Ran into Bruins coach Claude Julien at the Red Sox-A's game last night. As he was walking by, my brother asked him when Phil would be back.
Julien's response was: "Whenever he's ready."
Clearly this confirms GM Peter Chiarelli's statements that Kessel WILL be back. Stone-cold lock.
Yes, this is clearly meant as a joke. We really did see Julien, did ask him that question and did get that response, but we have not taken it anywhere near that seriously. I just thought it was a funny story.
Showing posts with label Phil Kessel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Kessel. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Ward traded to Carolina for Eaves and a pick; Eaves Immediately Waived
The Bruins today sent veteran defenseman Aaron Ward back to the Carolina Hurricanes, a team he helped to a Stanley Cup win in 2004, in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and a fourth-round pick in 2010. Eaves was immediately placed on waivers by the Bruins, who intend to buy him out.
This move screams of a salary dump, as moving Ward frees the Bruins of his $2.5 million salary. Buying out Eaves, assuming he isn't claimed on waivers which doesn't seem likely, will cost the B's around $260,000 next year, and will GIVE the Bruins around $41,000 the year after (very confusing salary cap stuff, Fluto explains in the Bruins Blog).
It seems as though Chiarelli asked Ward about the move before making it, as he said he wouldn't have sent him anywhere other than Carolina, where Ward resides. In the "afore-linked" blog, Fluto says Chiarelli said he'd be looking to add a defenseman now, but didn't specify whether it would be through a trade or a signing.
Many things could be going on here, but it's clear that something else is brewing. Freeing up the cap space could be indicative of Chiarelli being prepared to sign Phil Kessel. However, saying he is going to add a defenseman could mean that he is preparing to deal Kessel to another club for a defenseman.
Either way, the other shoe has yet to drop here, so to speak. Ward is in Carolina, Eaves will soon be off the Bruins books, and there will be more moves to make. Expect one of two things to be announced in the coming days:
It's too bad to see Ward go, as he was a tremendous veteran presence, had some snarl to his game and was extremely entertaining in his weekly radio appearances on WBCN's Toucher & Rich show. However, he is getting old, and his cap-hit made him a likely target to be dealt. He was a solid, dependable blueliner for the B's, but was among the most sensible candidates to be dealt.
Stay tuned for more announcements, as another move or two can't be all that far away.
This move screams of a salary dump, as moving Ward frees the Bruins of his $2.5 million salary. Buying out Eaves, assuming he isn't claimed on waivers which doesn't seem likely, will cost the B's around $260,000 next year, and will GIVE the Bruins around $41,000 the year after (very confusing salary cap stuff, Fluto explains in the Bruins Blog).
It seems as though Chiarelli asked Ward about the move before making it, as he said he wouldn't have sent him anywhere other than Carolina, where Ward resides. In the "afore-linked" blog, Fluto says Chiarelli said he'd be looking to add a defenseman now, but didn't specify whether it would be through a trade or a signing.
Many things could be going on here, but it's clear that something else is brewing. Freeing up the cap space could be indicative of Chiarelli being prepared to sign Phil Kessel. However, saying he is going to add a defenseman could mean that he is preparing to deal Kessel to another club for a defenseman.
Either way, the other shoe has yet to drop here, so to speak. Ward is in Carolina, Eaves will soon be off the Bruins books, and there will be more moves to make. Expect one of two things to be announced in the coming days:
- 1. Someone else will be moved (Kobasew, Ryder, Bergeron, Savard) and Phil Kessel has been re-signed, either to a one-year deal at a bit less money (probably wouldn't require the above names to be moved) or to a long term deal at an averaged-out contract (would likely require a trade).
- 2. Kessel has been traded to a team willing to give the Bruins a young, impact defenseman in return.
It's too bad to see Ward go, as he was a tremendous veteran presence, had some snarl to his game and was extremely entertaining in his weekly radio appearances on WBCN's Toucher & Rich show. However, he is getting old, and his cap-hit made him a likely target to be dealt. He was a solid, dependable blueliner for the B's, but was among the most sensible candidates to be dealt.
Stay tuned for more announcements, as another move or two can't be all that far away.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bruins Re-sign Hunwick
Avoiding an arbitration hearing set for this Friday, the Bruins agreed to terms with RFA defenseman Matt Hunwick, signing the young blueliner to a two-year, $2.9 million deal. The annual cap hit will be $1.45 million.
Image property of Flickr user Dan4th
Hunwick recorded 27 points last year (6 goals, 21 assists) in 53 games. He finished the season tied with Los Angeles' Drew Doughty for most points by a rookie defenseman.
Hunwick's stock with the team rose drastically over the course of the season, as he showed off his puck-moving ability, offensive instincts and willingness to jump into the rush. His offensive prowess was made even more apparent when, for a couple of games, he played as a forward.
Hunwick's season was derailed in game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal, when he took a hit that ruptured his spleen. After surgery, Hunwick missed the remainder of the playoffs, but is expected to be ready for training camp and the start of the regular season.
With Hunwick back in the fold and Byron Bitz re-signed weeks ago, Phil Kessel is the team's lone remaining RFA.
According to the Boston Globe, the Bruins currently have $2,862,500 in free space remaining under the cap. If Kessel is to return, he will have to take a pay cut, or other moves will have to be made.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Chiarelli: Kessel Will Be Back
In news that is a bit surprising, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told NESN's Kathryn Tappen that sniper Phil Kessel will be back with the team next year. The interview occurred on NESN's SportsDesk, and, according to the clip that was released on NESN.com, Kessel will return. Below is a transcript of the video clip:
Should the rumors of Kessel being traded to Toronto, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, FC Barcelona or the Israeli National Basketball team be put to rest? Well, not exactly. If one takes a look back at one of Chiarelli's other promises of safety and returns, that one didn't exact turn out as he had stated. Remember Dave Lewis?
Lewis was told he was "safe" on March 31, 2007. He was fired on June 15 of the same year.
Also, while stating that Kessel will be back quiets rumors of his departure, the idea of Kessel returning means someone else must go. Who? Probably one of either Matt Hunwick, Marco Sturm, Chuck Kobasew, Patrice Bergeron, Marc Savard or Michael Ryder. With the exception of Hunwick, all of those players have contracts in the multi-million dollar level, salary that will have to be cleared if Kessel, expected to net $3-4.5 million a year in a new deal, is to don the Black and Gold again next season.
Kessel is "safe" and his rumors end, but start up a whole other round of rumors involving other B's fan favorites, particularly Patrice Bergeron. So where will it all end? Unknown for now, but it's safe to say that Chiarelli isn't done making moves yet.
Photo credit: BostonHerald.com
(In case you missed the above link, the Chiarelli clip and NESN article can be found here.)
CHIARELLI: “Yes, yes he will [be back]. I don’t like to talk about negotiations, but he’s a player of impact. [He has] the speed, and he’s still a young player. I can’t dismiss me talking about players to trade because that’s my job. It’s unfortunate that [trade rumors] leak out but Phil’s a good person — a very good person and a very good player — and we fully intend to keep him.”
I suppose the one "caveat" here is that Chiarelli says, "we fully intend to keep him", which to me means, "we really want to have him back". However, "wanting" is different than "doing", so it remains to be seem what actually happens.Should the rumors of Kessel being traded to Toronto, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, FC Barcelona or the Israeli National Basketball team be put to rest? Well, not exactly. If one takes a look back at one of Chiarelli's other promises of safety and returns, that one didn't exact turn out as he had stated. Remember Dave Lewis?
Lewis was told he was "safe" on March 31, 2007. He was fired on June 15 of the same year.
Also, while stating that Kessel will be back quiets rumors of his departure, the idea of Kessel returning means someone else must go. Who? Probably one of either Matt Hunwick, Marco Sturm, Chuck Kobasew, Patrice Bergeron, Marc Savard or Michael Ryder. With the exception of Hunwick, all of those players have contracts in the multi-million dollar level, salary that will have to be cleared if Kessel, expected to net $3-4.5 million a year in a new deal, is to don the Black and Gold again next season.
Kessel is "safe" and his rumors end, but start up a whole other round of rumors involving other B's fan favorites, particularly Patrice Bergeron. So where will it all end? Unknown for now, but it's safe to say that Chiarelli isn't done making moves yet.
Photo credit: BostonHerald.com
(In case you missed the above link, the Chiarelli clip and NESN article can be found here.)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Free Agent Frenzy Begins
Today is July 1st, AKA shopping day for every NHL club with cash to spare. There have already been a number of signings and trades, but I'm only going to comment on the biggest or the Bruins-related ones.
There is some other Bruins news as well, some of it relatively unimportant, some of it reassuring, and some of it potentially damaging.
- Marian Hossa signs with Chicago: The Slovakian winger signed a 12-year, $62.8 million contract with the 'Hawks. The contract is front-loaded, meaning the cap hit will be lower because it is calculated using the average salary. Great signing by the 'Hawks, as it gives them another scoring threat to go along with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, but they're probably going to have to move some money around now to stay under the salary cap. This is, however, an interesting choice by Hossa. First, he leaves Pittsburgh to sign with Detroit, alienating Pens fans. Now, he leaves Detroit to sign with Chicago, one of the Wings' division rivals. Needless to say, there probably won't be much love for the Hoss when he takes the ice at Joe Louis Arena with the indian head on his sweater later this year. Another interesting note is that apparently Hossa's agent was talking to the Bruins earlier in the day, but nothing ever materialized.
- Scott Gomez is traded to the Canadiens: Not sure why the Habs would do this, as it seemed to be a salary dump by the Rangers. Gomez had underachieved horribly in big-market New York City, so what makes the Habs think he'll do any better in the Bell Centre pressure cooker? Also, Montreal had to give up Chris Higgins, one of their better forwards, to get the Alaskan Gomez. Questionable trade by Bob Gainey, but could prove to be a good one if Gomez regains his New Jersey-era form.
- Steve Montador signs with Buffalo: Not much interesting about this, other than the fact that Montador was with the Bruins this past year. Some were underwhelmed with his performance with the B's, and it didn't seem like re-signing him was in the cards.
- Henrik and Daniel Sedin re-sign with Vancouver: The Swedish twins decided that Vancouver would remain their home, as they signed identical five-year, $30.5 million contracts. This affects the Bruins because Montreal was said to be heavily involved in the pursuit of the forwards, so anything keeping the talented brothers out of the B's division can be viewed as a positive.
There is some other Bruins news as well, some of it relatively unimportant, some of it reassuring, and some of it potentially damaging.
- The "Meh": The B's bought out oft-maligned winger Peter Schaefer today, freeing him to go play elsewhere. I was originally a Schaefer supporter, but after he seemingly shut it down in Providence when he could have shown the Bruins brass he still had something left in the tank, it was time for him to go. He may catch on somewhere with a team looking for a cheap veteran forward, but his time in Boston is certainly up.
- The Good: Apparently the Kessel-for-Kaberle deal between the Bruins and Maple Leafs is dead and talks haven't resumed, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. I still feel the Bruins would be remiss to deal Kessel, who seems to be on the verge of becoming a bona-fide scoring machine. The B's management team is apparently less enamored of the youngster, but I think they could get more for him than Kaberle. That's no knock on the talented defenseman, but I think Kaberle and the number-seven pick would have been more fair than Kaberle for Kessel straight up. Regardless, it doesn't seem like there has been much movement on re-signing Kessel. The hope here is that something materializes within the next couple of days.
- The Bad: WEEI.com's Joe Haggerty reported on his blog that multiple teams have contacted Matt Hunwick's agent about the possibility of signing the mobile defenseman to an offer sheet. Hunwick became a restricted free agent as of July 1, and any team can tender him an offer. The Bruins will have the right to match an offer, but if they choose not to, they will receive draft picks as compensation. Many thought that Hunwick, had he not been injured in the Montreal series, could have been what the Bruins needed to push them past Carolina. The youngster is a mobile defenseman who has no reservations about jumping up into the offensive rush, something that the Bruins need and something that is a rarity in the league these days. Losing Hunwick would be a big blow, and letting another team sign him to an offer sheet could drastically increase what the B's were prepared to offer him. More money for Hunwick would mean less money for fellow RFA's Byron Bitz and Kessel, and even less money for another UFA, should the B's choose to pursue one. Chiarelli seems to be fine with just waiting and seeing what happens, but it's a risky strategy.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
December Wrap-Up
Well, it seems like everyone in the hockey world is waiting for the Bruins to cool down. Waiting...and waiting...aaaaaaaand still waiting. In my November Wrap-Up post, I predicted a respectable 8-2-3 mark for the Bruins in the year's final month. And like my previous guess, I was a little bit off. The Black and Gold continued on their tear in December, going 12-1-0, the lone bump in the road coming in a 3-1 loss to the surging Capitals in Washington.
All twelve of the Bruins' December victories were by two or more goals. They scored four or more goals in nine of the twelve, posted two shutouts (at Florida, at New Jersey) and allowed only one goal on two other occasions.
Here's a glance at some of the B's numbers this month:
Avg. Goals Scored: 4.23
Avg. Goals Allowed: 2.07
Goal Differential: +2.16
Points Taken: 24
Points Possible: 26
Point Percentage: 92%
And here are some league-wide stats and where the B's rank, as of the night of January 1st (post-Pittsburgh win):
Points: 62 (29-5-4, 1st)
Wins: 29 (1st)
Goals per game: 3.66 (1st)
Goals allowed per game: 2.10 (1st)
Power play: 24.7% (3rd)
Penalty kill: 83.3% (8th)
Shots/game: 29.9 (13th)
Shots allowed/game: 30.7 (22nd)
As mathematicians often say, the numbers don't lie. The Bruins are first in the two most telling characters: goals per game and goals allowed per game, with an average goal differential of 1.56. An interesting note is the Bruins' shots allowed. This number is higher than I had imagined it would be, but it speaks to the play of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez.
THOMAS:
Save percentage: .935 (3rd in league)
GAA: 2.04 (3rd)
Wins: 16 (5th)
FERNANDEZ:
Save percentage: .930 (4th)
GAA: 2.02 (2nd)
Needless to say, when BOTH of your goalies rank in the top five in all major goaltending categories, your team should be looking good. However, it's not just the goalies that are contributing. I've wavered on how telling the +/- stat is, as it can be fairly arbitrary at times. For example, if defenseman A makes a boneheaded pass that leads to a goal allowed on a breakaway, forward A, who was below the attacking goal line, has his +/- lowered, even though he wasn't even a factor in the play. Regardless, +/- is a telling team stat, and a look at the league leaders in the category over on NHL.com reads:
1. Dennis Wideman, BOS: +26
2. Marc Savard, BOS: +25
3. Blake Wheeler, BOS: +23
4. David Krecji, BOS: +22
5. Alexander Semin, WSH: +20
Yes, that's LEAGUE leaders, not Northeast Division leaders, or even Eastern Conference leaders. The Bruins are dominating statistically, and it's showing in the standings. The B's are nine points ahead of the red-hot second place Caps, and 13 points ahead of the third place New York Rangers. To really illustrate the distance between the B's and other teams in the conference, there is a 21 point gap between the Bruins and the 8th place Buffalo Sabres/Carolina Hurricanes.
Offensively, the Bruins are making their presence felt at the top of the league ranks as well. Marc Savard is 4th in points (48) and tied for second in assists (35), while Phil Kessel is 4th in the league in goals with 23.
So what does all of this mean? Basically, it means that everything is rosy in Bruin-land. Despite injuries to Aaron Ward, Andrew Ference, Marco Sturm and Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins have rolled on. Martin St. Pierre has filled in nicely, and Vladimir Sobotka continues to earn his playing time.
Bergeron is out for the foreseeable future, and, in my opinion, that is for the best. His injury came as he was playing his best hockey of the season, and will probably carry as many emotional effects as physical. Bergeron was being physical, and reinjured himself simply trying to make a check. I don't think it's reached this point yet, but sooner or later Bergeron and his family may start looking at whether or not this is all "worth it", if playing is worth the detrimental effects these concussions may have on him later in life. In all likelihood, Bergeron isn't going to walk away from the game he undoubtedly loves, and in fairness, the hit he took from the shoulder of Dennis Seidenberg of the Hurricanes would have knocked any player for a loop. Hopefully Bergeron gets a chance to fully recover, and can be back with the team by the end of January.
JANUARY AT A GLANCE (excluding today's Pittsburgh win):
Games: 13 (10 home, 3 away)
Key games: 1/13 vs. Montreal, 1/17 at Washington, 1/31 vs. New York Rangers
Average opponents' points: 40.25
For me, the most important game of the month is going to be the Montreal one. Last time the B's played the Habs, they won in Montreal. The time before that, they pounded them at the Garden. Another win over the Habs would solidify the B's confidence, and further suppress the Habs. The games against the Caps will be big too, as Ovechkin's bunch are one of two teams to beat the Bruins in regulation since October 30th. Hopefully, the Bruins won't forget that, and will be eager for revenge.
I've been off on the pessimistic end on my last couple of predictions, but am going more optimistic here. With the return of Aaron Ward, the possible return of Andrew Ference, and a favorable home slate, this month should be kind to the B's. Look for the Black and Gold to post an 10-2-1 mark in the first month of 2009, continuing on their tear and tightening their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The above mark would put the Bruins at 81 points. 81 points with over two full months of games left? Yikes. With the Patriots out of the picture and the Celtics seemingly on cruise control towards a playoff return, the B's may be the only act in town for a while. That's not to say the Celtics aren't or won't be good. I'm saying that there's really no chance that the team doesn't make the playoffs as a high seed, meaning there's little drama to unfold over the course of the year. I'll still be watching, as I'm sure plenty of others will as well, but the Bruins remain at the top of my chart.
Over the next 30 days, Boston may find out what area hockey diehards have known for months: the Bruins are back.
All twelve of the Bruins' December victories were by two or more goals. They scored four or more goals in nine of the twelve, posted two shutouts (at Florida, at New Jersey) and allowed only one goal on two other occasions.
Here's a glance at some of the B's numbers this month:
Avg. Goals Scored: 4.23
Avg. Goals Allowed: 2.07
Goal Differential: +2.16
Points Taken: 24
Points Possible: 26
Point Percentage: 92%
And here are some league-wide stats and where the B's rank, as of the night of January 1st (post-Pittsburgh win):
Points: 62 (29-5-4, 1st)
Wins: 29 (1st)
Goals per game: 3.66 (1st)
Goals allowed per game: 2.10 (1st)
Power play: 24.7% (3rd)
Penalty kill: 83.3% (8th)
Shots/game: 29.9 (13th)
Shots allowed/game: 30.7 (22nd)
As mathematicians often say, the numbers don't lie. The Bruins are first in the two most telling characters: goals per game and goals allowed per game, with an average goal differential of 1.56. An interesting note is the Bruins' shots allowed. This number is higher than I had imagined it would be, but it speaks to the play of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez.
THOMAS:
Save percentage: .935 (3rd in league)
GAA: 2.04 (3rd)
Wins: 16 (5th)
FERNANDEZ:
Save percentage: .930 (4th)
GAA: 2.02 (2nd)
Needless to say, when BOTH of your goalies rank in the top five in all major goaltending categories, your team should be looking good. However, it's not just the goalies that are contributing. I've wavered on how telling the +/- stat is, as it can be fairly arbitrary at times. For example, if defenseman A makes a boneheaded pass that leads to a goal allowed on a breakaway, forward A, who was below the attacking goal line, has his +/- lowered, even though he wasn't even a factor in the play. Regardless, +/- is a telling team stat, and a look at the league leaders in the category over on NHL.com reads:
1. Dennis Wideman, BOS: +26
2. Marc Savard, BOS: +25
3. Blake Wheeler, BOS: +23
4. David Krecji, BOS: +22
5. Alexander Semin, WSH: +20
Yes, that's LEAGUE leaders, not Northeast Division leaders, or even Eastern Conference leaders. The Bruins are dominating statistically, and it's showing in the standings. The B's are nine points ahead of the red-hot second place Caps, and 13 points ahead of the third place New York Rangers. To really illustrate the distance between the B's and other teams in the conference, there is a 21 point gap between the Bruins and the 8th place Buffalo Sabres/Carolina Hurricanes.
Offensively, the Bruins are making their presence felt at the top of the league ranks as well. Marc Savard is 4th in points (48) and tied for second in assists (35), while Phil Kessel is 4th in the league in goals with 23.
So what does all of this mean? Basically, it means that everything is rosy in Bruin-land. Despite injuries to Aaron Ward, Andrew Ference, Marco Sturm and Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins have rolled on. Martin St. Pierre has filled in nicely, and Vladimir Sobotka continues to earn his playing time.
Bergeron is out for the foreseeable future, and, in my opinion, that is for the best. His injury came as he was playing his best hockey of the season, and will probably carry as many emotional effects as physical. Bergeron was being physical, and reinjured himself simply trying to make a check. I don't think it's reached this point yet, but sooner or later Bergeron and his family may start looking at whether or not this is all "worth it", if playing is worth the detrimental effects these concussions may have on him later in life. In all likelihood, Bergeron isn't going to walk away from the game he undoubtedly loves, and in fairness, the hit he took from the shoulder of Dennis Seidenberg of the Hurricanes would have knocked any player for a loop. Hopefully Bergeron gets a chance to fully recover, and can be back with the team by the end of January.
JANUARY AT A GLANCE (excluding today's Pittsburgh win):
Games: 13 (10 home, 3 away)
Key games: 1/13 vs. Montreal, 1/17 at Washington, 1/31 vs. New York Rangers
Average opponents' points: 40.25
For me, the most important game of the month is going to be the Montreal one. Last time the B's played the Habs, they won in Montreal. The time before that, they pounded them at the Garden. Another win over the Habs would solidify the B's confidence, and further suppress the Habs. The games against the Caps will be big too, as Ovechkin's bunch are one of two teams to beat the Bruins in regulation since October 30th. Hopefully, the Bruins won't forget that, and will be eager for revenge.
I've been off on the pessimistic end on my last couple of predictions, but am going more optimistic here. With the return of Aaron Ward, the possible return of Andrew Ference, and a favorable home slate, this month should be kind to the B's. Look for the Black and Gold to post an 10-2-1 mark in the first month of 2009, continuing on their tear and tightening their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The above mark would put the Bruins at 81 points. 81 points with over two full months of games left? Yikes. With the Patriots out of the picture and the Celtics seemingly on cruise control towards a playoff return, the B's may be the only act in town for a while. That's not to say the Celtics aren't or won't be good. I'm saying that there's really no chance that the team doesn't make the playoffs as a high seed, meaning there's little drama to unfold over the course of the year. I'll still be watching, as I'm sure plenty of others will as well, but the Bruins remain at the top of my chart.
Over the next 30 days, Boston may find out what area hockey diehards have known for months: the Bruins are back.
Monday, November 10, 2008
October Wrap-up
Points in the month: 13
Record: 5-3-3
Goals for: 29
Goals against: 31
All in all, it's hard to be disappointed with the Bruins' October performance. The B's faced a rough early season schedule, and still managed to celebrate Halloween with a winning record. The B's played 8 road games and only 3 at the TD Banknorth Garden, including the always-treacherous Western Canada swing, on which the Black and Gold went 2-1 with 2 shutouts.
Tim Thomas is currently in the middle of one of his trademark hot streaks, where he seems to save whatever is thrown in his direction. Phil Kessel continues to put up points, Marc Savard continues to put pucks directly on the tape of his linemates, Zdeno Chara is still rock-solid on the blueline, and Dennis Wideman is playing like he deserves the big raise he got over the summer.
Really, there is very little, if anything, to complain about or nitpick. Michael Ryder still hasn't really gotten it going, and Marco Sturm has been invisible at times, but neither have been slouches on the defensive end, and one must believe that the scoring will come.
The only real issue I think the Bruins are facing right now is the shootout. The team went 0 for 3 in shootouts in October, costing themselves a win in Montreal, a win in the home-opener vs. Pittsburgh, and a two goal collapse vs. Buffalo. Those are 3 points, 2 against division rivals, that one can only hope don't come back to haunt the B's in March. It's hard to say what is wrong with the shootout lineup, as the B's have plenty of skilled players who can put the puck in the net. It appears that the shots just are finding the back of the cage early, and that needs to change. The shootout has become reality in the NHL, and that extra point is always huge. The B's need to start finding ways to pick it up.
NOVEMBER AT A GLANCE:
Games: 13 (8 home, 5 road)
Key opponents: vs. Montreal 11/13, vs. New York Rangers 11/15, at Montreal 11/22, vs. Red Wings 11/29
Currently the B's are 3 for 3 in November, picking up a quick six points. My prediction for this team is to finish November with 31 points, which would mean picking up 12 out of a possible 20 (excluding the three games that have already been played). I think this is a pretty reasonable goal, and wouldn't be surprised if they surpass that mark if the team keeps playing together as they have so far on this young season.
Record: 5-3-3
Goals for: 29
Goals against: 31
All in all, it's hard to be disappointed with the Bruins' October performance. The B's faced a rough early season schedule, and still managed to celebrate Halloween with a winning record. The B's played 8 road games and only 3 at the TD Banknorth Garden, including the always-treacherous Western Canada swing, on which the Black and Gold went 2-1 with 2 shutouts.
Tim Thomas is currently in the middle of one of his trademark hot streaks, where he seems to save whatever is thrown in his direction. Phil Kessel continues to put up points, Marc Savard continues to put pucks directly on the tape of his linemates, Zdeno Chara is still rock-solid on the blueline, and Dennis Wideman is playing like he deserves the big raise he got over the summer.
Really, there is very little, if anything, to complain about or nitpick. Michael Ryder still hasn't really gotten it going, and Marco Sturm has been invisible at times, but neither have been slouches on the defensive end, and one must believe that the scoring will come.
The only real issue I think the Bruins are facing right now is the shootout. The team went 0 for 3 in shootouts in October, costing themselves a win in Montreal, a win in the home-opener vs. Pittsburgh, and a two goal collapse vs. Buffalo. Those are 3 points, 2 against division rivals, that one can only hope don't come back to haunt the B's in March. It's hard to say what is wrong with the shootout lineup, as the B's have plenty of skilled players who can put the puck in the net. It appears that the shots just are finding the back of the cage early, and that needs to change. The shootout has become reality in the NHL, and that extra point is always huge. The B's need to start finding ways to pick it up.
NOVEMBER AT A GLANCE:
Games: 13 (8 home, 5 road)
Key opponents: vs. Montreal 11/13, vs. New York Rangers 11/15, at Montreal 11/22, vs. Red Wings 11/29
Currently the B's are 3 for 3 in November, picking up a quick six points. My prediction for this team is to finish November with 31 points, which would mean picking up 12 out of a possible 20 (excluding the three games that have already been played). I think this is a pretty reasonable goal, and wouldn't be surprised if they surpass that mark if the team keeps playing together as they have so far on this young season.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
1. Game Six
The title of the post really says it all. It's not "Eastern Conference Quarterfinals-Game 6", or "Bruins Playoff Home Game 3", it's just "Game 6". Any Bruins fan would know exactly what that was referring to, and will continue to remember it vividly for years to come.
I'm only 20 years old, and my hockey memory only goes back so far. I don't really remember anything before 1998, so I missed the real glory days of the Black and Gold. However, I've seen plenty of hockey games in my two decades, and I think this is far and away the best game I have ever seen. It had it all: a loud crowd, an air of desperation from both sides, intensity, chippiness, lead changes, bad goals, highlight reel goals, and overall drama. There are dozens of videos of this game on YouTube, of which I've probably watched 90%. I have this game on DVR too, and have watched it at least three times, and may watch it again before tonight's opener too. (In fact, I have two versions of it: one NESN replayed, and one from CBC that was on the NHL Network. It's pretty interesting to hear the differences in the way the pairs of announcers call the game).
This was a game that I wasn't too sure about, and was definitely nervous about the outcome. The Bruins had an incredible showing in game five, stunning the Montreal crowd with a sound 5-1 victory, and this should have led to a boost of confidence in the team. My only fear was that the Bruins would come home and completely lay an egg, falling flat in front of the home crowd.
No dice.
This game started off rocking, just like games three and four, but unfortunately I missed the beginning. I had to work, and ended up leaving an hour and a half early to miss as little as possible. I heard the Bruins were down 1-0 fairly early, and was watching the game at a pizza place in the North End while waiting for my food, when this happened:
I'm not ashamed to say that I threw up both hands and yelled "holy shit!" in the middle of a pizza place. Phil Kessel undressed Francis Boullion, and in doing so tied the game. That was probably the nicest individual goal I've ever seen Kessel score, except for the one at the end of the previous season where he batted the puck in out of the air against the Penguins. However, that goal came in a game of no consequence, where as this was a do-or-die situation. Just like that, on what appeared to be a broken play, Kessel had the Bruins back in business.
It wouldn't last long, however, as after coming oh-so-close on a power-play, including hitting the post once, the B's gave up a breakaway goal to Tomas Plekanec, who stepped out of the penalty box, took an easy feed in on goal and slipped one past Thomas.
Again, the Bruins found themselves down a goal, as time began to tick away early in the third period. However, they'd respond on what again looked like a broken play. Peter Schaefer carried the puck into the Montreal zone, nearly catching Vladimir Sobotka offside. Schaefer then tried to flip a pass to Sobotka, who grazed the puck while skating to the crease, somehow slipping it past Carey Price. To this day, I'm still not entirely sure how that puck went in the net, and from the looks of the celebration Schaefer and Sobotka weren't either, but it didn't matter: the Bruins had again tied the score.
With 17 minutes to go in the game, and having just tied the game, the Bruins had momentum on their side. They'd press Montreal for a bit, coming close on a couple of occasions, but were unable to break through. Then, with 10 minutes to go in the game, Boullion, the goat who got beaten by Kessel, made up for his mistake by beating Thomas on a shot from the point that bounced off of Shane Hnidy's stick, causing a wicked deflection that neither Thomas nor Hnidy could be blamed for. The Canadiens celebrated giddily, and the crowd was momentarily silenced.
It was at that point that the doubts crept in, the Boston fan in me began to think "Well that's how it's going to have to end, on a crappy bounce like that. Figures."
Again, no dice.
These B's refused to go away, continuing to pressure Montreal. With eight minutes to go in the game, and the Bruins running out of time, Price froze the puck for a faceoff in his own zone. The Bruins, after the ensuing faceoff, ended up with the puck and fired a shot on net, one that Price handled and again covered. For some reason, Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau, who at certain moments in this game had a look on his face like somebody had just stolen his lunch money, decided to pull Saku Koivu out of the faceoff circle, where he had been incredibly effective. Bad move, Guy.
Marc Savard won the faceoff, and slipped a pass back to the point, where the puck was fired right back on net. Milan Lucic, who barely moved from his spot on the left wing, turned, took a crosscheck in the back from Mike Komisarek, who routinely turned down invitations to fight Lucic during this series, instead choosing to try and take him out at the knees in game four, and got the shaft of his stick on the puck. The puck defected off of Lucic's stick, bounced off of the ice, and past Price to tie the game AGAIN. The Garden exploded, and it was at this point that I knew they were going to win this game, they just had to.
Soon after that goal, the Canadiens iced the puck, only further inciting the Boston crowd. The B's had all of the momentum, and for the first time in the series looked like they really had the Canadiens on their toes.
Finally, at 15:45 of the third, David Krecji had the puck in his defensive zone, heading up ice. Marco Strum was streaking up the left wing side, and Krecji fed him a beautiful pass, right in stride, indirect and off the boards. Sturm then took that puck and fired another beauty to the tape of a crashing Kessel, who chipped the puck over the shoulder of a stunned Price. 4-3 Bruins.
Jack Edwards gleeful shout of "the Bruins lead!" may never leave my head, ingrained right along with his other memorable line from this game, "This building is VIBRATING!" Yes, the Bruins did lead. In fact, they were ahead for all of 11 seconds, as the Canadiens promptly won the next faceoff, won a chase down ice for the puck, and caught the Bruins napping as Chris Higgins scored his second goal of the night to tie the game again.
To say that the goal quieted the crowd may be an understatement. The PA announcer was still reading off the B's 4th goal when Higgins scored, and the resulting trademark "woooo!" may have been one of the weakest the Garden has ever seen. The Bruins, however, refused to be deterred, and simply went right back on the attack.
1:27 after Higgins' goal, Montreal's Alex Kovalev, my least favorite player in the entire NHL, missed a chance to clear his zone, instead shooting the puck off the body of Zdeno Chara. Chara then threw the puck into the opposite corner, where Sturm knocked Roman Hamrlik off the puck, creating a scoring chance for Chara coming down the slot. That shot went well wide, but Sturm, in the words of Jack Edwards, "threw Hamrlik another bang", got the puck, and fired one through a crowd on net. Sturm, seeing the pile-up of bodies in front of him, also saw the juicy rebound Price gave up, hopped over a skater on the ice, gathered up the loose puck and simply outwaited the sprawling Price. By the time Sturm released the puck, Price was without his stick, and facing the wrong way. Ouch. Sturm fired one into the open net, a couple inches over the desperately outstretched glove of Price, and gave the Bruins a lead that they would not give up.
For the last two minutes of this game, my friends and I didn't sit down. As soon as the puck cleared the zone in the final ten seconds, we took off running from my friend Billy's apartment in the North End to the Garden, just down the street. Why? I don't know really, it seemed like the right thing to do. And believe it or not, this was BEFORE the party that night started, so there was no inebriation of any kind. The scene coming out of the Garden was joyous and loud, with people both excited and stunned by what they had just seen. There are videos everywhere on YouTube for this game, all of which can still induce chills. Yes, the B's went on to get steamrolled in game seven, but that didn't matter then. This game had singlehandedly revived hockey in Boston, bring the excitement of playoff puck to a level it hadn't seen in years.
That excitement has carried over to this year as well, as Bruins fans have been anticipating tonight's puck drop since the minute game seven mercilessly ended six months ago. This is a game that no Bruins fan will ever forget, and one that may be looked at as the turning point of the franchise. This game proved the B's were willing to fight, willing to get dirty, and ready to come from behind, no matter how great the odds stacked against them.
This is the game that all fans watched all summer, fuel to get the fires going for the upcoming season. Perhaps now, on cusp of the 2008-2009 season, I can finally stop watching YouTube clips, finally stop hearing "Sturm....holds....Sturm....scoorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrres!", and finally remove a picture of Marc Savard's game three winning goal from my desktop. After all, a new season is dawning, one that will hopefully bring moments that match and exceed the six listed in this space.
On second thought, who am I kidding? There's no way I'm going to not watch these clips...
Enjoy, and Go B's.
This one's my personal favorite, because it's actually the entire last 8 minutes, in which there would be four more goals scored. The person who posted it has a high quality version of it on the site too, which can be watched by clicking here.
"There'll be a game seven! We'll see ya Monday night!"
I'm only 20 years old, and my hockey memory only goes back so far. I don't really remember anything before 1998, so I missed the real glory days of the Black and Gold. However, I've seen plenty of hockey games in my two decades, and I think this is far and away the best game I have ever seen. It had it all: a loud crowd, an air of desperation from both sides, intensity, chippiness, lead changes, bad goals, highlight reel goals, and overall drama. There are dozens of videos of this game on YouTube, of which I've probably watched 90%. I have this game on DVR too, and have watched it at least three times, and may watch it again before tonight's opener too. (In fact, I have two versions of it: one NESN replayed, and one from CBC that was on the NHL Network. It's pretty interesting to hear the differences in the way the pairs of announcers call the game).
This was a game that I wasn't too sure about, and was definitely nervous about the outcome. The Bruins had an incredible showing in game five, stunning the Montreal crowd with a sound 5-1 victory, and this should have led to a boost of confidence in the team. My only fear was that the Bruins would come home and completely lay an egg, falling flat in front of the home crowd.
No dice.
This game started off rocking, just like games three and four, but unfortunately I missed the beginning. I had to work, and ended up leaving an hour and a half early to miss as little as possible. I heard the Bruins were down 1-0 fairly early, and was watching the game at a pizza place in the North End while waiting for my food, when this happened:
I'm not ashamed to say that I threw up both hands and yelled "holy shit!" in the middle of a pizza place. Phil Kessel undressed Francis Boullion, and in doing so tied the game. That was probably the nicest individual goal I've ever seen Kessel score, except for the one at the end of the previous season where he batted the puck in out of the air against the Penguins. However, that goal came in a game of no consequence, where as this was a do-or-die situation. Just like that, on what appeared to be a broken play, Kessel had the Bruins back in business.
It wouldn't last long, however, as after coming oh-so-close on a power-play, including hitting the post once, the B's gave up a breakaway goal to Tomas Plekanec, who stepped out of the penalty box, took an easy feed in on goal and slipped one past Thomas.
Again, the Bruins found themselves down a goal, as time began to tick away early in the third period. However, they'd respond on what again looked like a broken play. Peter Schaefer carried the puck into the Montreal zone, nearly catching Vladimir Sobotka offside. Schaefer then tried to flip a pass to Sobotka, who grazed the puck while skating to the crease, somehow slipping it past Carey Price. To this day, I'm still not entirely sure how that puck went in the net, and from the looks of the celebration Schaefer and Sobotka weren't either, but it didn't matter: the Bruins had again tied the score.
With 17 minutes to go in the game, and having just tied the game, the Bruins had momentum on their side. They'd press Montreal for a bit, coming close on a couple of occasions, but were unable to break through. Then, with 10 minutes to go in the game, Boullion, the goat who got beaten by Kessel, made up for his mistake by beating Thomas on a shot from the point that bounced off of Shane Hnidy's stick, causing a wicked deflection that neither Thomas nor Hnidy could be blamed for. The Canadiens celebrated giddily, and the crowd was momentarily silenced.
It was at that point that the doubts crept in, the Boston fan in me began to think "Well that's how it's going to have to end, on a crappy bounce like that. Figures."
Again, no dice.
These B's refused to go away, continuing to pressure Montreal. With eight minutes to go in the game, and the Bruins running out of time, Price froze the puck for a faceoff in his own zone. The Bruins, after the ensuing faceoff, ended up with the puck and fired a shot on net, one that Price handled and again covered. For some reason, Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau, who at certain moments in this game had a look on his face like somebody had just stolen his lunch money, decided to pull Saku Koivu out of the faceoff circle, where he had been incredibly effective. Bad move, Guy.
Marc Savard won the faceoff, and slipped a pass back to the point, where the puck was fired right back on net. Milan Lucic, who barely moved from his spot on the left wing, turned, took a crosscheck in the back from Mike Komisarek, who routinely turned down invitations to fight Lucic during this series, instead choosing to try and take him out at the knees in game four, and got the shaft of his stick on the puck. The puck defected off of Lucic's stick, bounced off of the ice, and past Price to tie the game AGAIN. The Garden exploded, and it was at this point that I knew they were going to win this game, they just had to.
Soon after that goal, the Canadiens iced the puck, only further inciting the Boston crowd. The B's had all of the momentum, and for the first time in the series looked like they really had the Canadiens on their toes.
Finally, at 15:45 of the third, David Krecji had the puck in his defensive zone, heading up ice. Marco Strum was streaking up the left wing side, and Krecji fed him a beautiful pass, right in stride, indirect and off the boards. Sturm then took that puck and fired another beauty to the tape of a crashing Kessel, who chipped the puck over the shoulder of a stunned Price. 4-3 Bruins.
Jack Edwards gleeful shout of "the Bruins lead!" may never leave my head, ingrained right along with his other memorable line from this game, "This building is VIBRATING!" Yes, the Bruins did lead. In fact, they were ahead for all of 11 seconds, as the Canadiens promptly won the next faceoff, won a chase down ice for the puck, and caught the Bruins napping as Chris Higgins scored his second goal of the night to tie the game again.
To say that the goal quieted the crowd may be an understatement. The PA announcer was still reading off the B's 4th goal when Higgins scored, and the resulting trademark "woooo!" may have been one of the weakest the Garden has ever seen. The Bruins, however, refused to be deterred, and simply went right back on the attack.
1:27 after Higgins' goal, Montreal's Alex Kovalev, my least favorite player in the entire NHL, missed a chance to clear his zone, instead shooting the puck off the body of Zdeno Chara. Chara then threw the puck into the opposite corner, where Sturm knocked Roman Hamrlik off the puck, creating a scoring chance for Chara coming down the slot. That shot went well wide, but Sturm, in the words of Jack Edwards, "threw Hamrlik another bang", got the puck, and fired one through a crowd on net. Sturm, seeing the pile-up of bodies in front of him, also saw the juicy rebound Price gave up, hopped over a skater on the ice, gathered up the loose puck and simply outwaited the sprawling Price. By the time Sturm released the puck, Price was without his stick, and facing the wrong way. Ouch. Sturm fired one into the open net, a couple inches over the desperately outstretched glove of Price, and gave the Bruins a lead that they would not give up.
For the last two minutes of this game, my friends and I didn't sit down. As soon as the puck cleared the zone in the final ten seconds, we took off running from my friend Billy's apartment in the North End to the Garden, just down the street. Why? I don't know really, it seemed like the right thing to do. And believe it or not, this was BEFORE the party that night started, so there was no inebriation of any kind. The scene coming out of the Garden was joyous and loud, with people both excited and stunned by what they had just seen. There are videos everywhere on YouTube for this game, all of which can still induce chills. Yes, the B's went on to get steamrolled in game seven, but that didn't matter then. This game had singlehandedly revived hockey in Boston, bring the excitement of playoff puck to a level it hadn't seen in years.
That excitement has carried over to this year as well, as Bruins fans have been anticipating tonight's puck drop since the minute game seven mercilessly ended six months ago. This is a game that no Bruins fan will ever forget, and one that may be looked at as the turning point of the franchise. This game proved the B's were willing to fight, willing to get dirty, and ready to come from behind, no matter how great the odds stacked against them.
This is the game that all fans watched all summer, fuel to get the fires going for the upcoming season. Perhaps now, on cusp of the 2008-2009 season, I can finally stop watching YouTube clips, finally stop hearing "Sturm....holds....Sturm....scoorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrres!", and finally remove a picture of Marc Savard's game three winning goal from my desktop. After all, a new season is dawning, one that will hopefully bring moments that match and exceed the six listed in this space.
On second thought, who am I kidding? There's no way I'm going to not watch these clips...
Enjoy, and Go B's.
This one's my personal favorite, because it's actually the entire last 8 minutes, in which there would be four more goals scored. The person who posted it has a high quality version of it on the site too, which can be watched by clicking here.
"There'll be a game seven! We'll see ya Monday night!"
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