3/5: More of that Northern Touch
- Thread starter RSN Diaspora
- Start date
Knew that the combo of Heinen missing (not his fault) and Ullmark having an equipment issue to kill the momentum was going to cost them.
FFS, do they ever win a faceoff anymore? Maybe they should sign Derek Sanderson and wheel him out there for important draws.
The inability to close games out gives me very little hope if this team doing jack squat in the postseason
I hate what Carlo did there. You aren't going to have a strong stick to stop the puck, you are just creating a tip shot on your own goal.
Honest question, is it a system/schematic issue, a talent issue, or are they just fucking chokers. They just can’t hold a fucking lead late.
Two fine closes by Boston tonight. I think I'm gonna quit watching sports during the week for now. Ween myself off. Like people that only drink on weekends.
A bit of all three, I think. We saw last year that even when healthy the defense corps struggles with sustained forechecking, and they lost two of the type of center since then that could help them break the puck out. They also just seem to consistently make terrible decisions under pressure.
Felt like Ullmark could have moved the puck instead of taking the faceoff too. Had 2 Bruins alone to the right of him.
But shouldn't have been there. Coyle can't lose the 6 on 5 faceoff that cleanly. Think that's the biggest place they miss Bergeron - feels like all of these late goals come off of faceoffs and not just flow of games.
I think he got caught a little in between, not having expected the puck. But yes, he maybe could have.
Aside from goaltending, they don't seem to be consistently good at anything else to my highly untrained eye. Seems that they lack enough toughness to overcome the lapses in skill, and lack enough skill to overcome the lapses in toughness.
Also felt like that DeBrusk chance in the 3rd where he got the loose puck all alone in front of Skinner and didn't score was a killer.
Yeah. I know I downplay face off importance but they do matter situationally like 6x5. The tying goal in Vancouver and tonight came immediately after clean losses.
I dont think they have quite enough top-end talent, especially among the forwards. (And lindholms prolonged absence is no help).
I guess I try (and not succeed) to take the long view, that I expected little more than fighting their way just to get into the playoffs over the last 2 weeks of the season.
The good news is, the Bruins are great 5 on 5, and there’s no 3x3 or SO in the playoffs.
For whatever that’s worth.
For whatever that’s worth.
Only partially serious, but how does playing OT nearly every night help save their strength?
I didn't literally mean save their strength. I just mean let's not get worked up about them not playing their A game just yet. Save the A effort for the postseason. They're either going to win the Cup or they're not, and blowing some late leads and OTs in the dog days of the regular season while they're comfortably in a playoff spot doesn't really matter. Let's see how they're playing come playoff time. Florida snuck into the playoffs last year and then went to the SCF (and there are a million other similar examples). They don't need to win the President's Cup.
Yeah, not going well for my argument. You could argue they lost 2 points in the last week off lost draws. In the Vancouver game they were getting their teeth kicked in that period so maybe it was inevitible with or without winning the draw. I thought last night they played an excellent 3rd, and really overall. On the back end of a b2b facing a really good team they held Edmonton to 1.39 xGA in total at 5x5. Edmonton leads the league with 3.22 xGF/60 at 5x5 so they did a real nice job defending. Then they lose a draw and the puck is in the net 10 seconds later.
Overall the Bruins are about 50/50 on draws on the year so it's not completely dire. But like I said, there are situational ones that are important like a D zone draw defending a lead in a 6x5 situation. They win that draw, who knows. I don't have the data on 3x3 specifically but I suspect lost draws are a factor to the 5-12 OT record. In 3x3 it's really fucking hard to get the puck back once the other team possesses it. There's too much room, it's impossible to check. It's basically win a draw, or hope the opposition shot misses the net, they try a low percentage pass that can be broken up, or the goalie makes a save and you can get the rebound. Especially when McDavid and Draisaitl are on the ice.
Hence my partially serious. Maybe I should have just said it in pure jest. I'm with you. They're not peaking. That's ok.