528 replies to this topic

[Ed Hillel]

This is like playin the fucking clutch and grab. Devils. The Caps sit 5 guys in the neutral zone and collapse in front of the net. Fucking shit.

Yeah, it's awful to watch.

[LogansDad]

While I agree with you, the first goal was pretty bad too

Disagree, the first goal was a total fluke, nothing Thomas could have done about it.

[Sparky Lyle]

The game just went 80+ minutes with 1 fluke goal scored. It's not like Thomas was a sieve. It was a lucky goal on a bouncing puck with a screen.

I know. And I didn't say he was. He played a great game, but he still should have had it. Monday is another day.

[BoSoxFink]

Yeah, it's awful to watch.

I have to agree, this series is boring as dhit thus far

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

DAMN

Hehe little late there.

[TheShynessClinic]

While I agree with you, the first goal was pretty bad too

Right, but if not for Thomas standing on his head through most of the game, this game doesn't even get to OT. The Bruins are being shut down by a defense anchored by Green and Wideman, with a rookie goalie in net. 2 goals in 2 games and we're tied 1-1 in the series is a good thing.

[Boston Brawler]

Fluke goals seem to be the story of our second half... Thomas played his ass off in the third and the first OT though. We need the top two lines to do something

[soxin6]

Thomas was not the reason the Bruins lost this game. The first goal was far from his fault and the second one he could have stopped but he was screened. The suck that was the first and second lines is why the Bruins lost this game.

[Nomar813]

No goals by the top two lines through ~145 minutes just isn't going to cut it.

[javaisfun]

To be clear, I was talking about Thomas' immediate sprint to the locker room after the goal.

[BoSoxFink]

To be clear, I was talking about Thomas' immediate sprint to the locker room after the goal.

Yea, everyone knows, but that is a Thomas trademark. It is obvious he does not like losing

[timlinin8th]

No way the Bruins get shutout today. Caps are going to need to score 1 more if they want to win.

Ahem

[Harry Hooper]

I do think Thomas could have done a lot more to keep that first one out of the net, but if you're scoring a goal a game in the playoffs and actually have a victory, the goaltender is far down the list of issues.

[TheShynessClinic]

Ahem

Sometimes I hate how right I am.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Yea, everyone knows, but that is a Thomas trademark. It is obvious he does not like losing

His version of the Varitek turn and dash to the dugout.

Lord knows I don't like him, but people are really blaming Thomas for the OT winner? I don't see it.

[Lupe Whalewatch]

I've never seen so many terrible passes in the neutral zone. The Bruins basically had no transition game because they couldn't connect on simple passes. Krejci and Seguin were soft almost all afternoon as well.
And this Holtby guy officially has my attention. This is what you hate to run into in the playoffs. So far, he has been extremely smooth and extremely poised.

[LogansDad]

Agreed, Lupe. Hot goalies are scary in the playoffs. We saw it two years ago in the series which will not be named when Leighton took over for Philly. Holtby is seeing the puck really well, and the B's need to figure out a way to solve him, quickly.

Luckily, at least so far, Thimas has been up to the task. The first goal today was a total fluke, possibly an interference penalty, and cause by his own defender running into him (speaking of which, Zanon was as bad as Corvo today). The second probably could have been saved, but when a guy like Backstrom has that much time and space after a turnover it is hard for me to blame the goalie.

That said, really good series so far. Other than the stick to the face of Seids I have gained a lot of respect for Ovechkin (who I normally can't stand)... Washington is playing tough.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Just need to score early and open up the D.

[Hildy]

Well that was fun until it sucked.
I did see a guy wearing a Thimas shirt walking down Nashua st post game however.

[PedroSpecialK]

Sorry if it was covered, but the continued tossing out of Bruins centers in faceoffs while Jay Beagle cheated across the B's centers' hashmarks the entire game was an embarrassment. He didn't get tossed once all game IIRC, and Bergeron/Krejci each got tossed at least five times.

[Haunted]

Sorry if it was covered, but the continued tossing out of Bruins centers in faceoffs while Jay Beagle cheated across the B's centers' hashmarks the entire game was an embarrassment. He didn't get tossed once all game IIRC, and Bergeron/Krejci each got tossed at least five times.

that and the constant head fakes by the linesman. Drop the damn puck already. It was like this in last season's playoffs too.

[BoSoxFink]

I am not liking the way the Bruins offense has been in this series. They have not even had very many good chances. This is starting to worry me, but what else is new I guess.

[Zososoxfan]

I am not liking the way the Bruins offense has been in this series. They have not even had very many good chances. This is starting to worry me, but what else is new I guess.

I'm really struggling to figure out what's wrong with the O, or conversely, what Wash is doing on D that's suffocating our scoring (someone mentioned the possibility upthread about stacking the neutral zone and collapsing the slot). I mean, I know I'm biased, but a top 6 group of Bergy, Marshmont, Seguin, Krejci, Looch, and Pevs (not to mention Kelly) shouldn't have trouble scoring. Is this a tactical problem or would some line shuffling be beneficial?

On a different note, I feel like the Bruins are playing well in the neutral zone and are limiting Washington's chances (both of their goals seemed flukey to me), and are forechecking well (even the 4th line has had several shifts where they pin the Caps in their zone), so IMHO, it's really about figuring out what to once the Bruins gain the zone.

Edited by Zososoxfan, 15 April 2012 - 10:07 AM.

[kenneycb]

It doesn't help that the ice has been shit so the ability to break the press in the neutral zone is that much harder because the puck isn't sitting flat, is bouncing off sticks and all that jazz.

[TheRealness]

Nor does it help that Lucic mailed in Game 2, and it was just a postcard. Krejci was extremely cautious, and looked like he was afraid of physical contact. Seguin wilted under the physical pressure, and the Bruins best line has been the Kelly line all series.

The defense has been great. They've handled a very good Caps attack well. Thomas has been stellar. But their top 2 lines have been MIA all series long. The Krejci line relies on physical play and puck possession. They've had neither. The Bergeron line has been OK, but have been bottled up in transition (where they are most effective), and with Seguin mailing in puck battles they haven't been able to establish the forecheck pressure they need to succeed.

They need to wake the fuck up. Especially the Krejci line, who were awful yesterday.

[BoSoxFink]

Yea I have to agree on Seguin, he has looked absolutely terrified of any contact whatsoever

[Hildy]

We were wondering whether Seguin is hiding an injury. Even to our uneducated eyes, he was a surprising nonfactor.
We also figured Krejci was not 100% either given the recent Glassworkover..
I am anything but an expert, but we were sitting loge 17 directly behind the net had a good view up ice. There seemed to be tons of lateral passes in the neutral zone that were not received cleanly or were flat-out missed. We were wondering whether it was the ice.

Edited by Hildy, 15 April 2012 - 01:48 PM.

[j44thor]

I'd like to see them work Caron into the lineup. They need net front presence against this style defense and are getting none from the top 6. Pevs doesn't seem to mesh with Krejci/Lucic so perhaps you replace Rolston with Pevs and put Caron with Krejci/Lucic who looked good there earlier.

[MiracleOfO2704]

I'd like to see them work Caron into the lineup. They need net front presence against this style defense and are getting none from the top 6. Pevs doesn't seem to mesh with Krejci/Lucic so perhaps you replace Rolston with Pevs and put Caron with Krejci/Lucic who looked good there earlier.

The big problem I have with that is you're punishing the third line by removing Rolston for the sake of Peverley. I do think Caron is absolutely the solution to the first line's woes, but to change the chemistry of the one line that has performed in this series seems like a bad idea at the best of times, and downright suicidal in a situation where Caron may not actually jump-start that line.