Playoffs in Pictures: Round 1 Game 1+2 Habs @ Bruins

Ugh, let's move past this quickly since it sucked. Here's games one and two, both losses at home, of the Habs/Bruins series. Every journey begins with a loss at home a single step.

Game 1:

Game 2:

Okay, everyone puke and get ready for the rest of the games because they are/will be a lot better.

Status: down 0-2

Emotion: Tip your garden beer vendor extra, this series is over and you won't see them again until next year. By the time next morning rolls around, you're telling everyone at work who is giving you shit (aka everyone) "Bruins in 6!"

A coward dies a thousand deaths.

GO BRUINS!

Round 1: NO HABS NO

Here we go again...

Well it's Bruins vs. Habs and in my time humbly (or not-so-humbly) blogging I think I've covered this once or twice. This will be the 49th time I use the "Habs Suck" tag on a post. I think my favorite was about 2 years ago, honestly. And if it's not your favorite, please be to be checking in with Four Habs Fans, the only good habs blog on the internet. Ask HF10 about his favorite player, Cam Neely. As for good Bruins blogs, there's pretty much one and it's Days of Y'Orr so give the champs some love.

Stats? They don't matter much now. It's the Habs, it's at home, it's whatever. There's little left to say. There are some storylines or whatever.

Time to make some history.

Time to keep the Alouettes as the last team in Montreal with a championship.

Time to go.

GO BRUINS!

Game 73: Habs @ Bruins RIVALRY

Big rivalry game tonight. Nothing to do about it except go lose your voice at the game.

You should know the storylines by now. I really don't have to write much of anything at all.

Stats!

Feels like days until puck drop.

Habs suck but 4 habs fans doesn't, check them out.

Bruins magic number is 7 to clinch a playoff berth, 14 to clinch the division.

GO BRUINS!

Hockey's biggest rivalry officially home to Hockey's biggest captain height difference

Oh Captain my Captain!

Yup, it's official. The Habs announced yesterday that Gionta will be leading the Habs down the yellow brick road to wherever they're going this year.

Tis the season for season previews but I don't think I'm doing one. I never get it right and even if I did I don't think I'd care to spend all day patting myself on the back about it. Let's just say there's plenty to be excited about this year.

GO BRUINS!

Preseason Game 1: BRUINS 4 HABS 2 PATRICE AND THE GOOMBA

Thanks, TSN, for that amazing headline/picture combo.

No, I'm not going to write up a review. The events are all over the place. Horton scored in the first 1:35. If anyone has a youtube or whatever from puck-drop to that first goal, I'd love to see it. I am, however, going to just put this gif right here:

Yeah, that owned. Spacek is probably still chasing Bergeron.

GO BRUINS!

Youtube (black and) Gold: Monday sucks let's watch highlights!

November 16th, 1989. The Bruins are playing Montreal at home in their third meeting of the season. Patrick Roy against Andy Moog. Cam Neely, Ray Bourque, Glen Wesley, Bob and Don Sweeney, Ken Linsemen. Coach Terry O'Reilly. What a team that year. Fuck Mark Messier forever. Anyhow this video was cut together by my favorite youtube superstar, dafoomie:

Classic Cusick.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could still hear his voice when the Bruins score? I think it would. That link goes to an excellent proposal by Days of Y'orr, my favorite new Bruins blog.

Is it October yet? No?

How about September?

...sigh...

GO BRUINS!

Bruins 4 Sabres 2 Refs 0 THE SECOND ROUND AGAIN???

First off let me just say that this team has been all over the place this year so I've been expecting the worst since about mid-season. The worst keeps threatening to come close but the team's still alive so I'm pleased. I'm sure the rest of you are too. Well, unless you're this guy:(seriously, buffalo?)
The reasons the Bruins beat the Sabres weren't that complicated. Our superstar goalie was a smidge better than their superstar goalie. Our PK owned the shit out of their PP. 100% PK effectiveness.

100%.

Huge job by the guys playing PK minutes. Who are those guys? Here's your first line, by SHM/G:
On defense: Johnny Boychuk (2:53) and Zdeno "Oh Captain my Captain" Chara (2:52). 4 seconds difference in total SHTOI for the series which is near-negligable. They were rocks and it showed.

Hunwick and Wideman pulled down the next-biggest amount of PK time with 2:29 and 2:21, and Paille and Begin ended up with the most minutes for forwards. Neither scored a goal (Paille had one assist) but they did a great job with the PK. So, of course, did

TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKK
2.18/.927

Who stole a couple games for the low-scoring Bruins. The test now, of course, is whether they can continue to get some timely goals or Buffalo was just that bad. I mean, it's possible that the hitting did wear down Buffalo, especially when it took Vanek out for 3.5 games. Look, the Bruins were so used to hitting that they even took down Krejci post-goal:So there's that. Then of course there's the storyline of former player vs old team. Sometimes that works out (Rask vs Toronto) sometimes it doesn't (Kessel vs. Boston.....so far) and sometimes you just gotta go running with the devil. Hail Satan. he scored 2 GWG this series, both of them huge:Tyler Myer's long legs make for a giant 5-hole.

Series-winning snipe? Sure thing!

Basically I envision all Buffalo fans look like this:
All of the time. At work (if they're lucky enough to still have a job), at a game, at...wherever else there is in Buffalo. I guess it's probably warm enough out there for golf, and as some kind-hearted Sabres fan was quick to point out in game one,

4-2
Game.
Set.
Series.

Montreal plays in Washington tonight for game 7. Habs win and Philly comes to us. Washington wins and we play at Pittsburgh.I know which matchup I like better but goddamn do I hate Montreal.
GO BRUINS!

Game 80 Preview: Bruins vs. Hurrican'ts I KNOW WHAT I WANT FOR FAN APPRECIATION DAY (HINT IT'S EYEBLEAF'S FAVORITE)

It's kind of fun that the last home game of the Bruins regular season is also the first home game of the Revolution season. Revs play TorontoFC at like 7pm tonight so unless you're watching Habs/Leafs on NHLNetwork (which you totally should be and rooting for Toronto) maybe flip that o-hahahahahaha oh my who watches MLS on TV anyways?

Regardless, the Bruins have a chance to clinch at home with a win today. 3 points today and tomorrow clinches 6th which isn't so bad. But check this out: Montreal might still miss. Here's how:

• Bruins get at least a point today (though they need a win to clinch).
• Toronto beats Montreal in regulation.
• Rangers beat Philly in overtime tomorrow.

Bonus: The Maple Leafs are locked in to 29th place for the season so you don't have to feel bad about them winning and maybe us not getting as good a draft pick. The draft lottery is on Tuesday, but you can check in with the Oilers website for all your lottery simulation fun. Hit reload to re-run the simulation.

Here's the probabilities for Boston's pick from Toronto:

• 1st overall chance: 18.8%
• 2nd overall chance: 42.0%
• 3rd overall chance: 39.2%
• 4th or higher chance: 0.000% ()
  

So things are looking up in Bruins-land. The crazies are giving up and moving on to the Red Sox. Bruins have a 60.8% chance of picking Hall or Seguin, both of whom will likely help a starved Bruins offense next year. And the playoffs are looking like a reality. Brilliant!

As for the season so far, it's been a disappointing one so far. A bunch of players aren't having career years again and we aren't even dominating the habs. However, hope springs eternal for the Bruins as they aren't eliminated from the playoffs. Minnesota is but who didn't expect that. The important part about the Minnesota season this year is Guillaime Latendresse who got traded from the Montreal media asking him why he didn't score a hat trick every night to the hokiest team in hockey and the hard-hitting reporting of the Minnesota media (actually I like Mike Russo a lot but they seem to be friendlier in Minnesota. Minnesota Nice. Nice. The folks over at Hockey Wilderness have taken to calling him BTE (Best Trade Ever). Of course when you're a ten-year-old team that's less difficult.

I know I don't shut up about how awesome Steve Stamkos is but I'm signing up for Stammer's Sweethearts, especially after how hilarious this chart of where he's scored his goals from:

If you want to see the same kind of chart for Crosby (king of the tip-in) and Ovechkin (shoots from everywhere, scores from everywhere, Russian machine never break) Check it out on NHL.com. The MLS website could take some queues from them. Stamkos owns and I hope he scores 8 goals this weekend and takes the Rocket Richard.

Wisconsin is playing BC tonight in the NCAA Frozen Four Final.

GO WISCONSIN
GO REVOLUTION
GO LEAFS, GO RANGERS IN OT TOMORROW
GO BRUINS!

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!

Game 57 Preview: Bruins @ Habs FOOTBAAAAUUUUUUUU

Game 57
3 PM February 7, 2010
NESN, 98.5 FM
vs Habs (28-25-6)

Welp, losing this game would push the Bruins to tying their longest losing streak ever, set in the historic first season of the Bruins in 1924-25. They played in what is now Northeastern's Matthews Arena back then. Here's how that season went:

That year, the Habs won the Stanley Cup Finals by forfeit. That's right, one of their 24 or whatever cups was just handed to them because the players on the Hamilton Tigers went on strike. Probably reasonable for them to do, but it sure does help Habs fans get smug about total cups. Whatever. The Bruins went 6-24-0 that year, which isn't the worst first season ever for all teams, but it's pretty bad. Oh well.

I wanted the Bruins to break some records and end up with a lottery pick, but I didn't mean for it to happen like this.

Stats!

Go Saints.
GO BRUINS!

Game 55 Preview: Bruins vs. Habs THE QUEST FOR ONE CONTINUES

Game 55
7 PM, February 4, 2010
NESN, 98.5 FM
vs. Habs (26-25-6)

The Montreal powerplay is humming along at a brisk %25.15, second only to Washington right now. And their PK is 8th with %83.48. The Bruins have the 2nd-best PK with 86.67, but our PP is still a dreadful 19th at %17.68. Basically, a man up OR a man down isn't ideal. Then again, neither is 5-on-5 really. Hmmm.

The Bruins haven't won at the Gahden since last year, they're on a losing streak not seen since the 50s, and generally things are pretty low. I don't think Ilya Kovalchuk's walking through that door, either. At least, not without trading Lucic or something.

Halak and Rask in net, in the battle of backups playing better than their anointed starters.

Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin are both out for the Olympics, so you no longer have to cheer for a villain. Tim Gleason and Ryan Whitney are taking their place. USA! USA! USA!

Welp, here's hoping they don't lose another one. Sigh...

Stats!

Haha, we have the same winning percentage. But 3 games in hand. Hmmm. Still pretty grim.

But wait, there's this little picture from the official Bruins twitter:

Mustache in effect.
I've got a good feeling all of a sudden.

Hope Springs Eternal.
GO BRUINS!

Game 15 Recap: BRUINS 1 HABS 1 SO LOSS AT LEAST WE SCORED DAMMIT

Yup, we lost. To the habs. At home. First meeting of the year. Woof. It was a pretty even game - Thomas has been playing well but the Bruins couldn't score worth shit. They made Carey look like some kind of NHL goalie, which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what we want to happen.

Regardless... Montreal scored in the first and the Bruins continued to play well defensively throughout the period, but couldn't get any pucks past Caaaaaaaaaareeeeeeeeeeey
0-1.

Second period blah blah blah continue shutout against streak something something 1929 blah blah blah.

Oh and this:

Gionta whiffed on it. Incidentally there was a habs fan behind me yelling "go big wiffa! hey big wiffa!" for most of the night.

With a little over a minute to go, Thomas is pulled and Chara goes to the net. He stands in front, and uses his mass to gravitationally pull all the defenders and goalie to him, so when the point shot gets a side rebound, Patrice just has to pop it in. And we go to overtime!

1-1.

blah blah blah shootout blah blah blah bruins can't score

1-2.
Loss.

Damn.

Well, at least they scored, I guess.

GO BRUINS!

Game 15 Preview: Bruins vs. Habs LET'S SCORE THIS TIME READY GO

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaarreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey or HAL GILL SUCKS HAL GILL SUCKS? Life is full of difficult decisions...
Game 15
7pm, 5th November 2009
NESN, 98.5 FM
vs. Habs (7-8-0)

So half the storyline/chant for tonight's game is out for a couple weeks with a hairline fracture in his foot. Probably just took root, though.

Krejci is out with Swine Flu, unfortunately. He'll be out until he has no fever or symptoms for 24 hours. Get well soon, kiddo.

In the meantime, bruins blog has posted tonight's lineup. Let's take a look at that center slot, eh?

Patrice Bergeron.

Status: Baller, shot-caller.

Vladimir Sobotka.

Status: The Littlest Big Checking Czech

Steve Begin.

Status: Wretched little shit* playing his old team for the first time in Black and Gold.

*That would be OUR wretched little shit.

Trent Whitfield.

Status: MURDER (please?)

blergh.

So those are our centers. Currently missing from the lineup: Savard, Krejci, Bitz, Lucic. On the other hand, 18% of the NHL has been on IR so far, and the Canucks are especially bad - even their callups are getting hurt.

Thomas was off the ice first and I'm hoping 09 playoffs thomas shows up instead of 08 playoffs Thomas, since this team can't score for shit.

Price is also in net, and well.....
CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY
CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY
CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY
CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY

He's currently rocking a 3.64 GAA and .883 SV%. Note: this is actually better than he was in the playoffs last year. bwahahahaha

But we're missing a lot of guys from that playoff team right now, either to trades or free agency or players whining their way out of Boston for some first-round picks. Anyhow, there are some road-trippers from Montreal coming to the game, make sure to remind them of last year before the game in case the game doesn't remind anyone of last year.

Speaking of habs fans, if you've made it this far you should jump on over to Four Habs Fans and see how team despair is done! (seriously, one of these days I'm going to Montreal for a game and probably to arm-wrestle HF10 or something)

UPDATE: TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK

One way or another,
GO BRUINS!

Lazy Links: Did you see that last night?

No game to recap, preview's not until tomorrow....must be time for some lazy links!

• Hell of a game from Crosby and Ovechkin and Steckel last night.
• Seriously, check out these highlights.
• A Habs fan made a new site celebrating one of my favorite moments in the playoffs so far: http://www.booingthegoalie.com/
• Some interesting tidbits about the series so far.
  
• The USA team has advanced to the quarterfinals at the IIHF World championships.
• Speaking of which, the official power rankings are hilarious.
• The USA plays Finland at 4:15 PM Eastern tomorrow, and is not viewable anywhere in the USA.
• I took pictures at the Bruins home games. Trip Report: Game 2 will go there soon enough.
  
• The NO HABS NO campaign has come to an end for this year: Recchi | Playoffs
  
• I had this song stuck in my head all day yesterday:

GO BRUINS!

Round 1 Game 4 Recap: BRUINS 4 HABS 1 HOW SWEEP IT IS TO BEAT HABS LIKE YOU / TOO MANY MEN NOT ENOUGH PLAYERS

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ok, so like this game was like, SOOOOOOO AWESOME! OMG! Like, did you see when the Habs fans jeered Carey Price? Like, Omigod!

Seriously, though. Wow.

That's domination.
4-2
5-1
4-2
4-1
What a series.

I don't even care about the goals. They're all here.

But here's the deal:
Michael Ryder: 2g 1a
David Krejci: 1g 1a (should be 2, but some dirty hab hit it between krejci and ryder on the first bruins goal)

For the whiners: Kessel was totally offsides and it was awesome.

Tim Thomas played shutout hockey for the last 59:21 seconds of the game.

Game.

WIN!

4-0

HOW SWEEP IT IS TO BEAT HABS LIKE YOU
LIKE YOU
LIKE YOU
LIKE YOU

Is it even warm enough to be golfing near Montreal right now?

Ok, Bruins earned a little time off. No practice on thursday. Gotta remember:STAY HUNGRY!

More on this on Friday. It's going to be good. Different Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel.

GO BRUINS!

Round 1 Game 3 Recap: BRUINS 4 HABS 2 THORNTON > THORNTON

First of all, check this out:Joe Thornton has worse stats in 40-something minutes of ice time than Shawn Thornton does through 31. Awesome.

Almost as awesome as this game. Let's get to it, I've got things to do besides update this blog.

There sounds like there's some booing during the national anthem. Stay classy, Montreal.

Once the game begins, the Habs come out flying. Flying so high that their wings get burned, in the form of a penalty. Bruins powerplay looks great, doesn't finish. Habs are still energetic. They come off the powerplay and the Habs are still flying around like crazy. After about 11 minutes of that,

Chris Higgins.
0-1. OH SHI-

It's a pretty big goal and it looks like it might hold for the rest of the period until Komisarek decides to pass it to Wideman on the blueline. Wideman shoots it in, and Kessel tips it past CAAAAAAAARRREEEEEEEEEY.

GOAL!

1-1. Oh that feels so much better than the last playoff game in Montreal.

Second Period.
At three minutes into the second period, Byron Bitz is forechecking like crazy. Shawn Thornton skates into the slot, and wrists the puck right past CAAAAAAAARRREEEEEEEEY.

GOAL!

2-1. Shawn Thornton has more goals than Joe Thornton. Byron Bitz gets his first NHL playoff point in his first playoff game. Yelle with the second assist. What a line.

About 2 minutes later, off a faceoff.
Weber
2-2. Aw crap they tied it up.

3 minutes later about 8 guys get roughing penalties and there is some scrumming happening.

Whatever. The Bruins are here to win a hockey game.

Marc Savard makes a beautiful shot short side that bounces off the inside of the post, hits Carey Price in the back, hits the same post AGAIN, and bounces out. Price got lucky.

Luckily, Michael Ryder has an unreal shot. He shoots one in, in bounces back to Stuart at the point who puts it on net, then up to Wideman who does the same. Ryder gets it and has more than a 1x3 inch hole to put it in.

GOAL!

3-2. Please don't let the Habs score again, a Ryder game winner on Montreal ice is just too delicious for words.

Your tears sustain me.

Besides an immediate crap penalty on Recchi and immediate penalty kill, we're off to the

Third Period.

I don't know what kind of awesome sauce is going on here, but it's delicious. The Bruins are playing well, the Habs are not really doing that. Boston only got 7 shots on goal in the third, but Montreal, at the brink of defeat, only had 5.

Price is pulled.

H/T to Puck Daddy for getting this clip on Youtube before anyone else:

We love you, Jack.

Game.
Sox won 12-1, Ray Allen beat the buzzer and the bulls with a 3, and the bruins, well, they...

WIN!

3-0

GO BRUINS!

Round 1 Game 2 Recap: BRUINS 5 HABS 1 WHERES YOUR GOALIE CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP

Where to begin?

This game ruled. There are not enough positive descriptors to accurately convey that. I'll have to make do. Let's take a look at why, though.

I took some pictures with my cell phone, they're up over at the Cycle Like the Sedins BruinsVHabs miniblog.

First of all, if it's the playoffs, you get to the arena early. You get ready for some chanting. We got there wicked early, and took a stroll around the arena. Made some signs that said CAAAAAAAA and REEEEEEEY! on them. We thought they were clever. We headed down to the glass on the Montreal zone and waited for warmups to begin. Taunting happened, it was awesome. 2 highlights: Carey Price is going over to our corner (as goalies do during warmups) and we start chanting at him and have the signs up. He looks over and skates to the other side. Awesome. Also some Hab (didn't see who) whips a puck directly at us. Seriously, bounced right off the glass in front of my face, left some water droplets. Awesome.

I now think I've told that story to everyone, so I'll let it rest.

The game starts and it's awesome.

About 9 minutes in we get our first penalty. And that means bruins powerplay time. They have to do a little forecheck, but somehow Savard ends up between the circles with the puck on his stick. Snapshot.

GOAL!

1-0. Savard is a beast. (and I've got him in the fantasy pool! Awesome!)

about 5 minutes later, the puck is in the Montreal zone again. They push it around a bunch and Kobasew works the front of the net. Works the puck right into the back of the net.
GOAL!
2-0. Kobasew is awesome. Carey gives this little shrug after the goal and looks at the ref. Here:Then thanks to Higgins, it's bruins powerplay time again but they don't get it.
Then Kostopolous and Kessel get matching minors for roughing. I believe this is when Thomas uses his goalie powers to push Kostopolous away. Solid move by the tank.

Then Schneider takes a roughing penalty and the first diving penalty of the series is called....On Patrice Bergeron. But he's not done tonight in the penalty box. No sir.

Second Period begins. Kovalev.
2-1.
Crap. This is going to be another close one, you can feel it. Kovalev is pretty good in 4-on-4.

Luckily, Carey Price is still in the other net. Shane Hnidy knows this. He gets a drop pass from Axelsson and snipes it.

GOAL!

3-1. SHANE HNIDY SCORED ON YOU ARE YOU KIDDING ME CAREY? HAHAHAHAHAHA

Glen Metropolit, in service to his old team, gets two minutes for having too much porn stache going on. Bruins. Powerplay. Savard across to Ryder. Ryder fakes, sends it back to Savard. Snipe, Snipe.

GOAL!

4-1. Savard hat trick watch: Activated.

Tanguay gets my fantasy team half a point with 2 PIMs. Goes nowhere. A bunch of good play, back and forth. Kovalev hooks.

As the period is ending, the Bruins are still on the PP. Thomas passes it up to Savard. Savard to Ryder. Ryder gets a nice little snap shot upstairs on Carey.
GOAL!
5-1. Delicious.

Price sits on the bench for the rest of the game. Halak stops all 5 shots. Bergeron beats up Josh Gorges. CONCUSS THAT! Youtube here. Dafoomie is a youtube superstar.

Some other crap happens at the end of the game, Lucic is probably going to be suspended a game for it.

Game.

WIN!

2-0

GO BRUINS!

Playoffs: (1) Bruins vs. (8) Habs: Lazy Links, Playoff Preview Edition

Pretty much everything that can be written about this series is being written. So I have two options: Regurgitate what everyone else is saying, or analyze the analysts. I've always liked to think I'm ripping off thepensblog anyways. Anyhow, carrying on, here is your playoff preview edition of Lazy Links:

• Four Habs Fans: Goalies and D | Forwards ("You want to beat these guys? You skate, you skate like fucking Kristi Yamaguchi and you move the puck forward and quickly.the.fuck.out.of.your.zone.") | CLtS Preview
• TwoLinePass: Bigtime Playoff Preview. Funny guy, read his stuff. "The No. 8 Montreal Canadiens: WHY WE’RE GOIN’ ALL THE WAY: Carey Price seems to be playing better lately, and they might just be able to cajole Alex Kovalev into caring. WHY THIS TEAM SUCKS: But probably not."
  
• Melt Your Face Off: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOO U BEN HIDIN IN DA WEEDZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs ADV: Bs"
• The Old NHL: Asked me to contribute. Go read what I wrote there!
  
• Puck Daddy: Doesn't like my blog. Boo. (but writes well)
  
• Kynch's Korner: C'mon, Habs are not the Ninja Turtles. They would need to be way awesomer.
  
• Double A Hockey: "Let a bull loose in the arena"
• Barry Melrose Rocks: "Guys on Ice" chatroom-style preview
• The 2 Man Advantage: Islanders are out, but that doesn't mean they have to not write about meeting the flyers at some bar.
• On the Forecheck: The one good thing about the Preds not making the playoffs (shoulda been you, ducks) is that we get the Forechecker writing about other hockey stuff full time.
• Goon's World: Wise words from Komisarek. I might like him if he wasn't a Hab.
• Puck Prospectus:

I still think most of my playoff preview posts are less impressive than my season series in pictures.

Puck drops at 7pm tonight. Do I do a gameday preview? Signs point to yes, depends on how much work I've got.

GO BRUINS!

Oh you have got to be kidding me

Times are tough. Times are hard. The economy is in the shitter and everyone's trying to drum up some business. But this is the playoffs, and we are playing the habs. So imagine my disappointment when I see this:

You have got to be fucking with me.

I guess we know where to bar the doors tomorrow afternoon.
Better yet, sneak into the valet lot with a stack of Bruins bumper stickers.
Actually...*

GO BRUINS!
*Note to police: I am not planning on doing this.

Playoffs are coming: BRUINS (1) vs. HABS (8) A LITTLE LOOK BACK FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE

Just about any hour of the day where there isn't a red sox game or a charlie moore outdoors episode, NESN will probably be replaying Game 6 of last year. I was there. It was amazing. Watch it. I guess living in the past is nice once in a while.

But it's 2009 now.
Playoffs start anew in 2 days.
It's time to stop watching ancient game footage (or I'd be putting this Neely goal from 1990 or the 1991 Game 7 in - check out the snipe by Neely at 1:50 if you want).
Neely, Bourque, Roy, Lafleur, Orr, Esposito had their turns.
They are what has gone before.
It is Lucic, Chara, Savard, Thomas, Krejci, Kessel's turn.
Here's this year against the Habs, prepared for the game last Thursday:

GO BRUINS!