00:00Certainly looked like a much better hockey team last night
00:04than they did on Monday night, Ray.
00:07Yeah, big response after a game like that.
00:11I think it's certainly a good opportunity for the coach
00:14to get guys accountable and to kind of respond
00:20with a big bounce back with what they had last night.
00:24And, you know, you look at the first few games,
00:27you know, special teams weren't great, especially the power play.
00:32And kind of looking at the top six guys,
00:36just kind of waiting for them to kind of crack through.
00:39And last night, you know, we saw it with PASA having an amazing game
00:43and having Middlestadt and Geeky both score.
00:49You know, young guys have done well.
00:53Courtney, last week you asked me about that youth movement,
00:56and I think we're seeing a lot more of it now that we're a few games in
01:01where, you know, Paltroz got in, Brunez in the lineup now
01:07and playing big minutes.
01:09You know, they actually had him on the power play.
01:12He did a great job, had a nice assist last night.
01:16And, you know, Loi and Paterka.
01:19Last night, just on that four and four,
01:22they had, you know, four guys under the age of 24 on the ice.
01:26So that's a good sign for the Bruins.
01:29And nice to see Higgins get a couple of goals and a nice assist last night.
01:35I think that's real important for his confidence and going forward.
01:40So big night.
01:42And, you know, they're doing this without their big guy, too, on defense.
01:46You know, he's got one more game to sit out.
01:50And if they could have a big game against Philly on Saturday
01:53and go on this road trip 4-2 without McEvoy, good sign.
01:59And him coming back will give them a big boost for sure.
02:02Well, Ray, that was going to be my question.
02:04Getting him back for Tuesday, what does that do for an identity of a team,
02:07especially when you've got young guys?
02:09To have a vet like that come back and be on the ice,
02:11what's the mentality for the other guys welcoming him back?
02:16It's just, you know, I mean, when you're missing one of your top guys,
02:20regardless of forward or defense,
02:22that means that somebody else has to play extra minutes
02:26and maybe play a little more, play power play that maybe they don't do as much
02:31or PK a little more.
02:33Or instead of playing 20 minutes, they end up playing 25, 26 minutes.
02:37So when you have your guy, your anchor back there that comes in,
02:40and you know he's going to eat up a lot of minutes, how physical he is,
02:44how he defends, and his presence on the power play, just in all areas.
02:50So it just slots everybody in a better position where, you know,
02:55coming into the season where you slot your guys and where you think,
02:58if you're healthy, where everybody's going to be,
03:01it just brings you back to that kind of situation.
03:05So a big boost, and it gives everybody a little shot in the arm,
03:09and I'm sure Charlie will be real excited about getting back into the lineup.
03:16Ray, take us on the ice a little bit.
03:17I know there's a lot of important things on a power play,
03:20but in your opinion, as somebody who's seen and understands the game
03:24that we don't know and understand,
03:26what is the most important thing to have in a successful power play?
03:32Good players.
03:36Really, really great players.
03:38That helps a lot.
03:41No, you, you know, you, I think for me, I just,
03:45I'd like establishing the shot, you know,
03:49and sometimes there's a lack of that, you know,
03:53there's a lot of puck movement and without any shots being taken,
03:56I think off a shot, the offensive team has the advantage reacting to that puck.
04:04And a lot of times that's when you'll get teams out of position
04:09and where you could kind of go into your setup and find those scenes, you know,
04:15and good shooters, obviously, you know, like past and geeky,
04:19they got great one-timers.
04:21Charlie's got a big shot from the point.
04:25And just, you know, now they got the bumper position,
04:28they got those triangles going, a lot different,
04:33and they're a lot more creative now.
04:35But I like establishing the shot and kind of working off of that.
04:38And everybody's doing the same thing pretty much now,
04:42entering the zone with that slingshot guy that the puck always goes back,
04:46and then you have the puck carrier coming up with a lot of speed,
04:49with maybe another player right next to him kind of trying to enter in the zone
04:54and get possession.
04:55And that's a big thing is entering, getting set up,
04:59and then going about your plays.
05:03Ray, be honest.
05:05How annoying was it when you were playing for the Bruins on the power play
05:09and there was that one guy at the garden who was immediately screaming,
05:13shoot it, shoot it!
05:17There's always one of them, or a few of them.
05:23But, you know, when I say establishing the shot is, you know,
05:27making sure you're in good position to do that.
05:30But you don't want every player, as they get the puck, to shoot every time.
05:36You've got to have the lane, you've got to have the screen,
05:38you've got to be able to get that puck through.
05:41But, yeah, you do hear the annoying fans sometimes.
05:46That's all they think that you should be doing on a power play.
05:50This leads to my next question.
05:51We were talking yesterday about LeBron James and his Mount Rushmore
05:57when it comes to the NBA, which he shared.
06:00What would be, Ray, your Mount Rushmore when it comes to the NHL?
06:08Well, Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, probably Gordie Howell.
06:28And I don't know.
06:30I could go with Rocket Richard or...
06:36You know, I mean, that's tough.
06:39It's not fair just to have four picks for something like that.
06:43Oh, my God.
06:44No, no, no, no, no, no.
06:45Okay.
06:45Sorry.
06:46All right, thank you.
06:47I'm going to start over.
06:48Because I got Bobby.
06:50Okay.
06:51I got Gretzky.
06:52Okay.
06:53I got Bobby.
06:53I got Gretzky.
06:55I got Lemieux.
06:57And I got Gordie Howell.
06:58Okay.
06:58Very good.
06:59What a brain fart.
07:00No, that's okay.
07:02That's okay.
07:03You were about to hear from number four.
07:06Yeah, I got four on my Mount Rushmore.
07:08Oh, you do?
07:09I have four.
07:10Bobby Orr.
07:11Yeah.
07:11I have Lemieux.
07:12Yeah.
07:13The great one, obviously.
07:14And then I got Bork on my...
07:16Oh, what a kiss-ass.
07:18Not because I'm saying it.
07:20No, you say that all the time.
07:21I say it all the time.
07:22I say it all the time.
07:24For me, here's where I say it.
07:26Because when I look at the Mount Rushmore of people in sports, it's about people who change
07:32the game, right?
07:32Who do something so physically unique, like Lawrence Taylor in football, a Shaq in basketball.
07:38But then I also look at production of what somebody's able to do.
07:42And when you talk about Ray's numbers as a defenseman and you start to put them against
07:49the greatest players in hockey, the separation between him and everybody else, that's why
07:55I would put him on my Mount Rushmore.
08:10Ray, before...
08:12And my son was about to turn 16, and I had just retired.
08:16And I know how fast 25 years go, because that's how long I've been retired.
08:21And I remember Chris asking me that, if they win this game, can we go to the Super Bowl?
08:26So we ended up going to watch the Super Bowl and seeing the Patriots win their first Super
08:31Bowl in New Orleans.
08:32But what a performance that was.
08:35That was great.
08:36Ray, I was actually just about to ask where you were during the Snow Bowl, because they're
08:40celebrating 25 years, and that was truly, I mean, just one of the most remarkable nights
08:45in Boston sports history.
08:47Yes.
08:48I was at my buddy's De Palma's having a nice Italian meal watching the game with both families.
08:54That's awesome.
08:55All right, Ray.
08:56Well, it's great to hear from you, and we will check in again with you next week.
09:01And we appreciate it.
09:02Have a great weekend.
