What to do with Matt Poitras? w/ Evan Marinofsky | Pucks with Haggs - video Dailymotion

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Today, joe Haggerty is joined by Evan marinofsky of the New England Hockey journal to discuss the Bruins' hot start to the unofficial second half of the season, as they come out of the Christmas break with a couple of impressive wins. Plus, as Canada is eliminated form the World Juniors, where does Matt Poitras fit back into this lineup? That, and much more!  This episode of the Pucks with Haggs Podcast is brought to you by Fanduel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering parter of the CLNS Media NetworkRight now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season. FanDuel, Official Partner of the NFL. 21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $5 pregame moneyline wager required. First onlinereal money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.  Factor. Visit https://factormeals.com/HAGGS50 to get 50% off your first box! Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door

Transcript

00:00 The younger players have been playing.

00:01 They just, you know, just cause they're not used in crunch time, uh, doesn't

00:05 mean they're not getting used now.

00:07 Again, I still, you know, there are times.

00:09 The NHL, Evan, the NHL is not a developmental league.

00:12 Exactly.

00:13 That's exactly what it is.

00:14 That's the exact thing.

00:15 And I think people, you know, want us to these younger players.

00:17 And again, we both do.

00:19 Welcome to another edition of the pucks with hags podcast.

00:27 I believe this is episode number 52.

00:29 I am your host, Joe Haggerty.

00:30 You can find my work at Joe haggarty.substack.com.

00:34 Uh, join for the premium newsletter.

00:37 You get all NHL and Bruins content emailed directly to your inbox.

00:41 I also file columns after every single Bruins game for Boston sports journal.

00:46 Check it out for my Bruins work along with Greg Bedard and Mike Giardi

00:49 covering the new England Patriots, great Celtics and, uh, and Red

00:54 Sox coverage there as well.

00:56 Um, my guest today, new England hockey journals, Evan Marinovsky, who is

00:59 obviously covering the Bruins and all over the new England prep scene and the

01:04 college scene where we'll talk to him a little bit about that.

01:06 In addition to the Bruins, let's thank though our sponsors real quick.

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01:17 If your team wins, visit fan dual.com/boston and get going because the,

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01:43 All right, Evan.

01:44 Uh, let's just start off with the Boston Bruins.

01:47 One, their fourth game in a row beat the Columbus blue jackets four to one.

01:51 Um, my biggest takeaway from this game, uh, and what I was writing about

01:56 at Boston sports journal is just, um, this game kind of highlighted that,

02:01 uh, the Bruins, Don Sweeney's bargain basement signings from the

02:06 summer continue to pay dividends.

02:07 A lot of people rolled their eyes when the Bruins had to, you know, sign a

02:12 bunch of players to like one year, $1 million contracts, the James Van Reams

02:16 Dykes and the Kevin Shattenkirk's of the world.

02:19 And a lot of people viewed it as a desperation move and just trying to like

02:22 glue things together, uh, because they were in such dire salary cap straights

02:27 with Cratey and Bergeron retiring the, you know, salary, uh, the bonus overage

02:31 penalty they had to pay because of them.

02:33 And just being up against the cap that forced them to trade Taylor

02:36 Hall and make all these signings.

02:38 Um, but James Van Reams like three points in last night's game.

02:42 He's on pace for 16 goals over 50 points is the fourth leading

02:46 scorer on this Bruins team.

02:48 Kevin Shattenkirk, uh, scored again last night as four goals in his last 13

02:53 games, um, is now on pace for double digit goals, which would be the first

02:56 time he's done that since his great prime days with the St.

03:00 Louis blues.

03:01 Uh, and Dan Heinen picked up off the scrap heap.

03:05 Wasn't even given a contract, had to sing for his supper and

03:07 training camp, earned it on a tryout.

03:09 He's also on pace for double digit goals.

03:11 He scored his last night as well.

03:13 And really for my money last night, Trent Frederick, JVR and Dan Heinen,

03:17 that third line that they put together was the best line going for them last night.

03:22 So just how impressed are you, um, with the way these players have performed?

03:26 Yes.

03:26 They're not starring every night.

03:27 Of course they're riding.

03:29 Um, and, and they're counting on Brad Marshan and David Poster neck to

03:33 carry the offense a lot of nights.

03:35 And we saw that, especially during the four game losing streak, they

03:38 were basically the only one scoring.

03:39 But by and large, the reason this team is in the place that there is because

03:43 these veteran players have stepped up and played up to, you know, the resumes

03:47 that they brought when they signed in Boston, yeah, it's funny.

03:50 You think back to the off season and a lot of people, uh, were, as you said,

03:55 disappointed that there were no big signings or big trays.

03:59 I think a lot of people expected the Bruins to jump out and immediately

04:01 replace burst on a crazy, and that was never possible.

04:04 Um, and you know, obviously like, you know, uh, when a team like the Red Sox

04:09 does the bargain bin stuff, you roll your eyes and it's like, you guys, there's

04:12 no salary cap, you're rich.

04:14 Why are you doing this?

04:15 But there is salary cap, obviously in hockey and the Bruins aren't cheap.

04:19 They pay their players.

04:20 This is not an issue of that.

04:22 They just didn't have a lot of salary space.

04:24 You mentioned the overages they had those this year.

04:26 And I think this hits at a bigger thing.

04:29 In free agency.

04:31 It is smarter.

04:33 I think to go for these, uh, lower tier signings, like a Ben

04:40 Ream's deck who throughout his whole career produces James and Reeves

04:44 deck is a very solid veteran.

04:47 He's always been that way.

04:48 Is he the same guy that he was in Toronto many years ago?

04:51 No, but he's a solid veteran who with the right players is going to contribute.

04:56 Um, Kevin shot and Kirk obvious.

04:58 And, and Vin Ream's like was brought in, you know, ostensibly to be the

05:02 net front guy in the power play.

05:03 He's on pace for double digit power play goals.

05:06 Uh, that's really, he's been a weapon on the power.

05:09 He's done a Ben Ream's like more than anybody else.

05:12 I think on this team that they brought in as a free agent has done exactly

05:16 what they thought he was going to do and exactly what they got him for.

05:19 And as long as he stays healthy, I think he's, he's going to be one of the best.

05:24 Free agent signings of this entire season when we look at value bang for the buck

05:30 and what you got out of the player that you invested.

05:31 So I think you really have to tip your cap to the NHL scouts, Don Sweeney,

05:36 the Bruins management, especially for that one, for bringing that guy in, that

05:40 has been an excellent signing for them and for getting them for a million bucks.

05:44 I know a million bucks.

05:46 Tags like that's where it's surprising.

05:48 I think even if he was making three, we would be sitting here like,

05:52 Oh, this is a great signing.

05:53 Yeah.

05:54 Um, so he's given you that shot and Kirk was a little shaky at the beginning of

05:57 the year, but like Jim Montgomery set up for last night's game, he's

06:00 getting used to how they play.

06:01 He's starting to understand their systems better and he's, and he's

06:06 looked pretty good with Grizz like I've not minded that pairing.

06:09 Um, if that's what they're going to roll with going forward.

06:12 I thought it was interesting that he talked to about, um, how he kind of got

06:16 in some bad habits with Anaheim because they were playing in the D zone so much.

06:21 And because they were defending so much, he kind of got away from some of his

06:25 offensive tendencies and sort of, you know, taking high and making high risk

06:29 plays or trusting that his teammates were going to have his back if he was a little

06:34 more aggressive and assertive offensively where he didn't feel like he could do

06:38 that as much with Anaheim.

06:39 And I think it's really the discovery that this is a much better team that he's

06:44 playing on and he doesn't have to worry about defending so much, uh, has really

06:48 freed him up to be the player that he was earlier in his career.

06:51 And you, you put the skills and the smarts together with that mindset.

06:54 And, you know, he's, he's on pace now for 11 goals and 25 points.

06:58 That's an excellent, uh, season for a defenseman.

07:01 And I think he can even get more than that as he goes forward and continues to,

07:05 you know, sort of make plays and doing what he's doing, considering the first.

07:09 What 20 games of the year, whatever it was, he didn't really do much offensively.

07:13 And if that's your third pair defenseman who you're going to roll out there as

07:17 not someone, you know, probably not getting the top matchups, um, you know,

07:23 someone that you don't have super high offensive expectations for in the first

07:27 place and you're getting that production, I think it's encouraging.

07:30 Um, so, I mean, again, he's another one that like, you know, when

07:34 Forbert, uh, you know, returns and all that, like, obviously, you know,

07:38 we'll see sort of how the, how the chips fall back there, but, and then

07:41 Heinen's another, like, you know, I've said a bunch, you know, uh, are they,

07:45 if Dan Heinen's a top six forward, I think we talked about this today, you

07:48 know, cup contenders probably not, but I think having Dan Heinen where he can

07:52 slot it in your top nine, especially on that third line or wherever you need

07:56 him, especially if it's in the bottom six, you have something with him.

08:00 Like, you know, he's going to contribute.

08:01 He's a reliable veteran.

08:02 Jim Montgomery likes them.

08:03 Like, uh, to me, I, I've been thoroughly impressed with how those three have

08:11 acclimated JVR Heinen and Chattenkirk.

08:15 And, you know, again, are they going to produce every night?

08:18 No, they're not.

08:20 But I think when they do, and they have a lot in the last, especially four games

08:24 since the Christmas break, you see what you kind of have.

08:29 And I I'm very, I'm very curious to see if this continues, um, if they have

08:34 kind of sort of, uh, they're hitting their stride at the right time.

08:37 Um, especially, I mean, like JVR is passing is so good.

08:41 I think he's a great passer, like

08:42 much better than I thought it was or had an idea of what it was.

08:47 But I think when you watch him every single day, you realize how smart he is.

08:53 How well he sees the ice, how well he makes like little

08:55 plays in the offensive zone.

08:57 And he's not just a big body in front that can finish plays around the net.

09:01 He is definitely somebody that can set up his teammates and has great vision.

09:07 You're absolutely, that was the, that's probably, that might be the biggest

09:10 surprise for me of any player on this team this year is JVR's passing ability

09:16 and his ice vision, especially in the offensive zone, like he's not obviously

09:20 a great sort of rush player, a great transition player going through the

09:24 neutral zone with speed, all that stuff.

09:26 But when it turns into like, to use a basketball analogy, like the half

09:29 court game, they're just playing half court, uh, offense in the offensive

09:34 zone and they're cycling or making little plays in the offensive zone.

09:37 He's excellent.

09:38 He's fed.

09:39 He's really good old man hockey, like, you know, not to insult them or anything,

09:45 but he plays like that.

09:46 Like when you play in a men's league game and some men's league, I was going to

09:49 say, you have a little more time and space.

09:52 He's good at creating time and space and he's good at slowing the game down.

09:55 Just something that, um, I think a lot of.

09:58 Players young and old struggle with is like, how do I, uh, kind of let the

10:03 game come to me and he's been great at that this year and, uh, and also by

10:06 the way, he, like, he's kind of been on that third line with, you know, it

10:09 was coil and Frederick before now it's sort of Frederick Heinen or whoever

10:12 they have there, like it has, it's not like he's been with Marsh and, and,

10:17 and Zaka and posture knock like on the power play he is obviously, but at five

10:21 on five, he's with guy, he's elevating guys around him.

10:26 Like he's elevating Trent Frederick that passed him on that goal

10:29 against Columbus was dynamite.

10:31 I mean, and, and, and props to Frederick for finishing props to Frederick.

10:35 Who's been, you know, really good, uh, for a good portion of time now.

10:39 Um, and I also wonder like, uh, coil is moved in with Marsh and

10:44 DeBrusk and they're solid, um, but I love the JVR coil Frederick line.

10:49 I would love to see that kind of come together at some point again, when

10:52 Pacher returns, if that's possible, like I would be curious to continue

10:56 to see them progress together.

10:58 Cause I think that line we've said it all along.

10:59 I think that line would be a force, uh, come the post season, by the way,

11:03 not to get off track, speaking of big guys in front of the net, do you see

11:06 the Nick Ritchie video from, um, over?

11:09 And I think the Finland, I haven't seen the video, but I heard about, I heard

11:12 it was like a Hulk smash situation.

11:14 It was bad.

11:15 It was like, it was just a guy was battling him, battling with him in the

11:20 corner and he just grabs the guy by his head, throws him down, takes his helmet

11:24 off and just starts wailing on his head as he's down on the ice and he only

11:29 got an eight game suspension.

11:30 I was, uh, I was shocked, but yeah, I, uh, Nick is Nick is thriving over and,

11:35 uh, overseas.

11:37 So, Hey, I think that's something Bruins fans wanted to see more of when he was

11:40 here with Boston was that kind of, uh, you know, Hulk situation where he just

11:45 loses his mind and starts like intimidating and throwing people around.

11:48 I feel so superior over there.

11:50 He's like, I'm a first runner.

11:51 I shall pick you guys suck.

11:52 I don't even know what his stats are.

11:53 I don't think they're that good, but I thought that was incredible.

11:56 You just want to take the holiday week off.

11:58 So he's like, I'm just going to get suspended for the next stretch of games.

12:01 Yeah.

12:02 Hopefully still get paid, but maybe I can just fly home.

12:05 Yeah, exactly.

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12:43 I, one thing I did was interesting.

12:49 Just thinking about all these players is forecasting later on in the year.

12:53 Um, the Bruins six man is going to be extremely tough this year, I think.

12:58 Um, you know, or, or seventh player, excuse me, not six men.

13:02 Uh, the seventh player award is going to be really difficult.

13:07 You've got, um, you've got Dan Heinan, you've got Kevin Shattenkirk,

13:12 you've got J James Van Reemsdyk.

13:14 I would expect.

13:15 Uh, one of those players is, is going to get it.

13:20 It's going to be like, usually they give it to a young player and maybe it'd be

13:22 like a Mason Lowry or a Matt Potra.

13:25 Um, or, you know, actually Johnny Beecher might end up being the one that would

13:29 be the most sort of appropriate.

13:30 Um, when push comes to shove at the end of the year, depending on how low ride

13:35 performs and how long he stays up.

13:37 But, um, I think it's going to go to one of those veterans, one of those

13:41 guys that's gone above and beyond.

13:42 I think JVR might be a great choice for something like that.

13:45 If he continues to produce it the way he is right now.

13:47 Yeah.

13:48 He's a good one.

13:49 I mean, I was just writing these down while you were, while you were saying

13:52 that, like you mentioned Heinen JBR, uh, Beecher, I would throw in maybe Frederick

13:57 to that's another option, uh, Morgan geeky could be an option the way that

14:02 he's slotted.

14:03 I mean, I know he was hurt a little bit of time, but if he continues to kind of

14:06 do what he's been doing, filling in on the top six down on the third line, like

14:10 that's another one.

14:12 Um, so they have a lot.

14:13 I would go with JBR.

14:15 I think he's been the, I think when, when my prediction is when the season

14:19 ends, he'll be the most consistent.

14:21 Yeah.

14:21 And he's like the true spirit of the seventh player.

14:25 Uh, going seventh man, going back to, you know, the old days when they used

14:30 to like give it to veterans like that, that went above and beyond.

14:33 Yeah.

14:34 I, so I think he would be a good choice for it, uh, come the end of the year.

14:38 But like, again, you could throw Patra in the mix there.

14:41 Uh, you mentioned Beecher.

14:42 Like, I think he's a really good one.

14:44 We have not, I know they've, they've, uh, moved him out of there at times, uh,

14:48 you know, for a game or two, just to kind of, uh, reset him, but like, he's

14:52 been a solid presence on that fourth line, like haven't had to worry about him.

14:57 Um, and even when it's, you know, Lauco Beecher and steam, they're

15:00 able to kind of hold their own.

15:01 So, uh, to me, I think they, you know, it's going to be a tough call, but I

15:07 think as of now, I'd probably go with Ben Reapstake.

15:10 Yeah.

15:10 I think we're in agreement on that one.

15:12 Um, world juniors, uh, still going on.

15:16 Uh, Canada is out.

15:18 Uh, team USA is a frigging juggernaut.

15:21 They're just like, Oh my God.

15:22 Brilliant people.

15:22 That BC line has been nasty.

15:25 Um, when they're playing together.

15:27 Um, but they just don't even look like they're challenged by

15:30 any of these teams they're playing.

15:31 It'll be interesting to see what happens if they get into a, you know, another

15:34 close game, um, now that it's do or die and elimination, they did have what

15:39 would they have an overtime game against Liz a check here, maybe.

15:42 I think they did.

15:44 I think the U S did.

15:45 What's funny is like I was reading and this hits at a bigger point.

15:48 I was reading in the athletic.

15:50 Um, I think it was Dom Lissitz or someone wrote a story on, uh, you know, the, the

15:54 United States, when they do the world cup of hockey in 2025 could be better than team

16:00 Canada, which in 2016, wasn't the case at all.

16:02 You know, it wasn't even close.

16:03 Um, and you just look at, and they didn't even include like Ryan Leonard or Will

16:08 Smith or Gabe Perot, or, uh, I don't even think they included like cutter

16:11 goatee on those teams, but just the, the caliber of hockey in America and the,

16:17 and the, the, the, the talent that's being churned out, like, uh, right now, I mean,

16:22 in the NHL, the, I would say Canadians probably have the best defenseman in

16:26 Gilmour car, but after that, the Americans hold the advantage by a lot.

16:30 Adam Fox McAvoy Quinn Hughes.

16:32 Um, you know, now Brock Faber, who I love moving into that.

16:37 Like he's a phenomenal defenseman.

16:39 And like, I just think that, you know, the talent and, uh, you know, I, you

16:44 know, I was, I was talking to James Hagen's last night, actually, um, for, uh,

16:49 he's going to be in our next magazine and like just the, the, and he almost

16:54 made that world junior team.

16:55 Um, and if he did, I don't think he would have been talking to me on a

16:59 Tuesday night at seven o'clock.

17:01 Um, but I just, it goes back to.

17:05 The talent that the U S has and has coming is so good and competes with Canada.

17:13 And I think at some point, like, you know, obviously this world juniors,

17:16 America will finish higher, but like in general, I think team USA is sort

17:20 of on that, uh, continued track and Canada's not getting worse.

17:24 I think the U S has just gotten so good.

17:27 Yeah.

17:28 And I think the U S U S has really put an emphasis on it too.

17:32 Whereas it's always been important in Canada, but I think it's become much

17:36 more important in the U S, um, to be like a power and to maximize the

17:41 potential that it's always had.

17:42 And, um, the American development model that USA hockey uses like to train their

17:47 coaches, to, you know, develop their players, uh, the, you know, there's a

17:52 nationwide system in place that they train the coaches a certain way.

17:56 They have a general overarching philosophy for the sport in every

17:59 state and in every association.

18:01 Like that stuff has turned out great players, you know, that, that is

18:06 developing players and their skill levels at a level that like, I think

18:11 is above and beyond other nations.

18:13 Like you see like the most skilled players coming from USA, like they're

18:18 not always, I think the best, um, they're not always the grittiest players.

18:23 Uh, they're not always, and for a long time, they were for a long time,

18:27 the Americans were gritty, but they didn't have the skill.

18:29 Now it's completely flipped.

18:30 Now they're not always the grittiest players.

18:32 They're certainly not always the most instinctual players.

18:35 Sometimes I think, um, from a traditional standpoint, but just the actual

18:40 like level of skill that they have shooting, passing stick, handling,

18:44 all of that stuff, um, and, and starting to play together as a team, like.

18:49 You look at them and you see them compared to some other countries.

18:53 And I think they are a level above.

18:55 So as far as that has gone with developing the skill level of players,

18:59 I think the American system and what USA hockey has put into place

19:02 has been a great success.

19:04 Um, we've talked about it before, how different states are doing it

19:08 at different levels of success.

19:10 And as Massachusetts still, you know, where they need to be, because

19:13 Minnesota seems to really be distancing themselves as far as how much they're

19:16 producing and their, their reasons for that, that we talked about, but I think

19:19 in general, the U S and especially like the markets, like St.

19:23 Louis, Arizona, Dallas, like, you know, Anaheim, like these different places

19:28 that were never hockey spots before that produce talent, all of a sudden churning

19:32 out these great athletes that are playing hockey too, um, it's, it's also

19:37 part of Gary Bettman sort of like master plan of, you know, putting

19:41 hockey and non-traditional markets.

19:43 And they're starting to bear fruit with all the players that we're seeing all

19:45 over the country that are being produced.

19:47 Yeah.

19:47 It's funny.

19:48 When I was talking to James Higgins, his dad, uh, so for people who don't

19:52 know James Higgins is a stud on the national team on the U S development

19:56 program, um, BC commit likely will be the number one pick in 2025.

20:02 Very, very comparable to like Jack Hughes as a center.

20:05 I mean, he's a phenomenal player, vision passing all that.

20:09 And, uh,

20:11 and I should say like with, with Hagan, sorry to interrupt, but with Higgins,

20:14 with, um, Cole Iserman, with these players that didn't make the world

20:19 juniors team, this team USA this year, I think you can see now why they're

20:24 playing and that the way that they're rolling teams, I like, I was a little

20:27 critical of team USA for not taking some of these other players when, um,

20:32 team Canada took Max Celebrini when they didn't have to, and like, you know,

20:35 some of the other stuff that was going on, but I think, uh, over time, I think

20:39 we've seen that they probably made the right choice.

20:41 It all depends obviously on what happens in these metal games, but,

20:44 and they'll be there next year.

20:45 That would be my guess.

20:46 Uh, I, but you, you know, he was saying that when he, when James started out,

20:51 uh, in youth hockey, that was when the ADM model kicked off and like, that was

20:55 a, a point of emphasis and edge work and passing and small area games and all

21:01 those things, and that's bearing fruit.

21:03 You're seeing that now.

21:04 Uh, one thing I will say though, cause I agree with you that the Americans

21:08 might be a little less gritty, but you know, who has that full package of grit

21:12 skill shot, Ryan Leonard, uh, who's a BC guy, uh, Washington capitals draft

21:19 pick, like that kid is going to be legit when it comes to the NHL, because he's

21:25 got that well-roundedness of he's a tough SOB and he can shoot that

21:31 the hell out of the park.

21:32 And I think that, that combination is going to work really well, especially

21:37 with the capitals, cause he's going to have Tom Wilson in his ear, um, that

21:41 stuff, but yeah, I'm, I'm very curious to see how the U S does in these next

21:44 couple of days.

21:45 Cause, um, they look good.

21:48 They look real good.

21:49 BC has got to be pretty happy.

21:50 Yeah.

21:51 They, they are, they're loaded.

21:54 All their players are playing well.

21:56 Like this is a good experience for them.

21:58 They're going to come back full of confidence.

22:00 Uh, when they go back to the Heights, uh, for the second half of the year.

22:04 And, and really honestly, when it comes to college hockey, all feels right in

22:07 the world when BU and BC are actually like legit talents and, and, you know,

22:12 going to be in the tournament at the end of the year, but going back to the world

22:15 juniors in general, um, team Canada loses, uh, uh, heartbreaking fashion

22:22 at the end of the third year.

22:23 What a goal.

22:24 That was like a fluke, like a mini hockey goal.

22:27 It was, it was a weird goal.

22:28 Uh, that goalie did not have a good game.

22:30 The team Canada goalie, he let up a couple of bad ones early in the game.

22:34 The last one wasn't his fault, but the fact that they were where they were in the

22:37 third period kind of was his fault in the team in general did not have a great start.

22:42 Um, Celebrity was obviously great.

22:44 Potter was up and down in this tournament.

22:46 He certainly wasn't dominant.

22:47 I thought he was good in that final game.

22:50 Uh, he assisted on one of the goals.

22:52 He had a lot of chances.

22:54 I thought he was generating a lot, but he didn't play that way

22:57 throughout the tournament.

22:58 And you heard some of the, oh, it's the big ice.

23:00 Oh, it's a jet lag from coming over.

23:03 Like, you know, it was tough adjustment from the NHL to going back to world

23:07 juniors and, you know, there's some of that.

23:09 Uh, but I don't think, I don't know that he, he played fine.

23:13 He was fine.

23:13 I don't think he was bad by any means, but he wasn't exactly dominant either.

23:17 Like some might've expected him to be.

23:19 And I don't know if he's that kind of player in general.

23:21 Anyway, I think he's more of a complimentary playmaking sort of player.

23:24 He's not going to be a Celebrity where he's just going to take over games.

23:28 And, you know, score a ton of goals.

23:29 Uh, but my question being now that the tournament is over, Patrick

23:33 Patrick's going to come back.

23:35 It's going to be interesting to see how he's going to fit in and where

23:39 they're going to put them in and how many days they're going to let them rest

23:42 before they put them into the lineup.

23:44 And, you know, if they put them down in Providence for any kind of a

23:47 conditioning stint before they sort of bring them up and, you know, how they

23:50 approach this whole situation now that they're on the other side of it, and

23:54 he's going to be reentering, um, you know, the team and is he even going to go on

23:58 the West coast trip that's coming up?

23:59 Uh, I think they're going to like Arizona, Colorado, Vegas, places like that.

24:03 Um, is he going to stay behind in Providence while they go on that trip?

24:07 Uh, Mirko love is up.

24:08 Does he go back down when Patrick comes in?

24:10 And there's a lot of moving parts here and I'm interested to see how

24:13 the Bruins are going to approach it.

24:14 Yeah.

24:15 I am also curious because I was, we mentioned with those seventh player

24:20 awards, you have a lot of veteran or like Trent Frederick age type players.

24:26 So not like, I wouldn't say Trent Frederick's a veteran, but he's

24:29 obviously older and way more experienced than a Patra or a Merck.

24:33 Um, so you have those guys down there.

24:37 Like, so right now, obviously you've got coil geeky Frederick as you're at least

24:42 on Wednesday night where your top three centers, right?

24:44 So like coil is going to stay in the top six.

24:46 They've liked Zaka on the wing.

24:49 Do they keep geeky in the middle there?

24:51 Do they try Patra?

24:52 Like, uh, I'm curious about that.

24:55 And then if posture is going to go down to that third line, like

24:57 Heinen's would play a well, Ben Reeves, I can play a well,

25:00 Frederick's from playing well.

25:01 Like, do you move Frederick back to the wing?

25:03 Do you put Patra back in there?

25:05 Um, what do you do with Dan and Heinen?

25:08 Like, I am curious what they do.

25:10 I completely agree with you.

25:11 Um, I don't think I, you know, if Patrick comes back and he's slow or anything, I

25:17 still am hesitant to blame the world juniors for that being a reason why like

25:22 it was a fine experience for him.

25:25 I don't think it's going to be a Lysol situation where, you know, it's going to,

25:29 uh, be a turning point towards a sort of downturn in this season or, you know, his

25:35 performance is gonna, um, suffer at all because of it.

25:38 I think it was a good experience for him overall, even though, you know, they lost

25:42 and it was a disappointing ending.

25:43 I think putting young players like that on that stage and then in that environment

25:48 ends up being long-term a benefit to them.

25:50 And I think it will be for him.

25:52 Um, I, I'm just curious to see how he's going to fit.

25:58 If they're going to keep him at center, if they may start to try some of these

26:01 players or even him at wing a little bit, uh, and move them around a little, uh, and

26:06 to see exactly how he's going to fit in the second half of the year, especially

26:10 with Connor geeky playing a lot better and looking pretty good in the middle.

26:14 There's also the fact that the Bruins have been absolutely horrendous in the

26:18 face-off circle for a lot of these games, uh, recently at center, um, you know, uh,

26:24 all the way down the line, uh, and how that's going to shake out.

26:28 And if that changes what they're going to need at the deadline, where they're

26:30 going to need somebody that can win face-offs, uh, in big moments, you know,

26:34 Charlie Coyle could obviously win face-offs at big moments.

26:37 He was seeing him do that.

26:38 He won a face-off that led to a goal, uh, a couple of games ago after he'd been like

26:43 over seven or over eight in the game.

26:44 Uh, and, but you know, you know, he's going to be steady and okay in the face-off

26:48 circle, but I think everybody else in the second half of the year is, is, you know,

26:52 games have tightened up a little bit, have been really lacking and you know, that

26:56 they've been able to win games despite it, but that's going to become an issue.

26:59 Come playoff time.

27:00 Um, but just in general, like I think it put, put it this way.

27:04 I don't think Potter's going back to juniors.

27:07 I think that's already been established.

27:09 I think that, you know, Don Sweeney already said that's not going to happen.

27:12 I don't think they're going to do that to this kid.

27:14 I think he's going to stick around.

27:16 They made a commitment to him.

27:17 That's just the right thing to do.

27:18 Uh, and I do think he'll be in and out of the lineup.

27:21 Um, I just wonder if it's going to continue to be, you know, he sits every

27:26 like fourth or fifth game and it's sort of a rotation, sort of speak, so to speak

27:31 until he really either starts to take, you know, seize and grab hold of a position

27:36 and look like he's going to be the guy he was in the first month or two of the

27:39 season, or if it just becomes sort of a rotational thing where he's a part of

27:43 the mix, but you'd need to keep them in there playing, obviously.

27:46 And so this is the thing, it goes back to this and you see how there was a lot.

27:50 I saw a lot of people on Twitter being like, Oh, why is Georgie Murkuloff not

27:53 playing in the third period and this and that they, first of all, like with the

27:59 Murkuloff thing, you gotta earn.

28:00 I think.

28:01 You gotta earn the right to play in the third period.

28:03 He's been fine, but not great.

28:05 He's been fine.

28:06 Like he hit a post, he's done some decent things.

28:08 I think he's played pretty good 200 foot hockey.

28:10 Uh, but I wouldn't say he stood out in any of the games that he played to the,

28:15 to the point where they need to keep him when Padra comes back, I think he's

28:18 going back to Providence and that's fine.

28:20 He got a little taste.

28:21 He goes back to Providence.

28:22 And then when, you know, he's maybe he's more ready to, you know, be a little

28:26 more dominant, uh, the next time around.

28:28 Yeah.

28:29 And I, and I think it goes back to these younger players, like Beecher's stuck on

28:32 that fourth line, uh, for pretty much the entire year.

28:36 Yeah.

28:36 But like you look at like a, you know, like a pot drum and there was some

28:40 questions about his usage kind of right before he went to world juniors, the

28:44 re like the Bruins are in first in the Atlantic, like they are, they are, they

28:49 points wise, they are a Stanley cup contender.

28:51 Yes.

28:52 Um, and Jim Montgomery has got to go with the guys he trusts most, uh, in those big

28:57 situations and it's okay.

28:59 If a 19 year old kid is not a guy that you quite trust yet.

29:04 And I know that people want to see Patra.

29:08 I want to see Patra.

29:09 I think you and I both agree that this year was kind of supposed to be, Hey, what

29:13 do you have in the younger players?

29:14 And you've seen that the younger players have been playing.

29:17 They just, you know, just cause they're not used in crunch time, uh, doesn't

29:21 mean they're not getting used.

29:22 Now, again, I still, you know, there are times.

29:25 Evan, the NHL is not a developmental league.

29:27 Exactly.

29:28 That's exactly what it is.

29:30 That's the exact thing.

29:30 And I think people, you know, want to see these younger players.

29:33 And again, we both do.

29:34 I'm not like, I'm not anti kids or anything.

29:37 Um, I just think in crunch times of games, when you need two points, are you going

29:43 to go with a guy like coil or a geeky who are older and been around more, maybe a

29:49 little more reliable, or are you going to go with a younger player?

29:51 Like Montgomery's going with the older player, because that's the higher chance

29:55 of winning.

29:55 And I know that there've been times this year, especially at the end of games,

29:58 when, uh, the older guys have blown it, especially in those final minutes.

30:02 Like I acknowledge that, but I'm just saying from, from a, uh, probability

30:07 perspective and all that, like, that's what I go back to, you know, it's good

30:11 that they're playing, but you can't expect them to be out there in the

30:13 final minute of every game.

30:16 No.

30:16 And, and that's, you're not going to see them out there in the playoffs.

30:20 And so what you're seeing now is the guys that they are going to have out

30:23 there in the playoffs in these moments, they're out there now getting reps.

30:26 So they're ready, uh, come playoff time and they have a little more experience

30:30 doing it because they've had to enter even the veteran guys, the geekies, the,

30:34 you know, some of the other players, um, you know, they haven't, they're not used

30:39 to being out there in the final minute of games that used to be like David

30:42 Crecci, Patrice Bergeron territory, Brad Marsh, like they were the guys that were

30:46 always out there in those situations.

30:47 And now you're opening that up to other players being in those situations.

30:52 And, you know, Jim Montgomery talked about this earlier in the year.

30:55 That part of the reason they were struggling and to protect one goal

30:58 leads in the third periods is because it was a lot of new guys, especially at

31:01 forward that were out there in these spots that hadn't been in these situations

31:06 before.

31:06 And I think you're starting to see them get better, whether it was scoring a

31:09 couple empty net goals, a couple of games ago in a situation where they'd really

31:13 struggled earlier in the year, whether it was closing out a game against Columbus

31:17 last night, where they were really strong in the third period, I thought, and it

31:19 was one of their better third periods.

31:21 You're starting to see that improvement because they've been put in those

31:24 situations, those veterans, and they're starting to get better.

31:27 You're not going to see.

31:28 Uh, Matt Patra out there in the final minute of game seven of a

31:33 Stanley cup playoff series.

31:35 You're not, why would you expect to see it now?

31:38 If you're not going to see it then, like he's going to have to get to that point,

31:41 maybe three years from now, he will be that guy and you work into it.

31:45 But at the NHL level, it's, it's definitely not a developmental league.

31:50 And you, the, especially in the Eastern conference with it being as close as it

31:54 is with all these teams right now, nobody's running away with, uh, you know,

31:57 any of these playoff spots, the Bruins don't have that much of an advantage

32:01 right now, points wise over wildcard teams, they could very easily be overtaken

32:05 if they went into a, you know, extended tailspin.

32:07 So I think the.

32:08 The points are very important for them right now.

32:11 So I think your point is, is right on.

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33:31 hags thumbs up seal of approval.

33:32 Um, all right, let's, let's finish this off with the, uh, Twitter

33:37 question of the week, still not sponsored, still looking for a sponsor out there.

33:40 This can be your space right here.

33:42 Uh, brand X presents the Twitter question of the week.

33:47 Uh, send us a note into pucks with X podcasts to get that taken care of.

33:53 Um, this is from cam 0 7 1 1 0 9 for a team that's ranked second to

33:59 last for our prospect system.

34:01 And the last time I checked, they were ranked dead last by the

34:03 athletic a couple of years in a row.

34:05 So I think this guy has even given them more credit than they

34:07 deserve, uh, or that they got.

34:09 I would say we're doing okay.

34:11 Low-ride Patsy and Beecher on the roster.

34:13 Merkel off getting an HL time now, Lysel putting up a point per game in the

34:17 HL busty, a top three goal in the HL for two years now and two world junior players.

34:22 Uh, and we should give, uh, Don's lock Mellis a little credit to like, yes,

34:26 Latvia, uh, and represented UMass, uh, and the Bruins really well, uh, in that

34:33 game, uh, against team USA, that torture chamber that they were in, he scored

34:37 the, the only two goals, uh, for Latvia.

34:40 So, uh, and, and, uh, you know, we've talked about this a little earlier, uh,

34:44 with the advent of low-ride and Beecher and Patra on this year's team, I think

34:49 we view the Bruins prospect system very differently now, because we've got three

34:53 legit NHL players and guys that are making impacts, uh, you know, coming out

34:57 of the prospect system and really fast forwarding their development, uh, to get

35:01 to the NHL.

35:02 And I think it really changes the way you look at the Bruins prospect system right

35:05 now.

35:06 It does.

35:07 It does.

35:07 And I think they've developed those guys.

35:10 Well, you look at a guy like low-ride who, you know, to Ohio state, I don't

35:13 think they play the strictest systems out there.

35:16 Um, and you know, a guy who only recently became a defenseman and the Bruins are

35:21 turning him into a better 200 foot, two way defenseman.

35:25 Uh, and you look at Patra and the way that he plays and, and the way that they

35:29 kind of, you know, even though Beecher did not have the highest ceiling, you

35:32 know, obviously you can criticize the pick as much as you want, but there's

35:35 nothing wrong with being an everyday bottom six forward in the NHL who plays

35:40 with speed and can, and can do a number of things as well.

35:43 So like, uh, to me, you know, do I put the Bruins, do I say, Oh, they're a top

35:48 10 prospect pool now?

35:50 No, I don't.

35:50 But they're, I think they're better than, uh, we give them credit for.

35:54 I think the other thing is what they were always lacking with that group was like

35:59 the high end guys.

36:00 And I think those national prospect rankings, the guys like the Prodman's of

36:06 the world and like Scott Wheeler, the guys who look at every prospect pool, I

36:10 think they put a high emphasis and I don't want to put words in their mouth, but my

36:13 guess, they put a high emphasis on the top talent, you know, guys that are picked

36:17 high guys that have, you know, the high end skill and this and that, and the

36:21 Bruins prospect pool didn't really have that, but they do have guys that can

36:26 contribute valuable, uh, at a, at a high level of the NHL level.

36:31 And I think that's a big thing.

36:33 Um, that's a Testament to the Bruins picking because again, Beecher was end of

36:37 the first, uh, Patra and low-rise were what they were second round picks.

36:42 Right.

36:42 So like these are not, you know, they didn't trade up to get these guys in the

36:46 top five.

36:47 Um, and I think it also hits home at, and I've said this to you a lot this year,

36:51 they need to get back into the first and second round.

36:54 You need to find a way to get back in because, uh, you don't have them the next

36:58 couple of years and you've been picking spotty the last bunch of years that, you

37:03 know, you're giving away first round picks, which again, made sense.

37:06 I'm not saying it didn't, but you do need to replenish them because now that low-rise

37:11 seems to be up here and.

37:13 You know, Lysel at some point should be up and, uh, you know, uh, uh, Patra has

37:19 been up and, and Beecher's stuck and that, like, you do need to replenish

37:23 Providence and, and, and that team.

37:25 So, uh, I'm curious.

37:27 You do need to continue hitting on guys like Murkalov, Bussie, um, you know,

37:33 players like that signings, another one, the guys that you're getting in either

37:38 free agency or that you're waiting out, you know, draft rights to expire, and then

37:42 you're signing them out of college, whatever it is.

37:44 Uh, they've done a very good job of that.

37:47 I think they've been one of the best NHL teams as far as getting those players

37:51 and tracking them and making sure they can come that way.

37:54 And that's a good way to supplement when you don't have the

37:56 first and second round picks.

37:57 But to your point, I think at this point now, they're, they're looking at a time

38:02 where they need to recoup some of those picks and they need to stop trading them

38:05 away and sort of build up again, uh, to get to that point.

38:09 And I think, you know, they've picked the best fruit out of their, uh, prospect

38:13 system now, and those guys are in the NHL and it's going to look pretty bare again.

38:18 If they don't start like replenishing that with some of these picks, but that

38:22 being said, Locke Mellis looks really good.

38:25 Uh, Oscar Jelvik is having a very good season at Boston college.

38:28 And I think he's been a guy that I look good in development camp too.

38:31 They have a couple of guys coming, but nobody that's going to wow you.

38:34 And they need to start getting back into the high end business of drafting players

38:38 in the first and second round.

38:39 Yeah.

38:40 I that's the big thing.

38:42 I think, you know, it's fine to get the Ferenatchis like a guy that I'm a little

38:45 worried about is like a Mark McLaughlin, because he, there has not been much from

38:50 him this year.

38:51 Um, you know, no one ever expected him to, to do more than a third or fourth line

38:57 role.

38:57 So it's not like, Oh, he's not too, but he just had like, there's so much competition

39:02 on this, in this organization, uh, in that bottom six that like, do you, you know,

39:07 do you move him for a change of scenery at some point and you're not getting a

39:11 first or second or third for him, but like, do you just kind of give him a new

39:15 change of scenery?

39:16 Yeah.

39:16 Um, but I agree with you.

39:18 I think that they do need to get back into getting guys that can potentially

39:22 play in the top six.

39:23 And you have that with Patra.

39:24 I'm not saying like you don't, but you need more of those guys because they don't

39:28 all hit, you know, you're seeing it with Lyselle right now, there are holes and,

39:32 and that's okay.

39:34 Uh, not every first, second round pick is going to thrive in the NHL.

39:38 Uh, but the Bruins have just been very fortunate and good for them that like

39:41 low rye and, and, and Patra seem to be trending that way.

39:45 Yep.

39:46 Uh, Bruins prospect system, not awesome, but probably, uh, not as bad as some

39:53 other teams.

39:53 Certainly not the last, last in the NHL dead last as they've been ranked by the

39:57 athletic the last couple of years.

39:59 So let's give, uh, the Bruins scouting staff management staff a little golf

40:03 clap.

40:04 There you go, Evan, a little more credit, uh, than they were given the last two

40:08 summers.

40:08 Uh,

40:09 speaking of the prospect pool, did you see a differ when he was on Bruins be with

40:14 me with his setup?

40:15 I don't know what he was.

40:17 Uh, he was like in a, he's like in a Barker lounger or something.

40:20 He's done that with me before too.

40:21 He's yeah.

40:22 Recliner.

40:23 And someone replied, like, I wish I could be as comfortable as Divery, just

40:25 recliner.

40:26 And then the laptop is just kind of like here and it's just, that's it, you know?

40:31 And it's so funny.

40:32 And I was like, man, I should start doing that.

40:34 Why?

40:34 I think it's the perfect setup.

40:36 I think it's, he looks very comfortable when he's talking Bruins prospects as he

40:40 should be because he is the guy that watches them all the time.

40:44 I got to watch as a ton of hockey at all levels, Evan Maranofsky, Evan, thank you

40:48 very much for joining us.

40:49 I appreciate it.

40:50 Uh, let's thank our sponsors real quick.

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41:18 America's number one, ready to eat meal kit, head to factor meals.com/hags

41:22 50 and use code hags 50 to get 50% off your first box.

41:26 Evan Maranofsky.

41:28 Thank you very much.

41:28 I'm sure Finn and I will see at the rink soon.

41:30 Appreciate the time.

41:31 Excellent.

41:33 I like that.

41:34 The promise that I'm going to see at the ring, uh, everybody else out there.

41:37 Thank you for listening to the pucks with hags podcast.

41:40 And I will also see you with the ring.

41:42 [inaudible].

41:47 [inaudible].

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What to do with Matt Poitras? w/ Evan Marinofsky | Pucks with Haggs

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