B's Salvage .500 Road Trip

Technically, the Bruins come home .500 on this latest road trip, having gone 1-1-1. The recent trip is easy to see-saw on. On one hand, you had a decent showing against the best team in the Western Conference on the road and lost on a night where the defense was hampered by injury playing back-back games. Then to rebound, they corrected their mistakes (better neutral zone play, capitalized on scoring chances) and beat a divisional foe that was ahead of them in the standings 2-0. Not bad.

The flip side is that you went 0-2-2 before the Ottawa win last night and continue to show a lack of offense against weaker foes (2 goals combined against TOR/OTT makes NO sense at all).

Bergeron and Krejci are practically carrying the team at this point and that's NOT a good sign when you look at their half decent numbers:

Bergeron 9-18-27 +5; Krejci 7-12-19 -1.

Those aren't blowing anyone's hair back...and they are first and third respectively in team scoring. So we need what we've needed since day one this year: More production from the top 6 forwards. The Bruins have scored just 90 goals this year (only the Hurricanes have fewer) and last night, Marco Sturm netted his 10th of the year to become the first Bruin with double digits in the goal column. So how are we six games over .500? We've allowed the 5th fewest goals, as well. Despite Thomas' struggles, we're a +3 in goal differential.

I'm not breaking any new ground here, i recognize, but it goes to the heart of the matter to note that this Boston team is capable of bigger things. Are they a cup contender as comprised right now? No. But can they compete for the division and remain a top 6 team through to the deadline in February? Absolutely, so long as the offense comes around.

Up next: 3 straight against the Southeast (Atlanta, tomorrow at 7pm is up first).

The Matrix Has Swine Flu

Peter Chiarelli announced today that David Krejci has been diagnosed with everyone's favorite new communicable disease, H1N1. I personally know 4 peple who've had it and according to them, is sucks. Let's just say you lose a few pounds and get, eh, dehydrated.

There is a little bit of news media covering this disease too, so if you need more information make sure to watch any channel, at any point during the day.

Looks like he's out about a week and please for the love of god keep him away from the rest of the team. Just in time for the Habs tonight, too. Excellent!

Off Season Dolldrums: Episode 1 - Trade Rumors

Are you at all surprised that we haven't put anything in this space for the last month? Well, you shouldn't be. In fact, until the B's extended Krecji, I couldn't stomach reading about them. Now...I'm ready to start making the summer pass a bit quicker. Maybe a weekly post or something to keep the overwhelming masses at bay. All three of you.

Let's look at what's coming up...

The Bruins have some decisions to make in the next week. They have multiple RFA's (Kessel, Bitz to name two) who they will be tendering offers to and they have the draft this weekend. With the 25th overall pick, the Bruins are supposedly looking to move up. They certainly have chips to do so with guys like Kessel and Bergeron who they clearly haven't committed to long term (i dont care what Bergy's contract says...they aren't sold on him past Monday).

And now as I'm writing this i read the following from the Boston Globe:

"Boston's interest in acquiring Tomas Kaberle, reported here on Boston.com last night, took an interesting twist here today when TSN.ca's Bob McKenzie reported that the Bruins have offered Phil Kessel to the Leafs for Kaberle and the Leafs' seventh pick in tonight's NHL draft here at the Bell Center."

I texted my brother this news and he said "Maybe i'd jump on it for a 5th rounder". No Mike, not the 7th ROUND pick...the 7th OVERALL!

Kaberle is 31. He averages about 8 goals and 42 assists per season and is a career +43. He has two years remaining on a 5 year, $21.5 million deal he signed in February of 2006. Interesting to note that Kabrele and Ray Bourque have something in common...they are two of the four players to hit all four targets in just four shots in the skills competition at AllStar Weekend.

Interesting...More to come...

2008-2009 7th Player Award Winner Is ...

All three people listed above share something in common. Do you know what it is?

I know, I'll bet you first guess was that they were all Boston Bruins 7th Player Award winners, but you'd be wrong. The only guy above that has done that is David Krejci.

Yes, Saddam had a twisted wrister and Jessica really knew how to break the left wing lock. But the only 7th player winner was Krejci. Promise. Turns out they all were born on April 28th. Who knew?

But Enough about late ousted dictators and bionic women. Congratulations to David 'The One' Krejci on being voted the 7th Player Award Winner for 2009. He might have scuffled a little bit there but the numbers certainly were amazing this year for the second year pro*. Plus, now that he seems to have remembered how to play hockey we can start to count on him to consistently produce in the play-offs.

Here's hoping the Bruins can lock this kid up for a while - he's one hell of a center and might just be a guy that we can count on for years to come.

Oh, and some dude won a truck as a part of the ceremony, too. Good for him.

*I know, he played 6 games in 06-07. Doesn't count, ok?

Game Notes Haiku: Bruins Ruin Another Jersey Retirement, Down Canes 5-1

We'll take the big win
but maybe more important
Krejci is the one