Something a little outside the norm here on this usually-Patriots-only blog as I take a little dive into, gasp, hockey and specifically the Boston Bruins. It’s the slowest time of the NFL season and while researching draft prospects is keeping me busy, the urge to write about hockey has been overwhelming so it’s time to throw a little changeup.
First, a little background on me because most of you only know me as the Bill Belichick Hoodie blogger guy who’s been writing about the Pats for over a decade. But the weird thing is that the Bruins were really my true love when I was growing up. Those early 90’s years were lean for the Patriots but the Bruins were in the Stanley Cup hunt every year and they helped eased the pain of one- and two-win Patriot teams.
I played hockey all the way through college, with many players who went on to pro careers. Since moving back to Boston I’ve found myself re-immersed in the sport that was really everything to me growing up.
Last fall, I started reffing youth hockey, which is probably worth its own blog post series itself, and have been lucky enough to work with Jimmy Murphy and CLNS producing the Garden Report on Ice. I’ve been credentialed for a bunch of Bruins games and practices this season so yes, I’ve been enjoying this unexpected season up close and personal. Here’s the latest video we put together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75rxGiOUQL0&t=3s
As the season has progressed I’ve found myself getting the itch to write some hockey posts more and more. So what am I going to do? Start another whole blog from scratch? Ask some other blog to let me write for them on their terms? Nope. I’m just going to fire them up here from time to time.
If you’re here just for the Patriots stuff there will be plenty more coming, with the Top 50 Big Board on tap for early next week, along with my mock draft, more Patshow broadcasts, and plenty more draft analysis as the picks and signings start to come in. You can stop reading now, while any brave souls who happen to love the Bruins like they love the Pats will hopefully enjoy some of my Bruins analysis as they embark on a playoff run that starts with a tough Toronto Maple Leafs team.
Let’s do that hockey!
I feel obligated to start with my feelings toward Tuukka Rask because he’s the lightning rod of the team, where you’re either a Tuukka guy or you’re not a Tuukka. Well, I am a Tuukka guy because I think he easily falls into the handful of NHL goalies that can get you to a Cup finals. Goalies are weird creatures. Every single one I ever played with marched to their own drummer and for that reason I think judging them and predicting if they’re good enough to win a Cup can be impossible.
Every year it feels like one team makes the Cup finals just because their goalie played out of his mind. Often uncharacteristically out of their mind. And if Tuukka played out of his mind I wouldn’t find it that shocking. That alone is reason to believe the Bruins’ hopes don’t really live or die with Tuukka. I also must admit that I love the technician that Rask is in net and how smooth he is. So yes, I am a Tuukka fan and I’m excited to enter a playoff run with him in net.
No, I don’t think their Cup hopes rest on Tuukka, but on the third and fourth line scoring, and with a young team that can be a scary thing.
To a large extent I think the Bruins overachieved this season. We’ve all heard the Felger commercial by now, but early on I think we all agreed it might be an up and down year as young players were put into prominent roles. Did anyone not expect a rebuilding year with a new coach and a host of rookies and second-year guys? Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy, Anders Bjork and Danton Heinen were all huge unknowns. But not only did the youngsters deliver, the veterans all stepped into their roles and played with great consistency as injuries struck for most of the early part of the season.
Ultimately those injuries really helped because the young guys got more ice time and experience. Players like Riley Nash and Noel Acciari found their grooves and became the kind of players the Bruins really lacked the last few years, the low-end role guys who can give you a key faceoff win, hit or goal. Finally the Bruins once again have a full roster of guys who are tough to play against, lines one through four.
We know Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand will push the pace and set the tone, but teams will do everything they can to keep them off the scoresheet. It will be vital that the youngsters prove themselves all over again, when the game is a half step faster in the playoffs.
Put it this way, I don’t think the Bruins lose games 5-4 because Rask stinks, they’ll lose them 3-2 because no one scores behind the front line.
The Bruins fell back to earth a bit over the last few weeks of the season when they were already playing a playoff-like game-every-other-night. That grind caught up with them and I wonder how much jump they’ll get back with just a few days off. Playoff hockey can be reinvigorating, but it’s also a different level of intensity and those miles add up quick.
Riley Nash’s absence might’ve loomed larger than anyone else’s over the last handful of games because of how much balance he brings to third line. If everyone is healthy, which is no guarantee with Nash and Sean Kuraly missing from practice on Tuesday, the Bruins will have good problems trying to figure out who sits out. My bet would be Ryan Donato, going with the set lineup that you played most of the season with and keeping his young fresh legs ready if guys like DeBrusk and Heinen aren’t producing scoring chances early in the series.
The Bruins defied expectations this season because their role players and youngsters stepped in and played consistent two-way hockey. Getting past a Maple Leafs team that beat them three-out-of-four games they played will depend on those same players performing at a similar level.
I’m excited for playoff hockey, it’s always been a passion of mine and I’m excited to start writing about hockey a bit here in this space if my faithful PatsPal readership is okay with it.
I think Donato is sitting. R.Nash healthy playing with playoff Krejci will be huge. Team is set up to make a run. Top line all finished between minus 5-8 over the last 5 games. Hopefully a few days off gets them back to form.