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Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Series Recap

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The Red Sox will be back home in Boston after their 11 day road trip. Facing the Oakland Athletics are Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Chris Sale. The Sox have won the last seven out of 13 games, while Oakland won five out the last 12 games. The Red Sox will face pitcher Sean Manaea for the first time since his no hitter game in April. The Sox hope that being on Fenway soil will help them defeat the Athletics. This series will also be the last time that the Red Sox will face the Athletics during the regular season.

Porcello vs. Manaea

 

Sean Manaea pitched a no hitter to the Red Sox last month. J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit a solo home run for the Red Sox. Porcello let up five runs and nine hits over six innings, and struck out five. Trailing in the fourth inning, the Athletics grasped the lead with three runs. Lucroy had a two-run double into the left-field corner before Fowler tripled off the Monster. The Red Sox caught up 4-3 in the fifth, when Hanley Ramirez scored a run with a ground ball. J.D. Martinez hit straight out to the Sox bullpen in the eighth to score. Benintendi and Ramirez got back to back RBI singles. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and Oakland won Monday night’s game 6-5.

“We talked about not expanding down in the zone,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Overall, we did a good job of it. His stuff is still good.”

“2B Dustin Pedroia (recovering from offseason left knee surgery) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. He singled and scored a run in three at-bats while playing five innings at second base.”

Rodriguez vs. Mengden

Due to the weather, the 7:10 start time moved to 8:50 on Tuesday night. As a result, Oakland beat the Sox in nine innings. Rodriguez took his first loss of the season after Oakland had six hits through the first three innings, starting with back-to-back singles by Semien and Pinder to start the game. Piscotty hit a monster home run out of Fenway Park in his first at-bat against Rodriguez. Piscotty’s home run was the first he had hit since his mother’s death on May 6th. Andrew Benintendi hit a homer and Mitch Moreland hit two doubles.

“It was pure joy. It’s been an emotional week,” said Piscotty, whose mother, Gretchen, died May 6 after a one-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She was 55.”

“We haven’t been able to put them away,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “They’re young and it seems like they’re turning a corner. Whatever they’re doing over there is pretty good.”

 

Sale vs. Cahill – A Sale Day Win to Avoid an Athletics Series Sweep

In Rafael Devers’s 100th major league game, the Sox came out with a win. Xander Bogaerts hit a three run homer, and J.D. Martinez hit a two run homer. Chris Sale gave up two runs and two hits in five innings. Sale also struck out nine and walked four. Trevor Cahill gave up three runs out of the first four batters he faced. After Sale’s career high 15 strikouts in his last outing, he struggled, but hung on long enough to keep the Sox up over the Athletics. Craig Kimbrel grasped his 12th save of the season and avoided the Sox meeting their season high losing streak. The Sox beat the Athletics 6-4 after Xander and J.D. had quite the night.

“It’s pretty impressive what he does when you’re behind looking at him,” Bogaerts said. “Normally I’m a guy who gets to the on-deck circle a little bit later. I’ve got to get there early if he swings at the first pitch and gets a hit. He hits some bombs on the first pitch.”

“Four walks, that’s not my game,” Sale said. “That’s not who I am. Obviously, you want to be better than that. Anytime your bullpen throws almost as many innings as you do, that’s not what you’re looking for.”

 

Up Next

The Red Sox will be at home again to face the Orioles for a four game series starting Thursday. David Price will be up first for his Fenway return. Dustin Pedroia will play another game in Pawtucket by the end of the week as Tuesday night’s game was postponed due to the weather. Jackie Bradley Jr. is still spending an immense amount of time on the bench as he has constantly had bad games. Cora is hoping that Bradley Jr. will come out of his slump soon, as he has been working on improving both his defense and his offense.

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Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Recap

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In the final leg of the road trip, the Red Sox head north to face the Blue Jays for a three game series before heading back to Fenway. Cora made the announcement that Dustin Pedroia and Tyler Thornburg will be playing on Monday and Tuesday for rehab assignment in Pawtucket. David Price is also back with the team after missing a game to get x-rays on his hand in Boston. Chris Sale, Davis Price, and Drew Pomeranz will be the starting pitchers in this series.

Sale vs Sanchez – Toronto Takes the Win

Chris Sale pitches his best game of the season. Fifteen strikeouts in nine innings. Xander Bogaerts hit a homer towards center field to bring the score 2-1 Sox leading in the second. The Sox ultimately fell to the Blue Jays 5-3 in 12 innings. Sandy Leon struck out swinging, but the ball bounced back, allowing Brock Holt to score coming from first base. Chris Sale struck out 15 of the Blue Jays and let up zero walks. He joins Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens as only the third pitcher in Sox history to do so. Jackie Bradley Jr. sat out for his third straight game to hopefully get him out of his slump. He is expected to be in the lineup the next day.

“That was impressive,” Alex Cora said. “That slider was the best of the season. He was outstanding. ”

“You’ve got to tip your cap, he had himself a heck of a night. “

Price vs Estrada – A Comeback win after Injury

David Price made his first appearance since the x-rays we’re taken on his hand to discover that he had Carpal Tunnel. The Sox took the lead 5-2 for the game win. In 93 pitches, Price let up: five hits and three walks. He struck out six Blue Jays. Hanley Ramirez hit a two run homer, after Andrew Benintendi hit a double to bring in Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts. Ramirez had himself quite a game, racking up three home runs and seven RBIs in the last four games. The Sox scored at least five runs for the 24th time this season, which is the most in the MLB. Both Hector Velazquez and Joe Kelly pitched scoreless innings before Kimbrel entered the game. Craig Kimbrel came out to get his 11th save of the season.

“I saw something different in the way he pitched today. Everything. There was a difference in speeds. Mixing up the breaking ball is very important. He induced some weak contact. They hit a few balls hard too. But I think he pitched great ” – Cora on Price’s performance

“It was good to get back out there,” Price said. “The more I threw, the better I felt. To me, that’s always a good sign.”

Pomeranz vs Biagini – Sox Return Home with a win in Toronto

All players in the MLB wore pink in honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday. Hanley Ramirez, although he wasn’t in the lineup, had on catchers gear and was ready to play. A loose Hanley leads to a fun and much looser Red Sox lineup. Drew Pomeranz let up three runs and four hits, while only making it under six innings. Toronto was up 5-3 in the fifth as Hector Velazquez came in to replace Drew Pomeranz. J. D. Martinez homered and had three RBI’s, while Mookie Betts made the unbelievable “deal catch” to prove that he really is a Gold Glove player. Joe Kelly racked up his second save of the season Sunday afternoon.

“He’s becoming a force, not only the field but in the clubhouse, in the dugout,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s becoming a leader. It’s fun to watch. On a daily basis you’re expecting something great and he’ll do it.”

“To come out of a road trip like that is definitely something to be proud of,” said reliever Joe Kelly.

Up Next

The Red Sox will be back home at Fenway to face the Oakland Athletics Monday through Wednesday. Then the Orioles will come to town for a four game series. Dustin Pedroia will start his rehab assignment on Monday in Pawtucket with Tyler Thornburg. Pedroia hopes to return during the end of May.

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Bruins Fans Listen to No One

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The Bruins released one of the best hype videos I have seen by a sports team, with the theme of listening to no one. Other than slamming local radio host Michael Felger, the video perfectly displays the harsh criticism that surrounded this team early on. The young inexperienced Bruins could have very easily allowed the pressure of local media to get in their heads. Instead, they listened to no one outside of the locker room. Now the team is poised to win the seventh Stanley cup in franchise history.

“There Are to Many Young Guys”

The video starts out with Felger saying, “This is what I think the issue with the team is, there are to many young guys”. Do not be fooled this opinion was rather popular. Many, including myself, thought this team was to young and inexperienced. Boy, we could not have been more wrong. The youth of this team is the reason they have been so successful. McAvoy, Pastranak, Heinen, Donato, Debrusk, Bjork, and Carlo are all players who have contributed to this team. None of them are over the age of 21. The teams biggest flaw rapidly developed into the team’s biggest strength. The young players have answered every single question they possibly could have in the regular season. Now the only test remaining is answering the bell when it matters most in the playoffs. Everyone is doubting their ability to handle a playoff atmosphere. But as the team has taught us, listen to no one.

“They Do Not Know What They Are Doing”

Next Felger claims, “There are too many guys running around who do not know what they are doing”. Fast forward and the Bruins are third in the NHL with 104 points, and have a shot at the President’s Trophy. It seems as if they may have a clue on what to do out on the ice. One of the flaws of having such a young offensively gifted group of players is that sometimes the defensive aspect gets glossed over. But the Bruins, as they have done all year long, continue to defy logic and reason.

Even with the abundance of youth on the roster the Bruins rank third in the NHL with an excellent 2.53 goals allowed per game. They also rank sixth in the NHL on the penalty kill, keeping the puck out of their own net 82.7 percent of the time. While Bruce Cassidy deserves a lot of credit for how defensively responsible this team is, the players play the game and the young players have shown they are not one-dimensional. Cassidy taught the team not to listen to no one but to use the hate as motivation.

“The Bruins Season Is Over”

Lastly Felger stated, “I think the Bruins season is over, I think they are done”. Right now the Bruins would play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After Felger and the rest of Boston media deemed their season to be over in mid October. Any person with any hockey sense knows that the real reason this team got its act together is because Cassidy benched Tuukka Rask. Not because of what the local media was saying. Either way since mid-November the Boston Bruins are an insane 41-10-6. By far the best record in hockey in that span. To play that level of hockey for over three months is absolutely absurd. This team has lost major pieces to injury Bergeron, Chara, McAvoy and has not slowed down. They lost Brad Marchand, a Hart Trophy candidate, to a five game suspension and went 4-1. The depleted Bruins went into Tampa Bay one of if not the best team in hockey widely undermanned and shut them down 3-0.

Name the game, this team will beat you at it. Listen to no one this team has that it factor. Any team who has to face this team in the playoffs will have to lay down their lives, because the Bruins just do not quit. As the Bruins put it so perfectly hockey, “is in our blood”. So Boston, strap up, because the Boston Bruins will win the Stanley Cup.

Cover image courtesy of Causeway Crowd.

The Bruins Answer the Bell Once Again

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The 2018 Boston Bruins answer the bell when it matters, no matter what. Want to play run and gun hockey? They have the skill to beat you 6-5. If the game is a grind it out defensive battle, then fine by this team. They will still beat you 2-1. What about handling injuries to key players in the middle of a playoff push? Nope, that cannot slow this team down either. They just beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 on the road.

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Looking Back

The Bruins had a few noticiable concerns ahead of their anticipated matchup with the division-leading Lightning. Coach Cassidy was publicly critical of the Bruins’ defensive performance in the past week. He was especially critical following Thursday’s loss to the Panthers. Add the fact that the Bruins’ top two defensemen, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, were out of the lineup. Along with one, if not the best, defensive forward in hockey, Patrice Bergeron. Just as Bruce Cassidy has done all season long, he pushed the right buttons ahead of the daunting matchup. Cassidy made sure to address the Bruins defensemen who have been battling for playing time. Making it clear that this was their shot to earn playing time and trust.

Results

The Boston Bruins did not let a chance to prove doubters wrong once again go by. As shorthanded as they were, the were facing a Lighting team averaging an NHL best 3.54 goals per game. Many expected the Bruins to take a loss. Yet they went into Tampa and completely stifled the best offensive team in hockey, and earned an extremely impressive 3-0 victory. Tuukka Rask, who has been under a microscope as of late, played a solid game all around, making key saves when the Bruins needed them most. Rask looked relaxed and energized in net. He was on top of his angles and had great anticipation all game long. Going forward the Bruins should try to alternate starting goalies every game, but it is definitely a good sign to see Rask step up.

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Tampa Bay has been the class of the East all season long. If the Bruins plan on going deep in the playoffs, then it is very probable that a matchup with Tampa will occur. To see this team answer the bell like that on the road against better team is really eye-opening. Right now I’m taking the Bruins in a seven game series over any team. This team has that it factor and it’s going to show in April when they answer the bell once again.

Truck Day is Finally Here

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Truck Day has Arrived by Olivia Winchenbach

Truck day has come and gone, and that means that baseball season is nearly here. With Spring Training arriving, the Red Sox have yet to come up big in the offseason. Truck Day marks the unofficial start of baseball season for the Red Sox organization. Especially with the quiet offseason, Truck day brings the joy of baseball back. It’s the final send off for the team before the beginning of the season. Spring Training is the first look at the 2018 team. It is the time to create bonds and perfect your craft. This will be new manager Alex Cora’s first time being with the whole team. This could allow insight on the season ahead, and how everyone with perform.

The Wait is Over by Steve Atkinson

It’s that time of year again. Baseball is right around the corner. First it was Truck day on Monday -the day after the Super Bowl- which means Spring Training is coming up. However, the Red Sox have had a quiet offseason doing nothing but watch the Yankees get stronger. It will be interesting to see how the team takes shape this Spring. The biggest team has done this offseason was firing John Farrell and hiring Alex Cora. But Truck Day just shows that good and exciting things are coming for this baseball team. I’m anxious to see how this plays out.

Onto Spring Training

Now, the truck stopped at all affiliated ballparks on the way to Ft. Meyers. Pitchers and catchers arrive in just a few days. Through social media it seems that most of the team has already arrived and are beginning to train. One can only hope the best for this season as the Red Sox have fallen short the past few years. Baseball is in the air, and Sox Nation is ready and waiting.

 

Article written through the collaboration of @bennybiceps_ and @steveA1127.

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State of the Boston Bruins Heading into the Bye Week

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The Boston Bruins have played excellent hockey heading into the bye week. Even with the hiccup in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, the Bruins have not lost a game in regulation since mid December. In their last 23 games the Bruins are 17-3-3 and have moved all the way into second place in the Atlantic Division. Now with five days off ahead of them and three games in hand on the third place Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins are firmly cemented into a playoff spot.

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Offensive Emergence

Coming into the season the Bruins’ roster posed several questions. One of the big concerns focused on the depth, considering most of the unknown young players. After a slow couple of months plagued by injuries, the roster has developed into one of the most formidable in the NHL. Offensively, the Bruins have rapidly evolved into one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Not because of overall talent.  They have plenty of that.  But rather their performance as a team. Currently the Bruins are averaging 3.28 goals per game. This ranks sixth in the NHL and third in the Eastern Conference.

Led by the dynamic trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastranak, the Bruins have one of the best top lines in the entire NHL. However, the depth of the Bruins allows Bruce Cassidy to keep his forwards fresh by rotating through four productive lines. Outside of Brad Marchand, who averages 20:01 TOI per game, no other forward on the Bruins plays more than 20 minutes a game. This has been the key to the Bruins’ recent emergence in the standings. They are getting contributions from places that many people, including opponents, would not expect. Lately, the fourth line has developed more of a scoring touch while Riley Nash has provided an offensive jolt. Even Ryan Spooner is starting to play to his potential offensively.

 

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Impressive Defense

The story does not end with the offense.  The Bruins rank third in the NHL in goals allowed per game, giving up a mere 2.55.  This also ranks second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the Lighting.  Like the Bruins offense, the defensive production has not been from a singular player.  It’s a group contribution. Only one defenseman in the Bruins starting six has a minus rating. That defender is Torey Krug, who is only a minus one and  whose playing has improved. The other five: Charlie McAvoy +14, Zdeno Chara +20, Brandon Carlo +8, Kevin Miller +10, and Matt Grzelcyk +13, combine for an impressive +65 rating.

On top of that, the B’s have found themselves a very versatile set of blue liners. Chara and Miller provide some veteran experience and toughness to the back end. McAvoy, Krug, and Grzelcyk provide an offensive threat that true contenders need. Lastly, Carlo adds some needed defensive responsibility to the young group of defensemen. While not perfect, the Bruins defense core has made a complete 180.   They’ve moved from one of the worst in the NHL only a few years ago to one of the most reliable. Don Sweeney deserves a lot of credit for that one.

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Tuukka Rask

As Tuukka Rask put it so eloquently last night against the Penguins, in a playoff-like game he played like “horses–t”. This hiccup in Pittsburgh snapped a personal six-game winning streak for the Finland native in which he had posted an otherworldly .963 save percentage.  Tuukka did make some eye-opening saves to get the Bruins into the extra period.  But he got beat on shots that he admits should have stopped.

Even with the poor performance last night Tuukka Rask has been the best goaltender in the NHL for the past month. In Rask’s last 13 starts the Bruins have earned at least one point, going 11-0-2. This extends the longest streak of Tuukka’s career. In December, the Bruins earned 22 points in 14 games.  This pushed them into contention for a top spot in the East led by Rask. During December, Rask has nine wins and two shutouts, along with a .955 save percentage and a video game like 1.22 goals allowed average.

Benched for longtime backup Anton Khudobin earlier in the season, Rask is the reason for the Bruins recent emergence to contenders. Every player needs a kick sometimes to get motivated. Bruce Cassidy knew just how to get the message through to Rask.  If he can play at the same level as in December, then Boston has a chance against Tampa in a seven-game series. There is still plenty of hockey to be played in the long season. Up to this point everyone has been wrong about Boston. No one could have predicted that they would be this good. Lets see how far the rejuvenated Bruins can go.

Keys to Bruins’ Recent Surge

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Charlie McAvoy may only be 20 years old but he is still winning games for the Boston Bruins. In the fourth round of the shootout last night at TD Garden, McAvoy picked the puck up and skated right down the ice ripping a shot low blocker side to beat Connor Hellebuyck. The rookie’s birthday heroics secured the Bruins two points and improved their record to 12-3-1 in their last 16 games. A record that should catch the eyes of opposing teams. As the Bruins seem to have found a perfect mixture of players that gel perfectly together. But three things have been the keys to the Bruins’ recent surge:

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Tuukka Rask

The first of the three keys is none other than Tuukka Rask. When Rask was struggling early on everyone pointed it out and killed him for it. Now we have to give him his due because Tuukka has been brilliant as of late. In Rask’s last eight starts the net minder has led the team to an impressive 7-0-1 record, and has made timely stops that saved the Bruins’ two points. Last night when the Bruins got engaged in a defensive grind-it-out hockey game and needed their number one goalie to step up, Tuukka did that and more. Rask survived the onslaught of chances the Winnipeg Jets had in overtime to get the Bruins to the shootout, where McAvoy won for the team.

Tuukka’s play has noticeably inspired confidence in the players around him. The defensemen of the Bruins have been more willing to make offensive plays and close out on the shooters. Rask has proven he can make the big stop when called upon. If Tuukka continues this level of play then the Eastern Conference better watch out.

Adaptability

Bruce Cassidy deserves credit for the Bruins’ ability to not only adapt from game to game but from period to period. After an offensive explosion against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cassidy was able to refocus his team and win against the Buffalo Sabers 3-0 on the second night of a back-to-back. Then to finish it off the Bruins were able to play a high paced game against the Jets last night where they needed to be clutch down the stretch. Three different wins in three different games that is not a common occurrence in the NHL. But the Bruins seem to have bought into the system. As a result they can play whatever style of game the opponent throws at them.

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Young Talent

it seems like writing a Bruins article without mentioning the young players at this point is unheard of. But they deserve to be mentioned here and for good reason. In back to back wins one of the Bruins’ rookies had the game winning goal. In Buffalo Jake Debrusk scored the first goal of the game on a filthy snipe in a game the Bruins won 3-0. Also last night McAvoy scored the game winner in the shootout. A pattern has started to develop with this team they win games when their rookies are making plays.

Teams playing the Bruins now cannot key in on Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastranak. Because the Bruins have layers to their forward group that present a daunting task to opponents. Heinen has NHL caliber offensive ability and has displayed it on multiple occasions. While Debrusk and Bjork still have room for improvement both have demonstrated an ability to put the puck in the net.

Up to now the Bruins have been able to ride these things to success. But time will tell how far these keys can take them this season.

Should The Bruins Tank The Rest of The Season?

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Okay, it’s time to take a serious look at the Boston Bruins. After getting completely outworked in Anaheim the Bruins currently have a 7-7-4 record, which ranks 26th in the NHL. The Bruins have lost 4 out of 5 games and both Brad Marchand and budding rookie Anders Bjork have been placed on injured reserve. Now the question becomes what do the Bruins do from here?

Push for a Playoff Spot

Now the Bruins as an organization have always made it quite clear that they want to be in the playoffs no matter what. It’s quite clear that was the goal entering this season before the injury bug ravished the roster. But even with the absurd amount of injuries, the Bruins could, and probably will, make a push for a playoff spot. This is mainly because the Bruins want to sell tickets and keep the TV ratings up.

The Bruins are attempting to rebuild on the fly while remaining relevant in the mind of sports fans. As a result, the Bruins have enough talent on the team, if they can get a few bodies back to make a push. A hot month or two could put the Bruins right back into the thick of things. There is value in making the playoffs for the Bruins this season. Its always good to get the young kids some experience in prime time.

Tank

Bruins fans are going to have a hard time swallowing this pill. But the best option for the Bruins is to tank. Let’s be realistic, the Bruins at full strength are a fringe playoff team. Let alone with half the roster out, the Bruins have dug themselves into a to steep a hole to make up. Now it’s time for Sweeney to make the tough call for the better of the team. It’s been proving on multiple occasions that building on the fly in the NHL is extremely difficult. On top of that Sweeney has done nothing to inspire confidence that he can build a capable team.

For Bruins fans on the fence about tanking, would you rather be the Maple Leafs or the Bruins right now? Its obviously the Maple Leafs for one reason: Austin Matthews. How did the Maple Leafs get him? Oh yeah, by tanking. That’s what makes the future bright for the Maple Leafs. While the Bruins have talent coming through the system, they don’t have a stud forward, especially at the center position. Brady Tkachuk is a 6-3, 194 pound center coming out of Boston College that the Bruins should target in the draft. He is ranked as the best center in the draft and the second best forward behind Andrei Svenchnikov.

Verdict

The Bruins need to tank and go get themselves a stud in the draft. Tkachuk is a gritty young center who has the mental makeup to play and thrive at the NHL level, and is expected to go fourth or fifth in the draft. Now Sweeney needs to realize his goal should be getting Tkachuk or maybe even Rasmus Dahlin, the highly touted defenseman. That’s why the Bruins need to sell off pieces such as Riley Nash, Zdeno Chara, Adam Mcquaid, and David Krejci (if anyone will take him). Go full tank mode get a stud forward into the system, allow the young players to grow at the NHL level and plan for the next three years not just this season.

This is a crucial time for the Sweeney/Neely era. Selling pieces off will put them under fire but holding onto them may cost a shot at a potential stud.