Entries with the tag: boston+bruins

Boston Must Be Stopped

by Alanah on 02/02/08 at 06:23 PM
Comments (5)

Quoted in the AP today (via the Miami Herald), Jerry O’Connell has had enough:

“I’m sick of Boston winning so much. It’s like a monopoly,” the actor told The Associated Press on Saturday as he partied with friends at Maxim magazine’s sprawling pre-Super Bowl party.

O’Connell, who stars in ABC’s comedy “Carpoolers,” jokingly called for some serious intervention if Boston’s teams monopolize all sports championships.

“It looks like the Celtics are going to win the season as well,” O’Connell said. “If the Boston Bruins, the NHL team, wins, the federal government has to break them up. They have to take a team away - they have to.”

Geez… If he thinks Boston deserves the attention of the U.S. Federal government, just imagine how he’d feel if the Detroit Red Wings were on his radar…

(And they should be—O’Connell looked a bit like an Anaheim Ducks fan last June...)

KK LiveChat Game of the Week

by Steve on 01/19/08 at 02:58 PM
Comments (1)

With the new chat rooms opening up this week, I felt it would be cool if we had sort of a weekly “Hockey Gathering”.  Where there’s pretty much 1 important game going on at the time, the numerous and widespread KK readership could just talk intelligently (hopefully) about the game and the sport in general.  So I thought long and hard on a cool title, and came up with “The KK LiveChat Game of the Week”.  Please, feel free to suggest a better one.

Anyway, we’re going to start with tomorrow’s Bruins-Rangers game on NBC, and will continue with the All-Star Game next week. 

It doesn’t look as if there’ll be any pre-game tomorrow, so make sure to be in the KK Hockey Chat Room Sunday at 12:15 ET for some lively hockey discussion!

Fernandez Likely Gone for Season

by Alanah on 12/13/07 at 01:59 AM
Comments (0)

From Stephen Harris at the Boston Herald,

Barring an unexpectedly quick rehabilitation, goalie Manny Fernandez’ first year as a Bruin ended yesterday when he underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL in his left knee.

Fernandez first suffered the injury last season while with the Minnesota Wild, but it continued to bother him and has affected his play since training camp.

“It’s a relief, because we know he’s going to be in shape for next year,” B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli said last night before his team’s 4-3 win over the Thrashers. “It’s likely that he’ll be gone the whole year, maybe not, but he’ll be ready for next year.

“It’s been a chronic thing all year and Manny felt he couldn’t perform at 100 percent. He had to alter his style. I’m not ruling out him coming back this year, but we’re under the assumption that with proper rehab, it’s going to take the rest of the year.”

continued...

VH1 and Marc Savard This Weekend

by Alanah on 12/07/07 at 05:09 PM
Comments (0)

From the Boston Bruins,

Boston Bruins leading scorer Marc Savard will appear on this weekend’s edition of VH1’s “VSPOT Top 20 Countdown.” The show will premiere on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3 a.m. ET/PT and re-air on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET/PT, Sunday, Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. ET/PT and Tues., Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. ET/PT.

VH1’s “VSPOT Top 20 Countdown” features music videos and stars that are voted onto the countdown by viewers.  The two-hour show was filmed at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store in midtown New York City.  For more information on the show, visit vh1.com.

*Also, more on Savard today from HockeyJournal.com.

Players Think Green

by Paul on 12/06/07 at 09:09 PM
Comments (0)

from Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail,

A professional hockey player and environmentalist David Suzuki make for strange breakfast companions, but their unlikely encounter in Calgary last year is greening dressing rooms throughout the NHL.

Since their meeting last fall, Andrew Ference, a Boston Bruins defenceman, has become the point man for the National Hockey League Players’ Association on environmental issues. His goal is to slow climate change by changing the mindset of his fellow players.

Friday, Ference and Suzuki will unite for a news conference in Toronto to unveil a partnership between the NHLPA and the David Suzuki Foundation. The two are teaming up to help offset the greenhouse gas emissions produced by NHL players whose jobs require them to travel by planes, trains, buses and cars.

continued

Reich Knows His Job

by Paul on 11/30/07 at 09:53 AM
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from the Patroit Ledger,

With the exception of the Philadelphia Flyers, who seem to act upon the belief that anything goes at any and all times, professional hockey is generally self-governed by the theory that there’s a time and a place for almost everything.

Boston’s Jeremy Reich has proved expert at navigating the gray area.

When it’s time to forecheck, backcheck, hit, even kill the occasional penalty, Reich does. When he senses it’s time for something more, Reich will fight. When he knows he should keep his gloves on, he will - even when he’d rather not.

continued

Nude Bobby Orr

by Alanah on 11/29/07 at 09:15 PM
Comments (0)

Geez, scary headline… (sorry, Bobby!) From UPI via Earthtimes.org,

Kurt Kauper’s 7 1/2-foot-tall oil painting of Boston Bruins icon Bobby Orr is unique—it shows the NHL Hall-of-Famer in the altogether.
Orr didn’t pose for the painting. He didn’t know it existed until recently, The Boston Globe reported Thursday.

Then there is the painting of former Bruins center Derek Sanderson, who is painted standing next to his locker with nothing more than his hockey stick.

“Hey, you know, he has poetic license, he can pretty much bloody well do what he bloody pleases,” said Sanderson, now a 61-year-old investment manager for Boston’s Howland Capital Management, who, like Orr, did not pose for his portrait. “I just hope he’s a good artist.”

Kurt Kauper’s Boston Bruins hockey paintings can be be seen here.

Two Games For Hartnell

by Paul on 11/27/07 at 02:51 PM
Comments (5)

from the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Flyers forward Scott Hartnell has been suspended two games by the NHL for a blatant, dangerous head shot to Boston defenseman Andrew Alberts during Monday’s 6-3 Bruins rout at the Wachovia Center.

continued

If you missed the video, you can see it here.

added 4:29pm, from Ken Campbell at the Hockey News,

But there is clearly a mandate in Philadelphia to drill guys first and worry about the repercussions, or concussions, later. They figure that makes them “tough to play against,” and earlier this season GM Paul Holmgren intimated that the Flyers are a better team because they’re making their mark physically on their opponents.

Of course that’s why they’re better. It has nothing to do with acquiring one of the most talented offensive players in the league in Daniel Briere, rebuilding their defense corps and getting a goalie who can actually stop the puck on occasion.

more

added 4:41pm, from Colin Campbell,

“It appears that Mr. Hartnell was attempting to let up on delivering a check to an opponent that was in a vulnerable position,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. “However, at the point of contact, he did deliver a blow to the head of Mr. Alberts that resulted in an injury.”

Lucic’s Blog At THN

by Paul on 11/27/07 at 12:23 PM
Comments (0)

from Milan Lucic at the Hockey News,

Growing up in British Columbia, I remember always watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays with my friends and family.

We would plan our nights around watching the games – whatever we did, we’d always try and make sure we’d be in front of the television when HNIC started.

continued

Hartnell Hit On Alberts Tonight

by Paul on 11/26/07 at 08:49 PM
Comments (18)

Andrew Alberts was on his knees in the neutral zone, blocking a puck near the boards.  Scott Hartnell hit him and drove him into the boards.

Andrews was done for a few minutes, skated off the ice with a little assistance.  Five minute major for Hartnell.

added 9:03pm, from the Sports Network via TSN,

On the play, which occurred with 5:38 remaining in the second period, Flyers forward Scott Hartnell collided with Alberts, who was sliding on his knees near the boards at center ice. Hartnell’s elbow and shoulder hit Alberts flush in the side of the head, causing it to collide with the dasher violently.

Alberts lay on the ice for several minutes, and was eventually lifted to his feet and escorted to the locker room for evaluation.

added 6:09am on 11/27/07, Video added…

Continue Reading »

Flyers/Bruins Meet Tonight

by Paul on 11/26/07 at 09:37 AM
Comments (1)

from the Courier-Post,

Tonight at the Wachovia Center, Jones is likely to be the topic of conversation on the Bruins bench when they take the ice against the Flyers for the first time since the hit that jeopardized Bergeron’s season.

“I knew the time was going to come,” Jones said when asked about possible retribution. “I’m not worried about it."…

Flyers coach John Stevens said he is not sure what to expect when the Bruins and Flyers take the ice tonight, but he probably won’t take any chances.

Enforcers Riley Cote and Ben Eager are expected to be in the lineup.

more

Fine Line Winning

by Paul on 11/25/07 at 08:43 AM
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from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

But the X factor here, frankly, is that the Bruins are winning, and they are doing so with a very slim margin. For the most part, that margin is: 1. goaltending and 2. Claude Julien’s coaching.

For the few goals the team scored in the first quarter (51 in 20 games), it didn’t have much business owning an 11-7-2 record. Even average netminding by Thomas would have had the Bruins in a struggle to be 9-9-2 (right where they were through 20 games last season). Less-than-average netminding by Thomas, and they’re somewhere around 6-12-2, keeping company with the Capitals at the bottom of the barrel.

more Bruins and NHL talk…

HHOF Member Tom Johnson Has Passed Away

by Alanah on 11/22/07 at 01:30 PM
Comments (0)

From TSN,

The Montreal Canadiens say Hockey Hall of Famer Tom Johnson has died. He was 79.

Johnson spent 15 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Canadiens before finishing his career with the Boston Bruins.

The native of Baldur, Man., won six Stanley Cups as a player with the Canadiens.

continued...

All Star Campaigns

by Alanah on 11/19/07 at 06:02 PM
Comments (0)

Behind the scenes as the Boston Bruins prepare their All Star Campaign, with comedian Lenny Clarke. (The Bruins are also starting to build a collection of photos on Flickr dedicated to getting the fans out voting.)

More Youtube video campaigns for other teams and players can be seen here, with more to come, no doubt.  To vote for your favorite players be sure to cast your ballot soon.

Automatic One Game Suspension for Tom Kostopoulos

by Paul on 11/19/07 at 11:12 AM
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via TSN,

Kostopoulos recieved an automatic one-game suspension from the NHL for going after Bruins’ Mark Stuart late in the 7-4 Canadiens’ victory. He was given an instigator penalty and a game misconduct on the play.

The Kostopoulos incident was only one of a number of altercations between the two clubs in the third period.

The NHL will not fine Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau.

added 12:35pm, TSN has updated the link and now saying Cabeonneau has been fined.

Chara Points Finger At Habs

by Paul on 11/19/07 at 09:01 AM
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from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette,

Chara said the Canadiens started all the nonsense on the ice, but were unwilling to finish it, and that what goes around, comes around, etc.

(The two teams meet next on Dec. 6 in Boston.)

Carbonneau was buying none of that, with these illustrations:

Ten minutes into the third period, Bruins’ Jeremy Reich, who’d played not enough this game to work up a sweat, ran Canadiens goalie Carey Price;

Less than a minute later, Bruins defenceman Mark Stuart pummelled a why-me? Andrei Kostitsyn.

more

Old-Time Hockey

by Paul on 11/18/07 at 10:10 AM
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Game recaps are avoided at KK, but every so often, games like this need to be mentioned…

from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,

You want shots? Pencil in 52 by the Canadiens and 36 by the Bruins, even though Boston held a 20-15 margin in shots in the first period.

You want tempers boiling over as they did in “old-time hockey”? At one point in the third period, there were eight players (four by the Canadiens) in the penalty box.

You want fights?

They were there in bunches ... particularly when the Habs put the game out of reach in the third period....

more

Hard To Trade Murray

by Paul on 11/18/07 at 09:15 AM
Comments (1)

from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette,

For those fans anxious to see the Bruins deal away the unproductive Glen Murray, don’t get your hopes too high.

For one thing, Murray has trade restrictions in his $4.15 million-a-year contract, which doesn’t expire until after next season. If there’s not an outright no-trade clause, which can’t be confirmed, then there’s at least something that limits the cities to which Murray can be sent.

Secondly, the struggling forward is 35 years old, and the market for him is limited.

continued

Ference Out With Sprained Knee

by Paul on 11/17/07 at 03:36 PM
Comments (0)

from the CP via TSN,

Just as defenceman Aaron Ward returned from a concussion, blue-liner Andrew Ference was sidelined for a second time this month - this time with a sprained knee.

Ference returned from an upper body injury for the Bruins’ 5-2 victory over Toronto on Thursday night, only to suffer a brand new injury.

more on the Bruins…

Fernandez Has a Plan

by Alanah on 11/17/07 at 01:02 PM
Comments (0)

From Kevin Dupont at the Boston Globe,

It wasn’t the answer Manny Fernandez wanted.

“No, it wasn’t,” said the Bruins’ injured netminder yesterday, his knee woes making him a spectator for most of this season. “But at least we’ve reached a decision. We have a plan, and now we’ll go from here.”

The plan, in a nutshell: 1. get back on skates immediately; 2. build up leg strength through on-ice workouts and off-ice rehab; 3. hope for the best.

All of that, which Fernandez plans to begin as early as tomorrow in a late-morning workout, is in lieu of surgery.

continued...

Hockey Soup

by Alanah on 11/15/07 at 02:20 PM
Comments (3)

Without any common theme, some random odds & ends stories and related NHL commentary from this past week.

First, about the head injuries:

Continue Reading »

Line Of The Day

by Paul on 11/11/07 at 10:27 AM
Comments (0)

via the Boston Globe,

Aaron Ward, who missed his first game last night after suffering a concussion against Montreal, has passed two of the tests that are required for players who have sustained head injuries, and believes he can play on Thursday against Toronto.

Despite his recovery, Ward’s still not happy that defenseman Francis Bouillon, who delivered the hit, was not disciplined.

“In my past dealings with the National Hockey League, I’ve learned to set my expectations low. They met them,” said Ward. “It was a cheap hit. I’ve seen the video. The puck is 140 feet away. It’s not even in the zone. It’s inexplicable. But I’ll deal with it and move on.”

Free Advice Offered

by Paul on 11/11/07 at 09:31 AM
Comments (8)

via Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Here’s some free advice to Bergeron: Never go into the corner not expecting to be hit; and never bend over to expose your head and neck when you do.

I wonder if Panaccio would be handing out free advice like this if Patrice Bergeron was a Flyer and Randy Jones was a Bruin?

Not Showing Up

by Paul on 11/10/07 at 07:31 AM
Comments (0)

from Mike Boone of the Montreal Gazette,

Attendance problems in Boston and Chicago are more troubling. These cities had passionate fans when Bettman was in knee-pants, bossing other kids around the playground. When Chicago Stadium opened in 1929, it was the largest indoor arena in the world. The Stadium sat 17, 317 for hockey, but standing-room boosted attendance to a record 20,069 for a 1982 playoff game against Minnesota. The legendary Boston ‘Gahden’ was smaller - about 16,000. Attendance Thursday night was an announced 15,183 - above the season average, but still disappointing.

more

Aaron Ward Out With Concussion

by Paul on 11/09/07 at 03:06 PM
Comments (3)

from the Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,

Aaron Ward suffered a concussion in the third period last night when he was hit by a Francis Bouillon elbow. GM Peter Chiarelli said there is no timetable on Ward’s return. Chiarelli has not heard back from the league about any possible discipline for Bouillon.

more on the Bruins…

Bergeron Has a Message

by Alanah on 11/08/07 at 02:40 PM
Comments (1)

From TSN,

Injured Bruins star Patrice Bergeron held a press conference Thursday to send a message about hitting from behind.  In a nutshell - don’t do it.

He said he wanted to send that message not just to kids, but to his fellow NHLers.

continued...

McKenzie Responds To Chiarelli

by Paul on 11/03/07 at 03:35 PM
Comments (4)

from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

...If Chiarelli or anyone else want to skew that view to suggest I said Bergeron is “guilty” of something, well, that’s just not right.

I rarely, if ever, buy into the victim as the guilty party mentality that pervades society, not just the NHL. The victim is the victim. The perpetrator is the perpetrator.

My only point is that in the pantheon of NHL indiscretions, Jones’ act – not necessarily the consequences of it – falls into the middle of the road. Can you separate the two – the act and the consequences?

more

Update On Bergeron

by Paul on 11/02/07 at 03:00 PM
Comments (3)

from the Bruins Blog at the Boston Globe,

GM Peter Chiarelli provided an update on Patrice Bergeron, who suffered a Grade 3 concussion six days ago when Philadelphia defenseman Randy Jones belted him into the TD Banknorth Garden boards.

“He could be out a month. He could be out two months. He could be out a year,” Chiarelli said.

Chiarelli said that Bergeron can hold a conversation for several minutes, but then becomes tired and loses focus.

more

update 9:39pm, also from the Bruins Blog,

Chiarelli’s had enough.

“Those are the terms I’ve been using. Ludicrous and absurd,” said Chiarelli. “I guess I’m angry at some of these takes. Commentaries, web sites, talk radio—you should hear some of the talk radio out of Montreal. They’re saying he’s partially at fault for this. It angers me. It angers the Bruins organization that they’d say it’s his fault in this case. To say he should have been more careful retrieving the puck, to me, is absurd.”

more

Manny Fernandez Out with Knee Strain

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 07:13 PM
Comments (0)

From the AP via Santa Barbara News,

The Boston Bruins recalled goalie Jordan Sigalet from Providence of the AHL on Tuesday after Manny Fernandez sustained a slight strain of his left knee in practice earlier in the day.

Fernandez and another veteran, Tim Thomas, had been sharing the goaltending duties.

continued...

Update 7:45pm ET
From Fluto Shinzawa at the Boston Globe,

Chiarelli said the strain might keep Fernandez sidelined for the next two or three days, which might put him out of uniform for Thursday’s game against Buffalo. With Jordan Sigalet recalled to replace Fernandez, all signs point toward Tim Thomas starting on Thursday.

Chiarelli said the strain was not related to the left knee sprain Fernandez sustained last season.

Changing Bruins Culture

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 01:38 PM
Comments (0)

From Evan Grossman at NHL.com,

It happens all the time. New coach, new attitude, new results.

It happened in New York when the Islanders hired Ted Nolan. The tide turned across town when the Rangers brought Tom Renney on board. Columbus is buzzing with Ken Hitchcock teaching the Jackets how to play, just like the culture shifted when the Carolina Hurricanes hooked up with Peter Laviolette.

The Boston Bruins are hoping that first-year bench boss Claude Julien brings a similar reversal of fortune.  The first order of business, right at the top of Julien’s “to do” list, is always to change the culture.

“I don’t know if there’s a challenge, but the one thing you do want to do is establish an identity for this hockey club and we certainly want to have a better year this year,” Julien told NHL.com.

continued...

Players Need to Take Responsibility

by Alanah on 10/28/07 at 09:46 PM
Comments (0)

From Allan Maki at the Globe & Mail,

“Bruins’ defenceman [Andrew Ference] spoke about the bigger issue: How players need to know they’re carrying the fate of others in their hands.“It’s not Philadelphia,” he said. “I don’t think Philly is a team of goons and no coach is telling his players to go out and paralyze someone. It’s up to the guys on the ice to be responsible, and if they’re not, then they have to pay the price.

“There’s always talk about a lack of respect [among NHL players],” Ference added, “but the biggest question is if guys understand how much trust is involved in playing hockey – trust between you and your opponent. You’re trusting players coming down won’t do that to you and you won’t do that to them. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

more...

Bergeron Out of Hospital

by Alanah on 10/28/07 at 04:11 PM
Comments (0)

via TSN,

Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was released from hospital Sunday after being held overnight with a concussion and a broken nose.

The team will address Bergeron’s status on Monday.

Bergeron suffered the injury after being knocked unconscious when he was hit from behind into the boards by Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Randy Jones late in the first period of Saturday’s game.

continued...

(*all previous coverage and links regarding Bergeron’s injury are here)

Julien Calls Hit On Bergeron “Dirty”

by Paul on 10/27/07 at 08:49 PM
Comments (1)

fromm Matt Kalman of the Hockey Journal,

Everyone was able to release a slight sigh of relief – knowing that the result of Jones’ reckless action could’ve been even worse. Bruins head coach Claude Julien was still cautiously optimistic because he knows things could turn in the days ahead. When asked if he thought the hit was dirty, Julien didn’t pull any punches.

“I had the opportunity to look at it, and if people are calling that accidental, when a guy puts his arm behind a guy’s head, his feet leave the ice, I don’t think that’s accidental. So yes, it was a dirty hit,” the bench boss said.

read on

Ouch

by Alanah on 10/25/07 at 10:46 PM
Comments (6)

By popular request tonight, here’s the scrap in Boston featuring Zdeno Chara and David Koci.  And while Koci’s face looks like he was in a car wreck after the fight, it’s worth remembering he only broke his nose a few nights ago fighting Wade Belak, so that might be the primary cause of the mess. 

From HockeyFights.com:

addd 8:38am Friday by Paul, The ESPN view of the fight…

Continue Reading »

Julien Tells B’s What He Wants

by Paul on 10/24/07 at 09:33 AM
Comments (0)

from the Boston Bruins,

As the practice session progressed, an animated Bruins head coach buzzed about the ice, before finally getting over-frustrated.

He skated to the slot in front of the crease, and pointed to the space directly in front of that net. Then, after giving some instructions, Coach Julien loudly told his team, “You don’t want to go there because you are afraid."…

He yelled, “Go to the net like you WANT to score goals.”

more

Drury Sees Old Friend in Boston

by Alanah on 10/21/07 at 01:45 PM
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From Lynn Zinser at the NYT [reg. required],

The Bruins held Travis Roy Day to help Roy’s foundation raise money to help victims of spinal cord injuries. Roy was paralyzed in his first shift as a freshman at Boston University in 1995. One of his teammates was Rangers center Chris Drury, who has stayed close to Roy. Before the game, Drury met Roy outside the Rangers’ locker room and leaned down to give him a hug and hugged him again when Roy dropped the ceremonial first puck. “Chris is such a great guy,” Roy said. “He’s always been there, supporting me. It’s so fun to watch him succeed.”

The Bruins donated $100,000 to Roy’s foundation yesterday.  More about Travis Roy fundraiser available at Boston Bruins.com or on the foundation’s website.

Save Of The Night

by Paul on 10/21/07 at 08:34 AM
Comments (2)

Henrik Lundqvist robs Marc Savard with a fantastic save yesterday. 

Savard thought so too- Notice the tap on the pads Marc gives Lundqvist at the end of the video.

Continue Reading »

Here Manny Goes Again

by Alanah on 10/17/07 at 01:34 AM
Comments (0)

From John Shipley at the Pioneer Press,

Yes, this is the same Manny Fernandez who ranks dead last among NHL goalies in goals-against average (5.00) and save percentage (.796), and once again is splitting time with another goaltender.

Fernandez is 1-1 in two starts. In three starts, partner/backup Tim Thomas ranks second in the NHL with a 1.34 GAA and .957 save percentage, right behind the Wild’s Nik Backstrom (1.00, .959) - the guy who pushed Fernandez out of Minnesota after seven seasons.

So, for Fernandez, it has been a case of here we go again.

“We’re splitting time for now,” he said. “You know, it’s the same questions and the same answers as it’s always been. We don’t make the rules, and we don’t make the decisions.”

more...

Bruins Starting Okay

by Alanah on 10/15/07 at 07:07 PM
Comments (0)

From Fluto Shinzawa at the Boston Globe,

Aaron Ward, more than most of his teammates, has been steamed ever since the preseason by the league-wide crystal-ballers who have pegged the Bruins for yet another rotten season.

“Most people,” said Ward about the season-opening five-game swing, “would have predicted that we’d be lucky to get 2 [points].”

Instead, the Bruins finally flew east - they had been on the road for 10 days - late Saturday night as owners of 6 hard-won points, probably more than any Black-and-Gold homer would have predicted for the West Coast trip.

“We’re struggling for attention in the city of Boston,” said Ward. “We’re kind of the redheaded stepchild out of the four teams.”

continued...

Jacobs Right Where He Wants To Be

by Paul on 10/12/07 at 12:53 PM
Comments (0)

from The Pilot,

...Some hope there could be some nice irony at work here. The theory goes that if the Bruins go further into the tank, Owner Jeremy Jacobs and his clan will at last become exasperated and dump the team. Nice theory but it completely misreads Jacobs and his unpleasant brood.

If the Bruins no longer reap huge profits, the building does and they own the building. Much more to the point, Jacobs is a heavyweight in the highest councils of the league and he delights in being a genuine NHL poobah. Maybe this tells you as much as you need to know about the state of the National Hockey League.

If the boys from Buffalo were sensitive chaps they might recognize that the party is over for them in this town. Trust is gone

more

The Life Story of Glen Metropolit

by Alanah on 10/10/07 at 12:32 PM
Comments (0)

From Stephen Harris at the Boston Herald,

But not even Hollywood would need to embellish the life story of Bruins center Glen Metropolit, and the immense disadvantages and obstacles he overcame on his way to being an NHL player. If you think his story would also make a good movie, you’re not alone: The 33-year-old Metropolit has already been approached by filmmakers.

“It’s a firm out here somewhere, and they’re very serious about doing it,” said Metropolit. “I think it may happen, but I told them, ‘You know what? The story’s not done yet. I’m not done yet. Let’s wait ’til the story’s over.’ ”

more...

Kobasew Focussing on a Better Year in Boston

by Alanah on 10/10/07 at 11:33 AM
Comments (0)

From Fluto Shinzawa at the Boston Globe,

Like most of the Bruins, Kobasew had a season to forget in 2006-07. On Jan. 4, he suffered a concussion that knocked him out for eight games. Then he cracked his elbow Jan. 26. Finally, Kobasew (5-14 -19 in 50 total games with Calgary and Boston) missed the final seven games.

“I’m not even thinking about it,” the 25-year-old said. “Just focusing on this year.”

In the first two games of 2007-08, a healthy Kobasew has shown why the Flames signed him for $1.2 million per season.

more...

The “Collapsing Zone”

by Paul on 10/05/07 at 09:21 AM
Comments (0)

from the Enterprise,

General manager Peter Chiarelli is so confident in the ability of Julien, who coached Montreal before the Devils, to wring sound defensive hockey out of a team that Boston’s frequently maligned corps of defensemen was left virtually untouched in the offseason.

“I want to see these (defensemen), these players in Claude’s system first,” Chiarelli said.

Chiarelli describes Julien’s system as a “collapsing zone.” Players say it’s highly structured.

“There’s a transition of passing (an opponent) off, from one area to another, to another player,” said defenseman Aaron Ward. “There’s a lot of thinking involved.”

read on

Start Winning Boston

by Paul on 10/04/07 at 09:57 AM
Comments (2)

from the Eagle-Tribune,

So what would make any sane person - whether they’re a puck-loving hockey krishna or not - think that the Boston Bruins can turn around their decade-plus of lethargy and put more fannies back in the seats at the TDBanknorth Garden?

There’s only one way for that to happen: win games. Lots of games. The B’s open up at Phoenix tomorrow as part of a five-game road trip.

“Boston is a city that’s used to winners,” said center Marc Savard, who led the team in scoring by a wide margin a year ago with 96 points. “We have the personnel in place to do that. This is a team ready to win.”

read on

Significant Roster Changes For Bruins

by Paul on 10/02/07 at 07:13 AM
Comments (0)

from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette,

Only 10 of the players who will start the season in Boston were on last year’s season-opening roster, reflecting the wholesale changes that have occurred in the last 12 months under general manager Peter Chiarelli.

“This is the group we’re going forward with as it stands (now),” Chiarelli said during a conference call. “But if there’s an area where we can improve and an opportunity to improve, we’re still going to look at it.”

The 13 new faces include winger Shawn Thornton, who was signed as a free agent this summer, and versatile forward Glen Metropolit, who made the team after being invited to camp without a contract. Chiarelli said he expects to have Metropolit signed within a day or two.

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