't go high on Pavelec with a gaping net stairing at him and put it right in his armpit. Lucic had Spooner wide open, Horton had a beauty opportunity as well.

Defense
This team is so used to Thomas flopping and diving and almost always coming up with the puck that they're not giving Tuukka a fighters chance. They're not the same Goalie and they have to clear the crease. Smurfs are hurting us infront of our own net.

Also, We're back to getting mindf****ed when facing a hard 2man forecheck. Its the 08/09 Cane series all over again. Forwards have to drop lower during the breakout, But Dmen have to make better decisions coming out of their zone.


Goalie
Tuukka is a great goalie. He's our future. But he has to come up with big saves AT BIG MOMENTS in the game. He also has to be aggressive with loose pucks infront of him. The Vitale goal was unacceptable.
He also needs to strengthen that high glove side.


Honorable mention

The third line.

Yes, Chris Bourque was not the answer for the third line and neither is Pandolfo. But how Kelly + Peveley aren't getting more of the blame is beyond comprehension.
Yes, Kelly is injured. But before his injury his forecheck was non existent. His normal strongsuit was also a weakness for him - Play in his own zone. Peverley has been atrocious. His forecheck has also been abysmal along with his effort. If there was one thing Bourque did for this team was show that Kelly/Peverley were not giving a consistent effort. Although Bourque seemed out of place he was always moving his feet and trying.

A poster here has often coined the phrase - Fat and Happy. Those two seem to be the biggest culprits in my opinion.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Um, sorry, what boggles up the neutral zone is forwards standing still, outside of a few shifts here and there, we have wingers standing on the wall who tip the puck into the zone and nobody else with their feet moving.

Two players had their feet moving all night last night, Bergy and Spooner, yep, the kid with 2 NHL games under him did what everyone needs to do, keep moving. You can have all the lovely tape to tape passes from the D you want, if it`s to players standing still, it`ll mean nothing

I would give up draft picks or whatever to score a player like Letang or Yandle. It takes so much pressure off the forwards and creates open space for the forwards in the offensive zone. Just my opionion.

 

[TMac21]

I see a lot of bemoaning that this team lacks "firepower" and nobody want to be the "man".

When is the grace period over for Seguin? Are we allowed to wonder aloud about whether he'll get there or are we still supposed to think this in our heads and not say anything? I forget what the agreement was.

10 goals this year....I think he is doing his share so far.

 

[ODAAT]

I would give up draft picks or whatever to score a player like Letang or Yandle. It takes so much pressure off the forwards and creates open space for the forwards in the offensive zone. Just my opionion.

Yandle`s defensive play makes Corvo look like Scott Stevens, this team, in recent history, hasn`t/haven`t been loaded with a D who produces pts, what they have been is a team who plays solid defensive hockey, creating turnovers, transitioning up ice, this year, they struggle with that and Yandle helps that not one bit, still won`t change the fact that our forwards are standing still everywhere......Letang??? Heartbeat aquisition, but he`s going nowhere

 

[Killer B]

In spite of their great record, this Bruins team has been frustrating for me to watch
this year... Not 100% sure what the problem is, but these are the things that jump
out at me...

- It's been said before, and I agree - This team has played maybe 2 or 3 "full 60
minute" games this year. I put that on the coaches...

- Certainly the sub par PP has cost us a game or 2.

- I think sitting on a lead has hurt as well.

- I don't think Horton has been the same since his concussion. He is tied with
Bourque with 25 hits this year...

- I don't think the 1st line is very effective unless they're physically engaged
(look at the last Washington game). Looch's "goals per game" average has
dropped from .32 last year to .15 this year (an unacceptable for your 1st line
winger).

- The 3rd line has struggled to contribute on the scoreboard (Pevs GPG has
dropped from .19 to .14, Kelly's from .24 to .06, Poo's GPG last year was .24,
Pando and Caron are both at 0 and Bourque was at .09). That's quite a bit of
lost productivity. Pando has no business being in the NHL, let alone on the Bruins!


On a positive note, we have a great record in spite of the fact that we
really haven't played up to the standards that we've gotten used to (we really
have been spoiled lately). If the 1st and 3rd lines start clicking again, we should
be in great shape the rest of the way...

Last year we peaked in the middle of the season, this year I hope we peak during
the playoffs!

 

[mashmont]

I think all this team really needs is one more Finisher..

I'd like to have someone with a good shot for the third line.

I think that's our biggest hole.
Also, the game was infuriating last night, but we only lost because Pavelec decided to stand on his head. We should have had at least three goals last night,

 

[Latrappe]

Sigh... Nothing is wrong witht the top 6, Our offensive D production stinks, the is no fluid puck movement coming out of the zone, it bogs the forwards up in the neutral zone

Can't agree with this, the KLH suffer from inconsistency which you really don't want to see in your top 6. This situation need to be resolve in the off-season. As stated before, by many posters, the KLH turn the puck over too often in all three zones. Krejci's hurt so we will have to see but Horton and old friend Lucic need to raise their overall game very fast. You can't ask Bergy's line to score them all. 3rd line? 'nough said...

 

[TCL40]

Been reading some of the comments since last night.

I think it is easy to blame Rask, but the team in front of him should at least give him a couple of goals to work with. When the team in front of you only scores one goal and muffs up 3 pp opportunities the problem isn't the goalie.

Rask IMO is going to have some growing pains and I think fans who always though Thomas wasn't that good and his team made him better are learning that Thomas was that good and he isn't easily replicated.

Last night the problem wasn't Rask.

Last night the problem was that the team couldn't score. The lack of scoring has been a problem all season. I am sick of seeing them put on excellent offensive zone pressure, but failing to get real scoring chances, and when they do get scoring chances they can't put it behind the goalie.

Team needs to score and they aren't.

First line needs to score and they aren't.

Third line needs to play defense (this is the line that seems to get pinned into the defensive zone game after game) and when they are in the offensive zone they need to figure out how to score.

4th line is essentially doing its job. They have been clicking the last few games and have really put the pressure on, and I think Paille only has one fewer goals than Lucic so 4th line is playing its roll and is scoring about as much as a 4th line can be expected.

I actually dont think the defensmen last night were that bad even with McQuaid out after his first shift, but they have been a mess in enough games this year that I don't think they are playing the defense we have seen in years past.

Goaltending at this point isn't the problem and if it was it is the least of the problems. There are other teams that would kill to have a goalie like Rask in their net. Shoot I think there are several teams that would gladly take Khodobin over what they have (Tampa would happily take either IMO).

Rask maybe lets in softies, but Fleury is a sieve half the time but somehow his team will spot him the goals he needs to take the win. The Bruins leave Rask hanging out game after game, and then expect him to steal games.

Goalies shouldn't have to steal games night after night to cover for the fact that the team in front of him can't score goals.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Yandle`s defensive play makes Corvo look like Scott Stevens

Ference, Boychuk and Co are pretty bad defensively now. Having an allstar play making defensive will far outweigh the benefits of the defensive liability they bring. The problem right now is scoring goals.

 

[lopey]

Pretty sure he`s top 5 in hits or close, I`m far more concerned about Horty`s way too frequent MIA act

Lucic is in the top 5 hit wise, but I think his hitting production has dwindled in the last weeks.

Horty is another story. This is his MO. Had been all his career, but this year he can't be that way because of the lack of scoring outside of the first line.

 

[ODAAT]

Ference, Boychuk and Co are pretty bad defensively now. Having an allstar play making defensive will far outweigh the benefits of the defensive liability they bring. The problem right now is scoring goals.

I trust their bodies of work to allow me to feel they will get things back on track (thought both JB and Ference have played well recently), Yandle has played one way since he began his career, and defensively isn`t what it is.

Sorry, love his offence, in THIS system, he`d be a disaster and miscast IMO, too late for him to change. I think we have our PMD in Dougie, we`ll see more of it as Julien and his staff continue to engrain in him the defensive side first, which will allow him to be more assertive going the other way

 

[bruinmann77]

I was refering to take the Place of Horton was he was injured and did not know what type of player he was going to be coming Back.
As for the playing not to lose with a lead going into the third period is not a formula for winning.

 

[KrejciMVP]

I trust their bodies of work to allow me to feel they will get things back on track (thought both JB and Ference have played well recently), Yandle has played one way since he began his career, and defensively isn`t what it is.

Sorry, love his offence, in THIS system, he`d be a disaster and miscast IMO, too late for him to change. I think we have our PMD in Dougie, we`ll see more of it as Julien and his staff continue to engrain in him the defensive side first, which will allow him to be more assertive going the other way

I'm just a big fan of defenseman who can skate around anybody with the puck and can go end to end ala Bobby Orr

 

[ODAAT]

Lucic is in the top 5 hit wise, but I think his hitting production has dwindled in the last weeks.

Horty is another story. This is his MO. Had been all his career, but this year he can't be that way because of the lack of scoring outside of the first line.

Horty is an issue, only a robot could go out, night in and out, and be a hitting machine, especially seeing as Looch is looked to for production. Neely himself took a while to switch from being a drop the mitts, hit everything guy who could score, to being a guy who popped twine while balancing a nice heavy game. Neely didn`t bring "it" every night either, impossible to playing that style.

Easy for a guy like a Rinaldo to as it`s his only responsibility to use an example of someone who seemingly plays that style night in and out

 

[ODAAT]

I'm just a big fan of defenseman who can skate around anybody with the puck and can go end to end ala Bobby Orr

Yandle....Bobby Orr

I get what your saying, but this team and it`s successes under Julien have ALWAYS been predicated on defense, and as I stated, and it`s merely my opinion, Yandle would be the whipping boy within a week for what he can`t do in his end

 

[lopey]

I'm just a big fan of defenseman who can skate around anybody with the puck and can go end to end ala Bobby Orr

Easy Yandle is not in the same universe as Bobby Orr lol

 

[BBB24]

now that i'm medicated, I can reflect on last nights game (and season) with more clarity lol

OFFENSE
The powerplay will haunt this team. No, it shouldn't be relied upon, but a good team uses it to CRUSH their opponent. Your up 1-0 or 2-1, theres nothing like doubling up a lead like a ppg. 1st It stresses out their Defense. 2nd it makes them open up which leads to mistakes and turnovers.

Also, the bruins finishing last night was horrible. Chara took forever on a beauty of a pass (on the pp) and missed an open net. Bergeron couldn't/didn't go high on Pavelec with a gaping net stairing at him and put it right in his armpit. Lucic had Spooner wide open, Horton had a beauty opportunity as well.

Defense
This team is so used to Thomas flopping and diving and almost always coming up with the puck that they're not giving Tuukka a fighters chance. They're not the same Goalie and they have to clear the crease. Smurfs are hurting us infront of our own net.

Also, We're back to getting mindf****ed when facing a hard 2man forecheck. Its the 08/09 Cane series all over again. Forwards have to drop lower during the breakout, But Dmen have to make better decisions coming out of their zone.


[B]Goalie
Tuukka is a great goalie. He's our future. But he has to come up with big saves AT BIG MOMENTS in the game. He also has to be aggressive with loose pucks infront of him. The Vitale goal was unacceptable.
He also needs to strengthen that high glove side. [/B]Honorable mention

The third line.

Yes, Chris Bourque was not the answer for the third line and neither is Pandolfo. But how Kelly + Peveley aren't getting more of the blame is beyond comprehension.
Yes, Kelly is injured. But before his injury his forecheck was non existent. His normal strongsuit was also a weakness for him - Play in his own zone. Peverley has been atrocious. His forecheck has also been abysmal along with his effort. If there was one thing Bourque did for this team was show that Kelly/Peverley were not giving a consistent effort. Although Bourque seemed out of place he was always moving his feet and trying.

A poster here has often coined the phrase - Fat and Happy. Those two seem to be the biggest culprits in my opinion.

How people can question the goaltending on this team is baffling to me. Tuukka is top five in SO, Wins, GAA and Save % in the league, there is nothing else. Unless he gets a SO every game, which even the GREAT TIM TOMAS was unable to do, this team cannot and will not win until they learn to score more than one goal a game. Main issue with this team at the moment is that it is going through what every other team has, a lull, they will work it out. The third line is in desperate need of a winger and another solid DMan is needed, once Chia addresses those the team should be fine, and goaltending will continue to be steller.