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The hour that I had been eagerly awaiting since this past summer finally arrived Friday night at 8:30 PM: it was time for the puck to drop on the Bruins' 2007-2008 campaign. I had read every season preview, played plenty of games of NHL 08 on PS2, and even been to a preseason game at the Garden. Sure, all of the season previews from major networks (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Hockey News) were predicting the Bruins to finish last in the Eastern Conference, if not last in the entire league. For some reason, I just don't see that happening. I think that this is a team with potential. I am in no way under the impression that this is a Stanley Cup team, but, as I predicted in June, I do think the Bruins will make the playoffs as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. I will stand by that prediction throughout the season, no matter what highs or lows this team may reach.

As for opening night, it's always an exciting time. Even with such pessimism from the media, every team has a chance at the Cup on opening night. The Bruins traveled to the Lone Star State to open their season, the first game in a hellish first road trip (at Dallas, at Phoenix, at Anaheim, at Los Angeles, at San Jose). Dallas has a strong team, and has retained most of the parts of a team that racked up 107 points last season. Marty Turco is consistently strong in net, and Mike Modano shows little sign of slowing down on offense. This was going to be a tough game for the young Bruins, even more so since it was the Stars' first home game of the season. Also, the Stars had the benefit of having a game together under their belt, having lost to Colorado in their first game of the season.

The Bruins lines:

Schaefer-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew
Axelsson-Krejci-Kessel
Lucic-Metropolit-Thornton

Chara-Ward
Alberts-Ference
Stuart-Allen

Fernandez

Defenseman Dennis Wideman and forward Brandon Bochenski were the healthy scratches tonight. I don't argue with the decision to start Fernandez, either. He was a member of the Stars at one point in his career, and faced them frequently with the Minnesota Wild in the past few seasons. The lines looked good to me, as the top 2 lines have a fair amount of explosiveness in them.

The team came out pretty well, but couldn't establish much in the offensive zone. The defense looked strong early, catching the Stars offside frequently and standing them up at the line as well. However, the team began to have some breakdowns, and ended up with some holes on defense that led to Dallas' first goal. For the rest of the game, the team seemed like a reincarnation of last year's squad: messy, undisciplined, and at times, just plain uninspired. There were sparks, however. The team, to the delight of old school Boston hockey fans, showed their willingness to drop the gloves, as there were fights on consecutive plays in the second period, one for newcomer Shawn Thornton, and another for the 19 year old Milan Lucic. They had a great power play to end the second period, where they scored their only goal. It was a great behind the back feed from Peter Schaefer (first point as a Bruin), and Patrice Bergeron only had to #### it into the gaping cage. After that power play, there was plenty of pep in the step of the team, but the Stars, who were seemingly back on their heels, got "saved by the bell", as the period came to a close with the B's down 3-1.

However, even with this revived attack, the B's fell short and seemed to fall back into their shells. The dagger, Dallas' 4th goal, was soft, and never should have happened. I don't usually like to criticize the difficulty of plays, but this goal was a soft one. Sure, Sergei Zubov may have a hard shot, but as an NHL goaltender, Manny Fernandez needs to be able to save a slap shot from the blue line, especially one that he had a clear view of (as there were no screens set) and one that was not deflected. After that, the Bruins were in too much of a hole to dig out, and Dallas had the game under control.

Overall, I thought Fernandez didn't play all too well. A couple of the goals were questionable. He needs to play better if he wants to solidify his hold on the number 1 goaltender spot. Glen Murray and Marco Sturm were nearly invisible, and didn't seem to impact play much at all. Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron, and Phil Kessel played well, and need to continue to do so. Zdeno Chara played pretty well, as he seemed to be willing to hit a little more than last season. I need to see more of an edge from him this season. The biggest guy in the league needs to hit. I loved the willingness of Lucic to drop the gloves. Playing in his first NHL game, he seemed more than ready to play with the big boys, and showed strength on and off the puck as well. Also, for tomorrow night's game, I'd like to see Tim Thomas get the start. If he plays well, expect him to get another start against Anaheim. Until one player establishes himself, I'd say Claude Julien should ride the hot hand.

Tomorrow's game is in the desert, against the Phoenix Coyotes (1-0-0), at 10:00 PM EST.

**I apologize if this blog is a little choppy, I'm watching the Sox game while I write this.

I still think that the NHL has the best playoffs out of any major sport, with baseball probably being close behind. I'm sure I'll be ripped by fans of the NFL and NBA who claim that their playoffs are just as good, if not better. The NFL does sometimes hold my interest when the Patriots aren't involved, but I just cannot get into an NBA playoff game unless the Celtics are playing. With the NHL, I can watch every game, even without a vested interest in either side, and still be very entertained. Last year's Stanley Cup Finals was once of the best series I have ever seen in any playoffs, and most of the other series didn't disappoint either.

 I know at least a little bit about all of the teams in this year's playoffs, and know a lot about some of them too. I don't really have a favorite team this year, but there are some teams that I guess I "wouldn't mind" seeing hoist Lord Stanley in June.

 My favorite teams in this year's playoffs are:

-San Jose Sharks:  I've always liked the Sharks, for reasons that I don't really remember. It probably began when I just liked their cool logo back when they were an expansion team. Now, they have an exciting team, and also have some former Bruins with a guy named Joe and Kyle McLaren. They also have one of the better scorers in the league in Jonathan Cheechoo, an exciting young rookie in Milan Michalek, and a formidable goalie tandem in Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala. They will be strong contenders for the Cup, but they do face a strong first round opponent in the 110 point-Nashville Predators.

 -Calgary Flames: I also don't know why I'm a fan of the Flames. I'm interested in seeing how Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart perform. Also, I loved the passion shown by the Calgary fans in the '03-'04 Stanley Cup Finals loss in seven games to the Lightning. I don't know what it is, but Calgary would be a cool winner, especially because they are an 8-seed out West, and I'm always a fan of the underdog.

-Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks are what I wish the Bruins would be, mainly because of their physical style of play that seems to almost be the norm out West. They have a very strong defensive corps, led by Francois Beauchemin, Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. They also have good offensive weapons in Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz and Rob Niedermayer. Like the Sharks, they also have a strong two-pronged goalie duo with Ilya Bryzgalov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere. They are going to be very tough to beat out West.

I don't think it's any coincidence that no teams from the East are among my favorites, simply because they are all frequent opponents of the Bruins. I'd jump on the Pittsburgh bandwagon, because a Stanley Cup victory by Sidney Crosby's Penguins would be a huge marketing boost for the NHL, but I think that enough of the national sports media has climbed on the bandwagon, and it might be a little full.

Let's take a look at each series in the first round, with the predictions for each at the end in bold. Since I'm writing this after all of the series are in full swing, the current series records are in parentheses after the team names.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

 1. Buffalo Sabres vs 8. New York Islanders (Series tied 1-1)- This seems like it would be a completely one-sided series, since the Sabres have been amongst the best teams in the league all year. I wouldn't mind seeing the Sabres go down, mainly because Daniel Briere is my least favorite player in the league. The Islanders entered the playoffs in probably the coolest way possible (and eliminated the hated Leafs in the process) by winning a shootout against the New Jersey Devils. They have been riding the hot hand of Wade Dubielewicz, and got a solid performance from Rick DiPietro in his first game back in game 2. However, even with my overall distaste for the Sabres, I can't deny the amount of weapons they have as a team, and think they will prevail in the end. Sabres in 6 games.

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2. New Jersey Devils vs 7. Tampa Bay Lightning (Series tied 1-1)- This is a great match-up, with two of the league's top five scorers in Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis of the Lightning facing off against one of the greatest goalies in history in Martin Brodeur. The Devils have been playing really well all year, and even made a run at the Sabres for best record in the East towards the end of the year. I can't pick against solid goaltending, so I think the Devils will come out on top. Devils in 6 games.

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3. Atlanta Thrashers vs 6. New York Rangers (Rangers up 2-0)- This seemed like it would be a really close series, with both teams playing really well down the stretch to secure a playoff berth. The Rangers were on the verge of being out of it, then went on a tear and moved all the way up to sixth place. The Thrashers seemed rejuvenated with the arrival of Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik. However, after the first 2 games, the Rangers seem like they have the series under control. They took the first two games on the road in Atlanta, and are now firmly in control of the series, and I can't really see them losing control. Atlanta will take one, but the Rangers will take the series. Rangers in 5 games.

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4. Ottawa Senators vs 5. Pittsburgh Penguins (Ottawa up 2-1)- This is the series that everyone is watching. The Senators have been perennial playoff disappointments, and the Penguins have been the league's darlings all year. Everyone wants Sidney Crosby's team to succeed. To his credit, his team has had an amazing turn around, one of the top 5 point turn-arounds season to season in NHL history. They have a great group of players in Crosby, Colby Armstrong, Sergei Gonchar, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and a great young goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury. The Senators have a strong team as well, with Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and the always-entertaining Ray Emery in net. This series is going to be a dogfight, but I think the Senators will be able to pull it out. Senators in 7 games.

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Detroit Red Wings vs 8. Calgary Flames (Detroit up 2-0)- Detroit has been a quiet success, not receiving much media attention while accumulating 113 points and tying Buffalo for the most wins at 53. Calgary snuck in as the 8 seed, squeezing in ahead of the surging Colorado Avalanche. Detroit still has a ton of talent, and the steady playoff hand of Dominik Hasek in net. Calgary also has talent, with plenty of toughness as well in Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regher. They also have one of the best goalies in the league between the pipes in Miikka Kiprusoff. After losing the first two games in Detroit, I think Calgary will be able to take at least one of the next two at home on the Red Mile. Even so, Detroit is too good to blow this series lead. They have been dominating this series so far, outshooting the Flames 97-35 in the first two games, and will be able to close it out without much of an issue. Detroit in 5 games.

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2. Anaheim Ducks vs 7. Minnesota Wild (Anaheim up 2-0)- When Minnesota came to Boston in early March, I was surprised to hear that they were in solid playoff standing, simply because I hadn't heard much about them. They are a good young team, led by Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston, and have pretty solid goaltending with Manny Fernandez and Niklas Backstrom. Even so, I don't think there is a chance for the Wild to win this series. They may sneak one in at home in front of those rabid Minnesota hockey fans at the Excel Center, but the Ducks will win the series. Anaheim in 5 games.

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3. Vancouver Canucks vs 6. Dallas Stars (Vancouver up 2-1)- Before even getting into who has the advantage in this series, I have to say that game 1 between these two teams pretty much captured what is so great about playoff hockey. FOUR overtimes! That's nearly 140 minutes of full tilt, pedal to the metal, playoff intensity hockey. Vancouver had 3 players with more than 50 minutes of ice time (Mattias Ohlund, Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa), and Dallas had 2 (Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher). Zubov led all players in ice time at 55:08. That's nearly 56 minutes on the ice, which is almost a full game. Roberto Luongo made 72 saves in his first career playoff game. SEVENTY-TWO!!! An amazing game, one that I wish I had been able to watch but couldn't due to Versus not being offered on my dorm's TV. Either way, I read stories and saw highlights, and this game was everything that the playoffs should be. As far as the actual series goes, it should be a good one. Vancouver has been quietly fantastic all year, as has Dallas. Both teams have solid goaltenders in Luongo and the Stars' Marty Turco, and both also have proven scorers in Dallas' Mike Modano and Vancouver's Markus Naslund. This should be a great series, though it may seem like a let-down after such a thriller in game one. I think Roberto Luongo will be the difference maker. If he can continue to play as well as he has (and I think he will), the Canucks will be able to hold of Dallas. This series does have the potential to go the distance, especially after another overtime game in game 3, but Vancouver will prevail. Vancouver in 6 games.

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4. Nashville Predators vs 5. San Jose Sharks (Series Tied 1-1)- This series, when I looked at the seedings, really surprised me. Nashville with 110 points at number 4, and San Jose with 107 points at number 5? Both of these teams are very talented, and are only numbers 4 and 5 respectively because of who else is in their division (Detroit for Nashville and Anaheim for San Jose). This is probably going to be the best series of the playoffs, and it's hard to decide which way to go. In the end, the duo of Toskala and Nabokov could prove too much for Paul Kariya, Peter Forsberg and the Preds. San Jose in 7 games.

So there you have it, playoff predictions just a week late...

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No blog post is complete without Bruins news or thoughts, and this one is no excuse. Here are some "quick hits" from the Bruins.

• The Bruins took a lot of grief all year from Toronto and Montreal fans, so one can imagine my happiness as both teams were eliminated from the playoffs in the last two games of the season. So what did these two teams gain by being "this close" to the playoffs? Nothing. They are still taking an extended summer vacation, and are actually worse off than the Bruins are, since they are now picking further down in the draft. Taking joy in others' misfortunes isn't usually an admirable thing do to, but rules are out the window when dealing the Toronto and Montreal.
• In looking at the above playoff predictions, one thing stands out. A lot of the elite teams have 2 dependable goalies, and their success isn't just a coincidence. The Bruins have a wealth of goaltenders in their system, and just need to figure out what their plan is for the future. In talking with my brother the other night about this team, the tough position that this team is in came to light. They showed flashes of excellence this season when Tim Thomas was on his game, and he can be a solid goalie. However, the team is in a bind as to what to do next. Should they bail on Toivonen and bring in a Toskala, Nabokov or Giguere? The sticky situation gets worse when thinking about how young Hannu is, and a team never wants to give up on a young player who has shown so much talent at times. He just needs a little more experience and more development. Also, bringing in a high-caliber goalie would probably delay the NHL arrival of the "Chosen One", Tuukka Rask. Even this has a catch though, as Rask is going to need some time. He is likely going to spend all of next season in Providence, then see where he is headed after that. Should the team really base the next 2 years (at least) on the possibility that Rask will be the goalie of the future? By all accounts, Rask will be great. He is already near the top (if not the number one) goalie prospect in the world, but it's never good to put that much pressure on such a young kid. My opinion? Do nothing. Keep Thomas and Toivonen, let them play 1-2 next year, and let Dave Lewis ride the hot hand in 2007-2008. This team's problem last year was both inconsistence and defense. If the defense can be shored up with a small trade or free-agent signing, that would be the best solution. Toivonen and Thomas can do the job, and if Toivonen steadies his game, Bruins could be looking a Finnish-tandem of Toivonen and Rask a few years down the road.
• In watching "The Bricks", Andy Brickley's end of season awards show for the Bruins that highlighted the best plays of the year, it became apparent that this team's offense really fell apart with the loss of Glen Murray. The flak that this guy gets is puzzling. Sure, he's not that young, but he's also no Chris Chelios. He had 28 goals in 59 games, missing a bulk of the end of the year due to injury. As the show showed highlights of the great goals of the season, the Bruins' power play worked like clockwork at times. Pass from Bergeron to Chara, Chara to Savard, Savard back across to Bergeron, Bergeron across to Murray in the slot, Murray into the back of the net. Bing, ####, boom. This is why the "TRADE MURRAY!" complaints are so puzzling. He is one of the key cogs to this offense, probably second only to Marc Savard's amazing playmaking ability. Sure he may be getting up there, and he does have a pretty large contract, but he's still a pure scorer and a great player.
• Dave Lewis' job has been all but secured for at least the START of next season, and I'm really not disappointed. I think he deserves another shot, considering he was as new with his players as they were with him. If he doesn't start off well next year though, Chiarelli won't hesitate to let him go. If next October is as sluggish as October '06, Dave Lewis will be looking for a new job.
• Please, please, please, please, PLEASE don't trade Patrice Bergeron. This came up in an article by Kevin Paul Dupont in the Boston Globe a few weeks ago. Dupont said that if a trade was to be proposed to San Jose for Nabokov, a Murray/Toivonen package would no longer cut it due to Murray's injury, and Dupont then elaborated, saying that Sharks GM Doug Wilson would probably ask for Patrice Bergeron instead. If this trade happened, it would push me away from the Bruins probably for good. I don't think Chiarelli is this rash or, to put it bluntly, this stupid, but I felt like it needed to be said.

Since the Bruins' scene isn't exactly something I'd like to pay much attention to until the Montreal game after Saturday's debacle, I thought I'd write something on a hockey incident that I came across on TSN today. It happened Saturday in a game at Nashville between the Predators and the Dallas Stars. Jordin Tootoo, who apparently has a reputation as a dirty player (any Nashville fans who can vouch for that?), laid a huge, but seemingly clean, hit on Stars' alternate captain Mike Modano. Stephane Robidas, a defenseman for the Stars was closest to the play and immediately came to the defense of his teammate. So far nothing special: a big hit prompts a reaction from a teammate. However, as Robidas charged in on Tootoo (who was still getting off his knees after laying Modano out), Tootoo saw him coming and quickly threw out a straight right hand, knocking Robidas on his back and seemingly out cold. This of course immediately sparked a gathering of every player on the ice, as Stars' G Marty Turco even went over and approached Tootoo. Since that description may be a little unclear, here's a YouTube link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWw_
VrQiSMU

Bob McKenzie, a TSN columnist, wrote about the incident and whether or not Tootoo sucker punched Robidas. McKenzie seems to be a little bit undecided on the subject, and I tend to agree with him. The first time I saw the replay, I thought there was nothing wrong with it and that it was self defense, and he just caught Robidas in the wrong place. However, after seeing it a few more times, it seems clear that Tootoo saw Robidas coming, turned, and threw out a wicked right hand. Either way, Tootoo definitely could have reacted differently. Most players in the NHL know that if you throw a huge hit, your probably going to get hit back, and Tootoo may have just reacted instinctively and, understandably, in his best interest.

I have to put some of the blame on Modano also, simply because he exacerbated the situation. Tootoo'#### was, in my opinion, a clean hit. He was finishing his check, and hit Modano right after he released the puck for a pass. Modano then got up and immediately went after Tootoo when as a seasoned veteran who recently scored his 500th goal, he could have handled the big hit more calmly. In any case, it will be interesting to see how the NHL reacts, as Tootoo will most likely be suspended. Robidas was taken off on a stretcher, so he deserves best wises for a speedy recovery as well.