Bruins Shut Out Thrashers

Last night's 4-0 win over the Thrashers was an example of the Bruins playing at the top of their game.

Despite some successes this season, and sporting a respectable record, the Bruins have played precious few games with maximum effort from start-to-finish, instead relying on spectacular goaltending or an offensive outburst to get the win. Sometimes that win doesn't come, naturally.

However, last night's match against the Thrashers saw the Bruins hitting, forechecking and battling for pucks, and the win came as a result. It's good to see, but there's also a problem emerging.

Tuukka Rask got the start in nets, improving to 10-3-2 with a 1.85 GAA, which is outstanding for such a young goalie. Especially one with a Jedi name.

The problem, of course, is that Rask may be out-playing Tim Thomas, who deserves time to find his game given everything he's given to the Bruins, and his record in previous years.

However, as the season progresses, it's also hard to not see Thomas' 10-9-5 record with a 2.42 GAA as vastly below his capacity. How that impacts the Bruins as they make the stretch drive through the Olympics and toward the playoffs is the big question.

Thomas will get the start on Friday at Fenway for the Outdoor Classic, and the USA Olympic Team roster will be announced shortly thereafter (which Thomas is hoping to be a part of), so we may soon see Thomas' game improving simply because he is motivated by these events (and spurred forward by an up-and-coming backup).

Needless to say, the Bruins' streaky play this season cannot be laid at Thomas' feet, but if the team still requires a goalie that can win games they don't deserve to win, then Rask may be asked to shoulder a heavier load.

What that means to the team as a whole is uncertain. But here's hoping that Thomas finds his game soon, and that the B's have access to two goalies playing lights-out hockey as the season heads for home.

The Bruins next play Friday afternoon, outdoor, against the Flyers.

Bruins Maul Panthers

In a weird twist, last night I went looking online for the Bruins-Panthers match, only to find out that the game was finishing at 7.30. I didn't realize the game was a matinee and with the time zones, I completely missed the boat.

However, I caught what I could of the game, and was pleased to see the Bruins win.

Florida started (backup) Scott Clemmensen, who played a solid game, and Tim Thomas, after letting in a soft goal at the 4 minute mark, played incredibly well through the rest of the match - especially in the final moments, when he stopped a Florida forward with the tying goal on his stick, from point-blank range.

Marco Sturm and Michael Ryder scored for the Bruins, who have won 3-straight, and now improve to a respectable 19-11-7.

By far the biggest distraction for the Bruins right now is the upcoming Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year's Day. With all the hype and media attention, it would be easy for the Bruins to let games like yesterday's against the Panthers simply slide by.

Given that the Bruins usually have a major dip in January, it is very important that they rack up as many points as possible now against the League's "have-not" teams, as that cushion will help them in the playoff race. It's a cliche to say that every win counts, but given how tight the race will be in the Eastern Conference, the cliche is true.

The B's face Tampa Bay tonight, and the Thrashers on Wednesday before facing off against the retro Flyers at Fenway on Friday.

It is a busy week for the Bruins, but if they are able to continue to get wins, they should be in good shape for that push between New Years and the Olympic break.

Bruins Shut Senators Out

Sorry for my absence here on Black, White and Gold. I've been working a writing contract that has kept me really busy and unable to do regular updates. Although, maybe that's for the best, given that the B's last four games have all been losses, and nobody really wants to read my stream of invectives.

Tonight's game against the Senators was what you could euphemistically call a 'defensive battle', but more accurately position as a game between two teams that cannot score.

Tim Thomas got the start tonight (which makes sense), but I was startled to see that Timmy is one game under .500 in his wins and losses, and his GAA is creeping up. It has not been a bad season for Thomas, but it certainly has been inconsistent, and his play of late has added a touch more heart-in-mouth-syndrome than usual. Tonight, however, Thomas was his usual spring-loaded self, and gained the shutout despite a couple of close calls.

The game was tied 0-0 going into the third period, when Patrice Bergeron was finally able to capitalize on a fat rebound to put the Bruins ahead by a goal. About 4 minutes later, Marco Sturm was given a great breakaway feed by Marc Savard, and he potted the Bruins' second of the night. It was all the B's would need for the win.

The Bruins' powerplay was, again, absolutely abhorrent. They went 0-3 and only looked marginally dangerous on one of the man-advantages. I know I know nothing about what actually happens in NHL practices, but are the Bruins even trying to improve this powerplay? I mean, it has been over 30 games and they are still nearly last in the league, run each powerplay at half-impulse-power and look totally disorganized nearly every time out.

Maybe the Bruins need some quality time with Coach O'Connor, my Pee-Wee hockey coach, who taught our team how to run a decent umbrella-style powerplay. We got to the finals that year! Then we lost by two goals. But we had an effective powerplay! But still lost by two goals.

Regardless, Zdeno Chara looked great tonight, and the team welcomed Dennis Wideman back from injury. It turns out they didn't need a good powerplay to win, but man....it sure would be nice to say they had one anyway.

The Bruins play again on Wednesday against Atlanta, and then bundle up for the Holiday break, hoping that Santa brings them some powerplay goals.

One Hundred Years of Bruins Nightmares

After over an hour of celebrations marking the Canadiens' 100-year anniversary, tonight's game between the Bruins and Habs got off to a fast start, but it was clear within a few shifts that the Bruins were not going to be able to compete with le Bleu, Blanc et Rouge on this much-hyped evening.

The Canadiens scored early and scored often in this utterly brutal match-up between these long-time rivals. The game pivoted when the Bruins were given a full two-minute 2-man advantage, but were not able to capitalize (or, it would seem to this Bruins fan, even register a shot) on the 5-on-3, and within a few minutes of the penalties ending, the Habs were potting goals in quick succession.

The Bruins gave up 4 goals in the 2nd period alone, and, instead of playing the quick-moving, hard-hitting style they've shown lately, chose instead to play a softer, Bantam-level game of giveaways, blown checks, and skate-bys, that ultimately cost them the game.

Matt Hunwick had a terrible game, perfectly setting up one Canadiens' goal (by shooting it at Tim Thomas), and, via a blown body check of one player, blown coverage of another, and finally not picking up his man deep in the offensive zone, was ultimately responsible for another goal against. Derek Morris also fanned on a pass from the blue line, then allowed the Hab forwards to march in, uncontested, for another goal. The ludicrous giveaways and errors continued all night and led to 5-goals against.

Tim Thomas was spared the indignity of having to come out in the 3rd period, giving Tuukka Rask the opportunity to try to save a lacklustre Bruins' effort. The B's potted a quick one (bringing the score to 5-1), and then were given a 4-minute powerplay, that, like all Bruins powerplays, led to nothing positive for the Bruins and was actually physically painful to watch. In fact, the Habs had more chances than the Bruins did. This powerplay led to another 2-man advantage, and then another powerplay, but the Bruins had no goals to show for it and frankly, had little dangerous action.

On the whole, this was a nightmare night for the Bruins, Bruins fans, and especially, Bruins fans living in Montreal who are surrounded by the Canadiens faithful and their smug expressions (despite their 12th-place in the Eastern standings).

I was really hoping for a strong game from the B's - at least a competitive effort - but the Bruins honestly had absolutely nothing to show for themselves tonight. They spent the entire night making the Canadiens look a lot better than they actually are, which is the worst thing you can do for your bitterest rival, whether 100 years ago, or now.

Bruins Make Savvy Move

TSN is reporting that the Bruins have locked up forward Marc Savard to a 7-year contract, with an average annual cap hit of $4.2 million. This is great news for the Bruins Nation, as Savard has continued to be an over-achieving / under-appreciated asset in the NHL, and the Bruins clearly want to retain his services long-term.

One of the darkest days for me as a Bruins fan (and there have been quite a few) was the day that Joe Thornton was traded away. At the time (and now!), Thornton was in the top five in scoring, and in exchange the Bruins received players who are simply not in the upper ranks - only one of whom still plays for the club (and before anyone considers this an insult, I will say again that I am big fan of Marco Sturm, but everyone must acknowledge that he does not put up the points that Thornton does). It was yet another example of the Bruins scuttling the quality of the team for some short-term gains.

Conversely, one of the happiest days for me as a Bruins fan came on July 1st, 2006, when the B's signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, ending a looooooong drought where the B's chose the bottom line over on-ice performance. They've both been outstanding Bruins.

As Savard approached unrestricted free agency, I was pretty concerned that the team would decide to shop around, once again bringing in role players and mid-level talent for an elite set-up man. Fortunately, the Bruins decided to stay-the-course they chose a few seasons ago, and re-up Savard for the long haul.

A great move for the Bruins, a great opportunity for Savard, and hopefully, a move that puts Savard onto the radar of the Team Canada management, who have thus far criminally overlooked Savvy for the Olympics.

Welcome back, Savvy.

Bruins Need Shootout to Shut Down Senators

Tim Thomas made his first start in nets for the Bruins since mid-November tonight, in his return from The Injury of Mystery (rumoured to be a broken bone in his hand), and he had a solid game - for the most part...

Frustratingly, for this Bruins fan, the otherwise nationally-broadcast Senators and Bruins game was blacked-out in Quebec, and I had to instead sit through the Capitals and Canadiens game. Which, frankly, was like to eating cold dirt in the rain for me.

However, I was able to keep tabs on the B's and Sens game, and was pleased that the Bruins erased a two-goal deficit to tie the game, and then potted another goal to take the lead.

And, of course, I was suitably dismayed that the B's gave up the tying goal in the final minute of the game, especially given the fact that the exact same thing happened in Thomas' last start (on November 14th), against the Penguins.

But that is not what really irks me. What really irks me is that Mark Recchi had two chances at the empty net in the final minute of the game and missed twice. Honestly? Two shots to the wide-right on an open net? Man, that whole 'timely goalscorer' nameplate is showing some rust, no? Presently, Recchi has only 11 points and is -4 on the season. We need him to be better.

At any rate, the Bruins pulled out the win in the shootout, courtesy of Michael Ryder (getting his second goal of the game), and in doing so, took over top spot in the Northeast Division.

A significant development in tonight's game was that the Bruins were able to score three powerplay goals - a considerable improvement over the 0-7 powerplay record in their game against New Jersey, yesterday afternoon.

On the whole, a messy game for the Bruins, especially in the 1st period, but the win (and the points) will help the team as they head into the December stretch.

Of Note: Milan Lucic's injury will keep him out of the lineup for about 4 weeks; Marc Savard is still finding his form, returning from injury; Patrice Bergeron blocked a shot and went down in a heap tonight, but was able to return to the game; The Bruins have now won 5 of their last 6 games and improve to 13-8-5 on the season, thus far.

Bruins Ultimately Tame Wild in Shootout

Tonight's game was one the Bruins had no business winning.

The B's came out hard against the Wild in the 1st period, and then played with less and less steam as the game progressed. They got into penalty trouble in the 2nd, had their offense dry up through the latter 2/3rds of the game, and were forced to rely more and more on their goalie as they limped toward the shootout.

If not for the goaltending heroics of Tuukka Rask, this game would have been out of the Bruins' reach by the midway point of the 2nd period. Despite being outplayed in the opening period, the Wild came out in the 2nd and 3rd periods far more energized than the B's, and as the Wild's offense increased, the Bruins' diminished.

The Bruins stopped shooting the puck, and somehow thought they could still beat All-Star goalie, Nick Backstom, with only 16 shots on net (including overtime). It was very frustrating to watch an endless stream of Bruins forwards try to stick-handle through a maze of defensively-sound Wild players, without letting any shots go.

However, the Bruins were able to hold the Wild to a 1-1 tie, and pushed the game to a shootout, which David Krejci won for the Black, White and Gold. I'm not convinced the Bruins deserved to win this game, but there it is: they did.

Despite my negativity, there were some good things to take away from the Bruins' game tonight. Their passing was crisp, their physical play was (for the most part) up to par, and, as mentioned, their goaltending was outstanding.

But, the game really held more bad than good for the Bruins, even with the win. Most notably, with about 4 minutes left, Milan Lucic was slew-footed at the offensive blue line and collapsed awkwardly, twisting his knee as he fell. He left the game, went to the dressing room (with assistance), and did not return. Other negatives, the Bruins powerplay is still an abomination, and the penalty trouble and low-shot-count were devastating to the B's chances of controlling the game.

Having said all that, the Bruins' 4-game road-trip ends with 4 wins, and they return to Boston with a respectable record (12-8-4) to prepare for their matinee game against the Devils on Friday afternoon.

Let's see which Bruins team turns up against the Devils - the one that dominated the Blues on Monday, or the one that limped to a win against the Wild, tonight.

Bruins Play Wild Tonight

After winning their third-straight game (for the first time this Season) the Bruins continue their road-trip in Minnesota, with a game tonight against the Wild.

The Bruins are coming off a solid performance against the Blues on Monday night, where the B's fought down two comebacks from St-Louis to ultimately add two unanswered goals and win 4-2.

Monday night's game was Marc Savard's first game back from injury, which is obviously a boost to the Bruins offense, but also to my chances in the hockey pool I am currently being slaughtered in.

Milan Lucic continued to return to form, scoring again against St-Louis and creating shockwaves from his relentless hitting, and Patrice Bergeron had assists on every Bruins goal. Man, talk about having an impact.

My hope is that the injuries to Lucic and Savard, and the trials the Bruins faced in their absence in trying to maintain at least a .500 standing, will make the Bruins a better club overall. Perhaps these injuries were a bit of a wake-up call for a team that has high expectations placed upon it, but started the Season rather sluggish.

Tonight should be a good test for the Bruins, and for Tuukka Rask, who is still managing goaltending duties in the wake of Thomas' injury.

Bruins Rattle Sabres - Win In Overtime

The Bruins opened their 4-game road trip with back-to-back games against the Thrashers and Sabres, and were able to get wins in both.

Last night's game against Buffalo saw the Bruins offering a very gritty effort, and showed how the addition of a single player can sometimes open up several offensive options.

Milan Lucic has been hailed as the second coming of Cam Neely since he was first drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, and while there are some similarities, the biggest difference between the two players is that Neely was a regular 50-goal scorer, while Lucic, as of yet, is not. Not even close (17 goals last season, 8 the season before).

However, in just his second game back from injury, Lucic had a major impact on last night's action. His physical presence and solid checking kept the Sabres players honest (and paying attention!), and he also potted the Bruins' tying goal on a great cross-ice feed from Byron Bitz. He was hitting everything that moved, and, being one of the hardest checkers in the league, this offensive weapon brought a physical element that seemed to influence the entire Bruins squad. One player, full-team impact.

In fact, Lucic's style of play seemed to directly bring out the speed and size of linemate Byron Bitz, who has been playing well lately, but seemed to be an entirely different player last night. Maybe he was inspired by Lucic's play, or maybe he just gained more open ice because of Lucic's impact, but the twin-engine attack of Bitz and Lucic generated a lot of chances, balanced the offense, and allowed players like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to use their finesse skills more.

Tuukka Rask got the start in nets, his first back-to-back action in the NHL, and he looked very strong. He has now won 4 of his last 5 starts, and looks comfortable with the increased action. Tim Thomas' injury is still undisclosed, but the Bruins' management maintains it is not serious and he will return to action shortly. Either way, the team must feel comfortable knowing they have solid goaltending in Rask, in the interim.

Patrice Bergeron got the winning goal in overtime, perfectly deflecting a Chara point shot past Ryan Miller. Bergeron is easily the Bruins best all-around player, and it is striking how much of a game-changer he can be while just quietly playing his game. A healthy Bergeron equals a stronger Bruins club.

Coach Julien was positive in his post game comments, talking about the Bruins strong effort - especially through the 2nd Period - and the importance, going forward, of remembering the effort that was needed to get these two wins. Hopefully, these wins, and the return of a few key players from injury, will help the Bruins re-gain a piece of last season's form as we head toward the pivotal, pre-Christmas, stretch of the season.

The Bruins' road trip continues to St-Louis, to play the Blues on Monday.

All You Need Is Looch - Bruins Beat Thrashers

The Bruins would celebrate the return of Milan Lucic (out several games with a broken finger) with a win over the Thrashers, last night in Atlanta.

And while "Looch" didn't figure prominently on the game sheet, his arrival, and the immanent return of Marc Savard, offer some promise that help is on the way for a Bruins team that has struggled to maintain its .500-or-better standing.

However, this is a Bruins club that needs some help: their powerplay is ranked last in the league, and they've developed a disturbing habit of gaining a lead in the final minutes of the 3rd period, only to surrender it again in the final moments of the game. It happened against Pittsburgh (with 0.3 seconds on the clock) and it happened last night against Atlanta, who called a timeout and then scored with the extra attacker with 47 seconds left.

The Bruins' eventual win in the shootout is great - great! - but should not cover this troubling trend of coughing up sure wins in the final moments.

Last season, the B's had a far better record at this point in the season, but they spent half the year only playing hard in the 2nd and 3rd periods, often going into the first intermission down a couple of goals. They created pressure on themselves and then had to fight back to win games. For a while this worked great, but as other teams found their footing around Christmas, the Bruins began losing games by the margins they'd surrendered in the 1st period. I fear this year's end-of-game breakdowns may have a similar, negative, effect on the Bruins' season.

If the B's are able to find a way to close out these games when they've gained late-leads, they'll be in far stronger shape down the line (and into the playoffs) when close games matter most.

This trend of letting teams back into games can have disastrous results (just ask the Devils, after their playoff series against the Hurricanes last year), and needs to be high on the list of issues to address for the Bruins.

Hopefully, this important lesson was learned last night, when a loss was narrowly averted by Patrice Bergeron's unbelievable shootout move, and gets carried by the Bruins into tonight's game against the Sabres.

Because "playing a 60-minute-game" may be a hockey cliche, but it is a lesser cliche than another Bruins team that is really good, but yet still not good enough.

For Bruins, Frustrations & Losses Mount

Unless you've only been a Bruins fan for a single season (in which case, let me be the first to tell you that there are far more robust bandwagons to hop on), you'll know that a big part of being a Bruins fan is negotiating the frustrations that come along with the job.

In my lifetime, the Bruins have not won a single Stanley Cup, despite making the Finals 5 times. Equally frustrating, they've also missed the playoffs 5 times. Hence, the radical dichotomy that exists inside all B's fans.

Witness the last two games for the Bruins as examples:

Against Florida on Thursday, the Bruins peppered Tomas Vokoun with 40-something shots, extensively outplayed the Panthers, received great goaltending from Tim Thomas, yet ended up in a 1-0 loss.

Last night against the Penguins, the Bruins were down 2-0, battled back into the game, exchanging goals with Crosby & Co., and ended up taking the lead with a little over a minute left in the match. However, the Bruins were unable to shut the Penguins down, and gave up the tying goal with 0.3 seconds left (less than a second from victory), ultimately losing in overtime.

It has been that kind of season thus far for the Bruins and the Bruins faithful. The Bruins scoring touch may have returned against the Pens, but the result was still a loss. The offense may have been going on all cylinders against the Panthers, but the result, again, was still a loss. Marc Savard and Milan Lucic may have resumed practices with the Bruins, but the results, for now, are more losses.

The most frustrating part, of course, is that the Bruins have basically looked pretty good in these games. They are playing well, and just haven't been getting the wins. While that may be some comfort to B's fans, generally speaking, teams are not given access to the post-season because they've almost won games.

With the season one-quarter over the Bruins need to find those small differences that make close games into wins. It is what they were able to do last year, and those small differences are what ultimately wins games in the playoffs.

Until then, Bruins fans are stuck pondering the what-ifs - the same way we did in the years we only made the finals, or missed the playoffs entirely.

Bruins Shut Out Stanley Cup Champion Penguins

The Bruins rolled out their black retro sweaters and took on the defending Stanley Cup champions tonight in Boston, shutting out Sydney and company, 3-0.

Tim Thomas got the start in nets, and backstopped the Bruins to their most complete game of the season.

From the first face-off, through the final moments of the game where they were down 6 players to 4 (on the penalty-kill with the Penguins' goalie on the bench for the extra attacker), the Bruins kept their intensity up and played the up-tempo-defensive system that brought them so much success last season. Matt Hunwick, Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron got the goals for the Bruins.

The difference between tonight's game and the game against, say, the Red Wings last week, was remarkable. Tonight it seemed like the Bruins had adapted to life without Savard, Lucic and Kessel (two injuries and a trade respectively), and had begun to find a bit of chemistry on their lines.

David Krejci returned from battling Swine Flu and looked good throughout the game. Michael Ryder did not register a goal but caused a lot of havoc, and both Chara and Morris were effective at shutting down the Penguin forwards.

While I recognize that the Pens were without a few key players (most notably Malkin and Gonchar), tonight's game was fairly evenly fought, and there were chances at either end of the ice. The 3-0 score had less to do with the play of the Penguins (and nothing to do with how Marc-Andre Fleury played) and more to do with how the Bruins kept attacking the Pens in waves.

Frankly, it was good to see, and an indication of the full potential of this team which we've only seen in brief glimpses so far, this season.

Of Note: Raymond Bourque was in attendance tonight, as his son Chris was suiting up for the Penguins; Tonight's win marked the first time the Bruins had won 2-straight games this season; Tim Thomas recorded his 14th career shutout, passing Andy Moog for 10th on the Bruins all-time list.

Bruins Powerplay Beats Buffalo

On Saturday night, the Bruins limped into another game against a Division rival - this time against the Sabres and the red hot goaltending of Ryan Miller.

The Sabres may not represent the same level of Bruins-Killer that they did in the 80s and early 90s, but they still field a strong team that matches up well against the Bruins, especially when the Bruins have just finished consecutive games where they are unable to score, and have lost three straight.

However, on Saturday night, the Bruins and Sabres both played their backup goalies - Tuukka Rask and Jhonas Enroth - possibly because they both sound like Jedis or United Nations chairmen - and the Bruins were able to pull out a 4-2 win over Buffalo.

Most important in the Bruins win is that they broke their 0-for-20 goal-less run on the powerplay, and that a few players who had been struggling lately were able to score.

Zdeno Chara got his first goal of the season, Marco Sturm scored for the first time in about a month, and Byron Bitz, recently returned from injury, was able to help out as well. The B's scoring was rounded out by Mark Recchi, who, by my estimation, has been ice cold so far this season and has yet to regain that "inspiring veteran" status that he has been known for over the last four or five years. Hopefully, Saturday night's game was an indication of Recchi warming up a little bit.

Coach Julien's post-game comments touched on the team's effort lately, and how finally getting some bounces to match the Bruins' work ethic finally led to a win:

We talked about trying to get the team to relax a little bit and have confidence in their skills knowing eventually you are going to score goals. I felt that our team has been working hard in the last couple of weeks and probably deserving a better fate. When you don’t score and you don’t win games you have to find a way to keep your team focused, being believers, and knowing that if you stick with it someday it will turn. Hopefully it is a start tonight. We all know that we have a much bigger game against Pittsburgh, but right now you have to enjoy a win and enjoy the way you did it.

That "bigger game against Pittsburgh" comes this Tuesday for the Bruins. Hopefully, Saturday night's win will rejuvenate the B's a bit, and they can carry some momentum into the game against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Bruins Lose to Canadiens in Shoot-Out - 2-1

The Bruins and Habs met for the 700th time in the Regular Season tonight. The Bruins, of course, have been shut-out in their last two games, and have been decidedly snake-bitten lately. Losing David Krejci to the Swine Flu early this afternoon did not help the Bruins offense one bit, either.

I thought the B's played a pretty solid game tonight, overall. They were hitting in the 1st and 3rd periods (less so in the 2nd) and kept their game up-tempo, with a good transition from their zone. For as few goals as the Bruins have potted lately, they've certainly had their chances to score. Tonight was no exception, as the B's put 42 shots on Carey Price. Thomas, for his part at the other end, was incredible - making fast kick-outs and at one point reaching behind himself to stop a shot with the flat of his stick.

In the 1st period, Dennis Wideman got caught up with a Bruins team-mate in the neutral zone and the blown coverage allowed the Habs to circle the net and get their first goal. While people may point to Wideman's error, a sharp spotlight should be shone on the Bruins centre (remaining nameless), who, after covering former Bruin Glen Metropolit through the slot, left him alone in front of the net and allowed an easy tap in to put the Bruins down a goal.

The Bruins kept pressing, and a series of power-plays (two in a row at one point) gave them many chances on net, but still no goals emerged for the Bruins (and, obviously, the powerplay woes continue).

Deep into the 3rd period (less than 50 seconds remaining), with Tim Thomas on the bench, Patrice Bergeron was able to win an offensive zone face-off, then carve to the side of the net where a rebound found its way onto his stick. One little curl and side-step and he made no mistake, tying the game at 1-1.

4-0n-4 Overtime solved nothing, so the teams went to the shoot-out, where Brian Gionta was able to score for the Habs. Canadiens 2, Bruins 1, much to the dismay of water-bottle-throwing Team President Cam Neely.

For my part, I'm pleased that the Bruins played as well as they did and that they were able to tie the game up in the final seconds. They deserved a better fate than a loss, given how they played tonight, but that matters little in the NHL. Hopefully, the desperation they felt in the final seconds will carry over to their next games and the offense will start clicking.

Of Note: Both the Habs and Bruins had goals waived off tonight; Mark Recchi looked awful for most of the evening, but I must admit, gave a good interview after the 1st period, so that's something; Tonight's win will make all my friends who are Canadiens fans completely insufferable - the solution: stop allowing Canadiens fans to be my friends.

Pre-Game News: Krejci has H1N1 & Rask Signs Extension

Two brief notes before tonight's game between the Bruins and Canadiens:

David Krejci has been diagnosed with H1N1 (Swine Flu). He has been isolated from the rest of the team, and the Bruins' medical staff are working to keep him healthy. He'll be out of the action until he is symptom-free for at least 24 hours, and in the mean-time the Bruins' offense takes another serious hit. Do I feel badly for commenting on Krejci's merely okay play in the last game, now that I know he has Swine Flu?

Sort of.

The other news from the Bruins' camp is that Tuukka Rask has been signed to a contract extension through 2011-2012. The young gun is the Bruins' newest next-big-thing and excitement hasn't been this high since Jon Casey, John Grahame or Andrew Raycroft.

Personally, I'm still waiting for the next Andy Moog.

Bruins Fall to Red Wings - 2-0

The Bruins' loss tonight pivoted on two minutes of poor play, where the Red Wings were able to pot a powerplay goal and then follow up with a quick even-strength tally in the 1st period, leaving the Bruins unable to respond for the rest of the game.

It was a very frustrating night for this Bruins fan, simply because the B's had chances to score - there were several shots rung off posts and at least one goal-line-trickler - all of which go toward making Chris Osgood look better than he actually is. That actually hurts me.

What also hurts is the Bruins' dismal powerplay, which ranks 29th in the league and went (by my count) 0-for-4 tonight. Coupled with the B's scoring only 3 goals in their last 4 games, the Bruins offense is looking pretty anemic right now and they need some guys to boost their play.

Not helping things? David Krejci, who actually played okay, but only okay, and frankly that's not going to be good enough with the contract he's sitting on and the injuries the Bruins have sustained. Krejci needs to be a force on the ice every time he's on it, and right now he's only causing a few surprises every 10-or-so shifts.

Also in my doghouse is Marco Sturm who was only notable tonight for taking the penalty that led to the first Red Wings goal, and Mark Recchi who seemed ineffectual at best and completely invisible at worst. For some reason, Recchi was awarded ice time in the final 2 minutes of the game and it was the first time I'd noticed him in 2 periods of play.

Frustrating also was the play of Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ference who each looked out of their respective positions for most of the night. I don't know if the Detroit speed caught them off-guard, but they looked like they were caught being reactive, rather than proactive, all game.

It was not a total washout for the Bruins though - I thought Patrice Bergeron looked really strong, I was impressed by Brad Marchand's energy and grit, and both Chara and Morris looked good as the number-one defensive pairing.

Tim Thomas also had a really strong game, snagging pucks out masses of bodies, and keeping his team in contention. Obviously, Detroit are known for how hard they crash the net, and Thomas did not look particularly phased by the activity in front of his net tonight.

But by far the strongest Bruins player of the night was Shawn Thornton, who created scoring opportunities and created chaos every time he hit the ice. Along with Steve Begin and (call-up) Trent Whitfield, Thorton's line seemed to be the one the Red Wings had the most trouble controlling.

And that's terrible.

When a team like the Bruins, rich in talent and depth (even with their injuries), has to rely on their 4th line for leadership and goal-scoring prowess, there's something not right in the line up.

Having missed the last few games for obvious reasons, I am going to reserve judgement on the Bruins so far this season, but tonight's game seems to echo reports of their most recent and Claude Julien has his work cut out for him: address the (awful) powerplay, improve the play of the top six forwards, and perhaps spend some time with Ference, some video footage, and a cattle prod.

The Bruins next play the Canadiens, this Thursday.

The World Mourns Another Bruins Fan - R.I.P.

On October 16th, I received word that my brother died, unexpectedly and accidentally. He was just a week shy of his 46th birthday.

He was also a hardcore Bruins fan, and was among the factors that influenced me becoming a Bruins fan at a young age, when these sorts of decisions are very important.

He was a regular reader and an occasional commenter (usually as "bruinsnorth") here on Black White and Gold, and I am pleased that we had this way to connect with each other across the distances, both physical and emotional.

I post this simply to note my loss, explain my absence here (and elsewhere), and to post a couple of photos of my brother's Zippo lighter emblazoned with the Bruins' insignia. Engraved on the front is 1972 - the year the Bruins last won the Stanley Cup - and on the back, his initials.

There is no way to briefly summarize the last couple of weeks, or the range of emotional peaks and valleys my family and I have been through, so I won't even attempt to, here. Suffice it to say that I am nowhere near 'recovered', but am able to focus enough resume writing again, and right now that feels like the right thing to do.

Finally, I look forward to the day when I will be able to engrave a new date on the front of my brother's lighter, demarcating another Stanley Cup win for our Bruins. It is an achievement I've waited my whole life for, and sadly, one my brother did not live long enough to see come to fruition.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this long silence. Black, White and Gold will resume its regularly scheduled broadcasts this week.

A Short Delay on Black, White and Gold

Due to a tragedy in our family, I'm afraid I won't be able to post anything to Black, White and Gold for about a week or so. My apologies to the Bruins faithful that read this blog, but the circumstances are beyond my control.

Thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time.

I will post about the Bruins again, as soon as I am able. Hang tight.

Thanks.

Bruins Buried by Avalanche

Yesterday's matinee game (Thanksgiving up here, but Columbus Day down south) saw the Bruins hosting the Avalanche, and repeating the mistakes of the previous few games.

The B's once again spotted their opponents a 2-0 lead, and then tried to claw their way back into the game by tying it up, but without changing their work ethic. Not surprisingly, the results were not positive for the Bruins, and they lost 4-3 to the Avs.

The hardest part of yesterday's loss, however, was that the winning goal came shorthanded and was sparked by a lousy turnover on a terrible line-change, essentially handing the Avs an opportunity to walk in on Tuukka Rask (which they did) and score (which they also did).

This loss brings the Bruins Season-opening home stand to a close with two wins and three losses, and a lot of questions about where last season's team is hiding.

Coach Claude Julien summed up the Bruins pretty well, when asked about the team's defensive breakdowns:

You've got to get back your identity. We used to be very good at that, and until we can get that straightened out, we're going to have to battle and come from behind all the time. That's what's putting us behind the eight-ball in every game. We battled back in the second period, tied the game up. The next shift is crucial. We had a terrible shift, had a penalty, and they're back at it,
and then it's three to two. That shift has to be important and we have to bring the momentum and bring it back in their own end. The little things like that are game changers.

The Bruins next play on Friday, in Dallas.

Bruins Rally to Beat Islanders in SO

Well, the Bruins again chose to only play a one-period hockey game, but unlike their game against the Ducks, it resulted in a victory.

In their last game, against Anaheim, the Bruins had a great first period and then fell apart for the next two periods, finally losing 6-1. However, against the Islanders last night, the Bruins spotted their opponents a 3-0 lead heading into the third before finally turning on the jets mid-way through the final frame.

With about 16 minutes remaining in the game, Marc Savard got the B's first goal. A few minutes later, Byron Bitz scored to make it a one-goal game, and with about 2 minutes remaining in the match, Matt Hunwick's point shot found a way through the traffic to beat NY goalie, Dwayne Roloson, tying the score. With each goal the audience became more electrified and the team seemed to start believing they could pull out a win in the game.

Overtime solved nothing, and eventually Savard scored the winner (top shelf) in the shoot-out.

The positive, of course, is the win. The negative is that it had to be in a come-back situation, and was against an opponent that the Bruins - at their best - should not have had any trouble dominating.

Still, this early in the young season, this win was a good test for the mettle of the Bruins club who clearly need to bring their ability to deal with adversity back up to last year's levels.

Tuukka Rask got the start and won his first NHL game. One of the game highlights for me was seeing how totally pumped he was after making the final stop in the shootout. Bruins fans will come to love that level of competition from the young Finn.

Of Note: Dennis Wideman left the game in the second period with a shoulder injury - sorry - undisclosed upper body injury - and did not return. No word yet on his status.

Bruins Quotes from Tonight's Game

Some quotes from the Bruins on this evening's game:

Claude Julien on the attitude of the Bruins tonight…
As far as that’s concerned, I think the first period was good for us. We could even have brought our game up another notch and that’s what we needed to do in the second period.

But it’s hard to bring that when, again, the effort just wasn’t good enough tonight from most of our guys. When you’re talking about your fourth line being your hardest working line it doesn’t bode well for the hockey club. Aside from that line, nobody played to their potential. We need to have those guys play up to their potential.

Steve Begin on tonight's game...
Everybody has to show up. It’s not a two, three, four or five guys. So it’s everybody, we have 20 guys in this room. It’s cliché. You guys are going to hear that a lot but it’s but that’s how it is. A hockey game is 60 minutes and if you don’t show up for 60 minutes there’s a good chance you are not going to win the game.

Shawn Thornton on if this game was embarrassing...
It was frustrating. You will never here me say that I am embarrassed of my teammates. I’m frustrated, it wasn’t what we needed and it got away from us.

Tim Thomas on this being a game you just drop and don’t think about after tonight…
No I don’t think so. I think you better learn from it. And you better remember it. If there were any times during the year where you start to slip you look back on this game like ‘whoa’ and we have to get going or else it’s going to be ugly like that game.

Bruins Get Beat Up by Ducks, Lose 6 - 1

A great start from the Bruins led to an absolutely brutal finish, and a complete collapse against the (apparently still Mighty) Ducks of Anaheim.

The Bruins turned in a good first period - getting 19 shots on net and maintaining solid, sustained pressure for long stretches of the period. Also, I must say it is great to see Krejci and Sturm playing so well, coming back from injury.

The Bruins' first (and only) goal came from a defensive break-out from Dennis Wideman, forwarding it up to Savard, who saucered it to Sturm, who was skating down the left wing. Sturm was able to blast a slapshot past Duck's goalie, Jonas Hiller.

Starting the second period, an early 5-on-3 powerplay gave the Ducks the tying goal, on Selanne's point shot, and less than a minute later (on the remaining 5-on-4 powerplay), Selanne got the lead for Anaheim. Unfortunately, the Bruins powerplays later in the period were a lot less effective, or possibly, the Duck's penalty-kill was completely unreal. Seeing Saku Koivu have an impact on the Bruins' players while not be wearing Bleu, Blanc et Rouge does not soften the blow, I have learned.

With about 7 minutes left in the second period, Corey Perry was able to cross through the slot, deke out at least two players, and out-wait Thomas, who lay prone and looked foolish as Perry went top shelf. Suddenly, after being dominated in the first period, the Ducks enjoyed a 3-1 lead.

Then my online stream of the game died suddenly, and I missed the final 4-or-so minutes of the second period, and the first 5 minutes of the third. After searching around a bit I was able to find a new stream, which also subsequently died. Oh, internet, how you hurt me so.

Either way, with about 5 minutes gone in the third period, I found another stream of the game and almost immediately saw Evgeny Artyukhin score for the Ducks, by simply out-muscling the defender to the puck and potting it behind Thomas.

With about 11 minutes left in the match, with the Bruins now down 4-1, I found myself just hoping for a lucky goal for the B's, to just regain some of the momentum the club lost when the first period ended. That's not how you want to cheer for your club..."Come on guys, just get lucky!"

Sadly, from Artyukhin's goal onward, the Bruins looked disorganized and uncoordinated. Bruins players bumped into each other at the offensive blueline and behind their own net, passes went several feet errant. With their composure nearly completely shot, the Bruins' loose passes led to a turnover and then Anaheim's 5th goal, from Bobby Ryan, with about 6 minutes left.

Brutal. But not yet the end.

In an act of over-the-top horror, with less than a minute left in the game, Corey Perry broke in alone on Thomas, and took a shot which Thomas stopped with his shoulder. It then deflected back out, went off Perry's HEAD, and into the Bruins net, making it 6-1.

On the whole a brutal night of unexpectedly terrible hockey, lousy internet streams and Finns haunting B's fans at every turn.

The Ducks are a good club, but really, they're not 6-1 good.

Bruins Blow Hurricanes Away - 7-2

Getting a 3-0 lead in the first period is always a good start for a hockey team (especially when you get two in 26 seconds), but to then continue to pile on the goals is a great way to show your opponent that you haven't forgotten your history against them.

After being dismissed by the Hurricanes in last year's playoffs, then blowing their first game of the year against the Capitals, the Bruins were obviously suitably motivated for tonight's match-up against the 'Canes, and ended up winning 7-2.

Marc Savard had a three point night (a goal and two assists) and Shawn Thornton had a goal and a win in a fight against (former Bruins) Andrew Alberts.

Marco Sturm continued his strong return from injury with a goal and an assist, and the Bruin defenders were able to chip in as well (goals for Wideman and Hunwick, two assists for Morris) in the team's victory.

The win was significant, given how poorly they played on Thursday night, in re-establishing the Bruins as an important force in the Eastern Conference. It also obviously provides some vindication for last year's playoff ouster. But most important, I think, is that it allowed the Bruins to begin to gel in front of Tim Thomas, and to reaffirm that this team full of young talents is "for real" again this year.

Like a lot of Bruins fans, I was worried that several members of the B's would experience the sophomore slump, taking a step back in their second year in the league. While one game does not a season make, tonight's match may show that the Bruins youngsters are inspired to play at last year's level (or better) and to build on the team's unexpected successes.

It also pleased me to see the Hurricanes beaten so, so badly by the Black, White and Gold.

The Bruins next play on Thursday against the Ducks, in Boston.

Back on the Regular Season Horse

After blowing their first game of the Regular Season (a 4-1 loss to the Capitals on Thursday night), the Bruins will try to right the ship tonight against the Hurricanes. Which is a hell of a metaphor.

This is obviously the first game between the two teams since the 'Canes sent the Bruins home in Game Seven of the Conference Semi-Finals, last season.

The Capitals and the Hurricanes represent a pretty significant challenge for the Bruins this year - the Caps were one of the few teams (perhaps the only team, in the East) to have a winning record against the Bruins last year, and they're even stronger this season. The 'Canes, of course, showed how tough an opponent they can be, and, Aaron Ward or no, they will bring the ghosts of last season with them into tonight's game.

None of this is news, of course. But given that the new Season is upon us, and the B's schedule starts out so rough, I think it's important to view the Bruins' opponents clearly - they'll pretty much all be tough in the East this year (more on that, in later posts).

The Bruins and 'Canes play tonight at 7pm, in Boston.

NHL Pre-Season - Bruins 2 - Canadiens 1

Just a quick post to say that the NHL returned to Quebec City this evening and saw the Bruins play the Habs in Pre-Season action.

Boston got up 2-0 fairly early on, and then basically held the Habs off for most of the 3rd Period, surrendering a goal, but holding on for the 2-1 win.

I was only watching with half my attention, because I was also involved in our real-time, multi-city hockey pool draft (Marc Savard, second pick!). What I did notice from the game was that Tuukka Rask is for real, Michael Ryder is coming into form, and that Lovecchio just continues to impress me.

The Habs, in all honesty, looked like the stronger team for stretches in this game. I'm not sure if we can expect the Bruins to come out of the gates firing like they did last season, and obviously many of their Division rivals have improved, so there's a good chance that it will be a long, hard-fought year for the Black, White and Gold.

Of Note: one of our kittens suddenly took notice in the game and starting leaping up at the TV screen, frantically clawing at the players skating by. I would say there was about an 80-20 split for Habs he was clawing versus Bruins he wanted to destroy. I will train him to aim strictly for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

As far as the difficulties of being a Bruins fan here in Montreal go, things haven't really ramped up yet. Pre-Season is viewed as it should be (ie: as a warm up) by Montrealers, so the trash talk should begin in earnest in a couple of weeks. I'll keep track of what is throw at me, and let you know.

Breaking News - Kessel Traded to Maple Leafs

My accomplice and I just turned off the DVD of the 1st season of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (which should tell you quite a bit about me and my squiggly ways) and landed on TSN, who are reporting that fully-gruntled winger Phil Kessel has just been traded to the Maple Leafs.

Coming back Boston's way are a first and second round pick in next year's draft and a first round pick the year after. So...uh...some future success, I guess.

Kessel will be rewarded with a contract that pays him $5.4 million dollars a season.

Now, call me old fashioned, but there was a time when a team would never trade a high-potency player within the Conference, let alone the same Division, and never to another Original Six rival. So I guess this is the new NHL.

Or, maybe the new NHL is the one where guys who put up numbers like 29 points in 70 games, 37 points in 82 games and 70 points in 80 games deserve $5.4 million a year. Maybe everyone is Bobby Holik now. In the future, everyone will be Bobby Holik for 15 minutes.

However, I'm not going to rag on Phil Kessel. Instead, I'll simply provide a link to the very funny Big Bad Bruins blog, who accurately sum up Kessel with a very astute math equation.

I guess we'll see you around, Phil...around eight times this year. I sincerely hope Toronto treats you like it treats everyone else. You deserve that, at least.

Pre-Season NHL - Bruins 3 - Leafs 2

Another scrambly, somewhat disorganized pre-season game tonight, this time between the Black, White and Gold and the Maple Leafs.

I watched tonight's game online, amidst an alarming number of homophobic trolls pumping out the commentary on the PM sidebar. I spend enough of my life online to know how common this is, but man, it can be a real drag when you are just trying to watch a game. On the plus side, some Francophones logged in and allowed me to practice my French.

For tonight's match, the Bruins put Dany Sabourin in net, who, like Tuukka Rask is fighting for the backup slot behind Tim Thomas. Sabourin played alright, but looked like he'd have a lot of trouble facing a full (ie: not mostly prospects) NHL team, and will probably start the season with Providence. Too many shots just squeaking by the post in the final moments to keep Claude
Julien a young man.

Also positive for the B's was the play of Brad Marchand - one of my "underwhelmers" from yesterday's game really stepped up and played well, scoring the Bruins' second goal. Same thing with Jamie Arniel, who was another "underwhelmer" last night, but tonight played a far quicker game and created opportunities.

Weirdly, it was returning players Byron Bitz and Blake Wheeler who looked a step behind tonight. Hopefully this pre-season rust flakes off quickly, and they can both return to last year's breakout form.

Matt Hunwick, unfortunately, had a brutal game. Hunwick was one of my favourites last year before his season ended with his spleen being removed (off-ice, of course). In tonight's game he was turned inside out on the Leaf's first goal and looked pretty shakey throughout the game, putting shots into shins and missing passes.

Likewise for new Bruin free-agent Derek Morris, who mangled three clearing attempts in the same shift. I truly hope this guy improves because his contract is what's keeping the Bruins from re-signing Kessel.

On the whole, however, I was fairly pleased with the Bruins' win. Despite some sloppy play and a few scary moments in net (and online), it was fun to watch Patrice Bergeron, Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman playing at their customary level, and also, much like yesterday, it was just fun to watch the B's on the ice again.

Pre-Season NHL - Bruins 2 - Rangers 1

After spending a part of the afternoon tracking down new P2P sites to watch Bruins' pre-season games online, I realized that the NHL Network (which I get on TV) was carrying tonight's match up between the Bruins and the Rangers. The game was fun, even if I had to listen to the announcers for MSG's TV station.

Pre-season games are, of course, ridiculous. The veterans in the club haven't quite shaken off the summer rust, and the billions of kids fighting for roster spots are often out of position, out of sync, and sometimes, out of their depth.

However, tonight's game provided a good opportunity to see some of the less-heralded Bruins, and get a sense of what they can bring. Some highlights included...

Bruins' goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask, who held a shutout until halfway through the 3rd period and looked solid through the game. Rask is trying to play himself into the backup role behind Vezina-winner Tim Thomas, and, pre-season or not, Rask looked completely NHL-ready.

Marco Sturm: It was really good to see Marco Sturm back. Sturm missed nearly all of last season, but looked solid on the right wing tonight, showing the kids what kind of passing some veteran vision can provide.

Johnny Boychuk was paired up with Chara tonight, and outplayed him, in my opinion. Whether Boychuk makes the big squad this year remains to be seen, but he was a physical presence in the game, and generally speaking made smart reads.

Milan Lucic has openly discussed that he's trying to play himself onto the 2010 Team Canada squad, and he clearly took the ice with this goal in mind. He was his usual physical self, but also reminded everyone of his magic mitts, sending a great pass into the shallow slot for Max Sauve's goal. Despite this goal, Sauve is not listed on the Bruins' roster on BostonBruins.com.

Finally, Zach Hamill had the opening goal tonight and looked pretty solid throughout the game. He's been on the cusp of making the Bruins club for a couple of years now, but always ends up back in Providence. Perhaps the shakeup around the whole Kessel situation will bring about a roster spot for Hamill.

Some underwhelming players tonight: Chuck Kobasew - who is no replacement for PJ Axelsson, Brad Marchand - who may just be a kid, but has proven through Team Canada just how influential he can be in a game, and Jamie Arniel - who played okay, but seemed to disappear at points.

Still, for a game without most of the Bruins high-powered players (Savard, Kessel, Krejci, Bergeron, Ryder, etc.) I was pleased with the effort, and pleased with the win.

Mostly, though, I was just pleased to be watching the Bruins again.

Kessel Saga Reaches New Impass

Greetings from the off-season!

Just a quick word to say that the NHL Regular Season is about 3 weeks away, and Bruins action will be heating up in the next little while. So expect some new posts at Black, White and Gold. Because otherwise the off-season is a bit of a slog.

To whit: The only thing more boring than the latest Phoenix Coyotes tales of woe, or possibly the newest high drama in the NHLPA, is the contract status for Bruins' winger Phil Kessel.

The Bruins have about $1.7 million left in the coffers under the NHL salary-cap rules, and Kessel seems to be demanding about $4 to $5 million per season. Which is shocking to me. Now, I'm not that good at math, but I think that means the Bruins will not be able to re-sign Kessel without moving other players to do so.

Complicating things, the latest update is that Kessel has stated (through his agent) that he will no longer negotiate with the B's.

On the other side, GM Peter Chiarelli has stated that the Bruins will match any contract that another NHL club offers Kessel. Perhaps the thinking in the Bruins' camp is to simply wait and let the other clubs (rather than Kessel himself) determine Kessel's worth. Because honestly, is Kessel worth $5 million dollars a season? That would put him on-par with Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron, and frankly, neither his numbers nor his two-way game is on par with these players.

So why is any of this news? It's not really.

But this saga maintains it's status on various sports sites because one of the teams most-interested in Kessel are the Maple Leafs. As Alex Mogilny once proved, even the hemorrhoids of NHL players are front page news for the voracious fans in Toronto.

What is most-likely to happen with Kessel? Probably that the Bruins will match any contract offer, and Kessel will spend his last year with the Bruins.

Realistically, of course, another club could offer him a contract so exaggerated that the Bruins have no choice but to let him walk away. I mean, if someone offers Kessel a $7.5 million contract, are the Bruins going to match this, and put Kessel on-par with Chara's contract? Not likely.

The ideal, obviously, would be for the Bruins to match any contract offers, and then begin shopping Kessel. While I may balk at him receiving $5 per year, I think he's a strong winger with tremendous potential, and if he doesn't want to negotiate with the Bruins, perhaps he can yield a high return via trade.

If nothing else, it would end the debate about his contract that's been ongoing for at least a year. Something hockey fans - even those few in Phoenix - would embrace.

bruins trade aaron ward, sign derek morris

Sometimes the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes of NHL clubs make little sense to outsiders such as you and me.

Yesterday the Bruins traded Aaron Ward back to Carolina (where he won a cup), for Patrick Eaves and a late-round draft pick. The Bruins then put Eaves on unconditional waivers, seemingly with no intention of having him join the club.

All of the above seemed to be an effort to clear some space under the salary cap, and left the blogosphere (read: normal humans who do not work for the Bruins) suspecting this salary dump was to enable GM Chiarelli to re-sign Phil Kessel.

Hang on to your hat: the blogosphere got something wrong.

The Bruins went out this morning (or, late last night if your sleep-patterns match my own) and signed free-agent defender Derek Morris.

Morris, as you may remember, was one of the names being thrown around at last year's trade deadline as a potential pick-up for a team looking to bolster their back line with an offensive-defenseman. He ended up signing with the Rangers, because apparently, at some point every NHL player has to.

Now Morris, the former first-round draft pick (Flames in '96), comes to the Bruins on a one-year deal.

The reality is that Morris has a truly great first pass out of the zone, he's solid on the powerplay, offering a right-handed shot and enough playmaking to play pivot from the blue line with the man advantage. So there are skills there, for sure.

On the other hand, without Aaron Ward, the Bruins are far more suspect defensively. Partnered with Zdeno Chara last season, Ward was responsible for making sure Chara looked Norris-worthy, covering up for defensive gaffs by the Bruins captain.

Ward blocked shots, dished out hits, and played with a nasty streak that inspired a similar attitude in other Bruins. He played injured for nearly two seasons, but unfortunately, that meant that with his salary ($2.5 million) and age, he became a player on the bubble as the Bruins moved forward under salary cap constraints.

Derek Morris is simply not a replacement for Ward's presence in the defensive zone, and frankly none of the remaining Bruins defenders are stay-at-home types who can pick up the slack. This absence will remain an issue for the Bruins as the season approaches, and getting a legitimate defensive-defenseman will become more pressing if the Bruins wish to build on last season's achievements.

...Arguably more pressing than re-signing Phil Kessel.

bruins sign steve begin, re-up bitz, recchi, boychuk

Two years ago the Bruins made major headlines during the Free Agency period by signing Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard.

At the time, the Bruins club had been eviscerated by a dismal managerial gamble going into the lock-out year (ie: allowing pretty much everyone to walk away on the ill-conceived belief that suitable replacements could be found cheaply and easily in a salary-capped NHL), and the team were left searching for an identity after missing the playoffs in successive seasons. Hence, the signing of two big, splashy players who could both contribute right away and establish the character for the club.

Since that time, the Bruins have largely tried to improve their fortunes by successfully stewarding their younger players, and bolstering them with veteran talent (largely playing specific roles).

The Bruins decided to allow Stephane Yelle to leave via free agency, and in his place comes former-Hab Steve Begin. I make no bones about my dislike of Begin, who once blindsided Savard with a cross check 20 metres away from the play that ended Savard's season, but he is the kind of player the team can use in a variety of situations. He adds grit, some PK ability (which I guess is why he differs from fan-fave Shawn Thornton), and had his best season under Coach Julien in Montreal. Frankly, he's the kind of player that most would rather have as a team-mate than an opponent. Hopefully he stays out of the box and doesn't hurt the team from the inside out.

In other news, the B's also re-upped Mark Recchi, who proved his value throughout the playoffs, chipping in timely goals and leading by example. I am a big fan of Recchi, who, while he has aged, has been rejuvenated by his recent tenures in youth-heavy Pittsburgh and Boston, and provides some guidance for the aforementioned younger players to follow. Welcome back, Mark.

Additionally, the Bruins re-upped Byron Bitz to a multi-year contract (which is very good news, especially in light of Steve Montador leaving via Free Agency), and also came to terms with prospect Johnny Boychuk. I don't know much about Boychuk, but he is one of those players that Bruins faithful have been hearing about for a few years - named the AHL's Defenseman of the Year last season - but remains in the minors. Is this his year to play with the Bigs?

Finally, it looks as though PJ Axelsson will explore the Free Agent market after all, but true to his classiness as a person and a player, will keep the Bruins in consideration as he searches for a potential fit for his services.

bruins free agents, salary cap and next year's plans

This weekend's NHL Draft (taking place just a few minutes away from my house, in fact) has brought a spotlight on the Bruins' players who are not locked to long-term contracts.

In particular, a rumour was circling yesterday involving Phil Kessel, who becomes a Restricted Free Agent as of July 1st, that would see him go to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle. The deal seems to have broken down due to nobody really understanding whether it was Kessel and draft picks for Kaberle, or Kaberle and draft picks for Kessel.

Ridiculous.

This reminds me of how, a few years ago, the Bruins announced they had signed Jonas Hoglund only to have the deal annulled due to a faulty fax machine, or how Ray Shero agreed to become GM only to then change it up and sign with Pittsburgh while the Bruins were organizing the press conference to announce his arrival (on the other side of that, while Shero has the Cup, I think Chiarelli has done the better work as GM).

Regardless, what this all suggests is that the Bruins will probably try to move Kessel rather than ink him to a long-term deal. The money that Kessel will probably demand on the open market (somewhere around $5 million, when he's probably at a stage of his development that should garner $2.75 - $3.5 million) was better spent by the B's on David Krejci - who, while less explosive than Kessel, is a more consistent player in both ends of the ice and is at a different stage of development.

Kessel reminds me of a young Marian Hossa, who entered the league as a legitimate offensive threat but would disappear for long stretches of games. While Kessel had a far better season than last year, and has shown a tremendous amount of character in both his professional and personal life, he does seem to be one of those players that simply needs more experience to fully bloom into a well-rounded NHL player. I have no doubt it will come, but the reality of today's NHL is that the Bruins only have a certain amount of time and cap room to wait for Kessel to become the player he can be.

Having said that, Chiarelli has stated he'll match any offer put forward for Kessel, but given the team's salary cap concerns, I would expect that Kessel will be moved shortly thereafter, regardless of how much they want to retain Kessel.

When the season ended, the B's had several important pieces remaining unsigned - including the aforementioned Krejci and Kessel, but most importantly, Vezina Trophy winning goalie, Tim Thomas. The Bruins made the right move and ensured Thomas will remain with the club for the next four years by inking him to a $20 million contract. Props to Chiarelli for getting this deal done.

This means that backup Manny Fernandez will be allowed to walk (or, more reasonably, hobble) into free agency, and that Tuuka Rask will probably be brought up for NHL seasoning. It should make for an interesting and emotionally explosive goaltending tandem. Hopefully, the Bruins have maintained their stick sponsors through next season.

Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz are also RFAs this year, and both are young enough and played well enough in the playoffs to warrant contracts. I expect the Bruins will find a way to bring both these guys into the fold. These two are the Bruins' primary concerns after Kessel as they represent high quality prospects with tremendous size and desire to get dirty.

Coming up on Unrestricted Free Agency are defensive stalwarts PJ Axelsson and Stephane Yelle, and ironically, the less-defensively-sound Steve Montador. I believe Axelsson is the longest-serving Bruin but I doubt the B's will be able to retain him with the other players they have to bring under contract. In fact, I would be surprised if, after money is allocated to Bitz and Hunwick, the Bruins have any budget room for another big-ticket UFA, so I suspect they'll all be set free (including Shane Hnidy and the handsome Mark Recchi).

If the Bruins lose / set free Hnidy and Montador, but are able to bring Hunwick under contract, that will mean that he and Mark Stuart will see increased responsibilities next season. I would suspect that Chiarelli will also try to bring in another veteran with a mean streak, as that would retain the identity of the team and offer some mentorship to younger defenders without over-burdening Chara with yet another responsibility.

Prospects Wacey Rabbit, Carl Soderberg and Martin St. Pierre are also Restricted Free Agents with Soderberg being the priority signing. Should those kids all come on board they could serve with the Big Club in limited roles, potentially replacing Yelle and, through group-effort, Axelsson.

I sort of feel like the Bruins can reel in Hunwick and Bitz, give them a bigger role, and try to sign Kessel in order to deal him for other young guns. If they can do the above, and let the other UFAs they have coming up walk away, then they will experience a drop in team depth, but they could get lucky and have some kids fill in admirably (it happened this year with nearly every young kid on the team, with Krejci, Wheeler and Stuart having wonderful years), and still be a very competitive team next year, while building toward the seasons that follow.

On that score, the bigger concern for the future is what to do at the end of next season when Wheeler, Lucic, Mark Stuart and Marc Savard all come up as Free Agents. Ugh. Headacheville.

chara, thomas and julien win top awards

It may not be the Stanley Cup, but Bruins' Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Claude Julien all won top honours in their respective categories tonight at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Chara walked away with the Norris, Thomas the Vezina, and Claude Julien won the Jack Adams Award.

Julien was presented the Adams by Pat Burns, whose career path aligns with Julien's: coaching in the same cities (the same junior team, then Montreal, Boston, New Jersey) and now winning a Jack Adams award as well. Let's hope there's a Cup in Julien's near future too.

Thomas' speech was pretty incredible. He was emotional and said he has spent more time worrying about just getting his name on a roster than the Cup, and was humbled to be included in the names of his heroes. Very cool.

Overall a great night for the B's.

bruins - season wrap up - award nominations

Well, enough time has passed since the Bruins were eliminated in overtime of Game Seven against the Hurricanes (themselves ousted by the Penguins, en route to the Finals and the Cup) to get a sense of the Bruins' season.

Which is to say, I've pulled out of the several-day funk.

And I'll begin by addressing those Bruins nominated for awards this year.

First, Bruins coach Claude Julien was named The Sporting News' coach of the year, and is nominated for the NHL's Jack Adams award for coaching excellence. He led the club to the top of the Eastern Conference in the regular season (with a record of 53-19-10), and amassed 116 points, marking the first time the club has broken 100 points since 2003-2004.

The B's went out in the second round, and I think Julien was out-foxed a bit by Paul Maurice. However, I don't think the team played particularly well for their coach in games two or four and he certainly cannot be blamed for the exit from the Playoffs. He's a good guy, well liked and respected, and given his history of sometimes getting a raw deal despite maintaining winning records, I would be pleased if he won the Jack Adams award.

Tim Thomas was always solid, and often brilliant, in nets this year. He posted up a record of 36-11-7 with a smoking 2.10 Goals Against Average in the regular season, and went 7-4 with a 1.85 GAA (which seems crazy low to me) in the playoffs. He won the Roger Crozier Saving Grace award (which I'd never heard of) for Best Save Percentage, and (with Manny Fernandez) won the Jennings Trophy for lowest GAA in the NHL. He has also been nominated for the Vezina, which would be a phenomenal achievement for Thomas, given his journeyman rise to the NHL. Most importantly, he has been re-signed to a multiyear deal, allowing him to continue to achieve while prospect Tuuka Rask develops (more on Manny Fernandez in a subsequent post).

Finally, Zdeno Chara was nominated for a Norris Trophy, the (second-most) coveted prize for defenders. The Bruins captain had 19 goals and was a ridiculous plus -23 in a season where he was a dominant force, game in, game out. Chara's previous two seasons with the club had him, at times, looking for an identity on the ice - questioning whether he should he be offensive, or be looking to keep it simple - ultimately having defensive lapses in the middle ground. But this year, Chara really seemed to find a comfortable groove doing almost everything right. He played a much simpler game that allowed his mean-streak to shine through, and I think the good people of the Bruins' nation have come to embrace him (by linking arms). Chara is also a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which goes to the player with active community involvement.

These awards will all be handed out on Thursday, I believe, but regardless of the outcome, it is important to recognize these Bruins players for their nominations and growth as a team this season. Next, addressing free agencies!