GDT: Game 51 | Bruins @ Rangers RIVALRY NIGHT 8PM NBCSN, TVA, 98.5

[wetcamelfood]

Question....are the Bruins a average or slow team?
I know the Rangers are fast, but have never seen them in a game show such an edge over the Bruins.
It used to be, the Bruins would have the puck 2/3rds of the game and the Rangers would just block shots.

Was this an off night or is this how the Bruins are currently constructed.
Smaller, slower post 2011?

This was when Torts was their coach. Now that AV is there it's a diff animal. The Bs better get someone that can skate over 10mph at the deadline or offseason as this is the way the league is going and if they want to compete in the future they're going to have to adapt much to the chagrin of Clodefish I'm sure.

 

[wetcamelfood]

Apart from Clode's decision making in the last 2 minutes, I don't think there's a whole lot from his perspective that can be done. .

He could control his stubborn-ness. He was forced to change his beloved lines because the team was going down the toilet and Charlie wasn't happy and he'll be damned if he can't be stubborn in some way so the thing he's grasping on to now is continuing to put Campbell out there as the extra "attacker" when the game is on the line. Why he thinks a guy with a career high 13 goals a year is going to be this great sniper with the goalie pulled is beyond me. Oh yeah, that's right, he's supposedly great defensively, just what we need, not someone who can score the tying goal, but someone who can maybe stop them scoring into the empty net. That will really make us overcome these deficits and (maybe) win in OT (forget the shootout). Not that he even did that last night since the Rags missed like 5 empty net shots they should've potted. Not saying I know who to put out there with less than 2 to go is but it sure wouldn't be him and wouldn't it make sense for it to be one of your players from the top 2 lines that doesn't happen to be on the ice before the goalie is pulled? Maybe one that has score at least close to 20 goals the last few years? Even if you have someone on the 3rd line that meets this criteria, fine, but no one on any 4th line is going to be a wise choice if you care about winning instead of "not losing by more than one goal". One thing I wont blame on him though is the Bs need to learn how to shoot the puck in between the posts. Backup or not, I could've been in goal for the Rags last night and it wouldn't have made any difference to the score since the Bs either can't hit the net or make the goalie perform a save of any real caliber. This needs to change.

 

[KrejciMVP]

As much as I hate to admit it after Boychuk was deemed expendable, we need another top four dman. Hamilton just can't be relied upon to play a top 3 role at this point. Unfortunately, it will be very hard to acquire the defenseman we need via trade.

Bartkowski should be playing IMO. He's at least as good defensively as Dougie (better if you ask me), and among the other candidates has the skillset which is most suited to a top four role. He is young, has performed well in his opportunities this year and is too good to be sitting on the bench. With only about 100 NHL games under his belt and some stretches of excellent play (including in the playoffs), he is not the proven failure some of you make him out to be. He should be out there gaining experience so that he can be a reliable player for us in the playoffs.

I just don't get how the are handling Bart, guy hasn't played in forever.

 

[wetcamelfood]

I see what you're saying but the Habs haven't been picked apart by the B's in a Looooong time well before '11.

Yes. It's time to take the Habs (or the Bs lack of being able to beat them) seriously now. They did beat them in '11, but BARELY. You could go back to '09 but I don't see the point in that since that's when they were still building (as were the Habs for that matter) and the surprise of the league not expected to do much then it didn't do any good anyway since the Bs should've beat the Canes and didn't. Point is we may very well play them in the next few years in the post season and beating them twice in the last 20 years isn't good enough.

 

[KnightofBoston]

Soderberg - Bergeron - Krejci- Lucic - Eriksson - Chara is my empty net line up. Enough defense and go for it

 

[BB88]

3rd period was bas, we were down 1 and had zero dangerous scoring chances.

And that 4th line has to score at somepoint, they are playing better but man they can't score, ever.

 

[caper8]

Yes. It's time to take the Habs (or the Bs lack of being able to beat them) seriously now. They did beat them in '11, but BARELY. You could go back to '09 but I don't see the point in that since that's when they were still building (as were the Habs for that matter) and the surprise of the league not expected to do much then it didn't do any good anyway since the Bs should've beat the Canes and didn't. Point is we may very well play them in the next few years in the post season and beating them twice in the last 20 years isn't good enough.

It does seem like they beat us a lot but when you look at the past 20 years we faced them 7 times and beat them 3. Not toobad. 5 of those series went to a game 7, 3 of which they won. Those losses just seem to stick with me for so long.

 

[remer]

He could control his stubborn-ness. He was forced to change his beloved lines because the team was going down the toilet and Charlie wasn't happy and he'll be damned if he can't be stubborn in some way so the thing he's grasping on to now is continuing to put Campbell out there as the extra "attacker" when the game is on the line. Why he thinks a guy with a career high 13 goals a year is going to be this great sniper with the goalie pulled is beyond me. Oh yeah, that's right, he's supposedly great defensively, just what we need, not someone who can score the tying goal, but someone who can maybe stop them scoring into the empty net. That will really make us overcome these deficits and (maybe) win in OT (forget the shootout). Not that he even did that last night since the Rags missed like 5 empty net shots they should've potted. Not saying I know who to put out there with less than 2 to go is but it sure wouldn't be him and wouldn't it make sense for it to be one of your players from the top 2 lines that doesn't happen to be on the ice before the goalie is pulled? Maybe one that has score at least close to 20 goals the last few years? Even if you have someone on the 3rd line that meets this criteria, fine, but no one on any 4th line is going to be a wise choice if you care about winning instead of "not losing by more than one goal". One thing I wont blame on him though is the Bs need to learn how to shoot the puck in between the posts. Backup or not, I could've been in goal for the Rags last night and it wouldn't have made any difference to the score since the Bs either can't hit the net or make the goalie perform a save of any real caliber. This needs to change.

Same problems as always with this team that have not been addressed.

1. Speed- teams like New York, Montreal, Chicago and Anaheim all have great speed and Boston lacks it. They need some more speed on the backend. Campbell, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson are not speedsters.

2. Lack of finish- Campbell, Paille, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson plus most of the backend except for Krug struggle scoring.

3. The fourth line is still a mess. The third isn't much better. I really wish Clode would have not been so stubborn and used Koko and Spooner. But "No".

4. The problem with is team is Campbell, Paille, Kelly need to go.

 

[TheBigBadB]

I just don't get how the are handling Bart, guy hasn't played in forever.

Because he is just not a good player. I don't get the love for Bart. Decent skills with a 10 cent head for the game. However they do need another real top four guy. Not a scrap or reclimination project.

 

[LouJersey]

need a 2nd pair D, some muscle on the fourth line and speed. Maybe a guy like Grabner is available? Only Pastrnak and sometimes Marchand pushes the D back...It's funny when the Bruins come across the blueline and you see the oppositions D turning to go back to the boards before the Bruin even dumps it in...Like Ok, can we change it up?

McQuaid needs to be back with Krug. Miller pressbox.

I would love Loui to play LW and Marchand RW on the Bergeron line...love them on their off wings.

Love Smith, but he needs to be dropped to the third line with Yeti and Pasta..Kelly to line 4

 

[AlpineLager]

McQuaid needs to be back with Krug. Miller pressbox.

I would love Loui to play LW and Marchand RW on the Bergeron line...love them on their off wings.

Love Smith, but he needs to be dropped to the third line with Yeti and Pasta..Kelly to line 4

Agree with everything here except Miller. From my perspective, he's been quite solid. Seids? Different story all together. My god he looks bad of late. He looked like a fish out of water last night. Has to be top 5 slowest D men in the league.

 

[SerenityRick]

Is it possible for this team to have a loss and just be a loss? Literally every time the Bruins lose it's the same ol' "this team will be picked apart in the playoffs!".. No team can go 82-0, there are going to be losses. Rangers are a good team with or without Lundvquist.

Not saying we can't or shouldn't analyze the problem areas but sheesh.. it's the same thing every time the Bruins lose.

 

[BNHL]

Is it possible for this team to have a loss and just be a loss? Literally every time the Bruins lose it's the same ol' "this team will be picked apart in the playoffs!".. No team can go 82-0, there are going to be losses. Rangers are a good team with or without Lundvquist.

Not saying we can't or shouldn't analyze the problem areas but sheesh.. it's the same thing every time the Bruins lose.

I agree,they beat these same Rangers 2 weeks ago 3-0!

 

[BNHL]

I just don't get how the are handling Bart, guy hasn't played in forever.

I agree,the game before his final game was the best of his career here and the Morrow thing mystified me then.

 

[hoss75]

Is it possible for this team to have a loss and just be a loss? .

It is when they haven't set up camp in 4th place.

 

[bruins repeat time]

Is it possible for this team to have a loss and just be a loss? Literally every time the Bruins lose it's the same ol' "this team will be picked apart in the playoffs!".. No team can go 82-0, there are going to be losses. Rangers are a good team with or without Lundvquist.

Not saying we can't or shouldn't analyze the problem areas but sheesh.. it's the same thing every time the Bruins lose.

Of course this is right. I don't even have time to argue with all the stupid comments spewed on here. Fact is they didn't play their best game last night , it has nothing to do with lines, last minute decisions etc. For the people that think you are better off putting Spooner or Koko on the wing -get a clue. I have more bad news for you barring injury Pastrnak is the guy coming off the top three lines if we trade for a top 9 player with out trading one back.

I am upset we didn't play our best game last night because our upcoming sched is killer and things could get rough here fast. A tough back to back this weekend. A stlouis -Chicago two game stretch and a few on the Canadian west coast. We aren't going to win all these games coming up I just hope we get our share.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Quote Lucic:
“I think tonight’s loss was because of our effort, our discipline in our game and our commitment to our game, and those are things that we need to find within,†said Milan Lucic, who battled through the after-effects of the flu to score a goal in the loss. “We had it against LA and you know how good we could play. But for some reason tonight we wanted an easy game, and we ended up with the result that we got.â€

Quote Clode:
“They made it hard on us, and I don’t think we competed hard enough to get to the nets, or get pucks to the net,†said Julien. “We gave them an easy night as far as that was concerned in that way. They played well, and we didn’t play well enough.â€

When you see a Bruins game described like this, that is when you see Campbell as the extra man with an empty net. Campbell will get to the net. And he doesn't have to score to be a factor in a goal.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

As much as I hate to admit it after Boychuk was deemed expendable, we need another top four dman. Hamilton just can't be relied upon to play a top 3 role at this point. Unfortunately, it will be very hard to acquire the defenseman we need via trade.

Bartkowski should be playing IMO. He's at least as good defensively as Dougie (better if you ask me), and among the other candidates has the skillset which is most suited to a top four role. He is young, has performed well in his opportunities this year and is too good to be sitting on the bench. With only about 100 NHL games under his belt and some stretches of excellent play (including in the playoffs), he is not the proven failure some of you make him out to be. He should be out there gaining experience so that he can be a reliable player for us in the playoffs.

Bart's 26, about 8 months younger than Miller. McQuaid is 28.

If he performed well this season, he'd be playing.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Same problems as always with this team that have not been addressed.

1. Speed- teams like New York, Montreal, Chicago and Anaheim all have great speed and Boston lacks it. They need some more speed on the backend. Campbell, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson are not speedsters.

2. Lack of finish- Campbell, Paille, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson plus most of the backend except for Krug struggle scoring.

3. The fourth line is still a mess. The third isn't much better. I really wish Clode would have not been so stubborn and used Koko and Spooner. But "No".

4. The problem with is team is Campbell, Paille, Kelly need to go.

People like Cunningham, KoKo, Spooner, and even really Pastrnak (who I advocate being here, but recognize he is now experiencing the "grind" that is the NHL) aren't really going to do it for us. Yes, Campbell, Paille and Kelly are essentially empty uniforms, but it's really obvious to me that we don't have enough good players on this team, on both O and D and that acquiring some failing project (like Stewart, for example) isn't really going to do it.

People can lay it on Clode's lack of imagination or creativity as a Chef, but the real problem with this dish is the ingredients, not the cook.

 

[BNHL]

It is when they haven't set up camp in 4th place.

Set up camp? 8-5 in January.

 

[hoss75]

Set up camp? 8-5 in January.

Doesn't change their standing...
You don't think that people here wouldn't be over analyzing every loss trying to find the litmus test for the post-season if the team hasn't been in a wild card spot since November? I'd be it's be at half of it's current state if the team was 2 positions in either direction.

 

[Blowfish]

Same problems as always with this team that have not been addressed.

1. Speed- teams like New York, Montreal, Chicago and Anaheim all have great speed and Boston lacks it. They need some more speed on the backend. Campbell, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson are not speedsters.

2. Lack of finish- Campbell, Paille, Kelly, Smith and Eriksson plus most of the backend except for Krug struggle scoring.

3. The fourth line is still a mess. The third isn't much better. I really wish Clode would have not been so stubborn and used Koko and Spooner. But "No".

4. The problem with is team is Campbell, Paille, Kelly need to go.

1. Agree we need more speed, especially on D...Inserting Bartowski for Miller and keeping Pasta in the line-up will help. Like the idea of picking up a versatile speedy Sanerelli. He's scoring and creating opportunities for the Leafs.

2. Lack of finish from all Dmen not named Krug / Hamilton plus top line not helping. 4th line is what it is players leveraged for small amounts of play time and penalty killers.

3. 4th line isn't the major concern for me with this team.

4. Campbell, Paille are key penalty killers allowing 1st and 2nd line much needed rest. Kelly is too valuable a leader to lose unless for right return. DKH is right, he's an additional coach on this team.

I want to see Bart inserted in this lineup ASAP but he's either already labeled in a trade or Miller continues to be showcased for a trade. Chia has one of them or both labeled in a trade. I see Trotman and Morrow as easy replacements for either or both of them.

 

[ashnathan]

1. Agree we need more speed, especially on D...Inserting Bartowski for Miller and keeping Pasta in the line-up will help. Like the idea of picking up a versatile speedy Sanerelli. He's scoring and creating opportunities for the Leafs.

2. Lack of finish from all Dmen not named Krug / Hamilton plus top line not helping. 4th line is what it is players leveraged for small amounts of play time and penalty killers.

3. 4th line isn't the major concern for me with this team.

4. Campbell, Paille are key penalty killers allowing 1st and 2nd line much needed rest. Kelly is too valuable a leader to lose unless for right return. DKH is right, he's an additional coach on this team.

I want to see Bart inserted in this lineup ASAP but he's either already labeled in a trade or Miller continues to be showcased for a trade. Chia has one of them or both labeled in a trade. I see Trotman and Morrow as easy replacements for either or both of them.

Close the door on your way out. Kidding, but please, WHAT do people see in Trotman?!?!?! He is horrid. I don't ever want to see him back up here after his last stint, bad decisions, big body that plays like a cream puff, beaten to pucks, and can't clear the puck from net front. Give me Morrow, send Trots packing. He has the big body to be a hell of a player but he doesn't have 'it'. A player of his size should play heavy and be hard to play against, he isn't.

 

[jdz]

I just don't get how the are handling Bart, guy hasn't played in forever.

Did you see how he was passing the puck the last time he played?

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Of course this is right. I don't even have time to argue with all the stupid comments spewed on here. Fact is they didn't play their best game last night , it has nothing to do with lines, last minute decisions etc. For the people that think you are better off putting Spooner or Koko on the wing -get a clue. I have more bad news for you barring injury Pastrnak is the guy coming off the top three lines if we trade for a top 9 player with out trading one back.

I am upset we didn't play our best game last night because our upcoming sched is killer and things could get rough here fast. A tough back to back this weekend. A stlouis -Chicago two game stretch and a few on the Canadian west coast. We aren't going to win all these games coming up I just hope we get our share.

We will . It wasn't long ago many thought we weren't going to get points during the last month or so as the Bruins were going up against good teams. The only team I fear facing is Montreal.