Post-Game Talk: FULL VIDEO - Jacobs, Neely and Sweeney - 4/23/25

[LJReborn]

I agree with him.

What team are they better than in the Atlantic?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

What team are they better than in the Atlantic?

Next season?

Could be better than Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa and Detroit.

You know, the usual suspects.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

I agree with him.

Not a high bar. Yet, they couldn’t do it this year.

They seemed to blame it mostly on coaching.

They haven’t learned a thing. Zero confidence in them. Charlie needs to wake up.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Bruins must extend Don Sweeney, and other thoughts

If Don Sweeney is to get this offseason right, he needs a little security.

www.bostonherald.com

Not impressed by that take. Reeks of another management apologist. Credit for standing up for a presser facing a friendly press group? Please. As for addressing the 2015 draft again? They’ve never really addressed nor accounted for it. The team is cooked and they’re still in charge. But, yeah, focus on a new coach, and “structure”. Farcical.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Not a high bar. Yet, they couldn’t do it this year.

They seemed to blame it mostly on coaching.

They haven’t learned a thing. Zero confidence in them. Charlie needs to wake up.

There were many reasons this past season went off the rails.

And yet, had management not decided (correctly) to start the retool at the trade deadline, it's quite possible the Bruins could have made the playoffs.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

There were many reasons this past season went off the rails.

And yet, had management not decided (correctly) to start the retool at the trade deadline, it's quite possible the Bruins could have made the playoffs.

We’re talking apples and oranges. Making the playoffs and seriously challenging for a Cup are two very different things.

The former is worth very little (except to the owners who can make bank on more ticket and concession sales). The latter is what the focus and goal should be.

They most likely would’ve been knocked off during the first round if this team had snuck in. If by some miracle they weren’t, definitely by second round.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

We’re talking apples and oranges. Making the playoffs and seriously challenging for a Cup are two very different things.

The former is worth very little (except to the owners who can make bank on more ticket and concession sales). The latter is what the focus and goal should be.

They most likely would’ve been knocked off during the first round if this team had snuck in. If by some miracle they weren’t, definitely by second round.

My original post stated I agreed with Charlie Jacobs that they feel the Bruins can make the playoffs next season. Did not say anything about challenging for the Cup. So yes, you brought up oranges to my apples.

Anyway, you can't win a Cup without making the playoffs first. And if you make the playoffs, you always have a punchers chance.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

My original post stated I agreed with Charlie Jacobs that they feel the Bruins can make the playoffs next season. Did not say anything about challenging for the Cup. So yes, you brought up oranges to my apples.

Anyway, you can't win a Cup without making the playoffs first. And if you make the playoffs, you always have a punchers chance.

I know you’re too smart to be deliberately obtuse…

I’ll simply say that if this were a boxing match, your puncher’s chance analogy might make sense, but when you’re talking about the 16-28 game war that is the NHL playoffs, it’s an entirely different thing.

At the end of the day, IMO, the longer the fan base continues to give this management team the benefit of the doubt, the longer we’ll be mired in mediocrity.

 

[LJReborn]

We’re talking apples and oranges. Making the playoffs and seriously challenging for a Cup are two very different things.

The former is worth very little (except to the owners who can make bank on more ticket and concession sales). The latter is what the focus and goal should be.

They most likely would’ve been knocked off during the first round if this team had snuck in. If by some miracle they weren’t, definitely by second round.

the bar is continually lowered in this place. The year after the 2nd worst choke of the century was looked at by many as a retool season and they would be ready to compete for glory again this past season with 26 million dollars of cap space and a great trade piece in Ullmark. A summer later they are the worst team in the conference. Now, the teams in front of them are more talented with more futures and it's pure Bruins goggles to think all these teams will regress. Now, the goal of the Bruins is to "make the play-offs" and some are cool with that, most notably the owner of the team, which bodes terrible for the upcoming season, The President has inexplicably put his GM on an island and you know will be over his shoulder vetoeing deals that could make them better. Dysfunction at it's best.

 

[hrdpuk]

Tone deaf ownership

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Watching Neely try to explain away the 2015 draft was absolutely nauseating.

and props to KPD, who takes much too much flack here. He did his job there and did it well.

It is crazy that it’s just somehow nobodies fault they weren’t ready for a draft. I understand maybe they didn’t plan on having the 3 consecutive picks due to the deals trader Don executed but still.

If you weren’t ready to make informed picks then they probably could have made one pick then dealt the others away for a known commodity

 

[PlayMakers]

He’s not making it clear that the Cup means more than the playoffs. If that’s true, simple solution. Say it. Clearly and unequivocally to management and the fans.

Sweeney and Neely are accountable to him. Make it clear that the Cup is their only objective.

You answer me now. Why does he refuse to do that? He’s the one in total control.

They did say it. All of them said it. Neely spoke at length about how they're not a team that's only interested in making the playoffs. The Cup is the goal. They also said the playoffs are important because you can't win it all without making the playoffs, but to a man, they all said the Cup was their main goal.

 

[LJReborn]

It is crazy that it’s just somehow nobodies fault they weren’t ready for a draft. I understand maybe they didn’t plan on having the 3 consecutive picks due to the deals trader Don executed but still.

If you weren’t ready to make informed picks then they probably could have made one pick then dealt the others away for a known commodity

Excuse: GM had no time to prepare for the draft

Fact: Same GM went out of his way to acquire 4 premium picks in that same draft instead of pushing them into 2016. The Bruins excuse of "were going to move up" is also gross malfeasance not having the deal done before making those deals.

 

[LJReborn]

They did say it. All of them said it. Neely spoke at length about how they're not a team that's only interested in making the playoffs. The Cup is the goal. They also said the playoffs are important because you can't win it all without making the playoffs, but to a man, they all said the Cup was their main goal.

What would instill any confidence in you that this team would be able to put together a Cup team when they couldn't win for a decade, most of it with some cup champions left over from 2011. Why would anyone think this group will be able to take the worst team in the Atlantic division to a Cup contender in the immediate future?

 

[PlayMakers]

So my takeaways from this thread...

• Fans are pissed there wasn't more contrition from the front office.
  • They literally opened the press conference with how embarrassed they are by the disappointing season they just.
• Fans are pissed because they defended their draft record.
  • The Bruins aren’t wrong. They’ve done better than the average, with less draft capital than average. They've done more with less. Fact. Are they great? No. But you will always find a better player taken later with hindsight.
• Fans perceive Sweeney as smug.
  • I think that’s fair. I think he knows he’s done a pretty good job over the last eight years, is highly respected around the league, and would have a job faster than Bruce Cassidy if he was fired. I also think the fact that fans and media don’t seem to know that, or acknowledge that, gives him disdain for them. In the past, he’s definitely looked like a a college professor entertaining a bunch of grade school questions. That can rub you the wrong way, it has certainly rubbed me the wrong way, but I have to admit, he’s not wrong. He is smarter than you (and me) and better at his job than most. Still, doesn't have to be a dick about it.
• Fans are pissed there’s “no accountability“. Fans are also shocked that Neely didn’t back Sweeney with regard to an extension…
  • That is the accountability. That is what they mean when they say the accountability is higher than ever. If Sweeney delivers another failure of a team, he’s likely not getting that extension. Cam also said it takes two to tango… Meaning just cause we offer him a contract doesn’t mean he will accept it. Sweeney will have options.

 

[PlayMakers]

What would instill any confidence in you that this team would be able to put together a Cup team when they couldn't win for a decade, most of it with some cup champions left over from 2011. Why would anyone think this group will be able to take the worst team in the Atlantic division to a Cup contender in the immediate future?

What would make me think they can turn it around? Sweeney took over a team that missed the playoffs twice and within 5 years they were in the Cup finals.

Plus, I think our spot in the standings is artificially inflated (deflated?). They wanted to be bad after the deadline. They rode Lohrei's -43 no matter what. They shut down Lindholm and McAvoy. They played an AHL lineup most nights.

At the deadline they were 1 point out of the playoffs. Step 1 of their rebuild plan was to get a top10 pick.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Sweeney took over a team that had 96 (at the time the most pts a team ever had and still missed the playoffs) and 93 pts.

Great bones in place that needed some extra marinating from some players as well as some tweaks to the supporting cast.

Not to mention he was the AGM of those teams that missed the playoffs.

Plenty of worse opportunities to step into

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Actually, both Bergeron and Krejci were 2nd round picks.

But it's a good lesson in the crap shoot that is the draft.

In the 2003 draft, the Bruins traded back in the first round (from 17 to 21) and ended up with Mark Stuart. They could have had their choice of Zach Parise, Brent Burns or Ryan Getzlaf (17, 19 and 20). Cory Perry (28) and Ryan Kesler (23) also went after the Bruins in the first round. So, the scouts and the GM screwed up big time.

Same scouts and GM took Bergeron with pick 45. Brilliant!

Yep, it's the ebb and flow of it, but you need to hit occasionally, and when you do hit you really need to maximize it.

You know I thought Krejci was a late 2nd, but I figured I'd check just to be sure, and stupid Wikipedia has him listed as a 3rd, so I ran with that. Rookie error.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Yep, it's the ebb and flow of it, but you need to hit occasionally, and when you do hit you really need to maximize it.

You know I thought Krejci was a late 2nd, but I figured I'd check just to be sure, and stupid Wikipedia has him listed as a 3rd, so I ran with that. Rookie error.

You should be the rookie of the year!

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

the bar is continually lowered in this place. The year after the 2nd worst choke of the century was looked at by many as a retool season and they would be ready to compete for glory again this past season with 26 million dollars of cap space and a great trade piece in Ullmark. A summer later they are the worst team in the conference. Now, the teams in front of them are more talented with more futures and it's pure Bruins goggles to think all these teams will regress. Now, the goal of the Bruins is to "make the play-offs" and some are cool with that, most notably the owner of the team, which bodes terrible for the upcoming season, The President has inexplicably put his GM on an island and you know will be over his shoulder vetoeing deals that could make them better. Dysfunction at it's best.

A great trade piece in Ullmark? Bullshit. He had veto power over a trade to most teams, and he used it.

Worst team in the conference? Well, that was by design, wasn't it? And it's what nearly everyone here wanted to happen.

Neely vetoing Sweeney trades? No, I don't know that will be happening.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Sweeney took over a team that had 96 (at the time the most pts a team ever had and still missed the playoffs) and 93 pts.

Great bones in place that needed some extra marinating from some players as well as some tweaks to the supporting cast.

Not to mention he was the AGM of those teams that missed the playoffs.

Plenty of worse opportunities to step into

And 4 seasons later he had built a team that went to a Game 7 (at home) in the Cup finals. 4 seasons after that a team that had the best regular season in NHL history.

 

[LJReborn]

A great trade piece in Ullmark? Bullshit. He had veto power over a trade to most teams, and he used it.

Worst team in the conference? Well, that was by design, wasn't it? And it's what nearly everyone here wanted to happen.

Neely vetoing Sweeney trades? No, I don't know that will be happening.

Um, he had a year left you didn't have to trade him

Selling off did make them the worst team in the conference, but they weren't a playoff team, remember how they were posed to be a contender?

He vetoed (thankfully) Chia's big Arizona deal when he wanted Vermette and company before he got axed. If the Bruins are 8th seed and Sweeney has no deal do you think Neely is letting him deal futures?

This roster is not good. The goal, like when Sweeney took over is to make the play-offs, two years after the best regular season team in history, but do you, shill away.

 

[LJReborn]

And 4 seasons later he had built a team that went to a Game 7 (at home) in the Cup finals. 4 seasons after that a team that had the best regular season in NHL history.

Who are the Bergeron, Rask, Krejci, Krug, Chara and Rask of this current team? You have one line, two good D and a goalie who was awful.

Bruins path to the Cup. Toronto 100 pts (6th seed) . Columbus 98 pts (8th seed), Carolina 99 pts (7th seed) Lost to St. Louis 99 pts (6th seed)

 

[GordonHowe]

Meddling means interfering.

You can accuse Charlie Jacobs of a lot of things but interference is not one of them.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Um, he had a year left you didn't have to trade him

Selling off did make them the worst team in the conference, but they weren't a playoff team, remember how they were posed to be a contender?

He vetoed (thankfully) Chia's big Arizona deal when he wanted Vermette and company before he got axed. If the Bruins are 8th seed and Sweeney has no deal do you think Neely is letting him deal futures?

This roster is not good. The goal, like when Sweeney took over is to make the play-offs, two years after the best regular season team in history, but do you, shill away.

You certainly like to bounce around.

First you say they had a great trade piece in Ullmark. Now you say they didn't have to trade him.