Well, at least it's a series. Using extra incentive, the Bruins routed the Canucks 8-1 in Game Three at TD Garden last night. The eruption didn't get started until 11 seconds into the second when an Andrew Ference shot snuck past Roberto Luongo. Vancouver's Vezina candidate had previously been stellar in backstopping his club to a 2-0 series lead, permitting only two goals. However, it wasn't his night nor any other Canuck as they were badly outplayed by a determined bunch of Bruins, hell bent on sending a message following what happened in British Columbia.
As if it weren't enough that Max Lapierre mocked bite victim Patrice Bergeron during Game 2, the B's had even more reason to respond when Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome delivered a late hit on an unsuspecting Nathan Horton, who laid motionless for several minutes. Horton had already released the puck a good second when Rome came from the blindside with a shoulder right to the jaw. The stunning cheap shot silenced a sellout crowd as Horton looked skyward. That it came so early was startling. Rome isn't a dirty player. Something Bobby Ryan noted today via Twitter. Unfortunately, he erred in judgment with the kind of late hit the league is looking to rid of. Not surprisingly, he was suspended four games, which if it went the distance, would mean the rest of the series. In the event it ends early, he'd serve out the rest next season.
The appropriate call was made with Rome ejected for a five minute interference major, which was installed last year. Down a man, the Bruins couldn't take advantage as their power play fizzled thanks to superb penalty killing and some timely stops from Luongo, who was sharp initially. He took away the low part of the net and had solid rebound control. Boston also overpassed, which allowed an already good Vancouver special teams to get the job done and build momentum. In fact, they took the play to the B's the last half of the first, forcing Tim Thomas to come up with a few sparklers, including a kickout and cat-like glove.
Following his team's eruption that saw them score four apiece in the second and third, Claude Julien noted that he didn't say anything different than usual to his desperate team at intermission. The veteran coach felt his club was lacking emotion and inserted popular enforcer Shawn Thornton for rookie Tyler Seguin. The move worked with the 14-year vet sparking the B's with solid work over nine shifts (5:50), delivering a crunching hit and even drawing a penalty when he forced Luongo to deny a bid. Naturally, with all the bad blood, once Boston put it away it turned nasty and Thornton was there to protect teammates.
If Vancouver did everything right the first two in holding serve, that team was nowhere to be found, often leaving Luongo to fend for himself. The best D in the game didn't show and lost focus in a penalty marred game that included five game misconducts with the teams combining for 125 PIM with most of it in garbage time. It even saw the tame Daniel Sedin assessed a misconduct following a wild scrum involving Bite Gate extraordinaire Alex Burrows, who went to the ice a little too easy from a shove following a slash, infuriating Milan Lucic, who challenged him. Of course, the Game 2 hero chickened out hiding behind the stripes. Lucic also lost his cool waving his finger right into Lapierre's mug during another scrum that saw the antagonist tossed. He was chastised by Julien along wiht 43 year-old vet Mark Recchi for shenanigans and later critiqued himself for sinking to Lapierre's level. During the chaos, Ryan Kesler took on Dennis Seidenberg following some cheap stuff, which saw both gone.
Speaking of Recchi, the ageless warrior who just ended a scoring drought, was again involved- tallying twice to eclipse his three round total (2) in just three games of the chippy Stanley Cup Final. On the 25 Year Anniversary of the Cam Neely trade, who the Canucks ironically gave up on, the Bruins turned back the clock to whip the President's Trophy winners. Once Ference broke through, the black and gold seized control with Recchi centering a pass off Ryan Kesler's stick for a power play goal, marking the second consecutive game Boston's power play scored. Before the onslaught, Lucic took his second undisciplined minor giving Vancouver a chance to get back in it. Instead, an unbelievable individual effort from rookie Brad Marchand resulted in the goal of the series. Stealing the puck at his own blueline, the speedy penalty killer slipped around three Canucks and then completely undressed Luongo, deking and going forehand top shelf for an unassisted goal that blew off the roof.
Finally with some breathing room, the B's didn't sit back with David Krejci adding to it when he took a Michael Ryder backdoor feed and beat Luongo in front. The four-goal explosion left questions as to whether Luongo would return for the third. Surprisingly, he did. It only got worse as Boston wasn't done, putting another four spot on the helpless Canadian hero in the second part of the third. With his team on another power play, Daniel Paille powered past ex-Isle Jeff Tambellini and beat Luongo thru the wickets for 5-zip with 8:22 left. Tambellini had a brutal game, also in the box when Recchi notched his first of the night.
Though Jannik Hansen broke up Thomas' shutout after slashing Krejci and then burying a Raffi Torres feed, even in a blowout the Vezina frontrunner was outstanding, finishing with 40 saves. Vancouver certainly got scoring chances but the athletic 37 year-old vet wouldn't allow them to think comeback. As a matter of fact, Thomas has allowed four goals on 108 shots thus far. Given his brilliant play throughout the postseason, you can make the argument that win or lose, he's the leading Conn Smythe candidate. We'll see how it plays out.
After Recchi finished off his second off a great pass from Marchand, it escalated with Ference and Kevin Bieksa trading barbs before getting the final couple of minutes off. With what was left of the Canuck bench going through the motions, Chris Kelly and Ryder added insult to injury to mercifully conclude the scoring. Even Tomas Kaberle got on the score sheet.
The madness certainly was entertaining but I doubt a seven-goal rout was what Versus had in mind following a much lower rated Game 2 that went to sudden death. I guess scheduling even on NBC for a June Saturday was a mistake. Be that as it may, this is a very fun series with plenty of intensity. These teams don't like each other and it should only intensify when they take the ice for Game 4 tomorrow night in Beantown.
As for the Rome suspension, I've seen some fans argue that it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't necessarily call it blatant. But he did cross the line, which is why rules on late hits are in place. This isn't a repeat offender. Just a kid who made a mistake and probably feels badly for Horton, who luckily was moving all extremenities as he was carried off the ice and rushed to the hospital. We sure hope the ex-Panther will be okay. For Alain Vigneault, he can dig into reserve and reinsert vet Keith Ballard, who might be an upgrade. The Canucks are without Dan Hamhuis, which hurts strong blueline that still features Christian Ehrhoff, Alex Edler, Bieksa and Sami Salo. However, they're already using ex-Bruin Andrew Alberts. So, Ballard could prove vital if he gets in. Meanwhile, figure Seguin to take the place of Horton leaving Thornton in as an energizer.
It all sets up a pivotal Game 4. Don't miss it!
Covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres five years running along with the rest of the puckers!
BONY
Battle Of New York
Showing posts with label Mark Recchi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Recchi. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Game 3 SCF Preview: On D Day Bruins try to make it a series
Today is a historic day for not just our country but for democracy and freedom. It was 67 years ago on June 6, 1944 that our soldiers helped achieve the greatest win in World War II history. D Day is a special day of Remembrance of all those lives sacrificed in the Battle of Normandy along the coastline of Belgium that finally ended the war. It's a day to reflect and thank those before us who fought for our independence.
Perhaps on 6/6/11, the American team involved in the Stanley Cup will actually make it a series tonight in Beantown. For the Boston Bruins, that requires a maximum effort against the faster and more talented Vancouver Canucks, who by sweeping the first two at home, are two steps closer to the franchise's first Cup. Yes. Both Games 1 and 2 were competitive but only due to outstanding play from certain Vezina selection Tim Thomas, who stood on his head giving his team a chance to steal home ice. If not for a couple of key breakdowns, it would've been enough. Instead, thanks to Raffi Torres' heroics, Daniel Sedin and Public Enemy No.1 Alex Burrows, who took the 'bite' right out of Claude Julien's guys a jaw dropping 11 seconds into sudden death, the B's find themselves in a huge hole as they return to TD Garden.
They'll have to have short memories if they want to make it interesting over the next 72 hours. In the NBA, the expression is a series doesn't start until the road team wins. Using that philosophy, all the Bruins have to do is hold serve and get it to a pivotal Game 5 even. If they can, anything could happen like it did in '09 when the Penguins became only the second team to rally from an 0-2 deficit to win Lord Stanley. Of course, they still lost Game 5 before winning a third straight at home and then finally becoming the lone road team to win in a dramatic Game 7 that's still fresh in Pens' fans memory banks. Marc-Andre Fleury stacking the pads to deny Nick Lidstrom's last second bid.
What has to happen for the Bruins to turn the tables starting tonight on the Canucks?
On paper, it sounds like they'll have to play a perfect game just to give themselves a chance. However, these are all winning qualities good teams execute during a primetime series such as this. It's not won early but late. All depending on how you adjust. We'll see if Boston can use the crowd to their advantage. They'll be loud. The B's haven't won the Cup since 1972 when Bobby Orr skated the fancy chalice in front of Dad after beating the Rangers. They've failed five times since then including back in 1990 to Mark Messier's Oilers, who won the last of their six Cups. Starting tonight on Versus, we get to see what they're made of.
Perhaps on 6/6/11, the American team involved in the Stanley Cup will actually make it a series tonight in Beantown. For the Boston Bruins, that requires a maximum effort against the faster and more talented Vancouver Canucks, who by sweeping the first two at home, are two steps closer to the franchise's first Cup. Yes. Both Games 1 and 2 were competitive but only due to outstanding play from certain Vezina selection Tim Thomas, who stood on his head giving his team a chance to steal home ice. If not for a couple of key breakdowns, it would've been enough. Instead, thanks to Raffi Torres' heroics, Daniel Sedin and Public Enemy No.1 Alex Burrows, who took the 'bite' right out of Claude Julien's guys a jaw dropping 11 seconds into sudden death, the B's find themselves in a huge hole as they return to TD Garden.
They'll have to have short memories if they want to make it interesting over the next 72 hours. In the NBA, the expression is a series doesn't start until the road team wins. Using that philosophy, all the Bruins have to do is hold serve and get it to a pivotal Game 5 even. If they can, anything could happen like it did in '09 when the Penguins became only the second team to rally from an 0-2 deficit to win Lord Stanley. Of course, they still lost Game 5 before winning a third straight at home and then finally becoming the lone road team to win in a dramatic Game 7 that's still fresh in Pens' fans memory banks. Marc-Andre Fleury stacking the pads to deny Nick Lidstrom's last second bid.
What has to happen for the Bruins to turn the tables starting tonight on the Canucks?
1.Get a 2-goal lead- they say the 3-goal lead is the worst in hockey and Julien's club are proof. However, they've yet to build a cushion and put the pressure on Vancouver. How will they react if it happens? Against the Blackhawks early on, we saw what happened when Chicago was ahead, digging out of a 3-0 hole to force a seventh game that required overtime where the all too familiar Burrows clinched it.
2.Don't sit back- one of the fundamental flaws with Julien's Lemaire-esque system is they often try to hold on instead of pushing for more. Throw out the perfect regular season record. At this point, that doesn't matter. Especially against an opportunistic club like Vancouver, who only needs a few chances to cash to turn a game. We saw it the other night when they predictably tied it up with over 10 minutes left and then took it to OT where the B's never recovered.
3.Chara Time- simply put, Zdeno Chara is a beast on the ice who logs a ton of minutes in every situation. While the Boston captain did set up Mark Recchi's go-ahead tally, he also was caught out for Sedin's equalizer and didn't recover to stop Burrows from skating around Thomas and stuffing a wraparound for the stunning winner. Chara must be better along with Julien, who got duped by Alain Vigneault's on the fly change that caught Andrew Ference instead of reliable partner Dennis Seidenberg. With the last change on home ice, that can't happen.
4.The Horton Affect- when Nathan Horton scores, good things happen for the black and gold. The big man has been instrumental during their run, scoring big overtime goals while setting up teammates. When the going got tough against Tampa, the ex-Panther shined brightest with two goals and two assists over the last three games including the series clincher. He'll need to be a factor in front of Roberto Luongo, who hasn't dealt with much chaos compared to his busier counterpart.
5.Shoot The Puck- there were opportunities to shoot the puck when it was tied late in regulation that the B's mysteriously passed up. One such chance saw a streaking Johnny Boychuk passing up an open shot from the right circle, instead overpassing to a covered teammate. Vancouver's D is too stingy. They take away that East/West option, which hardly works during this time of year. The Bruins must pepper Luongo from every angle. He's good at making the first save but will let out juicy rebounds, which the B's must be in position to pounce. Fire away and score in the dirty areas.
6.Special Teams- the B's have been brutal on the power play but finally connected when ultimate warrior Recchi parked himself in front of Luongo and neatly deflected a Chara blast that steered them ahead. Vancouver has a dangerous PK that comes right at you. Their tendency is to overcommit. So, crafty playmakers like David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron must distribute the puck quickly. Short, concise passes can trap Canuck attackers high, giving them a decided edge down low. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Vancouver boasts the best PP with many weapons ranging from the Sedins to Ryan Kesler, Burrows plus sharp shooters Christian Ehrhoff, Sami Salo and Alex Edler. The advice is simple. Stay out of the box, which requires not targeting Burrows or knucklehead Max Lapierre.
On paper, it sounds like they'll have to play a perfect game just to give themselves a chance. However, these are all winning qualities good teams execute during a primetime series such as this. It's not won early but late. All depending on how you adjust. We'll see if Boston can use the crowd to their advantage. They'll be loud. The B's haven't won the Cup since 1972 when Bobby Orr skated the fancy chalice in front of Dad after beating the Rangers. They've failed five times since then including back in 1990 to Mark Messier's Oilers, who won the last of their six Cups. Starting tonight on Versus, we get to see what they're made of.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Bruins end Ranger streak at three
Last night, the Bruins halted the Rangers' win streak at three, posting a 3-2 win at The Garden. It was their first game debuting the elegant Heritage jerseys, which looked great with the New York across in red as compared to the original white when our club was born in 1926-27. Too bad they couldn't come out with a 'W,' making too many mistakes against a well schooled Claude Julien club that plays a similar style to the old Jacques Lemaire Devils.
There was plenty of tight checking making for plenty of battles for space. Our club killed two Bruin power plays with superb penalty killing, continuing their recent run after starting the year so poorly. Brandon Dubinsky was high-sticked leading to a double minor. The first three minutes were dreadful as they couldn't even get a shot on Tim Thomas, mostly due to Boston's aggressiveness. If not for a great pass from Henrik Lundqvist, which Ryan Callahan pushed off the boards for a fortunate bounce right to a streaking Dubinsky, they don't score. Instead, Dubi made the most of the opportunity beating Thomas with a quick snapper for the Rangers' only lead. It was his club-leading 11th.
One of the themes in this match was John Tortorella matching the Homegrown Line (Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan) against the Bruins' No.1 line of Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and Nathan Horton. A match-up Julien didn't shy away from. A turning point came when a forechecking Horton forced Dan Girardi to make a quick reverse in the right corner leading to a turnover due to Artem Anisimov not being in the right spot. Bergeron stole the puck and then dished across for an open Lucic, who buried it five-hole to tie it. Girardi was expecting Arty to be along the wall but he was caught out of position leading to the goal against.
A second critical mistake led to the Bruins' second straight. This time, the guilty party was Matt Gilroy, who foolishly tried to keep a rolling puck in on his backhand. He was so awkward that it never stood a chance. Especially in a tie game against an opportunistic opponent who pounces on errors. After he fumbled the puck, 18 year-old rookie Tyler Seguin blew past him up the right wing and fired an absolute laser top shelf past Lundqvist for his third of the season. The No.2 overall pick had been criticized due to little scoring of late. However, here he made a great defensive play and turned on the jets making no mistake to put his team ahead. For Gilroy, who isn't good defensively, it won't put him in Tort's good graces. One positive is that Hobey's been more aggressive, getting involved offensively utilizing his speed and puck carrying ability. When Michal Rozsival returns, they really should consider shifting Gilroy to forward. He could be an asset on say the fourth line. The way Mike Del Zotto is struggling, don't write Hobey off just yet.
Trailing by one, the Rangers had a chance to make another statement. They came out strong but a brutal goal allowed by Lundqvist to ageless wonder Mark Recchi really hurt. The 42 year-old Recchi took a simple shot from a sharp angle that somehow eluded Henrik going just over the red line, deflating the crowd. Just like that, Boston had scored three in a row and were up 3-1.
There was plenty of time to comeback. One thing about this team. They never are out of a game. Urged on by the Garden Faithful who also can sense the fight in our guys, they responded by taking the play to the Bruins, forcing Thomas to make tough saves. Finally, the constant pressure resulted in a goal when resurgent rookie Derek Stepan forced a turnover and then made a perfect backhand pass to a cutting Marian Gaborik, who shot over Thomas' blocker for his fourth in three games. Just a great read by Stepan, who Tortorella moved up to the top line after Erik Christensen got little accomplished. Given how he threw Sean Avery under the bus and how much of an enigma he is, refusing to shoot early on a wide open chance, you have to conclude he's the odd man out once Chris Drury is back. Christy just isn't doing enough to stay in the lineup. At this point, D-Step's regained his confidence and deserves to center Gabby and Alex Frolov when they visit the Avs tomorrow.
Still trailing 3-2, the Blueshirts kept the pressure on. However, Thomas was up to the challenge, stopping everything in his way. If last year, he lost his job to then rookie Tuukka Rask, then this year, he's regained the form that won him a Vezina in '08-09. His two biggest saves were equally impressive. First, he somehow got a piece of a Gaborik redirect of a Girardi point shot, diving across to keep it out to moans. Even me and Dad couldn't believe it didn't go in. Then, on another powerless five-on-three in which they did little to the shock of no one, the best chance came when Ryan Callahan had Thomas down and out but couldn't stuff the puck past him off a faceoff. The Boston goalie later admitted he got lucky there. Sometimes, lucky is better than good. Considering how he sprawls around making every save an adventure, it sure is fun to watch. Even if it drove us nuts.
After the penalty kill, Boston got their legs and put together a couple of strong shifts just working the puck down low which ran time off the clock. That included their big top line keeping us pinned late before Tort pulled Lundqvist to no avail. The Bruins simply didn't allow our team to get the kind of opportunity needed to tie it, earning a hard fought win to improve to 7-1 away from TD Northbank Garden. Interestingly enough, they're only 3-4-1 at home. Go figure. What's most impressive is that they're off to a good start without Marc Savard, who may return. David Krejci is still out as is Johnny Boychuk who skated in warmups. Marco Sturm also remains out. What happens when they get a full roster? Obviously, Michael Ryder will probably be moved clearing room. This Bruin team has the feel of a contender. They do it by grinding opponents to death. Will they have enough offense? Who knows. But it'll be an interesting race between them and Montreal.
For the Rangers, it's back to work. They know why they lost. Too many miscues along with Lundqvist getting burned for the crusher. Throw in the power play failures and they earned the loss. Was it winnable? Absolutely. But against a team like Boston, you can't afford to make those kind of mistakes. So, no four-game winning streak spoiling Heritage Night. Now, it's on the road for a tough game in Colorado, who already beat us once. Hopefully, someone will remember to take Chris Stewart in front. Our team's grown since that game back on Oct.18 which saw the Avs get two in a row literally for a 3-1 win at MSG. Historically, we don't fare well in the Rocky Mountains. I could care less. This team's different. They fight. We owe them. Let's get it!
There was plenty of tight checking making for plenty of battles for space. Our club killed two Bruin power plays with superb penalty killing, continuing their recent run after starting the year so poorly. Brandon Dubinsky was high-sticked leading to a double minor. The first three minutes were dreadful as they couldn't even get a shot on Tim Thomas, mostly due to Boston's aggressiveness. If not for a great pass from Henrik Lundqvist, which Ryan Callahan pushed off the boards for a fortunate bounce right to a streaking Dubinsky, they don't score. Instead, Dubi made the most of the opportunity beating Thomas with a quick snapper for the Rangers' only lead. It was his club-leading 11th.
One of the themes in this match was John Tortorella matching the Homegrown Line (Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan) against the Bruins' No.1 line of Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and Nathan Horton. A match-up Julien didn't shy away from. A turning point came when a forechecking Horton forced Dan Girardi to make a quick reverse in the right corner leading to a turnover due to Artem Anisimov not being in the right spot. Bergeron stole the puck and then dished across for an open Lucic, who buried it five-hole to tie it. Girardi was expecting Arty to be along the wall but he was caught out of position leading to the goal against.
A second critical mistake led to the Bruins' second straight. This time, the guilty party was Matt Gilroy, who foolishly tried to keep a rolling puck in on his backhand. He was so awkward that it never stood a chance. Especially in a tie game against an opportunistic opponent who pounces on errors. After he fumbled the puck, 18 year-old rookie Tyler Seguin blew past him up the right wing and fired an absolute laser top shelf past Lundqvist for his third of the season. The No.2 overall pick had been criticized due to little scoring of late. However, here he made a great defensive play and turned on the jets making no mistake to put his team ahead. For Gilroy, who isn't good defensively, it won't put him in Tort's good graces. One positive is that Hobey's been more aggressive, getting involved offensively utilizing his speed and puck carrying ability. When Michal Rozsival returns, they really should consider shifting Gilroy to forward. He could be an asset on say the fourth line. The way Mike Del Zotto is struggling, don't write Hobey off just yet.
Trailing by one, the Rangers had a chance to make another statement. They came out strong but a brutal goal allowed by Lundqvist to ageless wonder Mark Recchi really hurt. The 42 year-old Recchi took a simple shot from a sharp angle that somehow eluded Henrik going just over the red line, deflating the crowd. Just like that, Boston had scored three in a row and were up 3-1.
There was plenty of time to comeback. One thing about this team. They never are out of a game. Urged on by the Garden Faithful who also can sense the fight in our guys, they responded by taking the play to the Bruins, forcing Thomas to make tough saves. Finally, the constant pressure resulted in a goal when resurgent rookie Derek Stepan forced a turnover and then made a perfect backhand pass to a cutting Marian Gaborik, who shot over Thomas' blocker for his fourth in three games. Just a great read by Stepan, who Tortorella moved up to the top line after Erik Christensen got little accomplished. Given how he threw Sean Avery under the bus and how much of an enigma he is, refusing to shoot early on a wide open chance, you have to conclude he's the odd man out once Chris Drury is back. Christy just isn't doing enough to stay in the lineup. At this point, D-Step's regained his confidence and deserves to center Gabby and Alex Frolov when they visit the Avs tomorrow.
Still trailing 3-2, the Blueshirts kept the pressure on. However, Thomas was up to the challenge, stopping everything in his way. If last year, he lost his job to then rookie Tuukka Rask, then this year, he's regained the form that won him a Vezina in '08-09. His two biggest saves were equally impressive. First, he somehow got a piece of a Gaborik redirect of a Girardi point shot, diving across to keep it out to moans. Even me and Dad couldn't believe it didn't go in. Then, on another powerless five-on-three in which they did little to the shock of no one, the best chance came when Ryan Callahan had Thomas down and out but couldn't stuff the puck past him off a faceoff. The Boston goalie later admitted he got lucky there. Sometimes, lucky is better than good. Considering how he sprawls around making every save an adventure, it sure is fun to watch. Even if it drove us nuts.
After the penalty kill, Boston got their legs and put together a couple of strong shifts just working the puck down low which ran time off the clock. That included their big top line keeping us pinned late before Tort pulled Lundqvist to no avail. The Bruins simply didn't allow our team to get the kind of opportunity needed to tie it, earning a hard fought win to improve to 7-1 away from TD Northbank Garden. Interestingly enough, they're only 3-4-1 at home. Go figure. What's most impressive is that they're off to a good start without Marc Savard, who may return. David Krejci is still out as is Johnny Boychuk who skated in warmups. Marco Sturm also remains out. What happens when they get a full roster? Obviously, Michael Ryder will probably be moved clearing room. This Bruin team has the feel of a contender. They do it by grinding opponents to death. Will they have enough offense? Who knows. But it'll be an interesting race between them and Montreal.
For the Rangers, it's back to work. They know why they lost. Too many miscues along with Lundqvist getting burned for the crusher. Throw in the power play failures and they earned the loss. Was it winnable? Absolutely. But against a team like Boston, you can't afford to make those kind of mistakes. So, no four-game winning streak spoiling Heritage Night. Now, it's on the road for a tough game in Colorado, who already beat us once. Hopefully, someone will remember to take Chris Stewart in front. Our team's grown since that game back on Oct.18 which saw the Avs get two in a row literally for a 3-1 win at MSG. Historically, we don't fare well in the Rocky Mountains. I could care less. This team's different. They fight. We owe them. Let's get it!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Ousted Sabres taught lesson
Well, so much for one half of my Cup pick. As it turned out, maybe the Sabres knew that the Bruins were the wrong match-up. At least that would explain pulling Ryan Miller to try to get back in that final regular season showdown against the Devils. Regardless, it sure didn't workout for either as each bowed out in the first round disappointing each fanbase.
Tonight, it was Buffalo's turn to lose doing so by a 4-3 final against a hungrier Boston club who did all the little things that win in the playoffs. You know. The same kinda stuff the Flyers did to New Jersey. Indeed, Lindy Ruff's club was outgritted by the Bruins, who took the closely fought series in six. It'd be easy to argue that the Sabres could've/should've won, referencing the good start taking Game One and leading 2-zip in Game Two before the roof caved in. Twice in this series against a hated opponent, Buffalo couldn't put it away, blowing two leads after the second for the first time all season. One thing about those stats which we researchers used all the time up at Bristol. They're meaningless at this crucial time of year. It's all about who wants it most. No lead is safe. Especially in the new NHL. You just can't approach it the same way in the playoffs.
Sure. Ruff's club missed Vanek, who returned from a high ankle sprain tonight netting a late goal with Miller pulled to get them within one with still 73 seconds left. It only delayed the inevitable, allowing former Sabre Miro Satan to notch the series winner a few days after crushing Buffalo hearts with his sudden death winner in Game Four. How could this happen? To quote my good pal Brian, "It's Buffalo." Where anything unforeseeable takes place. No goal. Check. No goal II. Check. Injury after injury defying logic when the '05-06 seemed on the verge of winning it all. Of course. Now you can add a once great Sabre who was washed up to the point where the desperate B's took a flier on him. And no. Normally, I don't write this script because it's the one that shall be echoed by our Buffalo contingent. I can see it now.
"Just another chapter in Buffalo sports lore."How can we argue? We didn't even include football. I got nothing. I really liked this Sabre team and felt they could go a long way. Especially with Ryan Miller standing on his head. If he doesn't win the Vezina, something's wrong. No disrespect to Ilya Bryzgalov or Martin Brodeur. But Miller's the best goalie this season. Though I'd also like to see Bryzgalov get recognized with the Hart because no player was more valuable to their team. Especially the Coyotes, who get their crack at history tomorrow in the Desert. As for Miller, even in a special season where he played out of his mind, he gets silver in Vancouver and falls in the first round to shafted rookie Tuukka Rask. To think that the Maple Leafs gave away the Finn for Andrew Raycroft, who now backs up Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. Wow. Being that Bri absolutely loathes Toronto, they're to blame for this. Even when that franchises misses again, they somehow screw Buffalo. Pretty whacked.
Nobody feels worse than Miller, who gave his team every opportunity. Bottom line. The Bruins were peskier winning many board/puck battles as was evidenced at TD Garden. Minus Vanek and Jochen Hecht, the Sabres couldn't finish enough. They got nothing from Derek Roy and Tim Connolly, who may as well have been ghosts. When Nathan Gerbe does more in two games, you got issues. How come the B's got much more out of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, who torched Buffalo for two goals and a helper in the coup de grat. Ah. The power play. What a foreign concept that was for these Sabres, who may as well have had on half Devils and Rangers gear on. Special teams are so vital in playoffs. And like the other Battle participant, Buffalo failed miserably. If you're having trouble scoring and can't win the battle of special teams, you're screwed.
Why did Boston win? Because Claude Julien's club wanted it more. Forget how little they led until the clincher. They kept coming. One can't say the same for Buffalo, who seemed content to rely heavily on Miller to bail them out. That's not a good recipe this time of year. It'd also help if Toni Lydman could play his position. The Bruins got more out of journeyman Johnny Boychuk. And can anyone please tell me who the heck Adam McQuaid is. This ain't Total Recall. What else? Well, the Bruins had no trouble advancing minus Marc Savard. Grinders like Milan Lucic, Vladimir Sobotka and ex-Sabre Daniel Paille (Paille's Revenge???) owned the wall. Even Satan mixed it up. Their best players also were their best, meaning Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Bergeron, Krejci and Rask did their thing.
How many Sabres could you say that for outside of Miller? Jason Pominville (2-2-4) was fairly quiet. Tyler Myers struggled, perhaps hitting a rookie wall. The aforementioned Roy/Connolly went into the tank. Oh. Buffalo's grinders showed with Adam Mair, Mike Grier, Patrick Kaleta, Paul Gaustad, Cody McCormick and Tim Kennedy doing their part. But if there's one defining moment, it had to be 42 year-old dinosaur Mark Recchi knocking Matt Ellis off the puck and setting up Bergeron in Game Three. Brutal. Recchi knows what it takes and leads by example. How frustrating was it that deadline pickup Raffi Torres was reduced to a healthy scratch the last two? Only Buffalo.
It wasn't all bad as kids like Gerbe and Tyler Ennis distinguished themselves. Hell. Ennis came close to tying it. The miniscule 5-9, 163 pound center looked just fine putting up a goal and three assists in his first playoffs after tallying nine points in 10 games. With Myers the cornerstone of the blueline, the future looks bright. Problem is there are enough vets to challenge now. Miller's already 30. How many peak years does he got left? Buffalo can't afford to waste them which is why Roy and Connolly were so disappointing.
Maybe we're being too hard. This was their first taste of the playoffs in three years. Perhaps Boston's experience showed. Even though they went down fighting, it still was a tough way to end a good season. Hopefully, the lesson was learned.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Bruins edge Flyers in Winter Classic Finish
It looked like the visitors would go three-for-three. Michael Leighton looked on his way to a second straight shutout. But a late power play goal from wily vet Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm's overtime winner gave the home supporters plenty to cheer in what amounted to the best of the three Classics to date. With apologies to Sidney Crosby for that glorious skill comp winner in the snow, watching Sturm win it in more conventional fashion was better. There's something about seeing a player score in OT as opposed to the more scripted gimmick where it's decided by a one-on-one. In today's game, we don't get enough of those cool celebrations. Even with four-on-four, a majority have needed the gimmick. So, it was cool to see Patrice Bergeron thread the needled to an open Sturm for a nifty tip past Leighton for the decider 1:57 into the extra five. Plus the celebration with the proud German slamming the glass before being mobbed by teammates was great on what amounted to a perfect winter day in Beantown.
The weather held up with ideal conditions as temps ranged from 28-35, thankfully minus rain with plenty of cloud cover. It was classic pond hockey for a bunch of paid pros playing a game they remember as kids. That's what makes this event so special. It's hockey in its purest form. Outdoors in all the elements. A big thanks must go out to Larry Lucchino for agreeing to host such a game. Just seeing the background of the Green Monster along with the mini rink on the side where kids skated was pretty damn jaw dropping. They did a fantastic job putting this together. A huge thank you to all the maintenance who worked so hard to get this thing ready. Hockey ain't done there either. There's also a college double header featuring BU vs BC on the men's side.
While it's true the first couple of periods weren't on the edge, it definitely picked up in the third, elevating for a memorable finish. Still, just getting to see two legends on each side greet their players as they were introduced was priceless. There was Bobby Clarke wearing the Flyer 'C' along with a few boos smirking as he skated up to meet old rival Bobby Orr for the ceremonial puck drop. One of the coolest aspects. Two of the greatest players who each led their team to a pair of Cups side by side, yucking it up. One arguably the best to ever play the sport. Ask my Dad or any of our older generation and the nod goes to Orr or Gordie Howe over Gretzky, Lemieux and Messier. Makes for a great bar debate.
Even if one of the most well known bloggers didn't care for a vast majority of a hard fought game, how could you not love that scrap between Daniel Carcillo and Shawn Thornton? Another Classic first as the two combatants dropped the gloves 8:01 in with the mustached Carcillo (ode to 70's Flyers) getting the decision by landing a clean right to drop Thornton. Class was shown as he immediately backed off and allowed the Bruins' enforcer to get up with each sending New Year's greetings. Good stuff.
Neither side scored in a tactical first which saw the clubs feel each other out. After the Bruins held a 9-6 SOG edge, the second was all Flyers. They entered riding a four-game win streak, aiming to go five-for-five on a six-game road trip. Like they had in the 6-0 Ranger trouncing, the Flyers played solid in front of Leighton not giving an anemic Boston offense much. If scoring was a strength last year, it's certainly not this time around as they are feeling the effects of no more Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic remains out. So much for making it back for the big game at Fenway.
With the B's unable to mount a consistent attack, the Flyers generated off their forecheck, forcing Team USA selection Tim Thomas to make some good saves. If not for the rating Vezina winner, it might've been ugly. Especially in a period where Philly doubled up Boston in shots (12-6). However, they were only able to beat Thomas once when Danny Syvret got his first NHL goal, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 4:42. Off some nice work by Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter, Syvret was able to beat the Boston netminder with a low shot through traffic. Leading by one, the Flyers also got the only power play in the first 40 but failed to cash in with Zdeno Chara in the box. There were some close calls but a scrambly Thomas kept them out. His play gave the B's a chance.
Thru two, Claude Julien's guys had totaled just 15 shots. The Flyers themselves had 18 but a cool dozen in the second and were far more aggressive. During intermission, he emphasized one missed chance in particular where Marc Savard passed to Thornton instead of shooting. Apparently, his team got the message quickly testing Leighton early, including a harmless shot from the outside that snuck through his legs and just off the right post. All day, players finished checks giving us the kind of hockey we see in the playoffs. In the third, the intensity picked up with alternate "Let's Go Bruins," and "Let's Go Flyers" chants in the stands. Feeding off the energy, each side came even harder. It opened up as a more desperate home team searched for the equalizer. That led to a couple of odd-man rushes. One in which Carter was set up perfect by Briere but couldn't finish it, narrowly missing wide with Thomas outstretched in the crease. The other was blocked.
With the B's coming close to tying as the minutes got into single digits, it was only a matter of time before they found an opening. With Chara driving the net, they nearly tied it but wound up with a power play when Kimmo Timonen hauled him down. The Flyers killed a good chunk but couldn't hold them off when some great passing allowed Recchi to tie it with 2:18 left. The play was started by Team Canada selection Patrice Bergeron, who dished across for Derek Morris. Morris then worked a textbook give-and-go with David Krejci, before firing a shot pass to Recchi in front for a neat redirect to a thunderous ovation. Tie game!
Urged on by the crowd, the Bruins drew another power play when Briere took down another player with 46 ticks left in regulation. To Philly's credit, they killed it off including the remaining 1:14 when it became 4-on-3. Hell. The Bruins almost turned it over at the blueline for what would've been a clean shorthanded breakaway for Mike Richards. Instead, the teams skated four-on-four each going for broke. The Flyers again came close but Thomas said no.
The winner came when Bergeron spun around Richards and then skated down the left wall before firing in front for Sturm, who deflected it home for his club-leading 14th- touching off a nice celebration that included fireworks. Chara started it, also drawing an assist. Just an outstanding play by Bergeron, who's bounced back in a big way with 11 goals and 20 helpers for a team best 31 points to make Canada. Last year, he returned from a concussion playing in 64 games with eight goals and 31 assists totaling 39 points.
Amazing to think that at only 24, he's already in his sixth season. Bergeron was in the same great '03 class as Team USA's Zach Parise, Carter, Richards, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, MA Fleury, E. Staal, Thomas Vanek, Dion Phaneuf, Dustin Brown, Ryan Kesler, Nathan Horton, Milan Michalek, Brent Seabrook, Ryan Suter, Braydon Coburn and Brent Burns. If you're a Ranger or Islander fan, duck and cover. Bergeron wasn't taken till 45th overall with gems Loui Eriksson and Shea Weber also slipping while somehow Joe Pavelski fell to Round 7. Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom went in the eighth round! Jaroslav Halak in Round 9. Rather than focus on the obvious, it's nice to see Bergeron back healthy and returning to form.
Congrats to the B's on a thrilling comeback that moves them temporarily within three of the Sabres, who also play tonight hosting the Thrashers at the bottom of the hour.
BONY 3 Stars:
3rd Star-Patrice Bergeron, Bos (assist, 3 SOG, hit, takeaway, 7-10 draws, +1 in 18:05)
2nd Star-Tim Thomas, Bos (24 saves incl.11/12 in 2nd)
1st Star-Marco Sturm, Bos (Winter Classic OT winner, 3 SOG in 17:29)
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