Evening Wrap-Up Feb 28th BOS @ CGY & NYI @ MIN
Bruins @ Calgary
Neither team wants to hold the zone for very long early in this game. Calgary is generating more chances early but nothing is really scary as it flies toward the net.
This game is all about research. I want to get a visual of what Bruins hockey looks like. I can see Ullmark is a wall in the net. Suddenly, a Bruins goal out of nowhere. Calgary with some lazy zone defense. Great shot but not a goal you’ll see in the playoffs.
OH, the Bruins have the best PK in the league, that explains a lot. Trying to beat Ullmark with a straight shot seems to be difficult. Need dirty net fronts or puck movement.
Life said I had to pick up dinner. I missed the second Bruins goal. Watched the replay and the goal looked kinda soft. Nice shot, but the kind of goal the goalie probably wants back.
Kadri looks weird in a Flames jersey. The second period just ended. What a weird game. 39 shots for Calgary and only 9 for Boston. Calgary is getting shots and some of them are high danger. I think the end of the second period really showed the difference in the game. The Flames are on the Power Play and they give Boston possession of the puck right in front of the net. No goal was scored, the Flames take the puck back down the ice, have a wide-open net and Toffoli takes too much time with his windup and misses what should have been a goal.
Boston plays sound hockey. I’ve not seen them chase the puck once. Near the end of the second, Nick Foligno looked like he was hurt badly. Not sure what that means to the team just yet, but the commentators are saying the Bruins have dodged a lot of the injury bugs this season.
The third period starts with Calgary on the power play and Boston is really good at making the Flames look uninspired. Can the Flames avoid giving up that third goal and either score or get to the last 2 min of empty net play?
Boston doesn’t even grind down the opponent, not in this game at least. They seem happy to let the clock wind down to zero.
And there it is, Calgary gets the goal with a cross-ice pass combined with a Boston overcommit. That was the one thing I had not seen Boston do to this point, overcommit to anything. It happens and it gets punished. Pro sports are evil like that. the question now is, will the 11 shots Boston has to this point catch up with them? Where are the shots going to come from late in their third when their legs have been defending for most of the game?
Wow, Calgary follows up the goal with another goal. A great pass down low, both the Boston defenders go after the puck and Huberdeau sends the puck behind them, for a Pelletier easy goal. Great play and now the Flames have the lead.
Boston is playing the second of a back-to-back. The way they’ve played so far and the pace Calgary is playing with after their two goals, this game feels like it might be over. There are nine minutes on the clock, but if I’m a Bruins fan, I’m accepting the worst.
The broadcast just ran a replay and it was a Huberdeau goal. Shame that would have been a sick passing play.
Regardless of how this game finished, I have seen what I wanted to see. Boston plays steady. Ullmark is a wall in net and to beat him you need puck movement and screens. Those will beat most all goalies but the fluky goal that turns into another probably doesn’t happen when playing Boston this year.
New York Islander @ Minnesota Wild
I was able to watch most of the first half of this game. The Wild ended up with the 2-1 victory in shootout fashion. I still hate the loser point. What I saw of the game was careful hockey. Good up-and-down action but the moments where a scoring chance is imminent never felt like they were…..imminent. Minnesota is 8 points clear of the third-place wild card team, currently Calgary. Real separation is starting to form in the west. The Wild are close to being in cruise mode for the playoffs. Calgary really needs a win tonight to keep pace in the western playoff race.
