Bruins 2022-23

[captain stone]

If everybody up front can remain healthy, and Fabian Lysell continues to progress in Providence, then this could be a top-9 capable of being competitive in most of their games, though I still don't like their 4th line because of their lack of penalty-killers...

 

[Deus Irae]

Studnicka development failure also the fault of the last coach?

 

[maust]

Weird game out of the B's tonight. By turns entertaining and maddening then an outstanding final 5 and OT.
Hopefully Swayman is not seriously hurt. If the net was still held in place by pipes that would have been a season if not career ending impact.

 

[captain stone]

Studnicka development failure also the fault of the last coach?

Yep, mean ol' Butch didn't give this less-than-useless, Charmin-soft, over-drafted ****ing stiff the ice time his GM wanted to see since he was the ****ing idiot who drafted him in the first place when there were better prospects still available...

#BruinsFiredTheWrongGuy

 

[maust]

Yep, mean ol' Butch didn't give this less-than-useless, Charmin-soft, over-drafted ****ing stiff the ice time his GM wanted to see since he was the ****ing idiot who drafted him in the first place when there were better prospects still available...

#BruinsFiredTheWrongGuy

Captain, I hope you know I respect your hockey acumen and appreciate the passion you have for the game. I'd like to think you'd at least give mine a nod. IMO the other guy isn't response worthy on most subjects, doubly so when it comes to blades and boards. That said, I think the B's didn't 'fire the wrong guy' but rather they did not let enough guys go. I liked Cassidy but in my opinion it was time for him to go. That doesn't change the fact that Sweeney should have been gone well before him, the actions aren't mutually exclusive. When it comes to Boston's dismal drafts the failure is much more than just Sweeney though. Organizationally they just do not have a good eye for emerging talent. That failure is only compounded when the system the team is playing doesn't match up well with the bodies it is bringing in. Montgomery's system is clearly more focused on having the D stay off the half boards, playing higher in order to push the offense. Staying off the boards also allows the forwards to transition to offense much quicker. It does however require very good judgement on the outlet.

We've all seen highly drafted/rated guys who just don't make the transition to the NHL very well. No one with any hockey knowledge would say Studnicka was a developmental failure, his skills clearly plateaued. He was just one more in a long and sorry history of bad picks. Obviously Sweeney accepted that or he wouldn't have shipped him out so quickly with a new coach here.

 

[Deus Irae]

Yep, mean ol' Butch didn't give this less-than-useless, Charmin-soft, over-drafted ****ing stiff the ice time his GM wanted to see since he was the ****ing idiot who drafted him in the first place when there were better prospects still available...

#BruinsFiredTheWrongGuy

Well, now that Bruce is gone, I'm sure he'll thrive in the Bruins system, right?

 

[captain stone]

Another 4-plus-goal effort last night, and Ullmark might be having the best stretch of his career... Coyle - Freddie - Foligno with their best game (or at least period) of the season... Lindholm off to a terrific start...

Bs' 5-on-5 play has improved, as evidenced by their league-leading GPG average, but their PP has surprisingly & disappointingly been mediocre, including an oh-fer last night... That needs to change, if only so that great hustle plays that draw penalties - such as DeBrusk's when he lost his stick but still got a shot away - are rewarded with a goal... Makes players wanna play that much harder...

 

[maust]

The B's are off to their best start ever but by all means let's keep peeing into the wind over the firing of the coach they were tuning out and ignoring how good we have it right now. smdh

 

[jah]

How we feeling about Mitchell Miller?

 

[Kdo5]

How we feeling about Mitchell Miller?

I work with disabled individuals for a living and I can firmly say there are very few people you’ll find who are more disgusting than those that abuse the mentally and/or physically disadvantaged. Let alone bringing racial abuse into it.

Being a teenager is absolutely no excuse, it’s just purely the move of a wretched human being. Also he never apologized directly to the individual or his family. His only apologies were purely those required to have a career in hockey. In other words he has shown zero remorse for his actions.

If I had a 14 y/o who did what this guy did, I’d disown him. Then again I’m sure parenting played a role in who he is.

Sweeney completely ****ed up and should have done an instant U-turn once he realized his **** up. Speaks pretty damn poorly of him that he hasn’t.

Furthermore in regard to the team itself, it harms the good vibes of a club on a roll for no reason whatsoever. Pure stupidity by Bruins management. If this kid ever hits the ice wearing a Bruins uniform I hope the fans boo him when he touches the puck.

 

[lancerman]

Glad the NHL stepped in and saved us from ourselves.

 

[maust]

I played and coached youth hockey as have my sons, now their sons play. I find it unfathomable that in a game that is all about team and character that type of bullying could happen, it is counter to everything the game is about. Among the many lessons hockey teaches is the obligation of the strong is to protect the weak. You look out for your undersized or otherwise vulnerable teammates, you let no one push them around.

Obviously no one ignores their coaching (and human decency) to do the sh!t Miller did at 14 unless his parents are the kind of dirt bags that taught him might makes right & the Golden Rule is whoever has the gold makes the rules. That said, as an adult the hockey playing universe slapped Mitchell down hard when his actions came to light. That should have taught him perhaps it had somewhat different expectations of him and he needed to govern himself accordingly to get another shot at the opportunity his behavior had cost him. Did he take that lesson to heart and use it to address his parents' failures? Learn from it? Maybe apologize and try to make amends? Show any believable act of contrition? What did he do? What did he learn? Nothing.

Sweeney and Neely didn't make that decision on their own but they didn't say no to it either. Given the way the Jacobs family has run the Bruins it's a safe bet one, or both, of them are going to take the bullet for it though.

 

[captain stone]

On to more important matters...

WBZ Sports is reporting that Charlie McAvoy is expected to make his season debut for the Bs on Thursday night... Hoping this means the end of ancient Anton Strallman on the top 6.

 

[maust]

Pre-game skate confirms McAvoy is in the lineup

 

[captain stone]

The gang's all here now... Looks like they've settled on an 18 that works, with a small bit of extra defensive depth to boot... One of these days the backup Goalie's gonna have to start a game before Linus gets too burnt-out, however...

 

[maust]

The gang's all here now... Looks like they've settled on an 18 that works, with a small bit of extra defensive depth to boot... One of these days the backup Goalie's gonna have to start a game before Linus gets too burnt-out, however...

More than likely Kinkaid will get that debut start on Sunday. Back to back games against Buffalo & Vancouver this weekend, Buffalo being his old team and more importantly a division opponent should put Ulmark between the pipes Saturday.

McAvoy looked solid in his return, hopefully his shoulder feels up to snuff today. The D pairings solidify well with his return, all of them fall into their natural left/right shooting positions in their respective pairs which is huge. NGL though, looking forward to getting Forbort back and having Zboril as the taxi d-man. The PK will be even more solid when he's back alongside Carlo. Zboril has come a long way in a short time this season but Carlo's game opens up when he's playing next to someone as positionally sound and steady as Forbort.

 

[captain stone]

...The D pairings solidify well with his return, all of them fall into their natural left/right shooting positions in their respective pairs which is huge. NGL though, looking forward to getting Forbort back and having Zboril as the taxi d-man. The PK will be even more solid when he's back alongside Carlo. Zboril has come a long way in a short time this season but Carlo's game opens up when he's playing next to someone as positionally sound and steady as Forbort.

I actually prefer having Grizzle as a complement next to Carlo... Left & Right, small & big, shifty & strong, offense & defense... Having Carlo with Lil'Z or Norbert gives them a pairing with Zero offensive abilities to help the forwards...

Lindholm - Cliffie

Grizzle/Reilly - Carlo

Lil'Z/Norbert - Charlie Mac

 

[maust]

Surprised to see Kinkaid get the start tonight, horrified at the goal he gave up. He showed terrible judgement not coming out on that.
That said, he certainly tightened it up the rest of the way and did it quicker than the rest of the team who other than a few flashes pretty much didn't show up until the 3rd period. Good thing they are far and away the best 3rd period team in hockey.

 

[maust]

Better effort today against Vancouver, only sleepwalked through brief portions of 2 periods vs the first 50 minutes last night.

 

[captain stone]

What's also good to see is their PP clicking again...

Don't know if I like re-uniting the "perfection" line at the expense of the 2nd line however... It's beyond obvious that DeBrusk wants to play with Only Bergeron; and the coach is a big ol' meanie if he doesn't keep our Jake on the top line like that other big ol' meanie Butch refused to do...

Dude's just keeping Lysell's seat on that line warm for him anyway.