Is this team Better than last year ?

[LSCII]

Lon - we'll see. You've got some evidence and that's fair but, if we can find a way to stop getting pinned in our zone, then the 'uptempo' should work... if all hands are on deck.

'if' really is the key phrase this season. we'll see; hard telling, not knowing.

i just want effort. game in, game out.

I hear you about effort. I hate watching them mail it in. Drives me nuts. Getting hemmed into their own zone is a result of the combination of the spacing Claude's illustrious system uses, and the lack of foot speed their defense has typically had. If they give an honest shot to Morrow and Colin Miller to make the team, that could change. But like you say, it's still all hinging on a slew of "ifs"

 

[BNHL]

Healthy players (Chara, Seids, Krejci) will make a bigger difference than the overall lineup changes.

This is what balances it out. The team may have lost some talent,but if it gained health and intensity,it's at least a wash.

 

[BB88]

This is what balances it out. The team may have lost some talent,but if it gained health and intensity,it's at least a wash.

The IF is a big one, hard to go through a season without injuries and this team can't survive from 1 bigger injury.

But we should focus on the 2016-, that future looks great and entertaining, can't wait to see it.

I badly hope we won't go into next season with a must be in the playoffs attitude, that could hurt us badly.

 

[C77]

This team needed an overhaul so I'm not complaining, but it is likely to be worse for a number of reasons.

As long as they compete hard then I'm happy.

Sweeney, don't trade the 2 first rounders!

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Worse on paper. Losing Hamilton and Lucic hurt a lot. Not really the Lucic of last year but the Lucic overall and what he can do. Hamilton was our top-D last year and could have finished 2nd to Bergeron for the leading scorer on the team had he not missed the last 10 games.

But who knows how it will translate in the standings this year... That 14-15 team underachieved big time. Everything went wrong that season (Krejci missing half year, Seidenberg playing like a #7, Chara diminished, etc) and it went like that until that meaningless Marchad goal that cost the Bruins one spot for the draft.

How will this 15-16 team do? Will they be healthier? Will they overachive? Who really knows.

Like many, I have the feeling we'll have a team that will make it much more interesting to watch than last year and they will scrap their way into a 6-8 spot. Feels like 07-08.

IMO, they will get more points than last year.

So, we have a worst team on paper that will produce better results than last year.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

they don't have any new players who are more good at playing hockey than the players from last year

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

they don't have any new players who are more good at playing hockey than the players from last year

Well, depending on health:

Krejci for 82 games >>>>>> Krejci for 47 games

 

[ODAAT]

they don't have any new players who are more good at playing hockey than the players from last year

u watch the team play last year?

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

When Krejci was out, we had Bergy-Yeti-Kelly down the middle.

Krejci-Bergy-Spooner is a much better trio of C than what we had last year. Forwards as a whole won't have a hard time surpassing the goals total from last year (171 goals) as a group.

The G is the same but even Rask had a rough stretch last year. Can he regain the edge he had during that Vezina total dominating season?

The D is worse. You don't lose your best offensive Dmen without taking a hit. But if Seids can play like a #4 instead of a #6-7 and Chara shows that last year under-par season was more about injuries than age, it will be an improvement on 2 of the 6 spots. And two key spots in the top-4.

Krug is ready to take the next step and be more than a PP specialist even if there is nothing wrong with a PP specialist. Give me one Krug per pairing and I would be very happy.

McQuaid we know what we have. Great bottom pairing D that plays elite PK minutes and brings toughness.

C.Miller, Trotman, Morrow will make it interesting. Is one ready to make the jump and contribute key minutes? That's the wild card as well as the Chara+Seids situation.

Energy level should be higher and many more changes will come this season, especially if the results aren't there.

What will happen with Loui? Extension at 5.5-6M per or traded? Will Kelly last until the deadline or be traded before? Another left field move by Sweeney that we didn't see coming?

It will be an interesting season for sure with all the new guys. It will be even more interesting if they have success and get in the playoffs. Something that the better on paper 14-15 wasn't able to do because of their poor play and many other reasons...

Go B's!

 

[Fenway]

The Bruins biggest problem is there are several teams behind them that look like they have improved.

Right now the only team with no hope is Carolina.

 

[hemispheres]

Don't care what the team looks like on paper, I know what my eyes saw last year and that team was a Train Wreck.

 

[ODAAT]

play hard with a purpose and I`ll be ok with it

 

[C77]

The Bruins biggest problem is there are several teams behind them that look like they have improved.

Right now the only team with no hope is Carolina.

I agree about this.

The line between winning and losing is thin. I'm thinking back to the game Boston played in Dallas last year. Stars outplayed Boston a good deal of the game but hit posts and got unlucky.

A team that didn't make the playoffs can't go out and significantly weaken the roster and expect good results when the competition is getting better.

Is Carolina hopeless because of off-ice business or on-ice issues?

I think the Canes should be a bit better this year....but hopeless as far as playoffs go in that division.

 

[Stone Clode]

The Bruins biggest problem is there are several teams behind them that look like they have improved.

Right now the only team with no hope is Carolina.

You're giving Toronto hope?

 

[ODAAT]

You're giving Toronto hope?

once Horty returns yes

 

[rickizbruin]

i'm actually optimistic about this coming year.
Guys like Pasta, Spooner, with more experience.. will bring more speed to the team. Loved watching Luc. play..but he was not the Luc of old... and the new guys really sound like they want to be here and are excited by it... leads maybe to a sense of optimism, but will still come down to health... we cant have 5 defencemen hurt and expect to have a great season. As well like most have pointed out.. how far back have Sides and Chara come back from injury ?

 

[Ladyfan]

Great post, WBC8. Pretty bang on in terms of my thinking, though I'm probably more pessimistic about Seids and Chara returning to top form. I'm more hopeful about Krejci.

I believe Seids started looking better as the year went on last season.

Chara has to be better.

I am worried about DK.

The team looks worse to me but there are so many ?????. Who knows. I am still pissed off about the loss of Looch.

I hope the chemistry works out.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

I am looking for the "Too soon to tell" option.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Another thing, will we be better in the dreaded shouthout?

The team left a precious 10 pts on the table last year with an abysmal 4-10 record. 7-7 would have moved them in a playoffs spot. A lot like the Kings who were 2-8 but missed the playoffs by 2pts...

I don't like these gimmicks. Claude don't like them. Rask clearly don't like them seeing him frustrated more than not, but they are there and having success in them makes it much easier to qualify.

One thing is certain, it will be tough to be worse in 15-16 than they were in 14-15. Another thing that they should be better at this year...

 

[DitClapper]

No, it's not only worse, but significantly worse. That being said, Julien is actually better with less, so they may still make the playoffs. But this roster as constituted right now is far worse on paper than it was last year.

Pretty much this.
I think we can definitely sneak in, hopefully we add a (or two) top 4.

 

[Sturm]

On paper no, but the team played so uninspired and lethargic last year so I think if the guys who stuck around play better, or back to their norms, the end result will be better. Losing Hamilton is a huge loss, but maybe the new forwards will perform better than Lucic/ Smith from last year. Defense is horrible, I don't think they acquire will anything close to replacing Hamilton. I'm hoping the forwards play with more consistency, even with the **** show last year the team put up 96 points and would have made the playoffs in any other year. B's will fall short of 100 points, but I see no reason why they can't snag one of the wild card spots.

 

[compan]

This team hasn't played yet. It could very well be better or worse and it can even depend solely on players that never left.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

Decidedly worse right now. Unless this defense gets fixed somehow, that's where it'll stay.

I like our mix of forwards, actually. I think a full season of Spooner/Pasta will pay serious dividends for the offense. I think little things like the hustle of Beleskey on the left side, Eriksson in a more natural LW supporting role with more talented linemates, and even just having a big body to the right of Marchand and Bergeron will make the forwards a better, more cohesive unit. Hell, Kelly centering the fourth (massive upgrade) with Rinaldo causing havoc (which I love) and well... Talbot? That's a lot better too.

But the way the defense is looking... Ugh. Way too slow and lacking in transition skill. I think Tuukka is going to be in for a rough ride. That's as of today, however... And of course I expect we could see some changes between now and opening night.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

yes.
losing turnover machines like lucic and smith nake us better in this system.

 

[Lord Ahriman]

This is a bottom 10 team and I think we will have to wait 3 or 4 years in order to be a real contender.