Official Bruins Preview from NHL.com

Work in progress for Bruins

Analysis by Phil Coffey NHL.comSept. 16, 2006

Intro

After a 29-37-16 season that profoundly disappointed just about everyone in New England, a substantial rebuilding program has taken shape with the Bruins.

It all began with the controversial trade that sent center Joe Thornton to great success with the San Jose Sharks. That was followed by Sergei Samsonov being swapped at the trade deadline. Then GM Mike O'Connell and coach Mike Sullivan were let go.

Harry Sinden, the longtime team president, took on an advisory role, paving the way for new GM Peter Chiarelli and coach Dave Lewis to put their stamps on the club.

The Bruins were movers and shakers in the free-agent market, pulling the plum defenseman -- Zdeno Chara ? and a top playmaker -- Marc Savard -- to Boston. The Bruins also signed veteran winger Shean Donovan and Mark Mowers from Detroit.

Defenseman Paul Mara was acquired in a deal with Phoenix for Nick Boynton and goalie Andrew Raycroft was swapped to Toronto for goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask. A host of players who finished the 2005-06 season with Boston were not brought back, including Travis Green, Shawn McEachern, Hal Gill, Brad Isbister.
The Bruins also opted to sign their 2006 first-round pick, center Phil Kessel, tossing him into the mix for a job this season.

So, lots of new faces are on hand to be integrated into the mix, which may not be welcomed news to Bruins fans, who saw additions like Alexei Zhamnov, Brian Leetch and others fall far short of the mark in 2005-06.

2005-06 Record: 29-37-16, 5th Northeast

Who's In: D Bobby Allen, D Zdeno Chara, W Chris Collins, D Nathan Dempsey, D Nate DiCasmirro, G Brian Finley, D Paul Mara, C Marc Savard, RW Shean Donovan, C Mark Mowers, C Phil Kessel, G Tuukka Rask, RW Petr Tenkrat, W T.J. Trevelyan, D Jason York

Who's Out: D Nick Boynton, RW Mariusz Czerkawski, D Hal Gill, C Travis Green, C Ben Guite, W Brad Isbister, RW Pat Leahy, D Ian Moran, W Eric Nicklaus, G Andrew Raycroft, C Marty Reasoner, D Jiri Slegr, D David Tanabe

2005-06 Leading Scorers:Patrice Bergeron (31-42-73), Brad Boyes (26-43-69), Marco Sturm (29-30-59), Glen Murray (24-29-53) Brad Stuart (12-31-43)

2005-06 Goaltending Leaders:Tim Thomas 12-13-10, 2.77 GAA, 38 appearances, .917 save percentage, 1 shutout; Hannu Toivonen 9-5-4, 2.63 GAA, 20 appearances, .914 save percentage, 1 shutout

Goalies

Who's No. 1?

Hannu Toivonen will be given every opportunity to seize the top job this season. Selected 29th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, he has been brought along slowly by the Bruins.

Two seasons in the American Hockey League led to his arrival in Boston for 20 appearances last season, where Toivonen was 9-5-4 with a 2.63 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

In the AHL, Toivonen got the Providence Bruins into the Calder Cup semifinals in 2004-05 and showed some veteran moxie along the way. He is primarily a butterfly goalie, like Patrick Roy if you need a refresher.
Toivonen has all the tools to become an excellent NHL goalie. He skates well and has shown excellent balance and a smoothness in how he goes about things in the crease.

He also has been adept at learning the North American game as he has progressed, becoming more and more fluent in facing NHL-type shooters.

Who's No. 1?

Hannu Toivonen will be given every opportunity to seize the top job this season. Selected 29th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, he has been brought along slowly by the Bruins.

Two seasons in the American Hockey League led to his arrival in Boston for 20 appearances last season, where Toivonen was 9-5-4 with a 2.63 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

In the AHL, Toivonen got the Providence Bruins into the Calder Cup semifinals in 2004-05 and showed some veteran moxie along the way. He is primarily a butterfly goalie, like Patrick Roy if you need a refresher.
Toivonen has all the tools to become an excellent NHL goalie. He skates well and has shown excellent balance and a smoothness in how he goes about things in the crease.

He also has been adept at learning the North American game as he has progressed, becoming more and more fluent in facing NHL-type shooters.

Backup plan

Should Toivonen struggle, the Bruins will have no qualms about using veteran Tim Thomas in his stead. Thomas played in Finland in 2004-05 and thought his NHL days were done. But a call from the Bruins brought him back for the 2005-06 season, one in which he started in the AHL and then climbed back into the NHL. In 38 NHL appearances, Thomas was 12-13-10 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .917 save percentage, all in all, not too shabby for a team that scored only 230 goals during the regular season.

The Bruins also signed Brian Finley, the sixth-overall pick of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Finley was plagued by injuries while with the Nashville Predators and has just two career NHL games to his credit. A change of scenery will likely benefit Finley, but he also will likely start the season with the Providence Bruins.

In the Wings

Tuukka Rask -- Just 19 and was a star for Finland at the 2006 World Junior Championships. He came to the Bruins in exchange for goalie Andrew Raycroft.

Jordan Sigalet -- Spent three seasons at Bowling Green before turning pro in 2005-06. He went 19-11-2 with the Providence Bruins in 2005-06 and also appeared in one game for the Bruins.

Should Toivonen struggle, the Bruins will have no qualms about using veteran Tim Thomas in his stead. Thomas played in Finland in 2004-05 and thought his NHL days were done. But a call from the Bruins brought him back for the 2005-06 season, one in which he started in the AHL and then climbed back into the NHL. In 38 NHL appearances, Thomas was 12-13-10 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .917 save percentage, all in all, not too shabby for a team that scored only 230 goals during the regular season.

The Bruins also signed Brian Finley, the sixth-overall pick of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Finley was plagued by injuries while with the Nashville Predators and has just two career NHL games to his credit. A change of scenery will likely benefit Finley, but he also will likely start the season with the Providence Bruins.

In the Wings

Tuukka Rask -- Just 19 and was a star for Finland at the 2006 World Junior Championships. He came to the Bruins in exchange for goalie Andrew Raycroft.

Jordan Sigalet -- Spent three seasons at Bowling Green before turning pro in 2005-06. He went 19-11-2 with the Providence Bruins in 2005-06 and also appeared in one game for the Bruins.

NHL Central Scouting's report on Hannu Toivonen in 2002: "A big goaltender with very good mobility and quickness ... a technically sound goaltender with quick reflexes and smooth movement ... a solid competitor who plays with good composure ... is very focused and consistent."

FAST FACTS
1. Hannu Toivonen is the second goalie selected in the first round of the Entry Draft by the Bruins. The first, Evgeni Ryabchikov didn't pan out.

2. Toivonen's first NHL win came via shutout vs. the Senators on Dec. 1, 2005, the day after the Bruins traded Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks.

3. Tim Thomas gloved a three-year contract extension in March.

4. Thomas has played for four European teams, Jokerit, Karpat, AIK Solna and HIFK.

5. Brian Finley really had to hold the fort for the Nashville Predators on Dec. 13, 2005. Chris Mason suffered a groin pull in the warm-ups, leaving Finley the starter and defenseman Jamie Allison the backup.

CRYSTAL BALL
It may be too much to ask Toivonen to take the Bruins to the postseason this year since there are so many new, moving parts in Boston and it may take a while for everything to mesh this season.
This season will be invaluable for Toivonen -- win or lose -- since he will be getting his first prolonged stretch of NHL experience. A process that will pay dividends down the road.

Defense

The Big Four

Virtually everyone on last season's leaky defense is gone with Brian Leetch, David Tanabe, Jiri Slegr, Nick Boynton, Hal Gill and Ian Moran moving on. In their place stand Zdeno Chara, a huge addition both literally and figuratively, Paul Mara, Mark Stuart, Brad Stuart, Andrew Alberts, Milan Jurcina and Jason York.

The spotlight will rest squarely on Chara's broad shoulders. The 6-foot-9, 260 pounder is about as intimidating as they come. He was a mainstay for the Ottawa Senators for the past four seasons and not surprisingly, will be the Bruins' top defenseman. Chara averaged 27:11 of ice time last season and figures to play even more for the Bruins this season.

In Mara, the Bruins have an offensive-minded defenseman who scored 15 goals and 32 assists in 78 games for the Phoenix Coyotes last season. He had 41 points for the Coyotes in 2003-04, but was a double-digit minus in both seasons, too.

Brad Stuart came over from San Jose in the Joe Thornton trade. The third pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Stuart also supplies some offensive pop from the blue line. Last season, Stuart scored 10 goals and 21 assists in 55 games after the trade.

Mark Stuart, the 21st selection of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, made his pro debut last season, appearing in 60 games with Providence and 17 with the Bruins. Andrew Alberts played in 73 games for the Bruins this past season and the club believes he is ready to step into the mix on a regular basis. Like Mark Stuart, Alberts is a stay-at-home defenseman.

Milan Jurcina is 6-4, 235, so he is more than big enough to hold his own. With two full seasons in Providence and 51 games with the Bruins last season, the club believes he is ready to move into the rotation in a big way this season.

Get the point

With 16 goals and 27 assists for the Senators last season, Chara can contribute to the offense. At times, he also has been used to screen the opposing goalie, taking up position in the slot and thus becoming the immoveable object.

Mara and Brad Stuart also will earn plenty of time with the man advantage based on their track records for putting up points and quarterbacking the power play.
In the Wings
Matt Lashoff -- Drafted 22nd overall in 2005, Lashoff had a handful of games with the Providence Bruins last season after three seasons with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers.

Jonathan Sigalet -- Selected 100th overall in 2005, Sigalet spent two seasons with Bowling Green before appearing in 75 games with the Providence Bruins last season, scoring nine goals and 27 assists.

X Factor

Depth. Chara is a bona fide No. 1 defenseman. Brad Stuart is another solid pro. Mara adds pop from the blue line, but has to shore up play in his end. Alberts and Jurcina will be required to step up their games to become regulars on the backline.

Beyond that, the Bruins have some journeymen and prospects and an injury to Chara or Brad Stuart will leave a hole that is going to be next to impossible to fill.

Zdeno Chara on proving his critics wrong: "I got so sick of that, hearing, 'You will never make it.' Those voices, those coaches, have always stayed in my head. When someone says to me, 'You cannot do it,' that's the best thing for me. I hear that, I make sure I prove that I can do it."

FAST FACTS
1. Zdeno Chara is a cyclist in his spare time and often trains in the summer by riding through Italy and France.
2. Brad Stuart made his NHL debut on Oct. 2, 1999, scoring a goal against the Calgary Flames' Grant Fuhr. Stuart went on to score 36 points in 82 games in his rookie season and made the NHL All-Rookie Team.

3. Born in New Jersey, Paul Mara has played on Team USA's World Junior Championships team three times, winning a bronze medal in 2004.

4. Andrew Alberts played four seasons at Boston College. There, he made the Hockey East First Team All-Star squad in 2004-05. He also was an NCAA East first-teamer in 2004-05, the second-straight season he was so honored. In 2002-03, Alberts was a Hockey East Second Team All-Star.

5. Milan Jurcina played junior hockey for his hometown Liptovsky Mikulas team in Slovakia. At the international level, Milan played for Slovakia at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships (2002, 2003) and the 2001 U-18 World Junior Championships.

CRYSTAL BALL
Chara is the cornerstone for the Bruins and he will be expected to lead the team, as well as play strong defense. Chara is going to be on the ice just about all night, every night, so the Bruins will have to be cognizant of getting him enough rest during the course of the season. To that end, the other defensemen will need to pick up their games as well. Brad Stuart is a proven pro and Mara can pile up points, but he has to hone his game to the point where he doesn't allow them, too. As for Alberts, Jurcina and Mark Stuart, they are young defensemen, and young defensemen make mistakes. But it is important for them to get the necessary minutes to take their games to the next level.

Forwards

Lining up

The whole "new look" concept continues among the Bruins' forwards, too. Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov, the faces of the franchise for so long, have given way to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Boyes and Marc Savard.
Bergeron, signed to a new multi-year contract during the summer, is an emerging star for Boston and will center the top line this season. He scored 31 goals and 42 assists last season and teamed very effectively with Boyes, a former Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick who has found a home in Boston. Boyes, who also was re-signed, scored 26 goals and 43 assists last season. Marco Sturm, acquired from San Jose in the Thronton trade, had 29 goals and 30 assists last season, so these three give the Bruins a legitimate top line.

Savard, who had 28 goals and 69 assists with Atlanta last season, will be counted on as the center to get Glen Murray back on track. Murray had 24 goals and 29 assists last season and is capable of much more.
Phil Kessel, the team's first-round pick in June, has turned pro and is an intriguing prospect who has dangerous speed and a great shot. With a good training camp, Kessel could work his way onto the big team, although even a trip to Providence to start the season should still allow Kessel plenty of time to work his way to the NHL this season.

The versatile P.J. Axelsson was limited to 10 goals and 18 assists in 59 games last season and will find playing time on either the second or third lines, which also will showcase free-agent import Shean Donovan, the speedy former Calgary Flame who is looking to rebound from a sub-par 2005-06 season.

Feeling special

There's no lack of offensive talent for Dave Lewis to choose from for the power play this season. Savard's playmaking skills make him an easy pick for plenty of time with the man advantage. Murray's track record as a scorer also will see him on the power play.

In addition, Bergeron, Boyes and Sturm also will get to strut their stuff on the power play.

Up and Coming

Petr Kalus -- A second-round pick in 2005, Kalus enjoyed a productive rookie season in the Western Hockey League with Regina, scoring 36 goals and 22 assists.

Ben Walter -- The son of former NHL player Ryan Walter, Ben split last season between Providence and Boston. In the AHL, Walter scored 16 goals and 24 assists in 62 games, while going scoreless in six games with the Bruins.

Martin Karsums -- A second-round pick in 2004, Karsums scored 34 goals and 31 assists for Moncton in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season. The Latvian native is headed into his fourth junior season.
David Krejci -- Another second-round selection from 2004, Krejci is a Czech Republic native who has two seasons in the QMJHL under his belt. Last season, he netted 27 goals and 54 assists.

X Factor

Phil Kessel elicits a lot of varying opinions. No one doubts his skating and shot, but he was less than stellar at the 2006 World Junior Championships, picking up only one goal. That sparked questions about his game.
Kessel has one season of college hockey under his belt, scoring 18 goals and 33 assists in 39 games for the University of Minnesota. That may not be enough preparation for the pro game, but the NHL may provide just the environment Kessel needs to succeed.

Brad Boyes on the Bruins resigning Patrice Bergeron: "Patty's one of our best players and getting him signed was the biggest move. Signing Chara and Savard and all the other things they did were huge, but this was the biggest thing they had to do for now and for the future. He's our best player and our youngest player and he's only getting better."

FAST FACTS
1. Playing for Providence during the lockout really benefited Patrice Bergeron's game. He scored 21 goals and 40 assists in 68 AHL games and then enjoyed an excellent 2005-06 NHL season, scoring 31 goals and 42 assists.

2. Brad Boyes also played for Providence during the lockout and starred, scoring 33 goals and 42 assists. Last season, he emerged at the NHL level with 26 goals and 43 assists.

3. Marco Sturm's production was lost in the shuffle once he arrived in Boston. In the fallout from the trade, few noticed he scored 23 goals and 20 assists in 51 games.

4. Marc Savard is coming off a career season with the Atlanta Thrashers, scoring 28 goals and 69 assists. In 2003-04, Savard played in only 45 games for the Thrashers, but produced 19 goals and 33 assists.
5. At first glance, one would assume Yan Stastny plays for Slovakia in international play. But we all know what happens when we assume ... Young Stastny, the son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, was born in the United States and has competed for Team USA on the international circuit.

CRYSTAL BALL
The bad taste from the Thornton trade should have dissipated a bit by now and the Bruins and their fans will see plenty of good things from Bergeron and Boyes. Kessel also provides an interesting sidebar for the season.
The big test for the Bruins will come in the form of Savard and Murray. Both veterans will need to be at the top of their games for the Bruins to have success this season. That means Murray has to score goals and Savard has to set them up.

Savard may find it tougher sledding than in Atlanta, when he was dishing to the supremely talented Ilya Kovalchuk. He will command a lot of attention from opposition checkers, so he has to play through that attention and get the puck to his wingers. In turn, they need to find the net. A good portion of the Bruins' season depends on it.

Feature; Alberts, Jurcina better for the expierence

By James Murphy NHL.com CorrespondentSept. 16, 2006

After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in six seasons, the Boston Bruins were one of the most active teams this past off-season, bringing in a new general manager in Peter Chiarelli, a new coaching staff led by Dave Lewis, and overhauling almost the entire roster.

Gone are the likes of Joe Thornton, Nick Boynton, Hal Gill and Andrew Raycroft, all only a year ago viewed as the core of the team. Into the fray are big names like Zdeno Chara, Marc Savard and Paul Mara, as well as role players like Shean Donovan and Jason York.

But after rookie seasons that could best be compared to a roller coaster, defensemen Andrew Alberts and Milan Jurcina find themselves back for another stint in Boston as part of one of the deepest blue line corps in the NHL.

"There's definitely been quite a bit of turnover here, but its nice to know that management thought enough to bring us back for another go," Alberts said.

If you had asked both him and Jurcina last fall whether they would be in training camp now, both might have told you they would be lucky just to make it through the season in Boston. However, they battled through and gradually improved as the season went on.

Due to excessive injuries, Milan Jurcina was rushed into action for the 2005-06 season.

"Last year was tough for everyone and at times it took its toll," Alberts acknowledged. "We had key guys like Nick (Boynton) and Brian Leetch go down with extended injuries and a lot of guys had to do things they weren't used to."

Of course, Alberts and Jurcina were just trying to get used to playing in the NHL, let alone fill-in for an All-Star and future Hall of Famer.

"We definitely were doing things maybe we weren't supposed to be doing yet," Jurcina recalled. "It seemed like something bad was always happening."

For the first two months of the season, on more than one occasion, Jurcina found himself in the press box as a healthy scratch, while Alberts seemed to always find his way to the penalty box, then the dog house and eventually a six-game stint in the AHL with Providence. While both admit those were frustrating times, they know now that they still learned a lot from the experience.

"I definitely struggled with the new rules at first and couldn't seem to stay out of the box," Alberts admitted, noting he thought he was starting to adjust, when he found himself starting the month of December on the farm. "I was upset for sure, but I just kept my head up and did my best to improve."

Meanwhile, Jurcina would do his best to learn from up above.

"You just try to watch the game more and see what you can do to improve," he said.

Former Bruins defenseman Don Sweeney, the team's current director of player development, commended both players for their perseverance.

"Look every player, even the great ones are going to have their ups and downs," Sweeney said.
Sweeney knows that while Alberts may have thought at the time he didn't need to be reassigned to Providence, he probably knows it was the best thing for him.

"The key there is that he was able to play more hockey down there," Sweeney pointed out. "You're getting in more situations you may not have had the opportunity to be in at the NHL level and most importantly, with that experience, you're gaining confidence."

Providence coach Scott Gordon also was impressed with Jurcina and Alberts and is confident they can build on the experience. Gordon coached Jurcina for two seasons and Alberts for 24 games at the end of the 2004-05 season and in the AHL playoffs, where the Bruins made a run to the conference finals.

"I've always been impressed with Milan's talent and the person he is," Gordon said. "He's a big player that can skate and he's gotten better each season."

Gordon didn't get to coach Alberts as long as he did Jurcina, but he felt the same way about the former Boston College Eagle.

"He has similar potential with his size and skating ability and I think he gained some good experience when he came out of college and played for us during that playoff run," Gordon said.

Andrew Alberts was forced into on-the-job training with the Bruins in 2005-06..

Gordon felt Jurcina may have had a slight edge over his fellow rookie last season.

"Alberts was an older rookie, but he didn't necessarily have the experience of guys his age, or that Jurcina had," Gordon said. "Alberts was learning more on the go and in a shorter time."

Ask any of their teammates who have played with them and all agree that they can see improvement in the way Alberts and Jurcina play and more importantly, the confidence Sweeney mentioned was so essential.
"You can definitely see the confidence in the way they play and handle the puck in their own end," forward Brad Boyes said.

Boyes played with both Alberts and Jurcina during that 2005 playoff run in Providence and since then has always felt both players had the potential to be mainstays at the NHL level.

"I could tell right away they had the skills," Boyes said. "I mean they're so big and for big guys they can skate really well too. I think they just needed to gain that confidence and comfort level."

Boyes doesn't remember exactly when but he remembered a point in the season where that happened.
"I just remember late in the season, sitting on the bench and hearing guys say, 'Wow, did you see that? These kids are going to be good.' They were really impressing us," he recalled.

Now, with a new coaching and management staff, Jurcina and Alberts will try to impress once again. But this time they do so, knowing if they be themselves, there won't be as many trips to the press box or down I-95 to Providence.

"We still need to do our job, but we know we can do it," Jurcina said.

"It's like being a rookie all over again, but this time we definitely have more confidence," Alberts said. "Last season, sometimes by choice and sometimes by necessity we were trying to do too much, now we can just keep it simple and play our game."

By the Numbers

By John Kreiser NHL.com correspondentSept. 16, 2006

Advantage Margin: -61Boston's 205 man advantages away from home was the lowest total in the league.
Even-Strength Goals Margin: -13Marco Sturm, part of the package the Bruins received for Joe Thornton, led the Bruins with a plus-14 ranking.

Special Teams Goal Margin: -17, The Bruins gave up just 31 PPGs in 244 chances at home, but surrendered 47 in 235 opportunities on the road.

Goals by defensemen: 38, Brad Stuart, another part of the Thornton package, led the defensemen with 10 goals.

Goals by forwards: 190, Sturm, the first-line left wing, had 23 goals with Boston; the rest of the left wings had 20.

Overtime Record: 6-8-8 (OT: 4-8, SO: 2-8) Not only did the Bruins not win a shootout on the road (0-2), they were scoreless in their six shootout attempts.

Times Scored First/Record: 40 (Record: 21-11-8) Boston had the third-lowest winning percentage in the NHL when scoring first; only Washington and St. Louis were lower.

Best 05-06 Number: 87.3, Boston's penalty-killing percentage at home, the third-best showing in the league.
Worst 05-06 Number: 16Losses by the Bruins in games that went beyond regulation time, the highest total in the league.

Scheduling Stat: The Bruins may struggle at the start of the season - they open with five straight road games (only the second time since 1993-94 that they've opened away from home). After that, though, they play seven of the next eight at the T.D. Banknorth Garden.