Bruins Find a Spark at the Season’s Midpoint | Ep. 124

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

0:02 Speaker 2: Please? I need something to do.

0:13 Speaker 1: I'll jack sending out a trop a bock of this, says Tony. Here's a chance, PoTA right down the goalie scars Oh my one a move by the rookie on one plaster not moving in Marsha get it on his own. Oil dances in podcast home right corner, Faster Chesterton.

0:51 Speaker 3: Welcome in everyone to another episode of Bruin's Tape to Tape. I'm your host today, Caroline with a K, and I am joined by fantastic co host Maria from Watertown.

1:03 Speaker 2: How's it going Maria? Happy New Year, Happy new year to you as well. Here we are twenty twenty six, fresh pod indeed, and the halfway point of the hockey season.

1:15 Speaker 3: I know we're on the back half of the twenty five to twenty sixth season and it's gonna be quite the adventure to the finish because everybody's all over the place except for Colorado Avalanche. So who knows what's going to be happening in this race to the break and then the insanity that always happens post February break. But let's just dive right in because there's a lot of loose ends to talk about this week. It feels like there's all sorts of other news and things going on, not just for the Bruins but around the rink, So we shall waste no time.

1:55 Speaker 3: First and foremost, as we alluded to last week, the Olympic rosters were coming out, and sure enough we got rosters for Team USA, Team Sweden, Finland, and Chechia and no shockers. For the most part, Team USA we have Chucky and sway We already knew about Charlie McAvoy because he was previously named an assistant captain or an alternate captain Swayman, I think that was a pretty much guarantee for the most part. For the checks again, no shocker, we've got Pasta, We've got Zaka. For Team Finland, we have Yoki Haryu, which I don't know, I guess not a super surprise.

2:43 Speaker 3: There are only so many Finns in the NHL, and so he earned a spot there. The one that I think was a little bit of a surprise to many folks on Team Sweden, only one linn home got the nah from Sweden to go play for the three crowns, and that's Elias Linnholm no Hampus thoughts on that, Maria, Well, I wonder if it's a combination of the defensive depth that they had available to them, the fact that Hampus was injured for a little bit, and the fact that his game, really, let's face facts, his game hasn't been up to the level that we've all been accustomed to or expected it to be yet this season, for whatever reason that is, I agree, And I think an interesting take that I had heard recently, I think it was probably on thirty two thoughts, where this idea that the rosters for the most part are relatively unchanged from the Four Nations, and of course speculation here and there about why did so and so make it and so didn't, especially if so and so was there and last.

4:03 Speaker 2: Year but isn't there this year.

4:05 Speaker 3: And I think the Four Nations did a really interesting thing in that it gave the gms of those various teams a good sense of what to expect in terms of how different players play with each other on a national team. Because again, remember it's been quick math twelve years since the NHL had players in the Olympics twenty fourteen, so a lot of these guys while they maybe grew up playing together on their junior teams and their national teams, they haven't played in a lengthy tournament style together in a very long time.

4:49 Speaker 3: And so I think a huge piece of all of the roster building was what worked, what didn't work, And really they were only probably making minor tweaks here and there. And because Hampus was not there last year because of his injury, he was kind of an unknown entity.

5:10 Speaker 2: And quite frankly, the Swedes, they're stacked in the back. So and you know what, honestly, I'm fine with it. I don't really want any other Bruins or any additional Bruins going there. I mean, again, I sound like a nervous nelly, but the risk of injury, to me, you're just exacerbating that potential for that. And we keep hearing how important he is to the back end dynamics of the Boston Bruins, and we've seen he's suffered some injuries that have kept him in the past out of the line of for extended periods of time.

5:47 Speaker 3: And to kind of use the Bruins' words against them a little bit, the mental fatigue of the season, I think a lot of them deserve the downtime. You know what, the schedule has been insane. They've played a lot, They've had to deal with a lot. I'm okay with most of them going on vacation.

6:05 Speaker 2: Then I just make one comment about these Olympic rosters, just where Team USA is concerned. Is there a rumor circulating or percolating about who my captain Team USA? I thought it was already announced that it was Usin Matthews. It is what a dumb ask gust Okay, then that's fucking dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb dumb. I would have rather seen the sea on one of the Kachuk Boys than Austin Matthews. Please tell me, Please tell me where Austin Matthews has exhibited any leadership skills when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs and his captaincy there.

6:47 Speaker 2: What are we doing here? What are we doing here? I agree?

6:52 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think from the team that I saw a year ago at the Four Nations, I was super impressed with the team as as a whole because I thought that that was the first time in a very long time that Team USA had a legitimate shot that this is the closest that they've gotten.

7:10 Speaker 2: They came within one goal.

7:12 Speaker 3: I think this is the best chance team USA has had going into the Olympics in a very long time since probably Salt Lake and Vancouver like from that time. But to your point, who was the face of that team, right? Who really showed leadership on and.

7:34 Speaker 2: Off the ice?

7:35 Speaker 3: Not Austin Matthews. I mean, you think about Team Canada. I mean it's a given. You see with Sidney Crosby, the respect that he has I saw this is a total tangent. But I just have to say about his leadership. He saw a video where he was being interviewed with McDavid and I don't remember who the third guy was. Sid came into the room, sat down, took his hat off. The other two sat down and they still had their hats on, and right before it started, they looked at him and they took their hats off. That tells you the degree of respect.

8:12 Speaker 3: Even that little gesture goes a long way. I just don't understand the mindset or the thought process. Yeah, but do you really think it's going to propel him to elevate his game?

8:28 Speaker 2: Because I just don't see it.

8:30 Speaker 3: We've talked ad nauseum about, you know, the culture or the lack of what we perceived to be the lack of a culture in Toronto, and he wears the sea there. We've talked about what a mistake we thought it was for them to take the sea from John Tavirus, and he responded in a very diplomatic and professional way to it.

8:54 Speaker 2: And they gave it to Austin Matthews for what right? What has it sir?

9:00 Speaker 3: And you don't have to be a loud, boisterous type of captain. You don't have to be that super outgoing person like Brad Marshan or one of the Kachuck brothers. Again, look at Sid or look at Patrice Bergeron those are patrise right.

9:18 Speaker 2: They are quiet leaders. But they but you know, you we all.

9:24 Speaker 3: Had inklings and insight into the leadership abilities of those players.

9:31 Speaker 2: Where do we have that? What have we seen here? I don't know. I just think it's you're starting off to me on a foot with Team USA, where it's like I'm already I'm already scratching my head, going why oh that's all? Well, we shall see.

9:48 Speaker 3: We will do a little bit of a deep dive in a future episode, a little bit of housekeeping since I've just mentioned that in two weeks, so today we are recording. On January fifth, we will have a special episode with our Doctor of Dev's Mary Beth.

10:06 Speaker 2: Come on.

10:06 Speaker 3: She'll be coming onto the show to give us some updates on all those prospects. We'll have some new updates on our substack as well, if you'd like to read up on those folks. And then Bruins tape to tape. We will be at the Stadium series game release. Murrio will be so if you're going to be there, see if you can come and find her and say hi and get a sticker. It's going to be almost the last game before the break, and February fourth is the last game that the Bruins have before the Olympics, so it's quite literally a stadium series and then they go down to the Panthers and then we'll be doing, like I said, a little Olympics special episode.

10:48 Speaker 3: We'll be doing our mid season awards, so all sorts of fun little things coming up on the pod as we sort of hit the February Gray dol drums before the excitement of March and April.

11:02 Speaker 2: It's well the ray, yeah, the race race to the finish of the season, and based on the fact that no one in the East seems to want to just take a strangle. It's over. The Eastern Conference is shock.

11:16 Speaker 3: It's going to be interesting to see us how everything plays out once this Olympic break is over.

11:24 Speaker 2: Hopefully everyone comes back to their teams healthy. Hopefully others who are currently injured yet healthier so that we can finally see where the where the cream will rise to the top other than the Colorado Avalanche. And just I have a little a little advice with the Colorado Avalanche and their fans. Take it from those of us who are very well aware of what a historic regular season looks like and where it can ultimately get you in the playoffs. A little losing and a little adversity is okay. Embrace it if it happens, because you will likely be better served if that does happen, as opposed to what happened to our Boston Bruins during their historic regular season.

12:17 Speaker 2: I agree. I agree, that's good advice.

12:20 Speaker 3: As I mentioned, obviously, after the Olympics, it's the whirlwind of March and April and for new listeners, for new hockey fans, why is this a big deal. Well, because it's the trade deadline and things have been a little bit quiet right now on the trade front. Typically that has been the case historically, although for a number of years we were seeing the big blockbuster trades happening January February, and because it's the Olympics, perhaps we won't see any of those big trades or even the little trades.

13:04 Speaker 3: So I would imagine we're going to be seeing a traditional trade deadline season where most of it's going to be happening in the week or so leading up. Again, if you're following us, we have a little trade tracker, so we'll be keeping that information, but as just a little bit of food for thought as we set the table and think about the season big picture, right because you said we're halfway through, now's the time where we start to reflect and think, Okay, what have we accomplished, what has not been, what's not happening, and what does this team still need to meet the goal of getting into the postseason.

13:45 Speaker 3: And Maria, you gave a call to a friend of the pod. What was the big question that they asked you about trade deadline and such? So the topic of that day's podcast, which was the eighth and T Hockey Show on ninety eight point five, hosted by Ty Anderson. Shout out to Ty because he's always very kind and gracious to me. And his question was should the Bruins buy or sell or do nothing?

14:17 Speaker 2: And he was going to be straddling the fence and just basically agreeing with everyone's everyone's take on it, but it was food for thought, and so I called in and I stated my case in that I have felt all along that the Bruins have been trying to straddle a verbial fence with this retool from day one, because it is abundantly clear to any of us who have been Boston Bruins fans throughout the tenure of the Jacob's family ownership of the team, that there is a mandate about making the playoffs. However you can do it, make the playoffs they want, and you know again, we want the playoffs to However, however, that comes at a potential price and a difficult situation for Don Sweeney to be in.

15:12 Speaker 2: Now. Don Sweeney only has a two year extension, so to me, it seems to me that him Neely and ownership have basically said to him, we've given you two years to get us back on playoff rap. But if you're telling me that you need to retool or rebuild and you want to get back to being a competitive hockey team that is poised and structured and built to make the playoffs year in and year out, I can't understand how you're telling me you're going to do this when you're in a retool or a rebuilt, because you have now we all know, we've we've got Higgins out there, right, and you know, maybe we'll see him at some point during this regular season, who knows, right, But again that's that's the future, right, So that's one of your building blocks.

16:14 Speaker 2: Who else on this team have you identified as your building blocks? We've seen this team.

16:22 Speaker 3: On the cusp of you know, sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not so good. They're not built right now to have long term sustained success in the playoffs. Do I want them to make any moves in the upcoming trade deadline? No, I don't unless what you're doing is being identified as part of your rebuild and your retool. If you're telling me that you can go out and get somebody who wants to be here and wants to be part of the rebuild that has NHL cashet and star power. Okay, I'm open to listening to that, but I don't think.

17:07 Speaker 2: You should be making any tweaks to solidify something on the back end or help with your defensive your offensive scoring depth. No, no, no, no, if you want to sell some pieces because you have to to open up cap space, because that's another problem that they still have. They still don't even with the cap going up next year, they don't have a ton of cap space. But if you're going to potentially trade a Jonus Corposalo or you can get Elias Linholm to waive his no full no movement to go elsewhere to open up money, Okay, But I just you can't play both sides of defense and tell us that you're rebuilding a retooler just because ownership wants you to make the playoffs.

18:02 Speaker 2: I don't know if that makes any sense, but that was my like. You can't have one foot in and one foot out right, and I think and correct me if I'm wrong.

18:12 Speaker 3: Kind of what I'm understanding you to be saying is if we're supposed to be seeing a retool you do also need to give it time to cook instead of just throwing whatever you can at the potential problem and with the possibility of making it worse. I think that I don't have a solid opinion of buy or sell at this point only because of just the very fragile nature of this team and how it's constructed. Again, the theme of the identity of this team this year is that Jenga tower, because if you take away a piece, is it going to be damage to the development of the process.

19:03 Speaker 2: Like, if this is the plan, stick to the plan.

19:07 Speaker 3: You know.

19:08 Speaker 2: See. I think I think they have to have open minds about anybody. I can't, yeah, open minds about anybody on this roster. If you're truly telling me, if you're truly telling.

19:19 Speaker 3: Me that you know you have to you need to rebuild, retool, then anybody should be open for conversation. Not named Pastora obviously, and I'll throw Swayman in there too. I'd even listen. I'd even listen for anyone interested in Charlie McAvoy. I'm sorry, but I would listen.

19:42 Speaker 2: Yeah.

19:42 Speaker 3: And I'm not saying that they shouldn't. I mean, I definitely agree with you. I think what I want to see is a degree of intentionality and understanding that and I'm sure that they know this obviously, and you're limited to what is available out there. I I wonder what possibilities could even be entertained beyond Corposollo, because I think at this point he's done a good enough job that he has. You know, the Bruins have increased his value, so he was always going to be a flip. So I think he's the only one that would be likely to be sold off.

20:30 Speaker 3: And if it's just for cap space, then so be it. Because who knows. I don't even know, Like it's so far away at this point.

20:41 Speaker 1: That the.

20:43 Speaker 2: Free agency who's going to be available.

20:46 Speaker 3: There's already talk that they're looking to extend Jonathan Asbroo. I mean in terms of a backup goalie. I think it's pretty obvious that they're going to be pulling one of the two front Providence.

21:01 Speaker 2: Providence.

21:02 Speaker 3: Yes, they agree that they should be open to all offers, but because of just how this team is so delicately constructed, what is a good answer?

21:15 Speaker 2: What should they do? I don't know. I don't know. Well, I mean, that's that's Sweeney's job. We can just speculate and throw out scenarios. But what I don't want to see them doing. If you're telling me that you're you're going to be potentially making a deal that's only a short term deal because you want to get into no rent playoffs as a wildcard team. Real thanks, you know, honestly, no thank you, I mean no thank you, and I would I would be.

21:46 Speaker 3: Shocked if they did it invests in a rental because you only really see that if you think you have a genuine shot at going deep. You don't do rentals when your focus right now is to make playoffs. That's a waste of time and money. You could be getting rid of somebody who is doing a fine enough job right.

22:13 Speaker 2: But anyway, it'll be interesting the trade deadline. There's not a lot of time in between when the league goes back to work after the Olympics. I think the first slate of games is scheduled for February twenty five, yep, and then the trade deadline is March sixth. Yeah, so phones will be phones will likely be burning at that point, and it'll be interesting to see what does happen, not just for our team, but across the league, particularly if there are any injuries, you know, long, any type of injuries that occur to any of these Let's face it, these are all elite players that are going to the Olympics.

23:01 Speaker 2: Yeah, they all make significant contributions and impacts. They are key to the NHL teams that they played for, or they wouldn't have been selected to go to the Olympics in all likelihoods. So if there are injuries that are sustained, it will be curious to see how GMS approach that.

23:22 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, and for Boston, the added challenge to all of this is the fact that Don Sweeney he's a GM for Team Canada, so he's he's he's busy with non NHL things right now, and correct, he might be a little bit distracted, little occupied, Yeah, which maybe might not be a bad thing for the Boston roament.

23:48 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly.

23:50 Speaker 3: Well, let's take just a quick spin around the rink. Lots of things have been happening outside of Boston. The World Junior's.

23:59 Speaker 2: Team US a out No.

24:02 Speaker 3: Three pet for these guys unfortunately lost to Finland in a shootout, which is just horrible and an awful way to end end their journey. But I think the Boston Bruins Bruins fans won in this case because of the sheer effort uh put out there by Zellers and Hagen's well done by them. Team Canada also done, although they are playing for a bronze or.

24:37 Speaker 2: Bronze tonight, I believe tonight, which is Monday, Yes, is it? It's Finland and Sweden? Who had who had that not on the dance card for the World Junior.

24:51 Speaker 3: Well, those are two teams you know, on the on the international stage, they have been producing incredible hockey talent, as you can see by the fact that I mean, I think it was a no brainer for the four nations that we saw Sweden. I was surprised pleasantly that Finland was that fourth team because they've kind of been a dark horse, adding more and more players to the NHL and being legitimate contenders in national and international competition. That's very exciting to see that little rivalry because that's apparently a very big that's like Canada and US level of rivalry, So that's probably going to be a pretty good game.

25:31 Speaker 2: We have also heard Matthew Kuchuk.

25:34 Speaker 3: He's nearing his return from his pretty significant injuries and surgery done over the summer, Curious to see if he can help turn things around. For Florida because there's only so much that Marshi can do for them.

25:53 Speaker 2: That team is they've been staying afloat by the second of their freaking teeth. But they're they're in not much better shape than the Bruins are right now when it comes to well, they're in a little bit better shape than we are when it comes to wild card races. But right now the two wild card teams are Pittsburgh and Washington. But there's no more than a couple of points, you know, no more than two to three points separating other teams, right and then they're the whole game and hand situation. So you know, this is why it's crucial, crucial, crucial.

26:33 Speaker 2: We've talked about this into a blue in the face to take points, take points, especially from winnable games. When you leave those points on the table, this is the result. If you had two more points, Boston Bruins, you'd be in that wildcard spot right now, exactly.

26:54 Speaker 3: Well, and I love when the playoff picture is not complete until literally the last day.

27:02 Speaker 2: I love to see that. So what do you call them doodle bug race? Doodle bug?

27:06 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, hopefully not, because the doodle bug means nobody wants it, and they're going, that's what we want.

27:15 Speaker 2: I know it's probably gonna be another doodle bug race.

27:18 Speaker 1: Uh.

27:19 Speaker 2: But speaking of winnable.

27:20 Speaker 3: Games, let's shift gears and talk a little bit about, uh, what we saw in the past week.

27:31 Speaker 2: So we saw.

27:33 Speaker 3: A road trip after post ridiculous Buffalo game, we saw the Bruins go to Calgary. That was a frustrating loss of a winnable game. That was one of those games. I was just speaking up yes and sidebar because we forgot to mention this in the around the rink. Former Boston Bruin Johnny Beecher, who is in Calgary now, recently got himself suspen ended for a little bit of a sucker punch in some exto curriculars. Yeah, douchemove shortly after, shortly after the Bruins came to town, so that that happened.

28:14 Speaker 3: I don't think we are missing him in really any way, shape or form. No, But so Calgary, that one was really frustrating. I know for me, I was just shouting at the TV because again, these moral victories.

28:32 Speaker 2: At least we got a point.

28:34 Speaker 3: We talked last week about, Okay, every loss that we were seeing next game has to be a win, and then they would lose.

28:43 Speaker 2: Next game must be a win, and that pressure would keep building.

28:45 Speaker 3: And we talked last week about the fact that them going up to Edmonton, what was going to be their response, because it could go a multitude of ways.

28:58 Speaker 2: They could either put.

28:59 Speaker 3: The heads on straight and play that smart hockey that we've seen them play, or are they going to be buckling under the pressure because they're going into play against Connor McDavid, who is effectively just like a one man show, one man team, And are they going to be gripping their sticks too tight? What kind of which Boston Bruins team is going to show up? And it was my favorite one. It was the one where oh yeah, we do know how to play the game of hockey. Oh yeah, we're going to be a little bit smarter with our play and not be affected by the pressure of the fact that we have lost five games and that we're playing a generational talent.

29:48 Speaker 2: And that was a complete game, complete game. What did you think bring it aside from aside from the fact that you gave the number one how we're play team in the league? Five opportunities? Yeah, now they went the Oilers went zero for five, So I am giving stick tabs to the PK units that carried over from Calgary, which was good, that was that started there. But what's not good? And we again seem to be talking about this ad nauseum and I am so ready for Marco Sturm to beg skate these guys to stop them from taking more than three penalties per game.

30:37 Speaker 2: Yeah, one one penalty per pure and I understand the roughs of Collins shit, but you know they're calling it. You know they are calling it. It's not a small sample size. Now, Marco begskate these guys to get them to understand that you can't keep giving teams, any team four five sick right how to play opportunities a freaking night, because if this team is going to serve itself, well, the only way to do that for them is to play five on five hockey. Yeah.

31:17 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's still continuing to be an issue. It's still continuing to be an issue. I mean you're still seeing slashing, holding, high stick, slashing, paying. I mean this Oilers game, Honestly, I am shocked that Boston ended up still pulling it off because they had two penalties in.

31:46 Speaker 2: The first period.

31:47 Speaker 3: They had two in the second, and then everything just kind of went sideways in terms of conduct because.

32:00 Speaker 2: You had yeah, and I offset those to me, you know those are offsetting because you've got opposing players that you've taken out. Sure, all right, you've got a game misconduct. You'll get everybody gets a game misconduct. What I'm what I'm talking about is the penalties that you had referenced just a few minutes ago, where like, you know, for example, last night's game, Pavel Zaka is trying to make a play on the board and he's out of position, and he's got one hand on his stick and one hand free, and what does he do.

32:31 Speaker 2: He puts his free hand around the other guy because he's got shitty stick positions. Right, Okay, that's got called. That got called. You can shake your head all you want, but that was stupid. It was it was and they were doing kind of well.

32:48 Speaker 3: I think I'm looking at the penalty summary right now. I mean they had just the one in the first period Victor Ivanson, okay, or forenalties in the second period. Yep, you're absolutely right. You know, we saw Marcastlik with a high stick. We saw Hampus once again your favorite dude. At this point, I'm tired of him. I'm really am tired of seeing him. I just don't understand.

33:15 Speaker 2: I don't either. Why is this guy? I mean, what are you doing? What are you doing? Yeah, I don't understand.

33:21 Speaker 3: He's going to be rivaling Zadorov in Castle Lick for team penalty minutes.

33:27 Speaker 2: Like, well, it's it's funny you say that because I happened to pull this up earlier today courtesy of stat News. Now, leading leading the charge in penalty minutes or the Bruins is Nikita's adoroff now, But Nikita has played every game. Yep, he has played every game, and he's a plus eight on the season. Even with leading the team in penalty minutes. Mark Castilik is just behind is behind him with eighty minutes. He's played every game this season. He is a plus five. Then we jump down to Hamphuslingdholm, who's only played thirty four games.

34:10 Speaker 2: He's got thirty six minutes and penalties, which doesn't sound like a lot, but since he's come back in the lineup, that is a lot.

34:18 Speaker 3: Yeah, right to me, And he's a minus seven. It feels like he's just a constant every other night. Every night he's racking up penalty minutes. I mean, it's just and he's he's in fourth place right now, behind Tanner Jane, who is out right now, and he's only three minutes behind him.

34:43 Speaker 2: I mean, what are you doing? What are you doing?

34:45 Speaker 3: I know, I know, I mean will I will give Hamphus credit because I have him both in our stick tap and penalty box, because he did get on the score sheet.

34:56 Speaker 2: Finally, m and another Bruins defenseman got on the score sheet. I believe they both scored in the Edmonton game.

35:03 Speaker 3: So we had two goals in that game against Edmonton from defenceman, which as something else we have talked about needing to see improvement on.

35:16 Speaker 2: Yep, what our record is.

35:18 Speaker 3: We've gotten two wins in the three games since Asparo has been back. Yeah, so he's clearly our lucky penny.

35:31 Speaker 2: And I think that Edmonton game too, was a lot of it was we're goddamn sick and tired of losing. Yeah, we can play better. So again, whatever whatever the reset did, and they have been doing those resets relatively consistently, it was just a little shocking during that six game losing streak that we didn't see it. Usually the bounce back factor was a lot quicker than that, and we all know what. You know, the remark made about mental fatigue, which didn't sit well with this podcast. But be that as it may, they have at least to some degree, righted the ship.

36:10 Speaker 3: Now.

36:10 Speaker 2: As good as they played against Edmonton, I thought the game against Vancouver, why they had that had to go to overtime is beyond me. Beyond me. Now they wanted in overtime thanks to the fact that that the building was full of family and friends of Profaser Minton as the hometown boy. But put good for him for scoring two goals and one of them being the overtime the first and the last, right right? Any better? But I mean again and again, you know the Canucks, they were all professional hockey players that are all likely playing, you know, for for pride and for you know, wanting to keep their jobs maybe and stay in Vancouver.

36:53 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the kind of game that you know that that would have been another one of those frustrating games. Yeah the Ruins hadn't pulled out that overtime winner.

37:05 Speaker 3: I agree, and I think once again, those those are the games that are particularly frustrating. Not just because they were winnable, not just because they were clearly the better team, but you also had phenomenal goaltending.

37:21 Speaker 2: Mm hmm. Hesus the save, that's the Swayman made on Debress, the skates save on one of the power plays. I mean it was fantastic and I think he robbed Debress alone twice, yes, during that game.

37:36 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, we've got Jeremy Swayman back. He's been back to his peak form for the last couple of games, certainly because he was even in the the five or six game losing streak. He was okay, but he wasn't quite as sharp, and he's just turned it around.

37:59 Speaker 2: He's back in it.

38:00 Speaker 3: The rest of the Bruins need to follow suit, because I was getting, legit worried that they were going to waste his incredible effort from that game.

38:10 Speaker 2: From that game. No, I'm no, He's fantastic.

38:12 Speaker 1: He was.

38:12 Speaker 2: He was definitely one of their best penalty killers. Yeah, in that in that game, and you know, and the other the other plus from that game, which was a three to two victory, and over time that the Bruins were two for three on their power flight opportunities. So I'm also putting the special teams in our stick tep box, both the PK units and the power Play units. I just wish that the PK units were spending less time on the ice because that makes it again, I don't want to see this. We don't want to see.

38:52 Speaker 2: I want to see you guys playing five on five with your regular linemates. Can we do that, please? Yeah? Five on five or on the power play. That's it.

39:02 Speaker 3: I don't want to see anything else. I don't want to see any of it else. I agree, So let's talk about the stick taps, because again, this is crazy. Not only did we have do we have these West Coast games, which makes turning around a snapshot for you folks a.

39:18 Speaker 2: Little bit trickier on our part. Yeah, we apologize for that, folks, but I'm sure you're not losing sleep over it.

39:26 Speaker 3: But they've also they've only played They've also only played two games, and they still haven't played their third and final game of their far West Coast road trip, which happens on Tuesday in Seattle, which I'm honestly a little surprised that they didn't make it a back.

39:44 Speaker 2: To back for Boston. But this whole thing has been weird. It just speaks to the craziness of the schedule because even Bob Beers It spoke to it on the radio the other day that they're going into these cities and they've got two days off in between. Yeah, but they're not getting really that benefit at home.

40:04 Speaker 3: Hopefully it allows them to clear their minds and to just refocus, I don't know, do something to not lose that momentum that they've started to build back up. But you know, we talked about the special teams getting stick taps Minty his two goals fantastic, especially to see him at home. I don't know if anybody else caught the story. Last year at about this time, when he was with Toronto, they were heading out to play Vancouver. That would have been his first time playing at that arena because he'd never played there before, even though he grew up out there.

40:40 Speaker 3: And he got sent down on the flight to Vancouver, so you have to get off that plane, turn around and fly back. Pretty crappy move on behalf of the leaps. But then what do you expect David pastornok. I mean when he's on, when he is cooking, God, is he amazing. I think the speculation is he's he's he's got still some injuries, some banged up stuff that he's dealing with, which, again, does it make me feel very warm and fuzzy about him going off to these Olympics if he's got some aches and pains, but if he's feeling better and the result is those two goals in Edmonton, Okay, we'll take it, right.

41:28 Speaker 3: And then you mentioned Hampus Linnholm is getting a stick tap and he's getting sent to the penalty box. Elaborate, Okay, so I'm giving him stick taps because you know, we we saw the Hampa slid home against the Oilers that were accustomed to seeing and the actively engaged both offensively and defensively. The guy can skate, he's got some decent hands.

41:57 Speaker 2: But my god, my god, my god, my god, the freaking penalty calls and again he is not the only one. Yeah, I understand that, but it seems like for some reason

42:16 Speaker 2: it's like perpetual with him this season since he's come back. I don't understand what is going on, but he's he is part of those penalty killing you. He needs to be on the ice if and when the Bruins are killing off penalties, not causing the rationale the Bruins having to kill penalties. So I've got him in both places. Sorry, but I have him in both places. Fair. Sorry, not sorry, very fair. I am in agreement with you on that.

42:56 Speaker 3: So the schedule for the rest of this week there are four games, which that's just this is the crazy number of games for four games.

43:06 Speaker 2: I know, I know, I know.

43:08 Speaker 3: They're in Seattle on Tuesday, they turn around, they head right back home to play against Calgary for the second and final time. I'm really hoping to see some good action, try to get that win back. Then they're playing the Rangers, and you know, and the Rangers they like to scolt loads of goals when they're not at home.

43:33 Speaker 2: Case in point, the Winter Classic, they laid a beat down on the Florida Panthers. So took the words right out of my mouth, Maria. Yeah, Mika Sabanajad was a machine.

43:43 Speaker 3: And he's just getting warmed up because he's heading off to the Olympics as well. And then the very next day they're hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins.

43:52 Speaker 2: Yeah, a five o'clock game on a Sunday, highly unusual, but again, another team that's that's no Joe. They're feeling it.

44:02 Speaker 3: The Penguins, they they have gotten a taste of the potential to make the playoffs when they were certainly written off, and they have not made the playoffs. They believe now for the last two seasons and the fact that they just keep finding themselves in and out of a wild card spot. You know that the compete level of the leadership core on that team is second to none and they're going to do everything they possibly can too. And the Penguins are currently in that first wild card positioning right now, so that game is it's important, huge for both teams.

44:42 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Bruins and the Penguins agreed. Agreed.

44:47 Speaker 3: Well, any final thoughts, Maria on everything that we've talked about, everything that you've seen this week from the Bruins.

44:55 Speaker 2: Before we say goodbye, No, just can we can we please to of the penalty box? One one penalty per period, not a lot to ask, no penalty for period, just one? Fine? Yeah, just one? I agree?

45:11 Speaker 3: I agree, well, and we want to make sure you are always in the know, so 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 substack dot com, and as always, go Bees, Go Bees,