Never in doubt

Monday 5/13/24

The Bruins were up 2-0 after one period last night, and I thought there was no way at all that Florida wasn't going to win the game. Actually, it was pretty obviously shaping up that way.

The Bruins had all of 5 shots on goal that period. They turned the puck over continuously in the neutral zone and their own end. It easily could have been 4-2 Panthers, were in not for Jeremy Swayman's efforts in net.

When all was said and done, the Bruins were doubled up in shots for the game. They had all of 2 in the final period.

Then we have Mr. McAvoy, with another gem of a performance. -2 and zero shots on goal. Four games in this series, and not a single shot on goal from your cornerstone defenseman, which is a laugh. He decided to come out and make a big hit to start the game. Clearly he'd made up his mind earlier in the day that that's what he was going to do. And he did it, trucking a player in the neutral zone. Should have been an interference penalty. I'm all for trucking someone, but they have to have the puck or have just gotten rid of the puck. That player didn't even touch the puck.

Brad Marchand was out of the line-up. You are offensively challenged as a team. It concerned me all year that so much of the Bruins' offense came from David Pastrnak. That's not ideal in the regular season, but you can get away with it more. In the playoffs, teams will key on shutting down that single player, and they almost always will. When you have no one else to worry about, it isn't that hard.

There is even more onus on a player like McAvoy to provide you with offense, and he doesn't give you anything except turnovers in his own end. Please, blow this guy the hell out of town.

The Bruins are so inept and punchless right now that they actually had Pat Maroon skating at times on the first line. This guy is as big and slow as an elephant. I thought the Bruins embarrassed themselves. A couple games ago, they decided to play-act as tough guys. This isn't a tough hockey team. It's not a hockey team of tough guys. It's a hockey team of guys who want to hug it out and talk about their journey as teammates and friends for life, blah blah blah. They tried to show they were tough at the end of that game by getting in fights and being beaten up. Because nothing says tough like, "You just kicked my ass."

I'm watching this out-of-shape Pat Maroon try to intimidate on the ice, talking trash, making gestures, and it's like, hate to break it to you, brother man, but you're overweight and can hardly move by NHL player standards.

Then Swayman tried to get in on the tough guy act--and it really is just an act--by squawking and flipping his glove at people who I'm sure were laughing at him.

Jim Montgomery also has to go. He, too, is a lover and not a fighter, and it just isn't going to work.