(Note: No normal recap today. Days of Y’Orr crew went out to a bar to watch the game so no funny funny notes. On the plus side, we were at a bar when the second period started!)
What a shit show that was. After the first you were probably talking to your friends about how the Bruins were 40 minutes away from being one win away from the Stanley Cup files.
After the game, all you saw on Twitter or Facebook were calls for Julien’s head and talk about next season.
Other than Patrice Bergeron…. well, we really have nothing nice to say. At all. It absolutely baffles us how this team couldn’t rise to the occasion with a three goal lead. You would figure a bunch of hockey players would be incredibly motivated to put their foot on Tampa’s throat and gives themselves three chances to win one game to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead of coming home up 3-1 with a chance to clinch on home ice they’re coming home tied 2-2 and Tampa has all the momentum and confidence.
For the Bruins, they just gave refilled Tampa’s confidence meter. Tampa looked a bit demoralized in Game Three. Boston was still winning despite having an awful, awful powerplay. After Game Four, Tampa now believes no deficit is too much for them. Boston handed that kind of swagger to them on a silver platter without coming close to responding.
When Tampa came out on fire in the second it felt like the Bruins were just watching. Soft defense, soft goals, poor coaching decisions. Again, everyone not named Bergeron was to blame for this loss. To quote Baseketball…. “It was a team effort… and it took an entire team to blow this one.”
On the plus side… there have to be positives right? Boston hit a wall. Mentally and physically. No, those are not the positives. Boston had to walk into their locker room knowing they let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. It was a script they were familiar with. Three goal lead. Poor plays and decisions see the game tied at 3. Simon Gagne nets the fourth goal. Bruins lose.
They just got the kick in the ass they needed. Despite being up 2-1 in the series, they have not played their best hockey this series. This was their much needed wake up call. Now it is a best of three series. The situation is not bleak. It is just different. Yes, our dear Bruins blew it. Big time. But we have to believe this was the type of thing they needed to make the next step. If the Bruins can’t respond to a little more adversity, things just weren’t meant to be. But we believe they will.
The Bruins gave a horrible, terrible, atrocious effort when it mattered most. Now it is out of their system.
Monday can’t come soon enough.
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