2022-23 Bruins Season

The Mort Report

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Y’all are just distracted by the model. He makes any sweater look good

Edit: any Bruins sweater. They could be polka dot and he’d pull them off
 

Haunted

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Aug 23, 2006
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Meh. I don’t love or hate them. They could grow on me. Whatever, they aren’t stupid and that’s about the best I hope for with any one-off uniform.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Meh. I don’t love or hate them. They could grow on me. Whatever, they aren’t stupid and that’s about the best I hope for with any one-off uniform.
The BarDown kids from TSN had the Bruins highly ranked in a podcast about each team’s jersey history. Their conclusion is that they almost never make an abjectly horrible sweater.
 

Haunted

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The BarDown kids from TSN had the Bruins highly ranked in a podcast about each team’s jersey history. Their conclusion is that they almost never make an abjectly horrible sweater.
I'd agree with that, but depending on your definition of "abjectly horrible", you could probably say the same for most teams.
 

changer591

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I'm actually a Jack Edwards fan. I haven't been able to watch as many Bruins games in the past few years ever since NESN became unavailable for me. For the first time this season, I paid attention to Jack and...it's not good. He sounds like the announcer in an NHL video game over two decades ago...let's go with NHL '99 on the PC. Seriously, all he does is call out the players names and basic actions. He speaks like he's using a limited dictionary of words...it's the same phrases and everything is a step slower. He is nothing like he was 5 years ago. It's actually a bit sad because I consider him to be large part of my memories of this very successful period of Bruins hockey (I like to call it the Bergeron Age).
 

Myt1

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Hey, everyone. Just so you know, the NHL record for wins in a season is 62. So, the Bruins are gonna blow that out of the water.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Hey, everyone. Just so you know, the NHL record for wins in a season is 62. So, the Bruins are gonna blow that out of the water.
It's pretty insane what they are doing. I was pretty down on this team going into last season. I thought the roster had gotten stale and there was no path/plan forward. Then this offseason was crazy, they fired the coach and got the band back together and everything is gold.

It's been an enjoyable ride so far. I hope it continues, this has the potential to be a very special season.
 

wiffleballhero

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Hey, everyone. Just so you know, the NHL record for wins in a season is 62. So, the Bruins are gonna blow that out of the water.

If they get through next Sunday still on this roll, they would be at the 1/3 mark looking like they could challenge this win record, for sure. At that point, they will have also finished the hardest nine game gauntlet they'll likely face before the playoffs.* Not to jinx it, but if they are at 24-3 after Sunday with 55 left, that is only a 38-17 pace for the 2/3s remaining to tie the 62 win record.

Even the current need for a 42-17 pace to tie does not seem crazy.

Unbelievable.

* We'll see if they come back to earth this week, but I'm as impressed by the way they are playing in this November 21-forward run as I am by the overall record.
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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If they get through next Sunday still on this roll, they would be at the 1/3 mark looking like they could challenge this win record, for sure. At that point, they will have also finished the hardest nine game gauntlet they'll likely face before the playoffs.* Not to jinx it, but if they are at 24-3 after Sunday with 55 left, that is only a 38-17 pace for the 2/3s remaining to tie the 62 win record.

Even the current need for a 42-17 pace to tie does not seem crazy.

Unbelievable.

* We'll see if they come back to earth this week, but I'm as impressed by the way they are playing in this November 21-forward run as I am by the overall record.
I think we'll start seeing some rest and phantom "injuries" for some of the vets as the season progresses. The only thing that can slow this team down at this point is injuries, and age related wearing down. Guys like Krejci, Bergeron, Foligno, even Marchand and Ullmark could use some load management to keep the legs somewhat fresh for the playoffs. I'm not advocating for the team taking the foot off the gas - but keeping every one healthy for a long playoff run would be smart.
 

wiffleballhero

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I think we'll start seeing some rest and phantom "injuries" for some of the vets as the season progresses. The only thing that can slow this team down at this point is injuries, and age related wearing down. Guys like Krejci, Bergeron, Foligno, even Marchand and Ullmark could use some load management to keep the legs somewhat fresh for the playoffs. I'm not advocating for the team taking the foot off the gas - but keeping every one healthy for a long playoff run would be smart.
Yes.

It is a little annoying that both NJ and Toronto are also playing so well. Load management matters way more than competing against 95/96 Red Wings, but I'd hate to not see this run translate into home ice advantage for the duration.

(edit: I'd settle for getting above the 76-77 Montreal team with 60 wins)
 

cshea

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We're kind of a long way away from load management, if they can even get to a place to do it. It's more difficult to do in the NHL than other sports because of roster limits and the salary cap. At the moment the Bruins are carrying 2 extra skaters (Zboril and Smith) and do not have enough cap space to call someone up from Providence to fill the 1 vacant roster position. After the trade deadline the roster limits go away and you can carry as many players as you want, provided you can fit them under the cap, but you are only allowed 4 recalls from your AHL team until the AHL team season ends (Providence is 1st).

I'd love to do it but it's not as easy as it sounds. The only real option is to rotate the extra F and D in each game and sit 2 regulars.
 

TFP

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You can try, but a lot of the TOI is determined by special teams. Do you want to start rolling out the 4th line on the PP? Also not all minutes are created the same - 2 mins on the PP are way easier than 2 mins of PK running around your own zone.

So while I agree there will likely be some sort of load management, it's really difficult to do consistently. The better way is the schedule outside of games - give guys days off and ways to relax and stay recharged. The in game minutes aren't as big of a concern.
 

biff_hardbody

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A big part of reducing in-game minutes and giving players games off as a rest day is to reduce the opportunity for injury, right? I don't think the concern is too many minutes - it's that in any of those minutes a guy can be exposed to a cheap shot from some 10th place team's 4th liner who is trying to earn a spot for the 23-24 season (or a freak injury along the boards, etc.).

To that end, rotating the 13th forward and 7th D as the season goes along would be beneficial.
 

joe dokes

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A big part of reducing in-game minutes and giving players games off as a rest day is to reduce the opportunity for injury, right? I don't think the concern is too many minutes - it's that in any of those minutes a guy can be exposed to a cheap shot from some 10th place team's 4th liner who is trying to earn a spot for the 23-24 season (or a freak injury along the boards, etc.).

To that end, rotating the 13th forward and 7th D as the season goes along would be beneficial.
It's also a way to keep the two spares sharp by playing them a few games in a row, replacing two different regulars each game. Ultimately, though, the bulk of the "rest" will, as TFP suggests, probably come in non-game situations.
 

cshea

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They do manage minutes where they can but it's not consistent. If they are up big late they can skip a Bergeron shift, use Forbort/Clifton mroe than McAvoy and Lindholm, etc. but that's nibbling around the edges. 30 seconds here, a minute there, etc. In the grand scheme of things it won't make much of a long-term impact. If you cut Bergeron's minutes by 1 minute a game the rest of the way, that's a total of 59 less minutes played. I'm not sure that really would have much of an impact on him.

As TFP mentioned it's mostly the non-game day schedule where they incorporate load management. So far this season Monty has given them A LOT of days off, in part as a reward for how well they've played but also for long term rest and recovery. When they do practice, it's essentially optional for Bergeron. I'm guessing Marchand and other veterans will be given similar leeway as the season progresses.
 

DJnVa

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Bruins’ Taylor Hall may be turning into NHL’s best third-line left wing

Hall has 15 five-on-five points, second-most on the Bruins after Pastrnak (17). He is averaging 2.78 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which entering play Thursday, ranked 20th in the NHL among forwards with 300 or more five-on-five minutes and seventh among left wings, per Natural Stat Trick.

The difference between Hall and his fellow left wings leaguewide, though, is his role.

Consider that Jason Robertson, Jeff Skinner, Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, all in Hall’s points-per-60 neighborhood, are No. 1 left wings. Hall is making his noise on the third line, where he skates fewer shifts and plays with linemates who are not primarily tasked with producing offensive thunderclaps.
 

j44thor

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The article title is cute suggesting he is turning into the top 3rd line LW. Reality is he is a 1/2 LW playing on a stacked team thus playing 3rd line. Worth noting though that his salary is tied for 18 TH among all LWs so lets not get too carried away calling him a 3rd liner. I do think he has been sensational this season and one of their most consistent players.
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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Toews points have really fallen off - and I’m not sure where he fits as a C, unless you want to move Coyle to the 4th and have Toews centering Hall and Frederick?

Kane at least makes a ton of sense on that 3rd line with Coyle/Hall. Bumping Frederick to the 4th line also makes a ton of sense.
 

cshea

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To be honest, digging in a little, Kane and Toews are producting roughly equally, and it's really ugly for both players. At even strength Kane is getting 1.06 points per 60 and Toews is just behind at 0.96. To give that some context, Connor Clifton is scoring at 1.07 points per 60 at even strength for the Bruins. Kane point total is largely due to 12 power play points. That sounds like a lot but he's playing almost 4 minutes a night on the PP so his points per 60 on the PP is pretty middling, about equivalent to Nick Foligno's PP production for Boston.

Chicago is really, really bad so that's something to take into account. Have to kind of trust the pro scouts to determine if a change of scenery and a better supporting case would change things.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Just for his comments on the Beach situation he made this year, I’m not all that willing to overlook either his drop-off or the associated cap hit. I get that Toews has a bit of respect around the league, but he wouldn’t be tremendously helpful, take up a disproportionate amount of resources, and could upset the apple cart (it wouldn’t be on the level of the Miller incident, but right now, anyone brought in for this season should be a guarantee to help.).
 

Haunted

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Just for his comments on the Beach situation he made this year, I’m not all that willing to overlook either his drop-off or the associated cap hit. I get that Toews has a bit of respect around the league, but he wouldn’t be tremendously helpful, take up a disproportionate amount of resources, and could upset the apple cart (it wouldn’t be on the level of the Miller incident, but right now, anyone brought in for this season should be a guarantee to help.).
I’d prefer they perform due diligence since shit happens.
I agree with both of these posts. Toews deserves the flack he took/is taking for his ridiculous part of the Beach situation. In general I want nothing to do with anyone involved with that.


But as Kenneycb notes, due dilligence doesn't hurt.



But ... then again, I'm pretty sure the only actual lesson learned by Sweeney and Neely with their recent own bullying situation is that fans are whiny. So I don't exactly trust them to do the right thing on much of anything.
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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Don't understand why they even need to make a move
I think the idea behind any move is that this is likely the last rodeo for Bergeron and Krejci, so might as well push all the chips in and go for it, future be damned.

Kane or Toews would be an upgrade over Frederick or Nosek, so why not?
 

Marciano490

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Are there chemistry concerns with another mouth to feed? Especially with top players already further down the depth chart.
 

cshea

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Don't understand why they even need to make a move
Why wouldn't they?

They've been rolling and have no glaring holes or weaknesses but it doesn't mean they should just be content and let the season play out. They were playing like this in 2014, shrugged their shoulders at the deadline and just added Meszaros and ended up regretting not doing more (believe that was the year they could've had Vanek for peanuts). At thye moment they are overwhelming favorites to win the Stanley Cup by most public models. Hockey-reference gives them an 18% chance, Dom's model at the Athletic has them at a whopping 27% chance (I don't think i've ever seen an in season number that high in his model). I think the nature of hockey and playoff hockey means there's no such magical over-the-top move that would guarantee a Cup but it doesn't mean they shouldn't try to maximize what they have going here. Add in the question marks surrounding Bergeron and Krejci's future and it feels like a no brainer to me to shove whatever chips they have in to try to win one now.

I'm not too worried about chemistry. They aren't going to blow up the core. If they trade roster players it will be guys that are already somewhat unhappy about their situation and/or not contributing (Reilly, Smith) or bottom of the roster sucks-to-lose them but it's a business (Frederic, Zboril). Playes come and go every deadline, it's part of the business and players know the routine. I wouldn't worry about upsetting the group or chemistry. They aren't going to bring in Evander Kane or Tony DeAngelo or a player in that kind of mold. Specific to Patrick Kane and Toews, since that's the current rumor, those guys have been around the league for a while. I'm sure the core veterans have some kind of relationship with them already or at least have crossed paths at various league functions. In Toews case he's been a teamate of Bergeron and Marchand with the Canadian National teams. I'm sure if they had any concerns, they'd voice them, although it is totally fair to wonder if the FO would even listen to them given the Miller fiasco (I tend to think they would because in this case the player will be part of the NHL team and not a prospct).
 

The Mort Report

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I think the idea behind any move is that this is likely the last rodeo for Bergeron and Krejci, so might as well push all the chips in and go for it, future be damned.

Kane or Toews would be an upgrade over Frederick or Nosek, so why not?
I agree they should be looking for an upgrade, but it wouldn’t just be replacing say Toews for Trent. They have to trade salary out, and I don’t think throwing Smith into a deal gets them there. They would have to subtract from elsewhere too I believe