Dominic Moore is approaching 37 years old, but ramped up his game over the last month (2 goals, 5 assists in 14 games) and brings 93 previous playoff contests to the table.
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After watching the Game 1 of the first-round National Hockey League playoff series against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, his teammates know it, the 18,500 in the seats at Canadian Tire Centre know it – and most importantly of all – the Bruins know it.
Fired up by 1960s pop star Ginette Reno’s national anthem, the Canadiens were all over NY in the opening period, but it was the Rangers who struck first 9:50 on only their third shot.
Specifically, we’re speaking of the one on his left hand, the one that Sidney Crosby almost amputated with a swift, not to mention painful, swipe with his hockey stick about three weeks ago. Now it’s a question of can he, under pressure, can he give us a good shot when he’s going to need to?
Since 2013, Rask ranks 5th in games started (34), 4th in wins (21), 3rd in GAA (1.92), 2nd in SV% (.936) and 1st in shutouts (5). They were 26-23-6 when they fired coach Claude Julien and replaced him on an interim basis with Bruce Cassidy. He became the first Bruins player to top 80 points since Marc Savard had 88 in 2008-09. “For me, it’s about, Can he shoot?”, Boucher said.
“I don’t really think about the ice time or the numbers”, McAvoy said.
– If (when) things get real chippy between these two teams, expect Mark Borowiecki to be in the middle of it all. Backes statistically had his least productive scoring season since his first full season (2007-2008: 72 games played, 31 points).
Boucher said sitting Kelly and winger Ryan Dzingel wasn’t easy.
It’s unlikely Kelly would be a healthy scratch. But since potting 11 goals during the 2011 Cup winning campaign as a rookie, Marchand has just five in his last 41 playoff games – and none in his last 20. There were stretches of the season when it looked like the Bruins would again miss the playoffs.
Derick Brassard and Kelly were acquired in the off-season, while Alex Burrows, Viktor Stalberg and Tommy Wingels all arrived prior to the trade deadline. That forced many reporters to predict he would not play in Game 1 – a forecast that ultimately proved true.
“You want guys that have gone through the grind of the playoffs”, said Dorion. Whether that’s sitting back or being too casual it’s just we didn’t do a good enough job for 60 minutes.
The Bruins lost 3-1 in their first meeting on November 24 and 4-2 on March 6 – both in Ottawa.
“That’s why we’re in the playoffs right now”, Boucher said.
Part of it was elite performances by guys like Anderson and Karlsson at the right times.
Regardless of who’s in the lineup, Ottawa will need to find a way to create offence. That changes Wednesday night when the puck is dropped for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series.
“Late in the game, we saw a little bit of both: Frankie is out there feeding off the emotion and he gets a big goal; and then two guys who’ve been there before many times, Brad Marchand and (Patrice Bergeron), work their magic to get the game-winner”. “Those are two of the best D on the team and it’s awful to see them go down, especially after such a good body of work to get to this point”. You believe in a god that loves us and wants us to be happy.
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“I think definitely (improvements are needed) in the way we take care of the puck”, Marchand said Friday.
