You know the Bruins actually have been impressive over the last 5 games after starting 0-3. Number one power play, Krejci is on fire, getting tons of goals from Bergeron, Hayes, Connelly, Eriksson. Granted they haven't played uber talent but the Coyotes are #1 in the Pacific and they played the Islanders. Best of all they are back to playing puck possession hockey! Meaning the other team never has the puck and can't score. I just watched a 6-0 shalacking of Arizona.
Thread resurrection. Well this season is pretty weird as a Bruins fan. Pretty streaky. Sometimes they look like a championship team winning puck battles, puck possession, timely scoring from role players, Marchand just making everyone look like pylon on the ice. Then other times they look like an AHL team- bad penalties, can't clear the zone, Rask looking like a roller hockey league goaltender letting beach balls in, Kevin Miller always horrific except when he fights. Thing is you never know when the switch from good to bad is going to happen and when the streak will end. Looked like a great team today against the Rangers as they just shut them down. Loving this Vatrano kid and the Colin Miller kid has been huge. So man has it been unlucky for Price this year or what? What says you Habs fans? Team is still kicking ass though. I'm not as scared about the Winter Classic as I was a week into the season. Should we just rename this thread Bruins vs Canadians?
Ha, yeah, that might not be such a bad idea. (I think it is probably just because our blood boils over more easily - hockey runs deep ) Unfortunately I have not been able to follow the season so far nearly as much as I would like to, due to some extraneous circumstances. But, yeah, Price is really having a run of luck. Which is not all that surprising, as injuries come, but what is really shocking about this situation is how the team - unlike nearly every other year - is actually standing up behind him, and holding it together when he isn't between the pipes. Seems like the norm was wins required him in net, and everyone (Habs included) were relying on him bailing them out. So that is definitely a nice change, and has not hurt their streak at all. It's almost too bad there aren't any Leaf fans on here, then we would really get a [non]conversation going...
If they are here they're in hiding and rightfully so. What a train wreck of a team. And given asshead players like Kadri, Phanuef, Van Riemsdyk, Lupul, it could not happen to a better team lmao! I rather enjoyed the back to back losses they took at the hands of the B's this past week. Favorite Leafs moment all time: i'm an original six guy all the way but it's amusing to me the Leafs are such the weak link. All other 5 franchises have had some success, Leafs? 1967 right?
Did you guys vote for John Scott to be in the All-Star game? He leads the voting from what I saw last time. All-Star games have become worse and worse so why not give it the middle finger and vote in John Scott. https://allstarvote.nhl.com/?cmpid=partner-nhl-fant-asfv-vanity
If a plane crashed into John Scott and wiped him off the planet I'd be happy. What a joke that guy is. NHL should just abandon the all-star game completely and give the players a week rest.
I agree the All Star has become fluff over the years, the game itself is naturally a joke, whereas there isn't really any reason it needs to be, and while the skills competitions are okay, it is a shot of bunk for a little show. I can see why they keep it around, but it has lost any of the import it once held, and I really don't see it as gaining attention to the sport or helping sell the game/the marketing (which is ALL the league is about nowadays). Scratch it and give them a rest, that seems like a fine suggestion to me. If anything I think the players play too much as it is; a shorter season would improve everyone's performance and significantly reduce player injuries. If they also add in more teams, they really need to re-think the schedule - if they are smart that is.
Well Bruins stole that game. I actually had resigned myself to another loss to the Habs. I'm so happy for Loui Erikkson- I always knew he had talent to get things done but just ran into bad luck with concussions, the world beign so focused on what Seguin was doing etc. I hope the B's sign him. He gets in the dirty areas and has a strong D game.
Can I also say how much I hate Pierre Lebrun and most hockey journalists? ESPN, Yahoo, Hockey Night in Canada, SN doesn't matter. I fucking loathe how a bunch of pussy journalists keep pushing to end fighting in the NHL. It's never going away and just because you're a pussy and coward away at any sign of violence, doesn't mean you get to crusade for the end of fighting. I personally love fighting (as long as it's warranted and not staged) and it definitely keeps the cheap-shots in check. So so sick of this debate. Journalists need to report on and not try an influence the NHL. Fact of the matter is MOST NHL players want fighting to remain and have spoken for it. End of debate- so shut it journalists!
Even if you don't like hockey this series is always fun to watch, simply because of how much gametime they show- you feel like you're on the ice and get to experience all the action (as well as what the players say to each other). Watch it free here: http://penaltyboxx.blogspot.com/2015/12 ... inter.html Two digs at the Canadians. Man those suits they wear to games are tacky. Subban you are a diva no matter what you say. Pacioretty grew up a Rangers fan hating the Bruins and now plays for the Canadians? I dislike you even more.
I rather enjoyed that beatdown of Ottawa last night. 7-3 and a brawl at the end. Payback for Ottawa's run last season that put the Bruins out of the playoffs, and I just don't like Ottawa
I feel like you at the beginning of the season, Chris. It's just too hard to watch games anymore. It'd be easy to say the team crumbled when Price got hurt, but they seem to have crumbled both defensively (no decent back-up goalie!) AND offensively (they had the highest goal-for stats in the league, and suddenly they can hardly score one per game). Looks like if the Habs make the playoffs, it will only be because of their early-season cushion.
I never count the Habs out Ollie. Price/ Gallagher will be coming back soon. The season is long and there are always bad stretches. The Canadians will recover. Hell the B's reverted to their losing ways for 3 games in a row, before coming out of the mini funk last night. Unfortunately Krejci is hurt with a bad arm injury I suspect. Chara looks like he really needs to retire. He can't make accurate passes and is error prone all the time now.
I hear you Oli, this last stretch has been really rough. The team has been lacking depth for many seasons now, and yeah, sure you can always talk about injuries, but it is more than that. Considering the play earlier in the season, just makes this self-implosion of the team that much harder to watch. And I don't think any buffer from their record will make up for a playoff berth if they continue down this path. Just got to keep hoping they can rally behind Price when/if he returns and pick it up again - hopefully starting with the outdoor classic. I really dont want to watch them play like this in front of that kind of venue. On a related note, has anyone else noticed how hard it is to watch games anymore? I mean, besides the usual incredible difficulties in sourcing a stream, I am now talking about the actual in-game commentary. I could care less about hearing all the has-beens, wannabees, and whosits between the periods - I have long ago given up on caring about that - what bothers me now though is how much BS is in the game itself. FFS, I am here to watch a hockey game!! If you are not going to give me that, then just shut the eff up. Used to be, at least you had one play guy and one guy doing colour/'other' (i.e. all of the BS), but NOW they have two guys just going on and on about whatever pops into their head, selling some other shit, or pulling up random stats and turning every little thing in 100 different ways - that, guess what, no one cares about. NObody gives a shit what [blank]'s record is when wearing a dark sweater, on the PK, on days of between 4 and 11 degrees, coming off a loss, on a two day road stretch. And even less about the rebuttal stats from the second person. All WHILE PLAY IS GOING ON! Shut your traps and just let me watch the game. I am seriously thinking that you can only watch a game on mute, or on the radio, to really enjoy it. If you are going to talk, describe the play or just f@$k the hell off. Oh, and while I am at it, the same goes for idiotic arenas where they can't bother to actually control the moron operating the soundboard to turn off his favourite Chumbawamba song when the play resumes. F@$k all of this incompetency and just give me back my hockey. /sorry for that, Chris was just sounding far too calm and rational
I love the team we have on the ice right now ! I'd go as far as to pick them for the rest of this season
Welcome to the NHL post lock out! I agree Steve all the chit chat is down right annoying. Especially when most of these clowns had minimal NHL/AHL careers at best if they even played. No one gives a shit about random stats. What's worse is the whole push to end fighting by the media, everyone sings kumbaya holding hands, everyones a winner, talking down to hockey fans about 'the right way to play' etc . Fuck all that noise. This is hockey! Players are going to get banged up, the more physical (whether it's hitting or deking the fuck out of a defenseman) the better. That last game the B's played vs Ottawa totally how every hockey game should be IMO. Marchand's hit on Borowiecki. I'm totally ok with it. Yeah I said it. Fuck this basketball set a pick play. Get to the puck and if someone's in your way get around him. Too bad the DoPS seems to cry at physicality- handing out suspensions for every hit. Head shots I'm not ok with and I can completely see the suspensions on those.
So, lopsided score aside, I was actually impressed with that game. While Boston didn't unfortunately seem to show up much until the third (except for Rask) it was on a level far above the usual winter classics. A good, normal game I thought. Helped too that is wasn't overly cold, preventing the players from really doing anything, nor were there forced to skate on grass (seriously Bettman, you will never be forgiven for that). Nice to have Gally back and see Condon come up with some saves when he had to. I hope this bodes a fine return to form for the Habs in 2016.
That game sucked! B's didn't show up till the last minute or two of the 2nd. Oh yeah guys the game started 2 periods ago- welcome to the game! Rask was left out to dry by the D. He looked like he wanted to murder someone. Bergeron was unsually bad at faceoffs, hell the B's could barely pass. Credit the Habs for never taking the foot off the gas and keeping the pressure up. Chara really really needs to retire. He can't pass anymore and obviously has lost steps in mobility and strength. I don't even think opposing teams fear him anymore unless it's a fight- because those take place sort of flat footed. It's getting pretty old watching him get battered in his own end every night. Oh well game over now back to regular season. I like fights but that business at the end was uncalled for. Poor sportsmenship on the Bruins part and I hate the Habs. I didn't see anythign that warranted it by Montreal. Just accept the loss and move on. No sense taking it out the team that showed up 2 periods before you.
Yeah, it definitely stunk on behalf of Boston, and was kind of an insult to their fans - especially at home and in the kind of venue like that. I just kind of meant how Montreal was playing/treating it like it was a regular hockey game - which it is - as opposed to past outdoor ones which have been like exhibition or a total joke. I can totally get why you'd be pissed, Boston apparently didn't get the memo, and even when the pressure came on they refused to see it. They did bring some physicality, but didn't seem that bothered the further they got behind. I feel for Rask, a lot of pressure on him and he didn't give up any stinkers either, it was just one to put behind. And yeah, that ending was rubbish, salute the 67k fans for showing up, and admit you lost this won.
Boooo-urns!!! Man, what happened there at the end? Do we really need to take the chance for a two-man advantage in a 1-goal game? Then Markov makes a completely bonehead play.....and then just stops playing?? Pretty lame. Habs didn't have their legs tonight, but still could have taken it [surprisingly]. Oh well. At least we didn't get trounced by a touchdown(+) like Toronto. Yikes.
We now have our second all-star player in John Scott ! Don't know what to make of that - Hope he fare better than Parros. I don't understand this trade though since we uncovered Chanel Leszczynski over the weekend
Montreal got Montrealled by Boston tonight! I can't tell you how many games I've watched where Boston would be all over Montreal out-shooting them, only to watch Montreal come down the ice and score and eventually win on only a few shots. Rask was channeling Price tonight to be fair. I haven't seen him this sharp in awhile!
I didn't see the game unfortunately, but this whole Scott thing is just getting completely ridiculous. It was a farce to vote him in (and pretty dumb) but the NHL is only making it worse. I don't blame the fans though, necessary, for this giant CF. It is the league's fault really, for setting up such an utterly stupid system. But why would Montreal even give in to 'soften' the blow of this travesty. I mean, they pick the guy up, and send him to the minors, thus negating any obligations the NHL has towards the all-star game. But give me a break. You asked the fans to vote, and they did. Not to mention, this trade does nothing - for either team really. There must have been some serious backroom dealings to work out between Phoenix, Montreal, and the league, that had better come to light sometime in the future, because this makes even our history of bad trades look thought out. And now of course they have to backtrack (really, how did those heads involved never think that they wouldn't?) and allow him to come to Nashville. So, so stupid. The worst part of this all is that you have uprooted two families, for all these meaningless shenanigans, not to mention John Scott's wife is 8 months pregnant with twins.... I am sure she is thrilled to move to NL right now.
Guys, always wear protection. And, while I presume anyone reading this thread understands the above, just in case they don't (or you just want to feel that cringe):
