I am not concerned about a lack of scoring. That will come. Nor am I concerned, long term, about the future of the franchise. It's bright.
What concerns me, as Kirk Luedeke points out in his typically thoughtful entry this morning on the coutingpost blog (aptly titled "Big Trouble")
https://scoutingpost.com/
is that this is a mediocre defensive corps. It seems plain to me that Adam cannot help this team anymore. If he isn't injured because of his gritty style of play, he's slow & largely ineffective. The game has passed him by. Having two players who play the same game & possess very similar liabilities on this club makes little sense. One or both should go. (And yet how did Don Sweeney address the D this off season? Go back & check AM & KM's baffling re-ups.)
Every time I see Colin Miller, or hear Jack & Brick talk about his play, I cringe. The guy is absolutely useless. I would dump Liles, too. You can just feel it. They don't have it, and the sooner Sweeney acts, the better.
I love Carlo & O'Gara, mistakes and all. Chara appears re energized playing with Carlo, and isn't forced to play ridiculous minutes at 39. Carlo in turn is learning from a master. Good stuff.
Torey will emerge from his post surgery funk.
Will Krejci? I wonder. I have no problem keeping him -- if he can still play at a high level. His recent injury history, term & dollars make him expendable, assuming the Bruins could get genuine help in return. The issue is that DK has to play enough games to prove his return to form. If he can't, the B's suffer on the ice as well the trade market.
My understanding is that #42's absence last night was do to an off ice matter, so that's a relief. The way DB plays makes him vulnerable to injury, however. Like the fight opening night. I was thinking, "Man, don't ****ing break your hand!" in some meaningless fight to ingratiate yourself with Boston fans.
Rask.
I've thought about this a lot. Obviously, he's an elite goaltender when he's on, which is much of the time.
Yet I detect disturbing evidence of wilting when it counts the most. Recall that he missed a pivotal 2014 Olympic semifinal against Sweden (Finland lost the game & were thus eliminated) with an "unspecified illness." One might quibble with his performance in the Cup Final (especially the infamous 17 seconds) the year prior.
Consider his lopsided win-loss record against Montreal.
Kirk Luedeke has also intimated on his scoutingpost blog that Rask is a "Me First" type of player who takes credit after wins & shifts blame to others upon losses. This is hardly disqualifying, if less than admirable, as many goaltender's are either arrogant, a bit nuts, or both.
My guess is that the Bruins have to hang on to Rask, at least for now. I see them trading him when the time is right, however.
FWIW, the Bruins can return to elite status with Rask in net, but I don't believe they can win it all with him between the pipes. One dope's opinion.
They're going to have to play their way out of their present predicament. If they fail to do so, they may play themselves right out of a playoff spot.
What that might mean to, and for, the management group that wrested control of the franchise from Peter Chiarelli, time will tell.
Stay tuned, ladies & germs.
What concerns me, as Kirk Luedeke points out in his typically thoughtful entry this morning on the coutingpost blog (aptly titled "Big Trouble")
https://scoutingpost.com/
is that this is a mediocre defensive corps. It seems plain to me that Adam cannot help this team anymore. If he isn't injured because of his gritty style of play, he's slow & largely ineffective. The game has passed him by. Having two players who play the same game & possess very similar liabilities on this club makes little sense. One or both should go. (And yet how did Don Sweeney address the D this off season? Go back & check AM & KM's baffling re-ups.)
Every time I see Colin Miller, or hear Jack & Brick talk about his play, I cringe. The guy is absolutely useless. I would dump Liles, too. You can just feel it. They don't have it, and the sooner Sweeney acts, the better.
I love Carlo & O'Gara, mistakes and all. Chara appears re energized playing with Carlo, and isn't forced to play ridiculous minutes at 39. Carlo in turn is learning from a master. Good stuff.
Torey will emerge from his post surgery funk.
Will Krejci? I wonder. I have no problem keeping him -- if he can still play at a high level. His recent injury history, term & dollars make him expendable, assuming the Bruins could get genuine help in return. The issue is that DK has to play enough games to prove his return to form. If he can't, the B's suffer on the ice as well the trade market.
My understanding is that #42's absence last night was do to an off ice matter, so that's a relief. The way DB plays makes him vulnerable to injury, however. Like the fight opening night. I was thinking, "Man, don't ****ing break your hand!" in some meaningless fight to ingratiate yourself with Boston fans.
Rask.
I've thought about this a lot. Obviously, he's an elite goaltender when he's on, which is much of the time.
Yet I detect disturbing evidence of wilting when it counts the most. Recall that he missed a pivotal 2014 Olympic semifinal against Sweden (Finland lost the game & were thus eliminated) with an "unspecified illness." One might quibble with his performance in the Cup Final (especially the infamous 17 seconds) the year prior.
Consider his lopsided win-loss record against Montreal.
Kirk Luedeke has also intimated on his scoutingpost blog that Rask is a "Me First" type of player who takes credit after wins & shifts blame to others upon losses. This is hardly disqualifying, if less than admirable, as many goaltender's are either arrogant, a bit nuts, or both.
My guess is that the Bruins have to hang on to Rask, at least for now. I see them trading him when the time is right, however.
FWIW, the Bruins can return to elite status with Rask in net, but I don't believe they can win it all with him between the pipes. One dope's opinion.
They're going to have to play their way out of their present predicament. If they fail to do so, they may play themselves right out of a playoff spot.
What that might mean to, and for, the management group that wrested control of the franchise from Peter Chiarelli, time will tell.
Stay tuned, ladies & germs.
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