Boston Ties Series - Bruins 4, Canes 2
by Bob Wage on May 13, 2009 2:47 AM EDT
in Hurricanes Game Related
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PrintIt's back to Boston for game 7 as the Boston Bruins scored early and scored often against the Carolina Hurricanes, defeating them by a score of 4-2 last night at the RBC. Just five minutes into the game the Hurricanes found themselves down 2-0, and could never gain control of the contest, nor take advantage of their loud, loyal, and rowdy crowd in Raleigh.
The first goal of the game was scored just two minutes into the affair when the puck was tapped in by Mark Recchi just as the net came off it's post. After a brief video review, the goal stood even though both Tripp Tracy and John Forslund were saying that it should be no goal. That makes two close video reviews in this series that did not go the Hurricanes way, but it's hard to argue about that one. I'm not sure why John and Tripp were wrong, I could not hear the audio well.
The Bruins scored again just three minutes later on a blast from the point by Steve Montador.
The Hurricanes tried to make a game of it and actually out-shot the Bruins in each and every period, as well as 33-19 for the game. Matt Cullen scored early in the second period on a sweet backhander, but the Bruins would answer shortly afterwards on a very nice play between Milan Lucic and Marc Savard.
The game would be put out of reach when Chuck Kobasew would sneak in behind Tim Gleason for Boston's fourth goal with less than two minutes remaining in the second period. (photo above)
The Carolina defense was a step or two slow much of the night and they seemed unaware of the location of the puck at times. The forwards were also off a bit, coming close to scoring on several occasions, but just missing because of bad timing.
Sergei Samsonov gave the fans some hope and scored a goal seven minutes into the third, but the Canes would not get any closer and the Bruins succeeded in their quest to make it to game 7.
The officials had a very easy night of it and only had to call five penalties, one of which was an automatic delay of game, puck over the boards call on the Bruins. No one can blame the refs for this loss.
My guess is that the league office had a chit-chat with both teams because this was the meekest I have ever seen the Bruins play. There were very few scrums or shenanigans after the whistle, like there were in previous affairs. Both teams just skated away after the goalie held the puck and the referee stopped play. The Bruins were only credited with 22 hits for the game, one of their lowest totals of the playoffs. According to the scoresheet, the Canes had 40 hits.
The two teams meet one final time this season in Boston at 8PM on Thursday.
Game Notes:
Tim Thomas made some nice saves to preserve the win for Boston, but he could certainly be tested more than he was last night.
Erik Cole was credited with eight hits and had a couple of nice ones on Zdeno Chara. But Cole is one expensive checking forward at $4 million per year. He has yet to score a goal and has one assist in 13 playoff games. Tuomo Ruutu also had eight hits.
Other players who have yet to score a goal in these playoffs are Rod Brind'Amour, Scott Walker, Patrick Eaves and Anton Babchuk. After making big contributions in the Jersey series, Chad LaRose, Ryan Bayda, and Ray Whitney have not done much scoring in this series.
The players were surprisingly upbeat in the dressing room after the game, but didn't have an answer for not being able to come out with more jump for the most important game of the year, (up to that point).
Coach Maurice had a nice statement in the post game press conference. He started off by saying:
"I still believe in this hockey team, I really do. I just want us to believe. I just want us to play the game we are capable of playing."
It won't be easy for them to play "their game" in Boston.
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Let's just hope
we aren’t forced to watch Anton Babchuk vaguely wave in the general direction of the puck again on Thursday. And perhaps Joni Pitkanen can remember not to let an opposing forward skate by him while his back is turned. How many times last night did he turn his back on a winger coming up the board, only to then turn around and scramble to try a backcheck when the puck ended up on that guy’s stick.
And finally, someone please inform the Hurricanes that when you have a Power Play, it helps to keep the puck in at the point.
Hitting
When I was at the game last night, the main thing I noticed was Erik Cole’s hits on Chara but it didn’t seem to phase Chara that much. Do you think that was a little revenge for Chara’s big hit on Cole a couple games ago?
Blue Line Failure
Watching that game last night was like watching paint dry. The Canes defense gave this game away…when they had chances to play pucks within reach they simply didn’t engage the play. Way too much space allowed for all Bruins forwards and we all know the rest. I agree with most that Babchuk was poor last night but the Seidenberg, Pitkanen pair was the worst. Almost looked as if they knew coming onto the ice that game 7 was a reality. For those that went to the game last night. What the hell was up with the jumbo-tron? During the second period the screen on this thing flashes we’ve already won a game 7 before and we can do it again??? When that went up it was like somebody sucked the air from our section. Did they know something that we didn’t at the time.
The Canes were better last night than in game 5 but I do not understand how you come out flat on home ice. While our forwards have been better in other games I place this loss on our defense. Not being in position when the play came to them, not blocking shots, and definitely not taking away the ice from the Boston transition game and leaving the hitting game to the Canes forwards. Game 7 presents some issues for the Canes. Which has me concerned as to which Canes team will take the ice in Boston. The team we all enjoyed during games 2-3-4 this series, or this train wreck that has appeared during the last two “efforts”. Lace em’ up for game 7.
BEEP BEEP
Fear not, we will only have to suffer through one more painful performance like that, then it’s tee times….
BTW, Bubba, that game was “out of reach” 5 minutes into it. What a shame, I really thought the not showing up was cured, real bad time for it to crop back up. This pathetic kind of play and not making the next rounds gonna make it hard to keep our favorite guys that need resigning. I think they will take Cole over Ruutu (which is stupid and assinine). Gonna be a painful summer. I can’t believe how the ’Canes can go from asskickers to falling apart and looking like an AHL warm up squad.
A
Giving credit where credit is due.....
The Bruins got in the ‘Canes’ heads last night. The ’Canes were so busy trying to hit someone that they forgot to keep the puck from going into net. Credit the Bruins for out smarting them.
The thing that gives me hope is that the ’Canes after that played much better. If you excuse the first 5 minutes or so, the ’Canes out shot and out hustled the Bruins.
No, I’m not pleased but I’m not giving up nor am I in a negative mood. I still think the ’Canes will win this series and while I thought 6 games, taking 7 is ok too.
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
Under the bus ?
Okay … I see the usual suspects are throwing the team (or a few players) under the bus again. I was there, as usual. The team looked nervous early, but did not come out flat.
The first goal was bad all the way around; I don’t know why John and Tripp would think it
should not count.
At 2-1 we were still in the game and pressing the attack. You could see the third goal coming after we had three chances to clear the puck and failed . I thought the 4th goal
was on Ward, it was not that difficult a play , he just did not cover the post in time.
I also think it’s a bit of a cheap shot to call Cole a high priced checking forward. He
has played hard and physical every game ; some of Staal’s success has resulted from plays by Cole.
It’s a one game series now. Like Coach Mo, I believe in this team.
Did UC that?
Did anyone else see the lil what on the back of the calf UC got? When Chara got his 1st penalty Jussi was skating towards the bench and one of the Boston players (Couldn’t make out who it was) gave him a lil whack on the back of the leg. It wasn’t hard, Jussi didn’t even look. Both officials were occupied with clearing a lil scrum, so they didn’t see it.
I thought it was funny, especially since Jussi didn’t even flinch when it happened.
you folks are very negative.
first: if we can keep this team from getting that early two goal lead like they have in all three games weve lost, we can play them at home. obviously we didnt play the best game last night,
but that first goal changed everything, and the d on that play was just dumb.
second, even if they do lose, like all of you seem to think they will.
what a freakin season. im so happy with this season so far and so excited about the offseason building and what will happen.
im not giving up yet, i think we needed those two loses to get our heads right for this game 7
we go back to boston with everything to lose, but the pressure is on boston in this one, just like NJ in game 7.
i believe in this team
GO CANES
Call me "Ditto head"
as I agree with what he wrote above, save I was not negative.
I too see good things for next season and I still know this season ain’t over.
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
I guess ill be the 3rd
Im hoping the Bruins can come out holding the stick a little too tight. If we can score that first goal I think the game will done. They will start to press even harder and (hopefully) take some penalties. We will see.
I agree that this has been one hell of a season. I would like to be watching Carolina hockey in a week. But if Im not, this has been a very exciting season, with ups and downs and all arounds. Its been a rollercoaster ride. Thats why they play the games and thats why we put the emotional stock into the team. It’s in their hands now. Lets see what they do with it.
by CarolinaCanes on May 13, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I think I saw 4 different defensemen screw the pooch on the 4 different goals last night. The first one was a team effort by Babchuck and Wallin.
Babchuck has been absolutely BRUTAL in his own end during the post season. I wish I had the stats on his “Deer in headlights” look. I’m guessing he is averaging .7 per shift.
I think Kaberle will be in Game 7
Any thoughts?
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
i hope not,
kaberle needs a fresh start in a new franchise,
he doesnt excite people here, whether thats fair or not is not my place to judge.
he just needs new fans
babchuk makes mistakes,
but so does everyone else
and babchuk also had some great play last night
i really think babchuk is a part of our future as he continues to grow.
his size and shot are great,
and his puck handling is GOOD, hes not afraid to puck handle, and it will only get better as he gets more and more confidence
but that being said,
babchuk scratched for kaberle was the first thouhgt in my head after that bad penalty in the third
Babchuck looked terrible. He looked scared to even have the puck. This is how he has been during all of the playoffs. He just doesnt look the same as he did when he was scoring and having fun.
in my opinion I think that you bench him for Kaberle in hopes that you win this game and then if we can win then you think about bringin him back for the next series since I think Babchuck will be back next year and Kaberle wont.
One more thing
One other thing. Im not sure if I am the only one that is noticing this, but the B’s have scored on the same play about 5 of the last 8 goals. All they are doing is taking it down to the corners and slinging it across to a guy who is either in front of the net or crashing the net. Our d-men are either out of place or not having their sticks in the right place which is leaving a wide open goal as Ward is having to play the shot from that guy in the corner and doesnt have enough time to slide back across.
Just my observations.
i agree.
but its not just babchuk that is getting dooped by this one.
luckily i dont think frank vs babs is what decides the game 7
imo the difference is that when we were winnigng we were playing our defensive game, and then our chances came.
the last two games it has looked like we were TRYING to score, and thus giving up these dumb quick goals the other way.
who knows
this is not true
in my opinion.
nobody can shut down as well as pitkanen gleason and corvo,
we shouldnt expect all of our d men to be our best d men
and slow feet frank isnt gonna be better
I thought Pitkanen was very good in the defensive zone last night. His recoveries were very good. Everyone was a little too cutesy in the offensive end.
Did you miss goal number 4? He was watching the puck and had no clue where his defensive assignment was.
Overall I agree, Gleason played a pretty solid game.
Great? no.
by Iggy Reilly on May 13, 2009 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions
breakdowns happen,
look at chara (one of the “best”) in games 2, 3, 4
i still think it was a great game for gleason,
but your goal 4 comment is def true.
Gleason, most out of maybe everyone on the team, is playing with poise and a calmness. I think we’re really seeing the emergence of a Jason Smith-type defenseman and leader.
by Cory Lavalette on May 13, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely, I see an A in his future,
I just don’t know if I would characterize his game last night as GREAT.
by Iggy Reilly on May 13, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
CanesVision
For the most part I like what the CanesVision folks do, their stuff is funny and entertaining and helps pump up the crowd, but what they did last night wasn’t very smart.
For the folks that weren’t there, just before the game started they put on the jumbotron for everyone to stand up during the game.
1st, you can’t force an emotion that came naturally came during the 06 playoffs. I was deployed in 06, but I’m willing to bet there was no message put up telling folks to stand, they did it natrually because they were pumped up.
2nd, I sit in 127 J, and right across the aisle in 126 a fight almost broke out, because some people didn’t want to stand, but the folks in fron of them did. This happened with in the first 10 minutes of the game. Then on 99.9 in the post game show, someone called in and complained because people complained about people standing. Well, duh, you pay playoff prices, you want to be able to sit and enjoy the game I notice the folks sitting on the side stood most of the game, but both ends stayed seated except when the puck was around the net..
Last night was a big game, but it wasn’t a game 7 in the championship game, and to put a message up to asking folks to stand, in my humble opinion, wasn’t a very smart thing to do.
I agree … I thought they jumped the gun on that. Slippery slope … before you know it they’re calling for people to stand on Tuesday night against Atlanta. In Game 7 of the SC Finals, the team caught wind of a movement to have everyone stand for the game and then put it on the Jumbotron … but everyone had already planned it.
by Cory Lavalette on May 13, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I also agree, it was not the best night for the Canes Vision people last night. I also wondered why they were promoting game 7 early in the third period, when there was still plenty of time in the present game.
GM of CanesCountry.com
I think there was still 20:00 on the clock when they put that up.
Also they really need to lay off the inspirational music video crap in the intermissions. That’s no way to get a crowd into the game. It made me want to yawn and turn it off. The video part was fine, but the music? Yech! Play something a) fun or b) agressive
by Andrea's evil twin on May 13, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll agree. I think the whole franchise is like a deer in headlights. 2 games ago the team was on a tear. Now we are in a game 7 to make the conf. finals. I think everybody is trying too dam hard to find that magic from ‘06. You don’t make it or find it, it finds you. It sure hasn’t been around the last couple games. The team better settle down and play the game of thier lives Thursday or Canesvision is over and you don’t have to worry about anybody standing at a hockey game anymore.
I also noticed a post earlier aboiut being proud of the season the ‘Canes had. I want to chime in on that. They went from a heaping, steaming, stack of hockey dung to a team that went at least 2 rounds deep. Not too shabby at all. I dread this offseason, but am anticipating come hell or high water the team will be better next year. All said and done that’s saying something, because they were very good at times this year.
I’m gonna get hives thinking about Thursday…
A
Hurricanes Can't Beat Boston even with Cheap Shots
When I hear the words “New York.” The first thing that comes to mind is the Rangers. I am quite certain, that is because we are still in hockey season. Before the signing of Avery, I had no impression/opinion of the Rangers one way or the other. I recall the incident with Avery that tossed him out of Dallas and I remember and posting, I feel sorry for any team hard up enough to sign him. We all know that Avery was signed by the Rangers. We know how he played and now the Coach too is circling down the drain and just needs to be flushed. Do I have compassion for the other members of the Rangers? The people on the payroll who sell the tickets? The Marketing folks and anybody affiliated with the Rangers? Sure I do. Avery has a long track record of being a piece of chit. The good thing, is the men who represent the NHL and do a fine job of it, know all about Avery. So they will protect themselves and each other. It wasn’t even 3 weeks ago, that I posted about being happy we were playing Carolina next. I went as far as posting they would play clean hockey. They would not be like Montreal. I didn’t sit and pace the floors worrying about the cheap shots or sucker punches to my team. Carolina HAD my respect but they don’t any longer. Staal was supposed to be this big scary guy, and a force to be reckoned with. You are kidding me right? The Kids is cagey, and very bright. But he isn’t THAT great. He doesn’t stand out (for me.) His brother is a Ranger. Do I like Staal? No opinion one way or the other. Then there was Cam Ward. A 25 year old Rock Star. Guy is good. Guy will be better and can possibly be an “elite” goalie. If you asked me today about Cam Ward, I would look at you and say who? Pardon me? I don’t remember Cam Ward now. I don’t remember the Hurricanes and where they finished or what they did for this season. They have destroyed it all. They have joined the likes of the Rangers and I think it is shameful that Walker wasn’t dealt with. Do you care what I think? Probably not. But my point is this. One bad apple does spoil the entire bunch. I wouldn’t eat from that tree if it was the only food/fruit I would ever get again. There are only 30 teams in the NHL. How many are going to fall from Grace because of one schmuck? Wake up NHL. You don’t have the following Baseball and Football have. Why is that? I don’t know. I could promote hockey for the rest of my life and you wouldn’t have to pay me a dime. Deal with these A holes and clean this up. Remember, for every one of me, there are hundreds. Most people just walk. I will walk but I will tell you why I left. How many more feel what I do? I don’t think you want to roll the dice on this one.
by Hurricane Cheryl on May 13, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions
Did Lucic’s crosscheck to Lapierre’s face ruins the Bruins for you? Or how about when the Bruins signed Savard? Did you consider he was once suspended for BITING Darcy Tucker? Oh, and Chara was suspended for a fight inside five minutes back in his Ottawa days. He went after Tim Gleason, back when he played for the Kings.
by Cory Lavalette on May 13, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
You again?
Hmmm,
According to the Bruins, Game 5 was the style they like. They goaded the ‘Canes into “their style” and guess what? The ’Canes lost. The ’Canes don’t win on thuggery. They are a skating team. So you are absolutely right, the ‘Canes can’t win vs Boston with cheap shots. Cheap shots are Boston’s game.
Props to the Bruins for making the ‘Canes play down to the Bruin’s level. When the ‘Canes skate with their game, the Bruins can’t win. But by getting the ‘Canes to play down to the Bruin’s level, the Bruins win.
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
Cheryl, I don’t get your point, but I’m glad you are celebrating a day early. The hockey gods love that sort of thing.
GM of CanesCountry.com
She's a regular on the Boston newspaper blogs
She blathered on about Thomas not playing.
Even the other Bruin’s fans on those sites can’t stand her.
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
She’s put the same comment on about 10 different entries throughout SBN. Just ignore.
by Cory Lavalette on May 13, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions
Although i am a B fan i do think Carlolina is a good team. Both teams are very physical but it seems that when Boston is under pressure it’s when they do their best. You have to give credit where credit is due and Thomas is a much better goalie than Cam. I have no doubt that Boston will prevail tonight.You can call it cheap shots if that makes u feel better but respect should be given for coming back from a 3-1 defeat. This is the B’s year. And speaking of cheap shots did anyone see that sucker punch from game 5? Either way Carolina is going home tonight!
I do give Boston a ton of respect. They didnt earn the number 1 seed because they sucked. They have consistently been one of the best if not the best team in hockey this year. As far as Thomas being a much better goalie I think is a joke. Look at the guys styles and how they play the game. Take away Chara, Ward, Stuart, etc and put average NHL defenders back there. Do you think Thomas would be as good as he is and his stats would be the same? The guy has one of the worst rebound control I have seen all year but he has defenders who position themselves well and clear the puck. I am not saying that he is not a good goalie but to say that he is “much better than Ward” is an absolute joke!
Sure that can be the case. If you swallow the puck and dont give up rebounds then there will be less shots for the most part. That is a given.
Again I am not taking anything away from Thomas. I think he is a good goalie but to say that he is “much better” than Ward is a joke. Ward has moved up to become one of the true elite goalies in the league. He can take over games with his saves and controlling the rebounds where I dont think Thomas can do that. He doesnt slow the game down when it is needed because of his poor rebound control. That is where his very good d-men come into play. If Thomas could control his rebounds better I think he would probably be the one of the top 3 goalies in the league.
But it's a team game, note last night's "game"
where the Capitals left their goalie hang out to dry with absolutely no defense in front of him.
You can have the best goalie in the world but if the team in front doesn’t hold up their end, the best goalie will get scored on.
Knowledge is Power!
Power Corrupts!
Study hard,
Become Evil!
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