Jun 11, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien (right) , general manager Peter Chiarelli (middle) and president Cam Neely are interviewed during media day in preparation for game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
This weekly article is one that I look forward to writing every week. It gives me the chance to celebrate the members of the Bruins organization who really shined. Whether Boston wins every game or has a tough week, there are normally at least three players that deserve recognition. After digging deep and really searching for three positives this past week, I was unable to find these praiseworthy players.
I have been a Bruins fan as long as I can remember being alive, and I have never been as (to agree with Cam Neely) disappointed in a Bruins team than I am with this one. Do not get me wrong, the Bruins have been in much worse shape than this in the past few decades, but never has the team been filled with such talented and skilled players as it is right now, and the results are embarrassing. With the same core of players that won the 2011 Stanley Cup, the 2013 Eastern Conference, and the 2014 President’s Trophy, they have been unable to put together an impressive stretch of games since last month. If the hot streak in January never happened, the outrage in Boston would be unbearable for Bruins management and front office staff. I am always the last one to really dig into the home town team, and I have had faith in this team and will continue to all season, but I will admit, the Boston Bruins need a major shake-up. This all being said, I give you the three disappointments of the week.
Disappointment 3- Peter Chairelli
Chairelli was the architect that put together the Boston Bruins of the last decade, the Bruins team that struck fear in the hearts of their opponents with their dominant physical play and their ready-to-fight attitude. While the teams he has put together have been among the best in the league, he has handcuffed himself with incentive-based, bonus-filled contracts that made their salary cap situation even worse. Coming into the season it was clear around the league that Boston needed to dump a defenseman in order to clear cap space to prepare for the season. Chairelli then kicked Johnny Boychuck off the island in exchange for a few draft picks.
The deals that Charielli has continued to make has put him in the position he is now in, where it is nearly impossible for a quick-fix solution for the Bruins. In order to make a legitimate acquisition he must move a major presence in the locker room like a Dennis Seidenberg, Milan Lucic, or Loui Eriksson. While the GM has been heavily criticized for the Tyler Seguin trade, I am less hesitant to place blame on him for moving the now superstar. For many heavily publicized and unpublicized reasons Seguin had to be moved, and his recent success in Dallas has no relation to how succesful he would have been had he remained in Beantown. Agree or disagree with the Seguin situation, the Bruins inability to make a move falls in the lap of Peter Chairelli. While every team needs a quick oil-change to keep the engine running from time to time, he has placed Boston in a box where in order to make a big enough change to make an impact, a major shake-up is required.
Disappointment 2- Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic is the Bruins first line left winger, but he could have had me fooled. Lucic is putting in third line (at best) effort and is leaving his linemates with the majority of the work. If it were not for the leadership and skill of David Krejci, who knows how abysmal Lucic’s 2015 campaign would be. In my opinion, one of the major reasons for Lucic’s (and others) uninspired attitude is the absence of veteran enforcer Shawn Thornton in the Boston locker room. All someone has to do is look at the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to see how big on an impact Shawn Thornton had on the ice. As soon as Claude Julien sat out Seguin in order to play Thornton the Bruins became a different team, Thornton reignited the bruised Bruins and led them to a title. He may not have been a scorer by any stretch of the imagination, but his fiery leadership style showed guys like Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand how to conduct themselves, and gave them the security they needed in order to play their borderline style. With Thornton gone, a lot of pressure fell on Lucic’s shoulders to become the locker room presence that Shawn Thornton once was. This pressure in addition to the expectations of being a top line winger has been too much for the 26-year-old and his play has suffered as a result. His play has been so lackluster that his name has been thrown around in trade talks as of late. If Chairelli can’t find a way to reignite the once fiery Milan Lucic his play will continue to fall flat.
Disappointment 1- Bruins Defense
Claude Julien’s playing style is one that pays dividends late in the season when it matters most. This style fits in great in a city like Boston, especially with the history the Bruins have. However in order for the Bruins to play this style successfully the defensive core must be stellar. Stellar however, is not even close to how I would describe Boston’s current core. While many have blamed Claude Julien and Peter Chairelli for this underperformance, the players are directly responsible for their inability to play like the elite defense they once were. The absence of a second pair defenseman like Johnny Boychuk is no reason for all three defensive pairings to fall flat. With countless turnovers in every zone, they seem to have forgotten how to play the style that made them champions. If it was not for Tuukka Rask standing on his head at least a few times a game the Bruins might not even be in the hunt for the eighth seed, it could be much, much worse. The solution to this problem once again falls into the lap of the GM, a change needs to be made to add another veteran defenseman especially because of the recent season-ending injury to Kevan Miller. If this change does not transpire, the 2015 campaign might as well already be over for the seemingly hibernating bear that is the 2015 Boston Bruins.