Sunday, June 28, 2009
Summing Up The Draft
Ok, I am back from a much needed vacation in Maine and ready to talk about the draft.

BCJM already talked about the Bruins 1st round pick Jordan Caron.

So what about the rest of the draft?

3rd Round (#86): RYAN BUTTON.


Button is an 18 year old defense who played in the WHL last year. At 6'0", 185lbs Button is said to be a very mobile defenseman who skates well.

In 2008, Button played 70 games for the Prince Albert Raiders. During that span he netted 5 goals and had 32 assists (37 points).

Button was a very dependable defenseman for the Raiders and was a staple at the blue line on their powerplay. Earlier I mentioned that he does skate well with a bit of speed and very good control and this allows him to jump back into the play should he make a mistake.

Button's biggest issue will be his size and he will need to bulk up to deal with the larger, quicker players in the NHL.

4th round (#112): LANE MACDERMID


Lane is a 20 year old LW who split time for the Owen Sound Attack and Windsor Spitfires this past season in the OHL. With the Owen Sound Attack, MacDermid has 8 goals and 6 assists (14 points) and played 38 games for Windsor tallying 7 goals and 14 helpers (21 points), but had a very solid playoffs with 4 goals and 5 assists (9 points) in 20 games.

MacDermid is a big guy at 6'3" 205lbs and he knows how to throw his fists around. With the Owen Sound Attack, MacDermid racked up 85 Peanlty Minutes (PIM) and 112 with Windsor.



As you can see in the video, MacDermid (#15, dark jersey) drops this guy with one punch. It seems that MacDermid is a Lucic-type of player who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.

6th round (#176): TYLER RANDELL


Randell is 6'1", 195lbs RW who played for the Bellevielle Bulls/Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Randall began the 2008-2009 season playing for the Belleville Bulls where he posted 10 goals and 5 assists (15 points) before being traded to the Kitchener Rangers mid-season. For the Rangers he netted 14 goals and had 8 helpers (22 points) for a combined 37 points in 73 games.

Randell is a checking forward who will score most of his goals around the net. His large size should help him set-up in front of the net and deflect pucks in. His biggest drawback is his skating ability, which will have to improve immensely if he is to see time in the NHL.

7th round (#206): BEN SEXTON

Not much is known from Sexton. The 5'1" 185lbs C will play in the BCHL next year.

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I think Boston drafted pretty well and I am a big fan of the Ryan Button and Lane MacDermid pick. I think Button will have a great impact in Providence, as they are looking for a top defensive chip now that Lashoff is in Tampa.
Friday, June 26, 2009
With the 25th overall pick the Boston Bruins select....



From the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, Jordan Caron.

Ok, so it wasn't either of the two possibilities I gave in my pre draft post but I'm just an internet blogger. The 19 year old from Sayabec, Quebec was ranked 21st amongst North American forwards. I had the pleasure of watching Caron in this years edition of the Memorial cup and I really like this pick.

Caron is a hard worker, he's a blue collar player that doesn't mind getting in there a mucking things up. That being said he has skill. He finished 11th in the QMJHL in goals this past season with 36 and added another 6 goals in 16 games in the QMJHL playoffs. He uses his 6'2" frame very well while on the forecheck. During the Memorial cup, it was Caron who was matched up against Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires, a player whom many speculate will be the 1st overall pick in next years draft, holding the Spitfires star to a mere 1 assist in the two games the teams faced each other in. Caron is also the type of player that likes to get his hands dirty. He can be compared to Milan Lucic in that sense. He's not afraid to hit or drop the gloves when needed.

Caron isn't a flashy player by any sense of the word. He gets his points by working hard and using his body to get position on the defense. That being said, Caron is a project pick. He isn't NHL ready and will probably return to Rimouski for a year or two before being moved up to Providence. I wouldn't expect to see Caron in the NHL for at least 3-4 years. I had originally hoped the Chiarelli and company would go for a defenseman, more specifcally Stephan Elliott of the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL but after thinking about this pick I understand it and like it. Caron is going to be one of those energy guys that players hate to play against. He probably won't be a guy who will go out there and get you 25 goals a season but he'll play his heart out and leave everything on the ice.
Bruins-Leafs Trade Imminent?


Thanks to my boy Chris Bell for this one...

From TSN:

"The Boston Bruins are in pursuit of Tomas Kaberle and a top 10 pick in today's draft.

Sources tell TSN the Bruins have offered restricted free agent forward Phil Kessel to Toronto in exchange for the Leaf defenceman and Toronto's No. 7 pick in the draft."

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I'll be honest, I'm not up to snuff with Kaberle and what he can bring to the table other than $4.25 million a season for the next to years. Chris, who is a good friend and a Leafs fan said this:

"Good defenseman but soft in his own end and is just completely scared to use his shot, which is quite accurate. He always passes instead of shoots."

It does help fill the void at the Bruins need at defense, but is he worth that much money? Who knows. The Bruins could move Kaberle.

INTERJECTING EDIT!

TSN has amended it's initial story (which used our blog title by the way!) and Boston.com's Bruins blog has the info:

"According to tsn's report early this morning, the Bruins offered Phil Kessel to the Leafs for Kaberle and Toronto's top pick, No. 7 overall, in tonight's amateur draft.

Now, according to tsn, the Bruins have offered Kessel and a draft pick of their own (not a first-rounder) for the 31-year-old Czech-born blueliner."

Well this piece of information has now changed my view on this trade. I hope Toronto declines it because you're not getting compensation for the offensive part of your game. That was (possibly) where it came form with the #7 pick.

However, the deal was (probably) made because Chiarelli knows that there is no chance of Kessel staying in Boston. It's been made clear through various media sources that he believes he is a $5M player.

Unless he is planning to give Savard about $1.5M of that money, sorry Kess, there's the door. I like you kid, but not enough for $5 a year.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure they can put together a better trade than Kaberle.

Hey!

Now my Heatley thing is still in effect!
New Beginnings - The 1920s
The 1920’s is the official start of the uniform project as this is when the Boston Bruins came into the NHL. The Bruins broke into the NHL under owner Charles Francis Adams, a grocery store financier from Vermont. Adam’s allegedly paid the NHL $15,000 to ice the first American based team.


This is the inaugural uniform for the Boston Bruins. Although the Bruins nickname is now “black and gold” the team began with a brown and gold color because Adams wanted the team colors to match his Brookside Stores.

The uniform itself is actually a sweater with a felt logo stitched onto it. This would only last one year as Boston decided to “modernize” their sweaters to match those around the league.


This sweater was introduced in the beginning of the 1925-1926 season. Much different than its predecessor, this jersey has a white base and features brown and yellow alternating stripes. The logo is a little different too and the number is brown with a yellow outline, as opposed to a yellow number with no outline.

This jersey would only be worn for a year as the Bruins made another change in their uniform.


This uniform change would last through the end of the 1920’s and ultimately change in 1931 (however you’ll see the change wasn’t that great). This particular jersey is the more famous of the three used in the 1920’s because they were worn when Boston won the Stanley Cup in 1929.

The jersey itself is similar to the one before it, however the logo was given a complete make over and even provides a smiling Bruin (though you can’t see it with this smaller mock-up). The arm pattern still sports a brown and yellow alternate striping but there is no more white space like the in 1925-1926 uniform. The socks and pants have remained the same from the 25-26 uniform to the 26-31 uniform.

credits: sportslogo.net for the 1926-1931 Bruins logo (I made the other 2 by hand) and credit to roger clemente of sportslogos.net for the jersey template that was (and will) used.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Bruins To Host Flyers At Winter Classic
Yes, there WILL be hockey at Fenway Park.
(credit to sportressofblogitude.com for the picture)

Well, it appears that the Bruins will be hosting the Flyers during the Winter Classic. For those of you out of the loop, the Winter Classic is played on New Year's Day and last year pitted the Chicago Blackhawks against the Detroit Red Wings.

TSN is reporting that the Bruins and Flyers will face off this year at Fenway Park.

"The NHL's third Winter Classic will be played between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010.

It is being reported by the Trentonian that the league was trying to push for a Washington/Boston matchup at Fenway in order to feature two-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin. However, NBC, who will broadcast the game, wanted the Flyers so as to draw a better television audience."

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Honestly, I would've liked to see either the Washington Capitals or Montreal Canadiens coming into Fenway Park. Montreal needs no reasoning and I feel that over the past season Boston and Washington has played each other very well, often to some very, very close games.

This will be exciting though for sure because it hockey...at Fenway Park no less.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Boston Bruins Uniform Project
The Bruins current home jersey

I want to make this known to everyone right now, before you ask the question. Yes, I am ripping off my friend Cole who is doing some impressive things with The Other 6 Seconds.

We kind of got into the NHL blogging world together. I started Something's Bruin which pushed him to start The Other 6 Seconds, a fan blog dedicated to the Dallas Stars. Cole is very passionate about the Stars, as I am with the Bruins, and he is under-going a uniform project that will show the world from the beginnings in Minnesota all the way to the current sweaters worn by Dallas. I've read Cole's first two entries of the project, the Introduction to the Project and Uniforms of the 1960s.

His project sparked a passion within me to do a Boston Bruins uniform project. I'd like to start this off by saying one thing: I'm a jersey FANATIC. I own 10 NFL jerseys, 4 Boston Red Sox jerseys, 3 Boston Celtics jerseys and 3 NHL jerseys (a customized Boston Bruins current home jersey and a 1972 Phil Esposito dark jersey). I don't know why, but I love to wear jerseys and those who know me know that I have many of them.

So why do a Boston Bruins uniform project? There are a few reason actually:

1. I've never seen a complete Boston Bruins uniform project on the web.

- I've viewed countless Bruins pages that have the history of the Bruins. I've also viewed countless pages that have each jersey throughout history, however I have never come across a page yet that has both in tandem. I plan on bringing that to the fans.

2. The Bruins are worth it.

- The Bruins are an original six team. They deserve to have their jerseys shown throughout history. Not only can we see the epic uniforms (like the 1972 jerseys) but also the failures (Winnie The Pooh alternate jersey) and everything in between.

My plan is that this project will take up a lot of my blogging time, which will make the slackers who are listed underneath me on the right side do some work. I hope everyone who reads this is interested and sticks around through the updates. It should (and probably will) be finished by the time August/September rolls around, depending on how much work (yeah, real life work, sucks I know) has to be done in this crazy life of mine.

I'm hoping for the 1920's to be up in the next couple of days.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I have a beef with McFarlane toys.

Ok so right now you may be saying to yourself, wow two posts in one day from that BCJM guy. Well I've realized I have been neglecting my responsibility here at somethings Bruin. So with that said, a big WTF to McFarlane toys.

I have been a collector of McFarlane toys (well at least the Bruin and Detroit Tiger figures) since the release of Andrew Raycroft (I KNOW!!!!!!) and have every Bruins player they've released, save Ray Bourque (If someone out there has one they want to part with, hit me up.) So I go to check the spawn.com website to see if the new series' have been released. First on the list NHL legends series 8 containing number 24 Terry O'Reilly. Sweet, release is in October so I'll be looking for this one at Walmart. I go back to the main page to look at NHL series 22 thinking, maybe they'll have a David Krejci or a Milan Lucic or a Tim Thomas for Gods sake. Nope. They have Martin Brodeur 3, Saku Koivu 2, Miikka Kiprusoff 2, Alex Ovechkin 2, Daniel Alfredsson 3, Darryl Sittler 2 (What he is doing in the regular NHL series is beyond me because last time I checked he retired when I was a little kid) and Mats Sundin 2.

So now my question is, is why are players like Saku Koivu and Daniel Alfredsson now on their second and third figures while the last "current" Bruins player they have had, has been Andrew Raycroft?? This years Bruins roster was full of players who should have been potentially considered. Hello? Kessel, Lucic, Krejci, Savard, Chara, Thomas. Why is it there are no first time players in this years series?
Happy fathers day to me!


Since my wife has to work tomorrow, I got all of my fathers day gifts a day early. They included Dr. Horrible's sing along blog, a gift box full of paper tools, my daughter Nicole made me at school, a chocolate NHL egg thing with a NHL team pendant inside (guess which team I'm hoping for) and a brand new Bruins hat that I have been wanting to get for a while now.

All these gifts were cool but the best part of the whole thing was when my daughter handed me the bag that contained my hat. She gave it to me and let me open it and look inside before saying "Go Bruins" in her trademark shy voice. Now I don't know if her mother told her to tell me that beforehand or if she did it herself (I always go around giving her high fives and say GO BRUINS!) but it was by far one of the coolest things fatherhood has brought me so far.

So to all the fathers out there who are Bruins fans, happy fathers day to you and here's to hoping you've brain washed your kids into loving the Bruins as much as I do.
No Money for Muzz


Big props to Boston.com for this one:

"Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed that arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that the Bruins were within their rights last summer to buy out the final year of Murray’s deal, which was to pay the veteran right winger $1.45 million."

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Can't say I blame Boston for doing this. I wouldn't want to pay a guy either if I didn't have to. Muzz says he was injured and I'm pretty sure Chiarelli retorted with something along the lines of "When WEREN'T you injured?"

Lets face it Muzz, you've been stealing from the Bruins for awhile now while pretending to play hockey.

Jacobs should just use the "its not you, its me" line and end this relationship.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bruins Leave Vegas As Big Winners

BOOM! BOOM! FIREPOWER!

Well, I have to give it to Patrick. Although his picks were clearly made out of homerism, he was right. He correctly predicted that every Boston Bruin nominated for an award would leave Las Vegas with a trophy to put on the mantle. Kudos to you sir, may you burn in hell.

Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Claude Julien and Manny Fernandez all walked away as winners tonight, taking home some nice hardware. Thomas and Fernandez won the William Jennings Trophy which is given to "the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play."Now I'm not going to say ManFran doesn't deserve it...but ya know...he doesn't.

Although Manny Fer-after thought didn't really deserve anything, Thomas did and he walked out of Vegas with not only the Williams Jennings Trophy but also the crown jewel of goalie awards, the Vezina Trophy. Claude walked away with the Jack Adams Award (coach of the year) and a beardless (insert sad face here) Zdeno Chara took home the James Norris Trophy (best defenseman)

Although it is no Stanley Cup, Bruins fan can take solace in the fact that the team and its players are finally getting recognized in a hockey world where Boston, until this year, wasn't even close to being on the map. Hell, the Bruins were to busy sleeping outside of the building where teams would register to be put on the hockey map. Oh yeah, I saw it, they were sleeping right next to Phoenix and Columbus.

I can say that I am proud of the season we had before falling to Carolina in the playoffs, but a team has to start somewhere. I put this exactly in the category of the 2003 Boston Red Sox whose heartbreaking loss to New York was taken care of the next year. Sometimes a team just need to feel the sting of a loss before the high of a victory.

So to Zdeno, Tim and Claude, congrats on your hardware because each one of you were a driving force to helping the Bruins take over the top spot in the East. Put them on the shelf, show the kiddies and get ready for the 2009-2010 season because this is just the beginning.
Bruins Trio Looking For Some Hardware
Will the Bruins trio bring home hardware?

"Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, we'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it!"
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaand JAZZ HANDS!)

But seriously, tonight is the NHL Awards in Las Vegas and the Bruins are looking to pull off the trifecta of awards with Zdeno Chara winning the Norris Trophy, Tim Thomas taking home the Vezina Trophy and Claude Julien walking away with Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year for all you non-hockey nuts).

The Vezina Trophy

I made my prediction about Thomas' chances to win the Vezina Trophy and I'm sticking to my guns with Thomas walking home with the award. Thomas led the league in the two most important categories when it comes to a goalie, Goals Against Average (GAA) and Save Percentage (S%).

Pezell's prediction: Tim Thomas
Patrick's prediction: Tim Thomas


So lets talk about the Jack Adams Award.

The Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." This year's finalists are Claude Julien from the Boston Bruins, Andy Murray from the St. Louis Blues and Todd McLellan from the San Jose Sharks.

Honestly, a pretty tough group to choose from. McLellan led the Sharks to the President's Trophy (given to the team with the most points at the end of the season). Julien led a Bruins team to the top seed in the East while Murray led the Blues to the playoffs, a feat that hasn't been done since 2004.

What makes the Blues story so compelling is that this franchise has been at the bottom of the barrel and a virtual laughing stock since 2004. Hell, in the 2008-2009 season, the Blues spent the first half looking up at everybody in the Western Conference. By the trading deadline, goaltender Chris Mason seemed to hunker down and the Blues eventually clinched the 6th seed in the West.

Murray instilled a hard-nosed game of hockey that the St. Louis players and fans really seem to embrace.

Claude Julien also did something no one believed he could; take the Bruins to the top seed in the East. Many "experts" had Boston in the 6-8 seed range, some even had them missing the playoffs. Julien was able to take a healthy mix of veterans and young players and teach them what Bruins hockey is all about.

Under Dave Lewis, the Bruins lacked two important aspects of hockey: goal scoring and toughness. Julien addressed both issues during his first year (which was last season) and this year seemed to expand on the foundation he built. Julien's moniker of hard-hitting, disciplined hockey led Boston to the top seed in the East and the second best record in the NHL behind San Jose.

Lastly is Todd McLellan, who I doesn't really have a shot at this, and here is why. Look at the body of work that Murray, and to a lesser extent, Julien had to work with. Both St. Louis and Boston don't have the talent that San Jose had coming into the season. Many "experts" picked San Jose to win the Stanley Cup. With Nabakov and Joe Thornton has your superstars, you SHOULD be close to the top in the Western Conference.

Pezell's prediction: Andy Murray

Patrick's prediction: Claude Julien

The Norris Trophy

The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position".

Yes, James Norris, not Chuck Norris...

Chuck Norris is so frightening that the puck just throws itself into the net so it won't get hit with his slapshot.

But seriously, back to the Norris Trophy. This year's finalists are Zdeno Chara from the Boston Bruins, Mike Green from the Washington Capital and Mr. Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom.

Lidstrom is looking for his 7th Norris Trophy, which would put him 2nd all time behind Bobby Orr (8) and tied with Doug Harvey (7, [6 w/ Montreal, 1 w/ NY Rangers]) and the most among active players. It is my belief that Lidstrom will actually finish third in the voting this year despite having some pretty impressive offensive numbers. Lidstrom was third amongst defensemen in scoring with 16 goals and 43 assists (59 points), but offense isn't the only thing the voters (should) look at. Lidstrom backed a pretty good defensive unit in Detroit, evident by their Stanley Cup run this (and previous seasons).

Mike Green is also making a case for himself as he led all defensemen in scoring with 31 goals and 42 assists (73 points). Clearly Green was one of the reasons why Washington was near the tops of the East for the entire season, but many felt his defensive skills were lacking.

Lastly is Zdeno Chara. I've been lucky enough to watch Chara for 82+ games this year and clearly his defensive presence made this team what it is today. Not only was Chara huge on the defensive end, but he also scored timely goals with that monster 105 m.p.h slapshot.

Pezell's predictions: Zdeno Chara
Patrick's predictions: Zdeno Chara

So there you have it! Unfortunately I have 2 out of 3 Bruins taking home hardware while Patrick has a sweep.

Leave your thoughts and comments on who will walk home with hardware at tonight's NHL Awards.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Chiarelli gets extension
Chiarelli should be all smiles after a nice 4 year extension!

So I know this is a day late and I apologize. My child was home with the flu yesterday, so I was out of work and by habit away from the computer. More importantly, Ghostbusters: The Video Game was also released, so while she was sleeping or watching TV in my bed, I was plopped in front of the TV foaming at the mouth and re-living my childhood.

But I mean, who doesn't want to shoot the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man off the side of a building in New York? I know I do!

I did that! I did that, that's my fault!!

Ok, on to the real matter at hand here:

Exhale Bruins fans! Our leader, Peter Chiarelli, is staying in Boston for another 4 years! It seems that Jeremy Jacobs is finally coming around the be the type of owner that he should've been before a salary cap was instilled.

Chiarelli has done nothing but build this team successfully through the draft and free agency, bringing in top notch players like Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard. Honestly, I think the only thing Chiarelli did wrong was sign Hitler's look-alike in Dave Lewis.

From Boston.com:

Peter Chiarelli, named NHL Executive of the Year by Sporting News, signed a multiyear extension. Chiarelli would have entered the fourth and final season of his contract in the upcoming season.


I'm glad they are sticking with this guy. He's a smart GM who knows how he wants to build this team. Along with Julien, I don't see how Boston can't compete in the future.

I guess we'll see what happens come July 1st!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Dany Heatley To The Boston Bruins?
Is Heatley cheering the thought of wearing black and gold?

Heatley to Boston? Sound a little crazy right? Well it’s not as zany a thought as you may initially have thought when I put the thought out there into the thoughts of our many readers…right? Well there are two scenarios where Heatley could end up in Boston.

SCENARIO #1:

The first scenario sees the Bruins making a couple of trades. The first trade is actually rumored right now and has the Bruins sending the rights to Kessel to the Colorado Avalanche for Milan Hejduk and the #3 pick.

Hejduk, who has a $4M contract expiring at the end of the season, played all 82 games this season for the Avalanche and netted 27 goals while posting 32 assists (59 points).

After this move is made, the Bruins would then move Hejduk ($4M), Patrice Bergeron (who is making $5M this season and $5.75M next season) and the 25th pick to Ottawa for Dany Heatley who is currently making $8M for the next three seasons and $6M in 2012/2013 and $5 in 2013/2014.

SCENARIO #2

The second scenario seems to be less likely as it has the Bruins sending Phil Kessel and Patrice Bergeron to Ottawa in exchange for Heatley. The biggest reason I don’t see this scenario working out is that you have two of your players still in the division. Two players who know the ins-and-outs of your system pretty well and they know your offensive and defensive designs to a T.

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Now after reading these scenarios, you may be sitting there asking yourself: Why Dany Heatley? Well the answer is pretty simple. Heatley is a left handed shot, something the Bruins desperately needed with Marco Sturm out of the line-up last year. Heatley is currently 28 years old and will be turning 29 at the mid-season point. At the end of his contract, Heatley will be 33 years old and you have had him throughout his prime.

More importantly, look at the stats. Since the lock-out, Heatley has put up 100+ points twice since the NHL lockout. In 2005-2006 season Heatley amassed 50 goals and 53 assists (103 points) and the following season 50 goals and 55 assists (105 points). Since then, Heatley suffered an injury and only played 72 games in the 2007-2008 but still put up 41 and 41 (82 points) and last year played 82 games although putting up worse numbers (39 goals, 33 assists, 72 points) on a very bad Senators team.

Kessel was able to put 36 pucks in the net this year, mostly because Marc Savard was anchoring the first line. There is no doubt in my mind that Heatley would match that total, if not exceed it, with a player like Savard on his team (who he played with in Atlanta).

I think the first scenario would be the most benefical to Boston. They trade Kessel to a team in the west so they don’t have to play him as much, send an ailing Bergeron and his large cap number to Colorado and also retain the #3 pick.

Would Ottawa take it? I have no idea, but you also have to remember, Heatley carries a No-Trade Clause so Ottawa could have limited choices.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Congrats to the Pens...


I know what you are thinking. How did I get "Sid the Kid" to stand still long enough for a picture? I had to throw him fishes and American money. It was worth it. He is so cute isn't he?

So the Penguins won the Stanley Cup...

"Sid the kid" the golden child has his one trophy... and dozens of small Russian villages have a local hero who was a scrub on their roster.

and Detroit is upset that Sid did not shake hands with some of them. Who gives a crap. He was busy thinking about how this victory can get him a date with Megan Fox. I hope it does... I really hope it does. I hope he does not date and marry her just to get a green card or American citizenship. That is uncool.

I know that Detroit needed something to celebrate being that is the worst place in the world to live other than an active war zone. Parts of Somalia are far nicer than the Rock City. Yet even if the Red Wings had won what would that have done? A parade they could not afford? Even more creepy men with beards walking the streets with sticks and no teeth. They won last year and what changed? Was Detroit magically placed in the tropics? Was there a huge influx of money the likes of which would make Mr. Burns green with envy? Nada! Nothing changed it is still the home to sub-par sports teams and the one airport you beg the airlines not to send you through...

So I tip my hat to the Sid and the Penguins. I think if the Bruins had gotten past the Canes it would have been a different story but we have the rest of our lives to figure that one out. So enjoy it golden boy... see you next year young pup...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Happy Birthday To Me?
Back off man, I'm a scientist....

Yesterday I have added another mark towards my goal of hitting 30. To be honest, I don't care that I'm only a few more years from the big 3-0 because I don't see myself changing much despite the different roles I've taken on in my life.

Well, I was sitting at home (because my work gives your birthday off as a holiday) watching Ghostbusters II on DVD and wondering what time the Stanley Cup Finals started. To my surprise, the game is tonight (Friday) and wasn't last night. Thinking about the match-up, I began to think what would've happened should the Bruins beat the Hurricanes and face Pittsburgh.

There is no doubt in my mind that they matched up much better against Pittsburgh then they did against Carolina. They can push Pittsburgh around, beat them up and also light up Marc-Andre Fleury. Let's be serious here, Fleury is no Cam Ward. Ward was excellent throughout the semi-finals, but suddenly fell apart during the Eastern Conference Finals, and that's complete bullshit.

I still hate you Cam Ward, you bastard

Why couldn't Ward have fallen apart during Game 7? It was bittersweet to see Cam Ward implode into a shell of himself during the Conference Finals because he WAS the reason that Boston started golfing earlier than they were supposed to. I know that the fact that five Bruins had to make appointments to get various surgeries the day after Game 7 was a reason they exited early, but Cam Ward was standing on his head.

To see Ward falter in the series against the Penguins pissed me off. The Bruins should've been there, they should have taken the Penguins 7 and I believe, that if fully healthy, they would've wiped the floor with Pittsburgh.

Instead, I've watched a player I absolutely despise in Sidney Crosby inch closer to a Stanley Cup and listen to the hoopla behind him.

I thought that this was the year where the Bruins would look at its hardcore fanbase that has followed it through thick and thin, through the Joe Thornton trade bullshit, through horrible goaltending in the form of Steve Shields, through the decline of Glenn Murray, through the collapse against Montreal in 2002 and finally bring home some hardware.

Alas, I sit at home on my birthday watching Ghostbusters II because I have nothing to look forward to on the ice until October. I hope that when July 1 comes around, we, as Bruins diehards, will have something to cheer about, to talk about and to disagree over.

Until then, my dear friends, I will continue my trek to the big 3-0 in hopes that the Bruins can bring me a cup before then!

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Bruins and Kessel Aren't Even Close
Well Bruins fans, you may never see this again...

I want to give some love to the guys over at Stanley Cup of Chowder. They do a fantastic job and for those who don't know about them, I would suggest checking them out.

While I was going through my Bruins Blogosphere, like I do every morning, there was something on Stanley Cup of Chowder that caught my eye.

Apparently the Bruins and RFA Phil Kessel aren't even close to a deal:

The Bruins and F Phil Kessel appear to be far apart on a contract. Coming off an entry-level salary of $850,000, Kessel wants a huge raise to $5 million per season. It appears GM Peter Chiarelli wants Kessel to accept a similiar deal C David Krejci inked earlier this week -- $11.25 million over three years. If Kessel won't budge, he could be moved ...

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Now, I've made my thoughts pretty well known on the re-signing of Phil Kessel. My stance is still pretty much the same.

I don't see the reasoning behind signing Kessel for anything more than what David Krejci got. Sure, Kessel score 30+ goals, but so did Patrice Bergeron and his contract may be the biggest problem on the roster. You never know what happens with hockey players season after season. Three years ago Bergeron was being touted as one of the best in the East, but now fans what him out of town. You can't sign players to high contracts anymore because of a declining salary cap.

One of my good friends put it this way yesterday. "I would rather have two decent to good players at $2.5M then 1 Phil Kessel at $5 M."

I couldn't agree more my friend, I couldn't agree more.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
My Plea To The World Of Sports

The title says it all. This whole "waiting for the season to begin" thing is down right unbearable. No longer can I sit down with an ice cold beer and watch baseball as I slowly slip into a comatose state of boredom. No longer should I be subjected to watching tennis or golf on a regular basis.

Where are my sports? The NBA Finals is such a bore because the two teams playing do not interest me one bit. I don't care about Kobe Bryant's scowl, I don't care about Dwight Howard's inability to create his own shot, I don't care about any of that. Where's the passion? Where's the heart? Where's KG pounding on his chest or swatting shots away like King Kong swatting airplanes out of the sky? It's not there this year.

What happened to the Red Sox? Where's the excitement? Hell, where's the fucking pace!? Baseball has become the epitome of everything I've come to dislike. It's slow, it's boring and it's long, especially when the Yankees come to town.

This is the time where my fiancee gets to watch all of her shitty womanly shows on the HDTV because there are no sports to take up my time. Baseball? Basketball? Pass.

I miss my black and gold. I miss Milan Lucic bashing Mike Van Ryn so hard that the glass shatters.



I miss watching Tim Thomas make some ridiculous save he has no business making.



Hell, part of me misses seeing Manny Fernandez give up the worst goal I've ever witnessed!



I miss being angry at the TV because a player made a stupid play. If Julio Lugo makes an error at shortstop, it doesn't bother me as much as if Steve Montador makes a soft pass and it is intercepted at the Bruins blue line after a team has peppered Thomas with shots for the past ten minutes.

So I'll sit here, counting down the days until something watchable like the NFL comes along and I'll get so swept up in winning the Bada Bing league (again) that my mild depression disappears until October roles around.

Like a lonely army wife waiting for her G.I. to come home, I'll still be here waiting for the puck to drop and the hits to come!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Day David Slayed Goliath
The wave that captured our hearts


News from the Bruins has been pretty slow lately. Yes David Krejci was re-signed a day or two ago, but outside of that, what has really been going on? Your answer should be: not much Sir, not much.

June 30 is the last day that the Bruins can negotiate with their RFAs (Kessel, Hunwick, Bitz and Kevin Reagen and then the free agency boom occurs on July 1. So what are we going to do until then? Well, we've touched on the Vezina trophy, looked at the Bruins first round draft pick and talked about Mr. Krejci staying in Boston. This time, I want to take you back to January 5, 2002.

The Bruins marched out onto the ice at the Fleetcenter with Winny the Pooh smiling brightly on every yellow colored sweater. Those in attendance, which includes my inebriated friends and I, figured that this was going to be just another Saturday game in which the Bruins would somehow find a way to lose.

What we were given, however, was one of the greatest fights in NHL history. During the 2nd period in a game that wasn't very exciting, a 5'10", 170 lbs Bruins fourth line center would end up squaring off against a 6'3" 230 lbs monster. What ensued was a flurry of punches that would make Muhammad Ali cringe.



Every PJ Stock punch that landed brought the Bruins faithful's cheers to a higher decibel until there was a sound of "sonic-boom" level proportions.

Sure, there will always be those that can throw a punch that will split your face in half (see: Milan Lucic), but there will never be another fighter like PJ Stock.

Wherever you are PJ, with your eye probably hanging out of its socket and barely able to formulate sentences because of the immense beatings you've taken, the Bruins fans out there have not, and never will, forget about you.

January 5, 2002 was truly when David slayed Goliath.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Krejci re-signs with the Bruins
It's all smiles in Boston right now


Per BostonBruins.com

BOSTON, MA - Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has signed forward David Krejci to a multi-year contract extension. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed. Chiarelli and Krejci will be available to the media via conference call on Wednesday, June 3.

Krejci established a career high in games played, goals, assists and points this season with 22-51-73 totals in 82 games. His 51 assists ranked him second on the team behind Marc Savard, and he led the NHL with a plus/minus rating of +36. In 2009, Krejci also received the Bruins Seventh Player Award, given to the player who performs above and beyond expectations.


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My sources, however, have informed me that the deal is a 3 year deal worth 11.5 million dollars. That's is a phenominal contract for such a young player. Krejci should be a staple in the Bruins offense this year and hopefully continue to mature into the playmaker we've seen at the end of the 07-08 season and throughout this one.

Huge re-signing for the Bruins!
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