Beanpot Final

Beanpot in TD Bank Garden

The 2010 Beanpot Finals will be played tonight from TD Bank Garden in Boston, Ma. The game will feature Boston College versus the twenty-nine time, and defending Champion Boston University.

Boston College got to the finals by defeating Harvard in the first round 6-0. It was a game that BC had control of for the entire game. Boston University beat Northeastern 2-1, in a rematch of last years Beanpot Finals.

Any BC v. BU game is always exciting but when it is for the Beanpot and bragging rights around town for the rest of the year, the game always tends to highten in intensity.

Miller’s Olympic Image

Ryan Miller's Facemask, USA Goalie

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller was named to the US Olympic team along with the rest of the teams members after the 2010 Winter Classic.

Miller will probably be seeing most of the time in net for Team USA. Even if Miller did not play a minute, it did not stop him from getting a sweet ass brain bucket to wear during the tournament.

I always enjoy when goalies put sweet designs on their mask’s, it is unique and it helps to define goalies. I hope the other goalies on Team USA (Tim Thomas, Johnathan Quick) have something drawn-up for their Olympic mask’s.

Big, Bad, (they still suck) Bruins

LA Kings, most recent team to defeat Boston

Let the streak continue, the Bruins (23-21-9) lost their seventh game in-a-row on Saturday night. This is the first time this has happened since 1997. At this point I feel like a coach in the locker room giving the team a ulitmatium. Do you want to play or should we just give-up on the rest of the season today. But seriously WHAT THE FUCK!??!?!?!

The only positive to the Bruins losing ways, is if they keep it up and don’t make the playoffs they could end up with two top ten draft picks this year.

A positive about last night’s game is the Bruins had pretty much all of their roster available. The first time that has happened in a while. The team was still only able to mustard two goals in the shootout loss.

The Bruins battled back from an early 1-0 deficit. A goal let up on a redirection thorough Tim Thomas five-hole. The B’s scored two goals, one in the second and another about two minutes into the third period. Like a law of nature, the Bruins would go ahead and surrender a late goal to allow Los Angeles (32-19-3) a chance at the win.

Taking a team like the Kings to overtime is not a bad thing from the Bruins perspective because they still get a point from the game. But it is a game the Bruins desperately needed two points from.

The Bruins have seven games left before the Olympic break, if the Bruins can take 5 of 7 (2 of 3 at home & 3 of 4 on the road) the B’s would have 65 points and could be between the sixth or eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

–On a side not maybe the Celtics can bring some magic this afternoon and not allow LA to continue their Boston dominance.

Throwin’ a Curveball

As I’m watching Vegas Vacation and bull-shitting on the computer to start my day, I began to look at 2010 NHL unrestricted free-agents. I started looking because I keeping thinking about who will get Kovalchuck and other players on the trade block.

While I’m looking though the list and I get to the goalies, HOLY SHIT. There is a long list of goalies who will become available to the rest of the league come July 1.

So then I start thinking about the Bruins and with the gambling spirit of Clark Griswold in me I get this crazy idea that I think would work. What if they traded for Kovalchuck and threw a huge curveball in the process.

What if the Bruins sent Tim Thomas along in the trade. HEAR ME OUT. I know this sounds crazy and has no chance of happening but the B’s have already supposedly placed Rask and their first round pick from Toronto off-limits. The Bruins could trade Thomas and hope the potential free-agent goalies are still available.

There is a good chance most of the goalies will sign with their teams before the July first deadline. The ten best free-agent goalies now are:
Evgeni Nabokov — age 33
Marty Turco — age 33
Jose Theodore –age 32
Jonas Hiller — age 27
Pekka Rinne — age 26
Ray Emery — age 29
Peter Budaj — age 26

Pekka Rinne (left), Tim Thomas (right)

Most of those goalies are either getting old or have been replaced by a better goalie but Tuukka should be ready to take control of the team next year. But the past few season the Bruins seem to like the 1A, 1B goalie style. A goalie like Hiller or Rinne would be perfect in that system.

The problem is who would be the back up goalie the rest of this season. Dany Sabourin is the next goalie in-line for the b’s. The b’s could also ask for Johan Hedberg (age 36) in return who will be a free-agent the bruins could just let him go at the end of the season. The only problem is Thomas has a no-trade clause in his contract for the first three years of his new contract.

Like I said before, this will not happen but it was something I thought of that could work out for the Bruins.

To put this into perspective when Pittsburgh traded for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta, Pittsburgh traded 2 players (Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen) 1 prospect (Angelo Esposito) and a first-round draft pick.

So to trade for a player better than Hossa from the same team the deal should be similar. I think the b’s can give 2 players (Blake Wheeler, Tim Thomas) 1 prospect (Zach Hamill or Joe Colborne) and a first and second round draft pick.

Game of the Season

Tonight the Bruins are going to try to get the monkey off of their back, win a game, and score some goals. In some cases I believe this is the game of the season.

The Bruins have lost five straight, and they are on the road against the division leading Sabres. Marc Savard was seen on the ice during the morning skate and is suppose to be in the line-up. I have heard that it seems Tuukka Rask will be getting the start tonight. The Bruins had all week off since that debacle against Carolina.

Krejci goal attempt vs. Sabres

The b’s are going to need to come out hard and quick, the first five minutes of the game will dictate how the rest of the game will go for the Bruins. The b’s need to be firing on all cylinders and suffocate Buffalo early in the game.

If the b’s can take control of the first five minutes of the game, and the following two periods, along with limited to no penalties and if the offense shows up it could be a good night.

The game is critical because no only did the b’s come off a terrible loss, but after tonight’s game the b’s play four at home followed by 11 of their next 13 on the road. The only upside in the schedule is the two-week Olympic break that comes after the first four games on the road.

I Draw Ding Dongs on People

Sooo I complain about Jack Edwards, I do not know how I would feel if I had to listen to this guy for 82 games. I appreciate the movie references, they are funny. Sadly I think this nice little four-minute compilation is every goal Florida scored last season.

…that bad

Where to begin, where to begin. Honestly I am not really surprised, for the people who watch the Bruins on a consistent basis, is anyone surprised. First off, the team is beat up, they are dealing with a lot of injuries, and make shift line-up’s night in and night out. It is still not an excuse for not winning games.

Yes, it hurts not to have Marc Savard, Marco Sturm but the other guys who have been in the line-up are all guys who have been with the team last year. The only new comers to this year’s roster is Satan, Whitfield, Boychuck (seeing more ice time). For the most part it is still the same core group of guys. The team has no identity.

The Bruins always run into road blocks and never keep consistent talent on the ice. As an example from 2001-2009 the Bruins have ranked in the Conference:

2001-2002: 1st 43-24-6-9 101pts (eliminated 1st round)
2002-2003: 7th 36-31-11-4 87pts (eliminated 1st round)
2003-2004: 2nd 41-19-15-7 104pts (eliminated 1st round)
2004-2005: LOCKOUT
2005-2006: 13th 29-37-16 74pts (Did not make playoffs)
2006-2007: 13th 35-41-6 76pts (Did not make playoffs)
2007-2008: 8th 41-29-12 94pts (eliminated 1st round)
2008-2009: 1st 53-19-10 116pts (eliminated 2nd round)

It is unacceptable, two 5-1 losses in 6 days, along with three more losses, now five in-a-row. Last season the Bruins played with emotion. Even if there was no score five minutes into a game, they showed intensity and controlled the play. The team still needs a goal scorer, tread deadline is looming, Vinny Lecavalier would be a solid addition. The Bruins need some sort of spark, not only to make the playoffs, but to go far in the playoffs.

–there is a potential the Bruins could fall from 9th to 13th in the Conference before they play Buffalo on Friday night.

Cheap Shot

^^CAUTION…THIS VIDEO HAS SOME GRAPHIC PARTS.
This is arguably the worst cheap shot I’ve ever seen. It is defiantly in the top three with Todd Bertuzzi and Marty McSorley. This video features a player from the Canada Junior team Patrice Cormier.

Now, for those who aren’t sure if they should watch this video. I do not understand how this guy got hurt so bad. The graphic part if the player convulsing on the ice. But it almost looks like the player who threw the elbow missed the guys head.

Either way Cormier defiantly made contact in a brutal cheap shot. He should be banned from the game for life. There is no reason a player should come off the bench and go head hunting for another player. Which is exactly what happened here.

–This is not the first time Cormier has pulled this stunt.

Can We Bring Back the Blue Paint

Who misses the Blue paint inside the net

I know this is very random and I do not know why I like this. But I saw and old NHL clip with the blue paint in the net. I do not remember the exact seasons but the NHL added the blue paint inside the net along with the crease.

I have no idea why the NHL got rid of the paint inside the net. I just think it is a cool look and it is not like it affects any part of the game. The only reason I think they got rid of it is because it could have been difficult to review questionable goals.

Will Somebody Throw A Hit

This is an amazing goal. Usually when you see a player begin to dangle players, like the beginning of the video, it is a one man effort. The passing that resulted during this play is what makes the goal more impressive, a lot of good hands on that team.

As for the defense, someone throw a fucking hit!!! Watch the video, its 3 on 4 and even after the goal is scored there are only four guys in the goal celebration. So it’s not like this team was on the penalty kill. I know this is not the NHL, but I’m still blaming them. This “new NHL” is all about speed and being fancy and as a result all the players on D are just waving their sticks at the puck.