The Lucky "13 Days of Christmas"- Black & Gold Style!

A bit of fun below but a sincere note wishing all of our KBBK readers a very Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad & Joyeux Noel! Also be sure to be good to Santa & she'll be GOOD to you (If not get a new Santa I say!) Let’s Go Broounze!! – KingKrej!

On the 1st Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 2nd Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*2 for Hooking!... & The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*3 more past Price!…. 2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 4th Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*4 blind refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 5th Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*5...for...Fighting!..4 blind refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 6th Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*6 New Baby B’s!...5...for...Fighting!...4 blind refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 7th of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B’s!...5...for...Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!... 3 more past Price!... 2 for hooking!... & The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 8th of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*8 Weak Franchises… 7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B’s!...5...for...Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!... 3 more past Price!... 2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 9th of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*9 Ice Girls Dancing!...8 Weak Franchises!…7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B's!...5...for...Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 10th of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*10 Points on Montreal!...9 Ice Girls Dancing!...8 Weak Franchises!…7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B’s!...5...for...Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 11th of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*11 Bru’s at Sully’s (Oh Boy)!...10 Points on Montreal! ...9 Ice Girls Dancing!...8 Weak Franchises!…7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B’s!...5...for...Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

On the 12th day of Christmas – Bettman gave to me…
*12 Forwards Just Like the B's!...11 Bru’s at Sully’s!...10 Points on Montreal!...9 Ice Girls Dancing!...8 Weak Franchises!…7 Habs a Diving!...6 New Baby B’s!...5...for... Fighting!...4 Blind Refs!...3 more past Price!...2 for Hooking!...& The STUPID Instigator Penalty…!

And finally...On the LUCKY 13th Day of Christmas that Jackass Bettman Gave to ME!
*That Friggin’ Stanley Cup we’ve been waiting on for the B’s!..

Merry Christmas all!

B's NewsBlast - Kess Named NHL's First Star !

From Bruins.com & the NHL;

Boston, MA -- The NHL announced today that Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel was named NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending December 14.Kessel tallied eight points with three goals and five assists in four games last week and extended his point streak to 15 games. Kessel helped lead the Black and Gold to a 3-1-0 record, which improved their Eastern Conference-leading mark to 21-5-4. Kessel notched one goal and one assist in a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay December 8, registered an assist in a 3-1 loss at Washington Dec. 10, tallied a goal and two assists in a 7-3 win at Atlanta Dec. 12 and closed the week with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Thrashers Dec. 13.Kessel's point streak is a career high, the longest in the NHL this season and longest by a Bruins player since Adam Oates recorded points in 20 consecutive games from Jan. 7 to Feb. 20, 1997. The 21-year-old Madison, Wisconsin native is second in Bruins scoring with 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games, ranks third in the NHL in goals and already has matched his career high of 19 goals set last season.The NHL will conduct a media conference call with Kessel today at 3:00 p.m. ET.Pittsburgh’s Petr Sykora received the Second Star honors as he recorded three goals and five assists in four games last week, while Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek claimed the Third Star after registering a week-high five goals, including two gamewinners.The Bruins return to action on Thursday, December 18 when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Win streak kicks the bucket in DC

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. The B's started slow last night against the Caps, and this time, they couldn't turn it around quickly enough to salvage a win or a point. The B's seems surprised early on by the pace the Caps were setting. Washington has loads of skill, and it was on display right from the start. By the time the B's got their legs under them and started to carry the play, they were already down 2-0. With Brent Johnson doing his best Gump Worsley impression, they were never able to catch up. But it wasn't just Johnson that kept the B's off the scoreboard for most of the night. Boston had too many quality chances that they just didn't finish. Wheeler, in particular jumps to mind. He (and Sturm when he's playing) are maddening to watch sometimes. I've never seen a kid "assume" he scored before the puck crosses the line. Last night he did it again. He deked Johnson badly and had an open net. But instead of bearing down and BURYING it, he lazy-assed it, and just tried sweeping it in. Of course, Johnson got his arm on it to keep it out. Brickley went on about how the puck was too far in front so he couldn't get leverage blah blah blah. BS. I'd bet you anything if you got Brickley off-record he'd agree that Wheels HAS to bury that shot. He's far from alone, but it was the most glaring missed chance. On the plus side, Wheeler seemed ticked off about it afterwards, and was much more physical for the next few shifts. The kid needs to play that way every shift, and stop passing up shots the way he does. As far as the rest of the game goes, I thought Lucic had a really strong game. He seems to step up to the challenge of playing against high-tempo teams like the Caps. His skill level seemed higher last night than normal, while still using his body well. Fernandez turned in another strong performance as well. Can't blame him for any of the goals. Now, this may be nit-picking, but Lashoff, again, got absolutely abused. On the empty netter, he got caught at the offensive blue line...AGAIN, trying to make a play. I understand it's desperation time then, but his first job has to be to not let AO get a breakaway on an empty net! Just another terrible decision in a long line of terrible decisions by the rook. Don't mean to bash, because hey, I want everyone in a B's jersey to succeed. But he's already a -3 in only 4 games. Normally I'm not a huge +/- guy, but in some cases it's a telling stat. One thing that has kind of caught my eye the last few games, is how chippy Savard is has been. I love it. Our top scorer playing with a little edge is a great thing. Last night he had a couple little exchanges with Poti and another with some other Cap at the B's bench. Now, as one of my buddies mentioned this morning, if anyone decides to call his bluff, he's screwed. But hey, run with it while you can I guess. On a similar note, Krecji started to get "mouthy" and was taking a couple shots at Brashear after the whistle last night. My first reaction was: "STOP IT!". It's one thing to push and shove with other "regular" players. But, and this is no defense of Donald Brashear, doing that stuff to a heavyweight is just....I don't know, wrong. Poking the tiger through the cage like that is uncalled for I think, and doesn't do anything to improve your reputation. All it did was put Brashear in a tough spot.What was he going to do? Drop the gloves and pound Krecji? Of course not, he'd be painted as nothing more than a bully and a goon. So guys like him have to take an endless amount of grief from guys that everyone KNOWS would never back it up. I've never been a big Brashear fan, but he's one of the "honest tough guys" in the league. And among those guys, there is a code. And part of that code is, you don't fight kids you will obviously hammer. You can be sure if Thornton or someone capable of defending himself had started on Brashear like that, he would have retaliated. Sorry for the off topic rant, but I just hate seeing Bruins do that crap. For reference, imagine if Koivu was doing that with Thornton. Would anyone say "wow, good for Saku"? No, we'd all be crucifying him because we know he has no intention of dropping the gloves. Leave that BS for all the little girls on the Canadiens. The Bruins are better than that. Anyway, looking forward to the home and home with Atlanta this weekend. Time for the B's to start another winning streak, and to get back to playing their game. It's been a couple games now that they've been just a little "off". Time to nip that in the bud before bad habits creep in. It's a fine line. Play their system, they're near impossible to beat. Stray away from the system, and they're vulnerable to anyone willing to skate and work hard against them. I have every confidence that Coach Julien has gotten that message across. Go B's-Kynch

2 Points for the win, no style points

A win is a win is a win. Despite all the hand wringing and moaning I've seen and heard after last night's game, the B's still got two points. That is really all that matters. As I was reminded this morning, "Good teams win, and the B's are a GREAT team." So instead of bemoaning the fact that they came out flat and sloppy for the final 40 minutes, how about looking at it from the other side? They played their worst two periods in memory and still got the win. It wasn't very long ago where anything less than a perfect 60 minute effort spelled certain defeat. I'd be a lot more concerned about the second and third periods last night if it looked like a trend. That was no trend, it was a fluke. And Claude Julien, you can be sure, will be using it as a "coaching opportunity" today. The fast start last night against the last place team lulled the B's into thinking it would be an easy night. But Tampa reminded them that in the NHL, there are no easy nights. That's a good thing. Much better to have that kind of wake up call against the Lightning than tomorrow in Washington. The most encouraging thing about the game was the players and coaches reaction after the game. To a man, they weren't happy. With a WIN. It's gotten to the point around here, that even the team itself is critical of HOW they win, not just IF they win. That is nothing but great news for loyal Bruins fans. For too many years, especially under Dave Lewis, were happy just to be "competitive". How many times did the B's lose under Lewis, only to have him come out afterwards and say "I was really proud of the guys. Hey, they're trying". Take another look at the picture above......do you think that will be his message today? Didn't think so. So, as I said to the "fan" I met at Sully's Tap after the game who was ready to jump off the Zakim bridge, "RELAX and enjoy this team". They won a game in which they didn't play well. They're in first place in the conference. They've now won ten in a row at home. They're 19-4-0-4. Read that again. The Bruins, are 19-4. And people are complaining about how the played during two periods of a WIN. My oh my, how times have changed. Go B's-Kynch

Side note- A quick tip of the cap to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. I bumped into him before the game and said hi. To his credit, instead of blowing me off, or offering a half hearted wave, he turned and came back to say hi. Stuck out his hand and asked my name etc. Just a classy move in my opinion. More proof that "hockey guys", be they players or media, are generally the biggest gentlemen in sports.

A Cold November Reign!

As much as I enjoy the month of December and all that it brings (other than ice, snow and slush), I'll miss November this year. How can we not as Bruins fans? The B's will have a hard time matching the pace the set this month. 11-1-1! WOW! A "November Reign" to be sure. Boston currently sits atop the Eastern Conference and are second overall in the league and that my friends is no fluke. They're second in the NHL in both goals scored and goals allowed. Pretty good recipe for success there, eh? As far as last night's "measuring stick" game against Detroit, I'd say the boys passed with flying colors. They seemed guilty of being a little tight, in awe and watching the Wings to start the game. But man oh man, once they got that first goal (on their first shot, as I told the obnoxious Wings fans behind me they would) things were different. They instantly all seemed to decide "hey, these guys are no different than us, we can skate with the and we can be more physical than them" "And hey, we even have better goal tending than them." From that point on the B's were a different team, which is to say they were the same team they've been all month- Fast, skilled, smart and dominant in all three zones. Obviously Detroit, being the immensely skilled team they are, had stretches where they carried the play. But it was never the same as the first 10-13 minutes of the game, where it looked like they could blow out the B's. At no point did I ever start to worry that the Wings were going to come back to win it. Even when the B's got hemmed in (Thank you Fred Cusick!) they rarely gave up great scoring chances and even when they did it never resulted in any real second chances. Manny Fernandez stopped everything thrown at him with the one goal he surrendered being off the power play that deflected off Marc Savard's skate. Speaking of Manny. I think it's time I issue a public apology, and I'm not alone. For all of us that "hated" Manny (which translates to: "I hate paying an injured backup goalie over $4M while our all-star starter makes $1M"), we have to admit he's been a huge success for us this year. His confidence is back and so is his technique. Granted, he does seem to give up the odd softie, especially early in games at times, but his "mental toughness" is much better than I expected. He seems to be able to shake off bad starts pretty easily and settles in quickly to give his teammates a chance to win every night. Despite what one HUGELY annoying Wings fan (from Vermont no less?!) had to say about it, I was thrilled to hear a "Manny, Manny, Manny..." chant go up last night. The guys has earned our respect. Obviously the fans are starting to see him for the player he IS, not the player he WAS. As for the rest of the B's, once again youth was served. Blake Wheeler, Phil Kessel, David Krecji, Milan Lucic, Matt Hunwick and the rest of the "kids" all contributed in a big way again and "old man" Chuck Kobasew at 26 years of age, scored again for good measure. Detroit didn't dress anyone under the age of 24. Boston dressed 7 players under that age, and they were all key factors in the win. But, for my money, the guy that had the best game once again flew under the radar. That guy would be the veteran, Shane Hnidy. He (Hnidy) played a very steady, smart game all night. Which given the fact that Aaron Ward was knocked out with an injury early in the first (which the B's can not afford!), Hnidy and the rest of the D- had to play more minutes. But to me even without the injury, I thought Hnidy earned extra time anyway. He was calm with the puck and just made smart safe play after smart safe play. He rarely gets the credit he deserves, but last night he was lights out and worthy of a "Star" (I would have given it to Hnidy before Chara, who I think had a rough game. Couple bad give aways and general indecision with the puck) So as November turns to December, Boston is in the drivers seat in the division and conference standings. A look ahead at the schedule doesn't exactly send chills of fear down your spine. without taking anyone for granted, you have to feel pretty good when you see Tampa (twice) Florida, Carolina (twice) Toronto, Atlanta (THREE times) and Blues on tap this month. The "toughest" games (on paper) would be the Caps, Penguins and Devils. Those games are all on the road as well. But if Boston keeps playing the way they are, they may not match the record of November. But December could be another very festive month for Bruins fans. Merry Christmas indeed. Go B's!! Kynch

Beantown Beatdown

HAHAHAHA!!!!! Where to begin? A complete and total BEAT DOWN of epic proportions last night. Score one for the good guys. Since I can't decide where to start, I'll start with that over rated, under performing head case of a soft, feeble minded goalie of theirs, Carey Priceless. This kid is a classic front-runner. Give him a lead and play great hockey in front of him, and he plays great. Score on him early and create traffic in front of him, and he folds up like a cheap pup tent. I've said it all along...I will never understand why Canadien fans are so in love with this kid (other than the fact they ordain EVERY young player as the second coming of ). Carey (isn't that a girls name? I'm just asking....), looked AWFUL on a few of the goals he allowed, starting with Thornton's. Granted, it was a pretty good play by Shawn, but come on....if you're supposed to be a sure fire Hall Of Famer, and shoe in Vezina winner, you just can't get deked that badly by a 4th line winger. On Sturm's PP goal at the end of the first, Price looked absolutely baffled as to what to do. He didn't know if he should sh*t or go blind. I've never seen a goalie do the little "happy feet dance" he did while Savard held the puck. He had NO CLUE how to react to that (psst, Mr. lead pipe lock HOF inductee...play the shooter, don't bounce back and forth between shot and pass. Moron).
But enough Price bashing....we could spend all day on that dope. I think what we're all thinking today is "ABOUT TIME!". About time Lucic got his chance to beat down that pansy Komisarik. That guy is so frustrating to watch it isn't even funny. He should be absolutely embarrassed and ashamed of himself. How can anyone constantly chirp, hack, slash, cross check and shove after the whistle......and have absolutely no intention of dropping the gloves? I'm sorry, but if you're going to play that way, you have to "man up" and answer the bell. For Montreal bench boss, and resident rat bastard, Guy "I'm going to wave my arms around like a lunatic every 5 minutes to try to get calls" Carbonneau to send out Georges laraque to try and handle Komipansy's issue's was beyond lame. Wasn't there a time when Canadien fans decried "goon hockey"? Well, I'm pretty sure sending out a 4th line stiff to fight the other teams top line winger counts as "goonism". Good on Looch for not falling for it. Wasting Gooch for five minutes for "BGL" doesn't make any sense for anyone. Lucic and "k(h)omo" would be a relatively "fair trade". Top D-man for a top winger. Never thought I'd see those two drop the gloves, but once the B's scored their fifth, I had some hope. And Milan never gave Komi a chance to back down. He cut him off on his way to the bench, and it was pretty clear that if he didn't drop the gloves, Looch was going to pound him anyway. Koisarek, as he usually does, tried to put on a show.....not really fight. He threw a couple early on, but as soon as Looch connected with the uppercut, it was game-set-match. He turtled like the little girl he is. Lucic's reaction after that bout was almost scary....the sheer primal scream was an obvious release of all the emotion and frustration he's had building up over that pansy for the last year. Good to see it finally happen. I'll be curious to see what, if any, reaction the Habs have next time they play. No doubt BGL tries to go after Lucic. Also no doubt that Komisarek doesn't try to avenge the beat down.

Speaking of BGL......I ranted yesterday about what a waste of a roster spot he is. And boy, did he not disappoint last night. The guys is useless, as is the entire 4th line for the Habs. Putting the Thornton-Yelle-Kobasew line out there against Dandenault-Lappierre-Laraque was an unfair mismatch on a huge scale. Not even a contest on who you'd rather have. Shoot, Boston's 4th line outscored all of Montreal lines combined. There will be a lot of soul searching in hab-land today. Or, more likely, finger pointing. The Rat has already thrown his players under the bus, saying "We had a game plan and no one followed it. And as a result, we lost, 6-1.". Way to go Guy. What a stand up dude you are.
Bottom line is, Montreal got absolutely STUNNED last night. They expected to cruise to an easy win, with Boston having played the night before. I think the eloquent, if math challenged, Alex Kovalev said it best: "One word we can say," said star Canadiens winger Alexei Kovalev. "We were not prepared for this."
Go B's- Kynch

Your First Place Boston Bruins

Yeah yeah yeah.....I know. It's only early November, and a LOT can (and surely will) happen between now and April. But still, doesn't that have a nice ring to it? "The first place Boston Bruins". I like it. They're also second in the Conference to the Rangers (who have played three more games than Boston, and with only a 4 point lead, if Boston wins those games in hand....#1 in the East!). Not bad at all for a team, amazingly, some picked to finish out of the playoffs this year. Congrats guys, now lets keep the momentum going. That and if he keeps playing physically, he'll make space for himself and his line mates. If he ever needed proof of that theory, all he had to do was see Buffalo physicality to their advantage. Savvy has never been known as a dump and chase guy. But as he said, with the way Last nights game at the Garden was a great one. Full house, Military Appreciation night....and an early end to the annoying "Lets go buff-a-lo" chants. Manny Fernandez put in a good nights work. Looked a little shaky on the Sabres goal. He was a bit deep in his net on that one, but he played very well after that. And to be fair, he didn't get much help on that goal. It was pretty much an uncontested shot from close range, so I won't beat him up on that one. If he plays like that consistently, I have no problem (other than his huge price tag) with him spelling Thomas occasionally. But the real story of this game, the absolute force on the ice. The guy that you just couldn't help but notice shift after shift was Lucic. No points, but may have been his best "Milan Lucic" effort of the year. He was a wrecking ball all night. Cam Neely is on record as trying to explain to Looch Defenseman Henrik Tallinder bail out of an easy icing touch up. Tallinder had Lucic beat by a MILE to touch up an icing. But instead of going to the end boards to make the touch, he inexplicably went to the front of the net. Conceding the puck to Lucic. Obviously, Tallinder knew he was going to get punished for making the touch, and wanted no part of it. THAT is what being a constant physical presence can do for you. Marc Savard was quoted in the paper today as saying he's learning to change his style of play, to use Lucic's crashes into corners and wins one on one battles, he knows now all he has to do is get it close to him, and he's probably going to get it back. And if Looch's reputation continues to make guys take the easy way out like Tallinder did, all the better. He'll have uncontested plays out of the corners all night. Tallinder should be embarrassed for being so soft, but I guess that's easy for me to say from the comfort of my seat in the stands. I've been eagerly awaiting seeing a Lucic fight this year, but all the "blame" for his lack of fights thus far can't be put on a lack of willingness. Yet again last night, he offered an opponent to "go" and the invite was cordially declined. This time it was Adam Mair, who had obviously seen enough out of Milan to know that he wanted no part of him. If you look closely enough, you can see this kid's legend grow before your eyes. Even beyond Milan, the game had a certain amount of "spice" to it. It got chippy early, with Sturm and Afinaginov (or however you spell it) exchanging hacks, slashes and shoves at the face off dot. Chucky Kobasew looked ready to play from the outset, offering to drop the gloves with Derek Roy. Patrick Kaleta tried stirring the pot a bit on a couple occasions for the Sabres, but was HAMMERED with a punch to the nose by Chara. That effectively ended that agitator's efforts at provoking the big man, and the rest of the B's (too bad the NESN camera's didn't catch that exchange, because Z really did throw a dandy of a shot at him). I give the refs credit for letting the boys play. There were a ton of "scuffles" behind the play, especially around the benches during changes, and they never blew the whistle. They let the linesmen break it up, but let play continue. Granted, I'd have rather seen the linesmen stay out of it too to see if anything developed, but hey. At least they let the game continue to "flow". Bottom line is, that was another "big win" for the Black & Gold. They enter a very busy stretch of games starting next week in Chicago (followed the next night at home against a certain hated French Canadian team....thanks schedule makers). Every point is valuable. It would be nice to go into the final weeks of the season and worrying about playoff "positioning", not whether they'll make the playoffs at all. That's why this good start is so important. They're finally building in a little buffer for when they do hit the rough spots and injuries that are inevitable. So enjoy this win guys, but be ready for a talented Chicago team on Wednesday. As much as we're all looking forward to Thursday night vs the Habs, the players must stay focused on one game at a time. Handle your business in Chicago, and we'll be here waiting to help you through the battles Thursday night. Go B's- Kynch

The face of shame

As much as I hate to pollute this site with images of cowardly, chickenshit low lifes, I thought putting a face to Steve Ott was worthwhile. This is what a disgraceful player looks like. This is the face of the "New NHL", where you can cheap shot, yap and do whatever you want, and not have to answer for your actions. "Back in the day", had Ott done anything like what he did Saturday at the Garden, he would have been pummeled. Now, with the instigator rules and all that, players have to "ask" for his cooperation, or face ejection and possible suspension. Thornton got a big break only getting the double minor for roughing when he went after Ott (or "Brave Steve" as Jack Edwards so aptly called him). Ott never dropped his stick or gloves. Shane Hnidy tried to engage Ott later on, and again Ott declined. I don't care which side of the fighting debate you're on, you can't tell me you watched his antics the other night and DIDN'T want someone to pound him.

If you aren't convinced that the Ott and Avery show is a pathetic embarrassment, all you need to see are their TEAMMATES comments. Here's a quote from Mike Modano immediately after the game: "Tonight it seemed to be idiotic," said Stars alternate captain Mike Modano of his team's identity. "It's stupid. It's one of the more embarrassing things I have seen, on the ice and involved with the fans. In 20 years, I haven't seen anything like it. If that's what we're going for, maybe I need to find myself an office job."
Those are comments Modano, a Captain, was willing to make to the press. What do you think the conversations were like in private? No way players like Modano, Morrow, Robidas and to a lesser extent, even the likes of Kris Barch can be too happy with these two. Barch had to fight Thornton because of all the bad blood Avery & Ott stirred up. And poor Matt Niskanen got absolutely hammered by Shane Hnidy because of a brawl touched off by yet another cheap shot from Avery.
When your own teammates start calling your actions embarrassing, maybe it's time to reconsider your tactics. But I think we all know these two jackasses will never change. The question is, will they end some one's career with a cheap shot before all is said and done?
Kynch

Why all the haters?

Here's something that has been baffling me for a long time. Now, it's aggravating me. Why all the "hating" on Tim Thomas? If you talk to enough Bruins fans, you're sure to find more than a few that completely disrespect Timmy. Online, it's even worse. I'm constantly amazed at how many B's fans are STILL looking for Thomas to be dethroned as the #1. Worse, Most of the talk centers around Manny Fernandez. Excuse me, but...are you @!#$% kidding me!? Thomas has been this team's MVP for three years now. He was an ALL-Star last year. He finished the season with a .921 save %, he got a "bad" team to the playoffs. That .921 save% ranked him 4th in the NHL, and he played more games (57) than all but JS Giguere (58) among those in the top 4. Dan Ellis, at .924 led the league, but played in only 44 games. Ty Conklin was 2nd at .923, but he only played in 33 games. Marc-Andre Fleury tied Thomas in save %, but only appeared in 35 games. Conklin & Fleury played for the Penguins....a team that dominates in puck possesion. So generally speaking, they face fewer quality shots than a team like Boston. Same with Giggy, and to a lesser extent, same deal in Nashville (although the Preds had a young group of D, so Ellis was called upon to carry them for stretches.
All stats aside, the one thing the Timmy haters keep coming back to is: style. They don't think he "looks" like a #1 NHL goalie. Funny, when Hasek was winning Vezina's, nobody really complained that he was flopping all over the place. When he did it, Thomas critics will say, it was because he was relying on his incredible instincts and athletecism. If Thomas does it, they'll counter, it clearly means he was out of position and was just lucky to make the stop. I don't get it. Funny thing is, these are BRUINS fans, not some blind Canadien fan that thinks everyone NOT in the CH is an abomination. Manny backers talk about how he just looks so in control out there. He has better technique (and they all talk like Bob Essensa should be looking over his shoulder, as clearly they're more qualified to tell you who is "better"). I don't claim to know the ins & outs of being an NHL goalie. Couldn't even begin to break it down in any kind of detail. But I also know how to judge a good goalie. It's a very complicated formula, so I need you all to bear with me here for a minute. OK, here it is...... does he keep the damn puck out of his net? I don't care if he comes out in a monkey outfit juggling 3 pucks while riding a uni-cycle. If he keeps the puck out of his net, I'm happy. Why do so many people care what Thomas "looks like" out there? He GETS THE JOB DONE. And he does it back-stopping a team that has tons of trouble scoring goals. So he plays under pressure all the time, knowing if he gives up 3, he probably won't get the win. The other thing about Timmy is, his teammates LOVE the guy. No way to quantify it, but his teammates just seem to feed off of his "battling" style of play. And they play that same way in front of him. His OBVIOUS effort out there is contagious. Hard to slack off when you see your goalie busting his arse to keep you in it.
But enough about hating Thomas. Why the love-fest for Fernandez? I don't "hate" the guy, but why do people want to see him take over as the number 1? Based on what? Certainly can't be based on the tiny sample size we have of him in Boston. That would be crazy. In those limited appearances, he's looked awful. Oh, but he was hurt last year you say. Exactly. He was hurt the year before that too (don't get me started on giving a big money deal to damaged goods). Fernandez came into camp eager to get as much ice time as possible, to shake off the rust. Then promptly injures his thumb in warm-ups. Not a big deal, but is it a sign that this is just one of those unfortunate "injury prone" guys? I think so. So fine, we won't look at his time in Boston as our barometer. Time was, he was a quality NHL goalie playing in Minnesota. Wait, where was that again? Minny? As in, the biggest defensive minded, trapping team the league has ever seen? OK, so lets look at his time there. His closest comparable season to Thomas last year would be the '05-'06 season. He played 58 games and had a .919 save%. Pretty close to Timmy's numbers LAST YEAR. Now, call me crazy, but I believe it would be "easier" to put up save% numbers on a full blown, experienced trapping team. Thomas did the same basically (slightly better, but why quibble?) behind a team that had yet another new coach/system, tons of young players and a defense that most B's fans spent the year throwing remotes through their TV over. And Thomas comes into the year healthy, and convinced of it. Manny may or may not be 100% physically ready. But there has to be some doubt in his mind.
I'm sorry, but given the stats, the intangibles, the health and the over all play of both players, I'm going with Thomas all day long, until he proves to me he can't do it. Thomas makes about a quarter of what Fernandez does, and it has to piss him off to know that, and to know that he's out-played him yet again in camp, but nobody has named him the starter yet. If Manny didn't have that huge contract, there wouldn't even be a debate. He'd be gone. traded, waived, demoted....whatever. But when you carry a $4.85 M cap hit, you get the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, it comes at the detriment of Thomas, and Tukka Rask (who also would make more than Thomas by the way). The bottom line for me is, I don't want to see either of these guys fail. I want to see every player wearing the Spoked B to have incredible seasons. That only helps us get to where we want to be. So hey, maybe a few months from now I'll be proven wrong, and Manny will be a Vezina candidate. I'd love to see it. I just won't be holding my breath if that's ok with you.
Go B's - Kynch

Given the Lash....

Well, latest round of cuts were announced this afternoon. And they pretty much went how everyone would have expected. At the risk of beating a dead horse, can we finally put to rest all this Matt Lashoff love-fest BS? I've been saying it for a couple years, and I stand by it. This kid (rapidly becoming less and less of a "kid" BTW) just doesn't have "it". And by "it", I mean "defensive ability". Sort of a handicap for an NHL defenseman, no? I'm convinced Chilly should look to deal him now before his stock drops any more. There's a chance he could go on to have a decent career. Never say never when it comes to youngish D-men. But, he's been given every chance to show he belongs here, and has yet to grab it and run. Maybe a change in scenery will help. For his sake, I hope so. I thought Hunwick out-played him last year in camp, and apparently he has this year as well (or at worst played him even). Lash does have offensive upside, and I'd love to see it put to use in Boston. But his defensive liabilities far outweigh the offense.
Now that this round of cuts has come and gone, things start to get evry interesting. Still 27 guys in camp fighting for 23 spots (max). Sadly, salary cap considerations are going to be a big factor. I assume Chilly's comments about a trade happening soon are going to pan out. Question is, who and for what? Guess we'll just have to stayed tuned. But right now, I'm beat....who knew watching a VP debate could be so tiring! G'night, and I'll check in later with my thoughts on how I'd like to see the roster shape up. - Kynch