Boston Bruins Playoff Race Tightens | Ep. 136

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

0:02 Speaker 2: Please?

0:03 Speaker 3: I need something to do.

0:13 Speaker 2: I'll jack shut it out of trouble bocking this same.

0:19 Speaker 1: Today, here's a chance pop fa right down with goalie Scars.

0:22 Speaker 4: Oh my one a.

0:23 Speaker 2: Move by the rookie too.

0:24 Speaker 3: On one plaster not moving in set.

0:28 Speaker 1: On his own oil dances in podcast at home right away corner paster Chester. What is that for?

0:41 Speaker 2: Most?

0:51 Speaker 1: Welcome in everyone to another episode of Bruins Tape to tape. I'm your host today, Caroline with a K and hoy do we have a lot to talk, so let's just get right into it and welcome in my fabulous co host Maria from Watertown.

1:05 Speaker 2: Hello Maria, Hello Caroline. Even though it's cloudy, it's a sunny day in Bruins Nation.

1:12 Speaker 1: It is it is, and it's been quite the week, not just for the Boston Bruins, but literally every team in the East. It's been a nail bier And I almost want to say that this year, hopefully I'm not cursing it, but this year it's not a doodle bug race. In fact, I feel like it's very different from past years because those teams that are fighting for a playoff spot, every single one of them people had opinions on before the start of the season and at the start of the season, and I would argue that every single one of those teams fighting for a spot has something to prove, whether it's Columbus or Ottawa, Detroit at Boston, Pittsburgh, all of these teams that are really down to the wire.

2:02 Speaker 1: It does not feel like a doodle bug race at all.

2:05 Speaker 2: No, And if we remember correctly and we go back to the preseason predictions that were on NHL Network, there were hardly any writers even had the Boston Ruins in playoff contention. And you know, I myself had predicted early on that I thought they would be competitive, but I didn't think they would make the playoffs. And I am fine to be proven wrong. I will be happy to be proven wrong. But things are getting a little too close for comfort.

2:38 Speaker 3: Man.

2:38 Speaker 2: There is very very limited, if no margin for era with about what eight nine games for most.

2:47 Speaker 1: Teams luck in this season, yes, exactly, And going into the week, all of those teams that I mentioned had the same number of games played.

2:57 Speaker 3: Right now, it's a little uneven. Again.

2:59 Speaker 1: We've got we'll set the table to showcase what we're going to be discussing later which is the playoff picture at hand. But you've got Boston and Columbus with seventy four games played, but you've got Montreal with seventy three, Ottawa and Detroit also with seventy three games played, and all of these teams are well within the margin of error you have. And actually even Philadelphia has kind of snuck up out of nowhere with also eighty six points for them, Detroit and Ottawa, and you've got eighty eight points for Columbus although they are fighting potentially for that third spot in the metro, so they're currently tied in points with Pittsburgh, although tiebreaker being in favor of Pittsburgh, and then Montreal with ninety four points, so it is absurdly tight.

3:51 Speaker 1: It is very stressful to be watching all of these games as a Bruins fan, but it is a pretty fantastic.

4:00 Speaker 2: But all the Bruins can do is focus on their own game and get points, points, points, points exactly.

4:11 Speaker 1: Before we talk a little bit more about that big picture, let's talk about a little bit of news semi around the rink, because again we're going to be really focusing on this playoff picture, but the biggest news for the Boston Bruins. Outside of Boston is the fact that James Hagens has signed his ATO and is currently in Providence. He's played a few games and he seems to be settling in nicely. He's had his first goal, he's had a few assists. It seems like he's also really starting to adjust to the pace of play.

4:43 Speaker 1: Obviously, D one hockey is fast hockey, but the AHL is even faster and the NHL is even faster than that, and so it was a great idea, of course to have him get started in Providence as soon as possible. But knowing and understanding and the fact that Bruins' playoff picture could come down to the final games, do we see him for a game?

5:09 Speaker 2: I don't think it's wise. I don't think it's wise to do so. You are battling for your playoff positioning. You have got guys right now that have been there throughout the course of the battle. With his playoff positioning, I'm not sure I see the benefit to James Higgins right now in his development. I could be wrong, but you know, the question is who do you pull out of the lineup to do so? And let's not forget that regular season games are one level and playoffs are a whole other level. And I know there's been a lot of conversation about you know, well, you know, they did it with Charlie McAvoy, and they did it with Tory krug and you know, I know people are excited I did about seeing what this young man can do for the future of Boston Bruins.

6:05 Speaker 2: I'm just not sure that it needs to happen right now.

6:10 Speaker 3: But yeah, well, and I think you make a really good point in that. Yeah.

6:14 Speaker 1: Sure, Charlie McAvoy, Tory Kruge, they came in during the playoffs and at the very end. But there were two very big differences, one being Charlie McAvoy was and is a.

6:27 Speaker 3: Completely different beast of a player.

6:30 Speaker 1: Higgins is obviously an excellent player, seventh overall pick, but I feel like where Chuck he was at a similar point in his career. First of all, McAvoy was older, I believe he was twenty, and he was much more ready.

6:48 Speaker 3: And also the Bruins playoff picture was very different.

6:52 Speaker 1: They were already, if not already in the playoffs. I can't remember the timing exactly, but it was already a done deal in terms of what the playoffs were gonna be, and that is not the case today.

7:05 Speaker 2: No, And you know what if if the Bruins end up with that ex by their their name, that says they've clinched and you've got a couple of games left, all right, fine, yeah, right, bring them up? What do you you know? Bring them up and see, give them a taste, give them a right, give them a little bit of a flavor. But I just think it's it's a risky move. I agree, speaking of I think possibly risky moves before the playoffs. The other big piece of news around the rink is the.

7:36 Speaker 4: Fact that Bruce Cassidy is our shit as the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, replaced by John Tortorella, who.

7:49 Speaker 1: I had to check this because it felt weird. Tortorella was let go as the Flyers head coach almost exactly to the day, a year ago from his announcement. It was like a year and two days, and we don't have any additional information.

8:08 Speaker 3: Nothing has come out. However, this is weird.

8:14 Speaker 1: This is kind of suspicious because it's a time of year that you really don't make a ton of changes. And it's a strange time to make a coaching change, regardless if you are in the playoffs or out of the playoff picture.

8:31 Speaker 3: So I believe for Tortorella when.

8:34 Speaker 1: He was fired as the Philadelphia head coach, the playoff picture was there is no playoffs for this team, and so typically you just let them finish it out and then you part ways when the season is over. The Vegas Golden Knights are in a playoff position. They've not played very well in the last ten to fifteen games. However, because they are blessed to be in that ridiculous Pacific Division, it seems like you don't have to be very good to be in a prime spot. And yet, with two weeks to go in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights decide he's out towards is in, And you've got a team that has a brand new.

9:24 Speaker 3: Coach just before the playoffs.

9:27 Speaker 1: I can't imagine how that is a good idea at all. So this is my speculation because of the timing and the weirdness and the potential for disruption for the players. Something was not good there. Something must have happened. You don't just fire a coach two weeks before the playoffs, when the players have been playing his system. It's a huge change, and to bring in Tortorella, to me, signals that ownership or whoever's making the decisions, has decided that significant change needs to be brought in because John Tortorella has earned the reputation, for good or for bad, as being the coach you bring in when you need to fix things and you need a serious guy to do it.

10:22 Speaker 1: It's like boot camp fixing, not the we're gonna, you know, hold hands in kumbaya and build a team to fix it. He comes in to fix really broken teams.

10:34 Speaker 3: What's your take?

10:35 Speaker 2: So I too think it's an odd timing for this to happen with eight games left in the season. It has happened before. I think Larry Robinson way back took over as interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils with eight games remaining, and the Devils ended up winning the Stanley Cup that year. Next. We all know Bruce Caps City quite well here, and we know that Bruce Cassidy's ways can be a bit harsh, yes, And we also know that his messaging after a period of time can sometimes fall on deaf fears or become very old.

11:19 Speaker 2: Now if perhaps players I heard a little snippet of what Elliott Friedman said earlier about this, and it seems that players had gone to management and ownership earlier on and they've ACKed Bruce. Now whether or not that message from players grew even louder this time around. But they're not bringing in a guy who's any softer or fuzzier then no, But my understanding. I also understand though too, that you know, Tortorella was part of the USA men's hockey team coaching staff, and by all accounts, guys like playing for Twrdorella.

12:04 Speaker 2: He can be he can be rough and tough, but nine percent of the time he has his players backs. Yeah, and Vegas has been getting also shitty goaltending. Now, I don't know is that a coaching issue or whatever, but you know this is this is a Golden Knights organization who discards players and coaches like you know, we take out our trash yep. So you know, as shocking as it is not shocking, right, And you know, maybe they felt that they needed to do this because maybe they feel that they are a better team than what they are showing in that brutal Pacific Division.

12:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they wanted to give themselves a better opportunity at making a run for a Stanley Cup. I don't know, but it did seem to like come out of virtually nowhere.

13:02 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you've mentioned and it's a well known thing where like you said, Vegas has a tendency to I don't throw away players have no qualms about turning their back. I even let's say that there was there was nothing sure, it's entirely possible that there was no incident or whatever happened. It's then a really crappy thing to do as an organization to dump a coach at this point for a multitude of reasons. One that coach has given you almost the entire season. You're not going to get you know, you're not going to give them the courtesy to finish it out.

13:44 Speaker 1: If the writing's on the wall, writing's on the wall, fine.

13:48 Speaker 2: But if the players have tuned them out, right, If players have tuned them out, and you're in this brutal of a division and on paper you look good, right, right, but you're not playing up to that level of that potential, then what is the organization seems supposed to throw the season away. And if you got and if you have players pitching, you know, leaders on the team. If I'm not saying that they somewhat happened here in Boston with Bruce, which you know, it's like you say to you saw Bruce, maybe you want to change a style a little bit.

14:25 Speaker 1: You know, I mean, look what happened in Boston. He lost the room. That happens to every coach eventually, right, the messaging just becomes stale. But I think it's kind of also really crappy on the part of Vegas that if that's what it was, if there was otherwise no other incident, You've now also made people pause around Cassidy. And I'm not saying that he's going to have a harder time finding a job, but it might not be as easy because people will want to say, well, what happened happened in a way that's a little bit more suspicious than you know, the natural parting of ways.

15:04 Speaker 1: When the season ends, right, the timing is just bad, you know, odd, Yeah, for a team that's in in you know, and and again maybe management and ownership the year feels that they've been underachieving and now you do have leaders and senior players on the team saying he's just you can't with him anymore. You know, you just can't and you can't just allow your season to be very we believed flushed down the toilets. Yeah, agreed. So we will find out more, I'm sure in the coming days.

15:41 Speaker 2: But yeah, I'm sure there'll be more tea that comes out.

15:44 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's one a statement on behalf of the Vegas Golden Knights to bring in someone like John Tortorella. He is not some sort of warm body placeholder at all. He comes in, He's coming to work. Keep an eye a little on that should make for some interesting playoff hockey out west. But let's shift back over to the Bruins and this playoff race and the insane week that we experienced. It was the last four games of microcosm of what this entire season has been. We had a disastrous game against the Toronto Maple Leafs first, and luckily for us, unlike how we've seen during this particular season, there wasn't some sort of multi game skid to follow said disastrous game.

16:39 Speaker 1: However, it was still a little bit of a roller coaster from that point on. So let's talk really briefly about the Toronto game, because I mean, you know, we don't want to necessarily rehash some of it in the sense that we've been here before. They didn't show up. They were just an embarrassing product out on the ice. Their power play who continues to be just deplorable. But Maria, you'd made a comment to me before we started recording today about how this horrible game actually laid the foundation for what we saw later in the week.

17:22 Speaker 3: Explain, So, when.

17:24 Speaker 2: You play in the manner in which you play against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where you're just bad in every phase of the game, absolutely bad. And you know, let's start with the surprising choice of goaltenders for this game, where you know, Jeremy Swayman started this game and we were all guessing that it would have been the opposite, because then they had a game the very next night in Buffalo which we all said, listen, this is going to be a statement game for the Sabers. Corpse is going to play against the Leaves, and Swayman will play against the Sabers blah blah blah.

18:01 Speaker 2: But the manner in which the Bruins played that game, to me, made it seem almost as if two things. They were either looking their head to the Sabers game and or to some degree disrespecting their opponent on Tuesday night against the Leaps, both very I think. I think it's im plausible to some degree. But then players are calling themselves out m HM and their coach, who I think they obviously clearly clearly respect, yes, clearly listen to, clearly want to play for, follows them all out and basically says everybody was bad tonight except for Jeremy Swinman, and he was absolutely right to do that.

18:55 Speaker 2: Now, that could have gone again. I hate to compare and contrast, but if this was last season, that would have been a sliding down the hill so fast that you wouldn't be able to stop it.

19:12 Speaker 1: If it were December, that's exactly what would have happened, or even a little bit in January. We're not that far removed, No, we're not that far removed to me.

19:22 Speaker 2: To me, that's to see the way that they bounced back in the game against Buffalo Folk volumes about the focus and the understanding of what needs to be done to get yourselves.

19:39 Speaker 3: Into the playoffs. Yes, yeah, one hundred percent.

19:43 Speaker 1: I think You're absolutely right in that they came off a series of wins prior to this Toronto game where they were showcasing all the best things about this Boston Bruins team, and to play against the Leafs and be so badly embarrassed. I'm glad it happened to some degree because it was the wake up call that they needed to survive the rest of this particular week and perhaps give them something to go after, to dig down for, because playing against Buffalo and Minnesota and Columbus really really tested them.

20:28 Speaker 1: This team, unlike last year, has an identity. Unfortunately, it means they have to grind it out. That is their identity.

20:38 Speaker 2: No, no, that is their idea. And they do display resiliency, yes, and more often than not display a no quit demeanor. Yes.

20:53 Speaker 3: Yes.

20:54 Speaker 1: However, the concern that I have with that is they don't make anything easy. Nothing is easy, nothing is effortless. Everything requires every ounce of what you have in the tank.

21:10 Speaker 2: And they and they do make things. They're the creators of their own wounds.

21:15 Speaker 1: Oh yeah.

21:15 Speaker 2: For example, that Columbus game, the Columbus game just on Sunday, in the first period, they were awful. The only the only player who was ready to play the first period of that hockey game against the Blue Jackets was Jeremy Swayman. Yeah. Two turnovers in the first period directly led to two goals for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

21:40 Speaker 1: Yes, well, I love to see that resilience and especially just the grind it out, not giving it up, not giving up.

21:50 Speaker 3: How sustainable is that? Truly? It is exhausting as a fan.

21:54 Speaker 1: I can't even imagine how it is as a as a player. You know, we've we've seen other games, you and I we watch other games on TV and whatnot. And there are other teams out there that are just completely effortless that they are these machines, right, think Colorado, and you've got the Boston Bruins coming into Buffalo or Columbus, and both of those teams, while Buffalo is fairly comfortable in their position in terms of the playoffs, both teams I believe had played did they play, They also played the night before and had recently I believe, come off of losses.

22:38 Speaker 1: So the Boston is coming in and they are playing against teams that are also hungry for wins. Yes, Buffalo, like I said, Buffalo is in a much better position than Boston, but I feel like they still have a what I would call a good chip on their shoulder, like we've got a lot to prove, right, We're not gonna slide back into how things are, like what you see is for real, and so you know they're going in with the right kind of attitude saying that's a win. We have to get Columbus. They're fighting for a spot now.

23:12 Speaker 1: Granted they are much closer to a third place spot in their division than Boston is, but they'd come.

23:19 Speaker 3: Off of a couple of losses.

23:22 Speaker 1: And not to skip too far ahead about Columbus, but that one was kind of going into that game that was a one hundred percent must win game, not just because of how much closer, of course we're getting to the end of the season, but the fact that we got to play them again. We have one more game against them, and we're potentially looking at a wild card spot fighting for it with them. I didn't know until yesterday that the Columbus Blue Jackets have the third best goal differential in the first period with a plus twenty one.

23:57 Speaker 2: But they also have one of the worst in the third period.

24:00 Speaker 1: I know well, but still the other two teams being Colorado and Carolina, and sure enough we saw exactly why. However, part of that was, of course, because the Boston Bruins did not show up on time to this game, and they were exceptionally lucky that they were able to get those lost minutes back. Now, the game against Buffalo also started behind, were able to force it into a pretty quick overtime. Do you see a difference in those two games in that game, the Buffalo game versus the Columbus game.

24:41 Speaker 2: Well, the difference is is the Bruins have a tendency this season to sometimes let the other team dictate the style of But okay, you know at this point of the season how you need to play, how the coaching staff has coached you to and it's hard. It's really hard, right, because you have to play both ends of the ice with this style that Marco has implemented. There is no if anta butts about it. You have to frig and play both ends of the ice. And if you're not willing to do that, it's going to be along sixty minutes.

25:24 Speaker 2: And so, for whatever reason, for whatever reason, when the Bruins hit the ice on Sunday night against the Blue Jackets, they allowed Columbus to run rough shot over them. And it wasn't until very very late in that first period where Tanner, Jano and Mark Castilek had a couple of heavyweight bouts saying, Okay, you think you guys are going to do this all night, we have news for you. This is what's going to happen if you think you're going to keep playing this way. Not only was it a message to the Blue Jackets, it was also a message to their teammates, right, wake up, wake the bleep up.

26:09 Speaker 2: Uninspiring hockey in that game that first period was like, are you kidding me? I can't watch this, I can't can't watch this. Yeah, yeah, And then you start thinking about, oh my god, here it comes the Monday morning quarterbacking about swaymen playing back to back games and the criticism with regard to that, and and you know my thought on that, right, you got to be the guy, has to be the guy. He has to bear the brunt of the workload for likely the remaining portion of the season, and if they get into the playoffs, dude, then that is yours until you say otherwise.

26:49 Speaker 1: So and I want to say, I mean, I'm sure the I'm sure the players know these things. I want to say that prior to Swayman's back to back start, which I had a feeling was coming because of how good he's played, I knew it was coming. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but I knew it was coming. I also think he is incredibly competitive, and I want to say I could be totally making this up that this is the only other goalie who's done this, but I know he has done this. I believe I heard that there's only one other goaltender who has played in back to back games this season in this way, and it was Soroken.

27:29 Speaker 1: And he's no nobody goaltender either. So I wouldn't be surprised if there is also a motivation for Jeremy Swayman to be not just the guy in Boston, but to be a legitimate guy across the league. I think there's still plenty of people who don't know who he is, or he has said it himself. He has set it himself that he wanted to be the guy. Now you're putting your money where your mouth is, and I know people are saying, you know, I've seen it on my social media feed.

28:01 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I want to see what he does in the playoffs.

28:03 Speaker 3: Look all right, Well, one step at a time.

28:05 Speaker 2: When you get into the playoffs, it's because he helped get you into the playoffs, all right? Can we just like it? Well?

28:13 Speaker 1: And and we had this whole conversation in our discord group, which again, if you haven't joined in, you should totally stop in for game day chats. But after that first period we were discussing the fact that he was great, the team in front of him.

28:28 Speaker 3: Was garbage and garbage.

28:30 Speaker 1: Are we looking at a situation where we wasted a Did we waste a good Swayman start?

28:38 Speaker 3: Start?

28:38 Speaker 2: Would have been a very fair question if the results were different. But I have to say I didn't see that come back coming. No, And I had said in the discord, just we just need a goal, We need one. They needed one goal, right because they came out the Bruins came out hot in that second period. They were a totally different team from the first period to the second period. And I think Columbus was a little bit shell shocked.

29:10 Speaker 1: Yes, because they Bruins have been bad in the second period, right, No, yeah, no, No, it's not a small sample size.

29:18 Speaker 2: But generally they are bad in the second period, so their hard work was rewarded and the power play actually came through in a really big way against Columbus. And I have to say that was probably that game against Columbus on Sunday night was probably my favorite game of the year to watch. I felt like it was a playoff game, which.

29:42 Speaker 1: Is funny because I felt that the game against Minnesota was actually one of my favorite games of the season because I thought it was It was a lot of fun, and part of me wonders if Boston's slow start, non start in the first period against Columbus was again another situation where they came off of what I would call one of their more effortless wins against a good team in the Minnesota Wild. You know that game, You look at it on paper and you think, well, Minnesota is the better team. They have the more depth, they've got Quinn Hughes that they have more, they've got spectacular goaltending, and Boston just owned that game for fifty minutes of effortless ownership on their part.

30:38 Speaker 1: And you know, they got a little squishy for a stretch and the third, but on the whole, one of the most fun games that I've seen Boston play all season, and that's a little bit of my concern. Now, I'm thinking, are we seeing this kind of a pattern where Boston has a great game, a fun game, high energy game, an energizing game, and then they go into their next game that is a very much so must win, not just for point collecting like the Minnesota game was, but because of a legitimate threat on their position in the playoff structure.

31:19 Speaker 1: And then they go and they you know, they don't start on time. Fortunately, unlike with the Toronto game, they woke up and did not allow that to go on. So do we are we worried that this is something that could we could be seeing again, where Okay, what's this next game going to look like? Because they were able to eke it out, so what, they're proud of themselves, and they forget to play when they play against Dallas.

31:48 Speaker 3: I don't know, are you worried?

31:52 Speaker 2: I'm worried, yes, because you know, instances like that can still rear their ugly head, but they can ill afford to have regular recurring instances of periods like that period against Columbus because you know, I know you've heard me say this before you have to work all that much more harder to come from behind. It takes so much more effort and energy to play from behind, and if you don't start on time, especially in the playoffs, it can cost you. It can cost you a series. And there's just no other way to say it.

32:35 Speaker 2: So my hope is that these are, you know, buckets of cold water that get slapped in their faces. It seems to me they are enough leaders in that room that have the voice to be able to say we're not playing like this, We are not going to play like shit again for an entire game.

32:55 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, so.

32:58 Speaker 2: That makes me feel a little bit more confident about the resolve of this this group of Ruins players.

33:06 Speaker 1: Well, let me hear your thoughts on your favorite least favorite player, because I feel like you went through all the emotions yesterday. Ampas lynn Holm.

33:19 Speaker 2: Huh, he's driving me bonkers this season.

33:25 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't understand.

33:28 Speaker 2: You know. We see snippets of good play and then I see snippets of did you really just turn the puck over like that? Did you really just get another stick in fraction? And so I don't know if he's in his own head at this point but he certainly hasn't been the same consistent player since he came back from his injury. So you know again now I'd rather see him on power Play Unit number two than Mason Lorik, thank you very much. Yes, but I also said in our discord, I don't understand what the aversion is to given Nikita Zadora a shot on that second power Play unit.

34:11 Speaker 2: The guy can skate, he's strong on the puck ferry. He's got a good hard shot. What have you got to lose at this moment in time.

34:22 Speaker 3: I don't know. I can't keep I can't keep.

34:24 Speaker 2: Watching either lynd Holm or Laura and sometimes Macaboy giving up oddman rushes when you're on a freaking power play, Right, I'm okay with Chuck.

34:36 Speaker 3: He's staying on the power Play because.

34:40 Speaker 2: He's he's in beast mode and we will talk about his stats in a little bit. He's giving that second unit. Now, you have other options, You have other options, and I don't understand, right, what have you got to lose?

34:58 Speaker 3: I don't know. I said this exactly last night.

35:01 Speaker 1: I don't really want to see Hampus on the power Play two unit.

35:06 Speaker 2: Yes, you did, you did, really don't. And my response was limited options. They do have limited options in that regard, but it doesn't mean we have options, right, It doesn't mean that you have no options, which is why. And I said this, I don't know when I even said it to the guys on Morning Brew and Jeffy was like, I know, I agree with you. That's this is when the power play struggles were like it was bad, it was really really bad. Yeah, And I know they don't have a lot of practice time because of the schedule that they've been having.

35:40 Speaker 2: Maybe that's part of the concern that, you know, they don't have time to work someone else in these guys that have already been worked in to that second power play unit.

35:49 Speaker 1: But my biggest issue with hampuslim Home quarterbacking the power Play unit has been his He's been very weak on the lately and he's not carrying the puck in like he used to.

36:04 Speaker 2: Something is awry because he is a very fluid skater, very fluid skater, and he's got decent hands, yes, but he's not doing that since he came back from his injury.

36:21 Speaker 1: Yeah, he can't seem to not either, he can't seem to get it in, get it in deep. His passes are being intercepted. He's making bad decisions about where to send that puck and those get intercepted, and you see these shorthanded chances by the other team. I would be curious just to see zadorof because of how strong he is on the puck. But besides that, I mean, it seems like everybody else is humming along, and even even Hampus got better. He had some key, very important moments during that particular.

37:04 Speaker 2: Game right right, and he's he's been on my nerves because of the number of stick infractions. We've been kind of you know, tongue and cheeking about it. But it's been frustrating to watch, which is why I wonder if there is again something else he in his own head. And also whatever injury he had, is it lingering or has it had an impact on his skating, because he doesn't seem to be skating as fluidly into you know, the opposing end of the ice as he had been in his previous season with the Bruins.

37:45 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, So let's talk about then your stick taps, because we have the same votes. This week, we had week of travel Zaka multi games. We had Jeremy Swayman playing about as good as we have ever seen him play. And we had a head coach who not only was calling players out right, but we've got a coach who was actually showing emotion on the bench. So walk me through your stick taps and what stood out for you for these folks.

38:31 Speaker 2: So let me just give you some numbers for my stick tats. Yes, in the month of March, Ruins have played fifteen games. Pavel Zaka has thirteen goals and eight assists for twenty one points. Pasta is next in line, seven goals, thirteen assists for twenty points. Victor Arvidson I love this man five goals, twelve assists, seventeen points. Charlie McAvoy a beast six points, Tennis sixteen points. Ksey Middlestat has eleven points. Even Elias Lindholm is working his way back up there again. Right. The one guy I really still feel that he's got to get his ass moving is Morgan Geeky.

39:20 Speaker 2: That line he's got points, Zaka, Ardvdson and middle stat has been killer. Absolutely, they are quickly becoming lethal weapons. They are Boston Bruins. So they all get my stick taps. And I really do hope that the Bruins reach an agreement to extend Ardwitdsen in the off season because I think this guy, this guy epitomizes being a Boston Brwin. I think he likes playing here. I like watching him play here, works his ass off. He clearly has developed a great rapport and working relationship with Pavel Zaka.

40:07 Speaker 2: I think Zaka has been rejuvenated. We've never seen him play like this before ever. This is a career waiting for right, yes and again, waiting forever.

40:19 Speaker 3: It seems coming.

40:20 Speaker 2: It's all coming at a good time, all coming at a good time. And Jeremy Swayman, he's been a workhorse and he's going to continue to need to be a workhorse. And I thought I heard some snippets on a couple of different podcasts about you know, doesn't a conversation doesn't of votes potentially for Swayman and Jack Adams votes for Marco Storm.

40:47 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, well, And also in regards to Arvidson, not only is he all of the things that you said, but he also is a great ambassador for Marco's Storms system because it fits him like a glove quite frankly, and he's also a leader in that room. I guess he speaks when he needs to speak, Yes, exactly, I'm I'm loving all of those particular choices. Now, the penalty box, we didn't talk much because it irritates us to no end. Mason Laurai remind I'm now, I'm not remembering the exact game. However, he had a game that was so atrocious.

41:40 Speaker 1: I think it was Buffalo. I fully expected the coach to staple his butt to the bench.

41:47 Speaker 2: I thought he was I thought he would get a healthy scratch. Didn't. And he wasn't the only one. I mean, the Maple Leafs game was bad. I think he had some some, a greef some. It was two games. At the Maple Leafs game, he clearly was out muscled. Oh godsled on more on one occasioned And I've said this before. Needs needs to be stronger on the puck, and he needs to win up battles. And I think there was a little bit of a carryover into the Buffalo game. He wasn't the only one that was bad in that Toronto game, but unfortunately he stood out to me, maybe because I watched him with a little bit more pressure I than anyone else.

42:35 Speaker 1: On his decision making. His defensive decision making was not.

42:40 Speaker 3: Great. You know, the we heard in both.

42:43 Speaker 1: Broadcasts comments about how he has improved his defensive game, because that was a massive, massive issue in the start of the year, and he's been fine since he's been moded down to the third pairing, and so it was kind of funny that in the last in those two broadcasts it was discussed how much he's gotten better. And then he had two of the worst games that he's had in quite a long time.

43:15 Speaker 3: And I was I was honestly shocked that he wasn't benched.

43:21 Speaker 1: And he actually was a scratch on Sunday against Columbus. However, it was not a healthy scratch. He's suffering from some kind of mild, minor upper body to which I asked, well, is it bonehead ititis? Because he certainly was being like that. But whatever, his issue is considered minor enough that he's not expected to be out. But I will give a stick tap to Yoki Haru who came in because he's been one who's been a healthy scratch quite a bit, and he stepped in, he stepped up, he had a solid game. It was as if he hadn't missed a beat, and so I was very pleased to see whatever happens should the Bruins make the playoffs, that they've got some depth in their defense that anyone can come back in and pick.

44:20 Speaker 3: Up where the other left off.

44:23 Speaker 1: So but Mason Lowery, it's been a minute since he's been in the penalty.

44:28 Speaker 3: Box for us, but boy did he earn it.

44:34 Speaker 2: Again.

44:35 Speaker 3: He's not the only one.

44:36 Speaker 2: But you know, at this at this point, critical point of the season, can't and again you know you've got you can't have stuff like that. I mean, and this goes, this goes across the whole lineup, because you know what I also have in my penalty box is the Bruins have been giving up way too many odd man rushes, especially on the tower play. Like it's one thing if your power play, you know, isn't isn't operating to its fullest, it's a whole not a ballgame. When now you're giving up constant shorthanded opportunities like that that just simply cannot happen in today's NHL.

45:20 Speaker 2: You just can't let it happen.

45:22 Speaker 3: It's too fast. So that needs that needs.

45:24 Speaker 2: To be cleaned up and I know they don't have a lot of time to practice and whatnot, but it seems to me that the Bruins do it with too much regularity.

45:39 Speaker 1: Yes, it's again this particular team, whether it's the team construction being that Jenga block where they've gotten a little bit more flexible in that they've gotten a little bit more robust in the sense that if you're missing a piece, it's not going to totally collapse the team. But in a similar vein, if they don't keep their foot on the gas with whatever situation is at hand, they seem to not be able to keep up. Like there's no room for any kind of cruise control anywhere with this. But we have a couple of big games coming up this week.

46:27 Speaker 1: They're eight remaining games, five of them are on the road, which.

46:35 Speaker 3: Does make me nervous.

46:36 Speaker 1: However, the Columbus game was the first time that Boston has been over five hundred on the road since game number one.

46:46 Speaker 2: Oh god, well, all right, well we're trending upward. We're trending upward. Listen. They got to figure out if they're going to make a playoff one, they're going to be able to figure out how to steal a game or two on the road.

46:59 Speaker 3: They they just taxes.

47:01 Speaker 1: Yeah, and who knows, the Buffalo game could very well be.

47:09 Speaker 3: Preview to the first round.

47:12 Speaker 2: Should be that that would be such a fun series and that would will certainly go six to seven games one.

47:20 Speaker 1: Because if just briefly looking at the standings, and again we're recording this on Monday the thirtieth, we've got Boston is in the first wild card spot and Buffalo, well, we'll see Buffalo is neck and neck with Tampa right now. Technically based on the first tiebreaker, Tampa is in first place in the Atlantic. Buffalo, Sabers and the Canadians are in second and third. But who knows that could change because Sabers, this.

47:55 Speaker 2: Is how Tyson Atlantic is in the last ten games. I just saw this post, yep.

48:02 Speaker 1: And they and we all all play each other. There's a lot of Atlantic games happen.

48:06 Speaker 3: In this.

48:09 Speaker 2: Yeah, Buffalo six two and two, Montreal seven three and oh, Boston sixty two and two, Ottawa six three and one. Yes, this is tight, tight, tight, folks, Yes, mm hmm.

48:22 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got in terms of Atlantic Division games, you've got the Habs playing the Panthers and the Lightning.

48:29 Speaker 3: Boston is playing the Panthers and the Lightning. The Senators are.

48:33 Speaker 1: Playing the the Panthers and the Lightning and the Sabers. So it's a very divisionally heavy end.

48:44 Speaker 3: To the season, so Strap and everyone, because it's.

48:49 Speaker 2: Almost as if the NHL schedule listen to what they were doing not.

48:54 Speaker 1: I mean, it makes for exciting times, I guess. But we've got the Stars coming up. Obviously, every point matters. This is an opportunity to collect points because this is not only not a divisional game, it is not even a conference game.

49:16 Speaker 3: Still, big points.

49:17 Speaker 1: The Stars have clinched that, there's no reason I would think that they would ever let off a guess.

49:24 Speaker 2: They can't because that's the last thing you want to do heading into the playoffs. You want to be playing your best hockey exactly playoffs, regardless of whether you have clinched a spot yet or not. So it's not going to be a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination.

49:41 Speaker 3: No.

49:42 Speaker 1: So from there, Boston heads down to the state of Florida where they're going to be playing the Panthers on Thursday and the Lightning on Saturday, and then immediately after that they're going straight to Philadelphia and playing a game there, so again.

50:06 Speaker 3: Three games that are pretty.

50:09 Speaker 1: Much must must get a point let's just put it this way, must get a point in at least three of those four games.

50:20 Speaker 3: In my opinion.

50:21 Speaker 2: Well, overall, the Bruins had a great week. It played four games and came away with six points. So that's that's a good week's work.

50:31 Speaker 3: So happy.

50:32 Speaker 2: They just need to keep that mojo moving forward.

50:38 Speaker 1: So thanks again everyone. Make sure you like and subscribe for more content, and be sure to leave a rating and review to help other Bruins fans find us. You can support the podcast by joining our Patreon or following us on our socials at Tape to Tape mk and on substack at Tape to Tape mk dot subsack dot com, and as always, go Bes bass

51:13 Speaker 2: St