The PuckUps Podcast with Brian DeFelice, Ep. 20: Will the Bruins make the playoffs?

Brian is joined by Court Lalonde of Bruins Diehards to discuss the Bruins' recent road trip, their power play struggles, where to play Morgan Geekie, what to do with Elias Lindholm, James Hagens potential fit this season in Boston, if the Bruins will make the playoffs, and much more!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

You're listening to the Puck Ups Podcast. It's time to hit the ice with Brian D Felice.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Welcome into episode 20 of the Puck Ups Podcast. I am Brian D Felice, and today we are joined by the first guest in program history, my personal favorite Canadian, my good buddy Court Lalonde of Bruins Die Hards. Court, what's going on, buddy?

SPEAKER_03 0:30

Hey buddy. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. I am honored to be the first guest on, I guess, the the Danny Paillet episode.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Yeah, that's a good reference. But yeah, it's uh I've told you off air before. Um, you know, what you do with your channel is uh, you know, a big inspiration for me with this, and uh obviously I've been on your show a couple of times, so it was a no-brainer for me who was gonna be my first guest, even though even though you have the uh the Stadium Series B.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

I love this jacket. I'm sorry. Like it is the great bomber jacket, it's the first bomber jacket I've ever had. It is, I and I know you hate this logo, and I may or may not have worn it purposely, but um I am not a uh believer of superstitions or like this is the bad thing. I like this logo. I necessarily would wish that the B was gold instead of yellow. 1,000% agree.

SPEAKER_02 1:20

I I actually don't hate the logo, so you're not offending me now. It's it's it's the amount of highlighter yellow from the top to bottom uniform with the white gloves. If the gloves are black, it'll be a different story, but it's a sick bomber jacket, and nobody has the apparel like you do. So um I actually gotta get my my game going.

SPEAKER_03 1:38

Well, if it if it makes you feel better, I truly hate the white gloves. Like as a as a I the Vegas Golden Knights when they do it drives me absolutely insane. In fact, I hate their all gold jersey. I know I'm I'm not in the uh the majority there, but I hate for some reason the new style of doing like a cuff on the jersey and like a full color of a cuff and then they're the glove matches. I think that looks ugly as hell. Can we just go to like the normal, like you know, the little stripes at the front? Don't like I don't understand if it ain't broke, don't fix like why why are we messing with things? If the Bruins Stadium Series jersey was this B on the front, and then put that Boston Bruins on the shoulders, and then they did gold. I think I think it would have rocked, but I also would have done um black socks to like offset and do like almost like a retro a reverse of how they used to do the gold socks with the the white jersey or the black jersey. So I would do the black socks, but with the gold up top. Okay, I would have and if I was gonna do any color gloves, it would just would have been brown. But that's just me. No, I I I hate I hate the white gloves, I think they look terrible. But Pasta thought it was the greatest thing of the world. So what do I know?

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Yeah, he's he can play hockey, but I don't know about his fashion sense. Uh well, actually, he has pretty good fashion sense too, obviously. Very good fashion, yeah, very good fashion sense.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

You can edit that out.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

Yeah, no, that's staying, that's staying. But uh yeah, no, hey, black socks on the yellow jersey. That's an interesting twist in the Bruins.

SPEAKER_03 3:06

But you know what Vegas I want the gold jersey, the same gold that they used in um uh uh the uh outdoor game in um where was it? Uh Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

Yes, those should just be their their third jerseys altogether, I think. Those are the sexiest jerseys. Yeah, those are unbelievable. Um, as far as actually speaking of Lake Tahoe, the uniforms Vegas wore in their game against Colorado, I think those should be their jerseys. The Spanish inspired ones? Is that what they were? Yeah, they looked the red ones, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

The red oh the red ones. Okay, I like they have the two that they've worn. I like the Spanish ones. The red ones are good, yes. I get it. Because I hate the Vegas Golden Knights white jersey uh white gloves. I hate the the gold jersey. I shouldn't use the word hate. I dislike yeah, I just wish they would go to like a traditional. I I'm a traditionalist.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

I am too.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

The Bruins new jerseys are they're great. I understand the shoulder patch. I'm over it. I understand that they're doing this all because of advertising.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Yeah, yeah. I mean, the last night was uh was a hell of a classic jersey matchup. We'll get to that game in a little bit. 100%. And it was a classic outcome if you really want to get into it. It really was. You know, it's been a long time since I've had uh you know a sick feeling in my stomach after a Bruins Canadians game where the Canadians won, which goes to show you that the rivalry is starting to you know get back into it a little bit. But we got to talk about this road trip court first and foremost because they they earn four out of six points, right? They get a win against Washington on the road, they lose to New Jersey in overtime, Montreal overtime, but you get four out of six points. So I ask you, how do you look at this road trip if you're the Bruins? Was it a success based on the four out of six points, or a failure based on losing two of three?

SPEAKER_03 4:55

Well, I look at it this way New Jersey game, they shouldn't have lost. Those are all self-inflicted wounds. Um, the McAvoy giveaway, both both goals New Jersey scored during regulation were caused by giveaways. So that's frustrating as heck. Um, so it's almost a failure for that aspect because I understand the Montreal one. I thought Swayman played phenomenal, and actually, I thought the goal, I thought uh Corporal played great against New Jersey. Um, I had zero issue with the goaltending in both games, but the Bruins seem to have a lot of self-infliction. But on the other side, they stink on the road, and they just got four to six on the road. But Columbus is just non-stop winning. Detroit, everybody, everybody for some reason in that little pocket there, they just keep winning hockey games. But when you're playing the Montreal Canadiens, you can't afford to give them anything. So I actually consider it a failure because the Montreal game meant more than anything else that happened on the road, and you needed to take all two points without them even getting a point, and you're up to one and you still gave it away again, and it's frustrating to watch. Even though Montreal is a better team this year. What was that? I even know Montreal is a better team this year. Uh, a lot of it is it's just these are just facts and it sucks, but it's true.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

Yeah, no, I mean I'm with you. I think that again, if you're a coach or a player in that room, you want to be optimistic, glass half full. Hey boys, we got four out of six. But the way you lost those games, and I really can't explain away their struggles in the road court. It's it's when you compare it to their home record, they're I think they have the best home record in the league, and then they have one of the worst road records. So it's the juxtaposition there is fascinating. I don't know, it's still the same game, right? So I don't know what the issue is, but yeah, I think the way you lost these games in New Jersey in particular, which is a team that's not making the playoffs, and you have a to nothing lead on them, and then to have a second period like they had where they just got completely outworked and you find a way to lose that game. It's just the process to me seems off. You know, they had an unbelievable January, and since then they have lost eight of their last 13 games. So, you know, you hear Micro Sturm sometimes early in the year talk about process over results. Okay, so you can look at the results in this road trip and say, well, they got four out of six, but the process to me, it doesn't look all that great. You have the second line clicking, you have Pasternac and McAvoy playing well, the goalies are playing well, special teams aren't doing well. Well, the the PK is okay right now, but three other four lines on any given night just aren't really doing much of anything at five on five. So I'm worried about this team down the stretch here. But this road trip in particular, I guess you can maybe spin it as a positive. You got four out of six, but anybody who's been watching the games intimately knows they haven't looked great doing so.

SPEAKER_03 7:45

Yeah, I I got I have a hard time. I I the Bruins are still exactly what I expected them to be. So I can't I have a hard time dumping on them this year because I didn't think they I thought they were gonna be middle of the pack, fighting for a wildcard spot. That's exactly what they're doing. They're not that good of a team, they're in a retool stage. They've got a lot of I look at a lot of the bright things, but yeah, since the Olympics, you know, um Elias Linholm has looked a shell of himself because before the Olympics, he was a power play merchant, he was the reason the power play was doing well, he was winning face-offs, he was doing his job, so you couldn't as much as people want to rag on him, but since the Olympics, he's looked absolutely terrible. And then Fraser Minton got off to a little bit of a slow start after the Olympics. Same with Pasta, but both of them are back. And I can never say pasta's slow, he's still the best player on the team. Um, McAvoy's been playing phenomenal. Andrew Peak pretty much might as well just be watching games. And I I have zero issue with the fourth line, except for I still I'm still of the mind that I think it needs just a little bit more creativity there. I think Sean Corale's another guy that like he's just he hasn't woken up since the Olympic break. It's like he's still on vacation, even though Castelick and Janot, I think, have played serviceable, um, and in fact, good. So my biggest issue really is that third line and then the inconsistency from the top line because the second line has been phenomenal. Yeah, even though I'm still of the mind, I'm like, you know what? If you're if your one line is just killing it, maybe spread them out and see what happens if they can wake the rest of them up. Because Morgan Geeky played well with Minton and then they gave him Elias Linholm. Linholm has been terrible. I know. Like he almost should be demoted to the fourth line, call Pachra up from Providence, throw Pacha on the third line, like wake this guy up because he's been absolutely dreadful. I that first line of Husadinoff, uh pasta and Minton, I'm fine with it. Even though I'd still throw Geeky there because you're not winning hockey games unless you guys are scoring, and Geeky scores with pasta. So why are we why are we even contemplating this still that they shouldn't be on the same line? I don't understand this. And if people say, well, he needs, I don't care whether he needs him or not, he plays better when he's with him. Um Husadinoff plays well wherever he's in the lineup, and I would switch Husadinoff and and Minton. I I still don't get it. I'd also take Allies Linholm off the power play and shoot him into the atmosphere. But um I I look at these lines and I think they're still a wildcard team, and that's all they're gonna be, and they're gonna be a first-round exit, regardless.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

So you bring up a lot of good points there. And the first one you bring up is the fact that this team is who you thought they were gonna be, so you're not getting too worked up over different struggles here and there. And I think that brings up the conversation of uh adjusted expectations for a team throughout the course of a season to see how things play along. Do your expectations change based on how they do, how the league looks, blah, blah, blah. And so that's a that's a conversation that people have uh off to the side all the time is should there be adjusted expectations or or not, right? And it sounds like from your perspective, you're kind of of the mindset, not really, like they are who they are. I don't care what the league is right now, I don't care how the well they played, they are who we thought they were, right?

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Yeah, 100%. They haven't surprised me. There's been really no surprises. I thought Geeky was gonna score a bunch of goals this year and be a little bit streaky, but a lot better than what Jake Debrusque ever was. And for his contract, the anybody that trashes Morgan Geeky or gets on him, you just give me a break. I think my disappointments, it's been Elias and Hamp, the Linholms, they've been very disappointing this year.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

They have, they have. So so here's some numbers to back up what you're talking about with uh Morgan Geeky and Elias Lindholm. Okay, their last 10 games court, overall scoring, overall scoring, Elias Lindholm is 13th on the Bruins, and Geeky is 15th in their last 10 games. At five on five, they are last and dead last on the Bruins in scoring over their last 10 games. So again, it it's difficult for me because they are who we thought they were, but when you when you see Morgan Geeky, for example, go on a top five, six goal scorer pace in the last calendar plus year, I'm not saying he has to stay that guy always, but does that mean we he gets a pass for the last month of not doing anything? Like my my expectations for him, they do they do rise a little bit, not astronomically, but you know, it you can't be that guy for a year plus and then go quiet and then not have people say, Well, you should be better than this.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

Yeah, but they threw him in a bottom six role. I still I'm still dumbfounded when they did it, and they did it right after the Olympic break. It makes absolutely no sense. He is a goal scorer, he is not a two-way forward, he is not a uh playmaker, he is a goal scorer. That's what he does. And when you put a goal scorer in a bottom six role with a guy that has been stone cold and you expect results, it's absolutely hilarious because I watch the games and I just don't get it. Linholm doesn't drive anything, he doesn't create chances, and Geeky's trying to do it all by himself, and it doesn't make sense. That's not his role. So, Marco Sturm, who is a very smart coach and a very, you know, he's doing a great job with the Bruins. This one here is a huge head scratcher to me. You literally have a guy that you are trying to put who is square in a circle here, well, a circle in a square hole because well, regardless, they both fit every time. It doesn't, but you know what I mean. Like it's a star in a triangle. There we go. Then he can't get in there. It it makes absolutely no sense that a guy that can score this many goals, you're putting in a bottom six role and then going, what's the problem? Because if you think that's going to like wake him up or wake them up, that's not how this works. Morgan Kiki is a guy that goes around, gets in open chances, and you feed him the shot and he scores. That's what he does. But if Elias Lindholm is your centerman, who is not a playmaker to begin with, who's feeding him the puck? Because it certainly isn't Alex Steves who looks absolutely dreadful. How's that contract looking, by the way? Well, I don't that contract's not gonna be. I I think I think we care too much about bottom six guys, but Morgan Geeky is not a bottom six player. Stop playing him there. It's embarrassing at this point.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Okay, so what about so you're right, because a lot, especially to start games, he's been in the third line a lot, right? But there have been a lot of games where you know it starts off with him on a third line with Minton and whoever, but then Marco goes back to Geeky Lindholm and pass too little, too late every time.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Okay, but for a player when you're jumping into a game, you're you're getting a mindset, you're doing the same thing, it's a routine. And Geeky is a very routine or like a superstitious guy. I am not. He wore no bucket in the warm-up last night because he was trying to like shake off what's going on uh with him with regards to like being cold. But you need to be there the whole time. You can't be like, Well, I threw him out there for a shift and nothing happened. All right, I can't go back to it. Yeah, because the numbers and the analytics say absolutely the opposite of why he should be in that bottom six role, and it says why he should be in a top six role, and it makes no sense because if he's on any other team, they got him in a top six and they don't care. But for some reason, Marco Sturm, and I get it, he loves Murat Husadinoff and I like Hussadinoff with Pasta, but Pasta is an extremely gifted playmaker, not just a goal scorer. So when he doesn't have the look, he doesn't want to take the shot. I would trust Morgan Geeky scores that goal over Murat Husadinoff 10 times out of 10.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

Okay, so the lines you would elect to go for with this current group, you would do pasta, Geeky, and Minton.

SPEAKER_03 15:29

Minton, and then who said, and then you have your complimentation because like Minton and Pasta are working so well together. And I said this before on uh on an uh another podcast, and I don't I'm not saying he is this person, I am not comparing him to this person. I'm saying they play the same style, not the same skill level, same style. So Fraser Minton plays a two-way game. Pasternak throughout his career has excelled playing with two-way centers, Bergeron, David Craichy. He's excelled at it. So him and Minton, complimentary piece that allows Pasternak to not have to play a two-way game. He can play a two-way game, not very well, but he can do it. But Minton allows him to be more creative out there. Pasternak is also a gifted goal scorer, so that's where you have Minton there. And then that I mean uh Geeky. So now you have two lines. And then your third line, well, it is what it is at this point, but I truly believe that Matthew Potter can help you.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Oh, I do too. And that that's a conversation we'll get to. I uh the thing about Husadinoff that I do like on with with Pasternak, but I I I think you can I think you can you can get this still with the line you just mentioned. I do like his ability to hunt pucks and get them back. Um, I don't love Geeky's ability to do that. I do think Minton can do it. I think it's asking him a lot when he's playing center too, but I think it can be accomplished with the line you said. And you know what? Honestly, Minton, who's the Dinoff, Pasnak, it's not a long-term top line anyway. So it is what it is what it is. You you make good points there. Um, let's move along here to the power play court because this is a spot where, and you're right to bring up Morgan's getting into a mindset before a game of what line he's gonna be on. So when you switch a mid-game, it cannot sometimes bring the best results. But he is going into every game knowing he's in a top power play, right? So he, along with the other members of that unit.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

Let's call it a power play. Let's not call it a top power player. That's you know what?

SPEAKER_02 17:20

How how about a uh how about a power outage? We'll call it. How's that? That's great. That's a great that's well that's almost part of the title. We'll call it a power outage, Court, because since the Olympic break, the Bruins have gone five for 39 on the man advantage. That is 12.8%. They've gone from a top unit in the league, they were top three, four all year. Now they're down to eighth, which again, if you were to look at that, this kind of goes back to our you know adjusted expectations conversation, right? If you were to look at that, or if you were to tell us before the season started, the Bruins would be the eighth best power play in the league with 15 games to go, we'd say, wow, unreal, right? But of course, there's a lot of context missing there. So they've they've been top five most of the year, now they're down to eighth. Morgan's a part of that. And to me, there's issues in zone entries, but there's also what the biggest issue is in my mind, which is there's a lack of confidence right now. So let me know your thoughts on him and the power play in general and what you're seeing or not seeing from them.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Well, it's interesting because I I watched this power play and Spoke Z put out the best tweet. Like he puts up some funny stuff, but he put out a tweet of just um he edited all the uh entries for the power play against Montreal Canadians, yeah, and how many times he was like, Um, I'm old enough to know a show named Benny Hill. It was like you might as well have the Benny Hill music going on in the background, like just the whole time because they try and go in and they come back. They try and go in and they come back, and they did it for like four minutes, and it's like, oh my goodness. Now, Elias Lindholm, who was a power play merchant until the beginning of the season, is obviously either physically hurt or he is mentally just not there right now. You're not going to restart him by having him fail over and over and over again. Take him off the line, do not have him on any power play. If you don't want to give up Zaka, like I I Zaka has been so good right now. So move Zaka into that spot, okay? So now he's gone, and you've got Pasta on the point with uh you got McAvoy, and then up front you have Geeky, Zaka, and I would say Arvidson. There's your power play one. There's your P there's your power play one because I think Arvidson has played phenomenal. I'm tired of the will they, won't they, should they sign him? I am all in on signing Arvidson. I don't care. I've seen the tweets, he's old. Can we please stop acting like 32 is old? But it's just it's mind-boggling the amount of people like you can't sign this guy. Well, yeah, I know I hate 20 goals, they suck. But um there's your power play, and I think that might fix it because Arvidson adds uh adds some little bit of snarl and he he's got some speed. Uh, I know people might not disagree with me, but our Arvison can go get pucks in the corner all day long, and he's got tons and tons and tons of speed that he can use and break free, and his zone entries are good. But Zaka is better at the zone entries than a lot of guys because he does it methodically and he does it slow. So you either have Zaka or Pasta's your guys that are gonna be bringing it in when you do the rotation. And maybe um I love McAvoy's played well, so you keep him there, or maybe you don't do the the four forwards. Maybe you try and you take Arvidson off, and then you have your front of Zaka, Pasta, and Geeky, and you throw Mason Low Rye back there. I'm just you've gotta do something different, and they just keep going back to the well. And Elias Lindholm is not working at all. He's just not working, and you're not rewarding Pavel Zacka and Arvidson for how well they have been playing. And rewarding players goes a long way in the dress room, recognition goes a long way. So if you have two guys that are pretty much your engine right now, besides Pasternak and McAvoy, Arvidson and Zaka are carrying we're carrying this team on this road trip. So reward them, put them on the the on the power play and see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Yeah, and on the other side of that spectrum, don't reward somebody in Lindholm who's doing the exact opposite, right? It it's it's so infuriating to see him be just an absolute offensive anchor out there at five on five, and then he pops over the boards every time there's a power play. And you're right to bring up Arvinson's ability to get pucks back. Puck retrieval is such a important, underrated part of a man advantage. You literally have an extra guy, right? And so to have somebody who who can do what he does beneath the goal line in the corners and and get those loose pucks back, it is it is important because who on the current, I'm not gonna say top unit court, who on the current power outage is getting those pucks back? It's not Lynnholm, it's not. Even really geeky. Zaka tries, but you can only do so much if you want guy that you know down.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

Zaka should be in the middle, and Linholm is supposed to be your puck guy, and he's not doing it. So get him off the line.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

Yeah, I agree with you.

SPEAKER_03 22:11

Take him off the line because Zaka on the wing on that power play right now. He is hot at center, he is winning faceoffs, and he's commanding the attention. Move him to the center. Move him to center. Get Linholm off, throw pasta up front. Well, actually, you don't want to get the the five fours because you still want uh Mason Lowerai for your second PP. Yeah, so yeah, have Arvidson and Geeky up front, and then you got pasta and McAvoy on the back end, and you're fine. I'm fine, or even move Geeky to the back end and move pasta up front.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

Yeah, and and there should be enough movement anyway when you're set up that you know you can kind of doesn't really matter. Like those guys can move around anyway. I I I like the unit that you offered, and I wouldn't I wouldn't deviate from what you said. Only thing I will also mention is if you didn't want to go Arvidston, but you still wanted to make a change, Casey Middlestad has you know been showing me a little bit more than I thought he had in him in terms of uh competitiveness. And he is a player that should be, you know, pretty good in the power play, too. So if you really didn't want to go Arvidston, which I would do that, you could always go Middlestad and give him a look, right? Because I think he's the other part of that second line that he's part of that engine, right? He's is he the play driver on that line? No, but if you watch him, the knock on him was his competitiveness, not his hands, not his hockey smarts. And he's been initiating contact, he's been winning board battles, he's getting a lot of headlocks, but he's getting into some scrums when his teammates need it. So I've liked his play too. I think he's trying to prove people, hey, I could be a guy that's part of the solution uh in Boston as well. But yeah, I think that's exactly right. And one other thing, too, Core, is the Bruins need to recognize when you're on a power play and you're trying to enter the zone and it fails, and you go and do it again and it fails and it fails again. You have to have the understanding of, you know what, guys, on this particular power play, it's not working for us right now. So let's do a hard rim around or a soft dump into the corner away from the goalie and just get after it. I'm not saying to do that on your first or second attempt on zone entries, but if you've if you've been on one single power play and you've failed four times doing the same thing, can you at least give the PKers a different look and just say, you know what, fuck this, let's just go after it. Like they don't do that, they're too stubborn. And I don't know if that's a coaching thing or a player thing or both, but you know, that's something that's a small thing that can go a long way when you're fighting it. Just if you've tried two, three times and you failed, just get after it, right? Like, stop being cute. So, because the entries have been good most of the years. I think Steve Spot's done a really good job with this power play. I think it's mainly a lack of confidence right now.

SPEAKER_03 24:48

So yeah, and that's why I the only the that would be my only reservation of Casey Middlestack because he can't, you need to enter with speed, and that's been their problem because every like when Linholm tried to enter the zone, I'm like, what are we doing here at this point? So, like Casey Middlestag won't be able to enter the zone with speed, so that's that's why I think Arvidson would help possibly because he can enter with speed. Pasternak when he wants can enter speed. I use the word once because he can turn it on and turn it off. Pavel Zaka, not so much, but Morgan Geeky can actually enter. McAlvoy is actually better at entering the zone than most guys, so like I it just different look because then you've still got your second P uh power play where you're gonna have your Mason Lowrai, who has played phenomenal in the last little bit, especially on this road trip, and then you've got Minton, uh Casey Middlestat, and Husadinoff. Yeah, and then you can throw some I it even keeps Zadorov out there, and then have Zadorov and Mason Lowrai because the Dorov's got tons of speed and he's got a huge booming shot from the point. And that's you got your 2D, but then you at least got you got a different bunch of different group up front. You got your two-way guy, you got your creativity, and you got another two-way guy in Husadinoff who can actually like shoot the puck, past the puck, and then you got middle stat and can kind of control it and almost be the quarterback.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

All right, so Core, I want to transition.

SPEAKER_03 26:03

That means Linholm is out if you want.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

I am he's out, right? So so let's let's transition, but keep it with Elias Lindholm here for a second, because I think there's a few different things at play here. I think there's the question of what do you do with him short term, right? To to optimize him, to get him out of his slump, whatever. Then there's what do you do with him long term? And I know what his contract is, I know the restrictions on that, but so I just want to tease that. Before we get into that, I want to jump back uh a few games ago to some comments that Marco Sturm had on Elias and Holmes struggles court, and I want to get your your feedback on what Marco had to say.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Uh when it comes to Elias' game, is there something that needs to be unlocked there to kind of get him back on track?

SPEAKER_01 26:47

Um I mean unlock, I don't know. Um you know, he's really reliable all year long. Uh he's been pretty steady. Um, but again, uh in this certain time of the year, I think that's where, again, talk about best players, that's where they come to shine. And they're gonna be the difference. And I think that's something um we need him to do more to be more, you know, to be more best player, because he can be. Um so it's not it's not October anymore, it's not a November a November anymore. It's it's March, it's crunch time. So um, so we just need just a bit more.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

So Core, he says he can be. He can be one of our best players.

SPEAKER_03 27:37

Can he be? Yeah, no, I think he played phenomenal at the beginning. I sorry, I shouldn't use the word phenomenal because that's an exaggeration. Um Charlie McAvoy is playing phenomenal right now. He played better than we've seen him as a Bruin at the beginning of this season. He was one of the reasons the Bruins were overachieving at the beginning of this season. And so Marco Sturm is probably saying, Hey, I saw you were able to do this. What is going on now? Is he injured? I'm almost gonna 100% guarantee it. Yeah. So if he is, the Bruins know this. So putting him on the third line and giving him someone with speed like Husadinoff makes way more sense to me. He'll either get it in gear or he won't, but at least he'll have someone out there that can overcompensate for his lack of speed because it looks like it's a lower body injury. So 100% agree with Mark what Marco Stern's saying, because he's saying how well he played at the beginning of the year, but at the same time, he's with him every day. So I'm just so confused on why he keeps going back to the well and thinks it's going to change. Your power play has been dreadful on this road trip. So if we see the same lineup Saturday afternoon, what are we doing here? Yeah. Like I just keep him on the third line until it works.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

Yeah, I think you're right to bring up like clearly Marco is trying to send a message by demoting him to the third line, but you're right. It's not Elias Lindholm, even when he's 100% healthy, let alone if he's dealing with a lower body injury, which I think you're probably right about that. He's not the fastest of players. But you know who else isn't? Morgan Geeky, right? So I think that's kind of where you're going with that, is if you have two guys that are struggling at the same time, you can you maybe you think, hey, if one of them gets out of it, the other one does too by by association. But you need somebody to, to your point, to lead the play, to, to, to stretch out your opposition. And Morgan Geeky's not stretching out any any defenders, neither is Elias Lindholm. And so it kind of just feels like you have two you know guys that just aren't really doing much of anything. And and who's the third guy? AC Mont Steve's, that's not gonna be it. So I I like where your mind is at about splitting the two of them up, right?

SPEAKER_03 29:46

And like I understand he wants to reward Husadinoff. Sorry for for jumping in. I understand why he wants to reward Husadinoff. I get it. The guy's played phenomenal this year, and I use the word properly with him, but because he's been consistent all year long, but your goal is to win hockey games, yeah. And if you're literally handicapping your third line every time you put him on the ice, what's the point?

SPEAKER_02 30:09

Yeah, no, you're not wrong. You're not wrong. I think Marco trusts who snadinoff, and I think he likes the way that Minton and Housnadinoff are generating for David with some more speed and creativity, but you're right. It's if you can if you can get a little bit of that on each line, why why wouldn't you, right? And and maybe the effect is, yeah, uh, you have you get Geeky next to Pasnak, and maybe Geeky gets going. Because, you know, I don't think Husnadinoff has to be with Pashnak to to get going. Like obviously, anybody playing with David is gonna have the best chance to succeed, but Marat's game is he's a water bug, he's just gonna get in there and do his thing. So that's not gonna change wherever he is. So I think that's that's a good point that you make, but I just the whole injury thing, it's I acknowledge it, I feel for it, but it's like that's the sport, like everybody's playing hurt, and you know, there's no it I'm sure Linholm will be hurt again next year in the year after like every guy plays hurt every year. So that's just that's just the the the territory, and so I don't know. It's I I don't mean to sound cruel, right? Because it is a game played by humans, but it's it's just the reality, like injuries happen, and so I think we're all in agree in agreement right now. The best thing to do is to demote Linholm at least to the third line, which he's been on, and to take him off the power play. But what about long-term court? What do you what do you see here with the Bruins long-term? Because right now Linholm is he's got full control over his contract, he's not going anywhere unless he wants to or or approves it. But how is this how I'm I'm not even here to to shit on their signing of him? I I know why they did it at the time. But going forward, when you when you talk about the infusion of youth and skill to this lineup, as he gets older, it's your third line center.

SPEAKER_03 31:59

I I think we already know what he is because the the salary cap in the next two years is gonna go up to 130 million. So at this point, it doesn't even matter. Yeah, we we keep all talking about how much people make. Remember when Zadorov signed at five million? We're like, oh my god, he signed at five million. That is like literally chicken scratch now. 7 million dollars in two years is going to be like a guy who makes four right now. So that won't matter. So, with that instance, seven million dollars is your third line center where you can turn him into, hey, okay, you know what? Your role is diminished. This is the way it works. You were our power play guy, but we've got another guy named James Haggins who's come in. Hopefully he's played well, and now he's taken over that role. We also have Fraser Minton, who originally we thought was our future 3C, who is definitely the future two C, one C, maybe, but definitely the future two C. So Elias Lindholm automatically slots into that third line center role. You turn to him and say, Hey, you're gonna be third line center, eventually fourth line center. We just want you to be checkered and play the PK. You're gonna be my first PK guy, you're gonna win draws, because that's he'll be Sean Corale. Unfortunately, he'll be making$7 million, but he will be Sean Corale.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, but the the the to your point, the cap is not who cares about the cap? It's going up. It's not when I talk about his future fit. Honestly, the monetary value isn't even on my mind. It's more about like his actual style of play and where he fits. The the money is is not it's not a it's not an issue. I just think that this time next year, we could be talking about a similar conversation we're gonna have soon with Higgins about maybe a Dean Laterno, or if not Laterno, somebody else, where like it's not gonna be too long from now, Court where you're gonna have not just Docca, not just Higgins, not just Minton. You know, you're gonna have some other options too, like Matt Potter, where's Matt Potra fit, right? I could also see Linholm maybe converting to the wing at some point, too, right? I just I guess what I'm asking the draws, though.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

He's so well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

But you can you can you can take a draw and then and then move over.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

But I would rather if I'm uh 100%, but I don't want Matt Potra ever like he has to play in bottom six right now, he plays in bottom six. But if he's going to have a future with the Boston Bruins, he's gotta be a top six guy. Your guy that can go over to the wing seamlessly is Zacka. Strum loves him down the middle, but at the same time, if you're doing the math, you're talking about James Higgins, you're talking about Dean Laterno, these guys all hitting. Yeah, Zacka's the one you're trading because he's the one that you're getting everything for. Because you can't trade Elias Linholm and you can trade Pavel Zacka. No one's taking Elias Linholm, and if they are, they're giving you a bunch of jelly beans for him.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

Oh no, no one's taking it.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Well, Pavel Zacca is netting you a first-round pick plus a prospect. Unfortunately, if we're treating this like a business, he's the guy out the door next year. Like next year, Pavel Zaka's walking into his UFA year, so his final year in his deal next year. So say the Bruins are in the same. Say we'll we'll do some hypotheticals here. You went back, you said, say we're we're in this situation next year. Say Hagen's hits. Okay, so next year your one C is Minton because that's the way it would work. If Haggins hits, one C is Minton next year. Because Hagens is not one C. Okay, that's that's hitting right away and doing well is putting him at two C until he gets to that one C, right? You're not going to be one C in year one. He's he's just like if he's playing center at all, he could be on the wing. Agreed. I actually think he will be on the wing to start, but they do want him as a center main point. Yes, agreed. But I still have Minton as your one C. I think he's kind of like taking that role, or you have Zaka. So you you pick and choose, okay? So there's your one C or two C. Say Higgins hits, and we're talking Dean Laterno because they'd have to sign him next year. He's got one more year at BC. You're trading Pavel Zaka. That's who you're trading because you can't get rid of Linholm. No one's taking him. If you can, sure. If you can somehow pull off a magic thing without having to move a pick, because I hate trading and moving picks, it always bites the team in the butt. Like uh the Toronto Maple Eaves moved. Patrick Marlowe got a gave a pick away that turned into Seth Jarvis. Like it it every time it burns the team, especially the Toronto Maple Leaves. So you're gonna have eventually, if you're making that choice, the choice is Pavel Zacca. Even though I love him and I want to keep him, yeah. The choice is Pavel Zaka.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

Well, at that point, though, Corale's deal will be up and maybe just move Linholm down to the fourth line center. He is at that point.

SPEAKER_03 36:18

That's what I'm saying, though. But Linholm is going to be a bottom six player for the rest of his career. If he doesn't snap out of it this year, yeah, he's a bottom six player.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

Now, I so trade does trading Zaka come into play even if Matt Potter's not around, or is that are you including?

SPEAKER_03 36:32

No, if Matt Potter's not around, then I think I can move Zach over. I I keep Zaka because he's way too consistent.

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

I I really like him. I wish they would extend him, but them not even extending him this year, that scares me. But if they do it over the summer, then I'll feel better.

unknown 36:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

Because I don't think he's gonna cost you a lot.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

No, I think he'll get a I think he'll get a raise for himself, but still be at a team friendly percentage of the cap with the cap going up.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

Yeah, he he he'll probably come in around six, six point three. Yeah, and that's totally fine. He deserves it. Um, I think Arvinson, you can get at a four on like a if you give him one more year. See if you give him two, he's gonna want five, five and a half, five point three. But if you give him three, he's probably gonna let you come in at four. And then that's a phenomenal deal.

SPEAKER_02 37:15

So it sounds kind of like to me, Corey, and again, it's partly because I'd rather have a problem with too many guys than a problem with not enough guys. So majorly the issue here is the Lindholm contract and and and his his no movement clause and whatnot. But it it kind of sounds like because of that, it may come down to Patra or Zaka. That's kind of and so where do you fall on that? Like, I know how much you're like Partra all day long. Yeah, I would too. And so that's kind of that was my only that was my only question in my head to your response about Zaka's the guy you trade. And I know you're talking about for optimal return.

SPEAKER_03 37:50

Yeah, that's why I'm doing it. Because you're gonna get a pick, you're gonna get a pro a prospect in a in a and a first-round pick.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

But so let me ask you this though. You you already have five firsts in the next three years and three seconds. Do you can never have too many first-round picks, don't get me wrong.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

All right, but that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

But um at the expense of uh Zaka going out, you know, like like so you would still do it for for the you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_03 38:17

If you're getting a prospect that was because presumably so, you're getting a pick that was already a first round pick, plus the first round pick for Saka, right? Yeah, so you're getting your new Matt Patra. Yeah, it's like let's be honest, Fabian Lyselle, we haven't talked about them because it doesn't matter anymore. And I think I the the discourse over the uh social media this week about Fabian Lyselle and not getting a chance is just getting to the point of like uh I don't know anymore, but uh is that still a thing out there? Yeah, there was people talking about it this week. I was a little actually shocked. Um, I enjoyed the Bergeron Copotar conversation more than the the Fabian Lyselle conversation. Oh my god, that was so unnecessary. But uh well, I know I'm doing a video about it. I I've already recorded it. Now you have to because it's out there. Bergeron Copotar, I'm doing it. Um, well, it's already been recorded. Um, but uh I really like Matt Patra only because when he finally did get up this year and he played that bottom six role, I think he stood up, he played well. Um, in fact, I think they wanted to keep him. But they could they couldn't. I think he like Marco Sturm said nothing but positive things about him in those two games that he played. Yeah, and he played very well between Castle Lick and Janot. He did. Yeah, he did. He just if Elias Lindholm is your future four to three C, that's fine because he's gonna take over Corale's role when he's done. Sure, yeah. And if if Patra can be your three C and then Minton is your one C and Zach is your two C and Hagens is on the wing, there's nothing wrong with any of that.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

No, but you're putting a lot of jelly beans in the in the Fraser Minton 1C hopes. I know, I know by default he's kind of.

SPEAKER_03 39:59

I don't think it's I think he's just there for a it's a more of a um uh placeholder. Okay. He's a future 2C, he can play 2C now, but they have to put him at 1C right now because you don't want to break up that second line.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

Okay, so I'm gonna uh this is a difficult question I'm gonna ask you because it's really difficult to play this game. But in a world where James Higgins in a world where James Higgins isn't your one C, and that long-term solution also isn't Fraser, like so in that world, who would who is one. You have to trade for it or or or draft it still, right?

SPEAKER_03 40:37

Okay, you could put Zaka there, you can like again Zaka and Minton can play there, but are they there? It's just like when they signed Elias Linholm and everybody's like, he's the new Bergeron. And when Pasternak said that in the press conference, I was like, Oh my god, why'd you why did you of all people say that out loud? Yeah, Elias Lindholm was a two C when he got here, he's played like a two C. If he has to play one C, that is not his fault. It's not his fault that they paid him this money, like he was a one C at the time. None of that is his fault, but the fans will never understand that. And some fans, sorry, but it is what it is. Just like no one's harping on Minton right now playing one C, but he's what they have. Yeah, he's better than Linholm and he's better than Corale. Um, and Pavel Zaka can do it, but you don't want to take him off there.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Yeah, exactly. I guess we're the only reason. I guess we also shouldn't we need to see more. That's why we're not really mentioning his name. Technically, maybe there's a there's a world where there's a world where maybe maybe Dean Laterno is a guy that can do that too. I I think that's premature, obviously. So not going there, but maybe he's also another option that yeah, maybe Haggins is like Haggins or Laterno could turn out to be a one C.

SPEAKER_03 41:46

Of course, of course, they're not right now, and I would never say they are. The only thing we have, the only player on this team that could potentially be a 1C right now is Fraser Minton. He's not going to be. I don't see I agreed with ESPN's uh statement the other night that he's a 30-30 guy, and that's it's gonna be perfect. And in fact, um, you know, we we one of our my favorite players of all time is pretty much a 30-30 guy majority of his career, and he's gonna be a first battle hall of famer next year. But and that's Bergeron. There's nothing wrong. I'm not saying Fraser Minton's produced Bergeron because I keep getting anytime I compare the two, everybody's but they play a very similar style. I think Bergeron has more offensive upside, but Fraser Minton is the closest thing we've had to Bergeron since Bergeron or before that Steve Casper.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

Okay. I I agree. I think there's some similarities there. Um, I will make the thumbnail Bruins diehards calls Fraser Minton the next produce Bergeron.

SPEAKER_03 42:46

But besides that, ah Jesus, he so isn't. But if you do the comparison, right? So say he does become a 30-30 guy. Yeah, that's literally Bergeron numbers.

SPEAKER_02 42:54

Yeah, I know. Yeah, Bergeron was, I think he had like what one one or two seasons with 70 plus points out of yeah, like but he got hurt that year.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

So like I still think that was the year he was gonna ridiculousness. But so like let's look at he averages what 25 goals a year, pretty much, Bergeron. So he got 31 in 05, 06. Uh, he got 22, and then he got he got eight and uh in three, eight, eight in sixty four games. That was his bad year, and then think about it. Imagine, imagine nowadays people would kill him 19, 22, 10, 30, 23, 32, 21, 30, 32, 31, 23, 25, 27. If Fraser Minton becomes a 60-point guy, because Burger was 58, 65, 48, 56, 79, 79 was that 2018, 2019 season. Um, and he got hurt. Remember, he only played 65 games that year. 63, 53, 68. In fact, when he got hurt in that that season, I saw him underneath the uh I was walk I was underneath the garden walking to go meet someone, and he's arms in a sling, and I turned to another report. And I just looked and he goes, You can't see anything. He's like he's been like that pretty much all year. I was like, What? Yeah, so like after every game, he was putting his arm in his link. Every game. He's hurt the whole darn season. But points, if you do the math, Fraser Minton is on pace. So if he starts working more, he works with Celebrini in Bedard on the offseason. I'm going all in on Fraser Minton. I don't know if you haven't noticed. I am all in on this guy. He's my next jersey.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

Well, as he should be. But Court, the thing that he also is similar to Bergeron is he's mature beyond his years. Right. And so that's that's another little intangible there. Speaking of Fraser Minton, this is a little bit off topic before we get to the next topic, but the other part of that of that deal that brought Fraser Minton to Boston was we also got Toronto's 26th first round pick for Brandon Carlo. Are you nervous that that pick is going to be top five protected at this point?

SPEAKER_03 44:59

Not anymore because Austin Matthews got hurt. So I live in, I live, it's no secret. Um you know, and maybe your listeners don't. I live in the Toronto area. Yes. When Austin Matthews doesn't play, the Toronto Maple Leafs play better. Since he has been out of the lineup, okay, he's been gone four games, right? Yeah. All right, that's a total of eight points. They've got six.

SPEAKER_02 45:24

Wow. Okay.

unknown 45:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 45:27

Does that make you feel better? I mean, you know what? Honestly, when he win they win last night, I didn't even look. I don't know. I don't know. But you combine that with the fact that they've just been publicly shamed for their lack of response on Rag Kogudus' hit on another. They lost 3-1, but that was the Islanders. Okay. I mean a good team now. Yeah, they are a good team.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

Um the Leafs are 29, 28, and 12. They are you also got to remember it's the Toronto Maple Leafs, right? So anytime the Toronto Maple Leafs deal with the Boston Bruins, they always get the shit out of the stick.

SPEAKER_02 45:59

Yeah. Um it's written in the stars.

SPEAKER_03 46:01

Yeah, it's written in the stars. So right now they're eighth at 70 points. The Florida Panthers got 69, 64. If we go to overall, okay, this is where it's gonna be very hard for the Toronto Maple Leaves. They're ninth right now. Okay, they are ninth. Could they move up to first? Yes. Could they move into the top five? Yes. But if they finish fifth, and I didn't know this, do you know it's harder for the team to finish fifth to actually stay in fifth? And nine times out of ten, they're the one that always moves down. Because if a team jumps into the top five, it automatically moves five down.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

Yeah, I actually I did know that because of last year. That's when everyone's finished.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

I oh I just looked at the the the mathematics stats, okay? So, like if you look at the so right now it's it's the predators at 69, you get it, Panthers at 69, Leafs at 70, Jets at 67, but then it's a huge drop-off, okay? So remember the Leafs have 70 points, they have six more than the Blues, and the Blues are in in the fifth spot right now, okay, and they stink, and then you got the Rangers, six ahead of them, and they stink. The Blackhawks, you're 10 ahead of them, you're eight ahead of them, and then you got the Flames, you're 11 ahead of them, and then you got the Canucks, you're you're 10 points ahead of them. I mean, no, 20 points ahead of them. Jesus. You're not like it is so hard to get in that top. You the Canucks would have to go on a run, the Leafs would have to lose every game. Yeah. I people are freaking out, but I don't think we should be freaking out as much as we which we are. You can't do anything about the ping pong balls. No, but I don't think the Leafs finish anywhere. The best I think they can do is sixth.

SPEAKER_02 47:34

Okay, yeah, that's reassuring to know because I do remember when the Bruins finished last season with the fifth best odds, it was more likely that they were gonna move down, ironically, than even stay where they were or go any higher. So that's good to know.

SPEAKER_03 47:46

And it does feel like looking at it, like 20 points between them and the last place, that's a hard gap.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Oh, they are going, they're not that they're not finishing last.

SPEAKER_03 47:54

The Canucks are the worst team in the NHL and they're not changing. So the Blackhawks, Canucks, that's that's just where they are. But I get it, there should be a panic. But like Canucks flames Blackhawks, there's your bottom three, locked in. Locked in. Maybe the Rangers, but the Rangers started winning again, too.

SPEAKER_02 48:08

So yeah, yeah, and and and Toronto, Toronto could finish with the fourth best odds or fifth best odds, right? But of course they can move down, right? That like that's the whole point. So it's not even about necessarily finishing, they can still finish with the fifth and fourth best odds, but they and the Panthers are just sitting everybody out, too, right?

SPEAKER_03 48:25

So the Panthers are gonna suck. The Predators already suck, like you know, even their name is terrible, and the Jets, they're not good either, and neither are the Blues. So, like, and the Rangers are a laughing stock at the NHL. They're turn, they are the Dallas Cowboys. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 48:40

They've won like what, six of the last eight, though. So somebody's gonna tell them to start losing again.

SPEAKER_03 48:44

They will, though. Don't worry, they have JT Miller as their leader. They're they're a bunch of losers. They are they are guaranteed to be losers as long as that man is their captain. Yeah, he is like a most overrated player in the NHL. I can't believe I'm saying that he is 100% the most overrated player in the NHL. The amount of people that say he is a good hockey player, he had no business playing on Team USA, and he has no business being the captain of the New York Rangers. Boy, I know.

SPEAKER_02 49:12

I know your least favorite player is.

SPEAKER_03 49:14

Well, I just don't I don't understand the amount of smoke that gets blown up that guy's butt, and you had a guy like call uh you had Caulfield sitting at home and you had that guy play in the Olympics instead. Yeah, I get it, you won. But like it's not like it was a barn burner in that final game. Both teams decided to go hard and be these tough teams, and it turned out that they all needed offense and skill. Yeah, like when are people gonna realize the Olympic is about offensive skill? It is not the world cup of hockey.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

I mean, their their penalty kill was perfect in the tournament. He was one of the premier guys, though. People are gonna throw that back at your face, Court.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

I I couldn't care less what people throw at my face. JT Miller stinks. I can you can throw whatever you want at me everywhere he goes, besides winning that Olympic, he is a loser everywhere he goes.

SPEAKER_02 49:59

Elias Petterson, Elias Petterson agrees with you.

SPEAKER_03 50:02

Yeah, 100%. They're both losers, though. They're both losers. What a what a fine JT Miller's not the reason Team USA won. He was just there. No, he was just there. Connor Hellibach and the defense of Team USA are the reason that team won.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

See, this is we're we're starting to go down this road now because you and I haven't had a chance to talk yet. Since it's fine.

SPEAKER_03 50:24

I thought that was one of the best hockey games I've ever seen in my life. It was amazing. And Connor Hellebuck stood on his freaking head, and Charlie McAvoy honestly was one of the best players in the game. Yeah, he was great. The defense, I said this at the beginning of the tournament to you. I said you're you have the better goaltending and you have the better defense, and that is literally what won the tournament because everybody else decided to have this rough and tough forward group, yeah, and it was the wrong choice. Cole Caulfield should have been there for the United States. Yeah. Um, Robinson should have been there for the United States. It makes no sense. The two of the best goal scorers in the United States weren't on that team, and you brought Connor again when you know he's just gonna be injured or you're not gonna like his compete because he's not a two-way guy. He had no business being there, but because they brought him to the World Cup, they're like, well, we're gonna bring him again. Yeah, and I thought Dylan Larkin was phenomenal for you guys. I thought the Hughes brothers were phenomenal, and they're supposed to be, right? Austin Matthews played a phenomenal defensive game. Still think he's very overrated, but um he defensively he was great. Yeah, defensively, he was great. But he was, you know, Canada, you know, Nathan McKinnon did his typical Nathan McKinnon thing. Now that they've seen the replays, there's like 18 times he's done it where he just hits the damn post, yeah, especially on that offside. Uh and you know, City Crosby gets hurt. It sucks. There's nothing you could do, but you got to overcome injuries. Yeah, Canada had their chances, they just couldn't put the puck in the ocean. They have three empty nets that they didn't score on, but then again, Connor Hellebuck was the best player on the ice. He needed to be the best player on the ice, and that's why the USA won, and they deserve to win the game. Plain and simple. Canada had terrible goaltending, too.

SPEAKER_02 51:58

Yeah, I mean, Sid Sid going down was that was that was a big loss. You do kind of feel like if he's there, you know.

SPEAKER_03 52:04

I don't know if he's there. Does it change it? It does change. There's a presence about him. There's a presence about him. 1000%, you know. Well, who was it? Someone on Team USA was like, I wish I would have won with Con with Crosby in the lineup. Oh, really? It would have made him feel better about it. I can't remember who said it, but not in like a way of like Congress is their win. He was just saying like it would have been more, yeah, like he's one of the best players in the world type deal. Um, but Halibach was unbelievable. Like, yeah, truly the whole tournament. The whole tournament.

SPEAKER_02 52:34

He was, and he was a guy that had that label as somebody who couldn't step up in those in those moments, and uh there was no bigger moment than that. I mean, you could say game seven of the same like a final short, but like that's that battle save on um Oh my god, it was crazy.

SPEAKER_03 52:48

It was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 52:49

It was on uh Devontabes, yes. Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_03 52:53

Colorado just killed me that game.

SPEAKER_02 52:56

Yeah. But I mean, Canada had their, you know, they had all their chances in the world. They just, you know, couldn't score. Couldn't score. Everyone, everyone, and it's not just the US-Canada game. Anytime you see a game where one team outplays the other, outgenerates them and they lose, everybody throws their hand. Oh, you know, they deserve. No, no, it's about execution. Like you don't win games for outgenerating. We all know this. Like, you have to go out there and execute it.

SPEAKER_03 53:18

It's you can play the shoulda, coulda, woulda. I still I I said to you at the beginning of the tournament, Badard should be there. He still should have been there. Who? Um, Connor Badard should have been there, and Matthew Schaefer should have been there. Well, Schaefer was the one I was like, Oh, you gotta be kidding me. Yeah, you know, Morsi goes down. So the two guys from Winnipeg who went down in the World Cup of Hockey went down in the Olympics, color me shocked. The two guys that are playing on one of the worst teams in the NHL, you were like, you know what, they're winners.

SPEAKER_02 53:44

Yeah. Celebrini, man. What a flash. Unbelievable. One of the best players in the world. I court, he, you know, most kids his age just graduated college. Like, you know, he the fact that he's doing what he's doing at that age, it's not just the skill, it's it's the competitiveness, it's it's everything. It's so impressive for how young he is. Fun fact very good, close friends with Connor Bedard and one Fraser Minton. And there you go. And they all have you know really good work ethic, too.

SPEAKER_03 54:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 54:13

Uh, let's hope that this next player we're going to talk about has that same work ethic. And honestly, from all everything I've seen, you know, he does work hard. That's that's James Haggins. Now, Court, just to set the stage here, BC, okay, they play in the hockey semifinals on Friday. And if they advance to the championship, it's on Saturday.

SPEAKER_03 54:31

Yeah, we only get one game of Hagens for the whole year. If they win on Friday night, you only get one game of Hagens. If they lose, we can have two to three games of Hagens this year. Well, hold on. So, what do you mean by that? So if if from what sorry, from what I understand is if they win, the Bru the Bruins would still let them have like, okay, you won, go have your fun. Uh-huh. And then they wouldn't get as many. If they can lose on Friday night, we might get him in the lineup earlier. But if they win, I'm being told some people say he might just go to Providence.

unknown 55:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 55:04

He's coming no matter what. Okay, so I'll bring up the schedule here.

SPEAKER_02 55:08

Yeah, pull it up because right now, so if be basically BC cannot qualify for the national tournament unless they can unless they win hockey east. Okay. Okay, so if they lose Friday or Saturday in a semis of the championship of Hockey East, then he should be available right then and there to sign.

SPEAKER_03 55:27

And that gives you one, two, three, four, five, uh, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve games.

SPEAKER_02 55:39

Right. And I could see them signing him and him debuting Tuesday night against the Leafs. However, however, spicy. However, if the if the Eagles win the Hockey East Championship Saturday, they do take part in the national tournament. So now you're pushing that timeline out at least a couple of weeks, probably.

SPEAKER_03 55:59

So yeah, no, that's the one game. Sorry. Yes. If they win on Friday and then win Saturday, he can only play one game for the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

Right.

SPEAKER_03 56:06

And honestly, he doesn't play in the NHL this year.

SPEAKER_02 56:09

And Court, like it's crazy that it comes down to how the Eagles do and how available Higgins becomes, because I do think that him being available to the Bruins for 10 games versus you know one or two, I think that could well be the difference if this team makes the playoffs or not.

SPEAKER_03 56:27

Yes, I uh it could, it could, but that means he's got a hit right away. So, yes, having him in the lineup Tuesday night against the Tron May Beliefs would be cool. You wouldn't play him back-to-back games, that's for sure. So he doesn't he doesn't even make the road trip to Buffalo. I think they just keep him at home and he stays skating. Uh, and that actually would make more sense. So say they lose Friday night, and this sounds terrible. We all hope they do. Say they lose because we all wanted them to lose last week, right? Yeah, because he would have made his debut last night against the Montreal Canadians, which would really well actually they probably wouldn't he wouldn't have made his big debut until Thursday night against the Boni Pack Jets. Yeah, that's what I think too. Yeah, so he would have made his debut at home. Um, you you really hope he loses Friday night, and then you get him Tuesday, you don't he doesn't go on the road, and then he plays again on the 28th.

unknown 57:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:11

So then you get that little space there. And people are probably like, why would you not play him on back-to-back games? Maybe put him on the road trip, but there's no point in you want to acclimatize him, get him more practices because that would get him one, two, three. That would give him three days skating with the team, which would be nice because if they say they lose on Friday night, then he gets one, two, three. He gets three days to skate with the team, plays Tuesday night, another three days to skate with the team and plays Saturday night. Or you send him down to Providence.

SPEAKER_02 57:41

Yeah, I mean, I was talking with uh with Scott McLaughlin on a skate podcast, and he he and others feel like start him in Boston if he doesn't do well, just put him back down to Providence.

SPEAKER_03 57:50

100%. I still think no matter what, he's not gonna play in the Boston Bruins, unless he's lights out. Okay. He has to be because it I use Tyler Segan as the perfect example.

SPEAKER_02 58:01

You have to be lights out to play in the playoffs, or just better than Alex Steves or Mikey A. C. Mont.

SPEAKER_03 58:07

Nah, so I I think they would rather not have him in a third line checking role in the playoffs because you're gonna, he's gonna, he's not a big boy. You know, he's got a lot of things to learn. You'd probably rather him, hey, go play top six minutes in Providence and go try and win a Calder Cup. I'm just saying, or you can play in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Buffalo Sabres and get the crap kicked out of you.

SPEAKER_02 58:29

Okay, so let's flesh this out for a little bit, though, because this kind of goes to what I wanted to ask you. So let's say that BC wins hockey east and a James Higgins timeline gets pushed out a couple of weeks. That's a situation where I think now we're starting to talk about, you know what, maybe let's give Matty Pachra another opportunity to do something here. But if the Bruins, or I'm sorry, if the Eagles lose Friday or Saturday and BC's season ends, and now we're on Hagen's watch officially.

SPEAKER_03 58:59

I don't think it's watch. He's signing.

SPEAKER_02 59:01

Sure, yeah, yeah. I I guess watch as in like when does he sign?

SPEAKER_03 59:05

But when does Kevin Weeks post it?

SPEAKER_02 59:08

When does Kevin Weeks post it? Yeah. So let's kind of tie this conversation into the one we had before about what you would do with the Lions court. So it let's say the Bruins signed Haggins and he was in the lineup Thursday. Like, what would you what would you do? You would do third line with who with who?

SPEAKER_03 59:26

Uh well that in that case, uh, you'd have him with he's probably gonna be Linholm on that third line. Because one, it can I would love to put him with Minton, but it would be hard to put a young kid with another young kid. Although Minton is why you know he is mature though.

SPEAKER_02 59:43

But yes, I hear what you're saying.

SPEAKER_03 59:45

Yeah, so then you have Geeky Hagen's in at Lynn Home as your third line.

SPEAKER_02 59:48

Okay, so is that not a you know, quote unquote third line that you could you know roll out in the playoffs?

SPEAKER_03 59:54

No, I I still I'm still against unless Hagens is the best, one of the best players on the ice, I still think it's better for his development to go down to Pro, and this is just me personally, yeah, to go try and win a Calder Cup because they're getting knocked out in the first round. The Providence Brewings have a chance to win it all. So that in a whole in a season for James Haggins, he would win a bean pot and he would win a Calder Cup. That is a pretty good cherry on the cap. You know, something he's gonna get top six minutes, he's gonna get power play, he's gonna get peak, he's gonna get it all in Providence. Okay, and then he's it's I think it's better for his development to go win a Calder. And it would be a lot like or going a chance to they did it with Pasternak, they did it with Bergeron, they did it with Brad Marshan. It's not that big of a deal. If they win Friday night and they win Saturday, I he doesn't even play in the NHL this year. And if he does, it's the one game.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:46

Well, I think that takes a lot of pressure off of the situation. If BC does win and they go to the national tournament, James is comp his his mind is going to be all on BC. And the Bruins have an easy out of saying, hey, look, James, you know, you just finished your season. We got a game left. You know, we'll give you one game, maybe, because but maybe because that game could be playoff implications, right? So it becomes easier for the Bruins to put it down to Providence politically if he goes as far as he can with the national tournament. But if he gets eliminated Friday or Saturday and there's a chance for him to play 10 plus games with the Bruins, it's tougher for the Bruins to because you want to keep a prospect like that happy.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:23

Um yeah, yeah, but they're signing him, he's gonna be happy. I just think he needs to be a top six player to make it on the Bruins playoff roster because I it just makes way more sense development-wise to put him on a team that's just gonna go win a bunch of rounds. And you think he'll get that chance to at least show that or not for a couple of days. Yes, 100%. If they lose and if they lose, they're gonna give him an option. I think what we just mapped out, like it makes perfect sense to play the Leafs, not play the Sabres, sit a couple games, uh not a couple games, sit a couple days of practicing with the team, going through the the the lines, especially because the the sabres are playing a really heavy game, so it just shelters them from away from that game and then let them come back on that Saturday. And then he's like a little more accomatized because it's gonna be a big jump for him, it's gonna be huge. And if he falls fast, the fans are gonna be on him, which sucks. Yeah, but if he plays pretty decent and then they throw him in Providence, the Bruins can take the take the fall, and fans can be mad at the Bruins when it's the best thing for him. Okay, so they're gonna be all like, Oh my god, they put him in Providence, blah blah blah. McAlboy only plays for the Boston Bruins against the Ottawa Senators because they lost the defenseman. Multiple, they have like three or four guys down, otherwise, he was never playing.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

I think they're they were down Carlo, Kevin Miller, McQuaid, yeah, but he doesn't play Krug. He doesn't play the injury happens, he doesn't play. Um, Core, I'll let you go in uh in just a short minute or two here. I just want to get a couple more uh thoughts from you. You've mentioned Haggins's um, you know, him maybe not being a one C at the NHL level. I'm I'm curious yet. I don't see it. I just don't see it yet. Well, and and and to be fair, I mean you haven't had many chances to see it, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:05

So never played an NHL game. Do you do you think he could be a one CO2? Okay, he's played phenomenal this year. He has showed everybody, in fact, his last game, everybody was counting him out, everybody was like, he's done. He showed me that he he wants to play in the NHL, but he also still wants to be part of BC and he wants to win. Yeah, because he can easily have thrown that game in and then be playing in the NHL right now, and he didn't. He was the best player on the ice. Not like it wasn't just like you know, they won, he was the best player on the ice. Yeah, so that shows me he has it. He has it. Good kid has it. Whether he can whether he can um take that to the NHL is another thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:48

Yeah. Which I mean that that's that's the conversation with every prospect is, you know, outside of Connor McDavid or something like that, where it's like you know there'll be a one C, but prospects you can only predict so much until you see it. But it does seem like everything he could have shown us so far, I think he's he's passed.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:05

He's done everything he needs to do. Yeah, all right.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:08

Before you get out of here, Core, uh prediction time. Okay, will the Bruins make the playoffs? What's your gut telling you? Because I think right now, you don't think so. Really? I'm kind of with you. I've got I hope I hope I'm wrong because I I do think it's good for the team to get some experience and and get some feel-good energy going into um ensuing seasons, but right now, the I I don't trust their power play, I don't trust their five on five outside their second line, and mostly Columbus is just playing really well.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:41

They're really good, and Ottawa doesn't suck. So those are the two teams they gotta worry about. And I just I don't know, man. Columbus looks legit, they're playing some really good hockey, yep, and so is Ottawa. So it's like, okay, you're not playing better than those two teams, and those are the two teams catching up to you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:58

And you play the Jackets twice in Columbus before the season ends.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:02

The Brun's schedule is way too tough. Like, think about it. They've got a game, they just did the back-to-back, and now they have a game Thursday and another game Saturday. They had the typical St. Paddy's Day weekend, Thursday night, Saturday afternoon. I mean, Detroit could be their ticket. Like, you have a head-to-head against Detroit. Like they could win their next two games, and we're having a totally different conversation. I say they're in. They gotta win the next two games, they can't lose.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:24

No, and and no, no more of this, you know, uh loser points. Like, again, Court, like people have been mentioning, I've seen online, oh, the Bruins have the third best record since January 1st or the third best points percentage. And it's I Andrew Raycroft said it on Twitter today, and I'm like, he's like, people they people aren't talking enough about the Bruins. I'm like, what are you talking about, Razor? They've they've they've lost 80 of the last 13. Like, like I'm not I'm not saying what you what the your stat is wrong, but can we provide some context here?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:51

They have two easy games coming up against one of the two of the two a really bad team in Winnipeg who they should win that game at home. It should be an easy win, and then they're on the road. Which is not really on the road when they're in Detroit, because it's not far, I mean. Like it's not a taxing trip. Yeah. And you you which is interesting. It's like the first time they don't have a matinee game because it's the matinee game's the following weekend. The St. Patty's Day always gives the matinee game. Interesting. Um, but yeah, you've got two winnable games here, even though Detroit's playing some good hockey. And then you got the Leafs, which should be a win. And then you have like you have the next three games where you should get all six points, and then it's understandable to lose against Buffalo and Minnesota. And then you have Columbus. After you play these three winnable games, you have Buffalo, Minnesota, Columbus, Dallas. Like you win these next two games, it's over, people. It's over. It's over.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:41

And hockey's a funny sport sometimes, too, where you know, a lot of times you lose the games you should win and you win the games you should lose. Yeah, but yeah, but that's no, I know. I'm with you. It's tough. I I think that'll that'll be a major disappointment, Corey. I think that there's a lot of value. I yeah, I do I do. Not from an expectation perspective. Like to your point earlier, you you mentioned how they are who they, you know, we thought they were. I just think that when you battle through an 82 game season, I I do think for some teams, depending on where you are in your organization's trajectory, I do think it's important to make the playoffs, even though the Stanley Cup is not the goal, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:19

Yeah, but you've got 14 games left and eight of them are on the road. I know the worst road team in the NHL.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:24

But but you know what though, Court, they've been in a playoff spot for 95% of the year. I get that.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:30

You gotta even in the NHL. I know.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:34

I'm just I'm just saying, like, you know, if if you're a playoff team most of the year, regardless of what my preseason expectations were, and then you bow out at the last second, I do think it's a disappointment because I think it's important to get it's important to keep your top players happy in McAvoy Pass and actual and keep them feeling competitive. It's important to get some younger players some experience in the postseason. And it listen, if they didn't sell off all those pieces like they did last year, I'd be sitting here saying, fuck the playoffs. It's not I don't care about the playoffs, but they did turn that corner with picks and prospects. And I don't know. I think it's a disappointment if they don't make the playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:06

Yeah, no, it'll it'll suck, but I don't think it's the end of the world.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:11

No, no, definitely not the end of the world. But get you a top 10 pick, and I'm okay with it. That's yeah. I mean, uh I'll be more pissed if the Bruins, I'll be more pissed if Toronto finishes top five than if the Bruins don't make the playoffs. That's for damn sure. But see, see, yeah, but that's not the disappointment anymore.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:25

The only disappointment is that pick.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:26

That is that no no no, that really is. If we're talking priorities, that is the most I do care about that pick being uh if you can get six and ten. Oh my goodness. True, true. But I'll but I'll I'll still I'll still take six and fifteen or sixteen. That's still I agree, I agree. Um, so Court, tell everybody what you have coming out. You have the the Bergeron.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:47

I got a Bergeron Copertar video that I've been working on. It's not a long one, it's just a 10-minute fun shot. It's just more of a discussion. Um, and yes, I have Bruins bias, but at the same time, the good news is the numbers are helping me out on this one. But uh, and then I'm uh as always, just check me out on Bruins Die Hards or check me out on Twitter. Um, and uh, you know, that's it. That's all I got going. I guess anything Bruins. I I barely talk on Twitter because I just I got nothing to say most of the time unless I'm making a joke, but yeah, uh I say I say my piece on podcasts.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:16

You do, you do. Well, I appreciate you coming on, and um we'll do this again. There's still a lot of a lot of hockey. Uh we got uh potential playoffs, we got draft stuff, so you and I aren't going anywhere, and I appreciate you coming on. Thank you. I I had a lot of fun, man. Thank you. No problem. Thank you all very much for listening. I'll be back on Friday to talk to you all. Take care.