Thursday, March 28, 2013

Make the Penguins Pay

The Bruins lost out on Jerome Iginla when he chose to play with his buddy Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. Given that Iginla had indicated that he didn't want to be a rental, Boston had a better package to offer Calgary, and that the Penguins will be hard up against the cap next year, it seemed a lock for the Bruins. As hard as his decision is to swallow for Bruins fans, I would not want to be a Calgary fan this morning, because they really got screwed. By his choosing Pittsburgh, Calgary got much less in return for the trade.

So what do the Bruins do now? For starters, they can do what likely made more sense anyhow -- get some help on defense. With Boychuck and McQuaid both out and the Bruins already struggling defensively, that has to be a priority. I'd look for a smart signing of a defenseman. But I also expect the Bruins to sign a forward, if for no other reason than to put more pressure on the likes of Lucic and Horton, who could benefit from some looking over their shoulders.

Ultimately the reaction of the Bruins organization should be to focus on one thing: should they meet the Penguins in the post season, show them who the better organization is -- make them pay! Make Mr. Iginla watch the rest of the playoffs from his couch.