bruins 5 - penguins 2

The Bruins took on the Penguins last night, looking for their ninth straight win. Crosby and company have been on a bit of a skid of late, but of course, boasting the assets that the Penguins do, they are never far from turning a losing record around.

In fact, the Penguins got on the board first, with Sykora beating Tim Thomas on a rebound. In the second period, Zdeno Chara pinched from the blue line and tipped home the tying goal, and a few minutes later Marc Savard potted a highlight reel wrist shot over Marc-Andre Fleury.

Dupuis tied it up for the Penguins, but that would be all they could muster against the Black, White and Gold. The Bruins went on to take the lead 30 seconds later on a shot from Phil Kessel, and scored two more unanswered goals (including a short-handed goal from Martin St-Pierre, his first in the NHL).

Of Note: The Bruins have a firm grip on first place in the Eastern Conference and are tied with the Sharks for first overall; the Bruins play Pittsburgh again on New Year's Day.

Happy New Year to all the loyal (and not so loyal) readers of Black, White and Gold. I hope 2009 brings you health, happiness, and one giant silver cup we can all call our own.

bruins 2 - thrashers 1

Manny Fernandez got the start against the Thrashers last night, and once again, the goaltender kept the Black, White and Gold in the game.

The Bruins were largely outpaced for most of the match, and probably didn't deserve the win. It was one of those games where the goalie kept making miracles happen, and / or the Thrasher forwards had weird bounces or unlucky deflectiions spoil their chances to pot a few. In short, the game could have gone either way.

In these sorts of games, I always think about what the result would be if the B's were playing a more formidable foe. For instance, would a Shark or Red Wing forward have capitalized on chances that a Thrasher forward missed?

The argument is moot, of course, given that the Bruins have beaten the Red Wings this season and have yet to play the Sharks, and also that the Bruins may slightly change their game against the Sharks when they finally play them (and let's hope it is in the Finals).

For last night's game, the Bruins saw goals scored by Phil Kessel (perhaps beginning his next 18-game point streak?) and the winner deflected home by Michael Ryder on a pass from David Krejci.

As an aside to all those Canadiens fans who gave me grief about the Bruins signing Michael Ryder in the off-season to a $4 million contract, or to any of the Bruins faithful who felt that Glen Murray would have done a comparable job if he was retained through this year, I point out one statistic: Ryder now leads the league in game-winning goals with 7 tallies, and more importantly, he's a Plus 15.

Not that you can break down a team by their statistics, but a few others jump out at me about this Bruins squad.

They currently retain the top Four of Five leaders in Plus / Minus (Savard, Wideman, Wheeler, Krejci) and with Lucic and Kessel, the Bruins have 6 Plus / Minus leaders in the Top Ten.

The Bruins also boast both goalies in the League's Top Five for goals-against-average.

Final statistic to ponder on this Sunday afternoon: The Bruins come through December with their second consecutive 11-win month.

So much for the December skid that I've been predicting since September. I am very pleased to be wrong.

bruins 4 - hurricanes 2

The Bruins ended the holiday break with another game against their Conference rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite being heavily out-played in the second period (where the shot totals through two periods amounted to 25-12) the Bruins were able to withstand the Hurricane(s) and pull out a win.

Blake Wheeler had two goals, Michael Ryder had one, and Chuck Kobasew added an empty net goal to seal the win. Tim Thomas got the victory in nets, proving that the B's have a legitimate One A-One B goaltending tandem.

With the win, the Bruins pull themselves to within 2 points of the league-leading San Jose Sharks, who seem to get all the attention this year.

Of Note: The Bruins play litmus-test-rivals the Atlanta Thrashers tonight; with last night's win, David Krejci's point streak extends to seven games; the win was the Bruins' seventh-straight over the Hurricanes.

bruins 2 - devils 0

Tim Thomas was his flappy but unflappable self in a shut0ut win against the Devils last night. The goaltending battle was impressive, as Scott Clemmensen continues his (some would say) unexpectedly strong performance in the wake of Martin Brodeur's injury, and Tim Thomas again showed why he's among the league's leading goaltenders.

Milan Lucic got the winning goal in the third period and some breathing room was provided by David Krejci, who potted an empty net goal.

Phil Kessel's point streak officially came to an end at 18 games, meaning he'll just have to score in the next 20 games to tie Adam Oates' record. You wanna get on that, Phil?

With this impressive, hard-fought win the Bruins have given a little present to every B's fan out there, each of whom has struggled in their own way through years of under-acheivement or tough-breaks.

They come from a far off land and brought gifts of Black, White and Gold (none of this Myrhh business), and we're wise men for accepting it!

Happy Holidays to my readers. Thanks for your continued support.

Go B's Go!

bruins 6 - st. louis 3

The Bruins rolled into St. Louis last night and rolled right over the Blues.

The match was hard-fought, and saw the Blues tying it at 2-2, and 3-3 before the Bruins finally broke it open in the third period. The difference could be the result of the Bruins' years of incompetance / draft picks finally coming to fruition. Which is to say, given another couple of years, the Blues may be as competitive as the Bruins this season -- all the key elements are there.

Blake Wheeler had an impressive night, scoring twice in the first 5 minutes (one, a highlight-of-the-season thus far, where he stickhandled through four Blues players to score shorthanded), and David Krejci continued his impressive play with three assists on the night.

Michael Ryder scored the go-ahead goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass from Axelsson, and Dennis Wideman and Marc Savard rounded out the scoring for the Black, White and Gold.

With the win, Manny Fernandez improves to 11-1-1, giving Coach Julien good reason to keep returning The MF to the nets instead of Tim Thomas. We Bruins faithful hope that when Thomas does get another start he continues his dominant play from earlier this season. The ideal situation would be two strong goaltenders pushing each other toward excellence (think 1989-90 Bruins, with the Reggie Lemelin and Andy Moog combo), rather than consuming each other like distinct cancers (think 2007-8 Senators with Ray Emery and Martin Gerber).

Of Note: Phil Kessel's point streak is now at 18 games; Patrice Bergeron's outlook after receiving another concussion this weekend looks better than expected, and the Bruins' training staff is optimistic; the Bruins are off to their best start since the 1929-30 seaon.

the 1983 bruins

With the Bruins last win over the Hurricanes, they surpassed their 1983 home win record of 11 games. I thought, for fun (also, betting purposes) it might be interesting to take a look at that 1983 Bruins team, to see if there are similarities with the 2008-9 Bruins squad.

The 1983 Bruins competed in the Wales Conference in a league featuring 21 teams (man, the good old days), and finished the year with 110 points in 80 games.

There were still three Original Six players left in the league, who all retired at season's end, but Wayne Cashman, by reaching the Wales Conference Finals, became the last Original Six player to play. For a guy who lived so recklessly, his longevity should be respected.

The Bruins met the Nordiques in the first playoff round, winning 3-games to 1, and advanced into a 7-game series with the Sabres. The Bruins won that round, and had the dubious honour to advance against the New York Islanders who were three-cups-deep into their Dynasty. The Islanders won the series against the Bruins (4-games to 2) to advance against the Edmonton Oilers. This was the year that Islanders won 4 straight games against the Oil, stopping Gretzky from scoring a single goal, winning their 4th-straight League Title (a feat no other major professional sports team has repeated, since).

The Bruins highest scorer that year was Barry Pederson, who had 107 points (Pederson would be dealt to Vancouver for Cam Neely). Rick Middleton, Keith Crowder and Peter McNabb would bring in the next three positions (scoring 96, 74 and 74 points respectively) and a young, third year defenseman named Raymond Bourque would round out the top five, scoring 73 points (note that Bourque was still wearing number 7!).

This was a Bruins squad that featured some famous and infamous Bruins -- Terry O'Reilly, Brad Park, Mike Milbury, Pete Peeters, Steve Kasper, as well as Craig MacTavish and (wait for it) Mike O'Connell.

Notably, Larry Melnyk played for the Bruins in 1983 and was traded to Edmonton for the 84 season. He'd play the entire season in the minors, being called up for 6 playoff games with the Oil, and winning the Cup with them. However, his name would not be engraved on the chalice because he did not play enough games with the team -- an honour he would receive after the 1985 season.

What does all this mean? Well, honestly nothing.

But I thought it may provide an interesting framework to evaluate the success of the 2008-9 Bruins, by knowing how a similarly powerful team faired. If the Bruins surpass a 16-game home win streak, then we can have a look at the 1976 Bruins, to see how this team measures up.

bruins 4 - hurricanes 2

Amidst an East-Coast-wide snowstorm yesterday afternoon, the Bruins faced some Hurricanes at home. The B's were hoping to advance an impressive 12-game home-win streak against the hot-and-cold 'Canes, and keep their feet firmly entrenched in the Eastern Conference lead.

The news of the game, however, was the loss of Patrice Bergeron to what looks to be another concussion. Bergeron tried to pick off Dennis Seidenberg coming through the neutral zone, only to have his jaw make contact with Seidenberg's shoulder. Bergeron was down for several minutes before leaving the ice under his own steam (with a little help from his teammates). Doctors are evaluating the damage, and while the injury is not as severe as the one Bergeron experienced last season, it is last season's injury that makes this one so much of a concern.

The rest of the Bruins were in fine form, however, with Phil Kessel extending his point-streak to 17 games -- the longest since Adam Oates' 20-game streak in 1997-98 -- and David Krejci extending his production to 24 points in 14 games.

The game winner came from Shawn Thornton (see image above, from his role as a cop in "Superbad"), who picked off a sloppy Joe Corvo pass behind the Carolina net and walked out front to score short-side. With the win, the Bruins extend their home win streak to 13 games, surpassing the 1983 Bruins' streak of 12 games, and now set their sites on breaking the Bruins 16-game home-win streak of the 1976 season.

Of Note: Manny Fernandez is now 10-1-1 in his last 12 starts; Marco Sturm, who returned to action briefly in the Bruins tilt against the Maple Leafs, has been placed on long-term (ie: 30 day) IR; Patrice Bergeron was walking around and talking to teammates in the intermission between the second- and third-periods, but there is no word yet on his condition.

The Bruins play in St. Louis tonight.

bruins 8 - leafs 5

The Bruins continued their home-win streak last night in a wild affair against their Division rivals, the Maple Leafs.

Over the course of the game, four different goalies took to the nets, causing a revolving door scenario that suggested that a revolving door might have actually been a better choice as Starter.

Vesa Toskala got the hook after two goals on four shots, only to be returned to the nets later in the game when Curtis Joseph proved that as a backup goalie, he's an excellent choice for a front-office position (seriously - CuJo is a great guy, and a phenomenal community benefactor, but he has not looked good in nets in recent years and it's hard to watch).

Tim Thomas got the start for the B's and looked pretty good early on, but after letting the Leafs claw their way back into the game (at one point the Bruins led 5-1 in the second period, but finished the period up only 6-5), Thomas' night ended in the second intermission. Fernandez came out for the third period and shut the Leafs out on 13 shots, allowing the Bruins to put some breathing room into the score.

David Krejci had his first career hat-trick, making a case that he stay with "the big team" and not be sent back to Providence this year. Phil Kessel extended his (NHL-leading) point-streak to 16 games, tying Bruins great (and fellow number 16) Rick "Nifty" Middleton's record in the 1983-84 season. The Bruins home-win streak improves to 12 games. Marc Savard had a 4-point night, helping me in my hockey pool.

bruins 4 - thrashers 2

The Bruins completed their home-and-home stand against the Thrashers last night, in front of a surprising loud and populous TD Banknorth Centre.

Michael Ryder had two goals and Phil Kessel extended his league-best point streak to 15 games in the victory.

Manny Fernandez got the start (winning his 8th straight and improving to 9-2-1) as the Bruins enjoyed their 11th consecutive home win.

Phil Kessel's emergence as a bona fide offensive threat has begun to get the attention of the sports media as well as the opposition. While it's good to see Kessel get the credit he deserves, there's a down side as well: Thrashers defender Boris Valabik got his stick into Kessel's face, cross-checking and highsticking the young sniper. Zdeno Chara rushed to Kessel's defense, scrapping with Valabik and drawing 17 minutes in penalties.
It seems to me that Kessel's emergence has happened directly after being benched by Claude Julien in last year's playoffs. After riding the pine for two games, he's played with more grit and determination in every game.

After the game, Coach Julien had this to say of Kessel's emergence

And the key word is that it’s always been about confidence. But right now he’s got the confidence in the offensive zone and creating some good scoring chances. And he’s doing a great job at scoring goals. You know, the way he’s scoring them and tonight was one of those (nights). He took a shot and the rebound came right back at him and he shot again. He stood there and got rewarded for it. He’s been hot with the stick and definitely something that we’ve been looking for, for a long time -- somebody who can be a threat every night.

The Bruins do not play again until Thursday, earning some well-deserved rest.

bruins 7 - thrashers 3

Long time readers of Black-White-and-Gold will know that I use the Thrashers as a sort of litmus test for how the Bruins are actually playing. Traditionally a middling team (at the best of times) Atlanta still holds the upper hand, as the Bruins were still 1-4-0 in their previous 5 meetings against the Thrashers (the single win coming early this year).

Last night's game opened a home-and-home series (continuing tonight) and the Bruins came out flying, scoring 4 times on their first 5 shots. Zdeno Chara opened the scoring with a ridiculous wrap-around (the advantage of being 6'9"), and later had a fight in a strong performance.

Phil Kessel, despite being run into the glass from behind by Joey Crabb (leading to a two-, five- and game misconduct penalties), extended his point-streak to 14 games with a goal and two assists. This kind of production helps the Bruins, but more importantly, helps me in my hockey pool. Which I know readers will care about.

Mark Stuart had two-goals from the back-end and Michael Ryder potted an amazing top-shelf snap shot, while Tim Thomas held the Bruins in the game despite the dangers of offensive threats like Ilya Kovalchuk and Vyecheslav Koslov.

On the worrying side of things, Aaron Ward returned from injury, only to leave the game in the first period. Petteri Nokelainen also left the game in the first, and also did not return.

The Bruins complete the home-and-home series tonight, in Boston.

capitals 3 - bruins 1

The Bruins rolled into Washington last night to take on the player tandem of Alexander-Ovechkin-and-everybody-else. Manny Fernandez got the start and played a decent game for the B's, but his counterpart at the other end of the ice, Brent Johnson, put on a goaltending clinic that few in the league could parallel.

In a 33-save performance, Johnson robbed players with point blank shots, breakaways, post-side-tips and screened point shots. He was, simply, spectacular.

The Bruins trailed 2-0 heading into the third before Phil Kessel set up Milan Lucic at the far post. It was as close as the Bruins could get, battling until the final moments, when Washington potted an empty net goal.

The loss breaks the Bruins 5-game win streak. They have won 14 of their last 16 games and this is their first loss in December.

Of Note: Phil Kessel's point streak continues to 13 straight games, the longest point-per-game-streak in the league, presently; The Bruins retain first place in the Eastern Conference.

bruins 5 - lightning 3

Winter has officially descended on Montreal. The temperature fell to minus 15 yesterday, shocking our systems and encasing the city in ice. Today the snow has continued unabated since beginning in the wee hours, long before the sun emerged to flow diffuse light through the brittle air. We wake up and alternate between appreciating the wonder and beauty of the snow, and hating every moment it dictates in its dominion over our lives.

This is the time of year when hearty Canadians bundle up, pull on multiple layers, and unleash an endless stream of merciless profanity for six straight months, as we dream of cities with perennial warmth and sun.

And so, the Bruins continued their road trip through Florida last night, with another game against Tampa Bay.

Tim Thomas got the start against Rick Tochet's recently-inherited club, who are entrenched in lacklustre performance, despite an embarrassment of on-ice talents. The Bruins took a 3-0 lead into the third period before the Lightning began making the game interesting. 4-1 became 4-2, and with 17 seconds left, the Lightning scored again, making it a one-goal game (before Axelsson's empty netter).

In so doing, the Lightning nearly toppled the B's (and their critics), coming from behind and showing more tenacity than most expect from them.

However, the Bruins insulated themselves against this come back by continuing their strong play. Milan Lucic made his presence felt early, forechecking and hitting everything he could, before potting a goal.

The real story of this game, as has been the case in recent weeks, was Phil Kessel. He has obviously emerged as a go-to guy, with his 12 game point streak continuing last night with a goal, but he's also displaying a wider variety of skills than we've seen from him. He's still a threat with his speed, but his footwork, ability with the puck, and just plain-old trickiness are opening the eyes (and defensive systems) of teams across the league.

The Bruins will board planes and head back East while this snowstorm continues, emerging into a landscape that more strongly suggests Hockey Season. However, despite the warmer environs, it is important that the B's were able to capture as many points as were available from their sunbelt roadtrip.

They are now in 2nd Place Overall in the League.

bruins 4 - panthers 0

The Bruins came out swinging in their tilt against the Panthers last night. Manny Fernandez got the start in nets facing down a resurgent Craig Anderson, but despite any angles that would suggest this being a tight contest, the Bruins simply rolled over the Florida club.

Phil Kessel extended his point-streak to 11 games, notching a goal, and David Krejci has quietly extended his point-streak to 8 games as the Bruins won this game 4-0.

The two notable storylines in last night's game were around Fernandez, who has been stellar in a sort of One-B role, whose shutout marks his seventh consecutive win, and the recurring significance of the Bruins' depth of scoring.

The B's got goals last night from four different scorers, across the top three lines. Blake Wheeler and David Krejci in particular have emerged as legitimate offensive threats, and Phil Kessel has simply not been the same player since being benched by Coach Julien in last year's playoffs. He's been focused and gritty in every game since, and came into this season with a renewed focus. Chuck Kobasew seems to have finally found a home, using his speed to generate opportunities, and Michael Ryder, while still being a streaky goalscorer, has been playing with a tenacity that produces turnovers -- a tenacity he was missing last year with the Habs -- meaning that even in games where he is not producing points he's having an impact.

Florida Coach Peter DeBoer:
"We were overmatched. We would have needed everything to go right and we didn't get it. They took advantage of our roster and dismantled us fairly easily. We could have been out there for three days and still not scored."

Of Note: The Bruins welcomed back Dennis Wideman last night. Patrice Bergeron drove the net, but unfortunately slid into, and injured, Craig Anderson who had to be replaced by Tomas Vokoun. The Bruins improve to 17-4-4 -- going 16-2-1 over their last 19 games -- good enough for 1st Place in the Eastern Conference.

bruins 3 - lightning 1

Despite getting scored on about 80 seconds into the game (a disturbing trend in recent weeks, I've found), the Bruins were able to rely on stellar goaltending (surprise!) to come from behind and win their first game of December.

Tim Thomas made an unbelievable save in the final seconds of the first period, and a diving save from post-to-post in the first minute of the second period to keep the game close. From there, the Bruins' scoring depth lead the come back. Marc Savard threaded an unreeeeal pass through a defenders' legs to Phil Kessel in the slot, and the score was tied.

Shane Hnidy drew a minor penalty, but on the penalty-kill Blake Wheeler anticipated a D-to-D pass attempt, and lobbed a pass up to a streaking David Krejci. Krejci executed what has to be one of the most extreme inside-out moves this year, and tucked the puck past (Lightning goalie) Mike Smith, for the lead.

In the final moments, Phil Kessel potted an empty-net goal, and the Bruins rolled on past the Tampa Bay club.

Of Note: The win brings the B's to 17-4-4, tied with the Redwings; Phil Kessel's two goals bring his point-streak to 10 games, which is awesome for the Bruins and great for my standings in the Hockey Pool.

bruins slideshow for november

A little thing I did via Animoto, with images of the Bruins' wins through November. The B's went 11-1-1 during the 11th month.

bruins 4 - redwings 1

Manny Fernandez got the start (maybe a surprise, given that he'd played the previous game) as the Bruins battled the reigning Stanley Cup champions last night. The Bruins were outplayed for the half of the first period, but took advantage of some shaky goaltending to gain momentum and draw first blood.

Michael Ryder set up Blake Wheeler on a two-on-one at the twelve minute mark, and four minutes later Phil Kessel doubled the lead.

In the second period, when Patrice Bergeron rushed the Redwings' defenseman, stripped the puck and set up Kobasew for the third goal, Ty Conklin's night was over. He was pulled and Chris Osgood took over, with similar results. David Krejci beat him for the Bruins' fourth goal and the Bruins were able to cruise to their ninth straight home win. This is the second straight game where the Bruins chased the opposing teams' goalie.

This game was a particular test for the Bruins, as it featured the second-place team in the East against the second-place team in the Western Conference, and with the win, the Bruins finish November with a 11-1-1 record, their best month since December, 1978.

Of Note: Phil Kessel's point streak extends to 9 games; Fernandez's win streak extends to 6 games; Matt Hunwick's 6 game streak comes to an end.

bruins 7 - islanders 2

Last night's game was a very interesting one, and satisfying for Bruins fans.

Despite the very cool third jerseys the Bruins were rocking (see image), things in last night's game looked a little dismal to start - the Bruins gave up a goal less than 2 minutes into the game, when a wrister beat Manny "MF" Fernandez on his glove side. However, it is the no-quit attitude of this B's club that differentiates from Bruins teams of recent years, and Boston kept bringing their hard pressure game to the Islanders, eventually pulling themselves back into the game. The Bruins took a 2-1 lead into the third period before opening the gates of Hell on the Islanders.

Manny Fernandez stopped a breakaway from (former Bruin) Bill Guerin, and the B's immediately rushed down the ice and scored. 10 seconds later, they scored again, creating some distance between the two teams. The Bruins never really looked back from there, scoring 5 goals in the final frame.

Michael Ryder scored twice, and Phil Kessel, David Krejci, Blake Wheeler, and Dennis Wideman all had a goal and an assist for the cause. Marc Savard drew two assists, placing him second in the league for assists, and tying (with three other players) for second in the league for overall points (in both cases, behind Evgeni Malkin).

Of Note: Last night was Milan Lucic's 100th NHL game; Phil Kessel's point streak extends to 8 games; Matt Hunwick's point streak extends to 6 games; Manny Fernandez's win streak extends to 5 straight games; and finally, the Bruins home-win-streak extends to 8 games...their longest home-win-streak since 2002.

The Bruins play again tonight against the Detroit Redwings.

sabres 3 - bruins 2

The Bruins let the Sabres jump out to a 2-0 lead and ended up trying to play catch up because of it.

Generally, the B's play an attacking style of game, forechecking and pressing the play into their defensive system (which naturally then fuels the offense). Because of this aggressive style, the Bruins were able to overcome their sluggish first-period play, and began mounting a comeback - clawing back into the game with goals from Matt Hunwick and Phil Kessel.

However it was a shorthanded goal from Jochen Hecht, scored 30 seconds after Hunwick tied the game, that finished the Bruins night.

This was the first time in the last 10 games, where the Bruins have finished without gaining at least a point, but Kessel extended his point streak to 7 games.

Image swiped from Flickr, here.

bruins 3 - canadiens 2 (SO)

In a game where Patrick Roy "came home" to partially make amends for how he departed from Montreal, where Georges Laraque shadowed Milan Lucic, trying to instigate a fight that would somehow make amends for Lucic's pummeling of Komisarek on November 13th, and where the Canadiens tried to make amends for their big loss against the B's in their last game, only one reconciliation stands out - the Bruins, this year, are making amends for last season's losses against the Habs.

I watched part of the game at home, and part of it in my favourite watering hole, surrounded by the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge faithful. They cheered every hit, every shot (and there were a lot in the third, where Boston was outshot 18-5), and ultimately the tying goal from Koivu. And rightly so, I should add.

However, when Blake Wheeler potted the lone goal in the shootout, I was the only one in a crowded bar clapping. Ever to their credit, the Habs fans simply turned and glowered...no swearing in either official language or throwing of things in my direction. At least, not that I noticed in my minor revelry.

When Thomas ultimately stopped Koivu, the last of the three shooters, there was only one voice cheering in the thick silence of the bar, above the announcers on RDS. Despite how it may sound, I wasn't trying to be "showy" about the B's win - I was just very pleased to see them continue their winning streak against their oldest rivals.

In the win, I think Tim Thomas' comments aptly summed up my feelings:

"To come in here and get a win feels really good, especially in a shootout. I've seen Saku score on that last shot and him being the one walking off the ice with his arms raised and all happy. I was happy to be the one with my arms raised and all happy."

And so, a sense of making amends for previous games, and perhaps continuing to reconcile this season's play against les Habs with last years'.

The Bruins now retain sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, and are within three points of San Jose for first in the League.

The Bruins play again on Wednesday, against the Sabres.

david krejci goal

I watched tonight's game on the laptop, so I couldn't really see the wonder and splendor of some of the Bruins' highlights. In particular, David Krejci's slow-motion set up on the three-on-one to make it 3-1 struck me as fun.

I enjoyed the tenor of what Coach Julien had to say of Krejci's play:

He controls the play so well, and he also controls the pace of it too, and I’ve seen players in the past, that they were extremely good at that. I remember J.F Sauve from the Nordiques was one of those guys that would make those plays, slow things down...they’re gifted with the stick, and they find seams, and [Marc Savard] does it at times for us, too, but, you know, David’s a good player, and he’s just starting to grow into the type of player that we all expected him to be.

(Also, thank you to the Boston Bruins PR team for supplying me with post-game information, after each game, now. These stat packs are a great asset to a writer, and I appreciate it)

bruins 4 - panthers 2

Given the amount of attention that will be paid to the Bruins game here tomorrow night (coupled with the retirement of Patrick Roy's 33 at the Bell Centre), it would be pretty easy for the Bruins and Bruins faithful to overlook tonight's match against the Panthers.

But a strong effort from the Bruins managed to secure another home win for the Black, White and Gold.

Marc Savard, David Krejci and Dennis Wideman all left the game for short spells with injuries, but fortunately returned and continued to make their presence felt. Savard had a goal and an assist, while Krejci and Wideman had a goal and assist respectively.

I should mention that while I harbour no ill feelings in particular toward the Panthers, I take great pleasure in watching (former Hab) Richard Zednick lose. I don't really know why...I think it's because of the playoffs in 2001-2002...which had some good moments too.

At any rate, this was a solid, up-tempo game from the B's, and brings them within two points of first in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand.

The image is taken from Flickr, where a fan has posted some images. Thanks!

bruins 7 - sabres 4

Like many Bruins fans, I'm fair chuffed about the team's winning streak, but I am also wary of any signs that a calamitous slide may be on its way. Last night's game against the Sabres certainly started in a way that suggested that the wheels may be loosening, en route to falling off completely.

Starter Manny Fernandez (henceforth known simply as the MF) allowed 3 goals on 6 shots, and the Bruins found themselves down 4-2 early in the match. However, the MF was able to regain his focus, and the team was able to staunch the bleeding and mount a comeback.

The comeback was pretty monumental. Savard and Chara each potted a goal to even the score, and then continued to produce. Chara added a second goal, and Savard ended the night with 4 points, bringing him to 600 points in his career, while simultaneously saving my ass in the hockey pool. After being down 4-2, the Bruins scored 5 unanswered goals and came out with the win.

The Bruins are now 7-0-1 in their last eight games, and have enjoyed their longest winning streak since 2002. As I say, like all prudent Bruins fans, I'm cautious about this streak, but when a team can fall behind and keep battling as they have, finding ways to win as they go, it's hard to not feel good about their effort.

Note: Chuck Kobasew is back from his "lower body" injury, and in 7 games this year, he has had four multiple-point nights. The Bruins have killed off 33 of 35 penalties in the last 8 games (94.3% on the PK). They retain first place in the NE Divsion, and are two points out of First in the Eastern Conference.

bruins 3 - maple leafs 2

Last night's tilt against the Maple Leafs may not have been the Bruins best outing in this recent winning streak, but it was another part of the winning streak.

In Claude Julien's 100th game behind the Bruins bench, the B's took advantage of some defensive breakdowns and (at times) soft goaltending to grab a "W" from the Maple Leafs. Phil Kessel opened the scoring for the Bruins, Matt Hunwick got his first NHL goal (see image, above), and Michael Ryder finally scored again, on a beautiful toe-drag-to-top-shelf goal that reminded Bruins fans why he was picked up in the off-season.

The Bruins have made it a bit of a tradition to beat the Leafs, having won the vast majority of games through last season and this, but the more important point is that they held on for the win, despite some craaaaazy pressure from the Leafs, and five shots ringing off the goal posts through the game.

The win brings Boston's record up to 11-3-4 (first in the Division), and Tim Thomas again retains top-spot in the NHL Goalie Rankings.

Perhaps NOW Thomas can get the All-Star Nomination he deserves?

brian burke rumours

Note the Canadian spelling of "rumours" above. It could be an important distinction in this post, perhaps.

Brian Burke, recently of the Anaheim Ducks, has left his management position to seek other pastures. From media reports, those pastures are either coloured with the Blue-and-White of the Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Black, White and Gold of the Boston Bruins. From reports I've seen, the position that Burke would be slotted into with the Bruins would be that of President - above GM, but below whatever personal advisers the Jacobs family rely on for macro-decisions.

Burke has assets going for him: he's very bright, he's outspoken and opinionated (which often works well in a hockey marketing context), he's a lawyer (helpful with contract negotiations), he has a Cup ring with the Ducks, and he is American, which is a welcomed characteristic for most US-based hockey fans (and one I can totally understand - how many Canadian basketball fans changed allegiances with Steve Nash's trade?).

However, Burke's sudden availability is, to me, a moot point. While the Bruins were very interested in Burke's services a few seasons ago when the club was consistently missing the playoffs (74 and 76 points in 2005 thru 2007) and prone to questionable player moves (anyone from Zhamnov to Grosek, not to mention the Thornton trade), they seem to have righted the ship. Or, at the very least, be on track to improve their lot.

The additions of Don Sweeney and Cam Neely to the management core, as well as vastly improved General Management and Coaching duties through Chiarelli and Julien, respectively, have brought Bruins fans a more competitive, more engaging, and ultimately, more entertaining club than we've had in years.

Burke inherited a Ducks club rich in assets that were brought in by Bryan Murray. Though, to his credit, Burke won the Cup.

However, my years living in British Columbia and watching the Vancouver Canucks rattle around through jersey changes, lineup gaffs, and an endless roster of goalies - many of whom who would go on to be Number One keeper elsewhere - leads me to be very wary of Burke's influence on a team...especially one so dear to my heart, in the process of rebuilding and strengthening.

In short, I don't feel we need Burke, even though he's available. His skills are perfect for a club careening recklessly into the guardrails, who need a strong hand to push them in the right direction. This would be the Bruins from a few seasons ago. The current Bruins team now has leadership throughout their management team, and, to their credit, throughout their on-ice lineup, as well.

Bruins fans, I beseech you: Let Burke go to Toronto - I promise you it is for the best, if only for more Burke-versus-Strachan or Burke-versus-Lowe hyjinx.

rangers 3 - bruins 2 (SO)

The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead against the Rangers last night, and played a hard fought game, only to have their lead eroded late in the third period. When Marcus Naslund scored with 53 seconds left in the game, the Rangers gave ample evidence of why they retain first place in the Eastern Conference - simply stated, they find ways to win.

After an overtime that saw Marc Savard ring one off the post, the game went to a shoot-out - which is often the Bruins nemesis, having gathered 5 losses in 6 attempts in shootout situations.

Finally, it was Chris Drury who sealed the Bruins fate, beating (a visibly frustrated) Tim Thomas in the one-on-one showdown.

The B's should probably feel pretty good about gaining at least a point against the Blue Shirts, but obviously, giving up the lead could suggest larger problems. If it were not for the team's overall effort against the Rangers, and their hard play this season, this breakdown could perhaps be seen as an ominous portent of a slide. But there's something resilient about this team, and for the first time in many seasons, the players, coaches and management all seem to be pulling in the same direction, even in losses.

The Bruins are going to lose some games, but if they can do so while still playing well, and continue to win more games than they lose, then I believe the club to still be in solid running for a hard-found Eastern playoff birth. Which, at this point in the Bruins team-development, is still the aim each year.

The Bruins are back on the ice on Monday evening, against the Maple Leafs.

bruins 6 - canadiens 1

The Bruins faced their oldest and bitterest rivals last night, in a game that showed just how motivated this young squad can be. Having lost all regular season match-ups against the Canadiens last season, and finally falling to the Habs in the seventh (heartbreaking) game in last year’s playoffs, the B's had ample reason to bring their best effort to last night's match.

And their best effort was indeed impressive.

This Bruins team is at their best when they use their speed and grit on the forecheck to create opportunities from their opposition's mistakes. It may read like a sports cliche, but it really is true - the Bruins created their own success last night by aggressively bringing their own game to the Canadiens.

The B's took advantage of errant passes, defensive breakdowns, and in one case, a "brain-cramp" from Hab goalie Cary Price (who played the puck in the no-go-zone behind the net) to jump out to an early lead. Coupled with their strong play the Bruins also had timely luck - they scored with only a few seconds left in the first period - to really break the back of the Canadiens' offense. From there the Bruins were able to keep their energy up, and give the hometown fans something to cheer (and jeer) about.

Manny Fernandez was solid in nets, improving to 4-0-1 in his last five starts. The Bruins retain sole possession of first place in the NE Division, and have won 8 of their last 9 games.

Of note: I have heard precious little from the millions of Canadiens fans I am surrounded by here in Montreal...the opposite of what I had to deal with all last year.

Also of note: Mike Komiserak has a lot less to say with Milan Lucic's fists in his mouth (see image above).

It is extremely satisfying to see the Bruins so completely dominate a game, especially against their long-time rivals.

There are some highlights here.

bruins 2 - blackhawks 1 (SO)

The Bruins collected another 2 points last night, in a spirited affair against the Blackhawks. The two teams entered the game with the same record, and a similar trajectory of being clubs on the rebound after several seasons of ineffectual play. Both clubs have a mix of bright young stars, a few grizzled veterans and, in Khabibulin and Thomas, goaltending that is often spectacular.

Early in the game, Colin Fraser decided to tangle with Zdeno Chara after a crease-side shoving match, and was knocked unconscious by the Bruins captain, with a single, gloved punch. Ouch. Chara went on to have a solid game, keeping forwards to the outside in his own zone, and setting up Marco Sturm's goal for the Bruins lead.

Jonathan Toews scored for the 'Hawks, and the game remained deadlocked (despite some craaaazy chances) through regulation and overtime.

In the shootout, Bruins defensive-expert PJ Alexsson tallied the game winner, in a surprising inside-out-to-top-shelf-backhand that showed an offensive upside seldom seen in this potential Selke Award candidate.

With the win, the Bruins improve to 7-1-0 in their last 8 games. They also retain first place in the Northeast Division, and jump to second overall in the Eastern Conference.

Good times. Now, don't get cocky.

bruins 3 - sabres 1

In the late 80s, I hated the Buffalo Sabres.

When the Bruins were unrolling a team with top stars that would reach the Finals in 1987-1988 and again in 1990-91, they seemed to always be losing to the Sabres during the season.

And while the Bruins ended up vaulting over the Sabres in both the playoff rounds for the seasons mentioned above, I still grew to use the Sabres as a barometer of how good the Bruins really were. The Sabres provided a guage of whether the Bruins were "the real deal" or not (I still do this the Bruins play the Thrashers or Canadiens).

And though the game has changed and the Sabres are no longer a specific measurement of Bruins success for me, last night's 3-1 win was significant for showing what the Bruins are capable of:

• With the win, the Bruins pulled themselves into a tie with Buffalo for 1st place in the Eastern Conference;
• The Bruins improve to 7-3-3, and have won 3 straight at home;
• Manny Fernandez got the start and proved himself to be a more-than-reliable 1a or 1b keeper in tandem with Tim Thomas;
• Chuck Kobasew returned to the Bruins lineup, after missing every game since the opener with a broken leg. He immediately made an impact, registering a goal and an assist.

The Bruins have, over the course of their most recent run, been competitive in every game and been fun to watch. Given how effort has brought the wins for this team, I just hope that the effort continues.

The Bruins play Chicago on Wednesday.

The image above is of PJ Axelson and Manny Fernandez, photo by Lisa Hornak.

bruins 5 - leafs 2

Well, the Bruins made up for their horrible game from a few nights hence, with a more resilient effort against the Maple Leafs.

Despite a third period lag, where they B's were vastly outshot and needed to kill off a 5-on-3 disadvantage, the Bruins were able to rely on the stellar - and need I say All-Star-Nomination-Warranting - performance of Tim Thomas, and the first career hat-trick by Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler, who was apparently not quality enough to play for the Phoenix Coyotes (wha...?) added a well-timed empty-net goal to his evening's output, registering his first 3-goal game for the Bruins.

Of note, Wheeler also changed his uniform to Number 26 before last night's game. By wearing 26, he joins the company of such Bruins luminaries as Don Awrey, Mike Milbury, Mike Knuble, and Bill Goldsworthy. Good company to keep, and given his luck wearing the number, probably a good sweater to keep too.

Honourable mentions for last night's game: Mark Stuart, who laid out Jason Blake and sent him flying into the players bench, and Sean Thornton, who brought a surprisingly soft set of hands to last night's game.

Good show. The Bruins improve to 7-3-3 with last night's win.

does murray linger on?

Former Bruin forward, Glen Murray, bought out by the Bruins this past summer, may be entitled to his full contract value after all, sources are saying.

The issue will revolve around whether Murray left the club with a pre-existing ankle injury (in which case he's entitled to full contract value), or whether he told the Bruins (and other clubs) that he was perfectly healthy.

The whole scenario seems reminiscent of that of Alexei Zhamnov, who signed to the B's for big money in 2005-2006, played a total of 24 under-whelming games, and still received his full contract over several seasons. A situation that (coupled with some dubious management decisions) hamstrung the Bruins' salary cap for two seaons.

Now finally free of the Zhamnov contract, and seemingly free of a rapidly-aging former sniper and his full contract, the Bruins may be forced to pay up, despite apparently operating in good faith with Murray.

It is an especially tricky situation, given that the Bruins currently sit with only about $680, 000 in cap space....and the persistent rumour that they are pursuing free-agent Brendan Shanahan.

The Bruins play the Leafs this evening.

summer with zee

Since the Bruins have had a few days lay-off (ominous words in such troubled financial times) I thought I'd post about "Summer With Zee", a documentary I saw on the NHL Network last week.

This past summer, Bruins cap'n Zdeno Chara climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, as a fundraising effort for the Right to Play organization.

Chara is typically shown to be a semi-human, test-tube created man-giant with a supernatural impetus to work out. So it was refreshing to me to see him in a more honest light, talking openly about what he's gained from sport and his effort to give back. He came off as humble and generous, I found.

Coupled with Andrew Ference, the B's may have the most socially aware back line (to say nothing of their plus minus). I'm sure the opposition will respect that as they try to gain the zone...

You can watch "Summer With Zee" here.

And do as I did: enjoy watching someone climb a mountain as you eat potato chips.

bruins 5 - stars 1

The Bruins, in their most successful incarnations, have been a team that combines the nimble skills of the elite, with the back alley services of the brawler. At their best, the Bruins have had players that can dangle and score, create amazing opportunities with their passing, and also level the opposition with hard checks and, when necessary, bare-knuckle fighting (sometimes these skills are all found in the same player – a la Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, or perhaps in time, Milan Lucic).

Last night’s home game against the Stars showed the Bruins at their (historical) best, against their polar opposite. In a game that saw 146 minutes in penalties, the B’s faced down the “agitator” antics of Sean Avery and Steve Ott with guts and camaraderie. When Ott delivered a low-bridge hit on Stephane Yelle, or Avery ran Milan Lucic from behind (or any number of other cheap plays through the game), they were met with the willing fists of Bruins stalwarts Sean Thornton, Shane Hnidy and Milan Lucic, but also the unlikely pugilists Marc Savard and Andrew Ference.

Ott and Avery were repeatedly invited to back up their questionable (borderline league-suspension) play with their fists – again, a characteristic of “old-time hockey” and quality NHL clubs of the past – but these two players instead chose to cover up and not be drawn into a fight that would be the logical outcome of their cheap shots. It is a decision that has been noted by media, opponents, and even teammates:

“I don’t know what’s going on here. If this is what we’re going to be about here, just give me a front office job right now.” -- Future Hall of Famer Mike Modano, as quoted here.

However, in the end, the Dallas club received a fitting justice, losing badly to a Bruins team that retained its composure and defended each other. Given the Bruins’ recent history with teams taking liberties with its star players, resulting in concussions and hundreds of man-games lost, it was heartening to see the Black, White and Gold show heart and stick together, while also filling the net.

The highlight of the night, for me at least, saw Andrew Ference fighting Sean Avery. Ference is one of the few NHL players that I can personally relate to (environmentalist, bike enthusiast, social activist, smaller defenseman), but through last season I was always a little disappointed by his play in the defensive zone. This season he seems to have stepped his game up considerably, looking assured and solid with his defensive play, and while he wasn’t able to deliver the K-O that I feel Avery most deserves, Ference showed himself to be a dyed-in-the-wool Bruin, landing a series of lefts (before Avery’s slew-foot take-down), and trying to get past referees to deliver more.

This kind of action shows the heart of Ference as he develops into a more complete player, the cohesiveness of the Bruins as they become a more formidable, tougher team, but probably most significantly, an entire NHL (and its fans) recognizing the gutless, selfish play of Avery, Ott, and a Dallas club that fosters and apparently accepts such behavior.

Also of note, Krys Barch taking on Sean Thornton - it is unfortunate that Barch is left to clean up the mess that his teammates start, but cannot finish.

november 1, 1924

On this day in 1924, the Boston Bruins became the first American team to join the NHL. While I am not an American, I am obviously pleased to celebrate this event, and can see the significance in the larger fabric of NHL history.

The Bruins joined the league and played their first game against the Montreal Maroons, winning 2-1. The Bruins would then go on to a truly dismal 6-24 record, showing that it was tough being a Bruins fan, even in the ‘20s.

Interestingly, the arena that the Maroons played in stood directly across the street from my old house, on avenue Mont-Royal, au coin de St-Urbain. The space is now occupied by an enormous and crass grocery store, but if you are shopping for produce and look up, you can see two seats from the original Maroons arena. These seats serve as a small reminder of the historic legacy of hockey in this town, but also an ominous indication of the role that business has always played in the NHL.

Happy 84th Birthday, Bruins.

flames 3 - bruins 2

The Bruins completed their Western road swing with an unfortunate loss against the Flames in Calgary.

The one-goal difference suggests a much closer game than the Bruins actually produced. The second period was dominated by the Flames, outshooting the Bruins 20 - 9, and Boston was lucky to come out in one piece, quite frankly.

A long streak of penalties also stacked the cards against the B's, especially given the team's anemic penalty-kill (am I the only one seeing this? Where are the 'busy sticks'? Where's the puck pressure and shifting umbrella?), and the team apparently was ripped by coaches in the second intermission.

Alas, it was not enough to elevate the Bruins to a win.

On the positive side, Blake Wheeler continues to impress, and Tim Thomas, while not registering a third-straight shut out, was still his outstanding self, giving the Bruins a chance to win in the game when they only competed in fits and starts.

The Bruins play Dallas on Saturday. Let's hope for more effort.

bruins 1 - canucks 0

For the second straight night, Tim Thomas posted a shutout - a feat that has not been accomplished since Andy Moog in the early 90s (and really, any comparison to Moog is a compliment to a Bruins keeper).

Thomas shut the door on the Canucks, stopping 30 shots, often making saves that nobody could have expected him to make.

Michael Ryder potted the game's only goal, on a nice shot while cruising through the high-slot. As you may have noticed, I like it when (ex-Hab) Ryder does well, because it really seems to aggravate the Habs fans I'm surrounded by.

The win brings the Bruins to 5-2-3, and affords them a day of rest before taking on the streaky Flames in Calgary on Thursday. That could be a tough game for the B's, as Calgary (when playing well) combines speed, grit and scoring with crazy goaltending.

Also of note in last night's game - Milan Lucic was presented with another Memorial Cup ring from his time as Captain (and MVP) of the Vancouver Giants. His original ring was stolen from his parent's house.

buins 1 - oilers 0

The Bruins continued their western road trip last night with a stop in Edmonton. I must admit that I couldn't get coverage of the game, so I had to rely on watching highlights, after I got home from my own time on the ice. This would have started around 1am, but man...

What highlights there were!

From all accounts, the Bruins relied heavily on the unorthodox awesomeness of Tim Thomas. He and (Oiler Goalie) Dwayne Roloson got into a goalie duel that was finally broken by a Dennis Wideman wrist-shot in overtime.

It's great to see a class character like Thomas get the shutout win, and from the footage I saw, great to see the Bruins returning to a fast-paced, strong puck pressure game. Thomas saw 27 shots, but for the most part, his defenders did a good job of clearing away errant rebounds, or tying up the extra man, allowing Thomas to cover up.

Also of note, it was very cool to see the Oil rocking those vintage sweaters (and Roloson sporting what, I think, is a Grant Fuhr-esque mask), especially against the Bruins "new" old uniforms.

The black, white and gold continue their road trip tonight against the Canucks.
Let's hope for 2 more points.

bruins 5 - thrashers 4

In a complete reversal from their previous two games, tonight the Bruins spotted their opponents a two-goal lead and then had to claw their way back.

Milan Lucic registered his first career shutout in a monster of a game, helping the Bruins break their three-game losing streak.

Manny Fernandez got his second win for the Black, White and Gold - his first at home - and Michael Ryder continued his point-per-game pace.

Petteri Nokelainen played tonight, after being a healthy scratch against the Leafs.

Despite my earlier post about partially measuring the team via their wins-losses against the Thrashers, the jury is still out on this club. The penalty kill still seems to be a major liability.

bruins versus thrashers tonight

Well, the Bruins will have an opportunity to make up for some lacklustre performances of late, playing against the Atlanta Thrashers tonight. We'll see which team shows up.

Despite best efforts, I don't have stats immediately in front of me (see image), but I know that the B's have usually had trouble with the Thrashers, going back to the Thornton-Samsonov-Murray, 100-plus-points days. Why, I have no idea.

But I knew the Bruins were on the right path last year when I saw them beating Atlanta. We'll see what happens tonight.

leafs 4 - bruins 2

As far as I am concerned, if a Bruins player hits someone so hard they go right through the glass and several fans in the surrounding area get injured - as Milan Lucic did to Mike Van Ryn last night - then the Bruins deserve to win that game.

Alas, hockey does not work that way.

Nor does it work in such a way that a team can under-perform, consistently scramble in the defensive zone, be beaten to open pucks, peel-off before being hit, and expect to win.

Last night, the Bruins again blew a two-goal lead to lose against the "lowly" Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Bruins now have identical records, but the teams do not seem to mirror each other in work effort. The Leafs outworked the Bruins on nearly every shift, getting better as the game went by.

In last night's game I was most struck by how passive the Bruins seemed. Largely the same team from last year, who doggedly checked the opposition in all three zones, creating opportunities by causing mistakes, last night's Bruins were instead handed their own game by the new-look Leafs - a team expected to miss the playoffs for a (record-setting) fourth straight year.

It was not pretty. And the recurring theme of blowing leads in the third period is an ominous sign as this team struggles for points and chemistry.

My only hope is that Coach Julien spends a significant amount of practice time in the coming days working on the Bruins anemic penalty kill, given that they could not stop the parade to the penalty box.

Hopefully last night's soft effort was an aberration, and the team will correct the path they are on.

season starts without me

The season's getting underway, but I'm taking a vacation! See you on the other side. Let's go B's.

bruins 8 - canadiens 3

There are no sweeter victories than those over the Habs. While pre-season scores don't count in the standings, they certainly count in the hearts of Bruins fans when it pertains to the Canadiens.

I looked around for coverage of last night's game, with no success, so I have to rely on the reports by the media.

The significant things for B's fans to remember from last night's game are that Fernandez played (letting in two goals on ten shots....sigh...), Patrice Bergeron took to the ice again (gaining a goal and two assists, and the game's first star) and youngster Vladimir Sobotka had a good outing for the Black, White and Gold netting two goals.

It's a good start for the Bruins, who frankly should be playing the Canadiens with a chip on their shoulder, given recent history against the Habs.

bruins sign stephane yelle

Hard working, hard checking forward Stephane Yelle has signed with the Spoked-B on a one-year contract. Yelle comes over from the Calgary Flames as a free agent, and will join other former-Flames Andrew Ference, Chuck Kobasew and (in the early days of his career) Marc Savard.

I am excited about the addition of Yelle, as he brings a lot of grit and character while playing a smart, simple game. The only downside is that he has battled injuries for several seasons.

Welcome aboard!

Now, don't screw it up.

the update - no real update on bruins

No updates to the blog over the last little while, as things have been pretty much in a holding pattern with the Bruins, gearing up for training camp, beginning September 19th.

The B's have brought all outstanding UFAs under contract (or jettisoned the players), and now all eyes are on youngsters Nate Thompson, Martins Karsums (photo above), and Blake Wheeler.

The next great savior in net, Tuukka Rask, is scheduled for another year in Providence, with Thomas and the apparently-now-okay Manny Fernandez battling for the number one spot on the Bruins.

Ongoing drama with Carl Soderburg continue. He has apparently decided to play in Sweden for another year. Or has he? Yes he has. But has he really?

Tune in again and find out.

I'll start dropping posts more regularly when the Bruins have done something beyond trying to shed excess layers of "summer fat".

Training camp is a little under a month away.

glen murray gone

As has been written about here and so many other places, the Bruins have ended their relationship with forward Glen Murray.

A tough decision that apparently neither party enjoyed, the Bruins send Murray to Free Agency and move into the 2008-2009 season a little younger and a little faster.

We will wait to see if they are a little better.

Muzz will be missed.

the ones we've got, and the ones that got away

By now everyone knows that the Bruins' Eastern Conference rivals, the Ottawa Senators, have picked up UFA Jason Smith, who I recommended the B's acquire. The Sens have apparently decided that leadership and proven skill are the attributes they need this year. Huh. Interesting.

For the Bruins, their pre-season development camp continues, and all reports are that Patrice Bergeron and Manny "Four-Game" Fernandez are on the ice, and in full health. This bodes well for the team, given that these two players represent a number one scorer (proven) and number one goalie (debatable) being back in the fold.

In theory, the team can only be better this year than last, right? I mean, that's how it works, yes?

Oh.

free agent update

Unrestricted Free Agents Glen Metropolit and Alex Auld have signed with Philadelphia and Ottawa, respectively, ending their days in the Black, White and Gold. Metropolit was a solid Bruin in his single season here, and Auld proved himself a worthwhile NHL keeper again, after bouncing around between a few clubs. His shutout streak was recognized around the league.

Wish them both well.

In other news, the Bruins missed out on Rozsival, who re-upped with the Rangers. Their One-Two defensive pairing will therefore probably be Rozsival and (former Senator & Chara partner) Wade Redden.

bruins sign michael ryder

A while ago, I was part of a "pre-season training session" with a former NHL player, who will remain nameless. He presently works with the Canadiens, so other people in the training session were asking him about Habs players, and getting his behind-the-scenes input.

When they got to Michael Ryder, the ex-NHLer became very serious and said that he is a gifted, natural sniper, but expects things to come without putting in the work.

I suspect partnering Michael Ryder with Claude Julien, his former coach in junior, the AHL and with the Canadiens, will bring about a change in work ethic. Ryder had his best seasons as a pro under Julien's guidance.

The addition of Ryder strengthens the Bruins' Right Wing, and almost certainly signals the end of Murray's time with the B's.

Personally, I think it is a good acquisition, as the Bruins will benefit from a consistent 30-goals-per-season scorer, AND because I am a big fan of people from Newfoundland.

NOTE: it gives me great pains to carry an image of ANYONE in a Habs sweater on this blog. No Ryder-in-Bruins-Sweater images available yet.

bruins re-up petteri nokelainen

Young forward Petteri Nokelainen has apparently re-signed with the Bruins, according to Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe.

This makes me very happy. Nokelainen is a rangy kid with good hands, that, I think, will be able to use his size to gain space as his game develops. He had a commanding presence during the year, especially in the 7-playoff games against the Habs, playing with a surprising amount of grit.

His numbers weren't great for the 2007-2008 season, but I think he's got a tremendous amount of potential, and also think its a good sign that the Bruins brass recognize his assets-in-the-rough.