Seidenberg/By S. Bradley
Luckily for Dennis Seidenberg, he has one more season left on his contract with the Bruins.
Because without even hitting the ice in the Bruins’ Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the New York Rangers, the defenseman’s value has dropped in the eyes of many observers.
Shawn Thornton/Photo By S. Bradley
No one does more with less than the Bruins’ energy line.
Case in point, Shawn Thornton, who has taken two faceoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the New York Rangers has won both of them.
Bruins didn’t have to look too far back into history to know that a solid Game 1 win wouldn’t easily translate into a Game 2 victory.
After lighting the world on fire in Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against Toronto just a couple weeks ago, the Bruins let the Maple Leafs rolls over them with a mistake-filled game in Game 2.
If any of Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden return to health and get back in the Bruins’ lineup, the odds are that Torey Krug will find himself in the press box or back on the farm with Providence of the AHL.
Nonetheless, one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs proved one thing about Krug’s future with the Bruins or anywhere in the NHL: he at worst has a career as a power-play specialist.
Brad Marchand loves to chirp opposing players.
Unfortunately for him, the New York Rangers don’t have too many players that share that hobby. And even if they did, Marchand says the referees in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been quick to threaten 10-minute misconducts at the slightest hint of trash talk.
Seguin/By S. Bradley
The euphoria of the Bruins’ seven-game triumph against the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn’t completely left the dressing room at TD Garden.
But three days since Boston rallied from three goals down to beat the Maple Leafs and advance to the series that starts Thursday night against the New York Rangers, the Bruins are just about ready to point their attentions to the future from the past.
With all due respect to the once famous “Sheriff” from Winnipeg, Shane Hnidy was a major drop-off for the Bruins by the time he returned to the team to add depth to the defense corps for the 2011 run to the Stanley Cup championship.
By Matt Linsky, TiqIQ
One of the hottest buys out there, Bruins-Rangers tickets are selling at an average price of $413 according to TiqIQ. Your best bet of seeing high-flying playoff action might be Thursday night in Boston, as the $110 get-in price looks to be the cheapest of the series. Here’s a full breakdown of the series prices:
Seidenberg might be out/By S. Bradley
In an environment where everyone was expecting that Bruins coach Claude Julien and his staff could be near their end of days had the Bruins not made their miracle comeback Monday in Game 7 against Toronto, general manager Peter Chiarelli obviously wanted to restate his confidence in those he’s placed behind his team’s bench to steer this club into the second round and beyond.
I still don’t know which one the Bruins want to be.
Do they want to be like Dr. Jekyll, the mild-mannered English doctor in Victorian London? Or do they want to be the violent and evil Mr. Hyde? After all, both personalities would come in handy in trying to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Marchand/By S. Bradley
Brad Marchand led the Bruins in goals and points during the regular season. Tyler Seguin was second in goals, third in points.
You know what they are right now as the Bruins’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against Toronto moves to a Game 7 Monday night at TD Garden? Dead weight.
Reimer/By S. Bradley
The Bruins didn’t get the memo about Game 5 starting 7 p.m. Friday night.
By the time they started playing with any intensity, let alone playoff intensity, it was too late.
The Bruins are going Leafs blowing.
The Bruins’ 3-6 record in non-Game 7 elimination games under Claude Julien doesn’t do anything to deter the coach heading into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Friday night at TD Garden.
“I’m trying to make it 4-6 tonight. How’s that?” said Julien after his team’s morning skate.
Horton
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to slow down the hottest forward line in the NHL, it doesn’t appear they’re going to get any help from the injury bug.
Portions of this column are meant to be read with a grain of salt.
OK, David Krejci. We get it. You’re the Bruins’ No. 1 center.
We know how fed up you are hearing about Patrice Bergeron’s two-way play and his consistency and his Selke Trophy. You’ve won the Stanley Cup more recently than Pavel Datsyuk and you showed Ryan Kesler what he could do with his Selke in the historic 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
