In this edition of Hockey Falls Gazette…
“And Down the Stretch They Come”
(Bruins Report #6)
Believe it or not, the B’s remain within striking distance of a playoff spot with a month left to go. Based on our last report filed last month, such an idea seemed a veritable impossibility but that’s how the puck drops (as we say up here in “Hockey Falls”). For the sake of brevity, this report will not delineate on a game-by-game basis, but will review the team’s progress (or lack thereof) in broad strokes.
When last we reviewed the Black N’ Gold in mid-January, their record was 21-19-4, 46 points, good for last place in the Northeast and 11th in the Eastern Conference. After an electrifying shootout win at home against Pittsburgh on January 18th, the Bruins went into the tank, losing five straight by a combined score of 22-3. Not only was their play abysmal, they played without any intensity and were pushed around. The game at Buffalo on the 30th was perhaps the lowest point that Bruins’ fans had witnessed in quite a while. Not only was the score lopsided, Buffalo’s coach sent out his pit bulls and the Bruins did little if anything to respond. David Krejci was recalled from Providence and knocked cold by a viscous hit.
It was apparent that changes needed to be made. While the B’s won three out of their next four during the first week of February (one OT, two shootouts), GM Chiarelli made his first big move, wheeling Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to Calgary in exchange for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew. From a contract management perspective, this was a great deal for Boston. They got younger and cheaper at the expense of unloading two guys who didn’t fit in their long-term plans. Stuart will be a UFA at season’s end and had no intentions of remaining on the East Coast. Primeau was a classic 4th line mucker n’ grinder. He played with heart and intensity and would make a nice addition to an established contender, but not particularly helpful for a team that is developing its identity. Moreover, these two guys were 2/3rd of the players Boston received in the ill-conceived Thornton deal.
In the weeks leading up to the February 27th trade deadline, the Bruins won five out of the next eight and began creeping up slowly on the final playoff spot in the East. In a bold move, they re-signed LW Marco Sturm to a four-year deal, thus eliminating him as a bargaining chip. On Deadline Day (which ought to be a national holiday in Canada), all sorts of big names were traded, but the Bruins didn’t do much. They traded Paul “Minus 56” Mara to Rangers for veteran D Aaron Ward (whose connection with Coach Lewis go back to Hockeytown). In one way, it’s sad to see a hometown guy leave, but he was called upon to be an offensive threat at the blue line and failed to deliver. With Ward, the B’s get a 34-year old guy who knows how to take care of things in his end of the rink. Still, why did they have to trade Boynton for Mara in the first place?
After the 3:00 deadline passed, the B’s announced that they traded Brad Boyes to the Blues for D Dennis Wideman. This move was more than a little surprising. Last year, Boyes was third in NHL rookie scorers, and his future looked very bright. This year, he never got untracked and seemed ill-suited in Lewis’ more defensive oriented system. In Wideman, the B’s receive a player that similarly suffered a sophomore slump. Supposedly, he’s a good man on the point. Time will tell whether the change in scenery works well for both teams.
During February, Glen Murray had been in and out of the lineup with a groin injury, which most likely precluded him from having been dealt on Deadline Day. The Bruins began March with a heartbreaking overtime loss at home against the dreadful Flyers. A player Philly picked up from Nashville in the Forsberg trade scored the winning goal with ten seconds left in OT. However, the Bruins rebounded nicely over the weekend beating Montréal on Saturday and on the road in Jersey. The Bruins started a new week by playing dreadfully against Colorado at home, losing 2-zip. In a blow to their playoff hopes, Glen Murray went down again with a groin problem and “is out indefinitely” (ouch).
All in all, the Bruins are who they are: a team that is building for the future. At 32-29-5, they’re still in the basement of the Northeast Division and are twelfth in the Conference, a mere four points out. Six teams are dukin’ it out for two spots heading down the stretch. They are still several pieces away from being a Cup Contender, though the Coach is now giving the kids more ice time. Will they make playoffs? Maybe, about a one-in-three shot if everything falls right. There is about a 99% probability that Lord Stanley’s Cup will be hoisted in Boston (35 years, but who’s counting). The jury’s still out on this team (players and management) and will be long after the teams cross the finish line.
“And Down the Stretch They Come”
(Bruins Report #6)
Believe it or not, the B’s remain within striking distance of a playoff spot with a month left to go. Based on our last report filed last month, such an idea seemed a veritable impossibility but that’s how the puck drops (as we say up here in “Hockey Falls”). For the sake of brevity, this report will not delineate on a game-by-game basis, but will review the team’s progress (or lack thereof) in broad strokes.
When last we reviewed the Black N’ Gold in mid-January, their record was 21-19-4, 46 points, good for last place in the Northeast and 11th in the Eastern Conference. After an electrifying shootout win at home against Pittsburgh on January 18th, the Bruins went into the tank, losing five straight by a combined score of 22-3. Not only was their play abysmal, they played without any intensity and were pushed around. The game at Buffalo on the 30th was perhaps the lowest point that Bruins’ fans had witnessed in quite a while. Not only was the score lopsided, Buffalo’s coach sent out his pit bulls and the Bruins did little if anything to respond. David Krejci was recalled from Providence and knocked cold by a viscous hit.
It was apparent that changes needed to be made. While the B’s won three out of their next four during the first week of February (one OT, two shootouts), GM Chiarelli made his first big move, wheeling Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to Calgary in exchange for defenceman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew. From a contract management perspective, this was a great deal for Boston. They got younger and cheaper at the expense of unloading two guys who didn’t fit in their long-term plans. Stuart will be a UFA at season’s end and had no intentions of remaining on the East Coast. Primeau was a classic 4th line mucker n’ grinder. He played with heart and intensity and would make a nice addition to an established contender, but not particularly helpful for a team that is developing its identity. Moreover, these two guys were 2/3rd of the players Boston received in the ill-conceived Thornton deal.
In the weeks leading up to the February 27th trade deadline, the Bruins won five out of the next eight and began creeping up slowly on the final playoff spot in the East. In a bold move, they re-signed LW Marco Sturm to a four-year deal, thus eliminating him as a bargaining chip. On Deadline Day (which ought to be a national holiday in Canada), all sorts of big names were traded, but the Bruins didn’t do much. They traded Paul “Minus 56” Mara to Rangers for veteran D Aaron Ward (whose connection with Coach Lewis go back to Hockeytown). In one way, it’s sad to see a hometown guy leave, but he was called upon to be an offensive threat at the blue line and failed to deliver. With Ward, the B’s get a 34-year old guy who knows how to take care of things in his end of the rink. Still, why did they have to trade Boynton for Mara in the first place?
After the 3:00 deadline passed, the B’s announced that they traded Brad Boyes to the Blues for D Dennis Wideman. This move was more than a little surprising. Last year, Boyes was third in NHL rookie scorers, and his future looked very bright. This year, he never got untracked and seemed ill-suited in Lewis’ more defensive oriented system. In Wideman, the B’s receive a player that similarly suffered a sophomore slump. Supposedly, he’s a good man on the point. Time will tell whether the change in scenery works well for both teams.
During February, Glen Murray had been in and out of the lineup with a groin injury, which most likely precluded him from having been dealt on Deadline Day. The Bruins began March with a heartbreaking overtime loss at home against the dreadful Flyers. A player Philly picked up from Nashville in the Forsberg trade scored the winning goal with ten seconds left in OT. However, the Bruins rebounded nicely over the weekend beating Montréal on Saturday and on the road in Jersey. The Bruins started a new week by playing dreadfully against Colorado at home, losing 2-zip. In a blow to their playoff hopes, Glen Murray went down again with a groin problem and “is out indefinitely” (ouch).
All in all, the Bruins are who they are: a team that is building for the future. At 32-29-5, they’re still in the basement of the Northeast Division and are twelfth in the Conference, a mere four points out. Six teams are dukin’ it out for two spots heading down the stretch. They are still several pieces away from being a Cup Contender, though the Coach is now giving the kids more ice time. Will they make playoffs? Maybe, about a one-in-three shot if everything falls right. There is about a 99% probability that Lord Stanley’s Cup will be hoisted in Boston (35 years, but who’s counting). The jury’s still out on this team (players and management) and will be long after the teams cross the finish line.
posted by Richard | 1:19 PM
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