GAME 1: MARCHAND'S FIRST OF THE PLAYOFFS SENDS B'S PAST RANGERS IN OT
5/17/13: "Better late than never" seems to be the Bruins motto this postseason, and it keeps working out just fine: Brad Marchand's first goal of the playoffs 15:40 into overtime gave the Bruins a 3-2 win over the Rangers
and a 1-0 lead in the second round series. As an odd-man rush developed
after an ill-advised pinch by Ryan McDonagh, Marchand, still trying to
shake off the struggles that have enveloped the Bruins' second line,
drove to the net and got his stick on a perfectly-placed centering pass
from Patrice Bergeron, redirecting the puck between the legs of a
sprawling Henrik Lundqvist and sending the Garden crowd into its
second-straight delirious OT celebration. The B's scored first in this
one on a knuckle-puck goal from Zdeno Chara 12:23 into the second
period, but the Rangers bounced back in rapid fashion: McDonagh scored
with two seconds left in the second period, and Derek Stepan gave the
Rangers the lead just 16 seconds of game time later at 0:14 of the
third period. The Bruins responded with a power play strike from Torey Krug,
playing in place of the injured Dennis Seidenberg, Wade Redden, or
Andrew Ference (you choose). The B's dominated overtime, firing 16
shots on Lundqvist, including eight on a single power play. Lundqvist
was able to hold down the fort on the first 15, but couldn't stop the
last one. The B's get a well-deserved respite today and tomorrow, with
Game 2 on Sunday afternoon at the Garden. BHN: Thoughts on Game 1
-- GAME 7: BERGERON'S OT STRIKE FINISHES OFF HISTORIC COMEBACK
5/14/13: The Bruins were dead in the water. They let
an early 1-0 slip away, somehow turning it into a 4-1 deficit with 15
minutes to go in the game. Passes were errant, legs weren't moving, and
the offseason was rapidly approaching. Then, signs of life, sparked by
Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara: a goal from Nathan Horton cut the
deficit to 4-2 with 9:18 gone in the third; a breakaway flub by Matt
Frattin kept the Toronto lead at two; a rebound goal in front (finally)
from Lucic cut the deficit to one with 1:22 left; and then a wrist shot
from the point by Patrice Bergeron found its way past a Chara screen
and James Reimer to tie the game at 4 just 31 seconds later. Riding
that momentum, Bergeron wasn't done: he followed his own slapshot and
deposited the rebound past a sprawling Reimer 6:05 into overtime to give the Bruins a 5-4 victory over the Leafs
in one of the most remarkable, unbelievable comeback wins
in Boston sports history. It was both a spectacular collapse by the Leafs
and a stunning awakening by the Bruins, who finally seemed to get into
gear in time (and in as heart-stopping a fashion as possible). Somehow,
some way, the Bruins beat the Leafs last night, and are moving on to
the second round. BHN: Unbelievable
--
LOST WEEKEND AS BRUINS DROP TWO, FACE GAME 7 TONIGHT
5/13/13:
I left work on Friday afternoon hoping that the Bruins would've closed
out their first round series by the time my weekend ended. I'm back at
work on Monday morning, and the series is still going. The Bruins blew
two chances to put away the Maple Leafs, losing both Game 5 and Game 6 by scores of 2-1.
Both games were remarkably similar: the Bruins came out flat, fell
behind 2-0 due to mental mistakes (Andrew Ference's turnover on the
power play in Game 5, David Krejci's ill-advised drop pass in Game 6),
scored a late goal (a Zdeno Chara wrister in Game 5, a Milan Lucic
tap-in with the goalie pulled in Game 6), and finished with a final
flurry that came up short. The fact of the matter is that the issue
that's plagued the Bruins all season remains a huge problem: they can't
put teams away. I'm working on a "reasons to be optimistic" piece for SCOC,
so I won't bother recapping either of these games. The B's face a
do-or-die situation tonight. Let's hope they finally get the message
that half-assed efforts aren't going to cut it, or they'll be
half-assing it on the golf course by this time tomorrow.
--
GAME 4: KREJCI'S HAT TRICK LEADS BRUINS OVER LEAFS IN OT
5/9/13: Big
hits can be a huge part of a hockey game. They can intimidate, cause
turnovers, and lead to huge momentum shifts. Unfortunately for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, missing
out
on a huge hit can be just as big. Dion Phaneuf's ill-advised attempt at
leveling Nathan Horton led to a 2-on-1 the other way for the Bruins,
where David Krejci capped off his hat trick
with an OT winner 13:06 into the extra frame to give the Bruins a 4-3 win and a
3-1 lead in the series. After a wild first 13 or so minutes in which
the Leafs peppered Tuukka Rask with 11 shots, Phaneuf stepped up and attempted to lay a
big hit
on Horton, a guy he's had issues with in the past. Phaneuf caught
Horton's arm, but Horton made the pass he needed to and sprung Krejci
and Milan Lucic. The backcheck of Phil Kessel came too late, and Krejci
waited...waited...and waited, until he fired the puck past James Reimer
(41 saves). Krejci also scored the B's second and third goals, both in
the second period. Patrice Bergeron netted the other Bruin goal. The
B's trailed 2-0 after one, but scored 32 seconds into the middle frame
to get momentum back. Krejci may have provided the offense, but Rask
was the real reason the B's won: he made 45 saves including some
top-notch stops in overtime. Rask was immense, and turned in a playoff performance for the ages.
I get on the computer late on Thursdays, so I'll refrain from any
now-stale commentary on the game. The B's have a chance to end the
Leafs' season tomorrow night at the Garden.
--
GAME 3: THREE GOALS IN THE SECOND SILENCE TORONTO, LIFT B'S OVER LEAFS
5/7/13:
The Maple Leafs were playing their first home playoff game in nearly a
decade and were brimming with confidence after a Game 2 win. What's the
best way to silence a raucous crowd? Score three times in the second
period and get 45 saves from the netminder. Nathan Horton's 2-on-1
snapshot late in the second period held up as the eventual game-winner as the Bruins also got a huge performance
from Tuukka Rask and trounced the Leafs, 5-2.
Horton's goal came less than a minute after a Jake Gardiner goal cut
the Bruin lead in half, as Milan Lucic got up a head of steam, got
around a Leaf defenseman, and sent a perfect pass to Horton in the
slot; Horton roofed it over James Reimer (33 saves). It was a bit of a
mystery goal, as the puck got stuck on top of the goal cam, and there
was brief confusion as to what had happened. Daniel Paille stole a lazy Phil Kessel pass
and turned it into a shorthanded goal just 2:02 later to cap off a
three-goal second period for the B's (Rich Peverley scored the period's
first goal after a nifty steal by Jaromir Jagr). Bookending those three
strikes were a goal from Adam McQuaid that was tipped in by Dion
Phaneuf (ha!) and a David Krejci empty-netter. Kessel scored a power
play goal early in the third to cut the Bruin lead to two goals, but
the Leafs were unable to beat Rask again (thank
you Raycroft!). All in all, a solid game for the Bruins,
especially considering the rowdy Air Canada Centre atmosphere they were
dealing with. BHN: Thoughts on Game 3
--
GAME 2: KESSEL GETS HIS REVENGE, SERIES TIED AT ONE
5/6/13: I wasn't on the computer all weekend, and by
now (Monday) the focus has moved to Game 3 tonight. Phil Kessel scored the eventual game-winner
on a third period breakaway, and the Leafs trumped the sloppy Bruins by a score
of 4-2
to tie the series at one. The loss was caused by a mixture of two
things: a better all-around effort from the Leafs, and a worse effort
from the Bruins. A pivotal Game 3 is tonight in Toronto, where Leafs
fans will be witnessing their first home playoff game in nearly a
decade. Yeah, it's going to be nuts.
--
FERENCE GETS A GAME
5/2/13:
The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced that it will sit Andrew
Ference down for one game this evening, deeming Ference's hit to the
head of Mikhail Grabovski a suspendable offense. Ference will miss Game
2 tomorrow night. The suspension is pretty fair, considering both
Ference's past brushes with "the law" and the fact that he hit
Grabovski directly in the head, intentional or not. In today's NHL,
that's going to result in a suspension every time. Look for Dougie
Hamilton to make his playoff debut tomorrow night. If he torches the
Leafs, Phil Kessel may be refused at the border on the way home.
--
GAME 1: BRUINS GET THE START THEY WANTED, THUMP MAPLE LEAFS
5/2/13:
If early results are any indication, the Bruins may be ready to shake
off those late-season cobwebs. Led by David Krejci's three-point
effort, the Bruins shrugged off an early deficit to score four straight goals in a series-opening 4-1
pasting of the Maple Leafs
last night at the Garden. Krejci assisted on Nathan Horton's
game-winning tip, scored the B's third goal, and assisted on the
fourth, a laser beam from Johnny Boychuk. Wade Redden scored the B's
first goal, part of a two-point evening
for the veteran. Despite falling behind 1-0 on a James van Riemsdyk
power play goal under two minutes into the game, the B's dominated most
of the contest. They took the body, outshot the Leafs 40-20, and didn't get baited into any stupid penalties.
All in all, it was precisely the start the Bruins (and their fans) were
looking for. Tuukka Rask did just fine between the pipes, stopping 19
shots. One negative: the B's may be without Andrew Ference for Game 2,
as the defenseman had a disciplinary hearing scheduled for
Thursday afternoon after he hit Mikhail Grabovski (who also
took a monstrous shot from Boychuk)
in the head. Ference is a repeat offender, and may get a game for the
hit. Game 2 is Saturday night at the Garden. BHN:
Thoughts on Game 1
--
BRUINS BRACKET: THE WINNER
4/29/13:
After weeks of back-and-forth and hundreds of votes, we have a winner
in the Bruins bracket. Click through to see who emerged victorious; was
it Glen Metropolit or Vladimir Sobotka? BHN:
The Bruins Bracket Winner
--
WEEKEND RECAP: BRUINS DROP BOTH GAMES, DRAW LEAFS
4/29/13:
The Bruins controlled their own destiny this weekend as they had the
ability to win the Northeast Division by taking care of business.
Instead, they lost both games, and fell to fourth place in the Eastern
Conference, drawing what should be a fascinating first round match-up with the
Toronto Maple Leafs. The B's jumped out to a 2-0 lead in
Washington on Saturday night before eventually falling to the Caps 3-2 in
overtime;
with the ability to win the division with a win last night, they
instead fell behind 2-0, got two goals back, and then allowed a late third period goal and an empty-netter
to fall to Ottawa, 4-2. Two games, four possible points, the
Northeast crown and second seed on the line...and the B's got a single
point. Ugly. The playoffs will start on Wednesday night
at the Garden. I'll have some previews and playoff coverage before
then.
--
GAME 46: RASK LIFTS BRUINS OVER BOLTS
4/26/13:
Tuukka Rask has been criticized by his coach at times this season for
not making "timely" saves, i.e. a big stop when his team needed it the
most. When he was at his best, Tim Thomas had a habit of saving his
most ridiculous saves for the biggest moments (like this one). Rask appears to
be headed in that direction, as the Finn made 30 saves for his fifth
shutout of the season, leading the Bruins to a 2-0 win over Tampa
Bay.Rask made a number of saves of the timely
variety, including a sparkler on Steven Stamkos,
arguably the most dangerous goal-scorer in the league. Dennis
Seidenberg and Daniel Paille scored for the Bruins, who remained in
first in the Northeast, tied with Montreal at 61 points apiece (the
Habs beat Winnipeg last night) but ahead due to having a game in hand.
The win assured the B's of home ice in the first round of the playoffs,
as they can't finish lower than fourth. A Bruin win combined with a
Montreal loss (regulation or OT/SO) on Saturday would give the B's the
Northeast crown; if they both win (or both lose), the East's second
seed will come down to Sunday night's Bruins-Senators game. Truthfully,
the B's played a much better brand of hockey last night, a much more physical, grinding-type game
that included two fights and a little bit of chippiness, which is
always good to see. The B's will play their final road game of the
regular season on Saturday when they visit the Caps in DC; Washington
has already locked up the third seed in the East, so some of their
bigger guns may get a rest.
--
BRUINS BRACKET: THE FINAL
4/24/13:
Where 64 once stood, only two remain: Glen Metropolit and Vladimir
Sobotka. Click the link to see last round's voting results, as well as
get a link to the final ballot. Who wins? The choice is yours, and
yours alone. BHN:
The Bruins Bracket Final
--
GAME 45: NOT QUITE PLAYOFF READY
4/24/13:
Ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly. Did I mention that last night's game was
ugly? The B's are supposed to be gearing up for a playoff run, but
instead spent last night getting pasted by the
Flyers, 5-2. The game changed for the worse midway through
the second period when the Bruins allowed two goals in seven seconds:
first Matt Read batted a puck past Anton Khudobin, then Zdeno Chara's
failed D-to-D pass somehow eluded Khudobin. Ugly. Wade Redden and David
Krejci scored for the Bruins. Khudobin made 14 saves on 17 shots, while
Tuukka Rask made 11 saves on 13 shots. No one played well in this one, and Claude Julien let it be known after the
game.
The silver lining? Twofold: Montreal lost as well, keeping the B's in
first place in the Northeast; and the B's threw 30 hits, leading to a
donation of $90 to One Fund Boston from yours truly as part of
#BostonHitsBack last night. Oh, and the Bruins earned a chapter in the Traveling
Jagrs. See? There are always positives. The B's are down to
their final three games, and Tampa visits the Garden tomorrow night.
--
WEEKEND RECAP: MORE EMOTION AS B'S SPLIT TWO GAMES
4/22/13:
It was another wild weekend for the Bruins and the city of Boston:
Friday night's game was postponed due to the ongoing manhunt for the
Marathon bombers, the Bruins dropped that rescheduled game against
the Penguins, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon, and then beat the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Sunday
afternoon.
The weekend featured a win, a loss, and a whole bunch of emotion.
Truthfully, there's one thing that stood out about this weekend's
games, and it's in the picture above: the B's season ticket holders
passing on the annual "shirt off our backs" giveaway, and instead
insisting that the jerseys go to local first responders. Awesome
gesture. The B's are back in action tomorrow night when they travel to
Philadelphia to face the Flyers. That game will be the #BostonHitsBack game, a fundraising event I
helped organize with Stanley Cup of Chowder.
I, along with many others, will be donating money to One Fund Boston
for each hit recorded by a Bruin in the game. Those participating in
the fundraising can win a number of cool prizes through SCOC too. Check out the post for more details,
and join us in raising money for Monday's victims.
--
HEROIC BRUINS BRACKET: LAST FOUR
4/18/13:
We've reached the last four in the Heroic Bruins Bracket, after a
fourth round that went on a bit longer than I anticipated, but
understandably so, given this week's events. The last four players
remaining are pictured above, but you'll have to hit the jump to see
who each is, to see the updated bracket, and to get the link to the
fifth round voting form. BHN:
Heroic Bruins Bracket, Round 5
--
GAME 42: B'S LOSE, BUT CITY WINS
4/18/13:
Last night's Bruins game was about more than the final score: it
represented a step towards healing a broken city, a return to normalcy.
And while the Bruins ultimately blew a third period lead in the final
30 seconds and losing to Buffalo 3-2 in a shootout,
the memories, chills, goosebumps, and tears from last night's game will
live on for a long time. A moving pre-game video. The
tear-jerker national anthem. A post-game stick salute from both teams.In-game chants of "we are Boston!"
from the sold out crowd. The game may not have ended how the Bruins had
hoped, but for a few hours, it provided a distraction, some good times
in the midst of the gloom. And that's just what the city needed.
Despite the loss, the B's clinched a playoff spot with the point, and
also moved ahead of Montreal and into first in the Northeast by virtue
of fewer games played. BHN:
A Step Towards Normalcy
--
AN UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY
4/16/13:
Like all Bostonians, my heart and prayers go out to the victims of
yesterday's horrible bombings, especially to the Richard family of
Dorchester, who lost their eight-year-old son, Martin, and have a
mother and daughter still in serious condition. The Boston Marathon is
a tremendous even, a true celebration of human endurance and spirit,
and we'll never fully understand why someone would want to attack it.
Obviously sports took a back seat to the tragedy, as the B's postponed
their game with Ottawa, scheduled for last night. I've lived in this
city my whole life, and terror finally ended up on my doorstep
yesterday afternoon. I tried to make sense of it all and sort out the
emotions in a blog post. I'll get back to hockey tomorrow. BHN: An
Unimaginable Tragedy
--
WEEKEND RECAP: CARL IS COMING, BRUINS LOSE IN RALEIGH
4/15/13: The Bruins had another mixed weekend: they
lost their only game, but gained a player. Even Stevens! The B's dropped a 4-2 decision to the Carolina
Hurricanes in Raleigh on Saturday night, with Joe Corvo
scoring the game-winning goal. Yes, him. Ouch. I didn't see any of the
game, as I went to the Comedy Studio that night
(no, that's not a euphemism for the Bruins' defense). Making matters
worse is the fact that Montreal got thumped by Toronto Saturday
night,
meaning a Bruin win would've vaulted the team back into first place in
the Northeast. The only bit of good news from the weekend? Carl is coming after all.
The NHL, ignoring the ruling of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation,
approved Carl Soderberg's transfer from the Swedish Elite League, and
Soderberg should be landing in Boston on Wednesday. It's not clear yet
when he'll make his Bruin debut, but he does have to play in at least
one regular season game to be eligible for the playoffs. Other
bits of good news: Brad Marchand skated with the Bruins
this morning, and Patrice Bergeron is inching closer to a
return. The B's are back in action tonight when the Ottawa
Senators visit the Garden.
--
GAME 40: SLUGGISH BRUINS FALL TO ISLES
4/12/13: The
Bruins played their third game in four nights last night, and it
showed: the B's were sluggish, sloppy, and a step behind all night, and
they fell to the surging New York Islanders,
2-1. The loss ended the B's very brief stint atop the
Northeast Division, as Montreal's win over Buffalo
pushed the Habs back into the Eastern Conference's second seed. Josh
Bailey led the streaking Isles (8-1-1 in their last ten) to the win,
while Tyler Seguin scored the Bruins' lone goal on the power play in
the second period (with an assist from Jaromir Jagr, who now has six
points in five games as a Bruin). Tuukka Rask stopped 34 shots in
defeat. Before the game, the B's announced that Brad Marchand did indeed suffer a "mild
concussion" (duh) on the Anton Volchenkov elbow Wednesday
night. The hits keep coming. The B's loss, combined with a Winnipeg win over the
Florida Panthers,
means the Bruins didn't clinch a playoff spot yet either. They'll
clinch either next time they get a point or next time Winnipeg loses.
The B's head to Raleigh on Saturday night to face the Hurricanes.
--
SIHF BLOCKS SODERBERG'S MOVE
4/11/13: As it turns out, what Mattias Ek of
Expressen.se told me earlier this week was true and has come to pass: the Swedish Ice
Hockey Federation has blocked Carl Soderberg's transfer
to the NHL, insisting that he remain in Sweden to play for Tre Kronor
at the upcoming World Championships. Yikes. No one is quite sure what
will happen next. Twitter sources are saying that Soderberg has initially refused to play
and is pretty mad, and some are suggesting Soderberg just get on a
plane and tell Sweden to screw. However, if he dismisses the SIHF's
ruling, he risks being banned from ever representing his country again,
a tough pill for any player to swallow. We'll know more as the
situation plays out over in Stockholm, but for now, it's looking like a
Soderberg splashdown will have to wait until the fall.
--
GAME 39: BRUINS HOLD OFF DEVILS, BUT LOSE MARCHAND
4/11/13:
The Bruins came out flying last night, scoring three goals in the
game's first nine minutes. From there, however, things got dicey. The
B's saw a 4-0 lead cut down to 4-3 and lost scoring leader Brad
Marchand, felled by a cheap elbow from Anton Volchenkov in the second
period, but managed to hold off the Devils and
escape with a 5-4 win,
reclaiming first place in the Northeast Division in the process. The
B's got two shorthanded goals, a power play strike, and multi-point
nights from Rich Peverley, Jaromir Jagr, Daniel Paille, and Gregory Campbell,
but the big stories after the game were the Bruins almost blowing a
four-goal lead and Marchand suffering what is sure to be a concussion
on the cheapshot from Volchenkov. Anton Khudobin stopped 24 shots
for the win. The B's haven't released an update on Marchand's condition
yet, but it's highly unlikely that he goes tonight against the
Islanders. The B's were criticized by many fans for not responding with
their fists after the Volchenkov hit, and for my first Stanley Cup of
Chowder piece, I explain why such criticisms are off-base.UPDATE:
The NHL came down on Volchenkov this afternoon, suspending him four games for the garbage
play. Brendan Shanahan's video reasoning can be seen here.
--
BRUINS BRACKET DOWN TO EIGH
4/10/13:
The field of 64 legends has been whittled down to just eight, as we
enter the fourth round of the Most Heroic and Greatest and Most Awesome
Best Bruins bracket. Did your guy move on? Was he eliminated by a
single vote (that happened to someone in this round)? Click the link to
see the results and to find a link to the fourth round ballot. BHN:
Round 4 of the Bruins Bracket
--
MORE ON SODERBERG, BRUINS SIGN GRIFFITH
4/10/13:
The wait for Carl Soderberg continues, as the Swedish Ice Hockey
Federation has yet to file a refusal or approve a transfer, so
Soderberg remains in limbo. Earlier today, TSN's Darren Dreger Tweeted the detailsof Soderberg's contract
with the Bruins: three years, $600,000 and a signing bonus this season
and $1 million in both 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Dreger says that
Soderberg could be in Boston this weekend "pending final approval,"
which is the SIHF's ruling that everyone is waiting for. I checked in with Mattias Ek of Expressen.se
for more thoughts
on the matter, and he said that he thinks the SIHF won't stand in
Soderberg's way if he truly wants to leave for the NHL. In other news,
the Bruins signed Seth Griffith
to an entry-level contract yesterday. Griffith, the B's fifth-round
pick in the 2012 Draft, was the OHL's top-scoring right wing this past
season, recording 81 points in 54 games for the London Knights. The
Knights are currently facing the Kitchener Rangers
in the OHL playoffs, so Griffith will be staying put for now.
--
SODERBERG WATCH CONTINUES
4/9/13: Twitter was abuzz last night, as a report from the New England Hockey Journal's
Kirk Luedeke
indicated that Carl Soderberg had agreed to a three-year contract with
the Bruins, and that there wasn't much standing in the way of him
coming to North America. However, there are still transfers to be
finalized, and two things stand between Soderberg and the NHL: the
Swedish Ice Hockey Federation and its love of the World Championships.
I headed to Expressen.se, armed only with Google Translate, to see what
the Swedish papers are saying about Soderberg, and it isn't pretty. BHN:
BHN Goes to Sweden (Part II)
--
GAME 38: B'S WALTZ PAST CAROLINA
4/9/13: If a team is to be considered elite, then it
must beat up on lesser teams. The B's certainly did that last night, scoring six times to thump the Hurricanes,
6-2, before a sold-out TD Garden crowd. The new line of Gregory Campbell, Jaromir Jagr, and Brad
Marchand
led the way with six points (2G, 4A), while Dennis Seidenberg chipped
in three assists and Rich Peverley added a goal and an assist. Chris
Kelly was pointless in just over 13 minutes TOI in his first game back
from a broken leg. Due to Carolina's goaltending, this one was never
really close: the B's scored twice on just four shots on Justin Peters,
then added four more goals on 28 shots against Dan Ellis. However, the Bruins also allowed a whopping 42 shots on
goal, all but two of which were turned aside by Tuukka Rask.
One curious "minus" on the evening: Tyler Seguin, demoted to the third line,
skated just 14:56, the fourth-fewest TOI among forwards, and was
pointless, a minus-1, and had just one shot on goal. Yikes. BHN: Thoughts on Game 38
--
WEEKEND RECAP: BRUINS FALL IN MONTREAL
4/8/13:
First place in the Northeast Division was on the line on Saturday
night, so the Bruins did what they've done best this season: fell
behind by two goals before the game was half over, and then tried to
fight their way back. However, old pal Mikey Ryder's tip-in power
play goal 57 seconds into the second period held up as the game-winner
as the Habs increased their division lead to three
points with a 2-1 win
at the Bell Centre. The Bruins' lone goal was scored by Daniel Paille,
while Tuukka Rask made 27 saves in the loss. The B's had a 6-on-4 power
play in the final minute of the game...and they didn't even get a shot
on net. Not one. Sigh. Truthfully, the B's only real highlight came
when noted cherry-picker Alexei Emelin tried to sell out (and left
his feet in the process) for a big hit on Milan Lucic, only to bounce off of him, hurt his leg, and
leave the game. The B's are back at it tonight against the
Hurricanes at the Garden. As per the Boston
Globe's Fluto Shinzawa,
Chris Kelly will be in the lineup tonight, meaning some of the line
juggling should stop. I had a hockey game Saturday night and missed the
majority of the Montreal game so I'll refrain from writing anything
else on it.
--
SODERBERG'S SEL TEAM ELIMINATED, WAITING GAME BEGINS
4/5/13: Carl Soderberg's Swedish Elite League team,
Linkopings HC, was eliminated by Skeleftea earlier today, losing
Game 5 by a score of 3-1 and the series by a 4-1 margin. So...now the
waiting game begins. Will Soderberg actually make the jump? We should
know in a week or so, but it's safe to say Peter Chiarelli may be
racking up a pretty big phone bill in the coming days. Calls to Sweden
can't be cheap...
--
ROUND 3 BRACKET VOTING NOW OPEN
4/5/13:
The march towards naming the Most Heroic and Greatest and Most Awesome
and Best Bruin of the Last Ten Years continues, as we're now in Round
3. We've reached the Stupendous 16, the Stellar 16, the Other Adjective
that Begins with 'S' 16, so you know every player left is a true
legend. Click the link to see the Round 3 bracket and find out which
players made the cut (the Nokamotive, shown above destroying Marek
Malik, advanced). You can also view/vote in the Round 3 bracket as
well, as the voting page is now live. BHN:
Most Heroic Bruin Bracket, Round 3
--
THE MOST HEROIC AND GREATEST AND MOST AWESOME BEST BRUINS OF THE LAST
TEN YEARS
3/28/13: You'd better believe that guy is on the
bracket. In
the spirit of March Madness, I've put together a bracket featuring 64
of the most legendary, most incredible, and most unbelievable Bruins of
the past ten years. Who could forget names like Mowers, Tenkrat, Corvo,
Toivonen, and Raycroft? Where would any of us be without Jurcina,
Potvin, Bitz, Sobotka, and Metropolit? Take a look at the bracket and
cast your vote to make sure your favorite scrub
legend is voted The Most Heroic and Greatest and Most Awesome Best
Bruin of the Last Ten Years! BHN:
Bracket of Legendary Bruins
--
GETTING YOUR OWN STANLEY CUP RING: AN EBAY STORY
3/5/13:
Getting a Stanley Cup ring as a player is hard. Getting a Stanley Cup
ring as a fan, through one of those raffles, is even harder. Getting a
Stanley Cup replica ring off the Internet? Say, that sounds much
easier! Recently, I found random Stanley Cup replica rings for sale on
eBay, presumably from Chinese sellers (they ship from Hong Kong). One
BHN reader saw a listing I posted on Twitter and decided to take the
plunge. Check out the ring he received, his impressions of it, and, of
course, some pictures of what your hard-earned money gets you in the
knockoff ring market. BHN:
Getting your own Stanley Cup ring
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NEW PAGE: THE BHN JERSEY COLLECTION
2/20/13:
If you know me, you know I have a pretty ridiculous obsession with
hockey jerseys. I've been actively collecting them for over a year now,
and through Twitter I've found a semi-community of other
"jersey-philes" to share tips, sites, and tricks with. Because of that,
I decided to create a page for my (ever-expanding) collection,
featuring photos of and information on every jersey I own. BHN:
Jersey Collection
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THOMAS DEALT TO THE ISLANDERS
2/7/13: The Tim Thomas era in Boston is officially
over: Thomas was traded to the New York Islanders
on Wednesday, basically for nothing (the B's will get a second round
pick if Thomas plays for either the Islanders or the team the Isles
trade his rights to). The move really is purely financial: the B's free
up $5 million in cap space, while the
Isles use that cap hit
to reach the floor and avoid penalties. It's a win-win. I kind of doubt
Thomas ever suits up on Long Island (or in Brooklyn), as I think the
man is at peace with his decision and his career is over. Bruins GM
Peter Chiarelli said he spoke to Thomas before making the trade
and that he was OK with the move, and praised Thomas for his contributions
to the team. Despite it ending on a sour note, Thomas is one of the
best Bruin goaltenders of (at least) the past 15 years, and should, in
my opinion, be remembered for the video above, not his White House
diatribe. BHN:
Goodbye, Tim Thomas
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delete older posts as I go
along, so only the more recent entries are listed above.
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