PUCK DADDY: Boston Bruins at the end of an empire

[Fenway]

Ryan Lambert looks at where the Bruins are today in his eyes


Boston Bruins at the end of an empire

The Bruins used to be a team with elite depth, even if they did often overpay for it. Now, the team has just six regulars on the roster (those with 500-plus minutes at 5-on-5) who carry positive possession numbers. You can probably guess three of them: Bergeron and Marchand are still godlike at more than 54 percent apiece, Eriksson is third at about 52.6 percent, while Brett Connolly has benefited from a lot of minutes with Boston's top-two, and Matt Beleskey is very marginally north of break-even. The only other guy to clear 50 is oft-scratched Colin Miller.

Meanwhile, David Krejci is very slightly below the water line, and it just gets worse from there. Let's put it this way: They're still using Zdeno Chara as their shutdown guy on defense for want of anyone better to handle those duties, and even he can't keep the puck in the attacking end any more. Okay, sure, he's 38 years old (39 in two weeks!), and he's been saddled with Zach Trotman and Kevan Miller for the bulk of his time this season, because the team has so systematically stripped away anything useful on the blue line that the wear and tear of being the most dominant defenseman of his generation are finally starting to show.

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[Bruwinz37]

Empire is a word thrown around pretty lightly these days I guess

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

 

[Tampbear]

I don't know why but it really annoys me when someone writes such an uninformed article based purely on stats. I should just ignore it but I can't help myself from reading it.

 

[ReggieMoto]

It's Lambert. If he's the author it's not even worth reading. If it was Wysh then I'd be more inclined to give a look and consider.

 

[chizzler]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

Same ole song with this guy. Next.

 

[LouJersey]

Why would we make a Ryan Lambert thread?

 

[LouJersey]

Empire is a word thrown around pretty lightly these days I guess

Yeah remember when people here used to compare the Bruins to the Blackhawks?

 

[bob27]

It's not surprising that they get a lot of shots against when there's only one reliable puck moving defenceman in the team. I would only be worried if Sweeney can't shore up the defence in the summer. Also, while I like Corsi I don't have the kind of reverence for it that some of these advanced stats advocates seem to have. Bruins lost the Corsi battle against Chicago, but is there anyone who would seriously claim that Bruins weren't the far better team in that game? Goal differential is a more reliable indicator of team's future success within a season.

 

[DitClapper]

Lambert stinks.

 

[Budddy]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

Exactly this... I never read his stuff...he was on xm radio earlier this year too and it was evident he has a real hate on for the Bruins

 

[hoss75]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

The jackwagon that writes for the metro is hot on his heels.

 

[Gee Wally]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

Ding ding ding

We have a winner.

Least objective writer I know of when it comes to Bruins.

 

[Man Rocket]

The year after we won the Cup in 2011, we had (IIRC) 26 year old Bergeron, 25 year old Krejci, 23 year old Lucic and Marchand, 19 year old Seguin, 24 year old Rask waiting in the wings, 29 year old Boychuk, and had just drafted Hamilton etc. Our future looked so bright, and yes we made it back to a Cup final in 2013 but i feel like we should have done more. Idk maybe im being greedy

 

[Pia8988]

Isn't he the same guy that complained about boring two way forward Bergeron winning the NHL cover over fast skating super ****ing PK Diver?

 

[Boston Bruno]

The year after we won the Cup in 2011, we had (IIRC) 26 year old Bergeron, 25 year old Krejci, 23 year old Lucic and Marchand, 19 year old Seguin, 24 year old Rask waiting in the wings, 29 year old Boychuk, and had just drafted Hamilton etc. Our future looked so bright, and yes we made it back to a Cup final in 2013 but i feel like we should have done more. Idk maybe im being greedy

Not greedy. Embarrassingly bad resource management, and horrid drafting.
They held on to the wrong guys.
Always easy to say after though.

 

[Shaun]

right up there with sarah connors as the worst hockey twitter

 

[Gordoff]

right up there with sarah connors as the worst hockey twitter

Definitely, never could understand how some of these people get their jobs.

 

[neelynugs]

Ding ding ding

We have a winner.

Least objective writer I know of when it comes to Bruins.

was it ever confirmed that lambert enjoyed eating delicious pie from time to time?

 

[RedBruin]

Lambert is the biggest Bruins hater in the media you will ever find. Bruins fans really should not give him the click that keeps his garbage spewing.

He's a good troll and sometimes entertaining to read, but turning to him for proper analysis is like lturning to Eklund for inside scoop on trades.

 

[nORRis8]

Decent article. Especially the remarks on the defense.Chara is not the man anymore and has't beed since 2012.
Trading Boychuck will haunt the Bruins more than dumping Seguin. In NYI Boychuck and Tavares are said to be the leaders on that team and rightfully so.

So we are stuck with Chara a guy who Juliens feels his there #1 dman.
Would you have Chara lumbering around in OT 3 on 3? Nope. But there was last night on Niskanens OT winner. The only 2 dmen I would have out there would be Liles or Krug.

As for the remarks about our forwards....a bit far fetched.

Plenty could be said about Rask and his play this season of lack of confidence and downright poor mechanics.

 

[missingchicklet]

Very amateurish article. Reminds me of fans on the internet who take a few advanced stats and spin them in a manner that shows little knowledge of both hockey and advanced stats. He makes a couple valid points, but the article overall is complete rubbish and essentially worthless in the end. So much that can be easily picked apart, but not worth it.

 

[Buckets and Gloves]

Not greedy. Embarrassingly bad resource management, and horrid drafting.
They held on to the wrong guys.
Always easy to say after though.

Ya but some of us saw this from get go...

I still feel Chris Kelly and his 3 million cap hit has caused us the most damage... he should've been dealt/cut /shot to the moon after the cup run

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

I've had cold sores I liked more than Lambert

 

[Shaun]

was it ever confirmed that lambert enjoyed eating delicious pie from time to time?

I assumed he did but I was never 100% sure