PerreaultForever

Just finished watching this (replay as 7am is way too early on a Saturday for me) and so I've been able to read through all your comments and feelings. As usual I see it differently than many of you. Overall the team had more pace and effort. They battled for more pucks, but many of the same problems were still there. Levi was good. Goaltending might not be an issue, might even be a strength. It was really nice to see the return of Conor Clifton. He was one of the few who seemed to have listened to Ruff and he looked more like his Bruin self. I liked Krebs effort and compete but he really is no better than Curtis Lazar (at best). What was really nice to see (on the Sabres goal) was a big save and then a greasy goal the other way. That sort of quick turnaround and effort is how you can win games you don't necessarily deserve to win. Now, on the hit. Perfectly legal hit. Good solid contact. Peterka had his head down. His own fault. I'd even argue that it was marginal in terms of interference. Probably a few seconds late, but in the playoffs they'd let that go entirely. Illustrates how a guy like Dillon is what we actually needed on this D, not what we did. I'm really appalled by Sabres fans here critiquing Tuch and if I were him and that's the Sabres fan view I'd want out of this town. Only guy who stood up. Sure, he was reluctant to fight Dillon. Dillon's tough. Tuch's not a fighter. But he stood up for the team. Where the f was Malenstyn later in the game huh? Give me a break on your Tuch criticisms. He deserves better than you. Byram is a horrible defenseman. Horrible. Of all Adams moves I think the Mitts for Byram deal might be the one to sink this team more than any other. McLeod does not impress me at all and Thompson-Mitts-Cozens as your top 3 centers in that order would be a much better team than Thompson-Cozens-McLeod. Malentstyn is an AHL level player and a complete waste of space. Zucker? He played right? What did we sign him for again? Okay, try to convince me that was a good deal. Well done Adams, maybe you can flip him at the deadline for another 2nd rounder (3rd if he keeps playing like this). Unless he's hurt I do not in any way understand benching Benson. Zucker and others deserve benching. Benson was at least giving effort every shift. No comprehension of the logic there at all. Not much more to say. This team is going nowhere unless something changes drastically.

I'd agree with that. The timing was fine. He had just passed the puck but the guy definitely launched and left his feet. That makes it dirty.

Can't say they were "still adjusting" because they played exactly the same as last year's team. It's not like it was a new style and a few players struggled with timing or positional assignments in a new system. It was the same.

Benson was the only one consistently doing it last year. So they do not appear to be listening, no. This is where you can get into a Tortorella type thing. The need to subtract and the need to end bad habits and tendencies. I was concerned about this possibility when I saw the basic line structure with the exception of the bottom new unit was like last year. How do you get guys who have played a certain way together to play differently? You maybe can't just tell them, you really need to throw it in a blender and start over. Break everything up. idk, we shall see if Ruff can get something out of them or not. A slow start will take us out of the running quickly though.

Honestly idk. It's one game but it's a disappointment to see that. If it doesn't change, and change fast, then it probably isn't coaching.

The thing that bugs me and disappoints me the most is not that we lost, it's that we played the same and looked the same as last year. I expected them to be different. I am clearly insane.

You are too used to making excuses. Everything about this team was supposed to be this is it. Now we go. This is serious time. We have the players, we have the coach, new captain. Now we work our ***** off and compete and it's all upwards from here. No excuse for seeing the same old shite.

I bet it's Krebs.

Not true. A lot of guys on Carolina drive through and they forecheck aggressively. Speed is great, essential even, but open ice speed is nothing. Speed mixed with physicality is what you need to win. Carolina has it. Not enough of it so far so they lose in the playoffs, but they handle the physical side better than this.

Threw hits? Yes, they add them up as "hits" but I'm talking about separating a guy from the puck and changing the flow of the play. Real hits. Hits that disrupt the other team, not just the basic follow through on a check that is often a nothing burger. We had zero aggression in this game. Zero forecheck. We did nothing.

I'm going to disagree. Benson will be the better player because (despite his size) he already drives through players and doesn't try to avoid contact. He's not one of our many perimeter shooters he gets right in there and thrives on the contact. Look at the first NJ game even. The one physical moment of the game we had, there was Benson shoving in front and smiling about it. Kid is a gamer. I'm tempted to say trade him to Boston where he can thrive and not lose his current love for hockey. He deserves better around him then his teammates are currently showing.

Because (aside from Benson) they step away from contact rather than driving through.

No. I would suggest these players are not doing what Lindy wants them to do. They certainly did not play the style he claimed they would be playing when he was interviewed.

Well if that's representative of Lindy Ruff hockey we might as well start talking about the draft. I don't know why I thought one man (Ruff) could come in and make these guys into something different but he didn't, they looked exactly the same. Virtually no physicality, no forecheck, turnovers, lost puck battles, limited net front and weak around their own net. Exactly the same. Even Clifton doesn't hit any more. The heralded new bottom six was not impressive and added no spark at all. If that's it, they are going nowhere. Coming off the ice their expressions looked like they'd all already lost their love for hockey. I'm happy for them that they had fun bonding in Germany, they certainly haven't gotten ready for regular season NHL hockey. Disappointing.

Benson's my pick of those three. I see Peterka as 2nd tier and constant 20+ goals, 30+ if he and/or the team has a really good year. But I suspect he will be fairly consistent and reliable.

Kind of fun to get real hockey in before everyone else. Hope it starts well.

Possibly. If Korpisalo and/or Bussi sucks. At the moment the fans are firmly anti Swayman though. I mean how would you feel if UPL was holding out for 8 million? His numbers weren't all that much worse than Swayman's and aside from the playoffs he played more games. Saros has earned his contract with more proven games. How is Swayman's realistic number not somewhere between UPL and Saros? His ask is ridiculous. So the Bruins might be screwed.

Ya, it's not a preseason game so unless there's an injury you most definitely do not dress Kulich or Rousek (or Krebs). These are actually really big games and the whole season might come down to them. NJ is potentially wild card competition so 2 losses here might be the end of year difference. I know a lot can happen, but every point matters this year if you want to be serious about trying to make the playoffs. We come back from Europe with 2 wins we are off and running. We get 2 losses and we will need a quick reset.

Oddly Swayman claims he's educated himself on the "business side" and understands that side and yet he's still whining about his hurt "feelings" from arbitration. Sorry, that's "business". Bruins fans polled came out around 80-20 siding with management on this. Swayman's favor is disappearing fast.

Yes, it depends if it's fat or muscle but let's assume it's muscle, so that's good. He needed that. Not that I want him to give up speed, but I'd be okay if he added muscle and lost a little speed (although there's no reason that has to be correlated).

8x8 is pretty damn generous. He hasn't earned it (yet).

Not spending to the cap does make it more difficult than it should be.

True. Swayman wanted it last year though. Careful what you wish for. He has said repeatedly he's over it but it does seem quite possible he's not been entirely honest about that.

Can if you want. Perreault was the greatest Sabre ever. Orr was the greatest player in history and I will stand by that even against The Great One and Mario.

Well maybe, but there are a few new factors this year that could potentially create a large point increase and thus maybe put us in the running the way Detroit and Philly and Washington were last year. Most likely though a lot of things have to go right for us and many things have to go badly for a few of last year's playoff teams.