2011-2012 Boston Bruins (Offseason)

[BDL]

Welcome to the 2011-2012 Boston Bruins thread.

Here we are. 2 weeks until the Bruins raise their first banner in almost 40yrs. The core of the team is returning (enjoy retirement Recchi/INCREDIBLE playoff performance Ryder), and the lines are pretty much set even before the roster is announced. The Bruins enjoyed and amazing season and 4 EPIC playoff series. The first team in NHL history to win 3 game 7's on their way to the Stanley Cup. After the parades, the Cup sightings, the numerous pictures and videos of the B's (ahem) "celebrating" and signings, it has also been an eventful Summer.

But when it's all said and done... After the banner is in the rafters, along with the previous Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers of some of the greatest players to ever lace up skates... When the applause has died down from seeing legends like Orr, Schmidt, Bourque and Neely...

The Bruins are just like every other team in the NHL. Before the face-off, the B's are 0-0-0=0 (no wins- no losses- no OTL's= NO POINTS) and they have what 29 other teams want and thousands of players have worked their whole lives to attain.

Here is your outlet. If you have a comment about the off-season, how they played in a game, rumors, what Puck Daddy wrote that day, your favorite players (players who drive you nuts), Rules Bear and/or comments about other teams, leave them here.

If you are a fan of another team and you have a problem with the B's or just want to trash talk (as long as it is at least 51% clever, witty and funny to 49% malicious), you can do that here too.

Hope to hear from all the B's fans out there. Below, are the links to the playoff threads from last year in case you want to see some fairly entertaining back-and-forth between fans.

Rd 1. vs Habs: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2698582
Rd 2. vs Flyers: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2710387
Rd 3. vs TB: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2717099
Rd 4. vs Vancouver: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2731077

This is all the past. It's time to look to the future.

LET'S GO BRUINS!!!

 

[Monte Cristo]

Welcome to the 2011-2012 Boston Bruins thread.

Here we are. 2 weeks until the Bruins raise their first banner in almost 40yrs. The core of the team is returning (enjoy retirement Recchi/INCREDIBLE playoff performance Ryder), and the lines are pretty much set even before the roster is announced. The Bruins enjoyed and amazing season and 4 EPIC playoff series. The first team in NHL history to win 3 game 7's on their way to the Stanley Cup. After the parades, the Cup sightings, the numerous pictures and videos of the B's (ahem) "celebrating" and signings, it has also been an eventful Summer.

But when it's all said and done... After the banner is in the rafters, along with the previous Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers of some of the greatest players to ever lace up skates... When the applause has died down from seeing legends like Orr, Schmidt, Bourque and Neely...

The Bruins are just like every other team in the NHL. Before the face-off, the B's are 0-0-0=0 (no wins- no losses- no OTL's= NO POINTS) and they have what 29 other teams want and thousands of players have worked their whole lives to attain.

Here is your outlet. If you have a comment about the off-season, how they played in a game, rumors, what Puck Daddy wrote that day, your favorite players (players who drive you nuts), Rules Bear and/or comments about other teams, leave them here.

If you are a fan of another team and you have a problem with the B's or just want to trash talk (as long as it is at least 51% clever, witty and funny to 49% malicious), you can do that here too.

Hope to hear from all the B's fans out there. Below, are the links to the playoff threads from last year in case you want to see some fairly entertaining back-and-forth between fans.

Rd 1. vs Habs: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2698582
Rd 2. vs Flyers: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2710387
Rd 3. vs TB: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2717099
Rd 4. vs Vancouver: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2731077

This is all the past. It's time to look to the future.

LET'S GO BRUINS!!!

Excellent introductory post for the new season.

I am looking forward to seeing imrpovements by Seguin and company. Also looking for Lucic improvement....or maybe bringing is game to even another level.

Hope Rask gets some early work to keep him competitive and Thomas fresh.

Can't wait for the season to start!!!

 

[pensgirl10]

Pens fan here (which may be obvious from my moniker) but I will be checking in from time to time. There is no such thing as too much hockey, after all. I will be out of town for our first mutual game so trash talk could be at a minimum. The Pens apparently looked good in their preseason game last night - I couldn't tell over the radio - and I am looking forward to a decent season.

 

[pensgirl10]

"Several prognosticators around the NHL are saying the Boston Bruins have lined themselves up for a run at a repeat championship season. No one here is going to argue with that, because on paper, the Bruins look as solid as the team that won the Stanley Cup just three months ago."

However.....

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=589250&navid=DL|NHL|home

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm just looking forward to the commentators constantly referring to "Big Chara" again...

Has anyone else noticed that they almost always call him that?

 

[declansdad]

OMG! Didn't you get enough of this last spring! You have to know they will never win again this year.

HABS RULE!!!

 

[kimblebee]

The Bruins may be the Stanley Cup champs but they will be overshadowed by the return of the Jets!

Hope you enjoyed your 15 minutes of attention.

 

[BDL]

OMG! Didn't you get enough of this last spring! You have to know they will never win again this year.

HABS RULE!!!

Ahhh... Declansdad... We meet again.

Must give you props though. You were the 1 that got the ball rolling during the 1st round last yr with your Habs vs. Bruins thread (see above: Rd 1 vs. Habs thread). Just the sort of foil I was hoping would climb on board (just gotta wait til mommasita finds the thread).

As for winning again, true, the odds are not in the B's favor. But I'd still place them ahead of the Canadian national dive team... woops, I'm sorry. I meant the Canadiens. But, with a home and home series at the end of October, we won't have long to wait.

Plus, I can't wait to see the 1st time Hal tries to clear Marchand out of the crease. It will look like 1 of those old cartoons where little "Jerry" beat the Hell out of 6' 7" "Tom"

 

[pensgirl10]

The Bruins may be the Stanley Cup champs but they will be overshadowed by the return of the Jets!

With prices at the new arena being what they are - and with the fact that I got spoiled and want decent seats - we may see just one game this year. I won't lie and say it was my first choice but my first choice was sold out so my son suggested Pens vs. Jets in February. Now I'm starting to get excited about it myself.

 

[topolino]

I can't help but take this opportunity to defend my team a bit here. A team by the way, who happens to be a division rival of the Bruins.

The Sabres have quietly gotten a lot better during the off season. They added much needed size on the blue line (Robyn Regehr), some scoring finesse (Ville Leino) and secured the contracts of a couple guys who had great seasons last year (Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers). They still have arguably a top-three-in-the-league goalie (Ryan Miller), and a new owner who is absolutely committed to winning (Terry Pegula).

I respect what the Bruins did last year, especially after coming back time and time again in the playoffs. Should be a good season.

 

[declansdad]

Ahhh... Declansdad... We meet again.

Must give you props though. You were the 1 that got the ball rolling during the 1st round last yr with your Habs vs. Bruins thread (see above: Rd 1 vs. Habs thread). Just the sort of foil I was hoping would climb on board (just gotta wait til mommasita finds the thread).

As for winning again, true, the odds are not in the B's favor. But I'd still place them ahead of the Canadian national dive team... woops, I'm sorry. I meant the Canadiens. But, with a home and home series at the end of October, we won't have long to wait.

Plus, I can't wait to see the 1st time Hal tries to clear Marchand out of the crease. It will look like 1 of those old cartoons where little "Jerry" beat the Hell out of 6' 7" "Tom"

LOL, I'll give the Bruins their due. Lat year the were the best ever 2nd best team in the league to win the cup.

Should be a fun year.

 

[Monte Cristo]

HABS RULE!!!

Sorry, you're going on ignore after that comment. Never trust a Montreloser fan.

 

[DenMig]

Speaking from the perspective of a Chicago Blackhawks fan, you have very little chance of repeating.

1. Stanley Cup Hangover......Each member of the organization has the cup for a day, and I think the parties spill into the summer.

2. Target on your back.........You are now the hunted.

3. All those game 7's deep into June takes a toll. For example, the Hawks were eliminated a month earlier in a 1st round game 7, so their bodies began the healing process.

Having said that, look for the BlackHawks to have a strong year. The players finally got a chance to rest after a few deep runs in the playoffs culminating with the Cup in 2010. The hunger is back and they are coming into the season in better physical shape, motivated, etc.

good luck

 

[BDL]

Speaking from the perspective of a Chicago Blackhawks fan, you have very little chance of repeating.

1. Stanley Cup Hangover......Each member of the organization has the cup for a day, and I think the parties spill into the summer.

2. Target on your back.........You are now the hunted.

3. All those game 7's deep into June takes a toll. For example, the Hawks were eliminated a month earlier in a 1st round game 7, so their bodies began the healing process.

Having said that, look for the BlackHawks to have a strong year. The players finally got a chance to rest after a few deep runs in the playoffs culminating with the Cup in 2010. The hunger is back and they are coming into the season in better physical shape, motivated, etc.

good luck

Some good points here, but there are a couple of flaws to this argument.

1) I'm sure the players and staff do have a Cup hangover (both figurative and literal). But I'm not too worried. Most of the B's live within 1/2 mile of Faneuil Hall and downtown Boston. Hangovers are par for the course.

2) When you play in a division with 3, Original 6 teams in it, you always have a target on your back.

3) To use that standard, wouldn't it make sense that teams that were on the bubble of making the playoffs last year (Calgary, Dallas and Carolina) would be the frontrunners. Teams that performed in the reg. season but didn't make the playoffs, therefore didn't even have the strain of a 4 gm series never mind a 7 gm series.

I felt bad for you 'Hawks fans after you won the Cup. You had the makings of being a juggernaut, but had to sell off too many pieces to fit under the salary cap. The B's don't have that problem. They have 17 of their regular 20 roster players back, a strong minor league system in Providence and even have space to trade for a top 6 forward if they have to.

Am I saying the B's are a lock...? No

I'm just saying that they have the luxuries that a lot of post-Cup teams don't.

 

[BDL]

I know it's only pre-season. And I'm not trying to get ahead of myself. But the Bruins had a great weekend.

Friday was touch and go for a while. But they kept clawing back to tie and then came back again to take the lead. I know they faced a 3rd-4th string goalie in the 3rd period. But it definitely looks like the 2nd line picked up where they left off. 2 out of the 3 of them had 3 pts (Marchand slacked with only 2 pts this night).

As for last night's game against Montreal... I don't have a frickin' clue. I mean it's great that the B's won, but it seemed that every score was a special teams score of some kind. And have you ever seen a game that had 6 unassisted goals?

Anyhoo...... 2 pts is 2 pts.

It's 10 days til the season opener... AND... Because we are season ticket holders, 1 week from today, we get a photo op with Lord Stanley's Cup.

Next week is gonna be AWESOME!!!!!

 

[Snowflakey]

Big Bruins fan here We are all set for next week

DD still believes she will marry Seguin

Tim Thomas brought the Cup here to Vermont and we had front row viewing! I got a ton of pictures and it was such a fun crowd

I'm already planning a fun meal to kick off the new season next week - I"m such a freak that way. I'm thinking "Bruins themed" cupcakes are on the agenda

 

[declansdad]

I know it's only pre-season. And I'm not trying to get ahead of myself. But the Bruins had a great weekend.

Friday was touch and go for a while. But they kept clawing back to tie and then came back again to take the lead. I know they faced a 3rd-4th string goalie in the 3rd period. But it definitely looks like the 2nd line picked up where they left off. 2 out of the 3 of them had 3 pts (Marchand slacked with only 2 pts this night).

As for last night's game against Montreal... I don't have a frickin' clue. I mean it's great that the B's won, but it seemed that every score was a special teams score of some kind. And have you ever seen a game that had 6 unassisted goals?

Anyhoo...... 2 pts is 2 pts.

It's 10 days til the season opener... AND... Because we are season ticket holders, 1 week from today, we get a photo op with Lord Stanley's Cup.

Next week is gonna be AWESOME!!!!!

Man you really get into the preseason.

 

[BDL]

Man you really get into the preseason.

Why not? It was just a couple of years ago that I'd see players by the names of Rask and Marchand, in these preseason games.

 

[northernlady]

Another Bruin Fan right here!! We are from Vermont and went to a few games last season. We will be at the October 8th game against Tampa Bay. I wanted to see the banner raised but couldn't get tickets. I Can't wait to watch them again this year!!
Go Bruins!!

 

[declansdad]

Why not? It was just a couple of years ago that I'd see players by the names of Rask and Marchand, in these preseason games.

Just kidding with you.

It's great when the preseason roles around, if only to signal that the real thing is just around the corner. That's when I get excited.

I was at a golf tourney with a few of the Bruins this past summer (as well as some other players). For the most part, they were a pretty decent bunch of guys. One was a bit cocky but when you had just won the Cup I guess that could be expected.