Let's credit the Bruins for getting this far. Not even the most hardcore fans thought they'd do anything in the playoffs, much less make a legitimate run at their first Conference Finals since 1992.
I've been following the Celtics series closely while watching the B's from afar (remember, I gave up on them back here). The games I have seen have been fun, the fans have been very supportive, and in most cases, the team has exhibited a high level of grit and determination in taking seven games from the Sabres and Flyers. But they still have a knack for a stink bomb, and the last two games against the Flyers have been terrible. I, like Fred Toettcher on the air Monday, was alarmed when the team blew Game 4 - they clearly got too far ahead of themselves and since haven't exhibited the poise and execution that made them so successful. Now, the team faces a Game 7 at home for the right to play the Canadiens. This could go either way (and so could a seven-game series with the Habs) but if they do lose, it's just another chapter in Bruins history that ends with a thud, the book closing for another summer of fan questioning and organizational-propaganda-slash-subsequent-inaction.
While I applaud the heck out of the players for getting this far, I've got to look back to the mismanagement of this team as the reason they're in such a predicament to begin with. We've known all season that the problem has been scoring, and when Tuukka Rask doesn't stand on his head in net, this team loses, 'cause they can't light the lamp. Yet, the team made nothing but lateral moves at the deadline, lost Savard, lost Sturm, got Savard back, then lost Krejci. They can't blame it on the injuries; for god's sake, if they'd made any sort of acquisition at the trading deadline to bolster the offense, this series would be over by now.
And yet, it's not. There's going to be a Game 7. If they lose, the organization will talk about what they have to build on next year (just like they did last year), and the first round pick (be it Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin) that will bolster the team's attack next year. But fans, you know in a salary cap era, nothing should be taken for granted. There's no telling what the Bruins will do next year, and one should not assume they will be better. Their time is now, whether they like it or not, and they have the opportunity to go to the Conference Finals against the Canadiens and fire up this city. Unfortunately, they're bringing butter knives to a gunfight. Good luck, Bruins.
I'll be watching the Celtics game tonight. Hopefully they can do what the Bruins haven't been able to so far. Close it out.
I've been following the Celtics series closely while watching the B's from afar (remember, I gave up on them back here). The games I have seen have been fun, the fans have been very supportive, and in most cases, the team has exhibited a high level of grit and determination in taking seven games from the Sabres and Flyers. But they still have a knack for a stink bomb, and the last two games against the Flyers have been terrible. I, like Fred Toettcher on the air Monday, was alarmed when the team blew Game 4 - they clearly got too far ahead of themselves and since haven't exhibited the poise and execution that made them so successful. Now, the team faces a Game 7 at home for the right to play the Canadiens. This could go either way (and so could a seven-game series with the Habs) but if they do lose, it's just another chapter in Bruins history that ends with a thud, the book closing for another summer of fan questioning and organizational-propaganda-slash-subsequent-inaction.
While I applaud the heck out of the players for getting this far, I've got to look back to the mismanagement of this team as the reason they're in such a predicament to begin with. We've known all season that the problem has been scoring, and when Tuukka Rask doesn't stand on his head in net, this team loses, 'cause they can't light the lamp. Yet, the team made nothing but lateral moves at the deadline, lost Savard, lost Sturm, got Savard back, then lost Krejci. They can't blame it on the injuries; for god's sake, if they'd made any sort of acquisition at the trading deadline to bolster the offense, this series would be over by now.
And yet, it's not. There's going to be a Game 7. If they lose, the organization will talk about what they have to build on next year (just like they did last year), and the first round pick (be it Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin) that will bolster the team's attack next year. But fans, you know in a salary cap era, nothing should be taken for granted. There's no telling what the Bruins will do next year, and one should not assume they will be better. Their time is now, whether they like it or not, and they have the opportunity to go to the Conference Finals against the Canadiens and fire up this city. Unfortunately, they're bringing butter knives to a gunfight. Good luck, Bruins.
I'll be watching the Celtics game tonight. Hopefully they can do what the Bruins haven't been able to so far. Close it out.
2 comments:
It wouldn't be so bad if they had just sucked in the playoffs like we figured they probably would. But they didn't - they gave us hope. It looked like they pulled it together. The group of gritty playoff vet castoffs and 2nd tier young players pulled together and were right there.
And then they went back to the pile of crap they were for most of the season.
It all lined up for the Bruins. Best possible 1st round opponent, best possible second round opponent, and the best possible conference finals opponent IF they can get there. Imagine winning the east without having to play Washington OR Pittsburgh?!?!
It would be amazing. And it still can happen. But as you said, they're a pile of crap right now. I can't tell if they're indifferent or if the wagon just ran out of gas - after all, you can't expect Miroslav Satan and Mark Recchi to lead your team offensively. They need to score, somehow, and they need to win that Game 7, or else the fans will be all depressed again this summer. Yeesh...
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