Welcome back to Poke the Bear! In this episode, Conor Ryan and Ty Anderson dive deep into the Boston Bruins' recent matchup against the Dallas Stars and explore the recurring issues that have plagued the team. Why are players not fully buying into the system, and what does this mean for the season? They also discuss head coach Jim Montgomery's position—could he be on the hot seat?
Plus, they analyze potential moves that need to be made up front to turn the season around. Join them for a detailed breakdown, player insights, and our predictions for the Bruins moving forward.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Bruins' current struggles
4:00 - Identity crisis discussion
6:14 - Identity feels off
9:01 - Importance of early wins
12:09 - Football season begins
14:01 - Team urgency issues
18:25 - Future clarity issues
22:10 - Players' execution problems
24:23 - Bruins' patience needed
26:18 - Roster tweaks discussed
29:02 - Potential signings explored
31:46 - Lysell's performance discussed
34:46 - Call up unfinished products
39:00 - Coach phone mishap
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins' credentialed insiders Mike "Trags" Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe "Haggs" Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.
For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1
Plus, they analyze potential moves that need to be made up front to turn the season around. Join them for a detailed breakdown, player insights, and our predictions for the Bruins moving forward.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Bruins' current struggles
4:00 - Identity crisis discussion
6:14 - Identity feels off
9:01 - Importance of early wins
12:09 - Football season begins
14:01 - Team urgency issues
18:25 - Future clarity issues
22:10 - Players' execution problems
24:23 - Bruins' patience needed
26:18 - Roster tweaks discussed
29:02 - Potential signings explored
31:46 - Lysell's performance discussed
34:46 - Call up unfinished products
39:00 - Coach phone mishap
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins' credentialed insiders Mike "Trags" Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe "Haggs" Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.
For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00PokeTheBear is brought to you by PricePix and the GameTime app.
00:07And welcome into PokeTheBear episode 272 presented by PricePix and GameTime tickets.
00:13My name is Conor Ryan.
00:15Once again, we are joined by the esteemed Doom Anderson.
00:18Doom, how are you?
00:20Oh, and Ty is also here as well.
00:22Doom's busy right now, but Ty, I guess, how are you doing?
00:26What's up?
00:27I'm doing great.
00:28Myself and Victoria Von Doom, there she is at Castle Doom, just doing her thing.
00:34She'll jump down at some point.
00:35So that'll be fun.
00:36We'll all get startled.
00:37It'll be great.
00:38Doing all right.
00:39I think I'm doing better than local hockey team.
00:42And I say that mainly because things are not going well this week, it would appear for
00:48those guys.
00:49Yeah, I would say the vibes are slightly off, and maybe that is putting it lightly.
00:54I think you could say disarray, dysfunction, maybe not as bad as the team in Foxborough.
01:01That is a complete dumpster fire.
01:02But in terms of expectations for the Bruins and looking at where we were viewing this
01:09team and what they could achieve, and again, knowing full well, it is still, last I checked,
01:14October.
01:15You still have plenty of time to right the ship, but Thursday's 5-2 loss to Dallas.
01:21When you look at the trends that have popped up, especially on that trip out west, Montgomery's
01:27message on Thursday morning talking about, got to cut down the penalties, got to cut
01:32down the giveaways.
01:35Very frustrating to see, again, it's the same things continue to pop up.
01:38It's like, we're writing the same things, we're talking about the same things, because
01:42the same flaws aren't being corrected night in and night out with this team.
01:46Oh, 100%.
01:47I mean, geez, it's such a bad look that you talk about the giveaways, you talk about the
01:55penalties, and then in the first 24 minutes of that game, Thursday night, they have like
02:0215 giveaways and four penalties.
02:05It's like, okay, so what's not getting through here?
02:09In past years, I think this team has had sort of a talent and the veteran savvy to maybe
02:16minimize those problems, those concerns, but they don't really have that right now.
02:20And I think what's really damning is, and I understand this has been skewed by the last
02:24two games, you lose by three goals on Thursday night, you lose by four goals on Tuesday night,
02:29but their goal differential, it's the fourth worst in the conference.
02:35So the only teams that have been worse than you in terms of goal differential are Pittsburgh,
02:40Montreal and Philadelphia.
02:42Those are not three teams that you want to be next to in 2024, 25.
02:47And so I just think that it's really uncharacteristic, right?
02:53And you watch this team and you kind of have this feeling of like, they just need a bounce
02:58to go their way and they're off for the races, right?
03:01But then you get the Brazil goal, make it four, two, and then more penalties, more giveaways.
03:10It's like, you're not going to win the game.
03:12You're not going to win games doing that.
03:13Like, it just feels like you're waiting for a switch to kind of flip.
03:17But I'm wondering like, okay, like do they, how many switches can they really flip?
03:21You know, like how many guys you can look at and say, he can be a lot better.
03:24And I think there's like three or four, but other than that, like it might be like, they
03:29got to change how they win games.
03:31I think I'd be more of a grind team than a, you know, dipsy do we're going to win five
03:35to four kind of game.
03:36I think that's, they might have to go, they might have to go to that early, like in my
03:39opinion.
03:40Yeah.
03:41Like when you look at the, the issues with this team and you can point at, I think there's
03:45very concrete, we've already talked about it, whether it's the penalties, whether it's
03:49the first few games, it was like the net front coverage of us and all that shop.
03:53And I don't really think that's maybe a pressing issue now, but penalties, scoring shot volumes
03:59way down the quality of the shots aren't there.
04:02Like these are all things that we've already examined quite a bit.
04:05Do you think some of it has to do, and also we've, we've discussed like just the construction
04:10of the roster, right?
04:11And you can make the argument, there's just too many bottom six guys in elevator roles
04:15that aren't kind of pulling their weight, but do you also, do you think this is more
04:22of, you know, the, the state of the roster and this is what they are, or do you think
04:26it's also more of an identity thing and trying to figure out what exactly they are?
04:31Like you started, I think early in those games against Florida, where it seemed like
04:34their mindset was so fixated on, we've got to be this imposing team and settle the score
04:40with Florida.
04:41Like maybe those Florida games just broke their brain in terms of what they needed to
04:45do, but it does feel like they're trying to find out what kind of team they are.
04:50And that's going to lead to, to these growing pains and these games where you're like, don't
04:54really know what to make of, of what this roster is, but do you think it's more of an
04:58identity crisis or is it more of this roster's got some issues with it that I don't know
05:04if a puck going your way is necessarily going to fix it.
05:07Yeah.
05:08It's really interesting.
05:09And I thought that it was after the game in Nashville on Nesson's post game, you know,
05:16Billy Jaffe and Barry Peterson, two guys that I think are very measured in terms of how
05:20they analyze the team and slumps and funks and all of that.
05:26They kind of said what I've kind of been feeling or like the vibe of this team feels off.
05:30There's just something that feels weirdly missing or, and that's weird, Connor, because
05:36I didn't feel that last year.
05:38They lose crazy.
05:39They lose Bergeron.
05:40Uh, they bring in a bunch of patchwork, you know, hardworking veteran types and they overachieved
05:46and they were great.
05:47You know, pretty much all year.
05:48You're like, wow, this, this is, this machine is humming along.
05:51How, how is it doing this?
05:54And I don't know, maybe this year there's like an expectation that they should win based
05:58on the money they spent.
06:01I would say they signed the best center available and they signed the best left shot D available.
06:06And so, and then you keep the franchise goalie.
06:09But there's just some, there's some funk, there's some vibe that something just feels
06:14off.
06:15Right.
06:16And maybe that's to your point, identity, like, do they not know who they are?
06:19Are they still trying to figure that out?
06:22Like I'll, I'll give time for that.
06:24I understand that, but I'm just not seeing the messaging that is being stated publicly.
06:32I'm not seeing that being executed on the ice.
06:35Like, like we, like we set off a jump Montgomery's talked about the penalties, the giveaways,
06:41the not working hard enough, not understanding that you got to compete for 60 minutes to
06:46win a hockey game in the NHL.
06:49He's talked about all of that.
06:51We haven't seen it play out on the ice.
06:54They still, in my opinion, don't have a 60 minute effort.
06:57They were lucky that George, he has as bad as he is.
07:00And they were spotted, you know, whatever, five goals for 40 minutes, whatever it was.
07:04I mean, if it are four goals, if they don't get that, like that game is tight, that game's
07:08tight to the final wire.
07:09And so, um, you know, I, I think that's like, I'm just not seeing the action follow the
07:15words right now with that team.
07:16And that's kind of weird for them.
07:18Yeah.
07:19I also think you, you look at it, right.
07:20And McAvoy mentioned this on, after Thursday's game of like last two years, we were gangbusters
07:27and he mentioned like, you know, you don't really win anything for being the best team
07:30in October, which is true.
07:32I think if you're any team, you'd rather be playing your best hockey in April, May, and
07:36hopefully June.
07:37Uh, I don't think there's any doubt about that, but you know, from the, maybe the flip
07:42side of that same coin, how much of a lift is it though, when you're getting results
07:47right away and you're building that momentum, right?
07:49Like you look at the belief early on and how much that can galvanize a team.
07:54You look like two years ago when they had the record setting year.
07:57And I think people thought they were going to be good, but it wasn't a slam dunk.
08:00Like this team's a frigging wagon.
08:02Like it was a lot of like, you know, I think it was like, I was talking about it, like
08:07pieces in place.
08:08Like this team actually could surprise a lot of people.
08:09And all of a sudden they go what for 17, Oh, and two or something to start the year.
08:14Right.
08:16Guys are feeling good about their game.
08:17Everyone's walking in.
08:19And then you look at last year where people had no idea what to expect.
08:23You got this money ball kind of roster.
08:25You're losing these guys, but then you start the year.
08:27What were they like 14, three and one or something like that.
08:30And I think that might be downplaying it all of a sudden, all these questions you have
08:35about like, all right, we got JVR and a top six spotlight.
08:38So let's see what it is.
08:39Oh shit.
08:40We're winning games.
08:41We're feeling good.
08:42And again, that's something too, where yes, you'd want to be playing your best hockey
08:46in the spring time.
08:48But when your team that has so many moving pieces and there are going to be growing pains,
08:53it gets negated or you don't have to worry about it as much if you're, you're stacking
08:57wins together as well.
08:58Like the fact that I think this team's in a rut, not saying they can't climb out of
09:01it, but I also don't think you can look at, you know, what were the Oilers last year?
09:05Like five and 12 or something to start the year.
09:08Right.
09:09They also had guys where you're like, all right, we also have Connor McDavid.
09:11We'll get our shit in order.
09:12You look at like the Panthers two years ago when they were, I think I looked at their
09:16record.
09:17It was like 16 and 17 and four, I think at the end of December, still look at that team
09:21like, well, like Barofsky is kind of up and down, but we still got to Chuck and all these
09:25guys.
09:26We're going to be good.
09:27We'll sort our shit out.
09:28This team, it's like, all right, we got all these moving pieces where, you know, not we're
09:33struggling to find our game, like, all right, who's going to step up?
09:37I do think like the psychological or just the momentum generated from a strong stat
09:42when you have so many new guys on the roster, it is something that you're able to build
09:46off of.
09:47And that also hasn't gone their way yet as well.
09:49100%.
09:50And I think, you know, I don't think we're going to get a true read on this team in terms
09:56of what they can be or what they are until I would say about 15 to 20 games.
10:02And that's typically when I start going, okay, this guy's having a bad year or, okay, this
10:06guy is not, he's not where he's got to be.
10:09And you know, like they're at that halfway point of that kind of number right now.
10:12And I think what's really interesting or what's kind of like, what's got to change for them
10:17is you got, you got coil, you got geeky, Marcian, Zaka, Frederick, all not playing to their
10:26level, you know, a year ago.
10:29Are they those guys full time?
10:31That's a debate.
10:32I understand that.
10:34Out of the gate here, those five players I just mentioned have a combined three goals
10:38on 72 shots.
10:40They're shooting for 4%.
10:43That's probably not going to hold.
10:44Like odds are, that's not going to hold.
10:46There's going to be an uptick there.
10:47You're going to see Frederick on one of those things where he scores four goals in five
10:50games.
10:51You know, just basically just by going to the front of the net, like you're just driving
10:55play and tipping it, you know, whatever, like you're going to see that it's going to happen.
10:59It's just, can you weather the storm until then?
11:02Right.
11:04I think with certain guys, like, like, I don't know if Charlie coil is a 60 point guy regularly,
11:09you know, like, I don't know if that opportunity is going to be there for him.
11:13Like it was a year ago.
11:14I think Zaka can give you that.
11:16I think Marcian if with the right line mates can give you 30 goals still.
11:22But right now those guys are kind of firing blanks right now.
11:26Morgan geeky.
11:27Let's not forget.
11:28He was kind of, eh, until about black Friday last year, like, and then he was off to the
11:34races.
11:35He was one of the best scores in NHL from that point on for like two and a half months.
11:38It was kind of wild.
11:39He was like top 50, I think in points, uh, for, for a stretch there.
11:43So you know, like that, like that's really sort of like, can those guys snap out of it?
11:48The odds are yes.
11:49But if they can't, and if they're not what they were a year ago, what do you do?
11:53I don't know how many bullets you got, you have in your chamber here.
11:55If you're Don Sweeney.
11:56Yeah.
11:57So we will discuss that in terms of what the next steps are, uh, coming out of this break.
12:02But before we do that tile, let's take a quick break here from my good friends over at prize
12:06picks.
12:07Fall is finally here.
12:09You know what that means?
12:10Football season is back and there's so many ways for you to get in on the action and went
12:14up to a hundred times your cash on price picks as you and the world's best players take the
12:18game to a new level on the gridiron ice court and much more.
12:24Prize fix is the best way to win real money.
12:26This football season, which players are going off, which ones aren't make your picks in
12:30less than 60 seconds and turn your sports opinions into real money.
12:34All season long on prize picks, sign up today and get $50 instantly.
12:39When you play $5, you don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus.
12:43It's guaranteed.
12:45Price picks also offers weekly promotions that can lead to big payouts like taco Tuesday.
12:50Every Tuesday prize fix discounts, select player projections up to 25% to provide even
12:55more value for your lineups.
12:58Price picks is also the only real money daily fantasy platform with an injury insurance
13:02policy so that your lineup stay in play.
13:04Even if one of your players gets injured, if your player leaves in the first half and
13:08doesn't return price picks, make sure that your picks are still live.
13:12There's really no shortage of ways to participate in price picks, especially during football
13:16season this week.
13:17I'm picking Justin Jefferson for more than 83 and a half receiving ads and Patrick Mahomes
13:22for less than 267 and a half passing ads.
13:25It's really that easy.
13:26So download the price fix app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play
13:32your first $5 lineup.
13:34That's code CLNS on price picks to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup
13:41price picks run your game.
13:44Now let's get back to the show.
13:46Shout out once again to our good friends over at price picks.
13:49Ty, you mentioned it earlier in the episode about the messaging and what is and isn't
13:56getting across to this team based on what we've seen so far.
13:59Not a whole lot seems to be registering with this team in terms of the urgency being preached
14:05by Jim Montgomery.
14:06You're seeing the lines getting jumbled up every single game.
14:10Not really any results there.
14:13It's been discussed quite a bit already in terms of Montgomery and whether he's on the
14:17hot seat or not.
14:18But when you factor in just, it feels like the urgency right now, we are in October.
14:23We only have the Christmas ads up yet.
14:25We don't have, Target hasn't put up the tinsel yet in all the department stores, but you're
14:30seeing like Montgomery changed the lines as if it's going into game four of a seven game
14:34series where the offense is stagnating.
14:37When you look at the urgency from the head coach, the contract status, and the lack of
14:43at least tangible response yet from the players on the ice, how legitimate is it that you
14:47think we're getting to that territory of like, so I'm going to go on here because it does
14:53feel like we're seeing signs of that, like the breadcrumbs of what leads to a change
14:59happening if they don't write the ship.
15:02Yeah, I think the only past experience that this regime has with that is, is close Julianne
15:08in 2017 in terms of in season maneuvering.
15:12So if we use that data and we use that experience in the past, like they're going to let it
15:17play out some.
15:19I think they may be able to get away with that with the Atlantic.
15:23It doesn't look like there's like a true powerhouse in the Atlantic right now that like, you're
15:28going to be so worried about falling out of playoff positioning.
15:31I don't think that's a legit issue for this team, to be honest with you.
15:34But, but no, I think that, I think that there's like, they got to be mindful here of like,
15:41okay, let's say you fire the coach.
15:43Okay.
15:44Let's say you get that five game bump.
15:46Do you think that's what's really like, that's what it is?
15:49Like I, now I think it's talent personally.
15:53I don't, I don't think that they are icing the best version of their possible roster.
15:57I don't, I don't feel that way.
15:59I think Tyler Johnson should be signed.
16:01I would wave, uh, Riley Tufte or Max Jones.
16:04I don't think you're going to get, you're going to get a claim on either one of those
16:07guys.
16:08Um, but like they're not icing the best version of their roster.
16:14And so I think this, there is an element here of, um, like the roster is what it is, right?
16:23But is there also an element here of Montgomery saying, look at, I got, I got Max Jones as
16:28a second line left wing right now.
16:30I got, I got Riley Tufte as my, my first guy in when I want to send a message.
16:35I got it like, I just, I just wonder if, if we should really be blaming the coach all
16:42that much.
16:43They got slower after saying they wanted to get faster.
16:46They got slower.
16:47They got bigger.
16:48That's great.
16:49But they are plotting and they are not throwing in their speed options.
16:52Tyler Johnson being one Fabian Lysel, whom we've talked about a lot on this podcast,
16:57both good and bad is not here.
16:59Like they are slow.
17:02And so, so that's a problem for them.
17:04It's been a problem.
17:05And so I, I just, I'm mindful of doing this now, firing him now.
17:11And then it's like, okay, you won four out of five.
17:14And then you went right back to being who you were.
17:15Like, I think that might be an issue here as well.
17:18And so, uh, but it's a story, it's a story until it's not, they, they have decided to
17:23go into the year with the lame duck head coach.
17:25They have decided to bring in Jay Leach, whom they love organizationally.
17:30And so here we are.
17:31I like, I'm, I, I'd be more patient than others, but sometimes it's just feels inevitable and
17:38it kind of feels inevitable at this point.
17:39I'm not going to lie.
17:41Yeah.
17:42And again, it comes down to if the Bruins have to, you know, be fully aware of going
17:47into this year, this was going to now be a narrative.
17:49Like you can't go into the year with the lame duck coach who again, like playoff results
17:55are what they are, but like regular season has been impressive in terms of what he's
17:59done here so far, um, to again, have Sweeney mentioned like, yeah, you know, we're having
18:05contract negotiations.
18:07That's all well and good.
18:08He also said that Bruce Cassidy was got the seal of approval and he got fired two weeks
18:13later.
18:14Like, there's also that, so you can say you're working on a contract, but, um, and you know,
18:19it's one thing Don Sweeney can say they're working on a contract, Jim Montgomery back
18:22in September said that he can operate just fine without, uh, clarity on his future, but
18:29can he, yes, exactly.
18:31Like you are, you are only human.
18:33And I don't think anyone likes being in a spot where they just don't know what the years
18:38ahead are going to be like.
18:40Everyone is wired that way.
18:41And I think that's why you're seeing also that urgency of, it's not just, um, you know,
18:46Montgomery and his status, but also you, you harken back to that season opening press conference.
18:53Based on what Neely was saying, like they were fully expecting to build off of last
18:56year and be in the picture and think that they're well equipped.
18:59So you have the pressure from the top management.
19:01You have this uncertain status with your contract, like no shit.
19:06You're going to be reshuffling the lines and you're going to be doing all these things
19:10and getting on Marchand, you know, for that, that turnover and all these things that you're
19:14seeing that you're like, it doesn't feel like a guy who's no well aware, knowing that he's
19:18got a contract.
19:19So just wait to sign it in a couple of weeks.
19:22Like you can see, I think the urgency and desperation there, and again, I mean, it all
19:27fall on him.
19:28It may be, as you said, a by-product of what this roster is and the shortcomings that maybe
19:33have been more magnified than we thought they were going to be.
19:36But yeah, you're just seeing, I think like the breadcrumbs of where this could lead to
19:40if they don't write the ship.
19:41Because again, when you look at, they can make some moves and we'll talk about that
19:44a little bit later on, but if you're looking for something drastic, what is it always in
19:48the NHL?
19:50It's the coach.
19:51That's usually how it is.
19:53And he's, I think he's like the eighth longest tenured head coach in the league right now.
19:57So do the math, it's might be his time, you know, in terms of how these things go.
20:03And I saw, you know, I'm a stuttering blabbering fool when I talk about this because I want
20:06to choose my words very carefully.
20:09And because I don't think like there are things that Jim Montgomery does that I'm not crazy
20:12about, but I also think that I look at this roster and I'm going, he only has so many
20:17ways he can, he can spin this around and make it, make it so with the current construct
20:22and their current cap situation, all of that.
20:26But let's, let's run through it real quick.
20:29He calls up the top six after the third, the fourth game of the year, he's in a shouting
20:35match and he gives a little shove, which was way overblown by the way, to his captain.
20:41He's trying again, trying out a billion different combos it feels like.
20:45And he keeps saying the same thing in press conferences, but we're not seeing it executed
20:49properly by the players on the ice.
20:52Jim Montgomery cannot play the game.
20:54He can say all the right things.
20:55He can scheme it up, but it's got to be played if the message isn't getting through.
20:58And I think he's like, and I think he's a really like smart guy, but I think he's, I
21:03think his rah-rah is maybe a little bit more potent than his tactician abilities, but if
21:09the rah-rah isn't getting through, okay, well, what are we doing here?
21:14And so there's that part of it as well.
21:16And I just think that like, like, I, I just look at it and I'm like, I remember covering
21:21the Bruins in 2016, 17, when they fired Claude Julien.
21:25And I think it was sometime around, I want to say November or, or December where Claude
21:30hit the point where he just went, listen, I know what's going on.
21:34He's like, I want to be here.
21:36I want to be part of the solution.
21:38Not I don't want to be the problem.
21:40I'm kind of waiting for one of those press conferences, right?
21:43Where, where like Montgomery's like, listen, man, I'm trying, I want to be here, but I
21:47don't got it.
21:48I don't got a contract.
21:49I know that the Grim Reaper's there on my bench with me.
21:52Like nothing's going to say that kind of stuff, but like, I, there are stages to when a coach
21:56gets fired, right.
21:57And a coach loses the room or whatever.
21:59We've seen a couple of them.
22:00We got to see a few more before I'm like, Ooh, this is going to happen for sure.
22:05Yeah.
22:06And I think also to what you say of like him being a rah-rah guy, like you can, I think
22:10hop on the, the, the line juggling or like how you plan when to get to the playoffs and
22:16stuff like that, which I think was obviously the critical flaw two years ago, but like
22:20to be like the rah-rah and get guys to buy in, like it also, again, falls on the players.
22:25Like you can't have Marcian and Passeron taking shitty penalties in a game when like you look
22:29at that third period where they were actually putting together some good shifts in the offensive
22:33zone.
22:34That was like, that was like a filter going on there.
22:37Wow.
22:38But you look at it, right?
22:39Like in, in, in that game, they had some momentum early on in that third and then bad penalty.
22:44And what do you know?
22:45Like saps all momentum away.
22:47Like that's not tactician.
22:49That's not like him losing control or letting a game slip away or they're blowing third
22:54period leads or stuff like that.
22:56It's your players themselves aren't executing as Zoom is about to chime in there.
23:01Yeah.
23:02She got it.
23:04Um, no, but I think that, yeah, 100% and, and you know, the other part of it, like,
23:10and so I'm sitting here going, I don't love the options they throw in.
23:13I don't love Riley Tufte and Max Jones and even Watherspoon, who I like a lot jumping
23:20in and committing penalties at like an insane clip where you're like, okay, you can't, you
23:24can't do that, man.
23:25Like you just can't do it.
23:27However, when he scratched missing low ride for the home opener, I thought low ride came
23:32back and played with his hair on fire and was a, was a value add piece for about three
23:37or four games in a row.
23:39Um, Justin Brazzo is scratched in Nashville.
23:42He'd thrown back in last night.
23:43I thought it was excellent.
23:45And Thursday's game against Dallas.
23:47He thought he was their most impactful forward, um, in terms of creating chances, generating
23:51looks, all of that.
23:52So like, it's weird, right?
23:54Because the guys he's scratching, the message seems to get through when they're back on
23:59the lineup.
24:00For me, it's like, he's lost the room.
24:01Like, no, he hasn't because those guys would come back in and play like crap.
24:05They wouldn't, they wouldn't play well if he completely lost the room.
24:09And so it's just, it's so hard to get a read on this.
24:12And that's why I think patience has to be the name of the game here.
24:16Um, you know, I mentioned the guys that, that aren't scoring, right.
24:20Another part of it, Swamens posted a nine Oh four, you know, through, through, uh, six
24:25games so far, he can be better.
24:26He will be better.
24:27And so I think that the Bruins, if I'm the Bruins or if I'm getting a read on their situation,
24:34I think they're mindful of that.
24:35I think they're mindful of not making a rash decision here until they get a better, maybe
24:42more complete scope of what this team's limitations truly are.
24:45Yeah, no, exactly.
24:47I think there has to be patience.
24:48I knew when thinking that I think drastic moves are going to happen from the coaching
24:52angle, at least in the next couple of weeks, I think you gotta let this play out a little
24:55bit more, but.
24:57Well, well, I mean, sorry, sorry to cut you off, but in 2009, the Bruins, they didn't
25:04like their start and Peter Shirely said, you know what?
25:10I don't like what I see here.
25:11He traded Chuck Koba.
25:12Sue, you know, a guy who had a good year the year before, but he was like, I don't like
25:17this.
25:18I'm sending a message.
25:19He traded Chuck Koba.
25:20Sue, he acquired Danny Pia and that year was disjointed.
25:24It was weird.
25:25They, they got in on game 82, but like as a GM Shirely noticed right away, he's like
25:32something ain't right.
25:33And I'm sending a message right now and it didn't fix everything, but like there are
25:39other moves you can make to send a message.
25:42Remember when, uh, Sweeney's closest brush with this, in my opinion was member when,
25:47uh, Emil Bemstrum wrecked Tuka Rask and knocked him out of the game.
25:53Remember what happened the next day?
25:56Brett Ritchie hit waivers because they didn't, they didn't, they didn't respond the way that,
26:02that they wanted to respond.
26:04And Brett Ritchie was a sacrificial lamb, you know, like he was, it wasn't his job.
26:08It was an enforcer.
26:09He never was that guy, but they were like, you know what?
26:13That's bullshit.
26:14We don't like that.
26:15We're waving Brett Ritchie.
26:16Like there are other moves you can make.
26:18It's just, do you do it?
26:20And when do you do it?
26:21Yeah, no, exactly.
26:23So we will see if maybe some moves are done, especially, uh, upfront, um, and we'll kind
26:28of focus in on that to round out this episode.
26:30But before we do that, Tyler, let's take another quick break here from our friends over at
26:34Game Time Tickets.
26:36Rejoice sports fans because basketball season is finally back.
26:40And if you're a Celtics fan and want to watch the defending champs on the parquet floor,
26:43you got to go with Game Time Tickets.
26:46There's nothing better than posting up with your buddies at the garden for a Celtics game,
26:49escaping the cold weather, knocking back a few beers, and cheering with the crowd over
26:53every Jalen Brown slam and Jason Tatum three-pointer.
26:57And with a new Celtics season upon us, now is your time to see this stacked roster in
27:00action and Game Time Tickets will get you the best seats at the best prices to get you
27:05into the garden.
27:06With killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and the lowest price
27:10guarantee, Game Time takes the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets.
27:14Want to see the Celtics take on Steve Kerr and the Warriors in November?
27:18How about a Christmas Day game against the 76ers?
27:21Game Time Tickets has you covered.
27:23Game Time Tickets app makes it easy to sort through which specific game, concert, or other
27:27event you want to attend and shows you the best spots available to take in the action.
27:31Game Time has a new feature called Game Time Picks that makes getting tickets to see your
27:35favorite teams play live even easier.
27:38Game Time Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so
27:42you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.
27:45Game Time Tickets also has you covered with the most flexible customer service policy
27:49in the ticketing industry, including event cancellation protection, 24-hour returns guarantee,
27:54job loss assurance, and on-time ticket delivery.
27:58So what are you waiting for?
27:59Take the guesswork out of buying basketball tickets with Game Time.
28:02Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code CLMS for $20 off your first purchase.
28:08Terms apply.
28:09Again, create an account and redeem code CLMS for $20 off your first purchase.
28:15Download Game Time today.
28:17What time is it?
28:18Game Time.
28:19Now, let's get back to the show.
28:21Shout out once again to our good friends over at Game Time Tickets.
28:24All right, Ty, looking at the current state of the roster, obviously there's a few tweaks
28:30that it seems like they're in the process of doing.
28:33Riley Tufte just hit waivers, so he's either going to get claimed or head down to Providence.
28:40You've got Matt Potra skating in a top six role, I believe, in practice on Friday as
28:44well.
28:46It does seem like, again, to your previous point about you got to look at what you have
28:51on the roster and what moves you can make, it does feel like some other dominoes are
28:55going to fall here in terms of trying to get a little bit more of a scoring punch, especially
28:58with Tufte getting waives.
29:00Yeah, I mean, I think the first option here is probably Tyler Johnson.
29:04I imagine they're going to sign him probably to a league minimum contract.
29:09I don't think they can afford much more than that.
29:12He is, I believe, oh, he's 34, so I don't think he can do the 35 plus contract yet,
29:17obviously.
29:18And then if Johnson doesn't work out, okay, now you're looking at probably Fabian Lysell,
29:22Riley Duran, Trevor Kuntar, somebody like that.
29:26I think they realize you got to do something.
29:29I think that, and this is not to, I feel bad too, I always find as a writer, as an analyst,
29:37I think it's kind of weak sauce to crush a guy who's a two-way player, I'm sorry, a two-way
29:42contract, bottom of the roster guy like Riley Tufte, but if you need more offense, you can't
29:49rely on him.
29:50You got to give out, you got to put a better option out there.
29:53And so I think it starts with Tyler Johnson.
29:55If that doesn't work, then yeah, you have to look in Providence, but I like Tyler Johnson,
30:00but he's not the savior, right?
30:03He's a nice supporting piece, but I think they are noticing what we're talking about.
30:08They're slow, they're plotting, their power play is ineffective.
30:12Johnson brings that veteran know-how.
30:13You look at his year last year, 17 goals, majority of his work was on the power play
30:18in terms of his damage that he inflicted.
30:20So you bring him in and you hope that works.
30:23And I think that's where they should go with that.
30:25And so I expect that to now follow almost immediately.
30:28Yeah.
30:29I mean, I do think you look at what Johnson can provide, at least give you something there.
30:34I think you're missing just that extra playmaking touch, as you said, I don't think you're expecting
30:39him to be the guy he was even last year with his, you know, the production maybe, but just
30:44the guy that's crafty can make kind of the smart, simple plays, even the stuff that doesn't
30:49register on the score sheet.
30:50Like he had a nice screen, I think that's set up.
30:52I think it was Lysell's goal in the pre-season.
30:54Oh yeah.
30:55Beautiful screen.
30:56Yeah.
30:57I think he won a puck battle on the board that I think sprung Murkulov for that.
31:01I think it was a Brezo goal as well.
31:03Yep.
31:04Yep.
31:05Yeah.
31:06He made a great play right, I believe, right over the, his own blue line to spring that,
31:12to get them going there.
31:13I think he was actually off the ice when the goal was scored.
31:16I think he made it, went for a line change, but no, that happens because of him.
31:21He had another one, um, in like the dress rehearsal game against Philly, uh, he had
31:26a great play as well.
31:27And so, yeah, bring them in.
31:29I'm cool with it, but like, this is what we're talking about, right?
31:33Like, so things are going bad.
31:36So your, your best case scenario here is Tyler Johnson.
31:38Like that's why it's hard for me to, to crush the coach.
31:42Like I, like, I don't, this is the roster and it is what it is.
31:45Yeah.
31:46And I think you also need to see if guys like Lysell can continue to stack, you know, strong
31:50performances, had a pretty quiet first weekend and then, um, had a goal in the system of
31:55the second weekend against Springfield.
31:57But you need to see more from him to get him back in that conversation.
32:01Because that's what we talked about.
32:02Like as much as he's up and down, the skill is there, the speed, all these things, like
32:07that's the guy that the Bruins want Lysell to be making a push there.
32:11And I think if he continues to put up good numbers, got to give him a shot, like, again,
32:17to pile in on, you know, Tufti and Max Jones and these guys, but if you're going to keep
32:22on rolling those guys out there, like they were, and they're committing ozone penalties,
32:26you can't, you know, bury a guy in Providence for an occasional miscue.
32:31It's like, you know, also like member, like in training camp, Martian's like, well, you
32:36can dangle through three guys, but if you're not going to, you know, you're going to turn
32:38over the puck and take penalties, then you're not going to be up here.
32:42Well, the guys on the NHL roster doing that right now.
32:44So we bring in the guy who's actually can dangle through players and see what you have
32:48in them, right?
32:49Not saying Fabian Lysell is the next Martian, but I think you look at the Bruins and how
32:54they approach things.
32:55They want you to be not a finished product, but a really solid can hold, can hold their
33:00own and you know, every phase of the game.
33:03Sometimes maybe it's about leaning into a guy's strengths, especially when you're really
33:07deficient in what they're good at, benefit from it and let them round out their game
33:12and find their footing at the next level.
33:14Maybe that's what the case is like, you know, it's, I mean, they also have guys like that
33:18on the roster right now, like Nikita Zdorov, you know what his skill is, you know where
33:24his strengths lie, but you also fully aware that sometimes it's going to lead to him being
33:29out of position or taking a shitty penalty or something like that.
33:32You roll with the punches.
33:33If a guy like Lysell, you don't know what you have yet, give him a look and see what
33:38he can do.
33:39Yeah.
33:40I feel the same way.
33:41You know, I think that it's telling that Lysell does not, does not get out of here.
33:47Jesus does not, does not score in his first two games of the HL season, but he's since
33:54responded with the goal and an assist.
33:56He's got to continue to build on that.
33:59But you know, I think Don Sweeney has used the term overbaked before in terms of like
34:03you want your guys to be completely ready.
34:07It's not going to happen.
34:08You got to bring these guys along because if you're going to sit here and go, we're
34:11not going to call it up until he's completely, completely, completely finished product.
34:14Like, okay, then you're never going to call anybody up.
34:16So just sign free agents forever.
34:19And so I think this team where they are right now being this early in the season, like they
34:24have a pocket here, they have a window here where like they can take a chance like and
34:28try to bring them along.
34:30This schedule is hard out of the gate and it softens up a little bit.
34:35But I think if he continues to produce and to put points on the board while you got a
34:41bunch of guys up here that can't get on the board, like you got to make that call, man.
34:46Like sometimes you got to live with it, you know, listen, did, did, and I feel ridiculous
34:52comparing this player to, to, you know, or Lysel to these guys, but like did, did the
34:57Canadians love Alexander Alex Kovalev in every aspect of his game?
35:02No, but he could score and he was talented.
35:06And sometimes you got to, if you got 10 muckers, I think you can fit a guy in who's an unfinished
35:11product and try to put him in advantageous situations where he can score.
35:15And so I just look at this team right now and say like, you should not turn away talent
35:19that can, that can create offense right now.
35:21You just, you shouldn't do that.
35:23Yeah, no, I agree.
35:24I do think you look at Johnson's probably the first step there, but ideally if a guy
35:29like Lysel continues to stack performances or your offense continues to slump, I think
35:33he's probably the next guy up as well, because you got to find other ways to inject some
35:36more skill in this lineup.
35:39So not for the record, I'm not saying that Lysel is Kovalev, I'm just saying we already
35:42clipped it.
35:43We already, we already, we're going to fire it off in about five minutes.
35:46Not every player is going to be Bruce Bergeron.
35:48I like, I'm sorry, it'd be awesome, but it's not going to work out like that, man.
35:53It's just not going to happen.
35:54I'm sorry.
35:55We had that, uh, that podcast episode where I, I scheduled a video, I scheduled a tweet,
36:02five minutes.
36:03It was like, it was me being like, Jeremy Swayman needs to get to the bargaining table,
36:07get this thing done.
36:08And it was like five minutes after he signed.
36:11I said that was, I got to use, I got to use, yeah, Walter White.
36:15Yes, exactly.
36:16I was on a golf course when that happened and I was just like, oh, it says Walter White.
36:19Oh shit.
36:20So you weren't at practice today, so you missed this.
36:25Um, uh, I, I, I opened up Instagram and, and let me tell you, I know, no, I, I love Limp
36:36Biscuit.
36:37All right.
36:38You can clip that.
36:39We'll put that everywhere.
36:40I love Limp Biscuit.
36:41Uh, so I get a lot of Limp Biscuit memes on my, uh, my, my, uh, Instagram.
36:46I opened up Instagram and I forgot to turn my volume off.
36:49I'm so happy that Jim Montgomery is not in the room because all of a sudden it's, I was
36:55like, oh my God.
36:56I was like, how did that happen?
36:57I was just so ashamed.
36:59I was so ashamed.
37:01It's still not as bad as the, the Yakety Sax at, we've talked about this before.
37:06I don't know if this has been talked about on the podcast, but it was game three of the
37:1119 and Eastern conference finals.
37:13We're both down in Raleigh Bruins when that game Carolina, I think must've had like 25
37:19shots on goal in the first period.
37:20Didn't score.
37:21Rask was awesome in that game.
37:23Takes all the momentum away.
37:25Rob Brindamore despondent afterwards down through oh three, pretty much being like, yeah, we're,
37:30we're done.
37:31Like we did our best.
37:32We pushed.
37:34And then some cameraman's phone started ringing in the press conference and it's Yakety Sax.
37:38And so it's like just grim, sad Brindamore as Yakety Sax is blasting and it went on for
37:46like 10 seconds.
37:47I wasn't like, Oh, you know, and you, you panic and you smash your phone or do that.
37:52Like it was running for a while that I think everyone had to like take a minute to register
37:58like what curb episode we all found ourselves in.
38:01So it always could have been worse, Ty.
38:07Brindamore is like a top like three coach for that to happen too.
38:11Oh yes.
38:12I wish it was Tortorello though so badly, cause that would have been, that would have
38:14been unbelievable.
38:15Oh yeah.
38:16It would have been thrown through the building.
38:20It's like, it's like Hulk and Avengers basically kind of stuff would have happened.
38:24It actually, he probably wouldn't even been mad.
38:26He would have been, it's just, it just flips the table and leaves.
38:29That's actually what, that's what would happen.
38:31But there was a clip where that, that did happen where a reporter's phone went off and,
38:38and Tortorello just goes, that to me, that's just ridiculous.
38:40Like I just, but if it was Yakety Sax, he was talking about how his team was going to
38:44get swept.
38:46Oh my God.
38:47Oh my God.
38:48It would have been unbelievable.
38:49Trip to the Stanley Cup.
38:50I think that, I think that was a Terry Francona thing too.
38:51I believe that was something that he hated people's like, it was probably back when like
38:54the, it was gigantic Motorola's or you probably like had to click through like five menus
38:59to silence your phone anyway that he would, I think hate it when people's cell phones
39:02would go off.
39:03So yeah, he did.
39:04Yeah.
39:05He was also, uh, there are people that have weird, not weird, but there are people that
39:09say like Tito, not always the nicest guy to deal with in certain respects.
39:15So yeah, it doesn't have, but didn't have as much of the highlight reel of, uh, of John
39:19Tortorello, which I can imagine.
39:20Yeah.
39:21I don't think Tito ever challenged like, like abs, like a fist fight.
39:25Exactly.
39:26Yeah.
39:27I'm gonna give it to that.
39:28Yeah.
39:29By the way, have you, have you watched this, uh, have you watched this Netflix documentary
39:32on the, on the, uh, Oh four Red Sox?
39:34No, not yet.
39:35I have to get around to doing it though, because I think I've mentioned this before, but I
39:39believe there's what, 25 to 50 documentaries about the Oh four Red Sox.
39:46And I will watch every single one of them.
39:48This one's really good.
39:49I'm so I, I did the first episode.
39:51Um, but what I love is that, uh, your colleague, Dan Shaughnessy, I think it's his home office
39:58or something.
39:59It's just books all behind him.
40:01And then it's just the way he's sitting.
40:02You just see his sneakers.
40:03He's like wearing a suit with sneakers.
40:05I'm like, Dan, not going to change for anybody.
40:07Huh?
40:08He's going to do his thing forever.
40:09She just rolls with the punches.
40:11I respect it.
40:12That's how it should be.
40:13Right.
40:14Oh, Frances is in it too.
40:15So that's fun.
40:16Oh, hell yeah.
40:17Star of the film.
40:18Uncut gems.
40:19Most random, uh, random appearance.
40:20Mike, Mike Francesa is like a bookie in that, in that movie, in that movie.
40:23So why I, why I don't know, but the, the real cameo is not Kevin got on.
40:29It's Mike Francesa being a bookie, but I, I do love that, that clip of that caller being
40:36like, how can, how can he win the triple crown?
40:38Mike?
40:39He's not a horse.
40:42So on a music.
40:43Yes, exactly.
40:44Uh, Ty, great talking to you once again, uh, we'll do it again next week, uh, before we
40:53let you go.
40:54We'll do it again tomorrow at the garden.
40:55What are you talking about?
40:56We'll be sitting next to each other.
40:57We should just do like a live stream about it.
40:59That'd be the most, everyone would immediately stop watching because all of us would just
41:03be like, Oh, do you see this limp biscuit?
41:05Well, I mean, that happened, that happened the other night because, uh, Thursday night
41:12we're just sitting there and I just went, fuck, I want a hot dog, just strewn a consciousness
41:17out of my brain at all times.
41:18That's what happens when the Bruins are unfortunately not really, uh, submitting.
41:22It's not even the fact that they're losing, not really submitting riveting games as well.
41:26This is like, I always say it's like, you know, like when the lions were bad, like in
41:29Dan Campbell's first year, but they were like losing 38 to 35.
41:32You're like, ah, this is kind of fun.
41:35It's like, no, they're right now it's very plotting.
41:37So we'll see if the, uh, the entertainment factor, uh, jumps up a little bit, which hopefully
41:42it does on Saturday when the Maple Leafs come to town.
41:45Um, but Ty, before we let you go, where can we read your stuff?
41:49Where can we hear you on the radio waves?
41:51All that.
41:52Yeah.
41:53As you can hear me every Saturday morning, uh, hosting the hockey show on 98.5 the sports
41:56hub.
41:57Um, you can also hear me on the podcast I do, uh, with Matt Dolliffe, the sports hub
42:00underground.
42:01Um, you can read all my stuff, 98.5 sports hub.com, um, and pretty much anywhere else
42:07for that matter.
42:08And he, where you Google my name and I'll, it'll come up in some fashion.
42:11Um, so that's where you can find me, uh, at underscore Ty Anderson on social medias as
42:15well.
42:16Um, so yeah, that's, that's where I can be found.
42:19How about yourself?
42:20Yeah.
42:21You can find me over at boston.com and the Boston globe, but I've covered every step
42:24of the way with recaps, features, columns, breakdowns, all of that good stuff throughout
42:29the year.
42:30If you want to follow me on Twitter, you can at Conor Ryan underscore 93.
42:34Uh, this was episode 272 of poke the bear.
42:38I'm Conor Ryan.
42:39That's Ty Anderson and doom.
42:41You fans have a great rest of your week.