Post-Game Talk: Game 4 - B's strike OILers - BRUINS 4 Edmonton 1 F

[Braunbaer]

How dare you be satisfied!!!

I've heard that before.

 

[Seidenbergy]

I don't get all the crying about the need for more secondary scoring. Last time I checked, the Bruins were #6 in the entire NHL in goals scored last season and were only 6 goals away from being #2. All this focus on breaking up the top line so "opposing teams can't just focus on shutting them down" is just wrong. They couldn't do it last year. They aren't doing it this year.

I just don't see any positives from breaking that line up, but do see a ton of potential negatives.

 

[VanIsle]

one of Cehlarik/Heinen/Donato and Krug for a signed Panarin? I would be ok with that. Or is that too little/too much? I haven't watched much of Panarin. I know he scores goals thats about it.

Panarin has 7 points in 4 games, I would give up a couple prospects and maybe Krug for him, but he is an UFA after this year and I don't know if he will sign with Columbus.

Maybe he just walks and the Bruins throw some $ at him, Chara doesn't have much time left and is only getting $4 million anyways.

Next year the Bruins have $16.5 million in cap space with McAvoy the only large contract to fulfill.
Donato, Heinen, Accari and Carlo are the others but I can't see them commanding that much.

 

[BBB24]

Agreed...this was my issue with the way Claude handled Spooner and Koko. It infuriated me to no end and why I still bring up Spooner and Koko today. It was a disaster handling of 2 very promising assets.

Krejci did deserve some press box time as does Backes now. Coaches need to grow some Gritty (balls). lol

When coaches start sending vets like Krejci and Backes to the press box, they will not be coaching for long. It is not about having balls to make such moves, it about not having a brain and the desire to join the unemployed.

 

[hrdpuk]

But I thought the season was over when they got smoked by the Caps in Game 1? And definitely waved the white flag by putting Nordstrom on the second line in Game 4.

You missed selling off the team for a bag of pucks and a complete rebuild. It happened so fast that a lot of us missed it.

 

[b in vancouver]

I hear you, but these kids at age 20-23 have been playing hockey for 15+ years and the most recent ones at high levels (D1 NCAA, Junior, etc). I’m not sure that benching a young guy is any more of a teaching moment for them than it would be a veteran. Actually, if you bench a vet, you are probably much more likely to get their attention than a rookie

Heinen and Donato seem like pretty heady players. I’m pretty sure that if you take them aside and explain what they are doing wrong, they will get it without the benching. I’m more in favor of sitting a guy for a whole game and having them watch from the 9th floor than doing it in game (unless it’s something egregious). Doing it that way is a “teaching moment”. Benching a guy in game for a minor penalty they already feel bad about it kind of pointless imo.

On the first EDM goal last night, Bergeron had the puck on his stick and lost it, allowing McJesus to score. On that same play, Chara got caught flat-footed and out of position. I’m sure they knew what they did wrong and there was no point in benching them. Do you think that Heinen, Donato, Bjork, DeBrusk wouldn’t have known and should see the pine?

It’s a dumb double standard.

Before I get to the rest of my response. If that random kid takes a third minor or fifth mistake, and it costs the team the game - it's a harder hole to climb out of with your coaches trust, teammates, and confidence in yourself. There's something to be said about letting a kid play through it - but your also putting the kid in the position where the whole loss can be hung on them - so there is a protective aspect to it as well.

I know what you're saying - and people have been talking about that since I can remember. I just see it the other way. I don't mind the double-standard whatsoever. I think you simply get more bang for your buck when dealing with kids as compared to trying to get blood from a stone when doing the same with vets. - They did have Backes on the 4th line for a game.

I also don't mind short-shifting or even benching kids in-game as a prelude to sending them upstairs for a bit. To see how they react. And often to give your team a better chance to win that night - as kids have the tendency to play more up-down inconsistently - and the coach needs to have a feel for when that kid is over-compensating or left out of position a few too many times.

- I think a player like Jordan Eberle as a prime example, could have become a much more effective hockey player if his coaches had held him accountable over his first few seasons and he continues to make the same weak plays and turning over the puck that he did at 20 as he tries to find the hi-light reel as compared to the smart play.

I also think there's a major difference between juniors where everyone in the NHL was one of the best players on their team, the A where players get the feel for the game, and the NHL where mistakes will kill you - consistently. Everyone makes mistakes or has bad games - but if it's consistent in the NHL you're just not going to have a long career and the best time to fix it is over those first two seasons when you most likely have one consistent coach and enough vets on the team to hold you to account.

We just have different ways of looking at it. I definitely get your view though.

- also that I know that they're all in the same league and professionals, but I think we can agree that we both, and every guy out there, reacted to near identical situations in our life differently at the ages of 20-22 than we did at 30-32.
Even right now I deal with it as I run some artist work-shops and have to split them into different age groups as there's a big difference between talking with late teens/early 20s whom still have potential and expectations on themselves and whom I can actively direct a lot more and put demands on than the 30+ crowd whom might show marginal improvement but it's more keeping them engaged and not being down on themselves that they're not all that and a bag of chips as they know their limitations.

Same thing happened when I coached or was coached as both a kid, teenager and adult. I reacted differently as a player for sure.

 

[BruinDust]

Krejci is still the Bruins 4th best forward. By a fair amount.

You're right, he is.

It's kinda scary actually.

 

[wintersej]

You're right, he is.

It's kinda scary actually.

I think this is the crux of the matter. Even if Krejci was a UFA TODAY and signed a deal, I think he gets more than 32 year old Stastny's 3x6.5. Krejci might be overpaid. But it is by less than a million bucks.

The real problem is that there is a huge drop off from 63/37/88 to Krejci... and then another huge drop-off to DeBrusk/Heinen et al. The team badly needs a guy at Krejci's level or better to solidify the forward group. Blaming Krejci for that has never made sense to me.

 

[ODAAT]

I think this is the crux of the matter. Even if Krejci was a UFA TODAY and signed a deal, I think he gets more than 32 year old Stastny's 3x6.5. Krejci might be overpaid. But it is by less than a million bucks.

The real problem is that there is a huge drop off from 63/37/88 to Krejci... and then another huge drop-off to DeBrusk/Heinen et al. The team badly needs a guy at Krejci's level or better to solidify the forward group. Blaming Krejci for that has never made sense to me.

I`m not interested in a guy at "Krejci`s level", I am however interested in a guy who`s in the "or better" category but that won`t be/isn`t easy to find

 

[BruinDust]

I think this is the crux of the matter. Even if Krejci was a UFA TODAY and signed a deal, I think he gets more than 32 year old Stastny's 3x6.5. Krejci might be overpaid. But it is by less than a million bucks.

The real problem is that there is a huge drop off from 63/37/88 to Krejci... and then another huge drop-off to DeBrusk/Heinen et al. The team badly needs a guy at Krejci's level or better to solidify the forward group. Blaming Krejci for that has never made sense to me.

I think they need a player who is better (and younger) than he is.

One thing I will point out that early in the season league-wide is more of a barnburner wide-open style, I don't think that lends well to Krejci's game. Perhaps as teams settle in to defensive schemes and the pace evens out he'll be more effective than what were seeing now.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I think they need a player who is better (and younger) than he is.

One thing I will point out that early in the season league-wide is more of a barnburner wide-open style, I don't think that lends well to Krejci's game. Perhaps as teams settle in to defensive schemes and the pace evens out he'll be more effective than what were seeing now.

Not right now though. The 3rd line center position is a gaping hole. The 2nd will become that if something happens to him.

Agree on what you are saying but he still passes the puck better than all but a handful of guys. Rest of his game is in decline but I see the same guy unlike Backes where I do not see the St Louis version.

 

[Tampbear]

I think they need a player who is better (and younger) than he is.

One thing I will point out that early in the season league-wide is more of a barnburner wide-open style, I don't think that lends well to Krejci's game. Perhaps as teams settle in to defensive schemes and the pace evens out he'll be more effective than what were seeing now.

I do think Nordstrom while not able to produce offense, should allow for Krejci to have more possession of the puck as well. Hopefully that can lead to him and Debrusk producing a bit more. I think as much as we have been complaining about Krejci's wings I think having someone that can help him cycle the puck is more important than size or shot at this point. I think Heinen might make the most sense of anyone, but I could see how a guy like Nordstrom can help that line be more effective even if not necessarily dangerous. I hope Krejci's line can figure itself out and be a positive for the team this year, it would really ease my concerns about needing a center.

 

[wintersej]

Not right now though. The 3rd line center position is a gaping hole. The 2nd will become that if something happens to him.

Agree on what you are saying but he still passes the puck better than all but a handful of guys. Rest of his game is in decline but I see the same guy unlike Backes where I do not see the St Louis version.

Yeah Krejci is still very good at what he is good at. As a fan base we vastly underestimate his ability to gain the zone with possession. VASTLY. He is still one of the better forwards in the league at it. He also is still good at moving around the zone and finding the open guy and putting him in a position to shoot. Still one of the best. I think he used to be better at GETTING the puck in the first place. But he was never able to do it alone. He isn't Crosby that is going to make 3rd and 4th liners into top 6 guys. But he can put good player in their best offensive opportunity to succeed.

 

[BruinDust]

Not right now though. The 3rd line center position is a gaping hole. The 2nd will become that if something happens to him.

Agree on what you are saying but he still passes the puck better than all but a handful of guys. Rest of his game is in decline but I see the same guy unlike Backes where I do not see the St Louis version.

Neither the 2nd or 3rd lines are doing much.

I mean, if you have issues on both lines, do you try to solve the 3rd line before addressing the 2nd?

The entire forward group IMO past the Bergeron line seems like a bit of a dog's breakfast.

Kinda reminds me of those early's 90s teams where it was basically the Oates/Neely line and a bunch of guys who could move up and down.

 

[Bruinaura]

I don't know where to put this but it cracked me up

 

[ON3M4N]

Maybe its because I'm a fan of his game, but I feel like Bjork is going to exploded real soon here. Once he gets that first one this year, I could see the flood gates opening with this kid. Again, maybe its the fan in me, but I think he's the kid that is the key to your secondary scoring.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Before I get to the rest of my response. If that random kid takes a third minor or fifth mistake, and it costs the team the game - it's a harder hole to climb out of with your coaches trust, teammates, and confidence in yourself. There's something to be said about letting a kid play through it - but your also putting the kid in the position where the whole loss can be hung on them - so there is a protective aspect to it as well.

I know what you're saying - and people have been talking about that since I can remember. I just see it the other way. I don't mind the double-standard whatsoever. I think you simply get more bang for your buck when dealing with kids as compared to trying to get blood from a stone when doing the same with vets. - They did have Backes on the 4th line for a game.

I also don't mind short-shifting or even benching kids in-game as a prelude to sending them upstairs for a bit. To see how they react. And often to give your team a better chance to win that night - as kids have the tendency to play more up-down inconsistently - and the coach needs to have a feel for when that kid is over-compensating or left out of position a few too many times.

- I think a player like Jordan Eberle as a prime example, could have become a much more effective hockey player if his coaches had held him accountable over his first few seasons and he continues to make the same weak plays and turning over the puck that he did at 20 as he tries to find the hi-light reel as compared to the smart play.

I also think there's a major difference between juniors where everyone in the NHL was one of the best players on their team, the A where players get the feel for the game, and the NHL where mistakes will kill you - consistently. Everyone makes mistakes or has bad games - but if it's consistent in the NHL you're just not going to have a long career and the best time to fix it is over those first two seasons when you most likely have one consistent coach and enough vets on the team to hold you to account.

We just have different ways of looking at it. I definitely get your view though.

- also that I know that they're all in the same league and professionals, but I think we can agree that we both, and every guy out there, reacted to near identical situations in our life differently at the ages of 20-22 than we did at 30-32.
Even right now I deal with it as I run some artist work-shops and have to split them into different age groups as there's a big difference between talking with late teens/early 20s whom still have potential and expectations on themselves and whom I can actively direct a lot more and put demands on than the 30+ crowd whom might show marginal improvement but it's more keeping them engaged and not being down on themselves that they're not all that and a bag of chips as they know their limitations.

Same thing happened when I coached or was coached as both a kid, teenager and adult. I reacted differently as a player for sure.

We see this differently, which is fine, but your arguments leave me unconvinced

 

[The don godfather]

Maybe its because I'm a fan of his game, but I feel like Bjork is going to exploded real soon here. Once he gets that first one this year, I could see the flood gates opening with this kid. Again, maybe its the fan in me, but I think he's the kid that is the key to your secondary scoring.

I wanted a kid line of heinan Bjork and donato. I know it would be growing pains but the potential would be incredible. We need another dynamic line that can score in bunches. Were still a one line team.

 

[Blowfish]

I wanted a kid line of heinan Bjork and donato. I know it would be growing pains but the potential would be incredible. We need another dynamic line that can score in bunches. Were still a one line team.

A line that will work / it's too simple.

Bjork Heinen Cehlarik

Donato needs some seasoning.

 

[Rubber Biscuit]

I wanted a kid line of heinan Bjork and donato. I know it would be growing pains but the potential would be incredible. We need another dynamic line that can score in bunches. Were still a one line team.

None of those 3 are centers

 

[ON3M4N]

I wanted a kid line of heinan Bjork and donato. I know it would be growing pains but the potential would be incredible. We need another dynamic line that can score in bunches. Were still a one line team.

The problem is you have no real centerman there. I'd love to see Frederic center those two guys. He gives a big body that can bang around the net and help the cycle game. He's also solid in both ends so there really wouldn't be a "weak defensive fwd" among the group.

 

[b in vancouver]

We see this differently, which is fine, but your arguments leave me unconvinced

No doubt. I think I talked myself out of it by the end also.
In the mood to ramble - but am sitting around by myself today and stuck on the computer so... the quiet got to me.

 

[jgatie]

None of those 3 are centers

Details! Details!

 

[DKH]

Krejci sucks

He almost waited to long before passing to Nordy

I’m 100% sure because he didn’t care not because he was waiting for the perfect time

 

[Bruinaura]

Let's not beat each other up, boys, even if it was just a puck...