NHL Rant vs. Reality #1 – “It’s Tuukka Time!”

Rant: Bruins fans! Let’s face facts. We drove Tim Thomas out of Boston. We the Northeast Liberal elite, the Bruins fans of young and old and the NHL and its presidential appeasement disguised as some custom to remain relevant. Relevant where? Within a society and economy which Tim himself believes is leading itself into a canned food depression, where the only thing we will have left to depend on is hunting bear for warmth and meat, and learning the ways of the crossbow? We will have to face ourselves when Chicken Little is proven right, and the sky falls down upon us, and he is made president, and in a strange twist of fate, the survived, bunker ridden Tim Thomas goes to visit him at the White House with S. Truett Cathy from Chic-fil-a, and just as he’s about to shake his hand, he chops his head off, Cathy cooks him up and he eats him. Every night within our dreams we will watch Tim Thomas catching pieces of the Copernicus-like foul in his thick playoff beard, and that blood will be on our hands…or…

Reality: We can thank the man for our Stanley Cup and declare as a black and gold collective, “It’s Tuukka Time!”. There remains no risk with Rask. The Bruins will win the Eastern Conference uncontested with Tuukka in goal. Also, with a solid defense and multiple generations of young talent, there is no reason he can’t take home his first Vezina…

Boston is Again a Hockey Town

No words can recreate the emotion I have just felt and will feel, in any literary sense. The level of fandom relief, joy and triumph felt within my house, my room and my heart hangs only within the final seconds, after what felt like an eternity, and will remain timeless within those seconds forever. I am left speechless, having given no concrete opinions or predictions since the beginning of the 2010/11 season. I will remain forever speechless, and forever privileged to have been a fan of these Boston Bruins. Heart prevailed over skill. Respect prevailed over statistics. The Bruins prevailed over the entire NHL, and are now Stanley Cup champions. Boston is again a hockey town.

Read below, dated January 23, 2011.

http://ntcf.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/the-bruins-will-win-the-stanley-cup-2010-11-season/

 

Bruins vs. Canucks (The 2010-11 Stanley Cup Finals)

The Boston Bruins in my concious lifetime as a fan have never won a bigger game than that of Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, at the Garden, on May 27, 2011. A one to nothing shutout which will go down as the greatest Game 7 I have had the privilege of being apart of. I repeated a mantra in my head throughout the game, preparing myself for defeat, not in a pessimistic way, but as a defensive Bruins fan, who has watched this team avidly for fourteen years. I have done so all season, in fact, in situations where my mouth screams out contesting their mistakes, but my head remains scared and impatient. I have called for the Cup all season, staking claim that they will succeed on the skates and pads of the eventual Vezina Trophy winning goaltender. I praised their offseason and mid-season lineup adjustments and made it known that Julien’s structured defensive system, without a superstar goal scorer, would lead them to victory none the less, promoting a level of skill achieved only by heart and resilience. During Game 7 I hinted towards my fear by claiming that win or lose, if they left it all out there, a loss would be easier to overcome. I claimed that if it had to be anyone out of the East, I prefer it be the Lightning, because they have that rare combination of heart, skill and respect, that I see in only a handful of other teams in this league. The Bruins are one of those teams. The Canucks, are one of those teams.

 There are no keys to winning a Stanley Cup final. There are strategies and they will skate hard in practice and pinpoint who to shut down, when to commit, when to take shots, take hits, make plays, and ultimately overshadow the Vancouver powerhouse, and solve Luongo. This will all be talked about, and hockey analysts will have a field day breaking it down, stride by stride, game by game, and look back and say we were wrong or we were right. No one has a clue what team will show up for each city in any given game, or who will be the eventual hero. At this point, having muddled through personal and team rivalries, overcoming the demons from last year in near poetic fashion, and out skating their opponent in what was the most evenly matched series to date, in the 2010-11 playoffs, the Bruins have nothing left to do but play hockey. Win or lose each game, they are as prepared as they can be, and if they needed more or if they deserve to win it all, it will show on the ice.

Nothing to be said anymore of Nathan Horton, and the surprising level of tenacity and skill he showed throughout the year, and this playoff season. Nothing to be said of Tyler Seguin, and an oppurtunity seizing performance in the Lightning series, which will go down in Bruins lore in the years to come. Since that first day when they both stood side by side, garnering the black and gold for the first time, numbers 19 and 18 in succession, Bruins upper management and all of Bruins fandom looked at them to play like Bruins, maintain the respect this franchise brings to the NHL, and leave it all on the ice. They both earned the right to play on this team, and earned the right to play for the Cup. Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly became that hidden depth, imperative to winning playoffs series, and with Michael Ryder forcing me to chew my own words, and all three of them playing cohesive and strong, Chiarelli and Neely can only sit back now, admittedly having put together the best team they new enough to realize; a well-oiled machine of fore-checkers, puck controllers, and who knew it, goal scorers.

Nothing to be said for who their number one goalie is.

Nothing to be said until the Cup is lifted.

The matchup for now reads that the two best goaltenders in the NHL will go head to head, while the best powerplay, meets the worst, and the “scrappiest” offense meets the most structured. The game will be won, not in the neutral zone, or down low, but all over the ice. The Bruins will need to win the entire rink, because the Sedin twins, Burrows and Kessler will be everywhere. This isn’t an Eastern Conference Team, and there is no Bruins edge, coming off of a Game 7 win. This is Vancouver’s year to win the Cup, and the Bruins year to take it from them.

John Daly Will Save the PGA Tour

There was once a time when I argued until I was blue in the face, that golf was in fact, a sport. I argued until I was beat red, that Tiger Woods was the world’s greatest athlete. I have since lost momentum towards these arguments, in the stained sheets and egos of infidelity and public shame. No man with a title of “the greatest athlete in the world” can also openly admit to having cheated on a Swedish supermodel; if anything you cheat on whatever you have at home, with a Swedish supermodel, and when that news comes out, your greatness remains intact. That being said, golf quickly lost its cool, when Tiger Woods lost his wife and home life. A sport once dominated by one name, now spread evenly across a mediocre field, quote unquote athletes, with no house hold names to carry, no ESPN face time, and no universal, societal acceptance. I commit than, wholeheartedly, as a sports fan, and more assuredly than ever before, to the argument that Tiger Woods was not my favorite golfer to watch, follow, or root for. That man, the man that carried me through the hard times of being a golfer, a golf fan, a sports fan, and a young man growing up in a shameful society of fornicators and abusers, is Mr. John Daly. John Daly has explored the boundaries of what it means to be a gentleman and with every swing, explores the boundaries of his golf pants. He has pushed the limits of civility, while fluctuating more moods and sizes than a bloating middle aged women going through menopause. John Daly has lived through every mid-life crisis stereotype, divorced every stereotypical country girl he could lay his clubs on, and did it all while consistently driving over 300 yards, and sinking 20 foot putts. He is a golfer. His legacy remains strong in the wake of golf’s collapse, and he may just be the only man left who can save the once classiest of sports; the once most sacred of getaways for any man (or woman).

In 1991, the “Grip it and Rip it” spokesman stepped into the limelight to win his first major, the PGA Championship, at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel Indiana. He did so as a ninth alternate, subbing in for an absent Nick Price, and propelling himself into fan’s hearts and golf stardom. The storm that was John Daly was yet to be upon us, yet the Indiana terrain was already being subject to storms of its own, storms defined factually that weekend, as fatal. Daly entered that weekend a gambler, a drinker, a smoker, and a debt ridden, engaged to his second wife (soon to be second sunken marriage), golf no name. He left a winner, as we all know, among the previously mentioned attributes he carried with him, yet to one family, he also left a “savior, a saint, and a godsend”. Tom Weaver was a spectator struck and killed by lightning on day one of that fateful weekend, and a stranger to John Daly. Dee Weaver, Tom’s wife, is quoted as saying, “There is a goodness in John Daly.” What she is referring to, is that after his win and $230,000 pay out, without the media knowing, without self exploitation, and harboring his own demons, he donated $30,000 to the college education for Tom’s 8 year old daughter Karen and 12 year old daughter Emily. He is a golfer and a giver. Karen at school to become a doctor and Emily a respiratory therapist, brought this story back to life, to honor the charitable John Daly, whose donations to the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Make a Wish Foundation are no secret, yet this amazing story had been.

We move on, as if you need any more reason to like the guy, to 2002, where John Daly (and friends) drop a country album, entitled, “My Life”, featuring a cover of Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, and John’s original, All My Ex’s Wear Rolexes. He’s a golfer, a giver and a poet. His first album featured many guest singers, among them, Hootie and the Blowfish former front man Darius Rucker, a well known friend of Tiger Woods’. His second album was released in 2010, entitled “I Only Know One Way”, and is quoted by John himself, as “really (being about) his life…” implying possibly that his first album was about someone else’s. I think he wish it had been.

I had mentioned before that he first entered our world as a broken man, and failed marriages, among other abusive addictions, were one of his major vices. His fourth, and latest divorce, after a 9 year marriage, was made even more bitter, through John’s tough road to a sudden reemergence as a physically fit and sober role model on the PGA tour, his ex’s money laundering suit which landed her in and out of jail, and his 7 year old son, Little John. A testament to John’s turn around was his landing full custody of his son, and his ability to bring him on tour with him, over the course of the next year.

To begin 2008, Butch Harmon, famous golf instructor to Tiger Woods, among others, claimed that the most important thing in John Daly’s life was alcohol. In 2009, John Daly had lost all PGA tour exemption to enter and compete in events, having not won a tournament since 2004. He came close in 2005, losing by one stroke in a playoff, to none other than Tiger Woods. By the end of 2009, though his near physically impossible back swing and golf strength suffered, Daly had lost over 100 lbs, and on July 15, 2010, John declared he was completely sober, and his gambling debts had been secured.

In retrospect, John Daly has evolved, or to some, devolved, into a humble human being. A health conscience golfer, with obscure sponsorships, like Big Red, and the recently dropped Hooters, rolling through cities and towns of tournaments that’ll have him, in a mobile home filled once with Jack Daniels and cigarette smoke, now with the learning tools and books necessary to give his son John Jr. the proper education. Marriage and love may not be in John’s near future, but a man with a big heart, and generous pockets, need no Rolex wearing, money chasing female distraction to fulfill his life. He will continue, with his son by his side, his side slightly smaller than before, and a loyal cult following who like and root for him, not because of his talent, but because of the kind of person he is, what he’s struggled through, and what he has achieved. John Daly is your modern day Mickey Ward, your Cinderella Man, the proverbial comeback kid, having accomplished nothing but to stand out in a sport arguably made main stream by a man John Daly has fought his whole life, not to become. If anything can be taken from golf nowadays, it’s this; Tiger Woods will never be the same, and therefore golf will never be the same. Anyone with two arms, sometimes one, and two legs, sometimes none, can play golf. Anyone can give money to charity, overcome alcoholism, or give up smoking. Anyone can go through four marriages, and still come out of it with some money to his or her name. Anyone can do all of these things, but John Daly did them all, and he does one a little bit better than all of us, and that’s swing a golf club. His game may never improve, and his fame may never get any bigger, but he won’t care. His heart is what drives him, carries him, and makes golf relevant to me and my life. John Daly was and is my favorite golfer, maybe after my father, and myself of course, and with all eyes on Big John, wondering if and when he will play again, in every tournament he enters, his eyes will be on his brand new flat screen television equipped golf bag, and of course, driving the green on a short par four. He is a golfer, a giver, a poet, and an innovator. He is also my hero, and for me anyway, has single handedly saved the game of golf, and in the long run, not if, but when he returns, he can and will save the PGA Tour.

The Bruins Will Win The Stanley Cup (2010-11 Season)

 

Pending an abrupt, heartbreaking injury interruption to the best season of his short, twilight career, Tim Thomas will win the Vezina Trophy in 2011. Thomas and Tuukka Rask leave little to the imagination for the modern day sports writer, in his or her quest to write about who the best goalie in the NHL is, or what team has the best goaltending core or tandem. Rask in is own right, at the moment, has the fifth best save percentage in the league, and would look much better from a stats perspective, given goal support. The Bruins are a team who can score goals, a statement I couldn’t make last year without laughing, or crying, or both. That being said, it isn’t talent in front of him that leaves him at 4 and 9, its respect. He earned it last year, yet it flickered in the light of a blinding collapse. He will have to earn the trust from the Bruins offense, if he is to stay successful in the years to come, a feat I think he is already beginning to conquer. Thomas on the other hand, holds the number one slot in the Save Percentage category, as well as in GAA and Shutouts, and a loaded second seed in wins, due to Rask’s 14 starts. I had personally called for this to be the year Tuukka broke out; this being before Thomas’ final glory season as the number one was cut short last year due to injury, and before the bad Bruins’ press to pressure Rask into the number one role, came way too soon. Leaving last year behind us, finally, and moving forward onto what a healthy Tim Thomas can bring to this team, the Bruins will get a hefty bite of the playoffs this season, no doubt, and will end with their stomachs full and their heads resting comfortably on the couch. There will be no collapse this year, and if the goals are flying in for Boston, Thomas will be standing on his head, as the unconventionally built brick wall, with a style no one should have the gall to knock or the audacity to criticize.

How did the Bruins build an offense after ridding themselves of what was referred to as there only offensive threat? For the satirical sake of asking a question, and than answering in a sarcastically and egotistically knowledgeable fashion, first thing’s first; Phil Kessel was not a Bruin. At least, not a Bruin in the sense that Claude Julien was ever going to be able to properly configure him into the winning structure of a playoff ready hockey team. He is weak, gutless, and only scores goals. Julien, as I and so many have beaten until the neighing has silenced, coaches a boring and defensively layered style of hockey. Every forward has to play physical, every forward has to be willing to play the body in order to play the puck, and you have to have integrated scrap players, dogs who will get their tails filthy to score goals or break noses. Kessel was none of these things, except of course a tool to score the occasional goal. A perfect, current situation which parallels my undying distrust towards Phil Kessel and my forever gratitude for his departure is the flaccid play of Michael Ryder. Take out the fact that he was a Montreal Canadian and take out the fact that he had a clear shot at Matt Cooke after the “Incident” with Marc Savard, and didn’t lift a damn finger, he has a wrist shot with a cold streak, and an uncanny ability to draw stupid penalties, and a lot of them at that. Some may argue he is a key to the Bruins’ offense. I say, replace him with a broom, and either Savard, Krejci or Bergeron could make it a 20 goal scorer. But all that being said, and back to saying goodbye to Philly K., I say the building happened after the so called demolition. First, the Bruins kept the three previously mentioned centers, arguable first liners on 50% of the teams in the Eastern Conference. Second, the acquisition of Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell, and not just because the Bruins scouting eye was dead on balls accurate in seeing Nathan Horton’s potential, or because Gregory Campbell could coach, sweep the benches, keep score, etc. (the guy does absolutely everything, including fight, and does it well), but because they acknowledged, once and for all, they have a weak defense, and that the fix started with the inevitable shit canning of Dennis Wideman. Third, they harnessed Lucic to his fullest potential, putting him on lines where he can score goals and bang heads. Injury prone yes, but with Horton on the opposing wing or Savard shooting pass after pass onto his stick, he has become a superstar in the black and gold. Put Lucic in front, Horton or anyone for that matter cycling above the center circles, and Krejci or Savard along the boards, and there isn’t a spot in the offensive zone these guys can’t score from. The fourth and final keys to this offense are Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand. One is a second pick overall and the other is a Providence Bruins farm system call up. Both have played exceptionally well, the latter adapting better to the fast paced National Hockey League, a shorthanded goal machine to whom I would pay money to invest in, and the first showing hints of flash and skill which we only hope to see flourish and remain under the Boston spoked ‘B’.

What do these acquisitions, these pieces to the puzzle, these 8 out of 12 do to the remaining forwards, something so obvious, I shouldn’t even be addressing it? They make them better. These select players above, playing at the highest skill of there current potential, are displaying the missing ingredient to last year’s failure bound, Bruins playoff team; heart. They are spreading so much heart, that they have made Mark Recchi immortal, as a pin ball pillar for puck’s to bounce off of. Picture a 50 year old Recchi and 26 year old prime time superstar Tyler Seguin, playing “Katie bar the door” close to the crease hockey, because I sure as hell can. Blake Wheeler has actually stepped it up a notch, in his quiet role of using his stature, and not screwing up all the time. He has his moments, but for the most part, this is the first year he has substantially improved. The last notable mention as a forward, is a man who needs no introduction, a man whose heart I never question, and who’s nose will never quite look straight on his face, Shawn Thornton. He’ll fight, he’ll score, and he’ll play it clean. He is the perfect fourth line forward, and with this depth, this all too apparent box of tools, role players, physical forwards, European and Canadian finesse, and a mixture of youth and experience, all of this chemistry equals that goal support, equals offense, and as of late, and with plenty more to come, equals wins. The key to hockey is not to score goals, it is to win games. That may sound absolutely ridiculous, but if you ask Claude Julien, or any member of the Boston Bruins, preventing goals is just as important, if not more important, then scoring them. Scoring them however, having recently outplayed Carolina over a two game home and home, winning both by a combined score of 10-2, shouldn’t be a problem. The Bruins have proven they can skate with any team offensively in the Eastern Conference, and with a tight pack this year, and many surprising front runners, to stand out at all proves they can beat any team as well.

Defense, then, will be the gating factor, the key to all teams’ collapses, and the make or break for the Bruins this season. On the wake of Zdeno Chara’s first career Hat trick, even though he hasn’t been able to consistently get a shot through to goal all season, and it being common knowledge that Johnny Boychuck and newcomer, and hopefully soon to be defensive staple, Steven Kampfer, can both bomb it from the point, and stick handle to the goal, the team’s defensive-offensive point threat will not be in question. The defense stepping up in the play will be of no concern either, and holding the points, players like the defensive minded Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard, who can play anywhere on the ice, and defensemen like Chara and Mark Stuart, can do quite well, will be a practiced and remain an integral aspect of play for the Bruins. So what is the problem on defense? It is the same problem as last year, which plagues the Julien system; getting the puck out of their own zone, and not allowing pressure build up near the crease, as players get tired, due to their inability to transition. Layered defense means, layered offense. The puck starts from the defensive end and works its way up the ice, into the offensive zone, and at times, into the goal. If you are missing this key, back end support system, this layering will fail. Chara has played poor defensively this season, and is noted because of his name, slapshot and size, as an All Star. Sedeinberg is solid defensively, if he is not tasked with moving guys out of the front of his net, or controlling the puck in the defensive zone. Kampfer and McQuaid are both young, and for the time being, playing boring, yet controlled defense which I can’t actually criticize. McQuaid will throw his flailing punches at anyone, and Kampfer’s strengths have been highlighted, but structurally there defensive positioning is sound. Andrew Ference, when healthy, to me, is just as bad as Wideman was, never hitting the right angles, and never placing the puck correctly to his forwards for transition. I do, however, have a new found respect for him, since his reaction to an elbow Lucic took in the head. His behind the back tackle on Atlanta’s Freddy Meyer was a revelation. Mark Stuart, as I have and will always say, is the strongest Bruin, pound for pound, however he is slow, and unlike Chara with his long reach, it shows. All that being said, and with a solid future at the defensive position, residing in Providence, awaiting their calls, youth will be the key to leading the charge. Chara needs to step up his defensive positioning, penalty control, and physical play. Boychuck, Stuart and Seidenberg need to take smarter angles, and cover their asses, as to not allow for what seems like a game by game breakaway attempt for the opposition. Kampfer and McQuaid however, need to carry their solid play, into the playoffs, and sustain it. Side note: Shots cannot get through to Thomas or Rask. Fourty five shots on goal, is unacceptable. Drop down to the ice, and take a stinger off the arms, legs or chest for a change. Improvement at defense is needed to prove my prediction of taking the Stanley Cup this year, however with goals being scored, and goaltending leaving no questionability, they have a better chance this year, than Thomas’ first Vezina Trophy winning season, two years ago. But who will they have to go through and who will they have to conquer, with all of these skills, to make this happen?

For Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and the entire host of the skating black and gold to lift, drink from and etch their names into the Cup this year, they will need to break through the consistently talented plethora of Eastern powerhouses, along with some surprise notable mentions, contributing to this tight race.

We’ll start with Pittsburgh, harboring an injured superstar, the number one season break out, Sydney Crosby, and the strong, yet easily exploited, Marc Andre Fleury. I could not say this last year, but this year it is apparent. Pittsburgh can be had, and the Bruins have the tools to respond to this bad blood rival. Kris Letang is having a Norris Trophy caliber season on defense, but Crosby and Malkin aside, can they continue to utilize heart to fuel the remaining rag tag offensive threats, and overcome there remaining one-way defenseman? Orpik, Cooke, Rupp and Engelland to name a few, make up a sloppy, quick to the penalty box and not so quick to throw down, yet excellently coached national hockey league team. Pittsburgh, due to history and the prodigal son returning healthy, will be the number one threat for the B’s in the post season, regardless of how the regular season ends, and who sits atop the Atlantic.

That being said, who will sit atop the Atlantic, if not Pittsburgh? Philadelphia and the Rangers are making a very good case for it. Philly, to whom the Bruins have a 2-1 season series lead against, look not at series leads as any insurmountable feat to overcome. B’s fans know this all too well, and with Giroux, Richards, Briere and Carter showing exactly what the four of them can do for a team, when healthy, their lineup is a force. The B’s saving grace is, and as I have voiced my strong opinion on this in the past, come playoff time, this platooning between Bobrovsky and Boucher will not hold, and with Bobrovsky having yet to prove himself in any playoff situation, Philly could fall flat. Goalie to goalie, Thomas at this point in the season, proves that he can stand up to any team. That being said, the Rangers harbor the second best goaltender in the league (no not Carey Price), but Henrik Lundqvuist. Also, with the steady play of Marian Gaborik, and the sudden immergence of Mats Zuccarello, the Norwegian Olympic stud (who says Olympic Hockey is pointless), they are showing signs of offensive flare. That being said, I do not think Brandon Dubinksy and Sean Avery define any offensive depth, and though Lundqvist can sneak them in, and take them far, the lack of offense will be too overwhelming, and the likes of Savard, Lucic and Horton won’t miss their opportunity to take down a rival like this, having only to score 3 to 4 goals a game, to do it.  

Next we look to the Southeast Division, dominated by the Washington Capitals, right? Wrong. The Capitals at midseason, find themselves second to a Stamkos and St.Louis controlled season surprise, the Tampa Bay Lighting, who are currently riding a weak defense, and platooning goaltenders. Dan Ellis has proven to be an asset, and I am a Dwayne Roloson fan, thinking his glove hand falls short only to that of Tuukka Rask’s. I do however think, defense will fail them, and these two goaltenders cannot take them far beyond round one. Pending a B’s match up, the series will be tight, but Stamkos and St. Louis only have two games in them if they have one, and a head to head series can be had. Falling just short of the Capitals at the moment, are the Atlanta Thrashers, headed by former Bruin’s affiliate, Craig Ramsay, and what should be the starting defensive pairing for the Eastern All Star team, he is solely responsible for building, in Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. Their offense consists of strong skaters, for example the coolest name in hockey, Evander Kane, but they lack finishers and flare, consistent goal scorers, and offensively controlling centers. Their offense will fail them, and they will have to wait another year before the effects of losing Ilya Kovalchuk wear off. On the back of a break out season for Ondrej Pavelec, they will sneak into the playoffs, but they will remain off the radar as an offense to offense match up threat for the B’s. This brings us to the Capitals, who if it weren’t for Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin continuing their All Star caliber offensive play, they would be flat on their backs in the wake of needing solid goaltending. Semyon Varlamov who? Michael Neuvirth who? Their cage has holes in it, and one would expect better from such an offensive minded powerhouse. Right now, they are weak, and again, line them up in a series with the B’s, and similarly to the Lighting, they can only hope to take two at best, on the sole skates of their offense. If they don’t pick up a goalie for the playoffs, the Caps will again, disappoint.

Finally we hit the Bruin’s own, Northeast Division. Though it is argued the Sabres have the B’s number, with a simple nod to the fact that they took them down with ease last playoff season, the argument that Buffalo will not be a playoff team in 2011, and that Ryan Miller is all they have, and the occasional Vanek goal, Buffalo will be no hurdle. That being said, and with Toronto and Ottawa currently and consistently out of the season picture in 2011, the Bruins have only one true rival in their Division, if only one true rival in all of hockey; the Montreal Canadians. With everyone in the world of hockey “journalism” eating this so-called “crow pie”, I will have a bite, and say I was wrong about doubting that Carey Price could lead his team to some sort of respectable standing within the Eastern Conference. Once he dried his tears, and manned-up, he has proven to be the third best goalie in the NHL, behind Lundqvist and Thomas, and has proven that he can play the crutch to a team skating solely on the hindrance of having no steady offensive threats. Can he lead them to the playoffs? Yes, of course. Can the team lead themselves past the first round of the playoffs? I do not think so. If they face the B’s in round one, expect offense to take over and Thomas to outplay Price, rather easily and most apparent, where by mid-series Price is completely overwhelmed.

With the East taken care of, the West throws a few teams of its own into the mix, for the Bruins to only worry about and potentially face in the Stanley Cup Series. Detroit continues to defy age and prove chemistry is key, and Vancouver continues to defy offensive logic, and harness the Sedin twins and Luongo as guarantees that they will sit atop the Western Conference. Chicago will be in the mix, Kane and Towes ever present, and L.A. and Phoenix will make a late season push, and sneak into the top eight. The West will be filled with the likes of quick play, and high scoring games. If and when the Bruins grace the Cup Series with their presence, the West can be won, and we will explore just how it will be won, once we learn who their opponent will be…

NHL Eastern Conference: Power Rankings (2010-11)

15. New York Islanders

I do not trust Rick DiPietro, but can’t blame him for his lengthy contract followed by his even longer injured reserve stint. I’d prefer to see him hurt, and let the second fastest glove in the NHL, Dwayne Roloson, get some nibbles. Regardless, every other notable mention is already plagued with injury, and not that notable to say the least. Keep a look out for Blake Comeau to slowly cool out, and the rest of the team to never appear on the stats leader board. Michael Grabner and John Tavares both have show up potential, so keep an eye out, but they are both too young, to be smart yet. Doug Weight should retire.

14. Florida Panthers

Erik Gudbranson, third pick overall, will start the season back in the OHL. Don’t worry however, the Panthers defense is highlighted by none other than Bruins legend, Dennis Wideman. I feel bad for Tomas Vokoun, who, with the departure of Nathan Horton (to the Bruins), will be the only shining star. Florida is already deep into a rebuilding season, and at this point, there not looking for a Cup anytime soon.

13. Atlanta Thrashers

Evander Kane is a unique talent, a lost art type of player, with gritty-ness and the ability to score goals. Dustin Byfuglien, former Blackhawk, could very well be called his defense counterpart, a veritable bash brothers tandem. This however will not be enough to pull the Kovalchuk-less Thrashers out of the basement, and goal scoring will continue to elude them.

12. Carolina Hurricanes

I am by no means a Cam Ward fan, nor would I ever call myself an Eric Staal follower, however I do like Jussi Jokinen, and he will remain a quick and flashy standout talent. Carolina will bring a “prove something” mentality to this season, and this overzealous outlook will not be matched by talent, and their gritty-ness will be their downfall. Period.

11. Montreal Canadians

I am not a Canadians fan, however a glimmer of support towards them, from this avid Bruins fan, came with the implementation last season, of post season wonder, Jarislav Halak. The ever so smart and Copernicus-like future “foreshadwers” dropped this emerging veteran star as quickly as they hopped back on the very shaky Carey Price band wagon. The Canadians can rock Price to sleep if they want after each loss, but personally I feel like the handling of this goaltending situation, was just that; a little rocky. Gomez and Gionta will be as successful as they will be continuously annoying. I can not watch this team without wondering when they plan on building chemistry. I want them to fail, and thank my luck stars, this year they will not disappoint me.

10. New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist remains an elite goaltender. Marian Gaborik remains one of my favorite NHL players to watch, outside of the Bruins organization. Their defense however, is weak, and aside from Ryan Callahan, I do not care for any of their healthy players, and there are too many notables currently battling injury. With a healthy Chris Drury, maybe they will slip into a playoff spot. Without him, they won’t make nearly as much noise as last year, come playoff time.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg both have star potential and will have solid offensive seasons. Dione Phaneuf remains the hardest hitting defenseman in the league, and Tomas Kaberle and a healthy Mike Komisarek round out a great defensive core. J.S. Giguere was a great pick up last season, and is a great go ahead at number one this season. Their downfall is line depth. After the handful of players I named, the rest will have trouble keeping up. They may be the Rangers of last year and hang on the fence of playoff eligibility until game 82.

8. Ottawa Senators

I do not trust anyone who looks like goaltender Pascal Leclaire, nor do I truly believe marrying Carrie Underwood will have no effect on Mike Fisher’s play. I don’t even play, nor am I married to her, and every now and then I trip on the stairs fantasizing about her. That being said, they have steady talent and the defense is moderate at best. This all translates into, what should be, a very boring season for anyone following the Senators. Why might they make the playoffs? Because Daniel Alfredsson remains a competitor, and will not allow them to slip too far in the standings.

7. Tampa Bay Lighting

I am on the Mike Smith bandwagon, and believe he is a top-tier starting goaltender. I am also a fan of GM Steven Yzerman, and his acquisition of Simon Gagne, to compliment Lecavelier and Malone on the Lightining’s second line. It is hard to believe the first line is better, but with the quick emergence of Stamkos, and Marty St. Louis remaining so steady (and small), they have the offense to compete, especially in the playoffs. I do not see them falling too far off this season, however with All-Star defenseman Mattias Ohlund out indefinitely, defense will be their make or break it, gating factor.

6. Boston Bruins

I should get scrutinized for putting a weaker offense and aging goaltender, in the Sabres and the Devils, ahead of “my” team, however after last year’s disappointment in the playoffs, and the off-season cleaning house to make way for offensive threats lile Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin, it will take a while to MAINTAIN chemistry. With a great goaltending core, young and developing defense, and what has potential to be a steady offense, I would not be surprised if the B’s jump out of this six hole into some better territory, however their will be moments of doubt, and like last year, expect some mid-year confusions and inconsistent play. With Claude Julien, inconsistency seems to come with the territory.

5. Buffalo Sabres

Ryan Miller is the Sabres. They have a good set of offensive tools, but they are mundane at best. The Sabres will live and die by Miller, and coming off of his best season as a goaltender to date, I don’t think he will fail with this responsibility. Derek Roy, Justin Pominville, Thomas Vanek, etc…etc…The Sabres are boring without Miller in the spotlight. Lindy Ruff is great however, and coaching always factors in.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

I do not want to get into the Flyers too much, because I remain bitter towards them now, and more than likely for the remainder of my career as a Boston Bruins fan. There remains confusion at the goaltender position, I do not trust Mike Richards as a first line center / captain and they are a dirty team yet an intimidating team, without consistent offensive flare. They remain, however, highly ranked, because they dig and will bully more wins than losses out of their opponents. I do not care for the Flyers, and I hope they fail.

3. New Jersey Devils

Martin Brodeur will some day age and lose a step and not be the starting goalie for the Devils. This year could be that year, but I doubt it. I am a strong believer in this man’s ability to continue to conduct this well oiled machine accordingly, and with Lou Lamoriello maintaining the system Julien left them years ago, and making it better, and with Kovalchuk and Parise staying healthy, they are always prepared to be a top three team in the East. I could play defense for the Devils, and they would still win games.

2. Washington Capitals

No, they will not repeat the monumental regular season they had last year. They still have all the tools however, if you consider a young, inexperienced shot-in-the-dark goaltending core a tool. I do, when you have Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin playing each season like a bottle of fine wine, and a defense that will score more goals than half the teams in the East. Who is in net, will not matter, considering last year they did it with Jose Theodore. Can they make it through the playoffs however? We’ll see.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby and Malkin make every player better, and depth with a team like this is not built, but developed. They will continue to get better, and better the team around them. All that, and they have Marc-Andre Fleury. Not much needs to be said, however with an injury plagued defense, can they maintain a high level of two-way play from their forwards, and will Fleury be streaky, or will he maintain, like we all know Brodeur and Miller can, throughout all of the competition in the Eastern Conference?

Note: With the Canucks looking even better in the West, than last years offensive picnic, and Roberto Luongo remaining the number one goaltender in the NHL, it will take the Capitals or the Penguins making it out of the playoffs alive to dethrown them from an inevtiable Cup. I do not think even this will happen, and in the wake of not ranking the West, I will appease the masses by making this Stanley Cup Prediction:

The Vancouver Canucks will defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games.

The Bruins Choose Thomas as Number One

Tim Thomas

Admittedly, the title of this post was meant to be alluring, controversial, and completely satirical. I am, at this juncture in the season, choosing to satirize myself, due to the hole the Bruins have dug in the world of Tim Thomas fandom. A Thomas campaign advocate from last year may theorize the following. Every game and every moment this season, will appear to me as the cusp of change, and in the wake of a more than stellar, outmatched performance by Tim Thomas in the second game of this season, as opposed to Rask’s efforts in the first, Tiimmy should be the B’s go to, number one, goaltender. A neutral, know-nothing fan, would ask for a platoon-ing of goaltenders, which in all honesty and for viable comparison, is like saying that in week 5, week 11 and week 15, let’s start Hoyer over Brady. Not to say Thomas won’t get his backup starts in, however platoon-ing is non-sensical in te NHL, when you are nursing a sophomore, Vezina potential candidate, net minder. A real Bruins fan would say, “No satire, no call for Rask to sit just because his GA is 5.00 and Thomas’ is 0.00, after two games. There are no grounds, yet, for such an argument to begin. Rask MUST remain at number one.” This real Bruins fan quote brought to you by a Tim Thomas fan, and the president of the “Rask must win me a Cup, before I will look at him as anything other than a 12-year-old Slovakian volleyball player” club. Rask performed well, however wins translate from goalie-to-defense chemistry, and with the way the defense is skating, Rask will continue to live and die by their performance, until he can settle in and finish out victories.

Let’s Make a Deal, Finally

Signing the captain to a seven-year deal and the should-be captain to a three-year deal, Chara and Bergeron respectively, was a phenomenal move, however was only enough to result in a split in Prague. The Bruins are finally realizing who to build the team around, and I can only hope Bergeron gets the offensive zone possession time he needs to make things happen, and Chara stays healthy.

Age Before Beauty, Unless He Can Score

Tyler Seguin getting his first goal, on the break away, in the third, a game sealer at that, is nothing to “Crosby stamp” him over, however it was very pretty, refreshing to watch as a Bruins fan, and an extremely hopeful and exciting foreshadowing of what could be a great career. Mr. Chiarelli, it would be nice to hold on to Seguin, instead of trading him to the Sharks. Thank you. P.S. I love his dynamic with Bergeron. They make a great couple.

Sidenote: Recchi looks older. Get him off the first line, and give him to Seguin. Seguin is young, and quick, and needs as much veteran guidance as he can fit into his small head. Recchi’s very slow this year, and as a matter of fact, everyone that has been playing the offensive blue line must have dull skates. Four breakaways in game one? Condition better, or get me some smarter defensemen. Maybe then I won’t have to bash Rask every week, because contrary to popular belief I don’t want too.

Also,

Brad Marchand is the best thing to come out of the P-Bruins organization this year, and with the farm equivalent filled with defensive talent, it will be easy for him to remain, shine, and become what so many before him have failed to succeed in becoming; an NHL hockey player. I say keep him, and when Ryder slumps, and Wheeler flops, as they look like they will continue to do, look for Marchand to see a third line reward in his future.

In Horton We Trust

The Lucic-Krejci-Horton line is going to remain great throughout a line shifting may-lay that will be the B’s offense. Top line in the NHL anyone? Answer: YES.

I Miss Marc Savard

A struggling powerplay only symbolizes the internal struggles I feel in my heart. Get Well Soon Savvy. Their powerplay will not get any better. I predict middle of the pack rankings, no difference making abilities, and Krejci and Bergeron side possession highlighted only by a Recchi and/or Horton net rush, to be the only offensive threats. 

Seidenberg - Week One Bust Out (Negative Connotation)

Seidenberg reminds me too much of Dennis Wideman. Comparison translation – I don’t think I like him. He plays too much like an offensive minded defenseman, which does not, has not and will not fit into the B’s scheme. Get physical, sir, and make an effort to protect Rask; he is sensitive.

Next Game

Game Three is Saturday, 10/16. Rask WILL start versus the Devils, or should. I predict the B’s to win, only because the Devils can’t find it yet. The B’s, with that second line, and a boosted Seguin ego, may have found offense for the first time in 6 years. We’ll see…

The Bruins Begin 2010 in Prague; Disassociation Before Anticipation

The Boston Bruins open their 2010/11 season in Prague on Saturday afternoon, versus the Phoenix Coyotes. If all of Czechoslovakia had been covered blindly by Icelandic ash during what in my humble opinion is the greatest professional sports collapse of my generation, Prague would have still heard the cries, saw the tears and felt the heart-break. I do not feel as if a second pick overall, a proven right-wing, an all in chips bet on a prime year for their goaltender, an emancipation from the worst player in the NHL and a trip to Prague can wash away the tainted toothbrush taste in my subconscious, but it tapes the puzzle box closed, and slaps a price tag on it. They have yet, however, and will not do so for some time, to show me the pieces. Building something out of nothing using mere strategy was a philosophy even I felt would shake up the Bruins enough, to make Boston a hockey town yet again. I was naive to think heart could be brought to players by way of a coach, or a midseason highlight overtime victory on a stage paved over with Boston championship and pride. I was a fool to think that heart could be taught. Heart has to be earned, and if you were to ask me if I was disappointed in last year’s outcome, looking forward to this year, happy with the off-season moves, or any other variation of anticipation I would look at you and rudely quote Gene Hackman from The Replacements because he is much smarter than anyone who thinks that until the Cup is raised in Boston, it is still alright to address the Bruins with any such hope. “Heart. Miles and miles of heart.” I urge the Bruins to win back my respect. With that said, and for the sake of no longer ranting and for the sake of thinking outside of this hard, scorned exterior, I will address some of the aspects of what the Bruins are putting together, that I look forward to writing about, and watching succeed, this season.

Tyler Seguin was not my first choice, nor was it the Bruins’ nor was it the NHL’s, but his slip behind Taylor Hall in the draft did not prevent this former OHL phenom from making an impact in Boston. I expect a 2008/09 David Krejci “esque” season out of this rookie, who is already being compared to the great Joe Sakic for his effortless skating ability, smart puck handling, finishing and two-way play. With two healthy, emphasis on healthy, David Krejci’s, and Patrice Bergeron at the helm, Savard, dizzy Savard or no Savard, the Bruins will have, yet again, a strong central core.

Nathan Horton is what the Bruins have been missing for some time. He is a taller Vladimir Sobotka whose talents the Bruins up and down game between Providence didn’t dilute. He is strong, smart, and will get you 25 to 30 goals consistently for a team who said goodbye to Phil Kessel, (the leading goal scorer in the pre-season, which for all intents and purposes means nothing), and who were forced to call Sturm and Ryder their main goal scorers. Horton has been lining up opposite to Lucic which pushes an extremely strong, shot oriented, and young line to the crease, and with Krejci dishing it out, will score some serious early and late game deciding goals.

Wideman is gone. I do not believe that in the NHL there is a player worse than Dennis Wideman. Leading the Bruins in points last post season means nothing because that playoff ride was a Twilight Zone horror show, a topsy-turvy trapeze act, or an all but a moment ago hangover and Wideman was the fat chick I slept with. She looked like Kim Kardashian, screwed like Jenna Jameson, however in the morning she was a fat Dennis Wideman whose pink sheets very well gave my scabies. She, I mean he, was a disgrace to any defensive system, and he may not be the reason for the collapse, but he encompassed the “why”. Needless to say, expect a smarter, more physical defense, filled with a lot more offensive step ups. I expect Boychuck to absolutely shine this season. A Dion Phaneuf type player, he will become.

Tuuka Rask will have a great season. He is no Andrew Raycroft, however he is also no Tim Thomas. I would like to see Tim Thomas play, and I want Rask to improve and contend for the Vezina. He was great in Providence, and he is a now an NHL goaltender a Stanley Cup can be won around. He will not be a gating factor in any team collapse, and by Midseason, he will be the talk of the town that is the NHL. A Niklas Backstrom type, under the radar starting goaltender, 2010/11 second pick Eastern All-Star. Thomas’ glory days, though very short are numbered, and instead his years here will be praised, looked back upon, this season, giving him his underdog status we all know he thrives so well under. Thomas, if healthy, will be the second fist to a one two punch that I still believe to be the strongest core in the NHL.

I guess Claude Julien will have to remain the Bruins head coach for one more year. I really have to hand it to Chiarelli for avoiding my pleas to clean house. I expect no difference in tone or locker room words to the press. They will remain sharp, poised, extremely vague, and optimistic, which is in fact warranted. There are no sophomore slumps in the NHL, so surprisingly this season can be called a comeback season for the B’s, and should encompass the ups and downs of last year, with perhaps more gaols and wins, like the year before.

Call this post a slow exploration in the potential realization that there is a lot behind us as Bruins fans, and a lot to look ahead too, even if the road ahead looks surprisingly like last years road, only after a weekend Habit for Humanity romp through the forest with cartoon blue birds and giant trash forks. Do not be blinded Bruins fans, stay pessimistic, but watch every game. Cheer for the Bruins as they try to disassociate themselves from their own past, and as I, like so many other, try to disassociate myself from my own let down in B’s fandom…this weekend, in Prague.

Post Script: Patrice Bergeron should be wearing the “C”, not the “A”, and this is no knock to Chara, it is a testament to Bergeron’s leadership. Chara is not a leader, he is a tool, a hammer, a machine to be wielded by the captains, the centers and the coaches. Bergeron is a better carpenter. I expect him to continue to step it up.

Quick Notes on Potential B’s Sweep

* Mark Stuart may return, as a direct replacement for recently fallen giant, Adam McQuaid. I look forward to the utilization of his stregnth and skill, but will he contribute physically, only a game back from his “hand” injury, and will he be a difference maker on defense? He is a better option, but the forwards will still need to step back and forecheck. It IS a deffinite improvement.

* Simon Gagne will be back for the Flyers. This is also a difference maker for the Flyers, not because he will step it up and make any significant contributions, but it alleviates the on slaught of injuries plaguing the Flyers, and the players around him will kick it up a notch. Look for Gagne to be overused, but the Flyers to come out strong.

* Marchand AND Whitfield will play? Thornton will sit again? Kreijci is out for the season?!?! With Sobotka’s stepped up play, and Savard showing that he remains a top center, even after his two month hiatus, the B’s will put lines together that will work. In Julien We Trust.

* The B’s will end it tonight. Boucher is not as clutch as Philly hoped, and I will make the call I made long before these playoffs, and before they upset the struggling Devils. The Flyers have and will flop, and they are not as good as that first series made it out to be, or as Hockey news predicted. They play their old style, with old players, and have not responded at all this series to Laviolette’s coaching style. I hope he moves on next season, to bigger and better things. I hope Carcillo gets hurt, and Pronger retires. Pronger will retire.

* Tuukka! Puck Control! Continued Success!!

*Defense! Use your sticks and legs! No shots, no goals!!

*B’s at 7:00, Game 4 sweep in Philly!!

To answer my fellow bloggers question, THAT is what I will be watching!

Savard’s Return Energizes the Garden and Redefines Series

Marc Savard capped off, with a story book ending, the greatest 14 minutes of offense, I have ever seen a Bruin’s team lay on an opponent, in my 15 years as a fan. I attended Saturday afternoon’s playoff matchup, with a lack of positivity, that Savard would be returning, however on the screen hovering over the ice, as people poured in, and the sea of gold and black rose, within only minutes to spare before the puck drop, they show our returning star, jersey on his back, stick in hand, and the place erupts. This electricity grew, and grew, and peaked after the 4th goal, and what looked like a route with ten minutes to go in the 3rd, felt like an epic return and a solid victory and a series dominance established. The deflation of having to go into overtime, left the Garden silent, and was difficult to bare. Until, of course, the pucked dropped, and the level of intensity jumped again, and 15 shots in 14 minutes, capped by what can only be described as the most fantastic cliche ending, I have ever seen live, or have ever seen at all. I will never forget the experience, and if this season has to defined now by the “Matt Cooke Incident”, so be it. The icing on the cake, however, to a love hate fan reaction, to a team said to be defeated, yet rising from the ashes on the shoulders of their returning ace, number 91 redefined it not as Matt Cooke’s, but as his own.

Bruins beware and take note:

Play better defense!!!

All season I have been asking for a defensive restructuring, and though Wideman stepped it up, listening to my previous warning, he is still weak, and with McQuaid only blocking shots, Ferrence only skating fast, but to the wrong spots, and Hunwick playing sub-par, they will not survive on Big Z and Boychuk alone. Step it up.

Do not allow the Flyers to get near Rask and do not allow them to shoot while people ARE near Rask. It is very simple to see that the Flyers leave their offense to chance, aside from Briere, sometimes, as do the Bruins, all of the time, so push Hartnell, or Carcillo, or whoever is trying to get in there, on there ass, and block more shots. I do not want to see Rask get rattled again.

Tuukka…control your rebounds. The game was almost over with 20 seconds to go in regulation, because you are feeling the pressure a little bit. Get over it, play physical yourself, push guys out of your crease, and deflect pucks to the corners.

Ryder needs to play better, faster, stonger… He sucks right now. Period.

Sturm is gone. I am not sad, just dissapointed. I wish he had had a chance to redeem himself. Too bad.

Thornton’s coming back, I guess. I am pleased. I like Sobotka on the fourth line, however. Maybe we will see some restructuring. Maybe not though.

Probably not.

Game 2, Monday, May 3rd.

Stay psyched.