I'll get pummeled for this, but what about

[Dr Hook]

I am OK with smaller guys as long as there are bigger guys too. Having a stay-at-home big tough guy out there with a smaller guy (like Gryz) often works well.

I am bothered when some of the bigger guys do not use their size.

This- Grizz is the low-hanging fruit here as always, but what happened to our big guys? Leave Grizz out, and consider Cliffy as your 7D and the average size there is big- Lindholm, Carlo, Forbort, with Orlov and Mac being fire hydrant types like Bourque (as in not small by any means) and yet. I get you need to sit Matt G if your big guys are not going to play like big guys, but they need some new team DNA on the back end so they can feel okay using players like Grizz and the obvious advantages they can bring to the table in the playoffs.

But, how do you get Lindy and Carlo to be what they aren't? Orlov won't be back most likely. Forbort is the obvious guy you move on, but I don't know if he is moveable at his salary. I miss Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller.

 

[jgatie]

Well, you can tell it's the off-season.

 

[UncleRico]

It’s not a captain’s role to be a fighter but great captains stick up for their teammates. The Bruins have been lacking in leadership since Chara left which is understandable, one of the best captains in the cap era. They lacked emotional leaders in that series against Florida. Marchand kinda focused on hockey which is fine, Bertuzzi kinda mixed it up at times. Hathaway was just happy to be there.

Florida is the perfect example of what you are talking about. Tkachuk isn’t much of a fighter but he’s always sticking up for teammates, in the scrums and leading by example.

Previously just two seasons ago panthers were a regular season darling (like the bruins) but a soft team getting bullied in the playoffs. Tkachuk comes in and it’s in instant culture change, he’s sticking up for teammates, mucking it up and it’s infectious and florida makes it as far as they ever have.

Unfortunately bruins management would never have the stones to pull off that level trade.


Who knows maybe lucic can bring back some of that leadership and grit, but asking a lot of someone his age and role on the team.

 

[CamFan81]

I am OK with smaller guys as long as there are bigger guys too. Having a stay-at-home big tough guy out there with a smaller guy (like Gryz) often works well.

I am bothered when some of the bigger guys do not use their size.

I'm ok with smaller defensive if their skill level makes up for the lack of size and strength. Someone like McAvoy/Krug play smart and hockey I.Q makes up for his lack of size. But those guys are typically $$$ and in your top pairing, if your going to pay 1-2million for a defensemen they should be stay at home pylons that help the defense until the top 2 lines can get back on the ice.

Thats why Mcquaid was solid. Big, tough, didn't try to do too much and held the fort until chara/seids/ference/boychuck got back on the ice


Clifton/Gryz... not so much.

 

[goldnblack]

ah this thread.

I hope we keep asking this for another 5 years

 

[jgatie]

Oh if anyone wants to continue it in the bergeron thread I will gladly over there. I just don’t know how many off topic posts I get before I get yelled at. Had a few

I made sure to tag you over there in the post I made. Just trying to respect the rules and talk about the appropriate topics in the right places.

I'll pass.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

I’m not looking for a team full of 2011, I will never expect that.

But can we get ANYTHING? All we got in the playoffs was a bunch of fights at the end of the 6-3 loss when the bruins were embarrassed after getting bullied. I think everyone can agree they looked more like sore losers than a team answering the bell so to speak

Marchand was getting tossed around by gudas, tkachuk was trying to fight Ullmark after game 4, Hathaway got cross checked straight to the ribs. Not a single player answered the call. Not one.

Maybe it is coming from the coach, but with the same problem over the span of multiple coaches, I doubt it. It’s either an even higher up problem coming from Sweeney/Neely or they are just taking after the play styles of their leaders, which is a soft play style.

But there’s something in the air that stinks around there because Frederic has toned it down, Hathaway comes in and is a completely different player, much softer than we saw in Washington. There’s something going on and I don’t think it was a Cassidy/montgomery problem. And the way Vegas is playing a physical/heavy game I really don’t think Bruce was the one having guys tone it down either

Damned good post.

I wanted Cassidy gone at the end bc of how soft he had us playing, but now he scratches Kessel to dress 220pd scrappy 4th liners. Who even is this guy?

I would blame Sweeney but Bergeron was peeling off finishing checks on Bennett, so I don't where the problem is. Likely still Sweeney as a common denominator.

 

[CamFan81]

I wanted Cassidy gone at the end bc of how soft he had us playing, but now he scratches Kessel to dress 220pd scrappy 4th liners. Who even is this guy?

Sometimes getting fired causes you to address your own weaknesses. Maybe a few failures in the playoffs was brought up when he got the boot.

Maybe Donny boy will stop filling a team with smurfs in his next gig.

 

[BMC]

Damned good post.

I wanted Cassidy gone at the end bc of how soft he had us playing, but now he scratches Kessel to dress 220pd scrappy 4th liners. Who even is this guy?

I would blame Sweeney but Bergeron was peeling off finishing checks on Bennett, so I don't where the problem is. Likely still Sweeney as a common denominator.

You'll recall that Sweeney was not all that a tough defender in his day, he played a soft game. I think the team's softness can be traced back to #32.

 

[Trizz617]

You'll recall that Sweeney was not all that a tough defender in his day, he played a soft game. I think the team's softness can be traced back to #32.

Starts at the head, as they say.

 

[UncleRico]

Sometimes getting fired causes you to address your own weaknesses. Maybe a few failures in the playoffs was brought up when he got the boot.

Maybe Donny boy will stop filling a team with smurfs in his next gig.

My question is if it was ever cassidys call. I wanted him fired, but it was never because of the locker room issues it was always because it felt like he was a management puppet. I felt like a lot of it stemmed from his previous failures in washington so he just accepted his role as a management whipping boy.

I think Donny has tried to fill out roles with physical players and fighters. Both ritchies, foligno, frederic, hathaway. Somehow they all seem to regress physically when they come here or just end up not being a good fit.

 

[CamFan81]

My question is if it was ever cassidys call. I wanted him fired, but it was never because of the locker room issues it was always because it felt like he was a management puppet. I felt like a lot of it stemmed from his previous failures in washington so he just accepted his role as a management whipping boy.

I think Donny has tried to fill out roles with physical players and fighters. Both ritchies, foligno, frederic, hathaway. Somehow they all seem to regress physically when they come here or just end up not being a good fit.

The fact that he was getting pushed around by other coaches in the playoffs tells me that he wasn't necessarily a champion for physicality or pushback. Don builds the roster, but Cassidy puts the guys on the ice. There were opportunities to sit the smurfs and go with bigger bodies and have them play it safe, Cassidy did not do that and it cost them. Big. Multiple times.

However, the roster was more Donny than it was Cassidy, band-aiding the toughness upfront while ignoring it in the backend because "The NHL is going in the direction of speed and skill" was Don's call and he got it wrong...Over and over again. It pains me to say it, Neely has allowed it to continue. At what point does he break from his friend?

 

[GordonHowe]

Well, you can tell it's the off-season.

You certainly can.

 

[UncleRico]

The fact that he was getting pushed around by other coaches in the playoffs tells me that he wasn't necessarily a champion for physicality or pushback. Don't builds the roster, but Cassidy puts the guys on the ice. There were opportunities to sit the smurfs and go with bigger bodies and have them play it safe, Cassidy did not do that and it cost them. Big. Multiple times.

However, the roster was more Donny than it was Cassidy, band aiding the toughness upfront while ignoring it in the backend because "The NHL is going in the direction of speed and skill" was Don's call and he got it wrong...Over and over again. It pains me to say it, Neely has allowed it to continue. At what point does he break from his friend?

Well Cassidy originally gave guys like Frederic the start to the series. Unfortunately frederic brought zero physicality and was useless on the ice. So I’m assuming Cassidy just figured if he wasn’t getting physicality then he will go with someone who will actually play well on the ice.

Idk what’s going on, but I do know that something is off with people in that locker room and shit kinda stinks. I don’t know if these guys actually want it you know. I think it’s more important for them to have a relaxed work environment with all their buddies in the locker room than it is for them to actually win.

 

[Absurdity]

I think Lucic recently responded pretty favorably to possibly playing for Vancouver. I doubt we see him in Boston.

 

[PB37]

Idk what’s going on, but I do know that something is off with people in that locker room and shit kinda stinks. I don’t know if these guys actually want it you know. I think it’s more important for them to have a relaxed work environment with all their buddies in the locker room than it is for them to actually win.

You know absolutely nothing about the room. Stop pretending like you do.

 

[UncleRico]

You know absolutely nothing about the room. Stop pretending like you do.

There’s something going on for them to keep on choking year after year. You don’t have great regular season like they do only to fall flat on their face constantly without something being wrong.

 

[Oates2Neely]

There’s something going on for them to keep on choking year after year. You don’t have great regular season like they do only to fall flat on their face constantly without something being wrong.

I tend to agree with this logic, however watching these playoffs, seeing Vergahae score 2 OT winners (series clinched vs B’s) I’m realizing it takes a LOT of luck to win a Cup. 2011 3 game 7’s, Ryder Horton clutch etc… Marchand scores that game 5 breakaway Florida is out in 5 round 1. On the flip side, teams like Tampa & Chicago recently knew how to build a team that could win in the playoffs with regularity. I just thought the Bruins finally had that mix to win.

And yes I’d sign Lucic if he had interest. Bruins need a bully

 

[TCB]

The problem is they still listen to harry sinden even though the guy traded espo just because he asked for more money paving the way for those habs teams to dominate and the rangers and flyers to push more than they should have, the bruins are 6-14 all time in cups which is the imo the worst overall record even if technically some 0 and whatever teams have a worse winning percentage

Until they stop with the good ole boys club shit they’ll never be able to move on fully. The bruins needed fresh voices 50 years ago and while I think sweeney is a pretty good GM and the bruins have had more success than many teams in the league, they could have been more like the pens or hawks of the 2000-2020 stretch hell even LA but could never get over the hump.

That 2019 loss will be looked back on as one of the worst if you love the bruins and love the bergeron/chara bruins

I’m unsure if the bruins will ever get back to where they need to be to win a cup so long as we have sinden whispering in ears and Charlie jacobs being essentially a copy of dear old dad

Hmmm, for my money Sinden won that deal walking away. Don't get me wrong Im a big Espo fan always have been always will be, but Ratelle and Park were Gold in Boston. That trade also paved the way for Ricky Middleton to come to Boston shortly there after as Emile wanted to reignite Hodge with Espo and get rid of Middleton. Sinden cleaned house again.

 

[UncleRico]

I tend to agree with this logic, however watching these playoffs, seeing Vergahae score 2 OT winners (series clinched vs B’s) I’m realizing it takes a LOT of luck to win a Cup. 2011 3 game 7’s, Ryder Horton clutch etc… Marchand scores that game 5 breakaway Florida is out in 5 round 1. On the flip side, teams like Tampa & Chicago recently knew how to build a team that could win in the playoffs with regularity. I just thought the Bruins finally had that mix to win.

And yes I’d sign Lucic if he had interest. Bruins need a bully

Oh 100% there is a lot of luck involved. Hell just like you said Ryder. If he isn’t there to make a glove save there is likely no cup.

Idk what it is but there’s something off. Even all the bad luck or luck in the world, there’s something off. Most regular season points over the last decade, no cups. The 4 or 5 teams with the most points below them all have cups.

There is a disconnect somewhere.

 

[PB37]

There’s something going on for them to keep on choking year after year. You don’t have great regular season like they do only to fall flat on their face constantly without something being wrong.

Great teams lose all the time in the playoffs across all sports. Some teams sneak into the playoffs last minute and go on unbelievable runs. Panthers this year. Montreal a couple of years ago. St Louis in 2019. It's sports - you can have a team full of great players and great leaders but still lose.

 

[TCB]

A farewell tour for Milan? Apparently, he is open to returning to Boston or signing with Vancouver.

I know all the warts and I get it.

Yet even at 34, no one will fight him.

He can still throw his weight around and make opponents nervous.

Don't know how to post a poll, and I'm guessing most will be against it, but FWIW on a rainy Saturday in June.

If a moderator or member knows how to create a poll, please do.

Priceless.

" I'll wait to see what Sweeney does and then agree with him. "

 

[UncleRico]

Great teams lose all the time in the playoffs across all sports. Some teams sneak into the playoffs last minute and go on unbelievable runs. Panthers this year. Montreal a couple of years ago. St Louis in 2019. It's sports - you can have a team full of great players and great leaders but still lose.

Over the last decade bruins have the most regular season points combined with 1,035. The 4-5 teams below them in that span all have cups. Minnesota is the next team that doesn’t and they have 92 points less than the bruins. Almost a full season.

Why can every other top team of the decade win a cup but the bruins can’t?

It’s much more than “great teams lose”.

You don’t become the best regular season team in a decade and just get a pass. There’s something inherently wrong with the make up of this year for 10 years now.

And when you constantly fold like that season after season you have to look at the constant figures on the team as to why.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Oh 100% there is a lot of luck involved. Hell just like you said Ryder. If he isn’t there to make a glove save there is likely no cup.

Idk what it is but there’s something off. Even all the bad luck or luck in the world, there’s something off. Most regular season points over the last decade, no cups. The 4 or 5 teams with the most points below them all have cups.

There is a disconnect somewhere.

Agree. I think Bergeron & Marchand have that clutch gene, but the team behind them is lacking “something”

 

[PB37]

Over the last decade bruins have the most regular season points combined with 1,035. The 4-5 teams below them in that span all have cups. Minnesota is the next team that doesn’t and they have 92 points less than the bruins. Almost a full season.

Why can every other top team of the decade win a cup but the bruins can’t?

It’s much more than “great teams lose”.

You don’t become the best regular season team in a decade and just get a pass. There’s something inherently wrong with the make up of this year for 10 years now.

And when you constantly fold like that season after season you have to look at the constant figures on the team as to why.

Why stop there? 5 teams in the top 10 haven't won a cup.

There's only three players remaining from the team 10 years ago and you can't tell me that Bergeron, Krejci, and Marchand aren't playoff heroes and warriors. You're searching for a common theme to make sense to something that you don't understand but it's not there.