Speculation: Will the Bruins make the playoffs?

[duffy]

You don't go 1.87 Goals per game and shoot 6.9% over 15 games because of systems/coaches/approaches/narratives.

This is on the players. They are trying hard for the most part. It's just a shitty team that is completely overmatched most nights.

it doesn't help when your 11.5 million player has become Mike Hoffman, your 9.5 million D man has become a third pair D man, and you supposed best Defensive D man kicks a puck in his own net every other game and can't stay on his feet for a entire shift! WOW is all I got!

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I doubt it. This roster is not as bad as it's playing, but it's very flawed all the same. I fully expect it will go on at least a little run or two between now and February, whether that's through a new coach bounce, a useful trade or the simple ups and downs of a long season. But I increasingly can't see them banking enough points consistently to squeeze into a qualifying spot. The threshold for a WC probably isn't going to be that high, which means there's a chance, but I'm not seeing their play improve in any one key area, at all, and time is starting to tick by.

I also have no real interest in another wing and a prayer playoffs one and done. The roster needs some serious change and is desperately in need of an injection of genuine young talent. Only way to get the latter is to scoop a few high draft picks. Looking ahead there is enough there to work with - whatever their current struggles the likes of McAvoy, Pasta and Sway have not permanently forgotten how to play hockey overnight - but they need help and the current core needs a shake up. There is some cause to hope they could pull off a quick bounce down and back up within a year or two if they play their cards right, but regardless I would rather see them at least try that than continue to stagger on as a boring mediocrity still trying to chase the increasingly unobtainable.

At their current pace, Pasta will have around a 32-37-69 season and be a minus player. Coming of a 47-63-110 last season and +21. The guy should be in his prime.

McAvoy's on pace for 12-17-29. Last season was 12-35-47. That's a big drop.

Swayman is on pace to be the worst goalie in the NHL.

And they all look even worse than their numbers.

As you said, they haven't forgotten how to play overnight. I'm thinking (hoping?) they will get back to playing at the level they should be soon. If so, they will make the playoffs.

 

[The don godfather]

They will get 3rd in Atlantic or wc1 wc2. Book it!

 

[McGarnagle]

Firing Monty and having the new coach bump will probably be enough to get them a WC or even 3rd in the Atlantic. But long run might be better to bottom out.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Is this a playoff team? As of today....

Regulation wins - Tied with four other teams for 26th, but they are the only team of the four who have played 20 games. Of teams with 20 games in, only Pittsburgh and San Jose have less regulation wins than Boston.

Offensively:

GF per game - Officially now 31st, just ahead of "Bruins -West" (I mean Blackhawks) at 2.40. But for the past 15 games, they are at 1.87. In the salary cap era, the only team worst than that number was the 2013-14 Sabres at 1.83. Tied with the 2014-15 Sabres at 1.87. Worse than the 15 win brand new expansion Atlanta Thrasher team of 1999-2000 during the dead puck era. (2.07)

Power Play - Dead last at 32nd place (11.69%).

Shooting % - Officially 27th at 8.9%, but for the past 15 games, they are shooting a paltry 6.9%, a full percentage point behind the 32nd place shooting team.

Defensively:

GAA - 28th

PK - 25th

Most PP goals allowed by a goalie - Jeremy Swayman at 15.

Short-handed goals allowed - Dead last with 4 against.


Frankly I'm tired of listening to how intangible stuff like urgency, compete, attention to details, push-back, etc. etc. are the main issues with this team. If this was a talented team just underachieving, then I can see those things being the main issues.

This is simply an flawed untalented group of players assembled by Mr. Neely, Mr. Sweeney, and the rest of the front office (Bradley, Langenbrunner, Gold, Bonvie, etc.). Heaviest team in the NHL, 3rd in hits, and can't string 3 consecutive passes together or fire a puck past a goalie with any consistency. Absolute abomination defending the rush.

This goes beyond coaching (although clearly there are issues there as well). This is a team not built for today's NHL, built for a bygone era. You don't put up the numbers above solely because of intangible stuff and what the coaches are doing. The vision for this franchise is flawed, and until you change the vision from above, success will not be in their future. The fact that the same front office also acquired many of the players on the 32nd placed offensive team right now, speaks volumes. Literally half the Blackhawks forward group was once acquired by the Bruins front office. And the fact is, the two best offensive players here still pre-date the current administration, and they've been at the helm here now for a decade. I cringed yesterday when I read they are chasing a "scoring power forward" as if somehow, the lack of heaviness is the issue. I guess we shouldn't be surprised, the ultimate power forward (Neely) just wants more power forwards. I too wanted a team of all power forwards once upon a time, except that time was in the mid-1990s playing NHL 95 on my Super Nintendo.

Without a drastic course altering decision like turfing the entire front office, like right now, feels like some dark days ahead. Feels a lot like we are back to the Bruins of the pre-salary cap era in terms of mentality of the front office when it comes to what players to acquire, but with a salary cap (and a pile of albatross contracts) tying their hands. When I saw Jeffrey Viel last night, I got flashbacks of Doug Doull and Dan Lacouture. There is no golden parachute to get them to safety like they had in 2005-06. They don't have two future No.1 centers in their system, or the cap space to make major changes or chase a game-changing UFA like a Zdeno Chara. I'm not sure what else there is to say. I think the Boston Bruins are up S&^% creek without a paddle.

When was that bygone era, last season?

Only 5 teams had more than the Bruins 109 points.

No team had less regulation losses.

How did they do that with so many of the same players and coaches they have now?

Saying this is a team not built for today's NHL, built for a bygone era, is just reaching to find a reason no one can explain.

 

[BruinDust]

When was that bygone era, last season?

Only 5 teams had more than the Bruins 109 points.

No team had less regulation losses.

How did they do that with so many of the same players and coaches they have now?

Saying this is a team not built for today's NHL, built for a bygone era, is just reaching to find a reason no one can explain.

The Dead Puck era. They way they are built, the moves they made the summer, looks like a team from pre-salary cap. Not that it was their intention, they did it by accident because they have no clue what they are doing.

This is far from the same team as last year. Even last year, they made a lot of their hey in the 1st half. From mid-February onward you didn't get much production out of Marchand and he's suppose to be their 2nd best scorer. Won a lot less games after January 1st, particularly post all-star game.

 

[weaponomega]

Not with the current coaching staff/head coach

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

The caveat to this answer is "as the current Bruins stand today"

I don't think the current Bruins will last Thanksgiving, IMO.

 

[GordonHowe]

 

[ON3M4N]

I don't think this team (on paper) is as bad as the product were getting on the ice. Even with how bad they have been, they're tied with TBL for 3rd in the Atlantic with 19 points (TBL has games in hand). Now if you assume that they eventually get their shit together and play like they're capable of, they should make the playoffs.