If anyone is interested in this game tonight, I figured this would be a good place to discuss it.

Reports are Borts will be in, Eddy will be the healthy scratch.

Friendly reminder to breathe today everyone! I might need to set a recurring alarm every 15 seconds or so to remind me.

LGB!!!

We'll see if he actually plays though.



Bubble boy

Matt Grzelcyk is out there too. If they're both in I feel like they HAVE to dress 7 D. Boston has to worry about both of them taking hits tonight.

Dave's a mess wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:20 am Friendly reminder to breathe today everyone! I might need to set a recurring alarm every 15 seconds or so to remind me.

LGB!!!

Shit, I've been holding my breath for the last month or so....I'm literally turning Blue
Biggest game ever in Blues franchise history...no pressure boys, we can do this!

Let's GO BLUES!!!

I am 43. I've been a crazy Blues fan since the Gilmour days. I have never seen a Blues team like this. The resiliency.

I have a good feeling about tonight.

Let's Go Blues!!!

bradleygt89 wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:52 am

Dave's a mess wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:20 am Friendly reminder to breathe today everyone! I might need to set a recurring alarm every 15 seconds or so to remind me.

LGB!!!

Shit, I've been holding my breath for the last month or so....I'm literally turning Blue

4506681-7038874729-hold%.jpg

Biggest game ever in Blues franchise history...no pressure boys, we can do this!

Let's GO BLUES!!!

"We all breathe blue".

If Chara plays, someone needs to give him some post whistle face washes and jabs

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:24 am If Chara plays, someone needs to give him some post whistle face washes and jabs

Sure would be interesting to see who the Bruins take out of the lineup if they go 7 D.....Dare I say, Backes?

Didn't want to create a separate post for this, but an excellent article about Tarasenko here:

https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/06/05/vladi ... -cup-final

"How St. Louis Became the Hometown Vladimir Tarasenko Envisioned From the Start"

Here is a boy with boundless energy. No older than nine, he lives in the riverside Russian city of Novosibirsk, a major hub along the Trans-Siberian railway. Because his parents are divorced, and because his father is away playing professional hockey, the boy shares an apartment with his paternal grandparents. It is a small place, two bedrooms. It will not do much to contain him.

One day, for example, he is barreling around the apartment. Full sprint, no regard. Emerging from a hallway, as the boy will remember many years later, he comes to a crossroads. Turn left and enter the kitchen. Veer right for the living room. His mind spins fast. His legs churn faster. “I finally can’t decide,” Vladimir Tarasenko says, “so I just go straight and hit this middle wall with my body.”

Condolences to the wall.

Here is a father raising two boys, each with boundless energy. The oldest is stepson Mark, a goalie for a local youth hockey program. The youngest, Aleksandr, as Tarasenko puts it, “is like hurricane.” In this regard, the Blues winger sees a spitting image of his younger self. “Lot of power, never gets tired, just play-play-play,” Tarasenko says. “The difference is, I was living with a 50-year-old grandpa and he is living with 27-year-old NHL player.”

Read the rest here: https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/06/05/vladi ... -cup-final

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:39 am Sure would be interesting to see who the Bruins take out of the lineup if they go 7 D.....Dare I say, Backes?

He's the only logical answer. I'd feel bad for the guy, but he's been on a line that's done nothing all series and is the easiest to remove. If you take him out though, what do you do with that spot up front though? It's not as though you're removing a guy from a line that plays 7 minutes a night, we're talking about the second line. More time for Marchand/Pastrnak? It'll be interesting.

If I'm Cassidy I roll with 6 D.

Dave's a mess wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:50 am

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:39 am Sure would be interesting to see who the Bruins take out of the lineup if they go 7 D.....Dare I say, Backes?

He's the only logical answer. I'd feel bad for the guy, but he's been on a line that's done nothing all series and is the easiest to remove. If you take him out though, what do you do with that spot up front though? It's not as though you're removing a guy from a line that plays 7 minutes a night, we're talking about the second line. More time for Marchand/Pastrnak? It'll be interesting.

If I'm Cassidy I roll with 6 D.

Maybe not 7, but his ATOI is less than 10 mins per game in the SCF:

Opp Date G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG S Shifts TOI
STL JUN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 09:09
STL JUN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 10:21
STL MAY 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 10:05
STL MAY 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 13 08:50
CAR MAY 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 09:50

Fun stat. If you exclude game 1s, we are 6-0 on the road this postseason when the series is tied or we are behind in the series.

Not being able to communicate on the ice has to be a major disadvantage.

Gamesmanship, no way you ice 2 broken Dmen when there are healthy bodies to take their minutes. The would crucify Cassidy on Orrs statue if he did in my opinion and lost.

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:57 am Not being able to communicate on the ice has to be a major disadvantage.

I can appreciate the 'warriors' mentality' to play, and if Chara had never won a SC before, would fully understand his desire to compete and play tonight. But IF they do play him and he gets further damage/injury that could be a long-term factor, that is where it just becomes stupid.

Honestly, Chara hasn't been that great of a player in the Final, and with this injury and an inability to communicate and be in that much pain, he'd be a serious liability out there.

Here's to hoping Cassidy let's him play

bradleygt89 wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:02 am

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:57 am Not being able to communicate on the ice has to be a major disadvantage.

I can appreciate the 'warriors' mentality' to play, and if Chara had never won a SC before, would fully understand his desire to compete and play tonight. But IF they do play him and he gets further damage/injury that could be a long-term factor, that is where it just becomes stupid.

Honestly, Chara hasn't been that great of a player in the Final, and with this injury and an inability to communicate and be in that much pain, he'd be a serious liability out there.

Here's to hoping Cassidy let's him play

I agree with this. I really have no strong feelings one way or another if he plays tonight or not, but leaning toward hoping he does play.

How bad is their depth that a 42 year old Chara who can't talk or be too physical be better than an alternative?

They interviewed Chara after the optional skate and his comments were telling:

"Ma jaw hersh a riddle, but I can pray huckey. I am show taw dat no one can reesh ma face. Al ship champaign from da cup wish shtraw.

Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:16 am If anyone is interested in this game tonight, I figured this would be a good place to discuss it.

Reports are Borts will be in, Eddy will be the healthy scratch.

There's a game tonight???

Good move by Chief. Edmunson has really struggled.

BlueinNy wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:00 am Gamesmanship, no way you ice 2 broken Dmen when there are healthy bodies to take their minutes. The would crucify Cassidy on Orrs statue if he did in my opinion and lost.

Reeks of desperation, hoping to mess with the Blues heads. Hey, playing against two injured dmen, one of whom cannot communicate, sounds pretty cool to me.

insideout wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:26 am They interviewed Chara after the optional skate and his comments were telling:

"Ma jaw hersh a riddle, but I can pray huckey. I am show taw dat no one can reesh ma face. Al ship champaign from da cup wish shtraw.

So that puck hit him so hard ...he’s Asian now?

NHLTIM wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:33 am

insideout wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:26 am They interviewed Chara after the optional skate and his comments were telling:

"Ma jaw hersh a riddle, but I can pray huckey. I am show taw dat no one can reesh ma face. Al ship champaign from da cup wish shtraw.

So that puck hit him so hard ...he’s Asian now?

Literally exactly how I read it too

Chara will play tonight and he won't even be wearing a bubble shield. He'll just pad his jaw by stuffing Curt Schilling's bloody sock into his mouth. That's what superheroes do.