If you hear someone saying the Bruins are going to be implementing an entirely new on-ice system this season, you can safely assume: 1) That person knows little about hockey; and 2) has no idea what a system is.

At times this offseason it’s almost seemed as though Bruins coach Claude Julien’s critics had the idea that the only reason he wasn’t dismissed along with general manager Peter Chiarelli was he agreed to drastically change how the team plays — to make the B’s, what, more like the run-and-gun Tampa Bay Lightning?

As if a coach can just snap his fingers and change the identity of a team.

Many folks who don’t really understand this sport seem to imagine that it is tremendously complex and technical, with NFL-like X’s and O’s beyond the comprehension of ordinary fans.

In truth, hockey is a fairly simple game, yes, with detailed on-ice assignments and patterns of play — but more importantly, fundamental guiding principles.

It’s fair to say Julien will ask his players to bring more speed and quick puck movement to their game — but not that the coach is going to be re-inventing Bruins hockey.

“You know what? You guys (the press) are talking too much about how we’re going to change the game here,” said Bruins center David Krejci yesterday after the first full-squad practice of training camp.

“It’s just little tweaks here and there. There’s not much to it. Just a little quicker pace to our game and use your hockey sense. Be smart out there. Don’t just go running up and down the ice.

“I think we’re still a pretty good hockey team. We missed the playoffs, but not by much, last year. We don’t want to change our game completely. But we also feel we have to have a little bit quicker pace. Our first practice here (yesterday), we worked on it.”

Indeed, a key component for the three B’s groups on the ice at the Garden was a basic breakout pattern that looked new. Basically, one defenseman passed the puck D-to-D behind the net, the second defenseman quickly moved the puck up the boards to the winger and the forwards skated fast up the ice.

And then there was the added element — dramatic drum roll — that first defenseman skated fast up the middle to join the forwards on the rush. The idea? To attack so quickly, it produces a 4-on-3.

A major change for the Bruins? Well, no, not if you watched Torey Krug do it throughout last season. But trying to add speed and the added threat from the blueliners is now a basic part of the NHL game plan for most teams.

Is the new wrinkle going to transform the Bruins into a more productive team than the one that generated only 213 goals last season? It probably won’t hurt — as long as the team doesn’t sacrifice sound defensive-zone play to launch their sprints up ice.

Indeed, again and again at practice, Julien was heard admonishing his guys, “You don’t want to be leaving (the defensive zone) too early.”

As has always been the case, the players have to figure out for themselves when to go and when to keep playing defense. Maybe if the team had forwards like Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov they could fly into the attack on every shift.

But they do not. And while a more up-tempo approach will be on display at the Garden, it’s not likely to become the defining characteristic of this team.

““Like I said, we’re a good hockey team,” said Krejci. “We have to play well defensively — and then, once we get the puck, play with a quicker pace. And just use our hockey sense, as well. It’s not just about skating up and down as fast as you can. You have to be playing smart and quick.”

Loui Eriksson said the alterations should make the Bruins’ style more like the way he played for seven years in Dallas.

“For sure we’re going to get more speed into our game,” said Eriksson. “That’s how I played all the years in Dallas. It’s a good system and hopefully we can figure it out and play it good as a team. It’s going to be a little bit more fun for the forwards to get more speed. And for the defensemen, if they can join us, it will be hard to defend us.

“We’ll see how good we get at it. Hopefully we can show that we can play with a little bit more speed and get some chances on the rushes. It’s all about learning it and feeling good about it.”