Post-Game Talk: GAME 40 - No Miracle On 34th Street - NYR 2 BRUINS 1

[Aussie Bruin]

I'm still shaking as I faced a wrong-way driver on I 84 in CT just south of Sturbridge

That's horrible. I hope the driver is apprehended and hasn't caused any accidents. Glad you came out of it safely.

 

[Blowfish]

I'm still shaking as I faced a wrong-way driver on I 84 in CT just south of Sturbridge

Yikers! I’m guessing the driver was Freddy?

 

[NDiesel]

Another snoozefest where we can't buy a goal. Frustrating to watch

 

[Aussie Bruin]

The kicker is, because so much of the physical part of the game has been phased out, when a team is not putting up arcade style offense, the product is incredibly boring.

It’s too bad because I want to love watching the sport I love, but right now college football is a far superior product.

This team wears the Bruins’ uniforms, but they do not at all remind me of the Boston Bruins.

Jack Edwards often used to ask, "how's your entertainment factor?" Not great Jack, not great. Must say first off that I'm not as down on the league-wide product as some are. I just finished watching a replay of the Avs beating the Sabres 6-5 in OT and it was a great game that would have been considered entertaining in any era - it was feisty and physical, the two teams clearly disliked each other despite being in different conferences, it was fast and there were some quality skills and scoring on display. Buffalo are not very good but they brought it here, until they shit themselves at the end and blew a 2-goal lead late. There are games most weeks at least approaching that caliber, so there is still good, perfectly watchable hockey to be found as long as you accept that certain aspects of the game have changed forever.

But the problem of course is in a 32-team league, all of them playing 82 games each, there's an awful lot of games that are middling to dull to outright awful. The quality of most of the rosters is being increasingly diluted, the nightly stakes are lowered, and the steady erasure of physicality and hate from the game means, as you said, that if the offense and playmaking aren't clicking, games can get boring fast as little else is filling the breach. Most major leagues in this modern world suffer from this over-saturation of content and sacrifice of quality for quantity. And if you only follow and primarily watch one team, and that team is consistently playing dull hockey, then yeah, your entertainment value is going to sink pretty fast. All the more so if they develop a habit of losing.

When the Bruins' offense does show up, they can be a fun team to watch. But when it doesn't, which is clearly a lot more often than not this year, they get stodgy fast and don't offer too much else. Sweeney has built a boring roster and one that is really off trend compared to most of the rest of the league and the direction of the game. If it was effective purely in terms of getting results you could get away with it. When it's not, you've got two problems for the price of one. And there are no quick fixes for either of them.

 

[aguineapig72]

Jack Edwards often used to ask, "how's your entertainment factor?" Not great Jack, not great.

"Are you not entertained?"

"No, I are not"

 

[Orr Fourever]

Bruins didn't start Quick enough. See what I did there...Hahahahahaha

 

[LouJersey]

Sell

Check the markets for Coyle, Freddy, Geekie and Brazeau and get futures and younger NHL'ers you can maybe fit into the peripheral core. Call up Poitras and Lysell and get them experience. Keep the D and G as is.

 

[Terrier]

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Just so frustraiing, Should have gotten 3 if not 4 points from the 2 games, and instead 2 straight games where they were the better team, and gave the game away with some poor first period defense/goaltending, and couldn't buy a goal

 

[Ladyfan]

The guys are working hard, but at some point, the hard work without the wins will demoralize them into no longer putting in the effort.

The construction/chemistry of this team is just not good.

Too many 3d and 4th line players.

D is not so good

goaltending not as good as it should be

 

[Ladyfan]

Need a trade a la 1997 when they dealt Oates/Ranford/Tocchet for high picks and blue chip prospects.

Deal Pastrnak for a blue chip center prospect, top end winger prospect and 1st rounder from a bottom 10 team and sign me up.

Stupid to trade one of the best.

 

[Ladyfan]

Quick stole this one I think. Old man still has it.

He was really good. If it weren't against the Bs I would be happy for him

Yes. That’s what Happens when you only have 2 legit top 6 forwards in your lineup. Your going to get goalied often.

This!

 

[Fenian24]

Wow, this is what the speed and skill lovers wanted huh? This is what no contact, non physical hockey looks like, a cure for insomnia unless you have McDavid or a star of that level to watch.

Gotta love analytics that will tell me this snoozefest was entertaining.

 

[Healthy Wrap]

Wow, this is what the speed and skill lovers wanted huh? This is what no contact, non physical hockey looks like, a cure for insomnia unless you have McDavid or a star of that level to watch.

Gotta love analytics that will tell me this snoozefest was entertaining.

Huh? Have you watched the games this year? The Bruins are seriously lacking in the speed and skill departments. That’s why they can’t score!

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Sell

Check the markets for Coyle, Freddy, Geekie and Brazeau and get futures and younger NHL'ers you can maybe fit into the peripheral core. Call up Poitras and Lysell and get them experience. Keep the D and G as is.

I would sell on Carlo as well. A team would over pay.

Jack Edwards often used to ask, "how's your entertainment factor?" Not great Jack, not great. Must say first off that I'm not as down on the league-wide product as some are. I just finished watching a replay of the Avs beating the Sabres 6-5 in OT and it was a great game that would have been considered entertaining in any era - it was feisty and physical, the two teams clearly disliked each other despite being in different conferences, it was fast and there were some quality skills and scoring on display. Buffalo are not very good but they brought it here, until they shit themselves at the end and blew a 2-goal lead late. There are games most weeks at least approaching that caliber, so there is still good, perfectly watchable hockey to be found as long as you accept that certain aspects of the game have changed forever.

But the problem of course is in a 32-team league, all of them playing 82 games each, there's an awful lot of games that are middling to dull to outright awful. The quality of most of the rosters is being increasingly diluted, the nightly stakes are lowered, and the steady erasure of physicality and hate from the game means, as you said, that if the offense and playmaking aren't clicking, games can get boring fast as little else is filling the breach. Most major leagues in this modern world suffer from this over-saturation of content and sacrifice of quality for quantity. And if you only follow and primarily watch one team, and that team is consistently playing dull hockey, then yeah, your entertainment value is going to sink pretty fast. All the more so if they develop a habit of losing.

When the Bruins' offense does show up, they can be a fun team to watch. But when it doesn't, which is clearly a lot more often than not this year, they get stodgy fast and don't offer too much else. Sweeney has built a boring roster and one that is really off trend compared to most of the rest of the league and the direction of the game. If it was effective purely in terms of getting results you could get away with it. When it's not, you've got two problems for the price of one. And there are no quick fixes for either of them.

The NHL shoots itself in the foot with the schedule. 7-8 divisional rivalry games vs playing Coyotes or Seattle, Columbus, etc. Would go a long way to add emotion and entertainment even to a game 47 on a Monday night. Even this disinterested Boston roster would have to engage then.

 

[since76]

Need a trade a la 1997 when they dealt Oates/Ranford/Tocchet for high picks and blue chip prospects.

Deal Pastrnak for a blue chip center prospect, top end winger prospect and 1st rounder from a bottom 10 team and sign me up.

so
, another 4 quarters for a dollar trade ! it worked so well with thorton and seguin wow wow wow !!! can one time every 10 yearss bruins could get the best player in a trade ? they have « blue chip » to built 6 teams you want more ???
never ever enought of 20 pts seasons guys ))))) funny and sad ….

 

[NeelyDan]

the worst decision is indecision - need to commit to a potentially painful path in order to have a brighter future - there truly is no other way forward in my opinion

 

[Therewolf31]

They are getting harder and harder to watch for sure. Every game same basic script.

They are so incredibly inept in the offensive zone it's almost laughable. Can't pass, can't shoot, can't aim, but boy can they make opposing goalies look like stars.

Same old song almost every game.

They will be out of a playoff spot shortly ......

 

[BruinDust]

Goals per game 32nd ranked offense - Nashville (91 goals in 38) = 2.39

Goals per game by Bruins minus games vs. Cayden Primeau (91 goals in 38) = 2.39

Goals per game by Bruins last 35 games (83 in 35) = 2.37

Wow, this is what the speed and skill lovers wanted huh? This is what no contact, non physical hockey looks like, a cure for insomnia unless you have McDavid or a star of that level to watch.

Gotta love analytics that will tell me this snoozefest was entertaining.

What a bunch of baloney. Sweeney went out and built exactly the team you wanted to see. 2nd in hits in the entire league behind only Florida. Tied for 2nd in fights with 14.

Nashville are 1st in fights with 15 and 5th in hits and they can't put the puck in an ocean either. Just like the Bruins.

Meanwhile, Carolina have just 1 fight this season and are 25th in hits and they lay waste to this Bruins team.

I would sell on Carlo as well. A team would over pay.


The NHL shoots itself in the foot with the schedule. 7-8 divisional rivalry games vs playing Coyotes or Seattle, Columbus, etc. Would go a long way to add emotion and entertainment even to a game 47 on a Monday night. Even this disinterested Boston roster would have to engage then.

NHL isn't about to have 50-60 in-division games and you can't expect teams to get up for 7 different divisional opponents no matter how much they play each other.

Now if the NHL went to smaller divisions it could make sense, but not with 8 team divisions.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Need a trade a la 1997 when they dealt Oates/Ranford/Tocchet for high picks and blue chip prospects.

Deal Pastrnak for a blue chip center prospect, top end winger prospect and 1st rounder from a bottom 10 team and sign me up.

It's not 1997 any more, and Pasta would need to happily accept a trade to a bottom 10 team, or more realistically you'd need to find a top contender who had a top 10 pick waiting for them.

Ranford was 37, Adam Oates was 34, and Tocchet 32 when they dealt them . And of course Boston was arguably the worst team in hockey when they traded them

Boston certainly made out like bandits in the deal.

 

[Boston Bandit]

I do say, sir, that was excellent.
But if Swayman is sleeping, that means most of his teammates are in a coma.

 

[BMC]

Nobody here can seriously think investing in Chris Kreider would be wise lol

Neither him nor Zibanejad.

 

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Can’t blame the goalie if you only score one goal.
The festival of icings is inexcusable - talk about breaking any momentum!
Something is off with our passing, why? There’s a lack of focus that I can’t quite explain. How hard it must be to coach such a bewildering team…

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

The kicker is, because so much of the physical part of the game has been phased out, when a team is not putting up arcade style offense, the product is incredibly boring.

It’s too bad because I want to love watching the sport I love, but right now college football is a far superior product.

This team wears the Bruins’ uniforms, but they do not at all remind me of the Boston Bruins.

Agreed

When I compare this team to 2007-2008 or 2009, those years were way more entertaining even with the lack of scoring. Part of it was the novelty of the Bruins being somewhat good, but they were a lot more entertaining with heir physical play as well.

 

[bwunderlich]

Thats a game where Coyle and Zacha should have dominated and they were awful.
TFred, next to Pasta's great pass, was the best player on the Bruins.

I prefer Oesterle in there.

Oliver W looks cooked. I'd send him down and let him try and find his game. If claimed so be it.

Lou hits the point. Coyle and Tfred I agree, what can you get? I'd keep Geekie and Brazzos, I don't know what to do with him. Merk and Matty P can easily fill those holes.

Show everyone clips of TFred's puck possession game last night. Market that!