Free washer | Bruins cause concern

Is the reign of the Boston Bruins finally over?

Without ever rebuilding, but with wise decisions and above all a winning culture and recipe, the Bruins have represented a model of excellence for 17 years. They missed the playoffs only twice, reached the final three times, the final four five times and the second round ten times.

The Bruins have had 12 seasons of 100 points or more (prorated for reduced seasons), including a record 135 points in 2022-23. We managed to renew ourselves despite the loss over the years of Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, Milan Lucic, Torey Krug, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

The experts have buried them almost every start of the season for ten years, but the Bruins knew how to make them lie. Spectacularly, in fact, three years ago with 65 victories.

The Bruins suffered a sixth straight defeat Thursday night in Tampa. They occupy one of the last two places giving access to the playoffs, but the Penguins are only one point away, with one more game to play, the Canadiens and the Senators are four points away, but with… four games in hand.

Boston can still regain its former glory, accumulate victories, qualify and even advance through a few playoff rounds. The team is not without talent, but we have never felt so fragile.

The Bruins were 8-9-3 when head coach Jim Montgomery was fired on November 19. The arrival of Joe Sacco had an immediate positive effect. Boston won seven of its next nine games. Before suffering two beatings, 8-1 in Winnipeg and 5-1 in Seattle. The collapse followed. They are 12-10-2 under Sacco.

The goaltending situation contributed to the team’s poor start. The performances of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark in recent years have exploded their value and we could not afford to keep two goalies at 8 million each.

We chose the youngest, Swayman, 26, a logical decision, and we were able to obtain a late first round pick and a valuable backup for Ullmark, but the slow negotiations with Swayman, who missed camp training, hurt the team.

Club managers Cam Neely and Don Sweeney brought in reinforcements during the off-season. We thought we had found a number one center, Elias Lindholm, one of the most coveted attackers on the market, by offering him 54.2 million for seven years. Defender Nikita Zadorov, a 6-foot-6, 248-pound monster, brilliant in the playoffs with Vancouver last spring, would further solidify the defense.

But unlike recent years, it doesn’t stick. Lindholm has just 20 points in 44 games. Jake Evans has three more. Montgomery undoubtedly led to his downfall by declaring a few days before his dismissal that Lindholm was not a number one center. Management probably didn’t like that she was made to look so bad.

Offensive star David Pastrnak, 113 and 110 points over the last two seasons, produces at a pace of 78 points. At 36 years old, Brad Marchand is no longer an 85 or more point forward. He should barely cross sixty. The team’s third scorer, Pavel Zacha, has just 21 points, one fewer than Juraj Slafkovsky in seven more games.

Even number one defenseman Charlie McAvoy isn’t playing up to his enormous talent, offensively or defensively. The loss of Hampus Lindholm, on the sidelines since November, but soon to return to the game, obviously hurts.

Thus, the Bruins occupy the 29th^e overall ranking for goals scored per match with 2.55. Only Chicago, Anaheim and Nashville do worse. They are 31^es and penultimate on the power play, ahead of the New York Islanders, with a low rate of 12.2%. And Sacco seems to be hanging on to the existing quintet.

Neely and Sweeney are under heavy criticism these days. They have already used a cartridge, dismissing the coach. Next step, if things don’t turn around: a major exchange. The Bruins’ troubles, and the acrimonious relations between the two stars of the Canucks, Elias Pettersson and J. T. Miller, also help to fuel rumors of a transaction between Boston and Vancouver.

Ridly Greig 13 million richer

Ridly Greig, 22, has just signed a four-year contract extension for an average salary of 3.25 million per season with the Ottawa Senators. In his first full NHL season last year, Greig had 26 points, including 13 goals, in 72 games. He has just 12 points in 37 games this season, a pace of 27 points over a full season. With such performance, and taking into account Greig’s young age, the Senators are obviously banking on growth in the young man’s productivity in the coming years. He was identified as a third or fourth line center, now he is employed on the wing on an offensive line.

Many will be tempted to draw a parallel with the Jake Evans case. It must first be clarified that the cases differ, since Evans is not only six years older, therefore a lower development ceiling, but he will also be entitled to complete autonomy. However, this agreement has nothing advantageous for the Canadian in future negotiations with Evans.