News Article: Puck Daddy - 2016-17 NHL Preview: Boston Bruins

[Fenway]

Greg Wyshynski wrote this last week but somehow it was overlooked.

Puck Daddy’s 2016-17 NHL Preview: Boston Bruins

Greg Wyshynskihttp://sports.yahoo.com/news/puck-d...yYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--http://sports.yahoo.com/news/puck-d...yYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--

Player Mostly Likely To Be In Vegas Next Season

Kevan Miller. The defenseman is signed to a four-year dal at $2.5 million per season. He has term and just enough overpayment to help nudge the Knights closer to their cap requirements.

Coach Hot Seat Rating (1-10, 10 being scorching hot)

Nine. Julien has survived despite the Bruins having missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons because he’s a hell of a coach. But if Boston fails to make the cut for a third time, it’s hard to imagine he’ll survive again. Unless, of course, Julien plays the role of a cockroach or a Twinkie in this apocalypse, with Sweeney and president Cam Neely taking the fall instead.

Prediction

The Bruins return to the playoffs, rolling one great line and two pretty good ones. They add a puck-moving defenseman at some point, and Rask and Khudobin make up for other deficiencies. And, of course, Claude Julien lives to coach another day.

Click to read more...

 

[Glove Malfunction]

That last line is going to have some in here blowing their tops.

 

[smithformeragent]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

 

[kutskova]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

Thomas did it. How may breakaways can you have and win a cup?

 

[PlayMakers]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

Carey Price last year?

Look at the impact he had on that team.

 

[smithformeragent]

Thomas did it. How may breakaways can you have and win a cup?

The 2011 team was not weak on defense.

Thomas was Thomas from 06-07 and those teams were deficient on defense.
He had games where he stood on his head, yet it didn't matter.

The goalie can only do so much.

 

[DaStinger]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

Goaltender has more influence on the outcome of a game than any other position.

 

[Lobster57]

Goaltender has more influence on the outcome of a game than any other position.

maybe, but the marginal difference in influence between goalie A and goalie B given the other 18 players are the same isn't going to be massive

 

[roflstomper]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

So we're paying him 7 million to only play well when the defense is good? Yea, no.

 

[bruins309]

Greg Wyshynski wrote this last week but somehow it was overlooked.

Probably overlooked because I know I stopped reading that blog several years ago when Yahoo overhauled their web design and made it unreadable. Others I know felt the same. There's also Wysh's constant trolling of Boston....if I wanted that, I'd listen to local sports radio and not read some jabroni from New Jersey.

 

[Fopppa]

Probably overlooked because I know I stopped reading that blog several years ago when Yahoo overhauled their web design and made it unreadable. Others I know felt the same. There's also Wysh's constant trolling of Boston....if I wanted that, I'd listen to local sports radio and not read some jabroni from New Jersey.

Agreed. Also, Lambert. Urgh. The Marek-Wyshinski podcast was pretty good for a while as well.

 

[World of Wardlow]

Tuukka Rask has to get some Tim Thomas powers this season

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Tuukka Rask has to get some Tim Thomas powers this season

Or just not be absolutely awful for his first 5 games.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I think this idea that a goalie can somehow allow a team to overcome defensive deficiencies is at best over stated and at worst, ludicrous.

Yea, then well, trade Rask and get a cheaper option.

No reason to keep a 7 million dollar player that's a supporting player than a key one.

 

[BNHL]

Carey Price last year?

Look at the impact he had on that team.

That was the ultimate proof.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Thomas did it. How may breakaways can you have and win a cup?

At no point in his career, especially in the 2011 playoffs, was Thomas' defense nearly as weak as this one. Maybe in the very, very beginning years of when Timmy was playing here.

Sometimes I don't think people fully grasp how big of a joke our defense is. It would be an average AHL defense.

 

[BMC]

Carey Price last year?

Look at the impact he had on that team.

And that was AFTER his injury, IMO.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I watched Tuukka last season and I wasn't nearly as frustrated with him at any point last year as I was in previous years.

Putting any of last season on Tuukka is crazy. Before last season began, I said "the team won't go anywhere because their defense is an absolute joke". And the team didn't go anywhere, because the defense was an absolute joke. Not because the defense and Tuukka were bad. The defense was bad. Crazy bad. Have almost entire games looking you're killing a penalty bad.

I don't think there's a worse defense in this league. Even mentioning Tuukka and his "issues" when it comes to the assembly of this team is like mentioning how annoying surfer dudes are, while holding a conversation on the crippling drought in California.

 

[Fenway]

And that was AFTER his injury, IMO.

They went from being the best team in the league to the worst.

 

[smithformeragent]

I guess we know who the new scapegoat around these parts will be

 

[BMC]

I guess we know who the new scapegoat around these parts will be

*Crosses Jimmy Hayes off list, adds Tuukka Rask*

There have been so many names on this list I'm running out of room on the paper

 

[BMC]

They went from being the best team in the league to the worst.

And while I'm sorry Price got hurt I am not sorry at the resulting collapse of the Habs. To put it mildly

 

[Son of Donegal]

Did anyone listen to Kirk's podcast on the Bruin's goaltending situation? He took a pretty strong stance on the Bruins' potential need to move on from Rask.

If the Bruins can bring in Chara's heir by moving Rask, I think I would do it. I do not think the Bruins will win a cup with Rask in net. Also, Kirk raises an important point - Rask seems to get upset with the shortcomings of this defense. Seeing how the Bruins will be in the midst of rebuilding the Defense through a youth movement, Rask is not the right goalie to have in net. He would be a better fit on a contender.

Any thoughts?

What teams on a upward trajectory are in need of a top goalie?

 

[Hali33]

I watched Tuukka last season and I wasn't nearly as frustrated with him at any point last year as I was in previous years.

Putting any of last season on Tuukka is crazy. Before last season began, I said "the team won't go anywhere because their defense is an absolute joke". And the team didn't go anywhere, because the defense was an absolute joke. Not because the defense and Tuukka were bad. The defense was bad. Crazy bad. Have almost entire games looking you're killing a penalty bad.

I don't think there's a worse defense in this league. Even mentioning Tuukka and his "issues" when it comes to the assembly of this team is like mentioning how annoying surfer dudes are, while holding a conversation on the crippling drought in California.

I would agree that people are likely underestimating how amazing Rask would need to be to cover up this god awful defense. I don't find it very realistic.

But in terms of his play last year I don't think it's beyond criticism. The .915 doesn't necessarily alarm me. But he's become pretty inconsistent behind a defense that has been consistently awful so it suggests to me that there's more going on then just the team in front of him. Seems like there's pretty big fluctuations from month to month, or perhaps stretches would be more accurate.

Lost in the overall disappointment in his play last season is that there were stretches where he was able to put up very solid numbers behind this team. But not able to maintain it, especially down the final stretch where his numbers were rightfully (to me anyways) in question when the team needed his best game.

 

[Estlin]

Did anyone listen to Kirk's podcast on the Bruin's goaltending situation? He took a pretty strong stance on the Bruins' potential need to move on from Rask.

If the Bruins can bring in Chara's heir by moving Rask, I think I would do it. I do not think the Bruins will win a cup with Rask in net. Also, Kirk raises an important point - Rask seems to get upset with the shortcomings of this defense. Seeing how the Bruins will be in the midst of rebuilding the Defense through a youth movement, Rask is not the right goalie to have in net. He would be a better fit on a contender.

Any thoughts?

What teams on a upward trajectory are in need of a top goalie?

I'd be in favour of moving Rask and getting a replacement until one of Subban, McIntyre or Vladar is ready. Dallas would love to have Rask and could part with top defense prospect Julius Honka (who's also a right shot) or Esa Lindell as part of a deal.