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Thursday, November 30, 2006

What a Game! Tampa Bay Recap

Boston-4 OT/SO
Tampa Bay-3

Wowowow! What a exciting and entertaining game. I am still pumped from that shootout. Where to start? Two words, Tim Thomas. Clearly his best performance of the season and possibly of his career. He absolutely robbed Martin St. Louis on a shot in which Stuart turned the puck over and a one timer in the slot was ripped by St. Louis. He raised his stick thinking it was a goal. That save was one of the, if not the, best save I have ever seen, thats going to make SportsCenter. Thomas stopped all 8 shots he faced in the shoout. Thomas gets the number 1 star tonight.

Like I said earlier, the difference between a "great" goaltender and a "good" goaltender is the ability to steal a game from time to time. Well, Tim Thomas did just that tonight, robbing the Lightning of 2 points. Thomas, in my book right now, is a great goaltender.

Speaking of Phil "the thrill" Kessel, he scored the game winning goal in the shootout. Give it to the youngster. Lots of poise on that shot. Most rookies, especially at the age 19, would be nervous as hell. Kessel did not get many minutes tonight, but showed what he is made up when the spotlight is on him. A great boost of confidence.

The PJ Axelsson goal was great. Good to see shorthanded plays develop. That saucer pass had eyes and found its way to Axy's stick. Axy used all the strength he had to lunge toward the puch and deflect it over Denis's glove hand.

The Marc Savard, Glen Murray combo is a lot like the Thornton, Murray combo. The chemistry between these two has to be better than we expected and it is entertaining to watch. Savard had a great no look backhand pass to Murray, who scored in the one-timer to tie the game in the middle of the 3rd. Murray has seemed to be getting all the key goals of late and Savard continues to produce at a rapid pace. Savard is in the top 7 in the NHL in assists.

Brad Boyes had an excellent hand and eye cordination goal. Like I said earlier, this is what he needed to boost his confidence. He is riding a 3 game goal streak.

Patrice Bergeron's game has picked up of late. He is doing things well on all parts of the ice. The Sturm, Bergeron, Boyes line has picked up over the last month or so and it is great to see that line click. Bergeron was clearly the best player on the ice tonight, and it seems his slow start to the season has not affected him at all.

Zdeno Chara played about half the game once again and played stellar along with the rest of the defensive corp. Other than a the turnovers, one which caused a goal, they played well. They owe Tim Thomas for bailing them out. B Stuart seemed a little off tonight, but nothing to worry about.

Overall, great team win. The rally "helmets" the team uses in shootouts is funny and it is working to their advantage. The Bruins improve to 8-2 over the last 10 games.

3 Stars:
1. Tim Thomas
2. Patrice Bergeron
3. Vincent Lecavalier
HONORBALE MENTIONS: Phil Kessel, Zdeno Chara, Eric Perrin, Glen Murray, Martin St. Louis

Game Notes:
-Paul Mara was out with an "lower body injury" but is better than expected.
-Jason York was back in action after missing last game due to injury.

Goal Scorers:

Boston:
Brad Biyes (6) from Bergeron (16) and Alberts (3)
PJ Axlesson (7) from Bergeron (17) and Chara (12)
Glen Murray (12) from York (2) and Savard (22)

SHOOTOUT: 1-8, Phil Kessel

Tampa Bay:
Eric Perrin (6) from Lecavalier (17)
Martin St. Louis (16) from Perrin (5)
Vincent Lecavalier (12) from Fedotenko (7) and Prospal (12)

SHOOTOUT: 0-8

More Kessel

I know many of you want to see more of Phil "the thrill" Kessel, and so do I, but there is a reason why Lewis isn't playing his as much as people want. Kessel is a real talent, and they need to treat him carefully. Remember he is only 19, and most people thought he was going to be in Providence this season or in college. They aren't giving him the Joe Thornton treatment, but they are trying to develop him as a player. We may not know, but it is likely Kessel is learning a lot at practice than in games. People have to remember he is only 19 and not 23. He will take 3-4 years to develop and they don't want to rush him. I know it is hard when Wayne "not the thrill" Primeau is taking up a lot of ice time.

Fan Blog

I wanted to remind everyone that there is a fan blog. If you want to write about something, write up the article and email it to me via attachment or just typed. I will glady look it over and post it.

Chat During Game

Sorry for the lack of chats lately, there will be a chat tonight during the game, I will be in it at around 7:15 or so. Hope to see you all in there!

LeClair Waived

The Pittsburgh Penguins have waived veteren winger John LeClair this afternoon. John LeClair is earning $1.5 million in salary but his cap hit is $1.8 million. His waiver fee is $3,300. If he hits re-entry waivers, his cap hit will be $900,000.

Matt's Take: This could be the end for LeClair, but a team with cap space and in need for scoring could always pick him up. For the Bruins, I would not pick him up on waivers, as 1.8 cap hit is a waste, but if he hits re-entry waivers, I would consider it. He is still a scorer if put with the right people.

Tampa Bay: 11/30/06

Another tough game. The Bruins are on a roll, 7-2 last 9 games and they will come out fighting tonight. Martin St. Louis has been hot lately, and it'll be a tough task shutting him down. The Lightning will come out fighting as well, this will be a gritty hard nosed game.

Keys to winning:
-Shut down St. Louis, Lecalvier, and Richards
-Effective PK and PP
-Continue the hot hand

Prediction:
Boston-4
Tampa- 2

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Flyers Ink Knuble to Extension

The Philadelphia Flyers have finally done something right. They have announced that they have signed winger Mike Knuble to a 2yr/5.6 million dollar extension.

Matt's Take: Good move by the Flyers. Knuble probably took a home town discount, but the Flyers got a steal.

Dempsey Clears Waivers

Bruins defenseman Nathan Dempsey has cleared waivers today and has been assigned to Providence (AHL). That clears $500,000 off the Bruins cap. He could be recalled if an injury occurs.

Game Recap: Toronto

Boston-4
Toronto-1

As most of us suspected, the Leafs came out strong. They outplayed the Bruins in the 1st, but the Bruins fought hard and played solid team hockey the rest of the game, with 10 players collecting points in the game.

3 Stars:
1. Tim Thomas
2. Zdeno Chara
3. Glen Murray
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Shean Donovan, Patrice Bergeron, Nik Antropov.

Tim Thomas played an outstanding game, stopping 45-46 shots. Great performance and it seems that he is taking over the role as a number 1 goaltender for the team. I am starting to believe that Thomas is the real deal and not a 1 year wonder, ala Martin Gerber. Thomas had great rebound control and made some key saves on the 5-3 powerplay.

Zdeno Chara racked up 31:07 minutes of icetime and played a stellar game. He was on the ice the entire 5-3 penalty kill and had some great checks. Showing he is worth all 39 million.

Glen Murray played well too. He had a great half slapper over the glove side of Raycroft. He has been the dominate goal scorer he used to be and is showing no signs of slowing down. It is great that he has rebounded this season after many doubted he could regain his form.

Shean Donovan scored his 1st goal as a Bruin and his first goal in 27 games. Hopefully, this will spring a spark into him and he will continue to score. His play along with Primeau and Mowers has picked up as of late.

Bates Battaglia of the Leafs has been playing some good hockey as of late. Once a potent scorer for the Hurricanes, it seems he has revived his career here in Toronto. Always a fan of his, loved his style of play.

Brad Boyes has scored for the 2nd straight game. Even though it was an empty netter, it adds confidence and that is what Boyes needs.

The Bruins are 7-2 in their last 9 games.

Goal Scorers:

Boston:
Shean Donovan (1) from Mowers (2) and Alberts (2)
Glen Murray (12) from Tenkrat (1) and M Stuart (1)
Marco Sturm (4) from Primeau (2)
Brad Boyes (5) from Bergeron (15) and Chara (11)

Toronto:
Nik Antropov (5) from Peca (7) and Kaberle (17)

Lewis: When I Fall in Love

The future looks pretty bright in Beantown and the team fire on all cylinders. But, iI'm starting to be a little concerned by the way Dave Lewis is managing his roster.

A blogger suggests that Kessel's ice time was, at the best, ridiculous. I tend to agree with that statement but Kessel was not the only " bizarre " roster move that Lewis offered this year. We already know that the line of Primeau-Donovan and Mowers get too much ice time. For the most part of the year, they were unproductive and penalty prone. When the team acquire Chistov and recalled Tenkrat, a new line was formed with Kessel as the center. This line was dynamic and injected energy on a team who needed that badly. Still, those guys are barely playing 10-12 minutes a game even if they are productive. Another case? Paul Mara. We all agree that Mara is a bust since his arrival. Mara is a high-risk player in is own end; careless with the puck on the PP and his record on 5 on 5 situation pretty desastrous. Still, Mara is playing a lots and we've saw this PP specialist on the PK. Yes, the PK. Do Lewis is clueless? Do Lewis body start to be possess by Sullivan's spirit?

I don' t know the answer but i start to notice that Lewis seems to be guilty of something that can put the team in trouble and Lewis in Chiarelli's doghouse: Lewis is falling in love. Yes, Falling in love with some players at the point that he will play them even if they hurt the team. Right now, everything is fine. The team win and the system work but what will happend when things will start to fall apart?. What will happend when the team will need Kessel to step up in a key situation? Right now, Lewis says that he protect Kessel from being in a bad situation. It looks pretty good on camera but Kessel need to learn how to play in this league even if he learn, sometimes, the hard way. This kid is the future of the team on the upfront and he need to be in the line of fire because it will be desastrous to have him in march in a key situation only to find that he was not prepared to do so. It's good to protect the kid but being protective could end up with the wrong result. Maybe it's not the players. Maybe it's just a coach who need to learn how to use them...

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

B's win 4-1

After being challenge by Darcy Tucker, the B's respond by sweeping their 2 games against Toronto with an impressive 4-1 win. Here's your Heroes and Zeroes for tonight's game.

Heroes:
-Tim Thomas: Stand up big on the 5 on 3, early in the third. He outplayed Raycroft.
-Shean Donovan: For scoring his first goal. His goal swing the momentum for the B's.
-The PK unit for shuting down Toronto's offense.
-Zdeno Chara: Played 31 minutes with a +1 rating. His play was HUGE in the 5 0n 3.

Zeroes:
-Darcy Tucker: Lots of talk but zero results. I guess he was too " tired " on the PP to hit the net instead of the post....

Marcus Nasland being shopped around?

I've read several sources saying that Vancouver is shopping around it's top player Marcus Nasland. The teams I've been hearing are San Jose, NY Rangers, The Habs, and Penguins. If dealt it would have to be a huge blockbuster deal with multiple players. I have a feeling if not Nasland then Morrisson will be dealt. Vancouver is in for a big shake up.

Is it a miracle?

Donovan finally scored, his first goal for the Bruins. This was a guy who was suppose to be able to score close to 20 goals. He is also a streaky goal scorer. Is he going to final put the puck in the net or not? By the way it was a goal scorers goal and not a cheap rebound. Came in on a two on one and put it top shelf.

1st Intermission Report

Well, like I suspected, the Leafs came out strong. The Bruins didn't "match" the intensity for the first half of the period, but they did end the period with a solid PP. Good puck movement which created oppurtunities. Look for the Bruins to come out strong in the 2nd. Recap after the game...

Comment Moderation

There has been some issues regarding the comments lately. Someone(s) have been posting very offensive comments to posters and commenters lately, and it is very inappropriate for people to do that. I took down the comment moderation for the last 2 days and have already gotten loads of inappropriate comments. For that, I have put it back up, and because of someone(s), I will be keeping the moderation on for the near future. It is unfortunate, but this is what it has come down to. Please just try to keep the comments from being personal attacks.

Tough Test Tonight

Tonight's game is going to be a tough one. We can all expect a tough fought game from the Leafs and for them to come out strong. The key to this game is to see if the Bruins can match the intensity that the Leafs bring to them. If we start off flat footed we will lose. Come out strong. It'll be an interesting match tonight, hopefully it will turn out in our favor.

Naslund on the Move?

From HockeyBuzz,

"I have heard from multiple sources going back to the middle of last week now, that several teams including the NY Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks have been putting together packages for Markus Naslund."

Matt's Take: I don't think he is really "on the block", but if a heart offering package came along, I would bet the Canucks would pull the trigger. Naslund has been mentioned to be on the block the past 2 years and it is no surprise he is on it once again. If he truly is on the block, I would love for the Bruins to make a pitch for him, but at the same time it would cost a lot of pieces of the team for one player.

Coyotes Acquire Tellqvist

The Phoenix Coyotes have acquired Tellqvist from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Tyson Nash and a draft pick.

Matt's Take: Well, Phoenix has been in a hunt for a new goalie lately, and Tellqvist probably wasn't their best option, but it is also good because they didn't have to give up much. As for the Toronto side of it, they have Aubin as a backup and Razor has been sharp lately, they get a solid forward in Nash, and it will add to their offense. Overall, fair trade.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Preds Claim Leighton off Waivers

The Nashville Predators have claimed goalie Michael Leighton off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. Leighton will be the backup to Chris Mason after Tomas Vokoun was injured and is expected to be out 2-4 weeks. The Preds will no longer be looking to acquire a goalie. Also, could Anaheim be getting ready to deal? They have been clearing cap space the past few weeks with trades.

Site Milestone

The site is currently closing in on 35,000 views in its lifetime. I want to thank all of you for your support and keeping the comments coming in. Great to hear your opinions and everyone here at Bruinsrumors appreciates it. Keep spreading the word and thank you again for the support.

One Move...

If you had one move to make as the GM of the Boston Bruins, what would it be? You have to be realistic and have it work under the current cap situation. Let's say that the Bruins have about 3.5 million in cap space to be fair. I am interested in what you would do.

To Boston:
J.S. Giguere (ONLY IF WE CAN GET AN EXTENSION)

To Anaheim:
Hannu Toivonen
2nd round pick
Wayne Primeau

Toronto Rematch: 11/28/06

Another very crucial game. 4 point swing in the division standings. Every point is valuable, but more when a team in your division is getting them. The Bruins need to make up ground fast. Toronto is going to come out strong and expect a tough fight. Tucker will be a pain in the ass and expect Mara and him to go at it. Brad Boyes is getting things together and the entire team is starting to click. Thomas will likely get the start. The Bruins need to match the intensity brought by the Leafs.

Keys to winning:
-Match intensity.
-Keep momentum.
-Use the PP to your advantage.
-Be physical.

Prediction:
Boston-4
Toronto-2

*The Bruins keep it rolling on all cylinders to sweep the series.

Dempsey Placed on Waivers

TSN report that the B's put Nathan Dempsey on waivers.

Latrappe's take: Not a huge surprise here since the B's have the blueline crowded with the arrival of York from the IR list. It remains to be seen if York will be the next guy to be waived.

Matt's take: I am not "surprised" to see this happen, clears some cap space. I thought Dempsey was playing fairly well but let guys like Jurcina, Lashoff, M Stuart and other young ones to step up. We already have York as the guy who can be that veteran 7th defenseman.

Yawney Fired!

TSN is reporting that Trent Yawney was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks. Denis Savard will replace him as the head coach. As TSN pointed it out, there's no interim tag on Savard.

Latrappe's take: TSN says that Chicago fired Yawney due to his "defensive" approach but without Havlat and Handzus in the lineup, that situation looked DOA for me. Nothing was done, trade wise, to help the coach and it seems that the front office was looking for a scapegoat. That said, Denis Savard is well known among the organisation and a fresh look might help the team but, still, without their two top forwards, it will be pretty tough to turn things around in Chicago.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Quartely Grade

With the 21th games in the book, i think it's time for a Quartely Grade. The B's are 10-9-2, good for the 12th position in the conference; only 3 points shy of a playoffs spot...

Goaltending: At the beginning of the season, this position was the huge question mark. No need to say that the first 5 games made the fans expect for the very worst. Still, slowly and gradually, the goaltending situation is stabilising. Thomas's game is coming around and the goaltending was very solid in the last 5 games. If Thomas can repeat, on a daily base, his last 5 games performances; Chiarelli's work will be easier. Since i have to grade for the whole 21 games, i think a C+ is a fair grade.

Defense: The signing of Chara generate hopes among the fans. In fact, Chara did exactly what the B's expected from him: Logging lots of minutes, being the leader of the defensive squad and help the rookies to come around. Brad Stuart was the marked man in the JT trade and he's showing why. His performance is nothing but superb and the perspective to see him signed to a long term deal could make the B's very solid at the blue line; especially if you consider that Alberts, Lashoff and Mark Stuart will be the B's future. Still, this defensive corps will have to keep their game simple and avoid giveaways in their own end. Yes, the goaltender can bail you out but he cannot bail you all the time... C

Offense: The offense had a tough ride in the beginning of the season. They struggled to score and the PP was inneffective, at the very best. In fact, that PP failure cost the team a couple of points. But, this offensive squad is starting to gelled and they come around nicely in the last couple of games. The PP is good and the BBS line is starting to produce. Marc Savard, after a slow start, is looking like the Marc Savard of last year and good'ol PJ is starting a new career as an offensive forward. A very good note for the line of Kessel-Tenkrat-Chistov who give the team a 3rd scoring line. They provide dynamism and energy. For overcoming their lack of offensive punch and for turning around the PP; i give them a B-.

Coaching/GM: The decision to put PJ with Savard and Murray made Lewis looks like a genius. The line gelled to the point that they become the #1 line. Lewis is not afraid to experiment and, at this point, the result is a record over .500.Chiarelli said that he would be patient with the team and the only move he made was the acquisition of Chistov for a 3rd rounder. Still, it's too early to evaluate Chiarelli and time will tell what he's made of. C

Overall: After 21 games, the result can be rated as a C. We all knew that the new roster would take time to gelled and they did, lately. The commitment and the effort is there but the team will have to be more consistent in those two categories. The improvement is on the rise and there's a lot of place for optimism in the next 20 games.

Pitkanen to Boston (br2)

From the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch (Spectors)

The Philadelphia Flyers has apparently been getting lots of interest in defenceman Joni Pitkanen. The San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins are believed interested. The Flyers are also getting calls about Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble.

Matt's Take: Like Spector said, Pitkanen is going nowhere. He is not a UFA after season's end and it would take a lot to land him. Either Stuart and a top prospect or Mara, prospect, and a pick, maybe even more. It would be great to have him, but it isn't happening.

Offense Needed (Repeat)

I am posting this again because I don't feel people really got the jist of it.

I have been thinking lately, and it has occured to me, that the need for the team is offense. We need to go out and get that top winger available by trade. Take my example of Buffalo. They have scored over 100 goals this season and the Bruins have just south of 50. The Sabres defense is ok, with guys like Spacek and Numiumen. But Chara, Stuart and Mara makes the Bruins defense better on paper than the Sabres. Granted the Sabres have two good goalies in Miller and Biron. But my point is, if your team can score 4-5 goals a game, your defense doesn't have to be AMAZING and your goaltending doesn't have to be Patrick Roy worthy. But when your offense scores 2-3 maybe 4 on a good night, your defense needs to be top notch every night and your goaltending does need to be Patrick Roy worthy every night. If I am PC, I am looking for offense, which makes me think of dangling B Stuart and a top prospect for a top winger.

Parrish to Boston (br2)

From the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch (Spectors),

The Minnesota Wild are trying to shop LW Mark Parrish, who's been relegated to the club's fourth line. His five-year, $2.7 million per season salary would make him a tough sell. The Wild could also shop RW Pascal Dupuis. Garrioch reports "Phoenix, Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal and Chicago have all called GM Doug Risebrough to check on his availability."

Matt's Take: At 2.7 million, Parrish is a bargain. Even though he has struggled this season, he is a proven 20 goal scorer. Parrish plays LW, and I have always been a fan of him. His style of play just doesn't click with the Wild's west coast system of play. Parrish is a guy the Bruins had interest this offseason but he decided to go home and play for Minnesota. At 2.7, he is affordable and can fit under the cap. 5 years is the only thing I am a little shakey on, but then again, at 2.7, who plays better for 5 years. Eventually prospects making 850,000 or less with command more, and for 2.7 for 5 seasons seems resonable to me. I am wondering what Minnesota wants in return.

Chistov

I am extremely happy in the acquisition of Stanislav Chistov. He has been playing great of late. He reminds me a lot of a young Sergei Samsonov with less flash and better decision making. At 22, it was a big mistake of Anaheim letting him go.

The whole key to the new NHL is getting young talent and finding bargains in places. With the salary cap era, you need to be able to find talent and get 20-30 goals for only 500,000 dollars. Chistov is a great bargain along with Tenkrat and Kessel. That line costs around 1.85 million dollars, the same amount that PJ Axelsson makes, or 700,000 more than Wayne Primeau.

PC did a great job scouting this guy and it has payed off. Anaheim will regret this deal unless they draft the next Bergeron with the 3rd pick they acquired.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Bruins Come Out in Victory

Bruins-3
Toronto-1

Not the outcome I was expecting, in a good way. The Bruins played a full 60 minute game and in my opinion, played the best game of the season. Their first win this season by more than 1 goal.

Highlights:
-Paul Mara standing up for his teammates by fighting with Tucker. It showed the team that someone else other than Chara will stand up for his teammates. A real sparker for the team.
-Chara's goal line save. Wow! That's all I can say. The puck was about 3 inches from crossing the line when the skate of Big Z came across and shoved it away.
-Stanislav Chistov had an execellent game and played an important role in tonights game. He reminds me of Sergei Samsonov with less dancing and better decision making.
-Brad Boyes played extremely well and I hope this gets him rolling goal production wise.
-Shean Donovan also played very well, even though he didn't get on the score sheet, he played well defensively and on the forecheck.
-Petr Tenkrat also played his best game of the season. Hit the post and scored today. I like his style of play and that Tenkrat, Kessel, Chistov line has been producing.
-Bergeron also played a solid game.
-Last but not least, Tim Thomas. Played clearly his best game of the season. Countless saves and kept the team in a posistion to win. Great saves and no softies allowed. The goal allowed was not his fault at all and if anything should have never occured, penalty should have been called on Tucker for interference.

I am very excited about this win, a pure team effort. All cylinders running.

3 Stars:
1. Tim Thomas
2. Petr Tenkrat
3. Brad Boyes
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Patrice Bergeron, Stanislav Chistov, Zdeno Chara, Mats Sundin

Scoring:
Boston
Petr Tenkrat (2) from Chara (9) and Chistov (2)
Marc Savard (6) from Bergeron (13) and Chara (10)
Brad Boyes (4) from Bergeron (14) and Sturm (3)
Toronto
Mats Sundin (9) from Tucker (9) and McCabe (17)

Arenas

A quick rundown of the team's arena's and capcity.

Anaheim Ducks- Arrowhead Pond, 17,174
Atlanta Thrashers- Phillips Arena, 18,750
Boston Bruins- TD Banknorth Garden, 17, 565
Buffalo Sabres- HSBC Arena, 18,595
Calgary Flames- Saddledome, 20,000
Carolina Hurricanes- RBC Center, 19,000
Chicago Blackhawks- United Center, 20,500
Colorado Avalanche- Pepsi Center, 19,099
Columbus Blue Jackets- Nationwide Arena, 18,500
Dallas Stars- American Airlines Center, 16, 924
Detroit Red Wings- Joe Louis Arena, 19,983
Edmonton Oilers- Rexall Place, 17,099
Florida Panthers- BankAtlantic Center, 19,250
Los Angeles Kings- Staples Center, 18,118
Minnesota Wild- XCel Energy Center, 18,064
Montreal Canadiens- Bell Centre, 21,273
Nashville Predators- Gaylord Entertainment Center, 18,000
New Jersey Devils- Continental Airlines Arena, 19,040
New York Islanders- Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 16,297
New York Rangers- Madison Square Garden, 18,200
Ottawa Senators- Corel Centre, 18,500
Philadelphia Flyers- Wachovia Center, 19,511
Phoenix Coyotes- Glendale Arena, 18,000
Pittsburgh Penguins- Mellon Arena, 17,181
San Jose Sharks- HP Pavilion, 17,190
St. Louis Blues- Savvis Center, 19,260
Tampa Bay Lightning- St. Petersburg Times Forum, 19,500
Toronto Maple Leafs- Air Canada Centre, 18,800
Vancouver Canucks- General Motors Place, 18,422
Washington Capitals- Verizon Center, 19,740

Largest arena- Montreal Canadiens, 21,273
Smallest arena- New York Islanders, 16,297

Boston Bruins have 7th smallest arena in NHL.

How About a Samsonov Reunion?

Just a thought I ponied up. Wouldn't it be great to have Sergei back? He was always a fan favorite, and still has skill. The problem is just that his style of play does not fit with the Canadiens team style of play. Samsonov could be a dynamic threat with Savard and Murray. Samsonov is a guy who needs a top center to perform.

Samsonov basically has no value in Montreal and could be had for a minor leaguer or a low to mid draft pick. Samsonon is on the books for 2yr/6.5 million.

Toronto: 11/25/06

After a horrible game against Carolina, the Bruins need to rebound. A solid performance is needed from all parts of the team.

Keys to winning:
-No crappy goals allowed.
-Score, as cliche as it seems, see Carolina's game.
-No turning the puck over.
-Deveop the PP.

Prediction:
Bruins 3
Toronto 5

Friday, November 24, 2006

Cheechoo Struggling

The NHLs reigning goal scoring champoin Jonathan Cheechoo has been struggling as of late. Cheechoo, of the San Jose Sharks, has been demoted to the 3rd line this season. He signed a 5yr/15 million dollar contract extension last season. Cheechoo was recently placed on the IR which could explain his struggles as of late. Even Joe Thornton can't help Cheechoo lately.

My Turn

Regarding Latrappe's previous post, here is what I would do.

-Acquire JS Giguere.
-Acquire a top 6 winger by trading Toivonen.
-Resign B Stuart
-Trade Wayne Primeau for cap space.

Winger, Savard, Murray
Sturm, Bergeron, Boyes
Axlesson, Kessel, Chistov
Tenkrat, Mowers, Donovan

Chara, Alberts
Mara, B Stuart
M Stuart, Dempsey/Jurcina/York

Giguere
Thomas

Your Turn!

Since the team reached his 20th games; it's time for you ( PC will do his homework, as well) to act as the B's GM and suggest improvements regarding the team.

Latrappe's improvements:
-Get ride of the dead wood: Primeau, Donovan, Mara, York and Dempsey.
-Acquire a scoring forward.
-Acquire a stay-at-home defenseman who knows about defensive coverage.
-Acquire a #1 goaltender.
-Promote young players who can play on the 4th line.

Shanahan Anyone?

Well well, wouldn't it have been nice to see Brendan Shanahan in a Bruins uniform. His 17 goals, which is over a 3rd of the Bruin entire team, would have helped huh? I, for one, was one of the few people who wanted him to sign, even at 5 million for 2 seasons. This guys a a 40, maybe 55 this season, goal scorer. It would have been nice to see him on the Bruins, helped our offense out.

Carolina: A Sorry Performance

Just a quick rundown of the game, which was eye bleeding to watch.

-Make a pass. We had many soft passes which Carolina picked off. Also many passes to no mans land, come on guys!

-Horrible PP. I know we had one goal, but otherwise the PP was horendous. We kept doing a dump and run which never works. You need to carry the puck into the offenseive zone.

-Goaltending sucked. Thomas did fairly well, no hate to him, but Sauve, get the hell out of here. He looked flatter than a pancake.

-No offense. 1 goal! Come on, we need to put up some goals. We have 50 goals this season whike Buffalo is north of 100. No wonder we are in last.

Offense Needed

I have been thinking lately, and it has occured to me, that the need for the team is offense. We need to go out and get that top winger available by trade. Take my example of Buffalo. They have scored over 100 goals this season and the Bruins have just south of 50. The Sabres defense is ok, with guys like Spacek and Numiumen. But Chara, Stuart and Mara makes the Bruins defense better on paper than the Sabres. Granted the Sabres have two good goalies in Miller and Biron. But my point is, if your team can score 4-5 goals a game, your defense doesn't have to be AMAZING and your goaltending doesn't have to be Patrick Roy worthy. But when your offense scores 2-3 maybe 4 on a good night, your defense needs to be top notch every night and your goaltending does need to be Patrick Roy worthy every night. If I am PC, I am looking for offense, which makes me think of dangling B Stuart and a top prospect for a top winger.

A Sorry Display

The B's had a game today but the team never showed up. Here's your Zeroes and Heroes for today's game.

Zeroes:
- Paul Mara: Do this guy is really a defenseman? He's plain UGLY on the defensive coverage and put the puck in his own net more often then he score at the other end.
- Primeau/Donovan: 13 minutes of ice time and look what you've got: another - in the +/- column and bad penalties. Do it can get any worst then this???
- Dave " No Clue " Lewis: How Kessel can barely have more ice time then Primeau and Donovan??? Kessel have speed, skills and he's discipline. Sorry, my bad, i forgot: Kessel is only -5. Maybe he will have more ice time when he will hook and get the -10 benchmark...

Heroes:
- The Carolina Hurricanes for showing up at the game. Normally, that's the home team who should put the show on ice; without them, that game would have been a snoozer....

Wow

More after the game, but that goal by Andrew Ladd, Sauve looked like crap. He was literally not even covering the net. I know Lewis took Thomas out to give the team a spark but Sauve plain sucks. He has let two horrible goals in and looks like a true AHLer out there. Makes you appreciate Thomas more.

Gerber for Denis (br2)

This is from Eklund who has it rated as an (e2). This one is a little puzzling for me. Denis is a UFA after the season and you can always try to sign Giguere this offseason (Bruins fans, PC may be eyeing this). Gerber is on the hook for two more years at 3.7 per. Tampa Bay is desparate though and a change of scenery may be the best for Gerber. Denis was acquired from the Blue Jackets this offseason for Fredrick Modin.

Oilers Showing Interest in Stuart (br3)

Once again, the Edmonton Oilers are showing great interest in Brad Stuart. Stuart's play of late has been great and at 1.9 million this season is a relative bargain. In the open market, Stuart could get between 4-5 million. Names like Jeoffry Lupul and Raffi Torres has been mentioned going the other way.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Rumor Mill

I haven't had one in a long time, time to catch up on the latest buzz going around.

-The Chicago Blackhawks are interested in acquiring a winger after Martin Havlat went down with injury and teams have inquired about defenseman Seabrook, but according to their GM he is not on the block.

-Peter Forsberg could be traded soon and San Jose, Nashville and Colorado seem to be the front runners to land him. Recent reports state that the Flyers WILL NOT trade him though.

-Oilers Ryan Smyth may test the UFA market next seasons and Oilers GM Kevin Lowe will have to decide to resign Smyth or Petr Sykora, who has been ripping it up as of late.

-The Phoenix Coyotes are in a deep hunt for goaltending and are willing to part ways with Nick Boynton and possibly Shane Doan. They will not trade Ed Jovanovski, and earlier this month had a deal in place for Evgeni Nabakov, but he used his no trade clause to block the deal.

-The Chicago Blackhawks are shopping Nikolai Khabibulan, and the Lightning have interest.

-The Lightning's GM has stated a change is needed to shake the team out of its early season funk. Expect names like Lecalvier, Prospal, Richards, St. Louis and Denis to pop up. It is unlikely that Lecalvier, Richards, or St. Louis is moved though.

-Janne Niiminaa of the Montreal Canadiens is on the block after moving out of the depth chart on the blueline. He is officially on the block and teams are already showing interest.

-Eklund is reporting that the Coyotes are interested in Lightning goalie Marc Denis.

Blue Jackets Sign Hitchcock

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Ken Hitchcock to be their new coach for the next 3 seasons. Hitchcock was fired as the Philadelphia Flyers head coach earlier this season and was head coach of the Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars.

Gerber on the Block

According to the Ottawa Sun, Senators goalie Martin Gerber is known to be on the trading block. Gerber signed a 3yr/11.7 million dollar deal or 3.7 a year this offseason. He has been struggling of late, and his contract makes him almost untradeable until his productivity increases.

Notable Moves

The New York Rangers acquired former Bruin Brad Isbister, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes this offseason, from them in exchange for center Jakub Petruzalek and a conditional 2008 draft pick.

The Edmonton Oilers announced that they have signed defenseman Steve Staios to a 4yr/10.8 million dollar contract extension. Staios was set to be a free agent at seasons end.

Carolina: 11/24/06

This afternoon's game will be interesting. Tim Thomas will get the start. Boston will have to fend off Carolina's high powered offense anchored by Eric Staal and Rod Brind'amour. Their PP is lethal and the will test the B's defense. This game is a real tester and will show me if they are contenders or pretenders.

Keys to winning:
-Stop Carolina's PP.
-Score, as cliche as it seems.
-Protect the lead.
-Chara shuts down Staal.

Prediction:
Bruins-3
Carolina-4

Toivonen to be Called Up

According to GM Peter Chiarelli, Hannu Toivonen will play 3 games this week for the Providence Bruins and if he plays well, he will be called up and Brian Finely will be sent back down.

Matt's Take: I really hope he regains last season's form and we don't make the same mistake we did with Raycroft last season. Toivonen is a special kid with a lot of potential still. Toivonen could become expendable if Tuukka Rask shows the ability to take over for Thomas or someone else in the future.

Fun Fact

As most of you know, with the win over Pittsburgh last night, the Bruins have won every game by 1 goal this season, improving their mark to 9-4 in 1 goal games.

All These OT/SO Wins

I don't want to sound "picky" or spoiled but, it isn't as good as it seems to win all these OT/SO wins. Yeah you get the 2 points, but you also give the other team 1. You could say that about any of these games, but it seems the Bruins "blow it" to get into these situations. It is not as big of a deal when it non conference or non division teams, but once you get into these division games and need to make up ground, it's obviously a lot better to get a 2 point gain than a 1. The Bruins can't afford to keep going into OT/SO. Just something to think of.

Bruins Win in Shootout

Bruins in 4-3 in a SO. You could say it was a good game, I am happy that they got the 2 points, but not the way they did. First off, Brian Finely played well in his 2nd game, even though he only played 1 period due to injury. Tim Thomas played well for most of the game except the last 10 minutes of the game, but overall he played well. Stanislav Chistov played a very good game notching his 1st goal of the season to tie the game 1-1. Marc Savard played well getting 2 assists. Chara's slapshot was a rocket off the right post and in. He is definately a canidate for the Norris this season so far, anchoring the B's staff. Mark Recchi's 2nd goal of the game 19:30 into the 3rd period stung, it stinks that we couldn't get the 2 points without giving any to Pittsburgh. The Bruins had a 3-1 lead into the third, and that should easily be a win, but once again for some reason we go into a defensive shell and Pittsburgh comes back, almost winning the game. Thank god Tim Thomas can stop penalty shots. I don't know what to think of the shootout, that our goalie is great a stopping the shots or that we can't score on the shootout. Overall I am happy with the win, but we can't do this all season long.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey all, just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving weekend and I hope you enjoy yourselves!

Penguins 11/22/06

Mark Stuart will be playing and Milan Jurcina will be sitting out. Sid the Kid is out with a sore Groin. PJ Alxelsson is a game time decision.

Key's to B's win
1. Slow down the Penguins with out going into the box
2. Get the puck deep in the Penguins zone and keep them from for getting offensive chaces.
3. Get shots on net, Flury leaves lots of rebounds, the Bruins have to capitalize on their chances.
4. The Penguins aren't just Crosby and Malkin! They also have guys such as Ekman, Staal, Armstong, and Ouellet. They also have 3 very good young defensemen from the area; Orpik, Whitney, and Noah Welch.
5. Stay out of the BOX! The Penguins have a dangerous powerplay
6. Tighten up in the DZONE and limit shots on Finley.

Final Score
Bruins 5
Penguins 4

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Winning Streak Over

The B's had a golden opportunity to extend their winning streak but come short, in the end, by losing 3-2 against Florida. Here's you heroes and zeroes for last's night game.

Heroes:
-Tim Thomas for surviving the horrible defensive coverage.
-Alex Auld who robbed the team all night long.

Zeroes:
-Wayne Primeau: slow, inneffective; a waste on the cap...
-Paul Mara: Careless with the puck and the coverage. Keep pilling up the minus (-9)...
-The PP unit who was disorganised, at the very best.
-Dave Lewis for: not making players accountable for their bad coverage/penalty and sticking with players who ARE NOT doing the job.

The B's didn't put a good effort, last night. The defensive play was bad, the PP unproductive and the team was undisciplined. Last night game was the easier 2 points in their 5 games stretch. We'll see if the team can rebounce and put a solid 60 min effort against Pittsburg. One thing for sure, if they keep filling up the penalty box against the Pens, it's a DOA situation.

Monday, November 20, 2006

More on Tonight's Game

Tonight's game will be interesting. The Florida Panthers absolutely destroyed the Bruins opening night, hopefully we can reverse that on them. This game will prove a lot to me, to see if they can get a big streak going, 3-4 game winning streaks are nice, but it really great to get those 6-7 game or point streaks going. We also have to look that the record is misleading. The Bruins play of late has been of great consistancy and very good. I am now willing to say I am confident we can win against most teams. Thomas is a guy I can keep starting, but I still would like to see a backup. If Thomas were to go down, we are SOL.

Key's to winning:
-Score early, seems to set the pace for the game.
-Don't let the Panthers back into a game when your ahead.
-Effective PP and PK.

Prediction:
Boston-3
Florida-2

Another 1 goal win.

Panthers 11/20/06

The B's are lookin to extend their winning streak, tonight, as they face the Panthers. Here's the keys to win for tonight's game.

Keys to win:
- Keep shooting on the net.
- Good defensive execution.
- Production from the special teams.
- Discipline, discipline, discipline.
- Block shots; cut the passing lanes.

The B's were blown out on their last trip in Florida. I expect the team to put a solid effort in order to extend that winning streak.

Prediction:
Bruins:4
Panthers:1

Disagree Without Being Disagreable

I have been watching the blog for a couples of days, and I observed that the debate sometimes heats up pretty high. I understand that people are passionnate by the game, and their team. Lots of times, we will disagree; that's the purpose of a Blog. Still, I strongly believe that there's a way to give a piece of his mind without throwing trashes and low blows. I had my share of disagreements with Neb and Greg but I never felt that I had to insult them to make my point stronger. I don't target anyone here; but I think that this blog will be better if we keep the debate above the belt. At some extends, when we use an insult toward another blogger, we ruin the site and the spirit of the debate. We should never forget this old mantra, "You can disagree without being disagreable".

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Seabrook to Boston (br2)

From HockeyBuzz,

"Five teams are said to be offering up talent for Seabrook. The Rangers, Canadiens, Flyers, Canucks, and Bruins are all said to be offering up possible deals. The Hawks want a young star forward who is mainly a center and but can also play some spot wing..."

Matt's Take: I am not sure who would go the other way. That would seem like Brad Boyes to me. Center, can play wing. I don't know if I would be willing to trade Boyes for him, but then again Boyes has been struggling of late, only 3 goals this season.

Stats

Here are some interesting Bruins stats of late.

In 2005-2006, the Bruins were 14-32 in 1 goal games.
In 2006-2007, the Bruins are 8-3 in 1 goal games.

All 8 of the Bruins wins have been decided by 1 goal.

3-4 wins have been in OT or SO.

The Bruins are 6-2-1 in the last 9 game and have collected 13 out of an 18 possible points.

The Bruins are over .500 for the first time this seaosn.

Maybe were not as bad as we thought. The steady schedule has seemed to help us pick things up.

PJ Axelsson

For all of those people earlier in the year wanting to trade him, bashing him for his lack of offensive output, he has been a large surprise. He has been one of the top scorer's and has been clutch all season long. I definately would not trade him now, and Lewis's decision to put him on the 1st line was a great idea.

Washington Game Review

Well I attended the game, and having box seats, I had a good view of the game from above.

I noticed that the Bruins did have some trouble bringing the puck from the neutral zone to the offensive blue line. They also had some passes to no one, they were good, but no one was in the space. They also had, I want to say, 10 glittering oppurtunities they didn't capitalize on. Sturm's penalty shot was horrid. The Bruins need to deke instead of going for the 5 hole. Tim Thomas won the game with is great goaltending. No goalie could have stopped Ovechkin's shot. The other goal scored was a hard one, even though he gave a gaping 5 hole. Chistov played a very good game, and the Garden was packed. The fans were into the game and it was exciting. Brad Stuart's crunch hit on the Caps guy was the highlight of the game.

3 Stars:
1. Glen Murray
2. Tim Thomas
3. Brad Stuart
HONERABLE MENTIONS: Marc Savard, Zdeno Chara

On Fire!

The Bruins was the better team, last night, as they defeating Washington for a second straight game. Murray played the hero by closing the book in OT. Here's your Heroes and Zeroes for last nights game.

Heroes:
- Glen Murray: This guy is looking rock solid since 5 games. His enthousiasm is contagious and he showed real leadership. He looks like the Glen Murray of the JT era.
- Patrice Bergeron: Some fans were worried about his game but he's picking up the slack, lately, and scored a SO and a OT winner. Last night, he was dynamic.
- Paul Mara: Last night, his +/- showed that he was even. That's enough to put him here.
- Special teams: the PK squad killed 5 out of 6; the PP squad collected 2 goals.

Zeroes:
- None: The team played a solid game all around. I don't think anyone deserved a "zeroes" status.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Washington: 11/18/06

I am glad to say that I will be attending my first Bruins game of the year. I hope it turns out to be a good one. I have yet to see Ovechkin in a game so I am really excited to see that.

Keys to winning:
-Keep out of the box.
-Shutdown Ovechkin and co.
-Score early and test Kolzig early. Try to get one quick, it will hurt him.

Prediction:
Boston-5
Washington-3

Caps Preview 11-18

Alright the Bruins are finally on a roll winning the past 3 games. Caps will be with out Chris Clark one of Alexander Ovechkin's linemates.

Key's to B's Victory
1. Thomas must continue to play well
2. Limit Ovechkin's shots and chances
3. Be very physical with AO, try to frustrate him
4. Stay out of the BOX (this should be a given)
4. Less ice time for Paul Mara who has hurt the B's (look at the +/-)
5. Get off to a good start and play a whole 60 mins (hopefully not 65 lets hope for no OT)

Perdiction
Ovechkin 4
Bruins 3

Streak comes to an end because people are starting to praise Thomas. Tell him he sucks and he plays better. Ovechkin hasn't scored in 2 games, which means big game for him. He has to step up with Clark out of the lineup

Thornton: Be or not to be

Since Neb start a interesting thread regarding Thornton; i guess i can revisit that case too.

Do the B's miss him? That's interesting question. Production and marketing wise, probably. Leadership and physical presence wise, no. The Whole Thornton case is related to a high potential player who came to an organisation who saw something in him that, in their opinion, never developped. Jacobs, Sinden and MOC saw in Thornton the HUGE hard nose hitter with skills and a ton of leadership. In fact, the skills were there and Thornton produced accordingly. But, when you look at Thornton, the guy didn't have the personnality to be a strong leader who can rattle the cage. The guy is calm and frustration is not something he used to. Honnestly, with great leaders like Ray Bourque or Bobby Orr, Thornton had no chance. The font office and the fans were spoiled , many years, by a high quality and dedicated captain like Bourque was. Anything below that would be a deception. Looking back, I think it's a fair assertion to say that, in that context, Thornton was DOA.

Now, that Thornton is under the SJ sunshine, things look a bit different. Yes, we saw him produce, last year, with Cheechoo. The two of them were the same combo as JT was with Murray in Boston. But, in the playoffs, B's fan saw something that they were used to: Thornton disappearing. All of the sudden, the 2003 playoffs memory came back to their memory and re-act the 3-1 lead collapse the team suffered. In the second playoffs round, last year, JT was a no show. In fact, he was less then impressive and now, he's stuck with a " fall apart under pressure " tag. Do JT worth 6.6 per? Do SJ expected the same results as an organisation as the B's did? Do they will reach a better result? Only Wilson can answer those questions. The stakes are open but until Thorton delivered a Stanley Cup, whatever the team; Neb's question will remain: Thornton who needs em?

Friday, November 17, 2006

Fueling Speculations

Spector's web site report that the SJ east coast scout was seen at the game between Boston and Toronto. Since SJ won't face any northeast division rival, this year; the scout presence fueled speculations that something might be brewing between SJ and Boston.

Bergeron lift B's in OT

After winning an exciting SO extravaganza in Washington; the B's came strong and offered a solid performance to collect 2 precious points and extend their winning streak to 3. Here's the heroes and the zeroes for last night.

Heroes:
- The entire roster for: 1- Avoid the penalty box; 2- Putting an excellent effort after a road game.
- Bergy: What a nefty move, late in the third, to almost win it all. Start the highlight reel...
- Brad Boyes: He could have sit out the game but decide to play with an ailing back and got 2 points.
- Tenkrat and Chivtov: They bring speed, energy and dynamism.

Zeroes:
- Paul Mara : For the second straight game, he play bad defense and was careless on the PP. Might be a good idea to sit him out a game or two...
- Andrew Alberts: 2 bad plays who leed to two scoring ( 2 on 1 ) chance; clearly rookie mistakes. He definitely comes around but need to learn how to use his agressiveness in a more positive way.
- Wayne Primeau: Still taking stupid penalties; look demotivated, at the very best...

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Khabibulan to Boston (br2)

This is from Eklund (HockeyBuzz),

The Chicago Blawkhawks could send down Nikolai Khabibulan only to recall him up through re entry waivers. In that case, a team could get Khabibulan for 3.4 a year, splitting the salary with Chicago. Teams like Boston and Tampa Bay could be interested from doing this.

Hitchcock News

Columbus Dispatch reports Ken Hitchcock could take over permanently as the Blue Jackets head coach.
My thoughts this would be a good move for the Blue Jackets, Hitchcock is a solid coach who can bring leadership into that young locker room. The Flyers job was a battle of power between Bobby Clarke and Hithcock. Hitchcock bring a solid back round including a Stanley Cup. He also brings a defensive scheme which could help Columbus since they don't score many goals.

Toronto: 11/16/06

Another must win. The thing about our schedule is, that we're only 13 or so games in. Most teams are around 15-16. That being said, our record isn't as bad as we think. If a good team went through a 13 game streak like this in the middle of the season, then rebounded, no one would care, ours happens to be in the begininng. If the Bruins can win 4-6 next 7 most of our worries will be diminshed.

Key's to winning:
-Tim Thomas--->needs to make key saves.
-60 minute game
-Effective PP
-Offensive pressure

Prediction:
Boston-4
Toronto-2

Let the good times keep on rolling.

B's edge Capitals 3-2

It could have been another case of " same old story ", last night, in Washington where the B's blown, again, another early lead but finally closed the deal in shootout to collect a precious 2 points. Here's the heroes and zeroes of last night's game.

Zeroes:
- Paul Mara: -10 for the season; a brainless play, last night, who lead to a SH goal. The sooner he will be traded; the better it will be.
- The entire roster for, once again, filling up the penalty box. Will you ever learn guys?
- Dave Lewis: Make players accountable for their bad penalties/dumb plays; especially when those plays are coming from veterans...


Heroes:
- The PK unit did an incredible job to stop the bleeding.
- Tim Thomas: It was not pretty but he gave the team a chance to win. Good job ! The team should help him by trading Mara...
- Marc Savard and Phil Kessel: Those guys are really picking up. That's all good news for the team. Nice touch from Kessel on the first goal.
- Chivtov: One point in his first game. If he plays with skilled players; he will have is share of points...

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Chat Tonight

Due to the game at 7 tonight, the weekly chat will be at 4:15 today. Hope to see you all in there!

*Sorry guys, I jumped out at around 4:30. There will be a chat following the game immediately though. Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Minor trade in Boston

According to RDS.CA and Spector's web site, the Bruins have acquire G Philip Sauve from the Phoenix Coyotes in return of C Tyler Redenback. Sauve have a 4-5 record with a 3.80 GAA with San Antonio, this year.

Washington: 11/15/06

This is a game the Bruins should win. I can't wait to see how Chistov performs, I am excited about his potential.

Keys to winning:
-Solid goaltending.
-Solid PK, effective PP.
-No defense lapses.
-Full 60 minute game.

Prediction:
Boston-5
Washington-3

Monday, November 13, 2006

Minor Trades

The Anaheim Ducks have traded winger Todd Fedoruk to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 4th round pick.

The Colorado Avalanche traded winger George Parros to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2nd round pick.

Trade Bruin

Well folks, it is now or never. PC is up to something and we all know it. He has just send Lashoff and Stastny down, creating even more space on the roster. He just picked up Stanislav Chistov and sent Finely down. I hate to see it happen, but the most logical situation is that Glen Murray is dealt for a forward. I don't see why Lashoff would have been sent down. He has played great so far and the defense is really that deep right now.

Bruins Acquire Chistov

AP-
Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired Stanislav Chistov from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the third round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft that the club acquired along with Paul Mara on June 25, 2006 from the Phoenix Coyotes.

Chistov, a 23-year-old left winger, has played one game for the Ducks this season, and three with Portland (AHL) while on a conditioning stint.

The Chelyabinsk, Russia native spent last season playing in the Russian Super League, scoring 11 goals and tallying 21 assists in 47 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Prior to his time in the Russian Super League, Chistov played the 2002-03 season (79 games, 12-18=30) and 2003-04 season (56 games, 2-16=18) with the Ducks. He spent the 2004-2005 season with Cincinnati (AHL) scoring 15 goals and registering 23 assists in 79 games.

Matt's Take: Ok move, he is a 3rd line winger, but is young and has some talent. He is cheap money and is worth it. He could end up surprising many.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Trade Winds Blowing

Well, Peter Chiarelli announced that Brian Finley has been sent back down to Providence, no goalie has been called up. Speculation to begin whether a trade is imminent.

My guess that there is a deal in place or about to be done. Unless another goalie is called up I have all reason to believe this. There is a lot of roster space right now, and my guess is that there will be a blockbuster going down this week.

My Tim Thomas View

Ok, I love how this site has all this energy towards Tim Thomas and I am giving my opinion on him. As well all know Latrappe does not like him. We all have that player we just don't like on our team.

Thomas I am not so harsh on. Sometimes I think you are to easy on him though. Latrappe is right, that he does give momentum killer goals and reality guys, he is no number 1 goalie. You won't win a championship with him. Not that are team is capable right now, but yeah you get what I mean.

Thomas is an ok goalie. I am not like, "where going to lose he is in net." I have faith in him, but I still want a better goalie on the team. I can blame a loss on him this season, the game vs. St. Louis. But I don't blame him for the loss's vs. other teams.

Now you may say that well it is the teams fault. BUT what separates a great goalie from an average goalie is well, just that. A great goalie can fight a win for a team even on a bad night. They will make that save they aren't supposed to. They will steal a win. Thomas has not done that so far, and thus is not performing to expectations. We can't put the full blame on him, but he is part of the problem not the solution. I'd take him on my team as a backup any day, but not a starter.

Sunday's Rumours

Spector's web site is reporting the following:

-Islanders and Hurricanes are interested to Brad Stuart. Spector's didn't saw any truth in the Stuart-Zhitnik rumour.
- Oilers could be intesrested in D Paul Mara or D Brad Stuart.
- Nabokov is not going anywhere (non-trade clause ) and Burke is not on a hurry to trade any of his goaltenders.
- The Kings offered D Brian Sopel in exchange of F Glen Murray. The offer was turned down by PC.
- It's believed that Philadelphia offer G Robert Esche ( Ouch !!! ) to the Bruins.

Boston Edge Ottawa 4-3

The B's rebounced after an ugly performance against Toronto. The B's need points and they find a way to get 2 last night against Ottawa. Here's the heroes and zeroes of last's night game.

Heroes:
- Peter Tenkrat. First game; first goal. He brought energy and hard work. Good job
- Offense: Another good performance by the offensive squad. They produce on the PP and it start to show results.
- Chara: He step up big, again , against his old teammates.



Zeroes:
-Martin Gerber: Gerber was probably the B's biggest asset. He gave two horrible goals. Without him, the B's would have another mark under the "L" column...
-Tim Thomas: It's not the puck you stop; it's the one you let in. Neil looks like Maurice Richard on the second goal. A momentum killer...
- The entire B's roster for continuing to take stupid hooking penalties. Come on guys, give the extra stride to avoid the gate.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Ottawa Tonight

This game is going to be a must win. I say that because, well it is. If you can't beat the Sens, kiss your season good bye. The Bruins need change, or life support, because nothing seems to be working.

Keys to winning:
-Stay out of the box
-Solid goaltending
-Effective PP
-Effective PK
-Score, score, score!

Prediction:
Bruins-4
Senators-2

Ottawa: 11/11/06

Bruins must stop Spezza-Heatley connection. The two have been put back on the same line recently. Last game Spezza had a goal and 2 helpers and Heatley netted 2 goals. The Bruins always find a way to play the Sens tough. Once again the Bruins are going to have to play much better in their D-Zone with the highly offensive Sens. Ottawa has also had some problems between the pipes Ray Emery has played well but is now injuried and Martin Gerber has struggled most of the year. Look for this game to be highly offensive.

Bruins keys to win:
1. Shoot the puck (earily and often), Gerber's struggled lately
2. Play better in the defensive zone
3. Stay out of the box, the Bruins struggled in that department this year
4. The B's goalie (whoever it's going to be) has to bail the team out at least once with a big save


Perdiction:
Ottawa 5
Bruins 4

Zhitnik in Beantown? (br3)

According to many sources; The B's are to talking to the NYI regarding the defenseman Alexei Zhitnik. The B's would give Brad Stuart or Paul Mara in return.

Latrappe's take: There's something in the air here ( not necessarily with NYI ), since the B's have made roster moves ( waiving Brookbank and Hoogan; recall Tenkrat ). If the Islanders are really interested by Mara, the B's have to be active in this case. Zhitnik is nothing special but he definitely can help the team more then Mara does, right now. The best deal for the B's would be a swap Zhitnik for Mara. Stuart can be dealt, later, at the trade deadline as a rental.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Forsberg to Nashville?

According to Allan Muir, SI.com: Peter Forsberg could be headed south... to Nashville. Nashville could be very dangerous if this deal is done, and their PP even more dangerous. Philly will be looking for younger players, because lets face it their not making the playoffs this year. Forsberg is scheduled to make 5.75 in the last year of his contract, he will not resign with a team that has no chance of winning a cup. Nashville has over 6 mill in cap space. This trade is very possible. More than likely look for the Flyers to try to get Alexander Radulov (in the AHL this season stats 4 games 3goals 5 assists) and/or Scottie Upshall among others.

Nabakov News

The San Jose Sharks had agreed to trade Evgeni Nabakov to Phoenix for Nick Boynton and their top goalie prospect. He then used his no-trade clause to block the deal to Phoenix.

WEEI's Dale Arnold says that the equivilant on the Bruins would be Hannu Toivonen plus a defenseman (Paul Mara) for him.

Toronto: Brutal

Yes, that's the only word who can describe the overall performance of the team last night. Sadly for the fans, the team didn't showed up for 40 min. The defensive coverage was nothing then embarassing. So here's last night's Heroes and Zeroes.

Heroes:
- Lashoff, as a rookie, was not the worst defenseman on the ice. Still making mistakes but his calm and composure are impressive for a rookie.
- Offence and PP. The offense is still producing and that's a good news.


Zeroes:
- Paul Mara with a -4. What the hell he's doing on the ice???
- All the defensive squad for their lack of coverage and the incredible amount of dumb plays and giveaways.
- Goaltending: Do our goaltenders will ever bail this team out, at least, one time? Do they will stop to allow, at least, one bad goal per game???.
- Officiating: Doesn't seems to be able to call an entire game the same way.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Toronto Game Perdiction and what to look for

Mats Sundin is out of the Leafs line up for 3-4 weeks. Good news for the B's since they play them there next 2 games.

#1 Bruins fans BOO Raycroft for holding out on them and then request a trade
#2 Look for Darcy Tucker to mix things up to get his team going. Tucker who is arguable the best role player in the NHL. Will fight if asked to, check, play 1st line or 3rd line, play PP, and PK. This year alone he has 10 goals 6 assists and 29 PIMs; 8 of those goals on the PP and 2 game winners. He is someone to watch out for.
#3 Bruins must do a better job staying out of the BOX and when they are short-handed they must kill the pentilies much better than they did against Atlanta
#4 Look for a very physical game
#5 Better goaltending the Bruins GAA is 28th in the NHL. You're not going to win too many games that way.
#6 Look for the Sturm-Bergeron-Boyes line to get things going. They started to play alot better the last 2 mins of the Atlanta game.

Final score
Bruins 3
Leafs 2

The Raycroft Case

Since the B's goaltenders are struggling; the B's take a couple of shots on Blogs and sports boards regarding the way they handle the Raycroft situation. But, do the B's have to take a 100% blame here. I don't think so. Last year was a bad one for everyone. The Front Office was incompetent as the coaching and the team never recover from a lazy start and fall apart when JT was shipped to SJ. The goaltending was terrible and Razor had a difficult start. Then, Toivonnen and Thomas emerge from the ashes with solid performances and, from there, everything was said and done. So, in that context, who should take the blame?.


Well, I think we can fairly say that both side misplayed the whole situation but i think the real beginning of that story would be the negociation of Raycroft's contract. JJ's strategy painted the team in a corner. They have to rebuild the whole roster by acquiring free agents. The problem here was that they forgot that they had, in their organisation, player who deserved a raise. Raycroft deserved one and i think the B's offer was decent for a second year rookie. The Raycroft's clan didn't think so and took the hard line by pulling an Holdout. This strategy was flawed from the beginning since: 1- The B's had an history of turning down any players who want to play the hard line with them; 2- After a one year hiatus, Raycroft got late on the ice and was not prepared enough for the new NHL. In fact, the whole roster was not. So, in that regard, Raycroft is guilty. I would also questionned his attitude through the season. I didn't say that he shouldn't feel that way, but he surely had the obligation to be a professionnal and i think that, sometimes, he was not.

The B's have to look in the mirror too and the whole " let's buy a roster strategy " was nothing less then stupid. But let's face it, it was a Jacobs strategy. So,what can you expect then?. The money was an issue and once again, in the training camp, the team find herself in a position where not 1 but 2 players were on a holdout. So, after a tussle and a money juggling extravaganza, Raycroft was ready to go on ice. His performances were less then impressive ( he was slow and allow too many softies) . Suddenly, Toivonnen rise to the occasion and took the #1 job. At one point, They should wait and see and allow Raycroft to recover from his bad start. Instead of being patient and articulate; the B's brought Thomas as a backup. That move could only lead to a desaster since Raycroft knew, at this point, that the front office didn't believe in him anymore. Raycroft was not the rookie of the year anymore; he was considered as a flop ( in MOC mind ). From there, Raycroft was put aside and start to be very unhappy ( who wouldn't ). The point of no return was reached.

So, who should take the blame here? Well the two sides should. Raycroft have a good season this year and there's no doubt, in my mind, that his preparation was better and his motivation higher then the Eiffel tower. Yes, Razor is gone and the B's look follish. At least, they got one of the finnest futur goaltender in the world in return. But, for now, they are stuck with two middle range keepers; a question mark and maybe an horrible season. Time will tell.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Chat Tonight

As scheduled, there will be a 7 pm EST chat tonight. Hope to see you all in there, me, Latrappe, Neb, and Walshie should all be there. We will be talking rumors and trade talk. See you in the chat!

Going into chat now, 6:45 EST.

Nittymaki to Boston (br2)

NHLine is reporting that the Andreo Nittymaki is going to be traded and that the Boston Bruins are the team involved. It is believed that an unknown team has done a physical of Nittymaki. The Bruins would be believed to ship either Paul Mara or Brad Stuart. They then go on to say that Mara will not be part of the deal. More to come...

New Rumor Scale

With all the trade rumors going around, I have made a Bruinsrumors (br) trade scale of 1-5. Those who are familiar with the Eklund ratings, it is very similar.

(br1)=A made up rumor or with little to no credit; off a random forum or site.

(br2)=From a credible source or site, but a little far fetched.

(br3)=Makes some sense, has a credible source, not all the details known, a chance of happening.

(br4)=Multiple sources, about to happen, a few unknown minor details, 90% chance of happening.

(br5)=Going to happen within an hour or so, 99.99% chance of happening; waiting to be finalized.

Conroy to Ottawa (br4)

It is widely believed that Craig Conroy of the Los Angeles Kings is on the verge of being dealt to Ottawa.

to Ottawa:
Craig Conroy

to Los Angeles:
Christoph Shubert
Illya Zubov
Danny Bois
draft pick

Conroy will help out Alfredsson as the #2 behind Spezza. This is a good deal for the Kings if it happens. They get rid of an overpriced veteran, with 2,394,000 a year for two more years, he is also 34 years old.

Stuart Sent Down

Along with Hannu Toivonen, Mark Stuart has been demoted to Providence. He may be called up but he has been sidelined with injury, he will likely spend a week or two down there to get into game shape.

Toronto: 11/9/06

This will be a VERY important game. The Bruins need to make up some space quick in the division. How I look at it, as long as you make the playoffs it is ok. Doesn't matter which seed, if you are going all the way you'll eventually play a better team, 1st round or finals. Raycroft has been playing stellar and the Leafs are rolling, the Bruins need this win badly, or we can say hello new goalie.

Prediction:

Bruins 4
Leafs 2

*Only because return of Razor and I don't know how he will respond.

B's Movement and Thoughts of Atlanta Game

The Bruins brought up Brian Finley and asigned Mark Stuart and Hannu Toivonen to the baby B's. This could be a sign of good things for the Bruins one being Finley being called up for insurance encase a deal is not made and also Mark Stuart is going to be getting some playing time. The signs on Mark Stuart ready to play could be the end of the road for defensemen Nate Dempsey and Jason York. With Lashoff who has looked soild, the B's might keep him up longer than expected.

Thoughts about Atlanta game. The game plan should of been very easy. 1. Stay out of the BOX! 2. Get shots on Hedberg. 3. Match up your best defensive line (even if it's for one night) against Kozlov, Hossa, Kovalchuk. That would be Axelsson, Donovan and one of these three Primeau, Mowers, Hoggan.
They let in point blank shots, that have to be blocked and saved. Finally Andrew Alberts is know for being a big hitter at BC, needs to lay out Hossa unstead of playing the puck. I'm sick of Alberts not taking the body when needed, he takes the body at the wrong time.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Comments

I have been getting a lot of "negative" comments toward the posters lately. Please, I will not accept any comments regarding the negativity of the posters. If you have an issue with the site, use the email and I will gladly answer any questions. It is not fair to bash Neb, Latrappe, Me, and others. We work hard on our posts, and granted we make some spelling and grammer errors, but does it really matter? Please, keep your negative comments to yourself.

Sincerely,
-Matt

Versus Sucks

That has to be one of the worst televised games I've ever seen. The commentary sucked so much. It was earbleeding to listen to. 7 more games of that this season, ugh! Did anyone else feel the same?

Also, is it just me, or does Atlanta's ice seem rather small. The ice seemed very congested with players and I felt like it was smaller than the Garden's ice.

Trade Imminent?

Will there be a trade within the next few hours? According to TSN, Spectors, and HockeyBuzz, a trade with San Jose could be within a few hours of being completed for Evgeni Nabakov. The Bruins would likely send Tim Thomas or Hannu Toivonen and a player with a hefty salary in return. A 3rd team may also be involved. More to come...

Game Review: Atlanta 11/6/06

Well, not much to say except they sucked. Penalty after penalty, mediocre goaltending again. Atlanta was and is an offensive powerhouse and we aren't. We need to be a better team to win.

3 Stars:

1. Illya Kovalchuk (3g)
2. Marian Hossa (1g)
3. Brad Boyes (Great shorthanded goal)

Prediction Correct!

Yes, I finally got one right! I'm 1-12 or so this season. Starting the streak up. :)

Monday, November 06, 2006

Savard Wins Award

From Bostonbruins.com

Boston Bruins center Marc Savard has been named the First Star in the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending November 5. Each Monday, the NHL recognizes three players who delivered the League's top performances over the preceding week. Savard, who led all NHL scorers with eight points (three goals, five assists) in two games last week, recorded points on 80% of the Bruins' goals.

A Real Bruin

This is what Neb was talking about, and I agree.

Atlanta: 11/6/06

This will be a tough game, Atlanta has always given the Bruins problems and their offense is potent. It'll have to be a shootout if the Bruins are to win.

Keys to winning:

-60 minute game
-No momentum killing goals
-Solid goaltending
-Score goals...may seem cliche but it is true

Predicition:

Atlanta-5
Boston-3

York Out; Stuart Coming Back

Dave Lewis announced that defenseman Jason York will be undergoing arthoscopic knee surgery. It is unknown when and how he hurt it and Dave Lewish would not tell which knee it was.

Brad Stuart traveled with the team to Atlanta but won't play tonight. He could return to the lineup this week.

The Jacobs Effect

The B's are winning more and they showed to their fans long period of good and inspired play. The team start to gelled but the result is not there yet. So, if the team is doing ok, why those persistent rumours surrounding the team? Why this urgency to win?

Well, I think it's probably due to something I will call: " The Jacobs effect ". What is the " Jacobs effect ". The "Jacobs effect " could be define as a philosophy where you use fan's passion for the game against them. The name of the game in this strategy is to make your die-hard fans believe that they can win without having the assets to do it. You spend on 2 or 3 key players where the fans can identified themself to and you sell lots of beers, hot-dogs and merchandise. Lucrative but in the end, very stupid.

Jacobs have played that lucrative card for so many years that he alianated long time fans and now, their ready to crucified anyone ( especially Jacobs ) for their lack of production. Those hard core fans didn't have the patience to wait, anymore. They waited, since 1972, to see the big prize coming in Beantown; only to see an owner almost laugh in their face and continue to make money on their passion for the sport they loved. Those fans are hungry. Hungry for success and hungry to win. Patience is not an option. What will happend if the team don't produce and finish 10th or 11th in the conference? I think that will be the start of a dangerous pattern of indifference and angryness. An explosive cocktail that Jacobs, this time, will probably not survive.

Patience is probably the smartest strategy to adopt at this point. The fact of the matter is that lots fans are simply tired of it. Tired to be patient; Tired to receive the message that, this year, their team will, finally, win and contend. The message that Jacobs send them for 30 years+. The reality is that Jacobs betrayed the fans. Now, they retaliate and they use their lack of patience and money to send a message to a guy who was deaf for 30 years. The problem is that, for the first time, Jacobs should really play that " deaf " card. But time is a luxury for Jacobs; a luxury that he cannot afford anymore.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Game Review: Tampa Bay

This is from Neb, who is a regular visitor and will now be contributing to the site.

Most games I view on telivision, yeseterdays match up against tampa, the wife who I will refer to as e, and I went to in person. Of course I have taped the game as well, but have not reviewed the tape. Tape review, will come later today. So how do e and I do a game day? We left the cape around three headed for Harvard Square as e wanted to get a 2007 day planner at the stationary store in the square. The full moon rising over the highway on the way up was probably a good omen of the game we were going to see. We found a meter right by the former house of blues and had us each 2007 day planners by 5:30. Mexican in the square for dinner was fast and decent; 20 dollars, 30 minutes. e and I were on the redline at just a little after 6 - this being boston we were transfering off a redline train to a shuttle bus that we exited at the Charles Station at around 6:35. we walked the last 15 minutes and arrived at the new Garden at around quarter of.

Our purchased ticket section was 325 in the upper bowl, we sat in section 15 in the middle of the lower bowl. our adopted seats were on the goal line that the bruins defend twice. After the game, we took another shuttle and train back to the car.

Living in the city in the late 90's and now visiting were reminders of many things. The most notable from this night is the public transport sweating. You see, you dress comfortably for out door winterish weather and then you cram into a train or bus loaded with city folks and your still all bundled and now your sweating...e and I discussed how we do not miss that. Also we looked out on the new Zakim Bridge on the east side of the Garden right after the game, we drove under these same windows 50 minutes later, now on the expressway. Crazy moving around in the city sometimes, that it would take 50 minutes to go 100 feet horizontally.

Game Notes: My proper review of the game will come after watching the tape. You watch differently when you are there. I like watching at the benches as line changes are made or behind the play all the stuff you do not get on tv. Obviously our Bruins were lucky to win this game and I didnt get the sense that they were pursuing pucks and checking as hard as our previous two games. Odd man rushes led to too many goals. Momentum killing goals moments after the home scores were heart breaking, as well as penalties.

Check of the game - Dempsey hip check on the boards.

Goal of the game- I'll give to savard streaking down the wing to make 1-0 - what a huge game from savard it is clear that the P.J., Savard, Murray line are our first line. That said, whats going on with Patrice's game? He is missing some of the tenacity we have grown to expect from him.

-Worst play of game- Hannu letting the softy in off the left pad on a weak shot. Needless to say I was airborn (much to my surprise as I'm usually a little reserved) after Murray hit the back of the net - which gives us our...

-Pass of the game-Mara to Murray in overtime. lastly those of us at the Garden never got to see a replay of Chara's goal, which seemed to take forever to review...and makes me wonder why with such a wonderful new scoreboard why wasnt it replayed for the crowd? Off to the tape and I''ll give my second breakdown later.

neb

Bruinsrumors

Fresh off the rumor mill.

-Bruins have inquired about Calgary's Roman Hamrlik.

-Kings are interested in Glen Murray, who has been put on the block by the Bruins.

-The Bruins have inquired about Nabakov and Toskala, but GM Doug Wilson has sent them away and won't deal them.

-Bruins have also inquired about Bryzgalov and Giguere.

Pace Points

A quick rundown to see if players keep their pace for the rest of the season (never happens) what their stats will be.

Marc Savard- 30 g, 82 a, 112 p
P.J. Axelsson- 30 g, 22 a, 55 p
Patrice Bergeron- 15 g, 45 a, 60 p
Brad Boyes- 15 g, 37 a, 52 p
Zdeno Chara- 22 g, 37 a, 60 p
Shean Donovan- 0 g, 15 a, 15 p
Phil Kessel- 22 g, 15 a, 37 p
Paul Mara- 0 g, 22 a, 22 p
Mark Mowers- 7 g, 0 a, 7 p
Glen Murray- 45 g, 37 a, 82 p
Wayne Primeau- 15 g, 7 a, 22 p
Marco Sturm- 7 g, 7 a, 14 p

*I know this is only a portion of the team, but I excluded almost all the D.

Fun Fact

Another fun fact. The Tampa Bay Lightning have only beat the Bruins twice in franchise history.

Game Recap: Tampa 11/4/06

What did I say huh? We'd be on the winning side of one of those one day. The win had some negatives in it though. I was hoping a win with great goaltending, which did not occur. Thomas was good, but Toivonen sucked. That isn't such great news, and it could still spell a trade for a top of the line goalie. But, anyways, it was a very exciting game to watch, and Marc Savard played a phenomenal game. If anyone was at the game, they got their money's worth. Nothing like an OT thriller. The best part was, the Bruins never gave up even after being down, that's what makes the good teams great. Lewis didn't BS anything and took Toivonen out when he sucked. Exciting game, but not a "great win." Good to get the points, but it would have meant more if it was a 3-0 win or something where the entire team played well.

3 Stars:

1. Marc Savard (2g, 3a)
2. Glen Murray (gwg, 1a)
3. Vincent Lecavalier (4a)

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Bad Officiating?

I don't know if it's me but since the beginning of the season; referees are on the hot seat. There are many calls regarding slashing, high sticking and interference, especially in one on one situation, which are not called. Forseberg was furious, last night, and so were the B's Thursday when Chara became a bloody mess. There's a wind through the league about the poor officiating this year. Any thoughts?

Game by Game Writer

Just inquiring if any of the regular visitors or someone would like to write game by game analyzations on the team, or a weekly opinion column. Please send an email and a sample writing if you are interested.

Tampa Bay: 11/4/06

This is a very important game. This will really give an indication if the Bruins are going to make a trade or stay pat. If they get destroyed, look for a trade soon. If they win, Chiarelli may have second thoughts. This team has had enough time to find a fit with eachother and no more excuses. The goaltending needs to be better, they have been playing good, but they need to take it up to "that next level". A full 60 minute game is necessary.

Keys to Winning:

-Full 60 minutes, high pressure offensive game
-Good goaltending
-No defensive shells.

Prediction:

Bruins-4
Lightning-2

*Only because the Bruins won last time, otherwise I'd be thinking a loss.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Devils Sign Dowd

Yeah, late on this one, the Devils signed C Jim Dowd to a 1 yr/450,000 deal. That is why Danny Lac was waived earlier this week.

New Addition to Site

Nothing great, but I did add a new goaltending statistics table on the sidebar. I hope you like it and maybe, Latrappe, won't be so mean to Tim Thomas :).

Buffalo Recap: 11/2/06

Ok, this was awful to watch, atleast the last 6 minutes of it. When the Bruins were leading 4-1, I thought the game was sealed and dealed. But then Afinaginov scored, 4-2 with 6 minutes left, I thought it was sure a 99% chance of a win. Then the Sabres potted two goals in about 1 minute from eachother, game tied, Kessel had a chance in OT, no dice, lose in shootout.

No blame goes to Tim Thomas. He played a great game, and it was the team's lack of skating in the final 5 minutes that made them lose. You can't go into a defensive shell, even with a 3 goal lead. That's was separates Buffalo from the Bruins. They never give up. Tough game to watch, but one day we'll be on the winning side of one of those games.

Shootout. Why the hell did Axlesson shoot 2nd? Why are the Bruins so bad at them? Some things Lewis needs to work on.

PS. Did anyone else get this weird feeling we'd blow the game once Afinaginov scored his 2nd goal?

Gorton in Florida?

According to TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie, the Florida Panthers interviewed Jeff Gorton for the assistant GM position. McKenzie said that Gorton would be in the same role that he have in Boston ( in an expended role ) and could be the front runner at the GM spot if things doesn't come around in Florida.

Latrappe's take: McKenzie is a well informed hockey insider in the NHL. If McKenzie talked about it, it's because there's something going on here. That said, Gorton is associate with the good'ol MOC period and i'm not so sure that B's would retain him. A Story to follow...

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Another Lead, Another Loss

Yes, for a minute, everyone believed that they can pull it off. (Buzzer), wrong answer. The good'ol B's had a " secret rendez-vous " with their bad habits and let a 4-1 lead transform into a 5-4 loss in SO.

Latrappe's take: Sadly for the team, " Swiss cheese " Thomas let another softy in, on the second goal, and was unable to make the key save in SO. Miller did it in the first period and in the shootout. That's why his team had the possibilty to win it all tonight. So, for those who says that the B's goaltending is ok; please look at Miller's tape tonight to see what is a REAL #1 goaltender. It's too bad that the B's didn't have that kind of goaltending... . Still, the team let this game go in the 3rd period and i expect Chiarelli to make a move soon or later. There's no word to describe this pathetic fiasco...

Savard to Wear 91

Marc Savard has announced he has bagged the number 71 and go with the number 91. He originally wanted 9, but it has been retired in honor of Johny Bucyk. Savard is the 1st Bruin ever to wear 91.

Reunited!

The Globe reported that last year #1 punch line (Bergy, Boyes, Strum) will be reunited tonight against Buffalo.

Latrappe's take: It took 9 games before Lewis changed his mind and understood that this line deserves a shot. They were so good last year, that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain to reunite them. Maybe that "spread the talent" strategy was not that good after all.

Matt's take: Finally. I've been waiting weeks for this to happen. This line was so great last season, why change what isn't broke? Look for a great night from this line. The 2nd line of Savard, Kessel, Murray will compliment this line and we can finally have a consistant set of forward lines.

Buffalo 11/2/06

Rumours are swirling around and after a 4 days, the B's will have to face the Mighty Sabres tonight. This game will probably dictate the orientation Chiarelli will take to improve his team.

Tonight's game plan:

- Stay out of the Box
- Avoid defensive giveaways
- Pray for solid goaltending
- Special teams have to produce

Latrappe's Take: Even if the B's prove me wrong against Ottawa, this game is a whole new ball game. Like I said before, Buffalo have this lethal package of firepower on the upfront combine with a solid goaltending. B's offense struggle to score goals which is not a good news against solid goaltending. The Sabres have two goaltenders who can bail them out; the B's have none. When i look at B's last performances; i don't see how they can survive to this one.

Bruins:2
Sabres:5

Matt's Take: The Bruins will come out fighting. The rumors are not being ignored by the team. The players have a chip on their shoulder and the only way to prove the wrong is to win.

Bruins:4
Sabres:3 OT

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Chat Tonight

There will be a chat tonight at around 7:30. Tonight's chat will be interesting with all the rumors swirling around the league. Can't wait for a heated discussion, see you all in there tonight!

Going into the chat now! 7:21 pm est.

Rumor Readers Beware

With all the rumor talk lately, we have to realize one thing. About 95% of rumors never come true. Most likely, will all the talk regarding the B's, that if a deal is struck, it will probably either be one we've never heard of, or a person with a wild guess got one right. Sometimes it happens, I said back in last April that the Bruins would sign both Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, I got bashed on the Globe Board, but hey it turned out to be true. Anyways, people have to not get carried away with the thought of a trade. This new of Brad Stuart for Evgeni Nabakov, come on, we need to make some sense of rumors and not believe them. Rumors are rumors, that's all.

Alfredsson in L.A?

Spector's web site reported that there's serious trade talks between Ottawa and L.A regarding Daniel Alfredsson. 4 L.A scouts were at the Ottawa-Montreal game last Tuesday...

Latrappe's take: Two teams who struggle = major shakeup. It remains to be seen if Ottawa is really willing to let go a player like Alfredsson and who L.A is willing to let go to acquire him. Will Ottawa will ask for Kopitar?

Matt's take: No way in hell Ottawa Trades Alfredsson unless they get a top and I mean TOP guy in return. If Ottawa loses Alfredsson, who when on can be one of the best players in the NHL, they will have lost the likes of Chara, Havlat, Hasek, Smolinski, and Alfredsson over the past year. Explain that to your fans.
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