Toggle sidebar

Congrats to Vegas and Bruce

missingchicklet

missingchicklet

Registered User
Jan 24, 2010
36,589
34,464
BruinDust said:
Is it really Vegas's fault that they had 8-9 competing NHL GMs who all tried to play "smartest guy in the room" by offloading their salary cap mistakes onto Vegas with the incentive of draft picks and younger players. It basically back-fired on every team who made that type of trade with them. At least these idiot GMs smartened up and didn't try the same failed crap with Seattle. GMs saw the mistakes made with Vegas and simply said "here's our list Seattle, pick a player, and f*** off".

They didn't get handed Stone. They didn't get handed Eichel. They used a lot of the assets they got to build their team. That's on the opposing GMs who willingly gave them those added assets in the expansion draft. They signed Pietrangelo who might be the best D-man UFA signing since Chara signed here in 2006.

People are complaining about how few of their own draft picks are on Vegas. Well there wasn't a whole lot of home-grown players on Florida either. Does the cup become more special because it has lot of the team's own picks on it? Does a cup become less special because the players were mostly signed and traded for?

Look around the league and where are all those "draft and develop" teams? Because I don't see any of them having success. I see lots of them on Rebuild # 2 or #3 in some cases. Sure, some recent former champs built a core with several high 1st round picks. But once you get past that, the rest of the cast is largely trades, signings, waivers, etc. TB may be the exception but getting talent like Point and Kucherov outside of Round 1 is one-in-a-generation type stuff, kinda like finding two No.1 centers in back-to-back drafts in Round 2 (Bergeron and Krejci). Identifying core players is easy. Did it take a genius to figure out Taylor Hall or Hampus Lindholm were good players? No. But surrounding your core with the right pieces, at the right prices? That's a lot harder and frankly I don't think Sweeney with his current pro scouts have what it takes. Just way too many blunders at the pro scouting level. And Sweeney needs to wear that too. He's the one deciding to sign these guys or trade for them.

Do you think Vegas holds onto Jakub Zboril for 8 years hoping he'd finally become a player? If Trent Frederic is in Vegas, they've already shipped his underachieving carcass out the door years ago. And likely cut ties with both for value on top of it instead of waiting for their value to plummet. Vegas don't fall in love with their draft picks and give them countless unearned opportunities. Call it ruthless or whatever, but in Vegas, you don't produce and perform up to expectations, they show you the door. Ask Gallant or Debour. Ask Cody Glass (their 1st ever draft pick). Heck, they might show you the door anyways (ask Nate Schmidt). Claude Julien had two consecutive seasons of playoff DNQs and STILL wasn't fired until halfway through the next season. Maybe the players should of mutinied on Julien after 2015 like they did with Cassidy.

Meanwhile, job security in Boston is practically guaranteed. Be a former 1st rounder, and Sweeney will keep you for years to try and save face. Heck, Brad Marchand's job is so secure he can't even be placed on a line with a center not named Patrice Bergeron. Fact is, this franchise has basically rested on it's laurels now for the past 12 years. Lot's of security, lot's of 2nd chances. What's the incentive to come to work every day and give it 110% when you have almost no consequences to speak of. Then wonder why your consistently disappointing in the post-season. While you don't want your players sitting on pins and needles all the time, there is a happy middle ground between serious anxiety and the soft, pillowy comfort the Bruin players have enjoyed the past decade+. Scotty Bowman's MO was keeping his players on edge a lot of the time. He did it on purpose. Part of the reason for Vegas's success is their players can never rest on their laurels and think their job is completely secure. They know how their management operate and it shows.

I commend Vegas and Cassidy for winning a cup. And Cassidy's time here run it's course, as it will in Vegas eventually. Frankly the Bruins could learn a lot from how Vegas run their ship. No one wants to see them go back to the "hard-line" approach to players and salaries like back in the 1990s/2000s. But this country club approach towards current players has got to stop if for nothing else to keep these players on their toes and not let them slip completely into their comfort zones.

I find it funny when fans and the media talk about pressure on this team or pressure on that team. Pressure as a pro hockey player to me isn't winning and losing. The pressure to me comes from getting traded mid-season to some other team maybe far away from their current homestead because I'm not performing. Or the pressure to not find myself on the waiver wire and sent to the minors. Or the pressure to be taken out of the line-up despite being healthy. Or the pressure to get another NHL contract for next season. At the end of the day, it may be a team sport, but the only thing a player can control is how they themselves perform. How can you expect players, even top-end elite players, to perform at their best when their is basically zero consequences for underperformance? Fact is, this team hasn't traded away a major player in 8 calendar years now. And it shows.

@missingchicklet this rant wasn't meant to be directed at you, just that your quote was a good one to run off of. I hope you and the rest of the board here have a great summer.
Click to expand...
For sure. We very much agree on this topic. Vegas' management did a hell of a job building its team. Other GMs need to take some notes. Icing a Cup winner despite having to resort to using a 3rd string goalie means many good moves have been made over multiple years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordoff

Hookslide

Registered User
Nov 19, 2018
5,473
4,842
OldScool said:
Brind'Amour is a superb coach. Cassidy is a very good coach. Monty is a nice guy.
Click to expand...
I like Brind Amour but I think you are getting a little carried away with him........Remember also it is Cassidy holding the cup..........
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ratty
UncleRico

UncleRico

Registered User
May 8, 2017
9,326
12,149
BruinDust said:
Is it really Vegas's fault that they had 8-9 competing NHL GMs who all tried to play "smartest guy in the room" by offloading their salary cap mistakes onto Vegas with the incentive of draft picks and younger players. It basically back-fired on every team who made that type of trade with them. At least these idiot GMs smartened up and didn't try the same failed crap with Seattle. GMs saw the mistakes made with Vegas and simply said "here's our list Seattle, pick a player, and f*** off".

They didn't get handed Stone. They didn't get handed Eichel. They used a lot of the assets they got to build their team. That's on the opposing GMs who willingly gave them those added assets in the expansion draft. They signed Pietrangelo who might be the best D-man UFA signing since Chara signed here in 2006.

People are complaining about how few of their own draft picks are on Vegas. Well there wasn't a whole lot of home-grown players on Florida either. Does the cup become more special because it has lot of the team's own picks on it? Does a cup become less special because the players were mostly signed and traded for?

Look around the league and where are all those "draft and develop" teams? Because I don't see any of them having success. I see lots of them on Rebuild # 2 or #3 in some cases. Sure, some recent former champs built a core with several high 1st round picks. But once you get past that, the rest of the cast is largely trades, signings, waivers, etc. TB may be the exception but getting talent like Point and Kucherov outside of Round 1 is one-in-a-generation type stuff, kinda like finding two No.1 centers in back-to-back drafts in Round 2 (Bergeron and Krejci). Identifying core players is easy. Did it take a genius to figure out Taylor Hall or Hampus Lindholm were good players? No. But surrounding your core with the right pieces, at the right prices? That's a lot harder and frankly I don't think Sweeney with his current pro scouts have what it takes. Just way too many blunders at the pro scouting level. And Sweeney needs to wear that too. He's the one deciding to sign these guys or trade for them.

Do you think Vegas holds onto Jakub Zboril for 8 years hoping he'd finally become a player? If Trent Frederic is in Vegas, they've already shipped his underachieving carcass out the door years ago. And likely cut ties with both for value on top of it instead of waiting for their value to plummet. Vegas don't fall in love with their draft picks and give them countless unearned opportunities. Call it ruthless or whatever, but in Vegas, you don't produce and perform up to expectations, they show you the door. Ask Gallant or Debour. Ask Cody Glass (their 1st ever draft pick). Heck, they might show you the door anyways (ask Nate Schmidt). Claude Julien had two consecutive seasons of playoff DNQs and STILL wasn't fired until halfway through the next season. Maybe the players should of mutinied on Julien after 2015 like they did with Cassidy.

Meanwhile, job security in Boston is practically guaranteed. Be a former 1st rounder, and Sweeney will keep you for years to try and save face. Heck, Brad Marchand's job is so secure he can't even be placed on a line with a center not named Patrice Bergeron. Fact is, this franchise has basically rested on it's laurels now for the past 12 years. Lot's of security, lot's of 2nd chances. What's the incentive to come to work every day and give it 110% when you have almost no consequences to speak of. Then wonder why your consistently disappointing in the post-season. While you don't want your players sitting on pins and needles all the time, there is a happy middle ground between serious anxiety and the soft, pillowy comfort the Bruin players have enjoyed the past decade+. Scotty Bowman's MO was keeping his players on edge a lot of the time. He did it on purpose. Part of the reason for Vegas's success is their players can never rest on their laurels and think their job is completely secure. They know how their management operate and it shows.

I commend Vegas and Cassidy for winning a cup. And Cassidy's time here run it's course, as it will in Vegas eventually. Frankly the Bruins could learn a lot from how Vegas run their ship. No one wants to see them go back to the "hard-line" approach to players and salaries like back in the 1990s/2000s. But this country club approach towards current players has got to stop if for nothing else to keep these players on their toes and not let them slip completely into their comfort zones.

I find it funny when fans and the media talk about pressure on this team or pressure on that team. Pressure as a pro hockey player to me isn't winning and losing. The pressure to me comes from getting traded mid-season to some other team maybe far away from their current homestead because I'm not performing. Or the pressure to not find myself on the waiver wire and sent to the minors. Or the pressure to be taken out of the line-up despite being healthy. Or the pressure to get another NHL contract for next season. At the end of the day, it may be a team sport, but the only thing a player can control is how they themselves perform. How can you expect players, even top-end elite players, to perform at their best when their is basically zero consequences for underperformance? Fact is, this team hasn't traded away a major player in 8 calendar years now. And it shows.

@missingchicklet this rant wasn't meant to be directed at you, just that your quote was a good one to run off of. I hope you and the rest of the board here have a great summer.
Click to expand...

Great post. Really put into perspective how much job security there is within the bruins. It really does shed light on how they run basically a fraternity around there where all the brothers are safe. The only way of getting fired(Cassidy) is when they brothers pit themselves against you.

What bananaland organization this is from that perspective.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordoff and Trizz617
BruinsPortugal

BruinsPortugal

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
5,045
1,680
Portugal
Good for him. Im not a fan but i do think he is a good coach.
He had opportunities to win it here, couldnt do it, it worked out somewhere else.
Vegas is a really well run team, they deserve it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordoff
MarchysNoseKnows

MarchysNoseKnows

Big Hat No Cattle
Feb 14, 2018
9,838
19,790
Not going to quote the long rant above, but job security among Bruins first rounders? Really?

2010 Seguin (missed a breakfast)
2011 Hamilton (gone)
2012 Subban (gone)
2014 Pasta (earned his job security)
2015 Debrusk (earned)
2015 Senyshyn (gone)
2015 Zboril (ok, but injured and then buried this year and not hurting you by having him as 8D)
2016 McAvoy (earned)
2016 Frederic (not sure why he’s a target but fine, 17 ES goals isn’t good enough)
2017 Vaakanainen (gone)
2019 Beecher (just finished first pro season)
2021 Lysell (just finished first pro season)

Where’s the “job security”?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bruinswillwin77
Bruinswillwin77

Bruinswillwin77

My name is Pete
Sponsor
May 29, 2011
23,151
12,262
Alexandria, KY
MarchysNoseKnows said:
Not going to quote the long rant above, but job security among Bruins first rounders? Really?

2010 Seguin (missed a breakfast)
2011 Hamilton (gone)
2012 Subban (gone)
2014 Pasta (earned his job security)
2015 Debrusk (earned)
2015 Senyshyn (gone)
2015 Zboril (ok, but injured and then buried this year and not hurting you by having him as 8D)
2016 McAvoy (earned)
2016 Frederic (not sure why he’s a target but fine, 17 ES goals isn’t good enough)
2017 Vaakanainen (gone)
2019 Beecher (just finished first pro season)
2021 Lysell (just finished first pro season)

Where’s the “job security”?
Click to expand...
 
bb74

bb74

Thanks for Everything Bill
Sep 24, 2003
4,186
1,299
Cuttyhunk
Congrats to Butch for getting his name on the cup and the reward for the hard work and long hours over the past 30+ years in the game.

He may not be the everyone's cup of tea, but you can't debate that he has a passion for the game, gave it what he had while here between the AHL and NHL, and didn't quit on the org.

In my book that merits a tip of the cap and no hard feelings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thomas 11, EvilDead, Gordoff and 2 others
smithformeragent

smithformeragent

Moderator
Sep 22, 2005
34,050
27,530
Milford, NH
EverettMike said:
I'll move the regular season points celebration down there and we'll make a weekend of it.
Click to expand...
Banner came in last night
IMG_5380.jpeg
 
  • Like
  • Love
  • Haha
Reactions: Aussie Bruin, missingchicklet, EvilDead and 7 others
BTO

BTO

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Mar 20, 2019
9,366
11,845
The Big Smoke (unfortunately)
DKH said:
Vegas a heck of a team and Cassidy did a fantastic job

Monty coaches like Cassidy in playoffs Bruins cruise.

Cassidy did exactly what any team playing Florida should - he put pressure and stress on the Florida defense which leaks through their forwards. Montgomery didn’t do it - was too busy experimenting. Florida was 16h defense group entering playoffs for a reason - and their best and really only good defensive defenseman Ekblad had a dislocated shoulder and broken foot by the start of game 5 and the Bruins decided to not go after him with hockey plays (not to take out of game but exploit)

Cassidy kept focus and on winning- Monty got caught up in the All Time Team and was talking about getting caught picking his nose in TV, and experiments with lines and players in ESPN meeting with analyst Sean McDonagh. Just brutal

Cassidy had to go and he landed on his feet and then some

Life is one big lesson with twists and turns and this past 13 months Hockey wise play was like a Netflix show.

This thread will be a fun look back at who posts and tells us how smart they are. They are rested up after 6 months in hibernation
Click to expand...
Because the Bruins had strategy meetings and concluded the the key to winning was to not put pressure and stress on the Florida D, right?

Edit: I should also say that I rarely respond to you because reading your posts is like reading Kierkegaard (that’s a compliment, btw) and I have neither the time nor the energy to wade through umpteen-levels of irony to get to the point (which largely is the point, methinks), but you left that one hanging over the plate ;)

Edit #2: the problem wasn’t that Boston didn’t put enough pressure on Florida’s D (the offence was fine, for the most part). The problem was that what many of us considered to be the best or 2nd-best D in the league, after Colorado, couldn’t handle any of pressure that Florida put on them. We thought they were mobile. Maybe, but they sure weren’t tough. Been a problem here since post-2011.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Gordoff
UncleRico

UncleRico

Registered User
May 8, 2017
9,326
12,149
MarchysNoseKnows said:
Not going to quote the long rant above, but job security among Bruins first rounders? Really?

2010 Seguin (missed a breakfast)
2011 Hamilton (gone)
2012 Subban (gone)
2014 Pasta (earned his job security)
2015 Debrusk (earned)
2015 Senyshyn (gone)
2015 Zboril (ok, but injured and then buried this year and not hurting you by having him as 8D)
2016 McAvoy (earned)
2016 Frederic (not sure why he’s a target but fine, 17 ES goals isn’t good enough)
2017 Vaakanainen (gone)
2019 Beecher (just finished first pro season)
2021 Lysell (just finished first pro season)

Where’s the “job security”?
Click to expand...

Frederic probably a target because he’s been a healthy scratch regular in the post season the last two years
 
Trizz617

Trizz617

Registered User
Jan 5, 2018
1,910
3,889
Boston/Quebec
soundcloud.com
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: EvilDead, Gordoff and missingchicklet
Gordoff

Gordoff

Formerly: Strafer
Jan 18, 2003
26,346
27,908
The Hub
Hats off to Bruce Cassidy. He proved so many of us sooo wrong.
During the regular season, he looked like a professor because of the records that they broke. Who knew that he was serious about letting "them" run the team and make certain decisions, we thought he was exaggerating. In the playoffs, he looked like the kid in the back corner of the class with a dunce cap on.
Bruce winning the cup turns the attention back to the Bruin's front office and players (besides the abysmal job done by Monty).
Even after being "pantsed" in the playoffs he still really hasn't taken any accountability for the implosion.
This VGK Cup win should open some eyes on Causeway St.
In the meantime, I'm looking up crow recipes!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: UncleRico and Aeroforce

Bradely

Registered User
Sep 17, 2021
3,756
3,715
DangleCity said:
If I'm Bruce, I'm taking that thing and planting it at center ice at the garden. He got a raw deal here at the end and everyone knows it. then after the game says it was the best thing that ever happened to him leaving Boston. Lol
Click to expand...
I don't think Bruce will do that.... you can spit on people, but don't be angry when it will come back!!

Happy for Bruce and I know he will do the right thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom
X