Post-Game Talk: Habs win again 3-1 Rivalry my aching ***

[TheReal13Linseman]

it's just that when an actual dick comes and trolls, then yeah, he should be dumped on, but when others come to the board with a genuine and non-inflammatory post, it takes things to a place they don't need to go.

just my opinion.

 

[Shoebottom]

While i agree with much of your post... i think Chia can clearly see the writing on the wall. Regardless of his personal tastes/opinions about how a championship hockey team should be built, as a GM it's gotta be hard to ignore the rapid steps being taken to lessen -- even eliminate altogether -- the role of tough guys/enforcers in the game.

When Mike Milbury starts talking about the danger of fighting (channeling his NBCSN bosses) and the "unacceptable risks" involved with that aspect of the game, or allowing that aspect to remain, then you know the Bruins teams of yesteryear were modeled on an outdated blueprint.

It's not that the Bruin mentality is wrong... just that they are eliminating the value of a Shawn Thornton, for example, and the role of such players in a SC Playoff run.

I liken it to when YouTube, Google, Yahoo, etc. ask if you want to switch to a new format or allow a certain new feature to be used. They give you an option at first, always. Then they keep asking you... making sure to tell you why you should, while presenting the "No Thanks" option in as small of a font as possible/legal.

This goes on for a bit. Then, one day the new format/feature quietly and unceremoniously becomes the default. No questions, not even a statement usually. They just wanted you to THINK or FEEL LIKE you had any choice in the matter -- in fact, the decision was made a long time ago. That is how i feel this will play out with Bettman and the NHL.

Chia may have realized his formula for success is based on the soon-to-be [or becoming] obsolete way of building/maintaining a hockey team. So rather than make wholesale changes all at once... this is a process. The team is slowly changing whether Chia really believes in this change or not. Fact is, the LEAGUE is changing.

He probably realizes what you said about there being no point paying someone for a role that will only serve to hurt the team in the long run. I have no idea how he feels about this but he is a businessman and times are changing...

"Chia's personal journey for the truth"

Another good post I totally agree with. Said so a while back when Chia started talking about a "new direction". The weight of the law suits combined with their own personal conscience & scientific data has to be pushing the Bruins in that direction. But I still would've liked Chia to hit the postpone button and take advantage of Chara's & Lucic's qualities for a couple of more years. And I'm not talking about goons like Boliq, Nolan or Carcillo, but guys like M.Foligno, Kassian. Hybrids like that. This team needs that to be successful. This team doesn't have the speedy talent to go the other way just yet, especially after giving up Seguin.

 

[mikelvl]

And Chiarelli's solution to this teams problems is going to be a 2nd tier right winger, no mention of addressing the gaping hole on defense where the first injury that will most definitely occur will result in Matt Bartkowski being thrown in the breach.

No doubt the winger will be a Stewart or a Ryder type, another plowhorse to blend in perfectly with the rest of the grinders.

This mess is on him.

 

[BNHL]

That game last night was a depressing reality check as to where the Bruins really stand. They cannot beat that team on their best day and that sucks.

Did they have their best day?

 

[Shoebottom]

Hi Habs fan here totally in peace...

The Bruins are our biggest rival BAR NONE I was excited all weekend for the matchup.

The Emelin/Lucic.....Weise/Lucic side plots are just gravy to go with the biscuits.

The Leafs are just putrid and have not been the Habs biggest rival for years even decades.

One of these years the numbers are going to start regressing to the mean and Rask is gonna run a long string of wins on us.

Not looking forward to that.

Anyway GG and good luck the rest of the way guys. Hopefully we get to see some of that legendary nastiness in the playoffs.

That's the problem. Its Lucic vs Subban, Weise, Emelin etc. Bruins don't have anybody else to sub in for Lucic.

 

[Sea Bass Neely]

I have to point out a couple things. Ever since the Chara and Max incident, Chara has been a shell of himself. I genuinely think that that hit really scared him. The guy is ****ing huge and can literally destroy anyone in this league and I think he knows it. So he's been holding back ever since. Gone are the days of that bomb from the point, the rag dolling of Gary Roberts and lecavalier. Chara has been done as a terror of the back end since then. And this has begun the identity crisis stage of the bruins. Maybe think of bringing back that mustachioed coach you guys had before julien? Dave Lewis? Kidding! He was awful.

Following that, the loss of boychuck and ference (I hated that guy) even iginla took away some of that passion.

Sure, you can blame the league for robbing " the bruins of their identity but I sincerely think that's a cop out. The year that followed the bruins first cup year recently, the Kings won it with the same style of game. The league does not shy on tough play. They disapprove of cheap shots. The bruins got away from their identity because they lost the players that were that identity.

Honestly, lucic has a screw loose in his head and the league probably is a little worried he might mcsorley someone. This would explain the extreme prejudice he's faced with now. I you'mean you re pretty dumb to say things like I'll ****ing kill you next year during a handshake. The league keeps a close watch on that sort of thing.

The brain thrust needs to recognize that the window has closed and it's time to start over. It's a shame you guys traded seguin because that would have been a fantastic starting piece. Might be worth considering moving Chara while you still can. I'm sure he could fetch good starting pieces.

Funny you mention that about Chara. The VERY FIRST thread i started on HFboards was a long and detailed piece written in the aftermath of the SCF loss to Chicago.

In short, i basically put forward a case for trading Chara before he reached the age where a rapid, acute decline was possible or even LIKELY. I stated in the post that Z's value would never be higher from that point forward than it was after making a solid run at a 2nd cup in three seasons.

I honestly believe we could have got back pieces in return, the total value of which would exceed the value Chara provides this Bruins team today. We had a chance to sell high on Chara, after receiving the man's very best years/NHL performances.

Instead we traded Seguin... and i won't debate the merits of that as it has been discussed ad nauseam. Hindsight is 20/20, obviously, but i feel like letting Big Z become a shell of his former self WHILE IN A B's UNIFORM is just a sad sight to behold. For a Bruins fan, anyhow

PS- to echo myself in June 2013 "I can see Chara rapidly going from a quality asset on an NHL team, to an outright liability... and i can see this transitioning happening in almost an instant"

 

[Hali33]

I never actually believed this roster couldn't beat the Habs until last night.

I really thought they would come out and play hard to prevent the sweep. What I got was the same crap we got in game 7. They don't give themselves a chance to win with a bunch of perimeter shots and odd man rushes the other way.

The reality is this is a team we have to be able to beat with the new playoff format. The record is so skewed recently you can't ignore or excuse it. We have to adapt our roster and our gameplan. It doesn't mean going nuts and blowing it up.

But I don't know how many times you watch this team play the exact same way against them to tell you this isn't gonna work.

 

[Shoebottom]

Seeing Max Pacioretty dash after that pass and deposit it skilllfully behind Rask sadly reminds me of the ill fated 2007 draft and the B's pick at #7, Zack Hamill. I know it's crying over spilled milk. We often talk about Logan Couture, drafted just after Hamill. But Max went #23, while Kevin Shattenkirk went in the teens. David Perron went after Max. What a shame!

I hate Max Pac and his arrogant smile. Guy has talent, but he rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Sheppy]

That's the problem. Its Lucic vs Subban, Weise, Emelin etc. Bruins don't have anybody else to sub in for Lucic.

Right now it's Lucic vs no one to be honest, let alone 3 guys. This team just flat out doesn't have a set of grapefruits anymore. It's sad, and it's tough to watch them just go out there and lay an egg without any pushing or shoving against a team that's supposed to be your biggest rival.

They get more excited to play a team like Florida it seems.

 

[Shoebottom]

Funny you mention that about Chara. The VERY FIRST thread i started on HFboards was a long and detailed piece written in the aftermath of the SCF loss to Chicago.

In short, i basically put forward a case for trading Chara before he reached the age where a rapid, acute decline was possible or even LIKELY. I stated in the post that Z's value would never be higher from that point forward than it was after making a solid run at a 2nd cup in three seasons.

I honestly believe we could have got back pieces in return, the total value of which would exceed the value Chara provides this Bruins team today. We had a chance to sell high on Chara, after receiving the man's very best years/NHL performances.

Instead we traded Seguin... and i won't debate the merits of that as it has been discussed ad nauseam. Hindsight is 20/20, obviously, but i feel like letting Big Z become a shell of his former self WHILE IN A B's UNIFORM is just a sad sight to behold. For a Bruins fan, anyhow

PS- to echo myself in June 2013 "I can see Chara rapidly going from a quality asset on an NHL team, to an outright liability... and i can see this transitioning happening in almost an instant"

I don't think Chara is a liability yet, not even close. The guy has come back from a major injury and I'm sure is still catching up. Plus the team has played much better ever since he came back. Still has a while before he becomes a shell of his former self.

 

[Bmessy]

McQuaid is not a top 4 defenseman
Miller shouldnt be playing 22 mins a night ever
Hamilton should be your 4th option since his decision making isn't consistent enough
Smith isn't very good this year
the 4th line is in shambles but still gets 10 minutes a night
ugh

 

[hubey]

The only positive out of last night's game was that Rask played well against the habs and gave the team a chance to win.

But we need our leaders to step up their games against Montreal. Chara had a terrible game and Bergy was also below average. Claude also needs to quit being so stubborn and realize his same old system will not beat that team.

 

[Sea Bass Neely]

I hate Max Pac and his arrogant smile. Guy has talent, but he rubs me the wrong way.

Lol he really does always have that "guess what i just got away with" look. Could you imagine your wife/girlfriend talking about this nice guy named Max that she has lunch with sometime at work?

Then, months later you meet this Max character at her company Christmas party... and as your wife/girlfriend finally introduces him you see THAT FACE SMIRKING AT YOU as you grill him during "the handshake"??

Max Pacioretty: "Oh yeah your better half is always talking about you. So nice to finally meet you" As he smiles... innocently?

Meanwhile, you are now convinced your significant other is playing you for a fool. All thanks to her co-worker's facial muscles heh heh

 

[robert terwilliger]

Lol he really does always have that "guess what i just got away with" look. Could you imagine your wife/girlfriend talking about this nice guy named Max that she has lunch with sometime at work?

Then, months later you meet this Max character at her company Christmas party... and as your wife/girlfriend finally introduces him you see THAT FACE SMIRKING AT YOU as you grill him during "the handshake"??

Max Pacioretty: "Oh yeah your better half is always talking about you. So nice to finally meet you" As he smiles... innocently?

Meanwhile, you are now convinced your significant other is playing you for a fool. All thanks to her co-worker's facial muscles heh heh

holy smokes.

 

[The n00b King]

Chara has been a shell of himself since the Pacioretty hit? Are you kidding me?! So he was a shell of himself when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup and when they went to the Finals two years after that? That's a ridiculous statement.

I don't mean to say he was worse defensively. I mean in terms of aggression. What made him mean and terrified oppositions. That's gone. No one is afraid of Chara anymore. And yes, even those two years. It's just a hell of a lot more obvious now with boychuk, ference and s. Thornton gone. And as stated by the previous poster, he's been rapidly declining defensively as well.

 

[Sea Bass Neely]

I don't think Chara is a liability yet, not even close. The guy has come back from a major injury and I'm sure is still catching up. Plus the team has played much better ever since he came back. Still has a while before he becomes a shell of his former self.

I should have specified that this was only a hunch. And it isn't to suggest that he has officially BECOME a shell of his former self... but i'd be lying if i didn't get the impression he is well on his way.

The time to get maximum value in return for him has sailed IMO. Hopefully it's just injury rust, i would like to be wrong about this.

 

[BklyNBruiN]

I hate Max Pac and his arrogant smile. Guy has talent, but he rubs me the wrong way.

Me to.

 

[bb_fan]

Smith has skill, he makes incredible, individual plays on occasion, but I think he has 'settle in' too much. He needs to push himself to be a difference maker, not a passenger. Playing with Bergy and Marchand may have spoiled him.

can't push yourself to be something you aren't though.

 

[sarge88]

I hate Max Pac and his arrogant smile. Guy has talent, but he rubs me the wrong way.

If he was my kid, I'd still want to punch him in his smug face.

 

[SPLBRUIN]

This crap about the B's losing to Montreal because of their team speed is a pile of crap, sure Montreal is much quicker then Boston but so are teams like the NY Rangers, NYI, Tampa, Detroit, etc and we do fine against them, I would argue that all of those teams are quicker then the Habs, at the least NYR & the Isles. It just that when we play Montreal we are tentative, nervous while they play with a ton of confidence against us, Julien has to find a way to get our team to play like they do against those other speedy teams. I can live losing games to those guys but at the least we should make Price work for it, just about everybody else who plays Montreal tends to outchance them, why aren't we, watch some freaking film and figure this out.

 

[Shoebottom]

Lol he really does always have that "guess what i just got away with" look. Could you imagine your wife/girlfriend talking about this nice guy named Max that she has lunch with sometime at work?

Then, months later you meet this Max character at her company Christmas party... and as your wife/girlfriend finally introduces him you see THAT FACE SMIRKING AT YOU as you grill him during "the handshake"??

Max Pacioretty: "Oh yeah your better half is always talking about you. So nice to finally meet you" As he smiles... innocently?

Meanwhile, you are now convinced your significant other is playing you for a fool. All thanks to her co-worker's facial muscles heh heh

Too detailed for my imagination. Making my blood boil already lol.

 

[Buckets and Gloves]

If that's the case, Lucic should take a boxing class or something to get the pent out aggression out of him. He really does have too much testosterone in him and he turns into such an idiot, and a liability to the Bruins over nothing.

Emelin runs around making questionable hits and never owns up to it. He is a dirty player.

Don't give me "b-b-but he has a metal plate and a punch can kill him" if that's the case a 100 mph slap shot to head can kill him too and perhaps shouldn't be playing hockey if that's the case

 

[Shoebottom]

I should have specified that this was only a hunch. And it isn't to suggest that he has officially BECOME a shell of his former self... but i'd be lying if i didn't get the impression he is well on his way.

The time to get maximum value in return for him has sailed IMO. Hopefully it's just injury rust, i would like to be wrong about this.

You're right about his maximum value no doubt. And he is slowing down, though not overnight IMO. And you are right, this team would have been totally different had we traded Lucic & Chara back then while keeping Seguin and rebuilding on the run, but Chia chose this road and he should've continued on it till the end (when Chara becomes a shell) instead of changing directions this season.

 

[Ratty]

I hate Max Pac and his arrogant smile. Guy has talent, but he rubs me the wrong way.

Bet you'd love to have him on your team! Some say the same about Subban. Wouldn't he look good in Boston livery?

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

This crap about the B's losing to Montreal because of their team speed is a pile of crap, sure Montreal is much quicker then Boston but so are teams like the NY Rangers, NYI, Tampa, Detroit, etc and we do fine against them, I would argue that all of those teams are quicker then the Habs, at the least NYR & the Isles. It just that when we play Montreal we are tentative, nervous while they play with a ton of confidence against us, Julien has to find a way to get our team to play like they do against those other speedy teams. I can live losing games to those guys but at the least we should make Price work for it, just about everybody else who plays Montreal tends to outchance them, why aren't we, watch some freaking film and figure this out.

You really think we win a series against the Rangers, Tampa or Detroit with this year's model? I think that is very optimistic.