Who Should the Bruins Want to Face in Round 1?  w/ Scott McLaughlin | Bruins Beat - video Dailymotion

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Evan Marinofsky is joined by Scott McLaughlin of The Skate Pod and WEEI to discuss the Bruins' current goalie situation as Swayman continues to struggle. What will the goaltender situation look like as the playoffs approach? That, and much more!    Topics:   - Jeremy Swayman seems to be in a rut   - What should the Bruins do in net?   - Could Justin Brazeau be a third liner?   - Evan and Scott play Would You Rather  - Potential playoff opponents       This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy! Football season may be over, but the action on the floor is heating up. Whether it’s Tournament Season or the fight for playoff homecourt, there’s no shortage of high stakes basketball moments this time of year. Quick withdrawals, easy gameplay and an enormous selection of players and stat types are what make PrizePicks the #1 daily fantasy sports app!    This episode is also brought to you by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/50bruins and use code 50bruins for 50% off plus free shipping!

Transcript

00:00 Also Bruins Toronto would be a phenomenal series like and it'd be drastic if the Bruins lost

00:06 But it'd be so such a such a good interesting series

00:09 In terms of you know our jobs would be great

00:13 I also think on the ice Toronto has shown no reason to think it's any different this year than past seasons

00:19 I don't think they I know they want to play off around last year. I still don't think they are

00:25 Drastically different. I won't think that way until they have you know a legit two-way shut down number one defenseman

00:32 And welcome into the Bruins beat presented by prize pics use promo code a CLNS to get up to a hundred dollars

00:48 Back on any deposit up to $100 make March Madness more fun

00:52 I think the NHL season more fun go use our friends over at prize pics. I'm Evan Maranovsky. That is Scott McLaughlin Scott

01:00 What is up?

01:02 Not much Evan. Well, and actually a lot if you're a college fan because we got hockey this weekend, but

01:07 Yeah, I'm doing I'm doing well. How about you good good. I we were talking off-camera before we started big weekend

01:15 You know good UMass and in BC got BU and Maine by the time this is out

01:21 The results might be done and we know the championship game for Saturday

01:25 So it's an exciting time. I'm hoping for a good old UMass BU championship game. I think that'd be great

01:31 I think there might be fights in the Bruins press box if that's the case

01:33 But I think that it would still make for the best on ice product. No no bias there

01:38 So I'm excited for that. Do you have any outlook? Do you have any predictions for this weekend? I

01:43 Mean I feel like the the BU BC

01:48 Big showdown is what a lot of people are anticipating

01:51 we'll see if that actually happens, but

01:54 It's it's felt like those teams are on a collision course for you know

02:00 At least one maybe two more big games like they could face, you know frozen for national championship

02:07 Obviously, that would be awesome. By the way a frozen for a national championship matchup between those two

02:14 And it would have to be national championship because there I think they're pretty much locked in as the one and two seeds for NCAA

02:20 So that's right

02:21 But yeah, I mean they had you know, they had the big weekend series

02:25 Back in February that BC swept

02:28 Then BU got revenge in the first round the beanpot

02:32 then of course Northeastern ruined the beanpot for everyone and just you know comes out of nowhere to win it again, but

02:40 yeah, but that be you got their revenge in Northeastern and the hockey's quarters and

02:45 We'll see. I do think B and BC are gonna meet at least one more time

02:49 It probably this weekend, but we'll say, you know, Maine and UMass are good teams, too

02:53 Yeah, I I'm hoping for UMass for unbiased reasons, but I agree a BC

02:59 BU showdown to win hockey East would be I would be pretty damn cool

03:04 Every time we have you on this show. I always have to specify

03:08 To the producer who you are because remember that one time you came on and they had a totally different person

03:15 Graphic. Yeah, I was like, who is this?

03:17 Yeah, they had our Celtics guy Justin Turpin who's doing an awesome job

03:21 I feel like he's having a breakout season over on the Celtics beat so

03:25 you know perfectly cool being compared to him, but

03:29 That definitely wasn't me though

03:32 Yeah

03:32 It was a foreshadowed how big of a breakout year was for him because it had him on there and this is how do you which

03:37 I remember seeing that graphic of being like who is this like

03:40 Scott I thought it'd be like the racecar driver at least you know

03:45 Like he acts because this is a racecar driver named David Scott McLaughlin, right?

03:49 so I thought maybe it'd be a be him but

03:52 At any rate Thursday night, obviously, there's a lot of attention on colleges college hockey college hoops

03:58 But the NHL rolls on and on Thursday night the Bruins fell to the Rangers 5-2 on garden

04:05 I swept by the Rangers this year and the season series and I think the biggest

04:09 Thing coming from that game and you know two of those goals hard to blame sway man on

04:14 You know one went off to brusk and in there was a turnover that led to to one of the other goals

04:20 He was screened on

04:22 parents first

04:23 But then he had like the Adam Fox shot that you know snipes over his glove and you know

04:29 A common theme lately has been sway man's kind of been trending down and all marks been trending up

04:33 Where are you at with that? I mean, you know, I know it's fun to play this hypothetical

04:38 like if the playoffs started today, you'd probably start Lena's Hallmark, but

04:41 Is this good or bad for the Bruins?

04:43 Well, it's not good in the sense that you'd prefer to just have them both playing great and both rolling and then and then then

04:52 You just have to have to decide, you know, do you rotate is it some other split of workload?

04:58 Do you try to ride one? But that's

05:01 Like that's the best problem to have is hey, they're both playing great and you know

05:06 You you're at least thinking you can't really go wrong with either

05:10 So having sway men, you know hit this this hiccup this little slide

05:16 Really kind of since the all-star break

05:19 I know he had two big wins over Toronto to really good performances against Toronto in there

05:25 But other than that, like he was struggling a little before that

05:29 He's had three kind of subpar games since then, you know giving up 12 goals his last three games

05:36 So you don't you don't want that like, you know

05:39 you don't want either of them struggling because then it does kind of force you to

05:43 Probably just ride the other if that's the case

05:46 and

05:48 Doesn't leave you as much wiggle room. So

05:50 You know, it's gonna be interesting to see how they handle this

05:54 You know does all mark get two in a row at some point, you know, do you start to?

05:59 shift towards him just a little bit or do they just keep the rotation going because

06:05 They have seemed more open to using it in the playoffs all year

06:11 I think the one thing they're probably not gonna do is I

06:15 Don't think they're gonna last year

06:17 they rotated right to the end of the regular season and then tried to ride all mark and

06:22 They really hadn't written him all season other than like a little stretch early in the year

06:28 I think I think you got like five starts in a row in

06:31 November of last year or something

06:33 But I don't think they're gonna do that

06:36 I think they feel like that was a mistake like if they're gonna try to ride one guy you got to get him ready before

06:42 then

06:43 If you're gonna rotate to the end, then you're gonna use both guys again doesn't might not necessarily be a strict rotation

06:51 but

06:52 Maybe it's two starts for one guy switch to the other or three in a row or whatever

06:57 but yeah, it's

07:00 Certainly throwing a wrench into it because all year it looked like this was was swayman's year

07:04 He was gonna be the game one starter

07:06 He was the all-star of this season and now it does feel like it's swung a little bit where you know

07:12 Right now as we as we record on March 22nd, you would have to say all marks been the hotter hand recently

07:20 Yeah, and I think you'd stick with that if the playoffs began today and I think you nailed it with

07:25 You know, they

07:28 It doesn't need to be a strict, you know

07:30 ABA BABA be throughout the playoffs

07:33 I think it you know even look at last year with that Florida series if you turn to swayman in game five there

07:38 I think it's a different series and I think if you even wanted to go

07:41 You know the Oh mark for games one and two this year and he's you know

07:45 Really good in game one and he's okay in game two

07:48 Well, then you switch things when the series shifts to wherever it ends up shifting to

07:52 Which we'll get to in a little bit in games three and four and I think that that's okay

07:56 I don't think it has to be an even split and I think if a guy has two shutouts in games one and two

08:02 Well, then you put them over there for game three. I don't think you have to

08:05 stick with exactly

08:07 But again, you can look at the next couple games for the Bruins in Philly in Florida at Tampa at Washington

08:15 At Nashville at Carolina back home against back home against Carolina. That's a tough stretch to end the season

08:21 And I think one of the big things is

08:24 You know, how do you revitalize Jeremy swayman throughout that stretch? You know, you mentioned it

08:29 Do you go back and forth?

08:31 Do you give Omar a couple games in a row to kind of let Jeremy swayman reset?

08:34 I think that's one of the tougher calls is that this is not an easy stretch of games

08:40 To have Jeremy swayman get hot during unless you can find a way to get under his skin

08:46 But if you kind of start to lean towards all mark, does that potentially motivate a guy like swayman?

08:49 Yeah, and I think one thing I would do in the immediate short term is you know

08:57 You could go back to all mark Saturday, right? It'd be his turn the rotation. Anyways, I

09:01 Would want all mark, Florida on Tuesday, which would technically that would make it two starts in a row

09:09 But knowing that swayman is gonna get Tampa the very next night on Wednesday

09:14 but the reason I would do that is

09:16 Swayman has had most of the bigger games recently

09:20 Rangers both Toronto games. I

09:24 want to get all mark into one of those big games like he's played really well recently, but

09:30 Let's just be real like Ottawa Montreal Pittsburgh

09:34 Not the toughest competition and not the highest of stakes. So get him down in sunrise at, Florida

09:41 big measuring stick game against the Panthers and

09:44 You know

09:46 Give him that up swayman's had that opportunity these last few weeks

09:50 Like I would like to see all mark get that kind of game

09:53 I kind of wanted to see all mark Thursday night against the Rangers

09:57 I wanted to see what he could have done in that spot big game big team two starts in a row

10:01 I thought that might be the opportunity to kind of reset swayman or something like that and that didn't really happen

10:07 And and you know instead as I mentioned swayman didn't really have the best game

10:12 Although again, there were some breakdowns in front of them

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11:21 So wasn't all bad on Thursday night wasn't all terrible, you know

11:25 So the sky is not fully falling bird just still somehow the best

11:29 HL points wise I I can't wrap my head around it, but this is all our

11:33 One good thing from Thursday night. I just a brazo continues to roll scores a goal

11:38 Continues to prove he should be an everyday NHL player and

11:43 For a long time. We've considered him for the fourth line. That's where he's been

11:47 You know when he came up, I think we all thought alright, it'll be a good solid fourth liner big body this and that and

11:53 Connor and I were talking about this on poke the bear the other day and I think Thursday night kind of reinforced it

11:58 Pride deserves looks at for the third line, too

12:01 I

12:02 Love the idea of a Frederick geeky brazo line at least to try and you have kind of an interesting stretch of games coming up

12:08 Where you could do that

12:10 And you know potentially maroon coming back in these next couple weeks you traded for him

12:14 I would assume he's gonna get kind of first dibs on a fourth line spot

12:18 What do you think about Brazil potentially being a third line guy?

12:20 So I think they did it for one game

12:24 I'm trying to remember exactly which one it was but it one of the games recently he got a game with geeky and Frederick and

12:31 They were very quiet and spent a lot of time in their own zone and I it didn't go very well

12:37 That's not to say it wouldn't go better next time

12:41 You know, I I mean they have this stretch here where Vin reams Dykes been out dealing with an illness

12:48 We'll see if he gets back in Saturday

12:50 Seen sounds like Martians probably gonna play after a maintenance day Friday, but wasn't 100%

12:57 so

12:58 You know, there could be some guys in and out like I'm fine trying everything because I don't I think this team has

13:05 nine top nine forwards and

13:07 When you're looking for another option after that

13:11 You have to stretch and and that's I'm saying nine top nine forwards counting James Vinn reams

13:17 Like when he gets healthy now, they have to get him going again, too

13:20 Because yeah, even pre illness he had gone really quiet offensively. So

13:25 You know, I don't mind giving him a look here and there I I don't expect it to stick

13:31 As much as I like the way Justin Breslau's been playing. I do

13:35 still think there's kind of a

13:38 Ceiling on his game for this season, you know, he he can still grow after this over the summer

13:44 but for this season, I I'd be a little surprised if he ends up sticking in a third line role and

13:50 playing it effectively, but

13:53 For a game or two here and there sure anything's worth a look because they don't

13:57 It's not a date

13:58 They're brimming with a ton of great options as far as top nine forwards go

14:02 I feel like they have a ton of bottom six forwards

14:05 That's my thing with this team is like you have so many guys

14:08 Who fit in somewhere in the bottom six that you look like even like a Dan Heinen who's fit in, you know up

14:13 On that line with with Zaka and Pasternak. It's all great

14:17 But I mean is Dan Heinen the long-term solution there on that line? Probably not

14:23 although I did like

14:25 Did you I don't know if you heard this the other day Felger was asking

14:28 Oh, why why don't I like David Pasternak and Greg Bidard was like well because he doesn't help his he doesn't make his teammates better

14:35 And I said, well, that's interesting

14:36 David Pasternak has 55 assists career high

14:39 He's a phenomenal pass when he's turning Dan Heinen into a viable top six winger

14:44 I think he's doing just enough when it comes to making his teammates better. Yeah, it's why it's a while absolutely wild take like yeah

14:51 I appreciate her

14:53 Appreciate the wildness of the take

14:56 at any rate

14:59 You know, I think Brazil the way he wins board battles

15:01 I think just you know again his puck play around the net is strong. I

15:05 Do you know again?

15:07 I have no basis to this other than I think if Frederick Eiki and Brazil could be together for a couple games in a row

15:12 I'd be interested at least

15:14 To see kind of what they can do in the offensive zone being in there more

15:17 And kind of you know generating scoring chances from behind the net and things like that. So

15:23 You know, I'd be interested in it. I agree with you

15:26 I don't think Brazil is gonna be on top six forward anytime soon, but I think for what he brings

15:31 You know guy who wins a lot of battles, you know good stick

15:35 Like I think that all that stuff for a big guy is is impressive. It's hard to knock him off the puck

15:40 I'd be curious because that Frederick Eiki Brazil line could potentially be a

15:44 physically big line

15:47 And I know we like to make fun of the people who always want, you know, the the big, you know

15:51 Tough tough hockey players things, but I think that in the playoffs a line like that if they develop some chemistry

15:57 Could be interesting. I think Brazil has played his way into that into that

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17:27 So Scott, we're gonna play a fun game of would you rather you ready?

17:32 So this is it's like you're back in camp when you're you know

17:35 A young young kid growing up and you're around the campfire and it's like, you know truth or dare

17:39 Would you rather this is a this is a tough one. It's a very tough question

17:43 would you rather the Bruins finish second and play Toronto in the first round or

17:49 Finish as the one seed and get the wild card team

17:53 so I

17:56 Feel like that to me this sounds a little crazy because I

18:00 Think the Leafs are a better team than pretty much all those wild card teams

18:05 And yet I think I'd rather finish second and face the Leafs for a couple reasons and one

18:12 Is that the Bruins have had the Leafs number this year and while I don't think

18:18 regular season series

18:20 Necessarily carry into the playoffs. There's something there and there's the longer-term

18:25 scar tissue that Toronto has against Boston

18:29 Another reason is

18:34 Toronto's been like the Bruins and that they've been pretty safe in a playoff spot for a while now

18:39 Probably aren't playing the most desperate of hockey down the stretch

18:44 Whoever gets those wild card spots is gonna be playing desperate hockey

18:48 They've had to raise their game for a month or two down the stretch just to make it and you saw that last year with

18:55 Florida

18:57 the edge that can kind of give a team that's

19:00 You know has already gotten to that level and is playing

19:03 Like every games an elimination game

19:06 versus the Bruins who

19:09 you know tried to

19:11 Build the energy and tried to approach it as all right

19:14 we're gonna treat these next five games as a series and

19:19 Hey, we are gonna go for the record cuz that's you know a carrot to chase

19:23 And it still doesn't mimic playoff intensity like it's you can you can try to fit it as much as

19:29 Want but you know, it's just you can't really do it and

19:34 Bruins have the same challenge this year, you know, even though they're not running away from everyone you can say like oh

19:40 They should try to you know, beat up, Florida for the one seed like maybe that's on the play for but

19:46 It just doesn't register that way. Like I don't think anyone actually believes

19:50 That you you're gonna play, you know

19:53 desperate playoff style hockey to try to be the one seed or to try to get the president's trophy like

19:59 it that just doesn't drive guys that way so I

20:04 Think I would rather face the team that's in a similar situation

20:09 that isn't fighting for their lives down the stretch and you know, take a little pressure off yourself like I

20:15 Don't believe in the president's trophy curse. I don't think it's a thing despite what happened last year

20:20 But I do think like pressure can be real and I think if you're the one seed again and potentially the president's trophy winner again

20:28 you know like there are gonna be those questions of

20:32 Hey, you know last year you guys fell in the first round like what are you doing differently this time?

20:38 Are you gonna avoid that happening again and all that so I would rather just ignore all that. Give me the to see that's fine

20:45 Also Bruins Toronto would be a phenomenal series like and it'd be drastic if the Bruins lost

20:52 But it'd be so such a good interesting series

20:55 In terms of you know our jobs would be great

20:59 I also think on the ice Toronto has shown no reason to think it's any different this year than past seasons

21:05 I don't think they I know they want to play off around last year. I still don't think they are

21:10 Drastically different. I won't think that way until they have you know a legit

21:15 two-way shut down number one defenseman

21:18 You know in net same type of thing

21:22 You know, I look at the wildcard teams, right and you nailed it with you know

21:26 These teams have they're playing playoff hockey the last month month and a half of the season, you know, Tampa Bay

21:31 Potentially that is not an easy matchup

21:35 I know the Bruins have had their number in the regular season

21:37 But Tampa certainly had the number in the past in the postseason you got you know

21:40 If you get a hot bass Alef ski, that's gonna be a really difficult

21:43 First round series Detroit has their issues, but still I mean they would have to continue to get hot

21:49 I mean they were in such a slump. They would have to be scorching hot going into the playoffs

21:53 Washington they've played the Bruins tough -

21:57 Yeah, that's been one of those teams. It's just kind of like not doesn't seem to be a great matchup for the Bruins

22:03 No, and and Washington again the Bruins I know had that no-show back in February against them

22:07 I know it's just regular season but still and they have been hot of late despite really not great underlying numbers

22:14 Then the Islanders are kind of always a scary team when it comes to the playoffs. They're boring

22:19 Sorokin in net while behind the bench like that's a team that could do some damage especially against the Bruins

22:26 I think it goes back to this like

22:28 Last year when we were talking this time of year it was like well

22:30 It doesn't matter who the Bruins face in the first round it matters who they play in the conference final and the Stanley Cup and that

22:35 Roster was so good that there wasn't really a hole

22:37 You look at this Bruins roster and the goaltending seems up in the air

22:42 But you know guys going in different directions right now. You don't know what your third and fourth lines are yet

22:48 You do have some defensive troubles

22:51 They look more pedestrian and that's not to say that they're bad and they're gonna be automatically out in the first round

22:57 But it means that you would rather face a team that you know

23:01 You have a pretty good chance against in that first round rather than one of these hot wild card teams that could easily upset you

23:07 So I agree with you. I would rather than finish second play Toronto in the first round

23:12 Yes, you might sacrifice home ice the second round against the team like, Florida. I'm okay with that

23:17 and

23:19 Again, just in terms of watchability

23:21 Bruins Leafs is good like Bruins Leafs is peak. I think

23:27 You know Detroit and Washington are fun

23:29 Not really, but like, you know, they're it's playoff hockey, but I still am not as not as intuitive as I would be if it was Toronto

23:36 yeah, for sure like from that perspective just the

23:41 Fan of the game, you know or media member looking for storylines

23:46 Absolutely Toronto all the all day long and I think a lot of Bruins fans actually probably agree with that too. Like I think

23:55 you know you risk overlooking them a little and

23:58 As you mentioned they did win a playoff series last year

24:02 So they at least got that monkey off their back even though they got steamrolled by Florida the next round

24:07 but

24:09 yeah, I think I think a lot of Bruins fans would take Toronto to like I

24:13 do think there's a sense that you know, they kind of have their number and

24:16 Just the sheer entertainment factor and the fact that like the Bruins and their fans just aren't scared of that team

24:23 Nor nor should they be like you said, they're still kind of the same questions there about defense and goaltending

24:29 Their depth isn't as good as it was last year

24:34 Upfront, you know, it's we know the superstars and yes any series you play against

24:41 Austin Matthews William Nylander Mitch Marner, you know, John Tavares has had some good games against the Bruins even though he's not the star

24:49 He once was

24:51 Like yeah, you got to contend with that and they'll they'll have their games like they'll put up some points

24:57 But I think the Bruins are a little deeper team

25:02 I would like the way that they can match up with their third and fourth lines. So I

25:07 Don't I would definitely pick the Bruce to win that series

25:11 I don't think it'd be a pushover by any means but that should be a winnable series. I agree. I agree

25:17 But again after last year, I'm not taking any opponent lightly come the postseason

25:21 So even even the Maple Leafs even I won't even take the Maple Leafs lightly

25:24 Anyways, Scott, thank you so much for joining. What can the people look forward to from you over at EEI?

25:30 Well, we got Sunday skate going every Sunday morning 9 to 11 a.m

25:35 We got skate podcast dropping regularly Britain coverage

25:40 wei.com

25:42 I'm gonna be down in Florida next week. So I'll have some coverage down there

25:46 Yeah, it's getting getting getting away for a week that the Bruins schedule worked out perfectly because they have

25:51 like three days off leading up to those games and three days off after so

25:55 I'm going down staying at my grandfather's and you know making a week of it. Hell. Yeah

26:01 Oh off you deserve it. You work hard. You've done a great job. Thanks, Evan

26:05 You deserve the vacation in Florida, even though you're gonna be covering the games. Yeah

26:11 That's awesome. But anyways, you can look forward to that. Go listen to the skate podcast. That's got McLaughlin

26:16 I'm nothing Maranofsky you burns me listeners. Have a great rest of your week

26:19 You

Who Should the Bruins Want to Face in Round 1? w/ Scott McLaughlin | Bruins Beat

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