Don Cherry unleashes the Grapes of Wrath on Bruins roster.
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2025 6:38 pm
Tor(AP) - If looks could kill, the glare that Boston head coach Don Cherry gave his players as they left the ice following a 3-1 loss to Buffalo would've melted Pluto. Reporters weren't allowed into the dressing room and were told to wait a few minutes. What was heard well let's say this is a family newspaper so I can't tell you exactly what was heard but it wasn't pleasant, pretty, or quaint. After some very loud berating and what sounded like a few trash cans well, being trashed, Bruins head coach Don Cherry emerged from the locker room and was given a wide birth as he exited the building without saying another word. A few minutes later Bruins GM Andrew Stoll came out and let the press know that the players are now conducting a players only meeting and that the team will not be meeting with the press.
Fast forward to today's game and right from the get go Boston looked like a different team than the previous evening. The Bruins were on the Leafs like a pack of ravenous bears and it didn't take long before the floodgates opened. Just :33 seconds into the opening frame Zach Hyman would score his 25th of the season finishing off a pretty 3 way passing play with Sidney Crosby and John Carlson. Boston would continue with the pressure which would eventually result with Nicolas Roy taking an unnecessary roughing penalty. On the ensuing powerplay it would be Hyman again hitting the back of the net with assists coming from Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck. The barrage would continue as Alex Wennberg and Roman Josi would score to close out the first period with the Bruins holding a well earned 4-0 lead.
The game was essentially over with Boston scoring three more times in the second period on goals by Alex Tuch, John Carlson, and Chandler Stephenson giving the Bruins a 7-0 lead at the end of the second. The game would close out with the teams trading goals with the final being 8-1 Boston. Of course everyone wanted to know more about what had happened and what was said after the game against Buffalo the night before.
Sidney Crosby shared his comments in a post game interview. "Well I'm pretty sure you heard what Grapes (head coach Don Cherry) had to say about our play in that game. He let us have it and deservedly so. We came out flat, no emotion, no chatter, no nothing. He basically said you can't take a night off in this league, not one bleeping night. Grapes basically told us to go take a very hard look in the mirror and ask yourselves if you want to be here. The trade deadline is very close. He said other things in a not so polite way but we got the message" - Bruins captain Sidney Crosby.
Bruins defenseman John Carlson offered his thoughts. "Look we stunk out the place a couple nights ago. Yeah Grapes let us have it and I honestly didn't blame him. We have a great bunch of guys in here and I know what we're capable of doing. Tonight was a prime example of that and now we just have to keep it going".
With a big stretch of games coming up we'll see how the team fares going down the stretch.
Fast forward to today's game and right from the get go Boston looked like a different team than the previous evening. The Bruins were on the Leafs like a pack of ravenous bears and it didn't take long before the floodgates opened. Just :33 seconds into the opening frame Zach Hyman would score his 25th of the season finishing off a pretty 3 way passing play with Sidney Crosby and John Carlson. Boston would continue with the pressure which would eventually result with Nicolas Roy taking an unnecessary roughing penalty. On the ensuing powerplay it would be Hyman again hitting the back of the net with assists coming from Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck. The barrage would continue as Alex Wennberg and Roman Josi would score to close out the first period with the Bruins holding a well earned 4-0 lead.
The game was essentially over with Boston scoring three more times in the second period on goals by Alex Tuch, John Carlson, and Chandler Stephenson giving the Bruins a 7-0 lead at the end of the second. The game would close out with the teams trading goals with the final being 8-1 Boston. Of course everyone wanted to know more about what had happened and what was said after the game against Buffalo the night before.
Sidney Crosby shared his comments in a post game interview. "Well I'm pretty sure you heard what Grapes (head coach Don Cherry) had to say about our play in that game. He let us have it and deservedly so. We came out flat, no emotion, no chatter, no nothing. He basically said you can't take a night off in this league, not one bleeping night. Grapes basically told us to go take a very hard look in the mirror and ask yourselves if you want to be here. The trade deadline is very close. He said other things in a not so polite way but we got the message" - Bruins captain Sidney Crosby.
Bruins defenseman John Carlson offered his thoughts. "Look we stunk out the place a couple nights ago. Yeah Grapes let us have it and I honestly didn't blame him. We have a great bunch of guys in here and I know what we're capable of doing. Tonight was a prime example of that and now we just have to keep it going".
With a big stretch of games coming up we'll see how the team fares going down the stretch.