2013-14 Boston Bruins Thread (the offseason)

[BDL]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. And that Santa was good to all of you. By now, I'm sure you heard that Bettman had played Scrooge on Christmas Eve. But I'll get to that a little later.

Tonight hockey is back and the Bruins face the Sens on the 1st 1/2 of a home and home. It's true that the Sens don't have the best record. But this is 1 of the few redeeming qualities of re-alignment. Now, with teams vying for those last 2 wild card slots, there should be some scrappy play from all of the teams that are out of the top 3 of their divisions. ANd somehow, the Senators ALWAYS play the Bruins tough. And a home and home will make it even more so.

As for the Bettman decision... I composed a little something I like to call...

How the Gary-nch Stole Christmas

Every bru in Bruins-ville
liked the Bruins a lot.
But the Gary-nch, who lived
just west of Bruins-ville did not.

The Gary-nch hated the Bruins,
The whole Bruins season.
Please don’t ask why.
No one quite knows the reason

Maybe it’s because his
Toque was too tight?
Or maybe because his NBA
Internship wasn’t quite right

But I think the most
Likely reason of all…
Was that his spine was
2 sizes too small.

Whatever the reason,
His spine or his toques
He announced on Christmas Eve,
That he hated the bru’s

The Gary-nch had always wanted
A Stanley Cup Finals with lots of scoring
But with the Bruins competing,
The Stanley Cup will feature D and be quite boring

The Bruins were in 1st place
Of the Eastern Conference now.
“I have to stop them from winning…
But how?”

An opportunity arose,
And the Gary-nch felt so smart.
“I know what I’ll do” he sneered,
“I’ll remove their heart”

He turned to his cop,
The former player Shanahan.
“You will release 1 of your videos
With a swoosh, a vroom and a clang.”

“You will remove the Bruins heart,
With a 15 game whack.
Then maybe FINALLY,
Mario will get off my back.”

Shanahan did as he was told
And made his video address
But this would be just the beginning
Of the bru’s distress

Injuries had afflicted
Quite a few of the bru.
Concussions, upper bodies
Even the flu.

The Gary-nch was happy with
All of the events taking place
Then something happened
That brought a frown to his face

The heart of the Bruins had challenged the suspension
With an appeal… A review.
It was Shawn Thornton Bru
Who wore 22

But the Gary-nch would not be
Swayed by this little detractor.
He upheld the suspension
And called Shawn “a good actor”

The Gary-nch had sat there
Pleased with his scheming and planning
Then he went online
To check out the standings

“WHAT IS THIS?!?!?”
He exclaimed in surprise
He refreshed the page,
Because he couldn’t believe his eyes

The Penguins were now in first.
That was true.
But the bru’s were close with a game in hand,
No, wait. Make that 2.

“They win using Warsofsky.
They win using Miller.
They win using Cunningham,
Johnson and Frazer.”

None of whom were on the roster
When the season began.
But every one of them answered the bell,
To a man

So, stack the deck Gary-nch.
And keep maintaining your denials.
For, all the bru’s in Bruins-ville
Will keep pushing and fighting for the Stanley Cup Finals.


I hope that you enoyed this. Face-off is at 7pm.

 

[stevea20]

Cute poem.

Happy New Year everyone.

 

[BDL]

Cute poem.

Happy New Year everyone.

Thank you.

And I hope everyone has a fun and safe NYE. And a healthy and happy 2014.

Tonight we have another Bull Gang game. I can't think of a season when the B's and C's had so many Bull Gang games. Especially when the C's were the afternoon game vs. the Bruins. BDLsgal and I will be at the game tonight. It shoukld be an interesting crowd. I honestly do not know what to expect. After working at a bar for 16 NYE's, this will only be my 2nd NYE, since before I was was of age, that I won't be working (when I was under age, I partied at the parking lots of the Phish shows in Worcester. The music is God awful, but the tailgating was fun).

Tonight the B's play the Islanders. I have always said that the Islanders constantly have a lot of young talent, but never an identity to help direct it. When they finally find it, they will be a dangerous team to face. But for now, even at their curent state, the Bruins are so banged up right now, that this game will be a contest.

Happy New Year everyone!

Let's Go Bruins!

 

[stevea20]

Tonight the B's play the Islanders. I have always said that the Islanders constantly have a lot of young talent, but never an identity to help direct it. When they finally find it, they will be a dangerous team to face.

Let's see. This is the team that took the Penquins 6 tough games in the first round last year, they've already beaten the Bruins twice this year and now they have B's killer Vanek with them.

I think they already ARE a dangerous team.

Oh, and one other word I would use to describe them...PEST!

 

[BDL]

Let's see. This is the team that took the Penquins 6 tough games in the first round last year, they've already beaten the Bruins twice this year and now they have B's killer Vanek with them.

I think they already ARE a dangerous team.

Oh, and one other word I would use to describe them...PEST!

I fully agree. As soon as I heard of the trade for Vanek, I knew that the Isles had Bruins kryptonite. And if they can cement everything together they can secure a 6th seed and maybe rest their top lines and prep their expanded rosters. Also, I don't know what the Islanders' Olympic representation will be, but I think it will be less than some other Eastern teams. Giving them an advantage there as well.

As for the game on NYE itself, it was a "good news/ bad news/ worse news" scenario. The good news; the B's got out to early 1-0 and 3-1 leads. The bad news; the Isles tied or took the leads on 4 straight PP goals. The good news; Krejci scored his 100th goal. The bad news Tavares had a 4pt night. The worse news is that I have Tavares on my Disboard fantasy hockey team and he was on the bench.

Tonight, I don't know if the game will go off. But if you are heading in, be safe.

PS: I almost forgot. Tonight is Nathan Horton's premier with the CBJ's against the Coyotes.

Happy New Year.

 

[BDL]

Look like the Bruins have gotten their act together after the NYE debacle. Thanks to an OT win against the Preds and a trouncing of the Jets. The OT win against the Preds gave Svedberg a win in his NHL debut and Mike Fisher a chance to show the world the jock that he was faked out of ( SEEN HERE ). But it was good to see Svedberg in net, and he did a good job. He needs to be quicker on the recovery and stop giving up 20' rebounds, but he's coming along. And Marchand... Ever since he quit trying to be a Lady Bing candidate, his scoring touch is back. It's good to see the "little ball of hate" again. As for the win against the Jets, though I a fan of the trading of talent in the Chara/Thornburn fight or the Fraser/Wright fight, but it showed that the Bruins toughness doesn't only reside with Lucic and the 4th line. Speaking of toughness, if there are any Jets fans that read this, what kind of deal would have to be in the works to land Byfuglien, or Kane, or both?

Tonight the Bruins are in Disneyland for their 1st game of their golden state road trip. The B's are playing a 1st place Ducks team that has 2 20+ goal scorers, in Getzlaf and Perry. And without Seidenberg, this could be a challenge for the B's. Either to shut down the Ducks' offense or to try to out score them in a 6-5 contest.

In other news, according to reports out od Bratislava this morning, Chara was named captain of the Slovakian national team. Congrats to Big Z. But I'm sorry. Every time I hear about Bratislava, all I can think about is the movie Euro Trip.

Throughout the day, countries all around the world will be announcing their Olympic hockey rosters. Stay tuned.

 

[BDL]

The last 40 min of the B's/Ducks game was the definition of UGLY. The 1st period was some great hockey. A great back and forth match and Jonas Hiller putting on a Vezina worthy exhibition. Especially when he robbed Marchand late in the 1st. In all of the replays, you can see the "you gotta be friggin' kidding me!" expression on Marshmont's face. But, to use a Disney analogy (since they were in DL's back yard), the clock struck 12 on the Bruins. Or more precise, about 11pm est. Giving up 3 PP goals and a short-hander, in 2 periods is ridiculous.

I just can't understand how the Bruins can have back to back good/great games and then turn in what happened on Tuesday. But, like most sensible adults that are in a quandry, I turned to Twitter for answers. And sure enough, I found some. Or more specifically, THE answer. I can't remember which poster put it up, but it gave the stats pre-Seids injury and post-seids injury. The PK is about -15% and the GAA is about +1. Since the injury, I've been in the camp, that there is no need to trade for a top 4 D-man yet. But seeing those stats and seeing the game the other night, I am definitely more open to a trade. Who, where, and how much are all open for debate.

Tonight is part 2 of the trip of pain. They play teh LA Kings (3rd in the Pac/6th in the West). But the most shocking thing about the Kings this year, is that the lead the league in goals allowed with 91 (Boston is 2nd with 94). And it's not just the goalies either. Kopitar, in a Bergeron-esque renaissance, has really mastered his all-around game. He is a 13-22-35, +21 and is 65% in face-offs. He always had the scoring. But now, he is a threat in all 3 zones.

Face-off at 10:30 tonight. Ugggghhh... Remember last year when the latest face-off would be at 8:30pm? Do you miss only playing in the conference? Neither do I.

 

[BDL]

It was a rough road trip for the Spoked B. First there was 5-2 drubbing that the B's took at the hands of the California Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Then there was the equally poor showing against the Kings. And to add insult to injury in that game, Tuukka was pulled after letting up 3 goals. The lone bright spot was Florek scoring his 1st NHL goal in the losing effort.

Luckily, the Bruins were able to escape the left coast with 2 out of 6 points. And for 1 reason, and for 1 reason only...

The return of Shawn Thornton.

Just kidding. I'm sure have the Shawn-father back did provide a boost. But the only reason why the B's won against the Sharks was because Rask and Niemi were having an argument akin to who mom loves best.

"I'm the #1 Finnish goalie!"
"NO! I'm the #1 Finnish goalie!"
"NO! I'm the #1 Finnish goalie!"
"NO! I'm the #1 Finnish goalie!"
"Am not!"
"Are to!"

In the end, Ma loves Tuuk best.

Irony of ironies, it was a Swede that broke the tie. Being in the right place at the right time and using his strength to push his way to the zone, Soderberg broke the stalemate.

But not to be completely swept under the rug, Thornton's return is big. Especially now that Eriksson has been cleared for contact and Kelly has started skating again. It will provide some stability to the bottom 6 F's. But don't say goodbye to Spooner just yet. Kelly is just starting to skate. I doubt he will be back before the Olympics in Feb.

That just leaves the blue line to attend to. And unfortunately, it seems that defensemen around the league seem to be upping their scoring, thus driving up their teams' asking price. And, even though his contract is expiring and does not like being benched by his current team, I think seeing #76 in black and gold is an impossibility.

The Bruins host the Leafs tomorrow. ANd speaking of the Leafs, I was watching NHL on the Fly, on the NHL Network last week and they did a live look-in on the Islander @ Leafs. Then the arena started blaring the opening riff to Shipping Off to Boston. I don't get it. Is this a regular thing in that arena or was it just because they were playing a NY team? If you have an answer, please let us know.

 

[BDL]

Congratulations to the Boychuk family.

"Johnny Rocket" is now the proud papa of twin girls. No truth to the rumor, though, that their names are Applebees and Sonic.

Lame joke, I know. But still running on fumes from the weekend.

 

[BDL]

Just read a funny joke on twitter. Thank you to @bigbadbruins88 for posting it. And though I'm sure it has gone through a few incarnations during it's life, it's the 1st time I've seen it:

I met a fairy this today that granted me one wish. "I want to live forever" I said.

"Sorry" the fairy said, "I'm not allowed to grant wishes like that."

"Fine" I said. "I want to die after the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup."

"You crafty so-and-so!" said the fairy.

 

[BDL]

It's been a couple of Jekyll and Hyde games for the Bruins this week. 1st was the ugly display we saw against the Leafs on Tuesday. That game was so sloppy. It was the kind of showing you would expect from a 3rd game in 4 days. And I know the loss of Seidenberg is HUGE, but that 4th goal was given up with Z and Boychuk in front of the net. Campbell made it interesting towards the end. But in truth, the game wasn't that close.

Last night, you saw the big hitting that we usually associate with Bruins hockey. Miller is starting to make a name for himself as a thumper, and EVERYONE went into the corners. But it didn't just stop there. I'm sure Johnson gained a lot of respect from fans, by staying in after taking Z's stick blade to the eye. And when the B's had the puck, they didn't try to gain the zone; they just took it. There was very little finesse at the blue lines. The Bruins would get to the blue line and then just go full speed ahead. Then they would fight and carve out their space in front of Lehtenon.

And even though Seguin got the #2 star of the night, there was 1 instance that made me think of a nother sports moment. Soderberg was entering the zone and Seguin was there. Soderberg spun him around like Barry Sanders did to the Pats way back when ( HERE ) . Keep an eye on #42.

Speaking of football, HERE is a link to a thread/poll that I started, about the Pats/Broncos game. Take a swing by. Could Sunday be better for sports? B's on at 12:30 in a Stanley Cup re-match against the 'Hawks. Then immediately after, the Pats kick off at 3. And then, after that, is the SEA/SF game. Better get comfy on what ever couch, recliner bar stool you choose. You're gonna be there a while.

 

[BDL]

Just a programming note for those planning to listen to the Bruins game tomorrow. Due to the Pats' pre-game, the game will be on 100.7 and wzlx.com

 

[BDL]

Welcome to "black Monday". All 3 local teams lost yesterday. But today is another day. Today, the B's face pt. II of back to back of recent Stanley Cup winners, in the LA Kings (3rd in the Pac/6th in the West). After today, we'll all be going through Bruins withdrawal for a while. The B's don't play again until Saturday. Leaving a gaping hole for those of us who are in mourning from yesterday's AFC championship. Oh well, there's always youtube.

Speaking of youtube, if you are so inclined, if you can find video of NBC going to commercial after the 1st Marchand goal; when the team is congratulating him, you can see a 'Hawks fan, behind the glass, give them an "Andrew Ference wardrobe malfunction." I was amazed that NBC let it slip. I blurted out in laughter.

The game itself was a good game. 2 conflicting styles. Speed and transition vs. puck control and contact. And it was a really good game with A LOT of near misses for both sides. In the end, Chi-town walked away with the extra point. And what you can take away from this game, rules-wise... In the offseason, on top of re-evaluating how to call the delay of game penalty, I think the league will also look at the 10 min misconduct for throwing your stick in the stands.

There are 9 games left until the Olympics break. 7 for Chara. And I do not begrudge him in the least. Being able to carry your country's flag into the arena, is 1 of the greatest honors an athlete can have. And the mere fact that he ASKED PC and Cam if he could go, instead of telling them (ahem... Ovie), speaks to the man. His father was the coach of the national bicycling team, so Z has seen the Olympic process up close and personal, and probably even appreciates it that much more.

ETA: I gotta give the Kings credit. I love the Cartman motivational moments seen HERE .

Face-off at 3pm today.

Let's Go B's!

 

[BDL]

After the 1st period Bruins-2 Kings-0.

Both were scored on special teams. Machand with 4th shorty of the yr (5th goal in 4 games) and Krug on the PP with the Great Wall of Chara screening Quick.

 

[stevea20]

Heard most of the Chi game(missed the OT and SO)before switching to the Pats and being disappointed. Also heard the Kings game yesterday. Nice to see Marchand starting to heat up. If the first line could just get a little more consistency I think it would be great.

Agree that I'm OK that Chara will miss those two games to carry the flag. That's a big deal. Just hope there's no trouble since we're hearing all these security problems.

 

[stevea20]

Been thinking lately about how could the B's replace Seidenberg. I know they've got good depth with all the young guys but I think a little more experience to go with Chara wouldn't hurt. So I've got a thought, probably won't happen, but it's nice to think about.

The Bruins need a defenseman, one who would fit into Claudes system, would be good in the locker room and knows how to win in the playoffs.
Well, here's my choice...

Andrew Ferrence

 

[BDL]

God, I hate these long delays. The only thing that has helped has been the ongoing drama that is the fallout from the Flames/Canucks game. There are SO many stories from that game. 1st, and I feel bad for this, was that 2 sec into Kellan Lain's 1st NHL shift ever, with his family in the stands, he gets an automatic ejection. Luckily, he got to play in the next contest and scored the 1st goal of the game. The next story, is a tale of how someone can man up, and then turtle in the blink of an eye. Bieksa stepped in to take the draw against Westgarth, so that Lain wouldn't have to. When the puck dropped, Bieksa skated backwards and waited for the ref to show up. Once there, Bieksa took the opportunity to dance with Smid. Which only left 1 other Canuck not tied up with a Flame, for Westgarth to go with. Can you guess who that was? That's right. Lain. Which made Bieksa's gesture completely meaningless. But by all accounts, the #1 story of the night had to be Tortorella trying to storm into the Flames dressing room. I get that he was trying to demonstrate the lengths that he would go for his players. But what did he hope to accomplish? Nevermind the fact that he only got a look at the inside of McGratten's glove. By the way... Am I the only 1 that pictures Torts running through the halls like the Ultimate Warrior running to the ring in the old WWF? After all was said and done, Torts got hit with a 15 day/6 game suspension. It was handed down by Colin Campbell.

But I think the NHL missed a golden opportunity. Instead of having Soupy Sr. hand down the penalty, they should've had Shanahan make 1 of his videos:

Swoosh... Vroom... Clang...

"On January 18th, there was a line brawl between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. During this brawl, Vancouver coach John Tortorella was observed mouthing some incoherent babble: 'That is pure flocking bull sits!' At this time, NHL linguists are trying to decypher the code. During the 1st intermission, coach Tortorella, tried to gain access to the Flames dressing room. On frame 486 of the video, we can plainly see the aura of a woefully over-inflated ego emerge at the lower left hand corner, which is soon followed by a salt and pepper mullet. For these actions, the NHL is suspending John Tortorella for the duration of 15 day and 6 games. During which time, he will be forbidden from working with the team, using team facilities or appearing in Just For Men info-mercials.

I'm Brendan Shanahan."

Swoosh... Vroom... Clang...

Been thinking lately about how could the B's replace Seidenberg. I know they've got good depth with all the young guys but I think a little more experience to go with Chara wouldn't hurt. So I've got a thought, probably won't happen, but it's nice to think about.

The Bruins need a defenseman, one who would fit into Claudes system, would be good in the locker room and knows how to win in the playoffs.
Well, here's my choice...

Andrew Ferrence

I think you're on the right path, but the wrong former Bruin. Personally, I think the B's should approach the Jets about re-aquiring Mark Stuart. And not just because I still have a Stuart t-shirt. HERE are his stats. He's a good defense first D-man and always has a lot of hits and blocks.

The B's are at the Flyers tomorrow at 1. And tomorrow night is the California Stadium Series game of Duck vs. Kings at 9:30.

 

[BDL]

And the Bruins avoid the sweep at the hands of the Islanders. WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Sorry. But it is good to see. The scoring. The tenacity. The hitting. And most importantly, keeping their foot on the gas when they've got the lead. That last 1 is something, up until recently, the B's have been lacking in. And they needed it too. Dispite all the scoring, the Bruins did not have a 2 goal lead until the 3rd period. And the Isles tied the game, 3 different times in the 1st 2 periods. And Okposo got his name on all 3 of those goals (1G/2A). And Jack was right. The split second anyone on Team USA gets so much as a hang nail, Okposo's phone will be ringing. As for the game last night, 12 of 18 skaters had points. The scoring started with Eriksson banging home his 6th, while both feet were on the wrong side of the icing line (welcome back Loui). The next B's goal came from Marshmont, who had himself a 4pt night (1G/3A). After Grabner tied it up at 2-2, the master of the set-up, Shawn Thornton, fed a cross ice pass to Smith, who was right on Poulin's doorstep. One of the best displays of strength, came from the Yeti that is the "Angry 1-eyed Swede," Soderberg. He just put his shoulder into anyone that tried to take the puck away from him. It reminded me of the shoulder pad drills we had to do in high school football. In the 3rd, the B's got insurance goals from Bergeron and Chara. But with Chara's goal, he now has 500 career points (Congrats Big Z). There was another moment last night, involving the captain. When he didn't take too kindly to the hit from Clutterbuck. When Z responded (and drew a roughing penalty), Clutterbuck started to back off a little. His retreat was cut off by Iginla, who had a comment for Clutterbuck. Showing team solidarity.

As for the Isles... I can only hope that Buffalo begins a winning streak real soon. If the Sabes decide to trade Miller in a Bourque-esque gesture, that could really make things interesting in the East. VERY INTERESTING!


And this just in. According to twitter (so take it for what it's worth):
Amalie Benjamin ‏@AmalieBenjamin 9 mins Chris Kelly says he's in tonight.

So, there's that...

Bruins face off against their old pal Timmy tonight. Should be a good show.

 

[BDL]

Another day, another 6 goal night for the Bruins. Another night where a Bruin gets multiple goals (and if you ask the 1 person that threw his hat on the ice, Looch got a hat trick). And on Tuesday night, 11 skaters earned points. Including the Shawn-father who (according to no sources) before he scored his goal, said to Marchand, "Watch this." Then he went out and lifted past Timmy, inside the far post. And even though, I think watching Krejci play can be infuriating sometimes, I can't argue on a night when he has a 3pt night with a +5. But he has to be better than 35% at the face-off circle. It was a shame that the game ended on a sour note. Timmy slashing at the head of Soderberg was a bit much. And it is REALLY tough to justify. I get that Timmy was pi... uhh... put off that the the Yeti was driving hard in the closing moments of a game that was well in hand. But he could have hit Soderberg just about anywhere else, below the shoulders, and it wouldn't be an issue. No truth to the rumors that he did it to try to get ejected early so he could watch the state of the union in it's entirety.

Tonight, the Habs come to town. Right now, Montreal are in the 7th spot of the playoff format. They are 4pts ahead of Det and Car who are tied in 8th. The Bruins have a 4pt lead on the Stamkos-less Lightning. These games leading up to the Olympics are crucial to try to pad their lead as much as possible before his return. Also, the B's are 5pts down to the Penguins, for the lead in the Eastern Conf. April will be here before we know it. And every point counts.

Face-off is 7pm.

 

[BDL]

Last night was an abomination on behalf of the Bruins. The only goal scored was because a puck moved around so much that no one knew who the last one to touch it was to give them credit for the goal. The Bruins did not show up to play, with the exception of Miller. He was throwing his body all around the ice. But I also lay a lot of the blame at the feet of the coaching staff. They should've recognized that Montreal's game plan was to fly up the wing and then either center the puck or charge the goalie. I'm not taking anything away from Budaj either. He had a real good game. He survived some hard core flurries from the B's and came out unscathed. And I'm not blaming the refs, but they were really quick with the whistle with the B's. And in 1 case there wasn't even a whistle. The poenalty was called after the fact. But that was a good 4 point swing for the Habs last night.

Tomorrow the B's welcome back Andrew Ference, and a young Oilers team. Dispite having the 2nd lowest point total in the NHL (sorry Buffalo), they are still a dangerous team. Since the NeW Year, they have beaten the Bolts, the Pens and the Canucks. And in each game, they scored at least 4 goals.

Matinee tomorrow, everyone. And after that, only 3 more games til the Olympic break.