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Post by The OC on Mar 1, 2024 19:49:59 GMT
LoL see how sheltered Grzelcyk was and regret the signing. But playoff Grizz is coming. And we all have to take a bite out of a shit sandwich. I'm not convinced we do. Health permitting: Lindholm-McAvoy Lohrei-Carlo Forbort-Wotherspoon Grz. And I don't think that's just wishful drinking. I can see Montgomery prioritizing Wotherspoon for what he brings on the PK, and Lohrei for what we saw last night - making the PP2 more dangerous. I think Shattenkirk has a shot to push him further if they need more help scoring from the back end. I think they are mostly playing Grizz until the deadline to see if they can move him.
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Post by MrHulot on Mar 1, 2024 20:40:03 GMT
I get this once or twice a year with both Pastrnak and Marchand. I've hated the nancy pants dancy stuff they both do. It looks great when it works, but now that the league knows it's coming, they turn it over far more often than they succeed with those moves, and then they're chasing and playing D instead of using their skills in the offensive zone. Last night, as danny points out, Marchand was as guilty as anyone on not being able to get a clear. Tried to skate it out at one point and got got. Maddening. And telling that PP1 wasn't going to get the game winner on that PP. That was PP2. But at the end of the game you look and see 88 has two assists and is even despite the nasty mistake at the blueline and being one of the guilty parties standing around watching Pietrangelo whack at Sway. Somehow he's still a net positive it seems. Brick mentioned this at the end of the game with Pastrnak out there - there are different schools of though on how you close out games and who you use. One of those schools says that you want a guy like Pastrnak on the ice because he makes the opponents think about him getting past them for an ENG. I think there's some of that kind of influence on the opponent in general. They are more cautious against the Bruins because they know at any point Pastrnak has the ability to score. Sometimes he looks like he barely knows which direction to shoot, but when he's hot, he's as good a sniper as anyone in the league. They gameplan for him and he gets their best defensive players in matchups. That makes everyone else's job a bit easier. But man, just like plus/minus? You also have to look at that kind of less tangible minus. His linemates work to get set up in the zone and then he tries to dance three defenders and they have to chase back on a bad turnover. They lose zone time and offensive opportunities and waste a lot of energy just trying to cover for his brain farts. I don't think you could get back anything like equal value for what he brings. But man, do I get the urge to send him out for two punishing stay at home defenseman and a pick. The thing about creative players is that they need to be free to create. It's no difference than the brilliant passing of Marc Savard who had eyes in the back of his head, but at the same time, there are going to be times where a guy takes a chance and it doesn't work out. Marchand was the same way, and can still be now, but the same thing that drives us crazy as fans, is also what makes them great. They have the confidence to continue to be creative, under pressure, with the game on the line. For both of those guys, it works out more times than not. That's not to say their coaches shouldn't be reminding them of good "game management" like they preach to the rest of the team though. All the talk of "trade Pasta!" is absurd in my opinion. Pasta is on the road to being an all time great Bruins player and idiots see him blow a zone clear and want to trade him for a bag of pucks. It really is just stupid. Ray Bourque played here for 20 years and never won a cup. Bergy 20 years and won 1 cup. Both of those guys played a lot of playoff hockey that didn't go their way and that doesn't make them any less great than they are. Pasta is in the very top tier of NHL talent, just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. After those three, there are about a dozen or so other guys in that next tier that are on the level of Pasta and could even be mentioned in a trade for Pasta. Most of them that we'd want are also the face of their respective franchises and aren't going anywhere. Perhaps the ONLY person that I'd ever even conceive of the notion of trading Pasta for would be Draisaitle, and that's assuming contract parity is somehow worked out as part of that arrangement. Otherwise, people need to stop their bitching. Right now, it's just a tired rant by bitter old men. Pasta has 3 points and we lose in overtime, trade Pasta! We beat the reigning cup champs in a hard fought game that finally did NOT go to overtime, trade Pasta! It just makes no sense. Frankly, Pasta is one of 3 or 4 players on this team that I would not consider trading. Pasta, McAvoy, Swayman, and I'll throw Pooter and Lohrei in there because they are cheap and cost controlled for a while. Everyone else is on the table for the right price. Even Marchand, for say 2 firsts and a high end prospect. I wonder who's the idiot here - the one who calls a spade a spade, or the one who hero-worships a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word "effort". The latter, to me, is the definition of stupid, thank you. (Let's just point out for further reference that I wasn't the one who started using the words "idiot" and "stupid".)
Unlike Pastrfuck, both Bourque and Bergeron played hard every shift, and they still were very creative. I don't get what's so special about the spoiled brat from Havirov. It's not like he invented goal scoring.
IMHO, #88 may be in a very high tier of NHL talent, but he's much farther than just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. Those guys know (maybe Bedard is not quite there yet, but he will be) that they have to play a 200-foot game to be successful.
You want to trade Marchand - and maybe have Mr. Entitled Brat as team captain? See the first line of my post. Yes, that's right, that's what only an idiot would do.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 1, 2024 23:19:52 GMT
On the first part - Gostisbehere continues to be a terrible liability even as they continue to shelter him. He puts up a lot more points and is their top scoring D on the PP. But he can't play D. He's -14 on the same team where Olli Maatta is +18. There are all sorts of D who get sheltered as much or more than Grz who are out there because if you use them correctly, you can get some use out of them. He's far from the worst. You gotta remember book we don't give 2 fawks about "The Ghost" & his problems in his own end. That's Arizona's problem to deal with. The majority of Bruins fans want Grizz gone! I don't think if all they got was some hockey tape in the dea, most of us would be pretty happy that JM wouldn't have him as an option to put out there under any circumstances & I'll be very ok with that scenario! I'd rather they used anyone that's in their system & I could live with watching them making mistakes instead of watching that stupid fawk anymore! He's as useful as an ashtray on a fucking motorcycle! That's fine, but call it what it is. You don't like him. You're sick of him. He frustrates you because you hate how soft he is and the thing he does that coaches love don't mean sweet bugger all to fans. That's fine. You don't need to convince me he shouldn't be in the league, but if you try to, I'll point out 30 D who should be out of the league before Grz. The above was speaking to the idea that guys like Grz get contracts. 5-6-7 D have warts. Good teams are the ones that get the most out of the value of those players and minimize their flaws. Think about some of the shooters of the 80s and 90s. They never started a shift in the D zone and were instructed to get off the ice the second the opponent's top scorers jumped on. But in between, if you could get them a shot on net, they could rip it by NHL goalies, and that kept them in the league. The Chris Kellys of the world whose sticks were where offense went to die, and they never took a physical toll on anyone, but they won faceoffs and frustrated the opponent's attempts to score just by being relentlessly defensive. No one needs to argue that they have to shelter Grz, but the point is that if you use him right, you can get 20 points and a +20 season out of him on a good team. That's not universally true. I remember Matt Irwin.
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Post by The OC on Mar 2, 2024 1:07:06 GMT
The thing about creative players is that they need to be free to create. It's no difference than the brilliant passing of Marc Savard who had eyes in the back of his head, but at the same time, there are going to be times where a guy takes a chance and it doesn't work out. Marchand was the same way, and can still be now, but the same thing that drives us crazy as fans, is also what makes them great. They have the confidence to continue to be creative, under pressure, with the game on the line. For both of those guys, it works out more times than not. That's not to say their coaches shouldn't be reminding them of good "game management" like they preach to the rest of the team though. All the talk of "trade Pasta!" is absurd in my opinion. Pasta is on the road to being an all time great Bruins player and idiots see him blow a zone clear and want to trade him for a bag of pucks. It really is just stupid. Ray Bourque played here for 20 years and never won a cup. Bergy 20 years and won 1 cup. Both of those guys played a lot of playoff hockey that didn't go their way and that doesn't make them any less great than they are. Pasta is in the very top tier of NHL talent, just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. After those three, there are about a dozen or so other guys in that next tier that are on the level of Pasta and could even be mentioned in a trade for Pasta. Most of them that we'd want are also the face of their respective franchises and aren't going anywhere. Perhaps the ONLY person that I'd ever even conceive of the notion of trading Pasta for would be Draisaitle, and that's assuming contract parity is somehow worked out as part of that arrangement. Otherwise, people need to stop their bitching. Right now, it's just a tired rant by bitter old men. Pasta has 3 points and we lose in overtime, trade Pasta! We beat the reigning cup champs in a hard fought game that finally did NOT go to overtime, trade Pasta! It just makes no sense. Frankly, Pasta is one of 3 or 4 players on this team that I would not consider trading. Pasta, McAvoy, Swayman, and I'll throw Pooter and Lohrei in there because they are cheap and cost controlled for a while. Everyone else is on the table for the right price. Even Marchand, for say 2 firsts and a high end prospect. I wonder who's the idiot here - the one who calls a spade a spade, or the one who hero-worships a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word "effort". The latter, to me, is the definition of stupid, thank you. (Let's just point out for further reference that I wasn't the one who started using the words "idiot" and "stupid".)
Unlike Pastrfuck, both Bourque and Bergeron played hard every shift, and they still were very creative. I don't get what's so special about the spoiled brat from Havirov. It's not like he invented goal scoring.
IMHO, #88 may be in a very high tier of NHL talent, but he's much farther than just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. Those guys know (maybe Bedard is not quite there yet, but he will be) that they have to play a 200-foot game to be successful.
You want to trade Marchand - and maybe have Mr. Entitled Brat as team captain? See the first line of my post. Yes, that's right, that's what only an idiot would do.
You think you're calling a spade a spade, but I just see you not understanding the player.
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Post by chappy28 on Mar 2, 2024 2:36:17 GMT
The thing about creative players is that they need to be free to create. It's no difference than the brilliant passing of Marc Savard who had eyes in the back of his head, but at the same time, there are going to be times where a guy takes a chance and it doesn't work out. Marchand was the same way, and can still be now, but the same thing that drives us crazy as fans, is also what makes them great. They have the confidence to continue to be creative, under pressure, with the game on the line. For both of those guys, it works out more times than not. That's not to say their coaches shouldn't be reminding them of good "game management" like they preach to the rest of the team though. All the talk of "trade Pasta!" is absurd in my opinion. Pasta is on the road to being an all time great Bruins player and idiots see him blow a zone clear and want to trade him for a bag of pucks. It really is just stupid. Ray Bourque played here for 20 years and never won a cup. Bergy 20 years and won 1 cup. Both of those guys played a lot of playoff hockey that didn't go their way and that doesn't make them any less great than they are. Pasta is in the very top tier of NHL talent, just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. After those three, there are about a dozen or so other guys in that next tier that are on the level of Pasta and could even be mentioned in a trade for Pasta. Most of them that we'd want are also the face of their respective franchises and aren't going anywhere. Perhaps the ONLY person that I'd ever even conceive of the notion of trading Pasta for would be Draisaitle, and that's assuming contract parity is somehow worked out as part of that arrangement. Otherwise, people need to stop their bitching. Right now, it's just a tired rant by bitter old men. Pasta has 3 points and we lose in overtime, trade Pasta! We beat the reigning cup champs in a hard fought game that finally did NOT go to overtime, trade Pasta! It just makes no sense. Frankly, Pasta is one of 3 or 4 players on this team that I would not consider trading. Pasta, McAvoy, Swayman, and I'll throw Pooter and Lohrei in there because they are cheap and cost controlled for a while. Everyone else is on the table for the right price. Even Marchand, for say 2 firsts and a high end prospect. I wonder who's the idiot here - the one who calls a spade a spade, or the one who hero-worships a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word "effort". The latter, to me, is the definition of stupid, thank you. (Let's just point out for further reference that I wasn't the one who started using the words "idiot" and "stupid".)
Unlike Pastrfuck, both Bourque and Bergeron played hard every shift, and they still were very creative. I don't get what's so special about the spoiled brat from Havirov. It's not like he invented goal scoring.
IMHO, #88 may be in a very high tier of NHL talent, but he's much farther than just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. Those guys know (maybe Bedard is not quite there yet, but he will be) that they have to play a 200-foot game to be successful.
You want to trade Marchand - and maybe have Mr. Entitled Brat as team captain? See the first line of my post. Yes, that's right, that's what only an idiot would do.
the thing is, if he were as lazy as you seem to see him as, he be more of a liability and he wouldn't be at the top of the team board in plus/minus. He's score a bunch of goals, and he'd also lose his man so much that he'd get scored on just as much. Kind of like young Ovi. But that's not actually what's happening. In fact, we lost two "all world" 200 ft responsible centermen that you presumably ascribe most of his success to, and he responded by being more of a playmaker and carrying whatever guys he is on the ice with along for the offense. So yeah, I'm sorry, but we'll just have to agree to disagree. You seem awfully triggered a by the best pure goal scorer in a B's uniform since Neely. Maybe there's some history there and a some pretty boy with a happy go lucky attitude took your girl or your ice time in high school or some such trauma. I just don't see what you see. I see a guy who is likely the MVP of this team consistently providing offense despite a huge step down in his centermen for the first time in his career. Sure he's frustrating because more times that not he's going for the tricky/risky play, but I just don't see the laziness. I certainly don't see entitlement or brattiness. And I don't see anything that makes me thing he's the root of this teams problems and a guy who should be shopped as a poison to the team culture. What am I missing exactly? For every one play you reference of him f'ing up or being "lazy" I can probably produce 3-4 examples of him being a really effective hockey player.
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Post by pastamon on Mar 2, 2024 4:33:48 GMT
Pasta can score, no doubt, but i do see the laziness/brain farts, esp. in crunchtime, in OT he looks slow/tired out there. Not a great 2 way player obviously. Yet.
Kucherov used to be the same way but now he plays the full rink, no reason Pasta can't improve like Kuch did, i blame Monty for putting him out there when he is clearly gassed.
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Post by fiberglassmask on Mar 2, 2024 6:49:22 GMT
This is the Vegas lineup for tonight: Brendan Brisson -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault Ivan Barbashev -- Chandler Stephenson -- Michael Amadio Paul Cotter -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar Mason Morelli -- Bryson Froese -- Sheldon Rempal Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud Adin Hill Logan Thompson That is not a defending Stanley Cup roster. The D remains pretty solid and Karlsson and Marchessault deserve some respect, but Stephenson is having a bad year at a bad time for him since he's UFA, and Brendan Brisson is on game 10 of his career. Amadio is a journeyman. Barbashev isn't a 60 point guy except on his best terms. He's likely to land somewhere in the 45-50 zone like last year while playing an aggressive and physical game. Cotter, Kolesar, Morelli, Froese and Rempal might as well be the next Menudo. If the Bruins can break down that D and beat Hill a couple of times, this is a game where they shouldn't feel much fear that the opponent can come back if they're not careful. I mean, NHL players and all, so don't be stupid, but no fear. Between criticizing Stephenson and intimating the Vegans can’t come back, this post didn’t age well.
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Post by thanx4memORRies on Mar 2, 2024 13:24:30 GMT
This is the Vegas lineup for tonight: Brendan Brisson -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault Ivan Barbashev -- Chandler Stephenson -- Michael Amadio Paul Cotter -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar Mason Morelli -- Bryson Froese -- Sheldon Rempal Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud Adin Hill Logan Thompson That is not a defending Stanley Cup roster. The D remains pretty solid and Karlsson and Marchessault deserve some respect, but Stephenson is having a bad year at a bad time for him since he's UFA, and Brendan Brisson is on game 10 of his career. Amadio is a journeyman. Barbashev isn't a 60 point guy except on his best terms. He's likely to land somewhere in the 45-50 zone like last year while playing an aggressive and physical game. Cotter, Kolesar, Morelli, Froese and Rempal might as well be the next Menudo. If the Bruins can break down that D and beat Hill a couple of times, this is a game where they shouldn't feel much fear that the opponent can come back if they're not careful. I mean, NHL players and all, so don't be stupid, but no fear. Between criticizing Stephenson and intimating the Vegans can’t come back, this post didn’t age well. And Amadio and Kolesar didn’t look out of place in last year’s playoffs either….
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Post by nitelite on Mar 2, 2024 14:03:56 GMT
I wonder who's the idiot here - the one who calls a spade a spade, or the one who hero-worships a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word "effort". The latter, to me, is the definition of stupid, thank you. (Let's just point out for further reference that I wasn't the one who started using the words "idiot" and "stupid".)
Unlike Pastrfuck, both Bourque and Bergeron played hard every shift, and they still were very creative. I don't get what's so special about the spoiled brat from Havirov. It's not like he invented goal scoring.
IMHO, #88 may be in a very high tier of NHL talent, but he's much farther than just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. Those guys know (maybe Bedard is not quite there yet, but he will be) that they have to play a 200-foot game to be successful.
You want to trade Marchand - and maybe have Mr. Entitled Brat as team captain? See the first line of my post. Yes, that's right, that's what only an idiot would do.
You think you're calling a spade a spade, but I just see you not understanding the player. I have to agree with you! Someone is certainly missing something here!
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Post by nitelite on Mar 2, 2024 14:18:22 GMT
You gotta remember book we don't give 2 fawks about "The Ghost" & his problems in his own end. That's Arizona's problem to deal with. The majority of Bruins fans want Grizz gone! I don't think if all they got was some hockey tape in the dea, most of us would be pretty happy that JM wouldn't have him as an option to put out there under any circumstances & I'll be very ok with that scenario! I'd rather they used anyone that's in their system & I could live with watching them making mistakes instead of watching that stupid fawk anymore! He's as useful as an ashtray on a fucking motorcycle! That's fine, but call it what it is. You don't like him. You're sick of him. He frustrates you because you hate how soft he is and the thing he does that coaches love don't mean sweet bugger all to fans. That's fine. You don't need to convince me he shouldn't be in the league, but if you try to, I'll point out 30 D who should be out of the league before Grz. The above was speaking to the idea that guys like Grz get contracts. 5-6-7 D have warts. Good teams are the ones that get the most out of the value of those players and minimize their flaws. Think about some of the shooters of the 80s and 90s. They never started a shift in the D zone and were instructed to get off the ice the second the opponent's top scorers jumped on. But in between, if you could get them a shot on net, they could rip it by NHL goalies, and that kept them in the league. The Chris Kellys of the world whose sticks were where offense went to die, and they never took a physical toll on anyone, but they won faceoffs and frustrated the opponent's attempts to score just by being relentlessly defensive. No one needs to argue that they have to shelter Grz, but the point is that if you use him right, you can get 20 points and a +20 season out of him on a good team. That's not universally true. I remember Matt Irwin. I also remember what a lot of us said about Kevan Miller midway thru his career. He came in strong, then he got himself the nickname "giggles"! Then he ended up being one the B's most honest d-men. Unfortunately he couldn't stay healthy once he became more reliable. Grizz has gone backwards in so many areas of his game. I'm sure JM & the rest of the coaching staff have their reasons to keep putting the twat out there, but if you need to look that hard to find something good in a player? It's so miniscule & not able to be seen by the naked eye, or the majority of armchair GM's? Then I think it's time for the screen door on a submarine to be released into shark infested waters!
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Post by dannycater on Mar 2, 2024 14:25:14 GMT
Pasta can score, no doubt, but i do see the laziness/brain farts, esp. in crunchtime, in OT he looks slow/tired out there. Not a great 2 way player obviously. Yet. Kucherov used to be the same way but now he plays the full rink, no reason Pasta can't improve like Kuch did, i blame Monty for putting him out there when he is clearly gassed. The being gassed part is more accurate than almost anything about Pasta...he has a tendency to stay on too long on a variety of shifts, especially in OT...I mentioned this before that you have to trust other guys. Sure, Pasta has the ability to play the high minutes every game but he needs to do shorter shifts on PP and in OT...That's Monty having to have a "talk" with him. He has to be fresher on those shifts later in games.
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Post by #4 Bobby Orr! GOAT! on Mar 2, 2024 14:40:39 GMT
That's fine, but call it what it is. You don't like him. You're sick of him. He frustrates you because you hate how soft he is and the thing he does that coaches love don't mean sweet bugger all to fans. That's fine. You don't need to convince me he shouldn't be in the league, but if you try to, I'll point out 30 D who should be out of the league before Grz. The above was speaking to the idea that guys like Grz get contracts. 5-6-7 D have warts. Good teams are the ones that get the most out of the value of those players and minimize their flaws. Think about some of the shooters of the 80s and 90s. They never started a shift in the D zone and were instructed to get off the ice the second the opponent's top scorers jumped on. But in between, if you could get them a shot on net, they could rip it by NHL goalies, and that kept them in the league. The Chris Kellys of the world whose sticks were where offense went to die, and they never took a physical toll on anyone, but they won faceoffs and frustrated the opponent's attempts to score just by being relentlessly defensive. No one needs to argue that they have to shelter Grz, but the point is that if you use him right, you can get 20 points and a +20 season out of him on a good team. That's not universally true. I remember Matt Irwin. I also remember what a lot of us said about Kevan Miller midway thru his career. He came in strong, then he got himself the nickname "giggles"! Then he ended up being one the B's most honest d-men. Unfortunately he couldn't stay healthy once he became more reliable. Grizz has gone backwards in so many areas of his game. I'm sure JM & the rest of the coaching staff have their reasons to keep putting the twat out there, but if you need to look that hard to find something good in a player? It's so miniscule & not able to be seen by the naked eye, or the majority of armchair GM's? Then I think it's time for the screen door on a submarine to be released into shark infested waters! Is this a breaking story, he’s being traded to the sharks.
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Post by nitelite on Mar 2, 2024 16:21:21 GMT
I also remember what a lot of us said about Kevan Miller midway thru his career. He came in strong, then he got himself the nickname "giggles"! Then he ended up being one the B's most honest d-men. Unfortunately he couldn't stay healthy once he became more reliable. Grizz has gone backwards in so many areas of his game. I'm sure JM & the rest of the coaching staff have their reasons to keep putting the twat out there, but if you need to look that hard to find something good in a player? It's so miniscule & not able to be seen by the naked eye, or the majority of armchair GM's? Then I think it's time for the screen door on a submarine to be released into shark infested waters! Is this a breaking story, he’s being traded to the sharks. One could only hope!
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Post by davinator on Mar 2, 2024 17:03:59 GMT
Well, I predict that this GDT thread will surpass the Kraken game's 8 pages if the Bruins don't close this out. Even in victory, 9 pages seems imminent...however, the "Pasta is lazy" portion of the thread seems to bloat most threads on this board lately....oh, and "Gryz sucks" posts.
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Post by MrHulot on Mar 2, 2024 18:53:50 GMT
I wonder who's the idiot here - the one who calls a spade a spade, or the one who hero-worships a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word "effort". The latter, to me, is the definition of stupid, thank you. (Let's just point out for further reference that I wasn't the one who started using the words "idiot" and "stupid".)
Unlike Pastrfuck, both Bourque and Bergeron played hard every shift, and they still were very creative. I don't get what's so special about the spoiled brat from Havirov. It's not like he invented goal scoring.
IMHO, #88 may be in a very high tier of NHL talent, but he's much farther than just a smidge away from the "generational" players like Crosby, McJesus, and Bedard. Those guys know (maybe Bedard is not quite there yet, but he will be) that they have to play a 200-foot game to be successful.
You want to trade Marchand - and maybe have Mr. Entitled Brat as team captain? See the first line of my post. Yes, that's right, that's what only an idiot would do.
You think you're calling a spade a spade, but I just see you not understanding the player. What's there not to understand? He doesn't want to play hard, he prefers to see himself as an artist or whatever. (And that's not good for your team's structure either.) Fuck him. I don't like guys who don't want to play hard. Even Denis Savard could dish out a check. Krejc wouldn't have been that good had he played like a lazy spoiled brat like Pastrfuck.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 2, 2024 19:05:33 GMT
This is the Vegas lineup for tonight: Brendan Brisson -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault Ivan Barbashev -- Chandler Stephenson -- Michael Amadio Paul Cotter -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar Mason Morelli -- Bryson Froese -- Sheldon Rempal Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud Adin Hill Logan Thompson That is not a defending Stanley Cup roster. The D remains pretty solid and Karlsson and Marchessault deserve some respect, but Stephenson is having a bad year at a bad time for him since he's UFA, and Brendan Brisson is on game 10 of his career. Amadio is a journeyman. Barbashev isn't a 60 point guy except on his best terms. He's likely to land somewhere in the 45-50 zone like last year while playing an aggressive and physical game. Cotter, Kolesar, Morelli, Froese and Rempal might as well be the next Menudo. If the Bruins can break down that D and beat Hill a couple of times, this is a game where they shouldn't feel much fear that the opponent can come back if they're not careful. I mean, NHL players and all, so don't be stupid, but no fear. Between criticizing Stephenson and intimating the Vegans can’t come back, this post didn’t age well. Oh, it was inevitable. Like I said three minutes into the game "Swayman's got a hell of a shutout streak going, here!" 1. I have Stephenson in BNFH. He's been a player I've said should be on the Bruins radar as a C option who won't kill you in terms of Cap Hit - under-appreciated because the Knights went out and got Eichel, but a point/game C for a couple of years now. But he's been brutal as a fantasy asset, so I'm keenly aware that he hasn't produced up to his recent standard. I didn't start him for this game because I thought I had 4 better C options. 2. Did you remember that Paul Cotter had two goals against Boston the last time they were in the Garden? I didn't. But you won't forget it after he bunted in a goal to prompt fifty statements that he has 3 in his last 2 games in Boston. He's literally their leading scorer in games in Boston over the last two seasons. OK, sure, that's two games, but....Cotter has 20 goals in his last 114 games. 3 vs. Boston in Boston. 3. Fucking Pietrangelo. I should point out, though, that I did say "don't be stupid." So I think I'm covered given the way the Bruins failed to cover on three of the four goals.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 2, 2024 19:24:03 GMT
That's fine, but call it what it is. You don't like him. You're sick of him. He frustrates you because you hate how soft he is and the thing he does that coaches love don't mean sweet bugger all to fans. That's fine. You don't need to convince me he shouldn't be in the league, but if you try to, I'll point out 30 D who should be out of the league before Grz. The above was speaking to the idea that guys like Grz get contracts. 5-6-7 D have warts. Good teams are the ones that get the most out of the value of those players and minimize their flaws. Think about some of the shooters of the 80s and 90s. They never started a shift in the D zone and were instructed to get off the ice the second the opponent's top scorers jumped on. But in between, if you could get them a shot on net, they could rip it by NHL goalies, and that kept them in the league. The Chris Kellys of the world whose sticks were where offense went to die, and they never took a physical toll on anyone, but they won faceoffs and frustrated the opponent's attempts to score just by being relentlessly defensive. No one needs to argue that they have to shelter Grz, but the point is that if you use him right, you can get 20 points and a +20 season out of him on a good team. That's not universally true. I remember Matt Irwin. I also remember what a lot of us said about Kevan Miller midway thru his career. He came in strong, then he got himself the nickname "giggles"! Then he ended up being one the B's most honest d-men. Unfortunately he couldn't stay healthy once he became more reliable. Grizz has gone backwards in so many areas of his game. I'm sure JM & the rest of the coaching staff have their reasons to keep putting the twat out there, but if you need to look that hard to find something good in a player? It's so miniscule & not able to be seen by the naked eye, or the majority of armchair GM's? Then I think it's time for the screen door on a submarine to be released into shark infested waters! 100% Grz has been worse this year than last, and I think he started getting worse last year. I think his surgery took a bit of a toll on a guy who was already not built for the beating an NHL D has to take. And he's not a kid. He just turned 30. He's not going to get better. As for what we see in him and what the coaches see? I think we don't know what they ask or expect of him. They aren't worse judges of talent than we are, and they watch everything live whereas most of us on this board are lucky to get to a couple of games live per year. You want to appreciate a player whose value is that he's always where his partner expects him to be and always in a lane that takes away an option and forces an opponent to make a riskier play or any of those things that make you a player who is almost bolted in to the team's defensive structure, you probably have to watch live because a lot of it happens away from the puck and the camera is bad at showing it. And I will continue to come back to the fact that he's always got a decent plus minus, and while HIS plus/minus is best when he's with McAvoy, McAvoy's plus minus is only great when he's with Grz or Lindholm. By which I mean to show that while Charlie shelters Grz, it's not just that he's unsheltered when playing with Shittenkrack or whoever - it's that he's exposed to a player who drives minuses to the point that even being sheltered by McAvoy doesn't help them. It's not a sheltered to neutral comparison. It's penthouse to outhouse. But none of that really matters because the point is it's time to move him. His decline is likely to continue, he's likely to get better offers on the open market than any sane Bruin fan thinks he should get, and with the arrival of Lohrei, I think Montgomery can settle into a Lindholm-McAvoy, Lohrei-Carlo top 4 and Sweeney can concentrate on using that $4M Grz gets to pay two guys who play D with some nasty.
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Post by RichHillOntario on Mar 3, 2024 1:29:09 GMT
Man, I hate when you bring logical reasoning into my internal crusade to get his useless self off the club. Sometimes before games, I'll imagine scenarious where he'll be seen as the underinflated tire on the Bruins' Chevy Equinox of a defense: A) McAvoy gets hit from behind into the glass. Grit-less is closest to the incident and does one of two things: 1. Skates towards the offending player, passes him to attend to his defensemate. 2. Does Number 1 while his slightly less timid mates come storming only to jostle said offending player. B) An opposing player cuts hard to the net and runs over a Bruin goaltender. Both players are on the ice as is 48. He applies a mild cross-check to the prone enemy player. C) An opposing player sets up camp on the lip of the crease in front of Boston's net. Grit-less impersonates a horsefly trying to move a rhino while the opposing player gets one, two, three whacks at the puck in front of Ullmark or Swayman who are frantically trying to cover the puck. Stats don't lie but can't they be deceptive? I think I recently read this guy was a + 46 or something last year. What?!? Please tell me that was a byproduct of who he was regularly on the ice with starting with 73 and the goals and scoring chances McAvoy helped to generate. Whatever the expectations are that Bruins management has for this guy, he must somehow be meeting or exceeding them for the GM and President to even consider keeping Matt Grit-less long term. I don't think they'll keep him. I don't think they want to pay him at his current rate and I think he's going to take his crazy plus-minus to market. Odds are good in my mind that he's going to be one of those smaller players who seems to last in the league because he goes from one market to the other in two or three year stints for his last decade, and at first they love him because everyone says "he's just so smart!" and they praise the angles he takes and his quick stick and good first passes. Then they see a few too many rhinos swatting the fly away and eventually they sour on him. But he still has attractive stat lines...so someone else brings him in at too much money. I think there's also a possibility he goes to a team that needs him on the PP and thinks he might be a viable plan B QB. I will look back fondly on your first sentence first next week and if not then, in the summer hoping he'll be wearing another jersey. No good teammate is going to be on the bench watching him try to stick-check an on-rushing forward and outwordly even mumble "Fuckin' useless" but I wouldn't doubt the thought enters their mind. I can't convince myself the Bruins are better with him on the ice.
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 3, 2024 2:03:52 GMT
I don't think they'll keep him. I don't think they want to pay him at his current rate and I think he's going to take his crazy plus-minus to market. Odds are good in my mind that he's going to be one of those smaller players who seems to last in the league because he goes from one market to the other in two or three year stints for his last decade, and at first they love him because everyone says "he's just so smart!" and they praise the angles he takes and his quick stick and good first passes. Then they see a few too many rhinos swatting the fly away and eventually they sour on him. But he still has attractive stat lines...so someone else brings him in at too much money. I think there's also a possibility he goes to a team that needs him on the PP and thinks he might be a viable plan B QB. I will look back fondly on your first sentence first next week and if not then, in the summer hoping he'll be wearing another jersey. No good teammate is going to be on the bench watching him try to stick-check an on-rushing forward and outwordly even mumble "Fuckin' useless" but I wouldn't doubt the thought enters their mind. I can't convince myself the Bruins are better with him on the ice. They're making a case for him. This game is all a ploy by the players to make sure the team re-signs Grz. Don't fall for it, Sweeney!!
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Post by dannycater on Mar 4, 2024 14:32:19 GMT
I will look back fondly on your first sentence first next week and if not then, in the summer hoping he'll be wearing another jersey. No good teammate is going to be on the bench watching him try to stick-check an on-rushing forward and outwordly even mumble "Fuckin' useless" but I wouldn't doubt the thought enters their mind. I can't convince myself the Bruins are better with him on the ice. They're making a case for him. This game is all a ploy by the players to make sure the team re-signs Grz. Don't fall for it, Sweeney!! sign him! sign him! oh wait, I mean waive him! waive him!...no sign him!
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Post by bookboy007 on Mar 4, 2024 17:57:47 GMT
They're making a case for him. This game is all a ploy by the players to make sure the team re-signs Grz. Don't fall for it, Sweeney!! sign him! sign him! oh wait, I mean waive him! waive him!...no sign him! I think we can all acknowledge that the Bruins didn't lose that game because Grz was out of the lineup, and that him being out when they pitch their worst game of the year is meaningless. Right? So why has it been so difficult to get people to accept that he's also not the reason they're playing shitty hockey when he IS on the roster? Is Grz shitty? Yes. Is his shittiness the reason for the team playing shitty? No, not significantly. They have a lot of other problems.
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