It was a bit hard to watch the Bruins lose to Dallas in the shootout last night. It's too bad because I thought overall they had a good game, or at least a better one than their previous outing. Their defense was better and they got more help from the forwards, who showed a lot of hustle on the back check.
But late in the 3rd I realized that should this game go to the shootout the Bruins would likely end up losing. Rask was not on top of his game, giving up two bad goals. Getting beat so cleanly on the penalty shot late in the 3rd did not bode well.
The shootout started well with a goal by Bergeron right off the bat. But when I saw Seguin line up at center ice I knew he was going to score. I wonder how many people there had the same feeling. But it was when Pevs lined up that I knew we were done! I miss that guy more than Seguin.
Speaking of Seguin, can we please be done with him now? With all the attention his return was getting, I couldn't help but feel like I'd rather hear about people who actually play for the Bruins, such Erickson and Reilly Smith. I hate it when the news media "goes off" on a story line like this. Sure, Seguin is interesting, but hell, Smith seems to be having a breakout year, and he and Erickson were playing against their former team too.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Dear NHL: How Not to Treat Fans
I'm excited about the new season, as always. For the past several years I've subscribed to NHL Center Ice via DirecTV, but I decided to try something different this year. I started a subscription to NHL Game Center instead. The idea was to watch the games on the TV via XBox.
There is a lot to like about Game Center, but there was one deal breaker for me. I'm often away from home during game time so I record the games to my DVR and watch them later. Unfortunately the way Game Center works I'd have to wait 48 hours to view a game. So I decided to return to Center Ice and cancel my Game Center subscription.
Looking around their web site I saw no way to unsubscribe. This is where things started to go downhill. Eventually I discovered a FAQ with instructions to unsubscribe. They said I could unsubscribe within five days, and it had only been one. Ok.
But it turned out that even though I subscribed with a click of the button, I was going to have to call a phone number to unsubscribe. This is the old trick pioneered by AOL to maximize profits at the expense of their customers. Make it as difficult as possible to unsubscribe and many customers will just give up and keep right on paying. This is the tactic of a business who is willing to screw their customers to maximize their profits. Sure, all businesses are trying to make a profit. But many successful businesses treat their customers with respect, assuming that in doing so they will create good will, which in turn will lead to profit. The NHL claims to be one of these businesses.
I called the number and it took me several minutes to get through the button presses. Then this truly awful sounding music began playing. After 15 minutes on hold I started running out of things I could do at my desk while I waited. I just happened to be looking at my PayPal account and noticed the payment I had made for Game Center. There was a link to dispute the payment. So I decided that turnabout was fair play. If they were going to be assholes, then I'd return the favor. I figured it would take me five minutes to fill out the forms to dispute the payment, and if they hadn't answered my call by then (20 minutes after I had started) I'd go ahead and dispute it. Sure enough, I had the forms filled out and I'd been waiting twenty minutes, so I disconnected the phone and with the words, "Fuck you too, NHL" pressed the button. By doing so I initiated a chargeback, which is a black mark on their credit record, albeit a small one. My money was returned the next day.
This is a hell of a way to treat fans. Money grubbing assholes! They screwed the players last year and continue to screw their fans. Perhaps if more people spoke up about this sort of thing they'd stop.
There is a lot to like about Game Center, but there was one deal breaker for me. I'm often away from home during game time so I record the games to my DVR and watch them later. Unfortunately the way Game Center works I'd have to wait 48 hours to view a game. So I decided to return to Center Ice and cancel my Game Center subscription.
Looking around their web site I saw no way to unsubscribe. This is where things started to go downhill. Eventually I discovered a FAQ with instructions to unsubscribe. They said I could unsubscribe within five days, and it had only been one. Ok.
But it turned out that even though I subscribed with a click of the button, I was going to have to call a phone number to unsubscribe. This is the old trick pioneered by AOL to maximize profits at the expense of their customers. Make it as difficult as possible to unsubscribe and many customers will just give up and keep right on paying. This is the tactic of a business who is willing to screw their customers to maximize their profits. Sure, all businesses are trying to make a profit. But many successful businesses treat their customers with respect, assuming that in doing so they will create good will, which in turn will lead to profit. The NHL claims to be one of these businesses.
I called the number and it took me several minutes to get through the button presses. Then this truly awful sounding music began playing. After 15 minutes on hold I started running out of things I could do at my desk while I waited. I just happened to be looking at my PayPal account and noticed the payment I had made for Game Center. There was a link to dispute the payment. So I decided that turnabout was fair play. If they were going to be assholes, then I'd return the favor. I figured it would take me five minutes to fill out the forms to dispute the payment, and if they hadn't answered my call by then (20 minutes after I had started) I'd go ahead and dispute it. Sure enough, I had the forms filled out and I'd been waiting twenty minutes, so I disconnected the phone and with the words, "Fuck you too, NHL" pressed the button. By doing so I initiated a chargeback, which is a black mark on their credit record, albeit a small one. My money was returned the next day.
This is a hell of a way to treat fans. Money grubbing assholes! They screwed the players last year and continue to screw their fans. Perhaps if more people spoke up about this sort of thing they'd stop.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Observations of the Cup Final and Tuukka Rask
It's been a whirlwind since those two goals went into the Bruins net a mere twelve seconds apart, bringing their Cup run to an end. I hadn't had the chance to comment until now and it seems like ancient history. Nonetheless I do have some observations about that final game, the series, and the play of Tuukka Rask that I think are worth setting down.
I presume most people, like me, thought that the Bruins had game 6 in the bag. That is, after all, the back and forth of how playoff series usually go. With reasonably solid play and the lead in the third, everything looked set for a game 7. However, I had an uneasy feeling. Although they had dominated much of the play, the Bruins seemed worn down and tired compared to the Hawks. I sensed that they were running out of gas and I was preparing myself to see them lose in game 7. Then those two quick goals came and it was all over.
In my opinion game 6 was not only lost in those 12 seconds. It was also lost in the second period on a Bruins power play. Up to that point the Bruins had completely dominated. They had the only goal in the game. Then at 2:24 of the second period the Hawk's Andrew Shaw took a 2-minute roughing penalty. Everyone had to be thinking the same thing -- go out and get another goal! But the Bruins came out like it was an opportunity for a vacation. They fumbled the puck in their own zone, and I have an image stuck in my head of Chara skating through the neutral zone with the puck like it was radioactive. I went ballistic, yelling at the TV as I had so often done this season when the Bruins lost their focus. I recall yelling, "Nobody want's the puck!" Sure enough, just as the power play ended the Hawks took advantage of the Bs Keystone Cops routine and tied it up. This sort of thing should seldom happen to a good team during the regular season. It should never happen during the playoffs. For them to fold up like this during game six of the Cup Final? Are you kidding me? Whether it was that lapse in the second period or the collapse in the third, in the end, the inconsistency that plagued the team throughout the season finally caught up with them.
Even though the Bruins did not play consistently enough to deserve to win the series, they still could have won it. It was very close and several of the games could have gone the other way. Some people aren't going to want to hear this, but there is no doubt in my mind that had Tim Thomas been in goal the Bruins would have won their second cup in three years. Rask played well overall -- just look at his stats! -- but he failed to steal the series. For whatever reason Rask got rattled. It started in game 4. The way to tell if Rask is on his game is simple. When playing at his best he looks like a statue, always in the right spot waiting for the puck in order to swallow it up or send it harmlessly to the corner. When in the zone his play appears effortless. But in game 4 we saw those cat-like reflexes of his on display and while he still made the first save, he started giving up rebounds. It was those rebounds that the Hawks pounced upon, first to take the lead in the third, and later to win the game in OT. In game 5 we saw more of the same, right from the start, and again, I believe it was the key difference in the outcome.
Don't get me wrong here, I think Rask was the better goaltender in the series and I think he is one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. I am happy the Bruins appear on the verge of signing him long term. The Hawks earned their rebound goals by overwhelming the Bruins defense. But, at his best Tim Thomas would have found a way to win those games, because popular to say or not, Tim Thomas was more than just a very good goaltender. Tim Thomas was one of the all-time greats.
In the end I can take solace in this thought: at least the Canucks did not win the cup in 2011. I can handle losing to the Hawks. They are such a classy organization, and other than those sole-less eyes of Toews, there is very little to hate about them. But the thought of those whiners in Vancouver winning the cup... that's unbearable.
I presume most people, like me, thought that the Bruins had game 6 in the bag. That is, after all, the back and forth of how playoff series usually go. With reasonably solid play and the lead in the third, everything looked set for a game 7. However, I had an uneasy feeling. Although they had dominated much of the play, the Bruins seemed worn down and tired compared to the Hawks. I sensed that they were running out of gas and I was preparing myself to see them lose in game 7. Then those two quick goals came and it was all over.
In my opinion game 6 was not only lost in those 12 seconds. It was also lost in the second period on a Bruins power play. Up to that point the Bruins had completely dominated. They had the only goal in the game. Then at 2:24 of the second period the Hawk's Andrew Shaw took a 2-minute roughing penalty. Everyone had to be thinking the same thing -- go out and get another goal! But the Bruins came out like it was an opportunity for a vacation. They fumbled the puck in their own zone, and I have an image stuck in my head of Chara skating through the neutral zone with the puck like it was radioactive. I went ballistic, yelling at the TV as I had so often done this season when the Bruins lost their focus. I recall yelling, "Nobody want's the puck!" Sure enough, just as the power play ended the Hawks took advantage of the Bs Keystone Cops routine and tied it up. This sort of thing should seldom happen to a good team during the regular season. It should never happen during the playoffs. For them to fold up like this during game six of the Cup Final? Are you kidding me? Whether it was that lapse in the second period or the collapse in the third, in the end, the inconsistency that plagued the team throughout the season finally caught up with them.
Even though the Bruins did not play consistently enough to deserve to win the series, they still could have won it. It was very close and several of the games could have gone the other way. Some people aren't going to want to hear this, but there is no doubt in my mind that had Tim Thomas been in goal the Bruins would have won their second cup in three years. Rask played well overall -- just look at his stats! -- but he failed to steal the series. For whatever reason Rask got rattled. It started in game 4. The way to tell if Rask is on his game is simple. When playing at his best he looks like a statue, always in the right spot waiting for the puck in order to swallow it up or send it harmlessly to the corner. When in the zone his play appears effortless. But in game 4 we saw those cat-like reflexes of his on display and while he still made the first save, he started giving up rebounds. It was those rebounds that the Hawks pounced upon, first to take the lead in the third, and later to win the game in OT. In game 5 we saw more of the same, right from the start, and again, I believe it was the key difference in the outcome.
Don't get me wrong here, I think Rask was the better goaltender in the series and I think he is one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. I am happy the Bruins appear on the verge of signing him long term. The Hawks earned their rebound goals by overwhelming the Bruins defense. But, at his best Tim Thomas would have found a way to win those games, because popular to say or not, Tim Thomas was more than just a very good goaltender. Tim Thomas was one of the all-time greats.
In the end I can take solace in this thought: at least the Canucks did not win the cup in 2011. I can handle losing to the Hawks. They are such a classy organization, and other than those sole-less eyes of Toews, there is very little to hate about them. But the thought of those whiners in Vancouver winning the cup... that's unbearable.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Jekyll and Hyde Bruins
The most difficult thing about being a hockey fan is truly understanding what's happening on the ice. Sure, a lot of people think they know what's going on, and that includes me sometimes, but the truth is that sometimes truly understanding why things are happening requires NHL experience and a time consuming break down of post-game video. For that reason I'm not going to try to analyze why the Bruins are facing elimination against the Hawks. But I can make some observations based on what we've seen so far.
All season long the Bruins have had a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality, sometimes playing a strong defensive game that frustrates opponents, combined with a quick break out, razor sharp passing, and a deadly ability to cash in on mistakes.
At other times they have played like little old ladies. They turn the puck over in their zone, the forwards fail to get back quickly to back check, and their rushes come to nothing. This gets us back to why this happens. If your team plays badly, is it because they didn't show up to play or is it because the other team is taking away time and space? I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that during the regular season much of the poor play of the Bruins was not the result of pressure from the opposing teams. The Bruins simply didn't play at their best. Whether or not the Bruins brought their best in game 5 is up for debate. My feeling is that they did not, but like I said, I can't be sure.
On a related note, for whatever reason the Bruins have not been able to shutdown the Hawks with their layered defense in the same way they did the Penguins. Whether that is due to the speed of the Hawks, the players not "playing their game," or as an intentional strategy of Julien's, I'm not going to pretend to know. It is entirely possible that we will see the Bruins shut the Hawks down in game 6. If so, then the Bruins have a very good chance of winning the series. Otherwise the Bruins will have to beat the Hawks at their own game, and while I believe they can, a Bruins Cup win is somewhat less assured.
I do know that the Bruins can play with much more desperation! Bruins fans can hope that game 5 was a momentary lapse of focus and determination in a long post season and the Bruins will be back in game 6, with or without Bergeron.
All season long the Bruins have had a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality, sometimes playing a strong defensive game that frustrates opponents, combined with a quick break out, razor sharp passing, and a deadly ability to cash in on mistakes.
At other times they have played like little old ladies. They turn the puck over in their zone, the forwards fail to get back quickly to back check, and their rushes come to nothing. This gets us back to why this happens. If your team plays badly, is it because they didn't show up to play or is it because the other team is taking away time and space? I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that during the regular season much of the poor play of the Bruins was not the result of pressure from the opposing teams. The Bruins simply didn't play at their best. Whether or not the Bruins brought their best in game 5 is up for debate. My feeling is that they did not, but like I said, I can't be sure.
On a related note, for whatever reason the Bruins have not been able to shutdown the Hawks with their layered defense in the same way they did the Penguins. Whether that is due to the speed of the Hawks, the players not "playing their game," or as an intentional strategy of Julien's, I'm not going to pretend to know. It is entirely possible that we will see the Bruins shut the Hawks down in game 6. If so, then the Bruins have a very good chance of winning the series. Otherwise the Bruins will have to beat the Hawks at their own game, and while I believe they can, a Bruins Cup win is somewhat less assured.
I do know that the Bruins can play with much more desperation! Bruins fans can hope that game 5 was a momentary lapse of focus and determination in a long post season and the Bruins will be back in game 6, with or without Bergeron.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Moment the Penguins Lost the Series
First off... wow. I mean, wow. Who would have predicted that the Bruins would sweep the Penguins, outscoring them 12 to 2 over the series? In a word, it was impressive.
In a recent Boston.com Bruins Blog they asked, "When did you realize the series with the Penguins was over?" Well I knew the series was over at 1:32 of the second period of game 1. That was the moment when Matt Cooke checked Adam McQuaid on the numbers into the boards. I was so angry I had to leave the room to hit something. When I eventually returned I told my kids that the series was over, and the the Bruins would not only defeat the Penguins but they would humiliate them in the process.
When you've seen these guys play as many games as I have you start to see what makes them tick. The one thing that stands out above all else is that the Bruins will not be intimidated. All hockey players are proud, and for this bunch their pride is rooted in standing up for one another. Sure, McQuaid got back up. But don't think for a minute that they don't remember Cooke's dirty hit on Savard (that ended his career) -- even those guys who weren't part of the team yet. The boys were already primed for payback over the Iginla trade, regardless of what they may have said publicly, and that hit was exactly what they needed to bring out their very best, and there is no better. So thanks to you Jerome, and thanks to you Matt; our Bruins are in the Cup Final!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Bruins Play NHL Hockey
Despite a slow start as the two teams felt each other out, in game one against the Rangers the 2013 Bruins finally looked like they were playing NHL hockey. This game had a classic playoff feel to it, with strong consistent defensive play and opportunistic offense.
How could the Bruins play their best defensive game of the year with three rookies replacing veterans on the blue line? If you stop and think about it, there is only one answer: team defense. Maybe it was the wake up call of almost being defeated by an inferior Leafs team, or perhaps it had to do with the style that the Rangers play, but I think it just as likely that it took the loss of those three veterans for the forwards to finally buy into playing strong, consistent team defense. For the first time in 2013 I was truly happy watching the Bruins play, and their OT win was just the icing on the cake.
Will the Bruins beat the Rangers, as they did when I was in the 7th grade so many years ago? Will they go on to win the cup? I don't know. What I do know is that they are capable of doing both, it's just a matter of getting their act together... and a little luck.
How could the Bruins play their best defensive game of the year with three rookies replacing veterans on the blue line? If you stop and think about it, there is only one answer: team defense. Maybe it was the wake up call of almost being defeated by an inferior Leafs team, or perhaps it had to do with the style that the Rangers play, but I think it just as likely that it took the loss of those three veterans for the forwards to finally buy into playing strong, consistent team defense. For the first time in 2013 I was truly happy watching the Bruins play, and their OT win was just the icing on the cake.
Will the Bruins beat the Rangers, as they did when I was in the 7th grade so many years ago? Will they go on to win the cup? I don't know. What I do know is that they are capable of doing both, it's just a matter of getting their act together... and a little luck.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The Most Awful-Wonderful Game Ever
These Bruins are killing me. Seriously. We watched anxiously when they got behind by two goals in the third period of game 5. They played hard at the end but it was too little too late. In game six it was the same story. The Leafs got up by two goals and the Bruins struggled to catch up. They did manage to score a goal to bring them within one at the end of the game, but once again it was too little too late.
So when the Leafs were up by two goals in the third period of game 7, it felt like, "here we go again." When the Leafs scored to lead by three, it looked very dire. But what really got me was how the Bruins were playing at that point, fumbling with the puck, turning it over, and generally skating around like they didn't know what they were doing. As with much of their play this season it was physically painful to watch. In fact, it was so painful to watch that I did something I have not done since the end of the 2006-2007 season after the Bruins had failed to make the playoffs. I am loathe to admit this, but I was so upset at the way they were playing that I paused the DVR and found something else to do for a while. When I came back I fast forwarded through the game, just wanting it to be over quickly. But then I saw the score change. The fumbling bumbling Bruins had somehow scored! I ran it back a bit and watched Horty pull the Bs within two. Still probably too little to late, but at least they had got their act together. We all know what happened next. Lucic scored, then Bergeron tied it up, and Bergeron won it in overtime. How likely is it to come back from being down three goals in a game 7? Nobody had done it before in NHL history.
For me, the pivotal point in the game came when I saw Jagr limp off the ice. It was only then the Bruins truly got going. Throughout the series Jagr looked to me like an anchor, dragging the whole line he's on down with him. He's slow on the back check, unable or unwilling to make a good pass to set up a goal, and he's not capable of the physical play in front of the net that is required at this time of year. The only thing he brings to the team is his ability to protect the puck along the boards. I'd be happy to see him sit. Let Daugavins take his place on the ice.
So the Bruins did get their act together enough to beat Toronto. At times that series looked like a contest to see who could turn the puck over the most. In the end the Bruins found the offense necessary to come from behind and win big. Fine, but the next series will be against a real opponent. Despite outstanding goaltending from Rask, the Bruins defensive play gave up 2.5 goals per game. The forwards are still not consistently back checking and the defense gives the other team too much room when they cross the blue line. The Rangers have only given up 1.7 goals per game. Offense isn't going to win a series against the Rangers and it can't win a cup. The Bruins are going to need to figure out how to play defense again, and quickly.
So when the Leafs were up by two goals in the third period of game 7, it felt like, "here we go again." When the Leafs scored to lead by three, it looked very dire. But what really got me was how the Bruins were playing at that point, fumbling with the puck, turning it over, and generally skating around like they didn't know what they were doing. As with much of their play this season it was physically painful to watch. In fact, it was so painful to watch that I did something I have not done since the end of the 2006-2007 season after the Bruins had failed to make the playoffs. I am loathe to admit this, but I was so upset at the way they were playing that I paused the DVR and found something else to do for a while. When I came back I fast forwarded through the game, just wanting it to be over quickly. But then I saw the score change. The fumbling bumbling Bruins had somehow scored! I ran it back a bit and watched Horty pull the Bs within two. Still probably too little to late, but at least they had got their act together. We all know what happened next. Lucic scored, then Bergeron tied it up, and Bergeron won it in overtime. How likely is it to come back from being down three goals in a game 7? Nobody had done it before in NHL history.
For me, the pivotal point in the game came when I saw Jagr limp off the ice. It was only then the Bruins truly got going. Throughout the series Jagr looked to me like an anchor, dragging the whole line he's on down with him. He's slow on the back check, unable or unwilling to make a good pass to set up a goal, and he's not capable of the physical play in front of the net that is required at this time of year. The only thing he brings to the team is his ability to protect the puck along the boards. I'd be happy to see him sit. Let Daugavins take his place on the ice.
So the Bruins did get their act together enough to beat Toronto. At times that series looked like a contest to see who could turn the puck over the most. In the end the Bruins found the offense necessary to come from behind and win big. Fine, but the next series will be against a real opponent. Despite outstanding goaltending from Rask, the Bruins defensive play gave up 2.5 goals per game. The forwards are still not consistently back checking and the defense gives the other team too much room when they cross the blue line. The Rangers have only given up 1.7 goals per game. Offense isn't going to win a series against the Rangers and it can't win a cup. The Bruins are going to need to figure out how to play defense again, and quickly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
