Player Discussion Zdeno Chara IV

[Don Cherry]

They are as a group moving to more physical players

they passed on high skilled guys like Debrincat and Kaliyev and went size with Frederic & Beecher

Lohrei is 6’4 and is a former football player and is talking about being more physical as he gets stronger and spends time in weight room - you can’t get much better then what Lohrei will get at Ohio State where he’s going

a guy I loved with snarl is Ryan Lindgren who they reseed to Rangers - he’s tough as anyone and they did draft him

they traded Heinen for Ritchie

they are heading in right direction

they brought Miller back who is often injured but a very tough competitor

It does seem like they're headed in the right direction. (Lauzon, too)

It seems to me that Cassidy doesn't like tough players (benching Ritchie after single-handedly terrorizing Tampa) and loves him some Par Lindholm instead of more physical players. Claude had no issue icing a tough team. I think a lot of this falls on the coach.
Do you consider yourself a Cassidy guy?
Thank you and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

 

[PlayMakers]

mojo was the second line addition. They played him “3rd line”

If Mojo was the 2nd line addition then they would have had a hole on the 3rd line. They simply didn't have enough NHL caliber players to fill out their top9. Period. That's on the GM.

all the pieces were in place they choked. 110 percent on the players. You do not make the 7th game of the SC when the GM does a “not good enough job”.

If all the pieces were there, why was Kuhlman the 2nd line RW? Is he capable of that? He wasn't even capable of being a consistent 3rd line RW a year after that. They haven't had a 2nd line RW here for 5 years. Thats' not news. If you want to say the players “choked” in Game 7 that’s fine. That seems to be important to you. I'm not really defending the players, I just don't believe in making excuses for the GM.

Blues second line LW was Zach Sanford FFs.

You say that like Sanford isn’t a good young power forward. He was on pace for 160 hits and 23 goals this year. How did Backes and Kuhlman do?

 

[DKH]

It does seem like they're headed in the right direction. (Lauzon, too)

It seems to me that Cassidy doesn't like tough players (benching Ritchie after single-handedly terrorizing Tampa) and loves him some Par Lindholm instead of more physical players. Claude had no issue icing a tough team. I think a lot of this falls on the coach.
Do you consider yourself a Cassidy guy?
Thank you and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

I like Cassidy I think he’s bright although there are things he does I disagree with like not splitting up Marchand & Pastrnak and creating two dangerous lines

I also think he picks on younger players a bit or has a short leash

I like Rick Tocchet as a coach.

He’s one of my All Time favorites and a bright guy from things I’ve heard

have a great Christmas and the best of health in 2021

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I like Cassidy I think he’s bright although there are things he does I disagree with like not splitting up Marchand & Pastrnak and creating two dangerous lines

I also think he picks on younger players a bit or has a short leash

I like Rick Tocchet as a coach.

He’s one of my All Time favorites and a bright guy from things I’ve heard

have a great Christmas and the best of health in 2021

Gretzky's wife's bookie?

I really wouldn't want a guy like that coaching my team.

 

[Don Cherry]

Gretzky's wife's bookie?

I really wouldn't want a guy like that coaching my team.

I would!

 

[DKH]

Gretzky's wife's bookie?

I really wouldn't want a guy like that coaching my team.

Fake news

 

[LouJersey]

If Mojo was the 2nd line addition then they would have had a hole on the 3rd line. They simply didn't have enough NHL caliber players to fill out their top9. Period. That's on the GM.



If all the pieces were there, why was Kuhlman the 2nd line RW? Is he capable of that? He wasn't even capable of being a consistent 3rd line RW a year after that. They haven't had a 2nd line RW here for 5 years. Thats' not news. If you want to say the players “choked” in Game 7 that’s fine. That seems to be important to you. I'm not really defending the players, I just don't believe in making excuses for the GM.



You say that like Sanford isn’t a good young power forward. He was on pace for 160 hits and 23 goals this year. How did Backes and Kuhlman do?

how was Zach Sanford in 2019 again? Not second line material. You let the players off wayyyyyy too easy. GM built a cup team to have game 7 on home ice in the SCF and you give the GM crap. Insanity. How was Kuhlman game 6? Bruins players choked 100 pct on them and they had more than enough to win. They didn’t work as hard 5v5. That’s it

 

[Bruinaura]

Well, I thought Chara would sign with the Bruins before Christmas, so I was wrong. Maybe tomorrow? Training camp starts in about a week.

 

[Mathews28]

Gretzky's wife's bookie?

I really wouldn't want a guy like that coaching my team.

Think that might have been proven wrong but he did plead guilty to something gambling related, iirc.

Tough kid. Lit up Neely’s face one time. Loved him when he went after Scott Stevens.

Not sure I would want him as a coach if he had any real input other than getting the most physically out of the team. Seems a little bit nutty to me.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

He should be signing soon, so he can get on the ice for the Captains practises. The longer this goes is odd, considering how fast they signed Miller (who is still a maybe).

 

[PlayMakers]

how was Zach Sanford in 2019 again? Not second line material.

He looked pretty good scoring in Game 7.

In 2019, he was on pace for 28 points as a rookie season. Not bad for a guy 6'4 and 210lbs. His counterpart Karson Kuhlman still doesn't have 28 career points. Before that he had 20 goals in 50 career AHL games, and before that he had 40 points in 40 games at BC as a sophomore. He was a solid rising prospect and it's not unheard of to ask a guy like that to play the banger role in a top6. Look at all those Chicago teams that used guys like Brouwer, Bickell and even Byfuglien to bring some hitting and heavy to their top6.

You let the players off wayyyyyy too easy. GM built a cup team to have game 7 on home ice in the SCF and you give the GM crap. Insanity. How was Kuhlman game 6? Bruins players choked 100 pct on them and they had more than enough to win. They didn’t work as hard 5v5. That’s it

I'm not letting the players off at all, I haven't defended them once. You're the one handing out free passes. When a team fails, everyone is at fault, not just the guys you want to hang. If they had won I'm sure you would give Sweeney credit. It goes both ways.

You're arguing Karson Kuhlman is fine in the top6 (that alone should tell you which one of us is insane), but that Zach Sanford is "not second line material" despite the fact Sanford is/was and has proven to be a superior player.

 

[LouJersey]

He looked pretty good scoring in Game 7.

In 2019, he was on pace for 28 points as a rookie season. Not bad for a guy 6'4 and 210lbs. His counterpart Karson Kuhlman still doesn't have 28 career points. Before that he had 20 goals in 50 career AHL games, and before that he had 40 points in 40 games at BC as a sophomore. He was a solid rising prospect and it's not unheard of to ask a guy like that to play the banger role in a top6. Look at all those Chicago teams that used guys like Brouwer, Bickell and even Byfuglien to bring some hitting and heavy to their top6.



I'm not letting the players off at all, I haven't defended them once. You're the one handing out free passes. When a team fails, everyone is at fault, not just the guys you want to hang. If they had won I'm sure you would give Sweeney credit. It goes both ways.

You're arguing Karson Kuhlman is fine in the top6 (that alone should tell you which one of us is insane), but that Zach Sanford is "not second line material" despite the fact Sanford is/was and has proven to be a superior player.

how do you put any blame on a GM who’s team gets to a 7th game SCF on home ice. Would you not sign up for that any season? Is that not a fantastic job? They lost that game because Kuhlman was the “second line RW” (even tho he was last in forwards in ice time and had more goals and points than Sanford in those playoffs)? Not that the players as a whole, perfection line on down shit the bed? To me that makes zero sense.

 

[jgatie]

I take it that Chara is out and Bergeron is the new captain.

That's Jimmy "Thin Skins" Murphy replying. Which means it's about 99.99% certain Chara is back.

 

[PlayMakers]

how do you put any blame on a GM who’s team gets to a 7th game SCF on home ice. Would you not sign up for that any season? Is that not a fantastic job? They lost that game because Kuhlman was the “second line RW” (even tho he was last in forwards in ice time and had more goals and points than Sanford in those playoffs)? Not that the players as a whole, perfection line on down shit the bed? To me that makes zero sense.

I think a big part of why they lost that series was because they had no second line, and St Louis was able to load up against the perfection line. Our whole run was driven by that one line and STL was able to put both their Selke C and their Norris D against them, rather than spread them out against Bergeron and Krejci, the way we used to split Bergeron vs Crosby and Chara vs Malkin (so to speak). I put that lack of depth and roster building on the GM.

I think there was a failure to adapt to STL's strategy, and I put that on the coach.

I think there was a choke element to Game 7, especially Rask, and I put that on the players.

 

[McGarnagle]

I think a big part of why they lost that series was because they had no second line, and St Louis was able to load up against the perfection line. Our whole run was driven by that one line and STL was able to put both their Selke C and their Norris D against them, rather than spread them out against Bergeron and Krejci, the way we used to split Bergeron vs Crosby and Chara vs Malkin (so to speak). I put that lack of depth and roster building on the GM.

I think there was a failure to adapt to STL's strategy, and I put that on the coach.

I think there was a choke element to Game 7, especially Rask, and I put that on the players.

TBQH I still blame the refs.

 

[LouJersey]

TBQH I still blame the refs.

didn’t give the Bruins enough PP?

 

[McGarnagle]

didn’t give the Bruins enough PP?

They let the Blues get away with attempted murder on more than one occasion. Plus the whole Acciari blown call that handed them game 5. Joke. Played right into Berube's dirty hands.

 

[LouJersey]

They let the Blues get away with attempted murder on more than one occasion. Plus the whole Acciari blown call that handed them game 5. Joke. Played right into Berube's dirty hands.

meh bruins played the role of the Vancouver Canucks in this series. Totally outplayed 5v5 and out physicalled. Had to rely on the PP like habs teams of old and didn’t have the testicular fortitude to compete shift by shift with a bigger and hungrier team

 

[Troublesome 85]

meh bruins played the role of the Vancouver Canucks in this series. Totally outplayed 5v5 and out physicalled. Had to rely on the PP like habs teams of old and didn’t have the testicular fortitude to compete shift by shift with a bigger and hungrier team

Then there was lazy ass Marchand

 

[Bruinaura]

Has Chara signed yet?

With the Bruins?

Another team?

Retired and started his own real estate company?

Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[Johnny4778]

They let the Blues get away with attempted murder on more than one occasion. Plus the whole Acciari blown call that handed them game 5. Joke. Played right into Berube's dirty hands.

Same argument Vancouver makes against bruins.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Not sure what they are waiting for ? If they think the backend can sustain the losses of both Krug and Chara and find replacements internally they are dreaming . It will be like Boychuck leaving , Bruins won’t make the playoffs. Need the big guy for one more year even if he isn’t what he once was .

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I have a feeling Sweeney is trying to get a young LD from either trade or UFA signing. But the prices for both are to high atm.

 

[Scruffy]

Same argument Vancouver makes against bruins.

2011
Bos 0 - Van 1 - Burrows Bit Bergeron
Bos 2 - Van 3 (OT) - Burrows 2 goals and an assist when he should have been suspended
Van 1 - Bos 8 - 7 goal difference
Van 0 - Bos 4
Bos 0 - Van 1
Van 2 - Bos 5
Bos 4 - Van 0

Bruins won by 7 4 3 and 4. All of Vancouver's wins were by 1 goal.

2019
Stl 2 - Bos 4
Stl 3 - Bos 2 OT
Bos 7 - Stl 2
Bos 2 - Stl 4
Stl 2 - Bos 1
Bos 5 - Stl 1
Stl 4 - Bos 1

Bruin scored a hell of a lot more than Vancouver did in 2011. If game 5 isn't handed to STL and the Bruins win it, then they finish it off in 6. Two completely different series.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

how do you put any blame on a GM who’s team gets to a 7th game SCF on home ice. Would you not sign up for that any season? Is that not a fantastic job? They lost that game because Kuhlman was the “second line RW” (even tho he was last in forwards in ice time and had more goals and points than Sanford in those playoffs)? Not that the players as a whole, perfection line on down shit the bed? To me that makes zero sense.

GM did a fine job overall, but he should have foreseen the Bruins weakness against a physical playing style. The moment St Louis complained and the whistles were put away, the Bruins were done. Somehow St Louis became the victims in a series they were intent to injure hitting the numbers every shift.

Management needs to have contingencies prepared for and Tampa/Washington/St Louis/Vegas all would have crippled the Bruins with the significant gap in size and toughness.