Series Talk: PREVIEW - First Round matchup vs T.O. - "Centre of the Universe"

[ODAAT]

Great point. These players aren't just coming from your typical "hockey hotbeds" in the USA and other countries.

all starts at the grass roots, minor hockey, whether that`s developing an organized house league/rep leagues with coaches who are capable of teaching the game. Having a team in Arizona didn`t alone have kids all over the city rushing out to buy equipment, having a league/place for them to learn and play the game did and that seems to be happening with far more frequency which is terrific

Anyways, back to the series, hope we see the B`s play a focused and disciplined series, not allowing the Leafs the freedom to use the stretch pass and speed

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

lol it won't even be 100 years, it's never.

You have to understand, hockey is a religion in Canada. It's just never going to reach that status in the USA because you guys are fortunate to have so many other popular sports too. The top 20 pt scorers this year in the NHL:

1 German
2 Finns
3 Russians
3 Americans

11 Canadians

In the top 50 pt scorers this year, there are 22 Canadians. Nearly half, vs all the other countries.


That's not to say that USA hockey hasn't made big strides. But let's be serious... Canada can send 3 teams to a theoretical Olympics and all 3 would be live for gold.

Funny you'll respond to me on this, but you ignore my actual question that I want to know.... Hilarious. PM is always open. Let me get that 4th player. Barzal....Connor...Konecny (LOL) and?????

If the USA continues to progress the way it's going, there's no reason why it couldn't take over. USA already challenges Canada.

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

Funny you'll respond to me on this, but you ignore my actual question that I want to know.... Hilarious. PM is always open. Let me get that 4th player. Barzal....Connor...Konecny (LOL) and?????

It would be such robbery to not see this at the 2022 Olympics:


Seguin-McDavid-Marner
Huberdeau-Crosby-McKinnon
Benn-Tavares-Stamkos
Marchand-Bergeron-Stone

Centres for the B squad would be Point, Monahan, Giroux, Couturier

the C squad gets Duchene, Couture, Barzal, O'Reilly etc....

I could actually get to a D squad I think.

 

[Incetardis]

Haha! Leaf fan coming in peace. Loving the other perspective and can't say I disagree. If I had to bet I'd take the Bruins in 6 and even then with how fragile the leafs have been since really before the trade deadline if they get down 2-0 early it could be over really fast. With that said...

IF Freddy is Vezina calibre like he 3/4s of the season, Leafs win

IF any combination of Matthews/Tavares/Marner are the 2 best forwards in the series, Leafs win

IF Gardiner, Muzzin, Dermott reestablish their games and narrow the gap on D, Leafs might win

Obviously Bergeron, Marchand, & Pasternak are scary AF from a Leafs POV so slowing them down is going to be a major factor

Lookin forward to it... Let's go

 

[ODAAT]

Haha! Leaf fan coming in peace. Loving the other perspective and can't say I disagree. If I had to bet I'd take the Bruins in 6 and even then with how fragile the leafs have been since really before the trade deadline if they get down 2-0 early it could be over really fast. With that said...

IF Freddy is Vezina calibre like he 3/4s of the season, Leafs win

IF any combination of Matthews/Tavares/Marner are the 2 best forwards in the series, Leafs win

IF Gardiner, Muzzin, Dermott reestablish their games and narrow the gap on D, Leafs might win

Obviously Bergeron, Marchand, & Pasternak are scary AF from a Leafs POV so slowing them down is going to be a major factor

Lookin forward to it... Let's go

that`s alot of if`s for a team who played .500 hockey since Christmas

 

[LouJersey]

lol it won't even be 100 years, it's never.

You have to understand, hockey is a religion in Canada. It's just never going to reach that status in the USA because you guys are fortunate to have so many other popular sports too. The top 20 pt scorers this year in the NHL:

1 German
2 Finns
3 Russians
3 Americans

11 Canadians

In the top 50 pt scorers this year, there are 22 Canadians. Nearly half, vs all the other countries.


That's not to say that USA hockey hasn't made big strides. But let's be serious... Canada can send 3 teams to a theoretical Olympics and all 3 would be live for gold.

You guys couldn't win gold until the NHL/IOC gifted you the chance to re-claim hockey dominance. I remember growing up watching the Olympics saying "Why does Canada suck at hockey, isn't that their sport?"

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

You guys couldn't win gold until the NHL/IOC gifted you the chance to re-claim hockey dominance. I remember growing up watching the Olympics saying "Why does Canada suck at hockey, isn't that their sport?"

We both know that best on best, there's no country favoured to beat Canada. And oddly enough if I was picking the second best country, I'd pick Russia before USA, easily. And let's not talk about the overall record on the women's side, which is flat out embarrassing for the rest of the world.

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

sweeeeeeeeet.

Granted I doubt anyone is telling any truth, to anyone, ever come this time of year.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

Bruins fan here...no, the USA won't. The USA will be the #2 team, but Canada still has the depth and top end talent to best the Americans. No shame in being #2 (and I'm saying this honestly, not in a trolling manner).

its interesting how you measure 'hockey supremecy'

certainly theres been 3-4 other countries who have proven in any given year their best team has a chance to beat Canadas best team. I wouldnt say any of them have done it consistently enough that youd call them the king of hockey, but they certainly haven done it some and it makes every showdown tournament a toss up contest who might win?

its still rather easy to pick the best team in the other countries and theres never an argument that a second best or even third best team would also be competitive.

Canadas depth is still king. it can be argued that Canada isnt producing the number of elite skilled players necessary to give us hockey supremecy but we are producing the next wave of players... the charater/glue guys more than anyone else does.

it will be an insult to our pride when we do finally face the reality that there are other teams that can always beat us half the time on the world stage... but I guess usa is facing that reality in basketball soon and already has dealt with that reality in baseball. theres no 1 single country that dominates soccor or tennis or even golf. the world becomes a more smaller place everyday and there is skilled athletes everywhere that a game is played

 

[LouJersey]

Bruins game 1 last year

63-37-88
74-46-61
43-20-42
59-52-57

33-25
47-86
43-54

40-35

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

^^^^that would be amazing

 

[Alicat]

It needs to happen.

 

[Bestido]

Hey Fellow Bruins fans. I know this is sort of off topic, but does anyone have a link to a pdf that i can print off for my playoff draft. I want one that has all remaining teams listed on like 1 or 2 pages. I have been googling this all morning and i cant find one!

 

[GloveSave1]

Reading a lot about the Bruins physical game being a focus and factor against the Leafs.

Ehh, not sure that exists, and if it does they spend tuns of time in the box and screw up the series.

The Bruins should just focus on being the better team and going all out on a team that isn’t playing good hockey right now.

It’s been eons since a Canadian team won a Cup. I really don’t want to put the refs judgement front and center in the plan.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

that`s alot of if`s for a team who played .500 hockey since Christmas

I think the fact they have had nothing to play for excuses it. We were the hottest team in hockey they had no shot at home ice realistically and Montreal folded worse there was no challenge for 3rd in the Atlantic. Packing it in until the playoffs scares me. We jumped on them first two games and found ourselves losing after 2 periods in game 7. Mentally I don't love where our team is right now. On paper I like the matchup but they have a first line to go with ours and Rask has never played well vs the team that drafted him in the playoffs hes a big reason both prior series went so long.

 

[ODAAT]

I think the fact they have had nothing to play for excuses it. We were the hottest team in hockey they had no shot at home ice realistically and Montreal folded worse there was no challenge for 3rd in the Atlantic. Packing it in until the playoffs scares me. We jumped on them first two games and found ourselves losing after 2 periods in game 7. Mentally I don't love where our team is right now. On paper I like the matchup but they have a first line to go with ours and Rask has never played well vs the team that drafted him in the playoffs hes a big reason both prior series went so long.

they didn`t have anything to play for?

Had the Leafs played even average hockey, they could have pushed the B`s for home ice

If the B`s had of played the way the Leafs have since Christmas would you feel the same?

 

[Blueston]

Good luck to y’all against Leafs. I expect you will put them away, even if takes a while. Still hoping we get to avenge flying Bobby Orr before this season is over.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

2014 was a huge missed opportunity losing to a bad Habs team in round 2.

They lose to anyone but TB this year and it will feel the same.

They have a real shot at the Cup and many things have to go wrong to lose to a no defense team like the Leafs.

The sooner they eliminate these losers, the better.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Good luck to y’all against Leafs. I expect you will put them away, even if takes a while. Still hoping we get to avenge flying Bobby Orr before this season is over.

A Blues/Bruins Stanley Cup Final would be awesome.

 

[Fenway]

Last chance to wager on draft lottery

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/sportsbook/2019-nhl-draft-lottery-team-that-wins-first-pick.22717/

 

[Neely2005]

Sportsnet Predictions:

Jeff Marek: Boston in 6
Eric Francis: Boston in 7
Mark Spector: Boston in 5
Gord Stellick: Toronto in 6
Colby Armstrong: Boston in 6
Scott Morrison: Toronto in 6
Kelly Hrudey: Boston in 6
Eric Engels: Boston in 7
Christine Simpson: Toronto in 7
Luke Fox: Boston in 7
Nick Kypreos: Boston in 6
David Amber: Toronto in 7
Caroline Cameron: Boston in 6
Rory Boylen: Toronto in 7
Ryan Dixon: Boston in 6
Kristina Rutherford: Boston in 6
Chris Johnston: Toronto in 7
Harnarayan Singh: Boston in 6
Sean Reynolds: Boston in 6
Shawn McKenzie: Boston in 7
Iain MacIntyre: Boston in 6
John Shannon: Boston in 6


Sportsnet NHL Insiders 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions - Sportsnet.ca

 

[HumBucker]

Leafs lost a few players like JVR and Bozak and Kadri lost prime time to Taveras

Coins have 2 sides

AND...
- Our goaltending is better overall this season than last season.
- Our D is better, with a more matured MacAvoy and the addition of Carlo
- Our forward group boasts the same potent veterans, some of whom are playing even better than last season (namely, Krejci), Pastrnak is more dangerous, DeBrusk is better, the additions of Mojo and Coyle make our middle six stronger than last year, and the 4th line has been an effective line all season.

Whatever gains the Leafs have made have not been evident when we played them this season.

I think our 4th line will have a big series against the Leafs.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Jake DeBrusk is going to have a great series. He’s going to elevate his game and it’s going to be glorious