Well, I guess my hoping was for not. The six hour plane ride was just long enough to suck all the tenacity and intensity out of the Bruins game. It's odd to think where one plays can have that much effect on how one plays, but this series seems to be proof of such a claim. The two teams that have played three games in Vancouver are night and day different then the two teams that played in Boston, even though they are the same teams. Boston needed to come out and establish themselves physically in game five like they had in games three and four, put the fear of God into the Canucks in their own area, and it just didn't happen. They carried most of the play, but without the physical dominance they couldn't get established in front of the net or get more then one quality scoring chance at a time. It isn't just the Bruins who are playing different, though. The Canucks defense don't look like deer in headlights in Vancouver. They, for some reason, are able to pinch against the boards and prevent the Bruins from entering the zone or moving quickly up the ice, something that just didn't happen in Boston.
One thing the Bruins have going for them is they are now headed back to Boston. If the series continues to play out they way it is going, they should be able to pull off a game six win. Of course this will only happen if they reestablish they physical dominance they showcased in games three and four. They have to come out of the blocks hitting everything that moves, finishing every hit strong, pressuring the Vancouver defense men at the points and making sure they get the ever important first goal. It can't be ignored that the Bruins have looked much better in Vancouver then the Canucks have looked in Boston. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that the Bruins take game six, head back to Vancouver and get that one lucky puck bounce that has prevented them from winning there so far.
At this point in the season it's hard to suggest what can be done different to ensure a B's win, or at least get them to bounce back from game five. Julian is pretty much set in his ways, his roster has become pretty limited as far as moves go and game six of the Stanley Cups finals seems an odd time to try something new. If anything, I think it's time to give Seguin some more ice time. He has the freshest legs on the team, why not give him more opportunity to bust up the open middle of the ice when the Canuck defense pinches against the boards? He hasn't looked all that great since his breakout in game two of the last series, but at this point in the season something can be said about a fast skater having the freshest legs on the ice.
One last thing before I wrap this up. Mr. Luongo, Tim Thomas may not have been in the position that you would have on the Canucks goal in game five, but what difference does position make when you leave a five hole open as wide as the Panama Canal? There is a reason you haven't heard Thomas say anything nice about you, he believes in the saying 'when you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' If I was your coach you never would have seen a minute of game five because you sucked in those games in Boston. This is just another thing to add to the list of Why Vancouver Is A Classless Team.
This thing is far from over. Over confidence can kill, so the Bruins can't look at the last two games in Boston and think this is a gimme. It's time for the Bruins to get desperate!
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