The one stop, all Bruins thread!

Sorry guys but as they noted during the game, Zdeno Chara isn't playing 100%.  Price is netminding like an All-Star right now so I don't care if Chara was at 80%; not sure I agree with that choice either.  If he was up against another goalie, I could maybe see it but not against Price.

 I agree gents! that was a huge point tonite.The shoot out roster was horrible.We got a couple days off to let chara rest. lets go kick some mapleleaf a$$!!! Go Bruins

Yeah, but even at 80% I like the chances of Chara ripping a slapshot at a goalie from 40 to 60 feet.  That will still be flying fast enough to not get stopped if it's heading towards an open part of the net, you know?

  Ya hux,his slapshot is wicked!!!!! The bend in his stick when he comes through is amazing!!!!Not to many goalies want to let that shot make it to the body! lets finish strong here!!!!

I like Phil Kessel guys.   Just give him time......

not sure if any of you cats are watching the calgary / minnesota game, but that phaneuf goal  was just incredible.  he goes the length of the ice and ends up beating a four-on-one situation to score!  why the F can't any of our D-men be that incredible???  I'd pack Wideman's bags for him if we could get someone with half the talent of Dionne Phaneuf!

Hey Hux...its sure been awhile. I had a bad accident and havent been around. Well it looks like its going to come down to the two games the leafs play your Bruins next week. I hope this message finds you and your family well. Take care bud...Go Leafs

Atlas

Well gentlemen the rumours of my demise have been great exaggerated.

The Bruins on the other hand can't seem to put the fire out, or maybe it's get one lit I don't know.

To Claude Julien - "You're Killin' me SMALLS!!"

People can say what they want about Kessel I am done defending his game, but he's going to be a Bruin for awhile, and with 9 shoot out winners in the last two years. Well the kid has shown you he can score in a shoot out. Your best shooters aren't necesarily your best players. I mean San Jose's Joe Pavelski that is 7 for 11 in shootouts with 33 pts this year, a rookie sure but seriously, what about Cheechoo, Marleau and Thornton? Sorry to bring the last one up, but Letang, not Crosby or Malkin is the guy on the Pens that is 5 for 8. So I don't by the Kessel is bad in a shoot out arguement. The league average is approx a 31% success rate for the year, and even with his miss last night Kessel is 5 for 13, a slight above average shooter.

As for the defensemen, Wideman and Chara? I can't believe we did that last night. Quite possibly the stupidest shootout line up I've seen since 1998 when Marc Crawford and Bob Clarke conspired to let Theoren Fleury, Ray Bourque, Joe Nieuwendyk, Eric Lindros and Brendan Shanahan shoot instead of Wayne Gretzky, and Steve Yzerman. Sometimes coaches play hunches I get it. But the truth of the matter is, you have to know who your best shooters are an let it fly. It might not always be your top point guy, but for crying out loud a defensemen? I'm going to put my Cam Neely jersey on and head to church on this easter weekend. Normally I wouldn't do this, but at this point I am not sure where else to turn.

I guess it puts a whole new spin on "YOU GOTTA BELIEVE"

If the New York Post can write a letter to Virginia and tell her there is a Santa Claus, why can't I get Bob Ryan or Shaugnessy(Sp?) to tell me the B's are going to make the playoffs, and believe it? Both seems like just as large a stretch at the moment.

Well 7 to go and 2 point lead. Man I love/hate this!!!!

Ha ha.  The Bruins definitely play mind games.  In January, first place in the conference wouldn't have been a stretch, and now.... the Capitals and Sabres are signalling to pass.  I think it is well past due for any player to step up and provide offense.... this team just doesn't have the talent.   I wish they did, but I hope they squeak into the playoffs, but then I don't know what that would accomplish either....

 

Julien has coached them to play way above their heads to this point, but some of the players have to simply play better, or find someone else who can get the scoring done.  Bergeron will help when he comes back, but man, they really need a sparkplug or something right now to turn this around.

 

Oh and a little congrats to Sergei Samsonov for turning his game around... he was almost in limbo until the Hurricanes picked him up.... he would have been nice in a B again.

this team just doesn't have the talent.

Ain't that the truth!

How many times in the last 2 or 3 games have you seen the puck bouncing around in the crease and no-one can ever seem to get a handle on it to bury it? To many times. The opportunities to score are there. They just can't take advantage of them. A pure goal scorere or sniper finds a way to score those goals.

And I am officially on the "I hate Phil Kessel" train. Just another in a list of bad draft picks for the Bruins.  The guy is a one trick pony (shootouts) and now he's not even scoring in them either. He's hurting the Bruins more than he's helping them.

Hint to Kessel: Your not in the juniors anymore moron! You can't just skate around NHL defensmen! And you can't score when your body is crushed against the boards like you are so often.

I never saw a player get pushed off the puck as easily as he does. Just pathetic. The guy has some skill and speed but is just not a smart hockey player at all. And I don't see that changing much. Ever listen to him talk? If I didn't know any better I'd swear he was a pot head. He just sounds like one.

Lucic = Future Bruins captain !!

Hey haven't said much lately as i have been busy looking for a new place to live. It was incredibly sickening to lose again to Montreal. sure we got one point and that is good for the playoff chase but tying the game only to lose it was just a slap in the face to me. I actually turned the game off as soon as the shootout line-ups were announced and hoped I would be shocked this morning. I've been going to bed early and setting my alarm for 5 for the past week so I can be ready for the Red Sox opener.

Six games left:

 

2 with the Sabres

2 with the Senators

1 with The Leafs

1 with the Devils

 

I would say this is a pretty bad schedule, but the Bruins couldn't even win the automatic 2 point games earlier this month, so no matter what these are all really important games now.

 

The other thing that is making me sick is the points leaders.

Marc Savard at 78

Marco Sturm at 58

then

Zdeno Chara at 49

These are pretty low points totals for any offense looking to the playoffs.... except the Devils, they are worse off in the offense dept, but they have Brodeur.

They actually have 7 games left. They have 2 games left against the Maple Leafs, Sabres, and Senators. And one against the Devils.

Savard got hurt in the last game and didn't even play in the overtime or shootout. Things aren't looking to good at the moment. Either they figure out how to score some goals real quick or we're going to be on the outside looking in.

I just don't get it. They didn't exactly light it up during the earlier parts of the season but it was never this bad either. They still had games where they scored 3 or 4 goals and somtimes even 5. This is just rediculous. I think thev'e played well enough in most of the games the past 2 weeks but their inability to finish off plays and score has really kept them from winning games they could have easily won.

You can't win games without scoring goals. Teams are beating us with 2, 3 or even 1 goal the last few weeks.

All I know is that if they get knocked out of the playoffs during the last 7 games of the season after holding a spot for just about the entire year, it will be a very dissapointing ending to an otherwise fun and entertaining Bruins season.

Why is it that when a Boston team chokes, they do it so dramatically? This is how Mets fans must have felt last year.

Guys, the Bruins are going to make the playoffs.  Trust me on it.

Yes the teams that are behind them are doing fairly well.  But the Bruins will make it into the playoffs.

Ya they haven't scored a lot of goals lately but I think they past two games Tim Thomas had played up to snuff.  The Bruins will be okay.....

Gibber, you better eat crow my friend if the Bruins dont make the playoffs.  I have a lot of faith that they will but it isn't look great. 

The  Bruins are actually playing decent hockey the last few games but the major problem is obviously goal scoring. 

What I have noticed with the Bruins is that they suck at shooting.  Kessel is a joke in that department.  If hitting the goalie in the chest counted the Bruins would be in first place.   Why canonly a select few Bruins hit top corner with their snap and wristshots.

Why canonly a select few Bruins hit top corner with their snap and wristshots.

Because only a select few Bruins actually have the ability to hit top corner. And even they can't do it right now.

The Bruins are loaded with hardworking players with speed and grit. But none of them are of the pure goal scorer or sniper variety. They're all a bunch of ham and eggers.

A team can only go so far without talent. This team is really missing some offensive talent. That's why it hurt so much to have Patrice Bergeron out all year. He's one of the very few on this team that has any talent.

Gibber, I too have been trying to keep the faith but it's getting hard. Even if they do make it, how far are they really going to get without scoring any goals? We'd probably be looking at a 1st round sweep the way they are playing. I hope your right though and we do at least make it.

 its very hard to keep the faith right now!!! Philly is coming around. toronto has been playing well also.I think the caps have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. i hope that point we took away from the montreal game boosts morale around the locker room.Savard needs to be playing or we are in trouble!!! I guess we'll see tomorrow!! Go Bruins!!!!!!

Give me a break, at least 10 of the people on my old high school team could hit top corner from the hashmarks on a snapshot.  All of the Bruins can do it, they just seem to freeze when they are around the net.

It's like someone put a hex on them or something.

Well Julien is calling out the Bruins for no offense, so hopefully he can somehow fix it or ignite it for this week.  A 4-goal night (not to be greedy) is needed in a bad way from the Bruins.

Take a look at some of the games this season that the Bruins have won.  They scored 3,4,5 goals.  You don't see them winning many 1-0 or 2-1 games.  They need to take more chances on offense.

Tonight is the biggest day of the year so far.  This is what the Bruins need:

Bruins beats Toronto (pretty much knocking Toronto out)

Ottowa beats Buffalo (a Bruins win and they would be 5 points up)

Carolina beats Washington (give Bruins a little space)

Rangers beat Philly (wont help much but maybe a little)

The good news is, even if the Bruins lose, the worst spot they could be in is 8th.  The best thing is 7th but with more breathing room.

A lot of good games tonight.

not sure if any of you cats are watching the calgary / minnesota game, but that phaneuf goal  was just incredible.  he goes the length of the ice and ends up beating a four-on-one situation to score!  why the F can't any of our D-men be that incredible???  I'd pack Wideman's bags for him if we could get someone with half the talent of Dionne Phaneuf!

 

9 ot out 10 skaters in NHL can stick handle like this and go end to end.  Some are obvioulsy better than others.  It's really up to the D to make sure this doesn't happen.  Cause you can't go end to end when you have a big shoulder or hip going into your body.

I totally dis-agree with Chara taking a penality shot.  I didn't see it but sounds as if he took a slapper.  Worst shot in hockey.  Usually goalie is standing still and has most of net blocked.  Goalie is standing still because unless you are 1 timing (C button) from a pass you are standing still as well or going straight to the net.  Either way you are not making the goalie move before you shoot.  With a snap or wrist shot you can make a quick move to get goalie moving.   Certainly on a breakaway a slap shot is less than ideal.  Deke or snap shot is much better.   

Bottom Line:  These goalies are so good that unless you can deceive them or they cannot see the puck because someone is in front of them it is very difficult to score in the NHL.

The Bruins still need 9 more points to make it to the the playoffs.  My magic # is 93.

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