The Rite of Spring (AKA 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread)

[schlim]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

So has there been any updates on travel in regards to Canada?

Funny you ask, Canada just allowed it! US teams fly in on a private jet, no public interactions, quasi bubble....

[Seadragon76]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

So has there been any updates on travel in regards to Canada?

 

Does this answer your question?

[dont care]

2 hours ago, Brass said:

Another thing that perhaps @speedy or some other Bruins fans can shed light on; what is with the Bruins first line insistence on trying to score only "fancy" goals especially after scoring flukey ones? Marchand won game three on a simple shot on net from a weird angle. Last night, he's toe-dragging and only seemed like he was interested in knocking off the water bottle off the net-type goals. I feel like we've seen that numerous times before and IIRC it doomed the Bruins in their Cup Final against the Blues.

Trying to produce the best shot opportunity,l. You can’t rely on fluke goals because eventually the luck will run out. Sure put shots on net but if you see an opportunity for a better shot you got to go after that.

[GDAWG]

2 hours ago, Seadragon76 said:

 

Does this answer your question?

 

Yes.  

[Brass]

59 minutes ago, dont care said:

Trying to produce the best shot opportunity,l. You can’t rely on fluke goals because eventually the luck will run out. Sure put shots on net but if you see an opportunity for a better shot you got to go after that.

 

I'm not saying "relying" on fluke goals, but rather Marchand's insistence on toe-dragging that results in a turn over (that happened in the third period, I believe?) instead of getting a clean shot on net when the opportunity presents itself. That line seems to do it a lot after scoring goals when they just get the puck on net.

[MDGP]

4 hours ago, Brass said:

Another thing that perhaps @speedy or some other Bruins fans can shed light on; what is with the Bruins first line insistence on trying to score only "fancy" goals especially after scoring flukey ones? Marchand won game three on a simple shot on net from a weird angle. Last night, he's toe-dragging and only seemed like he was interested in knocking off the water bottle off the net-type goals. I feel like we've seen that numerous times before and IIRC it doomed the Bruins in their Cup Final against the Blues.

 

Basically it's a frustration thing. The Bruins' lack of depth means that the first line is the only line that can be reasonably expected to score any given game (though Taylor Hall's addition to the second line made it considerably better assuming DeBrusk drops to the third). Other teams realize that and can tailor matchups specifically to try to shut down the first line. When that strategy works and things aren't going their way, both Pasta (who basically falls apart the second things get physical) and Marchand especially try to force things trying to be the heroes because they basically need to be the heroes for the team to win. It became especially apparent last night because with the second change, the Islanders have been able to force Bergeron to go against Pageau in the faceoff circle, and Pageau has absolutely abused Bergeron in the last two games. So, the first line is immediately on the defensive and can't get proper breaks. Combine that with defensive injuries, and they further struggle to get it out of the zone because their opponents can forecheck more aggressively against guys like Tinordi and Clifton.

 

This is the same thing that happened against the Blues in 2019 and Montreal in 2014. The lower lines couldn't be trusted to score, the defense got aggressive and physical against the first line, Pasta (obviously not in 2014) gets shaken by contact, Marchand forces things and takes dumb penalties, and Bergeron is negatively affected by neither linemate playing well.

 

TLDR; Don Sweeney is a bad GM who has provided the Bruins with no depth. Opponents can target the first line more aggressively because the lower lines struggle to score. The perfection line has such high expectations that they begin forcing things because nobody else can be trusted to score. This has been exacerbated by injuries on defense and the replacement players' inability to get the puck out of the zone properly.

 

[DEAD!]

With each Canadiens win... the Leafs must be saying, "Sacre Bleu ... blanc et rouge." 

[habsfan1]

It's incredible to see the Canadiens play with this newfound life they didn't have during the regular season. Caufield's call up and the veteran depth spread across the lines, it's paying off. When Carey Price finally gets his game back, the team begins to trust Carey a bit more. That could be a reason why they went on a surge of goals in the opening game of the series.

[CS85]

The Habs are feeling it.  I thought Hellebuyck was having a pretty nice postseason run but his defense is quickly deflating that balloon, and the Canadiens are becoming a buzzsaw.  Oh well.

 

Uni-wise, I'm going through something of a transformation.  The Avs road unis, aside from the wrong-colored helmet sponsor, are really growing on me, whereas the VGK home sweaters are dropping like a stone.  The Habs just need to ditch the Fat Albert collar and they can resume their elite status in NHL uniform proceedings.

[Ridleylash]

Habs are looking in prime position to sweep the Jets and move on to face the Avs/Knights. Up 2-0 in the first.

[Brass]

Once again, the “delay of game” penalty for flipping it into the stands, whether intentional or not, is the worst rule ever thought of by the brain trust at the NHL.

 

Get rid of it. It “solved” a problem that never existed.

 

EDIT: 5 goals. On 19 shots. At home. Sigh.

[habsfan1]

 

[Crabcake]

Bruce Cassidy and Pastrnak were complaining after the game that the officiating was one-sided and favored the Islanders. I didn’t watch most of the game, and the parts I did watch the only penalty I saw get called was Bergeron’s over-the-glass penalty. So I want to qualify the rest of this post by saying I can’t really comment on the calls themselves tonight. 
 

That being said, it is hilarious to see Bruins players and coaches complain about calls going against them. Congratulations, welcome to how it feels playing you or Pittsburgh 100% of the time in the playoffs. Remember when a Bruins player took down Tom Wilson in the Caps series, and got called for interference, but then Wilson also got called for embellishment? How is it both? Or when Marchand was doing Marchand things and rightly had a penalty called on him, but then they decided to call Mantha for a “high stick” when he barely touched him? Welcome to the playoffs, guys, everybody except Pittsburgh has to deal with garbage officiating. Maybe it’d help if your league-leading PK decided not to go 1-for-4 at home. 

[Brass]

16 minutes ago, Crabcake said:

Bruce Cassidy and Pastrnak were complaining after the game that the officiating was one-sided and favored the Islanders. I didn’t watch most of the game, and the parts I did watch the only penalty I saw get called was Bergeron’s over-the-glass penalty. So I want to qualify the rest of this post by saying I can’t really comment on the calls themselves tonight. 
 

That being said, it is hilarious to see Bruins people complain about calls going against them. Congratulations, welcome to how it feels playing you or Pittsburgh 100% of the time in the playoffs. Remember when a Bruins player took down Tom Wilson in the Caps series, and got called for interference, but then Wilson also got called for embellishment? How is it both? Or when Marchand was doing Marchand things and rightly had a penalty called on him, but then they decided to call Mantha for a “high stick” when he barely touched him? Welcome to the playoffs, guys, everybody except Pittsburgh has to deal with garbage officiating. Maybe it’d help if your league-leading PK decided not to go 1-for-4 at home. 

 

All teams have had and will have good calls to benefit their team and bad calls to handicap their team. It's what happens when humans are referees.

[Sec19Row53]

The Habs to the Final Four. Wow.

[See Red]

Eight games and eliminated for the Jets. That has to be pretty rare, no?

[Cosmic]

2 hours ago, Brass said:

Once again, the “delay of game” penalty for flipping it into the stands, whether intentional or not, is the worst rule ever thought of by the brain trust at the NHL.

 

Get rid of it. It “solved” a problem that never existed.

 

EDIT: 5 goals. On 19 shots. At home. Sigh.

Two-line pass was 10x worse, although I admit I'm always puzzled by the hate for delay of game. Maybe a one-minute power play would work, but shouldn't there be some kind of penalty for stopping the game? Without the rule, any time a team on defense got tired, the puck would be up in the suites.

[habsfan1]

This is pandemonium. No Canadiens fans expected this.

 

WOW!!!!!

[ninersdd]

18 minutes ago, See Red said:

Eight games and eliminated for the Jets. That has to be pretty rare, no?

Islanders in 2019 did that.

[Dilbert]

 

So if Colorado advances to  play Montreal they need to get permission to break out the reverse retro Nordiques jersey. that would be awesome.