Post-Game Talk: GAME 16 - Advantage Linus - Ottawa 3 BRUINS 2 OT

Dr Hook

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This team might not be weak but they have absolutely no drive. I'm thinking its the coaching but I could be wrong.

Don't you remember the exact same complaints when Cassidy was coach? Somehow Bruce goes to Vegas and no one says that about his new team. I don't think the current coach is getting the best out of his players, whether it's people management, systems, line/pair combos, whatever, but the problem is deeper than that.
 

KillerMillerTime

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It’s very early, but you can see where this may be trending; teams 3-7 in the Atlantic vying for 1, maybe 2 playoff spots.

Posted last week 3 of Boston, Islanders, Caps, Sens, Wings & Sabers will make PO.
Caps look the strongest to me and will repeat as a WC. You may look at Ottawa
as the most talented upfront and if Ullmark healthy improved in net. I can see them emerging as a WC\#3 AD.

That leaves Wings, Sabres and Islanders to compete with. None if those teams are significantly better or better at all than Boston.
 
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Guelph Bruin

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I think the boys watched a documentary of the American revolution in the second intermission and took it a little too seriously in the 3rd... zero shots....that's on the boys 100%
 

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Dr Hook

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That leaves Wings, Sabres and Islanders to compete with. None if those teams are significantly better or better at all than Boston.
None of them are better than the Bruins, but it all comes down to how the Bruins are playing, not whether they have a stronger, more talented roster. They should be well in the playoff picture by now with the players they have.
 

BlackFrancis

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Don't you remember the exact same complaints when Cassidy was coach? Somehow Bruce goes to Vegas and no one says that about his new team. I don't think the current coach is getting the best out of his players, whether it's people management, systems, line/pair combos, whatever, but the problem is deeper than that.
The deeper problem is the coach is coaching coach-killing players and losing his mind.

The players are absolute shits for doing this but nobody wants a coach that's lost his mind.

Dump the cue ball. Improve the general view of the coach killers by winning, high fiving and having happy post game interviews. Then trade the lot of them.
 

BruinDust

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Posted last week 3 of Boston, Islanders, Caps, Sens, Wings & Sabers will make PO.
Caps look the strongest to me and will repeat as a WC. You may look at Ottawa
as the most talented upfront and if Ullmark healthy improved in net. I can see them emerging as a WC\#3 AD.

That leaves Wings, Sabres and Islanders to compete with. None if those teams are significantly better or better at all than Boston.

That Caps team are a wagon 5 on 5. They sit 3rd in the league in goals for per game despite having a PP that sits tied for 31st in the NHL right alongside our own Bruins with 12.5%.

4 teams in the Metro are locks IMO (NYR, Carolina, Washington, NJ). 2 in the Atlantic (Florida and Toronto).

I'd assume Tampa are in the mix. Buffalo are getting strong goaltending results from UPL (he's had 9 strong appearances out of 11. If I had to guess the two other playoff teams in the east it would be them.
 
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PlayMakers

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As always there's a lot of complaining about Zadorov but the actual big acquisition seems to be getting a pass. Are we just going to pat him on the back for being a decent player, an overpaid mediocre 2nd center, or are we looking for more here? He's a good player, OK, but he's not driving play, or being aggressive or showing a bit of intensity.
I think he's shown aggression and intensity. He's got 27 hits in 16 games, he wins 52% of his draws... He was never a play driver and wasn't going to become that here. He's a smart player, a strong two-way player, a guy who helps facilitate offense but doesn't drive it.
 

Ladyfan

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None of them are particularly fast either. Koepke stands out as the fastest in a straight line on the entire team. They have literally nobody up front who possesses the kind of speed that pushes back defenders. If you rated every skater on the team based on straight line speed on a scale of 1-5 (5 being top end), the whole team are 1s, 2s, and 3s with a lot of 2s and 3s. Maybe I'd put Koepke as a 4.

Leadership isn't the problem. Talent is the problem.
BINGO
 

mjhfb

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None of them are particularly fast either. Koepke stands out as the fastest in a straight line on the entire team. They have literally nobody up front who possesses the kind of speed that pushes back defenders. If you rated every skater on the team based on straight line speed on a scale of 1-5 (5 being top end), the whole team are 1s, 2s, and 3s with a lot of 2s and 3s. Maybe I'd put Koepke as a 4.

Leadership isn't the problem. Talent is the problem.
If true, then the severe drop off must be from replacing Debrusk, Heinen, Forbort and Grz with Lindholm, Kastelic, and Zadorov since they were better last year.
 

Caper Bruins fan

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That Caps team are a wagon 5 on 5. They sit 3rd in the league in goals for per game despite having a PP that sits tied for 31st in the NHL right alongside our own Bruins with 12.5%.

4 teams in the Metro are locks IMO (NYR, Carolina, Washington, NJ). 2 in the Atlantic (Florida and Toronto).

I'd assume Tampa are in the mix. Buffalo are getting strong goaltending results from UPL (he's had 9 strong appearances out of 11. If I had to guess the two other playoff teams in the east it would be them.
Tampa started with a bang but have lost 4 in a row and Winnipeg is on deck . They aren’t a sure thing to make the playoffs.
 

BruinDust

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If true, then the severe drop off must be from replacing Debrusk, Heinen, Forbort and Grz with Lindholm, Kastelic, and Zadorov since they were better last year.

You can't just assume the players who were here last year and are still here this year are the same caliber of player.

Marchand is a year older. As is Coyle.

McAvoy has been playing like dog-poo and that's not because of leadership.

Zacha now that he's back at C is starting to come around but looked awful on LW.

Speaking of C, Geekie played a role here last year, and he got shifted to the wing and out of the line-up. That's has nothing to do with leadership.

Brandon Carlo is struggling with the new hybrid scheme after 8 years of zone D. Once again, not on leadership.

Blaming these struggles on leadership is a bullshit excuse. It's a lack of talent combined with a coaching staff that cannot get the most out of these players with the systems they are being asked to play and the lines/pairings they've put together.
 

GoBs

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Well we are stuck for 5 and 7 years respectively with these 2. This will greatly limit our ability to upgrade the team. Nobody is going to be kind and take these 2 off our hands unless we pay like half their salaries or throw in a few 1st rounders.

Another big DS mistake.
I’m more worried about the money due McAvoy. The new guys are 15 game in give them some time. In my opinion McAvoy is getting better if anything he looks worst than his earlier years.
 

the negotiator

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I find it a bit ironic that over the summer many wrote in ( me included) about how excited they were about the signings and how much improved the team was- now many of these posters are saying the line-up lacks talent

I am not suggesting that the Bs have Cup winning line-up - but they should be miles better than the product we have seen on the ice. Yes some key players- like Marchand and Coyle - are a year older. But that doesn't explain the regression of Carlo and McAvoy, or the disappearance of Frederick and Geekie, or the lack of break-through from young players like Poitras or Lohrei. Right now it is difficult to point to more than a handful of players who are playing up to expectations.

Where does the problem lie? As with most topics there is often more than one cause....turnover in the line-up for example. But when we look at root cause, one factor stands out to me- a team that looks like it has no plan or structure- a team where neither the defense nor offense seems to have a defined approach. On D I frankly can't figure out what system they are playing while on O there seems to be a toxic blend of either do it myself or pass, pass, pass. Although the goaltender stats may not look exceptional my eye test says the current record would be a lot worse if both goaltenders weren't showing up most nights.

So where do we go?......as has often been said, you can't fire all the players. Given the disorganized, disinterested and disappointing product we have all seen my first action is to look behind the bench. I think Monty is probably a super guy and might be a superior college coach, but on the big stage he looks over-whelmed, without answers and frankly like someone waiting for the axe to fall.
 

KillerMillerTime

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None of them are particularly fast either. Koepke stands out as the fastest in a straight line on the entire team. They have literally nobody up front who possesses the kind of speed that pushes back defenders. If you rated every skater on the team based on straight line speed on a scale of 1-5 (5 being top end), the whole team are 1s, 2s, and 3s with a lot of 2s and 3s. Maybe I'd put Koepke as a 4.

Leadership isn't the problem. Talent is the problem.
Come on man Beecher is fast and really fast for someone 6:03. His problem is at best mediocre stick skills.
 
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TD Charlie

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The deeper problem is the coach is coaching coach-killing players and losing his mind.

The players are absolute shits for doing this but nobody wants a coach that's lost his mind.

Dump the cue ball. Improve the general view of the coach killers by winning, high fiving and having happy post game interviews. Then trade the lot of them.
This is so cut throat

I love it
 

Bruinfanatic

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Apr 22, 2016
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I find it a bit ironic that over the summer many wrote in ( me included) about how excited they were about the signings and how much improved the team was- now many of these posters are saying the line-up lacks talent

I am not suggesting that the Bs have Cup winning line-up - but they should be miles better than the product we have seen on the ice. Yes some key players- like Marchand and Coyle - are a year older. But that doesn't explain the regression of Carlo and McAvoy, or the disappearance of Frederick and Geekie, or the lack of break-through from young players like Poitras or Lohrei. Right now it is difficult to point to more than a handful of players who are playing up to expectations.

Where does the problem lie? As with most topics there is often more than one cause....turnover in the line-up for example. But when we look at root cause, one factor stands out to me- a team that looks like it has no plan or structure- a team where neither the defense nor offense seems to have a defined approach. On D I frankly can't figure out what system they are playing while on O there seems to be a toxic blend of either do it myself or pass, pass, pass. Although the goaltender stats may not look exceptional my eye test says the current record would be a lot worse if both goaltenders weren't showing up most nights.

So where do we go?......as has often been said, you can't fire all the players. Given the disorganized, disinterested and disappointing product we have all seen my first action is to look behind the bench. I think Monty is probably a super guy and might be a superior college coach, but on the big stage he looks over-whelmed, without answers and frankly like someone waiting for the axe to fall.
Last season was a transition year for the Bruins according to many,read that repeatedly on here, and this season with all the money they had to spend this offseason,they would be able to buy a winning team.Its not looking like it so far anyway.I really only care about what they do in the playoffs,the greatest regular season ever ,really broke me off being to concerned about what happens in the regular season.But have to make them first.
 

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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Come on man Beecher is fast and really fast for someone 6:03. His problem is at best mediocre stick skills.

He's not fast. He's a strong skater for his size, I'd even say very strong. I'd even go he's on of the strongest overall skaters on the team. But he doesn't push D-men back with his speed, it's just not at that level.

If I had Koepke at a 4, Beecher is a 3 1/2 as far as straight line speed goes.

Both are 4th line players and far from the problem here. I'd go as far as to say the Top 9 are the slowest group in the NHL on average.
 

Jorgolyte

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Jun 9, 2024
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I think he's shown aggression and intensity. He's got 27 hits in 16 games, he wins 52% of his draws... He was never a play driver and wasn't going to become that here. He's a smart player, a strong two-way player, a guy who helps facilitate offense but doesn't drive it.
I just don't see it with the intensity and put no faith in hit stats. He's been very unnoticeable. I'll fall short of invisible. He's a good player I know, but he's showing himself a good role player. We need more. He's here to be more. If this is just what he is then Sweeney has really dropped the ball again
 

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