Well if the Bruins can't get healthy and they continue to play somewhere around 20 to 40 minutes a game, I am pretty sure the Sens will catch the Bruins.
I also have the feeling the bruins will win enough games that they aren't going to miss the playoffs, but will come in as a low seed and likely play Ottawa or Florida and will likely have a 2nd round exit. Rags and Pens play for the ECF and Pens win.
My nightmare is a Pens Canucks playoff-I won't be able to root for either team.
Well if the Bruins can't get healthy and they continue to play somewhere around 20 to 40 minutes a game, I am pretty sure the Sens will catch the Bruins.
I also have the feeling the bruins will win enough games that they aren't going to miss the playoffs, but will come in as a low seed and likely play Ottawa or Florida and will likely have a 2nd round exit. Rags and Pens play for the ECF and Pens win.
My nightmare is a Pens Canucks playoff-I won't be able to root for either team.
That all said, I still have a lot of faith in this group, backed by past events and what i see happening in the future
It's fun for everyone to dump on the Bruins now and wave their pom poms, blah blah the bruins are dirty, blah blah the bruins peaked too early, blah blah they're just not that good...yada yada sis boom bah
This is what I see - a team that just came off a stanley cup run (3 game 7's people) and is being hit with a good amount of injuries, all during a time where the Bruins have historically slumped a bit.
I see Peverely coming back later this month. Simultaneously, I see youngsters stepping up and showing they aren't just mediocre fill ins (Caron and Dermy) I see Seguin leading the team offensively, I see Krejci picking it back up, I see Lucic starting to beast again, and lastly I saw a guy who could easily be a seive, come in and actually give the Bruins a chance to win today. Today was a mixture of fatigue and the same sloppiness that kills them when they have bad games. When Tuukka went down, I basically thought to myself - well, Thomas is going to take the load now and fizzle out by round 1 if not much sooner. The fact Turco actually played well today is not something to be under appreciated.
So this is what I see. I see Turco playing more games starting with Tampa. I see him doing well enough to give the boys a chance to win everynight. I see the team getting back to their basics, strong team D, because the lack of that is what has been killing us, and injuries only exacerbated the problem. This team is going to get healthy again just in time for the playoffs (ie about 5 games before) Timmy is going to rest, and he's going to come out beasting, with the help of a defense that gives a damn in front of him. 2nd seed or 7th, doesn't matter, Ottawa is going down in round 1. Then after that who knows, could be some upsets, could be what we expect. But I do see this team making it to the ECF if mostly healthy (ie everyone in except Horty who I don't expect to be back) I see the Penguins taking over the 1 spot and the rags slumping a bit. I think it'll be Pens versus Devils in the 2nd round and Bruins versus the victor of the Philly - NYC series, and I personally like our chances versus both when healthy. We're in Philly's heads, and the Rags are going to fizzle out at some point.
This could of course, all fall apart pretty easily, especially if the Bruins sustain another big injury (and the three so far are Pevereley, Horton, and Tuukka) to a key player - and Ill gladly admit it if the Sens just catch fire and beat us square, that'd be good on them. But that's my prediction and Im sticking to it
This team doesn't go down without a fight and they are built for the playoffs. Remember, they almost made the ECF with a really poor line up in 2010.
No one wants a piece of Boston in the playoffs, and I really expect it to come down to Pittsburgh and Boston...the match up we've all been waiting for.
Simultaneously, I see youngsters stepping up and showing they aren't just mediocre fill ins (Caron and Dermy) I see Seguin leading the team offensively, I see Krejci picking it back up, I see Lucic starting to beast again, and lastly I saw a guy who could easily be a seive, come in and actually give the Bruins a chance to win today.
I actually think Krejci has already started to pick it back up. Krejci actually had an unbelievable game today-he was playing hard but he just ran out of gas. The whole team looked gassed today. I think the thing that concerns me about March is that there isn't much rest.
I think one huge positive with Peverly is if he is healthy and fit when he comes back, he is going to have a lot of extra pop. Once he gets his game shape and timing back he is going to be a huge help. IMO Caron has already moved Rolston to the press box when Pevs comes back.
I think one thing this team desperately needs are Pevs and Paille back for the PK because I think the PK duties are wearing Krejci out.
i wrote that quickly and didn't specify when i meant exactly, I actually meant I see Krejci picking it up now, he's has 7 points in his last 6 games and has joined the 20 goal pack.
it always is, but I'll take the lumps now and success later as opposed to a president's trophy and the sad version of a parade any day
the bruins were never really meant to be some elite team that stayed on top of the league the whole season, that's why nov-dec were so surprising and fun to watch, but it was going to end at some point
Not worried at all. It's natural when you get yourself in a position such as the Bruins found themselves in back in January to take it easy. Back then they knew how good they could be, knew they would make the playoffs, and because of this took their foot off the pedal. They also know what it takes to win in the playoffs. I'm confident when the second season starts they will quickly pick back up and play the hard nose hockey they're known for and people will once again be picking them to make some noise. And a lot of you will be eating crow
the only reason this doesn't worry me as much as it could is because it looks like in either 7th or 2nd we'll play Ottawa, whom I am confident we can beat. But I still want 2nd - remember how huge home ice was for the B's last year, winning 2 game 7's at home. I think they can make a run with or without home ice but I'd certainly prefer it!
Hm. If they can't get healthy, well... It just doesn't matter anyway.
I'm hoping Caron continues to play well. I'm just going to ride out the rest of the season. Maybe Sauve gets in there and shows a flash or two of adequacy?
Probably, but I've seen the B's puke and rally too many times in the last 3 seasons, including this 1, to sell them short now.
They backed into the playoffs 2 years ago and made a hell of a run until injuries caught up with them. They won a cup after a pretty wretched start against Montreal last year. And this year they showed up playing half assed like they are now and then went on an epic run. The B's are pretty bi-polar, but they're still battle tested. Gotta think they'll find a way to fight their way back again. Say what you want about em, but they don't quit.
I don't care about the playoff seeding. Just get in and watch it go.
Hm. If they can't get healthy, well... It just doesn't matter anyway.
I'm hoping Caron continues to play well. I'm just going to ride out the rest of the season. Maybe Sauve gets in there and shows a flash or two of adequacy?
Caron looks really good out there. The way he carries himself in the play kinda looks like Lucic. And having another Lucic isn't something I'm going to complain about.
Hm. If they can't get healthy, well... It just doesn't matter anyway.
I'm hoping Caron continues to play well. I'm just going to ride out the rest of the season. Maybe Sauve gets in there and shows a flash or two of adequacy?
Yep. They need a couple of healthy bodies back in a hurry but, as you said, not sure that it matter. Also, i'm not sure of what happened since mid-January but this team is playing bad hockey and they don't seems to be able to get over it. The fact that we got no help at the deadline is making the whole thing worst. The depth everyone was talking about ( and applauding Chiarelli for ) is not helping us at this point. If the Bruins lose Bergeron for an extended period of time, it's gonna be " painful " for the rest of the way.
Also, i'm not sure of what happened since mid-January but this team is playing bad hockey and they don't seems to be able to get over it.
I think the injuries are a huge part of the problem. I kind of think the team's depth was always a bit of an illusion this year. I even think to some extent it was an illusion last year-the team was just lucky enough that they mostly remained uninjured. I can think of very few games where the team had more than one forward or more than 1 defenseman out for the same game-this year almost the whole last month has seen multiple players out.
I also think they are mentally and physically tired. I just don't think they are playing with the same hunger they were last year or even back in November and December. I think their mental game is off.
The B's are pretty bi-polar, but they're still battle tested. Gotta think they'll find a way to fight their way back again. Say what you want about em, but they don't quit.
I don't care about the playoff seeding. Just get in and watch it go.
Pretty much these 5 lines in a nutshell when it comes to the B's. Although I'm feeling damn negative right now we have all seen this before with them.
I think the injuries are a huge part of the problem. I kind of think the team's depth was always a bit of an illusion this year. I even think to some extent it was an illusion last year-the team was just lucky enough that they mostly remained uninjured. I can think of very few games where the team had more than one forward or more than 1 defenseman out for the same game-this year almost the whole last month has seen multiple players out.
I also think they are mentally and physically tired. I just don't think they are playing with the same hunger they were last year or even back in November and December. I think their mental game is off.
While the injuries are a factor, i think it's our defensive game who are killing us at this point. In November and December, we executed the simple things very well. Right now, everything is a " pain ". We don't have the kind of team of who can recover from an early 0-2, 0-3 deficit. We simply dont' have that kind of offense nor that we have a system who can help us to get out of that kind of hole. Our system is based on puck possession and right now, that's the other team who have the puck and not us...
Boston is 2 points up and has 2 games in hand. I doubt they blow the lead but it's shaping up pretty well that Boston and Ottawa will meet in the first round.
That would be a good series and one of the more favorable matchups for the Bruins I think, though it still of course quite easily could go either way.
In 07/08, with a team that this fan thought had little to no chance of doing anything but hopefully improve on the Dave Lewis era, CJ did, IMO, and this counts last years fantastic job coaching, the best coaching job with the Bruins
When nobody expected it, he got everyone in that lockerroom to believe in his system, and although they weren`t going to be contenders, he implemented a system, got the boys on board enough so that they scratched their way into a playoff spot.
As we all know, they lost a 7 gamer to the Habbies but........
We need CJ to summon up that kind of magic just so these boys can hang on til some bodies come back, it seems like the injury gods just aren`t on the Bruins side this year and as much as I think we all hate the injuries for excuses, NO team in this league could produce consistently with what this team is currently experiencing on the injury front.
They were hardly playing stellar before Horty`s concussion began the injury bug but......
I don't think the Bs will play 500 hockey till the end of the season....key players are going to start coming back in the line up and if turco plays good...Tim can get a good rest.
