Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread VI

[Healthy Wrap]

But that doesn't answer why the team has zero energy or urgency in the first 20 to 40 minutes but all of a sudden can turn it on and win puck battles, skate, forecheck, etc....

I’m not saying Montgomery shouldn’t shoulder some of the blame. The team seems to have lost its cohesive defensive structure that was a hallmark of the Cassidy and Julien teams. That’s on him. As is the team not showing up to play at puck drop

But ultimately, you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit. And you cannot ignore the fact that this is a painfully mediocre forward group devoid of high-end talent. This was a team that struggled to score when it mattered last year and Sweeney opted to spend money on the likes of Nikita Forbortov instead of addressing the issue.

 

[Hookslide]

i'm not a big lysell guy, but probably time to give him a shot. at least he won't take 4 penalties in 30 minutes or whatever jones
has done so far.

When that kid was playing in tournament's, I always liked what I watched of him, but to be honest, I am with you, he is losing me, but to be honest before you go trading pieces off this roster that you might not really want to, or should move, give him a good look, you have nothing to lose, you already own him. This team really needs a jolt.

 

[dugg133]

i'm not a big lysell guy, but probably time to give him a shot. at least he won't take 4 penalties in 30 minutes or whatever jones
has done so far.

he can't possibly be worse then Jones, Tufte, and Brazeau have been and at least he has actual top 6 upside. If it doesn't work then send him down after a few games, but the offense needs a shot in the arm.

 

[Babajingo]

don't get Brazeau. Those first few games, he was planting his butt in front of the net and causing chaos. Now he is invisible. Is it the coaching? or the player?

 

[BruinsJoe]

Instead of putting player like Jones on top 6 he should reward the guys he deserves like Koepke, Kastelic and Beecher

 

[dugg133]

Lineup I would like to see but probably won't happen:

Zacha-Lindholm-Pasta
Marchand-Coyle-Lysell
Frederic-Poitras-Koepke
Beecher-Kastelic-Geekie

Lohrei-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Zadorov-Peeke

Adds more speed to the middle 6, rewards Koepke for his great play, try to get Geekie right by having him simplify his game on the 4th line. Top pair on defense gets mostly ozone starts, 2nd pair gets mostly dzone, third pair cleans up the rest against less competition.

 

[Absurdity]

Zacha/Johnson - Poitras/Zacha - Pastrnak
Marchand - Lindholm - Johnson/Lysell
Beecher - Kastelic - Koepke
Frederic/Coyle/Geekie/Brazeau

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I’m not saying Montgomery shouldn’t shoulder some of the blame. The team seems to have lost its cohesive defensive structure that was a hallmark of the Cassidy and Julien teams. That’s on him. As is the team not showing up to play at puck drop

But ultimately, you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit. And you cannot ignore the fact that this is a painfully mediocre forward group devoid of high-end talent. This was a team that struggled to score when it mattered last year and Sweeney opted to spend money on the likes of Nikita Forbortov instead of addressing the issue.

Sweeney added Elias Lindholm. The best available forward.

 

[Hookslide]

Sweeney added Elias Lindholm. The best available forward.

A huge, and costly mistake.

 

[dugg133]

Sweeney added Elias Lindholm. The best available forward.

Losing Debrusk and Heinen basically cancels out whatever Lindholm adds to the lineup. If they were gonna let those two walk then they needed to add another impact forward in addition to Lindholm. They opted for Zadorov instead and through 7 games that looks like the wrong decision.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Other than the two penalties, second one was helped along I like Jones and what his speed can bring. Made some nice plays and was agitating.

Only 3 games in with him, I would play him some more before casting him aside.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Losing Debrusk and Heinen basically cancels out whatever Lindholm adds to the lineup. If they were gonna let those two walk then they needed to add another impact forward in addition to Lindholm. They opted for Zadorov instead and through 7 games that looks like the wrong decision.

Debrusk and Heinen were impact forwards?

40- and 36-point scorers last season.

 

[JAD]

A huge, and costly mistake.

Based on last night's game ... Zacha looked like he had more jump in his step than E. Lindholm ...
Put him between Marchand and Pastrnak and
Drop Lindholm down to line 2 center for a game.
At this point be willing to try anything.
Again, Zacha looked like the only one making anything happen out of the 2nd and 3rd lines ...
Everyone else on those lines played so poorly.
But, It's going to be tough to form lines when you only have maybe 4 top six forwards.

 

[dangermike]

if im monty im throwing the lines in a bigger blender if i feel my seat is actually hot (which it could and maybe should be):

Beecher Lindholm Pasta
Marchand Kastelic Koepke
Frederic Coyle Lysell
Zacha Poitras Geekie

more pace and less black holes everywhere



edit-

this roster/team feels like 21/22 a little - last yr of a coach, lots of new pieces that dont work at all together, all in all a disappointment

the next yr - got monty, those same pieces gelled and they broke records.

 

[Sheppy]

Losing Debrusk and Heinen basically cancels out whatever Lindholm adds to the lineup. If they were gonna let those two walk then they needed to add another impact forward in addition to Lindholm. They opted for Zadorov instead and through 7 games that looks like the wrong decision.

He's one of only 3 d-man on the plus side and is tied with McAvoy for points, lol. Other than his minor penalties he's been the least of their worries (he does have to clean that up though)

 

[LouJersey]

They built a big strong defense, have a legitimate 4th line, nothing out of the top 9. Outside of Pasta and Lindholm I dont see much talent. Marchand shows his flashiness but age has slown him way down. Those dekes he tries worked 10 years ago, not now.

they are not doing well 5v5

91-73
27-25
6-52

just set it and forget it and let them go a dozen or so games together.

 

[Healthy Wrap]

Sweeney added Elias Lindholm. The best available forward.

They also lost Debrusk. This team was in desperate need of more firepower up front. Adding one guy in Lindholm wasn’t enough

 

[Over the volcano]

The second line last night was Jones-Coyle-Frederic…

You can count on one Muppet hand the number of top 6 forwards we have: Pastrnak, Lindholm, Zacha, and Marchand (and even he is borderline at this point)

It absolutely is a talent issue

There's more talent this year than last. and there's more talent this year than results. Marchand and Coyle were #2 and 3 in points for the team last year. This year those two and Frederic have all combined for a total of 6 pts. Koepke has 6 pts by himself. The next point Geekie registers will be his first of the year.

The real issue is that they're disjointed throughout the lineup (4th line aside) and confused in their approach to the game.

 

[sarge88]

I hate even thinking this because typically I'm more of a "give it time" kind of guy, and while I do acknowledge that it's very, very early --- I don't like the "tone" for lack of a better word that surrounds this team.

I really wonder if Monty is the issue.

We can quibble with every single coach in the history of the sport's day to day lineup/roster decisions but, this isn't about that -- it's about the fact that they have rarely seemed to start on time this year, often being down 5,6,7 - 0 in shots in the first half of the first period, coupled with a lack of pushback/physicality/aggression, even from guys who relish that style of play (Kastelic, being the lone exception thus far).

Things just seem "off" ---- I mean I fully expect this team to be a playoff team and there's a good chance what we've seen so far is more of a slump than a description of what this team is --- but given expectations, salary expenditure and the talent they have, something big might need to happen if this keeps up for another week or so.

 

[DaStinger]

I'd give Montgomery a short leash. Beyond the 4th line the whole team is out of sorts. It's not a talent issue.

It's definitely a talent issue. We have one legit top line player and one second line player. The rest are all slotted in above their skill level.

 

[Over the volcano]

It's definitely a talent issue. We have one legit top line player and one second line player. The rest are all slotted in above their skill level.

Do you think they have more or less talent across the roster than they did last year?

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I hate even thinking this because typically I'm more of a "give it time" kind of guy, and while I do acknowledge that it's very, very early --- I don't like the "tone" for lack of a better word that surrounds this team.

I really wonder if Monty is the issue.

We can quibble with every single coach in the history of the sport's day to day lineup/roster decisions but, this isn't about that -- it's about the fact that they have rarely seemed to start on time this year, often being down 5,6,7 - 0 in shots in the first half of the first period, coupled with a lack of pushback/physicality/aggression, even from guys who relish that style of play (Kastelic, being the lone exception thus far).

Things just seem "off" ---- I mean I fully expect this team to be a playoff team and there's a good chance what we've seen so far is more of a slump than a description of what this team is --- but given expectations, salary expenditure and the talent they have, something big might need to happen if this keeps up for another week or so.

Pasta, McAvoy, and Coyle all fell down last night on their own skating straight ahead.

It looks to me like the vets didn’t have a strong summer (multiple European weddings, etc) and it’s showing up in a lot of places. Changing the coach is the easy reflex and maybe eventually needs to happen. But this is on the veterans to me.

 

[DaStinger]

Do you think they have more or less talent across the roster than they did last year?

Last year's team was real thin on talent and got by with a number of players having career years, not sustainable.

 

[Dr Hook]

Last year's team was real thin on talent and got by with a number of players having career years, not sustainable.

Even with water finding it's level, they should be better than they've shown so far, don't you think? If Coyle, for example, returns to form as a 45 point guy, versus a 60, he should still be doing better than he is right now.

 

[dugg133]

He's one of only 3 d-man on the plus side and is tied with McAvoy for points, lol. Other than his minor penalties he's been the least of their worries (he does have to clean that up though)

it's not about Zadorov's play, it's the logic of spending big on a dman when we already have Lohrei as the long term top 4 answer and massive holes in the top 6.