veganbruin
Registered User
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.
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?
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'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.
I agree he's not the problem, but if he's not part of the solution then . . .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.
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.
Thats the thing with Brunce. He has won a lot here but..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.
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.
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.
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.Reading the posts today it sounds like the Bruins have lost ten in a row instead of two.
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.It's clear that the offense starts and ends with Marchand. Been that way for years...
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.