Shocking News: Players From Philly Are A Bunch Of Drunks

Since the Flyers traded away captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter this offseason we have wondered why. Of course they needed a goalie, but to trade away two of their best offensive players seemed a bit much. Then news started to come out that these two refused to write their uniform numbers on a board in the locker room under a pledge to abstain from alcohol, as the coach requested. There are also rumors that these two had some serious drinking/partying problems.

Well, I guess that would explain it, and I guess we shouldn't be all that shocked that a hockey player has a drinking problem, and even less shocked when that player is from Philly. There have been some rumors that Marchand is kind of a party animal and the Bruins have asked him to cut back, but at least he has something to celebrate.

Bruins About To Resign Marchand?

"According to the Boston Globe, the general manager of the Boston Bruins feels there has been progress in the quest to sign Brad Marchand. Peter Chiarelli wouldn't say much else about ongoing contract talks with the 23-year-old winger's agent."

The gist of the article was that the Bruins would eventually resign their only restricted free agent. The question is how much. Most people think it will be in the 2-3 million range. The Bruins are close to the cap, so they have to be careful here. Marchand is an interesting guy, because as good as he was in the playoffs his 41 regular season points put him in the $1.5-$2 million range, but the way he played in the playoffs will get him somewhere over two. My best guess is a 2 year deal for about $5 million.

No matter what the Bruins can't afford to lose this guy, and I hope a deal gets done soon.

Bruins Lose Kaberle To Carolina Then Sign Joe Corvo

The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to a three-year, $12.75 million deal with Tomas Kaberle, but the Bruins quickly turned around and signed Joe Corvo to a 1 year deal worth $2.25 million. I really like what the Bruins did here. There is no way Kaberle is worth $4.25 million a year. He was a bust here, and even though the Bruins won the Cup with him, I feel they won in spite of him rather then because of him.

Corvo is a very solid pickup, and I like the short money deal. The Bruins do not need to get locked down in a long term contract for a "puck moving defenseman". Corvo will fit in nicely as he can take Kaberle's spot right away, and can be a nice addition to the power play. He is coming off a career year in which scored 11 goals and had 29 assists for a career-high 40 points. He just can't wear #77 anymore.

The Bruins Are Doomed, My Short Lived Bruins Fanhood Is Over

(One thing I have learned over the years, you don't let ESPN front page players go)

Michael Ryder signed with the Dallas Stars for a reported $7 million over two years on the first day of NHL free agency. The 31-year-old forward had 41 points in the regular season and was fourth on the team in playoff scoring, including three goals and three assists in the Stanley Cup finals against the Canucks. ESPN

I know I'm not really a hockey fan, but I became a Michael Ryder fan about 3 years ago and the Bruins just made the biggest mistake of their franchise by letting this stud go. Michael Ryder single handedly won them the Stanley Cup. He was great in the playoffs and the Bruins wouldn't have even made it there if it wasn't for him. He made Tyler Seguins career, he made that 3rd line as dangerous as the 1st (Him and Seguin were like Jordan and Pippen out there), and he made a game winning save even Tim Thomas couldn't get. Actually, he probably should have won the Vezina trophy based on that alone. He was the 2nd most important Bruin in this whole postseason behind Tim Thomas. Michael Ryder was the heart and soul of this team and they were fucking dumb to let him go on the 1st day of free agency. I hope when the Dallas Stars come back he makes them pay for this crucial mistake and disrespect they showed him.

Go Stars!

Penguins To Sign Jagr

There have been rumors for weeks that Jaromir Jagr is finally going to make his comeback to the NHL. There had been a bunch of teams rumored (Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, ect), but it's the Penguins that have seemed to have won the race. Jagr is now 38 years old and hasn't played in the NHL since 2008. He has been playing well overseas, and I do expect him to be able to put up 20-25 goals, so as long as your expectations are in the right place I don't this he will disappoint. I have never liked Jagr, maybe it's his hair, or maybe it's just my hatred for the Peguins, but I hope this woks out terrible.

Meet The Newest Bruin

The Bruins drafted Dougie Hamilton with their first pick in the NHL draft. Yea, I have no idea who is either, but I did do some reading up on him, and what the Bruins were thinking. Basically they like this kid because he is a huge (6-4) physical defenseman. If groomed right he could be another great defenseman for the Bruins. We saw in the finals what big defenseman can do for you. They can wear stars down, and if this kid is the real deal it would be nice to have him and Chara on the same team. The one knock on him right now is inconsistency, he can go out and play great then make some bad plays within the same game. To me that sounds like any 18 year old, so I wouldn't worry about that too much.

Why Not?

Hilarious.

You Are Not Going To Like The Bruins Parade

Hate to rain the Bruins parade, but it's going to disappoint a lot of you. It's not just because I'm bitter that I can't go, but the way they planned it, and the bumbling mayor's rules.

1) It is ending in Copley. I work in Copley and trust me it is not a good place to have that many people. They just won't fit.

2) There is no rally point. No speeches, nothing. You are going to see the duck boats, some players for about 2 mins, and then nothing. What made the Patriots rally great is that it ended in Government Center, and there was speeches, music, dancing, awesomeness. They aren't allowing any of that. It will literally be duck boats, clapping, and watch them go by. Sweet.

3) Last, and least important it might rain. That sucks, but it only sucks, because you are getting very little out of it. If it was a rally, and players were out there with you doing speeches, then it's worth it. To watch them drive by in a duck boat, no thanks.

The only reason to go is to see the Cup. I can understand that, but what a disappointment. I mean when Bourque won the Cup they let him make a speech, and he didn't even win it in Boston. This is just fucking stupid, and I am disappointed in Boston.

For those of you going here is the route:

The route will begin at TD Garden at 11 a.m. and work its way through the city, beginning on Causeway Street. The team will travel on duck boats past City Hall Plaza and the Common before ending at Copley Plaza on Boylston Street.

Tim Thomas' Trophy Case

Two nights ago, Tim Thomas added two impressive pieces of hardware to an already diverse collection of trophies and awards. And while the Conn Smythe, the Stanley Cup, and his inevitable second Vezina are the feature pieces of his trophy case, the rest of what's in there tells the story of his career.

He's got some college hockey honors. He was two time All-ECAC and two time All NCAA East All-American. He also has some less traditional, and more difficult to spell awards under his belt.

In 1998, he won the Urpo Ylönen trophy, given to the best goalie in Finland's SM-liiga. He's the only American who has one of those bad boys. His team also won the very large Kanada-malja ("Canada Cup"), Finland's championship trophy.

In 2005 he won the Kultainen kypärä ("Golden Helmet") in Finland, awarded to the best player as voted by his fellow players. He won another 'best player' award that year: the Lasse Oksanen trophy.

The variety of awards he has in that trophy case don't just testify to his quality as a player. They're not just achievements. They're milestones on a career that took one of the most unique paths from obscurity to greatness. Nobody in the world has an Urpo Ylönen, a Vezina, and a Conn Smythe.

-The Commodore

BMack's Bruins Thoughts

The Boston Bruins are Stanley Cup Champions.

I keep saying it, yet I find it hard to believe.

When I was a little kid it was the only team I followed. They were the first team to break my heart, and they seemed to love doing it, because it happened again and again. One of my first memories is Wesley hitting the post, I was 6. I remember very little other else from that time in my life other then the my Ghostbusters toy gun that put images of ghosts on the wall (fucking best toy ever).

For so long the Bruins were so close. They had the talent (Bourque, Neely, Moog, Janney, Oates, Sweeney, ect), but in the end it always ended the same... Heartbreak. Sure, I got to enjoy watching Bourque go to Colorado and winning the Cup, and trust me I enjoyed every minute. The Bruins wouldn't spend the money to be good. They didn't care. I didn't care, and much like Bourque I walked out the door.

Then the NHL did the best thing they ever did for the league. They made a salary cap.

Slowly I came back. They had to spend the money, so it was just about finding the talent. They didn't do it at first, and it was reliving the 90's all over again. Always a step behind, always the joke of Boston. The hype got bigger and bigger, then... Heartbreak. The Flyers knock the Bruins out after being up 3-0. The noise from Boston was the same as it had been my whole like. "Same old Bruins, same old joke".

Then Thomas came back.

Before this year Moog was by far the best goalie I had ever seen in a Bruins uniform. Sure, there were flash in the pan guys (John Blue, Andrew Raycroft, Jim Carey , ect), but nothing like this. I never got to see Gerry Cheevers, but I doubt he was this good. Actually, I can back that up. Thomas made the most saves of anyone is postseason histroy. He won 3 game 7's, also never been done. Thomas finished the playoffs with a 16-9 record, 1.98 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. Not bad for a guy who was a backup last year.

The closest I can think of is Patrick Roy. I have always said he is the best goalie I have ever seen, and for his career I'll stand by that, but this run Thomas went on was better then anything he has ever done. Let's be honest for a second. The Bruins are GOOD, but they are not GREAT. They aren't as good as the Champions in the past (Penguins, Blackhawks, so on). The Bruins had 1 thing going for them. Tim Thomas is better then anyone else's goalie, and the best part is he did it HIS WAY. He came out of his net, he was wreckless, he fucking HIT PEOPLE, and it all worked.

To make it even more amazing is the way he got here. He got no respect for much of his career. Didn't even make it to the NHL till he was in the 30's. Didn't really lock down a starting job till recently. Now, he will go down as the goalie who had the greatest run of anyone EVER.

Moving on from Thomas, could there be a more likeable team? No real superstars (other then maybe Chara). Just a bunch of "blue collar" guys that wouldn't go down without smacking you in the mouth. That ended up being the difference. The Canucks were a way better team. Not even close, but they didn't have the fight. They didn't want to get in the trenches. The Bruins loved the trenches, they had been in them for 3 years. They had seen the worst losses (Flyers), they had seen worst injuries (Horton, Savard, Bergeron), they had seen every other team in Boston win. There just wasn't anything any team could do to them that they hadn't already seen. THAT ended up being the difference. They were the warriors that had seen it all. They were all "JACK BAUER".

It's been an incredible run. So, enjoy Bruins fans, the heartbreak is over, and for everyone else...

WELCOME TO TITLE TOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruins 4, Canucks 0

It didn't truly feel real until I saw Tim Thomas holding the Conn Smythe trophy. I've seen Thomas before, many times. I've seen the Conn Smythe as well. But when I saw that man and that thing together in the same frame, that's when it fully hit me what had happened.

The Bruins are Champions. Not Adams Division Champs, not Conference Champs. They didn't win the Presiden't Trophy, they won the Stanley fucking Cup. For the first time since 1972. For only their 6th time in history (remember, for a few decades there were only 6 teams in the League). The redheaded stepchildren of Boston sports are now the center of the Hub.

It started and ended with Thomas. His Finals numbers were unreal. A 1.15 GAA, and a .967 SV%, with two shutouts. All this against the best offense in the NHL. Thomas' season will go down as one of the best in the history of his position. The kid from Michigan whose career bounced around from Vermont to Houston to Finland to Hamilton to Sweden to Detroit to Providence and finally to Boston. What a great story, what a great player.

Then the defense. How monstrous were Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg in the postseason? Chara was a +16 in the playoffs and a +5 in this series. That's against the best players in the League. Against the Sedins, against Stamkos and St. Louis. He was +16!

Every forward contributed at some point. Horton's big game-winners. Ryder had a few huge games. Seguin's breakaways. Marchand's introduction to the NHL as a grinder and a scorer. Bergeron, Recchi, everyone had at least one big, vital performance in one game. And guys like Marchand and Peverley seemed to repeatedly come through in the clutch. 11 playoff goals for Marchand.

The same goes for defensemen like Boychuk, Ference, and McQuaid. Kaberle's biggest contribution was probably holding the Cup while his teammates drank from it. But who cares?

This is just a surreal feeling. This wasn't supposed to happen, right? Even when every other team in Boston was winning, the B's were lousy. They were the butts of jokes. They were the ones who couldn't get it done. And now they're part of the club, part of the best decade for any city in the history of sports.

On June 16, 2001, the Red Sox were on their way to another 2nd place season behind the Yankees. The Patriots had just used the 6th overall pick to draft Richard Seymour, and were hoping to recover from a 5-11 season under 2nd year head coach Bill Belichick. The Celtics were reeling from a 36-46 season that saw the departure of Rick Pitino. Boston sports were in a dark period.

Now look at where we are on June 16, 2011. We're preparing for another parade. Our Police Department has more experience in controlling Championship rioting than any other in the country. The longest active title drought belongs to the Patriots, who haven't won since all the way back in 2004. What a time to be from Boston.

Thank you, Bruins.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Canucks: Game 7

This series feels like it has been going on for months. There have been so many story lines it's like reading some kind of epic novel. Biting, being down 2-0, Horton's injury, the suspension, Luongo's epic fails, Mason Raymond's injury, Sedin guaranteeing victory, and so on, but all of that is in the past. None of it matters. It just 3 periods left to decide who gets the Cup, who history remembers, because in the end that's all that matters.

I could be wrong about 1 thing. It may take more then 3 periods, and if that is the case would anyone be surprised?

This game boils down to two things. STATS vs. MOMENTUM.

STATS:

In every way stats favor the Canucks. They are 3-0 at home. Luongo has let up 2 goals in 3 games at home with 2 shutouts (something like 16 goals when in Boston). The Bruins have never won a Game 7 on the road in four previous attempts. NHL teams are 12-3 in Game 7 Cup contests when playing at home. All these things make you think there is 0 chance the Bruins will pull this off. If this game was up to stats it would already be over. The Canucks would be raising the Cup.

MOMENTUM:

Boston crushed the Canucks last time out. They have crushed them 3 out of the last 4 games, and only lost the other game by 1 goal (Game 5 1-0). Thomas hasn't had a bad game. Luongo has had several. The Bruins seem head strong, and tougher then the Canucks. They are wearing them down, as more and more defenseman for the Canucks have to sit out. Overall the Bruins have outscored the mighty juggernaut that is the Canucks offense 19-8. Seems crazy for a mostly inept scoring team like the Bruins. If this game was won on momentum the Bruins would be raising the Cup.

The bottom line is neither of those things matter. Stats are fun to see, but there are always exceptions. Momentum is great, but we have seen it stop before (Game 5). What it comes down to is who makes the mistake. Will the Bruins make that stupid pass in their own end that costs them a goal? Will Luongo shit is pants? Those are the things that matter.

It will be whoever has the legs left. The Bruins lost Horton. The Canucks have lost Mason Raymond and defensive depth. Who can put that one last game of effort in? That's what will decide this. The Bruins need their legs, they need to be more physical. The Canucks have to have their speed, then need to out skate the Bruins.

I have watched the Bruins all year, and when they have their backs against the wall they play their best. I think they do it one last time, and the take the Cup back to Boston for the first time in 39 years.

Bruins win 3-1
Players of the Game: Thomas/Seidenberg/Marchand
Game starts at 8pm on NBC

Bruins 5, Canucks 2

I wonder if Roberto Luongo will have any more critiques for Tim Thomas. I have my doubts. The cocksure goaltender didn't even last a period, and I have to say that each goal he allowed was pretty unforgivable for a goalie. You won't hear Thomas say that, because he respects the camaraderie that goalies share. But I don't have such scruples. Luongo sucked, the Bruins took advantage, and now the series is tied 3-3.

Tim Thomas deserves the Conn Smythe right now. Who else could win it?

But that being said, Roberto Luongo has had the biggest impact on this series. When he performs adequately, the Canucks win. When he doesn't, they lose. He's controlled this duel from Game 1, much more than Thomas has, even though Thomas has by far been the better goalie.

I guess what I'm saying is that even if Luongo does well, the Bruins need to find a way to win. They need to get production from the Power Play, they need to take care of the puck. They're going to need to win a close game on the road to bring the Cup where it belongs to Boston. The hockey gods are not pleased with the diving of the Sedins, or the shenanigans of Burrows, or how pillow soft Lapierre is, or the dastardly hit by Rome. The hockey gods want the Cup in Boston. The Bruins need to appease the hockey gods, and win it.

Game 7 Wednesday night and I can't wait.

Canucks @ Bruins Preview: Game 4

The loss of Horton is one that is going to sting. He is probably the Bruins 2nd best scorer, and there is very little they can do to make up for that. Yet, the Bruins have a lot going for them. Thomas proved he is by far the best player in this series. Most people didn't notice just how good he was in Game 3, but he might have been the most impressive player.

The Bruins also could be in Roberto Luongo. He looked terrible and the Bruins learned all they really just need to go high on this guy and he can't handle it. So, maybe this is the beginning of the end for him.

The Bruins came out with a vengeance once Horton was knocked out. That won't be the same tonight and I expect a much closer game. That being said, when I think of this series it makes me think back to 2002 when McLaren injured Richard Zednik of the Montreal Canadiens with an elbow to the face and was suspended for 3 games. The Bruins got crushed the rest of the series and eventually lost the series 4-2. I think this is going to be a similar event for the Canucks. The Bruins lost the better player, but this team now has a rallying cry.

The only thing that worries me is that the refs are going to call such a tight game that there will be a ton of penalties. We all know that favors the Canucks, but I will side with the vengeance/momentum over banking on the refs.

Bruins win 4-2
Player of the Game: Thomas (goes without saying), and Peverley
Game starts at 8pm on Versus

Horton Out For Rest Of Finals (UPDATED)

The Bruins announced Tuesday morning that first-line right wing Nathan Horton is out for the remainder of the Stanley Cup finals due to a severe concussion. It was pretty obvious the second he hit the ice that he was going to be out for the rest of this series. Horton is a key part of the Bruins offense. Last night when I saw the hit I thought "fuck, that's it the Bruins are toast". This morning I feel a bit different. Once Horton went down the Bruins got some life. The lines were played with a bit, and this team seems to be out for blood. The question now is how long this energy boost will last.

It was a dirty hit, and they had a hearing at 11am today with the NHL. We will let you know when we hear the punishment for Rome.

With Horton out Seguin should be back on the active roster.

***UPDATE***

Allen Rome is suspended gets a 4 game suspension, which is the rest of the Finals and is exactly what he should get for the dirty hit the NHL is trying to get rid of.

Canucks @ Bruins Preview

The Bruins have showed over the last two games that they can play with the Canucks. They have also showed that they are still prone to silly mistakes, and that is what has been costing them.

The Bruins waste a lot of rushes up ice with silly turnovers and they have been lucky so far it hasn't cost them more goals then it has. The key (as it's been all season) is to eliminate these mistakes.

The other key is getting more pressure on Luango. They did it through 2 periods last game, but just like game 1 when the 3rd period came around they ran out of steam. It's tough because Chara is playing so much, but he is supposed to be one of the best defenseman in the league, and when you are on of the best defenseman you play a lot of minutes, so no excuses.

There is a rumor going around Thornton might be in the lineup tonight. I am not sure who he will replace, but he will add even more physicality to the Bruins. The question is who is replaces, because if he takes Paille or Campbell spot then it could hurt the penalty kill, and if he takes Seguin's spot you are just hurting an offense that isn't playing all that well.

Obviously, if the Bruins lose tonight the series is over. They have to not only win tonight, but win the next game too to get back in this series. Do I feel confident? No, but they have played these guys tough and maybe the home crowd gives them just that little extra burst they need.

Bruins win 3-2 (OT)
Player of the Game: Lucic
Game starts at 8pm

Canucks Are A Bunch Of Pillow Biters

"Wearing an adhesive bandage on his left index finger, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron confirmed following the team's Game 1 loss to the Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals that Vancouver winger Alexandre Burrows bit him at the end of the first period.

"Oh yeah, he did," said Bergeron. "He cut me a little bit on my finger, but I'm not going to complain about it. I'll let the league do their job, but he sure did [bite me] (WEEI)."

Who the fuck bites?

I was wondering what happened, because Bergeron never get that upset, and he was going all Evander Holyfield at the end of the first peroid.

I know the NHL is wierd with suspensions, but this guy has to get at least a game. According to Ray Bourque, Burrows has a history of being a dirty player, which is all the more reason I will be pissed if I see him on the ice Saturday.

1 Vancouver, 0 Bruins

I guess I'll do it since the Captain is probably in a ditch drunk somewhere cursing Celtics fans for some odd god reason.

It was pretty evident that these were the two best teams in the NHL during this heart pounding gaming 1. Through 59.5 minutes of the game it was knotted up at 0. Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas were putting on a goal tending clinic as Luongo stopped 36 and Thomas stopped 33.

But with 18.5 seconds left, during a shift change they took advantage of a turnover by Johnny Boychuck, Jannik Hansen stole the puck and had a perfect pass to Raffi Torres for the game winner. Many people will bitch and moan that the officiating missed an offside call due to Hansens raised foot, but it seemed clean to me. To be honest, "us" as Bruins fans shouldn't be complaining about officiating at all because these whole playoffs including last night "we" never got the short end of the stick. Both Tim Thomas and Andrew Ference took blatant dives last night that changed the outcome of the game in the Bruins favor.

To take the positive outlook to this game, Vancouver was the heavily favored team and they were only able to hold them to 1 goal. The Bruins power play defense was unbelievable, they were in the passing and shooting lanes all game. And 1st liner for the Canucks Alex Burrows will most likely be suspended next game for biting Patrice Bergeron.

Another thing that I may be the only one with this thought, and I was all for it before, but I don't like Chara in front of the net anymore. I think he's better used humming the puck at the net than looking for deflections.

It was certainly a heartbreaking loss and a loss they quickly need to move passed, because if they take the next game in Vancouver they did their jobs.

Yup, I'm a Band Wagoner... Fuck Off

I have always been a Hockey hater and could care less about the sport. I was pumped actually when the sport went on strike because it didn't waste my Sportscenter time. But I'll admit it, I'm rooting for the Bruins. I'm not going to act like I know a lot about hockey or any of the players. I like Michael Ryder and Tim Thomas, and that's the extent of my hockey knowledge. I have no idea who's on Vancouver, I could care less. But with the Celtics tanking, the Red Sox not winning in a couple of years, it's about time we get another parade here in Boston and go back to the top of the sports world so we can be smug to all other fans across the country.

So here are my predictions for this series.

Bruins in 6, Ryder with 6 goals in the series, wins MVP and I get to be a thorn in every Bruins side by saying I told you so.

NHL Back In Winnipeg

"True North Sports and Entertainment has completed its deal to purchase the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, clearing the way to move them to Winnipeg, a source tells ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. True North has scheduled a news conference for noon ET on Tuesday at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, at which a "significant community announcement" will be made (ESPN)."

We have been hearing these rumors for awhile now, and it seems the deal is finally done. I am glad this is happening. Atlanta should never have had a team, and I think there should be more teams in Canada, because they actually care about hockey. Saying that, I still think the best thing for the NHL would be to lower the number of teams, so that they should have a better product to put on the ice. I also think they should shorten the season, because there is really no reason to be playing hockey in June.