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I don't think speed is an issue with our forward group but I do believe it is a problem with our D core.
Where are we at? What is the potential? What needs to be done?
- Thread starter Mr. Make-Believe
- Start date
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I don't think speed is an issue with our forward group but I do believe it is a problem with our D core.
Keep Eriksson on the 3rd line until Lucic is playing better. Gagne plays there in the meantime. I don't think Gagne is a permanent solution but no use breaking up our best line (3rd) if the 1st won't be in great shape anyways. Profit off Gagne while he's feeling good.....
Then you swap Eriksson and Gagne. This should be right around the time Gagne could be slowing down since he hasn't played a full season in a long time. It will be tough for him. You have to know if Eriksson is going to work there so that you know exactly how bad your needs are at the deadline. You have to have an answer to that question and know who is expendable.....
Sorry but the defense is probably screwed without Boychuk. If these guys aren't enough you'll never get a top 4 that would match him for what we were paying him and we won't have enough money for better. You have to hope our guys are enough......
Then you swap Eriksson and Gagne. This should be right around the time Gagne could be slowing down since he hasn't played a full season in a long time. It will be tough for him. You have to know if Eriksson is going to work there so that you know exactly how bad your needs are at the deadline. You have to have an answer to that question and know who is expendable.....
Sorry but the defense is probably screwed without Boychuk. If these guys aren't enough you'll never get a top 4 that would match him for what we were paying him and we won't have enough money for better. You have to hope our guys are enough......
They might as well swap Smith for Gag & see what happens. My sense is that almost anyone can be plugged into the Bergeron-Marchand pairing and it will work nicely. (Minus Loui last year, for various reasons.)
As presently constituted, this is not a Cup contending club. Sans moves, they will probably finish third in the division, which doesn't bother me.
The defense can be shored up, but what was once a strength is now a glaring weakness without Boychuck. And again, top 3 or 4 D don't grow on trees, and they're seldom traded, even by bad clubs.
As you point out, Adam is not a top three guy. If the Bruins are depending on that, or Bart to play top four, they're done. I'm sorry to harp on this but trading Boychuck was the exact wrong move, even if you can bring in solid or even very good help on the wing. The team is weaker because of this and I don't really see how they address that weakness. You simply can't win in the playoffs without excellent, solid depth on defense. It doesn't happen, certainly not in the current era.
HIW ("Hope I'm wrong"), but I see an early playoff exit in a division that's gotten stronger while the B's are in "Park" or have even regressed.
Option 1
Shake up all the line combos for a couple of games and look to see if something works. No point really in protecting one line if that's all that currently works. Only one line that functions isn't enough to get the job done.
Option 2
Actually consider making some serious move in order to try to get a player who's an actual scoring threat. I don't think that Bruins have a single individual player right now who's a scoring threat every time he's in the offensive zone.
The only forwards I wouldn't seriously consider trading for any real potential acquisition are Bergeron, Krejci, and Soderberg.
Footnote: Still pissed that Boychuk is gone.
Footnote 2: If Seguin has another Season like the last one, then that too will have proven to be a Chia error. How otherwise can it possible be viewed?
Both Chia and Julien have served the Bruins well, but neither are perfect of course.
Shake up all the line combos for a couple of games and look to see if something works. No point really in protecting one line if that's all that currently works. Only one line that functions isn't enough to get the job done.
Option 2
Actually consider making some serious move in order to try to get a player who's an actual scoring threat. I don't think that Bruins have a single individual player right now who's a scoring threat every time he's in the offensive zone.
The only forwards I wouldn't seriously consider trading for any real potential acquisition are Bergeron, Krejci, and Soderberg.
Footnote: Still pissed that Boychuk is gone.
Footnote 2: If Seguin has another Season like the last one, then that too will have proven to be a Chia error. How otherwise can it possible be viewed?
Both Chia and Julien have served the Bruins well, but neither are perfect of course.
I really believe the most important problem in this team is LEADERSHIP
nobody step up when it is time,
Nobody seem able to calm players in strategic moment, end of game
Nbbody take the lead and give energy and crazy determination against habs
In every miserable epic lost this team had in last years nobody taked the lead on the ice and outside
They all look lost , confuse ....and they don't give this extra only true winner have
Mark messier, patrick roy style of leadership
Someone who prefer die than lose
We have nobody in this team, our coach lose and don't even have single reaction and try nothing, and players accept and abandonne
We need someone who kick *****
nobody step up when it is time,
Nobody seem able to calm players in strategic moment, end of game
Nbbody take the lead and give energy and crazy determination against habs
In every miserable epic lost this team had in last years nobody taked the lead on the ice and outside
They all look lost , confuse ....and they don't give this extra only true winner have
Mark messier, patrick roy style of leadership
Someone who prefer die than lose
We have nobody in this team, our coach lose and don't even have single reaction and try nothing, and players accept and abandonne
We need someone who kick *****
Strange Universe
Registered User
- Apr 8, 2009
- 2,458
- 2
They might as well swap Smith for Gag & see what happens. My sense is that almost anyone can be plugged into the Bergeron-Marchand pairing and it will work nicely. (Minus Loui last year, for various reasons.)
As presently constituted, this is not a Cup contending club. Sans moves, they will probably finish third in the division, which doesn't bother me.
The defense can be shored up, but what was once a strength is now a glaring weakness without Boychuck. And again, top 3 or 4 D don't grow on trees, and they're seldom traded, even by bad clubs.
As you point out, Adam is not a top three guy. If the Bruins are depending on that, or Bart to play top four, they're done. I'm sorry to harp on this but trading Boychuck was the exact wrong move, even if you can bring in solid or even very good help on the wing. The team is weaker because of this and I don't really see how they address that weakness. You simply can't win in the playoffs without excellent, solid depth on defense. It doesn't happen, certainly not in the current era.
HIW ("Hope I'm wrong"), but I see an early playoff exit in a division that's gotten stronger while the B's are in "Park" or have even regressed.
If management can get the 1st line rolling by either having Smith, Gagne or Loui on it, I truly believe that the remainder of the other 3 combo lines will be just fine.
The real important issue is to get the 1st line rolling on all cylinders and have the teams they will be facing concerned by an excellent 1st line that they must defend when playing the bruins.
Last year was a pretty good example with Iggy.
This allows a better flow for all the other lines when the 1st line is moving and executing well.
The game changes tremendously overall the the team because this allows the rest of the team to build a confidence factor which is not here this year thus far.
I am not talking about trades for the time being because options are still within this team and they can be explored but they cannot at the same time explore forever.
Yes, the D will have to be looked at very seriously now that JB is gone, a 3rd or 4th D type player will also be necessary before the playoffs and I am certain that both issues (RW and D) will be on the B's agenda if things get sour heading towards trade deadline.
If things shape up for the worse in the next month or two, the leash will get shorter and some sort of move or moves will be made because I believe this team still has a lot of potential to do well with the vast majority of the players on this team.
On a different note, I am extremely P----d!! that they gave up on Seguin.
This kid needed to be kept!!!
He has great speed, great hands and great hockey IQ....
He should have been our RW on the 1st line as far as my opinion goes this year and even before Iggy was picked up.
Ah yes, if felt great venting this out here.
Hamilton Brian
Registered User
KingTim96
Registered User
I want to say to those who think that Seguin trade was mistake that:
#1 Krejci was our number one center then and Bergeron second line center, so where you put a guy with those offensive skills.
#2 Bruins didn't need a skilled first line center (#1) so Seguin played right wing which wasn't his best role.
#3 The style of Bruins play didn't fit for him so he would't done so many points and this factor was making his offensive plays much more weaker.
#4 Bruins got Reilly Smith and Loui Eriksson and now both of them are good 2 way players and had combined as many points as Seguin at Dallas last season.
#5 The hotel incident when Bruins played playoffs and Seguin scored 0 goals.
#1 Krejci was our number one center then and Bergeron second line center, so where you put a guy with those offensive skills.
#2 Bruins didn't need a skilled first line center (#1) so Seguin played right wing which wasn't his best role.
#3 The style of Bruins play didn't fit for him so he would't done so many points and this factor was making his offensive plays much more weaker.
#4 Bruins got Reilly Smith and Loui Eriksson and now both of them are good 2 way players and had combined as many points as Seguin at Dallas last season.
#5 The hotel incident when Bruins played playoffs and Seguin scored 0 goals.
KingTim96
Registered User
Well, let's not relitigate the past, but agree to disagree per your final point. I was in favor of the deal at the time. I never saw Seguin blossoming in Boston because of the system, the log jam at center, and, frankly, his maturity level.
Now, the jury is very much out on the trade, in terms of what the Bruins received in return. It's certainly true that from their perspective, the Stars "won" the deal.
I never said that it was necessarily a bad trade in the moment. But if he continues to perform as he has so far in Dallas, it'll have to make people wonder how there couldn't have been a bit more patience working with him going forward as a Bruin, and how such an offensive talent couldn't have been utilized in some productive way as a Bruin. Having Krejci, Seguin, and Bergeron as the B's top 3-line Centres, what would be the problem with that?
KingTim96
Registered User
It is not a problem when you think it as a fan, but how can you keep 3 so talented guys happy when you must put one of them to third line.
Caper Bruins fan
Registered User
I would be playing Krug more and see if he can be a top 4 D. The defence as it is now is solid but not particularly mobile.I don't think we can get away with having both McQuaid and Miller playing significant minutes so I would grudgingly be giving Bart more playing time.Up front I don't think we should break up Soda and Loui. The only way we will get reasonable production out of Loui is if he plays with Soda.For now I would put Gagne with Krejci and Lucic but think a 4th line of Paille Campbell and Gagne could have the potential to be the best 4th line in the league.In my opinion we are only 1 player away from being a legitimate Cup contender but when that one player is the 1st line RW ,it is an unenviable position to be in.
Sincerely, in this modern era, and with a team like the Bruins, I'm of the opinion that there doesn't need to be a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th line scenario. It's been quite a while that this team could easily have had 3 top lines (all really 2nd lines on many teams). No reason why any of the top 3 lines would need to have the title of the "top-line", they could've all been interchangeable depending which line hottest from one game to the next. And ultimately, it's been fairly well demonstrated in recent years that a team really needs solid lines from top to bottom if it wants to achieve ultimate glory.
So, being on the so-called 3rd line wouldn't necessarily mean anything if all top 3 lines got the same amount of playing time and all in equally key situations depending on how each line is performing from one game to the next.
SlimBrady
Registered User
- Mar 1, 2007
- 292
- 6
Still think they should get DSP or Etem from Anaheim...DSP is a right handed shot so he would be a good fit here and I would offer them Spooner and a 2nd round pick
Lucic-Krejci-DSP
Marchand-Bergeron-Smith
Fraser-Soderberg-Eriksson or Eriksson-Soderberg-Pastrnak
Paille-Kelly-Campbell
Chara-Hamilton
Krug-Seidenberg
Bart-Mcquaid
Miller
Bullvyne666
Registered User
Pretty obvious, with the deepest draft in years, that Chia is doing his best to get a good draft pick.
Why is it so important to move Erikssons possible 25 goals from the 3rd line to the 1st?
ReggieMoto
Registered User
I don't think this is "obvious" at all. We have enough young talent for the near term. This FO should be attempting another run at the cup, and I think that they are trying to figure out how to do that. They are not trying to purposefully tank the season.
BklyNBruiN
Registered User
This team can win if it starts playing with that hunger and killer instinct that we all know they have.. Who wants it more? For example, the Montreal Canadians has wanted it more than our Bruins in last seasons playoff series and you saw it again this past week when they faced each other.
They are not beating us because they are a better team than us, they are beating us because we are trying to play their game and not playing ours.
Tonight I hope our team comes out and just pours it on for an all out 60 minute effort and that outta get us a win.
They are not beating us because they are a better team than us, they are beating us because we are trying to play their game and not playing ours.
Tonight I hope our team comes out and just pours it on for an all out 60 minute effort and that outta get us a win.
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Trap Jesus
Registered User
- Feb 13, 2012
- 28,686
- 13,456
It's not about Eriksson, it's about Krejci and Lucic. With Lucic's slow start, that line could completely fall off the map unless they get something going on their RW. Fraser and Griffith have been completely useless. I don't expect Gagne to be able to fill that role either.
It's much more important to get the Krejci line going than it is to maintain the Soderberg line. The Bruins have been defined by their top 6 for years. I don't really see this 3 fairly comparable lines idea working out too well in the long run.
Lucic is "starting" the way he finished Season/Playoffs. And to be honest, I think that his line (whichever line he plays on) needs speed to balance off Lucic's slowness. Put Lucic in front of the net or use him along the boards, and have another linemate who can skate well and get open for either Krejci or Lucic to pass to (and of course someone who at least some scoring prowess). The slowness of Lucic and Iginla was the team's principal downfall in the Playoffs, and it's still working against Lucic now.
Compared to other 1st lines in the League, at least with respect to scoring,... How many of the past 4 or 5 Seasons have the Bruins had 1st Line that scored among the elite 1st Lines in the League?
When the Bruins truly were dominant, they could put virtually any Line of the ice and the other team had to worry about them scoring. There was really no elite Line, but 3 or 4 Lines that the other team had to watch out for. One could say that the Bruins had 3 Lines all of 2nd Line caliber, and too many for most other teams to be constantly checking.
And any one of the 4 Lines could check most other teams top Lines and make them ineffective.
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