Bruins Neely: Seguin Sitting, Lucic Pressing
BOSTON (CBS) – For the fans that want to see Tyler Segiun in the playoffs, Boston Bruins president Cam Neely says you will have to keep waiting.
Neely joined 98.5 The Sports Hub'sFelger & Massarotti on Tuesday, and although fans may want to see the second-overall pick in last year's draft hit the playoff ice, the time is not now.
"After a win like that, I'm sure we'll be keeping the same lineup," Neely said of a Bruins team that beat the Canadiens 4-2 in Montreal Monday night. The Canadiens now lead the series 2-1.
However, it was the same Bruins squad that dropped the first two playoff games in Boston.
"There's lots of conversations, obviously, when you lose the first two," Neely said. "Ultimately what it boiled down to was the guys didn't play the way they're capable of playing, the guys in the lineup. We had uncharacteristic turnovers that ended up in the back of our net, mistakes that we don't normally do."
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"We felt like keeping the same lineup would give us the best chance to win last night, and give those guys an opportunity to better themselves," Neely added.
The former Bruin great also said the Bell Centre crowd would make for it hard for a young player like Seguin to make his playoff debut.
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"It's a tough environment up in Montreal to insert a 19-year-old kid that hasn't seen playoff hockey before," he said. "I'm not saying he won't play, but in this situation we felt like it was better to go with the same lineup knowing these guys would play better, or could play better."
With many concerned about who isn't playing, Felger and Mazz focused on who is in the lineup and counted on to produce. One of the guys who has yet to light the lamp in the first three games is forward Milan Lucic, who had a career for Boston in 2011.
"I'd like to see him initiate a little bit more," Neely said of the player that often draws comparisons to the Bruins president during his playing days. "When he's on his game he's really, first and foremost, playing physical and then all the good thing that come from it. I think he may be pressing a little bit, and that happens when to a player when you're counted on to do more."
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"He has done more for us in the playoffs in the past, (he's had) some big games. But I think he may be pressing a little more than he has in the past. That's something where he just needs to relax a little more, go out and play his game and play the style that's made him successful."
After his first 30-goal season, it is possible Lucic is focusing more on finding the back of the net than finding his way there, something Neely relates to.
"There were times when I fell into that trap during my career where you forget what helped you become a goal scorer and you try and do things that you probably shouldn't be doing," he said.
"I used to say I don't want the puck in between the blue lines," Neely continued. "If you give it to me inside our zone, I'm going to give it right back to you and bust to the net. Try to keep it simple that way."
"There are times, and I think it happens to a lot of players, where players try to do too much. Only because they care and want to do what they think is going to help the team win, when at times you have to simplify your game."
So Neely's message is pretty easy to decipher: Just keep it simple. It could be as easy as that.
And also, do not expect Tyler Seguin on the ice any time soon.
Tune in to 98.5 The Sports Hub's coverage of the Bruins-Canadiens playoff series starting 30 minutes before the puck drops with the Dunkin Donuts Bruins Pregame show.
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