Pucks with Haggs host Joe Haggerty and guest Mick Colageo discuss Matt Poitras big game in win over San Jose, and how they need to feature him more in a top center role to see how he can help the B's.
💰 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
💰 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
00:00Pucks with Hags is brought to you by PrizePix and the Game Time app.
00:04Welcome to another edition of the Pucks with Hags podcast powered by PrizePix,
00:09the exclusive daily fantasy partner of the CLNS Media Network. This is the 159th episode
00:14of the Pucks with Hags podcast. Thank you, as always, for tuning in and listening. With me,
00:18a longtime friend and colleague, Mick Colaggio. Mick,
00:21please tell everybody where they can find your work, my friend.
00:23I blog Bruins Games Live on rinkwrapmc.com. Rinkwrap blog is linked to X and Facebook.
00:32I write seasonal issues of the Hockey News, so we're actually presently working on the
00:37Future Watch, the prospects issue. Oh boy, I bet Bruins fans can't wait to get a load of the
00:43Future Watch for the Boston Bruins. A very controversial Future Watch for the Boston
00:48Bruins, depending on what your opinion of their draft and development system is,
00:52so I'm sure that's going to be awesome, Mick. Thank you, as always. Obviously,
00:56I'm your host, Joe Hagerty. You can find my work at joehagerty.substack.com. Subscribe and get
01:00yourself a premium membership. Get all of my Bruins and NHL writing sent straight directly
01:04to your inbox. I also write three times a week for the Boston Sports Journal,
01:07so check bostonsportsjournal.com. After every Bruins game, you'll see something posted from me.
01:13Let's also thank our sponsors before we get into this episode that's going to include
01:17sort of where the Bruins are right now, their last game. We should start talking trade stuff
01:23a little bit, so we're going to do that as well, but let's get into the sponsors really quick.
01:29Let's thank PrizePix, our good friends there. Download the PrizePix app today and use the
01:33code CLNS and get $50 instantly when you play $5. That's code CLNS on PrizePix to get $50
01:39instantly when you play five bucks. You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus.
01:43It's guaranteed. PrizePix run your game. Let's also thank our friends at GameTime. This is for
01:50any kind of tickets, concert tickets, sports tickets, theater tickets, whatever tickets you
01:54can think of, GameTime has them, so check them out. Download the GameTime app, create an account,
01:58use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms do apply, but again, download the GameTime
02:04app, create an account, and use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download GameTime
02:10today. What time is it, Mick? GameTime. GameTime. On a personal note, I got to tell you, I love
02:21I'm streaming stuff now and seeing the GameTime commercials come up and other people doing the
02:26what time is it GameTime thing at the end of the commercial. We're the royalties. GameTime
02:31has taken over, Mick. You are part of a revolution. The GameTime revolution is taking over. They know
02:35a good slogan when they hear one. That's right. Absolutely. All right. So let's get into it.
02:45Tough loss, obviously, against the Senators over the weekend. We can talk about that a little bit
02:52for sure. And also a 6-3 win over the Sharks on Monday afternoon. MLK, Matt Nay at the Garden.
03:01You know, this is kind of like according to Hoyle right now, Mick, right? They lose the
03:08game in Ottawa. The team that's nipping on their heels. That was a tough loss, too, no doubt about
03:14it. You know, blow a lead, lose in the extra session. And, you know, it's a team that's chasing
03:25them. It had all the makings and feelings of a playoff game, playoff level desperation from both
03:32teams. And they fall short in that game. And that's revealing. And I think they've fallen
03:37short a lot of times when they play playoff level good teams, especially good teams that are highly
03:42motivated, like they've not been able to reach that level. So there's a concern there. There's
03:47no doubt about it. But they come back on Monday and they have a good win against San Jose where
03:53they have to really show it in the third period. I really liked Matt Potra, the choice to put him
04:02at center between Marchand and Coyle. They obviously took a little while to really ramp up
04:09and get going. But by the third period, they were the difference. You know, they scored the game
04:13tying goal. They scored the game winning goal. Potra set up Coyle for both of them. Marchand
04:19played a role in those goals as well. Marchand gets an empty netter later on. But I think
04:26just in that game and in crunch time, really, and when it mattered,
04:31I think you saw Matt Potra doing things at center that Elias Lindholm just was not doing with those
04:36two. And that line was not working with Elias Lindholm at center there. And they had tried it
04:40for a little while. And it worked a little bit at the beginning. But I think as time wore on,
04:46you saw them, they were a problem over the last few weeks, that line with Lindholm there. They
04:51were an issue. They were a liability. They were getting scored on a lot. They weren't doing
04:54anything offensively. And you see Potra come in there and he brings a little bit more transporting
05:02the puck through the neutral zone into the offensive zone. Definitely a little more sort
05:06of offensive confidence and a little more ability to not only see open teammates, but execute a pass
05:12to get the puck to the open teammate in a good spot where they can do something with it.
05:18And it makes me want to see a lot more of Matt Potra there. Elias Lindholm has had a really long,
05:26really big, really wide chance to show what he can do. And he just has not consistently been
05:31able to show that he should be a top six guy, that he should be playing 20 minutes a night,
05:35that he should get tons of power play time, all the stuff that's coming to him because he got a
05:38big contract and because he's had some good seasons in the NHL and he came in with a track
05:42record. I think we're at a point where you've got to start being a little bold with what you're
05:47doing. And you've got to give Potra more rope, more power play time, more chances to see what
05:54he can do, see if he can continue to consistently play like he did in helping him win that game on
05:59Monday. And that's the only thing, Mick, in my mind that's going to change the dynamic of what
06:04we're seeing right now. If they keep playing music on the Titanic, it's going to sink in the
06:10second half of the season if they keep doing what they were doing in the first half. I think they
06:13need to try to do things a little bit differently. And I think that includes putting Potra in there
06:17and seeing what he can do. And maybe he can help energize, impact this team, change the sort of
06:23dynamic and the formula that they have offensively. And they're going to need more than that,
06:27obviously. They're going to need, I think, a top six forward at the trade deadline too.
06:31But they need some kind of outside help to change what I think is a storyline that's going to see
06:34them fall short of the playoffs if they keep doing what they've been doing. And I think
06:38Monday was a good example of them trying something different at work. And they got to try it again
06:43and keep trying it and hope that Potra is going to give them maybe what Lowry gave them in the
06:48second half and never go back to Providence and be an NHL guy that's ready for the audition that
06:54he's stepping into. Just your thoughts on what you saw from that line and what you saw from
06:59the Bruins on Monday against San Jose. It's as if Marcian went into a room with Potra and said to
07:09him, listen, pal, you're here for a reason. You're on this team. You're good. We need you. Let's go.
07:20And he played like he belonged. And that was huge. Because when he's a confident
07:30player, he sees the ice really well. And he can do things really quickly that it seems to take
07:37other players that critical split second that makes a difference on windows closing
07:45and good teams adjusting. They needed a comeback at home to beat San Jose.
07:54San Jose then went to their next game, took a huge lead and collapsed in the third period.
08:02I think it was the Predators. So they now have two games on the road that they had within their grasp
08:11and they let it slip to two teams. You know, they're young. They're going to do that. And two
08:18teams to two teams who would have a very disappointing season, who are having trouble
08:24scoring the Bruins and the Predators. And so but yeah, Potra belongs there. He has now done his
08:34time in Providence, not as penance, but as a or as a sentence, but as a I used his tool wisely,
08:43his opportunity to play a lot of minutes, all situations develop, relax, see the game at a
08:48slightly slower pace and then come back here, you know, boosted baby, you know, and here he is
08:54injecting some life into that line. Now, can the sample size extend itself? I'd like to think so.
09:04Because I like how Coyle's playing in the moment. I like how Martians built his game gradually,
09:10very linear building to Martians game this season. You know, he did have that
09:16that scratch, that situational scratch that came up late in the game
09:24this past week that that really was kind of, I don't know, I wasn't
09:29I was a little surprised by it all, but but it is what it is. I'm glad to see Joe Sacco
09:34asserting his authority. And so the Bruins needs something. And the only thing about when you
09:41mentioned they need another top six forward who can score some goals. 100% agreement that having
09:49been said, every time the Bruins ever do anything at the trade deadline, they say,
09:54they say, our guys were having a season to show that they deserve this opportunity.
10:00Right. We know that this is not that team this year. In fact, I'd be harsh enough to say that
10:07in fairness, if this team plays to its identity, they bend and they break. Yeah. The Ottawa game
10:14was signature. We've seen enough, like I've seen enough to think the ending is not going to be
10:21great for this team at the end of the year based on how hard and difficult they've made for the
10:26road, the road for themselves and based on the way they just respond against good teams. You know,
10:32like it's they're going to fall short unless they change some things. And I think they're
10:35probably actively realizing that, too. And like, I hate to bag on Lindholm, but so much of it,
10:43I think, centers around him. And he just is not the player that I think anybody thought he was
10:49going to be. And he is not making anybody better. And he actively probably making players go in the
10:56other direction because he's just not he I he's not able to be a number one center. He's not
11:03able to complement those guys. It's just he looks more like you got to try somebody else at number
11:08one center and you got to put him more in like a third line center role and and let him sort of,
11:14you know, hustle around and back check and throw the body and occasionally make an offensive play.
11:20But if you're looking for him to consistently do all that stuff, it's just not there. And
11:25the one thing that surprises me about him the most is the defensive zone stuff. Like I feel
11:32like there's a lot of there's been a lot of mistakes slot coverage wise when he was out on
11:36the ice and he's the center and he's the guy that's supposed to be the help in the middle of
11:41the ice and the slot coverage and helping the defenseman in the net front and doing all that
11:45stuff. And he's like nowhere to be found. And I think that's happened quite a bit. The first couple
11:50times I said, all right, he's getting used to a new system. Maybe he's not used to the way the
11:54Bruins things do things defensively. Okay. But as it's gone on, you continue to see him just not
12:00where he should be or where he's supposed to be in as a center and defensively. And you're like,
12:05what is going on here? This is not the, you know, Patrice Bergeron type player that I thought the
12:10Bruins were getting when they signed him. And these are not the kind of mistakes you would
12:14ever see 37 make especially defensively. Not at age 18. No, never. So, you know, I hate to put
12:26it all on him, but I think a lot of what's gone on here has been especially since the coaching
12:32change has been around him and they need to find a different solution. And I think Patra and playing
12:38him there was, was it was time to do it. And I think it's time to feed him more because like
12:44Mick, not only that game, but I think Patra has been very noticeable and very good in every game
12:50since he's been up. He's been getting chances. He's been creating things. He hasn't had a ton
12:54of ice time. He's been doing it in less ice time than Lindholm is getting. That's for sure.
12:59Very smart along the walls. Yes. I think it's starting. And the danger with him obviously
13:04continues to be that he has a hard time eluding big hits. And is he going to be able to remain
13:08healthy and, and, you know, be okay. And all that stuff, if you keep feeding them out there
13:13in big minutes, but I think at this point they have to, they have to do it. You see,
13:16I think they've decided which widget is which, and they're putting them in the places where
13:20they think there's, they have the best chance to win. We got to, I think right now all decisions
13:24are based on, we have to make the playoffs and they have to, and they're saying, what is Lindholm?
13:32Well, this year Lindholm is this, and that's where they're putting them. And Patra is our
13:38best chance at this. So we're putting them there and we're going to see what we can do with
13:43some elite hockey IQ, cliche alert, you know, between some guys who play really differently
13:53and see the ice differently and need some, some support. And this guy's got great intuition out
13:59there. So it makes sense to flip it the way they have. And they probably talked about it quite a
14:06bit before they did. And they, but, but yeah, I think that that's, that's where this is going.
14:13And, and you know, it's, it's either this or, or bust because I don't think they have anything
14:22else left in the, in the up there up the sleeve or in the rabbit hat. I don't see anything there.
14:28No, I don't either. And I agree with you. And, you know, we'll see, like, I think he's still
14:34young. He's still not, you know, like he's big, bigger, thicker, I think than he was last year.
14:38And I think he's a little bit more able, smarter about it and able to withstand the sort of like
14:44physical challenges of the NHL. It seems like he's a little more ready at 20 than he was last
14:48year, a year ago. In addition to having sort of his confidence back. So I think he's in a good
14:53place to at least see what he can do for the rest of the season. But I think they have just based
14:58on what they've seen and based on the way the other players have responded when he's playing
15:02out there. And then like, look, the Bruins are a bad passing team. Like I can safely say that now
15:08after watching a half season of hockey that they don't see. Some of those guys do not see the ice
15:14well enough to set up other players with passes in the right spots. They have a hard time executing
15:21at times to get the puck to players where they can do something with it.
15:26You see them struggle a lot with this. And Patra is one of those guys that I think sees the ice
15:31really well, executes passes, like can do all that stuff and doesn't have that issue. And I think you
15:37need to put them with players that can do something with the puck if you can get it to them. And I
15:41think that's finally what they're starting to do here. And we will see, and it is out of desperation
15:46Mick, like there's no doubt about it. They have to treat every game like it's do or die for the
15:50rest of the year. They've put themselves in a position where they're going to be fighting and
15:54scratching and clawing for a playoff spot for the rest of the year. And it's going to be a wildcard
15:57spot. That's just the way, that's reality after, you know, blowing a bunch of points in the road
16:02in the sixth game, losing streak after, you know, blowing a point to Ottawa, like the stuff that
16:06they've done that on top of the hot mess 20 game start they had to the year. They've basically put
16:12themselves in a spot where they have to view it this way and they have to do whatever it takes
16:16to win from here on out the rest of the season, you know, the best decisions to get to that point.
16:22Turning back to what you said a few minutes ago with the Marchand decision,
16:29not playing them in overtime, not playing them in the shootout, losing that game. We're talking
16:34about the guy that's got the third most overtime game winners in NHL history behind Sidney Crosby
16:40and Alex Ovechkin. It was definitely a choice. There's no doubt about it.
16:47What did you think in reaction to it? And then also, you know, just now the first blush reaction
16:55is obviously, oh, he must be dinged up. And it was very clear afterwards by what Joe Sacco said
17:00and what Brad Marchand said, that there was not an injury. This was about a coach's decision to
17:04not put him out there in a huge spot against a team that's nipping at your heels and past you
17:13after that game in the Ottawa Senators. Just what you thought about that whole sequence.
17:18Well, I don't know if Sacco was alluding to a defensive-blown assignment by Marchand, but he
17:26was talking kind of generally about defensive play and playing both sides of the puck and
17:34bearing down and things like that. And I'm kind of thinking here that it may be one of those things
17:40that to whom much is given, much is required. And if you're wearing the sea on this team,
17:46then you better be a good example in all facets of the game. And if you fail, then I can't have
17:53any integrity in this locker room if I don't point it out and I don't punish it, sanction it.
18:00We're at a point here where it's DEFCON 4 for the Bruins. They absolutely have to do everything
18:07possible to win. There can't be any compromises here on how they do that. What do you say about
18:15that second Ottawa goal where Brandon Carlo and Nikita Zadorov looked like they were synchronized
18:22swimming out there? They were both on Carlo's side of the ice doing a blow-by and swerving in the
18:27same direction like they had plotted it out. And clearly, this guy, there's a dog here too,
18:36but she's behaving. Zadorov is being so easily lured out of the system. It may be that I think
18:53the best the Bruins can hope for from this summer's off-season moves is that
19:00Kastelik stays healthy. Otherwise, no complaints.
19:06Lindholm is a much better player next year than he is this year. And Zadorov is a much better
19:12player next year than he is this year. And they're probably clinging to the hope that
19:17Zadorov can make his second year with the Bruins better in the same way that Shara did.
19:23But I don't see it quite the same. Zadorov's more like, well, A, you're not as good. B,
19:31you're wilder. And I don't know if it's in you. I really don't. The Bruins seem to think it is,
19:37and that's what their pro scouting told them. They also seem fascinated with Lindholm's defensive game
19:46and thinking this could be the guy who solidifies our middle in some aspects the way Bergeron did.
19:53He is elite in his puck-stripping ability, the way he can sneak up on guys and make these little
19:58maneuvers that you can just tell he plays a high-class defensive game.
20:03But as far as his interaction with his teammates offensively and defensively,
20:08it has been an absolute disaster this year. And these two guys have hurt them.
20:17It's supposed to be the thing to put them over the top. You needed to get a guy like Lindholm.
20:22You didn't necessarily need to make the Zadorov signing, but you thought you could win the Stanley
20:27Cup. That's why they did that. So now look at these guys and you say, wow, where are we now?
20:32Then it's not all them. It's not even close to all of them. But what was supposed to be the things
20:40that took a pretty damn good hockey team and put them in the conversation is now problematic.
20:49And that's a tough, tough thing to get past for management.
20:56It definitely is. And there's going to be a lot of questions about that when this season
21:01comes to a conclusion one way or another. More on that in a sec. We're going to take a break
21:06from the podcast action, though, to talk about PrizePix. PrizePix is the largest daily fantasy
21:11sports platform in North America and the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports.
21:16Instead of battling thousands of other players that could be pros or sharks, you simply pick
21:20more or less than two to six player stat projections and you watch the winnings
21:23roll right in. It's fun and it's super duper simple. The big game is almost here
21:28and it's now or never. Don't miss out on the last football game of the season with PrizePix,
21:33the best place to win cash while watching the big game. PrizePix is also giving away
21:37a free pick for the big game where one of the starting quarterbacks will only need to throw
21:41one yard to win. If you're correct on at least one more stat projection, you win real cash.
21:47PrizePix also offers weekly promotions that can lead to big payouts like Taco Tuesday. Each
21:51Tuesday, PrizePix discounts select player projections up to 25% to provide even more
21:56value for your lineups. Check out the promos tabs to tail any of our super sweat milli winners
22:03big game lineups. If you tail a lineup that goes three for three, you can win a split of
22:07one million dollars in promo funds. Make your holidays bigger and brighter with PrizePix,
22:12the best place to get real money action while watching your favorite sports. Think Lamar
22:15Jackson will get more than 250 passing yards? Will Patrick Holmes pass more than 1.5 touchdowns?
22:21Cook up hot takes with your friends and win real money this football season when you and your crew
22:25run your game on PrizePix. You can now win up to a thousand times your money on PrizePix
22:29and PrizePix now also offers MasterCard for quick and easy deposits into your account.
22:36Download the PrizePix app today and use the code CLNS for $50 instantly when you play five bucks.
22:41That's code CLNS on PrizePix to get $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to
22:46receive the $50 bonus. It's guaranteed. PrizePix run your game. All right. I agree with you, Mick.
22:56I think Zdorov is like more of like a wild colt sort of defenseman than I thought he was
23:03as far as straying away from the net, as far as chasing plays away from the net, as far as not
23:08staying near the net front where his size, strength, and meanness would be the ultimate
23:14difference maker and where it would, you know, really where his strengths would be best served,
23:19would be doing that more. But it seems like he's not that kind of a player. And he,
23:24it seems like he is much more of like a roaming out to do things away from the net.
23:29And sometimes it works, right? Sometimes he kills plays before they happen. And, you know,
23:34he can certainly go out there and make a big hit where a guy doesn't expect a defenseman like that
23:37to be out in that area. And sometimes he'll surprise forwards and just blast them against
23:42the boards because they don't think he's coming and they're sort of, you know, taking it for
23:45granted. So there's different things that are like okay about him doing that. But like, I just think
23:52you're used to seeing a big defenseman like Chara that stayed around the net,
23:55knew what he was supposed to do and understood the defensive role and, you know, what suited
24:00his game best and just punished people that got near the net and in the corners and behind the
24:05net and all that stuff. And I think Zdorov would be way more effective consistently if he played
24:11that way, you know? And it, but I don't know, does he want to play that way? That's not,
24:15it's hard to say. And it seems not the way he plays. And the things, the choices he makes
24:22and the way he plays defenseman, it seems like he doesn't want to be that guy consistently.
24:27And that plays into it. Like, I hope it's going to be a little bit of a different story when they
24:30get to the playoffs. He'll be a little more disciplined when it comes to that stuff. But
24:34and to your point, maybe he and Lindholm will both be better in year two, you know, we'll see.
24:39I don't know. But for this year that we're talking about right now, they are both definitely
24:44different than I thought they were going to be. Lindholm, I think, is more of a liability than
24:50Zdorov is consistently. Like, I think Zdorov has his moments. But I, you know, I think there's
24:58going to be a lot of questions about both of them with Don Sweeney in the front office and how they
25:02didn't live up to expectations after all the money got spent and what they saw versus what they
25:07actually got. I think there's going to be a lot of introspective questions about that stuff.
25:12Now, the Brad Marcian thing, like, I understand the accountability part. I understand that,
25:20you know, everybody's going to get treated the same way and sending that team first message. And,
25:24you know, your captain better be playing exactly how you want everybody to play and setting the
25:30example and leading by example and all that stuff. But as a coach, you also take a risk
25:37when you're doing that, right? You take a risk when you do that and it doesn't work out
25:43that it makes you look, it makes people question your decision making when you lose and when you
25:51take out your best overtime weapon in franchise history and one of the best in the NHL history
25:57and don't utilize it and then you lose a game and the other team hops over you into a playoff spot.
26:04And I think, you know, Joe Sacco had to do that, I'm sure, based on what he saw,
26:09based on any details. And is it defensive zone coverage with Marcian? Is it him cheating too
26:14much offensively at times? And maybe that was the issue too. You know, it could be a combination of
26:20all those things that maybe he wanted to get his attention like, hey, you can't do that right now
26:23in this game. And that's fine. But I think once you start doing that stuff, especially when you're
26:28an interim head coach, you're also like putting your neck out there when it doesn't work out and
26:34when you lose the game and when you take one of your weapons off the board willingly instead of
26:40because you had to. And, you know, I don't know. I'm really mixed about that decision,
26:48about the results, about how that all went down, about that game. Like, I just,
26:54maybe it's a turning point. I thought they played better against San Jose, but they were still
26:59trailing and needed to come back in the third period. So it wasn't like they were lights out
27:03great. And I just wonder what the sort of overall reaction is going to be as they continue to play
27:10games here, whether there's going to be a big response or whether this is, you know, that was
27:16something that, you know, I don't know, maybe didn't spark the team or rally the team like
27:20maybe he thought it was going to. It's, bottom line, Mick, I think it's a very high risk move
27:26to obviously bench your captain in overtime, like especially. Especially such a clutch performer.
27:30That's, yeah. I mean, his legacy in his career is that he's in the 99th percentile of the guys
27:39that the highest quality of his career is this is when any team would love to have him just because.
27:48And he's a big moment player. And I have to think, I have to speculate here that
28:02even if it comes in small increments, there's a point at which you feel like
28:07I'm choosing here between losing the game or losing my team. Right, right. Or making a point.
28:12And at what point do you do that when a desperate season like this?
28:18Losing your team can never be the choice. And I don't want to have to think that Sacco is coaching
28:26for his career either. I think that just for this season, you can't lose the team. The whole thing
28:32could go south. Right. So whatever was said ahead of time to put him in a position where he had to
28:38act, then he had to act. And the guy's been pretty laid back in general. So that's a big deal.
28:50It is a big deal. And I think it's something to continue to watch moving forward.
28:56You know, I just think you need to tread lightly when it comes to the captain of the team
29:02and it comes to a respected guy like that that's one of the icon franchise players here,
29:08like that's like you're starting to tread on tough ground at that point.
29:17Well, yeah. I mean, hey, if Jake DeBrus can win over Bruce Cassidy,
29:21then Brad Meierschank can win over Joe Sacco. Right. So like, you know, I just, I don't know.
29:31I think, I just think this, whatever you're getting for short term gains out of a team with
29:40a very limited ceiling right here this season, you need to be careful about the way you're
29:46treating a Hall of Fame level player, you know, and the way it's going. We can only hope through
29:53those conversations, right? Yeah. But that's, I mean, that's, I think I just think that's
29:57something to keep in mind. You know what I mean? Like that's something you always have to kind of
30:00be aware of is there's legacies here, there's long-term histories here, there's, you know,
30:06all kinds of stuff going on. And I think Marcian, to his credit, has always been a guy that will
30:09take hard coaching, will take all that stuff, will, you know, not take it personally and will move on
30:16and will always be accountable about it. The Monty situation earlier in the year.
30:20Yeah. I think that's one of the great things about him. And that's, I think, the more important
30:25example that he sets than anything else is just being accountable and being, you know, somebody
30:31that will always answer the bell and will also always, you know, admit wrongdoing or admit,
30:36like, you know, faults or places where there could be improvements or whatever. But like,
30:42you know, you have, when your leader is that way, you kind of have to be that way too.
30:46And I certainly hope everybody else in that locker room is exactly that same way.
30:51All right. Kostelik on the IR again, Mick. That's not insignificant. Hopefully it's not related to
30:59the previous injury that he had. He was not out in the third period against San Jose,
31:03but that's a big loss. And like, for a guy like him, like, he plays so hard, he plays so physical,
31:10you wonder if he's always going to be, you know, every season he's going to be a little banged up
31:14or he's going to be missing time at points just because of the way he plays. He might be that
31:18kind of a player. Maybe we're finally starting to see why Ottawa let him go. Well, I mean,
31:24maybe a little, but I think there was more to it than that. I think there would, from my sense,
31:29talking to people in Ottawa, he didn't play consistently in Ottawa the way he's playing
31:34in Boston this year, like with the same energy, physicality, like he wasn't like that all the
31:39time there, like they wanted him to be. And I actually think he's played really well. He's
31:44been unbelievable. He's been the bright light of this season. He really has. I mean, when I think
31:51about all the things that have gone poorly for the Bruins this year, that acquisition in the
31:58Elmar trade has been the highlight of the year for me. He has really been worth watching every shift.
32:05Yep, no doubt. I agree. I just think he's, you know what you're getting from him? He's been a
32:12leader from an energy perspective, from a physicality perspective. He's been one of those
32:16players that will drag the team into the fight. Like I think he is, it was, he basically forced
32:23the Bruins to sign him to that three-year extension by the way he played. Like they had to,
32:28just watching him play and watching how good he had been and how the example that he sets for
32:32everybody else and how well he plays to sort of the identity or what they want the identity of
32:38the team to be. They got to be giddy over the number too. Yeah. So like, but you know, the other
32:44side of that coin, like I mentioned, like there's going to be injuries when you play that way,
32:48you know, there just is. So he's banged up. Patrick Brown and Max Jones up from Providence.
32:57Jones from all accounts has been playing better lately, eight goals and 11 points in Providence.
33:02And you know, he's been playing sort of the fast physical game that the Bruins envisioned for him.
33:10And maybe this is a chance Mick for him to carve out something for himself in the second half of
33:14the year. And we saw Jesper Boquist kind of do this last year, right? Where he had some
33:19chances early, didn't take advantage of them and then came on like a house of fire in the second
33:24half and got a permanent role with the team the second half of the year. And Jones is that kind
33:29of a guy where he's got the talent and you know, could play right into the, the physical fast four
33:35check style that the Bruins want to play. If he has everything going now, like he didn't in the
33:40first half of the year, he was supposed to be the guy after Castilek who is most assuredly going to
33:46be on the NHL roster and play in this fourth line role for them, maybe up depending on how it went
33:53That preseason was the general outlook and it didn't start off well for him because
34:01like a lot of players, he had an asterisk of a camp with an injury and it just has been,
34:09it's been a hard season down there. Another guy that did not get the call, who hasn't had the
34:16season that Max Jones has had, is Duran and a former Providence College player.
34:25I saw him play a game down in Providence not that long ago and he was playing that game, that
34:30straight line, big speed on the four check, keep it simple and go hard. And I thought that
34:38that, wow, there is yet another player who could fit the mold of this group. He didn't come
34:45in the same way or the same timing, but this is a guy who fits into that mold in that group,
34:52another maybe interchangeable part of those four checking wings on the fourth line.
35:01Max Jones is certainly somebody they've been wanting to get a look at in Boston all season long
35:06and now he's finally playing at a level where they feel like they can plug him in and take a look.
35:13Brown, a career minor leaguer who is the captain of that team for a reason. He is always a guy who
35:23is going to play as hard a game as you can hope anybody's going to play. He, plain and simple,
35:32doesn't have NHL speed. If he did, he'd be a career NHLer because he does everything else
35:37by the book. So these are good reinforcements. Their fourth line should be decent.
35:47It should be. And I think their top two lines, if Patra and Marcian and Coyle
35:56have found something, consistently get going, and they have two lines that can score, because
36:00Geeky and Pasternak and Zaka I think have been excellent for weeks now, very, very good.
36:05And by the way, Pasternak, early in the game, Celebrini, open in the slot, Pasternak shut
36:11him down. A great back check for his period. Pasternak is playing good hockey right now.
36:17Pasternak is on right now.
36:20And it all goes back to a few weeks ago when I think the questions started arising,
36:27like what's going on with Pasternak, because the numbers were way off what they usually are. And
36:32he's gone on a massive heater since then. And I think that whole line has played very,
36:36very well. So maybe that's indicative that he's going to be able to play like that for
36:41the second half, which would be a huge development also for the Bruins,
36:45and allow them to score a little bit more. Let's take another quick break in the action to talk
36:50about our friends at game time. If you're looking for any kind of tickets, take the guesswork out
36:55of buying tickets with game time for obviously a Bruins tickets, but also if you're looking for
36:58tickets to the Celtics or maybe even comedy or concert tickets or the theater. Game time has a
37:03new feature called game time picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite teams play
37:07live even easier. Game time picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great
37:11seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. The game of the
37:15week for this week that would make an outstanding post-holiday buy is Thursday, January 23rd,
37:20showdown between the Bruins and the Senators at the Garden. The rematch of that game last
37:24weekend that the Bruins wasted and frittered a point on the road in Ottawa. So this is going
37:29to be another playoff style game. It should be nasty. It should be very hard fought by both
37:35teams. So you're going to want to get to this one. The super deal for that game is $144 for
37:40Loge 21 seats, which is pretty great value for Bruins tickets in this new year. Some features
37:47at game time. Priority game time picks. Curation makes it easier to save more on sports, comedy,
37:52concerts, theater, etc. All in pricing. Toggle this feature and shows the total up front with
37:56no surprise fees at checkout. And my favorite, the lowest price guarantee or game time will
38:01credit you 110% of the difference. Download the game time app, create an account, use the code
38:07CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms do apply, but again, download the game time app,
38:11create an account, use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download game time today.
38:17What time is it, Mick? What time is it, Hazel? It's game time. Game time. Thanks, Hazel.
38:24All right. All right. We're going to get to this one, Mick. Actually, you know what? Forget the
38:30tweet question. We're going to just talk JT Miller in this last segment. Somebody you like,
38:38somebody you think the Bruins should go after. There's talk the Islanders, the Hurricanes are
38:42in the mix. It seems very clear he's going to be the guy that's dealt from Vancouver.
38:47I saw some interesting video of a game recently where it looked like Pettersson and one of the
38:53other young Vancouver forwards were sitting on the bench and they were kind of mocking
38:59JT Miller's intensity and how pissed he was when he came off the ice slamming his stick.
39:05And like, I mean, you know, JT Miller is obviously a fiery guy. He's got a temper
39:10like he rubs some people the wrong way. But I think that's also a bad look by these
39:15young forwards. Can we trust it? What's that? Can we trust it that this isn't AI or anything?
39:21This really happened? I don't. Yeah, I don't think it was AI. It looked like it happened to me.
39:27But like, you know, I don't even if it did like that, that's the kind of dynamic I think is at
39:35play here. You know, I think there's very two different styles that are going on here.
39:40And as much as like JT Miller can rub people the wrong way, I think that's not a great look for the
39:45Vancouver young Vancouver players either. If they're all like, Oh, what's this guy so mad
39:50about? He's like, and like poking fun at him, like, Oh, you know, like, that's cool. Like
39:55whatever. And they just going out and playing and not really playing with a lot of fire or anything.
40:00I that's just, I mean, I know you got to pick one over the other, but I don't know that that's a
40:05great sign for Elias Pettersson that he's, you know, picking a fight with a guy that's been
40:10an extremely respected competitor in the NHL for a long time now.
40:17You got to assume JT Miller's gone at this deadline.
40:20Yeah. Oh, yeah. And the question is, is where's he going?
40:24And he wants to come East supposedly too.
40:26Well, there was a story out there that, that the Rangers offered up Zibanejad
40:33and that the Canucks said not enough. So it's going to take something special
40:40because this guy's stock has risen. He was just a, you know, it's funny. He's like, what is he?
40:45Like 31 or so he, when he was, when he was a younger player, but already kind of getting
40:49into his athletic prime, he didn't have anywhere near this much cachet, but his reputation has
40:54built up these last few seasons because he's such a prick out there. And I remember when he knocked
41:02out David Bacchus when he played for the Lightning. Yeah. Yes. Yep. That was the 2018 series.
41:09Yep. So like, you know, he's been on the radar for a long time. He really kind of found his
41:13offensive range in New York with the Rangers. But I think he's been a very noticeable player.
41:19I think for a long time, whether it was Tampa when he was there and like good player,
41:24but now he seems like he's got like top level trade value. Whereas before it'd be kind of like,
41:31yeah, he'd be a good guy to get. Now it's like, everybody wants this guy. What are we going to do
41:34to get him? What's it going to take? It's like, it's officially a blockbuster. If you, for whoever
41:40gets this guy, they're going to have to send something serious. Yeah. I mean, look, I think
41:46Mason Lowry would probably have to be part of what Vancouver would be asking for. I think
41:53you'd obviously have to send a forward out there. They said no disadvantage.
41:59Doesn't the conversation have to start at a higher level? Yeah. Well, I mean, it would probably,
42:04that would probably be coil, right? He would probably be going to Vancouver. It would probably
42:08be low. Right. And it would have to be a first round pick. That seems to be what the rate is,
42:13is a defenseman, a forward or a center to replace Miller and a first rounder.
42:20Maybe it would be less for the Bruins. I'm not sure, but I don't think that I get it done.
42:26No. I think because there's competition out there. Teams will go a little,
42:29teams will push. Whoever gets it's going to overpay a little. It's a little like free agency.
42:34Yeah. I just, I don't know. Would you think he would be a good fit with the Bruins? That's
42:38the question. You know what? I don't care. I don't, I think the Bruins are kind of like,
42:44as Mike Milbury said back in a hundred years ago when he was on ESPN and there was a debate about
42:51whether the Blackhawks should, Barry Melrose was arguing on the panel that, well, maybe the
42:56Blackhawks are playing so well without Jeremy Roenick and he's such a game changer for them.
43:01Maybe they should just play out this next couple of games without him. And Milbury says chemistry,
43:07schmemistry, get them in there. And so you got one guy's thinking about team chemistry. Another
43:14guy's thinking about just how good is this guy? Get them out there. Let's see what happens.
43:19And I think right now, I think the Bruins are definitely a chemistry, schmemistry team.
43:25I think right now this is about who cares if there's an adverse effect? What else could go
43:32wrong? If you like the guy long-term and you say that you're convinced that JT Miller can help you
43:40put this team back together next year, then the only question is whether or not you're willing
43:47to live without the individuals it would take to get them. Right. Yeah. And who it would take.
43:52And I'm going to guess, I'm going to take a wild guess that, I'd have to take a real good look at
43:56Vancouver's roster, but I think they're pretty good on right side defense. So I don't think
44:03they're going to be asking for Charlie McAvoy, but. Oh, I don't think they're doing that.
44:08No, they're not doing that. And that's the thing. That's why I kind of don't see the Bruins being
44:12this team. The team that's going to do this. No, maybe Carlo, like, but is that a guy that
44:19Vancouver would want? Well, I guess if you're going to look at, you've got to look at them
44:22and see what do they need, what do they want, what are they designing to get here? I would expect
44:26in a deal like that, they would want, and it seems like they'd want a center that can replace
44:30Miller in the lineup. They would want a young defenseman and they would want a good draft pick
44:36or like an A prospect. And thusly a Coyle Lowry pick scenario. Something like that. I mean,
44:43yeah, the problem becomes, you're right. Like, would that be a competitive enough offer to get
44:47it done? Uh, probably not. It's too bad. You can't, uh, No, I was going to say the players,
44:55the only players, the Bruins would love to give them the ones they already had back to Vancouver,
45:02eat half of his money and send them back to Vancouver. If they could get them for like,
45:06you know, 4 million a year cap it, they might want to do that.
45:08Yeah. This is, this is, this is not coming up roses for the Bruins.
45:12No, definitely not. Um, all right. Uh, that will, we solved all the problems for another week for
45:17the Boston Bruins. Thank you very much for joining us. Let's also thank our sponsors here. Prize
45:23picks download the prize picks app today and use the code CLNS and get $50 instantly. When you play
45:27$5, that's code CLNS on prize picks to get $50 instantly. When you play five bucks, you don't
45:32even need to win to receive the $50 bonus. It's guaranteed prize picks run your game. Let's also
45:38thank the folks at game time. If you need any kind of tickets whatsoever, download the game
45:42time app, create an account and use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase terms do apply.
45:47But again, download the game time app, create an account, use the code CLNS for $20 off your
45:52first purchase. Download game time today. What time is it Mick? Time is it Hazel? Game time.
45:57Game time. Mick, thank you very much, my friend. My pleasure, Joe. Have a good one.
46:02Everybody else out there, you have a good one too, and we'll see you at the ring.