Ok, so I make no bones about the fact that it's been far too long since I wrote anything here. Mid December turned into the holidays turned into January, and here we sit with the Bruins entering the All-Star Break. I should have written after the Canadiens game that they played last week, but alas, laziness got the best of me. The same thing happened when I tried to keep a journal, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. But without further ado, here it is, my midseason(ish) recap of the 2008-2009 Boston Bruins.
First of all, WOW. Did anyone, myself included, see the regular season unfolding as it has? I mean, for the longest time, the Bruins have been bringing up the rear in Boston sports (unless you count the Revs). The fact that the other three major sports teams in the area have won at least one championship in the last decade also makes the Bruins kind of the odd team out. Even after the amazingly rejuvenating playoff series against the Habs last spring (this building is...VIBRATING), most people had low (if any) expectations of the Black and Gold coming into the season. They weren't even the best team IN THEIR OWN BUILDING.
But a funny thing happened. The team built an identity around Claude Julien's defense-centric, team-first mentality. The kids grew up before out eyes, and all of a sudden we had a legit goal-scoring threat (Phil the Thrill), two bonafide playmakers (Marcy Marc and Krejci), two possible Norris Trophy finalists (Big Z and Wideman), a set of concrete fists that could also score (Looch), and oh by the way, the best goaltending tandem in the entire league (Timmah and Manny). With newcomers Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler helping Krejci form the Best Second Line in Hockey (TM), the Bruins could score all of a sudden. And that's no small thing, considering that this team made the playoffs last year with a NEGATIVE goal differential.
The Bruins enter the All-Star Break at 34-8-5, with 73 points. That ties them with the San Jose Sharks for the best point total in the NHL, and marks the first time that the Bruins have ever had 73 points through the 44 game mark (granted that doesn't take into account the fact that the points system has changed dramatically in the last 15 years, but shhh, it sounds good). The Bruins, who only earned one point against the Canadiens in 9 meetings last year, have earned at least a point in every meeting with them so far this year, including a 6-1 smackdown in November and a gritty, well-played 3-1 victory over them last week (both of which I had the fortune to witness in person). They are the #1 seed in the East, and barring an epic, 2001 Red Sox-style collapse, will make the playoffs as a relatively high seed. If they can hang on, they will have home ice throughout most (if not all) of the playoffs.
So, yeah. I'm looking like a genius for buying the 12-game minipack last summer (who's laughing now, Andy?). There's still plenty of room on the Bruins bandwagon, but I was able to call shotgun right at the start. And even though they have slowed down a bit after a 10-game winning streak, with the number of injuries they are going through right now, it's amazing they're still in the position they are. But more on that later. Right now, a special "I should have been posting far more frequently than I have been" edition of UP and DOWN. I've expanded it to 5, as I figured it was the least I could do with the long hiatus.
UP:
1. Team Chemistry. Now, I don't want to see stereotypical, but I am a firm believer in the importance of a team working and getting along as a unit. Whether it's Savard and Kessel forming a dynamic passing-scoring tandem, or the completely inexplicable mind-reading play of the second line of Wheeler-Krejci-Ryder, this team works well together. It seems like they want to win for each other as much as they want to win for themselves, and all you have to look at is the way Chara sticks up for his smaller skilled players like Kessel and Savard to see what everyone's willing to do for one another.
2. Goaltending. Simply put, the lynchpin of the team's recent success. You can't really assert yourself as an elite team without a quality tender or two, and the Bruins have kind of stumbled into the best goalie duo in the NHL. Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez have, respectively, a 2.09 and a 2.07 Goals Against Average, with Save Percentages of .934 and .928. This puts them at #3 and #4 for GAA, and #1 and #4 in SP. In the ENTIRE NHL. Not bad at all, really. I wouldn't even put one above the other with starter and backup labels; they keep each other rested and healthy and have done wonders for the team in general.
3. Youngsters. Not to beat a dead horse, but the younger kids have stepped into a more defined role on the Bruins in a big way. Considering that Lucic, Kessel, Bergeron, Sturm, Fernandez and Ference are all injured, the Providence Bruins have arrived and made an impact. Specifically, Matt Hunwick has played himself into serious consideration for a job once Ference comes back, even above the likes of Shane Hnidy and Mark Stuart. Vladimir Sobotka remains an inconsistent player, but an intriguing option, and Martin St. Pierre scored a clutch goal in last night's comeback shootout victory over the Maple Leafs, once again proving that there's a very good reason I don't coach a professional hockey team. Of course, I wish each and every injured Bruin a speedy recovery (especially Kessel and Looch), but it's nice to know that they can take their time while the kids from Providence hold down the fort.
4. Michael Ryder. This goes toward the second line in general, but I want to give props to Michael Ryder, and to Peter Chiarelli for recognizing potential when he saw it. When the B's signed Ryder this past summer, they were met with a fair amount of skepticism. After all, Ryder had been in the doghouse with Guy Carbonneau, the Montreal coach, and had scored only 14 goals all of last year. So far this year, Number 73 has 18 goals, including 7 game-winners, which is tops in the NHL. He and David Krejci seem to share a brain, and PC is looking pretty damn smart for taking him off of Montreal's hands.
5. Coaching. Simply put, Claude Julien is why this team is where it is. He took command of a last-place team in 2007, and crafted it to the point where the entire team functions as one whole, and they play you as hard as they can for 60 minutes. Apart from a few troubles this year, the Bruins have been tough to play against and damn near impossible to beat at home, and the coach is the number one reason why. He is the best Bruins coach I can remember, beating out Pat Burns (may he recover quickly and fully). I can't even fathom why Montreal and New Jersey let him slip through their fingers, as he got pretty darn good results out of those squads, too. Whatever. I'm not complaining, and we need to lock him up for a long time as soon as we can.
DOWN:
1. The Buffalo Sabres. Honestly, it's kind of hard to come up with stuff to nitpick here, as the Bruins have already exceeded my expectations for this point in the season. However, they have lost several games to the Buffalo Sabres, whom they have a good chance of playing in the first round if the standings remain more or less the same. Of the 13 losses the Bruins have suffered this year, the Sabres have bee reponsible for 3 of them, which makes me a little nervous come spring (if the Bruins end up making the playoffs).
2. The Washington Capitals. Along a similar line, the Bruins lead the Caps by 10 points in the Eastern Conference standings, but have yet to beat them. Simply put, another team that scares the crap out of me come springtime, especially since they have the Best Hockey Player on the Planet in Alex Ovechkin.
3. Finishing strike. This was put on display during a rather embarassing shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues this week, when the Bruins had a 2-goal lead with less than 2 minutes to play and let it slip away. Granted the tying goal was scored with a high stick with 0.8 seconds left on the clock, but still. When the shit hits the fan and the chips are down, the Bruins aren't the best team at clearing the puck out of danger. This flaw could become fatal if they run up against a tenacious team in the playoffs (if they make the playoffs).
4. Injuries. Not exactly their fault, but the Bruins *have* been decimated by injuries over the last couple of weeks that have played havoc with their lines and general team flow. The big one being Kessel, since he's out with Mono and can't really do anything to speed his return. Rather frustrating, and the kids have been doing OK in the meantime, but I'd very much like to not have to rely on them to keep the ship on course. Hurry on back, guys.
5. Media. I've harped on this before, but Boston needs to do a better job of recognizing a good thing when it has it. In this town, where a championship has become the benchmark for success, the Bruins have a lot of catching up to do. That's rather unfair, as the Stanley Cup Playoffs require a kind of stamina and luck that the other sports' playoffs can't even come close to matching, and the Bruins can't win a Stanley Cup on talent or chemisty alone. Still, it has taken until TODAY, January 22, for the Bruins to warrant a mailbag section on boston.com, and that's not fair. The fans are coming back, to be sure, but the Globe and Herald need to do a better job in realizing that the Bruins are good. With the Patriots' season coming to a close, all the Pats fans who are looking for something to do will help, but the Bruins can use all the press they can get right now.
So, all in all, this season has gone just about as well as it could have. The Bruins are in first place in their division and their conference, and the fans are doing their part to make the Boston Garden a hard place to play once more. I'm loving every minute of this, and looking nervously forward to the playoffs, when the team will be tested in the truest sense of the word. But until they start, the Bruins are cruising along (recent hiccups be damned), and I've got a huge smile on my face.
And I'll post more regularly from now on, I promise :)
-M
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