Who slows down Marchand, Bergeron & Pastrnak in the Playoffs?

[LeveilleFan19]

Being a fan I obviously hope they continue their dominance in the playoffs. Got me to wondering who/what can slow them down? They are near impossible to contain. Take one of them out of the play and you have to deal with the other two. They cycle extremely well and have uncanny ability to find each other with elite passing ability....and that's just 5 on 5 on offense. Let's not forget the defensive side, as well as PP/SH situations.

In short, can they be contained? If so, who has the best chance and how?

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[Zegs2sendhelp]

They gunna have a field day in round 1

 

[Jauffre]

Certainly not the Leafs. Multiple 3+ point games in round 1 for each of them

 

[SI90]

No one. That whole bruins team just plays perfect playoff style hockey.

 

[ijuka]

Hainsey and Zaitsev will feast on them. Hmm...

Yeah, it'll be rough. Well, Tampa's defense should do well at least.

 

[burstnbloom]

If I'm another team I try to overwhelm them with weight. Top pair, best defenders, every shift. If you can stalemate them, the rest of the offense has to step up considerably. Tampa did a good job with this last year and the secondary scoring wilted.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Boston in 3.

 

[BruinLVGA]

So many people trying to anger the hockey gods with these jinx threads. There's one favorite that looks unstoppable (in a whole series) and that's Tampa. Everyone else is a 50/50 proposition. Pastrnak Bergeron Marchand are a great line, one of the best in the league, but far from "unstoppable". Last season the Lightnings wiped the floor with the Bruins, after Pastrnak Bergeron Marchand looked "unstoppable" against Toronto and in the 1st game of the series with Tampa.

 

[Brunomics]

No one, the bruins are scary good

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Tampa?

 

[sufferer]

The rest of their team.

 

[end]

Marchand is supposed to be a distraction for the other team but I feel like last year he became a distraction for his own team. The way he was acting in that Tampa series, it was like he forgot he could be called for penalties. I'd imagine the key to beating Boston revolves around getting Marchand to overextend and maybe playing Bergeron extra rough.

 

[LeafGrief]

Nobody's going to slow them down. Iirc they had 23 points against Tampa in 5 last year, facing the Norris winner and Vezina candidate. They also held Kucherov to two points. They're the best line in hockey, AINEC.

Beating the Bruins involves limiting their damage and having your top line fight through that matchup, but it's really about winning the rest of the matchups. My Leafs are going to get torched by Pasta, but have the forward depth to win the other 3 matchups. If the Leafs win, it's despite the efforts of Bergeron, not because they shut that line down.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Probably not Toronto.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

So many people trying to anger the hockey gods with these jinx threads. There's one favorite that looks unstoppable (in a whole series) and that's Tampa. Everyone else is a 50/50 proposition. Pastrnak Bergeron Marchand are a great line, one of the best in the league, but far from "unstoppable". Last season the Lightnings wiped the floor with the Bruins, after Pastrnak Bergeron Marchand looked "unstoppable" against Toronto and in the 1st game of the series with Tampa.

Tampa didn't really stop that line though they just cleaned the floor with the rest of the team.

 

[LuckyPierre]

EK did two years ago

 

[sfvega]

The rest of their team.

Yeah, this. Their line can play killer and they can still lose to Tampa easily.

 

[Bobby Terrance]

Well Tampa absolutely dusted those three last year. So them.
Also if they play against matthews this year its going down a lot different.

 

[MoreMogilny]

Arguably the best line in hockey - it’ll be tough to stop them.

They’ll kill Toronto. Only hope the Leafs have is their offensive depth against the other lines.

They do have to play Tampa in round 2, and if anyone can limit their success it’s that team.

 

[flying squirrel]

It's a great line , and any team playing them hopes to contain them, it's to tough shutting them completely down.

 

[hockeykicker]

Braden Holtby lol

 

[Just Rude]

Overall, best line in hockey. Not sure you can "slow them down". You just have to try to limit the damage.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Braden Holtby lol

This is the answer. Holtby/Ovi are the Bruins Kryptonite.

 

[Sam Spade]

Injuries. Bergeron is a great player but recent history suggests he is made of glass.

 

[hatterson]

Overall, best line in hockey. Not sure you can "slow them down". You just have to try to limit the damage.

Th...that’s what “slow them down” means.

I don’t think anyone can shut them down completely, but slowing them down is possible. You have to cycle in the offensive zone and avoid letting them do the same. That’s far, far, far easier said than done though.