WEEI Mike Milbury says Bruce Cassidy is ‘starting to implode a little bit’

[badbrewin]

The B's can still remain competitive if they relegate to a boring, trap team that will give up shots from the perimeter, then lay low for some odd man rushes and win some 3-2 , 2-1 games.

But to think they can win with the transition / speed game Cassidy had some success with the last few seasons....with this refurbished lineup, it's just pure fantasy.

Rather, I think he's channeling his frustration of the front office through a couple of players.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Wow

why is he so f***ing uptight then l lol

You’d be uptight too if you had to coach to slop Sweeney assembled for you.

 

[22Brad Park]

Bruce grew up a Bruins fan and he was like most of us a die hard.I think he wants to win more then the players on most nites and it's bothering the hell out of him the way the Bruins are playing.Don Sweeney and Cam Neely are failing Bruce though.Way to many huge holes in their winning vision.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Milbury would be an absolute shit-show. Very similar coaching career arc to Barry Melrose IMO. Both guys are outspoken old-school hockey guys who went to Stanley Cup Finals as 1st year coaches & it was downhill from there.

Melrose the last time he coached was famously fired by Tampa after 16 games because he was completely in over his head and had totally outdated ideas about coaching in the NHL. He wanted to send Stamkos back to junior & said he wasn't ready for the NHL. After Melrose was fired Stamkos became a regular and finished his rookie year with 23-23-46 in 79 games and then went on to put up 90+ points the next 3 years including 51 and 60 goal seasons. I remember a player telling the press that Melrose was completely unprepared to coach the team and after weeks his system for this NHL team basically consisted of a left wing lock.

I think Milbury trying to coach a team in 2021 would be a similar case of a guy being completely out of his depth.

 

[Jdavidev]

"Lost the room" implies not just a few players, but also the core. And yet its quite clear that the first line, McAvoy, Hall, Coyle, Carlo, Grzelcyk are committed every night.

Yes there are obvious clashes like Debrusk, and maybe others less known like Frederic or Clifton if I were to guess, but wow that would be using the term "room" quite generously.

If anything i think Cassidy is losing patience with management to provide a competent lineup...

Claude never lost the core either, but there was a definite divide in the locker room... A "this is how it worked before for us, so that's how it has to work now" even when it isn't. I see similar things happening here, and even if you don't lose the core, the support players need to buy in or else you have no identity. It worked in the previous years and got a SCF and presidents trophy. But the coach needs to change with the new players if the results aren't showing and they are not right now. Most coaches make it about buying into their system, especially in hockey. They have more flexibility when they first take over a new team, but especially after finding success, they tend to get very rigid in their approach.

I loved Julien, but it was time to move on. At the end, new/young players weren't filling in the roster spots, on short leashes and he preferred less talented veterans. I love Cassidy, same things are happening. Other than on D, which young players have established themselves? It may be time.

 

[xjoeyc23x]

Put me in the minority, but I'm not a fan of Bruce as a coach. At all.

From the beginning I always felt that he inherited an extremely good, deep, well rounded roster and didn't need to do much "coaching" to turn them around.

 

[UConn126]

I liked Bruce a lot, but I'm souring on him. He needs to split up that top line and commit to Pasta with Hall. The team will one dimensional and easily beatable until he does that and leaves it alone for long enough that chemistry can develop.

 

[LouJersey]

Not a fan of how Bruce calls only certain players out, but he's a very good x's and o's guy IMO....I wish he would give the top 2 lines 20 min each, but whatever.

 

[bb74]

He wants to win. He knows how to build a system to win. Staff and front office said they would provide him with that skillset given past success. He is stuck with players that can't or won't play the system needed to win and he is losing it in real time.

He is looking at a roster that is a hodge-podge of skills that don't fit together outside of lines 1 and 4. If he tinkers breaking up line 1 they could likely nosedive until they find where March and Pasta fit when not aside Bergeron. That's taking them out of playoff contention. If he doesn't, they are falling out of playoff contention. Lose - lose. If you are giving up family, friends, and working 80+ a week and see this it eventually burns you up in any role, irrespective of the checks you're taking home.

At this point it's up to the players to play better and play the roles they are being asked to play. That includes March and Bergeron getting guys in line, not just by lead by example or chirping, but in different ways as leaders. It's partially on them as well as vets and leaders on the roster.

Even though Butch can be a bit of a prick at times, I do feel for the guy as you can see it's burning him up. To use an analogy, he's being told to run a Michelin restaurant and go for another star, while his GM is giving him stale bread and smelly fish to go along with a few prime grade ingredients. It doesn't work that way to deliver on excellence and I see this really being on the front office and players at this point.

He will likely get the gate first because that's just how it goes, but I don't see it being on him. He really knows the game and has grown a lot as a coach since the Washington days and will have another job if he wants to give it another go somewhere else.

PS: Getting back to the player thing, WTF happened to not re-up Markus J given the synergy with Coyle after that run? As a GM you see that magic and you put it in a bottle as long as you can. They had it in their laps and let it go and have tried for 2 years to rekindle that with others and none have worked. That's just one of the things that makes you go wtf in the night with the front office and another example of not being decisive on what skill and style they want to build to.

 

[EvilDead]

You’d be uptight too if you had to coach to slop Sweeney assembled for you.

But I was told the Sweenius was going to be better than Chiarelli.

 

[bb74]

I liked Bruce a lot, but I'm souring on him. He needs to split up that top line and commit to Pasta with Hall. The team will one dimensional and easily beatable until he does that and leaves it alone for long enough that chemistry can develop.

Is Pasta a 35 goal guy if he doesn't have March and Bergeron holding so long to tilt the ice away from the left dot? I don't think so. Heck, is Bergeron even a 60 pt C without those 2 creating that space? Honest question and not sure anyone wants the honest answer. Those 3 simply make a TON of time and space for eachother because each is a legit threat and you can only cheat so much before getting scored on.

Coyle doesn't create nearly the time nor fear. Hall either as he's a rush type player not a halfwall possession guy like March. Think Foligno creates that time of possession? Nosek? It's a pick your poison situation with this lineup.

March / Bergeron / Smith:Foligno - that takes 20% of their production off the top immediately
Hall / Coyle / Pasta - Pasta goes from a 40 goal guy to a 30 goal guy.

Which gives more production? It may be close but I'm not sure it's breaking them up - despite the obvious need to insert skill and threats in the middle 6 outside of Hall.

Pick your poison.

 

[UncleRico]

"Lost the room" implies not just a few players, but also the core. And yet its quite clear that the first line, McAvoy, Hall, Coyle, Carlo, Grzelcyk are committed every night.

Yes there are obvious clashes like Debrusk, and maybe others less known like Frederic or Clifton if I were to guess, but wow that would be using the term "room" quite generously.

If anything i think Cassidy is losing patience with management to provide a competent lineup...

Build a competent lineup? But all I heard this offseason on this board is how we finally solidified the bottom 6 with foligno, haula and nosek and that we added tough to play agains bottom six players who would also increase bottom six scoring. That was the sentiment from 80%+ of the board.

What percentage of the blame does Sweeney and Neely get for bringing in the wrong players? Also what percentage of the blame does Cassidy get for just just not being a good coach? Hell I think I’m 6 years here only Riley Nash and Nick Ritchie have had even slightly above average career years or better under Cassidy. His system doesn’t seem to bring out the best in whoever we bring in.

 

[UncleRico]

Also if you are a free agent and you see that in 6 years the only players to join the bruins that have had above average years among their career averages have been Riley Nash and Nick Ritchie, do you really want to come to the bruins?

Maybe this is more targeted at guys who are younger and want another contract after the one they sign. But you see guys going into Cassidys system and are constantly under performing and then all you hear in the media is him calling out the players who are struggling in the system.

Why would you want to go to a team that newcomers overwhelming underperform in and get called out constantly in the media?

 

[Over the volcano]

Is there a general media thread we can use, or is it going to be new thread everytime Millbury shares his opinion?

 

[EvilDead]

Milbury would be an absolute shit-show. Very similar coaching career arc to Barry Melrose IMO. Both guys are outspoken old-school hockey guys who went to Stanley Cup Finals as 1st year coaches & it was downhill from there.

Melrose the last time he coached was famously fired by Tampa after 16 games because he was completely in over his head and had totally outdated ideas about coaching in the NHL. He wanted to send Stamkos back to junior & said he wasn't ready for the NHL. After Melrose was fired Stamkos became a regular and finished his rookie year with 23-23-46 in 79 games and then went on to put up 90+ points the next 3 years including 51 and 60 goal seasons. I remember a player telling the press that Melrose was completely unprepared to coach the team and after weeks his system for this NHL team basically consisted of a left wing lock.

I think Milbury trying to coach a team in 2021 would be a similar case of a guy being completely out of his depth.

Milbury is somewhat representative of some of the culture problems within hockey that led to the Kyle Beach incident. Any team bringing him in as a coach, let alone this one with the old boys club front office arrangement of Sweeney and Neely, would be f***ing tone deaf and raise major eyebrows from the outside.

 

[EvilDead]

Is there a general media thread we can use, or is it going to be new thread everytime Millbury shares his opinion?

Call it the "What the hell did Milbury say now???" thread.

 

[LSCII]

Not a fan of how Bruce calls only certain players out, but he's a very good x's and o's guy IMO....I wish he would give the top 2 lines 20 min each, but whatever.

This is the key right here. It's not that you call out players in public, it's that you only call out specific players in public while many other players are doing the same things the guys getting called out for. That's how you lose the room.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

But I was told the Sweenius was going to be better than Chiarelli.

I don’t like Sweeney. I did in the beginning but I’m done. He’s f***ed too much up.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

I don’t like Sweeney. I did in the beginning but I’m done. He’s f***ed too much up.

Only somewhat of a saving grace was a few of his important contract extensions.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Only somewhat of a saving grace was a few of his important contract extensions.

I love his contact extensions. He’s masterful at those.

 

[EvilDead]

I love his contact extensions. He’s masterful at those.

He's been half decent on the trade table as well. He was able to get MoJo, Hall, and Coyle for good prices.

 

[Don Cherry]

Since when is Mike Milbury anything but a knowledgeable hockey man? He's done virtually everything in this league and suddenly he's not to be taken seriously??? Give me a break. We would be lucky to have him in any capacity, including GM. It's not like he could do any worse than the asleep at the wheel moron we have now!

 

[smithformeragent]

Is there a general media thread we can use, or is it going to be new thread everytime Millbury shares his opinion?

Considering everything @Fenway does to keep this place up and running, I’d say I’m good with him creating a new thread when he feels it’s appropriate.

 

[chizzler]

My only pick is he doesn’t give lines time to gel. There are many small things but not sure we should be making a return thread for Milbury. Nothing new with him. Surprised people take him so seriously. He doesn’t have a chance to coach anymore anywhere. Lol.

 

[smithformeragent]

As far as Cassidy, I asked in the GDT a while back when the whispers start about his job.

Not saying this is his fault.

I think he’s gone a good job. Maybe better than good. Maybe great. I’m not sure, honestly.

I agree with a lot of what’s been said.
Yes, all coaches have a shelf life. You don’t see guys coach for decades in the NHL. It just doesn’t happen.

And yes, his reputation in Washington was also that he was brutally honest and willing to call guys out publicly.

Many in the media and around here wondered if the players would eventually turn on him or tune him out.

However, winning solves a lot. Maybe it fixes everything. So long as they have been winning at a pretty high level, you’re willing to give him a pass on the public shamings because it work(ed) to whatever extent.

Maybe it is time to shake things up?

Yes, he probably has flipped every switch, pushed every button, and emptied every bullet in the chamber. That’s what coaches are supposed to do.

Maybe he’s simply the first of many dominoes that need to fall with regards to this organization.