Focus on what you can improve, not on what you can't

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

I hear over and over that this year's team is a cinch to be worse than last year.
After all, we've already lost our top scoring wing AND are over the cap without having Torey Krug and Reilly Smith under contract. It's a reasonable thing to believe.

But I don't think like that. I think there are areas of the team that we can look at improving over last season. Reasons the Bruins lost that Canadiens series and things that many thought we needed that CAN be acquired. Maybe we don't replace these players with upgrades, but maybe we upgrade a team dynamic with something different.

What COULD happen (if things play out correctly) is that the Bruins end up downgrading in some areas and UPgrading in others and maybe the net result is something at least at par with what we saw last year.

I have in my head several areas of some concern that can be improved upon even considering the current cap situation. A couple of them are inflammatory and while I understand that, I can't deny their truth. And I will NOT applaud the club if Fraser, Florek and Caron are the roster choices. "Same team. Only worse."

_______

I suggest something easy to start and will go on to other things as the discussion runs stale OR non-existent as the case may be.

1. We can't replace Iginla. We WILL downgrade from the 30 goals he gave us on the wing. No choice. There's no option.
BUT
This team will be FASTER with the right roster replacements.

Click to read more...

 

[A Healthy Kelly*]

FASTER

All that's needed.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

I should mention that this is one of (what could be) five areas of concern that I am making an effort to improve. None of them require more money against the cap. Some are specific player mentions, but mostly not. It's not a trade proposal thread, although names COULD come up.

Most of the conclusions I've come to have been via reading through other conversations, as dreadful as some of them may be. This is neither rah-rah, nor poo-poo. This is a strategy. I'm making an attempt at a positive thread without candy.

 

[BNHL]

...

I hear over and over that this year's team is a cinch to be worse than last year.
After all, we've already lost our top scoring wing AND are over the cap without having Torey Krug and Reilly Smith under contract. It's a reasonable thing to believe.

But I don't think like that. I think there are areas of the team that we can look at improving over last season. Reasons the Bruins lost that Canadiens series and things that many thought we needed that CAN be acquired. Maybe we don't replace these players with upgrades, but maybe we upgrade a team dynamic with something different.

What COULD happen (if things play out correctly) is that the Bruins end up downgrading in some areas and UPgrading in others and maybe the net result is something at least at par with what we saw last year.

I have in my head several areas of some concern that can be improved upon even considering the current cap situation. A couple of them are inflammatory and while I understand that, I can't deny their truth. And I will NOT applaud the club if Fraser, Florek and Caron are the roster choices. "Same team. Only worse."

_______

I suggest something easy to start and will go on to other things as the discussion runs stale OR non-existent as the case may be.

1. We can't replace Iginla. We WILL downgrade from the 30 goals he gave us on the wing. No choice. There's no option.
BUT
This team will be FASTER with the right roster replacements.

We may not replace Iginla's 30 but I believe Eriksson will get back 25 of them. Now will someone replace Eriksson's 10? I think so too. Hamilton,Krug and Soderberg should be better also. Can Smith sustain or improve? May be the biggest question mark. Will Rask's backup be good enough? Can the 4th line be viable again? I'm not worried because 16 posts and 3 empty nets says so.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

We may not replace Iginla's 30 but I believe Eriksson will get back 25 of them. Now will someone replace Eriksson's 10? I think so too. Hamilton,Krug and Soderberg should be better also. Can Smith sustain or improve? May be the biggest question mark. Will Rask's backup be good enough? Can the 4th line be viable again? I'm not worried because 16 posts and 3 empty nets says so.

I think that's a really foolish way of thinking. Iginla is gone. We already had Eriksson. Eriksson doesn't replace him.

Remember when Marco Sturm was going to "replace" Phil Kessel's goals? Not gonna happen.

Who replaces Iginla on the roster? Whoever is brought in full-time to do so. Where they play and what they do is still TBD.

 

[smithformeragent]

You can be worse and still have, as or better a chance of winning it all.

1. This is hockey.
2. The best team doesn't always win (1971 Bruins, 2007 Patriots)
3. Your chief competitors can also be worse. Who in the East is better than Boston? The cap is working and parity is being achieved. Cap casualties are everywhere, not just in Boston.

 

[BNHL]

I think that's a really foolish way of thinking. Iginla is gone. We already had Eriksson. Eriksson doesn't replace him.

Remember when Marco Sturm was going to "replace" Phil Kessel's goals? Not gonna happen.

Who replaces Iginla on the roster? Whoever is brought in full-time to do so. Where they play and what they do is still TBD.

If Eriksson or any other roster player moves to the first line into Iginla's slot they are effectively replacing him. Didn't Chiarelli already state this? Now they have to replace the lost production on the vacated slot. Eriksson and Iginla combined for 40 goals. If Eriksson gets 25 then they are in search of 15 to effectively have the same output. I wouldn't say Marco Sturm's failures writes the rule.

 

[BNHL]

What they really need is someone to replace Iginla's 6 posts and 1 EN miss versus Mtl.

 

[Confound]

What they really need is someone to replace Iginla's 6 posts and 1 EN miss versus Mtl.

Or how about if our top two centers don't go MIA again?

 

[BNHL]

Or how about if our top two centers don't go MIA again?

If he hit 6 posts then he had 6 more opportunities provided by? Or the empty net miss? Like it or not,Iginla's 1st line replacement will be Eriksson. Eriksson's 3rd line replacement will be who? Ideally,we'd love Iginla here to get 30 and Eriksson get 25 with Soderberg. The team was 3rd in the NHL in scoring with 40 from Iginla and Eriksson.

 

[smithformeragent]

The 90 Oilers did ok without Gretzky.

Just saying.

 

[BNHL]

The 90 Oilers did ok without Gretzky.

Just saying.

Yes!! Others step up!

 

[LSCII]

I get the sentiment you're pushing here MMB, but I think it's getting clouded by other factors. This team is in the middle of a cup window and as part of that, I want them to maximize these opportunities. Watching what they've done this off season, I don't feel confident that they're really trying to put a cup caliber team.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

I think that's a really foolish way of thinking. Iginla is gone. We already had Eriksson. Eriksson doesn't replace him.

Remember when Marco Sturm was going to "replace" Phil Kessel's goals? Not gonna happen.

Who replaces Iginla on the roster? Whoever is brought in full-time to do so. Where they play and what they do is still TBD.

It's not a foolish way at all.

Iginla had 30 goals.
Loui had 10.
etc.

In his exemple, he slotted Loui in Iginla spot. That's on him to get back the 30 goals from Iginla. The player that will play in Loui spot on the 3rd line will have to account for the 10 goals he had. So Loui+that other players have to account for 40 goals next year to be on par with the production of Loui+Iginla.

The bottom line is individually, players are going to score more or less goals than last year. Bergy could score less. Others more. But in the end, what matters is what the team will do as a whole. Scoring as much and staying a top-3 scoring team? Or falling down a little? Middle of the pack? Bottom of the NHL?

Like I said in another thread, even if the Bruins had scored 40 less goals last year (which was the whole production of Iginla+Loui), the Bruins would have still had the 4th best GF/GA ratio in the league with +0,59 only behind Ana, Chi and Stl.

As for what we can improve? The PK will certainly improve from last year with Seidenberg back. Bruins were like 8th last year and against the Habs, it cost them a couple of games.

And hitting open nets too...

But last year everything went right besides that Habs series when everything went wrong. If we can improve some things, that only means we are again fighting for 1st in the league...

 

[VanIsle]

We may not replace Iginla's 30 but I believe Eriksson will get back 25 of them. Now will someone replace Eriksson's 10? I think so too. Hamilton,Krug and Soderberg should be better also. Can Smith sustain or improve? May be the biggest question mark. Will Rask's backup be good enough? Can the 4th line be viable again? I'm not worried because 16 posts and 3 empty nets says so.

I believe this as well, Eriksson should be able to get between 20-30 playing on this line with his skill package.

If Smith can play anywhere near the same, this team should be just fine.

People over-react about everything all the time, and with this Bruins team, they may not be as deep as last year, but you never know who will surprise this year.

Will it be Pastrnak, Koko, Spooner, Knight, or somebody Chia brings into the organization before the season starts or at the trade deadline?

I remember many years where this team sucked, and I mean really sucked, it is a pleasure to have a team that is constant competitors year in and year out.

My buddys dad is an Islanders fan, now you tell him how much the Bruins suck and didn't do anything, he will laugh in your face.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

I get the sentiment you're pushing here MMB, but I think it's getting clouded by other factors. This team is in the middle of a cup window and as part of that, I want them to maximize these opportunities. Watching what they've done this off season, I don't feel confident that they're really trying to put a cup caliber team.

That 5M penalty certainly prevent them to get some acquisition this summer.

But the lineup as it is is already a cup caliber team. And in season move will happen to make the team better, especially if the current options we have on the wing prove to not be playoffs worthy roster players. But there is plenty of time until deadline day to reassess. And we all know Chiarelli loves to evaluate...

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

You can be worse and still have, as or better a chance of winning it all.
1. This is hockey.
2. The best team doesn't always win (1971 Bruins, 2007 Patriots)
3. Your chief competitors can also be worse. Who in the East is better than Boston? The cap is working and parity is being achieved. Cap casualties are everywhere, not just in Boston.

Also true. People say we'll be worse this year.

Even if it was true on paper, that 14-15 team will be judge, just like that 13-14 team, with what they do in the playoffs.

That 13-14 team was very good and should have at least made it to the SCF. Losing in the 2nd certainly was a shame of an upset.

But what if this supposely worst 14-15 team lose in the ECF or SCF or wins the Cup. What will we say then? Will the neysayers change their D- for an A+ then?

 

[DitClapper]

This year the deadline is most key. If the rookies and Eriksson step up until then, we make moves for some firepower. For players like: Bobby Ryan and Marc Methot. Especially if Boychuk is dealt this offseason. Add a vet Kelly/Peverley esque. Just like in 2011, PC worked that perfectly.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

I get the sentiment you're pushing here MMB, but I think it's getting clouded by other factors. This team is in the middle of a cup window and as part of that, I want them to maximize these opportunities. Watching what they've done this off season, I don't feel confident that they're really trying to put a cup caliber team.

No no no, dude. It's not sentiment. It's practicality.

How about this for simplicity?

What can the Bruins improve on from last year? Straight up.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

It's not a foolish way at all.

Iginla had 30 goals.
Loui had 10.
etc.

In his exemple, he slotted Loui in Iginla spot. That's on him to get back the 30 goals from Iginla. The player that will play in Loui spot on the 3rd line will have to account for the 10 goals he had. So Loui+that other players have to account for 40 goals next year to be on par with the production of Loui+Iginla.

The bottom line is individually, players are going to score more or less goals than last year. Bergy could score less. Others more. But in the end, what matters is what the team will do as a whole. Scoring as much and staying a top-3 scoring team? Or falling down a little? Middle of the pack? Bottom of the NHL?

Like I said in another thread, even if the Bruins had scored 40 less goals last year (which was the whole production of Iginla+Loui), the Bruins would have still had the 4th best GF/GA ratio in the league with +0,59 only behind Ana, Chi and Stl.

As for what we can improve? The PK will certainly improve from last year with Seidenberg back. Bruins were like 8th last year and against the Habs, it cost them a couple of games.

And hitting open nets too...

But last year everything went right besides that Habs series when everything went wrong. If we can improve some things, that only means we are again fighting for 1st in the league...

With all due respect, man... I don't understand what is being said in most of this post.

I don't think everything went right last season. And I don't think everything went wrong against the Habs.

The point about the penalty kill though? That **** is bang on. And that's what I want to attack.

 

[LSCII]

No no no, dude. It's not sentiment. It's practicality.

How about this for simplicity?

What can the Bruins improve on from last year? Straight up.

The playoffs?

 

[DitClapper]

I get the feeling that Eriksson will become the new Wideman. Don't know why.

 

[BNHL]

As for the PK,it failed in the playoffs. But what I read about the PK prior to Kelly and/or Seidenberg's injuries and post injuries is that the Bruins found themselves on the PK more often after Seidenberg's injuries. The opponent's opportunities trended up and the Bruins gave up slightly more shots. The percentages were nearly identical pre and post after the Islander debacle. The playoffs found them shorthanded close to 4 times a game.

 

[LouJersey]

Or how about if our top two centers don't go MIA again?

Yeah, that would help... Amazing how guys like Marchand and Krejci can go 12 games without a GD goal... Bergeron was flat out awful for the last four games too... Not something we are accustomed to,.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

So so far? Not a lot of "stuff we can control."

Team sucked against the Canadiens...

Okay. Number two it is.

#1. No Iginla is an opportunity to make the team faster.

_______

#2. Brian Ferlin is currently the best option to play on the right side of Bergeron and Marchand. That's not to say that he's the best option overall, but he's the best we have thus far.