The Bruins Off-Season - Drafts, Trades and Deals

Now that the sting has worn off from this year's version of the Great Bruins Playoff Failure, it is time to assess the Bruins' off-season maneuvering.

The obvious stuff first:

Drafted Tyler Seguin: considered the 1a (next to Taylor Hall) in this year's draft, Seguin is apparently an "Yzerman-like Centre". The Bruins are so confident in the 18-year old's abilities, they are already making moves based around acquiring him (see below).

Traded Dennis Wideman (and picks) for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell: I'm one of the few Bruins fans that liked Wideman, and thought the fans gave him a rough ride for performing a difficult job. Admittedly, sometimes more poorly than you'd like, but far more often solidly and reliably. Nathan Horton is a solid pick-up, and provides some needed relief on wing - he's a perennial 20 to 30 goal scorer.

Craig Ramsay takes Head Coaching job with the Thrashers: Ramsay is a very cool guy, he reminds me a little of William S. Burroughs, and preaches a solid defense. I believe the Bruins will miss Ramsay's ability to really connect with players and stick to the game plan. Chara has undoubtedly learned a great deal from Ramsay and I wish him all the best in Atlanta, because he got a raw deal in Philly and deserves the opportunity.

Bruins re-sign Boychuk and Recchi: Jonny Boychuk re-upped for 2 years and Recchi for 1, each bringing something good to the Bruins. Smart signings with minor cap hits.

Bruins trade Sobotka to St. Louis: This just happened before the free-agency opened. Sobotka was a restricted free-agent, and I suspect this is a cap pressured situation, because after years of waiting for him, Sobotka finally started coming into his own in last year's playoffs. Too bad he's now a Blue. In exchange the B's get a Boston College player named David Worsofsky, a puck-moving defenseman. And so, the circle of life completes itself - out goes Wideman, in come Worsofsky.

The Rumours:

There are rumours that the B's are dangling Marc Savard as trade bait, now that they've drafted Seguin. I don't know what the Bruins want in return, but I hope they realize players of Savard's ability are very hard to come by. He's got Adam-Oates-ian vision and skill, and he makes mediocre wingers better. Imagine him setting up Horton?

There are also rumblings that the Bruins are willing to trade Tim Thomas, and that Thomas has waived his no-trade clause. Again, I don't know what the Bruins think they need, but to trade away a Vezina-winning goalie after a half-season of being outplayed by a rookie seems a bit rash. The Bruins' road to hell is paved with one-year wonders. They must have believed in Thomas at some point - did they think he was the greater risk of being the one-year wonder than Rask?

I'm not really comfortable with trading away your top Centre and a freshly Vezina'd heroic goalie for mostly-unproven talent. They are shedding contracts but not really looking at the dead wood.
Which brings me to the...

Questions:

Why isn't Ryder's name coming up in trade talks?

Why isn't Sturm's name coming up in trade talks?

and:

What's happening with Blake Wheeler? Are they shedding the big kid, or are they going to continue to invest in his development?

While this isn't the most homoerotic photo of Tyler Seguin I've seen, it is in the top three:

It could be an interesting few days in the Bruins nation if trade or free-agency deals get done. I get the feeling a salary dump is coming on.

Bruins Beat Philly in OT - Take Game 1

The Bruins opened their playoff series against Philly with an overtime win, this afternoon in Boston. They may have given up 2-goal leads three times in the game, but the B's eventually won it in OT with drama.

Marc Savard played his first game back since his concussion, and was eased into the lineup by coach Julien, who kept Savard's ice time low until the overtime period.

In the overtime, the Bruins held the play for long, frantic stretches in the Philly end, and Brian Boucher's reputation (gained from besting Brodeur in the last round) was shown to be well-earned.

As is often the case with frantic offensive attacks, defensemen pinch in to help push the offense, and as a consequence the Bruins gave up odd-man rushes and had to rely on Tuukka Rask to stop a few breakaways.

But the Bruins kept up the pressure, wearing down the Flyers, and Marc Savard scored the game winner on a mini-slapper. His celebration was pretty great, and he tossed his stick into the crowd.

Bergeron, Satan, Chara, Recchi and Ference played very well. Wideman got schooled on Briere's goal, but kept the puck in at the blue line to set up Savard's goal, so what does that mean? He played okay?

Rask, despite letting in 4 goals, played incredibly, but I got the feeling the Flyers were starting to figure him out a little based on where they were testing him.

Finally, it looks like the B's will be without Marco Sturm for awhile. He tweaked his knee 26 seconds into the game and had to be helped off the ice. Will the Bruins call someone up, or just activate Thornton or someone, I wonder.

Today's game could have been a nightmarish loss for the Bruins, but instead it is a triumphant victory - it's odd in hockey how close those two poles are.

Game 2 goes Monday in Boston.

Bruins Down the Sabres in Double OT

Tonight's match up was as hard hitting as playoff hockey should be. The Sabres and the Bruins both played like they realized what was on the line.

This game had so much to enjoy, its hard to know where to begin. Ooof.

The Bruins were down 2-0 going into the third. They had carried the play for long stretches of the first two periods, but they had also needed Rask to bail them out.

Early in the 3rd period, the Bruins got a powerplay goal, and then scored another soon after, to tie the game with about 10 minutes left. Back and forth chances finished out the game, and the first overtime solved nothing.

In the second overtime the Sabres took a Too Many Men penalty (in the 2nd overtime!), and on that powerplay, Michael Ryder skated out of the Bruins' end, dodged an open-ice hit and gained the Buffalo zone along the boards. He then threaded a perfect pass to Miro Satan floating down through the high slot.

Satan basically out-waited Miller, dipping to his right as Miller dropped and sliding a backhand into the net (which was oddly stuffed with 3 players). Satan's celebration included a little jump, which was nice to see.

It is pretty crazy that the Bruins came back to win this game. They've been down at least 1-0 in every game in the series, and came back from 2-goals-down twice.

Also, for a team that had one of the worst powerplays in the league all year, it seems bizarre that they'd get 2 powerplay goals tonight (including the overtime winner).

Bergeron was superhuman all night, as was Chara. Rask, obviously, kept the Bruins in the game all night with crazy acrobatics - including a diving blocker save late in the 3rd. Mark Recchi again played like a man half his age but with all 42 years of hockey wisdom. Sobotka, of all people, was strong tonight, too.

Krejci, Begin and Sturm especially need to be playing at a much higher level. The Bruins really need the second and third line players to be contributing if they are going to have continued playoff success.

Now up 3 games to 1, the Bruins will look to finish out the Series in Buffalo on Friday. Should be an amazing game!

Bruins Post-Olympics

It was a weird Olympics for the Bruins:

• Bergeron was under-used and then injured for Canada
• Krejci looking great for the Czechs
• Chara looked good, Satan okay, on an inconsistent Slovak club
• Sturm led the plucky charge of the Germans, and finally
• Thomas didn't have a single game for the USA

Now that the B's have played two games, it is fair to say they are not playing very well, post-Olympics. The 4-1 loss to the Canadiens was a fate they deserved after ringing shots off of posts and then surrendering 4 straight goals. Last night's win over the Maple Leafs was pretty disorganized and the Bruins looked like they lacked depth in the line up.

The play of Matt Hunwick has really slid on the games bookending the Olympic break. He got burned twice by the Habs because he was just standing there as the play developed around him, and last night he gave the puck away all night - most notably in the final minutes of the game, straight up the slot, only to be bailed out by Thomas. I know he's young, but he's making far too many mistakes to warrant the ice time he gets.

Thomas has been a bright spot though. He was sharp against the Leafs and played as well as he did last year. It was the first time Thomas has looked like himself in months. Let's hope it continues - you always want your number 1 guy to play at his best, no matter how good the backup is.

It will be interesting to see how these guys respond during the season's final stretch. Every game is a must-win, or they risk missing the playoffs, which start in 20 games.

Bruins Drop 10th Straight Game - Aim for 11 Today

Not only have the Bruins lost 10 straight games, they've lost their last two games in the shootout after surrendering a 2 goal lead.

People talk about teams being "fragile" when they go on losing streaks, but I honestly can't imagine how damaged the Bruins players must be feeling right now.

And my response?

I do not care.

The Bruins are playing well enough to win these games - at least the defensemen and goalies are. The reality is that all the chances that guys like Marco Sturm, David Krejci and Blake Wheeler are getting down low have to be buried. If you are a top six forward, it is not enough to be 'contributing' unless your contributions are goals. The Bruins do not need multimillion dollar backchecking forwards - just ask PJ Axelsson (if you can find him....I think he's somewhere in Sweden).

When a 42 year old Mark Recchi is out-hustling guys TWO DECADES his junior, then something needs to happen to shake things up.

One more point: can someone explain the idea of doing chip & chase (or dump & chase) on the powerplay? Like, you already have possession of the puck, and you have one more player than your opposition. What is the logic behind consistently throwing the puck away into the corner, to then go to try to retrieve it? It is not working, and it is a ridiculous idea to begin with. You already have the puck! Jeez, skate the damned puck in, curl back and set it up. Obviously. Just look at any team with a successful powerplay for examples of how it is done. Man.

The Bruins enter this afternoon's game against the Canadiens one game short of their all-time losing streak record of 11 games. Unless they improve some fundamental things right away, they're going to lose today as well. It pains me to say - especially against the Canadiens - but I can't expect the Bruins to win if their last two games are any indication of where the team is headed.

An absolutely brutal streak will be on the line this afternoon.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.