How Concerning Is Bruins’ Losing Streak? | The Skate Pod, Ep. 276

How Concerning Is Bruins’ Losing Streak? | The Skate Pod, Ep. 276

Welcome in episode 276 of the skate podcast I am Brian D fiz joined as always by Bridget PR and Scott mcclaflin the Bruins fell to the Seattle Kraken four to one at the Garden so yet again another loss out of the All-Star break the record’s not wonderful but maybe

Scott will get into a little bit later the difference between some of these losses and we’re certainly going to give our takes on last night’s game and last week of hockey and going forward but it’s also going to be discussed this Sunday Scott Bridget you want to mention once

Again yeah so so Sunday is our first episode of Sunday skate actually we bumped into Razer last night in the locker room and we were we were just talking about being excited for that um the Dream Team get getting the game production meeting production meeting in

The Bruins yeah we spoke to David poock and then we were like okay skate pod uh I’m not skate Sunday skate um pasta had some great ideas for oh yeah the the the 940 segment too bad we couldn’t get him on like you know live for for something but

We will have like some of the some of the stuff we talked about with them after the games and and audio from that as well as you know our takes on it but I wanted to bring it up before we started talking about uh the Kracken

Game because uh if you guys are you know listening to us on a daily basis and you are sending us um emails or you know mailbag questions on Twitter or comments on YouTube um even on days that we’re not having mailbags this is a good opportunity to to call us on Sunday and

Ask us then so we get to it quicker I mean uh we’ll we’ll be taking phone calls every uh Sunday morning so uh just an idea for if you’re listening to this it’s going to be pretty much a similar crew we will’ll get Brian from the car

Um you better call in the first show oh I’ll be calling in and and I guess probably worth mentioning uh you know how to listen because I think uh you know our audience has grown so there might be people who don’t don’t usually listen to Wei or whatever but we are on

937 FM on the air you can listen on we.com there’s big listen live button on the Odyssey app so live on all those and we will be posting it at in podcast form after uh both here on the skate pod Channel and on uh on we’s on demand

Channels yes so pretty much we’ll be getting like an extra episode a week now yeah so yeah so that’s February 18th and that goes into the end of the season so we’ll definitely be listening to to Sunday skate And as far as the skate podcast um Bridget Scott why don’t we

Get into the opening shifts and Scott why don’t we start with you yeah my opening shift is that people have to learn how to differentiate between bad losses and good losses I I I get it it’s Sports you know technically there’s no such thing as a as a good loss or a

Moral Victory or whatever but over the course of an 82 Game season there’s losses where you play the right way and your process is good and there’s something to build on and you just don’t get the result and I think these last two Bruins games have been those kinds

Of losses they have controlled play against both Tampa and Seattle they dominated a long stretch of those games obviously they didn’t play perfect because they did end up losing and we’ll get into you know some of the things that did go wrong because there is some

Stuff to clean up for sure but if you play the way that the Bruns played against Tampa in Seattle you are going to win far more games than you lose I get that it’s tempting for people to look at their record since the All-Star break and say 1 three and one

Four losses in five games that’s awful what’s gone wrong are they Fallen apart the Calgary and Washington losses were were awful those were embarrassing straightup Notions tampen Seattle losses they have played better honestly like I’m not worried a after these last two games in fact I’m even encouraged because they

Are at least playing the right way and you can see them building and creating chances getting offensive zone time like it’s if you play that way you will be fine and I think the Bruins for their part need to remember that and you know not get away from it now not get too

Frustrated because they haven’t gotten the results um but it’s it’s a little amazing to me the number of fans I’ve seen um especially on social media acting like the sky falling um and if you had that reaction after Saturday’s loss to Washington I get it because that was that kind of game I

Don’t get it if you watch these last two games like I think you can separate the result from the process and the way that they actually played I think it’s just been a sentiment though because like at the end of that the loss to the Kraken people were booing again and it wasn’t

Like they played a bad game but there were booze again at the very end of and and that’s the thing I can’t explain and you guys were yeah you’re right but what I was actually incover because remember that that episode after the Washington game I

Said like I think most fans can tell the difference between you know not having the effort and having the effort it was encouraging last night that when some fans who I would say were not very intelligent started to boo there was a counter cheer that almost like drowned it out so

That was at least like encouraging to to hear but at the end of the game those people the Optimus had left apparently because I heard a pretty strong boo at I I still heard them like I now then some of them also might have been the uh the hangam and North Andover

Natives cheering baners and in dord I don’t so because they the those fans had plenty of cheer for and there were there were a lot of them in the building Yeah well yeah um those we we know it’s split because of that though like we know that there are

Still some people that it has to be a win it doesn’t matter if it’s you know if they had a good effort if they outshot the opponent if they out chanced them or high danger CH if the lines look like they were meshing um but they loost

I mean think about the the one goal that comes to mind like obviously this was not anyone’s fault like brenon Carl are’s false and then the there’s a three one the other way and that’s really hard to defend and it’s really hard to try to

Stop as a goalie um so like could you stop that yes but are you in a horrible position like and is it completely accidental also yes um and pure knock scores first and it just felt like that game was going to go Boston’s way and it

Felt like okay they’re going to tie it I think that that third goal though you could kind of get the sense all right uh two we’re not sure they’re going to get two today but they if felt like they were going to get one more they didn’t

Um my first my opening shift has to do with um how well that Top Line played and in the Kraken game it was de Brusque zaka poster knock and I wanted to bring it up right off the top because last episode we mentioned debrusk and zaka

Maybe being a little bit down de brusk being another slump and I thought they both had great games I thought poast knock really elevated those two you kind of know you have to play at your best to be next to pasta like you can’t just bring a half-ass effort because you

Don’t want to you know you don’t want to take away from his ability to score and you know that a huge um part of the team’s offense relies on him so you know you have to bring it when you’re on that line and I thought they did um it I

Thought they had probably the best chances of of any of the lines and it was nice to see them bounce back and and they did have the goal Bridget I’m glad you bring this up off the top because um Jake de brusk last night had how many points zero okay

Zero I thought he played phenomenal I I thought that earlier in the year he wasn’t scoring and recently he has been in a slump too but earlier in the year he wasn’t he wasn’t producing and people kept telling me that he was playing really well he was just snake bitten

And I I just straight up and I I’m entitled to this opinion I just didn’t agree like I didn’t agree I I I visually was watching him and I and I saw a player who was like he wasn’t terrible but he was just he was a guy out there

Um and and at the time I I I said if Jake debrusk was for checking his ass off and backchecking his ass off and you know getting his nose in there every shift I would never ever criticize him for not scoring because you can tell that the effort is there and I just

Think that there was a I thought there was a fine line between how he performed last night in a in a production list game versus how he performed earlier in the year during um production list games I and and I and and Scott I I I I know

That um and I’m not saying that this is you but you did you were oftentimes talking about how he was playing well without scoring but I just feel like yes there may have been underlying analytics that backed that up earlier in the season but last night and he did say

Them he did oh oh he did he did but but what you couldn’t say during those games was that night that like he was I thought Jake de Brusque was I thought he was their best forward last night he every shift it’s so obvious when he’s playing when he’s playing to his

Capability even if he’s not scoring because I think he’s one of the f I think he’s the fastest player on the Bruins and I think he’s one of the fast’s I think he’s a top end skater in the league straight straightaway speed so when he’s playing like he was last night

Winning races to lose Pucks in dirty areas on for checks like like it jumps off the page and if he was doing that a lot earlier this year I I’m not blind like it would have jumped off the page then too um but in any event I thought

He played great and I thought that yeah I thought that line played really well um as a unit additionally yeah and it’s it’s encouraging to see him have a game really I’m I would say two games like this because I thought he played really well against Tampa too I know we talked

About that a little in the last podcast but for him to play like this when he has been in a point slump because I I think what happened I did see good games from him early the year quite a few of them I think what happened at time as

Well I agreed with you um I think it was us two versus Brian in that well just just to clarify though like games as dominant as he was last night I don’t think so like last night was a different breed yeah I I think he had some of

Those but I think what happened early in the year is like he put together good efforts the goals still weren’t coming and then you’d see it start to fade and go in and out and then he’d have you know two rough games in a row and all a

Sudden everyone’s on him and this stretch you know he’s now at what seven games without a point so you would think you know du Brusque perhaps in years past you get to five games without a point maybe your whole game falls apart and like you can’t get it back and

And it takes him you know he needs some sort of reset to get that jump back in his game and start building the right way again he was he’s been able to do that these last two games in my mind without any sort of like reset or break

Or you know benching or or something to like jolt him he’s just been able to do this on his own to just like find that and getting put on a line with poso last night I think does help for sure um but yeah I think like the team as a whole if

He plays this way eventually the points are going to come I mean they you know vasileski played great Tuesday against them Joey dord has been one of the best goali in the NHL for over two months now uh his save percentage since like the start of December is second only to

Conor heluk in the NHL guys I added him he was in my fantasy hockey league and oh who who told you to add him Scot I was like all right I need I need a new goalie and and I like looked and I I hadn’t checked and there was like three

Good goalies available I was like okay and I was like Scott who should I add and that’s that was his idea yeah so someone paid me to do fantasy hockey analysis because I’m I’m pretty good at it but anyways so uh yeah and then I was looking up like

Statists so on you know like Natural stat trck you can look up goal saved above expected by game last night was statistically Joe D cord’s best game of the season yeah but if three of those hit the post so you’re welcome yeah why that number was so high

I think clearly last night was a matter of you know Misfortune for the Bruins um you know when people listening to the podcast uh for a long time might think I have some sort of personal Vendetta against uh hampus lolm and Jake de brusk certainly not the case I like de brusk

As a person and I think I think he’s a really good player when he’s on I I think last night like honestly may have been his best game of the season I mean there were like Brandon tanv is a player who if you go into the corner with him

Like you know like you know you’re gonna be in a one-on-one battle he works his ass off and there was one play last night where de Brusque just in T is very fast um and de brus just literally out skated them to the corner full on both

Them in a full-on Sprint like one of those plays where they’re both going to the boards and might not end well and I don’t know man he was just playing with the conviction and and and and he was a man possessed last night and and I’ve been watching I’ve been watching hockey

My whole life and I feel like if I saw that game in and game out in the earlier in the season I would have noticed it more um Maybe not maybe I was my head was in the sand because I just wanted something to be true but I like I like

To give players credit when they play hard and I I just thought he played great so um hopefully that means that you know obviously like we said earlier this year the production still has to be there but um again I’m I’m focused on the spring for this team now granted

They did I do think they fell behind in in the in the division last night for the first time in over 100 days to the second place but they’re still comfortable in the playoff positioning them and the Panthers both have 74 points but technically yeah the Panthers jumped

Them um okay so my opening shift Bri don’t have to put the banner back up it’s okay like I pulled it down because we were already 15 minutes and I’m like I don’t think these are opening shifts anymore we went on a whole tangent about Jake de

Brusk so uh anyway go ahead but it actually is related to it’s it’s it’s related and uh last week I believe it was Bridget was the recipient of a beautiful flower and card on the ninth floor for for women in sports recognition and um one one uh one woman

Who is just exploded onto the seen in the last I would say maybe year and a half two years um and and really kind of appears to be like a true NHL Insider and is seems to be a Pioneer uh Four Women in that in that regard is Emily

Kaplan over at ESPN and I came across a video of hers for ESPN last night talking about specifically the Bruins in their trade deadline approach and certain targets that they could they could go after um the spark notes from her video was that the Bruins will look

To add um they aren’t going to be too aggressive because straight up they don’t have any salary cap space and they don’t have any you know uh draft picks that they would would feel comfortable parting with that they do have in the cupboard and um she also mentioned that

They’re shifting their focus from Center to wing and names she mentioned were Vladimir tereno Anthony declair and San Jose potentially David pan Which I found interesting because Detroit’s in a playoff push of Their Own Pon a leader on that team and a point producer um she mentioned that Steve Eiserman likes to

Um optimize value for players so maybe he thinks that Detroit can still make the playoffs moving on from pan I don’t know and she mentioned for the Bruins like that Lena SAR could be somebody that they would have to get blown away in a in a in a no-brainer type deal to

Move they’ve been trying to shop grizzik for a couple of years she reported he’s still on the table um because eventually the Bruin’s going to have to move out salary cap if they want bring somebody in and because they don’t feel comfortable moving uh draft picks Something’s Gonna have to give um Jake

De brus was a name she mentioned that’s polarizing he’s up for a contract do they keep him as their own rental do they try to trade him in a hockey trade um and she mentioned Jacob loo as a potential player of interest for teams around the league is in in a package

Could Jacob Loko um alone get you a third round pick I don’t know maybe but those are some names she mentioned so Bridget Scott it’s not really an opening shift hot take I guess my question to you guys and my question to the audience is um do do

You agree with the Bruins approach to shift their focus to Wing um in a non-aggressive manner what do you think their approach should be and what do you think of those names she mentioned yeah it’s interesting on on prawn too like one thing eisman’s done I

Think he did this last year and even back in Tampa it’s like he’ll do a little bit of the sell here buy there like little bit of a hybrid approach that the for Boston fans the Red Sox have also done at times and has not gone

Well for them and then G’s had a little more success with it so like I could see I could definitely see him sell Pon because he’s a pending free agent he’s probably not part of their long-term plans and then turn around and like trade for someone with term who’s you

Know a roughly comparable player um yeah it it it all it all makes sense to me like what what she’s reporting you know Bruins are still even with this recent slide tied for the second best record in the NHL obviously they’re in it they they’re going for it they think

They’re a contender um and when you think that you if you’re done Sweeney even with limited assets you have to be looking at ways to add to your team and improve it and and optimize this season even if you can’t go all in like did

Last year which I don’t think any of us expect them to um but yeah so whether that’s middle six forward third liner depth up front on the blue line like they’re not going to be able to do all of it but I’d be surprised if they

Don’t add to at least one of those areas um and she’s right like the the Center Market does seem to be kind of insane right now when you’re talking about the prices that Elias Lindholm and Sean monan already went for when you have Frank Sarah valy saying he thinks the

Capitals are gonna get a first round pick for Nick Dow like I wouldn’t blame any general manager for saying screw that and taking a look at Wing options instead what was the Horvat deal last year I feel like he was some like he was a guy it was Sim it

Was similar to the lindol deal was like a first another pick a top prospect and dangel roster player well who do you think is better uh I would rather have Corvette yeah me too that’s like I I feel like there were more like he was a higher quality Center option last year than

I’ve heard are like available that this time around um at least from like the the trade rumors that we’ve heard so far like his name would still have been higher to me than those other guys but I guess that’s probably just a random tangent um it’s and it’s to say I’m not

Entirely impressed with the center market for what you’d have to give up I could see why they’d want to stay away from from that position and you probably can get a better deal um at wing and especially if it’s more of a depth bottom six um Winger but you want to know what

My go off of that like my one of the main things I was thinking when you were mentioning that was the ALCO piece of it um like to to tie lco to a trade package and like because I don’t see them like one offing like to just want to get a third round

Pick back because like Lao despite him not having a whole lot of offensive upside there’s very few gritty players on this team and you could at least say lco brings that if you needed and that might be something that sets the tone in the playoffs if you have a conversation

With him like Hey on a night where we’re down by two we might need you to go out there and you know mess with someone just provide energy and I think he could be more valuable than third round pick in a playoff run so that part of it was

Was interesting to me because I just feel like that’s maybe a stretch I don’t know I don’t know like maybe we see it happen as part of a package but there’s no reason to to we’re talking already about how we’re not sure how the bottom six will shake

Out and Lao has been playing on the third line like he didn’t play yesterday but um I feel like he’s a piece that they at least want to have for the yeah yeah and and that’s and she when she mentioned him I think she did mention him with the intention of a

Package um being part of of a package um and you know I was surprised too because you know she’s hearing this from somewhere which means that teams around the league to your point Bridget they value those little intangibles That loco would bring to a playoff series and a

Playoff run which is energy and and and um and so if if if other Playoff teams want that shouldn’t the Bruins want want that right now again obviously the question is if you’re parting him if you’re partying from him with you know a grizzik or something like that you would

Imagine that there’s something of of uh value worth it coming back but yeah I found his name to be mentioned interesting maybe it’s why he’s been getting third line Looks to to to show other teams around the league he could be be third lineer hint hint wink wink I

I’m not sure would then he got then he got healthy scratch two games yeah yeah that that definitely hurts that theory no doubt about it Scotty yeah he did um but also like think about it this way though so say we we were talking about Pat maroon and he’s on an expiring

Contract right yeah ISO uh we’ll have to pull that up but like say because L was younger obviously maroon is at the tail end of his career has one more year after this so he’s not a true rental and then is still a restricted free agent so there’s so like

There’s several years of team controll I could see a situation where Minnesota would be like even if if maroon has better like upside this season they don’t really care because he’s like they’re not going deep in the playoffs like they’re they’re not worried about that right now and he’s essentially a

Rental for them already so I could see them wanting to add someone younger like a younger version almost of like a fourth liner that that can be gritty but like now you might have him for a little bit longer and um he’s not super expensive and you might you have Team

Control for a little bit long longer like could you see like a one for one on a guy that’s like an older rental bottom six forward for a younger like laa like a younger bottom six forward that is in a rental like they can actually keep as part of a piece for the

Future yeah that like something like that intrigues me and if if it came to that like I would make that trade I would trade lowo one for one for Maroon I think that that veteran presence I still think maroon has more offensive game than than L has shown so far so um

That would make sense uh you know you might even have to throw in a late round pick or something but yeah that that’s where like I could be okay with parting with loo is if you’re bringing in someone else who’s you know more of a veteran more established than him who’s probably

Gonna play over him it kind of makes him Expendable and again I get he could be part of your future but in all things considered like a fairly limited role like I there was a time where I thought maybe he might have had third line upside I I don’t see that

Right now you know may maybe he makes a jump in an off season at some point but we really haven’t seen that at the NHL level from him yet um so I’m not going to overvalue Fourth liners like that that gets teams in trouble so if if part

Part if a team is interested in loo and it helps get me something helps upgrade my bottom six then sure and and yeah and and if if that trade ever happened you would have a big faction of Bruins fans that would look at Pat maron’s foot speed and Jacob Loco’s foot speed and

They they would just instantaneously just be like what what are they doing they’re trying to get faster it’s like okay Time Out Hold up for a second number one I don’t care how fast Loo’s feet move he can’t handle the puck in fact maybe they move too fast

For his hands because he has he makes no he makes no plays out there with the puck I haven’t seen loo make more than five good passes all year um you know seems to really have have trouble stick handling when he’s SC really selling them on Minnesota Brian you’re really

Selling them to the and to those to those who want to you know dog on maroon say what you want the guy’s got three cups um at one point in his career you know he was on the line with a young young McDavid not saying he was keeping

Up well with McDavid but you know if you’re on the line with McDavid you got to move your feed a little bit um like I guess what I’m saying is like knows how to play with good players if he needs to um and and yeah like just brings that

Leadership and that and that that toughness in that scor again don’t don’t forget Loco has like what four five six points in the season like maron’s capable of doing more than that like there’s that’s objectively I mean the guy the guy can score at the NHL level

At a certain clip that’s better than loo for sure um he that would be interesting for his career like say he won another Stanley Cup with Boston or like another like say he gets traded to the Stanley Cup winner like he you’ll have to put him in the

Conversation for like very greatest of all time oh not greatest of all time but like he’s def like part of those like random conversations about like remember when this guy won with all these different teams and and like he was he was a fourth liner but he would he he’d

Have as many cups as Wayne Gretzky he would that is why he would like cement himself even if people forgot who he was like years down the line you know it would be next to it’ be you’d be looking through the record book you’d be like oh yeah Pat maroon won all

Those but um to it if he got brought into Boston yeah you’re right some of the fans just don’t like him already I mean I can already see yeah I can I can see all the analytic all the analytics Darlings looking at looking at it and being like what are they doing maroon

Maroon you know he skates and mud he sucks sucks get him a pizza it’s like all right well he can he can he can eat that pizza with three rings in his finger C calm down Jack exactly no but it’s it’s true it’s like I it amazes me it’s like you know

Getting to the National Hockey League is I mean you’re talking tens of thou how many people have played in the NHL like like all time like to the amount of people I don’t know but I saw a stat today that yoger has played with like 39% of them that’s crazy well there was

There was a stretch until like the last year or two where it it was something like it was like 30 something straight Cup winners had at least one player who was teammates with yamir Yager at some point like it was like an unreal streak yeah I I just um you know just to

Just to tie it back around like for everybody who it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s you know pretty popular on here to to on MAR room but it’s like look um the lightning he was good enough to be on their fourth line for two Cup wins

And the blues thought he was good enough to be on their team and and and as Bruins fans know in 2011 there wasn’t one Bruin who didn’t carry their weight on that roster it takes a whole team to win and he was very much a part of the bottom six identity of three

Championship teams and you can’t take that away from the player and um Ryan thank you for your Tomas cabet appreciation oh listen Tomas Tomas CET he he was he was he was more solid than people he yeah well guess what there were very few times that I I would

Have booed the Bruins but I would boo him like I don’t understand here’s the thing about Tomas I I’m pretty sure the reason Bruins fans may not have liked him was because like he was supposed to be like their quarter their pp1 quarterback and they had the worst part

Of the team it was the worst part of the team um but as I just said it takes the team to win a cup and he played a role he played it he Adam McQuade was not an established third third de guy he was a rookie like cabet probably helped him a

Lot and I think MCU would probably the first maybe they maybe they did it in in in spite of c c he had like 11 assists that person yeah he he he moved the puck like it was it was you need that guy um I didn’t like him but and well you know

You know what’s funny like I feel like he was the team punching back because like three or four years ago during during Co the Bruins had that like Zoom watch of the 2011 game seven and like you could just tell the guys were all giving it to him I’m pretty sure Ka like

Signed out of the zoom because he was getting harassed like halfway through to I just like this Tomas cabet was tied for second on the team and assist that postseason yeah he that’s so funny to me like it just doesn’t feel like that yeah

No I I I I had I thought he was totally I thought he was exactly what that that third D pair needed I mean you had mcquade’s size and toughness and you know defensive ability and then you had caval just kind of the veteran moving the puck I mean McQuade was never the

Best transition player so um but event speaking of that 2011 team guys um 2011 2019 uh 2013 all three cup runs neither one of those cup runs was there you know I mean yoger and 13 I suppose but um none of those cup runs had a you know

Allin approach right they had a let’s compliment the team that has gotten us to this point um you know 2011 you you I mean Blake wheeler ended up being a really good player in the National Hockey League in a c and they traded him away at the deadline

Um for Rich peverly and and Chris Kelly um those two players helped you know F fill in the third line the way that that that team needed them to um and now and now the Bruins coaching staff and now the coaching staff uh C came in

Obviously um 13 was yogger no no no no no I know I I know what you’re saying I know what you’re saying uh 20 not a coach as far as I know 20 20 no no yeah I know Chris Kelly is yeah um 2013 they bring in yogger yes

Uh 19 they bring in Coyle and Johansson as opposed to last year they bring in orloff and berzi and haway like very much all in didn’t pay dividends so long long way of me of of me saying like maybe it’s like yeah just have a have a deadline where like you just compliment

What you have that’s gotten you to this point so far now I do think this year is tough for the Bruins they don’t have much to offer it’s like I have when I think of the Bruins deadline approach if the Bruins were the only team in the league I think they have a

Tough time like if they were one of two teams in the league they have a tough time pitching to the other team something worth giving them a trade you add to the fact that like other te other contenders will also be bidding for said players I do fear that the Bruins like

Do the Bruins have anything that any other team doesn’t like every team has middle round picks every team has NHL roster players that they could probably part with does that worry you guys that the brunes don’t have anything better than other teams that will be looking for um the same players the Bruins

Are yeah well I mean if you’re aiming for like a higher in the lineup impact player it almost certainly is going to have to cost you one of your top prospects so whether that’s Mason Luray Fabian lysel or Matt ptra like that that’s what could could separate you

It’s to your point like it’s not the picks other teams have more picks than they do more cap space the roster players that the Bruins might be willing to move are pending free agents which aren’t really gonna interest certainly not like a rebuilding team um you know

Why would they like as much as we sit here and talk about you know could they move out to brus grizzli forberg because from the Bruins perspective those are your pending free agents and it’s like well can you get something for them can you upgrade whatever it’s like okay

Where are you sending those are you sending them to some other Contender and then doing like a second deal with a non-c contend like how how exactly is that working um yeah it’s it’s tough It’s why like I don’t personally I don’t think they’re going to land a high impact player I

Think it’s going to be more along the lines of of depth you know third liner bottom six um maybe a third pairing defense like third pairing defenseman something like that I mean the name unless they move de br I mean de Brusque I mean allmark is all Mark’s the name that Emily Kaplan

Mentioned she said the Bruins would have to part with uh they’d have to be blown away to do that but it’s like again if you’re talk that’s really the only that that’s the one area where the Bruins there’s two areas where the Bruins I think have a surplus

Where like to this point about what do they have that the rest of the league doesn’t and I know it flies in the face of the of the goalie tandem combination um but objectively the two areas where the Bruins have an abundance of wealth is left side D and goal tending now if

You’re W whether or not you’re willing to part with any of those positions that’s totally up to an individual to decide or have an opinion on and I’m not here to uh persuade somebody to get rid of a goenda I’m just saying objectively those are their two areas of strength right

Now I would say um where they have an advantage over the field if they were to get in a bidding war whether you want to part with those pieces that’s up to anybody to decide um but like dep in defense and the goal tending do is also

What gives them more value like to themselves like their own playoff run that that’s why that’s why it’s a double-edged sword I’m just saying like when you don’t have any cap space and you don’t have any picks and you don’t have like like again every other team

Has those things I’m just saying those are the two things you do have and yes if you part with them your you’re subtracting your part of your strength and the idea is you’re subtracting part of your strength to you know balance out some of your deficiencies and that’s why

It’s kind of a polarizing conversation I mean the names that Emily Kaplan mentions Anthony declair Vladimir tereno David pan like I don’t know how the Bruins are getting any of those guys like San Jose is gonna want I mean duclair is one of their best players in San Jose um like

They’re going to want to get optimize him if they get if they part with him um I I I don’t see how they get even those guys uh without giving up something of of of sufficient value and that’s why like to your point Bridget 100% you get rid of allmark your goal tending

Situation is lesser than it is now yep 100% you get rid of grizzli your left side depth is not what it is now um that’s you gota you have to give to get the question is do Bruins fans and does Bruins management do they feel that that

Potential swing and and and um ability to balance out a weakness with uh by giving up a some strength is worth it and I think that’s why it’s an interesting discussion yeah and and we know Don Sweeney has nightmares over losing defenseman in the playoffs like he has

Gone out of his way to add as much depth on defense as possible the last couple years so to suddenly like trade away from that and leave yourself thinner on the back end would really fly in the face of what we’ve seen from Sweeney the last couple years so I don’t think that

Happens unless you’re turning around and adding a defenseman um and again I also just still wonder like what value do grizzli and and forward even have on the open market right now unless it’s to another Contender that maybe like Tampa I’m sure is definitely Tampa is definitely looking for a defenseman right now

Because they lost male serach for the season and right now they’re dressing like three NHL defensemen and three Jags like that they definitely need an upgrade they they could probably use a grizzli like a you know there I think there’s room in that blue line for one

Defenseman who’s not six2 or taller um but are you gonna trade Matt grizzli in the division to a team you might face in the first or second round maybe like if you don’t think if you don’t value him and you don’t think it’s going to come back to hurt you but

Boy but that that would suck if uh you lose to Tampa and you know grizzli has a really solid Series against well who who Who’s T who’s Tampa giving Boston to a team that they might potentially play in the first round if that trade happens I

Don’t know this is the problem like I know that like Tampa never Tampa doesn’t have any depth to to trade away Tampa would want to trade pick prospect whatever like they’re not trading off their their active that’s what yeah that’s why I’m saying like it it’s that that trade those trade Partners wouldn’t

Be that but that’s why I’m if you’re going to if you’re going to say like what the Bruins want to give grizzli to a like Tampa would have to I’m I’m I’m sure that somebody would come the other way too right so it would be kind of a

Wash like they’ be playing that risk too like they be giving Boston somebody potentially because Boston I don’t think would just trade Griz for nothing or like picks like they want somebody back um do you think we could see do you think we could see something similar to

Was it it wasn’t two years no how many years ago was it that de bruss signed his extension three two that was two years ago two um so do you think we could see a similar thing happen like his name is coming up at the trade

Deadline and then their move is to to like extend him rather than you know what I mean like because that news came out of nowhere that time but it wouldn’t surprise me as much this time if for whatever reason like the timing worked out where they’re like all right are you

Gonna stay do you have any intention of staying with us okay well then let’s just sign now um I I think debrusk would would like for that to happen I think he’d much prefer to get a deal done now he he’s said he he reiterated to us just

A couple weeks ago that you know he doesn’t really want a test free agency he wants to stay in Boston I know people don’t believe him because two and a half years ago he requested a trade a lot has changed since then like he he’s been

Very clear that he wants to stay here and he wants to get an extension done I’m sure question is whether whether the brooms want to commit to him and how far apart of they on money and years and all that so yeah yeah yeah I could see it happening um

I I know like I’m still I’m not in the trade de brus Camp unless you’re getting a clear upgrade like like one name that now I don’t think they’re selling because they’ve gotten hot but the St Lou blues for a while looked like a team that might sell and one of the names

That popped up is a player I love pavl bich if you told me you were trading whether it’s all in the same deal or two separate deals like you were trading to brusa away and getting pav bich I’d be like cool great like I think bich is an

Upgrade sign me up outside of that like I’m not trading de Brusque and then bringing in some you know bringing in David pan who’s like a downgrade or you know at the very least of wash like that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense

To me yeah and and you know if if de Brusque you might be able to get at in terms of a contract uh a good deal compared to what you thought you were going to if you signed it earlier in the season or you know if you signed it in the off season

Uh prior to this season so like I feel like it’s got to be at least uh tempting to to see that his I mean unfortunately his value has gone down in terms of being inconsistent but it helps it might help his case to stay because um his number well depending on

How low the Bruins are are trying to to bring that number down to like he he might not he’s not really in a position to be thinking about try like trying the market and I mean he can obviously everybody that’s a free agent and he might be able to get more money outside

Of Boston but if he values being here and agents hate when a player goes on the record and is like I want to stay here they’re like no you you have to at least pretend like but would debrus make sense he doesn’t want to get he already

Knows that the fan base is kind of turned on him at different times so you kind of have to be like no I want to be in Boston um but yeah yeah what were you just looking up you definitely looking something up I was typing something into our private

Chat if oh great oh no our our private chat that that will now go public and um yeah I mean ultimately I think that um look I I I think right now I think I think the Bruins have some answers internally I I I I’m not expecting

Anything major at the trade deadline I don’t think they should because you know personally I I despite their record I still have some some doubts about this team like about going all in on this team and I don’t think they have the assets to do it anyway so I think they

Should I think they have a player in Mason Luray who whenever he’s healthy they should call his ass back up to Boston um and I think that you go out you get maybe like a Jacob Middleton type player on defense I think you trim up your fourth your bottom six I think

You you know I think Steen out of the lineup at some point I would have a fourth line of beer hinen and inser you know trade deadline upgrade Pat mun or something like that have a third line of geeky Frederick give lysel a look and just you know roll with what you have

Try to give people some looks um but uh yeah so bigger picture the Bruins are on a bit of a losing streak right now post All-Star Break um what’s what’s what’s the concern level Scott with you right now clearly I know they’ve been playing better the

Last couple of games but other other big picture issues you’re seeing that you are concerned about despite the efforts the last couple of nights well tying into my my lead like my concern level has gone down in these last two losses because I think they’ve played much better hockey and so just

Because the results aren’t there doesn’t mean like um for me it usually when a a losing streak goes from one to two to three your concern level would go up for me it’s actually gone the opposite way right now like I think they’re playing better I think if they play this way

They will pull themselves out of it um there are some concerns there the penalty kill continues to struggle and on Seattle’s first goal last night they lindol and Frederick just get caught both of them get caught flat footed at the line and Jordan Eberly by the way another potential uh trade deadline

Target to throw out there pending free agent uh blows right by them with speed and ends up in all alone on swayan um didn’t think that was Swan’s best moment either he didn’t know where the puck went after making the first save but shouldn’t have come down shouldn’t have

Been a one-on-one in the first place um so penalty kill they got to straighten out uh and then some of the you know some of the decisions that Lee odman rushes I mean look Carlo falling it’s a freak play like I’m not gonna lose any sleep over that the final Seattle goal

Like the back breaker that makes it three to one po decision by Parker weather spoon he just tees up a slapper right into a guy standing five feet in front of him that’s almost that’s a really easy recipe for an odd man Rush the other way um maybe that’s frustration because they’re getting

Chances they have offensive zone time they can’t break through and so you think I’m just gonna Tee It Up and shoot it through someone physics doesn’t really work that way NOP that’s not how that works uh I mean yeah so what’s uh you know what what’s the best deep here to

Have hampus lolm on I mean that that that first goal it’s it’s it’s a it’s a it’s a bad it’s a bad read by ly Holm furthermore it’s like on the broadcast they talked about how lolm thought Frederick may have had it like I mean lyol like literally just watched it

Happen um would you rather see him with makoy or would you rather see him with Carlo Carlo I think yeah I think I think him and Carlo work really well together yeah I think so too I mean I’m thinking I’m thinking like the the best group of

Six I could see back there for Boston like realistically I would I would like to see makoy and lorai and then linol and Carlo and then you know Middleton and wspoon or F I don’t know hopefully he can get somebody like that but I I don’t know that in which case youve discluded

Grizzli forbert and shaton Kirk in that well no who who did I say no maybe shaton Kirk with with uh with Middleton I don’t know have a rotation figure it out but the top four I like to see Lura with mavo and lyol and Carlo but that

That play like I just didn’t look misreads happen um to sit there and watch uh who who was it for uh uh the opponent that that that took that in um e Everly is the one who got behind Everly yeah so I mean he got behind him and then he just like watched

Him like he had like an extra whack at it it’s like lyol what are you doing like seriously like we got there where we got we came around to it can I ask you guys a question though can I ask you guys a question is it me like is it

Me I think I think you have some some bias there but I on that play I have bias no no no not on that one that was a bad but of of everything to bring up from that game that would not have been

My one of my it’s a big it’s a big play yeah I mean brues are up one nothing and now it’s a tie game it’s a big play I can’t not mention that Brian’s right on this one and even I’m usually H lolm Defender I even tweeted last night like

Even outside of that it was a rough start he um I forget who it was but he lets someone get behind oh it’s Bor strand he like get behind him on a stretch pass and then he tries to like line him up for a big hit instead of

Playing contain and completely whiffs uh that ends up being a good chance like I I did think he recovered and got better as the game went on and you saw saw him uh activating the offensive zone quite a few times and help create some good chances and I think H slom has been

Playing pretty well for for a while now so I’m not gonna get on him too much but that was a rough play yeah I’m I’m not I’m not even talking about his previous games like I think he’s been fine too like I mean but that play it’s a big

Play I mean there’s no other way to put it I’m not gonna Pat him on the back for you know last week’s games but I’m looking at what happened last night it’s it’s I’m we’re talking about one game last night um and you know like when they first brought him over his first

Game as a breu against Tampa I don’t know if you guys remember that but it was like holy this guy’s amazing like he’s so good I just want I just I just wonder where that guy went I wonder where the guy from last regular season went I mean that’s an unfair statement that

That was a low blow I’m sorry hampus um you haven’t been like brutal he’s he he’s he’s been he’s been good he hasn’t been great and I think he’s a great hockey player when he’s playing his best but that play that play I can’t excuse

That like it’s a Mis if you misread you get your ass back out of out of guilt and Desperation you don’t just sit there and glide back with a with a pizza cut like you’re like what are you doing well I thought I thought Billy jaffy and Barry Peterson had pretty good

Commentary on it and on the penalty kills struggles in general where it just seems like it’s a lot right now it’s a lot of guys like getting caught in between and being a little unsure of like should I attack here or or fall

Back do I have him or do you have him am I going to that area or you going to that area and it’s like for whatever reason the communication and the fast decision making that you need on a penalty kill just isn’t there right now and like that’s it’s been such a

Strength that there’s for so long that like it’s it’s odd to see and you know Hey listen Joe sacko gets a ton of Praise when the penalty kill is at 90% so like you got to give him some blame now I think he is a very good

Coach and I think they’ll get it figured out but right now it’s it it doesn’t doesn’t look like the Bruins penalty kill we used to all right well 60 seconds or less who’s up Who’s down for me hampus lyol is up and uh no I’m just kidding uh I

Mean look they they they’ve had they’ve had a tough couple of games in the win loss column um since the All-Star break are there any notable quick UPS Downs for you guys I mean maybe just may maybe just let’s just go with a couple of UPS

Because you know you can probably make a list of guys who might be down but you know who despite despite the win loss record since the All-Star break who who’s battling through it who’s I think Charlie M had a great game last night too I thought I thought he be a

Difference Maker I thought Jake de Brusque had a great game last night um anybody else for you guys paavo Zak has been coming alive as you mentioned Scott last episode a little bit played well last night too yeah Pak scores the only goal he had I think 14 shot attempts and you know

He’s still putting up points so that that’s an easy one we could default to almost every week but I think he he remains up even though yeah we don’t usually we’re like oh yeah tack it on at the end oh yeah impas not g yeah he’s he’s our he’s our he’s our

Wild card if we ever just don’t have any options yeah was up yeah I’ll I’ll throw Trent Frederick is still being a little bit down he remains stuck in a like like de brus stuck in a a pointless slump um and whereas de brusk has now had a couple really good games especially

Thursday night I think you’re still kind of waiting to see Frederick get back to making the kind of impact he was before the allstar break I think uh I thought Rashard like again he’s he’s giving it an honest effort um since his call up I just don’t think he’s you know the

Difference Maker that anybody really expects at all but I mean he he’s trying um and but you know boquist and Steen again until those guys do something like yeah I’m good I’m all set I mean not to be mean but like I’m all set with Steen

And I could you know I could probably try to rhyme a couple of the words I don’t think he’s lean uh oh Jesus I think we should end it here before before he starts to rap about Oscar scene I think we need to finish this off

All right right well before we sign off guys so um hope everybody has a great weekend it’ll be a better weekend if on Sunday morning they tune into to Sunday skate at what time 9:00 a.m 9:00 a.m on Wei 2:11 who’s bringing the who’s bringing the

Donuts Scott you’re going to have to you know watch your back because don’t forget Bridget still has a bit of a Vengeance against you you kind of tried earlier in the week you better you know sleep with one eye open I think I yeah

And I I hope you know that I I have a very long memory for things like that well Bridget you are the best um I will never get on your bad side I hope you have a wonderful weekend Scott good luck to you and uh I’ll be listening

Brian in the car we’ll be calling in I’m sure and uh to our listeners have a wonderful weekend and we’ll talk to you on Monday hey guys thanks for watching the skate podcast if you want to see more of our videos visit our playlist not in front of a screen you can listen

To us on Spotify Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast don’t forget to follow us on social media and if you enjoyed this video please don’t forget to give us a thumbs up subscribe to our Channel and leave a comment

Discussing the Bruins’ effort in their loss to the Kraken, the DeBrusk-Zacha-Pastrnak line and what positives there are to take from Thursday’s game. Plus, more trade rumor discussions that involve Jakub Lauko and Jake DeBrusk.

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