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Post by SeaBass on Oct 20, 2023 8:37:00 GMT -5
Boston Bruins AT Anaheim DucksTV Coverage: NESN
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 10:36:09 GMT -5
The Bruins Sunday night in Anaheim will see an old friend in Greg Cronin, the new Ducks coach who grew up in Arlington, and a future NHL superstar in Leo Carlsson, the 6-foot-3-inch Swedish center chosen second overall in the June draft.
Carlsson, injured late in training camp, finally made his debut Thursday night in a 3-2 loss to Dallas, and connected for his first NHL goal in 19 minutes of ice time. He looked every bit the big, smooth, franchise player he was touted as prior to the draft, when draftniks made style comparisons to Mats Sundin, Anze Kopitar, and Aleksander Barkov — cornerstone centers who also made their way to North America via top-tier European hockey.
“He’s kind of that type of player,” said Cronin, reached by telephone just a few hours ahead of Carlsson’s first shift. “He’s big, long reach, high IQ, responsible in all three zones. And he can skate, with this efficient stride where it doesn’t look like he’s going fast. But he’s fast, and he’s got that really high IQ on both sides of the puck, which is unusual for an 18-year-old.”
The Ducks are looking for a few good men after registering five consecutive postseason DNQs. They’ve found one in Carlsson, who could prove to be their centerpiece, and they also have another young sensational forward in Trevor Zegras (ex- of Boston University), along with Troy Terry and promising defenseman Jamie Drysdale.
Because of his size, reach, and game intelligence, Carlsson looks like the guy who could pull it all together for a franchise that hasn’t finished north of .500 since 2017-18.
“Certainly you can,” said a candid Cronin, asked if it were fair to view Carlsson through the “franchise” lens. “The early viewings have shown that he’s going to be a franchise player, but he hasn’t really played yet, so we’ll see what’s going to happen in the next couple of weeks.”
Cronin Sunday night for the first time as head coach in the NHL will face the franchise he grew up idolizing, first hooked as a kid watching Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins, and then infatuated all the more with Don Cherry’s Lunchpail AC of the late ‘70s.
“Honestly, as a coach, I compartmentalize, just try to stay in the moment,” said Cronin, asked how seeing the Spoked-B from a different perspective will resonate. “So, really, I haven’t thought a lot about it.”
The topic, though, triggered Cronin’s memory of going to the Garden for the first time, his father taking him from Arlington to see Syl Apps and the expansion Penguins. The trip entailed an MBTA bus ride from Arlington to Lechmere (Cambridge), then a Green Line trolley that dropped off Garden goers at a platform high above Causeway Street, near the roofline of a Garden already into its fifth decade of NHL operation.
“I remember standing in the back row of the balcony, you know, with the iron rails, and looking down the steep stairs,” recalled Cronin. “And I remember thinking, ‘Man, if I fall, the first thing my face will hit is the ice!’ ”
And further to validate his hometown credentials, Cronin recalled finagling the UHF antenna to watch the Bruins on Channel 38, and broke into a quick rendition of the tune the station played every time the Bruins came on the air.
“Dah-dah-dah . . . dah-dah-dah-dah,” he chanted from his coach’s office, ice level at the Honda Center. “Crazy, isn’t it? Till now, like I say, I haven’t thought a lot about it, but, yeah, those are rich memories for me.”
The bigger deal for Cronin is the job at hand, getting familiar with the clay he’s been handed by general manager Pat Verbeek and shaping the Ducks into a team more like the one that won the franchise’s lone Stanley Cup in 2006-07.
The work is just under way for a kid who grew up playing the game on Spy Pond.
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 10:36:38 GMT -5
So does Jake play tonight and if so how does he respond.
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 13:22:17 GMT -5
So does Jake play tonight and if so how does he respond. Hopefully he got a new watch.
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Post by fforr on Oct 22, 2023 14:36:24 GMT -5
So does Jake play tonight and if so how does he respond. Think he does and with Poitras, Geekie. Didn’t realize Jake’s been held scoreless so far. Maybe Keep Marchy/ Zacha/ Pasta, and JVR/ Coyle/ TFred together then that leaves Looch/ Beech/ Lauko perhaps.
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Post by kjc2 on Oct 22, 2023 16:25:47 GMT -5
What’s the thoughts on Poitras last night?. I like him and want him to stick so I really would like for him to have a big game to solidify his spot here.
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 22, 2023 16:51:11 GMT -5
What’s the thoughts on Poitras last night?. I like him and want him to stick so I really would like for him to have a big game to solidify his spot here. He was much better than his game vs SJ..He played 13.25 of icetime, a little more than Geekie played which surprised me..He was a +1 and went 5-6 in FO circle..Coyle lost 60% of FO for 2nd straight night..Beecher and Zacha has been our 2 best centres when it comes to FO%..
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Post by kjc2 on Oct 22, 2023 17:07:32 GMT -5
What’s the thoughts on Poitras last night?. I like him and want him to stick so I really would like for him to have a big game to solidify his spot here. He was much better than his game vs SJ..He played 13.25 of icetime, a little more than Geekie played which surprised me..He was a +1 and went 5-6 in FO circle..Coyle lost 60% of FO for 2nd straight night..Beecher and Zacha has been our 2 best centres when it comes to FO%.. Every coach puts a lot of importance on faceoff percentages, Beecher’s play here has been terrific in the role that he’s in but ability at the faceoff circle just cements him as a regular here this year. Potsy has to keep getting better and building because the expectations on him are different. He has to produce offence and make his wingers better and not be a liability defensively. The next 5 games he can’t afford to have any drop off if he wants to stick.
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 22, 2023 17:13:53 GMT -5
He was much better than his game vs SJ..He played 13.25 of icetime, a little more than Geekie played which surprised me..He was a +1 and went 5-6 in FO circle..Coyle lost 60% of FO for 2nd straight night..Beecher and Zacha has been our 2 best centres when it comes to FO%.. Every coach puts a lot of importance on faceoff percentages, Beecher’s play here has been terrific in the role that he’s in but ability at the faceoff circle just cements him as a regular here this year. Potsy has to keep getting better and building because the expectations on him are different. He has to produce offence and make his wingers better and not be a liability defensively. The next 5 games he can’t afford to have any drop off if he wants to stick. Last night he was more like he was his 1st 2 games..He would of assisted on Geekies goal but it hit Looch so he got the assist instead..Jake back in lineup tonight and Mitchell only played 11 minutes, obviously the least among Dmen..Forbort played over 22 min while Lindholm played around 18..Sorry guys, Im a Stats Geek for certain!! Can be a good thing at time but I tend to go overboard sometimes, sorry bout that, just let me know when I do lol..
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Post by fforr on Oct 22, 2023 18:15:55 GMT -5
What’s the thoughts on Poitras last night?. I like him and want him to stick so I really would like for him to have a big game to solidify his spot here. Seems like all the tools are there. Only worry if he’ll be able to hold up physically. Took a nice shot to the chops last night. Another 5 games will give a decent sample size.
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 18:35:45 GMT -5
Poitras is a player that needs to have the puck on his stick. He can make things happen for sure, always makes the right play.
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 22, 2023 18:45:40 GMT -5
Poitras is a player that needs to have the puck on his stick. He can make things happen for sure, always makes the right play. Exactly!!
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 22, 2023 19:16:40 GMT -5
Need to keep heads up Gudas is playing!
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 19:28:07 GMT -5
No Lucic
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 19:31:15 GMT -5
That shot off his foot must have hurt when he took the skate off.
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 22, 2023 19:32:49 GMT -5
Dam it needed him to keep cheap shot Gudas in line.
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 19:34:41 GMT -5
No Forbort either.
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 22, 2023 19:42:24 GMT -5
Fucking refs!!!
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 19:43:41 GMT -5
Jake Depost
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 19:58:25 GMT -5
Fast pace Grz to the room
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Post by fforr on Oct 22, 2023 20:06:07 GMT -5
Fast pace Grz to the room Cheap hit.
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Post by fforr on Oct 22, 2023 20:08:31 GMT -5
That’s what I like about McAvoy
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 20:16:31 GMT -5
Gudas is a 🤡
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Post by kjc2 on Oct 22, 2023 20:18:01 GMT -5
Gibson is not slouch, great goalie on a bad but improving team.
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 20:28:13 GMT -5
Gibson is not slouch, great goalie on a bad but improving team. Definitely a factor in the first
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 22, 2023 20:46:18 GMT -5
CI did this last night. Wasn't showing beginning of 2nd period . I just watching Ducks feed & they have like a tracker following the puck VERY distracting, at first I thought it was a Bruins stick
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 22, 2023 20:53:34 GMT -5
Pasta throwing body around
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Post by madmarx on Oct 22, 2023 21:13:12 GMT -5
Freddy to the room
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 22, 2023 21:17:50 GMT -5
Sloppy play in that period. Hope they have the legs for the 3rd.
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Post by fforr on Oct 22, 2023 21:20:15 GMT -5
Not surprised if he’s not back.
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