Patrice Bergeron Nominated for Selke

The NHL announced earlier today that Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has been named one of three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. The award is given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The other two finalists for the award are Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and St. Louis' David Backes.

Bergeron led all Bruins forwards in time on ice this season, averaging 18:34 per game and also led the team in shorthanded time on ice, averaging 1:48 per game. Bergeron also led the Bruins in faceoff win perecentage and was second in the league in that category with 59.3%, trailing only Chicago's Jonathan Toews, who led the league with a 59.4% faceoff win percentage.

Bergeron finished the season with 22 goals and 42 assists, finishing the year second on the team in goals and second in points with 64. He was fifth on the team in goals and played in a career high 81 games.

I can honestly say this was no surprise, and shouldn't be to any hockey fan (unless you're from Vancouver or Montreal). Bergeron has consistently been one of the best two way forwards in the game for years now. Last year's nomination snub was one that many people felt was unfair, as it was certain that he should have at least been nominated.

Even linemate Brad Marchand said in his line's introduction video on NBC (still a stupid idea) that Bergeron should be the 2012 Selke Award Winner. While it's great to see that the Professional Hockey Writers' Association believes Bergeron is a worthy candidate, it's even better to see his teammates support him and believe that he should be this year's winner.

Now if only the Caps would stop whining about Bergeron being cheap (come on, really?) he would get some really good recognition from opponents and respect, knowing that whenever they play the Bruins they are not only going up against one of the best teams in the league, but that they will also have to face one of the best defensive forwards in the game.

Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. #IAMABRUIN #IBELIEVEINBOSTON #BELIEVE

Washington Fans Plan to Troll Thomas With Obama Heads

Yes, I posted Obama smiling as the title picutre. Sue me.

Apparently Washington fans are preparing to troll Timmy with Obama heads, this according to the Washington Post which cites numerous sources (aka a bunch of asshole Caps fans who run blogs that are even worse than mine) urging fans to pring out copies of their "Obama Masks" and wear them behind Thomas during warmups.

Are these guys serious?

This has got to be the absolute dumbest trolling idea ever. Hell, I do a better job trolling after Vancouver games than these guys are going to do. They deserve an award for shittiest troll in the history of hockey. Like honestly, what is the matter with these clowns?

This is playoff hockey, not the D.C. zoo where you can sit there and laugh at yourself cause you're teasing the lion behind the glass. In all fairness though, they don't know what it's like to move past the second round, so they don't really know any better.

I actually hope you Washington "fans" read this, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on my post. That way I can laugh at all your horrible chirps and continue to harass Washington fans via Twitter.

When asked about this "trolling" dilemma, homas said "I don't really care, it doesn't bother me. I don't even know the President's name to be honest, I just think he does a shotty job running the country." Obviously Thomas never said that, and I don't think anyone has eve asked him about it, but regardless that would've been a pretty funny quote.

I actually think the only idea worse than this is getting President Obama to go to the game and sit right behind Thomas. I don't think that Timmy would be too affected by that. He's 37 years old, an experienced NHL and professional goalie (don't forget about his time toiling in the Finnish professional leagues), a two time Vezina Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and a Stanley Cup Champion. I think he's got a pretty damn good focus on his game.

Do these idiots expect Timmy to constantly be looking over his shoulder out or nervousness and fear during the game? I mean come on, it's not like he's going to turn around and start chirping the fans during the game, nevermind at all. The dude gets a serious case of tunnel vision during playoff games, he's not going to be phased at all by this horrible idea.

To put my own spin on some stupid Capitals blog quote, "I urge you - nay! - charge you in your duty as a Bruins fan to that those ol' Caps fans see this masterpiece I have written so we can all surround them as the series moves forth and chirp them as hard as you possibly can!" (Seriously, some idiot thought it would be a good idea to write that in Shakesperean English. The blog is called "Sick, Unbelievable". I'm not sure how that ties in to the Capitals though...)

Seriously though, show this wonderful post to every Caps fan you can find. I want them to see this. I want them to realize how unbelievably idiotic they are about to act. On second thought, nah, I want them to see it so I get chriped on Twitter, that way I can retweet everything they say and make a complete mockery of them.

Remember to use my hashtags on Tiwtter. #TheQuestContinues #DefendLordStanley #CapsSuck

UPDATE: Bruins Drop Game 2, Capitals Officially Make Boston's Shit List

Well, that game sucked.

The Bruins decided to come out and not even try to solve the likely simple riddle that is little rookie goaltender Braden Holtby. Seriously, the third and fourth line played with energy and passion, but the Bergeron line played brutal, with the exception of Bergeron who had some rarely seen nastiness in his game today, and the first line I don't think even played. Oh, they did? Damn, got me. I never knew they were on the ice.

Seriously, are those guys hurt? If Krejci is affected by that pane if glass I may have to put a bounty of Shanahan for not suspending him. I wonder if Peverley's knee is affecting him. And Lucic, where the hell have you been bud? They do realize this is the playoffs, right? Can someone tell me if they do? You know, like someone who has more access to the players than I do (which is virtually none).

Bergeron seemed pretty pissed off today though. Seriously, I thought he was gonna drop the gloves and kick the ever living hell out Perrault. Marchand? He was a dick after the horn every period, but other than that he played like shit. Meanwhile Tyler Seguin looks nothing like a second overall pick so far. Hell, he doesn't even look like a guy that had 28 goals in the regular season.

The third line was on fire though. Christ, Pouliot looked 50 times better than anyone on the first line did. And when a third line guy who looked like a bust of a fourth overall pick for the longest time plays better than you you know there's something wrong.




Although I have to say, that goal was flat out filthy. I know a lot of you morons out there will say to me "But he didn't do anything special, he just skated to the net." That's exactly what I'm talking about. in the playoffs, a filthy goal isn't going to be Ovechkin falling on his back and doing some crazy ass behind the head shot into an open net (although that was a sick goal). The filthy goals in the playoffs are going to be ones that are scored because of second, third, and fourth efforts. And sometimes end with an acrobatic backflip over Braden Holtby. That does always add a nice touch to it.

Chris Kelly too, he needs to be locked up the second the re-sign period begins. The guy has been stellar the whole season and he hasn't let up in the playoffs. I think someone played him a clip of what Felger said about him after he was acquired last year. He looks like he's out to prove someone, if not everyone, wrong. Brian Rolston too. This third line needs to be kept intact next season. Rolston has played out of his mind. They Bruins are a team that needs a veteran presence like Rolston around. He can be the new Mark Recchi, just without the medical degree.

Also, I'm beginning to hate the Capitals more and more, especially under Dale Hunter. The good news is they aren't playing the way Dale Hunter played, which would really get me pissed. Like throwing large objects at my TV pissed. And if you want to know how Dale Hunter played, look no further than this. Or at the following.










Yeah, Hunter was a douche.

While the Caps aren't playing like that, they're still playing similar to Vancouver. Minus the diving thankfully. But they're doing a lot of that behind the play, after the whistle small cheap shots that really piss both players and fans off. It's pretty much why everyone hates Vancouver. And Montreal at that. The good news is that they're poking the bear. The bad news is the bear hasn't woken up yet. And if the bear doesn't wake up soon, the B's are in some deep doo doo.

Anyways, I'll just leave you with this for fond memories.



Remember to use my hashtags on Twitter. Or else. #TheQuestContinues #DefendLordStanley #CapsSuck

BREAKING: Pane of Glass Hits Krejci In Head; Disciplinary Hearing Scheduled

After the Bruins 1-0 win over Washington in overtime of Game 1, some pane of glass got a little pissed off and decided to nail Krejci right in the head.

Seriously, watch the video. That's scary.

This is exactly the type of hit that Brendan Shanahan has been trying to get rid of (kinda). Clearly he's done a pretty horrible job at it. I mean really. This thing of glass is twice Krejci's size. That isn't the type of thing you want to see barreling at your head.

Clearly I'm not serious in all of that. Well, I shouldn't say that. The only serious statements were "Krejci was hit in the head by a pane of glass" and "Shanahan has done a pretty horrible job". This is obviously a post where I sit here and laugh to myself about how funny I am cause I'm ripping Shanahan.

But really, let's get real here. Shanahan has been HORRIBLE as League Disciplinarian this year. His rulings are beyond inconsistent and the explanations are sketchy at best. I know a lot of you people out there will say "Well he's cracked down on it but some players still do it." See, that's exactly the point. Players still do it, which means that obviously the consequences of delivering a blow to the head are not nearly steep enough, therefore players aren't afraid to stick their elbow into a guy's temple.

And let's not forget the league's hand in all of this. Let's compare two famous incidents from the past couple of weeks. New York Rangers coach John Tortorella had some things (very smart ones at that) to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins, their style of play, and the culture of the franchise. The things he said, including the completely awesome criticism of what's implied as Crosby and Malkin when ripping Brooks Orpik for his knee on knee hit to Drerek Stepan "It's a cheap, dirty hit. I wonder what would happen if we did it to their two whining stars over there." Truer words have never been spoken. But don't you dare criticize the NHL's darling franchise down in Pittsburgh, or else Mario Lemieux will throw a hissy fit. Tortorella was fined $20,000 for swearing. To quote the all famous movie character Dr. Evil, boo frickity hoo. So what, he swore. It's nothing the reporters haven't heard before, and it's nothing Bettman hasn't heard before (cough 24/7 cough). But, obviously it was more about protecting Pittsburgh and the league's poster boy Sidney Crosby. (Full article on the Tortorella incident can be found here)

Then, a few days ago, late in the Detroit/Nashville game, Predators defenseman Shea Weber grabs Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg's head and smashes it into the glass. This is a very clear headshot with, as Shanahan likes to say, clear malicious intent. You'd think he gets a suspension and a heft fine, right? Nope. Weber was fined $2,500 for the incident. Apply that same ratio to someone who earns $40,000 per year. That's the equivalent of a $16 fine. That's less than a damn parking ticket. That's just plain ridiculous. That's pocket change for a guy like Weber. But God forbid Shanahan suspends a star not named Alexander Ovechkin or who doesn't play for the Bruins, that's a big no no in the Player Safety Department.

The league is terribly biased when it comes to discipline, and everyone knows it. That's the sad part about it all, everyone knows and they won't admit it.

So, what I'm getting at here is, while I think that pane of glass should get at least a three game suspension, it'll probably get a poke on the wrist and a "Don't do that again" from Shanahan.

The Quest Continues

It's that time again everyone. The Bruins are back in the playoffs, sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins are set to take on the Washington Capitals in the first round this year, mainly because Ottawa looked at how the Bruins have been playing and pissed their collective pants, thus losing easily in their final game of importance. The Capitals are a scary team on paper, something most Bruins fans very conveniently forget. With a Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom up front, the Capitals offense is elite at full force. But, that all really depends on whether Semin and Ovechkin feel like showing up. Other guys such as Brooks Laich are overlooked by Boston fans. Laich plays a very Bergeron like game, with the exception that he scores a lot more than Bergeron does. With offensive weapons like these, the Caps can beat any team they want.

But, Washington is well known around the hockey world as Choke City. Usually finishing as the top seed in the East, the Capitals make it to the first or second round and then choke and lose to a team they have absolutely no business losing to (see: 2009-2010 when the Habs gave them a swift ass kicking). This is something that can not be overlooked either, and will always be taken into consideration when the Caps make the playoffs.

One issue surrounding this series is the whole Tim Thomas vs Obama situation. As you all should remember, when the Bruins made the trip to visit the President and be honored for their Stanley Cup victory, Timmy decided to play hookey and stay back at the hotel and not attend the ceremony. An explanation was later given (on Facebook of course), which stated that Thomas disagreed with the way Obama is running the country and that ultimately led to his decision to skip the ceremony. Boston's own Thomas Jefferson (get it? Tim Thomas Jefferson) has since gone on a few more of his now famous Facebook rants, but for the most part it had died down for the rest of the season. That is, of course, until our very own Joe Haggerty of CSN New England asked the question that everyone knew was coming but also didn't want to ask. That of course being the situation with playing and D.C. and how it relates (somehow, someway, that I don't understand) to Timmy's little White House hookey in January. Thomas didn't sound very thrilled that Haggs asked the question, but he didn't really seem pissed off. More like he was expecting it but dreading it at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.

The Caps are the team with the real issues though. As I said already, Ovechkin and Semin are only dangerous when they decide to show up and play, which is a very rare occurence for Semin. They've also got back Nicklas Backstrom, but he is coming off an injury and who knows how he'll hold up in a 7 game series. Not to mention the fact that both Tomas Vokoun and Michael Neuvirth are currently injured. Vokoun's injury came in Washington's last trip to Boston that resulted in a much needed shootout win for them, and Neuvirth's injury came against the Florida Panthers, when Marco Sturm somehow managed to fall all over himself and land right on the netminder's leg as he was extended in the butterfly position (thanks Sturmy, once a Bruin, always a Bruin. Unless you're Joe Thornton or Brad Stuart, of course). The Capitals now have to rely on rookie goaltender Braden Holtby, who has just 21 games of NHL experience. Not to mention that this team seems to have a phobia for defense. They either don't play it at all or they play it very poorly, leaving it up to the other team to hope their offense is competent enough to throw the puck at the net and go for rebounds.

If the Bruins play the way that they have been lately, this should be a series that lasts no longer than 6 games at the very most. But, we all know that the Bruins can be inconsistent at times and, as I pointed out, the Capitals are a much better team than most give them credit for, so this could last as long as 7 games, with Game 7 going either way.

The title defense has begun, Bruins Nation. The Bruins are on the right track to make yet another deep playoff run, so prepare yourselves for an exciting and also very frustrating month of May, and possibly even June.

St. Louis The Biggest Threat In The West?

The St. Louis Blues have shocked the hockey world by rising to the top of the Western Conference

This season has been a shocking one for the Western Conference. The San Jose Sharks are fighting for a playoff spot, the Kings are fighting for their playoff lives despite the acquistions of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, and the 7-11 seeds are mere single digit points away from each other in the standings, Dallas is sitting in playoff position threatening to overtake San Jose and the three seed, and the Blackhawks and Red Wings are in a heated race for the second spot in the Central Divison.. And to top it all off, the St. Louis Blues have overtaken the conference and currently sit in first place with 103 points, just two ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. The Blues' success stems from consistent effort night in and night out, contributions from young guns T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo, and depth throughout the lineup that includes solid point contributions from Valdimir Sobotka, David Perron, Patrik Berglund, Chris Stewart, and veterans such as Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner.

The Blues' top line of Perron - Backes - Oshie has been on fire this year, combining for a total of 143 points to lead the charge in St. Louis. The team's depth goes beyond that though, and despite the lack of a pure goal scorer (it is very likely no player on the Blues will reach the 30 goal plateau), the Blues have players that contribute both offensively and defensively night in and night out. Their third line of Alex Steen - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner provides a good veteran presence with two players (Arnott, Langenbrunner) who have experience in deep playoff runs during their years with the New Jersey Devils as well as providing solid offensive contributions (combining for a total of 78 points to date) and playing well at both ends of the ice. Rookie Jaden Schwartz, the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has played well in his four games played, scoring two goals and notching one assist for three points. While that may seem like nothing, three points in five games is very good for a player with no previous NHL experience, and he projects to be a solid contributor during the Blues' upcoming playoff run.

On the back end, young studs Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk have stepped up big for St. Louis, contributing 49 and 41 points respectively, very good numbers for defensemen. Carlo Colaiacovo and Barret Jackan have provided shutdown qualities, contributing to the Blues' league leading goals against average, currently under 2.0 per game. They also have allowed the fewest shots per game in the league.

The Blues are very much like our Boston Bruins. They don't have a true superstar, but they are a team. They have a great amount of chemistry and are built from the goalie out. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot have both been stellar this year, their defense is high quality, and their offense has been playing extremely well. St. Louis is a team that is poised to make a very deep run into the playoffs, and don't be surprised if you see them make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Assuming the Bruins can make it out of the East again, the Blues are most definitely the biggest threat to them repeating as champions, and they are also the biggest Western Conference threat and have a very good chance of taking home Lord Stanley this season.

Time For The Bruins To Make A Statement

For Bruins fans, Tuesday night may have been the night that turns any patience that may have been left and turned into utter frustration and dissapointment. A 6-1 blowout at the hands of the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning. On a night where the only highlight for the Bruins was Steven Stamkos scoring his 50th goal of the season against them, the team came out flat and never receovered. Within 4 minutes they were in a 3-0 hole, with head coach Claude Julien forced to pull veteran backup Marty Turco and replace him with the extremely fatigued and disiniterested Tim Thomas on a night where Thomas was supposed to get rest. Things didn't get much better, and Turco was returned to the net after the first period as all hope was lost when it came to winning the game or even scratching a point out of it. It was a night where not one single player could be called out and held responsible. It was a team effort, or lack theoreof. The entire team sucked. The offense was nowhere to be found, the defense left Turco and Thomas out to dry, and the only players that seemed to really care about winning were Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Caron, and Shawn Thornton. towards the end of the first, Thornton dropped the gloves with Tampa Bay defenseman Mike Commodore, who made the mistake of obliging as he got the ever living crap kicked out of him, in order to attempt to spark something in his team. The Bruins failed to respond though, and came out just as flat, if not even more flat, in the second and third periods.

CSNNE Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty spoke to Captain Zdeno Chara yesterday at Bruins practice, where the team was preparing for tonight's game against the Florida Panthers. Chara said that the team "Needs to get angrier after they're scored on, needs to start playing more physical, and needs to get mentally tougher". Couldn't have said it any better myself Z. During yesterday's morning skate, Chara drove forward Milan Lucic hard into the boards, causing both guys to go down, and right there Chara was sending a message. A message that he is fed up with the way the team is playing and that if they're not going to hold themselves accountable, he will hold them accountable. Chara isn't normally a vocal leader, but the man was named Captain for a reason, and that reason is becoming very clear now. He leads by example, and when things go wrong, he has no problem calling guys out and speaking up in the locker room.

As of right now, the Bruins lead the Northeast Division by one point over the Ottawa Senators with just two games in hand. This team is in danger of slipping to 7th in the conference, and possibly even slippign out of the playoffs if their poor play continues. If the Bruins can get back to their grind it out, physical, in your face style of play, they can overcome their injuries for the time being and hold their lead in the division. They need to make a statement to the rest of the conference, a statement that they aren't just going to roll over and take a beating, but instead teams are going to have to give it their absolute best effort to play with them, and a statement that they are the same team that is not afraid to drop the gloves. In the past three years, there have been two games full of fights and penalties in which the Bruins showed that they not only have each others' backs, but that they aren't going to take any crap from anyone. In 2009, the Dallas Stars came to town with Sean Avery and Steve Ott. Everyone knows the story there, the Bruins didn't put up with anything and sent a message that they were not going to be an easy team to play. The same goes for last year's Montreal game. The Bruins didn't take any crap from the Habs, and ended up winning the game 6-5 while also recording a record amount of penalty minutes total in one game. So far this year, the best opportunity for that was the Vancouver game, in which the Bruins backed down and let the Canucks take it to them. They have one more game in which they can make a statement. And what better team to do it against than the Philadelphia Flyers? There has always been some bad blood between these two teams, and at this point in the season, it could be the only chance the Bruins get to finally show that theyare the same team that won the Stanley Cup last year, and that they are the same team that utterly dominated the league during the entire months of November and December.

Whatever the Bruins are going to do, they need to figure it out, and fast. Ottawa is closing in, and the Bruins could soon find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.

When It Rains It Pours

Ladies and gentlemen, your Boston Bruins!

Remember how excited everyone was to hear that at the beginning of the season? The banner raising, the celebration of the Cup victory, and looking forward to a possible repeat. Then came the 3-7 start, and everyone was calling for Chiarelli to clow up the team. Many of us fans, including myself, had patience (although I did think a trade was necessary), and the team came around, dominating the league and winning 10 games in a row. And when I say dominated, I mean they literally blew everyone out of the water. During that stretch, they averaged 4.7 goals per game and only allowed an average of 1.7 goals per game. That's just utter domination. They continued to play well up until the game in January against Vancouver, and at that point things turned very sour very quickly. Poor effort, sloppy play, and lack of focus has led to the Bruins inconsistency in winning games. Many people thought that the acquisitions of Brian Rolston, Mike Mottau, and Greg Zanon would give guys the boost they need, adding much needed depth as well as creating job competition. There's just one problem with that though. Although Rolston has been in the lineup every day since coming over from the Islanders, he's been a non factor, and Zanon and Mottau have been taking turns playing "Who can suck more than Corvo?". They're not the only players at fault though. Top defenseman and Captain Zdeno Chara has looked gassed for almost a month now, guys like Milan Lucic bring their A game every so often and then disappear for a while, and the man who's supposed to the go to goalie and the one you rely on, Tim Thomas, looks fatigued and just flat out disinterested.

The shameful thing about this is that the Bruins have strayed away from their game, the "bust your ass and use intimidation to your advantage" style, that made them so successful during last year's Cup Run and during their two months of utter domination. They've played sloppy, they've tried to be far too cute with the puck, they come out with very lackluster efforts, and they're making excuses (See: Tim Thomas "the lighting in MSG is pretty bad, I couldn't see the puck").

Last week, they strung together two wins in a row for the first time in over a month, and it seemed that perhaps maybe they were finally turning things around. They traveled to New York for a big matinee match up against the Rangers and came out completely flat. Tim Thomas gave up soft goal after soft goal, and afterwards couldn't take accountability for his poor play. instead, he came up with the excuse that the lighting in Madison Square Garden is fairly poor and therefore he couldn't see the puck. Earth to Timmy! Lundqvist plays there for half of the regular season, and then some extra games in the playoffs. He doesn't seem to have much trouble seeing the puck with the poor lighting. You shouldn't either.

The next day they had another important game, this time in Pittsburgh. Not only did the Bruins come out flat, but they remained flat and made it look like the Penguins were scrimmaging a CHL team. The top line of Krejci - Lucic - Seguin had a good game, but they can't provide all of the offense, and not only that, but they can't play all of the defense. They're not on the ice at all times, and the other 3 lines and all of the defensive pairings need to play up the level they're capable of playing at.

Coaching is starting to become a problem as well. With the injury to Tuukka Rask, the Bruins signed free agent veteran goaltender Marty Turco to a one year deal to backup Thomas. The consensus assumption was that the workload for Thomas would be the same. Instead, Julien sends Thomas out there for eight straight games, including back to back matinees. After the first period, Thomas had to be pulled due to the soft goals he was giving up and his clear disinterest in what was going on. Turco came in in the second period and played very well, making all the saves Thomas wouldn't have, including one save that he very clearly pulled straight out of his ass. He did give up two goals, but those goals were on the defense, not him.

The injury bug has now bitten the Bruins as well, and it has bitten very hard. The Bruins left Pittsburgh with eight injured players: Benoit Pouliot, Daniel Paille, Adam McQuaid, Tuukka Rask, Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley, Patrice Bergeron, and Providence call up Maxime Sauve. When the Bruins are fully healthy, they are a dangerous team with a very good defense and a potent offense when playing at their peak. But, with eight players injured, it's hard to play well when you have a major lack of depth in your minor league system. With Ottawa creeping up on the Bruins in the Northeast Divison, it's a very real possibility that the Bruins fall out of the top 3 and down into the bottom 3, where they will have to fight for their playoff lives, and I personally am not sure they would make the playoffs in that case.

The frustration is mounting in fans, and it's only a matter of time before this team either picks it up and gets back to their normal play or completely implodes and falls out of playoff contention.

Bruins, Turco Agree To Deal

The Bruins have agreed to terms with free agent goalie Marty Turco

With the "lower body injury" to Tuukka Rask, the Bruins were in clear need for goaltending help. They had called up Michael Hutchinson from AHL Providence to warm the bench during the game against the Rangers, but it was clear to all fans that Hutchinson isn't capable of filling in once or twice per week to give Thomas some rest.

So, Peter Chiarelli decided to look outside the organization for help. And by outside, I mean way outside. He and former Dallas goalie Marty Turco agreed to terms on a one year contract that won't become official until he clears waivers. If he clears waivers, that is. Turco had been playing for a European League team out in Austria, and there's a 50/50 chance, according to Chiarelli, that Turco clears waivers. According to Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe, two teams that may place a claim on Turco are Ottawa and Tampa Bay (Tiwtter Link).

Personally I would be surprised by an Ottawa claim. They recently recalled the recently acquired goaltender Ben Bishop from the AHL, and are likely to let him try and prove himself down the stretch before making any sort of move for a goalie. Tampa Bay would also be a bit surprising. They're more or less out of the playoff picture, and although Dwayne Roloson is a mere shadow of the goalie he was last year, making a short term move for yet another aging goalie would be a poor decision by Yzerman,

In any case, assuming Turco clears waivers and joins the Bruins, this is a strong addition by Chiarelli. Turco is aging, but he is still a year and a half younger than Thomas, he has a lot of previous NHL experience, despite his big flop year in Chicago, and he's ten times better than picking up some scrub out of the NCAA and praying he can fill in.

If Turco doesn't clear waivers and is indeed claimed by another team, Plan b for the Bruins is to give Hutchinson a start or two in the next couple of weeks until the organization's number 3 goalie, anton Khudobin, is healthy, at which point Hutchinson would be sent down and Khudobin called up to back up Thomas until Rask can return to the lineup.

Open Letter To Steven Kampfer

Defenseman Steven Kampfer was traded from Boston to Minnesota on Monday

Dear Steven:

On behalf of all of Bruins Nation, I'd like to wish you luck in your future with the Minnesota organization. It's a shame to see you go to be honest. You were an integral part of the defense last season. When you were called up from Providence, you more or less gave the defense a shot in the arm and added an offensive boost with your speed and ability to jump into the play, as well as your presence on the powerplay. It's too bad you injured your knee in Providence early in the year, otherwise you may have earned yourself a full time spot on the blue line once again. You didn't complain though, and being the 7th defenseman didn't seem to bother you, and for that we thank you. Many of us Bruins fans were excited at your potential and enjoyed thinking that you may have been a major part of the defensive corps in the coming years. This is a business, as I'm sure you understand, and sometimes you have to give up something valuable to acquire a piece you need for a playoff run, as is the case with your trade. Despite this, we're all saddened to see you leave Boston, and we wish you all the best for a long and successful NHL career. We hope you come back to us here in Boston one day to once again wear the black and gold and be the piece of the defense we all know you can be. Minnesota is a great hockey city, and you'll enjoy your time there, however long it may be. Just do us fans a favor, though. When you play us, try to let the B's score a goal or two, just for kicks. In all seriousness though, we hope you enjoy Minnesota and their passionate fanbase. We hope to see you again one day, once again representing the Boston Bruins organization.

Sincerely,
Boston Bruins Nation

Bruins Acquire 3 At Deadline

Welcome back, old friend.

Yesterday, as you all know, was the NHL trade deadline. In 2 separate moves, the Bruins acquired forward Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau from the Islanders for two prospects, Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin, playing for the Bruins ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, and defenseman Greg Zanon from the Wild in exchange for second year defenseman Steven Kampfer.

Most of us remember Rolston from his playing days with the Bruins. Rolston was part of the package that Colorado sent to Boston in exchange for Bruins legend Ray Bourque. Rolston played for the Bruins from 1999 up until the 2004-2005 lockout, after which the Bruins did not resign him and he signed with the Minnesota Wild. Rolston was a key member of the Bruins of the early 21st century. Although many of those teams were not very good, Rolston's versatility and leadership skills made him a top notch player during his tenure with the Bruins.

Mike Mottau is a native of Quincy and grew up rooting for the Bruins. Mottau is a veteran defenseman with a left handed shot, and, just like Rolston, brings leadership qualities to the locker room. His leadership could prove to be useful, especially with the Bruins gearing up for a playoff run, where they will likely call up multiple minor league defensemen as "Black Aces". He will likely be a healthy scratch during the playoffs, barring injury, but can still prove to be a good presence for the young players working their way through the system, especially the likes of top prospect Dougie Hamilton.

Greg Zanon is another left handed shooting defenseman and has proven over his career to be a solid shutdown player on the back end. He is now third on the Bruins in blocked shots with 101 on the season and will likely prove to be a key addition to the defense corps. This acquisition will also allow Claude Julien to pair Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg together during the playoffs, a pairing that dominated opposing forwards during last year's Stanley Cup run.

These moves are very underrated ones. Adding depth on the forward front and defense front in Rolston and Mottau, as well as adding another shutdown defenseman in Zanon was something the Bruins were looking to do, and it appears that they have accomplished exactly that. GM Peter Chiarelli did admit that he would have liked to have acquired another forward, but the deals just weren't there. After Monday, the Bruins look ready to make another deep playoff run as they begin their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

All Is Quiet On The Trade Front...So Far

As of right now, there's been no real activity on the trade ront, not just for the Brins, but throughout the league. The Canadiens sent Andre Kostitsyn packing to join his borther Sergei in Nashville, but other than that and a few waiver claims, very little has come out in the way of rumors, nevermind deals being closed.

Many players that were speculated as Bruins targets have since been pulled from the market, such as Tuomo Ruutu, who signed a contract extension with Carolina last week, and Ryan Smyth, who has been told he isn't going anywhere and is currently negotiating an extension with the Oilers. Forward Alex Hemsky also inked a new two year deal with Edmonton, which effectively pulled him off the market.

Other speculated targets, such as Jaroslav Spacek, are likely to be dealt today. Spacek was pulled from practice this morning and is likely to be traded. His likely destination has not been speculated upon, but his name was not mentioned by team officials or media members at Bruins practice this morning.

GM Peter Chiarelli has stated his intentions to keep the main roster intact, but with injuries to Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley, and most recently Johnny Boychuk, Chiarelli may be forced to part with a roster player in order to make any sort of significant move.

It's been rumored that Bruins are one of the teams in on Winnipeg defenseman Johnny Oduya, and have also been talking to Colorado about forward David Jones. While these are just rumors, they're ones that do have the chance to pick up steam as the deadline looms closer and closer.

While today has been slow thus far, TSN's Bob McKenzie believes it is likely to pick up an d that more trades will come as the dominos begin to fall, so to speak. He believes a likely candidate to be traded is Buffalo forward Derek Roy. There's always a chance he lands in boston if traded, but there haven't been any rumors as of yet as to where he may land, if he is even dealt.

Trade updates will come as they roll out, so be sure to follow me on Twitter for Bruins and NHL updates.

UPDATE:

Detroit has traded defenseman Mike Commodore to Tampa Bay for a Conditional 7th Round Pick.

Ottawa acquires Matt Gilroy for Tampa Bay's Brian Lee.

Vancouver acquires forward Sami Pahlsson for an unnamed player and two 4th Round Draft Picks.

Chicago acquires defenseman Johnny Oduya for 2013 2nd Round Pick and 2013 3rd Round Pick

San Jose acquires forwards Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galliardi from Colorado

Colorado is reportedly done trading. David Jones will not be dealt to Boston if the report is accurate.

Bruins have acquired forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau for Marc Cantin and Yannick Riendeau.

Rick Nash has not been traded. This has been confirmed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bruins have acquired defenseman Greg Zanon from Minnesota for defenseman Steven Kampfer.

Predators have acquired forward Paul Gaustad and a 4th Round Pick from Buffalo in exchange for a 1st Round Pick

Rangers have acquired defenseman John Scott from Chicago for a 5th Round Pick.

The Time Has Come To Wheel And Deal

As of today, the Bruins are limping their way through the rest of the regular season. Subpar performances and devastating injuries are taking a toll on the once dominant team. Even worse is that those who are expected to be top performers, such as Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, and David Krejci, are struggling to find their games. The trade deadline is in five days, and GM Peter Chiarelli has been sitting on his hands for the most part. The team is one of the three on Columbus superstar Rick Nash's list of teams he would accept a trade to, with the Rangers and Flyers being the other two. The Bruins have had some preliminary talks with Columbus GM Scott Howson about Nash, but it appears the starting point for any deal for the franchise cornerstone would have to start with goalie Tuukka Rask, an asset the Bruins do not want to part with any time soon. Sources say the Bruins have also had some discussions about Columbus forward Jeff Carter, some dating back to the days of Phil Kessel, when a Kessel for Carter swap was discussed. But, the Bruins may not have to shoot for the stars if they want to hit a homerun. There are plenty of options on the trade market, and although the prices may be somewhat inflated, it may be worth it to sacrifice a small part of the future to help in the present.

There are a few players that could be beneficial additions to this Bruins squad, including rugged forward Tuomo Ruutu out of Carolina, whom GM Peter Chiarelli has received multiple reccomendations on from former Carolina players currently playing here in Boston. The Finn could be a great fit playing wing alongside power forward Milan Lucic and struggling center David Krejci, who may be able to find his stride if given the right assets. With Nathan Horton out for presumably the rest of the season, adding a top 6 forward appears to be a necessity for the B's, who continue to struggle with putting the puck in the net. Other targets on the forward front could be Edmonton winger Ales Hemsky, although a trade for Hemsky could prove to be costly, as he has a history of injury issues. When healthy, Hemsky is one of the most underrated socrers in the league. He has a nose for the net and has put up many high scoring seasons. But, again, his health is a major factor in any trade. Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, and Ryan Smyth are also options the Bruins could pursue, but with Phoenix making the lives of every NHL GM interested in their players a living hell and Ryan Smyth stating his intentions to remain in Edmonton, those could prove to be unattainable assets for the B's.

On the defense front, Joe Corvo has turned into the second coming of Tomas Kaberle. Corvo's play has dropped significantly from where it once was this season, and with the recent extension of Johnny Boychuk, it appears he is heading out the door at season's end. While it may not be possible to deal Corvo anywhere, picking up another defenseman who can give Corvo some real competition as well as improve both the defense's offensive capabilities and their defensive play. Carolina defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, acquired in a deal with Montreal earlier this season, could be a good pickup. The Bruins have long had interest in the 37 year old defenseman, dating back to his free agent status in 2009, where the Bruins showed strong interest in Spacek, but were ultimately trumped by the Canadiens. Spacek is known for his comic touch in the locker room, and he could provide some good two way play, as well as job competition. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Bruins wouldn't be tied down to his $2.5M cap hit. Other targets could include Carolina's Joni Pitkanen, who could bring some much needed life to this powerplay, and possibly Edmonton blueliner Ryan Whitney, a Boston native who could add a bit of offensive spark as well as some leadership intangibles in the locker room.

One wild card around the league is the Anaheim Ducks. The team hasn't responded to the hiring of former Washington bench boss Bruce Boudreau, and most of the league seems to be keeping an eye on whether GM Bob Murray decides to deal star players Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. Murray has openly stated that everyone is available, with the exception of veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, and any one of the three aforementioned players could draw major interest on Causeway Street. The price would likely be steep though, probably requiring at least one core roster player, such as Milan Lucic or David Krejci, and a top flight prospect such as 2011 draftee Doug Hamilton, which is a price Chiarelli probably will not want to pay.

All of these are legitimate possibilities, so keep your eye on the market Bruins fans. We may be in for a surprising deadline.

Bruins Offer 4 Forwards Extensions

After signing defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a three year extension the other day, the Bruins have now offered contract extensions to four impensing UFA's: Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, Shawn Thornton, and Daniel Paille. The report never made it into the TSN Insider Trading Post by Bob McKenzie, but it was tweeted shortly afterwards by McKenize himself.

This is good news. After locking up Krejci, Peverley, and Boychuk, many fans were beginning to wonder if they would extend their other UFA's, most importantly center Chris Kelly, who has become an integral part of the team's identity as a gritty, hard working team. Kelly had previously stated publicly that he wants to stay in Boston, and this contract offer shows that the Bruins want to keep him in Boston.

What this also shows is that the Bruins have completely changed their organizational philosophy from the pre-lockout one. They like to lock up their guys beforehand, and the guys that don't accept extension offers end up walking. This shows that the team wants to know ahead of free agency what holes they'll need to fill over the summer and how much money they'll have to work with. It's a smart thing to do. Not many GM's can sit through an entire season and wait until the last minute to try and re-sign the players they want to keep, mostly because they'll end up overpaying and possibly filling holes that don't even need to be filled to begin with.

Details of the offers have not been released and are not known, and they most likely will not be known until the players accept or deny their respective offers.

Bruins Extend Boychuk

Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk releases one of his monster slapshots from the blueline. The defender was signed to three year contract extension today.

So I'm guessing most of you are going to come here expecting some sort of post talking about how this is a great deal for the Bruins and that Boychuk is a top notch defender. Wrong. That is not at all what I'm going to say about this deal. Today, the Bruins signed Johnny Boychuk to a 3 year, $10.008M extension that will carry a cap hit of $3.36M. The deal was first reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN (Twitter link).

Now to what I think of the deal. I know a lot of people in the media believe this is a good deal for the Bruins, and also think that Boychuk is a great defenseman who can play against anyone's top lines and log tons of minutes. I disagree. Boychuk made the team in 2010 as the spare part basically. But we all know the story of that trainwreck season, there was injury after injury, constant inconsistent play, borderline NHL'ers getting significant ice time because there were so many players hurt, no significant trade to help the team in the immediate future (save for the Seidenberg steal), and to top it all off, the biggest choke job in the history of the NHL. Boychuk came up that year and won the hearts of many Bruins fans (and a few pink hats). His monster shot, gigantuan hits, and his solid defense made him appaear to be a diamond in the rough that Chiarelli found in a crap for crap trade with Colorado. But after 2010, his play dropped significantly. His offensive numbers dropped and his defense became horrendous. His hits were still there, but they weren't as timely as they were in 2010.

Many people praise Boychuk for his play against opposing teams' top lines and top scoring threats, as well as for his ability to log big minutes every night. Well no frigging duh, anyone who's paired with Zdeno Chara every night is going to look good. I can't count how many times I've seen Thomas and Rask save his ass on big 2 on 1 situations or even flat out breakaways because Boychuk was out of position or stepped up to make a hit at the worst possible time. He can still shoot, that's pretty clear, but his offensive numbers are not what you'd expect out of a guy who started his NHL career as a winger. This season he has 10 points. That's kind of horrendous considering what was expected of him offensively.

Personally, I wouldn't have signed Boychuk period. I would've waited out the season, make some calls at the deadline and see what you could get for him or Corvo, then, assuming there was no offer that made sense for the team, let Boychuk and Corvo play out the season and re-sign who played better. And if they both played, horrendous, let them both walk, slot Kampfer into one spot, and either make a trade, sign a D, or give Hamilton a shot and see what he can do in the 6 slot. Boychuk shouldn't have gotten the money he did. Chiarelli payed him like he was on the open market, and he isn't even good enough to make that kind of money on the open market. I would've offered maybe 1 or 2 years at $2.5M at the most, and if he asked for more, I would've shut down negotiations and let him earn his money.

I really hope Chiarelli knows what he's doing, because this was a crap deal in my view.

Bruins Trade Rumors

With three weeks left until the NHL Trading Deadline, the Bruins are limping along. They're practically Jekyll and Hyde. One game they'll look good/great and the next they'll look like the team that spent a month in the league basement. It's widely known that the Bruins are interested in adding depth, but it's possible they may look for something a little bigger. Depth on forward could prove to be crucial, as Zach Hamill has shown to be just mediocre in his stint with the Bruins (he was just placed on waivers about 2 minutes before I typed this), and Jordan Caron has spent most of this season up and down between Boston and Providence. Defensive depth may not be the route the team takes either. With Joe Corvo and Johnny Boychuk both struggling to find their stride this late in the season, it could be time to move one of them and bring in a new body that can help on the powerplay, a job which Corvo was supposed to do, or help out defensively, something Boychuk has done a considerably poor job at the past two seasons. There are many options out there on the market for both forward and defense, and some prices are high. Also, the health of winger Nathan Horton will be a key factor in what moves they make. Here are some of the team's reported targets.

• Tuomo Ruutu - Ruutu's price tag is reportedly fairly high, but it wouldn't be so high that the Bruins wouldn't even consider. They've reportedly inquired on Ruutu, but they aren't the only team interested. The scoring forward is drawing a lot of interest around the league and could go anywhere, but he could very well just stay in Carolina.
• Drew Stafford - One name that I haven't heard come up much. Stafford has been a Bruins killer for most of his career, and even if the Bruins don't trade for him, they'd be able to breathe a little easier if he was traded out of the Eastern Conference. The high scoring forward has enjoyed success with the Sabres, and the Bruins could use a player like hm.
• Ryan Smyth - Another interesting name. Smyth is aging, but he still has scoring touch. Again, the Bruins could use another body up front to put the puck in the net, but the issue with Smyth is he has a No Trade Clause, and it's unknown whether or not he would consider waiving it to go to Boston if an offer was made.
• Ray Whitney - This would be a great addition. Whitney's getting up there in age, but he's still a talented scorer and could be the veteran presence that fills the void left by Mark Recchi. Phoenix has yet to determine whether they're buying or selling yet though, so talks between the Coyotes and any team for any player would be at a standstill.
• Vinny Prospal - The Blue Jackets are, unsurprisingly, in the league basement once again. They're obviously selling, and their top priority is center Jeff Carter, who really just wants the get the hell out of Columbus (can you blame him?). Another player they're shopping is Vinny Prospal. Prospal could be another addition to be a veteran presence, and he could be had cheap, likely for a prospect such as Jordan Caron (please no) or just a second round pick. He could add a little extra scoring touch to the lineup as well.
• Hal Gill - God no. Please, just no. The guy isn't good. He's big, yes, but he's not talented and he's extremely slow and easy to beat on the rush. Not the guy you'd want on your blueline.
• Jaroslav Spacek - The man traded for Tomas Kaberle. Spacek has been solid for Carolina since the trade, and he could be a useful powerplay weapon.
• Steve Staios - He could be a solid guy to replace Boychuk. He doesn't score many points, but he's a solid stay at home defenseman, and with the way the Bruins have been playing as of late, they could use a guy like that.

Also, Claude Julien spoke about Nathan Horton the other day. "When you see him in full practice with us, that's going to be the next sign. Until then, that's all I can tell you. You take steps and he's got to stay symptom-free. You go from the bike, to the ice, to contact. You've got to make sure the next day, or the next few days, that there's no setbacks."

Could The Bruins Trade Thomas This Summer?

Could Timmy's White House Snub lead to a blockbuster trade this summer?

So everyone knows about Tim Thomas totally dissing Obama by not going to the Stanley Cup Ceremony at the White House where President Obama honored the Bruins for their victory in the Stanley Cup Finals last June. While I won't go on and on about Thomas' reasons, I will say that an honorary ceremony at the White House with all of your teammates (as well as two former teammates, Dr. Recchi and No Shot Kaberle were also in attendance) is not the event to skip in order to make a political statement. If you want to do that, just come right out and say you disagree with the way the President is running the country.

Now, to the real topic of this post. According to Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe, there are many people who are unhappy with Thomas snubbing the White House visit, and it could lead to something bigger. Shinzawa says, "Thomas' decision, however, may be the first step in goalie and team parting ways. His no-movement clause expires at the conclusion of this season. Thomas has one year remaining on his four year, $20M contract. Tuukka Rask, a restricted free agent at season's end, should be ready to assume the starting job in 2012-13."

The Bruins could get a HUGE haul for Thomas if they do decide to trade him. I'm talking like top line sniper, top 3 D, and an elite prospect or a top 10 draft pick. Now, I'm not saying that I think he should be traded, nor am I saying they they shouldn't trade him. Thomas is still an elite goaltender, but Tuukka has been playing stellar this season (he currently leads the league in Save Percentage) and it wouldn't be a surprise to me if he was given the starting job next season. They can't keep Rask as a backup forever, and this may be the time to trade Thomas while his value is at it's absolute highest.

Any extensive questions/comments, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at dirtywaterbuzz@gmail.com. If you have questions/comments that can be asked and answered in less than 140 characters, then tweet me at @DirtyWaterBuzz.

And Now We Have a War of Words

Great look eh? Suits them well.

The Bruins and Canucks, both players, coaches, and GM's, are getting into a war of words, and I frigging love it. These teams HATE each other and it's awesome to see not only Julien, but Chiarelli, spitting serious fire at Vancouver. First, let's take a look at what Canada's National Dive Team has had to say:

• GM Mike Gillis on Marchand hit on Sami Salo: "Dirty hit by a dirty player"
• Divers Head Coach Alain Vigneault on Marchand: "Marchand - and this is just my feeling - but someday he's going to get it. Someday, someone's going to say 'enough is enough' and hurt the kid because he plays to hurt other players. And if the league doesn't care, someone else will." Am I the only one who sees that as a threat? Where are you on this one Shanahan? 
• Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa (despicable player) on Marchand's hit: "It's very, very cheap. I can't think of a cheaper hit you can do on the ice. That and a slew-foot kind of go hand in hand (um, explain that to me Kevin, that makes no sense). Twenty seconds before that, [Marchand] and Sami have a pretty good collision in the exact same spot. Sami probably gets the better of him. Then the second time, Marchand comes back and loses his will and goes down low. A cheap shot from him and I hope he gets a phone call from the league."
• Mike Gillis once again: "You talk about unacceptable plays in hockey, that's clearly one I'm not going to comment any further (said before he came back and made more comments)"
• Gillis and Vigneault also stated that the Bruins' stance that Marchand was defending himself is "stupid".

Here's what the Bruins have to say:

• Official Statement From GM Peter Chiarelli: "While we respect the process The Department of Player Safety took to reach their decision regarding Brad's hit on Sami Salo, we are very dissapointed by their ruling. While we understand that the Department of Safety is an evolving entity, it is frustrating that their are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past. it is equally dissapointing that Brad sought the counsel of the Department this past Fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary. He was advised that such an incident would not be sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety. Given our feeling that Brad was indeed protecting himself and certainly did not clip the player as he contacted the player nowhere near the knee or quadricep, today's ruling is not consistent with what the Department of Player Safety communicated to Brad."
• Peter Chiarelli to the Media:"It's not normally my style to respond in the media to stuff like that, especially when there's a hearing coming up. I would like to respond in the spirit of protecting our player. the comments made about our player, I don't like that. Brad does play on the edge, but he's no dirtier than maybe two or three of their players. So I think in general, after a game like that, an incident like that, you see all the high-handed propoganda and I feel the need to respond. Whether it's from coaches, GM's, or players, I don't like to hear that type of stuff. Certainly I think there's a lobbying element to it. 
• Head Coach Claude Julien: "They can say whatever they want, but everything that happens, whether it's Zdeno Chara last year, him in Montreal, we saw how many clips of that happening to everybody else, and yet the focus was on Chara. The focus is on Marchand right now. Why isn't it on [Mayson] Raymond for last year? Why isn't it on other people? There's [Keith] Ballard on [Jamie] McGinn. There's all kinds of examples, but somehow the Bruins happen to be the team that people prefer to pick on and think we're the bruisers and the example of the league. We have to live with that, bt one thing we won't do is change our style of play. Our team is built that way. I think we play pretty entertaining hockey. We're a fast team. We're a skilled team. We're also a physical team, and we're Stanley Cup Champions, so I don't see why we should change."
• More From Julien: "I think it's pretty hypocritical, everything that's been going on, it's unfortunate. Sometimes you've got to look in your backyard. We all know he's got the same type of players on his team, and they've done all the same thing. You just have to look at Burrows putting his blade in Thornton's throat."
• Even More From Julien: "It's so hypocritical. It's unfortunate. I guess we're stupid. I guess we're idiots and they're the smartest team in the league. I guess we need to listen to all the gab they say."
• From Honey Badger himself: "I've seen the replay. I did go under him, but I felt the base contact was about the hip point. That's usually a pretty legal hit, from what I've seen in the past. I have no idea how the league feels about it, so we'll see. It's a hit in the game. Guys on our team use it. Guys on other teams use it. I had no intention of hurting Salo on the play. I was just trying to protect myself. He's a very big body coming in, and I'm not the biggest guy. I've done that a lot in the past. I've never been punished for it before."
• More From Marchand: "The puck was going around the boards, and I went to pick it up. I looked over my shoulder and saw Salo coming. I just kind of went down. When you see a guy that's 6-foot-3 coming in on you, your instincts are to protect yourself. It was very unfortunate that he was hurt on the play. In a game like last night, where there was a lot of emotion and guys running around a bit, you're definitely watching out a little bit more. You want to try to protect yourself. When you have a guy coming in on you, you have no idea what his intentions are or what the outcome may be."

Geez, the Bruins seem pretty fired up.

Hey Vancouver, did you enjoy your banner raising cere- oh crap, that's right! You don't have a ceremony for winning the President's Trophy. Toolbags. They are the whiniest, dirtiest, and weakest team in the league, yet they call the Bruins a dirty team? Look in the mirror guys, you're far from the perfect little angels you claim to be. I wonder how hard it would be to get Chara to fire a bomb straight at Vigneault's big mouth. I'm pretty sure Bruins fans across the country/continent would gladly pick up the fine, along with every other fan that hates the Canucks. And if no one on the Bruins will do it, I'll make sure I go to the next Bruins-Divers game and whip a puck straight at the back of Vigneault's head.

Marchand Suspended 5 Games

Bruins Forward Brad Marchand was just suspended 5 games for his hit on Vancouver's Sami Salo

Are you shitting me?

Brad Marchand was literally just suspended for five games for what league disciplinarian Brendan Shannahan calls a "low and predatory hit" that was "neither instinctive nor defensive". What the hell was he watching? If you read the previous post, you'll notice that I very clearly point out where and when Salo prepares himself to make contact with Marchand's head. I don't know about "Shanny", but if I saw some asshole coming at me like that I would duck on him exactly like Marchand did.

It's funny how this was done the exact same way in a much more clear and obvious predatory manner by Dan Hamhuis last June in the Stanley Cup Finals to Lucic and the league ruled the exact same hit clean and legal. But when the short guy who's an expert at being a pain in the ass does it it's worthy of 5 games?

The league discipline office still sucks even without Colin Campbell. Shannahan has done an extremely poor job when it comes to consistency. Players continue to run around and deliver head shots (ahem, Raffi Torres) and get away with it for two games before being given a light suspension (Torres got two games for three hits to the head. Seriously?) I bet Salo will come out in 2 games, perhaps even 1, and say he doesn't even have a concussion. How's that going to look Shanny?

I still don't understand the ruling, it really makes no sense. 5 games for ducking a hit on a guy who's very clearly trying to rattle his brain? How about the 7 on 1? That's 6 third man in penalties that were not called. And how about Burrows' spear to Thornton's throat? Is that not considered a dangerous play? How about Dale Weise instigating Thornton into fighting and then backing out (not a suspendable offense, but still something to say wtf about)? How about Alain Vigneault's very clear verbal threat to Marchand? I didn't realize you were allowed to threaten players as a coach. If that's allowed someone hire me as a Bruins assistant coach so I can threaten all the Canucks players not named Ryan Kesler or Cory Schneider, Matt Cooke, Raffi Torres, Sean Avery, and any other player that I hate. Are none of those things to review? How about the clear official bias towards Vancouver? How the hell does Vancouver get to fight 7 on 1 and then go on a 5 on 3 powerplay?

And am I the only one who recognizes that there was no clear injury on the play? 'Cause Salo sure as hell didn't look concussed when he squirmed around on his knees and threw his stick around like a baby. He didn't look concussed when he skated as fast as he could to the bench under his own power either. I've had concussions before, and when you get your brain scrambled, you're too out of it and too dizzy to even move. You don't throw things around and then skate all on your own to the bench. This is eerily similiar to Ryan Miller's "concussion" earlier in the year.

Anyways, I guess Marchand will just have to sit and stare at his cup ring for 5 games. All while telling Vancouver to suck it.

Bruins vs Canucks = Complete Corruption From Referees

Can someone explain to me how this results in a 5 on 3 powerplay for Vancouver? That game was ridiculously lopsided towards the Canucks when it came to penalties and making calls. If I had to guess, Alain Vigneault, Mr. "My Team is a bunch of Saints and the Bruins are big meanies", probably gave the refs blowjobs before the game. Let me break this down for you guys, bit by bit.

• First off, they don't show it in the video, but while skating to the bench, everyone's favorite Canuck Alex Burrows decides to give Daniel Paille and nice stick blade to the back of the knees (You'll notice that around 2:04). Resident kicker of ass Shawn Thornton took exception to that and went after Burrows by giving him a little hack at the legs in return. Then, former Scab Maxime Lapierre (still a pussy)/Burrows thinks it'd be funny to spear Thornton in the throat. Clearly he has no common sense whatsoever, because Thornton would kick the crap out of him any day of the week. So, obviously Thornton decides he's gonna kick Lapierre's ass. Then he's stuck in a 7 on 1. First off, the Canucks have too many men on the ice, as Louise Sedin was the extra man on that shouldn't have been there (of course this wasn't noticed because he backed away and hid like a little girl). Second, how do the refs allow 6 Canucks to play pig pile on Thornton? That in itself is ridiculous. And then you have Cody Hodgson getting into it FROM THE BENCH. That in itself is a game misconduct. But, shockingly enough, this too goes completely unnoticed (seriously, my theory of Vigneault blowing the refs is looking pretty solid right now).
• Milan Lucic, our other resident kicker of ass, is getting off the bench for a line change, and in the process sees this pig pile and does what any teammate would do, jump into the middle of it and kick everyone's ass until they get off of Thornton. Apparently this is a no-no, 'cause the refs gave him a misconduct for leaving the bench to engage in a fight (I really miss the days when guys like Neely would just jump onto the ice and kick someone's ass 'cause they hated them). That was bullshit, because even if he wasn't in the middle of a line change anyways, what is he supposed to do when he's halfway onto the ice? Stand there and say "I think he's got this."? Of course not. I would've done the same thing Lucic did, jump in there and get them the hell off of my teammate.
• Stop the video at 0:04. You see that on the right? Is that? Yes, it is indeed Kevin Bieksa pulling the linesman off of the pile so he can get into it. How the hell is that not called a penalty? Since when are players allowed to put their hands on an official? If that's legal then hell I'm gonna do that every time I get a penalty when I play. the refs didn't see that, but that linesman sure knew what was happening, and he decided not to say a word to the referees. (Maybe Vigneault blew the linesmen too) That's definitely suspension worthy, and if nothing comes of that, then it just proves the league is on Vancouver's side.
• Nathan Horton, ass kicker incognito as a 20+ goal scorer, doesn't like what he sees from Dale Weise. Can you blame him? So, he decides to pull him out and kick his ass. That was an awesome fight. I give Weise a small bit of credit for actually engaging with Horton, but he probably thought it would be an easy win for him. Wrong! Horton kicked the holy living hell out of him. That really was an awesome fight.
• Notice how during the Horton-Weise fight the refs are completely ignoring the fact that Burrows and Bieksa are still trying to get Lucic to go. How can you just stand there and watch them tie him up and continue to chirp?
• Stop at 1:15. See Bieksa trying to get into it with Chara? Yeah, and then notice how Lucic throws him into a headlock and pulls him away. If you ask me, he's being a little too nice, I would've loved to see Chara kick the shit out that little turd.

Now this is another thing that annoys the living hell out of me. Let's analyze this one too.

• As per Rule 44.1 of the NHL Rulebook, Marchand was assessed a penalty for clipping, the act of hitting an opposing player at or below the knees. This is a minor penalty automatically. Ok, I see that. I would understand if Marchand was given 2:00 for clipping, but they gave him a major penalty.
• As per Rule 44.3, a major penalty is assessed for clipping if there is an injury as a direct result of the act of clipping. So, Marchand was given a major. My question is why. There was no confirmation of an injury, and it wasn't like Salo was out cold. He sure didn't look hurt when he squirmed around on his knees. He sure didn't look hurt when he threw his stick around like a little baby. And he sure as hell didn't look hurt when he got up and skated to the bench UNDER HIS OWN POWER WITH NO HELP WHATSOEVER. He didn't look hurt until he got to the bench and then decided he couldn't go anywhere on his own. There was no clear injury on the play, therefore Marchand should have only received a minor penalty for clipping. The game misconduct was assessed automatically, because as per Rule 44.5, any time a major penalty is given for clipping, a game misconduct must also be assessed. 
• Now watch this in slow motion. Watch Salo carefully. Notice how, just as Marchand is about to duck, he raises his upper body so he's in position to deliver an elbow to the head? Yep, so do I. It looks to me like Marchand was defending himself from getting his brain rattled. I agree with Julien's comment on the Marchand call (Comments below). Salo was going head hunting and Marchand was trying to avoid getting his head smashed into the boards. And for all you Vancouver fans who decide to read this, first of all I say F*ck you for stalking me and trying to rip me apart on Twitter (and thanks to the asshole who called me gay), and if Salo has "never taken a run in his career" as some troll tweeted me yesterday, make sure you tell him I said congratulations on his first career run next time you see him.

Start right around 6:55. Can you believe what a bitch Dale Weise is? Seriously, grow a pair and fight for the love of Bobby Orr.


Julien on Marchand: "We all have our opinions on what is going on in the game with the hits and everything else. All I'm going to tell you is that I always told my players that they need to protect themselves. The last thing I want my players to do is get hit and end up with a concussion, and they have to protect themselves. Whether it's the right way or the wrong way, it'll depend on how the league looks at it. I'd rather have a guy take a two minute penalty than turn his back to the play, stand up straight, and get his face knocked into the glass and be out for maybe the rest of the year with a concussion, or maybe end his career like [Marc] Savard. So I think we have to really look at those kinds of things. In my opinion, if guys start protecting themselves the way Marchand did, maybe guys will stop taking runs at other guys, because that's the conseuqences you end up paying for taking runs at guys, too. Who knows where we're going to go with this. I know we're all trying hard to fix that part of the game, but it's still there, and it's still not fixed."