Former Bruins Jon Casey

[DaBroons]

All true, in hindsight.

But at the time getting Sutter was a no brainer.

Hindsight? They made the conference finals with Bowness and then Harry fired him!!! I was NEVER impressed with Brian Sutter. We mocked him constantly on this board. What's his answer to everything? Work harder. Later he became Calgary's coach and a Calgary fan and I would mock Sutter the same way.

Hiring Sutter was one of Harry's worst moves IMO. But Harry always had to have a scapegoat. The next year it was Moog.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Hindsight? They made the conference finals with Bowness and then Harry fired him!!! I was NEVER impressed with Brian Sutter. We mocked him constantly on this board. What's his answer to everything? Work harder. Later he became Calgary's coach and a Calgary fan and I would mock Sutter the same way.

Hiring Sutter was one of Harry's worst moves IMO. But Harry always had to have a scapegoat. The next year it was Moog.

The Bruins went to the conference finals the year before too. They had a 100-point regular season. So they regressed in Bowness's season as coach. 84 points was the worst season the B's had had in 7 seven years.

It was also his first full season as a coach in the NHL. Meanwhile, Sutter had 4 years of NHL coaching under his belt in St. Louis even though he was only 36 when the Bruins signed him.

 

[McGarnagle]

Neely played 9 games in 1992. They had like 4 prospects join the team and make an impact after the olympics and didn't acquire Adam Oates until February. Point totals don't tell the whole story.

 

[trenton1]

The Bruins went to the conference finals the year before too. They had a 100-point regular season. So they regressed in Bowness's season as coach. 84 points was the worst season the B's had had in 7 seven years.

It was also his first full season as a coach in the NHL. Meanwhile, Sutter had 4 years of NHL coaching under his belt in St. Louis even though he was only 36 when the Bruins signed him.

In fairness, the 1991-92 Bruins were one of the most injury-riddled teams of all time. 52 players used.

 

[mikelvl]

Casey couldn't stop the puck, that was his issue with the Bruins.

 

[DaBroons]

The Bruins went to the conference finals the year before too. They had a 100-point regular season. So they regressed in Bowness's season as coach. 84 points was the worst season the B's had had in 7 seven years.

It was also his first full season as a coach in the NHL. Meanwhile, Sutter had 4 years of NHL coaching under his belt in St. Louis even though he was only 36 when the Bruins signed him.

Da Broons had been to 2 SC Finals (1988 and 1990) and 2 Conference Finals (1991 & 1992) in the previous 5 years (1988-1992) under 3 coaches (O'Reilly, Milbury, and Bowness). That's 10 series wins.

In 3 seasons under Sutter, they won 1 series.

Before Boston, he coached St Louis for 4 years and won 3 series. After Boston, he coached Calgary and Chicago for 6 years, 3 seasons each. His teams missed the playoffs 5 times and Chicago was eliminated in the first round in his one season they made the playoffs under Sutter.

So at 47, Sutter was finished as an NHL coach. Not surprising.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I think Brian Sutter wasn't much of a coach. Certainly in the playoffs, he was a failure. Two reasons: his teams ran out of gas from being pushed too hard in the regular season, and he wasn't much of a strategist.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Bruins Flames 11/3/93 on NESN+ right now is a pretty good one. Was Casey the last goalie to flip over his stick to shoot or pass?

His one season looks pretty good looking back sub 3 GAA and a playoff series win.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Casey was a solid goalie, despite KPD's disdain for him. (My hunch is he was quiet and did not give KPD much if anything.)

As for Sutter, he was a nice guy, but an awful coach, who was clueless when matching lines and tactically in general. When I used to see the smart players-like Gord Murphy-constantly arguing with him, I knew we were in big trouble.

 

[GordonHowe]

Hindsight? They made the conference finals with Bowness and then Harry fired him!!! I was NEVER impressed with Brian Sutter. We mocked him constantly on this board. What's his answer to everything? Work harder. Later he became Calgary's coach and a Calgary fan and I would mock Sutter the same way.

Hiring Sutter was one of Harry's worst moves IMO. But Harry always had to have a scapegoat. The next year it was Moog.

I liked Brian Sutter. And, warts and all, I like his brother Daryl.

Queried as to why the Bruins didn't go far upon his dismissal, Sutter remarked,

"We didn't have the horses."

Because, of course, Skinflint Harry wouldn't pay for them.

On to the next fall guy to deflect blame, but, of course, everyone knew Sinden was the problem.

Even, apparently, Harry.

Raymond Bourque attended a Bruins soiree in 2011, after the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in THIRTY NINE years.

Bourque told Sinden he had been frustrated and saddened that Boston always came up short in pursuit of the championship during his tenure as captain.

"That's on me," Harry replied.

He was probably chuckling as he said it.

 

[DaBroons]

Casey was a solid goalie, despite KPD's disdain for him. (My hunch is he was quiet and did not give KPD much if anything.)

As for Sutter, he was a nice guy, but an awful coach, who was clueless when matching lines and tactically in general. When I used to see the smart players-like Gord Murphy-constantly arguing with him, I knew we were in big trouble.

That is exactly correct on both counts. Jon Casey was very quiet and not quotable like KPD's favorite Andy Moog, and Sutter was no tactician. "Work harder" was his entire coaching repertoire.

 

[RI.B FAN]

And the hack who gave him that stupid name. And the guy is still a hack. Read his column in the globe and tell me otherwise.


DuPont supplied that moniker as well. And when things went sour, DuPont rechristened him "Let 'em in Lacher."

What a guy.

The western teams called Lemelin, Reggie Let em in

 

[GordonHowe]

The western teams called Lemelin, Reggie Let em in

Reggie was an excellent goaltender for the bruins.

No longer needed by Sinden and errand boy O'Connell, Lemelin arrived at the garden to see his equipment stacked outside the locker room.

Dismissed.

Same with Tommy McVie. Sinden found it too awkward to impart the news in person. So, he had O'Connell do his dirty work.

McVie used to call Sinden a friend.

Harry was a very good coach, and for a time, a very good general manager.

He was also a bastard. I suspect he would cop to this if pressed.

Good riddance to bad garbage.

 

[quietbruinfan]

I liked Brian Sutter. And, warts and all, I like his brother Daryl.

Queried as to why the Bruins didn't go far upon his dismissal, Sutter remarked,

"We didn't have the horses."

Because, of course, Skinflint Harry wouldn't pay for them.

On to the next fall guy to deflect blame, but, of course, everyone knew Sinden was the problem.

Even, apparently, Harry.

Raymond Bourque attended a Bruins soiree in 2011, after the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in THIRTY NINE years.

Bourque told Sinden he had been frustrated and saddened that Boston always came up short in pursuit of the championship during his tenure as captain.

"That's on me," Harry replied.

He was probably chuckling as he said it.

Once again on Brian Sutter, I watched a couple games from his era recently, and I am probably being harsh about the line matching. He used the Poulin checking line to great effect against top lines. However, he wasn't good mixing or creating lines or blending in the Cam Stewarts of the world. He had some horses, though they were getting old.
Darryl was better creating and finding combos. See," that 70s line" in Los Angeles.

I will say, I can hear Harry chuckling too.

 

[Gordoff]

Hell, I was at this game. ‘74. Jacque Plantes first game as a Bruin. Shutout Hawks 4-0.

View attachment 744299

I remember that. After the final horn, he held his arm in a "V" for victory stance. So cool!

 

[Gordoff]

It was Ranford and Courtnall, Courtnall and Cam had a lot of fun off the ice (mix in Byers with Neely in the 88 off season) and Sinden decided to move a fast, gritty 30 goal scorer because of it, he was also an upcoming free agent. There was a rumor in the 87-88 offseason that Sather wanted Crowder and Sinden said no.

Holy shit, he kept Crowder over Courtnall? WTF?!

 

[quietbruinfan]

Holy shit, he kept Crowder over Courtnall? WTF?!

I will repeat, in protest. Courtnall was a handful off the ice at the time and there was a rumor that he was one shift away from waivers in 86, but he happened to score. The rest is history but look at his track record until Vancouver. He was a handful.

 

[Gordoff]

I will repeat, in protest. Courtnall was a handful off the ice at the time and there was a rumor that he was one shift away from waivers in 86, but he happened to score. The rest is history but look at his track record until Vancouver. He was a handful.

First I've heard of this. Do tell. Are you sure it wasn't simply about Crowder being a good soldier and maybe Courtnall was too much for Sinden? Maybe he was the type to tell Sinden to go pound sand?

 

[quietbruinfan]

First I've heard of this. Do tell. Are you sure it wasn't simply about Crowder being a good soldier and maybe Courtnall was too much for Sinden? Maybe he was the type to tell Sinden to go pound sand?

Courtnall was involved in a very nasty incident with the Caps.....hence they did not keep him though he had started to really score. As for the Bruin waiver thing, I just have my memory of the rumor, though I am sure Fenway or Dabroons or Gee Wally or somebody else remembers it.

 

[DKH]

First I've heard of this. Do tell. Are you sure it wasn't simply about Crowder being a good soldier and maybe Courtnall was too much for Sinden? Maybe he was the type to tell Sinden to go pound sand?

I don’t know who you are replying to but I 100% know what went down with Courtnall

 

[GordonHowe]

Once again on Brian Sutter, I watched a couple games from his era recently, and I am probably being harsh about the line matching. He used the Poulin checking line to great effect against top lines. However, he wasn't good mixing or creating lines or blending in the Cam Stewarts of the world. He had some horses, though they were getting old.
Darryl was better creating and finding combos. See," that 70s line" in Los Angeles.

I will say, I can hear Harry chuckling too.

Creativity with line combinations was never going to be Brian Sutter's strong suit. I loved Dave Poulin.