This is parts 6,7,8 all together because I planned this out poorly so I am going to post my previous attempt at the second round and then show the changes I am making after the completion of the first round. Called the Pats taking Solder who is better than me? Who cares if it was the wrong pick and round.
33. New England- Nate Solder OT Colorado- The Pats always get O-line help unless they trade this pick which is always a possibility with 24 hours to work with
-Update- Brooks Reed DE/OLB Arizona
34. Buffalo- Marvin Austin DT UNC
35. Cincinnati- Andy Dalton TCU
36. Denver- Justin Houston DE Georgia
37. Cleveland - Jaball Sherad DE/OLB Pittsburgh
38. Arizona- Ras-I Dowling CB Virginia
39. Tennessee- Christian Ponder QB Florida State
-Update- Da' Quan Bowers Clemson DE
40. Dallas- Dontay Moch OLB Nevada
41. Washington- Colin Kapernick QB Nevada
42. Houston- Stephen Paea DT Oregon State
43.Minnesota- Allen Bailey DE Miami
44. Detroit- Randall Cobb KR/WR Kentucky
45. San Francisco- Torrey Smith WR/KR Maryland
46. Denver- Mikel Leshoure RB Illinois
47. St. Louis Rams- Martez Wilson LB Illinois
48. Oakland- Stefan Wisniewski G Penn State
49. Jacksonville- Jon Baldwin WR Pitt
50. San Diego- Danny Watkins G Baylor
51. Tampa Bay- Ryan Williams RB VT
52. New York Giants- Rahim Moore S UCLA
53. Indy- Marcus Cannon G TCU
54. Philly- Orlando Frankling OG Miami
55. KC- Rodney Hudson G Florida State
56. New England- Sam Acho DE Texas
57. Seattle- Titus Young WR Boise State
58. Baltimore- Jerril Jernigan WR Troy
59. Atlanta- Rodney Hudson G Florida State
60. New England- Brandon Harris CB Miami
61. San Diego-Davon House CB New Mexico
62. Chicago- Will Rackely OT Leheigh
63. Pittsburgh- James Carpenter OT alabama
64. Green Bay- Christian Ballard DT Iowa
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
2011 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Picks(1-6)
Here is part five of the eight part series and the my last predictions before the first round starts in T minus three hours.
1. Carolina- Cam Newton QB Auburn - Newton isn’t the best player in the draft but Carolina is picking first for a reason. They are going to take the guy that will sell tickets and have the best chance of winning games this season. This won’t be the best thing for the long term though(read Vince Young situation). They should take Blaine Gabbert here but they won’t.(No that isn't a mug shot above. Cam Newton is a saint!)
2. Denver- Marcell Dareus DT ‘Bama- This DT had the better combine between him and state rival DT Nick Fairley. Denver was last in the league with only 23 sacks last year. This pick along with the return of Elvis Dummervil should put them back among the league leaders.
3.Buffalo- Von Miller OLB Texas A&M -Buffalo management year after year make foolish first round picks. They should take Newton or Gabbert here depending on who is left but they won’t because they are the dumbest team in the league.
4. Cincinnati- Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri- Carson Palmer has made it clear that he isn’t coming back no matter what the Bengals do or say with or without a lockout. A franchise QB is a must here.
5. Arizona- Patrick Peterson CB LSU- Larry Fitzgerald threatened management to not take a young QB here instead of signing a veteran. Management will listen and simply take the best defensive player available.
6. Cleveland- AJ Green WR Georgia- This is the best WR available in the draft and if he slips to Cleveland they will take him to reward Colt McCoy who has been organizing team workout during the lockout.
Bring On Broad Street
Well done Bruins...well done.
Okay, so my 6-game prediction might be out the window, but that was one hell of a series. Out of all of the playoff series of any sport I've watched, that was one I certainly won't be forgetting any time soon. I don't want to stir up any bad memories for Red Sox fans, but it actually made me think of the 2003 ALCS series between the Yankees and Sox. The bitter rivalry, the talent between the two teams, the deafening crowds, the desire to win, the back-and-forth, the game 7 winner in extra time...
EDIT: it should be noted I am NOT trying to make remarks about New York winning, I just wanted to highlight how similar the atmosphere of both series are.
I'm gonna do a short review of the game only because I want to put my insights on the series as a whole, and rant about Philadelphia scum for a bit.
This game was just intense. The first period showcased a ruthless Bruins offense, scoring two goals in the first ten minutes, and some great defensive work from Chara and fellow defensemen. The Habs kept up their great special teams units however, and scored on the powerplay soon thereafter, and then tied it in the second on a shorthanded breakaway from Plekanec. Both teams would score again in the third, and bring it to overtime, where Horton would find the back of the net and extend the Bruins season.
This was a series that, I think, to most Bruins fans, was better than winning the Stanley Cup. The Bruins and Habs rivalry dates back to the 1950's, and has been getting nastier and nastier ever since. This 5 or so years, however, has heightened this rivalry to places never seen. Between Habs fans disrespecting America, to Steve Begin breaking Marc Savard's back in a preseason game (couldn't find a video), to Chara shattering Paccioretty, these are two teams with nothing but bad blood between them. The worst part for Bruins fans is how they hate these guys so much, and do fairly well against them in the regular season, but will continue to get pounded by them in the playoffs. To have a bitter rival beat you in the playoffs time and time again is a shitty feeling, and Bruins fans are sick of the Habs. This was a series of redemption for them. If they don't win a single game against Philly (fingers crossed they do though), I feel that fans of the Black and Gold won't be all that disappointed. There's something to be said about knocking out the Habs in Boston. Something to be said for "Dirty Water" to be playing while the Habs hold their heads in defeat while the Bruins celebrate. There's something to be said for the Bruins finally being able to say "we won." against these guys. This was a series that will be in hearts and minds of Bruins fans for a long time to come.
Jack Edwards says it best. I could shed the manliest tear to that video.
On to the next one. Philadelphia. Ohhhh Philly.....where do I begin. As you all know, I am in fact a New York Rangers fan, which, by default, means I feel no shame wishing harm upon any Philadelphia athlete. I absolutely HATE anything and everything associated with the Philadelphia Flyers. Everything. I loop Philadelphia sports with BC and NU sports. I would rather sit in a room filled with Eagleboys talking about Jerry York and how he deserves a key to the city of Boston than listen to a Flyers fan open his mouth. When the Flyers and Bruins squared off in Boston for the Winter Classic, Boston was infested. I went to the Museum of Science that weekend...it was like being in a city filled with roaches who smell like shit and talk like morons. Everywhere you looked, there was a fucking Flyers fan. It was brutal. These fans are people who enjoy cheap and dirty play, and who are completely disrespectful. I want gloves dropped. I want penalty minutes skyrocketed. From their god-awful jerseys to their overtly cheap playing style (which rivals the Islanders, another team who I have no qualms wishing bad things upon), this is just a group of assholes, and they aren't worth the chair that I'm sitting in. Their fans are an infestation, and I sincerely hope that a couple Philly fans get a Boston fist in their mouths when they come up for the games in Boston.
Fuck the Flyers. Time to get loud, Bruins fans. You might not hate them as much as the Habs, but I know you hate the Broad StreetPussies Bullies, and they gotta know it.
Chara, do what you must this series.
Okay, so my 6-game prediction might be out the window, but that was one hell of a series. Out of all of the playoff series of any sport I've watched, that was one I certainly won't be forgetting any time soon. I don't want to stir up any bad memories for Red Sox fans, but it actually made me think of the 2003 ALCS series between the Yankees and Sox. The bitter rivalry, the talent between the two teams, the deafening crowds, the desire to win, the back-and-forth, the game 7 winner in extra time...
EDIT: it should be noted I am NOT trying to make remarks about New York winning, I just wanted to highlight how similar the atmosphere of both series are.
I'm gonna do a short review of the game only because I want to put my insights on the series as a whole, and rant about Philadelphia scum for a bit.
This game was just intense. The first period showcased a ruthless Bruins offense, scoring two goals in the first ten minutes, and some great defensive work from Chara and fellow defensemen. The Habs kept up their great special teams units however, and scored on the powerplay soon thereafter, and then tied it in the second on a shorthanded breakaway from Plekanec. Both teams would score again in the third, and bring it to overtime, where Horton would find the back of the net and extend the Bruins season.
This was a series that, I think, to most Bruins fans, was better than winning the Stanley Cup. The Bruins and Habs rivalry dates back to the 1950's, and has been getting nastier and nastier ever since. This 5 or so years, however, has heightened this rivalry to places never seen. Between Habs fans disrespecting America, to Steve Begin breaking Marc Savard's back in a preseason game (couldn't find a video), to Chara shattering Paccioretty, these are two teams with nothing but bad blood between them. The worst part for Bruins fans is how they hate these guys so much, and do fairly well against them in the regular season, but will continue to get pounded by them in the playoffs. To have a bitter rival beat you in the playoffs time and time again is a shitty feeling, and Bruins fans are sick of the Habs. This was a series of redemption for them. If they don't win a single game against Philly (fingers crossed they do though), I feel that fans of the Black and Gold won't be all that disappointed. There's something to be said about knocking out the Habs in Boston. Something to be said for "Dirty Water" to be playing while the Habs hold their heads in defeat while the Bruins celebrate. There's something to be said for the Bruins finally being able to say "we won." against these guys. This was a series that will be in hearts and minds of Bruins fans for a long time to come.
Jack Edwards says it best. I could shed the manliest tear to that video.
On to the next one. Philadelphia. Ohhhh Philly.....where do I begin. As you all know, I am in fact a New York Rangers fan, which, by default, means I feel no shame wishing harm upon any Philadelphia athlete. I absolutely HATE anything and everything associated with the Philadelphia Flyers. Everything. I loop Philadelphia sports with BC and NU sports. I would rather sit in a room filled with Eagleboys talking about Jerry York and how he deserves a key to the city of Boston than listen to a Flyers fan open his mouth. When the Flyers and Bruins squared off in Boston for the Winter Classic, Boston was infested. I went to the Museum of Science that weekend...it was like being in a city filled with roaches who smell like shit and talk like morons. Everywhere you looked, there was a fucking Flyers fan. It was brutal. These fans are people who enjoy cheap and dirty play, and who are completely disrespectful. I want gloves dropped. I want penalty minutes skyrocketed. From their god-awful jerseys to their overtly cheap playing style (which rivals the Islanders, another team who I have no qualms wishing bad things upon), this is just a group of assholes, and they aren't worth the chair that I'm sitting in. Their fans are an infestation, and I sincerely hope that a couple Philly fans get a Boston fist in their mouths when they come up for the games in Boston.
Fuck the Flyers. Time to get loud, Bruins fans. You might not hate them as much as the Habs, but I know you hate the Broad Street
Chara, do what you must this series.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
2011 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Picks(7-13)
Here is part four of the eight-part series of my mock NFL draft
7. San Francisco- Robert Quinn DE/OLB UNC- San Fran needs a pass rusher here with not franchise QB’s left for former QB now coach Jim Harbaugh to take control of.
8. Tennessee- Julio Jones WR ‘Bama- Titans failed with the Randy Moss experiment last year so look for them to solve this issue here or go with Nick Fairley to play the nose.
9. Dallas- Nick Fairley DT Auburn - Jerry Jones always makes a spash in the first round with a big name who may not be a great fit or have the off-the-field issues. Fairley is pretty clean besides Auburn’s trees getting poisoned by a crazy Alabama fan but is still a headline pick at #9.
10. Washington- Aldon Smith DE/OLB Missouri - The Redskins need a pass rusher too bad to pass on Smith here. Guy is a beast on the edge
11. Houston- J.J. Watt DE/DT Wisconsin- The Texans needs a five technique guy for Wade Phillips’ new D in Houston and Watt is the perfect guy in this system.
12. Minnesota- Tyron Smith OT USC- The Vikings would love to see Smith here to open up some holes for Adrian Peterson and protect whoever the QB is next year in Minneapolis.
13. Detroit- Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska -The Lions need help everywhere but especially the secondary after what Deion Branch did to him on Thanksgiving.
7. San Francisco- Robert Quinn DE/OLB UNC- San Fran needs a pass rusher here with not franchise QB’s left for former QB now coach Jim Harbaugh to take control of.
8. Tennessee- Julio Jones WR ‘Bama- Titans failed with the Randy Moss experiment last year so look for them to solve this issue here or go with Nick Fairley to play the nose.
9. Dallas- Nick Fairley DT Auburn - Jerry Jones always makes a spash in the first round with a big name who may not be a great fit or have the off-the-field issues. Fairley is pretty clean besides Auburn’s trees getting poisoned by a crazy Alabama fan but is still a headline pick at #9.
10. Washington- Aldon Smith DE/OLB Missouri - The Redskins need a pass rusher too bad to pass on Smith here. Guy is a beast on the edge
11. Houston- J.J. Watt DE/DT Wisconsin- The Texans needs a five technique guy for Wade Phillips’ new D in Houston and Watt is the perfect guy in this system.
12. Minnesota- Tyron Smith OT USC- The Vikings would love to see Smith here to open up some holes for Adrian Peterson and protect whoever the QB is next year in Minneapolis.
13. Detroit- Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska -The Lions need help everywhere but especially the secondary after what Deion Branch did to him on Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Rock Chalk Terriers: A Couple Of Things
Couple links from that from the last couple days that might be of interest to BU Terriers hoops fans:
NBA blogger Chris Dortch features John Holland in an article looking at who might be the NBA's next Wes Matthews (a player who will come out of nowhere to do fantastic in the league). A good write up, being in company with E'twaun Moore is pretty cool any day.
Also, the FreeP has an article (part 1 of 2) on Patrick Hazel's path from NYC to Marquette to BU. Can't wait for the second half!
2011 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Picks(14-19)
This is part 3 of an eight part series previewing the 2011 NFL Draft that starts Thursday at 8 eastern time on ESPN. Here are picks 14-19
14. St. Louis- Corey Liuget DT Illinois- The Rams need help up front and this big fella does that for sure.
15. Miami- Mike Pouncey C Florida -If the Dolphins stay here they take him but expect a trade out of the first round with no second round picks
16. Jacksonville- Jake Locker QB Washington- The Jags need a QB to replace old man Garrard eventually. Look for that answer right here.
17. New England Patriots- Cameron Jordan DE/DT California- This is a Richard Seymour like guy and that obviously worked out well for the Pats. Kinda fitting that this is one of the picks they got for Seymour.
18. San Diego Chargers- Da’ Quan Bowers DE Clemson- This is a special guy in the first round as he is a pure pass rusher.
19. New York Giants- Anthony Castanzo OT Newton University(Boston College)- I hate the Giants. I hate BC. They take players from BC all the time. End of story..next pick
14. St. Louis- Corey Liuget DT Illinois- The Rams need help up front and this big fella does that for sure.
15. Miami- Mike Pouncey C Florida -If the Dolphins stay here they take him but expect a trade out of the first round with no second round picks
16. Jacksonville- Jake Locker QB Washington- The Jags need a QB to replace old man Garrard eventually. Look for that answer right here.
17. New England Patriots- Cameron Jordan DE/DT California- This is a Richard Seymour like guy and that obviously worked out well for the Pats. Kinda fitting that this is one of the picks they got for Seymour.
18. San Diego Chargers- Da’ Quan Bowers DE Clemson- This is a special guy in the first round as he is a pure pass rusher.
19. New York Giants- Anthony Castanzo OT Newton University(Boston College)- I hate the Giants. I hate BC. They take players from BC all the time. End of story..next pick
Monday, April 25, 2011
2011 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Picks(20-25)
This is part two of my eight part series previewing the NFL Draft which views on ESPN Thursday night at 8:00 eastern time.
20. Tampa Bay- Cameron Heyward DT/DE UNC- This is because J.J. Watt is off the board here and TB needs D-line help.
21. Kanasa City - Gabe Carimir OT Wisconsin- KC has a huge hole at left tackle and look to fill it here with the big fella from Wisconsin
22. Indianapolis- Derrok Sherrod OT -Mississippi State - The Colts will do whatever Peyton says. Peyton says watch my fucking blinde side please.
23. Philly- Jimmy Smith CB Colorado- I like Smith here as the two lineman Reid would want are off the board. Andy Reid loves cornerbacks with off the field issues.
24. New Orleans- Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue- Good sport for the blue collar DE out Purdue to fall if he isn't picked before this spot like he has on many boards.
25. Seattle- Muhammad Wilkerson DT Temple - Seattle is losing their crappy DT to free agency so they will look to fill that need here.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saponari commits to Northeastern, Cronin on his way out?
The Hockey East coaching carousel continues as sources are telling the Sieves the Day blog that Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin is leaving the school to pursue a professional coaching job. This is a surprise move for the coach who just finished his sixth season on Huntington Ave. He was suspended from mid February to the end of the regular season due to NCAA violations about illegal contact with recruits. Don't have to worry about those in the pro's now do we? The NCAA still never announced a final ruling on Cronin which makes this even more interesting. If it is a high profile job, I will say it is the right move but if its an assistant to an AHL team then he straight-up ran away from the issue. Atleast he can take his idea of grabbing opposing players to the professional ranks and a goon in the AHL will beat him to a pulp which always makes a good Youtube video.
Northeastern will now be the third team in the conference to replace a head coach this off-season as PC and UMASS-Lowell named their new coaches(Nate Leaman and Norm Bazin) this past Thursday and Friday respectively.
This news comes on the same night as forward BU forward Vinny Saponari committed to the school for next season. This news come as no surprise as Saponari made it obvious he wanted to return to Hockey East to get back at BU,preferably at another school in Boston. Once the holy ones down the road in Newton rejected his stellar academic history, Northeastern was the obvious choice. This should certainly spice up the NU-BU games next year if they needed any spicing up considering how the season ended this year. Saponari is an arrogant prick who disrespected his school,coach, and teemates. He is going to make the NU-BU games that much sweeter when BU wins and ...well that is the only option the next two seasons with Saponari on the other side. He may have all of his fans in Dubuque(home of his USHL team) feeling bad for him but BU fans surely do not feel bad for the opportunity he squandered away here with a series of poor decisions. All I have left to say is cue Exhibit A of his stupidity.
P.S. He is going to have to change some of the lyrics in there.
Northeastern will now be the third team in the conference to replace a head coach this off-season as PC and UMASS-Lowell named their new coaches(Nate Leaman and Norm Bazin) this past Thursday and Friday respectively.
This news comes on the same night as forward BU forward Vinny Saponari committed to the school for next season. This news come as no surprise as Saponari made it obvious he wanted to return to Hockey East to get back at BU,preferably at another school in Boston. Once the holy ones down the road in Newton rejected his stellar academic history, Northeastern was the obvious choice. This should certainly spice up the NU-BU games next year if they needed any spicing up considering how the season ended this year. Saponari is an arrogant prick who disrespected his school,coach, and teemates. He is going to make the NU-BU games that much sweeter when BU wins and ...well that is the only option the next two seasons with Saponari on the other side. He may have all of his fans in Dubuque(home of his USHL team) feeling bad for him but BU fans surely do not feel bad for the opportunity he squandered away here with a series of poor decisions. All I have left to say is cue Exhibit A of his stupidity.
P.S. He is going to have to change some of the lyrics in there.
2011 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Picks(26-32)
Here is the first part of my eight part series of previewing the first two rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. Here are picks (26-32) of the first round. I will first reveal the first round in five segments and the second round in three after the first round is complete.
26. Baltimore- Justin Houston DE Georgia -Baltimore is looking a key defensive lineman in this spot and this is perfect pick if Houston is available.
27. Atlanta- Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame- Tony Gonzalez is like a bazillion years old and needs a replacement to groom.
28. New England- Mark Ingram RB Bama- The Pats will probably trade down here but in case they don’t I’ll go with Ingram who has great value at this spot if he is here. He would be the first RB off the board and seems to fit the Patriots mold of character and hard work.
29. Chicago- Benjamin Ijalana OT/G Villanova- Chicago needs OL help to protect Cutler since if someone almost touches him, he'll be out for weeks.
30. New York Jets- Brooks Reid OLB/DE Arizona- The Jets need OLB/DE help as Jason Taylor is getting to "near death" status because he is so old.
31. Pittsburgh- Aaron Williams FS Texas- most athletic safety in the draft fits perfectly in the Steelers secondary along with Troy "Needs a haircut" Polamalu.
32. Green Bay- Akeem Ayers OLB UCLA- The Packers need an upgrade across from Clay Matthews on the pass rush.
Stay tuned for part two coming tomorrow night with picks 20-25 coming tomorrow night for you.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
4 Hours Later...
What. A. Win.
I have NEVER heard that rink so loud as when they just won. What a game. I think I can honestly say that is one of the greatest games of hockey I have ever seen. I don't even know where to start with this one. Between Thomas' 44 saves, Price's 49, Michael Ryder's glove save, and some of the best defense I have ever seen, this was one for the record books.
I'm pretty sure I can hear Bostonians all the way up here in New Hampshire.
Let's break this epic marathon of a game down.
The atmosphere that was in the Garden after Rene Rancourt finished the national anthem was intense. You could tell that this place was psyched, and the players and the fans were ready. The first puck was dropped, and away we went. Right off the bat, the Habs were getting a ton of offense going, and PK Subban had a couple of shots in right in the first minute. After the first minute though, the Habs slowed down a ton and the Bruins got their gears in motion, and never slowed down. They started off with some great shots on Price, and just absolutely out-working the Canadiens skaters. Price was the only thing that kept them going during this period. At 11:57 came a moment that I don't think I'm gonna be forgetting any time soon...the Habs started putting tremendous pressure on Thomas, I mean, he was absolutely beat by them. The puck was to the left of Thomas, and he was down trying to get it, when the Habs moved the puck to the right, and Plekanec taks a shot on a wide open net and SCOR- oh wait, Michael Ryder slides in and literally makes a glove save (I can't believe there's already a video up). Absolutely unreal. The first period ended with both goaltenders making their presence known.
The first puck drop of the second yielded the Bruins generating offense right off of the start this time, and were getting shots in within the first minute. Both teams were showcasing great defensive play, but the Bruins were really doing well. They were doing a fantastic job knocking players off of the puck, and even taking the body to block the puck. Again, I have to note how I am consistently amazed by the Bruin's forechecking abilities. They were doing some incredible work with that this period, and it was paying off in the form of tremendous offensive pressure. About halfway through the second period, after being just beaten down, the Habs finally were generating some offensive chances, and were threatening to take the first lead of the game. With 52.1 seconds left in the 2nd, tempers boiled over, and there was a violent exchange in the front of the net, which led to a bit of a brawl in front of price, resulting in penalties to both teams.
Right off of the 3rd period faceoff, offense was king. The amount of pressure and chances both teams were generating was unbelievable. The only thing more impressive was the goaltending. Thomas and Price were absolutely amazing in the crease. The first goalie to falter was Price. 15:27 in the 3rd, Brad Marchand scored off of a broken stick feed from Bergeron which just floated across the crease in front of Price. There was not a thing Price could do but watch. This was a huge goal, and the Garden knew it. I could barely heard Brick and Edwards. Offense for the Black and Gold did not cease, and Marchand was getting more and more shots on net. With 6:04 left in the third, however, the Habs sticks found the back of the net, and Halpern tied it on a quick feed from Darche.
On to overtime.
The overtime period started and both teams got to work. I noticed the fatigue set in fairly early for both teams, but both netminders still played like they were 100% fresh. Both teams were getting little spurts of offense, but around halfway through, I had a suspicion that we'd be seeing a double overtime. Both goalies had some scary moments, at 16:00, Thomas came out to save the puck, but it got picked off by a Montreal forward, but was quickly steered out of harms way by the impressive Bruins defense. At 11:52, Price, while trying to pass the puck, completely whiffs on it, and Marchand almost tapped it in for his second goal. The rest of the first overtime went off fairly uneventfully, and on to the second OT we went.
The second OT started, and you could tell, these guys were EXHAUSTED. Sloppy puck control, tough turnovers, and bad passes were all present. One thing that stayed though? Excellent goaltending. The Habs got a huge breakaway, and with what should have been a clearcut goal turned into possibly the greatest save by Tim Thomas I have EVER seen. Then, at 10:57, in double overtime, Nathan Horton puts the puck past a helpless Price on a huge rebound right in front.
This game was unbelievable. It boosts the Bruins in series, and puts Montreal in a tough spot. Cannot wait for game 6.
I have NEVER heard that rink so loud as when they just won. What a game. I think I can honestly say that is one of the greatest games of hockey I have ever seen. I don't even know where to start with this one. Between Thomas' 44 saves, Price's 49, Michael Ryder's glove save, and some of the best defense I have ever seen, this was one for the record books.
I'm pretty sure I can hear Bostonians all the way up here in New Hampshire.
Let's break this epic marathon of a game down.
The atmosphere that was in the Garden after Rene Rancourt finished the national anthem was intense. You could tell that this place was psyched, and the players and the fans were ready. The first puck was dropped, and away we went. Right off the bat, the Habs were getting a ton of offense going, and PK Subban had a couple of shots in right in the first minute. After the first minute though, the Habs slowed down a ton and the Bruins got their gears in motion, and never slowed down. They started off with some great shots on Price, and just absolutely out-working the Canadiens skaters. Price was the only thing that kept them going during this period. At 11:57 came a moment that I don't think I'm gonna be forgetting any time soon...the Habs started putting tremendous pressure on Thomas, I mean, he was absolutely beat by them. The puck was to the left of Thomas, and he was down trying to get it, when the Habs moved the puck to the right, and Plekanec taks a shot on a wide open net and SCOR- oh wait, Michael Ryder slides in and literally makes a glove save (I can't believe there's already a video up). Absolutely unreal. The first period ended with both goaltenders making their presence known.
The first puck drop of the second yielded the Bruins generating offense right off of the start this time, and were getting shots in within the first minute. Both teams were showcasing great defensive play, but the Bruins were really doing well. They were doing a fantastic job knocking players off of the puck, and even taking the body to block the puck. Again, I have to note how I am consistently amazed by the Bruin's forechecking abilities. They were doing some incredible work with that this period, and it was paying off in the form of tremendous offensive pressure. About halfway through the second period, after being just beaten down, the Habs finally were generating some offensive chances, and were threatening to take the first lead of the game. With 52.1 seconds left in the 2nd, tempers boiled over, and there was a violent exchange in the front of the net, which led to a bit of a brawl in front of price, resulting in penalties to both teams.
Right off of the 3rd period faceoff, offense was king. The amount of pressure and chances both teams were generating was unbelievable. The only thing more impressive was the goaltending. Thomas and Price were absolutely amazing in the crease. The first goalie to falter was Price. 15:27 in the 3rd, Brad Marchand scored off of a broken stick feed from Bergeron which just floated across the crease in front of Price. There was not a thing Price could do but watch. This was a huge goal, and the Garden knew it. I could barely heard Brick and Edwards. Offense for the Black and Gold did not cease, and Marchand was getting more and more shots on net. With 6:04 left in the third, however, the Habs sticks found the back of the net, and Halpern tied it on a quick feed from Darche.
On to overtime.
The overtime period started and both teams got to work. I noticed the fatigue set in fairly early for both teams, but both netminders still played like they were 100% fresh. Both teams were getting little spurts of offense, but around halfway through, I had a suspicion that we'd be seeing a double overtime. Both goalies had some scary moments, at 16:00, Thomas came out to save the puck, but it got picked off by a Montreal forward, but was quickly steered out of harms way by the impressive Bruins defense. At 11:52, Price, while trying to pass the puck, completely whiffs on it, and Marchand almost tapped it in for his second goal. The rest of the first overtime went off fairly uneventfully, and on to the second OT we went.
The second OT started, and you could tell, these guys were EXHAUSTED. Sloppy puck control, tough turnovers, and bad passes were all present. One thing that stayed though? Excellent goaltending. The Habs got a huge breakaway, and with what should have been a clearcut goal turned into possibly the greatest save by Tim Thomas I have EVER seen. Then, at 10:57, in double overtime, Nathan Horton puts the puck past a helpless Price on a huge rebound right in front.
This game was unbelievable. It boosts the Bruins in series, and puts Montreal in a tough spot. Cannot wait for game 6.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Hockey East fills two vacant coaching positions
The two bottom Hockey East teams from last season filled their coaching vacancies in the last 24 hours. First, UMASS-Lowell filled their coaching void with the hiring of Norm Bazin. Bazin, is an alum from the class of 1994 and has coached at Lowell(as an assistant), Colorado College(associate head coach), and D-III Hamilton(head coach). Bazin comes in to replace the recently fired Blaise MacDonald who lead the River Hawks to a last place finish in HE and 55 out of 58 teams in RPI nationally. Bazin looks to return Lowell to glory for the first time since Micky Ward was still fighting...I'll believe it when I see the results on the ice, but seems like a good hire to make Lowell competitive once again. It was a fast fall for MacDonald as his team was a controversial goal call in the 2009 HE championship game against BU(thank you Benedetto and Comissioner Bertagna) from grabbing an automatic at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. These last two seasons didn't go quite as well and now he is out and Bazin is to begin the new era in Lowell.
The other cellar team from HE,Providence College, announced today the hiring of former Union head coach Nate Leaman. Leaman was one of three finalists along with former BU associate head coach and Cranston,RI native David Quinn and Newton College associate head coach(read York's successor) Mike Cavanaugh. Quinn is the current coach of the Lake Erie AHL team and is in the middle of a playoff series which could have been a factor to go with Leaman. Union has since announced that it will replace Leaman with associate head coach Rick Bennett.
LET'S GO.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Expect to hear this from Jack Edwards soon.
Alright, I gotta say, while this was not the prettiest win for the Black and Gold this season/postseason, this was a win that felt great. To Bruins fans - Michael Ryder is a hero, and that was a phenomenal goal, BUT, this is a game that, no pun intended, they barely skated away with. This was an absolute rollercoaster of a game, and in the postseason, rollercoaster games should be avoided. Let's break this game down.
The first period struck some serious fear in the hearts of Bruins fans. Right off the first faceoff, the Bruins were looking out of it. I was hoping we would be seeing a repeat of Monday's efforts, with the Bruins just absolutely flying with the throttle wide open. I was disappointed to see what I was seeing. The Bruins, right from the start, were playing catch-up hockey. The Habs were dominating the Bruins with offense, and were generating way too many chances. Thomas was looking good, but a goalie who is getting ZERO defensive support can only do so much, and at 11:47 in the first, he was outworked. Deep in the slot, Brent Sopel teed off on a feed from behind the net, and tallied the first score of the game. The Bruins continue to drive their special teams stats in this postseason further into the ground. They are now 0-12 on the powerplay this series, and their penalty kill allowed a Habs powerplay. They needed to step it up.
I don't know what Claude Julien said to his squad in the locker room in between the first and second periods, but it got them fired up, and the second period showcased a more focused Bruins team. Just 2 minutes and 13 seconds into the first period, and Michael Ryder scored the equalizer on a wrist shot, and gave some hope to the B's fans out there. Their hope was quickly subdued when Cammalleri and Kostitsyn scored within a minute of eachother, and made it 3-1. I have to give the Bruins some credit here because they flat out refused to quit, and while it was not their best showing out of this series, they played this period with a lot of heart. At 10:01, Ferrence shot an absolute laser from the point, and cut the lead down to 1 goal. Both teams had stepped things up hugely this period, and were giving it their all. There was lots of physical play, players giving up the body to block the puck, and forechecking the shit out eachother, and I gotta say, it was a great period. With 2:56 left in the second, Patrice Bergeron forced the score to get knotted up again, and the Bell Centre fell quiet.
The third period was one of the most nerve-racking periods of hockey I've seen. Both of these teams were absolutely battling each other, and it was great to watch. The Bruins momentum from Bergeron's goal was cut when only 1:39 into the third, the wunderkid PK Subban scored a powerplay goal and gave the Habs the advantage. Again, I saw no Bruins hanging their heads, I saw no giving-up attitude, and saw no lack of drive when they went down. They fought through, and were rewarded for their drive in the form of a Chris Kelly rebound goal. I know rebound goals are often considered "garbage goals", but I gotta give Kelly respect for this goal. The puck was absolutely buried underneath Bruins skaters, Habs skaters, and Price, all trying to fight for it, and Kelly never lost sight of it, and at 6:28, he tied it up. The third ended with a scary powerplay for the Habs, but Thomas would not open the door, and to overtime we went.
Not much to say about the overtime period, it was over in 1 minute and 59 seconds off of a Ryder wrist shot that saw its way over Price's right shoulder, and shattered the hopes of all of Montreal.
Guess what Habs. We're tied. That's right. You have ZERO advantage over us. You are coming off of losing two in a row in front of your own fans, and now...now you're stepping onto 100 Legends Way to play in front of some passionate Bostonians who want nothing more than for you to be embarrassed on the plane ride back to your country where you can't even say you made it past the first round. Sure the Habs fans might be loud. Sure they play in country where the sport was invented. But this is not their time (to be slightly Herb Brooks-esque). They've had their moment. Year after year, the Canadiens are the thorn in the Bruin's side, and every Bruins fan is SICK of it. Fuck the Habs. Shut them up for once. Nothing makes these ears happier than a Bell Centre that is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Also, check out how Boston responds when the Habs fans boo the national anthem back in '04
Expect to hear this from Jack Edwards soon.
Alright, I gotta say, while this was not the prettiest win for the Black and Gold this season/postseason, this was a win that felt great. To Bruins fans - Michael Ryder is a hero, and that was a phenomenal goal, BUT, this is a game that, no pun intended, they barely skated away with. This was an absolute rollercoaster of a game, and in the postseason, rollercoaster games should be avoided. Let's break this game down.
The first period struck some serious fear in the hearts of Bruins fans. Right off the first faceoff, the Bruins were looking out of it. I was hoping we would be seeing a repeat of Monday's efforts, with the Bruins just absolutely flying with the throttle wide open. I was disappointed to see what I was seeing. The Bruins, right from the start, were playing catch-up hockey. The Habs were dominating the Bruins with offense, and were generating way too many chances. Thomas was looking good, but a goalie who is getting ZERO defensive support can only do so much, and at 11:47 in the first, he was outworked. Deep in the slot, Brent Sopel teed off on a feed from behind the net, and tallied the first score of the game. The Bruins continue to drive their special teams stats in this postseason further into the ground. They are now 0-12 on the powerplay this series, and their penalty kill allowed a Habs powerplay. They needed to step it up.
I don't know what Claude Julien said to his squad in the locker room in between the first and second periods, but it got them fired up, and the second period showcased a more focused Bruins team. Just 2 minutes and 13 seconds into the first period, and Michael Ryder scored the equalizer on a wrist shot, and gave some hope to the B's fans out there. Their hope was quickly subdued when Cammalleri and Kostitsyn scored within a minute of eachother, and made it 3-1. I have to give the Bruins some credit here because they flat out refused to quit, and while it was not their best showing out of this series, they played this period with a lot of heart. At 10:01, Ferrence shot an absolute laser from the point, and cut the lead down to 1 goal. Both teams had stepped things up hugely this period, and were giving it their all. There was lots of physical play, players giving up the body to block the puck, and forechecking the shit out eachother, and I gotta say, it was a great period. With 2:56 left in the second, Patrice Bergeron forced the score to get knotted up again, and the Bell Centre fell quiet.
The third period was one of the most nerve-racking periods of hockey I've seen. Both of these teams were absolutely battling each other, and it was great to watch. The Bruins momentum from Bergeron's goal was cut when only 1:39 into the third, the wunderkid PK Subban scored a powerplay goal and gave the Habs the advantage. Again, I saw no Bruins hanging their heads, I saw no giving-up attitude, and saw no lack of drive when they went down. They fought through, and were rewarded for their drive in the form of a Chris Kelly rebound goal. I know rebound goals are often considered "garbage goals", but I gotta give Kelly respect for this goal. The puck was absolutely buried underneath Bruins skaters, Habs skaters, and Price, all trying to fight for it, and Kelly never lost sight of it, and at 6:28, he tied it up. The third ended with a scary powerplay for the Habs, but Thomas would not open the door, and to overtime we went.
Not much to say about the overtime period, it was over in 1 minute and 59 seconds off of a Ryder wrist shot that saw its way over Price's right shoulder, and shattered the hopes of all of Montreal.
Guess what Habs. We're tied. That's right. You have ZERO advantage over us. You are coming off of losing two in a row in front of your own fans, and now...now you're stepping onto 100 Legends Way to play in front of some passionate Bostonians who want nothing more than for you to be embarrassed on the plane ride back to your country where you can't even say you made it past the first round. Sure the Habs fans might be loud. Sure they play in country where the sport was invented. But this is not their time (to be slightly Herb Brooks-esque). They've had their moment. Year after year, the Canadiens are the thorn in the Bruin's side, and every Bruins fan is SICK of it. Fuck the Habs. Shut them up for once. Nothing makes these ears happier than a Bell Centre that is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Also, check out how Boston responds when the Habs fans boo the national anthem back in '04
Thursday, April 21, 2011
I Don't Know How to Say This...
...But tonight's Bruins game is kind of a big deal. No, it's not an elimination game yet. Yes, the season goes on even if they lose to the Habs tonight. But I'm telling you right now - the season will effectively be on the line when Game 4 begins tonight in Montreal.
If the Bruins win tonight and the series gets tied up 2-2 - it's a whole new ballgame. Forget the first 2 losses at the Garden, the series would effectively become a best of 3. Clean slate. Except, of course, that the Bruins would have all the momentum in the series, and would be headed back to Boston looking to take a 3-2 series lead. From there, they just have to win at home and they are moving on.
If the Bruins lose tonight, however, and go down 3-1 in the series, the season is over. This is not to say the Bruins would 100% be finished, but I'm betting it'll be pretty close to that if the Habs win tonight. Think about it - if the Canadians win tonight, they could literally not show up for game 5 in Boston and still wrap the series up in Montreal in game 6.
I know that there are plenty of people out there who would call me a traitor or not a true fan for giving up hope if the Bruins lose tonight. But let's call a spade a spade: the Bruins have looked relatively outmatched for most of this series. Sure, there's a period here or a period there where the B's have outplayed the Canadians, but for the most part Brian Gionta and his merry band of midgets have simply looked in control. Carey Price is getting hot at the right time, and the Habs skaters are controlling the neutral zone and winning battles. So why should I believe that the Bruins would be able to win 3 games straight (if they were to lose tonights)? I don't care if Tim Thomas regains his regular season form, he's still gonna give up a softy at some point and Carey Price will lock down his goal like a protective father guarding his teenage daughter.
That being said, this should be a fun game tonight. If you're any kind of Bruins fan at all, I'd tune in. You might just see the most important game of the season.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Finally.
Okay Boston, sleep easy tonight. With some unbelievable overall playing from the Bruins, the series is now 2-1. The Bruins might not be ahead in the series, or even tied, but it buys the team and its fans exactly what it needs - something to hold on to. If they had lost tonight, everyone would've counted the Bruins out. This means that one more win, and they're as good as their counterparts are. This was an incredibly solid win for the Black and Gold.
The first period started, and right off of the bat, there was a different feel to the way both teams were playing. The Bruins were just playing hard, and really looked like they wanted it. They were pushing the Montreal skaters off of the puck, driving hard to the net, and at 16:49 in the first, it paid off in the form of a Krejci goal. Bergeron picked off the puck, and fed it right across the crease to Krejci who put it past a defenseless Price.
The next ten minutes was filled with a lot of physical play. That's one thing I picked up on in this game. Sure these teams don't like each other, but it was evident tonight. I also think that this being Chara's first time back in Montreal since his hit on Paccioretty had something to do with the physical play.
At 5:22 in the first, Horton knocks the puck in, and, just as it crosses the goal line, gets knocked out by the Habs defenders. Replays showed that it clearly passed the goal line before it was knocked out, and the situation room up in Toronto agreed. Goal was called, and Horton lifted his team to a 2-0 lead.
At the end of the first, Boychuk got hit in the corner of the ice behind Price. While he was held up by a Habs skater, Pouliot comes over and jumps off the ice, and pegs Boychuk up high by the head. Ferrence saw this and immediately jumped to Boychuk's defense, and dropped the gloves. This was just a dirty dirty hit, and I cannot believe he didn't get anything more than a 2 minute charging penalty.
Not two minutes into the 2nd period and the Bruins capitalized yet again. The puck went in behind Price, who went out to play it. As soon as he passed it, it went into the hands of the Bruins, and Peverley scores on an unguarded net.
Not much for the next few minutes, then at 12:57, the Habs cut the lead down to 2 goals on a beautiful goal by Kostitsyn. This was an impressive bit of stick handling which led to a backhanded attempt that got through Thomas' five hole just fractions of a second before he would've stopped it.
I noticed that this period was huge for the Bruins, sticking to their theme of great second periods this postseason. They were generating shot after shot after shot, and putting so much pressure on Price and Habs defensemen. Thomas FINALLY looks like he's giving it his 100%, and looked phenomenal out there. There was speculation before the game over whether or not Tukka Rask would get a start in net once this series, and before tonight, I was hoping for it. But after tonight, if Thomas can play like that or better, I want him there each game.
The 3rd period yielded trouble for the Black and Gold. The Montreal offense was getting their fair share of shots in right off the start, and Thomas was coming up huge. At 15:52, Plekanec comes in to the left of Thomas and scores a great goal off of a pretty spin move. The Habs were getting shot after shot in on Thomas, and, besides that goal, he was looking great.
With the score 3-2, and time winding down, this game was getting intense. Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley had to pretty much yell to get heard over the Montreal crowd. With about a minute and 30 left, physicality was getting intense, and a couple Habs skaters were blatantly diving to try and draw penalties. After a particularly obvious dive, Jack Edwards lost his collective shit and starting yelling GET UP!!!! at the downed Canadien.
At 1:06, Price sprinted to the bench, and with 25.6 seconds left in the 3rd, Mark Recchi scores an empty netter, and extends the life of the Bruins.
This, to me, was a quintessential NHL Playoff hockey game. The crowd going insane, the teams clearly giving this game EVERYTHING they've got to win, the physicality, the fight, the goals...it was a phenomenally played game.
To the downhearted Bruins fans - THIS was that light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining, the glimmer of hope that you needed. Do not get down on this series. If the Black and Gold keeps up this playing style, their ticket to the Semifinals is written.
The first period started, and right off of the bat, there was a different feel to the way both teams were playing. The Bruins were just playing hard, and really looked like they wanted it. They were pushing the Montreal skaters off of the puck, driving hard to the net, and at 16:49 in the first, it paid off in the form of a Krejci goal. Bergeron picked off the puck, and fed it right across the crease to Krejci who put it past a defenseless Price.
The next ten minutes was filled with a lot of physical play. That's one thing I picked up on in this game. Sure these teams don't like each other, but it was evident tonight. I also think that this being Chara's first time back in Montreal since his hit on Paccioretty had something to do with the physical play.
At 5:22 in the first, Horton knocks the puck in, and, just as it crosses the goal line, gets knocked out by the Habs defenders. Replays showed that it clearly passed the goal line before it was knocked out, and the situation room up in Toronto agreed. Goal was called, and Horton lifted his team to a 2-0 lead.
At the end of the first, Boychuk got hit in the corner of the ice behind Price. While he was held up by a Habs skater, Pouliot comes over and jumps off the ice, and pegs Boychuk up high by the head. Ferrence saw this and immediately jumped to Boychuk's defense, and dropped the gloves. This was just a dirty dirty hit, and I cannot believe he didn't get anything more than a 2 minute charging penalty.
Not two minutes into the 2nd period and the Bruins capitalized yet again. The puck went in behind Price, who went out to play it. As soon as he passed it, it went into the hands of the Bruins, and Peverley scores on an unguarded net.
Not much for the next few minutes, then at 12:57, the Habs cut the lead down to 2 goals on a beautiful goal by Kostitsyn. This was an impressive bit of stick handling which led to a backhanded attempt that got through Thomas' five hole just fractions of a second before he would've stopped it.
I noticed that this period was huge for the Bruins, sticking to their theme of great second periods this postseason. They were generating shot after shot after shot, and putting so much pressure on Price and Habs defensemen. Thomas FINALLY looks like he's giving it his 100%, and looked phenomenal out there. There was speculation before the game over whether or not Tukka Rask would get a start in net once this series, and before tonight, I was hoping for it. But after tonight, if Thomas can play like that or better, I want him there each game.
The 3rd period yielded trouble for the Black and Gold. The Montreal offense was getting their fair share of shots in right off the start, and Thomas was coming up huge. At 15:52, Plekanec comes in to the left of Thomas and scores a great goal off of a pretty spin move. The Habs were getting shot after shot in on Thomas, and, besides that goal, he was looking great.
With the score 3-2, and time winding down, this game was getting intense. Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley had to pretty much yell to get heard over the Montreal crowd. With about a minute and 30 left, physicality was getting intense, and a couple Habs skaters were blatantly diving to try and draw penalties. After a particularly obvious dive, Jack Edwards lost his collective shit and starting yelling GET UP!!!! at the downed Canadien.
At 1:06, Price sprinted to the bench, and with 25.6 seconds left in the 3rd, Mark Recchi scores an empty netter, and extends the life of the Bruins.
This, to me, was a quintessential NHL Playoff hockey game. The crowd going insane, the teams clearly giving this game EVERYTHING they've got to win, the physicality, the fight, the goals...it was a phenomenally played game.
To the downhearted Bruins fans - THIS was that light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining, the glimmer of hope that you needed. Do not get down on this series. If the Black and Gold keeps up this playing style, their ticket to the Semifinals is written.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Red Hot, Round 3
Stumbled across this today on the BU Men's Hockey page:
"BOSTON - Following the sold-out tradition of 2007 and 2009, Boston University Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch and Cornell University's Meakem*Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education Andy Noel announced today that Red Hot Hockey will once again heat up the ice at Madison Square Garden on November 26, 2011, as Boston University and Cornell resume an 86 year-old rivalry in a non-conference NCAA Division I men's ice hockey match-up."
WOW. I honestly did not know they even did this in 2007 and 2009. Both years saw a sold out Madison Square Garden, and BU and Cornell squared off against 18,200 fans. In 2007, fans in the stands included "members of the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan and David Silk from Boston University". That is amazing. Imagine the power of Sections 108 and 118 yelling and screaming and losing their collective voice while the Terriers skate on the very ice that the likes of Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky played on.
I applied to transfer to BU next year, but even if I don't go (which I'm hoping does NOT happen), I'm gonna try like hell to get there. MSG is home to my team of choice (who extended their postseason today in a thriller against Washington. If this blog had anything to do with NY sports, I'd have a full review up of the game haha), and I would kill to see my favorite college team play there.
Tickets can be purchased here
Full story can be found here
Chris Connolly named captain of 2011-2012 BU hockey team
Chris Connolly will be the only captain of the BU Terriers mens ice hockey team next season. This was announced last night by Coach Jack Parker at the Friends of Boston University hockey banquet. My guess is it does not remain this way going into the season but Coach Parker sees no clear-cut leaders left on the team and will leave the assistant captain jobs open to who earns them.
It was also announced that the season opener will be against conference foe UNH on October 8 in Durham,NH. This is usually reserved for a non-conference games but must have been moved around depending on the non-conference opponents availability. Coach Parker also announced the following awards for the players.
Bennett McInnis Award for Spirit
- Joe Pereira for the second consecutive year. No surprise here as the captain was always the hardest working Terrier on the ice stopping at nothing to try to lead his team to victory.
Albert Sidd Unsung Hero Award
- read above
Ed Carpenter Award: Alex Chiasson-leading scorer
Most Improved Player Award: Justin Courtnall
Regina Eilberg Scholarship: Ryan Ruikka
Clifford P. Fitzgerald Scholarship: Sean Escobedo
Parker spoke at length about both seniors(Kraus and Pereira). He mentioned how great of a supporter Kraus was for Millan. He then spoked about Pereira and his work ethic while also joking he has been lobbying for a job on the coaching staff for next season.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Really...?
Seriously Bruins? Gonna make me look like an idiot with my predictions? As Jack Edwards said at the end of the game, "No one saw this coming..."
This was a rough game even from before the first puck drop. Zdeno Chara was hospitalized last night for dehydration, and while he did skate with the team earlier today, he was not given medical clearance to play today. So right off the bat, the Bruins lose, not only their captain, but the largest offensive generator they have. This game was doomed from the start.
Within the first 30 seconds of the game, the Habs already were getting chances in front of Thomas. 43 seconds after the first puck drop, Cammalleri nets a rebound, and lifts Montreal to a 1-0 lead. I do not know what is going on with Thomas, but he's just looking lazy out there. When he drops to the butterfly to make a save he takes way longer than I've seen to recover. It's little stuff like that that can cost teams games. At 18:15, he almost lets in another goal because of that laziness.
After Seidenberg went off for an interference call, the Canadiens scored again, Darche this time netting it.
Price was looking phenomenal yet again, just dominating the Bruins whenever they got a chance in front of the net.
The Bruin's offense wasn't terrible, but it could've been a lot better. They did get a fair amount of shots in, and I have to say, even though they didn't score on the powerplay, their powerplay offense was impressive. They moved the puck around really well, and got a fair amount of shots in.
The second period took awhile to get going, but the Bruins looked promising. After a great penalty kill with some impressive forechecking, they finally net one. Bergeron got a feed right across the crease, and Price had zero chance. Only 13 seconds later, the Bruins almost capitalized AGAIN on, what looked like, a very shaken-up Price, but they were denied. The Bruins were getting insanely unlucky this game, getting a couple shots that made it past Price, but wound up hitting the post instead.
At 2:39 in the second, Weber scores on a rebound and gives Montreal a third goal. This goal was just a trainwreck. The puck was shot on net and instantly kicked to the right by Thomas. The Bruins defense, instead of trying to get the puck out of there, were just trying to put pressure on the Montreal skaters, which would lead to Weber getting his stick on it, and tagging it past Thomas. Tough goal.
I missed the first 6 minutes of the third cause I was on a McD's run...oops...
The third period can be summed up in one word for the Bruins - Frustration. These guys were just so desperate at this point, but it wasn't enough. They had a couple of nice chances, but it was not nearly enough to turn it around.
I gotta say, without Chara tonight, I think they took quite a hit, and going into Montreal for two games, when they're down two? Not looking good for the Black and Gold.
One note about this series so far - PK Subban, rookie defenseman on the Habs, is making a name for himself, but not necessarily a good one. I like this kid because I think hes got a tremendous amount of talent and potential, but my god kid, you're a rookie. He tries starting things up with guys who have been playing WAY longer than he has, and has made an enemy of someone you never want to be enemies with - Milan Lucic. There's clearly some huge tension between these guys, and all I'm gonna say is, there's no "Subban Fight Club" yet. Back down kid.
This was a rough game even from before the first puck drop. Zdeno Chara was hospitalized last night for dehydration, and while he did skate with the team earlier today, he was not given medical clearance to play today. So right off the bat, the Bruins lose, not only their captain, but the largest offensive generator they have. This game was doomed from the start.
Within the first 30 seconds of the game, the Habs already were getting chances in front of Thomas. 43 seconds after the first puck drop, Cammalleri nets a rebound, and lifts Montreal to a 1-0 lead. I do not know what is going on with Thomas, but he's just looking lazy out there. When he drops to the butterfly to make a save he takes way longer than I've seen to recover. It's little stuff like that that can cost teams games. At 18:15, he almost lets in another goal because of that laziness.
After Seidenberg went off for an interference call, the Canadiens scored again, Darche this time netting it.
Price was looking phenomenal yet again, just dominating the Bruins whenever they got a chance in front of the net.
The Bruin's offense wasn't terrible, but it could've been a lot better. They did get a fair amount of shots in, and I have to say, even though they didn't score on the powerplay, their powerplay offense was impressive. They moved the puck around really well, and got a fair amount of shots in.
The second period took awhile to get going, but the Bruins looked promising. After a great penalty kill with some impressive forechecking, they finally net one. Bergeron got a feed right across the crease, and Price had zero chance. Only 13 seconds later, the Bruins almost capitalized AGAIN on, what looked like, a very shaken-up Price, but they were denied. The Bruins were getting insanely unlucky this game, getting a couple shots that made it past Price, but wound up hitting the post instead.
At 2:39 in the second, Weber scores on a rebound and gives Montreal a third goal. This goal was just a trainwreck. The puck was shot on net and instantly kicked to the right by Thomas. The Bruins defense, instead of trying to get the puck out of there, were just trying to put pressure on the Montreal skaters, which would lead to Weber getting his stick on it, and tagging it past Thomas. Tough goal.
I missed the first 6 minutes of the third cause I was on a McD's run...oops...
The third period can be summed up in one word for the Bruins - Frustration. These guys were just so desperate at this point, but it wasn't enough. They had a couple of nice chances, but it was not nearly enough to turn it around.
I gotta say, without Chara tonight, I think they took quite a hit, and going into Montreal for two games, when they're down two? Not looking good for the Black and Gold.
One note about this series so far - PK Subban, rookie defenseman on the Habs, is making a name for himself, but not necessarily a good one. I like this kid because I think hes got a tremendous amount of talent and potential, but my god kid, you're a rookie. He tries starting things up with guys who have been playing WAY longer than he has, and has made an enemy of someone you never want to be enemies with - Milan Lucic. There's clearly some huge tension between these guys, and all I'm gonna say is, there's no "Subban Fight Club" yet. Back down kid.
Friday, April 15, 2011
So Last Night...
Alright gotta say, Habs fans have zero reason to celebrate after that win. That was far more of a Bruins loss than a Habs victory.
The first period was not very decisive. It took about 10 minutes for either team actually generate any offense. The Bruins looked okay as far as offense goes, but it took them far too long to get it going, and following typical Bruins offense, they could not center it for the life of them.
Gionta got lucky on a defensive hiccup on Boston's part. Seidenberg, on a communication error, turned away from the net, which left Thomas alone with Gionta bearing down on him, which allowed the first goal in the game.
The first period was not a particularly interesting one, not much happened.
The second period was 100% dominated by the Bruins. The Habs just looked weak this period. The Bruins had 18 shots in the second, and Montreal was saved only by Price's attempts in net. Thomas looked okay this period, only facing 6 shots, but there were times where I thought he looked a bit lazy in net, almost letting in two wide open net shots, one on a wrap around and another where he just didn't recover from a save quickly enough.
Chara owned the second period in shots, and on their 2 powerplays this period, shot most of the shots. He was able to find a lot of shooting lanes, and get a lot of pucks on net. I'm constantly amazed by Boston's ability to move the puck. With the exception of centering it in front of the net, these guys can dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge with the puck like anyone's business. That came in handy this period when on three separate occasions they were on a normal 5 on 5 attack, but they played it so well it felt like a powerplay. The Bruins flat-out owned Montreal this period, but there was one problem - Carey Price. This man was standing on his head out there, and he is the ONLY reason they won it.
The third period seemed to spark something in the Habs. While they didn't match the Bruin's offense second period, they stepped it up. Like the first period, it took both teams a little while to get things going, but they both generated a lot of chances. Carey Price was on fire this period, and was making amazing saves left and right. Lucic had a bad turnover at 3:18, which set up a two on one for the Habs, which resulted in another Gionta goal.
Bruins fans, keep your heads up, they had more effort than the Habs did, but they just got unlucky. Price can't have shutouts every game. Get it in game 2.
The first period was not very decisive. It took about 10 minutes for either team actually generate any offense. The Bruins looked okay as far as offense goes, but it took them far too long to get it going, and following typical Bruins offense, they could not center it for the life of them.
Gionta got lucky on a defensive hiccup on Boston's part. Seidenberg, on a communication error, turned away from the net, which left Thomas alone with Gionta bearing down on him, which allowed the first goal in the game.
The first period was not a particularly interesting one, not much happened.
The second period was 100% dominated by the Bruins. The Habs just looked weak this period. The Bruins had 18 shots in the second, and Montreal was saved only by Price's attempts in net. Thomas looked okay this period, only facing 6 shots, but there were times where I thought he looked a bit lazy in net, almost letting in two wide open net shots, one on a wrap around and another where he just didn't recover from a save quickly enough.
Chara owned the second period in shots, and on their 2 powerplays this period, shot most of the shots. He was able to find a lot of shooting lanes, and get a lot of pucks on net. I'm constantly amazed by Boston's ability to move the puck. With the exception of centering it in front of the net, these guys can dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge with the puck like anyone's business. That came in handy this period when on three separate occasions they were on a normal 5 on 5 attack, but they played it so well it felt like a powerplay. The Bruins flat-out owned Montreal this period, but there was one problem - Carey Price. This man was standing on his head out there, and he is the ONLY reason they won it.
The third period seemed to spark something in the Habs. While they didn't match the Bruin's offense second period, they stepped it up. Like the first period, it took both teams a little while to get things going, but they both generated a lot of chances. Carey Price was on fire this period, and was making amazing saves left and right. Lucic had a bad turnover at 3:18, which set up a two on one for the Habs, which resulted in another Gionta goal.
Bruins fans, keep your heads up, they had more effort than the Habs did, but they just got unlucky. Price can't have shutouts every game. Get it in game 2.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
How Many Habs Fans Does it Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?
Yeah I know we've been slacking around here lately. But it's that time of the semester where all of us are swamped with the work we should have been doing when we were going to hockey games/watching the B's. Sorry I'm not sorry.
Alas, the Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us. Games got underway league-wide last night, with the Caps, Canucks, Predators, Red Wings, and Penguins all posting game 1 victories. BU's own Matt Gilroy posted the Rangers lone goal in their 2-1 OT loss to the Caps. But the series that every hockey fan in Massachusetts wants to see starts tonight, when the Canadiens and their idiotic french canadian fans roll into town.
The history behind this rivalry goes back to the 1920s. This playoff series will be the 33rd playoff series between the two teams, the Habs having won 24 and the Bruins having won 8. To be fair, the Canadiens won literally 18 playoff series in a row against the Bruins between 1947 and 1987. All time, these teams have met 711 times. 711. Think about that for a second. Between 1924 and 2011, these two teams have met almost a thousand times. For a sport that plays half as many games per season as baseball, that's astounding.
But the great rivalries cannot be measure in statistics or wins and losses. Much like the Yankees-Red Sox, the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry can only truly be measured by the unforgettable moments and people that were a part of it. Don Cherry and the too many men penalty. Rocket Richard and Hal Laycoe. Cam Neely and Andy Moog - the Habs Killers. Kyle McLaren and Richard Zednik. Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty. The list goes on and on.
So if you're watching the Bruins game tonight and you're wondering why people are making such a big deal out of it, well now you know. Its about history. And although I'm fairly confident the Bruins take care of business against Brian Gionta and his band of merry midgets, I know one thing for certain - history will be made.
Alas, the Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us. Games got underway league-wide last night, with the Caps, Canucks, Predators, Red Wings, and Penguins all posting game 1 victories. BU's own Matt Gilroy posted the Rangers lone goal in their 2-1 OT loss to the Caps. But the series that every hockey fan in Massachusetts wants to see starts tonight, when the Canadiens and their idiotic french canadian fans roll into town.
The history behind this rivalry goes back to the 1920s. This playoff series will be the 33rd playoff series between the two teams, the Habs having won 24 and the Bruins having won 8. To be fair, the Canadiens won literally 18 playoff series in a row against the Bruins between 1947 and 1987. All time, these teams have met 711 times. 711. Think about that for a second. Between 1924 and 2011, these two teams have met almost a thousand times. For a sport that plays half as many games per season as baseball, that's astounding.
But the great rivalries cannot be measure in statistics or wins and losses. Much like the Yankees-Red Sox, the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry can only truly be measured by the unforgettable moments and people that were a part of it. Don Cherry and the too many men penalty. Rocket Richard and Hal Laycoe. Cam Neely and Andy Moog - the Habs Killers. Kyle McLaren and Richard Zednik. Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty. The list goes on and on.
So if you're watching the Bruins game tonight and you're wondering why people are making such a big deal out of it, well now you know. Its about history. And although I'm fairly confident the Bruins take care of business against Brian Gionta and his band of merry midgets, I know one thing for certain - history will be made.
Bruins Habs, here we go...
This season has been one of the most interesting to watch as far as bad blood in the NHL goes. Tempers between Alex Ovechkin and
The hit that all of us will remember the 2011 season by will be Chara's hit on Paccioretty. It stirred up a lot of the bad blood that the Habs and Bruins already have with each other, and made for some interesting talk amongst fellow NHL fans. As pissed off as Habs fans might be about it, and I'm not saying they shouldn't be, they have to realize THIS WAS NOT A DIRTY HIT. I don't even like Chara but he was absolutely right in an interview saying that:
"I knew we were somewhere close to our bench but obviously that wasn't my intention to push him into the post. It's very unfortunate. In that situation everything's happening fast and even planning to do that, that’s not my style to hurt somebody. I always play hard. I play physical but I never try to hurt anybody so I'm hoping he's OK."
Habs fans need to grow up and realize that perhaps getting the Mounties involved is a bit of an overreaction.
Down to numbers. In this season, the Habs lead the Bruins in meetings 4-2. Looking at all of the stats I've found about their meetings, the Habs have the slightest edge over the Bruins. They both are averaging about the same number of shots and saves, but the Montreal special teams have fared better than the Black and Gold.
I give the edge to the B's on the shoulders of one man. Tim Thomas. The man is UNSTOPPABLE. Beating Dom Hasek's record .937 save percentage with .938, he came off the last games of the season with some unbelievable games. Even in a loss to the Rangers, he only let in one goal. If he doesn't win Vezina, I will personally sue the NHL.
And that's coming from a Rangers fan.
My final predictions, Bruins take it in 6. The Habs are gonna put up a fight, coming off a 7-0 loss the last time these teams met, but it won't be enough. The Bruins want this. Even if they don't make it past the semis, they want to beat these guys so badly. Look for hard, hard physicality from both ends of the ice. I think the Bruins are gonna have the edge as far as desperation goes. They had a disappointment last time they met the Habs in the Playoffs, and between that, and all that went down this season, they'll be firing on all cylinders.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Blogging Champions Of The Day / #Winning
We officially out-scooped the BHB today thanks to my snooping around on Heisenberg's really cool recruiting page and quackquack getting the story to press with incredible speed. We are the BU blogging champions of the day! CUE THE DUCKBOATS!
On the off-chance you want to read actual information about the new recruit by real journalists, the BHB did eventually get around to making a more competent post than us about him. Very much worth a read as always.
Enfield Native and Cushing Academy Product Robbie Baillargeon committs to BU
According to Chris Heisenberg's 2011 list of recruits, Cushing Academy product Robbie Baillargeon committed to BU today. Baillargeon is a 93 recruit and my best guess would be arriving at BU for 2013 or 2014 but nothing has been announced as of yet. This sophomore season Baillargeon had a 16-25-41 line through the first 19 games of the season. We will have more info it comes out. Baillargeon is a 6'0 170 lb forward who put some pretty impressive stats this season. He ended this season with a line of 30-34-64 in 30 games which is over 2 points a game which ain't half bad.
UPDATE- According to a source through the Terrier hockey blog, Baillargeon will arrive on campus in 2013. He picked BU over UNH,NU, and Maine according to a source on this USCHO board thread.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Michigan and UMD advance to play for National title...guess who called this two months ago
Minnesota Duluth beat Notre Dame 4-3 in a thriller tonight in the first Frozen Four Game with the Connolly brothers and defenseman Justin Faulk who had 3 assists.
Michigan beat powerhouse North Dakota 2-0 in the latter game to move onto their 12th NCAA championship game appearance. They were lead by goalie Sean Hunwick who made 40 saves in the effort to keep the Fighting Sioux off the scoreboard all night including a series of big saves in a 1-0 game in the third. An empty net goal sealed it for the Wolverines after that.
The two face off for the championship Saturday night. Who could have predicted such upsets and drama in this tournament? No number one seeds advancing..no two seeds advancing. Oh wait I did on Febuary 21st. No biggie just calling the championship game 45 days before it happens. Vegas should hire me quick before they go broke when I actually have money to gamble with. Oh yeah called 3 out of the 4 Frozen Four contenders too. Bow to me bitches ...bow to me.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Former Terrier captain scores first goal in AHL..Frozen Fenway round two?
Terrier captain Joe Pereira scored his first goal in the AHL Tuesday night with the Bridgeport Sound. It has been previously announced that Pereira is playing with the sound on an ATO for the time being and working out a long-term deal with the squad over the summer after graduation. Former NU senior Tyler McNeely also scored on the night.
It was also announced today that the Red Sox are looking to host more college hockey games like Frozen Fenway back in January of 2010. This seems to be sure for another BC-BU matchup as this would be the marquee matchup here even though Newton University students would have to make the big trip into the city for this to lose once again.
It was also announced today that the Red Sox are looking to host more college hockey games like Frozen Fenway back in January of 2010. This seems to be sure for another BC-BU matchup as this would be the marquee matchup here even though Newton University students would have to make the big trip into the city for this to lose once again.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Colby Cohen and Warsofsky look solid as P-Bruins roll Worcester Sharks
BSRS took the show on the road last night and made the trip out to Worcester to watch the Providence Bruins lead by former BU Terriers Colby Cohen and David Warsofsky defeat the Worcester Sharks(including John McCarthy and Sean Sullivan). Providence got on the board first with a J. Arniel goal before Worcester tied it up before the end of the 1st. The game was all Providence from there on out. Worcester's goalie C. Hutton was less than stellar letting some very stoppable shots through as Providence cruised to a 4-1 win to keep their slim playoff chances alive. The two teams square off again today in Providence at 4:15.
Colby Cohen started for Providence and looked fairly solid throughout the night posting a +2 rating for the evening and playing solid defense for the most part along with his usual one or two big slappers from the point. Dave Warsofsky also put out a solid effort for the Bruins. He had a bad slashing penalty in the second but besides that played a solid game making much better decisions than he did at BU this season and filling his role well besides pressing as he did here. Both former Terriers looked to be meeting expectations and both have a shot at playing in the NHL someday not too far away. It may be one or two years but both certainly have the potential. McCarthy and Sullivan both played well also and both could see time up and down between San Jose and Worcester over the next couple of season.
On a side note, there was one scuffle in the game that at one point lead to Colby Cohen putting former BU captain John McCarthy in a headlock but things were settled down from there. Cohen might not have even been doing it for anything but laughs and knowing McCarthy wouldn't fight him. Overall, the DCU center was a great atmosphere with over 7,000 packed in for this contest.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Happy April Fool's Day!...well this is just a fact of life
It's funny because BC sucks and now everyone in Boston is reminded of it. Granted BC kids would never see this since their actual campus is in Newton and Kenmore square is a solid day trip for them. Surprisingly no good pranks out of Newton today...I guess you don't learn how to change construction signs in religion class all day. Enjoy.
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