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Victoria Matiash, Fantasy HockeyNov 21, 2024, 02:00 PM ET
CloseESPN.com Fantasy Contributor since 2010Part-time anchor at NEWSTALK1010
Offering credit where due, the Boston Bruins are saying all of the right things after playing poorly enough to help cost their head coach his job. Not to absolve the 2023 Jack Adams winner of all responsibility, but if the B’s were playing to their collective capability, Jim Montgomery wouldn’t be fine-tuning his resume right now. That the club’s 8-9-3 record isn’t poorer with its blazingly bad -21 goal differential even feels fortunate.
But again, full credit to several key individuals — including David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Charlie McAvoy — for absorbing responsibility and fully admitting they’re letting everyone down. Big thumbs up for taking proper accountability. But now what? And what fantasy fallout can we expect from this big change in Beantown?
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At first glance post-Montgomery firing, the Bruins’ top nine appears unchanged, while the No. 1 power play also remains intact. No surprise there, as interim head coach Joe Sacco will likely take a minute before making any significant changes. My greater concern anyway is the failure of the team’s more prominent performers to live up to individual expectations.
When was the last time Pastrnak averaged fewer than a point/game? (Answer: 2017-18, and only by a hair.) Marchand is underwhelming Bruins fans and fantasy managers alike, while Pavel Zacha has seven points. Elias Lindholm? Two goals. Two. Unacceptable numbers for Boston’s two top centers, particularly when skating alongside Pastrnak and Marchand respectively, and competing on the No. 1 power play. After averaging 0.64 points/game just last year, Charlie McAvoy is currently stumbling about at 0.35/contest. More often than not, No. 1 Jeremy Swayman has been mediocre to lousy.
The upside in…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/fantasy/hockey/story/_/id/42527238/espn-nhl-fantasy-hockey-league-injury-updates-boston-bruins
Author : Victoria Matiash
Publish date : 2024-11-21 19:48:00
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