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Post by madmarx on Sept 28, 2021 5:48:23 GMT -5
Washington’s Dylan McIlrath has been suspended for two preseason games and two regular season games for an Illegal Check to the Head on Boston’s Steven Fogarty.
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Post by SeaBass on Sept 28, 2021 8:10:27 GMT -5
Charlie McAvoy’s career high in scoring is 32 points. He reached it for the first time in 2017-18 and again in 2019-20.
In both seasons, McAvoy did so while deferring to Torey Krug on the power play. In 2017-18, McAvoy, tasked to run the second unit (1:59 PP time per game), scored just seven of his 32 points on the man advantage. Two years later, McAvoy recorded just two man-up points while averaging 1:21 of PP action per appearance.
All of that is due to change.
Over 11 playoff games in 2020-21, McAvoy’s man advantage ice time exploded to 3:03 per appearance. He earned it. McAvoy scored eight of his 12 playoff points on the power play.
He averaged 14.32 points per 60 minutes of PP time, according to Natural Stat Trick, tops among all defensemen. For context, it was better than Cale Makar (12.4), Victor Hedman (10.19) and even ex-teammate Krug (4.83), all of whom had accumulated more regular-season reps than McAvoy.
In 2018-19, the NHL’s last 82-game season, Krug recorded 30 PP points, third-most among defensemen. If McAvoy can approach such a threshold, his all-situations scoring total could smash his previous 32-point best. Playing an outnumbered game with David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Nick Foligno can be friendly to a PP quarterback’s production.
“Ideally, we’d like to get him more reps at that,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “I think it’s good for his mindset too. He wants to be out there with that group. Don’t get me wrong, they all do. But he wants to be considered a guy that should be running it. I respect that. He’ll get every opportunity. He earned it last year.”
In the playoffs, McAvoy ran the power play like he’d been behind its wheel forever. He carried the puck rapidly through center ice and gained clean entries. He walked the blue line gracefully. McAvoy was a threat to shoot from up top, distribute the puck to his skilled forwards and scoot down the right flank to stretch out penalty killers.
McAvoy had a good model to study. For his first three seasons, McAvoy watched Krug wave his power-play baton as well as any defenseman in the league. Last season, desiring as little disruption as possible following Krug’s St. Louis exit, Cassidy installed Matt Grzelcyk, also a left shot, on PP1’s point. Grzelcyk scored seven PP points — a tidy sum, but not enough to move the needle.
The postseason, meanwhile, proved that McAvoy is a more dynamic and assertive up-top presence. As expected, he enjoyed rocking and rolling with the first-liners.
“I had a lot of fun playing with those guys last year,” said McAvoy. “They’re obviously world-class players. I enjoyed that. So long as I’m back there, I want to be reliable, make the plays I’m supposed to make, give those guys the puck in positions where they can show their skill and make their plays and complement them well. That’s what I’m looking to do and build confidence more and more as we do it. Last year was good. It was easy to play with confidence with them. When they’re moving the puck and having such good chemistry, you just want to be a complement to them. That’s my goal — to be reliable, make the plays I’m supposed to make and the special ones when I can.”
Last season, McAvoy scored 21 even-strength points. It was just one off the pace of Adam Fox, McAvoy’s former youth hockey teammate.
Fox made his Norris Trophy-winning move on the power play, where he scored 23 points to McAvoy’s eight. With more PP time, McAvoy could approach his fellow Long Islander’s standard. He could even surpass Fox in five-on-five scoring.
In his three previous seasons, McAvoy has had to bake conservatism into his even-strength approach. In Years 1 and 2, McAvoy found himself covering at times for Zdeno Chara, whose foot speed had slackened with age. Last season, paired mostly with the slighter Grzelcyk, McAvoy had to execute the muscle work in the danger areas.
This year, newbie Derek Forbort, in all likelihood, will start on McAvoy’s left side. Forbort does not have quick feet. But the 6-foot-4 ex-Jets defender is long, strong and designed for shutdown duty. In that way, Forbort has pitched McAvoy back to the past when Chara was locking down the left side.
It remains to be seen whether Forbort can defend as stoutly as Chara, who was 40 and 41 years old for most of the two seasons he partnered with McAvoy. You can bet, however, that McAvoy will not have to be as concerned about specific areas as he was with Chara at his side. For example, it was usually up to the quicker McAvoy to be first back on pucks. As a result, he was sometimes limited in supporting the offensive rush.
It may not be so with Forbort. If the 29-year-old can take care of D-zone business, McAvoy may have more of an attacking green light. Not only could this lead to more team offense, it could bump up McAvoy’s five-on-five production.
“With good judgment on my part on when to go and when not to go,” McAvoy said of how he’ll determine when to activate. “Breaking plays up and trying to transition quick, seeing my opportunities to jump up the other side of the ice — when they’re there, I’ll try to take them.”
McAvoy entered the league as a stout 19-year-old fresh out of Boston University. He is leaned out now, harder as a 23-year-old man. He never had issues logging big minutes. But perhaps a sleeker McAvoy can recover even quicker when he retreats to the bench to catch his breath.
“He tested well. But he always has,” Cassidy said. “There’s some guys that are always going to be low body fat no matter what. It’s just their metabolism. Charlie, I don’t think, is ever that guy that will be that’s lower. It’s just the way he’s built.”
All of this signals good things for the Bruins and better things for McAvoy’s wallet. It was the offseason of megabucks for defensemen in McAvoy’s cohort: fellow 1997-born Zach Werenski ($9,583,333 annually), former UMass Amherst stud Cale Makar ($9 million), Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million). McAvoy will be next, either before or after his current deal expires.
Last time club and player entered negotiations, general manager Don Sweeney held the upper hand. McAvoy, upon expiration of his entry-level contract, was categorized as a 10.2 (c) player, forbidden to sign an offer sheet and ineligible for arbitration.
This time, agent Michael Curran is in a stronger position of power. McAvoy will be eligible for arbitration and free to sign an offer sheet. If McAvoy waits until after 2021-22, his arbitration argument, provided he approaches his expected offensive threshold, will be airtight. Either way, McAvoy should be looking at an eight-figure annual payday, of which he deserves every cent.
“I’m very happy for them,” McAvoy said of the big-bucks defensemen. “I know quite a few of them. Couldn’t be happier for them. They’re all very well deserved. For me, I’m just excited about this year, excited about the group we have. Being back together and seeing everybody is always awesome. I feel like we’ve had a good few days here to start. Just want keep building on that momentum.”
Notes:
1. The Bruins opened the preseason on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout win over Washington. Jake DeBrusk and Erik Haula, who could play together on the No. 3 line, each scored regulation and shootout goals.
For DeBrusk, early traction could be critical. The left winger is coming off a five-goal season. This is a contract year for the 24-year-old. DeBrusk drove to the net to score in the first period. He fired a wrister past Vitek Vanecek in the shootout.
“It’s important for him,” said Cassidy. “For some guys, it would probably matter a little more. Some guys are fine-tuning their game in different ways. For him, when he produces, he always feels better about himself. He was around the puck. The way he scored going to the net, those are good, positive signs for him.”
2. Jeremy Swayman got the start and played until midway through the second. Swayman stopped 18 of 19 shots, looking big, fast, square and aggressive when necessary.
3. Fabian Lysell, the team’s 2021 first-round pick, did not look out of place. The right winger, skating with Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen, landed three shots on net in 14:39 of play.
“He was around the puck,” said Cassidy. “Pulled it to space when he needed to. Attacked the front of the net. Pushed back when he had to. Made a heck of a play on the wall late to get it into the middle for a scoring chance. He did a lot of things well. Attacked. Didn’t look flustered. Strong on his skates. A lot of good things for his first hockey game.”
4. John Moore, in all likelihood, is competing to be the first defenseman into the lineup in case of injury. That is fine by him. Moore underwent major hip surgery in March that ended his season.
“I felt great,” said the smooth-skating 30-year-old, who had two assists. “Coming off a really long rehab, I was so excited to see my name on the board and get the opportunity to play. I love hockey. It’s always in the back of your mind when you go through some of those things that it might never come back. I’m just grateful to be out there and competing.”
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Post by SeaBass on Sept 28, 2021 12:43:01 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Oct 3, 2021 16:46:19 GMT -5
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 3, 2021 21:26:31 GMT -5
Just WOW, late draft pick BUT some writers think he has the goods to make the nhl some day..Might be 3 yrs down the road but if he's good, it'll be worth the wait..
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 3, 2021 21:27:12 GMT -5
Charlie McAvoy’s career high in scoring is 32 points. He reached it for the first time in 2017-18 and again in 2019-20. In both seasons, McAvoy did so while deferring to Torey Krug on the power play. In 2017-18, McAvoy, tasked to run the second unit (1:59 PP time per game), scored just seven of his 32 points on the man advantage. Two years later, McAvoy recorded just two man-up points while averaging 1:21 of PP action per appearance. All of that is due to change. Over 11 playoff games in 2020-21, McAvoy’s man advantage ice time exploded to 3:03 per appearance. He earned it. McAvoy scored eight of his 12 playoff points on the power play. He averaged 14.32 points per 60 minutes of PP time, according to Natural Stat Trick, tops among all defensemen. For context, it was better than Cale Makar (12.4), Victor Hedman (10.19) and even ex-teammate Krug (4.83), all of whom had accumulated more regular-season reps than McAvoy. In 2018-19, the NHL’s last 82-game season, Krug recorded 30 PP points, third-most among defensemen. If McAvoy can approach such a threshold, his all-situations scoring total could smash his previous 32-point best. Playing an outnumbered game with David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Nick Foligno can be friendly to a PP quarterback’s production. “Ideally, we’d like to get him more reps at that,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “I think it’s good for his mindset too. He wants to be out there with that group. Don’t get me wrong, they all do. But he wants to be considered a guy that should be running it. I respect that. He’ll get every opportunity. He earned it last year.” In the playoffs, McAvoy ran the power play like he’d been behind its wheel forever. He carried the puck rapidly through center ice and gained clean entries. He walked the blue line gracefully. McAvoy was a threat to shoot from up top, distribute the puck to his skilled forwards and scoot down the right flank to stretch out penalty killers. McAvoy had a good model to study. For his first three seasons, McAvoy watched Krug wave his power-play baton as well as any defenseman in the league. Last season, desiring as little disruption as possible following Krug’s St. Louis exit, Cassidy installed Matt Grzelcyk, also a left shot, on PP1’s point. Grzelcyk scored seven PP points — a tidy sum, but not enough to move the needle. The postseason, meanwhile, proved that McAvoy is a more dynamic and assertive up-top presence. As expected, he enjoyed rocking and rolling with the first-liners. “I had a lot of fun playing with those guys last year,” said McAvoy. “They’re obviously world-class players. I enjoyed that. So long as I’m back there, I want to be reliable, make the plays I’m supposed to make, give those guys the puck in positions where they can show their skill and make their plays and complement them well. That’s what I’m looking to do and build confidence more and more as we do it. Last year was good. It was easy to play with confidence with them. When they’re moving the puck and having such good chemistry, you just want to be a complement to them. That’s my goal — to be reliable, make the plays I’m supposed to make and the special ones when I can.” Last season, McAvoy scored 21 even-strength points. It was just one off the pace of Adam Fox, McAvoy’s former youth hockey teammate. Fox made his Norris Trophy-winning move on the power play, where he scored 23 points to McAvoy’s eight. With more PP time, McAvoy could approach his fellow Long Islander’s standard. He could even surpass Fox in five-on-five scoring. In his three previous seasons, McAvoy has had to bake conservatism into his even-strength approach. In Years 1 and 2, McAvoy found himself covering at times for Zdeno Chara, whose foot speed had slackened with age. Last season, paired mostly with the slighter Grzelcyk, McAvoy had to execute the muscle work in the danger areas. This year, newbie Derek Forbort, in all likelihood, will start on McAvoy’s left side. Forbort does not have quick feet. But the 6-foot-4 ex-Jets defender is long, strong and designed for shutdown duty. In that way, Forbort has pitched McAvoy back to the past when Chara was locking down the left side. It remains to be seen whether Forbort can defend as stoutly as Chara, who was 40 and 41 years old for most of the two seasons he partnered with McAvoy. You can bet, however, that McAvoy will not have to be as concerned about specific areas as he was with Chara at his side. For example, it was usually up to the quicker McAvoy to be first back on pucks. As a result, he was sometimes limited in supporting the offensive rush. It may not be so with Forbort. If the 29-year-old can take care of D-zone business, McAvoy may have more of an attacking green light. Not only could this lead to more team offense, it could bump up McAvoy’s five-on-five production. “With good judgment on my part on when to go and when not to go,” McAvoy said of how he’ll determine when to activate. “Breaking plays up and trying to transition quick, seeing my opportunities to jump up the other side of the ice — when they’re there, I’ll try to take them.” McAvoy entered the league as a stout 19-year-old fresh out of Boston University. He is leaned out now, harder as a 23-year-old man. He never had issues logging big minutes. But perhaps a sleeker McAvoy can recover even quicker when he retreats to the bench to catch his breath. “He tested well. But he always has,” Cassidy said. “There’s some guys that are always going to be low body fat no matter what. It’s just their metabolism. Charlie, I don’t think, is ever that guy that will be that’s lower. It’s just the way he’s built.” All of this signals good things for the Bruins and better things for McAvoy’s wallet. It was the offseason of megabucks for defensemen in McAvoy’s cohort: fellow 1997-born Zach Werenski ($9,583,333 annually), former UMass Amherst stud Cale Makar ($9 million), Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million). McAvoy will be next, either before or after his current deal expires. Last time club and player entered negotiations, general manager Don Sweeney held the upper hand. McAvoy, upon expiration of his entry-level contract, was categorized as a 10.2 (c) player, forbidden to sign an offer sheet and ineligible for arbitration. This time, agent Michael Curran is in a stronger position of power. McAvoy will be eligible for arbitration and free to sign an offer sheet. If McAvoy waits until after 2021-22, his arbitration argument, provided he approaches his expected offensive threshold, will be airtight. Either way, McAvoy should be looking at an eight-figure annual payday, of which he deserves every cent. “I’m very happy for them,” McAvoy said of the big-bucks defensemen. “I know quite a few of them. Couldn’t be happier for them. They’re all very well deserved. For me, I’m just excited about this year, excited about the group we have. Being back together and seeing everybody is always awesome. I feel like we’ve had a good few days here to start. Just want keep building on that momentum.” Notes: 1. The Bruins opened the preseason on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout win over Washington. Jake DeBrusk and Erik Haula, who could play together on the No. 3 line, each scored regulation and shootout goals. For DeBrusk, early traction could be critical. The left winger is coming off a five-goal season. This is a contract year for the 24-year-old. DeBrusk drove to the net to score in the first period. He fired a wrister past Vitek Vanecek in the shootout. “It’s important for him,” said Cassidy. “For some guys, it would probably matter a little more. Some guys are fine-tuning their game in different ways. For him, when he produces, he always feels better about himself. He was around the puck. The way he scored going to the net, those are good, positive signs for him.” 2. Jeremy Swayman got the start and played until midway through the second. Swayman stopped 18 of 19 shots, looking big, fast, square and aggressive when necessary. 3. Fabian Lysell, the team’s 2021 first-round pick, did not look out of place. The right winger, skating with Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen, landed three shots on net in 14:39 of play. “He was around the puck,” said Cassidy. “Pulled it to space when he needed to. Attacked the front of the net. Pushed back when he had to. Made a heck of a play on the wall late to get it into the middle for a scoring chance. He did a lot of things well. Attacked. Didn’t look flustered. Strong on his skates. A lot of good things for his first hockey game.” 4. John Moore, in all likelihood, is competing to be the first defenseman into the lineup in case of injury. That is fine by him. Moore underwent major hip surgery in March that ended his season. “I felt great,” said the smooth-skating 30-year-old, who had two assists. “Coming off a really long rehab, I was so excited to see my name on the board and get the opportunity to play. I love hockey. It’s always in the back of your mind when you go through some of those things that it might never come back. I’m just grateful to be out there and competing.” Just an awesome read..
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 4, 2021 12:03:00 GMT -5
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 4, 2021 12:35:20 GMT -5
Not sure what to think about this guy.... Whack job or legitimate// Just glad he's NOT a Bruin player!!
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Post by madmarx on Oct 4, 2021 17:47:23 GMT -5
Not sure what to think about this guy.... Whack job or legitimate// Just glad he's NOT a Bruin player!! Kinda wish there more like him..
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 5, 2021 7:44:59 GMT -5
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 5, 2021 14:06:26 GMT -5
Seattle SECOND in division with 96 points and almost 80% chance of making playoffs??? Vegas all over again?? Personally I cant see it happening..
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 5, 2021 20:09:38 GMT -5
Seattle SECOND in division with 96 points and almost 80% chance of making playoffs??? Vegas all over again?? Personally I cant see it happening.. I don’t either but stranger things have happened. I also think the Isles will finish better.
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 5, 2021 20:40:19 GMT -5
Yes, Islanders I also expect to do much better..Habs to finals last season and prediction has them outside looking in, sounds about right, lol.. But who ever came up with those predictions, guess that's just it, his/her opinion..Not his/her fault he's not so good as us, haha/..
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 5, 2021 22:23:34 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 7, 2021 9:57:16 GMT -5
If Taylor Hall takes any shifts with the Boston Bruins’ No. 1 line this season, it will mean something bad happened to Brad Marchand. He also will not be wearing a letter on his jersey. And his first job on the No. 1 power-play unit will be to fetch pucks.
Hall is fine with all of this.
The first pick from the 2010 draft was asked to be an alpha dog in previous stops in Edmonton, New Jersey, Arizona and Buffalo. He does not have to be one in Boston. The Bruins were his fourth employer in less than 16 months, and as such, upon his April 12 arrival from the Sabres, his priorities were incorporation and settlement. He has checked both off his to-do list.
“Just coming to the rink today, I felt a much more heightened sense of calm,” Hall said after the Bruins’ Sept. 30 preseason game against Philadelphia. “I’ve been around here. I’ve played the system. I’ve played with these guys a lot. I know the coaching staff. Just the last week of training camp, I think it’s gotten me to another level in my game of just being comfortable with everyone here. Hopefully I can improve on my game from last year with that added comfort.”
Hall will be insulated from the heavy lifting that Marchand, for one, will be expected to execute. In that way, No. 2 left wing might be an ideal position for the 29-year-old. It could even lead to a surge in production — one that counters the trend many expect, including The Athletic’s analytics expert, Dom Luszczyszyn, whose projection has Hall declining rapidly over the course of the four-year, $24 million deal he signed in July to return to Boston:
As he starts his first full season in Boston in the weeds, Hall could be ready to leap out of them in a big way.
“It’s impressive how open he’s been about being OK with not being the man,” said one Eastern Conference hockey operations executive. “That contract could be a real steal.”
More puck touches are coming Last year, Hall did not require much throat-clearing before bursting into full offensive song with the Bruins. He averaged 2.82 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play with Boston, according to Natural Stat Trick, second-most on the team after Marchand (3.3). Some of that was because of his instant chemistry with David Krejci, with whom he became tight on and off the ice.
Krejci is gone. Hall spent most of the preseason with Jack Studnicka in the middle and Craig Smith on the right flank. Charlie Coyle, given full clearance following offseason knee surgery, is in line to take over center duties for the Oct. 16 opener against Dallas. Hall and Smith will need time to adjust to Coyle, a brawnier and less accomplished center than the crafty Krejci.
Last season, Hall regularly deferred to his center. Krejci preferred to control the puck in the neutral zone, where he could apply his awareness and change-of-pace vectors to gain the offensive blue line.
Coyle is not as assertive in his need for the puck between the blue lines. He expresses more of his puck-possession horsepower in the offensive zone by swatting aside defenders and cycling to create opportunities for his linemates.
Hall, therefore, could be in line to do more pace-pushing without Krejci tapping his stick on the ice. Hall is a straight-line dynamo who does not need a center to get him the puck. In fact, getting the puck to Hall early will be part of the Bruins’ game plan.
“I think he wants it in there,” coach Bruce Cassidy said of Hall’s preference for the puck in center ice. “That’ll be the chemistry he and Charlie will have to develop. Studs is trying to now — who carries it? Krech, he was very good at it, so Taylor didn’t have to worry about it much. Get open around the blue line for that kick-out when Krech was ready to move it.”
If Hall assumes more playmaking responsibility in open ice, he and his linemates could be optimized for more quick-strike offense. He may be the fastest puck-carrying player on the team. If he’s in full flight crossing the blue line, opponents would have no choice but to slink away in respect of his outside speed. This could make Hall a shooting or passing threat off the rush.
“That sometimes backs those D-men up and opens up ice for me or Smitty coming late,” Coyle said. “That speed is such a factor. You have to respect it. If you don’t and he’s buzzing by, you see the breakaways he gets on a number of occasions. That’s a deadly asset of his that’s only going to help us, help the team.”
Hall’s job will be more static on the power play. He will be the goal-line and net-front man, supporting Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
But the points could come. There is that much talent on the first unit.
Retrieve and distribute Nick Ritchie was designed for net-front grunt work. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound ex-Bruin punched in five power-play goals last season by flexing his muscle around the paint.
Hall is 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds. In 2017-18, he scored a career-high 37 points on the power play by working his strongside elbow. He has not worked the front of the net since he was in Edmonton.
“I’m not 230. I’m not going to be a guy who stands in front and screens the whole time,” Hall said. “I don’t think that really plays to my strengths. But what I can do is be on the goal line, step out and pass, take it to the net myself and be ready for deflections and tips. It’s about getting pucks back. Not every shot’s going to go in. Reading where that rebound is, making a play on the puck and getting it back to someone so we can restart and go from there. I don’t think I’m going to be Nick Ritchie. I think it will be something different than that.”
Hall will play more of a support role than that of a traditional net-front strongman. The top unit is designed to facilitate Pastrnak’s left-elbow one-timer, Bergeron’s half-slapper from the bumper and the captain’s high tip. None of these optimizes net-front redirections for anyone, let alone Hall.
“We’re not a shot-driven team from the top,” Cassidy said. “That’s where you used to get a lot of screens: the (Shea) Webers of the world, the (P.K.) Subbans, when he was shooting in Nashville and Montreal. With the 1-3-1, you’re seeing a lot more shots coming from the elbows, flanks. So now you’re rebounding. It’s just going to be harder to tip those because they’re coming in so fast and you don’t have time to react. The goalies are getting across because they’re quick, but they have a tough time controlling rebounds. So you’ve got to find pucks.”
Hall is strong on his stick. He anticipates well. By now, he’s familiar with his power-play mates’ tendencies. He will know where to go to retrieve pucks and where his teammates like to get them in return.
This could lead to power-play goals for the Bruins, primary and secondary assists for Hall and a whole lot of points for the left wing. Player and team would approve.
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 7, 2021 10:13:45 GMT -5
Great read Seabass..Thanks once again!!
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 8, 2021 7:39:27 GMT -5
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 8, 2021 10:38:00 GMT -5
I have no clue what those stats are!!
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 8, 2021 12:03:40 GMT -5
I have no clue what those stats are!! That makes 2 of us.
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 11, 2021 9:18:00 GMT -5
When Zdeno Chara left Boston last year after 14 years as a pillar in the organization, it was an easy decision for coach Bruce Cassidy to turn to Patrice Bergeron to lead the locker room as captain. As the Bruins prepare to start the season next week, they have another leadership void to fill after losing David Krejci in the offseason. Cassidy plans on rotating the “A” patch that Krejci left behind. On Wednesday, David Pastrnak wore it on his chest in the Bruins preseason loss to the Capitals. “It was obviously an honor,” Pastrnak said. “It just kind of reminds you how long you’ve been here. I’m going to become one of the leaders, getting older and older year by year, so just trying to learn. And being around one of the best leaders in hockey, so I had really good guys to learn from and I’ll continue with that.”
“I definitely don’t change, trust me,” he said. “There’s a reason I got to the NHL, there’s a reason I came here, so just trying to be myself.” Cassidy said Pastrnak leads with his play, but his maturation over the years along with a growing comfort level have allowed him to take on that role in the locker room. “He’s always talked,” Cassidy said. “He’s a very gregarious kid, full of personality. So that’s not an issue either. But just trying to pick the guys up and keep the room alive, I think, is definitely some of his traits.” For Cassidy, rotating the second alternate captain is an acknowledgment of a new wave of leaders emerging in the Bruins locker room, including Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo.
“Those are three younger guys that have now been here for a while. I can’t predict where they’re going to be, but let’s assume that contract-wise and all those things that they’re here, they’re the next probably wave of the leaders and the core group of this team. They’re already kind of pushing their way into that core group if they’re not already in it. I would say they are but they’re the younger core, let’s put it that way, and the old core was more Bergy and [Brad Marchand] . “So to ask them to lead a little bit now, I think, will help them down the road. There’s a pretty good chance, I want to speculate, they might be a captain in the Bruins down the road. At the end of the day, those are guys that we’re going to rely on down the road.” The title carries weight in the locker room, and Cassidy said several players are worthy.
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 11, 2021 9:19:00 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 11, 2021 11:36:44 GMT -5
Chris Wagner and John Moore officially lapsed into suspended career animation Sunday afternoon when both veterans cleared waivers For the moment, with Saturday’s season opener on the immediate horizon, their combined cap hit of $4.05 million is off the books, and one or both could soon be assigned to AHL Providence. But it was clear Sunday, in hearing coach Bruce Cassidy discuss the club’s options, there is no certain path for either when it comes to the question, “What’s next?” “A few things go into it,” said Cassidy, noting that GM Don Sweeney must consider myriad factors, including roster spots, cap space, etc. “At this time of the year, a lot of players go on waivers. So if we see someone who could help our team, you have to have the space to put someone on there.”
If Sweeney has an eye out for a pickup, the priority would be a defenseman with a righthanded stick, a current missing link in the club’s supply chain. The fact that Connor Clifton is a righty stick played a factor in his earning consideration over Moore for work with the varsity.
If the Bruins can’t make a deal for either Wagner or Moore — which likely would require they retain a portion of their salary — then they either will be shipped to the WannaBs or remain in camp as practice extras. If one or the other has a chance of returning, the odds are likely better for Moore, a lefty stick who has shown a level of competence in small glimpses playing on the right side. He played in only five games last year — “kind of a non-year for him,” Cassidy said — underwent significant hip surgery, and impressed enough during training camp the last two-plus weeks that he remains on management’s radar.
“He’s got good life, good legs,” Cassidy said. “We sort of have guys ahead of him, but Clifton would be the main competition.” As for Wagner, Cassidy labeled him a “good soldier, effective penalty-killer, and physical.” The issue became fit, specifically on Wagner’s fourth line, which Sunday had Karson Kuhlman riding in his right wing spot on a trio with left winger Trent Frederic and center Tomas Nosek. Curtis Lazar, a solid fourth-liner, is out with an upper-body injury, his return being assessed on a week-to-week basis. Management gave the nod to Kuhlman over Wagner because of his more abundant speed. Once Lazar is back, Kuhlman could be bumped. By sheer numbers, Wagner has a more difficult road to navigate back to Causeway than Moore. “Both great Bruins, great guys, both well liked by their teammates,” opined Cassidy. “This decision is never fun. But there’s no finality to it…they could still find their way into the lineup. There’s a lot of different ways it could go between Monday and opening night on Saturday.”
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Post by crafar01 on Oct 13, 2021 11:09:42 GMT -5
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Post by offwego on Oct 16, 2021 18:01:40 GMT -5
Cha ching. I'm happy good deal. Signed up long time.
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Post by kjc2 on Oct 16, 2021 20:33:04 GMT -5
Cha ching. I'm happy good deal. Signed up long time. I didn’t read it anywhere but is this the largest Bruins contract of all time.
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Post by offwego on Oct 16, 2021 20:49:47 GMT -5
Cha ching. I'm happy good deal. Signed up long time. I didn’t read it anywhere but is this the largest Bruins contract of all time. I heard that too. But he still took discount and I don't think he cares. Less then 10 mil a year and locked up long time
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Post by KSJ08 on Oct 17, 2021 17:23:44 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Oct 20, 2021 9:44:34 GMT -5
Interesting...
Craig Smith should have iced the puck. It would have bought the right wing and his linemates about 20 seconds to catch their breath.
“It’s like a punt,” Smith said. “You punt, take your ball, go home and play another day.”
Instead, in the second period of the Oct. 16 season opener, with Esa Lindell pinching down the left-side wall, Smith weakly rapped a puck off the boards. Tanner Kero, who had rotated up to cover for Lindell, intercepted the puck. Three gassed Bruins, including Smith, collapsed on Kero, leaving Luke Glendening uncovered. Seconds later, after receiving a pass from Kero, Glendening scored what would be the Stars’ only goal of the game.
Smith had nothing left. By the time Glendening scored, the No. 2 right wing had been on the ice for 94 seconds, more than double his average 43-second shift from that night. Fatigue sapped him not just of the muscle required to clear the zone but of the processing power to execute the needed icing.
“Run back and forth for 50 seconds, then somebody’s going to ask you a bunch of questions while you’re tired. You need answers. Right now. Sharp,” Smith said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. “It’s a little tougher.”
Smith and his teammates are among the world’s best-conditioned humans. But they are not endurance athletes. They are hockey players tasked to play a high-intensity, anaerobic sport. Try as they might, they simply cannot expect max effort beyond 45 to 60 seconds, give or take individual variability, without fatigue setting in.
“It’s a physiological fact,” said Mike Boyle, co-founder of Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning. “It’s not a training thing. It’s not something where you’re not in good enough shape or you have to work harder. It’s just physiology.”
You and I can sprint for 45 seconds. After that, having reached our threshold, we would simply stop and rest. Hockey players do not always have that luxury. If their shifts stretch out beyond expectation, the byproducts of their work overwhelm their systems.
“It is not lactic acid,” explained Boyle. “Some people think it’s hydrogen ions. There’s not a consensus on what is building up. But something is building up that causes that burning sensation in your legs. Somewhere around 45 seconds to a minute, depending on the guy, people start to fatigue. They can’t maintain that. So your choice is: If you want to go longer, you have to go slower.”
Smith is a go-go right wing. Pace defines his game. Last season, his average shift was 48 seconds. Exceeding that threshold lights up his dashboard with all kinds of warning signals. By now, he knows when to take his foot off the gas and ride out the rest of an overextended shift.
“It’s a little bit of an energy conservation thing,” Smith said. “You’ve got to know your own gas tank — know where you can push it and where you can’t. When you get late, you’ve got to be careful where you push it. If you get running around a little bit, you’re going to waste it. You can’t get back. You can’t get a stick. It’s really the difference between a foot or foot-and-a-half of stick that’ll get you out of the zone.”
Appropriate shift length, then, is critical for a high-energy forward to maintain.
“After 45, 50, look out,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Especially in D-zone, when you’re playing against active (players). And they were active on that shift. When you’re stationary, your legs can recover a little bit. Or at least you’re in position to read. Once they start moving around and there’s some switches … Fatigue, obviously it’s your legs, but your brain goes too when you’re tired. It doesn’t think as well. The messages don’t get sent to the rest of your body. You seize up a little bit.”
These are dangerous shifts to take. When Hall was younger, an overstretched shift could screw him up for the rest of the game. This is not good for a player built around speed.
“It takes you a while to recover from that,” Hall said. “It’s not like you’re ready to go the next shift. As my career’s gone on, I’ve really tried to limit those long shifts. Because it can kind of kill the rest of your game. You don’t have that same juice or pop for the rest of the game. I’m a guy that needs to have that horsepower, needs to have that speed, that top-end speed, for me to be as effective as I want.”
Hall, Coyle and Smith were in good shape for part of the shift. It got away from them when, during a transition rush, the forwards chose to press the issue instead of changing. But instead of initiating offensive pressure, the Bruins saw the puck go the other way and into their end.
That’s when they got in trouble.
Brandon Carlo had a chance to settle the puck behind his net on his backhand. He could not make a clean play.
Later in the shift, Coyle stepped in front of a Kero slap shot. Smith was first to the loose puck. His first play should have been to ice it. His second should have been a hard clear. Smith went short on Plan B.
“I don’t want to put it in their bench,” Smith said. “But I’ve got to lay one off the boards. Try to get it out. Or just a straight ice.”
Under normal circumstances, Hall could have beaten Kero to Smith’s chip. At the very least, even if Kero won the race, Hall would not have let him go down the wall. He would have executed a stall: create enough of a battle with Kero to allow his teammates to get to their correct spots. But Hall, with nothing left in the tank, could only manage a weak one-handed stick swat.
“Sometimes, your brain can kind of go on you,” Hall said. “Anyone who’s ever been in that state knows that your body’s almost in panic mode, in survival mode. You’re just doing whatever you can.”
Still, the Bruins could have negated the chance. In such situations, Cassidy’s mandate is to protect the house, occupy the shooting lanes, depend on the goalie and clear the puck. Icing is accepted. That creates enough redundant systems of protection to defend the play, even with rubbery legs.
But Coyle, Carlo and Smith all had the same foggy idea: rub out Kero on the wall.
“Sometimes guys say, ‘I’m tired. I’m going to go to the puck carrier and I’m going to end this,’” said Cassidy. “Well, you have three guys thinking the same thing. They’re tired and they can’t get there. That’s what happened. That’s part of hockey. It happens a lot. That’s why you’ve got to try to stay out of those situations.”
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Post by nfld77 on Oct 20, 2021 13:15:01 GMT -5
Great read yet again!!!
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Post by crafar01 on Oct 26, 2021 14:21:14 GMT -5
Pretty funny.
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