Bruins 4, Devils 1

There were a lot of things to like about how the Bruins played this game. The Power Play looked good all night and finally broke through with a goal. The B's adjusted to New Jersey's forechecking. Marchand and Kaberle skated their brains out. Seguin and Peverley are clicking. Thomas had an excellent rebound game. Lucic returned to scoring form.

The three players who have carried this team (Thomas, Chara, and Lucic) all had bad games in Toronto. They all had great games last night. Thomas with 30 saves, including 15 tough ones in the 1st period. Chara with a goal and two assists. Lucic with a goal and an assist. These three guys are the foundation of this team. Without them, this team is doomed.

Now let's not go nuts. We've seen this team answer wake-up calls before. Too many times. The real questions are: why were they asleep at all? And why will they fall asleep again? I've said it before; over the course of a season, this team requires more wake-up calls than a hotel hosting a narcolepsy convention.

And this game wasn't all roses either. The Penalty Kill allowed yet another goal. And it was thanks to Gregory Campbell, who saw Kovalchuk drifting behind him, and did nothing to get in the shooting lane. Instead, he tried to cover a forward that Boychuk had contained. On the Penalty Kill, you have to make compromises, and you will allow shots. But one of those compromises doesn't have to be letting Ilya freaking Kovalchuk have half the ice to shoot from.

If I have to watch Michael Ryder screw up anymore, I'm going to have an aneurysm.

He and Krejci had golden scoring opportunities, ruined by poor judgment. Both failed to position themselves in a shooting stance as they drove toward the net. Each received passes that were just inches off the mark. But instead of shooting a bakchander anyway, they tried to get the puck to their forehand. When in the slot in front of the net there are two things you don't have much of: time and space.

Maybe I'm nitpicking. While I'm satisfied with how well the Bruins played last night, their problem has been maintaining such energy and fortitude.

Big game on Thursday as Montreal comes to town. The Habs haven't been too sharp since the Chara incident. This is a chance for the B's to put some distance between them.

-The Commodore

Devils @ Bruins Preview

Not so long ago the Bruins had a comfortable lead in the Northeast Division, and looked all but certain to be making a nice long playoff run. Now, they have a 1 point lead over the Canadiens and are 1-3-3 in their last 7 games. Whether the problem is coaching, effort, or skill the Bruins are running out of time to figure it out, and the Devils are going to be no easy task tonight.

New Jersey started the season 10-29-2 and looked to be the joke of the NHL, but since then they have gone 24-5-2. They are still 7 points out of a playoffs spot, but there isn't a hotter team in the NHL right now. Look for Ilya Kovalchuk to have a great game, as he has been held without a point in the last 3 games, and never goes too long without scoring.

The key for Boston tonight will actually be defense. I know I always say it's the offense, but the Bruins have given up 26 goals over the last 7 games. Sure, some of that is that Thomas has come back down to Earth, but the defense is doing a poor job in front of the net lately.

Like I said last week, every time I pick against the Bruins they win, so let's keep that going.

Devils win 4-2
Player of the Game: Ilya Kovalchuk
Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

Bruins Trade Rumors

With Savard out for the year the Bruins have some cap room to play with. Peter Chairelli was recently on WEEI and said that he would "bet of the Bruins making a move". The question now is, what will this "move" be?

The Bruins have Toronto's first round pick again this year, and that could be a big chip in the trading market. Their dream is Brad Richards or Zach Bogosian, but the most likely scenario is Tomas Kaberle, who has been rumored about for 2 years now. Kaberle would give them that coveted "puck moving" defenseman they have been looking for.

I personally think it's much more important for them to add some offensive firepower. Richards would obviously be the best option, but someone like Jason Arnott could be a decent option. Bruins might be able to get him cheap too because the Devils are terrible and he is 36 years old. Still, I don't know if that would be enough to push the Bruins over the edge, so I would still be disappointed unless they got a big time goal scorer.

Bruins 3, Devils 0

Yesterday, I was very direct in my criticism of Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart. But today, I have to praise them for what they did last night. They each put up $5,000 to buy tickets for members of our Armed Forces, and encouraged fans to donate money as well. Over $70,000 in tickets were given away to men and women in uniform. As someone with a brother in Afghanistan, and one of my best friend's stationed at Fort Hood, and just as an American, I thought that was pretty cool of Wheeler and Stuart.

And it was especially nice to see them both have a good game. Wheeler firing a sniper shot and Stuart deploying some heavy artillery.



The Bruins hadn't led in a game for over 135 minutes until Michael Ryder squeezed one between Brodeur and the post. Horton also returned to the scoresheet with his 8th. But the real star of the show was Thomas.

A 28 Save Shutout might not seem stunning on paper. But Thomas survived an early onslaught, attacking the puck-carrier in vintage Tim Thomas style, yet remaining square to the shooter at all times. Then in the 3rd, he stayed strong as the Bruins do what they do best: play careless hockey with a 3 goal lead.

Maybe with a healthy Tim Thomas, the Bruins could have preserved their 3-0 lead in Game 7 against Philly. Maybe.



But speaking of last night's 3rd period, it did leave a sour taste in my mouth. With Thomas and Rask, it's hard to imagine blowing a significant number of 3 goal leads in the regular season. But the lack of focus and care in last night's 3rd is indicative of a much more alarming problem.

This team has mood swings. They play with casual overconfidence when they're leading. Instead of smelling blood in the water, or holding their foot down, they ease up. They lose focus, make careless passes in the neutral zone. And against top-tier teams, that will inevitably lead to disaster.

But the Devils are not a top-tier team. They have the 3rd worst record in the NHL, along with the most losses. So I'm not too overly impressed with the Bruins' 3-0 win. But after the last week and a half, I'll take it.

And these guys were funnier when they imitated New Jersey coach John MacLean, not when they mocked him.



And since his name was John MacLean, dressing up as Hans Gruber would have been much funnier.

Bruins at Rangers Wednesday night.

-The Commodore

Devils @ Bruins Preview

The Bruins have lost 4 of 5, and their offense seems to be reverting back to how they were playing last year. The good news is that the Devils have been terrible this year, so hopefully they can get back on track.

Boston has flat out been sloppy the past couple of games. The Captain wrote earlier today about how Wheeler, and Stuart are terrible, but I think it goes beyond that. We haven't seen Horton putting up the numbers he was earlier in the year, and I think that is because Krejci is out. Bergeron really hasn't taken his game to the next level, and I am kind of running out of patience with all the "intangibles" talk with him.

The Bruins need to come out tonight hit hard, and find a way to get some kind of a forecheck going. Also, they need to get the puck to Horton around the net, him and Lucic are probably the best "finishers" going right now. I do think the Bruins get the win tonight, because the Bruins are known for shutting down Ilya Kovalchuk, and I don't really have much faith in the rest of the Devils' team.

Bruins win 3-1
Player of the Game: Thomas/Horton
Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

I'm Pretty Glad the Bruins Didn't Sign Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk will be a Devil for a long, long time. 17 more years, to be precise. The 27 year old stud winger signed a 17 year contract worth a total of $102 million. That only works out to be $6 million a year, on average, but the absurd length of the deal makes it worthwhile for him. He'll be receiving paychecks until he's 44. His actual salary will fluctuate up and down, peaking at $11.5 million for a 5 year stretch in the middle of the deal, and settling down to $550,000 a season at the end.

I get why Kovalchuk signed this deal. He's set for life. In my opinion, he could have gotten more salary for shorter years. But then there's a risk of being a 33 year old free agent that nobody wants because of injuries or lackluster performances. And $102 million ain't peanuts. Furthermore, he gets to play in a "big market" (at least close to one) that consistently fields competitive teams.

And while I think I understand what the Devils are thinking, I still think it's kind of crazy. He'll be drawing a $6.5 million salary in 2020. That's a long time from now. If this were Wayne Gretzky, it'd be the smartest signing in history. But as it is, the Devils have committed a lot of cap space for 17 years.

So if this is what Kovalchuk wanted, I'm glad the Bruins didn't even (apparently) place a bid. The Devils have a great scorer, and will have him for a long, long time.

Maybe Kovalchuk just wanted a deal that matched his uniform number (#17).

-The Commodore

Source:
Puck Daddy


Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Stanley Cup Series Updates: Eastern Conference

As you may have read earlier, I've been away for the past few days, so I was unable to do the Stanley Cup Round-Ups. So here's a refresher on where the Eastern Conference playoff series stand.

BOSTON LEADS BUFFALO 3-1

Stellar goaltending from both teams along with classic physical hockey has generated a much tighter and exciting series than the 3-1 standing would indicate. Tuukka Rask has spearheaded Boston's efforts, while Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron, and even Dennis Wideman have been the heroes for Boston. The series swung last night on a 2OT Boston win. The Sabres are without Vanek, their best scorer. And that devastating loss might just push them over the edge of the cliff.

WASHINGTON LEADS MONTREAL 3-1

This series has not seen stellar goaltending. Both teams have resorted to their backups. 31 total goals in 4 games. But Washington's offense is simply more potent than Montreal's. Backstrom has 5 goals and 4 assists, Ovehckin has 4 and 4. #1 seeded Washington should advance (2 of remaining 3 games in the series are in Washington), but some glaring weaknesses have been exposed.

PHILADELPHIA LEADS NEW JERSEY 3-1

The surprise of the Eastern Conference? Not really. Philly handled the Devils in the regular season, and have good numbers against Brodeur the past couple of years. The much maligned Brian Boucher has turned it up in the postseason, registering a 1.98 GAA (3rd best). But the Devils haven't been able to shoot the puck much. 26.8 per game (13th).

PITTSBURGH LEADS OTTAWA 3-1

This 3-1 series lead is perhaps the most dominant. Pittsburgh crushed Ottawa 7-4 Tuesday night. Crosby leads all playoff players with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists). Ottawa's goaltending has been dreadful, while M.A. Fleury has settled down a bit from his Game 1 meltdown. Pittsburgh should finish the job tonight.

So as it is, the 1, 4, 6, and 7 seeds would advance. Which would set up 2nd round match-ups of: #1 Washington vs. #7 Philadelphia, and #4 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Boston. Hmmmmmm. Pittsburgh and Boston? Didn't they have a little drama a few weeks ago? And isn't there speculation that Marc Savard might return? Very interesting.

-The Commodore

Bruins 1, Devils 0 (OT)

The Bruins put themselves in a tight spot with their 3-2 loss to Buffalo. They needed at least 1 point down in New Jersey, and they got 2.

Despite the lack of goals for 64 minutes and 41 seconds, the Bruins played one of their best games since last season. And they did it against a good team, on the road, and there's no shame in being shut down by Martin Brodeur either. But the B's were in control of the game, even when they didn't have the puck. They had long possessions in the Devils' zone and kept the pressure on New Jersey.

That persistence finally paid off with a few seconds left in OT, as the B's took advantage of two Devils colliding, stole the puck, then took advantage of a Devil that lost his stick. It was a fortunate scenario, but the Bruins played well enough to benefit from such a situation.

Bergeron's game winner was a huge goal. Both Atlanta and the Rangers won, so the B's needed both points last night to maintain their lead. They're also tied with Philly and Montreal, only tie-breakers keeping them in 8th. There are 5 Eastern Conference teams within 4 points of each other:

6: Philly - 82 points
7. Montreal - 82
8. BOSTON - 82
9. Atlanta - 80
10. NY Rangers - 78

The B's have a pair of easy games to possibly extend slim lead in the playoff race. They host the Panthers Thursday and play up in Toronto on Saturday.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Devils Preview

The Bruins need point, and that could be tough against a team that haven't beaten yet this year. The Bruins are 0-3 against the Devils, and to be honest I think the Devils are just as good as the Penguins or Capitals.

Basically, I think the Bruins should lose this game, but this is when they usually surprise me, so who the fuck knows. Rask will be in net tonight, and he has been amazing all year. If the Bruins are going to make the playoffs it is going to be because this guy has been standing on his head.

We have been saying it all year that the Bruins have to score more goals. Their power play has shown signs of life lately, but usually going against one of the greatest goalies of all-time doesn't help anything.

Boston is currently holding the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by 2 points over Atlanta....So COME ON BOSTON!!!! ATLANTA SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE A TEAM!!!!

Devils 3, Bruins 2

After the 5-1 over Philly, I was thrilled. But this team has shown sparks before, only to fail in kindling those sparks into a lasting fire.

There's been a theory floated that the Bruins play much more inspired hockey when Tuuka Rask is in net. I'm starting to give this notion more credence as it's tough to argue with it after last night. But if true, I think it's utterly pathetic. You obviously go with Rask then, but how long will the Bruins give 100% in front of him?

This team is like a combination of Wizard of Oz characters. They lack heart, they lack brains, only Mark Stuart seems to have courage, and Dennis Wideman just wants to go home.

They lack coaching too. For New Jersey's first goal, Julien opted for a line of Sobotka-Satan-Lucic, with Hunwick and Boychuck as the defensive pair. This was for a faceoff in the defensive zone, after the Devils had turned it into a shooting gallery.

And what the hell is Satan doing on a line with Sobotka and Lucic? That's like putting high performance racing tires on an '88 Buick.

Speaking of Lucic, while it's not his fault, he really is useless on the ice. He's obviously nursing multiple injuries, which prevent him from playing the physical game he's known for. The problem is, he doesn't possess much in the finesse/skills department. And his Hockey IQ has always been in the meaty center of the bell curve. A healthy Daniel Paille is twice as effective as the current version of Milan Lucic.

The Bruins sit one point ahead of the Rangers for the 8th and final playoff spot. They play at lowly Carolina tonight. Anything less than 2 points is inexcusable.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Devils Preview

I hate the state of New Jersey more then almost anything else, but you got to give credit where credit is due. The Devils have made a hell of a team this year. They have the goaltending, and the offensive firepower to make a move for the Cup.

Yet, they seem to have hit a little bit of a wall. New Jersey is just 8-13-2 over their last 23 games, so this might be a good chance for the Bruins to take advantage. Boston has been seemingly playing better of late (6-3-1 in their last 10 games), but that can be a little misleading as they have 3 of their last 4.

The problem has been the same all season for the Bruins. They play well for a period or two, then fall apart. The scoring hasn't been there all year, and their intensity has been sub-par at best. Thing won't be easy tonight, as Martin Brodeur is 8-2-0 with a 1.95 goals-against average in 10 games against the Bruins since 2005-06.

The Bruins are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference (only 1 point up on the Rangers), so every game is important.

Game starts 7pm on Versus.

Devils Land Ilya Kovalchuk

The New Jersey Devils have finally ended the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. They traded for the star forward yesterday in a package that included rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round pick in this year's draft. There are basically 2 ways to look at this...

Short term: The Devils might have a team that could win the Cup now. Kovalchuk gives them exactly what they are missing, a star goal scorer that has the ability to carry a team offensively. When you add a player like this to a team that has a goalie like Martin Brodeur, you are going to be a very dangerous team.

Long term: This is really up in the air. If the Devils can find a way to sign Kovalchuk long term then this is a great deal, but that is going to be really hard to get done, since he has turned down many offers from the Thrashers. If this becomes just a rental the Devils better win the Cup, or they might have really hurt their team for future seasons.

I fucking can't stand the fact the Devils got him. I hate New Jersey, they single handily ruined hockey for about 8 year with their stupid "trap defense". The Devils are basically the reason for a lot of the rule changes (like no 2 line pass rule), because the NHL had to find a way to break the trap. Honestly, if you can remember that style of play it was like watching paint dry.

Fuck the Devils, fuck New Jersey, I hate them more then the Canadiens...

Brodeur Registers 104th Shutout

This blog rarely salutes the players on teams west of I-91, and particularly avoids honoring anyone that plays for teams in the Tri-State Area. But Martin Brodeur is good enough to surpass all that sectionalism.

He stopped all 35 shots in Pittsburgh last night, propelling the Devils to a 4-0 victory. It was 104th career shutout, which puts him on top of the all-time leaderboard, passing Terry Sawchuck.

I've been fortunate enough to see Brodeur play a few times, most recently in November. It's fun watching him play. He positions himself so well for the upcoming play, he makes most saves look easy. But he also makes the twisting contortionist stops.



Then there's his ability to handle the puck. He has 33 career assists, and 1 goal.



Everytime I talk about Brodeur, I feel like I have to list his major accomplishments. so here they are:

Most all-time wins (580)
Most shutouts (104)
8th best GAA all-time, best active (2.20)
3rd most saves all-time, most active (23,748)
9 time All-Star
93-94 Calder Trophy (rookie of the year)
4 time Jennings Trophy winner (lowest GAA)
4 time Vezina Trophy winner (best goalie)
3 time Stanley Cup winner
2002 Olympic Gold Medal (5 games, 4-0-1 record, 1.80 GAA)

-The Commodore

Devils 2, Bruins 1

It's not easy to celebrate a 2-1 loss to New Jersey. But compared to the kind of efforts the Bruins have put forth this season, this wasn't so bad. This was a playoff-type game. Tight defensive play (but no trapping, thank God), and the Devils came out on top. But in the long run, the Bruins will win these kinds of games more than they lose them.

Scoring. The Bruins couldn't slap home any loose pucks in front of the net. On most nights, they'd build a 2-0 cushion, but they just couldn't get the blades of their sticks on the puck. And that was their ultimate undoing.

But the Bruins are building good habits. They're playing good games. They're going to be alright.

Bruins host the Oilers Saturday afternoon.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Devils Preview

It is too bad the Bruins aren't playing the Devil's on their ice, because they have been terrible there. New Jersey is undefeated on the road though, so Boston could be in for a fight tonight.

The Devils lost last night to Buffalo 4-1, and now have to travel and play again tonight. This could work in Boston's favor as they Bruins are well rested after almost a week off. Brodeur, who is the all-time wins leader remains 1 shutout shy of tying Terry Sawchuk's NHL record of 103, has won 7 of his last 9 starts against Boston posting a 2.07 GAA.

Thomas has been good against the Devils though with a 2-1-1 record and a 1.50 GAA last season. Boston will still be playing without Savard and Lucic, but I expect Boston to keep the physical play up and try to grind out another win. If Boston can get through this early season rash of injuries they could be in really good shape the rest of the season.

Game starts at 7PM on NESN.

Brodeur Is Back...Fuck!

"New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur will make his first start since missing nearly four months with an elbow injury. The Devils play the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night (Sportsline)."

Martin Brodeur is back and I am shitting my pants...

I hate the Devils so much. I hate their style of play that dominated the East in the 90's. It is fucking boring, and it really ruined hockey for a lot of people (if you don't know they used the "trap" scheme). This all adds to the fact that I really fucking hate New Jersey, and a good portion of the people living there...blowouts, man tans, pronouncing water with a "d", the list goes on and on. Not to mention the entire state kinda smells funny...

Anyways, now I am really scared that the Devils are going to do some real damage in the playoffs. Right now, they are sitting at 3rd place in the Eastern Conference, and are getting back a Four-time Vezina trophy winner (goalie of the year) in Martin Brodeur. If Brodeur gets hot then the Devils could be heading to the Finals, because all it takes in the NHL is a goalie who is on fire heading into the playoffs, and we have all seen him do it before.

Bruins vs. Devils Preview

The Bruins (35-8-5) will have another tough test tonight as they face the New Jersey Devils (30-15-3). Boston fans will see some familiar faces tonight, as two former BC players play for the Devils (Clemmensen, Gionta). Clemmensen finally got his shot when Martin Brodeur underwent arm surgery, and will be out for some time. He has rewarded them going 2.25 GAA which ranks 6th in the league, and he earned his 20th win of the season with a 21 save performance during a 4-1 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. Gionta has been a little bit of a let down this year with only 11 goals, but this guy can fly on the ice.

Boston is getting healthier by the day, and tonight they get one of their best players back in Phil Kessel. This will be a physical game, and a real test to see if these players that have just recently come back can stand up to the punishment. They will and the Bruins will win this low scoring game 3-1.

Bruins 2 Devils 0

Lately it has seemed like the Bruins having given up some of their defensive prowess for a stronger offense, but last night they showed they can still play some defense. The Bruins shutout the Devils, as Tim Thomas was 25 for 25 on saves. Thomas really needed a start like this since he has been struggling of late, but now the Bruins have to be feeling great that they have two very solid goaltenders.

The only negative in this game was that Phil Kessel's point streak was stopped at 18 games. It is two bad since he was only two games away from tying the Bruins record, but whatever the only thing that really counts are the W's.

All the scoring in this game came in the 3rd period as Milan Lucic scored on a slap shot only 49 secs into the period. The Bruins added an empty net goal, as they rolled to their 25th win of the season. Boston is now 7 points up on the Rangers for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

-BMack

Bruins @ Devils Preview

There are few teams in the NHL playing as well as the Bruins, but the Devils are one of them. New jersey is 12-2-1 in their last 15 games, which is extremely impressive since losing future Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur in November. Taking his place is a familiar face to Bostonians, as Scott Clemmensen (BC) has taken Brodeur's place and really made a name for himself.

The Bruins have been on fire winning 5 games in a row, and they were off to their best start since the 1929-1930 season (Damn!). Kessel has led the way recording a point in each of the last 18 games (12 goals 12 assists during that stretch) which leads the NHL. Thomas has been a little rough lately, and Manny Fernandez has really picked up the slack, so it will be interesting to see who the Bruins start tonight. My guess is Thomas, just to get his confidence back up, as it is early in the season, and the Bruins have such a good record.

Game is at 7pm on NESN.

-BMack