I understand the sentiment. Really I do.
Frustration for the Bruins and their fans bubbled over during Game 5 as the Islanders torched the B's by scoring four of five goals to take a 5-2 lead before outlasting Boston 5-4 to take a 3-2 series lead heading to Long Island.
Even before the game was over, Bruins fans were complaining about the officials. Then Bruce Cassidy, who dipped a toe in the water after Game 4 (that didn't work out so well) opened the floodgates when he went on a rant about the officials, Barry Trotz and the Islanders' front office. Anywhere outside of New England, it looked like a loser's lament. Couldn't get it done on the ice, so you blame the officials. Could have sworn I was at any area rink on a weekend listening to parents on the glass at a BHL game. We don't have any puck luck. The refs were awful.
I'm not going to get into an argument over every call, missed or called, but I did think the Sean Kuraly was a little weak, and the rest were legit. And they missed them both ways. Nick Ritchie was fined for an uncalled penalty. And Jeremy Lauzon got a big break when, late in the game, he lost an edge and tackled an Islander in the offensive zone.
No, I don't like complaining about the refs no matter what sport it is. Most of the time, the calls even out. The lone exception I make is for a truly egregious call at the end of the game that turns the tide.
Too Many Men on the Ice. Don Denkinger. "Sugar Bear" Hamilton. Tuck Rule.
Those are the calls that are worthy of debate and will stand the test of time, for good reason. A slashing call against Sean Kuraly in the first period of a Game 5 ... no one is going to remember that beyond next week. The only thing people are going to remember is who advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Do you remember the big calls in any of these seasons? I don't. And I've been watching the Bruins since I can remember.
If you're truly a good team, you overcome the bad breaks. The Bruins, after the death knell defensive injury to Brandon Carlo, are no longer good enough in the backend to overcome that adversity. They know it. Cassidy knows it. So now they're resorting to basically begging for calls. It's not a great look.
But that's not really what matters at this point. The only thing that matters — as the Bruins face two must-wins or else they'll be golfing with the Leafs and contemplating if this was truly the final run for this core — is if the players grow a spine and get Cassidy's back.
Cassidy really put himself out there going after everyone but the Islanders' public address announcer. He's $25,000 lighter in the wallet, and he ticked off Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello, not to mention Trotz's players. You don't think those guys are talking about this in the room? They're going to come out smoking in Game 6.
What are the Bruins' players going to do?
There are two ways Cassidy's rant can go for the Bruins. Either the players join in with Cassidy and their fans, call the Whambulance, take a 'Woe is me' attitude that the refs are out to get them — and a comeback is hopeless. It's time to pack it up and make a tee time with Mitch Marner for Friday.
Or, the Bruins can say enough's enough and play winning hockey no matter who gets the break.
So what's it going to be?
Is Taylor Hall, who has been stuffed in a locker by the Islanders for much of this series, going to stop playing to his reputation that he's soft and will turtle if you body him, or is he going to be a hockey player and put the puck in the net?
Is Mike Reilly, who was touted early on for his offensive prowess being shot and pass ready, going to stop being a finesse player and make some plays at both ends of the ice?
Is Charlie Coyle, who was a team-worst minus-2 in Game 5, going to get his line going and be productive no matter who's around him?
Are the Bruins outside of Charlie McAvoy going to defend at all, or are they going to give the Isles plenty of time and space to pass and shoot in the high-danger areas?
What Cassidy did the other night took a lot of stones. Either it was the rant of a coach who knows his roster has been spread too thin and can't really compete with the Islanders without getting most of the breaks, or it was a stroke of genius to light a fire under the entire roster.
The players will decide which one it was in Game 6.
PATRIOTS HAD VERY LITTLE INTEREST IN JULIO JONES
The Falcons traded Julio Jones over the weekend to the Titans, which broke the heart of all fantasy football-loving Patriots fans who thought the Jones of today is the same one from even 2019. He's not.
What was the Patriots' level of interest? It was very minimal, according to sources. If the price dropped on compensation and his contract, then maybe they would have had some interest. As it turned out — and the Titans were the only real suitor — the Patriots didn't enter the fray.
"I didn't hear his name once in the building," said one source.
Good for the Patriots. Not only did the Titans give up a 2nd and 4th, but they just had to restructure Ryan Tannehill to fit Jones under the cap — signaling they're going to pay the rest of his deal. That's unreal for a WR who barely practices, who needs constant maintenance, barely stayed on the field this year, and will be 33 by the Super Bowl.
I expect the Patriots to do what they always do now ... take the team to camp, and then see what you have. If you're weak in an area, either you swing a deal in camp or do something before the trade deadline after injuries hit. The Patriots, with about $15 million in cap space and some players who could be traded, now have the flexibility to do both ... and don't have to worry about an over-the-hill receiver trying to stay on the field. Now the Patriots can pick and choose and get someone with some staying power (an anti-Mohamed Sanu) who could stick around for a while and grow with the core and the free agents.