I'll Have A Coffee, Please. Thank You.

Question of the week: What is Spring break?

I'll tell you what it is: a week of waking up late, walking around without any pants on, thinking of having fun until you realize you need to study and do some research for upcoming essays, and making acquaintance with your new best buddy, Mr. Coffee.

That's what it is.

Some say it's about taking a break from school, going to the beach (if there is one near where you live - geez, I would love this), vacation to another continent, state, country, and whathaveyou. I say, "No, you have clearly been spending too much time on the internet." Not sure what that would have to do with spring break not being a break, but let it be whatever you make it to be.

The point is (if there actually is one) it only encourages you to become even more lazier than you are. Oh, sure it gives you a boost of "oh, yeah time for relaxing and a week off school" until you return to school only to realize you haven't studied for an exam. Mind you, I have never done that but I have drunk so much coffee during spring break two years ago that I had to stop drinking it for my health. Ya, four to five coffees per night will do that to you, and that's not even counting the amount during the day.

I would say (you know I love to ramble about stuff) that the worst part about spring break is that the NHL Trade Deadline is always the following week while I'm at school. Yes. However, lucky for me, the Boston Bruins have made their trades early (last Friday). OK. Enough hockey.

It's a blog about nothing and everything.

Nhl Trade Update

Several changes have been made via trades.

Eric Johnson (ST.L) was traded to Colorado
Eric Brewer (ST.L) was traded to Tampa Bay
Tomas Kaberle (TOR) was traded to Boston
Rich Peverley (ATL) was traded to Boston
Jarkko Ruutu (OTT) was traded to Anaheim

Trade Deadline 2011: Bruins Edition

Get your NHL apps on your Iphones or blackberry's. It's that time of year again - in two weeks actually (February 28). Trade Deadline. Buyers. Sellers. Winners. Losers. Picks, picks and future considerations. Overpaying stronzo's because they can. Last playoff push. More Leafs fans crying and smacking their heads on their keyboards (youtube that shit. Would be great if there is a video of this). Other fans bitching that their GM didn't give away the teams future for Ilya Kovalchuk ... oh wait.

I'm not a pro at this, I'm just a die hard Boston Bruins fan. And you can take that to the bank.

Alright, alright. Let's get down to business. What do you want for Zach Bogosian? A pair of skates and tickets to a Justin Bieber concert? Hell, take his fucking hair piece.

Every has been blogging about trade rumors, players they want their team to acquire and you get the drill. Don't worry, this isn't a "I'll trade you Claude Julien and a bag of pucks for a book on how to have a successful Power Play!" Though some idiotic Bruins fan would consider it.

OK. Today I thought about the potential players that the Boston Bruins would be interested in and would definitely help the team improve this year, and hopefully in the long run. There are two things the Bruins are looking for: A puck-moving defenseman (PMD) and a center. There is also a good chance that they acquire a winger and have Seguin play center for the rest of the year, or have Wheeler as center if he is still with the club after the trade deadline.

After going through a load of players I came up with this list of D & FWD.

DEFENSE:
Zach Bogosian
Joe Corvo
Joni Pitkanen
John-Michael Liles
Fedor Tyutin
Brent Burns
Erik Johnson
Eric Brewer
Tomas Kaberle

FORWARD:
C Rich Peverly
RW Milan Hejduk
LW R.J. Umberger
RW Jakub Vorachek
C Brad Richards
RW Ales Hemsky
C John Madden
C Jason Arnott
LW Jarkko Ruutu
RW Scottie Upshall
C Andy McDonals

Obviously there are some players on there that will cost the Bruins a whole lot, and may not even be worth it in the end. For example, Tomas Kaberle is what the Bruins need - a PMD - but not only would his future in Boston be up in the air since he's a UFA at the end of the year, it will cost Boston at least a first round pick, a good prospect and a roster player (perhaps Wheeler). Personally, if I'm the Bruins and I really want Tomas Kaberle, I wait until July 1st. Yes, there will be competition, but the Bruins will have cap space. Joni Pitkanen & Andrei Markov are also free agents. However, I'm quite skeptic about Andrei Markov.

Here are my top 3 from the selected Ds & FWDs (top being the greatest chance, in my opinion, of being a Bruin):

DEFENSE:
1. Zach Bogosian
Smooth and speedy defenseman who is can definitely helps the Bruins on the PP. However, every star comes with a price to pay. He's young and has enormous potential on being a solid #2 in Boston. This will cost Boston a first round pick (more or less Boston's, not Toronto's), Blake Wheeler, Mark Stuart and a good prospect.

2. Fedor Tyutin
Many don't know much about him because he has been playing in Columbus, but he would be a pretty good addition to the Bruins PP. I do not think he is the best D available, nor do I think he is awesome, but I can definitely see the Bruins acquire him. A hunch, I guess.

3. John-Michael Liles
Honestly, this is the guy I want the Bruins to acquire if they cannot land Bogosian. Apparently, there is a rift between Liles and Avs coach, Joe Sacco. He's making around 4 million per year, but he would be a great addition for the Bruins. If it gets done, then look for one of Boychuk or Stuart going to Colorado along with a 2nd round pick and prospect. Maybe more, but I can definitely see 2 of those 3 being included in the package.

FORWARD:
1. Rich Peverley
Well, we all know the Bruins are shopping for a center. Probably not one that is signed for another 2-3 years because we are still not sure about Marc Savard. I know, I know. Peverley is signed for another year. However, he does not make much and will also come with a low risk, high reward. Peverley does have the instincts of a good passer; he is the poor man's Savard. Still good.

2. John Madden
Before you bitch about this, here me out. Madden is a superb shut down center. Yes, he's close to forty years old but he is also a free agent at the end of the year and won't cost much to acquire. Maybe just a 4th rounder. If the Bruins do acquire him, then there is a good chance Greggory Campbell gets a shot at the third line for the time being. And I would not have any trouble with that. Wheeler-Campbell-Ryder & Seguin-Madden-Thornton. Sign me up.

3. Brad Richards
I just had to put him in the top 3. Do the Bruins acquire him by the 28th? Probably not. In fact, I highly doubt they do get him. But you just never know.

Passionless, Horse Shit, Disinterested and Lost: It's Called Bruins

Let's end this year with a bang - this blog, I mean. Something that has been itching within me lately. More aggravating than usual. Less fun and more horse shit, to be honest. Now, I'm not the one to bitch and complain about things. Those that know me, know that I am a passionate hockey fan - a Bruins fan.

I'm not biased, but I can be too faithful to my team. Let's face it, every sports fan does this. However, I am fair as much as I can be. If a bullshit penalty is given to the opponent, then I will say it is bullshit. If a goal should have counted, for the bruins or the opponent, then I will say it should have counted. Obviously, if it is the opponent I would say something like, "That is a fucking goal, but lucky for us (bruins) it didn't count. Once again, the refs and this league are inconsistent and do a fucking garbage job." Yes, I used profanity because I'm being true to you and myself. That's what I would say, more or less.

For example, last night's (Wednesday) game against the Sabres, the bruins could and should have taken the lead. Miller (Sabres goalie) purposely came out of his crease to stop the puck. Simultaneously, Thornton (Bruin played) collides with Miller. The puck did not touch Thornton or Miller, but it landed on Marchand's (bruin player) stick and he banked it in easily. The goal was called off because of goalie interference. Thornton was penalized, and this changed the momentum of the third period in favor of the Sabres who ended up winning the game. I have an enormous problem with the refs call. No way should the goal have been called off. Miller decides to be a jackass that he is and leaps out of his crease in anticipation of the shot from the blue line. The puck never reaches him. He was out of the crease - out of the crease. Sure, Thornton collides with him (no intent which is seen on the play). Once again, Miller was way out of his crease - about a foot or two. Once a goalie is out of his crease to challenge a shot, then all bets are off unless the intent is obvious - the player clearly vying to knock the goalie out. This was not there last night (Wednesday). Thornton was heading for the top of the crease - standing in front of the goalie when your team is in the offensive zone is part of hockey. However, Miller decides it would be fun to go out of his crease. Hell, he might be looking for a cookie for all I know. That's the story.

I'm sick and tired of these so-called NHL refs continuously being inconsistent. Sure, humans make errors. It's a given. But aren't you sick and tired of this excuse? I know I am. They call a penalty to one team, but don't seem to think it's a penalty when the other team does it. Then they get offended that they're being called names on the ice. Oh, shut up! If you were doing your job right, then you wouldn't be hearing players calling you out.

For example, last night (Wednesday) - yes, I'm going back to the same game - Milan Lucic (Bruins) makes a legal hit - crisp and clean as it can get - yet he is called for boarding. This is in the first period. Complete bullshit penalty. Oh, and the Sabres capitalize to tie the game on the powerplay. Then later in the third - late in the third, actually - Vanek and Myers (both Sabre players) do the exact same thing to Lucic. Exact same sort of hit. By the way, Lucic did not have the puck. Refs don't call it, so Lucic let's the refs have it. After the game, Lucic said he called the refs a "joke" and an "embarrassment." Rightfully so, if I may add. For those comments (with less than 2 minutes left in the game while the Bruins trailed by one), Lucic is assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct. What a way for a ref to look big and tough, huh? Stupid. Just stupid. Give the guy a misconduct (10 minutes, out of the game and NO power play for the Sabres), but not an unsportsmanlike conduct that put the Sabres on the power play - basically giving the game to the Sabres. Once again, let me reiterate, I'm not being biased here. Plain and simple: a ref should not penalize a player like that with less than 2 minutes for something said that did not warrant a penalty to begin with. Hell, if unsportsmanlike conducts were given for every time a player says something like that on the ice, then the game would be incredibly slow and just painful to watch. Bottom line: the ref (if he really needed too, apparently he did) should have given Lucic a misconduct. It seemed, to me at least, that the ref (O'Rourke) took it as a way to punish the Bruins and not Lucic.

On to the next one.

Tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens. Rivalry game - game that should easily pump up both teams no matter how bad they have been playing lately. How should I say this? I'll sum up the bruins performance in tonight's game in two words: horse shit. And I mean every fucking word. There is too much anger from my part towards the bruins players right now after watching this horse shit of a performance. Lack of everything - passion, compete level, heart, skating, desire. Everything. It's missing, and I am starting to wonder what goes on in that locker room. I like Zdeno Chara, but games like these make me question his leadership, his captaincy, which he got without even playing a single game for the bruins.

The first period was .... wait for it .... horse shit. Absolutely horse shit. The penalty shot awarded to the Canadiens did not exist. You are going to tell me that that entitles a penalty shot? Really? That? Should I clean your glasses because they look fogged to me. That short penalty shot, surprisingly, ended up costing the bruins the game. That's what some fans would argue. I'll take it in another direction. That penalty shot was bullshit, did not exist, but it was not what costed the bruins the game. Sure, it took away any momentum from the bruins - did they even have any? - but it was not the reason for the bruins to play like ... wait for it ... horse shit.

Sloppy everything. Sloppy passes. Sloppy skating. Sloppy energy. I would probably be more entertained watching a horse attempt to skate on ice than see this bruins team play like that again. Scratch that, I would be entertained. Hell, I'll go fucking dance with the fucking horse. I'll be the first in line.

The bruins need to pull their heads out of their asses - if it is not too deep in there - and start playing for the B-crest on the chests. Enough of the horse shit plays and lack of everything. Memo to the so-called bruins players: the third period is not fucking Christmas every fucking game! You're not going to pull comebacks every fucking game. Enough is enough. I definitely enjoyed kicking my bruins cap in frustration after the second period. Damn, did it take a beating - just like the bruins tonight.

Oh, and that power play. Don't get me started on the power play. In fact, I will cut this short before I throw this laptop into the snow. The power play is a joke. A total joke. Horse shit. Disaster. You name it - for the record, I'm calling it horse shit just like the teams performance last night and tonight (Thursday). Three power plays in the third, when you are trailing by 2 goals, and you only manage to have ONE fucking shot?!! ONE? ONE? Really? ONE fucking shot? Mind you, the Bruins scored on that lone shot (that was on their third power play in the third period). But ONE? One fucking shot? Wow, I'll tell you what, the bruins were motivated and really wanted to win the hockey game.

Fuck that shit.

November Edition *Updated*

Same as the October edition. And yes, I promise to get back to blogging stuff other than predictions.

November:
(3) @ Buffalo 5-2 W Brad Marchand 1G (SH) 1A [BINGO]
4-2 W Nathan Horton 2G

(5) @ Washington 5-3 L Michael Ryder 1G 1A
3-1 W Tim Thomas 37 saves

(6) St. Louis 2-1 SOL
4-1 W Nathan Horton 2G

(10) @ Pittsburgh 7-4 W Shawn Thornton GWG
2-1 OTL Tuukka Rask 34 saves

(11) Montreal 3-1 L
5-1 W Milan Lucic 3G

(13) Ottawa 2-0 L
3-0 W Michael Ryder 2G

(15) New Jersey 3-0W [BINGO]
3-1 W Patrice Bergeron 3A

(17) @ NY Rangers 3-2 W [BINGO]
3-1 W Tyler Seguin 2G

(18) Florida 4-0 W [BINGO] - Lucic 3G, Horton 3A
4-2 W Nathan Horton 2G 2A

(20) Los Angeles 4-3 SOL
3-1 L Jordan Caron 1G

(22) @ Tampa Bay 3-1 L
5-3 W David Krejci 4A

(24) @ Florida 3-1 W
3-2 L Greggory Campbell 1G (his first as a Bruin)

(26) Carolina 3-0 L
6-1 W Brad Marchand 2G

(28) @ Atlanta 4-1 L
3-1 W Zdeno Chara 2G

Home Games: 7
Road Games: 7
November Record: 4-10
Prediction Record: 8-14 (4-4)

Schedule Predictions: October Edition *Updated Oct 31

Alright, folks. I have decided to stick with hockey for this blog post. This is going to be used for predictions (games | goal scorers) concerning the Boston Bruins only. I have written my predictions from the beginning of this season on a small piece of paper, and have now just decided to shove it here. Yes, shove it.

I will bump this blog post during and after every Bruins game. I also have zero intentions of altering the predictions in my favor; this would just defeat the purpose of having some fun. My prediction of the score, and which Bruins will have a great game, will be posted under the scheduled game. Beside the team will be the actual score.

Games from October 9 to 21 have already been played, but I will put what I thought was going to happen the day of the game.

October:
(9) Phoenix (Prague) 5-2 L Horton 2G
4-1 W Nathan Horton 2G 1A

(10) @Phoenix (Prague) 3-0 W Krejci 2A [Bingo]
4-2 W Milan Lucic 1G 2A

(16) @ New Jersey 4-1 W
2-1 L Greggory Campbell 1G

(19) @ Washington 3-1 W Krejci 1G 1A [Bingo]
4-3 OTW Michael Ryder 2G (GWG)

(21) Washington 4-1 W Bergeron 2A
4-2 L Patrice Bergeron 2G

(23) New York Rangers 3-2 L Horton 1G 1A
3-1 W Blake Wheeler 1G 1A

(28) Toronto 2-0 W Seguin's 1st goal in Boston [Bingo]
5-2 W Michael Ryder 2G 1A

(30) @ Ottawa 4-0 W Tim Thomas back-to-back shutouts [Bingo]
4-1 W Nathan Horton 2G

*October 23: Prediction for that game is in. So far I am 2-3 (right-wrong: terms of predicting wins/losses). There are 3 games remaining this month, and the only team that I can see us having a tough time beating is New York because of Henrik Lundqvist.

*October Record: 4-4

Bruins Current & Potential Lineups

Minor changes to previous blog post (2 down posts down), Projected Stats: Boston Bruins Edition. My predictions have been finalized by October 7. However, I feel that I should add the various projected lineups here. As already stated, Marco Sturm is projected to return to the lineup in late November, while Marc Savard status is unclear. It was said that perhaps Savard may return in December, maybe in 2011. The thing with concussions and depression is that there isn't a timetable. But Savard will undergo a test or two in the next 10 days and that may help determine a sort of timeline when he might be back. Let's hope for the best.

Here are my projected lineups

Offense (To start the year) Without Marc Savard

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron - Patrice Bergeron - Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler - Tyler Seguin - Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille - Gragory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Scratch: Brad Marchand

There is still a good possibility that Jordan Caron is sent down; Marchand would be on the third line, Wheeler would move to the second line and Brian McGrattan would be the scratch.

OPTION A
Offense: With Marc Savard (No Marco Sturm)

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton
Blake Wheeler - Marc Savard - Michael Ryder
Mark Recchi - Patrice Bergeron - Tyler Seguin
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Scratch: Brad Marchand

Jordan Caron would be the likely candidate sent down. I can see many different combination's when Marc Savard returns. However, I do think Krejci-Horton will be a tough line to break, and Savard will need sometime to get back into the game. Eventually when Savard is back on track, he will be re-united with Lucic and possibly have Seguin on the other wing.

OPTION B
Offense: With Marco Sturm (No Marc Savard)

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton
Blake Wheeler - Patrice Bergeron - Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm - Tyler Seguin - Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Scratch: Brad Marchand

OPTION C
Offense: With Marco Sturm & Marc Savard

Milan Lucic - Marc Savard - Nathan Horton
Blake Wheeler - David Krejci - Tyler Seguin
Marco Sturm - Patrice Bergeron - Mark Recchi
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Scratch: Brad Marchand

This makes for a very interesting and dominant lineup. With both Savard and Sturm back, Boston would have to shed some salary since they will be over the cap. The most likely target would be Michael Ryder and his 4 million cap hit. But who would take him? His value would be very low, but considering he will be a rental there might just be buyers early in the month. There isn't any space to have Savard, Sturm AND Ryder at the same time unless someone else gets hurt and lands on the LTIR.

I really like Option C. Stanley Cup contenders? I believe so. Boston have a great shot at winning at least one Stanley Cup in the next 4-5 years. Reason? Mainly talent, system & depth.

Projected Stats: Boston Bruins Edition *Updated: Final!*

Projected Points:
Centers
David Krejci: 80GP 22G 66A 88PTS 28PIM
Patrice Bergeron: 78GP 19G 43A 62PTS 28PIM
Tyler Seguin: 82GP 17G 27A 44PTS 34PIM
Gregory Campbell: 80GP 6G 11A 17PTS 51PIM
*Marc Savard: 40GP 10G 22A 32PTS 24PIM

Left Wingers
Milan Lucic: 76GP 23G 28A 51PTS 137PIM
Blake Wheeler: 82GP 25G 25A 50PTS 49PIM
Jordan Caron: 22GP 3G 7A 10PTS 19PIM
Daniel Paille: 76GP 8G 12A 20PTS 26PIM

Right Wingers
Nathan Horton: 78GP 38G 38A 76PTS 69PIM
Michael Ryder: 82GP 27G 24A 51PTS 22PIM ***
Mark Recchi: 82GP 17G 28A 45PTS 46PIM
Shawn Thornton: 67GP 1G 7A 8PTS 164PIM

Scratch
Brad Marchand: 33GP 2G 5A 7PTS 48PIM
Brian McGrattan: 15GP 0G 0A 0PTS 37PIM
Zach Hamill: 8GP 1G 1A 2PTS 2PIM
*Marco Sturm: 47GP 13G 11A 24PTS 26PIM

*** If Michael Ryder gets traded when Marco Sturm & Marc Savard come back, then here's the numbers I think he'll put out:
40GP 15G 12A 27PTS 14PIM

Defense
Zdeno Chara: 81GP 15G 39A 54PTS 109PIM
Dennis Seidenberg: 76GP 5G 31A 36PTS 67PIM
Johnny Boychuk: 78GP 12G 19A 31PTS 74PIM
Matt Hunwick: 73GP 6G 13A 19PTS 41PIM
Mark Stuart: 82GP 3G 6A 9PTS 111PIM
Andrew Ference: 47GP 0G 5A 5PTS 42PIM
Scratch
Adam McQuaid: 31GP 1G 2A 3PTS 37PIM
Andrew Bodnarchuk: 15GP 0G 0A 0PTS 12PIM
Matt Barkowski: 7GP 0G 4A 4PTS 8PIM

Forwards: 220-232 Goals
Defense: 42 Goals
Total: 262-274 goals

Realistic?

* Will start the season on LTIR. Savard will miss the entire month of October; date of return is uncertain. Marco Sturm is projected to be back late November-mid December.

Projected Lines

Offense (To start the year)
Line 1: Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton
Line 2: Jordan Caron - Patrice Bergeron - Mark Recchi
Line 3: Blake Wheeler - Tyler Seguin - Michael Ryder
Line 4: Daniel Paille - Gragory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Scratch: Brad Marchand

Note: This is all speculation, but the third line will certainly consist of a rookie (in my opinion, it will be a battle between Hamill [center], Jordan Caron [left wing] and Joe Colborne [center]). Brad Marchand winning a spot on the third line seems like a long shot. Expect Hamill (21 years old) to get the spot, at least for the month of October. Caron is making a case for himself, though. Hamill doesn't deserve a spot on the third line, but him being there will allow the Bruins more time to carefully develop the young players. (September 27 2010)*

Lineup will change once Marco Sturm and/or Marc Savard come back. Expect a young player (Hamill or whoever wins the spot on the third line) to be sent down, and a possible trade (most likely involving Michael Ryder). But, what happens if Ryder begins the season by tearing it up, popping goals right and left? I cannot see Sturm or Ryder on the fourth line while Shawn Thornton, Greggory Campbell or Daniel Paille sit out. It will be interesting to see what unfolds. (September 27 2010)*

Notes (October 2): Zach Hamill was sent down to the AHL this past week, which left the two remaining spots (second line forward and 13th forward). Brad Marchand, Jordan Caron & Brian MaGrattan are now fighting for the remaining two spots. It does seem that Jordan Caron will win a spot on the second line. Caron has been skating a ton with Bergeron & Recchi, while Tyler Seguin has been centering Wheeler & Ryder this past week.

Defense
Line 1: Zdeno Chara - Dennis Seidenberg
Line 2: Johnny Boychuk - Matt Hunwick
Line 3: Mark Stuart - Andrew Ference
Scratch: Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

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The Boston Bruins: Brief Notes/Updates

OK. The Boston Bruins. A complete surprise to see them thriving at this point of the year. Let's face it, the Boston Bruins should not have made it this far (second round, and possibly Eastern Conference Finals) with the way they played int he regular season and the never ending list of injuries. In fact, the only this consistent in the Bruins 09-10 season was the injuries. They beat the Buffalo Sabres without 2 of their top 4 D (Seidenberg & Stuart) and their top offensive threat (Savard).

Second round against the Philadelphia Flyers seems to be a complete Bruins domination. However, the Bruins have not been as dominating as the numbers show. The Bruins lead 3-0, but the series could have gone either way. Krejci is gone for the season with a dislocated wrist obtained last night from a Mike Richards (yes, that punk) hit (clean hit, by the way). Adam McQuaid also left last night's game with a lower body injury - he will not play Friday. Mark Stuart may return for game 4, but nothing is certain. As of now, the Bruins need to fill the void in D, and 1 more spot in the offense.

My prediction: Brad Marchand is inserted on the fourth line, while Mark Stuart makes his 2010 playoff debut tomorrow (Friday).

Will Justice Be Served Tonight? *Update* [My Response Is In The Comment Section]

The Boston Bruins vs. The Pittsburgh Penguins

Everyone knows what happened to Marc Savard earlier this month. If not, then let me remind you. Matt Cooke, a dirty Penguin player (has a history of dirty hits), decided to K.O Marc Savard in the late third period. Cooke aimed for Savard's head - blindspot! - and successfully accomplished it. Penguins won the game 2-1.

Marc Savard suffered a grade 2 concussion, which is very similar to the concussion Patrice Bergeron had 2 years ago. It's been eleven (11) days since the hit and Marc Savard is still feeling tired and weak. Many of his teammates have said that Savard is not doing well.

Here are some quotes from Joe Haggerty's article, "Bruins Notes: Wheeler, Wideman and Boychuk Questionable:"

When asked about the possibility of Colin Campbell or an NHL representative talking to the Bruins players in the dressing room prior to the game

"I just found a couple of minutes ago that somebody is going to talk to us," said Krejci. "I'm probably going to play with the soccer ball outside. Just warm up a bit."

The Best Quote

David Krejci on Matt Cooke:

"Tonight If there's a chance to finish that guy. We're not going to hesitate. We're going to do it."

From James Murphy's article, "Colin Campbell Not Welcomed in Bruins' Dressing Room:"

Mark Recchi:

"No, no, no. No interest in having him in our dressing room."

Will the Bruins retaliate tonight and get the justice Marc Savard deserves? Every hockey fan knows that Colin Campbell, Gary Bettman & Co. are full of shit. Complete fucking assholes who continue to make the NHL look like a joke. A mockery!

I do not think there will be a brawl, but I do hope to see the Bruins play with passion tonight. I want to see the fire in their eyes tonight.

The Boston Bruins: Trade Deadline Edition

That special time of year for all NHL fans. That zealous feeling. Something sweet in the air. Mysterious - one word to describe the day. That is the Trade Deadline, folks. Sometimes too much clatter and little results. Other times, there is an equal amount of clatter and results (trades). What do fans look for? Sure, every fanbase wants their team to acquire a player - some sort of impact player. Any player, really. OK, maybe not just any player, but someone. This feeling, this need lies within every hockey fan. You cannot hide it and you should not feel guilty to speak about it. This rumor, that rumor. Did you hear (insert team) is interested in (insert player)? That Piece of shit (insert a player from your favorite team) better be traded - overpriced assface! You know how it goes, right? The Trade Deadline.

That being said, let's move on to what I intended to write about - the Boston Bruins. What did they need? Well, there were two things they needed: 1) (high priority) scoring, 2) puck-moving defenseman. Boston is dead last in scoring - these offensive players cannot buy a freaking goal. Seriously, quite pathetic. The offensive players on the Bruins team should be scoring. There shouldn't be any struggle for scoring. Really, there should not be. However, the fact is Boston lack scoring. Marco Sturm leads the team with 19 goals in 55 games, second is Michael Ryder with 15 in 61 games. Marc Savard doesn't have a winger that can put the puck in the net. In fact, Savard has played with Dan Paille, Miroslav Satan, Michael Ryder, Blake Wheeler, Marco Sturm and Byron Bitz on the right wing. Nothing, nothing worked. Trade Deadline came and went. Boston did not get a scorer. Quite surprising considering how awful the Bruins offense has been this year. Should the fans be upset? Damn right they should be. I am definitely angry (though I cannot say I am surprised considering Peter Chiarelli's record on Trade Deadline day). Before I write about that let's look at what the Bruins did do.

Derek Morris was dealt to Phoenix. Yup, I was very shocked at that. I cannot say I was surprised about where he is going (quite ironic though), but I was surprised that he was dealt. His number were fine in Boston: 58 GP 3G 22A 25PTS -2 26PIM and 12 PPP. Responsible in his own end and one of the very few defenseman who actually played well so far. The other good defenseman so far is Mark Stuart (only 40 games) and Johnny Boychuk (only 31 games). Not good when you have Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman. Morris signed with the Boston Bruins this off-season: 1 year at 3.3 million. I thought that was a fair deal, and like I said he played pretty well with the Bruins. It was confirmed by Peter Chiarelli that the trade sending Derek Morris to Phoenix for a 4th round pick was made for the purpose to dump salary. Ok, fine. Boston were very tight against the salary cap and at that time I thought "maybe they will make a stronger push for Danny Hamhuis." However, what bothered me the most was the little return Boston got for Derek Morris. Now, that 4th round pick will turn into a 3rd round pick if Phoenix re-signs Morris. That is good, but considering Islanders got a 2nd round pick for Andy Sutton and Carolina got a 3rd round pick for Andrew Alberts, Derek Morris should have easily gotten a 2nd round pick. Easily. Terrible.

The Derek Morris deal means that Boston were going to make another trade - they needed to fill the empty spot in defense. Who did they get? Dennis Seidenberg and a prospect D for Byron Bitz, a prospect and a 2nd round pick (Tampa Bay's). Seidenberg is a good solid defenseman, but he is also an unrestricted free agent who gets a 1.25 million dollar bonus on June 30. Yes, you read that right. Boston could very well lose him. If they do, then they have just given away a 2nd round pick for 20 games of Seidenberg. Not good. Is Seidenberg an upgrade over Morris? I cannot say it is. Sure, Seidenberg is cheaper but he doesn't have Morris' passing and vision. If the Bruins wanted Seidenberg that bad (and Peter Chiarelli said he did) why didn't they sign him instead of Derek Morris? They would have easily saved money. Eh, it's called Bruins.

The Seidenberg deal was made at noon. Now, I'm thinking that the Bruins are not done - hell they should not be - and would acquire a scorer. Who would be gone from the Bruins roster? Well, top of the list would be Michael Ryder and his 4 million dollars. I have stuck behind him since the day he was signed, not many Bruins fans did. Ryder was great last year, but so was every other Bruin. He had 27 goals in the regular season and he manhandled the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. This year? 15G 10A 25PTS. Not the numbers you're sniper should have by the 61st game of the season. Oh, and did I mention he gets paid 4 million dollars? Ouch. I have stuck by him and continued to stick by Michael Ryder. But if someone has to be dealt to improve this offense, it's Michael Ryder. That's what happens when you have a GM that gives out an ample amount of bad contracts (I will get to that shortly). Scoring is an issue. Did the Bruins fix it? Did they acquire a scorer? The answer is no. Plain and simple, and it says a lot. Peter Chiarelli said in his press conference today at 4:30pm that the price for the forwards he was interested in were too high. But how high? Raffi Torres went to Buffalo for a 2nd round pick and defenseman Paetch. And you are telling me the Bruins couldn't give Columbus a similar offer? That is bullshit. By the way, there is a high possibility that Raffi Torres was one of the 8 players Chiarelli was interested. I say 8 because Chiarelli stated so during the press conference, but he did not say who. The rumored players he was interested were: Keith Tkachuck, Erik Cole, Ray Whitney and Raffi Torres. Oh yeah, we need more older players (Tkachuck and Ray Whitney). Come on. Erik Cole would have been nice.

Chiarelli failed to get a scorer. Tomorrow nights Boston Bruins will be the same as those of last night. Pathetic. The Bruins rarely score more than 2 goals. Hell, it seems like it's a miracle for them to score 3 freaking goals. It's really sad. But, you see, the Bruins would have never been in this situation had Peter Chiarelli not given bad contracts. Here is what I am talking about:

Milan Lucic: 3 years 12 million dollars (4 million dollar cap hit). Great potential, but not worth that much right not. Could have easily been signed in the 2-3 million dollar range.

David Krejci: almost identical contract as Milan Lucic. Sure, Krejci will be an awesome center, but after having one good year that is a huge raise.

Tim Thomas: 4 years 20 million (5 million dollar cap hit) with No Movement Clause. Terrible, just terrible. 5 million dollars for this aging goalie. Really? Tim Thomas could have easily agreed to 3-3.5 million dollars. Over-payed.

Matt Hunwick: 2 years 3.5 million (1.75 cap hit). Too much for a defenseman that played his first full year in the NHL. Oh, how awful he has been this year.

Marco Sturm: 2 years left (including this year) 7 million (3.5 million dollar cap hit) with No Trade Clause. Not worth the NTC. Nope.

How much will Peter Chiarelli pay Blake Wheeler, who is set to be a restricted free agent this year? 5 million? Ya, why not. Oh, and don't forget the tradition No Trade Clause attached to the contract. Sign on the dotted line, alright?

The Boston Bruins (and Ilya Kovalchuk trade): Season Down the Drain (Part faux Deux)

OK, I said I would have a part two concerning my frustrations on the Boston Bruins, who lost for the ninth (9) straight time last night. But I decided to back off and bury my frustrations on the team for now. Yes, it took a lot in me to keep away for a while. That's all I wanted to say.
Well, since I'm on the subject I guess I'll briefly talk about the Ilya Kovalchuk trade that took place last night. He is, of course, one of the few players in the league along with Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and (yes, him too) Evgeny Malkin that can be called a superstar. Ilya Kovalchuk. Yup. Sniper. Yup. Well, he was dealt to the New Jersey Devils. Who would have thought the Devils of all teams would trade for him? I certainly didn't. Not many did. In my opinion, Don Waddel (Atlanta's GM) once again failed to achieve a substantial return for Kovalchuk - just as he failed to get anything for Hossa two years ago.
New Jersey sent Atlanta the following: this years first round pick, Niclas Bergfors (FW), Johnny Oduya (D) and Patrice Cormier (NJs second round pick last year). Bergfors has potential to be a second liner at best; Johnny Oduya is a solid defenseman who is having a tough season; Patrice Cormier could be a bust like Angelo Esposito (part of the return from Pittsburgh for Hossa two years ago) and the first round pick (looks like it will be somewhere between 25-30) can be a toss up. Now, I understand that Kovalchuk is considered a rental player as far as anyone is concerned. And I can also understand Waddel desperation to trade Kovalchuk now before the Olympics to avoid any possibility that Kovalchuk gets hurt (if that were to happen than it is safe to assume Atlanta was fucked), however, Waddel did not get any player that would generate any excitement from Atlanta fans to attend home games. Lets face it, a good chunk of Atlanta fans, or any hockey fan attending a Trashers game, went because they wanted to see Ilya Kovalchuk. Now who do they go watch? Certainly none of the New Jersey players coming to Atlanta. That's a safe bet. Rich Peverley? Hmm, OK. Good hands, but who will he pass to? Maxim Afinigenov? That's a charm *sarcasm*. Nik Antropov? lol.
Not much there. That's not to say Atlanta will suck for the next couple of years. Oh, no. They won't be great or as entertaining, but they will be an OK team in the mist of developing their D and offense. What puzzles me is that Waddel stated that New Jersey's offer was the best. Why didn't Waddel pry Travis Zajac from New Jersey. I know I would have. Maybe he tried, and he most certainly failed. Despite all of this, Don Waddel is still one of the worst active GMs in the league. Oh, yes he is.

The Boston Bruins: Season Down The Drain (Part One of Two)

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Winter Classic Game

First and foremost, happy new year to everyone. May 2010 be better than 2009. For me it was an OK year, but that is to be discussed another time. Well, now that I got your attention let me direct you to the Winter Classic Game that is taking place today - right now as I type this.

Well, I had forgotten to continue this blog post yesterday. I guess I was too excited watching Marco Sturm (Boston LW) score the game winner in OT. woooooooo. And now I have a headache.

Another One Bites the Dust

What a night, what a night. Upside down, inside out. Bruins-Canes Game 3. First period was decent, Boston up 1-0 seemed in control. Then came the second period - Montador decided to act as if he never played hockey....TWICE. Montador coughed up the puck on the PK, which resulted in Staal's tying goal. Once again, a minute later Canes take the lead thanks to a sloppy play from Bruins defenseman. Guess who? *waits* If you guessed Steve Montador, then give yourself a nice tap on the shoulder. Brutal period for that dude. Pissed off, angry, you name it. Third period was....well, let's say Recchi kept my sanity. OT comes along and the Bruins could have ended the game, take the series lead......FIVE fucking times!!!! Ward was OK in OT, but the Bruins just fucked their chances to the core. Then of course, the Canes have ONE rush in OT and BANG. Winner. DING DING DING!!!
Thomas was a beast though. Series not over, but I don't like this.