Julien’s benching of Savard doesn’t make much sense for Bruins
So now we’re at a crossroads between coach and player. Savard has talked numerous times about how much more mature he is now than when he first came to Boston. The old Savard might’ve sulked other Julien’s handling of him, but even while a bit confused during his postgame comments, the veteran sounded like a guy ready to make things right.
For the Bruins and Julien’s success, this whole situation better end with Savard moving on from this experience, earning his usual ice time from start to finish in games and making the types of plays that typically have him atop the Bruins’ scoring chart. If not, Julien might regret his change of heart when it comes to mistakes and benchings. Without faith, there can’t be faith rewarded.
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Totally agreed Rob. The way Savvy plays now, Bruins are a better team when he’s on the bench. Stop playing holier than thou MK only because his name is Marc Savard. It might still indeed be his concussion but we’re in the middle of the season now so we can’t afford not to sit a player after his dumb mistakes are costing us games. Especially in Savard’s case because his ONLY attribute is ‘supposed to be’ his offensive production. This guy is a liability defensively compared to the 3 other centers & he can’t hit a fly. So when he has a huge total of 2-4-6 in 16 games & is minus 8. I repeat: MINUS EIGHT in only 16 games, I really don’t get it that you question Julien’s call!?! Good job Claude! Forget about the past & react to what you see on the ice NOW!
Savard is not the offensive prowess he once was , and there’s no telling if he ever will be again with this most recent concussion.
But what he still is: is a soft, ‘let’s-make-a-highlight-reel-behind-the-back-pass’ overpaid player. I hate his style of play.
–When he was lined with Ryder and Seguin, he was just another player.
–Lined with his current linemates, he acts like the coward softie that he is. He looks to one side and sees 18…then to the other and the bigger 17. And when a player takes exception to his tomfoolery, he looks for one of his wingmen to bail him out. And when they aren’t there in time, you see, palms s to the ceiling, pleading to the refs and towards that player whom is about to rips his pretty little face off.
Case in point: Clarke MacArthur in Toronto last week.
Good for you, Claude, and ‘baah’ to all the naysayers. Bench that fool for making unnecessary plays and passes that cost this team. Is this the first time?
Hell no.
Here’s to six more years of this sissy, past-his-prime, has-been.
KDC on the money and forget pc get Neely in a role that he can crack the whip. It has to be killing Cam to watch from the sky.
I agree with KDC and Aron. Just give some time off to Recchi.
Brilliant KDC!
PC needs to do something major to wake this team up and I think it starts with Julien. Although, I think PC is to blame for not matching the right players to the coaching strategy/style. Julien doesn’t know how to harness speedy crafty forwards like Krejci, Savard, and now Seguin. He needs four lines of merlot, which is not a bad thing but most likely won’t win you the cup. The B’s need a coach that can open things up offensively and allow their forwards to be creative and allow them to have fun on the ice. Once they don’t hustle back on the back check then restrict them on offense. Plus, this coach needs to loosen the reigns on Chara and Lucic. Chara and Lucic’s first year here played like wild men fighting whomever stepped up. I believe the coach has said it’s more valuable to have these guys on the ice instead of in the penalty box and took the emotion from these guys. How else did the play drastically change from aggressive to passive?
Until that happens give Recchi the flu. He looks like he needs a rest.
Savard/McQuaid for Versteeg/Phaneuf
I’m all for it. Since Savard has returned his style, with all the behind the back, no-look, and forced/lazy plays, is better suited for pond hockey. I don’t think it’s this one play that got him benched. Julien is trying to make this team into the well oiled machine that is needed to make a run at the cup. Simple smart hard nosed hockey. Savard needs to get on the same page or he will find himself sitting next to Kessel.
Yes, Ward & Jarvis do most of the work there.
Matt – I may have asked this before but who is it that’s in charge of the PP on the coaching staff? My memory tells me it was Wards baby at some point, but not sure.
Wheeler hasn’t been on the PP in weeks. Last night, they hardly every dumped it. They just lost it at the blue line a lot.
I smell a trade coming…or he’s trying to piss Savard off so he demands a trade…would make sense. It just seems fishy how he keeps putting 19 in as a C in the passed few games, it makes me wonder if the plan is to get Savvy of the roster. Way to support a guy who is coming off a six month layoff…way to toy with his confidence!! For Savvy’s sake, I hope he comes out roaring on Sat.
I would love to see number 8 come down from the sky box and get behind the bench for a few games and light a fire under these players who don’t seem to gel all that well. Might not be a bad idea to also bring in number 77 to teach our defense how to stand up at your blue line and then make a sensible pass out of the zone as he did. Last wish Seguin lets make him an offensive player only like he was in jr’s, this fooling around with him showing him Andy Brickly’s dream of every hockey game being 1-0 or 2-1 is a waste of talent. You become defensive when you age in this game let him score!
I really think we need to shake up the PP. Give #19 some time out there, having some speed attacking through the neutral zone other than Kampfer and Krejci might actually benefit our PP. Rarely do we get set up well, usually its just dump and chase which NEVER works for this team. Sit Ryder and Wheeler on the PP, stick Seguin in there somewhere and maybe we will see some offense. Seguin has a much better hockey sense than most people give him credit for, its definitely worth a shot.
You can add Recchi to that list too Bruno.
You can definitely see a marked change in Claude’s approach since the masked lashing he got from Neely. Is it what Claude thinks management wants to see? Or did Neely and Chiarelli have a talk with him?
Either way, from shortening the bench, prolonged benchings, to actually taking charge of the clipboard during time outs, Claude has shaken things up. Well except for his undying faith in Michael Ryder and Mark Recchi.
I find it funny from reading all these comments how when Julien does something new, as the fans wanted, the fans tear him a new hole. That said, I didn’t quite see the logic in benching Savard after the penalty he drew. Also wondering if there is something going on in the locker room, it happens and can really sting a team. At the very least, I’m glad Claude tried something new in this game as opposed to the games coming up. After all, the worst that could have happened was 2 points goes to a team we’re not really competing with.
It´s amazing that Ference and Ryder never get their a$$es benched. And how about our power play? Do they really practice that? I mean really? We have more chances to score on the PK then on that terrible PP. Claude is getting the fans tired.
I feel the end is drawing near with Claude and the Bruins. No offense from top 3 lines again. Best line 4th line, same story all the time with this team.
It would make more sense if the benching happened right after what unfortunately was the best “pass” that Savard has made all season, but it didn’t. Instead, his next shift he comes out and puts forth an excellent effort, drawing a penalty as mentioned above. Which, in my mind, made up for the give away.
That’s why, as with the last time this happened in Tampa, I think the benching has more to do with Savards defensive deficiencies. Again, if he’s not producing offensively, then why not take a defensive risk off the ice in tight games.
Either way, I don’t agree with it. Just like the Flower in Pittsburgh, Savard needs to work his way out of the funk, which I think he is doing game by game. Getting a$$ splinters isn’t going to assist him in regaining his timing, positioning, overall skill set and maybe most importantly, his confidence.
Tuukka totally threw Savvy under the bus in a post game interview – there may be more going on with Savard in the locker room than we know.
Brillant Claude!! Keep preaching that defensive no offense song the Bruins have singing since 1979. Come on front offense try to score some goals. You have the two best goalies in the NHL let them handle the other teams attacks and lets send our guys on the offense why not? Put Z in front of the goal on power plays with Savard at the point. Don’t you think the other teams have figured out they are trying to always get the puck to Z who’s wind up take so long he just ends up flipping wrist shots on goal from 40 feet. Last note trade lucic. He is not a franchise hockey player and far from an intelligant one. He would hopefully excell in another city and we could get a lot from him in a trade. You need to be examined to even say in the same breath he is a Cam Nelly kind of hockey player. Watch some old Neely game tapes and you would never say that again. He’s a Kieth Crowder with better balance but less hart. please try and score let the goalies see the rubber its obvious to us in the stands!
i am so sick of this clown.. i think hes starting to feel the pressure and its making him do irrational things..i hate when he mixes everybody up with 10 minutes left to go in the third.. no one is used to playing together and it just looks sloppy. the b’s had the better end of pressure for 3/4 of that game its too bad to lose that one .
What Julien is doing now to players like Savard and Horton is what Wilson does in Toronto. Look how well it worked for him!