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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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:
- 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.
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