The Bruins got embarrassed by the Sabres, failing to back up their big talk, and with Lindholm and McAvoy set to return, the question is whether their impact will be real or just fool’s gold. On top of that, this free agent signing group is looking rough, adding even more concerns for the team moving forward. Conor Ryan and Evan Marinofsky break it all down.
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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.
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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.
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SportsTranscript
00:00PokeTheBear is brought to you by PricePix and the GameTime app.
00:07And welcome into PokeTheBear episode 299 presented by PricePix.
00:11Go use that promo code CLNS50 to get $50 back, or excuse me, the promo code is CLNS, not
00:18CLNS50, CLNS, but you get 50 if you play just $5 and are presented by GameTime.
00:26Go use that promo code CLNS to get $20 off that first purchase.
00:30Terms apply.
00:31I am Evan Baranofsky.
00:32That is Conor Ryan.
00:34Conor, what is up?
00:36Evan, unlike the Bruins on Tuesday, I have showed up.
00:40I'm here.
00:41You're here.
00:42I'm okay.
00:43You're going to try.
00:44How you doing?
00:45You're going to make an effort.
00:46You're going to give it a go.
00:47You're going to give it an A for effort.
00:49Bruins certainly didn't on Tuesday night.
00:51I'm good.
00:52I am good.
00:56The snow, I can do without, but happy to be here.
00:59That's what's most important.
01:01So we'll dive right in.
01:02I'm happy to talk about hockey with you, about this team that continues to drive all of us
01:07insane.
01:08At least there's the Beanpot next week and the week after.
01:10I'm sure that won't drive you insane at all.
01:12No, of course not.
01:13I will be there.
01:14I will be too.
01:15I will be too.
01:18Bruins, 7-2 loss to Buffalo.
01:21They got us all primed on Saturday, saying in the dressing room, don't write, you know,
01:26you guys are writing us off.
01:27We'll get in to keep Nikita Zador off because, oh boy.
01:31But he was one of the main culprits saying it and they go up to Buffalo and just get
01:35pantsed, get completely embarrassed, 7-2 and this is sort of their thing where like, yeah,
01:42there's still what, 5-2-1 over their last seven games or 6-2-1, but you have like last
01:48week it was New Jersey.
01:50This week it's Buffalo.
01:52You just get trounced in these games and it's kind of predictable.
01:55Like we were kind of all saying before, like it wouldn't shock you, wouldn't shock us if
02:00they laid an egg up in Buffalo.
02:03And boy, did they.
02:04I mean, that was pathetic.
02:05Yeah.
02:06No, I mean, again, yeah, it's five, what do you say, 5-2-1, right?
02:10Like that's their relegation stretch after losing six in a row.
02:13Could be 7-1-0.
02:14Like honestly, you look at like considering the matchup you had against Buffalo, that
02:18game against Ottawa where you shouldn't have let that one get away from you there.
02:23Again, it all comes down to optics and opportunity.
02:27And what have we said all year long, Evan?
02:29And like, we even mentioned this on Bruinsbeat earlier this week of like, what will this
02:32team do?
02:33They'll probably lose to Ottawa on the, they'll probably lose to Buffalo rather on the road.
02:37Like, because that's what this team does.
02:39Like they get into these stretches where they come back in these games, you have your star
02:45players deliver, you have guys like you step up and you feel like maybe there's something
02:50brewing.
02:51Ha ha.
02:52Get it.
02:53There's something going on with this team that makes you think that maybe like this
02:56is the time they're going to take off and like, it's not going to be pretty.
02:59I don't think anyone's expecting that at this point, but maybe they can just grind their
03:02way through, get their shit together and make a run or at least be somewhat more competitive
03:07than what we've seen.
03:09And every single time they face plant, right?
03:12I mean, like how many times have we gone through these situations where, you know,
03:17this team has had like a win where you look at it or a stretch where you're like, all
03:20right, they're playing better.
03:21Like I like what you, what they're doing here.
03:23Maybe they're about to do something big when we've seen in previous years with better teams
03:28where they've had those kinds of statement wins and they take off.
03:30Like there was that, that overtime game in Pittsburgh two years ago, right?
03:35Where like a lot of guys were hurt, they come back, Lindholm has the overtime goal and they
03:40take off from there.
03:41Right?
03:42Like you had the game this year where in St. Louis, you come back in the third period,
03:47you win.
03:48You're like, all right, nice performance there.
03:50Guys step up.
03:51Here we go.
03:52And then they get smoked by Dallas.
03:54They lose an overtime to a middling blues team and they get smoked by Columbus who at
03:59that time was the worst team in the league, if not one of the worst in the Eastern conference
04:04for sure at that point.
04:05And then Jim Montgomery gets fired.
04:06You have the stretch in December where you're playing really well under Joe Sacco.
04:11Granted, the schedule is pretty light to have a two, a couple of rough games in between
04:15during the Western Canada road trip.
04:16But you bounce back, beat some teams out in Western Canada.
04:21And then you also have that game on December 23rd against the Washington capitals where
04:27you were really in control of that game.
04:28That was a really impressive win right before the holiday break where you're like, wow,
04:33play like that against a really good Washington team.
04:35And again, it's not going to be pretty, but I wouldn't count them out of any game if they
04:39play like that.
04:40And then they fall on their face and go, what, one, seven and one the next nine games.
04:46And then you've got this stretch where you beat Ottawa in a game on Thursday that we
04:51all were like, this might be the knockout punch.
04:54They got blown out in that game.
04:56They win that game.
04:57They then go and they beat the avalanche, come back in the third period.
05:01And you're like, all right, well, feeling good about where they are right now.
05:05And they give absolutely nothing in that game against Buffalo, the worst team in the Eastern
05:11conference in a game where you had a great opportunity to make it three wins in a row,
05:17pile on points.
05:18And you also had a whole bunch of other teams lose.
05:22Like you had the Rangers lost, the Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Blackhawks at home.
05:29And Montreal also lost.
05:31And again, people will spin it out and be like, well, at least it's one, it's unfortunate,
05:36but it wasn't a knockout punch.
05:37Maybe they should get punched out.
05:39If you're going to play like shit on the road against a Buffalo team after talking all about
05:43how people are writing you off, how about you back it up on the ice?
05:46Because what we saw on Tuesday was embarrassing.
05:48That was an uncompetitive game against a not good Buffalo team.
05:54And it was just a complete mess.
05:55And it had all the, they played all the hits, right, in terms of everything wasn't great.
06:04You had multiple high danger chances where you couldn't beat Uko Pekkalukkonen, if I
06:08can say his name correctly.
06:09I just like to say his name.
06:11You couldn't beat him.
06:12You couldn't finish, even though they had like, I think 12, 13 high danger looks.
06:17You had awful defensive coverage, both the defense, like Nikita Zudova, Andrew Peak,
06:22was dreadful.
06:23Laurie and Wetherspoon had an awful coverage on Paterka's goal.
06:28One of his goals, rather, both him and Thompson had hat tricks.
06:32But even like the forward defensive coverage was terrible.
06:34Like I don't know what people were doing on Thompson's goal.
06:37You gave up two goals within a minute after you scored goals.
06:42Just a clown show, like an uncompetitive, unserious game in a game that you need to
06:47have.
06:48And you look at games like this, you look at earlier this year when you were losing
06:51games to Columbus before they really caught fire, there's Jesus, like seven or eight games
06:57you can look at now where, when this team is either fighting for its life, the last,
07:02you know, middle of April, or they're out of the playoff picture.
07:04You can look at these 16 to 20 points that they squandered away because they were playing
07:08like shit.
07:09And am I surprised?
07:11No, I'm not surprised.
07:12Like we talked about this because this is what this team is.
07:15And it's extremely frustrating.
07:18It is.
07:19And you hit it there.
07:20I did see people being last night and I even heard the post game show, you know, kind of
07:23prefacing everything with, Oh, they're without their top three defensemen.
07:27That doesn't matter.
07:28That doesn't matter.
07:29That Buffalo team sucks.
07:30And the other thing is, and this is, you mentioned playing the hits, they chased play for the
07:35entirety of Tuesday night.
07:38They chased the play.
07:39Buffalo was more skilled.
07:40They were faster.
07:41They were better.
07:42And yes, Hampus Lindholm would help you and Charlie McAvoy and Brendan Carlo, but they've
07:48done this even with those guys.
07:50This roster chases every team.
07:52They are slower than every team.
07:54They are less skilled than every team.
07:57And when you can't even face off against Buffalo, Buffalo, right?
08:02Like we'll get to effort in a second.
08:04Cause I think there's one person who encapsulates just the shitty effort this team puts forth.
08:10You don't have it.
08:12You don't have it.
08:13And that's why, like, even when they have these stretches, like where they're five,
08:17It doesn't feel like it because they're consistently outplayed.
08:20They were outplayed by Colorado over the weekend.
08:22They were outplayed by Florida and Tampa, and this is what they do.
08:25And sometimes they can hold on and they lock it in defensively and, and Swayman, you know,
08:31steals them a game and they win.
08:32And that's terrific.
08:33But then you see the warts, you see the warts against Buffalo on Tuesday where they're just,
08:41there is zero ability to keep up with other teams.
08:44There's the lack of talent is evident.
08:47And then you add on the lack of effort, right?
08:49Like that's why you can beat Ottawa two to nothing.
08:51You can beat Ottawa two to nothing because your goalie plays out of his mind and you're
08:55good defensively and you win your battles and all that crap and you finish your couple
08:59of chances.
09:00Great.
09:01Great.
09:02That's awesome.
09:03But seven to two and just the lack of effort.
09:07That's what hurts.
09:08When in my lifetime, I have never seen a Bruins team just give up.
09:14Hands up.
09:15White flag.
09:16You could feel it.
09:17That third goal that the Sabres scored, they scored three unanswered.
09:20Right when that happened, I tweeted, here comes the snowball and it's exactly what happened.
09:24It's exactly what happened.
09:25And to me, this is what really pisses me off.
09:29Really pisses me off.
09:30So Nikita Zdorov with like a minute left, I don't even know if it was that, uh, checks
09:35JJ Paterka off an icing and Paterka kind of shoves him back and Zdorov drops his gloves
09:40and tries to fight him and throw some punches.
09:42Right?
09:43So I saw some people being like, oh, at least he's showing some life.
09:46I want to see that life when it comes to defending your own damn blue line.
09:51I want to see that life when it comes to making smart decisions and stepping up and covering
09:56the front of your own net and playing defense like you give a shit.
09:59And that hasn't been there at, it goes in and out with him.
10:03And it was so out.
10:04And you would think in a stretch like this, where McAvoy's out, Lindholm's out, Carlos
10:09out.
10:11Five million for the next six years, 5 million.
10:14They paid him and we'll get into free agency, but they paid him to come in and be a top
10:19four defenseman.
10:20And he plays like garbage, garbage.
10:24And, and, and that's what really gets me is like, if it's just, you know, he's not good
10:29enough.
10:30Fine.
10:31It's the effort.
10:32And it's just the crappy decisions.
10:35Tage Thompson comes in over the blue line, right?
10:38Six on seven versus six, six, six, six foot, seven versus six foot five.
10:43You step up, you step up, back off, you got to back off.
10:47Let the guy who shoots the puck 400 miles per hour.
10:49Yeah.
10:50Let him whiz one.
10:51That's going to take Jeremy Swayman's head off.
10:53Do that.
10:54That'll work for you.
10:55And I'm so sick of seeing that.
10:58And for him to be the one on Tuesday saying, Oh, they're, you know, they're writing us
11:03off for good reason.
11:06For good reason.
11:07Why do you think we're writing you off?
11:09Yeah.
11:10And that's what I haven't been this mad all season, but that really pisses me off because
11:15to me, that's the encapsulation of the free agent signings, especially him where it's
11:19like, Oh, he's big and tough and he takes on other teams.
11:22Yeah.
11:23It's easy to go after JJ Paterka who, by the way, had a hatchet in his fist, pantsed you,
11:29pantsed your ass, killed you.
11:33No problem.
11:34And it just, it really pisses me off.
11:36This is the first time this season I've gotten this angry about something and I have nothing
11:40against Nikita Zdorov as a person, but when you go out and do that and then talk after
11:46like that, I have no need.
11:49Sorry.
11:50Yeah.
11:51I mean, that's why it's, that's why it's so frustrating.
11:53Right.
11:54It's like, listen, yeah.
11:56People have written them off.
11:57And for good reason, because we've just have seen this so much.
11:59And like, again, to what I said earlier, how many times have we seen this team where
12:04it feels like there are stretches where you want them to break through, where you think
12:07this team has what it takes to at least be competitive.
12:11We're not talking about where we were in October, right?
12:12Where we think this team is going to be in the conference finals, which yikes, that's
12:16going to be a hilarious episode.
12:17We do our predictions again as we, as we try to find some evergreen content when this team
12:23is golfing by April to keep on playing like this.
12:27But yeah.
12:28Like, yeah, dirty ass water, dirty ass water.
12:34But no, like, yeah, when you look at this team and the way they're playing and why you're
12:38writing them off, like the proof is in what we see every single day.
12:42It's in the, the numbers.
12:43It's like, how are you not going to write off a team that at home since December, I
12:49saw this stat, I think it was the VI Scott McLaughlin had brooms are 10, one and one
12:53at home since the start of December.
12:56Pretty good.
12:57It's like I'm saying, like you go like 600 or, you know, you win two thirds of the games
13:00at home and you're 500 on the road, smooth sailing.
13:03You got it.
13:04They are one seven and one their last nine games on the road.
13:08And it's not like these were games where, you know, you're coming up short.
13:12Like I look at like that, that Oilers game where they lost in overtime in Edmonton, where
13:17like we're leading McDavid ties at late sucks.
13:21Like you get a point out of it and all the people were pissed, even though it was a pretty
13:24competitive game, they did a pretty good job.
13:28They are getting their ass kicked like routinely on the road team.
13:32It is routine.
13:33They have played 52 games this year, right?
13:37And 13 of them, they've lost by three or more goals.
13:40So like a quarter is staggering order of their games and they are getting their ass kicked.
13:45And like the, you know, again, maybe we shouldn't be comparing them to like the teams of yesteryear,
13:50but like not even looking at like the 22, 23 team, which was a wagon.
13:54The Bruins had like under Cassidy or stuff like that would have like two or three bad
14:00games a year where like, it was so lopsided that everyone was pissed.
14:04And then it's like, we're not doing that shit again.
14:06And it's happening.
14:07I remember they used to have them in Dallas where they would just get killed or they would
14:10get, they would get smoked.
14:12That first game against the Capitals, right.
14:15And I think it was what?
14:16Six one, right?
14:17Like, which of that one, if that was this year, you'd be like six, one, like, Oh, yeah.
14:22Like, so yeah, we're writing them off because what have they shown us in terms of these
14:27games where they are going to be a competitive team?
14:30You can say all the good things when you string together two or three, how about you win eight
14:33of nine?
14:34Like, how about you seal the deal in Ottawa when you come back in that game?
14:38How about you take care of business and be a Buffalo team when that was?
14:42I bet if they win that game, I think like their, their playoff odds on money puck were
14:45like 38%.
14:46I bet if they win that game and all the other teams lose, it's probably like 51 or something.
14:53Like it probably is a huge swing and you had a layup and you completely hit it off the
14:56glass, went into the stands, hit the kid with like the popcorn, the popcorn's in his face.
15:01You completely, you completely screwed it up.
15:03So like, yeah, people are writing them off and for good reason, because what have we
15:07seen that is going to make us think anything different?
15:10Like hell, like, well, look ahead.
15:12Maybe there'll be Winnipeg, maybe like McAvoy and Linton will come back.
15:15They beat Winnipeg on, on Thursday and feeling good.
15:18And then they get smoked by the Rangers or maybe they'll win all these other home games
15:22and you feeling good.
15:23And they, they go on the road and get their ass kicked on next Wednesday against the Rangers
15:27at Madison square garden.
15:28Like when are we going to see anything different?
15:31And until you show us anything different, which has not been the case this entire year,
15:36why should we think any different?
15:38What have we seen that makes you think that, you know, this team is going to turn things
15:42around and take care of business instead of just talking about it?
15:46Like it's frustrating, man.
15:48This is a frustrating episode.
15:49There's a frustrating season.
15:52Shit sucks.
15:53Why, why would I not write them off?
15:56And I don't like doing that.
15:57I don't, we have had this pod, we've done podcasts for five, six years.
16:01It is fun when they are good.
16:04I don't want to write teams off.
16:06I don't like ripping players or, you know, getting into stuff like that.
16:11That's not fun.
16:12It's not fun to listen to.
16:14It might be funny, but I don't like doing that.
16:17I want to see them go on a run.
16:18I would love to be proven wrong.
16:20It would be great for us career-wise.
16:23Fans would love that.
16:24Like all that stuff.
16:25Can you, can you imagine the promo if the Bruins like make the playoffs like, and they
16:29do a good graphic and it's like the, the audio, remember they had the one with like Mike Felger
16:33was like, this team is too young.
16:35Too young.
16:36Too damn young.
16:37Yeah.
16:38It's just us being, it's like, our boys be like, they're playing like dickheads.
16:39Like shit.
16:40Yeah.
16:41Yeah.
16:42And I would love to, and put us on the promo, go on a run.
16:46Make us look like idiots.
16:47I don't care.
16:49I don't care.
16:50I'm going to go off what I've seen and what I've seen so far sucks, sucks.
16:55You know, it doesn't suck.
16:56What's that?
16:57PrizePix.
16:58Yes.
16:59PrizePix is good people.
17:00Good people over at PrizePix and they've got some, they've got, PrizePix is the best place
17:05to get real money sports action with over 10 million members and billions of dollars
17:09in awarded winnings.
17:10PrizePix has made daily fantasy sports accessible to all.
17:13You just pick more or less on at least two players for a shot to win up to a thousand
17:17times your cash, run your game all season long over at PrizePix and they've got some
17:21good props for the Superbowl.
17:23So they're giving you this.
17:26All Patrick Mahomes needs to do is pass for one or more yards and you win a square.
17:32So you just need to add another square to that and then you can lock it in.
17:36And some other good ones will say Quan Barkley rushed for more than 112 yards.
17:41Will Jalen Hurts pass for more than 215 and a half yards?
17:45Will Travis Kelsey have more than 62 and a half receiving yards?
17:48Will Xavier Worthy have more than 56 and a half receiving yards?
17:50So lots of good props over there.
17:53And you also get into the Bruins.
17:56We've been ripping.
17:57But David Bostrom has been doing well.
18:00Morgan Heeky has been doing well.
18:01So if you want to place one on the Bruins, I think that's a great place to start.
18:07So go do that.
18:08Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your first
18:12$5 lineup.
18:13Again, download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your
18:17first $5 lineup.
18:19PrizePix, run your game.
18:22Run your game.
18:23One of the reasons I think I get annoyed and agitated with the Nikita Zdorov stuff, it's
18:29not even so much him.
18:34It's sort of the discourse around him where I see so often on Twitter, people complaining
18:41about Mason Lowry or Parker Wotherspoon or these guys, oh, you know, they need to be
18:46out of the lineup, blah, blah, blah.
18:47You know, this or that.
18:48They make too many mistakes.
18:49Mason Lowry makes too many mistakes.
18:51Well, that goal on Tuesday was damn pretty.
18:54I thought from there, I was like, all right, they got some life.
18:56Like that's a freaking damn good goal.
18:58That's a pro right there.
18:59And you expect Mason Lowry to make mistakes.
19:02He's in his first full year up in Boston.
19:05He's going to turn the puck over.
19:06He's going to miss some assignments.
19:07It happens.
19:09It's part of his growth.
19:10And that's why I actually like what they've done with him this year, where it's sort of
19:12like you play through that, you know, occasionally you might get scratched, but you play through
19:16it.
19:17Parker Wotherspoon is a seventh defenseman on a good team.
19:21He's played up.
19:22He's tough.
19:23He doesn't back down from anything.
19:24He tries.
19:25There's effort.
19:26He's simple.
19:27Same with Callahan.
19:29These are just steady defensemen.
19:32What agitates me is, you know, the Bruins brought Zdorov in to be a top defenseman,
19:39to be a guy who you could use as an anchor and you have, yes, you had Lindholm and you
19:42have McAvoy and Carlo and that, but Zdorov was supposed to complete that and supposed
19:46to be a steady, reliable veteran who you could kind of know what to expect.
19:51And yeah, there'd occasionally be him trying to rush the puck, all that stuff, but you
19:54could live with it.
19:56It's like last night.
19:57I mean, that's where it just blows my mind and people go, well, at least he's big.
20:02At least he's tough.
20:04What does that matter?
20:05I hate that way of thinking.
20:07I hate that.
20:08Like I just, and that play at the end really set me over the edge because I'm like, yeah,
20:12if this happened with 10 minutes left in the third, okay, maybe there, you know, you can
20:16handle that.
20:17After Marchand scores the goal and you try to get, you know, something going and build
20:21that momentum.
20:22But no, let's, let's let Paterka score another goal against you instead.
20:26Yeah.
20:27Paterka who, again, just ate your lunch.
20:28Noted tough guy.
20:29Yes.
20:30Yeah.
20:31Ate your lunch.
20:32Noted tough guy.
20:33That's where Paterka was writing them off.
20:34That's right.
20:35He's got his own podcast.
20:36He's got his own podcast.
20:37He breaks down, the Sabres break down every other team in the Atlantic.
20:42That's what they do.
20:43They know other teams better than themselves.
20:45I just, that's where that passion and anger comes from with that, where I'm like, you
20:50know, I see the stuff about, oh, at least he's big and tough.
20:54And it's like, unless you're doing, unless you're playing real defense, that doesn't
20:58matter.
20:59And when it comes to real defense, it seems like McAvoy and Lindholm might be returning
21:03soon.
21:04I, you know, obviously it helps.
21:08It helps.
21:09They could, they need those guys back.
21:10You can't roll with Zdorov and Pique on your top pair every game or any game, at least
21:15after Buffalo, what Buffalo did to them.
21:19But how much can that help?
21:21I mean, is that going to provide any stability?
21:25That's the thing.
21:26Like, listen, it should help.
21:27And I mean, I think this team has desperately missed Lindholm in terms of what he's provided.
21:34We've talked about it countless times before.
21:36He's been, I think he was their best skater during the time he was playing, was moving
21:42the puck, was assertive with the puck, can inject more offense from the blue line, can
21:46jump up into the play.
21:48I would love to see what he can do on the power play, which like hell, if you get that
21:51power play from whatever they are, 31st to 25th, that's a victory in and of itself.
21:58Like, I think he's actually a good fit up there.
22:00So I think his return is huge and McAvoy, even though I don't think it's been the strongest
22:04year for him, is still, you want him in your lineup in terms of what he can provide.
22:08So it should stabilize things, but like, I don't think it's enough, nor should I think
22:14like the Bruins should be thinking like, well, you know, we keep on having these awful
22:18games, even getting our ass kicked and our lunch money taken every time we're on the
22:22road.
22:23But like these guys come back, like this is going to be our savior right here.
22:26This is going to get us playing the right direction.
22:28Like I don't think like you look at these two guys who are both great defensemen and
22:34what they should do and help you out.
22:35And they will, they will help you out quite a bit.
22:38And I think Lindholm, again, you don't want to put too much expectations on guys coming
22:42off of a puck, shattering his knee.
22:45Like he's been out for a long time.
22:46Yeah.
22:47I've been out for a long, Jim Montgomery was his frigging coach last time he was playing.
22:51Joe Biden was president when they, yeah, seriously, a lot has gone on since Hammond Lindholm was
22:57back out there.
22:58Like they should help.
22:59Yes.
23:00But I feel like it's fool's gold if you're the Bruins thinking like these guys coming
23:03back is going to shore all of our, their deficiencies, what they have.
23:08Like maybe they, it's stabilized and they're like, all right, now we can like pray for
23:13JT Miller or something like that, which again, like, uh, I still don't know what you're trying
23:18to do there, but I don't think like you could just look at the return of these two players
23:22as going to be your, your saving grace.
23:25And you know, Lindholm, as good as he's been this year and how much you can impact the
23:28game in so many different areas, his return, isn't also going to make you a top, you know,
23:3415 power play or a team that's, his return is not going to make Elias Lindholm play better.
23:38His return is not going to make like your middle six start producing, right?
23:42Like you still have a lot of deficiencies all across this depth chart that if you want
23:47this team to be taken seriously in terms of just the personnel or the results on the ice,
23:52you need more than just those two guys.
23:53So like it will help.
23:54Yes.
23:55But is it going to jumpstart a 10, one and O stretch?
23:59I don't think so.
24:01Again, we haven't seen it to, you know, we can't say it because we haven't seen the proof
24:05that that would happen.
24:06I mean, I agree there, they should be better with Lindholm and McAvoy back there.
24:10And you add Carlo back into the mix and like, I know Carlo was out, I think with just an
24:13illness on Tuesday, he picked a good night to take off or to be out for, oh my God.
24:20And again, like, you know, you can say what you want to Brent and Carlo, the effort's
24:23always there.
24:24The effort is always there with Brent and Carlo.
24:27Like that's what I, that's what really pisses me off about how some of these games go, where
24:33it's like, Carlo always brings it.
24:35Like, say what you want about the guy always brings it.
24:38And, and again, I think, you know, Lindholm and McAvoy will certainly help back there.
24:42I just don't have that confidence that that's going to translate, as you said, to a, a good
24:47stretch.
24:48I do wonder though, it's interesting because like, this has been the case all year, they've
24:52been this up and down really inconsistent team and they're in the playoffs.
24:58They're in the playoffs.
24:59Like they're the first wildcard then saying like, isn't that completely, it is wild and
25:05it speaks to the rest of the East.
25:06Yeah.
25:07No, I was going to say it's a byproduct of, no, I'm sorry.
25:09I keep cutting.
25:10No, but no, but you're right.
25:12It speaks to the, the, the, the East and how bad it's been.
25:16But like, I do wonder if they get those guys back, they string some wins together.
25:20I do wonder if they look at that and say, let's buy, or like, let's not sell a bunch
25:25of pieces.
25:26Let's compete for the playoffs.
25:27One JT Miller away, which like, that's like, that is the frustrating thing is that like
25:33the gut tells you, right.
25:34That like JT Miller should not be like your long-term answer.
25:38But then it's like the little green goblin mass being like, he doesn't need one more
25:42score.
25:43Like you can win a round or two with them in the lineup.
25:45He's going to be good for the next three years, even though he's kind of a dick, he would
25:50stabilize everything.
25:51He's your first line center and you know, guys could move around, but you know, that
25:55is the front of the Bruins front office has to avoid listening to the little green goblin
25:59mask.
26:00And like, listen, JT Miller, if you get them and he's not going for as much as a guy who's
26:04coming up 103 point season is like what the going rate is, it doesn't seem that high.
26:10It's not going like the president or the owners, like, yeah, those guys hate each other.
26:13It's not going well in Vancouver right now.
26:17I still like, I think you have to take a long look as whether that investment is worth it
26:21for a team that again, like the East is kind of middling, like who the hell knows it's
26:26it's tempting.
26:27And it's like the same as what we talk about.
26:29Everything we see with this team screams like a middling, mediocre team that is setting
26:35itself up for it to make the playoffs, uh, five, six game series, right?
26:39Like until proven otherwise, that's what I'm thinking guy like Miller would help.
26:43But like, is this the time to do it?
26:45And it's like, this team's been so frustrating that, and again, if this team was again, you
26:50have, you have take care of business in Ottawa, you take care of the sabers on the road and
26:55know, then I feel a lot better.
26:57Then it's like, well, maybe they are JT Miller away from like being somewhat competitive.
27:01No, like I can't look at this team and the way they're playing and view any of these
27:05like positives or spins of being aggressive.
27:09Even if it's like, you know, a guy like Miller or someone who's signed longterm and it helps
27:14you out the next couple of years.
27:15Like I'm so done with this team that like, I don't even want to get into those, those
27:19scenarios.
27:20I don't either.
27:21And that's why they're like, they're going to sneak in the playoffs.
27:24I'm telling you right now, they'll sneak in, this team will sneak in.
27:27I don't know how they're just going to keep doing this.
27:30And they're in the rest of the East is going to, you know, the lightning are not going
27:32to win another game against the Atlantic division.
27:35And um, probably they'll win, they'll win these games, like against Winnipeg and everyone
27:39else will win.
27:40Like Ottawa went on Thursday, like Montreal went on Thursday.
27:43And then like when they lose all the other teams lose, like it's, yeah, I feel like I'm
27:46in like limbo.
27:47I feel like I'm Chris Moltisanti when he thinks he's in hell after he gets shot and I'm sorry
27:52for spoilers.
27:53That's how I feel.
27:54I feel like I'm actually, I feel like I'm totally Soprano in the coma.
27:56I feel like I'm Steve Buscemi's ushering me into the house and that's why I feel looking
28:00at the standings every day and how the fact that the rooms are just stuck in this limbo
28:04feel like Kevin Finnerty.
28:06It's awful.
28:07I haven't watched Sopranos yet, so you can spoil whatever you want for me.
28:09I try.
28:10It's a mafia show.
28:11Guys get shot.
28:12So it's not like crazy.
28:13I did a YouTube recommended a video popped up my recommended YouTube.
28:17It was like all 92 deaths in the Soprano like compilation.
28:21And I watched the first like 40 minutes because I'm like, this is like, it's just interesting.
28:24It's funny to watch.
28:26I enjoy the compilation.
28:27I think it's like two hours and it's like, it's just, it's like Tony Soprano getting
28:30pissed and it's just him just like not finding like the milk in the fridge and like losing
28:34his mind.
28:35So that should be this.
28:36I feel watching the Bruins that that should be that we can do a compilation from this
28:39season of like Connor, Connor Ryan and Evan Marinoski losing their minds during the Bruins
28:4420, 24, 25 season.
28:45Oh, I didn't.
28:46It wasn't supposed to be like this, Connor.
28:48It wasn't supposed to be like this.
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29:51Connor, what time is it?
29:55Game time.
29:56It's game time.
29:57I just feel like I have no energy after that.
29:59Like first 30 minutes of this podcast where I played a game.
30:02I had a game this morning.
30:03I played it.
30:04We won gritty three, one win.
30:06We were down one.
30:07Nothing.
30:08Let's see.
30:09Unlike the Bruins.
30:10Unlike the Bruins.
30:11Yes.
30:12Down with three minutes left.
30:13One.
30:14Nothing.
30:15We scored three.
30:16One was an empty netter, but gritty, but a lot of energy.
30:18I don't yell much.
30:20I never yell really ever in my own life.
30:22Even.
30:23I think yelling is like I haven't won.
30:24I must've won the championship.
30:26I was covering it.
30:28I had to be unbiased.
30:29I had to be a, you know, Zen, like locked in, couldn't care.
30:35One thing that's clear.
30:38And I think it was clear a while ago and it, you know, was accentuated on Tuesday night
30:44is this was a rough free agent summer for the Bruins.
30:48Lindholm and Zdorov, a lot of money.
30:51Lindholm has not given you anywhere near what you've needed.
30:55I mean, again, third line again, again, on the third line, you don't notice them that
31:01much.
31:02Some, I mean, he did have an assist.
31:03Actually, he did have an assist on, on Tuesday, but the production has been a few and far
31:08between and Zdorov we've, we've gotten into.
31:12I mean, essentially like you sort of upgraded from Derek Forbert, like that's what that's
31:18been.
31:19I mean, he was great or he was solid after Sacco took over, but then you have these sort
31:23of games that every, that come up every now and again.
31:25And you wonder like, is he just a third pairing D like, is that what he is?
31:29Right.
31:30Nothing wrong with that.
31:31But you spent 5 million on a guy who you thought was going to be you know, a top four stalwart.
31:39And that hasn't been the case.
31:40So again, another example of free agency is very unreliable.
31:43Yeah.
31:44And like Zdorov has been up and down, right.
31:47Which I think we kind of expected.
31:48I think you want more stability from him.
31:50There has been good stretches and a lot of bad.
31:53Exactly.
31:54Has kind of, I don't want to throw away all the good stretches.
31:57There's been some good.
31:58Yeah.
31:59Not saying he stinks.
32:00Like there's been some good.
32:01It's just frustrating.
32:02Uh, but when, but Lindholm, yeah, it's like the last month or so where he's just been
32:07now in the third line.
32:08It's like, you don't listen.
32:09There's a lot of third line centermen who maybe are unsung players or stuff like that,
32:14but you notice them.
32:16You notice Charlie Coyle when he was like playing, you know, at a high level on the
32:19third line as a centerman.
32:21Like you notice a lot of these players, you know, it's Chris Kelly when he was a third
32:24line.
32:25Yeah.
32:26I'm right.
32:27Like you don't really notice Lindholm out there.
32:28And that's like the concerning thing is that like, you know, is this just a lost season
32:33for him in terms of like getting banged up in camp or is this kind of what he is?
32:37If he's like this empty calorie, yeah, he's solid defensively wins face offs, but you
32:42don't notice him for almost $8 million.
32:44That is a concerning thing is that I don't routinely notice him and you know, you notice
32:48a door off sometimes for all the wrong reasons, but like you also see him when he's eating
32:53eight minutes when he's on the PK, stuff like that.
32:55Like the fact that like Lindholm is now just like a, a passenger, like in the bottom six
33:02in that, in that kind of mismatch or mishmash of like middle six players that aren't pulling
33:07their weight where it's like, all right, I'll keep an eye on like the Pasternak, Zaka, Gili
33:11when they're out there.
33:12I see Marchand out there here and there.
33:16You don't notice Lindholm all that much.
33:18And that's like the concerning thing is like, is this just what he is?
33:20Are the pro just like now being like, yeah, I guess we got this 2C, maybe 3C for almost
33:268 million.
33:27It's like, that is a concerning thing.
33:29And like maybe, you know, for all we thought of, of him, and I think we set reasonable
33:34expectations going into the year of like, we don't think he's a play driver or a guy
33:39that can like anchor his own line, but we thought he was going to be with Pasternak,
33:44would be effective on the power play.
33:45And you're just not getting anything there for, yeah.
33:48Like it helps you imagine if we had 55 points, you'd be doing backflips.
33:51So like it's, you're just not getting anything there from a guy that wouldn't spend a lot
33:55of money to, and a guy that you desperately needed to give you an extra scoring punch.
34:00Like again, in terms of just what a third line center is, like I saw so much more from
34:05Charlie Coyle from a few years ago when he was in that spot and like Coyle was kind of
34:08in that same no man's land right now, like playing on the wing.
34:13Like maybe this year it's just complete crap, like a shit show and everyone's just not in
34:18the right spots, but like, but what we've seen in year one of this deal is really concerning
34:25for a guy that just, you're not noticing enough of, especially when contrasted what
34:31his, his contract is, it's, that's when I'm really concerned about like Zdorov is going
34:36to be up and down, like maybe into a playoffs, he'll stand out.
34:40And you know, he was good last year with Vancouver in the playoffs, like, but you got to get
34:45there first, which is the concern with him.
34:47But Lindholm is one where I'm like, man, I want to see this guy do well.
34:54He's got a great resume, but like, man, you were just not noticing him nearly enough for
34:59a guy that's supposed to be a focal point of your, your team right now.
35:02Yeah.
35:03And again, Zdorov with 5 million is not going to kill you, like that's not going to hamper
35:06you.
35:07And you, at least you get somewhat stable third pairing defenseman minutes from him
35:13and he can kill penalties.
35:15That's great.
35:16Um, Lindholm is so interesting because I have seen a lot, I've heard a lot, whether it's
35:24YouTube comments or Twitter, people being like, you know, they need to get rid of Lindholm.
35:27They need to get rid of Zdorov.
35:28And I think with Lindholm, I'm, I'm intrigued to see what he is next year.
35:36I'm intrigued to see him fully in this environment with hopefully a better, more stable training
35:42camp.
35:44And I'm intrigued to see what he can bring.
35:47If it is just third line minutes, you're screwed.
35:50You're screwed.
35:51And that's what we've seen this year.
35:52So it's like, I can't be like, oh, I, he's going to break out next year, but I am given
35:57his history.
35:58I am interested to see if he can get back to that or be with more stable line mates
36:03or what do you get in the off season for wings?
36:06What does this team look like next year?
36:09Where is he?
36:10Is he the second line center next year?
36:12Like do you have a legitimate number one center next year and you can comfortably pencil in
36:16Lindholm as your two C and like, be cool with that.
36:20I don't know, but you're right.
36:21The not noticing him factor is really concerning.
36:25So Doroff's interesting.
36:26Cause in terms of that contract aging, obviously defensemen go up and down.
36:32Brandon Carlo has outstanding years and he has years where you're like, nah, that wasn't
36:35his best.
36:36You know, McAvoy's in the middle of one of his years where it's like, nah, this isn't
36:38his best, but you know, you know, it goes up and down coil.
36:41Like it happens.
36:43Um, my, the thing was the door off that does concern me is just the decision-making it's
36:48hockey IQ at times where I'm like, that doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.
36:53And we heard this coming in, we heard this coming in and we even heard Jim Montgomery
36:58mentioned, you know, he's not very coachable and things like that.
37:01And I, that worries me as well.
37:05That concerns me as well.
37:06Um, so yeah, I mean both free agent signings have like when, when you do grades at the
37:12end of the year, I'd imagine both at this rate, get Fs like, you know, and I don't begrudge
37:17them for taking the money.
37:19Good for them for getting paid.
37:20I'm like, I'm not saying like, Oh, they're a-holes for taking the money.
37:24Like that's on the Bruins.
37:25That's on the Bruins.
37:26Like that's, that's blowing up in their face.
37:28Good for the players are getting paid.
37:29I'm all for it, but you do have to produce, you do have to be noticeable.
37:34And that hasn't been the case this year, but again, it's year one.
37:38Did he look different in year two?
37:40I don't know.
37:41I don't know, but it's a scary thought because that's a lot of money tied up in two guys,
37:46a lot of money tied up in two guys.
37:48Um, yeah.
37:49So, wow.
37:50This was quite an episode.
37:52Really uplifting episode.
37:53Evan.
37:54Wow, man.
37:55I, I need some positivity after I need to do something after this that has nothing to
37:59do with hockey.
38:00I don't know what it'll be, but yeah, I don't watch the Bruins highlights.
38:02No, no thanks.
38:03Um, Connor, what can the people look forward to from you over at, uh, boston.com and the
38:08globe?
38:09Yeah.
38:10You can read my stuff there over at boston.com and the globe.
38:12We have covered every step of the way this Bruins season with recaps, features, columns,
38:16breakdowns, all that good stuff.
38:18So please read my stuff over there.
38:20And if you want to follow me on Twitter, X, whatever it's called, you can at Connor Ryan
38:24on discord 93.
38:25Go do all that.
38:27That's Connor Ryan.
38:28I'm Evan Maranofsky.
38:29You both very listeners.
38:30Have a great rest of your week.