Post-Game Talk: GAME 51 - Bruins 3, Avalanche 1

[bobbyorr04]

Poitras can work on his skating in time, but the problem is still going to be in one piece to get there, I watch him with 37-year-old Marchand and 33 year old Coyle, and that kid is gassed halfway through his shift. I know he will make that nice play on occasion that shows skill, but to me this kid will never be a top 6, if a package deal needs an additional piece to make a deal to make this team better, he should be that piece, while he still holds value in some eyes.

I think Poitras will only get better and more valuable to the Bruins as he gains more muscle and gets more experience

He has great hockey sense that cannot be taught, and is one of those players I'd hate to see have a great career for another team

I have a good feeling about his development ....as a BRUIN

 

[bruinmann77]

I think Matt will be ok and hopefully Don does not trade that first

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I’m really surprised by the Geek and Vinni. Not sure how the stat thing you’re referencing works but I would say the geek Vinni Poitras excel speed/edge work in tight and average straight line. The Vinni thing really doesn’t make sense to me. Dude has wheels.

The Edge stats are more about raw speed and the frequency with which it's used. So they ironically, given the name, tend not to favor those guys with great edges who are very nimble but not necessarily outright fast skaters like the ones you mentioned. That's a different sort of skill. Same goes for Marchand.

With Lattieri it's also a pretty small sample size this year, to be fair. Previous years show more of the speed you're talking about. He's done a pretty reasonable job for us so far.

 

[bruins19]

That's a great comparison. He's also a very similar build to Kase (actually, even a bit smaller).

Definitely a concern as he's trying to make it professionally. So many skilled guys get away with being smaller and more vulnerable at lower levels because they're just able to out-skill and outskate their competition. Certainly don't want to give up on the guy, but from my relatively limited viewing, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed that, while the vision is still there, the strength and power hasn't moved an inch to me eye which is where he needs to improve if he wants to stick as an NHL player. He doesn't have sthe option of settling into being a grinder given his size and style, so his path to consistent success does seem like a pretty steep incline.

Every team has a strength and conditioning coach and at least a skating consultant if not a coach. He should be wearing them both out.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Poitras can work on his skating in time, but the problem is still going to be in one piece to get there, I watch him with 37-year-old Marchand and 33 year old Coyle, and that kid is gassed halfway through his shift. I know he will make that nice play on occasion that shows skill, but to me this kid will never be a top 6, if a package deal needs an additional piece to make a deal to make this team better, he should be that piece, while he still holds value in some eyes.

Yeah, I have definitely noticed he gets tired quickly.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Great win.

Tough game for Poitras I thought. It felt like every time his line had a 3on2 he'd get closed on quickly, carry the puck into a dead end and turn it over. That's actually what happened preceded Colorado's goal. Growing pains I suppose.

Swayman was excellent. Nice to see him rebound after Jersey.

Zadorov threw some massive hits today. He played over 20 minutes again and was +2.

Peeke has played over 20 minutes in each of the last 6 and is a +5 in that span.

The only line that didn't allow more shot attempts than they generated, was Frederic-Lindholm-Lettieri. They were 8-7. The Zacha line got buried 8-19.

I noticed the same thing with Poitras. Multiple times he'd skate into a corner, get buried for his trouble, cough up the puck and that was that. The Avs players were simply too fast and he too slow for him to work down low and then have time to make plays from there. But he kept doing it.

I really like the kid, but I worry about him. The path for him for thrive at this level given his particular skill set and relative lack of speed is so narrow. He's still learning and we need to be patient, and he definitely has the right attitude, but it's going to be an uphill battle for sure.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I remember #16 and was at the game when they clinched the pennant in 67 and Yaz won the triple crown.

I was at the game Saturday when Yaz hit #44 and Killebrew did to. I remember I got the tickets in August at Filene's.

 

[mjhfb]

I noticed the same thing with Poitras. Multiple times he'd skate into a corner, get buried for his trouble, cough up the puck and that was that. The Avs players were simply too fast and he too slow for him to work down low and then have time to make plays from there. But he kept doing it.

I really like the kid, but I worry about him. The path for him for thrive at this level given his particular skill set and relative lack of speed is so narrow. He's still learning and we need to be patient, and he definitely has the right attitude, but it's going to be an uphill battle for sure.

One small thing I noticed is Poitras seems to bring the puck to his backhand a lot and get hit turning with his head low. He should learn from Marchand, another small player, how to work in tight near the boards and bring yourself into a better position. Poitras is pretty skilled and makes nice backhand passes but pays a price. Would like to see him get more like Marchand in tight. In his prime no one in the league stopped and cut to his forehand better than Marchand.

 

[BlackFrancis]

I’m really surprised by the Geek and Vinni. Not sure how the stat thing you’re referencing works but I would say the geek Vinni Poitras excel speed/edge work in tight and average straight line. The Vinni thing really doesn’t make sense to me. Dude has wheels.

I said it at the start of last season that Geekie is surprising fast, straight line, for someone who has been called a slow boat. His acceleration, though - Jesus Slow Ass Christ.

 

[hrdpuk]

I think Poitras will only get better and more valuable to the Bruins as he gains more muscle and gets more experience

He has great hockey sense that cannot be taught, and is one of those players I'd hate to see have a great career for another team

I have a good feeling about his development ....as a BRUIN

He needs to follow Marchand's regimen for getting in shape

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

One small thing I noticed is Poitras seems to bring the puck to his backhand a lot and get hit turning with his head low. He should learn from Marchand, another small player, how to work in tight near the boards and bring yourself into a better position. Poitras is pretty skilled and makes nice backhand passes but pays a price. Would like to see him get more like Marchand in tight. In his prime no one in the league stopped and cut to his forehand better than Marchand.

Poitras too often tries a Marchand pull up move to pass to an open trailing teammate but is too predictable or outmuscled before he can complete the play.

Marchand was elite at it and so many other things.

 

[bobbyorr04]

He needs to follow Marchand's regimen for getting in shape

Who knows, maybe he is ..but he's not as tough or feisty as Marchand

..but if I'm not mistaken Marchand spent a full season and a half in Providence before getting called up to the big B's

..so Poitras is either ahead of schedule or was brought up earlier than he should've due to necessity

 

[DKH]

Geekie is either getting a big raise or the bruins getting back a high draft choice

Per an article in the Athletic yesterday the Bruins are trying to find a forward on another team maybe boxed out a bit - like Kaako was they can replicate Geekie

He’s not going anywhere

 

[wintersej]

The Jekyll and Hyde Bruins continue. I don't think their lack of both foot speed and playing speed this season has ever been more apparent than it was in the first 40 here. They looked positively beer league compared the Avs, constantly flat-footed and chasing after flying opposition players. And on top of that they couldn't string two passes together. It was a miracle, plus some decent shot-blocking and Sway calmness it must be said, that they went into the 2nd intermission only 1-0 down.

Then Pasta and Geekie, with good support from Zacha, went to work again. They are playing some fantastic hockey at the moment, and basically carrying the team offensively. Surely not sustainable, but good on them and it's great to watch the chemistry they have at the moment. Caught the Avs unawares, and they never recovered. The defense dug in pretty well, and that was that. Another home win, another where they don't look the better team but they find a way. Not really instilling too much more hope in me yet, but they are hanging around and they keep battling, have to acknowledge that.

And just on the discussion on how slow or not the Bruins are, yeah they're slow, objectively so. Here is the NHL Edge profile for the team as a whole. One of the very slowest average top skating speeds in the league. Not so bad on the burst, but still in the lower half. Interestingly though, despite that they cover more ground than most. So this is a team that works hard, most of the time. Credit to them for that. But the lack of pace is undeniable, and it does translate into their ability to make plays with speed too. Just how detrimental that is is debatable, but it's a factor they have to contend with.

View attachment 967128

The skating distance is because they are chasing the play a lot.