Bruins @ Penguins

The Gray Eagle

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Aug 1, 2001
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I was just thinking that the Bruins need to stay aggressive and play this like it was a tie, instead of trying to cling to the lead.
Well...
 

NYCSox

chris hansen of goats
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May 19, 2004
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Some fancy town in CT
Couldn’t tell who it was but that person was even with Johnson at the Bruins blueline. Next time you look up no one is within 10 feet of Johnson.
 

The Long Tater

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Aug 1, 2001
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If we have a “mid season All Star Break Review” thread we can add “why can’t this team keep early leads” to the perennial “why do they suck in shootouts” to key issues.
 

LogansDad

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Nov 15, 2006
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Alamogordo
If we have a “mid season All Star Break Review” thread we can add “why can’t this team keep early leads” to the perennial “why do they suck in shootouts” to key issues.
As long as we can add "Why are first period goals worth so much more when the other team scores them?" to the list.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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Best the Bruins have looked all game so I’m bracing for a 60 foot floater to pin ball in off 17 legs and sticks for Pittsburgh.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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306, row 14
Literally prevented a scoring chance, Jake was gonna dust that guy and be in partially alone.

edit: It was Letang
 

TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
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That’s 100% on Halak. Put him in a bad position.
Not even close. McAvoy got the puck like a second earlier than he would have and still had plenty of time before Malkin was on him. It was an inexcusable turnover and lack of effort from McAvoy there.
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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Jul 15, 2005
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Gallows Hill
This team’s inability to hold a lead is a problem.
They’re not good enough in their own end right now against an aggressive forecheck. Some of it is lack of size on defense, but some of it is also guys like McAvoy and Grzelcyk who they relied on to move the puck against those forechecks last year have been inconsistent.

I think coaching was an issue as well today. They gave up three goals on the same dump in play. That can’t happen. Make an adjustment.
 

IdiotKicker

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Nov 21, 2005
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Somerville, MA
Do they blow leads more than most teams? I feel like teams coming back from 2-3 goal deficits are fairly common around the league.
Going back through the game log, the answer would seem to be no. They had the shootout loss to FLA in November after being up 4-0 going into the 3rd, these two clusters in the last week, and then the NJ one a couple weeks back when they were up 2-0. In total, they have 8 games in which they've scored 3+ goals and still lost, which is pretty much right in line with what we're seeing from the rest of the league. It's not even that they relax when they're winning - they stayed physical and engaged today, but they just seem to tighten up a bit in their own zone and do dumb crap like the McAvoy play today.

All that aside, I'm actually really encouraged by 10-13-74 right now, in particular Bjork's play, and I wouldn't break that line up, even with Krejci comes back. Dump him between Heinen and Kuhlman, who seems to have a little pep since he came back, and I think they can roll 3 really solid lines out there. I'd still like one more piece to get a little deeper, but I don't know if the urgency is the same as it seemed a few weeks back. My only major criticism of how they're playing right now offensively is that I'd like to see them stop faking shots and then dragging wide looking for the perfect shot so often. Just shoot the puck or make an early pass, stop taking away your angles and force the goalie to react.