Management Bruce Cassidy IV

[BlackFrancis]

The grand assumption. The next guy will be better

That's the big risk, isn't it?

It might be worth it if the new guy can get better production out of non-stars, which has been a major failing of Cassidy's the past three years.

If your defense flies apart in the process, well, back to the drawing board, I guess.

 

[LouJersey]

1 year remaining for 3 million,

There is no chance he's fired IMO. I could see 25 games in to next year maybe, but how do you fire the guy?

 

[Alicat]

Sacco head coach. Keep Dean, Kelly, Goalie Bob. Bring in a power play specialist as the 3rd coach.

 

[JCRO]

Genuine question here.

Is it unfair to say Cassidy’s “system” may contribute to the lack of depth scoring this team has pretty consistently especially in the postseason?

 

[quietbruinfan]

Sacco head coach. Keep Dean, Kelly, Goalie Bob. Bring in a power play specialist as the 3rd coach.

Sacco sucks. He proved it with the Avs. If anyone, promote Dean, but it is not going to happen.

 

[The Hajj]

Genuine question here.

Is it unfair to say Cassidy’s “system” may contribute to the lack of depth scoring this team has pretty consistently especially in the postseason?

I think Cassidy’s system restricts the offensive abilities of players. It seems the emphasis of “third man high” in the attacking zone and having the forwards drop down low in a static zone coverage is not conducive to quick transition offense.

I also find it hard to believe that the Bruins’ coaching staff cannot teach the players how to shoot at an NHL level, especially the defensemen. It’s painful to watch these guys lob pucks like beer league dudes.

 

[TimThomas24]

I like Butch always have. Sweeney deserves more blame

 

[rocketdan9]

Sacco sucks. He proved it with the Avs. If anyone, promote Dean, but it is not going to happen.

If Cassidy goes... I vote for a system overhaul/new look

Like Jeff Halpern or Mark Recchi

 

[22Brad Park]

Fire Bruce & jump on Trots train lol Seriously I don't care they keep him or fire him.

 

[slim399]

I actually think Bruce has done amazingly well for what he has had to work with. I don’t know the stats but for his 6 years he has to been in the top 5 for wins, has made the playoffs every year and a cup finals.

Might be time for an identity change though. Recchi would be my pick. Great guy and loved his time in Boston. I bet players would love playing for him.

I think Sweeney is the guy to go. I would say Cam to, but he’s probably safe.

 

[BruinDust]

Genuine question here.

Is it unfair to say Cassidy’s “system” may contribute to the lack of depth scoring this team has pretty consistently especially in the postseason?

I'm not going to blame a system on guys like Foligno and Nosek going basically goal-less for the final 5+ months of a season.


What Cassidy accomplished with this rag-tag group of skaters this year was remarkable.

 

[Patdud]

Genuine question here.

Is it unfair to say Cassidy’s “system” may contribute to the lack of depth scoring this team has pretty consistently especially in the postseason?

Too much emphasis on passing lanes and setting up the perfect shot, defensemen hemmed waiting for outlets and puck carriers carrying the puck too long over the blue line and stopping. bruins must lead the league in turn overs at the blue lines, I have never been a fan on Cassidy’s system.

We also seem to get lined up for green light hits in the neutral zone, the system ? Who knows

 

[chizzler]

Cassidy’s system has changed since he took over. Defenseman were skating the puck out of the D zone at the beginning. Now they are cycling the puck like Clodes system. The opposing team is there to pick it up.

 

[Over the volcano]

I'm not going to blame a system on guys like Foligno and Nosek going basically goal-less for the final 5+ months of a season.


What Cassidy accomplished with this rag-tag group of skaters this year was remarkable.

When was the last time his 4th line scored goals?

IMO it’s time for a new coach - new voice in their ear and team identity.

Thanks for all the almost great memories

 

[Bs1011]

true, what I`d like to see is Quaider lace em` up tomorrow, just stand in front of the B`s net and punch anyone near the crease

I think that’s the next head coach assistant coach. Kelley and Quader

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I'm not going to blame a system on guys like Foligno and Nosek going basically goal-less for the final 5+ months of a season.


What Cassidy accomplished with this rag-tag group of skaters this year was remarkable.

Pretty impressive Boston could sign two players for a combined contract of 13.3M/2Y (6.6M AAV) and get a donut in the goal column from them for 5+ months and 5 goals, total.

 

[BruinDust]

When was the last time his 4th line scored goals?

IMO it’s time for a new coach - new voice in their ear and team identity.

Thanks for all the almost great memories

To be honest I'm not against the idea of a new coach/identity either. Despite the fact I think Cassidy did yeoman's work this past season.

 

[John Price]

he's not the problem

personally i would have started swayman games 1 and 2 but oh well

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I'm sorry, I love my Bruins as much as anyone here but this statement is utterly absurd.

See Taylor Hall.

Guys don't want to deal with the Toronto media or play in Canada in general. THey don't typically covet empty arenas in Florida. Detroit or Boston...

We need to get a Toronto-like GM that specializes in getting rid of bad contracts one way or another. Sure a guy might chose to sign with Colorado over us for equal money but that isn't because of the franchise but rather how loaded they are the 1-2 teams in the league at the level of them or Tampa always have that edge. Boston has its own.

Hall and a ELC costs the same as Smith and Foligno. Which pair would you rather have?

 

[finchster]

Joe Sacco is terrible and doesn't need to be the NHL head coach for the Bruins.

I remember when we all had a good laugh about how stupid the habs were, 'Oh what a stupid team! They will only hire a guy based on his french ability! Why limit yourself to this small pool?!?! They will suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Bruins fans and management a few years later, "Are there any former players or guys from Massachusetts we haven't hired yet?" BTW Quebec has a higher population than Mass, so their pool of professionals to hire is actually bigger.

I want the Bruins to hire someone smart from outside of the organization if they fire the head coach.

 

[dangermike]

i’m not sure if i follow any new cassidy hate stemming from this series-

2 of our bottom six forwards could sniff ice time on carolina- coyle and lazar. that’s a massive skill and speed disparity. and i understand the lack of young players/draft equity comes from constant high level competition but i think that’s a cop out. gotta get more production out of the massive salary committed it’s that group.

and then there’s the “out coached” bit- if game 7 is played in boston we win bc rod couldn’t overcome our matchups the same way we couldn’t get past theirs in carolina. it feels like some people are missing that completely.

 

[ODAAT]

I think that’s the next head coach assistant coach. Kelley and Quader

don`t think they go with an inexperienced guy with all respect and I`m not so sure Kelly or Quaider want that kind of gig

 

[PlayMakers]

I think Cassidy is better than most coaches.... but no fan base is 100% happy with their coach, at least, not after the first season. What I liked and didn't like...

I liked that he mixed up the lines. Putting Pasta with Marchand gave them a boost in the middle of the series, and I also liked that he recognized he needed to go back to the more spread out lineup for G5. I liked his willingness to put Wagner in the lineup. I even liked that he pulled Frederic and Grzelcyk. At the very least, it shows he's trying to push buttons and make something happen. I also liked our physicality this series. It felt like, for maybe the first time under Cassidy, that we were really hitting to hurt their better players, which I think you have to do in the playoffs.

I did not like how he deployed his forwards and D. He loads up the top D pair with Lindholm-McAvoy, doubles down by playing them primarily with the Bergeron line, and then gives them 70% Ozone starts. He's taking our 4 best defensive players (Lind, Mac, Berg, March) and deploys them exclusively in the offensive zone. On the flip side, he puts our 3 worst defensive forwards (Hall, Haula and Pasta) with Gryz/Reilly-Carlo on defense. So not only are we icing our least effective defensive forwards, that combination also puts our smallest/lightest Dmen in Gryz/Reilly, with our smallest center in Haula. Why not play that D pair with the Coyle line? Why not play them with the Bergeron line and let Mac and Lindholm play with Hall and Pasta? Cassidy made that Haula-Carlo combination the weakest 5on5 unit on the team and they were all big minus players in this series.

I also did not like that Cassidy didn't recognize that 5 man unit was a problem and didn't adjust. You could see the Haula line was getting caved in, yet he never put out a different defense with them. He also could have split Mac and Lindholm. He said he'd try that during the season but never did, and he didn't do it in this series either. Cassidy really loves to "load up" and put all his eggs in one basket and I'm just not a fan of the strategy, especially with the way he deploys them.

I also think Cassidy should take some of the blame for the PP. He runs it. It's his baby. Even when he was out with Covid, he was working with them in practice and prepping the PP for games via Zoom calls. So, there's some criticism there that he couldn't figure out how to get though the 4 man across the blue line strategy, and it's on the players for not executing as well.

All that said. This was a good season. This was a good series. And this is a good coach. He has an excellent record. I want no part of Sacco as head coach. Going forward, he has to find a balance between wins and development. I think he brushes off the lack of development onto Don Sweeney. When asked about working young players into the lineup he seems to always say that's a question for Donny, are we trying to win or are we trying to develop? That can't be the outlook going forward. They have precious little cap space and need to integrate young legs into the lineup.

 

[BruinDust]

I think Cassidy is better than most coaches.... but no fan base is 100% happy with their coach, at least, not after the first season. What I liked and didn't like...

I liked that he mixed up the lines. Putting Pasta with Marchand gave them a boost in the middle of the series, and I also liked that he recognized he needed to go back to the more spread out lineup for G5. I liked his willingness to put Wagner in the lineup. I even liked that he pulled Frederic and Grzelcyk. At the very least, it shows he's trying to push buttons and make something happen. I also liked our physicality this series. It felt like, for maybe the first time under Cassidy, that we were really hitting to hurt their better players, which I think you have to do in the playoffs.

I did not like how he deployed his forwards and D. He loads up the top D pair with Lindholm-McAvoy, doubles down by playing them primarily with the Bergeron line, and then gives them 70% Ozone starts. He's taking our 4 best defensive players (Lind, Mac, Berg, March) and deploys them exclusively in the offensive zone. On the flip side, he puts our 3 worst defensive forwards (Hall, Haula and Pasta) with Gryz/Reilly-Carlo on defense. So not only are we icing our least effective defensive forwards, that combination also puts our smallest/lightest Dmen in Gryz/Reilly, with our smallest center in Haula. Why not play that D pair with the Coyle line? Why not play them with the Bergeron line and let Mac and Lindholm play with Hall and Pasta? Cassidy made that Haula-Carlo combination the weakest 5on5 unit on the team and they were all big minus players in this series.

I also did not like that Cassidy didn't recognize that 5 man unit was a problem and didn't adjust. You could see the Haula line was getting caved in, yet he never put out a different defense with them. He also could have split Mac and Lindholm. He said he'd try that during the season but never did, and he didn't do it in this series either. Cassidy really loves to "load up" and put all his eggs in one basket and I'm just not a fan of the strategy, especially with the way he deploys them.

I also think Cassidy should take some of the blame for the PP. He runs it. It's his baby. Even when he was out with Covid, he was working with them in practice and prepping the PP for games via Zoom calls. So, there's some criticism there that he couldn't figure out how to get though the 4 man across the blue line strategy, and it's on the players for not executing as well.

All that said. This was a good season. This was a good series. And this is a good coach. He has an excellent record. I want no part of Sacco as head coach. Going forward, he has to find a balance between wins and development. I think he brushes off the lack of development onto Don Sweeney. When asked about working young players into the lineup he seems to always say that's a question for Donny, are we trying to win or are we trying to develop? That can't be the outlook going forward. They have precious little cap space and need to integrate young legs into the lineup.

Unless your rolling McAvoy-Lindholm out there 25-29 mins a night, pairing them up is wasteful.

Even Anaheim kept Niedermyer and Pronger apart.

Carlo's game has been begging for an all-around partner like Lindholm.

 

[bruinsfan1968]

This came out flat in a game 7, a time when you step up your game, this is not a good thing. Also this is not the first time, it should fall on the HC to motivate the troops, every great HC does this. Cassidy is not the guy!.
Sure Sweeney has is share of the blame, and should answer for his efforts and/ lack thereof, but the HC is the easiest target. So good bye, to Cassidy!.