BklyNBruiN
Registered User
I am totally on board with how you think its going to turn out in a couple years. I agree, and by than it probably doesn't matter too much who is the coach If by than Julien is no loner here.
What is the cause of the Bruins mediocrity?
- Thread starter Absurdity
- Start date
I am totally on board with how you think its going to turn out in a couple years. I agree, and by than it probably doesn't matter too much who is the coach If by than Julien is no loner here.
After two plus years of uninspired hockey a terrible home record you have to start looking at the head coach. The slow starts lack of intensity rest on the head coach. he has no problem seating down the young guys but doesn't seem to be too tough on vets. Claude is a good coach but this team is done with his system. it is time for a new voice and system geared to the talent on this team. the front office is not without blame but you have to start somewhere. there have been way to many nights off the last two years and that has to fall on the coaches head first.
I voted Core Players.
With the exception of Chara and Rask, our core has regressed. Whether its injury or not, doesn't really matter. The performance just hasn't been there.
Bergeron
Krejci
Spooner (although the decision to put him on the wing is Julien's)
Marchand
Backes (first year, but a slight step back from what we got out of Loui)
Krug
Beleskey
I am omitting Hayes, McQuaid, Kevan Moore intentionally as I have always viewed them as expendable role players.
On a positive note, I really like what we are getting out of Carlo and our 4th line. Colin Moore is slowly coming around but the jury is still out on him in my opinion.
With the exception of Chara and Rask, our core has regressed. Whether its injury or not, doesn't really matter. The performance just hasn't been there.
Bergeron
Krejci
Spooner (although the decision to put him on the wing is Julien's)
Marchand
Backes (first year, but a slight step back from what we got out of Loui)
Krug
Beleskey
I am omitting Hayes, McQuaid, Kevan Moore intentionally as I have always viewed them as expendable role players.
On a positive note, I really like what we are getting out of Carlo and our 4th line. Colin Moore is slowly coming around but the jury is still out on him in my opinion.
BruinDust
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2005
- 25,298
- 24,197
Pastrnak isn't a core player?
Belesky is?
What does Backes performance have to do with Eriksson?
I have no objections to people holding Julien accountable. But for every 20 posts that are calling for his head, we are lucky to get 1 who propose a viable coach to take his place....That to me is the real question. Firing someone for the sake of change is one thing, but that's only half the equation.
We ought to have a rule on this forum that every post that wants to fire Julien, it should be mandatory to put forward a name to fill his shoes.
Last edited:
the overrated
wicked overrated
I think it's got to be viewed in both directions, though, Donnie. If the core players were performing up to their expectations, it'd have to be considered that some of the players that are playing above expectations might have to be 'downed' a bit as well. Otherwise it's just viewing things entirely optimistic/glass-half-full.
So Rask would be playing like the goalie that had many here had major questions about & were saying he should've been traded instead of Jones; Chara has to be playing like a 40 year old that many thought was done a few years ago; Carlo has to be playing like a teenaged rookie; Pastrnak has to be good but not "tied for 3rd in the NHL in goals" good; etc.
If the players that are underperforming were playing better, and the players that were (to coin a new word) over-performing were brought back down to earth a bit, I think the team is just about where most of us expected them to be. Somewhere in the "mediocre" level, with the optimists thinking they were better than that, and the doom-n-gloom folks thinking that they were worse.
- Sep 22, 2011
- 11,811
- 12,947
I left Pasta off the list because he's young and has yet to play a full season. Hard for me to judge a kid fairly, or put him in the "core" group when he's yet to have a full season under his belt.
Backes was an add to address losing Loui. Not the same player, not the same exact role, but the production drop off has been there, and I would call it a wash as far as intangibles go. Feel free to disagree.
Take Belesky off the list if it makes you feel better.
And Spooner a core player?
So add Pasta, or take Spooner off if it makes you feel better. I don't care.
Doesn't change my opinion.
The cause is the exact same thing a lot of us were concerned about pre-season but a lot seemingly forgot about after we won a couple games.
We are shallow on quality defense and shallow on depth scoring. When our top players aren't scoring that much, we really feel it.
What is everyone expecting Claude to do? Make Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak start scoring again? Coach up 3rd line Dmen to play like 2nd line men day in and day out? Get Schaller, Blidh, Acciari, Nash, Moore and Hayes to score like 2nd and 3rd line forwards? We can only work with what we have. A coach can only do so much.
We are shallow on quality defense and shallow on depth scoring. When our top players aren't scoring that much, we really feel it.
What is everyone expecting Claude to do? Make Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak start scoring again? Coach up 3rd line Dmen to play like 2nd line men day in and day out? Get Schaller, Blidh, Acciari, Nash, Moore and Hayes to score like 2nd and 3rd line forwards? We can only work with what we have. A coach can only do so much.
- Sep 22, 2011
- 11,811
- 12,947
Well if you can merely swap out core players any way you want, it kind of dilutes your argument.
Oates2Neely
Registered User
I tried to make this point earlier in this thread. According to some it would make no difference at all, as the Bruins would still be a team struggling to make the 8 seed
Brewin8
Registered User
It's as simple as that...shallow D, and low scoring group...was predicted at season's start. Why are we surprised?
This is Spooner's 5th year with League games. He had 80 games primarily as our 3rd line Center for most of last year and played on the first team PP unit....sounds Core to me. But if you want to leave him off, thats fine.
Pasta is in his 3rd year, and hasn't played more than 60% of a full season yet. Not his fault, and I think he's a future star. But its hard for me to put him in that Core definition.
Pasta is in his 3rd year, and hasn't played more than 60% of a full season yet. Not his fault, and I think he's a future star. But its hard for me to put him in that Core definition.
Well then I guess people can ask right back, in what world do all of the top 6 players perform consistently well from Game 1 - 82? When these players go through inevitable droughts, we don't have a team that can help off-set it more. Which in turn, leaves us with a team that will fight for the 8 seed. How many games have we won simply because of Pastrnak and Marchand being hot for a stretch and how many has Rask stolen?
Beats me man. For a section that was all over Don for not making any significant moves that we truly needed, we have a short memory not even halfway into the season.
Oates2Neely
Registered User
Someone really needs to start a "How would YOU fix the Bruins and make them great again?"
I see the same posters whining time and time again but never once offer up a suggestion for solution.
I see the same posters whining time and time again but never once offer up a suggestion for solution.
Well that depends if you consider his one down year as the normal or not. He's pretty close to his career GAA and SV% this year half way through.
I agree and I think Claude has been getting the most out of the players he has with the exception of Krejci, Krug, Bergeron & Pastrnak- the first two are finally coming back to form after injuries that required major surgery and Bergeron is clearly playing hurt (I just don't know where). Pasta is coming off that elbow procedure and I think it is still bothering him, he hasn't been himself since he returned to the ice. Those four are IMO the Bruins best offensive weapons and we really shouldn't be surprised at the drought in goal scoring given what has happened to them. And there really isn't anyone capable of picking up that much slack no offense to Frank Vatrano.
Oates2Neely
Registered User
Bergeron being the Bruins leader and top player and struggling mightily is affecting the teams performance. Just look across at LA, Kopitar with 16 points this season, LA in the 8th or 9th seed in West as a result. A teams top player having a career low season (in Bergerons case suspected he's playing through an injury) cannot be dismissed. This isn't a typical dip in stats, this is a possible career low in points for him.
missingchicklet
Registered User
- Jan 24, 2010
- 36,589
- 34,464
I don't buy the idea that the players are complacent and are not motivated. This team is playing hard and not showing any signs of complacency. A complacent team doesn't overachieve defensively, rank among the elite in the NHL on the PK, and outshoot opponents like the Bs have done most games. So any notion that CJ should be fired because he has lost the team or cannot motivate them is hogwash.
This team plays as hard most nights when it loses as it does when it wins. A big problem is the horrific shooting pct of the team. When the puck goes in the Bs look great, get the win, and everyone talks about how hard they played. When the puck doesn't go in, even if the team competes as hard as it does when it wins, people start yelling about firing the coach, the players don't care, they didn't try hard, etc.
The coach has put the Bs in about as good a position to win as possible given this roster. And that is the biggest problem -- the roster. It is filled with too many players who are not really scorers. So when the players everyone expects to score go cold there is nobody on the roster to pick up the slack. The Bs have way too many centers playing wing, too many mediocre bottom 6 players who simply cannot score, and too many defensemen who cannot score. Heck, Krug has taken the second most shots on the team and is shooting .9%. And he is considered the best offensive threat among defensemen. There is plenty of blame to go around, but the roster as it has been constructed is the reason this team is not a threat whatsoever for winning the Cup. Even if the core guys heat up it will not be enough to make up for the lack of scoring from the other forwards and the defensemen.
This team plays as hard most nights when it loses as it does when it wins. A big problem is the horrific shooting pct of the team. When the puck goes in the Bs look great, get the win, and everyone talks about how hard they played. When the puck doesn't go in, even if the team competes as hard as it does when it wins, people start yelling about firing the coach, the players don't care, they didn't try hard, etc.
The coach has put the Bs in about as good a position to win as possible given this roster. And that is the biggest problem -- the roster. It is filled with too many players who are not really scorers. So when the players everyone expects to score go cold there is nobody on the roster to pick up the slack. The Bs have way too many centers playing wing, too many mediocre bottom 6 players who simply cannot score, and too many defensemen who cannot score. Heck, Krug has taken the second most shots on the team and is shooting .9%. And he is considered the best offensive threat among defensemen. There is plenty of blame to go around, but the roster as it has been constructed is the reason this team is not a threat whatsoever for winning the Cup. Even if the core guys heat up it will not be enough to make up for the lack of scoring from the other forwards and the defensemen.
xStanleyCupsFor
Registered User
- Sep 12, 2014
- 1,872
- 1,442
IMO, not a valid excuse. Over a 5-10 game stretch, maybe. But not half way through the season. It's the players themselves. Krug takes many shots. I've seen him alone with the goalie from the tops of the circles, plenty of time, and he shoots it right in the goalie's chest, or misses the net altogether. Bergy/Marchand have had multiple opportunities right on the doorstep and flubbed them. Not sure if it's confidence, focus, but they are scoring what they deserve. Very few goalies have stolen anything from the Bruins this season so far.
VanIsle
Registered User
This will be the first year the Bruins miss the playoffs for 3 consecutive years since 1960-1967 where they missed 8 in a row.
Look at last years standing and this years standings, they are virtually identical if averaged.
Management has done nothing in 2.5 years to make any changes so why would anyone expect a different outcome?
Their offense is not unlucky they just don't have skill at the shooting position.
Marchand/Pasta and Bergeron have good shots.
Vatrano too early, Backes hurt
Chara doesn't rip it anymore and C.Miller is in and out of the lineup.
The rest of the guys are either passers or fringe NHLers, and that is the truth.
Look at last years standing and this years standings, they are virtually identical if averaged.
Management has done nothing in 2.5 years to make any changes so why would anyone expect a different outcome?
Their offense is not unlucky they just don't have skill at the shooting position.
Marchand/Pasta and Bergeron have good shots.
Vatrano too early, Backes hurt
Chara doesn't rip it anymore and C.Miller is in and out of the lineup.
The rest of the guys are either passers or fringe NHLers, and that is the truth.
Yeah, but this isn't the cup winning Kings. They are having some problems with depth scoring too. Which when you have Kopi not performing, takes away a big chunk of their scoring.
Even if Bergeron was playing lights out, we can't win in the playoffs and go deep off the success of 3-4 players. We won in 2011 because of depth. We had 12 players with >10 goals and average looks to be around 8-9 per season for teams. The Wild right now have 6 players on pace to hit +20g per season. CBJ with the same. For reference, we had 4 in 2011. This all circles back to our biggest problem being depth with a side notion of lack of elite scoring.
I feel like this is a job for Don to accomplish. I don't think this comes from anyone else. I won't get on Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak or whoever for not carrying us because hockey is one of the biggest team sports out there. In 82 games, there will be droughts, there will be poor seasons, but we also have 4 forward lines and 3 lines of defense with players that can put the puck in the net. We need some more depth scoring and it doesn't look like it's coming from our bottom 6.
Right and if Vatrano manages to pick up a goal every other game, that is a 41g pace season which is unrealistic to expect. But one goal every other game doesn't sound all that much in the scope of the whole game, so it really highlights how many players we really need to contribute offensively. Defensive hockey is great, but unless we have like 5 defensive Bergerons on the team, we won't out defend less than we can score with this roster.
