PerreaultForever

attitude, not results. most of them can't score on an open net, that's a given.

hehe. I wondered if you'd do that. :)

I'm just going to toot my own horn a little and say I said ages ago the biggest difference between the team during the win streak and after was goaltending, and I was shot down by numerous people on this board saying I had no idea what I was talking about. So now that the radio says it, it must be true. lol.

really? Short memory? :) I remember last year thinking where is that fast hockey Housley promised? This team is both soft and slow, hopeless. They aren't even close any night. Most of the game on their side of center ice. This year at least they attack and often outshoot, even if they are inept at finishing. They have numerous breakdowns, that's a given, but I don't feel like they are out of it after the first like I did last couple of years.

I agree, I was perhaps being too hard on him, but it does concern me. I'd say he's adequate for the moment, but I am not attached to him being here either.

top line - 2/3 done (assuming Skinner signed obviously). Skinner - Eichel - add 1FA second line - 2/3 there 1FA - Mittlestadt-Reinhart (I have faith Mitts will develop quickly and be much better next year, 20 goal scorer) fourth line - Girgensens-Larsson- (Okposo or?) solid 4th line G&L are excellent penalty killers as well and its an energy line. Third piece could be better but for a 4th line its ok. third line is a mess. This needs fixing for sure, but if we add the 2 FAs above you can make 2 for 1 trades or sort this out with a rookie, maybe Olofson, it might come together. D Risto, Dahlin, Montour, Bogo..............Scandella, McCabe........it's not perfect but it's not terrible. Think, in one year we went from Scandella on the top pairing to Scandella bottom pairing. It's an improving D and as Dahlin develops will be awesome. Goaltending, inconsistent and frankly not good enough. That's valid. My hope is on the quick development of the Finnish kid. That's a skeleton to work with. It's really not that far off.

Maybe...........OR O'Reilly was part of the reason for the "losing culture" and it left with him and the other departures. If you have a culture like that it's hard to see a full on change in one season. It's something that has to be rebuilt over time, mostly by bringing the young players along the right way and not bringing in "losers." If JBot did get it right and removed the big problems last year we will see the change over time, but it won't be evident in one season. To me they did try harder this year and the games have been close often. It's improved, but it's not a miracle like the win streak made it appear to be. Trick now is not to let the culture creep back in during what is obviously going to be a tough period for motivation over the last month.

There's definitely a closely bonded team thing there. Lots of teams have positive locker rooms but I have no real idea where ours is at. Recent example from the Bruins is the story I heard about Johanson coming over. If you remember Marchand gave him a shot and concussed him some time back and he was pretty (rightfully so) pissed about it and had lots of bad things to say about old Brad. So anyway, as the story goes, as soon as he was traded to the Bruins, Marchand phoned him and apologized and when he got to town took him out to dinner and told him he was a Bruin now and he had his back. Maybe that's all BS, but maybe it also matters.

If you've read any of my other posts you'll see we don't disagree overall. I think 3 pieces not 4 or 5, but that also assumes development from Mitts and other picks. I've said way back we need talent added, not new coaches or GMs, just talent, but THAT IS a skeleton. We didn't even have that before this year. Last year we were just a pile of Pu.

Disagree entirely. We are not a joke. We are the skeletal structure of a future good team, we just need to make a few more additions to what we have and we will turn those 1 goal losses into 1 goal wins. We will know where we are AFTER free agency.

I thought Jack was the best player on the ice. All too often he simply has no one to give the puck to.

Don't really think this is true.

Eichel was pretty good tonight. Not entertaining though. Both teams on the ice tonight are crap after their handful of stars.

Except, with the exception of Pasternak, all their team leaders and best players are getting old and Chara is right at the end.

One thing to add though, their core is all over 30 and they could see a huge drop off in a few years.

I don't actually care if we win any more. Season is over and we will draft in and around 6/7. Doesn't matter, bunch of decent options around that point. So I just hope we are entertained for the rest of the year and they don't just quit.

He seems to get hurt every year. Maybe it's time to remove him from long term plans?

Give your ego a rest. Posts here are for the full board to see not just one individual. If you've given up on Nylander we are in agreement, and that is all that is relevant to the discussion. It's not about you and it's not about me. Cool?

I can't say for sure, it would depend on the exact wording of the contract, but waiving it once would not mean it was necessarily removed.

I've seen a few of their games so I can answer this. 1) Really good D. Any of their top 8 could play on our team. 2) Good team defense and a solid team concept. They pass the puck really well and everybody does their job and knows where the other guy will be so they can move the puck well and control it. Guys fill in spots when their D go in deep. It's unity. 3) Good goaltending. Big saves at big moments. 4) Great specialty teams. 5) Grit and character. They don't quit and they stand up for each other. Not sure they have the talent to beat Tampa in a 7 game series but the other night they beat them up and intimidated them. 6) Lastly, Bergeron is the best 2 way player in the league and hate to say it, but Marchand and him together are really really good. There's a style and an attitude in Boston and you buy in to it or you are shipped out of town. DeBrusk bought in for example and is a solid young player. Donato had talent but played soft and poor defensively and they shipped him out. Management brings in players they think will be "Bruins" like Wagner who is now a fan favorite. It's a different culture. I'd say they are a longshot for the cup but if the refs let them play physical and their top players stay healthy they could win it all and give Chara a retirement present.

was that really necessary?

If he isn't ready next season he never will be. I wouldn't hold your breath.

Watched Lehner get pulled against the Flyers this afternoon. Bad rebounds, weak over the shoulders, played off the post..........looked like the same old Lehner to me today. Islanders might not make the playoffs either.

He had a no trade clause. I would like to think it's not a possible scenario, but Tavares set the precedent for players lying to their current teams. The only fact we have to go on is he's here now, and we have no idea if he will be here next year or not. Absolutely none.

Got to amend this slightly. In: Montour, Hutton, Pilut, Dahlin, Mittlestadt, sort of Sheary and Scandella - maybe Skinner. Out: Kane, O'Reilly, Lehner, Foligno, sort of Kulikov. The rest are irrelevant. The big thing though is the cap is in really good shape next year and we have room to add pieces. If we do not, the O'Reilly dump is less positive.