UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Season?

[HockeyRef]

Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get all the doom and gloom? Perhaps it’s just a way to be surprised, but not all that disappointed. Obviously anything can happen, but Boston should be a clear favorite...

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26806175/2019-stanley-cup-final-numbers-how-bruins-blues-match-up

As for the Bruins long layoff the Blues have sat around for nearly a week themselves. Their enthusiasm, puck skills and goaltending are just as likely to be impacted negatively as Boston’s...

As for the Blues’ huge home-ice advantage - St Louis is 5-5 in the playoffs at home this season. By comparison the Bruins are 6-3. Boston is also 6-2 on the road and has had no problem winning in hostile playoff atmospheres...

As for St Louis’ hot stretch of three in a row, Boston is won six in a row...

As for Boston’s playoff opponents - Toronto is an elite team, Columbus was as talented as any one post-trade deadline and Im pretty sure they mentioned Carolina had one of the top-five records in the NHL much of the second half of the season...

As for being due - there’s no such thing. I doubt these Blues will find experience or good fortune from the 70’s Blues struggles (or Pesky holding the ball, etc.). if anyone’s ‘due’ recent history might tell you it’s been an uncharacteristically long time since Boston won a title based on how often the city wins titles these days...

Boston has the best forward line in the series, the more balanced offensive attack, the better GF/GA ranking, the far better PP, the far better PK and a more experienced (and far hotter) goaltender in Rask (1.84/.942 to Binnington’s 2.36/.914)...

Boston’s top line is a +15 (18:3) at even-strength play while STL’s is -1 (5:6). Boston’s top D-Pair is +8 (13:5). STL’s is +1 (7:6)...

Overall Boston has much more post-season and Stanley Cup experience and the intangible ‘leadership’ edge...

And honestly, if storylines have any impact on a series Boston being an obnoxious winner, winning its third title in a year and owning St Louis (Sox twice, Pats essentially twice) in the last fifteen years destroys last original expansion team to win on the ‘fate-meter’...

I mean, things happen - but Boston has plenty of reason to be optimistic. Everything that many are SO high on for St Louis is overshadowed by Boston’s results in the same categories. It’s the ‘I tout and overvalue the regular dude/team for doing less than the superstar/great team because I don’t expect it from one and take it for granted from the other’ argument in a nut shell...

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Also, Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, Alabama and Oklahoma State advance to the WCWS. Only OSU won as a road underdog. The winner likely comes from the top (first) three listed - but if there’s a spoiler look for #8 Alabama or #13 OSU to fill that role...

No doom and gloom here! Go Bruinssssss!!! B’s in 5! 😉

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

After a shaky start, the B's survive game one, largely by outshooting the Blues 18-3 in the second, score 4 unanswered goals. Another great game by the 4th line (again). PP was so - so...gotta be better game 2! A win's a win....go Bruins!

Ps...Torey (scorey) Krug is the man!!! BOOM!

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

I think that the B's third and fourth lines and the third D pair earned their minutes tonight. The spare cogs?

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Hey Chickie - you seem to have some issues. Explain that paranoid Toronto fantasy to me, please?

They do the replay review in Toronto. Yeah, it's the "league" office but you don't think a lot of those people grew up as either Leafs fans or at least "Canadian teams" fans? Same with MLB in New York? Hopefully it won't come into play. It's difficult to completely eradicate bias from your hometown, etc.

On the other hand, I guess I shouldn't be too upset. I could be a (former) Expos or DRW fan.

[Snively65]

After a shaky start, the B's survive game one, largely by outshooting the Blues 18-3 in the second, score 4 unanswered goals. Another great game by the 4th line (again). PP was so - so...gotta be better game 2! A win's a win....go Bruins!

Ps...Torey (scorey) Krug is the man!!! BOOM!

Yes, gotta like helmetless Krug's clean open-ice hit on Roberts after getting mauled by Perron.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

The Blues scored 8 out of a possible 10 on the Fraud-O-Meter last night. After looking pretty solid after what was in retrospect the B's wandering around for the first 20+ minutes of the game knocking off the rust, the Blues largely went MIA for the duration. Dumb penalties didn't help them either, and the B's did catch a huge break when Chara should have gone out for smashing one of the Blues' sticks in half during a (rare) PK that should have turned into a 5-on-3. But even if it took them into the 3rd period to net the game-winner, it felt inevitable as soon as the B's drew level in the 2nd period. Only Binnington can look himself in the mirror today without shame.

Joel Edmundson will be taking over the role of Dougie Hamilton in this series, in case you were wondering.

The bigger team played like a bunch of pansies for the last 40 minutes, and they looked like they were skating in quicksand. If it doesn't change tomorrow night, this is going to be a short series.

Coach Berube … it's up to you now. Too many "deer in the headlights" looks last night on your bench, and you were one of the way-too-many Bambi's who had no clue what to do.

[chickod]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

The Blues scored 8 out of a possible 10 on the Fraud-O-Meter last night.

Or, an alternative way to look at it. The Bruins are 1) more talented 2) faster 3) more experienced. The real "frauds" are the teams that lost to the Blues (are you listening San Jose....AGAIN?) I like Tony Amonte's take after the game on Felger's show. I paraphrase: "The Blues are not a team that generates a lot of offense and they have to win with their defense." That sounds an awful lot like the Claude Julien approach. It doesn't work. You can't win every game 1-0.

[Dan]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Or, an alternative way to look at it. The Bruins are 1) more talented 2) faster 3) more experienced. The real "frauds" are the teams that lost to the Blues (are you listening San Jose....AGAIN?) I like Tony Amonte's take after the game on Felger's show. I paraphrase: "The Blues are not a team that generates a lot of offense and they have to win with their defense." That sounds an awful lot like the Claude Julien approach. It doesn't work. You can't win every game 1-0.

Agree. They just don't match up. The Blues were only in that game because of a failed clear and a horrendous turnover that gifted them a pair of early goals and a 2-0 lead. Once the Bruins started skating and the rust shook off their puck-handling/passing/receiving it was men against boys. St. Louis' only hope now is that Boston cannot maintain that level of output. Regardless of whether STL can play a bit better, if the Bruins continue to play like that (with the assumption that the PP only gets sharper with reps) its over...

[msprice]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Andrew Potarulski is leading in scoring and plus/minus in the Calder Cup playoffs.

[Snively65]

Andrew Potarulski is leading in scoring and plus/minus in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Canes could have used that scoring touch against the B's. :-)

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Andrew Potarulski is leading in scoring and plus/minus in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Hang a banner

[Snively65]

Agree. They just don't match up. The Blues were only in that game because of a failed clear and a horrendous turnover that gifted them a pair of early goals and a 2-0 lead. Once the Bruins started skating and the rust shook off their puck-handling/passing/receiving it was men against boys. St. Louis' only hope now is that Boston cannot maintain that level of output. Regardless of whether STL can play a bit better, if the Bruins continue to play like that (with the assumption that the PP only gets sharper with reps) its over...

Hmmm. If you say so.

[Dan]

Hmmm. If you say so.

Good for the Blues - they were the hungrier team and played the better game (but that’s just as much on the Bruins as it is the Blues, IMO). Boston still in control and with all the evidence they need to know they have to be better. And they likely will be much better moving forward. Bruins in five or six - nothing has changed for me. We will see...

Blues improve to 8-3 on the road this post-season where they’ve been much better than they’ve been at home (5-5). Bruins have been equally strong on the road as they’ve been at The Garden.

One assist and an ENG for Boston’s top-line. I don’t expect that to continue?

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas

Go Andrew!!!! They might just hang that banner...
Bruins...hope your prediction holds true Dan agree it’s still theirs to lose but gotta have some big games outta that top line. They know that and I expect a better showing in the next one.

[Snively65]

Good for the Blues - they were the hungrier team and played the better game (but that’s just as much on the Bruins as it is the Blues, IMO). Boston still in control and with all the evidence they need to know they have to be better. And they likely will be much better moving forward. Bruins in five or six - nothing has changed for me. We will see...

Blues improve to 8-3 on the road this post-season where they’ve been much better than they’ve been at home (5-5). Bruins have been equally strong on the road as they’ve been at The Garden.

One assist and an ENG for Boston’s top-line. I don’t expect that to continue?

Are you questioning yourself, Dan?

If it were not for the B's fourth line and third D pair, the Blues would be heading home up 2-0.