The Responsible Parties

[SwayHeyKid]

I respect your view here but can't get on board with this line of thinking because the regular season is not a straight race to the summit. No-one cares about the Presidents' Trophy or achieving the maximum number of points. Instead there are two priorities - get enough points to qualify in a good position, and get the team in the best possible shape for the playoffs. The latter of these will usually mean basically voluntarily sacrificing points from time to time to manage minutes and injuries, develop tactics, and blood rookies, new trades etc. Furthermore, because seedings are determined by division and conference, not everyone is in exactly the same fight.

I don't want to undersell the regular season record. What the Bruins did last year was very impressive, and difficult to do. It was also a lot of fun. But I can never equate it with winning a Cup, let alone as surpassing it. If the NHL ran like one of the European soccer leagues - a simple fight to first place, with no finals - then I'd view it differently. Arsenal's unbeaten 2003-04 EPL season is rightly the stuff of legend. But in hockey the real war is fought in the postseason, where it's just the best teams, every game matters and everyone has the same goal. Lifting the Cup is all that truly matters, all that anyone actually remembers except when the record books are occasionally trotted out to make some point. Whereas regular season wins are simply a means to a largely separate end.

The other stumbling block to me in regards to appreciating the Bruins' record is that chasing the damn thing actually contributed to them losing in the first round. In that sense I see it as a bit of a tainted achievement - on balance I'm still glad they did it, because it was pretty remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable, but IMO there's also no denying it hurt them in the end when it came time to compete for the real goal. An example of great and sustained performance perhaps, but not greatness in its true and full sense.

Great post. The Bruins are a fun team, and have my support win or lose, but winning the Cup is what truly matters. My issue with this group has been the inability to close things out on home ice. Since this new regime, for as fun and great as it's been has lost six game sevens on home ice. Thank God for Lucic and Bergeron putting the team on their backs in 2013 vs Toronto or it would have been even worse.

 

[sarge88]

I respect your view here but can't get on board with this line of thinking because the regular season is not a straight race to the summit. No-one cares about the Presidents' Trophy or achieving the maximum number of points. Instead there are two priorities - get enough points to qualify in a good position, and get the team in the best possible shape for the playoffs. The latter of these will usually mean basically voluntarily sacrificing points from time to time to manage minutes and injuries, develop tactics, and blood rookies, new trades etc. Furthermore, because seedings are determined by division and conference, not everyone is in exactly the same fight.

I don't want to undersell the regular season record. What the Bruins did last year was very impressive, and difficult to do. It was also a lot of fun. But I can never equate it with winning a Cup, let alone as surpassing it. If the NHL ran like one of the European soccer leagues - a simple fight to first place, with no finals - then I'd view it differently. Arsenal's unbeaten 2003-04 EPL season is rightly the stuff of legend. But in hockey the real war is fought in the postseason, where it's just the best teams, every game matters and everyone has the same goal. Lifting the Cup is all that truly matters, all that anyone actually remembers except when the record books are occasionally trotted out to make some point. Whereas regular season wins are simply a means to a largely separate end.

The other stumbling block to me in regards to appreciating the Bruins' record is that chasing the damn thing actually contributed to them losing in the first round. In that sense I see it as a bit of a tainted achievement - on balance I'm still glad they did it, because it was pretty remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable, but IMO there's also no denying it hurt them in the end when it came time to compete for the real goal. An example of great and sustained performance perhaps, but not greatness in its true and full sense.

I get that, entirely, and I’m not equating your typical regular season champion with the annual cup winner.

Just in regard to last year, only one team has the record for most wins and points in the RS…..some team wins a cup every year.

Meaning what the Bruins did is more exclusive, for lack of a better word, than winning the cup.

 

[Gordoff]

I respect your view here but can't get on board with this line of thinking because the regular season is not a straight race to the summit. No-one cares about the Presidents' Trophy or achieving the maximum number of points. Instead there are two priorities - get enough points to qualify in a good position, and get the team in the best possible shape for the playoffs. The latter of these will usually mean basically voluntarily sacrificing points from time to time to manage minutes and injuries, develop tactics, and blood rookies, new trades etc. Furthermore, because seedings are determined by division and conference, not everyone is in exactly the same fight.

I don't want to undersell the regular season record. What the Bruins did last year was very impressive, and difficult to do. It was also a lot of fun. But I can never equate it with winning a Cup, let alone as surpassing it. If the NHL ran like one of the European soccer leagues - a simple fight to first place, with no finals - then I'd view it differently. Arsenal's unbeaten 2003-04 EPL season is rightly the stuff of legend. But in hockey the real war is fought in the postseason, where it's just the best teams, every game matters and everyone has the same goal. Lifting the Cup is all that truly matters, all that anyone actually remembers except when the record books are occasionally trotted out to make some point. Whereas regular season wins are simply a means to a largely separate end.

The other stumbling block to me in regards to appreciating the Bruins' record is that chasing the damn thing actually contributed to them losing in the first round. In that sense I see it as a bit of a tainted achievement - on balance I'm still glad they did it, because it was pretty remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable, but IMO there's also no denying it hurt them in the end when it came time to compete for the real goal. An example of great and sustained performance perhaps, but not greatness in its true and full sense.

POST ^^^^ OF ^^^^ THE ^^^^ YEAR!

 

[goldnblack]

Something else to consider re: this year
View attachment 837942

Frankly this makes it even more impressive to me

 

[Dr Hook]

Frankly this makes it even more impressive to me

It's wild to me that any one of those 8 teams could end up the #1 seed this year.

 

[HustleB]

I wonder if the title of this thread was changed if it would make the discussion a bit less acrimonious. I woulf change it to “Your Primary Concerns Heading into the Postseason”.

It does skew the discussion away from the front office which may irk a few. But it would allow us to better discuss the strategies that will enable or hinder success in the playoffs.

 

[GordonHowe]

Time will tell, but as we’ve painfully seen, a team can be constructed for regular season success and playoff failure.

Not suggesting this is ever a conscious decision, but at the very least, the fact that Hathaway was brought in last year and Lucic and later Maroon this year does offer some credence to the fact that they feel that toughness is something this team lacks.

The question that may never be answered is how much toughness is enough?

It’s possible to lose a series where you “out tough” the other team and you can win a series where you get smacked around.

In the end, while either one of the scenarios above can happen, it’s unlikely that you can win four series where you’re the nail and not the hammer.

My biggest concern is not enough toughness in the top 9. Those guys aren’t easy to find, but it isn’t impossible and should be a priority, not only next year, but in perpetuity.

SFT.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I get that, entirely, and I’m not equating your typical regular season champion with the annual cup winner.

Just in regard to last year, only one team has the record for most wins and points in the RS…..some team wins a cup every year.

Meaning what the Bruins did is more exclusive, for lack of a better word, than winning the cup.

I get that, and for that reason it's special, for sure. Just not quite on the same plane as cups for me.

I guess, for a Bruins fan especially, you can boil it down to this - which team and achievement was more impressive and memorable, 2010-11 or 2023-24? The answer for what I'm sure would be the vast majority of the fanbase tells you the difference between the one and the other.

 

[Bruinfanatic]

I’m kind of waiting to see what happens in the playoffs before I give my honest opinion on this post,sure I could speculate but gonna wait and see.

 

[goldnblack]

Who the heck is responsible for this trash?

 

[DKH]

Who’s responsible for Justin Brazeau

 

[DKH]

Need a post game rant

Bottom. 6

Boqvist - Beecher - Brazeau
Lauko - Frederic - Geekie

I would not call the group soft

 

[zaYG]

Need a post game rant

Bottom. 6

Boqvist - Beecher - Brazeau
Lauko - Frederic - Geekie

I would not call the group soft

Don’t separate Lauko Boqvist and Braz

I like Bo at C personally

 

[goldnblack]

That stat on the 130 pts from the low cost free agents is WILD. Sweenius definitely responsible.

 

[goldenblack]

How physical did this team look tonight???

 

[SwayHeyKid]

View attachment 856375

How physical did this team look tonight???

The not tough enough myth was dispelled a couple months ago. Go B's