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Bruins 2024 playoffs

Don't forget about the children.
Go B's

 
3 shots on goal sucks.
 
Basically, stop Pastrnak and stop the Bruins. No other goal scorers that rely on Swayman the other best player on the team to save their bacon.

Marchand must have broken something.

This could very easily go back to FLA 3 - 1 Panthers.
 
Basically, stop Pastrnak and stop the Bruins.
The Bruins' skill forwards are pure finesse which works in the regular season when checking is virtually nonexistent.
The playoffs are a different beast and both Pastrnak and the diminutive Marchand get pushed off the puck with far too much ease.
It is what it is.

The formula for beating Boston in the playoffs is not complicated.
-Hug the boards in the B's defensive zone because Montgomery is scared to death of exiting the puck up the middle (for good reason I might add).
-Give Pastrnak and Marchand no space and attack them on the boards; battles they almost always lose.
-Stay out of the penalty box.
Boston's skill players require space to be successful and limiting B's powerplays essentially disarms the B's top salaried scorers.

Note:
Game 3.....Panthers committed 2 penalties, Boston 6..........Panthers scored 4 power play goal. Boston 0
Game 2......Panther committed 3 penalties vs Boston's 6 (non fighting)........Panthers scored 1 power play goal, Boston 0

Pasta and Marchand have combined for 0 goals in series (4 assists)
 
The Bruins' skill forwards are pure finesse which works in the regular season when checking is virtually nonexistent.
The playoffs are a different beast and both Pastrnak and the diminutive Marchand get pushed off the puck with far too much ease.
It is what it is.

The formula for beating Boston in the playoffs is not complicated.
-Hug the boards in the B's defensive zone because Montgomery is scared to death of exiting the puck up the middle (for good reason I might add).
-Give Pastrnak and Marchand no space and attack them on the boards; battles they almost always lose.
-Stay out of the penalty box.
Boston's skill players require space to be successful and limiting B's powerplays essentially disarms the B's top salaried scorers.

Note:
Game 3.....Panthers committed 2 penalties, Boston 6..........Panthers scored 4 power play goal. Boston 0
Game 2......Panther committed 3 penalties vs Boston's 6 (non fighting)........Panthers scored 1 power play goal, Boston 0

Pasta and Marchand have combined for 0 goals in series (4 assists)
Humpty Dumpty Montgomery needs to channel his inner BB and decline the intermission interviews while his team is getting bent over.

He looks like he is already on holiday.
 
Boston played 'dead legged' through almost all of the first 2 periods. They're consistently getting beat on the forecheck and losing along the boards. This team simply can't win when it fails in transiton, everything about their game depends on it. I don't think anyone expected them to get past FL but I think most of us thought the games would be competitive, yet so far not one of them has been.
 
Do you let Ullmark start in goal? Yes.

3 - 0 vs FLA this season when starting which amounts to as much as Boston 4 - 0 vs FLA this season. But, at this point its a must win and you throw everything that you've got at this game. The magic of Swayman is gone for now, but maybe it can come back.

Boston has better goalies than Florida, but Bobrovsky is hardly challenged. A combined 32 shots on goal the last 2 games [ both Bruins losses ] whereas Swayman faced 32 shots last game.
 
Bruins gotta Bruins
 
Fire Humpty Dumpty.
 
Fire Humpty Dumpty.
It's the roster not the coach.

Think about players no longer on Boston's roster from last year....Bergeron, Hall, and the impactful late season signings who excelled in the playoffs.....vs the replacement signings and the one late season signing who's best work is chirping after the whistle.

This roster loses too many battles in the corners and on the boards. It was all too evident in the regular season despite the win total and this problem has been further exploited in the playoffs (last year as well)

Pastrnak's had two impactful moments in the 1st period (getting a stupid penalty and a terrific slapshot goal), but was invisible for the rest of the game. Two shots on net, minus 1 in +/- despite scoring.

Then there's Tkachuk who, despite not putting up big playoff scoring #'s, is anything but invisible throughout all these games.
Great signing by Florida....difference-maker playoff performer.

Shot differential has been a problem for Boston all winter and spring and the added playoff physicality is further exposing them.
Game 1....39-29
Game 2....33-15
Game 3.... 33-17
Game 4.... 42-18 (Reading the 3rd period play by play, it appears Boston managed 6 shots on net)
_________________
Total147-79.............FL +68

Note: Florida's no call cross check goal was complete BS
Boston's response was tepid and full of stupidity (penalties) and shrinkage.
 
It's the roster not the coach.

Think about players no longer on Boston's roster from last year....Bergeron, Hall, and the impactful late season signings who excelled in the playoffs.....vs the replacement signings and the one late season signing who's best work is chirping after the whistle.

This roster loses too many battles in the corners and on the boards. It was all too evident in the regular season despite the win total and this problem has been further exploited in the playoffs (last year as well)

Pastrnak's had two impactful moments in the 1st period (getting a stupid penalty and a terrific slapshot goal), but was invisible for the rest of the game. Two shots on net, minus 1 in +/- despite scoring.

Then there's Tkachuk who, despite not putting up big playoff scoring #'s, is anything but invisible throughout all these games.
Great signing by Florida....difference-maker playoff performer.

Shot differential has been a problem for Boston all winter and spring and the added playoff physicality is further exposing them.
Game 1....39-29
Game 2....33-15
Game 3.... 33-17
Game 4.... 42-18 (Reading the 3rd period play by play, it appears Boston managed 6 shots on net)
_________________
Total147-79.............FL +68

Note: Florida's no call cross check goal was complete BS
Boston's response was tepid and full of stupidity (penalties) and shrinkage.
It was a bad call on the Bruins just like last game on the 4:00 minute penalty for crashing into Bobrovsky.

Dumbass Montgomery should not challenge the goal not knowing the rules. The only way they can overturn the goal is if a penalty for cross checking was called. There wasnt. There should have been. If thats the way that is, you cant play stupid on top of playing bad.

Humpty has no control over his team when they commit stupid penalty after stupid penalty giving Florida power plays. Florida took the punches to the face and didnt fight back letting Boston self destruct. The Bruins came out hitting setting the tone and then stopped.

Humpty had better players last year and still lost.
 
Boston played 'dead legged' through almost all of the first 2 periods. They're consistently getting beat on the forecheck and losing along the boards. This team simply can't win when it fails in transiton, everything about their game depends on it. I don't think anyone expected them to get past FL but I think most of us thought the games would be competitive, yet so far not one of them has been.
There seems to be stretches where they are competitive, but it's not for the full game. I thought they played well in game 1 this series and in the Leafs series. Beyond that, they've been dead legged more often than not. I truly think it's a conditioning thing.
 
There seems to be stretches where they are competitive, but it's not for the full game. I thought they played well in game 1 this series and in the Leafs series. Beyond that, they've been dead legged more often than not. I truly think it's a conditioning thing.
Florida is just plain better.

Barkov skating through 3 Bruins and scoring a beautiful goal like it was no big deal. Other than Pastrnak, the Bruins would lose the puck in that situation or shoot and miss the whole goal.
 
There seems to be stretches where they are competitive, but it's not for the full game. I thought they played well in game 1 this series and in the Leafs series. Beyond that, they've been dead legged more often than not. I truly think it's a conditioning thing.

Definitely paying the price for coming up short after going all in last year and conditioning is indeed part of that. Losing Bergeron, Krecji and Hall really hurt this team's transition game and their slot presence in both ends. Now that it's crunch time it really shows. Playing a highly disciplined system got them through the regular season fairly well but now that it's time to elevate they just don't have the horses in the barn to get it done. Hockey players build to their TOI over the course of years of playing. Expecting Coyle and Zacha to take the place of Bergeron and Krecji was a huge ask but team wise just as telling they then needed lesser players to fill their previous minutes on the 3rd & 4th lines. By the time May rolls around there's half a team of players pulling more TOI (and being asked to do more) than they ever have before and there's just not enough in the collective tank. In going all in last year this team did what we wanted as fans, they were too close not to go the extra mile. Unfortunately Bergeron, Krecji, McAvoy and Hall were all too beat up at playoff time to pull off a ring. Credit to the front office for trying last year at least but the bitter fruit of that failed attempt is what we're harvesting now.

Maroon and JVR are savvy veteran gamers and they're giving it all they have but they simply no longer have the legs and what they have in experience just isn't enough to make up for it. The cap space wasn't there to do anythng but try with the retread types though. I also suspect McAvoy is playing through one or more limiting injuries as is Lindholm. In particular McAvoy's burst is noticeably lacking and with the minutes he eats that gets worse as the game goes on.
 
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Definitely paying the price for coming up short after going all in last year and conditioning is indeed part of that. Losing Bergeron, Krecji and Hall really hurt this team's transition game and their slot presence in both ends. Now that it's crunch time it really shows. Playing a highly disciplined system got them through the regular season fairly well but now that it's time to elevate they just don't have the horses in the barn to get it done. Hockey players build to their TOI over the course of years of playing. Expecting Coyle and Zacha to take the place of Bertgeron and Krecji was a huge ask but team wise just as telling they then needed lesser players to fill their previous minutes on the 3rd & 4th lines. By the time May rolls around there's half a team of players pulling more TOI (and being asked to do more) than they ever have before and there's just not enough in the collective tank. In going all in last year this team did what we wanted as fans, they were too close not to go the extra mile. Unfortunately Bergeron, Krecji, McAvoy and Hall were all too beat up at playoff time to pull off a ring. Credit to the front office for trying last year at least but the bitter fruit of that failed attempt is what we're harvesting now.

Maroon and JVR are savvy veteran gamers and they're giving it all they have but they simply no longer have the legs and what they have in experience just isn't enough to make up for it. The cap space wasn't there to do anythng but try with the retread types though. I also suspect McAvoy is playing through one or more limiting injuries as is Lindholm. In particular McAvoy's burst is noticeably lacking and with the minutes he eats that gets worse as the game goes on.
They gotta shoot. I don't get why they are looking for the cute shot instead of just peppering the net.

SOG Game 4: 18 - 41
SOG game 3: 17 - 33
SOG Game 2: 15 - 33
SOG game 1: 29 - 39

Seems pretty clear to me, I just don't know what's changed to reduce the SOG by half.
 
They gotta shoot. I don't get why they are looking for the cute shot instead of just peppering the net.

SOG Game 4: 18 - 41
SOG game 3: 17 - 33
SOG Game 2: 15 - 33
SOG game 1: 29 - 39

Seems pretty clear to me, I just don't know what's changed to reduce the SOG by half.

Agreed they need to pepper Bob, he is fighting it a bit. I've lost track of the number of times I've yelled 'TOO CUTE!' in this series
 
Agreed they need to pepper Bob, he is fighting it a bit. I've lost track of the number of times I've yelled 'TOO CUTE!' in this series
"Oh just fekkin' shoot."

And then the puck goes out of the zone.
 
"Oh just fekkin' shoot."

And then the puck goes out of the zone.

I understand a big part of their offense this season has been setting up between the dots but sometimes quantity has a quality of its own.
 
I understand a big part of their offense this season has been setting up between the dots but sometimes quantity has a quality of its own.
Yeah. Just shoot the puck.
 
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