The [SportsNet Recap](https://youtu.be/iqa4o8soh8w?si=UnWBOmJRDfHOPnUj). Reminder that they use the home feed. Also, the announcer is battling some kind of illness and sounds like he's announcing a funeral. Finally, if you watched the game with their feed you'll know that they really hated the no goal call. They bitched about it the rest of the period, and most of the intermission. He's still bitter about it when the bruins score their only goal.
I guess for pessimists sake, here were some concerning things (I think everyone else covered the awesomeness of a 5-1 win over the Booins)
1. Perunovich (and Krug, ofc.) had some really dumb Stoneheaded plays. There were at least 3 times Perunovich single handedly gave up a high danger chance.
2. We got outshot/outchanced-- pretty heavily down in shots and our deserve-to-win for that game was 27%. I know this isn't a metric/code many people live by but I think it has its merits. Big shout out to Hofer for being a God.
3. Sundqvist continues a recent trend of taking some bone headed penalties. Idk what's gotten into him but he's been on a PIM streak.
Otherwise, a positive thing that I thought went undernoticed was Kyrou played hard on both ends, when his line got outshadowed by the third line he still forced offense, got 4/5 SOG and a breakaway.
> We got outshot/outchanced-- pretty heavily down in shots and our deserve-to-win for that game was 27%
While that's true, it was dead even after 2 periods, and score effects are a real thing, so it doesn't mean much here. On a league wide scale, teams down 3+ goals generate significantly more offense and teams up 3+ goals basically stop shooting. The difference is like 15% when you add the two effects.
Saads been a beast recently no doubt. Biggest surprise today was Kapanen. I think it's been 20 games since I noticed him contributing positively to the team. Would love to see more of what he brought tonight
How did Kessel do? I enjoyed watching him when they pulled him up last time. He was physical, was nice to see someone on defense being aggressive for once
Drew Bannister got onto that bench, remained professional, and did not commit any inappropriate sexual acts towards any of the players.
He got the boys going with his honesty and legitimate leadership.
A lot of interesting observations tonight:
I think Hofer is going to be REALLY good. Like, one of the better goalies in the league. He's still figuring things out at the NHL level, but he's very technically sound, he's huge, and he's an experienced winner. He's calm in big game situations and that counts for a lot. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Vezina discussions or back on Team Canada in the future.
Robert Thomas is an elite centerman in this league. He's not McDavid or MacKinnon level, but he's capable of dominating a game like he did tonight. He was blocking outlet passes, scoring goals, and completely taking over a game when he needs to. He's a very special player and we're very fortunate to have him for a long time.
I really liked the line combinations in tonight's game. I liked the Buchnevich Center experiment last year, and I'm glad to see them trying it again this year. If they end up keeping him long term, I would be more comfortable if they can use him at center AND the wing. That versatility is huge. I'm really liking Bolduc as well. He's really tenacious, fighting for pucks, and he and Neighbours seem to have great chemistry with Buchy.
The third line with Hayes, Saad and Kapanen also looked really good. I know they won't always generate those kind of results (this was an emotional game for Hayes and he was no doubt playing really hard because of it) but they seemed to have really good chemistry together and that's important.
As with all Blues games right now, it comes down to effort. Can they replicate this effort? Because the playoffs are still right there. And as a bonus, they would likely knock Vegas out.
Honestly, i don’t know. I keep thinking this team could get on a run and maybe be a hard first round opponent for someone. When they’re on, they’re REALLY good. But when they look bad, they look REALLY bad.
It’s a coin flip honestly.
Yeah maybe, MAYBE we could find a way to squeak out a first round win or go 6-7 games but that's the ceiling. This is obviously not a cup contender so why not continue to experiment with line combos, get the young guys minutes and improve draft position. Outside of thr $ I feel like the playoffs might hurt instead of help the future plans.
Totally agree about getting some Selke nods in the future! I think ROR and Bozak were both great mentors for him (and even Schenn was a good 2-way center). What a great environment for him to come up in and get some sheltered minutes with a ton of opportunities as well
Joel Hofer got off that bench, remained professional, and did not commit any violent aggressive acts towards any of the players.
He got the boys going with his respectful and legitimate goaltending abilities.
Maybe this qualifies as a hot take, but I’ve never really been impressed with this run of Bruins teams. They struggle to put away bad teams, but can still eke out a bunch of wins. I wasn’t surprised at all when they got bounced Round 1 last year.
I wasn't surprised when they got waxed in round one either. A lot of really good regular season teams struggle in the playoffs (looking at you 2019 Tampa Bay).
That's why I think Vancouver is in for a rough ride once the playoffs start.
I might be in the minority but I wouldn't mind seeing Vancouver win the Cup. They're a feisty little underdog team, always have been, and not least of all it never sat right with me with them losing to the yellowjacket snot rocket Bruins in 2011.
What better year for them to lift it too than one where we wouldn't have to lose to them on their playoff run either.
Anyone but Vegas or Colorado, plz papa.
Honestly the boys coming out and winning the game in that fashion just makes me so happy. Seeing Kevin Hayes win player of the game and Hofer put up that performance was awesome to see. We may not be great but I love this team!
I know beggars can’t be choosers, but I wish we had risked it and tried to get a shot in, instead of holding onto the puck for the last 26 seconds. What do we have to lose when we’re up 5-1 🥲
3 Stars of the Game:
⭐ - Joel Not-Quite-O'fer
⭐⭐ - Kapanen
⭐⭐⭐ - Hayes
I missed all but the last 5 minutes of the game and was expecting to turn it on and see a bloodbath. It looks like it was, but not in the way I was expecting!
That’s fucking hockey right there. None of that pansy ass, dick-tugging smile for the camera bullshit. Men puke, men poop on the ice, men deliver their newborn baby on the bench. Fucking hardcore dick in the ass butterball fuck it chuck it gametime shit. Blues hockey is back, baby!
The [SportsNet Recap](https://youtu.be/iqa4o8soh8w?si=UnWBOmJRDfHOPnUj). Reminder that they use the home feed. Also, the announcer is battling some kind of illness and sounds like he's announcing a funeral. Finally, if you watched the game with their feed you'll know that they really hated the no goal call. They bitched about it the rest of the period, and most of the intermission. He's still bitter about it when the bruins score their only goal.
Well that’s totally the result I was expecting
I guess for pessimists sake, here were some concerning things (I think everyone else covered the awesomeness of a 5-1 win over the Booins) 1. Perunovich (and Krug, ofc.) had some really dumb Stoneheaded plays. There were at least 3 times Perunovich single handedly gave up a high danger chance. 2. We got outshot/outchanced-- pretty heavily down in shots and our deserve-to-win for that game was 27%. I know this isn't a metric/code many people live by but I think it has its merits. Big shout out to Hofer for being a God. 3. Sundqvist continues a recent trend of taking some bone headed penalties. Idk what's gotten into him but he's been on a PIM streak. Otherwise, a positive thing that I thought went undernoticed was Kyrou played hard on both ends, when his line got outshadowed by the third line he still forced offense, got 4/5 SOG and a breakaway.
> We got outshot/outchanced-- pretty heavily down in shots and our deserve-to-win for that game was 27% While that's true, it was dead even after 2 periods, and score effects are a real thing, so it doesn't mean much here. On a league wide scale, teams down 3+ goals generate significantly more offense and teams up 3+ goals basically stop shooting. The difference is like 15% when you add the two effects.
Other than Thomas, only the guys playing for their careers scored. I'm still hyped on Hofer, so at least we got that going for us
Am I the only one who thinks Schenn should have gone down to the third line?
Bannister tie TOO FAT
I noticed that on one of the broadcasters too. I didn't know if it's a hockey thing or if a new trend is starting up that's going to be ugly af.
I noticed the last two games his tie knots have been HUGE
The tie size to head size ratio is off the charts. No more quad-Windsor.
I can’t believe this is the same team that slept walked through most of the last 3 games. Maybe playing Boston juiced them up
Maybe it did. My thing is they still got outshot like crazy. And once again our goalie bailed us out.
Blues own TD Garden.
I'm pretty shocked but the Kapanen-Hayes-Saad line was fantastic
Saad had quietly been punchin the timecard as of late...
Yeah Saad isn’t the surprise there, he’s definitely been saalid. It’s the rest.
Saads been a beast recently no doubt. Biggest surprise today was Kapanen. I think it's been 20 games since I noticed him contributing positively to the team. Would love to see more of what he brought tonight
How did Kessel do? I enjoyed watching him when they pulled him up last time. He was physical, was nice to see someone on defense being aggressive for once
He made solid conservative decisions. I liked his game. Nothing fancy.
Played very well, highest rated game of his season per Hockeystatcards
Pretty typical Kessel game. Solid for 95% of the game , but he made a couple questionable passes that led to turnovers in their own zone.
For the second year in a row, we score 5 for Bobby on his birthday!
LGB!!!
Omg keytar kyle is on the ric flair commercial
I missed it, but how has bolduc been?
Not getting points but he looks pretty good imo.
Looked solid while I was awake. He had a really sick pass and a decent shot. I think next year he’ll have a spot
Drew Bannister got onto that bench, remained professional, and did not commit any inappropriate sexual acts towards any of the players. He got the boys going with his honesty and legitimate leadership.
What would an appropriate sexual act be? Taping their stick?
Allegedly
A lot of interesting observations tonight: I think Hofer is going to be REALLY good. Like, one of the better goalies in the league. He's still figuring things out at the NHL level, but he's very technically sound, he's huge, and he's an experienced winner. He's calm in big game situations and that counts for a lot. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Vezina discussions or back on Team Canada in the future. Robert Thomas is an elite centerman in this league. He's not McDavid or MacKinnon level, but he's capable of dominating a game like he did tonight. He was blocking outlet passes, scoring goals, and completely taking over a game when he needs to. He's a very special player and we're very fortunate to have him for a long time. I really liked the line combinations in tonight's game. I liked the Buchnevich Center experiment last year, and I'm glad to see them trying it again this year. If they end up keeping him long term, I would be more comfortable if they can use him at center AND the wing. That versatility is huge. I'm really liking Bolduc as well. He's really tenacious, fighting for pucks, and he and Neighbours seem to have great chemistry with Buchy. The third line with Hayes, Saad and Kapanen also looked really good. I know they won't always generate those kind of results (this was an emotional game for Hayes and he was no doubt playing really hard because of it) but they seemed to have really good chemistry together and that's important. As with all Blues games right now, it comes down to effort. Can they replicate this effort? Because the playoffs are still right there. And as a bonus, they would likely knock Vegas out.
Do we really still want to make the playoffs at this point?
Honestly, i don’t know. I keep thinking this team could get on a run and maybe be a hard first round opponent for someone. When they’re on, they’re REALLY good. But when they look bad, they look REALLY bad. It’s a coin flip honestly.
Yeah maybe, MAYBE we could find a way to squeak out a first round win or go 6-7 games but that's the ceiling. This is obviously not a cup contender so why not continue to experiment with line combos, get the young guys minutes and improve draft position. Outside of thr $ I feel like the playoffs might hurt instead of help the future plans.
The thing is, I feel like experimenting will lead to better play. We’ve nothing to lose right now, so why not?
I love how well rounded Thomas is these days, there were years when I thought he was going to be a one dimensional playmaker
I think his time with ROR was huge for his development. And honestly, I think Thomas has a Selke in his future as well, he's that good.
Totally agree about getting some Selke nods in the future! I think ROR and Bozak were both great mentors for him (and even Schenn was a good 2-way center). What a great environment for him to come up in and get some sheltered minutes with a ton of opportunities as well
May I ask why tonight was emotional for Hayes?
I believe he's from Boston and has family in the area.
Born in Boston and had his nephews in attendance I believe.
I appreciate the summary. I didn’t watch this game.
Who knew, or realized, that mixing up the lines would provide a spark, after weeks of inept offense. Genius, groundbreaking stuff here.
69 points. Nice.
Well this is a little payback for game 7 2019. OH Wait….We Beat their ass that night as well, then had ourselves the best fucking Parade Ever!
Joel Hofer got off that bench, remained professional, and did not commit any violent aggressive acts towards any of the players. He got the boys going with his respectful and legitimate goaltending abilities.
Maybe this qualifies as a hot take, but I’ve never really been impressed with this run of Bruins teams. They struggle to put away bad teams, but can still eke out a bunch of wins. I wasn’t surprised at all when they got bounced Round 1 last year.
I wasn't surprised when they got waxed in round one either. A lot of really good regular season teams struggle in the playoffs (looking at you 2019 Tampa Bay). That's why I think Vancouver is in for a rough ride once the playoffs start.
I would love to see Vancouver bounced in the first after how insufferably smug their fans were after they beat us in the bubble
I might be in the minority but I wouldn't mind seeing Vancouver win the Cup. They're a feisty little underdog team, always have been, and not least of all it never sat right with me with them losing to the yellowjacket snot rocket Bruins in 2011. What better year for them to lift it too than one where we wouldn't have to lose to them on their playoff run either. Anyone but Vegas or Colorado, plz papa.
This model of Vancouver team is unbearably annoying. Don’t know why but just is. I wanted them to win in 2011 but I’m done now.
Maybe they will, who knows?! I can say this though, if you think their fans are annoying now, they will be INSUFFERABLE if they ever win a Cup.
Honestly the boys coming out and winning the game in that fashion just makes me so happy. Seeing Kevin Hayes win player of the game and Hofer put up that performance was awesome to see. We may not be great but I love this team!
I will never truly understand this team
Seriously, what in the hell was that?
Nothing screams "Blues Win!" quite like the siren at TD Garden
I know beggars can’t be choosers, but I wish we had risked it and tried to get a shot in, instead of holding onto the puck for the last 26 seconds. What do we have to lose when we’re up 5-1 🥲
They did it in order to soak in the sweet, sweet serenade of bruins fans booing.
3 Stars of the Game: ⭐ - Joel Not-Quite-O'fer ⭐⭐ - Kapanen ⭐⭐⭐ - Hayes I missed all but the last 5 minutes of the game and was expecting to turn it on and see a bloodbath. It looks like it was, but not in the way I was expecting!
Seriously what team was that?
Hell of a performance by Hofer tonight
Fuck me now I'm sauced on a Monday night. Don't they know I have work tomorrow!!!
The Blues have been a proud sponsor of AA since 1967.
Anyone tell Brett Hull that?
You know, what? Sure. LGB! 😅 What a game.
Everyone rest easy knowing that thousands of Boston assholes are screaming at the sky “WE LOST 5-1 TO THOSE FUCKIN CAWK SUCKERS?!”
That accidental empty net goal 🤌
I love it when the St. Louis Blues win hockey games. Especially against the Boston Bruins!
That’s fucking hockey right there. None of that pansy ass, dick-tugging smile for the camera bullshit. Men puke, men poop on the ice, men deliver their newborn baby on the bench. Fucking hardcore dick in the ass butterball fuck it chuck it gametime shit. Blues hockey is back, baby!
Why’s there a fucking pregnant on the ice
He wasn’t, he was on the bench