Damn Barry Melrose…
… he’s looking pretty good with his prediction that the ‘Canes would upset the Bruins in Round 2. The Bruins looked great and the ‘Canes… um, didn’t - in Game 1. But in Games 2 and 3, Carolina was simply the better team. Last night’s Game 3 went to OT, but Carolina could’ve just as easily won it in regulation. Even with that, the Bruins had a couple chances early in OT, but couldn’t convert - then the Bruins couldn’t clear the zone (again), and the ‘Canes didn’t miss on their opportunity. Game over.
Carolina is making more, and better, plays - and the Bruins are making more, and more egregious, mistakes. Carolina’s first goal last night: They’re on the power play, puck behind the Bruins net - Krejci (I think?) moves it behind the net to Montador, for Montador to clear. He winds up like Jack Hanson at center ice when his slap shot hit the announcer up in the press box. In that case, it was worth the extra time to wind up that much. In last night’s game? Not so much. Instead of firing high and out, our wristing it along the ice through an opening in the alternative… he’s got to wind up to try to break Chara’s record of a 105 mph slapshot. In the meantime, Staal waltz’s in, takes the puck, comes back in front of the net, makes a nice move… and scores - and in all that time, I think Montador *still* hadn’t followed through on his slapshot.
Roughly a minute later, Kessel just loses an edge (nobody around him) at center ice - and then fails to hustle back on the backcheck as old friend Sergei Samsonov takes the gift in for a 3-on-2, and eventually deposits a return pass into the back of the net. Bruins were up 1-0… about a minute later, they’re down 2-1.
They tie it in the middle of the 3rd on a deflection off Recchi in front of the net (their mantra this series: Get traffic in front of Ward… only way to beat him - and it’s proven true, fwiw.) Then the OT. They missed their chances. Then they have the puck in their end… can’t get the clear… ‘Canes move in… Jokinen scores on a rebound (of a Samsonov shot) in front of Thomas. Maybe… *maybe*… you can get on Thomas for leaving that rebound in front of the net - but overall, Tim Thomas was not the issue last night. Indeed I’d say without Thomas, they would’ve (and arguably should’ve) lost by a couple goals in regulation.
Melrose said that he was picking the ‘Canes cuz they were faster and the Bruins wouldn’t be able to contain them - and cuz Cam Ward was playing like the Conn Smythe winner that led them to the Cup victory three years ago. Looks like that fargin bastidge knows his hockey, damnit… cuz that’s what’s happened (at least in 2 of the 3 games to this point).
Maybe Claude Julien can get the guys going and get this series tied up, going back to Boston for Game 5. I’m hopeful… but am very concerned. The Bruins do have the horses to get it done, IMHO - but as a Bruins fan was was expecting their ticket to be punched for the Finals (expecting a matchup with defending champ Detroit… who coincidentally is down 2-1, to Anaheim, in *their* second-round matchup), I feel like Apollo Creed’s trainer in the first “Rocky” movie as I yell at the TV. “Hey, Bruins! The ‘Canes don’t know it’s a damn show! They think it’s a damn fight! And they actually think they can win, and are playing well enough to do so!”
Damn Barry Melrose. This is all his fault. (Even though I do like him a lot… dude knows his hockey.)