Where do you rank the Boston Bruin's Defense in the East?

[Leafs87]

Who is asking Carlo to be a top pairing D next year? That's McAvoy's spot. Carlo needs to anchor the 2nd pair because they will likely have unproven\rotating partners until the left side is sorted post Krug and Chara.

I mean McAvoy can occupy one of the top pairing spots but they need a partner for him.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Grz and McAvoy have had great chemistry playing together since their college days. We'll see if Grz can handle the increased workload, but from an on-ice talent, a Grz--McAvoy pairing should be pretty effective. I worry about Grz's size being a potential red flag in the playoffs with the increased time and physical attention he'll get in a playoff series, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Carlo will be the anchor of that 2nd line and by all metrics, he's been an excellent top 4 defensive dman and one of the best in the league. The last couple of years, he's had to cover for Krug's tendency to be a bit loose on D, so getting another partner who is the anti-Krug in Lauzon ( size, physicality, defensively aware but lacking in offensive gifts ) will be interesting. Lauzon -- Carlo on paper has the potential of being a very good 2nd pairing shutdown tandem.

Kevan Miller is back but it's unknown how good he'll be. Zboril just signed a one way deal, so they are fully prepared for him to come in and take a roster spot. Clifton has guts and game, but has a tendency to be too much of a cowboy ( Cassidy's endearing term for it was Cliffy Hockey ) at times so he definitely needs to be sheltered. John Moore is an effective NHL quality depth veteran coming off the bench.

There's a lot of question marks but the potential is there to be something pretty good. We hear rumors of the Bruins shopping for a top 4 LD to help take some of the question marks off the table ( as well as leaving the door open for Chara to potential resign ) but i get the impression that they're prepared to let the kids get some time in as both Lauzon and Zboril have outgrown the AHL, even Clifton too. If things work out for them, half their starting D rotation will have come from their 2015 draft, which is pretty impressive. I don't know how many teams can say that.

And of course, there's always the possibility of this imploding, where all the new kids suck and McAvoy/Carlo/Grz get overwhelmed trying to hold things together. Time will tell.

You have Carlo as one of the best defenceman in the league? Or, were you saying he’s excellent as a second pairing D?

 

[PB37]

You have Carlo as one of the best defenceman in the league? Or, were you saying he’s excellent as a second pairing D?

Excellent 2nd pair dman and one of the best defensive dmen in the league. Based purely on defensive accumen, statistical analysis and results in his own zone, he's a top 10 defensively and that may be underselling him quite a bit. He can help transition the puck and joins the rush a lot more than most defensive dmen, but i can't see him breaking 30 points... it's just a part of his game i can't see developing beyond what it is at this point.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Grz and McAvoy have had great chemistry playing together since their college days. We'll see if Grz can handle the increased workload, but from an on-ice talent, a Grz--McAvoy pairing should be pretty effective. I worry about Grz's size being a potential red flag in the playoffs with the increased time and physical attention he'll get in a playoff series, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Carlo will be the anchor of that 2nd line and by all metrics, he's been an excellent top 4 defensive dman and one of the best in the league. The last couple of years, he's had to cover for Krug's tendency to be a bit loose on D, so getting another partner who is the anti-Krug in Lauzon ( size, physicality, defensively aware but lacking in offensive gifts ) will be interesting. Lauzon -- Carlo on paper has the potential of being a very good 2nd pairing shutdown tandem.

Kevan Miller is back but it's unknown how good he'll be. Zboril just signed a one way deal, so they are fully prepared for him to come in and take a roster spot. Clifton has guts and game, but has a tendency to be too much of a cowboy ( Cassidy's endearing term for it was Cliffy Hockey ) at times so he definitely needs to be sheltered. John Moore is an effective NHL quality depth veteran coming off the bench.

There's a lot of question marks but the potential is there to be something pretty good. We hear rumors of the Bruins shopping for a top 4 LD to help take some of the question marks off the table ( as well as leaving the door open for Chara to potential resign ) but i get the impression that they're prepared to let the kids get some time in as both Lauzon and Zboril have outgrown the AHL, even Clifton too. If things work out for them, half their starting D rotation will have come from their 2015 draft, which is pretty impressive. I don't know how many teams can say that.

And of course, there's always the possibility of this imploding, where all the new kids suck and McAvoy/Carlo/Grz get overwhelmed trying to hold things together. Time will tell.

The net impact is questionable. In fact you could easily argue his lack of offense outweighs the defensive value at this point.

 

[PB37]

The net impact is questionable. In fact you could easily argue his lack of offense outweighs the defensive value at this point.

I agree with the assesment, however, in regards to specialists like Carlo, as long as it fits with what the team is trying to accomplish on the ice, it works. What those stats don't show is that while Carlo has below average offensive skills, he transitions and skates pretty well for a guy his size. He's not your throwback, plodding defensive dman, so while the offense numbers aren't there, his puck skills and skating aren't a hinderence to the flow of attack. Personally, I'm comfortable with Carlo being elite at D while only being a passive faculitor on offense and letting the others pick up the sexy numbers.

 

[BostonBob]

With Chara retiring, I would say bottom 5 in the east.

Kind of hard to take anything you say seriously after your epic " Marleau still has a better shot than 80% of NHL players " post from a couple of weeks ago. Anyway.....

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Excellent 2nd pair dman and one of the best defensive dmen in the league. Based purely on defensive accumen, statistical analysis and results in his own zone, he's a top 10 defensively and that may be underselling him quite a bit. He can help transition the puck and joins the rush a lot more than most defensive dmen, but i can't see him breaking 30 points... it's just a part of his game i can't see developing beyond what it is at this point.

What’s the statistical analysis that has him as a top-10 defensive defenceman? Legitimately asking. I knew he was good defensively, but didn’t know it was to that degree.

 

[thusk]

If Chara retiring causes the Bruins to go from #1 to bottom 5 then they should retroactively give him the last 10 Norris trophies and immediately induct him into the Hall of Fame.

Not the lost of Chara but the lost of Chara AND krug, yes boston will go #1 to maybe not bottom 5 but bottom 10.

You can't undervalue how losing 2 top 4 dman can have a massive impact.

Will Mcavoy be at the same level wuth gzrelcyk unstead of Chara? No he will be worst

Will Carlo be at the same level playing with clifton or lauzon unstead of krug ? No he will be worst

Will grezlcyk be at the same level in the top 4 playing against best player in this league? No

will boston pp be as good without krug ? No

Every body will be worst without Krug and Chara

Sorry but without Chara and Krug, Bruins D group is not better than leafs d group of 2019-2020 ( bottom 10)

McAvoy is not better than Rielly
Carlo is not better than Muzzin
Grezlcyk is same level of guy than Dermott, just different style
Clifton same kind of level than holl
Lauzon or vakkanainen are not better than sandin or liljegren

So please tell me how this defence can still a good d without 50% of the players and the leader/soul of this club who made this defense one of the best.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Not the lost of Chara but the lost of Chara AND krug, yes boston will go #1 to maybe not bottom 5 but bottom 10.

You can't undervalue how losing 2 top 4 dman can have a massive impact.

Will Mcavoy be at the same level wuth gzrelcyk unstead of Chara? No he will be worst

Will Carlo be at the same level playing with clifton or lauzon unstead of krug ? No he will be worst

Will grezlcyk be at the same level in the top 4 playing against best player in this league? No

will boston pp be as good without krug ? No

Every body will be worst without Krug and Chara

Sorry but without Chara and Krug, Bruins D group is not better than leafs d group of 2019-2020 ( bottom 10)

McAvoy is not better than Rielly
Carlo is not better than Muzzin
Grezlcyk is same level of guy than Dermott, just different style
Clifton same kind of level than holl
Lauzon or vakkanainen are not better than sandin or liljegren

So please tell me how this defence can still a good d without 50% of the players and the leader/soul of this club who made this defense one of the best.

Leaf fans are the best. The minute Chara re-signs it will be back to: Chara is a plug.

Even if he doesn't it's hilarious that you think Toronto has a better defense.

 

[danpantz]

Not the lost of Chara but the lost of Chara AND krug, yes boston will go #1 to maybe not bottom 5 but bottom 10.

You can't undervalue how losing 2 top 4 dman can have a massive impact.

Will Mcavoy be at the same level wuth gzrelcyk unstead of Chara? No he will be worst

Will Carlo be at the same level playing with clifton or lauzon unstead of krug ? No he will be worst

Will grezlcyk be at the same level in the top 4 playing against best player in this league? No

will boston pp be as good without krug ? No

Every body will be worst without Krug and Chara

Sorry but without Chara and Krug, Bruins D group is not better than leafs d group of 2019-2020 ( bottom 10)

McAvoy is not better than Rielly
Carlo is not better than Muzzin
Grezlcyk is same level of guy than Dermott, just different style
Clifton same kind of level than holl
Lauzon or vakkanainen are not better than sandin or liljegren

So please tell me how this defence can still a good d without 50% of the players and the leader/soul of this club who made this defense one of the best.

Not the biggest sample size but McAvoy actually plays better when paired with Gryz



They have a ton of Chemistry, even played together back in College.

And Carlo entered the league playing a pure shutdown roll with Chara his rookie season, I could see him and Lauzon having a similar roll next year.

As for trying to compare them to the leafs defense last year, I'd rather not, because the leafs have nothing to do with this thread.

 

[danpantz]

Show me where you're arguing that: Search Results for Query: krug | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League

All I see is non-stop hate on McAvoy and mixed feelings on Krug.

OP HATES McAvoy. It's been his Schtick for years. I kind of admire his determination though.

 

[thusk]

Not the biggest sample size but McAvoy actually plays better when paired with Gryz



They have a ton of Chemistry, even played together back in College.

And Carlo entered the league playing a pure shutdown roll with Chara his rookie season, I could see him and Lauzon having a similar roll next year.

As for trying to compare them to the leafs defense last year, I'd rather not, because the leafs have nothing to do with this thread.

Leaf fans are the best. The minute Chara re-signs it will be back to: Chara is a plug.

Even if he doesn't it's hilarious that you think Toronto has a better defense.

Leafs are just to get a comparaison of a good team with bottom 10 d but if you prefer, you can compare it to chicago blackhawks from 2016-2017 to this season and it will be probably a better comparaison to understand whats the impact of losing 2top 4 dman can have on a team or player


Keith vs mcavoy
Seabrook ( who was a very good all around d in 2017) vs carlo
Murphy vs gzrelcyk
Kempny vs clifton
Forstling vs lauzon
Oesterle dahlstrom... vs moore, vakkanainen..

Does boston have what it takes to get over these losses better than chicago? I don't think for the simple reason chara+krug> hjalmarsson and campbell and Boston < Chicago

2 top 4 dman can make all the difference between an excellent defensive and a bad defensive

being partner during college and against NHL best player is a lot different...

 

[Blowfish]

Not the lost of Chara but the lost of Chara AND krug, yes boston will go #1 to maybe not bottom 5 but bottom 10.

Sorry but without Chara and Krug, Bruins D group is not better than leafs d group of 2019-2020 ( bottom 10)

Leaf fans- bestest team because youngest team
Leaf fans- bestest team because most experienced team

Bruin teams play as a team hence the success...especially at D.

Here is what the leafs are this year.

 

[PB37]

What’s the statistical analysis that has him as a top-10 defensive defenceman? Legitimately asking. I knew he was good defensively, but didn’t know it was to that degree.

" The 2018-19 season was a breakthrough campaign for Carlo when it came to being rewarded for his dug-in, defensive talents. Among the 87 NHL defensemen that logged at least 1,200 5v5 minutes in 2018-19, Carlo ranked first overall in goals against per 60 minutes of play with a rate of 1.48 "

" The following campaign only featured a slight dip in those lofty numbers, with his 5v5 GA/60 rate of 1.75 ranking 10th overall among the 197 D-men with 500 minutes of ice time logged. "

 

[Viqsi]

Leaf fans are the best. The minute Chara re-signs it will be back to: Chara is a plug.

Even if he doesn't it's hilarious that you think Toronto has a better defense.

I wouldn't say Toronto has a better defense, but I would say that they're closely comparable now. Of course, I've always figured Toronto's blueline to be really underrated; people keep going "LOL BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE" when they're more somewhere in the mushy middle.

 

[bov]

I like Boston's D. May need to add a veteran or two for depth and stability but if anything, I think their offense will be in trouble. Injuries to star forwards and the loss of Krug could really set the Bruins back early in the season.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

I think they'll have a weak group of defenseman on paper but a decent to strong team defense, if that makes sense. The Bruins seem to have a strong system and have forwards who play responsibly at both ends of the ice, so any shortcomings with their defensemen will mostly be hidden by their team play. Kinda similar to the 2016 Penguins, who didn't look that great on paper but they were extremely effective defensively.

I just want to echo this. Having lost to the Bruins twice in the playoffs in two seasons, I have a decent sense of their system. As much as I hate the Bruins as a team and I want them to miss the playoffs, I give them mad respect for Bruce Cassidy's system. He has the team playing very structured hockey. It needs to be said again that Bruins forwards play VERY responsibly on both ends of the ice, and it is so hard to generate high scoring chances against. Look at the goals against last year. Bruins are #1 in the entire NHL with 174 GA in 70 games. This is insane. I could see this taking a hit without Krug/Chara, but I still see the Bruins as top 5 or top 10 at worst. They also have an aggressive PK. As a fan, the Bruins' defense gives me nightmares, but I understand that part of this is because they match up really well against the Canes.

 

[tictactoe]

Sorry. Canes and Jackets got their wish and left us all. This is the East. Not the Metro.

this is east not metro? what does metro have to do with anything?
I am not following.

 

[Sheppy]

I'd say middle of the pack, honestly. I don't think they've done a good job addressing the loss of Krug and potentially Chara.

If they went out and grabbed a solid #2 or #3, they'd be in the upper end.

 

[tenken00]

this is east not metro? what does metro have to do with anything?
I am not following.

There is no Eastern Conference this year, but there is an East Division.

 

[tictactoe]

There is no Eastern Conference this year, but there is an East Division.

who cares? Canes and Jackets have pretty damn good D.

 

[Gurglesons]

Boston’s D sucks just like I said.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Don't bump old threads just to attempt to dunk.