Tag Archives: Boston Bruins

The Top 5 Boston Bruins Rookie Seasons

Here are five Bruins who had a great rookie season in no particular order. Before you start yelling at your screen and saying how crazy I am, remember that these are rookie seasons!

Sergei Samsonov

Sergei Samsonov was drafted eighth overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft. He had legs like tree trunks and the ability to change directions in the blink of an eye. When the Boston Bruins traded Glen Wesley to the Hartford Whalers in August of 1994, they received three first round draft picks. These were first overall picks for 1995, 1996 and 1997. The latter pick turned out to be for Samsonov.

In his rookie season with the Bruins he racked up twenty-two goals and forty-seven points in eighty-one games. Bruins fans thought the duo of Samsonov and Jumbo Joe would be a saving grace. He went on to play six and a half more seasons with the black and gold. His best point total came in the 2000-2001 season, scoring seventy-five points in eighty-two games. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in March of 2006 for a few rolls of tape and a second round pick, which was used to acquire Milan Lucic.

Bobby Orr

I have to be careful with what I say about this legend to avoid upsetting the hockey purists out there.

Mr. Orr signed with the Boston Bruins for the 1966-1967 season. This was his first year as a professional. There are many debates pertaining to his salary that year, but he was the highest paid player in league history.

For his first preseason the Bruins tried Orr out at center and he wore the number 27. When the regular season rolled around the team offered him number 5, but he chose the famous number 4 and was placed in his natural spot on the blue line. Orr played his first regular season game in October of 1966 against the Detroit Red Wings, finishing with one assist.

Orr had one of the best seasons by a defenseman in his first year, scoring thirteen goals and forty-one points in sixty-one games. That year he won the Calder Memorial trophy as the league’s top rookie and was named NHL’s second all-star team.

There is not enough room to list all of the achievements that Bobby Orr accumulated over his career, but here are a few of the highlights. He won the Art Ross trophy twice and the James Norris trophy a whopping eight times. He went to the NHL All-Star game eight times and was named the MVP of the game in 1972. Orr hoisted the Stanley Cup twice in 1970 and 1972, along with the Conn Smythe in both of those years.

Many argue that he is the greatest player ever to dawn an NHL sweater, and with numbers like these you can see why. 657 games played. 270 goals. 645 assists. 915 points. 953 penalty mins and an astonishing +597!

Joe Juneau

The best rocket scientist to play in the NHL. Joe Juneau received a degree in aeronautical engineering in three years, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

The Bruins drafted Juneau in the fourth round in the 1988 NHL entry draft. However, he did not suit up for the big club until 1992. Ask Harry Sinden and he’ll tell you all about it!

His best season in the NHL was his rookie season, where he racked up one hundred and two points in eighty-four games. He gathered seventy assists that season, setting a NHL record by a rookie. A mark which still stands. Juneau won the Calder Memorial trophy that year for the best overall rookie. Some will say his linemates that year should have accepted the award with him. The powerful line consisted of Adam Oates centering Cam Neely and Joe Juneau.

During his fifteen year NHL career Juneau never played a game in the minors and retired as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 2004. He finished his career with 572 points in 828 games.

Andrew Raycroft

After being drafted in the fifth round 135th overall in 1998, Andrew Raycroft was a real long shot to make a name for himself in the NHL. Let alone win Rookie of the Year.

Raycroft played his first full NHL season with the Bruins in 2003-2004 with a stingy record of twenty-nine wins in fifty-seven games. He had a GAA of 2.05 and .926 SV% and three shut-outs.

Never finding his groove again after that, Andrew was traded to the Leafs during the offseason of 2006 for some no-name Finnish prospect Tuukka Rask. Even if the trade never materialized, it was later revealed that Raycroft would have been released from his contract and made him available to the Leafs without any compensation whatsoever! Sorry Leafs fans.

Andrew Raycroft announced his retirement from professional hockey in April 2014 after spending a few years around the European leagues. He now volunteers as an assistant coach for Connecticut Huskies.

Raymond Bourque

Now this piece might sound biased, but Ray Bourque is my all-time favorite hockey player. But that does not take away from the fact that he had an amazing rookie season.

With the eighth pick in the 1979 NHL entry draft the Boston Bruins selected Raymond Bourque. The club received that pick in a trade with the LA Kings. Boston sent goaltender Ron Grahame to LA in exchange for the eighth pick. Ironically enough, Ron’s son John became teammates with Bourque.

Bourque played his first game against the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, where he also scored his first NHL goal. From his first game Bourque showed that he would be one of the best NHL defenseman ever! During his rookie campaign he tallied sixty-five points which was a record by an NHL rookie d-man at that time. The sixty-five points and his steady play was more than enough to win the Calder Memorial trophy.

When Rick Middleton retired in 1988, Bourque was named the sole captain of the Boston Bruins, and kept that title for his entire Bruins career. With that distinction he surpassed Alex Delvecchio as the longest-serving NHL team captain, a mark which has been broken by Steve Yzerman.

Bourque went on to play twenty-one solid and steady years for the Bruins. Ray won the Norris trophy five times and became the sixth defenseman in history to score thirty goals in a season. He won the King Clancy Memorial and Lester Patrick trophy once and was named an NHL first team all-star thirteen times. Bourque is eighth all-time (fourth among defenseman) in games played with 1612. Bourque also holds the record for shots on goal in one game with nineteen! Also he is first in career points and goals by a defenseman. I could go on and on.

Honourable Mentions

Here are a few guys that could have also been in the top five:

Frank Brimsek
Dereck Sanderson
Brad Marchand
Tiny Thompson
Brad Boyes

The New Wave

Will this year see another Bruin name etched on the Calder trophy? With rookies like Danton Heinen, Charlie McAvoy, and Jake DeBrusk it is a distinct possibility. So far this all-star trio are really helping the Bruins to a great season. A great playoff run is looking better each game.

Until next time….

Keep Your Head Up

Creating Depth: A New Era for the Boston Bruins

Leave a reply

Creating Depth on the Bruins’ Bench

It was a smile you don’t quite see often, but after Saturday night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, one could not blame Coach Cassidy. His Boston Bruins beat the ‘Canes 7-1; a blowout game that saw the black and gold score five goals in the first period alone. With all the recent buzz about the youth movement for the Bruins, it was the Bergeron line that reminded everyone just how dangerous they were. As the night went on, it was becoming clear that this team, and its players, are the real deal.

“They were fun to watch when they got puck possession.. It’s amazing to watch Bergy get a shot off from there. But if you’re at Warrior enough, you’ll see him working every morning skate to getting that quick release”.

As the schedule is nearing the halfway point, the Bruins will be looking to continue their recent winning streak. With Saturdays’ win, the black and gold continue to embarrass teams. They are outscoring their opponents 42-12, and are riding an eleven game point streak. The first line alone garnered twelve points from the Hurricanes game. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak produced five goals with seven assists. Bergeron, a future hall of fame inductee, scored four goals. He also nabbed his 700^th career point-a personal reminder of how good he really is. The thing about this year’s Bruins team is that no matter which line is out on the ice, you know that you’re going to see some good hockey.

HAVING SOME FUN

The Boston Bruins have always prided themselves as being a blue-collar team; a team that was once the “Big Bad Bruins”. But as things change in the NHL, the Bruins also had to change. The days of using brute force are gone. The players today rely more on pure skill and working hard towards one goal: winning the Stanley Cup. But for the Bruins, there was panic early on. With every game came new injuries, and with new injuries Coach Bruce Cassidy had to make important roster changes; especially if he didn’t want his team to fall far behind. As the season wore on, the Bruins somehow managed to stay afloat and reached third or fourth in the Atlantic Division-something extraordinary if you think about how depleted this team was early in the season.

But then something happened. This team started to get their legs. You saw young players like Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Charlie McAvoy score their first NHL goals. The veterans were helping these young players, which in turn helped them with their gameplay. The Boston Bruins were finally becoming a healthy team, creating noise around the league. They were quickly becoming a bunch of guys that love playing with each other and connecting on and off the ice. With each win, the confidence of the Bruins continues to flourish. As Brad Marchand put it:

“ We are just confident right now.. you see the way that some young guys are stepping up, it just seems like everyone is connecting..we’ve got a great group of guys in the room and we all get along really well.”

RAISING THE BAR

Overcoming injuries early in the season created a problem for the Boston Bruins. With key veteran players such as Brad Marchand, David Backes, David Krejci and enforcer Adam McQuaid out, a call to Providence was imminent. For the defense, the Bruins once again looked to Charlie McAvoy. A hard-nosed first-year player, McAvoy is not only scoring winning goals, but has quickly become one of the leagues most formidable defensemen. As the young players began to find their identity on the ice, key players slowly started to emerge as unlikely superstars, especially Danton Heinen and Sean Kuraly. For Coach Bruce Cassidy, finding that right combination of players was proving to be a tough task. And for some veteran players, confidence was starting to wane.

PROTECTING THE NET

The Bruins’ starting goalie Tuukka Rask had a very shaky start. Analysts were starting to worry that the Vezina winner wouldn’t be able to bounce back. As losses piled up, Rask’s save percentage dipped down to .870, a far cry from his 2015 stat of .927. Consequently, Cassidy had to find a way to get his number one starter confident again: creating competition.

Enter Anton Khudobin. The 31-year-old Kazakhstan goalie would be given a chance to play between the pipes and perhaps give Rask a much-needed realization that if his numbers continued to suffer, so would his goaltending chances. With Khudobin in net, the tide started to slowly change for the Bruins. As a “goalie controversy” gained steam in the media, all eyes were on Khudobin. Questions were asked: would the Bruins trade Rask and how worried should the team be about their number one starter? With Anton in net, the Bruins would enjoy a four-game winning streak.

Rask needed this motivation. Not only has the 30-year-old Finnish goalie begun winning games, the team that played in front of him were starting to gain some steam. Both Tuukka and Anton are currently boasting impressive numbers, with Rask 11-0-1 in his last twelve games, 1.20 GAA with a .962 save percentage. Khudobin, since Saturday’s win, is now boasting a .964 SV%. For Bruce Cassidy, no longer would he have to rely solely on Rask, he now has a solid back up goalie in Anton Khudobin.

HAVING DEPTH

With continued injuries plaguing the team, it was now time for the young players to step up. From recent efforts, the call to arms has been answered. Having players like David Krejci, Adam McQuaid and Ryan Spooner out, the lines had to be tweaked. At first the Bergeron line had himself, Marchand, and newcomer Anders Bjork. The second line saw the pairing of fellow Czech players David Krejci and newly signed superstar David Pastrnak. But as Krejci continued to sit out due to his nagging injury, the lines have, needless to say, changed. For this Bruins team, those changes have worked to their advantage. One impressive feat: in the last 38 games played, the Bergeron line has not given up a 5 on 5 goal.

The fourth line that sees Sean Kuraly, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari finished with a combined 8 shots on goal, (2 of which were part of the 5 goals scored vs. the Islanders), and ended with a combined +5 rating. Jake DeBrusk, Ryan Spooner, and a now healthy David Krejci all posted goals when playing against the Senators. For the Heinen, Nash and Backes line, scoring has now become second nature; posting two goals during Tuesday’s game against the Islanders. As goaltender Tuukka Rask puts it,

“They give us energy. They’re just buzzing around and making hits, making plays. You need four lines in this league nowadays to contribute and lately, we’ve had that”.

THE ROAD AHEAD

With last night’s thrilling game against a well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins, Bruins fans saw a team that had goals from each line. Players Ryan Spooner, Noel Acciari, David Backes, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak all scored to bring the Bruins up 5-3 during the second period. Despite the loss in overtime, one thing was clear: you can never count this team out. The Bruins have now become the “dark horse”, frustrating and breaking the spirits of their opponents. With each game comes the question; which line will be the one to shut their opponents down, shoot the puck and win faceoffs?

As teams head into their bye week, the Bruins to keep up the pace in the second half of the season. For the black and gold, clinching a spot in the playoffs is the ultimate goal. And having a team with so many skilled, hungry players has become a “luxury” for Coach Bruce Cassidy; a luxury that the fans have been waiting for.

State of the Boston Bruins Heading into the Bye Week

Leave a reply

The Boston Bruins have played excellent hockey heading into the bye week. Even with the hiccup in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, the Bruins have not lost a game in regulation since mid December. In their last 23 games the Bruins are 17-3-3 and have moved all the way into second place in the Atlantic Division. Now with five days off ahead of them and three games in hand on the third place Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins are firmly cemented into a playoff spot.

Embed from Getty Images

Offensive Emergence

Coming into the season the Bruins’ roster posed several questions. One of the big concerns focused on the depth, considering most of the unknown young players. After a slow couple of months plagued by injuries, the roster has developed into one of the most formidable in the NHL. Offensively, the Bruins have rapidly evolved into one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Not because of overall talent. They have plenty of that. But rather their performance as a team. Currently the Bruins are averaging 3.28 goals per game. This ranks sixth in the NHL and third in the Eastern Conference.

Led by the dynamic trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastranak, the Bruins have one of the best top lines in the entire NHL. However, the depth of the Bruins allows Bruce Cassidy to keep his forwards fresh by rotating through four productive lines. Outside of Brad Marchand, who averages 20:01 TOI per game, no other forward on the Bruins plays more than 20 minutes a game. This has been the key to the Bruins’ recent emergence in the standings. They are getting contributions from places that many people, including opponents, would not expect. Lately, the fourth line has developed more of a scoring touch while Riley Nash has provided an offensive jolt. Even Ryan Spooner is starting to play to his potential offensively.

Embed from Getty Images

Impressive Defense

The story does not end with the offense. The Bruins rank third in the NHL in goals allowed per game, giving up a mere 2.55. This also ranks second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the Lighting. Like the Bruins offense, the defensive production has not been from a singular player. It’s a group contribution. Only one defenseman in the Bruins starting six has a minus rating. That defender is Torey Krug, who is only a minus one and whose playing has improved. The other five: Charlie McAvoy +14, Zdeno Chara +20, Brandon Carlo +8, Kevin Miller +10, and Matt Grzelcyk +13, combine for an impressive +65 rating.

On top of that, the B’s have found themselves a very versatile set of blue liners. Chara and Miller provide some veteran experience and toughness to the back end. McAvoy, Krug, and Grzelcyk provide an offensive threat that true contenders need. Lastly, Carlo adds some needed defensive responsibility to the young group of defensemen. While not perfect, the Bruins defense core has made a complete 180. They’ve moved from one of the worst in the NHL only a few years ago to one of the most reliable. Don Sweeney deserves a lot of credit for that one.

Embed from Getty Images

Tuukka Rask

As Tuukka Rask put it so eloquently last night against the Penguins, in a playoff-like game he played like “horses–t”. This hiccup in Pittsburgh snapped a personal six-game winning streak for the Finland native in which he had posted an otherworldly .963 save percentage. Tuukka did make some eye-opening saves to get the Bruins into the extra period. But he got beat on shots that he admits should have stopped.

Even with the poor performance last night Tuukka Rask has been the best goaltender in the NHL for the past month. In Rask’s last 13 starts the Bruins have earned at least one point, going 11-0-2. This extends the longest streak of Tuukka’s career. In December, the Bruins earned 22 points in 14 games. This pushed them into contention for a top spot in the East led by Rask. During December, Rask has nine wins and two shutouts, along with a .955 save percentage and a video game like 1.22 goals allowed average.

Benched for longtime backup Anton Khudobin earlier in the season, Rask is the reason for the Bruins recent emergence to contenders. Every player needs a kick sometimes to get motivated. Bruce Cassidy knew just how to get the message through to Rask. If he can play at the same level as in December, then Boston has a chance against Tampa in a seven-game series. There is still plenty of hockey to be played in the long season. Up to this point everyone has been wrong about Boston. No one could have predicted that they would be this good. Lets see how far the rejuvenated Bruins can go.

Bruins’ Fourth Line Has the Potential to Play a Huge Factor

Leave a reply

Have the 2018 Boston Bruins found themselves as productive a fourth line as the Merlot line was back in 2011? Nothing is guaranteed yet, but up to this point the recent emergence of the fourth line for the Bruins has been a key factor in their success. In the past nine games the Bruins have secured a point in all of them, going 7-0-2. The most encouraging sign is that it’s not because of a singular player or line like it has been in the past. But a definite positive sign almost halfway into the season has been the overall excellence of the Sean Kuraly, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari.

Embed from Getty Images

Defensive Dependability/Toughness

As you would want from most fourth lines Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari have gone above and beyond to earn the trust of Bruce Cassidy. As a line the trio has combined to go -2. Considering they are tasked with keeping other teams offensive lines in check this is pretty impressive. At this point in the season Cassidy has no hesitation to send out his fourth line and for good reason. Right now they are playing fabulous, selfless hockey. Whether it is in the defensive zone rotating along the boards or through coverage as if they are anticipating each others moves, it’s quite extraordinary. Along with each of the three being solid penalty killers and none of them shying away from good body contact.

The toughness element of this line cannot be understated. For stretches this season the Bruins have been pushed around by more physically dominant teams. But now with the Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari line adding not just a physical presence to the lineup but also holding opposing players responsible. Just as Schaller did when Acciari took a nasty hit up high against the Senators. Schaller showed no hesitation in dropping the gloves to protect his partner. But do not be confused, this is a line that knows how to check cleanly and effectively. Defensively reliability and guts of the Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari line certainly mirrors that of the Merlot line in its prime.

Embed from Getty Images

Offensive Production/Versatility

Since the disband of the Merlot line, the Bruins have struggled to find a reliable versatile fourth line. Mainly because the veterans they brought in did not provide enough offensively and the young kids enough defensive reliability. But Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari is not just a bunch of defensive specialists. They can get after it on the offensive end as well. So far the trio has combined to put up 13 goals and 12 assist for 25 points. While also adding a surprising amount of speed to the Bruins’ lineup.

That is what makes this line so fascinating to watch. One minute they can be doing the dirty work in the defensive end. Then the next they are going end to end at full speed creating great scoring chances. It’s very impressive to watch and was on full display against the Islanders. Kuraly helped set up Schaller’s goal and Acciari netted one as well. They lead the Bruins to an impressive 5-1 victory.

The selflessness on the offensive end has been they key for this line. The right play is the simple play to them. They take what the defense is giving them. No more no less, and it has worked quite well. While none of them are offensive juggernauts by any stretch. Each of the three has the ability to score a timely goal or make a winning play. If the fourth line can keep up this level of production than opponents are not gonna be excited to play the Bruins.

An Unlikely Superstar for the Black and Gold

Leave a reply

A look at the rapid rise of Danton Heinen: one of the hottest young studs of the Boston Bruins

A Rough Start

Early on in the Boston Bruins training camp, there was talk about the upcoming first-year guys. Players like Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, and Charlie Mcavoy were creating a buzz. But for Danton Heinen, his star was starting to slowly (and quietly) shine brightly.

The 22-year-old British Columbia native has no doubt made an impressive impact so far this season. He started out his career playing eight games before being sent down to Providence. After honing his skills in the AHL, Heinen has now become an integral part of the surge of young players. The best part of watching this team is how a player like Heinen has flown under the radar to only emerge as a top player for the black and gold.

A Call to Arms

While the Boston Bruins were plagued early on with injuries, Coach Bruce Cassidy had no other choice than to look to the “young guns” to stay competitive in the Atlantic Division. After starting the year in Providence, Heinen has quietly become a player that can complement any line. As of late, the Backes, Nash, and Heinen line have not only produced points with goals and assists. They have shown what this team is about; playing smart and winning battles- all without brute strength. Gone from the Bruins’ playing style is the Claude Julien method of dump and chase. What they have now is a team full of players that continue to grind out smart plays with a solid defense. Guys like Heinen have stepped up in every capacity and produce on whatever line Bruce Cassidy places him on. Cassidy commented on his player’s success, saying:

“Danton has really grown his game, to be able to play with different flavors, or attributes, of different forwards”

In the last 34 games Danton Heinen has scored 10 goals, with 18 assists and 28 points. The 6’1″ forward is now third on the roster for points, right behind Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Not bad for a first-year player.

A Look Ahead

The Boston Bruins are in a good spot right now: a healthy team that is a productive mixture of first-year guys and veterans. The thing that stands out about this team is how well the players compliment each other. David Backes credits players Danton Heinen and Riley Nash in helping to improve his game on the ice since returning from surgery. Not only has Heinen been there for those important rebounds, his playing style is that of good, solid puck control, keeping the play alive and winning those crucial battles on the ice. And since coming back up from Providence after that rough start, Heinen has not wasted any time in getting those winning shot on goal. The Boston Bruins are now bouncing between being 2nd and 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a good amount of points ahead of the fourth-place team (currently Florida).

While the Bruins continue to outsmart and outplay other teams, there’s no question that for someone like Danton Heinen, having a good player attitude will only lead this team down the road of quickly becoming serious contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Boston Bruins 4th Line: #1 in the #4 Business?

Leave a reply

Too Good to Break Up

After an another impressive win by the Boston Bruins, one line really stood out. The 4th line consisting of Tim Schaller, Noel Acciari and Sean Kuraly are really starting to make a name for themselves!

4 points by the 4th line, on night where they played a team that boasted a home record of 12-3-3, is pretty darn good! This line plays the wear-you-down drag-’em-out type of hockey we have been looking for. They have been called the lunch-pail gang but they are starting prove their worth.

All three guys were in the double digits for time on ice and also had some penalty kill time, which shows that the confidence Cassidy has in these guys is growing. Not since the Thornton-Campbell-Paille line, that helped hoist the cup in 2011, have we seen a coach with this much faith in his 4th line. Whispers from all around the media water cooler are calling our current grind line one of the best in the league.

Looking Ahead

Our next three games are no cake-walks. The Bruins host the Panthers and the Hurricanes before heading to Pittsburgh on Sunday, January 7. None of these three teams will be easy to beat. Only the Pens have a losing record in their last 10 games, BUT they are the 2 time defending champs. We will definitely have to bring our A-game.

Adam McQuaid is soon ready to return and management needs to figure out that mess. David Krecji is back and healthy which saw Bjork watching the game from the cheap seats. Having a healthy team is a great problem to have but figuring out where to put them is not.

Tuukka Rask is playing as if his life depended on it, which is an awesome sight. So far this season over 25 games Rask has a 2.13 GAA along with .923 SV%. Rask was also named first star of the month with a record of 9-0-1 with 1.22 GAA and .955 SV%. Even Anton Khudobin has a winning record over 14 games. 2.47 GAA and .923 SV% are pretty good numbers when you spend 3/4 of your time on bench. Needless to say he has been there when we needed him.

In my humble opinion it is a great time to be a fan of the Boston Bruins. We are getting back to being the team nobody wants to play and for good reason. With a game in hand over the Tampa Bay Lightning, we are just 10 points out of first in the division. It is a good feeling when you see any one of the lines on the ice and not get nervous! 2018 is off to a great start and I am pumped for each and every upcoming game.

Until next time….

Keep Your Head Up

Frozen Thoughts: the State of the NHL and the Bruins

Leave a reply

Frozen Thoughts…

Greetings from Northern Alberta. As I write this the temperature outside is -36°C. Brrr.

I read one of Don Cherry’s books a few years ago and I remember him saying this book has no order. It is written like his thoughts and that is probably how this article will be. I, like Don, am not very politically correct but I will try to contain myself.

These are my thoughts on the current state of the NHL and the Boston Bruins in particular:

Protection

Number one thing on my mind is how the injuries keep piling up. My solution is bring back the enforcer role or get rid of the instigator rule. I believe the on ice presence of a guy like Shawn Thornton will deter guys from taking cheap shots or liberties with stars or even any top line guy. I am not a big fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but I applaud them for signing Ryan Reaves. That guy is a tank and he would and should put the fear of God into opposing players! I have been saying for a while now that the Bruins need someone like that. Look at the injuries we are having. Not saying that some policing would have prevented them all, but it would not hurt. One of my previous articles talks about how we can use McQuaid back in the line-up for this purpose.

Expansion

My next beef with the NHL is their decision to put the next possible expansion team in Seattle. I am not against that decision completely, but Quebec has been ready and waiting for a while now. They built a first-rate arena which some would say is better than some of the current league arenas. Now I know what you’re thinking: they already had a team and they couldn’t support it. But look at Winnipeg, they are doing better than ever! In fact, they are doing better than the Panthers, Coyotes and the Hurricanes. I believe that Quebec can do the same.

Bettman is definitely not a fan favorite but he has done good things for the league. However, I think he leans more towards the US market than he does Canada. Just my opinion. I am sure Seattle can support a team, but maybe the league should think about relocating one of the aforementioned teams to Seattle instead of expansion. That being said, LET’S GET QUEBEC A TEAM! I miss that Quebec rivalry.

I want the teams to go back to wearing white at home. Dark on the road. That’s it. Next…

Collision

This is a touchy subject, but I am going to open this can of worms. I was taught from age 4 to keep your head up! In fact, when my dad sends me a card or a note his closing remarks to this day are “Keep Your Head Up Kid”. If a player is skating up the ice with his head down, then he should be fair game. Now I’m not saying get him with a cheap shot, but a player should be to step up and lay the body. If you can picture a guy skating up the ice his head is further out than the rest of his body. So now it would stand to reason that his head would get hit first. That’s a penalty in the new NHL. I completely disagree.

It’s the same if Chara steps up on a guy elbows down. The receiving player will get hit in the head just because of the sheer size difference. Now is this the fault of Chara? No. Look, it is a very fast and physical game. Guys will get hurt no matter how hard the league tries to stop the injuries.

These players are paid a ton of money to play a game where every game could be their last. They know the risks and they make the decision to lace up their skates and get out there and do it! Now I do not want to see anyone get hurt, but it happens. It will always happen. Concussions will happen. Some players are more prone to concussion than others. It’s just how our bodies are different. I still watch hockey every chance I get, but the way the league is changing bugs me. You can see players going in for the big hit and then backing off for fear of getting a penalty. ‘Nuff said on that.

Confusion

What to do with Krug. Personally I like the guy. He is a fast, puck moving defenseman with a dandy shot from the point. His defensive game has been lacking a bit though. He is in the 2nd year of a two year contract worth 5.25 mil/season. That is a boat load of money for someone you can not trust to put on the ice during a 3 on 3 OT. He never set foot on the ice in OT, which leads me to think, have the coaching staff lost faith in him? For example, his ice-time during that game was 18:14. Rookie sensation Charlie McAvoy had 20:48. Even league wide unknown d-man, Matt Grzelcyk had 17:22 TOI. Grzelcyk is quickly becoming a staple on the point for the Bruins.

Was the benching of Krug in OT a message to him and the rest of the defensive corp? Time will tell. I think Krug is just in slump and needs a push to get back to where he was.

Conclusion

Hopefully the next time we meet it will be a bit warmer. Hopefully the Bruins can keep their winning ways and stay injury free. It’s gonna be fun seeing what this young, fearless team can do in the post season!

Keep Your Head Up

Washington Troubles Continue for the Bruins

Leave a reply

Well this news certainly will not shock anybody: the Boston Bruins lost to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. The Bruins have now dropped 12 straight games against the Capitals, and do not have any more regular season games scheduled with them this year. A blessing in disguise if you ask me, because it seems like no matter how well they play the Bruins just cannot overcome the Caps. Coming into D.C the Bruins had won five games in a row and eight out of the last 10. All of the sudden the Bruins had some adversity to overcome. Lets take a look back at last nights 4-3 loss and highlight the areas where the Bruins fell short.

Embed from Getty Images

Bruce Cassidy

There has not been much to complain about this season regarding Bruce Cassidy. Overall he as done a fabulous job. But last night in Washington Cassidy really had egg on his face. Starting in the overtime period where Cassidy thought it was a better idea to put Carlo on the ice in a 3-3 situation than Krug. Cassidy explained that he was sending a message to the veteran defenseman. But overtime against the team that owns you is not the time to bench your most talented offensive defenseman.

Another major blunder by Cassidy was not challenging Lars Eller’s goal that made it 2-1 Boston. When on replay it was very clearly offside. But later on in the game Cassidy did decide to challenge Brett Connolly’s game tying goal that had no chance of being overturned. At that point it’s hard not to wonder if Cassidy was more focused on saving face than actually objectively viewing the play. Especially considering that one of Cassidy’s reasons for not challenging the first goal was because he did not want to risk the two-minute minor in that situation. Which only makes him challenging the game tying goal that much worse, thankfully the Bruins killed the penalty and were able to get one point.

Embed from Getty Images

Anders Bjork

This decision may be even more frustrating than the whole challenge situation. Cassidy has been rather harsh on Bjork all season, and that trend continued against Washington. Bjork had only 6:53 TOI against Washington and seemed to be in the doghouse once again. Cassidy explained that Bjork was not sharp without the puck and was off his defensive angles. This is true, as Bjork has a tendency to be rather ineffective physically in the defensive zone. However the Bruins need to make a choice on Bjork. Either let him work through his deficiencies at the NHL level or send him down to Providence. Bjork is not going to improve by playing not even seven minutes a night at the NHL level. A Providence stint would allow him to play 20 minutes a night and focus on his positioning without the puck.

The Bruins have some big roster decisions coming up, and right now Bjork is the odd man out. Krejci is set to return to the lineup soon as well as Chelarik. While the Bruins have made it public that Bjork has earned his roster spot their hand may be forced. Sweeney and Cassidy have some big decisions to make for the surprisingly good Bruins team now lets see if they can make the right one.

Young Bruins Team Poised for Deep Postseason Run

Leave a reply

The Boston Bruins are red-hot coming out of the Christmas break, and that may be overstating it. The Bruins absolutely ran over the competition throughout this week. They outscored opposing teams by a combined 15-4 score and won all four games. Two of the games came against a pair of the NHL’s best teams: the Jets and Blue Jackets. The other two were easy lay-ups against Detroit and Buffalo. All in all as a fan of this team you should be ecstatic about the direction this team is headed in. But how far can this young Bruins team really go in the playoffs?

Embed from Getty Images

Offense

Offensively the Bruins are not the most dangerous team in the league. However they still have quite a few players who can put the puck in the net. Brad Marchand has rapidly developed into one of the best players in the entire National Hockey League. His offensive ability has shined the past two seasons playing beside the best two-way center in the NHL in Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron/Marchand/Pastranak is one of the most dangerous line combos in the NHL, possessing great chemistry and skill to provide the Bruins with a consistent source of offensive production every single game.

With Krejci out, another intriguing line combo that Cassidy has begun deploying is the Debrusk/Spooner/Bjork line. All three players are young skilled offensive players who play with a ton of speed and creativity. If this line can develop any sort of chemistry on the ice then the potential for this offensive line is certainly there. This also allows Backes to play on the third line with Heinen and Nash. This makes the Bruins a hard team to play against, especially when all three lines are rolling. Along with the fact that the Bruins can use a more physical fourth line in the Schaller/Kurally/Acciari. Because of the offensive production from the top three lines.

While on the face this lineup does not seem to be that potent. It is very well-balanced and if managed correctly could be a good offensive unit in the post season.

Embed from Getty Images

Defense

Unlike the offense for the Bruins there is much less certainty on the back end. McAvoy is an all around stud in all three zones but is still only 20 years young, and has a lot of responsibility on him this time around. While Chara is still an excellent defender he is 40 years old. The games this season begin to mount the question of his durability. If you actually take a deeper look at the defense core there is no real proven reliable players. Krug and Carlo are widely inconsistent, and McQuaid and Miller cannot seem to stay on the ice for more than a handful of games. So other than McAvoy and a 40-year-old Chara the defense of the Bruins is rather lackluster.

An opposing team could take advantage of the inexperience and inconsistently of the Bruins’ back end throughout a seven game series. Ultimately that could be their downfall at end of the day against a high-octane offense such as the Tampa Bay Lighting. At the end of the day these Bruins could potentially compete for the Eastern Conference championship. Maybe even the Stanley Cup final as long as they maintain this level of play. This team has shown time and time again that they cannot be counted out of any game.

The Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry

Leave a reply

The Beginning

Bruins versus Canadiens. The greatest rivalry in all of hockey. I say it’s the greatest in all sports. Some will argue that the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees holds the title, but I disagree. It all began December 8 1924. A 4-3 come-from-behind win for the Canadiens. Pffft. Now you might ask: what makes a rivalry? Well let me tell ya!

These two teams have met a total of 915 times. The all time record is 466–338–103–8 (MTL). Yuck. They have met in the playoffs 34 times. They have faced each other nine times in Game 7 of the playoffs. That’s more than any other two NHL teams. I’d say that’s enough for a rivalry!

Through the Ages

On the night of March 13 1955 in Boston, Maurice Richard got into a stick swing altercation with Bruins’ defenseman Hal Laycoe. Both ended up bloody. Boston Police tried to go to the Canadiens dressing room and arrest Richard. After all said and done Richard got a match penalty and an automatic $100 fine. Laycoe got a 5 min major and a 10 min misconduct, which came with a $25 fine for the high stick. This is what started the Richard Riot. Clarence Campbell called a meeting on March 16 and suspended Richard for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. The longest ever in Campbell’s 31 years as President! Habs fans were calling for his head issuing death threats to Campbell. The suspension cost ‘Rocket’ the scoring title that year. Yup, there were some unhappy people in Montreal!

Between 1965 and 1979 the Bruins and Canadiens made up 16 of a possible 30 Stanley Cup finals. They went head-to-head in 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup finals. Montreal won 4-0 (1977) and 4-2 (1978). In 1979 they met in the semi finals. I really hate reliving this next part. In Game 7 the Bruins were winning with 4 mins left when they got the infamous penalty for too many men on the ice. Then came the non-call for offside. In the end that marked the last game with Mr. Don Cherry behind the bench.

Heating It Up

Let’s jump ahead to the 90’s. The Bruins knocked out the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs in 1994 in seven games. You might remember this series. Patrick Roy was diagnosed with appendicitis and missed Game 3. He convinced doctors to let him play in Game 4. Canadiens fans will argue that made the difference in the series. Any excuse will do I guess!

In 2000 and 2001 both teams missed the playoffs. Then in 2002 and 2004 the Canadiens defeated the Bruins in the first round both times. In the 2004 playoffs the Bruins held a 3-1 series lead with the Canadiens coming from behind to win. That was the first time the Canadiens had won a series when trailing 3-1!

During the summer of 2007 the Bruins hired former Habs coach Claude Julien. That year the Canadiens won every meeting between the two teams. During that regular season Steve Begin crosschecked Marc Savard from behind resulting in a broken bone in the back.

Now you all should remember the 2010-2011 season. Montreal won four of six meetings that year. Feb 9 had a brawl with two all-star goalies squaring off at center ice. The bigger Carey Price manhandled the hot-headed Tim Thomas. Now this next one is a real sore spot for Canadiens fans. March 8 of the same season the Canadiens won the game 4-1 but this is the game where the mighty Chara rode Pacioretty into the turnbuckle. His head hit one of the metal uprights and he was knocked unconscious. Chara wasn’t fined or suspended for the hit but received an interference major and a game misconduct. Habs players and fans wanted a suspension and the Montreal police even conducted a criminal investigation into the hit.

The Cup

Again they met in the first round of the playoffs that season. The Bruins lost the first two games at home after finally winning the series in 7 games on a 2nd OT goal by Nathon Horton. The Bruins became the first team to win a 7 game series without scoring a power-play goal. During Game 4 of the series the rivalry got heated up just a bit more if that’s even possible. Hometown favorite Andrew Ferrence made the famous obscene gesture to the Canadiens fans and was fined $2500 by the league. No suspension. And in Game 6 Milan Lucic got a 5 min major and a game misconduct for boarding hit on Jaroslav Spacek.

This was season was my absolute favorite! The Bruins made it to Stanley Cup finals defeating the Canucks in 7 games! First time I got to see them hoist the cup. They won it all in 1972. I was born in 1973. It was the first time the Bruins beat the Habs on route to a cup win since 1929.

Current Day

The Bruins fired Julien. The Habs rehired Julien. Bruins have a rookie coach. Habs are having trouble getting above .500 hockey. Bruins are having injury troubles. And they will meet for the first time this season on Jan 13 2018. Me and a friend have some wobbly pops on the line for this meeting. This is a much-anticipated meeting. It always is. Am I looking forward to this game? YES! My best friend is a Habs fan and we usually don’t speak to each other for at least a couple of days after games. I have lost $100 to my brother betting on the Bruins against the Habs. It never ends and I can’t wait!

Until next time….Keep Your Head Up