Bruins Shut Out First-Place Canucks, Lose Poitras For Season | The Skate Pod, Ep. 273

Bruins Shut Out First-Place Canucks, Lose Poitras For Season | The Skate Pod, Ep. 273

Welcome into episode 273 of thecate podcast I’m Brian d f joined by Bridget PR and Scott mcclaflin so the first game after the All-Star break the Bruins no show to Calgary the second game after the All-Star break they turn it right around Bridget I’ll throw it right to

You with the opening shifts an impressive win over the Vancouver Canucks four to nothing yeah uh really couldn’t have possibly looked more different than the first game um and you know talking to coach and the players after that that Tuesday game it was like yeah we we just weren’t ready

And and they said you know practice went fine but for whatever reason in the game that they just had really nothing for the entire game and then um when they immediately took a penalty against Calgary I’m like oh no here we go again but then Marshon scores short-handed

Immediately um and you’re like okay this game looks like it’s going to be different uh it’s not going to be like Tuesday and then zaka scores and then like you get the sense like okay people have their legs under them uh it looks totally different you know you already

Battle back from adversity being on the penalty kill scoring and then um we’ll get into it more but two short-handed goals in the same game was first time this season it does not happen very often um but yeah all in all just a complete uh 180 from Tuesday to Thursday

And even some of the players were kind of joking about it after the game Lind Hol was like yeah we were joking this was our first game back um because they know that they know a show it on Tuesday yeah so my opening shift is directly tied to those two short-handed

Goals in the first period that put the Bruns up two nothing and essentially set the tone for the night um Charlie Coyle right in the middle of b gets assists on both of them uh you know the the first one it’s Martian puts J go under a

Little bit of pressure on the for check Coyle in the right spot to pick up the pick off the pass up the boards and sets up Martian in front uh second one he forces the turnover in the defensive Zone kind of picks JT Miller’s pocket and then sends Danton Heinen off the

Other way for for a great finish and it’s it’s interesting because the Bruns penalty kill in general has not been good enough recently like it has definitely slid over the last couple months in terms of percentages um but yet they’ve started scoring some short-handed goals they now

Have five in their last 15 games which is the most in the NHL in that time and it’s like yeah obviously first and foremost you want to get your structure back in the penalty kill you want to not take as many penalties uh so those are still key

Areas to focus on that they have to improve but in the meantime like you know if you’re being aggressive and at least taking taking some chances and scoring some short-handed goals that helps offset some of it and in the case of Thursday night um completely swung the game you

Know that that could have Vancouver has a really good power play you put them on a couple early ones like that really could have gone the other way and instead the Bruins end up with with all the momentum and the Canucks just um you know you could tell like sort of all

Their energy was just sapped right out of the gate in the first period yeah after their third they had three power plays after well I mean they had more than that but like talking about their first three power plays after that third one the Bruins were outshooting them 14

To six and they had the power play time Bruins hadn’t and the Bruins had also scored two short-handed goals it was like complete it just the stats did not look good for their for their power play um and also I tweeted this out but that was dayon Heinen’s second ever short-handed

Goal the last like it’s been a long time since he scored a short-handed goal the last time and the only other time that he did it was in 2017 October of 2017 when he was with the Bruins the first time and meanwhile meanwhile for marshand 35th of his career which is now

Tied for ninth all time he’s into the top 10 in NHL history which you know we’ve known for a long time he’s a great short-handed player and obviously for years and years it was with berson as the other forward out next to him and now this year he continues to do it with

Usually coy as his main partner now so um you know just I said before like I I think he is a future Hockey Hall of Famer and and that’s part of it is that his whole career he’s been a penalty killer and been very good at it and been

Quite frankly dangerous at at at it um to to opposing teams yeah he’s he’s two points away from having a like to reaching 5050 points which would be his 11th 50o season and then like you look at how many 60 point Seasons he’s had like and then you go up and up from

There it’s like yeah this guy’s a Hall of Famer however I don’t think anyone’s ever catching Gretzky for the short-handed goal Gretzky was like 79 or something like that and then everybody 73 yeah then everybody else is is it’s a big jump down uh and maron’s like you

Mentioned Ninth at 35 it’s like there’s no way he’s catching 73 yeah so you guys bring up some good points off the top I mean Bridget your 180 take is um definitely of note and we’ll get into you know just kind of how they need to play going forward the

Second half of the Season obviously needs to be a lot closer to what they did against Vancouver than Calgary and and and Scott you mentioned the short-handed goals also you guys mentioned Danton Heinen who again just such a such a high value ad for the Bruins um this season entering the regular season

Still not under contract and you know Denton Heinen’s just been a great story for them and and a an important contributor especially in the bottom six of their lineup and um yeah that short-handed goal was that was a goal scor’s goal that was a confident shot confident Puck protection confident

Speed lots of love on that play my opening shift is probably where we might start the majority of the podcast due to its Personnel implications on the roster but the Matt potra experience this season has come to an end officially he underwent successful right shoulder surgery on February 7th ending

His season I believe it’s about a femon recovery time and I guess just what’s your initial reactions to that Bridget and Scott because the Matt Potter experience seems to first of all as we currently speak is still very promising but this season in in preseason he was so eye opening that

He not only got caught the attention of Bruins fans watching he caught the attention of management because they gave him an opening night spot on the roster and started the year off as a productive forward for them on a score sheet and I don’t know things just kind of

Quickly went South and it didn’t really start with maybe his play it kind of started with Montgomery just kind of benching him at times um more so kind of because he was young and maybe just wasn’t trusted in key moments but kind of started there whether you agree with

It or not then you know they had some some timed or scheduled um scratches for him yeah like load management I load management and then he goes to World Juniors and he comes back and just it just never really seemed like he got back to where he was earlier in the year

And it kind of seemed like it there was a Snowball Effect just objectively speaking of like his production going down and he was kind of offensively anemic the last month or so and then you know he’s battling injuries of course and you know leads to a um you know a

Season ending shoulder surgery so I guess it’s two prong uh first to you guys what what was your reaction how do you feel about it in general uh the effect that his presence not being there this year could have on the team and then um you know do they try to just

Fill that void internally externally at the trade deadlines does it change the team’s Approach at all in the bottom six this year well yeah so I’ll start with you know his season kind of going sideways over the last month plus and I I still have no problem with

Sending him to World Juniors I know some people are going to kind of started there and say that’s when it sort of went off the rails but to me really it it all comes down to the injury which was in his third game back so it’s not

Even like he really had much ramp up time um people might remember it happened in that Arizona game January 9th he he threw it he threw a check and the injury didn’t actually happen on the hit itself it happened as he fell to the ice he kind of break his fall and and

Just caught his shoulder awkwardly um and then yeah you know he missed a little bit of time after that came back played a few games then missed the last game before the break against Philly and um you know whe whether it was a I don’t

Think it was a smoke screen I think Jim Montgomery legitimately thought things were trending in the right direction coming back from the break and obviously they weren’t I I can say um watching Monday’s practice there was a drill where he he took a shot and then like immediately grabbed that shoulder and

Kind of did the the old like baseball kind of like you know move it around type thing and I was like that clearly still bothering him obviously he goes to a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and that’s when the decision gets finalized to have surgery so I’m sure he was battling through it

I’m sure there were probably a couple re-aggravation along the way um and so I I almost I almost throw out like this whole last month and say it was the injury like it was the injury that caused the decline production probably some of the decline in minutes um maybe

You know needing more time off like It’s just tough and I think for him you know you get it done now he’s ready to go by July you get pretty much a full summer of training going into training camp in preseason next year and obviously you

Know he’s gonna have to use it to it I I say bulk up I guess really what I mean is just get stronger like get more playing strength because I think it was evident at times that like he got banged around pretty good and and you know so

Some of that is like pure strength part of is also learning how to take hits how to avoid hits just how to get yourself into better positions um and and be able to last you know a whole season because it’s a little bit of a freak injury but

There’s no question like he was getting banged up even outside of that so um you know I think definitely the right thing to do to get it done now Montgomery talked about how maybe they could have try to manage it you know keep it going through the end of the

Season but then he he almost certainly would have needed surgery no matter what and then if you get it done in the off season you’re talking about him not being back till you know November December and now you’re now you’ve had no off season training so like that just

It it would that almost would have like cost them all of next year too in terms of being able to develop physically yeah and he probably wouldn’t have been super effective anyway trying to play through it so it’s like you’re getting a diminished like 70% or 80 you

Know what I mean whatever the percentage maybe it’s not 100% and then you’re also setting it back and it’s just unfortunate for him because I remember that I when he landed on the ice uh and you could see him like immediately kind of like hold the shoulder area and um it

Looked awkward and that was exactly a month ago I just looked it up um it was January 9th um so you know it just it stinks for him his season was really like in the beginning it was it was so positive and then things just started happening that it was like okay well

Here’s a little setback and then obviously season ending surgery is the ultimate setback for for anyone and especially when you’re a rookie um to have that cut short especially on a team like the Bruins her in first place and you’re thinking okay you know I get my

First taste of the stany Cup playoffs this year and then you know that’s going to have to wait um so when you’re on a team like Boston it hurts extra because you’re thinking I want to be with the guys on this playoff run I’m sure it’s going to be painful for him like

Emotionally to just have to watch that um and not be a part of it on the ice and and you know it you all that kind of stuff uh factors into just kind of the emotional roller coaster that is having your season ended by by injury yeah and look I I think it’s

Definitely a net positive for him I mean he’s gotten his feet wet in the National Hockey League um he he he knows now what it what it what it means to be uh an NHL and I think to Scott to your point like he’s going to have to like all nhlers do

Especially when you enter the league young age but every summer you try to you know put on you know size and strength but Patra now knows exactly why that is and I I do think that some of his fragility is is due to Youth and and and uh immaturity physically but it’s

Also kind of bad luck too like all injuries can be um so he’s definitely an important part of their future but he’s not part of their future in the next uh you know four months three four three months four months of playoff hockey if they if they get that far so so where

Does the team go from here yeah so you know in the immediate short term obviously they’re sticking with as as their four centers right now Coy zaka geeki bokvist um Frederick can shift over and play some Center if needed to I do wonder if that’s how it stays or

If they now look at okay do we need another option um you know that they have a cut and that doesn’t necessarily mean trade that means what do you have in Providence is Johnny beer coming back this year do you think he’s taken steps since going down to Providence

To grow his game in the ways you wanted him to and you know you you look at him and think okay he can come back up and help us at some point because look I think beard does a lot of the things that we feel like they could use he’s he’s good

On faceoffs um generally he’s pretty good defensively although I think there were times that slipped this year um has speed he’s physical um by the way did did you guys see the NHL this week like readjusted all their hits stats and guys gained like some guys get like multiple

Bruns gained like 20 plus hits for the season as like Garnet haway picked up like 45 more hits like just just weird anyways but but but how did they accidental H how’s that the case like like AR isn’t a body check pretty pretty basic like well hits are like they’re

Pretty subjective in terms of like how much contact like it takes for it to be a hit but I would say they’ve never been tracked especially they’re because they are very random from rank to rank which is why like some teams will have like a

Lot more hits at home than on the road and it’s like well yeah that’s because you know the guy scoring it at home is giving every little bump as a hit um but yeah I guess I guess the NHL just felt like they were like so far off that they

Actually had to they literally had people go through every game and like retract them which whatever I don’t know I guess they thought that was important but um anyways not not my point uh you know but beer brings some physicality I think he’s still even being down as long as he

He’s been like fourth on the team in hits um the question is you know do you trust him do you think he can get there this season Georgie melov is down there does he get get another chance at some point right right now their their first

Call up to fill out the roster was Anthony Rashard um we’ll see if he we see him in game action but he’s he’s a Winger anyways not a center so you know look at internal options if you think you might need some help or or go out on

The trademark which we already thought you know they might potentially look for a center somewhere even if it’s not you know you’re Elias lolm Sean Monahan you know maybe like a nickd with someone I mentioned before something like that um but yeah I think you know now knowing

That you don’t have potraits like that’s obviously one option who’s played a lot of Center for you this year that’s that’s gone so you have to decide uh if if you think you’re gonna have enough or if that needs to be supplemented from the outside by the way

Just like while you mentioned Anthony Rashard we’re probably not g to talk about him too much this podcast but someone did ask Montgomery post game about him and he said um uh they’re hoping for him to bring speed I guess he’s he’s a pretty fast player um but yeah they don’t really know

Exactly where they’re slotting him in yet it sounded like um but I mean I think I think realistically he’s probably the 13th forward and you know maybe he rotates in at some point but that that’s I think that’s why like I know everyone’s like why don’t they

Bring up Fabian LEL he’s been on a heater too and it’s like well if you just bring the guy up to be a 13th forward and he’s going to be sitting four out of every five games like not helpful yeah but to that point though like whenever they call somebody up with

The intention of not filling popcorn for the players in in between the uh periods like I look I know there’s I I know Fabian lysel is A’s he’s a right winger um you know ptro is slotted to play center but I just feel like at the end

Of the day ultimately you’re down a skill player you’re down a skill forward so I think that needs to be replaced with something you know not not exactly the same but some something with a similar ceiling right like you don’t want to replace Matt patra’s season

Ending injury with with Jacob loo on the third line it’s just not I especially when you have in internal options like I I always come back to this and I understand it comes down to the players performing and and building that trust in in the organiz but when you have promising

Prospects plus opportunity I don’t I I I don’t like when when teams waste their organizational depth like what’s the point then like it’d be one thing if the Bruins were were were healthy and they were clicking on on on all cylinders which you know they are playing well but

When when you find out that Matt Patra is down for the season and combine that with lysell playing well I just don’t see why they can’t find a way to bring him up just to give him an opportunity kind of like what we talked about with Georgie merula earlier this year but I

Just don’t want to see them waste their system when you have opportunity and promising prospects that seem to be deserving of a call up soon do you mean like put them on the third line instead of LA and like move back to the fourth line yeah exactly that that’s the thing

Is like there is clearly space in this lineup right now for a skilled player because you can easily listen like Oscar Steen you know appreciate the Hustle but he doesn’t have to be an every night player uh you can easily bump Loco down to the fourth

Line say you know that gives you a fourth line of Loco Bist hinen which I actually think could be pretty good um and then you know put Fabian lell with geeky and Frederick or or it’s merula who gets called up like there there is room there I think to C maybe not top

Six but like certainly third line I feel like there’s you know a pretty easy path towards putting someone there yeah but so this is just the sense that I get after markov’s like call up is that there’s there was still a lot like defensively to work on and we know

That he’s been getting better at that over time like that was one of his main things at a college like okay he’s got to be more of a 200 foot center and then he’s gotten better and better at that um in Providence but he’s still not like

Can he still do that at an NHL level like is he ready to do that at an NHL level and he had restri restricted minutes and it just felt like there was there wasn’t 100% faith in his ability on the defensive side um so if you’re talking about him coming in and

Playing one of those Center rols either on the third or fourth line um I I just don’t see that as like if we’re talking about like who’s going to be the guy there in the playoffs like I it’s not George moff I don’t think so

Like who is it gonna be like you kind kind of have to figure that out now or look externally and figure out Target someone now like now before the trade deadline who’s going to be that guy in the playoffs because that’s what you got to find

Out yeah and that’s that that’s fair but to your point he did he didn’t get in my opinion he didn’t get a fair shake when he was up here it was almost like he didn’t it was such a small sample size we barely had um you know enough to even

Go off of but that tells me that they didn’t trust him 100% but they all well that’s yes but it’s also tough to trust somebody when it’s like you know their first NHL action but it’s also different now because it there was there was an element of

Placeholder uh nature to to to his last call up because potra was still around just you know he wasn’t around at the time but with his season ending injury it kind of changes things right and and as far as the desire for 200 foot hockey players I totally get that the problem

Is people only talk about 200 foot hockey players sometimes when it pertains to like they’re not good enough defensively while the Bruins have a handful of forwards in the bottom of their lineup that aren’t Ted for hockey players because they provide no offense like Christin’s not a 200 foot hockey

Player he’s uh he’s uh okay maybe he gets the puck out of his own like one the the the four times a touches a stick of game but loo doesn’t really score as we know Ste doesn’t score boquist is like yet to really score so and and and and I’m not saying that

These players aren’t deserving I’m just saying they haven’t earned anything as far as playoff hockey Bridget right to your point like um merula or lysel could come up and they might have things to work on defensively so did Patra um but they also have they can also bring

Offensive Dynamics to them that the other players can’t at all bring so they’re not 200 foot hockey players either so I just don’t like Jacob loo does not do nearly he he’s an Energizer Bunny like when he wants to be but he doesn’t do enough for me uh shift in and shift out

To to tell me oh yeah when the playoffs start he’s like a lock for a fourth line role uh same with boquist beer down in Providence all these guys have things to earn I would say the only player in the bottom six or in that fourth line capacity

Right now that I think has earned a spot for sure is is Danton Heinen right and and sometimes he’s in a third line role so geeki Frederick Heinen those bottom six quote unquote players they’re locks but in my opinion there’s two spots for sure on that fourth line that it’s

Anybody’s game and I know merula and lysell are not probably fourth liners obviously so there’s a plug-and play nature to that um but the whole you got to be a 200 foot hockey player to be trusted that’s great but how many guys are actually 24 hockey players in the

Bottom six well I guess the the uh back 100 like the defensive 100 is what they care about like first and foremost and then they hope you can do the the offensive 100 as well that’s fair prioritizing defense defensive game first I I do agree with that and that’s

A good point I was just making a larger point about like there’s a lot no it was kind of funny because you’re right some of them haven’t scored much at all and don’t like bring that element necessarily like a dangerous goal scorer playmaker to the table yeah and by the way like noting

That you mentioned Heinen you know can play a third line role Heinen geeky Frederick can be a really good third line and then it comes back to you know solidifying your fourth line however you want to do that because I don’t I don’t think I’d be comfortable if it’s game

One of the playoffs right now Loco Bist Steen honestly is like a bit of an underwhelming fourth line like that that feels like a line that you’re in the playoffs you’re maybe giving like five minutes of ice time to um they got a lot of time yesterday but

That’s probably because the game was Out Of Reach for a while yeah exactly like yeah absolutely throw them minutes in a game like that like save ponar Mar and you know reing those guys back that’s fine um but yeah you know I still think that so even if you take that approach

Where it’s you know maybe you prioritize defense we’ve talked about that at the deadline and then it’s let’s look for something cheaper on the fourth line like I think that’s fine too but regardless I feel like there’s there’s some solidifying to do there whether it’s you know legitimate third liner

Trying to figure that out and keep hinding on the fourth line or you know put h on the third line where I think he’ll be absolutely fine and then solidify your fourth line in some way because um I don’t think that they’re there quite yet and now knowing that

You’re not going to have potra like we had talked about you know that was a potential third line option okay that’s gone so you’re you’re an option short now so they do have to figure out you know if they think they’re going to have that internally and listen there’s not

There’s not a lot of time to figure it out we’re now less than a month from the trade deadline March 8th so we’re talking about like you know merkulov or lysell or whatever getting a look and it’s like well if that’s gonna happen it has to happen almost immediately like if

You’re if you’re not going to do that now then you’re not doing that after the trade deadline you know like you’re not doing that the last two weeks of the regular season so um if that doesn’t happen now then I think they they should be looking externally to to solidify

That group yeah and again this is about optim like you don’t wanna you don’t want to sell assets that you um value without knowing like you can’t you don’t have those options internally right like I’m not sitting here pounding the table asking for lysell and merula

To be you know uh Playoff round one game one third liners like that’s not what I’m saying what I’m saying is you at least have to see what you have you have to give him an opportunity because because there’s openings right there’s an opening right now with ptra and then

There’s like indirect openings with some some of the other guys because they haven’t solidified their places in my opinion so like if how can you if you decide you want to go external that’s fine but I think you need to see what you have internally first because if you

Want to go get something inter externally you’re going to have to give something up um maybe it’s not a player maybe it’s you know mid- round picks or something for a fourth line grinder that’s great or a third liner but I just think you owe it to your organization

And the players to see what you have because there’s opportunity here and and if you decide to go external after that that’s fine but you have to at least you have to do your homework here and I think it’s the only I just think it’s being responsible I don’t think it’s

Being like we want why sell like no it it’s being responsible you know uh manager of of people and and assets and and that’s and to your point Scott there there’s not a ton of time so yeah I just think they should give merula an extended look or give lelis first look

Because that merula first look was a joke it was a joke he had limited IED time and and and they didn’t utilize him the way that they they should have um for the purpose of a triy out like if you want to see what somebody could do

Give him more of a look one of those two guys should get an opportunity and yeah I feel very comfortable with if Dan hin is in your fourth line it’s amazing how much more comfortable I feel in the team step if he’s on their fourth line uh as

Opposed to their third line because he is really steady to to keep to like the internal solution conversation um before we maybe look more at some external options like you know because that’s also um potentially what they might have to do but so to talk about like in the

Mean time like right now calling up someone like lysel um or melov what it ALS Al does is reward your players for what they’ve been doing in Providence maybe give them a confidence boost like maybe give them like you know specifically talking about lell like

Maybe he gets a taste of it and and all of a sudden he’s energized and motivated and and you know he starts um bringing out his you a better level of his game or you know maybe working with um Boston helps him learn something at a different

Level what have you um but it also pushes the rest of the players that are in the lineup like it creates internal competition and the more internal competition that you have um at this point you you assume that it pushes players to be better and get better so

That someone like say boist or Steen you know Works harder to not lose that spot in the lineup so um there there’s a lot of reasons to and and like we mentioned already uh first of all to see what you have and see if you need to go outside

And find something different but um there’s a lot of reasons to do it sooner rather than later um get a look at those guys and I have a question for you too would you be surprised like would it be a shock to you if at zero point during

This next month with like we mentioned Patra not coming back they don’t get a look at a few of these players lysel and beer in particular I feel like this is the time to to give you know see if beer can handle another chance and really this is lel’s opportunity as

Well um it it wouldn’t be it wouldn’t surprise me if they don’t call those guys up honestly um I think you know that there’s certain things they I’m sure that they want to make sure they see from them in Providence before you reward them or or think they can

Contribute at the NHL level and I mean they weren’t the call up right now Anthony Rashard was and we’ll see how long he stays up or whether he plays or whatever but um yeah I mean I have to say like there’s got to be some reason why it wasn’t immediately one of

Those guys and I don’t really think it was cap related technically as of right now they wouldn’t have the cap space to call up beer or lysel or merkulov um Shard is is cheaper than all of them but they can they can just put potra on long-term ir

And then you have more cap space so I don’t really think that’s a factor um but yeah I would like like I would like to see one or two or you know whatever even some sort of rotation right like maybe you call iSell up knowing knowing it’s going to be short

Term because he’s not quite there but um Bridget say your point about like rewarding a guy lel’s been playing really well in Providence recently um you know but before their All-Star breaks so you know get give him a look bring him up reward him for his play and

Then you get to because I I think honestly I think that was probably the biggest part of the marov recall was like he deserved it and even if they didn’t think he was ready to be part of the the long-term solution in Boston yet

Um you at least give him a look and then you can send him back with with the message of like hey you got a taste here’s you know here’s what worked here’s what didn’t here’s what we needed to improve on like you just saw it firsthand now you know type thing and

It’s encouraging like it’s like it could be a boost to someone who’s you know feeling maybe a little bit fatigued mentally or physically it’s like okay they are noticing the work that I’m putting in it doesn’t feel like it was for nothing right like being an AHL

Player is not easy It’s a Grind and you sometimes are like is this ever going to pay off for me so when you do get a taste of it when you do get called up it’s like okay I have my work wasn’t for nothing like I’m getting notice I’m

Getting closer it’s just mentally encouraging to know you’re on the right track yeah it is and I was just looking up something real quick um you know I I I’ve I’m really trying to be patient too um because Fabian lell is only 21 years old but I also feel like again like when

When Matt Potter is 19 I also like feel like it’s like and I’ll say the word like one more time um I feel like I they should definitely give him an opportunity at some point because he’s not 18 years old and to your question Bridget I I wouldn’t say I’d be

Surprised if they don’t because nothing surprises me with the Bruins but I would certainly be disappointed like I it definitely should be something that the Bruins themselves should be saying let’s see what he can do he’s 21 years old I don’t know when he’s starting 22 it

Could be soon it could be almost a year from now I don’t know but I just I think you just have to see what you have internally he’s been playing well if he was not playing well in Providence like he was you know at times last year and

Earlier this year then that’s one thing you got to earn your stripes but it seems like he’s earning the opportunity and there’s an opportunity available in Boston so they should you know I think it would be stupid not to and like you know if you like cell you look around

You see you know beer gets an NHL chance after one professional season in Providence merkulov gets a look after you know almost one and a half Pro seasons in Providence Lori not even a a full season in Providence before he gets called up and I I know everything’s

Different and everyone has to earn everything I get that but LEL like you could be looking at you know two full seasons if he doesn’t get called up at some point the second half you know two full seasons in Providence without a call up like and I don’t know I ultimately like

I listen you gotta fight through you got to work you got to deal with it like I you know I I don’t feel too too bad about it but um you do Wonder like if that if that could affect him a little bit or you know you would hope he’s the

Kind of player where okay that gives him an extra drive going into the summer and he says you know I’m not going to make it three years I’m I’m making the Bruins next season but I don’t know like what what if it goes the other way where like

Now his confidence is shot or something like who knows wasn’t he was he injured at that point last because we know he ended the season with a concussion the last little bit of the Season sometimes they get players in you know they’re like they resting other other people

Like I feel like that’d be a flap in the face if the Bruins waited for like the last week of the season to arrest other players to put him in yeah now it would just be again what he you put him in the last week of the Season while other guys

Are resting he goes off are you GNA put him in the playoffs no because it’s like you went all year without him right but yeah I I just at the end of the day for the the skills always been there for him we had a guest a couple of years ago

That said lysel was you know he he was pretty close to potentially being the highest skilled forward in his draft class he fell for for for reasons but like his skill is there right it’s never been a question of skill it’s always been a question not

A question but it’s always been about um the the I the hockey IQ at at the highest level and you know just the the the small details in the work ethic so if those if those elements are are showing now in Providence it’s it just seems to me that

I don’t understand why they wouldn’t do it just just for a week or two what’s what’s the harm like what’s what’s the harm he has to go back down to Province he’s already there so um I agree I I want I mean and we tend to lean this way

A lot like we want we want to see we want another look like um we don’t have a lot of time in our lives to go watch games in Providence so like we want and and by the way that only show tells you so much because those are not nhlers

That they’re playing against um like it’s a different speed it’s a different League um we just like to be able to see it ourselves and I think pretty much um a lot of the Bruins fans agree like they want to see it too like they want to

Know where this guy’s at um and and be able to watch him play you know on maybe on the third line give you a better sense now what would actually happen if he got called up would he actually be given enough ice time for us to see a

Sample size size that also remains to be like that also might not even happen like we saw with meroff but um it would be nice um did you guys want to go to up and down yes who’s up Who’s down or do we still have thoughts on

This no I definitely don’t this I didn’t know if we wanted to actually talk about anything with the game or yeah just go to ups and downs but oh yeah they play last night yeah no pretty pretty big game top two teams in the NHL right well but that

Will come like in this in this naturally I believe so um so let’s let’s H up and down and we were talking about this we always kind of like go over this before we start the podcast like oh you know just like get a general idea do we have

Like two that are up three that are down whatever and it was basically the split is everybody was down Tuesday and then like pretty much everyone was back up Thursday one one guy I’ll start with specifically though pavl zaka um now has two goals in two games since

The break uh you know scores finishing off a nice pass from Vin ream dke um in Thursday’s game also picked up an assist on on the fluki goal of the year which the assist part of it was actually pretty nice like he sets up Pak for a

One time in the high slot um Pak sticks shatters pucks fluttering around the sticks 40 feet in the air geeky just gets a piece of it and it goes off dco off Tyler Meers and trickles over the line but um yeah Zak’s got a four-game point streak now we had you know again

That last game right before break he really clicked with vin reik and Pono they’ve mostly kept that line together since then they were together again on Thursday um and had another strong game so you know I think zaka has played pretty well most of the season

But there had been a dip in offensive production there for a little bit so definitely encouraging to see that coming back and um he’s he’s picked up in a good spot after break how dare you call that geeky goal a fluky goal that was all hand ey right there well the

Fact was on the ground still figured out where the puck was and got a stick on it the fact that it was still credited to P NE until 7 a.m. this morning they changed it they changed it twice last night they had it as geek

They had it as first right and then they had it as pnu then they changed it back to geeki so they did think originally it was and I thought when I saw one of the slowed down replays like that nesson had immediately after I did thought did

Think he got a stick on it um and it turns out that he did uh and and Montgomery was joking after the game that he’s a baseball player like he was a baseball player and he tells everybody that he was a baseball player and uh that was probably where he got the hand

Ey coordination from but I I thought it was a good goal I give him more credit than maybe other people do because I’m if you watch it slow down he sees the puck coming and he gets a stick on it he does and he’s sitting on the ground like

I don’t know how he did it yes but but I would note it still had to hit two more bodies before it actually went in even after yeah but he knew what he was doing is what I’m trying to say it wasn’t like it hit him in the you know in the butt

And went in yeah it um it also looks like Charlie Coyle has at least a five game point streak right now I want to see if it extends Beyond his let me see um he’s got coil has a bit of a streak going here holy holy hold on a

Second let me forgive my um my lack of speaking right now but the the list is getting longer and longer so one two three four five six seven eight nine 10 CO’s got a 10 game point streak right now wow he was actually the first person he was actually the first person I

Thought of when we were talking about like who is a noticeable up um short-handed he assisted on both of those goals and and it those plays don’t start if he’s not stealing the puck and and finding the open guy like he made he anticipated both of those passes picked

The puck off threw it to marshan out front um also made the steal in the neutral zone on the Heinen one and then Heinen goes on like a one-on-one SL Breakaway because he was able to get by peton but um Coyle starts both of those plays so he gets assists on both of

Those goals and he’s just such a good penalty killer we’ve talked about this before is one of his strengths that that he brings to the team and and you see it he’s such a good team player so he’s been getting rewarded uh and it’s been pretty obvious that his game has picked

Up like you said Brian past 10 games and and you you saw it for sure in the Vancouver game yeah Kevin Paul Dupont usually I have the guys on Pace for XO stats but in this case Kevin Paul Dupont last night tweeted Coyle now on Pace for

72 points which would be the the most by Brun Center since the 1819 season when berson had 79 and Cree had 73 so most by on Pace to have the most points by Brun Center in five years so and that was one of the best teams of Bruns that like one

Of the best seasons the burns ever had and then unfortunately we know what happened in the sent Cup playoffs but um did you guys think that that was what quil’s ceiling was this season like would you have said 70 point season for him I thought like maybe get into the

50s push 60 like no he’s he’s at least 10 to 15 points ahead of where I yes I I couldn’t agree more and and I you know you you’ll hear certain for the most part for the most part everybody has been giving Charlie Coyle his his just

Du this year you will see the rare instance where somebody will say well what do you expect he’s getting all this ice time now he’s playing with passion it’s like hold on time out first of all ice time does not guarantee Point production and Charlie Coyle has the the

Bruins top six has been in flux all year there’s been different combinations throughout it’s not like he’s been with Pac and marand all year it’s he’s had to adapt and and adjust a different linemates and and I mean to say he’s playing the best hockey of his career is

Obvious um but it’s especially in a in a city like Boston to to not just meet but exceed those expectations uh it’s it’s really impressive and and and he’s definitely um he’s been up all year and he’s once again up right now I mean if

We had to go with a down the whole team Tuesday sure um I guess including in that would be Jeremy Swan yeah I was gonna say swan didn’t have his b SCH but you know that’s a one game thing it’s not going to we’re not going to crucify

Him for that uh forber people aren’t high on forber haven’t been all year you know I don’t I never had high expectations for forber he was always kind of a shutdown third pair D guy in the PK for me so I never had a huge ceiling for him um but people just have

Been down his throat since the jump and I guess lately he’s had more reason to have not as many fans yeah I mean Tuesday he would forward was really sloppy for sure again not alone but definitely noticed like a few really bad turnovers from him um

You know that look this is another like interesting story to follow because I think you have to give Fort a chance to get his game back and and build up get his timing down get into some sort of Rhythm you know I know I understand like the temptation of

Everyone’s like third paring should just be weather spoon and chat and car and that may end up being the case but I think you owe it to yourselves and to forber to like see what level he can get to um because let let’s not forget like he was actually playing pretty well earlier

This season that was a long time ago and you know a lot there’s been a lot of time Miss due to injury since then but he actually had a pretty good start to the season and I think you do and you should want to see if if he can get back

Towards that you know he’s it at least for now seems like he’s over that lingering injury enough to play um you know so the only way to find out like what you have or what he can be for you this season is if he’s playing in

Games so even if he’s not playing as well as wspoon right now or even chatton Kirk like you you have to see what you have I think you know what you have in Parker weather spoon like he’s he’s you know pretty well Lish himself as like a really solid third pairing defenseman I

Think you kind of know what you have in shaten Kirk for’s the question there where you have to you know take take a good look at what you have and decide if if he’s a player and a contributor for you the rest of the year or if left side

Of your defense is something you have to upgrade at the deadline yeah and one of the changes between the Tuesday lineup in the Thursday lineup is that shaton Kirk played Tuesday well thepoon was out and then they switched for Thursday so weather spoon got back in um and also like obviously still Mason

Laui I believe is still dealing with the injury from the skate um cut yeah so that there was an update so Mark diver um got an update from Evan gold The Province Bruins GM and said he’s he’s dayto day he’s not gonna play this weekend um but fortunately seems like

It’s not anything too serious or long term well that’s good because you know skate skate blades are like it can be a small cut or deep cut and yeah and we saw how scary this year that can be um but yeah is there trying to I’m trying to think

Of who else it’s like a noticeable up and I mean like obviously you’ve you’ve asked geeky to fill another role like playing third line Center Frederick so I thought Frederick was a little bit quiet on the in the Thursday game um not like 100% like you know it’s not wasn’t like

He had a terrible game but he had been on a streak too in a stretch Tuesday he was quiet um I don’t know what you guys thought of him since the break like is is he at the level he was at before the break well I think I mean no I I think

But I think that’s just the ABS and flows of an 82 Game season I I don’t think it’s him less capable I just think it’s you know you’re not going to go a full 82 like unless you’re David Pak and even even the best players have some nights off so

I think you know he’s probably still just getting you know back into it and also just managing the season um I’m not really worried about him I will say like Frederick does seem like someone who always starts slow after a break or at the start of a

Season like I don’t really like once he gets going he he finds a Groove and he plays great but for whatever reason it does seem like he always takes a little bit of time to to get going sometimes we you know we get time off and we party a little too hard and

We and we spend a little bit too much time on the beach drinking margaritas but um speaking from experience but I I have an up I have an up okay uh the sky the sky is back up it fell Tuesday yeah are you talking about in Sports

Talk Radio the sky was falling well in Bruin’s fans like the I had saw so many people on Twitter who were like oh you know like can’t lose to the flames and I’m even good team Bruins are overrated like you know they they should have been the ones to get Elias lolm

They clearly need help and it’s like oh my God guys like yeah it was an awful game but it was the first game back from Allstar break like let’s what down a little word word by the way they played against lyol the next game and he was a minus

Four wise he was a minus four they were on the ice for all four goals against and that line like with Pon like something bothers me about that line I’m not 100% sure why for meas Elias LOL playing Wing bothers me like he’s he’s a he was added as a center ever played

Wing before it’s very odd yeah and also like not like that line I feel like is full of people who are like not 100 like it’s not a gritty line like um Pon just went down like he like the wind could have blown him down the other day like I

Don’t know something about that line just doesn’t work for me obviously they have plenty of time to figure out where to put them and and by the way Sor off also hurt them in that game like took some stupid penalties and stuff so well and and I was going to say In fairness

Elias l did scor two goals in his first game with the Canucks on Tuesday so it’s not like it’s been a two games of disaster it was one really good game one really bad yeah I mean words to the wise never put too much stock into a game one

Way or the other like it’s it’s it’s a it’s a long season obviously you look at the overall standings that tells a bigger story but if you’re a Bruins fan you don’t want to put too much stock into one game or the next it’s just not

We saw last year doesn’t it doesn’t it doesn’t do do you any good and and just because and and that goes for the losses too right like just because you lose a game isn’t isn’t this this guy is not falling as Scott said here’s an easy up

Lea all markka a shut out um and like he wasn’t tested as much as he’s been in other games and the the saves weren’t as hard as but let’s give him credit for I think it was his first shut out of the season um was so well we gotta give him

Credit for that um he said I I think I worked almost as hard as him but none nonetheless is a shut out well he called it like a team shutout which is true like that’s yeah but he said he’s like yeah it was a team shutout like I didn’t

Have to work as hard as normal but he said but I’m not gonna lie it always feels good to get a shut out like I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t nice like to just have that I mean and it makes up for all the games that he played so well

That he didn’t get the shut out it’s like okay still in the stat sheet it says Shut Out people forget about exactly how that that came and it’s like okay at the end of the season there’s that shut out makes you feel better um looks better on the stat sheet whatever

Um he he got it done he didn’t let in anything and and you know that that kept the momentum in the Bruins favor um there was no letdown you know that starts with a goal in the back of the net and and all of a sudden life for

Vancouver but um we got to give them credit all right so we got to wrap this up anything left for the two of you yes we do have to give him credit and and thank God that you did thank God that you did well the the funny thing about

The go like so Thatcher Demco played for Vancouver and and I’m sure everyone saw the like the viral clip of swayan trying to give him a hug and then he he like walks by and someone tweeted out I I forget who it was like thater Demco really needs a hug right

Now giv a four it just it was kind of funny because it came full circle with the the kind of discs which was accidental but um it was it was well played thater Demco did look like he needed a hug well maybe you guys can be the ones

To give it to him Scott I know you got to go so we’ll wrap this up here thank you all for listening and we will talk to you on Monday hey guys thanks for watching this gate 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’ bounce-back performance vs Vancouver. How Matt Poitras’s season-ending shoulder surgery can affect the Bruins’ call-ups and trade deadline. Plus, who’s up and who’s down including the latest assessment of Charlie Coyle and Bruins’ goaltenders.

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Jump to:
00:00 – Bruins bounce back vs Canucks
07:00 – Poitras’ season-ending injury and potential ways to fill his roster spot
40:00 – Who’s up, who’s down

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