Bruins 2009-2010

[furlanitalia 1]

As an official, i'm stoked to see how they keep control of it. As a player, I'm excited for a game of good hockey with nothing stupid hopefully, but a little apprehensive that they might over call it and make it boring.

[chippa13 1844]

Hopefully, Cooke accepts the invitation from someone so that nothing stupid happens. Knowing Cooke, he won't accept from Boston's big 3 of Thornton, Lucic, or Stuart, so someone else will have to step up. One guy that slipped my mind until today was Begin. He might be someone that Cooke will actually accept from but who knows, he might turtle on Begin, too. I'm sure Guerin is telling Cooke that he should just take his medicine but tonight will tell the story.

On the B's side, they're getting killed on talk radio today with fans calling in wanting retribution but wondering who or if it will be carried out. I fear this pressure could lead to a stupid move if Cooke hides from his responsibility.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Scenario A is he fights one of Bostons 'big three' as it was called. Scenario B is he fights someone a little less known as a fighter like Begin or potentially someone else, I'm not all familiar with the B's roster. Scenario C is of course he doesnt fight anyone.

My question to the B's fans and the rest of the hockey would is if he steps up and fights somone will the issue be dropped? Does he need to fight one of the 'big three' which IMO is kinda unfair considering the career fight numbers of Thornton/Lucic vs Cooke? If he does drop the mitts does he lose some of his for lack of a better term 'little bitch' label?

As a Pens fan I do hope Cooke fights SOMEONE tonight, if not because he will have to, but because he should to show that hes willing to be accountable for his actions.

[JohnnyCanuck 0]

To answer you...

Early in 2004, prior to the Bertuzzi/Moore incident Brad May, in his first game back with the Nucks, hammered Tkachuk with a clean hard hit. All the Blues went after him.

I think he fought 2 or 3 times that night, perhaps even 4 times.

Fact is, if you want to mete out hits like that you need to take your damn medicine.

Matt Cooke is a joke. Always has been and always will be. so no, by fighting tonight, and he should have to do it more than once imho, he should do it anytime someone asks... all is not forgotten, perhaps for THIS incident, but not for all his other transgressions.

He is a cheap little prick, and I couldn't stand the schmuck when he was a Canuck either.

[furlanitalia 1]

JohnnyCanuck, I felt the same way so I have to ask you: If he had dropped the mitts when he should have would you have liked him as a canuck? IMO he did nothing but cause shit and then skate away and while I'm not the biggest Canuck fan I do root for the home team, and he did nothing but piss me off. However, I always felt if he would just drop them, then I could at least respect him.

Honestly though, this is an important game for both teams: Pens trying to lead the division and B's trying to get in the playoffs, so I'd like to see him and someone go right off the opening faceoff just to get it over with so we can get on with the actual game of hockey. Even the reporters in Boston are acting crazy.

[JohnnyCanuck 0]

Not to sound too Don Cherry-esque...

He makes dangerous plays all the time, then hides behind his teammates or his visor and the instigator rule.

If he wanted to run around and play like he is 6'4 and 200+ lbs than he should act like it when it comes time to pay the piper.

If he had dropped the gloves to at least stand up for himself and not just hide behind Brashear or Jovonovski or Bieksa back then I might have felt differently about him in that he isn't chicken shit and dirty, just that he was dirty.

If Matt Cooke was smart, and I know he's not, but let's pretend for a minute.... I'd ask Byslma to start. Then I'd skate over to the biggest B on the ice not named Chara and take my helmet/visor off, roll up my sleeves past my elbow pads and take my lumps for a few seconds, then hang on and fall... Get it over with so the game can go on. That would earn him huge brownie points with his teammates and anyone deluded enough to have his back or defend him in debates...because one thing is for certain, if I was Crosby or Malkin or another teammate of his I'd have taken him out to the woodshed a few times by now.

I used to play with a retard like this... he always ran around making dirty plays etc. We all lost all respect for the guy/ One game he went screaming into the opponent goal crease and drilled their tendy late in the game well after the whistle... He "lost his balance" ... riiiiiight.

Anyways, to make a long story short, he learned his lesson that night as when all 6 of their players descended on him we all left the play and skated back to the bench. When we all got back to the dressing room once the game was over he lost it on us until our Captain told him to sit down shut up and act like a man. Once he sat down and cooled off, our Captain explained that that night was the last time he would play like that or the team would refuse to take the ice with him on our team. He learned and actually ended up being a pretty decent teammate. I doubt Cooke is smart enough.

[furlanitalia 1]

Well, we'll see if it's done with now. Honestly, good for Cooke. Thornton is a big guy, that wasn't exactly an even match.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

So is everyone happy now? He fought Thornton, doesnt get any bigger than that on the B's IMO.

[JohnnyCanuck 0]

So is everyone happy now? He fought Thornton, doesnt get any bigger than that on the B's IMO.

Chara... :lol:

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Charas not as much of a fighter as Thornton is what I mean. Even though Lucic has a buncha fights I think of Thornton as the enforcer of the B's. Good call tho :)

[furlanitalia 1]

I think the B's would be stupid to push it any further. They need these 2 points.

[Jason Harris 31]

I don't like them at all but I can't help but feel bad for the Bs this year. They're cursed like Job; it's horrible.

The problem is they didn't build up enough goodwill during the times they've been healthy. They've played too many games with a lack of urgency. Tonight was a prime example.

*************************************

I had never heard Colin Campbell speak before; he impressed me. He didn't hide from any questions and had well-reasoned responses. He admitted that Cooke's hit was bad, but was unable to unequivocally say that Cooke "intended to hurt" Savard -- given Cooke led with his shoulder (although I think one angle shows him raising his elbow). However, he was slightly contradictory when he said that Ovechkin earned a suspension due to past history, while Cooke's history seems even worse.

Still, Cambpell didn't come off as the bumbling idiot as I thought he might.

[chippa13 1844]

The B's are getting killed in the media today. I think some of it is founded but I'm not sure how much of it should have to do with last night. Here is my take that I've sent to the local B's radio carrier.

Guys, something that noone is talking about that I think took any teeth out of last night's game was the warning issued to both teams from the league offices and having Colin Campbell in attendance. Players looked tentative on both sides. Nobody seemed to want to play physical and I think having the NHL offices so focused on the game had something to do with it. When was the last time any NHL game was played without a single goal mouth scrum and a face wash here and there? Sobotka is always good for getting a rise out of opponents and Kunitz is always stirring things up, but not last night. Yes, I'm still disappointed in the lack of emotion shown by the B's but it had to be in the back of their heads that the league was watching. If you remember back to the Bertuzzi/Moore situation, Bettman was in attendance the first time Colorado and Vancouver met after Naslund was KO'd. Nothing happened in that first meeting. The whole circus didn't occur until the second time they played.

[furlanitalia 1]

That's a little detail everyone forgets, that it was the second game. Although with the lack of emotion they have been showing all season I wonder if they will be anything further to come of this. They just seem so far from their game. IE mike rupp dragging chara to the box with him for 5 minutes. When your captain is your best defencemam you don't need him in there. Throw Thornton back out if you need a fight to energize the team.

[chippa13 1844]

Rupp didn't drag Chara in, Chara was looking for Rupp at that point. If you saw the highlights, Chara switched to the right side at the face off so that he would be lined up closer to Rupp. Now and then your captain has to show that kind of fire and lead by example. Iginla does it in Calgary, Lecavalier has done it in Tampa. Thornton can't do it all the time and he shouldn't have to.

[furlanitalia 1]

I'm not arguing with the captain needing to lead his team with some emotion, but Rupp is a third liner (?) and Chara is their top defenceman. I'm not sure how much it helps the team if he is in the box for 5 minutes even if they are energized.

Also, if Lecavalier drops them in Tampa, Stamkos and St Louis can still provide the firepower.

[chippa13 1844]

Who else on Pitt do you expect to accept Chara's invitation? Now and then Chara has to fight to lead and it will almost always be a lopsided trade-off. You have to just accept that as a price of leadership.

[furlanitalia 1]

I guess when you're that size it makes it tough to find combatants. And if that's the price of leadership, how much is it really helping the team? I just think in their current situation I'm not sure if that is the best way to get his team fired up. Maybe if they had a much more solid defensive core, they yes, lead with that emotion. But when your team needs you on the ice, find a different way to fire your team up. You may only be able to fight the big guys, but you can hit anyone.

[chippa13 1844]

Nobody is saying Chara should be dropping them every night, but on nights like last night he should be. When he sees his team as flat as they were then he should be stepping up to the line. Speaking up in the room only goes so far without actions on the ice. Sure, he can throw some hits but there is that certain extra respect that comes from dropping the gloves once in a while. Chara shouldn't have 60 fighting majors a season but he shouldn't have just received his first last night, either.

[furlanitalia 1]

Fair enough, as the captain last night definitely should not have been his first. I think that when you see it and look at how it led to a penalty kill without him on the ice you wonder how much effect it had on a team compared to if he had been on the ice to fight off the kill. Either way the game is done with, and while I agree it is the captains job to drop the mitts ever now and then, I don't think it benefited the team at all last night.

[Monty22 832]

Rupp didn't drag Chara in, Chara was looking for Rupp at that point. If you saw the highlights, Chara switched to the right side at the face off so that he would be lined up closer to Rupp. Now and then your captain has to show that kind of fire and lead by example. Iginla does it in Calgary, Lecavalier has done it in Tampa. Thornton can't do it all the time and he shouldn't have to.

Too little too late. This year's squad was finished pretty early on. If they make the playoffs it will be 4 and done. I din't think that much changed chemistry wise, but in addition to a sniper they need a Gary Roberts type player badly.

[Jason Harris 31]

You know what? I could accept them losing every game of the year if they would just play close to the passion they showed yesterday. It was a thoroughly entertaining game to watch, simply because they were engaged.

[Steve_v3 289]

You know what? I could accept them losing every game of the year if they would just play close to the passion they showed yesterday. It was a thoroughly entertaining game to watch, simply because they were engaged.

That's exactly whats so frustrating this season. They can easily compete with every team in the league when they decide to play. Unfortunately that has happend only a few times this year. Then when you add in the injuries it seems that they use that a excuse.

[Da Beez 0]

You know what? I could accept them losing every game of the year if they would just play close to the passion they showed yesterday. It was a thoroughly entertaining game to watch, simply because they were engaged.

100% true. Some guys have been content to coast through games and lots of nights the compete level just wasn't there. It didn't help that Thomas hasn't played as well as he did last year. I am really liking Rask; that kid hates to be scored on. His reaction after the goal was priceless, so was Lucic's reaction.

The Bruins have a tough schedule to finish the year, they will have to be at their best to get into the playoffs.

[furlanitalia 1]

Rask is good in the sense that he is so utterly determined, but I would say his biggest fault is his inability to keep his cool. His reaction was priceless but he put the entire blame on Lucic when that was nothing more then a lucky deflection for the rangers. I understand the puck went in off Lucic, but mentally that can take a guy off his game enough, you don't need the goalie looking at you like that.