2022-2023 Boston Bruins Season

[kraidstar]

It doesn't exactly make me feel better, but at least the Panthers are showing that they aren't some pushover.  They're up 3-0 on the Leafs.

At least the Leafs fans had their celebration for getting out of the first round

Hahaha TP

[Phantom255x]

Going from Lyon to Bobrovsky really paid dividends for the Panthers. Outside of Game 6 first round where he gave up 5 goals, he's been nails for the most part, and has been awesome for FLA this current round (and probably was a huge reason they stole Game 2).

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

It doesn't exactly make me feel better, but at least the Panthers are showing that they aren't some pushover.  They're up 3-0 on the Leafs.

I'd say that the Leafs aren't the best barometer, given how many chokes they've had over recent years.

[green_bballers13]

It doesn't exactly make me feel better, but at least the Panthers are showing that they aren't some pushover.  They're up 3-0 on the Leafs.

I'd say that the Leafs aren't the best barometer, given how many chokes they've had over recent years.

Sure, but Toronto is still super talented.

Florida is a legit hockey team. They have a stud goalie not even playing (Spencer Knight from BC). They played a more physical brand or hockey than a tired Bruins squad.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

It doesn't exactly make me feel better, but at least the Panthers are showing that they aren't some pushover.  They're up 3-0 on the Leafs.

I'd say that the Leafs aren't the best barometer, given how many chokes they've had over recent years.

Sure, but Toronto is still super talented.

Florida is a legit hockey team. They have a stud goalie not even playing (Spencer Knight from BC). They played a more physical brand or hockey than a tired Bruins squad.

Boston's playoff crapfest has really soured me on hockey. IMO, in makes everything they did in the regular season—all the records, Pastrnak getting 60 goals, Krejci's comeback, everything—worthless and meaningless. I don't even care who does what the rest of the playoffs—and no, if the Panthers win the Cup, I would take no comfort in the fact that Boston lost to the best team.

[tenn_smoothie]

It doesn't exactly make me feel better, but at least the Panthers are showing that they aren't some pushover.  They're up 3-0 on the Leafs.

I'd say that the Leafs aren't the best barometer, given how many chokes they've had over recent years.

Sure, but Toronto is still super talented.

Florida is a legit hockey team. They have a stud goalie not even playing (Spencer Knight from BC). They played a more physical brand or hockey than a tired Bruins squad.

Yeah, sure. But all the Bruins had to do was clear the thing for 1 minute !!!

[tenn_smoothie]

Never mind that after Game 4, we were in complete control of the series.

Fluke goal in OT/Game 4 and Fluke Empty Net Goal with 1 minute left/Game 7.
Like it just was not meant to be.

[Roy H.]

The Panthers swept Carolina and are going to the Finals.

I guess it changes how I look at the first round loss by the Bs.  At least we lost to the best team in the East; we're the only team that put up any resistance to the Panthers at all.  They dominated Toronto and Carolina.  It wasn't the epic choke job that it initially looked like.  It's still a letdown, but losing to the best competition isn't as bad as "choked against the #8 seed". 

[Vermont Green]

The Panthers swept Carolina and are going to the Finals.

I guess it changes how I look at the first round loss by the Bs.  At least we lost to the best team in the East; we're the only team that put up any resistance to the Panthers at all.  They dominated Toronto and Carolina.  It wasn't the epic choke job that it initially looked like.  It's still a letdown, but losing to the best competition isn't as bad as "choked against the #8 seed".

When this was the Bruins losing to the #8 seed (which is what it was of course), it seemed like a really bad series loss.  It was easy to forget that the Panthers had the best regular season record in the league just last season.  I had said after the series that the Panthers did not look like a #8 seed to me.  I don't know what was wrong with them all regular season but they got it together and are a very good team.  Plus their goalie (Sergei Bobrovsky) who had been in a funk, is now playing great.

Also remember that the Bruins essentially played without their top 2 centers.  Turns out Bergeron had a herniated disk or something.  I don't recall exactly what the Krejci injury was.  But both missed games and when they did play, were clearly not full strength.  Krejci and Bergeron are great players at a very important position.  I can't think of an apt analogy but maybe a team losing their top 2 PGs or something like that.  I don't feel like the impact of this is fully appreciated.  In particular Krejci is under-appreciated, he is one of the most underrated Bruins in my opinion.

It still stinks though.  Such an opportunity.  It is tough to be the best team in hockey wire to wire.  No one is at fault here.  Krejci and Bergeron broke down.  The Panthers peaked at the right time.  I think Lindholm has revealed that he had a broken foot or something.  That can happen from getting a puck off your skate.  There is nothing you can do about that.  You can't put everyone in bubble wrap.

[Phantom255x]

Bobrovsky has been a BEAST in the playoffs. Switching back to him during the B's series did Florida wonders, and now it feels like he's having another one of those insane goalie runs you often see during NHL postseasons (like Tim Thomas 2011, or 2020 and 2021 Vasilevskiy).

Bobrovsky was the one reason I feared Florida as a potential first round opponent, "if he gets hot", and yeah, he got white hot.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Doesn't matter to me that Florida's in the Cup final—Boston still should've beat them. That series turned on a couple of really dumb plays by Boston.

[Phantom255x]

Doesn't matter to me that Florida's in the Cup final—Boston still should've beat them. That series turned on a couple of really dumb plays by Boston.

Another way to look at it, if Boston had beaten Florida, maybe they could have also run through Toronto and Carolina en route to the Cup. I mean credit Florida, but those other two teams certainly didn't look like world-beaters either. We took Florida to 7 while the others lost in 5 or got swept

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Doesn't matter to me that Florida's in the Cup final—Boston still should've beat them. That series turned on a couple of really dumb plays by Boston.

Another way to look at it, if Boston had beaten Florida, maybe they could have also run through Toronto and Carolina en route to the Cup. I mean credit Florida, but those other two teams certainly didn't look like world-beaters either. We took Florida to 7 while the others lost in 5 or got swept

Fair point. It's just that I've never been one to find comfort in losing to the eventual champion.

[SparzWizard]

So we all have to root for Vegas Golden Knights, right?

[SparzWizard]

Not the right thread, but wow, Golden Knights smothering the Panthers in the closeout game in Vegas...up 6-1 at the end of 2nd period.

Must be a sad 48 hours for South Florida fans.