Bruins

Would Blues' Brayden Schenn be suspended if it weren't Game 7? 

Would Blues' Brayden Schenn be suspended if it weren't Game 7? 

By DJ Bean June 10, 2019 9:32 AM

It would take a hell of a lot to get suspended for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

That's why Brayden Schenn probably won't be, even if guys have gotten banned for less.

The Blues center threw Joakim Nordstrom into the boards from behind in the first period of Game 6 Sunday, earning him a minor for boarding on which Brad Marchand scored Boston's first goal. 

That the infraction was called is a pleasant surprise given how much the officials have missed this postseason. It also yielded a goal, and with different circumstances, maybe it would have been the Blues' third suspension of the series. 

While Schenn's hit didn't have the speed or the end result (read: injury) of Oscar Sundqvist's Game 2 hit on Matt Grzelcyk, it actually has it beat from a seeing-the-numbers-the-whole-way standpoint. It was an avoidable hit that a Blues player threw anyway, an ongoing trend this postseason. 

Grzelcyk's concussion factored into Sundqvist's one-game suspension. That Nordstrom wasn't injured also helps Schenn. 

So the Bruins shouldn't expect to see another Blues suspension, but they could still see another lineup move swing in their favor if Grzelcyk is cleared to return for Game 7. 

Ranking Conn Smythe candidates heading into Game 7>>>>

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NHL Network releases top 10 goalies list: Where does Bruins' Tuukka Rask rank?

NHL Network releases top 10 goalies list: Where does Bruins' Tuukka Rask rank?

By Nick Goss August 26, 2019 11:57 AM

Few athletes in Boston produce more passionate opinions/hot takes than Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask.

Whether you think Rask is overrated, underrated or properly rated, it's hard to deny he's a top 10 goalie in the NHL, but where exactly does he fall on the list of the league's best netminders? NHL Network has been ranking the top players at every position throughout the summer, and goaltender was the final list to be revealed.

Rask comes in at No. 5 on the network's list. Here's the full ranking: 

Rask's regular season stats last season were just OK. He posted a 27-13-5 record with a .912 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average. Thanks to backup goalie Jaroslav Halak playing well and allowing Rask to only suit up for 46 games, the Finnish netminder was fresh for the playoffs, where he excelled for Boston.

Rask tallied a .934 save percentage and a 2.02 goals against average as the Bruins went all the way to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final before having their season end in heartbreaking fashion with a loss at home to the St. Louis Blues. Rask was the best goaltender in the playoffs, but unfortunately for him, he had one of his worst performances of the 24-game run in Game 7 of the Cup Final.

The Bruins still have one of the most talented and deepest teams in the league. They remain, barring injuries, among the top three or four Stanley Cup contenders entering the 2019-20 season. For the Bruins to get back to the Cup Final, Rask must build on his strong 2019 postseason run and help Boston earn the highest seed possible for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He hasn't had an elite regular season since his Vezina Trophy-winning campaign of 2013-14.

Bruce Cassidy still not over Stanley Cup loss>>>

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Is Bruce Cassidy over the Stanley Cup loss? 'Nope, not really'

Is Bruce Cassidy over the Stanley Cup loss? 'Nope, not really'

By Jacob Camenker August 25, 2019 12:59 PM

The Boston Bruins went on the longest playoff run they possibly could have in 2019. But in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, they fell to the St. Louis Blues by a final score of 4-1. And that loss stung for a Bruins team that was widely expected to win the cup after a series of first-round upsets.

Now 10 weeks removed from the Stanley Cup loss, the Bruins faithful are still reeling from the defeat. That includes head coach Bruce Cassidy who confirmed that he isn't over losing the final.

"Nope, not really," Cassidy recently said, per Matt Porter of The Boston Globe. "Today I am. Tomorrow, depends if someone asks me a question that just happens to hit a nerve."

Cassidy would also go on to say that he might have a bit of difficulty seeing the Blues logo and having to watch them play, per Porter. 

"There might be a time on the road next year and we’re sitting there and I’m watching St. Louis play, because they’re playing Montreal and we play Montreal the next night, and I’ll be like, [expletive], you know? That’s the time you might start going backward."

Still, Cassidy is focusing his energy on preparing the Bruins for their season opener on Oct. 3 against the Dallas Stars. The Bruins are returning much of the same core that helped them win the Eastern Conference (minus Marcus Johansson and Noel Acciari) so they are expected to be contenders in the East again.

Of course, they still have to figure out a way to agree to deals with restricted free agents Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo while staying under the salary cap, but once they do that, they should be in good position to make another run.

And safe to say, Cassidy and the Bruins will be looking to prove themselves after a disappointing finish last season.

Report: B's, Cassidy discussing extension>>>

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