4/29 - Dance Hall Days

RSN Diaspora

molests goats for comedy
SoSH Member
Jul 29, 2005
11,345
Washington, DC
Score some goals with Brad Marchand
On his head, Tuukka will stand
Ristolainen is a heel
A victory I do feel

We were so in phase
In Taylor Hall days
Another goal from Krej
When I, you and everyone we knew
Could believe, do and share in what was true

Bruins v. Sabres at 7:00 EDT tonight. This is a 13-30-7 team we're playing--another win is in order.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Mar 5, 2007
20,404
Two games against Buffalo and then two against NJ. IMO, if the Bs can take at least 6 of 8 points in these games, the Rangers really have no viable path to overtaking them.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Rask is in net. Testing issue with Smith which they hope to have sorted out by game time. If Smith can play lineup stays the same. If Smith's out, DeBrusk comes back in.

Also Carlo was back with the team this morning and they are targeting the NJD games next week for a potential return to action.

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak
Hall - Krejci - Smith/DeBrusk
Ritchie - Frederic - Coyle
Kuraly - Lazar - Wagner

Grzelyck - McAvoy
Reilly - Miller
Lauzon - Clifton

Rask
 

biff_hardbody

New Member
Apr 27, 2016
317
Would you put him in for Ritchie? I'd like to see that, and have him replace Ritchie on the PP1 too, assuming they want to keep Hall on the bumper on PP2.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Ritchie has been useless for a while now, particularly on the PP. He has zero power play points in his last 31 games but they continue to run him out there with the first unit. I'd move Marchand to net front, and Hall to the halfboards on PP1. Marchand is excellent at puck retrieval, can get in front and set screens, get tips, clean up rebounds, etc. You lose some of Marchand's shooting from the half walls but it's not like they'd be replacing him with a Dan Paille or something. Hall is an extremely good playmaker and though he's pass-first, he's a threat to shoot.

Over the last 13 games (when Jake returned from covid), DeBrusk has 1-3=4 with 30 SOG and Ritchie has 2-0=2 with 26 SOG, while playing on the top PP. I'm not suggesting DeBrusk has been great, but I don't think his play has been worthy of the press box. He's coming off missing 2 weeks due to Covid which couldn't have helped, then upon returning he got kicked to a position he's said is uncomfortable for him. They kind of have to let him play through it if they want this RW thing to work. Or move him back to LW and try some other RW. I dunno. Press box seems drastic to me, especially when Ritchie has similarly struggled but hasn't seen his role altered whatsoever and is still getting premium ice time.
 

biff_hardbody

New Member
Apr 27, 2016
317
Sorry - halfboards, not bumper - my lingo needs working on.

I agree entirely with your assessment @cshea and am a little frustrated with how they haven't let DeBrusk settle in to one position all year. He's obviously lacking confidence but I thought his effort has been there. I assume there are politics involved with the Marchand / Hall PP1 positioning, which is one reason I suggested DeBrusk to replace Ritchie, along with it perhaps allowing DeBrusk to get going. If you can get Hall on PP1 though, in any capacity, that's the ideal solution.
 

moretsyndrome

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 24, 2006
2,177
Pawtucket
Score some goals with Brad Marchand
On his head, Tuukka will stand
Ristolainen is a heel
A victory I do feel

We were so in phase
In Taylor Hall days
Another goal from Krej
When I, you and everyone we knew
Could believe, do and share in what was true

Bruins v. Sabres at 7:00 EDT tonight. This is a 13-30-7 team we're playing--another win is in order.
View: https://youtu.be/o4GtOdJtgL8
 

Haunted

The Man in the Box
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Aug 23, 2006
6,196
preach it. but Cassidy has his new call out whipping boy so ... (shrug emoji)
Just guessing here, but I think he sees a lot of potential in DeBrusk and is doing the "I'm going to be harder on the young guy that isn't living up to his potential, while letting the veteran who I don't expect much from play instead" thing.
 

TFP

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2007
20,380
Just guessing here, but I think he sees a lot of potential in DeBrusk and is doing the "I'm going to be harder on the young guy that isn't living up to his potential, while letting the veteran who I don't expect much from play instead" thing.
Ritchie is 1 year older than DeBrusk.
 

cshea

Member
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Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Just guessing here, but I think he sees a lot of potential in DeBrusk and is doing the "I'm going to be harder on the young guy that isn't living up to his potential, while letting the veteran who I don't expect much from play instead" thing.
DeBrusk is the kind of player that seems to need a kick in the pants every now and again. I just think this time around he should be afforded a little more rope before reaching the kick in the pants stage. He hasn't been invisible like he can get during his spells.
 

Maximus

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Jul 18, 2005
5,774
Debrusk should be in tonight, once again useless Ritchie should be sitting.
 

Jordu

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Apr 30, 2003
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Brookline
According to Money Puck, at 5x5 DeBrusk puts 79.1% of his shots on net -- and his 5x5 shot percentage is 3.0. It’s bizarre. He’s getting shots, he‘s putting them on net, and they’re not going in. The best reason I can think of is that too many of those shots are from outside the slot. But even that doesn’t account for his shot percentage.

Last time DeBrusk returned from ninth floor exile he played like his was on fire. I suspect Cassidy wants to see that again.
 

Cotillion

New Member
Jun 11, 2019
4,926
Two penalties that would have been called against the bruins for the last two games. That was a blatant trip