4/23 - Bruins vs Maple Leafs

cshea

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Yeah, Backes only played in 4 games. He couldn’t keep up with Toronto and Cassidy rightfully put him in the press box.

We will probably see him more against Columbus.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Meh, we knew years 3-5 were going to be ugly the day he signed. If they can financially survive it, I’d just hang on to him unless someone takes him without the Bruins retaining anything. They’re a couple off-seasons from shedding all buyout/retention money from the cap, and if they can retain their best kids in that stretch, they could be in good shape post-lockout.
 

FL4WL3SS

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I disagree about Chara, especially on his clears. There had to be about 5 times where he tossed it up the boards right into a guys skates or chest. He did it once after the Too Many Men penalty where he had time and space and decided to use it to throw it into someone's chest. Not impressed with his performance last night.
Overall he had a rough series.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Overall he had a rough series.
I'd say a little better than that...there were a lot of times he was scrambling to move his feet fast enough, and that's a horrible look, even if things end up working out. As someone else pointed out (Kenney?) he had some brutal decision making at times last night, just chucking pucks up the wall. I thought he had some really poor NZ pinches in the first couple of games too.

Given what a tough matchup Toronto's speed was and the minutes he was asked to play, I'd give Z a solid B for the series. And you can't underestimate the confidence that having him around gives Chuckie Mac. That kid was a baller, and playing with the big man is a part of that.
 

joe dokes

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I disagree about Chara, especially on his clears. There had to be about 5 times where he tossed it up the boards right into a guys skates or chest. He did it once after the Too Many Men penalty where he had time and space and decided to use it to throw it into someone's chest. Not impressed with his performance last night.
Fair point on the clearing passes. But it also seemed to me that he made a lot of those quick close-the-gap plays that thwarted several attempts at offense. It's a tribute to him that he can play big minutes against a speed team like toronto and not get destroyed.
 

Haunted

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Aug 23, 2006
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I was at that game. I couldn't believe he made that save. We actually didn't appreciate it as a crowd because there was no way he actually saved it and Grier must have missed. Miller had some equally incredible ones at the other end too.
I was there too. That was nuts, and one of the loudest sporting events I’ve ever been to.
 

LogansDad

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Chara had an okay series, but was not good last night. Also, I'm not sure I've ever seen a defenseman that fills me with such a weird mixture of fear and excitement than Torey Krug does every time the puck goes toward him.... his offensive skills are awesome, but sometimes it feels like the puck is just as likely to just bounce through a hole in his stick for no apparent reason and lead to an odd man rush.

Carlo was an absolute beast this series, and especially the last two games. Seeing the mean streak and the hatred he got to develop toward Toronto over the course of his first 7 game playoff series was awesome. I know the core is getting older, but you could definitely have a worse succession plan than Carlo, McAvoy, Carlo, Clifton and Pasta (all 23 and younger). They look like a group that you can build around.

Still want to get another one for Bergy before he has to hang them up, though, but I honestly feel like he is the kind of player who will age really well.
 

The Napkin

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Chara had a goal (game winner) and an assist and was +6 for the series (+4 on the road) in 21+ minutes a night against the 4th highest scoring team from the regular season. Leafs scored 5 goals all series with him on the ice (2 were on the PP). They were 3.5 GF regular season but down to 2.5 GF in the playoffs. Yeah, a couple rough wtf plays. But that was a really good offensive team he just helped to contain.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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I should mention that Pasta did not have a good game last night. Not sure what was up with him, he made a lot of odd decisions and wasn't careful with the puck. Hopefully he's got that out of his system.
 

TFP

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I should mention that Pasta did not have a good game last night. Not sure what was up with him, he made a lot of odd decisions and wasn't careful with the puck. Hopefully he's got that out of his system.
A case could be made that he was their worst forward last night and one of their worst 4-5 overall forwards this series. He was inexplicably bad outside of the 2 goals he scored in Game 4, and last night he made so many "WTF" plays followed by lazy skating that I was dumbfounded.

I would put him back with Bergeron/Marchand for Game 1.
 

cshea

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Chara had a goal (game winner) and an assist and was +6 for the series (+4 on the road) in 21+ minutes a night against the 4th highest scoring team from the regular season. Leafs scored 5 goals all series with him on the ice (2 were on the PP). They were 3.5 GF regular season but down to 2.5 GF in the playoffs. Yeah, a couple rough wtf plays. But that was a really good offensive team he just helped to contain.
Chara played a ton against the Hyman - Tavares - Marner line. As the left D, he spent most of the series dealing with Marner. Marner had 1 even strength point in the series (goal in first period of game 1). Toronto can get Chara turned around at times and he doesn’t move the puck much, but he is still a damned good defender.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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A case could be made that he was their worst forward last night and one of their worst 4-5 overall forwards this series. He was inexplicably bad outside of the 2 goals he scored in Game 4, and last night he made so many "WTF" plays followed by lazy skating that I was dumbfounded.

I would put him back with Bergeron/Marchand for Game 1.
The lazy skating was the most confusing part. Is he sick? Because he's never looked that logy before.
 

Haunted

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I thought Toronto went into the series with a huge priority of not allowing the Bergeron-Marchand-Pasta line destroy them again. My eyeballs told me that they didn't do half bad, but when I just now looked up the stats, my opinion isn't particularly backed up.

Either way, Pasta was off his game quite a bit this series and I saw Toronto pushing him around every chance they got.
 

NYCSox

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Cassidy with a message for the haters.

“Well hopefully he’s converted a few (detractors),” Cassidy said. “I think in sports you have that a lot. I’m a sports fan, other sports, and I have it with certain players on teams I root for. For me, in the time I’ve known him, he’s been a very competitive man. Excellent goaltender, we saw it tonight, and hopefully he can continue to build on his playoff legacy — it’s a big Game 7 to win. And like I said I believe he was our best player. …

“I hope fans recognize what he did tonight,” Cassidy later added. “I think you have to as a fan acknowledge when a player plays well. I know in this town when you don’t hear about it and that’s fine too, but tonight he played well and hopefully people get behind him and acknowledge that.”
https://nesn.com/2019/04/bruce-cassidy-has-message-for-anti-tuukka-rask-crowd-after-game-7-win/
 

Red Right Ankle

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edited for SoSH applicability

Well hopefully he’s converted a few (detractors),” Cassidy said. “I think in sports you have that a lot. I’m a sports fan, other sports, and I have it with certain players on teams I root for. For me, in the time I’ve known him, he’s been a very competitive man. Excellent goaltender, we saw it tonight, and hopefully he can continue to build on his playoff legacy — it’s a big Game 7 to win. And like I said I believe he was our best player. …

“I hope @Myt1 recognizes what he did tonight,” Cassidy later added. “I think you have to as @Myt1 acknowledge when a player plays well. I know in this town when you don’t hear about it and that’s fine too, but tonight he played well and hopefully @Myt1 gets behind him and acknowledges that.”
:p