Let's Go B's: Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I hope you all have a great holiday. In the spirit of the holiday, this post is going to be about what the Bruins have to be thankful for so far this season, and also will discuss the biggest turkeys of the hockey world.

GIVE THANKS FOR...

• Tim Thomas. What more could the Bruins ask of him? Thomas is currently leading the leagues in save percentage (.944) and goals against average (1.88). He is tied for second in the league with two shutouts, and has posted a 9-2-3 mark in 14 games. To top it all off, Thomas is a bargain for the B's: he's only (and I say "only" relative to what other goalies and players are making, I'd love to make what Thomas is) costing the team $1.1 million this year. Without Thomas playing the way he has been, it'd be hard to imagine the B's having the same early-season success.

GIVE THANKS FOR...

• Marc Savard. Here is a guy who has completely bought into his coach's system, and it has paid off. Savard came to the Bruins as a guy with a rep for putting up points, but laying down in his own zone. There is an article about the improvements Savard has made in today's Boston Globe, and it's hard to argue with the results. Savard has become a leader on the team, and is playing solid at both ends of the ice. He is tied for second in the league in both scoring (27 points) and assists (13), but perhaps more importantly is third in the league in plus/minus at +13. Savard has been practicing what Claude Julien has been preaching all season, and it's clearly been paying dividends.

GIVE THANKS FOR...

• A favorable December. Come December, the B's may be glad to look at the month that was in the rearview mirror, as schedule-wise November was a pretty tough month. The Black and Gold had a total of 13 games in November (with 3 still to be played at the time of this post), including 3 instances of games on back-to-back nights, twice playing the Canadiens in the second of back-to-back games. The B's November schedule has featured playoff contenders like Chicago, New York and Montreal, a heavy slate of Northeast Division opponents, and an end of November match-up against the defending champion Detroit Red Wings looming. In December, the B's will again play 13 games, again with three sets of games on back-to-back nights. However, December features many games with Southeast Division opponents, teams weaker than the B's that should be victories if the team continues to play the way it has thus far. December will see the B's take on the Lightning and Hurricanes twice each, the Thrashers three times and the Panthers once. If the season continues to go the way it has thus far, the B's should be able to feast on the Southeast, and pack on some points.

Of course things haven't been all rosy in the NHL so far this year. We've seen our share of turkeys as well, and each of the below will get a rating out of five. One gobble is a small turkey, like Chase Utley, while five gobbles gets you a turkey the size of Manny Ramirez or any of the Steinbrenners.

TURKEY #1

• Ryan O'Byrne. Oh boy. I actually felt a slight twinge of pity when I saw these highlights, but then I remembered what O'Byrne did last year and didn't really feel as bad. Yes, Ryan O'Byrne managed to score on his own goal, on a delayed penalty, and tie the game for the Islanders. To make it even sweeter for non-Habs fans, the Isles won this game in a shootout. O'Byrne was booed lustily by the crowd, and had his name chanted derisively for the rest of the game. Granted the kid made a mistake, and his teammates should shoulder some of the blame for not communitcating the situation to him but still...yikes. He may find a tiny bit of sympathy here, but those always-calm and rational Montreal fans will, in all likelihood, never, EVER forgive the kid's mistake. Womp womp. GOBBLES:

TURKEY #2

• The All-Star Game. Why not just call it "Les Habitants vs. le monde!" The NHL's online voting system has made even more of a mockery out of a game that was already a joke, as Habs fans have stuffed the ballot box to ensure that their beloved, mediocre players start in the All-Star game. At first glance, all this proves is that Habs fans have nothing to do while waiting for their poutine, so they simply vote for undeserving players like Alex Tanguay and Alex Kovalev. However, the fact that it has become well-known that there is a voting program Habs fans are using to ensure that their underachieving team gets to start against the Western Conference All-Stars. The All-Star game wasn't really anything to behold before, but this year, it's just downright embarassing for the league. GOBBLES:

TURKEY #3

• The Roy Family. It'd be easy to just make this one about Patrick Roy, who just really isn't a good guy. But now, his whole family has gotten into the act. Let's start with Roy himself. First, he burns his way out of Montreal, badmouthing everyone he can, and saying at one point that he'd never wear that jersey again. Fast forward 13 years, and there's Roy on the ice at the Bell Centre, wearing...GASP! that jersey! Thankfully, the Bruins ruined that ceremony with a 3-2 shootout win. Take that, turkey. Following in his dad's obnoxious footsteps, Jonathan Roy made himself a turkey this year as well. In March, J. Roy, who was playing for the junior league Quebec Remparts, coached by dear old dad, skated down to the other end of the ice during a line brawl, and subsequently beat down the opposing goalie, despite the latter's obvious signs of wanting nothing to do with the fight. If that wasn't enough, Roy followed it up by flipping off the crowd. The elder Roy denied having anything to do with it, though some say video footage shows him motioning to his son to go get him. Not to be outdone, another Roy recently decided he'd go turkey in the QMJHL. After some hijinks after the whistle, Frederick Roy decided it'd be cool to cheapshot someone, just like his brother. What a great family, all classy upstanding citizens. GOBBLES:

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all, and Go B's.

Third Jerseys "Officially" Unveiled

The B's "officially" unveiled their new RBK Edge third jerseys today, ending what had to be one of the worst-kept secrets in recent Bruins memory. Though the team never confirmed it before, there were photos surfacing months ago, one from the season ticket holders' "State of the Bruins" meeting that showed Milan Lucic wearing the jersey, and another a screenshot from NESN that showed Patrice Bergeron wearing the jersey at practice during his rehab. Some speculated that it may have only been a prototype, but the one Bergeron wore here is in fact the new jersey.

Here's a picture of the Bruins official third jersey, the one they will wear this coming Friday against the Islanders, the only difference being that the official jersey doesn't have the gold stripe along the bottom of the jersey:
Straight from the Bruins' official website, here's a PDF showing the entire uniform, jersey, socks, helmet, etc.

The B's are releasing this jersey as a part of their "Black Friday Blackout". On Friday, the B's will wear these new jerseys, and the first 10,000 fans will receive free black t-shirts. The idea here is to create a "blackout", a means of intimidation and really just a way to create a cool atmosphere at the Garden. I think it'll be great if it's done well, as things like the Calgary Flames' sea of red really look incredible when everyone participates.

My take on these new alternates? I think the jersey is awesome, pretty simple but different. The new shoulder patch looks great as the crest, and I like the all black look. Something tells me these will be a pretty good seller for the B's as the holiday approaches, as fans will be relieved to see a new jersey that isn't the much maligned mustard-yellow Pooh jerseys (which I actually didn't mind...).

In any case, it'll be great to see these new sweaters on the ice on Friday, as hopefully the B's continue on their hot streak and roll over the Isles.

Catching Up on What's Gone Down

I haven't been able to write anything for a while due to work and other stuff going on, but fortunately, the B's haven't been as lazy as I have. The Black and Gold are now 9-1-1 in their last 11 games, accumulating points at a blistering pace that has propelled the club to second place in the Eastern Conference. On the season thus far, the Bruins are 11-3-4, and have 26 points. I said in my previous post that I expected them to finish November with 31 points, but at this juncture, that number would actually be a disappointment. The Bruins have been nearly unflappable during this young season, losing only one game by more than a single goal (a 4-2 loss to Toronto on Oct. 23, a game in which the Bruins blew an early 2-0 lead).

Their three regulation losses were as follows:

• at Minnesota, a 4-3 loss where they came from two goals down to nearly tie the game in the closing seconds of the third period.
• at Calgary, a 3-2 loss in a game at the tail end of a Western Canada swing that again saw the B's pressure at the end and come close to tying the game.
• vs. Toronto, in the aforementioned 4-2 loss.

The B's also have 4 shootout losses, games in which they got a point but, in a few cases, probably should have had more:

• at Montreal, a 4-3 loss in the shootout that saw the B's come back from three goals down early to tie the game in the final minutes.
• vs. Pittsburgh, a 2-1 loss that in the B's low-scoring home-opener.
• at Buffalo, a 3-2 shootout loss in a game in which the B's held two different two goal leads.
• at New York Rangers, another 3-2 shootout loss in which the B's had a late two goal lead.

The point of listing these games is to show that the Bruins have really not been "out" of any game they've played in this year. They've shown that they can come back (at Montreal, vs. Atlanta) and that they can start fast and hold down a lead (vs. Montreal, vs. Dallas, at Ottawa).

One troubling stat that can be seen above, especially in the shootout losses, is the team's trouble with two goal leads. Before losing to Toronto earlier in the year, the Bruins were nearly perfect under Claude Julien after having a two goal lead in the game. However, this year they have lost one game in regulation and two in a shootout after being up by two at some point. This is a bit troubling, but it's often said that a two-goal lead is the worst lead to have in a hockey game, as it often causes the players to sit back a little.

However, for every "troubling stat", there is also a positive one like this: As of last night, the Bruins have scored 55 goals and allowed 41, for a goal differential of 14. That is the second-highest in the league after San Jose, whose remarkable scoring of 73 goals has given them a differential of 24. The Bruins are also tied for second in the league in goals allowed with 41, the same number (surprisingly enough) as the Phoenix Coyotes. The Minnesota Wild lead the league with a jaw-dropping 30 goals allowed in 15 games, compared to the last-ranked Leafs, who have allowed 67 goals in 19 games.

Basically, it's been quite a year for the Bruins so far. They are playing as a group, playing for each other, and playing solid all-around hockey. The coming two weeks will feature a couple of great tests (vs. Buffalo, at Montreal and vs. Detroit) as well as some games that, on paper, the Bruins should take home (vs. Florida, vs. New York Islanders). However, there have already been some great games so far this season that I didn't talk much about, so here's a quick look back at the past couple weeks' best games.

• 11/1 vs. Dallas, 5-1 win. I picked up some decently-priced tickets for this game on Craigslist, and ended up being very glad I did. This was a game that, according to some writers and fans, may end up being "that game", the one each team has once a season that really brings the team together as a group. The Bruins played as "team" as a group can in this game, sticking up for each other while also sticking to the game plan, fighting back both on the scoreboard and with fists. Steve Ott was the villain in this game, going low on Stephane Yelle to start things off. After Shawn Thornton came to the defense of Yelle, Ott refused to fight, ensuring that things would continue to be chippy. After hitting Mark Stuart later in the game, Shane Hnidy attempted to fight Ott as well, who, again, declined dropping the gloves. Later in the game, Ott went low in Milan Lucic after a whistle, setting off another scrum. Ott's um..."antics" came to a fitting head when Andrew Ference laid him out at center ice with a solid, clean body check. Sean Avery then came to the defense of his teammate, and threw down with Ference. After these fisticuffs, Ott would be thrown out of the game for instigating more of the rough stuff. One would assume that this would be the end of it, but then... The video above features all of the fights in the game, the "but then..." I'm referring to is Avery's hit from behind on Lucic and the subsequent line brawl. Those don't come around all that often. In the end, the Bruins beat the Stars, beat up the Stars, and seemed to really piss off Mike Modano, who has apparently since cleared the air. Either way, the Stars are underachieving thus far this year, and with games like that it's easy to see why.
  
• 11/13 vs. Montreal, 6-1 win. I bought tickets to this one back in September, eager to see the B's exact some home ice revenge on le bleu, blanc et rouge. Boy did I get what I was looking for. This game wasn't even close. Though it was the Bruins who played a tough Chicago team the night before in a game that went to a shootout, and it was the Bruins who didn't get into Boston until after 3 a.m., it was Montreal who sleepwalked through this game, looking lost, uninspired, and downright overwhelmed at times. Here are some highlights from that game, I don't really need to say much more about it: Finally, that game featured the culmination of a years worth of post-whistle scrums, cross-checks, face washes, low hits, big hits and just overall rough stuff as Mike Komisarek finally decided to drop the gloves with Milan Lucic...and much like Ron Burgundy jumping into the Bear Pit, it's safe to say that Komisarek "immediately regretted this decision"! With this one game, it seemed like the Bruins not only had the Habs back on their heels, but had them running back to Quebec with their tails between their legs. One can only hope for the B's sake that this will represent a monkey off-the back sort of situation, as they've proved that they can beat the Habs, and beat them convincingly at that.

This was a bit of a long post, but there was a lot to catch up on. I'm going to try to blog a game live sometime soon, but not sure when. In closing, I'll leave you with what is sure to become an iconic image for this Bruins season, and one that I'm positive Mike Komisarek will NOT have hanging on his living room wall:






Go B's.

October Wrap-up

Points in the month: 13

Record: 5-3-3

Goals for: 29

Goals against: 31


All in all, it's hard to be disappointed with the Bruins' October performance. The B's faced a rough early season schedule, and still managed to celebrate Halloween with a winning record. The B's played 8 road games and only 3 at the TD Banknorth Garden, including the always-treacherous Western Canada swing, on which the Black and Gold went 2-1 with 2 shutouts.

Tim Thomas is currently in the middle of one of his trademark hot streaks, where he seems to save whatever is thrown in his direction. Phil Kessel continues to put up points, Marc Savard continues to put pucks directly on the tape of his linemates, Zdeno Chara is still rock-solid on the blueline, and Dennis Wideman is playing like he deserves the big raise he got over the summer.

Really, there is very little, if anything, to complain about or nitpick. Michael Ryder still hasn't really gotten it going, and Marco Sturm has been invisible at times, but neither have been slouches on the defensive end, and one must believe that the scoring will come.

The only real issue I think the Bruins are facing right now is the shootout. The team went 0 for 3 in shootouts in October, costing themselves a win in Montreal, a win in the home-opener vs. Pittsburgh, and a two goal collapse vs. Buffalo. Those are 3 points, 2 against division rivals, that one can only hope don't come back to haunt the B's in March. It's hard to say what is wrong with the shootout lineup, as the B's have plenty of skilled players who can put the puck in the net. It appears that the shots just are finding the back of the cage early, and that needs to change. The shootout has become reality in the NHL, and that extra point is always huge. The B's need to start finding ways to pick it up.

NOVEMBER AT A GLANCE:

Games: 13 (8 home, 5 road)

Key opponents: vs. Montreal 11/13, vs. New York Rangers 11/15, at Montreal 11/22, vs. Red Wings 11/29

Currently the B's are 3 for 3 in November, picking up a quick six points. My prediction for this team is to finish November with 31 points, which would mean picking up 12 out of a possible 20 (excluding the three games that have already been played). I think this is a pretty reasonable goal, and wouldn't be surprised if they surpass that mark if the team keeps playing together as they have so far on this young season.