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I Suppose A Mulligan Is Out Of The Question? |
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Well, I guess my predictions were just a touch off. Ahem.
I started watching this game and I saw a Bruins team that came out hitting and skating. I thought I was in for a real solid game. Chara landed a huge hit that flattened a Star in front of the Bruin bench. Players were finishing their checks and Bergeron looked quite lively. All of that quickly changed and I found myself becoming less and less entertained as the game continued.
The first goal scored on Manny was not his fault. The puck took an odd bounce in the slot and then was snapped top-shelf pretty quickly. I can forgive not stopping that one. On the second goal it looked as if he just sat down and decided that was the most he was willing to move to try to make the save. From there he just looked awful. On the third goal, a one-timer, he overreacted and slid clear out of his crease. On the fourth goal, a drive from the blue-line, he tipped the puck into his own net. Throughout the game he generally showed a lack of ability to control rebounds and he looked shaky. I hope Julien sticks with Manny for the next game as I think it would send a horrible message to give up on him after one poor start but I would have Manny on somewhat of a short rope. He still has a long way to go to prove he is worth Peter Kalus or that he can at least act as a place warmer for Rask over the next two years.
After the second goal, there was no reviving the Bruins. The team seemed deflated and their hitting stopped. Not even two fights could get them going again. Thornton did an admirable job against Fedoruk and Lucic definitely won his fight against Winchester, who kept grabbing Lucic every time Lucic started to land punches. There is a proper time to fight through the course of the game and those fights can be extremely valuable for keeping a team fired up. These two fights seemed a little forced and it didn’t really seem like the hearts of the combatants were in it. I think this is why the fights failed to have any real effect on the teams.
Why did the Bruins lose? For one thing, they stopped hitting and looked much more complacent after falling behind. For another thing, and this is much more important, they didn’t look like a team. Most of the Bruins’ chances came about because of the individual efforts of Phil Kessel, Patrice Bergeron and Peter Schaefer, the only three guys who, at this moment, I am proud to say are Bruins. The Stars looked like they had some creativity in the offensive zone and some cohesion in their own end. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Bruins did not and I felt that I could usually tell what the Bruins were going to do before they did it.
All negativity aside, Kessel looked very solid and he created a lot of offense almost single-handedly. He is looking speedier than ever and he will be rewarded for all the chances he creates for himself. Bergeron, who I’ve noted already has his plus/minus going down because of others, looked quite solid this game. He was positionally sound and he too generated much of his own offense. Schaefer looked as if he had a chip on his shoulder and played with skill and poise throughout the whole game, including when he picked up a nice assist on the lone Bruin goal.
The good news is that this is but the first game of a long season. The bad news is also that this is the first game of a long season. The Bruins looked much like they did for the second half of last year. Now would be a good time for us to see some of that accountability that Julien was brought in to produce.
As a side note, I am upset that Dennis Wideman and Brandon Bochenski were not in the line-up. I understand there isn’t room for everyone on the roster but I would’ve sat Allen and Kobasew in favour of Bochenski and Wideman. We’re talking potential and offense here. I’m sure coach Julien has his reasons for his decisions and I am anxious to see what the next game’s line-up will look like.
Keep the chin up folks. There is still plenty of hockey left to be played. Next stop: Phoenix.
-Gerz
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