Powerplay Outage: Hiller, Ducks Beat Bruins 6-1

Is it too late to change the Boston Bruins motto from “Big and Bad are Back” to “Ten Minutes of Offensive Pressure, Fifty Minutes of Mistakes”?

While it’s still extremely early in the season, there’s no doubting that after a 6-1 demolition of the hometown boys thanks to the at-the-time winless Anaheim Ducks following the steam-rolling of Carolina last Saturday, the fans in the Hub are beginning to wonder what they’re in for this season.

My best advice? Don’t jump off the bridge when there’s still 79 games of hockey left.

Heading into tonight’s showdown at the TD Garden, the Bruins were seemingly back to their offensive-juggernaut ways after lighting up the ‘Canes for 7 goals during a Saturday night physical affair in Boston. Tonight however, Jonas Hiller and the rest of the Anaheim (no longer mighty) Ducks were more than ready. After getting peppered by 19 shots by Boston in the first period of play and only letting one Marco Sturm slapshot get by him, the feeling that this was going to be a difficult night for the Boston offense was beginning to reverberate throughout the minds of the Garden Faithful.

From there on out, it was all Anaheim.

Following an interference call on Matt Hunwick for his rather bizarre knock-down to 6′4″ Evgeny Artyukhin and questionable hooking call against Marco Sturm, the Ducks, who boasted the fourth best powerplay in 2008-09, were set up with one minute and 53 seconds of a five-on-three advantage. Turns out they’d only need a minute and thirty seconds of it to jump ahead.

It was a Teemu Selanne bullet that went by Tim Thomas, who was being screened by Corey Perry uncontested that tied that game and wouldn’t you know it, it was Teemu again who put the puck by a sprawled out Tim Thomas a minute later to give Anaheim a lead they would never relinquish.

After Corey Perry’s goal midway through the second period put the Ducks up 3-1, the Bruins seemed simply unmotivated to win, a sight similar to last week’s home opening against the Washington Capitals. Anaheim, who adopted the idealogy of quality over quantity finished the period with three goals on just six shots whereas the Bruins were held to just one goal on 30 shots through 40 minutes of play.

In similar fashion to the aforementioned game last week, Bruins netminder Tim Thomas gave up three more soft goals in the third period, including a very bizarre shorthanded goal by Corey Perry with under a minute to play and the Bruins were done.

When it comes to tonight’s loss, the Krejci line can simply not feel good about the way they played tonight. Frequently offsides and defensively irresponsible is no way to go through a game, boys. All three members of the Bruins’ second line, Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder and David Krejci finished the night with an upsetting -3.

Kudos to Boston’s fourth line tonight, which was creating offensive chances and throwing the body around all at the same time. Shawn Thornton, who has a knack for scoring highlight-reel goals was kept off the scoresheet but had a very impressive night when it came to moving the puck around and skating.

All and all, the story of tonight’s loss rests on the unsuccessful powerplay put forth by Boston. The Bruins were 0-6 on the advantage, falling to 4-19 on the season.

Dumb Quote of the Night

“*Sarcastic cheers*” – As Thomas stopped the puck after giving up the sixth goal in the closing minute of tonight’s loss.

Yes, Thomas did get shelled tonight, yes he was looking foolish at times, but why are you booing the Vezina Trophy winner from last season after a rough game? For one, the Bruins defense was not giving Thomas any help whatsoever and secondly, wouldn’t you prefer Thomas to work out the kinks from the off-season in October as opposed to in April?

Jersey-Spotting of the Night

A man walking throughout the balcony tonight in Section 314 was sporting a lovely Boston Red Sox away jersey, bearing the last name “Yankees Suck”, featuring the number 24:7. Interesting to say the least as this last name was so long that it makes Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson look like a nameplate belonging to Steve Ott.

What’s Next?

The Bruins will take to the ice in Boston on Saturday night as John Tavares makes his TD Garden debut when the New York Islanders come to town. The Isles are 0-0-2 on the season following an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators in Canada’s capital tonight. I’m about 95% sure that following tonight’s frustrating effort put forth by Tim Thomas, who stopped 24 of 30 shots, that the Bruins will give the nod to Finnish phenom Tuukka Rask.

If you haven’t done so already, follow me on Twitter!

Bruins & Julien Agree To Contract Extension

Waking up this morning, Bruins fans can't help but be happy that the coaching carousel of Boston Bruins head coaches is seemingly over. During a morning press conference at the TD Garden on Friday, the Boston Bruins announced that they had agreed to terms with head coach Claude Julien on a multi-year contract extension.

Following the firing of Dave Lewis after just one season (turns out the dump, chase, dump, chase again and ride Thomas for 60+ games system didn't work too well) the Bruins were in need of a total revamping behind the bench. As rumors swirled throughout the web that included names such as Mike Milbury, Scott Gordon and even Ray Bourque as taking over behind the Boston bench, it was former Montreal and New Jersey coach Claude Julien who received the nod of approval from Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli.

Upon his arrival to Boston in the summer of 2007, many questioned how well Julien's defensive trap system would work in Boston considering the Bruins lack of a premier goalie such as Martin Brodeur or the Jose Theodore from 2003-04. However, to say Julien has worked wonders with the tools and roster he's been given would be putting it lightly.

Since his introduction into the Bruins coaching staff, Julien has teamed up with Bob Essensa to transform Tim Thomas from a "lucky" goaltender with no set style to a Vezina winning goaltender who has a better sense of where he should be at all times and how to better utilize his defense in front of him. Under Julien, including the playoffs, Thomas has a 74-38-13 record in the defensive system. Along with the favorable record, Thomas boasts a 2.27 GAA and .927 SV% in regular season play along with eight shutouts.

Julien's style of play not helped out the Bruins goaltenders, but the captain of the Bruins has arguably benfitted the most from the system Julien has placed into the Boston line-up. During the Dave Lewis era, it's often believed that Zdeno Chara was simply logging too many minutes out there, therefore making him less effective. Under Claude Julien, Zdeno Chara's has been noticably better due to less ice time and in both seasons Chara has seen his point totals go up. Chara's biggest achievement in the Julien system thus far has undoubtedly been taking home the Norris Trophy in 2009.

Along with the improvements of Chara and Thomas under Julien, players such as Marc Savard, David Krejci and Marco Sturm have become much better two-way players and have seen their overall play thrive.

In Julien's two seasons as Boston's bench-boss, the team's overall record has dramatically improved from the year before. However, it's tough to top a 116-point regular season and both Claude and Chiarelli realize the potential of the team taking a step back from that total in 2009-'10. Touching on it during the press conference, Julien mentioned the idea of needing to be ready for every team to come at them even more so because they're now one of the league's elite.

There's not much improvement left for Julien to make in the regular season, but this team and Claude's true test will come if and when the team can make a serious run in the playoffs. Despite the success throughout his career, Julien has yet to coach a team beyond the second round of the NHL Playoffs. However, with this year's club seemingly ready to go already it's very possible that Julien will have yet another chance to advance to a Conference Finals appearance in 2009-10.

The players bought into the system of digging deep, fighting for every possession and being fundamentally sound and it's both the fans and Julien who are reaping the benefits as the club heads into this season as the odds on favorite in both the Northeast Division and arguably the Eastern Conference.

Numbered Days For Kessel?

The stove in Boston is heating up for sure. Following the signing of 3 year contract worth a total of over 11 million signed by David Krejci last week, the eyes of the Garden faithful have turned to the rumor mills with one person on their mind: Phil Kessel. Phil Kessel, who turns 22 in October is coming off a career year in which he set career highs in every offensive category. His 36 goals put him at 8th in the NHL behind the likes of Kovalchuk, Ovechkin and Detroit's Marian Hossa. The oft talked about potential about the man in '81' had finally arrived and shown up, on the score sheet and in the win column.

Despite his at times inconsistent play, including two 5-game goal-less droughts and a seemingly everlasting 15 game span without scoring a single goal, Kessel would regain his stride and find the scoring touch that made him such a pivotal role-player in the Bruins offense. His offensive abilities were enough to 'wow' Bruins fans worldwide, but when the news that broke following the elimination of the Boston Bruins from the 2009 Playoffs, Bruins fans found a new found respect and admiration for Phil 'The Thrill'. It was revealed during the Boston Bruins exit interviews that during the team's 2-0 regular season loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a torn-rotator cuff on a questionable hit from Jackets defensmen Jan Hejda.

In true Boston Bruins fashion, Phil Kessel continued to play through the injury and into the playoffs, missing just one regular season game in Buffalo. Seemingly unbothered by the shoulder, Kessel went on to score 13 goals and tally 8 assists in the 19 regular-season and playoff games following the injury in Columbus. When news of this injury broke, it truly showed us the real Phil Kessel that Bruins fans had been longing to see; he cared, he wanted to win and wasn't going to let a major injury stop him from contributing in the team's push for their first Stanley Cup in 37 years.

Although Kessel's goals led to a staggering total of 42 leaps from our chairs at the Garden, bar or in the comfort of our home the Bruins now have the daunting task of deciding his future with the club. With the success comes to want for a hefty raise, unfortunately for Kessel and the Bruins, GM Peter Chiarelli is working from an unfavorable salary-cap position. Fact is, it's going to be next to impossible to re-up the 21 year old winger unless he's willing to take less or similar money to the contract that was just signed by teammate David Krejci.

In a perfect world, Phil Kessel understands the rough economic market in the NHL and signs for the same 3.5-3.75 million dollar-a-year contract that Krejci agreed to. However if Kessel has any sense of his value, he may hold out for an offer-sheet, prompting the Bruins to make a move and find a new home for Kessel. One option and rumor that has been spreading over the internet like wildfire has been the idea of sending Phil Kessel to Colorado for the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 draft.

A favorite to go at the number 3 slot in the draft has been Matt Duchene, a 5'11 center currently playing for the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League. He's currently slated to go behind Jonathan Tavares at number one to the Islanders and Swedish defensemen Victor Hedman expected to go at number 2. Duchene has been praised for his effectiveness as a two-way player in an offensive system and has displayed the numbers to prove his worth as in he's scored 129 points in 121 games with the Battalion. Duchene would be a solid fit in the Bruins system and would give the Bruins even more strength at center for the future along with Boston's 2008 first round draft choice, hulking center Joe Colborne.

As intriguing as this option may be, it's considered a longshot as Colorado may be adamant about keeping their 3rd overall pick to draft their replacement for the near-ancient Joe Sakic. After Colorado, the next hottest rumor circulating the internet has been a rumored deal between the Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins in which the Bruins send Kessel to Anaheim in exchange for the Ducks first round draft pick and negotiating rights with free-agent-to-be defensemen Francois Beauchemin. Although Beauchemin has the potential to be a game-changing defensemen that the Bruins need to plug in alongside Dennis Wideman, health has been an issue for the 29 year-old native of Quebec. Beauchemin suffered a torn ACL in November and missed the next 62 games of the regular season before returning back for the Ducks Playoff run.

With health already being an issue for an overwhelming amount of Bruins players, the risk that Beauchemin brings with him is not to enough to trade away a guy who scored 36 goals for your team. Especially when you note the existing health concerns on the Bruins defense with Aaron Ward and Andrew Ference, who had both experienced issues with staying healthy during the 2008-09 season.

When you look at the names that surrounded Phil Kessel in the league leaders with stats, the average salary of those players who scored 36 goals or more goes through the roof. The average 36+ goal scorer in the NHL during the 2008-09 season makes 4.9 million dollars a season. A number which the Bruins simply cannot match if they are to keep the same core of the 2008-09 team intact with Phil Kessel on it. Not to mention that a just 100,000 away from the 5 million dollar a year mark is a lot of money for a player who has shown his frequent inability to play defense, making him a very expensive one way player. With the NHL draft rapidly approaching following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup, the future of Phil Kessel and possibly the Boston Bruins will be addressed head on.

The Walking Wounded

Not often is a number 1st seeded team losing to a 6th seeded team considering acceptable, but maybe this news can heal up the wound a little bit faster. It was revealed today during the players and coaches "wrap-up" day at the TD Banknorth Garden that many of the Bruins were suffering from more than just minor injuries.

In front of the media today, Phil Kessel revealed that he had played through the final leg of the regular season and through the entire playoffs with a torn rotator cuff. However, the injuries didn't just end there for the 21 year old Wisconsin native as he was also suffering from a torn labrum. The news came as a shock to Bruins fans considering Kessel's strong play in the playoffs. In 11 games, Kessel scored 6 goals and finished with 11 points and a +7.

Perhaps the biggest name joining Kessel in surgery is fellow-restricted-free-agent-about-to-be David Krejci. Krejci, the Bruins 2nd highest scorer suffered a hip injury during the NHL Playoffs. Like Kessel, Krejci is expected to miss 4-6 months recovering.

It appears that with both Kessel and Krejci out for what could be 6 months, that their stock has certainly dropped. However, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is approaching the situation no differently heading into contract negotiations with two key components of the Boston Bruins future. "As far as their contracts go, I don't see anything being different, other than the fact that they probably won't be playing when the team starts," Chiarelli said. Despite Chiarelli's claim of going into the negotiations no differently, these injuries may have luckily scared some offer sheets from other teams off the table, creating a favorable break for the Bruins.

Along with these major injuries, it was revealed that Chuck Kobasew played through 2 broken ribs, Milan Lucic played through a broken toe, Marc Savard played in Game 7 with a sprained knee, and Zdeno Chara played through a shoulder and knee injury. Then you add in the Bruins obvious injuries to Andrew Ference, who'll have surgery later next month, Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm and the Bruins were truly the most injury-riddled team in the NHL Playoffs. This is by no means making an excuse for the Bruins lack of intensity in their series against Carolina, but it's a definite indicator as to why they struggled.

Perhaps the only good news coming out of these revelations is what doors it can open for the 2009-10 Boston Bruins. It's now possible that with both Kessel and Krejci going to be rebounding from injuries that they will no longer command the 4.5+ million dollars a season due to the potential issue of becoming injury prone. This could leave enough to cap room to possibly bring back winger Mark Recchi, who at the age of 41 may not be done yet. This could also put the Bruins in the favorable position of not having to trade Marco Sturm due to his rather large salary, giving the Bruins a potentially even more dangerous line-up heading into the 2009-10 season.

Despite losing, the resiliency of the Bruins throughout these major injuries showed the unwillingness of this team to lay down and die, even when they were down 3 games to 1. Their bodies may not have held up their 7 game series loss, but there's no doubting that their heart was as strong as ever.

As One Chapter Ends, The Next Chapter Begins

The night is darkest just before the dawn. Perhaps there was no darker end to the Boston Bruins season as it was on Thursday night. When Hurricanes winger and Boston villain Scott Walker ended the Bruins quest for their 1st Stanley Cup in 37 years, Boston fans fell silent and rally towels littered the ice. Despite the rally cries of "We Want It!", the "Believe" signs and the crowd singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" it simply wasn't to be for the 2008-2009 Boston Bruins. However, as this season ends, it's just the beginning of the Bruins bright future.

2008-09 was the year of the Bruins, they dominated almost every team in the NHL and finished with 50+ wins for the first team since the 1992-93 season. They added veteran Mark Recchi at the trading deadline who contributed nicely, losing just Martins Karsums along with Matt Lashoff, who was never really destined for great things in Boston due to the emergence of Matt Hunwick. Along with Hunwick, Czech center David Krejci had a phenomenal breakout year, who's 73 point season and effectiveness as a special teams threat earned him the Boston Bruins 7th Player Award. 2008-09 also marked the year of continuing development of hulking winger Milan Lucic, Phil Kessel and perhaps the most surprising Byron Bitz.

With 2008-09 officially done for the Bruins, it's time to look towards the future.

First off, one of the bigger questions the Bruins have to address is their free agency situation. Both David Krejci and Phil Kessel are the headliners of the Boston Bruins list of restricted free agents. As the case with all restricted free agents, if a player is to accept an offer sheet from another team, depending on the salary the Bruins receive draft picks from that team as compensation. It's safe to say that Kessel and Krejci should command and earn around the 9 million dollar mark between the two of them, but anything more raises interesting questions.

I think it's safe to pencil in David Krejci for a 4 year contract at 4.5 a season, perhaps a little bit more with added incentives. Krejci is definitely the higher priority of the Bruins if you ask me as at just 22, he's already showing signs of becoming a true number one center in the NHL. There's no doubting that his potential is only going up. Whereas Kessel, despite his ability to often make goalies and defensemen look foolish is too inconsistent to command more than money that Krejci. However, due to both players strong post-season play it's possible that they both of their stocks have just raised.

If either player is to go, it'd be due to another team offering big time money. In which case, it's likely that the compensation would be for over 5 million dollars a season. Which would force the other team to send the Bruins at least their 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks. Ultimately, if it boils down to it, if Kessel leaving the Bruins brings you in multiple high draft picks, I'm not going to lose sleep thinking that the Bruins had made a terrible choice.

Besides Kessel and Krejci, Bruins defensemen Matt Hunwick and Saskatoon native Byron Bitz are also restricted free agents. Both Hunwick and Bitz made strong strides towards becoming NHL ready players, however neither are ready for big money. In all likelihood, both should sign for around the 850-900 thousand mark, the only difference being that their contracts should become 1-way deals, making them have to go through waivers before getting them sent down to Providence, making them likely to stay with Boston all-season long.

Along with these restricted free agents, the Bruins have an older crop of unrestricted free agents they need to address as well. Headlining this list is life-long Bruin P.J Axelsson, who set career highs in virtually every category this season. Axelsson's current salary cap hit sits at 1.8 million dollars a season, however with the Bruins having to re-sign Kessel and Krejci and the NHL salary cap expected to stay at the same amount of money (if not go down), it's unlikely Chiarelli and Co. will be able to give the Swedish forward and penalty-killing machine a raise, let alone his current salary.

Next in line would have to be the depth guys, such as Stephane Yelle and Shane Hnidy. Both Hnidy and Yelle, provide veteran presences on the lower lines for cheap money. If Yelle and Hnidy can be re-signed for the same amount of money (750k) a piece, then it's probably likely to see them both back with the Bruins. However, this could change if the Bruins decide to hand the reins of 4th line center to Vladimir Sobotka, and 7th defensemen to Johnny Boychuk, who had a very strong year for Providence in the AHL.

Perhaps the biggest question mark is the future of Mark Recchi. Recchi is still a capable NHL player even at the age of 41, but his contract up and his future is uncertain. It's likely that the 5'10 winger with over 1,400 career points will retire, but it's also possible that his thirst to continue playing is still alive and well. If he can be brought back for the same price tag, it's likely that the Bruins will do whatever they can within their power to keep Recchi with the Bruins to provide added veteran presence.

The "automatics" to not return to the Bruins have to be Steve "Watch Me Create A Turnover" Montador and Manny Fernandez. Montador truly never wow'd Bruins fans as he often created turnovers within his own zone and looked to be over-thinking every aspect of the game. Fernandez, who missed over a month due to a back injury, is on the fence on whether he wants to retire or continue playing. The opportunity will surely be there for Fernandez to play as a platoon goalie in Colorado, Ottawa, Detroit or even Philadelphia but there's simply no room for him in Boston as Tuukka Rask looks ready to step into the NHL.

With the NHL having a salary cap, it's unlikely that no cap-saving deals will be made. The 3 players that stick out the most as potential trade-baits to "cap crunch" are Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm and Aaron Ward. All players make over 2 million dollars and could be dealt if it means keeping the Bruins under the NHL salary cap. Ward's veteran presence on defense is greatly appreciated, making it unlikely that he'll be traded on account of his veteran know-how. However, the Bruins performed very well without 2007-08's leading goal scoring Marco Sturm, who missed most of the season with a knee injury and is most likely to be dealt if need be.

With the Bruins done until October, one thing's for sure, it's going to be an interesting summer.

No Rest For Peter Chiarelli

Oh, the life of an NHL General Manager. From the hectic scrambling of draft day to the grueling talks and attempts at luring free agents to their respective cities the job of a General Manager never seems to stop. For the Boston Bruins, the job truly never ends for Harvard alum Peter Chiarelli.

Yesterday it was announced that the club had signed 20 year-old RW sensation Yannick Riendeau to an entry level contract. Riendeau posted phenomenal stats for Drummondville of the QJMHL (Quebec Junior Major Hockey League) where he scored 58 goals and 68 assists in just 64 games. He led the QJMHL in goals, assists and points. So far in Drummondville's 4 playoff games, Riendeau has scored 9 goals and 10 assists in just 4 games. The only known knock on Riendeau's ability to be a capable NHLer is that he's undersized, even in this new smaller-player-friendly NHL. It's probably too early to tell whether the Quebec native is NHL ready without going through the AHL first but he's definitely a player to keep an eye on heading into the 2009-10 season.


However, the bigger news coming out of Boston was the re-signing of Bruins goalie and mentioned Vezina favorite Tim Thomas to a new contract. The signing, which has yet to be announced by Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is estimated to be around 5.2 million over the next 3 years. The pay is comparable to Martin Brodeur's contract with the New Jersey Devils and surely spells the end for Manny Fernandez's tenure as a Boston Bruin. Then again, who didn't see that one coming?


Although Thomas' pay is debatable as to whether the Bruins over-payed for a 34 year old goalie the move makes sense for a few reasons. Thomas turns 35 on April 15th, meaning that if by some chance the Bruins want to buy out Thomas' contract only 1/3 of his pay will count against the salary cap. An example of this is the Bruins being unable to delete Glen Murray's contract off the salary cap even though his contract was bought out because of when his contract was signed. This pricey contract also addresses Boston's situation in between the pipes going forward into the future as both Thomas and Fernandez's contracts were up at seasons end.


The signing also takes the pressure off Boston during their already busy schedule of re-signing players. It's unsure how the Bruins would of come out if they were to get into a bidding war against some of the teams looking for a starting goaltender come July 1st such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and perhaps even the Detroit Red Wings. However, the current freeze on the NHL salary cap does create some problems for the Bruins.


First off, they need to re-sign restricted free agents David Krejci, Phil Kessel, Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz. After David Krejci's breakout season as the number 2 center on the Boston offense, one would assume he'd receive a handsome raise. I believe somewhere along the lines of 3-3.5 million for 3 years is a safe bet for the 23 year old Czech. Then there's Phil Kessel, the undisputed number one scoring threat for the Boston Bruins, I'd say 3 years at 4 million a season is enough money to make a decision for Kessel, who missed his chance at 40 goals this season due to minor injuries.


Easier decisions certainly come when it boils down to re-signing Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz. Both currently make 800,000 dollars and shouldn't see too much of a raise or anything different except for the possibility of their contracts becoming 1-way contracts rather than 2-way contracts, meaning in order to get sent down to Providence they'd need to go through the waiver wire. But still, with the raises for Kessel and Krejci along with Thomas' new contract, the Bruins are certainly over the cap. Putting the Bruins in the situation where they need to make deals.


When it comes to down, the two obvious trade baits the Bruins possess wear numbers 37 and 16. Marco Sturm, who currently makes 3.5 million and has missed much of the season due to knee surgery is no longer needed as the supreme scoring threat on the Bruins roster. As the Bruins have continued to succeed even without him and the emergence of Blake Wheeler and continued development of Milan Lucic, his role on this team is no longer essential to the teams offense. Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins alternate captain since the 2006-07 season, has battled through some serious injuries over the past year and a half. However, Bergeron's tenure as a Bruin may be over when this season concludes.


As much as it pains most Bruins fans to realize this, it's time to look at the facts. Bergeron's a 3rd line center on this team. Marc Savard's effectiveness as the Northeast's best set-up man and David Krejci's emergence as a dangerous scoring threat puts the 23 year old Quebec native on the 3rd line. Bergeron is the 3rd highest paid Bruin, making 4,750,000 a season but at that pay, he's perhaps the most expensive 3rd line center in the NHL. If Bergeron and Sturm are both moved, one could make the argument that the Bruins do not lose nearly as much of their offense compared to if they were to let Kessel or Krejci walk.

10 Players The Bruins Need To Get Hot

As the Bruins continue to struggle to find their pre-All-Star Break form, it makes us wonder what the heck is going wrong? We all know the special teams haven't been there, and the late game lapses are reason for concern. Even in the Bruins recent wins over the Sens and Islanders, they were on the defense clinging to their leads as the opposition were incredibly aggressive on the attack as time winded down, leaving Bruin fans holding their breath. These are the ten players I believe the Bruins need to get hot and/or return to form to be successful.

10) Shawn Thornton - This may seem a little different telling a 4th line winger to get hot, but it's true. Shawn Thornton has been a physical presence on the Bruins roster since his arrival. As of late however, teams are taking their liberties with the Bruins star players. It's time for Thornton to return to the raw and aggressive tenacity to intimidate the Bruins opponents.

9) Andrew Ference - Before fracturing his tibia in the Bruins 6-1 romp of the Canadiens in November, Boston Bruins defensemen Andrew Ference was off to a career year. He had 7 assists and a +9 in 16 games. Since returning in late January, Ference has been out of sync greatly. He's struggled defensively, posting a -3 with 8 assists and 16 penalty minutes in 25 games in 2009. His improvement is necessary for the success of the Boston defense as a whole.

8) Patrice Bergeron - Deja vu struck the TD Banknorth Garden on December 20th 2008 when Patrice Bergeron went down on a Dennis Seidenberg hit. After missing 37 days with a concussion, number 37 was ready to return. Since returning, Bergeron has posted a -2 with 3 goals and 12 assists. Granted the goals and assists are there for a 3rd line center and Bergeron has been playing better on the powerplay, but his shot selection and looks must improve. His .033 shooting percentage is unacceptable, especially for a guy who plays the point on the powerplay.

7) Michael Ryder - The Bruins big off-season signing has been spectacular this season. However, the B's sniper has had some trouble finding the back of the net. He's scored just 2 goals on 19 shots in his past 10 games. There's no doubting a healthy and effecient Ryder gives the Bruins a dangerous weapon on the wing and powerplay.

6) Blake Wheeler - We all saw this coming, didn't we? A rookie coming straight into the NHL from the NCAA, at some point he'd cool down, right? Compare a 40 game season to an 82 game one, and there's bound to be a few cold spots in there. Wheeler's struggled heavily to put the puck in the net in 2009, netting just 5 goals in 34 games. Compared to his 13 goals in 37 games in 2008 this was quite a drop off. If the 22 year old winger out of Minnesota can get going on the top line with Savard and Kessel, good things are bound to happen.

5) Marc Savard - This year, there's been no debate as the role as Boston's top center has been filled by Marc Savard. He's the team leader for both points and assists, but has seen his plus minus dip lower since February. Since February 1st against Montreal, Savard is a -5. Along with a rumored wimp out against Penguins captain Sidney Crosby when challenged to a fight, the production of Marc Savard as the team's number one center and powerplay threat must resume.

4) Dennis Wideman - At one point this year, debates were beginning of who was better on the powerplay, Zdeno Chara or Dennis Wideman? Well, I think it's safe to say Chara's the better powerplay defensemen. Wideman, has scored only 19 points (4 G 15 A) in 35 games in 2009. His production from the blue line has slowed down and his effectiveness on the powerplay is disappearing, as he's registered just 2 powerplay points (both assists) in 22 games since February. Without the success of the powerplay, the Bruins struggle, and that's been shown.

3) Milan Lucic - Now, rarely is someone critical of the 20 year old from Vancouver, but I think it's time someone is. He's practically a cult hero in the city of Boston, but where's his production gone? He's almost been a total non-factor out there in his last 25 games. Lucic is a -4 with just 3 goals and 8 assists. He's not dropping the gloves nearly as much as he should to let these type of stats show, getting in just 2 fights in those 25 games.

2) David Krejci - Boston's best kept secret, David Krejci. Has he been figured out? Bruins fans hope not. His drop in production since 2009 could be attributed to the struggles of linemates Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder or it could be that teams are now aware of how dangerous these guys really are. Either way, if the 23 year old Czech can start dishing out the puck with such skill as he's shown, the Bruins could run with 3 deep lines of forwards.

1) Phil Kessel - All right, everyone probably thinks I like to pick on Kessel. But it's true, Phil Kessel needs to heat it up for the Bruins to succeed. He's been given the reins as the Bruins number one offensive weapon, and it's time to show it. The 2009 Phil Kessel has been half the player of the 2008 Phil Kessel. He's scored just 7 goals in his past 29 games with a +1. Compared to his 24 goals in the previous 37 games, the dip is unacceptable to the Bruins offense. Maybe it was his 'bout with mono that hit him hard, but it's time to light the lamp Phil.

Dear Bruins, Where Are You? Sincerely, Boston.

All is not well in the Hub of Hockey. Last night the Bruins dropped their 4th game in the month of March, putting them at 1-4-0 in the early month. As hundreds in their Kessel jerseys contemplate jumping off the Zakim Bridge they wonder: "is this more than a funk?". Do Bruins faithful truly have reason to be concerned? The answer is yes, and no.

For the first time since the lockout, the Boston Bruins were legitimate buyers at the NHL Trading Deadline. The Bruins rid themselves of 'spare-parts' Matt Lashoff, Martins Karsums and offensive catalyst Petteri Nokelainen. In return they gained veteran RW and 1400+ career point man Mark Recchi and the front-toothless defensemen Steve Montador. Both players added necessary depth to the line-up and even more grit to the Bruins blue-collar hard-nosed style of play. However, their potential impact has not been fully shown as the team continues to struggle.

Every team goes through their funk. During the 2007-08 season, the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings went 5-8-2 in the month of February. The Wings went on to tear up the month of March and April, posting a 12-3-2 record. Bruins fans are hoping for a similar fate after a dismal 7-8-3 record over the teams past 18 games. With the schedule easing up for the remaining 14 games of the season, including 8 games against teams well out of the playoff hunt now is the time for the Bruins to rekindle the fire they ignited from November through January.

Now comes time to address the big issue, what in the world has happened to the Bruins special teams? The Bruins powerplay, which was once untouchable before the All-Star Break with the 25% conversion rate has gone ice cold, down to 17% since the All-Star Break. Same with the penalty kill, which once stood among the leagues tops with a 82% percent of killing off penalty's down to 79.7% since resuming from the All-Star Break. What's going wrong? The once disastrous Patrice Bergeron from the point has played great from there as of late but it's with the 2nd line. The "peach-fuzz" powerplay is ice cold, both David Krejci, Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic have done little to nothing in 2009.

One can't help but wonder what's going on with Manny Fernandez. Is he fully healed? Was he rushed back? Rust is definitely a big possibility as the 34 year old has played sparingly in 2009 due to a knee/back/attitude? issue. However, there's no doubting the 2009 version of Manny hasn't been a pleasant one, posting a 2-3-2 record with a .882 SV% and a 3.11 GAA. Fernandez's most disappointing performance undoubtedly came against Tampa Bay, where he allowed 4 goals on just 18 shots. Although Manny has struggled in 2009, with more playing time as the team narrows in on clinching an almost automatic playoff spot the rust could wear off and the 2008 Manny we grew to embrace could return to form a deadly goaltending duo.

As we creep closing to the playoffs the Bruins are undoubtedly a team in need of a wake-up call. Whether that comes from a benching of a star player (see: Phil Kessel) or from within behind closed doors this team simply looks dead out there. With the season drawing to an end in about a month's time, now is the time to wake up. If the team continues to sputter into the 2nd or 3rd seed in the East the feeling of confidence and enthusiasm going into the 1st round of the playoffs may be non-existant among fans and players. So for now Bruins fans, don't jump, this team is one good week away from being favorites yet again.

1st Half Grades

Well with the team getting back to action tonight I figured I'd procrastinate until the last second and make my grades on the Bruins through the mid-way point of the NHL season.

P.J Axelsson: B-, his PK ability is still there and was showing signs of turning it on before the All-Star break. Hopefully with this team getting back to 100% P.J can go back to being what he's best at being: a 3rd line LW.

Patrice Bergeron: C. We know there would be some rust but he went cold often. Going goal-less for 7 games, scoring 1 goal in a 4-2 rout of Florida and proceeding to go goal-less in his next 11 games before getting reinjured. Not to mention he scored just two points and had just a +2 in the Bruins two big wins (7-3 @ ATL and 8-5 vs. TOR).

Zdeno Chara: A+. The Captain's playing like a true Norris trophy winner. He's becoming even more of a powerplay weapon and is still one of the hardest D to go 1-on-1 with.

Manny Fernandez: A. He's surprised the heck out of me with his play. Granted he's missed time as of late due to 'injuries' but no one could say they saw this coming.

Shane Hnidy: B. For a 3rd line defensemen he stepped up big when guys like Ward and Ference went down. The beatdown of Matt Niskanen gets him a bump up in my book.

Matt Hunwick: B-. He looked outmatched last season, I'm not going to lie, I doubted his skill as a serious NHL player. This year he showed his offensive side, but is currently pointless in his last 13 games, in which he has a -3 with 11 PIM.

Phil Kessel: A. The same guy Bruins fans were pleading to get traded for Marian Hossa last February is now the Bruins number 1 goal scorer. Funny what a player can do when you light a fire underneath him.

Chuck Kobasew: B-. Injuries have plagued his tenure with the Bruins but has shown he is a valid 2-way player when healthy.

David Krejci: A+. He has been by far the Bruins best forward since the end of November, around the same time of the formation of his line with 73 and 26. At 22, it's scary to think what he can do as time goes on.

Milan Lucic: B+. One hat trick, a +16 and one Komisarek beatdown later Lucic is on his way to becoming a household name in the city of Boston.

Petteri Nokelainen: D. 0 goals, 1 assist and a -3 aren't going to cut it on this team. After showing a bit of scorer's touch last year (scoring 7 goals in 57 games last year as a 4th liner) he appears to be overthinking every shift and not playing his game. Maybe a benching or two will get him back to being a level headed grinder.

Michael Ryder: A. He was having some trouble finding his groove in Beantown at first but being put on a line with David Krejci has worked wonders for him, along with finding his place within the Boston powerplay. His 7 GWG's and +21 are also giving reasons for GM Peter Chiarelli to applaud this signing.

Marc Savard: A+. He's already beat his 07-08 goal total in 30 less games and a plus 28 is a stat that Bruins fans aren't used to seeing with Marc Savard as he averaged a -16 in his first two seasons with Boston.

Mark Stuart: B. A little offensive touch from Mark Stuart is always a bonus from "Caveman", and that's been the case as he's already matched his 2007-08 point total and has added the physical element to the defense of Boston in the absence of Ference and Ward.

Tim Thomas: A+. Tim Thomas, Vezina front runner? Never thought I'd say that. He's posted incredible numbers at 20-5-4 with a .934 SV% and a 2.09 GAA. The Bruins need to lock him up before seasons end in my opinion.

Shawn Thornton: B+. Throwing fists and hard checks has been Thornton's role as a Bruin and this year has been no exception. He's stuck up for team-mates (see: November 1st vs. Dallas when Steve Ott went at Stephane Yelle's knee) and has thrown down with the best of them including Georges Laraque against whom he held his own.

Aaron Ward: B-. His physical play is apparently starting to affect his body. Ward has been out 3 times now with minor injuries to his lower body. Nevertheless his +14 and veteran know-how is a big boost to the young memebers of the Boston D.

Blake Wheeler: A. No one saw the impact that Blake Wheeler has had on the Bruins this season coming. When signed by the Bruins back in July they expected him to start out the year in Providence and maybe get the call when someone went down but a fantastic pre-season found the Minnesota talent in Boston. His 1st NHL shot was a goal and since then he's been a pivotal part of the Bruins offense. His +27 and 30 points are a big reason why he's considered the front runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Dennis Wideman: A+. When Dennis Wideman was traded to the Bruins back in 2007 he was the subject of much scrutiny. Who could blame us though? Here was a guy who was best known for falling down during a shootout attempt who was traded for what looked like a promising young scorer. It's safe to say however that Wideman has come into his own here in Boston; posting a +26 and 20 powerplay points already.

Stephane Yelle: A-. For 750,000 this signing came as a steal as Yelle has dawned the "A" on his chest this season and has been consistently great at winning faceoff's and filling the role left by Glen Metropolit.

Coach Claude Julien: A+. If the season ended today, I'd say he's your Jack Adams winner. He's executed game plans perfectly, made adjustments that he felt necesary when players were hot or cold and has done an overall great job at keeping everyone level headed.

Incompletes: Marco Sturm, Matt Lashoff, Tuukka Rask, Byron Bitz, Vladimir Sobotka, Martins Karsums.

Big Update

Bruins Win Again; Extend Home Win Streak to 12

As one Boston band put it; "Let the Good Times Roll". That's been the case for the Boston Bruins all-season long as they skated and deked their way to an 8-5 win over their Original Six rival Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the 4th meeting between the Northeast Divisional foes, the 3rd and final of the season at the Garden. The now officially Sundin-less Maple Leafs gave the Bruins a valiant fight yet again but in the end the Black and Gold prevailed to improve their record to 22-5-4 on the year. It was as if Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph didn't have a chance right from the get-go of this one as the Bruins lit them up for 8 goals in all. Toskala, was pulled after giving up 2 goals in just over 4 and half minutes. Goal 1 of 8 was scored by Marco Sturm who was held to just over 2 minutes of time on ice due to what appeared to be a lower body injury in his return from the IR. The 2nd was scored by none other than the red hot David Krejci, which closed the door on Toskala's night...for now.

As Toronto coach Ron Wilson made the call for 41 year old Curtis Joesph, the Garden faithful sang Vesa a chorus of sarcastic cheers as his night appeared finished. This was just the beginning on CuJo proved to be no relief as he gave up 4 goals on 16 shots; giving up goals to Savard, Krejci and Phil Kessel. Giving up was never in Toronto's mindset that night as after goals by Alexei Ponikarovsky, Nik Antropov and Mikhali Grabovski the Leafs found themselves trailing by only 2. One Phil Kessel goal later the Bruins were back ahead by 2 before an apparent "holding" call on Tim Thomas lead to a Jason Blake powerplay goal. As the horn sounded the 2nd period concluded with the Bruins clinging on for dear life with a 6-5 lead.

The 3rd period opened with 2 goalie changes. Fernandez was in net for Boston and Toskala was back in net for the Leafs. Following a Michael Ryder powerplay goal the Bruins were back on top by 2. And the proverbial icing on the cake was the powerplay goal late in the 3rd by Czech Republic native David Krejci. Krejci netted his 11th of the season and notably 3rd of the night after banging the puck past Toskala off a great cross-ice pass by Savard. This was the 3rd Bruins hat-trick of the season and their 2nd against the Maple Leafs.

The absolute dominance this team is displaying over their opponents at home is giving the Garden an electric feel every time the Black and Gold take the ice. The Bruins improved to 12-1-1 at home after last night and are now 17-2-1 in their last 20. Their consistent play and new high powered offense are giving the entire city of Boston and NHL fans around the world something to talk about. Most notably have been the play of David Krejci and Phil Kessel (yes the same Phil Kessel that was almost traded at last years deadline) as they are both on pace for 80+ points. They along with the rest of the Bruins players and the 17,000+ screaming Bruins fans are making the Garden a truly undesirable place to play for visiting teams.

Sundin Makes Decision; Picks....The Canucks?

All I can say is, finally. This saga reminded me of Brett Favre, it was long, uneventful and unnecesary. After days, no, weeks, no, months of hearing "Sundin to Montreal, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Hartford etc etc" he finally chose to go to Vancouver. Vancouver got their center, but did Sundin get what he wanted? After all, he said he wants a Stanley Cup Championship, does he really think it's going to be in Vancouver? No, Sundin's like every other athlete in the world; he went where there was the most money. When it became apparent that both the salary cap crippled Rangers and Canadiens wouldn't be able to give Mats a multi-million deal he moved on. It's not this that I'm upset, it's more about the continuing trend of athletes taking off half a season like it's normal.

It's truly an alarming trend. NHL players taking almost half a season off and joining a team mid-way through for the "Cup Run" (how'd that go for you Peter Forsberg?). After this stunt was made popular by the boys in Anaheim named Teemu and Niedermayer it's now officially become a trend for veterans. This fan says no, it's time for the NHL to step in and create a deadline. Think about it from the "little guys perspective", you're from Slovakia, you fight in your country with the dream of getting to the NHL and you actually make it! You fight through the grueling training camps, work-outs and drills with the coach and you make the team only to be sent outright to your AHL team because some thirty-something year old decided retirement wasn't for him.

It's simply not fair. An idea I have is to make it so the players who want to play find a team exactly one month from the NHL's first game of the season. This way the NHL can avoid some of their once elite veterans joining on with teams just before the playoffs for that added bonus. If Claude Lemieux is willing to fight for another shot by playing for the Shanghai Sharks (The San Jose Sharks Chinese affiliate, no lie) then Sundin, Forsberg, Selanne and others can make their decision in less than a month if they really want to play in the NHL.

The Comment Heard 'Round The World: Sean Avery's "Sloppy Seconds"

When I say Sean Avery, what do you think? Most people would say you think of an agitator, an elite agitator at that. He's been dubbed "The Most Hated Man in the NHL" and for good reason. He's insulted French-Canadians, commentators, fellow players and even the commissioner of the NHL Gary Bettman. He's been through it before but the 28 year old Ontario native found himself in a little more than 'hot water' when he made this now famous comment on December 2nd following a morning skate in Calgary. "I am going to say one thing. I am really happy to be back in Calgary. I love Canada. I just want to comment on how, it has become a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I do not know what that is about, but enjoy the game.". This comment was clearly directed towards Avery's ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert being with Calgary Flames defensemen and NHL09 coverman Dion Phanuef. Within hours Avery found himself suspended indefinitely.

"Indefinitely" was a rather light way to put what followed. Following a meeting with Commisioner Bettman, Avery was slapped with a 6 game suspension which would become the least of his worries. After serving this suspension it was announced that "Avery and the Dallas Stars are parting ways" after just 23 games which in my opinion was a move made by GM Brett Hull to save his own hide. After all, it was Hull's decision to let Niklas Hagman go and replace him with Avery. Although this move may be best for the cellar-dwelling Stars, it's not sending the right message for the NHL.

In a country where athletes have gone into the crowd and fought fans, been caught drunk and with hookers by police, shot themselves in the leg, shot one another, complained to the media about having to practice, accused teammates of being gay and injected needles into one anothers buttcheeks the NHL is attempting to make an example of Sean Avery for essentially being a smart-ass. Was his comment uncalled for? Yes. Was it malicious? No. He was being Sean Avery, mouthy and honest.

In no way do I think Avery's career should be done for just because of this, there's been much worse things that have gone virtually unpunished. An example that hits home with me is the fact that Randy Jones got a 2 game suspension for almost killing Patrice Bergeron. Not only this, but later in the year the Flyers pulled another boarding, this time on Andrew Alberts and Hartnell (the guy who drove the kneeling Alberts head into the dasher) was only hit with a 2 game suspension. You're honestly going to try and tell me that Avery's comments were 3 times as bad as almost ending a players career? I don't buy it.