1st Overall: The Responsible Parties?

[goldnblack]

-Lost an all-star lineup worth of players in the offseason due to cap issues. Certainly 4 guys who had all played in one before, and 3 cup Champs. No cap space.

-Were supposed to struggle having no centres, a position entirely by committee

-A team that was supposed to have challenges scoring, who was maybe going to be a fringe playoff team


So who are the responsible parties for us being 1st overall? You don't just "luck" into that. What's your take?

Click to read more...

 

[Clode]

Jim Montgomery and goaltending

 

[goldnblack]

Jim Montgomery and goaltending

Reasonable take.

Tough to not look at names like Geekie, Heiner, Wotherspoon, etc who all surprised.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Goaltending and Goaltending

 

[HustleB]

Goaltending
Sweeney/Front Office
The overperforming top 6 players
Coyle
Pasta

The new leadership
Marchand and McAvoy

And the extreme values.
Heinen
Geekie
JVR
Poitras
Wotherspoon
Lohrei
Bottom 6 depth
Other depth d players that were called up were respectable. None really fell on there face though Mitchell underwhelmed a couple times.

Really everyone played there part so not trying to diminish a guy like Carlo or even Zacha but it's been a great year.

Edit can't believe I forgot the coach. I put him on the same line as Marchand and McAvoy. He is just as responsible for guys overachieving and fitting new pieces in.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Fish rots from the head

 

[22Brad Park]

Goaltending and Goaltending

Only 5 teams in NHL that have scored more goals.Just thought I should throw that into mix.

 

[Eddie Munson]

Goaltending and the loser point.

If you look at regulation, overtime, and shootout wins, they’re ranked 9th tied with Edmonton at 40. Yet they have 12 more points than them.

Only 5 teams in NHL that have scored more goals.Just thought I should throw that into mix.

That’s if you just look at the whole number and not games played. They’re 10th in GF/GP. Not that that’s bad.

Matter of fact, most of their stats place them in the 8-10 range which is why they’re an interesting anomaly this year.

I still think they get bounced round one of the playoffs unless their goaltending is what it was at the beginning of the season.

It’s been a wild ride and all we can do is enjoy it as I for one had them at best 3rd seed or a WC in the Atlantic/East this year with this roster. So good on them.

 

[22Brad Park]

Goaltending and the loser point.

If you look at regulation, overtime, and shootout wins, they’re ranked 9th tied with Edmonton at 40. Yet they have 12 more points than them.



That’s if you just look at the whole number and not games played. They’re 10th in GF/GP. Not that that’s bad.

Matter of fact, most of their stats place them in the 8-10 range which is why they’re an interesting anomaly this year.

I still think they get bounced round one of the playoffs unless their goaltending is what it was at the beginning of the season.

It’s been a wild ride and all we can do is enjoy it as I for one had them at best 3rd seed or a WC in the Atlantic/East this year with this roster. So good on them.

They have had a fantastic season all considering yip.Have to think that without that 3 on 3 gimmick in playoffs Bruins win a few more of those 15 OT, SO losses.Hope you are wrong about round 1 .If not still a good season in my books.

 

[Kegs]

I blame zdeno chara for creating this teams culture.

 

[Eddie Munson]

They have had a fantastic season all considering yip.Have to think that without that 3 on 3 gimmick in playoffs Bruins win a few more of those 15 OT, SO losses.Hope you are wrong about round 1 .If not still a good season in my books.

100% they’ve had a great season and I absolutely hope I’m wrong as well about my round one prediction. Florida beat the B’s last year and went to a cup with similar possession numbers to what we have this year. So it can be done.

I’m just not sold that where they are in the standings has any merit as to where they stack up against the teams around them when it’s time for a 7 game series.

 

[Aeroforce]

You know the old saying, "It takes a village."

Everyone at every level has contributed - from Hall of Fame players, to trainers, equipment personnel, and front office staff.

When Chara was captain, he went against the grain of traditional sports teams. He not only insisted on accountability, he refused to allow rookie hazing, any type of clique to develop, etc.

So as much of a cliche as it has become, it's the culture.

I know all teams do things like this. But this recent event in which Bruins players delivered pizzas to the front office shows how appreciative and down-to-earth these guys are.

 

[McGarnagle]

It's Joe Thornton's fault

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

6 vs 6 OT will play to their advantage.

 

[PB37]

You know the old saying, "It takes a village."

Everyone at every level has contributed - from Hall of Fame players, to trainers, equipment personnel, and front office staff.

When Chara was captain, he went against the grain of traditional sports teams. He not only insisted on accountability, he refused to allow rookie hazing, any type of clique to develop, etc.

So as much of a cliche as it has become, it's the culture.

I know all teams do things like this. But this recent event in which Bruins players delivered pizzas to the front office shows how appreciative and down-to-earth these guys are.

Jack Edwards probably has his suspicions as to who's idea this was

 

[DKH]

When you have a team like the 1971 Bruins, the 2020, the 2023 Bruins it’s completely different then every team I’ve ever watched

It was win or failure

That’s tough

All the other teams were just a fun experience along the way - like a great vacation with plenty of new and fun things - but the journey was the fun - live in the moment & experience unexpected joy

The Cherry teams were that - the sadness of no Orr or Espo was such a downer that in the moment it was hard to realize what 1976-1983 was about. Unfortunately they didn’t win it all - they were the greatest combination of toughness & talent in the history of hockey

The 2020 team was the sadest to me because on March 10th they were a locomotive and Tampa was a MASH unit their one real challenge

This team is a bit rag tag - it’s like a creative person who finds things and is able to decorate their house or yard with stuff I’d have thrown out. I was actually an art major my freshman year because I could paint but I had no vision of an artist or ability to see what my mother or daughter saw. This applied to even this Bruins team.

I see 97-98 points 7th or 8th seed

It’s been amazingly fun majority of time - I was at the Calgary gsme and Blues (more unfortunate then effort)

The season basically has been that rare 55 degree sunny day in late January or early February

Even last night watching that young Flyers line of Tippett - Frost- Foerster fight back and Heinen put the dagger in was highly entertaining.

I expected a funeral this year I got a party

The playoffs ? I don’t see them playing mid May but you can’t count them out

Enjoy the ride - as they say don’t go for a scenic country drive and get pulled over for speeding

The future is also very promising

We aren’t going to be Buffalo Ottawa or Detroit any time soon

 

[Gee Wally]

Goaltending
Donnies Dollar Store add ons
Culture


And this:

The men in the middle are making the difference: A deeper look at the Bruins’ top-tier center play - The Boston Globe

While the Charlie Coyle-Pavel Zacha ascendancy to the top two center spots has been truly remarkable, Morgan Geekie and youngster John Beecher also are holding their own.

www.bostonglobe.com

Together, Coyle (career high 23 goals) and Zacha (17 goals) will enter Tuesday night’s game here vs. the Senators with 100 points through 69 games. They are on a pace to deliver a combined 119 points. Bergeron (58) and Krejci (56), each with 1,000-plus games on their resumes, drove the boat last season with a combined 114 points. The Coyle-Zacha ascendancy to the top two center spots has been truly remarkable.

 

[DaStinger]

Goaltending, Pasta, value contracts actually worked out this year.

 

[Over the volcano]

-Lost an all-star lineup worth of players in the offseason due to cap issues. Certainly 4 guys who had all played in one before, and 3 cup Champs. No cap space.

-Were supposed to struggle having no centres, a position entirely by committee

-A team that was supposed to have challenges scoring, who was maybe going to be a fringe playoff team


So who are the responsible parties for us being 1st overall? You don't just "luck" into that. What's your take?

Sweeney 40% building the culture and reputation of the organization over the long haul and generating real competition for spots on a shoestring budget. Players want to come here- Heinen stayed with the club for free just to be a part of it. That says a lot about the organization he's put together.

Coaching staff 10% integrating the new faces, and fitting all the pieces on the ice

Marchand 10% captain throws them on his shoulders and lifts them on a regular basis

Pastrnak 10% 4th in the league in production

Swaullmark 10% - Ullmark nixing that trade might be a hidden blessing

Returning players stepping up 10%

New guys making the most of their opportunities 10%

 

[UncleRico]

The goalies. The start they got off to was insane. I think both has .930 save percentages 25-30 games in or something close

 

[goldnblack]

Goaltending and the loser point.

If you look at regulation, overtime, and shootout wins, they’re ranked 9th tied with Edmonton at 40. Yet they have 12 more points than them.



That’s if you just look at the whole number and not games played. They’re 10th in GF/GP. Not that that’s bad.

Matter of fact, most of their stats place them in the 8-10 range which is why they’re an interesting anomaly this year.

I still think they get bounced round one of the playoffs unless their goaltending is what it was at the beginning of the season.

It’s been a wild ride and all we can do is enjoy it as I for one had them at best 3rd seed or a WC in the Atlantic/East this year with this roster. So good on them.

No team in the NHL has fewer loses in regulation. Just saying...

The goalies. The start they got off to was insane. I think both has .930 save percentages 25-30 games in or something close

We essentially have the same GF/G as the Canes, Rangers, Devils, Panthers

the vaunted Canucks offence averages .2 goals per game more than us. Oilers same thing.

 

[Ladyfan]

Sweeney 40% building the culture and reputation of the organization over the long haul and generating real competition for spots on a shoestring budget. Players want to come here- Heinen stayed with the club for free just to be a part of it. That says a lot about the organization he's put together.

Coaching staff 10% integrating the new faces, and fitting all the pieces on the ice

Marchand 10% captain throws them on his shoulders and lifts them on a regular basis

Pastrnak 10% 4th in the league in production

Swaullmark 10% - Ullmark nixing that trade might be a hidden blessing

Returning players stepping up 10%

New guys making the most of their opportunities 10%

excellent post as always @Over the volcano

 

[UncleRico]

No team in the NHL has fewer loses in regulation. Just saying...



We essentially have the same GF/G as the Canes, Rangers, Devils, Panthers

the vaunted Canucks offence averages .2 goals per game more than us. Oilers same thing.

I’d still say the bruins goalies have been the strongest.

Bruins GA/G is 7th but is negatively impacted by a lot of OT games, so it should be even higher.

Bruins have allowed the 10th most shots as a team and have the 7th best GA/60. No other team in the top 10 of shots allowed us in the top 10 of GA/60

Also if we expanded it out to GF/60 and GA/60 it gets worse for the offense and better for the goaltending due to all the overtime games.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Only 5 teams in NHL that have scored more goals.Just thought I should throw that into mix.

No I agree and that's great but that would not matter wo batman and robin

 

[EverettMike]

Going to start a third thread and make this topic a trilogy.

Not Waiting Until the Post-Season and Seeing How They Respond After Last Year's Historic Choke Job Before Assigning Either Credit Or Blame For Whatever Fate Awaits Them This Year: The Responsible Parties!?