Four reasons to feel good with the Bruins, four reasons to worry hurricanes at the finals of a conference – CBS Boston

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) – After a decisive 4-0 win in the sixth game against the Blue Jackets, the Boston Bruins have every reason to feel good.

Of course, at this time of year, the four NHL teams that qualify for the final phase of the conference have good reason to feel good. It takes a lot to go that far, so the four franchises and fan bases will be full of anticipation and expectations for the future.

So, to try to find a balance between this positive mood that people feel in Boston and in Raleigh, here are some reasons to feel good about the Bruins in their upcoming Carolina Hurricane series, as well as some reasons to worry about the Bruins a bit.

It's always good to try to get a complete picture.

The reason for feeling good: overcoming adversity / difficult calls / bad breaks

You must recognize that the Bruins have no chance of stopping them from winning their six-game win over the Blue Jackets. This does not mean that the calls that were not favorable to them were particularly bad or incorrect, but rather a recognition that the Bruins managed to eliminate a 2-1 series deficit despite a long time without benefiting from the 39, an appeal or a decision. it could have gone both ways.

From a Columbus goal scored after the puck hit the safety net and the game should have been completely destroyed, Columbus's goal-based goal more based on logic than on visual evidence during a recovery, until the elimination of a first key goal of the game. 6 Due to interference from the goalkeepers, the Bruins did not create no excuse and instead found a way to overcome the problem they were facing.

Apart from that, there was the more standard level of adversity. They won on the road while they led 2-1 in the series, they kept their cool after going to a two-goal lead to win the fifth game of the regulation, and they made the necessary in a tight situation on the road in the match. 6. And it was after their victory over the elimination in Toronto in the sixth match, then their victory in a seventh game to end the season of the Maple Leafs.

Call it what you want: cliché, combat, resilience, etc. – but the simple fact is that the 2019 Bruins have been very good at winning games. This is a useful skill at this time of the year.

REASONS FOR CONCERN: CAROLINA REALLY GETS A SPECIAL MOMENT

Some elements of the sport can be quantified, listed and explained. Some elements can not.

And certainly, all this stuff of "pile of jerks" happening? It's a vague, dude.

For Insiders: The Hurricanes have had the audacity to engage in unique celebrations after winning their win on the ice this year. The players seemed to enjoy doing it. The fans seemed to like watching. The Internet at least took a look to see what was going on. It was a relatively harmless situation in Raleigh.

But Don Cherry? I'll tell you what – Don Cherry did not like. he really did not like it. Don Cherry said the Hurricanes acted as "a group of shakes" and that, quite normal, it became a rallying cry for the franchise and the fans. Since then, they defeated the defending champions in a seventh road match, and swept a team of Islanders who had just swept his own.

The canes are hot.

Such funny stories like this do not always guarantee success. The powerful Blue Jackets made sweep a historically large Lightning team, but that did not help them in the second round. Thinking locally, the 2003 "Cowboy Up", the Red Sox, were great … until Aaron Boone hit all Bostonians in the belly. Sometimes these stories are lost without the storybook ending.

But there is no doubt that, regardless of the first two games in Boston, the Bruins will plunge into a noisy and noisy environment when they head to Raleigh for the third game.

REASON TO BE GOOD GOOD: SECONDARY SCORE

Perhaps the most important development of the playoffs was the Bruins' goals from the last two lines. To put it bluntly, the Bruins would have been eliminated long ago if Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson, Joakim Nordstrom, Noel Acciari, David Backes and Sean Kuraly had not participated in the game in due course. Even defensemen Matt Grzelcyk (six goals in 129 regular season games) and Zdeno Chara (five goals in the regular season) also participated in the party.

Whether or not the Bruins could get this was a legitimate question before the playoffs. Coyle did not light the match (2-4-6 total) in his 21 regular-season games with Boston, nor Johansson (1-2-3 in 10 games played). And if there are many ways to win a Cup, a third nonexistent line is not usually one of them.

Still, this line became alive: Coyle announced the winner of the match to start the series and Johansson provided the second essential goal to end it. Add one goal each from Nordstrom and Kuraly in Game 6 in Toronto, and the Bruins have made some very important contributions at critical moments in the last two lines. This bodes well for their playoff future.

REASON TO FEEL GOOD: THE BEST LINE OF HOCKEY ONLY RAYED THE SURFACE

The counterpart of this secondary improvement in the score was the temporary disappearance of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, often called the best line in hockey ™. Their cold spell – and especially Pastrnak's difficulties in standing up and / or handling the puck without spitting it – caused a bit of stress in the region last week.

But these players are too good to stay down for a long time, and of course, Marchand scored a goal in the third period in Game 5 and Pastrnak scored two. That happened after Pastrnak scored a goal and an assist in match 4, an evening Bergeron scored two goals. In some crucial moments, The Best Line In Hockey ™ lived up to its name.

And, if you're optimistic, maybe you could look at the situation in the following way: the Bruins are in the conference finals and their best lineage has not even had one of those supported races that they're all about. able to go. at any time. It must arrive sooner or later, is not it?

REASON FOR CONCERN: CAROLINA TOO BALANCED SCORING

If you like what the Bruins have been doing so far in the playoffs, you must also appreciate what the Canes have done. Carolina scored 3.09 goals per game, while allowing 2.27 goals per game in the playoffs, tied with the 3.07 goals scored in Boston and 2.15 goals per game.

And although the Hurricanes may not have an Ovechkin or Crosby to sow fear in their hearts, they spread their scores across the board. Seven different players scored at least three goals in 11 games of the Canes, including 12 skaters totaling at least one goal. Teuvo Teravainen leads the field with six goals, followed by the five goals of former UNH's Warren Foegele. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal each scored four goals, while Justin Williams, Andrei Svechnikov and his old friend Dougie Hamilton each scored three goals. D-man Jacob Slavin has not yet found the back of the net on his 20 shots on goal, but his 11 assists are the second-rounders in the league this season.

There will be no player or line, the Bruins can really focus all their energy to stop. Hurricanes are not where they are currently by accident.

RASK PLAYS THE BEST HOCKEY SINCE 2013 VS. PENGUINS

Do you want to be bombarded with statistics, numbers and information … or do you want to see Tuukka sock a few dingers?

The guy plays out of his mind. He is locked up, he is fully engaged and he is beaten only by deviations or work on the roof impeccable.

Is this the best part of his career? Wellllllll, it's close. His efficiency percentage of 0.985 in the four games of the Penguins, who led the league in scoring, in 2013, remains alone and will likely always remain alone. But this race right now? It's the basis of everything the Bruins do.

Tuukka has certainly come a long way since the first night in Washington.

The reason to be worried: to rely too much on the goalkeeper

Some people might say "every good argument has a counterpoint". When I sit here and discuss with myself, I should include myself as one of these people.

So you have to worry: for long periods of the Blue Jackets series, the Bruins have been outclassed. Look only at the second half of Game 6, when the Jackets dominated Boston 17-5. The Bruins won 1-0 on the scoreboard, thanks in large part to Rask (and a well placed David Krejci beating).

That's fine, but it's not a way of life. Too much opportunity will end up poking a team, no matter who is in the net.

REASON FOR CONCERN: (POTENTIAL) MCAVOY SUSPENSION

Charlie McAvoy had only two minutes to his shot at Josh Anderson's head in Game 6, but the league is likely to force him to stay away for a little longer.

And if McAvoy is away for some time, it will hurt the Bruins. The 21-year-old D-man leads all the Bruins on average in the playoffs at 24:46. It's two more minutes per game than Brandon Carlo and Zdeno Chara. It's a digital advantage, it helps eliminate penalties, he's playing all over the ice, he's scored one goal and five assists, and he's definitely one of the top three or four Bruins. He is huge.

The Bruins may be able to survive a short pass without McAvoy, but it will not be easy.

BONUS REASONS TO ASK YOU: ROD BRIND'AMOUR IS SCARY

Looks like a super hard guy. Could certainly be cast as muscle in a mafia movie. This guy is coming to collect? Guess what? You pay in one way or another, you will pay.

Do not want to make fun of him. And he has the career of playing 700 NHL games in support.

Badass.

That's all.

BONUS REASON TO WELL FEEL: BRAD MARCHAND IS COTE

It is unclear why Brad Marchand has been so severe lately. Maybe he did not like the cover of his punch from Scott Harrington. Maybe he had some bad bowls of soup. Nobody knows. But, outside of the media, no one really cares whether Marchand or another player is snippy with the media. Fans worry if he plays hockey well.

And Marchand, who leads the Bruins to points, plays hockey well. His goal and two assists – including the beauty of a pass for the winner of the game – in the fifth match were quite significant contributions. Therefore, if he wants to play madness, then maybe that will help.

WELL-BEING RESERVE / REASON FOR CONCERNS: ICE HOCKEY IS A DARK SPORT

I mean, really, your feelings will not matter. To a certain extent, the execution on the ice will not always count. We know enough about hockey to know that the more you enter the playoffs, often nothing matters. Both teams have earned their place in this final round of the conference, the two teams will play harder than they have ever played, and despite their best efforts, a team will return home in the biggest disappointment of here two weeks.

It's going to be wild. Hockey at this time of year is the best. You will probably have nausea all the time, but it may be worth it in the end.

You can send an email to Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.