Hey Bruins, Don't Fuck This Up
The Bruins had a chance to close out the Maple Leafs Saturday night but looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights when the game started. Toronto took advantage of a fortuitous bounce and a sleepy Boston back end to grab a 2-0 lead halfway through the first, putting the Bs on their heels for the rest of the night. And despite have the decided edge in play and a more than 2/1 shot advantage, the Bruins never got the equalizer or the necessary save from erstwhile Superman Tuukka Rask and now find themselves fucking around with a Game 6 in Toronto.
It didn’t have to be this way but given the dopamine levels of playoff hockey involving your team, I wouldn’t have it any other way (that’s a fucking lie). It’s real simple for the Bruins—just give 100% for the game and they really should come out on top. They were outworked by Toronto early in Game 5 and it cost them. Having the ice tilted in TO’s end for the third didn’t mean shit because the Bs had their heads up their ass to start and it killed them. Basically, the top three lines just need to follow the fourth line’s lead.
That means getting meaner and hungrier around the net. Rick Nash, that means you. The Bruins gave up a lot for you to score goals now score some fucking goals. I don’t care about your back-checking or chemistry with Jake DeBrusk—-put the puck in the net. And David Krejci, help him out. This team needs more than the horses on the first line, especially if the Ghost of Tomas Plekanec is shutting them down.
And all due respect to Big Zee and Chuckie Mac but they need to be much better than they were Saturday. As good as they’ve been, they were kind of a disaster at all the wrong times the other night. I know it’s late in the year and I hate calling out guys who might be more than just dinged up or are battling shit. But if you’re in the line-up, fair or not, there’s an expectation of a certain level of play (whether F or D).
Another word to the wise for the Bs? Mind your Ps and Qs. Toronto to get the first power play might as well be -500 and tonight might as well be the Montreal Forum in 1977. So the Bruins have to be smart and not gift a talented PP unit a chance to get an early lead.
If there’s a positive to be taken from Saturday, it’s that Rask got the hook. As a degenerate pucks gambler, I know one thing about ace goalies after being embarrassed—they answer the bell the next time out. I’d be surprised if Rask gives up over 1.5 goals tonight. He and Freddy Andersen have been going back and forth with stealing games and Rask is up next.
Yesterday, we saw Pittsburgh and Nashville go on the road into hostile territory to easily win their Game 6s because they were the better teams AND they showed up. If the Bruins do that tonight, there won’t be a Game 7 here Wednesday night.