The Bruins have more grinder type players than any other team in the League. Grinders are great 3rd and 4th line players but are not the goal scorers. Other teams have at least one scorer on their team others such as the Pens are lucky to have two and that is why they win cups.
Since the Bruins traded the only one they had and didn't replace him it forced grinders to be scorers and we see how that has worked out so far.
I believe even if we still had Kessel we would still not be in contention for a cup because the Bruins are set up not to have the scoring mentallity, because of the D minded team we have and PC did not get any scoring talent.
The system CJ has set up is choking what ever offense we could have but that's the way it is. The Bruins will struggle until they find scoring talent and maybe change the system a little bit. Grinding is not winning games only finding ways to score will.

Sorry about the spelling it is late and I should be sleeping , but these guys don't help.

love your observations,specially the choking of the offense....i think the b,s have enough scorers they just choose to make them into grinders.....in a earlier post i said julien makes the players more responsible for goal scored against, then for goals produced which i think falls right in line with what you see....i dont think the players have much fun playing "the system", & the one that it effects maybe the most is chara "you will be the shutdown d-man against the others top line,your resposibility will be,they dont score" let the freak loose! darn,go play some hockey & have some fun....good agressive skating offensive puck possesion is as good defensive hockey as there is,if you have the puck the other team wont score!  the b,s have the talent to do that,they showed it at the beginning of last year

Lack of goal scoring was part of the reason Julien was fired in NJ.

Who is that Kessel guy????  Soccer player??  Ooooohhhhh, I forgot, that guy used to play with the Bruins....

I wish I could find a photo of Bobby Orr and put it up there with his Chicago Stats!!!  The Kessel trade is DONE, FINISHED, OVER....and like the Orr trade....ANCIENT HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I could care less if he scores 120 goals a season for the rest of his career, nobody ever said he couldn't put the puck in the net!!  It was the rest of his duties that lacked committment.

I wish we could all move on!!!!

Move on, oh yes,,once the Bs get a bonified goal scorer, and we all know there lacking there, Yes you can take all those 20 plus goal scorers we had last year and put pressure on them to do it again. Good luck with that. I know its only a quarter into the season but the Bs have until the half season to get it going. so try something new, sit a couple, ryder. wideman and bring up a couple more from prov..If all else fails either make a huge trade or start rebuilding again,,

                          The Claude way, or the highway,what a regime.Jersey showed him the Jersey pike,lets show him the Mass pike.

Good assement here on the Penquins. They happen to have 2 of the best players in the world. There core guys are lunch bucketers. Guerin, Staal, Cooke, Fedotenko, Kennedy, Dupuis, Rupp and Bourque.

I would rather have Lucic, Wheeler, Krecji, Ryder and Bergeron any day over any of those players mentioned above.

The problem is our coach keeps forcing Sturm annd Recchi upon us. These 2 guys are finished its up to him and Bruins management to see that. They are lunch bucketers playing without desire unlike the Penquins guys who play with desire.

Really they are put in offensive roles are younger guys should be given a chance to do. Its just plain stupid.

Depends on your definition of "Grinder".To me,a grinder plays tough in the corners,finishes his checks,and goes to the net.I can think of 2 grinders on the Bruins,and thats Shawn Thornton,and Vladimir Sobotka.Byron Bitz at times,but not consistently.They dont have enough players who are willing to pay the price,and part of that problem lies in the fact that is is not a big team.Wheeler and Bitz have size,Bitz uses his on occasion,Wheeler doesnt,and Chara has been inconsistrent all year.When Chara plays with his nasty edge showin,the whole team follows,and they win more than they lose.I'd like to see the Bruins add a Joel Otto type forward to this team.The Salary Cap will negate any chance of the Bruins goin out and trading for a big scorer.  

A 'grinder' is similar to a submarine sandwich or hogie. All this talk of 'grinders' is making me hungry. Is it lunchtime yet?!

It's about finding a balance. At the start of the season they were scoring but the defence was horrible. In tightening up at the back they lost the scoring touch.
Ryder and Sturm especially need to get back in the groove because at $7.5m for the 2 we just aren't getting good VFM. I'd like to see those 2 taking more shots.
 
Oh! And since we're on the subject of Ke**el. He's scored a few goals because he's shooting a lot more. At current SPG he'll be over 400 by the end of the season. He's the only go to guy on that team and I expect he'll be targeted by some of the more thuggish teams out there. Hope he's ready for it.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:
They can target him if they want. They'll have a REAL enforcer to contend with (Colton Orr) if they do.

Orr TKO'd Matt Carkner of the Sens lastnight, BTW.

I'm confused. I thought the question of the day was "when can Lucic start fighting again?"

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:
Different thread, chief.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:


I'd jump at the chance to trade Ryder,Wheeler or Bergeron for Staal

I  could see Ryder or Wheeler for Staal but definetly not Bergeron. Bergy has had a 73 and 70 point season. Staal  had 49 points his best nhl season.

Bergy has also out pointed him this year as well. Also if you look at his junior stats he was never a big scorer there either. Why would you want to add another Grinder i don' get it.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:


True. I wouldn't like to meet Colton Orr in a dark street. All the same I don't see a team like the Flyers letting him dance through center ice the way he did against Ottawa.

Anyway, back to the original topic:

B's scorers are in an awful slump. I hope they turn it round.  1 or 2 out of form you could cope with but everyone at once? Jeez. Ryder needs to step up like he did against the Pens. Krej has forgotten how to shoot this season (5% shooting, ouch). Sturm is not convincing. Wheels and Bergy are the only ones with half decent numbers this year and even they've gone a bit quiet of late.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:


Because Bergeron has made an art form out of avioding contact. He's very good at it and it's very subtle - but it's there if you watch. He will never be the same.
Fans have an understandable soft spot for Bergeron, and I don't blame him after what he's been through...but it is what it is.

Sorry just don't see that he dishes out hits and has been the most intense Bruin from game 10 on. I see him digging for the pucks in the corners and behind the net if he was afraid he would stay away from the corners.

He also has a offensive upside Staal could never provide. Let him play with Savard on the wing and will see what happens.

Your probably right though they will probably trade him for a grinder like Sturm and Bergy will flourish some where else just like Thornton. Its the Boston way bring in bags of garbage like Sturm and other pieces they recieve in trades and put the journey men in roles they can't provide.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:

"I'd jump at the chance to trade Ryder,Wheeler or Bergeron for Staal"

Then you're a fool.  Ryder is one thing: I'd make that trade in a cocaine heartbeat.  Wheeler is a sophmore and is getting used to the extra 15lbs. of muscle that he added in the offseason.  That's nowhere as easy as you might think.  With a little more seasoning (and hopefully a little more willingness to bump in the corners and in front of the net rather than use his frame like a poor man's Joe Thornton) he has the potential to be better than Jordan Staal will, though Staal is a couple of years younger.  The part that really grinds my gears is that you would even consider Bergeron, never mind say it.  A quick reminder, since he's been here for the last 6-7 seasons: Bergeron is only 24; he has that much experience in the pros; he has shown the ability to score, lead, and play at both ends of the ice;  He has shown tenacity, mental fortitude and work ethic - especially in returning from that injury - that all other players should be judged by.  He is easily the most well-rounded player that the Bruins have, top to bottom... and did I mention that he's only 24?

"Orr was NEVER traded, his agent lied to him about the deal Boston had offered him. Orr was offered part ownership of the organization by the B's and his agent told him Chicago had a better offer which was entirely untrue. I'm pretty sure his agent even received jail time."

Fact.  His agent (Alan Eagleston) actually went to jail for defrauding the player's pension fund, if memory serves, as he was in charge of it during the same time period.  He did lie to Orr about the contract offer during those negotiations (though I forget what exactly was in it for him) and that lead to him signing with Chicago.  The Bruins wanted Bobby to stay till he was done playing and Orr never wanted to leave.  Eagleston was an piece of sh!t and will burn in Hell.  I'd prefer that Hell was a dumpster in the middle of Causeway St. during a Cup celebration, but that's just my personal preference.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:



move on too what this exciting hockey. IIt's true kess ahould have been a banger, a aelke award winner, he's a sniper and a great one of that let the others play their game since they have no talent and let kess shine.

Thats all we have is grinders. Savard is by far the best offensive player and he didn't get invited to the Canadian Olympic team.

In Response to Re: TOO MANY GRINDERS AND NO SCOERING:


well said, bergie can get away with scoring in own net in a playoff game and fans would still love him. I  choose to judge players on what have u done for us lately