It wasn’t good!
Well…that was fun?
Apologies for the lack of full recap, but I had some things come up and we’re a bit shorthanded on a Saturday night.
Plus, how many of you really want to relive that in all its gory detail?
On the recent pains in general.
Tonight’s game was ass, and it was much like the PWHL game that I have to recap after this; This is a team with a couple of truly excellent players and one position of strength, and have had to ride those excellent goaltending performances and largely hope for better from a couple of guys who have punched above their weight, and the work of Pastrnak/Marchand/McAvoy. If any of those players have an off-night, or if the goaltending collapses…that’s kind of it. They do not have the talent to overcome that.
Thing is, none of that was news, per se.
We know that Boston was playing with house money early on. We knew that their ability to possess the puck has been completely devastated by lacking a top six center of any real description, and have been leaning on system and netminder to make up the difference. We knew there was a chance that they would be truly, exceptionally wretched to watch some nights. We also knew that very little help would be coming; the Bruins’ prospect system is threadbare and has put up with being pilfered and picked apart to keep the playoff dates a-rollin’ in. There’s a couple of half-decent “maybe”s in Poitras and Wotherspoon kicking around, but the rest have been extremely replaceable. This was all entirely capable of happening.
It just sucks that it happened now as opposed to at the early part of the season.
Because now everybody’s hopes up. Now a lot of people who didn’t watch the early part of the season are pouring in and are deeply confused as to why they’re playing like this. They can compete…but they’re deeply flawed. Flawed enough to let it kill them sometimes. Sometimes once or twice, other times for an entire month.
As for what happens next? Good question.
Trade deadline’s this upcoming Friday.
I’m sure Don has plenty to do.
Anyways, use this thread as a new space to discuss the game, the problems, the silver linings, whatever is on your mind.
Oh, and the Leafs game is on Monday.
Discuss.