Bruins 2021 Season Thread

burstnbloom

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Right. And in hindsight, I can't really fault Cassidy for putting McAvoy and Gryz together.
They should always play together they are either the best pair in hockey or second to Pelech and Pullock..whatever their names are.
 

cshea

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Some injury updates. Grz, Miller and Halak will travel to Buffalo. Grz is the closest and has a chance to play as early as tomorrow if there are no set backs. Miller could be back later in the week. Not sure on a timetable for Halak, assume it's mostly conditioning and getting practice time. No real hurry with Swayman playing well.

Carlo and Kase remain in Boston.
 

Jordu

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Frederic remains a healthy scratch. Cassidy doesn’t want to mess with success.

”The lineup has kind of settled in, and as a coach I don’t mind changing a line up while we’re winning if I feel it will help us be better. For example, a guy coming in off injury or whatnot. But for right now, I think that where Freddy would go in would probably be on the fourth line and they’ve done a good job for us. No line is perfect, don’t get me wrong, but I think every player in that forward group has helped us win this week, and the lines are starting to finds their way a little bit. “

Here’s the link, but that quote is pretty much the whole story.

https://nesn.com/2021/04/bruce-cassidy-explains-why-hes-healthy-scratching-trent-frederic/
 

cshea

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Yeah, no reason to mess with something that is working. They really haven't had a good fourth line since 2019. Nordstrom - Kuraly - Wagner never really got settled in last season and was an absolute horror show in the post season.

For whatever reason, the Kuraly - Lazar - Wagner trio has really taken off since Lazar's arrival. It's still a small sample size, but they have been outstanding.

33:15 TOI at 5x5
26-19 in attempts
15-9 in shots
17-6 in scoring chances
8-1 in high danger chances
65% in xGF%
0-1 in actual goals

They are doing all that while only getting 11% oZone starts. Having been outscored 1-0 is pretty unlucky given the amount they are controlling the play when they are on the ice, but hopefully they'll get rewarded soon.

I'd like to see Frederic and Kuhlman get a run with Lazar before the end of the regular season but at the moment there's no reason to mess with what's working. If that line keeps performing like this then we're in really good shape and there's no reason to tinker.
 

burstnbloom

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Pasta is on Spittin Chiclets this week and there are some delightful stories about Z, Tuukka, Marchand, Looch and Bergeron. Worth a listen.
 

durandal1707

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The additions of Hall and Lazar have greatly revitalized the 2nd and 4th lines, but the DeBrusk-Coyle-Ritchie line has still been an overall negative:


Game TOI Corsi Scoring Chances HDC xGF%
BUF (4/13) 7:49 6-13 3-5 1-0 57.96% (0.21 for, 0.15 against)
NYI (4/15) 8:31 14-5 10-3 4-0 89.54% (0.73 for, 0.09 against)
NYI (4/16) 8:52 6-7 2-4 0-1 18.49% (0.05 for, 0.22 against)
WAS (4/18) 4:28 3-6 2-4 0-2 21.85% (0.1 for, 0.34 against)
@BUF (4/20) 8:03 3-11 1-5 0-2 19.65% (0.09 for, 0.36 against)
Total 37:43 32-42 (43.2%) 18-21 (46.15%) 5-5 (50%) 50.4% (1.18 for, 1.16 against)


(Caveat: 37 minutes of ice time is a pretty minuscule sample.) They were mediocre in the first Buffalo game, fantastic in the first Islanders game, and awful since then. Their 4-0 HDC performance in the first Isles game really salvaged their overall expected goals. Cassidy seems to agree that they're the weakest line combination on this team right now, giving them less ice time than the Lazar line for a few games and also mixing members of this line around with other combinations. Getting into even more noisy sample sizes on With/Without suggests there might be a sort of anti-chemistry between these three.

Situation TOI Corsi Scoring Chances HDC xGF%
without Coyle 2:21 4-1 3-1 3-0 93.13% (0.8 for, 0.06 against)
without Ritchie 6:31 9-4 3-4 3-2 62.78% (0.39 for, 0.23 against)
without DeBrusk 5:04 4-5 1-3 0-2 33.09% (0.11 for, 0.23 against)


Coyle and Ritchie together might be a problem, if not the problem with the line. Given how the other 3 lines have been playing since the trade deadline, I would be hesitant to do any swaps. I'd like to see Frederic go in for Ritchie for a game or two if he's ready.
 

Dogman

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Honestly, the only change I would make right now is Fredrick over Ritchie. Obviously once Grz, Carlo, and Miller are healthy I want them playing but for right now, I think Ritchie needs to be stapled to the 7th floor.
 

cshea

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They could move DeBrusk back to LW and try Ritchie on the right side. I've mostly been fine with Jake's play lately but he's been uncomfortable playing his off wing in the past.

The ideal configuration here is Kase coming back and rolling DeBrusk - Coyle - Kase. Unfortunately, that's probably a long shot.
 

Maximus

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Honestly, the only change I would make right now is Fredrick over Ritchie. Obviously once Grz, Carlo, and Miller are healthy I want them playing but for right now, I think Ritchie needs to be stapled to the 7th floor.
This. The 3rd line needs to try something different. A Freddy for Ritchie swap makes sense for a couple of games.
 

burstnbloom

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Jake has been pretty good (relatively speaking) despite no points since the trade deadline. He has 17 shots on goal in 5 games over that span and has had noticeable jump. Ritchie has 5 over that same time span. Shots aren’t everything but that’s pretty indicative of what it looks like out there. I’m not sure what Ritchie actually does. He’s also brutal on pp1. It’s time for a change. Cshea is right, the ideal situation is a healthy Kase and Ritchie upstairs.
 

mwonow

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Jake has been pretty good (relatively speaking) despite no points since the trade deadline. He has 17 shots on goal in 5 games over that span and has had noticeable jump. Ritchie has 5 over that same time span. Shots aren’t everything but that’s pretty indicative of what it looks like out there. I’m not sure what Ritchie actually does. He’s also brutal on pp1. It’s time for a change. Cshea is right, the ideal situation is a healthy Kase and Ritchie upstairs.
What is this chimera of which you speak?

I agree with the idea that a change would help. Let's please not wait until "a healthy Kase" is an option.
 

Haunted

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Ouch. I had that in my elbow last month. Blew up like a balloon. I couldn’t straighten my arm for a week.
No fun. My mother used to have bouts of it every 9-12 months or so, and each instance required a hospitalization. She was severely immunocompromised and it would go from "hey my leg is a little red" to "massive, systemic infection" within a day. Cellulitis is no joke at all.
 

burstnbloom

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What is this chimera of which you speak?

I agree with the idea that a change would help. Let's please not wait until "a healthy Kase" is an option.
Agreed. Unfortunately organizational (NHL too) depth at RW is pretty thin. I don't think Senyshyn is going to get another real shot. I'd guess Cassidy will keep rolling this line hoping it gets going if the other 3 lines keep rolling.
 

cshea

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They could try Studnicka on the wing again. Or Studnicka in the middle with Coyle to RW but that seems like a break glass in case of emergency option.

Cassidy did actually talk a little bit about Kase today. He's in Boston skating and working out every day (which I believe started around the time of the Tahoe trip- so 2 months ago). Butch can't give any sort of a timeline until Kase joins the main group. He doesn't know if/when that day will come. Cassidy implied that to be a real option for the playoffs, Kase would need to get some games in but they're "running out of racetrack." He said Kase is not with them on the trip, but maybe they'll get good news when they get back. It seemed like it was wishful thinking more than forecasting Kase would return to the main group when they get back.
 

The Napkin

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View: https://twitter.com/MikeColeNESN/status/1385619826060763139

@MikeColeNESN
Interesting stuff from Bruce Cassidy today on the Bruins' vaccination efforts. He thinks they're up around 80 percent fully vaccinated. He also said a few guys were a little more fatigued last night dealing with side effects.

I've been wondering about this and the timing for 2nd shots assuming it was Pfizer/Moderna. Assume they got them Wed so 3 weeks (Pfizer) puts us May 12 and 4 (Moderna) would be May 19. regular season ends May 11. I know thre's no way in hell I would have been able to play a game from about 24-36 hours post-2nd Moderna. So we're right in "uhoh" territory for playoffs.
 

The Napkin

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I saw that for the Canucks/North Division but I thought I had read that they were still intending to start the playoffs for the other 3 divisions still on time.
 

Ferm Sheller

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I saw that for the Canucks/North Division but I thought I had read that they were still intending to start the playoffs for the other 3 divisions still on time.
I could never see them doing this, even during these unusual times (that is, starting playoffs while some regular season games are still being played.) I could be wrong, though.
 

McDrew

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I was trying to figure out who I'd want the the 7th player to go to this year. I'm struggling to see anyone that is standing out, but then I realized that I was asking the wrong question:

Does anyone miss Torey Krug? Like, yeah, more D depth would be nice, but Grzelcyk has stepped up and into that role and has provided really solid Top 4/PP minutes. He's my pick for this year.
 

TFP

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I was trying to figure out who I'd want the the 7th player to go to this year. I'm struggling to see anyone that is standing out, but then I realized that I was asking the wrong question:

Does anyone miss Torey Krug? Like, yeah, more D depth would be nice, but Grzelcyk has stepped up and into that role and has provided really solid Top 4/PP minutes. He's my pick for this year.
I absolutely miss him but I understand why they couldn’t sign him. He would have been an enormous upgrade on D this year.

I have absolutely no idea who should win 7th player. I almost want to give it to Marchand.
 

cshea

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Clifton for me, but there aren’t many options. Clifton Started the year as the 7th/8t D and has essentially become a regular due to injuries. He held his own playing bigger minutes than he is used to. That said, to be honest, the first name that really comes to mind is Swayman but he has only played 8 games. Maybe a joint Vladar/Swayman

Grz has missed 17 games and is basically playing to expectations. I wouldn’t say he’s going above and beyond.
 

Jordu

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I agree on Clifton. I was ready to give up on him as a mistake-prone D man a year ago, but no Bruin has improved more this year than Clifton. He’s been given more D-zone starts, his Corsi has improved — all of his metrics have improved.

He’s listened to the coaches and put in the hard work of changing his game. He’s a top 6 defenseman now. He’s solid in his own end and he can move the puck.

No more Cliffy Hockey, now it’s just good smart hockey. If the 7th player is for “above and beyond what we expected” then it’s Clifton.

Craig Smith has been a useful new Bruin — 5th on the team in points — but that’s what was expected of him.
 

LogansDad

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I kind of want to throw Kevan Miller into the hat. I know he doesn't really "qualify" for the award (obviously more for Comeback Player), but I have to believe that almost nothing was really "expected" out of him this year, and he has been really, really good out there. I really hope he can stay healthy the next couple months, because it's a completely different D corps while he is out there.
 

Salem's Lot

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I would vote for Miller. The fact that he is even playing right now is incredible. He should also definitely be the Bruins nominee for the Masterton.
 
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Maximus

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Miller gets my vote. His leadership and very physical presence when he’s in the lineup is a difference maker. We win the Cup vs. the Blues in 2019 if he was healthy.
 
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joe dokes

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My Miller fanboy glasses vote Miller. But the description of Clifton above is spot on. He is no longer as spectacular as he was in his short runs of playing time in the past, but he is a fuckton better than I thought he'd be in a bigger role and his play did not drop off in his 5th or 6th straight game, as it had done in the past.

Grz has missed 17 games and is basically playing to expectations. I wouldn’t say he’s going above and beyond.
I dont know if top-pair defenseman was on my expectation list for Grz. The missed games are a thing, but to be fair, Miller missed a bunch, too.
 

cshea

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I'm just not much of a Miller guy. By all means, nominate him for the Masterton, he deserves it, but I don't think he's been great when healthy. And he's still never healthy, he's played 9 games since mid-February. I get that Miller is a tough guy, he'll hit, punch people, and block shots but his on-ice results aren't that good. He's in 6th/7th range and to be honest if I was in charge of the playoff lineup, and had everyone at full health, I'd play Clifton over Miller.
 

jsinger121

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I’ll go with Clifton because we are both Quinnipiac alums so I have a bias towards that.
 

TheRealness

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I think I am at Craig Smith being 7th player. He's been really great lately, and there isn't anyone else I am inclined to give it to.

Maybe Swayman?
 

lexrageorge

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I absolutely miss him but I understand why they couldn’t sign him. He would have been an enormous upgrade on D this year.

I have absolutely no idea who should win 7th player. I almost want to give it to Marchand.
Just as an FYI, Krug has seen a noticeable dropoff in both his production and his possession metrics this season, although he has also seen a career high (46%) in defensive zone starts.

By the criteria of the 7th player award, I would be OK if any of Grzelcyk, Smith, Clifton, or Miller got it (probably in that order). I was kind of hoping at one point this season Zboril or Lauzon would sneak in there, but both have battled injuries.
 

kenneycb

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I think I am at Craig Smith being 7th player. He's been really great lately, and there isn't anyone else I am inclined to give it to.

Maybe Swayman?
He'd be the other one just because he came in untested at a time the season could've gone off the rails with both goalies out for extended periods and was lights out. Honestly I'd probably give it to him even with the light amount of games.
 

tonyandpals

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I think I am at Craig Smith being 7th player. He's been really great lately, and there isn't anyone else I am inclined to give it to.

Maybe Swayman?
He'd get my vote as well, if he were on the ballot. Last I checked (and I can't for the life of me find anything on NESN.com now), for some unknown reason, he wasn't.

edit to add pic:
40788
 

joe dokes

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That group is basically the back half of the roster, except for Carlo, and some rookies.

Tinordi gets the 27th player award.


EDIT: swayman's on the list. I didnt see his pic...
 
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Ferm Sheller

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What an odd list. Oskar Steen? He's played in two games. Senyshyn has played in seven and doesn't have a point to show for it.

Why include them but not Studnicka, who's played in 19 games?
 

joe dokes

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Someone in one of the Bruins threads posited that the veteran Halak might be better at the "coming in cold in the middle of a playoff game" scenario, but that Swayman would get a start if necessary. In theory, I agreed with it. But its hard to ignore that Swayman has played bettter than Halak did at virtually any time this year. And while there was probably rust involved Halak wasn't anything special last night. It's a tough call.
 

Zososoxfan

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Someone in one of the Bruins threads posited that the veteran Halak might be better at the "coming in cold in the middle of a playoff game" scenario, but that Swayman would get a start if necessary. In theory, I agreed with it. But its hard to ignore that Swayman has played bettter than Halak did at virtually any time this year. And while there was probably rust involved Halak wasn't anything special last night. It's a tough call.
In that same thread (the game thread last night), others pointed out that the Bs can figure this out over the remaining games and still get Rask a tuneup if they want. I think this is correct. Halak likely will get a chance to win back the starting job, but it's pretty great to have 3 options heading into the home stretch.
 

Dogman

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With Carlo back and potentially Kase for the playoffs, I'm giddy about our prospects.

If Kase plays, who sits?

Marchand-Bergy-Pasta
Smith-Krejci-Hall
Ritchie-Coyle-Kase
Kuraly-Lazar-Debrusk/Kuhlman/Frederic

I think Debrusk plays.

I like this team.
 

TSC

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