Happy Holidays and a Happy, Healthy New Year to all of the readers out there!
As you can see if you read this blog, I fell very far behind in these game blogs. I've realized that there are plenty of places to read a game story, and that a FoxSports blog is probably not the first place one would look. I'm still going to comment on most of the games, just in less o####ame report fashion.
Since that last post on the December 20th game against Pittsburgh, the Bruins have fallen on rough times indeed. At that point, the Bruins sat in 4th place in the Eastern Conference, and were within reasonable striking distance of the first place Ottawa Senators. However, since scraping a point out of that Penguins contest, the B's lost to the Blues at home, the Pens in Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes in Raleigh, were destroyed by the Thrashers in Atlanta, and won a good game against those same Thrashers on New Year's Eve. Also, before that OTL on the 20th, the B's had lost at home to the Senators. So what does that all mean? It means that the Bs went from fourth place in the conference to being tied for tenth before Monday afternoon's game by going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. Currently, the B's are tied for seventh in the conference with 42 points (same as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders), and have fallen to third place in the Northeast division, 3 points behind second place Montreal and a whopping 12 behind the Senators. To make matters worse, the B's have yet to beat Montreal or Ottawa this season in six tries.
Maybe, but Monday's win certainly was encouraging. After falling behind 2-0 early, the Bruins scored 5 straight goals to avoid another embarrassment at the hands of the Thrashers. The team showed some resiliency after falling behind early, and really dominated the second and third periods of that game. I consider tomorrow a must win against the Caps here at home, simply because the Caps are in 14th place, and this is a game the Bruins should win.
(On a historical note, Dennis Wideman scored the Bruins' franchise's 18,000th goal, the first of the game on Monday. They are the second team to reach that milestone, with Montreal being the first.)
What's the deal with this trade? Hard to say, really. The B's added another defenseman, filling a void after Aaron Ward has been hurt, as has Andrew Ference. The B's defense has been their strong point, and they faltered when their d-men got hurt as of late. Hnidy also brings a physical and intimidating presence to the ice, making the B's a bit tougher of a team overall.
Why did Bochenski have to go? A few different reasons, really. He wasn't fitting in here, and wasn't really playing well (when he was even playing). He didn't seem to fit in Claude Julien's system, and didn't really show many flashes of that offensive firepower he showed towards the end of last year when he came from Chicago in exchange for Kris Versteeg. To put it plainly, he wasn't doing what the B's needed from him, and Anaheim must have expressed an interest in him. Best of luck to Bochenski in Anaheim. Let's hope he's not another former Bruins who goes out West and revives his career. Who could that be?
All in all, this is really meant to be a "get caught up to now" post. Nothing too detailed, nothing too in depth. Right now, the B's find themselves in a tough spot, needing to stick it out through these difficult times, or they risk seeing their great start fall through the cracks.
In the spirit of the New Year, here are some resolutions for some Bruins players:
Chuck Kobasew: Keep up the good work! Kobasew has been the Bruins most consistent offensive player this season, and is making the Brad Stuart trade seem pretty lopsided at this point. Before Milan Lucic added a goal in the closing seconds last time out against Ottawa, Kobasew had been the only Bruin to score this year against the Sens. He has shown toughness, determination, and a great work ethic. Hopefully he can keep it up, as he seems to be on pace for a career year, which the Bruins would certainly appreciate.
Marco Sturm: Wake Up! Sturm has fallen off the map as of late, and at the worst possible time. The B's need offense desperately, and with Glen Murray out for an unknown amount of time, Sturm can't afford to get cold now.
(For evidence of how intense Sturm is, check out this picture...of a table tennis game. And no, this isn't sarcastic at all. Have a look.)
Phil Kessel: Keep on keepin' on! Kessel is a great talent, and cannot get down on himself. After a lackluster effort (in Julien's eyes) against the Penguins, Kessel suffered what may have been the first benching of his entire hockey career. He didn't take it too well, but did seem to respond the next time out. He worked hard on both ends, and scored a goal in the third period. Kessel is the future of the B's, and can't let all of the doubters who cited his bad attitude be proved correct. These past few weeks could prove to be little more than growing pains for Kessel, who should be on his way to becoming an NHL star very soon.
Tim Thomas: Calm down! Any Bruins fan who has watched this team over the past few years knows that Tim Thomas has made some highlightreelsaves. However, an educated fan knows that many of these saves are necessary because Thomas finds himself horribly out of position at times. One of the reasons for his early season success was that he was a lot more sturdy in the net, and didn't find himself flopping around at all. Why is that? Some say it is his increased strength, others say yoga helped him. Either way, he has looked a little flustered out there in recent efforts, and needs to get back to keeping it simple, and stopping one shot at a time.
Peter Chiarelli- Look to the future! Chiarelli is on the hot seat, and is, in all likelihood, done if the B's don't make the playoffs this season. One of the things that bothers me about this is that he is almost like a GM with nothing to lose, willing to sell the farm to make it now. Barring a major Brad Richards/Martin St. Louis/Vincent Lecavalier/Marian Hossa level trade, this Bruins team isn't one that is going to be a Stanley Cup favorite. It is going to take another year or two, and the B's have one of the stronger farm teams in the league. Be patient (and the same goes for the Jacobs family in regards to firing Chiarelli), and the B's youngsters times will come.
That's enough Bruins writing for tonight. Let's hope the B's can get back on the winning track with their second straight tomorrow night against Alexander Ovechkin and Co.
Thanks for stopping by, and please feel free to leave comments on this format change or on anything above.
While I hadn't realized the eerie similarities between these past two seasons, I don't think I'll take Dupont's doomsday approach. He seems to smell a giant collapse coming, while I won't go that far. This team certainly is in trouble, as they cannot seem to string together much offense on a nightly basis. Their defense is strong, but they sometimes rely too much on defense, and let offense fall by the wayside. The team needs some offensive help, that much is certain. Where has Peter Schaefer been? Marco Sturm? Glen Murray, one of the hottest scorers as of late, has fallen off of the map as well. The B's need these guys to step up, and better pray that Chuck Kobasew and Marc Savard continue to produce. If not, it'll be "deja vu all over again".
As far as this game goes, the B's looked OK, but seemed to be one step behind the Sens all night. The 4 minute power play was the nail in the coffin, and the B's actually did a fairly respectable job killing it. However, it takes a lot more energy to kill a penalty than to run a power-play, and eventually, something's got to give. In this case, it was a goal for the Senators' Jason Spezza, who got two chances to smack it home after a laser of a pass from Daniel Alfredsson.
Alex Auld didn't play all that poorly, either, though he will likely get a rest against the Penguins on Thursday. The 3rd goal came as he had lost his stick in a desperate dive to cover the puck, trying to get the B's a much needed line change. Who knows, if he has his stick, maybe he can poke check the puck before Spezza gets that second whack at it. The first goal was a rocket from about 10 feet away, with the puck on edge. No goalie can be faulted for not stopping a 90 mile an hour knucklepuck. The middle goal may have some room for blame, as Auld got himself out of position, allowing Luke Richardson the easy tap-in. Overall, however, Auld made some spectacular saves and was generally solid. However, with Tim Thomas healthy again, it appears that the dream-run of Auld the Bald may be on hold for a while.
Other than that, what else can be said? This was a disappointing showing all around: the defense was lacking, the offense was, to say the VERY least, lacking, and the goaltending was less than stellar. A lackluster effort isn't going to get the job done against the defending Eastern Conference champions. It's back to the drawing board for the B's, who must now look for new ways to produce goals while staying strong defensively.
If not, it could be (as it continues to snow here in Boston) another loooooooooooooooong winter.
GOALS
Boston- Chuck Kobasew (13), Milan Lucic (3)
Ottawa- Jason Spezza (9,10), Luke Richardson (1)
SAVES
Boston- Alex Auld, 24 saves on 27 shots
Ottawa- Martin Gerber, 26 saves on 28 shots
NEXT GAME: Thursday, December 20 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 PM EST
If you read my game story below, you may have noticed that
I left out the Andrew Alberts incident. This was done intentionally, as I think
it deserves its own post. The Flyers need to be disciplined. They aren't
playing gritty hockey, they are playing dangerous and stupid hockey. One bad
his is an incident. Two can be a coincidence. Three? Four? All in the same
season? Something's wrong. The Flyers slogan this year is "Back with a
Vengeance". Back to what? These aren't the Broad Street Bullies, intimidating
teams with clean hits and hockey fights. These are the Broad Street Felons,
laying people out with dirty hit after dirty hit, seemingly without any fear of
retribution. People say that it's not the coach's fault, not the GM's fault,
it's all on the players. ####. You mean to tell me the coach has no impact
on his team's style of play? Bruins fans know to the contrary all too well, as
we suffered through the Dave Lewis Era getting pushed around game after game
because we had a coach who discouraged physical play. Maybe it is on the
players, who knows. But if you fine the coach, you better believe that he's
going to get the message across to his players.
I'm all for physical play and fighting in hockey. I think the sport needs
hitting to bring back old fans jaded by years of clutch and grab play and by
the Lockout. But there's a fine line between Old Time Hockey and straight
goonery.
This one can
be argued as a hit, but Downie shouldn't have left his feet. There's some
argument there.
For those Philly fans who will undoubtedly have a beef with this, I'll admit
that the Jones hit was a collision of bad circumstances, and wasn't a case of
bad intent. Downie, however, could have hit McAmmond pretty well without
leaving his feet. Boulerice's is completely ridiculous, and I'd love to see
anyone try to logically defensible. So is tonight'####. I'd love to hear the
Philly fans blame this one on Alberts. He was on his knees to block a dump in
attempt, and cleared the puck. Hartnell blatantly cheapshotted him, crushing
Alberts head off of the dasher with his hip. What was the point? Alberts didn't
have the puck anymore, and Hartnell made ZERO attempt to let up. He's going to
get suspended, and may finally get Philly the punishment they deserve.
I'm all for Old Time Hockey, but as Butch Stearns just said on Fox25,
"Hockey's a rough sport, but there's no room for cheap shots."
Looking to avoid losing back to back games to the Senators, the Bruins put forth another decent effort. This time, part of the blame for the loss lies on the B's themselves, not a better effort by the other team. They took an early lead on a goal by Chuck Kobasew in the first period, and seemed to be controlling play fairly well. The lead held until the third period, when the B's gave up a shorthanded goal in a scene that must have felt eerily familiar to B's fans (hint: see last season, where shorthanded goals were often a nightly thing). The B's never really recovered from this, and neither team came all that close to scoring for the rest of the game or in overtime.
In the shootout, Tim Thomas got beaten by two straight Senators, on two nice moves. Down the other end, Martin Gerber did his job, making a fantastic save on Phil Kessel to end the game before the Sens even got to their third shooter.
Tim Thomas continues to play excellent in net, but he isn't getting much offensive help. He "only" faced 36 shots tonight (that "only" is compared to the barrage he faced Saturday night), and held his ground on all but one of them. The B's need to tighten up defensively and get more going on offense, or Thomas' play is going to end up being all for naught.
GOALS:
u>Boston- Chuck Kobasew (6)
Ottawa- Antoine Vermette (3)
SAVES:
Boston- Tim Thomas, 35 saves on 36 shots
Ottawa- Martin Gerber, 21 saves on 22 shots
NEXT GAME: Thursday, November 8 vs. Montreal, 7:30 PM EST
The Bruins traveled to Ottawa for the first time this season to face the NHL's best team in the first game of a home and home series. This was a series that I figured the Bruins could use as a benchmark, to see how good their team really is or isn't. I must admit I was skeptical that they could beat this team, as Ottawa has looked like a true juggernaut early this season, even without Ray Emery in net.
They stuck with the Sens through the early part of the game, and even took a 2-1 lead in the second, mostly due to the play of Tim Thomas. However, as usually happens, the better team distanced itself, this time with special teams. The Bruins took six penalties in the second and third periods, leading to the two Ottawa goals that cost them the game. The Senators, on the other hand, only had one penalty in the same span.
It was promising to see this team hang with the Sens, but they can't be content just to be in the same arena as them. Hopefully, the B's will come out with a similar effort tomorrow, and if they're more disciplined, perhaps they can pull out a victory.
GOALS:
Boston- Chuck Kobasew (4,5)
Ottawa- Mike Fisher (4,5), Dany Heatley (8)
SAVES:
Boston- Tim Thomas, 42 saves on 45 shots
Ottawa- Martin Gerber, 17 saves on 19 shots
NEXT GAME: Sunday, November 4 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7:00 PM EST
After going 8 for 8 in the first round (though I will concede I made those picks with a late start), it's time for the predictions and thoughts for the second round of what have already been great games in the NHL Playoffs. The first round is always the easiest to pick, as the higher seed won all but 2 series (San Jose and New York Rangers). The second round match-ups should be great ones, and if the first round is any indication, hockey fans are in for as good a playoffs as we saw last season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Buffalo Sabres vs 6. New York Rangers (Season series: Buffalo, 3-1)- Buffalo took care of business in the first round, dispatching the Islanders in 5 games. As the 1 seed, this isn't much of an accomplishment, more like the fulfillment of an expectation. Either way, the Sabres looked strong in the first round, and it appears certain that their 113 point season was no fluke. The Rangers, on the other hand, are coming off an impressive sweep of the Southeast Conference champion Atlanta Thrashers, including a 7-0 beating in game 3. The series win helped the Rangers get the #### off their back of having not won a playoff series since 1997, and certainly cemented the confidence of the team. This should be a great match-up, and it's hard to pick which way it will go. It'll be interesting to see if Sean Avery makes good on his promise to "hurt" the Sabres, or if it just further motivates the talented Buffalo group. For whatever reason, I feel like the Rangers may have the edge in this series, and may be on enough of a rule to sneak past the Sabres. Rangers in 6.
2. New Jersey Devils vs 4. Ottawa Senators (Season series: New Jersey, 3-1)- Ottawa disappointed the national media in dismissing the Penguins, and in doing so sending home the biggest star in the league, but Pittsburgh was simply too young and Ottawa too talented for that series to go any other way. The Devils came back strong to beat the Lightning, winning in 6 after falling behind 2-1. An area of concern for Devils fans is, surprisingly enough, goaltending, as Brodeur has at times been inconsistent this postseason. After watching game 6 however, I think it's safe to say he may be back. He turned back shot after shot in Tampa's last gasp rush at the end of the 3rd, and looked like the goaltender he really is. Also, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Patrik Elias began to produce near the end of the series, which is a big bonus for the Devils. Ray Emery has played well for the Sens, and they need him to keep playing well to have the best chance to win. It'll be close, but I think the Senators will expose the Devils and take the series. Senators in 7.
1. Detroit Red Wings vs 5. San Jose Sharks (Season series: San Jose, 3-1)- This should be a fantastic series, even if the seedings make it seem a little uneven. Detroit took care of their "number 1 seed" business in the first round, holding off the Flames after a late charge by Calgary. The Sharks impressively dispatched the Predators in 5 games, and looked good doing it. Evgeni Nabokov continues to play well in the playoffs, and Dominik Hasek was a little unsteady against Calgary. I'd give the goaltending advantage to San Jose, but the offensive firepower is pretty even. Detroit is under a lot of pressure, or should be anyways, after a few disappointing playoffs in a row, especially considering last season's series defeat at the hands of Edmonton. Even with the home ice advantage, Detroit won't be able to hold off San Jose's offensive onslaught and will be sent home early again his summer. San Jose in 6.
2. Anaheim Ducks vs 3. Vancouver Canucks (Season series: Anaheim, 3-1)- These two teams are coming off two completely different series. Anaheim easily sent Minnesota home, winning their series in 5 games. Vancouver, on the other hand, finally beat the Stars in a marathon of a series, especially considering the length of the first game of that series. Anaheim has been a Cup favorite since the beginning of the season, and they have done little to show that they don't deserve such recognition. They are a force to be reckoned with, and will give the Canucks more than they can handle. Even with the way Roberto Luongo has been playing, the Ducks will be able to outlast the Canucks. I think it will go 7, but the Ducks will prevail in the end. Ducks in 7.
So there you have it. These picks are a lot less confident than my first round selections, but we'll have to wait and see. Feel free to leave any comments or your picks too.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
So much for quick hits, but there is always plenty to say about this Bruins. I'll be keeping up with the NHL playoffs with more predictions for the second round, and will also do some posting on the Red Sox. Stay tuned for more updates...
I'm a 20 year old kid from Dorchester, MA, who one day hopes to be a sportswriter for a big time newspaper, and figure this is a good place to start. I'm in college at Suffolk in downtown Boston now, and it's awesome. I love all sports, with the Bruins and Red Sox being my favorite teams, thought I'm also a big Patriots and Celtics fan. I think it's ridiculous how no one in this town cares about the Bruins anymore. I like college sports too, no particular teams, especially any big bowl games and March Madness. I hate fairweather fans, especially everyone who jumped on the Sox bandwagon in 2004. The "pink hats" and "OMG Varitek's so hot!!" drive me crazy, just like anyone else who's a real baseball fan. Pick a team, know the players, stay loyal and be a real fan- in good times and in bad.
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.
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, 
