These Bruins are Playing for the Stanley Cup

Back on April 6, I wrote a post titled “These Bruins Won’t Go Far.”  In case you need further proof of that previous statement here it is: http://ntcf.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/these-bruins-wont-go-far/

Now it is May 31 and the Bruins will playing the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow night in Vancouver in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Clearly , I was wrong about the these Bruins right?  The fact is I wasn’t wrong.  The Bruins that are flying high right now are not the same Bruins that entered the 2011 playoffs. Through the first two games of the playoffs I was right as Montreal embarrassed the Bruins on their home ice.  My neighbor down the street was maybe the only one that was confident in the Bruins at that point.  He even told me that he was trademarking the phrase, “The Miracle in Montreal” for when the Bruins won the Cup.

At that point in time maybe he saw something no one else did.  Or he had a DeLorean and wasn’t telling anybody about it.  Everything I said in my post back on April 6, the Bruins answered.  I said that the Bruins would not be able to just rely on Tim Thomas and his supernatural abilities in net to carry them in the playoffs.  Thomas has no doubt been magnificent but he has also benefitted from stellar play from his defense led by Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.  Andrew Ferrence has been an unsung hero of sorts. And the Bruins have been able to win in spite of Johnny Boychuk’s overall lackluster play.

On April 6,  I argued that the Bruins didn’t have the star power that was necessary to contend for the Cup.  Since that time Nathan Horton has emerged as a go to guy for the Spoked B.  As a matter of fact the Bruins are undefeated in the playoffs in games in which he has scored.  He netted both Game 7 winner’s for the Bruins as well.  My colleague on this blog, Tazzi, was adamant that the Bruins had arguably the best line in all of the NHL in Krejci-Lucic-Horton.  I didn’t believe him at the time, but he has proven me wrong.  The Bruins also received a memorable spark from 18-year-old Tyler Seguin in a game against Tampa Bay where he skated circles around the Lightning giving Bruins fans a glimpse of things to come for the next 15 years. How’s that for superstar talent?

I also criticized Claude Julien on April 6 (amongst other days) that he was stubborn and felt the need to play all four lines at all times.  In Game 7 of the Tampa series, Julien finally doubled up his top line after playing his fourth line late in Game 6.  While I still prefer the top lines play the most minutes, Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly have given the Bruins outstanding minutes in time on the ice.  Peverley was the best Bruin on the ice in Game 7 as his energy and hustle created many opportunities for the B’s.

On April 6, I said that the only hardware coming back to Boston when the ice had melted would be the Vezina Trophy.  The Bruins have already proven me wrong by bringing home the Wales Trophy.  Now they are 4 wins away from bringing home Lord Stanley’s Cup.

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

A Star is Born

The career was conceived on June 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.  Gary Bettman announced to the world that with the number 2 pick in the 2010 NHL draft the Boston Bruins selected Tyler Seguin.  Since the Phil Kessel trade on September 19 2009, Bruin World had been anxiously awaiting the 2010 draft.  With the Edmonton Oilers selecting fellow phenom Taylor Hall, Seguin fell to the Bruins.  Fans had visions of greatness. Orr, Espositio, Neely, Borque, and now Seguin.

While the NHL career of Tyler Seguin was conceived on June 30, it would be born (almost true to form) 9 and a half months later, May 17, 2011 in Boston.  On that night Tyler Seguin skated circles around everyone on the ice finding the back of the net twice and assisting on two other goals, leading the Bruins to a Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  The water broke a few days before, on May 14 when Tyler scored a goal and assisted on another, letting the world now he was about to arrive, in Game 1 of said series.

Continuing with the birth analogy, the nine months the Bruins were “pregnant” with Seguin there were good times and bad.  There were times when critics were already to call Seguin a bust.  There were times Seguin kicked back and showed brief flashes of what he was capable of.  The 74 games he played out of a possible 82 truly define the development of the 18-year-old.  He sat out the first 11 games of the playoffs and was likely to sit out more if Claude Giroux hadn’t laid out Patrice Bergeron.  Some fans wanted Seguin to play in the playoffs and were upset that he was forced to watch the game from high a top whatever arena the game was being played.  Other fans didn’t think Seguin was ready to contribute, the pressure of the playoffs could overcome and permanently scar the young man.

With the injury to Bergeron, Julien was forced to play Seguin.  In two games Seguin has provided a necessary spark to the Bruins offense and power play.  His speed, awareness, and fire are second to none and have Bruins fans beyond giddy for the first time in my lifetime.

With all that being said, people need to stop criticizing Claude Julien.  I am looking at you Michael Felger.  I am actually going to defend “Daddy” here. How does the emergence of Tyler Seguin correlate to firing Julien? The answer? It doesn’t.  If anything Julien has helped nurture and develop Seguin to where he is at today.  True, if Bergeron doesn’t go down Seguin wouldn’t play.  But why can’t we just enjoy the fact that right now the momentum in this series is wholly on the Bruins side right now because of the phenom? He has the fresh legs no one else has right now.  He has a skill set unlike any other player on the ice.  Let’s just celebrate that and not get on Julien for nonsense.

Lastly in defense of Julien, it takes time for players to develop.  Exhibit A: Dustin Pedroia.  In 31 games in 2006 and was hitting as low as .172 to start the 2007 season.  Fans were calling for Alex Cora to be the full-time second baseman.  How did that turn out?  Moral of the story: Good things take time! and Tyler Seguin? He’s a good thing. And he has arrived.

video acquired from colleague Gambo’s Facebook page

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

Horton Snipes Canadiens: Bring on the Flyers

Going into overtime I wrote on my Facebook wall, “I remember this feeling.  It feels much like 2003 when Grady Little left Pedro Martinez on the mound.  It wasn’t a matter of if the Sox would lose, it’s a matter of when.” After Nathan Horton ripped the twine sending the Bruins to round two, beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-3, I dubbed myself the “King of the Reverse Jinx.”

The Bruins were flying high after Chris Kelly scored with 9 minutes left in the game putting the Bruins up 3-2.  What made his goal especially sweet, was that he scored because Roman Hamrilik flopped and laid on the ice for an extra 7 seconds instead of getting back in the play.  I was convinced the game was over at that point and karma had finally came back around and bit the Canadiens when it mattered most.  I thought it would have been poetic justice the Canadiens would be ousted after one of the patented flops.  As is usually the case, I was wrong.

Patrice Bergeron was called for high sticking James Wisnewski with just over 2 minutes left in the game.  The Canadiens took advantage.  Who else but PK Subban ripped a laser past Tim Thomas for the equalizer with 1:57 left to play in regulation.  At that point the demons of the past started filling my brain.  I started to think the Boston Bruins were now what the Boston Red Sox were from 1918 through 2003.  I was thinking of the Bruins losing last year after being up 3 games to nothing and 3-0 in Game 7 to the Flyers.  I was thinking of how they lost to the Hurricanes in Game 7 after being the best team in the NHL during the regular season.  I thought about how they lost to the Habs in Game 7 in 2008.  I thought about how Joe Thornton scored the game winner for San Jose two nights ago.

Then 5 minutes and 43 seconds into overtime Nathan Horton ripped a slap shot past Carey Price, that not only eliminated the Habs but exorcised the Boston Bruins Game 7 demons.  Past Bruins teams would have lost that game tonight.  Last year’s Bruins would have lost in regulation after Subban’s goal late in the third period.  Not these Bruins.  These Bruins have proven in this series that they are resilient.  They got down 2-0 in the series, went to a hostile environment in Montreal and promptly tied the series.  They have come back from 2 goal deficits.  Most importantly, they have won a Game 7.

Critics (including myself) have been looking for ways to bash the Bruins, whether it be the front office, the coaching, or the players themselves.  Well, the front office brought in the man who scored the game winner tonight while unloading arguably the worst player in hockey.  The front office brought in “The Man Behind the Cage” Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley who each played great in the opening round of the playoffs.  Like him or not, Claude Julien was able to light a fire under the players backsides when it mattered most leading the Bruins to the series win.  Lastly, the players themselves have shown up and played with unbridled passion.

Now it is on to Philadelphia where the Bruins will look to exorcise more demons.  Philadelphia is the team that won 4 straight against the B’s last season.  The Bruins haven’t gotten out of the second round since 1992.  Will this be the year?

Game One is Saturday at 3 in Philly.  Let’s go Bruins!

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

These Bruins Won’t Go Far

There is a long-standing myth in hockey that a set of hot pads is all that is needed to win a Stanley Cup.  Because of that false sentiment Bruins fans believe that they have a shot at bringing the Cup back to Boston for the first time in 38 years.  Tim Thomas quite simply has been the best goalie in the NHL this season.  I freely admit, all of last season I was an unabashed Tuukka fan, calling for a Thomas trade.  I bashed the contract, I bashed his age, I did nothing to support him.  I was wrong.

With all that being said, through no fault of Tim Thomas the Boston Bruins have no shot of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals this season, let alone winning it.  It would not at all surprise me if they didn’t get out of the first round this season, although I think they are more likely for the usual Claude Julien 2nd round exit.  The Stanley Cup is Borat’s sister taunting Bruins fans saying “you can’t have this.” My reasons for these beliefs are not unfounded.

Since the lockout, the teams that won the Stanley Cup have had superstar talent, something the Bruins do not possess.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

2006 Carolina Hurricanes- Eric Staal/Erik Cole

2007  Anaheim Ducks-  Ryan Getzlaf/Teemu Selanne

2008 Detroit Red Wings- Henrik Zetterberg/Pavel Datsyuk

2009 Pittsburgh Penguins- Sidney Crosby/Evengi Malkin

2010 Chicago Blackhawks- Patrick Kane/Jonathan Towes

The 2011 Boston Bruins do not have that type of superstar talent.  They do have a group of solid role players in front of a stud goalie.  Lucic, Bergeron, and Horton are not superstars.  Zdeno Chara doesn’t do much for the offense.  Claude Julien’s style of hockey is a not a blueprint for success in the playoffs and is more suited for an 82 game season rather than a best of 7 series.

From what I have watched this season, the Bruins win when they attack the zone.  They lose when they do their D to D passing moving the puck back and forth rather than up the ice.  Cam Neely was quoted earlier this week saying “you can’t win a hockey game 0-0.”  That is something that Claude Julien fails to realize in my humble opinion.

Another reason the Bruins will have an early exit is another Julien trait.  He insists on playing four lines all the time.  When it comes playoff time, ride the top two lines as long as you can using your third line only to give them their necessary rest.  There is no reason for the 4th line to see the ice in the playoffs.  There times I honestly believe Julien would rather win with guys like Rich Peverly, Chris Kelly, and Gregory Campbell than win at all.  These guys are special line players only.  they should be used on penalty kills and if there is a hope for a quick energy spark.

If you are anticipating a deep run in the playoffs by these Bruins you will be sorely disappointed.  They don’t have the superstar talent needed to win a Cup.  The coach doesn’t have the blueprint to bring the most prestigious trophy in all of sports to Boston.  The only hardware coming home this season will be another Vezina Trophy for Tim Thomas.  Don’t expect anything more.

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

Bruins Take On Crosby-less Penguins Tonight

The Boston Bruins head to Pittsburgh tonight to take on a Sidney Crosby-less Penguins.  Boston really lucks out here because over the last month or so he has been the best player in the league, uncontested.  The Bruins are coming off of a very disappointing loss in which they held a 2-0 lead late in the third period, blew it, and lost in overtime.  So what should we expect to see from the Black & Gold tonight?

1. Tuukka Rask.  Tuukka has another opportunity to shine while starter Tim Thomas gets so much deserved and much needed rest.  Rask has not had a lot of opportunities to show that he’s ready to be a full time NHL goaltender because of the stellar play of Thomas thus far.  Rask has seen mostly garbage time or cupcake teams during the year so any chance he gets to play means something.  Tim Thomas needs Tuukka Rask to be at the level he was last year so that Thomas can be healthy and rested when it comes time for that playoff run.  Keep an eye on Tuukka tonight as the Bruins take on one of the elite teams in the league.

2. Slumpers.  Zdeno Chara, Marc Savard, Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder.  None of these guys have had stellar performances of late.  Savard still needs to find his game and Chara just needs to bring a high intensity game on a nightly basis.  However, Ryder and Wheeler need to play like they are fighting for a spot on this team like they were early on in the season.  The sense of urgency with a few players has certainly dissipated.

3. Matt Cooke.  This one goes for Savard too.  Keep an eye on how much he tries to get in Savard’s head and see how much Cooke tries to mess with the entire team to take them off of their game.  That’s what Cook brings to the table so the Bruins need to ignore his antics and not get rattled.

4. Claude Julien.  It’s no secret that certain fans are calling for the head coaches…well, head.  It will be interesting to see how he adapts to in-game scenarios.  Benching Savard was a good step to show that players need to be responsible for their actions.  More of this needs to happen so that everyone takes each shift seriously.

We’ll see how the team performs against one of the best teams in the NHL tonight on Versus at 7:30pm EST.  Expect a low scoring affair under 5 total goals…

Time to Bid Claude Adieu

With the Bruins coverage on this blog lacking as of late, I am going to do my best to step in for our Salisbury-Clayton-esque Bruins boys and do my best to provide some kind of coverage to those out there that follow this blog and are avid Bruins fans.

If Claude Julien is to be grateful for one thing this Holiday season, it would be that he is an NHL hockey coach and not on the television show, The Apprentice. Surely if the Bruins coaching job was like being a competitor on the show, Donald Trump would have certainly uttered his famous catchphrase, “You’re fired” by now.  I am not one to usually call for the coach’s head on a platter but after watching Julien behind the bench for the past 3 years.  Julien came to Boston in June of 2007 and has been mediocre at best during that time.

In a region where the Celtics have the best record in their conference, the Patriots are the best team in the NFL, and the Red Sox just broke the bank to stack their roster, the Bruins are the proverbial red headed step child in Boston.  It is not that the Bruins lack talent, because they have an abundance of it in guys named Chara, Savard, Krejci, Thomas, Rask, Lucic, Horton, and Seguin.  But for the past three and a half seasons it seems the team plays with no fire.

Last year the Bruins were up 3 games to none against the Philadelphia Flyers and lost the best of seven series.  They were up 3-0 in Game 7 at home and couldn’t close it out.  A side note, the Bruins were playing against the Flyers third string goalie if memory serves correctly.  After that historic meltdown, I  started to sip the Julien haterade.  This is a coach who hasn’t been able to get out of the 2nd round of the playoffs in his entire coaching career.  This is a coach who led a team to a monumental losing streak where the team didn’t win a single game in January of 2010 but were able to sneak into the playoffs. But let’s forget about the past because Boston is a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of sports town.

At the time of this writing, the Bruins are 8th in the Eastern Conference with 38 points.  It boggles my mind that the team with the best goalie (statistically, and yes Tazzi I am saying this) in the NHL is 8th in the Eastern Conference and 16th in the NHL in points. Tim Thomas has a ridiculous save percentage of .948 and a goals against average of 1.70.  To put this in perspective the next closest goalie in save percentage is Ondrej Pavelec with a .943 save percentage and .1.82  goals against average.  Pavelec is on the Thrashers and they have the 5 seed in the East at this time.  The back up goalie Tuukka Rask’s record is 2-7-1 and he has a save percentage of .927.  Does Julien actually have a strategy going forward or is his motto “let’s get hall of fame goaltending and pray for the best.”

As team president Cam Neely has made personnel moves ensuring he puts a quality product on the ice.  He and Peter Chiarelli proved to be savvy during the summer when they traded the train wreck known as Dennis Wideman for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell.  This was an absolute steal.  Horton is a proven goal scorer, just what the Bruins needed.  But Julien’s style of play has limited what Horton is capable of doing.  The offense has no aggression.  Yes, last night they had 45 shots on Jonas Hiller of the Ducks and were shut out.  But not many of those shots are actual scoring chances.  I could sit out there and shoot the puck 45 times too and I don’t know how to skate.

The bottom line in all of this is Julien needs to go.  Everyone in the NHL seemingly knows how to beat his teams. His style of play focuses on goal prevention with no effort put into getting a formidable attack going to score goals.  The D to D passing is frustrating as all hell to watch and usually causes turnovers that lead to easy goals for the opposition.  Lou Lamoriello pulled the trigger on Julien when he was in New Jersey citing the team’s “lack of readiness to contend for the Cup.”  Isn’t that what is going on right now in Boston and has been for the past three and a half seasons?

The Bruins are boring and continue to lose.  The fan base is restless and with the recent successes and
splashes other area teams have made the Bruins are bordering on anonymity.  Firing Julien wouldn’t only be a shake-up, it would be the right thing to do.  The saddest thing in sports is wasted talent, and Claude Julien is doing a hell of a job wasting the talent he has on this Bruins roster.

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.

Bruins defeat Sabres, Head to Pennsylvania

In the 2009 NHL playoffs, the Bruins lost chemistry, lost man power, and regressed. Progress, the ability to learn and adapt, to come back from being down, to win at home, to score on the powerplay, to score at all, are all attributes the Bruins were able to find, and at precisely the right time. Success in hockey is matched only by speed, physicality and the ability to win in streaks. No team in the NHL is riding a faster horse, and in taming a division rival, a Vezina Trophy Winner and U.S. Olympian, a team that belongs next the dentist elf, teeing off on the Island of Misfit Toys, shuts everyone up, and conquers their fears, and their own misfortunes. When the Ducks rode J. S. Giguere to win the Cup, they were the least likely team, with the least likely hero, at just the right time. The Bruins played an extremely weak, late game defense, and made plenty of stupid mistakes. There is so much to take out this past series that was good, but more to criticize. I will analyze what they need to improve upon, and what they need to keep going in full force, when the draw is set, and their Pennsylvanian foe is confirmed. For now I will simply list my Top Three Stars of this past series, and the two stand outs who disappointingly made it into my Dog House.

Top Three Stars:

3) Miroslav Satan: For scoring the two most important goals of the series, making himself available and displaying a level of patience, which desperately needs to be matched by fellow European centers Sobotka and Kreijci, appearing just on the cusp of this list. He is playing at a mid-season level, and is proving to be the steel of the year for the B’s, and the main reason the Trade Deadline moves look only sub par, compared to an epic failure.

2) Johnny Boychuk: Some people need a warm glass of milk to go to sleep. I only need that hit on Ellis, by defenseman, “How much wood could a Boychuk chuck if a Boychuk could chuck wood?” Johnny Boychuk, and his shoulders made of concrete and brawn. He lifted his game, along side and along with Zdeno Chara, to a level which dwarfed that of Wideman’s, Ferrence’s, McQuaid’s and Hunwick’s efforts. I predicted greatness for this kid, and I believe next year we will have that elusive second, top-tier defenseman, the Bruins have needed since the departure of Bourque and Sweeney. (I ignore Seidenberg until he truly becomes a Bruin.)

1) Tuuka Rask: Julien’s Guide to Rask Management! I can not say enough about the journey I have taken with Rask this season. My love of Tim Thomas forced me to continuously push back, and until that final victory this season, I will continue. The diving save in Game 4, the solidity and poise displayed in Game 5 and in the victorious Game 6 and forcing me to chew my words, are all accomplishments in their own right, however winning the series, earning every save, and every minute, proves me wrong, and pleases me more than anyone. Tim Thomas is a humble man, and will admit with me, and with the rest of the would be speculators that Tuukka Rask is not only the future, but he is the present, and he is the missing link for the Bruins’ success. A hot goalie, at the right time, beating the best goalie, with a battered defense in front of him, was always out of the realm of possibilities for this Bruins team, until now.

 

Dog House:

Dennis Wideman: There is not much to explain, except for the fact that he brought down a defense, volatile to failure. Wideman’s give away in Game 6 is the tip of the iceberg that has been a completely disappointing season. Andrew Ferrence may have had a worse series, however Wideman makes me cringe every time he handles the puck in his end, and that is not a healthy relationship. I want him gone next season, but for now, I can only hope he improves.

Marco Sturm: If there is any Bruins forward I would sit upon Marc Savard’s return it is Sturm. He couldn’t hit the ocean, and the blade of his stick played like dynamite. Putting him on the first line lead to no success, and he is a hinderance to a very present and solid offensive force. Who knew? If and when he steps it up, the Bruins will be that much better.

 

Claude Julien proved something to the Bruin’s fans, and to his team, by convincing them to play his system, and coaching it in such a way as to lead to success. The system allowed adaptability yet left room for reckless and exciting playoff hockey. Lucic “did” hit everything this series, and we must now wait until the weekend, until we can let him out of his cage, yet again.

I digress until the draw, and leave you utterly impressed, and anxiously waiting.

Watch 4/28, Canadiens vs. Capitals, Game 7   !!!

The Ten Year Collapse of the Boston Bruins, and Its Recent Endgame

On Sunday, March 21st, the Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers 2-1, and for the first time in ten years, I could care less. Recently, in a manner of dissapointing precedence, the Bruins managed to draw negative attention to themselves throughout the world of hockey for their lack of physical play and for their lack of heart. I have been a sympathetic advocate towards their “inabilities” and short comings throughout the years,  however I need to take a step back, after the Matt Cooke incident on March 7th, where a notoriously dirty player on a notoriously clean team elbowed Bruins’ star Marc Savard, a notorious “embelisher”, a diver of sorts, in the head inflicting upon him a second grade concussion, and putting him out for the season. Tom Cruise himself can’t fake a medically certified second grade concussion, and Marc Savard is no Oscar winner. That being said, what we witnessed on the 7th, was a legitimate breaking of the rules, an unjust and unwarranted display of physicality, with an obvious intent to injure. We witnessed a penalty gone un-penalized; a suspendable offense gone without suspension; an act of violence on a teammate, gone without retaliation or justification. We witnessed the collapse of a franchise, the death of a history, and to add even another level of completely justifiable drama, an inexcusable embarrassment, in which a team cannot possibly come back from, within this season, or in my tarnished opinion, ever, with this current lineup. That being said, player by player, who do we keep, and who can we dispose of. The argument is no longer, “is this a team that can win”. That argument became meaningless when they proved not to be a team at all.

There is something to the argument, which I agree whole heartedly with, that Ovechkin beats out Crosby as the best in the game. I believe it is 50% of the game’s objective to play physical, issue a level of physicality, and not have to play protected. I do believe Crosby would fight if his team gave him the opportunity, but somewhere along the lines, lost within the annuls of hockey history, the art of intimidation and violence lost its cool. Teams learned newer, trendier ways of proving themselves to each other, and asserting their camaraderie. Winning was one way, and the Bruins had that last year, quickly losing it in the wake of injuries, spoiled youth, and a blatant disbelief in their Vezina winning goaltender. Winning is not an option.  The other is bringing in a coach that could preach the ways of camaraderie to the team, spoon feed them chemistry. They had this last year as well, and lost it due to the exact same reasons as previously stated. Claude Julien also completely lost control, and apparently lost focus on what team history he is upholding, and what his objectives are game by game. On March 8^th it was not Captain Zdeno Chara who had the responsibility of picking his team up, and it was not Shawn “I only have one fight in me a game” Thornton. It was their Coach, their glue, their voice, Claude Julien, and he failed, not just himself, but his players, the franchise, the progress made last season, the 1970 squad sitting in their luxury boxes disappointed and betrayed, and the history of the Boston Bruins. Claude, if I wanted Dave Lewis to come back, I would have shoved a cactus up my ass to prepare for this season.

(Side Note: In 1979, current Bruins analyst, than player, Mike Milbury climbed into the stands at the Madison Square Garden and beat a fan with his own shoe. The times are no longer changing; they have officially changed.)

The Bruins did not spend this season without a goal scorer. They did not play this season without a strong defensive core. They did not play this season without a number one goaltender. They played this season without heart. I have avoided calling it for the past ten years, and though I despise when Ray Bourque brought his Colorado Avalanche Cup to Boston and paraded it around the Hub and will never forgive him for this, the heart left with him and with Neely and has not been able to ever again reemmerge. I have watched teams nearly succeed in this time, and always fail. I have watched hits go unfinished, this season more so than any other, and the March 18^th game more than any game this season. To avoid finishing a check in a game that meant nothing more than vengeance and justice, is avoidance to come to terms with a complete lack of chemistry, and this is not built by one or two players, this is built over time. The Bruins built their team to last season, and it did not add up. The equation must start over again, and this means a revamping of the lineup and its personnel.

Side Note: I can’t deny the heart of some of my favorites to ever play for the Bruins, but Donato, Heinz, Dafoe, Murray, Guerin, Lapointe, Sweeney and P.J. Axellson are long gone, and there are only a few shimmers of light left to spark even the remote amount of interest I have left, in this team; and this remote amount will never fade away, and that it is said to confirm that this post is not the death of my fandom, only the suggestions necessary to keep its fire lit.

The post now moves to this so-called endgame. The endgame of the downfall everyone around me saw coming, except me. “They do not play physical…”, I heard and denied. “They do not have a goal scorer…” I heard and witnessed, and still denied. I denied not the fact, but the necessity. This was a mistake. If a team does not and can not possess physicality and goal scoring in hockey, or match any level of play delivered by the elite teams throughout the league, the consistent teams, the guarantees, than a team can not win. That being said, who do we keep, who can we build a TEAM around, who still possesses this drive and the heart necessary to win in the NHL. Out of the woodwork, and the “tactful” decisions made over this past decade, there are a few that can remain, and a few that can still lead; call them the “last hopes” the Bruins have towards their future as a team, and their future in holding any relevance in regards to New England sports. At this time, I do not blame anyone for turning their heads away, once again, from the Boston Bruins. One March 21^st, I did the same.

Players to save; the only ones remaining with the ability to save, what the B’s managed to lose in 60 minutes:

Patrice Bergeron: There is no question who the hidden talent is, and his gold medal as a Canadian Olympian is no charity case, but a testament to this talent. Bergeron, however, has been asked, since his call up in ’03, to play over this talent, play a forechecking, defensive minded role. In an equally as brutal fashion to the recent Matt Cooke incident, Randy Jones from the league assholes, the Philadelphia Flyers, served Patrice up a concussion of his own. Bergeron responded by coming back last year, and putting on an absolute clinic in the first round of the playoffs, as the B’s stepped it up and beat their Canadian rivals. He also stepped it up again this season, amidst the injuries and lack of compete level surrounding him. Patrice Bergeron IS and has been for some time now, the most reliable workhorse the B’s have, and any team in the NHL could build a team around this kid. Steady numbers, a great power-play point man and penalty killer, and finesse and finishing skills which can match any player in the NHL, skate for skate and pound for pound. He will not go anywhere.

David Kreijci: Patience, and European finesse launch this Bruin ahead of any other future candidate the B’s had over the past two years. There is an eerie feel of experience possessed by this sophomore, and a veteran quality, even before during and after his all-star caliber Olympic performance. The center core the B’s have to build on is impressive.

Marc Savard: The third Center position installment, a tenacious and crafty playmaker, he was an offensive steel, and once he fully recovers, he is an important stand out and reliable asset.

Zdeno Chara: The epitome of a captain. When he is healthy, he is a monster.

Tuukka Rask: Young, inexperienced, and an incredible talent. He has some big skates to fill, but a team around Rask can win games.

Tim Thomas: Let him have his contract, let him have his ‘B’, and while wearing his silver medal, holding up his Vezina, and at the age of 39, let him skate off into the sunset. His compete level has yet to be matched by any Bruin, and if there was enough of his heart to go around, this team would be viewed in an entirely different light.

I can’t in my right mind go without mentioning “The Next Cam Neely”, Milan Lucic, or the fiery goal scorer Marco Sturm, right? Well let’s just say I stop at Thomas on my list of player’s to keep, and hold Lucic and Sturm directly over the fence of loyalty and devotion. Lucic needs to either play physical or score goals. When he does neither, he is a liability. When he does both he is a necessity. If he chooses incorrectly, he will become a one “hit” wonder, and fade into the annuls of Bruins fandom along side P.J. Stock. P.J. would win. Marco Sturm on the other hand, can’t seem to match himself, and at any given time, becomes, just another player. If he can turn it up for game 6 of the first round of the 07′/08′ playoffs, and for the Winter Classic in 2010, then he should be able to turn it up every minute of every game. This however, is a Bruins virus, spreading throughout talent, and once it hits, it produces the exact results we are now criticizing, we are now turning our heads away from and the exact results we need to change.

Everyone else can go, and if Wideman isn’t one of them, then the whole world is a joke, and I am the epic punchline.

Looking back on this post, it reads more like the diary of a Bruins Fan scorned. I have heard the recent mantra around me, cries of “heart failure” and ”I’m done with them…”, but I am not done. I am, however, inclined to set my standards higher, declare who I believe should be kept, and who I could see disposed of. I feel it my responsibility to finally face reality. I also, however, find the responsibility as a fan, not just to criticize, but ride this criticism directly alongside my hope and my love for this team. I will begin watching them again, avidly and without a wavering outlook on their abilities to be successful. I will watch however, with a relentless “toothbrush in the toilet” tainted taste in my mouth, until the moves I want happen, and until the restructuring of this season’s failures occur.

To end this year, I believe the Bruins will sneak into the playoffs, and get destroyed by an absolutely unconscious Washington Capitals team. I believe Rask will be the number one, and Thomas will be shopped around in the offseason. If he stays, he will humbly accept the back up role. When Savard returns, the three star centers named above will need a goal scorer a piece to match the lines. I believe Sturm, Wheeler and Lucic can stay if they want, and fit, but they are not these necessary goal scorers. Recchi, Ryder and Satan will be gone, and Paille and Begin have already overstayed their welcomes. (Side Note: I do not and will never trust division rivals. They are spies.) Their defense, aside from Mark Stuart, possibly this Seidenberg character, who has yet to do anything more than Derek Morris delivered, Johnny Boychuk, who given the right amount of time and training has greatness potential, and of course Chara, can be completely unloaded. Claude Julien? I think he will stay. I think the philosophies will remain. I think they will again be successful. But to forget history, to forget the “black and blue” ways of the black and gold, is to forget what team you are coaching. Julien, you are no longer coaching for Lou in New Jersey, you are coaching for a player, Neely, and the teams’ biggest fan, Chiarelli. You are coaching for that 1970′s team. You are coaching for Boston. You are coaching to keep hockey relevant in the Hub.

Somewhere along the line, this Bruins team lost it. Whatever “it” is, I believe they have the tools to build yet again, to achieve it. I can only hope it will happen next year, but in the wake of such embarrassment, and my current indifference, all I have left is hope, and that is the true endgame of fandom, towards any sports team’s collapse.

The Bruins Need Defense; and Thomas

  

Claude Julien coaches a defensive system with a boring strategy. In his fairly short career as a head coach he has carried this philosophy into Montreal, New Jersey and now into Boston. Though fired from the Devils in 2007, they continue to play to this defensive minded philosophy, and the only reason they have remained successful from it, is their rock solid affirmation in goal, Martin Brodeur, and their plethora of veteran leadership, and three zone, two way, offensive players. For the sake of maintaining an argument for success in the NHL and how it has recently been achieved, I will proceed to repeat myself from earlier posts on many factual observations I have made. The first comes in the form of a question which I will then answer. Name a team to win a Stanley Cup this decade, who did not ride a veteran goalie of at least a decade’s worth of experience on a professional level? Listed below are the teams that won the Cup in the given year, the goalies they road out, their goalie’s experience, and their goalie’s total games played in the regular season.  

• Colorado Avalanche, Patrick Roy, 2000-2001 season, 15 years, 62 games played  
• Detroit Red Wings, Dominik Hasek, 2001-2002 season, 11 years, 65 games played  
• New Jersey Devils, Martin Brodeur, 2002-2003 season, 11 years, 73 games played  
• Tampa Bay Lightning, Nikolai Khabibulin, 2003-2004 season, 10 years, 55 games played  
• Lockout, 2004-2005 season  
• Carolina Hurricanes, Martin Gerber, 2005-2006 season, 11 years (Swiss League), 3 years in NHL, 60 games played, (while Cam Ward bided his time on the bench, as the backup) 
• Anaheim Ducks, Jean Sebastian Giguere, 2006-2007 season, 10 years, 56 games played  
• Red Wings, Chris Osgood, 2007-2008 season, 14 years, 43 games played & Dominik Hasek, 2007-2008 season, 16 years, 41 games played  
• Pittsburgh Penguins, Marc-Andre Fluery, 2008-2009 season, 5 years, 62 games played  

The answer is one, in the form of a Penguins team lead by the up and coming “Untouchables“, Crosby and Malkin. 

How many times in the past decade has a goalie-by-committee brought a team a Stanley Cup?  

The answer is one, in the form of Hasek and Osgood, a combined 30 years NHL experience, and the team of the decade in front of them.

How can the Bruins, a struggling team, dependent on a defensive strategy, dependent on an affirmation in goal, the most important of all defensive devices needed for success, be successful platooning Rask and Thomas throughout the regular season, and think Rask could possibly survive the playoffs in only his second year in the NHL?  

The answer is, they can’t, and they won’t be successful if they do so.

I will admit that I am bias to Tim Thomas’ plight. I also have a keen eye to the past, and I have fought through Bruins fandom, watching goalies and goaltending philosophies come and go. Amidst the recent slump, a controversy has immerged. Would the Bruins be out of this slump, or have shut out the Canadiens had it not been for Rask? No. Would they have beaten the Sharks this year, won out at the Winter Classic or been as successful as they have been over the past two seasons, had it not been for Thomas? No.   

  

If the Bruins want to remain invested in the Claude Julien system, they will keep Thomas, and utilize him as the starter into the playoffs. They will also need to acquire a veteran defenseman, to use not only themselves (last year) but the listed champions above as examples, with a defensive, not particularly an offensive, skill set, as opposed to the young men they are rotating up and down from the AHL due to injury. The offense shouldn’t have to buy into a slow moving offensive strategy, dependent on intricate set ups and puck control, not on speedy transition, with rookie defenseman holding their blue lines and delivering lead passes through the neutral zone. It is bad enough Derek Morris and Wideman are struggling not only in these two obvious aspects of defensive play, but neither can hit the net this year. Do the Bruins need an offensive threat, a presence with a quick stick and even quicker skates? Yes. Returning to the Devils comparison, reference Zach Parise and newly acquired Ilya Kovalchuk as examples. But this threat will be moot if a goalie controversy remains heavy over the organization and if the defense fails to find chemistry, or the organization fails to build it.  

 

After Thought -

Do not get me wrong on the rookie system the Bruins have implemented. Their AHL affiliate in Providence pays homage to this defensive strategic philosophy, and they play it well. McQuaid, Boychuk, and even Hunwick last year, are and have been prepared. But as risky as it would be to play all of their chips on Rask this season, is as risky as it is for the Bruins not to acquire at least one more veteran presence to compliments Chara’s wavering leadership, through no fault of his own.