Reasons for Downfall

[Fonzerelli]

1. The core of this team apart from Marchand and Bergeron.

2. Every forward, not named Marchand and Bergeron, does not care and does not give 100% with the playoffs on the line which allows less-talented teams, that give 100%, to outwork the Bruins (problem all season).

Wait, what? Somewhere out there is a less talented group than Beleskey, Hayes, Nash, Moore, Schaller, Backes, Vatrano, Stafford, Miller, Miller, Spooner, Czarnik, Morrow, McQuaid and Dobby???

 

[ODAAT]

Lack of solid talent after top 5 forwards and top 3 D men.

this

 

[Theodoriph]

The Bruins have depth problems, but the reason they're in danger of missing the playoffs is because of their backup goal tending situation this year. They've been terrible.

Rask, for all his recent struggles, is 33-20-4. The backups are 5-10-2. That's a huge discrepancy and has cost the Bruins a few points.

Competent backups aren't expensive to acquire. This need should have been addressed by management.

 

[ODAAT]

The Bruins have depth problems, but the reason they're in danger of missing the playoffs is because of their backup goal tending situation this year. They've been terrible.

which would be far less of a problem had they had solid depth

 

[Absurdity]

Wait, what? Somewhere out there is a less talented group than Beleskey, Hayes, Nash, Moore, Schaller, Backes, Vatrano, Stafford, Miller, Miller, Spooner, Czarnik, Morrow, McQuaid and Dobby???

Tampa Bay without their #1 and #2 centers, Montreal, Islanders.....

Do the Bruins have a pretty bleak bottom 6, sure, but they should be capable of producing. Spooner is a 40pt player. Beleskey and Hayes are nowhere near their averages. Lines 3-4 aren't supposed to be star studded. They are there to chip in offensively here and there. The problem is that other teams are outworking every Boston forward not named Marchand and Bergeron. It doesn't matter what other teams put out there, when their players out-work your own you are going to lose.

I also don't buy that there isn't enough talent on this team when Boston's top 6 consists of Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Backes, and Krejci. Those are the guys this team relies on to produce, not the bottom 6. The problem isn't the lack of talent on the team, the problem is if this team has the right talent as well as the lack of effort throughout the lineup.

 

[BruinDust]

1. The core of this team apart from Marchand and Bergeron.

2. Every forward, not named Marchand and Bergeron, does not care and does not give 100% with the playoffs on the line which allows less-talented teams, that give 100%, to outwork the Bruins (problem all season).

That is a load of crap.

So Pastrnak is out there giving less than 100%?

You think David Backes doesn't care?

Sure there are some floaters (cough.....Krejci.....cough), but saying other than 63 and 37 the rest of them don't give a crap is flat out wrong.

 

[ODAAT]

Tampa Bay without their #1 and #2 centers, Montreal, Islanders.....

Do the Bruins have a pretty bleak bottom 6, sure, but they should be capable of producing. Spooner is a 40pt player. Beleskey and Hayes are nowhere near their averages. Lines 3-4 aren't supposed to be star studded. They are there to chip in offensively here and there. The problem is that other teams are outworking every Boston forward not named Marchand and Bergeron. It doesn't matter what other teams put out there, when their players out-work your own you are going to lose.

I also don't buy that there isn't enough talent on this team when Boston's top 6 consists of Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Backes, and Krejci. Those are the guys this team relies on to produce, not the bottom 6. The problem isn't the lack of talent on the team, the problem is if this team has the right talent as well as the lack of effort throughout the lineup.

You look at teams who have legit Cup chances, tell me you think this team`s bottom 6 can hold their jock straps let alone play with them in a 7 game series?

Not this fan

 

[trenton1]

It's really simple

They had a great run coupled with 3-4 years of poor drafts

As the salaries rose the cost effective prospects weren't there to supplement

They needed to rebuild a bit

BUT

Egos and #1 they wanted to charge higher ticket costs wouldn't allow them to say the truth

Oh and there's l'affaire Tea-Lair Say-gun

They attempted to restool/restock while going to the other end of the spectrum and bringing in pricey vets

You can't have it both ways unless you are sitting on a beach at the end of Trading Places

Jacobs Must Go.

 

[radmcfad]

This team as a group does not respond very well under pressure.

The Leafs, Islanders and Flyers are playing without the same pressure that the Bruins are under right now. Two weeks ago these teams were almost numerically out of it, now along with Tampa Bay they're right there.

The Bruins are perhaps a team without the necessary fortitude as has been historically the one constant down the end of the stretch. If they fall apart again and miss this could be the issue with this team, especially without the talent to overcome that flaw.

 

[LSCII]

The reason? It's pretty obvious and it was 3 years in the making. They didn't adjust to the new game in the NHL and instead held onto a coach who was not capable and unwilling to adjust. By the time the front office did something about it, not one, not two, but 3 seasons were essentially wasted.

 

[ODAAT]

The reason? It's pretty obvious and it was 3 years in the making. They didn't adjust to the new game in the NHL and instead held onto a coach who was not capable and unwilling to adjust. By the time the front office did something about it, not one, not two, but 3 seasons were essentially wasted.

and absolutely horrific drafting

 

[Theodoriph]

which would be far less of a problem had they had solid depth

That's true, but the backup situation would have been the easiest one to fix. They don't command a high price on the market.

It's much harder to acquire a #1 D or productive forwards that can take some of the scoring load off of the top two lines.

 

[ODAAT]

That's true, but the backup situation would have been the easiest one to fix. They don't command a high price on the market.

It's much harder to acquire a #1 D or productive forwards that can take some of the scoring load off of the top two lines.

what would have been ideal, and I believe was the plan, was Subban, by this time, was at least ready and developed enough to take hold of that position

 

[LSCII]

and absolutely horrific drafting

Well sure, that certainly compounded the issue. The other problem is that while the rest of the league was trying to find speed and skill, the Bruins were looking for bigger, slower, more physical players to better fit a system that was already outdated. To the point where they were divesting themselves of any player with speed and skill. And to make it even worse, they did so for pennies on the dollar.

 

[ODAAT]

Well sure, that certainly compounded the issue. The other problem is that while the rest of the league was trying to find speed and skill, the Bruins were looking for bigger, slower, more physical players to better fit a system that was already outdated. To the point where they were divesting themselves of any player with speed and skill. And to make it even worse, they did so for pennies on the dollar.

yep, grind it out with big bodies, were seeing how that`s worked out for the Kings who are, ironically in a similar situation that the B`s are in.

I do like the picks that have been made since Sweeney took over as GM, look far more promising than Chia`s time here

 

[bp13]

I blame it on Julien. It's his fault they're gagging again. Right?

 

[LSCII]

yep, grind it out with big bodies, were seeing how that`s worked out for the Kings who are, ironically in a similar situation that the B`s are in.

I do like the picks that have been made since Sweeney took over as GM, look far more promising than Chia`s time here

Yep. Part of the challenge a FO faces is being able to adapt to the changes inside the game. It's not about being successful for one year or a couple, but seeing the trends before they've become the standard.

 

[ODAAT]

I blame it on Julien. It's his fault they're gagging again. Right?

betcha Haggs thinks so. Funny, soon as the record was great under Cassidy he was only too quick to hit the interwebz to let anyone who wanted to know that he called this....crickets lately

 

[ODAAT]

Yep. Part of the challenge a FO faces is being able to adapt to the changes inside the game. It's not about being successful for one year or a couple, but seeing the trends before they've become the standard.

not an easy thing to do but if you have the right people in place, you have a chance. I don`t know if a new President would have changed it but I still want an experienced hockey man in Neely`s spot.

I think the biggest issue has been this team has tried to retool on the fly which is next to impossible to do rather than just rebuild. The Hawks have remained a constant cup contender with high end talent and terrific drafting and NOT being tied down to players who they have had success with, moving them out as tough as it was. They didn`t just dole out consistent contracts with NMC/NTC`s attached to them for a job well done

 

[BruinDust]

Yep. Part of the challenge a FO faces is being able to adapt to the changes inside the game. It's not about being successful for one year or a couple, but seeing the trends before they've become the standard.

This management team and coaching staffs (plural) have been clearly behind the 8-ball when it comes to identifying where this league/game was headed and adjusting accordingly.

It's no coincidence that the two teams (Boston and LA) most linked to playing a "heavy grinding game" are looking very much like they'll have a grand total of 5 playoff games between them in 3 seasons, and 4 of those games were losses.

 

[LSCII]

I blame it on Julien. It's his fault they're gagging again. Right?

Nah, it's on the FO for not replacing him sooner. This has nothing to do with Cassidy though. He's been here for too short a stretch to lay it on him.

 

[LSCII]

This management team and coaching staffs (plural) have been clearly behind the 8-ball when it comes to identifying where this league/game was headed and adjusting accordingly.

It's no coincidence that the two teams (Boston and LA) most linked to playing a "heavy grinding game" are looking very much like they'll have a grand total of 5 playoff games between them in 3 seasons, and 4 of those games were losses.

Yep. They're also terrible at NHL player assessment.

 

[ODAAT]

This management team and coaching staffs (plural) have been clearly behind the 8-ball when it comes to identifying where this league/game was headed and adjusting accordingly.

It's no coincidence that the two teams (Boston and LA) most linked to playing a "heavy grinding game" are looking very much like they'll have a grand total of 5 playoff games between them in 3 seasons, and 4 of those games were losses.

since DS took over the GM job, I`ve liked the amateur scouting and subsequently drafting but man, whomever is in charge of pro scouting needs to go, my guess is JFJ

 

[BruinDust]

Yep. They're also terrible at NHL player assessment.

Without question.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

not an easy thing to do but if you have the right people in place, you have a chance. I don`t know if a new President would have changed it but I still want an experienced hockey man in Neely`s spot.

I think the biggest issue has been this team has tried to retool on the fly which is next to impossible to do rather than just rebuild. The Hawks have remained a constant cup contender with high end talent and terrific drafting and NOT being tied down to players who they have had success with, moving them out as tough as it was. They didn`t just dole out consistent contracts with NMC/NTC`s attached to them for a job well done

I thought we had high end talent : Bergeron , Krejci , Marchand , Pastrnak , Rask , Backes but I guess I was wrong .