Management 1 PM May 22nd - Charlie, Cam, Don and Monty address media - NESN

[Fenway]

Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA)
- End of season press conference with CEO and Alternate Governor Charlie Jacobs, President Cam Neely, General Manager Don Sweeney and Head Coach Jim Montgomery

- Media should enter through back security and proceed to Legends Club on Level 3

- Light refreshments will be provided to the media​

Click to read more...

 

[PB37]

Choking away Cups in game 7 at home, flaming out in the first round after a historic season, failing to win a bushel of home playoff games, extending series they should close out leading to extra games that cost them the next round, highly paid stars who disappear every playoffs and non contract years, overpaying players because the fans or management "like" them, these ARE the dark days.

I love how Toronto fans think they will be happier when the Leafs win series and then fall short with the Cup in the building repeatedly, they are sure gonna love those good times if they get them, I sure have!

I understand not being happy about the lack of playoff series wins. But to call these the dark days....that's the type of opinion that lacks perspective and thought.

 

[Raleighfern]

They went all in a lot
2020 they put out best team and covid shutdown hockey for 3-4 months

Sweeney has traded for Hall, Lindholm, Nash, Bettuzzi, Orlov he goes for it big time

They went $10 M over cap - remember Pia giving us shit when we ragged on Vegas and Stone?

All in life you can do is try and give it your best shot and it doesn’t guarantee you win

It’s frustrating but without hope you have nothing


I don’t know about Krejci but he said he had a deal for Rask (assuming SJ) and they would not let him

My daughter would have lost it had he traded Krejci

Visions of the Red Sox trading Fred Lynn flashbacks

Visions of the Red Sox trading Fred Lynn flashbacks

contracts were in the mail.....losing fred lynn and that amazing swing was one thing but losing fisk was a real killer.

 

[DKH]

Visions of the Red Sox trading Fred Lynn flashbacks

contracts were in the mail.....losing fred lynn and that amazing swing was one thing but losing fisk was a real killer.

They had on the same team

Jim Rice
Fred Lynn
Dwight Evans
Cecil Cooper
Carlton Fisk

They F’d up greatness

 

[Raleighfern]

They had on the same team

Jim Rice
Fred Lynn
Dwight Evans
Cecil Cooper
Carlton Fisk

They F’d up greatness

one season for tanana and rudi. awful

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I like to think of it differently. Instead of saying they're happy just making the POs.
Its really that they are unhappy when they miss the POs.

I bet if they used Wonder Woman's truth lariat thingy on Mr. Burns and gave him the options:
A) keep making the POs and have a slim chance at winning it all
B) probably miss the POs a few years to build a legitimate contender

He would pick A

The thing that people keep positing about “B” is all you have to do is X, Y and Z for a couple years and then voila, legit contender. And that’s horseshit.

 

[DKH]

one season for tanana and rudi. awful

brutal

 

[bobbyorr04]

It was indeed fun. It isn’t anymore lol. Some of us have just had enough I guess. Others haven’t.

lol that reminds me of the saying that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who have lost data and those who will. There are two kinds of Bruins fans: those who have had enough and those who will.

I hear ya

I had to wait 39 years between Cups (1972-2011), and it got super frustrating in the years leading up to 2011. For many years it felt like they were never gonna win another Cup....but thankfully the stars finally aligned in 2011

If they would've won the Cup in 2013 or 2019 I would've been satisfied forever, but of course they fell short, and here we are

A part of me is glad they make the playoffs most seasons (even with a subpar team), but another part of me wants them to blow it up and start over

Ideally I'd like to see them rebuild a Cup winning team on the fly (as Sweeney keeps trying to do) rather than a total rebuild that could take a very long time to payoff

Either way I'll always be a fan of the B's no matter what...

Go Bruins Go!!

 

[NDiesel]

I like to think of it differently. Instead of saying they're happy just making the POs.
Its really that they are unhappy when they miss the POs.

I bet if they used Wonder Woman's truth lariat thingy on Mr. Burns and gave him the options:
A) keep making the POs and have a slim chance at winning it all
B) probably miss the POs a few years to build a legitimate contender

He would pick A

There is one irrefutable fact about the Stanley Cup - you cannot win it without making the playoffs.

Solid argument could be had between limping in vs missing a few years and building through draft, but the fact of the matter is Boston is rarely limping in anyway.

 

[Babajingo]

The thing that people keep positing about “B” is all you have to do is X, Y and Z for a couple years and then voila, legit contender. And that’s horseshit.

Difference of opinion. That's cool.

Kind of a Yin/Yang thing. Wait, that's opposites, nevermind.

 

[NDiesel]

Difference of opinion. That's cool.

Kind of a Yin/Yang thing. Wait, that's opposites, nevermind.

I think you're missing his point. It's not opinion he's saying being dogshit and rebuilding that way (or any way for that matter) doesn't guarantee you're going to be a contender and win the cup, you could just as easily be Buffalo missing the playoffs for 13 years.

 

[Babajingo]

I think you're missing his point. It's not opinion he's saying being dogshit and rebuilding that way (or any way for that matter) doesn't guarantee you're going to be a contender and win the cup, you could just as easily be Buffalo missing the playoffs for 13 years.

I get it. That's his opinion. IMO for every BUF, EDM, OTT, TOR, ... there is a PIT, CHI, LAK, COL, .... At least you have a chance, instead of 1 (or 2) and done. But that's my opinion.

 

[Gordoff]

I understand why that would be the case, but the problem is it comes with a corollary, even if it's one that's unintended - it smacks of contempt for the fans. The media, especially the local media, is in theory at least the voice and in some senses the representative of the common person in the street. However badly it performs that function that's its traditional role - to ask the questions that others cannot and obtain some level of accountability on their behalf. So when Sweeney and co. refuse to give honest answers with any substance to the media and actively look down on them, in a very real way that's also implying that the fans have no right to know either, no reason why they should be included in or given to understand why the organization acts in any particular way. We call the shots, you just watch. And pay.

I know the Boston sporting media, like most in the modern world, has done itself no favors and earned anything but respect for all sorts of reasons. But their basic role remains and as a conduit between franchise and fan with any sort of critical lens there is no alternative - in-house things like Behind The B, as entertaining as they are, are essentially carefully crafted propaganda. So I think Bruins management do themselves and us a disservice in being as dismissive of them and reluctant to explain anything as they are.

YES^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^There does seem to be a very high level of defensiveness and that they
think that they're above people/fans having any right to question
any/all of their moves. Every time anyone dares ask questions that they find
just a bit outside of their tolerance level an almost palpable gasp seems to go through the room. The feeling I get is that Donny would like to say "how dare you question anything that I've done or plan on doing." Aloof and above reproach.

 

[DoubleBack]

I understand not being happy about the lack of playoff series wins. But to call these the dark days....that's the type of opinion that lacks perspective and thought.

I could link a "Let me google that for you" with the word "Hyperbole" here for you, but what would be the point. Seeing a horse dead of thirst at the waters edge is not a good image.

 

[DoubleBack]

Sorry but this post is outrageous. Its one thing to be unhappy with the past decade but how spoiled must you be to think these are the dark days? Go ahead and get a Sharks fan's perspective on if the last 20 years with no cups but always competing were darker days than watching a terrible on ice product they have now hoping someday they can compete again.

Let the good time roll. This was the one season they over achieved in the past 25+ years. I don't count 2011, I think that team was better than their regular season record.

And, I'll say it again, does ANYONE understand Hyperbole? Outrageous.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

YES^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^There does seem to be a very high level of defensiveness and that they
think that they're above people/fans having any right to question
any/all of their moves. Every time anyone dares ask questions that they find
just a bit outside of their tolerance level an almost palpable gasp seems to go through the room. The feeling I get is that Donny would like to say "how dare you question anything that I've done or plan on doing." Aloof and above reproach.

I didn't get that sense at all. Maybe Neely is a little bristly with critique but that's the guy he's always been. It's his personality. He was mean on the ice and had a temper. He's the same guy now just older. All GMs do double speak but I thought Sweeney was very professional and pretty forthcoming.

I think ultimately it comes down to whether or not you believe this team is close (as they do) or whether you think we are perpetually an early playoff exit and never get over the hump. After watching the Florida New York game I started to think already we might be closer than many people think. Florida is really good. We were better against them than New York (so far, I know it's early) so maybe if we aggressively add in free agency and get things right, we might be right in there sooner than some people think.

Clearly, they believe in stability and continuity and I think there's something to that. It's part of why the culture is what it is and why players want to come here. You can look at all the teams that constantly hire and fire and most of them don't really get anywhere.

 

[PB37]

I could link a "Let me google that for you" with the word "Hyperbole" here for you, but what would be the point. Seeing a horse dead of thirst at the waters edge is not a good image.

People will take what you say on a message board at face value unless it's clear they know you're goofing around.

 

[NDiesel]

Let the good time roll. This was the one season they over achieved in the past 25+ years. I don't count 2011, I think that team was better than their regular season record.

And, I'll say it again, does ANYONE understand Hyperbole? Outrageous.

How on earth am I to assume that your post is a hyperbole? Have you read some of the takes around here? Almost impossible to read tone, but it's all good

 

[NDiesel]

I get it. That's his opinion. IMO for every BUF, EDM, OTT, TOR, ... there is a PIT, CHI, LAK, COL, .... At least you have a chance, instead of 1 (or 2) and done. But that's my opinion.

Yes, but the irony is those are very well run organizations, and many of the people here who want to go that direction think our organization is poorly run, so that seems like a recipe for disaster...maybe you aren't one of those people.

I don't think the real question is do you want to A) make the playoffs every year or B) rebuild and build a contender...it's A)" " or B) do you want to take the risk with a rebuild.....because as you have shown with your list there is inherently a risk in doing so. For every Bedard you get a Lafreniere who doesn't alter your franchise

 

[bobber]

I didn't get that sense at all. Maybe Neely is a little bristly with critique but that's the guy he's always been. It's his personality. He was mean on the ice and had a temper. He's the same guy now just older. All GMs do double speak but I thought Sweeney was very professional and pretty forthcoming.

I think ultimately it comes down to whether or not you believe this team is close (as they do) or whether you think we are perpetually an early playoff exit and never get over the hump. After watching the Florida New York game I started to think already we might be closer than many people think. Florida is really good. We were better against them than New York (so far, I know it's early) so maybe if we aggressively add in free agency and get things right, we might be right in there sooner than some people think.

Clearly, they believe in stability and continuity and I think there's something to that. It's part of why the culture is what it is and why players want to come here. You can look at all the teams that constantly hire and fire and most of them don't really get anywhere.

Good points. Florida is a playoff team. They kept the Rangers from going north and south last night. Toronto wasn't exactly chop liver. They had some talent also. Bruins did well with this team. A lack of finished held them back considerably. Couple of games they had grade A scoring chances that could of changed the last series in their favour.

 

[bruinsfan1968]

Fk the Panthers!

 

[bobber]

Fk the Panthers!

You go ahead if you like. They got claws and big gnarly teeth. I'll just cheer for the Bruins from the safety of my family room. Let me know how that goes.

 

[BB79]

Fk the Panthers!

Yup fk them even more for making me pull for a NY team

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Not sure how to judge an organization's level of desire. Can't see Cam being indifferent or complacent. Charlie Jacobs seemed sincere when he said he really wanted to win another Cup for his father. Sweeney just seems to fit the mold of the modern GM. Business-like, controlled, careful what he says.

What I find bothersome is that so many people think a championship can be won by merely wanting to win it more. Which is ridiculous. Like management's goal is to make the playoffs so they make a profit. I don't believe that.

I don't see how anyone can look at last year's deadline and say that this team is content with making the playoffs.

Scrutinizing an end of the year presser for actual future plans will glean nothing.

'Desire' was probably the wrong word to use in this context. I've written about this more in a post up-thread, and it's been discussed plenty before, so I won't rehash too much. But for me it's more about the parameters within which the organization operates, and their risk profile. There are certain things they won't do, or at least are unwilling to, certain things they prioritize which broadly center around stability and long-term competitiveness.

There are exceptions - last year Sweeney absolutely went all-in, as I've already said elsewhere, and good on him for that. But that was uncharacteristic. Had he done the same in 2019 the Cup might well have been won. For the most part there are norms and levels of risk that management generally tend to adhere to.

Which is not to say they're content merely to make playoffs. Of course not. Again, as I've already said, they want more, they want what we all want. But the ways they are willing to go about achieving that have limits. And end of the day, as far as I can tell, as long as the team's turning a profit to the desired level, the Jacobs are essentially happy.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with any of that. Any company has its methods of operating. Most of what the Bruins do is clearly quite effective. But it's open to comment and critique same as anyone else.

 

[The don godfather]

I understand not being happy about the lack of playoff series wins. But to call these the dark days....that's the type of opinion that lacks perspective and thought.

Dark days were the dave Lewis days. My friends kept pestering about that imbecile of a coach.

 

[PB37]

Dark days were the dave Lewis days. My friends kept pestering about that imbecile of a coach.

Or 96-97