Colborne

When the Bruins selected him with the 16th pick overall in 2008, Joe Colborne talked about using the limited game schedule in NCAA hockey to work out and full in his frame.

Well, after two seasons at Denver, it seems “Jumbo Joe” has done just that. And so now he has decided to depart college life for the rigors of professional hockey and fulfill his lifelong dream.

“We just thought that with the weight that I’ve put on over the last two years, and with the strength I’ve added, I feel like for me personally it was the right step to continue improving and to hopefully get back to the organization and help them start winning games,” said Colborne today during a conference call. (more…)

Rask might join Thomas in Vegas this year.

While it’s not the prize the Bruins set out to win when the season started, or still have their eyes on two weeks before the playoffs will begin, the William M. Jennings Trophy is well within Boston’s grasp.

After beating New Jersey 1-0 Tuesday night behind Tuukka Rask’s 21 saves, the Bruins are tied with the Devils with at 2.37 goals allowed per game. So while the Stanley Cup is probably a fantasy this spring, a repeat for the Jennings isn’t out of the question for the boys in black and gold – and is probably Boston’s best chance at getting any hardware at the NHL Awards in June.

Considering recent developments, it’s easy to forget that the Bruins’ stellar goals-against total is the product of the league’s best goaltending tandem. And that on a list of weaknesses on the Bruins, goaltending would be dead-last and a round-up of people to blame for their lackluster season wouldn’t include Tuukka Rask or Tim Thomas anywhere but in the last two slots, even after scouts and most of the front-office-personnel. (more…)

Caron

The Bruins this morning announced the worst-kept secret in the organization, as former first-round picks Joe Colborne and Jordan Caron, plus goaltender Michael Hutchinson and defenseman Steve Kampfer were all signed to entry-level contracts.

The Providence Bruins announced that Colborne, Kampfer and forward Max Sauve, who signed with the Bruins last spring, will report tothe team. But Caron and Hutchinson are still alive in the QMJHL and OHL playoff, respectively.

General manager Peter Chiarelli and Colborne will offer their comments this evening. Check back later for more on these deals.

Are Bruins fans watching their wallets even closer than the team watches the salary cap?

Well, according to the folks over at SeatGeek.com, a search and forecasting service for sports and concert tickets on the secondary ticket market, have compiled some data that shows folks trying to move their Bruins tickets to other fans have lowered their demands in the last few months. (more…)

Ever since the 2010 NHL draft class started to be ranked, Windsor defenseman Cam Fowler has been ranked as the No. 3 prospect in North America after forwards Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. But other prospects might be closing the gap on Fowler, as the ESPN NHL draft blog reports.

It seems Fowler has a little problem with his intensity and physicality, which he acknowledges in the piece. (more…)

Bergeron

Let’s hope that the Bruins’ 1-0 overtime win over New Jersey on Patrice Bergeron’s goal with 19 seconds left in the extra session does more than catapult the Bruins into the postseason.

With Atlanta and the New York Rangers on the verge of victories in their respective games, the Bruins needed someone to emerge and earn them the extra point in the standings. Enter Bergeron, to bang home a rebound with Mark Recchi, as always, helping out with a screen in front.

But one can only pray, beg and wish that these two points in the standings turn out to be the difference in the Bruins avoiding a first-round match-up with the Devils. (more…)

According to BostonBruins.com, the Bruins will skate the same lineup tonight in New Jersey they used against Buffalo Monday night in Boston — with the only switch in starting goaltender. Tuukka Rask, who made 19 saves on as many shots in relief against the Sabres, gets the start for Boston.

Wideman

Bruins fans can take some solace that Vice President Cam Neely isn’t going to sugarcoat the abysmal season Dennis Wideman has had. Appearing on the “Felger & Massarotti” show on 98.5 The Sports Hub one day after Wideman was a minus-3 in a home loss to Buffalo, Neely didn’t mince words when asked to explain Wideman’s struggles.

“I can’t even recall a player having one year to the next as dramatic a change as Dennis has had from last year to this year,” Neely told the show.

Neely went on to classify Wideman’s season as “awful.”

Guess what loyal readers?

You can now pre-order my upcoming book, 100 Things Bruins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, which will be released in October. I know it’s still seven months away, but it’s never too early to get your Christmas shopping started.

Click on the link in the right sidebar (——>) to pre-order your copy.

Burns

Pat Burns won the Jack Adams Trophy three times as NHL coach of the year, including once with the Bruins. Last summer, he presented Bruins coach Claude Julien with his own Jack Adams Trophy.

There’s no doubt Burns has left an indelible mark on the Bruins and the sport of hockey. He has declined treatment for his most recent bout with cancer, and as he explained earlier this month at a ceremony to announce the building of a rink in his honor, he doesn’t have long to live.

That’s why everything should be done to get Burns inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame while he is still with us. You can join the Facebook page established to do just this. I’d urge you to do so.

Sturm

BOSTON – You have to give Marco Sturm credit for strategizing.

Back on Feb. 9, the Boston winger beat Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller in a victorious shootout for the Bruins with a wrist shot past the blocker side. In Boston’s 3-2 loss at TD Garden Tuesday, Sturm tried to beat Miller to the 5-hole on a penalty shot he earned just 3:20 into the contest.

Miller shut the shot down and denied 39 other Boston attempts on goal in the victory.

To read the rest of this story, log on to ESPNBoston.com.

Thomas

BOSTON — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

Tim Thomas gets a start. Tim Thomas plays great. Tim Thomas gets a second straight start and plays so poorly he gets the hook.

A chart of Thomas’ play this season would look a lot like a drawing of the Rocky Mountains at this stage of the season, and he hit a new low against Buffalo tonight with three goals allowed on 14 shots at TD Garden. (more…)

BOSTON — With 40 saves tonight at TD Garden, Ryan Miller showed again why he’s the probably Vezina Trophy winner this season.

Miller’s Buffalo Sabres left town with a 3-2 win, while Boston departed for New Jersey still just two points up on Atlanta, who did the Bruins a favor by losing to lowly Carolina. (more…)

BOSTON — As expected, the Bruins will start Tim Thomas tonight against Ryan Miller and the Sabres.

Here are the Bruins’ lines and D pairs as per warm-ups:

Sturm-Bergeron-Recch  Chara-Seidenberg

Wheeler-Krejci-Ryder  Stuart-Wideman

Lucic-Sobotka-Satan  Hunwick Boychuk

Paille-Begin-Thornton

On Sunday, some lucky Dunkin’ Donuts Perks Rewards Card holders got the chance to skate with Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas at Agganis Arena. After the skate, Thomas posed for photos and signed autographs. Here are a couple shots of Thomas and the privileged participants. (more…)