2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread Hockey • Page 130

That was a fun game to watch

 

That made losing worth it (kinda)

 

Imagine if he actually did get hit tho lol

 

fuck the blues lol.

 

Why

 

h8 them

 

Could've been the jets



Actually, no, no it couldn't. I'm sorry.

 

Smells like a 7-game series. Cool.

 

Chara has a broken jaw, God damn.

 

Never would imagine it happening to him.
Not to him.

 

Not ideal

 

Nice profile pic by the way.
Good luck for the rest of the series.

 

Dunn came back and everyone was saying his jaw was broken too. So not out of the question that Chara plays.

 

Already down Grzelcyk and Miller on D, and losing Chara would obviously be huge. Hopefully he is cleared to play.

It’s funny how things have shifted to today. I’m reading a lot of things saying that this is now the Blues series and it’s ending in 6. Before last night it was Bruins in 4.

I have no idea what to expect Thursday. I do have a feeling that no matter what the Blues are winning game 6, so the Bruins have to win game 5.

If this makes it to a game 7 it’s gonna be wild.

 

Call up Urho you cowards

 

Chara's gonna play with a broken fucking jaw. Just you watch.

 

I think Gryz will end up playing.

 

Sounds like both are still up in the air. Grzelcyk practiced in a non-contact Jersey today.

I’m nervous but I can’t wait for tomorrow. Been reading too many things about how great the Blues are because they won game 4. I just read an article on NHL.com about how they have the Bruins right where they want them because their previous 3 series have all been tied 2-2 and they won them. I mean, that’s great and all but the Bruins first 2 rounds were also tied 2-2 and they won those. ECF they just swept it.

My main point, I’m just tired of all of the talking heads and I just want to the game to be played. These 2 day breaks are a killer.

 

I think Boston will pull through, but I gotta wonder what the left side of the d-corps looks like if Zee and Gryz can't go. I'd imagine Lauzon and Vaak are the next line of defense here

 

There's a deep dive into how their D would look if each/both of them can/can't go on The Athletic.

Here's the blurb from if they both are out:
Chara and Grzlecyk are out. In this case, Cassidy’s No. 1 priority would be to keep the Krug-Carlo partnership intact. The two have been consistent together throughout the playoffs. They would become the top pairing.

The task would then be to determine which setup would be better: four right sticks or three left-right duos with a rookie on one of the pairs. If the Bruins give Kampfer the nod, the veteran would probably be on the No. 3 pairing, playing his weak side next to Clifton. Moore would go up to play with McAvoy like he did in Game 4 once Chara was parked.

If the Bruins go with Vaakanainen, the 20-year-old would likely be with Clifton. Vaakanainen was a calm, controlled and consistent presence during his previous NHL promotion, which also came amid blue-line carnage. In October, when the Bruins needed Vaakanainen to play, they were without Krug, McAvoy and Kevan Miller.

However, in just his second NHL game, Vaakanainen was dropped by Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki. The concussion kept Vaakanainen out for two months. He never got another varsity appearance.

The forecheck is the Blues’ biggest strength. They would zealously pursue Vaakanainen with drool dripping from their mouths. Vaakanainen skates well and processes the game swiftly enough to move himself and the puck out of danger. But it would be a big ask considering the situation and his inexperience.

● Chara and Grzlecyk are out, Vaakanainen and Kampfer are in. Cassidy acknowledged the Bruins might roll seven defensemen and 11 forwards if Chara and Grzlecyk are unavailable.

“Putting guys in that haven’t played a ton,” Cassidy told reporters in St. Louis on Tuesday. “Maybe you’ve got to look at how does this best work out to use a guy situationally — take (Chara)’s (penalty kill) minutes, if the other guys match up, which of course would be reaching into an area that a young kid hasn’t played in the playoffs at all. You have to be careful there.”

If the Bruins run 11 forwards, David Backes would be at risk of being a healthy scratch. The ex-Blue has not had any impact on the first four games. Backes has no points and six shots on net. According to Natural Stat Trick, Cassidy has given Backes 36:39 of 5-on-5 ice time, least of any team forward. Backes is averaging 0.18 5-on-5 expected goals, also the lowest among forwards. In comparison, Patrice Bergeron, who has the second-lowest 5-on-5 ice time among forwards (41:03), has a 0.77 expected goal rate.

Throughout the series, Cassidy has double-shifted David Pastrnak in Backes’ spot on the second line. This could be the way the Bruins proceed if they dress seven defensemen.