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Post by SeaBass on Apr 5, 2022 7:08:47 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 7, 2022 7:03:24 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 7, 2022 9:03:38 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 8, 2022 8:49:49 GMT -5
Charlie Coyle and former Bruins teammate Sean Kuraly remain good friends, and Coyle is gracious enough to acknowledge that in the third period of Boston’s overtime win over Columbus on April 4, he benefited from catching his former teammate at the end of a shift.
Coyle was not willing to spare his buddy, though. He guided Kuraly on a one-on-one tour of the offensive zone that had the wobbly ex-Bruin hanging on for dear life.
“That was a good battle going in against him,” Coyle said. “Because he’s good at that too. He’s got the speed. He’s a pretty powerful guy. He’s strong. But I think I caught him at the end of a shift. And I was fresh out there. Psychologically, I’ve got that advantage, right? So I could take control of that. Things opened up. Even on video, I think I took the puck to the net and hit the post. (Craig Smith) opened up. Things open up that way. Because you lose one guy. Either that other D-man’s coming at you or you’re taking the puck to the net and you’ve got a free lane.”
Coyle does not have many equals when it comes to the art of puck protection in the offensive zone. Asked to name another forward with a talent for it like Coyle’s, coach Bruce Cassidy could only think of one, and that man is a legend.
“Jagr, to me,” said Cassidy, “was the best I’d ever seen at it.”
By the end, Jaromir Jagr was doing it in a completely different way.
Puck protection has always been the central clip on Coyle’s career reel. A 6-foot-3, 219-pound locomotive who can twirl like a figure skater, he seems designed for it, from his bulk to his length to a backside that is wider than an interstate.
“If I tend to get away from my game a little bit, I try to lock that back in. ‘OK, let me win my battles. Let me protect the puck,’” Coyle said. “That’s how I get involved in my game. That’s my go-to. Some guys get hit. Some guys give a hit. That’s my go-to. Then you’re bouncing off guys. You’re feeling any contact. You’re physically engaged.”
It is a powerful asset for Coyle, his linemates and the Bruins. Against Columbus, Coyle didn’t just peel the rubber off Kuraly’s tires. Trent Frederic and Craig Smith, well acclimated to Coyle’s moves, knew where to skate to space in the offensive zone. Coyle broke down the Blue Jackets’ defensive structure so that Zach Werenski, usually positioned in front, stretched out his coverage in the Columbus zone.
It took a three-man pig pile of Werenski, Kuraly and Oliver Bjorkstrand to force Coyle into a turnover. By then, the Blue Jackets had so little oxygen left in their lungs that it was all they could do to exit the zone and stagger off for a change.
Physical dominance is not just the only strength, literally and figuratively, that Coyle applies in such situations. Technique is involved, both in manipulating his body and his edges. A defender in one-on-one coverage can only throw up his hands in helplessness when Coyle turns his back, dips his center of gravity and starts to grind.
“He doesn’t expose the puck, for one,” said Cassidy. “So he’s always using his body position not to put it out in front of someone at first. He’s always got his body between the defender and the puck. He’s just smart at doing that. So if they want to get it from him, they’ve got to almost go around him. And how do you go around a guy that big?”
It would be one thing if Coyle stood still. He does not. When he activates puck-protection mode, Coyle goes into motion with controlled bursts, tight loops and unpredictable trajectory shifts.
“He’s so good on his edges,” said Cassidy. “So he almost wants that — to get you leaning one way, and he’ll go the other.”
This allows him to shake a defender and separate. By then, Coyle has already anticipated where he’s going with the puck, either by himself or to a teammate.
Then, in the instances when an opponent stays sticky, Coyle deploys his secret weapon: taking one hand off the stick.
During his shift against Columbus, Coyle did it three times. Twice, he used his free right hand to swat away Kuraly’s stick. Once, he swiped away Werenski’s hand. On each occasion, this maneuver created extra room for Coyle to stickhandle with his left hand. The strength of the thrust also gave him more skating momentum as he pushed off his opponent.
It’s a technique Coyle is still practicing. He can manufacture space for himself by swatting a stick away.
The downside is compromising his playmaking. Two hands on the stick always give a distributor like Coyle greater accuracy with puck placement.
“I’m still working at it,” said Coyle. “Sometimes I’ll take it off to really shield. But sometimes it takes away. Because then you get caught with one hand. You can’t make a lot of plays. So there’s a time and a place for it. Sometimes with the free hand, you can get the stick away. You get a body and you feel the guy. Other times, (you can) have two hands and still use your body to protect. Different times call for different maneuvers.”
Jagr flexed his strength, size and long stick. Coyle’s skating is an added dimension.
“Jagr would almost want you close to him so he could spin you off,” said Cassidy, comparing No. 68 to an old-school NBA post player. “He didn’t like the smaller guys that were getting under him. He doesn’t have maybe Charlie’s tight turns as much. But the ability to keep the puck and not expose it was the best I’ve ever seen. When he was younger, I’m sure he had a little more of what Charlie has. But by the end, it was almost a little stationary.”
Last season, Coyle was fighting through a knee injury that required offseason repair. He had neither the power nor the confidence to execute his puck-protection thoroughness.
Coyle is fixed now. It may be one reason the Bruins’ per-60 five-on-five shot numbers with Coyle on the ice are better across the board from one year to the next, per Natural Stat Trick: Corsi For (57.70 this season, 51.09 last season), shots for (35.52 from 29.11), goals for (2.72 from 1.81).
Opponents know this. They don’t like it.
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 27, 2022 7:46:47 GMT -5
Bruins vs the East this year.
Florida 2-1-0 Tampa 3-0-1 Toronto 0-2-0 Carolina 0-3-0 New York 1-1-1 Pittsburgh 1-2-0 Washington 2-1-0
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Post by madmarx on Apr 27, 2022 11:19:14 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 27, 2022 12:14:19 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Apr 27, 2022 12:35:00 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Apr 27, 2022 20:28:28 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Apr 30, 2022 16:30:44 GMT -5
In NHL history, there are 112 coaches who have coached 6+ seasons.
Three out of 112 had six consecutive years with a .650 points percentage (107-point pace in an 82-game season): - Scotty Bowman, MTL 1975-80 - Glen Sather, EDM 1982-87 - BRUCE CASSIDY, BOS 2017-22
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Post by kjc2 on May 2, 2022 7:13:31 GMT -5
In NHL history, there are 112 coaches who have coached 6+ seasons. Three out of 112 had six consecutive years with a .650 points percentage (107-point pace in an 82-game season): - Scotty Bowman, MTL 1975-80 - Glen Sather, EDM 1982-87 - BRUCE CASSIDY, BOS 2017-22 Butch is keeping some serious company there.
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Post by fforr on May 2, 2022 7:59:44 GMT -5
In NHL history, there are 112 coaches who have coached 6+ seasons. Three out of 112 had six consecutive years with a .650 points percentage (107-point pace in an 82-game season): - Scotty Bowman, MTL 1975-80 - Glen Sather, EDM 1982-87 - BRUCE CASSIDY, BOS 2017-22 Coaches sure do like having HOF’ers in the lineup.
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Post by madmarx on May 2, 2022 10:43:41 GMT -5
Do the Bruins extend Sweeney or wait for the Outcome of the Playoffs?
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Post by SeaBass on May 2, 2022 10:47:25 GMT -5
Do the Bruins extend Sweeney or wait for the Outcome of the Playoffs? They better wait til the end of the playoffs.
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Post by kjc2 on May 2, 2022 11:32:44 GMT -5
Do the Bruins extend Sweeney or wait for the Outcome of the Playoffs? They better wait til the end of the playoffs. Agreed. If we have an early exit and if Bergeron is not coming back this team is going to need a fresh perspective.
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Post by nfld77 on May 2, 2022 16:29:39 GMT -5
Do the Bruins extend Sweeney or wait for the Outcome of the Playoffs? They better wait til the end of the playoffs. Should the decision on whether to keep Sweeney as GM be based on 1 Playoff series?? Back in November, practically all the 2021 signings looked terrible BUT that has changed drastically..Hall has a great year, Haula is playing above his pay grade..IS he the 2nd line centre we needed to replace Krejci? Ullmark is now looking like a great signing, Nosek is decent but Foligno was a bad signing period..Our prospect pool looks much better now than last yr..My opinion? Keep Sweeney regrdless of playoff performance, he signed Lindholm to a great longterm deal so great signing there we hope or anticipate.
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Post by nfld77 on May 2, 2022 16:33:15 GMT -5
No Playoff Series predictions??
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Post by orym on May 2, 2022 17:06:13 GMT -5
No Playoff Series predictions?? I can run it this year for those who want to hop in. Last time I ran it we went to the Stanley Cup! Maybe it's good luck! Pick winner and amount of games. 5 points for correct winner. 5 points for correct games. Colorado vs Nashville Minnesota vs St. Louis Calgary vs Dallas Edmonton vs Los Angeles Florida vs Washington Toronto vs Tampa Bay Carolina vs Boston NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
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Post by orym on May 2, 2022 17:08:10 GMT -5
Colorado in 6 St. Louis in 6 Calgary in 5 Edmonton in 7
Florida in 5 Toronto in 7 Boston in 6 NY Rangers in 7
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Post by kjc2 on May 2, 2022 17:29:04 GMT -5
Colorado in 5 St. Louis in 7 Calgary in 5 Edmonton in 7
Florida in 6 Toronto in 7 Boston in 6 NY Rangers in 6
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Post by fforr on May 2, 2022 17:40:10 GMT -5
Avs 5 Wild 6 Flames 5 Kings 6
Bruins 6 Bolts 6 Fla 7 Pens 6
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Post by SeaBass on May 2, 2022 17:59:45 GMT -5
Avs in 5 Blues in 7 Calgary in 4 Oil in 6
Fla in 5 TB in 7 Boston in 7 Pitt in 6
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Post by KSJ08 on May 2, 2022 18:07:08 GMT -5
Colorado vs Nashville=Avs in 6 Minnesota vs St. Louis= Min in 5 Calgary vs Dallas- Flames in 5 Edmonton vs Los Angeles= LA in 6
Florida vs Washington=Cats in 5 Toronto vs Tampa Bay= Bolts in 6 Carolina vs Boston =Bruins in 6 NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh= Rags in 5
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Post by nfld77 on May 2, 2022 22:50:31 GMT -5
Colorado vs Nashville=Avs in 5 Minnesota vs St. Louis= Blues in 6 Calgary vs Dallas- Flames in 5 Edmonton vs Los Angeles= Kings in 6
Florida vs Washington= Flo in 5 Toronto vs Tampa Bay= Tampa in 6 Carolina vs Boston =Bruins in 7 NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh= NYR in 5
PSS NYR win Stanley Cup..
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Post by SeaBass on May 5, 2022 13:16:12 GMT -5
Former NHL player Mike Ribeiro has been charged with two counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents that occurred east of Dallas last year, Sportsnet has confirmed with the Franklin County Sheriff's office.
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Post by Losing my mind on May 5, 2022 13:20:15 GMT -5
Sorry for the late additions. I've been busy with work and kids lately.
Colorado vs Nashville Avs in 5 Minnesota vs St. Louis Minny in 6 Calgary vs Dallas Cal in 7 Edmonton vs Los Angeles LA in 6
Florida vs Washington Fla in 6 Toronto vs Tampa Bay TB in 7 Carolina vs Boston Bos in 7 NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh NYR in 6
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Post by madmarx on May 5, 2022 15:32:22 GMT -5
Former NHL player Mike Ribeiro has been charged with two counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents that occurred east of Dallas last year, Sportsnet has confirmed with the Franklin County Sheriff's office. Read that yesterday the Guy is a dirtbag , never learned after the babysitter incident 🤬
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Post by madmarx on May 7, 2022 14:27:41 GMT -5
Boss hired a Yute to help out over the summer, He’s a hockey player at Lake Superior State . He is buddy’s with Marner and TJ the latter is Tom Fergus’s kid . I will try to get some stories out of him , told Me his Dad used to Ref with McLean years a go but can’t stand him since the Cherry incident.
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Post by madmarx on May 9, 2022 11:26:54 GMT -5
Jack’s Coach from Alabama Daughter is Carlo’s Girlfriend said He got to meet the team and practice with the Boys 😎
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Post by SeaBass on May 10, 2022 10:46:05 GMT -5
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