Have Bruins finally found their identity? | The Skate Pod, Ep. 497

Have Bruins finally found their identity? | The Skate Pod, Ep. 497

Welcome in to episode 497 of the Skate Podcast. I am Brian Deliz joined by Bridget Pru and Scott Mclofflin. The Boston Bruins get a 3 to2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday evening. And I started last episode by saying the good times keep rolling. And I’ll say it again today. The good times keep rolling. Scott, I wanted you to sing it this time. 500. Okay, we’ll do that for episode 500. So, we’re gonna have to we’re gonna have to do something to change up these intros if they just keep winning. I mean, you can’t can’t have the the same lead in, you know, eight, nine, 15 straight wins. So, what what did we do last year when it was 8 n 15 straight losses? Oh, boy. Here we go again. We cried a little bit on the intro. We just we we opened and we were all just banging our heads on the desk. We’re like, “Guys, I can’t we can’t do this again.” But no, they’re they’re winning. Uh and it’s been such a up and down season and they’re currently on an the biggest up of the year um with the LA this stretch of the last games and finishing out October strong, starting out November strong. Maybe they will be in a playoff spot by at Thanksgiving time, which I don’t think any of us had in the cards. Uh especially during and shortly after the six game losing streak. Well, you know, and there’s a lot of buyin going on right now and and I want to touch on uh after your opening shift, Bridget, just kind of like some generalities, but but the the buyin that’s going on right now, Scott, I think kind of leads into your opening shift if you if you want to go into that. Yeah. So, we found out after Thursday night’s win via Marco Sturm that the Bruins have a grinder award that they’re now giving out after I don’t my guess is it’s probably after every win, not every game. Um, so we don’t we don’t have the full backstory on like when this started, but it originated with the players. Sturm said it was their idea, not his. He said there is some sort of physical item coming uh that players have ordered that’s on its way. Um right now it’s just a puck. But basically, you know, just like it sounds, it this is something that players are taking upon themselves to hand out um to the player who who grinded the most, who kind of embodied that, which has to be this team’s identity. And I think now that I think this is like a pretty clear sign that the players are embracing that identity. Sturm said that, you know, even David Posnock wants this. And it’s just kind of one of those fun little things that like a team can kind of rally around and um, you know, give a little recognition to someone who, you know, maybe didn’t score the biggest goal or the overtime winner or whatever. In this case, on Thursday, it went to Andrew Peak, who was certainly deserving. Um, he did have two assists, so he did contribute offensively, but also comes back after taking a big hit from Tyler Cleven. Um, a a hard kind of high hit. I It was hard, you know, direct contact of the head or or he kind of rode up a little. Um but Peak was was hunched over, ended up going back to the locker room, had to get checked out. My my guess is it was probably a concussion check. Um then he comes back, his very first shift back is on the penalty kill and he blocks a shot off the right hand and he goes back to the bench shaking that um and ends up being fine. But, you know, certainly certainly a deserving winner of that award last night. But I think even even bigger than the the individual performance last night from Peak is just the the idea of of this award and kind of what it symbolizes again in terms of a team start starting to embrace the identity that they need to have. Yeah. I I think that their their team play, their structure, their just their flow has been night and day over the last three games. I would say the Carolina game, the Islanders game, and then last night against Ottawa. And obviously His home is a big factor into that too, I think, being back. But, you know, one of my big takeaways right now for the season is the the emergence of some of their younger players. And this is this this extends beyond whatever their fate is this year as a team. It goes into the ensuing years. And I’m talking about Frasier Minton, 21 years old, and just being used all over the ice and playing with the maturity beyond his years in my opinion. Maradinov we’ve touched on. He’s he’s hit the score sheet as of late and he brings an element of of speed, quickness, some some creativity and and he’s only 23 years old as well. Now you look at Minton and Husadino’s production numbers and they’re not really jumping off of the page so far this year, but but their development to me you can see it beyond their their stats right now, right? And I think the biggest example of it is Marco Sturm trusting them in overtime situations, threeon-ree situations where there’s a lot of open ice and, you know, man-on-man coverage and and not a lot of room for error out there in threeon-ree. And you just see the way that they they check with their feet. I think they take good angles. They went defending. You saw Husadino. I I want to I forget who it was he took to the goal mount in overtime and forced him to the side. I don’t know if it was David Piron or but Minton’s a good checker and with his with his stick in his feet and his body positioning and I just think that this is encouraging for the Bruins these young players and I’m excited to see them going forward in particular Frasier Minton. I I I think that I think he he’s going to be a a good trusted player in Boston for a long time and and Brandon Carlo was a great player for what he was in Boston and I’m sure he’s going to mean a lot to to Toronto uh in the shorter term. But to get Frasier Minton in a first round pick for Carlo, who had a year beyond his current deal at the time in Boston, I just think it’s it’s a tough move to do in the moment, but I think you’re going to see that you’re already seeing that move play pay dividends for the Bruins. Yeah. No. And and this preseason, like that last conversation we had with Sweeney, Neilie, Jacobs, they talked about specifically having scouted Minton. Like it’s because it doesn’t just go for for prospects that haven’t been drafted yet, right? Like there are scouts for organizations that are looking at other teams prospects and thinking, “Well, we really like that person. Wonder if we can trade for him.” uh and that Mitten was somebody that they had really liked and were adamant that he should be included in that deal and they I don’t know if the deal gets done if they if Toronto says no to to that because I think that was a really key piece of what the Bruins wanted in that trade. Um, and they were they wanted either Minton or East Cowan who were Toronto’s top two prospects and Toronto eventually, you know, I think begrudgingly parted with Minton. Cowan was probably their number one prospect. Um, he’s now playing in the top line with Austin Matthews. So, um, you know, I’m sure I’m sure they’re happy they kept him, but yeah, that absolutely like you’re right. I don’t know if it gets done if Toronto doesn’t budge on that. So, um, probably not. Yeah. And and so to just before I get to my opening shift, Brian, the young guys like who’s Nadine off and Mitten both have overtime game-winning goals and then Koozie also has the shootout winner. Um, which I don’t know if you guys heard the the quote that came out after, but uh, who’s not enough thought that Sterm was joking when he tapped him and said, “You’re next shootout.” He said, “Me.” Uh, but like he did. He just thought it was a joke, but I mean, obviously, it was a great choice because he scored, but uh, either way, I with Minton, I feel like we’ve seen him start to really dig into the role. Like, he’s carved out his role as a pker. he’s carved out his role as someone you send over the boards in overtime. Uh, and he’s like I think he’s really dug it deep at this point. Um, and so he’s I don’t see a situation where he’s going to be a guy back in Providence this season. As as of right now, I just don’t see him on that trajectory. uh he seems to be wellliked by the coaches and doing the defensive things right and maybe you know could have a little bit more offense but Scott you were telling me the other day doesn’t he have a decent number of high danger chances already this year like when he gets his chances he’s in front of the net and uh you know those those are the dangerous ones but anyhow um yeah I mean that that third that third line in general has been creating offense like it even you know that they they have started to score a little more but um they’re creating chances too and they’re spending time in the offensive zone and like those are things we weren’t sure that that line was going to be able to do. Like you looked at and you’re like okay those you know you got some pretty smart defensive players. They can play physical but like are they going to create anything offensively or are they just going to be kind of you know another fourth line? Well, really both of your bottom six lines have been creating chances um and contributing depth scoring like th this game it wasn’t the third line but Sean Carelli gets a big goal set up by Tanner Jano on a on a nice play. So, um yeah, like you’re you’re getting contributions from from places in your lineup that that need to be able to contribute at least some offense. Yeah. Um, and we’ll talk more about those guys later on. Uh, we already probably went in too much detail here on opening shifts. That’s my fault. Uh, but my opening shift has to do with the just the type of win and who it was against because not that long ago, the Ottawa Senators made the Bruins look, you know, tired and and not very good in that seven to2 loss at Ottawa. And quick turnaround. It’s only a few games in between. They put Corposal in net instead of Swayman. Uh they and they I won’t call it a revenge win, but like it felt like a game they needed to win to uh kind of just put that really bad loss, their worst loss of the season behind them. And it it happens because they’re able to, like Scott said, get some scoring uh from Geeki gets the first goal, Cari the second goal. They were leading two to one for a a long time and then when Clo Jaru scored to tie it uh in the third period, I was like, “Oh, you know, how’s this how’s this going to end?” I thought for sure they’re going to a shootout. Uh but then with 5 seconds left in overtime, uh Zaka scored to make it an overtime win. And they’ve they’ve been good in overtimes this year. We talked about Mitten with the overtime game winner. Who’s Nino overtime game winner? DACA now and they every time that they go to the extra frame or the shootout they they’re good. Um and I just think when you look at all of that and you add it to their win streak there’s a lot of positives. I mean, whereas there there weren’t a few weeks ago and we had to try to find positives like, okay, Geek is still playing well, but like now it’s mostly positives. Yeah. I mean, it was it was only October 27th when when when the Bruins lost to to Ottawa 7-2, and that bumped the Bruins record to 4-7 on the season. Well, now it’s November 7th and they’re 9 and seven following a symbolic full circle win against the Senators. So, this has been they have a lot of a lot more work to do this year if they want to be a playoff team. But, they wouldn’t have had a chance at all to be a playoff team had these last five games gone pretty much any way than other than what they they they did go. And I would say there’s a difference between a team who knows who they’re supposed to be and a team who knows who they are. And I feel like now we’re starting to see the Bruins play as a team who knows who they are. Whereas earlier this year, they were they knew what they were supposed to be, but they but they weren’t there yet. like their their defensive structure was still a work in progress and it still is going to be, but you can tell that they have more confidence now because they see themselves playing the way that they know that they should. And I think that the return of Hampus Linholm, we’ve talked about that huge reason for that. It’s stabilized the back end completely. Makavoy is allowed to be Makavoy. Isidor off plays with Makavoy. Lyn Holm does his thing. We’ve touched on the the new dynamic of the third D pair with Jonathan Aspro who continues to play really well. Um so yeah, it’s it’s been a it’s been a huge answering bell for the Bruins the last 10 plus days or so. Yeah, Sean Sean Carelli said it after the game. He said, “We’re a different team.” Um his quote was, “We talked about it before the game. We thought this team today, meaning the Bruins, was a different team than it was 10 days ago.” which is what you want to be to continue to get better. We knew we had to get better. We did it out of necessity and I think it showed we were better. Um meaning Thursday night. So yeah, like the the six straight losses and then looks like you bounced back with a win over Colorado, but then you follow that up with that blowout loss in Ottawa. And I think it it did like it forced introspection. It forced guys to kind of just decide like to Bridget’s point earlier like are we going to dig in and and pull ourselves out of this or is this season going to get away from us now like long before Thanksgiving. Um there was a I don’t know if you guys saw this. There was a clip that the Bruins posted from behind the bee from and I don’t know if that episode aired last night or maybe coming up, but um I I believe it was during or after the Anaheim game, which was the the sixth of those six straight losses. And Marcus just straight up like challenged the team in the room and said like, “I’ve been nice. I’ve been patient, but f that.” like, you know, you guys have to you guys have to dig in and like be be way better than this. Um, and I think there were I think there were kind of several challenges like that like from guy from players themselves as well. Um, and they have been and yes, it’s coincided with Hamas Lynholm’s return to the lineup and switching up the D pairs, putting Zidorov and Makavoy together. The goalending’s been better. So, it’s a lot of stuff that’s kind of kind of come together. Um, but you know, it’s to me it has started with the defense, which is where we always knew it had to start with this team. Um, and Carelli talked a little bit about that too about like what they’re doing better. and he’s mentioned, you know, basically guys not chasing um plays in the defensive zone as much like if one guy gets beat or or misread something, someone else, you know, early on it was like someone else would just like immediately abandon the position and rush over. It’s like, well, then you left the guy open behind you. And now the way Kali turn put it was like now we’re just kind of like taking a breath and resetting and it’s like okay someone might have beat someone in the corner. You don’t have to immediately rush out to them like get in the passing lane you know be be kind of in between like take something away. Don’t just abandon your guy to go chase after the guy with the puck. So, you know, I think there is there’s been more understanding of of how they want to switch and pressure in the D zone, like what they’re willing to to give up. Um, and they they just look so much more cohesive. Like, you’re just not seeing nearly as many of those breakdowns, miscommunications, three guys trapped below the goal line, someone open in front. like that’s just not happening um now the way that it was earlier. And I I want to bring this up too cuz Mason Laura hasn’t been in in during this win streak and obviously some of that is because you don’t want to uh don’t fix what isn’t broken kind of uh with with a lineup that’s working and winning. But do you think that they defensively look as good in the last stretch of games that Laurai, say Laurai was in instead of being the one that was scratched? And what do you think that that looks like with him in there? Do you think that there’s a cor like a correlation with those defensive I guess the lack of defensive breakdowns that were happening before? Um, I I mean, Laura keeps being a topic of conversation because we I think we all thought he would be scratched for a game or two and it’s now we’re we’re going on what he’s been scratched four times or five. Five. He’s missed this entire winning streak. I mean, I I think Bridget, to answer your question, like I I I think it depends who he’s in the lineup for. I think that I think if he’s in the lineup for Aspro, I don’t think the Dor looks as good. I I I I mean there is something to be said about your third D pairs minutes and I think that Aspro has done a great job in his role. If you’re talking about Lurai subbing in for for Yoki Haru and one of Lurai or Aspro having to play their offside. I I think it probably looks similar. I I do think Yoki Haru obviously is better defensively than than Laurai. I I I do think that’s fair to say. I think it’s fair to say just what everybody is. So, I can’t sit sit here and say that they would be any better with Laurai in the lineup for Yoki Haru, but I was I actually was insinuating worse. Like maybe one of those games is is not Well, that’s why I’m saying if it’s if he if he’s subbing in for Aspero, I think I think potentially yes. If he’s subbing in for Lurai, I Yoki Haru marginally. Well, and and that it also depends on how Lurai comes back in. Like, has he has he learned something? Is he ready to compete harder in the D zone? If he is, then you’re probably not any worse. like if he’s learned the the right lessons and handles this well the way that we’ve seen Middlestad respond to being scratched the way that we’ve seen Hus Nadino come back in after being I think he was a scratch for five games. If Lori does that and bounces back the right way and defends harder and has a better understanding of the system and where he’s supposed to be, then it probably doesn’t hurt you. If he hasn’t learned those lessons and he comes back in and plays the same way he was before getting scratched, then it absolutely hurts you and you’re not as good defensively. No question about it. So, you know, he he’s going to get back in at some point. I think this is this for him. It’s been kind of the perfect storm against him where they do just keep winning. Like even if you if you even if you lose in overtime last night or the shootout the game before, like even then you can justify putting him back in. It’s just it’s kind of the age old cliche like it’s hard to change a winning lineup. So, um I don’t think the original intent was for him to sit five, now probably going on six games and maybe more than that if they keep winning. Um but yeah, like he’s he’s going to get back in at some point here where when they slip up or if there’s an injury and someone misses a game. But whether he sticks when he does get back in is going to be up to him. It’s going to be up to it’s going to come down to, you know, what he learned from this and whether he’s better. So, I I agree. He He’s going to get back in obviously somehow someway, right? Whether it’s somebody gets injured or just based on merit. But I guess my my question, my concern with Lorai isn’t that he’s going to sit for these games and not learn a lesson and go back on the ice to be the same player. My my concern, my worry for him is that he’s on the ninth floor and he’s understanding what he needs to do. He’s learning what he needs to do, but he’s incapable of providing it because there’s also an adage of zebras don’t change their stripes. And it’s someone’s either a physical, hard-nosed player that that’s good defensively or it’s not in your DNA. And I I guess my my my my my question mark for Lauri is I it’s one thing for Casey Middlestad to go in on a forch check every now and again and and and be a little bit tougher. It’s one thing for Houston to to sit out, come back in and play better. But what they’re asking of from a from Laurai, what what what what’s asked of an NHL defenseman is a lot more demanding. I feel like in these categories where he’s deficient than say who’s not for or or or middle stat. I feel like as an NHL defenseman, you’re constantly being challenged defensively. You’re constantly being challenged physically. And unfortunately for Lurai, those are the areas where he’s deficient in. And I I don’t doubt that he’s on the ninth floor right now. Seeing how Aspro is playing, seeing how the Decor is playing and and realizing I need to do that, but doing it is a different thing. And I and I just you either have it or you don’t at certain positions with certain demands. And that’s that’s ultimately my question for him when he gets back in because I don’t doubt that he doesn’t know what he has to do. I just don’t know if he can do it. Yeah. And and you think about like, okay, the the identity that they’re trying to create, the identity that we were talking about, you’re starting to see form is based around defense. And it’s and it takes different kinds of players like different teams defensive identities maybe would fit Lurai better where they’re talking about all right we we’re having RD attack and jump into the play and and not saying that the Bruins don’t do that but they time it differently and and there’s more of an emphasis on the other end of the ice and uh sometimes players fit certain teams identities better and obviously this is a new coach and he Laurai was getting a lot of ice time and a lot of leeway with Montgomery and Zacho and that’s just not the case with Sterm. And also Sturm isn’t I I don’t think is going to take Aspro out of the lineup until he does something that deserves it, right? Like he’s been given an opportunity and if he keeps playing well, he’s going to keep getting the opportunities. Uh that’s the way that it that Sterm works. on merit. Uh you’re not going to get taken out of the lineup if you’re playing well. So that also has worked in worked against Laurai. Whereas the like you call up the guy and and he’s running with the opportunity. So if Aspro had come up and had a a weak performance since he was called up from Providence, it’s like, okay, well is Laurai the better option? like but he he hasn’t really faltered and I I thought he’s looked good. I thought he’s looked strong. Uh he’s doesn’t really lose guys in coverage. We he did uh maybe that first Ottawa goal, but he pinched maybe a little too much, but we can talk about that. Um he’s been he’s been positionally sound though uh for pretty much the entire time he’s been up. Yeah, I think it’s worth touching on that on that first goal because, you know, people might be listening here hearing us praise Aspro and wondering about that because yeah, he does. He steps up at the defensive blue line. Um, can’t break up the play and then there’s a a twoon one behind him, you know, ends up being Pinto feeding Mario for the goal. it. We were talking beforehand like it would have been the right play if the Bruins had better backeing coming back from their forwards. Um, unfortunately they didn’t. So, it is kind of on you as the defenseman in that situation to know that the back pressure isn’t there and probably sag off a little. um try to, you know, maybe force a pull up, force um give your forwards time to get back. Um so not like the worst play in the world, but probably the wrong read just given the situation. Um and again, it’s his fifth NHL game too, right? So it’s like teaching moment, forgivable mistake. And I think all of us here agree and I think coaches agree and most fans would agree that there’s different levels of mistakes. There’s mistakes that are lazy. There’s mistakes that are um a player trying to make the right play and they they just miscalculate and and and that’s kind of what happened there. And so I think you’re exactly right, Scott. Like you do need to have better awareness of the the space between the back checkers, how far back they are, and the player that you’re pinching on. Do you have that support coming back? And in that moment, he didn’t have it as much. Whether or not it’s a a lackluster back check from the forwards or not, and they should be coming back harder, the reality is you you can see that. You can see if it’s if it’s a lazy back or not. and and he he didn’t recognize it in the moment, but I’m sure that again that’s a learning experience and more importantly loved his response cuz the rest of the game he was nails again for his role, right? Nobody’s sitting here saying that that he’s that he’s Bobby or out there or Scott Stevens, but it it really does seem like he defensively and physically he does everything that Laurai doesn’t. Now, offensively, the same could be said for Lorai, but the position’s defense. Let’s not forget that. So, I just think, and Marco Sturm touched on this yesterday before the game, he mentioned his mobility. He mentioned his sturdiness, his stockiness, and how he limits chances against when he’s out there. And that’s one of the stats that Marco Sturm takes a lot of pride in uh and stock in. So, it’s it’s it’s really no mystery what Marco Sturm is valuing right now. Yeah. Yeah. And I I think what I also think when Sturm talks about being on the ice for scoring chances against I think he’s also drilling down specifically on like are you the reason or part of the reason that scoring chance happened? And so I think he’s watching video and seeing that very rarely is Aspero like the one guy or one of two guys responsible for giving a scoring chance away. So, um, yeah, I mean, look, Laurai obviously plays a completely different kind of game, but like he can do he can do a better job at some of the things Sturm wants. Like closing on guys quickly in the defensive zone, being decisive in that, that doesn’t have to mean like hitting a guy. It can be having a good stick and poking the puck away. And Laura can do that. Like he he’s big. He has great reach. There are just too many times where he looks indecisive and doesn’t close quickly enough. Maybe because he’s unsure of whether he’s supposed to in that situation. So, um, you know, like that there are different ways to do that and Laurai should be capable of it, but yeah, obviously he’s going to have to show it. Um, also just quickly while we’re on this part of the roster since I think we’ve been pretty critical of Yoki Haru, I will also say I think his last two games have been really solid. Yeah. Yeah. I thought I thought he looked good last game. Um, I would agree with that. The Ottawa game. I I want to say though, like I know we’re talking about Laurai a lot. I I really do see the potential for him though. Like I know he hasn’t figured out the defensive side of things yet, but he has the size and reach to be a good defenseman. It’s a decision-making thing. Uh it’s a mentality thing. It’s it’s not a physical thing, I don’t think. I think he’s got a lot of tools to be a really solid defenseman. I think my bold take or whatever last season was that he was going to take a a huge step forward last year. That’s not what happened. I was wrong. Um, but I I always have seen his potential to I think that that that was the only wrong prediction about last year. No, it was not because you had Swamman winning the the VZNA. Um, but and the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup, I think, or something like that. No, I had them I had them losing in the cup final. Come on. Oh, sorry. Get it right. Okay. Also, book bookmark if if Marco Sturm wins the Jack Adams and the Bruins sweep into the playoffs, you got to bookmark my bold prediction when you guys laughed at me. Just bookmark it. My other my other uh bold prediction was that that top line with uh Elias Lindholm and Posternok was going to be one of the top five lines in the league. That did not happen either. Um but anyway, I one of the top five lines in Boston for sure. I don’t know. I think I think BU and BC both had better lines. Oh, BC BC’s top line was pretty good. Um, honestly, Leonard Leonard Hagens and Perau would have would have been better than half of the Boston’s lineup last year. I would take that line. I would I mean they technically they did take part of that line. Uh, but uh anyway, I I still think the potential is there is my point. Like I said that because there are flashes of it and there are moments where he’s on a guy in the corner and he’s overwhelming them and they’re, you know, he’s not giving them space. Like when he takes away opponents space that like he just needs to do that more. Uh he’s I think he’s given too much space. I think he’s staying too far off. I think you know decision- making needs to be better, but the I think his potential is still there. So once he gets back in the lineup, we’ll see if he responds and and if he does any of those things differently because it’s not like he’s never been able to play defense. Uh he’s he is a defenseman and he you know he has those qualities, he just needs to use them more. Yeah. I also think he needs to do better under pressure especially on For like again I’m not trying to turn this into the Aspero versus Lorai show. It’s just it’s a direct comparison because of him being scratched, their success and and and commentary from from the coaching staff, but like Scott last night and Bridget because I know you you were you were there as a fan as well, but did you did you notice how often the puck was dumped in on Aspro and he’s just very quick to take a hit, move it, and it’s out the zone? Like there was one shift in particular where they dump it in, he he he gets the puck, breaks it out, and the Bruins turned it over in the neutral zone. So they dumped it back in on him, and he takes a hit, moves the It’s like that’s that’s all you need as a defenseman. You just need to get the puck out of the zone when you have it on your like you need to be quick and decisive and you want to be creative in the offensive zone, like that’s fine. But in your own end, like you if there’s if there’s a play to be had, you make it. But you just got to you got to retrieve the puck and move it up. And that that entails taking hits and and like that’s that’s the mental side of the game that I again Laura just needs to improve at because if he doesn’t it we’re seeing it like he’s not going to play if if he doesn’t it’s so it’s more than just angles. It’s more than just closing space. It’s more than just being tough. It’s it’s like it’s everything. It’s his intensity defensively needs to be better. And and intensity isn’t a word that comes to mind when I think of his play. He’s a fantastic skater, but he’s a casual pretty skater. Like Aspro’s not a pretty skater. He just gets to point A to point B and and moves on. And I think that like there’s that’s that’s that’s desirable for a coaching staff because then you’re not hemmed in. you’re not defending and your your forward group is out the zone and whatnot and ask Broen Norris. What do you want me to say? Ask Roof for Norris. What do you want me to say? I didn’t know we were still doing the bold prediction episode. Yeah, I mean th those retrievalss and breakouts are so crucial and like it’s it’s another area where the Bruins have clearly improved like at at each level like starting with because look the Bruins play that neutral zone trap a lot that forces a lot of dumpins. Your retrievalss better be clean. Um and I think it starts with the goalie in a lot of cases where I’ve seen in practice the Bruins have been working on that quite a bit. goalies handling pucks and making that first pass over to the defenseman. It’s an area that’s gotten better. Um yeah, and then the the defenseman making, you know, whether it’s reverse to the other defenseman or up the boards to the forward, it’s forwards getting back in time, being good on the walls. Um you mentioned like taking hits to to move the puck and it reminded me of something that I thought was kind of telling earlier in the season. remember the the Washington game when Lauri took like two or three hits from Tom Wilson but moved the puck successfully each time. And I I asked Marcus Sturm about that the next day after practice. I was like, you know, do you like did you like seeing him like willing to take the hit? And could have been like a an easy Yeah, that was great to see like that’s the kind of sacrifice you have to make. And instead he was like, “Yeah, I talked to him and said, you know, if you don’t want to take those hits, move it even quicker.” And it was like, “Oh, okay.” Like he even with like something that looked good to me, Sturm even at that time saw like clear room for improvement of like move the puck even quicker and you’re not even going to get hit. So I think you know that’s definitely an area where among other things where Sturm has clearly wanted to see improvement from Laura just the decision-m and getting rid of it. Yeah. All right. Well that’s like we’re just like but you know but you know what though it’s kind it’s kind of warranted because it’s you it’s no s to me it’s no mystery. I mean the team look okay somebody said perfect storm earlier it is a perfect storm that’s going against Laurai okay he’s not to blame solely for the discombobulation of the Bruins Dzone structure throughout the first couple of weeks of the season three weeks of the season but it can’t be ignored that he’s out of the lineup when they figured it out of course he is home is the biggest reason we know that but it has to be talked about and again Bridget you mentioned it too it would be one thing if the Bruins called up Aspro or Callahan and they were just yeah like yeah but Aspro is taking full advantage of his opportunity and and he’s doing so by providing what Lori doesn’t and that’s why it’s a story because you know and and Scott mentioned it like Luri’s going to play again. It’s how the it’s how the NHL works. Guys get hurt, guys get scratched. He’s going to play again. when he plays again, does he show consistent improvement? And if he doesn’t, I saw some speculation out there from Elliot Freriedman on 32 thoughts saying, “I don’t know what’s going on with Mason Laura in Boston, but oftentimes when a player with that talent gets scratched consistently like this, teams start to call and say, “What’s going on here?” Um, damn, that was a great recall by me. Holy Um, so anyway, uh, what do you guys think about Are you sure you’re recalling it correctly? Yeah. No, pretty consistent actually. I I I saw that. Yeah, that was more or less exactly what he said. And look, like I I I get that, too. Like, yeah, I’m sure there there are teams that look at Lori, see see some talent, and wonder, hey, you know, are you looking to move on from him or what’s the deal? So obviously I don’t think the Bruins are there yet, but you know there is like we don’t have to do it today but like there is a bigger conversation there about you know it’s interesting because I think for a while it was like Lauri was one of their big prospects c certainly the biggest on defense and it seemed like kind of seemed critical that like he develop into a top four defenseman and you still want him to be that, but it doesn’t feel like as it doesn’t feel like they need to force that, I guess, is what I’m I’m trying to say. Like, if he’s a third pairing, seventh defenseman type of guy this year and that’s that’s all he is and he doesn’t get to that next level, it’s like, well, I don’t know, maybe a top four of Makavoy, Lind Holmes, Doroth, Peak is good enough. Like, maybe you don’t need Mason Laurai to take that next step. you want him to, but it doesn’t feel like as crucial to the present or the future of the team, honestly. Like, especially if you look at, you know, a kid like Frederick Brune having a good start down in Providence that you might feel like has a role here in the future. It’s like I it feels like, hey, if Laurai can take advantage of this and and become that player, great. And if he’s not, then maybe you’re starting to feel like you have enough contingency plans that that doesn’t, you know, kill you in the long term. Well, and also a couple of years away at least at least. But the Blonard kid that they drafted this past June is a he profiles as a very potent offensive. I don’t know if he’ll make the NHL, but if he were to, he would be a highly skilled offensive left shot defenseman who has, I think, more size than Laurai or similar. Um, and like literally he could be a a better offensive version of Lai who may have actual defensive upside as well if they can work on him. Like I’m just saying like if they did move on from Laura organizationally, you kind of have like a uh a potential better carbon copy that’s uh you know still a teenager right now and then maybe he’s something that you if Laura is going to be a project, you might as well move on from him and try the younger project at some point. So, well, the goalie problem is like we like we’ve mentioned and and this is just true for every every player that ends up getting scratched that you your teams also devalue him, right? You’re going to get less back for for Laura in a trade now than you probably would have a year or two ago. Maybe maybe a year or two ago, but ever since last year ended, I mean, everybody’s everybody missed 43, like say la last off season and before that was a prospect and when when we didn’t have the minus 40 whatever. Yeah. Uh gold differential season. But uh anyway, I feel his his his stock was definitely decent after that Florida series in the Centennial year. So yeah, he his cap is very high and it I mean it could go back to being high. We’re we’re not sure really how this turns out. It depends how he responds and it it maybe teams are calling, but uh we talked about they’re they’re calling about Zaka too probably and they’re calling about um you know Arbitson. Maybe they’ll maybe we’ll be getting calls about eventually come trade deadline. But yeah. Uh is there are we good with Lauri? I think we’re good with Lori for the season at this point. I think we probably talked enough about them, but uh but yeah, it like I said, it’s worth discussing because their their fortunes haven’t changed for no reason, right? Like they’ve locked it up defensively. They’ve been a better team uh over the last handful plus. Certainly the last three like I think Carolina, New York, and Ottawa were three great three good game. I thought the Bruins were great um through 40 minutes last night. I I didn’t like I didn’t like their third period at times. Um, I thought they sat back a bit, but they’ve been good. And again, stability on the back end has been a big reason and and Hampus Len home has been a big factor for that. I I cannot emphasize that enough in this conversation. I I and we all know he’s the biggest reason for the the turnaround on the back end. It’s it’s not Lori out. It’s not Aspero in. Those are just elements of it. But but yeah, it’s worth touching on. And I think you know as far as the game last night you know if there’s you know I think that it’s nice to see again surprisingly there there has been balanced scoring like it hasn’t been passion every night uh you know some some last night it’s Cari and Geeky sure the day before it’s you know the game before it’s Arvis Arbitson and Fuadino and you know Zaka and Middlestat has been in the mix. So it that’s been good. Um cuz I do think it’s been a little bit quiet for Passion. Yeah. I mean yeah he has one point in the last three games which by his standards is his very quiet. So um which I think was in overtime right it was that he assisted on who’s Nadine’s goal? The overtime game one goal. Yes. I believe so. Yeah. Yeah. I have it up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so yeah, like that that that top line has not done a ton five on five to to be honest, but they’re they’re holding they’re holding their ground like that they’re not a negative. So you can justify keeping Hnadinov there. Um, and you hope that Pasta and Geeky get going at the rate that you know that they can. Um, and you know, geeky scoring last night. Maybe that helps him. Um, but yeah, your second line continues to be really solid. Your bottom six continues to be really solid. I thought I thought the fourth line was off to a great start last night. And um, Carelli continued to have a really good game. We haven’t mentioned Johnny Beecher left with an injury. Um, I think he only ended up playing four minutes. um upper body injury, did not return. No, no real update after the game. Bruins, so Sturm said they’ll know more Friday that they the Bruins don’t practice and don’t have any media availability on Friday. So, I guess Saturday will be the earliest we find anything out. Um, but you know, you have Jeffrey Vl, I’m sure waiting to get back in the lineup. Like, he’s played decently well when he’s been in. He’s sat this whole just like Laura, he’s been on the bench this whole winning streak because they haven’t had any reason to change much. Um, you know, so he he could get back in here. If it’s anything longer term, you’re probably going to see a call up. So, I don’t know who that’ll be or, you know, is it is it someone you plug right into the lineup or is it someone you call up just to be the 13th forward? Um but yeah, they are they’re getting contributions up and down each game. It’s kind of been someone different or or a different line. Um which is is what they need. And again, like we didn’t know that this team was going to be able to do that. We thought it was going to have to be Posanak just carrying the offense, him and Geeky. Like however they go the team goes. But now they’re they’re winning some games when like you said Pos’s a little quiet or you know Geeki had like an off game or two in there and other guys are stepping up and they see the case but like you know they can get away with it uh a little bit more than we thought they could. Yeah, it’s no no worries. Uh it’s so funny too going as a fan and hearing the side conversations of everyone around you. I know you guys probably when you go to a hockey game as a fan hear some just outrageous takes. Um and so I was there there was three guys sitting behind. I mean I sit next to Bridge in the press box every game. So the takes are you wouldn’t believe the takes I hear. Yeah. I mean who’s the Dino should be first line center was uh was a real hot take a few weeks ago and it no longer is. So, um, but anyway, no, there was three guys in their 20s sitting behind me, and two of them had no idea what the heck was going on. One of them didn’t realize till overtime that Olmark was the goalie in net for Ottawa. Um, but one of them, the the one who seemed to know more than than the others, he had his takes were were real hot. He he knew the whole team, but his opinion was that pasta is washed. Get him off the ice. And I was like, okay. Um, and he also really did not like Zidorov and he was blaming Zidorov for like other people’s mistakes. He’s like, “See, this is what I mean.” I’m like, “Go tell Zidor off that to his face.” But but yeah, like it’s just funny to to hear and it only made it only made me think of it because you’re talking about Posternok not contributing and like pe people there are a subset of fans in Boston that don’t like David Postno which is it’s hard for me to believe because we watched him his entire career and he’s been doing great things. I mean the here’s the thing there’s dumb fans like I I don’t know how else to say it. I I know people who disliked Zadochara his entire career. He he is going into the Hall of Fame this weekend. Like Yeah. Yeah. You can pick any you can pick just about any player and you’ll find people who think they suck, think they’re overrated, washed up, overpaid, whatever. And it’s players of that caliber. It’s generally a very bad take. Well, we also to be fair to be fair, the garden the garden beer can can get to you, too. I mean, those are like some some heavy some heavy doses. Those cups are huge. So, especi especially up top, you know, it’s it’s uh it’s it’s a crew up there. But yeah, I mean, I think, you know, obviously Pashnack is, you know, we saw last year he had a slow couple months to start the year and from, you know, December, mid December on, he he couldn’t not score. Like, I’m no one’s worried about about his ability to to produce. Um, you know, I it’s just good to see that when he when he does have a few down games production-wise that that he is being picked up. And last year that wasn’t the case. And and I think that’s that’s nice for him too to know like I don’t I I don’t have to have I cannot have my best stretch of hockey for a couple of games and the team the team picked me up and I think that’s a confidence booster for him as well. And one other player I wanted to comment on about last night’s game is Charlie Makavoy. And this whole this whole hampus of homecoming back has helped nobody more than Charlie Makavoy in my opinion. But uh watching overtime last night. The thing about threeon-ree overtime is it’s just shadow boxing. So the only way you win a game is if you make a play or you capitalize on somebody else’s egregious mistake. By egregious mistake, I mean taking a rash shot on in transition that goes so wide that it creates a two-on-one the other way. And for much of overtime last night, although both teams had a couple chances, but it’s threeon three is tough, man. Man’s tough. It’s tough to gain possession game. All right, I was yelling this at the fans behind me. They’re like everyone’s yelling shoot. Everyone’s Yeah, we should have brought them on today so that we could hear their wonderful takes. Um there everyone’s always yelling shoot which is also an annoying fan experience. But in overtime is about possession. You shoot you can lose possession. So if you don’t have the perfect shot or you don’t have the perfect pass that’s going to create like an like a two like a mini isolated twoon-one or whatever a high danger scoring chance, you circle back and you wait till you you do have the the good opportunity, the better opportunity. You’re not settling for the same kind of shots you might settle for a five on five. Like these have to be better. You saw you saw the flip side of that at the other end of the ice. Drake Bson had a really terrible decision on like a long basically like turnaround wrist shot that was easily saved by Corbasalo. Just dropped it right at the feet. I don’t know if it was Makavoy or or whoever, but like might as well have just dumped it into the corner and gone for a change and given possession to the Bruins. Like had had no chance of scoring and like seemed to just run out of patience and flung it to the net. And it’s like that’s that’s a turnover for all intents and purposes. It it so you guys are right. It it is about possession, but I guess my point is you can have possession for five minutes, but if if man is just shadow boxing, you’re not going to have a chance to score. So you have to at some point you somebody has to make a play and that’s exactly what Charlie Makavoy did when there was that face off outside the offensive zone. He gets possession and he just takes over and you know goes around the off the Ottawa zone twice with two opportunities to hit Zaka and the second time he does and like that’s what needed to happen eventually in that overtime or else was going to go to a shootout. So good on Makavoy to make a play. He he utilized his skating and he didn’t settle for retreating and waiting for the shootout. He didn’t he didn’t they they didn’t he didn’t settle for let’s just keep possession and maybe we’ll we’ll auto we’ll capitalize on Ottawa mistake. He made something happen and that’s how Boston has the two points there. Well, and but it it takes recognizing when you don’t have something right like and and that’s what and overtime tends to favor the faster, more talented teams because in those little moments that they do see an opportunity, they can capitalize on it, right? But there were several times where I the Bruins had possession, saw that they didn’t have anything, took it into the neutral zone. And sometimes it was at the end of shifts where they they knew they needed to get off the ice. But they still had to keep possession while they were changing off. And I saw Geeky do it and I think someone else did it too. Played it all the way back to Corposalo because you still have possession at that point. You give it to Corposalo, three guys change out, come back on the ice. Corposal passes it up to one of them or somebody comes back, retrieves it, goes back up, they keep possession. So the the people behind me could not comprehend why the Bruins were passing it back to their own uh end to the goalie. It’s like, well, they’re just trying to keep possession while they change out. And you know, a lot of times they’re trying to probably change out guys that are tired or they just want to get posture knock or or you know, the skilled guys back on the ice. So anyway, there’s there that’s how you win overtime games. Um, and I was think like the the goalies must feel like so involved when guys are passing it all the way down the ice to them. They’re like, “All right, I’m part of this.” Like, well, he had a stretch. Look at me. Look at me keep possession. Yeah. No. And I thought he was going to get an assist because I he had it at one point and he he made like a twozone P like he made a pass up towards the benches where it was like a stretch pass that I’m like, “Oh, look at this. He could he could get an assist on this play.” Yeah. Um but yeah, great shift by Makavoy there to end it. Um for sure. and uh and Zaka to get the winner. Like again, someone else who’s stepping up, continues to put up points. Matt Makavoy during this winning streak now, six points in five games. He’s up to 12 points on the season, tied tied for third among all defenseman. The only two defenseman with more points than him are Kale Mar and Lane Hudson. And then it’s Makavoy and Eric Carlson tied. So, um shout out Hockey East. You got the the UMass guy and Macar on top. Then Hudson BU guy in second. Makavoy BU guy tied for third. Um, got to get those BEu references in. That’s right. Well, they’re the the current BU terriers aren’t giving me a a whole lot to talk about at the moment. So, they’re uh they’re they’re they’re struggling to get going. Yeah, they are. Um, and by the way, Zaka quietly is on a fivegame point streak and has scored in the last two games. So, just to give him a little shout out. Um, and actually the Beu thing, thank you for bringing it up because I was going to mention it. Um, they play tonight against Marramac and because Bernie and Mark, the normal guys, are going down to the Jack Parker Friday night, depending on when people are listening. Yes. Friday night. Um, I’ll be broadcast I’ll be doing playbyplay for the men’s game. We’re going to do I believe it’s the first ever all female broadcast of a BU men’s hockey game. So excited about that. Uh stepping in for Bernie, uh legendary Bernie Corbett, who is going now to celebrate with Jack Parker. Um because like Scott mentioned, Monday Hall of Fame induction, a lot of Boston ties, uh Charara, Thornton, uh and Jack Parker. Those are three with obvious ties. I think I’m not sure who else is going in that, but I remember there being more Boston. Yeah, I think two of the two of the women going in had Boston. I forget who the whole class was, but I remember writing about this at the time. Yeah. So, they’re that’s Monday. Kind of a weird day to have it, but anyhow, uh that’ll that’ll be nice to to see and tune into as well. Um quick side note here, Scott, how’s your uh how’s your stomach feeling? My stomach’s fine. my my head not so much. I’ve been battling a cold for three days now as people have maybe seen. I’ve tried to tried to mute myself so I’m not like, you know, just hacking coughing and sniffling through the podcast, but uh yeah, I think I think I get the Grinder award for this podcast. I’m I’m No, I’m I’m grinding through a cold. How dare you? I I know you’re I know you’re grinding through a cold and I I agree with the award being given to you, but I was more so talking about um the vomiting you must have done after seeing the Team Canada Olympic jerseys cuz I know I was puking for quite a bit. Oh no. Yeah. Not not not good. What what are you doing Canada? Unbelievable. I mean you that that just on you know uniforms alone they can’t they can’t get a gold medal with those jerseys. What What are you doing? Canada has such potential to have amazing uniforms. I don’t want to get into it right now because well, let’s get into it right now. I mean, a it was just terrible. It was insane. I don’t know what they’re thinking. Uh if you haven’t seen them, just look up them online. It’s it’s just disgusting. I mean, to have red jerseys with with a black maple leaf as opposed to a white black striping as opposed to just insane. Um but anyway, what a travesty. Yeah, I mean I I think assuming the US goes with the the jerseys we we think they are that they uh modeled over the summer when they had their um camp or you know whatever it was out in Michigan. They go those I think it’s going to swing the US to to favorites to win gold. I think so. Yeah, definitely. Oh, they the uh the guys behind me they they were really on on a tear. They actually did have an argument about who’s the best American-born hockey player. And uh the argument was Brady Kachchuck, Matthew Kachchuck, and Austin Matthews. Except for one one guy thought that uh they were one guy was talking about Matthew Kachchuck and the other guy thought he was talking about Austin Matthews and it was a whole thing. But who’s the best Americanb born hockey player? Tory Krug. Dude. Tory. Tory Krug. I assume we’re talking I assume we’re talking currently. Currently currently like that’s going to be on this roster for the Olympics in February. I think it’s I think it’s Eel and Quinn Hughes. I’d go those two at their respective positions. I was going to say like at at his absolute best it might be Austin Matthews, but he’s not kind of been like a year and a half since he’s played at his absolute best. Um, yeah. I mean, Eel’s playing at an MVP level right now. Uh, and Quinn Hughes is certainly has a case for, you know, Kar’s probably pulling away right now for best defenseman in the world, but Quinn Hughes is like right there in that conversation. So, uh, yeah, those are those are good choices. Speaking of beu, you guys were talking about a few minutes ago, Mlin Celibbrini has to get he has to he has to be on team Canada at at the very least as a young extra forward who can plug into the lineup. I mean, I don’t know why he based on his play, I would say he should be in the lineup, but maybe experience plays in there. Um, I’m also curious like if Matthew Schaefer gets gets a an invitation just for experience points. Yeah, I’ve I’ve seen projections that have had Schaefer there either again either in the lineup or as an extra, which it is worth noting that you for Olympics there’s two extra roster spots beyond what there was for four nations. So you you assume that’s an extra one extra forward, one extra defenseman. So um yeah, I could I could see Schaefer getting it getting getting the call. Do we think that Lane Hudson has gets makes the team for the US? He should be in the conversation. It remains so baffling to me that he wasn’t invited to that camp out in Mission. There were like 50 players invited and he wasn’t one of them is bizarre to me. Like the the problem he’s going to have is with Quinn Hughes on the team, it’s like there’s your power play specialist, which would be the most natural role for Lane Hudson. Like put him on like a third pair, have him run the power play. Um, so I don’t know if it makes sense to have both of them, but maybe you bring him as an extra in case maybe it’s just like a one for one Quinn Hughes replacement. Um, you know, I I don’t know if you can like afford to do that with a 25man roster, but if god forbid something happened to Hughes, like he would be the most natural player to step into that. Yeah. Yeah. I I think it’s interesting to talk about the younger guys that are like right there and you want them to get the experience because you know they’re like very certainly going to be playing for their national teams going forward. Um but they’re kind of just at the beginning of emerging in the NHL. So it’s interesting um both those guys CBrini and Hudson I think for opposite teams. What about um and this might pay you Scott obviously you know talking about a former Eagle here but Cutter Goautier 18 points in 13 games. Uh I I do think for the league lead in goals. Yeah I mean him and Sydney Crosby like what a what a uh rock and Rashard. Now, there’s a bunch of guys at 10 right behind them, including Morgan Giggy, but you get, you know, 57 year old Sydney Crosby and and 20-year-old Cutter Goautier. Like, by the way, I think I saw Ty Anderson tweet this out, but dating back to November 27th of last year. So, nearly a full calendar year. Morgan Geeki is tied for third in the NHL in goals scored. Or maybe it’s I think it’s tied for second. I think it’s tied for second dry first and then Posnock and Geeky tied for second. Right. I was thinking Passion in front of him, but yes, exactly. Um that’s a that’s no small sample size. I mean that’s that’s that’s a calendar year, so that’s impressive. Yeah, I was going to say speaking speaking of bold predictions, one of my bold predictions was Posak winning the Rocky Rashard. I should have gone even bolder and picked Morgan Geeky to win the the Rocky Rashard. He’s been he’s been a bold prediction. That’s a bold prediction. Uh that’s more like it. But yeah, um you know, Will Smith has having a good year in Sims A too, but I think Goautier is making a case for himself. I think that that USA forward group had a couple of decisions for the Four Nations that made sense for Four Nations, but players that maybe just didn’t didn’t really take full advantage of their opportunity. And I think that there’s I think there’s some spots to be fought for there. Yeah. Yeah, that definitely like the the bottom of that roster was you could see several of those spots turning. I mean like Vincent Troek’s hurt right now anyways. You know, Brock Nelson, like does he still have a spot? You might have written Chris Krider out, but I think he has like nine goals in nine games now. Like he’s part of that Anaheim team that is just lighting it up. Um what what a fun team Anaheim’s turning into. They just I I think I saw like they’re one of three teams in the last 25 years that scored seven goals like four times in however many games they’ve played 13 games or whatever. Like they’re just Leo Carlson’s been awesome. Like they’re just lighting it up. Yep. I I think I had both them and Utah uh as playoff teams out west and they’re f they’re showing. They’re showing so far, but there’s a long way to go. Obviously a long way to go. All right. Uh, any final uh takes from you two before we sign out here? Shout out Frasier Minton. He had the Bruins beat song pick last night. Went with Bruce Springsteen, Dancing in the Dark. So, I knew that had new He’s my new favorite Bruin ever. Yep. I knew that was as soon as I saw that. Um, like Scott is going to be this is like Brian how Brian is with who’s Nadine off. That’s how Scott’s gonna be with Mitten now because Scott’s a huge Springsteen fan. For as soon as I saw it, I texted the group chat. I’m like, “Oh, here we go.” Um, and also big win for One Direction in the the fan voting for the song that they played. And I know you voted for it, too, Scott. So, no, that that was disappointing. You know, I’m a I’m a Backstreet Boys boy. No, no, it’s all about Harry. Um, but anyway, yeah, really important stuff to finish with here. You guys, you you guys being, you know, fans of different boy bands, you really got to you really got to be in sync here and pick the same band, you know. Oh, Jesus. Okay, we’re done. All right, on that one. On that one, we’ll we’ll we’ll we’ll sign out on that one. Um, thank you all very much. I have a Backstreet Boys story I can share another time. There’s a there’s a professional tease for you. No, we’re going to forget about it. There’s no way we’re remember. No, it’s it’s not that. It was just uh Backstreet Boys hold a special place in my heart because at Camp Borndale in sixth grade um some of like the group of friends that I became friends with basically forever like one of our earliest bonding moments was singing Backstreet Boys together on in karaoke at Camp Borndale. So how I thought that he was going to say he was like a secret Backstreet Boy like he’s been he’s been like I’m in the band. Yeah, you’re in the I don’t think I’d be doing this podcast if I was in back. Scott, would you would you mind signing us up with a byebye bye? That’s sitting. Come on, get out of here. My bad. We talked the entire pre-show about singing, too. So, it’s kind of funny that this is how we’re ending. Uh, we don’t know which one of us is the best singer, but we could find out at some point. All right, maybe for episode 500, like I said earlier. So, with all that said, thank you all very much for listening. Have a great weekend. We’ll talk to you on Monday. 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. Don’t forget to follow us on social media. And if you enjoyed this video, please don’t forget to give us a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and leave a comment.

Discussing the Bruins’ win over the Senators, their current five-game win streak and what their identity has been when they are successful. Plus, a deep dive into Mason Lohrei’s role with the team after being healthy scratched five games in a row. And, have Minten and Khusnutdinov helped solidify their roles in Boston?

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Jump to:
00:00 – Opening shifts: grinder award, Bruins’ youth, symbolic win vs Ottawa
10:00 – Have the Bruins found their identity in win streak?
15:00 – A deep dive into Lohrei’s role with the team after being healthy scratched five games in a row
40:00 – Bruins’ scoring depth the last few games

Intro: Jake Zimmer

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