Prior to the Bruins’ trip back to Florida Sweeney spoke with the press.
Bedford, Massachusetts Don Sweeney, general manager of the Boston Bruins, spoke to the media on Monday afternoon before to the team’s travel back to Florida for Game 5 on Tuesday. With the Black and Gold behind the Panthers 3-1, Sweeney talked about a number of subjects, including Brad Marchand’s health, his evaluation of the team’s play thus far, and the contentious replacement choices made during the series.
About Brad Marchand’s condition
Sweeney Brad went skating today, and the team is going to travel with him. He continues to be daily. I hope he keeps going; people should give him an opportunity.
Regarding the Bruins fruitless attempt to claim goaltender interference during Florida’s game-tying goal in the third frame of Game 4.
Sweeney It’s standard procedure we’re not in a position to criticize the officials. I don’t intend to be serious about it because we would get penalized as a result. To be really honest, my main argument is that you shouldn’t question the coach about the umpiring and the outcome of the game after it has concluded.
During the game, you guys really ought to concentrate on whether or not we performed well enough to win the hockey match. The supervisors of the officials, the supervisors of the series, or the officials themselves should be the recipients of those inquiries. Place the officials in front of the microphone so they may respond to queries if you desire complete transparency or access. They are the only ones qualified to handle any interpretation of the applied regulations, in this case Rule 69. That’s all.
Clearly we made a challenge based on our perception. Please stand up and respond to the questions without making a remark That’s how easy it is.
Regarding Florida forward Sam Bennett’s lack of self-discipline following his initial Game 3 headshot of Brad Marchand.
Sweeney A statement regarding the Department of Player Safety’s interpretation of that situation is required. We have examined every conceivable viewpoint. It’s the same as when Brad was called out on the carpet and people were interested in the parallels. We must accept that they have a duty to protect the safety of the players regardless of the course of action they choose. We don’t find it frustrating at all.
When the Bruins saw the unambiguous angle of Bennett’s right hand striking Marchand.
Sweeney That was something we learned later on. We could have followed it up further if we had it sooner. It’s obvious that someone did and advanced it.
Although we always felt that way the events were more clearly defined.
Regarding making officials available to the media to talk about important calls
Sweeney A coach a player do you guys go ask them after every game whether the big plays were good or bad, fair? It isn’t different, in my opinion. Those who make the decisions should explain their decisions if you want complete access, transparency, and explanations. It seems like that to me. It gives our game a new dimension.
Upon being behind 3-1 in the series
Sweeney We had a 2-0 lead and our boys played well on Sunday night but they rallied and we were unable to match them. Given that Toronto had gained momentum, it’s not unlike how we felt last year when they had us down 3-1. All we need to do is take the ice and win a hockey game. We can handle everything if we go out and perform to the best of our abilities.
It was disheartening to leave last night knowing that you had a chance to tie the series. All you have to do is return and concentrate on one game at a time. Toronto gained some momentum as a result.
All our guys have to do is concentrate on starting Tuesday night off strong, keeping their crowd at bay, and understanding that they can close it out on our end and finish the job.
“I’m sure our guys can’t wait to play down there. We should not give up instead, we must refocus on the tasks that are actually necessary for us to proceed.
Regarding falling well behind in the series
Sweeney We strive for quality we’re not a squad that shoots a lot of shots. In an ideal world, quantity and quality are both obtained. We might have extended our lead with three breakaways Sunday night but they had two. In Game 2 we are down 2-1 in hockey, and they are gaining momentum because we are not performing well at the conclusion of the period. Hockey playoffs Undoubtedly, we needed to improve our ability to identify certain offensive situations, maintain a good defensive posture, stay up and play back, and generate as much traffic as we could.
This series hasn’t provided us with many rebound opportunities, so I believe we need to make more by deliberately going to the tough spots on the ice. We need to see a bit more movement from our defense in terms of holding the puck and switching channels. Give the opposing team credit for their superior performance and shot blocking. They’ve done better than us, which is why we’re behind in the series.
