NBC Sports Boston Cassidy: Bruins may rest players in return

Fenway

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Cassidy suggests B's could rest regulars in round-robin games

“We absolutely could rest players [in the round-robin],” said Cassidy on an NBC Sports Boston Zoom call on Monday. “The first area we start with, Tuukka [Rask] is our guy. We’re very confident in [Jaroslav] Halak, but Tuukka is our playoff goaltender and he was going to start Game 1 [of the playoffs] with all things being equal. What does he need?

Do our veterans need all three games to get to the top of their game? Even if they do, should we play them and risk injuries? There’s a lot that goes into it. I think every team is probably going to have a little of the same approach [in the round-robin] and they are going to want to be at their best and healthiest headed into the playoffs.
 
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McGarnagle

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Considering the other teams we're playing are Washington, Tampa, and Philly, do you really want to expose Bergeron, Pasta, etc. too much on games that don't really matter that much? Those three teams are all dirty AF. Like Tom Wilson isn't just going to go launch at someone's head in the round robin to try to get his team an advantage 2 rounds later.
 

danpantz

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I wouldn't mind Halak starting 1 of those games honestly. And probably mix in a couple D and a Forward to at least see some live action.

Clifton/Moore on the third pairing rather than Gryz/Lauzon isn't going to kill us.

Blidh/Linholm/Wagner/ and Bjork rotating as well.
 

Smitty93

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I think you want your playoff lineup in at least 2 of those games, preferably the first 2. The team you're going to play in the 1st round is going to have played 3-5 high intensity games. You play hard in the first two games, and see where you are standings-wise in the round robin. If you're guaranteed not to be in 4th place after the first 2 games, then you could sit some guys in the 3rd if you really wanted to, but with so much time off, I think they're going to need as many games as possible.
 

BMC

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You need to rest Chara too. I know there aren't many games in total but each one will be more intense than a regular, regular season game.
 
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Emerz

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This is more like statistically giving your team the best shot at being fully healthy rest, not needing rest because they are tired.
 

talkinaway

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I'm fine with it, especially playing Halak. I'm a huge Halak supporter - he's one of the big factors that helped us get to the playoffs last year by keeping Rask's game count down. Play Rask the first game. If we win that one, we're almost guaranteed to avoid fourth seed, and practically guaranteed at least second. Maybe if we lose that one, we consider playing Rask until we win a game - going 0-3-0 is NOT the way to start. But holding back and avoiding injuries, especially against the nastiness that we'll see in the round robin, isn't a bad idea at all.
 

roflstomper

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Rest? What have they been doing for 3 months? f*** that. Need them to get in game shape for the battles to come. Season starts and it;s time to go all out and win this shit. Don't need to get cute with it.
 

PatriceBergeronFan

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Considering the other teams we're playing are Washington, Tampa, and Philly, do you really want to expose Bergeron, Pasta, etc. too much on games that don't really matter that much? Those three teams are all dirty AF. Like Tom Wilson isn't just going to go launch at someone's head in the round robin to try to get his team an advantage 2 rounds later.

Washington and Tampa are loaded with trash. I'd rather not see the Bruins play them in meaningless games, 8 points ahead of Tampa.

Good job NHL, as always.
 
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I'm fine with it, especially playing Halak. I'm a huge Halak supporter - he's one of the big factors that helped us get to the playoffs last year by keeping Rask's game count down. Play Rask the first game. If we win that one, we're almost guaranteed to avoid fourth seed, and practically guaranteed at least second. Maybe if we lose that one, we consider playing Rask until we win a game - going 0-3-0 is NOT the way to start. But holding back and avoiding injuries, especially against the nastiness that we'll see in the round robin, isn't a bad idea at all.

Yeah Halak needs to get a game in the round robin. Should Rask get injured in the playoffs proper or simply go cold it'll be at least of some value for Halak to have had a chance, however small, to get his eye in in a game setting before he has to step up.

As for the others for sure I think they can manage their game-time a bit before we get down to the last 16. It'll be on a case-by-case basis I guess, depending on how each player shapes up as things progress towards full playoff hockey. I don't think results or seeding are as important in this round robin thing as getting the team in as good a place and form as possible for when the real stuff begins. If they can achieve that by going 3-0 great, but if it's more like 1-2 then so be it.

And thinking about potential cheap shots and injuries in the robin, I think I've said before that the NHL needs to make it really clear from the start that they're going to come down really hard on any stupid behavior. If you whack a guy in the head you're going to be gone for 10 games or whatever. I know it won't necessarily stop some fringe player being used to goon it up, but would any team really sink that low as to send someone expendable on to the ice specifically for that purpose?
 

Smitty93

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Rest? What have they been doing for 3 months? f*** that. Need them to get in game shape for the battles to come. Season starts and it;s time to go all out and win this shit. Don't need to get cute with it.

I think you're misinterpreting Cassidy's use of the word "rest". He's not talking about resting them because they're tired. It's the question of whether to take the preseason mentality and sit them to prevent injury. We all know that Marchand aggravated a wrist injury in the pre-Final scrimmage and wasn't as effective in the Final. I'm sure that's on Cassidy's mind.

I think you play your playoff lineup in at least the first two games, and then see where you are standings-wise and whether you think the players need a third game to be fully prepared. With so much time off, I'd think the players would want as much game time as possible to get in playoff mode, but we'll see.
 

BMC

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Yeah Halak needs to get a game in the round robin. Should Rask get injured in the playoffs proper or simply go cold it'll be at least of some value for Halak to have had a chance, however small, to get his eye in in a game setting before he has to step up.

As for the others for sure I think they can manage their game-time a bit before we get down to the last 16. It'll be on a case-by-case basis I guess, depending on how each player shapes up as things progress towards full playoff hockey. I don't think results or seeding are as important in this round robin thing as getting the team in as good a place and form as possible for when the real stuff begins. If they can achieve that by going 3-0 great, but if it's more like 1-2 then so be it.

And thinking about potential cheap shots and injuries in the robin, I think I've said before that the NHL needs to make it really clear from the start that they're going to come down really hard on any stupid behavior. If you whack a guy in the head you're going to be gone for 10 games or whatever. I know it won't necessarily stop some fringe player being used to goon it up, but would any team really sink that low as to send someone expendable on to the ice specifically for that purpose?

I think the Caps & Blues would, they've got some very loose cannons on their rosters. And it wouldn't cost them anything to do it- a goon getting suspended x games is a cheap price to pay for getting an opponent's star player out of the lineup.
 

Dicky113

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What we really need is Brandon Bochenski to come in and score 10 goals in these practice games, then fade back into the sunset.
 

Number8

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Rest? What have they been doing for 3 months? f*** that. Need them to get in game shape for the battles to come. Season starts and it;s time to go all out and win this shit. Don't need to get cute with it.
Yeah, because you never see groin pulls or other things like that at the start of each season. Never. Players just go from 0 to 60 and it all works out seamlessly. Come on man, think. Cassidy is just making the point that the round robin is not an elimination phase -- meaning that although you want to win them all, you also have the luxury of keeping an eye on players that of course have not had optimal training going into what is basically a new season. Again, think.
 

northeastern

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Gotta keep tuukka sharp 100% agree. Let the vets find their legs but nice even distributed minutes. Get the entire crew game time inccuding halak. This is an advantage so let's make it work like one. f*** losing the #1 seed that the boys deserve.
 

Gee Wally

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Cassidy expressed concern in two ways.
First the fact that this is the longest all players have been off skates since they were little kids. Muscle memory and soft tissue strains are a concern. Anyone that has played knows that off ice and on ice shape are two different worlds.

Second was his concern of a player getting infected/positive while playing in my term 'meaningless' games for the most part.

He opined that many teams will keep number 1 goalies out or limited during the open pre playoff games depending on what's at stake for the respective team.
 

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