Boston Bruins: 2013

[hamstercaster 2]

That was the whole point of the article I posted where there were more videos. To blame one team in particular when some of your player(s) are doing it as well is being hypocritical. Blaming a team or two in particular when it's a league wide problem just isn't right. Things need to change league wide before hockey becomes the next soccer.

[Steve_v3 289]

It was a great first twenty minutes last night. Too bad they tried coasting for the last two periods.

I hear people wishing for Alfredsson or Igilna. After seeing the way they have played the last couple of weeks I think they need more help on their third line or a defensemen.

I read on tsn that Bruins have scouted Ryan Clowe. I think he could help. They really need to demote Bourque, or at the very least get him off the powerplay.

Comcast SportsNet's San Jose Sharks Insider Kevin Kurz tweeted on Tuesday night that, "Lots of Eastern Conference scouts at the game again tonight, including Boston, who some think are scouting Ryane Clowe."

The article also mentioned that Mark Streit may be moved. He would be a good addition to the Bruins, but I think the Islanders would be asking a lot.

The only way I think they would add a top line player is if they moved someone from there top two lines. I can't imagine Chiarelli would do that.

Although I wouldn't mind them moving Horton if they could acquire Corey Perry.. Wishful thinking..

[chippa13 1844]

They can afford to add a top line guy this year from dumping Thomas' salary and I think Savard still counts on the books. I don't believe they've put him on LTIR yet. The third line definitely needs help. Bourque has some skill but just can't compete at the NHL level. Paille can compete but lacks the skill, he is like Axelsson with even less finishing ability. If the Bruins are going to chase any Ducks, I think Bobby Ryan will be the target.

[Steve_v3 289]

I agree they can afford almost any player that may be available. I just don't see Julien dropping any of the top six forwards off their current lines. I don't think acquiring a scorer and putting him on the third line would benefit anyone. Maybe Alfredsson would be happy playing there but I don't think he would be considered a big time scorer.

[Jason Harris 31]

Getting a big time scorer would be great, but I think the truth is Bourque is a Quadruple A player in baseball terminology, so any established NHLer should help. Also, if the player is so good that he should be part of the top six, I could see them possibly dropping Horton to the third line, because he can be a streaky scorer.

What about Thornton? If he's not fighting, could we find a player who helps more with scoring from the fourth line? I love his hustle and grit, and I suspect he's great in the locker room, but the team isn't duking it out as much as they did two years ago.

[crazyhick 19]

I wouldn't touch that 4th line, it's too good and you don't expect them to score anyways as it's not in the job description. Bourque is really good for giving guys an off-night, but not as a NHL point producer that they are looking for.

Clowe would be a good fit on that 3rd-line as they could use a guy that has a bit more grit than anyone else there and can produce the odd point here or there.

Is it me or does Rask seem shaky the past few starts? Possible fatigue/ pressure getting to him? Too many goals that he can see are getting in, along with ones that his normal playing style would stop by sheer position

[Steve_v3 289]

I'm not worried about Rask quite yet. He hasn't looked as sharp as everyone would like but he hasn't gotten as good of defensive support as he & Thomas has gotten the last few years.

Ference has struggled this year & Mcquaid was just getting healthy at the start of training camp so there is a lot of improvement for both of them, one would hope.

I think they would be fine if they added a good player to that third line and a solid defenseman.

[Jason Harris 31]

I think both the team and Rask have been in a two game slump. He had only given up 3 goals on 103 shots in the previous three games, so hopefully he and the team can put an end to the slumping quickly. The scoring has been acceptable lately, but there were too many defensive lapses the last two games.

I tend to agree about Thornton, since he seems to be a heart and soul type player, but I wasn't expecting him to be a healthy scratch, so I'm curious if they'd do the unthinkable in a package deal.

[chippa13 1844]

I agree they can afford almost any player that may be available. I just don't see Julien dropping any of the top six forwards off their current lines. I don't think acquiring a scorer and putting him on the third line would benefit anyone. Maybe Alfredsson would be happy playing there but I don't think he would be considered a big time scorer.

I don't think they'll mess with the top two lines. That is what makes Ryan an attractive target. He can add both size and skill to the left side of the third line.

[chippa13 1844]

These games lately are feeling like a Heathcliff Slocumb 9th inning. Stop letting teams back in and finish a game, boys.

[hockeymass 11]

These games lately are feeling like a Heathcliff Slocumb 9th inning. Stop letting teams back in and finish a game, boys.

Last night was the opposite. Down early I thought I was gonna have to find something else to watch, but they really stepped up after the first 20.

[chippa13 1844]

They were horrible in the first. After that they looked better. I thought Peverley had money on the Sens from what he was doing near the end of OT.

[Steve_v3 289]

They were horrible in the first. After that they looked better. I thought Peverley had money on the Sens from what he was doing near the end of OT.

Tonight they decided to take off the second two periods.

[Jason Harris 31]

I don't think they had a choice.

Considering they played the top offensive team, who had the night off while Boston played the night before and then arrived at 2:30 in the morning, I thought they played as well as they could for the first half, even if they only had seven shots. But you could see them start to drag, losing races and faceoffs. Then Pittsburgh finally scored, which motivated them and the crowd, so when they upped the intensity in the last ten minutes, Boston couldn't match.

I look forward to Saturday's game.

[Trooper 8]

Marchand taking a flop here and there doesn't change the fact that flopping is a tactic of the Montreal Canadiens. Classic online debate tactic, attack the speaker and don't address the topic at hand. While Julien's words will fall on deaf ears with officials and teams like the Canadiens and Canucks, maybe it will change the behavior of his resident pest.

All that said, embellishment is a problem again across the league. In every city guys are taking bumps from behind, launching into the glass, and wrapping their arms around their head for a second or two. They either stay there to finish selling the call or hop right up quick as a bunny when the peak at the ref reveals that no call is forthcoming. It is an epidemic and the mandate to protect players has put referees in a tough spot. Call what looked like a bad hit or wait a couple of seconds to see if the guy is helping it along. We all know they can't stand there having an internal debate while play carries on, it has to be a split second decision and once the arm goes up it can't come back down. You can't unring a bell, put the bullet back in the gun, or pull the arm down.

Here and there...ok...

It doesn't change any facts, it just dilutes the message because the messanger's own players are guilty of what he is preaching against. Attacking the speaker's credibility is not the same as attacking the speaker on irrelevant grounds. Clean up your own team then you have a soapbox to stand on.

[chippa13 1844]

Going all the way to a shootout in Ottawa couldn't have helped, either. Being a close game with a division rival, the B's couldn't roll 4 which would have helped last night against the Pens.

[JTully317 11]

Bruins gotta start finishing games. Blowing games late in 3rd is getting ridiculous.

[mojo122 535]

I'd settle for just playing 60 minutes regardless of the outcome.

[Jason Harris 31]

Their overall defense is as good as anyone's, but I think they need to pick up a 20+ goal scorer. Generally, they've been controlling the pace for most games, but they never build a large enough lead to demoralize the other team.

[iceman8310 105]

bruins need to trade lucic

[hamstercaster 2]

I haven't seen the Bruins play much this year so I cannot comment on why the Bruins would need to trade him. One thing for sure, there would be many many teams interested in Lucic.

[crazyhick 19]

my god, other than the paille move up to the "first" line, that left wing swap looks really good to me. especially the lucic- peverly -caron line

[chippa13 1844]

Hardly a need to push the panic button and put Lucic on the block. Does he need to be better? Yes, but you can say that about a ton of Bruins forwards right now. Yesterday's shakeup of the lines helped toward that end and we'll see what kind of effort we get against the Habs tomorrow. I'd like to see the Bruins make an addition or two but I don't think subtraction is the answer to a team that is near the top of the conference.

[iceman8310 105]

Hardly a need to push the panic button and put Lucic on the block. Does he need to be better? Yes, but you can say that about a ton of Bruins forwards right now. Yesterday's shakeup of the lines helped toward that end and we'll see what kind of effort we get against the Habs tomorrow. I'd like to see the Bruins make an addition or two but I don't think subtraction is the answer to a team that is near the top of the conference.

Lucic has hands of stone. The bruins need a bruiser with some silky mitts

[chippa13 1844]

There aren't a whole lot of 25-30 goal, 100+ PIM guys to go around. I'll take Lucic any day of the week and twice on Sunday to fill that roll. When his feet are moving like they were last night, he is near unstoppable, not to mention his goal last night had a nice little bit of silk to it. Let's keep the kneejerk reactions to the Boston press.