Tampa Bay vs Boston

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs. Boston Bruins (A2)

Saturday, April 28, 3pm: Bruins @ Lightning | NBC, SN, TVA Sports

Monday, April 30, 7pm: Bruins @ Lightning | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Wednesday, May 2, 7pm: Lightning @ Bruins | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

Friday, May 4, 7pm: Lightning @ Bruins | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports

*Sunday, May 6, TBD: Bruins @ Lightning | TBD

*Tuesday, May 8, TBD: Lightning @ Bruins | TBD

*Thursday, May 10, TBD: Bruins @ Lightning | TBD

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Lightning in 6

[chippa13 1844]

Can't wait to see all the detractors railing against the Bauer holder system.

[chippa13 1844]

Nobody expected this result in game 1. Was Stamkos even in the building?

[stick9 892]

I was wondering if Rick and Riley switched jerseys.

Rask should have known the rule in regards to equipment. I was a little disappointed that he sort of gave up on that play. He was lucky his little freak out didn’t cost them.

[gerbe3:16 19]

1 hour ago, stick9 said:

I was wondering if Rick and Riley switched jerseys.

Rask should have known the rule in regards to equipment. I was a little disappointed that he sort of gave up on that play. He was lucky his little freak out didn’t cost them.

Tampa got almost every break in this one and still got lit up.  If Rick Nash gets going, look out.  Bergeron, Pasta, Marchand is an absolute wrecking ball as it is.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Much better result this time! I was worried that stinker was going to end up leading to a comeback but Tampa didn’t let it happen. 

[chippa13 1844]

Sure helps when you get the 4 minute high stick that wasn't and a play that was a slash all year long that takes away a scoring chance doesn't get called.

I think I saw Stamkos on a milk carton.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

What, no whining about the icing too?

[chippa13 1844]

When the overwhelming concensus of impartial folks call out the officiating then, as they say, where there's smoke there's fire. At least I didn't have to suffer through Emrick tonight so there's a silver lining.

[stick9 892]

The slash was a weak call, period. We all know it. As Millbury pointed out, if that's a call in the 1st then it's a call in the 3rd, which we found out it wasn't. Not a great game for the stripes. Look, I hate blaming them. I hate when fans use them as an excuse. They aren't the reason Boston lost, but that doesn't mean they didn't call a shit game, obviously they did.

 

[chippa13 1844]

I actually hated the "own highstick" call that put them down for 4 minutes more. There have been tough calls all over the place. I think the Pens got robbed of a goal Sunday because the ref was way too slow in getting to the net.

[chippa13 1844]

Spotting them 2 goals in the first 4 minutes isn't exactly a recipe for success.

[Cosmic 178]

Sure the officiating went the way of TBL in Game 3. But, due to the way that BOS plays some may say physical, some may say dirty. I have no problem with physical, which I see as a hard body check on a puck carrier- but dirty is checking non puck carriers and all the incessant slashing- I think that Boston does this more than other teams, by design and in a calculated fashion in the playoffs because they know they will get away with it- and I think that they are right, and they generally do get away with more than what they get called for.

For example:

In today's Game, the hit from Kreiji on Killorn at the end of the second period. Really? It's playoff hockey, and it's the Bruins, so they let it go.

How about after the Cirelli potential penalty shot trip, as he approached a loose puck on an empty neck. After the penalty, and after he got up (and approached the boards), he got late hit and boarded by 2 guys. Playoff hockey, and it's the Bruins, so no call. And it was late I guess, and a penalty had already been called on the trip so fine. But what, a non-puck carrier, with his back to the puck, just getting up and gaining composure, is fair game to be targeted? Where is Player Safety in this?

In Game 2, I think that Paquette or some grinder on TBL dumped the puck. It hit Krug or some BOS D man in the helmet- maybe intentional, maybe an accident. Regardless, it was a WEAK hit to the helmet, definitely not a penalty, and Krug takes offense and slashes the guy as he goes in to chase the dumped puck. How do the refs miss that? It was so clearly a slash and should have been a penalty. This was the guys on the puck, no excuse to miss that call.

Game 1, Marchand blatantly crosschecks Point in the back, as Point makes an innocent pass out of his D zone. Again, how do the refs not see this?

And was the Marchand Vulcan neck pinch in game 1 or 2? And all the licking in the TOR series? How does he get away with this? He's a repeat offender and the NHL has the film. Why? Is this good for the game? Is this what the NHL is all about, and/or what the fans want to see?

I also saw the Stralman slash on Marchand when he was on a breakaway. Sure, that should have been a call. The refs missed it. Maybe they thought, "it is Marchand, and he is getting slashed, does not compute does not compute does not compute what do we do?"

The only other time that I have seen a team aside from the Bruins get away with consistently egregious dirty/ constantly slashing./ constantly roughing guys up well after the play, was during the NYR cup run in 2014, when the NYR targeted Giroux and just punished him every time he touched the puck, often late after he passed. Playoff hockey? I guess. That was the same year that John Moore got a multiple game suspension for what looked like a basic hit on a guy speeding through the neutral zone, where Moore's shoulder happened to meet the guy's head since Moore is 6'3, and the other guy was shorter and had his head down. Anyway, I digress. 

The point is, that I think the game would be better if the refs just shut down what I feel the Bruins are known for, and get away with more than anyone else, across the board (starting with Boston). 

Full disclosure- I have absolutely hated the Bruins since I was a kid, and am a NYR fan. I like TBL because they got alot of my favorite NYR guys, and how can one not like Stamkos, Kucherov, Hedman. and Palat They are skilled and classy and are not up to any antics- they just play hard and play well- with style, skill and class. I can't say that about the BOS teams over the years. BOS teams play hard; I will give them that.

Anyway yea I am biased as can be so there lol.

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by Cosmic

[stick9 892]

52 minutes ago, Cosmic said:

 The point is, that I think the game would be better if the refs just shut down what I feel the Bruins are known for, and get away with more than anyone else, across the board (starting with Boston). 

Full disclosure- I have absolutely hated the Bruins since I was a kid, and am a NYR fan. I like TBL because they got alot of my favorite NYR guys, and how can one not like Stamkos, Kucherov, Hedman. and Palat They are skilled and classy and are not up to any antics- they just play hard and play well- with style, skill and class. I can't say that about the BOS teams over the years. BOS teams play hard; I will give them that.

Anyway yea I am biased as can be so there lol.

 

You should have led with that and saved people the time in reading the entire post.

I think you're painting the entire team with the Marchand brush and not giving the proper credit to guys like Bergeron, Krejci, DeBrusk & Pastanak. But you've admitted you hate them, so I don't expect you to be fair.

[chippa13 1844]

For a second I thought that post had a different author.

As for the officiating, I'm still praying for consistency, from game to game and from period to period. Pastrnak getting 4 minutes for the high stick that wasn't in game 2 and then no call being made last night on the swipe right across Chara's face kind of peeved me a little. My favorite Pierre moment came last night when he was talking about Marchand's slashing penalty. Pierre was admonishing Marchand because of the zero tolerance slash which will always be called and then the producers decide to show the Stralman chop from game 2 on Marchand that wasn't called.

As for this series, if the Bruins can't find a way to come out with better starts and generate some 5 on 5 goals then this thing will be over right quick.

[Cosmic 178]

8 hours ago, stick9 said:

You should have led with that and saved people the time in reading the entire post.

I think you're painting the entire team with the Marchand brush and not giving the proper credit to guys like Bergeron, Krejci, DeBrusk & Pastanak. But you've admitted you hate them, so I don't expect you to be fair.

Touche.

I will also say, that I hate the Bruins so much, that I actually tune in when I might not otherwise, just to root for them to lose (2014 series vs. PIT, and 2014 SCF vs Blackhawks, plus this series vs. TBL). So, perhaps the NHL knows what it is doing by letting guys like Marchand get away with his antics.

I could be biased too because I went to some playoff games (1988 maybe?) during the NJ Devils first Cup run, pre-Brodeur/ Stevens/ etc, around 1988, and I recall the Bruins goonery was strong in that series, so yea I have been forever influenced. I had not really chosen a team yet, I just enjoyed hockey at the time and naturally supported the home team (NJ Devils). 

[EvilPepe 24]

I don't (personally) know of many Tampa fans that wouldn't agree that the officials were awful in the last game.

I know they exist, I just don't associate with them.

[stick9 892]

10 hours ago, Cosmic said:

Touche.

I will also say, that I hate the Bruins so much, that I actually tune in when I might not otherwise, just to root for them to lose (2014 series vs. PIT, and 2014 SCF vs Blackhawks, plus this series vs. TBL). So, perhaps the NHL knows what it is doing by letting guys like Marchand get away with his antics.

I could be biased too because I went to some playoff games (1988 maybe?) during the NJ Devils first Cup run, pre-Brodeur/ Stevens/ etc, around 1988, and I recall the Bruins goonery was strong in that series, so yea I have been forever influenced. I had not really chosen a team yet, I just enjoyed hockey at the time and naturally supported the home team (NJ Devils). 

That form of goonery is long gone. This team is way different than the one that bruised it's way to the finals in 2011 or even the one that lost to the Hawks in two years later. 

Yes, they play hard. Yes they finish checks. Yes Marchand crosses line and often. But the Lucic's and Shawn Thornton's of the past have been replaced by likes of Kurlay and Debrusk. Two guys that play hard, finish their checks but aren't pulling any "antics". I've seen a lot of different Bruin teams. If I am honest, this is probably my favorite. They really are fun to watch. 

And to get us back on track. Must win situation tonight. You can't head back to Tampa down 3-1 and expect to win the series. It didn't work for Toronto...

Edited May 4, 2018 by stick9

[chippa13 1844]

Donato will finally be in the lineup. Adding that skill could be just the thing to help them 5 on 5 as they'll have plenty of that skill up and down the lineup.

[chippa13 1844]

Tying goal never should have happened. If that missed trip on McAvoy was a play the other way people on this site would have lost their shit.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Here we go with the complaining again. 

[chippa13 1844]

Aren't you late for a venting spot post about how some company, car, or other such shit disappointed you?

[IPv6Freely 2093]

Wow, brilliant. 

[chippa13 1844]

What, we haven't moved on to simply critiquing content rather than discussing the series?