Trusting Bruins to back words with action is a risky endeavor
The Carolina loss probably tells us more about what might be in store for these current Bruins than last year’s collapse. Like the ’09 team, this year’s Bruins are going to be favored going into a playoff series with a team that’s been fighting with Game 7-type intensity for weeks. Meanwhile, Boston has been goofing off and talking about taking things seriously instead of actually showing that that’s how it actually feels with some top-notch, 60-minute efforts that would not only prove their of championship mettle but possibly improve their final standing in the East.
There’s been so much talk about the Bruins’ future if they fail to reach the third round this spring after two straight second-round exits. Has anyone stopped to wonder what happens if they don’t make it back to that second round?
Julien last night against the Islanders dressed what figures to be his lineup for the first game of the playoffs. There’s no doubt he did that thinking that if he got the 60-minute effort he wanted, the Bruins would easily dispose of the pesky Isles and then he could rest some of his battered veterans. What he got was a handful of players that were trying and a majority that going through a dress rehearsal – for the Ice Capades, not the NHL playoffs. Now the coach is in a predicament. He probably still wants to rest guys this weekend, but might have to do so without some players building up some positive momentum for the playoffs.
Regardless of how Julien handles his lineup and the resting of his veterans over the weekend during the back-to-back against Ottawa and New Jersey, the pantomime has to end. Every player that dresses against the Senators and Devils has to play to his full potential in order to prove that there won’t be any “switch flipping” necessary.
None of this is to suggest the Bruins won’t come out Thursday, blow out its lower-seeded opponent and then make a run to the second, third or even fourth round this spring. It’s just a cautionary tale of how much to trust what these Bruins say.
After two straight disappointing springtime failures that were preceded by rhetoric similar to what’s emanating from the Bruins’ locker room right now, trust the Bruins to back up their words with the necessary actions at your own risk.
Page 2 of 2 | Previous page
Go Bs!!!!!!!
i love the bruins but i just don’t have any faith in them going deep in the playoffs.to be honest if thomas doesn’t stand on his head they probably won’t make it out of the first round .I see another long disappointing summer ahead for us b fans.I pray iam wrong but i don’t think iam
Sorry.. that didn’t come out right. WTF?
I’ll criticize them when they fail, but not before? Is that better?
Matt – you’re all right. Keep stirrin’ it up.
But.. in every horse race – you have to keep something for the mad dash to the finish. Panda, if you go all out, all the time, you’ll simply run out of gas. Has this team been wildly inconsistent? Absolutely. It drives me nuts, too. But I’ve also seen this team show up and kick the crap out of good teams in meaningful games. And as much as we’d like to see more ‘skill’ on this team, that’s not this team right now. Success for the Bs is predicated on physical intimidation and high energy. Teams like Detroit, Tampa, Vancouver… they can steal a game on skill and finesse alone, but the Bs earn pretty much everything they get with blood and sweat. That’s magnified exponentially with each round in the playoffs. If they don’t show come Thursday, I’m the first to call for a hangin’, but until then, I’m letting these guys figure out what they need to do to get ready to rumble.
We’re heading into Looch season! I keep reading about how he’s been a no show lately.. Think about how great he was last playoffs. Well, he’s Healthy this year. If anyone’s going to turn it on and bring it, its Looch, and the whole team feeds off of him. Marchand too, Bergy too. Boychuk is going to be called to dust of his checking game (moment of silence for our departed Stu….). Boys, I think we’re about to be treated to something pretty special. I hope as hell we make it to the final cause like someone said… anything is possible!
Last year, was last year. Now we have Soup and Horton and Pev and Kaberle (calling Mr. Kaberle.. Mr. Kaberle, please report to the nearest power play. Mr. Kaberle!) and Marchand and Looch is healthy and Krecji has two wrists and Thomas is Timmy again. This year is this year.
I’m a believer until they fail, not before.
K, this is too much. As discussed the playoffs are completely different from the regular season. Lots of teams are experiencing different last 10 game records for different reasons. The point isn’t how we fel going into the playoffs, it’s about what we have going into the playoffs.
Anything can happen in the playoffs. The entire Bruins squad could just be too tired and not get their feet moving as fast whoever they are playing. The home record could remain a liability instead of a help. Our three best players could get injured in the first series. Our first choice goaltender could stink up the joint and our second choice goaltender won’t be much better.
Or, we could go all the way. So much depends on so much that will happen that no one will see coming. The point being that our team is built for these problems better than other teams. We have experience, we have depth, we have goaltending and we have a good team in every way.
I argue that we are more prepared than most teams for the playofffs this year. I would not be a very observant fan if I said I wasn’t worried about our chances (1/16) in winning it all, but I do know that we are in good shape.
Look at the Rangers, they just lost Calahan. What if we just lost Bergeron or Krejci, or one of our big scorers in Lucic or Horton. I think we need to take a step back and look at the big picture and realize just how fortunate we are.
We have made the playoffs 4 times straight now and are built to make them again for a few more years at least. I am very happy to be a Bruins fan, and am very happy that we have been given a team like this. Like I said, the playoffs are a mystery and anything can happen, but I can say that I am happy to be cheering for this team over a lot of other ones. Stop pulling your hair out over every less than perfect game and just wait and see what happens. Complain when there is actually something to complain about.
Coach, you trust this team versus MTL in the first round? That is the team I would hope to avoid. It seems, however, that the two teams are on an inevitible collision course.
If they “flip the switch,” that would be terrific. We have seen this team play in such a way that would blow any team out. If they just did it every night (big request, i know), we would be sitting pretty come early June. If they play the way they have played since the All-Star break (up then down down down, then up for a game or 2, then down down down), then we will all be watching Philly against MTL in the Conference Finals while sipping beer at an empty Fours
No MCK, they’ll be playing the Habs who have sucked lately.
Great post MK. This is dead on. People need to wake up, especially the team.
Best line: “Like the ’09 team, this year’s Bruins are going to be favored going into a playoff series with a team that’s been fighting with Game 7-type intensity for weeks. ”
Truer words were never spoken.
The thing is everybody is right. I’d say this is a better team than last years. That said the past couple of post seasons would make any optimist hedge his bets. Most B’s fans have become pessimists so they can be right again or pleasantly surprised for once.
Gotta agree with Bojangles, if your going to play the I told you so card now, you might as well forget the playoffs and give the cup to the Canucks .And here comes the cliche..”.in sports anything can happen” just ask the Habs knocking off in no small order the heavily favoured Caps and Pens…Philly making it onthe last game with a shootout win then riding that wave to the final…the Bruins meltdown…the Sharks letdown..let em play and save the sky is falling talk till its over…
snore
Bojangles-
You’re a great commenter and I respect your opinion.
But Detroit was resting guys a lot lately. Philly is without Pronger. CJ keeps bringing up Van, but they have everything clinched and really have nothing to play for. A championship team would go out and take care of business so they could really rest and grab some momentum.
I didn’t wait for the playoffs to start to write this because everyone else will be panicking then. I at least know what to expect from this team.
MK
@ bojangles – you know who deserves to catch there breath? A team that has won a cup in the last 39 years and hasn’t blown a game 7 in two consecutive years in which they were the favorite, one of which they were up 3-0 in a series in a game they were up 3-0. but hey, you must be the person who loves seeing lots of wins in the regular season and crapping themselves in the playoffs. there’s gotta be a san jose blog out there for ya
I posted this earlier, Claude gave them the green light to not care about anything with a scrimmage/shootout fun filled practice the day before the Rangers game which MattK was sure to make mention of at the time. Whether Claude meant for it to happen or not is a different story. I think this team is better than last years for a few reasons, but since they do not have a Crosby-esque super star everyone on the team is going to have to be ready to go when the first game starts. If they get bounced in the first round, lose a game 7 before the finals, or blow a series lead Claudes job should be on the line.
In the last 10:
Boston = 6-3-1
Philly = 3-4-3
Detroit = 4-4-2
Winning the Cup is a long long battle over a great many games. I don’t think we need to worry until next Thursday. If they don’t show then – write your article. For now, can we give these guys a break? Its been a long and arduous 82, they won their division, might even finish 2nd in the conference. I think they deserve to catch their breath a little before they return to the scrum.
Bit of a downer but a good blog MK