I'm not feeling a rout for either team tomorrow. This is going to be about which goalie plays just a little better. I'm saying 3-2 Bruins.
The Bruins scored 7 goals in game 2.Maybe so, but the Bruins were offensively challenged in games 2 and 3, and one would think that if nothing else Donato might help on the power play. Frankly I’d get both Heiden and Donato into the mix in game 7.
Where things stand now is that if Toronto can shut down the top line, the Bruins go home.
Tuukka has given up fewer goals and has the same save %. Andersen has had 2 great games and was a tire fire in the first 2. I’m not positive he’s having the better series. He’s having the higher variance in his best and worst, that’s for sure.Tuukka Rask is the better goalie. Freddy Andersen is having the better series. I’ll put my faith in Tuukka to fix this issue.
Could it possibly be worse then the ice at the ACC last night? Especially that big spot to the right of the net where the Bruins shot twice. The puck just stuck there.Thought the first line was buzzing honestly, just no puck luck. Can’t break them up at this point IMO
Another thought - get ready to see the choppiest ice yet this season given the weather and the C’s playing tonight
You're doing this wrong buddy.The Bruins scored 7 goals in game 2.
Tuukka has given up fewer goals and has the same save %. Andersen has had 2 great games and was a tire fire in the first 2. I’m not positive he’s having the better series. He’s having the higher variance in his best and worst, that’s for sure.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m worried about Game 7 and not happy with how things have gone. I just don’t think they need to make major lineup changes. I’d put Heinen in personally, but I don’t think that’s the reason they’re going to win or lose.You're doing this wrong buddy.
He was unbelievable last night. There’s plenty of reason for him to give up that 2nd goal - a spinaround backhander off a turnover off the post is almost impossible to read. The first goal was the bad one - that play on the puck was awful. I bet if you ask him, the first one is keeping him up at night, not the 2nd.Rask's numbers may be great but there's no excuse for giving up that second goal last night. Softer than puppy shit. He can't play that way and expect to avoid criticism. He hasn't been the same in the last two games as he was in the first 4.
On top of what TFP said, this thought implicitly punishes him for being good enough to make sure he hasn't gone to seven games more frequently.Rask's numbers may be great but there's no excuse for giving up that second goal last night. Softer than puppy shit. He can't play that way and expect to avoid criticism. He hasn't been the same in the last two games as he was in the first 4.
Game 7 this year is a big test for him. He's 1-2 in Game 7s and hasn't really played very well in any of them (the one win was the 4-1 comeback game). He's been the starting keeper in series where the Bruins have blown a 3-0 series lead and a 3-2 series lead, and he of course has the last game of the Final again Chicago as well. He's a franchise goalie but I continue to have my doubts as to whether he's the guy to lead this team on a Cup run. He did it once but that's 5 years in the past and they came up short.
He's got to play better in Game 7.
I don’t think they are offensively challenged. They have scored 3+ in 4 of the 6 games. The shots and chances are there, the finish just wasn’t there last night (or in the 3rd on Saturday). There is no magic button they can push to start finishing. There’s luck involved, too. You can switch the lines around all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s the players that need to finish.Maybe so, but the Bruins were offensively challenged in games 2 and 3, and one would think that if nothing else Donato might help on the power play. Frankly I’d get both Heiden and Donato into the mix in game 7.
Where things stand now is that if Toronto can shut down the top line, the Bruins go home.
By 2 and 3, I meant “5 and 6”.The Bruins scored 7 goals in game 2. .
That makes more sense, but they had 45 shots on goal in Game 5 and basically spent the entire 3rd period in the Toronto end. They had more shot attempts than in any game all season. They weren’t offensively challenged in the sense that they couldn’t create offensive chances, they just couldn’t put the puck in the net.By 2 and 3, I meant “5 and 6”.
My man.I’m more pissed at Rask for the idiotic turnover that led to the first goal to be honest. That was completely avoidable.
The reason the finish isn’t there is because while the Bruins have had many scoring opportunities, they haven’t been from dangerous areas of the ice. From what I can see, one of the big adjustments Babcock made is that when the Bruins enter the zone and set up their attack, the Leafs are giving them the perimeter and stacking the ice in front of Anderson. The Bruins have been having issues working the puck in low, so they take the point slapper, it rebounds around, the Leafs invariably come up with it since all 5 of them are down there, and the escape into transition.I don’t think they are offensively challenged. They have scored 3+ in 4 of the 6 games. The shots and chances are there, the finish just wasn’t there last night (or in the 3rd on Saturday). There is no magic button they can push to start finishing. There’s luck involved, too. You can switch the lines around all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s the players that need to finish.
I have to disagree: while Marchand caused the whole problem by overskating the puck in the first place, the puck went between his arm and his body. That's a terribly soft goal and he has to stop it.He was unbelievable last night. There’s plenty of reason for him to give up that 2nd goal - a spinaround backhander off a turnover off the post is almost impossible to read. The first goal was the bad one - that play on the puck was awful. I bet if you ask him, the first one is keeping him up at night, not the 2nd.
Even then, if he had stopped the 2nd one they’d just still be playing because the Bruins can’t fucking score. And he was otherworldly in the 3rd period.
Doesn't matter to me. In Games 7 he hasn't been very good at all. All it would take would be playing well in one Game 7 for his reputation to improve. Hell, Tim Thomas never played well in a game 7 until 2011, and then he made it all up and then some.On top of what TFP said, this thought implicitly punishes him for being good enough to make sure he hasn't gone to seven games more frequently.
They did limit the triangles again last night. And also did a good job to stay alert and jump on telegraphed and/or weak passes point to point. I think this is doubly damning because it feels like the Bs points are drifting in closer to change the angles and this is leaving them at risk for break aways. Drifting in also seems to be making it harder to retain the puck on the boards during the PP.They may not be limiting chances but they are definitely altering the quality of those chances the last few games. Bruins aren't getting as much traffic in front to screen Anderson and they are also doing a good job of limiting the triangles for the Bruins to make passes down low.
Why would they move on from him? They don't have anyone useful for next year coming up in the system (maybe McIntyre is a backup next year), Khudobin is an average backup, and you're choosing between a bunch of mediocrity to absolute dreck in the UFA market. Plus Tuukka has a modified NTC. This is not the year to move on from him. Especially when you are basing that off his ability to play well in four games over the 7 or so years he's been up in Boston.Doesn't matter to me. In Games 7 he hasn't been very good at all. All it would take would be playing well in one Game 7 for his reputation to improve. Hell, Tim Thomas never played well in a game 7 until 2011, and then he made it all up and then some.
Rask has to be great on Wed night. Else I think the team is going to look to move on from him.
They blocked more shots across the board yesterday. I wasn't watching particularly closely but I imagine it's a combo of clogging the lanes while allowing more outside shots and being more willing to block a shot as opposed to cross-ice one timers and the like.They did limit the triangles again last night. And also did a good job to stay alert and jump on telegraphed and/or weak passes point to point. I think this is doubly damning because it feels like the Bs points are drifting in closer to change the angles and this is leaving them at risk for break aways. Drifting in also seems to be making it harder to retain the puck on the boards during the PP.
Maybe they are not drifting in - maybe it is a coached approached? Anyone who knows more care to comment?
I would have them shoot more instead of looking for the extra pass, especially a low percentage cross-ice pass down low. Put it on net and create chaos in front.The reason the finish isn’t there is because while the Bruins have had many scoring opportunities, they haven’t been from dangerous areas of the ice. From what I can see, one of the big adjustments Babcock made is that when the Bruins enter the zone and set up their attack, the Leafs are giving them the perimeter and stacking the ice in front of Anderson. The Bruins have been having issues working the puck in low, so they take the point slapper, it rebounds around, the Leafs invariably come up with it since all 5 of them are down there, and the escape into transition.
Thats why while the Bruins have been keeping the puck for far longer periods of time and carrying play, they just haven’t been able to have enough bodies to get rebounds. On the chance someone does get the puck down low, they keep trying cutesy no-look passes because there isn’t a lot of skating room between the dots, and that has been frustrating everyone.
Personnel isn’t the issue, they need to find some way to get the Leafs spread out more and create space. Whoever in the game thread said Cassidy hasn’t made the counter-adjustment is right on.
This is an issue for another day, but they need to start looking at that position anyway. He's owed $7 million on the cap for the next three years, and is on the wrong side of 30. They're going to have to pay McAvoy and DeBrusk soon. Getting younger and cheaper at that position would help cap wise. I would look to trade Krug as well for the same reason but he has a full no trade next season which becomes an 8 team list in '19-'20. They're probably stuck with Krejci's deal.Why would they move on from him? They don't have anyone useful for next year coming up in the system (maybe McIntyre is a backup next year), Khudobin is an average backup, and you're choosing between a bunch of mediocrity to absolute dreck in the UFA market. Plus Tuukka has a modified NTC. This is not the year to move on from him. Especially when you are basing that off his ability to play well in four games over the 7 or so years he's been up in Boston.
That’s exactly how the last 2 games have been. Scoring chances, which have heavily favored the Bruins, backs it up.You gotta like being at home for the deciding game 7. Not sure if momentum is a thing, but if it is, it's all with Toronto.
The crazy thing is that to my non-expert eyes, it sure seemed like the Bruins were carrying the play in both of the last two games, but just cannot find a way to get the puck past Andersen. So many pucks hit Toronto players. Andersen made some stops by blind luck sometimes as he was turned around and didn't even see things. Toronto scored a no-look goal last night (the winner) and I was like, are you kidding me? The Bruins seemed to be dominating play, but just not getting results. That continues for one more game and the dam is either finally going to break and Boston wins, or it's going to be one of the most frustrating series' we've seen in a while here.
The problem isn't the initial shot, it's been the inability to clean up the rebounds and win the scrums in front of the net. They are ALL getting pushed off the puck and Toronto just wants it more. Toronto is getting to literally every puck in front of the net, that was the difference last night. If the Bruins can fix that, they'll win easily tomorrow.I don't know how to copy the image in here, but here's a link to the shot chart (at the very bottom):
https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/201804230TOR.html
The Bruins put up a ton of shots from all over the zone. So, I guess maybe they should try and get more shots from in and around the net? I dunno. All I know is that I expect much much more of Krejci and Backes. I'd like to see some actual goals from Marshy and Pasta, but at least they are generating shots and chances. The other two can't even say that as much.
I'll also agree with @TFP that I thought the backhand goal was pretty nasty placement from in close and difficult to read. OK with that much more than the first, and really, 2 GAA should've been enough for a win last night. At least OT.
That’s why I said “offensively challenged” (which might still be the wrong way to put it) and not “played like crap”, which they clearly didn’t do.That makes more sense, but they had 45 shots on goal in Game 5 and basically spent the entire 3rd period in the Toronto end. They had more shot attempts than in any game all season. They weren’t offensively challenged in the sense that they couldn’t create offensive chances, they just couldn’t put the puck in the net.
Of course if they only beat a Florida team with nothing to play for in Game 82 Toronto would have been Tampa's problem.Toronto is a great team so none of this should be surprising. It’s just dumb that 2 of the top 3 teams in the East (and 2 of the top 5 in the NHL) are playing in Round 1.
I agree, was posting in response to others.The problem isn't the initial shot, it's been the inability to clean up the rebounds and win the scrums in front of the net. They are ALL getting pushed off the puck and Toronto just wants it more. Toronto is getting to literally every puck in front of the net, that was the difference last night. If the Bruins can fix that, they'll win easily tomorrow.
The pre-2018 Chelsea of the NHL.Toronto packs it in, conceding possession time, shot attempts and offensive zone time, and the entire perimeter. And from there they are living and dying on the production from a small handful of fast transition attempts.
Pretty clear to my eyes as wellIt is worth observing that the Bruins have been incredibly unlucky in these last two games and that Toronto has succeed swimmingly with a kind of modified David-vs-Goliath strategy: Toronto packs it in, conceding possession time, shot attempts and offensive zone time, and the entire perimeter. And from there they are living and dying on the production from a small handful of fast transition attempts.
What they have though is a defense that is so packed in, so willing to concede the boards that it is impossible to find shooting lanes and to have plays open up in the way they did in games 1-2. At least that is the way it looked to my eyes for much of last night.
That and getting to the crease and taking the goalies line of sight away. It's all about winning in front of the net when you're outnumbered, having a couple find the net, and playing with the lead so then they have to open it up.Pretty clear to my eyes as well
So how do you break that strategy (4 Toronto players packed around the goal)? Fire it in hard from outside and scrap for rebounds? Is there a different strategy?
Some coaches will do an overload on one side with all three forwards, basically puts those defenders who are on the opposite side of the ice covering nothing. The idea is to force them to come away from the center of the ice and have to attack the overload on the perimeter since they are now outnumbered on that side - this starts reopening up the passing lanes.Pretty clear to my eyes as well
So how do you break that strategy (4 Toronto players packed around the goal)? Fire it in hard from outside and scrap for rebounds? Is there a different strategy?
Score first and then don’t let them retaliate 38 seconds later.Exactly. Score first and you'll see it open up.
That was Tuukka's fault 100%Score first and then don’t let them retaliate 38 seconds later.
Agreed. I have a feeling if that softie doesn't go in last night the Bruins go up 2-0 or 3-0 pretty soon after that, because Toronto can't play for the tie and hope for a lucky bounce in their offensive zone after that.That was Tuukka's fault 100%
Here’s heat map from NaturalStatTrick.I don't know how to copy the image in here, but here's a link to the shot chart (at the very bottom):
https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/201804230TOR.html
The Bruins put up a ton of shots from all over the zone. So, I guess maybe they should try and get more shots from in and around the net? I dunno. All I know is that I expect much much more of Krejci and Backes. I'd like to see some actual goals from Marshy and Pasta, but at least they are generating shots and chances. The other two can't even say that as much.
I'll also agree with @TFP that I thought the backhand goal was pretty nasty placement from in close and difficult to read. OK with that much more than the first, and really, 2 GAA should've been enough for a win last night. At least OT.