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GDT: Canes @ Bruins, Game 1, 5/9, 8:00 PM Eastern, NBCSN

jeffbear

Mod Squad
Staff member
Access ... remember that now that we've moved on the Conference Finals, start times shift to a standard 8:00 for evening games, Forslund returns to local radio and NBC and their network has exclusive TV. Oh, and buckle in for Millbury doing color because that's a thing to be buckled in for.

Game Stuff ...

Hurricanes: Still no formal word on Ferland, who I expect to be a game time decision. Apparently he received his medical clearance and his IS traveling with the team. No formal work on the starter in net either, but Mrazek has been a full participant in practice sessions all week and should be good to go. Otherwise, Maenalanen is close to returning but still out and TVR is out full stop. If Ferland goes, then Bean and Brown will be your roster extras.

Bruins: McAvoy is suspended for Game 1, replaced in the rotation by Steven Kampfer. Clifton will take his spot as caddy for Chara, while Kampfer will slide into the 3rd pairing with Grzelcyk (side note: I HATE typing that guy's name). Forwards should be the same as they've used in the playoffs thus far, as Cassidy generally makes adjustments in-game and sparingly. Rask is in net, with Halak backing up.

General:
Boston appears to be the conventional favorite. Higher seed, better record, more experience, bigger stars, etc. Vegas likes them close, and most media pundits agree. The stats-based sites like the Canes a lot better, however. Money Puck actually has them favored, among the more mainstream. Bottom line, it's tight.

My Thoughts:
Avoid special teams scenarios as much as possible. Carolina needs 5v5 to gain traction, and if they can get out of their zone with speed and get on their forecheck, they'll cause problems for that Boston D. Beating Rask generally requires volume, and that's usually the Canes game. It's not a horrible matchup, but the Canes will have to be better than they've shown thus far in the post of consistently getting into their possession game. Game 1 will be a zoo, and with McAvoy out the Bruins will be super focused on the D coverage. So, if Carolina could get on the board early, or at least get in some grinding shifts early, this is a game they can steal.
 
Tonight’s officials:

Referees:
Dan O’Rourke #9, Marc Joannette #25

Linesmen:
Matt MacPherson #83, Jonny Murray #95

Standby:
Chris Rooney #5, Devin Berg #87

We had O’Rourke for Caps game 5. We had Joannette for Caps game 7 and Islanders game 3.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Access ... remember that now that we've moved on the Conference Finals, start times shift to a standard 8:00 for evening games, Forslund returns to local radio and NBC and their network has exclusive TV. Oh, and buckle in for Millbury doing color because that's a thing to be buckled in for.

Game Stuff ...

Hurricanes: Still no formal word on Ferland, who I expect to be a game time decision. Apparently he received his medical clearance and his IS traveling with the team. No formal work on the starter in net either, but Mrazek has been a full participant in practice sessions all week and should be good to go. Otherwise, Maenalanen is close to returning but still out and TVR is out full stop. If Ferland goes, then Bean and Brown will be your roster extras.

Bruins: McAvoy is suspended for Game 1, replaced in the rotation by Steven Kampfer. Clifton will take his spot as caddy for Chara, while Kampfer will slide into the 3rd pairing with Grzelcyk (side note: I HATE typing that guy's name). Forwards should be the same as they've used in the playoffs thus far, as Cassidy generally makes adjustments in-game and sparingly. Rask is in net, with Halak backing up.

General:
Boston appears to be the conventional favorite. Higher seed, better record, more experience, bigger stars, etc. Vegas likes them close, and most media pundits agree. The stats-based sites like the Canes a lot better, however. Money Puck actually has them favored, among the more mainstream. Bottom line, it's tight.

My Thoughts:
Avoid special teams scenarios as much as possible. Carolina needs 5v5 to gain traction, and if they can get out of their zone with speed and get on their forecheck, they'll cause problems for that Boston D. Beating Rask generally requires volume, and that's usually the Canes game. It's not a horrible matchup, but the Canes will have to be better than they've shown thus far in the post of consistently getting into their possession game. Game 1 will be a zoo, and with McAvoy out the Bruins will be super focused on the D coverage. So, if Carolina could get on the board early, or at least get in some grinding shifts early, this is a game they can steal.

With McAvoy out, tonight seems like the prefect night to steal the home ice away from the Bruins! The goal should be to try and win one of the first two in Boston and go from there! I expect the Canes to dress Ferland to keep the Bruins honest when it comes to the cheap stuff, he adds that extra dimension for the Canes in that department. I expect this series to go 6 or 7, no brooms will be out this time around.
 
Minor-ish Bruins update ... Acciari is out tonight, but should be back for Game 2. He's an energy guy that they'll miss but certainly not irreplaceable
 
Tonight’s officials:

Referees:
Dan O’Rourke #9, Marc Joannette #25

Linesmen:
Matt MacPherson #83, Jonny Murray #95

Standby:
Chris Rooney #5, Devin Berg #87

We had O’Rourke for Caps game 5. We had Joannette for Caps game 7 and Islanders game 3.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As meh as they are, at least O'Rourke and Joannette are fairly vanilla. Highly unlikely that they interject themselves unless they have to do so. I'm more concerned about that idiot Murray randomly throwing people out of faceoffs. Carolina is NOT deep when it comes to faceoff guys, especially since we're trying to keep Aho out of the draws, and that crap tends to hurt us more than other teams.
 
Minor-ish Bruins update ... Acciari is out tonight, but should be back for Game 2. He's an energy guy that they'll miss but certainly not irreplaceable

Kuraly has been one of their better players in the playoffs and he started the playoffs injured and in the press box, that's the guy the Canes should keep an eye on, seems to do everything well under the radar for the Bruins.
 
I’m sure Ferdaddy will get some action if he plays. That lung contusion he gave Johansson back in March on a clean hit is certainly still fresh. I expect “full goon” mode from Chara this series as that’s about all he’s got in the tank. Looked like a pylon last series. Where’s his arch nemesis LaRose?
 
Kuraly has been one of their better players in the playoffs and he started the playoffs injured and in the press box, that's the guy the Canes should keep an eye on, seems to do everything well under the radar for the Bruins.

Kuraly only has 2 goals, but IIRC they were both either game winning or game tying goals. He's effective, for sure.
 
I’m sure Ferdaddy will get some action if he plays. That lung contusion he gave Johansson back in March on a clean hit is certainly still fresh. I expect “full goon” mode from Chara this series as that’s about all he’s got in the tank. Looked like a pylon last series. Where’s his arch nemesis LaRose?

Honestly, my play with Chara would be to pester him as much as humanly possible. He's got to be dead on with his positioning to be effective and that requires a cool head. Getting him all ticked off and thinking about decapitating guys instead of playing his position is how guys used to get to him back in his early years with the Islanders (Keith Primeau was a particular nemesis, as I recall) ... do it. Ferland, Foegele, McGinn, Nino, Martinook, even Williams ... we've got plenty guys who can be effective pests. Plus, there may not be two more annoying people to try and defend than Turbo and Aho, mostly because they're next to impossible to hit. Frustration is your friend against the Bs. Turn the other cheek and play hockey, but pester the crap out of them at the same time.
 
Yeah iirc Aho and Tuevo actually held their own quite well against the leaning tower of dirty hits that is known as Chara.
 
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Yeah iirc Aho and Tuevo actually held their own quite well against the leaning tower of dirty hits that is known as Chara.

Yeah ... especially in the game the Canes won. They BOTH had 2 goals and 2 assists in that one. Not combined ... individually. That was all of Turbo's production against Boston, while Aho rolled up 4 goals and 2 assists total in the 3 games. So, yeah. He drove them a little crazy. You have to assume the full defensive might of the Bruins will be focused on Aho ... which is fine. They've got other options and he's not on his own out there.
 
Brindy's press availability updates ... he won't name a starter in net, and he "expects" Ferland and Martinook to play. That's about it, other than he's already sick of being asked to praise Boston's first line. Hint guys ... he thinks they're great. They ARE great. Now, let's talk about something else.
 
Must you be so negative. I like Mrazek's emotional game vs the B's forward group. That'll lend a long way. And because both our goalies are f'n eh, we got options bro.

Listen, I'm trying to be confident but I really don't know. Nothing will be free.

With that, good game everyone. Hopefully its a close affair and yeah.
 
Must you be so negative. I like Mrazek's emotional game vs the B's forward group. That'll lend a long way. And because both our goalies are f'n eh, we got options bro.

Listen, I'm trying to be confident but I really don't know. Nothing will be free.

With that, good game everyone. Hopefully its a close affair and yeah.

It's shtick. You can't go back to Mrazek, it a right call. He plays light out when I call him a siv. Not messing with the mojo. Having said that, he might be rusty early, anyone would in his situation.
 
You can't go back to Mrazek in the sense if you start Mac. You givery Petr the shot, if he's not 100%, then you go to Mac, not the other way around.
 
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