Post-Game Talk: Preseason Game 1 - Dancin' with the Devil - Bruins @ Devils - 7pm ET - 98.5 The Sports Hub

[EON]

Vaakanainen looks great, I think he should be playing 3rd pairing minutes in the NHL right away, it will be interesting to see what they do with a bit of a logjam on D but a need for a top 9 wing. I wouldn't be completely against dealing Krug if his extension price is out of their range.

 

[BlackCrowes]

Vaak looked good, starting to see what some see in him but still has a long way to go. Another year in Providence with injury call ups would suit him best then he takes Chara's spot next year.

I liked Frederics game, he will be a bottom six forward as the untalented Gretzky derided but will probably play 500+ games in the NHL as a Bruin which I will take with a later first round pick every time.

Steens speed and willingness to go to the net stood out, a year in Providence and he looks like he could become a player.

Studnicka was not surprisingly inconsistent but showed some very good traits, again a year in the AHL should do wonders.

Ritchie was invisible, again showing the need for a top 9 physical winger like Wood or Anderson. Adam McQuaid today is a much better player than Petrovic, maybe he was nervous but he was not impressive. Zboril needs a change of scenery

I don’t always agree with your thoughts on players, but I thought this was an incredibly fair and balanced assessment of those 5 players. I think those guys should all get a lot of Providence playing time, which should start to separate the true prospects from the pretenders.

 

[Saxon Eric]

That's because they expect him to have 7 shots on goal along with a goal & an assist.

He was fine last night, in fact, he was good.

If I'm Boston, I'm looking to move Zboril.

Ritchie shows better in games than skating around cones

 

[HellFish89]

I'm late to the party but here are my observation on some of the rookies in uniform last night.

Vaak: As everyone said, he is ready.
Zboril: Inconsistent, got some great zone exist and first pass with some uh? moment. Could now be a 7th D in the mold of Joe Morrow imho.
Andersson: Will need more viewing of him to make an idea. Looks good when he keep it simple, but not sure he can be good enough defenseively to play in the show as a "keep it simple" guy. Need more time to see what we have there.

Steen: Always arround the play, it seems like it follows him. Great hustle, good skating. Defenitly have a future as a bottom 6 guy. Seeing how much he is invlolve, we might even be lucky and have a "Gallagher" in our hand.
Studnicka: Show great flashes of poise and vision, but too prone to easy give away right now. Could see some time with the Big B's this year if he can protect team puck possession more.
Blidh: Love this guy, he is exactly what we like from our 4th line, sadly I don't see how he could make it with the guy allready in place (Kuraly, Wagner, Nordstrom, Lindholm).
Senyshyn: Same old, while the play seems to follow Steen, Senyshyn seem to skate hard on the ice but never find the play. Hard to critize him, he's trying, but he just can't go where and when he need to go. The end result is a guy uninvolved in the play, but what's frustrating is it's not by a lack of will, he just can't process things at this level.
Lauko: Had a couple of good moment, but kind of lack involvement at times not as bad as Senyshyn, but he seems to think a bit too moch about his positionning right now to play freely.
Frederic: Trying not to make mistake, I'd like for him to try a little bit more with the puck on his stick. He's kinda just taking a space in a jersey right now, not doing any negative or positive impact imho. Personnaly think he as a little bit more in him.
Lindholm: Not a rookie, but I was really impress by his defensive play, great skating, good positionning and hustle. Not sure about his faceoff capacity, he seems to lost some I would have like he won, but didn't take the count.

 

[Blowfish]

I'm late to the party but here are my observation on some of the rookies in uniform last night.

Vaak: As everyone said, he is ready.
Zboril: Inconsistent, got some great zone exist and first pass with some uh? moment. Could now be a 7th D in the mold of Joe Morrow imho.
Andersson: Will need more viewing of him to make an idea. Looks good when he keep it simple, but not sure he can be good enough defenseively to play in the show as a "keep it simple" guy. Need more time to see what we have there.

Steen: Always arround the play, it seems like it follows him. Great hustle, good skating. Defenitly have a future as a bottom 6 guy. Seeing how much he is invlolve, we might even be lucky and have a "Gallagher" in our hand.
Studnicka: Show great flashes of poise and vision, but too prone to easy give away right now. Could see some time with the Big B's this year if he can protect team puck possession more.
Blidh: Love this guy, he is exactly what we like from our 4th line, sadly I don't see how he could make it with the guy allready in place (Kuraly, Wagner, Nordstrom, Lindholm).
Senyshyn: Same old, while the play seems to follow Steen, Senyshyn seem to skate hard on the ice but never find the play. Hard to critize him, he's trying, but he just can't go where and when he need to go. The end result is a guy uninvolved in the play, but what's frustrating is it's not by a lack of will, he just can't process things at this level.
Lauko: Had a couple of good moment, but kind of lack involvement at times not as bad as Senyshyn, but he seems to think a bit too moch about his positionning right now to play freely.
Frederic: Trying not to make mistake, I'd like for him to try a little bit more with the puck on his stick. He's kinda just taking a space in a jersey right now, not doing any negative or positive impact imho. Personnaly think he as a little bit more in him.
Lindholm: Not a rookie, but I was really impress by his defensive play, great skating, good positionning and hustle. Not sure about his faceoff capacity, he seems to lost some I would have like he won, but didn't take the count.

Nice post - what were your thoughts on Gaunce?

 

[Gordoff]

Lindholm gets turned 180 on a breakaway. No call

Nice to see the ref's in mid season form!

 

[nfld77]

Vaakanainen looks great, I think he should be playing 3rd pairing minutes in the NHL right away, it will be interesting to see what they do with a bit of a logjam on D but a need for a top 9 wing. I wouldn't be completely against dealing Krug if his extension price is out of their range.

Biggest problem I see in trading Krug is; regardless of his defensive play at times, he IS the QB of our powerplay and is a big reason as to why it is very effective.

Now, if Sweeney knows that Krug is asking for 8-8.5 million per season on his new contract that begins 2020, they HAVE to get some sort of return and of course the closer it gets to the end of this season, the lesser his return wil be..Right now, Bruins fortunately has a logjam on defense when they're all healthy, I really like Krug and what he brings to the table but if they dont think they can resign him, isnt it best to trade him as soon as possible and get a decent return,, Maybe even get that 2nd line winger they covet so much..

Because of my back issues, I haven't posted much anywhere this summer and I hate that because I absolutely love chatting it up with my Bruin friends such as yourselves and for that I apologize. I hope you all had a great summer. I love our team, ESPECIALLY after seeing the greed shown by Leaf players compared to the signings Sweeney has managed, I find it remarkable that we have McAvoy and Pastrnak under contract for less than Marner..Thats just an example off top of my head and I would not be one bit surprised if Toronto isnt one of the top 3 in our division at end of season..

Many cheers everyone and I will post when I can..

 

[pemulis]

I feel like either I watched a different game or that personal biases are reflected in these accounts. I feel like Vaak wasn't as good as everyone suggests and that Zboril wasn't as bad as everyone suggests. The two worst plays by the young D last night were from Vaak. Within 2 minutes of the start of the game, Vaak was roasted and Keyser bailed him out. Then the last play in OT, he carried the puck around the zone twice, didn't create anything by doing that. Had no vision while that occurred. And couldn't cover his man on the back check. That being said there were lots of stuff to like too. Skates like the dickens, good on retrievals!, great passes when has the time. Gap control needed some work. But these are all things that can be improved and he has time on his side.

On the other hand, Zboril was better on gap control, fighting along boards, and getting NJ players to cough up the puck in the B's end. Can also skate really well, he had some break outs that lead to some great zone time etc. And leach's comments that he, along with zeck (i can't remember how to spell his name but this looks wrong), were the best D in the playoffs last year, makes me think he is being under sold in this thread. He also struggled in a few bits. E.g. one play on the PP where I think Fitzy coughed up the puck on the boards and Zboril decided to step up at the blue line, and led to a NJ break away. Horrible play by Fitzy but not helped by Zboril. Personally I thought both penalties were hogwash, hard for me to see the first one because the replays were atrocious but looked like a simple slash behind the play (can someone confirm or correct this?).

My point is I though both were good and that as a group (HFboards) we may be swayed by observational bias here and I thought it would be good to bring our collective attention to it.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Vaakanainen looks great, I think he should be playing 3rd pairing minutes in the NHL right away, it will be interesting to see what they do with a bit of a logjam on D but a need for a top 9 wing. I wouldn't be completely against dealing Krug if his extension price is out of their range.

Can he return a legit 1st/2nd liner RW? I'd add if we are getting someone equal to Krug back.

What do you do with the PP? First pairing would have Gryz-McAvoy.

Is the 2nd PP unit Marchand-Clifton at the point? Is that acceptable?

 

[bruinmann77]

everyone can have his own opinions on camp

 

[EON]

Can he return a legit 1st/2nd liner RW? I'd add if we are getting someone equal to Krug back.

What do you do with the PP? First pairing would have Gryz-McAvoy.

Is the 2nd PP unit Marchand-Clifton at the point? Is that acceptable?

I would actually consider Grzelcyk for the top PP unit. McAvoy or Vaak for the 2nd. He's obviously not as dynamic as Krug but that top PP unit still put up good numbers this past season in the brief period Gryz ran it.

 

[PB37]

I think with Senyshyn, they just need to stop putting him with plumbers and ECHL tweeners. Put him with legit talent and i think we'll see him play better. He played with Coyle and looked like a potential solid NHL'er. I just think asking him to " look good " next to other 4 liners and limiting offensive time is just going to further stall his development. He's not the type to carry a line but with his size, speed, and shot, he can contribute with the right linemates.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

How’d Gaunce look!?

 

[PB37]

How’d Gaunce look!?

Better than expected... i still think he's AHL bound.

 

[Blowfish]

How’d Gaunce look!?

I thought he was one of the better forwards - played with pace/strong on the puck and made some nice plays. There was some confidence with his puck movement. Would be interesting to see him with Kuraly.

 

[LouJersey]

I feel like either I watched a different game or that personal biases are reflected in these accounts. I feel like Vaak wasn't as good as everyone suggests and that Zboril wasn't as bad as everyone suggests. The two worst plays by the young D last night were from Vaak. Within 2 minutes of the start of the game, Vaak was roasted and Keyser bailed him out. Then the last play in OT, he carried the puck around the zone twice, didn't create anything by doing that. Had no vision while that occurred. And couldn't cover his man on the back check. That being said there were lots of stuff to like too. Skates like the dickens, good on retrievals!, great passes when has the time. Gap control needed some work. But these are all things that can be improved and he has time on his side.

On the other hand, Zboril was better on gap control, fighting along boards, and getting NJ players to cough up the puck in the B's end. Can also skate really well, he had some break outs that lead to some great zone time etc. And leach's comments that he, along with zeck (i can't remember how to spell his name but this looks wrong), were the best D in the playoffs last year, makes me think he is being under sold in this thread. He also struggled in a few bits. E.g. one play on the PP where I think Fitzy coughed up the puck on the boards and Zboril decided to step up at the blue line, and led to a NJ break away. Horrible play by Fitzy but not helped by Zboril. Personally I thought both penalties were hogwash, hard for me to see the first one because the replays were atrocious but looked like a simple slash behind the play (can someone confirm or correct this?).

My point is I though both were good and that as a group (HFboards) we may be swayed by observational bias here and I thought it would be good to bring our collective attention to it.

I was there watching and couldn’t agree more. I was shocked at how weak Vaak was on the puck and how soft he was in the corners and along the boards. Zboril was good on one of the PP and was where he needed to be a lot. Vaak was covering for Petro a lot and can skate like the wind, but noway the brass can be happy when they watch his compete level for pucks

 

[LouJersey]

How’d Gaunce look!?

In his defensive zone he’s very good. Offensively he’s not great. I don’t think there is any shot he makes this team. Lindholm on the other hand will IMO.

 

[Spooner st]

I'm late to the party but here are my observation on some of the rookies in uniform last night.

Vaak: As everyone said, he is ready.
Zboril: Inconsistent, got some great zone exist and first pass with some uh? moment. Could now be a 7th D in the mold of Joe Morrow imho.
Andersson: Will need more viewing of him to make an idea. Looks good when he keep it simple, but not sure he can be good enough defenseively to play in the show as a "keep it simple" guy. Need more time to see what we have there.

Steen: Always arround the play, it seems like it follows him. Great hustle, good skating. Defenitly have a future as a bottom 6 guy. Seeing how much he is invlolve, we might even be lucky and have a "Gallagher" in our hand.
Studnicka: Show great flashes of poise and vision, but too prone to easy give away right now. Could see some time with the Big B's this year if he can protect team puck possession more.
Blidh: Love this guy, he is exactly what we like from our 4th line, sadly I don't see how he could make it with the guy allready in place (Kuraly, Wagner, Nordstrom, Lindholm).
Senyshyn: Same old, while the play seems to follow Steen, Senyshyn seem to skate hard on the ice but never find the play. Hard to critize him, he's trying, but he just can't go where and when he need to go. The end result is a guy uninvolved in the play, but what's frustrating is it's not by a lack of will, he just can't process things at this level.
Lauko: Had a couple of good moment, but kind of lack involvement at times not as bad as Senyshyn, but he seems to think a bit too moch about his positionning right now to play freely.
Frederic: Trying not to make mistake, I'd like for him to try a little bit more with the puck on his stick. He's kinda just taking a space in a jersey right now, not doing any negative or positive impact imho. Personnaly think he as a little bit more in him.
Lindholm: Not a rookie, but I was really impress by his defensive play, great skating, good positionning and hustle. Not sure about his faceoff capacity, he seems to lost some I would have like he won, but didn't take the count.

Good post in general.
Andersson's 19 years old. If they keep him in Providence for the next 3 years or so, developing his defensive game, confidence and all around game. Then just watch the flower bloom.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

I thought getting out of Montreal would help but apparently not.

I would still take him on my team any day of the week.

 

[Spooner st]

I think with Senyshyn, they just need to stop putting him with plumbers and ECHL tweeners. Put him with legit talent and i think we'll see him play better. He played with Coyle and looked like a potential solid NHL'er. I just think asking him to " look good " next to other 4 liners and limiting offensive time is just going to further stall his development. He's not the type to carry a line but with his size, speed, and shot, he can contribute with the right linemates.

This training camp is Senyshyn chance to show what he can do. It's not about with who he plays with... it's about what he can do with what he has.

If he can't secure a spot now... chances will only get more difficult.
If he can't take advantage of the opportunities now, chances are other prospects will move ahead of him.

 

[Spooner st]

I would still take him on my team any day of the week.

How would you name that team... Arizona slew footers.
Or the Phoenix Divers.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

How would you name that team... Arizona slew footers.
Or the Phoenix Divers.

Just because I live in AZ doesn't mean I'm not a Bruins fan, so I'm confused by this. Subban is a very talented player, with offensive skills few defensemen have. Not sure why it's such a controversial take to say you'd like him as a player.

 

[HellFish89]

Nice post - what were your thoughts on Gaunce?

Didn't focus on him and didn't notice him so I can't say, sorry.

 

[Spooner st]

Just because I live in AZ doesn't mean I'm not a Bruins fan, so I'm confused by this. Subban is a very talented player, with offensive skills few defensemen have. Not sure why it's such a controversial take to say you'd like him as a player.

Relax... it's called a joke.
You know... when we could just say stuff and people wouldn't get offended.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

Relax... it's called a joke.
You know... when we could just say stuff and people wouldn't get offended.

That's the tough part about non face-to-face communication - it's a lot harder to pick up on those cues. And I'm not offended - I was just curious why you chose the AZ part of me to focus on. Check the OT thread. I'm more often than not the offender!