With the conclusion of the bye team round robins and Washington’s win over Boston, the Hurricanes are officially slated to play the Boston Bruins in what I guess we are calling the first round of the 2020 NHL Playoffs.
Today’s Daily Cup of Joe looks at the Boston Bruins at a 50,000-foot level trying assess which version of the team the Carolina Hurricanes are actually facing. Either later in the day Monday or otherwise for Tuesday, I will break down the Bruins in a bit more detail.
The 2019 NHL Playoffs
It is no secret to Canes fans that the Boston Bruins were the end of the road for the upstart Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL Playoffs. After a thrilling seven-game series win over the Washington Capitals and a quick 4-0 sweep of the New York Islanders, the Bruins put an abrupt halt to the Canes’ playoff train with a 4-0 sweep. The Hurricanes seemed to lose momentum after a long layoff following the previous round sweep, but I still think there is information to be gleaned from how that series played out. Much went wrong for the Hurricanes in Bruins series, but three general themes stood out to me. First, the Hurricanes struggled on special teams such that the Bruins seemed to have an every game advantage on the score board from special teams. Second, the veterans blue line with help from help from the forwards rendered the Hurricanes forecheck mostly a non-issue after it played a significant role in winning the first two series. Third, the Bruins best players (namely Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak) were better than the Canes best players. A significant part of that was on the power play (per my first point), but that counts too. Last spring, the Bruins were clearly the better team. Time will tell if that has changed.
The 2020 regular season
Before the pandemic put an abrupt halt to the 2019-20 regular season, the Bruins were atop the NHL, tracking toward winning the President’s Trophy and had as good of a claim as anyone to being the best team in the NHL. The Bruins had 100 points with 12 games remaining despite an unlucky 0-7 record in shootouts. Pastrnak was already at 48 goals and on pace to finish with 56. Marchand was on target for 100 points. And Bergeron had 31 goals in only 61 (missed 9 with injury). The Bruins were a respectable ninth in goals scored per game and even more impressively were the stingiest team in the NHL allowing only 2.39 goals against per game.
Given last year’s playoffs and the Bruins’ regular season success, the team would have been my last choice for an opponent entering the restart.
The 2020 playoff restart
But did that change? The Bruins were 0-3 in the bye team round robin losing 4-1 to the Flyers, 3-2 to the Lightning and 2-1 to the Capitals. With no history to compare to, it is difficult to say how meaningful the 0-3 record is. On the one hand, these games did have meaning and because of that teams iced regular rosters and mostly managed games as if a win mattered. On the other hand, from watching a decent number of the round robin games, there was very clearly a lesser intensity level as compared to the qualification round games.
Is it the case that the Bruins just will not be able to re-find the higher gear from earlier in the season?
Or is it the case that the round robin was more like preseason and that the Bruins will suddenly dial things up when the games really matter?
What say you Canes fans?
1) What, if any, carry over do you think there is from the two teams’ 2019 NHL Playoffs match up?
2) What do you make of the Bruins 0-3 mark in the round robin? Is it possible that the Bruins will just continue to have trouble trying to dial it back up after the long layoff?
3) More generally, what do you expect from the Bruins in the upcoming series?
Go Canes!
1. I think the Canes will have a bit of a chip on their shoulder after last year.
2. I’m hoping it got in their heads, as opposed to it being a wake up call to dial it up.
3. I expect it to go the distance. The Canes have improved over last year, but Boston is still good.
1) the canes have a chance for sweet revenge, a chance to turn the tables and send the B spots packing.
2) the Bruins treated the round robin as pre-season, to their detriment. Most players play how they practice. While it is likely Boston will come out flying with the emotion transitioned from “pre-season” to “Stanley Cup playoffs”, It will take some time for the game to transition. A vicious forecheck could keep them out of a playoff rhythm, so that will be a key that I am watching.
3) With the emotion dialed up they will be feisty. Boston is a physical, agitating team and I expect them to find that game. The canes need to punish them on the scoreboard, play the canes game and not degenerate into elementary school playground stuff. Willy was in the box seemingly the whole elimination game – exactly the wrong thing to do with Boston.
If the canes play their own game, all out, this will be a fun series for canes fans.
They could have lost their last 10 games, still, BOS scares the crap out of me. After PHI and CBJ, they are the last team I’d want to face.
Having said that, the boys are going to be super-motivated and I expect it to be very physical especially early.
They lost a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals at home last year, they have as much experience as any team in the league with fantastic leadership, I expect them to dial it up quickly. We have our hands full.
PS. I’m going to be pissed if TOR wins the lottery.
or if Pitt wins the lottery. Expect the hockey internet to blow up this evening. It could even take out web tonight;)
Since the Rangers are my 2nd team, I will be mostly happy with them getting the pick. After that the West teams then the mostly meh if it is the Panthers.
Should really go to the Jets since it was their spot that won it initially-that would make Coach Mo happy.
Expecting the best from the Bruins. Is Rask going to as good as last year’s playoffs?
Go Canes and Habs, Lightning, Isles
I agree – it would be awful if PIT won, too. But we have TOR’s 1st that’s Top 10 protected, so we’d get their 2021 1st if they won the lottery. Would hate to wait a year and would like the earlier pick.
That’s assuming it will higher than 12/13. This year is deep draft.
Plus if TML wins the draft the Rsngers get the canes pick. theN canes don’t have a no. 1 which is OK it will be no. 31:)
Honestly, any of the 4 top seed teams would be a huge challenge. So Boston? Sure, ok. I think there is something to getting a shot a top teams early in the playoffs before they get some momentum.
Game 1 feels huge to me – if Canes can win then they immediately establish that this year is different and sow seeds of doubt with Boston since they went 0-3 in the round robin games. Looking back at the sweep by Boston last time, it was overwhelmingly about special teams. I feel like special teams are the most easily correctable. Canes PK and PP are much better this season – especially if Dougie is back on the PP.