Game 7 - Bruins v. Blues

Salem's Lot

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In the cold light of morning, I'm just so bitterly fucking disappointed.

You can't lose 3 out of 4 games at home in a SC Final. It can't and should never happen. They need to change the game day routine up or something. That's a huge fail.
I could one of the issues be that they did change their game day routine in the SCF. All year they had practicing and doing pregame skates at Warrior, but they changed that going into game 2 to get used to the shitty ice surface at the garden. Obviously it didn’t work. How many fanned shots, broken sticks, muffed passes, etc happened last night. They would’ve been better off not altering anything.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Thing is they had that huge push in the early part of the game where they dominated. Then one goal against and they stopped the push, and then Marchand's idiotic brain fart and suddenly they're out of the game completely.
 

BigSoxFan

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In the cold light of morning, I'm just so bitterly fucking disappointed.

You can't lose 3 out of 4 games at home in a SC Final. It can't and should never happen. They need to change the game day routine up or something. That's a huge fail.

1st line never showed up in the series and that was the biggest reason for the end. No idea what the hell was going on with them, but they deserve the largest part of the blame.

The shithead Rask Sucks Brigade is out in full force and I can even deal. That fucking meathead Dafoomie was crapping all over him last night. Part of me thinks the Bruins should trade him, not because it would help on the ice but because I'd never have to deal with these shitheads again.

I'm depressed and won't be getting over this for a long, long time.
Different games and situations but kind of feels like 2010 Celtics to me, a tough team that came together and damn near won a semi-unexpected title. And, like KG and Pierce, looks like Chara won’t get #2 with Boston, which is too bad.

End of the day, losses happen but a loss like last night where you have blue balls the entire 1st period, a couple costly bad plays, and then get choked out is tough. Crowd never got to cheer.
 

lexrageorge

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In the cold light of morning, I'm just so bitterly fucking disappointed.

You can't lose 3 out of 4 games at home in a SC Final. It can't and should never happen. They need to change the game day routine up or something. That's a huge fail.

1st line never showed up in the series and that was the biggest reason for the end. No idea what the hell was going on with them, but they deserve the largest part of the blame.

The shithead Rask Sucks Brigade is out in full force and I can even deal. That fucking meathead Dafoomie was crapping all over him last night. Part of me thinks the Bruins should trade him, not because it would help on the ice but because I'd never have to deal with these shitheads again.

I'm depressed and won't be getting over this for a long, long time.
The Blues went all in on stopping the Bruins top line on 5-on-5 play, and the gamble worked. The 2nd and 3rd lines weren't good enough to take up the slack, and the 4th line was putrid all series.
 

kenneycb

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Thing is they had that huge push in the early part of the game where they dominated. Then one goal against and they stopped the push, and then Marchand's idiotic brain fart and suddenly they're out of the game completely.
It wasn't so much as they stopped the push as St. Louis changed up how they played, keeping four guys behind the play, clogging up the middle and not letting anything get through the middle. So while the Bruins outshot them by a metric shit ton, most of those shots were from the outside and not really dangerous since the Blues did a very good job of clearing people out in front.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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It wasn't so much as they stopped the push as St. Louis changed up how they played, keeping four guys behind the play, clogging up the middle and not letting anything get through the middle. So while the Bruins outshot them by a metric shit ton, most of those shots were from the outside and not really dangerous since the Blues did a very good job of clearing people out in front.
This is why that second goal was such a crusher. That allowed the Blues to clog up even more.

God I'm so angry with Marchand for that. He can cry all he wants about the end of the series, but he had better look in the fucking mirror and realize this is on him.

I know it sounds churlish, but I'm convinced Binnington could have been had. He was shit in Game 6, just absolute shit. He was great early last night but there are holes in his game and big ones. The Blues blocked so many shots for him last night.
 

MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

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This is about right, except that hockey has this improbable set of circumstances come up quite often. In baseball, it almost never does. Yes, you can run into a great pitcher on a shitty team, but they often lose unless their team generates some offense.

I love hockey, but it is the least rational, least predictable, most variance and luck prone sport. And that part of it sucks. There is no other sport where you can dominate as thoroughly as the Bruins did last night and still lose. Yes, I would have loved it if Rask had similarly stolen the game, but it would still be theft -- and not really indicative of the hockey.
It’s soccer on ice. So often, the result doesn’t reflect the gameplay, which makes it hard for me to get excited about the sport.

Hockey is a lot more exciting for the casual fan like me to watch, though, with the hits and speed of the game.
 

Haunted

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Thanks for all the thoughts everyone.

This game was heartbreaking, truly. But ultimately, it is just a game. I’m glad I’m out of town and won’t be around the sports talk garbage.
 

54thMA

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This is about right, except that hockey has this improbable set of circumstances come up quite often. In baseball, it almost never does. Yes, you can run into a great pitcher on a shitty team, but they often lose unless their team generates some offense.

I love hockey, but it is the least rational, least predictable, most variance and luck prone sport. And that part of it sucks. There is no other sport where you can dominate as thoroughly as the Bruins did last night and still lose. Yes, I would have loved it if Rask had similarly stolen the game, but it would still be theft -- and not really indicative of the hockey.
Boy does this put a bow on things for me, my feeling exactly. The Blues had a whopping 9 shots on goal after two periods and had 2 goals, just infuriating. Been a hockey fan for 50 years, it can be a cruel game to watch. In a sport that requires tremendous skill, it's maddening that sometimes all it takes is a hot goalie and a lucky bounce here and there.

And the soccer comparison is a good one as well.

And the end of the day, with Tampa and Washington getting knocked out, this feels like a gigantic missed opportunity.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Last night's game was like a baseball game where you put 15 runners on base but can't get the big hit to drive them in. Meanwhile, your pitcher has allowed nothing - no hits, no walks, nothing, other than a blooper off the Pesky Pole, an inside-the-park homer where your CF slipped and fell, a ball that glances off Mookie's glove and lands in the bullpen, and a moonshot. You finally scrape a run home in the bottom of the 9th to cut it to 4-1, having really outplayed the other team all night but failing again and again to plate RISP, while the other team just makes the most of its chances. Sucks.
I forget the year, but the Red Sox once played a game in Chicago against the White Sox where they had all of two hits, both solo HR. They won 2-1 and the White Sox had a bunch more baserunners but could never get the big hit.

Last night's game felt like the inverse of that but on a much bigger scale: the team that won made the most of their limited opportunities and the team that filled up the box score came away empty-handed.

And for all the talk about how physical the Blues were, etc., the tone for the series was set early on when the refs decided to just let them play and the Bruins didn't wise up to the fact that they could do the same thing. Yeah, Marchand got called on that bullshit "slash" when he tried to poke the puck out of Binnington's hands, but they're going to call slashes on the goaltender more often than not. The team should have realized they could get chippy too and never did. There are no moral victories in sports, so being the more disciplined team didn't mean shit when the clock hit 00:00 at the end of Game 7. They should have been flattening guys as much as they could, the way they started last night out, all series. If they had, I don't think it would have even made it to 7. It was like when that kid on the Mighty Ducks tried to do his spin-move stuff against the bigger team and got knocked on his ass. Finesse only gets you so far: you need to bridge the gap with some straight-up brute force and they didn't. Not sure if that's on Cassidy or the team itself, but it was the missing element in this series and it was ultimately their biggest undoing. The refs let the Blues get away with everything, pretty much, but so did the Bruins. That is on them. Marchand is usually a pest in these series and he was a non-factor. Not sure if he was hurt or concussed or both, but he picked a bad time to not be his usual, ah, precocious self.
 

wiffleballhero

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In the simulacrum
It’s soccer on ice. So often, the result doesn’t reflect the gameplay, which makes it hard for me to get excited about the sport.

Hockey is a lot more exciting for the casual fan like me to watch, though, with the hits and speed of the game.
Soccer is not as extreme though. Where in hockey there is often more than 60 shots on goal, and over 80 attempts, in soccer you often have fewer than 20 shots on goal in half again more time. Also, soccer goalies simply can't cover the net in anything close to the way a hockey goalie can, so a 'hot' goalie is still looking at a space 17-18 feet wider than her/his wingspan and two feet over his/her head.


In any case, Binnington should enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. He is not that good, despite last night.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Yeah maybe it's just me, and maybe it's sour grapes, but I'm getting a strong Andrew Hammond vibe from him. He's got huge flaws in his game. All props to him for playing so well last night, but he was flaming garbage in Games 3 and 6 too. Bruins didn't do enough to expose his obvious flaws.

I wouldn't be shocked if he were back in the AHL by the middle of next year.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Glad to be heading to New Orleans tonight for a wedding/weekend of debauchery. Hopefully by Monday I will have forgotten.
 

bosockboy

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Yeah maybe it's just me, and maybe it's sour grapes, but I'm getting a strong Andrew Hammond vibe from him. He's got huge flaws in his game. All props to him for playing so well last night, but he was flaming garbage in Games 3 and 6 too. Bruins didn't do enough to expose his obvious flaws.

I wouldn't be shocked if he were back in the AHL by the middle of next year.
Not sure on his future either but the majority of the Game 3 and 6 damage was PP goals, with the Blues PK compromised by suspension. 5 on 5 for the series he matched or exceeded Rask.
 

waffles.

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This was incredibly disappointing. The Bruins came out of the gate so strong and then with that shit goal at the end of the first the wind went out of the sails. Fuck.
 

RIFan

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Yeah maybe it's just me, and maybe it's sour grapes, but I'm getting a strong Andrew Hammond vibe from him. He's got huge flaws in his game. All props to him for playing so well last night, but he was flaming garbage in Games 3 and 6 too. Bruins didn't do enough to expose his obvious flaws.

I wouldn't be shocked if he were back in the AHL by the middle of next year.
I said exactly that last night. He has a tendency to stay too far back in his crease and of course his rebound control is not exactly Vezina level. Those are primarily technique issues and possibly correctable. He's probably going to settle somewhere around Matt Murray territory rather than Hammond, but I don't think he's going to be looked at as the upper tier.

You obviously have to give him huge props for last night. He was nails and single handedly kept them in it. I did notice he came out to the edge of the crease a lot more than he did in game six. That alone probably save a goal or 2.
 

lexrageorge

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Soccer is not as extreme though. Where in hockey there is often more than 60 shots on goal, and over 80 attempts, in soccer you often have fewer than 20 shots on goal in half again more time. Also, soccer goalies simply can't cover the net in anything close to the way a hockey goalie can, so a 'hot' goalie is still looking at a space 17-18 feet wider than her/his wingspan and two feet over his/her head.


In any case, Binnington should enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. He is not that good, despite last night.
Last night's game is why you never want to bank your season on one game. Too many fluky things can happen in a Game 7: hot goalie, bad line change, too many men on the ice, or catching a pass off a defender's helmet.

The Blues were a better team than many gave them credit for. Binnington had a good run, which I agree seems unlikely to be sustainable. But this loss felt a lot like the two losses I noted above.
 

j44thor

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I didn't want to give this story any merit when I first read it before the finals but this was on point.
Sucks because Bergeron is an absolute warrior but you can make a legit argument he was the most ineffective forward for Boston in the playoffs 5V5. Backes had more 5V5 points than Bergeron. I'm sure he is off to get some sort of surgery, dam shame he can't stay healthy come the playoffs for a variety of reasons.
https://www.rotoworld.com/article/hockey-analytics/bruins-battling-bergeron
 

Boston Brawler

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So I had to drive our family car this morning to get it shipped to Germany. Drove 4 hours from KC to, of course, St. Fucking Louis.

The lady at this vehicle processing center is answering the phone “St Louis VPC, home of the Stanley Cup Champions”. I’ve never wanted to punch a mid 60’s chainsmoker more.

Seriously, kill me.
 

Trotski

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Thanks for all the thoughts everyone.

This game was heartbreaking, truly. But ultimately, it is just a game. I’m glad I’m out of town and won’t be around the sports talk garbage.
This. First off, terribly sorry for your loss Haunted. Losing a parent sucks, at any age. Second, being out of town has it's positives. I live in Chicago and since the Blackhawks bandwagon lost a wheel or two this year, nobody here cares about hockey, so I haven't heard a word about it other than what I've sought out, which is nice.
 

TheoShmeo

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So I’m not looking for sympathy here. And I would not get it if I was.

But man did it suck to blow off work in NYC, have to deal with the normal series of issues I could handle by cell on the way up and during the day, go to the Garden to watch that shit show dud cock block of a game and then have to drive back in the middle of the night for four hours.

To console myself, I note that only entitled dickhead fans think their team is supposed to win every title, I got to root for the Bs for four rounds, and the Pats and Sox did just win. I could be a Buffalo fan for goodness sakes.

And...I’m tired, shocked at how awful they played last night, wondering at what, if anything, Cassidy and the veteran leaders could have done to wake them up and sickened by another Dryden Holtby rookie goalie sticking his skates up my ass.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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And...I’m tired, shocked at how awful they played last night, wondering at what, if anything, Cassidy and the veteran leaders could have done to wake them up and sickened by another Dryden Holtby rookie goalie sticking his skates up my ass.
The Bruins could have played just as "physical" (e.g., dirty) as the Blues once it was obvious the refs weren't calling it. I'll never understand why they didn't unless they were afraid it was going to be called against them because they weren't the better story. Or maybe they just don't know how to any more without the likes of McQuaid, Hnidy, Thornton, etc. that used to be there to fuck guys up and take the penalties to send a message. Would have loved to have seen Rask channel Thimas and knock some St. Louis skaters on their ass when they started running him.

But, hey, they're one of the favorites to win it next year. Once they get through the mourning process, anger will kick in and hopefully it'll fuel them next season and into the playoffs. Would love a rematch, but the Blues likely don't even make the tournament next season.
 

lexrageorge

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I'm not at all convinced that taking head shots or similar play would have helped the Bruins. The league already has eyes on Marchand; hell, the announcers were calling him for a "slew foot" on a simple tripping penalty in Game 6. And I'd rather Rask focus on playing his position than trying to trip or check guys and get himself out of position or possibly hurt. Chara got hurt on a fluke play that had nothing to do with the Blues physicality.

Marchand's brain cramp cost them big time. Once the Blues were up 2-0, they were able to park the bus, especially whenever the Bergeron line was out there. It's a different game altogether if it's 1-0 to start the 2nd.

The Bruins first line wasn't great all playoffs, and was terrible in this entire series. So there's likely a lot more to the story than the Blues being a hard hitting and/or dirty team.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I don’t think the Bruins played bad last night- I think the Blues put on an absolute clinic, especially in the second and third. I mean, that was a pretty good team putting on a defensive master class. The Bruins had chances and got stopped by a goalie standing on his head.

Sometimes you just get beat.
 

Ale Xander

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Blues were very good with collecting the rebounds out in front of the net so we couldn't get them.

They made the most of their few chances offensively with laser precision. The Tasarenko to Schenn goal was pure class. Sometimes you have to tip the cap.
 

TheoShmeo

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Blues were very good with collecting the rebounds out in front of the net so we couldn't get them.

They made the most of their few chances offensively with laser precision. The Tasarenko to Schenn goal was pure class. Sometimes you have to tip the cap.
I get and respect being a good loser and gracious.

I was able to get there with the Blackhawks in 2013. The end of Game 6 was horrific but I thought of Chicago aw the better team and hoped Boston could overcome that.

Like others, I know the Blues were better last night (Malden High would have been better than the tepid Bs last night), and have trouble viewing St. Louis as a better team overall.

I get it, shades of Kordell Stewart with the second point, and it’s ultimately irrelevant, but my perception, coupled with the thug coach and the thuggery on the ice, makes that team beyond repugnant for me. And not a victor I can easily salute.

These are the kinds of losses that especially embitter me. This is like both Giants SB losses.
 

Salem's Lot

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Like others, I know the Blues were better last night (Malden High would have been better than the tepid Bs last night), and have trouble viewing St. Louis as a better team overall.

I
This is insulting and completely inaccurate. The Bruins “showed up” last night. They carried play in the first and couldn’t finish due to blocked shots, good goaltending and pure shit luck. They made two mistakes and they ended up in the net. That allowed an already great defensive team to put on that d zone trap clinic. I hate anytime the Bruins lose, a segment of the fan base thinks it’s an effort thing. That seems to only happen in hockey. The Bruins would’ve beat probably 25 NHL teams last night playing that exact same game.
 

Cotillion

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This is insulting and completely inaccurate. The Bruins “showed up” last night. They carried play in the first and couldn’t finish due to blocked shots, good goaltending and pure shit luck. They made two mistakes and they ended up in the net. That allowed an already great defensive team to put on that d zone trap clinic. I hate anytime the Bruins lose, a segment of the fan base thinks it’s an effort thing. That seems to only happen in hockey. The Bruins would’ve beat probably 25 NHL teams last night playing that exact same game.
This is where I am at with the game and series. The Blues weren’t a vastly inferior team that lucked into this. They played their game and they beat the Bruins.

Yes there were games that could have turned out differently if the refs didn’t fuck up but it’s not like the Bruins lost to some pushover team.
 

Dropkick Izzy

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I’m assuming ice deterioration in the second and third didn’t hurt the Blues defensive strategy either. With that I’m mind, can’t some of the blame here be laid at Jacobs’s feet?

This isn’t the Bruins of a decade ago where they argueably benefited from playing at a dog track, and the complaints about the ice aren’t new. Someone should have seen this coming.

Put that concourse and seating improvement money into the ice surface, fuck face.
 

McBride11

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The Bruins could have played just as "physical" (e.g., dirty) as the Blues once it was obvious the refs weren't calling it. I'll never understand why they didn't unless they were afraid it was going to be called against them because they weren't the better story. Or maybe they just don't know how to any more without the likes of McQuaid, Hnidy, Thornton, etc. that used to be there to fuck guys up and take the penalties to send a message. Would have loved to have seen Rask channel Thimas and knock some St. Louis skaters on their ass when they started running him.

But, hey, they're one of the favorites to win it next year. Once they get through the mourning process, anger will kick in and hopefully it'll fuel them next season and into the playoffs. Would love a rematch, but the Blues likely don't even make the tournament next season.
Brad tapped Binnington early in G4 after Berube’s complaints. Got 2 min.
Blues flopped on multiple occasions inG1-3 and got calls for it.
The cheap / overly physical stuff isnt the Bruins game and they were also likely a little worried about risk of attempting it. Nor do they really have the guys for it.

First line couldnt get enough rolling
 

Ale Xander

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Yeah booted from the barn, row 2. Guess I made the cameras? Sucks the classy folks of the NHL don’t extend the same tribute to Brett Hull

St. Louis resident Patrick Maroon laughed at my sign at least. Fuckin hell
F that sucks man.

What was on your sign?
 

TheoShmeo

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This is insulting and completely inaccurate. The Bruins “showed up” last night. They carried play in the first and couldn’t finish due to blocked shots, good goaltending and pure shit luck. They made two mistakes and they ended up in the net. That allowed an already great defensive team to put on that d zone trap clinic. I hate anytime the Bruins lose, a segment of the fan base thinks it’s an effort thing. That seems to only happen in hockey. The Bruins would’ve beat probably 25 NHL teams last night playing that exact same game.
ImageUploadedBySons of Sam Horn1560479184.242519.jpg
 

TheoShmeo

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Oh, and please realize that I’m fucking pissed off and perhaps irrationally angry and tired and sad. So...context.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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This is insulting and completely inaccurate. The Bruins “showed up” last night. They carried play in the first and couldn’t finish due to blocked shots, good goaltending and pure shit luck. They made two mistakes and they ended up in the net. That allowed an already great defensive team to put on that d zone trap clinic. I hate anytime the Bruins lose, a segment of the fan base thinks it’s an effort thing. That seems to only happen in hockey. The Bruins would’ve beat probably 25 NHL teams last night playing that exact same game.
I agree with you, but this doesn't happen only in hockey. The same people use the "effort" card in the other sports. It's so fucking stupid
 

BB2019

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Despite the terrible ending, this will go down as one of my favorite sports teams ever, for a multitude of reasons, but first and foremost, it was the first team my 5 year old really loved.

I’m sure many on this forum have gone through the same, but it was such a cool experience to see sports through the innocent lens of a child for the first time. He cheered for every B’s goals like it was the first he had ever seen (even the meaningless goal late in the third in G7), and took every opponent’s goal like he was hit by a truck.

As for the X’s and O’s, it seems to me in addition to the obvious need for a RW, this team has also been hurt by the lack of development of a C who can take the throne from Bergeron (paging Tyler Seguin, thanks Chiarelli...). It seems the wear and tear of being a defensive beast and offensive centerpiece is too much for his 35 year old body to take at this point and remain effective.
 

TheoShmeo

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It’s still a shitty take. But this forum has been full of them for a couple of months now, so don’t feel bad.
Thanks, Dad. A, it was in after glow of major disappointment. B, if you think the Bruins played at all well in that game, you're delusional. It was not just a case of the Blues taking it to them. The Bruins were not crisp and after the first period, put only sporadic pressure on Binnington. It was a truly surprising performance for a Game 7 of the Finals at home.
 

lexrageorge

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Thanks, Dad. A, it was in after glow of major disappointment. B, if you think the Bruins played at all well in that game, you're delusional. It was not just a case of the Blues taking it to them. The Bruins were not crisp and after the first period, put only sporadic pressure on Binnington. It was a truly surprising performance for a Game 7 of the Finals at home.
The Bruins played well in the first period until Marchand's brain cramp on the line change at the very end, which was a completely unforced error. Still the Blues get credit for capitalizing on the mistake.

With a 2-0 lead, the Blues were able to Park the Bus from that point onward and wait for opportunities. They did play that game to perfection. Meanwhile, the Bruins did seem off their game in periods 2 and 3. It's why I keep pointing to forward depth on the middle 6 being an Achilles heel of this team. Sweeney did a great job addressing it by adding Coyle and MoJo, but it wasn't quite enough.

And we're still awaiting the reports from the surgeon's office.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Thanks, Dad. A, it was in after glow of major disappointment. B, if you think the Bruins played at all well in that game, you're delusional. It was not just a case of the Blues taking it to them. The Bruins were not crisp and after the first period, put only sporadic pressure on Binnington. It was a truly surprising performance for a Game 7 of the Finals at home.
Perhaps I'm delusional, or perhaps you don't really know hockey maybe. That was an outstanding performance by St. Louis and that's why the Bruins lost, not because of their faults (while there were some, no doubt).

But I'm just being kind of a salty dick because as the playoffs have gone on this forum has become filled with a lot more nonsense as the number of contributors has increased. A lot of folks who appreciate the sport and have enjoyed this playoff run have come on board and that's awesome. The reactionary shit and shallow analysis of the game has been a lot more prevalent, and that's annoying. So don't take it personal- you, and many other people, have had bad takes around here recently.

I don't know though- I don't really know your work as a poster, we tend to run in different circles. Maybe you're quite knowledgeable about hockey and I miss it or we just haven't discussed the game enough. All I do know is what I saw on Wednesday night, and that was confirmed by many other people I know who really understand the game.
 

Dummy Hoy

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The Bruins played well in the first period until Marchand's brain cramp on the line change at the very end, which was a completely unforced error. Still the Blues get credit for capitalizing on the mistake.

With a 2-0 lead, the Blues were able to Park the Bus from that point onward and wait for opportunities. They did play that game to perfection. Meanwhile, the Bruins did seem off their game in periods 2 and 3. It's why I keep pointing to forward depth on the middle 6 being an Achilles heel of this team. Sweeney did a great job addressing it by adding Coyle and MoJo, but it wasn't quite enough.

And we're still awaiting the reports from the surgeon's office.
Those first two bolded sentences and the third bolded sentence are directly related.
 

TheoShmeo

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Those first two bolded sentences and the third bolded sentence are directly related.
Funny, I agree violently with those bolded sentences and the relationship between them.

That, to me, adds up to the Bruins not playing particularly well, especially under the circumstances.

I don’t see that as a reactionary take in any way.
 

bosockboy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
19,861
St. Louis, MO
Thanks, Dad. A, it was in after glow of major disappointment. B, if you think the Bruins played at all well in that game, you're delusional. It was not just a case of the Blues taking it to them. The Bruins were not crisp and after the first period, put only sporadic pressure on Binnington. It was a truly surprising performance for a Game 7 of the Finals at home.
It’s almost like there’s a reason they only put sporadic pressure on Binnington. The Blues defense is exceptional.
 

TheoShmeo

Skrub's sympathy case
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Jul 19, 2005
12,890
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And we're still awaiting the reports from the surgeon's office.
If that’s a reference to the prostate cancer thread I started a few weeks ago, thank you and I don’t go back to him for about 5 months. So nothing to report. In the meantime, I’ve had no issues whatsoever in my recovery, thankfully, and resumed exercise this past week.

With that perspective, the suck of Wednesday night seems less significant. But I’m not always good at perspective.
 

TheoShmeo

Skrub's sympathy case
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Jul 19, 2005
12,890
Boston, NY
It’s almost like there’s a reason they only put sporadic pressure on Binnington. The Blues defense is exceptional.
And the Bruins scored 12 goals in their two prior wins against that exceptional D. (Yep, two empty nets).

It’s almost never binary. Saying the Bs were not at their best — which is unquestionably true — does not perforce mean the Blues has nothing to do with that.