Tonight the Bruins enter into their ass-rapery segment of their schedule. They will be playing 37 games over the next 7 days and in these next 7 days, their view of the playoffs could drastically improve or settle down nice and low and spend some quality dirtbag time with the limp-wristed daffodils of the Northeast, the Toronto Maple Leafs (keep sucking boys, we got your pick AGAIN this year).
After saturday nights 3rd period/OT abortion, I'm hoping the boys will pull their heads out of their asses and realize that they need a 60 minute effort and not what they showed the other night.
The Pens, with or without Crosby, are once again putting up good numbers. The Bruins must do the same and start finding the back of the fucking net.
Couple things:
-Krejci is wasting a spot. Have you ever seen how fast he can skate when he wants to? He'll really GO about once every three games and it leaves me frustrated and pissed all the rest of the times that he just kind of glides around, undoubtedly humming "Afternoon Delight" to himself.
-Now would be a good time for Ryder to pick himself up and get hot and start pounding out some goals.
-No word on Horton yet, but regardless, Looch and Savvy need to be the big guns that they are and find their chemistry. Looch is once again trying to be too cute and forgetting that he needs to use his hits and size to gain some room to operate.
-Chara. You better start leading your team. I don't think I've ever called you out in this blog before, but you can only hide for so long. Tonight, set the pace. Hit everything in sight and play with that nasty edge that we know you have.
-Wouldn't be surprised if Tuukka got the start tonight.
That being said, I hope the boys put saturday night behind them and play this game like it's their last.
Go B's.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
They Know That Games Have 3 Periods, Right?
I think that I've calmed myself enough by now, but we'll see.
After playing a great game for the first 40 minutes, the Bruins simply failed to show up for the 3rd. No offense and little effort had me feeling that normal pit in my stomach, the ones that all fans of Bruins hockey have become accustomed to when they see that their team has engaged auto-pilot.
Anyone that reads this blog knows that I'm a huge fan of the physical games, the games of bloody noses, fights and hits galore.
What I'm not a fan of is what Chara did last night after the game-winning goal. Watching the replays, I saw that Pacioretty (or however the fuck you spell his name) gave Chara a little shove. Chara responded and managed to look the gorilla/sasquatch hybrid that he is so often accused of being. A little anger, fine. His actions, not okay in my book.
In my former profession, I'd run into the guys that would want to fight. If they wanted to stand toe-to-toe, fine. Although they were doing something illegal, there was some kind of fucked-up honor in that. They would inevitably lose, but at least they showed up for the dance.
Now the guys I couldn't stand were the ones that were no problem until they were in handcuffs, running their mouths through the cage and from the safety of a cruiser's back seat. My most-uttered retort? "Where were you when I was putting the cuffs on?"
It's easy to act tough when things are all over. What counts is how you handle yourself during the dance. Last night, Chara failed with flying fucking colors.
As the captain of the Bruins, he should be setting the tone. It should be a game-long effort, not something that is exhibited after the game is over. I've seen little to demonstrate that he is truly leading this team through the season. Yes, he plays crazy minutes every single game, but that alone does not make a leader. He must be accountable for his teammates and their effort and when it's not there, he should be calling them out. I'm sure he was frustrated after the loss, but he's being paid a shit ton of money to play a game and didn't talk to the press. What the fuck is that shit?
Maybe we were spoiled. Maybe we got so used to having Ray Bourque wear the C for so long that we took it for granted. Maybe we got so used to Bourque's classy behavior that anything that doesn't measure up looks weak. But I can say this without doubt: Chara did not have what it takes to wear the C last night. If a 4th line grinder doesn't want to talk to the press, fine. If the losing goalie doesn't want to talk to the press, fine. But the Captain of the team should bear up, set his jaw and face the fucking music. The C on the jersey is a mark of prestige in the NHL. Chara did not show that last night.
Frankly, his behavior has me feeling embarrassed for the Bruins. They looked like low-class thugs with their "fearless" Captain leading the way. At the moment, I'm not proud to be a Bruins fan.
This isn't the end of the season and there are a lot of games left. Something better be done to right the ship and establish some fucking accountability for the players that aren't playing up to the contracts (Looch, Savvy, Wheeler, etc.) or it's going to be a lost season.
Go B's.
After playing a great game for the first 40 minutes, the Bruins simply failed to show up for the 3rd. No offense and little effort had me feeling that normal pit in my stomach, the ones that all fans of Bruins hockey have become accustomed to when they see that their team has engaged auto-pilot.
Anyone that reads this blog knows that I'm a huge fan of the physical games, the games of bloody noses, fights and hits galore.
What I'm not a fan of is what Chara did last night after the game-winning goal. Watching the replays, I saw that Pacioretty (or however the fuck you spell his name) gave Chara a little shove. Chara responded and managed to look the gorilla/sasquatch hybrid that he is so often accused of being. A little anger, fine. His actions, not okay in my book.
In my former profession, I'd run into the guys that would want to fight. If they wanted to stand toe-to-toe, fine. Although they were doing something illegal, there was some kind of fucked-up honor in that. They would inevitably lose, but at least they showed up for the dance.
Now the guys I couldn't stand were the ones that were no problem until they were in handcuffs, running their mouths through the cage and from the safety of a cruiser's back seat. My most-uttered retort? "Where were you when I was putting the cuffs on?"
It's easy to act tough when things are all over. What counts is how you handle yourself during the dance. Last night, Chara failed with flying fucking colors.
As the captain of the Bruins, he should be setting the tone. It should be a game-long effort, not something that is exhibited after the game is over. I've seen little to demonstrate that he is truly leading this team through the season. Yes, he plays crazy minutes every single game, but that alone does not make a leader. He must be accountable for his teammates and their effort and when it's not there, he should be calling them out. I'm sure he was frustrated after the loss, but he's being paid a shit ton of money to play a game and didn't talk to the press. What the fuck is that shit?
Maybe we were spoiled. Maybe we got so used to having Ray Bourque wear the C for so long that we took it for granted. Maybe we got so used to Bourque's classy behavior that anything that doesn't measure up looks weak. But I can say this without doubt: Chara did not have what it takes to wear the C last night. If a 4th line grinder doesn't want to talk to the press, fine. If the losing goalie doesn't want to talk to the press, fine. But the Captain of the team should bear up, set his jaw and face the fucking music. The C on the jersey is a mark of prestige in the NHL. Chara did not show that last night.
Frankly, his behavior has me feeling embarrassed for the Bruins. They looked like low-class thugs with their "fearless" Captain leading the way. At the moment, I'm not proud to be a Bruins fan.
This isn't the end of the season and there are a lot of games left. Something better be done to right the ship and establish some fucking accountability for the players that aren't playing up to the contracts (Looch, Savvy, Wheeler, etc.) or it's going to be a lost season.
Go B's.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
B's Drop 3-1 To The Wild
I work somewhat fucked up hours (I'm pretty sure like my fellow Xbox friend Winston Smith, who generally logs on about ten minutes after I do) and it's rare and quite a treat when I'm able to sit down and watch the game live...of course this means that I have to sit through the moronic, mouth-breather ramblings of Mike Milbury (I know one of these nights Kathryn is just going to flip the fuck out and tell him to shut his stupid fucking suck, and I'll have it on DVR, and I'll be able to watch it whenever I want), but you can't win 'em all, you know? I mean how can anyone think that Milbury knows a fucking thing about hockey? This is the guy that once climbed into the stands and hit a guy WITH HIS OWN SHOE, like some Italian grandmother that prays to spirits and spends three days cooking meatballs and wore black for five years when JFK was killed. Granted it was funny, but who the fuck fights like that? And anyone that wants to challenge me on my "he knows nothing about hockey" comment should research the following: look what he did to the Isles back when he was GM. He fucked them for years to come, trading away several of today's premier players and generally acting like a fucking mook. So suck it. And Noni Milbury can suck it, too. I lace my boots TIGHT, so if reads this blog, gets angry and shows up at my house, he ain't getting my chosen footware (Matterhorns, size 13) off.
ANYWAY.
The boys had a decent effort going until the phantom call against Thornton. He got called for a trip, but I watched the replay in super-slow-mo HD and I posit that the following happened: Thornton managed to catch the string of the tampon that the Wild player had carefully and with jittering hands inserted pre-game, laughing nervously saying "I've only used pads before this!" while Mikko Koivu undoubtedly sat in the next stall reading the instructions aloud ("first use your left hand to spread your labia ma....major...majora? Is that right, majora??") and advising him on the perils of TSS (if you don't know what that is, you never had sisters, and though I may envy you, sometimes they had hot friends that made having sisters tolerable...until they all laughed at you for wearing GI Joe underoos under your baseball pants...which you had put on to make the ladies think you were cool in the first place...self-defeating effort on my I MEAN my friend's part). When he moved his stick, the tampon came out, dropping a few salsa-like spots of blood on the ice. The ref that made the call was/is also on his period, and was feeling bloated, bitchy and was craving something with salt and chocolate in it (maybe a Hershey kiss rolled in salt, yum!) saw a fellow sister in pain and embarrassed, and made the call. I'm sure they're now curled up on the couch, eating fucking tostitos dipped in ice cream wrapped in laffy taffy and are having a good ol' girl talk about the mean words that Thornton uttered.
Like I said, I saw it all. It's right there in the replay if you look close enough.
ANYWAY.
So they bowed out tonight, but what the fuck. The boys have been on the road for like three years, getting 8 out of 10 points, and must be tired.
So I'm looking forward them beating the ever-loving shit out of the goddamn Habs on saturday night. It's too bad that Lapierre was traded, because he's the only punk on the Habs that even comes/came close to playing a physical game. And yes, I say that with the "fight" between David "My Sister Hits Harder" Krejci and Mike "My Penis Is Inverted, And By Inverted, I Mean I Have Mangina, Please Don't Pick On Me, I'm Having A Hard Time Pretending To Enjoy Playing In Montreal, Where Even The Strippers/Crack Whores At Super Sex Know My Average Time On Ice, I Mean Seriously, What Does A Guy Have To Do Just To Get A Little Tug Job From A Chick And Not Think About Hockey For Three Fucking Seconds" Cammilleri in mind, because I wasn't too impressed.
ANYWAY.
The boys better be ready to play saturday night, and I better be impressed, otherwise the troopers will be trying to subdue me as I fling my own feces at the team bus as they head south on I89 underneath the overpass by Carter Hill Road. It's close enough to my house...even closer if I'm drunk and on rollerblades. Some of it's downhill and I'll be getting a ride back in a green and gold cruiser, so I don't even need to bring water to stay hydrated.
I'm just saying.
Go B's.
ANYWAY.
The boys had a decent effort going until the phantom call against Thornton. He got called for a trip, but I watched the replay in super-slow-mo HD and I posit that the following happened: Thornton managed to catch the string of the tampon that the Wild player had carefully and with jittering hands inserted pre-game, laughing nervously saying "I've only used pads before this!" while Mikko Koivu undoubtedly sat in the next stall reading the instructions aloud ("first use your left hand to spread your labia ma....major...majora? Is that right, majora??") and advising him on the perils of TSS (if you don't know what that is, you never had sisters, and though I may envy you, sometimes they had hot friends that made having sisters tolerable...until they all laughed at you for wearing GI Joe underoos under your baseball pants...which you had put on to make the ladies think you were cool in the first place...self-defeating effort on my I MEAN my friend's part). When he moved his stick, the tampon came out, dropping a few salsa-like spots of blood on the ice. The ref that made the call was/is also on his period, and was feeling bloated, bitchy and was craving something with salt and chocolate in it (maybe a Hershey kiss rolled in salt, yum!) saw a fellow sister in pain and embarrassed, and made the call. I'm sure they're now curled up on the couch, eating fucking tostitos dipped in ice cream wrapped in laffy taffy and are having a good ol' girl talk about the mean words that Thornton uttered.
Like I said, I saw it all. It's right there in the replay if you look close enough.
ANYWAY.
So they bowed out tonight, but what the fuck. The boys have been on the road for like three years, getting 8 out of 10 points, and must be tired.
So I'm looking forward them beating the ever-loving shit out of the goddamn Habs on saturday night. It's too bad that Lapierre was traded, because he's the only punk on the Habs that even comes/came close to playing a physical game. And yes, I say that with the "fight" between David "My Sister Hits Harder" Krejci and Mike "My Penis Is Inverted, And By Inverted, I Mean I Have Mangina, Please Don't Pick On Me, I'm Having A Hard Time Pretending To Enjoy Playing In Montreal, Where Even The Strippers/Crack Whores At Super Sex Know My Average Time On Ice, I Mean Seriously, What Does A Guy Have To Do Just To Get A Little Tug Job From A Chick And Not Think About Hockey For Three Fucking Seconds" Cammilleri in mind, because I wasn't too impressed.
ANYWAY.
The boys better be ready to play saturday night, and I better be impressed, otherwise the troopers will be trying to subdue me as I fling my own feces at the team bus as they head south on I89 underneath the overpass by Carter Hill Road. It's close enough to my house...even closer if I'm drunk and on rollerblades. Some of it's downhill and I'll be getting a ride back in a green and gold cruiser, so I don't even need to bring water to stay hydrated.
I'm just saying.
Go B's.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Better Put On The Foil
The Bruins travel to the "hockey hotbed" of Atlanta tonight. This team has managed to put together a pretty good season so far under the tutelage of new coach Craig Ramsey. I miss having his scrawny ass behind the bench, but it's good to see him having success. It's just too bad that the majority of folks down in this area don't seem to know what hockey is and are therefore avoiding the games.
Last time they met, it got nasty at the end. I think that tonight, the choice of whether this game gets nasty will be Atlanta's decision. Looch will obviously be looking for someone to come and "even" the score after he popped that midget last game, but he'll be ready.
Of course, they might also decide to try and let the Bruins sleep. As I've said before and as shown in the game against the Lightning, the boys just don't get into the game unless it's chippy. UFC fighter Forrest Griffin once said that as soon as the fight starts, he likes to get hit in the nose. It wakes him up and lets him know that he's in a fight. I think that the Bruins play in a similar manner. Unfortunately, sometimes they are just too content to lay back. If you watch alot of their games (including the majority of their losses), you will notice one common thread: the lack of any physical play. This version of the Bruins isn't the kind that can remain aloof and coast through the games (like the Red Wings did so often). They need to get the anger juices flowing and get nasty.
Few things:
-Kampfer has impressed me with his offensive skills and willingness to jump into the play. It'll be interesting to see what they do once Caveman Stuart is healthy.
-Great to see Marchand back. That little fucker fills a spot on the roster that has been vacant for waaaaaay to long.
-I'm looking for Savvy to finally shake off the rest of the rust and begin putting up serious points. It's about time and we've seen him making his vintage passes that make you think "how the fuck did he just get that puck through?"
-It wouldn't surprise me if Tuukka gets the start tonight. They still have a few road games left and Timmy will be due a rest at some point. I'm hoping that Tuukka will rediscover his touch.
-Fake Wheeler has begun to impress me on the PK. He's a big, fast dude and he's managed to show some good effort. I liked when he was playing center, as this gave him more duties and he couldn't get out there and just coast through his shift.
-I know that Seguin is young, but his effort hasn't been impressing me lately. I know that I'm just some random dude with an internet connection and a blog, but come on. I say throw the kid back on a line with Patty Cake and Ol' Man Recchi and their good habits will rub off on the boot.
So I guess we'll see how it goes tonight. Either way, it should be entertaining.
Go B's.
Last time they met, it got nasty at the end. I think that tonight, the choice of whether this game gets nasty will be Atlanta's decision. Looch will obviously be looking for someone to come and "even" the score after he popped that midget last game, but he'll be ready.
Of course, they might also decide to try and let the Bruins sleep. As I've said before and as shown in the game against the Lightning, the boys just don't get into the game unless it's chippy. UFC fighter Forrest Griffin once said that as soon as the fight starts, he likes to get hit in the nose. It wakes him up and lets him know that he's in a fight. I think that the Bruins play in a similar manner. Unfortunately, sometimes they are just too content to lay back. If you watch alot of their games (including the majority of their losses), you will notice one common thread: the lack of any physical play. This version of the Bruins isn't the kind that can remain aloof and coast through the games (like the Red Wings did so often). They need to get the anger juices flowing and get nasty.
Few things:
-Kampfer has impressed me with his offensive skills and willingness to jump into the play. It'll be interesting to see what they do once Caveman Stuart is healthy.
-Great to see Marchand back. That little fucker fills a spot on the roster that has been vacant for waaaaaay to long.
-I'm looking for Savvy to finally shake off the rest of the rust and begin putting up serious points. It's about time and we've seen him making his vintage passes that make you think "how the fuck did he just get that puck through?"
-It wouldn't surprise me if Tuukka gets the start tonight. They still have a few road games left and Timmy will be due a rest at some point. I'm hoping that Tuukka will rediscover his touch.
-Fake Wheeler has begun to impress me on the PK. He's a big, fast dude and he's managed to show some good effort. I liked when he was playing center, as this gave him more duties and he couldn't get out there and just coast through his shift.
-I know that Seguin is young, but his effort hasn't been impressing me lately. I know that I'm just some random dude with an internet connection and a blog, but come on. I say throw the kid back on a line with Patty Cake and Ol' Man Recchi and their good habits will rub off on the boot.
So I guess we'll see how it goes tonight. Either way, it should be entertaining.
Go B's.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Turning Point?
In an early season that has already seen several peaks and valleys, the Bruins responded with a hell of an effort against the Predators. Once more, the vultures were circling high above, spewing rumors of trades and coaching changes. The tone was set early by Shawn Thornton, taking on a hell of a tough customer, Eric Boulton.
For those that don't watch hockey (and many that do), fights are supposedly one of the reasons why the sport will never be as big as football or baseball. I've never understood their line of reasoning: hockey fights are generally one on one, whereas fights in baseball and football look like some type of jailhouse riot/shower gangrape, with what looks like 50 plus people running all over the place. I'm a proponent for fighting, as I believe it can sway the course of a game. Thornton once again already has quite a few majors this year...but with that has come an upswing in his production. There are truly few "goons" left in the game. Today's fighter needs to be able to skate and can't be a liability. I'm still a bit shocked that guys like Derek Boogaard and Colton Orr have a place on their teams. They routinely get less than five minutes a game and are absolute defensive nightmares.
The "4th line" has been the consistently best line for the Bruins this year. Campbell, Marchand and Thornton bring the effort every single goddamn shift and they're always exhausted when they get back to the bench (looking at you, Wheeler).
It was great to see Thornton play out of his mind the other night. He must have wanted to put on a show for his parents, who were in attendance. When the Garden crowd started chanting for him to get out on the ice so he could try for the hatter, I'm sure they had cold chills. I know we did.
I'm not quite sure what Meyers was thinking when he went up high with his hit on Looch, but that was a bad fucking choice. Andrew "Recycle, Motherfucker!" Ference came charging in and gave him a whatfer. Looch ended up drawing the match penalty for his little popshot on Meyers once things had settled a bit, but I'm glad the NHL only fined him instead of giving him a game or two. You could see Looch pull his punch a bit and Meyers would have been hurt badly if he had given him all of it.
I think that this game will help pull the team together and show them (once again), that they play the best when they're nasty and hit everything in sight. It worked a few years ago against the Stars, and I'm thinking that it will have the same result this time.
B's have a few days off and will be back on the ice tomorrow night against the Panthers. Until then, happy holidays to all and as always, Go B's.
Friday, November 19, 2010
STOP WHINING, HERE IS YOUR NEW POST...
I know, I know, I know. It's been forever since this thing has been updated. It has taken me that long to get the bad taste out of my mouth. I swear to god, if the Bruins pull shit like that again, I'll slit my wrists, set the wounds on fire, and put on a Montreal jersey. Okay, maybe I won't put on a Habs jersey, but still.
On top of that, I had to plan an entire wedding ALL BY MYSELF WITH NO SUPPORT FROM MY NOW-WIFE. Apparently playing MW2 on Xbox Live is more important to her than joining one another for all eternity in a sacred ceremony. And yes, honey, before you begin to bleed from your eyeballs, that was a joke. Please don't send the Portuguese mob after me. And stop pinching me when I'm sleeping or I'm going to tell the police.
I did have some thoughts about the Bruins this summer. Thoughts that, if I had put finger to keyboard and updated this fucking blog, would have made me look like a goddamn genius. Alas, I did not...so you'll just have to trust me when I say that I was thinking these things. Here they are, in no particular order.
1. Timmy Fuckin' Thomas will come back stronger than ever. To all you goddamn slack-jawed ri-tards that were moaning like a cow that needs to be milked about how Timmy was "done" and "needs to be traded, but who would be stupid enough to take him": go "support" some other team. You threw Timmy under the bus after last year and now look at you. Take a look in the mirror. What you're looking at is someone that doubted a man that has been doubted before. And now, just like before, he's throwing it in your stupid faces. So fuck you.
2. Milan Lucic is going to be scary-good. Last season was basically a wash. He wasn't healthy. Period. He's has become the dominating terrifying man-beast that everyone thought he would. After last night's hatter, teams are going to try and let him sleep. They won't hit him, they won't face wash him. I propose that Marchand kicks Looch in the tip of the dick right before he goes out for his first shift. That should get the hate up.
3. Nathan Horton will be the sniping winger the Bruins have needed for years. If Horton can score twenty-plus goals pretty much every year with the goddamn Panthers, then imagine what he can do with someone that can feed the puck. Plus, his wife was in Playboy. I'm not lying. Google "Nathan Horton's wife". Happy viewing.
Couple other things:
-The "4th Line" has found chemistry that is great to see. Julien has been fiddling with the lines lately, as Thornton keeps scoring (I love seeing that guy score) and appears to be on pace for 86 goals (slight exaggeration).
-I love the way that Marchand is playing. That little fucker makes me laugh every time he's out there. He's also got a nasty wrister that has surprised a few goalies already. Plus, his cheeks get as red as mine. It's nice to see a fellow red-cheeker be successful. Normally we're the guys going "No, no, I'm okay, I'm not having a stroke. This is normal."
-I'm kind of scared to see what will happen with Sturm and Savvy returning right around the corner. There are going to be some tough calls as to who gets sent to Providence or traded. However, if I had to pick right now, I'd go with Paille and Wheeler. The thought of Savvy feeding Horton makes my dick move.
-Did I already mention that all the people that were screaming to trade Thomas need to bend over and stick a telephone pole up their collective asses? Just making sure.
-Patty Cake continues to be the glue on this team. That fucker can play any position Julien wants him to. It was good to see him on the top line and he certainly didn't look out of place.
-Seguin's effort (as well as Caron's) needs to be a little more consistent, but I like what I see. I'm sure that Thornton is hooking them up with hookers from Southie that are showing them a good time.
So all that being said, here's your fucking update (to all three that were requesting it, you know who you are). The B's go with the Kings tonight and it should be pretty fast-paced.
I'll end this on a somber note. I want everyone out there in Hockeyland to bow their heads for a moment and pay their respects to Pat Burns, who passed away after an all-out war with cancer. Burns, who I once despised as the coach of the Habs, was a hockey man through and through. We saw another side of him when he coached the B's, and to me, he'll go down in the pantheon of Bruins coaches that looked good behind the bench of the black and gold and put forth a true hockey team. We'll miss you, Pat. And shame on the Hall of Fame committee for not inducting Pat when they goddamn well should have.
Go B's.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Collapse For The Ages
After charging into the lead on gorgeous goals, the Bruins promptly rolled over, showed their bellies and piddled all over the Garden ice.
After completely dominating the Flyers in the first period (they took their timeout like five minutes in!), the Bruins quickly showed just why they limped into the playoffs.
The D made horrible passes and turnovers, time and time again.
There were no smooth passes in the offensive zone.
If they were able to get into the zone, the effort wasn't there.
Rask did not play a good game. His D might have hung him out to dry on a few of the goals, but he was NOWHERE near where the Bruins needed him to be.
Wheeler was a goddamn no-show in a game that could have used his speed. His "forechecking" was Kessel-esque and he brought nothing to the game.
Nothing against Boychuk (who has hopefully cemented his place on the blueline), but he was the best D-man out there. Stuart played a solid game as well, but two out of six defensemen playing well does not a good game make.
Looch played like a beast, but once again, one man can only do so much.
Recchi and Patty Cake looked like rookies out there, which was strange.
Glaring gaps that need to be addressed:
1. SCORING: Obviously. This was an issue all fucking season. Chiarelli better draft well or use some of those picks to get a true sniper.
2. Consistency: Julien generally awards players that are playing well with increased ice time. This didn't hold true this time around, as Wheeler was a fucking no-show. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but he was an absolutely empty uniform. He brought nothing to the table and just looked like he didn't want to be there. This is absolutely unacceptable and needs to be addressed. Someone will challenge for his spot in training camp. Maybe this will provide motivation; the coaching staff has had to push him to hard and they shouldn't have to. He is a professional fucking athlete. If the motivation is lacking, get the fuck out of town and take someone else's fucking roster spot.
3. Rask: Yes, he had a decent run this year. But when the Bruins needed him the most, he folded like a sodden maxipad. Maybe he got too comfortable. Maybe he started buying into all of the hype. Maybe the crowd chanting his name non-stop inflated his head in an already small helmet. Whatever the reason, he didn't rise to the occasion. An obvious learning experience for him, he now knows what it takes and just how intense playoff hockey is. As shown last night, 3-0 leads mean jackshit in this league.
4. A super-fucking stud that can say "Get on my back, boys. I'll bring you to the promised land": Leadership basically evaporated last night. Where is the guy that gets so angry he smashes things in the locker room? Where is the guy that shoots frickin' laserbeams from his eyes when someone mouths off? Where is the guy that single-handedly changes the outcome of the game by his and just his efforts alone? I can tell you where he isn't: the bench of the Bruins. They need a game-changing player that can step up and make the opponents tremble. It's possible that Looch could fill this role, but I'm guessing that his ankle/finger were still an issue.
5. Team Grit: If I could, I would clone Ian Laperriere and make an entire hockey team of him. The Bruins just don't have a guy that is that insanely gritty and it comes out in games like last night's. Steve Begin is the closest they have, but he is still hampered by injuries as well. Too many players were reluctant to go into the corners (LOOKIN' AT YOU WHEELER AND RYDER). And when Ol' Man Recchi is the only one that dares to park his ass in front of the net, something is wrong. The last player that fit this role perfectly was Mike Knuble (who the Bruins let walk, amazingly). Every fucking game that guy would get cut somewhere on his face because he went into the dirty areas. The Bruins just didn't do it this year...and now they're out.
6. CONSISTENT EFFORT: If Sobotka had played like that all year, it could have been a different season for the Bruins. As already stated, Julien awards ice time to the guys that are banging on all cylinders. Conversely, he should sit the motherfuckers that aren't.
I wouldn't change a thing with the coaching staff. Julien is an amazing coach and it's obvious that his players have bought into his system. Julien never gets too high or low and maintains an even keel. The players feed off this. I think that Julien has done a good job of keeping players from getting diva-esque. However, if effort starts slipping, someone else should be inserted into the lineup.
Even if they hadn't won the Cup, the Bruins' march into the playoffs would have left a good taste in everyone's mouth. They battled to get into the dance and advanced. Their outright collapse and subsequent defeat makes this a very, very bitter pill to swallow for the fans.
As a fan, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing last night. I'm still shaking my head today. Training camp starts in MONTHS and there won't be any hockey until October. To end the season in such a way is akin to getting kicked in the dink by a horse.
I'm still a fan of this team and will always be. The part that sucks is this: until they hoist the Cup, they will always be remembered as the team that took a too many men penalty and squandered a 3-0 lead (both goal and series).
See you in October, boys.
Go B's.
After completely dominating the Flyers in the first period (they took their timeout like five minutes in!), the Bruins quickly showed just why they limped into the playoffs.
The D made horrible passes and turnovers, time and time again.
There were no smooth passes in the offensive zone.
If they were able to get into the zone, the effort wasn't there.
Rask did not play a good game. His D might have hung him out to dry on a few of the goals, but he was NOWHERE near where the Bruins needed him to be.
Wheeler was a goddamn no-show in a game that could have used his speed. His "forechecking" was Kessel-esque and he brought nothing to the game.
Nothing against Boychuk (who has hopefully cemented his place on the blueline), but he was the best D-man out there. Stuart played a solid game as well, but two out of six defensemen playing well does not a good game make.
Looch played like a beast, but once again, one man can only do so much.
Recchi and Patty Cake looked like rookies out there, which was strange.
Glaring gaps that need to be addressed:
1. SCORING: Obviously. This was an issue all fucking season. Chiarelli better draft well or use some of those picks to get a true sniper.
2. Consistency: Julien generally awards players that are playing well with increased ice time. This didn't hold true this time around, as Wheeler was a fucking no-show. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but he was an absolutely empty uniform. He brought nothing to the table and just looked like he didn't want to be there. This is absolutely unacceptable and needs to be addressed. Someone will challenge for his spot in training camp. Maybe this will provide motivation; the coaching staff has had to push him to hard and they shouldn't have to. He is a professional fucking athlete. If the motivation is lacking, get the fuck out of town and take someone else's fucking roster spot.
3. Rask: Yes, he had a decent run this year. But when the Bruins needed him the most, he folded like a sodden maxipad. Maybe he got too comfortable. Maybe he started buying into all of the hype. Maybe the crowd chanting his name non-stop inflated his head in an already small helmet. Whatever the reason, he didn't rise to the occasion. An obvious learning experience for him, he now knows what it takes and just how intense playoff hockey is. As shown last night, 3-0 leads mean jackshit in this league.
4. A super-fucking stud that can say "Get on my back, boys. I'll bring you to the promised land": Leadership basically evaporated last night. Where is the guy that gets so angry he smashes things in the locker room? Where is the guy that shoots frickin' laserbeams from his eyes when someone mouths off? Where is the guy that single-handedly changes the outcome of the game by his and just his efforts alone? I can tell you where he isn't: the bench of the Bruins. They need a game-changing player that can step up and make the opponents tremble. It's possible that Looch could fill this role, but I'm guessing that his ankle/finger were still an issue.
5. Team Grit: If I could, I would clone Ian Laperriere and make an entire hockey team of him. The Bruins just don't have a guy that is that insanely gritty and it comes out in games like last night's. Steve Begin is the closest they have, but he is still hampered by injuries as well. Too many players were reluctant to go into the corners (LOOKIN' AT YOU WHEELER AND RYDER). And when Ol' Man Recchi is the only one that dares to park his ass in front of the net, something is wrong. The last player that fit this role perfectly was Mike Knuble (who the Bruins let walk, amazingly). Every fucking game that guy would get cut somewhere on his face because he went into the dirty areas. The Bruins just didn't do it this year...and now they're out.
6. CONSISTENT EFFORT: If Sobotka had played like that all year, it could have been a different season for the Bruins. As already stated, Julien awards ice time to the guys that are banging on all cylinders. Conversely, he should sit the motherfuckers that aren't.
I wouldn't change a thing with the coaching staff. Julien is an amazing coach and it's obvious that his players have bought into his system. Julien never gets too high or low and maintains an even keel. The players feed off this. I think that Julien has done a good job of keeping players from getting diva-esque. However, if effort starts slipping, someone else should be inserted into the lineup.
Even if they hadn't won the Cup, the Bruins' march into the playoffs would have left a good taste in everyone's mouth. They battled to get into the dance and advanced. Their outright collapse and subsequent defeat makes this a very, very bitter pill to swallow for the fans.
As a fan, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing last night. I'm still shaking my head today. Training camp starts in MONTHS and there won't be any hockey until October. To end the season in such a way is akin to getting kicked in the dink by a horse.
I'm still a fan of this team and will always be. The part that sucks is this: until they hoist the Cup, they will always be remembered as the team that took a too many men penalty and squandered a 3-0 lead (both goal and series).
See you in October, boys.
Go B's.
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