A Quiet Trade Deadline for the Boston Bruins | Ep. 133

0:00 Speaker 1: Can you start a podcast with me?

0:02 Speaker 2: Please? I need something to do. I Jack sending out a troup of bocking. This says today, here's a chance popa right onw the goalie scars. Oh my one a move by the rookie to on one plaster not moving marsh to oil dances.

0:30 Speaker 1: Ain't podcast at home right away? Corner faster Chester.

0:40 Speaker 2: What is that for? Most?

0:50 Speaker 3: Welcome in everyone to another episode of Bruin's Tape to Tape. We are recording today's episode on Monday, March ninth, host Olympic Break where the NHL is back in full swing. I will be your host for today's episode. I'm Maria from Watertown, and I want to welcome in my lovely co host Caroline with a K. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the chaos that is the sprint to the finish of the playoffs of the NHL regular season.

1:25 Speaker 2: Oh my god, Maria, it's a it's a scary time to be a Bruins fan right now. It's very nerve wracking because we're all a little traumatized from a year ago.

1:38 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you know, we made it through the trade deadline relatively unscathed. But we have lots to digest and break down since the Bruins came back to playing regular season games from the Olympic breaks. Some of it okay, some of it not so okay. So we're going to set the table today. We're going to start with talking about the what the Bruins did or didn't do at the trade deadline. We'll talk about what is now becoming a serious area of concern, which is the Bruins' inability to win on the road.

2:20 Speaker 3: We're going to talk about the madness that will be the finish to this twenty twenty six NHL season, and a little bit of breaking news that happened before we started recording in that and this came through from Scott McLoughlin, in that the Ruins signed a defenceman, Frederick Brunet, to a two year contract extension with an annual cap hit of eight hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. Not earth shattering, but still a decent, decent signing. Yeah, by the Bruins agreed.

3:02 Speaker 2: Well, and we know friend of the Pod Mary Beth has been a fan of Brunets for probably a couple of years now. We've been talking about I'm glad to see that the Bruins are going to give them a chance. So let's before we get into the nitty gritty of everything we need to discuss related to the Bruins, let's do our little spin around the rank because it was, in fact the trade deadline on Friday, And while some teams I think were aggressive, I think other teams were a little bit appalled by the asking prices for some players, and I frankly thought that some general managers would be in a little bit greedy, if I might say so myself.

3:50 Speaker 2: But there were clearly moves that were made by certain teams that clearly show that they're, you know, in a retool or rebuild mode, whatever is the new buzzword that teams are using. And we'll start with the Washington Capitals who raided away, you know, long time legend of legend their more most recent Cup win era, although it's been already oh my god, pushing almost ten years, right. So Don Carlson, John Carlson, who has a very tight relationship with Alex Ovechkin. And now the speculation is, you know it will this be OB's final year?

4:41 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, does he want to stick around? But what clearly is a rebuild or retool for the Washington Capitals. Yea. And I wouldn't blame him to not you know, his situation is his particular situation is different than that of Sidney Crosby and the fact that Alex Ovechkin is going to be forty one years old in September, and when sid signed his most recent extension, he's younger. He was born in eighty seven, so he's two years younger than him, so he had more time around to do something and to give back to the organization and try and get it into a good place by the time he were to leave.

5:30 Speaker 2: If Washington is looking at the current situation and saying, Okay, we have to do a retool at forty one years of age, I don't think there is a problem whatsoever with him going off into the sunset at this point in time, because it could take multiple years, and at that particular age, he's already accomplished pretty much everything that any NHL skater would ever want to accomplish, So I wouldn't blame him.

6:05 Speaker 3: And the Tampa Bay Lightning saw the return of Corey Perry, which means she needs signals. You know, they're you know, seriously trying to contend they must have felt that they needed that veteran kind of you know, been there, done that guy. This isn't his first stint with.

6:26 Speaker 2: That's an underscore a goal in his first game there with the Tampa Bay Lightning after the trade deadline too. Yeah, well, him being a veteran of playoff games, high stakes playoff games is an understatement because how many Stanley Cup Game sevens has he been in coming Stanley Cup final games? Has he lost it? I'm right?

6:50 Speaker 3: And it's funny because I heard a commentator I don't know what game I was watching over the weekend, who thought who said that he was pretty certain that Corey Perry would be in the Hall of Fame, but which I kind of like, what really just based on his longevity statistics?

7:11 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't I don't know. Maybe, I mean he even followed his career that closely, but I don't know. I don't know that he would necessarily be a first ballot, but who knows, he could. I guess it could happen. I don't know. I mean, it wasn't a great trade deadline.

7:27 Speaker 3: There wasn't a lot of you know, big hockey deals being made for the most part, and I think you know, listening to like you know, Darren Dreger and others talk about the rationale for that is that, you know, the the league itself put a kibosh on the fact that you could turn these contracts and spin them around and say, okay, one team is I forget what the terminology is, but okay, this guy their retention clause, and that has put a bit of a a damper on some of the activities and has hindered some of the you know, the back back and forth, which.

8:09 Speaker 2: I mean, we talked about this, We've talked about this for years now, where I would kind of jokingly call it the financing aspect of a trade deal where how many other teams are going to get involved? And then by retaining a certain portion of that trades salary, you effectively were having other teams pay for your acquisition of a player. You know, were they breaking They weren't breaking rules when they did it, although now it's.

8:44 Speaker 3: No, but they were exploititing once again a loophole at the same correct just like the LTIR clause.

8:52 Speaker 2: And at some point when you feel that people are taking advantage of that and it's being misused. Yeah right, somebody has to step in and make a change, now, does it? Does it? Is it a buzz kill? Yeah, it is a buzz kill. But yeah, Well, I have to say, though, what I love about the trade deadline is, no matter what happens, whether it's a blockbuster crazy day like we all experienced last year or a more quiet affair like it was this year, it still tells you so much about what different gms are thinking about their clubs.

9:35 Speaker 2: So I think the teams that stood out to me in this trade deadline Colorado Avalanche, indicating their seriousness about going all the way. They brought back Nazen Kadri, which I love, love that love that they did some bulking up in that regard. You mentioned into Tampa Bay, which is a team that I wasn't It wasn't that I wasn't considering them in the mix, but we've talked about how the East is very tight, and so because there's gonna be a bloodbeath to get out of the West. Yes, so they signalled to me, Tampa Bay signalled, hey, we really do believe that we can go far.

10:27 Speaker 2: And then what I was again, I'm I'm pleased as a hockey fan, I am not pleased as a Bruins fan, but the Buffalo Sabers for the first time participating in serious business on the trade deadline. Yeah, I mean again Adams, I don't know, I don't know what he'd been doing for years, but he made the organization a joke, a joke. They met business, they were active, and they're saying to everyone, we're not going to squander these last six weeks because it's been has it been fifteen years now, or it's been a long time, it's been a long time.

11:15 Speaker 2: They are in first place in the Atlantic, in the Atlantic right now? Yes, okay, first place. Yes, that's why as a Bruins Fanompton is a beast. Time age to take Thompson is a beast.

11:30 Speaker 3: Yeah, But how do you think they feel talk about a little bit of drama to this trade deadline?

11:35 Speaker 2: Yes.

11:36 Speaker 3: So there's been you know, all kinds of rooms speculation about Robert Thomas from the Saint Louis Blues. Yes, and he apparently lopped a trade. Yes in the Buffalo Sabers. Yes, now, and I understand when that happens, right, it comes out not only does management look bad, but it makes the player, I think to something. Now, the player is only exercising the right to which they negotiated, right, and.

12:06 Speaker 2: There could be a wide variety of reasons. Just because they say no doesn't necessarily mean that they hold some kind of disdain or animosity for that particular organization organization. We thought, Lenis Almark say no to a trade a number of years ago out to California, just a couple of years ago, because anyone's going to be you know, and they're in school. But that's their right.

12:34 Speaker 3: It's their right. Yeah, it's their right to do that, right. But here's what I don't understand. Why would you negotiate and lead the organization to believe because by all accounts, Buffalo believed that they had a deal to bring Robert Thomas to that Do you remember that happened to the Bruins many years ago with Jerome Aginla.

12:57 Speaker 2: I'll never forget it. He were sitting at a at the TD Garden before the trade deadline and looking through social media here reading reports again lit of Boston again, Lit of Boston. We were like Jesus, we don't give a crap what happens with this game today? We got Jerome again from the Penguins.

13:17 Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, no, no, he said no, right, he said no.

13:23 Speaker 2: So but that I do blame management for that, Yes, yeah, I mean, why would you go so far down the negotiation pathway if like, wouldn't you know, wouldn't wouldn't that be a conversation, a priority conversation that you have with said players agent. Hey, we're getting really close to a deal with this team that benefits our organization. Is this gonna fly with your guy? Right? Yeah?

13:59 Speaker 3: But then it all becomes public knowledge, right, and then it right, and so then what happens is sometimes fans being fans, the fan.

14:09 Speaker 2: Base takes it out on said player Claire. Yeah, and you know that's that's that's really crappy. That's really crappy because you don't know necessarily his motivation, right, he doesn't want to go there. He doesn't even have to give you a reason. It's not obligated. If he earned the right to say no, and he's no, that's part of his conscience's prerogative. But those were the teams that I got. Did uh had a really good trade deadline? Obviously there are other teams, the Mammoths too. The Mammoth got Mackenzie Wieger.

14:48 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so it sounds like they're you know, they're not messing around either. They want an opportunity the playoffs, to make the playoffs and make some noise. I mean, I think I've said it a couple times on this pot the Cup. The Cup is going to go through the West this year.

15:06 Speaker 3: I will be shocked, shocked if any team out of the East ends up hoisting the Stanley Cup this year.

15:15 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I agree. I think, not to say that the West is easier, but the fact that in the East, the let's see the how many points does the last place team have? I mean, Seattle has sixty seven points and the fifteenth placed Toronto Maple Leafs in the East have sixty five.

15:49 Speaker 3: God, I hope they don't make Oh God, wouldn't that be delicious to tell them?

15:55 Speaker 2: Like it just it just goes to show you just how much more competitive the East is. The fact that almost every single team in the East would be right in the thick of the West for a top spot. It's crazy, it's crazy. But you know, with that particular trade and then also the cadri trade that also signaled that you know, Calgary was trying to make a push before the Olympic break to see if they could really turn things around because things were starting to get better for them, and I think that they then decided to make the leap before it was too late and opted to go the retooling route as opposed to trying to make something happen and then have a highly disappointing end.

16:57 Speaker 2: So I have respect for teams like that because they're not more going to happen in the off season, I think once yeah, and they're not throwing in the towel, per se or send enough their team for failure like the Bruins. But I think some gms were trying to fleece each other. And I'm glad that the gms on the other end were like, yeah, no, hell no, top prospects and picks and we'll get to that as it re leads.

17:26 Speaker 3: To the Bruins. But it just seemed like, you know, some gms again were trying to fleece other gms and maybe see how vulnerable are desperate other teams would be.

17:41 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, I think there was also a lot more sellers this year than in the past, and so if people were trying to get you know, if there were gms who had a lot of parts that they wanted to sell, but nobody wanted them. Others wanted other parts of the team. They found themselves in a situation where they could say, all right, we'll give me some completely outrageous right right right right, so, and don't look now, but the Buffalo Saber I mean, that's this is crazy. They they could be this year's Cinderella story.

18:19 Speaker 2: Honestly, they really could. Can you imagine?

18:24 Speaker 3: And I and I have to say, you know, I'm always rooting for our Boston Bruins when loser draw, but if and when that changes, I'm going to be pulling for these Sabers.

18:34 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think their fan base deserves I agree. I agree the long suffering Buffalo fans. I mean that's just I think. I'm also just a hockey fan. I'm also a hockey fan, and yes, I love good hockey and I and who doesn't like a Cinderella story? Absolutely? Yeah, yeah, So the trade deadline was you know, I don't know I would give it a if I had to give it a grade in terms of, you know, the wow factor. See, yeah, I didn't think there was anything wow about it this year. Yeah, yeah, I mean there weren't with the with the trade deadline being frozen for so long too because of the Olympic break.

19:24 Speaker 2: You know, the big name Panarin happened before, and then everyone kind of forgot about it because it happened literally before, And I feel like the cadri story got buried. I didn't. I wasn't through our chat and I missed it and it came out. It's like it was not at it.

19:48 Speaker 3: I think that came in under the wire. I think that deal came in under the wire. The other the deal that wasn't done, which everyone was expecting to have done, which would have been the Rangers dealing off any Trocheck. And to the credit of the Rangers, right, they weren't getting the offer of the return that they felt they should. So still a good player, and you're not going to give someone away for nothing, you know, how does that help you retool or rebuild? So he is still a New York Rangers for the time being.

20:23 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but we'll see when the season is done just how quickly they might try to flip him. All though anybody that they might legitimately want potentially they can't even make an offer for until June or closer to the to the free agency and the draft.

20:47 Speaker 3: I don't even know when the draft is. You know, sometimes deals get made during the draft. Yeah too final week. So that's that's our spin around the rink with regard to the trade deadline. A couple of other pieces of news across the league, one of which was again Guinny Malkin being suspended for five games for what was an egregious, egregious stick.

21:16 Speaker 2: Yeah.

21:16 Speaker 3: I don't know what the hell he was thinking, but I think he should think his lucky styles. He only got five games for what he did.

21:25 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd say ever since the Freddie incident, Yes, the league has had a different tune about that because they screwed it up as usual, and they screwed it up as usual. Yeah, so at least now they're actually taking it seriously because that was Yeah, that was pretty bad. Yeah, it was gross. It was gross.

21:55 Speaker 3: And then some injury news is that Gabriel Landska of the Colorado Avalanche is a week to week with a flow of body injury.

22:07 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I believe it was quite the shot to the crotch and the cup was dented. So it's a good thing. He already has children. Oh fi dopy then, so I wouldn't even begin to guess what the recovery time is as such as that. Yeah, that poor man has had touch a break, right. Yeah. Well, you know we said before with Colorado, when he was out in January, that it was good for Colorado because they could experience some adversity. I'll be really curious to see how they handle this round. I don't think that they will have trouble, especially with the new guys and the new old guys who have made their way back to the Colorado Avalanche.

23:06 Speaker 2: I'm not worried about them. I think they'll be fine. Yeah, I think it was it's cup of bust for them. I think it would such they're putting all their shipment. Yeah, yeah, such a disappointment. So let's segue into the Ruins. Yes, and thoughts on their trade deadline for this season now very stark contrast to what happened last season. We don't want to regurgitate fires the implosion, the implosion that happened last season.

23:45 Speaker 3: And you know, I know that there was some there were some comments made leading up to the trade deadline, both by Don Sweeney saying that he felt that they owed it to this team because I think some of it is. So his commentary was a dot that he felt that he owed it to the players in the room that had been working hard, doing a good job, okay, to maybe try to make the team stronger, yep, great, to which I say, Okay, Donnie. I think some of it is also due to the fact that I'm I'm very confident that there is no appetite on the part of Bruin's ownership to have another season with no playoffs in the TV Garden, And so I think that some of Donnie's decision making may have also been influenced by.

24:45 Speaker 2: That being thrown in the back of his in the back of his mind. Right.

24:52 Speaker 3: So I didn't expect them to part with any key or corporate players this season because I know how the mind minds of the Jacobs family works, right, Because if they don't make the playoffs for the second year in a row, I can't imagine what's going to happen at the TV Garden offices.

25:17 Speaker 2: Right, I can't imagine. I can't. Well, I can, and let's hoping you're the best, right right.

25:25 Speaker 3: And then coupled with the comment made by Morgan Geeky

25:34 Speaker 3: shortly before the trade deadline. When asked about, you know, the difference between the feelings from last year's tried to deadline and so this year's, his thoughts were, quote unquote, it kind of feels polar opposite, to be honest, I think this group's done a great job of kind of putting ourselves in the position to stand hat or guys whatever they see fit. Yep, Morgan Geek told Bridget Grew of w EEI yes.

26:07 Speaker 1: So right.

26:09 Speaker 3: When you hear one of your poor players, right, because he is now one of your core players who has also been a significant reason why you've had some sustained success, how can you think about moving right, said player? Because apparently Don Sweeney was asked by two teams about Morgan Geek or moving Victor Ardvidsen or moving Pavel soakaka right, what would that do to your role?

26:42 Speaker 2: Honestly? Right? I mean we know what it did to the room when they cleaned house of basically all of the veteran leadership last year. We saw what happened. I was worried about Arvidson because I'd been hoping that they would extend him, and rumor has it that they actually are working on an extension for him, which is good, well deserved, but I was genuinely concerned because there's a degree of distrust, at least in my regard of Bruin's management to make the right decision, and thinking, you know, he is a very valuable piece of the team.

27:31 Speaker 2: Is he a core element in the way that Morgan Geekie, David Pasternach, you know, Chucky, some of these guys are right right right. Maybe not, although now I kind of question that maybe he kind of is moving into that realm. But I was genuinely worried. I was really curious to see if they would deal corpus Allo at the deadline, and who knows, again, that could be one of those situations where they shopped him around and it really wasn't worth it because he's generally had a decent season and he's helped with the workload for swaymen, because we know that Sway just cannot do more than three starts in any reliable way.

28:25 Speaker 2: That's gonna I'm sorry, I'm tired of giving this kid that lattitude. Okay, if you're going to be the guy, agree, you're going to make a legitimate run to get into the playoffs. I'm sorry, the majority of the worklow has to be bared by Jeremy Swayman. I agree. Okay, look at Colorado. Look at Colorado's goaltenders. Couldn't play that game coming back from the break? What the hell was that all about? Still hungover?

28:59 Speaker 3: Okay, this is what's going to get And maybe it's not his decision. Fully, I don't think it is. I don't understand. But I'm sorry. You were paying this kid to be your number one and if he's not going to bear the majority of the workload and suck it up and figure out how to play three games in a series, right, and we're in big freaking trouble. I agree, you know, and we've said time and time again that goaltenders win Cups. And one of the reasons.

29:32 Speaker 2: Why I think that Colorado it. I would almost go as far as to say that the Cup is theirs to lose. Granted, playoffs are a totally different beast. I understand that. However, they're goaltenders machines. The number of games I can't remember which one is because they got this almost the same last name, Wedgwood, Blackwood, whatever the heck. His name is mckn the Blackwood is the one that's been playing an absurd amount of games, whatever the fact that at the start of the season he was already playing almost every game for weeks, almost like the goaltenders of twenty five years ago.

30:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you don't see that anymore. And no, I got the guy who's gonna carry you to the Cup final.

30:24 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just and you know, they they don't have a lot of wigglewoom with the way that the standings are in their conference. Like it, Yeah, you gave yourself and we'll get to the games that they recently played. And you're leaving points on the table that you can ill afford to leave on the table when you're in a position that you can create a good deal more separation.

30:57 Speaker 2: It is.

30:58 Speaker 3: It's nabnate. And you know, I understand you're trying to balance workloads, you're trying to keep your backup goalie somewhat sharp in the case of an emergency, But right this is going to be a mad dash to the finish here. And if Swayman can't play three games in one week with the day of rest in between, what are we doing here?

31:22 Speaker 2: I don't know what are we doing here? I don't know, and we've already kind of heard to some degree the fact that Jereby Swayman is already getting the tu Karesque treatment, which, let me just say, two things can be true right in this particular instance. One, do I think that Boston sports media talking heads generally casual, uninformed fans, are they already starting to kind of, you know, crap up on him like they did? Yeah, it's however, it has already started here with our one of.

32:10 Speaker 3: Our local sports talk radio shows, the same show, the same show that spent years crapping all over Tokarass, turning the fan base against Tukarass. Some of the criticism was justifiable, not always, not always, because there was a core group in front of Tuka that cracked their pants along with Yes, hookah, this is now a transition. Okay, we we have a core, but we don't know if it's the core for the entirety of Swaymen and mccaboy and Pasta's career. Here, okay, early days of whatever this new era is.

32:58 Speaker 3: And I'm not ready. I'm not ready to go down that road. And I want to caution the people who are going down that road. Is this is why we can't have nice things in Boston. The kid is going to be a really, really good goaltender. Yes, but you're not doing any favors when you hand him right this eight million dollar deal and you're playing them every other day. That doesn't if he's the guy, he's got to show that he's the guy exactly. The organization has got to show that he is the guy.

33:41 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's right now, he's kind of existing in this mushy middle ware. And I'm not blaming I'm not blaming him. I'm not blaming him.

33:50 Speaker 3: I'm just I'm just putting out the warning signal that if if that doesn't change, what will happen is the fan base will, yes turn against Swayman. They will, they will, you know, and they'll blame him for the money. Listen, that's what they offered him, right, Blame management too. Okay, it's it's a two way, you know, two way deal here.

34:19 Speaker 2: Yeah. But yeah, but he's he's got to step up.

34:24 Speaker 3: He has got to step up and show Okay, I want to be the guy.

34:29 Speaker 2: I'm going to be the guy. Yes, yeah, I think and listeners can certainly call us out on it if they think we're not doing this. But I think that there is a difference between not criticize it, critiquing Swayman's play and pointing out when he does well or does poorly that that is not the same same thing as giving the Rask treatment to him, because I still think that Jeremy Swayman is an incredible goaltender. I mean I never would I never really bought into the Rask treatment either. I mean I think took a Rask goat.

35:19 Speaker 2: I mean equit literally is a lot a lot of it, A lot of it was was skewed and to some degree.

35:29 Speaker 3: Unwarranted, and I think people forget, forget what playoff it was,

35:36 Speaker 3: and it was a series against the Toronto made beliefs that went I believe seven games. Were it not for Tuc Rass, were it not for toukarasque Yes, in that series, there would have been no Stanley Cup Finals. And I believe that there was one game, maybe two where he faced over fifty shots.

35:56 Speaker 2: Right right when you put the entire failure of the organization, you know, from the time of twenty eleven through twenty nineteen, which I would argue, whereas the golden age of the modern Boston Bruins when they should have won three Stanley Cups.

36:21 Speaker 2: To turn around and put the failure of the team and the organization to accomplish that all on just the goaltender is ridiculous. It's foolish, it's uninformed, it's idiotic. You can't, you can't, and that is the Rask treatment.

36:40 Speaker 3: Yes, well, and I think unfortunately there's still a tendency in this region, and as it relates to the Bruins, to continuously go back and look at what Tim Thomas did in the two thousand and eleven Stanley Cup finals. Yeah, he was tremendous that that defense in front of him was a wrecking ball as well.

37:06 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there's a reason why. So yes, I'm going to give the goalie credit.

37:12 Speaker 3: Of course, I'm going to give the goalie credit, right, but you also have to give the guys in front some credit as well.

37:20 Speaker 2: There's a reason why goalie coaches teach kids who play the position to play more like Tuka or more like Swaymen than to play like Tim Thomas. There's a reason. And you know, I'm not taking anything away from Tim Thomas, Like you said, he was an unreal goaltender, but he was not a technical goaltender, and if you're that style of goalie, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to be successful in it. At the end of the day, no matter what sport it is, if it's a sport with a goaltender, you're always going to be opened up to the blame and the criticism for the loss that a team faces, because that's just human nature to look at the goalie instead of looking at the forward players in any other sport and saying, well, why didn't the forward players just score more goals?

38:29 Speaker 2: Right right, right?

38:30 Speaker 3: So, But speaking of a little bit game, I know, but we just I just wanted to touch upon the one deal that the Bruins did at the trade deadline and get your thoughts on that, because I know nothing about this player other than what I've recently read. Is that the Bruins acquired for Lucas Rachel from the Canucks in exchange for a twenty twenty six sixth mon draft He's played, He's only He's twenty three, played in nineteen games with Vancouver and Chicago, two goals and three assists with five points.

39:11 Speaker 3: Six foot one hundred and seventy pounds forward has played one hundred and eighty eight career NHL games with Vancouver and Chicago, totaling twenty two goals thirty seven assists for fifty nine points from Germany, which we know Marco probably has some familiarity with them and knows him. Well, I don't know, what do you think? That's fine? I just think, no big, no big deal.

39:39 Speaker 2: I'm intrigued. You know, he's the first German player on the Bruins since Seidenberg. So it's been a minute. And

39:49 Speaker 2: like you said, he's a he's a young kid. He's twenty three years old. He's already played for two other teams. He came into the league with the Blackhawks. So he was signed back in the twenty one twenty two season

40:07 Speaker 2: and he played there till twenty twenty four, and then in twenty four, twenty five RFA arbitration. In what did we say, Well, he signed, Yeah, where did he come from? Then? Vancouver? He said, Rancouver, Yeah he was. He's been already moved around a little bit. Yeah, but he has, he's bounced around a little bit. I mean that doesn't totally concern me, because again with these young with these younger players, sometimes it's just there's no room for them or it's not the right fit. So like Mara hus Nadinov is a perfect example of that.

40:51 Speaker 2: He was barely being used fourth line in Minnesota and look at him now. So this kid,

41:00 Speaker 2: we'll be keeping a close eye on him. I mean I already had heard of him before he became a Bruin, So hopefully that works out.

41:12 Speaker 3: That's all I The other the other deals that Johnny made was they acquired forwards Alexis Jendron and Massimo Resolved from the Philadelphia Flyers.

41:26 Speaker 2: How's zach that?

41:28 Speaker 3: Oh my god, in exchange for forward Brett Harrison and defenseman Jackson Edward. Yep, again, nothing you know to set off fireworks.

41:40 Speaker 2: But yeah, although I do remember Harrison, you know, we really liked him rookie camp. So but again, Boston is in a position where we actually see a lot of really really good young talent and all of these guys like, there's only so much room. There's only so much room, And unfortunately they had enough value for Johnny Boy's purposes. And we'll see what kind of come from that because I have no idea who those guys really actually are. Well, and and you know this, this quiet trade deadline has led to a little bit of speculation about James Hagens.

42:31 Speaker 3: Yes, once BC's season ends, because it doesn't look like they're going to be making the Frozen four signing.

42:38 Speaker 2: Him, and maybe we'll you know, we might see, Yeah, we'll see. But we might see.

42:46 Speaker 3: James Hagens with with the big boys at some point either before the end of the season or you know, maybe during the during the playoffs if the Bruins make the playoffs. And so now we'll get into the nitty gritty of that situation.

43:02 Speaker 2: Please with that.

43:03 Speaker 3: Boston Bruins, okay, suh. When last we met, the Bruins have played one, two, three, well six games yep, six games since coming back from the All Star break. We had on the twenty sixth a victory at home against the Blue Jackets, who have been nipping at the Bruins scales. So that was a four to two win. Then they go to Philadelphia on Saturday the twenty eighth and loose to the freaking Flyers on the road three to one. They come back home on March third to a team that has Pittsburgh Penguins, no Sydney Crosby, no Malkin, and eke out a two to one win.

43:59 Speaker 3: If I'm remembering correctly, Jeremy Swayman was had to be excellent in that game.

44:07 Speaker 2: Then we fast forward to March fifth at Nashville, which is a bad team, folks. It's a bad team. Yeah, even with Steven Stamkos. Yeah, they're a bad team. They lose friggin' six to three, six to three, all right. Then they come back home March seventh to face the Capitals. Took an empty net goal to solidify that win three to one. Wasn't pretty.

44:37 Speaker 3: None of these games, No, none of these games have been pretty, even the ones at all Yesterday, It would have been if they didn't completely.

44:46 Speaker 1: Yesterday, Sunday, March eighth, they have a three to nothing lead against the Pittsburgh Penguins once again, who have no Sydney Crosby, no Malkin, and they blow it.

45:02 Speaker 3: They and blow it yep f and blow it with their own once again, self inflicted wounds, stupid penalties, stupid penalties, and guys who were standing around refusing to do anything. I'm not even talking about the defensive structure, literally standing around doing nothing.

45:32 Speaker 2: Yes. Yeah, Unfortunately, these games have been difficult to watch. I recently put out a post on our substack going into the trade deadline talking about what Boston is doing really well right now and what they actually need, And you know, I didn't have an answer for who is the actual person who can fill these needs. But looking at how they've performed all season, I mean, it's of course they have strong home performance effect wonderful, They've had generally really strong goaltending. Yes, their goal margins, they've been in the positive for quite a while now in the goal differential and their possession.

46:33 Speaker 2: They maintain their puck possession in high important situations for the most part. However, the things that they need to work on their biggest negative drivers, the things that are hurting their playoff chances the most, are all the things that also happened this week, So possession generation. The team is not controlling possession nearly enough. They have a very voluable transition so their rush defense and their rush offense is unstable, which we saw their transition margin pressure. So transition advantage completely disappears in these tighter games.

47:18 Speaker 2: And it's not that these games started tight. Pittsburgh let's use as an example, because they obviously came out pretty strong. I was highly impressed with the team that I saw in the first half of the game, but as Pittsburgh was able to kind of all right, they got a goal. Whatever, fine, I'm not expecting shutouts. You know, eighty games a year. They get a goal. Well, all of a sudden, now you've got this momentum going for Pittsburgh and they start to believe, okay, we can maybe eke out another goal.

47:54 Speaker 2: Next thing you know, it's three to two, and now it is a tight game, and that transition advantage completely disappears. And they're special teams. I mean, talk about a dichotomy. Once again. You have a team that is fifth in the power play, although it seems that's shocking to me because it feels like whenever they're on the power play, you still can't rely on them to actually score when they need to score, which makes me then wonder what the heck is everyone else's powerplay look like out there, and the penalty kill is atrocious, Like, yeah, I don't know what is going on there.

48:38 Speaker 3: I will say that I was impressed with the movement on the power play against the Penguins, Yes, and it seems like they're being much more aggressive on the power play because Charlie McAvoy is definitely been told to pinch down even further and make his way closer to the net and shoot more right. So I think that is something that has been changed and they have to be given a little bit of credit for that. Did penalty kill? I don't know what the hell is going on with that? Something is I mean, let's start by saying that the compounding of errors, the compounding of errors.

49:31 Speaker 3: When first of all, yesterday's game, Jonathan Asboro had an awful game, especially in the third period.

49:38 Speaker 2: I wonder if he's maybe still unwell though he I don't know the Nashville game due to illness. Yeah, but he was just exposed.

49:49 Speaker 3: That was against a Bubbs Burt and then you know, so he was he who took a penalty, and then right after that, lindhol takes a stupid stick in fraction that gives Pittsburgh an extended five on three.

50:06 Speaker 2: It was just a mess. It was just an absolute mess yesterday. Yeah. Yeah, Well, and at the end of the day, you know, Boston, when it comes to their core team ability, and I talk about this in the substack article, their baseline play driving is somewhat weak, especially with possession and scoring generation, you know a game. They'll have games where they have scoring depth and it's a beautiful thing and you're like, yes, this is exactly what we need to see so we can actually make the playoffs and go deep into the playoffs.

50:47 Speaker 2: And then there are the games where they're in out of the penalty box and they just are unable to generate any scoring because those key guys who can get the ball rolling can't be out there. So well, I think I'm going to disagree with you a little bit because I think we're making excuses for some of those big guys well not played well. They have not played well, and I'm going to have no stats with you.

51:19 Speaker 3: They got to get their heads out of their asses and can't ask not he got his first goal yesterday in eight but he's been m i A since the break. Pinky has been m i A, Elias Lindhall, Nikita Zadora. These are all guys who has been m i A since coming back from the Olympic break. And let me share this, okay stat with you now. In these six games since the break, victor Ardbitson leads the team in points, which is seven points and a plus six. Then we have Ksey Middlestaff with five points I'm sorry, full points plus five, Camphis Lindt Home two points plus four.

52:15 Speaker 2: All right. Then we go down to the guys who we would expect to see at the top there, all right, yep, Elias Lindhome three points minus five, David Pastronach full points minus six, Morgan Geeky three points minus six. These are not good stats, No, they're not. These are not good stats. No. And I want to say, I mean, you're not taking care of the puck when you have it correct. And watching yesterday's game once it was lost in in overtime and the TV had panned over to David Pasternak, I mean,

52:59 Speaker 2: I know he's a pretty well well behaved person in public, you're polished mostly and whatever, but not gonna lie. I wanted to see him angrier. I want him to be mad about losing, and in this case, because of the time of year, the situation, like the specific game situation, the playoff wild card race situation, and the implications of this particular this losing to this particular team, and right like I want to see you now get mad.

53:46 Speaker 3: Now, I want to see you get mad, right, I want to see you guys get pissed now And maybe there is that in the locker room.

53:52 Speaker 2: We don't know, n no, But but now it is the time it is okay to express that outwardly because you don't want it to come out when it's too late. You don't want that loss last night, that loss last night, along with a couple of losses in the early part of October. If this team doesn't make the playoff and maintain its current wildcard spot, that loss along with a couple of losses in October going to be the losses that will hunt them for the rest of the summer. Yes, you can't play like that. And the other issue is you can't play like that on the road.

54:43 Speaker 2: Can't.

54:45 Speaker 3: You can't think that you're going out on the road and you have a lead and that you can start the third period in the manner in which they did basically sleepwalking.

54:57 Speaker 2: Yep, still the freaking NHL folks, I don't care, all right. You shouldn't care that they don't have Sidney Crosby or againy welkin right, everybody still is playing for something, even if it's for cry or to be a spoiler. Gets your head out of your asses, and for your coach to stand up in the post game and say that basically he doesn't have any answers. He doesn't know why, like he has no explanation for this. You know how you're supposed to play at this point in the season. Why are you doing it?

55:33 Speaker 2: And if you're not doing it, why the hell are you still seeing the ice? I agree, yep, I agree. It's I don't know. It's frustrating because they have what it takes to be a good team. I think in the start of the season we had genuine concerns that they did not possess the talent required to make the playoffs. And I think that they've proven us all wrong, especially in the month of January. They really proved us all wrong that they do have what it takes and for them to now all of a sudden not be able to execute on it.

56:12 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, every time. Part to me is if you're able to maintain your defensive structure for the most part at home, right, Because the record at home, according to I looked this up today on stat mus Okay, yep, the record at home for the Bruins twenty four eight and one on the road eleven fourteen and five.

56:40 Speaker 3: Yeah, that loss last night in Pittsburgh. Is there either sixth or seventh loss in a row on the road. Now, I understand you don't have the benefit of the last change on the road, but.

56:53 Speaker 2: It's got to come down to that. But is it that dramatic that you still can't maintain your defensive structure?

57:00 Speaker 1: Make sure?

57:00 Speaker 3: Why are you able to do it for the most part at home and you're not doing it consistently on the road. That doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about the ability for the Bruins to have any success in the playoffs when they're on the road, because you're likely not going to have well misadvantage if you're going in as a wild card.

57:21 Speaker 2: Deep exactly exactly, They're basically not going there there. I would almost go out to say they're not going to have a home iice advantage at all at all. A lot of other teams would have to really all of a sudden just collapse and I don't see that happening any well.

57:45 Speaker 3: And now, to me, this is when Marco Sturm will earn his money because what I saw in the game last night virtual any gel professional athlete standing still watching the Penguins skating in virtually untouched untouched where you're leaving your goaltender and whatever one defenseman was who decided to play defense high and drive. Okay, that simply can't happen. It can't happen anytime, but it certainly can't happen at a time of the year where every freaking point hounds.

58:32 Speaker 2: Yep, Boston. Boston's remaining strength of schedule is still quite high. They still have an uphill battle and like, there's nothing that you can do about that, right, that's the schedule.

58:46 Speaker 3: Because they've got a lot. The more games to finish the season are on the road than it is at home.

58:56 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yes, So who's in the penalty box then, Maria,

59:07 Speaker 2: I've put in the big boys in the penalty box.

59:10 Speaker 3: I'm putting the big boys that I referenced previously. Okay, put your money where your mouth is. You guys need to start contributing in one way, shape or who.

59:23 Speaker 2: You just have to.

59:24 Speaker 3: There's no if ANSO buts about it, Okay. And I'm speaking of eliaslin Holm, David Pasterna, Borgan Geeki, and I'm gonna throw Nikita Zadora in there. Because I don't know what he's been doing, of Lake, but to me, he has not been noticeable since coming out of the Olympic break, and I gave him credit for being one of the ruins, if not the best defenseman in the early part of the season to now, like, dude.

59:52 Speaker 2: Where are you? Yeah, you're needed now. Yeah, he's been really quiet since you're needed now the return. Yeah, And you know, I know that you were unhappy with Aspero's play and and I don't disagree on that on that front, So I don't have a problem with him being in the box this week. I'm hopeful that that is just a blip, because the guy is a plus twenty two, So I'm optimistic that that was just uh for him at least because he's been When when do we see Jordan Harris at some point? When do we see Jordan Harris?

1:00:33 Speaker 2: So I don't know, it's a good question up with that. Shockingly, Shockingly, Mason Lori UH is also unnoticeable, which, on the one hand, is I guess good because of how badly he was messing up in the start of the year. However, this is a three million dollar defenseman that is ten which is fine, and it's no seat. And it's no secret that the Bruins, and this has been an issue for the last couple three seasons, the Bruins struggle with any teams that have more speed than naked. It's just it's been maddening.

1:01:14 Speaker 2: So you know that, And I think that has a lot to do with a lot of the stupid penalties that we see them take. They're caught footed, they're caught out of position. But again, like that gets ramped up at playoff time. If you can't handle it, now, what are you going to do come playoffs? Yeah? Yeah, I am in agreement on that regard. But on the flip side, flip side, Bruin's top line, second line stick taps because well done. Pavel Zaka's second career hat trick. Uh went from there's no hat tricks to too this season?

1:01:54 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, so we left.

1:01:56 Speaker 3: See, I think he's been rejuvenated by the fact that he didn't get moved, right.

1:02:03 Speaker 2: Yeah.

1:02:03 Speaker 3: But here's what I'm going to say about that, because I listened to the guys on Morning Brew this morning who recorded their pod after the loss to the Penguins, and their speculation is that will there be some line movement to get other guys going I e. Will portions of Zaka Arbitson Little Staff be broken up in order to give to jumpstart Fasta and Elias Lindholme. You know this has happened before where Elias Lindholme gets dropped down a line or two. So but again, you've got a line going right now, your risk right because points are at a premium.

1:02:50 Speaker 3: Do your risk doing that for the sake of why can't these guys get themselves going right?

1:02:57 Speaker 2: I don't know, but I do love the fact that Casey Middlestat is also having a bit of a rejuvenated season with these guys as well, because a lot of people were really against that trade last year and even at the start of the year saying like this is an awful decision. And I think it's been great. I think he's been great on that line, and he's been really contributing. He is, you know, plus plus six, so that's not bad, not bad. And I got to give Don Sweeney a little bit of a stick tap for standing pat and not getting fleeced it's a trade deadline and sticking to his guns because I think a lot of what gms were asking were ridiculously high.

1:03:46 Speaker 2: Prisis to ask.

1:03:48 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I'm kind with getting rid of you know, I mean, I'm fine with some of the prospects down in Providence. And you know, maybe other teams don't value that Quatra, maybe revalue Matt Patch your too much out of whatever it was. But if you're asking for James Higgins, get out of here with that. Okay, go away, go away, go away. Yeah he can have a little.

1:04:13 Speaker 2: Golf club for me. Yeah, a little golf way. Good job not screwing it up. Yeah yeah, yeah. Yeah. So we have three games to look forward games this week Kings, Sharks, uh, and then the Caps. I'm just worried about.

1:04:31 Speaker 3: I don't I don't mean to look look ahead. It's but the Sharks coming in with Celebrini scares the crap out of me.

1:04:40 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, these are point to watch. These are points. They got to get points. They just need points. I mean, for as much as we were irritated at them squandering two points, I mean they really only they still got to walk away with one point in a week where they could have earned twelve points, they walked away with seven. I mean, okay, it's better than less than seven. I'm trying to be I don't I don't know, I don't know, I don't have right, it's not it doesn't make you feel no, warm and fuzzy, yeah right, yeah, la Kings.

1:05:27 Speaker 2: I mean, I know they've had issues of their own, but you know, they're they're on the struggle bus as well. They they haven't won a game yet in March, and it looks like they're doing you know, kind of their they're.

1:05:45 Speaker 3: Coming out to the East Coast now, but they have lost. I believe they've lost their last three games at home all to well. They lost to the Avalanche, they lost to the Islanders, and they lost to the Halves. And I'm not sure that the paneraan experiment is working out great there right now. But yeah, well hopefully not really a problem for Boston.

1:06:18 Speaker 2: We shall see.

1:06:19 Speaker 3: But if they if they don't get back to playing a solid sixty minutes they're doing, yes they do.

1:06:26 Speaker 2: They need to have a full and they have to have one on the road, like they need to. They need to get this done on the road, get that monkey off their back. It has to happen.

1:06:37 Speaker 3: Well, they'll be back facing the Washington Capitals on Saturday in DC, that'll be a nationally televised.

1:06:46 Speaker 2: Three o'clock game. These afternoon games all stink, but they do. You know. I'm busy, Maria, I have a life. I'm trying to live. Me too, Me.

1:06:55 Speaker 3: Too, Yeah, me too. I agree with you. With that being said, thank you for listening everyone. Please make sure you like and subscribe for more content. Be sure to leave us a rating earned a review to help other Bruins fans find us, You can support our podcast by joining our Patreon or following us on our socials. You can find us at tape to Tape MK and on substack. You can find us at tape to tape mk dot substack dot com. Any closing thoughts my friend on the week that was or the week that will be?

1:07:37 Speaker 2: Just the usual, Go bees, go bees, get those points