Episode 37 of That’s Gross Hockey starts loose and ends honest.
We open by shooting the shit and drifting into the future of cars and transportation—self-driving cars, trust issues, and whether technology is actually making life easier or just more complicated.
Then it’s back to hockey, and specifically the Bruins, who’ve hit a rough patch at a bad time. Losses to Ottawa and Vancouver, slipping in the standings, and a league where everyone is hovering around the same win percentage means there’s no margin for error. When David Pastrnak calls a December game against Montreal the biggest game of the year, it says a lot about where this team thinks it is.
We dig into what’s actually going wrong: a struggling penalty kill, inconsistent goaltending, and a roster that lacks elite scoring outside of 88 and 39—forcing them to win by committee. We get into personnel and roles, including Pavel Zacha’s game and whether he’s essentially a “Walmart version of Sasha Barkov”— no shade though - actually a compliment. We also talk Mason Lohrei, his softness at times, and whether a defenseman in that mold—Ryan Whitney–esque, all due respect—can be justified if the offensive upside isn’t there.
On the flip side, we give credit where it’s due: Kastelic earning trust in tough minutes, Sturm’s group fighting til the end, and the small signs that still give this group a chance if they tighten things up.
Zooming out, we look at the Atlantic Division dogfight—Detroit on top, Florida heating up even without Tkachuk and Barkov, Tampa striking, Toronto struggling (thankfully, with Boston holding their pick), and Buffalo surging after a front-office shakeup. That naturally leads into a realistic trade deadline conversation: sell, buy, or stand pat—and why the Bruins likely won’t mortgage the future either way.
We wrap with a quick Team Canada roster build and close things out with some Christmas vibes—favorite movies, traditions, best gifts, and how the holidays hit differently now than they did growing up.
Honest hockey talk, a little chirping, and a reminder to enjoy the game—even when it’s uncomfortable.
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