Chara/By S. Bradley
VANCOUVER — Either Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo is trying to convince the Bruins they’re not getting any benefit from having Zdeno Chara parked in front on the power play because that alignment is bothering him, or maybe putting the captain at the top of the crease isn’t the best idea Boston’s coaching staff has had.
After he blanked the Bruins last night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena, Luongo was asked to compare Chara’s screening to that of former Chicago behemoth Dustin Byfuglien, who was an irritant to Luongo the last several years in the postseason.
“It’s not the same. Obviously Zdeno is a bit bigger,” said Luongo, who helped the Vancouver penalty kill finish 6-for-6. “On the first power play it was a bit tough to find the puck. But once they got another one, I was able to make a few adjustments, able to see the puck better.
“I think he’s a big body, but at the same time we decided that it’s best if we just leave him alone and let me take care of him.”
One of those adjustments was the Canucks’ ability to move Chara with physicality when necessary. It might take two defensemen to knock him down, but once he’s down he’s almost completely rendered a non-factor.
This is one experiment whose time might be up.
One thing is for sure, someone needs to be in front of the net bothering Luongo & not just on the powerplay but 5 on 5 as well. It is no big secret that Luongo doesn’t like being bothered in his office, look how Bugflin ( sorry about spelling) completely through him off his game when he was with Chicago. Surely, someone has reviewed/studied game tapes of teams ( Chicago in particular) that have had alot of success against Vancouver & seen what they were doing right.
If they haven’t then they are not doing there job. I never reviewed no tapes but can easily remember from watching past series between Van/Chi that the Big Buf ‘s net presence was a game/series changer.
sounds like Luongo got a call from Boucher on psycology. Please with Charra planted he can’t see anything but Kaberle’s fake slapper he uses five times a shift. shoot the puck from the slot area it will go in. Five on three you have to score!
The bruins play keep away on the power play. Does anyone wonder what Mr. Cam has said behind closed doors? God I would love to know. Clod is such a Clodd.
1. Shooting the puck in a guy’s face is perfectly legal.
2. TCL said it first: If the Bruins win the SC, it will be in spite of Julien, not because of him.
3. Seguin is on the bench learning the game Julien’s style. So sick.
4. Recchi getting loads of lolly pops for a 20 year career is written all over no balls, no brain Julien hockey book.
It’s not about being nice, it’s about winning a SC Clod.
this new PP stuff is also insane. Chara is better on the walls or at the line, where his reach and his shot can help. if you need a net hog, go with Horton or Lucic or Recchi or… just not a guy who can’t do tight stickhandling and shooting in tiny avenues near his feet. it makes no sucking fence. what happened to the impressive umbrella? was it working too well to continue? Kaberle as one of two skaters at the line on the powerplay infuriates me, as it allows the opponents to predict the plays with tremendous accuracy (that’s a surefire way to have your pressure dissolved). a defenseman with no threat of shooting from afar should not be a defender on the powerplay. a defenseman with no ability to keep his stick flat near his feet should not be screening the opposing goaltender after facing off as a forward. how does it take Julien so long to make such terrible decisions? he should be a defensive coordinator and a general consultant, but somebody else should be making line decisions and drawing up powerplay strategies. the powerplay is beyond being a joke; it’s an insult.
Whether or not Z is effectively screening Lu is moot when you consider that unit has had more scoring chances since the change than they did in the collective 2 months prior.
I suppose you could move him back to the point, but if that ruins any momentum you’ve gained in terms of flow, you’re starting from square one again … not that they’re that far away now.
I’d like to see Bergy and Kaberle swapped if they insist on #37 playing the point so they don’t have 3 D on the 1st PP unit. Let Kabs run unit 2.
Honestly I think the PP is dead for this year.
When the season is over, they can begin to fix what was broken this round-and this year what was broken or made success in the cup run difficult-luckily this year there isn’t as much to fix, but perhaps firing Ward (or whoever is in charge of our most sucktastic PP) and hiring somebody who knows how to coach a PP would be in order. Honestly I don’t understand why this hasn’t happened already, but for this year I think the PP is too tight and it no longer matters who is where because the team knows they can’t score and Canucks have certainly figured that out and won’t care if they take a bunch of penalties.
Obviously when you put your 106mph slap shot in front of the net for a screen you are out of ideas. Please no more PP talk I can’t handle it.
The B’s can score goals but they don’t have that one pure sniper that only needs one shot. Chara is no Corey Perry in front of the net.A guy like him would solve any power play. Perry needs to score to live like a vampire needs blood.
Seguin has a fine wrister with a good release. He is the closest thing to a pure offensive player they have. That wouldn’t help on a five on three. Would it?
Also, now that this series is being run by jailhouse rules, it would be nice to see Chara back at the point so he can unload a puck or two directly at the face of a Van player. Then he can say he didn’t do it. Then the NHL can say there is no conclusive evidence.
Chara is down there because Horton and Lucic have failed to go to the front of the net, or at least our crappy PP design doesn’t put them there. If they went there with any consistency, this Chara thing wouldn’t be necessary.
The Bruins need Chara’s slap shot on the point.
I would remove Chara put him back at the point and put 2 big bodies in front of the net Lucic and Horton.