Post-Game Thoughts: Bruins 2, Coyotes 1

· A win is a win, but that was ugly

o While it is always nice to pick up two points on the road, this effort was not what you want to see from the Bruins. They were sloppy at both ends, and let a far inferior team hang around the entire game. I am a big believer in process > results. The process tonight was not good.

· Linus Ullmark is showing why the Bruins committed to him

o After a slow first month and a half with the Bruins, goaltender Linus Ullmark has really settled in and is showing Bruins fans why GM Don Sweeney gave him a 4-year deal worth 20 million as a free agent this past offseason. The net should be Ullmark’s until further notice.

· Lack of team toughness strikes again

o Another game, another instance where the Bruins allow one of their star players to take some punishment without any sort of response. This time, Antoine Roussel (yes, THAT Antoine Roussel) dropped his gloves and pounded Charlie McAvoy, who was an unwilling participant and never even took his gloves off. McAvoy is a top-5 defenseman in the league and will be the highest paid player in team history next year. You don’t need a Ryan Reaves type in the lineup at all times, but someone has to do something in that scenario. The lack of functional toughness in the lineup needs to be addressed somehow.

· The Arizona Coyotes roster is a wasteland

o Roussel, Andrew Ladd, Anton Stralman, Riley Nash. It seems that 3/4ths of the Coyotes roster is bad contracts that other teams dumped on them. They have some nice younger pieces in Chychrun, Keller, and Schmaltz, but this is no way to develop them. Most of these guys aren’t able to play at the NHL level anymore. It’s no surprise that the fans don’t show up to watch them.