League-Wide Playoff Preview

Well, it's been quite a while since my last post here, but thankfully the Bruins didn't take as much time off as I did. I've been doing a lot of writing for the school newspaper (www.suffolkjournal.net) and some for InsideHockey.com as well, but figured I needed to at least do a playoff preview for each conference, as well as some predictions. It won't be that in depth, as I may work on a more in depth B's-Habs preview for one of the aforementioned publications.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Come on, admit it. It had to come down to this. Same teams, a year later, in opposite roles. If last Thursday's game is any indication, this series will be a barn burner. It's hard to argue that the Bruins aren't better than Montreal in nearly all aspects of the game. The Bruins hold an edge in goaltending, defense, physicality and scoring, while Montreal may hold a slight edge on the power play. If the Bruins play their game and stay out of the box, they'll take this series going away. However, if the B's get complacent and take the Habs lightly, a surprise isn't out of the realm of possibility. Claude Julien isn't likely to let his B's slack off though. Bruins in 5

(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers
The Rangers played better hockey down the stretch under new coach John Tortorella, but they lack the offensive firepower to compete with the high-scoring Caps over the course of a series. The Rangers definitely have a wide advantage in goaltending though, and if Henrik Lundqvist gets hot, the Rangers have a fighting chance. Jose Theodore can be shaky in goal for the Caps, but they have more than enough power on the other side of the puck with Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Alex Semin. Expect the Rangers to put up a good fight in each game, but ultimately fall short. Caps in 5.

(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
This is going to be my first upset pick, and I'm sure hockey pundits would be aghast: how DARE I pick against Martin Brodeur in the playoffs?! Uh, well, simply: I think the Canes are one of the more underrated teams in the Eastern Conference, and are getting stellar play from goalie Cam Ward when they need it most. The Canes went an astounding 10-1-2 in March, proving that the team is coming together just in time for the playoffs. While I expect Brodeur, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Co. to play strong hockey, I think the Canes, on the back of Ward, will take this series in the end. Canes in 7.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
This battle of Pennsylvania is sure to be a wild one, with bad blood between the two teams closest to each other in the standings. Sidney Crosby and the Pens have played inspired puck under Dan Bylsma, and are starting to look like real Cup contenders again. They have a playoff-tested roster and a high-powered offense. While the Flyers also have plenty of firepower, I'm not sold on their goalies, Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki. I expect this one to be a close series, but one that the Pens pull out. Penguins in 6.

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks
Call me crazy, but I feel like this one may be a shocker waiting to happen. The Sharks have been one of the league's elite teams all year, and finished with the league's best record. The hockey experts hae all proclaimed this "their year", the year where the Black and Teal will finally get that playoff-choker monkey off of their back. I just think they're playing one tough group right off the bat. Like the aforementioned Penguins, the Ducks have plenty of playoff tested vets on the roster. They are a cohesive group, and feel that they have a good shot at knocking off Goliath. I won't go so far as to say that they'll do it, but expect a tight one. Sharks in 6.

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
Poor Columbus. The Jackets finally make the playoffs for the first time in the history of the franchise, aaaaaaaand what do we have for them? Only one of the best teams of the past decade. I think Steve Mason is the real deal, but he's facing too much talent against the Wings. If Rick Nash can seriously elevate his play to an otherworldly level, then the Jackets may have a chance, or if Mason can get his game rolling, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. The Wings will take this one, but it sure won't be easy. Wings in 6.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
I love this match-up for the Blues, and I'm not even sure why. There's something about their team that I like, and I think they can take this series. While Roberto Luongo is undoubtedly a stellar goalie, his playoff record isn't as shiny, and I'm not sold on the Canucks as a group, even though their one of my favorite non-Bruins teams. If Luongo plays as well as he is able to, then the Canucks should be able to win, but I think the Blues, led by their enthralling core of youngsters, will shock the NHL and take the series. Blues in 7.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames
The Flames, who were, as their name suggests, on fire after the trade deadline, have cooled signifcantly, and didn't exactly burst into the postseason in full gallop. The Hawks, led by youngsters Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, are ready for their first taste of late-spring hockey in years, and are primed to make a decent run out West. I think the Flames have plenty of talent, but are going to come up short barring consistently stellar play by Miikka Kiprusoff. Fans in the Windy City will get to enjoy an extended visit to the playoffs this year. Hawks in 6.


So there you have it. According to my predictions, the second round match-ups will be as follows:

Bruins vs. Hurricanes
Capitals vs. Penguins
Sharks vs. Blues
Red Wings vs. Blackhawks

Only time will tell how I do...any comments or predictions are welcome as well, and, as always, Go B's.

January Wrap-Up

Now that the school year has started back up again, my contributions to this blog have slowed considerably. Fortunately for Boston hockey fans, the Bruins aren't following my lead.

In my December wrap-up post, I predicted the B's to go 10-2-1 in their 13 games last month, giving them more credit than my last couple of predictions. In reality, the Black and Gold put up a record of 8-3-2, proving that perhaps I should stick to my less optimistic predictions.

However, on the bright side, claiming 18 out of a 26 possible points is nothing to be ashamed of, though the B's were playing less-than inspired hockey at times in the month of January.

A couple of games stick out as being especially disappointing, for different reasons:

• Jan. 6, vs. Minnesota: Not so much disappointing, but extremely frustrating. Here was a game in which the Bruins had a chance to avenge one of their few regulation losses by beating a Minnesota team that defeated them in the second game of the season. Instead, the Bruins got shutout for the only time (so far) this season, and didn't really have an answer for Minnesota's neutral zone defense. Granted the Wild are a good team and a loss against them isn't something to be ashamed of, but it was a bit of a stinker in front of the hometown fans.
• Jan. 19, vs. St. Louis: This game was a little strange, because it was a game the Bruins didn't deserve to win, but I ended up being disappointed when they lost. After playing rather listlessly for most of the game, the B's found themselves down 2-1 late in the third to one of the bottom-ranked teams in the Western Conference. However, they cashed in on two St. Louis mistakes with two quick power play goals, and when Zdeno Chara buried a slap shot with 3:05 to go in the third to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead, it seemed like they would be making the great escape, and stealing the two points. To their credit, the Blues didn't lay down, and scored with 1:20 to go and goalie Chris Mason on the bench. 1:20 later, David Backes batted a puck out of the air to tie the game with literally no time left on the clock. After reviewing the goal to see if the stick was too high, the refs awarded (and rightly so, in my opinion) the tying goal to Backes, sending the game into overtime. The game eventually went into a shootout, which the Blues won. Blake Wheeler was the goat in this one. He missed an empty net goal that could have iced the game, then again missed an open cage after beating Mason in the shootout. In his defense, the whole team played less than superb hockey that afternoon, but they still emerged with a point.
• Jan. 29, vs. New Jersey: Another game in which the Bruins got a point, but was disappointing nevertheless. This was a game of unlucky and lucky bounces depending on which side one takes, and one that, ultimately, the Bruins let get away. The Devils are a good team, one likely to be in the Bruins' way to postseason glory. After going into the locker room down 2-0 and being thoroughly outplayed, they came back with three straight goals to take the lead with six and a half minutes to go. With their strong defense, it should have been time for Claude Julien's boys to lock down the neutral zone and smother the Devils. Instead, Patrik Elias scored with under two minutes to go, and Jamie Langenbrunner got his second of the game in overtime to give New Jersey the win. This was another game that saw the Bruins let a point that they should have had slip away, and while they're in comfortable playoff position, a team can never have too many points, especially against an inter-conference rival.

The Bruins are currently in what is arguably the toughest portion of their schedule, as 11 of their 13 games in February are against teams that are currently in playoff contention (the only ones that aren't being Ottawa and Tampa Bay). Their last three games in January were against playoff teams as well, so the boys from Causeway street are truly being tested. Currently, they are passing with flying colors, having won 6 of 7, including their first three games in February.

Luckily, the B's have gotten mostly healthy, and should be facing the NHL's top tier with the majority of their roster intact. The biggest circle on this month's slate has to be Tuesday's game vs. San Jose, for a few reasons. The Sharks and Bruins have been flip-flopping in the NHL's top spot for three months now. It is Joe Thornton's second return to Boston since being traded (let's see if he lasts more than five minutes this time). It is also a chance for the Bruins to silence some doubters. If they can beat San Jose, as they have Washington, Detroit, New York and New Jersey, they will have beaten a bonafide top team in each conference, giving the team some confidence going into the stretch run.

I think that while the B's will certainly not have an easy time this month, they will silence the few remaining "haters" out there, and will come out of the month in good shape. Excluding the three wins they already have, I'm predicting that come March 1, the B's will have gone 7-2-1, thereby finishing February with 99 points, sporting a record of 46-10-7.

99 points before March? I'll take it.

Go B's.

Young Season Marred by Inconsistent Play

Thus far in what is still a very young NHL season, the Bruins play has been mediocre, stunning exciting when at its best and nauseatingly disappointing when at its worst. After 9 games, and with 2 more to go to close out October, the B's have a 4-2-3 record, good for 11 points and a tie with
Montreal (5-1-1) for second place in the Northeast Division. The 11 points puts the Black and Gold in a tie three way tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with Montreal and the New Jersey Devils (5-2-1). Granted it's a little early in the season to start watching the standings, but it never hurts to check in.

Last night was one of the Bruins' best games of the season so far, an immensely satisfying 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers in overtime. The B's played hard in this game, and deserved the two points. Tim Thomas was excellent in goal, stopping all 27 shots the Oilers fired his way, including some sparkling saves down the stretch. When Dennis Wideman fired a wrister past Dwayne Roloson (who was equally dazzling in goal for the Oilers), it gave the B's the win and started off what is really a crucial western Canada road swing on the right foot. This road trip gives Claude Julien and the rest of the Bruins' staff to see what this team is made of. All three teams on this trip are expected to contend for playoff spots come spring, and all three are decent if not above average squads. The Bruins have played inconsistently all season, and need to start getting things together before they fall too far behind.

Early indications from today's Boston Globe's game story show that Thomas may get another start tonight, which I would be in favor of. Julien has given each goalie a chance to show his stuff so far, neither has had the type of performance that would indicate he has the upper hand. With last night's showing, Thomas may have solidified his grip on the number one spot, something that he has undoubtedly earned. Also, perhaps giving Thomas two straight starts will light a fire in Fernandez, in that he may see he's falling behind and get his competitive juices flowing again. A competitive goalie tandem is rarely an issue for a team; more often than not, it's a benefit.

Since my last post, the Bruins results are as follows: 4-2 win at Ottawa, 2-1 SO loss vs. Pittsburgh, 3-2 SO loss at Buffalo, 4-2 loss vs. Toronto, 5-4 win vs. Atlanta, and 1-0 win at Edmonton. Let's take a look at the good, bad and ugly from two weeks' worth of Bruins hockey.

THE GOOD

• Patrice Bergeron appears to show no signs of post-concussion problems. He has been, for the majority of the time, the best player on the ice for the Bruins. He hasn't been skittish going into the corners, and appears more than willing to take the body. His passes have been crisp, and he has been making plays all over the ice. He appeared to be struck with bad luck earlier in the year, missing on a couple of breakaways, so it figures he finally got a goal on a somewhat fluky tip-in that found its way between the Leafs' Vesa Toskala's arm and body. Bergeron seems like he is in fine form, and seeing his play this season really makes one wonder "what could have been last season?" even more than before. Imagine last year's scrappy bunch with a healthy Bergeron...something tells me a second-round playoff appearance wouldn't have been out of the question. But that's the past, and the present looks good for Bergeron and the B's. Hopefully he can stay healthy (knock on wood), and continue to produce.
• Phil Kessel is turning into a dynamic all around player. Kessel, who responded strongly after being benched early in the playoffs last season, has continued on his upward trend. He is tied for second on the team in scoring with 7 points (6 goals and 1 assist). Though he has slowed in the last two or three games, he has shown a great willingness to shoot the puck this season, whereas last year he relied more on his stickhandling and often just lost the puck to a defender. Kessel should only become more dangerous as the year progresses.
• Marc Savard has continued to make plays. He is still a wizard with the puck, and has been laying tape to tape passes on the sticks of his teammates all year already. Look for Savard to continue to improve, and emerge as a bonafide scorer (or, more specifically, assist-man) in the NHL.
• Milan Lucic's performance this past week. Any time your week consists of this: AND this: it's safe to say that you've had yourself a decent couple of games.

THE BAD

• The Bruins' for the home hockey season have been "interesting" to say the least. First, on opening night, the Bruins introduced each player on the roster one by one. Each got a nice cheer, followed by a rousing ovation at the end. One problem: they forgot to announce Mark Stuart's name, leaving him to come out of the tunnel by himself as the PA announcer said "Ladies and gentleman, your 2008-2009 Boston Bruins!". Stuart appeared to take it in stride, hamming it up for the crowd by raising his stick as he came out. Later that week, the Bruins were forced to change the game format against the Thrashers, with the teams switching ends at the 10 minute mark of the third period because one zone's faceoff dots had been incorrectly painted. Yikes.
• The Bruins' defense has given up 24 goals in 9 games (27 if the shootout winners are included, which they aren't in official stats as no player gets credit for the goal). That puts them at 16th in the league, with a 2.67 goals per game average. Surprisingly enough, they are on pace to allow 216, which is only one less than last year. However, this year's defense has shown little sign of being the same-lock down unit last year's was, as made clear by the team's first regulation loss after holding a two goal lead under Julien against the Leafs last week. Last year's group would have simply locked down defensively, clogging the neutral zone and playing strong in their own zone. This year's unit took silly penalties and allowed the Leafs way too much time in the attacking zone en route to allowing four straight goals against a team that simply outworked them. This is not the type of team Julien likes to put on the ice, and judging from his reactions to the Toronto game, he'll take steps to make sure his team never plays like that again.

THE UGLY:

• I really don't have all that much to complain about here, but there is one thing that has been atrocious: the penalty kill. This has been an Achilles Heel for the team for two years. Last year's group ranked 28th in the NHL, with a measly 78.6% kill-rate (for the sake of comparison, the number one team, the San Jose Sharks, killed 85.8% of their penalties). So far this season, the B's sit at 29th in the league, killing a putrid 71% of their penalties, a mere 0.4% more than last-place Edmonton. This is something that the Bruins HAVE to improve on. A team can't go far allowing a power-play goal every game of the season. The B's have one of the best defensemen in the league in Zdeno Chara, and one of the best defensive forwards in the game in PJ Axelsson. One can only hope that the B's penalty killing woes are from trying to work out the kinks, and that they will be a penalty killing machine come December. If not, the B's are going to find themselves in more and more offensive shootouts, a style of game that doesn't really fit this team.

That's about it for now. I'll probably make another post after the Calgary game on Thursday, kind of a look back at the opening month of the season. Until then, go B's.