Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
"55 looks a lot better when the rest of the team plays with pace to cover his weakness."I'm not really following.
The Bruins have been chasing the puck and not getting the puck a lot. Getting the puck is far far far far far from Brazeau's strong point. He is not good at being first to pucks and never will be. He is not good at being someone that can transport the puck from the d-zone to the o-zone. He never will be.
But, he is very good at protecting the puck and doing good stuff with it if other people can get the puck.
When the Bruins can't get the puck and transition the puck and need all the help they can get getting the puck and transitioning the puck, 55 is making it worse.
If the Bruins can get the puck and get it into the o-zone, and get control of it in the o-zone, his game in the o-zone below the dots is very good.
Not sure what is reaching about that. All the reasons he wasn't even an afterthought as a potential NHLer are still true. IF the Bruins can put him in a situation to succeed, he very much can succeed. The Bruins of the first 10 games of the season were not doing that.
Doesn't everyone look better when the team plays with pace?
I don't really see it as a weakness, transitioning from D-zone to O-zone. Making smart plays, short passes is as effective as carrying the puck out. Compared to many of the other Bruins forwards, Brazeau is actually better at least getting the puck out of the defensive zone.