Breer: Reaction to Jets firing head coach Saleh
On Friday’s Toucher & Hardy program, Albert Breer provided insight into the New York Jets’ firing of Robert Saleh.
Reaction: Jets Fire Saleh
Parts of conversation abbreviated for clarity.
Fred Toucher: There was a big firing. The main news came that same day.
Albert Breer: What was your reaction to Robert Saleh getting fired? Were you guys on the air when it happened?
Toucher: No, the news came five minutes after we got off the air. I could have reacted to that for the entire show.
Robert Saleh was fired as head coach of the New York Jets. Jeff Ulbrich, the defense coordinator, was promoted to head coach. And then something else happened that we’ll get to. But when the Saleh firing news came out, I said “Fine.” That doesn’t make anything worse than it was. Saleh didn’t do well. So, whatever.
If the team likes Ulbrich—and Ulbrich was a head coaching candidate in the offseason— that’s fine. Their offense still sucks.
Breer: The reaction in the locker room was interesting, too.
Toucher: Go ahead and explain because I don’t know what happened.
Breer: My understanding of the reaction in the locker room was something along the lines of, “Well, what the hell is this going to do?”
This is interesting because the locker room liked Saleh. And I think their view of it was similar to what you’ve heard from many people on the outside. This was more or less just taking the temperature of the public. I think that matches what’s actually inside that locker room.
They have a really good defense. This is a defensive-minded head coach. This is a guy who’s sort of flipped the culture here. The offense is a mess, but he was going to change the play-caller.
I like Jeff Ulbrich, but the potential here is that you weaken the defense by doing this because the guy who was the defensive play-caller now has a lot more on his plate.
And I’m just trying to you guys inside the mentality of the player here. Because the player again isn’t looking at this big picture, the player is looking at the small picture. If they were going to do this, why didn’t they do it before the season started? They really liked Saleh. As a player, I’m probably thinking, “How does this help me right now?”
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3 Stars: Bruins get big production from first, fourth lines in home opener
Third Star: Nikita Zadorov
Rich Gagnon/Getty ImagesL-R: Mark Kastelic, Nikita Zadorov (Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
The hulking Zadorov is better known for his physical style of defensive play, but he made his presence felt at the offensive end early in the game. Zadorov showed off his surprising knack for sneaking the puck through traffic and setting up forwards for scoring opportunities.
First, Zadorov played catch with Kastelic to create what at the time was an important goal to tie the game back up 2-2, after the B’s briefly fell behind the Habs. For his second assist of the night, Zadorov lasered the puck to the blade of Lindholm’s stick in the slot for a tip-in that put the Bruins on top 3-2.
“It’s always nice to get on the board to help your team to score a goal,” Zadorov said after the game. “Obviously, it’s not my mentality to go out there and put up some points, but it’s great to contribute offensively, for sure.”
Zadorov also dished out two hits, including a particularly loud wrecking ball on poor Kirby Dach.
That stuff should be expected more consistently. The offensive output would be a bonus. Zadorov acknowledged that there’s “room for improvement” for the team defensively after allowing four goals. But Zadorov led all Bruins defensemen with a 61.8% on-ice shot attempt rate at 5-on-5 (via Natural Stat Trick), which is a great sign for his 200-foot game and his fit with his new team.
Second Star: Cole Koepke
Rich Gagnon/Getty ImagesCole Koepke celebrates a goal. (Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
A Tampa Bay castaway, Koepke is playing like he does not intend to come out of the NHL lineup again. The 26-year-old and the aforementioned fourth line brought the speed, forechecking, and tenacity that Montgomery called for on Thursday, and Koepke in particular often looked like the fastest skater on the ice whenever out there.
Koepke finished with a goal, two assists, two shots, and a hit, despite playing a team-low 7:20 of ice time, as the Bruins deployed their top guys more heavily to close things out in the third. He exemplified the spark the team wanted to find after a disappointing season opener, playing with a consistent motor and keeping the Habs on their heels.
“Something that me, Kasty, and Beech talked about, it’s something we think our line can utilize well is just get it in deep, skate fast, and try and wear them down,” Koepke said. “Good things will happen when you play the right way. The puck was on our side tonight.”
Koepke cleaned up Beecher’s hard drive to the net for his first goal of the season, and also earned his two assists. He drove hard himself to get the pieces in place for Kastelic’s first goal, and found Kastelic through the neutral zone for his second.
After that performance, there’s no need for Montgomery to touch that line for the time being.
First Star: Elias Lindholm
Bob DeChiara-Imagn ImagesL-R: Elias Lindholm, Mike Matheson (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
The Bruins’ new No. 1 center is off to an outstanding start in his first two games, especially at the offensive end, with a goal and three assists. He’s stood out in all situations, leading the team with an 81.8% on-ice Corsi at 5-on-5 Thursday night and logging an assist on the power play.
Montgomery touched on the quality that helped Lindholm’s line excel against the Canadiens, which is his ability to win small battles and manage the puck in order to create opportunities for David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. That was most evident on Pastrnak’s goal, when Lindholm created a loose puck that Zacha retrieved and handled before feeding Pastrnak for the one-timer.
“I mean, there’s definitely room for improvement, I think that was the fourth game together [since the preseason], but it’s fun to play with those two,” Lindholm said of his new linemates. “They have good chemistry together. They’re fun to play with. They skate well, they’re making plays and scoring goals. So, it’s fun to be a part of.”
Lindholm’s beautifully well-rounded game is something the Bruins always want out of their centers, and desperately needed on their depth chart. It’s paying huge early dividends.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
