April 17, 2011

The Worst Kind of Hangover

The Bruins have come too far this season to end it like this. They can't do this to me, they just can't. My head is throbbing, I feel physically ill and embarassed looking down at the spoked B on my shirt.

My observations over the first two games.

-They aren't taking advantage of their opportunities. The Habs handed them some golden chances. But pucks kept rolling off sticks, countless turnovers, and all-around sloppy play.

-Shots. While the Bruins are getting a ton of shots on net, almost 99.9999% of those shots are right smack into Carey Price. Come on. Any professional goaltender can save these shots. Price is by NO MEANS standing on his head. They NEED to crash the net and pepper Price with any sort of shot. With clear shooting lanes he WILL see the puck and thus, save said puck. This is NOT rocket science and I'm getting so angry thinking about it. Create traffic in front of Price, force him to cough up rebounds, and put the God damned puck in the net.

-The Habs know the key to win a game against us is to keep the scoring low- play defensively and expose our weakness; which right now, is mainly the defense, puck control and turnovers. Bruins defensemen are having an awfully hard time controlling the puck and the Habs know it. They've got our number. We need to change something. The Habs keep lofting the puck in the air, over the Bruins heads into the neutral zone and it messes up the flow and the Bruins have to start over. Rinse and repeat. This happens OVER and OVER. And over. I'm not really sure why they haven't altered their game plan. It seems like such a simple fix. They desperately need to control and possess the puck better and it all comes down to hard, clean passes.

-WTF Defense. Best quote I've heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub today, "If you're gonna play a defensive style, you gotta have good defensemen."

Chara- I'm not going to rip on the big guy. He was dehydrated..whatever.. just get him some water and get him back in the game. We need him; the Habs are scared of him.

Seidenberg- By far our best defensemen throughout this playoff series so far. But we can't rely on one guy to do everything and play the entire game; he will tire eventually. Also, he did have some turnovers but I forgive him because he's played better than any other d-man.

Kaberle- Is it too late to get Mark Stuart back? I kid, I kid. Kaberle needs to calm the heck down. Or something. He seems nervous; he either loses the puck at the point, makes some weird pass off the boards that ends up on a Hab's stick, or he just stands still with the puck and doesn't shoot or pass it. When we first got him, he was patient in a good way. He was calm, cool and collected. Now, he's just..not. I'm so confused by him so I'm just going to leave it at that.

Ference- Inconsistency at it's finest. Made some good plays in Game 2, stepped up when he needed to but produced nothing. He's a smart guy. Tries to do the right things but perhaps is lacking in the skill department. Also, its a problem when I praise him for getting a shot thats relatively close to the net (i.e. 3-5 ft radius)due to his awful aim.

Boychuk- He's a mess. Trust me, I love the hip checks and open ice hits as much as the next guy. But what in tarnation has happened to Johnny Boychuk? Whenever he's at the point, I expect failure now. I am pleasantly surprised if he keeps it in at the point. He didn't have this problem in the regular season. He's scrambling around, his passes are sloppy and rushed. Leads to turnovers. Had a turnover then tried to redeem himself...by covering the wrong guy. He covers the wrong guy in front of the net almost always- and leaves another player open who ultimately gets a scoring chance. I'm so disappointed in his game and he seems like such a good guy; He has a lot of heart and I'm really pulling for Boychuk. I hope he doesn't become emotionally unstable like my next target.

McQuaid- Poor Adam. He looks terrified during warmups, while on the bench, and during the game. And terrified is how I feel when I see him at the point. He's such a tough guy sometimes...stands up for teammates and uses his strength but it seems like he's been lacking in this series.

Hnidy- Played like..4 minutes last night and got into a fight. But I respect the Hell out of him for it. His heart's in the right place-- even if he is never in the right place on the ice.


All negativity aside, for now at least, I have hope for this team. They ARE talented despite what some people may think. They ARE better than the Habs. They are in a bigger hole than they think they are. But they can do it. I know they can. But will they? We'll see. And whether they win Game 3, or end up facing elimination in Game 4...you know I'll be on the edge of my seat no matter what, hoping and praying for a miracle.

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