Friday, March 26, 2010

Game 73 Review: BRUINS 3 BOLTS 5 BOY THAT STAMKOS KID SURE IS GOOD

This picture is hilarious, click on it and take a close look at Recchi's face.

So the Lightning are a good young team, and even though they're probably not making the playoffs this year (then again that the Bruins are in the conversation is kind of ridiculous). That Stamkos kid sure does have a killer shot. Here's the goal-scoring race:Ovechkin, sure. Crosby, yup he's been scoring more. Stamkos? Hot damn. Kid can score. Especially last night, where the home-town fans were treated to a spectacular finnish goaltending performance. Of course it was in the wrong net, as Nittymaki stopped nearly all of the 50 shots on net. I guess it's better than no shots on net, but nobody ever said those shots were any good. The two goals were made out of getting someone next to the net and hoping for the best.

Really, though, Stamkos is way exciting and I like watching him play. At least, that's what I'm choosing out of this awful game.
Final: 3-5 bad guys.
GO BRUINS!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Game Review: BRUINS 4 THRASHERS 0 WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

4-0
GO BRUINS!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Game 71 Review: BRUINS 2 RAGS 1 I'LL TAKE IT I GUESS

Before we get all excited about this one win, let's remember that the Bruins were playing the Rangers, who are a bad team this year. I mean, it's not like the Bruins are any better, but still.

The big parts of the first are Stuart gets boarded by Prospal:

Patrice Bergeron jumping right up in Vaclav's face like that, attaboy. Stuart getting up and ruining Gaborik's day was pretty good too. And there was a fight.

The scoring started late in the second.

Let's look at what the Rangers defense was doing during the two goals.

First goal:As you can see, Ference is over on the left. He's got the puck. That ranger sitting in the middle of nowhere, considering maybe blocking a pass but giving plenty of open space? Vinny Prospal. All Ference has to do it get it across to Miroslav Satan, and for once the cross-crease pass connects.
I mean, look at that pretty passing lane and lack of defense. It looks like last year (hahahahahaha I wish)

Goal.
1-0
A sigh of relief, for sure.

The Bruins close out the second with this little ditty:

Attaboy, Begin.

The next period, the Rangers give another gift to the Bruins, leaving Dennis Wideman all alone at the top of the circle. He fumbles the pass, but manages to snipe backhand top shelf on lundqvist, who was probably screened all to hell by Olli Jokinen right there.
At least, that's the excuse I'd use if I were Lundqvist.
2-0
Goal.

Tuukka gave up a goal with a couple minutes to go, he wasn't happy about it.

2-1
Game.

Overall, I'll take it. Not a great team or against a great opponent, but it makes playoff chances look better and there's nothing wrong with that.
GO BRUINS!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Game 71 Preview: Bruins vs. Rangers WHO DOESN'T LIKE MORNING HOCKEY

Ugh, it's too early for a proper preview. Both teams are bad. Gaborik is good. Avery's been playing well, but too boring. Here's hoping he does something really dumb on national TV, and it doesn't help the Rangers.

Here's hoping you're going and not "Golding out the garden" like SCoC suggested.

Game at 12:30 on NBC of all channels.

Frolunda is still alive in the playoffs, and Axelsson should come back soon for them. They're 1-1 in a seven-game series right now.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Game 70 Recap: BRUINS 0 PENS 3 A WELL-BALANCED PILE OF CRAP

Goddamn, that was awful. Good thing the 1970 team reception was cool.

the best part of the game was the thornton/cooke fight and even that was pretty mediocre at best.

I don't want to relive that, so no recap.

GO BRUINS!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Today's STH press conference recap

So I sat in on the Chiarelli conference call today with season ticket holders, and live-tweeted it. I'm collecting what I said there here, because it's easier to find later I figured not everyone who reads this follows me on twitter. I'm at HBAdventure, by the way. Here it is:

Chiarelli uses "identity" to mean "winning," p.s.

Chiarelli: Teemu Selanne was asked about, but wasn't available. Stempniak, etc, would have been "marginal" impact.

Chiarelli: Mcquaid, Caron, maybe Hamill, Colburne, TOR draft pick could all be full-time Bruins next year, but need vets to push them to be competitive.

Chiarelli: draft position will define offseason moves. if hall/seguin come to Boston, will be looked to to be high-scoring rookies. If not, free agency or trade.
The free agent market sucks this year, so let's not overpay.
Chiarelli: "I promise you that [last year's identity] will be back" "I challenged them to get it back this year" breaking: might make moves

Chiarelli: defensemen haven't been scoring nearly as much, knows bruins need to score, will "do something from a personnel perspective"

Chiarelli: kobasew is a high-character kid, but injury-prone. Bruins needed help on pk. "Chara growing everyday" Good question wickedbruinsfan

Chiarelli: players weren't ready mentally to live up to expectations at home. Bruins have 2 sports psychologists. Have done home-game hotel stays a couple times.

Chiarelli: We've been patient with tuukka, be careful with young goalies. Goalies are better developed at slower pace, peak at 25-26. Tim isn't the player he was last year, but he's very competitive.

Chiarelli: NHL told Bruins "just play the game" 2010 isn't 1970, "can't advocate frontier justice" NHL "dropped the ball" hopes for a win

Chiarelli: "I hope this year's a blip," expected year to go better. Can only move forward. Hopes STHs give bruins a 2nd chance.

Yup RT @Dwatson783: PC- "not making excuses for the team's performance." he's disgusted with it as well

Chiarelli: Seidenberg improved since summer, Morris misread before signing. Wideman pressed this year, isn't last year's player, due to reasons he can and can't discuss. High expectations from fans. Does things on the powerplay other's can't.
I'm not sure what the reasons he can't discuss are, but I hope Wideman gets out of his funk.
Chiarelli: "coming jnto this call, I prepared all defensive responses." proud of tuukka, Patrice, team "trying to hold it together"

Chiarelli: seen a static neutral zone, regrouping, no confidence, "forecheck hasn't been totally successful" Have to adapt.

Chiarelli: there's a lot of things that happened this summer. Complacency.

Chiarelli: "I love his size. I love his try....I like Mark Stuart". Hopes he inherits leadership. Thanks fans, and we're done here.

And there's the re-posting of my twitter updates during this. I hope you enjoyed it.

GO BRUINS!

Game 70: Bruins vs. Penguins: FRED STANFIELD PARTY

This isn't a game preview because this game has been talked about for the last since-savard-had-to-sit-in-a-dark-quiet-room and I frankly am going to just sit back and enjoy the ride if possible.


This night is supposed to honor the 1970 cup team.

Dammit, I intend to do that. First of all, because you all know how much I love the numbers:
Here's the link to the Hockey-reference page, check it out.

Of interest first is the goaltending. In the regular season, the duties were split pretty evenly, 41/37 between Johnston and Cheevers. They didn't count shots in those days, but Cheevers' GAA was better than Johnston's:
And then Cheevers gets almost all the starts for the playoffs. Johnston has 1 start, 60 minutes, 4 goals against, and no wins. Like the Red Wings' Hasek in 2008. Cheevers was lights out, giving up just as many losses as one-game Johnston and riding a 2.23 GAA to 12 wins and the cup.I'm sure the scoring does something interesting too, like for example the top scorers on the team change between the regular season:
And the playoffs:
Espo and Orr switch, as do McKenzie and Bucyk. Number 5 on both lists, behind 3 hall-of-famers and some schlub named John McKenzie was Fred Stanfield, who most people probably wouldn't know on the street (especially 40 years later, but whatever.) Here's a quick write-up about Fred from excellent hockey history blogger, Joe Pelletier:
"It's true we move the puck around pretty well," said Stanfield when describing his line's play. "I can make soft passes or hard ones. With guys who can go like Chief and Pie, I throw it to them real hard. They can reach them, and it gives them more time to make the play. We keep the passes off the ice and that's to our advantage because the puck doesn't get blocked by anybody's stick that way."
More here on Fred Stanfield.

It was a hell of a team, I tell you what. Here's the page on the Bruins website detailing the full list of attendees, past and present. Thanks to a generous gift (thanks mom!) I'm lucky enough to go. Hell yeah.

Here's the story in some famous and less-famous pictures:
I think it'll be at least a year if not 2 from now before we're anywhere close to this type of elation again, but I'm a pessimist.

Interesting note: Despite being one of the worse original six teams through most of the league's history, the Bruins are still in the top 5 of all-time stanley cups, and only behind habs, Toronto, and Detroit of the original six.

Suck our tailpipe, Chicago and New York.

The funny thing is one of the least popular men in Boston is named after one of the (at one time) most popular men. A man who answered "a blond and a steak" to "what's your favorite pre-game meal." A man who set up The Goal. A man named Derek Sanderson. And a man named after him, Derek Sanderson Jeter.

Fuck the Yankees, too.

Now, on to some shitty things. This man:is Colin Campbell,
who thinks that Intent to Injure isn't a penalty in itself, but can only be tacked on to other penalties.

Now, I'm not telling you to do something stupid and get arrested, but I am saying that
Colin Campbell will be in the building tonight.
That's right, in the building.

So stay calm and don't get yourself arrested, but boo the shit out of his ugly mug if he shows up on the jumbotron. He's doing a great job of "but my hands are tied, I can't POSSIBLY do anything about this hit since it's the same as the Richards one from last year that I fucked up and didn't suspend Richards for because he's a star" and turning Ovechkin into the next Pronger.

Whatever.

Stats!
GO BRUINS!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Game 69 Review: BRUINS 5 CAN('T)ES 2 BRUINS WIN OH GOD IS PATRICE OKAY?

The only thing this game was missing was Tim Thomas getting a shutout. Between Wideman and doing a good job (check out that crease-clear at the beginning of the game), hunwick creating a goal from the defensive zone, and a slick Ryder snipe, it was fan un-favorite night in Carolina.

Of course by that time, Seidenberg had already showed up 5 minutes earlier and thrown a shot near the net, redirected in by Bergeron. hellooooo, 1-0 lead in the first :30.

Then other fan un-favorite Matt Hunwick stick-checks the puck off LaRose's stick on a two-on-one. Boychuk picks it up, gets it up to Ryder, who puts it back on Hunwick's stick. Hunwick pours the puck onto Boychuk's streaking stick, who leads the rush and 5-holes Legace.

Everything seemed to go downhill from there for the Hurricanes. Or maybe from week 6:

Either way, Boston put up another 5-goal game on the road. Here's the full highlights, courtesy of NHL.com:


Here's hoping that translates tomorrow.
GO BRUINS!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Game 68 Revi-screw it. Game 69 (heh) Preview: Bruins vs. Carolina

Game 68 review:
Marty had more points than goals allowed in the 0th, Bruins battled back in the 1st and 2nd, but after two they couldn't win. Wait, that first period counted? Damn. 2-3 Bad Guys in regulation, not helping the playoff hopes much.

On to our next game. Carolina again. I do believe they're in the usual Carolina-goes-on-a-tear-and-might-squeek-into-the-playoffs mode right now, but that's mostly a hunch. It's also maybe too late, but the East is just downright terrible this year so who knows.

No morning skate for the Bruins before their 7th road game in a row. After this, they can go home. Here's hoping they don't return without a shield.

Hoo boy, 5 o'clock already?

Stats!
Memento Mori.
GO BRUINS!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Game 68 Preview: Bruins at Devils CHEESEBURGER DUEL

(unrelated, but it is American Hero Mark Stuart beating the tar out of noted man of ill repute Dan Carcillo. Click for high-res)

Where am I? Is this...home? Is this? Hockey? What?

I do believe we are back in action after what can only be termed "malaise" (per court order) set in about this little blog here. But it's time to get back on the horse. We've got some playoffs to make, though my reaction to making the playoffs will be more one of pleasant surprise than a triumphant affirmation of what I believed all along. Whatever. It's bloggy-blog time, and we've got an appointment with the man downstairs.

Luckily, Satan is on our side (and skating in practice!)

Looks like Cheeseburger Duel in nets with Thomas and Marty.

The devils are ridiculous good again this year, but our special teams is better in everything except short-handed goals for. Our last 10 is better than their last 10. Is that...hope...I hear? Nah, probably not. Whatever.

Stats!
What color are your rain boots?
GO BRUINS!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Game 62: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs WELCOME TO DUNDERDOME

Welcome to Boston, Dennis!
Game 62
7:00 PM March 4, 2010
NESN, VS (in New York), 98.5 FM
vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (19-32-11)


There are a lot of people angry about Chiarelli not making enough moves, or making too many, or not going for the cup this year, or not blowing the team up completely.

Whatever, this is the team we've got. I'm not the GM and I doubt you are either (If you are, hello Peter! I hope you're enjoying this!) so we can rant and rave and whatever, but really there isn't much you can do about it except cry into your pillow at night.

This ain't the year.

Anyhow, let's look at the new kid:

Crushing a hab? Check.


Sniping from the blue-line? Check.

Really he should hopefully be at least as good as derrick morris, I'm hoping, maybe, please please I want to see a win before the year is out dammit.

Hey, could be worse. Could be Edmonton. Or Calgary. Or Toronto....who we're playing tonight.

News:
Tuukka is out day to day with lower body injury, Bergeron is sitting with a tweaked groin, Matthew "who?" Dalton will be backing up Thomas and Dany Sabourin is on re-entry waivers from Providence.

Welp.
If the Bruins don't win at home tonight, they'll have to wait until March 18th to try again.

Stats!
GO BRUINS!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Game 61: Bruins vs. Habs GAME ON

Game 61
7:00 PM ET March 2, 2010
NESN, 98.5 FM
vs. Habs (29-28-6)

Well, the Olympics are over and what a games they were. I found out Curling owns and that team USA is actually pretty alright as it turns out. Also, this man:
Is a true American hero, and easily the best player of the tourney. Hell of a final, to boot. Oh well, back to the NHL grind!

Trade deadline is tomorrow at 3pm, Bruins will likely make some move but...To be honest they're worse, in terms of points accumulated after 60 games, than the 08 team that barely squeaked into the playoffs. It's not like they're out or anything, they're just not doing as well.

Stats!
Montreal is one team apart from Boston in pretty much everything I looked at, and below at that! Their powerplay is dangerous, though, nearly at 25% conversion, good for second in the league. Here's the rest of the stats:
The NHL is back, baby!
GO BRUINS!