What’s WRONG with Bruins + Reacting to Marchand’s Return | Pucks with Haggs

What’s WRONG with Bruins + Reacting to Marchand’s Return | Pucks with Haggs

Welcome to the Pucks with podcast, a proud member of the CLNS media network. Make sure to hit subscribe to the Bruins Ringside YouTube channel and turn on notifications for when a new video drops on the channel. This episode is also brought to you by Prize Picks. You and I make decisions every day. But on Prize Picks, being right can get you paid. Don’t miss any of the excitement this season on Prize Picks, where it’s good to be right. Um, all right. Welcome in everybody. This is the 233rd episode of the Pucks with Hags podcast. I am your host Joe Hagerty. You can find my work at joehagerty.substack.com. Subscribe and get yourself a premium membership. Get all my Bruins and NHL writing stints straight directly to your inbox. I also write columns uh for the Boston SportsJournal. So check out bostonportsjournal.com uh for those as well as a weekly Q&A I do with the subscribers at Boston Sports Journal. So, get yourself a subscription to that site. Awesome coverage of all the four major pro sports teams uh at Greg Baddard’s site. Greg Baddard, Mike Gardy, a cast of uh thousands of talented people over there. Um so, check it out. Uh always good content on there. With me today, longtime friend and colleague Mick Collagio. Mick, please tell everybody where they can find your work, my friend. Rink I link rink I link rink wrap to Facebook. That’s got to get the licorice out of my mouth. Um, yeah, rank rap is on X and Facebook and I’m in the key issues of hockey news with the yearbook and now actually beginning work on the money power and if we can figure out how to put it on the platform uh the articles that go in the annual uh tradition sports museum’s tradition event uh event program. I write the Bruins article for that for several years now and just turned in my article on Tim Thomas, this year’s Bruins honore. Yep. Great honore. Um a colorful character. Always enjoyed covering him. He always had opinions about stuff and he was, you know, a good guy. Uh great goalender, too. Um certainly had his like things, uh you know, that that do. Yes, he was a goalie. There was no question about it. But like when he was at his best, man, I still make the argument, Mick, that that that season when they won the cup and he won the Con Smite is the best season, a goalie season I’ve ever seen anybody have, anybody. Um, for my money, certainly since I’ve covered hockey and and really since I’ve been alive, I think beginning to end, including the playoffs, the best goalie season I’ve ever seen from anybody. criminal that he didn’t get um the heart trophy honestly and more consideration for it that season. It was a goalie version of Bobby or 6970 in which won the heart the Norris and the Consmi and the Art Ross. Yep. I had him on my ballot. I know a lot of people didn’t because I think I want to say he finished like fifth. He wasn’t even a finalist I believe that year. I think he got I think he finished fifth. Yeah. But like unless that was09 when he won the vzna the first time the first of his two vzners in 09 0809 he might have been fifth that year for the heart. Yeah, but the fact that he wasn’t a finalist for the heart trophy that season that given the year that he had was criminal in my mind. And like the only the only uh aspect of that that I find an upside to is that you have to give the credit somewhere and let it not be said that the Bruins goalied their way to the Stanley Cup, that they were not a Stanley Cup team. And I thought they proved that they were a Stanley Cup caliber team by going back and having that great series against Chicago in 13. Yep. And No, for sure. But they didn’t win that series either. Like and they never won a cup without mitigating circumstances. Yep. You know, but like you know what I mean, too. Yep. But they didn’t win a they didn’t win another cup with uh with, you know, as I love Tuka. I think Tuka is a great goalie, too. But there was something different about Tim Thomas, especially in those uh clutch situations, especially in that season to the occasion. That was a little different. And like there was I think that was a sliver of a difference between um those two. Definitely circumstances were part of it. I don’t think they were going to win in 2013 either way. That was they lost to a better team and there’s no shame in that. Chicago Blackhawks were a wagon. Um they were, but I didn’t like how they lost. I thought that the uh Frolique hit on Berseron, the late hit that started off set off Berseron’s string of catastrophic injuries that really took his effectiveness out of that series and really threw an asterisk into it for me. And that was a hit uh from behind and it was after the whistle. It was not after the whistle, it was from behind and it was at a dangerous distance from the boards and it it began the uh chain reaction of his injuries of the series. And it was fun to see when Froolique was, I think, later playing for Winnipeg that the Bruins were like next time they played the Jets, everybody was running him. It was great. Yep. Yeah. Yes. Uh and that you but great series. And back to what we were saying before, like Tim Thomas just a a fun human being. Glad that he’s coming around every once in a while now. that like some of the, you know, some of the what made it a a an awkward ending for him with the team has been smoothed over and um kind of time has healed some wounds there. And it’s great to see him around because he’s such a character and he’s he also was dealing with a severe concussion after his at the end of his career that really put him into a quiet space kind of like losing the lunar module as it re-enters the atmosphere. Nobody knows for a long time what was going on and then finally he emerges and it’s nice to have him back. It is no question. Um, all right. So, let’s get to uh and uh make sure you go to the tradition uh if you can Bruins fans uh sports fans in general Boston fans because awesome event put on by the um the Garden folks every single year and always has uh star-studded uh Boston legends. Great discussion mix involved with it as well doing the writeups. Outstanding stuff. Uh, the sports museum also does some great work with uh uh children uh in the city and anti anti-bullying education and campaigns. There you go. Awesome to add that, Mick, for sure. I love Dick Johnson and in the New England Sports Boston Sports Museum. New England Sports Museum, right? That’s just the sports museum these days. And they do do at large in addition to honoring a former Bruin Red Sox Patriot Celtic every year, they have at large athletes, too. I mean, they’ve had Leila Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali. They’ve had uh the race car driver Richard Petty. Man, the hat he wore, Martina Navra Talova. Um, you know, there’s been a lot of uh uh great uh sports figures who have been on the TD Garden floor at this event meeting and greeting with um you know the people, you know, and they people donate a lot of money to go to this event and they have the restauranteers from around town have orurves on the floor and a barend and and a lot of silent auction stuff, great memorabilia and opportunities to meet a lot of people who are there to support these people. So, not only do you get, you know, their honore, you get the presenter of that person like last like when Brad Park was recently honored, Jerry Chvers was there, which for me was hilarious. I mean, Jerry Chver is my favorite player of all time, any sport, any era, any team, you know, so that was the thrill reconnecting with him. Oh, yeah. Oh, those guys are characters. Uh, it’s fun to hang out with them for sure. Um, so check all of that out. Uh, at this point, like we might as well start talking about the Bruins, even though we probably don’t want to or uh I don’t even know if fans want uh to talk about them right now. Um, because it’s frustrating. I think for fans for sure. I think there’s definitely I sensed a little bit of frustration last night for sure. uh even at this early juncture of the season, even after a pretty promising start in the first three games, uh Bruins won their first three games of the year. Now they’ve lost five in a row. Uh most of them to really good teams. They definitely could use an easy game or two coming up. I think that where they can uh break um the slide and and get some points. Um, but the other part of it though, Mick, and I was asking this question of a lot of like the, you know, I asked Marco, I asked Pasta, a few of the guys last night. It’s like the onegoal losses against really good teams. To me, it’s like a little bit of both, right? It’s a little bit of like discouraging and it should be a little encouraging as well. They’re playing good hockey. like they’re making mistakes that are ending up costing them at the end between like crucial mistakes at critical times and not really having enough offense to really like just pull away from somebody. Um it’s those two things are kind of combining right now for them to lose close games against good teams. Uh and last night was a really good example of that uh in the 4 to3 loss to the the Florida Panthers where it looked like they were going to get a point at the end. They got a goal with the goalie pulled. Morgan Geeki gets a goal right in front. Great pass from Casey Middlestad right to the front to to Geeki. It was a really nice play. Um but then they give it right back and they’ve done they’ve shown a propensity for that too, Meg. That’s part of the mistakes that they’ve made is they’ve shown a real propensity for giving up goals right after they score and just sort of letting up just after they score a little bit and sort of losing focus for a minute and then letting the other team who you know is going to come right back at you as hard as they can in those moments. letting them storm right back and score as well, which we all know that’s a sign of a team that needs to mature a little bit and needs to sort of like, you know, get a little bit more of like a level-headed mindset about things rather than losing focus at instances, critical points in games. Um, so I guess I would ask you because I take a little bit of both from it. Like I I obviously losing five in a row is never good. Um, obviously I you could sense a little bit of frustration, especially in an emotional game, Marian’s return last night, given where they are and that they haven’t had results in a while. Uh, but I also see like between the three-game start that they had, between one a lot of onegoal losses to good teams and, you know, some of the things that we’re seeing out of this team, I see them being okay. Like I see them coming out of this sort of evening the ship and I don’t think this is going to sink into like some kind of abyss with this team. I I think they will pull out of this and I think that there will be pockets where they’re going to play really good hockey this year based on what I’ve seen and I still think they’re going to be right in it for a playoff spot at the end based on what I’m seeing now. Um, you know, it’s it’s hard to say that sometimes when a team has lost five games in a row, but like I I you know, the only game I’ve for my money that I’ve watched at the start of the season and said yikes, was the Avalanche game, which it looked to me like they just weren’t invested in it. It looked like they’re against a much better team. The Avalanche can do that to a lot of different teams. But aside from that, like I’ve liked what I’ve seen uh most nights. It’s a flawed team, but it’s a team that tries really hard and is going to win their share of games. I thought that the Panthers would be more clinical than they were last night. Uh, I was suspecting a game much like what we saw Tampa Bay come in when they were 0 and3 and they came into the garden on Columbus Day afternoon and they were absolutely clinical and the Bruins were really not up to it and and the Bruins were three and 0. It was a day game and there was a predictable result. This game here was much more chaotic. Maybe it was because of the emotions. Maybe because the Panthers have some real problems right now that they haven’t figured out with the uh you know when it starts with missing Barkoff and then you have uh other injuries as well that are significant and um and so this team uh has coming came in having played four road games and having lost them all in regulation. So, this game was a little like George Foreman and Ron Lyall just absolutely throwing haymakers for five rounds and somebody wasn’t going to get up sooner or later from the knockdowns that were going both ways. Uh, if you ever get a chance to see that on YouTube and you like boxing, man, oh man, uh it’s right up there with Hagler Hearns. But the uh this um game last night uh it really it really looked like the Bruins had turned that corner to be competitive. But as you noted, when they’re playing teams that can take advantage of weaknesses, whether it’s in how you play a situation that is something you can grow from with the same personnel or significant injury like Hampus Lynholm off the left side, that is that’s a problem for this team right now. And to see where the Hampus Linholm situation goes, I received a text from a friend this morning that said Hampus Lynhome is injured. Expect an update today. Now, uh, yeah, like on one on one hand, no crap, Sherlock. On the other hand, uh, he talks to people that seem to know things. I don’t know where he finds them, but so I hope we’re not going to get some news today that isn’t very good, you know, and and the Bruins initially said it’s not related to the repaired kneecap. We’ll find out more, I suppose. Yep. Yeah. I think it’s obviously it was a warning sign that he didn’t play in that game yesterday. Like that was not a not a good sign at all. Um that you know and and I I you know as much as you say it’s not related I I think that everybody casts kind of a dubious eye at that until proven otherwise. you know, you’re you’re going to if you if you if you’re at all skeptical about like injuries and truthtelling uh that teams have and they’re usually not completely upfront, especially in situations like this about what’s going on with an injury, like you’ve kind of wondered the whole time like whether this had something to do with the previous injury and whether they’re related. And you know it it the fact that it’s been nagging and ongoing and now he’s not playing when you think he’s going to play and he’s a game time decision and you know wasn’t playing backtoback. Like there’s a lot going on right now that is just red flags for me all over the place with him with the injury he had last year which we know like Kevin Miller in the past right like had kneecap issues and really was never the same player again and had a lot of issues. He rebroke a kneecap in an opposite direction like this and which is unbelievable. And so that guy, ironically, a concussion ended his career. But um but at that point he was like not able to practice at times, wasn’t able to go to morning skates, was like really managing it to the point where it was almost untenable for him to play. Like he was basically like struggling just to get out on the ice at that point when the concussion ended things for him. So, like, yeah, I remember he and Dennis Seidenberg both uh doing these massive long cable stretches of their their trunks going lateral movement with the trainer like 40 feet from each other around this circle taking these these uh steps like they were Bigfoot and uh just trying to bring up their bodies to the rigors of the possibility of playing hockey again. And it didn’t work out for them that particular season. Um, and I don’t think either player was ever the same after their catastrophic knee injuries. No, definitely not. Um, so like there’s there’s legitimate concerns um about all of that with with Hampus Lindholm right now. and and I you know I didn’t mention him but I’m glad you did because I think that is a big part of this whole equation is him be me missing right now and him not being a presence and you know that is continuing to ask more of others than perhaps they are capable of uh and I think we see that um you know in that uh I think we have to talk about it Mick in that loss last night and uh you know at points this season I think he’s been Okay. But um Mason Lorai was a big- time issue last night. Like there’s no getting around it. Like it was a bad game for him and it was what we’ve seen at times. He is just not strong enough on his stick in the Dzone at times. Um and that’s what happened in both of those instances last night. He’s getting pucks uh knocked off his stick in in like just the worst areas where you have to be strong on it and you have to find a way to get that away uh and get that away from the front of the net um on a face off that you won. It was one back to him and he he just got it knocked off his stick and it went right to AJ Greer and it turns into an easy goal for the Panthers off a self-inflicted wound. And the other play was Lucinan just winning a one-on-one battle with him. That was it. just winning a one-on-one battle for a puck when they were both breaking down in transition down the ice and like Lucied him off like big kid against little kid on the pond. Looster Ryan got enough uh on the shot while battling him one-on-one to roof it under the bar like you know you you can’t let that happen as a defenseman. That cannot happen in that play. You got to find a way anything. Yes. or and and at least make him under enough duress that he can’t get off a shot like that. Like there is no way you can allow that to happen. And I don’t think he played again after that. I’m pretty sure Lai was done for the night after that. Um which we’ve we I will give Marco Sturm credit. He’s making moves where if he doesn’t like what he sees on the ice from a player in a particular game, they’re not going to play anymore. We saw it last week uh in Colorado with with Pastasterneck. So he’ll do it with anybody. Um I I I and I do like that as a coach. I think that gets accountability and that gets people sort of on their toes. Uh but Lori, you know, uh he’s going to get back in there and he’s going to get more chances. And the one thing I would say, Mick, that concerns me a little bit about him is that I’m seeing him playing more conservatively as well this year to start. like he’s trying to be better defensively and I think it’s impacting his ability to make things happen offensively or his risk-taking offensively or what he’s trying to do offensively. And I and at at the end of the day, you’re going to have mistakes with Mason Lorai because he’s not a defensive defenseman. He’s just not. You know, there’s going to be times where he’s going to get taken advantage of in situations like that. But if he’s not like making things happen and making a positive impact and moving the needle offensively, like do you even want to deal with the defensive stuff? Like what what how much can he help you if he’s not going to do what he does offensively and he’s sort of losing some of his offensive uh daring do because he’s worried about being a two-way defenseman and a defensive defenseman. It’s it’s I’m I’m just I’m not saying it’s there completely yet, but that’s something I’m starting to pick up on with him having watched him these first handful of games at the start of the year. It’s something I’m a little concerned about. His growth pattern is going to have these bumps and it’s a mentality thing as well because you can see what I agree 100% with your analysis of Lorai right now. He it looks like it looks like there is doubt in his game where it’s critical that he be freewheeling, free flowing and intuitive on the ice in order for the split seconds it the game requires to be an effective offensive player. He seems to be taking that away from himself with these shadows of doubt because of his overall uh situation right now and the challenge of making sure that he’s on the right side of the puck. And that if that becomes too much of a if he doesn’t relax and play then he’s not good enough defensively to justify his spot in the lineup. Yeah. So, so and now, oh, by the way, little footnote here, no pun intended, but while we were scrumming after the game in the room, Jordan Harris walked by and was gimpy as he was going crossing diagonally from the trainers area to the opposite corner of the Bruins dressing room. He was uh uh I don’t know if I’d call it a limp, but I would say that he he was walking like he just had his ice foot his foot iced for 20 minutes. That’s how he was walking, you know. So he and he and it was on his face, too. He was clearly in discomfort. So, um I would not be surprised if in time for the game against the Ducks coming up Thursday night that the Bruins summon a D from Providence. And I given their situation and what the needs are, I would anticipate Michael Callahan. Yeah, I think I think that’s a good call. Um, and I think they could use him, especially if like if Lindome is going to be an issue and he’s going to get put on an injured list or whatever. Callahan’s got to be the guy. Um, no no question in my mind. Um, and that, you know, Lori is going to have to be better if that’s if he’s got to figure it out. And I I’m glad you you’re seeing what I’m seeing because it’s definitely something I’ve watching and there’s been a few times now where I’m just like he doesn’t look like he’s as freewheeling with it offensively as he was before. And he does not look like if he’s he’s playing as bold as he did before. And like he’s not going to stay in the league if he doesn’t play that way because that’s his strength. Like that’s what he does best. He has to continue to have that mentality that he’s attacking with the puck and he’s attacking offensively because he’s just not good enough defensively to justify him being in there if he’s not going to produce offensively and he’s not going to be a guy that really pushes the envelope uh and makes things happen. Like he’s got to stick with what like makes him stand out at the NHL level and it’s definitely the skill level and the offensive side of the puck. There’s no doubt about that. Um I throw this into the team context. The Bruins, as you’ve already noted earlier in our discussion, are a team that needs to play with defense, solid defense, great goalending structure because they’re not going to score enough goals to survive certain kinds of fixable mistakes. Right now, Lorai is not giving them what they wanted offensively that predicates his deal, uh, his two-year 3.4 four uh and AAV and so and it was predicated on him being protected by third pairing matchups which is not the case. he’ been playing primarily as Charlie Makavoy’s partner on the number one pairing. uh and the vulnerability that comes with that u you know especially with such an active player as Makavoy uh you know and so if you don’t get the good and you get the bad you what you have is one more in the armor of a team that cannot afford has to put a very hard cap on how much vulnerability it has in these ways when you’re not going to score a lot of goals or you’re not going to have a lot of scoring depth. And so this is part of it right now for the Bruins. Even in a game where there’s a lot of effort, a lot of focus, a lot of compete. This is there. It’s one of the things that they have to address sooner or later before they really lose ground. Yep. Uh agreed. 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There’s also CLNS Media Network and Celtics All Access on CLNS NBA History Channel, Patriots Press Pass, and the Bruins Ringside YouTube channels as well. And ple please make sure to turn on your notifications so you know the instant a new Pucks with Hags podcast video drops on the interwebs. All right. Um, some other stuff going on here, Mick. Um, Casey Middlestat scratched uh the last game of the road trip in Utah. uh comes back into the lineup, gets a couple of assists in that game. Um that loss last night to Florida. Um I thought he played well. Uh he had directly set up Paval Zaka for a goal as well. I think offensively he did exactly what you’re looking for. Made some really crafty like smart passes to set up goals. Um and the one at the end that was a ton of poise and confidence to make that play um in in you know the goalie pulled in that situation to get the the puck to Morgan Geeki who obviously can finish at the front of the net. Um but I know you also took issue with uh his line with Zaka and Arvdson being out there um right after they scored and they end up giving up the game-winning goal. Um, and I, you know, I don’t I don’t disagree with you. Um, I I definitely think, you know, there’s an issue here where they’re giving up goals and not getting stops right after they score. And if I’m looking for a defensive stop from a line, that might be the the last line I would put out on the ice. Um, in in that kind of a situation. Um, but your thoughts? I bit my tongue last night in the post game. I really didn’t want to throw that at Marco Sturm. Um, I I I could see that, you know, he wanted to give them a chance to win the game, you know, and and uh and you know what, he’s got to coach intuitively. He’s got the people. He’s got the relationships. He’s trying to get the best out of players. He’s trying to instill confidence. Um, but the Panthers, prior to the horrible deflection off of Andrew Peak, blew right through the Bruins up the ice way too easy. and and I I had a real problem with that that line being out there. Um and uh there were times in that last night that I saw the configurations of forcheek and all that Zaka started the night on the line chart as the centerman, but then it was times where Middlestat was playing a position and not Zaka. They were kind of was they were sort of uh letting it go as it needed to per you know as the game unfolded. and um in terms of where they were on the ice and how they were playing their spots. Uh and it was Middle Stat’s best game as a Bruin, but I just I I really had a problem with them being the line that was going to get them the point once they had the game tied. I I had a real problem with that. I hadn’t really noticed uh on the stat sheet that you pointed out, Frasier Minton only got seven minutes. And I thought he played I I thought he played his game. I when I saw him out there, I thought he did good did good Fraser Minton stuff. Uh but yeah, I I I mean there’s there’s definitely a waning sense of confidence right now from Sturm and that trio. Isamontant and Jano are around nine minutes each. So not sure what’s going on there. Minton was four and two on the dot. Uh, but I thought from what the shifts that I saw, I thought he played a decent, you know, version of himself and, uh, I certainly would have considered him being one of the guys out there when they tied that game up to make sure they got their point and that didn’t happen. No. And I, you know, and that’s a legit second guess. That’s that’s a legit second guess for the coach um having them out there in that situation given that I would I would probably look at them as the weakest defensive option um of any of the four lines. Um you know, I I don’t I don’t I haven’t had a ton of issues with Minton and Isont and Ganoa defensively. um they’re not consistently generating the offense you would probably like. Um for a third line, you know, they’ve had moments, obviously Jano’s got a couple of goals where he’s he’s he’s crashed the net and gotten rebounds. Mitten had the overtime game winner in the the home opener, but you know, offensively, I don’t know that they’ve given you everything that you need at this point. But like defensively, I don’t think they’ve been a liability by any means, and I don’t think they’ve been an issue. Um it it it is interesting that how much trust that uh Marco Sturm has developed with Sean Carali and with um Castellic and whoever’s playing with them. Seems like they’re definitely almost becoming the third line now that is being trusted to be a checking line um to play a lot and and that’s great because I think they deserve it. They’ve played really well and they’ve been, you know, consistently one of their best lines every night. But I also think like, you know, I I I do think you got to get up to double digits with the the other forwards where they’re at least getting closer to 10 minutes with Jano and Ismont. Like is to me has not been that noticeable lately. And part of it might be because he’s not playing a lot. And um you know, there was a couple of games on the road too where I just didn’t think he was he was bringing it like he needed to. Um he’s a frustrated player right now. It seems like it. Um, so you know, all that stuff is is definitely interesting. Um, I I did want to get your thoughts. I I will say the the goal that they gave up uh was because I I put a lot of it on Pavle Zaka to be honest with you because like he’s the guy that has to be the defensive conscience conscious conscience of that line. He’s the guy that, especially in that situation where it’s a tie game, they just tied it up, it’s the last couple of minutes of the game or the last minute of the game, they want to get the point in overtime and at least get it there. Um, and you know, you got to sort of hold on like we see teams do that a lot now, Mick, in the last few minutes of a game where they’re just holding on and playing conservatively and tr, you know, they’ll they’ll Katy bar the door in overtime and just let it, you know, things go because it’s threeon three. Um, and it it there was a play where Arvdson was getting the puck to the net or middlestead, I forget which one it was, that threw the puck across ice and Zaka was cutting to the net and really like going for broke trying to like get a redirect or score the goal there uh and he missed and ends up stuck way down low uh in the offensive end and is not able to get back defensively. And you could you can see the instant in transition where Charlie Makavoy was left in no man’s land trying to cover two guys and it was you know basically a jailbreak by the Panthers going down the other end of the ice and the other two guys don’t have to switch recovery speed. No. And that turned into um a a puck hitting the post that should have been a goal and then that you know caused a play where it bounced off peak and and unfortunately went in when he whiffed at it and like kicked it into the net. But like they should have lost anyway. You know what I mean? Like giving up that chance to the player that hit the post before uh which was uh Verhagi, right? Giving up that chance to Verhagy hitting the post like that to me told them they deserve to lose the game. the fact that they gave up that chance in the last minute of the game and like that was the hockey gods making sure they got what they deserved by the puck hitting peak and then going into the net because I them giving up something like that right after they had scored in the last minute of the game tells me that they need to figure out like how to how to play in those moments and learn from it and get better. And I I I put a lot in and to Zaka’s credit, he was taking accountability and responsibility for screwing up after the game was over. And I think he should have because he was the guy that is the center of that line. Needs to be the defensive defensive conscience of that forward group. Needs to make sure that he’s back to make sure that doesn’t happen. And they took advantage of it when he was caught up ice. It was a it was a bad goal to give up. And um I obviously had a problem with who was out there. Um I would like to have seen I don’t Isaka plays with a ton of effort. I don’t think he’s a technician out there and he’s not skating quite like he usually does. I he has a bit of a nagging thing going on that carries over from last season that he’s playing with. And uh so I don’t think his speed is everything that that it had been. Um, and the other two guys certainly don’t go zone to zone to zone in a in a manner that could recover a situation like that. And they were all thrown off out of position and I think Middlestack and Harbertson was sort of together uh along the half wall there sort of trying to cut back and like plays long gone. The Panthers were relaying it hard. And Verhaggy, Verhaggy, who’s not a burner but such a great 10 out of 10 opportunist, he knows how to position himself and gain uh situations that uh to read a game to to go to where he needs to be and to be clutch in the moment. We’ve seen it over and over and over again beginning with the 23 playoffs. So, um that that was that was a that you’re right. It was a bad bounce that seemed in a way to be Yeah, that’s that’s pretty much what should have happened on a play. So, Verhaggy credited because the puck goes off a peak and back carams back into the net and uh it’s a no assist because Ver Hegy was the last player to touch it. So, yeah. So, um so it’s his goal and and the game ends like that. That’s uh Oh, what a shame considering that they desperately needed a point last night. Yeah. and and you know some were some of the Bruins were saying they kind of deserved better uh last night after the game was over and I was kind of like thinking in my head no you didn’t like if you give up that kind of a chance right after you scored you don’t you don’t deserve to better better you kind of deserve to lose and you’re going to continue to deserve to lose those games until you make smarter decisions in crunch time and those moments where you’re trying to win and and maybe emotion played into it maybe Pablo Zaka wanted to you know wanted to with Marian coming back wanted the Bruins to win and that, you know, tempered the aggressiveness a little bit trying to win that game at the end instead of getting overtime. Who knows? Um, but it was not a good judgment call by him. If if you’re going to be a a you know, if you want to play center, you really need to be smarter than that in that situation um to make sure that doesn’t happen at the other end and you’re like the first guy back on the back check. Um, but I mean it’s uh we’re we’re 30 almost 38 minutes into this show, Mick, and I think it’s time to talk about Brad Marshian a little bit. You know, we’ve talked about everything with the Bruins. Um, I think we need really need to talk about the ovation, the video, the crying on the ice. um the clear emotion from him, from a guy that you could tell uh didn’t want to leave and and by the strong emotion he has, you can tell that he still, and I think Paul Maurice said it on ESPN during that broadcast last night, he’s always going to be a Bruin at heart, even if he’s playing for the Florida Panthers. And I think that’s so true. Um I think he’s always he’s always going to consider himself a Bruin. He is going to be here after he’s done playing. He is always going to be a legend and a fan favorite. He is always going to be considered one of the all-time greats here. Um, and nothing he does with the Panthers is going to change that with anybody here. And that was the longest ovation I can ever remember a player getting that was returning here in their first game at the Garden. Super welld deserved. Great moment, great hockey moment, one of those things we’ll remember for a long time and will be part of his sort of greatest hits package uh when you think about him when his career career is over and he’s going to the Hall of Fame. Um, but just your thoughts on on everything and and on top of that, Mick, he assisted on the first goal of the game and then threw that pass to Verhaggy that ended up uh getting the game-winning goal there at the end. And, you know, I was impressed like sometimes he’s a player that can get overcome by the emotion and can do emotional things and kind of lose control a little bit in those kind of uh moments and games and things like that. I thought he just played a great game last night and kept it all in check, made sure he enjoyed the moment, made sure he fully appreciated everything that was happening, had the emotional reaction that, you know, was just showing everybody his heart on his sleeve, and then just played a great game on top of it with his team winning and kind of making his final point like maybe you guys should have kept me. Um, you know, and I I I I think at the end of the day, uh, the Bruins made a mistake, and I’m going to continue to say that, like not signing him, letting him go somewhere else. It was good for him. It’s definitely um good for uh, you know, the the end chapters of his career. He’s in a much better place in Florida, given what kind of competitor is and what kind of player he is, than sort of retooling here in Boston. And I think that was hard for him to be the leader of that team when he was such a competitive guy uh when he knew they were going to be losing games and not quite as good as they used to be. So selfishly for him, it’s much better for him in Florida. But I think the Bruins like I just think you never get rid of guys that compete like that and have the the caliber of player that he is. Um, so I always gonna think it was a mistake to trade him, but you know, and I think last night kind of underscored that again based on how much the fans love him, based on how much he still has in the tank, and based on him coming in and getting the last laugh. He sure did. Um, you know, and I think back to the last time he, you know, famously was in tears on TD Garden Ice was, uh, June 12th, 2019, watching the Blues, you know, one knee watching the Blues celebrate. And, uh, I’m sure a lot of his, uh, his detractors and enemies and fans that don’t like him uh, were really enjoying that. And so for me, this uh response from the crowd and his response to them, not only uh emotionally, but with the hockey he played last night uh really was a great sendoff. Uh he impacted the game. He did it right away and he did it at the end. A book end primary assist. As far as I’m concerned, the last one won’t be in the books because it required the crazy deflection off the post and off of Andrew Peak. But it it uh nonetheless it was Marshan making the play at the beginning of the game, making the play at the end of the game and the book ends for an emotional night for him to reunite with his fan base which is largely here in Boston. Uh you know, and they appreciate the Bruins. Boston fans love a gamer. They love a guy who pours his guts out on the ice. And that’s what Brad Marian always did. He didn’t hold back. He wasn’t stoic. He was emotional. Uh stupid emotional at times. He was uh funny emotional at times and sad emotional 19. And last night I thought brought it all together. He’s a guy who never held back himself from he let he let Boston see him at his best, his worst, and everything in between. And never left in any kind of shroud of mystery, any guessing. Uh wonderful captain of this team for the short time that he wore the sea and um a wonderful career and 63 certainly belongs in the rafters and his name in the Hall of Fame when those times come. Absolutely. Um, and I made a mistake. Uh, that was not him on the game-winning goal. That was Marian on the goal before that. That gave him the go-ahehead goal in the third period. That looster Ryan play. That’s what I was thinking of where he threw the puck ahead to That’s right. He was the one who sprung Lucan. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. That was Bennett Verhagy. That was the one I thought was going to be the game-winning goal. Yes. Exactly. All us sports writers with our laptops upstairs looking down on this game was thinking, “Okay, that’s it.” Yeah, that was that was the story book ending for Marian right there for sure. Um that was the one anything um but like uh congrats Marshy on a on a great return. Like it was really fun watching that last night. Um I definitely like anybody that was watching that I think got swept up in the feeling and the emotion of it. um because we, you know, we’ve known him for a long time and I felt so good for him to get what I’m sure he really wanted was that ovation from the fans. Uh so meaningful to him obviously and you could see it. Um anything else, Mick, that you are thinking about rolling around upstairs based on what you’ve seen u during the five-game losing streak and just from the Bruins overall um to this point? Well, I think they played the last two games with great resolution. I do find it um a little disheartening that they were had a lead in Utah and they could not their whole season is predicated on being able to take the Utah situation and get two points out of it. and and they they got beat by players who were uh better than they were when it mattered most. And um and this team has to decide, this is Don Sweeney kind of a question. Do we have in our room right now, on our bench right now, on the ice right now, what it’s going to take for us to continue getting better? the theories I think that you can devise. You’re bringing in so much change. You’re bringing in a new coach who’s put in a man defense. The first fundamental departure from the Claude Julian installed zone of 2007 that calmed the game that Bruce Cassidy tweaked that Jim Montgomery tweaked. And now Marcos Sturm is coming in saying here’s how we’re going to play. And you got so many new guys that everybody’s it’s all new. It’s all new. and Adrenaline got you three wins and you know a really good team came in and took the first one and then you threw a couple crappers in there and now you’re now you’re playing hard and your mistakes are catching up to you and some of it’s personnel related, some of it’s a learning curve. How much can this team take? Anaheim’s feeling good about themselves. The Ducks are coming in off a W and they’re looking to make a move this year. They’re the team in the west that wants to push and make the playoffs. And they certainly look at the Bruins like we got to win this one and keep the their foot on their neck here. And uh the Bruins are like we got to figure out a way to turn this around. That game tomorrow night is going to be huge because right now seasons are got are spitting. They’re kind of like deciding which way are we going and yep, how big of a monster does this losing streak become versus are we going to write the ship? Well, there’s certain ways that you feel like you’re writing the ship, but you’re not getting the results. The Bruins can’t keep leaning on that. And Morgan Geeky said it best last night, and he said, “This one stings, and he said that there’s only so much time. You can only take the positive for so long.” Yep. No, I I agree. Um, yeah, you need results at a certain point. You just need to get a win. And that’s why I say um you need like uh for lack of a better term, you need a slump buster to come in and allow you to get maybe an easier uh two points to sort of like hit the reset button. Uh and they’ve it’s it’s been a tough stretch for them. They’ve played Vegas, Colorado, um Florida, like you’ve played some really good teams. Tampa. Uh, four of the five games I think were against um, you know, playoff teams, playoff caliber teams, and you’ve lost uh, competitive games against all of them except for Colorado. Um, which I didn’t think was competitive. And and and my my thing, Mick, is that I I just I think what you’re seeing too is like they are starting to realize and maybe they realized it when they were in the middle of that road trip before the Utah game was that that you can’t have like players that aren’t like they’re just basically like, you know, in passenger mode for the game. Like you can’t have it. this team’s not good enough to have that. You need all of your best guys to be locked in consistently um and playing their best if you’re going to win the games that you’re supposed to win and you’re going to maybe take a few that you’re not supposed to win a and be in that playoff mix uh towards the end of the year. And I just thought at the beginning of that road trip and uh in even the Tampa game too uh at the beginning of that like the some of their best players were not where they needed to be and that resulted in uh posture getting benched against Colorado. Like he didn’t have a shot on net in that game. He only ended up with like 13 minutes of ice time in that game. He did nothing in that. He was completely invisible. And then he had that horrendous power play um and and I think it was the third period where he just like threw a spinning no look pass to nobody uh when he was out by the blue line on in a crucial power play situation and then he came right back on the same power play possession and hammered a puck right into somebody’s shin pads at the point and watched it go the other way. like it it looked to me like either he was panicking with the puck or he just didn’t seem to be fully invested in what was going on in that game. And either way, like the benching was was appropriate and warranted. And you know, he’s there’s a lot of weight on his shoulders and there’s a lot of pressure on him. Um, and I I you get that, but like you you can’t have games like that if you’re going to be the captain and the leader of the team. You just can’t. Like he had one goal, one game all of last year, Mick, where he didn’t have a shot on net. That’s it. And like that’s his game. That was the game. That was his mulligan. This Colorado game where he decided he’s going to do that. If that happens again, it’s going to be really problematic. He just he’s too valuable to this team to to have a night like that. It just can’t happen. So, we need 74 more good ones. Um Yeah, it’s Well, that’s right. that the margin of error for this team is too small for their best player to have off nights, you know, where he just doesn’t really show up, where he’s just not mentally engaged. Astron even in his wildly creative, intuitive style of play is still requires a compete threshold in order for all hell to break loose against the opponent. and and some nights he doesn’t have it. That night he did not have it at all. And um he has to keep those to a bare minimum considering that he’s in such a critical position of leadership here. One thing I’ll say about Brad Marshan when he was one one other Hey Mick one one other thing before you you keep going. I just want to interject for one second and I also want to I hate to say this because I like all the people on there but uh I also want to let the Nessen postgame show know that it’s okay to mention that Brad Marian got benched uh in the third period uh when they talk about it afterwards because it was very noticeable that they didn’t say a word about it uh an entire postgame show afterwards when your best player didn’t play the last 10 minutes of the game wasn’t out there when they pulled the goalie and put Johnny Beecher out there instead like that’s the time to talk about your best player like uh being offensive. Yes. They didn’t mention a word about it after the game was over. So like I as as they in order to like do properly uh you know um in order to properly inform the fan base that is incredibly smart and incredibly intelligent, you can’t just sugarcoat that or not mention it. Like the fans demand more than that. So, like it’s okay for you to talk about Pos being benched after the game is over. That’s end of rant. All right. Go ahead. Um I’m not dismissing the possibility that they didn’t notice. Just I mean that’s even worse. That’s even worse if they didn’t notice. I know what I’m ca I know I’m capable of of thinking, “Oh crap, that really didn’t happen.” You know, because you sometimes I get immersed in the details of the game and I and I not looking at the forest. I’m sure they notice because you notice when Johnny Beecher is out there when the goalie gets pulled at the end of the game and you say, “Where’s 88 and he’s not out there?” That should have been that should have been probably like a blinking alarm like, “Hey, time to notice.” Yeah. Um well, I’d also throw uh I’d say this that Marian was always once Marian was in a position of leadership of the Bruins long before he even got a letter, he was a guy who dragged the Bruins into the fight. Pasta needs to remember that he is the guy who drags this team into the fight. And so if he’s not feeling it, he’s got to find other ways to get himself into the game. Even if his magic stick isn’t working, if his hands aren’t, you know, if his eye, hand eye, the whatever it is that makes David Poshak, this otherworldly hockey talent who invents the game is up up the ice. He’s like a modern day Adam Oats. the way he just in or Mark Savard, he’s one of these Savans who actually invents hockey on his way to up the ice. He he um he has to recognize when it’s not there and find other ways to impact the game. He is an artist hockey player. We follow, you know. Yeah, there’s there’s an art form to the way he plays hockey, Mick. creativity in this company does. And some nights it’s going to be vacant. Some nights it’s just it’s like a an artist or you know with a canvas or a songwriter. And some days sometimes you’re just going to have nothing. You just can’t find your your space that uh space between your eyes to to uh project what it is that would be something that other people would find memorable or be impactful to your game, your challenge. Uh, and but he has to have a B game, a C game. He has to have something that he does that if Pasta doesn’t have it tonight. And he’s not a good body checker. But throw the body, do something, you know, just find a way to be present in a way that drags the rest of the team into the fight because in my brain, he is the captain of this team. Uh, even though he shares that a with Charlie. Yep. No, I agree. I I think he uh he needs to find and most of the time he does and he’s been really good about it pretty much all the time and even last night like you know he was accountable. He wanted to talk after the Marshan thing was over um and the game where they won and I’m sure that was a game he was heavily invested in wanting to win and frustrated that they didn’t win afterwards. Um, and you know, he he’s he’s been excellent uh across the board as far as all that stuff goes. But like if you if you’re going to be that guy, you just can’t have game, especially in the situation that they’re in, you can’t have games like Colorado. It just can’t happen. Um, and I don’t think it will. You know, I I think that was probably a reminder like, and I’m glad they had meetings about it and there was a lot of discussion about it and, you know, there was recognition. Uh, and I’m glad Marco Sturm did what he did. You know what I I think I think I think eventually he’s going to be part of this success story of the Bruins and them sort of like getting where they need to be because I’ve liked his attitude and I like the way he coaches. I like the way he makes players accountable and he’s, you know, he’s holding everybody the same standard. I like a lot of the stuff that he’s doing. Uh, and I I I like his basic foundational ideas about defense and offense and the way they’re going to play. And there are mistakes within games and and like there’s going to be second guessing and like you talked about putting the second line out there in that crucial situation and having them allow a goal. Like that kind of stuff is going to happen to any coach like you know and that’s like fair game too. But I think in general I really like the way he goes about doing things and I think it’s going to be um the kind of thing that can help facilitate this team getting where they need to be. like I have full confidence that they’re building towards something based on him as the coach, based on the play, the coaches he has with him, based on the players and the effort that they’re giving. That’s why I guess I’m still bullish that this is going to go in in the right direction because I still like some of the disparit pieces that I see even if they’re not in one like cohesive um you know painting right now. I have similar good vibes. I don’t know though that they can survive the timeline required to make this season’s playoffs with the warts right now that they have. I do feel like Middlestad played the game of his life last night. Um, but the body of his work this season tells me that if I’m Don Sweeney and there’s anything credible on the table, I’m moving him out because they need a second line center who’s going to be a strong two-way player. Let’s just, you know, talk about the elephant in the kitchen for a second here and and uh and say that, you know, yeah, you’re gonna get a get a really great couple of plays by Casey Middlestat last night. There was cresque. Uh but David Crerachche was a wonderful threezone player. Um and so, uh this is, you know, having silky mitts does not change the fact of what you do on the ice when you don’t have the puck. And um you know, so to me, this is uh this is a situation the Bruins were eventually going to have to deal with. And why not do it? Why not do it when you’re in the best possible position to do it before the ramifications are too great and you’re in a position where you can’t? Um I’d like to see something more defensive on that left side. I don’t like I don’t like your options on the left when you don’t have Hampus Lynholm in the lineup. You better get Mikey Callahan here. You got to get you got to get somebody here who can play a sturdy two-way game and throw a big body around and play with structure and and win 5050s or at least neutralize people where you need to. Um the curve of playing man. We saw Yoki Haru high in the Dzone get picked off like a basketball player trying to chase somebody around. I hadn’t seen a Bruin defenseman chasing somebody that high in the zone since Nick Boon played for this team. and uh and it, you know, it’s it’s a totally a systemic change in how they play and there’s a curve that goes with it. And so here’s a a savvy veteran like Yoki Haru who’s reduced to a a terrible situation where he’s completely picked off. Uh and it was not a moving pick either. It was completely legal what would what happened and you know and so you wind up getting scored on in situations like this. The Bruins have to look at their leaks. This would be the perfect time ideologically for the Bruins to be going to the Claude Julian zone D rather than trying to play man, which is an ambitious style. And maybe when this whole machine starts working the way it’s supposed to and and the glitches are a marginalized to an effect and you unlock a fiveman attack that this is going to be a beautiful thing. Uh right now I don’t see them out running the Sun. I I think that they have to uh get some structure and control over what they’re doing here or at least get the players in here that can play it in order to keep them in the games that uh and I don’t mean Yiharu. I mean that if that’s how you’re going to play, then that’s what’s going to happen from time to time. I like him where he is, but that left side needs help. Yeah, no doubt about it. Um, all right, Mick, I think we’ve uh properly wrapped this up. Uh, thank you very much for joining us. Let’s also thank our sponsors. This episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. You and I make decisions every day, but on Prize Pick, being right can get you paid. Don’t miss any of the excitement this season on Prize Picks, where it’s good to be right. Uh, welcome and thank you for listening to the Pucks with podcast. Proud member of the CLNS Media Network. Make sure to hit subscribe to the Bruins Ringside YouTube channel and turn on notifications for when a new video drops on the channel. Mick Collagio, thank you very much for joining us. Pleasure always, Joe. Everybody else out there, thank you very much for listening, for commenting, for interacting. We’ll see you at the [Music]

Pucks with Haggs host Joe Haggerty and guest Mick Colageo discuss the five-game losing streak for the Bruins, and the triumphant return of Brad Marchand to Boston with a teary tribute.

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