bruins trade rumours - the way forward (so to speak)

Given how voracious the hockey-gossip mill can be, and all the names being floated out there as possible trades to any team before the looming NHL trade deadline (seemingly every player on every team is available, if you listen to the media), I thought it may be a good time to stop and comment on what the Bruins may do.

As has been pointed out by Fluto Shinzawa at the Boston Globe, the B's face off-season challenges where both goalies (Thomas and Fernandez) are becoming Unrestricted Free-Agents (UFA) this summer; where Krejci, Kessel (pictured above), Hunwick, Lashoff, Karsums, and Soderberg are all becoming Restricted Free Agents (RFA) this summer; and where Wheeler, Lucic, Nokelainen, Stuart, and (goalie prospect) Rask are becoming RFA's in 2010-2011. Given the restrictions of the NHL salary-cap, there is simply no way that the Bruins team we see this year will be the same one next year, and it may be remarkably different the following year. There is not enough money in the pot to keep them all.

Also, HockeyBuzz inside-man Eklund has been regularly reporting on the hot coals under the Erik Cole trade rumours. It seems Edmonton has been unimpressed with Cole's lack of productivity, and the Bruins are looking for a left-handed shot on the top 6 forward lines - to replace the firepower of the injured Marco Sturm. There are also recurring rumours about Chris Pronger joining the B's, or Keith Tkatchuk coming back to his hometown of Boston (something I, for one, am not advocating).

Given Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli's savvy management thus far, I think it behooves the team to move one of the UFAs or RFAs coming up this year, to try and better the team for this season's playoff run. With a few exceptions, this Bruins club is VERY young, but in today's NHL, there is not the luxury of "waiting til next year" for a legitimate shot at a deep playoff ride - there is no guarantee that the prospects and restricted free agents you've amassed will be there for you in the coming years, or that the chemistry in the room will work out to your advantage (look no further than the Senators or Penguins for a magical combo of crazy talent + lack-of-chemistry = total nightmare seasons).

While it pains me to think of some of my favourite B's being moved before their contract expires, it frankly is the smartest option in a marketplace where a team's future depends on maximizing the returns on players for years to come.

If the Bruins were to let any of their hotshot youngsters depart in the off-season - either to test the market as UFAs, or by being offered ridiculous contract-sheets that the Bruins would have to match (hello Dustin Penner!) - I'd feel a lot worse than if they moved whichever players they most risked losing to get some returns.

In this way you are losing the immediate future of a familiar lineup, but reducing the chances of getting caught in an off-season without these players, or the return they could offer.

On the Cole rumours specifically - I have a hard time believing that ANY player's numbers would not benefit if they are partnered with Marc Savard or David Krejci - two players gifted with an unparalleled ability to dish the puck to a sniper. In that sense, he's a good player to consider in the Black White and Gold.

bruins 6 - ducks 0

The Bruins had one of those games where every bounce went their way, and practically everything they threw at the net found the twine - regardless of which goalie the Ducks were relying on at the time.

Matt Hunwick returned from the AHL to get the B's first goal, and the torrent started shortly thereafter: Michael Ryder for two, Chuck Kobasew for two, and Bitz getting a nice goal top shelf, while being harrassed by defenders.

It was also quite a chippy affair - George Parros scrapped with Shawn Thornton, and a few minutes later, Lucic got punched and then laid a few to the head of Mike Brown. I don't know if that counts, because he's basically just punching a helmet, but it certainly looked impressive.

I guess that's the point - I really don't know...

Despite all of this, the story of the night, so often the case, was the play of Tim Thomas. His shutout brings his total to four for the season, and even with the Bruins' recent losses, he still leads the league in both save percentage and goals against average.

Some footage of tonight's game can be found here.

today in bruins history - february 25

The single most penalized game in NHL history was between the North Stars and Bruins, February 25, 1981. The teams combined for 392 minutes. Whoa.

Here's some footage. It takes a nice twist around the 4 minute mark.

"One of the wildest scenes, we have ever seen, at the Garden."

(Bruins won, 5-1. Like it mattered.)

bruins 6 - panthers 1

For those of you who were checking the blog for my comments on the Bruins' recent losing skid (at last count, 6 losses in 7 games), I apologize for my silence. Chalk it up to suffocating rage!

No, I actually had the computer version of a massive losing skid, having my laptop seize up like the Bruins' powerplay. I am presently using my old system, which runs on unicorn oil and children's dreams, and emits a high-potency dumbening ray that makes everyone within a 50 foot radius as smart as a Lindros. My apologies for letting you down....take it out of my salary.

The biggest issue in the recent losing skid was the the Bruins' effort, which alternated between sub-par and no-par. Their recent 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay and 2-0 loss to the Panthers were actually far better performances than the B's had offered in their previous games. It was a positive to build on (jeez, any more talk like that and I'll end up coaching the Senators...or worse...Tampa...).

Last night's rebound game against the Panthers was, hopefully, another step toward an all-team, all-zone performance. The Bruins scored earlier (Bergeron within the first minute) and supported the puck in all three zones.

Byron Bitz (pictured above, clubbing Panther goalie, Craig Anderson) became the story of the night, scoring two goals and having the hometown crowd chanting his name. I forget that guys like Bitz (and Sabotka, and Hunwick, etc.) are rookies because I've known about them for so long, but last night's match up with only Bitz's 20th NHL game. He's got good size and as the season has unfolded, he's looked more comfortable out there, better able to anticipate the play and get into the grit of the game (note: I just double-checked and this kid is 6 foot 5...damn!).

To me, the bigger story in last night's game was the return of Michael Ryder, who missed the previous 7 games with an orbital bone fracture. When was the last time YOU had an orbital bone fracture? Hurts, don't it?

Ryder had a goal, and an assist, and I have some stats somewhere that talks about the Bruins' record when Ryder scores....I'll see if I can dig it out.

Regardless, last night's game was a far stronger effort from a team that should be as dominant on the ice as they appear to be in the standings. Their 15 point lead over the second-place Capitals has dwindled to 6 points, due to the Bruins' skid and the mounting wins by the Ovechkins....oh, I mean, the Capitals.

Tim Thomas was his heart-stopping but stalwart self, and the B's will now continue a several-game home stand, hopefully regaining some momentum as the playoffs (and the NHL trade deadline approaches).

The Bruins next play the Ducks on Thursday. Surely a duck is no match for a bear. Surely!

bruins 5 - hurricanes 1

The Bruins lumbered into last night's tilt with the Hurricanes having lost a season high 4-straight games, and promptly gave up the first goal of the game. That shuddering noise you heard was me...raging and slamming my hand into the table.

However, Blake Wheeler tied the game with quick hands on a rebound, and the game winner came from unlikely sniper Shane Hnidy, who's point-shot found the back of the net.

The 2-1 lead was holding fast through the 2nd and into the 3rd period, thanks to some outstanding goaltending from Tim Thomas (who seems to have re-found his form) and hard-fought one-on-one battles along the perimeter. The turning point of the game came with David Krejci's shorthanded breakaway, which seemed to open the gates for the Bruins' goalscorers - the B's quickly added three goals in the final five minutes of the match.

It was a much needed win for the Bruins, who went 2-for-3 on the powerplay against the 'Canes, despite having a powerplay that went 2-for-36 in their previous 9 games (that's 5.5% for you statisticians).

Personally, I thought the game was important simply because the team looked good, and displayed the tenacity that represented them in the earlier part of the season. They battled from a goal deficit and then maintained the pressure after snatching the one-goal lead until they could break the game open.

All good signs, especially in light of their recent skid.

bruins lose 4th straight game

While the Bruins may be sitting atop the League in points, and may have only registered 11 regulation-time losses all season, the fact remains that they have lost four straight games, most recently, last night to Nashville.

As previously posted, I missed the game against Philly, but watched the Sharks come back to win, and watched highlights of the 1-0 loss to New Jersey and the 3-2 loss to Nashville. I find it is hard to really assess how dire the situation is, frankly. All four of these teams are either at the top of their game (SJ or NJ) or on a bit of a run recently (Philly is streaky and Nashville are starting to put it together). Is there shame in being beaten by these clubs?

I don’t know if that is even the right question to ask.

A few weeks ago, I was posting about how the Bruins were winning games – sometimes against clubs at the top of their division, sometimes against clubs outside the playoff picture – without really deserving the win. A lucky bounce, a phenomenal save (or ten) at just the right time, or a particularly soft goalie on any given night became the difference maker for a Bruins club that really was not playing that well. Sloppy passes, poor execution, scrambly play, lackluster defensive coverage, etc., were the norm.

For several games in a row I pointed out how the B’s were scored on inside the first or last minutes of a period (sometimes both!), or how they had consistently coughed up the first goal of the game for weeks on end.

None of this seemed to matter in Bruins Nation, beyond being quietly disconcerting, because the Bruins were still winning. In fact, they had a spectacular record despite the above statistics.

But now the season has come into the home stretch. Most clubs have less than 30 games remaining, and are ramping up, as the Bruins are beginning to show some weaknesses. By losing by a single goal against Nashville, New Jersey and Philadelphia, the B’s have shown that they are competing on par with their adversaries in each game – but the difference of one goal IS that first-goal-against, or goal in the last minute of a period.

In a reversal of fortunes, in last night’s game, the Bruins erased a two goal deficit against the Predators, and were able to score the tying goal inside the final 2 minutes of the game. I would like to think that this latest run of losses, coupled with the fight-til-the-end attitude shown in last night’s match, are enough to jumpstart the Bruins out of their recent complacency.

However, for a team that was recently 15 points ahead of everyone in the League, boasting the numbers that they do, the B’s should not require any jumpstart at all.

What will it take to be reassured that this Bruins team is playing to its potential and will make appropriate noise when the post-season rolls around?

It starts with some wins.

duthie on ward

Good little piece by TSN host James Duthie on Bruins defender Aaron Ward. Ward provides some great grit and stability on the back-end that is often overlooked because of flashier (or grotesquely larger) players around him. But he deserves some props.

Check it out here.

bruins 2 - sharks 5

The much ballyhooed First-in-East-versus-First-in-West, or if you prefer, Joe-Thornton's-Return-to-Boston game happened last night, and the Sharks came out on top.

The Bruins led the game 2-1 entering the third period, but two lucky bounces gave the Sharks the tie and the lead, and they eventually iced the game with an empty net goal.

Which is not to say the Sharks did not deserve the win - they absolutely did. The Bruins were hitting and getting tons of shots in the first period, which diminished in the second, and diminished further in the third. The Sharks, for their part, seemed surprised to find their effort matched in the first period, and by sustaining their offense as the Bruins dipped, they were able to mount the comeback.

This was only the second Sharks game I had seen this year, and they are an impressive bunch. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov was equal parts blase and amazing, and Dan Boyle is worth all the hype he's received this year.

As for the battle between Chara and Thornton, it's hard to say who won. Chara had an alright night, but became more scrambly as the game went by (primarily due to an increased level of forecheck pressure), while Thornton got a goal, but one that merely deflected off his foot.

Making matters worse, the Bruins lost Chuck Kobasew for a good portion of the game, and lost Pettri Nokelainen with a serious eye-injury (he was high-sticked by Dan Boyle, and the play was not called).

The Bruins players see the game as a lesson learned, according to Coach Julien:

"That’s the way our players react. They look at it as lesson learned, I think they were disappointed because when we went into the third period with a lead and thought we could continue to compete. But it took a few mistakes and again just not having enough, I guess enough energy to push back, having to play with a short bench and they just didn’t have it tonight. And unfortunately against a team like that it’s already pretty hard to play against them with a full lineup and when you have to shorten your bench because of injuries, [that] certainly doesn’t help matters. Give them credit, guys, they played a real good game, they played a patient game. We had a good first period, but as the game went on they started picking up their game and we had our hands full."

This was the Bruins second straight loss. I realize I didn't post anything about Saturday night's loss to Philly, but I was away for the weekend. It felt like old news by the time I had returned.

bruins 4 - senators 3 (SO)

The B's squandered a 2 goal lead in last night's game against the Senators, and actually ended up trailing the Ottawa club until the final few minutes of the match.

Chuck Kobasew got the Bruins 3rd goal deep in the third period, which tied the game and sent the two teams into a scoreless overtime. Ultimately it was a shoot-out goal by PJ Axelsson that secured the win for the Bruins, but it was a wild ride getting there.

Axelsson, despite getting the shoot-out winner, had a really rough game. I noticed that he was playing big minutes for the club, playing on the top line through the first two periods, and on every powerplay, as well as his usual spot on the penalty kill. Maybe he was filling a roster spot left open by Lucic, but the increased minutes did not serve the long-time Bruin well: Axelsson was responsible for two brutal give-aways that led to two Senators goals, and basically looked shaky all night.

Here's hoping that Axelsson retains his place in the shoot-out lineup, but returns to his usual spot on the third line, for the next game.

Tim Thomas did more than keep his team in the game, stopping a few unbelievable chances, including an unreal double-pad-stack in overtime, shutting down a clear breakaway chance.

The Senators looked far more like the club everyone expected them to be this year, rather than the basement dwellers that they have become. However, the Bruins should not have had as much trouble retaining the two-goal lead, and will have to tighten up their game if they expect to beat stronger clubs in this, the run toward the playoffs.

bruins 3 - flyers 1

Just a quick post to summarize the Bruins' game against the Flyers last night. With the score deadlocked at one-goal-apiece through most the game, the Bruins potted two more in the third period, in the span of 25 seconds, to ultimately decide the game.

Tim Thomas was brilliant in nets, looking calm and sharp against a layered offensive attack from Philly. In response, David Krejci and Dennis Wideman had outstanding games, with each player taking care of business in both ends of the rink.

Bruins goalscorers were Ryder, Krejci and Wideman, but won the game due to tighter defense and a fast-action breakout from their own zone.

The B's meet the newly-coached Ottawa Senators tonight.

Of Note: There is no love lost between the Bruins and Flyers - Randy Jones is the....player....responsible for running Patrice Bergeron into the boards from behind, leading to his concussion problems, and Scott Hartnell was the....player....responsible for deliberately driving Mark Stuart's head into the dasher boards. In my book, the Flyers organization deserves no sympathy for the above reasons, but moreso for their shabby treatment of Roger Neilson, Bill Barber and (now Bruins assistant coach) Craig Ramsay.

bruins 3 - canadiens 1

Boston met their long-time arch rivals in an up-tempo afternoon game yesterday, and enjoyed a return to early-season form in the win. Les Canadiens took the ice in their throwback "escaped convict" / "barbershop nightmare" sweaters, and were able to get the first goal against Bruins' keeper Tim Thomas. Robert Lang wristed home a shot on a Canadiens' powerplay.

Giving up the first goal fits with the Bruins' recent profile, however, in a reversal of story lines, it was the Bruins scoring in the final seconds of the period to knot the game up at one-goal-apiece. Dennis Wideman got the goal by picking off a Komisarek pass, and walked in from the blue line to get the puck on net. It crossed the goal-line with 0.6 seconds left in the period.

In the second period, Shawn Thornton made his impact felt for a second time (Thornton fought some random Canadiens' call-up in the first period), by potting the eventual game-winner. Byron Bitz fed a pass from behind the net to Thornton in the crease, and he pushed home his 5th goal of the season past Canadiens goalie Price. The goal was just-deserts for a Bruins fourth-line that had been battling hard for every loose puck all game.

In the third period, the Bruins were able to gain a bit of breathing room, with Marc Savard's empty net goal. Savard held his ground at centre, blocking a chip in attempt, and making sure any miss would not be ruled Icing, he hit the empty net for the final goal. The Bruins take the victory.

With the win, the Bruins become the first team in the League to reach 80 points. This was the Bruins 4th win in five meetings against the Canadiens.

bruins 1 - rangers 0

Bruins goaltending prospect, Tuuka Rask (who also rocks a solid Jedi name), got the start against the Rangers in yesterday's afternoon affair.

This was Rask's first start in over a year, and I think intended to be a barometer to assess where his level of play has come since his last start. And Rask did not disappoint, turning away 35 shots to earn his first NHL shutout.

More importantly, as a former first-round pick of the Maple Leafs (acquired from Toronto in the Andrew Raycroft deal), Rask has been "the goalie of the future" for a few years now, and yesterday's game suggests the future could be now.

Rask is a tall lanky geek (to quote from Spinal Tap) and looks like he'll need to bulk up a bit before being an NHL-regular, but perhaps the B's are trying to determine which goalies get the nod next season.

If Rask is in a position to be a suitable backup to Thomas, he'll gain experience while also keeping Timmy's feet to the fire with the knowledge that the Next One is waiting in the wings - generally considered a good way to keep your number one goalie performing at his highest level.

In yesterday's game, Marc Savard got the lone goal, tipping home a Dennis Wideman point shot. Milan Lucic started the play by hammering a Rangers forward into the glass, giving Wideman enough time to set up the shot that won the game.

Coach Julien had the following to say about Rask's performance:

"Obviously, when you can get a shutout, it’s a real good sign. I thought he was very good. Again, I thought our team did a pretty good job in front of him, and sometimes that’s a normal situation; you want to give him the best chance possible, but when he had to make the big saves, he made them. He was good, so I think it was a great first game for him this year with us, and certainly it gives us an idea of what he’s capable of doing, in the future."

The Bruins play this afternoon against the Habs....