GDT: 9/23 Happy Preseason! Game 1: Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm ET RDS, 98.5

[Dennis Bonvie]

Even in pre-season, the Bs flop before the CH crest.

 

[BadBruins]

I can't say with 100% certainty, but I am pretty sure that all of this is evident to the B's, and that for whatever reason, they don't think Spooner would be an effective NHL wing.

Who knows, if Spooner shows them he can play some D, maybe HE breaks camps as the 4th line C? Stranger things have happened.

Because they don't think he will be effective on the wing? I understand they like him at C, but there's literally not risk to trying him on the wing. That's his only shot of having a future with this club IMO. At the very least it expands his game and gives him a little versatility. You know what you have with him at C. It hasn't changed since last February. Maybe with a little bit of work you end up with someone like Peverley who can shift back and forth depending on need (LW/C).

Call me skeptical, but I doubt he proves to Claude Julien he can play some D in just 2 or 3 pre-season games. He's a player who needs to be in the NHL to take the next step IMO.

 

[Hali33]

The two rosters iced last night were pretty mismatched (skill for Bruins, size for Habs). I thought we were clearly physically outmatched and were in no position to be starting **** last night. I don't like it either but if things were to get ugly we would have absolutely been the team that suffered IMO.

 

[LouJersey]

Miller should have done something, but McQ, Chara, and Looch were not playing. That cuts down on your toughness factor just a little bit.

Still a little early to be calling the B's "soft" IMO.




ps for all those pining for Shawn Thornton...his presence certainly kept Scott from running Loui, didn't it?

Thornton generally reacted though...mostly...

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Because they don't think he will be effective on the wing? I understand they like him at C, but there's literally not risk to trying him on the wing. That's his only shot of having a future with this club IMO. At the very least it expands his game and gives him a little versatility. You know what you have with him at C. It hasn't changed since last February. Maybe with a little bit of work you end up with someone like Peverley who can shift back and forth depending on need (LW/C).

Call me skeptical, but I doubt he proves to Claude Julien he can play some D in just 2 or 3 pre-season games. He's a player who needs to be in the NHL to take the next step IMO.

GM's and front offices make mistakes all the time, but I think it's kind of ridiculous to suggest that the B's have not already thought of everything you are saying. At this point, if they have not played Spooner at wing, it's because they are CONVINCED he won't succeed there, at least not in this system. They could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they have considered it a great deal. The things that Spooner is inherently good at and the way he plays the game suggest that he will be far more effective at center than wing.

I think Spooner is a guy that needs to play in the NHL to develop, just not sure it will be in Boston, given the glut at C.

 

[Kate08]

Miller should have done something, but McQ, Chara, and Looch were not playing. That cuts down on your toughness factor just a little bit.

Still a little early to be calling the B's "soft" IMO.




ps for all those pining for Shawn Thornton...his presence certainly kept Scott from running Loui, didn't it?

I'm not just basing it on last night. I'm smart enough to not make decisions based on one preseason game. Last year's team was softer than we are used to seeing, and nothing has been done to address that; rather, grit exited.

I don't know what it is, and I hope I'm wrong, but despite having guys like Lucic, Chara, McQuaid, and Miller....just not feeling like a team that will physically impose their will upon their opponents.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

GM's and front offices make mistakes all the time, but I think it's kind of ridiculous to suggest that the B's have not already thought of everything you are saying. At this point, if they have not played Spooner at wing, it's because they are CONVINCED he won't succeed there, at least not in this system. They could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they have considered it a great deal. The things that Spooner is inherently good at and the way he plays the game suggest that he will be far more effective at center than wing.

I think Spooner is a guy that needs to play in the NHL to develop, just not sure it will be in Boston, given the glut at C.

IMO, just the opposite, they have the perfect situation for a kid like Spooner who needs NHL level work.

The glut at Center should be looked at as exactly 3 right now. I'm not keeping him off the team for Campbell's extremely limited game, and I don't think another AHL year would hurt Koko at all.

 

[Hali33]

I'm not just basing it on last night. I'm smart enough to not make decisions based on one preseason game. Last year's team was softer than we are used to seeing, and nothing has been done to address that; rather, grit exited.

I don't know what it is, and I hope I'm wrong, but despite having guys like Lucic, Chara, McQuaid, and Miller....just not feeling like a team that will physically impose their will upon their opponents.

Exactly.
And I feel like the Bruins are a team that needs that aspect of their game to have success.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

IMO, just the opposite, they have the perfect situation for a kid like Spooner who needs NHL level work.

The glut at Center should be looked at as exactly 3 right now. I'm not keeping him off the team for Campbell's extremely limited game, and I don't think another AHL year would hurt Koko at all.

I'm not basing my opinion on just this year. I believe Boston will re-up Soderberg, which effectively locks up the 1-3 center positions. If the B's are convinced that Spooner is not enough of a grinder to break in on the 4th line, I think he will be dealt.

Could be totally wrong, but that's what I see right now. Things can change quickly though...

 

[LouJersey]

I'm not just basing it on last night. I'm smart enough to not make decisions based on one preseason game. Last year's team was softer than we are used to seeing, and nothing has been done to address that; rather, grit exited.

I don't know what it is, and I hope I'm wrong, but despite having guys like Lucic, Chara, McQuaid, and Miller....just not feeling like a team that will physically impose their will upon their opponents.

They aren't.... Fighting isn't a clear indicator of toughness, but the SC champs had 71 fights and 17 different Bruins dropping em....Last year we had 46, with 11 guys dropping em... and 33% of those fights are gone with Thornton and Iggy...factor in another 11 total between Miller and McQuaid and only one of them will play nightly....

Basically you have Lucic and Chara coming off of injuries to their hand...Campbell and one of mcQuaid or Miller to regularly place police man, rally the troops or defend someone.

You lost guys like Thornton, Horton/Iggy, Ference, Savard, Recchi....and replaced them with less "gritty" and 'team oriented" guys...

To say this Bruins team is still as tough as it used to be is down right laughable.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

I'm not just basing it on last night. I'm smart enough to not make decisions based on one preseason game. Last year's team was softer than we are used to seeing, and nothing has been done to address that; rather, grit exited.

I don't know what it is, and I hope I'm wrong, but despite having guys like Lucic, Chara, McQuaid, and Miller....just not feeling like a team that will physically impose their will upon their opponents.

IMHO, I think the NHL is trying to move away from a physically dominant type of game, and more towards guys who are flexible enough to play the physical game, but contribute in other ways as well.

And will is a mental thing more than physical. You can impose your will on another team and dictate the type of game that is played more easily through mental toughness and execution than you can by hitting them into submission IMO.

 

[LouJersey]

IMHO, I think the NHL is trying to move away from a physically dominant type of game, and more towards guys who are flexible enough to play the physical game, but contribute in other ways as well.

And will is a mental thing more than physical. You can impose your will on another team and dictate the type of game that is played more easily through mental toughness and execution than you can by hitting them into submission IMO.

That's boring though... I love Bruins hockey not the Red Wings!

 

[Scotto74]

The two rosters iced last night were pretty mismatched (skill for Bruins, size for Habs). I thought we were clearly physically outmatched and were in no position to be starting **** last night. I don't like it either but if things were to get ugly we would have absolutely been the team that suffered IMO.

yup this is key. I would have liked to see Miller do more but if Lucic, Z, McQuaid, Soup are in there I think things would have been handled a bit different.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

I'm not basing my opinion on just this year. I believe Boston will re-up Soderberg, which effectively locks up the 1-3 center positions. If the B's are convinced that Spooner is not enough of a grinder to break in on the 4th line, I think he will be dealt.

Could be totally wrong, but that's what I see right now. Things can change quickly though...

Joe, no doubt, and you're clearly looking at it like they are. I'm just going off of what my gerbil brain wants to see (the elimination of a dump and chase possession deficient 4th line)

Note: doesn't mean soft. Ideally the RW would be a big physical winger who can pot a few.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

That's boring though... I love Bruins hockey not the Red Wings!

Says more Blackhawks than Red Wings to me.

 

[LouJersey]

Says more Blackhawks than Red Wings to me.

Well when we get that kinda firepower up front to entertain me then sign me up...

 

[LSCII]

Well when we get that kinda firepower up front to entertain me then sign me up...

Yeah, have to agree with you on this one. The Wings strategy isn't really something the Bruins can do because they have little to no elite offensive forwards.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

I have to agree with Lou. A little nervous about how soft this team is looking. They're leaving most of their toughness eggs in a couple of pretty beat up baskets (Lucic and Chara). And the problem is that management doesn't even seem to have noticed. It seems like a pretty major oversight that they didn't dress Robins last night, given the lineup the Habs iced.

Anyway, what really scares me is that I have a gut feeling Campbell is going to be one of the odd men out once the roster is finalized so that is one less guy who is willing to drop em

 

[DKH]

The Bruins can still win soft. Ferlin, Pastrnsk, and Griffith may not be physical and end up a combined 0 hits but they can also get a goal.

Being pushed around is tolerable if you get 2 points

 

[Hali33]

Well when we get that kinda firepower up front to entertain me then sign me up...

Exactly.

I can't stand when people point to the last team or two to win the cup as something the Bruins should be mirroring their team against. I remember the year we won the cup everyone was pointing to our team as the winning model and then the Hawks became the team to be, etc. We are not those teams and we do not have the offensive skill to depend on that.

The times this team looked the strongest to me was when we had great goaltending and defensive structure and wore other teams down with our physicality and being an absolute horse to play against. Created more space for our offense to get going and made their offense a little more timid.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

They aren't.... Fighting isn't a clear indicator of toughness, but the SC champs had 71 fights and 17 different Bruins dropping em....Last year we had 46, with 11 guys dropping em... and 33% of those fights are gone with Thornton and Iggy...factor in another 11 total between Miller and McQuaid and only one of them will play nightly....

Basically you have Lucic and Chara coming off of injuries to their hand...Campbell and one of mcQuaid or Miller to regularly place police man, rally the troops or defend someone.

You lost guys like Thornton, Horton/Iggy, Ference, Savard, Recchi....and replaced them with less "gritty" and 'team oriented" guys...

To say this Bruins team is still as tough as it used to be is down right laughable.

According to hockeyfights.com, B's fight totals last few years:

2009-10 (47) Eliminated 2nd Round...Cup Winner (CHI) had 36
2010-11 (71) Cup win
2011-12 (61) Eliminated 1st round...Cup Winner (LA) had 33
2012-13 (32) Lost Cup Final...Cup Winner (CHI) had 16
2013-14 (46) Eliminated 2nd Round...Cup Winner (LA) had 27

So every year for the last 5 years, the B's have had MORE fighting majors than the eventual Cup champion. Tells me that there is zero connection between fighting and winning a championship.

In 2010-11, that was the makeup of the team, and the fights were an extension of that team's personality, but as rosters change, so do the styles of those teams.

Mental toughness, will, and execution wins Cups, not fights.

 

[Kate08]

IMHO, I think the NHL is trying to move away from a physically dominant type of game, and more towards guys who are flexible enough to play the physical game, but contribute in other ways as well.

And will is a mental thing more than physical. You can impose your will on another team and dictate the type of game that is played more easily through mental toughness and execution than you can by hitting them into submission IMO.

Correct, I misspoke. More meant dictate the physical style of game, which is what we have been used to seeing.

 

[Ace0813]

I have to agree with Lou. A little nervous about how soft this team is looking. They're leaving most of their toughness eggs in a couple of pretty beat up baskets (Lucic and Chara). And the problem is that management doesn't even seem to have noticed. It seems like a pretty major oversight that they didn't dress Robins last night, given the lineup the Habs iced.

Anyway, what really scares me is that I have a gut feeling Campbell is going to be one of the odd men out once the roster is finalized so that is one less guy who is willing to drop em

Hate to be this guy but I shudder every time Campbell attempts to "drop them". I have no statistics to lean on here, but it seems like the guy loses 90% of the bouts he's involved in. Kudos to him for being a willing combatant, but it rarely ends in his favor.

 

[DKH]

I don't like this soft talk. Cuddly sounds better

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Joe, no doubt, and you're clearly looking at it like they are. I'm just going off of what my gerbil brain wants to see (the elimination of a dump and chase possession deficient 4th line)

Note: doesn't mean soft. Ideally the RW would be a big physical winger who can pot a few.

I think the league is trending this way, so I would have no issue with the B's doing something similar. I think the B's may think that KoKo might be a better fit for a 4th line C spot (at least to begin with) because he has more of a "grinder's" mentality than Spooner (just speculation on my part, from watching KoKo play around the net).