Annual state of Boston’s teams - The Boston Globe
On the Bruins he writes
Bruins
They’re kind of the flip side of the Celtics this season. They started slow but now appear to be finding their true selves under Bruce Cassidy.
It’s pretty clear that while Claude Julien was a good coach, good enough to preside over a Stanley Cup, the time had come for a change, and a change that would showcase the talents of the players on hand, as well as some of the kids they had coming along. Of course, health is always paramount, and any time Patrice Bergeron is not in the lineup the Bruins are significantly diminished. It’s also helpful when there’s a fully functioning David Krejci.
The defense is playing well enough to make it unclear what the returning Adam McQuaid’s role will be. And speaking of defense, how interesting is it that the two leaders in ice time are 40-year old Zdeno Chara and just-turned-20 Charlie McAvoy? Gotta love that.
Given the hallowed nature of some past Bruins defensemen (thinking of numbers 4 and 7/77), we need to put a curb on the superlatives for young Mr. McAvoy, but it is very possible he is the Next Big Thing around here, and this is a town with a whole lot of Great Things to rave about.
Everyone wants titles. We all know that. But a far more reasonable request is that a team prove itself worthy of investment, both emotional and even financial. The Bruins are becoming just that.
Pretty fair assessment
On the Bruins he writes
Bruins
They’re kind of the flip side of the Celtics this season. They started slow but now appear to be finding their true selves under Bruce Cassidy.
It’s pretty clear that while Claude Julien was a good coach, good enough to preside over a Stanley Cup, the time had come for a change, and a change that would showcase the talents of the players on hand, as well as some of the kids they had coming along. Of course, health is always paramount, and any time Patrice Bergeron is not in the lineup the Bruins are significantly diminished. It’s also helpful when there’s a fully functioning David Krejci.
The defense is playing well enough to make it unclear what the returning Adam McQuaid’s role will be. And speaking of defense, how interesting is it that the two leaders in ice time are 40-year old Zdeno Chara and just-turned-20 Charlie McAvoy? Gotta love that.
Given the hallowed nature of some past Bruins defensemen (thinking of numbers 4 and 7/77), we need to put a curb on the superlatives for young Mr. McAvoy, but it is very possible he is the Next Big Thing around here, and this is a town with a whole lot of Great Things to rave about.
Everyone wants titles. We all know that. But a far more reasonable request is that a team prove itself worthy of investment, both emotional and even financial. The Bruins are becoming just that.
Pretty fair assessment
