New Year: An 8th spot and a question mark

After the sorry display in Nashville, last night, the B's finished the year at the 8th spot of their conference. A very nice improvement after a shaky start. In fact, 2007 look very good when you consider all those games in hand and the fact that the team put herself in a position to really compete for a playoffs spot.

At the very beginning of this season, goaltending was a question mark. After last night's dreadful performance, the question remain: What will happend with the goaltending. Thomas did his job and handle the #1 position like no one can predicted. That said, the backup issue is rising. There's no doubt that Thomas can take some of the workload but he cannot do all the job. Right now, the team have the bad habit to play awful when their backups are between the pipes. Toivonen did his job in Nashville but was clearly let down by the team. Then, Some funny stuff appear: Trade Toivonen, Call back Finley and Trade for Lalime.

The fact is that, if the B's want to stay competitive and compete for a playoffs spot, the backup have to play. Whatever the name you put at the position, there's no way a backup can put a good on ice performance by playing one game in a month. You have to win some and lose some. Right now, the B's are doing an excellent job to avoid a losing skid and it might be the perfect time to give some work to the backup. Yes, there's some situations where you have to play your #1 but there's some situations that he have to sit too. Right now, Thomas is on the verge to be exhausted at the end of January. You cannot ask that kind of effort from a goaltender without suffering the consequences. One way or the other, Lewis will have to find a solution. In order to make those playoffs and compete in the 1st round, Thomas need some rest.

This team showed that they can make it. Playing Thomas, so often, can ends up with the wrong result. Mismanaging the goaltending can be lethal; especially in a competitive conference. There's no easy solution here and maybe we can wish, for 2007, a solution for that dilemma. 2006 was a good year to be a Bruins fan. Thanks guys for the last few weeks. It's been a blast !

Happy new year to everyone. I wish you the very best in 2007.

NHL Moves

The Vancouver Canucks claimed forward Jeff Cowan off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. Cowan has 2 assists in 21 games.

e Ottawa Senators have lost another center to a knee injury, Mike Fisher hurt his left knee Wednesday nights win over the Islanders. Fisher is expected to miss 4-6 weeks the same as Jason Spezza. Look for the Sens to deal for a center with these 2 out of the line up.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have completed a minor league deal. Chicago sending right wing Pierre Parenteau and defenceman Bruno St. Jacques to Anaheim for goaltender Sebastien Caron and forwards Matt Keith and Chris Durno. Caron who played with Pittsburgh last year look for him to get called up while both of the Ducks goalies are hurt right now.

The Philadelphia Flyers continue to make more changes by claiming forward Dmitry Afanasenkov off waivers from Tampa Bay. Flyers are trying to improve their roster with out dealing any big names yet. Afanasenkov has 6 points in 33 games, he was also on the Tampa's Stanley Cup team.The 26 year old was the 72nd pick in 1998.

3rd period blues

They were leading 4-2 in Columbus and ends up with 1 point. They leaded 4-0, last night, in Chicago and barely escaped with 2 points. Brad Stuart comments, after the game, says it all: " I don't know what we were doing "...

I like the way the team is winning and his credible ascension in the standing to get that precious playoffs spot. The more it goes, the more Brad Stuart become a giant at our blueline and his signing is a priority more then ever. That said, the team seems to fall in their early season bad habit: 3rd period collapse. In fact, they didn't collapse but one day, maybe tonight, it will happend.

I'm puzzled to see the B's playing 20 or 40 minutes of solid hockey and then sit and wait for something to happend. Honnestly, our goaltending cannot take that kind of abuse; nights in, nights out. You can ask your goaltender to make the saves he should but you cannot ask him to say your a** all the times. Thomas is worn-out because he have to save the day, in the third, too many times. The guys have to step up ( for Thomas ) and realise that there's no substitute for a good 60 min effort. Thomas save the B's, last night, but there's a limit of what a goaltender can do. I wonder when the guys will learn their lesson. I though they did in Columbus...

Kessel update

According to the Boston Globe Phil Kessel skated for the first time since his cancer surgery. He also worked out at the Bruins practice facility. with strength and conditioning coach. This is great news for Phil Kessel not only to be feeling better but skating. The best of luck goes out to him in his attempt to come back.

The Bruins are going into back to back nights on the road against Chicago and Nashiville. The Preds have a high power offense and the Hawks have played much better since Dennis Savard has taken over as head coach. It looks like Tim Thomas will get the night off in Nashville. Hannu Toivonen will get the start tomorrow against the high powered offense of the Preds. However Thomas will start tonight against the Blackhawks. Yans Stastny will be the healthy scratch tonight.

Bruins Keys to win
Shoot the puck on net and crash for rebounds
Force Blackhawk D men to turn the puck over
Play soild D zone
Stay out of the Box
Play a full game

Bruins 4
Blackhawks 2


I am still sick over the line change in OT against the Blue Jackets. That might have been the worst line change in the history of the NHL.

Notes from Friday

Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Boyes
Mowers-Primeau-Donovan
Hoggan-Tenkrat-Chistov

Alberts-Chara
Mara-Stuart
York-Jurcina

-Thomas will start in goal tonight against the Blackhawks.
-Hannu Toivonen will get the start tomorrow night against the Predators. It will be his first action since he played well in the game against the Canadiens on December 2nd, where he stopped 36 shots.
-Look for Lewis to juggle the lines once again. Probably no fourth line once again with Tenkrat and Chistov getting shifts with both the top two lines.
-Yan Stastny is a scratch again. Look for him to be sent down soon.
-Phil Kessel skated for the first time yesterday. He has been lifting weights and running in Wilmington with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides since Wedsnesday.

Marchand scores, Canada wins

Bruins prospect Brad Marchand scored a goal in Canada's 2-0 victory over Sweden. He was the Bruins 71st overall pick in this year's draft.

Thomas star of the week

Tim Thomas, along with Vincent Lecavalier of Tampa, and Manny Legace of St. Louis were named the 3 stars of the week. Thomas earned the first honor, posting a 1.33 gaa and .959 save percentage with victories over Ottawa, Vancover, and Montreal.

Game Notes

- P.J. Axelsson skated during the morning practice and will play tonight. He will skate on the top line.
- Marco Sturm is a game time decision with a lower body injury. He left last game early with the same injury.
- Tim Thomas will get the start once again in goal.
- Andrew Alberts, who got hit with a highstick against Montreal on Saturday, will be able to play tonight.
- With Axelsson going tonight, look for a roster move to happen if not today then tomorrow. The move all depends on the status of Sturm, and his availability to play tonight. Hoggan or Stastny are the most likely to be sent down to Providence. Although Mark Mowers, has had his ice time decreased recently in favor of Hoggan, could be an option as well, but not likely until Phil Kessel returns.
Projected Lineup:

Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Boyes
Mowers-Primeau-Donovan
Hoggan-Tenkrat-Chistov

If Sturm is unavailable Tenkrat will skate on Bergeron's line. I would like to see Tenkrat remain on the top line with Axelsson sliding into the 3rd line checking role with Primeau and Donovan. The fourth line, for the 3rd straight game will be subbed in with the top 3 lines. They will probably not get a shift together, thus no need for a center. If they do skate together it will be a combo of Tenkrat-Mowers-Chistov, with Hoggan skating with Primeau's line. Stastny is expected to be a healthy scratch.

PPG and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Not much going on just waiting for turkey and eggnog time. Sluggin' around and looking for news, which there is very little of... I did find something of mild interest. How many players are in the top 50 in scoring and have 1.35 ppg or higher, right now? Three is the answer. With Crosby, Jagr and our own Marc Savard rounding out the top. I thought this guy was good, but if he can keep the pace up, he's great! MVP of the team? I'd sure call him our sparkplug! He's changed our fortunes and allowed Murray to find his step again. (He's on pace for 45 goals) Great game beating the HABS-Not.
Go Bruins GO!

Scotianuck

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Team Win: Montreal

Bruins-4
Habs-2

A great overall game. A team game. It was great to see the fans there supporting the Bruins (some Habs fans). A great rivarly, tops in the NHL. I wish the attendence could be there every night. Marc "Hab Killer" Savard had to assists to extend his point streak to 7 games while Bergeron and Sturm continued their streaks as well. PJ Axelsson was out last night, but is expected to return after the quick break. Tim Thomas once again played some great hockey. He robbed atleast 4 Habs and had circus saves. Stan Chistov has a hightlight reel goal. Great win, the Bruins are now riding a 3 game win streak, and doesn't it feel nice to be in 3rd?

3 stars:
1. Tim Thomas
2. Marc Savard
3. Andrew Alberts
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Brad Stuart, Stan Chistov, Chara, Bergeron

Scorers:

Boston:
1. Zdeno Chara (6) from Alberts (5) and Savard (33)
2. Marco Sturm (10) from Bergeron (28)
3. Milan Jurcina (1) from Savard (34) and Murray (11)
4. Stanislav Chistov (2) from Boyes (18)

Monreal:
1. Mike Komisarek (4) from Johnson (7)
2. Michael Ryder (10) from Koivu (21) and Huet (1)

The Winning Path

It took time. After a shaky start, the B's improved. They improved to the point that they find themselves, as the standing shows today, in a better position that no one could ever imagine after the first five games of the season. Even without PJ, an important piece of the puzzle, this team deliver. Last night, against Montreal, the B's made it special. It was an holiday " special delivery "; something i would call their best win of the year.

It was, indeed, their best win in many ways. First, they escaped a so-so first period with a 2-1 lead. During that first period, Thomas was excellent and provide the spark the team needed. A lucky bounce and a PP goal and it was a 2-1 lead. The most impressive thing here is the fact that the team didn't get blind by their lead. They acknowledge the fact that the first period wasn't good enough to win and they put the high gears on. In fact, Boston won because they were the best team for the rest of the game. They played a very methodic game in order to cut mistakes. Even after that SH goal; the team looked good. They didn't collapse. They were frustrated to see their " good " work spoiled by a mistake like that. So, instead of collapsing, they worked harder and smarter; it paid off. This kind of performance make you believe that this team have found his confidence and will challenge the rest of the conference for a playoffs spot. The B's are not the pray anymore. The B's have found their killer instinct.

Last night, they were 17,000+ to see that killer instinct at work and many of them becomes believers. In fact, every fan who have seen that game, last night, had no choice but to become a believer. It's Christmas time and the B's delivered the perfect gift for a long time fan: A solid win against the long hated Habs.

Happy Christmas to everyone !

Jacques Martin needs help

Jacques Martin is the only GM/ Coach in the NHL right now. Martin is in the process of getting an assistant GM, for the heavy workload to come trade deadline. Martin is affraid that his GM work could affect his coaching. What I don't get/understand is the Red Sox have assitant GM's the Bruins have Jeff Gorton, if Martin is the only coach in the NHL to also be the GM why doesn't he have an asstiant GM? And why did they wait so long to start looking, in the middle of an NHL season?

Axelsson out tonight vs Montreal

P.J. Axelsson skated this morning but will not suit up for the B's tonight. Tim Thomas will be between the pipes after last time the Bruins played Montreal Hannu Toivonen got the nod.
Bruins need to look out for Chris Higgins who has 3 shorthanded goals this year and just came off the IR in the 3 games since returning he has 3 goals. Bruins need to play physical tonight.

Bruins 4
Habs 3

Montreal: 12/23/06

A tough Montreal team, look for them to come out strong. I want to see some grit from the Bruins. Montreal has always been a problem for the Bruins, let's make the Bruins a problem for Montreal. We need these points badly.

Keys to winning:
1. Test Huet
2. Shut down Kovalev, Koivu and Ryder
3. Don't let these cheesy goals in, like Perezhogin's.
4. Effective PP/PK

Prediction:
Bruins-4
Montreal-2

Bruins Win: Vancouver

Bruins-2
Vancouver-0

Tim Thomas played a spectacular game to win. The Bruins played well the first period, then fell off the face of the Earth. 0 shots on the 3rd period is unacceptable. The PP was good, and the PK was good, but the flow of the game was bad. The Bruins didn't play a great game, thank god the Nucks did too.

3 Stars:
1. Tim Thomas
2. Marc Savard
3. Patrice Bergeron
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Brad Stuart

Scorers:

Boston:
Patrice Bergeron (11) from Sturm (7) and Savard (31)
Glen Murray (18) from Chara (16) and Savard (32)

Vancouver:
None

Worst Arena in Pro Sports?

I just read an article from Maxim magazine and Joe Louis Arena was voted worst arena in pro sports. This kind of surprises me, due to the fact Detriot is home of "Hockey Town". Which by the way is not the best hockey city. So this brings up the topic, what is the worst Arena in pro sports and what is the worst pro rink?

Devils looking for a move

A couple weeks ago I posted a message saying the Devils will soon have to make a deal to make room for a defensmen to come off the IR. No move has been made but I keep hearing for several sources of a Datsyuk for Gomez deal. Datsyuk has turned down several offers from the Wings of a long term deal. Gomez is making $5 million this year and is a UFA at the end of the year and will be looking for a deal. This move would help the Devils because they need cap room and Datsyuk is a great player even though it is considered a down year for him 7 goals 17 assists (24 points) in 31 games. Datsyuk is making $3.5 million this year and is also a UFA at the end of the season. Any team who gets him is taking a chance if he will stay or go at the end of the year. Right now this is the best option for the Devils unless they are unwilling to move Gomez.

Last night's attendance

Attendance was 12,348 at the TD Banknorth Garden last night. Although it looked a lot less than that.

Adolf look alike

"Strength lies not in defense but in attack."- Adolf Hitler


I don't think that was what Dave Lewis was preaching last night.

Game Notes

- Rory, the allstar, Fitzpatrick got the penalty which lead to the Bruins first powerplay goal. GO RORY!
- Donovan continues to use his speed and drew another penalty.
- Hoggan played 7:45 with 2:16 coming on the PK, where he was partnered with Mark Mowers. He also saw atleast 5 shifts on the left wing with Primeau and Donovan.
- Mowers ice-time continues to decrease.
- Yan Stastny played 2 shifts for a total of 1:09, he did not skate a shift in the entire 2nd period, and only skated one in both the first and third.
- Chistov only played 6 shifts all game for a total of 5:39. 2 Shifts on a 4 on 4 with Primeau, one with Savard and Murray, and the rest in combination on the Bergeron line.
- The umbrella powerplay has been on fire lately. Bergeron and Savard are really picking it up.
- Jurcina and York continue to look sloppy when they are together. Both run around in their own end. York doesn't know which man to cover down low. Jurcina's bad clearing attempt almost resulted in a goal, luckily it hit the post.
- Brad Stuart finished with 4 blocked shots and 3 hits. He got hit in the mouth and only missed two shifts. He continues to play well, I love when he catches people off guard with his solid checks.
- With Brad Stuart missing a shift, York paired up with Mara.
- Thank you Trevor Linden, it was your misconduct that led to the 5 on 3 advantage, which led to a goal.

Bruin's cannot continue to play Lewis' style

Once again the Bruins pulled out the victory. If anyone watched the game, the Bruins sat back after they scored the first two goals. They tried to play defensive hockey for the remainder of the game instead of attacking offensively. The best defense is your offense. Lewis continues to pull this crap and has his team do nothing but try and trap after they get the lead. It is awful to watch. Tim Thomas saved this game himself. The Bruins defense and offense played with no passion after they scored the second goal. They knew they were going to sit back and try and stop the opposing team. Vancover, who's offense is awful by the way, outshot the Bruins 39-19. Bruins had 12 shots in the 1st period alone. Then Lewis decided to play his awful plan and go defense only, which did not work because the Canucks outshot the Bruins 28-7 in the final two periods. Bruins got lucky once again in this win, absolutely awful to watch, ZERO shots in the entire 3rd period. ZERO! I really dislike Dave Lewis and his coaching style. They play with no passion or emotion what so ever. Yes they won, but he won't be as lucky as he has been against decent teams with half decent offenses. Let them play hockey stop this bullshit style. In the last 13 games the Bruins have outshot their opponents only twice. Each game it seems like they are outshot 2-1. No wonder why the Bruins have no one showing up at their games.

Notes from Thursday

- Roberto Luongo will not start against the Bruins tonight. Backup, Dany Sabourin will get the call in net. It is the fifth game for Sabourin (0-2-0, 3.43 GAA, .867 save percentage). The former AHL goaltender of the year does not have much NHL experience, playing just one game for the Penguins last season and 4 for the Flames in the 03-04 campaign. Bruins lucked out.
- Very disappointing season for the captain Marcus Nasland, only 12 goals 11 assists in 34 games. He has not scored a goal in the past 9 games.
- Canucks top defenseman Sami Salo will play tonight, he has 4 goals 10 assists with a team high plus 6 on the season. He had missed the last 6 games with neck and shoulder injuries.
- Canucks defenseman Yannick Trembley is out with flu for tonights game.
- Journeyman defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick made the cover of USA Today. He is currently receiving more votes than the top defensemen in the league, Chris Pronger and Nicklas Lidstrom. That is sad, he does not deserve to make an allstar especially since he has only played 19 games, recording 0 goals and 0 assists. Allstar worthy numbers right there. WHAT A JOKE.
- P.J. Axelsson skated with assistant coach Doug Houda, but will probably not play until after New Years.
- Look for Lewis to continue to mix and match the 4th line players onto the top 3 lines. Chistov will get shifts with both the top 2 lines, where as Hoggan and Stastny will get looks on the 3rd line and also on the PK unit.

Same Hal

Taken from TSN,

First, a minus to Toronto defenceman Hal Gill for not one, but two horrible giveaways in a 35 second span. Both giveaways resulted in Panthers' goals.
Gill was on the ice for five of Florida's seven goals. After the giveaways, he was booed every time he touched the puck.
Leafs head coach Paul Maurice, though, wouldn't throw him under the bus, saying, "he wasn't our worst defenceman."

Hal Gill turning the puck over? No way! Toronto has to deal with him for 2 more years, although he still is a plus-5. Best signing never made by the Bruins.

B. Stuart to L.A. (noteworthy... but not scaleworthy)

Reading some rumours of a possible deal to The Kings, they need help on defense. Rumors like this pop up I think due to the recent past. Things were not good, PC made some calls, now he has pulled in the welcome mat, but still listens to the odd thing. Don't really put much stock in it as it is Craig Conroy to come the other way. Not likely as B's NEED depth on D, not a struggling forward who might rebound else where... look for him to wind up in Montreal or St. Louis when the fire sale starts in the coming weeks. Brad will resign in Boston.
Here's some interesting news out of T.O. The buds might be unloading both Mats and the Tuck. Talk of ... San Jose for Sundin and Calgary for Darcy. Bernier (SJS) and Regehr (CAL) go to the Leafs. Something to watch for as the heat is on in Ontario as both teams are struggling.... good for the Bruins though.

Vancouver: 12/20/06

Keep the offense rolling. Luongo will be in net for the Nucks, will be a tough game. Time to let the dogs loose. We are the big bad Bruins. Not much to say except go out and play some hockey.

Keys to winning:
-PP unit, 6th best in the NHL, let it roll.
-Neutral zone play, one weakness of the team.
-Get Luongo the hell out of there, score, score, and score.
-Keep the hot streaks going, Murray, Savard, Bergy, Boyes, etc.

Prediction:
Boston-5
Canucks-3

Chat Back

Yes! The chat is back. Tonight at 7 pm EST there will be a chat. Come on in!

Entering Now!

Phoenix Claims Perreault

No, not Yanic, the Coyotes have claimed F Joel Perreault off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. Earlier in the season, Perreault was put on waivers by the Coyotes, this will be his 2nd stint this season.

Flyers Acquire York

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have acquired Mike York from the New York Islanders in exchange for Randy Robitaille and a 5th round pick. This is the 2nd trade in the last week between these two clubs, earlier the Flyers acquired Alexei Zhitnik.

Matt's take: Good deal for Flyers, York is relatively cheap and the Flyers need offense. They didn't give up much and York will be solid. But, this won't help the Flyers, they are still going to be in the bottom of the East.

Toughness Needed

With the trade of Brookbank, the Bruins do not have a natural fighter in the AHL or NHL. No Hoggan is not a fighter, he wears a visor and he cannot fight anyways. Last night the Bruins needed that tough guy presence. The cheap shot on Savard, the late hit on Bergeron and the high hit on Primeau. Jack Edwards said it himself, the Bruins do not want Chara to be the one who has to stand up for his teammates. The Bruins need a tough guy. If they do not have one then teams will continue to do whatever they can to affect our stars. We need someone to be able to stand up for them without taking an important player off the ice. We do not want Mara, Chara, or even Primeau to be fighting, it is time to get a tough guy.

Games Notes against Ottawa

"By design," Lewis said. "I had a plan and I stuck with it."

Lewis' plan worked out very well from the beginning. His intentions were to skate just 3 lines but for the 4th liners to be worked in on occasional shifts with each of the three lines. Lewis did not skate the 4th line together more than once all game.
-On the first goal Chistov was on the right wing with Bergeron and Sturm. Chistov picked up the steal in the offensive zone and hit Sturm for his first goal of the night.
- Chistov skated on the left side on a line with Bergeron and Boyes for about 4 shifts.
- Stastny skated on the left side with Savard and Murray and then later replaced Primeau on the 3rd line when he was in the box.
- Primeau left with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd period and did not return. It looked like a high stick to the head.
- Hoggan got more ice time than I had expected, 8:36 total ice time. He rotated on the 3rd line with Mowers. Hoggan also got time on the PK, 2 minutes 11 seconds.
- Lewis may finally realize that Mowers is not as great as he use to think he was.
- Donovan continued to fly. He has looked very good recently hopefully he can keep it up.
- Chara and Alberts changed sides with Chara playing the left being able to match up better with Heatly and Alfredsson, both right wingers. This also allowed Lewis to change up his defense on more than one occasion. Stuart with Chara and Alberts with Mara were occasion pairings in the 2nd period. Stuart is probably best suited to play the right side, possibly the reason for the change.
- Paul Mara scored FINALLY!
- Bergeron was on the ice for every single goal except Glen Murray's goal, the second scored by the Bruins. He finished with a plus 3 and won 14 faceoffs while losing 9. Awesome game from Bergeron who has looked great in the past few games.

Practice notes from today:
- P.J. Axelsson skated, but not with the team. He hopes to tomorrow.
- Primeau, did not practice, not sure if it has anything to do with the stick to the head he received with 5 minutes to go

Bruins Win in Blowout: Ottawa

Bruins-7
Ottawa-2

Wow! I did not see this outcome. The Bruins absolutely destroyed the sinking Senators in what I guess you could call a game. The Bruins were unstoppable on all ends of the arena. The PP was perfect and the PK was great. There were one or two mistakes by the defense but other than that, they were great. Paul Mara played some great hockey and was sticking up for teammates. The brawl was entertaining to watch, some old school hockey. I would not be surprised to see some fines going across to players like Eaves and McGratton for their actions. Thomas played great and an overall great win. O yeah, Bergeron and Savard equal greatness. And yes Gerber did get some playing time, and sucked, and so did Emery.

3 stars:
1. Marco Sturm (hat trick)
2. Patrice Bergeron (5 assists)
3. Marc Savard (2 goals, 2 assists)
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Tim Thomas, Paul Mara, Zdeno Chara, Brad Boyes

Scorers:

Boston:
1. Marco Sturm (7) from Chistov (3)
2. Glen Murray (17) from Savard (29) and Mara (11)
3. Marc Savard (10) from Bergeron (23) and Chara (15)
4. Marco Sturm (8) from Bergeron (24) and Savard (30)
5. Marco Sturm (9) from Bergeron (25) and Boyes (17)
6. Marc Savard (11) from Murray (10) and Bergeron (26)
7. Paul Mara (1) from Hoggan (2) and Bergeron (27)

Ottawa:
1. Christoph Shubert (4) from Kelly (7) and Heatley (21)
2. Antione Vermette (12) from Alfredsson (18) and Shubert (8)

Thornton who?

Nothing new in teh rumour mill and just wanted to comment on last night's game.Days like this... it's great to be a Bruins fan. Sorry to jump the gun, but, it was one of the first games I've seen this year, and besides a few moments, the B's looked unbeatable. Thomas was fantastic and actually jumped when he was beaten he was soo mad, I thought that was great, what a goalie. Murray's nod to Bergeron in the first after his goal, sweet. The boys look like they were having fun, playing their game and made the Sens look Sens-less.
Bergy was on fire! Am I wrong? A Career night with five helpers all of them effortless! Savard was excellant! Sturm broke out! I woke up today saw Sportsnet and am really not missing Joe right now.
I mean compare Patrice's (tied for 17th) stats:
31 gp 10 g 27 a 37 pts and -2

to his or Savard's (tied for 10th)...
31 gp 11 g 30 a 41 pts and +3

and here is Thornton (tied for 15th):
34 gp 9 g 30 a 39 pts and -5

They wouldn't be where they are right now if he was still on the team. Can't wait to see what awaits the club in April!
Whoo-Hoooooooo GO Bruins GO! Next up is Vancouver. I'll give you the score now:
Bruins 5
Canucks 1
Enjoy the feeling boys and girls, I feel the start of something good here.

Scotianuck
(I'm hyped it was an awesome game! Any body for more Coffee?)

Brookbank Traded to Pittsburgh

Just beeofre the holiday Trade Freeze, the Bruins dealt tough guy forward Wade Brookbank to the Penguins for future considerations.

Ottawa: 12/19/06

After a brutal loss to Florida, the Bruins need to bounce back, this .500 hockey won't gain you posistion in the division and conference. The Bruins need to come out strong vs. Ottawa, and look for Big Z to have a huge game against his former team, can't wait.

Keys to winning:
-Gerber sucks, take advantage
-Don't let Alfredsson-Heatley beat you
-Keep the crowd out of it
-Score, score, and don't give up goals

Prediction:
Bruins-4 OT
Ottawa-3

Trade Freeze Tomorrow

Look for some possible late deals tonight. Starting tomorrow through the 27th, the NHL Trade Freeze will be in effect, thus no player can be dealt.

Marco Sturm's Value Dropped

Marco Sturm is a great player, don't get me wrong, but his value this season has dropped a lot. Last season, I was expecting a breakout season this year at about, 30-30-60 from him. His production has been horrid this season, with 6-6-12. In these terms, Wayne Primeau has 5-6-11, 1 point less then Sturm. Granted Sturm was injured for a few games, but still.

If his pace continues, he will be right around 19-19-38. Horrible season for a top 6 forward. In the open market right now, the most he could get is 2.3 or so, if he is lucky. I am a fan of Marco, but if this performance continues, I am looking to see an upgrade at the LW posisition, whether Paul Kariya or Brendan Shanahan as a few possible names.

Ozolinsh on Waivers

The New York Rangers have placed former all-star defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh on waivers. He will make 2.75 million this season and any team can claim him. Ozolinsh has 3 points in 21 games this year so far.

Ozolinsh was once regarded as the top offensive defenseman in the league, but drug problems have possibly ruined his career.

New System, Same Result

In 2004, when the owners decide to make a lock-out, it was to make the NHL better. To implant a system where the economic will permit to every team to compete and assure that, financially, the league will be ok. The owner decide to revamp the rules and crackdown on obstruction. The goal was to give talented players exposure they didn't have in the past. But,looking at the assistance this season, the owner should start to worry.


In fact, when you look at the attendance around the league, it's depressing. Of course, some teams like Buffalo and Carolina ( who had trouble in the past with attendance ), are doing well. But old market ( and important one ) are struggling. Chicago and Boston are a good example of that. That said, it's not only the product who can be blame for that drop of the attendance around the league. What about... too many team? The lockout was a good thing if you consider that, for the first time, owners decide to get real and look at the problem. Before that lockout, the owner choose th easy wayout: add teams ( and collect the money ) in order to get their business on the good track. Short term, the solution was perfect. But now, this solution is awful.

At 30 teams, it become difficult to assemble a very good roster and give, to the fans, a quality entertainement; nights in, nights out. The Cap system may help some team on the free agent market to get good players but the problem is deepest then that. The real challenge here is the amateur draft. Considering the low percentage of players who will, eventually, play in the NHL; the question about the"pool" of talent must be raise. In fact, even if the NHL is going outside North America; there's no certainty about the number of players who can make it to the NHL. Filling rosters with 3 or 4th line NHL players is not the solution. Long term, the only solution will be to buyout franchise who are struggling and re-spread the talent among the existing teams.

It might take a long time to get a consensus about teams who should disappear but, in the long run, this process is unevitable. The owner made a mistake before the lockout and, now, this bomb is ready to explode. The question here is whether or not the owners are willing to do something about it.

Bruins attendance is embarassing

This season the Bruins have only sold out one game ( the home opener vs the Flames). They have had only 3 games all season where there were more than 16,000 people at the Garden. The past 5 games, the attendance has been awful, especially the last game where only 10,965 people attended. Their season average has been 13,787, about 4,000 less than what the Garden can actually fit. This is an embarassing figure but is common with many teams located in the United States. It seems as if the "new NHL" isn't so great after all in regards to getting more people interested in hockey.

Habs interested in Fedorov?

Actually to the Fourth Period, the Canadiens may be making a push to acquire Sergei Fedorov. They would have to free up about 3 million in cap space to take on his 6 million dollar cap hit. The Canadiens have become interested in Fedorov in hopes to improve the offense and have a gifted center playing with Kovalev and Samsonov. Fedorov is 37 and has certainly lost a step off his game. In 24 games this season he has 8 goals and 9 assists. He had a disappointing season last year as well when he only recorded 12 goals and 32 assists in 67 games. Fedorov when in his prime was one of the best players in the NHL, but he is definitely no where near that status anymore. However, he would be a dangerous addition to the Canadiens lineup especially playing with two fellow Russians. It is also rumored that the Canadiens have inquired about Brendan Morrison of Vancover, Vinny Prospal in Tampa, and also Pavel Datsyuk of the Redwings, where Detroit is looking to move him since he is an UFA at the end of the season and could command big time money on the free agent market.

Phil Kessel Update

The cancer was removed successfully and has not spread to any other part of his body. He is said to be cured. He will be able to begin skating in about 2 weeks, so he is probably a little less than a month away from playing again.

Philly make their 1st move

Flyers make their first move, maybe of many. Flyers traded Freddy Meyer and a 3rd round pick to the NY Islanders defensemen Alexei Zhitnik. Zhitnik is making 3.5 million a year and ahs 2 more years left on his deal. Meyer, the former BU Terrier is making $525,000 a year and has one more year left. Both of these players are offensive defensmen, who run the power play. The Islanders get the better of the deal getting a younger player, who's cheaper, and a draft pick.

2007 Team US Roster

The team will be coached by Ron Rolston, Brian Rolston's brother. Brian Rolston credit's alot of his hockey success to his older brother Ron. Hopefully the short time that he is with these players he can affect them, like he did to his younger brother. The team roster is

2007 Team Canada Roster

The team has been determined with the final cuts being made yesterday. Here is the whole roster http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/feature/?fid=4804 . Bruin's prospect Brad Marchand made the team, who was the teams 3rd round pick in this year's draft (71st overall).

Bruins need to re-sign Stuart

Brad Stuart has been on fire lately. He has 6 goals and 6 assists this season and 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games. He is a perfect number 2 defenseman behind Chara. He's such a great skater with a powerful shot. Always seems to make a good defensive play and makes good decisions with the puck. On occasion he will turn the puck over but he is, without a doubt, much more valuable than the 3 million dollar man Paul Mara. The Bruins should have made a pitch to resign Stuart at the beginning of the season instead of giving Mara another year on his contract. If the Bruins can sign this guy for 3.5-4.0 million it is a steal. I would love to see him back next year, but I doubt it will happen, since 10.5 million is already tied up for Mara and Chara.

Axelsson Update

From the Herald:
Axelsson, out since Nov. 30 with a hairline fracture on the top of his left foot, skated yesterday but did not venture a guess as to when he might return to the lineup.
“We’re just going to take it day to day,” Axelsson said. “If we set a timetable and something happens in between, then I’ll just get (angry).”
Axelsson skated for about 10 minutes before practice, went to the locker room to have his foot taped, then came back out for another short spin. He favored the foot while on the ice and put it back in a protective boot afterward.
“We’ll get back on the ice (today) and go from there, I guess,” said Axelsson, who’ll skate on his own today at TD Banknorth Garden
Hopefully P.J. can get back with the team shortly. It seems like every single season he goes through similar situations. He will play, then get hurt and then come back too early, which results in an injury which is worse than it was originally.

Where the Bruins Rank

After 29 games played, the Bruins are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with 32 points. The are within 1 point of three teams and 2 points of the Stanley Cup winning Hurricanes. They are also within 4 points of the number 5 seed (New Jersey Devils) in the East. The Bruins have 2 games in hand on most of these teams as well. Therefore, I believe the Bruins will make the playoffs. They probably will get the 7th or 8th overall seed. Marc Savard has been great this season, he ranks 15th in the league in points and 5th in assists. Patrice Bergeron is starting to break out, he had a great game against the Devils the other night and he is ranked 29th in the league in points. If the Sturm-Bergeron-Boyes trio continue to play well then the Bruins definitely have a shot at making the playoffs. We may need some more offense from our 3rd and 4th lines, but I believe we have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs this season.

Crosby is the Next Great One

In tonight's game against the N.Y. Islanders, he absolutely dominated everyone on the ice. He made some of the nicest moves I have ever seen. Picking up a goal and 3 more assists, he has now extended his scoring lead. He now has 16 goals, 35 assists for 51 points in only 28 games. Jagr has 44 points in 4 more games(32 total). Sid the Kid has taken over as the face of the NHL. At age 19, the sky is the limit for this kid, and he is only going to improve in every single aspect of his game as he continues to get older. He is on pace for more than 40 goals and 100 points easily. Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey player of all time, but I believe Sidney Crosby will be a legend of his own once his career is over. No way will his numbers be anywhere near The Great One's but he is definitely the most dominant player in the NHL, who will continue to improve every single game.

Ryan Malone

I've heard the Bruins might be shopping for Penguins forward Ryan Malone. I haven't heard any names for him. Malone has 1 more year left on his deal before he becomes a UFA. He brings a gritty game along with some offense. I could see him playing with Savard and Glenn Murray and doing very well. I have no idea who they are talking about giving up. Hopefully it's Mara, otherwise I say no deal.

Hitchcock has Columbus going in the right direction

On November 1st Ken Hithcock was show the door on out of Philly, 21 days later he was named head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since that time Hitch has turned the Blue Jackets into a terrible team, who couldn't win into one of the hottest teams going. Before last nights 5-4 OT loss to the Coyotes, the Blue Jackets won 5 straight. Since December 1, they are 5-1 (5-2 after last night). Before the Coyotes game the past 6 games they haven't given up more than 2 goals a game; which is 0.83 GAA, while scoring 3.83 goals a game. Since the Blue Jackets have gone 5-2 their best player(Rick Nash) has played his best hockey in his young NHL career. Nash has put up 3 goals and 2 assists, getting at least 1 point in 3 of his last 4. Hitchcok who is known for his D-Zone being so good, so far it has worked. I am not one to brag but with Hitchcocks backround I knew this would be a good mix, so far so good.

Tucker could be moved

Darcy Tucker will be a UFA at the end of the season (unless resigned durining the season). Mats Sundin has a club option at the end of this season, GM John Ferguson would like to keep both this year and next year. Tucker will be looking for a $4-5 million a year for 4 years. However, if the Leafs are going to be out of the play picture look for Ferguson to deal Tucker or Sundin, more likely Tucker. All and all I think Tucker is the guy easier to be moved, teams can put him on any line any situation, where Sundin is a great player has to be put with an other tallented player. Also Sundin has a no trade clause and unless it's to a team who has a legit chance to win the cup look for him to stay in Toronto. As of right now Toronto is tied in 8th in the East with 4 teams, the Leafs have played 32 games, the Sens have played 33 and Washington and Pittsburgh have both played 30 respectfully. The Bruins are Just 1 point out and have only played 29 games. All and all Toronto is a team to watch once the trade deadline comes because I think they've played their best hockey earily in the season and will slowley drop in the standings. If this is the case watch Tucker to be delt.

For How Long?

The B's collected another 2 points, last night, and quite frankly, they are in a better position then ever to make that precious playoffs run. The B's have betweem 1 to 4 games in hand on teams in front of them and they collected 6 out of 10 possible points in their last 5 games stretch. Very good indeed.

But, i think we have to wonder about the way this team is playing defensively. I know that lots of you have raised that point but it seems to me that this aspect of the game will be the decisive factor regarding the team's playoffs chance. Right now, the B's have a respectable D corps: Chara and Brad Stuart are legitimate #1 and 2 D-man; Alberts is playing great and Mara is, well, Mara. When i look at it; this blueline should have been better in his own end. So, what's the problem? The players? The system?

I don't have the knowledge to judge the defensive system but it seems to me that there's a problem. The zone coverage is pretty bad and how many time we have seen a player, alone in the slot, aiming at our goaltenders? I mean, this team is giving away the puck on a constant base and it cost them a lot; but not enough, i guess. Right now, everything is fine: They collect points and they win. But those giveaways will cost them a max against stronger teams like Buffalo, Detroit or Nashville. If it's not the system, that's the players, right? Our defensemans seems unable to apply the system that Lewis is trying to implant. It is a lack of talent or hockey sense? Honnestly, i don't know. But i can't believe that, with a #1 and #2 defenseman in our lineup, we are killing ourselves, in our own end; nights in, nights out.

Yes, the team is winning and they are pilling up the points. But i'm still worried. Worried that those bad defensive habits will lead to a late meltdown. A meltdown who can be very disappointing for fans who are eager for some playoffs excitements. But, for now, they are getting results and that's the most important thing.

JR done at end of NHL season

After walking out on his team Tuesday night in Vancover, Jeremy Roenick told the press that he was done at the end of the NHL season. Jeremy Roenick was scratched from the line-up Tuesday with backspasm, which didn't settle well with JR. JR stormed out of the Coyotes locker room when he found out he wasn't suiting up for the game. JR was also out of lineup Thursday night, replaced by Mike Ricci. Roenick, is on the books for $1.2 million this season and is a free agent at the end of the year. In 28 games this season, he has 1 goal and is -9 for the season. The Thayer Academy alumi will be missed by the media for saying what is on his mind. At the end of the year look for two things from JR 1 is being on TV, giving commentary and the other look for JR to be in the movies or on TV shows, because the media loves this guy. He is a guy who admitted to everyone he's lost big money in Las Vagas, maybe he went to the Coyotes hoping Rick Tockett would come back and help his gambling as his coach?

Getting on board the Blog

Hey there B's fans!

Thought I'd give this a shot with Matt and the boys. A little about me? Bruins fan since the Neely trade, (used to be the Jets) I've been a long-suffering-yet-hopeful B-liever that this team
can go the distance. Looking forward to throwing out a rumour or dishing out something for discussion. Thanks for having me guys!

Speaking of which and since I already set this up, I find this to be something I'd like to get a few thoughts on:

Noticed a post about St. Louis possibly unloading their UFA's in the coming weeks. An interesting 27 year old for 27 year old swap that might help both players and both teams with a change, is Paul Mara for Canadian Olympian Eric Brewer. Although not a household name, Brewer can bring his hard-nosed style to the B's and be an excellent top four D-man ( His form
with Edmonton was top two d-man, if he can play towards that it would be good ). He doesn't have the numbers Mara has had in the past, but, neither does Mara now, and this also saves about a million in salary for Boston. With the cap going up next year, no doubt, and Stuart hopefully resigning, the future would be a little brighter in Beantown, at least from the
defense point of view.

There you go discuss, glad to contribute. Talk to you all soon!

Scotianuck

New Jersey: 12/14/06

Good thing, Broduer gets the night off. Clemmensen will get the start. Thomas back in action once again, good thing. Another tough test, but no Broduer equals good chance, and we are at home, so it'll be a good match. Bruins come out on top tonight.

Keys to winning:
1. Don't let Clemmensen be the man
2. Marc "Hab Killer" Savard needs to continue to roll
3. Effective PP unit
4. Don't let NJ trap you

Prediction:
Bruins-5
NJ-3

Tonight's Lineup

Martin Brodeur will get the night off for the New Jersey Devils. Scott Clemmensen will start in his place. Tim Thomas returns to net after missing the previous game with a sickness. The lines will be the same as they had been for the previous game against the Canadiens.

How could the B's let go of this guy?

I don't know about you guys on here but I've been watching alot of stuff on YouTube.com. I have been watching a lot of fights and goals. I love watching Brian Roloston. The guys has so much confidence in his slapshot he has scored once on a pentaly shot and twice in the shootout. Rolston was put on a check line while he was in Boston and did a great job, he also killed pentalies, and was a point man on the powerplay. The guy can do everything. He can play on your PP (anywhere), PK, top line, or checkline. He is now in Minnesota with a very defensive team and putting up these numbers..... 15 goals 13 assists (28 points), +5, 4 PP goals, 8 PP assists, 1 short handed goal, and 3 game winning goals. I think he is one of those players the Bruins desperatly need. We all complain the Bruins traded this guy and that guy but they lost Roloston to free agency and got NOTHING, the same thing with Mike Knuble, they got NOTHING. I don't mind them making deals when there gonna lose them to free agency such as Samsonov. But they lose guys that everyone likes such as Knuble and Rolston who bring toughness and goals to the team and are good if not great defensive players. Rolston might not be Alexander Ovechkin but he is a great player who also brings leadership and we got nothing for him. I still wish we had him. Imagine the numbers he'd put up with Murray and Marc Savard? WOW

Finley On Waivers

The Bruins have put G Brian Finely on waivers. Any team can claim him, if claimed it will clear $500,000 off the books or if he passes through waivers it will clear $500,000 off the books.

Ralley Helmets

I know the Atlanta Thrashers started this last year, but it has taken a year for other teams to go to it. I'm not sure if Marc Savard has it trademarked or not. He brought it to the Bruins and it has worked, because they actually have won 2 or 3 shootouts with it and last year they were god awful on the shootout. Monday night on Versus the Penguins/ Capitals game went into the shootout. The Peguins put on the Ralley helmets and Malkin scored the winner. It is looking like the teams are having a lot more fun with the shootout this year and the ralley helmet is working. What are your thoughts on the ralley helmet and will other teams go to the ralley helmet?

Heroes and Zeroes: 12/13/06

Sometimes, good faith is not enough. The team showed for a 40 min effort and the result was predictable. Those games happend. The team have to focus on the next game but, for now, here's your heroes and zeroes for the last game.

Heroes:
- Hannu Toivonnen: He looked calm and kept his team in the game until Chara's brutal giveaway. HT looked like the 2005 version. Very encouraging.
- The DMP line: Disciplined, they brought energy and gritz. A very good game from their part.

Zeroes:
-Zdeno Chara: A brutal giveaway in the third who lead to Samsonov's goal. On the 4th goal, he was beaten, in his 1 on 1 battle, by a rookie. There's no way Latendress should have won that battle.
-Jason York: He looked slow and miss lots of coverage. Soon or later, something would have to happend.
-Officiating: It was brutal and lots of " ghost " penalties were called. How on earth Alberts can took a penalty for playing his men. It's getting more and more ridiculous...

New Link

I found a great site to see a players salary history over the past 15 years. Click here. It is also under the links section.

Kessel Update

From the Globe,

MONTREAL -- Wade Arnott, Phil Kessel's agent, confirmed this morning that his client underwent successful surgery yesterday at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Arnott said the procedure was cancer-related but did not confirm CBS4's report that Kessel was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"He's resting in Boston and on the road to recovery," said Arnott.

Arnott said that Kessel had felt minor symptoms related to his condition leading up to the diagnosis. Arnott said Kessel's condition was determined "very recently."

"He got thrown a curveball," Arnott said, "but he's holding up pretty well."

Matt's take: This is very good news. If it is true that it is not testicular cancer, that is a burden lifted. All I can say is best of luck and get well soon.

Montreal: 12/12/06

Tonight I am not going into depth about the game. The point is, the Bruins need to play hard and win. Win it for Kessel. Win it for themselves. The Bruins are going through a tough time with the Kessel news and all, time to step it up. Play with a chip.

Prediction:
Bruins-6
Montreal-3

How to Replace Kessel in the Lineup

Phil Kessel might be out of action for quite some time unfortunately. It will be difficult to put a time table on a condition such as this. Meanwhile, Yan Stastny has been recalled and will take the place of Kessel. Stastny is a good option as a checking line center or winger. However, if P.J. Axelsson continues to miss time due to injury, I believe the Bruins will need to call up an offensive minded winger or center. As I posted yesterday, the Bruins have some great young talents in Providence, with Kris Versteeg and David Krecji, as the overall point leaders. The Bruins will definitely need offensive help in the near future, and now is the time to give one of the youngsters an opportunity. It will be interesting to see what Lewis and PC come up with, they could do what we all expect them to do and that is just replace Stastny with Kessel on the 4th line. But do not forget we have Jeff Hoggan as a winger, who recieves about 5 minutes of ice time a night, and now with the addition of Stastny, our 4th line will be Chistov-Stastny-Hoggan. Not the greatest offensive tandem. That would put more pressure on Primeau's line to play even more. They will probably not be able to consistently contribute offensively, which means we could have two lines not providing much offense. Also, the Bruins may now explore the option of going after Jason Allison, who is still a free agent and still looking to sign with a team. If they could get him for a 1 million dollar cap hit, then it is worth the risk.

Kessel Update

According to CBS 4, Phil Kessel is in the hospital and has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Here is the link: http://cbs4boston.com/local/local_story_345230707.html

I feel bad he is a very young man. Hopefully everything goes well and he is able to get over this and live a great life. Prayers go out to the Kessel family, best of luck.

Note: Bondra Signing

Just for those who are curious to the number of Bondra's deal. $500,000 plus incentives. The incentives will count against the cap according to the CBA, which I disagree with.

Kessel in Hospital

From the Bruins website,

The Kessel family has asked the Boston Bruins to release the following statement: "Phil Kessel is being treated today for a medical issue not related to hockey. At this time there is no further update on Phil’s condition. When there is an update, and it is appropriate to do so, we will update everyone on Phil’s health. We kindly ask that you respect the Kessel family’s privacy during this time."

That's the reason Stastny was recalled. Hopefully everything is alright and he makes a speedy recovery.

Matt's take: I hope all is well with Phil. I hope it isn't anything major, but you never know with these young kids, look at what happened to Jon Lester, who is luckily recovering well from cancer. Best of luck to the Kessel's.

Stastny and Toivonen Recalled

After posting the W in yesterday's shootout win Hannu Toivenen was recalled, as expected. Returning with him is Yan Stastny. He recorded two assists in yesterday victory and has recorded 5 assists in 7 games since being sent back to Providence. The return of Stastny may mean that Jeff Hoggan will be a healthy scratch tomorrow, or possibly even sent back. However, I would like to see Mark Mowers be the odd man out in this situation, because I believe Stastny adds a lot more to the team than Mowers. He can play the PK, will throw a few hits, and is very effective in his own end. A Stastny-Primeau-Donovan combination would be nice, but very unlikely since Mowers is obviously a favorite of Dave Lewis.

Rising B's, Sinking Leafs

At the beginning of the season, experts made their bids. Boston a playoffs team by a hair and Toronto out of contention. As the standing show, today, both of B's and Leafs are out of contention but the B's are in a better position. The team have 2 games in hand, on almost every team in front of them, and the team win more then she lose.

At the same period, last year, the B's were a sad result. Their early schedule was packed with divisional and intra-conference games and the result was ugly. In fact, the team dug a very deep hole and never saw the light of the day, again. This year is different. The team is winning and most importantly didn't fall apart against divisional or intra-conference foes. Very important, indeed, if you consider that this conference is tight as it can be and that a tie-breaker might the difference between the 8th or the 9th spot. If the B's are able to keep the pace and add some points with their games on hand, the team will be just fine.

Toronto had a great start. The team was fine and Raycroft was solid until their 3 games extravaganza against the B's. Everything fall apart and they team is, now, on a 7 games losing streak. Rumours are swirling around the team: Sundin should go ! Steen in the minors etc etc. Dejà vu, right? Yes, the B's were in the same position last year when their record against the conference was awful. Toronto his sinking fast and the schedule is not working for them as they will face, in order, Tampa Bay, the Rangers and Florida. In a case of a tie breaker, the Leafs could be in trouble. Yes, the Leafs are sinking and if the things are not turning around, soon, they could be out of contention by the end of december. Remember, at the beginning of the season, when Matt and I said that the B's would have to be more effective against their conference?. Well, it might just be the difference. The B's are rising, the Leafs are sinking and we won't complain about it.

Providence Bruins Update

They won two out of the three games they played this weekend. Hannu Toivonen got the win today as the Baby B's won in the shootout. They are 14-8-1 on the season and have looked very good. Many people know about Martins Karsums and Petr Kalus, but not many people are fimiliar with Kris Versteeg or David Krejci. These two have been lighting it up for them. Versteeg is a 20 year old rookie right winger, who in 24 games has 13 goals and 14 assists. He is ranked 14th in points and 12th in goals in the AHL. Krecji, a 20 year old rookie center, has recorded 6 goals and 17 assists in 22 games this season. The future is bright for the Bruins who also have defensemen Matt Lashoff and Jonathan Sigalet, both of whom are probably a year away from being regulars in the NHL. The top prospects, Karsums and Kalus have played fairly well this season, despite having to deal with injuries. Karsums, 20, has 6 goals and 5 assists in 16 games. Kalus,19, who was fighting for a 4th line spot on the big club until the final week, has recorded just 1 goal and 5 assists. Hopefully this season we get to see atleast one of these promising young players, but if not I am sure we will see plenty of them in the future.

Bruins Defense

The Bruins defense definitely needs some help. Chara, Alberts, and Brad Stuart are all good defensemen, who play pretty consistently on a nightly basis. I love what all three of them bring to the game. Stuart is a great defenseman and I hope we resign him. Alberts, gotta love the hits he throws. He is always looking to drill someone. Mara, York, and Jurcina have all looked very shaky this season. Jurcina has played well as of late and continues to improve on his game. I think he could be a very solid number 5 defenseman in this league, as long as he is not afraid to throw a few hits. Mara, on the other hand, looks awful. Since his return from his thigh bruise and even before he got injured, he has looked completely lost. If the Bruins could somehow trade him and get rid of his 3 million dollar cap hit then they could make a move to address a different need. York, 7 of the last 10 games he has appeared in has finished with a -1. He looks so bad on many shifts, especially when he is paired with Jurcina. He is a veteran with a lot of experience, but he is also injury prone ( I believe he injured his knee in the last game, but returned later)and very inconsistent. He has no shot and brings nothing to the table offensively. I posted last week about Matt Lashoff and that I believe they should give him an opportunity and I still feel that way. He has been very good for the Baby B's and recieves regular ice time on the first PP and PK. In only 17 games he currently has 5 goals 6 assists, with 3 of his goals coming on the powerplay. I know he is only 20 years old but he would be an upgrade over Mara or York. Put him with Brad Stuart and they could be a very solid 2nd pairing behind Chara and Alberts.

Toivonen and Stuart Sent Down

Peter Chiarelli has announced that the team has sent down Hannu Toivonen and Mark Stuart. Toivonen will be recalled right after the game in Providence while it looks like Stuart will stay down. With Stuart down, it clears some cap space for the interim, which could spell a move, but it is likely they don't keep Stuart down all season, so that is unlikely.

Allison to Boston (br2.5)

After losing out on the Bondra sweepstakes, which they were in more than you think, the Bruins are turning their attention to Jason Allison. The former Bruin captain is still on the market and is looking for around the same type deal Bondra got. The Islanders are the other team interested in Allison.

Allison would provide a great hand on the PP unit and can still score. I wouldn't mind the move, the team needs offense.

Bondra to Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks have announced the signing of Peter Bondra. Financial details are not known at this time.

Latrappe's take: It remain to be seen if this signing will make the impact that the Blackhawks hopes. Bondra is a good player but does he have enough hockey in him to make the difference in Chicago? Only time will tell.

Matt's take: The Bruins made a pitch to him, but he decided to go to Chicago. The Bruins are still after another player I am hearing. The money is what I am interested in hearing. My guess is around 750k plus incentives, which was around what he was demanding. Good signing by Chicago, but I don't think it will really help them make the playoffs. Unless their goaltending stands up for the rest of the season, it'll be a long season for Hawk fans.

Bruins Fall: New Jersey

Bruins-1
New Jersey-5

The Bruins played horrible, and likely so they lost. The offense was flat and off, the defense was that bad, but they weren't great. Thomas played subpar and Toivonen had his bright spots, and his bad.

The bright spot was Zdeno Chara holding Brian Gionta's helmet like a little kid. Thats worth the price of admission right there. Andrew Alberts also played a great game, throwing around the body.

The style of the Bruins offense is all you needed to see, to see why the Bruins lost. When they are struggling, they do a dump and run style offense which always kills me. It never works. You need to take the puck through the zones with control. The Bruins did not derserve to win this game and that is why they lost. And for those who said NJ had no offense, think again.

3 stars:
1. Martin Brodeur
2. Patrick Elias
3. Jamie Langenbrunner
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Segeri Brylin, Hannu Toivonen, Marc Savard

Scorers:

Boston:
Marc Savard (7) from Jurcina(1) and Bergeron (19)

New Jersey:
Jay Pandolfo (4) from Brylin (4) and Madden (8)
Jamie Langenbrunner (11) from Zajac (9) and Elias (15)
Erik Rasmussen (1) from Gionta (9) and Martin (7)
Patrick Elias (9) from Gomez (16) and Oduya (4)
Sergei Brylin (4) from Pandolfo (5) and Madden (9)

New Jersey: 12/9/06

New Jersey is always a tough one, but with the way the Bruins are playing, I bet they can come out on top. Brodeur, the best goalie in the NHL over the years, will be in net tonight well Thomas will start for the 100th time in a row. New Jersey's offense is stacked with guys like Elias, Langenbrunner, Gomez, and Gionta. It'll be a tough battle.

Key's to winning:
-Make Brodeur work.
-Shut down Elias and Gomez.
-Don't give up lead, make them.

Prediction:
Bruins-3
Devils-4 OT

Bruins score late to send it into OT, but Langenbrunner takes it home in OT.

Game Recap: Toronto

Bruins-3
Toronto-1

Sorry for the late post. The winning continues vs. Toronto. The Bruins outplayed the Leafs for most of the game. The goal Toronto scored was a fluke goal by O'Neill. Thomas played extremely well again and the entire team played well. "Say it ain't so" Wayne Primeau has been playing great of late, scoring again last night to make it 5 for the season. Brad Stuart continues to ride the hot streak scoring another one from the slot. Bergeron topped it off with a great wrister to beat Aubin.

Overall great win. It is good to have that feeling of being able to come back and win rather than give up the game. Confidence is what you need and the Bruins have that.

B's Come Back in the 3rd: Toronto

Toronto continues to give away games in the 3rd period, this time to the Bruins. After trailing 1-0 going into the 3rd the Bruins got put on the board with a nice pass by Brad Boyes spotting a streaking Brad Stuart down the middle of the slot. The Bruins took a lead when Wayne Primeau put home one top corner off a Mark Mowers rebound. Patrice Burgeron (FINALLY) put one hope top corner with a nice pass from Primeau and a great screen by Shean Donovan. There have been a lot of people on this site have been bashing Dave Lewis for playing the Donovan, Primeau, Mowers line; along with bashing players from this line. Personally I haven't bashed these guys they work hard (sure they might not score but that's not their job). They play good defensivly. Give Lewis credit here people have been all over him about playing these guys and they won the game here. Bergeron got a big contract in the offseason and scored his 8th of the year, when are you going to get on his case, because he's suppose to be one of their top scorers. Sure I want Phil Kessel to play more, he will get more ice time when he learns the system and his role on the team.

Hero's
1- Dave Lewis (sticking with Mowers, Primeau, and Donovan)
2- Primeau 1 goal (GWG) 1 assist (great pass)
3. Shean Donovan 2 assists and a great screen and skated very well up and down the ice o-zone and d-zone
4- Andrew Alberts for going after Darcy Tucker for running into Tim Thomas, I wish Alberts beat the crap out of him.
Zero's
1- Refs not calling the hit from behind by Hal Gill on Marco Sturm
2- Leafs D in the 3rd period

Scoring Summary
Jeff O'Neill 8 (Michael Peca, Brendan Bell)
Brad Stuart 5 (Brad Boyes, Marco Sturm)
Wayne Primeau 5 (Mark Mowers, Shean Donovan)
Patrice Bergeron 8 (Wayne Primeau, Shean Donovan)

Stars
1-Primeau
2- Donovan
3- Alberts

Tonight's Lineup

Tonight's lineup will be the same except that Paul Mara is skating and Mark Stuart is a healthy scratch. York and Stuart both have looked bad this season. York is getting the nod tonight because he is a veteran and Mark Stuart is only in his second NHL season(first full). Look for a rotation of Stuart and Jurcina as the 6th defenseman for the next few games. Eventually, if York does not play himself out of a job, look for Stuart to be sent back to Providence to get more ice time and experience, and because he is the only defenseman who has a two-way contract. Also, it would give the Bruins cap room, since his cap hit on this season is 1.58 million (.942K salary + incentives). Incentives even if they are not reached, count against the cap. Kessel and Stuart are the only two players on the roster right now that are eligible for incentives. The rest of the lineup for tonight:

Tenkrat-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Boyes
Mowers-Primeau-Donovan
Hoggan-Kessel-Chistov

Alberts-Chara
Stuart-Mara
York-Jurcina

Also look for the Primeau line to get a lot of ice time again. They scored two goals last game and Lewis seems to be in love with this line (which sucks by the way).

Devils on the move

Devils defenseman Richard Matvichuk is almost ready to come back from the DL. However, when he comes back the Devils have to clear $1.3 millon. They have also been strugling to score some goals so look for the Devils to deal someone. Two cadidates are d-man Brad Lukowich ($1 million salary) on and forward Sergei Brylin ($1.6 million) among guys to be dealt. If NJ is looking to mix things up and get some more goals look for a big names such as Scott Gomez, Brain Rafalski, or Brad Lukowich who are all UFA at the end of the year.

Sleepless in Montreal

When the B's traded Sergei Samsonov for Marty Reasonner, last year, fans were a bit upset by the return of that deal. In fact, months after the deal, Reasonner is playing with Edmonton and Samsonov with Montreal. Do the B's made a mistake by not re-signing him?

Samsonov was always well perceived by the ownership. Samsonov was a team player and his production was decent. Both parties could have reached a deal but there was a major disagreement about the evaluation of Samsonov " the player ". Samsonov camp always saw him as a premium forward and the B's considered Samsonov as top 6 forwards. Money wise, it make a difference and that's why Samsonov was dealt. Now, Samsonov is in Montreal and believe me, Sammy is not the same anymore.
I have the chance to see Sammy nights in, nights out and the problem remain the same: Samsonov didn't improve a bit regarding his bad habits. He still skating around in the offensive zone with getting results; he take bad decisions around the net; he refuse to go in the traffic to get a goal and his defensive game is pretty bad. When Montreal signed him to 3.5 per, i was a doubter. Edmonton and Boston refuse to pay him that kind of money so why, in Montreal, they did? Do those scouts have seen something that everybody was missing? In fact, no. Samsonov is a bust in Montreal and right now, he's taking a lot and i mean a lot of heat regarding his play. The sad thing for Samsonov is that he's untradeable. At 3.5 per, there's no team who will take a chance on him with the kind of season he have right now. Of course, playing with Kovalev (-9) doesn't help either.

Sammy was a good player in Boston. He was productive and his play was, at times, spectular. So far, this season, it's not the same Samsonov. I see an aging demotivated player who is the shadow of what he was in the past. If Sammy doesn't turn the situation around soon; Montreal might be the end of the road for him.

Hoggan Brought Back

Jeff Hoggan has been recalled from Providence after getting sent down yesterday. Look for the same lines to be in effect for Thursday's game. He will be with Kessel and Chistov again.

Big In '07

A list of the quality free agents available in 2007, via HockeyTradeRumors. Any name you would like to see the Bruins get?

Goalies (Name, Current Team, Age in 2007, Salary)
Jean-Sebastien Giguere - ANA - 30 - 3,990,000
Martin Biron - BUF - 29 - 2,128,000
Patrick Lalime - CHI - 32 - 700,000
Mathieu Garon - LAK - 29 - 1,216,000
David Aebischer - MTL - 29 - 1,900,000
Robert Esche - PHI - 29 - 1,000,000
Antero Niitymaki - PHI - 30 - 1,000,000
Jocelyn Thibault - PIT - 1,500,000
Manny Legace - STL - 34 - 1,400,000

Defense (Name, Current Team, Age in 2007, Salary)
Sean O'Donnell - ANA - 35 - 1,520,000
Andy Sutton - ATL - 29 - 2,000,000
Greg de Vries - ATL - 33 - 2,052,000
Teppo Numminen - BUF - 39 - 2,600,000
Roman Hamrlik - CGY - 33 - 3,500,000
Bryan Berard - CLB - 30 - 2,500,000
Janne Niinimaa - DAL - 32 - 2,508,000
Darryl Sydor - DAL - 35 - 2,128,000
Danny Markov - DET - 30 - 2,500,000
Aaron Miller - LA - 35 - 2,280,000
Sheldon Souray - MTL - 30 - 2,432,000
Sean Hill - NYI - 37 - 600,000
Tom Poti - NYI - 30 - 2,750,000
Chris Phillips - OTT - 29 - 2,204,000
Tom Preissing - OTT - 28 - 600,000
Scott Hannan - SJS - 28 - 2,204,000
Eric Brewer - STL - 28 - 2,014,000
Sami Salo - VAN - 33 - 1,500,000

Left Wingers:
Vyacheslav Kozlov - ATL - 34 - 2,014,000
Marco Sturm - BOS - 28 - 2,100,000
Jeff Friesen - CGY - 30 - 1,600,000
Ray Whitney - CAR - 35 - 1,500,000
Andrew Brunette - COL - 33 - 800,000
Fredrik Modin - CLB - 32 - 2,204,000
Ryan Smyth - EDM - 31 - 3,500,000
Petr Sykora - EDM - 30 - 2,900,000
Paul Kariya - NSH - 32 - 4,500,000
Brendan Shanahan - NYR - 38 - 4,000,000
Martin Straka - NYR 1,600,000- 34 - 3,100,000
Kyle Calder - PHI - 28 - 2,950,000
Ladislav Nagy - PHX - 28 - 3,000,000
Nils Ekman - PIT - 31 - 1,100,000
Keith Tkachuk - STL - 35 - 3,800,000
Richard Zednik - WSH - 31 - 1,976,000

Right Wingers:
Teemu Selanne - ANA - 37 - 3,750,000
Tony Amonte - CGY - 36 - 1,850,000
Todd Bertuzzi - FLA - 32 - 5,269,080
Mike Johnson - MTL - 32 - 1.900.000
Sergei Brylin - NJD - 33 - 1,520,000
Jason Blake - NYI - 33 - 1,558,000
Kapanen - PHI - 34 - 1,520,000
Shane Doan - PHX - 30 - 3,382,000
Bill Guerin - STL - 36 - 2,000,000
Ruslan Fedotenko - TBL - 28 - 1,650,000
Darcy Tucker - TOR - 32 - 1,596,000
Jeff O'Neill - TOR - 31 - 1,500,000
Jan Bulis - Van - 29 - 1,300,000
Dainius Zubrus - WSH - 29 - 1,850,000

Centres:
Daniel Briere - BUF - 29 - 5,000,000
Chris Drury - BUF - 30 - 3,154,000
Michal Handzus - CHI - 30 - 2,128,000
Bryan Smolinski - CHI - 35 - 1,520,000
Joe Sakic - COL - 37 - 5,750,000
Tyler Arnason - COL - 28 - 950,000
Eric Lindros - DAL - 34 - 1,550,000
Pavel Datsyuk - DET - 28 - 3,900,000
Robert Lang - DET - 36 - 3,800,000
Jozef Stumple - FLA - 35 - 1,750,000
Todd White - MIN - 32 - 1,550,000
Radek Bonk - MTL - 31 - 2,394,000
Mike York - NYI - 29 - 2,850,000
Michael Nylander - NYR - 34 - 2,280,000
Peter Forsberg - PHI - 33 - 5,750,000
Petr Nedved - PHI - 35 - 2,356,000
Mike Ricci - PHX - 35 - 1,520,000
Mike Peca - TOR - 33 - 2,500,000

Retirement:
Jeremy Roenick - PHX - 37 - 1,200,000
Joe Nieuwendyk - FLA - 40 - 2,250,000
Piere Turgeon - COL - 37 - 1,500,000
Marc Recchi - PIT - 39 - 2,280,000
Alexander Mogiliny - NJD - 38 - 3,500,000
Gary Roberts - FLA - 41 - 1,500,000
John LeClair - PIT - 37 - 2,225,000
Owen Nolan - PHO - 35 - 1,225,000
Martin Gelinas - FLA - 37 - 975,000
Luke Richardson - TBL - 38 - 500,000
Curtis Joseph - PHO - 40 - 2,000,000
Dominik Hasek - DET - 42 - 750,000
Ed Belfour - FLA - 42 - 750,000
Sean Burke - TBL - 40 - 1,600,000

Toronto: 12/7/06

An important division matchup. Toronto is only 3 points ahead of us. The Bruins could gain a "4 point swing" if they win. The division is very tight, but it looks like Buffalo, at this rate, will easily take the division. We are looking at 2nd place right now. If we want to accomplish that goal, we need to take all the division games hard. It will be at the Garden tonight, hopefully giving us some advantage. For anyone going to the game, make some noise! Seeing what the Habs fans do, it helps out the team when the crowd is behind the team. I wish it were the days when the Garden was sold out and the fans went crazy over everything. We need that fan grit back!

Keys to winning:
-Don't let McCabe work the PP.
-Beat Razor, glove side.
-Let Thomas rest some.
-Absolutely tire the Leafs out with forecheck.

Prediction:
Boston-5
Toronto-3

Breaking News: Nieuwendyk Retires

Florida Panthers forward Joe Nieuwendyk has announced his retirement due to chronic back problems. "I have the reached the stage where structurally my back isn't going to get any better. It's not the way I intended it, but I have to be realistic as well, " Nieuwendyk said.

Matt's take: It is sad to see a player like Nieuwendyk leave the game due to injury. He was such a dynamic player and was instrumental in the Dallas Stars cup run in '99. Best of luck Joe.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tomorrow night's game with the Maple Leafs should be a real test. They currently have 31 points, 3 more than the Bruins. Although they have been struggling as of late, the Maple Leafs are a good team. Look for them to come out with an extra jump in their stride as they look to break out of their slump. In practice today Darcy Tucker was going after his own teammates, as he slammed Carlo Colaiacovo into the boards and threw a temper tantrum. The practice lines for the Maple Leafs looked like this:

Tucker-Sundin-O'Neill
Ponikarovsky-Wellwood-Antropov
Stajan-Peca-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Battaglia

Kaberle-McCabe
Belak-Kubina
Gill-White

Antropov injured his ankle at practice and will not make the trip with the team to Boston. He is questionable for tomorrow's game and could rejoin them in Boston if he is cleared medically. Look for Colaiacovo to possibly get into the lineup for either Belak or White. White, Hal Gill's primary defense partner took two bad delay of game penalties against the Atlanta Thrashers in a 5-2 lose, and is said to be in the doghouse with coach Paul Maurice. One of the penalties resulted in a goal for the Thrashers, which eventually sparked a comeback as they scored 5 unanswered goals in the 3rd period. Gill himself, took 3 minor penalties, two hooking and one cross-checking, to no suprise of any Bruins fan.

Injury Updates

P.J. Axelsson is still wearing a boot on his left foot. He will not be in the lineup for Thursday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Look for Axelsson to miss Saturday night's game against New Jersey as well. He was scheduled for an MRI earlier yesterday, with the results not being available until sometime today. As for defenseman Paul Mara, he skated with the team during the morning workout. Mara has been sidelined the past 10 days with a bruised thigh. His status for Thursday's game is probable. The Bruins sent Jeff Hoggan to Providence yesterday, meaning they are short a forward because Axelsson cannot go. Look for them to call up someone tonight, or they could skate 7 defensemen, if Mara is healthy enough to play. If they did recall someone, it will probably be Nate Thompson or Ben Walter, but I would like them to give David Krejci or Kris Versteeg a chance, who are the two leading scorers on the Baby B's.

Hoggan sent down

Jeff Hoggan was sent back to Providence. He played well for the one game he was up for. He created opportunities and played hard on each shift. Hoggan skated on a line with Kessel and Chistov during Monday's win over Montreal. He played a total of 8:21 and recorded one shot on goal. I would rather see him on the 4th line instead of Primeau because he will throw his body around a little bit, where Primeau shys away from body contract. With Hoggan you also get an enforcer type, who will actually drop the gloves on occassion, something I think this team really needs. Hoggans demotion also means that P.J. Axelsson could be ready to go for Thursday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stuart Star of the Night

The NHL has names Brad Stuart the number one star of the night. Congradulations Brad!

NHL's Biggest Steal's: Justin Williams

Drafted in 2000 by Philadelphia and traded for D Danny Markov in 2004; Justin Williams is my choice for the NHL's Biggest Steal's. Known for his speed,gritz and hard work; Williams is turning into a scoring threat for the Carolina Hurricanes and played an important role in their 2005 Stanley Cup run. Williams started his offensive career slowly adding only 25, 40 and 24 points in his first 3 seasons. He start to emerge in 2004,when he was traded, and had a 64 points season. The lockout could have kill his momentum but au contraire ! Williams become a very dangerous forward in 2005 with a 76 points performance ( 31 goals and 45 assists) and seems to keep the same pace, this year, as he manage to produce 27 points in 28 games. Apart his scoring touch, Williams is a very good " all around " player who can play in many situations without harming his team. The Carolina Hurricanes manage to land an important player to their team without giving a lot in return. A pure steal !

Matt Lashoff

Matt Lashoff scored two goals for the Providence Bruins in Sunday's shootout lose to Albany. In only 14 games this season for the Baby B's, Lashoff has 4 goals and 4 assists to go along with 14 penalty minutes. He has seen regular time on both the powerplay and penalty kill. After last night, watching York run around in his own end on multiple occasions, I would not mind seeing Lashoff given another shot.

Kessel Not Available for Team USA

Phil Kessel will not be playing in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. The Bruins said they will not allow Kessel to play. Kessel was the top scorer in the 2006 WJHC, where he collected 11 points. Team USA lost to Finland in the Bronze metal game (4-1). Brad Marchand, this year's 3rd round selection(#71 overall), will compete for a spot on team Canada. Marchand, a forward, currently plays in the QMJHL. There are 38 players on the roster, 22 forwards,12 defensemen, and 4 goalies. For Marchand to make the team, he will have to beat out atleast 10 other forwards.

NHL's Biggest Steal's: Dwayne Roloson

Oilers acquired goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a first round pick and a conditional 3rd round draft pick. At first you look at this trade and think it's even. You may think the Oilers over-paid for Roloson giving up a first rounder and a 3rd rounder. The Oilers front office knew the Wild were going to get nothing at the end of the year (due to Roloson being a UFA). Everyone knew Roloson would be the big goalie on the market in the summer. The Oilers rolled the dice giving up those picks for a UFA (end of the year). The Oilers go on a roll and lose in the Cup finals only because Roloson gets hurt. Then the Oilers end up giving Roloson a long term deal. Roloson is a All-Star goalie and one of the top 10 in the league. The NHL you win Cups with goaltending and the Oilers know that. A first rounder and a 3rd rounder who you never know if there going to pan out. The Oilers got a steal and signed Rolly long term. Great move by the Oil.

What a Game: Montreal

Boston-6
Montreal-5

Talk about sitting on the edge of your seat. This one was action packed from the time the puck dropped. Brad Stuart played an excellent game, scoring twice in the 3rd. His offensive play has seemed to pick up of late and has been great in the defensive end. Wayne Primeau, hate to admit it, played an outstanding game, scoring a short handed goal, and probably should have been credited for the game winner scored by Stuart. Shean Donovan is riding the hot streak with another goal, I told you he is very streaky. Marc Savard should be in the NBA, he got about 2 feet of air jumping to dodge a shot at the blueline which resulted in a goal by Stuart, Savard also had 3 assists. Glen Murray had an excellent goal which he banked off Huet. Overall, it was a gritty hard nosed game. The defense was off tonight no doubt though.

Tim Thomas, once again, played phenonminal. At times, the Habs were just unloading shots at him left and right. He did give up 5 goals, but only 1 was a bad goal. Last night was great, it seems like the mistakes the Bruins did, the Habs did, got to feel what it was like to be on the other end. Good revenge after the Habs won with 3.4 seconds left in the game last time.

3 stars:
1. Brad Stuart
2. Marc Savard
3. Sheldon Souray
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Wayne Primeau

Scorers:

Boston:
Glen Murray (14) from Tenkrat (2) and Savard (23)
Marco Sturm (5) from Boyes (12) and Kessel (4)
Shean Donovan (3) from Savard (24)
Wayne Primeau (4) from B Stuart (5)
Brad Stuart (3) from Savard (25)
Brad Stuart (4) from Donovan (3) and York (3)

Montreal:
Guillaume Latendresse (5) from Koivu (16) and Ryder (9)
Michael Ryder (7) from Souray (10) and Streit (8)
Mike Johnson (6) from Perezhogin (6) and Rivet (4)
Alexander Perezhogin (5) from Komisarek (4)
Sheldon Souray (10) from Kovalev (12)

Cap to Increase Next Season

Good news Bruins fans! Due to increased revenue, largely in part of part of increased ticket sales, it's believed the salary cap will jump from this season's $44 million to between $46 million and $47.5 million next season.

This means that the Bruins have a much better chance of resigning Brad Stuart and signing a top 6 winger.

Bruins Need Help Defensively

Tonight's victory over the Canadiens show that the Bruins really need some defensive help. Chara and Stuart are usually pretty consistent, but after that the defense is lacking another shutdown defenseman. Alberts has his moments when he plays well, but then he gets out of position a lot. York is just awful, he is very slow, not physical, too small and just plays his man completely wrong on almost every occasion. He looks lost many times, especially when he is handling the puck. He has absolutely no shot either. Mark Stuart is not built for the "new nhl", he does not skate well enough or hit anyone. He's often out of position and with more ice time, more penalties will come. His lower hand is always coming off his stick and when refs see that it is almost always a holding call. Jurcina has the greatest upside of the defensemen. Last year he played well but this year he too looks very lost out there. He makes bad clears and does not use his big body to his advantage. If he would learn to hit someone, he would be a much better defenseman. As for Mara, once he returns look for him to get the minutes York is currently recieving. Mara is slightly better than the rest of the bunch but not by much. He is slow, not great in his own end, and takes bad penalties. I think the Bruins need to address this problem first if they are trying to go anywhere. They need to trade someone for a good defensive defenseman. I don't know who is available but this is where the Bruins must start.

Hoggan Recalled from Providence

P.J. Axelsson will be unavailable for tonight's game. Therefore, Jeff Hoggan was recalled from the Providence Bruins. He will probably skate on a line with Kessel and Chistov, with Petr Tenkrat being moved back up to the top line with Savard and Murray. He will probably only get around 5 minutes of ice-time, if that, but look for him to throw his weight around alittle bit. He adds toughness to a lineup which really lacks it. Hopefully he drops the gloves and gives his team a spark.

New Writer

Hey, my name is Joe Murphy. I am new to the site. I will be writing on occasion about anything that has to do with the NHL. I will post comments about rumors, players, coaches, strategies and whatever else comes to mind.

NHL's Biggest Steals: Chris Pronger

Me, Walshie, and Latrappe are going to be starting a new piece together called NHL's biggest steals. We are going to pick what we think were the biggest steals, UFA or trade wise, over the past two seasons. Hope you enjoy.

Edmonton Oilers acquiring Chris Pronger for Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch. Then signing him to a 5 yr/31.25 million dollar deal. At the time, it was big money to shell out 6.25 million a season. The Oilers got a great deal in this one. Brewer was nothing better than a number 3, maybe number 2 defenseman, the equivalent to Nick Boynton before he went to Phoenix. Woywitka and Lynch were prospects, but have yet to show anything in the NHL. Pronger ended up leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to Carolina. Pronger was later traded to Anaheim following the season after requesting a trade.

Defenseman with similar contracts.
-Nicklas Lidstrom (7,600,000)
-Zdeno Chara (7,500,000)
-Scott Niedermayer (6,750,000)
-Ed Jovanovski (6,500,000)
-Wade Redden (6,500,000)
-Rob Blake (6,000,000)
-Bryan McCabe (5,750,000)
-Pavel Kubina (5,000,000)
-Sergei Gonchar (5,000,000)

So, Pronger gets paid less than Jovanovski and Redden, and Pronger is clearly better. He gets paid 250,000 more than veteren Rob Blake. Would you rather take Kubina at 5 or Pronger at 6.25? When looking into the context of high priced defenseman, Pronger no doubt is a bargain. If he were to hit the open market today, he could land upwards of 7.5 million.

LeClair Goes Unclaimed

The Pittsburgh Penguins LW, John LeClair, who had been put through re-entry waivers, went unclaimed today. Not even the struggling Flyers picked him up. He would have been on the hook for 900,000 for the team who claimed him.

Bondra to Boston (br1.5)

From HockeyBuzz,

"According to several sources this morning, there are four teams that could be signing Peter Bondra as early as today or within the next few days Toronto (e3), Chicago (e3), the Islanders (e3), and Boston (e1)."

In 2005-2006, Bondra had 21 goals and 19 assists in only 60 games of action. Bondra is 2 goals away from 500, with 498, 380 assists and 878 career points. Not to shabby.

Matt's Take: I wouldn't mind it. Bondra still is a good player and I have always been a fan of his. He would be a great LW with Savard and Murray. As you see I don't know how much we are interested, but I would love to see him come here.

Montreal: 12/4/06

First off, Versus is going to suck. I hate watching the games on their station, it is earbleeding. Anyways, this is going to be the toughest game in a while. The Bruins are playing their rival in their home. This is not going to be an easy game in any way. The Bruins just came off a brutal loss to the 'Canes.

Keys to winning:
-Shut up those damn Habs fans.
-Don't let the Canadiens score first.
-Don't let Souray handle the puck at the blueline.
-Make Huet work.

Prediction:
Boston-2
Montreal-4

Just don't see it happening tomorrow night.

LeClair on Re-Entry Waivers

The Penguins have placed winger John LeClair on re-entry waivers. Teams have until noon Monday to claim him. It looks like the Flyers are the most likely to land the former 50 goal scorer.

Top 10 Best/Worst Moves by MOC

Everyone remember old pal Mike O'Connell, often known to screw Bruins fans over? Now with the LA Kings organization, I wanted to give tribue to our fellow friend.

Top 10 Best Moves by MOC and co.

1. Trading Jason Allison and Mikko Eloranta for Jozef Stumpel, Glen Murray. Allison went on to being overpaid and injured. He never lived up to expectations and was a complete disaster in LA. Eloranta never amounted to anything except a 3rd-4th liner in LA. In Boston, Murray became a potent goal scorer and he is still on the team and is still a great goal scorer. Stumpel, the other ex-Bruin coming back in the deal was a solid 2nd-3rd line center. He only was here for a season before being dealt back to LA. He did have come good chemistry between Murray and Samsonov though.

2. Trading Anson Carter for Bill Guerin. Talk about lopsided. The Oiler got snubbed in this deal. Carter was still a good player, but nowhere near the talent of Guerin. Guerin quickly became a fan favorite and developed into a 40 goal scorer, not that he wasn't before. Carter ended up getting traded to the Rangers and fading away for a few years until resurfacing in Vancouver.

3. Acquiring Brad Boyes in exchange for Jeff Jillson. Jillson has not become much in his NHL career and likely won't amount to anything better than a 5th defenseman. Boyes on the other hand, once a promising prospect in Toronto and San Jose, has become a great player and will continue to develop. Boyes, in his 2nd season, was considered to be in the running for ROY and if it weren't for Ovechkin, Crosby and Phaneuf, would have likely won it. Brad Boyes, Brad Boyes, watcha gonna do when he scores on you?

4. Trading Rob DiMaio for Mike Knuble. DiMaio, now with the Lightning, is nothing but a 4th liner. He was nothing special in Boston, a 15-15-30 guy most of his career. Knuble was also nothing special in New York with the Rangers, but became a dynamic player for years in Boston. Him, Thornton and Murray became the 600 lb. line and could shut down almost any team. A complete steal looking back.

5. Letting Byron Dafoe walk. Not necessarily a move, but good thing it happened. Dafoe was a great goalie with the Bruins, but sucked in the playoffs. He wanted around 4 million or so per season with the Bruins, and they wouldn't bite. They let him walk and he ended up signing with Atlanta. He has never resurfaced as a starter. He is currently playing in Europe. The Bruins lack of a spending appetite finally came in hand.

6. Walking away from Dimirti Kristich. At the time, bad idea. He had just come off a solid season, despite not performing well in the playoffs. He wanted way to much money for the Bruins at the time. He went on to sign the the Maple Leafs and never rebounded. He became nothing and ended up playing in Russia for Evgeni Malkin's former club, Magnitogorsk Metallurg.

7. Trading Shoane Morrisonn, 2004 1st and 2nd round pick, and a 2006 second round pick for Sergei Gonchar and Michael Nylander. Now, you may think this is a bad trade, but Morrissonn was the only part that was hard to let go. He has been a farily good defenseman in Washington, and makes little money. Gonchar and Nylander left after the season, but if the team hadn't blown a 3-1 series lead el habitants, they would have been more valuable. This bolstered the offense and defense. The Capitals wasted the draft picks they acquired and all their choices so far have been busts.

8. Trading Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk for Samuel Pahlsson, Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, and a 1st round pick in the 2000 or 2001 draft. First off, Bourque ended up winning the cup the next season in Colorado, which is one reason why this was such a great move. Andreychuk left after the season in Colorado and ended up resigning in Buffalo before going to Tampa Bay to win a cup. Rolston, became a dynamic forward and is still playing well in Minnesota. Rolston set the team record for most short-handed goals by a Bruin in one season.

9. Trading Dave Scatchard for David Tanabe. Not a great trade talent wise, but cap wise. The Bruins signed Scatchard to a 4 year deal worth 8.8 million. Scatchard wasn't great in the 20 games he was here, but wasn't bad. Atleast we got out under his contract and got Tanabe for 1 year, 900,00.

10. Signing Tim Thomas from Europe. At the time, nothing special, not expected to play. Well, he ended up becoming the Bruins number 1 goalie for 2005 and now 2006. We have to remember that MOC was the guy who made this happen.

Now for the worst...

1. Trading Joe Thornton for Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm. Well well, I had to bring it up. Thornton was under contract for 2 more years at 6.6 million. He was only 26 years old and was entering his prime. He was the captain and a fan favorite. Now, this deal came out nowhere. We all thought a minor move or two was going to be made, but not a franchise altering one. The thing is, we could have gotten Dany Heatley from Atlanta before the season. Anyways, Thornton ended up winning the MVP and won the scoring title with 126 points. Sturm was a 30 goal scorer and teamed well with Bergeron and Boyes. Stuart has been a good defenseman, but no Bourque. Primeau has been an average 3rd line center. The Bruins main fault in this deal was not acquiring Patrick Marleau. If they were to trade Joe, they needed a franchise guy in return which they failed to get. It looks like Sturm and Primeau are sure to be gone after the season, and the Bruins will try to resign Stuart, but he will likely get crazy money elsewhere unless we resign him before he hits the market.

2. Signing Alexei Zhamnov to a 3yr/12.4 million dollar deal. This was MOC's worst offseason. He missed out on Modano, Forseberg and others and ended up signing Zhamnov. He played in only 10 games and scored 1 goal. He broke his ankle and retired this offseason.

3. Trading Robert Lang. He was a prospect at the time, but became a 100 point man in Pittsburgh, Washington and Detroit. He would have been great on the team and was key on the team he played for. We will never known what it would have been like to have him here in Boston.

4. Signing Martin Lapointe to a 4yr/20 million dollar deal. This is after he left Guerin go for 2 million more. This was more a JJ move to piss over Detroit's owner. Lapointe was coming off a 20 goal season, but never lived up to his 5 million a season salary. The only thing he brought to the team was some grit.

5. Trading Sergei Samsonov for Edmonton for Yan Stasnty and a 2nd round pick. Why are we trading Sammy again? We got a player we had in the beginning of the season and a cheesy draft pick. Samsonov went on to be a solid player the remaining of the season for Edmonton. He then signed with the Habs and has sucked majorily while being there; he has recently demanded a trade request.

6. Letting Brian Rolston go. Talk about a bargain, he is only making 2.8 million or so and is putting up outstanding numbers. He was a great player in Boston and to let him go was a shame.

7. Letting Mike Knuble go. See Rolston. He is still a 30 goal scorer in Philadelphia and recently resigned with the team on a new 2 year extension, at cheap money.

8. Drafting Lars Jonsson. With the the 7th overall pick, a complete bust. With guys like Boyes, and Justin Williams picked after him. Maybe it was the luck that DiPietro, Heatley, Gaborik, Hartnall and Torres were taking right before him. Jonsson never played a game in a Bruins uni and is now with the Philadelphia Flyers.

9. Signing Shawn McEachern to a 2yr/2.1 million dollar deal. He was supposed to be this speedy winger made for the new NHL. He sucked. He was demoted to Providence and was boughtout this offseason by the Bruins. All he is now is dead cap space, taking up 1.050 in cap space. Another MOC blunder.

10. The Entire '06 offseason. He messed up. He had 37 million dollars in cap space and signed a team of stiffs. No Forsberg, Modano, Satan, Naslund or anyone we thought we would get. YAY, Brian Leetch! Wait, no he was a disaster also, not to the extreme of some others.