Today's Practice

- Chuck Kobasew and Glen Murray skated today.Marc Savard was given the day off. Here were the line combinations:

Axelsson-Kessel-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Chistov-Tenkrat-Bochenski

Should be interesting to see what Lewis does with his lines. Should Bochenski be on the 4th line? NO. The Bruins also have 7 defensemen. Whos the odd man out? York, Wideman, or Allen? My guess is Wideman cuz Lewis is a friggen moron. We just acquired this kid and I bet Lewis doesn't even play him, or if he does he'll log less ice time than York. I hope York is on his way out the door, but knowing how this team is run it will be Allen(who has played great with Chara).

07-08 Cap Figuere

Thought now we have a set roster ahead, a look at what the Bruins cap will look like next year to see what money we can spend. Cap is 48 million.

Zdeno Chara--------7,500,000
Marc Savard--------5,000,000
Patrice Bergeron---4,750,000
Glen Murray--------4,150,000
Marco Sturm--------3,500,000
Aaron Ward---------2,750,000
Phil Kessel--------2,200,000
PJ Axelsson--------1,850,000
Andrew Ference-----1,400,000
Chuck Kobasew------1,200,000
Tim Thomas---------1,100,000
Shean Donovan--------925,000
Stanislav Chistov----800,000
Andrew Alberts-------661,000
Brandon Bochenski----500,000
Matt Lashoff---------500,000
Dennis Wideman-------473,000
Mark Mowers----------463,000
Travis Green---------208,000

Total:------------39,930,000
Cap Space--------- 8,070,000

Lines

UFA-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew
Axelsson-Kessel-Bochenski
Chistov-Mowers-Donovan
UFA

Chara-Ward
Ference-Alberts
Wideman-UFA
Lashoff/Stuart

Thomas
UFA

The Bruins need a top forward, backup goalie, 7th defenseman and spare forward.

Early Predictions*
*Be nice, I am just guessing for now.

Goaltender
Martin Biron 1yr/1.3 million

Top Forward
Paul Kariya 3yr/14 million or
Brendan Shanahan, 1yr/4.3 million

Spare Forward
Bates Battaglia 1yr/500,000

Defenseman
Chris Phillips 4yr/14 million

My Deadline Take

Paul Mara to NYR for Aaron Ward.

I am not sure what to think of this one. Yeah I am glad Mara is gone, underperformer here, but then again we aren't saving much money. Ward makes 2.75 for this and next, while Mara makes 3. 250k difference. Ward is 34, and aging, Mara is prime age at 27. Mara has more upside, but Ward is much better defensively and did well in Carolina. A wash trade.

Brad Boyes to STL for Dennis Wideman.

Stop. I know it's hard to say we got a good deal. I think we got a good talent, but not fair value. Wideman has 22 points as a d-man is only 23. Boyes had 34 points and is still young. Boyes is a 80 point man, which is hard to let go, especially at 1.5 million. I don't know why he got traded now that he is heating up, but we do have a surplus of offense and this does open up some cap space. St. Louis got the better of this deal, but I see what Chiarelli is doing. He wants to start with a solid blueline and then go into free agency not having to overspend for mediocre talent and buy some offense with the money.

Overall, I weird deadline day for Bruins fans.

Trade Deadline Chat

Going in now...

Boyes to St. Louis

Brad Boyes to St. Louis for Dennis Wideman.

Now Official. www.stlouisblues.com

Mara to Rangers

Thank God. He's gone. Aaron Ward in return. Big pluses here. Look at the playoff experience. Nice deal.

Deadline Deals

PAUL MARA AND BRAD BOYES TRADED
Paul Mara was traded to the N.Y. Rangers in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward.
Brad Boyes was traded to the Blues for defenseman Dennis Wideman.

- Gary Roberts lifted his no-trade clause and has accepted a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In return, Florida gets Noah Welch, out of Brighton, who attended St. Sebastian's high school and Harvard.

- Marty Biron has been traded from Buffalo to Philadephia for a first round draft pick. The draft pick was originally acquired from Nashville for Peter Forsberg.

- Ty Conklin goes from Columbus to Buffalo for a draft pick.

- Georges Laraque waived him no-trade clause and goes to Pittsburgh for Daniel Carcillo and an 8th round pick.

- Bill Guerin has been acquired by San Jose. In return the Blues get New Jersey's first round pick, Ville Niemienem, and John Barrribal.

- Minnesota acquired Dominic Moore from Pittsburgh for a 3rd round draft pick.

- Oleg Saprykin was traded along with a lower draft pick from Phoenix to Ottawa for a 2nd round draft pick.

- Anaheim acquired Brad May from Colorado for Michael Wall.

- Detroit acquired Todd Bertuzzi from the Panthers for a conditional draft pick and a prospect.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs re-acquired Yanic Perreault and a 5th round draft pick from the Phoenix Coyotes for defenceman Brendan Bell and a second round draft pick.

- Dainius Zubrus and Timo Helbling were traded from Washington to Buffalo for Jiri Novotny and a first round draft pick.

- The Dallas Stars have acquired Mattias Norstrom from the L.A. Kings. Details to come.

- The Oilers trade Ryan Smyth to the N.Y. Islanders for Ryan Omarra, Robert Nilsson, and a first round draft pick.

Today's Trades

- The Vancouver Canucks have acquired Brent Sopel from the L.A. Kings today for a 2nd and 4th round draft picks in this draft. They also acquired Brian Smolinski from Chicago for a conditional 2nd round draft pick.
- The Blackhawks sent a 3rd round pick and defenseman Lasse Kukkonen to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Kyle Calder. Chicago then moved Calder to the Red Wings in return for forward Jason Williams.
- Richard Zednik was traded to the N.Y. Islanders for a 2nd round draft pick.
- The Panthers have a trade in place for Gary Roberts, he just has to void his no trade clause.

Look for a Move Tomorrow

As most of us know, Peter Chiarelli had a meeting with the players today and with coach Dave Lewis. Many people thought a trade was going to be announced, but it wasn't. What happenend was that Chiarelli upfront said do you think we can make it? The answer, yes. These players live and die hockey, they aren't going tp give up. What Chiarelli does now is not trade guys like Muzzy or Boyes, but gets a defenseman or winger to help the team. If they can just get in the playoffs, they will have a good chance.

Savard Wins a Star

Marc Savard was named one of the 3 stars this week by the NHL. Congrats!

Atlanta: 2/26/07

An exciting game tonight. The debut of Zhitnik and Tkachuk for the Thrashers. Add that to Hossa and Kovalchuk, scary. The Bruins need to bounce back after a tough loss to the Panthers, but they did win 4 out of 6 on the road trip.

Keys to winning:
-Shut down Kovalchuk and Tkachuk.
-Hossa, always makes a big play vs. us.
-Show them what we got.

Prediction:
Boston-5
Atlanta-4

Anaheim

Is it just me, or does every major deadline player seem to be "rumoured to Anaheim,"? Maybe I am off on this, but what does Anaheim have to offer that other teams don't? Their prospects are nothing great, with the exception of Getzlaf. Just because they are a contender doesn't mean that they should be rumoured to them.

Waiver Wire

Some names popping up on the waiver wire...

Michael Leighton - Flyers
Denis Hamel - Thrashers
Jason Krog - Rangers
Niko Kapanen - Thrashers
Marc Chouinard - Canucks
Aaron Downey - Canadiens
Brian Boucher - Blackhawks
Bryan Berard - Blue Jackets
Petr Cajanek - Blues

Matt's take: Berard suprised me, as I think there is a good chance he gets claimed, but many teams were after him.

Notes from Monday

- Phil Kessel, skated this morning and will play tonight against Atlanta. Kessel, hurt his knee when he caught his skate in a rut on the ice.

- Shean Donovan will play tonight as well. He took a puck off the ankle on Friday against Tampa, causing him to miss Saturday's game because he ankle was so swollen.

- Andrew Alberts , who missed the last three games with an injured hamstring will play tonight.

- Patrice Bergeron, who has missed the last 5 games with a lower body injury, will play without restrictions tonight. He was closely monitored by Dave Lewis on Saturday

- Chuck Kobasew skated with the team this morning, but is not clear for contact yet. He is probably a week away from returning to action.
- Petr Tenkrat did not skate today and will be out of tonight's game. He twisted his ankle in the game on Friday night against the Lightning.

- Earlier today on WEEI, Dale Arnold stated that he thought Glen Murray would be traded before tomorrow's deadline. Murray has missed the past few games with a groin injury and is currently on the IR, which means he will not able to return to action for 7 days (since Saturday).

Sturm contract: A gift from Joe

Well, they finally did it. After trading Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau; the B's successfully retain one of the 3 players who was involved in the JT trade. Do this 4/14 millions contract is a good or bad deal? Do it was an hockey move or maybe there's something more then the classic: We needed a goal scorer...

Hockey wise, it makes sense to keep a 20 goals scorer in your backward. Sturm have experience and can be a very positive asset through the years for the B's. But, do a 3.5 per contract for a 20 goals scorer is too much? We all knew that the B's would overpay a bit to retain Sturm but i think the B's overpaid between 500-750k for him. For me there's no question that, at 3.5, Sturm evaluated the risk to go on the market with the kind of season he have. He's been good lately but he didn't have the kind of season who can make you " cash " on the market. When you look at the situation with that angle, the Sturm signing make sense for him. Like a poster said ( Credit to Eddy, here )," how many goal scorer will get 3.5 per? I guess it will be zero. " It might be the case. Tucker just signed a 3 per/4 years contract with the Leafs... Sturm at 3.5 or Tucker at 3???

The Sturm signing can also be viewed as a consequence of the JT trade. With Stuart and Primeau gone, the B's had to do something to avoid the " empty handed " scenario. In this case, you can feel the influence of JJ. Jacobs probably called PC and said something like: We ( I ) made a mistake but i have to save my ego; do something and re-sign Sturm... at any costs??? The fact is that Sturm should take the phone, call JT and thanks him for his new contract. More then anything else, the fear to end with nothing for the JT trade is , probably, the biggest factor in this signing. Do the B's would have paid 3.5 for a 20 goals scorer if they were in another scenario... I doubt about it.

The Sturm signing can also be seen as a lack in the B's system. This team do not produce enough young talents and do not evaluate them properly in order to protect themself against a " do or die " signing . For years, the B's choose the rebuild and chase the playoffs at the same time. It might work or not but this kind of hybrid startegy have his cost. This cost might be some overpaid contracts to veterans who can fill a pressing need.

There's no definitve answer regarding the Sturm contract. We know that the guy have skills, speed and the right attitude. Do he will become more then he is? Do he will be more consistent? Do Sturm will be a big part of the B's success in the future? The answers of those questions might answer the big question: Do the Sturm signing was worthed???

Look to see Giguere's Name this Offseason

With Sturm settled, we can expect almost the same bunch of fowards next offseason.

Kessel-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew
Axelsson-Boyes-Bochenski
Chistov-Mowers-Donovan
Reich

Chara-Lashoff
Ference-Alberts
Stuart-Mara
*UFA

The same core of the team. The Bruins have enough cap room, with the cap increase to 48 million, to make one major play in the market. JS Giguere name will be the main one. He has been one of the top goaltenders in the market, and his starting asking price will be north of 4.6 million.

Many people are telling me that the Bruins will make a major pitch to him, depending on the devlopment of Rask and other variables.

Toivonen to be Dealt (br3)

With the recent demotion of Hannu Toivonen and Mark Stuart, there are rumors swirling of the trading of Hannu. Sources are telling me that Hannu could be dealt for a young defenseman or a top prospect.

Chiarelli is meeting with Hannu to discuss his future with the team.

More on Sturm Signing

Sorry for the delay, getting back to schedule. My take on the Sturm signing.

4 years/14 million. 3.5 per. A great signing. Sturm, even though having a "slight off year" is still going to score almost 30 goals, and he is a proven player in the Bruins system. An issue with going out and finding another winger is that they may not fit into the system and then not play to expectations. Sturm was going to get around 4 in the open market, and he is in his prime right now. Sturm may have taken a small discount. He is not overpaid which many people think. In an era where Keith Tkachuk costs you 2 first rounders, I would rather overspend 250k. The longevity of the deal is also good, if Sturm can turn into a 35+ goal scorer, they get a real bargain.

Chiarelli seems to have a plan in mind for the future with these long term deals. Guys like Bergy, Savard, Kessel, Chara, Ference, the young guns, and now Sturm are here for the long haul. The key is to have the same nucleus of a team for a long time. See Buffalo, Detroit, and Colorado. The longer you have the same team the better, they get used to playing with eachother and will perform better. A main overlooked reason why the Bruins haven't faired so well is the overturn of the roster every season. They haven't had much of the same team from season to season. The Bruins will be contenders next year, and definately in '09.

Note: Since Sturm signed after January 1st, his cap hit of 3.5 per will not count this season, and will take effect in the 2007-08 season.

Rask Could Re-Enter Draft

If the Bruins do not sign goaltending phenom Tuukka Rask to a deal before June 1st, he will be eligable to re-enter the draft. Rask was acquired from the Maple Leafs last draft day for Andrew Raycroft.

News from Sunday

- After coming in to start the 2nd period of last nights game and allowing 4 goals, Hannu Toivonen was assigned to Providence today. Hopefully this is just a move to get the 22 year old goaltender some more action and confidence.

- The move means Joey MacDonald will be Thomas' new backup. MacDonald was claimed off waivers yesterday from the Red Wings.

- More "lower body injuries" for the Bruins. Phil Kessel left the game in the third period and Shean Donovan was a late scratch as both were suffering from lower-body injuries. Donovan apparently hurt himself the previous night in Tampa. Patrice Bergeron also suffering from a lower body injury finally suited up last night. Glen Murray has been put on IR, which means he will miss atleast the next 7 days.

- Mark Stuart was also assigned to Providence, which means Andrew Alberts has recovered from his lower-body injury.

Tkachuk traded to Atlanta

Keith Tkachuk was traded to Atlanta today for Glen Metropolit, a 1st and a 3nd round draft pick in the 2007 draft, and a 2nd round draft pick in the 2008 draft. St. Louis also will receive a 1st round draft pick if Tkachuk resigns with Atlanta in the offseason. Pretty steep price to pay for Atlanta, but they do get a veteran power forward with playoff experience and leadership.

Carter #77

I am stuck at work but I am watching the Atlanta/ Carolina game and Anson Carter is wearing # 77. I was kind of shocked when I saw this. What do all of you think of him wearing # 77? It seems like the only two people to wear that number are hall of famers Paul Coffey and of course Ray Bourque. This number to me is very similar to the # 99 in hockey no one has worn it since the great one.

Possible moves

ESPN's Barry Melrose has reported fromer Bruin Bill Guerin is very close to being dealt to the NY Islanders.

I am hearing from several sources tough guy Georges Laraque could be heading to Pittsburgh to give the Penguins some muscle and pertection of their young stars. I am also hearing Seabrook or Aaron Miller could also be heading to Pittsburgh, to help out the very young d. Colby Armstrong is the likely guy to be heading out of Pittsburgh. Penguins GM is also eying Brad Boyes.

Todd Bertuzzi will not play before the trade deadline which could make him impossible to move. Bertuzzi who has only played in 7 games for the Pathers will be extermly hard to move not playing since Novermber espcially with the contract he holds.

Low level deal

Ducks trade young tough guy defenceman Shane O'Brien and a third-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Gerald Coleman and a first-round pick.
Coleman has played just 2 games in the NHL in 43 mins he has given up 2 goals and has 1 tie to his record. He has spent most of his time the the ECHL this season with the Johnstown Cheifs in 17 games he is 7-9 with a 3.41 GAA and .902 save percentage. O'Brien has played in 62 with 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points and 140 PIMS. O'Brien brings some toughness to the Lightning lineup and also gives them some depth in the blueline.

Look for the Ducks to try and deal for Rob Blake or hard shooting Sheldon Souray. Souray wants to be moved to the West coast where he will be closer to his family in California.


Source: TFP and hockeydb.com

Updated Standings

The N.Y. Islanders beat the Montreal Canadiens today putting them in 7th and the Canadiens in 8th. Both teams are tied with 70 points, 6 more than the Bruins. Here is a look at some teams in front of the Bruins and the number of games remaining:

Pittsburgh-75 points - 22 games remaining
Ottawa-74 points - 21 games remaining
Atlanta-72 points - 19 games remaining
N.Y. Islanders -70 points - 20 games remaining
Montreal-70 points - 18 games remaining
Carolina-69 points - 19 games remaining
Toronto-67 points - 21 games remaining
N.Y Rangers-64 points - 21 games remaining

The Bruins have 64 points and also have 22 games remaining including tonight's game against Florida.

Bruins Claim Macdonald

The Bruins claimed Joey Macdonald off waivers from the Red Wings. Macdonald, 27, is 1-5-1 on the season with a 3.46 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. Questionable move by Chiarelli since he does not really fit anywhere on this team or the Providence Bruins. He is also 27 years old and has not succeeded in his short career thus far. This season he has been Detroit's 3rd goalie all season. Last season in the AHL, he posted average numbers, 17-9-2 with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.

Notes from Saturday

- Petr Tenkrat injured his ankle in the 2nd period of last night's game. He will miss tonight's game.
- Patrice Bergeron is a game time decision, although it is likely he will suit up for the first time in 4 games.
- Glen Murray and Andrew Alberts will both miss tonight's game.
- Tim Thomas will start again in net.

Sturm Re-signed

Marco Sturm and the Bruins have reached a contract extension. It is a 4 year deal worth 3.5 million per season. Good that they finally got a new contract signed, but waiting off so long could have drove up Sturm's price who has been on fire lately.

Optional Practice

According to KPD 1/2 of the Bruins players participated in todays oppitonal skate. Some noteable players were Patrice Burgeron who warmed up last night but didn't dress. Look for Burgeron to play tonight. Andrew Alberts also skated. Glenn Murray did not skate. So my take is Burgeron will play, Alberts will play unless he gets off the ice earily and Murray will be out.

Carter Dealt to 'Canes

Anson Carter has been dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2008 5th round pick, seems the Hurricanes gain a seasoned veteren. Maybe the Bruins become buyers?

Back

Maybe I should go on vacation more often. Just got back from a nice vacation in the Caribbean. The Bruins are playing well and the playoffs seem to be in reach. I'll talk more, really tired from a day of travel.

Practice Notes

- Both Bergeron and Murray practice today wearing red jersey (non-contact). Murray only skated for 15 minutes, but Bergeron skated the whole practice. This means Bergeron is more likely to play tomorrow, although no decision has been made yet. Murray on the other hand is doubtful.

- Andrew Alberts missed practice and will be out for tomorrows game.
- Practice lines were the same for as the lines for the previous game.

Rumors from around the NHL

- Nothing more on the Marco Sturm situation, although it does look like he will remain a Bruin, extension or no extension.

- The San Jose Sharks are trying to acquire a top notch defenseman. They have their eyes on Sheldon Souray. If Souray falls through look for them to pursue Rob Blake.

- The St. Louis Blues could have a completely different team next season. Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin are their two most attractive pieces. Both have no trade clauses, but have drawn interest from many teams. Tkachuk has had interest from Atlanta, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Anaheim. Guerin, the former Bruin, has drawn interest from Toronto, Detroit, San Jose, Anaheim and Montreal.

- Another Blue, Eric Brewer, has drawn interest from almost any team seeking a defensman. However, it is unlikely he will get traded since St. Louis is trying hard to resign him to an extension

- Other Blues on the block are Manny Legace and Radek Dvorak. Legace could wind up in Montreal, since they are without Christobal Huet for the season. Montreal also has interest in Brian Boucher and Mathieu Garon of the Kings.

- The Tampa Bay Lightining have inquired about defensemen Brian Berard of the Blue Jackets and Brent Sopel of the Kings. Although Berard looks like he may be headed to Atlanta.

- Marty Lapointe may be heading back to his former team. No, not the Bruins, but the Red Wings. They are trying to boost their forward position. Lapointe had his greatest years in Detroit and could land their, if the Wings lose out on Guerin.

- The Carolina Hurricanes will make a move. They have plenty of cap space and are looking to add a veteran forward for their playoff run. Geoff Sanderson of the Flyers will probably land in Carolina. Look for them to move one of their defensemen.

Bruins close with Sturm?

Reports from Fluto Shinzawa, state that the Bruins are close to signing Marco Sturm to a 4 year contract. Fluto said that TSN had reported this. Nothing has been finalized yet, but the two sides have been talking. Sturm, since being a Bruin has 42 goals and 30 assists in 104 games. He would probably command a salary of 4 million annually. If the Bruins' can land him for 3-3.25 mil then its a very good deal for them. Anything more than that will hurt them next season in regards to the cap, as he saw the cap troubles they had this season. If a deal would be done, look for it to happen before the weekend, if not the Bruins' may be forced to trade him.

Bruins - Leafs Postgame

- Patrice Bergeron, Glen Murray, and Andrew Alberts all missed tonight's game with lower body injuries.
- Tim Thomas stole another game for the Bruins, who were outshot 44-21.
- Marc Savard and P.J. Axelsson had great games. They stepped up and were two of the leaders of the night. They sported the A's well.
- Jason York scored for the first time in over 3 years. York actually called before the game that he would score a goal tonight. Wow, what luck.
- Stanislav Chistov scored for the first time in 19 games.
- David Krejci, recalled today, played only 6 shifts for 3:12. It would be great to see what kind of skills this kid actually has. Probably will not come this season however, as he should return to Providence once Bergeron or Murray return.
- Andrew Ference is the obvious #2 defenseman on this team. He continues to get more ice time, which is well deserved. Tonight he played 26:32.
- After scoring two goals last night, Petr Tenkrat was limited to 9:45 of ice time.
- Another solid game from Bobby Allen, who compliments Chara very well.

Only 5 Points Out

Wow, what a turn around for this team. After beating the Maple Leafs, they are only 5 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. Carolina has taken over the 8th seed with 67 points, with the Maple Leaf lose. The role players have really been stepping up their game lately. Huge victory tonight for the Bruins', especially with Bergeron, Murray, and Alberts all missing from action. Now Peter Chiarelli, must decide what to do with this team very very soon, since the deadline is a week from today, the 27th.

Bruins - Leafs Pregame

- Patrice Bergeron and Glen Murray will both miss tonight's game. Also defenseman Andrew Alberts will not play, as he suffered a lower body injury
- According to the Providence Journal, David Krejci has been recalled from Providence.
- Mark Stuart will play for Andrew Alberts tonight.
- The Bruins are 4-3 against the Leafs this season.
- The Bruins are currently 6 points behind the 8th seeded Maple Leafs. If they want to make a move, then tonight's game is huge.
- It is expected that Thomas and Raycroft will be the starting goaltenders.
Here is the lineup for tonight, although it will probably be adjusted as the game progresses:

Axelsson-Savard-Boyes
Sturm-Kessel-Bochenski
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Tenkrat-Krejci-Chistov

Bruins - Flyers Post Game

- Overall a game the Bruins' should have had easily against the worst team in the league, but they made it interesting. A few sloppy goals, but a win is a win.
- Patrice Bergeron missed another game due to his lower body injury. He practiced again today and is hoping to return for tomorrow's game.
- Leading goal scorer, Glen Murray, left with a lower body injury and only played 10:32 all game.
- Bobby Allen another solid game paired with Zdeno Chara. These two work well together, much better than Paul Mara and Chara.
- Mara lost in his fight with Mike Richards.
- Petr Tenkrat has been impressive lately. Recently this guy gets some playing time and is contributing. Had a few clutch shootout goals and added two more even strength goals tonight.
- Marc Savard added a goal and 2 assists. He now has 76 points on the year. Good for 4th place overall, not including tonight's other games.
- Marco Sturm continues to score goals. He is going to get Chiarelli something big in return. If it be a first round draft pick or a top prospect, something better come in return.
- P.J. Axelstone got out of his scoring drought. It has been 15 games since he has scored a goal, despite playing on a line with the third leading assist scorer in the league. In the past 15 games he has 2 goals and 4 assists. Either move him off the top line or trade him.
- Brandon Bochenski scored his 5 goals in 7 games since becoming a Bruin.
- Strong game from Phil Kessel, who picked up two assists, the last assist came on a very nice drive to the net which Tenkrat later tipped in.

First time for everything

For the first time all season Jason York was a healthy scratch. York was scratched in favor of rookie defenseman Mark Stuart. Stuart, 22, recently called up last Thursday, played a decent game overall. He logged 9:02 of ice time.

This is a huge surpise. York is one of Lewis' 3 favorites ( behind Axelsson and Mowers). If someone was to be the healthy scratch I figured Bobby Allen or Paul Mara, but Lewis suprised everyone with this decision. Good job "coach". You're finally starting to make good decisions.

Post Game: Bruins - Sabres

Good win for the Bruins tonight. A win they desperately needed. Throughout the whole game an even matchup, with both teams dealing with injuries. In the first period the Bruins came out with emotion for the first time in a while. Nice fights from Jeremy Reich and Andrew Ference, even though Hecht was a pussy and dropped once his helmet came off. If you want to pick a fight then fight it out. Don't drop to the ice once your helmet sporting a visor comes off. Strong game from Bobby Allen as well, who looked great taking the place of Mara on the top pairing with Chara.

- Bruins struggled in the faceoff circle again with the absence of Patrice Bergeron. Phil Kessel went 0 for 10, Brad Boyes went 4 for 13 and P.J. Axelsson went 1 for 5. Savard and Mowers finished with 48 and 47 % respectively.
- Paul Mara, you are officially in the doghouse. Good call ( for once) Dave Lewis
- Again Bobby Allen, great game. Looked like a huge uprade defensively over Mara. Finished with a + 3.
- Despite his stupid penalties, Marc Savard was a star as usual.
- Shean Donovan played a good game, recording a goal and an assist, and also creating many other scoring opportunities.
- Petr Tenkrat continues to play strong, especially on the PK. Shows grit and plays with passion, despite lacking the greatest talent. Scored the game winning goal in the shootout, keep up the good work.

Pregame Bruins - Sabres

Patrice Bergeron will miss his second straight game. He did practice today, a sign that his "lower body injury" is improving. Mark Mowers, who missed practice with the flu, is probable for tonight. Timmy Thomas will be in net again. Here is the lineup for tonight:

Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Kessel-Bochenski
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Tenkrat-Boyes-Chistov

The Sabres have been struck with injuries for the past month. Maxim Afinogenov and Jiri Novotny both got injured last game and will be out for an extended period of time. Also lost forward Paul Gaustad (torn tendon in ankle) and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (broken left hand). Gaustad is done for the season and Spacek is expected to miss about a month.

This season the Bruins 1-5-0 against the Sabres. They have been outscored 29-14 in those games. Tonight will be a difficult game for the Bruins to win, but hopefully they come out with some emotion and motivation, unlike last game. Look for someone to drop the gloves tonight, especially since the Sabres were upset with Brad Boyes after his bout with Lydman last time the two teams met.

Post Game : Bruins-Islanders

The absence of Patrice Bergeron really hurt this team tonight. Not only in the way they play but also in the faceoff cirlce. They lost 35 out of 57 faceoffs. Brad Boyes only won 20% of his faceoffs and Mark Mowers only won 27%. Overall a very sloppy game, one in which this team desperately needed to win. They showed no passion or emotion once again. They got outshot 38-25 and got outplayed for the majority of the game, by a team that isn't so great themselves.

- Mark Mowers has taken over nicely for Primeau. He looks a lot better than "Big Preems" as the checking line center. Mowers has speed, has good hockey sense, blocks shots, and is good on the PK. A good fourth line/PK guy to have especially since he makes only 450,000. A much better option over Primeau. Give him 10 minutes MAX a night and he is very valuable to this team.
- Jason York continues to look very very bad. He took a bad penalty and just looks extremely slow out there. Mark Stuart got to watch first hand from the press box.
- An absolutely terrible play from P.J. Axelsson, resulting in the first goal on the game. He was behind the right side of Thomas' net, when he cleared the puck to the left wing boards. The only problem is, is that he is the left winger. Therefore no one was there and the Islander's winger picked up the puck with ease and got a shot on net, which was tipped by Tambellini, the man Axelsson was "covering" behind the net, when he beat him to the top of the crease.
- Phil Kessel had a strong game. He ended the game on a line with Axelsson and Bochenski, a combination I am not a big fan of.
- Stanislav Chistov and Petr Tenkrat got more ice time today. Tenkrat has looked good lately, although his overall offensive talent is not the greatest, he still plays very hard and is a good asset on the PK. Chistov had some nice plays tonight but also had some lazy plays as well.
- Thomas kept the Bruins' in the game until Robitaille's goal with about 3 minutes left.

Duds of the Game
1. P.J. Axelsson - Just not the player he use to be. Don't know what happened to him, but this extra ice time he gets really shows he isn't as great as everyone thinks.
2. Brad Boyes - Terrible in the faceoff circle. Could have stepped in nicely for Bergeron, but did not and looked invisible again.
3. Jason York - What needs to be said?

Stars of the Game
1. Tim Thomas - Did all he could to keep the Bruins in it again.
2. Brandon Bochenski - Looked good again, had some real good chances. Looks like he'll score his share of goals.
3. Glen Murray - Another PP goal. Didn't have the greatest of games, but always comes through with a goal to get the Bruins back in it.

Forsberg Traded

According to TSN, Peter Forsberg has been acquired by the Nashville Predators in exchange for Scott Upshall, Ryan Parent, a first round pick and a third round draft pick. Forsberg was skating during tonight's pregame warmups against Toronto, but was scratched from the lineup.

Bergeron Out

Patrice Bergeron will miss tonight's game with an undisclosed lower body injury. Glen Murray, who has been battling a groin strain, will play tonight. Not positive about the line combos, but Boyes will take Bergeron's place on his line. Also Mark Stuart will not play after getting recalled on Tuesday.

Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Boyes-Bochenski
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Chistov-Kessel-Tenkrat

Mara-Chara
Alberts-Ference
Allen-York

Gone For a Week

Quick heads up, I will be on vacation next week, leaving Saturday morning, and I won't be back until the following Friday. I am turning off comment moderation for that week. Hopefully you all can handle life with just Pekese, Latrappe, Walshie and Scotianuck without me :).

Fighting Making a Comeback?

After the call up of Jeremy Reich, I feel that the art of fighting is slowly, but surley, making a comeback in the new NHL. For the first 1 1/2 seasons, there has been a lack of fighting, which I know pissed many fans off. The days of PJ Stock seemed to be gone. Now, it seems almost every other game or every game, there has been a fight, not just by Reich, but others in the NHL. The refs seem to be letting the fighting go rather than break it up. This is one of the more underrated parts in the NHL. It really does help boost a team. Nothing like a huge fight, followed up by a nice goal.

We may not see the days of players going at it right after a faceoff or right after coming out of a penalty box, but atleast there is something, better than nothing.

Bruins-Islanders: 2/15/07

The Bruins visit the Isles tonight, which should be a win, but given the last time they were out, 18 shooters in the shootout, it may be a little harder than we expect. The Bruins come in winner 3 of the last 4 and are riding it hot. Let's see if they can keep up the hot streak. Same lines as last game.

Keys to winning:
-Shut down Jason Blake, he is riding a hot season.
-Beat DiPietro early, take down his confidence.
-Remember, every point counts.
-Don't beat yourself.

Prediction:
Bruins-5
Islanders-3

The Time is Now

The Bruins' have played 55 games this season with 27 games remaining. They have games in hand on every single team(except Pittsburgh) in the league as well. Most people believe that the Bruins' playoff chances are slim, which they are. But do not rule them out completely. The next 6 games will make or break this season for the Bruins'. They play the Islanders, Sabres, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Lightning, and Panthers, all on the road. These 6 games are over the next 10 days. It is very possible that the Bruins' can come out with 4 or 5 victories in these 6 games. The games against the Islanders, Flyers, Maple Leafs, and Panthers are all winnable. The games against the Sabres and Lightning will be tougher. The Bruins could still come out with a point in one of these games though, if they force overtime. If that is the case they will then put themselves in position to make a run at the 8th and final playoff spot. Montreal has been sliding recently, and they have a very difficult schedule, one where they play Nashville, Carolina and New Jersey in the span of 8 days. Also to be noted is that the 8th and 4th seed are separated by only 3 points. Which means any of these teams start to struggle then they could very easily find themselves out of the playoff picture.

Off the block

TSN reports that Shane Doan has signed an extension with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes' captain has reached a 5 year, 23 million dollar deal. Doan 30, the face of the franchise, has 19 goals and 16 assists on the season. His yearly average the past 6 seasons has been 25 goals and 54 points. The deal will be official when it is announced tomorrow.

Post-Game, Bruins-Oilers: 2/13/07

Bruins-3
Oilers-0

An all around victory for the Bruins. Tim Thomas was the main man in net, getting his 3rd career shutout and 2nd of the season. Marco Sturm continued his hot streak with 2 more goals, thats 4 in the last 2 games. It seems like his game has picked up of late, and even though he's having an off year, could still get around 25 goals. Brandon Bochenski added another goal and 2 assists, guy is amazing. Marc Savard had come clever passes that almost ended with a goal. Andrew Ference had a solid debut with some big hits. The team is on a hot streak, winning the last 4 out of 5. I think we can all agree that the low of the season was the 5 game slide.

Scorers:
1. Brandon Bochenski (6) from Bergeron (35) and Savard (52).
2. Marco Sturm (16) from Bergeron (36) and Bochenski (1).
3. Marco Sturm from Bochenski (2) and Alberts (9).

3 Stars:
1. Tim Thomas (34 saves on 34 shots)
2. Marco Sturm (2g)
3. Brandon Bochenski (1g, 2a)

Bergeron Update

“It’s a lower-body injury, but I’m not sure which one,” he said with a slight smirk

Apparently he injured himself in the first period but played through it before being taken out mid-way through the third period. Bergeron will travel with the team when they leave tomorrow and is questionable for the game on Thurday. Boyes took Bergeron's place late in the game on a line with Sturm and Bochenski.

Farewell Captain

Mark Stuart Recalled

Mark Stuart was recalled tonight and will join the team on the 6 game, 12 day road trip. Look for him to get limited playing time if Lewis decides to dress him. Bobby Allen may be the odd man out if Stuart is inserted into the lineup.

Bruins-Oilers

- Mark Mowers, Glen Murray, and Marco Sturm did not practice today. Mowers was ill with the flu and will play tonight. Sturm's issue was undisclosed but will play tonight( no he was not traded... yet). Murray will miss tonight's game with a groin injury. He is still day-to-day and could play Thursday.
- Andrew Ference skated with Andrew Alberts during practice today. He should be his regular partner. Ference will wear #21.
- Tim Thomas gets his 6th straight start in goal tonight. Lewis comments on Toivonen :"I am glad to see Goalie Bob (Essensa) here. He's worked hard with (Toivonen) and he's talked to him…I am not concerned about (Hannu's) future. He's got very good upside."
- Chuck Kobasew is dealing with visa issues and has not met up with the team. He will wear #12 after wearing 19 in Calgary.

Tonight the Bruins faceoff with the Oilers (28-24-4). They currently rank 9th in the West, 6 points out of the final playoff spot. The Bruins have a record of 25-25-4, with a few games in hand. Fernando Pisano is suffering from a concussion and will miss tonight's game. Jarret Stoll will also miss tonights game. Look for the Oilers to take it to the Bruins early trying to gain the momentum, especially with two of their top forwards injured. Hopefully the honoring of The Chief tonight will jump start some of the Bruins.

Here is the lineup:
Axelsson-Savard-Kessel
Sturm-Bergeron-Bochenski
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Chistov-Boyes-Tenkrat

Mara-Chara
Alberts-Ference
Allen-York

To Make it clear

Since there's a lots of questioning regarding my blog, so let me adress a couple of things, here.

- I was one of the first contributor to write here. Everyone knows that i'm writing here and now a bit on my blog. I must stress that creating my own blog is not a denial of Matt's work, at all. In fact, this site is a great one and my blog is more an " editorial " page then anything else. So there's no need to see a competition or something who didn't exist.

- The major purpose of my blog is to allow me to pratice my english grammar. Peoples are very comprehensive with me but my english grammar is not very good . My blog help me in that regards and that's why, lately, i'm on my blog more often then on bruinsrumours. Having a lots of contributors, on this site, gave me more time to pratice my writing.

I wish it will clarify things and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions...

Chat

It's 8:15 and nothing to do, why not throw a chat? See you in there. Going in now...

Who else is going?

Marco Sturm looks like he is certainly getting traded. Sturm's agent hasn't heard back from Chiarelli, which leads to believe he is not interested in signing him to an extension. Look for Sturm to be moved for an energy type forward, who is under contract for next season. Also look for Chiarelli to deal one of the following: Glen Murray, P.J. Axelsson, and Paul Mara. One of these three will be traded by the seasons end. Mara has drawn interest from the Rangers and Murray has drawn interest from the Red Wings, who would like to add another goal scorer. Axelsson has drawn interest from Ottawa all season long. The next two weeks should be very interesting and Chiarelli has some important decisions ahead of him.

Today's Practice

Lewis said he was unsure on how he was going to use Andrew Ference, although he may get playing time with both Paul Mara and Andrew Alberts, to find the more suitable partner. Murray and Alberts both missed today's practice, although Murray did skate earlier on in the day. He will skate tomorrow and if all goes well, he'll suit up for the game tomorrow against the Oilers. If Murray can go tomorrow, look for Tenkrat or Chistov to be the healthy scratch. Here were the forward lines during today's practice:

Axelsson-Savard-Kessel
Sturm-Bergeron-Bochenski
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Chistov-Boyes-Tenkrat

Cap Info

Maybe I am slow on this, but I just figuered this out. If you go to nhlnumbers and check out the Bruins salary data, it says the team is on the hook for guys like Stastny and Jurcina, well that cap number is how much of the salary the Bruins paid for, and thus counts against their cap. So when the Bruins trade a 2 million dollar contract, they don't count off 2 million the cap, but the rest of the deal. Ratio wise, it is like dumping 2 million, because they can go get another 2 million guy.

SI gives Flames the edge

First matter of business: this deal has nothing to do with Joe Thornton, so Boston fans need to avoid the urge to do the math. That ship sailed before GM Peter Chiarelli was brought in, and he had to deal with the declining assets he had at hand. Kobasew is exactly the kind of player a team hopes to get in a deal like this. A young forward with top-six potential, he was available because he was suffering through a rough season. It's called buying low (hey, it worked with Cam Neely, right?). The optics on this deal would have been better last spring when he was in the midst of a 20-goal sophomore campaign, so Bruins fans looking to put a positive spin on things can take that to heart.

He's likely to be sidelined for another few weeks with a fractured elbow, but he can take his time healing -- this deal's about the future for Boston, not this season.

Ference is a third pairing guy, blessed with good mobility, the ability to make good decisions with the puck and a decent physical game. That means he fits the mold for the fast-paced, puck possession team that Chiarelli described as his goal earlier this season.

Just as important: both assets are signed for at least two years beyond this season, and at prices that allow the team to again be a player on the free agent market this summer.

Flames get: D Brad Stuart, C Wayne Primeau, draft pick

You have to love Flames' GM Darryl Sutter. The guy always believes he can win, and he does what he can to make it happen. This deal clearly sets Calgary up as a favorite to come out of the West.

Calgary can't match the defensive star power of Anaheim's Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. But with the addition of Stuart to a corps that already includes Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr and Roman Hamrlik, they're clearly a deeper group, and one that's capable of leading a legitimate run at the Cup.

Stuart's been a liability lately on the Boston blue line, but you can forget about his play over the past few weeks -- the trade talk clearly impacted his game. The real Stuart is a difference maker, a top pair stud capable of logging big minutes. He can help the Flames in any situation, especially the power play, and he brings a nasty physical edge that will be especially noticeable in the playoffs.

It's no surprise that Sutter wanted Primeau in the deal. He's a bugger to play against, and looks like the perfect fit for the Calgary system. He adds dependable depth to the forward group, is an able penalty killer and brings a vocal leadership style to the room. You won't find his name often on the score sheet, but he'll chip in with a big one when they really need it.

Winner: Better prepared to challenge for the Cup this spring without giving up anyone mission critical, the Flames take this in a landslide. The Bruins got useful players for the longer term, but you have to think a better deal would have been out there if Chiarelli had waited to pull the trigger.

Stars upgrade... and more

The Dallas Stars trade for one of the most under-rated players in the NHL Ladislav Nagy. Nagy heads to the Stars for winger Mattias Mathias Tjarnqvist and a first round selection in 2007. Phoenix makes this deal to get younger and this helps them. After several reports the Coyotes wanted to resign Nagy, apperntly they were going to fall short and lose him end of the year. Same situation with the Bruins and Brad Stuart, if your going to lose a guy get something for him. Nagy brings great speed and a proven scorer in the NHL. He will provide some depth on the Stars up front. In 55 games this year he has 8 goals and 33 assists. He led his team in points and assists. Nagy who has been with the Coyotes since being dealt from St. Louis for Keith Tkachuk, who is also rumored to be on the trading block. Nagy was ranked 3rd on theforuthperiod.com availible players to be dealt. Tkachuk is 5th with New York Rangers, Carolina, Detriot, and Dallas who are intrested. In 4th is Nagy's former teammate Shane Doan who could be the last big name to be dealt out Phoenix. Remeber Mike Comrie was already dealt to Ottawa this year. Doan could be moved to Detriot, Vancouver, Montreal, or Carolina.

If you are wondering who the number one player it is Peter Forsberg, according to TFP. Speaking of Forsberg he had a meeting with the owner of the Flyers, Ed Snider on Sunday on his future. Here's a list of possible places Forsberg could end up Detroit, Colorado, Montreal, Vancouver, Anaheim, San Jose, Carolina and Nashville.

Meanwhile Sami Kapanen signed an extension with Philly for two years. Kapane has 7 goals and 14 points for the Flyers in 51 games this season.

Bluejackets may deal soon. Bryan Berard, Anson Carter, and Freddie Modin could all be dealt. Forward Manny Malhotra and defenseman Adam Foote, could also be dealt but are long shots. Carolina and Vancouver are the front runners for former Bruin Anson Carter. Tampa Bay and Atlanta would love to add Berard for his offensive ability and to run their PP's at the points.

Washington Capitals lose their starting goalie Olaf Kolzig for at least 3 weeks. Kolzig hurt his knee in practice. This could eliminate them from any playoff hopes unless back up Brent Johnson plays the way he did a couple of years ago with the St. Louis Blues. Look for the Capitals to make a trade for a back-up until Kolzig returns.
Washington also extended tough guy Donald Brashear to a 1 year $1.1 million contract.

Bill Guerin could be heading to Ottawa, Nashville, San Jose, or Carolina. Gary Roberts could also head to Ottawa. Roberts could also head back to Toronto along with Todd Burtuzzi.

The Sabers want to pick up another defensmen, Aaron Miller could be their guy, but the Oilers are also after him. Both teams want Eric Brewer too.

Ottawa's Ray Emery is suspened 3 games for a vicious slash.

Who's the next Bruin to be dealt? I think both Glenn Murray and Marco Sturm will be dealt before the deadline. I think the Sturm deal will be done first, just because Murray's contract is so big that it's harder for them to move him, unless it's a multi-player deal. Which could happen, they both could be in the same deal or possibly a three way deal. Sturm's two goals against the Islanders showed that he is now healthy and that might have just punched his ticket out of Boston. Ekland reported that Murray and Sturm could be in the same deal.

Source:
theforuthperiod.com
yahoo sports
hockeybuzz.com

News Update

Ladislav Nagy was traded from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Mathias Tjarnqvist and a first round draft pick in the 2007 draft. Nagy makes 3 million this season and is a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Look for him to try and cash in on the free agent market this offseason. The Coyotes will try and move other players with large salaries (Derek Morris, Nick Boyton) or players who will become free agents once the season is over (Shane Doan, Mike Ricci).

Also Sami Kapanen, of the Philadelphia Flyers, has signed a two year contract extension for a total of 2.5 million. Each year will have a 1.25 million hit against the cap.

Brad or Joe?

The dust have settled a bit and after roaming through sites, boards and blogs, there's no definitive answer. Some fans though that PC did what he had to do and other fans find the trade as a poor return from the JT trade. But, honneslty, do this " JT poor return trade " is the right approach?

You cannot see this trade as the final result of MOC's blunder. It's more a consequence then anything else. You can't ask PC to clean the mess and " repare " the blunder who was made. It cannot be done. The homework was not done properly and it gave the according result. In fact, if MOC simply took Stuart and a very good young player/prospect, fans might look at this trade very differently. It's not Chiarelli's fault if MOC took three soon-to-be UFA for his franchise player. MOC judgement was bad and the ownership was more then willing to use MOC as their scapegoat. The fact that JJ was painted in the corner and forced to give 6 per to JT might be the real truth about the whole situation.

Honnestly, When you look at the trade, PC got two affordable young players ( under contract for 2 years, at least ) who can help the team now and for the next couple of years. Do they are superstars? Of course not but what can you expect when you sell two UFA??? Think about it: Stuart will be able to test the market and sign on the west coast and Primeau was bad , at the very best, for the B's. Calgary paid a good price for two rentals and there's no guarantee that those two rentals will work. In the long run, this trade might be better for the B's then anything else. It's always tough to evaluate a trade, especially when young players are involve.

PC wanted a young team and now, the process is on. Sturm might be the next to go and after his departure, the last chapter of the JT trade will be gone. But, don't make any mistake here: The JT trade was consumed when MOC accept Stuart, Primeau and Sturm as the return. It would be unfair to put Kobasew and Ference in a position where they will be considered as the " final " result for the JT trade. The final result should have been taken last year, not now.

Trade Correction

My bad everyone, this morning I read that it was a 1st round pick, which was a mistake, the Bruins give the Flames a 4th rounder if Stuart does not resign. The pick is the one we acquired from the Caps for Milan Jurcina.

Who gets the AXE next?

With the trade of Stuart and Primeau and the acquisitions of Kobasew and Ference, it is very apparent Peter Chiarelli is looking for the future. Now the only question is, who is the next player to get traded? There are a few possibilities: Marco Sturm, Paul Mara, Glen Murray, and P.J. Axelsson. Sturm almost certainly be dealt this season. Not sure what Chiarelli will try and acquire via trade though. Glen Murray, the leading goal scorer, has been rumored to be on the block, but hopefully PC keeps him. If any team will take Paul Mara and his 3 million dollar salary for next season, then pull the trigger. As for Axelsson, in my opinion, he should be the one to be traded. His stock is relatively high for a checking line winger. He is under contract for next season and the season to follow as well, which could attract some more interest from other clubs. Axelsson is clearly being put into roles in which he can not succeed. Chiarelli seems as if he is going for younger, faster, tougher players who at this time are not stars, but he is hoping they can blossom into stars. Axelsson does not fit that mold, for he is an aging winger, who seems to get injured season after season. Right now, Axelsson does not fit in well with this roster and for 1.85 million dollars, he is easily replaceable in the role he is playing. The Bruins' play a much better, more complete game when he is not in the lineup(7-4 without him). Overall they would miss his PK skills, but if they can move this guy then they should, because if not then they are stuck with Lewis throwing PJ on the first line and powerplay for 2 more years.

How the trade affects the team

The trade leaves our defense in a bad situation. Andrew Ference is a solid defensive defenseman, but his offensive skills do not compare to those of Stuart. This means Paul Mara is going to have to take on more responsibility. Which, in fact, might be a very bad thing. Also those extra minutes that Stuart would log are now up for grabs, with Jason York likely to receive them. Our 2nd unit on the powerplay is going to suffer as well. It use to be manned by Stuart and now that will be given to Mara. Will Ference be his partner on the PP? Only Dave Lewis knows that, which probably means it will be York.

As for the forwards, Kobasew is currently injured. He will be out 2-3 more weeks. He is a right-handed shot, which the Bruins' have way too many of by the way. The Bruins' need depth for the leftwing position. Hopefully with Primeau finally gone, we will be able to see more of players like Chistov, Bochenski, and even Tenkrat, and less of players like Axelsson, Mowers, and Donovan. Look for Mowers to take over Primeau's center duties on the "checking line".

Here are what Dave Lewis' lineups will probably be:
Axelsson-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kessel
Reich-Mowers-Donovan
Tenkrat-Boyes-Bochenski

Alberts-Chara
Ference-Mara
Allen-York

Hopefully these won't be the exact lines he throws out there or the way he utilizes them. Mowers line should see a lot less minutes now(hopefully). Stan Chistov needs to be given a chance to prove what he can do with 12 minutes of hockey a game. But it is very apparent Lewis is not the biggest Chistov fan and continues to have him be the healthy scratch. When Kobasew returns from injury, Axelsson should be moved off the first line(if not before then). He hurts the first line and used too much by Lewis. Also with his return, it could give the Bruins' 3 solid lines of offensive type players and 1 solid line of defensive type players, as long as Lewis puts the correct players in their roles.

More on Flames-Bruins Deal

As first reported here...

to Boston:

Chuck Kobasew
Andrew Ference

to Calgary:
Brad Stuart
Wayne Primeau
2008 4th round pick (if Stuart does not resign this summer)

Props to Chiarelli on this one. He got a real stud in Kobasew, and a solid defenseman for cheap money in Ference. Ference is a top 4 defenseman who will fit well in the lineup. The real piece to the deal is Kobasew, who had 20 goals last season as a rookie, and is only 24 years old.

The Bruins are the clear winners in this deal. Stuart will be missed, but he was a gonner anyways, and Primeau can easily be replaced for less than his 1.1 cap hit.

The weird thing is, I was just going to make a post today on how Stuart will likely be dealt to somewhere we'd never expect.

Contract Obligations:

Player_____________Cap Hit_______06-07_____07-08_____08-09______09-10
Andrew Ference**------750,000----750,000--1,235,000--1,340,000--1,625,000
Chuck Kobasew-------1,200,000--1,200,000--1,200,000*

Brad Stuart---------2,150,000----2,400,000
Wayne Primeau-------1,125,000----1,150,000

*Kobasew is a RFA after his deal ends.
**Ference signed a 3 yr extension with a 1.4 cap hit in all 3 years.

Bruins save 1,325,000 in cap space.

Lines:

Sturm Bergeron Kobasew
Kessel Savard Murray
Axelsson Boyes Bochenski
Chistov Mowers Donovan
Reich

Chara Alberts
Ference Allen
Mara York

The JT deal...

The Joe Thornton trade looks like this.

Joe Thornton and a 4th round pick for Marco Sturm, Andrew Ference, and Chuck Kobasew.

Stuart and Primeau Traded to Calgary

Peter Chiarelli announced that the team has traded Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart to the Calgary Flames for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew.

Kobasew is an up and coming player,. only 24, who had 20 goals last season and will add a lot of offense to the team.

Ference is a good defenseman, top 4, and is under contract for 4 more years.

This was a good trade by the Bruins, getting rid of captain hook Primeau and getting some top talent back. The Bruins gained some cap space and could make another move to improve the team.

More details later...

Bruins-Islanders

Glen Murray will sit this game out with a groin injury. He upset it late in the game against the Hurricanes. Stanislav Chistov is a healthy scratch once again, in favor of Mark Mowers and Petr Tenkrat. Boyes will skate on the fourth line to start the game.

Could Muzzy get dealt?

With likes of Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau available for trade, the Boston Herald reports winger Glen Murray could be available, as well.
Murray, 34, has notched 26 goals and 17 assists for 43 points in 52 games with the Bruins this season.
The two-time All-Star has attracted a lot of interest this season, but the B's have been reluctant to pull the trigger. However, with the playoffs appearing out of reach, the B's could deal him for a package of young talent.
The San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings may target Murray if the Bruins opt to move him.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe suggests GM Peter Chiarelli will have to consider protecting his asset and simply remove Brad Stuart from the lineup, eliminating the risk of injury.
There are several teams eyeing Stuart, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

This was posted on thefourthperiod.com

Don't be surprised if the majority of these guys are dealt. PC wants his own ID as the GM. By getting ride of all these guys he can build the team the way he wants to. Marco Sturm is the only guy besides Brad Stuart who brings speed. PC is looking for younger guys with energy and speed. He wants to build his team in a similar fashion to what the Senators are now.

Bruins' Way Too Defensive

How big is the disparity between the Bruins’ record and their peripheral numbers?

– The Bruins have allowed four or more goals in a game 25 times, including 21 games of five or more goals allowed
– They’ve allowed three goals 14 times
– They’ve allowed two goals or less just 14 times

– Offensively, they’ve scored four or more goals themselves just 17 times
– They’ve scored three goals 13 times
– They’ve scores two goals or less 23 times

– 16 of their 24 wins have been by one goal
– Six have been by two goals
– One has been by three goals and one has been by five goals

– Nine of their 25 regulation losses have been by four goals or more, including three by five goals, one by six and one by eight
– Eight other losses have been by three goals
– Only eight losses have been by two or less goals, including just three by one goal

– Their 24 wins have been by a combined 36 goals, an average margin of victory of 1.5 goals
– Their 25 regulation losses have been by a combined 80 goals, an average margin of 3.2 goals
- Info from Douglas Flynn, Herald Insider

Dave Lewis' theory of defense first is obviously not working. The Bruin's lack offense. With a lineup that lacks offensive skills from their 3rd and 4th lines, the defense must step up their game offensively and take more chances. They should join the rush late, pinch in the offensive zone more often, and take more shots from the blue line. It is apparent these forwards that Lewis continually throws out there cannot get it down. The numbers above are embarrassing

2 trades

Carolina Hurricanes get Josef Vasicek back from the Nashville Predators for Eric Belanger. Vasicek was traded over the summer for Scott Walker. Vasicek has not not been the player the Preds thought they were getting, he only had 13 points in 38 games. Belanger who was traded earlier this season from the LA Kings, is a grind player who put up 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points in 56 games. This will be Belanger's third team this year.

The New York Rangers contniue to deal and improve their team at the same time. The Rangers pick up Pascal Dupuis from Minnesota in exchange for Adam Hall. Earlier this week the Rangers aquired Sean Avery from the Kings. Dupuis has already matched his total of goals from last year with 10 and is one goal shy of tying his carrer high. Hall has 4 goals, 8 assists, and 12 points for the season. Hall has been in the Rangers doghouse of late; he was benched Tuesday for the 5th time in 9 games. Wild coach said, "he liked his size and aggressiveness after watching him play for the Predators in the 2005-06 season, when he had 14 goals and a career-high 15 assists in 75 games." (Yahoo.com)

Stuart update

I finally caught up with Bruins defenseman Brad Stuart today after practice in Wilmington and asked him about Pierre Lebrun's Canadian Press report from earlier this week that claimed the blueliner went to B's management and "politely told them he doesn't want to stay."

Stuart, as mild-mannered and soft-spoken as they come, answered me with a slight tone of disgust as he told me: "I've never said anything to anyone. It's the same thing as saying I want to be on the West Coast. It's disappointing people assume stuff like that. I never told anyone that. My wife never told anyone that. I wish I could go around talking about people, making stuff up. But that's what people do. I guess it's more interesting."

After Stuart, a UFA-to-be this summer, was burned on two of Carolina's goals Thursday night, B's head coach Dave Lewis said he thought the defenseman was a little distracted by the rumor mill. Stuart now stands at minus-23 on the season. Here's how Stuart responded when I asked him if he feels distracted:

"I don't know if I'm distracted, I guess. It's tough hearing all of that stuff. I'm still trying to do my best. It seems now the harder I try ... the more frustrating it gets."

Stuart's not getting involved in any negotiations that might be going on between his agent Pat Brisson and the B's. And he still has a desire to carry on in a B's uniform.

"I'd love for us to make a run and get into the playoffs," he noted.

-Matt Kalman, hockeyjournal.com

Post Game Notes

- Great game, except for the final 5 minutes of the second period. The Bruin's broke down and thats what made them lose the game. They outplayed the Hurricanes all night long. They could have won this game despite the breakdown. Very positive game overall, hopefully they can build on this game despite the breakdown at the end of the second period. Frustrating lose, but the Bruin's showed heart, emotion, and motivation for the majority of the game.

- Patrice Bergeron looked like he has gotten his game back. Every shift his line was on the ice they could have scored. This line was flying all night long and should remain in tact, due to the fact they had a scoring chance almost every shift they took. Brad Boyes looked like the Boyes of last season. He set up many plays for his linemates despite not recording any points. Kessel's confidence is rising and that is a very good thing. His potential is great and he is starting to really break out. This kid will be a star in the NHL very soon.

- Brandon Bochenski has played very well in his first two games for the Bruins. He finds the puck and has an act for scoring. Hopefully he stays on one of the top two lines because he will contribute and help this team score goals. Sky is the limit for him, I believe he can score 20 goals in this league easily.

- Primeau and the "checking line" did not see much of the 3rd period. Lewis played the more offensive players (Boyes, Bochenski, Kessel), something he has refused to do in the past when trailing.

- Stuart looked good despite the -2 on the night. He leads the team in +/-(-24 overall). He has been the most consistent defenseman behind Chara despite this stat. It would be nice for him to re-sign but it is very unlikely, look for him to be traded within the next week or so. Brad Stuart, a class act, wish the Bruin's had more defensemen like him.

- Props to Andrew Alberts who threw down with Scott Walker, despite the fact he did not want to. It was obviously instigated by Walker, who won the fight against Alberts. Alberts, still dealing with a swollen right cheek/eye from a shot he took of the face a week ago, still threw down despite this. He lost but at least he did not back down. That took guts. Alberts has been awesome all season.

Pregame Notes

Marco Sturm will play in tonight's game. He has been suffering from a concussion as well as battling the flu. Glen Murray is skating right now, but remains a game time decision. The medical team will determine if he can play after warmups. Stanislav Chistov is a healthy scratch for tonight's game. If Murray cannot play then Petr Tenkrat will take his place in the lineup.

New Message Board

Our old Message Board went missing for some reason, so I made a new and hopefully improved one. I will be using it a lot more frequently to talk about moves and in the offseason, I will be talking deals. Make an account!

-Bruinsrumors

Bruins-Canes: 2/8/07

Another tough game, starting to get some wins though. The Bruins will be up against the creme of the crop. The Canes come in with a solid roster, and it would be nice if the Bruins could get a win. The game is at home and hopefully some fans will show up to support the team. The Bruins won in OT last time out with the game winner from captain Zdeno Chara.

Keys to winning:
-Don't let the Canes go on the PP.
-Take adv. of the PP.
-Give Kessel the puck (good things happen)

Prediction:
Bruins-4
Canes-3 OT/SO

Potential Bruins Post-Deadline Roster

Here is what I would like to see happen in a chance that we make a push to be a real contender. Surprisingly even though our record isn't what we all hoped for, the lack of talent isn't there. We do have talent, but we are just 1 or 2 players away from being a true contender.

Moves
-Claim Sergei Samsonov off re-entry waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.

-Acquire Eric Brewer from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 3rd round pick, a 6th round pick in either 2007 or 2008, and Petr Tenkrat.

Lines

Samsonov-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Kessel
Axlesson-Boyes-Bochenski
Mowers-Primeau-Donovan
Reich

Chara-Alberts
Stuart-Brewer
Mara-Allen
York

Thomas
Toivonen

Salaries

Samsonov will count for 50% of his contract for the next two seasons. His cap number this year will be relatively small, at 1.75 million or so. And he will count for that next season and will only be on the hook for half of the 3.7 million from the Bruins.

Eric Brewer makes 2,014,000 this season, and is an impending UFA, which means we won't have to give up much. He would only count for 1 million or so against the cap this season.

Easy Solutions

The Bruin's have some talent on their team, once fully healthy. Dave Lewis just does not utilize them well. He has the worst line combinations and overplays bad players. Here is what he should do:

Kessel-Savard-Murray
Sturm-Bergeron-Bochenski
Axelsson-Boyes-Chistov
Reich-Primeau-Donovan

First off, kick Mowers and Tenkrat to the curb. Both are not cutting it. Reich added more to the Bruin's in one game then Mowers has all season. Kessel will be great if he gets a chance to play with Savard. He'll put up points without doing much because Savard is a wizard. Bergeron needs someone who will shoot no matter what and that is what Bochenski does. He loves to shoot and Bergeron loves to pass. Since Lewis loves to play Axelsson on a scoring line, then put him out there with Boyes and Chistov and give them 15 minutes of ice time a night. Move Primeau and Donovan to the fourth line and give them 5-8 minutes a night, that way neither of them can have many opportunities to make a stupid play or take a lazy penalty. This gives the Bruin's three solid lines and then our "checking line". As for the powerplays, Primeau and Axelsson should never be on the ice. I love how Axelsson stands next to the goalie instead of in front of him to screen him. Here is what the PP should look like:
PP1- Murray-Savard-Sturm with Bergeron and Chara at the points.
PP2- Kessel-Boyes-Bochenski with Stuart and Mara at the points.

Notes 2/7

- Marco Sturm practiced with the team today. However, he will probably miss Thursday's game.Sturm has been suffering from a concussion as well as the flu. He will be re-evaluated after the morning practice.
- Glen Murray did not practice and will also miss Thursday's game. He is still listed as day-to-day. Murray is dealing with a groin strain, suffered in practice on Monday.
- Coach Lewis said Tim Thomas will get the start on Thursday.

Practice lines were the same as yesterday's game: Sturm wore a red jersey(non-contact).

Axelsson-Savard-Bochenski
Boyes-Bergeron-Kessel
Reich-Primeau-Donovan
Tenkrat-Mowers-Chistov

PIERRE LEBRUN: CANADIAN PRESS

Boston: The Bruins' attempts to re-sign Brad Stuart have hit a wall because the pending UFA defenceman politely told them he doesn't want to stay. It's entirely in his rights to want to play the free-agent market for the first time in his career. This will be rookie Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli's first big test, how to make a splash with this trade. There are plenty of suitors for Stuart, led by Edmonton, and right now the price is high. There's pressure on Chiarelli to make a good move here so that Boston has something to show for the Joe Thornton deal — Stuart was part of the package with Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau.

There we go.

Open Letter to Dave " The Genius " Lewis

I remember that, at the beginning of the season, i saw your hiring as a positive for the team. The fact that you were behind the bench with Bowman made me believe that you can really help this young team to reach the next level... How deceiving you are !

It doesn't came to your mind, when you were hired, that the B's were a young team and that you will have to deal with the possibility to put on the ice players who will hurt the team by their rookies mistakes. It is something that pass far away from your mind? I knew something was wrong when you said " You don't bench veterans because they know how to correct their mistakes ". I have to admit that this line was really good for the papers but, honnestly, that's the dumbest line i ever heard from a coach and i follow hockey for 25+ years. How on earth can you esthablished the accountability by the fact that a player is a veteran. It's dumb and that's, for sure, a receipe for disaster. In the case that you didn't noticed, your team is far away from a playoffs spot and guess what: the players are not afraid of you because they know that you're soft and that nothing will happend; to busy you are to bark at the moon avoiding to put any kind of confrontations with players who deserve to be confront. You talk a lot but you showed nothing so far; nothing AT ALL.

This team is a mediocre one and some of the blame have to be put on your stubborness to play veterans ( that's a love affair, uh? ) who hurt the team. I won't show you the stats but you know exactly of who i'm talking about, don't you? You don't have a clue, really??? What about your " energy " line who have the bad habit to take bad penalties in order to " energise " the other team. For how long will you refuse to put on the ice players who are not deep in the minus in order to win? It is that bad that those players wants to use their creativity to score and spark the offense? Why are you so fast to bench rookies who, " in your opinion ", kill the team. When will you buy a pair of b**** and bench those unproductive veterans instead of calling them " Big Preem ". Are you kidding me, Lewis??? It's professionnal sports; not a " Barney " fans congress where people sing " i love you; you love me. We are an happy family..".

And what about your system??? Well, may i ask what kind of system we are talking about here? Because let's face it: every player on this team is deeply in the minus. More puzzeling is the fact that you successfully turned some of our best players into 4th liner or 7th defenseman. How can explain that guys like Chara or Stuart looked so bad? It is possible that your system simply don't work. With an abyssal 75 goals allowed and a -35 differential in the 3rd period; it is possible that you have no clue, at all, about the defensive game. I'm waiting; waiting to hear a stupid quote to justify those sorry results because that's exactly what it is; sorry results.

Oh and, wait, i almost forgot: what about your great evaluation of our young talents?. Your team is out of the playoffs. Maybe the timing is right to play some of our young talents to know if they are NHL product. Evaluating means that they have to play more then 4min/game or goal 1 game out of 10. If i looked at your record, Lashoff, Stuart, Jurcina and Toivonen are not good enough for you. You lose confidence in them... Wake up!!! They are rookies; what did you expect??? That they will play like Chris Pronger or Wayne Gretzky in their first year... And what about the fact that you're not smart enough to put them in a position to succeed? Do you remember when you put 5 rookies on the ice at the same time and wonder why they had troubles... Please call Bowman; i'm sure he will help you.

Yes, hiring you was a incredible mistake. You bench young players and kill their confidence; you play veterans who hurt the team and still refuse to adjust yourself from the OLD to the NEW NHL. Let me add this: you're an incredible failure. From top to bottom, you're a failure and guess what: your team is looking exactly as you. Can't wait for the day that i will be able to say: See you later, alligator !

Sammy is free

Sergei Samsanov was wavied by the Montreal Canadians, anyone can pick him up. I'd like to see Boston take him, he would help out Marc Savard alot.

Murray Out

Glen Murray will miss tonight's game against the Caps. He has a groin strain and will be listed as day-to-day. Great, just what the Bruin's need. Jeremy Reich has been recalled from Providence and will take Murray's roster spot. Look for him to get 30 seconds of ice time tonight.

Here is the starting lineup:
Axelsson-Savard-Bochenski
Kessel-Bergeron-Boyes
Reich-Primeau-Donovan
Tenkrat-Mowers-Chistov

Mara-Chara
Stuart-Alberts
Allen-York

Thomas

These lines probably will not stay the same throughout the game. Lewis should give Chistov or Tenkrat some extra playing time with the absence of Murray. But knowing Lewis, Primeau, Mowers, and Donovan will get extra minutes and powerplay time.

Bruins-Caps: 2/6/07

Long break from game caps...

Look for tonight to be a test. The Bruins won in OT last time in the Garden (I was there) and hopefully we will see similar results. Old pal Jurcina will be there as well. Debut for Bochenski...let's see how it goes.

Prediction:
Bruins-5
Caps-3

Keys to winning:
-Make Jurcina screw up.
-Get by Kolzig early.
-Shut down Ovechkin.

Samsonov Return (br3)

Hearing from a few people, the Bruins may nab Samsonov on re-entry waivers, and since their standing isn't all that well, they would win the bid against guys like Edmonton, Nashville and Detroit, who are also interested. Samsonov makes 3,525,000 for this season and next, and would count for 1,762,5000 for the next two seasons. For nothing, that is a great deal. I'd take Sammy back for 1.8. His best days were in Boston, why wouldn't he come back? He is still a fan favorite. And I have a feeling him and Savard would make a good combo, with the addition of Bochenski, the offense could be revamped a little.

Habs on the Move? And other rumors

Rumor is the Habs are looking to make a splash and are rumored to be talking to the Blackhawks about a deal. The names being tossed around are over-paid defensemen Adrian Aucoin (could also head back to the Islaners) and former Bruin Bryan Smolinski heading to the wind city are unhappy Sergei Samsanov the former Bruin is unhappy in Montreal with limited playing time and has been in the doghouse of head coach Guy Carbneau and life time Hab Craig Rivet. The Habs are also intrested in the two Coyotes who everyone is eying and waiting to see if the Coyotes will deal; Ladislav Nagy and Shane Doan. The Blackhawks have also been asked if Jason Cullinmore was avalible. I am also hearing Samsanov heading west to Ahaheim.
The heavy veternized Florida Panthers could be making several moves with guys like Ed Belfour, Jozef Stumpel, Ville Peltonen, Martin Gelinas, Todd Bertuzzi and Gary Roberts could be on the outs. The Panthers who have struggled this year and would like to get more playing time of the younger guys in the organization. Gelinas and Roberts have no-trade claus in their contracts but there are rumors they would waive them to be dealt to a contender. Bertuzzi who has missed the majority of the year with a back problem could return within the next week. Bertuzzi is getting intrest from the Red Wings, Ducks, Penguins, and Habs. Meanwhile the captian of the Panthers Olli Jokinen would like to stay. Another Panther Nathan Horton is unhappy and could be moved, after requesting a trade last week.
Toronto Maple Leafs have said they are not going to deal Darcy Tucker and/ or Mats Sundin.
Matthew Barnby who has 2,562 penalty minutes over 14 seasons, might not be able to play another game. Barnby is fighting a concussion problem.
Flyers goalie Robert Eshe could go to Tampa Bay if they can't find a better option
Another fromer Bruin could be heading back to Vancouver or the the rival Habs. I still belive he will go back to Vancouver for Jan Builis.
Former Bruin Jason Allision who is still a free agent could be picked up by Atlanta to help there recent problems on their PP.
Nick Boynton could be heading north of the border to the Sens. The Sens might take him because they have lacked tough, physical play in the playoffs.
Jason Blake could be moved off the Islanders after they couldn't come to a contract extension. The former Fighting Souix (North Dakota) stand out could be heading west. Two teams who are very intrested are Vancouver and Anaheim. Both teams have great goaltending and are quick, a system very easy for Balke to purduce in.




Sources: Yahoo sports, theforthperiod.com, Eklund (hockeybuzz.com)

A Look Ahead

This would be the current roster for next season, assuming none of the unrestricted free agents resign. The players who would be unrestricted free agents are: Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, Brad Stuart, Bobby Allen, Jason York, Jeff Hoggan, and Petr Tenkrat.

____-Savard-Murray
____-Bergeron-Kessel
____-Boyes-Chistov
Axelsson-Mowers-Donovan

Mara-Chara
Alberts-_____
Lashoff-_____

The Offense
The Bruin's really need to address the left wing position. With a surplus of right handed shots,they need to get a lefthanded shooter or two for the three top lines. If they can get Ladislav Nagy on the market, he would fit in perfect on the top line.

Options
Free Agents: Paul Kariya, Nagy, Scott Hartnell, Ryan Smyth, Richard Zedknik, Jason Blake, Petr Sykora.
Minors:Kalus, Karsums, Krejci(center), Treveylan.
The forward position is obviously their biggest weakness and they should address this since they have lacked offense all season. Chiarelli should take a run at one of these left wingers, although many of them will command huge salaries. Hartnell and Sykora wouldn't look bad in the black and gold and would come cheaper than most of the others. Hartnell would also address the toughness issue. The four minor league players may get a look, with Kalus being the most likely candidate.

The Defense
Options
Free Agents: Roman Hamrlik, Eric Brewer, Sammi Salo, Sheldon Souray, Brent Sopel, Chris Phillips, Preissings,Brian Rafalski.
Minors: Lashoff, Mark Stuart, Jonathan Sigalet.
Look for them to be active in attempts to lure a defenseman as well. Stuart's pricetag will probably be too high so they will look elsewhere. If they can get a #2 defensemen they should be in good shape, especially with Lashoff being the 5th or 6th defenseman next season. Chiarelli might try and trade a defenseman if he lands someone on the free agent market. Sigalet needs another year in the minors, he needs to bulk up and get some more experience. As for Mark Stuart, his stock has been dropping all season and has fallen behind Sigalet on the depth chart.

Goaltenders
Options
Free Agents Giguere, Garon, Legace, Biron, Weekes. There are others as well, but many in the upper 30's.

Thomas and Toivonen are both under contract, one may be moved this season, if not this season then look for one to be gone over the summer. Chiarelli will probably address this issue with great priority. Tuuka Rask is probably another year or two away.

Krejci sent down

David Krejci was sent down and Brandon Bochenski has joined the club. With the move the Bruin's will be carrying one extra forward once Marco Sturm returns from injury. Should be interesting to see who gets the boot. It will come down to Mowers, Chistov, and Tenkrat, with Tenkrat being the likely candidate.

Ranger Add Toughness: Acquire Avery

TSN Reports that The Los Angeles Kings have traded center Sean Avery and prospect John Seymour to the New York Rangers for right winger Jason Ward along with prospects Marc-Andre Cliche and Jan Marek.

Today's Practice

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli says winger Brandon Bochenski needs a center to get him the puck, so look for the 24-year-old to get a shot somewhere on the top two lines Tuesday against Washington. Marco Sturm (concussion) most likely will not make the trip, making Bochenski a candidate to play left wing alongside Marc Savard and Glen Murray. - Boston Globe and TSN

With that in mind, here are the lines Dave Lewis put together at practice.

Boyes-Savard-Murray
Axelsson-Bergeron-Kessel
Bochenski-Primeau-Donovan
Chistov-Mowers-Tenkrat

Does this make any sense? Chiarelli clearly stated he wanted Bochenski to be with a playmaking center who could dish him the puck. I guess Primeau's best suited in Lewis' eyes.

With a Healthy Lineup

Jeremy Reich got sent back to Providence and Brandon Bochenski will be with the team for Tuesday's game. However, it looks as if Marco Sturm and David Krejci both will miss that game. Once they return from injury it will be interesting to see what Lewis puts together. Here is the lineup I would really like to see:

Sturm-Savard-Murray
Bochenski-Bergeron-Kessel
Chistov-Krejci-Boyes
Axelsson-Primeau-Donovan

This probably will not happen and Krejci will probably be sent back to Providence once he is healthy. If this was the lineup there would be two extra forwards (Mark Mowers and Petr Tenkrat). Without Krejci, the Bruin's will also have to make one more roster move and get rid of another forward. It will come down to Petr Tenkrat, Stanislav Chistov, and Mark Mowers. All three have one-way contracts, meaning they would have to clear waivers if they were assigned to Providence. Knowing Dave Lewis, the player who most likely will get waived will be Petr Tenkrat(29 years old). Stanislav Chistov, although in the doghouse with Lewis was acquired just this season and I doubt Chiarelli will give up on him so easily especially being only 23 years old, and the first actually player he has traded for since becoming GM. However, the player that should be waived is Mark Mowers, as he brings nothing to this team in any aspect and plays the same role as Primeau, Axelsson, and Donovan, and cannot score on an open net. But that will never happen because Dave Lewis is involved in a love triangle with him and Jason York.

Bruins-Hurricanes Analysis

Finally a victory for the Bruin's. Chara and Murray had huge games, with Boyes finally scoring a goal. What a great pass from Savard to set up Boyes on a breakaway, the very second he stepped out of the box. I'm pumped the Bruin's won but this game was very poorly coached once again (surprised anyone?).

Ice Time Break Down

P.J. Axelsson -20:54; 5:49 on the powerplay. He should not be on the powerplay and especially not on the first unit. He also took two stupid penalties again.
Captain Hook Wayne Primeau - 16:57; 3:03 on the powerplay. He took 3 stupid penalties. This guy is ridiculous with the hooking. He looked good last game when he actually was hitting people but then all of a sudden he goes back to the constant hooking and no hitting. WHY does this guy get powerplay time. He hasn't recorded a single point in 10 games. How did he receive this much ice time when he was in the box for 6 minutes?
Petr Tenkrat 6:19 of ice time. Give the guy alittle bit more ice time, he got one shift on the PK so why not have him take Primeau's spot on the powerplay.
Stanislav Chistov-3:21. Obviously in the dog house with Lewis. Has the skills to be an offensive threat. Should be on a line with Bergeron and Kessel. Also should get ice time on the powerplay over Axelsson and Primeau.
Jeremy Reich -0:26. WOW, what a game for Reich. He got sent back to Providence today
Bobby Allen -7:33. Is a steady, stay at home defenseman, should have received a little more ice time to reduce Chara's workload.
Jason York -9:26. 9 minutes, 26 seconds too much ice time.
Phil Kessel -11:35; 2:03 on the powerplay. Why isn't he receiving more powerplay time? He should be playing at least 15 minutes a game overall. He has the skills, give him a chance.

This is the problem with the Bruin's, they use people in situations they should not be used in. Primeau and Axelsson take stupid penalties so they get more ice time? 5 penalties combined for these two, they both hurt the team on a nightly basis with these stupid penalties. What did they do to deserve more powerplay time? It is very, very sad seeing Primeau get more powerplay time than Kessel. Chara played nearly 33 minutes during this game, why doesn't Lewis use Allen a little bit more and take 3 minutes off of Chara's workload? Dave Lewis has the worst coaching style and continually overuses his players. Bergeron's lack of offense is probably due to the fact that he works his ass off every single game and plays nearly 25 minutes a game. Then he is paired with useless wingers like Axelsson who bring nothing offensively. Yes we won the game, but Lewis must realize 3 things:
1. 3rd and 4th liners do not belong on the powerplay. These guys have no offensive skills. The powerplay is designed for offense.
2. You cannot have Chara or Bergeron play the entire game because they do get tried too. Bergeron plays so hard every time he's on the PK. He just looks tired.
3. You have other players, who don't take dumb penalties like Axelsson and Primeau, who can actually skate and maybe score a goal here and there. But we will never be able to see these players because Lewis refuses to play them for more than 5 shifts a game.

Recent Deals

Been busy as hell of late, just wanted to come back and give you my take on the recent trades.

Milan Jurcina to Washington for a 4th round pick. I look at this in two ways...1) The Bruins basically gave away a fairly good defenseman who had some potential, or 2) Cleared some cap space for a future move AND opened a roster spot for guys like Bobby Allen, Matt Lashoff and Mark Stuart. $500,000 may not seem like a lot of money, but it can be a big difference at the deadline.

Kris Vertseeg and a pick to Chicago for Brandon Bochenski. A steal. Chiarelli knows him from Ottawa and he was slated to be on the top line there until a shoulder injury sidelined him. 66 points, 33-33, in 35 games. At 24, he is yet to hit his prime. This guy is tearing it up in the AHL, and could be a star in the NHL. Versteeg was a leading scorer, but doesn't have the potential of Bochenski. Can't wait to see him play.

P-Bruins leading scorer traded

Kris Versteeg 20, the leading scorer for the Providence Bruins was traded for Brandon Bochenski, 24, of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins also included a conditional draft pick for Bochenski. Versteeg was leading the team with 22 goals and 27 assists and also had a +15 rating. Bochenski, in 35 games for the Norfolk Admirals, has 33 goals and 33 assists. He played 10 games for the Blackhawks this season just recording 2 goals. He was originally acquired, along with a second round draft pick, for Tyler Arnason on March 9th of last season.

Talent Analysis

Perhaps the best way to describe Bochenski is pure goal-scorer. He possesses a wicked wrist-shot. He has no trouble scoring and does so with great consistency and in bunches. He can also score those timely goals as well. He finished the 2003-04 season tied for sixth in the nation in game-winning goals with five. 11 of his 27 goals have come on the power play as well. He possesses a long reach and has very good passing skills. He’s willing to drive to the net and has the ability to “cash in” on those in-close rebounds given up by opposing netminders. Having good players who can set up also helps his game tremendously. He had that in Zach Parise this past season, but with Parise and Bochenski both going to the professional ranks in different organizations, he’ll have to find a new set-up man in Binghamton of the AHL.

The two greatest weaknesses Bochenski has are in his skating and his overall defensive game. His skating is average at best. How much it will improve in the future remains to be seen. His defensive game needs to improve if he ever wants to make it to the NHL level. His greatest weakness as far as the defensive side is concerned is his positioning when attempting to defend against opposing players one on one. More often than not, he’s not where he should be and it has led to some good scoring opportunities for opposing players, particularly in the slot and crease areas. At 6’2”/195, Bochenski possesses good size. While he has shown that he can be physical and make very good use of his size and strength, he doesn’t do it often enough. If he did, he would be even more difficult to play against than he already is.