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Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas
Just a quick post-mortem. Not sure that it was a "bad matchup" as much as the Bruins didn't handle it well. When you blow out a team twice (7-2 and 5-1) it's hardly a bad matchup. Rather, they just stopped doing the things they needed to do. The way to beat this team is to SKATE. Utilize your speed. I don't know what was up with that first line but they were comatose. It will be interesting to see if it ever comes out whether or not Bergeron was hurt. On the other hand, I'd be "hurt" too if I had those two wingers (shocking, I know, but it's true). Pastrnak was absolute garbage. He fanned on the puck more times than there are integers to count. He played like he was drugged half the series. Marchand fiddles and diddles too much, and on the one play that COULD HAVE gotten them back in game 7 (Binnington unable to push off from his left to his right, leaving half the net WIDE open), he shoots it right into his belly. The cliche "Your best players have to be your best players" was certainly borne out in this series and this line fell flat on its collective face. It's almost inexplicable. I think the key to this series was the Bruins got suckering into playing the Blues game instead of using their superior speed and skating. They should have gone around them like traffic cones and finished this thing. Instead, they engaged them and tried to match the rough stuff. You notice how there was NO hitting in Game 7, but the Bruins were pressing by then and it was too late. The longer you let someone hang around, the more confidence they gain. They weren't going to win in Chicago in Game 7 in 2013, but THIS one was there for the taking. It's going to hurt for a long time.
Originally posted by Chuck Murray
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Regardless of rooting interests and predictions, hopefully we can all agree that this year's SCF provided lots of entertainment, drama and storylines. It will be interesting to see if there are any attempted "copycats" out there trying to mimic the Blues' reliance on the heavy game. I heard or read someone saying this was two years in a row - and I'm not sure I'm ready to put the Blues in the same company as the Capitals, but I do see an LA Kings' blueprint - but while the overall trend has been away from physical play, it's interesting any time a team bucks the trend and has success like this.
Honest question to the B's fans ... there was heavy booing of Commish Bettman in the midst of the post-game ceremonies. I know he usually gets razzed a certain amount any time he shows up to hand out the Cup, but this seemed pretty loud. Is there something specifically bad in the Bettman-B's history beyond "the usual"? It sounded to me more like Pats' fans screaming at Goodell (understandable). Just curious. Anyway ...
I agree, HR - this one shouldn't be dropped on Rask's doorstep. I'm not sure there's much he could have done on Goals 1, 3 & 4. And Goal 2 - which I agree with Tony Amonte was the back-breaker at the end of the first period - should be laid squarely on the doorstep of Marchand, who was inexplicably looking to get off the ice for a line change in his own end, with less than 10 seconds left in the period. Not sure if that's on him or on his coach, but it was a shocking lack of game awareness at the worst possible time. One goal down after one, that's not ideal but still manageable. Down two felt catastrophic.
GM Sweeney will have his work cut out for him, trying to keep this bunch in SC contention. I thought Krejci played well but was underutilized. You can see him not coming back. No one is talking about whether Chara is coming back, so I assume he's planning to come back. He is going to be tough to replace when he retires, even at his current age. Carlo certainly isn't ready yet to take on a first pairing role on a team capable of Cup contention.
Yeah, the SOG fallacy took another hit last night.
My "score first and you can have your lousy SOG's" fared pretty well, too. And that silly "the two goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey" took it square in the shorts too. 
Never has a lead felt more safe than the Blues' two goal lead over the final 40 minutes of last night's game. I was having flashbacks to the '71 SCF and Ken Dryden shutting down the powerful Big Bad Bruins of the Orr Era in the first period. Kind of surprised they didn't give the Conn Smythe to Binnington, or even to Pietrangelo. O'Reilly should be a top Selke candidate though.
The "FWIW" disclaimer pretty much admits it might be a worthless observation to some, 'dc.
But the Cup was the B's to lose for over a month, from the day the first round of the playoffs ended, right up through the middle of this SCF series. Plowing through an Eastern field of the Islanders, 'Canes and Blue Jackets was pretty much a given. It's too bad the B's ended up facing the wrong team in the Finals, as it's probably the only one from what was left in the West who was going to give them a run for their money. It was just a bad match-up, but even at that, the B's were the solid favorites and did not close the deal. Don't shoot the messenger.
Honest question to the B's fans ... there was heavy booing of Commish Bettman in the midst of the post-game ceremonies. I know he usually gets razzed a certain amount any time he shows up to hand out the Cup, but this seemed pretty loud. Is there something specifically bad in the Bettman-B's history beyond "the usual"? It sounded to me more like Pats' fans screaming at Goodell (understandable). Just curious. Anyway ...
I agree, HR - this one shouldn't be dropped on Rask's doorstep. I'm not sure there's much he could have done on Goals 1, 3 & 4. And Goal 2 - which I agree with Tony Amonte was the back-breaker at the end of the first period - should be laid squarely on the doorstep of Marchand, who was inexplicably looking to get off the ice for a line change in his own end, with less than 10 seconds left in the period. Not sure if that's on him or on his coach, but it was a shocking lack of game awareness at the worst possible time. One goal down after one, that's not ideal but still manageable. Down two felt catastrophic.
GM Sweeney will have his work cut out for him, trying to keep this bunch in SC contention. I thought Krejci played well but was underutilized. You can see him not coming back. No one is talking about whether Chara is coming back, so I assume he's planning to come back. He is going to be tough to replace when he retires, even at his current age. Carlo certainly isn't ready yet to take on a first pairing role on a team capable of Cup contention.
Yeah, the SOG fallacy took another hit last night.
My "score first and you can have your lousy SOG's" fared pretty well, too. And that silly "the two goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey" took it square in the shorts too. Never has a lead felt more safe than the Blues' two goal lead over the final 40 minutes of last night's game. I was having flashbacks to the '71 SCF and Ken Dryden shutting down the powerful Big Bad Bruins of the Orr Era in the first period. Kind of surprised they didn't give the Conn Smythe to Binnington, or even to Pietrangelo. O'Reilly should be a top Selke candidate though. The "FWIW" disclaimer pretty much admits it might be a worthless observation to some, 'dc.
But the Cup was the B's to lose for over a month, from the day the first round of the playoffs ended, right up through the middle of this SCF series. Plowing through an Eastern field of the Islanders, 'Canes and Blue Jackets was pretty much a given. It's too bad the B's ended up facing the wrong team in the Finals, as it's probably the only one from what was left in the West who was going to give them a run for their money. It was just a bad match-up, but even at that, the B's were the solid favorites and did not close the deal. Don't shoot the messenger.
) so take that for what it's worth. Look at it with the shoe on the other foot, maybe??
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