Post-Game Talk: Game #29 - Time to face facts - This is not a good hockey team - Leafs 4 BRUINS 1 F

[Save By Thomas]

If I was Charlie I would contact Calgary and ask permission to talk to Brian Burke and offer him the keys.

LOL.............................

 

[the overrated]

Sweeney been here 1.5 years and he gets blamed for the lack of talent? Suggest you look at what is in the system as far as prospects now and compare it to the prospects Peter drafted and left the team with. Give Sweeney his 5 year window to build /rebuild a winner.

Yes, Sweeney is deserving of some of the blame for the lack of talent on the current Boston Bruins team. He definitely added talent to the prospect pool, but the NHL team is not more talented now than it was when he took over, and there's a case to be made that it's weaker now than it was when Chiarelli was dismissed.

And there's a strong argument that the former is deeper now because of the latter: he traded NHL talent for prospects, and then didn't do much to replace that NHL talent.

And I don't think the fans will be the ones that decide if Sweeney gets that full 5 year window. Another playoff DNQ will, IMHO, lead to a new team president, and that person might very well want a new GM instead of keeping the incumbent.

 

[whatsbruin]

We will disagree on the point of Julien still being the head coach, for everyone who wants him fired I have not heard one name who would replace him.

I don't understand this line of thinking. I don't follow ahl or minor leagues, but there has to be some coach they can give a chance to rather than some ex nhl retread. You know someone who might be innovative.

 

[Paddington]

I'm not as down on this team as many. What I mean is that my expectations for this year are pretty low. They have a lot of new young pieces in the lineup and more coming up in the next year or two. With that, you're going to see this team play well some nights and put up stinkers other nights. I think this team will get better as the year goes on, especially if they can get everybody healthy at the same time. Hopefully Vatrano's return can give them a little more top-9 depth. Unfortunately, they may dig themselves into a hole that they can't climb out of. If I see progress in this team, missing the playoffs will be easier to swallow. However, if they're in danger of missing the playoffs again I'm worried about Sweeny making a knee-jerk trade or two in the hopes of saving his job.

In short, I'm optimistic about the coming years and I'm able to accept the inconsistencies right now because it's part of the growth process. I still get frustrated at times but not nearly as much as in the last 2 seasons.

 

[JAD]

Yes, Sweeney is deserving of some of the blame for the lack of talent on the current Boston Bruins team. He definitely added talent to the prospect pool, but the NHL team is not more talented now than it was when he took over, and there's a case to be made that it's weaker now than it was when Chiarelli was dismissed.

And there's a strong argument that the former is deeper now because of the latter: he traded NHL talent for prospects, and then didn't do much to replace that NHL talent.

And I don't think the fans will be the ones that decide if Sweeney gets that full 5 year window. Another playoff DNQ will, IMHO, lead to a new team president, and that person might very well want a new GM instead of keeping the incumbent.

I'm sorry you feel that way.
Sweeney traded hamilton the only trade that didn't have a live body coming back. Don't forget Hamilton didn't want to stay here.
Lucci trade M. Jones, C. Miller, and a first. Jones did not want to be a backup. People have would have crucified Sweeney and Jones had he played behind that defense last year - we all saw Rask last year. Imagine if Sweeney had also traded Rask. Sweeney did trade Jones and brought back a first and a body. Great trade, unfortunately the sharks played far above anyone's expectations; their making the playoffs never mind the finals was totally unexpected. That's not Sweeney's fault.
R. Smith and Savard trade for Hayes looks not so good based on last year, this year is a wash so far. But again no one expected Hayes to be so inept for he had played halfway decent previously.
Backes I still think will be a good signing. Most all players have difficulty when they first get here. I said elsewhere give him 50 games to find his grove in this system.

Remember building without screwing up the cap is not easy. Building through the draft gives more cost control than FA signings.
Also have to keep in mind expansion. Trades are never as easy as people seem to think. Not an excuse but it is easy to get burned.

Give Sweeney time.

 

[BMC]

I can't believe people are surprised at the team's performance or lack thereof.

The emergence of Brandon Carlo & David Pastrnak notwithstanding we all knew this team had glaring holes going into the season. We knew that with an injection of rookies into the lineup there would be a problem with consistency, that one game they'd play like Cup winners and the next like ECHL rejects.

Why the mass freak out now?

 

[Fenway]

I can't believe people are surprised at the team's performance or lack thereof.

The emergence of Brandon Carlo & David Pastrnak notwithstanding we all knew this team had glaring holes going into the season. We knew that with an injection of rookies into the lineup there would be a problem with consistency, that one game they'd play like Cup winners and the next like ECHL rejects.

Why the mass freak out now?

Betsy you have a day to come up with a rant to save our season

 

[bossfan]

I can't believe people are surprised at the team's performance or lack thereof.

The emergence of Brandon Carlo & David Pastrnak notwithstanding we all knew this team had glaring holes going into the season. We knew that with an injection of rookies into the lineup there would be a problem with consistency, that one game they'd play like Cup winners and the next like ECHL rejects.

Why the mass freak out now?

I think that the mass freak out is that the team is failing because the veteran core is not doing anything to help the team and the backup goaltending is worse than expected.
The defense is better than expected although it is still not good and Tuukka is playing above expectation.

If the defense was playing as badly as we expected then I think there would be less complaining about this team. But with the better than expected defense it is Krejci, Bergeron (obviously playing with an injury), Marchand, Backes et al that is failing to pull this team above sea level.

 

[BMC]

Betsy you have a day to come up with a rant to save our season

No pressure

 

[Boston Bruno]

I am alone here but I miss the passion and hits from Looch.

There are players who care on the team.

Not alone.

Between the loss of Lucic and boychuck,we just don't do it with enough vigor.

People want boston to be like a high tempo nhl team, but that's not Bostons mo, and never has been. We are meant for up tempo boardwork and smashing.

That was the hope Backes would bring, but it just isn't materializing at the same level.
.

 

[the overrated]

I'm sorry you feel that way.
Sweeney traded hamilton the only trade that didn't have a live body coming back. Don't forget Hamilton didn't want to stay here.
Lucci trade M. Jones, C. Miller, and a first. Jones did not want to be a backup. People have would have crucified Sweeney and Jones had he played behind that defense last year - we all saw Rask last year. Imagine if Sweeney had also traded Rask. Sweeney did trade Jones and brought back a first and a body. Great trade, unfortunately the sharks played far above anyone's expectations; their making the playoffs never mind the finals was totally unexpected. That's not Sweeney's fault.
R. Smith and Savard trade for Hayes looks not so good based on last year, this year is a wash so far. But again no one expected Hayes to be so inept for he had played halfway decent previously.
Backes I still think will be a good signing. Most all players have difficulty when they first get here. I said elsewhere give him 50 games to find his grove in this system.

Remember building without screwing up the cap is not easy. Building through the draft gives more cost control than FA signings.
Also have to keep in mind expansion. Trades are never as easy as people seem to think. Not an excuse but it is easy to get burned.

Give Sweeney time.

I'm not sure that I agree that a trade that returns "a body" is the same as adding talent to the NHL level, so the Jones trade will have to get added to the list of deals that didn't bring NHL talent back to the team. And once the Jones addition & subtraction is added up, the end result was two NHL players out (Lucic & Hamilton) with only prospects & picks to show for them. So, yes, I do view that as weakening the NHL team to deepen the prospect pool.

And IMHO most of his other moves have been comparable to moving the chairs on the titanic - lots of lateral moves that don't make the team any better. Smith out/Hayes in. Eriksson out/Backes in. Seidenberg out/Liles re-signed. Decent-but-not-great 4th liners out/decent-but-not-great 4th liners in.

 

[VanIsle]

20th of 29 games with 2 goals or fewer.

What are the Bruins coaches players going to do to change this? Hopefully something as it is killing the fans love of the game.

 

[Number8]

20th of 29 games with 2 goals or fewer.

What are the Bruins coaches players going to do to change this? Hopefully something as it is killing the fans love of the game.

I'm of mixed mind, here. Obviously it's disappointing, but about par for what I expected.

Lots of calls for Julien's head but going into this season if someone told me we'd be tied for 7th best (3 teams) in Goals Against across the entire League at the 1/4 point I'd have probably laughed.

At the same time if someone had told me we'd be tied for 23rd (3 teams) in Goals For I'd probably have also laughed.

Alot of our team defense has been bolstered by Tuukka -- obviously. But not all of it.

Alot of our team offense has been bolstered by Pasta -- obviously. That said, with a team of Bergeron, Marchand, Backes, Krejci they are clearly underperforming.

Players just not firing on all cylinders? Too much emphasis on team defense? Poor complementary players allowing teams to focus and shut down our top lines?

I don't know.....