News Article: Fluto: With Hamilton out, Senators have upper hand

[Danton Heineken]

President's Trophy winning Bruins out of the playoffs; Rebuilding Celtics in the playoffs.

It's a tale of two management teams. One of them sucks.

 

[bp13]

This team AS IS should have another 10 points or so if they just put some effort it. They haven't given a consistent effort in 3 out of every 4 games it seems... they have had peaks and valleys .. they also have guys that should be playing way better. It's disgusting to me.

Going to have to agree to disagree here. I don't know...maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But I see a defense that, due in large part to management's inability to see the decline of Chara and Seidenberg (and their consequent willingness to deal JB), isn't good. In fact, they're weak. A weak defense with a decent but flawed forward group means playoff fringe team to me. Add in that Detroit, TB and Montreal were expected to improve and have, and here we are. Right where I think we belong, a few points in either direction.

 

[Hali33]

Our injuries haven't been anything abnormal. Horrible excuse. Every team deals with them, every team has to overcome them. That's why team depth is so important.

Meanwhile every line we have is flawed even when healthy, and our defense is still shallow when healthy.

Just hate that the injury thing is slowly being treated like it's worse than it's been.

Agreed.

People are acting like we were entitled to a healthy team this season, that is not reality. If Chiarelli is basing his decisions on everyone being healthy then he is insane.

Every year there are injuries and usually at least one major injury to an important player. That's why depth is critical. This team was not good enough when everyone was healthy and had little to offer in terms of depth to cover injuries. That is the downfall of the season.

We don't even register in the top 20 for man games lost. There are teams that have lost their starting goaltenders for god's sake.

 

[Seidenbergy]

President's Trophy winning Bruins out of the playoffs; Rebuilding Celtics in the playoffs.

Not really fair, given the Celtics have a FAR worse record. Bruins would be a 6 seed with their record.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Chara's injury cost them, what, 10 wins? 5? 2?

Miller's cost them, what, 4 wins? 2?

Krejci's cost them, what, 6 wins?

Connolly's cost them, what, 1?

I don't fire my GM when that team misses the playoffs by a couple of points. I tell him that I expect a turnaround the next year. Does anyone think this core group would get worse?

As others have said, Chara is aging, needs surgery. Seidenberg has already lost a step. We are likely losing Bartkowski, not that he's an impact player at all, but defensively, he's better than Krug, and skating-wise he's better than McQuaid and Miller, he's a better fit for a top 4 position than any them (and still shouldn't be in the top 4 of a good team). McQuaid is a bottom pair, that may/may not be re-signed. Miller is a 6-7 defenseman.

Our forwards, even when healthy, Lucic and Krejci both seemed fairly complacent/struggled to rekindle chemistry. Soderberg is likely leaving. Smith and Connolly are question marks. Talbot is an improvement on Campbell. Bergeron and Marchand are good, but can't carry offense. At least we have a bright light with Pastrnak and Spooner (should we keep him).

Rask is Rask. A #1 goalie, who I am still slightly not confident in winning a string of big games when it matters most.

Chiarelli isn't getting fired for missing/almost missing the playoffs this season. It's for inadequately performing as a general manager. It wasn't long ago this team was considered elite. We had 2 young blue chip players in 2 key positions coming up, and we were primed to be a contender for a while. Somehow he bumbled that up by trading one of those players, removing a core piece (Boychuk) from the team while creating a hole in a position they were once strong in. He also bumbled the cap with the whole Iginla move. 2013 was a season we should have went all in, we were one of the top teams, we lost a top 4 defenseman, who we knew would be out, and did not replace him. Anyways, sorry for that rant, but point being, Chiarelli won't be fired for just missing the playoffs this season. It's for mismanaging a top team he created into the one we are watching now. GM's have a shelf life (as do coaches and players).

There is going to be change, and the Bruins look to be going downwards as opposed to upwards. Can Chiarelli turn the tide back the right way? For me, I think he's already underwater, and used up all of his patches.

 

[Man Rocket]

Time for the Bruins to man up

 

[Over the volcano]

Not really fair, given the Celtics have a FAR worse record. Bruins would be a 6 seed with their record.

Sometimes it's not about being fair- it's about being furious.

 

[bp13]

Our injuries haven't been anything abnormal. Horrible excuse. Every team deals with them, every team has to overcome them. That's why team depth is so important.

Meanwhile every line we have is flawed even when healthy, and our defense is still shallow when healthy.

Just hate that the injury thing is slowly being treated like it's worse than it's been.

The problem with the injury "excuse" is that in this case, much of it could/should have been mitigated by the GM. The loss to Montreal exposed, again, a defense that is slow footed and aging. It also exposed a few of the youngsters. There is no way a GM should have cornered himself into dealing JB knowing Seids was coming off knee surgery at his age, with his miles. Smarter planning would have mitigated this problem, and he didn't do it.

The big injury to me that hurts this team is the recurring one, Krejci. This offense goes as he goes, and whenever he is playing poorly or hurt, this team falters. I won't use his injury as an excuse because as you say, teams have to deal with that. And perhaps at this point the GM should have been more aggressive in dealing with this trend. But it certainly is a consideration in evaluating everyone's job. I think it partially excuses the players and the coach, partially. But not the GM.

 

[LouJersey]

Also add in the fact that blowhard used Kelly as a 2nd line center how many ever games.... Krejci missed how many games before they put Spooner there to stay?

Ferlin was a revelation... How many scrubs in that spot ? How many games did that 4th line horros show stay intact?

Pastrnak was allowed to play in the WJC instead of helping his employer..Who does that fall on?

How about never giving arguably your best all around player this year in Eriksson a shot with DK or Bergeron for an extended amount of time? Oh wait, same coach who never tried Jagr with Krejci that's right.

 

[Seidenbergy]

The big injury to me that hurts this team is the recurring one, Krejci. This offense goes as he goes, and whenever he is playing poorly or hurt, this team falters.

We did go on that recent 8-1-1 run without him.

 

[Hali33]

Also add in the fact that blowhard used Kelly as a 2nd line center how many ever games.... Krejci missed how many games before they put Spooner there to stay?

Ferlin was a revelation... How many scrubs in that spot ? How many games did that 4th line horros show stay intact?

Pastrnak was allowed to play in the WJC instead of helping his employer..Who does that fall on?

How about never giving arguably your best all around player this year in Eriksson a shot with DK or Bergeron for an extended amount of time? Oh wait, same coach who never tried Jagr with Krejci that's right.

There were several mind boggling decisions made this season but the handling of Loui Eriksson has to be among the greatest for me. Taking a gamble this season in not replacing Iginla to put him in the top 6 and then never following through with it, even when he played better.

All to preserve a 3rd line that flamed out in the new year. Loui's ending his 2nd season on this team and I have no idea if he could fit in our top 6 and what he would be capable of producing there. Unbelievable.

 

[Strange Universe]

Our injuries haven't been anything abnormal. Horrible excuse. Every team deals with them, every team has to overcome them. That's why team depth is so important.

Meanwhile every line we have is flawed even when healthy, and our defense is still shallow when healthy.

Just hate that the injury thing is slowly being treated like it's worse than it's been.

Agree fully with your sentiments.
Look at Ottawa, both their goalies have been injured and the 3rd string has been performing well and sometimes well enough to get the team the victories.
They could have folded along time ago but they found fun and chemistry and a willingness to skate and play for 60 minutes not like our beloved B's who most nights watch the other teams skate and play with intense emotion for 60 minutes.

We are not performing at all cylinders with injuries or no injuries.
I for one, as a fan have no excuses bearing on injuries other than this team has been managed poorly by PC , coached foolishly at times by CJ bone head decisions and a team where most players do not seem to want to play the system that CJ wants out of them or simply that these players just do not bite as hard into the system as they once did.

 

[Fenway]

The third game of the season was a harbinger of things to come. Colorado was scoreless in their first 2 games and somehow stole a regulation win.

Losing at Toronto 6-1 on November 12th was a a low point and then they played at Montreal a night later and got smoked 5-1.

In comparing our season with Ottawa just looked at what happened in California, we picked up 0 points and they captured all 6. If the Sens do hold on that is where they won the battle.

 

[LouisSleigher]

Oh wait, same coach who never tried Jagr with Krejci that's right.

Jagr never played with Krejci (except as a sixth attacker), but IIRC, he did at least briefly play with Paille and Campbell.

Asked about his linemates, I seem to recall that Jagr said something like, "those guys get the puck."

And after they get the puck, don't know what the puck to do with it.

 

[Shoebottom]

With the same lineup we are even worse next year, and florida will only gets stronger.
I don't see us being a playoff team anymore.
Especially if chara needs a surgery. Seids was losing his step before the injury already.

Seids past his prime, chara after knee injury both still in the top4 doesn't look too good to me.
+Thin rw line.

NO they wont. Chara & Sieds will be healthier if both still here. Spooner, Pasta will have experience behind them. Connolly will be ready to go. Krug, Morrow will improve hopefully. Krejci will be healthier. So how are we worse next year? This is as bad as it gets, next year will be much better as long as health & luck are on our side.

 

[BklyNBruiN]

Even with Dougie in the line up, the Sens have the upper hand.

Agreed.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Our injuries haven't been anything abnormal. Horrible excuse. Every team deals with them, every team has to overcome them. That's why team depth is so important.

Meanwhile every line we have is flawed even when healthy, and our defense is still shallow when healthy.

Just hate that the injury thing is slowly being treated like it's worse than it's been.

Not every teams.

The Habs had zero injury to any of their top players. Yet they have the 22nd best offense in the league, even worst than the Bruins. Imagine if Paciorrety, their only real treat offensively, was injured for 40 games?

Still, the injuries ain't the reason why the Bruins may miss the playoffs. They might miss them because they have played horrible hockey for most of the season.

The fact that they are still in contention for the playoffs with their play this year and all the key injuries tells two things:

1) The Bruins are so good that even their C game is good enough for the top-8.
2) The East suck bad.

That is what is frustrating with this season. Should have been so much more...

 

[Shoebottom]

Not every teams.

The Habs had zero injury to any of their top players. Yet they have the 22nd best offense in the league, even worst than the Bruins. Imagine if Paciorrety, their only real treat offensively, was injured for 40 games?

Still, the injuries ain't the reason why the Bruins may miss the playoffs. They might miss them because they have played horrible hockey for most of the season.

The fact that they are still in contention for the playoffs with their play this year and all the key injuries tells two things:

1) The Bruins are so good that even their C game is good enough for the top-8.
2) The East suck bad.

That is what is frustrating with this season. Should have been so much more...

So true. Take away subban/maxpac, toews/Keith, kopitar/doughty etc and those teams are struggling. Still, the Bs should be playing better then they are period.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Also add in the fact that blowhard used Kelly as a 2nd line center how many ever games.... Krejci missed how many games before they put Spooner there to stay?

Ferlin was a revelation... How many scrubs in that spot ? How many games did that 4th line horros show stay intact?

Pastrnak was allowed to play in the WJC instead of helping his employer..Who does that fall on?

How about never giving arguably your best all around player this year in Eriksson a shot with DK or Bergeron for an extended amount of time? Oh wait, same coach who never tried Jagr with Krejci that's right.

The personnel use is very frustrating no doubt. Ferlin should be in for Campbell/Paille.

Kelly should have never played on a "scoring" role.

Loui should be free from the Yeti who is a black hole for like 30 games. Yeti should also have been traded at the deadline. Big mistake not to...

The list goes on and on. Not many things went well this year. In fact, almost everything went wrong and stellar players like Bergeron and Rask had bad streaks. Especially Rask at the start of the season and the last couple games...

This season ain't over and they still have the chance to surprise the last 9 games, but as of now, we have much more chance to win McDavid (2%) than the Cup (0%)...

 

[smithformeragent]

Your defending Stanley Cup Champion

I really hope those guys DNQ.

What can I say? Misery loves company.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

We did go on that recent 8-1-1 run without him.

That was with good Tuukka. Not the one we saw against Ott and TB...

Unless Tuukka plays like the Vezina top-5 G he is, than we have no shot at the playoffs. Especially with the current play of the actual roster...

 

[BsEuphoria]

Chara's injury cost them, what, 10 wins? 5? 2?

Miller's cost them, what, 4 wins? 2?

Krejci's cost them, what, 6 wins?

Connolly's cost them, what, 1?

I don't fire my GM when that team misses the playoffs by a couple of points. I tell him that I expect a turnaround the next year. Does anyone think this core group would get worse?

0, no really though, this was their first streak of games this season where they actually started playing well, without him.

Seemed like almost everytime the team lost someone they consider "key", we finally started playing 1/2 way like they should.

 

[BB88]

NO they wont. Chara & Sieds will be healthier if both still here. Spooner, Pasta will have experience behind them. Connolly will be ready to go. Krug, Morrow will improve hopefully. Krejci will be healthier. So how are we worse next year? This is as bad as it gets, next year will be much better as long as health & luck are on our side.

No it won't be, you really can't expect player past his prime to recover his form when he has suffered lower body injury, and again Seids was already losing his form before his injury, injury is masking that again.
Chara will be better IF he doesn't need a surgery, with surgery +seids still here our top4 is weak, weak, weak. Chara after surgey will be a nightmare to watch, it will take a year from him and then he is 40.

We don't have a D player who can play D at high level, offense yes, D no.

For forwards, we have no idea how good connolly is going to be,
I'm hoping he explodes here, our rw line is still average, adding weak D we are average team.

But if we get rid of smith and the vets we will be a stronger team,
can't waste crazy money in to our bottom6.
And again I don't see eastern teams ahead of us getting weaker, +florida will be stronger and ottawa can improve as well, wild card team at best with this team, I really don't want to waste another prime year of Bergeron.
We have one of the weakest prospect pools, on teams who are suffering this year. Drafting is now killing us.

 

[EverettMike]

Chara is either

a) hurt

or

b) healthy

If the rumors are true and he needs surgery, how can anyone feel good about him going into next season? A 39-year-old coming off of leg surgery? Didn't we just play this song this year with a younger defenseman in his 30s?

If he is healthy, then how can anyone feel good about him next year?

 

[BB88]

Chara is either

a) hurt

or

b) healthy

If the rumors are true and he needs surgery, how can anyone feel good about him going into next season? A 39-year-old coming off of leg surgery? Didn't we just play this song this year with a younger defenseman in his 30s?

If he is healthy, then how can anyone feel good about him next year?

Chara's size is now his biggest weakness, a lot heavier than seids and seids can't recover, it's absurd to think chara at his age at his size could recover his form after surgery IN ONE SUMMER. Seids has already had what 15months and has gone nowhere?