Scrolling Marquee with text links

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Game 1 - Live Blog

6:35 p.m. EST - NESN is reporting that Marc Savard, Glen Metropolit and Andrew Ference will all be in the lineup and ready to go for tonight's game.

For Montreal: Mike Komisarek is in while Francis Boullion is out. It is also possible that Saku Koivu could be out for the entire series.

6:55 - As an aside before the game starts, Kathryn Tappen is indeed hot

7:11 - CANADIENS GOAL 1-0 Montreal - Only 36 seconds in and the Habs are on the board. Not the start that the Bruins need.

7:13 - CANADIENS GOAL 2-0 Montreal - The Bruins are running around in their own end and have no direction. This will get out of hand fast. Julien needs to take a time out to get this team level.

7:22 - For what it's worth, the B's killed off the first Montreal power play. If anything is going to help this team gain some confidence this early in the game that's it. At the first commercial break, the B's seem to be calming down a bit. The Montreal zone is basically devoid of any skate marks as the game has been all in the B's zone. The one question I pose right now, can the Bruins manage to score at least 3 goals in this game to win?

7:25 - BRUINS GOAL 2-1 Montreal - Maybe they can, Hnidy rips the twine with a slapper from the point! 2-1 game. Nice push up the ice by Kessell to set up Ference on the play.

7:36 - B's are going on their first power play of the game. They seem to be getting more opportunities in the offensive zone now. Clearly they have calmed down a bit and gotten over the initial nerves. Special teams production will be key to get the Bruins back in, and stay in, this game

7:46 - END OF 1ST PERIOD - 2-1 Montreal - Impressive 2nd half of the 1st period for the Bruins who couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. The talk was the Bruins playing a physical game in order to keep the speedy Habs in check. However, it's the Habs who have brought the physicality to start the series. B's bodies have been flying all over the ice and Habs players are setting the tone. Thomas did a nice job collecting himself after the first two goals and looks to be poised for the rest of the game. The Bruins are almost in a position where they can't afford to give up another goal in order to win this game. They need to remember what got them here in the first place, defense first and the offense will come. Stick to this and they will be in good shape for the rest of regulation.

8:09 - Here comes the after whistle shoving. Expect plenty of this throughout the series. It's just a matter of time until it finally boils over to a fight.

8:12 - GOAL CANADIENS - 3-1 Montreal - Goal off the rebound, nothing Thomas could do. The B's have come out flat to start the period and that goal was critical.

8:24 - B's going on the power play due to a Ryder penalty. They need to put one on the board before the end of the 2nd period and no better time than now. The Habs continue to set the tone physically in this game. They are knocking the B's all over the ice and the fans are loving every minute of it.

8:30 - That was a rather anemic power play to say the least. The B's mustered a few shots from the point and one Kessell rush that resulted in a shot. They're going to have to do far better than that to convert anything into points. The B's need to relax and set up the power play and cycle the puck rather than rush up ice and take a shot.

8:36 - I've had it with this crap. I don't care that it's the playoffs or the B's need to be conscious of staying out of the penalty box. Someone on the B's needs to set the tone and kick somebody's ass. Lucic, Thornton, Reich, whoever. Drop the gloves and show that they're not going to put up with this crap anymore

8:42 - END OF 2ND PERIOD - 3-1 MONTREAL - To say the least, this was a bad period for the Bruins. Players were basically standing around and going through the motions. I'll leave it at that and hope they can come out with some life to begin the 3rd. They have an enormous amount of work to do if they want to tie this game up.

9:00 - Sturm is denied on a great breakaway opportunity. Would have been huge if he were able to convert on the attempt. Bruins need to keep that intensity up that they came out with to start the 3rd.

9:12 - GOAL MONTREAL - 4-1 CANADIENS - Just as I was about to comment on how Tim Thomas has been carrying the Bruins during the 3rd period, Montreal scores with 12:30 remaining in the third. That's your nail in the coffin folks, as much hope that I have there is hardly a chance the B's will rip off 3 goals to tie this game. Furthermore, Thornton is on his way to the box. The B's are clearly frustrated with the results thus far and are taking cheap penalties now.

9:28 - More stupid penalties - Marco Sturm puts a two hander across the back of a Hab's leg and gets 2 minutes for it. Put this one in the books folks it's time to look towards Game 2. I'll do my final write up at the end of the game

9:34 - FINAL 4-1 MONTREAL - CANADIENS LEAD SERIES 1-0 - This game went about as bad as it could have. The B's played uninspired hockey for most of the game and got caught running around several times in their own end. The Canadiens clearly set the early tone for the series with their physical play and overwhelming offensive power. The Habs basically asserted themselves in all facets of the game and the B's had no answers. The only part of the game the B's played well was the 2nd half of the 1st period. Tim Thomas did an admirable job for what was in front of him on defense. Game 2 is going to have to be much different if the B's intend on going home with a split. Seeing the way things went tonight it's hard to see how that could happen though. I hate to be the pessimistic type, but there is hardly anything good you can take from tonight's game. Time to regroup, forget about what happened for the past 2 1/2 hours tonight and be ready to go next time. Someone has to step up, whether it be physically or offensively. Until then, that's a wrap on tonight folks.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

Free Website Counter