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Category: Boston-Bruins

Time To Hate Boston

by Paul on 04/12/18 at 09:32 AM ET
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from Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star,

First, Boston works because hate is the flip side of love. That’s what they say (usually about someone you hate). And Toronto and Boston share a powerful love – of themselves.

Not even New York can approach these two hopped-up second cities in terms of self-regard. Boston’s been insufferable ever since being poor and missing just the one tooth became cool. But even before that, it had Harvard and a ton of people from Co. Cork (the worst).

In Toronto, we pretended to be modest and self-effacing until Drake released a tsunami of local self-satisfaction.

Sure, we have our problems, but, really, we are the very, very best. The UN said so (if you disregard all of Scandinavia and big chunks of Australia).

Ask anyone standing north of Lake Ontario on a Bixi bike. They’ll tell you. Bring a chair. You’re going to be there a while. It’s going to be awful and include a long digression on where to get really authentic pho.

Two cities this smug deserve each other, especially now that their sports luck is going in opposite directions.

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Don Sweeney Knows Hockey

by Paul on 04/12/18 at 09:25 AM ET
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from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

Sharp and unassuming, virtually a media recluse at times, the former Bruins defenseman has helped reinvigorate a franchise that Thursday night will face the Maple Leafs — that team that once captivated so many St. Stephen souls — in Round 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I can’t honestly say I was ever a Leafs fan,” said Sweeney, thinking back to his days at the edge of the St. Croix.

Sweeney’s subtle yet progressive overhaul of the franchise the last three years has centered mainly on two things: 1. his decision to replace coach Claude Julien with Bruce Cassidy in February 2017; and 2. a commitment this season to surround a highly talented core group (most of them sporting Cup rings from 2011) with a large, enthusiastic group of kids who have thrived in the Sweeney-Cassidy model of on-the-job training.

Amid the headlines and huzzahs of the Celtics’ high-profile trades and acquisitions last summer, the low-key Sweeney went a different way, resisting big free-agent spending and instead going with his kiddie cadre.

The 2018 Bruins, with their impressive 50-20-12 regular-season mark...

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Video- A Slowed Down Monday

by Paul on 04/02/18 at 10:22 AM ET
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The last Monday of the regular season, so let's slow down the NHL action.

 

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Brad Marchand Fined For A Cross-Check

by Paul on 04/02/18 at 10:20 AM ET
Comments (10)

NEW YORK (April 2, 2018) – Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald during NHL Game No. 1218 in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 1, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 18:55 of the second period. Marchand was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking.

added 10:26am,

 

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  Tags: brad+marchand

Video- Brandon Carlo Taken Off The Ice On A Stretcher

by Paul on 03/31/18 at 04:16 PM ET
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No update from Cassidy post-game.

 

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  Tags: brandon+carlo

Video- Steven Stamkos On Tonight’s Game Against The Boston Bruins

by Paul on 03/29/18 at 04:39 PM ET
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7:00pm puck drop in Boston.

Tampa a point in front of Boston, Bruins have a game in hand.

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

The Battle For The Top Spot In The Atlantic

by Paul on 03/28/18 at 07:49 PM ET
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from Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times,

Worried about the Lightning?

Freaking out, maybe?

The fans' sense of panic hasn't quite hit the Tampa Bay dressing room. This is still a first-place team, a playoff team, an experienced team. You don't rack up 106 points by luck.

But this upcoming five-day stretch will be extremely telling for the Lightning, starting with Thursday night's showdown with the Bruins at TD Garden. It is the first of two final meetings between the rivals, and they'll go a long way in deciding the Atlantic Division title. The Bruins trail Tampa Bay by one point, with a game in hand and seven to go.

continued

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Video- Did The Puck Cross The Line? Jets/Bruins

by Paul on 03/27/18 at 09:37 PM ET
Comments (1)

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

Watch as Brandon Tanev is awarded his fifth goal of the season despite lack video evidence that the puck actually crossed the goal line.

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Head Hits Continue

by Paul on 03/24/18 at 03:43 PM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Goaltender interference controversies will not diminish by substituting one subjective opinion from an officiating supervisor based in Toronto for another subjective opinion from a referee on the ice, but the peril of incurring brain trauma will persist as long as both the NHL and NHLPA mutually tolerate blows to the head — such as the one St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn laid on Boston’s unaware David Krejci on Wednesday.

You can argue Krejci, who looked down momentarily to move a puck out of the corner on his backhand, should have been aware he was in imminent danger. Clearly, he had placed himself in a vulnerable position. You can also believe, as did the Department of Player Safety in declining to prosecute Schenn, that the hit was unavoidable because of the Bruin’s body position.

Upon review, however, it certainly seems as if Schenn could have avoided a direct hit to Krejci’s head. But then, according to the rules adopted by the league and codified by the union, that wasn’t Schenn’s obligation. There is no rule in the book that turns primary contact with the head into an automatic penalty, let alone a suspendable offense.

continued plus more topics like this...

Gary Bettman believes the coaches’ challenge for goaltender interference should be used only “when it’s a completely blown call.”

Apparently because in the commissioner’s world, there is such a thing as partially blown call.

If you missed or want to review the Schenn hit, watch below.

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, NHL Talk, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

No Slap Shots For Brad Marchand

by Paul on 03/24/18 at 02:09 PM ET
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from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

Alex Ovechkin (44 goals), Steven Stamkos (27), and Tyler Seguin (39) are among the league’s best at putting pucks in nets. Ditto for Brad Marchand (31).

The fascinating part is how each approaches his craft. Ovechkin, Stamkos, and Seguin, right-shot forwards, do not hesitate to rip off slap shots. Through 74 games, Ovechkin led all forwards with 93 slappers, according to the NHL. Stamkos had 71, second-most after Ovechkin. Seguin was in the No. 3 hole with 62 slap shots.

Through 58 games, Marchand had none.

“That sounds about right,” Marchand said. “I don’t think I’ve taken a slap shot in a lot of years. I don’t plan on taking one any time soon either. My stick’s too long to take a slap shot. It would just be an embarrassment to my team and myself.”

more plus other hockey topics...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: brad+marchand

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