Bruins 2015-2016

[Deus Irae]

The really bad news here is that their defensive personnel, as a group, is one of the worst in the league, especially among those teams in PO contention.
Krug & McQuaid is a good #3 pairing; as a #1 pairing, they are exposed.
Chara & Game-Killer Kevin Miller have no mobility, and Chara's once-feared slap shot has been replaced by a never-feared wrister.
Seidenberg & Liles are possibly the worst pairing in hockey.
Meanwhile, Colin Miller & Joe Morrow, who offer youth, speed and a hope for a future, languish in Providence and the press box instead of gaining valuable experience in NHL action during what will soon enough prove to be a transitional season without another PO appearance.
Stupid, stupid Ruins.

The young kids not getting to play, when the veterans suck anyway, is the part that has really cheesed me off about this season. If they'd let the kids play from day one, they'd have a full season under their belts by now, and nobody's going to convince me that it would have resulted in any significant number of additional losses, because I saw the results when they were actually playing, and they were the same as the results when they weren't.

 

[captain stone]

When you lose at Exit 16W to something called Kinkaid, it's time to raise the white flag.

The Ruins would be better-served to lose the rest of their games, gain better lottery position, fire the Clod and more Front Office personnel (including whoever recommended the Rinaldo trade),
start making better draft decisions for a change, remove the on-ice deadwood, and begin the process of a serious rebuild, Blackhawks style, instead of this journey into perpetual mediocrity.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Problem is ...Cam needs to go bad...and probably won't...and not Claude. Because if you fire Claude..the replacement won't be nearly as good..look who's out there. They fire him and next year is another **** show probably worse. But he will be the one to take the fall if they miss it.

If Cam doesn't go this team is in trouble

 

[Deus Irae]

Neely's not likely to get fired after just having put his choice in at GM. Sweeney's not likely to get fired after just year one on the job. Julien doesn't deserve to be fired, though he may have to go in order to change the team culture. In the end, it all comes down to this...

This team hasn't recovered from 4 things:

Chiarelli overpaying players while granting them NT clauses
Trading Seguin
Trading Boychuk
Trading Hamilton


Regardless of whether they squeak into the playoffs or they end up on the outside looking in, the team needs at least 2 defensemen and a legit scorer. Not surprisingly, that's what they've pissed away in the past couple of years (see above). When you top that off with Julien's mixed success dealing with younger players (Yes, Dale, those problems really do exist and, again, see above), you get what we see on the ice.

 

[Rhodey]

Are we now at the point where it's time to stop talking about how well the B's played during portions of their game? Methinks. Of course, this kind of chatter went on through the year by the front office. As it was going on, I wondered how long it would/could continue. And here we are.

The truth is, if the team has really been playing as well as they described for so many portions of their game(s), that would show right, now; they would be an improved team. I want to say they are an improved team, however, they don't win many games, particularly of late. And they typically fold against better teams...just like they did in the beginning of the season. And this is why I am so disappointed. More specifically, I do not see the improvements, aside from a few individual efforts. So, what was gained besides $$$?

At the beginning of the season, I honestly believed that at least one new D-man would develop and become a regular. Perhaps, next year? Regardless, it appears as though they are in the same position with all contracts having moved forward 1 year.

It appears to me that one of the hopes was to keep a core group around, after they were so successful going all the way. I get that. However, it also appears that gamble failed.

 

[captain stone]

Problem is ...Cam needs to go bad...and probably won't...and not Claude. Because if you fire Claude..the replacement won't be nearly as good..look who's out there. They fire him and next year is another **** show probably worse. But he will be the one to take the fall if they miss it...

The Clod won't be nearly as difficult to replace as you might think. Look at the Flyers: they hired Dave Hakstol, a college coach with not one lick of professional experience, and they're one of the hottest teams in the league.

 

[Rhodey]

Read my threads...exactly where I believe they'd be a few weeks, ago...9th place with a few games left. That is not to say they will not finish strongly. Please be reminded how streaky this team has been. Now, would be a great time to fire off 4 (wins) in a row. The STL game tells me it could happen. However, it probably won't, if David Krejci doesn't show up. It should be quite clear that his dominant play oft translate into a win against any team, and any time. (He started the season on fire.)

Personally, I like Vatrano and Griffith. They have played very well in Providence. They can't stay there forever playing at that level...point a game stuff and beyond. It's time they play...and take advantage of it; decide that the NHL is where they are to be and make it stick.

Surely, this team has learned: When they play hard every single shift, they contend with every team in the league and can win; are not good enough to win, if they do not? Just too many games this year where they took a period off; lost on the scoreboard; followed-up with how well they played otherwise. No more otherwise! Just stop taking the period off. This is the NHL play-offs, not a try-out with a "happy to be here" ring. You're on the team. Now, go win. Let that "do what you can" attitude that Marchand has exuded since hi first year catch hold...and follow it through.

 

[captain stone]

11 goals allowed in the last 2 games. Not only is this defense bad (including the over-rated and over-paid Rask), but the personnel on defense is bad, definitely the worst since before Chara arrived and possibly beyond that.

SweeNeely should keep Morrow & Colin Miller, and get rid of or not re-sign the rest of them: Chara, Seidenberg, Liles, McQuaid, Kevin Miller, Trotman, and even Krug, who has been a huge, huge disappointment this season.

 

[Rhodey]

11 goals allowed in the last 2 games. Not only is this defense bad (including the over-rated and over-paid Rask), but the personnel on defense is bad, definitely the worst since before Chara arrived and possibly beyond that.

SweeNeely should keep Morrow & Colin Miller, and get rid of or not re-sign the rest of them: Chara, Seidenberg, Liles, McQuaid, Kevin Miller, Trotman, and even Krug, who has been a huge, huge disappointment this season.

Although the B's really felt the departure of a top-4 guy (i.e. Hamilton), it's no excuse to let it affect an entire season. And if it does, the least they can do is to develop at least 1 guy. What's the sense in not making the play-offs, if you cannot at least develop some talent? Unfortunately, I didn't see this happen. More exactly, this team does not appear to have made any strides in that direction; gaining at least 1 more young D-man.

My guess was that Colin Miller would get all the playing time he deserved to make that next step. Perhaps, they're playing contract games; holding him back to keep him under their control longer? Right now, we have 3 guys going in and out: Trotman, Morrow and C. Miller. When they felt a need to acquire Liles, that spoke volumes. So, what happens from here? Honestly, I couldn't even project what the BOS defense core will be next year. In fact, I won't even begin with Chara.

 

[captain stone]

Unfortunately, Chara & his contract aren't going anywhere next season.

What we are quite possibly going to have is the worst of both situations: not enough NHL experience for the young Dmen, and no PO appearance anyway, with which many of us would've been fine
had the kids been playing all season long. And to top it all, SweeNeely gives away draft assets for 2 old, inconsequential has-beens who will be long, long gone before this team is a serious contender.

 

[Deus Irae]

At the beginning of the season, I honestly believed that at least one new D-man would develop and become a regular. Perhaps, next year? Regardless, it appears as though they are in the same position with all contracts having moved forward 1 year.

It's tough to develop young defensemen when you're giving them the yo-yo treatment while lousy veterans keep getting playing time for playing at just about the same level.

 

[Deus Irae]

Speaking of young defensemen:

Colin Miller was called back up to the team and will be in the lineup tonight.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I'm where I was at at the beginning of this thread ... a rebuild was in order and still is.
Too bad it's too late to trade off some pieces ... perhaps in the off season ... start with Rask and Krejci. Forgot to include nose face on the keep list ... he's always been a favorite of mine.
I like Clod Face ... but not sure he would be all in on a rebuild.

From November:

I agree.........

If Sweeney plays his cards right he has pieces to deal at the trade deadline ...
Players that can help a team get over the top for the playoffs.
Rask - Krecji - Seidenberg - Chara .... can bring some decent draft picks or youth.

I'd keep Bergeron and Pastarnak only ... everyone else available.
I like our 2015 draft picks .... we need a few more like it.

 

[Deus Irae]

With the loss tonight, the Bruins no longer control their playoff destiny.

 

[captain stone]

It's better for the franchise in the long run if they don't make the POs; they're almost certain to lose - if not be swept - in the first round anyway.

I'm hoping that Philly-Detroit goes into OT tonight, so that each of them receive a point.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm where I was at at the beginning of this thread ... a rebuild was in order and still is.
Too bad it's too late to trade off some pieces ... perhaps in the off season ... start with Rask and Krejci. Forgot to include nose face on the keep list ... he's always been a favorite of mine.
I like Clod Face ... but not sure he would be all in on a rebuild.

From November:

Julien's a great coach. His one major problem, though, is one that's helped kill this team:

He has issues dealing with young, offense-first, players.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

No Marchy or Vatrano over Krug in the SO? ****

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Unfortunately, Chara & his contract aren't going anywhere next season.

What we are quite possibly going to have is the worst of both situations: not enough NHL experience for the young Dmen, and no PO appearance anyway, with which many of us would've been fine
had the kids been playing all season long. And to top it all, SweeNeely gives away draft assets for 2 old, inconsequential has-beens who will be long, long gone before this team is a serious contender.

Yeah Chara is staying IMO. Too late now

 

[captain insano]

Fire Neely and Sweeney Keep BRAD MARCHAND DAVID PASTRNAK and PATRICE BERGERON and trade and dump the rest. time to blow it up.

 

[Deus Irae]

Fire Neely and Sweeney Keep BRAD MARCHAND DAVID PASTRNAK and PATRICE BERGERON and trade and dump the rest. time to blow it up.

I don't think you have to go that extreme. The team needs are pretty obvious. They need 2-3 defensemen and a couple of forwards, one of whom is a legit scorer instead of a volume shooter, and they need Claude to ease up on the ****ing around with young players who are of a more offensive mind than he prefers. If this team still had Boychuck, Hamilton and Sequin, people would be talking about Boston and Washington as clearly being the two best teams in the conference.

Mostly, they've got to clean up Chiarelli's mess Until the moves (and non-move) at the trade deadline, I thought they'd done a pretty good job of getting started on that.