Jacques Lemaire blasts Versus crew.

I was watching this game last night on Versus and I thought the move by the Flyers to just stand there and wait for the Lightning to come after the Flyers was interesting, I aslo thought it was funny that the Flyers got whistled for not moving the puck.

I have to admit that I hate the “Neutral Zone Trap.” Seriously the NZT is God awful hockey and very boring to watch and I would rather watch a game where two teams trade offensive opportunities up and down the ice. I can’t imagine a lot of fan bases that say, I want to watch a 1-0 defensive trap feast and watch my team line up at the blue line and wait for the opposing team to try and come across. Being ADHD it makes it very hard for me to stay interested in that type of hockey game.

Damian Cristodero; Lighting Strikes --- Here is what former Devils and Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said about the criticism of Lightning coach Guy Boucher from Versus commentators Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Pierre McGuire Wednesday night about the team's 1-3-1 trapping system, which they said makes for such boring hockey the Lightning and Boucher should be embarrassed and even "punished."

"Myself, I laugh at this," Lemaire told the St. Petersburg Times in a phone interview. "I laugh at it this because are we supposed to coach as we please the people who are announcing the games or make comments on the games? Is that a new style or what? Do we have to please Milbury when we coach? It's the first time I hear of this."

If anyone knows about criticism, it is Lemaire. Lemaire's trap was vilified by hockey watchers and commentators all over North America as detrimental to the game because the defensive posture in the neutral zone was, when played correctly, very difficult to beat. It slowed down the action, critics said. It created boring hockey. But it also won, as Lemaire and the Devils captured the 1995 Stanley Cup.

I think the worst hockey game I ever watched was a game 1-0 snore feast between Cornell and UND. The Sioux outshot the Big Red 2-1 and the Big Red played their boring 1-3-1 style of hockey and collapsed around the net whenever they saw fit.

I also can’t believe that the Tampa Bay Lighting fans want to watch this style of hockey on a nightly basis, nor do I believe that the Lightning need to play that style of a game. There is enough high end talent on the Lightning that they can open the game up and push the puck up the ice.

Lastly, let’s make no mistake about it, Jacques Lemaire is in the hall of fame, he was a great coach, but his hockey teams were very mind numbingly boring to watch. The New Jersey Devils of the 1990's were about as entertaining as watching paint dry. That being said, I also think that Lemaire has a point as well, he isn't coaching to please the TV audiences and the pointed headed pundits, coaching hockey is about winning games and using the your personnel to the best of their abilities. 

Claude Julien vindicated...

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeAs a Boston Bruins fans I must admit that I have been critical of Claude Julien in the past... I think with his teams efforts on the ice this spring I believe he has vindicated himself with advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals  against the Vancouver Canucks, there were rumblings that if Claude Julien's team didn't get out of the second round Claude might get relieved of his coaching duties.

So if you look at it from another unexamined angle; while Claude Julien's Bruins teams have beaten the Montreal Canadians two out of the three times his Bruins have played them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins also have faced some adversity... Last season after having a three games to none lead and a three goal lead in game seven the Bruins ended up chocking and losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in game seven. This season his team rebounded to beat the Flyers in four games to  exercise the demons from last season. Finally tonight; Julien's team advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs by beating a very good Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team... How do I like him now?

Chad Finn --- Boston Globe ---- If there was a concern among fans that that Roloson's ability to keep the Bruins off the board would lead to Tampa Bay stealing it on a fluky goal, it might have been justified. But the Bruins themselves never thought that way, maintaining their resolve even when frustration could have seeped in.

The evidence that the Bruins always kept their faith even as Roloson stymied them time and again became clear to Julien in the second intermission.

"When I walked into the locker room before the third period, I didn't have much to say," said Julien. "When I was outside, I could hear the points they were making, and they were bang-on. The attitude was that eventually we will get rewarded. And that's exactly what happened. I couldn't be prouder of the approach we took all throughout this game. We never let up once."

The victory also was a vindication of sorts for the coach, who as recently as the first-round series with Montreal -- in which the Bruins lost the first two games before winning in seven -- was perceived to be coaching for his job in some corners. Julien said that talk never gets to him.

"I say this all the time, but I don't care what anyone says. It doesn't bother me, and I don't really hear it," he said. "What matters to me is what happens in that dressing room. And as much as I'm getting criticism from some people, I'm getting pats on the back from others."

After the Bruins victory tonight, Julien can expect many more of the latter.

Related articles

• Claude Julien looks to improve his Boston record in elimination games tonight against Guy Boucher (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• 2011 NHL Playoffs: Can Zdeno Chara Solve the Boston Bruins' Powerplay Issues? (bleacherreport.com)
• Bruins coach Claude Julien cryptic about whether or not Patrice Bergeron plays tonight (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Go Bruins (infieldchatter.wordpress.com)

Dwayne Roloson to start for the Lightning.

Image by bridgetds via FlickrIt looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to start goalie Dwayne Roloson in net tonight for game 6 against the Boston Bruins in Tampa Bay. If I was a player on the Boston Bruins I would be licking my lips because the Bruins have had good success against Dwayne Roloson. 

AMPA - Dwayne Roloson will be back in the net for the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight as the Bolts face elimination in the Eastern Conference final.

The 41-year-old goaltender was sat out by Tampa coach Guy Boucher for the Lightning’s 3-1 loss in Boston in Game 5, leaving the Bolts down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and facing elimination for the fourth time this post-season.

They were down 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round and came back to win the series.

“(Roloson)’s going to be ready, willing and able to prove why he’s one of the big reasons we got here as a team,” said Tampa forward Steven Stamkos.

Boucher said he told Roloson, who is 6-0 in his career in elimination games, he would be playing in Game 6 Monday, the day of Game 5, same time as he told him he wouldn’t be playing that night.

Something for Mike Smith fans to ponder...

Maybe just maybe this is the reason that Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Mike Smith hasn't got the start against the Boston Bruins just yet? Like I said before there is probably a valid reason why Dwayne Roloson is playing instead of back up goalie Mike Smith Smith.

I have also mentioned in the past, that the Boston Bruins have not challenged Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith when he has played against the Bruins in two relief appearances, the Bruins need to get bodies in front of the Tampa Bay goal and challenge him, to date they have not, the Bruins also need to get Smith's  feet moving. Let it be known that Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith is not a world beater or a goalie of Carey Prices stature, Mike Smith is a mediocre goalie with an .899 save percentage that the Dallas Stars traded away.

Bergeron hit on Krejci

This was the hit that everyone was talking about tonight, Lightning defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron puts the woods to Bruins forward David Krejci. The check by Bergeron was ruled to be a 2 minute minor penalty for elbowing and the head coach for the Lightning Guy Boucher went nuts on the players bench.

My question is; do you think the ref made the right call on this hit? I believe it's a grey area and I didn't have a problem with the call because it looks like Krejci was hit in the face... That being said, Krejci should also be more aware coming through the neutral zone, David had his head down yet again, you'd think Krejci would have learned after being taken out by Mike Richards the year before. Was it a penalty, the Tampa Bay head coach didn't think so?

Ending of game one between Boston and Tampa Bay.

Check out this exchange between the Bruins and Tampa Bay at the end of game one, Lucic and Horton were given a 2 and a 10 for their lack of composure. These two are lucky that the Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice didn't spin in their disfavor, because it's an ill advised and classless move to punch an unexpecting opponent in the face at the end of a game that has already been decided, this is coming from a Boston Bruins fan..