By Ian Moran
Special to BostonSportsJournal.com
Ian Moran played in over 500 NHL games, including 66 in the postseason, in 15 years as a defenseman with the Penguins, Bruins, and Ducks before retiring in 2008. The Acton native attended Belmont Hill and Boston College before being a sixth-round pick of the Penguins in 1990. The Duxbury resident is currently the head New England scout for Neutral Zone, a first-of-its-kind hockey scouting and news site which identifies, ranks and profiles NCAA and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) prospects from across North America. Ian will be breaking down each Bruins playoff game for BostonSportsJournal.com. You can follow Ian on Twitter at @IMHockeySkills.
WHY THE BRUINS WON GAME 1
Tampa Bay had a week to rest and get ready for Game 1 and there were long stretches of the game where they dominated. But from the start, Tuukka Rask played well and the Bruins' top line was better than Tampa's.
As we talked about after Game 7, Patrice Bergeron looked like himself again and that’s a chain reaction through the lineup, especially the No. 1 line. I have no idea what his faceoff stats were and I don’t really care. Hall of Famer Ron Francis used to let guys win draws at certain times. He was setting them up so he could win when it mattered. I’m not saying Bergeron is playing bullcrap with these guys, but he rarely has lost a draw when it’s mattered over the past two games and Game 1. I don’t remember him losing a D-zone draw that mattered.
As for Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, they looked far too comfortable. They both had four points and it seemed like they could have had a couple more. When you watch Pastrnak and see his creativity, you think he should be a perimeter player. But in reality, he goes to the grimy areas and goes there confidently.
PATRICE BERGERON DOUBLES THE BRUINS LEAD! WHAT A PASS BY PASTRNAK!#NHLBruins 2 - 0 #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/xGGXrtARIf
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) April 28, 2018
The way he attacked the net on Bergeron’s first goal is a prime example. He settled a Marchand pass that was deflected on its way to him and attacked the along the goal line. Every Tampa Bay player thought he’d pull up and try to go short-side shelf including Andrei Vasilevskiy (if I can’t spell Andersen, then look out for this guy). Instead, he attacks, changes the angle, does a little toe drag and slides a perfect pass to Bergeron. The whole play is a clinic on using the wall as an extra option on a low- to high-back low cycle, but the goal doesn’t happen if Pastrnak doesn’t attack.
As for The Rat Bastard ...I have a man-crush on him. I watch way more hockey than any person should and he makes me feel like nobody else. Honestly, he makes me laugh. He makes me cry. I love Brad Marchand. I said it. I love him. Yesterday he was at his best. An All-Star Game linemate with Brayden Point? Screw it, here’s a crosscheck to the ribs. The League says he can’t lick anyone ... Screw it, Tyler Johnson might get a hickey. Nobody thinks he can dominate at this level? Here’s a goal and three helpers, so screw you. Marchand is the most entertaining player in the NHL and I love him.
THREE UP FOR BRUINS
RICK NASH. WHAT. AN. ABSOLUTE. ROCKET. BRUINS LEAD BY 2 OFF THIS INCREDIBLE SNIPE!#NHLBruins 3 - 1 #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/brGAUApP56
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) April 28, 2018
TWO DOWN FOR THE BRUINS
Grey-area turnovers led to too much time in the D-zone. Rick Nash and Sean Kuraly both had them in the first with Kuraly’s coming to Steven Stamkos. As the game went on, the turnovers weren’t there, but the Bruins need to be smart at the blue lines. Tampa has too much firepower to give them extra chances.
TWO UP FOR THE LIGHTNING
Tampa has very active D ... pinching, middle-ice stepping up and joining the rush. Their whole system revolves around their D being active all over the ice. Victor Hedman stepped up hard in the neutral zone and almost killed Kuraly at center ice. All of their D join the rush. I didn’t see them try to go coast to coast, but I did see them activate from the weak side on breakouts and crash the net in the offensive zone. This is going to put a ton of pressure on the Bruins' forwards as we move on.
Tampa is great at cross-seam passes. They didn’t capitalize on any in Game 1 but Tuukka made a few great saves going post to post. Look for Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov to fake the pass, get Tuukka leaning and try going short-side shelf. They both have phenomenal skills and can fire it. I’d be shocked if Kucherov doesn’t go there a few times early in Game 2.
TWO DOWN FOR THE LIGHTNING
TUUKKA TICKER
His play is always a topic, so we’re asking an expert to assess him.
He was very good. Dan Girardi’s goal hits Tim Schaller (and possibly Matt Grzelcyk) on the way in. And he lost his blade on No. 2. If Tuukka plays like that then the Bruins are in great shape.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- Jake DeBrusk had a great opportunity in the first and shot wide. J.T. Miller had a great opportunity in the second from the same area and shot wide. The afternoon start might have contributed to some shots going high and wide because the ice was a little wet and bumpy.
- Pastrnak deserved the penalty on Marchand’s no-goal.
- Nash's second was a snipe but what a kill by Bergeron and Marchand. They were almost out there for the full two minutes and without their brains and skating, Tampa might have been celebrating. Hell of an effort by those two.
- It seems odd that the refs can’t blow the whistle if a goalie loses a blade. I think the rule was made for a broken stick, not a broken blade.
- I didn’t hear Chris Kunitz's name till 4:35 left in second. I played with him and he can be so annoying that it’s incredible. I wonder if he’s playing injured because he can impact a game in a lot of ways.
- The Bruins forwards are 100 percent rolling into the high slot looking for space in the offensive zone. We talked about Toronto doing it in Round 1 and Saturday, the Bruins were using it. A defending D-man does not feel comfortable in the high slot. This is something to watch for.
- The refs were so inconsistent that it’s amazing. Pretty self-explanatory.
- Charlie McAvoy’s gap control with 2:20 left is a great sign that he’s getting his feet under him and feeling better. Exploding shoulders in Game 7 and great gap control in Game 1 are phenomenal signs he's rounding into form.
PARTING THOUGHT
DeBrusk is turning into a cult hero. He flies around, has a ridiculous tape job on his stick and competes like an animal. Alex Killorn takes an absolute pot shot at his head and what’s DeBrusk do? Wobbles around, gets his stick, blocks a shot, digs on the wall, wins a race to a 50-50 puck and dives to clear the zone. Awesome stuff. He deserved that open-net goal and he made it better by going 5-hole, but I have to think Marchand would have taken a slapper off Kucherov’s ankle...
