Causeway Kids - game from 10/21/09

'Aliens' vs the Predators - New kids on the block

Although not having personally witnessed any of the AVP series of Hollywood's "finest" flicks, I did happen to watch some of the Bruins game last night in which the Predators from Nashville invaded Causeway Street (ok, OFFICIALLY Legends Way BUT... it will always be the Bahston Gahden on Causeway to ME !!!!) to take on an "alien" Bruins team.

What a difference 5 days makes as last nights Bruins team was all but a shell of the team that got bitten in the butt by the Coyotes last Saturday.. ok, ok, ok maybe not a shell ... but the line-up was pretty "foreign" to me... I KNOW ... every NHL line-up is mainly foreign.. GEEEEEEEESH !!!

ANYWAY.... topping the changes to the line-up... Milan Lucic, who was actually a scratch from Saturday's game after breaking his right index finger on a check (NOT a Czech) Friday vs Dallas... cripes, the least he could have done was break it on some one's face !!!!... Milan had his finger surgically repaired and will be "riding the pine" (aluminum?) for at least 4 weeks... but I wonder what effect that screw they inserted will have on Milan's play... or someone else's NOSE !!!

Joining Lucic on the injured list is.... last year's leading scorer, Marc Savard !!! HOLY [CRAP] - Is THIS really happening ??? Well yes, yes it is... Savard suffered a broken foot... wait, what??? When the [freak] did THAT happen ?!?!?! Apparently, Savvy took a shot off the foot in a PRE-season PRACTICE - talk about "friendly fire" - although, it was never diagnosed and he just played through the pain. The injury was re-aggravated (uh, re-broken???) in practice the other day and FINALLY they have gotten Savard off his skates - for the next 4-6 weeks !!!!

Ok, ok, ok off to a slow 3-4 start.... their 2 top forwards out for a month+, things are looking grave, but not impossible... certainly Providence has just what the doctor ordered... call a couple up and off we go right ?!?!?

BUT, as so eloquently stated by Bruins' owner Jeremy Jacobs when asked about the start this season... words like "underachieving" "complacent" and "disappointing" flowed.

SOOOOOOOOOO.. the front office has been very busy this week... shaking up the line-up to try to invoke some spark into a very flat squad... Chuck Kobasew was traded to Minnesota for a few reasons.. least of which was to send a message - shape up or ship out !!! Daniel Paille was obtained from Buffalo for 2 draft picks... Providence standouts Vladimir Bobotka and Brad Marchand were called up to add "energy and enthusiasm", Guillaume Lefebvre continues his yo-yo ride between Providence and Boston... and no doubt players like Steve Begin, Michael Ryder, Dennis Wideman, and the rest of the crew were going to need to step up their play.

ALL that being said, the Predators (2-4-1 and having only scored 10 goals this season) appeared to be a good opponent to test the "new look" Bruins' line-up... even with Shawn Thornton being scratched....

NOT SO FAST !!!!!! Be it nerves or inexperience playing together, the Bs came out as flat as ever... back on their heels... and THAT doesn't sound like a good thing when you're on skates !!! The Predators drew "first blood" (oops, WRONG movie - but I DID see that one !!) 5:55 into the game... the rest of the period was all about the "new" Bruins trying to get their skating legs under them.. AND their timing !!!!

Apparently Coach Julien (or MAYBE Jeremy Jacobs paid a visit) had the magic words during the first intermission... 26 seconds into period number 2..... SCOOOOOOOOOOOOORE !!! Michael Ryder put one into the back of the net, with a little help from his friends, NEWLY called up Brad Marchand and Derek Morris!!!!!! It was Brad's very first point (of MANY) at the NHL level... and it knotted the contest at 1....

The tie was short-lived as, despite some very fine network... uh NET-WORK... by Tim Thomas, the Predators went up 2-1 6:17 into the second... can't save em all RIGHT TIM !!!!!!!!!

BUUUUUUUUUUUT.. NOT to be outdone, Patrice Bergeron... NOW moved up to the first line... scored on a tip of a "Z" shot at 12:38 of the same frame... That line had a fantastic shift as Bergy fought tough behind the Predators net, sent a pass out to "Z" and was able to sit in front of the net-minder for Chara's slapper... SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE !!!!! game tied 2-2... whew !!!

The 3rd period saw the Bruins putting it all together.... skating, timing, checking... you name it, they were all on the same page.. but despite this - and Tim Thomas "flashing" (uh......) in the Bs net, the score remained tied.... UNTIL !!!!!!!!! Until 8:33 into the 3rd... Daniel Paille gained control of the puck deep and attempted a wrap-around goal... his shot was thwarted but bounced to Steve Begin... a snapshot - SNAP shot - later and the Bs had their first lead of the game... SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE !!!!!!!!

The Bs continued to gel through the rest of the contest and Tim Thomas held the fort, especially at the end of the game, not allowing any more shots to infiltrate the net... Bs win 3-2 in ANOTHER come from behind victory !!!

So, although it should have been a 1-sided contest, the Bs came out slow... as the game progressed, so did the level and cohesiveness of the their play - DEFINITELY a positive note to build on... The new kids on the block MORE than held their own and certainly have fit in nicely... MUCH needed... the Bs get right back at it and take on the "Broad Street Bullies" (Flyers) tonight in the city of brotherly love...

Surely there will be no love lost tonight - is there EVER when these teams play ?? ... and undoubtedly the Bs will be without their muscle in Shawn Thornton again... BUT, rest assured, hot off this sweet victory, the Bs should be ready to take whatever the Flyers try to dish out...

Thanks for stopping in for a visit. It's just my opinion, so please PAHDON it. Y'all come back now, ya heah !! Nuf Ced

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BsTown Review - 10/18/09

ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (NOT Bobby, either)

And, oh yes it was... perhaps I should have found it more than ironic that on the same night the Bruins were facing-off against the Phoenix Coyotes (more in a bit)... ABC Family channel was airing one of my favorite movies (for OBVIOUS reasons), Coyote Ugly - AND just a simple "Channel -" click on the remote away to boot - talk about easy surfing.... and they didn't show the movie ONCE, buuuuuut TWICE. Definitely not a good omen, although I had OTHER things on my mind at the time !!! Apparently so did the Bruins....

Stepping back to Friday night's game... the Bruins rolled... uh, SKATED... into the Big "D" (hmmm, BD... NOOOO... NOT DB !!!!) for their first game away from the GAHDEN ice of this young season.

It was a beautiful contest (or lack there of) for a Bruins' fan to watch. The B's "treated" the Dallas crowd of 17,811 in attendance (IMPORTANT note... you'll see) to a 60-minute, end-to-end display of textbook hockey... dominating the Stars in all facets of the game.

When the dust.... or ice-chips... had settled, the scoreboard read...

SWEEEEEEEEET, right !!!! Boston played their BEST over-all performance of the season... winning their 1st road game - and leveling their record at 3-3 - and conjured up thoughts that MAYBE the "experts" hadn't jinxed them...

BUUUUT, oh what a difference a day (or NIGHT) makes - in MORE ways than one - as the Bruins hit the ground running (or the ROAD.... SKATING) and glided over to Phoenix (Glendale?) ... ok, ok, ok.... PHOENIX !?!?!?!?! WTF !?!?!?! Hockey in the desert ???? do they play on a rink of sand and slap scorpions with broomsticks??? (hmmmm, maybe the Bruins could have done better at THAT "game"... IF they had shown up at the rink)

Apparently they were on their way to the "Jobing.com Arena"... but stopped off here for a few.... HOURS, that is....

Ok, ok, ok... I SEE their point !!!!!!!!!

But, Jobing.com (Arena) ???? Has anyone ever heard of that website ??? Limited research shows it to be a job finder service (hmmmmm, perhaps I need to do further research) but wouldn't JOBBING.com be the correct spelling??? (just saying.. and I'm a math guy anyway)... I guess it makes no less sense than hockey in the desert.

Speaking of anyway.... although Phoenix leads the Pacific Division this year, apparently their fans had no interest in attending the game - not EVEN for the FREE A/C (thank a Facebook friend for that one) of the arena..

If the reported attendance of 9,162 or so fans is correct... THEN I'M THE SECOND COMING !!!! AND that place seats 100,000 - NOT !!!!! on both counts as I'm certainly no saint and the arena officially seats around 18,000...

SOOOOOO, as a "math guy", I'd say 1,162 in attendance is MUCH more accurate - there were more empty seats than will be at my funeral... uh, hopefully !!!! Cole Wright of NESN summed it up comically on the post-game show.... "Apparently all the Coyotes' fans showed up dressed as red seats for Halloween" (um, all the seats in the arena are red) But come on... the area has a population of 5 million and they can't fill that dump??? Broomsticks and scorpions is looking more appealing everyday !!!!

ANYWAY....... I won't bore you with the LOW-lights... suffice to say the Bruins had other things on their minds (see above - A MUST-see movie... but rent it or buy the DVD... the commercials interfere with the "flow"...).

But our boys came out flat and and were steam-rolled in the second period... SHORTLY after finally "netting" one to make the score 2-1 (ok, STILL a chance to pull it out), the UGLY "climaxed" as the Coyotes "scored" twice within like 45 seconds.... WHEW !!!!!!!!!! Quite a performance !!!!!

So, the Bruins ship their butts back to Bahston to take on the Nashville Predators on Wednesday... HOLY [CRAP]... if Dolly shows up, they're SCREWED... (they wish !!!!)

Thanks for stopping in for a visit. It's just my opinion, so please PAHDON it. Y'all come back now, ya heah !! Nuf Ced

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Welcome to Bs Town !!!!

Well, here's the ole switcheroo... Obviously, I need to switch gears... AND SUBJECT MATTER.. as the Sox have been swept into hibernation... SOOOOOOOOOOOO... here we GOOOOOOOO!!! No worries though, I'll still post updates of the winter happenings at the Fens, to keep you abreast (I love THAT word !!!) of moves being made by Theo and the crew...

Here's my virgin (uhhhhhh) Bruins post.... BEAR (get it???? OH, GOOGLE what a bruin is !!!) with me... I hope I don't [mess] up !!!!

Well, apparently I'm off to a shaky start here - much like our beloved Bs who sit at 2-3.... BUT, I blame the so-called "experts" for jinxing our boys !!! Why the [freak] did they predict the Bruins as pre-season favorites to bring home Lord Stanley's Cup !?!?!?! Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that's a possibility, BUUUUUUUUUUUT.... the "kiss of death" has been cast !!!! NAG DABBIT !!!

Claude Julien is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in Bruins history... ok, I may be a BIT partial here... but if you look at the demeanor of the hometown coaches... Tito, Belichick, and "Doc" Rivers, it's OBVIOUS that you can catch more flies with honey (was THAT a Winnie the Pooh BEAR reference ?!?!?).... ok, ok, ok they ALL certainly have their moments... hell, so do I !!! but, certainly their low key mentality has helped make Boston the greatest sports town in the country.....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT..... PITTSBURGH ?!?!??! How the [freak] can Pittsburgh be the #1 sports city in the country?!?!?!? What have the Pirates done for you lately ??? - OR in the past 17 years ???.... And what is THEIR NBA team called... OH WAIT... THEY don't have one !!!!!!!!!!!! Appalling !!!!!!!!! Sorry for that rant....

Anyway, the Bruins have one of, if not the, absolute best and most experienced organizations ever assembled in professional hockey and Claude brought that statement to the pinnacle last season.... bringing home the Jack Adams (NOT to be confused with Jack Edwards - more in a bit) Trophy, annually awarded to the best head coach in hockey.... in JUST his second year behind the Bruins bench !!!!

Winning an award like that is not only a testament to the coach and the front office, but to the team itself... and CED (ok, I still need to toss those around !!!) front office has once again surrounded Julien with one of the better line-ups in the game..

Anchoring the squad once again is AMERICAN (you all know how many Americans are in the league !!!) goal-tender Tim Thomas. Thomas, always a steady net-minder, mind you (was THAT redundant???), brought his "flashy" and sometimes "reckless" style to the top of the mountain last season.. and emerged as the creme de la creme.. ok, let's keep it American here.. the CREAM OF THE CROP !!! as a First Team All-Star (and winning goalie of that game), winner of the Vezina Trophy - awarded to the top goalie in the league... and co-winner of the Jennings Trophy for fewest goal allowed... Even at the age of 35, I'll take THAT anchor any day !!!

The cornerstone and rock of the defense is once again Zdeno Chara... OBVIOUSLY not American... but he IS 7 feet tall on skates.. AND he IS the reigning Norris Trophy winner, awarded to the best defensive player in the league. You won't be reminded of Bobby Orr here, but at 7 ft tall and the wingspan of Rodan, Chara can close gaps and poke check from ridiculous angles - not to mention he has the hardest (fastest) shot in the NHL... and although NOT a fighter, Zdeno stepped up his physical game last season... most likely a key factor in winning the award..

Helping "Z" keep the opposition out of the Zone is a "motley crue".... NOT !!!! The Bs defensive CREW is more than capable of providing the support needed to drive toward the Stanley Cup... perhaps not many household names (defense in hockey being like offensive line in football), Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ferrence, Mark Stuart and newly acquired Derek Morris promise to provide lots of action in the defensive zone.. and do NOT be surprised at their prowess offensively...

Ah, the front lines..... although Kessel-less (grrrrr - was THAT a bear growling???), Boston's front line-up is a virtual all-star team in itself... a perfect mix of youth, experience, finesse and down right toughness.... reminiscent of the Big Bad Bruins of old !!!!

Toddlers Patrice Bergeron (24) - having bounced back last year from almost having his career ended the year before - and David Krejci (23) are absolutely "ice ballerinas"... although THAT comment comes from someone who can NOT skate !!!.. AND, while you're watching these 2 skate circles around you, you'd better hope SOMEONE has an eye on Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, Blake Wheeler and elder statesman Mark Recchi...

Youth, finesse and experience covered, that leaves toughness... true that "Z" and Bergeron have no issues getting physical BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT.... Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton are definite throw-backs to the Bruin style of old.. despite the league's efforts to reduce the fisticuffs involved, Milan and Shawn continue to be the "beef" on the team and will drop the gloves if you look at them wrong !!!!

But do NOT be lulled (or punched) to "sleep" at Lucic's "tough-guy" facade... this kid (21) is a TRUE mix of skill and toughness... OK, I AM partial here as he is my favorite current Bruin... but this kid's style is eerily reminiscent of probably my all-time favorite Bruin... NOPE... NOT Bobby Orr..... WHAM BAM CAM !!!.... Cam Neely... ole #8... ok, BRUINS #8 !!!!

And remember that front office mentioned earlier???? MR. Cam Neely just HAPPENS to be Vice President and Alternate Governor... what ever the [freak] THAT means... It MEANS, there's no wondering why Milan is a Bruin OR why he's my favorite current Bruin !!!!!!!

This just in... here's the Bruins latest acquisition... not really, but this is nasty !!!! This happened during a mini 1 on 1 competition !!! you HAVE to watch, this kid is probably like 10 years old....

Ok, "brief" team preview aside.. I HAVE to share my opinion on something here (GO FIGURE !!!)... The building that the Bruins play their home games in... WILL SOMEONE MAKE UP THEIR [FREAKING] MINDS !?!?!?! Not about where... but about what to call this place !!!!!!

For a bazillion years, the Bruins (and Celtics) played in the..... BOSTON GARDEN !!!!! (may it rest in pieces)... THEN.... the current facility was "born"... as the Fleet Center (and actually was named the Shawmut Center prior to it's birth - Fleet Bank buying out Shawmut Bank before the doors even opened).. ok, obviously named for Fleet Bank (financial reasons)... great new state of the art (at the time) home... SWEEEEET !!!!!!!!! home....

BUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Due to the "stability" of the banking business and the constant selling of the naming rights for the facility, the building has undergone many name changes (if you include the 2005 eBay auction for charity that sold the the naming rights 30 times - but only for 1 day periods - THAT I can accept)... BUT, TD BankNorth Garden, TD Bank Garden or TD Garden (CURRENTLY), no mater how you slice it, it's STILL the Boston Garden... SO JUST [FREAKING] NAME IT THAT !!!!!!!!!! Nuf Ced

OK, so for those who are not hockey fans..... WHY THE HELL NOT !?!?!?! Here's to hoping I have sparked at least a bit of curiosity... and with "color" announcer Jack Edwards (at the very least, the most emotional announcer in the "game") calling the "shots", it proves to be an experience you'll never forget... And for all you guys... Kathryn Tappen (um, hell yeah I would) does the intermissions !!!

Thanks for stopping in for a visit. It's just my opinion, so please PAHDON it. Y'all come back now, ya heah !! Nuf Ced

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