What is the cause of the Bruins mediocrity?

[Chiz1982]

Two crucial errors (one kind of madeup)

1. Boychuk trade instead of trading Seidenberg. However we got Carlo in return

2. Seguin trade. Nothing good remains except a FA that walked and hayes/morrow remaining

Those are the two trades that shouldn't have been made. Boychuk was solid, and a garentee on the back end for years to come, worth every penny.

Seguin was a steal at 5.75mil or whatever it was, a top pick that any top team rarely gets, usually you sit last in the league, get the top pick and have to build up from the bottom. Huge mistake letting him go.

All the other players we let go, were not as important as these two. Lucic, return was great, made cap space, was his time to go. Hamilton, wasn't really doing it for us.. his last year with us, we missed the playoffs and he wasn't much help on the back end that year. I feel his potential down the road was not good enough to commit to that contract.

This year, I feel the team just doesn't care enough.. its like they win 1 or 2 great effort games, then just sit back and go with the flow out there, not giving any extra effort.. hoping they can just glide into the next win. Then they lost 1 or 2, feel the heat from Julian and fans, come out and try until they get another win or two. It's a vicious cycle. Even when Dobby was in, cleary he hasn't played as great as he could, but there were games that he did give a great effort yet the guys gave him no chance.

The sad part is I feel this team is capable of more, I expect more from this team and feel they can make the playoffs and have a good run but currently I feel like they just don't want it enough, I dunno if I would even waste assets to bring in a player before the deadline with our available cap space unless they start trying every single game.

 

[Bmessy]

Both Carlo and Pastrnak say hi.

Oh man, imagine if we had those two top 4 dmen, top 6 forward AND Pastrnak. Holy cow, we'd be a pretty solid team!!

I'm fine that we traded all those guys, but the fact that they didn't replace any of them with NHL caliber players is why we are mediocre right now and the past 2-3 years. Just answering the OPs question. Could we be better in the future? Very possible. But we have been mediocre for 3 seasons now because we traded effective NHL players for futures.

Carlo is awesome, but he is a rookie. Sure coulda used an effective defenseman for the previous 2 years.
Pastrnak is awesome. But having a good player isn't an excuse for removing 3 good players for futures when management says they "want to win now".

 

[ReggieMoto]

Oh man, imagine if we had those top 4 dman, top 6 forward AND Pastrnak and Carlo. Holy cow, we'd be a good team!!

I can imagine a lot of things that would make me sit back and marvel at how good the team is; however, none of it would be possible due to the cap and reluctance by other teams to make the moves required.

Should we have kept Seguin? Probably. But we have replaced him with Pastrnak. I take comfort in that. The team still needs another top-pairing defenseman. Maybe McAvoy fills that role. We'll see soon enough I guess.

 

[Estlin]

I can imagine a lot of things that would make me sit back and marvel at how good the team is; however, none of it would be possible due to the cap and reluctance by other teams to make the moves required.

Should we have kept Seguin? Probably. But we have replaced him with Pastrnak. I take comfort in that. The team still needs another top-pairing defenseman. Maybe McAvoy fills that role. We'll see soon enough I guess.

As much as I like Pastrnak, I don't think that he replaces Seguin. The latter is better offensively and plays center.

 

[ReggieMoto]

As much as I like Pastrnak, I don't think that he replaces Seguin. The latter is better offensively and plays center.

We didn't then, and don't now, need a center. We needed then, and need now, a RW. Seguin was playing wing. You can argue he shouldn't have been played where he was, and the counter argument will always be he was third behind Krejci and Bergeron, and appropriately so.

He brought speed, maneuverability and a laser of a shot. He wasn't strong on the puck or strong along the boards. Pastrnak brings all of that and will only get better. I will argue he did replace Seguin.

 

[the overrated]

Those are the two trades that shouldn't have been made. Boychuk was solid, and a garentee on the back end for years to come, worth every penny.

I'm not defending the trade, or the decision to keep Seidenberg instead of Boychuk, but at 7 years & $6m per season (so he'll be, if my memory serves, 38 years old when it expires), it's tough for me to agree that he'd be worth every penny for the duration of the deal.

If he was here with that contract, people would be complaining IMHO.

 

[Latrappe]

Since Jacobs is back in the day to day hockey OPS, this team is going dowm spiral. Putting Sweeney and Neely on notice was incredibly stupid and might force them to act when they have should have wait. Second leap of faith of Sweeney with his D might cost him his job. If it was not for Carlo, this D would be atrocious and the team would be a bottom feeder.

 

[DKH]

You need a poll to figure this out?

It's the model/system in place

This isn't Montreal pre expansion with player rights or Detroit Red Wings balloon payroll of the 90's

 

[bb74]

In hindsight, should have traded Krech, kept Seguin, traded up to still get Pasta, put Spoons as 3C, traded assets for Fowler when on the market and used Lucic, Hamilton picks to take the guys we did (minus whoever needed to go to get Fowler...) Not resigned Quaider or Liles or Nash.... kept Connoly over Hayes

March-Bergeron-Backes
Belesky-Seguin-Pasta
Signing-Spooner-Vatrano
Bildh-Moore-Connoly

Chara-Fowler
Krug - C Miller
K Miller/Carlo - J Morrow

Didn't happen, isn't going to happen, yada yada yada...

They are 4 B+ players from being a legit "good team" and it will take time or deals to work them in...

 

[GoBs]

Couldn't said it better. Nice job.
Can't believe there are Bruins fans out there still believe Seguin should have been traded at 21. Cup win and playing in the finals against the Black Hawks what have they done since?

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

We didn't then, and don't now, need a center. We needed then, and need now, a RW. Seguin was playing wing. You can argue he shouldn't have been played where he was, and the counter argument will always be he was third behind Krejci and Bergeron, and appropriately so.

He brought speed, maneuverability and a laser of a shot. He wasn't strong on the puck or strong along the boards. Pastrnak brings all of that and will only get better. I will argue he did replace Seguin.

For what it's worth...
Seguin has as many points as Bergeron and Krejci combined this season.

It was the wrong move at the time. And it's definitely the wrong move in hindsight.

Team should have built around Bergeron and Seguin at center, and moved Krejci for a defenseman (when he actually had top value)

Could have should have would have...

 

[Noweare]

I did not respond to the poll because honestly I don't know the cause. But I can say the players play their hearts out for Julien. I do notice that even though the Bruins out shoot their opponents, they are not getting many good inside chances. Plus, it seems like the opposing goaltenders always have a great night. Dunno, just my take.

 

[barstool]

Seems to me this team has to many choir boys on it,no hitting, no fighting, no scandals boring. The other night Chara fought Maroon If he would have hit him with a few punches to the ribs instead of whispering in his ear maybe Maroon doesn't score a hat trick.

 

[EverettMike]

I did not respond to the poll because honestly I don't know the cause. But I can say the players play their hearts out for Julien. I do notice that even though the Bruins out shoot their opponents, they are not getting many good inside chances. Plus, it seems like the opposing goaltenders always have a great night. Dunno, just my take.

Was really on display against Carolina.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

To me one of the biggest reasons this team is mediocre right now is that Carlo has hit the rookie wall. Meaning they are void of a top pairing.

 

[DKH]

To me one of the biggest reasons this team is mediocre right now is that Carlo has hit the rookie wall. Meaning they are void of a top pairing.

The answer is in Elliot Freidman piece

Basically the Bruins have the most bizarre stats since they began this analytical stuff

There shooting % is tied for worst out as in 299 out of 300 over a 10 year period at 6.9 %

Just as amazing is how they are not last place with that record

 

[LouJersey]

I did not respond to the poll because honestly I don't know the cause. But I can say the players play their hearts out for Julien. I do notice that even though the Bruins out shoot their opponents, they are not getting many good inside chances. Plus, it seems like the opposing goaltenders always have a great night. Dunno, just my take.

How can you say they play their hearts out for him after the the past seasons and now this one? They didn't show up games 6 or 7 vs the Habs then crapped the bed down the stretch run for two seasons. This year they seem like they aren't ready to play until they are down. Now grown men shouldn't need to be motivated but for some reason this group does. Get a coach in here who will challenge them in new ways. It's stale. It's over.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

The answer is in Elliot Freidman piece

Basically the Bruins have the most bizarre stats since they began this analytical stuff

There shooting % is tied for worst out as in 299 out of 300 over a 10 year period at 6.9 %

Just as amazing is how they are not last place with that record

If B's were a guy they'd be all foreplay.

 

[LouJersey]

I'm not defending the trade, or the decision to keep Seidenberg instead of Boychuk, but at 7 years & $6m per season (so he'll be, if my memory serves, 38 years old when it expires), it's tough for me to agree that he'd be worth every penny for the duration of the deal.

If he was here with that contract, people would be complaining IMHO.

I watch boychuk a lot and I get why the Islanders did it but glad we didn't. I would like him at 5mil and if chia actually spoke to him maybe they could have done that but at 7 mil no way.

 

[LouJersey]

If B's were a guy they'd be all foreplay.

Sometimes that's all it takes

 

[Hali33]

To me one of the biggest reasons this team is mediocre right now is that Carlo has hit the rookie wall. Meaning they are void of a top pairing.

Not to mention the other part of that pairing hits 40 this year.

That's a long, demanding season for both.

 

[KrejciMVP]

too much money on mediocrity, Hayes, Beleskey, etc

 

[Noweare]

How can you say they play their hearts out for him after the the past seasons and now this one? They didn't show up games 6 or 7 vs the Habs then crapped the bed down the stretch run for two seasons. This year they seem like they aren't ready to play until they are down. Now grown men shouldn't need to be motivated but for some reason this group does. Get a coach in here who will challenge them in new ways. It's stale. It's over.

No team can play at 100%, night after night. The bruins are probably lacking in highly skilled players and that's the difference. They can turn it on but not keep it on and that keeps them in the game and winning games. They make up for the lack of skill with hard work.
That will wear you out over a season.

Real skilled teams like the Penguins last year have another gear they could go into when they had to. They can win games during the season without burning themselves out.

 

[Spoon fed]

C'mon people. The Seguin deal is done, it's in the past and cannot be undone. Boychuck is gone and we would NOT ever want that contract. Plus we have Carlo out of that deal. I'd do that deal (in retrospect) every day for Carlo and Lindgren.

The real issue here is the team's style of play. Shooting percentage for the team is 29th in the league. Yet they are in the top for 5v5 in possession. What does this tell you? They do NOT develop scoring opportunities, rather they try to brute force goals by peppering the goalie with 40 - 50 shots a game. These are NHL goalies and NHL defenses. They are going to save those shots more often than not.

This team directs plenty of shots on net; probably too many. The more you shoot from low percentage areas, the less likely you are going to score as the saves are easier. This tells me that the team is directed to shoot as much as possible. "Get it on net" vs "Create scoring chances" is the problem. The power play is a perfect example of this. They had a great thing last year with the whole "bumper" position. This year, teams have clearly figured this out. The Bruins have not adjusted and the stats bear that out.

How to fix this problem? You need players that FINISH and you need one per line. You need to have less CENTERS playing wing. I love winning face offs too, but scoring goals still equates to winning over face off wins. Possession is awesome, but scoring is still better. I'm not arguing to become the Dallas Stars where you score five and give up five every game, but our defense is NOT the problem at all, it's our lack of finish.

NHL Shot attempts leaders

Look at the top three players in that list.
Not a possession problem.
They don't have bad players.
They have a non-creative style of play. They score 2.3 goals per 50 shot attempts or so.

NHL Team Shot Attempts
The Bruins lead the league by CONSIDERABLE margin.

They have the second best power play in the league.
They have the 25th ranked power play.

Today's NHL is rapidly changing and this team is not adjusting to the style of play (offense). They have excellent defensive play, they have excellent possession. They cannot finish.

 

[captain stone]

You need a poll to figure this out?

It's the model/system in place

This isn't Montreal pre expansion with player rights or Detroit Red Wings balloon payroll of the 90's

Are you really claiming that the Ruins' mediocrity is due to…"the model/system"?

Surely you can't be serious.