It's one week into the Bruins' offseason and I have to say, I may be done grieving for the B's abrupt end to the 2008-2009 season, but that doesn't mean I'm not bored out of my skull waiting for 2009-2010 to start. The new season can't come fast enough.
In my down time, I've taken to scouring the internet for links, along with stalking Bish's Blog, the Globe Bruins Blog (KPD is a huge hack, but I love Fluto's writing, so I suffer through it) along with whatever I can glean from Capitals Insider and the number of other teams' blogs I regularly read.
But wait, wait a second. There's actually still some hockey going on! In lieu of the big Bruins, there is Providence Bruins' hockey to watch - specifically, some players that should be up and ready for the big club next year. These are young players with relatively affordable contracts (with the exception of Tuukka Rask), who definitely bear watching. Vladimir Sobotka, Johnny Boychuk, Martin St. Pierre, and even Mikko Lehtonen and Brad Marchand could all be ready for breakout seasons next year in the vein of what Byron Bitz and Matt Hunwick did last year. The P-Bruins' opponents in this round are the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears; a lot of their players are in the same situation (Jay Beagle, Semyon Varlamov, Karl Alzner). Many of the Bears' players logged at least some time with their big club this year, which may give them the slight advantage over the P-Bruins, whose major player to log time with both clubs who could have been a boon to the P-Bruins' Calder Cup run is injured (Byron Bitz, possible broken ribs).
Not to say the P-Bruins can't do it themselves - they've already won one of the two games in the series so far, handing the Bears their first home playoff loss this year. Game three is tomorrow in Providence. Both teams have goalies who have logged significant time in the majors, making this an incredibly interesting playoff series.
Bits of news and fun things, to take the edge off the offseason:
Short interview with Semyon Varlamov. (from Capitals insider). Varly talks about the nickname "Varly," how no one can pronounce his first name, and the potential of playing for the Caps' big club next year.
Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have the most epic bromance in the NHL. (From the Chicago Tribune) Really, the only thing that beats this puff piece from the Blackhawks' media bench is the piece on Patrick Kane and his sisters, from whence came this picture. Oh, Kaner - are you twelve? Seriously.
Updated Bruins' salary breakdown, from the Globe Bruins Blog. Very useful for speculating on whether the B's will be able to sign new kids, which RFCs they'll be able to re-sign, etc.
And, best for last - Phil Kessel's shoulder surgery a success. I have to admit, I woke up to this text message today, and I was the happiest I've been about hockey since a week ago today. Now, to fix David Krejci!
Is it time for development camp yet?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
So Long, Farewell
In the past 30 hours, my heart was dropped off a cliff (Caps game), put itself back together, gleeful (hanging out with hockey fans at Boston Beer Works), hopeful, exuberant (Bitz's goal) nervous (two 'Canes goals), exuberant again (thanks, Looch).
Then, all of a sudden, it felt similar to being run over by eleven eighteen-wheelers. Through broken glass. And possibly some lava.
An overtime loss, and all of a sudden, that was that. Goodnight, Bruins.
Your immediate response in that situation is shock, giving way to a brief flash-of-hatred of one's own team, which dissipates, leaving boiling anger at the opponents, the Hurricanes; all this gives way to a dull sadness, exhaustion, as the adrenaline rush from cheering your team on in sudden-death slowly leaves your system. Heartbreak, disappointment.
Slowly, from that, you recover. You begin to re-recognize all that you loves about your team; Timmy Thomas stood on his head for the Bruins all year; Zee had his stumbles but is the greatest captain one could ask for; Patrice Bergeron came back from what could have been a career-ending injury. Bitzycat, the rookie kid from Cornell, stepped it up HUGELY in the postseason; so did Montador, finally potting his first goal as a Bruin at a perfectly clutch moment. The DEPTH, oh god the DEPTH of our team this year (Barring our slight defenseman almost-problems in the postseason) is unbelievable.
The 2008-2009 Bruins season, as a newbie, was magical; a longer season than any other sport made it feel like it'd never end. In fact, I wanted it to go on forever; instead, it all came to a crashing halt, thanks to one Scott Walker. But I can't hate. We got an entire MONTH more hockey than 24 teams; almost three weeks more than 8 more teams, and a few days more than the Canucks. (Sorry, Canucks!)
And the amazing thing is this - the Bruins, although with a solid core of veterans, are mostly comprised of rookies, sophomores, and guys who are on the younger side. Few have seen their way this far into the playoffs before. We went into this series a little too confident, and had our asses handed to us by a playoff-hardened team. But to have made it this far - I'm proud to call the B's my team.
Things that were MORE awesome - Mark Recchi played game 7 the day after having a kidney stone removed. This is truth - the Recching Ball is a BEAST.
Also - I dare the city of Boston to try to ignore the Bruins after this year and last. While it's ridiculously frustrating to try to get tickets in and around the bazillions of bandwagoners, I'm still happy the support is there. Please let it stay. I want Boston to be a hockey town again in my absence.
So now my Tim Thomas jersey is snugly packed away, along with all the posters, the two signs I made, my rally towels and paraphernalia, all ready to adorn my new apartment at end of summer. I don't know when I will see the inside of the TD Banknorth Garden again - and yeah, I'll miss the rushes of cold air from over the glass, the smells of burnt popcorn and hockey equipment, the epic goal song and WOOOO! from the announcer. Life moves on, though. All you B's fans out there - say hi for me next season when you go to games. Cheer until your throats are ragged. Respect your team; never boo them. Don't throw crap onto the ice when things don't go your way. Stay classy; this team works its butt off for you. Love it. Respect it.
Go B's Go. Bring on 2009-2010!
To everyone who texted me/sent me messages after last night's game? Thank you. Each concurrent one lifted me up a little more, and I appreciate it tremendously. :)
Then, all of a sudden, it felt similar to being run over by eleven eighteen-wheelers. Through broken glass. And possibly some lava.
An overtime loss, and all of a sudden, that was that. Goodnight, Bruins.
Your immediate response in that situation is shock, giving way to a brief flash-of-hatred of one's own team, which dissipates, leaving boiling anger at the opponents, the Hurricanes; all this gives way to a dull sadness, exhaustion, as the adrenaline rush from cheering your team on in sudden-death slowly leaves your system. Heartbreak, disappointment.
Slowly, from that, you recover. You begin to re-recognize all that you loves about your team; Timmy Thomas stood on his head for the Bruins all year; Zee had his stumbles but is the greatest captain one could ask for; Patrice Bergeron came back from what could have been a career-ending injury. Bitzycat, the rookie kid from Cornell, stepped it up HUGELY in the postseason; so did Montador, finally potting his first goal as a Bruin at a perfectly clutch moment. The DEPTH, oh god the DEPTH of our team this year (Barring our slight defenseman almost-problems in the postseason) is unbelievable.
The 2008-2009 Bruins season, as a newbie, was magical; a longer season than any other sport made it feel like it'd never end. In fact, I wanted it to go on forever; instead, it all came to a crashing halt, thanks to one Scott Walker. But I can't hate. We got an entire MONTH more hockey than 24 teams; almost three weeks more than 8 more teams, and a few days more than the Canucks. (Sorry, Canucks!)
And the amazing thing is this - the Bruins, although with a solid core of veterans, are mostly comprised of rookies, sophomores, and guys who are on the younger side. Few have seen their way this far into the playoffs before. We went into this series a little too confident, and had our asses handed to us by a playoff-hardened team. But to have made it this far - I'm proud to call the B's my team.
Things that were MORE awesome - Mark Recchi played game 7 the day after having a kidney stone removed. This is truth - the Recching Ball is a BEAST.
Also - I dare the city of Boston to try to ignore the Bruins after this year and last. While it's ridiculously frustrating to try to get tickets in and around the bazillions of bandwagoners, I'm still happy the support is there. Please let it stay. I want Boston to be a hockey town again in my absence.
So now my Tim Thomas jersey is snugly packed away, along with all the posters, the two signs I made, my rally towels and paraphernalia, all ready to adorn my new apartment at end of summer. I don't know when I will see the inside of the TD Banknorth Garden again - and yeah, I'll miss the rushes of cold air from over the glass, the smells of burnt popcorn and hockey equipment, the epic goal song and WOOOO! from the announcer. Life moves on, though. All you B's fans out there - say hi for me next season when you go to games. Cheer until your throats are ragged. Respect your team; never boo them. Don't throw crap onto the ice when things don't go your way. Stay classy; this team works its butt off for you. Love it. Respect it.
Go B's Go. Bring on 2009-2010!
To everyone who texted me/sent me messages after last night's game? Thank you. Each concurrent one lifted me up a little more, and I appreciate it tremendously. :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
28 hours of hockey euphoria
1. Bruins 4, Hurricanes 0
I really...this game was a great experience, especially after being at game 2. Timmy and the B's really turned it around and gave a great show.
We got to the glass for warmups - found everyone, sorted out tickets, no problems there - I grabbed my anti-Canes-mojo poster and split off from the group to go sit by Canes warmups, poster pressed firmly against the glass, shit-eating grin on my face.
Moment of the night that seriously set my heart racing and ready for the Bruins to beat the pants off the Whalercanes? Tim Conboy looked at my poster, grinned, and shook his head a little. BUT THEN, two minutes later, Eric Staal himself came over and was stretching right beside my poster; he took a few more laps, then, on his way off the ice to head back into the locker room, ERIC STAAL PUNCHED THE GLASS IN FRONT OF ME, with the most petulant, crabby look on his face, ever! I'm pretty sure I ruined his mojo. Yep, three quick hard raps on the glass with the outside of his fist, a quick scowl, then back in, buzzer sounded, and up we headed to our seats in the nosebleeds.
Other highlights - Milan Lucic was a beast; he put some sweet hits on some of the Canes early on, got things going early, and even potted a goal, thank goodness. Phil Kessel snagged two, and Chara was a +3 on the night. Making up for lost ground in game 2. Good man.
It was like someone flipped a switch in their brains, or replaced their legs with bionic robot ones, or amped them up in some way that didn't seem humanly possible - the drastic change in energy level between games 4 and 5 was absolutely unbelievable. I don't want to think that it's only because of the home energy from the crowd, but I think that was part of it. Another part is that the Bruins had no reason to get ANGRY at the WhalerCanes; they were just sort of...that team, you know, that we're playing against. There were no Komisareks, no Laraques on this team, until last night.
The Bruins were a sleepy bear until last night, until they had their backs to the wall - not only did the Hurricanes back them into a corner, but then they decided to poke the cornered bear. NOT A GOOD IDEA. Now, Walker might as well have a bullseye painted on his back; the Zdeno Chara debacle didn't hurt, and in the third, the Bruins came out swinging. The defense rotated like a well-oiled machine; at one point even the least physical forwards were spotting playing two-way hockey, specifically David Krejci and Marc Savard. The two of them made some nice little checks, and even did some mucking in front of Tim Thomas, the few times the puck made it to the defensive zone.
My favorite stat of the night: The Bruins had 40 SOG to the Whalercanes' 19. These numbers were essentially reversed for games 2 through 4, which is promising.
Game 6 tomorrow - here's hoping the Bruins pack a little bit of Red Sox mojo, circa 2004. My mood: cautiously optimistic. It's true, Carolina is a tough building to play in, but they KNOW now what the atmosphere will be like, and there's a wee bit of momentum. Keep rolling, boys. Keep rolling.
2. Capitals 5, Penguins 4
I missed this game. I am both happy and sad about this; while it sounds like a game in which there were many heart attacks, sometimes those are my favorite kind of games. Your heart races, adrenaline floods your body; a doctor checking your body's reaction would almost think YOU were involved in these games. Alas, though, we're just the plebes watching the struggles of others, living vicariously through their efforts.
And lo did the Caps bring the pain to Pittsburgh tonight. Dave Steckel is apparently a beast, Alexander Semin finally woke up from his 5-game nap, Ovechkin didn't account for ANY goals tonight - before the game, I thought to myself, is Ovie going to try to carry this team through the playoffs? Because if so, they're not going anywhere. Tonight, Viktor Kozlov, Tomas Fleischmann, Alex Semin, and Dave Steckel proved otherwise - and well done! Varlamov let in four goals which still makes me question the quality of the defense, but other than that - well played!
3. Blackhawks 7, Canucks 5
Man, were Khabibulin and Luongo a pair of sieves tonight, or what? Okay, maybe not, but close. The Blackhawks scored a touchdown on the Canucks; Patrick Kane grabbed the first Blackhawks post-season hat trick since 1994, and the Blackhawks took down the last Canadian team in six games to make their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 1995.
IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT AT THE UNITED CENTER TONIGHT.
Glad to see Toews and Burish snag goals as well. Really, other than that, I've got nothing, except: this gif sums up my feelings since yesterday night.
I'll soak in this feeling for about 30 more minutes, and then it's back to watching my team fight for its life. Two more, Bruins. One more, Caps.
DO IT.
I really...this game was a great experience, especially after being at game 2. Timmy and the B's really turned it around and gave a great show.
We got to the glass for warmups - found everyone, sorted out tickets, no problems there - I grabbed my anti-Canes-mojo poster and split off from the group to go sit by Canes warmups, poster pressed firmly against the glass, shit-eating grin on my face.
Moment of the night that seriously set my heart racing and ready for the Bruins to beat the pants off the Whalercanes? Tim Conboy looked at my poster, grinned, and shook his head a little. BUT THEN, two minutes later, Eric Staal himself came over and was stretching right beside my poster; he took a few more laps, then, on his way off the ice to head back into the locker room, ERIC STAAL PUNCHED THE GLASS IN FRONT OF ME, with the most petulant, crabby look on his face, ever! I'm pretty sure I ruined his mojo. Yep, three quick hard raps on the glass with the outside of his fist, a quick scowl, then back in, buzzer sounded, and up we headed to our seats in the nosebleeds.
Other highlights - Milan Lucic was a beast; he put some sweet hits on some of the Canes early on, got things going early, and even potted a goal, thank goodness. Phil Kessel snagged two, and Chara was a +3 on the night. Making up for lost ground in game 2. Good man.
It was like someone flipped a switch in their brains, or replaced their legs with bionic robot ones, or amped them up in some way that didn't seem humanly possible - the drastic change in energy level between games 4 and 5 was absolutely unbelievable. I don't want to think that it's only because of the home energy from the crowd, but I think that was part of it. Another part is that the Bruins had no reason to get ANGRY at the WhalerCanes; they were just sort of...that team, you know, that we're playing against. There were no Komisareks, no Laraques on this team, until last night.
The Bruins were a sleepy bear until last night, until they had their backs to the wall - not only did the Hurricanes back them into a corner, but then they decided to poke the cornered bear. NOT A GOOD IDEA. Now, Walker might as well have a bullseye painted on his back; the Zdeno Chara debacle didn't hurt, and in the third, the Bruins came out swinging. The defense rotated like a well-oiled machine; at one point even the least physical forwards were spotting playing two-way hockey, specifically David Krejci and Marc Savard. The two of them made some nice little checks, and even did some mucking in front of Tim Thomas, the few times the puck made it to the defensive zone.
My favorite stat of the night: The Bruins had 40 SOG to the Whalercanes' 19. These numbers were essentially reversed for games 2 through 4, which is promising.
Game 6 tomorrow - here's hoping the Bruins pack a little bit of Red Sox mojo, circa 2004. My mood: cautiously optimistic. It's true, Carolina is a tough building to play in, but they KNOW now what the atmosphere will be like, and there's a wee bit of momentum. Keep rolling, boys. Keep rolling.
2. Capitals 5, Penguins 4
I missed this game. I am both happy and sad about this; while it sounds like a game in which there were many heart attacks, sometimes those are my favorite kind of games. Your heart races, adrenaline floods your body; a doctor checking your body's reaction would almost think YOU were involved in these games. Alas, though, we're just the plebes watching the struggles of others, living vicariously through their efforts.
And lo did the Caps bring the pain to Pittsburgh tonight. Dave Steckel is apparently a beast, Alexander Semin finally woke up from his 5-game nap, Ovechkin didn't account for ANY goals tonight - before the game, I thought to myself, is Ovie going to try to carry this team through the playoffs? Because if so, they're not going anywhere. Tonight, Viktor Kozlov, Tomas Fleischmann, Alex Semin, and Dave Steckel proved otherwise - and well done! Varlamov let in four goals which still makes me question the quality of the defense, but other than that - well played!
3. Blackhawks 7, Canucks 5
Man, were Khabibulin and Luongo a pair of sieves tonight, or what? Okay, maybe not, but close. The Blackhawks scored a touchdown on the Canucks; Patrick Kane grabbed the first Blackhawks post-season hat trick since 1994, and the Blackhawks took down the last Canadian team in six games to make their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 1995.
IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT AT THE UNITED CENTER TONIGHT.
Glad to see Toews and Burish snag goals as well. Really, other than that, I've got nothing, except: this gif sums up my feelings since yesterday night.
I'll soak in this feeling for about 30 more minutes, and then it's back to watching my team fight for its life. Two more, Bruins. One more, Caps.
DO IT.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
NHLwithdrawal: The first step...
...is admitting you have a problem.
So there's a fun little hashtag some of we hockey fans use on twitter - NHLWithdrawal - whenever there's no hockey on TV, we laugh and talk about the stupid/silly things we do to combat lack of our favorite sporting pastime.
I guess at this point it should technically be NHLaddiction - I have it, I have a lot of it, but I only want more more MORE. It's a selfish addiction, one that is rather cruel to fans of any team besides the Still-In-It-Eight (but hey, those fans still get hockey on their TVs, so I guess that's still okay!)
I think the first time it really hit me that HEY, I DON'T WANT HOCKEY TO END was last night, after that overtime Bruins loss. The buzz of nervous energy that comes from waiting for OT to start, the crush of defeat (or extreme high of a win), the thrill of just watching a Sweet Playoff Game - it's all good until the other team goes up in the series. Then, fear kicks in. Am I going to have to sink to the level of Islanders, Predators, and Senators fans - fans with teams no longer playing for the season, who have to muster the effort to care for a second-love team (or maybe not even, since both of my second teams are both being just as faily as the Bruins)? Will Rangers and Sharks fans laugh at us, or will they welcome us into the fold of fans of playoff-ejected teams? Is it a brotherhood of mourning, out there, or is it a harsh world of angry hockey fans, unwilling to sympathize with those who made it a little bit further this year?
I'm scared, Hockey Nation. Hold me.
Granted, last night was only game three. However, last night marked a scary turning point in the Bruins' season. The B's have been ahead for all of 2009. They haven't chased anyone in the standings since 2008. Now they're down a game in the series against the Whalercanes.
They weren't hungry, last night. Maybe this is what my team needed - a kick in the pants. Get hungry, Bruins. Take a note from those Meat Hats that good old Marco Sturm made for you. I'm sure the Good German won't be too happy if you sad-sack another game like you did last night.
Game specifics, in +/- form:
- Marc Savard's terrible penalties NEED TO STOP. When he came to Boston, that was one of the negative things about him that everyone spoke about. It looked like he'd learned his lesson, but echoes of Savvy Circa 2006 rang around the RBC Center last night. Get out of your time machine, Marc. It's 2009, you KNOW this stuff.
- Zdeno Chara needs a Meat Hat. He hasn't been hungry all series. Yeah, it was nice to see him staple StaalClone1, but...not enough.
+ Tim Thomas is standing on his head, still. One thing about this playoffs round - it is an Ultimate Goalie Showdown. (on that note, I am sort of DYING to see a Varly vs. Timmy showdown. MAKE IT HAPPEN, NHL. And by NHL I mean Bruins and Capitals players/coaches, not referees/administration, thanks.)
-Shots on goal. Thomas' save percentage was STILL higher than Cam Ward's, yesterday; Timmy was .926 to Ward's .913. The Bruins took 23 shots. THAT IS HEINOUSLY LOW, dudes. The Whalercanes had 41 shots on goal. If the B's improve one aspect of their game, it has to be taking more shots - which means getting the puck CLEANLY closer to Ward's end of the ice.
Friday. Meat Hats. It's on.
For tonight, go Blackhawks! (Okay, yes, I admit - I have a problem.)
So there's a fun little hashtag some of we hockey fans use on twitter - NHLWithdrawal - whenever there's no hockey on TV, we laugh and talk about the stupid/silly things we do to combat lack of our favorite sporting pastime.
I guess at this point it should technically be NHLaddiction - I have it, I have a lot of it, but I only want more more MORE. It's a selfish addiction, one that is rather cruel to fans of any team besides the Still-In-It-Eight (but hey, those fans still get hockey on their TVs, so I guess that's still okay!)
I think the first time it really hit me that HEY, I DON'T WANT HOCKEY TO END was last night, after that overtime Bruins loss. The buzz of nervous energy that comes from waiting for OT to start, the crush of defeat (or extreme high of a win), the thrill of just watching a Sweet Playoff Game - it's all good until the other team goes up in the series. Then, fear kicks in. Am I going to have to sink to the level of Islanders, Predators, and Senators fans - fans with teams no longer playing for the season, who have to muster the effort to care for a second-love team (or maybe not even, since both of my second teams are both being just as faily as the Bruins)? Will Rangers and Sharks fans laugh at us, or will they welcome us into the fold of fans of playoff-ejected teams? Is it a brotherhood of mourning, out there, or is it a harsh world of angry hockey fans, unwilling to sympathize with those who made it a little bit further this year?
I'm scared, Hockey Nation. Hold me.
Granted, last night was only game three. However, last night marked a scary turning point in the Bruins' season. The B's have been ahead for all of 2009. They haven't chased anyone in the standings since 2008. Now they're down a game in the series against the Whalercanes.
They weren't hungry, last night. Maybe this is what my team needed - a kick in the pants. Get hungry, Bruins. Take a note from those Meat Hats that good old Marco Sturm made for you. I'm sure the Good German won't be too happy if you sad-sack another game like you did last night.
Game specifics, in +/- form:
- Marc Savard's terrible penalties NEED TO STOP. When he came to Boston, that was one of the negative things about him that everyone spoke about. It looked like he'd learned his lesson, but echoes of Savvy Circa 2006 rang around the RBC Center last night. Get out of your time machine, Marc. It's 2009, you KNOW this stuff.
- Zdeno Chara needs a Meat Hat. He hasn't been hungry all series. Yeah, it was nice to see him staple StaalClone1, but...not enough.
+ Tim Thomas is standing on his head, still. One thing about this playoffs round - it is an Ultimate Goalie Showdown. (on that note, I am sort of DYING to see a Varly vs. Timmy showdown. MAKE IT HAPPEN, NHL. And by NHL I mean Bruins and Capitals players/coaches, not referees/administration, thanks.)
-Shots on goal. Thomas' save percentage was STILL higher than Cam Ward's, yesterday; Timmy was .926 to Ward's .913. The Bruins took 23 shots. THAT IS HEINOUSLY LOW, dudes. The Whalercanes had 41 shots on goal. If the B's improve one aspect of their game, it has to be taking more shots - which means getting the puck CLEANLY closer to Ward's end of the ice.
Friday. Meat Hats. It's on.
For tonight, go Blackhawks! (Okay, yes, I admit - I have a problem.)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Time to go REDUX
First of all, I don't want to talk about the Bruins getting blanked in game two past this:
Game one was the release of the stircrazy energy that builds up over nine days. Game two, there was none of that stircrazy energy left. Game two was rust. Two days off between games two and three means practice, getting back to what we know, settling back into the groove of hard work and retaliation. The Bruins are nothing if not retaliant, and this is a good thing to bounce back from. (I do not ever want to see Zdeno Chara get a -3 for the night, ever, EVER again.)
Game three in three hours: this kid can't wait.
Other games in the last few days were incredibly lively and dramatic. That's one thing - the fewer teams that remain, the more concentrated the drama seems to get. Canucks/Blackhawks game two was intense (soo intens!) although game three the 'Hawks seemed to lack mojo, dropping that one 3-1. They looked a lot like the Bruins in game 2 - just not a full-force presence on the ice. Red Wings/Ducks game three was a big bowl of crazy - James Wisniewski carted off the ice in a stretcher after taking a puck to the chest, and a Marian Hossa goal that was - and then wasn't. (I am learning the Ways of the Terrible NHL Ref from this playoff round, as well. Good times.)
Also learning about the whole deal with who gets suspended for what, and it seems a little off to me. Like - Brashear gets suspended for six games for a hit on Blair Betts that didn't even seem that bad, but guys like Chris Kunitz and Sean Avery can deck Semyon Varlamov in the head (or cross check him) and...nothing? Or, and this is water under the bridge at this point, but still - Lucic's suspension for crosschecking, but nothing for Komisarek's eye-gouging? Or Mike Brown's hit on Jiri Hudler? I think the NHL needs to sit down, after this season, and take a serious good hard look at how they rule these sorts of penalties. It's not fair to assess a five-minute-major and game misconduct to Brown, and then a two-minute minor and SIX GAME SUSPENSION to Brashear, when both hits are of the same caliber. If the NHL is going to take a harder hand to hits like these, it needs to serve out penalties equally and fairly, not in what appears to be a random, crapshoot-esque manner.
Capitals/Penguins game two was in a league of its own - terrible NBC coverage (although with our Brick!), Ovie and Sid the Kid both scoring hat tricks (pretty sure the media collectively peed themselves as soon as this happened) - with the differences being Dave Steckel and Semyon Varlamov. The Pens need to pull one out, tonight - more of their team needs to show up. Where's Evgeni Malkin been, this series? Did he forget to catch the plane to Washington? Maybe now that they're home tonight, he can find his way to the rink. Oh, Mineral. So faily.
So, game three. Times two. (Dear NHL, why would you schedule two games at the same exact time?) Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm had private skate sessions yesterday before practice; it's the little things. Maybe it'll help energize their team, seeing their teammates struggling their way back through rehab. Maybe the shocker of dropping a game 3-0 to a team they beat soundly four times in the regular season and once in the postseason, along with seeing that 3-0 drop on video, will be enough to motivate them to step up their game. Whatever the case, look to see a completely different Bruins team tonight.
Oh, and let's go Celts. (And Red Sox, I guess? THERE ARE FOUR SPORTS GAMES ON TONIGHT THAT I HAVE TO COVER. Difficulty: I am having it.)
Game one was the release of the stircrazy energy that builds up over nine days. Game two, there was none of that stircrazy energy left. Game two was rust. Two days off between games two and three means practice, getting back to what we know, settling back into the groove of hard work and retaliation. The Bruins are nothing if not retaliant, and this is a good thing to bounce back from. (I do not ever want to see Zdeno Chara get a -3 for the night, ever, EVER again.)
Game three in three hours: this kid can't wait.
Other games in the last few days were incredibly lively and dramatic. That's one thing - the fewer teams that remain, the more concentrated the drama seems to get. Canucks/Blackhawks game two was intense (soo intens!) although game three the 'Hawks seemed to lack mojo, dropping that one 3-1. They looked a lot like the Bruins in game 2 - just not a full-force presence on the ice. Red Wings/Ducks game three was a big bowl of crazy - James Wisniewski carted off the ice in a stretcher after taking a puck to the chest, and a Marian Hossa goal that was - and then wasn't. (I am learning the Ways of the Terrible NHL Ref from this playoff round, as well. Good times.)
Also learning about the whole deal with who gets suspended for what, and it seems a little off to me. Like - Brashear gets suspended for six games for a hit on Blair Betts that didn't even seem that bad, but guys like Chris Kunitz and Sean Avery can deck Semyon Varlamov in the head (or cross check him) and...nothing? Or, and this is water under the bridge at this point, but still - Lucic's suspension for crosschecking, but nothing for Komisarek's eye-gouging? Or Mike Brown's hit on Jiri Hudler? I think the NHL needs to sit down, after this season, and take a serious good hard look at how they rule these sorts of penalties. It's not fair to assess a five-minute-major and game misconduct to Brown, and then a two-minute minor and SIX GAME SUSPENSION to Brashear, when both hits are of the same caliber. If the NHL is going to take a harder hand to hits like these, it needs to serve out penalties equally and fairly, not in what appears to be a random, crapshoot-esque manner.
Capitals/Penguins game two was in a league of its own - terrible NBC coverage (although with our Brick!), Ovie and Sid the Kid both scoring hat tricks (pretty sure the media collectively peed themselves as soon as this happened) - with the differences being Dave Steckel and Semyon Varlamov. The Pens need to pull one out, tonight - more of their team needs to show up. Where's Evgeni Malkin been, this series? Did he forget to catch the plane to Washington? Maybe now that they're home tonight, he can find his way to the rink. Oh, Mineral. So faily.
So, game three. Times two. (Dear NHL, why would you schedule two games at the same exact time?) Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm had private skate sessions yesterday before practice; it's the little things. Maybe it'll help energize their team, seeing their teammates struggling their way back through rehab. Maybe the shocker of dropping a game 3-0 to a team they beat soundly four times in the regular season and once in the postseason, along with seeing that 3-0 drop on video, will be enough to motivate them to step up their game. Whatever the case, look to see a completely different Bruins team tonight.
Oh, and let's go Celts. (And Red Sox, I guess? THERE ARE FOUR SPORTS GAMES ON TONIGHT THAT I HAVE TO COVER. Difficulty: I am having it.)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Time to go
Okay.
Game two tickets in Loge 15 for half price: Obtained.
Rally towel: packed.
Tim Thomas jersey: on.
Game face: set to go.
Let's go Bruins!
Hopefully will have pictures for you all after the game - also will be tweeting from the game, so look out for that I guess?
Game two tickets in Loge 15 for half price: Obtained.
Rally towel: packed.
Tim Thomas jersey: on.
Game face: set to go.
Let's go Bruins!
Hopefully will have pictures for you all after the game - also will be tweeting from the game, so look out for that I guess?
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