There is a major disconnect between what our coach says our identity is and what management did this summer

[Colt.45Orr]

Coach says our identity is "tough to play against".

I think how that has played out is that guys have been willing to backcheck and that kind of stuff. We clearly see there is absolutely no physicality on this team whatsoever (outside of McAvoy, Lauko (and 4 games of Lucic).

The other night we got pumped for 7!! By the Rangers and our D *COMBINED* for 2 hits.

Not a typo.

I watched the Preds win later that night and the physicality was jarringly different (Preds D combined for 28 hits).



I believe Monty wants a tougher roster but this roster follows Sweeney’s soft roster building DNA and Lucic was a throw-in while not addressing the real issue that is at the core of this roster. Any reasonable viewer saw that we weren’t gritty/tough enough vs. the more physical Panthers (who did not lose until running into the bigger/meaner Knights). A few games ago we were run by the Panthers for the entire 1st period and nobody did anything.

Here is the bizarre thing:

We lose our most physical D as a UFA with 208 hits. The guy that replaces him in Mitchell has ZERO hits all season. Shattenkirk is on pace for 40.

Bertuzzi is replaced by JVR $ reasons ,sure, but huge grit downgrade.
Orlov (215pds, gritty, replaced by 3-ply Griz… who was healthy scratched)
Uncle Nick Foligno has grit and would stand up to BS and drop the gloves.
Hathaway —a hitting terror before and after Boston— is gone. Not replaced.
Taylor Hall —not afraid to take a hit
Nosek a direct wash for Beecher imo
A.J. Greer is doing great in Calgary. Big, fast and physical… waived and replaced by…?
Clifton’s 208 hits replaced with a 0 hit guy in Mitchell

-Bertuzzi
- Orlov
-Foligno
- Hall
- Grear
- Hathaway
- Clifton

Not only is that an insane amount of grit and talent to move out, the players brought in are so far outside of an identity of “‘tough to ply against” that I can’t even wrap my brain around it. Our pro scouting tends to suck, did they think Geekie was actually gritty? JVR? Heinen?

* on a side note: I don’t consider Frederic much of anything at this point. Can’t hit and is rightfully afraid of getting caved in by the top guys in fights and only sticks up for himself anyways.

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[Gonzothe7thDman]

Love these Colt posts every season

 

[McGarnagle]

We had like 3 1/3 games of Lucic, fluke injury and then the arrest and it's over there.

They seriously need to do something though to increase the toughness. I'd like someone with Lauko's motor in JvR's chassis, but that combo doesn't seem to exist.

 

[bigbadbruins1]

I mean Shatty is one letter away from....

but in all seriousness they do lack toughness at all levels. 17 goals (so far, CLB could still get more) in three games is absolutely abysmal, like 2023 SJS abysmal. They are getting walked all over in their own zone.
Gryzlyck came back 3 games ago just in time for all this to happen.... food for thought.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Love these Colt posts every season

Good contribution, bud. Tell me when I’m wrong.

I was right last year too and the Bruins knew they were too soft last year —which is why they were in the market for Lucic and then went and got Bertuzzi, Orlov and Hathaway.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Good contribution, bud. Tell me when I’m wrong.

I was right last year too and the Bruins knew they were too soft last year —which is why they were in the market for Lucic and then went and got Bertuzzi, Orlov and Hathaway.

My contribution is that I appreciate these posts by you every year.

I am glad you were right last year and they went out and got all those players and then lost in the first round.

Sweeney, the guy who wants a soft roster went and got all those tough player types you wanted. And they didn't make it further than the year before.

 

[Ozzy Osbourne]

Where is Jay Leach these days? Some of this has to fall on the coach.

Also, what’s Brian Burke up to?

 

[Colt.45Orr]

My contribution is that I appreciate these posts by you every year.

I am glad you were right last year and they went out and got all those players and then lost in the first round.

Sweeney, the guy who wants a soft roster went and got all those tough player types you wanted. And they didn't make it further than the year before.

This is what doesn’t make sense —it was obvious to the hockey world that we were pushed around by the Panthers (‘pointed out by ‘Gretzky and others) and yet we went softer this summer. Much, much softer.

The gritty guys he got were not the problem. Didn’t Bertuzzi have 10pts in 7 games in that series etc.

Care to talk about the heart of the thread? ie. Coach wants a tough identity and we let Foligno, Hathaway, Grear, Clifton etc etc walk while replacing them with pure hockey softness.
What gives?

 

[sarge88]

It’s funny, something Literally just dawned on me.

As much as I believe in the importance of physical play, I wonder if what’s more important /effective is an aggressive attitude/persona.

Granted in the vast majority of cases players who are legitimately tough tend to have that kind of attitud/persona……but it isn’t exclusive to them.

I consider guys like Savard and Recchi to have that type of attitude.

I’m talking about guys who play hard, finish their checks, trash talk, skate hard to the net, don‘t float and just have the type of personality that makes you notice them.

Pasta has it, McAvoy does, Frederic has displayed it in the past, Marchand too.

Beyond them?

Lauko, maybe?

The rest of the team, is just vanilla.

You hardly see anyone even verbally go after an opponent until a cheap shot is thrown or something prompts it.

Just seems this team is light on alpha males, when compared to other NHL teams.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

This is what doesn’t make sense —it was obvious to the hockey world that we were pushed around by the Panthers (‘pointed out by ‘Gretzky and others) and yet we went softer this summer. Much, much softer.

The gritty guys he got were not the problem. Didn’t Bertuzzi have 10pts in 7 games in that series etc.

Care to talk about the heart of the thread? ie. Coach wants a tough identity and we let Foligno, Hathaway, Grear, Clifton etc etc walk while replacing them with pure hockey softness.
What gives?

I believe they were(still are) handcuffed by the cap. So even if they thought they needed to bring in way more grit, they don't have the cap room to do it.

Unless you are talking about moving pieces like Zacha/Coyle/JDB/Gryz/etc. Which if you move them straight up 1 for 1 for grit players you are losing skill. Which means you have to move them out for X, then use X+ to go get "gritty" players that can play in the top 6. I don't think we have much to give in terms of picks/prospects.

I think that is a huge roster shakeup for a team that just set a regular season record.

Pretty sure Bertuzzi hurt the team with defensive gaffes as much as he helped in terms of scoring. Seemed like it anyway.

 

[Lobster57]

You know things are going to be rational when "alpha males" gets trotted out

 

[Dr Hook]

It’s funny, something Literally just dawned on me.

As much as I believe in the importance of physical play, I wonder if what’s more important /effective is an aggressive attitude/persona.

Granted in the vast majority of cases players who are legitimately tough tend to have that kind of attitud/persona……but it isn’t exclusive to them.

I consider guys like Savard and Recchi to have that type of attitude.

I’m talking about guys who play hard, finish their checks, trash talk, skate hard to the net, don‘t float and just have the type of personality that makes you notice them.

Pasta has it, McAvoy does, Frederic has displayed it in the past, Marchand too.

Beyond them?

Lauko, maybe?

The rest of the team, is just vanilla.

You hardly see anyone even verbally go after an opponent until a cheap shot is thrown or something prompts it.

Just seems this team is light on alpha males, when compared to other NHL teams.

This is probably it. Tonight was the illustration par excellence. No passion. Not even alpha male stuff, just some fire and attitude would do. Lauko has it, Poitras seems to have bit. Brad used to in spades but the C is making him behave. McAvoy sometimes, but then it gets really iffy.

 

[sarge88]

You know things are going to be rational when "alpha males" gets trotted out

Well, it’s a legit term.

Easily identifiable in the hockey world.

 

[Dr Hook]

I believe they were(still are) handcuffed by the cap. So even if they thought they needed to bring in way more grit, they don't have the cap room to do it.

Unless you are talking about moving pieces like Zacha/Coyle/JDB/Gryz/etc. Which if you move them straight up 1 for 1 for grit players you are losing skill. Which means you have to move them out for X, then use X+ to go get "gritty" players that can play in the top 6. I don't think we have much to give in terms of picks/prospects.

I think that is a huge roster shakeup for a team that just set a regular season record.

Pretty sure Bertuzzi hurt the team with defensive gaffes as much as he helped in terms of scoring. Seemed like it anyway.

Bert had swagger and it lifted his teammates at times. Can’t measure than on a stat sheet.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

It’s funny, something Literally just dawned on me.

As much as I believe in the importance of physical play, I wonder if what’s more important /effective is an aggressive attitude/persona.

Granted in the vast majority of cases players who are legitimately tough tend to have that kind of attitud/persona……but it isn’t exclusive to them.

I consider guys like Savard and Recchi to have that type of attitude.

I’m talking about guys who play hard, finish their checks, trash talk, skate hard to the net, don‘t float and just have the type of personality that makes you notice them.

Pasta has it, McAvoy does, Frederic has displayed it in the past, Marchand too.

Beyond them?

Lauko, maybe?

The rest of the team, is just vanilla.

You hardly see anyone even verbally go after an opponent until a cheap shot is thrown or something prompts it.

Just seems this team is light on alpha males, when compared to other NHL teams.

Maybe that was the plan with LucIc. Everyone can play chippy knowing he'd clean up any guys looking to drop em.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Bert had swagger and it lifted his teammates at times. Can’t measure than on a stat sheet.

Bruins with Bert and without Bert lost in game 7 in the first round looking at the last 2 seasons. Berts "swagger" pushed them a little further I guess since they made it to game 7 OT?

 

[Dr Hook]

Bruins with Bert and without Bert lost in game 7 in the first round looking at the last 2 seasons. Berts "swagger" pushed them a little further I guess since they made it to game 7 OT?

You never really know, but that is a pretty small sample size to judge the effect. There was a whole lot of mental collapsing going on with guys against Florida but he wasn’t one of them.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Those of us who wanted to protect Lauzon over Gryz should not tune into Pred games. He's become a beast back there. Fans love him, he's their K. Miller.

 

[MoffatMan]

I like vanilla ice cream sometimes.....not all the time. This team is pure vanilla and is boring. No snarl. Monty is dealing with Sweeney's vanilla roaster. His hands are tied.
The d can't handle big forwards. It's a recipe for disaster in our d zone.
Last 3 games have proved it

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

View attachment 774246

That is too bad. When I originally saw this thread I was eagerly awaiting your take on it.

 

[Dr Hook]

Those of us who wanted to protect Lauzon over Gryz should not tune into Pred games. He's become a beast back there. Fans love him, he's their K. Miller.

We had to expose someone and to be fair, he took some time getting there. He wasn’t great in Seattle, and initially with the Preda he wasn’t really that good either. There’s something to be said for the long path but the Bruins were in win now mode- hard to fault the choice at the time even though I liked him and wanted him to stay.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

That is too bad. When I originally saw this thread I was eagerly awaiting your take on it.

No you weren’t. And neither was anyone one else.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

No you weren’t. And neither was anyone one else.

I do enjoy your posts as they are usually backed by cold hard #s unlike people who back their reasoning with their feelings.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I do enjoy your posts as they are usually backed by cold hard #s unlike people who back their reasoning with their feelings.

This isn’t a thread for that obviously. We’re already at protecting Lauzon over Grizz and we’re on page 1