Challenge 39 Rebuilding the Bruins - Discussion

[Koekenbakker]

Thanks!

So when I think of the Bruins I think of hard hitting, checking, agitating and destroying the opponent. In my Pens games I usually go for fast small skaters, so this is nice for a change. Let's see if I can make a team that does this and still wins

Needs
I noticed a few gaps with the players forced to trade. First line C, Top-4 RD (2x) and first line RW and LW/C depth. Also goalie seems to be an issue.

Trades
Traded Bergeron for Kevin Hayes (C)
Traded Krejci and Chara for Jenner(LW), Rychel(LW) and Bittner(LW)
Traded Rask for Dumba (RD)
Traded Eriksson and McQuaid for Nichuskin (RW)
Traded Seidenberg for Jeremy Roy (RD)

Draft:
15th pick Olli Juolevi (LD), lovely looking LD. Was in doubt between him and Fabbri, picked him.
20th pick Logan Brown (C), monster, just what I needed!
53th pick Kieffer Bellows (LW/C), face off winner, can move to wing if needed. Quite big
75th pick Nathan Noel (C), surprised he was still available. Doesn't fit my needs because he's small, but might be a steal?
105th pick Eemeli Viseru (C), quick skater, strong, looks like a good PK'er
135th pick Tye Graham (LD), big mobile agitating d-men
155th pick William Fallstrom (C/LW), only guy under 6 feet, but looks like the new Maxime Talbot to me!
165th pick Vladimir Kusnetzov (RW/LW), 6 feet 3 tall winger with average skills but probably able to trash on the 4th line
195th pick Daniel Muzito Bagenda (LW/RW), unranked, picked him because cool name!

Verdict
Looks like I addressed most of the issues. RD is still a bit weak and I'm unsure about the goalie spot. With this team I hope to be able to make the playoffs next season, but well... who knows!??

[Peter_Doherty]

You do know this challenge is to be played with hidden attributes right? Just checking because of the way you described some of your players

[Koekenbakker]

You do know this challenge is to be played with hidden attributes right? Just checking because of the way you described some of your players

Yup! I'm just reading the scout reports lol!

It's actually really hard cause normally I would search by checking > 15 and stuff, but can't do that now. I just scouted a lot, looked at the stars and when in doubt, picked the bigger guy.

[Koekenbakker]

I saw some people posting midway season standings and such. Is that still needed or do I only post trades/EOS standings/EOS player stats/playoff tree?

[axepig]

You only need to post the screenshots required in the other thread. This one is just for fun so we sometime talk about how we're doing and stuff so we show some mid season report and whatever else

[Koekenbakker]

You only need to post the screenshots required in the other thread. This one is just for fun so we sometime talk about how we're doing and stuff so we show some mid season report and whatever else

Cool! Thanks for the quick answers guys

[axepig]

Do the challenge end after the 2020-2021 season?

[bruins72]

Do the challenge end after the 2020-2021 season?

It goes as far as you want to play it. For it to "count" and for a season to have awards given for it there has to be a certain number of participants.

[jesterx7769]

Finished S1, lost in second round of playoffs. Team put up more goals than expected which was good. In offseason traded for Vasi from Tampa, they said no everyday but then they caved last week of jUne since its contract was going to run out so if you need a goalie go for him then. Hayes was biggest good surprise. Kuznetsov sucked last part of season and was demoted to 2C and Spooner at 1c

[Rono]

Ok, I won Stanley Cup in my 3rd season. (http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/vi ... 84#p201569)

I want next challenge now.

[Koekenbakker]

I don't know how you guys do it. My team is getting pounded. 9-25-4 after 38 games.... I tried a defense first strategy, didn't work. Tried attacking, didn't work.

[Asher413]

I don't know how you guys do it. My team is getting pounded. 9-25-4 after 38 games.... I tried a defense first strategy, didn't work. Tried attacking, didn't work.

So far I've learned from my 2006 Pens game- get strong forwards, a good goalie and gun it. Granted I'm only 20 game in, but it's working so far.

[sao.phim]

Recap of my first season

Rushing young prospects did not work - I had to send back to juniors Merkley and Chychrun after Q1, Zboril stayed with first team for more than half of the season (43 gp, 0+10, AvR 6.49) and as soon as he was eligible for Providence in February, I sent him down there.
From rookies played well: Dal Colle (Calder Trophy + Rookie All-Stars), Honka (Rookie All-Stars) and Subban (Rookie All-Stars)

My both young goalies were doing really well. Subban ended with - SV 92.4%, GAA 2.30, AvR 7.84, 1 SO
McIntyre was - SV 91.6% , GAA 2.55, AvR 7.56

Through first half of the season I had big problems with a lot of injuries. I have also juggled with lines and tactics a lot. Results in Q3 & Q4 were OK. I have lost almost 25 % of my all games in overtime or shotouts.
Ended 14 points behind last playoff spot, so if we had won more games in overtimes, we might have had a chance..

I feel we were quite weak in the middle, but hopefully next season with matured Merkley it should be better. For now my first two lines will be run by Spooner and Khokhlachev. I hope Pastrnak will score more points and will stay healthy!

Beleskey was rather disappointment, so I decided to trade him away.

Following players left to free agency - Rinaldo, Arnersson, Czarnik, Sexton, Acciari

I have signed - Hughes, Vladar, Lauzon, Gabrielle, Senyshyn. Hope they will improve Providence, because Baby Bruins ended in the last spot of their division..

Trades before the draft:
Beleskey + Cross to Islanders for Beauvillier+1st+3rd
Randell to Canucks for Boesser


Then I moved to draft, won 3rd spot in the lottery, drafted Khodorenko, forgot to make save and then in the beginning of training camp I encountered that disk error message, which posted visualdarkness before.

So I had to go back to June 15th, made same trades again and won the draft lottery - now I feel like cheater little bit..
In the draft I grabbed Nolan Patrick with my first. Pick from Islanders I used for Boudrias, in the second round I took Vesalainen, in the third got goalie Baribeau, then I drafted several forwards and finally I took some Swedish defender in last round.

Then I moved to July.. I would like to trade away Kevan Miller and Jeremy Smith, but it is hard to make a good deal.

Hope I don't get that error message again. I better made my save on July 6th..

[Koekenbakker]

I don't know how you guys do it. My team is getting pounded. 9-25-4 after 38 games.... I tried a defense first strategy, didn't work. Tried attacking, didn't work.

So far I've learned from my 2006 Pens game- get strong forwards, a good goalie and gun it. Granted I'm only 20 game in, but it's working so far.

I didn't get a good goalie hehe.. but that doesn't seem the problem. It's lack of creating offense.

[Peter_Doherty]

Q3 done in season 3, team is still playing great and i'm sitting in 2nd right now. The trade i made for Max Jones has had a great effect, he's got 7+9 with a +14, 48 PIM and 7.72 Av R in his first 18 games as a Bruin. My entire 2nd line with Jones-Brown-Zibanejad has been incredible lately.

[axepig]

I didn't get a good goalie hehe.. but that doesn't seem the problem. It's lack of creating offense.

Same here, I don't get how people can get 100pts that easily, my best players were Marchand (25g, 48pts), Khokhlachev who gets ~25 goals every season, Spooner who gets around 50 and now Logan Brown who has 10g and 39pts. I don't think my players are that bad I have
Khokhlachev - Spooner - Pastrnak
Karabacek - Brown - Senyshyn
Blidh - Philips - Nolan Patrick
Dal Colle - empty 4th C - Griffith

And my defensive core is stacked

Theodore - Trouba
Krug - Ekblad
Grezelcyk - Morrow

My AGM gives me 5 star offense and 3 star defense... Maybe my AGM sucks because that defensive core is really good..

Do you guys mind sharing a bit of your tactics? I just go Free flowing or Criss cross for talented offensive lines and positional for others. I also ask a good backcheck, gap control and puck pressure. Tempo is usually high, mentality offensive and shooting barrage. Everything else is on normal

[Peter_Doherty]

I change all those tactics alot during the season, whenever a line struggles i just change it up.

[axepig]

Yeah I try to change it a little bit but I really don't know what to change so I sometime ask less defensive efforts if a player struggles offensively or I change the Breakouts but I don't feel like it changes anything

[axepig]

Do scouting next opposition helps your team? I'm not doing it and it may cause my coaches to not know other teams enough

Edit: I think it does, since scouting next opposition I am 9-4-3. That's MUCH better than my usual record

[jesterx7769]

Do you guys mind sharing a bit of your tactics? I just go Free flowing or Criss cross for talented offensive lines and positional for others. I also ask a good backcheck, gap control and puck pressure. Tempo is usually high, mentality offensive and shooting barrage. Everything else is on normal

It's all about tactics and taking advantage of how the game works. Try different things and look at peoples screen shots and you should be able to guess what works. It's what I did for awhile then another user was kind enough to answer a few of my direct questions.

If you can come up with direct questions I might answer some at the end of the challenge.

[axepig]

Holy Adam Oates Washington just went 16-0 in the playoff. Final game of the SCF was a overtime and Ovechkin scores in the 2nd overtime and he also scored the tie goal with 5 seconds left in the 3rd period. What a clutch player! Here's their stats http://i.imgur.com/t8y71Yi.jpg and the full playoff tree http://i.imgur.com/YnTvCAz.png Pittsburgh and Tampa were stacked as hell too

[batdad]

LOL I forgot to scout opposition in my game. Never done that before. So...not sure if it does, considering my record after 40 games, and when I started scouting them went on 3 game losing skid.

[Peter_Doherty]

I never scout opposition

[bruins72]

After a decent start in S2Q1, my team is falling apart. They've been having a real problem scoring. They're not allowing a ton of goals but they just can't seem to generate any offense.

[stone169]

The team was struggling in S4Q3 and partly through S4Q4 (which I am still in). I moved Bjugstad up to the 2nd line center role and put him on the PP, as he has been playing well. He thanked me with a 5 point night during a 10-2 pounding over the Blue Jackets. Still sitting in 6th, but because of the wildcard format, the Sens (sitting in 9th) are technically right behind me. If they catch me, I could be out of the playoffs.