NHL 2010-11 Season Discussion Thread (2 Viewers)

[Scott Merryfield]

Now I am glad the game wasn't on TV last night.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Beat down of epic proportions. When Boston plays like that, physical, yet controlled, they can beat anyone. Notice no one dialed 911 when Plekanek opened up Horton for 8 stitches. I suppose the Bell Centre protest against stick swinging violence will start at 4 PM today?

 

[phil*]

Jeff, I think I spotted you on tv at the game last night. You're the guy on the left,right?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

No, didn't go to the game. Plus, I never wear shirts that deride other teams or players. I also never act like an ass in other teams buildings (or my own for that matter), or dress in head to toe stars and stripes when travelling to Canada to see a game. Matter of fact, being a former player and true student of the sport, I get there before warmups, I'm mostly quiet during a game, I never drink, and I watch the game carefully, especially the action away from the puck. The only time I'm ever loud is when obnoxious dickheads like you pictured are too busy being drunken louts to notice that some people actually want to see the game. Having seen plenty of Bruins-Habs games, you are just as apt to find those types dressed in the bleu-blanc-rouge/Maple Leaf as you are a spoked B.



And oh yeah, I never sing a dumb Spanish soccer chant at a hockey game in a predominently French speaking city . . .

 

[phil*]

During a long season there are bound to be some bad games. Flyers lost 7-0 to the Rangers. The Capitals lost 7-0 and 6-0 to the Rangers as well. The Penguins lost 9-3 to the Islanders, Canucks lost 7-1 to the Blackhawks, Blackhawks lost 5-0 to the Stars, the Red Wings are winless in their last 3 games. Are these teams being written off?

The Canadiens are a battered team right now. Key players are injured and several are playing hurt. They will rebound as Plekanec, Sopul, and Cammalleri get better.

Too much is being made up of last night’s game in Boston. In the play-offs it is a different matter altogether.

History will note that whenever the Bruins made a statement against Montreal late in the season, they were beat in the play-offs.

1971: In Boston during the last regular season game, they get badly outplayed losing 7-2. Orr and Esposito have a field day with Espo getting a hat trick. We all know what happened when they met in the play-offs during the 1st round.

“We’re a far better team. We’ve got much more talent. But the Canadiens weren’t afraid of that talent.” – Derek Sanderson Post Game 7 1971.

1984: The Bruins won the last three games against the Canadiens, outscoring them 7-3 in the last two games. In the 1st round the Bourque, Middleton, Pederson highly favoured team were swept in 3 games by the Habs.

1993: During their last meeting late in the season, Boston won a convincing 5-1 statement game. That year Montreal won the Stanley Cup. The Bruins were beat in the 1st round.

2002: Montreal lost 5-0 to Boston. In the play-offs they beat the Bruins.

2004: Montreal loses a tune up match to Boston late in the season. Boston wins the season series shutting out Montreal twice. In the play-offs, Montreal came from behind 3-1 in games to win 4-3.

If the Bruins meet a healthier Montreal team in the play-offs, the Bruins will find the going much tougher than last night.

“It’s too much for one guy to shoulder. For us, we’re going to do it as a group. It’s about sharing that responsibility win or lose.” – Mike Cammalleri

 

[Jeff Gatie]

The only Bruin left from 2004 is Patrice Bergeron. If you really want to talk about Bruins regular season vs the playoffs vis the Habs, explain being swept in the regular season and taking them to seven in 2008, or taking every game but one in 2008-2009 and sweeping them in the playoffs? Regular season means squat.

 

[phil*]

Originally Posted by Jeff Gatie /forum/thread/305908/nhl-2010-11-season-discussion-thread/60#post_3793718

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I would no more spell it the wrong way than I would tolerate Habs fans asking where the "Boston Gardens" is. Everyone knows the Gardens are where the duck statues live.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Jeff Gatie /forum/thread/305908/nhl-2010-11-season-discussion-thread/60#post_3793705

 

[Jeff Gatie]

 

I didn't think that was allowed at a hockey game.

Strange, I know . . . but I don't drink at sporting events. I go to watch a game, if I want to drink, I'll go to a bar. I've got nothing against those who do, as long as they behave themselves, but a lot of them don't behave (especially the ones who drink on a 7 hour bus ride south from the St. Lawrence/Saint-Laurent).

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I'm just kidding, Jeff. I'll have 1-2 beers at the Whalers games, but it doesn't stop me from watching and enjoying the game. The team and league promote a family atmosphere, though, so it's a very respectful crowd. Drunken behavior is not tolerated.


I do not go to many NHL games, since I'm not a Red Wings fans and cannot see spending that kind of money to watch a team I don't care about. The Wings even put a premium price/surcharge on tickets for Original Six games this year, so I passed on going to the Habs game in town. Two seats in the last row in the corner of the arena, where it's impossible to see the action at the far goal, cost $70. I'll go with friends occasionally, just because I like watching hockey. My wife and I have been to a few Habs - Leafs games in Toronto, but it's been a few years since we made a trip there.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Scott, you'd be surprised at the look I get from friends when they ask if I want a beer and I say no. I could have said no to them fixing me up with Charlize Theron and not gotten a stranger look.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Jeff Gatie /forum/thread/305908/nhl-2010-11-season-discussion-thread/90#post_3793851

 

[phil*]

Habs get clobbered 7-0 by the Bruins, then the Rangers shut out the Bruins 1-0. Sheesh.


If Habs and Bruins end season tied in points,what is the first tiebreaker? Is it the record between the teams?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Series record. But I doubt it's going to happen. The game today was just a typical B's/Rags game; low scoring and boring. Not a trend, more like a predetermined outcome, regardless of who won. I have to make a note not to choose the late season Rags matinee next year.

 

[phil*]

Habs shutout 3 consecutive games for first time since 1949. Not a good time of the season to go into the crapper.

 

[phil*]

The Habs currently have a 98.5% probability of makin’ the playoffs accordin’ to sportsclubstats.com. The Loafs? A whoppin’ 0.4%. Commentin’ on this figure, Loafs GM Brian Burke noted, “That’s 40 basis points higher than zero, pal, and 40 is a big number in many respects. Ok? Alright? Now, f*** off, I’m Brian Burke!”

The same site assigns effectively even probabilities that the Habs will finish 6th or 7th in the EC. The Loafs? Roughly a two-thirds chance they end up 10th. Although I would have preferred to see T.O. in the playoffs, if only for shits ‘n’ giggles, a 10th place finish is welcome news to anyone who does not care to see the Broonz once again have themselves a party at the Entry Draft.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I am not feeling very confident in Montreal's chances going into the playoffs. They picked the wrong time to go into a slump. Of course, I felt the same way last season, and they shocked me (and the rest of the league) by beating the President's Trophy winners and the defending Cup champs in successive rounds.


So, what do I know?

 

[Ockeghem]

I really thought the Bruins were going to defeat the Rangers last night. They were leading, 3-0. Ugh. It was quite a rally by the Rangers.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Good playoff lesson for the B's - Never take your foot off the pedal. Going to Isles game tomorrow, hope it doesn't get out of hand due to a out of the playoffs team with a bunch of borderline players who have jobs on the line. I like fights, I don't like what the Islanders do. Not that the B's can't handle it, but even Shawn Thornton off the ice for 5 is a poor trade for Gillies, etc.