Vancouver will start strong, but the physicality from the Bruins team gives me the edge between the two in a 7 game series.
I don't see the Bruins having any real physical advantage at this point, and they were already short in the talent department last year. The "physicality" balance has shifted substantially with the additions of Booth, Kassian, Bitz, etc. It's not just size either - to a considerable extent, the mentality of the forward group has changed as a result.
Swear to god if I hear one more Nucks fan cry about injuries. You'd think they were the only team ever to lose someone. Right.. the Bruins only 'look more physical.
I'd like to see the Bruins win a cup with there top 2 centres, top two defenceman and many other "depth' Players injured. Injuries are sure as hell an excuse when half your team is battling them.
Yes, but the thread isn't asking 'would Van have won last year if they didn't have injuries..
You don't think that's pertinent as a response to the question? Especially given the personnel changes they've undergone this year to help ensure that doesn't happen again (namely, adding three physically dominating forwards of 215 plus pounds who can play a regular shift to the lineup, two of which look like they'll be pulling top-six minutes come playoffs)?
Meh, different mindset going into it. If I were a Flyers fan I would have just been glad to have made it that far with no expectations.
No expectations = no hurt feelings at the end
Fair enough. I'd probably still not be over it either. Guess it's just SOME of the Nuck fans that go on about 'well if weren't hurt we win AINEC mentality that bugs me.
Holy, I don't recall Flyer fans crying months and months later after the 2010 finals. Van fans are a unique bunch.
Is it are fault we're passionate fans? Are team was one ****ing win away from the Stanley Cup of course we are still "crying" about it, that's what any die hard hockey fan would do if there team lost in game 7 of the finals.
You don't think that's pertinent as a response to the question? Especially given the personnel changes they've undergone this year to help ensure that doesn't happen again (namely, adding three physically dominating forwards of 215 plus pounds who can play a regular shift to the lineup, two of which look like they'll be pulling top-six minutes come playoffs)?
I simply am tired of hearing we would have won if we weren't hurt talk, and trying to pass that on as a fact. Maybe they do win, maybe they don't. No one can say that for sure.
Fair enough. I'd probably still not be over it either. Guess it's just SOME of the Nuck fans that go on about 'well if weren't hurt we win AINEC mentality that bugs me.
No one said that, and if anyone DID say that they were an idiot.
There is exceptional parity in this league right now. On any given night, any given team is capable of beating any other team. Most of those games are exceptionally close, and come down to a bounce here, a goal post there.
When a final explodes and becomes completely lopsided, you can choose to believe it was because of Vancouver's decimated defense, which allowed the Bruins forwards to run rampant, the same way the same number of defensive injuries saw them collapse against Chicago two years in a row. Or you can believe it was because the Bruins were OMGSCARY, and FACE PUNCHES! And SHAWN THORNTON! And the Canucks just fell over and win win win for the home team.
You want to talk about cognitive bias in sports fandom? You could start by acknowledging it comes from the fans in black and gold just as readily as the fans in blue and green.
It's a matter of opinion. I believe the Canucks are a better team than the Bruins, so I believe if these two teams met with everyone healthy the Canucks should come out on top.
Last year Luongo had a bad series, and TT had a great series. It can happen to any goalie at any time, having your main defenders healthy or injured can have a major effect on your confidence as well. We all saw TT in the ECF, he was god awful. Luongo on the other hand was lights out during the WCF.
I prefer to ignore all this stupid nonsense about Luongo choking under the pressure and TT stepping up. Please, are you telling me there was any less pressure in the conference finals? Hardly. It had nothing to do with pressure, they each had a cold/hot streak at different times. Unfortunately for the Canucks, TT went hot vs. them. I don't see how anyone can isolate the SCF while ignoring the high pressure situations leading up to them. Luongo was great in game 7 vs the Hawks, do you really think that had less pressure than game 3 of the SCF? I highly doubt it.
People need to let that damn series die. It happened. We all have reasons/excuses of why it happened and we all have our speculation of how it would happen differently now. People need to get off TTs dick, stop ridding Luongos ass, and the fans need to stop bickering about pointless **** that doesn't matter.
Last edited by Sh0otnSc0re: 03-06-2012 at 06:22 PM.
Fair enough. I'd probably still not be over it either. Guess it's just SOME of the Nuck fans that go on about 'well if weren't hurt we win AINEC mentality that bugs me.
It bothers me too. I think we could've won, if healthy, but it still would've been at least 6 games or 7 games.
I predicted Bos>Van in 6 last year even before the first round of the playoffs started... I don't think it'll wind up Bos vs. Van again this year but if it did, I'd pick Boston to win it again.
It's just not a good matchup for Vancouver. They would have better odds against any other team in the East.
I'd like to see the Bruins win a cup with there top 2 centres, top two defenceman and many other "depth' Players injured. Injuries are sure as hell an excuse when half your team is battling them.
Again, Sedin had a sore back. Bieksa had a Bruise. C'mon... you have to see the hilarity here with the "injury excuse". Every player is sore in the finals, every player has bruises at this point. If you're hinging your playoff success on this not happening again this year should the Canucks make it to the finals you're soon to be sorely disappointed. Luckily for you however I doubt the players and staff of the Canucks are naive enough to believe such a thing.
Kesler was playing injured? Whoopity do, Savard couldn't even attend the games as a fan. Boston lost another top line player in game 2... how many top line players were the Canucks missing again? None? And their other top player in Milan Lucic was severely injured and couldn't breathe throughout the playoffs?
Boston beat Vancouver with only one of their projected first line players, and he was injured beyond use. Boston beat the Canucks with two #2 lines (both of which were centered by injured players), a solid 3rd line, and a very good 4th line. Stop complaining about injuries, it's a joke and a horrid excuse considering.
Again, Sedin had a sore back. Bieksa had a Bruise. C'mon... you have to see the hilarity here with the "injury excuse". Every player is sore in the finals, every player has bruises at this point. If you're hinging your playoff success on this not happening again this year should the Canucks make it to the finals you're soon to be sorely disappointed. Luckily for you however I doubt the players and staff of the Canucks are naive enough to believe such a thing.
Kesler was playing injured? Whoopity do, Savard couldn't even attend the games as a fan. Boston lost another top line player in game 2... how many top line players were the Canucks missing again? None? And their other top player in Milan Lucic was severely injured and couldn't breathe throughout the playoffs?
Boston beat Vancouver with only one of their projected first line players, and he was injured beyond use. Boston beat the Canucks with two #2 lines (both of which were centered by injured players), a solid 3rd line, and a very good 4th line. Stop complaining about injuries, it's a joke and a horrid excuse considering.
most clueless post I've ever read on HF boards... EVER
if it were today, Vancouver, Boston's missing Horton, Peverly, Paille, Ference, and Rask(in case something happens to Thomas). And I really don't know, is Savard on LTIR as of now? If not, that's another injury who's contract could have been used on another player, so he counts too. Not to mention the bruins have played only a handful of good games since they met up with the Canucks a month or so ago.
If both teams are 100%, I'd go with boston though, they and thomas have matched up well vs Vancouver for some time now, going beyond last years stanely cup.
most clueless post I've ever read on HF boards... EVER
You know why you had to stop short of pointing out the errors you found in "the most clueless post you ever read on HFboards"?
Again, and in shorter form so you can easily tear apart the inaccuracies. Boston was missing their true top line center and their true top line RW. Their true top line LW was injured badly with not one, but two injuries, both of which require(d) surgery to fix.
Vancouver's top line center had a sore back. The poor Muffin. The fact that their #1 dman had a bruise evens it all out though.
