Absurdity
light switch connoisseur
- Jul 6, 2012
- 10,797
- 6,817
Responses in bold.
I think you move the goal posts a little here Hazi.
For example, you blame head coach for the poor PP (not the assistant who works the PP), but then you flip that perspective and praise the assistant who works with the defense and not the head coach. Personally, I think Julien is in charge of the schemes for both, and should be held accountable for both. The PP should generate more chances and that's a black mark on him. The surprisingly strong play of the D should be a credit to him.
When Sweeney first became the GM of the Bruins, his vision of how the defense would transition the puck out of their zone came into fruition this season. Not last season, this season. The only major difference of personnel on defense has been Carlo. I believe it was Jarvis, may have been Houda, who was responsible for working with the defense while he was with the Bruins and all we saw in that time were D-to-D passes in the defensive zone. Cassidy has been responsible with working with the defense this season, and Sacco is responsible for the PP. I agree that the coach should be the one held accountable for both and should be applauded/criticized depending on how well each perform, but in my opinion, I do not think it is a coincidence the Bruins' defense looks a lot better this season than last season since Cassidy replaced Jarvis/Houda.
You talk about making bad line combinations. But everyone here thinks they have "right" combination and all our opinions differ. I remember a week or two back when he mixed things up and first two pages in the GDT were about how he got it all wrong, yet nobody had the same mix. Some folks think they should spread the talent across three lines, others think they should load up. Some think they're fools to break up the only line that's really played great, others think they HAVE to split that line up...
That is 100% fair. We all have our opinions about who should play where. However, when I see people complain about management giving Claude guys like Nash to fill in next to Bergeron and Marchand, Claude is responsible for the team's line combinations. He has the power to change them, and it only has been recently that he has because the Bruins are having trouble scoring. The Bruins called up Heinen who has been producing in Providence and yet he was scratched for someone like Nash.
You talk about playing players in positions they'd be better at but how do you know they'd be better? Backes played 3 games at C, in 2 of the 3 he went pointless. Spooner has also played a few games at C this year but his best game came on Krejci and Backes' wing where Julien said if he played like that all the time they'd have tons of ice time for him.
Guys like Spooner and Czarnik are centers. Czarnik looked great, he has adjusted to RW and has looked great there as well in my opinion, a few games ago centering the 3rd/4th line because of how much space that position gives him. The same goes with Spooner. Spooner had 49pts last season as a center. Sure Spooner's best game may have come as a winger, but Backes best game this season has also come from playing center. Backes' most successful production as a Blues was centering Steen and Oshie. I'm not saying he can't be productive as a RW, but there is evidence that he has been productive as a C.
You act like putting bottom6 forwards in the top6 was Julien's dream plan all along. They're obviously just subbing. I think he's going for a Connolly vibe by putting Nash there, but the minute he has a real top6 forward to put there Nash goes back to the bottom6. He's been desperate for Spooner to take flight on the left side with Krejci but it's only come in spurts. Still, Spooner plays more than Nash or Schaller or Moore. The offensive players on this team, play more than the defensive ones.
I don't disagree. What I disagree with are fans that try to defend Claude through the rough patches this team is facing by saying management has only given Claude guys like Nash or Acciari to fill out the roster when Claude himself scratched Heinen, who has also played in the Bruins top 6 this season, when he was called up. Claude chooses what the lines are. If he wants other options from Providence, I'm sure he can ask Sweeney to call someone up.
I don't agree with the no-chemistry comment on Krejci and Backes either. That pass from Backes to Krejci the other night was fantastic, Krejci just got robbed. I just think that pair needs a shooter. They're not getting that from Spooner... They tried Heinen for 8 games and got nothing. They tried Beleskey and they've tried Schaller. Hopefully Vatrano is that guy.
If I am to dismiss Backes' one great game playing C as evidence that Backes may not be better suited as a RW, am I allowed to dismiss the fact that it was 1 pass in a game against one of the worst teams in the league in a game where the Islanders had a lead against the Bruins? I don't think Krejci-Backes duo has been strong at all this season. Why do Krejci and Backes become the control group in an experiment of "pick a winger out of a hat until Vatrano comes back??" What if Krejci and Backes just aren't compatible? The only time Backes left Krejci's wing, apart from Bergeron's injury early in the season, was when Claude decided to separate the Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak line and have Backes replace Pastrnak on that line. He hasn't tried Backes with anyone else. I agree that I do hope Vatrano is that guy because the Bruins could really use two top 6 lines that are able to produce. If it doesn't work out, I wonder how long until fans start turning on Vatrano and blaming management for not getting Claude a proper top 6 LW instead of looking at a potential problem in the control group (Krejci & Backes) in which Claude doesn't see an issue with.
I also think folks understate the injuries this team has had to deal with, and how it affects the lineup. You talk about keeping top6 guys in the top6 but they don't have two legit top6 RW's when Pasta is out. It's debatable whether or not they have two "top6" LW's either. Who, in your mind, constitutes the top6 talent that should be getting all the top6 time? And do you think it worth it to push any of that talent to the 3rd line to try to get some offense from there? You put Spooner at 3C which is where you hinted he'd be better and you have no top6 LW to play with Krejci. Call up Heinen again? He played once during the recent call-up and once again he was a non-factor (unless you count the -1 as a factor).
Injuries have been a major factor for this team in terms of offense. I stated a few posts back that it may actually be the first time Claude may have a "healthy" group of forwards this season when Vatrano and Pastrnak enter the lineup (healthy used loosely because I believe Bergeron may be playing injured). I think there are a ton of options for the wings. Heinen, Spooner, Czarnik, Cehlarik, and Mueller could all be options. The problem is trying to find a LW that fits with Krejci and Backes, and that is the problem. Sure the Bruins are thin at RW, but let's say the Bruins played Backes at #3C. That would give them three lines with impact players on each of them. It's not ideal to play Spooner on the wing, but he would either slide to Krejci's LW, LW with Backes, or potentially play his offwing with Marchand and Bergeron which is even less ideal. Spooner played his best game this season at LW so why not give it a shot? I know Heinen hasn't produced at the NHL level, but I think that is the only negative in his game. He is sound defensively, plays a two way game, and is great at intercepting passes in the neutral zone. He played with Backes in the preseason which is where he could slot on the 3rd line. Heinen also looked great next to Marchand and Bergeron in that one game. Czarnik is capable of playing wing so it would be either on lines 1,2, or 3. Cehlarik or Mueller could also play at wing. Cehlarik has been one of Providence's best forwards. He has size, can produce, and I think can play either wing. Mueller is a veteran winger that can play on any line. I can go on and on, but my point is that there are options for Claude. The problem has been trying to make Krejci and Backes work with some LW not named Vatrano until he's healthy rather than finding other combinations with players currently on the roster or with players called up from Providence.
And then there's the "system" and the poor offensive scheme comment... This team is top5 in the NHL in creating scoring chances. They certainly don't have top5 offensive talent with the way they're banged up.. The way I look at it, a coach can't score goals but he can give the team a plan generates chances. He can give the team a plan that denies chances. And this team, consistently does that. They are top5 in the league in both categories. He can't make Krejci finish off that sweet feed from Backes, but "the system" he employs generates shots for and denies shots against better than any team in the league.
I have no problem with the system as it has shown it can work. I think we can all agree that the PP needs to be fixed. The problem is that those scoring chances, 5 on 5, aren't of any quality. They play on the perimeter once entering and establishing themselves in the offensive zone. It's dump-in, cycle, back to the D, and a shot blocked by a defender. That's what I meant in terms of changing their offensive scheme. That whole process needs to change.
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