Management State of the Bruins - Neely 5/19/22 (unedited)

[UncleRico]

He didn’t say that. He was referring to the Canes stacking the line and forcing turnovers. He was saying you take what they give you. They weren’t allowing the skating in the zone. So when that happens you change strategy and dump and chase. Very apparent on the PP.

No he absolutely said he wanted to go back to more of a dump and chase philosophy.

 

[The don godfather]

He is not the guy this team needs at this time ,and as far as management being held accountable he is not the guy to do that ,ownership must take that stance but they won't do that as long as they are getting their playoff dates.........................sorry hard reality.

Bring me a lemaire type of coach. Trap trap and more trap. 1 2 2. I love that type of team that plays that. Suffocating type defense.

 

[Over the volcano]

No he absolutely said he wanted to go back to more of a dump and chase philosophy.

From the OP

On if there’s anything to target after the playoffs…

“You’re always analyzing and dissecting your club, throughout the whole year really. But the playoffs certainly gave me some indication that we’ve got to do a little better job of getting inside the dots. Maybe not try to have such a rush mentality. I thought we were getting a little stubborn at times, turning pucks over the blue line, whether it was an entry on the power play or 5-on-5. I think at times, you’ve got to take what’s given to you and sometimes you’ve got to dump it in and go get it and grind it out.”

 

[Bruinfanatic]

No he absolutely said he wanted to go back to more of a dump and chase philosophy.

I would like to see them play more of a forchcheck,cycling game seems like the majority of goals they get scored on them seem to come that way especially in the playoffs it seems.

 

[chizzler]

I would like to see them play more of a forchcheck,cycling game seems like the majority of goals they get scored on them seem to come that way especially in the playoffs it seems.

That’s Clode style. All set. But when a team doesn’t give you the blue line by stacking four guys there, you dump and chase and cycle.

 

[Hookslide]

Bring me a lemaire type of coach. Trap trap and more trap. 1 2 2. I love that type of team that plays that. Suffocating type defense.

Yeah that is exciting hockey , how long would that last in Boston

 

[ODAAT]

Oh believe me if I could have a choice of all three staying or all three being gone, they’d all be gone. I just think Cassidy is the least to blame of the three but still deserves blame.

Cam says he wants a dump and chase team that grinds in the corners. I just have a hard time seeing that being effective with the current construct of the roster. Not many guys that can be effective doing that

again, that is NOT what Cam said, he said

“And again, turning pucks over at the blue line because you’re trying to beat guys one-on-one or one-on-two. It’s tough to do in this league. I think a little different philosophy of when to dump pucks in and chase and go after it and try to grind it out down below the dots and get inside the dots and try to create chances that way.”

He clearly states there needs to be a recognition of when a dump and chase is the best play, he mentions nothing about the dump and chase game being the key

 

[Babajingo]

Danault was my guy. If Danault was the #2C instead of grabbing Haula and Foligno they are still playing. And, honestly, I was OK with letting Krug go, but how much better is the team with Krug instead of Reilly and Gryz?

Couldn't agree more on Danault. I almost cried when I saw how much LA signed him for. And these idiots signed Foligno, Haula, Nosek for twice as much.

 

[JerseyBruin]

Couldn't agree more on Danault. I almost cried when I saw how much LA signed him for. And these idiots signed Foligno, Haula, Nosek for twice as much.

Question is - did Danault want to come here especially being a former Hab. Signing a guy isn't always about offering the most $$

 

[Dr Hook]

Question is - did Danault want to come here especially being a former Hab. Signing a guy isn't always about offering the most $$

That happens frequently here at HFBRuins, though. Any and every FA on the market a person wants the team to sign should have been signed and if not, then Sweeney somehow blew it.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

IF and a big IF, Carolina makes easy on eliminating the Rangers

What does it say about the Bruins taking them to 7? Are we as bad as some may be thinking? Or was it a missed opportunity because the Rangers suck?

Transitive property doesn't apply to sports

 

[DKH]

Rangers very disappointing - soft. I’m reading Rangers fans crying about missing Goodrow and Lindgren injury messing up their top pairing with Fox.

Cry me a River - Bruins played and slammed rhe Canes without McAvoy & Lindholm game 4

Sat behind net 3 home games and Bruins trucked them 14-5 beating them all over Ice - the Canes looked soft as shit but worse whiney - Pesce who got pasted infront of us last minute but was back on bench came off to cry to the ref

Even Aho after McAvoy smoked him was talking to ref every chance he could

And their coach - my God. For such a fantastic player he never stops with the sad face

bruins would have beat Rangers 5 - maybe 6 If Shestyorkin wasn’t Shitstorkin

 

[Babajingo]

That happens frequently here at HFBRuins, though. Any and every FA on the market a person wants the team to sign should have been signed and if not, then Sweeney somehow blew it.

So he didn't want to come here? or is that just an assumption too?

 

[Mathews28]

Harry was a Senior Advisor as of the 2020-2021 season at 88 years old. That's frightening.

Oh damn…wish it meant he was advising seniors, like Depends vs Dignity, best denture cleaners, updates on senior discounts available in the Boston metro area….but not fkg hockey.

 

[northeastern]

Honestly, if I were to eliminate someone from the FO or coaching staff, it would be Neely. He seems like a guy who is always breathing over the shoulder, and probably feels a sense of entitlement because of his history with the team. When you hire a coach or GM, you have to let them do the job the way they see fit. If they perform great, if they fall short, you fire them. If you are just going to tell them what to do, then why hire them at all?

Couldn't agree more, you hire someone to build a team, you're hiring them to build there team and they can't do that with someone like Neely managing behind them. The ship needs a single captain at the helm with time and power to right the path and implement a system and build on it.

 

[DKH]

State of the Four June 2021 UFA

These are my opinions and grades and do not reflect 98.5 Sports Hub hosts or callers

I didn’t go to my first game till right before the December pandemic break - but went to most after and all 3 playoffs (that sound about right Susan @Ladyfan)

NICK FOLIGNO

my initial reaction of signing ‘loved it’ ~ didn’t even cross my mind till signed just read he would replace Parise on the cheap and go play with brother on Wild

Season: it didn’t go as I planned, I’m sure management planned and definitely the player ~ this was a bummer because he was a long time favorite. He played better in the end but 2 goals and last out of 333? Forwards who played at least 750 minutes isn’t good.

He did play hard and was always upbeat but even a Gordie Howe hat trick couldn’t save his grade

It was a fail ~ F

DEREK FORBORT

The one time 11th overall pick ? and Manchester Monarchs was rumored so I wasn’t caught off guard like Foligno

Initial reaction: meh with a twist - he was a Manchester Monarchs and I had a 4 pack at that time - not a far ride from work and always a fun time. My kid loved those players skating out of that big inflatable lion ~ ah I miss those days

The early opinion was ‘why did we sign this guy’ as a I once a week heard, “he’s adjusting to a new system he never played with- less man to man he was used to and more structure under Bruce. Ok I get it and I always felt the Bruins current system kind of sucked - I like the man in man part- and thought Carlo would be better out of this current Cassidy system

Once I started going in January 22 after they started back up / and sitting right in back of the net the first and third I was surprised at Forbort willingly moving guys and the balls he showed eating pucks

He clearly wasn’t quick enough or skilled enough to handle a continuous or 17 minutes of an Aho Jarvis Svechnikov or Marner Matthews and especially Bunting

But placed in a third pair and as a PK or late in periods or end of games, yes.

I thought he was good at the end but when I heard Ken Daneyko discuss Forbort it made sense. Every team needs a guy like this who will do whatever to stop the puck and it never even occurred to me the analytics stuff where Forbort was altering shots from point and taking away the half wall shot on the PK allowing the Bruins to stretch their pK forwards a step or so

The best analogy I heard on Forbort was the specialization he brings comparable to catchers who are elite ‘pitch framers’ and blocking balls in dirt

Forbort is big but seems to expand and open up as he positions for a block - as I said he also alters shots he doesn’t touch

Because Daneyko brought him up early in series when I went to game 6 I was thinking ‘hmm let me check this out - and there he was not only blocking some shots but getting his man and himself out of the way using his upper body (not stick) for leverage and give Swayman a clear view

I would say Good which Is a B but Daneyko was a bad ass and stud in this area so I’ll split

B/B+

ERIC HAULA

Been following him a bit when in college but watched him a few times when with Iowa Wild ~ I loved his skating and played very good all 3 zones D; so when I was looking for a third line center in sim I traded some Bruins player to the fantastic and deeply missed AOF who had Haula

Haula ends up flipping the script and scores 29 goals in a ‘I never saw that coming’

I’m a Haula guy and wanted him last summer so this was good.

Foligno at $3.8 M not good return - Forbort at $3 M solid to perfect but Haula left a good Mil on the table - but I understand he was coming off an injury

Very good player who was a perfect compliment to Hall & Pastrnak

I had an A~ but if Mike Johnson, Doug Wright and Biz Nasty like him

Grade: A

LINUS ULLMARK

I targeted him and correctly guessed 4/20 so I’m standing by this guy

Being honest

As I sat on couch first 2-3 months I was ‘um he looks shaky, unsure, all over the bleepin place - this may not go good’

But once Rask situation resolved and I got to sit in back and watch him play and hug Swayman, I was impressed - he’s good is his floor his ceiling outstanding

His final stats were
26-10-2 .917 sv 2.45 GAA

54 points in 38 games

117 points pro rated

That Is like a ridiculously good number

Grade : A~

@LouJersey & @Saxon Eric

I talked to you two about these 4 guys but didn’t tell you I was doing this - text me your grades

 

[Fenian24]

The bags over the head in protest is a great idea but Jacob's would just market the bags for 19.99 and not let you bring in your own.

 

[Lordstanley]

Neely is a complete meathead. God, it’s worse than I thought. Does he honestly believe that the players we have are anywhere near good enough? If he does, he’s completely delusional. If not, he probably just wants to insulate his little buddy.

I’m now more convinced than ever that BOTH Sweeney and Neely have to go. What an abomination.

It's worst than I feared

 

[GoBs]

But one of Cam’s gripes is Bruce’s lack of patience with younger players making mistakes and playing in fear that they’ll be benched when they mess up….how does this jive?

He was correct with that statement

 

[MattFromFranklin]

Does he honestly believe that the players we have are anywhere near good enough? If he does, he’s completely delusional.

I'm not trying to make excuses for Cam, but it's worth mentioning that he did take quite a few punches to the head during his playing days.

 

[bruinmann77]

I think Neely has a vision but Don just can’t get the job done. He good at certain things but nothing ore than a 1 year deal

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

The bags over the head in protest is a great idea but Jacob's would just market the bags for 19.99 and not let you bring in your own.

Bags over the head?

That would certainly make the Bruins fanbase the laughingstock of the NHL.

 

[Lordstanley]

Bags over the head?

That would certainly make the Bruins fanbase the laughingstock of the NHL.

We are already the laughingstock of the NHL....with one and done every year now...

 

[Mathews28]

I don’t take much issue with what he had to say and I don’t put much stock in it either. Lips move, words come out, and then they try to execute some sort of team improvement or at least maintenance plan and have done a good job of remaining competitive but certainly haven’t made the team an annual favorite for the cup.

Then again, each season, how many teams are considered serious contenders?

This is a “good” team with flaws that, as built, needs things to break a certain way to contend for the title. Like 2019.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

I'm hoping Neeley really means that good teams adapt to play any style that can give them an advantage. Against the Hurricanes, we needed to play more dump and chase. They are just too solid along the blueline. Other teams are more susceptible to breakouts and creating odd man rushes.
Cassidy is too stubborn to think in these terms. I believe any roster that can create good breakouts, which we can, can play dump and chase. The same" speed kills" philosophy applies to all styles of offense. It's great to have "grinders" that smash people, but speed guys like Pasta and Hall have proven that they can get in on the forecheck and create havoc by cycling the puck. Too many turnovers created by trying to carry pucks through human walls.
If Cassidy can't adjust, he has to go. We also have to figure out why dump and chase teams get US stuck in our own D zone for minutes at a time. The forward support structure is failing at times.