Welcome back to Poke the Bear! Conor Ryan and Ty Anderson of 98.5 the Sports Hub discuss some positive takeaways for the Bruins from their win over the Islanders, with the top-six forwards clicking and Jeremy Swayman looking sharp between the pipes.
However, their loss to Vancouver on Tuesday was a tough one to swallow, but not without some silver linings—despite defensive lapses, the team showed resilience and offensive firepower, which could be valuable moving forward. Bruins fans have plenty to be thankful for, from solid goaltending depth with Swayman and Ullmark to strong offensive depth and defensive stability.
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Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins' credentialed insiders Mike "Trags" Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe "Haggs" Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.
For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1
However, their loss to Vancouver on Tuesday was a tough one to swallow, but not without some silver linings—despite defensive lapses, the team showed resilience and offensive firepower, which could be valuable moving forward. Bruins fans have plenty to be thankful for, from solid goaltending depth with Swayman and Ullmark to strong offensive depth and defensive stability.
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
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Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins' credentialed insiders Mike "Trags" Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe "Haggs" Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.
For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1
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SportsTranscript
00:00PokeTheBear is brought to you by PricePix and the GameTime app.
00:07And welcome into PokeTheBear episode 282, presented by PricePix and GameTime tickets.
00:13My name is Connor Ryan.
00:15Once again, we are joined by the esteemed, the ever knowledgeable, Ty Anderson of 98
00:20Fathers.
00:21What's up, Ty?
00:22How you doing?
00:23What's going on today?
00:24How are we feeling?
00:25Black Friday deals.
00:26We got a Black Friday deal on this podcast.
00:27It's still free, I believe.
00:29I believe it's free.
00:30It's the best deal in the industry.
00:32Don't want to put my own tie as Ty, but I think it's a pretty good deal we've got going
00:37on here.
00:38We can just talk about and complain about the Bruins based on how they've been playing
00:41this year.
00:42But I think this episode is a little bit of a departure from previous ones, a little bit
00:46more positivity.
00:47I think we have more positive things to talk about when you look at just how bad this team
00:52has been for significant stretches.
00:55Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about what was a 6-3 win for the Bruins against
01:00the Islanders on Wednesday.
01:02I don't know how many people were watching the game.
01:04I know people were at their local bars, meeting up with high school friends, getting into
01:09some fights, getting into some havoc.
01:11I know we weren't doing that.
01:12We're very responsible.
01:13We would not do that at all.
01:15But for those who were not, pretty good win.
01:18Good to see them finally break through offensively, take care of business against a pretty crappy
01:23Islanders team.
01:25They're already not a riveting team to watch, but they've just been downright bad, especially
01:28in the third period.
01:30And you can call it a tomato can, what have you.
01:33Step in the right direction for the Bruins to come out with a 6-3 win on Wednesday.
01:37Yeah, definitely.
01:38I think that you sort of look at where that game was going, that final shift, the second
01:44period where they give it away twice, it ends up in the back of the net, and now you're
01:48tied through 40 minutes.
01:51That could have been pretty brutal, and it could have fallen away from them pretty quickly.
01:56It didn't.
01:57I think the thing I liked most is kind of like that Toronto game we've referenced a
02:01lot here, where it's actually the opposite.
02:05You blow multiple leads, but you hang on and you take over in the third period.
02:10You get two great goals from Pablo Zaca, who I think finally gets rewarded for his play
02:15of late.
02:16And then you get the empty netter, you avoid danger that way.
02:21I like the fact they blew two separate leads, but didn't let the game fall out of their
02:28hands.
02:29I think that's something that we've talked about, and even the Bruins have talked about,
02:34where when they fired Jim Montgomery, like Don Sweeney mentioned, that Dallas game, it's
02:39like, we should be right there, and then bang, four goals or whatever, three goals in a minute
02:43and a half.
02:44That's happened a lot to this team.
02:46So the fact that didn't happen, and it hasn't happened under Joe Sacco so far, I think that's
02:50been encouraging.
02:51That kind of speaks to the idea of the details and the habits and getting back to your workman-like
02:58mentality.
02:59So I like the response in the third period, because I think that hasn't been there enough
03:04this year.
03:05So that's what's most encouraging, in my opinion.
03:06Yeah, and I think the way the Bruins responded, too, from the fact that I think their game
03:11plan under Sacco so far has been really locking things down defensively, taking care of the
03:17puck, not making stupid stretch passes or anything like that, pretty conservative in
03:22their own end, and then filling everything on net down the other end of the ice.
03:25And this was a game where it felt like, if it's not one thing, it's the other, where
03:29they started scoring early.
03:30You have two goals in the first, what, six minutes and 20 seconds from Brad Marchand,
03:35and all of a sudden, the puck play, the attention to details, the defensive work starts caving
03:40in a little bit.
03:41You're like, all right, they're finally scoring, but are they going to lose this game 5-3,
03:445-4, right?
03:46And that's kind of the sign of a bad team, right, where you feel like you've shored one
03:50thing up, and then all of a sudden, something else kind of erodes and gets away in a game
03:55like that.
03:56And yeah, it wasn't like the sharpest game from them defensively, but as you said, it's
04:00good that they kind of clamped down, especially in the third period, took care of business,
04:04and the fact that you've had multiple guys respond, I think that's the most encouraging
04:08thing in terms of, under Sacco, it's been kind of the same formula, pretty simple strategy,
04:14but it's a winning strategy when you look at, I think you look at the personnel they
04:17have here.
04:18But when things don't go as you expect, which tends to be the case in a game as chaotic
04:23and unpredictable as hockey, it's good to see that they're able to kind of right the
04:26ship and win kind of an ugly game or a game that's kind of maybe away from their formula
04:31or their strategy as to how to probably accrue points at a pretty steady rate here.
04:35Yeah, definitely.
04:36I think that they're going to have to win ugly.
04:39That's going to have to be a bit of their identity.
04:41I said it the other day, for this team, ugly might be beautiful, because that means you're
04:45winning games, you're stacking up Ws, and you're getting back in the race for the division,
04:51which is wide open right now.
04:52There's really not a powerhouse in their division, which is great.
04:56You just want to, I think, especially this segment, we've talked about this before, this
05:00segment is too important to not get every point you can, and I think that's why they
05:07made the coaching change, because they got that start, they're 0-1-1, looking at a very
05:13favorable 11-game segment, and they're like, this can't happen, we can't afford to leave
05:18these points on the table.
05:20And I think that's what's been really encouraging.
05:26I also think what's really encouraging to me, Connor, is the fact that they have the
05:30game against Vancouver where they get shut out.
05:33After the game, Charlie McAvoy's like, the dam is going to break.
05:37You just hope it's soon, and we got to stick with it.
05:40They get rewarded for that belief the next night.
05:42I think that's also helpful for them from a mentality standpoint, as a team, their confidence.
05:48Guys got to get their games going here, Coyle's got to get it going, Frederick's got to get
05:52it going, but if you can say the dam is going to break soon, and then it does happen the
05:58next night, not everyone's confidence has gone from a 3 to a 6, and that's what I think
06:04is so important for this team, because they don't have the natural skill and ability to
06:10not have the confidence.
06:13I think that is such an important part of this team's success this year.
06:15They got to be confident, because everything else falls in the line once they have that
06:19confidence.
06:20If they're doubting themselves, they've already lost the game.
06:22Yeah, exactly.
06:23And I think you look at just the amount of guys that did break through finally.
06:26It wasn't like, we've all been waiting for the two goal, one assist game from Pasternak
06:31to get him going.
06:32Still waiting for that in terms of the goal scoring, but he gets three assists on Wednesday
06:37night.
06:38Pavel Zakh, as you said, two goals and an assist gets him going.
06:40He's finally rewarded with, as you said, some really good play as of late, just hasn't reflected
06:45on the score sheet.
06:46Elias Lindholm gets three assists as well.
06:49A lot of guys kind of break through.
06:51Who's kind of the one guy that you saw the overall production, you're like, all right,
06:56hopefully this gets this guy rolling, because this is a guy that you need to get clicking
06:59to get that top six kind of in a groove here against, as you said, a pretty lighter schedule
07:04moving on.
07:05Yeah.
07:06I mean, it's easy for me to say Zaka, right?
07:07Because right now I think he is your de facto top line center, because I think whatever
07:12line Pasternak is on is your first line at this point.
07:15And if he can get going, maybe that opens things up a little bit more for Pasternak
07:19to get it firing here and get it going.
07:22He really hasn't been the David Pasternak that we've seen for the last, I would say
07:26four seasons really, um, this year, uh, I, I, I can't tell if it's physical or mental.
07:34Some days it feels physical, other days it looks mental.
07:36Um, and, and so he's not at a hundred percent, you know, take that as you may again, mental
07:43or physical, I'm not sure, but he's not the David Pasternak that we're used to seeing.
07:48So if Zaka can get going and heat up and become basically the number one threat, even for
07:56a week, right on that line, does that open things up for Pasternak to score some easier
08:00goals to get on the board, get his confidence going.
08:05And then he's off to the races.
08:06Like we, we kind of keep waiting for that game for him and it hasn't happened yet this
08:11year.
08:12You know, maybe if, if Zaka takes on some of that burden, it opens things up and he
08:15can go back to being that guy, perhaps with favorable, favorable matchups, even for a
08:20game and then, and then, okay, now the ball is rolling.
08:23Um, so I had to go with Zaka, I, but I think, I think a guy you could go with probably is
08:27Lindholm because just as important, really.
08:29Yeah, no, exactly.
08:30Like even for Lindholm, getting him going three assists, um, again, a guy that I think
08:35you liked, like the details and everything, like, like if we were giving out like early
08:39grades, I wouldn't like give like a guy like Lindholm, like an F or anything like that.
08:43Cause I think I like his details.
08:44I like the little things he's doing.
08:45But again, when you look at the role, the money, all those things, the little details
08:51are kind of like the cherry on the Sunday.
08:52If you don't have any ice cream, like what do you, what do you got?
08:56Eating some maraschino cherries by yourself, you sicko?
08:58Like, like you can't just do that.
09:00So, uh, I wouldn't give him like an F or anything, but if the production's not there,
09:04um, then you're not realizing his potential.
09:07So to get him going, I think is a step in the right direction.
09:10I think the overall, like whatever this reworked top six is like the results at
09:14least maybe haven't reflected on the score sheet until yesterday or Wednesday.
09:19But, um, I was looking at some of the numbers, the geeky Zaka Pasternak line
09:23expected goal share 73.5% during their 77 five on five minutes, pretty good
09:29tilting the ice in their favor.
09:31They've outshot opponents 24 to five in their last three games together.
09:34So again, getting a guy like geeky going as well.
09:37Who's kind of been in no man's land in the season as a step in the right direction.
09:41And then Marcia and Lindholm Brezzo, their expected goal share is 64.6% in.
09:4787 minutes, uh, of ice time together.
09:50So again, the, the naysayers, the ones who don't like the fancy numbers can be like,
09:54well, that doesn't mean shit if you're not scoring true, but it's at least seeing
09:59that they're stringing together.
10:00I think some strong, uh, ozone possession there, they're getting their looks.
10:04And if Wednesday is the step in the right direction or the dam has broken, you keep
10:09that group together and you see if they can all start getting on a roll here.
10:11Cause as your top six goes, so goes the rest of your team.
10:14Cause that third line is kind of a mess right now in terms of what you're
10:18expecting out of them.
10:20Yeah.
10:21And real quickly, uh, going to, uh, Elias Lindholm since November 9th, he has won
10:2856.4% of his face offs.
10:30Um, which I think there's 31 players.
10:33I want to say, let me double check.
10:34I have, I'm sorry, 23 players who have taken at least 140 face offs over that
10:40span.
10:41Uh, he, he has the ninth best winning percentage of the dot, uh, over that
10:45span among that group of 23 players.
10:47He's ahead of guys like Sidney Crosby, Chandler Stevenson, Joel Erickson,
10:51Eck, Sean Monahan, uh, two of those guys, by the way, were other options
10:55for the Bruins and free agency.
10:57Uh, so to your point, talking about guys that are, you know, like the paydays
11:02and how you rely on him, the details, all that, like winning face offs is not
11:06like a super advanced analytic.
11:08I'm well aware, but those are some of the things that I think you're
11:11starting to notice more of.
11:12And it's putting less of a strain on guys like Zaka and coil, who at times
11:17can be very dependent on what side of the ice are taking the face off on.
11:21I think with, with, with Lindholm, it's like, I think there's more just like,
11:25okay, he's, he's got the know-how, how to win this draw here.
11:28You're not worried about like, okay, it's going to be on the left
11:30side or the right side.
11:31It's going to be, you got to have this winger here.
11:32Like, like he's much more like now just, he'll just win the draw.
11:35And I think, I think that is, that allows the details to
11:37kind of fall into place as well.
11:39I still can't believe the Chandler Stevenson got a seven-year deal,
11:41getting paid 6.25 million a year for Seattle.
11:44It's got one goal.
11:46Yeah.
11:46I was watching a Kraken game the other night and they highlighted both him
11:50and Montour as guys that like got to get it going for them.
11:52And I'm like, oh, those contracts aren't helping.
11:55I wouldn't imagine.
11:56Yeah.
11:56That was not a smart move by the Seattle Kraken, but Ty, you know, it is a smart
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13:33Uh, Ty, looking, uh, at, at the Bruins now, obviously we're
13:36recording this on Friday afternoon.
13:38So by the time this draws probably after the Penguins game, it's a weird
13:43schedule this week, so please bear with us.
13:44But, uh, I wanted to take a quick look back at that game on Tuesday against
13:49Vancouver, because that's a game where I left that one, like actually being
13:54kind of more optimistic than I think a lot of people were, I think a lot of
13:56people were rightfully pissed, a lot of boos, but I think you looked at the
14:01way the Bruins played in that game.
14:02That's one where I'm like, if you play that way for the rest of your games
14:05this year, you're going to win most of them.
14:07Like you look at the regression across the board that's been this team in terms
14:11of their shooting percentages, um, cashing in on their high danger looks.
14:15Um, if that's the formula or the strategy that Sacco's mapping out for these guys,
14:20they're going to be a tough out every single night.
14:22And, you know, that's, maybe that's the Bruins, uh, colored glasses I'm
14:26looking through that lens with, but I was encouraged by, you know, one, just
14:30overall how they've responded since Sacco's taken over, but even that game
14:33against Vancouver, which was probably one of their bigger tests during this
14:37lighter part of their schedule, they really controlled play for a whole bunch
14:40of it, it's just, it's frustrating when the most important stat, goals, is the
14:44one that isn't falling your way in a situation like that.
14:47Yeah.
14:48I thought, I thought it was the, uh, the rare, really good loss.
14:52Um, I think that, yeah, to your point, like if you play that way, most
14:56times you're going to win, uh, 33 shots, they allowed almost nothing 5-1-5 for
15:02Vancouver, the only goal they score that's not an empty net goal, it goes off
15:07Connor Garland's hand gets deflected down.
15:10Like, is that a goal like based on the 2023 playoffs?
15:13It's not, but it was in this instance, for some reason, both plays involved
15:17DeBrusque, by the way, which is kind of funny when you think about it.
15:20Um.
15:21We knew that was happening.
15:22We know, we knew that DeBrusque goal was coming at some point.
15:24Oh, absolutely.
15:25Uh, but they, but they forced Vancouver to block 26 shots.
15:29I think, I think it's the second most blocks against the Bruins this year.
15:32I think, I think, uh, the Flyers had 28 or 29 and that shutout win they had at
15:37TB Garden, uh, so they really made them work.
15:39They really made Vancouver work and some nights a goalie is just on, right?
15:43And I thought Kevin Lankanen had a great game.
15:46Uh, he's been stellar on the road this year.
15:48Um, but ultimately like the stats I look at, right?
15:52Like I mentioned the shots, they won 60% of their face-offs Bruins did.
15:57They out attempted Vancouver 72 to 31, I think, uh, and shot attempts.
16:02They forced Vancouver into 16 giveaways and, and sometimes giveaways
16:06can be subjective, subjective.
16:08I think they truly forced Vancouver into 16 giveaways.
16:11They were just sending, sending them right up, right up to the Bruins hands.
16:16So I liked their structure.
16:18I liked their system.
16:19I liked just about everything except they couldn't finish, right.
16:24That's going to be a problem for this team.
16:26I think we all agree the talent they have, but if you have that kind of, you know,
16:33that kind of, those kinds of differentials, they're going to favor you and you're
16:37going to win most of those games.
16:39And so I can't get too, too upset about it.
16:41Like that kind of loss happens to Carolina, like every nine days,
16:46they have a loss like that.
16:47Like they're still one of the best teams in the league.
16:49So I think you're going to win more of those games.
16:50You're going to lose them.
16:51So you got goalied.
16:53It happens, you know, and, but I liked what they did that night.
16:56They just couldn't score.
16:57Yeah.
16:58I feel like that is one of the byproducts of you're going through with the pros and
17:01cons of the, you know, the quality over quantity approach or the Carolina, even
17:06like Bruce Cassidy, like put everything on net kind of juice up your Corsi numbers.
17:12Like that is the, one of the cons is that when it doesn't go right, when
17:16inevitably you've got goalie or you're just missing on your high danger looks,
17:19it means you've got a really lopsided natural stat trick chart that still
17:23has you as the loser, right?
17:24Cause as you said, Carolina loses games like that.
17:27I mean, you look at like a ton like that.
17:30Colorado loses like that during like, even like the best days of the Cassidy era
17:34here, there was multiple games where the Bruins have a 41 to 21 edge and like
17:40short attempts at top five on five play.
17:42And they're down a goal at five on five action or something like that.
17:45It's just how things happen.
17:47We have, how many times do we see dispirited, uh, broad
17:49Brendamore in that playoff run in 19?
17:52Cause they would pepper the net.
17:53I'd have nothing going on yet.
17:54Yackety sax playing, just throwing the whole visor completely messed up there.
17:59Like, so I do think that's something that it sucks when it does happen.
18:03Uh, but I think when you look at the personnel, the Bruins have, that is
18:07the strategy you have to play with.
18:09It's just get every pucks on neck, make it ugly.
18:11And we have so many big guys down, down low like that.
18:15You're at least opening the door for more of those chances going your way.
18:18And I think you've seen them respond more to that more simplified, less
18:23selective approach when it's just, I get a puck on that, we'll see what happens.
18:26I think this team is better equipped to do that and not convert, then hold onto
18:31the puck, end up with 14 shots on goal and still have nothing to show for it.
18:34Like I'd rather you, you leave a game being like, shit, we should have
18:37converted on this and this and this and this and this, as opposed to like,
18:41we didn't do shit the entire game.
18:43Right?
18:43Right.
18:44No, I mean, and I've said this before, I think on this podcast, but like the
18:48sequences where Mason Lowry or Nikita Zdorov or Charlie McEvoy would go around
18:53the world of the offensive zone and then settle for a 75 mile an hour
18:57week, Rister from the back end.
18:58It's like, okay, that was stupid.
19:00That was pointless.
19:01You know, the hunt, the hunt for the high quality looks
19:03that it doesn't always work out.
19:04Right.
19:05And I think, but I think conversely, like if you look at how Vancouver
19:10defended them, like they really had to pack the house.
19:12Like they had to, that slot was just, it was loaded with bodies.
19:16Right.
19:16And I think when you have the team construct, the Bruins have all it
19:21takes is someone blocking it, but not smothering it and now it's
19:24now you're off for the races.
19:25And I thought they had a few of those kinds of chances.
19:27Those few of those looks, I think they have the roster and the
19:30construct for those kinds of looks to actually be capitalized upon.
19:33You know, they just got to go out and do it.
19:35Um, and I think, I think, I think Connor, you'd feel worse about the
19:39loss on Tuesday if they had the same exact kind of game the next night.
19:45Right.
19:45It was like, they don't have like shit.
19:48They don't have like the finishing to be, to be a shot quality team
19:52or the shot volume team, like this sucks.
19:55So I think, I think you feel a little bit better about Tuesday because
19:57it didn't, it didn't snowball into a, into a bigger loss or a similar
20:01looking loss on what on Wednesday night in Long Island.
20:05Yeah, absolutely.
20:06No, I think you categorize that as a, a good loss, even if I'm sure
20:10Bruins fans did not want to hear it, especially in the moment.
20:12Um, if you pay a hundred bucks to see that, like, you know, let's, let's,
20:16let's be real, um, the worst we can say, we can, we can say it's a good,
20:21a good loss, but yeah, people who are there watching it, not so great.
20:25Same as like this black Friday game, the Bruins get smoked by
20:28a pretty shitty penguin scene.
20:30That is, that is a sizable step back.
20:32So real quick, you know, me, you know, anti-matinee games, hate matinee games.
20:38It is a crime that the NHL took this from the Bruins.
20:42This has been a Bruins tradition my entire life.
20:46They took it from them and they gave it to like the flyers
20:49and the Rangers piss off.
20:51This is a Boston thing.
20:52This has always been a Boston thing.
20:54I hate that the NHL took this away from the Bruins and I'll never forgive them.
20:57It's I hate matinees.
20:59I like this matinee.
21:00I'm pissed.
21:01They don't have.
21:02I always enjoy like the, the, the matinee games for black Friday.
21:05Cause like you got like people like either hung over or they're still drunk, but
21:09they're still in a jovial mood.
21:10Like you still keep, you're keeping the potty going from, from the night before.
21:14Now you're in this kind of like no man's land for a couple of hours.
21:20Watching, watching the crappy flies and the Rangers who now like might suck.
21:23Like what's going on there, man.
21:25The Rangers look like how the Bruins looked before they fired Jim Montgomery.
21:29We're like, they just look like they don't care.
21:32It's so, it's so hard to watch, man.
21:34Like, and I've said this before.
21:35I said this, I've said this on Twitter.
21:37I've said this on this podcast.
21:39I think.
21:40Nika Sabinijad is what people think.
21:41Like David Pasternak.
21:43Yeah.
21:43He's been, but he's been like, he's he's been brutal and he
21:46did brutal for a while now.
21:48I guess post-seasons have been horrible.
21:50It's just like, man, that's a weird guy.
21:52Like I look at the talent.
21:54That's really talented player.
21:55And then I watched from the playoffs.
21:56I'm like, what the hell are you doing?
21:58It's wild.
21:59Yeah.
22:00Not great for them.
22:01Uh, not great for Rangers fans right now.
22:03A little bit better for Bruins.
22:04The, the vibes are going up a little bit, but, uh, Ty, before we switch
22:08gears and talk a little bit, a little bit about what Bruins fans should be
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23:50All right, Ty, uh, tis the season.
23:52No, we're not.
23:53We're not singing Christmas carols.
23:54We're not, we're not diving into the holiday season yet, but it
23:57was Thanksgiving yesterday.
23:58Um, and I thought we'd end this one on a positive note in a season where, uh, not
24:03a lot has gone right for the Bruins.
24:04I would say out of the gate.
24:06Uh, what is one thing that Bruins fans should be thankful for as we get to this
24:10point on the 2024-25 season calendar?
24:14Uh, I would have to say that while the goaltending tandem has been broken up,
24:20it is no more, the Bruins still have what I would consider to be very good goaltending
24:26between Jonas Corposalo, who I was wrong about.
24:29I will say this, that they have, they have turned him into a
24:32really serviceable goaltender.
24:35Um, like many of you thought they would.
24:37It wasn't, I didn't believe in it, but I thought that's a big gamble.
24:413 million for next four years.
24:42That's a lot of money.
24:44Um, you know, uh, he's been good.
24:46He's been good.
24:47Swayman's now coming into form.
24:49It looks like the last two games, I think he's been really good.
24:52Uh, overall they're team goaltending.
24:53I think, um, I think five on five, I think the top 10, I
24:56want to say in same percentage.
24:57So, uh, you break up the tandem, you trade Lena Solmark.
25:01Um, that trade as a whole is looking like it's been a very valuable one for the
25:05Bruins want to be thankful for.
25:07Uh, Castlick has been good.
25:08Corposalo has been serviceable and you got a first round pick out of it.
25:11So I think one thing is that, that, that trade has not blown up in their face.
25:16It was a, it was in theory, a cap move kind of trade.
25:20Uh, those can be disastrous sometimes.
25:22And it wasn't the Bruins have actually probably made out pretty well.
25:26It may be better than any of us thought with that trade.
25:29So that's one thing I think got to be thankful for as a whole and how it relates
25:32to the goaltending as a whole, I would say.
25:34Yeah, that's a good pick.
25:35And again, people will look at Dean Letourneau stats again.
25:38I think we have to reiterate for the umpteenth time.
25:41Please be patient.
25:41The guy should not even be in college this year.
25:43He should be in the USHL.
25:45So that will be the ultimate determinants to what the Bruins haven't get out of this
25:48trade, but even for right now, pretty good return for was it Sioux falls.
25:54Was that where I believe so somewhere in the USHL.
25:56Yeah.
25:56So again, a guy that also has a top six in front of him that he ain't cracking
26:00that line up anyway, that, that right.
26:02The whole group in front of them is sick.
26:03So, um, but no, that's a good pick.
26:06Uh, I'll say, be thankful for the fact that I think the Bruins have an identity
26:12at the, at the very least right now.
26:14And I think you looked at the first.
26:16Six, seven weeks of the season.
26:17What were you, you know, during the stretch where the results weren't there
26:20or they were so stop and go with their production, I think the whole time
26:24we're like, what, what exactly are they trying to be?
26:26Are they trying to be like a skill team?
26:28Are they trying to find that, that fine line?
26:31It's kind of like, like how is the door off who has the ability
26:34to go end to end if he wants to.
26:35He really probably shouldn't, but he was trying to find his own identity.
26:38You had so many guys that I think were like, all right, what are
26:41we trying to be out on the ice?
26:42You saw that.
26:43I think the, the first kind of warning sign was that game against
26:46the Panthers where it just was a mess.
26:48But I think that, you know, since Sacco's taken over, it does feel like things
26:52are, have gelled a little bit in terms of they know what they need to do.
26:55And that's being kind of stingy and maybe play a little bit more low event hockey.
27:00Um, at least in their own zone, make smart, simple plays, protect the net front.
27:05And again, these all sound like very basic things, but you didn't see it all
27:08that much the first, you know, month and a half of the season.
27:11So, um, yeah, we'll see what happens when like the Bruins, the
27:15schedule ramps up going, going on.
27:18They got the game against like the jets in a couple of weeks.
27:20The schedule is going to get tougher.
27:22Um, and that'll be like the real litmus test, I think moving on into the season.
27:26But if they continue to play this kind of, uh, defense first stingy, uh, stingy
27:31play, at least you're seeing more and more of a team that's buying into, I
27:34think what they're trying to be.
27:35And I think that's, uh, at least offer some optimism as to what this team could
27:39be, especially going later on into the year, where if they're tough out, then.
27:43Hell you, you go for a few puck bounces and see where that takes you.
27:46I think that's kind of the best case scenario you have for right now, as
27:50you're trying to map out what exactly is the, the ceiling for this team moving
27:53forward.
27:54Yeah, I think what's going to be really interesting here and something that I
27:58think we're going to talk more about as it comes closer, obviously, like, do you
28:02buy with this team or do you say, you know what, let's embrace this identity.
28:07If there's an injury, let's lean on a Merkuloff or a Lysell or a Duran or a
28:12Kuntar, like, like Farinacci, like see what you got internally.
28:16Um, because right now, I mean, I like their identity, but it's not identity
28:20that I'm like, all right, time to go out and trade for Anthony Mantha or, you
28:23know, like, like one of those types, you know, like, like, like you, you can't do
28:27that right now.
28:28I don't think with this team, it's just not, it's not feasible.
28:30It's not realistic.
28:32Um, and that's going to be something to really watch here.
28:34Like if your identity is like winning games, two to one, three to two, like those
28:39teams, you don't go out and spend a first round pick to bring in a rental.
28:42Like you just, you don't do it.
28:43Um, so that's something that we're going to have to watch here and monitor
28:46because, um, that I just, I don't know where they go from there.
28:51I like the identity, but like, it does make the, it does make the, the idea of
28:57buying at the deadline a little bit harder because those teams can either be out in
29:01five games or go on to a deep run and then go, shit, we don't have enough.
29:06Yeah.
29:06To win it.
29:07So this is going to really be where you kind of hope that Don Sweeney has
29:12learned from the past mistakes of say 2016, when he goes out and trades a
29:16combined four draft picks for at least Anthony and John Michael Lyles, and maybe
29:20he takes more of the Drew Stafford approach in 2017, when he brings in a guy
29:24who is not perfect, but he only costs you a fifth round pick, and then you see what
29:28you have internally, and then you go from there.
29:30So we'll see what happens there.
29:31But I think that identity is good and bad.
29:34It's good for being competitive.
29:36It's bad for, okay, what do we need?
29:40What should we spend?
29:41You know, where'd you go from there?
29:42So this is where you hope that Don Sweeney has the veteran GM savvy.
29:47He's been on the job now, 10 years.
29:48Like you got to hope that, that he knows what not to trade away.
29:52You know, if you're, if you're an imperfect, a flawed team, I would say.
29:56Yeah.
29:57So you're, you're not on the, uh, the Chris Crider first round pick or, uh,
30:01nope, you're, you're out on the, the BC Boxford guy.
30:04No, like, so I love Chris Crider.
30:06I, I, a player who plays with such relentless pace and, you know,
30:12it is so dangerous, right?
30:14You're buying in the worst time.
30:15Like you're just buying into the worst time.
30:17I wanted him four years ago.
30:19Like I wanted him in 2020, when the Rangers were basically looking at, you
30:23got to keep Crider or you got to, you got to keep Crider or Shea.
30:27You can't keep both.
30:27And they ended up trading Brady Shea.
30:30Um, I wanted him then that was the perfect time.
30:33Cause at that point he was what?
30:3428, 29.
30:35Yeah.
30:35Didn't even have his 50 goal season yet, but like it was always a 30, 30 goal guy.
30:40It's just like those legs are going to go.
30:43And when they go, it's going to be ugly.
30:44Right.
30:45And that's what I worry about.
30:47I don't think he has an assist this year as well.
30:50Um, so he'll score some goals and that that's what they need.
30:53Yeah, sure.
30:53But it's the long-term commitment that, that he comes with.
30:56He's got what?
30:57Two more years, I think at seven to 6.75.
31:00Is that what it is?
31:01Yeah.
31:02So it's, it's, I just think that it's, it's, it's hard miles on that guy.
31:07Who's been in NHL or since what?
31:0820, 2009, I think the playoffs he got called up in 29 and 2009, I want to say
31:13like, there's a lot of miles on those legs and I kind of want to stop getting
31:19power forwards at 32 years old.
31:21Like, it's just, it's just, I don't think it's worked.
31:23I'm not a winning formula.
31:24I want to stop doing it.
31:26Yeah.
31:26Like I, it doesn't make any damn sense to be buying on these
31:29power forwards at 32 years old.
31:31Like you gotta learn from your mistakes.
31:32That's kind of what I'm talking about with Don Sweeney.
31:34Like, you can't keep doing the same thing over and over again.
31:36Why haven't we won?
31:37All right.
31:38We'll stop getting guys when they're approaching the cliff.
31:40Yeah, no, exactly.
31:41And yeah, I think you look at the, whatever it costs to get
31:44Crider, whether it's a first or, I mean, this is also a, uh, a
31:49Rangers team that still is trying to be competitive, even though they're
31:51not playing like it right now.
31:52Like they probably want a couple of like, either, uh, you know, you're
31:57looking at Brennan, Carlo and Frederick, or are you looking at like Lindholm
32:01or like, what are you exactly looking for in that trade, if you're the
32:03Rangers, which won't be cheap, everyone's like, oh, there's trade,
32:05Frederick and geeky and they're trying to win as well, even if they're like,
32:11that's still a team that if you had, if you asked me between the Bruins right
32:15now and the Rangers right now, which one has a better chance of going
32:17to the conference finals, I'd still say the Rangers have the better
32:20personnel when they're hot.
32:22Like that says delay, very scary team.
32:24They're the team that I have in the cup.
32:27I have Dallas beating the Rangers.
32:29That was my prediction at the start of the year.
32:31So, yeah.
32:32Yeah.
32:32I, that was my prediction as well.
32:34I'm starting to feel a little bit worse about it.
32:36I feel good about Dallas.
32:38Oh, I feel great about Dallas, uh, the East as a whole.
32:41I'm like, I don't know.
32:44I'm just shrugging.
32:46Yeah, it can be whatever, but no, I think that's an important
32:50part to consider as well.
32:51Like Rangers want to win.
32:53They're not going to trade Crider for Mark McLaughlin, you know, Riley
32:57Duran and a third round pick.
32:59Like, no, it's going to be something off your roster.
33:01And yeah, there are guys I'm willing to live with, but like, I don't think
33:05it's going to be, oh, it's Morgan geeky and Trent Frederick, one pending RFA,
33:08one pending UFA, and now here comes Chris Crider.
33:10Like, I don't, I don't think that's how that's going to work.
33:13And there are obviously levels of which I'd be like, yeah, I'm more
33:16willing to take a chance on it, but I don't see it happening
33:19without a first round pick.
33:20And I don't think the Bruins should be trading first round picks right now.
33:22Like, I, I think it's great that you have Dean Letourneau, but
33:26that's also a boomer, boomer bus guy.
33:28And so if you can, if you can keep on, if you can hang on to your actual
33:31first round pick and draft a player who there's always, I mean, the draft's
33:36a crapshoot, we all know that, but a player with a bit more, maybe certainty,
33:39you know, in terms of where they project, you know, this guy, can this guy be
33:43like a left shot defenseman that projects in your top four for the next,
33:46you know, decade, like that's great.
33:48I kind of like that.
33:49I think at this point or a center who projects somewhere in your middle
33:53six, like, like that, like, that's great.
33:54You need one of those guys, like you need more, you need more guys that
33:58you can have more faith in, like, all right, this guy's either
34:01change Thompson or Brian Boyle.
34:02It's like, well, that's a, that's a weird, that's a weird separation there.
34:06I like Brian Boyle, like him a lot, but you know, like that, that's such
34:10a, it's such a stark contrast there.
34:12So you want to, I think you want a bit more certainty with your next
34:16you want a high floor, like middle six guy.
34:18You want like a Liam green trees, a guy.
34:20Didn't you like Liam green tree?
34:21Right.
34:22Like a guy like that, like winger who like lit up the juniors that
34:25like, maybe he's a toxic guy.
34:27Yeah.
34:28Like maybe it could be a top six, but not a lock, but like, could be a 20,
34:31could easily be a nice 20 goal guy, like in your middle six, like that's kind of.
34:36And he's like six, two, he's like, he's like a bigger guy, you
34:40know, for like a winger.
34:41Yeah.
34:41I was, I was big on him.
34:43There was another one I was big on, but he actually went like really early.
34:46Um, no, he played for the, uh, Chicago steel.
34:50Um, and then he ended up going to like Montreal.
34:52He went, he went a little bit earlier than I thought he would.
34:55Um, anyways, uh, and then there was, uh, the one who went to Dallas, which is
35:00only going to, I mean, geez, Dallas getting richer, uh, a mill Hemming.
35:03I liked him as well.
35:04Uh, yeah.
35:05Was it Michael Haig that went to Montreal?
35:09Yes.
35:09Yes.
35:10And, um, I was like, damn, when he went, I was like, ah, that's what I wanted.
35:14So, um, so yeah.
35:16So, um, yeah, like it's really hard.
35:20Right.
35:20I think it's hard because like the Bruins have been guilty of
35:22drafting guys that project safe.
35:25Right.
35:26And so I can't, I can't crush them for going with the guy.
35:28Like we'll turn out with six foot seven could be Tate Thompson, you know,
35:32could also be more fourth liner.
35:34Like, yeah, but I think your next pick, you want to have a clearer
35:38idea of who they can be for your team.
35:42Um, because it's hard to hit your wagon to those boomer bus guys.
35:46You know, you have Fabian Lysell is an example of one, right?
35:48Where we were looking at going, this could be a great value for the Bruins.
35:52And now we're in 2024 rapidly approaching 25 and we're like, all right.
35:57Is he going to come up soon?
35:58Or what's the plan here?
36:00You know?
36:01And so, so it's always, it's always a hard thing.
36:04It's always a hard thing to project these kids at 17, 18 years old, but
36:08I'm hanging on that first round pick cause I want to know what my options are.
36:11Yeah.
36:11It's better to have the option then to give it away for, again, a guy like
36:14Ryder, whose legs might be shot pretty soon.
36:17So we will see kind of what plays out there.
36:19Uh, Ty, before we let you go, where can we read your stuff?
36:22Where can we hear you on the airwaves?
36:24All that stuff.
36:25Yeah.
36:25You can hear me out on 95 of sports hub.
36:27You can hear me on the hockey show every Saturday, uh, from nine to 11 AM.
36:31You can also find me on social media at underscore Ty Anderson on threads and X.
36:38And blue sky tie dash Anderson dot blue sky, you know, whatever.
36:43Um, you can also find me at the TD garden.
36:47If you're ever just walking around the subway platform, feel free to say hi.
36:52Don't, don't, don't say hi.
36:53After the fact that makes me think it's kind of weird.
36:55Just say hi in the moment.
36:57And I will stop and we will have a nice conversation.
36:59Don't tweet at him five minutes later.
37:01Yes.
37:02Cause then I'm like, ah, shit, am I being followed?
37:04What's going on here?
37:05It's like the born identity.
37:06You got Treadstone following you.
37:08Yeah.
37:08The worst, the worst was, uh, I was, uh, I went to a McDonald's
37:11once and, uh, I was eating.
37:13Someone came up to me and says, it's you.
37:14And I was like, I, am I going to die?
37:16What's going to happen right now?
37:18Never say it's you and point out that I'm like, I guess you're right.
37:22Dude.
37:22There was one time I was at the Cordova on causeway street.
37:25Just mind my own business for a game.
37:26And ETD literally just walks up and sits at the table.
37:29I seem like this is how Tony gets killed.
37:31The Soprano.
37:32So I was like, what the hell?
37:33Oh, I know who you are.
37:35Uh, please, please don't just sit at my table.
37:38Uh, real, real quick to, um, speaking of ETD is going to be at the game on
37:42Sunday, which reminded me, I know not to go if, if you are going to that game on
37:49Sunday, the Bruins are urging fans who are arriving to be in their seats at 2 45 PM.
37:55They're going to have a lengthy, uh, pregame ceremony celebrating
37:59their 100 years, but.
38:00I know that fans are being encouraged to arrive in their seats for
38:03two 45 for the start of all of it.
38:06The Bruins has done a great job, uh, celebrating their centennial, uh,
38:10their, their fan relations department have, they've done amazing work, a lot
38:14of sleepless nights for those people who I don't think get the credit they
38:17deserve, um, at times for all the work they do to make this work.
38:21But this is the culmination of it.
38:23And two 45, they're saying, be in your seats by it.
38:26Sorry.
38:27And where can we find you, Connor?
38:28Oh, yes.
38:29Yes.
38:29Uh, yeah.
38:30Shout out once again to the staff and everyone for a great year, but not all
38:34that stuff together and what should be a great afternoon evening over
38:37on a Sunday against Montreal.
38:39Uh, as for where you can find me, Ty, you can read my stuff over at
38:42boston.com and the Boston Globe.
38:44We covered every step of the way this season with recaps, features, columns,
38:48breakdowns, all that good stuff.
38:50And if you want to follow me on Twitter, you can at ConnorRyan underscore 93.
38:54This was episode 282 of poke the bear.
38:58You fans have a great rest of your week.