Bruins “Embarrassed” About Six-Game Losing Streak | The Skate Pod, Ep. 491

Bruins “Embarrassed” About Six-Game Losing Streak | The Skate Pod, Ep. 491

Welcome in to episode 491 of the Skate Podcast. I’m Brian Deliz joined by Bridget Pru and Scott Mclofflin. The Bruins fall to the Anaheim Ducks 7 to5 at TD Garden. They’re now 3-6 on the year. And Bridget and Scott, it really is same story, different day for the Bruins. I mean, they worked hard and and and that’s a theme with this team. It’s they do work hard and so you feel bad for for their results because it’s not like they’re a team that’s just packing in and not trying. They’re trying hard, but they can’t maintain leads. They keep finding themselves in multi-goal deficits. They keep fighting back, but they keep falling short. It really is. You can go back the last five, six games, and it’s been the case in four of them. Yeah, it it’s it’s brutal. Uh, and I I think you can sense guys just getting like increasingly frustrated, dejected, uh, just upset that this keeps happening. Um, because you’re right that there there is fight and they’ve scored more than we thought they were going to, but they’re just making too many mistakes and the team defense is just not nearly good enough. Um, you know, I I have some stats like we can probably get into at some point, but they’re giving up too many chances, too many high danger chances. Um, and you know, I thought goalending was not great last night from Jonas Corposalo. I thought there were at least two that he probably should have had. Um and and the letups after goals, like the the emotional swing these last two games from when they tie it with this great third period comeback and and a big goal from Morgan Geeky to then just immediately giving one up and like the devastation of giving it right back and suddenly like a game you thought was at least going to get to overtime just turning into zero points once Once again, six six straight losses all in regulation. They haven’t gotten a single point out of this. Um, and I mentioned on the last podcast, they only had one stretch like this all of last year. They only had one regulation losing streak longer than five games, and that came in March after the deadline selloff. Uh, they had a sevengame regulation losing streak. So, yeah, they’re in they’re in a tough spot. And you know, I don’t know if we just want to jump right into opening shifts because mine ties into all this and it’s it’s about some of the postgame comments. Um I you can just sense it from talking to these players that like this has quickly gone from like, yeah, there’s some silver linings we can cling to, you know, maybe even like moral victory type stuff. Hey, we keep fighting back. It’s been, you know, it’s been a tough schedule, some good opponents to then I thought after the Florida game, you heard frustration coming out, you know, it was almost like they were stunned, like they couldn’t believe it ended on that bad bounce off Andrew Peak’s skate and then you heard multiple players after Thursday’s game say they’re embarrassed and like really sound pretty down on where this team is. Morgan Geeki said, “It’s just embarrassing.” I mean, to the fans, to everybody, it’s just like poor. Everything’s poor. Nikita Zadorov, it’s embarrassing. It’s not how we want to play, how we should play, giving up so many goals every night. Jonas Corposalo, I’m embarrassed. We should all be. And, you know, Morgan Geeky, I thought was was really good postgame. and just bluntly honest having gone through this last year knowing that this team did not recover from a bad start. You know, he was asked to take a he was asked about like taking a glass half full approach. You know, there’s still so much of the season left, right? There’s still 73 games to go. He said it’s tough to be glass half full to be honest with you. I think everybody’s sick of it in here. the new guys, the guys that were here last year that went through everything and saw everybody get shipped out at the deadline. Uh he said, “You can’t ruin your season at the start, but it can get out of hand pretty quick.” And I think that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t turn things around. Um added the the reality that we saw last year is what happens when you don’t perform. And that’s the way things seem to be going. Like it what’s it saying? like it can get late early that this can really snowball if they don’t get it fixed ASAP. And as we keep talking about, we do these these podcasts three times a week. Like schedule’s not letting up. Saturday afternoon, Colorado Avalanche, one of the best teams in the league coming to town. Team that beat you four to one one week ago. And then another backtoback, your third of the month coming up on Monday and Tuesday. Like there’s there’s not a lot of time to sit back, take a deep breath, and and get this right. Like it’s got to be on the fly at some point. They just need to they just need to be a lot better. They just need to stop making these mistakes. Yeah. I mean, it the postgame I was there, too. Obviously, we were both at the game and we both talked to the guys after and the post game was like much more like pissed off, I guess, and but but honest than it was their last home loss. And it I mean, Geeky Geeky did give probably the strongest answers, but Makavoy was right there, too. Makavoy was uh very unhappy and talked about their defensive lapses and how it’s him and Zador talked about it being mental and not physical and we can get into you the how the the defenseman were in the game, but my opening shift uh has to do with those lapses where we were at the beginning of the season, we were talking about how we didn’t know if this roster had enough offense tends to outscore its mistakes. And I just I think we thought of it in a totally different way. It’s turned out to be true the last few games, but I didn’t think it was going to be they score five, but they give up seven. I thought it would be they they let up three, but they they only score two because they, you know, they just can’t find the scoring from the other parts of the lineup besides maybe the the first line. That’s not been what’s happening. they’ve been able to put up five goals on multiple occasions uh and not come away with wins in those games. And Zidorov said, “Every time you score five goals, you should be winning that game.” And he’s right. I’ve heard many many coaches say this as well. And uh we can talk about whether or not it’s a systems thing. If it’s a systematic STM defense problem uh or if it’s individual mistakes and mental lapses that just end up with a puck in the back of the net. But I will say, Scott, you mentioned this to me uh in in like frustration during the game, like I think it’s time to split up Makavoy and Lauri. And I had multiple comments to tweets that I put out yesterday that said the same thing. A lot of people seeing that that pair, which should be your top pair, um, hasn’t been has been on the ice for some some big mistakes, goals against, and uh, it doesn’t seem to be working right now. So, the problem is you if you get Lynholm back, maybe you just go right to Linholm Makavoy. Try that, throw that on the ice next game. Uh Bunny Flynome’s not healthy, which he missed last night’s game against Anaheim again. And Jordan Harris since like five minutes after we recorded our last podcast, was put on IR um with a lower body injury. You’re they called up Michael Callahan. Like the the options for what they can rotate on defense uh in terms of their pairings is is limited until Lynholm comes back. I mean that he we talked about it before the season. It’s a huge loss when he’s out of the lineup and some of those defensive mistakes probably don’t happen if he’s out there. Uh he can cover for guys and he also just doesn’t really make quite as many mistakes as somebody like say Laurai. Um, but yeah, Brian, you’re this actually leads into what you wanted to say because just talking about what can they do, what can they change? Um, and Sturm gave an interesting answer on personnel and and how he could or could not change it. Yeah, and I’ll get to that in just a second. I just want to quick comment on something that you said, Bridget, and and it’s it’s the Makavoy Lori pairing supposed to be your top pairing, and it’s like, well, damn. I mean, M I mean, uh Lori had a minus 43 last year. Like I I think we’ve talked about heading into the year how it could potentially work for those two, but he’s just not a good defensive defenseman, obviously. I think so. I think you’re right to say when Lynholm is healthy, if Lo is healthy, whenever that is, I would staple him next to Makavoy. I I mean, I I just think yeah, there’s there’s there’s too much there’s too much proof in the pudding at this point. I’m sorry, but I just don’t see Mason Laurai becoming a hard defensive defenseman to play against. I don’t. Uh but we’ll see. Um, yeah. So, Marco Stern was was talking after the game and he made a comment about how the guys are committed. They’re working extremely hard. Then he then he said most of the guys, some guys have to pick it up. Now, I’m curious and you two can give me your answer in a little bit who he might be talking about there. But moving on, uh Tai Anderson uh followed up that comment that Stern made with a question saying uh how much longer would he give guys who aren’t buying in working hard to fix that before making some drastic changes? And then part of Sturm’s quote, which is just a little snippet of it, was there’s not many changes I can make. Let’s be honest. And so there’s a lot more that St. STM said in that response and we’ll we’ll get to that. But what did you guys make of that of that exchange of his tone of his commentary? What does that say between the relationship between Sturm and Sweeney? Did you did you take that as Sturm saying it’s not my call it’s Sweenies and then until he does something this is who I have or did you take that as Sturm liking who he has in in Boston or how’ you guys make of those comments? I was actually kind of surpris I should say I was I was pretty surprised when he didn’t say like oh yeah of course we have to you know just give a regular coach’s answer. we have to evaluate who’s playing and you know like reward and whatever. Normally that would just be the answer. Uh and it wasn’t and it was almost like with like a like a smirk like what am I supposed to do with this roster kind of is what I felt he was getting at in in real time uh being in the room. Uh the rest of the quote was uh the roster we have I have. Not too many changes will be made. You can tweak a few things, but that’s about it. I don’t think too many changes can be made. Let’s be honest. So, the guys in here, including me, the guys in the room, we have to fix it. Um, Scott, I don’t know if you read into it differently. It to me, a few things popped into my mind. Either he does not believe in the guys in Providence that, you know, that are better, he doesn’t think they’re better options was part of what I got. Um, and kind of, you know, we’re we have what we have now. We have to try to make that work. But it was it was puzzling to me. And I did want to read a few comments that I got on that tweet uh cuz I posted that last night uh because it got reaction from the fans as well because we get a lot of emails and we get a lot of responses about, you know, oh, shouldn’t they call up this this or that guy? I wanted to see younger guys. And I think this was not a response that those those types of fans really were happy with. Yeah, I I think I heard it pretty differently than a lot of people. I thought this is how a coach is supposed to respond to that question because the last thing you want to do is give the guys in the room any excuses or have them thinking that someone else is going to come along to save them. No. The message that you deliver to your team is we have to fix this. this group right here needs to fix this. So even if Sturm and Don Sweeney are talking about waving a couple guys, calling a couple guys up, you don’t give that team in that room that excuse. You don’t make them think, “Oh, if we just change out a couple players, we’ll be fine.” No, everyone in that room needs to fix it. Like, by the way, like what changes? Like last night, Charlie Makavoy and Mason Laurai were bad as a pairing. What changes are you making that’s like gonna make Charlie Makavoy better? You know what I mean? Like the your top line was on for a couple goals against. What changes are you making that’s going to get them dialed in defensively? No. Like these guys, these players who are here right now need to do it. Like they need to be better, period. You know, it’s like, all right, I mean, I guess you can wave Johnny Beecher and call someone up, but like we just we just said it. You know, people want to see Matt Potch or Fabian Lysel. Okay, that’s fine. If this season is going to be just another loss year, I want to see those guys, too. But right now in the here and now, we’re talking about fixing the defense. Okay? Like, I I don’t know that those guys are helping with that. So, you know, I I just think I didn’t think it was any first off, I thought it was reality that like it’s only going to be a couple changes if anything. And secondly, I thought this was him not letting the team that’s here off the hook. Um, and demanding that they’re the ones who have to fix it. Accountability. Like I I think that’s exactly right, Scott. That’s exactly what you want to be doing if you’re stirring in a situation. I I completely agree. I also just want to say, Bridge, before you read some comments that you got, can I just can I just counter that too? Like accountability also means losing your spot if you don’t perform. Like, you know what I mean? Like I understand then then sit sit Charlie Makavoy and Elias Lindholm and you know I I mean like Victor Arbertson. Yes, I would I would sit like there’s a couple if you were healthy on defense I would bench Mason Lauri. Absolutely. Like there there’s a couple of those. Yes. But like I your top guys have been some of the biggest problems and you’re not you’re not really benching them. Like you just need them to be better. Yeah. I mean I I do think that there’s some glaring combinations that aren’t working. I mean Makavoy Laura doesn’t work. And I know Lin Holmes out that hurts things. Is Makavoy and Zidorov much better? You know what? I don’t know. But I can promise you I feel like I feel like Makavoy I just feel like he’s babysitting a lot out there with Lori and and and I don’t I’m not saying he wouldn’t have to babysit Zidorov either, but Zidorov’s a pro. He’s been around for a long time, you know, and Zidorov’s playing well. I think he’s been I think he’s been their best defenseman this season. No, I know. I’m But we all know that Zidorov like anybody is prone to making some stupid mistakes. But yeah, I mean Zidorov’s a pro. He’s been around for a long time. Like I think Makavoy doesn’t have he can. Yeah. I just think like something like that I think they could tinker with and maybe they will. But I just wanted to say cuz you guys are right. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Dot dot dot yet. I’m still I’m still concerned that long term we’re talking about a team that won’t be able to score enough to def when they are defending well. Now, I don’t want to I don’t want to complain about something that hasn’t happened yet, but I cannot sit here and say, “Oh, they’re gonna be putting up five goals every three games all year.” I just don’t see it with this team. That doesn’t change the fact that right now their team defense is the biggest issue, but I just don’t want to act like offense isn’t an issue with this team, too. And I think that’s when when you see people saying, “Well, why not why not call up Potcher because their team is 30th in team defense right now. So, how much worse could he really be? Well, defense isn’t the issue right now. I mean, score is not the issue right now. It’s defense and and Potra doesn’t help the defense. I get that. I know. But I’m talking big picture, right? I still think big picture. I’d rather Matt Potra get reps over honestly pick a forward in the bottom six. Like, at least here and there, right? Like, hell, Victor Harbertson. You just said it, Scott. I’m done with Victor Harson, but he’s got a $4 million cap rate and not they’re not going to staple him to the ninth floor until they’re just not Yeah, like Yeah, I think Casey Middlestad has responded for the most part since the healthy scratch. Arvdson is very much still a black hole on that second line in that middle six, which you know that that second line wasn’t the quote unquote problem Thursday night. They they were one of the few groups lines pairings that wasn’t out there for a goal against. So, you know, you can’t really rip them too much for this one. Arbertson was the only plus, right? Or he was he was one of the only that line might have been the only line that had a plus. Yeah, I think he was a plus one. Everybody else Yeah, Arvin Arson and Zidorov were both plus one. They were the only two pluses. Mhm. G give Ison more minutes. I say he had, by the way, he had the fewest minutes last last game, right? I believe he was he But like your second line should not be getting the fewest minutes of anybody. That’s kind of a discussion for after we get to the finish off on this topic, I guess. I mean, Middlestead I understand like you trade for him in the coil trade, you get Zealers back, right? like that was what we think was the prize in that acquisition, but Casey Middlestat’s an young youngish still NHLER with potential. Like I understand him being on the roster cuz maybe even had to take him to get Zealers if that’s if they wanted Zeers the most. Arvidson, and I’ve been saying this for months, they didn’t have to [ __ ] trade for him at the last hour before free agency for a $4 million cap hit for a guy who’s been jackal and hide and injury-prone for the last four seasons of his career. I I just don’t understand. Like I do understand. Okay. I I get that they were thinking to themselves this is this could be a tough year. Let’s get some professionalism in this locker room. And I get all that. I do. Victor Robertson, I’m sure, is a pros pro in that room on the practice ice. And hell, he works his ass off on the ice, too. So from a from a humanity perspective and a off ice leadership perspective and on ice leadership perspective, I get it. But it’s still a production league and and and if you’re going to be in a top six role, you have to produce. If you want to be Victor Averson and fly around on the fourth line and be that guy, all right, but when you’re when you’re when you’re stapled into the top six and and you really weren’t a completely necessary addition, there’s going to be eyes on on that and there’s going to be criticism that comes with it. I think the only counter that you would you adhere to that or what what Sweeney would say to that is that was like the only option that they felt like they had because you remember when like the timeline of this happening was on the backdrop of free agency and everybody signing back with their old teams and like all right we need to add a middle six guy obviously we need to take a stab like a shot in the dark on somebody we think could play on the second line and there wasn’t wasn’t much else of an option. So, but like but I but that doesn’t mean it was a great choice. Like you could you could argue, you know, it it was too much cap space and and whatever you want to say. And and that’s fair. That’s fair, Bridget. I would also say like there’s there’s there’s internal options, but also there were some other cheaper additions out there that could have been like what did JVR sign for in Detroit? I mean, you know what he is in here? I’m not saying JVR is like a savior, but if you’re talking compared to Arbertson, I feel like there was some other guys that you could have gotten for similar money in free agency that weren’t lifech changing, but okay, maybe a guy you can pencil in for a year. Yeah, I mean, I said it before, like I I get what they were thinking. They they were going to give him more opportunity than he had in Edmonton. Sturm has been around him before. He likes him. Arbitson’s been a good player in the past and he’s in the final year of his deal. So either you just have him for one year, maybe he helps you do something or hopefully he puts up some points in an elevated role and then you flip him at the deadline and you get something in return. Like I I I got the thinking. I thought it was a relatively lowrisk move. But yeah, but like in the here and now it is another cap hit that you look at right now and you’re like, “Huh, that doesn’t, you know, that’s not worth it.” Like someone someone made a comment to me on Twitter. This was a few games back now. I think it was I think it was after the Vegas and Colorado games and it was like something along the lines of it. It’s amazing that these teams are playing with the same salary cap structure and like they’re all relatively the same payroll. like they’re all pretty close to the cap and Vegas and Colorado have what they have and the Bruins have what they have and it’s just like yeah you just kind of go through this and it’s like yeah Elias Lindholm overpaid at 775 Casey Middlestad overpaid at 575 Arvidson at four Tanner Jano at 34 Sean Carali is getting almost 2 mil on defense you know gave Henrioki Harari 3 million a year Lorz making 3.2 too. And and it just kind of like all adds up where you know, Corposal 3 million as a backup. And it’s like none of none of those are they’re not like insanely egregious on their own, but it just all adds up to where you have this team that’s 2 million under the cap and it’s like, man, like where is that money going? You know, it’s so much of it is just being spent on pretty replaceable players certainly at their cap hits. I mean, you know, Elias Lynholm is producing on the power play. Do you guys know he has zero five on five points this season? So, all seven have come on the power play. On the power play or I think there might have been a four and four mixed in there. I mean, and he also I did not know that, Scott. it it kind of checks out cuz he hasn’t seen very good five on five. But I guess one one good thing about him is seven points in nine games is seven points nine games and he’s leading the league in faceoff percentage right now. But yeah, point taken. Yeah, I I do want to make sure we I want to finish my thought at least on the reinforcement thing because I still think there’s stuff here that we we should talk about with it. Um and I like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to read some of the comments that I got on the tweet and uh first one says, “Too many fourthliners and AHL players on this roster.” Uh then they they’re like, “Great job, Don Sweeney.” Uh this one I feel that Sturm has asked to pull some people from Providence and Sweeney said no. Uh and then the next one you have four to five better players in Providence and refuse to give them a chance. Oh well going for McKenna is probably the plan. Yeah. I mean I I guess if people want to interpret Sturm’s com I I don’t know that there’s any evidence that Don Sweeney has forced plays on Sturm that he doesn’t want. It it doesn’t really seem that way to me. In fact, like you hear Sturm talk about Jeffrey Vl and why he moved him to the third line and it’s like Marco Sturm loves Jeffrey Vl. Yeah, he does. And like that, you know, people are like, why is he here? Why is he playing on third line? And it’s like that’s a Marco Sturm decision that Don Sweeny’s not forcing that on him. You know, like I think I think Sturm wanted Beecher because he was unsure about penalty killers. I don’t know if he still feels that way. the penalty kills been good. Maybe he might feel like Beach is a little more expendable now. I I don’t know. But, you know, I I don’t think Sturm has been forced to like keep or play anyone that he doesn’t want. I think he’s had a a say in this roster construction. Um, and I I think if he were like banging on Don Sweeny’s door saying, “Get me Mate Blume Mel or get me Matt Potra,” I think that they would probably be here. Um, I don’t know. You know, may maybe I have that wrong. Maybe I’m maybe I’m giving Sturm too much credit. Maybe this is all dun he’s doing and Sturm has no say. But I I don’t get that impression. No. And he also I feel like the same would have happened Scott had he said I want Patra andor Bluml on this opening night roster right Sweeney would have waved Jeffrey VL if he had to or you know I mean like he he so I do think that I don’t think Marco Sturm is is the victim in this situation like I don’t think I don’t I I I do I do believe that he’s looking at a roster that’s he’s trying to implement uh professional. He’s trying to ice a professional roster. A roster that will play the right way, play to his system, and establish that system and identity. That way, when players come in later on, it’s kind of already established. He doesn’t want to be establishing a system with Matt Potra and and Mate Bluml and Fabian LSL. He he wants them, if ever, to just kind of fit into it when it’s already established. But the problem is that’s great, but you just you you don’t have the speed and talent up and down this roster to to succeed. So I guess my question is what’s the goal, right? Is the what is the goal for Marco Surman? He’s been very transparent and that this is not an elite roster that he’s not about the wins and losses. He’s about the structure. Well, okay, but but the structure hasn’t been there, Marco. And I do think that the lack of speed and skill is hindering their ability because they’re not. First of all, they’re chasing their opponents around the ice. When you chase, you’re defending. When you’re defending, you’re fatigued. When you’re fatigued, you take penalties. And then when the puck’s in your stick, they don’t have enough talent to make plays efficiently enough through all in all three zones. And I just think it leads to too much inconsistency out there. And you add to that the man-on-man system that they go to in the DZone. And here’s the problem with man-on-man in the DZone. There’s a reason most teams go to zone. Zone, you guys, Scott. Well, yeah, just to jump in like that they’re actually playing a hybrid. And I think that’s part of the problem is like I I don’t know that everyone’s on the same page when it comes to when they’re switching between man-to-man and high and and zone. Um, they’re not getting man-to-man switches right, just on its own. But I also don’t think they’re getting when to sw like that the first Anaheim goal last night where Castle gets picked out high in the zone. Probably should have been a penalty, but you know that that happens like you’re not always going to get that call from there. Drew Hellison just gets to walk through the right circle all alone because no one switches over to him. And it’s like that they were clearly in in man-on-man because everyone kind of was on their guy, but once that pick happens, like someone has to go over to that area of the ice to to slow him down. Like you can’t just let a guy walk through the circle in on goal all all alone. And Carali was like stuck on his guy in front. Doesn’t come off. Laurai thinks he has to cover the guy in the slot. He doesn’t go off to to go after him. And you know, I know we’ll get to the the last goal, too, because that was the even more obvious, more egregious one. Like, there’s clearly a switch that should happen between Makavoy and Lauri. And Makavoy literally tries to push Lori like out to the corner. Like, go challenge that guy. He doesn’t. And in the meantime, while Makavoy is trying to direct Lurai and like give him a push, he lets Troy Terry get right behind him and he’s wide open in front. And now you have two defenseman just stuck in no man’s land because they they didn’t switch and they both ended up not covering anyone. They’re both just standing in the same space like which kind of covers what we were saying before like Makavoy ha having to pay too much attention to what Laura is doing is making him less effective. Yeah. And and and you’re right Scott. It is more of a hybrid. And I think that there’s a question to be had afterwards as we move on here about is you know should it be one or the other? Because the problem is the reason most teams run a zone defense is because zone’s more forgiving, right? It’s it’s it’s It’s it’s it just is. Uh you can allow guys to kind of be on the perimeter and you just bottle up and you see it in football. You see that in every sport. Everybody knows what zone is. Yeah. The problem I know I don’t I know I don’t look like I would have be a good basketball player, but you know good good zone help defense. And the problem the problem with man-on- man though is that man-on-man can work for 99% of a single shift. Everybody can be on their guy. Everybody’s following their guy. You’re doing it. You’re executing it perfectly. But all it takes is one pick, one one funny bounce, one great play by the other team and and and confusion and chaos takes place and it just takes that split second to end up in the back of your net. So it’s not, you know, it’s if you watch back the film when they are in man-on-man, they they seem to be fine until they’re not at the very, you know, but that’s the problem with man-on- man. It doesn’t take much. It’s it’s not very forgiving. And so is this not the roster for any type of man-on-man coverage, right? like it is the construction or the attributes of the players. Is it not the right mix of players? I don’t know if man-on-man requires uh I mean I I wouldn’t say the Bruins back end is aren’t good skaters. So I’m I know it’s a team thing and it’s not just the defense, it’s the forwards too, but I don’t know guys, it’s just it’s it’s and also sometimes it’s a bad goal. Like I thought corrosal was really good earlier on in the first period, but yeah, I mean that that Jacob Trou goal that’s on the goending that that’s not D’s own coverage. So it’s it’s just always something with these guys, right? Yeah. Yeah. And it’s it’s a little bit of both of like it’s stuff just compiled like the the Trouba goal. Vlost Trouba like Trouba was his guy. Vl didn’t pick him up. Pinching down on the rebound. Um but yeah, then it’s a soft goal. Uh, you know, Carter Goautier finds a soft spot out in the in the high slot. Looked like he got inside Posternok was closest defender. Um, but then it beats Corposal Falo. Like you need a save there. So yeah, it’s you’re you’re making mistakes and then specifically in the case of Thursday night, your goalie is also not bailing out those mistakes. Yeah. I have one more comment on the roster too before we can, you know, put this one to bed, I guess. But um the comment was offseason plan was to sign a lot of fourth lighters at a at a good contract so they can tank and easily move these guys during the trade deadline and uh have a shot at McKenna. This roster is horrible. Yeah. I mean I mean that wasn’t the plan. Like that’s that’s not what they were trying to do. That that might be what ends up happening. But you you know we said this before like you don’t most team the overwhelming majority of teams do not tank on purpose and the Bruins aren’t either. That that was not the plan going into the season. Um if it turns out that way it’s because they just simply weren’t good enough and that’s where they end up. Like you can tank from the trade deadline on. You can sell and do what the Bruins did last year, but you don’t The Bruins certainly did not go into this season thinking, “Ah, you know what? We’re just gonna suck and we’ll try to get Gavin McKenna.” Like that. People might think that they’re playing it. It wasn’t. I promise you that. Can I ask a crazy question? And and I don’t want to derail with this question, but it just kind of pops into my head. Is Don Sweeny’s job in any danger this year? And I and again I I say is that a crazy question because you would one would think well after back to if this year ends up being a really bad season it’s a bottom five finish for them again. It’s very easy to be someone who says you just finished bottom five two years in a row buddy you’re out. But I could also see a crazy situation where like you end up with a with a lottery pick and you end and you end up with a a Gavin McKenna or or Katon Verhoff or something like that and and ownership’s like, “All right, Don, you got your pieces now. Now we trust you.” I don’t I don’t know. I don’t know what Sweeney has to do to not uh to get fired. U but that’s just the dynamic I feel like it’s at play with the Bruins right now. Yeah, it’s it’s interesting because I mean he just signed an extension this past off season and in in my mind I thought at the time that buys him two years. He had he had one year left then he signed a two-year extension team owners will be willing to buy out the final year of a contract. What I really would have a hard time seeing is buying out that entire two-year extension before it even starts. And that’s what you’re doing if you fire Don Sweeney this season. So I I don’t think his job is in jeopardy this year, but if it goes really poorly, I mean it like if this is like worst record in the league type of season or if we get into like the middle of this year and it’s like, wow, Marco Sturm’s not the coach for this. Like if Marcus Sturm’s coming up short, well that was a really big hire and you only have to fire so many coaches before you get fired. So if it’s really bad enough then yes. Like honestly like everyone’s job is in jeopardy at that point and including Cam Neely as well I would say. Who’s pulling that trigger? Charlie Jacobs. Does he have the spine to do it? He seems somebody who’s very comfortable with these guys. Uh, do do you have some empty buildings in in February, March down the stretch? Like do do the ratings plummet? There are things that get Charlie Jacobs’s attention. But yeah, like like Scott said, when he signed the extension, it seemed like the the plan was last year, obviously, normally when it it comes down to it, it’s like, all right, are you going to fire the coach or the GM? And then they fired the coach and Mont Monty’s gone last year and then you know the second half of the season Sacko takes over and then they decide to sell at the trade deadline and I feel like he got per like he got permission to do that with the assurance that it wasn’t going to cost him his job if they finished bottom of the league like that this was part of the plan and obviously he kept his job after that. Um drafted Hagens. I think they’re going to give him more time. I think I think the agreement at the deadline last year was that you’re getting more time to see this rebuild through. Um because that’s what it is. And maybe he gets and to something we said in the uh in our preview of the season before the season started. If he finishes last in the league, I think they take that as a maybe a positive. Like you you finish dead last, it’s like great. That’s what I’m That’s what I’m saying. That’s why I’m like I don’t even see a situation where they fire him. I It’s this crazy world that that that we’re living in right now where Sweeney is just the one guy I just feel like isn’t living in a results driven business right now. Like because I because I think everybody knows that this team is not there yet and that they do need to continue to get better internally with high draft picks. So it’s it’s it’s oh we make the playoffs. Oh great, you know, or or we get a top 10 pick in. Hey, like you know what I mean? I that’s how I and they they locked into Hagens. Let’s be honest. The Yeah, I was going to say though, but even like even if you’re bad and you’re in the lottery again, like what if you what if you Right now the Bruins have the fourth worst record in the NHL, three and six. Let’s just let’s say you finish with the fourth worst record. But then maybe the lottery doesn’t bounce your way again. you slipped to the fifth pick and now you’re not getting Gavin McKenna or Katon Verhoff and you just absolutely suck like now again like you have to worry about how much longer does David Posanak want to stick around and I I’m even going to like I’ll leave out Makavoy and Swayman because how those are those should be core pieces that are part of your foundation you know Makavoy for sure is not playing like it right now I Swimman’s been fine. Probably needs to be better. But like David Posak is a superstar. He’s one of the 10 best players in the world, maybe one of the five best. If he gets fed up with this and wants out, now you’re looking at a really long rebuild, right? Like unless you just absolutely nail some of these picks, knock them out of the park. Like now now you’re starting to look at being one of these decadel long rebuild teams. Like you know Buffalo is an extreme example because they’re into 15 years of this, but like Montreal is just pulling out of a decade of sucking. The Red Wings look like they might finally be pulling out of a decade of sucking. Ottawa, same thing. like that’s where you start to become one of those teams. And I maintain that I don’t think anyone in this organization from the top down has any appetite for that. So if you end up if if you if you’re Don Sweeney and you did a poor enough job putting this team together that suddenly that’s on the horizon where it’s like oh boy this is not going to be two, three, or even four years. I don’t know how his job wouldn’t be like I I don’t think ownership would be looking at that as a positive. Yeah. I don’t Go ahead, Bridget. I was gonna say a comment that stuck out to me in the in Don Sweeney and and uh Jacobs and Neil’s press conference before the season was when he was asked about the prospect pool and he answered about knowing they need to restock the shelves and like that being what he was doing in the trade deadline and it’s like I think he’s been given the go-ahad to restock the shelves. uh meaning that’s the priority probably it was last at the end of last year and it could very easily be the priority at the end of this year to replenish the prospect pool which is obviously more of a long-term goal and solution than it is doing anything for this year. Well, this goes back to what I’ve mentioned in the past, which is it’s just the worst timing possible for a rebuild. I mean, you’re talking about rebuilding simultaneous to to Makavoy and Pass and X- Primes. It’s a dangerous territory. Uh, but I I I do think that that’s kind of where we’re at right now. The good news is that, you know, I I do think drafting Hagens bought them some time, right? I I think I think if you were to grab David David Passnack and just give him some truth serum and say, “Hey, you know, are you fed up with this team?” He’d be like, “No, look, I mean, I I think we obviously have a tough goal right now, but I know we, you know, maybe maybe they don’t pay attention to draft picks, especially highc caliber ones. Um, maybe it’s beneath them to really care about their prospect system. I do think Hagens was a projected number one overall pick they got. Um, obviously he fell in the rankings a little bit, but I think Passion knows enough that Higgins has a really bright future in the league and, you know, their wherever they draft this June will be predicated on how this season goes. And so if you have Hagens coming uh at the end of this year or certainly to start next year and potentially somebody in a very high caliber deep draft from this June that could potentially push for a roster spot like now you’re starting to see a couple of kids coming in that can make impacts. Uh that’s probably encouraging for for David Passion, but at some point he’s going to want out if they continue to suck. There’s no question about it. Yeah. And and I but I also think like a key point there is I I think it’s easy for someone like David Pos to feel optimistic about James Hagens coming along in you know maybe six months maybe next summer whenever. um if it feels like they’ve made progress this year and that they’ve established something and they’ve they’ve grabbed a foothold where like we we thought I think the way a lot of people thought the season might go is like they’ll be competitive, good defense, good goalending, but they’re probably not going to score enough. if that’s what this season was or is because it still could become that and you’re hanging around and you’re, you know, within a couple points of a playoff spot, but you feel like you’ve reestablished a culture and identity, then you’re like, oh yeah, and we have this really talented kid coming who’s going to help our offense and like boom, like there’s part of the solution that gets us to the next step. But if that competitiveness isn’t there and the structure isn’t reestablished and this team just straight up sucks and loses a lot of games and it’s like wow we haven’t found a new defensive foundation and maybe goalending isn’t lifting us up and oh by the way you know we’re also at some point not scoring enough like then it’s harder to be like hey but at least we have James Hagens coming along because now you have way more problems than a couple young talented forwards can can fix or or help you overcome. Like now you have much deeper issues. Yeah. And guys like first round draft picks, especially somebody like Hagens, like up up high in the first round, they sure they’re going to come in and they’re going to help, but they have an adjustment period too to the to the league. It’s not like they’re going to come in and be prime, you know, star right from the beginning of their career. like they have to adjust to the NHL too. So even if even if you’re like okay if you’re post and you know he’s coming like well how long is it going to take for him to get up to NHL speed and you know what I mean like that could be another year or two that we’re talking into the contract and or more like you don’t know how quickly someone’s going to develop at that level unless unless you’re Matthew Schaefer who looks awesome right out of the gate. What a skater. What a skater. Um, yeah, I get look there are some good things with this Bruins team this year despite the six game losing streak in regulation. That’s going to mask all the good, but outside of last night and maybe V like the the goalending has been it’s given him a chance to win I feel like most games and the special teams certainly the penalty kill but the power play has had his moments too. special teams has been okay overall. You know, the scoring the team scoring, I think they’re middle of the league in scoring. I if you if they can figure their [ __ ] out defensively, you can have a year where there’s progress. And I do think for what it’s worth, they have fought back at a lot of these games that would have been runaway trains last year. So, you can say that there’s intangible building there too from last year. So, I just think I just think right now defensively the absence of Hampus Lynholm is tough. It just is. And and as I’ve said before, I’m not confident that that’s going to be a this won’t be an ongoing thing throughout the year. And hopefully it’s not, but we’ll see. But I just think Mason Laurai, he he’s he’s not good defensively. How many times we have to talk about this and you’re relying on him too much. He makes too many mistakes. He plays well, but you can’t make you can’t make it. Seems like every game there’s some big mistake that you just wish he had back cuz if he if he took it back, you look at his game and say, “Hey, he actually played pretty well.” But those mistakes, they they they’re too costly. And and I just think how it’s affecting Makavoy, like is it is it taking away from his game? I don’t know. They they got to figure that out. If they do, then they can get back to having some some some growth this year. But I don’t know. I just feel like I mean, Lori’s development, we talked about it before the season, defensively is a big thing for them. So, I feel like he’s been okay at times, but it’s just too many costly mistakes. He had goal like he had a power play goal. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But defensively is what I’m like I know I know. I know. I know he can contribute offensively and make plays and stuff. That’s that’s never a question with him. It’s the other side of the game. Yeah. Yeah. I mean just just a couple numbers on that pairing. Lori Mackway this year at five on five um talking about 110 minutes together. Bruins have been outscored 9 to6 with them out there and expected goals 44%. That’s just not nearly good enough. like any and and I don’t want to pin it all on Lori either because Makavoy has not been good enough this season and that and that’s not all just oh he’s trying to cover for Lori like no Makavoy on his own needs to be better. Um but like any pairing Makavoy’s on should be over 50% expected goals. Like the Bruins should get more chances than they give up when he’s on the ice. Um and and part of the reason why they started with this pairing together is last year when Laura and Makavoy played together they were over 50%. On on an also bad team. So again like we talked about it going into the year. I get why Marco Sturm wanted to start with that. I get why he thought there was something there that he wanted to see, but it’s it’s not there this year. Um, and yeah, and I I think you’re just you’re putting Mason Laura in situations where he’s just going to keep getting exposed and like that’s just it’s a tough role to be in to fix your game when he’s struggling as much as he is right now. So yeah. Yeah. Like I Bridget to your idea earlier like yes when Hamus Lynholm is back I know Lynholm Makavoy together has been a little hit or miss at times but I’m trying that like I want to see that then get you know put Zedora and Peak they were together Thursday night. I thought that was a good pairing. Put that as your second pair on on a good on a really good team. That’s ideally a third pair but you got to live with what you have right now. make that your second pair and then you shelter Lurai in a in a third pairing role whether it’s with Yoki Haru or with Callahan or maybe even depending on matchups you scratch Lurai. I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world to give him a night or two off at this point. So, uh we had we we got a few emails too that and one of them Kim sent was like almost exclusively about Morai. Would you want to touch on that here? Sure. Yeah. So, uh, she says, “I don’t think, uh, Lauri and Makavoy compliment each other. Mason seemed to thrive last year playing with Carlo. Do you think there’s anyone on the roster down in Providence that would be a good partner for him based on Carlo’s skill set?” And I I just want to say, first of all, I think we kind of know what the answer to that is. I don’t think they’re calling any defenseman up from Providence unless there’s another injury. I like I just don’t think that’s where the solution is, but I don’t know what you guys think. I mean, it it’s I I don’t I don’t down in Providence. I mean, you’re talking No, no. It’s just not happening. But it’s it’s Hind. And And the problem the problem for me with Laurai, guys, and I’m not I don’t mean to oversimplify it, but when you’re a top pairing defenseman, that means you’re playing against the world’s very best. And especially in this hybrid man-on-man zone coverage the Bruins are running and teams we’ve seen so far, the Bruins play. How do you how confident do you feel in Mesa Lurai’s one-on-one coverage with Nathan McKinnon or Jack Eel or these guys will carve him alive because he’s not a strong defensive defense. So that’s that’s the exposure that Scotty mentioned a minute ago. like they’re just putting him in in matchups and situations that just they just don’t benefit him. Mason Laurai’s reach and skating ability could help him in in in in situations against teams third line forwards, maybe sometimes team second line forwards, certainly the fourth line forwards, but when you’re talking about the best of the best in the world today, they’re going to see one little thing about Lorai’s stick positioning or body position that’s off and they just expose him. That’s how good these guys are. and and that that’s and I just don’t see that that’s not something that you can teach Lori. Not against the best of the best. It’s just it’s unfair to him honestly. Yeah. And and by the way, I I don’t even think Lauri Carlo was a good pairing last year either. Like I I didn’t I don’t remember I remember them struggling and the numbers back it up. They got when they were together, which wasn’t much. That wasn’t a very common pairing, but Bruins got doubled up in goals 10 to five and expected goals were 36%. Like that that was the the only the only pairing Laura was good on had serviceable numbers on last year was with Makavoy. He wasn’t good with Carlo. He wasn’t good with Peak. He wasn’t nearly good enough in general. like that this is which gets to just a larger problem in terms of his career trajectory which is like okay like you gave him this bridge deal you want him to prove himself you hope he is part of your solution in the top four going forward but there’s just a lot of work that has to be done and clearly still development that has to happen and just improvement that has to happen and it’s not happening so far this season um Margaret Sturm has been open about that. He’s been adamant that, you know, he’s working with them and he’s been pretty public about what Laura needs to work on to, you know, just defending harder, just being more attentive 100% of the time, not having these lapses. Like, you know, even the faceoff that we talked about in the Florida game that that comes back, like I did ask Storm about that at uh Morning Skate on Thursday. You know, how does he want that played? And his answer was basically like it’s not even a tactical thing. It’s we just need to be more aggressive and be harder like B Laura and Jano both like right off the draw. Just need to be quicker jumping in there. Like more on their toes, not approaching it timidly, not kind of just reaching in like Laura kind of just reaches in and tries to poke it away. Like he just needs him to be decisive and forceful. And that’s not that’s not part of Laura’s game right now. And and Bridget, you mentioned the you mentioned Providence. Frederick Brun, I do like Frederick Rene’s game. Um, I’m not saying you sticking with Mackoy right now. That’s which is kind of how I took the question. I know Michael Callahan got the call up and I’ve liked his game for the most part. He’s a good steady defenseman and and Ryan Mushnell apparently told Sturm he’s been our best guy down here. Uh, but I do like Frederick Rene’s game. I think he’s a guy who can bring you some some compete and in and two-way play on the back end. Uh, obviously without seeing him much at the NHL level, it’s tough to really know what he would be, but as far as guys in Providence, I like him. Yeah, he had during the preseason, he had a few bombs from the blue line and some of them won on goal, some of them were, you know, nice tippable shots, but um, another part to her question, which this is a really quick, easy answer. Scott, I think you’ll have this, right? Um, she says, “Is Lori on a one-way or a two-way deal? I feel like he needs maybe two weeks in Providence to get some confidence back and then come back up. This is a quick answer. Yeah, he he would need to clear waiverss to be sent down. And it’s also just to clarif uh two-way you get paid differently in the AHL than the NHL. So Lor’s contract is fully guaranteed and he would need to clear waiverss to be sent down. Yeah. But but going to Providence and developing a Providence is not helping his defensive metrics against his defensive ability against the top players in the world, which he’s been doing in the like he needs to just he needs to either be slotted appropriately on this team, or they got to find a way to move him. They got they got to be honest with themselves. And look, that’s that’s part of what this process is for him in the Bruins. It’s it’s okay that he’s in the lineup right now. It’s okay that he’s struggling because it allows people to see what’s what. Hopefully, he plays well and it’s and it’s not the case. But when the time comes, if if they deem that he is not a player that’s going to be a good defensive player, and I’m sorry, but when you’re a defenseman, you have to be able to play play the position. You can’t just be, oh, well, you know, he can move the puck well and skate and he’s, you know, good power play opt. No, you got to play defense. And uh so again, that’s why it’s a bridge deal, but I don’t think they should be afraid to move him if it’s another down year and they can get something for him. I know he’s a young player, but like at some point you can either see it with a kid or you can’t. And I can see it with him certainly offensively. And defensively, he has moments where I’m like, “Yeah, he’s playing well today.” But you just can’t make glaring mistakes nearly every game. It just can’t happen. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be down on the kid, but can’t have it, you know. Um, I I did have a uh a positive I wanted to bring up too, though, if you guys will indulge me here. Okay, Morgan Geeki has I just want to pull up again. So, he’s got seven points through nine games right now. And Pavo Zaka has nine points through nine games. Both of those players didn’t have those point totals match or exceed those point totals until December of last year, December 1st of last year. So, that’s a good thing, right? Like you’re talking about players that had, you know, an underwhelming year in Zaka and then Geeki had a really strong year but a bad start. And so, the question is, can he sustain it? And that’s a positive for the Bruins. The fact that Zaka and Geeky have started on time in the production category. And hell, even even Elias Lynholm, I know Scott, you mentioned the five on five numbers. That’s definitely worth bringing up. But, you know, we’ve talked about how so far offense hasn’t been the problem for this team, but uh I think they they they deserve a mention because uh they’ve gotten off to good starts last year. Yeah. And and Morgan Geeky honestly should probably have like another three goals on top of that. the first I don’t know handful of games like he had some great chances that he just misfired on that I think late you know second half of last year he just buries no question about it and and he might be getting back to that point now like some big goals these last couple games from him he had he had both tying goals in in this Florida and Anaheim game um to you know complete the comeback at the time. Obviously, the Bruins then gave up the winner after, but uh yeah, he seems to really be finding his touch and I’ve liked I’ve just liked his his game in general. Like he looks he looks like he did, you know, the last four months of last season. Like fully engaged, locked in. Um now starting to bury more chances again. Um, you know, again, I think what you hear from him postgame is, you know, a very accountable, invested player who clearly cares a lot. So, if there’s any concern about like, oh, is he is he going to get paid and be one of these guys who, you know, disengages or isn’t fully into it, like that does not seem to be happening. I I think he’s I think he’s very engaged and invested. Um, and yeah, definitely off to a good start. and and Zaka too. He I I don’t know where he ended up at the end of night, but I tweeted, you know, after his uh his early assist Thursday night, seven assists puts him in the in the top 10 in the NHL so far. Um so yeah, he’s uh he’s doing his job, too. Yeah. Yeah. Geeki is I I think he’s low-key like has a lot of leadership ability. Um he answers like he’s he’s accountable. he’s liked by the team and he seems to be speaking up more since, you know, say last season and this season. Uh he I don’t know. I think they they trust him a lot and he’s he’s earned respect and with his play and I think just how he approaches the game and the kind of work he puts in and how much he clearly how much he cares cuz he he that’s never been a question uh for me about his personality. So yeah, I think he’s he he’s looked good. I like him a lot on and off the ice and I absolutely think that he’s part of the solution in Boston going forward. I also think that Pavo Zaka very well could be part of the solution as well. But I will say this, if this season goes south of the Bruins and he has a really good season and he’s got another year after this at a I think it’s a $4.75 million cap hit, man, teams will be licking their lips to get him onto their roster for a potential playoff run. And I, as much as I see him being part of the solution in Boston, he’ll be 30 years old when his deal is up. I’m not sure what what he would sign for upon that time. But if you’re talking I mean you oh they they brought in Victor Arson to flip him. Okay, they might be able to do that. But if you really want to talk about flipping somebody for something, I think Pablo Zaka, I like him a lot. I want to see him in the spoke B for as long as possible. I think he’s a really good player and I think he’s a good, like I said, I think he’s a really strong top six Swiss Army knife, but I can’t deny this the value he would have if for a team. Yeah, it feels Yeah, it feels like that’s You’re right. Like there’s kind of like different levels of trade chips. So there’s the guys where you’re like, “Yeah, you probably just take whatever you can get.” Honestly, Zakas would be one where where it’s you got to blow me away. Like I I don’t have to trade him. He has another year after this. Yeah, if you want to give me, you know, first round pick, one of your top prospects, Brandon Carlo type of trade package, like, okay, I’ll listen. But otherwise, like, yeah, you’re not I know like Zaka’s name is still popping up in rumors now. Um, like along with Middlestad because everyone is talking about how there aren’t any centers available and like this team’s looking for centers and so people mention both Zaka and Middlestad and it’s like, yeah, I think those are are and should be two very different approaches from Don Sweeney. like Middlestad. Yeah, you’re probably more willing to move if if something came along that made sense. Zaka got to get got to be blown away. Yeah, I’m my bold prediction to start the year was that I think I said at least two of the players on the third line and then you’re like that’s not that bold. Uh so went with all three players on the current second line get traded uh before the end of the season which would be Middlestad Zaka and Arvidson. Um, and I mean I could still see that happening. I could I I could see those three. By the way, I got to give some some credit to uh Bruins fans on social media. I don’t know how much this you guys have follow, but anytime like Casey Middlestad scores now, the people who are like quoting it like, “Can’t lose this guy. What a player.” It is trying to drive up the value. Yeah. Like that. That’s good. That’s good social media work, Bruins fans. Um, so guys, their next game is against the Avalanche tomorrow afternoon on Saturday, 300 PM start. Then you have Ottawa without Brady Kachchuck, who has been struggling this year. Ottawa, I think I feel like Ottawa might be one of the only teams in the league that has more goals given up than you. Or they’re around you. They have been awful. Uh, have you guys seen Lenus Almark’s numbers this season? No, I have not. Not good. Yikes. Have you seen Mark Have you seen Mark Catholics? That’s the real question. Yeah, I mean like straight up Allar’s been one of the worst goalies in the in the NHL this season. Uh so you get the Avalanche, you get the Senators, you get the Islanders, and then the Sabres to close out. I’m telling you that that Islanders game, it’s it’s been a while since you’ve probably been excited at all about an Islanders matchup, but Matthew Schaefer worth the price of admission. Like that he’s he’s fun. He’s very good. So my question to you guys is this. I’ll ask two questions. Number one, at three and six on a six-game losing streak, you have the best team in the NHL right now, the Colorado Avalanche, who spanked you up and down the ice last week coming into the Garden. Is that a must-win for this Bruins team? If you’re talking about if you want any chance to get back into the fight and try to have this team make the playoffs, is this Colorado game a must-win? And my second question is in their final four games this month, what is a record at a worst case scenario record where you still could say, “Okay, you’re not out of it.” Um, do they have to go two and two and finish the month at five and eight or do they have to go three? Like what? How are you feeling about the end of the end of this month? because they they can have a strong finish and salvage. And what are your thoughts? Um I I have a hard time calling Colorado a must-win just because I don’t at all expect them to win. Like Colorado’s just a much better team. So, but like that’s the situation they’ve put themselves in by losing six in a row. I mean, when you’ve lost six in a row, kind of every game becomes close to a must-win. Like, you can’t you can’t just can’t have a losing streak stretched on that long. Um, so yeah, I mean, like, I’m certainly not expecting them to win Saturday. I’m expecting that to be a loss. So, I can’t pretend I’m going to be like all up in arms like up, season’s over. Um, but you got to end it. You got to snap this losing streak like real soon. And you got to have some, you’re right, like build some sort of momentum towards the end of this month. Um, maybe that has to start next week after the Colorado game. I don’t like listen, they’re in a big hole. Like they’ve dug themselves pretty deep here. So, you’re not going to pull out of it completely before the end of the month, but I if you can just build a little bit m of momentum, like honestly, even if it’s like you lose this Colorado game and then you go 20 and one and you play some decent hockey those last three, like you just got to build some positive momentum. You’re not going to climb all the way back and be over 500 by the end of this month. Um, but you got to be feeling a little bit better about where you are. I I would say I thought that last night’s game against Anaheim felt like a mustwin um because it was a winnable game and they they started out with a lead. Middlest had scored and then they were up 2-1 at at one point and then couldn’t extend the lead and then uh as we know got in a hole tied the game gave up another goal right after uh end up losing seven to five. That was more of a must win to me because it was it it could have and should have been a win. Colorado I don’t think I looked at this much like sorry to cut you up like we barely even mentioned but like they were the much better team through two periods and yet it was a three- three game. like shot shots were 32 to 18 through two periods. I mean they spent a lot of time in the Anaheim zone like they were doing a lot of good things but again just like breakdown mistake here and there and it’s like didn’t bury some of their chances and huh can’t can’t believe this game’s tied. That’s kind of weird. And then third period they fall behind. Yeah. I guess to answer your question about the record though, what Scott’s idea was being like 2-1 and one in the last four games of the month like that that feels like probably best case scenario. Um more than likely I’m just in a realistic world obviously best case scenario would be winning out but just like in in a realistic way that feels like could be attainable. Yeah. Um, so I mean an overtime loss, I’ll have to see to believe. I don’t know if this team got to make it there first. They got to make it there for No, I think you guys are right. I mean I think you know 21 and one is I mean that’s definitely within within that’s not very hard to do. Uh even for the worst teams in the league you can find those stretches in the season. So I mean if that’s the case then you finish the the month at uh you know five seven and one. I mean okay throw the month behind you and move on, right? But I think ultimately what I see with this team is and until they prove otherwise, it’s just kind of the reality. I think bad teams battle in consistency. Bad teams don’t have good situational hockey and clock awareness, i.e. allowing goals constantly after scoring them. Good teams can’t extend their leads. I don’t think the Bruins have had a two-goal lead all year. Um, and good and and bad teams are unlucky, right? Bad teams get those unlucky bounces. You know, bad teams get the get uh who who was it on uh Florida? Carter Verhagy denting the post and then having it come back and Andrew Peak swings and misses and it goes off his foot and in like so that’s that’s the reality I think of this month so far is is a lot that goes wrong can go wrong happens to bad teams and that’s what’s happened to the Bruins so far. It’s always been something. And to their credit, they haven’t given up. And I think that, you know, I think Macka Boy said it last night. Um, by the way, who was who asked that question in the scrum to Mackoy? He was like, um, miscommunication on that last goal. He’s like, “Yep.” Moved right along. Yeah. I I forget who asked it, but Paul Dupont. Was it Paul Dupont? Sounded like Paul Dupont, but I don’t know if it um It wasn’t he. It wasn’t. No, it wasn’t. He was. It was it was a male’s voice. But um but Makavoy mentioned like, you know, he was kind of saying it out of frustration, but he was like eventually, you know, the dam’s going to break. Um you would think that’s the case. So, we’ll see. Maybe they’ll surprise us. And I think Nikita Zorov said it last night, too. Why not? He he went the old Kurt Schilling in 04 and the Red Sox. Why not us? He said, why why not beat the Colorado Avalanche on a Saturday in Boston? Like, why not start it then? Right. So, I’m not holding my breath either like you, Scott, but I guess we’ll time will tell. And he he was asked uh you know, does something like does a a fight like the Jano fight or something like give a spark like there like are there ways to manipulate the momentum of a game and and different things like that that you know could be helpful. And uh like somebody like Zidorov could lay a huge hit or I mean he he fights sometimes too. But uh yeah there there are other stuff besides what we’ve talked about today that I and unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to talk about like some of the stuff like the Jano fight. But um it was a a great fight. [ __ ] amazing fight. Uh and I was like oh he’s getting his ass kicked and then like 10 seconds after that he’s all of a sudden he’s winning the fight. And I’m like I have no idea how. uh cuz he’s he had the size disadvantage and he’s just like really strong uh incredible fighter. Yeah. Two two two absolute heavyweights and but there were like two real heavyweight fights in the NHL last night because there was also uh Matt Rebe against Ryan Reeves in the Ranger Sharks game. Yes. Um but yeah, Jano and Johnston like I I think if like you know if you can get all the workout measurements and stuff I’m guessing that’s going to be two of the strongest players in the league. like Jano is an absolute physical freak, workout warrior and and I think John I think Johnson’s kind of the same way. You know something else too last night uh because Anaheim, you’re right. They did get outplayed for much of the game. I do like their team though. I mean keep in mind they were without Radudas for much of that game. He left early with with an injury and and Chris Krider was a healthy scratch or um he was a scratch because he because he was he was u unable to play. So, I I you watch that Ducks team, their skills evident. I mean, I I think they’ll be a fun team to watch for for a bit here going forward. Leo Carlson, what what a what a talent he is, too. And and Beck uh is is it uh Senica? Yeah, he impressed me, too. For a 19-year-old kid, he he’s they got something with him, too. I remember when he got drafted third overall, he went viral because his face was so shocked that the that the Ducks drafted him third overall, but he’s got good size and and uh he he gets his nose in there and he’s got some he’s 19 years old. He’s got I want to say six six or seven points so far this year. So, um I know they let Trevor Ziggress walk, but I think the Ducks know what they’re doing. Like they have some young talent on the way too that you know. And and don’t don’t forget Frankie V. Okay. my Yeah, they got Yeah, they got they got local connections obviously. Vrono, Sam Kangelo, Stoneham native, went to Nor Eastern, scores a big goal last night. Um, too too many BC guys for my liking. You mentioned Krider, but boy, some of them stepped up. Uh, Helison with with the big goal. Um, Goautier with a goal. Nikita Nesto Reno had what, three assists? Four? Four assists. pretty good. Um, well, Scott, you’re gonna be at BC tonight, so you might not want to say that too loud over there. Yeah, Frank, I I’ll I’ll talk [ __ ] to everyone there. I don’t care. Of course. That’s Yeah, Frank Toronto lowkey, I mean, he had a 37 goal year, but even outside that, you look at his his his resume throughout his he’s he’s been an allstar. He Yeah, but he’s been a consistent average 20 goal scorer. I mean, he has a couple years beneath it, couple years above it, the 37 year uh 37 goal seat. I mean, he he was he lit up the uh Providence before he played for the Bruins. And um he was actually he was a good player for the Bruins, too, but nobody was really crying when they traded him, but he he’s had gone on to have a pretty solid career. He’s he’s a he’s a top six forward. I mean, he’s Wait, was he a BC guy before he was a guy, too? At BC? He was at BC for like a week. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I remember like the thinking at the time like when the Bruins traded him was like, “Oh, maybe he’s just a, you know, quadruple A player, like he’s going to score in pro because the Bruins gave him a long look and he just did not score in the NHL.” Um, you know, and credit to him. He he figured it out and started producing. Yeah. For the the Bruins, he had 39 39 games played in 156 for the Bruins. He had eight goals, 11 points. 1617, 44 games played, 10 goals, 18 points. And then 1718, 25 games, two goals. And that’s the year he was traded to Florida. Uh so yeah, that that 1718 season probably broke him in in Boston’s eyes if he had a he was he was doing fine until that year and I was like, “All right, what do we have in this kid?” And he’s gone on since then to be really good, pretty good. He’s been he was undrafted, right? or was he drafted? Uh, undrafted. I thought so. So, I mean, for for a kid at UMass who, you know, I wasn’t sure what he was going to be in the pros, him and Connor Sheiri were both on the same team and I was like, I don’t know. And they both went on to have pretty good pro careers. And then, uh, Brennan Montour was a second round pick. He was there that year, too. So, I I don’t know. They they’ve all seemed to have gone on and and done pretty well. UMass has had some UMass can tip their cap. They got some feathers in their cap in the NHL in recent years. Obviously, Mar a couple Stanley Cup champions. Macar is the best defenseman in the world. But yeah, Vrono has uh 317 points in 652 career games. So, he’s gone on to have, you know, when it’s all said and done, he’ll probably play, I don’t know, 800 plus games. Clo, he could close on on 900 games, maybe. Um, yeah, he’s been half half a point guy in the NHL. What’s wrong with that? Yep. And I mean, and Sherry Sherry and Montour both have cups. Yeah, Sherry, too. Yeah. Yeah. So, anyway, I don’t know how this is my fault we ended up down this path, but you know, sometimes you got to give some love to to UMass. Uh, but no. So, before we go, I I’m gonna plug this again. Uh, we talked to Dean Lerno on This Week in Hockey East. um good answers about his, you know, what he’s worked on in the offseason, getting stronger, um getting the monkey off his back in terms of scoring, but then also just like some silly fun personality questions like I rapid fired him with some like just random funny stuff and uh he gave some interesting answers to those. So, I would say and Scott already watched the whole episode. Apparently, you can watch it on ness like.com or what where did you watch it? It was on YouTube. I I don’t know if it was supposed to be posted on YouTube, but apparently you can also watch it on YouTube. Scott already watched the entire episode, not just the interview. Um, but if you want to watch it live, I’ve I’ve actually I’ve requested advanced screenings of all episodes. I gota like I got to write my review, you know, post that Friday morning, get it up on Rotten Tomatoes. He what he does is he actually sits in the room with me as we record. But but yeah, it was it was a good interview. Um and obviously this is a Bruins podcast. He’s a Bruins first round pick and uh maybe he’s about to have a breakout season. Uh we talked to him about his his year so far and he was fun. Uh so I say you should watch it. Yeah, big big big game at Connie Friday night. top 10 match up against Denver, team that knocked BC out last season and the year before. Uh, yeah, I think Yeah, they beat him in the title game and then Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. All right, guys. Well, anything else before we sign out? Nope. I think I’m good. All Scott, how was the Springsteen movie? Uh, good. Not great. Okay. But but good. I I was I was satisfied. Wasn’t wasn’t blown away. Um but I really I really like the that part of his career that it focused on. I really like the book that it’s based on Deliver Me from Nowhere. Um so yeah, I was I was satisfied. It takes takes a few too many liberties, but I guess you got to kind of expect that from Hollywood. Would you would you recommend someone waits till it comes out on streaming or to go to the movies and watch it? I listen, I’m a movie theater guy. I always recommend just going to the movie theaters. I I don’t know. I love going to the theaters. I think it’s a good time. So, I would say that Jeremy Allen White really good as as if you go to the movies, you can get better popcorn. So, that’s true. Yeah, that that’s the main reason. Speaking of liberties, Scott with the with the with the butter machine. I I I I’m the worst. I just like stand there. Yeah. just kind of spinning around. People are like, “Come on, dude. There’s only the two of these.” Like, yeah, I I I I I let the butter dispenser go for probably an unhealthy amount of time for my popcorn. Um, what’s your dripping through the bottom of the bag? Oh, yeah. It’s bad. It’s bad. Um, what’s your theater of choice, Scott? Do you go to the showcase in LOL? Is that your Is that your spot? No. So, I have no free advertising, but I have the the AMC A- list, so it’s always it’s always an AMC theater for me. Okay. Who’s on the A-list? Okay. That’s right. Yeah. You you do Tingsboro or Burlington? Uh either one. Tings is the closest to me. But Mthuan quite a bit too because they have uh they have Dolby and IMAX in Mthuan. And then sometimes like if I’m around the garden either the the one right there in Causeway now or um Assembly Row. That’s a good one. Now what’s A-list? What’s what’s that like a um what’s what’s A-list? So basically, I get to go to like as many movies as I want. It’s like it’s $25 a month and you can see up to four movies a week. So it if you just go if you just go twice a month, it pays for itself. Oh, nice. So it’s like a it’s like a robbing them blind over there, you also get a deal on popcorn or No, that’s that’s the thing. It’s like they know he’s going to sp that amount of money on the popcorn. That they should just let me go to the movies for free because they know I’m gonna buy so much popcorn. Oh, that’s funny. That’s funny. All right. Well, if if if you’re a Springstein fan out there and you haven’t seen it, maybe you can find a theater near you this weekend and watch that. In the meantime, enjoy the Bruins as best you can. Enjoy the Bruins Avalanche game on Saturday. Have a great weekend and we’ll talk to you soon. Hey guys, thanks for watching Escape Podcast. If you want to see more of our videos, visit our playlist, not in front of a screen. You can listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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Discussing the Bruins’ loss to the Anaheim Ducks and the defensive issues that have plagued them on their six-game losing streak. Is it time to split up the Lohrei-McAvoy pair? At what point is Don Sweeney’s job in danger? Sturm’s comments on getting reinforcements. And, looking ahead to the Bruins final four games of October.

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