Confirmed with Link: Bruins name Cassidy, Pandolfo Assistant Coaches

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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The problem is the team as constructed should have a been a playoff team. They were in 1st place and then let it all slip away. Almost every beat writer in town said they were a playoff team, some of us believed they were a playoff team a few weeks after the deadline. The players and coaches let the playoffs slip away during the last couple of weeks of the season. If anyone is at fault, it's the players and the coaches, I don't see how the blame can be on one and not the other.

2014-2015
Christopher Breen
Chris Casto
Steve Eminger
Joe Morrow
Zach Trotman
David Warsofsky
Frankie Simonelli
Linus Arnesson
Bryce Aneloski
Yann Sauve
Tommy Cross
Drew Mackenzie
Ben Youds
Ian White

2015-2016
Brett Bellemore
Colin Miller - (acquired from LAK)
Matt Irwin
Max Iafrate

Which of these defensemen Cassidy coached the last two seasons do you think are NHL-caliber defensemen that were part of the system (not Colin Miller)? I would say Trotman, Morrow, Warsofsky, and Cross. Apart from Trotman who can potentially have 2nd-pairing potential, the guys I listed are bottom pairing defensemen or 7D. The rest of the guys I listed will potentially be career AHLers. So isn't this more of a testament on prior drafting and how bad it was rather than blaming a coach who has to development defensemen to reach their ceiling to be #5D/6D/7D? That doesn't factor in the big club's availability of roster spots. Two years ago the Bruins had Chara, Hamilton, Krug, Seidenberg, McQuaid, and Kevan Miller and Bartkowski who both were developed in Providence prior years. This last season guys like Trotman and Morrow got shots but both weren't able to seize the opportunity and earn a spot. I think the bolded has to do more about drafting more than anything else.

Agree.

But he's had a part to play, regardless. Wasn't there complaints in Providence that the D weren't playing Julien's system and thus struggled to grasp it when called up to the NHL?

Is it mostly his fault? No.

But he's had a hand in it, without question.

I would say the same about the forwards.

When a franchise fails to develop players through it's minor league system, everyone shares the blame, even the coach of the minor league team the last half-decade.

It's not just a lack of talent issue.
 

ksp1957

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Apr 11, 2006
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I like to know who get the baby Bruins job along who gets Jay player development role.

I just want to know who the genius was that thought Pandolfo would be an asset as an assistant coach. He stunk as a Bruins player. I can just imagine how thrilling he'll be as a Bruins assistant coach.
 

LSCII

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I mean...there was a lot of strong opinions about Cassidy here and accusing him of being a bad coach in Providence. So not really surprised people would be unhappy with it, fair or not if that's what's been said here for a while.

Even more curious are the folks that ranted and raved about him being a bad coach in Providence now campaigning for him and trumpeting him as a good hire today. Weird how that seems to happen to the same posters over and over, no? :laugh:
 

Alicat

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I just want to know who the genius was that thought Pandolfo would be an asset as an assistant coach. He stunk as a Bruins player. I can just imagine how thrilling he'll be as a Bruins assistant coach.

Clearly you missed his college career and the other 14 seasons in the league he played before coming here. Leader, 2 Cups, Selke, ultimate team player.

He's more than qualified and he's going to be an asset to this team.
 

ksp1957

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Apr 11, 2006
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Clearly you missed his college career and the other 14 seasons in the league he played before coming here. Leader, 2 Cups, Selke, ultimate team player.

He's more than qualified and he's going to be an asset to this team.

So let him be an assistant coach where he did all those wonders for 14 seasons.

:sarcasm:
 

PatriceBergeronFan

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Jul 15, 2011
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Clearly you missed his college career and the other 14 seasons in the league he played before coming here. Leader, 2 Cups, Selke, ultimate team player.

He's more than qualified and he's going to be an asset to this team.

Might as well make Kelly or Whitfield a coach as well.

I don't think now is the time to be experimenting and taking chances. These are critical times for the Bruins.
 

GordonHowe

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And we have the signing of KM at 2.5 a year, to go along with Adam's 2.75 a year. Two players whom I respect but are limited & injury prone. And Dennis Seidenberg at this point in his career. And Z at this point in his career. And the Not Ready For Primetime D, and...

*Very little about this regime inspires confidence.*

And if it appears I'm second guessing The Glimmer Twins & Charles In Charge, I am indeed. I don't think they know what they are doing, as intelligent & hard working as I believe Don Sweeney to be.

This is the tandem (or trio) who unceremoniously kicked a proven winner & team builder in Peter Chiarelli to the curb because they saw an opening to do so.

They wanted the power & the responsibility. Well, they have it. My condolences.

Stumbling out of the gate with:

panic moves (trading Hamilton for jack); failure to execute (no move up for that coveted D prospect); questionable trades (Rinaldo, Hayes);
deadline band aides (JML, LS, serviceable players but band aides nonetheless); a myopic & likely quixotic attempt to retain LE#21 when, despite their protestations, he would probably have fetched decent to excellent return at the deadline; resigning, as mentioned, two bottom pairing, oft injured D to relatively hefty contracts; and, now, promoting Cassidy to breath down Julien's neck, the better to install the former (doubtless on the cheap) should the mediocre on ice "product" prove as listless in 2017 as it was in 2016.

In short, ladies & germs, these appear to be your older brother's Bruins:

Latter day Sinden/OC. Inept, faceless, boring and endlessly stuck in neutral.

Sorry to be negative, but at this point that's what I see on the horizon.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.
 
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Alicat

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Might as well make Kelly or Whitfield a coach as well.

I don't think now is the time to be experimenting and taking chances. These are critical times for the Bruins.

Pandolfo's been in Providence since he retired and was essentially Cassidy's Assistant coach this season and was on the bench every home game and maybe even more.

I won't be shocked to see Kelly in a player development role like Pandolfo was to start.

People need to forget about his last season playing for the Bruins.
 

GoBs

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I thought they would have filled the assistant coaches role with someone to assist in developing some of the young D-men. Clode has to play at least one or two of these guys full time. None of this you get 10 and I get 15 crap. These young guys play afraid of losing their spot rather than developing.
 

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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And we have the signing of KM at 2.5 a year, to go along with Adam's 2.75 a year. Two players whom I respect but are limited & injury prone. And Dennis Seidenberg at this point in his career. And Z at this point in his career. And the Not Ready For Primetime D, and...

*Very little about this regime inspires confidence.*

And if it appears I'm second guessing The Glimmer Twins & Charles In Charge, I am indeed. I don't think they know what they are doing, as intelligent & hard working as I believe Don Sweeney to be.

This is the tandem (or trio) who unceremoniously kicked a proven winner & team builder in Peter Chiarelli to the curb because they saw an opening to do so.

They wanted the power & the responsibility. Well, they have it. My condolences.

Stumbling out of the gate with:

panic moves (trading Hamilton for jack); failure to execute (no move up for that coveted D prospect); questionable trades (Rinaldo, Hayes);
deadline band aides (JML, LS, serviceable players but band aides nonetheless); a myopic & likely quixotic attempt to retain LE#21 when, despite their protestations, he would probably have fetched decent to excellent return at the deadline; resigning, as mentioned, two bottom pairing, oft injured D to relatively hefty contracts; and, now, promoting Cassidy to breath down Julien's neck, the better to install the former (doubtless on the cheap) should the mediocre on ice "product" prove as listless in 2017 as it was in 2016.

In short, ladies & germs, these appear to be your older brother's Bruins:

Latter day Sinden/OC. Inept, faceless, boring and endlessly stuck in neutral.

Sorry to be negative, but at this point that's what I see on the horizon.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

That's how I see it too.

Way to many parallels to the "Old Way" the Bruin did business, minus the protracted annual training camp hold-out.

But it's clearly back to the "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" methods of MOC/Sinden. Where every move is reactive, not proactive. No clear plan or vision, just spinning tires, replacing warm body with another warm body, holding onto those who should be long gone, and hope for the best.

Once they deal Rask this summer and go back to the goaltending carousel of the mid 90s-early 2000s, I'll know then for sure the dark days of the pre-Chiarelli era are back in full swing.
 

DKH

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Feb 27, 2002
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sorry if posted already but any word on who takes over in Providence?

Hopefully Kevin Dean

With OGara, Grzelcyk, Carlo there makes sense

I would love it so probably going to happen
 

DKH

The Bergeron of HF
Feb 27, 2002
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And we have the signing of KM at 2.5 a year, to go along with Adam's 2.75 a year. Two players whom I respect but are limited & injury prone. And Dennis Seidenberg at this point in his career. And Z at this point in his career. And the Not Ready For Primetime D, and...

*Very little about this regime inspires confidence.*

And if it appears I'm second guessing The Glimmer Twins & Charles In Charge, I am indeed. I don't think they know what they are doing, as intelligent & hard working as I believe Don Sweeney to be.

This is the tandem (or trio) who unceremoniously kicked a proven winner & team builder in Peter Chiarelli to the curb because they saw an opening to do so.

They wanted the power & the responsibility. Well, they have it. My condolences.

Stumbling out of the gate with:

panic moves (trading Hamilton for jack); failure to execute (no move up for that coveted D prospect); questionable trades (Rinaldo, Hayes);
deadline band aides (JML, LS, serviceable players but band aides nonetheless); a myopic & likely quixotic attempt to retain LE#21 when, despite their protestations, he would probably have fetched decent to excellent return at the deadline; resigning, as mentioned, two bottom pairing, oft injured D to relatively hefty contracts; and, now, promoting Cassidy to breath down Julien's neck, the better to install the former (doubtless on the cheap) should the mediocre on ice "product" prove as listless in 2017 as it was in 2016.

In short, ladies & germs, these appear to be your older brother's Bruins:

Latter day Sinden/OC. Inept, faceless, boring and endlessly stuck in neutral.

Sorry to be negative, but at this point that's what I see on the horizon.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

One of us is going to be right one is going to be wrong

Have 5 witnesses that can be verified by Ladyfan and Alicat among others who know that Saturday I said resign Miller 2-3 yes at $2.5 per (ok I was off a year :laugh:)

I'm loving the direction :nod:
 

Gee Wally

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Feb 27, 2002
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As a player, Bruce Cassidy made his bones as an offensive-minded defenseman, once posting 111 points in a season for the junior hockey Ottawa 67s. That made him a first-round draft pick for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1983.

Will Cassidy take that playing background, as well as an extensive coaching resume, and help the Bruins defense transition out of their own zone quicker than it has been? Time will tell, but Cassidy will get a chance.


http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/..._bruce_cassidy_jay_pandolfo_to_coaching_staff
 

Hamilton Brian

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Apr 12, 2004
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"...kicked a proven winner & team builder in Peter Chiarelli to the curb"

Yeah, but I don't know how long we would have been able to linger with him given some of the suspect deals/signings/etc.

Wait...let me reconsider this.
 

Ratty

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I just want to know who the genius was that thought Pandolfo would be an asset as an assistant coach. He stunk as a Bruins player. I can just imagine how thrilling he'll be as a Bruins assistant coach.
Claude Julien stunk in his 14 NHL games. Wayne Gretzky stunk at coaching. C'est ca.
 

BigGoalBrad

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Jun 3, 2012
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Claude Julien stunk in his 14 NHL games. Wayne Gretzky stunk at coaching. C'est ca.

In this instance I think the two are related.

Pandolfo was allowed to stink as a player for us (when the team was at its absolute peak) because he was thought of as a future coach. Another Kelly-like presence.

The players weren't exactly in diapers when he was a Bruin and was brutal (due to being past retirement stage at that point in his career of course.)

I don't think this move is the end of the world or anything but there is something odd to the move its at least half the team that he played with.
 

bp13

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Dec 30, 2003
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Bruce Cassidy - 15 years of coaching and he made it past the 2nd round ONE TIME. Once.

Obviously you can be a good coach and get unlucky, or get more from a bad team than you should. He could easily be a very good coach. But all objective data points indicate something else entirely.

It's getting harder and harder to defend Sweeney. I know he has to be smart and he seems like a cerebral guy who has a plan in place, but some of these moves belie that thinking.
 

Spanky185

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Dec 1, 2014
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Why did our long term assistant coaches suddenly suck but Claude is just fine?

This is very weird the more I think about it.

The right move would have been to revamp the assistant staff after 14/15 and fire Julien this year. Just kicking the can down the road.

As I said earlier there's enough gasoline on this team right now that a bad start is going to turn into a nice conflagration
 

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