News Article: KPD: Bruins out to implement a quick change in their game

[Fenway]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/b...-their-game/TaRnTfR6Fcf59b0LJhF8HJ/story.html

When the puck drops on their new season Thursday night, the Bruins hope they’ll be a different, speedier, quicker-thinking, faster-playmaking version of themselves.

The new Black-and-Gold mantra is speed, not only to be faster afoot, but Mercury-like in thought and deed.

“Everybody wants that. It’s just a new game,’’ said team captain Zdeno Chara, now with some 1,400 games of NHL experience and perspective on his résumé. “It’s a new NHL.’’

“I want us to be a real good, smart team this year,’’ noted coach Claude Julien, a point he emphasized to his staff and players alike from the very start of training camp. “Our goal is to play fast. Every coach in the league will tell you that’s where it is now.’’

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[bp13]

Gotta love how they want to play fast and yet the defense is ridiculously slow and their big signing this offseason was a big slow guy. And yeah I know you don't have to be fast to "play fast", but it surely helps.

 

[Estlin]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/b...-their-game/TaRnTfR6Fcf59b0LJhF8HJ/story.html

Wasn't something similar said prior to last season?

 

[s3antana5757]

Great to want to play fast, but with what speed? Doesn't exactly fit the roster.

 

[NeelyDan]

This is like the land of the misfit toys. Our management team are elves who want to be dentists.

 

[Greek_physique]

I agree we want to play fast, but if McQuaid / Miller weren't hurt they'd be in the lineup making us even slower.

Forward group looks great; lets hope Rask is ready for secondary chances again.

 

[Absurdity]

Did all of you miss the last preseason game?

 

[ranold26]

You can't teach speed. You either have it or don't.
Good luck with that plan.

 

[Strange Universe]

Gotta love how they want to play fast and yet the defense is ridiculously slow and their big signing this offseason was a big slow guy. And yeah I know you don't have to be fast to "play fast", but it surely helps.

You see, what we need to understand is by having a very slow defense it will naturally make our offense look mighty fast.....it's an illusion that they are creating.....

 

[bp13]

I remember last year when we were changing our breakout for a better transition game. That worked awesome. This year we get "play fast".

In a few years it will be "smell nice".

 

[DKH]

Great to want to play fast, but with what speed? Doesn't exactly fit the roster.

Of the 7 D on the roster which one other than Chara is slow

 

[Salem13]

Fleet of foot and PB37 and DK46 centering the top lines?

I love them both but speed isnt the first thing that comes to mind for either.

 

[PB37]

I think they know they still have some lead foots out there. I think they want to play a faster transition game: quick passes up the ice out of the zone, short passes up the ice to help make up for some of the slower types out there.

Hopefully with guys up front like the additions of Czarnik and Moore, and an increase in ice time with Pasta will help give the appearance of being faster in terms of pure speed. A full year of CMiller and a good amount of games for Carlo/O'Gara will help with transition and skating speed as well.

We'll see.

 

[DKH]

So you guys complain Sweeney doesn't do anything he is going with 2 rookies playing first games and passes on Erhoff to give C Miller and Joe Morrow an opportunity but I read in these threads same old same old and no changes

 

[HumBucker]

They're talking about acting quick, making plays quickly - not skating fast, necessarily.

 

[bp13]

They're talking about acting quick, making plays quickly - not skating fast, necessarily.

Clearly. But that's a nice thing to talk about and a far harder thing to implement. One would think increased skill on the backend would help with quicker passes, more aggressive gap control, etc. But if Chara, Kevan and McQuaid are still 3 of the top 6, I don't see how any of that changes.

We will see. If Colin, Liles, Carlo and maybe even Morrow make it into the lineup every night maybe they can change. Just seems like a pretty big deviation from the past.

 

[HiyaGeorgii]

Wasn't something similar said prior to last season?

I remember after the Habs 2014 debacle we were going to get faster and more skilled yet have signed/traded/re-signed guys like Hayes, Backes, Beleskey, McQuaid and Kevan Miller.

 

[pierre gagnon*]

Guys like Liles, Carlo, O'Gara and Krug can transition the puck faster. Getting the puck quickly on the forwards blade while moving is 10x better then the old icing or alley-oop. How many times have we seen a pass in the skates or head high or behind the forward. Or a pass to a standing still player because he has no clue where he needs to be because it is never the samething twice.

The puck moves faster then anyone. Move it with purpose, tape to tape and watch the results. Skaters like Liles and Krug will get the green light. Teams hemmed us in easily the last few years by the dee pinching in. Forechecking hard, the gap tightened and they panicked or froze it or iced it. It was the old Montreal trap used by everyone against us and slower moving, thinking teams.

Krech, Bergy are not fast or Backes but they are smart enough to know what to do with it when they get it. The other guys can curl or hook around presenting themsleves for a outlet. We have those secondary guys in Vatrano, Pasta, Spooner, Czarnik, Beleskey. Even a rushing Krug, Chiller or Carlo can join the rush now.

I am telling you it can work and the new staff has ideas to make it work. This is not Claude's strength or his defensive coaches he had last year. This was used with Canada and he seen it firsthand. Claude has to adapt, the next wave is coming both players and coaches. Sink or swin year for him and a few others.

 

[TheBigBadB]

They just mean off the boards and out of the zone will be done at a quicker pace lol

 

[BigGoalBrad]

You can't teach speed. You either have it or don't.
Good luck with that plan.

Good thing they drafted Carlo huh that kid can seriously skate? In many instances it will be him covering for Z though Im not saying hes better than a future HOFer right now just skates faster.

Our best players aren't burners so we got someone who would 'fit' them well in Backes for Loui who was no faster. Moore and Hayes are the only slow guys in the bottom 6 and Hayes there's nothing we can do anything about just a mistake we can't get away from right now.


We can always trade Bergeron for a faster center to improve the team faster=better right?

 

[Absurdity]

I guess if the Bruins want a faster team, they should trade everyone who can't run 300 meters in under a minute.

 

[njbruin*]

Guys like Liles, Carlo, O'Gara and Krug can transition the puck faster. Getting the puck quickly on the forwards blade while moving is 10x better then the old icing or alley-oop. How many times have we seen a pass in the skates or head high or behind the forward. Or a pass to a standing still player because he has no clue where he needs to be because it is never the samething twice.

The puck moves faster then anyone. Move it with purpose, tape to tape and watch the results. Skaters like Liles and Krug will get the green light. Teams hemmed us in easily the last few years by the dee pinching in. Forechecking hard, the gap tightened and they panicked or froze it or iced it. It was the old Montreal trap used by everyone against us and slower moving, thinking teams.

Krech, Bergy are not fast or Backes but they are smart enough to know what to do with it when they get it. The other guys can curl or hook around presenting themsleves for a outlet. We have those secondary guys in Vatrano, Pasta, Spooner, Czarnik, Beleskey. Even a rushing Krug, Chiller or Carlo can join the rush now.

I am telling you it can work and the new staff has ideas to make it work. This is not Claude's strength or his defensive coaches he had last year. This was used with Canada and he seen it firsthand. Claude has to adapt, the next wave is coming both players and coaches. Sink or swin year for him and a few others.

Ha ha Claude has to adapt good one . Same things were said last year before the season. First sign of adversity its was back to the Julien way .

 

[Gordoff]

I remember last year when we were changing our breakout for a better transition game. That worked awesome. This year we get "play fast".

In a few years it will be "smell nice".

Nothing wrong with smelling nice. "Smelling nice is a priority in life for me."

 

[Gordoff]

So you guys complain Sweeney doesn't do anything he is going with 2 rookies playing first games and passes on Erhoff to give C Miller and Joe Morrow an opportunity but I read in these threads same old same old and no changes

You've got that right!

BTW: I believe I heard some comment today by Krug re: playing "Man to Man" defense and not backing up/in with the attacking forwards. It's about time since their old format called for a more complicated method that many d-men don't particularly like or can play naturally.

 

[Ice Nine]

So you guys complain Sweeney doesn't do anything he is going with 2 rookies playing first games and passes on Erhoff to give C Miller and Joe Morrow an opportunity but I read in these threads same old same old and no changes

I give full credit to Sweeney for passing on Erhoff. Definitely right move. Credit due, credit absolutely given.