Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Devil of a Game
This was a great game. It had a playoff feel to it with both teams playing at their best. New Jersey played the best team defense I have seen in ages. The Bruins rolled all four lines with hustle all night long. Those 7-2 Bruins wins earlier in the season were fun--don't get me wrong--but last night, now that was Hockey!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
THE Game
Well, I missed it. Yeah, I missed the biggest game of the season. Didn't even hear it on the radio. Thanks to Dish Networks' little flap over Versus that put it on the most expensive tier (with nothing else I want). Thanks to a hellish day at work that made me forget to put my backup plan to record the internet radio broadcast in motion. Thanks to a snowstorm that kept me from getting home in time to listen in person.
From what I've been reading the B's forgot who they were in the 3rd period. I wish I could say I was surprised, but this team hasn't had to dig deep in a long time. Not since they played the Wings last fall. It's easy to forget how to do it.
But you know, even before the game I was thinking that a loss wouldn't be such a bad thing. Sure it stings now, but you can bet it stings in the locker room even more... and that's the stuff that builds a cup team.
From what I've been reading the B's forgot who they were in the 3rd period. I wish I could say I was surprised, but this team hasn't had to dig deep in a long time. Not since they played the Wings last fall. It's easy to forget how to do it.
But you know, even before the game I was thinking that a loss wouldn't be such a bad thing. Sure it stings now, but you can bet it stings in the locker room even more... and that's the stuff that builds a cup team.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
So This is It Then
This is it, this is what we Bruins fans have waited for all these years. It's really quite amazing, and different, to be a Bruins fan this season. On TV I watched yet another team head for the locker room in dejection and disappointment. I wonder if the Flyers will go into a long slide now, as other devastated Bruins opponents have. But mostly I wonder if they even realize that they didn't come close to seeing the best that the Bruins had to bring... because they simply weren't good enough to bring it out in them.
Ah, but there's the rub. I know that some fans will want to hit me over the head with my beloved copy of "Black and Gold" for saying it, but this is getting boring. We've recently seen that you have to remove at least one full line of forwards from this team to make it a fair contest. Otherwise they just breeze past most opponents like they aren't even in the same league. There's no drama.
In a weird way I miss the previous three seasons. The Bruins struggled. They were always the underdog. Some idiot fans even wanted Timmy replaced because they couldn't tell a great goaltender from an armadillo... unless the team was winning. That was drama. When the Bruins won against a good team it was due to sheer grit, heart and determination. Every game was a battle... drama.
Now I tell my 10-year old that the Bruins won "again" and he looks at me as if to say, "So?" I watch other teams play each other and I'm struck by how poorly they seem to play. "Why didn't he just pass it to the other D man behind the net?", I ask the TV. Or, "Why do they have so much trouble on the breakout?" I mean, it's not like it's all that hard. I've seen the Bruins do it, again and again and in pretty much exactly the same way, something like 500 times. Other teams don't seem to be playing the same game. How weird is that? It's like playing NHL '06 after you long ago figured out how to score at will. Every game and every goal is the same.
Now some people will think that this can't last. The Bruins may fall like Ottawa before them, and I'll regret not enjoying it more. But that's just the point: we learned last year that this team has huge reserves of heart that it can draw on when facing adversity. This team has enormous character, but they seldom need it anymore. I cannot imagine much that can stop them from cruising into the playoffs, and past the first round.
Only after that will the drama finally begin.
Other than February 10th of course. Damn, I need to find someone who gets Versus!
Ah, but there's the rub. I know that some fans will want to hit me over the head with my beloved copy of "Black and Gold" for saying it, but this is getting boring. We've recently seen that you have to remove at least one full line of forwards from this team to make it a fair contest. Otherwise they just breeze past most opponents like they aren't even in the same league. There's no drama.
In a weird way I miss the previous three seasons. The Bruins struggled. They were always the underdog. Some idiot fans even wanted Timmy replaced because they couldn't tell a great goaltender from an armadillo... unless the team was winning. That was drama. When the Bruins won against a good team it was due to sheer grit, heart and determination. Every game was a battle... drama.
Now I tell my 10-year old that the Bruins won "again" and he looks at me as if to say, "So?" I watch other teams play each other and I'm struck by how poorly they seem to play. "Why didn't he just pass it to the other D man behind the net?", I ask the TV. Or, "Why do they have so much trouble on the breakout?" I mean, it's not like it's all that hard. I've seen the Bruins do it, again and again and in pretty much exactly the same way, something like 500 times. Other teams don't seem to be playing the same game. How weird is that? It's like playing NHL '06 after you long ago figured out how to score at will. Every game and every goal is the same.
Now some people will think that this can't last. The Bruins may fall like Ottawa before them, and I'll regret not enjoying it more. But that's just the point: we learned last year that this team has huge reserves of heart that it can draw on when facing adversity. This team has enormous character, but they seldom need it anymore. I cannot imagine much that can stop them from cruising into the playoffs, and past the first round.
Only after that will the drama finally begin.
Other than February 10th of course. Damn, I need to find someone who gets Versus!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The '03/'04 Cup Team
I recently read this article by Stephen Harris in the Boston Herald. He compares this season's team to the pre-lockout team of '03/'04, and I must admit to being somewhat amused by what he said:
"It was widely seen as a squad that would win at least one Stanley Cup, maybe more."
I recall those days rather well, and there were few if any Bruins fans who thought that team had a chance of going beyond the second round. I recall what the pundits said too. The general belief was that the B's didn't have the depth to win a cup, and they were right. Nobody who was paying attention thought that team was going to win a Cup. This despite the late season rentals of Gonchar and Nylander who were never more than just passing through. Samsonov's best days were behind him, although he played with more heart than any other Bruin during the playoff series with the Habs. Rolston and Bergeron had yet to fully mature, and like many young players during that time seemed destined for true greatness... in the future with some other team.
And then there was Jumbo Joe. Looking back, it was just wrong. From the day he was drafted the pundits around the league heaped praise on him and by extension on the Bruins. We fans bathed ourselves in it. But it was never quite right. He was brought along too slowly. Then too quickly. Then it seemed everyone expected him to be a natural leader as well. Joe Thornton is a very good player who will tally your team a lot of goals. But he was never "the" player, the one that everyone seemed to expect him to be. And the blame for that falls squarely on the Bruins management who mishandled him from the start and built the wrong expectations. Yes, he played injured during the playoff series. But in that series he was more often a liability than an asset, taking stupid penalties and playing frustrated. He may not have been able to play at 100% but he had 100% control over how he played and over the way his play affected the rest of the team.
Were they a team destined to win a cup? No. The management showed little respect for the players or for the fans and the players showed little respect in return. Time and again players came to Boston only to fail or worse, move on to a higher salary elsewhere. Looking back, it was truly awful. The fans that turned their backs on those Bruins had every reason to do so. They were a broken team and a broken organization.
We should all be grateful that today the Bruins are no longer broken. No matter how well they do for the rest of the season, the Bruins are an immeasurably better team than anything put on the ice in the O'Connell days. They have respect for one another from the top down, they work hard, have fun, and they play like a team. Even today I read comments from fans who long for a big name free agent to "fix"the team or "push them over the top." These fans just don't get it. Hockey is the ultimate team sport and that goes for the entire team, on and off the ice. You could fill a team with "name" free agents and it would fail without the proper management and attitude throughout the organization. It is this rare and elusive quality that the Bruins have today in spades.
Look at the current roster today, because in ten years many of their names will be remembered well. Hell, some of them may even be hanging from the rafters. Look at those names, because one day they will make the '03/'04 roster look weak in comparison.
"It was widely seen as a squad that would win at least one Stanley Cup, maybe more."
I recall those days rather well, and there were few if any Bruins fans who thought that team had a chance of going beyond the second round. I recall what the pundits said too. The general belief was that the B's didn't have the depth to win a cup, and they were right. Nobody who was paying attention thought that team was going to win a Cup. This despite the late season rentals of Gonchar and Nylander who were never more than just passing through. Samsonov's best days were behind him, although he played with more heart than any other Bruin during the playoff series with the Habs. Rolston and Bergeron had yet to fully mature, and like many young players during that time seemed destined for true greatness... in the future with some other team.
And then there was Jumbo Joe. Looking back, it was just wrong. From the day he was drafted the pundits around the league heaped praise on him and by extension on the Bruins. We fans bathed ourselves in it. But it was never quite right. He was brought along too slowly. Then too quickly. Then it seemed everyone expected him to be a natural leader as well. Joe Thornton is a very good player who will tally your team a lot of goals. But he was never "the" player, the one that everyone seemed to expect him to be. And the blame for that falls squarely on the Bruins management who mishandled him from the start and built the wrong expectations. Yes, he played injured during the playoff series. But in that series he was more often a liability than an asset, taking stupid penalties and playing frustrated. He may not have been able to play at 100% but he had 100% control over how he played and over the way his play affected the rest of the team.
Were they a team destined to win a cup? No. The management showed little respect for the players or for the fans and the players showed little respect in return. Time and again players came to Boston only to fail or worse, move on to a higher salary elsewhere. Looking back, it was truly awful. The fans that turned their backs on those Bruins had every reason to do so. They were a broken team and a broken organization.
We should all be grateful that today the Bruins are no longer broken. No matter how well they do for the rest of the season, the Bruins are an immeasurably better team than anything put on the ice in the O'Connell days. They have respect for one another from the top down, they work hard, have fun, and they play like a team. Even today I read comments from fans who long for a big name free agent to "fix"the team or "push them over the top." These fans just don't get it. Hockey is the ultimate team sport and that goes for the entire team, on and off the ice. You could fill a team with "name" free agents and it would fail without the proper management and attitude throughout the organization. It is this rare and elusive quality that the Bruins have today in spades.
Look at the current roster today, because in ten years many of their names will be remembered well. Hell, some of them may even be hanging from the rafters. Look at those names, because one day they will make the '03/'04 roster look weak in comparison.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Back in Black
Ok, not the most original title, I know. Yes, I am back, my three readers. And of course, so are the Bruins--back, in black, and, oh man, are they back!
Where to start. Hmm... maybe my return would be a good excuse for a recap of the season so far.
The season started out normally enough. The post I had planned to start the season would have gone something like, "They've come this far but can they take it to yet another level?" And in the early going it looked like more of the same as last year: good, but not great hockey. The home loss to the Leafs was disappointing, but you can't win them all, right?
And then something happened. The Stars came to town and they brought their goons with them. Sean Avery and Steve Ott may have been the best things to happen to the Boston Bruins since the last time we beat the Habs in a playoff series. Imagine the very idea of coming into Boston and trying to intimidate the Bruins with cheap shots. The Stars tried it with the result that nobody is likely to try it again for a very long time. The Bruins beat the Stars in every sense of the word. During that game the Bruins came together as a team. I will long recall seeing Savvy pounding on Avery at the end of the game. Sure, it may have been more symbolic than pugilistic, but the gesture held great meaning.
Prior to that game the Bruins were 5-3-2. Since the drop of the puck against the Stars on Saturday, November 1st, the Bruins have gone 14-1-1. Thank you, Dallas. And thank you Mr. Avery. Good luck to you in your next profession. I don't know what you will do, but I'm sure it will be sleazy.
The next highlight has to be a 6-1 stomping of Montreal at home. That felt oh so good.
Unfortunately the next memorable game wasn't nearly so sweet. Those Rangers are pretty darned good. The Bruins lost in a shootout in New York. This was a tough game where for one of the few times since November 1st the opposing team seemed of similar caliber.
Speaking of teams of similar caliber, the home game against the Red Wings has to be the second most memorable game of the season so far. What made this game truly awe inspiring was that the Wings played very well. Unlike other opponents they didn't let the B's into their zone like water through a chain link fence. The Bruins had to really work to win this one. The score may have been a lopsided 4-1, but the play was much closer. You really got the feeling that the Wings had brought their A game and still lost.
Lastly, the low point of the season, at least for me, came on November 26th, in Buffalo. Not only was this the only regulation loss in November, but it was an awful game to watch. This was made worse for me by the fact that The Dish Network failed to pick up the NESN broadcast for Center Ice so I had to watch the Buffalo broadcast. Now, I'm not such a die-hard fan that I can't watch another teams' broadcast. In some cases it's a welcome change. But the Buffalo broadcast team is just awful! They do it old school and it's about as much fun as watching a puck dry after a game. Give me Jack Edwards. He may be partisan to the point of silliness sometimes, but at least he's always having fun. And his fun is contagious. And Brick, of course, is the perfect counterpoint. I really think those two are the best broadcast team in the NHL. But I digress.
I have way more thoughts, but I'll save them for another post or two or three.
Where to start. Hmm... maybe my return would be a good excuse for a recap of the season so far.
The season started out normally enough. The post I had planned to start the season would have gone something like, "They've come this far but can they take it to yet another level?" And in the early going it looked like more of the same as last year: good, but not great hockey. The home loss to the Leafs was disappointing, but you can't win them all, right?
And then something happened. The Stars came to town and they brought their goons with them. Sean Avery and Steve Ott may have been the best things to happen to the Boston Bruins since the last time we beat the Habs in a playoff series. Imagine the very idea of coming into Boston and trying to intimidate the Bruins with cheap shots. The Stars tried it with the result that nobody is likely to try it again for a very long time. The Bruins beat the Stars in every sense of the word. During that game the Bruins came together as a team. I will long recall seeing Savvy pounding on Avery at the end of the game. Sure, it may have been more symbolic than pugilistic, but the gesture held great meaning.
Prior to that game the Bruins were 5-3-2. Since the drop of the puck against the Stars on Saturday, November 1st, the Bruins have gone 14-1-1. Thank you, Dallas. And thank you Mr. Avery. Good luck to you in your next profession. I don't know what you will do, but I'm sure it will be sleazy.
The next highlight has to be a 6-1 stomping of Montreal at home. That felt oh so good.
Unfortunately the next memorable game wasn't nearly so sweet. Those Rangers are pretty darned good. The Bruins lost in a shootout in New York. This was a tough game where for one of the few times since November 1st the opposing team seemed of similar caliber.
Speaking of teams of similar caliber, the home game against the Red Wings has to be the second most memorable game of the season so far. What made this game truly awe inspiring was that the Wings played very well. Unlike other opponents they didn't let the B's into their zone like water through a chain link fence. The Bruins had to really work to win this one. The score may have been a lopsided 4-1, but the play was much closer. You really got the feeling that the Wings had brought their A game and still lost.
Lastly, the low point of the season, at least for me, came on November 26th, in Buffalo. Not only was this the only regulation loss in November, but it was an awful game to watch. This was made worse for me by the fact that The Dish Network failed to pick up the NESN broadcast for Center Ice so I had to watch the Buffalo broadcast. Now, I'm not such a die-hard fan that I can't watch another teams' broadcast. In some cases it's a welcome change. But the Buffalo broadcast team is just awful! They do it old school and it's about as much fun as watching a puck dry after a game. Give me Jack Edwards. He may be partisan to the point of silliness sometimes, but at least he's always having fun. And his fun is contagious. And Brick, of course, is the perfect counterpoint. I really think those two are the best broadcast team in the NHL. But I digress.
I have way more thoughts, but I'll save them for another post or two or three.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Getting a Late Start
Just a quick note that this old B's fan will be getting a late start on the season. I haven't gone away and I'm enjoying the season very much so far! It's just that "real" life is requiring all of my time at the moment. But never fear, loyal readers (all three of you!) that will change eventually.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Chiarelli Throws the Dice
Michael Ryder. To tell the truth this free agency acquisition worries me. Last year at this time I wrote that I didn't understand why the Bruin's GM had obtained Manny Fernandez and this year I have a similar feeling. But at least last year I figured that it couldn't hurt to have two good goaltenders. I'm really trying to see the bright side this time around, but I'm left trying to figure out how we are better off with two Glen Murrays.
There are things here that just don't add up. Why are we told by the Bruins that Ryder is a good two-way player when he's a career -24? Why are we told that he's big going into the boards when that doesn't gel with his reputation? He's a lot faster than Muzz (Murray), I'll grant them that. And I'll add that he doesn't appear to be injured as often. Like Muzz, Ryder had a very bad year last year. But unlike Muzz he wasn't fighting injury and it was a big year prior to his free agency and his big chance to cash in. We are told that the coach didn't give him playing time, but come on. No coach is going to bench a good player just because he doesn't like the way he looks. There are no signs that Ryder was unhappy or having personal differences with the coaching staff. So why did he spend his big year on the bench?
No, there only seems to be one clear reason why Ryder is coming to Boston: coach Julien wants him. And to tell the truth, if I were Chiarelli I'd probably listen to Julien too. I just hope Julien knows what he's doing with this guy. A change of scenery and a new coach that believes in a player has the potential to bring him around. But it's a big gamble. Not only is Chiarelli gambling that Ryder helps the team by scoring, but he's gambling that Ryder will respond to Julien's defense-first system and become a better two-way player. But what worries me most are the consequences for the GM if this gamble makes him look foolish. How many bad moves will Chiarelli be allowed before someone with less hockey acumen starts looking over his shoulder and telling him what to do?
There are things here that just don't add up. Why are we told by the Bruins that Ryder is a good two-way player when he's a career -24? Why are we told that he's big going into the boards when that doesn't gel with his reputation? He's a lot faster than Muzz (Murray), I'll grant them that. And I'll add that he doesn't appear to be injured as often. Like Muzz, Ryder had a very bad year last year. But unlike Muzz he wasn't fighting injury and it was a big year prior to his free agency and his big chance to cash in. We are told that the coach didn't give him playing time, but come on. No coach is going to bench a good player just because he doesn't like the way he looks. There are no signs that Ryder was unhappy or having personal differences with the coaching staff. So why did he spend his big year on the bench?
No, there only seems to be one clear reason why Ryder is coming to Boston: coach Julien wants him. And to tell the truth, if I were Chiarelli I'd probably listen to Julien too. I just hope Julien knows what he's doing with this guy. A change of scenery and a new coach that believes in a player has the potential to bring him around. But it's a big gamble. Not only is Chiarelli gambling that Ryder helps the team by scoring, but he's gambling that Ryder will respond to Julien's defense-first system and become a better two-way player. But what worries me most are the consequences for the GM if this gamble makes him look foolish. How many bad moves will Chiarelli be allowed before someone with less hockey acumen starts looking over his shoulder and telling him what to do?
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