The Bruins are a train wreck.
By the time they take the ice Saturday afternoon with the Flyers at the TD Garden, the Bruins might be in second place.
After they were shellacked, 6-2, in the second half of their two-game visit to Florida tonight by the Panthers, the Bruins failed to extend their one-point lead on Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division. Now they’re reliant on Montreal to help them out again Friday night.
The archrival Canadiens aided the Bruins’ cause Wednesday, one night after Boston was wrecked by Tampa Bay, 6-1, with a shootout win over the Senators. Montreal will visit Ottawa Friday for the second half of the home-and-home series.
The Bruins have now lost four in a row for the first time this season and have allowed four or more goals in six of their last seven games. Here some of the silver linings from tonight:
•Patrice Bergeron was able to play despite being hobbled by a shot to the leg in his previous two games.
•Joe Corvo scored his first goal in 20 games and Brian Rolston notched his first goal of his return to the Bruins.
•That’s all I’ve got
Big Jim
I agree that Chara doesn’t belong in the same grouping as Ray Borque or Bobby Orr, but he has been ranked by other players as the toughest D-man to play against, in the NHL. Also, he has won a Norris trophy, so he can’t be shabby. However, I do believe his skills have diminished somewhat, but he is still a top four d-man on a Stanley Cup Champion team. I think Sidenberg has surpassed him, and fortunately Boychuk has improved so our overall defence is still okay. The weak link is Corvo, and he has been played too much as if he were a top-4 guy. Ference is a better compliment to Chara, but then you have to play McQuaid or Corvo (both right-handed D-men) on the left side. Both would probably be short if they had to do that. The only right-handed d-man that could do that would be Boychuk, but you need to leave him as a top-four guy. Unfortunately, Kampfer would have been able to do it, but he didn’t have a very good season and got traded. I haven’t seen enough of the two new d-men to say they should play over Corvo.
The only good news is that Dougie Hamilton can play both sides, but that doesn’t say much for this year.
i didn’t mean to mince words. even when chara is playing well he still isn’t an elite defenseman. right now he’s flat out awful.
Way to get on board guys. It’s time to end this pain by dishing it out. I think from that respect it should be and the Flyers are always game for a tussle!
Big Jim
I think your right that Chara has not played well as of late. The top two pairing should be Sidenberg and Boychuk. At the very least they have to cut down Chara’s minutes because he is losing some effectiveness.
At present, TT can’t stop anything. Given the goaltender situation, give Huthcison a start, and make Turco the back-up. Thomas can watch a game or two, maybe that will help.
Nick
I agree regarding your desire for good hard physical play. Why on earth was McDermid sent back? He brought some physical play which we sorely need. Boychuk and Sidenberg need to more physical, like they were in last year’s playoffs. I wouldn’t mind seeing the penalty box look like it did last year when the Habs played the B’s in one regular season game. As well, start the Merlot line the next game. They hustle and play physical and that will send message to teammates and opponents.
I think Julien needs to leave the lines alone. If they don’t produce one night, don’t panic and change things up. Play Boychuk with Sidenberg, regarding D-men. Sidenberg has had to play all with year with Corvo, and that hasn’t been easy. Make the Boychuk and Sidenberg your first pairing in penalty kill situations. As well, try and keep Corvo off against the other team’s top two lines.
I think there is still hope. These players have actually had better or at least as good of seasons this year compared to last; Bergeron, Seguin, Caron, Lucic, Boychuk, Marchand, and Sidenberg. Getting Peverley back, will help give us more offense from three lines, especially with the improved play of Caron.
The B’s have been tough to watch lately, but that can change in a game.
Two words, physical play. Forget the god damn structure Claude, get your boys pumped up to all hell for tomorrows game and tell them if they aren’t hitting someone on every shift they are benched. There is no doubt in my mind that if they destroy the other team physically, literally everything else falls into place. They are just not a team built for the soft little European game that they have been trying to do. It’s making everyone soft and gripping their sticks to hard because now they are worrying to much about everything. You start to forget about being tired and sore when every shift your thinking about unleashing the hurt on someone.
As for last night, few things that really bugged me and really showed how the season is turning on them. First, nice hit on Marchand. No call, which I really wasn’t surprised at all about although if it was Marchand delivering that hit, probably a suspension. If Cambell hits Chara that low coming in the zone, probably blows out his knee, but whatever. Then what really pissed me off, they turn around and give Thorton a call, which in turn puts them down 1-0 on a complete abortion of a call. Really it’s just the way things have been rolling for weeks now.
Better step it up boys before we are cheering for teams to beat the Caps so they don’t put us out of the playoffs…
God am I pissed off about this crap…
i’ve said it before, i’ll say it again, i’ve said it for years: zdeno chara is the most over rated player in the nhl. you CAN’T be considered an elite defenseman if you can’t make that breakout pass out of your zone. bourque, pronger, lidstrom, weber. these are (were) elite defensemen. chara is just big.
I stated the other day that I wasn’t embarrassed. Well I have skipped over that emotion and joined PCl on the disgust train. I actually watched the entire game on DVR in fast forward. Right from the drop of the puck just to avoid prolonging the agony. Turns out I made the right move. I am not much of a “fighting is part of the game” guy but I hear what you are saying Terry. A little emotional outburst would do this team some good I think. So perhaps they need a little “Irish” in their game this St. Paddy’s Day (not Patty…believe me, it’s my name…there is a difference). I have been sort of quietly rooting for the Habs this year out of sympathy but I’ll say it loud and proud today…”go Habs go!”
Terry, I couldn’t agree more if the Sens lose tonight, its a lock start thornton and Soupy and let them grab onto the closest guy then Quaider can jump in and then lucic the sad part is that it may be honestly the only way fire this team up, the brawl in montreal was the real turning point last year not the stars game, I think it’s time Cam walked down to ice level and thank Julien for his services but let him know what he probably already knows… Claude has lost the team’s identity and the only way to get it back is with a coach whose mere existence displays that identity.
Go B’s
Uh, Go Habs Go?
First off, great pic and caption MK.
Secondly, I’m no longer embarrassed as a fan. I’m now disgusted, because the only rational explanation for a collapse of this magnitude is that the entire team got together and desecrated Eddie Shore’s grave…
I just don’t have the energy to beat the guys up any more. They are tired, out of balance, hurt, calls all going the wrong way I mean what is left to say. My only salvation really is the November to December run it was out of this world. My last solution for a turn around (sorry peace lovers) ST Pattys day massacure at the Garden tommorrow. Why, why not good god give the paying fans a show like the Stars game Feb 3 2011 it was a turn around. The hell with the leaugue and fear of Shanny just go nuts it’s all we got left. Sorry to the bloggers here who love the structure play, stay out of the box, don’t do anything wrong go for it guys what the hell!!!!
Can you say meltdown? Are they dogging it for now? There has to be a reason. Are they saving their energy for the playoffs? Tim Thomas has Dwayne Roloson Syndrome. Ugghhhh…hopefully Peverley will be a spark for this team. He’s skating, so he should be back soon.