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

[bwunderlich]

Maybe I’m wrong but Zadarov still doesn’t look like he is in shape . A big guy like that needs to be doing a LOT of skating . I’d be making him do a lot of laps in practice to get his conditioning up .

I had friends over and they both said that of the entire team midway through the game.

Looks like their skating in slush. 3rd periods were a strength now they are getting outworked, outhustled, and out coached.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

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.

I disagree, Beecher's issue is his puckhandling ability and offensive IQ.

 

[BMC]

Based on the comments here I have never been so glad for a last second invite to dinner in my life. I tried following on my phone for a little bit but gave up I was having much more fun listening to my niece talk about what's going on in her life.

And based on his post game comments Monty & staff need to go now. They don't have a clue and even when they thought they did they failed to communicate it to the team.

 

[BruinDust]

I disagree, Beecher's issue is his puckhandling ability and offensive IQ.

I never said Beecher's skating was his issue specific to him. Or that Beecher was an issue. I like Beecher.

Even if I say he's a "4" in terms of straight line speed along with Koepke, doesn't change the fact that this forward group needs an injection of elite speed at the upper half of the line-up.

 

[mar2kbos]

Montgomery has to realize Zadarov doesn’t skate well enough. Well , he does. He moves well for a big guy but it takes him a few strides to get moving. He doesn’t have quickness or acceleration in his own zone to close gaps.

It’s not that it’s his hockey IQ. You are on the PK and you go into the same corner your D partner is on the same side of the ice. That’s just dumb hockey. He’s got enough individual skill, but his head is 10 cent

 

[PaulD]

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.

Disappointment all over the line up.
The two big acquisitions yes. McAvoy definitely. Pasta for sure. Swayman? Oh yea. ....and someone tell Monty pouting doesn't help.

 

[PaulD]

NHL is a result league. Nothing else than the win really matters.

If you don't play expectation and you don't have the result expected, you need to overlook what is the problem and solve it asap!

While I understand everyone pointing some players they are all signed, cap issue is to be considered, and it is much more difficult to find a dancer for a trade than some are pretending here. Some players pointed by posters have been part of why Bruins had so much season past success. They simply can not become disinterested or bad at the same time with no reason.

I currently beleive that If Monty continue to say especially publicly, he does not have the answer to Bruins problem, well decision are needed!

I know chemistry is hard to make, but 20 games is arriving soon and we still have some repeated problem not getting solved.

Why keep a guy with no answers!

not for long.

 

[ODAAT]

If a NHL team can`t get one measly shot on net in a full period of hockey, it`s a problem, something simply isn`t right for this team and it`s not just one area.

As they stand now, this is a bad NHL team

 

[Gordoff]

I'm reading all of this and see that there are many opinions.
I don't know the answers but when a coach tells reporters that it's
"your job to figure out the problem" I realized 100% that he's done
and simply wants to go home (to Montreal) and reset.
The Bruins Management and players seem to want him to quit which
he will not do, he'd be forfeiting the rest of his salary.
When he came here he decided to leave the defensive system that they'd
been playing successfully for many years alone.
Now, he's fully implemented his "system" or whatever you'd call it
and it's a disaster.
He lacks imagination and answers.
He's an empty suit, a "dead man walking" and
he's dragging the dead-ass players through the motions.
ALL of their answers in the post game interviews are without
life, without joy for the game that they're paid BIG $$$ for.
Yes, shame on the highly paid players but they seem to
be completely confused.
Can't trade them all, and trading 3rd and 4th liners won't shake up
the overpaid bloated "stars" of the team like McAvoy, Pastrnak, Zadorov etc.
The only play that DS has right now to to act and act quickly or the season will
be toast.
Not sure if Sacco is the answer but he can't be much worse than
Monty.
If then it doesn't work there needs to be front office soul searching.
There seems to be a disconnect between managements choice of players, the coaches utilization of them, and the players executing.

 

[hrdpuk]

I am just so disappointed in these players. They are the elite and have to use a coach as a scapegoat to skate around in circles. You are professionals. Act like it.

That's the problem . NHL hockey is not a part time job . You have to stay in shape, can't take 4 months off. These players did and it's showing . As far as I can tell only 63 and 28 have a reason for taking off all summer . 63 surgeries 28 moving , personal family problems .
88,11, 13 ,18 , 39,51, 25, 73, 27 don't have the stamina to play 3 periods . Finish skills have disappeared. Exhaustion effect all that.
That's my take but who knows

 

[KillerMillerTime]

It’s not that it’s his hockey IQ. You are on the PK and you go into the same corner your D partner is on the same side of the ice. That’s just dumb hockey. He’s got enough individual skill, but his head is 10 cent

McAvoy was directly behind the net if not shaded to #91 side.

 

[GordonHowe]

His constant switching is bothersome I would imagine. They probably to a man never appreciated him grabbing Marchand on camera by shoulder either .I really feel he has worn out his wlcm already here with key parts of this roster.Saying he has no answers takes cake.

I've encountered him a few times and have nothing against him as a person.

But he has to go. Soonest.

The problem is that they will probably give it to Leach.

It won't happen but I still want Joel Quennville.

 

[mjhfb]

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.

When did I ever question leadership?

 

[jmon1313]

I've encountered him a few times and have nothing against him as a person.

But he has to go. Soonest.

The problem is that they will probably give it to Leach.

It won't happen but I still want Joel Quennville.

I hope they hire Quennville so I can stop watching this team.

Not sure why you're campaigning for him, he never deserves to work in hockey again.

 

[LouJersey]

I am just so disappointed in these players. They are the elite and have to use a coach as a scapegoat to skate around in circles. You are professionals. Act like it.

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking it but Brad Marchand is not the best captain they've ever had.

 

[22Brad Park]

Disappointment all over the line up.
The two big acquisitions yes. McAvoy definitely. Pasta for sure. Swayman.....and some tell Monty pouting doesn't help.

If you are this disappointed in Bruins u must be absolutely disgusted with habs

 

[Sevendust]

These Bruins aren't beating this year's Leafs in a playoff series. Zero chance.

Still shocked how close they came up to piss away this series. People seem to forget that ...

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

If a NHL team can`t get one measly shot on net in a full period of hockey, it`s a problem, something simply isn`t right for this team and it`s not just one area.

As they stand now, this is a bad NHL team

No shots on goal in a full period of a tie game in their own building against a weak defensive team.

 

[Blowfish]

Take McAvoy off the pp ... it's that simple!

 

[Sevendust]

The problem is that the players do not hold each other accountable. The locker room is an oasis of well-being. The team doesn´t really has the drive to win big and winning big happens in the playoffs. In the past, there was enough talent in the regular season, but for the first time they are showing the problem already in the regular season. The main problem here is the players, not the coach. Monty f***ed up the playoffs in his first year but he is a great coach. Strangely, he seems just as frustrated now as Cassidy was at the end of his time here. Everyone knows what Cassidy won in his first season after he was fired. Changing coaches will not solve this team's deep problem. Team has no bite. The problem lies with the person who puts the team together. What they really need is a big shakeup trade but Sweeney isn't exactly known for that.

 

[McGarnagle]

The problem is that the players do not hold each other accountable. The locker room is an oasis of well-being. The team doesn´t really has the drive to win big and winning big happens in the playoffs. In the past, there was enough talent in the regular season, but for the first time they are showing the problem already in the regular season. The main problem here is the players, not the coach. Monty f***ed up the playoffs in his first year but he is a great coach. Strangely, he seems just as frustrated now as Cassidy was at the end of his time here. Everyone knows what Cassidy won in his first season after he was fired. Changing coaches will not solve this team's deep problem. Team has no bite. The problem lies with the person who puts the team together. What they really need is a big shakeup trade but Sweeney isn't exactly known for that.

When Sweeney went absolutely all in on that 2023 team with trading multiple years' first and second round picks, the shell game of cap allocation with Bergeron and Krejci's bonuses rolling over to future years, so on and so forth, they were going to have to pay the piper at some point, and even though the guys Sweeney brought in like Geekie and Coyle massively overachieved last year, everything has come down to earth this year.

I'm not mad at Sweeney, when you load up for a run, eventually it catches up with you, and that was part of the plan. Maximize everything you can while Bergeron was still here. And he built one of the best damn rosters in NHL history. Monty was the guy who blew it that spring with his unhinged panic attack of a playoff series.

IMO while Sweeney's choices in 2021 and 2022 brought us to here, I am of the opinion that he's earned the right to build another core up from the embers of the old one. I'm less and less convinced that Jim Montgomery has earned the right to coach a second one.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Bruins top players (highest salaries):

Pasta - 16 games 6-8-14 16 PIMs 6/27 takeaways to giveaways -2

Marchand - 16 games 5-7-12 18 PIMs 5/15 takeaways to giveaways -3

E Lindholm - 16 games 2-7-9 only 2 PIMs 5/6 takeaways to giveaways -1 52% on faceoffs 23 blocks and 27 hits both more than Marchand and Pasta combined

McAvoy -16 games 2-2-4 20 PIMs 8/21 takeaways to giveaways -1 23 blocks and 27 hits, same as E Lindholm

H Lindholm - 16 games 3-4-7 only 4 PIMs 14/30 takeaways to giveaways -4 5 hits (for a Dman!) Leads the team in both giveaways and takeaways

Swayman - 4-5-2 3.13 GAA .896 SP

They have all played every game (except Swayman). Not sure if that's good or bad.

How can the Bruins improve? All of these guys play closer to a level they have played at for most of their careers.

 

[Jockularity]

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking it but Brad Marchand is not the best captain they've ever had.

I think past versions of the team have often had numerous players with "strong character" or leadership qualities. I'm not sure that is the case this year.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

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.

I see no reason why it can't be both. This team has had a significant leadership drain since 2020 and the guys who are left and been promoted internally don't seem to be doing enough to fill the void. That's not me hating on Brad and the rest, just there does seem to me to be an issue in that regard, and frankly in context it's not that surprising.

But for sure there is a talent problem too, and a roster construction problem more broadly, and a coach who can't seem to get to grips with how to manage this particular type of roster. They're all factors IMO. The talent issue is probably the most significant, I won't dispute that, but it's a combination of things currently dragging the team down.

 

[GordonHowe]

Their inability to give a complete effort is what frustrates me the most. The coaching staff still needs to go, bring in someone new, Sacco is not the answer.

In my view, Sacco is certainly not the answer. It's an open question as to whether Leach would be much better, though I suspect so.

Who are your top five candidates?