Introduction To Offensive Production: New Look Bruins Defense Ready To Shine

Remember when the best defensemen Boston had to offer was the 6'7 pylon known as Hal Gill and a Brian Leetch just above the age to receive the senior discount at your local Dunkin' Donuts? Oh my, how thing's change.

The official transformation of the Boston blue-line continues into their third year into 2009-10 under head coach Claude Julien and continuing to be anchored by team captain and Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Under Julien and the ever-so-loved defensive trap style of play, the Bruins have gone from 13th to 8th and from 8th to 1st. While Boston has seen a drastic increase in offensive production from their forwards, the focus of their play remains to be on a strong defense that reduces the oppositions scoring chances greatly.

The rock of the defense, as previously mentioned, is behemoth and the tallest player in NHL history, Zdeno Chara. The Slovak blue-liner, who was harshly ridiculed for his poor play under Dave Lewis in 2006-07 has blossomed under Claude Julien and has seen an overall rise in his level of play due in large part to less minutes per game. Along with increasing his powerplay productivity, Chara has become a more effective penalty killer and taken less unnecessary penalties in the process of attempting to save the day.

Alongside Chara for close to three seasons was veteran defensemen and three-time Stanley Cup champion Aaron Ward. Admired in Boston for his no-nonsense attitude and down-and-dirty style of play, Ward gained popularity rapidly in the Hub of Hockey, spawning a short-lived series of t-shirt's depicting fans as members of the "Psych Ward". However, with his rather unfriendly 2.5 million dollar salary counting against the Boston cap in 2009-10, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli made the call and sent the 36-year old back to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Patrick Eaves and a 4th round draft choice.

While Eaves was quickly bought out, the plan of utilizing the newly freed up cap space to sign Phil Kessel was steadily gaining momentum. It came as a surprise to Boston fans across the map as the money was instead used to bring in puck-moving defensemen Derek Morris on a one year contract worth 3.3 million dollars.

Adding another piece of the puzzle, Morris is expected to bring an added presence on the powerplay to take the pressure off Bruins such as Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman to carry the play from the point. Despite his upside, Morris is coming off a rather disappointing season split between Phoenix and the better of the two New York's. In 75 total games last season, Morris tallied 20 points, five of which coming on the powerplay.

As Morris added at the annual "State of the Bruins" meeting at the TD Garden, it's become more about winning than anything else for him and with an attitude like that and willingness to buy into the Julien system, it'll certainly be interesting to see how he performs for the Bruins in 2009-10.

Behind the two headliners on the blue-line, the B's may possess one of the best unsung hero-defensemen in Dennis Wideman. The former oft-criticized defensemen known for his failure in the shootout had a breakout year in 2008-09, scoring 50 points and finishing with a stellar +32. Although his slapshot is still on par with Happy Gilmore when it comes to accuracy, the Ontario native certainly knows how to dish the puck around on the powerplay and has 30 assists on the powerplay over the past two seasons to prove it.

Likely to be paired with Wideman is outspoken activist and gritty defensemen Andrew Ference. Originally acquired in a trade that sent him and teammate Chuck Kobasew to Boston for Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart, Ference has been the epitome of a team player. Whether he's fighting Sean Avery, Sidney Crosby or carbon emissions, Ference has never been afraid to voice his opinion and let his play do the talking.

While the 5'11 defensemen isn't afraid to lay his body on the line, injuries have hindered Ference throughout his tenure as a Bruin. Considering the fact that this is the final year of Ference's deal, expect the 30 year old to leave it all on the ice even more.

Seemingly poised to breakout is Bruins' "caveman" and bruising defensemen, Mark Stuart. Boston's first round selection from the 2003 NHL Draft, Stuart is coming off his best season with the big club. A natural leader, Stuart experienced an increase in offensive output, more than doubling his point total from all of the season before while remaining to be one of the baddest son-of-a-guns to lace them up on a nightly basis.

Hoping to continue to make strides in the NHL as an offensive defensemen despite his lack of a spleen is Matt Hunwick. The 24 year old is coming off a mini-breakout season in Boston where he passed Matt Lashoff on the depth chart and contributed 27 points in 53 games, including an impressive +15. The seventh round pick from the 2004 NHL Draft, Hunwick was also used sparingly as a forward and could perhaps see more time up there if the Bruins elect to use him as a hybrid of sorts similar to Ian White in Toronto or perhaps Dustin Byfuglien in Chicago.

Joining the big club in Boston is Providence Bruins stand-out and Eddie Shore Award winner, Johnny Boychuk. The arrival of Boychuk into Boston although expected, comes at the cost of fan favorite Shane Hnidy, who earned the nickname "Sheriff" and was actually a popular jersey among the Garden crowd. With the Sheriff now in Minnesota with the new-look Wild, the time for Boychuk to fight his way into the NHL line-up is upon us. Boychuk's numbers in the American Hockey League are nothing but promising seeing as how the 25 year old put up 20 goals and 66 points in 78 games for Providence in 2008-09.

On the farm, the Bruins have new faces with limited NHL experience such as Drew Fata and Andy Wozniewski ready to get the call in the event of a rash of injuries striking the boys on Causeway Street (and no, not the five dollar hat guy). Fata, who has eight games of NHL experience under his belt, all with the New York Islanders, is a known tough guy who's never too shy to drop the gloves in defense of his teammates. Loathed in Toronto, Wozniewski will provide a big body on the Providence blue-line is likely to spend the full season down in the AHL unless a plague of injuries finds their way to Boston.

Along with these NHL-fringers, the Bruins also have Adam McQuaid under contract for the upcoming season and could use him as an emergency call-up to fill in with Boston with his 6'4 frame and physical style of play.

Regardless of the offensive surge in Boston, the Claude Julien philosophy promotes a strong foundation on the blue line. Expect to see more of the same grit, passion, physicality and an added offensive boost from the blue-line of the Garden for the good guys this season.

25 Predictions For The 2009-10 Boston Bruins

The month of waiting has begun. We're officially 29 days away from the Bruins taking to the ice in their home opener against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, or "Crapitals" as Mike Milbury evidently prefers. To put it lightly, the Bruins are expected to produce huge results in 2009-10 and are favored by many to finish with the top record in the Eastern Conference. In what I'm hoping won't be Montreal Canadiens 2007-08 to Habs circa 2008-09, here are 25 predictions I'm willing to make about this year's Boston Bruins.

1. The Bruins will win the Northeast Division in similar fashion to the 2008-09 club.

2. Tuukka Rask will perform up to snuff and will become the premier piece in any trade rumor involving the Boston Bruins on HockeyBuzz, HFBoards or The Fourth Period. (C'sFromTheG5).

3. Bruins fans will fall in love with Steve Begin's physical style of play by the 5th home game of the season.

4. Dennis Wideman will continue to make Bruins fans forget about Brad Boyes as he'll put up 30+ points on the powerplay, but will continue to frustrate them at the same time with his errant slapshots.

5. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas will continue to get better with age and will continue to build on his Disney-movie-like story as he's named starter for Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

6. Byron Bitz will continue to win the hearts of Bruins fans, creating the next Lucic-like craze. Expect a song to the tune of Sweet's song "Ballroom Blitz" to eventually come out by someone. Bitz? Bitz? Byron Bitz?

7. Mark Stuart will now officially take over as the Bruins premier juggernaut on the blue-line when it comes to blocking shots, throwing forearm shivers and chime in offensively time and time again.

8. With P.J Axelsson jetting back to Sweeden to play for his hometown of Frolunda of the SEL, Patrice Bergeron will take over as the Bruin with the most stylish hair-doo.

9. Phil Kessel will be a member of the 2009-10 Boston Bruins when he signs a one year tender at the unfortunate expense of Chuck Kobasew and/or Andrew Ference and we conceivably could do this fun saga (of lack thereof) all again in the Summer of 2010, doesn't that sound fun?

10. Michael Ryder will score 30 goals, regardless of playing on a line with Marc Savard or David Krejci.

11. The Bruins Top 9 forwards will be the elite of the Eastern Conference, perhaps the NHL and are better than any Top 9 you can assemble on MySpace.

12. While Aaron Ward will be cheered for his contributions on the Bruins blueline despite his departure with the club for Carolina, Scott Walker will be booed by the Garden faithful louder than Alex Kovalev, Sidney Crosby or Mike Komisarek ever was when the Hurricanes come to town on October 3rd.

13. The Bruins will continue to make the TD Garden a house of horrors for Habs goaltender Carey Price.

14. Patrice Bergeron will officially have his pre-concussion swagger back. The 24 year old center was showing signs of returning to form during the playoffs against Montreal and Carolina where he and line-mates Mark Recchi and Chuck Kobasew acted as the B's number one shutdown line. Although he may not return to the 70-point level in 2009-10, he simply won't need to considering the Bruins talent at the center position.

15. Bruins new comer Derek Morris will perform well in the Julien system and take the pressure off of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman to carry the powerplay from the blue-line. With his expected ice time along with style of play Morris will also record his highest point total since 2003-04 as he'll put up 32+ points with Boston in 2009-10.

16. The 2010 Winter Classic will not disappoint any of it's viewers as Green Monster seats will sell for 15,000 dollars and/or your first born child on craigslist.com.

17. Vladimir Sobotka will continue to struggle on the NHL roster due to his limited role, creating doubts about his career as an NHLer, or at least within the Bruins system. Sobotka may have had a combined 57 points in 58 regular season/post-season games for the Providence Bruins but his dissatisfying -10 on a very well goaltended Bruins team last season is cause for concern.

18. The Providence Bruins will once again put together a highly competitive product under coach Rob Murray with strong play from their netminders and additions of Jamie Arniel, Yannick Riendeau along with others come later in the season and another season out of Brad Marchand.

19. The buyouts of Petr Schaefer, Patrick Eaves and Glen Murray will continue to hurt the Boston Bruins chances of acquiring a possible puzzle piece at the NHL Trading Deadline.

20. Blake Wheeler will have a breakout season as he fully conditions himself to a full NHL season. The 23 year old added 15 pounds to his 6'5 frame and will be expected to use his size to his advantage even more in '09-10. Even if the point totals only see a slight bump, a change in his style of play will be noticed by both Bruins fans and coaches alike as he continues his progression into a solid NHL winger with supreme offensive skills.

21. Matt Hunwick will make strides as a Byfuglien-like hybrid of sorts for the Bruins with his ability to play forward at an acceptable level along with being a sound defensemen.

22. Andrew Ference will still ride his bike to games when the weather permits, but will also make a statement as to why he should remain in Boston and in the Bruins organization with his strong defense and fearless attitude out on the ice.

23. Captain Zdeno Chara will set a new career high in both goals and powerplay goals in 2009-10 due to the possible downgrades in goaltending within the Eastern Conference. (See: Toronto, Ottawa, Philadelphia and Florida).

24. The B's fourth line of Shawn Thornton, Byron Bitz and Steve Begin will absolutely destruct every player of the opposition when out on the ice this season.

25. Jack Edwards will continue to make absolutely insane remarks during games but Boston fans will continue to love him because well, the man calls an absolutely excellent game. He may be no Fred Cusick, but the excitement and enthusiasm Edwards brings to every game regardless of it being Game 7 or a regular season game against the Phoenix Coyotes is enough to keep us entertained. One thing's for sure, the man is high.

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.

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.