Post-Game Talk: GAME 18 - Stars 7 Bruins 2

BruinsJoe

Registered User
Sep 29, 2020
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What a debacle at least they have their first pick but it s a concern when they draft it s scary what they can do
 

goldenblack

Registered User
Apr 15, 2024
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Fwiw I'm totally good with this being a down year. I just hope management is too.

Be GREAT to draft high

Be GREAT to sell some UFAs and maybe an RFA

And then just keep working around a core. We're allowed a down year.

Yes Swayman got to big headed and I was afraid if he got off to a poor start he would turn into mush. He looks timid and is playing very deep in the net. TD garden is going to be a place he is going to dread because everyone is gonna remind him of what his salary is and let him have it with the boo birds and cat calls

I'm totally good with him getting absolutely posterized here while Korpi becomes at least 1B.

Sway has a big life lesson here ahead. His Instagram comments are STILL disabled, and I dunno if he'll be able to turn them on this year, or even next.

He's got all the millions to sleep on. But he's about to discover that maybe there's more important, specially if it was over 250k.
 

Therewolf31

Registered User
Jul 24, 2024
24
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For the first time in years I turned off the game ant the end of the second period

I have been through losing years before but I can't remember a time when the team seems so dis-interested and dis-organized.

From the tv shots I saw, Monty looked like someone who knows the end of the story and has mentally checked out while he waits. His lack of response after the two egregious calls ( penalty shot and Benn hit) made it clear this team will not have any chance of a turnaround until he is gone.

Hockey is a what have you done for me lately game and right now both on the ice and behind the bench the answer is way too little
Just watched the recap as the game wasn't on here (Ontario). Well only lost 5 minutes of my life on that debacle. How can they be that bad from last year? Are they trying to get rid of Monty? Sure looks that way.
 
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FinnBear

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Feb 21, 2016
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It has been a rough start to the year. I still watch every game but if anything, makes us realize just how good we have had it for over a decade despite all the heart breaks after the Cup win.

As much as it pains me to say this, plain and simply put, the Bruins are kind of a sucky team right now, and a little bit of an expensive one at that. Usually if one area drags little bit you can compensate but so many things are going wrong, makes it little bit harder. Play offs are still the goal as long as we are the Alpha Predator of the bottom feeder and get as many points from match ups against non-play off bound teams.

Upfront, forward depth just isn't there. Pasta is a one trick pony, fire that missile from the top of the face off circle. And he is elite at that skill but we really don't have the right players to make this happen constantly now. Bergeron and Krejci, along with Marchy puck handling, were both fantastic at hanging on to puck and open up space and time for Pasta together perfect set up. Pasta is still an elite scorer but we simply don't have the right environment for him right now which is frustrating for him and us.
I could definitely understand the argument that an all-rounder like Brady Tkachuk might be a better fit for us in the circumstances we are in.

After him, the forwards lack depth. Marchand at 37 and with injuries over the years has lost that one step separation quickness. He can still puck handle with the best of them but here also, without the center opening up time and space, the decline will be more obvious. I would love for him to retire as a Bruins but I could understand if he wants to go to a contender for one more shot at the Cup. As much as the heart will bleed, it may recoup a pick or two for us and inject him with a new lease on life.

Zacha is a decent auxiliary player. I like him better at left wing than center but in a pinch you can send him out as winger/secondary center for crucial face offs.
Lindholm, to me, is also a secondary piece but due to roster is elevated to a primary slot. People just cannot make the mistake of judging him based on 18-19 and 21-22 seasons. His circumstances were much different then than what they are in Boston. He is solid but expensive. We are gonna have to let him cook a little bit That is the downside of plugging holes through free agency - money is at a premium and your roster cost becomes inflated, tying your hands.

Coyle, Geekie, Kastelic, Frederic...take your pick of who you jumble together. Most of these guys are bottom 6 forwards asked to perform higher than what they are capable of. Management hangs its' hat on the hope that one of them catches fire on a hot streak (I am looking at you, Coyle). Frederic, to me,.looks like he has mentally already half checked out on the Bruins. Which brings me to another category - intangible. Our 2010 and onward Bruins had that team mentality to play for each other and play for each other hard hard. Veterans like Bergy, Chara, Marchy, McQuaid, Ference, Thornton made us a truly scary adversary. This group seems more of a collection of individuals who come to the rink because its their job.

The defense looks much better on paper than how it performs on ice. It is puzzling to some degree but we see cracks in the armor that were McAvoy and Carlo. Overall they may need more time together and also constantly switching forward lines makes it harder for defenseman to anticipate plays and opposition break through. It's a collection of big men but with some exception they play fairly soft. Too many times do I see players cut to the middle without hesitation. Those easy chances are going to make for a long season for Swayman. This could very well turn out to be his make or break season both physically and mentally.

I hope for a 2019 Saint Louis Blues-esque turn around but this could also very well turn into a dumpster fire.
 
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Eddie Munson

This year is my year. I can feel it. ‘86 baby!
Jul 11, 2008
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goldenblack

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Apr 15, 2024
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I hope you are being sarcastic. This teams defense is atrocious. You put in any goalie on the planet and you are getting the same results.

Sway is not playing well. And you need only check the Korpi numbers to see better play, with the same D, is possible.

Maybe training camp matters?
Might be that mental toughness matters, too. Sway is sitting inside a pressure cooker he and his agent built.
 

RiverbottomChuck

Registered User
Jul 20, 2018
5,024
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probably not the best idea considering his past
You obviously don't want anyone that struggled to relapse and Monty's sobriety is likely the most important thing in his life but it would be pretty hilarious (in a hypothetical fake scenario) if he just started showing up to events with beer in hand and continued to act totally normal.
 

Killerbeez

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
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Ellsworth, Maine
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They still have to gel. On paper, we didn't lose much from last year and have replaced them with equal or better players. You can't make me believe that losing Gryz, Heinen, and DeBrusk did this to us. I'll give you Ulmark leaving is a downgrade, but Korpi isn't playing that badly. Swayman missing camp undoubtedly is part of the problem.

All I care about is that they are firing on all cylinders in April and manage to win enough to get into the playoffs. Anything can happen from there.
 

mjhfb

Easier from up here
Dec 19, 2016
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A thousand miles from nowhere
Stars Goal #1 – Matt Duchene is allowed to skate into an empty space the size of Texas in the right circle. Freddy does chase but lacks the speed to get there before Duchene is able to receive and shoot.

Goal #4 – Pasta misreads a play and completely wrong-foots himself, allowing Oskar Back to get open unopposed in the low slot. Zadorov arguably doesn’t play this very well either, and Back scores.

Goal #5 – Lightning McQueen Evgenii Dadonov simply skates away from Zacha and his pathetic attempt at a stick check, and scores unmarked.

Goal #6 – Roope Hintz casually wanders into the low slot and out-muscles the bigger Carlo and Lohrei. Chip in past Sway.

Goal #7 – Keystone cops. Carlo in no-man's land. At least the game was well and truly gone by this point.

Four entirely preventable goals and one gong show caused by poor coverage, lack of effort and sheer doddle-headed failure to do the basics. Topped off by Sway playing deep and timid in most cases, although he is not the main problem. Unacceptable stuff in college hockey, let alone in the NHL. Bad tactics and lack of personnel are one thing, sheer carelessness and insipidity quite another.

The Bruins are now 3-6-1 or thereabouts against playoff contenders, depending on who exactly you count, and 26-44 on the scoresheet. Not good enough, not even close. The roster is flawed, the coaching is sub-standard, but the performance of the players is worst of all. The season is far from a lost cause because the east is so thoroughly mediocre. But if management have any actual ambitions beyond merely earning a few more one and done playoff dollars, they're not going to get there just by making the usual one or two deadline adds. Bigger and deeper change is needed. Time for Sweeney to start earning his $$$ and make some hard decisions.
The only thing I'll add is that is that its more than that. For example, goal #6 they cleanly lost the draw (ok it happens) then both Koepke and Frederic wave at Smith near the blue line with one hand on their stick and flyby allowing the puck to stay in and the 2 Bruins D to misplay it as you mention. I guess my point is I'm agreeing with you this is teamwide and Sweeney needs to address it. soon.
 

OldScool

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Nov 27, 2007
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Sway is not playing well. And you need only check the Korpi numbers to see better play, with the same D, is possible.


Might be that mental toughness matters, too. Sway is sitting inside a pressure cooker he and his agent built.
Look at the teams Korpi has played against....Flyers twice who are awful...Korpi has a .973 against them...saw a total of 38 shots vs them in TWO games. Sway saw 38 last night alone. Korpi played well vs Calgary hats off he played real well. Against Colorado, Florida, Carolina he has a .853 save percentage. So against the crap teams he has played well. Against the "good teams" he is .853.

Swayman isnt playing great but it's a team issue. No matter what goalie on the planet played for the Bruins last night they weren't winning that game.
 
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wintersej

Registered User
Nov 26, 2011
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North Andover, MA
They still have to gel. On paper, we didn't lose much from last year and have replaced them with equal or better players. You can't make me believe that losing Gryz, Heinen, and DeBrusk did this to us. I'll give you Ulmark leaving is a downgrade, but Korpi isn't playing that badly. Swayman missing camp undoubtedly is part of the problem.

All I care about is that they are firing on all cylinders in April and manage to win enough to get into the playoffs. Anything can happen from there.

I both agree and also think that we are past “wait around for it to happen” and are into “fire the coach and make a move to shake up the core” land. Core meaning not like Pasta or McAvoy but also someone that isn’t on the edge of the roster.

Look at the teams Korpi has played against....Flyers twice who are awful...Korpi has a .973 against them...saw a total of 38 shots vs them in TWO games. Sway saw 38 last night alone. Korpi played well vs Calgary hat off. Against Colorado, Florida, Carolina he has a .853 save percentage. So against the crap teams he has played well. Against the "good teams" he is .853.

Swayman isnt playing great but it's a team issue. No matter what goalie on the planet played for the Bruins last night they weren't winning that game.

They aren’t scoring enough to believe they can do it against the good teams. In the past the effort would still be there but now they are down to what teams did against us in 22-23 and giving up.
 

OldScool

Registered User
Nov 27, 2007
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I both agree and also think that we are past “wait around for it to happen” and are into “fire the coach and make a move to shake up the core” land. Core meaning not like Pasta or McAvoy but also someone that isn’t on the edge of the roster.



They aren’t scoring enough to believe they can do it against the good teams. In the past the effort would still be there but now they are down to what teams did against us in 22-23 and giving up.
It's evident that this team is a middle of the pack team. They aren't close to the top tier teams like Dallas or Florida. Watch those games its looks like the Bruins are a junior team playing against pro's. The pure fact is this team has some decent players but lack studs. Pasta is playing soft again and isnt a 200 foot player, Marchand has 200,000 miles on his body is wearing out before our eyes, McAvoy isnt playing well....the rest of guys are just average joes.

Well Korpisalo has a 2.72 avg and a 0.900 sv% with the same defence. Swayman is by no means playing great hockey after signing the big deal.
As I posted....

Look at the teams Korpi has played against....Flyers twice who are awful...Korpi has a .973 against them...saw a total of 38 shots vs them in TWO games. Sway saw 38 last night alone. Korpi played well vs Calgary hats off he played real well. Against Colorado, Florida, Carolina he has a .853 save percentage. So against the crap teams he has played well. Against the "good teams" he is .853.
 
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