It's Tuukka Time

The B's played well yesterday. The racked up 45 shots and still fell to the lowly Bolts who were able to score on 4 of their 20 shots on goal.

I tried to give Manny a chance, but he has two really bad traits you never want to see in a back up goaltender.

1- He can't just hop into the schedule when needed. He always looks rusty.

2-He makes 4 Million dollars a year.

The B's are at the point where they need to bring up Rask. He's been playing great all year for the Baby B's and is the Bruins best option for a strong back up for Timmy as the B's wrap up the year and get ready for the play offs. Timmy should be able to rest without it meaning an automatic loss. Manny is a head case and only plays well if he's been playing a handful of games. Tuukka is ready and the B's need him. Send Manny down. It's not like anyone is going to grab him from waivers. And if they do, Peace Out Homeboy. This lady will not lose a wink of sleep.

General Soreness + Back Spasms = Hissy Fits?

It's no secret that I don't like Manny Fernandez, so I'm going to go off on a limb with my latest Manny conspiracy theory.

Up until the All-Star team announcements, Manny had been getting pats on the back from fans, press, coaches, etc. He was riding high on these accolades and was given close to equal credit to Thomas as being a big reason for the success of the B's this season. A dynamic duo, both pulling their own weight.

Then Manny disappeared. Within days of Thomas awarded a spot on the All Star Roster. You know, I know, your mother knows, that TT is the best goalie in Boston. Thomas deserved this spot. But if you are a psycho mess of a goalie, I can see how you may not know this.

So Manny's gone. Tukka's up. Manny's locker is gone. Then Manny is back for a day or two and now he's gone again. Either the reason is not disclosed, or he has "general soreness" or back spasms. I feel like that is the stock answer for, he's a fucknut and we don't know what's up with him. And WTF is general soreness? Is he on the rag? You are are getting 4 million a year. Take some Advil and SUCK IT UP.

This happening has also been simultaneous with the B's struggling a bit. Coincidence??? Probably, but I enjoy blaming people I don't like for all the bad things in the world. Time will tell though. Tukka's time with the B's may last longer than you think.

Test Subject #2: Rangers

The Bruins are another step closer to prove that their position in the standings is much more than a fluke. After a decisive win against the Habs Thursday night, the stage is set for their next big test just two days later against the red hot, powerful NY Rangers.

Thomas will most likely get the start tonight with another match up of hot goalie vs hot goalie (literally, I'm not gonna lie, Henrik is fairly dreamy). Lundqvist, who is legitmately in 1st place in fan All Star voting, has been great all season, yet still trails Timmy T in Save % (TT 1st in the league) and GAA (TT 2nd in the league). And may I point out for the millionth time, Timmy T is NOT on the all star ballot.

As for the degree of Hate towards the Rangers,it's pretty high. I've never been a big fan of teams who buy heartless players who decide when they want to put forth effort. However, I think the Ranger management is beginning to see the error of their ways because they have put together a team minus their usual Douchebaggery that seems to have more heart and grit.

Yet, regardless of how I feel about the Rangers, the B's will have their hands full tonight. Yet their ability to overcome the mindfuck the Habs had held over them for 12 games, should have them coming out with extra intensity tonight.

Look for TT to continually prove himself, Lucic to still be fired up and come out hitting everything in Blue, and Marcoooo to continue to light it up. D will be hurting a bit with Ference out, hopefully for just two games, although that block sent pangs of pain up my leg. This could be the push Chara needs to pick up his game. The Captain has not played poorly of late, but he has not played like Chara. He needs to step it up and join the efforts the rest of his team is putting forth.

The B's showed their true colors on Thursday. As my Pops says, Neely has his fingerprint all over that team. This the the team Bruins fans have been waiting for.

Who's the most grossly overpaid player(s) on the B's?? Hmmm...

Tonight as the B's face the Habs in Montreal, I'm more concerned about their team salary. Seems as though a trade is imminent, and Schafer seems like the most obvi candidate for me. He just doesn't fit. And Manny. Fucking Manny. How does that man hold up his head and look his teammates in the eye walking into that locker room? For that matter, Peter must feel the same. 2.1 mil? What the F have you done?

There are players who are worth their weight in gold making peanuts compared to both of them. But who's the most over paid? Goes with out saying, 4.3 million is disgusting for a has been, mindfucked, shitty goaltender. Put the douchebag on waivers. Who is going to want him? (BTW, I did pull my t-shirt away from him at the signing and said, no thank you).

He is dead weight and fucking up the cap. Wheeler/Rask will take up 6 mil alone to sign. In addition, word on the street has thrown around PJ and Phil's names a bit. I will be livid if either are traded. PJ shows up for EVERY game. Plus he wears purple suits with pink pinstripes. That's hot. And Phil will be another Brad Boyes if traded away. They shouldn't have to pay for the fact that Fernandez and Schafer are dead weight and eating up a shit ton of salary space.

But, going back to tonight's game, my Pops will be there and I pray that he doesn't have to sit through their gay goal song even once. Unfortunately that won't happen though. Fucktard is starting, and despite Ryder getting a hat trick tonight, this is going to be a tough one for the B's.

GO BOSTON

A Look Back: Boston, career suicide for promising goaltenders.

Back in 2004, Andrew "Rayzor" Raycroft, seemed like the next big thing in goaltending. "Seemed" is the important word. After being dealt to Toronto, Rayzor became dull. His last three years have been dismal, and now the word on the street is that he'll play in Russia next year along with another former "promising" goaltender, John Graham. This news made me a bit nostalgic as I took a trip down memory lane, remembering a few failed Bruins goaltenders of the past....

Jim Carey, born May 31st, 1974
6ft 2, 190 lbs
Interesting Fact: Beat out Hasek for Vezina Trophy

Carey began his promising career in the height of Hasek's net domination. After turning heads with his outstanding play in Washington, he stole some of the limelight from Hasek and was able to wrangle the Vezina in 1996. While in Washington, he averaged a .909 save percentage. The subsequent year he was in a blockbuster trade which shipped off fan favorite Adam Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet to Washington and Carey Boston.
And that is when shit hit the fan for young Carey. The Vezina winner looked like a fish in front of the B's net. In his 4 years with the B's, he played only 69 games, more than half of those being with the Baby B's. After an embarrassing 4 years, he signed with the Blues, played 4 games and was never to be heard from again.

Parting Quote:
"The funny thing about that trade was that when David said he wanted [veteran goalie] Bill Ranford, I said we had to have a goalie back and David asked if I wanted Kolzig or Carey,'' Bruins GM Harry Sinden said. ``Of course, I went for the younger guy who had won the Vezina. Obviously, that wasn't one of my smarter decisions.''


Byron Dafoe, born February 25th, 1971
5ft 11, 190 lbs
Interesting fact: Memorable on ice fight with opposing goaltender Olaf Kolzig who was later Dafoe's Best Man at his wedding.

Out of all the Bruins failed goaltenders, Lord Byron probably garnered the most success with a solid 4 year run with the B's. Dafoe, also brought up by the Caps, was picked up by the B's in 1997 after they realized Carey's goose was cooked. While Dafoe found some success with the B's (he was a Vezina finalist in 1999), he signed with the Thrashers in 2002 as a UFA. He retired in 2004 after being plagued with injuries.

Parting Quote:
"Couldn't match his Vezina Trophy-finalist status from '98-99, possibly because he felt the effects of his early-season contract holdout. A late-season knee injury also didn't help. An aggressive and athletic butterfly-style puck stopper, Dafoe has chalked up 20 shutouts in his career thus far. Trade rumors surrounded him last season. Dafoe will want to bounce back with a vengeance after his worst campaign in Beantown.

And last but certainly not least...

Blaine Lacher, born September 5th, 1970
6ft 1, 205 lbs
Interesting Fact: Was dubbed, Let 'Em In Lacher in 1995.

Not much to say about Blaine other than, he was a stand out goaltender in college and much was expected from him when he reached the NHL. While he started out strong in goal for the B's it was short lived. His last 10 games with the B's yielded a 3.93 GAA and .845 Save percentage. He then signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 1995 where things went from bad to worse. So bad, he was dubbed, Let 'Em in Lacher. ouch...
After winning 1 game with the Griffins, he retired from hockey after only 3 years in the pros.

Parting Quote:
"If the Bruins don't make a deal for an established goalie, Lacher (barring a terrible training camp) looms as the favorite to win the starting job. The club likes Lacher's feisty attitude, which has drawn comparisons to Ron Hextall. He is big (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), cocky and confident that he can stand the pressure of playing in Boston. He posted a 1.98 goals-against average for Lake Superior State last year."

There are several more failed B's goaltenders worth mentioning, but after writing the third, I realized that this is fucking depressing. It also brought on fears of this coming season and a potential Manny debacle.

So I am going to end this piece, get another cup of coffee, write a poem about Lucic, and find my happy B's place.