GDT: 3/30: Czechmate! Boston Bruins @ Philadelphia Flyers II

[SPLBRUIN]

Claude is the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference.

Sixth year with one coach for some of the guys.

The coaching staff keeps telling the players to compete and they don't do it.

It seems obvious that a roster shakeup or coaching change is needed because the status quo isn't going to cut it.

I approve of this post.

 

[C77]

So this looks not-so-strangely familiar to the team with players that admitted that they couldn't get emotionally involved in the playoffs last year.

 

[Neely08]

Claude is the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference.

Sixth year with one coach for some of the guys.

The coaching staff keeps telling the players to compete and they don't do it.

It seems obvious that a roster shakeup or coaching change is needed because the status quo isn't going to cut it.

Claude has to make some minor adjustments, at least. Even Brick said it, forwards too high, they have to get open for passes down low in their own zone, take heat off the D. Short passes and skating. Eliminate the turnovers.

Switch up the lines. Give Lucic and Krejci a skater.

Teams know CJ's system, throw a ****in curve ball once in a while. Adjust.

When low goals against D-first is your objective, and you're chasing leads, and can't score. Not a good recipe.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

They are a veteran group who are convinced they can turn it on come PO. Besides Ryder and TT who r gone, very player except # 27 I'm sure believes to his core they can turn it on and play well. I hate that but I'm convinced that's what you are looking at.

If that is in fact the case, a hard rain a'gonna fall...

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

It seems like this team, and I am including the 2011 year when they won the Cup, oscillates between periods of complete dominance and periods of complete complacency.

We have seen what their dominant stretches can result in (a championship), and when they are on their game, they are as tough to beat as any team in the league. But when they are off their game, they're as beatable as any team in the league.

So, I have two questions: why the inconsistency? And, is this team's model and team's core, sustainable for championship level play year in and year out?

Or, are they too reliant on playing perfect system hockey, playing extremely physically and emotionally engaged, and playing with a hot goalie?

Claude has proven that he can win with his system, but this team does not seem capable of falling back on its skill when they system breaks down, or when they are not executing their system to a T. They are also less effective when they are not playing with controlled emotion and controlled physicality. But what team, when relying on that emotion and physicality to win, can bring that game every night, and over consistent stretches of an entire season? And lastly, can a team win consistently when they rely on their goaltender to play at a Vezina level in order to have success?
The system, as we have seen, is also compromised when the depth of the team is compromised.

Part of that falls on Chia because he never plugged the holes vacated by Ryder and Recchi, but part of it has been a failure of the coaching staff to adjust to the realities of a different type of line-up.

I don't know, maybe Seguin isn't the guy I think he is...maybe he is not a guy who should be getting 20+ a game, but when you have a third line that has consisted of Bourque, Pandolfo, Caron, etc. over the course of the season, isn't it imperative to have your skilled players logging the majority of the ice time?

If you have less depth, why not ride your top lines and players a bit more? And part of this is on the players, if not the majority of it. Claude could have ridden the Krejci line more heavily, but what have they been most of this year?

I don't know. I just think the Bruins have been a team that relies too heavily on their system, their depth, and their goaltending, and when those things aren't clicking, Chia hasn't put a talented enough roster on the ice to make up the difference, not to mention the coach doesn't necessarily put his skilled players in the best position to use that skill. But the players deserve the blame for not executing the coache's system consistently and not bringing the emotional intensity they need to win on a consistent enough basis.

 

[The Hajj]

I would like to see them scrap the 1-2-2 and get back to an aggressive forechecking game. It seems like the team is working harder at settling back into the neutral zone than pressuring the puck carrier. IMO this is the exact opposite style this roster needs to play. A soft zone doesn't get the legs moving nor does it encourage a hitting game.

It doesn't do the team any good to have big guys if all they do is sit back waiting to counterattack.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Claude has to make some minor adjustments, at least. Even Brick said it, forwards too high, they have to get open for passes down low in their own zone, take heat off the D. Short passes and skating. Eliminate the turnovers.

Switch up the lines. Give Lucic and Krejci a skater.

Teams know CJ's system, throw a ****in curve ball once in a while. Adjust.

When low goals against D-first is your objective, and you're chasing leads, and can't score. Not a good recipe.

I'm not the only one who had said this, but why on earth have we not seen Lucic-DK-Seguin?? This line would be very similar to the Looch-Savard-Kessel line that proved so successful a few years back. DKH and I were talking about this yesterday, it gives DK a guy that can stretch the ice and makes his change of pace game so effective, and it forces Lucic to constantly move his feet in order to keep up, and that's when he's most effective.

I think Marchand and Bergeron will produce regardless of whether they have Segs or Horton on the wing, but that 1st line would be so much more effective with Seguin.

 

[Neely08]

I'm not the only one who had said this, but why on earth have we not seen Lucic-DK-Seguin?? This line would be very similar to the Looch-Savard-Kessel line that proved so successful a few years back. DKH and I were talking about this yesterday, it gives DK a guy that can stretch the ice and makes his change of pace game so effective, and it forces Lucic to constantly move his feet in order to keep up, and that's when he's most effective.

I think Marchand and Bergeron will produce regardless of whether they have Segs or Horton on the wing, but that 1st line would be so much more effective with Seguin.

It's b/c Bergy's line was carrying us.

Even they cant every game. Move Peverley up there at least.

 

[KCBRUIN]

This is rage inducing to read.
“@HackswithHaggs: Pretty "ho hum" reaction from Bruins dressing room after losing 5th game in 7 tries & losing to a bad Flyers team. Way too comfy #BruinsTalk”

 

[doubleculprit]

How about another cross ice pass. The next one is bound to make it...

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

If I had a dollar for every time a B's fan has said this during Clode's tenure in Boston, I could pay cash for my daughter's college tuition #2nd winningestcoachinBruin'shistory

Good for him, now lets care about the team playing like garbage, lets talk about how he keeps garbage players in the line up, lets talk about how a coach of a team with zero offensive skills has his best offensive player play less ithan 4th liners.

Tim T is the number one reason this team and your great coach has had the record its had while he was here.

His lets play not to lose style is old.And you need a great goalie to have a chance at that style. We don't have one anymore.

You should take the $ because you will be hearing it plenty if they don't snap out of it.

 

[Sevren]

We had bad stretches in 09 and the cup year.
But we also had dominant stretches in those years.
We have been an average team this whole year. Never dominant.

I don't remember the dominant stretches that much. Last year yes, but look what happened. In 2011 we were having a couple of good games, then a couple of bad ones. Finished the year 1st in the division because everyone else was bad. Finished 3rd in the conference because of being division leader, otherwise we would have finished 4th or maybe even 5th. Very similar to this year.

Horton is frustrating but we need his clutch playoffs goals. Lucic is fine but someone needs to tell him to stop thinking about consequences of crushing other players. Our PK is good enough to kill the penalties.

I would try and trade for Jagr and Streit using similar pieces to what we wanted to give for Iginla and add a little bit.

Something like 1st + Caron for Jagr, and 2nd + Khokhlachev + Bartkowski for Streit.

Then we hang on for the rest of the season and peak in the playoffs for a repeat of 2011.

Looch - DK - Jagr
Marchand - Bergy - Seguin
Pev - Kelly - Horton
Paille - Campbell - Thornton

Chara - Seids
Boychuk - Streit
Hamilton - McQuaid/Ference

Use both Streit and Jagr on the PP.

Rask will have to be very good but if he is, we should be able to get through Montreal and Pittsburgh with that lineup and make it to the SCF.

 

[Dr Quincy]

This is rage inducing to read.
“@HackswithHaggs: Pretty "ho hum" reaction from Bruins dressing room after losing 5th game in 7 tries & losing to a bad Flyers team. Way too comfy #BruinsTalkâ€

Haggs being Haggs. Maybe he saw Pandolfo carrying a beer in each hand.

 

[Paddington]

It's b/c Bergy's line was carrying us.

Even they cant every game. Move Peverley up there at least.

They've looked like crap with the Bergy line carrying the team. They can look like crap without it. It's worth a shot to give Lucic-Krejci-Seguin a shot......for more than 20 minutes. The team needs to investigate all internal options before any shakeups.

 

[smithformeragent]

Deal a piece of the core off or no?

 

[doubleculprit]

It's b/c Bergy's line was carrying us.

Even they cant every game. Move Peverley up there at least.

Peverly is brutal. He got outplayed so bad on that empty netter.

 

[Bruin4Life]

I miss Bourque on the third line.

 

[Tim O'Reilly]

I would. I would move Horton, Pevs (even though I like him) and Ferrence. Won't happen and its easy to say it on a message board, but they need a shake up for this year and plans to be much better next year.

 

[Bridges31]

Deal a piece of the core off or no?

Yes. That's the only way you improve the top 6

 

[Dr Quincy]

Don't know of anyone is watching the Canes-Jets game, but wow Semin is toying with people. Took a check, and got knocked off balance.. put his leg straight out parallel to the ice, and skated with the puck for about 5 more seconds before he totally regained his balance and made a nice pass.

Dude is crazy skilled.

 

[bruinmann77]

no urgency from this team and they are floating through the schedule and are going to be happy just making the playoffs.

 

[doakacola*]

If I had a dollar for every time a B's fan has said this during Clode's tenure in Boston, I could pay cash for my daughter's college tuition #2ndwinningestcoachinBruin'shistory

I don't agree with 4Orr's post however even Tom Landry lost his fastball. It can happen.

 

[GoBs]

I miss Bourque on the third line.

Agreed. Should have never been sent down. Caron is as undeserving as they come, and Panfolfo needs to be put out to pasture.

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

Deal a piece of the core off or no?

Chia has to at least look at it, and he can't be afraid to pull the trigger if he thinks it will make the team better. You don't just deal someone to deal someone, and you don't do it unless you are getting good value, but there should not be any sacred cows. We have been seeing the same crap for too long with this team and this core in place. 2011 doesn't happen again if this team doesn't get better. It was a magical run with a magical goalie. But this team has regressed since then. I don't know what this core is right now. Maybe their isn't enough urgency in general. They need more skill, more speed up and down the lineup...they might need to move someone from the core to get that.

edit: They have a lot of good pieces here. They just need to figure out which ones are essential to helping them win in the long run, and which ones might help you get something that help to address your deficiencies moving forward.

 

[bruins seguin 19*]

relax

guys if we get ottawa first round without karlson in sens line up we get a gift from the gods. i dont wanna play jersey with brodeur in net. 4 th seed or 5th seed sounds good to me.