Eastern Conference: #2 Ottawa Senators vs. #3 Boston Bruins

[pilldoc]

All discuss regarding this series goes here.

 

Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins

Date	TIME (ET)	#2 Ottawa vs. #3 Boston	Networks
Wednesday, April 12	7 p.m.	Boston at Ottawa	CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN
Saturday, April 15	3 p.m	Boston at Ottawa	Sportsnet, TVA Sports, NBC
Monday, April 17	7 p.m.	Ottawa at Boston	CNBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Wednesday, April 19	7:30 p.m.	Ottawa at Boston	USA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
*Friday, April 21	TBD	Boston at Ottawa	TBD
*Sunday, April 23	TBD	Ottawa at Boston	TBD
*Wednesday, April 26	TBD	Boston at Ottawa	TBD

[ScottM]

I have to like the Sens' chances in this one. We took all four from Boston in the regular season, and the team actually managed to reverse a skid and win a couple of games down the stretch without Karlsson. He'll be back for the playoffs, and we should get Methot back soon as well. I certainly don't expect a sweep, but the pieces should fall into place for this one.

[Puck_Pun]

Honestly I wanted the first match to be with Boston, since as @ScottM said the Sens have been playing well against Boston. Of course playoff hockey is different so I chose Sens win in 6, as I'd imagine they'd win a couple. Nonetheless it's a series that would be really fun to watch.

[AJgoal]

I was hoping for a battle of Ontario matchup here, but I think Ottawa handles Boston. Boston's trending down, and while they still have some good players, I'm not enamored of Rask in the playoffs.

[ScottM]

15 hours ago, AJgoal said:

I was hoping for a battle of Ontario matchup here, but I think Ottawa handles Boston. Boston's trending down, and while they still have some good players, I'm not enamored of Rask in the playoffs.

 

Rask isn't the guy I'd want to depend on in the playoffs either. Personally, I think he's one of the biggest reasons the B's lost to Chicago in 2013. That meltdown in game six was the stuff of legends.

[yave1964]

Really wanted the battle of Ontario. Oh well, maybe in the conference finals .

 

In all seriousness I took the Sens in five I truly believe the Bruins may be the most unwatchable team in the postseason. They are a one line team and play to clog the middle and to wait for mistakes by the other teams. Marchand is opportunistic as are a few other forwards who wait for the other team to make mistakes but mostly they sit back and try to protect Rask. I watched them Saturday against the Capitals and they were awful, it seems that ninety percent of the play was within twenty feet of Rask and al they tried to do was clear the puck and wait for the occasional power play. Awful.

 IMHO al that they have going for them over Ottawa is postseason experience.

   The Senators are healthier than they have been at any point all year and have home ice. Boston is likely without their only offensive blueliner in Krug for the series. Sens in five.

[ruxpin]

7 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Really wanted the battle of Ontario. Oh well, maybe in the conference finals .

 

In all seriousness I took the Sens in five I truly believe the Bruins may be the most unwatchable team in the postseason. They are a one line team and play to clog the middle and to wait for mistakes by the other teams. Marchand is opportunistic as are a few other forwards who wait for the other team to make mistakes but mostly they sit back and try to protect Rask. I watched them Saturday against the Capitals and they were awful, it seems that ninety percent of the play was within twenty feet of Rask and al they tried to do was clear the puck and wait for the occasional power play. Awful.

 IMHO al that they have going for them over Ottawa is postseason experience.

   The Senators are healthier than they have been at any point all year and have home ice. Boston is likely without their only offensive blueliner in Krug for the series. Sens in five.

 

I went with a wishy washy safe 6 game pick for the Ottawa, but really, exactly what you said.

[hf101]

This has to be the weakest matchup of all the Series, but I think Boston has the most firepower of the two teams.

Boston in 6.

[pilldoc]

Agree with @hf101, weakest matchup. Boston too up and down.  Rask played like crap one week then pitches back to back shutouts.  Taking Boston on experience alone. 

 

Boston in 6

[WordsOfWisdom]

I didn't even think the Senators could make the playoffs to begin with, and yet here we are. The Senators are the weakest of all the teams in the playoffs (in my opinion). I think the Leafs could have handled them. Boston has been very good down the stretch. They turned it on when they had to, and got the match up they wanted. I have Boston winning this series.

 

[Buffalo Rick]

Boston has owned Ottawa for years.  It ends here.  Ottawa beats them.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Going with the Sens in 6....uh huh...MY wishy washy safe pick....hehe.

 

Why?

Sens have looked fantastic at times this season, at other times, resembled a NON playoff team.

Same with the Bruins.

 

Much like the Cbs-Pit series, this one sorta feels like a pick'em as well, but for different reasons.

While both the Pens and Jackets can easily find themselves in the Eastern Finals, I think both the Sens and Bruins have large enough flaws where the road to the East Finals isn't as clear cut.

 

The key here will be who can take advantage of the other's flaws first....and keep that advantage.

Can the fast moving, sometimes explosive Sens offense take advantage of the Bruins sometimes plodding defense and inability to put pucks in the net when they really need it?

 

Or will Boston's always tough grinding style, mixed in with a bit of new offensive blood, linked to Rask's sometimes brilliant play take advantage of the Sens' failure to properly cover zones at times?

 

I am going with Ottawa based on their handling of the B's during the regular season. I know playoffs are a different animal, but that HAS to count for something...these teams are new to each other in playoff format after all.

Sens also have the home ice and Craig Anderson, as always, has the ability to rob the other team and win games for his team they may have no business winning.

[Puck_Pun]

I didn't watch much of the second game (had to see my sister off at the airport) but it looks like the Sens turned up to the third period and overtime. Their inability to put in a full three periods of hockey has caused a majority (if not all) of their losses this season and it's hurting their chances in the playoffs.

[hf101]

 

[Puck_Pun]

Senators beat Bruins in OT to go to the second round.

 

I'm really looking forward to round two. The Rangers are a relatively good draw for the Sens since they played so dreadfully against the Habs the last three meetings. So there's that in their favour. However, there's a lot they need to take from this series and fix, otherwise the Rangers will make quick work of them.

 

- PowerPlay. Their PP is just weak, and fails to press the advantage as much as they should. While Boston is number 1 when it comes to PK, the Sens made the job so much easier for them.

- Playing a 60 minute game. They have a habit of having a period of rubbish hockey where they just don't click well, whether it's flubbed passes, opportunities not taken advantage of, or leaving gaping holes in the defence. This is the biggest problem they face.

- The physical game. How often have I seen Senators bounce off opposition players?

 

Going into the playoffs my attitude was that I'd be happy with the Senators getting into round 2 to set up a good tilt for the cup next year. They've gotten to round 2 and to me, honestly every win is a bonus for me. While I'd love to think they are contenders this year, they don't quite have what it takes to go all the way.

[Samifan]

Another bonus of the Bruins being eliminated is that means Jack Edwards has also been eliminated. 

 

Nice to see some Canadian teams make it to the second round. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Good for Ottawa getting rid of the overachieving Bruins.

 

And what a return to the NHL so far for one Mr. Guy Boucher!

 

He certainly was under appreciated his go-round as a coach with the Lightning....and truthfully, I believe that AS a coach he has grown as well with his time in the Swiss League....but while many thought he would be a negligible impact on the Senators upon his hiring, I had a feeling this guy had something to show the NHL world.

 

Sure, he and his team have only won a round, and against a team that was, IMO, a borderline playoff team to begin with, but the Rangers best study Boucher's player deployment and tendencies very well.

One underestimates that guy at one's own peril.

 

Ottawa will have their work cut out for them against the Rangers, but Boucher is just one of those coaches that just when you think you have him figured out, he has entire contingency plans (most of them out-of-the-box thinking) that he can have his players execute at a moment's notice.

 

And kudos to the Ottawa players for buying in and executing on the ice. No matter how good a coach's game plan is, if the player's don't execute, it's all for naught. Sens sure did that against Boston.