Management Maybe Cam and Don were right after all.....

[NDiesel]

I'm happy to have DK back, tell me how that fixes the weaknesses I've shared, same for Zacha.

I've acknowledged we have a new coach, and we'll see if he can mitigate our weaknesses. 7 games doesn't tell me that, you're confident already. That's enough for you, not for me.

Some are happy to just make the playoffs...

It's funny you mention the bolded, because some on here would only be happy if we tore it down and picked top 3 for the next 3 years. So tell me, who likes successful hockey more....the group that wants to watch the team lose more than 50% of the games in a season for an extended period and enter a rebuild (that may not even lead to success if we ask Edmonton/Toronto/Buffalo etc.), or the group that wants the CHANCE to make a cup run, even if it means losing in the first or second round often?

It's all about perspective IMO - if you give me a choice between losing in round 1/2 or not even making, I'll take the extra games every time and the chance that we witness something magical. However, if the best thing for the team is to completely tear it down, or to retool in order to have that same chance in the future I'm all in too.

The people who appear "happy to just make the playoffs" just believe that with a core group like Bergeron/Krejci/Pasta/McAvoy/Rask that they've had, that they have that chance of making a run every year and are willing to accept that the odds are stacked against and they likely will lose even if they win the Presidents trophy or just sneak in as the 8th seed.

Like buying a lotto ticket, you only have a chance to win if you play the game.

 

[LouJersey]

In Cousins we trust

Sadly true. Here is to hoping lol

 

[LouJersey]

It's funny you mention the bolded, because some on here would only be happy if we tore it down and picked top 3 for the next 3 years. So tell me, who likes successful hockey more....the group that wants to watch the team lose more than 50% of the games in a season for an extended period and enter a rebuild (that may not even lead to success if we ask Edmonton/Toronto/Buffalo etc.), or the group that wants the CHANCE to make a cup run, even if it means losing in the first or second round often?

It's all about perspective IMO - if you give me a choice between losing in round 1/2 or not even making, I'll take the extra games every time and the chance that we witness something magical. However, if the best thing for the team is to completely tear it down, or to retool in order to have that same chance in the future I'm all in too.

The people who appear "happy to just make the playoffs" just believe that with a core group like Bergeron/Krejci/Pasta/McAvoy/Rask that they've had, that they have that chance of making a run every year and are willing to accept that the odds are stacked against and they likely will lose even if they win the Presidents trophy or just sneak in as the 8th seed.

Like buying a lotto ticket, you only have a chance to win if you play the game.

I agree with this, but I also think perspective changes.

2017 vs Ottawa, I was happy there were there, and hoped for a round. 2018 was nice to beat the Leafs, but honestly they weren't beating Tampa. Getting Nash instead of McDonagh and Miller was a huge reason IMO. 2019 was great. Never expected them to go all the way to the Cup (I don't buy they were lucky the Caps and Tampa got knocked out), but my expectations changed when they made the cup and played an inferior team with home ice. 2020 they got boned. 2021 they should have beat the Isles but Rask came up lame and the Bruins kind of fell apart. 2022 I didnt think they were winning, although would have loved knocking off Carolina

This year, honestly they have to get to the ECF bare minimum. They are the best team in the conference IMO and with the moves they made to sacrifice some cap space next year while not have Pasta locked up long term, I don't want to hear it if they don't get there. Zero excuses this season.

 

[NDiesel]

I agree with this, but I also think perspective changes.

2017 vs Ottawa, I was happy there were there, and hoped for a round. 2018 was nice to beat the Leafs, but honestly they weren't beating Tampa. Getting Nash instead of McDonagh and Miller was a huge reason IMO. 2019 was great. Never expected them to go all the way to the Cup (I don't buy they were lucky the Caps and Tampa got knocked out), but my expectations changed when they made the cup and played an inferior team with home ice. 2020 they got boned. 2021 they should have beat the Isles but Rask came up lame and the Bruins kind of fell apart. 2022 I didnt think they were winning, although would have loved knocking off Carolina

This year, honestly they have to get to the ECF bare minimum. They are the best team in the conference IMO and with the moves they made to sacrifice some cap space next year while not have Pasta locked up long term, I don't want to hear it if they don't get there. Zero excuses this season.

Well said Lou, perspectives do change and I'm with you - this is the year where my expectations are high. They brought Krejci and Bergy back knowing this may be it for them, they better make a run or else it was a waste. Sure, we should enjoy the ride and watching these two legends along the way, but I dont think any of us will be happy with another early bow out this time.

 

[Clode]

Voted no simply because I don't think Bergy or Krejci would've come back if Bruce was still behind the bench, nor do I think Jake Debrusk would be playing as well as he is if that was the case.

 

[CrownofThornton]

The future is questionable for every team in the NHL, good prospect pool or not. No guarantees with anyone.

Very true, but it certainly helps to have a stocked cupboard.

If Pasta gets locked up long term I’ll feel a bit better about things.

 

[trenton1]

The return of Krejci plays no small part in this. I suppose my answer comes down to this; Was Krejci willing to return to play for Cassidy? I think this played a part even with Sweeney's coaching replacement strategy. It had to. Krejci was the only 2C that was available and affordable and the one that the Bruins brass knew would be able to play well with what they already had in their top 6. Their young pending UFA star winger was practically swooning to have his buddy back. No chances could be taken. Catering to your players is a gamble, but there is winning in gambling provided you know what you are doing.

There's a better feeling around the team. I know winning streaks will mask most things, but there's a better feeling.I think everyone is in their proper role and is happy with where they are placed. That's important. I don't think much will change even with the return of Marchand and McAvoy because it will likely be Reilly (already waived) and someone who has already been scratched (Greer, Frederic, Smith) sitting out or moved out. They aren't ditching Johnny Boychuk on the eve of the season here.

Beyond this, the settling in of the 2021/22 newcomers (Ullmark, Forbort, Foligno and even Lindholm and Hall) is also a huge boon.

But everything is secondary (or that that follows) to having that 2C role/PP specialist role filled. Krejci has 8 points in 7 games. He had 7 points in his last 6 games in 2021. He's possibly a little rusty with his 200 foot 5 on 5 game, but miles above Erik Haula in value in every way.

This roster has a lot. They have to stay healthy and focused. I look at this like 2014. A one-off but mostly familiar roster that is stacked and playing for the Cup for one year before an uncertain future.
They lost Seidenberg that year to a torn up knee and should probably have replaced him because they were so close. This team needs to learn from that team and take care of business. I think this team may be deeper anyway. Buckle up.

Also, I remain a Sweeney supporter. His first 14 months as GM were bad, but, relative to the other 31 teams, he's made few crucial mistakes since.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Cassidy should have gone after the Isles series.

Cam has not done a good job getting rid of coaches once they reach their shelf life. Julien and Cassidy both had more than lost their fastball. It was the one thing Sinden was excellent at knowing when to pull the plug.

But last year didnt we have a mutiny over Cassidy scratching Gryzlyk? Coaches can mess things up. I think last years putrid start for the Celtics might have been avoided if the coach wasn't having affairs throughout the organization do people remember how awful the team was first 25 or so games and that was with a clear cut top 2/3 roster in the league.

I thought our goaltending tandem would carry us well through the early season meaningless games. Depth has been better than expected and stars are performing.

 

[PlayMakers]

Cassidy is a great coach. I picked Vegas to win the West in the pre-season just because they added Cassidy. I know he was hard on guys but I'm not a fan of all the trashing after the fact.

That said, it does seem like it was the right time. Just like when Cassidy replaced another really good coach in Julien. Hopefully Monty continues the tradition of great coaches here.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Not wrong to ditch Bruce, but they should have gone as well.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Cassidy was a good coach that never evolved enough to become great, expiration dates had nothing to do with it. He was the same coach last year as the one that made no adjustments and lost the cup on home ice

Great, based on win/loss and overall performance of the team as composed(TB had more overall talent and we stayed competitive). He coached with a inconsistent pipeline of new players and FA's. Expiration date refers to players tuning him out.
With all respect, I stand by my opinion. That being said Monty is a breath of fresh air.....for now.

 

[CamFan81]

It's funny you mention the bolded, because some on here would only be happy if we tore it down and picked top 3 for the next 3 years. So tell me, who likes successful hockey more....the group that wants to watch the team lose more than 50% of the games in a season for an extended period and enter a rebuild (that may not even lead to success if we ask Edmonton/Toronto/Buffalo etc.), or the group that wants the CHANCE to make a cup run, even if it means losing in the first or second round often?

It's all about perspective IMO - if you give me a choice between losing in round 1/2 or not even making, I'll take the extra games every time and the chance that we witness something magical. However, if the best thing for the team is to completely tear it down, or to retool in order to have that same chance in the future I'm all in too.

The people who appear "happy to just make the playoffs" just believe that with a core group like Bergeron/Krejci/Pasta/McAvoy/Rask that they've had, that they have that chance of making a run every year and are willing to accept that the odds are stacked against and they likely will lose even if they win the Presidents trophy or just sneak in as the 8th seed.

Like buying a lotto ticket, you only have a chance to win if you play the game.

I completely agree, it is all about perspective. Some are happy at the chance of catching lightning in a bottle, some are happy at a solid built team with a future. I'm of the latter...

I don't like root canal's, but iv'e had them before because while short term it sucked, it was necessary for long term health...

 

[GordonHowe]

I am not a fan of Don Sweeney as GM, or Cam Neely as President.

I did not like the way they handled Cassidy's dismissal, just as I did not like the way they handled Claude Julien's dismissal.

There deficiencies as managers are well known.

But, again, credit where due.

They should have solid goaltending going forward; the Lindholm acquisition was an excellent move; they have apparently revamped their scouting staff; and they gave Jim Montgomery a second chance.

Time will tell.

For the moment, the Bruins are fun to watch.

Enjoy.

 

[Gee Wally]

I honestly dont know how to answer. Its early. Hope its not dead cat bounce.
Having said that the players seem to enjoy Monty’s system.
As do I.

There ill be nights when they get over aggressive and get burned but Im ok with that as I am being entertained and enjoying it.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I honestly dont know how to answer. Its early. Hope its not dead cat bounce.
Having said that the players seem to enjoy Monty’s system.
As do I.

There ill be nights when they get over aggressive and get burned but Im ok with that as I am being entertained and enjoying it.

I'm entertained by winning.

 

[GordonHowe]

Isn't there farm system ranked just about dead last? I wouldn't call that the rearview mirror, more like the iceberg dead ahead

Yes, their prospect pool has been ranked near or at the bottom of the league for several years.

Much of this has to do with Sweeney trading away high draft selections for acquisitions that did not pan out, to put it charitably (Matt Belesky, David Backes, Rick Nash, Jimmy Hayes). And, of course, the Bruins' poor draft history under Sweeney's watch.

But, again, Sweeney has revamped the scouting staff and we'll see if their drafting improves as a result.

I'm excited per Lysell & Lohrei, cautiously optimistic about Beecher, and already see Marc McLaughlin as a smart, responsible player who "does the little things" and "plays the right way."

There's reason to be hopeful here, but it will take awhile.

 

[GordonHowe]

I agree that it's wise to temper expectations this early in the year. They will absolutely hit rough patches and it'll be interesting to see how they handle them.

But at no point in the last 2 years was this team even remotely as entertaining as they have been so far under Monty. Cassidy is a good coach who had a lot of success here, but as a fan I think the Cassidy era was the most boring on-ice Bruins product since at least the 90s IMO.

Common sense assertions all.

Julien might give the 90s a run for the money, as much as I love Claude and what he did for the B's.

What has me intrigued is that yes, it's been very entertaining thus far, but more:

If the players commit to Montgomery's approach and learn to execute it successfully over time, the Bruins are going to pressure other clubs into making a lot of mental mistakes with their aggressiveness and speed. They're going to take away a lot of time and space.

If they do it right -- and there's no reason to think they won't, eventually -- the Bruins are going to discombobulate, frustrate and harry opponents in deliciously diabolical fashion.

Crafty.

Marc Messier used to talk about the ability to "impose your will" on other teams.

There are several ways to do that in today's NHL. The Bruins might have hit upon one.

 

[GordonHowe]

It's not heigt and weight that posters are talking about when they say the Bruins are small. St Louis are smaller than the B's in stats but are they smaller on ice? The B's are small because they play small. One Dman hits and he is under 6 feet, and 2 forwards hit somewhat consistent and they are both just over 6 feet so when we say the boys are small it points to the way they play not how tall they are. Just look at our biggest player, I think his rookie season was the last time he hit anyone!

Completely agree -- in the Bruce Cassidy era. A team reflects its management and its coach.

Cassidy never valued physicality, intimidation and overall team toughness.

I believe Jim Montgomery does. He likes a physical game, and has said as much. Already, the B's are a relatively feisty bunch this season. As they grow into Montgomery's style of play and forge a team identity that harkens back to the Chiarelli/Julien/BBB Redux era --"one for all and all for one" -- they may grow feistier still.

I like.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Common sense assertions all.

Julien might give the 90s a run for the money, as much as I love Claude and what he did for the B's.

What has me intrigued is that yes, it's been very entertaining thus far, but more:

If the players commit to Montgomery's approach and learn to execute it successfully over time, the Bruins are going to pressure other clubs into making a lot of mental mistakes with their aggressiveness and speed. They're going to take away a lot of time and space.

If they do it right -- and there's no reason to think they won't, eventually -- the Bruins are going to discombobulate, frustrate and harry opponents in deliciously diabolical fashion.

Crafty.

Marc Messier used to talk about the ability to "impose your will" on other teams.

There are several ways to do that in today's NHL. The Bruins might have hit upon one.

see I don't think Claude's style was "boring". Claude's style was definitely slower, but his teams never shied away from a fight so even when the actual hockey was really bland like in 2015 and 2016, those teams still had a spark from time to time. Cassidy's teams played a faster style than Claude's but not necessarily more entertaining, and I also found that Cassidy got more and more conservative over the course of his tenure. By the end of his run we were complaining about a lot of the same things we complained about at the end of Claude's run.

i just found the Cassidy years post 2020 to be super boring because even though the teams kept winning, he had them playing such a structured, conservative style that the games rarely felt exciting and then the after the whistle stuff became as tame as I've ever seen it in Boston.

 

[GordonHowe]

I don't think anyone here is just happy to get to the playoffs. This forum skews negative most of the time and is a cesspool of negativity after even a regular season loss. I think people just want to be positive for once and enjoy that they have a team that is both good and fun for the first time in a while. god forbid people want a little break from the negativity.

I'm enjoying the hell out of this right now but you can believe if they get bounced in the playoffs I'll be here livid and bitching.

With that said, they are one of the most successful teams in the league over the last 15 or so years. They are one of only 9 teams in the last 15 years to win a Stanley Cup and have 2 more Finals appearances in that span and have been one of the best regular season teams in that span. their only playoff misses in that span were by 1 point each so it's not like they've had tank years like Colorado or Tampa.

Acknowledging that we are one of the luckiest NHL fanbases in the salary cap era doesn't mean someone is content with playoff failure, but you have to be somewhat realistic about these things and recognize that only 1 team wins the Cup each year. If you can't find the positives in being a perennial contender then being a fan becomes extremely un-fun. That shouldn't be how we feel during one of the best times in this franchise's history.

Excellent post.

 

[DKH]

This poll is like looking at Fluto’s May Athletic poll in the mirror

 

[GordonHowe]

see I don't think Claude's style was "boring". Claude's style was definitely slower, but his teams never shied away from a fight so even when the actual hockey was really bland like in 2015 and 2016, those teams still had a spark from time to time. Cassidy's teams played a faster style than Claude's but not necessarily more entertaining, and I also found that Cassidy got more and more conservative over the course of his tenure. By the end of his run we were complaining about a lot of the same things we complained about at the end of Claude's run.

i just found the Cassidy years post 2020 to be super boring because even though the teams kept winning, he had them playing such a structured, conservative style that the games rarely felt exciting and then the after the whistle stuff became as tame as I've ever seen it in Boston.

I LOVE the "after the whistle stuff"!

I LOVE physical, surly, intimidating hockey.

This style of play is fundamental to the Bruins DNA. It lapses from time to time, as it did under late period Sinden and Milquetoast Mike O'Connell, but it always resurfaces.

That's why, God help me, I'm a Bruins lifer.

"Fancy doesn't make it in Boston. They want tough."

-- Derek Sanderson

"If you bust your ass and you play hard, people here will take you into their hearts.

"In Boston, people like dirt on the uniform, no matter the sport."

-- Richard Johnson, Curator, Boston Sports Museum

Pick up at 50:43 (better yet, watch the whole thing! It's great!)

 

[PB37]

I didn’t say I was worried. Just disingenuous to say “the Bruins are one of the biggest teams in the league” when they rank out at 20th

There seems to be some discrepancies with some of the numbers posted. What I posted the other day had the Bruins coming in 3rd/5th in height/weight for opening night rosters. Another website ( the one you posted ) has the same measurements for the Bruins but other teams were different. I think maybe those are current rosters and changes have been made since opening night while the Bruins were without Grz/Marchand, which would bring the averages down a little bit. Bruins were also just outside the top 10 in youngest teams in the league as well ( 11th ).

I do think the misconception by some here that they're small team isn't correct. The Bruins added some size with Greer and Zacha while not getting smaller ( Lauko/Krejci and Haula/Lazar are a near wash ). I don't think the Bruins get pushed around any more/less than other playoff teams out there. I think that's mostly due to some looking at them with an overly critical eye because we as Bruins fans generally prefer rougher teams. I do think there's some genuine concern over the fragility of some of the players but that has nothing to do with size/weight/pushback. As always luck ( puck luck, luck with staying healthy ) plays a much larger role in a playoff run than we all feel comfortable admitting.

 

[missingchicklet]

As I believed a few years into Bruce's time at Boston the guy has a ceiling. Obviously a very good coach, but he has flaws that really rub me the wrong way. No way the Bs would have started 6-1 under Cassidy. The whole vibe of the team is different under Monty. Not sure Krejci would have returned had Bruce stayed. Who knows what kind of lines the Bs would have under Bruce right now.

Getting rid of Bruce was an obvious move as long as they replaced him with a dynamic coach who could get more out of the roster. Monty was the guy I wanted, but didn't think he would get the job. I have followed him since watching him in his AHL playing days up through his coaching career, and very much like and believe in him.

The Bs front office deserves a boatload of credit for making the best hire. They took a chance on a guy with some baggage rather than hire one of the usual "respected" rumdums on the NHL coaching carousel. The guy they hired seems to have strengths in many of the areas that the Bs need.

As others have said, the ultimate measure will be how the Bs look in the playoffs. If healthy entering the playoffs, the Bs have a good enough roster to make a deep run. Hopefully the coaches are able to push the right buttons and make the right decisions.

 

[Gee Wally]

I LOVE the "after the whistle stuff"!

I LOVE physical, surly, intimidating hockey.

This style of play is fundamental to the Bruins DNA. It lapses from time to time, as it did under late period Sinden and Milquetoast Mike O'Connell, but it always resurfaces.

That's why, God help me, I'm a Bruins lifer.

"Fancy doesn't make it in Boston. They want tough."

-- Derek Sanderson

"If you bust your ass and you play hard, people here will take you into their hearts.

"In Boston, people like dirt on the uniform, no matter the sport."

-- Richard Johnson, Curator, Boston Sports Museum

Pick up at 50:43 (better yet, watch the whole thing! It's great!)

loved hearing from the Turk.