Beers On Sports Final: 'Everything Gets Magnified' In Montreal
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins and Canadiens are all tied at a game apiece in their second-round playoff series, with things now shifting up north for Game 3 on Tuesday night.
It's never easy to play in the Bell Centre, with the 21,000+ fans begging the officials for a whistle any time a Canadiens player hits the ice. Because of that, on-ice discipline will be even more important for the Bruins, who were whistled for a few bad penalties over the first two games of the series.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Bruins radio analyst Bob Beers joined WBZ-TV's Sports Final on Sunday, and stressed how important it is for the Bruins to keep their cool on the ice in Montreal.
"Everything gets magnified up there. As much as they had to stay disciplined in their own building, and they got away from it in Game 2, it's even more heightened up there," Beers told WBZ-TV's Steve Burton. "Every time you touch somebody or there's a little hook or something, the fans go crazy. I don't know if it affects the referees, but it can affect the Bruins. If they do take a couple of those penalties they can't let that affect them mentally.
"The frustration is tough to contain sometimes when the emotions are running high," said Beers.
Montreal drew seven penalties at the Bell Centre in their first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but only managed to capitalize on one of those opportunities. But against the Bruins, the Habs are 4-for-9 over the first two games of the series on the power play.
On the other side of the ice, the Bruins are struggling on the man-advantage, going 0-for-5 in the series, including a wasted 5-on-3 opportunity in Saturday's Game 2 win. But Beers likes the chances the Bruins have given themselves on the power play, and now it's just a matter off getting results.
"There have been some good looks," said Beers. "I did not like their 5-on-3 in Game 2; that was for a minute long and I thought they could have generated some better looks. Their 5-on-4 has been OK, now it's about results. We've been saying that for a while over the last couple of years – this year they got results, they just have to get back to getting those results.
As for Tuesday night's game, Beers like the Bruins, but knows it won't be easy.
"I like the way they've played," he said. "They've made mistakes and had some bad periods, so it'll be hard. I predicted a long series to begin with, and going up there it's probably going to happen."
Hear every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the Boston Bruins! Pregame coverage with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers begins 30 minutes prior to every game!
Tune in to WBZ-TV's Sports Final and Sports Final OT every Sunday night at 11:35 pm!
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