Is this team Better than last year ?
- Thread starter whatsbruin
- Start date
Jean_Jacket41
Neely = HOF
GAA rank since Julien is here:
07-08: 11th (Bergeron played only 10 games)
08-09: 1st
09-10: 2nd
10-11: 2nd
11-12: 6th
12-13: 3rd
13-14: 2nd
14-15: 8th
Only once out of the top-10 and it was the year Bergeron almost died. Last year, they had an abysmal season, Seids played like a #6, Chara was injured and played below his self when in the lineup, many bad turnovers, and they still ended in 8th besides all that.
Big reason? Clode. Another? Rask and Bergeron.
We'll again be a top-10 team for GAA this year. Even with that worst D in the league like some are saying. That's just the way it goes with this team Under Julien. They will also not have many trouble scoring more than the 208 goals they had last year.
Is it a better team on paper? Who really cares... If they score more goals, allow less and make the playoffs, is that 15-16 team be considered better than that 14-15 better team on paper that underachieved? It's all about results. That 14-15 team didn't get any. Let's see how this 15-16 edition does. My prediction: they get more points than last year and make the playoffs. To me, that's a better team.
ODAAT
Registered User
and yet some think CJ`s system is what`s killing them at times
I don`t like nor agree with his TOI allotment but I`ll suggest with Soupy and Paille gone, we`ll see less of that as I also suspect Sweeney will have sent a simple message, if the players aren`t producing or giving the team spark, they don`t play 10+ minutes but the system Julien has in place defensively, based just on your numbers still proves, works well
Last year's defense was bad but was saved by an even more conservative offense that had to play much lower,which helped the defense but hurt the offense. 40+ 1 goal games.
Roll 4 Lines
Pastafarian!
They're gonna need the forwards to come back real low again this season, is my guess.
Breakouts could be ugly again, but not for long by the looks of the young D.
Exactly.
Allowed goals increased by 19.2% from '13/14, while scored goals decreased by 18.4%.
So basically the Clod's "system" hurts offense almost as much as it helps defense.
Like any system,it needs talent,and last year they were short on that so they had to play 5 defensemen every shift. Give him the 11 team at it's best last year with the 11 system and they wipe their ass with the rest of the league.
I just hope they are more fun to watch.
Think I'd rather cheer for a weak team trying hard and losing; then for a more talented team that rarely puts in any effort, at least after last year.
I think this will be a really interesting year.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the players are less enthusiastic and more....robotic when playing in this type of system. Does CJ's system drain excitement/ambition from the players?
Think I'd rather cheer for a weak team trying hard and losing; then for a more talented team that rarely puts in any effort, at least after last year.
I think this will be a really interesting year.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the players are less enthusiastic and more....robotic when playing in this type of system. Does CJ's system drain excitement/ambition from the players?
PIMsCup
Registered User
I really disagree with the notion that the system is the root of last year's malaise. The brain drain in the room mixed with some bad luck gave us the results we saw. Note that since then the vast majority of young signees have been captains on their prospective teams, the July acquisitions are hyped about the logo, and the management has expressed multiple times that they want to breed a culture of pride and competition back into the room. Oh, and they are backing Clode. These things speak more to a diagnosis that has the mentality of the team being the root cause of their problems.
Ice Nine
Registered User
I don't think it was the "root" of the problem, but it's certainly a factor.
If a boring offensive system also becomes predictable-- dump, chase, cycle, shot from the point, repeat-- then teams will easily neutralize, especially without speed, drive, creativity, and skill, to mix things up.
PIMsCup
Registered User
I don't see other teams who use similar styles struggling in the same way. Look at St Louis, Nashville, Anaheim... The system is pretty straight forward, but it works because it preferences high percentage plays. The problem is it requires a ton of energy to maintain. With waning morale and bad shooting percentages, the statistical underpinnings of the strategy fall into the anomalous.
Absolutely a fact. People often confuse lack of energy or hustle with lack of speed. This system is draining,and needs talent to be executed to more than mediocrity,something they lacked,especially on the backend last year.
njbruin*
Registered User
- Nov 17, 2007
- 2,448
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Bingo and with this years D corps looking potentially worse than last years I can't see Julien adapting his system to create more offense. So we got wingers who will go to the net means nothing if your working with a one man forecheck where there's always a 3rd man high. This is why I believe Franson is a must sign and we need to get either Morrow or C Miller in the lineup for transition help. We can't have 3 statues anchoring our 3 D pairings ( Chara/Seids/MacQuaid).
Duguay
Stay at home Forward
The *only* way to judge right now - is on paper.
No one has a clue otherwise. Intangibles come into play...when they play.
Based on that, this team looks to be in the bottom 3rd of the NHL, and if they get off to a bad start, I'd expect a Coaching change.
Saying that, like others, I found last years edition to be one of the most uninspired versions of the Boston Bruins in my 40-plus years of watching them play.
I'd say the team I least liked was the Steve Kasper team in 96-97 when Josef Stumpel was the leading scorer.
Mike Sullivan had a couple of brutal years in the Mid 90's, and the Dave Lewis team with Jason York (in his last year -- and on one leg) Nathan Dempsey, Paul Mara, Milan Jurcina, Brad Stuart and Andrew Alberts all included on the back end in 06-07, was predictably bad.
The team wouldn't listen to Kasper, ask our current President (; and no one liked Mike Sullivan. The GM was equally uninspiring and over his head.
Last years team had no excuse, so surgery was necessary. I found the surgery a little invasive, and no one knows how it will pan out on the road ahead, but all those top Draft Picks do have a way of working some things out.
The cupboard was looking bare, but Boston needs to do a better job drafting and developing players. I don't want to hear "he's not a Bruin" ever again. That is an excuse.
Unfortunately Peter Chiarelli was good at setting the table, but he just couldn't follow through and deliver in the long term. He had a shot, but fumbled as far as I am concerned. I will watch with interest to see if he's learned his lesson in regards to identifying the core in Edmonton.
I expect his first couple of seasons he'll look like a hero. I will watch seasons 3 & 4. (;
Bottom third is my call for the Bruins.....and fighting for a playoff spot with Ottawa, Florida and possibly even the Sabres.
This team is not better, but last years team didn't play hard enough, and was uninspiring and boring.
No one has a clue otherwise. Intangibles come into play...when they play.
Based on that, this team looks to be in the bottom 3rd of the NHL, and if they get off to a bad start, I'd expect a Coaching change.
Saying that, like others, I found last years edition to be one of the most uninspired versions of the Boston Bruins in my 40-plus years of watching them play.
I'd say the team I least liked was the Steve Kasper team in 96-97 when Josef Stumpel was the leading scorer.
Mike Sullivan had a couple of brutal years in the Mid 90's, and the Dave Lewis team with Jason York (in his last year -- and on one leg) Nathan Dempsey, Paul Mara, Milan Jurcina, Brad Stuart and Andrew Alberts all included on the back end in 06-07, was predictably bad.
The team wouldn't listen to Kasper, ask our current President (; and no one liked Mike Sullivan. The GM was equally uninspiring and over his head.
Last years team had no excuse, so surgery was necessary. I found the surgery a little invasive, and no one knows how it will pan out on the road ahead, but all those top Draft Picks do have a way of working some things out.
The cupboard was looking bare, but Boston needs to do a better job drafting and developing players. I don't want to hear "he's not a Bruin" ever again. That is an excuse.
Unfortunately Peter Chiarelli was good at setting the table, but he just couldn't follow through and deliver in the long term. He had a shot, but fumbled as far as I am concerned. I will watch with interest to see if he's learned his lesson in regards to identifying the core in Edmonton.
I expect his first couple of seasons he'll look like a hero. I will watch seasons 3 & 4. (;
Bottom third is my call for the Bruins.....and fighting for a playoff spot with Ottawa, Florida and possibly even the Sabres.
This team is not better, but last years team didn't play hard enough, and was uninspiring and boring.
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njbruin*
Registered User
- Nov 17, 2007
- 2,448
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Look at those teams and what do they have that the Bruins lack - true shutdown Defense. That is why the system was so effective in 2011 , Chara was at his peak as was Seids , Thomas was well Timmayyy. Plus the NHL was more forgiving in allowing teams to play a more trapping style. Over the past few years the holding/obstruction/hooking calls have negated the true trap system. The NHL wants an open game - our coach and system does not.
don
Registered User
I said yes. IMO, losing Hamilton won't hurt as much as people think. I'm one of the few who was never sold on him being a #1 D.
Duguay
Stay at home Forward
One other thing. I haven't done the math, but I am convinced the Bruins missed the Playoffs last year by losing in the Shoot Out so damn often.
They need guys who can score in the Shoot Out too. I'll do that math yet, but I am convinced they identified that as an issue and drafted with it in mind.
If they at least improve this problem, they can find some more low hanging points right there.
They need guys who can score in the Shoot Out too. I'll do that math yet, but I am convinced they identified that as an issue and drafted with it in mind.
If they at least improve this problem, they can find some more low hanging points right there.
ODAAT
Registered User
While I agree, I`d prefer if they didn`t have to rely on the shootout for a playoff spot
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
LSCII
Cup driven
Technically you are correct. However, IMO, they really lost and missed the playoffs because they played far too often for a tie instead of trying to actually win. It's a big reason why them bringing back Julien is puzzling to me. His overly conservative in game approach is why they went to so many shootouts but lost. The other side of it was his questionable choices for shooters in the shootout.
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Duguay
Stay at home Forward
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Yeah, he should pick the really successful shooters that were available, like.......?
In OT, Julien was just about the only coach in the league to use 3 forwards. That would be the exact opposite of overly conservative.
LSCII
Cup driven
And what did he do before OT to shake the overly conservative approach and go for the win? Oh yeah, he rolled out Greg Campbell and the fourth line in key spots when they could have used offense.
And go back over the box scores and look at the players he picked for the shootout and the order he put them out. It was laughable. Even if he didn't have a large pool of offensive players to pick from, that's still on him. He's the coach and he's the guy who took stiffs and grinders over offensive minded players like Spooner, Pasta, and Koko early in the year. Fact is, he's the guy who wants a roster of all 2 way players who would eschew offense in favor of back checking. So you can't bemoan his plight when he's a huge contributing factor for it.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
And what did he do before OT to shake the overly conservative approach and go for the win? Oh yeah, he rolled out Greg Campbell and the fourth line in key spots when they could have used offense.
And go back over the box scores and look at the players he picked for the shootout and the order he put them out. It was laughable. Even if he didn't have a large pool of offensive players to pick from, that's still on him. He's the coach and he's the guy who took stiffs and grinders over offensive minded players like Spooner, Pasta, and Koko early in the year. Fact is, he's the guy who wants a roster of all 2 way players who would eschew offense in favor of back checking. So you can't bemoan his plight when he's a huge contributing factor for it.
If no one is even average in the shootout, what the heck is the difference what the order is?
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