Boston Bruins: Claude Julien Confirms Change In Approach?
Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien might not have intended to give anything away last week when talking to the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa regarding changes in approach for the upcoming season, however the small piece disclosed leads me to feel confident in my prediction from earlier in this offseason.
Julien reported the Bruins could be a tad more aggressive this year as it relates to a few different aspects of their game. The word aggressive has been an adjective used to describe over the last several years regarding their physical play and overall tenacity. However, Julien seems to be pointing more towards placing a stronger emphasis on forcing turnovers and making quicker transitions with the puck.
Case and point; whether Julien wants to admit it or not there could be a change in philosophy with the regular season around the corner. We all remember early on in the offseason when Peter Chiarelli pointed towards the league wide trend of fourth lines being built on speed and skill more than brawn. Regardless of the Bruins salary cap woes, I truly believe the remarks and actions of Chiarelli as well as the limited amount of information from Julien leads to a change in approach.
Changes within the division have revealed the Atlantic is not moving towards a direction of physical and brutish play. The additions of Detroit and Tampa Bay injected more speed in the Bruins schedule; coupled with Montreal already existing in the division and one could say the Bruins were going to be forced to make changes as it relates to their roster and philosophy.
Forcing turnovers and making quick transitions has not been a staple for the Bruins in recent years; especially in the playoffs where we’ve seen several defensive breakdowns when they run into teams who possess a smaller or quicker edge over them. It’s clear that by inviting David Pastrnak to camp and having higher expectations of Ryan Spooner that the B’s are looking to mimic some of their opponents by possessing more of a balanced roster as it relates to having toughness to go along with speed.
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The initial reaction from the Bruins fanbase was centered around the fear of the team moving away from the tough and bullish moniker with the departure of Shawn Thornton and the admission made by Chiarelli. Whether we as fans want to admit it or not, the Bruins need to sacrifice some of their physicality in order to keep up with the changing landscape of the league.
Pugilistic behavior and reckless decision making on the ice is becoming more of a focal point this season with the league’s recent decision to move acts such as charging, kneeing, clipping and elbowing into the same category as boarding where two such offenses within one game lead to a game misconduct and subsequent one game suspension.
It might be difficult for Bruins fans once the season begins to adapt to a new playing style however it could result in something fans begin to buy into. Fans should anticipate the beginning of this season to be a learning experience as we see new lines with new players possessing different skill sets. At the same though, big and bad is not dead, it just might look more refined.