It's been awhile.

But what a note to come back on, huh?

Woo! I don't think I'm the only one who was biting my nails when it was decided that we'd play the Canadiens in the first round. Couldn't have history repeating, right? But the boys decided to remind us that in the epic battle royale that is Bruins vs. Canadiens, this was our year. We got contributions from all sources, both likely and unlikely through the series, and the whole team just shined as a whole. We outskated, outplayed and outdid the Canadiens and it led to a sweep, cleaner than a Swiffer Wet-Jet could bring.

Claude Julien and Michael Ryder showed good old Mr. Gainey that he made a gigantic mistake letting them go. Patrice Bergeron showed us that his concussion did absolutely nothing to quell his spirit (and even dropped the gloves, and dropped Josh Georges). Shane Hnidy played solid the whole series and even scored a goal. Mark Stuart was an unsung hero. Phil Kessel was a playoff hero. Tim Thomas did amazingly as expected (in his own, special, heart attack-ish way). Shawn Thornton scored more goals in our series than Joe Thornton did in his. David Krejci was a stud. Marc Savard was Marc Savard. All the guys (even Manny, who kept that bench nice and warm) did their very best, and came out on top.

Schaudenfraude at it's finest, if I do say so myself.



And now we go to the next round, where it's either the Rangers, Canes, Pens or Flyers. Hoo boy. None of these teams will make it easy on us, but I get the feeling that we can do it.

...What the...

After the Habs had their fun with rigging the All Star votes, the league FINALLY decided to take some action.

Well gee, thanks, guys.

Now that, you know, the damage has been done and their lead is insurmountable. I implore each and every one of you who reads this blog to VOTE FOR THE BRUINS IN THE ALL STAR FAN BALLOTING! We can't just let this happen. It's ridiculous.

Now, to more fun matters, ie: the clobbering we laid on the Montreal Canadiens last night. All legitimately, might I add (no, I am not angry, why do you ask?). Firstly, I recommend that all of you watch the video on this page entitled 'Fighting for unity.' Therein lies Mr. Marc Savard's postgame interview. He talks about team unity, beating the Habs, taking Don Cherry to dinner and his relationship with his stick. It's a definite 'must-watch.'

Seriously, though? Last night was proof that this team is no joke. All our top players were top players. All our fourth liners were top players. And Manny Fernandez? I mean, COME ON! This is what we were looking for when we signed the guy. Granted the one goal he let in is one that I'm sure he wants to have back...he was still very, very solid in net. I'm almost sold on him. Almost.

Good old fourth line.

Flying under the radar, as per usual, is the play of Marco Sturm. Finally back to his goal scoring ways, I think this will be the breakout season that was expected from Mr. Sturm. Which is good, because we need him to continue rolling on. Also not to be lost is the absolutely solid performance of Stephan Yelle. And Shawn Thornton. Those guys round out what has turned into a pretty darn scary Bruins lineup. And I really, really think that we finally have a team that's capable of running away with things. Someone who will be sorely, sorely missed over the next few games: Andrew Ference. He was having an incredible season. Figures it would be a game against the Canadiens that we lose him for a stretch. Here's hoping Hunwick can pick up the slack, and Ference can pick right up where he left off when he comes back.

One last thing before I depart...

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

I'm very, very surprised I got through that post without a harsh word to a Montreal Canadiens player, but I did. Go me.

When you're hot...

Wow. Manny Fernandez was spectacular last night, wasn't he? For awhile, I was pretty sure that it was Timmy in a Manny suit, but...he just played a solid game, and I'm actually pretty pleased with that. Is this me starting to soften toward my arch-nemesis Manny Fernandez? I think it might be...but only if he keeps it up like this. Let's hope this is Manny being Manny, because this Manny? I can learn to tolerate. Reflex saves, instinct saves and just all around good, key saves when they were called for...that was the first time he played like the $4,000,000 goaltender we asked for when we picked him up.

Two solid goaltenders makes for a good season...

What to talk about next? Ah yes...you know I had to say his name eventually, since hardly a blog post goes by when I don't mention Marc Savard. Yeah, we've sort of come to expect amazingness from him now, but he really does never let us down. He plays with so much heart and he never lets us forget how happy he is to be playing for us. He really is the very best centermen that we've had in a long time. That's right, Jumbo Joe, I went there.

Not to be lost is what Michael Ryder does on a nightly basis. He may not be putting up goals, and sometimes he doesn't get assists, either, but you know what? He's playing solid hockey right now. Doing the best he can with what he's given. Give it time, and I'm sure he'll be back to his goal scoring ways. I really wish that they'd put him back up on a line with Marc Savard, because they really did work well together. Phil Kessel worked so well on that line with Sturm and Bergeron, so I don't know why they'd break up a good thing. But alas.

Oh...and yes, Dennis Wideman.

Easily our best defenseman right now.

I don't care what anyone says. Dennis Wideman is our best, all around defenseman right now. He can go from O to D at the drop of a pin and he's just solid, solid, solid. He's been absolutely amazing and I can't even believe how far he's come in the short time that he's played for us. He went from dog house to amazing in one-and-a-half seasons, and he's definitely living up to that contract extension we gave him in the offseason. I'd love to see anyone come up with a feasible argument as to why he's not our number one.

Also, welcome back, Chuck Kobasew. He just stepped right in and remidned us why we missed him so much. Yes, it was bad that Petteri Nokelainen had to be stratched in order for this to happen, but Chuck is back, and Noke is there just in case something happens to anyone else. Chuck was all over the ice last night. Throwing his weight around, scoring goals, notching assists...what a kid (she says of the guy who's two years older than she is).

Finally, this whole Glen Murray situation breaks my heart. He is still my favorite player, but the fact that he's going for full salary here, when he certainly doesn't deserve it, is just awful. He underperformed last season, plain and simple. And if this injury was so bad last season, and needed immediate attention, why was he shopping himself to teams in the offseason under the claim that he was healthy? He really just wants to take us for what he can get, and it's really disappointing.

Back to the happy, before I depart. The Bruins have won seven of their last games, and have given up no more than two goals a piece in each of those games. This team right here looks like a team poised to really make a run for it. Solid O, D and G, and a fanbase that's finally beginning to take notice. This is our season. I can feel it.

Big Wheel keep on turnin'...

It seemed fitting, sorry.

Rollin' on the river...

Yeah, I had to sort of make that play on words. But seriously? He may have a lot to learn, but this Big Wheel is gonna keep on turnin', for sure. What a game last night. All of the guys played spectacularly-except for that little stretch there where we sort of lost our cool and had to pay for it. It was 55 minutes worth of effort, anyway. And we were rewarded with another win. About damn time.

And now...this is where the Bruins Penalty Box looks to each and every one of you for help. As some of you may already know, there is a Bruins goaltender who is STILL not being recognized, even after winning four of his last five, and allowing no more than two goals in any of those outings. No, I do not mean Manny Fernandez. I mean, of course, Tim Thomas.

And you know you want to, too.

He was somehow looked over yet again, and like many of you, I can't seem to find any reason why. So, this is me getting into the campaign. I know election season is just passed, but...come November 12th, I want whoever passes this blog to cast a couple (or more) votes for Tim Thomas to go to the All Star Game. You all know as well as I do that he was brutally robbed by not being on the ballot. So, put in your write ins, will ya? We need to make sure that he gets there.

Thomas snubbed...business as usual, isn't it?

I ask you. What in the world is it going to take to get Tim Thomas recognized in this league? Snubbed on the All Star ballot in favor of both Brodeur and DiPietro? Both of whom are injured and have been for the past couple days, at least? Bergeron, Chara and Savard are all on there, which is great, because they all deserve a shot to go (again in Savard and Chara's cases), but come on.

Tim Thomas is the backbone of a Bruins team which is just starting to come out of the doghouse. Clearly, in order to get recognized the way he deserves to be, Tim Thomas has to defeat the giant monkey man and save the ninth dimension, making it back in time to make a stellar save, in order to be recognized the way he should. Poor guy is constantly overlooked. If he happens to get de-snubbed (I'm making words, here) when they realize that two of their guys are injured? I implore all of you. Vote for Tim Thomas for the All Star Game.

It's been awhile, but...

We had a decent winning streak going on for awhile there, didn't we? And boy, oh boy was it hockey worth watching. Tim Thomas was absolutely stellar in our Western Conference swing (and our first game back, too, but I'll touch on that later), and even though our offense was sort of lacking, we made up for it in other ways. And then, we came back home...and this happened...



And then this happened...



And then, oh yeah...this happened...



Since when did we have a rivalry with Dallas? Well, either way, in the words of Tim Thomas, they must have been looking at the wrong score card, if they thought that they could come into the Garden and play that kind of game. I was pleased with Shawn Thornton, going out there and doing his job like he does every night. And I was also pleased with Shane Hnidy, which is a surprise, because he really went to bat for the rest of the guys, too. I was absolutely blown away by Andrew Ference. That open-ice hit on Ott? Was a thing of beauty. And the fight it caused with Avery (because obviously, Ott couldn't handle it on his own...) was also amazing. Ference scored some serious bonus points with me last night.

However, I was ecstatic when Marc Savard pummeled Avery and beat the ever-loving out of him. Marc Savard is one of the best all around players that I have seen in my hockey watching life, and this just proves it even more. A skill player like Marc Savard, a playmaker, a finesse player, a solid, All Star guy like that, going to the defense of Milan Lucic, who is known for breaking glass with checks? That just shows how united this team is. We stick up from each other, bruisers to All Stars. And that, my friends, is why I love them like I do.

Lost in the shuffle, however, was the actual score and goal tending. Sturm found his way back into our good graces with a pair of goals, which he needed direly, because he was beginning to get snake bitten, like he has the past couple of seasons. Bergeron got another 'front of the net' goal, but a goal doesn't have to be a stunner to do what it needs to do. And if it takes a couple garbage goals to get him back to the way he was before? Then so be it. Kessel showed, once again, that he's an elite player, and hopefully a contender for All Star status this season, and Stuart started off his scoring for the season, being only the second defenseman to do so on the team.

And then, there's Tim Thomas. Easily the best goaltender in the league for the month of October, he showed once again, with a flurry of 21 shots in the second period alone, why he's our number one. And I give props to Manny Fernandez for handling it the way he did, also. He congratulated Thomas, looking like a champ the whole time. It's good to see that he accepts the backup role for what it is.

Team unity, ladies and gentlemen.

The moral of the story is: you mess with one bear? You get the whole pack on your case. Beware of Bear is not just a play on words. It's the way we play our game, and I love it.

Game Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Boston Bruins

After playing five of their first games on the road, the Bruins come home tomorrow to face the Toronto Maple Leafs. I have a burgeoning soft spot for these guys, so I'm particularly looking forward to this game. So, what do we expect from the blue and white? Well, I'll tell you. The Leafs have sort of...overthrown themselves the past few seasons. Think of us, after the Joe Thornton trade. They lost their Captain, as well as a few (read: all) of their core players. They're kind of going through a transitional phase right now, but they're still a very dangerous team. Let's go over their leaders, shall we?

Offensive Leader: Nik Antropov (2008-09 totals: 3G-2A-5P, 2007-08 totals: 26G-30A-56P)
Defensive Leader: Tomas Kaberle (2008-09 totals: 1G-1A-2P, 2007-08 totals: 8G-45A-53P)
Goaltending Leader: Vesa Toskala (2008-09: 5 games played, 1W-1L-3OTL 64 games played 33W-25L-6OTL)

The Leafs are commonly a tragically underestimated team. They've sort of been sleepers so far this season, but they're capable of offensive outburtsts (read: the 8-2 game we lost to them last season) and every team has a few surprises up their sleeves. Don't underestimate the Maple Leafs, folks, or else you'll live to regret it. The goal for the Bruins tonight will be to play a full 60 minutes like we did against Ottawa, and AVOID overtime unless they absolutely have to get there. Bring all three aspects of their game, like we all know they're capable of doing, and we should be able to at least grab another point from this one.