B's/Flyers pics

Here's some pics from Scotty A, enjoy and be sure to say THANKS to Scotty for the fantastic quality pics!

Stupidity

I'm not going to bother typing up a recap of the game last night. I've waited until nearly 11am to figure out how to follow up with a post about last night's Bruins win in Philly.

I was going to talk about how the Bruins beat them where it mattered most, on the scoreboard. And how Murray is now officially out of his slump. And Rask is 2 for 2 in the NHL.

But instead, I'll talk about the stupidity of people. We can start with Scott Hartnell I suppose. The hit was bush league, there's NEVER any need to hit a player who's already down on the ice, with the puck well past them. NEVER MIND hitting them in the head and driving said player's head into the dasher. Again - hitting someone who was already on their knees attempting to corral the puck was stupid. It was the driving of Alberts' head into the dasher that was just the icing on the cake.

Next, we'll talk about the stupidity of the NHL. After the first two incidences with the Flyers this season, the league had the potential to "send a message" with Randy Jones (3rd incident). They didn't. So maybe Jones "learned his lesson". Apparently, the players STILL haven't. So, kudos to you NHL - great way to keep your players in line.

Now, how about the Flyers organization? That's FOUR hits, not even a quarter way into the season (although 1 was in the preseason) that'll be actionable. I don't even know where to point fingers at this point; is it a locker room issue? Is it a coaching issue? Is it an organizational issue that starts with the GM? It's laughable.

We'll wrap this one up with the stupidity of fans online. I visit places like HF Boards and the newsgroups much less nowadays, as I've grown tired of the lack of respect that the Internet has brought upon us. Everyone feels entitled to insult, belittle, and threaten anyone they feel like, from the security of their keyboard, in their mom's basement, while they wait to go to their job as assistant night manager at Taco Bell. So to you brave warriors, who sit and type such enlightening missives as "teh Brodstreet Bullies ARE BACK and you stopid Bruins fans have dum Alberts on the ice its HIS faut for being on his nees!" can frankly, go pound sand. Again, it's the victim's fault. How DARE Alberts attempt to play the puck from his knees in an attempt to make a play. And how DARE he not immediately spring up, I mean COME ON Hartnell had every right to hit an opposing player, who didn't have the puck, and was in a prone position on the ice. Blame the victim, blame the victim. Beca
use I mean, after all, the best defense is a good offense, right? And when there's no logical way to defend a player, let's blame the injured player for getting hit. Stupid player, trying to make a play. What was he THINKING?

The Bruins Report Podcast Episode 32 11/25/07

LISTEN ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD FROM HERE!

This week finds CJ away so guest host Chris from Cow Hampshire steps up to the plate to hang out with Russ and chat about the B's. 2 solid wins, a not so solid loss, and REAL STATS make their way onto the show this week!

"Puttin' On The Foil" gives us more B's history and some Old Garden stories from Chris.

This week's band is Alexisonfire www.theonlybandever.com

Visit us online at http://www.thebruinsreport.com and also on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thebruinsreport, or send in questions/comments to us at staff@thebruinsreport.com or our voicemail line 206-312-5237

B's beat Isles 2-1/Sobotka recalled

Nice solid game from the B's yesterday in the matinee. Aside from some suspect calls by the refs (again) it was a great game. Goals from the Glen Brigade helped seal the deal.

Metro continues to show why the B's sent Mowers to Anaheim for an opened pack of 1988 Donruss cards. He's solid in all three zones and just makes solid, simple plays. If Muzz can net one more in the next game or two, I'll declare his drought done. But you know how much my word means...

Nice to see Lucic go right back after Berard after getting whalloped, but seeing as the kid doesn't remember the hit in the first place, he'll most likely be sitting out tonight's rematch on Lon Guyland. Vladimir Sobotka was recalled from Providence, where he's had 14 points in 15 games so far for the Baby B's. He's another energy guy who'll fit well on the 4th line.

Jordan Sigalet was released from the hospital and is now in a rehab center, where he still has some numbness in his knees. Get well Jordan, we're all thinking about you.

Rask gets win number 1 as B's come back in Toronto 4-2

Congrats to Tuukka Rask for picking up NHL win #1 in his first start. Hey did anyone know that the Leafs were the team that drafted him? Little known fact, I think I heard it once or twice or 57 times last night on the Versus broadcast....

More importantly, the Bruins continued to show some of the competitive fire they've had all season, in coming back from being down 2-0 on two fluke goals - both redirects past Rask. Kessel scored on the PP, PJ Ax got his first of the year (finally!) and Kobasew netted 2 to seal the deal. The defense was much tighter and more cohesive than it was against Montreal, which helped drastically reduce the number of shots (56 or so in the Scabs game vs. 32 last night).

I still say a healthy Kobasew has been one of the key ingredients to the team this season, along with Julien behind the bench.

All in all, a very good game, and even with Fernandez getting cleared to practice in full with the team, I think we see Rask in one game against the Islanders before he gets sent back down.

Rask gets the nod tonight

Making his debut in the NHL tonight will be one Tuukka Rask. Boston.com has confirmed that he'll be between the pipes and most likely playing against fellow Finn Vesa Toskala.

Personally, I would have thought it funnier if he started against Raycroft, but that's just me.

Definitely looking forward to this one tonight!

The Bruins Report Podcast Episode 31 11/19/07

DOWNLOAD OR STREAM ONLINE HERE!

The Bruins Report is a day late and a co-host short this week, as Russ (aka "Froggy") goes it alone to discuss a solid win against the Leafs, a fight filled but messy loss to the Habs, and a look ahead to the three coming games this week.

An update on Jordan Sigalet's condition is provided in "Puttin' On The Foil", along with some memorable games in Bruins history this week.

This week's band is Absolution Project www.absolutionproject.com

Visit us online at http://www.thebruinsreport.com and also on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thebruinsreport, or send in questions/comments to us at staff@thebruinsreport.com or our voicemail line 206-312-5237

B's fall to Scabs 7-4

In an entertaining but ugly affair last night, the Scabs beat the Bruins 7-4 behind some special teams goals (both PP and SH, of course). While the B's beat them with their fists, the Scabs got 2 points out of the night.

The Good:
-Murray getting 2 goals (plus an assist) to break out of his slump. Well, if he's actually broken out, he'll pop in a few more. But he was +3 on the night (same with Savvy).
-No quit. The B's kept skating hard and didn't give up the ship, although some of the chippy play was just that - chippy. I definitely won't fault M-Stu for beating down Kostikyn for his slashing all night.
-Chara popping King Lats. That should be a mandatory B's/Scabs game event.

The Bad:
-Timmy had a VERY off game. Let's hope Rask gets a start, because last night was a typical "Timmy's tired" game.
-Defense was sloppy. Ference is out again, this time with a wrenched knee, so he'll be gone for a few weeks.
-Special teams. AGAIN.
-52 shots against. Ouch.

For the most part, I thought it was great to see the B's continue to skate and try for more goals and keep on pushing. This team has 10x more heart than last year's version, and I think that starts at the top with Julien. How heart warming it was to see him screaming at the Scabs coaches after M-Stu laid out a beatdown. Anyone miss Grady? I thought not.

Bruins v Leafs pics, courtesy of Sween

Here's some FANTASTIC pics of the B's-Leafs tilt the other night, courtesy of B's fan Sween. Check 'em out, you can click on each for the larger version, and be sure to post your thanks to Sween for taking the time to send these in. Rock on Sween, rock on.

Schaefer busts out, B's win 5-2

Peter Schaefer helped lead the B's to a solid 5-2 win last night against the Leafs, with 2 goals and an assist. Nice to see B-Bo pick up 2 assists as well, along with Savard with 1G 1A.

The defense played very good, and I'm starting to come around on my thinking with them. Sure, Timmay has seen a lot of rubber lately, but the vast majority of those shots have all been from the perimeter. The D has been doing a good job lately of keeping the lanes clogged and forcing shots from a distance. They're not going to help put up many points, but helping the goaltending keep the puck out of the net will go a long ways.

Wideman was a +4 last night. I think of all the defensemen, he's been the best, most welcome surprise so far. I was all over him last season, admittedly, but he's been playing extremely well. He's not being risky, but he's making solid passes and has been able to get back into his zone during the transition. Now if he could hit the net a little more from the point....

According to Chiarelli on The Fan in TO yesterday, there's a very strong possibility that Bergeron is done for the season. The B's are already free to spend up to his $4.75M cap hit in order to bring in help. This early in the season though, no one's really looking to make a major move (although there are rumours around Hossa and Modano) and any free agents that are still available are, well, still available for a reason. It'll be interesting to keep an eye on this situation, as the B's really don't have anyone they'd consider tradeable past Murray and Axelsson that would fetch something in return that they'd want to give up.

Note that I said "that they'd want to give up". No way is Rask going anywhere, nor is Kessel. So we'll have to see if someone wants to pull a salary dump in the near future.

No show this week/Rask & Lashoff sent down

No podcast this week, due to family and work scheduled we had to put off the show. We'll be back next week, no worries :-)

Rask and Lashoff were returned to Providence yesterday, which may indicate that Fernandez and either Allen or Ference will be back for Thursday's game. Interesting that Rask rode the pine the entire time, but it is what it is. It would have been nice to see him in some game action, but he definitely will benefit from being in Providence all year.

Scratch that earlier Lashoff comment...

Lashoff was recalled yesterday as well, as Bobby Allen has an arm injury. It's possible he and Hunwick will both be in the lineup tonight.

I was originally thinking that Rask might get the nod tonight, but with 2 rookies back on D it may be smarter to start Thomas instead. However, we shall see....

Fernandez, Thornton, Bergeron on IR/Hunwick recalled

Per Fluto over at The Globe, Manny Fernandez and Shawn Thornton have both been placed on the IR - no timeframe on Manny with his "slight knee strain" and Thornton is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a broken foot.

Is Fernandez *really* damaged goods?????? Supposedly he's only on retroactive to Oct. 30 so the team could bring up immediate roster help, but I wonder...

Patrice Bergeron has been placed on the long-term injured reserve, which means the B's will have the ability to spend Bergeron's cap hit on another player(s). Bergeron's agent doesn't think he'll be back in 2007, which would put him on a timetable to return in the second half of the season, *if* he returns this season.

Matt Hunwick has been recalled from Providence, which most likely means neither Ference (core injury) or Ward (concussion) will be available tomorrow night. Interesting that Hunwick got the call, not Lashoff... although Hunwick really impressed in camp, Lashoff was thought to be higher on the depth chart.

B's drop another, 2-1 to Habs

Second verse, same as the first - B's are tight defensively, don't give up, skate hard the whole game. Score a whopping 1 goal.

Can't score on a nearly 2 minute 5-on-3.

Murray is goalless once again.

Sturm shows up, where will he be against Buffalo?

Ward appears to have suffered a concussion from the elbow he got to the noggin from Boullion when he exited the box after the oh-so-potent B's powerplay failed to do anything on the previously mentioned 5-on-3.

Again - not hitting the panic button yet this early. BUT... if they can't score right now without Bergy, then what happens? Does a deal get made? Does Julien play the kids and see what happens? I can't see anyone even wasting the time to point fingers at Julien right now; the team as a whole is playing well, sticking with systems, getting good defense (well, for the most part, how many more shorthanded 2-man rushes are we going to have to suffer through this season?), but right now only Chuck Kobasew can put the puck in the net on a regular basis.

Face it - at this point, no one will take Murray, unless they've got someone more expensive, and even worse, that they want to get rid of. Could Murray be sent down? Everything's a possibility in the New NHL...

Bergy addresses the media

Patrice Bergeron addressed the media today at the New Garden for approx. 12 minutes and discussed his injuries, how he's feeling, and his stances on the hit. He re-iterated that he felt it was a bad hit, repeatedly saying that players know when you can see the name and number, you don't hit. He can't walk more than 200 feet without getting dizzy, and as it is Chiarelli stated after the press conference that Bergeron needed treatment just from speaking with the media.

On the good side, Patrice did say that he's feeling better than last week and is taking things step by step. He also said Jones called him to apologize personally, but he wasn't feeling well enough to take the call. Understandable, given he could barely speak today as it was.

Obviously, Bergy is going to be out for a while. I know that concussion recovery goes slow at first, and then picks up pace as the healing continues. However, I'd prefer the Bruins wait AS LONG AS POSSIBLE before they even think about allowing Bergeron to rejoin the team. This is his career and life being discussed; wins and losses mean nothing compared with his quality of life.

B's drop another in OT, 2-1 to Sabres

In Buffalo last night we had another one of those "strong effort but not much to show for it" games as the Bruins dropped to the Sabres in OT. The B's have been very solid defensively as of late, but as usual it seems the team can't chew gum and walk at the same time - when they're scoring, they're horrid in their own zone. When they're solid through all 3 zones, they can't put the puck in the net.

It was nice to see Savard shoot and score, but I think Murray's clock is close to running out of time. With Bergeron addressing the media today about his status (and speculation continuing that his season is done), the Bruins need to look at the roster as it's constituted up front and decide how long they want to go in what is starting to look like a potential scoring slump.

We're still early in the season, I know, and it's something where I don't want to jump the gun, which I'm always quick to accuse others of doing. But looking at the recent results, the B's aren't putting shots on net, and they're (obviously) not scoring consistently from line to line. If sometime over the next few games all of a sudden Murray pots a few, and Sturm shows up for multiple games in a row, maybe the B's can work their way out of it. I'm not trying to knock them down this early in the season, I'm just trying to be realistic.

I thought the 4th line of Noke-Cheech-Reich was pretty decent - Lucic seemed to respond well to his game in the press box, and he played a solid, hard game hitting and making some nice offensive moves. Nokelainen is definitely better suited for the 4th line banger role than Krejci, so I'm glad that move took place. But the rest of the forwards, and the 1st line especially, need to find some consistency if this is the lineup we're going to see going forward. I think that Wideman has been playing well so far, and seems to have the confidence to quickly recover from bad plays/bad passes - if he continues to play this way, and improves, I think we as fans will start to see why Chiarelli pulled the trigger on that deal last season.

It'll be VERY interesting to see if Rask gets the start tonight - that'll match him up with Carey Price, both of whom have been the basis of countless "who's the better goaltending prospect" threads, discussions, arguments, etc. Given that Rask is in Boston, I think he'll get *a* start, who knows if it'll be tonight. But if he does, it'll make for a good game. On the goaltending side of the house, anyways...

Rask up

Tuukka Rask has been recalled from Providence and Jordan Sigalet has been sent back down. I'm going to take a wild guess and say this means Tuukka will get a start this week, and Manny is still out with his injured knee.

Rask is currently 6-1 with Providence in his first pro season here in North America. He's still the calm, unflappable, very athletic goaltender he was overseas, and odds are we'll see him in Boston for a quick look. I highly doubt he would have been called up to ride the pine for his entire stay, so I'm thinking Timmay gets a rest on one of the back to back games and Tuukka gets the call.

The Bruins Report Podcast Episode 30 11/04/07

LISTEN ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD FROM HERE!

In this week's episode, Russ and CJ follow up on the extent of Patrice Bergeron's injury, their thoughts on Jones' suspension, and potential moves the B's might make based on the circumstances.

The win against the Sabres, and the 2 losses against the Sens are re-capped (and the show's intro finds the guys awaiting the outcome of the shootout in game 2 against the Sens).

A look ahead, a PB's update (with some info on free tickets!) and more are in "Puttin' On The Foil".

This week's band is Thestral - www.myspace.com/thestralflies

Visit us online at http://www.thebruinsreport.com and also on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thebruinsreport, or send in questions/comments to us at staff@thebruinsreport.com or our voicemail line 206-312-5237

B's drop a tough one 3-2 to the Sens

Last night was Game 1 of the home and home series with the Senators, and the B's stuck with them for the most part - at one point leading 2-1 on 2 goals from Kobasew. Still, the PK bit the B's in the Butt, with the 11-1 Sens scoring all their goals on the PP.

Timmay stood on his head, with the shots nearly 2-1 in Ottawa's favor. The D also did a decent job of keeping those shots from the perimeter, save for the PP where players are now allowed to bring a barcalounger onto the ice and camp out in front of the goaltender with the new "play nice" rules the NHL has in place.

Still, I was fairly impressed that the B's stuck so close to the Sens. There seems to be somewhat of a feeling amongst B's fans that without Bergy, it's another non-playoff year. I don't think that's the case if the team can play as well as they did last night. The emergence of an injury-free Kobasew is a good thing, now guys like Savard and Sturm REALLY need to step it up.

Tonight will mark the B's debut of Petey Nokelainan as Krejci was sent down to Providence. It's a good move, as David doesn't benefit from centering the 4th line in Boston. Noke is a banger/grinder/good 2 way center, who will be a good fit for the time being in Boston.

Chiarelli's on the rampage

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is on the rampage after being fed up with the BS being spewed by some of the Canadian media, and the Flyers apologists out there who all say Bergeron takes some of the blame for his injuries.

I already touched on this earlier, specifically with that anachronism Don Cherry, but now Bob McKenzie (who's usually a solid voice for the NHL) has jumped on the "it's Bergeron's fault for approaching the boards low" bandwagon. The Montreal media has jumped on it as well, but that's not surprising, as they haven't had an original thought or comment since the Richard Riots.

According to media reports, Bergy can't watch TV, can't sleep, can't speak, and has trouble walking. These are all symptoms of a Grade 3 concussion, which is going to keep him him out of the lineup for a minimum of 1 month, if not longer. All because a player PUT HIS FREAKING FOREARM INTO HIS BACK AND SHOVED HIS HEAD INTO THE BOARDS.

But that's all Bergeron's fault. Of course. Why didn't we see it earlier?

Sometimes I think ESPN was actually smart for dropping this sport, which is not only starting to become irrelevant, but really does seem to be run by a bunch of monkeys. Tell me, if you gave a million monkeys laptops, would one of them eventually write the NHL Rulebook and the CBA?

B's blow lead (twice) but beat Sabres 4-3 in OT

Last night the B's jumped out to a 2-0 lead but couldn't stop the Sabres powerplay in their game at the New Garden. Even with solid goaltending and timely goals, the B's looked dangerously like last year's version of "The Bruins" laying flat and allowing the the Sabres to repeatedly come back.

TT luckily benefited from his strong play (and not the penalty killing in front of him, unfortunately) as well as the weak play of Ryan Miller at the other end of the rink. TT's 5-2 now and looking more and more like the goaltender his fanboys have claimed he's been since he was at UVM.

Player of the game last night, for me, was Glen Metropolit. 1G 1A and the OT goal was all him - he held the puck in the Sabres zone beautifully, protected it along the boards, and had the presence of mind to hold it *just* long enough to dish it cross-ice to Aaron Ward who's knucklepuck was batted in by Sturm. Metro's a bargain and a HUGE upgrade over Mark Mowers, and congrats to him on a strong game.