Management Bruce Cassidy III

[veganbruin]

I don’t think Butch is the problem, but he hasn’t done enough to shake things up. I’ll be bummed if he’s canned but I’ve seen coaches fired for less in this league.

 

[LSCII]

Can't coach up garbage all the time. Maybe it's time they actual;ly addressed the fact that nobody other than their top line can score in this league?

 

[ChuckSurette]

Not only that but when he changes it up he doesn't leave the new lines alone long enough for them to develop any chemistry. It is constant churning- maybe he doesn't know what else to do?

That's the beauty of Bruce's line blender. Roles & linemates constantly changing.

Cassidy is looking like a guy on the hot seat, turning on his players. I think he's losing the room.

That loss is on him.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

If only Butch could make them score instead of shooting directly at the pads or middle of the goalies chest. Coyle, Smith, Ritchie, Jake and Krech have all dried up the last 2 weeks.

Pasta has some kind of lingering injury as he is not skating but coasting into the zone.

Missing Krug right now with his offence on dee. He was like a 4th winger with Bergy's line, springing Pasta a lot last year on rushes.

Team has bottomed out to what they always were. Same old same old, no secondary scoring.

 

[BlackFrancis]

I think Cassidy has done a fine job here, but you can't fire three lines worth of players.

And if anyone was sitting around in 2015 saying, "You know, Clode is wasting a potential 100pt scorer in Marchand," or maybe, "You know, this whole tight collapse thing might be inhibiting the breakout," I didn't hear much of it.

Sometimes things become a lot clearer in hindsight.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Can't coach up garbage all the time. Maybe it's time they actual;ly addressed the fact that nobody other than their top line can score in this league?

That would mean Donnie FIGJAM would have to do his job. Not likely.

Sweeney is a master of keeping his thumbs warm while he sits on them.

 

[wintersej]

That's the beauty of Bruce's line blender. Roles & linemates constantly changing.

Cassidy is looking like a guy on the hot seat, turning on his players. I think he's losing the room.

That loss is on him.

How much of the responsibility for players not coming to play falls on the new captain?

Its so funny reading the Claude threads about him being stubborn with his lines and not changing them up vs the threads on Cassidy being willing to shuffle the lines when things aren't working.

 

[bme44]

How much of the responsibility for players not coming to play falls on the new captain?

Its so funny reading the Claude threads about him being stubborn with his lines and not changing them up vs the threads on Cassidy being willing to shuffle the lines when things aren't working.

I think there is plenty of blame to go around on this team right now . The one place the blame should not fall on this team is on the new captain

 

[SPLBRUIN]

Cassidy deserves his share of the blame for the Bruins
recent struggles but should be given more time. If they keep on losing when they play the Sabres, then I will not object to moving on from Cassidy. That being said I expect the Bruins to chew up the hapless Sabres.

 

[BruinDust]

I don't know what we can pin on Cassidy. He can't put the puck in the net for them. That being said, would you think a team that (if healthy) could ice these 12 forwards and still not be able to even generate high-quality scoring chances, let alone actually put the puck past an NHL goaltender.

Bergeron
Marchand
Pastrnak
Krejci
Debrusk
Kase
Ritchie
Coyle
Smith
Frederic
Studnicka
Senyshyn

I mean there is offensive talent there. Injuries haven't helped to be able to ice a full roster but that's no different than any other team really. It's up to Bruce to put the pieces together. And if that means we see a lot less of Wagner, Kuraly, Bjork, etc.....then so be it.

 

[Saxon Eric]

I tend to blame the players more but where I will give Bruce some heat is not getting the most out of said players and his stubbornness regarding line 1
This time last year Boston was cruising so I don't see them firing the Coach or the GM I do see them going old school Harry and trading the underachievers for shock value, but that list is growing after every game

 

[Over the volcano]

I don’t think Butch is the problem, but he hasn’t done enough to shake things up. I’ll be bummed if he’s canned but I’ve seen coaches fired for less in this league.

I agree he's not the problem, but if he's not part of the solution then . . .

 

[JAD]

Here's the problem at the moment they 4 top 6 forwards 37, 63, 88, 46. Maybe a couple of tweeners in Ritchie and Coyle whom are solid 3rd liners. The rest of the forwards are 3rd 4th liners because no one has set themselves apart from the rest. DeBrusk has unfortunately regressed (and only God knows why).

Krejci, I consider top 6, put him between 63 & 88 and his production would be there. Otherwise, he's trying to produce with a bunch patchwork and duct tape.

Maybe management is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with one of these prospects / bottom sixers, but for now they are panning out as fool's gold.

Can't blame Cassidy when there aren't the horses in the stable. Right now they need a lot of puck luck and get their confidence back to the point it becomes contagious throughout the team and they play to the max of their ability. We have seen that they can be good, but they just have to get their confidence / swagger back as a group.

Leave you with this thought, in 2011 there was a stretch in mid February where the Bruins went two or so weeks without a win, and everyone here was down on the team, and we all know how that turned out. So there is always hope.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Here's the problem at the moment they 4 top 6 forwards 37, 63, 88, 46. Maybe a couple of tweeners in Ritchie and Coyle whom are solid 3rd liners. The rest of the forwards are 3rd 4th liners because no one has set themselves apart from the rest. DeBrusk has unfortunately regressed (and only God knows why).
Leave you with this thought, in 2011 there was a stretch in mid February where the Bruins went two or so weeks without a win, and everyone here was down on the team, and we all know how that turned out. So there is always hope.

Reading the posts today it sounds like the Bruins have lost ten in a row instead of two.

 

[Absurdity]

I think one criticism for Cassidy is that for some reason, there is no structure when this team enters the offensive zone. He used to harp on triangle offense and getting open, but it seems like this team has gotten away from that. Apart from the first line that has chemistry, I do think it's affecting the other 3 lines. We cannot expect the other 3 lines to have the same chemistry as the first line. I also don't think the breakouts on defense are as smooth as they used to be. It's more passing from the D zone to neutral zone rather than the neutral zone to the offensive zone. That's also something Cassidy preached about getting away from when he became coach. That also affects overall pace.

 

[BruinsPortugal]

I don't know what we can pin on Cassidy. He can't put the puck in the net for them. That being said, would you think a team that (if healthy) could ice these 12 forwards and still not be able to even generate high-quality scoring chances, let alone actually put the puck past an NHL goaltender.

Bergeron
Marchand
Pastrnak
Krejci
Debrusk
Kase
Ritchie
Coyle
Smith
Frederic
Studnicka
Senyshyn

I mean there is offensive talent there. Injuries haven't helped to be able to ice a full roster but that's no different than any other team really. It's up to Bruce to put the pieces together. And if that means we see a lot less of Wagner, Kuraly, Bjork, etc.....then so be it.

Thats the thing with Brunce. He has won a lot here but..
Those heat maps that show where they are shooting or whatever tell you all you need to know about this team and how they play. If that is their system, its on the coach, if they arent playing the system, ultimately...thats on the coach.

They dont have the pieces? Thats kind of BS. Could they have better players? for sure. But dont tell me you cant make a solid line out of Smith, Debrusk, Coyle, Krejci and Ritchie.

 

[BMC]

Where Claude was stubborn about keeping all his lines together, Bruce is stubborn about keeping the first line together. Plus when he does mix up his lines he does not (IMO) give the new lines enough time to develop any chemistry. If they're not clicking right away he changes up again. That has to create some confusion for the players.

I don't know if the players' tendency to shoot from the perimeter instead of getting in close to the net & then shooting is on the coaching staff or not. I do know it needs to be fixed because it does not work but it hasn't because they keep right on doing it.

I've never liked his passivity towards the officials or his attitude of "let the league take care of it" w/r/t to cheap shots on his players. Sometimes a coach has to go off if for no other reason than to show his team he's got their backs. Ditto letting his players settle things with an opponent.

Has he or is he losing the room? I don't know but I do know they're not playing like a team that wants to play for their coach anymore. All coaches have a shelf life, maybe Bruce has reached his sell by date.

 

[Greek_physique]

He's gotta be creative tonight...you can't expect to get secondary scoring by just flipping around your bottom 9.

Marchand Bergie Smith
Debrusk Coyle Pasta
Trent DK Ritchie
Kuraly Stud Wagner

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Sweeney and Neely gotta go before Cassidy.

 

[member 96824]

Maybe there are stats that prove otherwise but anecdotally it seems like I recall both Bergeron and Pastrnak being trash away from Marchand. Pastrnak especially when playing down in the lineup. We were talking about healthy scratching him in the 2019 playoffs when he was pulled off the 37-63 wing hah.

So I don't really know if it's stubbornness as much as it's just maximizing what we have. Marchand's the only one that seems to remain at maximum effectiveness away from the line.

 

[LSCII]

Where Claude was stubborn about keeping all his lines together, Bruce is stubborn about keeping the first line together. Plus when he does mix up his lines he does not (IMO) give the new lines enough time to develop any chemistry. If they're not clicking right away he changes up again. That has to create some confusion for the players.

I don't know if the players' tendency to shoot from the perimeter instead of getting in close to the net & then shooting is on the coaching staff or not. I do know it needs to be fixed because it does not work but it hasn't because they keep right on doing it.

I've never liked his passivity towards the officials or his attitude of "let the league take care of it" w/r/t to cheap shots on his players. Sometimes a coach has to go off if for no other reason than to show his team he's got their backs. Ditto letting his players settle things with an opponent.

Has he or is he losing the room? I don't know but I do know they're not playing like a team that wants to play for their coach anymore. All coaches have a shelf life, maybe Bruce has reached his sell by date.

He's been stubborn and reluctant to break up the top line because when he's done that in the past, all it does is negate their one line that can score. Instead of 3 lines sucking and doing nothing but waiting for the first line to produce, it becomes 4 ineffective lines with no chance of goals.

 

[LSCII]

Maybe there are stats that prove otherwise but anecdotally it seems like I recall both Bergeron and Pastrnak being trash away from Marchand. Pastrnak especially when playing down in the lineup. We were talking about healthy scratching him in the 2019 playoffs when he was pulled off the 37-63 wing hah.

So I don't really know if it's stubbornness as much as it's just maximizing what we have. Marchand's the only one that seems to remain at maximum effectiveness away from the line.

It's clear that the offense starts and ends with Marchand. Been that way for years...

 

[NDiesel]

Reading the posts today it sounds like the Bruins have lost ten in a row instead of two.

Its because this team hasn't looked right all year. They had to rely on how many 3rd period comebacks at the start of the year? In addition they rely heavily on the PK and PP, and as we see the PP has dried up and now they can't score more than a goal or two a game. The fact is injuries haven't helped, but this team is pretty lucky to be where they are.

 

[NDiesel]

It's clear that the offense starts and ends with Marchand. Been that way for years...

You can tell this is more and more true everyday...you move Pasta away from Marchand and he can't do a thing 5 on 5.

 

[member 96824]

Leave you with this thought, in 2011 there was a stretch in mid February where the Bruins went two or so weeks without a win, and everyone here was down on the team, and we all know how that turned out. So there is always hope.

When was that?
2010-11 Boston Bruins Schedule and Results | Hockey-Reference.com

I do remember in Decemberish that team having some serious serious questions about their character though and the Atlanta game got them out of that, and then the deadline acquisitions supercharged that roster into that 7 game west coast swing.

But the problem is, that team was talented. They just needed to get their heads out of their asses. This team doesn't have it, it's not 2010-2011, it's 2014-15.