Ty Anderson: Spooner and Bruins beat Panthers in Hub

I'm not sure why you would ever scratch Randell in favor of Rinaldo or Talbot. All in all a great effort though.

Beleskey-Krejci-Eriksson
Marchand-Bergeron-Connolly
Vatrano-Spooner-Hayes
Rinaldo-Kemp-Randell

Chara-C. Miller
Seidenberg-Morrow
Krug-McQuiad

Thats the lineup I would ice if I were Julien. Has a nice mix of talent on each line and pairing. That gives the Bruins the best shot at securing a playoff position.

Beleskey-Krejci-Eriksson
Marchand-Bergeron-Connolly
Vatrano-Spooner-Hayes
Rinaldo-Kemp-Randell

Chara-C. Miller
Seidenberg-Morrow
Krug-McQuiad

Thats the lineup I would ice if I were Julien. Has a nice mix of talent on each line and pairing. That gives the Bruins the best shot at securing a playoff position.
- fudd1689

I like that lineup a lot. I think those D pairs have a good balance of skill/offense with strength and defense. Julien, however, tends to love D pairs that have a left-shot on the left and a right-shot on the right...which is why it has been so hard for Morrow to crack the lineup.

Beleskey-Krejci-Eriksson
Marchand-Bergeron-Connolly
Vatrano-Spooner-Hayes
Rinaldo-Kemp-Randell

Chara-C. Miller
Seidenberg-Morrow
Krug-McQuiad

Thats the lineup I would ice if I were Julien. Has a nice mix of talent on each line and pairing. That gives the Bruins the best shot at securing a playoff position.
- fudd1689

I don't think Ferraro is going anywhere. There are some tough decisions in the fourth line. And when Pasta comes back, someone in the top 9 needs to drop down. Unless they are resigning Eriksson, I think they should be trading a current mid-level player for a prospect, or package one with a prospect for a decent D. Maybe even try trading Kempainnen, or sending him back to providence. Too many options everywhere, too many wildcards. Is Connolly a first liner? is Hayes top 6 material? Are Randell and Rinaldo worth having in the lineup? And what of Kempainnen?

I don't think Ferraro is going anywhere. There are some tough decisions in the fourth line. And when Pasta comes back, someone in the top 9 needs to drop down. Unless they are resigning Eriksson, I think they should be trading a current mid-level player for a prospect, or package one with a prospect for a decent D. Maybe even try trading Kempainnen, or sending him back to providence. Too many options everywhere, too many wildcards. Is Connolly a first liner? is Hayes top 6 material? Are Randell and Rinaldo worth having in the lineup? And what of Kempainnen?
- Videoj

Completely forgot about him, and I agree he's going no where. He's been solid and a great addition to the 4th line. I'd sub him in for Rinaldo and that should really balance out the scoring amongst 4 lines.

I don't think Ferraro is going anywhere. There are some tough decisions in the fourth line. And when Pasta comes back, someone in the top 9 needs to drop down. Unless they are resigning Eriksson, I think they should be trading a current mid-level player for a prospect, or package one with a prospect for a decent D. Maybe even try trading Kempainnen, or sending him back to providence. Too many options everywhere, too many wildcards. Is Connolly a first liner? is Hayes top 6 material? Are Randell and Rinaldo worth having in the lineup? And what of Kempainnen?
- Videoj

I think you drop Hayes to the 4th line and have Pastrnak play RW with Vatrano and Spooner. Holy crap would that be such a fun line to watch. In that case you sit Randall and have a 4th line of Ferraro-Kemp-Hayes, so I guess I'd do something like

Beleskey-Krejci-Eriksson
Marchand-Bergeron-Connolly
Vatrano-Spooner-Pastrnak
Ferraro-Kemp-Hayes.

Completely forgot about him, and I agree he's going no where. He's been solid and a great addition to the 4th line. I'd sub him in for Rinaldo and that should really balance out the scoring amongst 4 lines.
- fudd1689

Ferraro is the perfect Kelly replacement. He is younger and cheaper and has more upside at this point in there careers.

It's one of the only replacement type moves of a square peg into a square hole. (Ironic that the other perfect replacement situation was K. Miller replacing McQuaid for the same reasons.)

I was looking to find the stats on "drawn penalties" and couldn't find it.

But, Rinaldo has drawn what seems like a ton of them. He fights when needed AND he plays with an edge that sparks the whole team when they are playing uninspired hockey.

Can't tell you how many times there is an "incident" off screen away from the puck and I'm think, " Zach, you idiot. What the hell did you do this time?"

Seconds later you see the replay and he laid out a couple clean hits, pissed someone off and he has drawn a penalty.

Also allows Marchand to concentrate more on his O-game than being a pest.

AND, if Rinaldo is drawing penalties and we have the BEST PP in the NHL......that's a good thing.

So, I see Rinaldo being in the lineup as a pretty good chess move.

Think the clog is really the third line type players on this team, we have a TON of them.

Just look at the scoring leaders.......Bergy, Krejci, Ericksson and Marchand.......then a huge gap between everyone else.

Need to figure out who is staying as third liners and package the rest........just don't see Connolly or Hayes being on the fourth line as a long term solution.

The only guy of the new guys, Hayes, Connolly, and Beleskey that could handle the fourth line is Beleskey because he hits everything.

This is such a great problem to have though. Really polar opposite of most preseason projections

I think you drop Hayes to the 4th line and have Pastrnak play RW with Vatrano and Spooner. Holy crap would that be such a fun line to watch. In that case you sit Randall and have a 4th line of Ferraro-Kemp-Hayes, so I guess I'd do something like

Beleskey-Krejci-Eriksson
Marchand-Bergeron-Connolly
Vatrano-Spooner-Pastrnak
Ferraro-Kemp-Hayes.

- fudd1689

I still think we should dangle Hayes out there for a defense man. Hes not bad, the B's just have better players and id be happy with Rinaldo on the 4th. Hayes Koko and a pick is a package that I think could get us a decent D man without taking away from the current team

I still think we should dangle Hayes out there for a defense man. Hes not bad, the B's just have better players and id be happy with Rinaldo on the 4th. Hayes Koko and a pick is a package that I think could get us a decent D man without taking away from the current team
- Shaundre93

What about Hayes, Koko, and K. Miller for someone like Gudbranson? Maybe that package isn't enough to get him, but I think Koko would play well on Florida, K. Miller replaces Gudbranson's toughness a bit, and Hayes goes back to Florida as a signed man.

Looking forward to the game, good luck Jabronis!

Chara should watch the next game from the pressbox.

Chara should watch the next game from the pressbox.
- mixturebill

Closest we have to a top pairing D-man. Have little faith it would ever happen, although you may have a good point. Little rest wouldn't hurt the big guy.

And as crappy as Chara may have looked, McQuaid and especially C. Miller have been not so hot this period.

It is what is is with the D pairings, unfortunately.

Closest we have to a top pairing D-man. Have little faith it would ever happen. And as crappy as Chara may have looked, McQuaid and especially C. Miller have been not so hot this period.

It is what is is with the D pairings, unfortunately.
- JIwasinskiJr

Imagine if Pastrnak or Spooner pulled that move in the corner? They wouldn't play the rest of the game... Chara does it and he's literally out on the next shift! They treat him like he's the Chara of 5 years ago, instead of the player he actually is today.

Marchand's having a rough game, he can't catch a break. 16:37 without a shot on goal for Edmonton? Damn they dominated that period... Good to see Beleskey finally get a goal. After watching him so far this season, he's like 99% effort and 1% skill. I don't want to be harsh, but man, I don't know if I've ever seen a guy who's given more effort and had less skill than him haha. If he makes $3.8m, Loui deserves $7.6m next year!

We're lucky the score isn't 4-2 Boston.

Marchand's having a rough game, he can't catch a break. 16:37 without a shot on goal for Edmonton? Damn they dominated that period... Good to see Beleskey finally get a goal. After watching him so far this season, he's like 99% effort and 1% skill. I don't want to be harsh, but man, I don't know if I've ever seen a guy who's given more effort and had less skill than him haha. If he makes $3.8m, Loui deserves $7.6m next year!
- mixturebill

I was thinking along those lines with Beleskey.

It's a would you rather exercise:
A. Beleskey with 6 scoring chances
B. Eberle or Hall with 2 scoring chances

I would pick B every day of the week, unfortunately.

It's the overall issue for the team since the Habs playoff series a few years ago and why I have very limited faith in the depth of the team in the long run.

I know they want to have the "gritty big bad bruin" type player, but they need another big skill player. Even with Pasta coming back.

Grit can only get us so far. Imagine a team full of PJ Axcelssons..........we would never score, but be the hardest working team in the history of the NHL.


Wish we flipped Chara and Lucic a couple years ago for Hall/Eberle/picks/or whatever.

I was thinking along those lines with Beleskey.

It's a would you rather exercise:
A. Beleskey with 6 scoring chances
B. Eberle or Hall with 2 scoring chances

I would pick B every day of the week, unfortunately.

It's the overall issue for the team since the Habs playoff series a few years ago and why I have very limited faith in the depth of the team in the long run.

I know they want to have the "gritty big bad bruin" type player, but they need another big skill player. Even with Pasta coming back.

Grit can only get us so far. Imagine a team full of PJ Axcelssons..........we would never score, but be the hardest working team in the history of the NHL.


Wish we flipped Chara and Lucic a couple years ago for Hall/Eberle/picks/or whatever.
- JIwasinskiJr

Hall was never on the table for those guys...Ebs probably.

We're lucky the score isn't 4-2 Boston.
- Jeropotato

Chara for Eberle.

Chara for Eberle.


- mixturebill

Couple years too late, they would never do it now. The offseason after we lost to the Hawks in the finals.........

That's really when the worth was highest for the guys we should have traded and lowest for the guys we actually ended up trading.

It was crazy out side the box thinking and we would be a much different team right now.........but I wasn't the GM so this is what we have.

Chara for Eberle.


- mixturebill

Ferraro is just like Kelly from the last few years it's silly. Moved to the Bergy wing because of the RW inconsistency.

Hayes and Connolly are just like Smith that it's scary. Demoted from the top six because they are ghosts.

3 on 3 sucks but that was magnificent.

I was thinking along those lines with Beleskey.

It's a would you rather exercise:
A. Beleskey with 6 scoring chances
B. Eberle or Hall with 2 scoring chances

I would pick B every day of the week, unfortunately.

It's the overall issue for the team since the Habs playoff series a few years ago and why I have very limited faith in the depth of the team in the long run.

I know they want to have the "gritty big bad bruin" type player, but they need another big skill player. Even with Pasta coming back.

Grit can only get us so far. Imagine a team full of PJ Axcelssons..........we would never score, but be the hardest working team in the history of the NHL.


Wish we flipped Chara and Lucic a couple years ago for Hall/Eberle/picks/or whatever.
- JIwasinskiJr

Well that was a bummer... they deserved a win in that game. Talbot was the difference.

The thing I like about the depth of the team is we have a few A level stars, I'd say Patrice, Krecji, and Tuukka. Then some B+ level stars, like Marchand, and Eriksson... and a majority of the rest of the team are like B/C+'s with the exception of a few. So we have a solid roster throughout our entire lineup. The pick up of Ferraro was HUGE, and maybe the most exciting part of the depth is that we have young skill guys that are playing well. Once we get Pastrnak back and can swap Talbot out with him...

But we are missing that A+ level star. Chara was that guy for us for a long time, but I'd say he's slipped into that C+ category. And for as long as we have C+ Chara at like $7M, we can't have another A+ guy. And the last A+ guy before Chara was what, Bourque probably? They ship out all the A+ level guys before they're at that level.