Calm Claude has kept Bruins focused, now could wind up with Cup
Page 2 of 2 | Previous page
Logging In...
Profile cancel
Last reply was June 10, 2011 EDT
The No. 1 independent blog covering the Boston Bruins
Page 2 of 2 | Previous page
Early in the year, I was on the fire CJ bandwagon. Mostly because I thought this team was capable of more offensively, while still maintaining their great defensive play. Then we ended up 5th in league scoring and now we are obliterating the playoffs with 5 on 5 offense like no season has seen in years. Hats off to him. He has been BY FAR the best coach in the playoffs… As for Chara being a great leader. I never had any doubts there. He is the best defenseman in the league and I think his nomination for the Mark Messier Leadership Award (next to guys like Lidstrom and Doan) all but definitively proves his reputation throughout the league, in that category.
What’s CJ’s contract situation?
Fire him.
over the many many years since the Orr days I have watched Bruins coaches constantly adjusting the lines whenever production fell off to my incredible frustration. It has been most refreshing to have a coach that is patient and willing to show confidence in his team. Most refreshing indeed.
Very well put Matt, nice job.
CJ deserves a ton of credit, especially considering all of the withering second-guessing in this town. This guy has built the best Locker Room in the NHL.
Many good points here.
CJ’s patience is what gives him calm. This is his greatest strength and therefore also his greatest weakness, which is why Kevin’s point about Ryder is a good one. During the regular season how many times did it get the team into trouble? Plenty, it seemed to me. But in the playoffs, when motivation and energy is much less of a problem than focus and control, the coach’s consistency and calm pays off big time.
But the PP, wow. I’m pretty sure it really has never been the same since Savvy first went down. It’s just amazing to me that we haven’t been able to overcome his loss any better. I guess that’s why the Kaberle fail has been so painful.
I wonder if the Nucks are thinking about dumping the puck in and leave our defensemen with a hot potato on their sticks…What do we have in store for that…
Vigneault opts for cold pressed meat tonite.
Boo ongo is stale meat.
Injuries have also forced him to make moves he wouldn’t have done otherwise imo.
I also think that he brings a lot in terms of déjà vu situations and that must be telling when he gets in the Dressing Room.
This guy has faced it all. I think psychology at the player’s level has brought his trade to what it is today. The guy works on confidence a lot more than he once did, it seems to me.
The Bruins without Julien or the Bruins without Thomas is a worthy question to ask when appraissing the team’s success however.
A great example of his coaching is Ryder.Everyone was calling for him to get rid of Ryder and look what he has done for the Bruins during these playoffs
I think he has learned as a coach and made adjustments and tonight he had better coach his best game of the playoffs because Vancouver will come out flying and hitting so we better be ready.I think tonight if we can get to Luongo early get lots of shots they will panic and we will win .Keep hitting the twins be hard on Kessler and their d we will be fine
Hard to believe for almost two whole games without Nathan Horton and 2 without Bergeron the Bruins are only 2 wins away. I think that speaks a lot about the coaching staff, players, and the depth that Chiarelli added. I do think Vancouver will be better at home and although Luongo can have bad games, this playoffs he has found a way to bounce back. Can’t wait for game 5.
But I also think Claude has done something this year I didn’t think he could do last year-and that is to make adjustments to what the other team is doing. He still has his system and at times how he uses personnel has baffled me, but for the most part he seems to be evaluating what the other team is doing and trying to counter that so the Bruins have success.
It isn’t perfect, and it is a heck of a lot easier to adjust when you have the last change, but one thing Julien seems to be this play offs is a little less hard headed.
Julien isn’t perfect-not by a long shot, but I think sometimes the fans blame him for a lot.
I think about the only thing I think he has been awful on as a coach is the horrific PP which still doesn’t really look any better. The good news for the Bruins is that our PK has improved and the Canucks PP looks almost as horrific.
One game at a time there Matt. Before we start thinking about the “the bomb of euphoria” let’s win game 5 in Vancouver.
Claude has handled himself well during the playoffs which can’t be said about a lot of the other coaches.
don’t forget chia.
Claude is as frustrating as hot sister sometimes but he has, no doubt, proven that he has what it takes to lead a team at least towards the promise land. We’re at the point now that the playeirs need to cross the bridge. Hold on to your hats, boys, this is going to be a bumpy stressful ride! Go B’s!
Honestly after seeing Boucher and Vigneault-I have come to the conclusion at least when it comes to the media and leadership his is leaps and bounds better.
He still does things that drive me batty and there are times when I wonder what he is thinking (like not using his time outs at the best times-or shoot not using them at all). But he generally isn’t a whiner and he does seem to have a knack for taking talent but not tier 1, big name talent and turning them into a team that can win.
I don’t think Julien is perfect, and I definitely think had the Bruins not gotten past Montreal and Philly that he likely would have found himself looking for a new job, but for now he has gotten his team into the final and in the last two games found a way to not only get them to win but to win decisively.
I will still probably have some of those “What in the world was he thinking?” moments, but right now he seems to be doing the right things.
Okay. Fine. I’m off the “Fire Claude” brigade.
…
For now.
I don’t want to consider Claude among elite coaches like Bylsma and Babcock, but there is no denying that he has done a great job in beating 3 teams that many consider more talented on paper, and now has a tied series against the president trophy winners. Soon even Mike Felger will have to admit that Claude, and also Chara are better leaders than many of us thought.