Retool or Rebuild? How the Bruins Compare in the East | Ep. 132

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

0:02 Speaker 2: Please?

0:03 Speaker 1: I need something to do, All Jack send it out A trouble bocking to say, today, here's a chance popa right down with goalie Scars. Oh my one a move by the rookie too on one Plaster not moving in set.

0:28 Speaker 3: On his own oil dances in podcast Home Right Corner, paster.

0:34 Speaker 4: Chester, what most.

0:50 Speaker 3: Welcome in everyone to a special episode of Bruins Tape to Tape. I'm your host this week, Caroline with a K, and we have a special guest. But first I'm going to welcome in my fantastic co host, Maria from Watertown.

1:05 Speaker 1: How's it going, Maria, Oh, it's it's great. It's great. I'm enjoying an opportunity to meet a fellow fan and a fellow hockey connoisseur to fill us in on what's going on with teams not named the Boston Bruins. Yes, so it is the week of trade deadline.

1:25 Speaker 3: We are recording this on February twenty third, But as you are hearing this, I'm sure plenty of things have already started to happen in that world. And the trade deadline is this Friday, and so we thought we'd bring in someone to give us a little sense of what.

1:40 Speaker 1: Else is happening out there in the world.

1:42 Speaker 3: So I want to welcome in our special guest, Allie Shane, author of not Another newsletter on Beehive, where he talks about hockey, baseball, books, poetry, and whatever else he finds interesting.

1:56 Speaker 1: And most importantly, Alli is a fan of Range, not the Ranger, the.

2:01 Speaker 3: Fires and other teams to which we express our condolences.

2:07 Speaker 1: Welcome in Ali, Hello, everyone, welcome. I'm happy to be here. Yeah, I'm a fan of the Flyers and the Canes and also the Habs. Yes, all teams.

2:18 Speaker 3: You don't like, but all teams in the East that represent a threat to Boston's ability to actually make it into the playoffs. Because it is such a tight race, everyone's going to be trying to do every little thing that they possibly can do to get a spot, because a single win could either bump you up three spots or a single loss could get you out of the playoffs at this point, so I think everybody's going to be looking at the trade deadline with great interest. But we at our pod we like to get a sense of what is going on out there and what could possibly be happening.

3:00 Speaker 1: So yeah, one of the little feels for your teams the field.

3:05 Speaker 4: You so for the Flyers. I also made sure to take notes about this. I did a lot of research shout out to the Athletic and also Hockey Reference.

3:14 Speaker 1: To Oh yes, great, great sources.

3:17 Speaker 4: Before I get into the Flyers, I also wanted to say it was really funny seeing the Rangers get annihilated by the Bruins tend to I know this happened a few months ago, but I it was my favorite thing to see is the Rangers just eating Crow is super fun because the thing about the Flyers, We're not the Devils and we're not the Rangers. We are commit one of those teams. And that's good. Yes, So yeah, the Flyers are have sixty one points, so they are twenty five wins, twenty losses. They got five overtime I guess, yeah, overtime losses.

3:54 Speaker 4: They are stix and division and they are also seventh in the wildcard race, so they need eat points to get into the wild card spot that your Bruins currently hold.

4:04 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, that'll be yeah.

4:06 Speaker 3: And by the time this episode airs, the Bruins and the Flyers actually face off in so yeah, like I said, that landscape is ever changing so fast.

4:18 Speaker 1: Oh now, definitely, the BacT Era in the East is very small, and it doesn't seem like any really any team in the East really wants to run away with anything right now. I don't know if you call that parry parody or mediocrity. I don't know which it is yet at this point.

4:37 Speaker 4: The same difference, I would say parody for sure. I think that the I mean we're in the Flyers are in the Metro, and that's a division where I mean the Rangers and the Devils are in there. But also the Canes aren't running away with the Metro. But true, I would say the Atlantic is more of the mosh pit and the Metro is more like we already have a clear front runner, which would be the Canes. They would be the ones it would be winning the Metro. I'm not quite sure about.

5:00 Speaker 1: It, you know what, And take no offense to this. The Carolina Hurricanes are invariably one of the strongest regular season teams and then you get into the playoffs yep, and then shit falls off the rails yep. Yet Rob the Bod keeps his job. Well, I mean to say, the things Maria.

5:25 Speaker 4: Before Rod Brittnemore was in was the hide coach. They had a whole decade where they weren't in the playoffs. So then perennially making the playoffs and having a chance, I think is better than not having the playoffs and not doing great.

5:40 Speaker 1: I guess I use the Bruins as our standard when we like dismiss Stanley Cupp winning coaches or you know, coaches who have sustained a success because of you know, your track record in the playoffs. Right, what the needs to the conference game? Maybe an more? I don't know, well what more?

6:01 Speaker 3: Yeah, So give us some insight. So obviously, as Bruins fans, we're very familiar with the product that is being put out right now by the Mondreal Canadians. Yes, good, great, love that for the rivalry whatever. Uh, But with the Flyers, so they walk us through basically like the last year or so, since the departure of Tortorella, because I will admit the only reason why I was paying attention to anything Flyers during that time was because of Tortorella, because I find him highly amusing, and since his departure, I have no idea what's happening down there.

6:46 Speaker 1: Plus the fact that the.

6:48 Speaker 3: Ranger's implosion has basically taken up all of the oxygen in terms of talking about who's having the worst rebound rebuild seasons.

6:57 Speaker 1: So, okay, what's happening down there? Right, You've got a new front office. So it started with bringing in Danny Briere yes and Pierre Keith Jokes, Keith Joey right to try and change the trajectory of what was happening in Philadelphia.

7:19 Speaker 4: Yeah, the last two gms also were not great. I was looking actually at contracts and the Sean Gatorier eighty eight year extension was done by Chuck Fletcher, so he's he's he's mung Us with an albatross contract. But in all honesty, I think Brier did it. Has done a pretty good job, I mean of getting rid of some of those bad contracts.

7:39 Speaker 1: The Ryan Ellis one is an example.

7:41 Speaker 4: I believe I cannot remember his first name, but Johansson of winning that arbitration. He was another contract that Chuck Fletcher liked or a player that you liked, and sort of bringing in the young guys and bringing in the prospect.

7:55 Speaker 1: Pool, which I'm surprised to see that it's eighteenth.

7:57 Speaker 4: But then again, you had Bobby Brink go up to the big club, Matt Thevenee Chops come up to the big club. Those are some big prospects. But we still have some good ones. I would say in the ahl of you know, we got Barkie.

8:08 Speaker 1: We have Bonk, we have Bump.

8:11 Speaker 4: We want all three of them to be on the same line Brink, Blank, Bump whatever they need to be on the same line at some point in time.

8:19 Speaker 1: It would be so funny. But we have some good prospects.

8:23 Speaker 4: And there's also jet La Chenko, who I believe was a rear draft pick.

8:28 Speaker 1: He's been doing okay, he got World Junior's time.

8:31 Speaker 4: He's also playing that HL. He's had some time with us, but it's just, you know, he needs more development time. We need we need centers. The big need for us right now are centers, and we don't.

8:41 Speaker 1: Really have those. Yeah, yeah, we're familiar in that position for a while. We still don't have our David, David Crazy or Patrice bergeron replacement, not that can ever be replaced, but yeah.

8:54 Speaker 4: None of none of them can. They could just play with just a whole just for just for come back. Yeah, but yeah, we don't we have centers, We've Bergland, Lichenko, Martone.

9:08 Speaker 1: They are young and they need development time. Was he the one that was He was drafted just this last year, right, correct?

9:17 Speaker 4: He actually fell to I believe it was seventh, And it was surprising that you fell that to us, because honestly, we had no idea.

9:24 Speaker 1: But he's been doing really well.

9:26 Speaker 4: He has forty nine points, twenty goals, twenty assess.

9:31 Speaker 1: He also just had a hat trip to He's been doing really well, so I'm excited to see him come up. So that's been really fun. I have no one talking about him like I have. I think all the.

9:44 Speaker 3: Attention has been going to McKenna. No, well, what's his name out on Long Island?

9:51 Speaker 1: Oh Schaeffer. Yes, yes, a lot has been going towards him.

9:54 Speaker 4: But I think it's because number one bar or sorry, Martone's at Michigan State. It's getting better still, okay, I think yeah, Actually in Philadelphi, Okay, it's okay. It's understandable. They all kind of they all feel like they melt into like one particular player. I feel it's really it's really hard to pick them all together. But we do have one person who came up Denver Barkie. He's done pretty well since this call up with nine points. He had some really really great offensive zone chances, so that prospect pool looks okay.

10:31 Speaker 4: But with regard to Tortorella, basically after he got fired, we had Bradshaw as our interim coach for the last half of the season. We did pretty well. Though everyone wanted to tank. We were able to get a mid round draft pick. Well, actually were able to get two picks in the first dround was traded. But we you know, we did okay. We finished the season off well. Bradshaw then ended up going to the New Jersey Devils, which is unfortunate because he was not picked for a coaching position. Ricket came in with his staff, including his power play coach, which we really needed a power play coach because our power play has been bad, like next to last place in the last few years.

11:12 Speaker 1: That's like too yeah, well your parently seems okay this year. Fin No, no, it's much better this year thanks to Steve uh oh, god help me with the power play coaches named now for the Bruins. But it has been the bane of our existence. Okay, it's in the past. It has been the bane of our existence. Yes, okay, but.

11:44 Speaker 4: Then we have a lot in common then, because the power play is the bane of our existence too.

11:48 Speaker 1: I feel like there's we should.

11:49 Speaker 4: Have funds some commonalities of the power place the bane of our existence as well.

11:52 Speaker 1: We don't like it. And it's twenty eighth this year, which is an improvement. Hey, we know we have our group has improved, moved significantly as a result of bringing in a new coach and you know, maybe putting people in better positions on the two units. Whatever the case may be, is it's clicking at a much more amenable pace than it has been in the past.

12:20 Speaker 4: Yeah, y'all, y'all got I mean, y'all have pasta you should I mean, I would assume that Jabile has to be better, but.

12:27 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's always been excellent.

12:29 Speaker 3: However, the sheer number of penalties he does not obviously play on the penalty kill, and so when Boston is on p K for you know, almost.

12:41 Speaker 1: The entire game, then the man can't just play anything. He's not known for his defensive prowess. He's getting better, he's getting better, he's getting better, but not someone you want out there on that specialty teams unit. Yeah, I would imagine. I mean, I'm even worrying when he's out there three on three, to be honest with you, sometimes so.

13:05 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, a little mistake there can can have a pretty big impact. So the one player, well, actually have two players that I want to ask about one. Whatever happened with that gigantic Russian goaltender that they like spirited away in the night?

13:25 Speaker 1: DOTB yes, TB yes, And we traded him to Columbus.

13:31 Speaker 3: Okay, I always wondered what happened.

13:35 Speaker 1: I want to hear what to give me the dates on this story.

13:39 Speaker 4: Okay, so they traded him to Columbus. We got some some fifth round picks and stuff. The reason why is Fidotov was sort of a backlog for goaltending on Philadelphia's end because we had Sam Erison, who the front office just cannot quit. He has an eight fifty six save percentage, which is not great. He has it's mid eight hundred safe percentage.

14:04 Speaker 1: Not good.

14:06 Speaker 4: It's just it's just really goaltending has been a really big issue for us the past few years. I think part of the reason was Carter Hart leaving in the middle of the season be to face sexual assault charges. Because then Arison had to be put into a much bigger role. He's more comfertabs being a backup.

14:22 Speaker 1: I think that's part of the problem. Also.

14:25 Speaker 4: The other part has been I just we're all mad at the goaltending coach because this has been the same thing for while.

14:31 Speaker 1: At this point, no, no, can I tell you that your goaltending issues with respect to the Flyers, I want to say goes goose back as far as the two thousand and nine twenty ten eraror where it seemed to me an invariable evolving door goaltending issues and goaltenders that the Flyers either weren't picking the right guys, they couldn't commit to a guy to be their guy. It was like a freaking evolving door for years and years and years. And now I'm looking at you know, the goalies that you have on your roster right now, and their goals against in the same percentages, and I'm like, well, this is the same old, same old shit with the Philadelphia Flyers.

15:22 Speaker 1: Yeah, they need to commit to a freaking goaltending or invest in goaltending. Oh for sure. Yeah.

15:30 Speaker 4: We have fulldor though that we got last over the offseason, and he's actually been the first goaltender in about eleventy million years to have a nine hundred say percentage. And I know he's okay, but after that he does a port. Ye yes we are report is one way of putting it. Yeah, we do have some goaltending in the HL. We had the artisan, he had some practices with the team. He's an eight eighty nine eight percentage, but it's not it's not eight fifty six. And honestly, I feel like if you keep giving him Arison starts, it feels like I'm just gonna punch on the season.

16:06 Speaker 4: I just I don't. I mean, Arison could get better. He's just so frustratingly inconsistent. There are times where he's great and there's times where he's a sieve, and he's been a sieve more often than he's been consistent, and honestly, he just just I know, he is the same number as Brian Bouche. I know, I understand, I.

16:27 Speaker 1: Got you guys haven't had like a good goaltender when a true like number one. He's our guy since Dan Bouche. It's crazy and every year you're like you say to yourself, Christ if the Flyers only had a goaltender. If the Flyers only had a goaltender, Yeah, yeah, Bush was a good one. I mean, my my dad had said since Ron Hackstaal too, that's been the yea you know there, there's definitely that, But also I feel the Flyers play way better in front of Vlodar than they do with Airs. Might be they just kind of given up.

17:08 Speaker 4: On him, but it's also the fact that the Flyers, I mean, they also block a lot of shots. They don't block as much as they used to when they were being coached by Tortorella, and I think part of it is because tacket system is try to make sure the goaltender sees the shots, because the goaltender can't see the shots that they can't save, so that's.

17:28 Speaker 1: Part of it.

17:28 Speaker 4: I think that's been a bit better, so they don't really block the shots as much as they used to. But it's also because they've tried to defend better than they used to, which has helped somewhat.

17:37 Speaker 1: Yeah, which is always interesting. I forget that Dan.

17:40 Speaker 3: Bladar is there now doing that work because again Boston Bruins legend Dan Bladar, he started out in Boston as a backup, and I don't know if it was his youth at the time, he wasn't particularly spectacular. Yeah, Boston, And again, you know, we talked a lot about on our podcast how being on a team is not different really than being going to work in an office, right, And you can work at a place and it's a fine job, but then you go someplace else and the environment is different, the mix of people is different, all of a sudden, the way you do your work is very different.

18:27 Speaker 3: And you know, a player can be terrible on one team, get traded or signed someplace else, and all of a sudden he's lights out, you know. Yeah, and so who knows because he's bounced around a little bit.

18:43 Speaker 1: Yes, he's with Calgary.

18:45 Speaker 4: I feel that was I think the best for him because he was with Dustin Wolf, who's one of the best young goaltenders. So I think that has helped him as well of being that mentor. And now he's in Philadelphia and he's actually doing really well. And sometimes the reason we even stay in games. If I'm gonna be honest, there's maybe a few shots where he saves it. I'm thinking, oh, Ayerson would have let that one in.

19:05 Speaker 3: So is he is he considered the starter. Do you have a true starter? Are they splitting? What's that situation?

19:14 Speaker 4: They are splitting, and I don't want them to split anymore. Just start fladar for as many I know we have a lot of back to backs coming.

19:21 Speaker 1: Up, but just start Flodar.

19:24 Speaker 4: Just Ayerson is not good. He needs to be DFA. I mean, y s Ehl is like right there, he could. I mean there's other Leason probably want him, given how well he seems to perform an international competition for US, but I think that just just trade him DFA him. I don't, I honestly don't care. I feel like you maybe give the artist in a chance, maybe get Pulsava chance.

19:49 Speaker 1: Maybe. I don't know. Just no, no, I don't want to see Ayerson anymore. I really don't. I'm just tired of him. I'm so sorry.

19:59 Speaker 4: I hope he I hope he's a nice person, but as a goalie, he's not been great for us.

20:04 Speaker 5: It's not a good fit, as they say, right no, But it's it's tough decision for them to make because you know, I'm looking at the Flyers website here and Ladars already play thirty three games.

20:16 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so you know I don't know what the analytics say now, but it seems like, you know, they don't want start starting goalies. Right The average that they want him to play is like, what fifty to fifty five games? Even fifty five might be pushing it. So he's he's on a crazy pace here, oh for sure. And then the thing is is will he continue that pace next year?

20:40 Speaker 4: But I mean I think that he will knock on what I think he'll do well. I just think that after this year, they're going to have to really think about Arison. I mean, he's also an unrestricted free agent after this year or so. I think that happened is you know, I mean, maybe trade him to the Senators. Please just just just trade them elsewhere, just maybe to a goaltending team that's not doing too great.

21:03 Speaker 1: Okay, just just please for our second. But he's really good.

21:07 Speaker 3: Do you think then so if he's you said, he's in his final year right now? Ye, so do you think that he could be uh on the trade block? Because you know, Boston has an interesting situation in that we've got Corpusollo. He's obviously excellent, he's coming to the end of his contract. I think we are under the impression that you know his time in Boston is going to be coming to an end because.

21:44 Speaker 1: It's not our line, if not at during this offseason, right, and you know, you don't want to necessarily like he was he was.

21:53 Speaker 3: This sounds terrible, but he was an investment piece. They brought him in, they did a little flip, they give him a little support. He's become a better goalie and has a lot of much more value now and so obviously he's one that they're not going to just let walk away. So is there any realistic possibility that that that your goalie there would be considered for trade? Like really, I mean there's been whispers.

22:25 Speaker 1: I the one player that has given the biggest, got the biggest trade rumors has been Rasmus Wristol Linen. He is our defenceman. They all always need defenceman, especially those playoff contenders. So I mean he also won a bronze to Yes, So I mean he did well. I feel like it would be like he's been hurt, Yes, Yeah, yes he's been. He's been perennially hurt bad, perennially on the injury list always. But he's played nineteen games this season. Yes, got a triceps injury, and then he got another injury.

23:03 Speaker 1: It's injuries on bodybirds.

23:05 Speaker 4: I've never thought happened before, honestly, but yes, that's the one that they There's been trade rumors about him for a few years. I think that if that happens, it would kind of be like the Scotlanton trade, probably more because defencemen are needed for the playoff contenders or those who aspired to be playoff contenders.

23:25 Speaker 1: So I would assume that we would get.

23:27 Speaker 4: A haul for him more than just a first round pick in Nikita Kervakin, probably even with the injury history, maybe a little bit less, but I mean even then, like you could, I mean, he's still considered a decent defenseman.

23:42 Speaker 1: Yes, his plus, but he's considered decent and he's been decent in our system. So I mean, I think that he gave that chance, you know. So what do you want to see then in this immediate.

23:54 Speaker 3: Future, uh, for the team, whether it's with the upcoming trade deadline or even looking a.

24:02 Speaker 1: Little bit further ahead to.

24:05 Speaker 3: You know, post Stanley Cup trades or free agency, what is what are the Flyers? What are they missing? Because you know you've talked about the goaltending and goalies. It's always kind of hard to trade for or sign goalies because you never know what you're gonna get. But like, outside of goaltending, what do you want to see from the team.

24:25 Speaker 1: I would love to see at least a Hall for rista line and I think that people have been also a bit mad about the Devorac extension. But we need centers.

24:36 Speaker 4: As as we mentioned earlier, we need centers, and especially with the younger players coming up, we need centers. I would also say what we also need to do is sign t or Zigris.

24:49 Speaker 1: He's been one of our best players. He's I believe he is like twenty hold on, I believe he has. He's got twenty goals twenty nine assists. Yeah, I forgot that he is with you guys. Yeah, I know he's showing as a minus seven, but I mean he's points for his his point contribution is significant.

25:09 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, he's been doing really great. So I would say you need to extend him. I think they're probably waiting until the end of the year. They're probably gonna wait and see, you know about the cap, and but he's definitely going to be I would assume getting an extension.

25:23 Speaker 1: I hope he gets an extension of that better half. I mean he's the second leading point getter on your team right now.

25:30 Speaker 4: Yeah, I would assume that Brier, they're not that uh they would they would know, but I think that they're probably waiting and seeing and then you know, then they're going to make that extension. But he's he's an embraced Philadelphia and he seems to be doing better than he has been in Anaheim.

25:44 Speaker 1: So that's good. Yeah, you're responding pretty well to the coach.

25:48 Speaker 4: So yes, ex signing Ziegris, you know, developing the youth Martone Bergland uh Leschenko, other draft picks that we like get in the draft.

26:00 Speaker 1: Have you a good coach too? I mean everyone speaks so highly of Rick chocket I yeah, oh about that? About that? Uh okay, now it's dicourse. Okay, now it's time for me to oh well.

26:22 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, yeah, okay, So you mentioned so that was another thing. So I remember from when Tortorella was there and Mietkroff was he came in at about.

26:36 Speaker 1: We argue with Tortorella Armabel, Yes that is him yep, and then he got scratched yep. And then I heard that, Okay, well, okay.

26:45 Speaker 3: My initial take was, okay, maybe it's just, you know, a coach and a player they don't always you know, mix whatever personalities. But then all I heard was that it kind of happened again with another coach, and now it makes me wonder what's up with Mitchkoff.

27:01 Speaker 1: So enlighten us, I will, dude, I will, I will give you the disc So basically what happened was, Mitchkov also is one of our best players. He led the rookies and points last year. Yeah. Good, he's our few, he's our future right there.

27:17 Speaker 4: So basically what happened was Tackett first said on Spit and Chicklets that Mietkov showed up to training camp fat and that gave him the moniker on some sub on the Flyer subbard in a fat they which okay, that's no, and photoshops of him like looking extremely like okay.

27:34 Speaker 1: With those with those talkets. Exact words or did he say out of shape?

27:39 Speaker 6: I believe he said out of shape, That's what I said, which is I think, okay to me, this is a big difference. Not to put words in anyone's mouth, but it's a big difference to say, when a player shows up out of shape and when a player shows up as fat. Now right, it's a player's responsibility in my view, to show up in some kind.

28:00 Speaker 1: Of good condition to start your season. Yeah, okay, sorry, Yeah, that's okay. I was. I was, I like we're talking. I like we're talking, but I know nothing about him, so by all means, do tell oh I will. Yeah. So basically it also spin chicklets Biz is like one of his good friends.

28:17 Speaker 4: Yeah.

28:18 Speaker 1: There, there's a camaraderie and a destinate relationship there, and perhaps that was a way of talk it getting a message through not only to this player but other players that are like, I'm mean business. I don't know, but yeah yeah.

28:37 Speaker 4: Also, then Flyers fans were tracking his time on ice, which was dropping to at least ten minutes per game. Talk it then continued. The beach cop showed up out of shape at an interview for a Flyer's charity carnival, which is a big annual event that happened. It was in January, So about.

28:55 Speaker 1: What's talking about it? Talking about it? Yes? Yeah, And then Danny Brier had to have a emergency press conference saying, meach Cob isn't going anywhere. We're like tak It just bespoke all of that.

29:10 Speaker 4: So then I've been seeing about similarities with Tacket and Vancouver with Les Petterson the forward not the defenseman, with issues with him of trying to have him play the right way because of Tacket's defensive system. Michov also isn't playing well defensively, but I think also part of the reason for his time on ice. There was a good breakdown by Steve Peters. He's a video coach, but basically he has the fewest defensive zone shifts. And also the Flyers love spending quality defensive zone time.

29:43 Speaker 1: They love spending time in their own zone. They love it. It's not their favorite thing. So it's basically an Ora Boros of meach Coob isn't getting enough time because the Flyers are spending quality time in their own zone. He's better in the offensive zone.

29:57 Speaker 4: And what he does get that time he earns the puck over, he will sometimes not really go towards the net. This is more of the offensive zone, but also in defensive shifts, he doesn't get to the inside of the players.

30:11 Speaker 1: He doesn't use his speed on wall. A lot of turnovers so yeah, of course Talket doesn't trust.

30:15 Speaker 4: Him on defense, and then this leads to a fewer shifts because he can't be trusted when the Flyers are spending their quality time in their defensive zone. So that is just it's just it's basically just sort of self repeats itself. And I mean sophomore slumps are pretty common. And then also he's been taking a lot more penalties. He's forty nine penalty minutes so far. He had forty six last season.

30:43 Speaker 1: That's not good.

30:45 Speaker 4: So it's just been all of all of those feelings. It's just been about it. But it's been a lot of talk. It's been a lot of Flyers fans are kind of done with talkt It's been year or.

30:54 Speaker 1: One because of this, because of this situation, I believe it. Yeah, I would say this.

31:01 Speaker 4: I would also say, I mean, they've been talking about talk it not playing meatchov as much, but I feel like that's a distraction from the actual thing, which is they should play a meal Andre more. He's one of our young defensemen, and then he loves playing his old Vancouver player Noah Jolson, who is twenty eight Andrea is twenty three. I believe he's turned twenty four this year. I don't, but basically, uh, play him more, Play your young guy more.

31:25 Speaker 1: Please.

31:26 Speaker 4: We are rebuilding, we need more from him. And he's a plus eleven. Andre does, Juleson does have a plus two, and both of them have averaged like a zero or minus one or a zero or a one. But Jolson had a minus two in the Boston game, so that's not good. I feel like, maybe play Andre a little bit more. And he was healthy scratched in some of the games leading get to the break, which pissed fans off. I just feel like you should play your young guys more. I know Noel Jolson was like he was your bestie, your buddy, but like.

32:00 Speaker 1: Speak to this with a great deal of experience with regard to the Bruins, because we have had this bush full for several seasons now where we could see the trajectory of the team, you know, changing, guys are getting older. We had we had a core that you know, couldn't seem to get the job done in the playoffs, which is why the core was basically disbanded. And we had all these young players down in Providence right where you're saying, if this, if this is what is happening. What have you got to lose by playing or giving these young guys?

32:40 Speaker 1: When are you going to give them the opportunity? But it's a very difficult decision to make when you find yourself on this tight rope of we're not terrible, we're not great, we find ourselves somewhere in the middle where we're now we're now fighting our way into playoff potential, right right, and so, and you've got ownership that is basically I feel strongly that there is a mandate from Bruin's ownership about playoffs and getting into the playoffs, regardless of you know how long you're in or how long you're out.

33:23 Speaker 1: Okay, So for general managers, it's a very difficult balance to strike until you finally publicly come out, as the Bruins had to, and their public coming out party was basically when they traded Charlie Coyle, Brandon, Carlo brad marchand Trent Frederick. Like there was a blood bath of it. Remember it was a blood bath, right it was. We're like, okay, is this is how they're telling us now that we're going into rebuild mode. They can't reach tool right, they call it retool. That's the new house word in the NHL.

34:04 Speaker 1: The Rangers are using that word as well. They rebuild. Rangers are using that word as well. So you know, it's because, right, there are so many implications when you rip the band aid off and said, you know what, we're just going to move forward with the youth movement. Because the youth movement isn't may not win you a lot of games. What happens then fans lose interest, Fans don't come into the building, fans don't spend money, right.

34:34 Speaker 3: I mean, it's a very delicate balance. And I think the thing that Boston has done well in this case because Maria's point last fall, when the writing was on the wall and we knew things were.

34:51 Speaker 1: Going to go south fast.

34:55 Speaker 7: Before Jim Montgomery was let go, we just kept asking why are they continuously just putting the same guys out there over and over and over again expecting a different reasons.

35:08 Speaker 3: Well of guys in Providence, like if we're gonna lose, then just bring these other guys up and see you gonna.

35:18 Speaker 8: Happen to It was so frustrating, So fend what Boston I think did right in that off season head coaching search was hire somebody who had a lot of experience with developing young players.

35:38 Speaker 1: Correct.

35:39 Speaker 3: Yes, you will not be as strong necessarily if you are bringing in a lot of young or inexperienced guys, but you have to put them through their paces so they can learn too, right, you have to be willing to be okay with.

36:02 Speaker 1: Some degree of loss of loss.

36:04 Speaker 3: The long term positive impact is these guys know now how to work together, how to play at the level they need to play at. And we've just been lucky enough that they have not only met expectations, but have exceeded expectations. And I kind of wonder because again I don't know about Takeet's experience or like his approach necessarily as a coach with these young guys, because I think I think just as an outsider observing what you're you know, what you're saying about. Let's say, for example, mitchkov Right, I've seen him play.

36:45 Speaker 3: I was impressed. You also have Zigres who you know, people have their opinions on him as a as a personality, but I think he also has a very good skill set. He's a young guy too, who doesn't have a lot of experience because he came from Anaheim, Like they weren't doing much for a while, right, so how are they going to be supported?

37:09 Speaker 1: You know? Moving forward?

37:10 Speaker 3: Is talk at the guy who can Actually, then I would because I feel that irritation, right, I feel that irritation.

37:16 Speaker 1: Yeah, the guys sitting and wasting away in Providence. It's like, why is this guy not playing? Like why did you draft them? This was they them? If you're not going to like give them the opportunity to earn their spot. If we're building a retooling and you've got assets that you yourselves chose, why aren't we seeing them?

37:38 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I will say talk it as he was with Vancouver and they were also in denial about the rebuild retool type situation.

37:48 Speaker 1: He wasn't fit. Yeah, that was a hot mess. So he I feel like he was also just lucky to have escape to Vancouver. He's like, oh, thank god.

37:56 Speaker 4: And I think that some of the players that have done really well our defenceman, so Jamie Drysdale has done really well.

38:03 Speaker 1: Cam York has done really well for me to success to his cats, which good. Yes, I love that. And so there's been our defensive guys who've been starting to play really well. We have Travis Sandheim, who's a really good defenseman, so I think that you need to have good defense. And I think also the not blocking shots as much has.

38:22 Speaker 4: Been extremely helpful because that means the goalie can hopefully see the shot.

38:26 Speaker 1: Unless you're Sam Marison. I'm sorry, I'm putting it a little too thick on him. I'm so sorry, Sam. No, No, this is fine. You don't have to apologize for that kind of rick. Yeah, I'm the queen of that kind of rhetoric.

38:40 Speaker 3: So yeah, yeah, can I say and remember Flyers legend.

38:49 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah. But I think that our defensemen have been doing really well. Secrets has been doing really well, konnect and he has also been doing well. There's been some buy in from them as well. I think that that's good.

39:02 Speaker 4: I'm not sure he's gonna be there all five years, probably two years, maybe three if we're really thinking about it, but he'll be there.

39:12 Speaker 1: He's helping with the building stage at least. I mean.

39:14 Speaker 4: I think the thing is with you know, the Bruins and what you've been saying about the Rangers and what you've been.

39:19 Speaker 1: Saying is at least we admitted there was going to be a rebuild. At least we admitted it. Said again, we had a decade of Chuck Fletcher and then before him Ron Hextall as a gm ye who then did the same thing.

39:33 Speaker 4: To Pittsburgh, which was honestly kind of funny.

39:36 Speaker 3: Yah.

39:37 Speaker 4: But before I think that we actually admitted there was a rebuild. And we also have Danny Brier, who's had experience with the HL teams, he had a or at least minor league teams. He's had experience with a team up in pain. He's he knows what he's doing GM wise, So I would have to say I have some faith and Brier some faith in Jones. I'm not sure about talk it's going to be there all five years, probably two years, probably three, But I think he's if you want to shore up your defense, he's your guy.

40:08 Speaker 4: The offense has been doing okay, so we always have to count shots and how many shots we do take because also again we love spending quality time in our own zone.

40:18 Speaker 1: We just love doing it. We're like, oh, yay, power friendship, don't worry, We'll be right here. We'll be hanging out with you. It'll be so fun.

40:29 Speaker 3: So it sounds like you would also like to see a little bit more. Uh is it like offensive prowess shooting skills players come in?

40:40 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think those players are also in our system. We have Martne who's in our system. Bergland also did really well at the World Juniors. They all all three of the players I mentioned at Berglan the schank Omer tone, they all went to the World Juniors. They all had good experience. So I think that we have those players that are coming. There's been some good scout outing in our pipeline and stuff like that, so I mean even also was Gullie who's in the KHL by the way, So you have a goalie he'll be, he'll hill.

41:08 Speaker 1: He's coming, I hope.

41:09 Speaker 3: As long as they don't give him away, right, yes, don't give him to Columbus.

41:13 Speaker 4: Can we just not give any good goaltenders to Columbus to stop? But that's that's what I would say, is there's a bright feature. I would just like for us to eliminate the Capitals because of how they did that to us a few years ago. We just eliminate them, I will consider it a success. I think if we play spoiler, that would be great. I think that also us doing okay we're at least that in last place.

41:38 Speaker 1: We got two worst teams below.

41:40 Speaker 4: Us, so we can laugh and point it laugh at them, and honestly, I very understandably so because both of them have been in.

41:47 Speaker 1: A rebuild retool just not really. I mean, I don't think the Flyers were shy about kind of Oh yeah, acknowledging that this is a process by bringing in Keith Jones and Danny Breyer and and you know you that talk it, whether you know the fans of players like him or not, so you know, you've made changes in significant areas of the franchise with the understanding that we need to start trending in a different direction. Oh yeah.

42:18 Speaker 4: We also beat President's probably President's Trophy favorite Colorado. That was a great high point. I also just had the I can't believe we did that either.

42:26 Speaker 1: So I feel like us winning some games against some really good teams. Colorado also Vegas too, we somehow won against them, which is I still can't believe that happened. Yeah, So I think that us winning those good games, that's great. I'm not sure we're gonna be in playoff contention, but anything can happen. We'll see.

42:48 Speaker 4: I mean do you get to play the Rangers? And I just I just want Mikasze Benajat to not score against US. But he's gonna score against us. Can he just get traded out of the out of the conference. Just take him, take him to like San Jose. Just I don't want to see him anymore.

43:03 Speaker 1: Just you got you guys, don't get a lot of uh, a lot of grace coming back from this Olympic break. You're you're, you're Yeah, you're playing the Capitals on Wednesday night. Yep, you have back to back. You get Capitals and the Rangers and then you get to go home and they on Saturday in the national broadcast.

43:24 Speaker 4: So yeah, yeah, hopefully no Sean McDonough, No, I just I can't listen. Yeah yeah, I might just listen to Todd fit Organ and Tim Saunders. I might just listen to them. If if it's Sean McDonough, I'm like, Nope, not happening.

43:41 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know.

43:42 Speaker 3: And I gotta just say, because our listeners they know how I feel about McDonough.

43:48 Speaker 1: Not only I don't I don't mind him, she can't stand him.

43:51 Speaker 3: I can't mind him. And they tell me, they tell me when he does baseball. He's so much more full of personality because of the Red Side, And I said, why can't he bring some of that personality to these national broadcasts? And the response from people have been, well, because it's national broadcast, you.

44:09 Speaker 1: Know, ESPN them.

44:12 Speaker 9: But but what about Doc Doc Emeric was the standard for enthusiastic, unbiased national broadcaster.

44:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, why then do we have to have.

44:30 Speaker 3: The human version of warm milk and melatonin in shot? And the man repeats himself multiple times in the broadcast, telling the same story five times.

44:44 Speaker 1: It's like either someone is they're watching or they're not.

44:49 Speaker 3: Like, I don't need to hear the same story fifty times, So like you, I will probably then tune in to the Boston's radio broads to listen to them because I can't. Y.

45:06 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're good.

45:08 Speaker 3: Between the conversation between McDonough and Ray, I can't.

45:14 Speaker 1: If he sees one, I would like to just walk up and slap him in the face. I got any I would take Sean McDonough ten times over Ray Ferraro. Two of them together is even worse. I mean, yeah, because I don't listen to anything he has to say. No, I can't, I can't. I can't. It's torture. It is really torturous. There there might.

45:42 Speaker 3: Be one person that ESPN puts out there to do a play by play that I can even stomach remotely. Yeah, I'm like these they stink. They all stink.

45:58 Speaker 1: They Yeah. And also, like speaking on by his commentators, Bob we Using is right there. They don't give him as many games as he should. He should get more games. He's really good. Yeah, I like him, he's good. They should give him more games. But they're gonna give Sean McDonough games because especially happen, especially in the back half BOS season. Yeah. Well, and it's the Boston connection too, so oh yeah, that's super fun.

46:23 Speaker 3: We were legitimately afraid that he was gonna come in, and when you know, our home guy, Jack Edwards retired. I think some of us were genuinely concerned that McDonough could come in, And I was like, I swear to God, if he came in to be the play by but play announcer for Nessen and for all those games broadcast right out of Boss, I don't know what I would do.

46:47 Speaker 1: Yeah, very I can't blame it.

46:54 Speaker 3: So it sounds like while perhaps right now in twenty twenty Sixladelphia Flyers are not necessarily a shoe in uh for for anything. Maybe you know, maybe they'll be in a doodle bug race at the end there. But it sounds like there might still be a couple more years of building. But it sounds like Philadelphia's a team that we should be paying attention to in the next couple of seasons.

47:23 Speaker 4: I would say definitely one hundred percent, because a lot of other teams are I would say, in our division are also frendy. I mean there's I believe Columbus is in our division.

47:35 Speaker 1: Yes, there's a few.

47:37 Speaker 4: I mean, that's the only time I could big of outside of Carolina that is actually doing well. I think we're helped by the fact that two of the other teams are in their downfall, and it's I think that we're doing better in that regard.

47:49 Speaker 1: So we'll see what happens. Well. Anything like bring up the old Philadelphia Bruins rivalry back because those games were, yes, like blood baths. When I tell you blood baths, I mean yes, I did do that. Oh my god, you go, yeah. I was just gonna say some of those games and the you know, the early heyday of the Bruins, Flyers rivalries. It was a sight to behold. Oh I can imagine. Yeah. So uh.

48:23 Speaker 3: We've said it on our podcast a bunch of times. You know, even though we despise some of these other teams, especially from long standing rivalries, granted Philadelphia not as long because they are one of the first expansion teams that rivalry existed in.

48:38 Speaker 1: Anything that a.

48:42 Speaker 3: Rival, a genuine Bruins rival, anything that those teams can do to improve the product that they put out on the ice to improve the rivalry, we want.

48:52 Speaker 1: To see it.

48:52 Speaker 3: So I would love to see Philadelphia really become a much more competitive rival than than they have been in recent years.

49:04 Speaker 1: So it's good for business, it's good.

49:06 Speaker 4: For It'll be so fun when I can win in a few years, I can come in and be and just you know, drash.

49:12 Speaker 1: You guys that you can always hang your hands. The fact that we had a three to nothing series.

49:19 Speaker 2: Lead read nothing lead in Game seven, only to sit there and watch one of the most painful Pudred melkdowns in Boston Bruin's playoff history.

49:36 Speaker 1: And when I tell you, I was in the building for that game, Oh there there there have been more than one game that if I could have taken my seat and ripped it out of the balcony floor and thrown it out on the ice, that would have been one of those games. Oh my god, I can't believe I didn't. You were there.

50:00 Speaker 4: I have to watch that twenty ten series again. I got it because I was in here. Here's what I will tell you.

50:05 Speaker 1: The lesson learned from that was the next year in the playoffs, the Bruins learned their lesson. Yes, they dose out your god damn opponent and step on the throat when the opportunity presents itself. But if it's still it's still one of those black marks in your history that people aren't going to forget for a long time. Yeah, what about twenty towy three? Is that twenty ten collapse as bad as a toy twenty three one, because that's the one that I first saw. Oh for Boston.

50:43 Speaker 3: Yeah, we don't talk about that, Okay, all right, everything was superseded when they gave away Brad marshanzo. But that being said, I want to thank you again so much for coming on and enlightening us, giving us something to kind of look forward to with the changes that are happening in Philadelphia. It's going to be an exciting trade deadline, and so we will be very sure to keep.

51:12 Speaker 10: An eye on what Philadelphia is up to and what they do with the draft and in the free agency, because I think we as Bruins fans, should be paying a little more attention.

51:24 Speaker 1: To what's happening down there.

51:25 Speaker 4: Yeah, the orfa UFA class for this year is a little bit thin, but I am sure that Danny Bronco will get creative.

51:32 Speaker 1: With how they can do that.

51:34 Speaker 4: So that'll that'll be interesting because that was also part of his rebuilt, was the twenty twenty six rfa UFA class, So that's going to be a little bit bit but we'll see what happens.

51:43 Speaker 3: Yeah, So Allie, tell our listeners where they can find your stuff online?

51:50 Speaker 4: All right, So you can find me on Beehive at all h Ali Shane dot behive dot com. There's a slash after the calm. You can also find me on Instagram at Ali Underscore Shade, Underscore Rights. You can also find me on Offside News. I cover the Montreal Victoire, which I think should be so unsurprising that I finally become a Habs fan and not surprised anyone at all. So I write about the Montreal Victoire on there, which is really cool. And also I'm on masted on at Ali the Wobbly at Collectiva dot social, so that's.

52:27 Speaker 1: Where you can find me.

52:28 Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll make sure to include that in our show notes and also when we post this on our substick. But again, thank you so much Ali for coming on and lightening us and sharing your take on what's going on with your team and for our listeners. 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. And 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.

53:04 Speaker 1: And as always, go Bees, Go Bees, Go Flyers