Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas
Now there's quite the variety of conclusions after last night's game. I don't think any sane person can say that Bozak didn't get away with one there. And it was unfortunate, no doubt, for the B's that the play eventually led to a Blues' goal. But let me just expand on this a little bit, and hopefully talk some of my B's-loving friends off the ledge this morning. The series is NOT over, and it's all still there to play for. And the great news is, your captain was able to play, and will play better next game.
On the non-call specifically, I go back to what happened to the Blues in OT of Game 3 at home against the Sharks. Horrible non-call of a blatant hand-pass that led directly to the Nyquist GWG in OT. If you think you're aggrieved as a B's fan today … can you imagine being on the receiving end of that one? End of game, and amazingly not reviewable (whereas offsides in the lead-up to a goal is reviewable; please explain? ). No recourse. Of course, there was no guarantee the Blues were going to win that game in OT anyway (and I'll get back to that point shortly). But on a 1-10 scale, it was an 11. Ouch.
So coming back to Game 5 last night … SLB is already up 1-0 when the Bozak slew-foot happens. Let's say it's called. Is there any guarantee the B's score on the resulting PP? Nope - plus their PP hasn't scored in two games now. It changes the course of events afterwards too. Does the Debrusk goal still happen? If you have that crystal ball, please share. The point being, none of us know what would have happened. It could have ended t 1-0 SLB. The B's could have tied it, or won in OT. But, like with the Blues in their Game 3 loss to SJS … who's to say the Blues don't win it in OT anyway?
Even with the non-call … the B's got that goal back not too long afterwards. They had sufficient time to find an equalizer, or perhaps even an equalizer AND a winner. They came close a couple of times; it didn't happen. It's not like this happened in OT and the game was over, with no recourse. You move on.
How the two coaches have handled their business has been revealing to this point. After the Game 3 debacle against SJS, Coach Berube swallowed hard and didn't go there. It was all about flushing that, and getting back to business. I remember in the aftermath of that game, some of the Sharks' players were dismissing the non-call on the hand pass by saying, basically, that "well, we deserved to win anyway". What happens next? The Blues ramp up the physical play, and win 3 straight. Bye SJS.
In this series, Berube pointed out after Game 3 that his team was the least penalized team in the NHL playoffs this year (I'm assuming that's on a per game basis). There was no direct attack on the officials, but the point was made cleverly. He's gotten the desired impact over these last two games. Will it continue to carry forward? Break out that crystal ball again, please.
Coach Cassidy deserves a ton of credit for what he's done in Boston to transform his team from Blues East to a faster and more skilled team. But the very pointed attack last night on the officiating is not going to do his team any favors. He's hardly been the most aggrieved coach in the 2019 playoffs. Should he have said something? Heck yeah. But something more indirect or subtle, like Berube (who ironically as a player was anything but those qualities). I will also add that Cassidy was afflicted with the "clock deathwatch" look for most of the last two periods last night. That look where you're behind, and you constantly look up at the clock as if you're on death row? Listen, I understand, as a coach, you need to know your situation. But there is just looking/checking, and then there's THAT look. I think he is starting to panic a little, feels this one is slipping away on him, and his non-verbal cues were right up (down?) there with his verbal messaging in the post-game. Not the signs of a confident guy.
I'm also scratching my head about the pre-game decision to dress Kampfer and sit Backes. Kampfer is lucky that Rask bailed his butt out several times on some horrendous mistakes later in the game. He added nothing. In the meantime, you have one of the few physical forwards on the roster, playing with a huge chip on his shoulder as the former C of the opposition, sitting up in the stands for the biggest game of the year. Again, I understand, they wanted "Chara insurance" in case it turned out that he couldn't handle it, or got re-injured. But they got nothing out of Kampfer, and they lost an edge that Backes gives them. Dumb but a mistake I doubt the B's will make again in Game 6 (or Game 7, if it gets there, which it still may - get off that ledge! ).
Chara proved himself to be the ultimate warrior, and I thought his mere presence fueled the B's strong first period. He gets my absolute, total, unquestioned respect forever. And if you read my past posts, you know I wasn't surprised to see him play. Was he at his full 42 y.o. speed? No. Was he good enough. Yes. Was it a good thing he played, despite being slowed? Heck yes. And with 3 days between games from here on out, I think Chara's play will continue to improve for the duration.
Another guy with the spoked B who gets my plaudits is a guy I'm not a huge fan of, and that's Rask. I've never been a fan of his playing style, and you guys know how I feel about goalies who spend 90% of the time sliding around on their knees (ugh). We all have our things, and if chickod is revulsed by the all-action physical play of the Blues … well, the new-age goalie style is my pet peeve - I think that sets the game back, and in a sport with such exceptional skill and speed, it's a bad look when you have this huge guy squatting in front of goal, filling up the goal frame, with his head (and sometimes shoulders) still jutting out above the crossbar. Raise the crossbar, please … but I digress. Rask came into the playoffs with a shadowy reputation for not playing well at this time of the season. This year, he has been unassailable. He has unquestionably risen to the occasion, and it is not his fault if the B's lose this series. Even last night, he made several huge stops down the stretch to keep his team in the contest. The first goal wasn't on him, and the second one (putting aside the non-call) was just a really unlucky break.
Another editorial point, while I'm at it … oh, those pesky SOG's told a big lie last night. The B's compiled a significant edge in SOG's but never led in the game, and without Rask saving their bacon several times (plus the amazing Krejci save late in the second period), the Bozak non-call doesn't even factor in. The final score easily could have been 4-1 Blues. I don't think there's any real question that the Blues had the better of the quality scoring chances overall, and they could (should?) have done better to put this one away earlier in the 3rd period.
To sum up … the series has now unquestionably gotten to the point where the Cup is no longer the B's to lose. I thought it might be there after the Game 4 events, and with Chara's injury. Now the Cup is the Blues' Cup to lose. The B's are going to have to dig really deep to turn this one around now. This is what the Sharks were looking like after Game 5 in their conference finals series a couple of weeks ago. Some of their guys are indeed digging deep … Chara, Rask, Bergeron, Krug (who is trying hard to pick up the slack) and a few others. Others have gone a little quiet. Those 4 guys are going to have to convince the rest of their teammates this is still do-able. I'm not sure their coach did them any favors with that last night.
My prediction is, the B's get out quickly against a slightly overconfident Blues team on Sunday night, and force a Game 7 for all the marbles next Wednesday night in Boston. Have at it, folks.
Originally posted by chickod
View Post
Originally posted by Fishman'81
View Post
Originally posted by Snively65
View Post
On the non-call specifically, I go back to what happened to the Blues in OT of Game 3 at home against the Sharks. Horrible non-call of a blatant hand-pass that led directly to the Nyquist GWG in OT. If you think you're aggrieved as a B's fan today … can you imagine being on the receiving end of that one? End of game, and amazingly not reviewable (whereas offsides in the lead-up to a goal is reviewable; please explain? ). No recourse. Of course, there was no guarantee the Blues were going to win that game in OT anyway (and I'll get back to that point shortly). But on a 1-10 scale, it was an 11. Ouch.
So coming back to Game 5 last night … SLB is already up 1-0 when the Bozak slew-foot happens. Let's say it's called. Is there any guarantee the B's score on the resulting PP? Nope - plus their PP hasn't scored in two games now. It changes the course of events afterwards too. Does the Debrusk goal still happen? If you have that crystal ball, please share. The point being, none of us know what would have happened. It could have ended t 1-0 SLB. The B's could have tied it, or won in OT. But, like with the Blues in their Game 3 loss to SJS … who's to say the Blues don't win it in OT anyway?
Even with the non-call … the B's got that goal back not too long afterwards. They had sufficient time to find an equalizer, or perhaps even an equalizer AND a winner. They came close a couple of times; it didn't happen. It's not like this happened in OT and the game was over, with no recourse. You move on.
How the two coaches have handled their business has been revealing to this point. After the Game 3 debacle against SJS, Coach Berube swallowed hard and didn't go there. It was all about flushing that, and getting back to business. I remember in the aftermath of that game, some of the Sharks' players were dismissing the non-call on the hand pass by saying, basically, that "well, we deserved to win anyway". What happens next? The Blues ramp up the physical play, and win 3 straight. Bye SJS.
In this series, Berube pointed out after Game 3 that his team was the least penalized team in the NHL playoffs this year (I'm assuming that's on a per game basis). There was no direct attack on the officials, but the point was made cleverly. He's gotten the desired impact over these last two games. Will it continue to carry forward? Break out that crystal ball again, please.
Coach Cassidy deserves a ton of credit for what he's done in Boston to transform his team from Blues East to a faster and more skilled team. But the very pointed attack last night on the officiating is not going to do his team any favors. He's hardly been the most aggrieved coach in the 2019 playoffs. Should he have said something? Heck yeah. But something more indirect or subtle, like Berube (who ironically as a player was anything but those qualities). I will also add that Cassidy was afflicted with the "clock deathwatch" look for most of the last two periods last night. That look where you're behind, and you constantly look up at the clock as if you're on death row? Listen, I understand, as a coach, you need to know your situation. But there is just looking/checking, and then there's THAT look. I think he is starting to panic a little, feels this one is slipping away on him, and his non-verbal cues were right up (down?) there with his verbal messaging in the post-game. Not the signs of a confident guy.
I'm also scratching my head about the pre-game decision to dress Kampfer and sit Backes. Kampfer is lucky that Rask bailed his butt out several times on some horrendous mistakes later in the game. He added nothing. In the meantime, you have one of the few physical forwards on the roster, playing with a huge chip on his shoulder as the former C of the opposition, sitting up in the stands for the biggest game of the year. Again, I understand, they wanted "Chara insurance" in case it turned out that he couldn't handle it, or got re-injured. But they got nothing out of Kampfer, and they lost an edge that Backes gives them. Dumb but a mistake I doubt the B's will make again in Game 6 (or Game 7, if it gets there, which it still may - get off that ledge! ).
Chara proved himself to be the ultimate warrior, and I thought his mere presence fueled the B's strong first period. He gets my absolute, total, unquestioned respect forever. And if you read my past posts, you know I wasn't surprised to see him play. Was he at his full 42 y.o. speed? No. Was he good enough. Yes. Was it a good thing he played, despite being slowed? Heck yes. And with 3 days between games from here on out, I think Chara's play will continue to improve for the duration.
Another guy with the spoked B who gets my plaudits is a guy I'm not a huge fan of, and that's Rask. I've never been a fan of his playing style, and you guys know how I feel about goalies who spend 90% of the time sliding around on their knees (ugh). We all have our things, and if chickod is revulsed by the all-action physical play of the Blues … well, the new-age goalie style is my pet peeve - I think that sets the game back, and in a sport with such exceptional skill and speed, it's a bad look when you have this huge guy squatting in front of goal, filling up the goal frame, with his head (and sometimes shoulders) still jutting out above the crossbar. Raise the crossbar, please … but I digress. Rask came into the playoffs with a shadowy reputation for not playing well at this time of the season. This year, he has been unassailable. He has unquestionably risen to the occasion, and it is not his fault if the B's lose this series. Even last night, he made several huge stops down the stretch to keep his team in the contest. The first goal wasn't on him, and the second one (putting aside the non-call) was just a really unlucky break.
Another editorial point, while I'm at it … oh, those pesky SOG's told a big lie last night. The B's compiled a significant edge in SOG's but never led in the game, and without Rask saving their bacon several times (plus the amazing Krejci save late in the second period), the Bozak non-call doesn't even factor in. The final score easily could have been 4-1 Blues. I don't think there's any real question that the Blues had the better of the quality scoring chances overall, and they could (should?) have done better to put this one away earlier in the 3rd period.
To sum up … the series has now unquestionably gotten to the point where the Cup is no longer the B's to lose. I thought it might be there after the Game 4 events, and with Chara's injury. Now the Cup is the Blues' Cup to lose. The B's are going to have to dig really deep to turn this one around now. This is what the Sharks were looking like after Game 5 in their conference finals series a couple of weeks ago. Some of their guys are indeed digging deep … Chara, Rask, Bergeron, Krug (who is trying hard to pick up the slack) and a few others. Others have gone a little quiet. Those 4 guys are going to have to convince the rest of their teammates this is still do-able. I'm not sure their coach did them any favors with that last night.
My prediction is, the B's get out quickly against a slightly overconfident Blues team on Sunday night, and force a Game 7 for all the marbles next Wednesday night in Boston. Have at it, folks.
Comment