The following morning, in a small visitors locker room at the Belmont Hill School, the media surrounded Ryder, seeking his reaction. If it was news to him, he never showed his shock as he coolly answered with the same poise he always does, built in part from his days facing the notoriously ruthless media and fans in Montreal.
As hurtful as they may be, rumors of being a trade card are just part of the lifestyle of a professional athlete. There’s no sense in being emotionally affected by something the players fully understand can happen at any time.
But the trade rumor talk is brewing for good reason — the Bruins can’t seem to break out of this slump on their own, leaving many to wonder if the combination needs work. Three weeks have gone by with the Bruins giving up leads, fighting against their own mental blockades and struggling to find answers from within.
Effort? Fixed.
Injuries? Almost fixed.
So where are the goals, the wins, the results?
What more can everyone here do?
Such is the perplexity that has resonated repeatedly each day.
“Are you … confused?” I asked general manager Peter Chiarelli, wondering how it’s possible that this theoretically upgraded set of players has produced far less results than last year’s group.
“I’m not confused. Angry, frustrated, aggravated,” Chiarelli responded. “It’s not a good place to be. I’d like to think we can rebound.”
And rebounding with the same group would be the ideal solution. After all, Bruins management composed this team with a vision. This is their work, a combination they thought would exhibit excellence, a set they meticulously put together, a team they believed could and would be knocking down the door to success.
And change? Never a guarantee of better times.
“Change is easy, but I’m not sure it accomplishes anything,” Chiarelli said, watching his team practice in the brightly lit Olympic-size sheet rink amidst dozens of cheering students. It was timely to hear those words while the Bruins changed up their routine and environment, practicing away from Ristuccia Arena.
For now, the Ryder chatter is simply chatter, and there has been no change except for the rising optimism in the locker room. The team feels it is digging out of the dog days. In spite of lacking the finishing touches, they had 22 scoring chances against the Capitals on Tuesday, evidence that they’re better than they have been in a long time.
So what’s the answer to that million-dollar question? Why can’t they score?
Cam Neely has an answer.
“The players have to believe they’re better than they are right now.”
