Rangers vs Bruins. Stanley Cup fever in another Boston/New York rivalry.
May 13, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) smiles after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
We here at FanSided NHL are hockey fans. Sure, we’ve all got our favorites but we work really well as a team. I reached out to the staff at our sister station, Blue Line Station to get their opinions on what they thought about the upcoming Bruins-Rangers series. Andrew Graziano, editor of the site and I threw back a few questions at each other about the second round.
My Questions about the Rangers:
1.) With our teams so alike, which one player will feel the most pressure on the Rangers?
“It’s gotta be Rick Nash. After getting only 2 assists in the first round, the fans are calling on him to put the puck in the net. If he doesn’t score a goal against Boston, the city will be calling for his head.”
2.) What was your strongest asset in your game 7 win over the Capitals?
“Ryan Callahan. As a captain, your team looks up to you in pressure situations. I felt that Callahan played a solid all-around game.”
3.)What one word best describes the Rangers? “Dedication.”
My wrap up question was ment in fun, and it was glad to see my counterpart for the Rangers took it in good humor. I asked him “So, how many times do you think Tortorella will be bleeped in the post game tomorrow?” He responded in good humor. “Since he is so unpredictable, I gotta go with 28.”
As turnaround is only fair play, he hit me up with a few questions asking me how I felt about the Black and Gold and their chances against a similar Rangers squad.
1. What scares you the most about the Rangers?
“What worries me about the Rangers is that they play they from nearly the exact playbook as the Bruins. The Rangers aren’t lacking in depth, and they have been a more consistent team down the season than the B’s have. It’s not pinching and isolating a faster Toronto team, it’s not about just hammering Reimer till he caves, it’s about literally matching up playstyles and hoping we come out on top.”
2. Who do you think will be the Bruins biggest asset?
“David Krejci. I don’t know why people still undervalue him as a player. The up side of this is that people tend to ignore Krejci in favor of his bigger and angrier wingers Lucic and Horton. Krejci leads the league so far with thirteen playoff points, and is making a steady case for the Conn Smythe this year.”
3. How can the Bruins bypass Henrik Lundqvist?
“Bypass Lundqvist? Hmm, I don’t think it’s a matter of bypassing him, it’s got to be a matter of puck management in the offensive zone. The Bruins are good(when they feel like it) with making magic happen with their lines. If we can keep Henrik moving in the crease, then things should work out. If we try aiming for the center and praying, then the Bruins might want to casually take a look at what’s going on at the local country clubs.”
As he was sporting enough to take a smack talk question about the coach, it only seemed fair that I take one about the biggest man in the league, our captain Zdeno Chara.
Do you think Zdeno Chara will face any criminal charges after the series is over? Considering that every time he hits someone it’s a felony.
“When your best fighters (Lucic and Thornton) are asked what is the one player they would dread fighting, they have both responded with a shudder .”Chara.” The man’s a monster, and he’s made a few hits that could have been career-enders in other sports. I’ll judge the power of Chara’s hits by the number of times they bleep out Tortorella at the press conferences.”
The puck drops in the next best-of-seven series tonight at 7PM. It should be an interesting contest.