Post-Game Talk: GAME 21 - A SHOCKER in Columbus - Blue Jackets 5 BRUINS 2

[BiteThisBurrows]

I don't buy into this idea that the Lucic situation is in any way the reason for this slump at all. If it was Marchand or somebody who had been here all these years maybe but most of the guys on this team barely know Lucic at all and he only played a handful of games before the injury so he's no more a factor than say Brown getting waived off and on. He just wasn't that important despite the sentimentality of his coming back for us fans. Certainly not important enough for a collective team let down.

To me it's all on Monty now. Aside from the playoffs (which he dealt with poorly) he hasn't had a slump to get them out of so it's time to earn the big bucks they pay him. We've had a super strong leadership core for years and that always helped get us out of down bits so maybe this group isn't as good at it (maybe) but if so, that means it's all on the coach.

Time to get back to hard work lunch bucket straight ahead blue collar hockey. And for F#$k's sake HIT SOMEBODY once in a while.

 

[bobbyorr04]

Why do people say this about Neely all the time? Teams been mostly soft for years

Because Neely was one of the toughest, meanest SOB's in the league when he played

So, because of his playing days, I find it hard to believe that Neely is ok with how soft and unresponsive the Bruins have been playing

 

[Gordoff]

Because Neely was one of the toughest, meanest SOB's in the league when he played

So, because of his playing days, I find it hard to believe that Neely is ok with how soft and unresponsive the Bruins have been playing

Proof is in the pudding my friend. They haven't been "that" kind of team in almost a decade. In the past though, that was okay because they were so talented with PB & DK etc it covered up for any lack of deep physicality. Now however Monty hasn't got the luxury of 2 guys who were like player/coaches. He's got an assembly of damaged players whose best years are behind them, newbie's, big but gentle giants (Carlo, Coyle) and Jags. Poitras and Beecher are good young players, Pasta is depended upon to do it all in scoring, and even standing up for himself and other B's. The chickens have come home to roost.
The defense has McAvoy and Carlo, Gryz looks confused and/or injured. After that we have Shatts, Forbort and maybe a future star blue liner in Lohrei. The rest are filler. With no real big, talented BIG guys in the system, the lack of draft picks down the line is zilch.
We have 2 (usually) great goaltenders who are showing their flaws right now and not saving the teams ass on a nightly basis as Monty expects them to do to cover his lack of a true defensive system that demands accountability.
He was "successful" last year because of Bergeron but when the shit hit the fan in the playoffs, the emperor had no clothes. He inserted a still injured Patrice Bergeron and didn't have the brains/balls to pull Ullmark when it was fairly obvious that he was either injured or lacking.
They lack identity. These "nice guys" don't want to get their hands dirty, they don't have each others backs, they can't depend on each other to go to war, and NHL hockey is a war.
This season, the stellar play of the goaltenders, the jubilation of a new season and new Captain and the leadership and attitude of having Lucic on t he team are gone to the reality that there is much work to be done to keep this team a contender.
That work starts in the front office, but in the meantime, trades may need to be made, and if they don't work then Montys head will be the next to roll, maybe not until the post season though. If this is the new reality then we're in for a rough ride, if it's just a slump, maybe the Sweeney fills voids by TDL. If it's a season long downward trend, the TDL will be geared towards outfitting future B's teams.

 

[nORRis8]

We are in some ways like the leafs. Pretty to look at during the regular season, few guys pulling in some awards. A playoff team? Far from it.

Some scorned Bertuzzi when he left. I wanted him to stay. He had some nice chemistry with Pasta plus he upped his game in the playoffs.
Yes I wanted Hathaway to stay as well for obvious reasons.

 

[quietbruinfan]

From treasure to trash in just 3 games??...not likely, but they definitely lack heart and soul and toughness (and practice) the last 3 games

They are a better team than they showed tonight, (especially when playing with a lead), but when they're down a couple of goals they seem to lose confidence and start to panic (head coach included), then start running around like chickens with their heads cut off which only makes things worse.

Great teams don't panic when they're down a couple of goals because they have confidence in their ability and system to make a comeback.
The Bruins are not a great team, but not trash either.

They have to get back to basics, be more physical and have each others backs while employing their system (which they've totally gotten away from)

Slow as Molasses, charmin soft, dumb ...trash.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Wait so Gryz comes back and they look like shit? How many seasons are the B’s going to throw away insisting he is the answer to anything except 7th dman.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

Because Neely was one of the toughest, meanest SOB's in the league when he played

So, because of his playing days, I find it hard to believe that Neely is ok with how soft and unresponsive the Bruins have been playing

I'm sure he's not okay with it, but he also knows it's a different league now and speed is the main thing these days. We don't have that (overall) either.

 

[capecodder]

I have low standards. Wanted the B's to avoid getting stick worked three games in a row. Oh well

 

[KrejciWinger]

0-3 since scratching Oskar Steen

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Because Neely was one of the toughest, meanest SOB's in the league when he played

So, because of his playing days, I find it hard to believe that Neely is ok with how soft and unresponsive the Bruins have been playing

If the argument is that Neely would be upset with the players not sticking up for themselves and each other and not showing enough push back when opponents take liberties with them, then yeah I'd say he's got a fair point to make. No matter how meek and non-confrontational you may be as a player, there's no excuse for not having each others' backs and being too overtly pacifist.

But at the same time, Neely's both compromised and complicit in what the team's become. It's under his watch that Sweeney has steadily turned the team into a marshmallow. It's been trending that way for the best part of 6-7 years and the rot really set in post 2019-20. This hasn't happened overnight, it's been a long process. So while we all know what sort of player Cam was, which makes this all the more surprising, it seems impossible to draw any other conclusion than that he's been approving of the way his GM has shaped the team. Maybe he assumed the game would move more quickly and completely towards the speed/skill aspects than it has in reality, who knows? Even if Sweeney bears ultimate responsibility for the roster, Neely himself has no right to complain about it or to chastise players too much for not being other than what they are. He can hardly claim that this was unforeseeable.

I'm not sure what the solution is, or whether management even has any genuine interest in finding one. I don't think just adding one or two 'tough guys' is going to cut it, not on its own anyway. That didn't work with Hathaway, and even if things had turned out differently I'm not even sure it would have with Lucic. It's a cultural, systemic, more-or-less roster-wide thing. If the cattle are lacking in this area, and they surely are, how do you inject some snarl and bite and spine into them regardless? That's the challenge our coaches and senior players face.

 

[Carl Hungus]

If the argument is that Neely would be upset with the players not sticking up for themselves and each other and not showing enough push back when opponents take liberties with them, then yeah I'd say he's got a fair point to make. No matter how meek and non-confrontational you may be as a player, there's no excuse for not having each others' backs and being too overtly pacifist.

But at the same time, Neely's both compromised and complicit in what the team's become. It's under his watch that Sweeney has steadily turned the team into a marshmallow. It's been trending that way for the best part of 6-7 years and the rot really set in post 2019-20. This hasn't happened overnight, it's been a long process. So while we all know what sort of player Cam was, which makes this all the more surprising, it seems impossible to draw any other conclusion than that he's been approving of the way his GM has shaped the team. Maybe he assumed the game would move more quickly and completely towards the speed/skill aspects than it has in reality, who knows? Even if Sweeney bears ultimate responsibility for the roster, Neely himself has no right to complain about it or to chastise players too much for not being other than what they are. He can hardly claim that this was unforeseeable.

I'm not sure what the solution is, or whether management even has any genuine interest in finding one. I don't think just adding one or two 'tough guys' is going to cut it, not on its own anyway. That didn't work with Hathaway, and even if things had turned out differently I'm not even sure it would have with Lucic. It's a cultural, systemic, more-or-less roster-wide thing. If the cattle are lacking in this area, and they surely are, how do you inject some snarl and bite and spine into them regardless? That's the challenge our coaches and senior players face.

Spot on as usual

 

[albator71]

Hi guys, the Bruins are my second favorite team I used to be a big Bruins fan before the Sens came in the league, I just want to say don't worry Bruins will be fine you guys have such a solid structure there Bruins will bounce back. And look at it this way it could be worse you could be a Sens fan like me oh the horror!!!

 

[bruinsfan1970]

Not much to say about these last three games but when you have a chance to get out of a losing streak against a struggling team and you fail then something is wrong. If we lose the next game against the Sharks a team who has given up 90 goals but wait it looks like things have changed the Sharks are riding a 2-game winning streak. Interesting indeed!!!

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Bruins added size this offseason, Most of the forwards were pretty big. Guessing they envisioned Lucic and Brown banging on line 4, but Lucic has issues and Brown stinks. Geekie was added but was beat out by Poitras so now he's an also ran. Team felt they could use another Heinen type instead of more of a hammer guy. The top 4 defense is good, but Lindholm and Gryz are not physical players in the sense of making a statement. The Bruins toughest two two players arguably are their best players in McAvoy and Marchand who clearly has dialed it back due to captaincy and the eye of the league on him.

I honestly don't think they Bruins have any interest in icing a Florida, or Tampa type gritty team or they would have. They signed Lucic and presented him to the fans like they are dumb. The three "rugged" guys they signed have been replaced by Heinen, Poitras and Steen, which makes you clearly a better, and softer team.

 

[bbfan419]

Getting severely outplayed by the Jackets and shutdown by Spencer Martin is just not acceptable, this team has little offense beyond Pasta and Marchand, maybe Coyle this year, they also have zero physicality, they are softer than things found in a baby's diaper. You need to really add a lot if this team is to go anywhere this year.

 

[caz16]

Ugly hockey since the Dad's trip. Hmmm...almost like having the fathers along took their minds off something else. I don't care if most haven't played with Lucic for many games, it impacts you hugely when you work with someone in that situation. Marchand is a good friend and is the Captain, he is an emotional guy. Mental chatter is the worst, it is brutal to see friends in a domestic situation and this one is huge.

I know the team has flaws but the mental focus needed to play at the NHL level is crucial. Right now, they don't have that focus and to me the reason is pretty obvious.

I believe they will be fine, they will right the ship. Hopefully they start tomorrow.

 

[TSBruins13]

We need a goon.

 

[smithformeragent]

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Yup. The lack response after this then with Gudbranson coming over to Pasta.

Nothing after 73 was run into the boards.

Blue Jackets dominated the physical game tonight. B's did nothing

Absolutely embarrassing is what it is. The media needs to start calling out the team softness and Sweeney.

A good point no one went after Gudbranson on behalf of Pastrnak, let alone the goalie. Let alone the player shoving McAvoy into the boards.
Reeks of the season Rask was run repeatedly with no effort or response aside from "words" in interviews.

 

[FrankerC]

Whatever the case, I just find solace in the fact that we don't have to witness "the best regular season team in history" fall in the 1st round 2 years in a row. Maybe the 2nd or 3rd best. I'm not worried about this stretch. Its bound to happen.

 

[Yeti34]

0-3 since scratching Oskar Steen

Obviously sarcasm but he did bring constant effort and a willingness to hit. Tons of energy as well. To this fan he’s a better option than Lauko who often looks too complacent.

Hell I’d have him in there over heinen as well but that’s not going to happen

 

[JOKER 192]

Why do people say this about Neely all the time? Teams been mostly soft for years

It's kinda hard to think a player who played the way he did is OK with what we're seeing night in night out.

 

[Orr Fourever]

I'm starting to get concerned.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Absolutely embarrassing is what it is. The media needs to start calling out the team softness and Sweeney.

A good point no one went after Gudbranson on behalf of Pastrnak, let alone the goalie. Let alone the player shoving McAvoy into the boards.
Reeks of the season Rask was run repeatedly with no effort or response aside from "words" in interviews.

does the media even remember what tough hockey is? its been gone a long time, the culture has changed where being the nail and victim yearly is the new normal

 

[lopey]

This is called a slump. I think some forget thst it happens since we never had one last year. Marchy Pasta Mac most of the d are not playing well all at the same time. We were never as good as 14-1 but we are not this bad. I think we are somewhere in the middle