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05-28-2020, 07:07 PM
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#49 |
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
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05-29-2020, 07:31 AM
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
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05-29-2020, 07:56 AM
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Bruins Beat: B's overcome dreadful officiating to win epic game against Tampa (November 22nd - December 5th)
 Anders Bjork scores the game-tying goal in the third period against Tampa Bay. Results LOSE 5-4 (OT) vs Montreal Canadiens LOSE 5-4 (OT) @ Colorado Avalanche WIN 4-3 @ Tampa Bay Lightning WIN 4-1 @ Chicago Blackhawks WIN 3-1 @ Washington Capitals LOSE 4-3 @ Minnesota Wild LOSE 3-2 vs Carolina Hurricanes Record: 3-2-2 (Overall - 14-9-3, 31 points), 5th in Atlantic Spotlight Game - 4-3 win @ Tampa Bay Lightning
It's hard enough to play the Lightning in Tampa, particularly this year when they are on an incredible run to start the season. It's even harder when the officials decide they are going to get involved. The Bruins were penalized six times, including a five-minute major and game misconduct for a quote unquote charge, which was borderline at best. During the five-minute power play, the Bruins were penalized two more times, while Victor Hedman knocked Jake DeBrusk out of the game but wasn't given anything. It was frustrating - to say the least - as Tampa scored three power play goals to give them a 3-2 lead heading into the third period. The Bruins showed incredible resiliency, however, and tied the game at three when Anders Bjork scored his fourth goal of the season. Then, Ryan Pulock took the game into his own hands. Paul Stastny won the draw back to him in the Tampa Bay zone, and Pulock fired a shot that was stopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy, but remained loose in the crease. Seeing his opportunity, Pulock drove to the net and banged in his own rebound, which ultimately served as the game-winning goal.  David Pastrnak opened the scoring for the Bruins against the Wild, but it didn't help the team as they blew a 3-1 third period lead. Other Notes... - The line change made at the end of the last week certainly worked immediately, as the first and third lines combined for four goals in games against the Habs and Avs. Unfortunately, Boston's defensive structure fell apart, and they lost both games 5-4 in overtime. - Clearly Bruce Cassidy put the team's focus back on the defensive end, as they won two convincing games over Chicago and Washington - 4-1 and 3-1. Sean Kuraly chipped in for two goals against the Blackhawks while Patrice Bergeron scored two against the Caps. Unfortunately, Paul Stastny went down with a concussion against Washington and will be out indefinitely. Chris Wagner returns to the lineup to centre the fourth line while Sean Kuraly moves up to centre the third line. - Two brutal losses to end the week left a sour taste in the team's mouth after a successful start. First, it was a 4-3 loss to Minnesota, which was especially ugly because they led 3-1 heading into the third period. The Wild tied the game at three with 3:20 left, and then scored the winner with just 1:11 left. The B's outshot the Wild 37-26 and had nearly three minutes more time on attack. - Another late goal cost the B's against the Hurricanes. Both teams traded goals in the first two periods, and the game looked destined for overtime until Jaccob Slavin scored on the power play with just 2:38 left in the game.  Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead over the Flyers early in the first, but Philly would go on to score the next four goals en route to a 6-2 drubbing. Who's Hot First Line - The first line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Jack Studnicka wasn't playing poorly by any means, but Bruce Cassidy needed to make a switch to get Anders Bjork going. So far so good. The first line combined for seven goals during this seven-game stretch, with Bergeron scoring four. Bjork doubled his point total on the season. Charlie Coyle - Playing with David Pastrnak has brought out Coyle's offensive game. He scored four goals during this stretch, giving him eight on the season. He is almost guaranteed to pass his total of 15 from last year. Who's Not Paul Stastny - Just when things may have been starting to click for the newcomer, Stas goes down with a concussion. He had picked up a goal and two assists since the lineup change, and seemed to have chemistry with Jack Studnicka. Hopefully he can return soon to build on this strong start. What's on tap? After two straight home games the team hits the road for four consecutive games on the road. The big two will be at St Louis for a Stanley Cup Final rematch from two years ago, and at Toronto, who sit in second place in the Atlantic with a 16-8-2 record.  Charlie Coyle now has eight goals on the season, more than half of the total he had last year. |
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06-02-2020, 08:50 AM
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#52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rookie
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Bruins Beat: Goals gone wild - Bruins light up the scoresheet in crazy six game stretch (December 6th - December 19th)
 Urho Vaakanainen scores his first career goal, the overtime winner against the Maple Leafs. Results WIN 7-6 vs Vancouver Canucks WIN 5-4 vs Seattle Seals WIN 4-2 @ St. Louis Blues LOSE 7-1 @ Edmonton Oilers WIN 5-4 (OT) @ Toronto Maple Leafs WIN 8-3 @ New York Islanders Record: 5-1-0 (Overall - 19-10-3, 41 points), 4th in Atlantic Spotlight Game - 5-4 (OT) win @ Toronto Maple Leafs
These Atlantic Division matchups never seem to disappoint. After an outstanding win over the Lightning last week, the Bruins followed it up with another wild victory over the Leafs in Toronto. Boston took a 2-1 lead into the second period thanks in large part to their high-flying rookie Jack Studnicka, who tallied a goal and an assist. The teams traded goals in the second giving Boston a 3-2 lead to start the third period. In the third, the Leafs tied the game and then took a 4-3 lead thanks to a goal from William Nylander with less than five minutes remaining in the game. It was the rookies again, however, that bailed out Boston, as Urho Vaakanainen made a great pass to Studnicka up the right side of the ice. Studnicka drove the net and found Tyler Toffoli on the far side of the crease for the tap in, tying the game at four. In overtime, it was Vaakanainen again. The Leafs overcommitted to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, leaving Vaakanainen wide open in front of the net. Marchand found him and Vaak buried it, his first career goal and the overtime winner.  David Pastrnak picked up a ridiculous 15 points during this six-game stretch in which the Bruins went 5-1-0. Other Notes... - A crazy start to the week with a 7-6 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Things looked to be in hand heading into the third period for Boston, as they built a 4-1 lead. The Canucks came back with three straight goals to tie the game at four before the Bruins scored three straight themselves to take a 7-4 lead. Two late goals cut the lead to 7-6 but Vancouver ultimately ran out of time. A poor performance by Tuukka Rask, who only made 22 saves. Another four-point game for Pasta. - Another wild 5-4 win over Seattle was highlighted by an injury to Torey Krug, who left with a likely concussion in the second period. Urho Vaakanainan will take his place in the lineup - and as you can tell from above, has done an outstanding job so far. - Just a dreadful game in Edmonton. Those happen from time to time, so there isn't much of a point dwelling on it. Still - defensive and goaltending concerns continue to be an issue for the Bruins, particularly during this two week stretch of games. - The Bruins finished their best stretch of the season with an 8-3 pounding of the New York Islanders who are having a terrible season so far. Charlie Coyle continues to be a machine, as he picked up his second career hat trick and added an assist. Pastrnak added another five points in the victory. Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead over the Flyers early in the first, but Philly would go on to score the next four goals en route to a 6-2 drubbing. Who's Hot David Pastrnak- Pasta's unbelievable season continued during this six-game stretch. He picked up 15 points, and leads the team with 42 on the season, including 19 goals. Perhaps the most impressive thing has been his line's defensive responsibility, as he is second on the team with a +14 rating - only behind his centre, Charlie Coyle. Charlie Coyle - Speaking of, Coyle was also terrific, as he's been all year. He added 12 points, including six goals and his second career hat trick. Coyle is now tied with Marchand for second on the team with 30 points, and his 14 goals is nearly as many as he had last season. Jack Studnicka - There are still some things Bruce Cassidy would like to see Studnicka do better in his own end (as evident by his -3 rating), but the rookie has been outstanding this season. The move to the third line hasn't been a set back at all, as he tallied five goals during this six-game stretch, and he is now first in the league among rookies in points with 19. Who's Not Team defense - It's a good thing the Bruins were finding the back of the net during this stretch, because they didn't do a very good job keeping the puck out of their own net. They allowed 26 goals in six games, but still found a way to go 5-1-0. Even if you take out the 7-1 loss to the Oilers, they still allowed nearly four goals a game despite winning each one. They now are just 13th in the league in goals against, and Tuukka Rask's GAA has jumped up to over three. What's on tap? Three more road games before this seven-game road trip ends and the Bruins head home to meet the Florida Panthers, who are one point behind the B's in the division.  Jack Studnicka continues to impress in his rookie year, and leads all rookies in the league in points with 19.
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06-04-2020, 07:51 AM
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#53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rookie
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Bruins Beat: Bruins continue to play winning hockey, but tough Atlantic Division isn't giving them any breaks (December 20th - January 2nd)
 Charlie Coyle scores his 18th goal of the season against the Panthers to tie the game at two. Results WIN 4-1 @ Ottawa Senators LOSE 3-2 (OT) @ New Jersey Devils WIN 7-2 @ Dallas Stars WIN 3-2 vs Florida Panthers LOSE 3-2 vs Anaheim Ducks LOSE 3-2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins Record: 3-2-1 (Overall - 22-12-4, 48 points), 4th in Atlantic Spotlight Game - 3-2 win vs Florida Panthers
For the first time in nearly a month, the Bruins had their starting lineup back for their game against the Panthers, with Paul Stastny and Torey Krug both returning from injury earlier in the week. While neither recorded points in this game, it did seem to give the B's a bit of a spark as they took down Florida 3-2. It didn't start out that way, however. Similar to Game 1 of last year's first round playoff series, the Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, and Sergei Bobrovsky seemed unbeatable, making 17 saves in the period alone. Then Charlie Coyle took over. Coyle continued his terrific season, scoring back to back goals just 90 seconds apart to tie the game at two. Then, on another power play opportunity, Jake DeBrusk took a pass from Anders Bjork and buried it in the top corner, giving the B's a 3-2 lead which they would hold for the remainder of the game.  The Bruins started the week with an impressive 4-1 over the Senators. Other Notes... - Charlie Coyle got the week started with a great performance against Ottawa, picking up a goal and an assist as the B's cruised to a convincing 4-1 victory. Tyler Toffoli also scored for the second time in three games. - After a frustrating loss to the Devils in overtime, the B's took out their anger on the hapless Dallas Stars, pounding them 7-2. Brad Marchand picked up a hat trick with Patrice Bergeron assisting on all three goals. - The B's couldn't capitalize on the momentum from the win over the Panthers, however, and ended this two-week stretch with back-to-back 3-2 losses against Anaheim and Pittsburgh. Boston didn't play poorly in either game, but they just couldn't get the goal they needed to force either game to overtime. Who's Hot Jake DeBrusk - DeBrusk seems to have found his stride alongside Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak. He picked up four goals and five assists during this six game stretch, and now has 11 goals and 28 points on the season. More impressively, however, he has a +17 rating which is the third highest on the team - only behind Coyle and Pasta. Brad Marchand - While Marchand isn't quite on the same scoring pace as he was last year, he's still had a very strong first half of the year. He picked up a hat trick against the Stars and tallied seven points during this six game stretch, giving him 37 on the year. Moving Pasta to the second line has given the B's a much more balanced attack, something Marchand has taken in stride. Who's Not Paul Stastny - On one hand it was a good week for Stastny, as he finally returned from his concussion and he picked up an assist against the Penguins. On the other hand, that was his only point in six games. He now has just nine points on the year and has a poor -4 rating. The third line, which was performing well with Sean Kuraly at the pivot position, struggled overall with Toffoli adding just two points and Jack Studnicka held off the scoresheet. It may be time for the B's to move on from Stastny as it clearly is not working the way they anticipated. What's on tap? A tough stretch for the Bruins as they face five straight teams with winning records, ending with the Buffalo Sabres who have fallen off their pace from the start of the year but still have a 23-13-1 record. Luckily they end next week with two home games against the Coyotes and Sharks, both of whom are having rough years so far.  The Bruins have been outstanding at home this season, but they've played far more road games. An upcoming home stretch could be their chance to make a move in the Atlantic.
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06-05-2020, 07:31 AM
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#54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rookie
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Bruins Beat: Bruins start making their move in the Atlantic Division as season crosses halfway mark (January 3rd - January 16th)
 David Pastrnak scores the winning goal in the shootout against the Winnipeg Jets. Results WIN 3-2 (SO) vs Winnipeg Jets WIN 4-3 @ New York Rangers LOSE 3-1 @ Calgary Flames WIN 3-2 vs Los Angeles Kings LOSE 4-3 vs Buffalo Sabres WIN 4-1 vs Arizona Coyotes WIN 4-1 vs San Jose Sharks Record: 5-2-0 (Overall - 27-14-4, 58 points), 4th in Atlantic (tied for 2nd) Spotlight Game - 3-2 (SO) win vs Winnipeg Jets
A strong 5-2-0 stretch has pushed the Bruins into a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. Of course - that also means they are tied for fourth, and they are just one point ahead of the Panthers for fifth. It should be a terrific battle for the rest of the year. It started with an impressive 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, a team that has notoriously given the B's trouble over the last few years. It was yet another physical battle, with the teams combining for 34 hits and 18 penalty minutes. The Bruins jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Anders Bjork and Jack Studnicka, both of which were unassisted and outstanding individual efforts. The Jets came flying back, however, with Mark Scheifele cutting the lead to just one heading into the first intermission, and Patrick Laine tying the game on the power play mid-way through the second period. A back-and-forth third period saw both goaltenders make several outstanding saves, including Connor Hellebuyck robbing Jake DeBrusk on a breakaway. Overtime was more of the same - great hockey, but no goals, which meant the game would have to be decided in a shootout. Laine gave the Jets an early lead on his first attempt, but Brad Marchand quickly responded to tie the shootout at one all. After a big save from Tuukka Rask on Scheifele, David Pastrnak scored a beautiful goal to give the B's a lead. Another Rask save and the game was done - 3-2 Bruins victory.  The Bruins elected to wear jerseys from the mid-2000s against the Flames and it may have backfired, as the team played like the mid-2000s Bruins in a frustrating 3-1 loss. Other Notes... - Charlie McAvoy continued his outstanding season with a three point performance in the Bruins 4-3 win over the Rangers, including the game-winning goal. McAvoy has a great chance to set a career high in goals and points this season while he continues to play excellent defensive and physical hockey. - The first line really struggled against the Flames, with Bergy, Marchand, and Bjork all ending up -3 in the 3-1 loss. While that line has been asked to do more defensively than in recent years, they have had their issues in their own end at times, and Bjork especially has struggled against the more physical teams. Charlie Coyle scored his 19th goal of the year, the lone tally for the Bruins. - If Tyler Toffoli could play all of his games against the Kings, he'd break Wayne Gretzky's scoring record. Toffoli again scored against his former club in the B's 3-2 win. Chris Wagner also scored, just his second goal of the year, and the game-winner. - A disappointing loss against the Sabres, who continue to linger just below the Bruins in the Atlantic. Wagner scored once again, but the club was badly outplayed for most of the night, with Rask making 38 saves to keep the score close. - Two solid wins against two mediocre at best teams to end the two-week stretch. Charlie Coyle scored three goals in the back-to-back 4-1 victories over the Coyotes and Sharks. Kyle Clifford even got in on the action, picking up first goal in over 10 games. Bad news on the injury front, however - Sean Kuraly went down against the Sharks with an MCL injury and will be out until at least April. Peter Cehlarik was called up to replace him on the roster. It appears rookie Jack Studnicka will get the chance at the third-line centre role, with Karson Kuhlman sliding in beside him on the wing, and Paul Stastny remaining on the fourth line. Who's Hot Charlie McAvoy - McAvoy's outstanding season continued during this seven-game stretch. He tallied a goal and five assists, including the game-winning goal against the Rangers. He now has 27 points on the year and is averaging over 24 minutes of ice-time a game. Chris Wagner - Wagner's struggles from last year have carried over to this year, as he is a -8 in 30 games of action and has almost as many giveaways (20) as hits (21). He had a pretty good two-game stretch with back-to-back goals, however, and remains a fan favourite in Boston. Who's Not Sean Kuraly - Kuraly's move to the fourth line hadn't been a spark as the club had hoped. He found his game playing alongside Jack Studnicka and Tyler Toffoli, however, while Paul Stastny was out of the lineup. Bruce Cassidy had decided to put that line back together just three games before Kuraly's injury. There is a chance Kuraly will return for the playoffs, but it is unclear how effective he will be after a pretty serious knee injury. What's on tap? A quiet stretch for the Bruins that sees them play just four games in the next two weeks. The last two are big, however - matchups against the Flyers and Red Wings, both in the Garden.  Jake DeBrusk continued his strong season with a one-timer goal against the San Jose Sharks. |
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06-05-2020, 07:36 AM
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#55 |
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Rookie
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Bruins Beat: Handing out grades as Bruins move past the halfway point of the season
 Brad Marchand continues to be one of the Bruins' best overall players, but he's gotten some more help this year from a rejuvenated second line. Last year when we did this, the Bruins were 30-16-0 and sitting in third place in the Atlantic. This year, with one less game under their belt, the team is 27-14-4 and tied with the Leafs and Panthers for second in the Atlantic (although they currently sit in fourth due to regulation/overtime wins). It hasn't been as easy as it was last year, however, with the team scoring fewer goals and allowing more, and struggling on both the power play (17%) and penalty kill (80%), both of which rank in the bottom half of the league. Still, the team has much more balanced scoring than last year, and with a defensive unit starting to find chemistry, it should be a strong second half of the year for the club. A+ Charlie Coyle - 22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points, +30, 5 PPG, 75 hits David Pastrnak - 23 goals, 31 assists, 54 points, +26, 6 PPG, 72 takeaways - Putting these two together to start the season has worked wonders for the Bruins. Coyle is having a career year, and has already set a career high in goals with 22. His +30 ranks first in the league, and his move to the first power play unit has worked wonders as he is second on the team with five power play goals. Pasta has rebounded after a so-so year last year, and leads the team in goals and points. He's been deadly at pick-pocketing opposing defensemen, leading the team with 72 takeaways. A Brad Marchand - 19 goals, 23 assists, 42 points, +15, 4 GWG, 98 hits Jake DeBrusk - 13 goals, 18 assists, 31 points, +25, 18 hits Charlie McAvoy - 4 goals, 23 assists, 27 points, +8, 24:31 TOI, 92 hits Brandon Carlo - 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points, 35 PIM, 19:20 TOI, 110 hits - The Bruins arguably have the best 1-2 punch of defensemen in the league under the age of 25, and both McAvoy and Carlo are really starting to come into their own. Let's start with McAvoy, who looks to be well on his way to set a career high in points while also throwing his body around and playing big time minutes. Carlo has doubled his scoring output from last season already, and is third in the NHL in hits. Moving to the forwards, Jake DeBrusk has been terrific alongside Coyle and Pastrnak and seems to have emerged as a consistent top six forward. While Marchand isn't on the same scoring pace as last season, he continues to be one of the Bruins' best overall players. A- Patrice Bergeron - 11 goals, 27 assists, 38 points, +8, 21:18 TOI, 61.3 FO%, 9.3 shooting % Zdeno Chara - 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points, +12, 22:03 TOI, 116 hits Ryan Pulock - 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, +4, 2 GWG, 16:18 TOI, 89 hits - We figured Bergeron's scoring output would be down slightly without David Pastrnak on his line, and that has certainly happened - although he should crack the 70 point total for just the third time in his career. Bergy has been awesome on the draws once again and leads all forwards on the team in ice time. Chara continues to defy Father Time, although he does look a step slower this season. Luckily, playing with McAvoy has bailed him out on more than one occasion. Trading for Ryan Pulock may go down as one of Don Sweeney's best moves. Pulock has been outstanding as a #5 defenseman, and will easily move into the top four when Chara retires. He's been a physical presence and also has added several timely goals. B+ Jack Studnicka - 10 goals, 11 assists, 21 points, -3, 50 FO% Matt Grzelcyk - 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points, +10, 14:42 TOI Urho Vaakanainen - 10 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, +3, 21:21 TOI - A few rookies make the B+ grade, led by Studnicka, who has been terrific in his first full season in the big league. While Bruce Cassidy would like to see him be slightly more responsible defensively, Studnicka has been awesome offensively with 10 goals. He's also been given the third line centre role with Sean Kuraly's injury - a real chance for him to step up and prove he can be counted on. In just 10 games, Vaakanainen impressed the Bruins' coaching staff. Subbing in for Krug and Chara, at times, Vaak played big minutes and scored an overtime winning goal against the Leafs. Don't be surprised if the Bruins make a move to open up a spot for him in the near future. That likely won't be Matt Grzelcyk, who has rebounded after a tough playoff stretch to have another very solid regular season, and seems to have developed excellent chemistry with Pulock. B Kyle Clifford - 4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points, +1, 37 PIM, 38 hits, 8:42 TOI - Clifford has been everything the Bruins wanted when they signed him in the offseason. He's thrown his body around, added a few fights, and even scored four goals in very limited ice time. Can't ask for much more than that. B- Anders Bjork - 8 goals, 11 assists, 19 points, -1, 18:06 TOI, 70 hits - It's been a mixed bag for Bjork so far. He struggled mightily on the third line before being moved to play alongside Bergeron and Marchand. While he's found his scoring touch up there, he's still struggling in his own end, as evident by his -1 rating.  David Pastrnak, alongside Charlie Coyle, has given the Bruins' arguably the best second line in the league. C+ Sean Kuraly - 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, -5, 54.9 FO%, 39 hits Torey Krug - 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points, +7, 1 PPP - Sean Kuraly continues to be a frustrating player for the B's. While he scored 15 goals as the third line centre last year, his struggles defensively and in the postseason caused the B's to trade for Paul Stastny and move Kuraly back to the fourth line. That didn't work out, and Kuraly was once again thrust into the third line centre role, where he played well before injuring his MCL. He should be back for a playoff run - although don't be surprised if he gets moved to the wing. Krug is another frustrating player for the B's, as a number of injuries has clearly taken a toll on him. He only has one power play point despite playing with the top unit - it may be time for McAvoy to replace him there. C Karson Kuhlman - 24 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, 16 giveaways Cal Petersen - 8-5-2, .907 save %, 2.59 GAA - For the next little while anyway, Karson Kuhlman will get a real chance to prove he belongs in the top 12. Kuhlman was good last season before struggling in the playoffs, and while he does have four points in somewhat limited action, his 16 giveaways are a major concern. Goaltending has been an issue for Boston all year long, and while Petersen hasn't been dreadful, he hasn't been very good either. A .907 save percentage just isn't going to cut it at this level. C- Chris Wagner - 30 games, 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points, -8, 21 hits, 20 giveaways Tyler Toffoli - 7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points, -1, 69 shots - He's a fan favourite, but it may be time for the Bruins to move on from Chris Wagner. While he scored his second and third goals of the year this past week, he continues to drag the fourth line down with his poor defensive play, as evident by his -8 rating and 20 giveaways. Toffoli hasn't been bad, but he's been nowhere near as good as he was last year. Part of the reason can be blamed on inconsistent play from the centre position, but he also needs to shoot much more often. D+ Tuukka Rask - 20-10-3, 2 shutouts, .908 save%, 2.84 GAA - The Bruins took a lot of heat for signing Rask after a poor performance in last year's playoffs. Not only did they sign him - they made him their highest paid player. It hasn't worked so far. Rask's numbers are far closer to his postseason totals than his regular season numbers, and there's talk that the Bruins may be in market for a goaltender. F Paul Stastny - 37 games, 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points, -3, 63 FO% - This hasn't been what either the team nor the player hoped for. Stastny now finds himself on the fourth line as he failed to develop any chemistry with several different players, and he isn't exactly your prototypical fourth line centre. The team is even giving Studnicka, a rookie, a chance to centre the third line before going back to Stastny. He may be trade bait - if anyone would even take him. |
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06-05-2020, 05:21 PM
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#56 |
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Rookie
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Re: I Love That Dirty Water - Boston Bruins (NHL 20)
Around the NHL: Atlantic Division once again the league's best at the halfway mark
Just like last season, here's a little update from around the league. The Lightning and Devils are tied for first place overall, and the Atlantic Division contains five of the league's top eight teams in terms of points Atlantic Division  Surprise team - Florida Panthers. They claimed the second wild card spot last season before being swept by the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. This year they are currently second in the division and right behind the Lightning for first (with the same number of wins too). The Panthers are led by their terrific goaltending and defensive play, with their 2.61 GAPG the best in the division. Disappointing team - Buffalo Sabres. They are just five points behind the Red Wings for the second wild card spot, but considering they started the year 11-1-0, this is not exactly where they anticipated they'd be by the halfway point. Once again it's a lack of goaltending and defensive hockey hurting the Sabres, who have gone just 15-18-1 since their terrific start. Prediction - This division took five playoff spots last year, and it's hard to believe it won't do the same again this season. It's going to be tough for the Bruins to catch the Lightning, but we think they'll find their stride and take the second place spot to earn a first round matchup with the Leafs, while the Panthers and Red Wings will take the wild cards. Metropolitan Division  Surprise team - The New Jersey Devils. Again. Sure, they had a very good year last year, but they have been one of the best teams in the league this year, and currently have the most wins (30) in the league. Bobby Estrada continues to be a goal scoring machine, leading the team with 19, and the free agent signing of Joe Thornton, unlike the Bruins' signing of Paul Stastny, has paid off - he's sixth on the team with 32 points and a solid +10 rating. Disappointing team - New York Rangers. They earned the third spot in the division last year (despite winning more games than the second place Devils), but this year hasn't gone according to plan as they currently sit in fifth place and are well behind the Red Wings for the second wild card spot. The Rangers seem to find a way to lose games despite having an excellent goal differential of +24. Prediction - We're going to be boring here and stick with the top three in order. There's an outside chance the Flyers make a run at the Devils but it appears all three teams should be comfortably in the playoffs. Central Division  Surprise team - Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago was a mess last season, but seem to have finally accepted that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are better second liners at this stage in their careers. It's worked - the Blackhawks are tied with the Jets for first in the division and are scoring a robust 3.41 goals per game. Disappointing team - St. Louis Blues. They won the Stanley Cup two years ago and were a game from getting back there last season. It hasn't been anywhere near that good so far in 2021, however, as the Blues currently sit outside of the playoff picture. Jordan Binnington's struggles are really hurting them, as they have the most goals allowed in the division. Prediction - The Blackhawks hold off the Jets for the number one spot in the division, while the Stars take the third spot. We're going to give this division two wild cards, and give them to Minnesota and St. Louis, who find their game and turn their season around before it's too late. Pacific Division  Surprise team - Edmonton Oilers. Is this the year Connor McDavid finally gets a chance to make a run at a Cup? The Oilers are comfortable in third place in the division, thanks to their impressive 3.33 goals per game. If they can make a deadline acquisition to get stronger on defense, they could make a serious run. Disappointing team - Seattle Seals. Fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, the Seals look to have the dreaded Stanley Cup Loser Hangover. If it weren't for a ridiculous eight overtime points, they would be down with Vegas as both expansion teams seem to have come back to Earth. Prediction - The top three as is. Boring, yes, but the Flames and Oilers seem to have a solid hold on second and third, and we don't think either team has a chance to catch the Ducks. |
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