Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Bruins!

"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
"You have to hand it to the old bastard, he's highly original."

Oh yeah...hockey talk. Yes, I'm fully aware that our owner is a cheap, miserable man (at least he still donates to the Jimmy Fund), but despite that, I'm still a die-hard Bruins fan. Honestly, I love this time of the year. Sure, the Sox are in the playoffs, and the Pats are looking to be unstoppable this year, but some of my focus definitely goes to the ice, especially the Bruins, and maybe even more so, Hockey East. Yes, BC came up short last year in the National Championship game, but still, they had a hell of a run, and it's a new season, meaning that there's definitely a chance New England will get a team back to make a run for a championship. First though, let's talk about the big...err, bad...ummm...let's just talk about the Bruins.

Ok, so the biggest change occured behind the bench, as Claude Julien is taking over for Dave Lewis, whose tenure lasted only one year. Let me just give you a little background on this guy, so I can try to convince you and myself that this was a good hire. Julien started coaching in the NHL with those pesky Candiens, where he went 72-62-17 in three seasons. Then he got fired, but got picked up pretty quickly by the Devils last year, but he gets let go right at the end of the season, because Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello believed his team didn't have the "readiness" to make a run at the Stanley Cup, which is fascinating considering he went 47-24-8 (102 points). I guess Lamoriello has a bit of a reputation of having a quick trigger finger though, as this was the third time he's fired a coach during the regular season, even though Jersey won the Atlantic division and captured the #2 seed in the East (lost to the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Senators in the second round). In any event, you have to hope that the B's, who again made a stupid move during the off-season, trading Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau to Calgary for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew, will find some kind of winning formula with Julien.

The B's did just add Cam Neely as vice president. I'm not sure about a lot of things, but what I do know is this: Cam Neely will be good at anything he does because that's the kind of guy he is. First with his amazing play on the ice, then his off-ice success with the Neely Foundation. This guy just knows what to do to get the job done. I'm so happy they got him back in the Bruins organization for so many reasons, but the first of which has to be that there's finally a guy you can root for in the front office

In terms of what we have and what we got, the B's are looking incredibly shallow on D, thanks in large part to the Stuart trade. Zdeno Chara, the captain for whatever reason (he's been with the team for a year...I don't get it), returns in attempt to make good on the gigantic contract the B's gave him last year...the only problem he's going to have to be the second or third coming of either #4 or #77, which isn't going to happen, so we're screwed there. I do like Andrew Alberts though. The guy's a bruiser for sure...I mean he had a career-high in points last year with 10, so that should give you some indication that he's not a finesse kind of guy. This has got to be the weakest spot on this team. For a team from "The Orginal Six," this is inexcusbale. This is a team that is supposed to be stocked behind the blue line, and now, they're basically playing with spare parts...George is getting upset!

The forwards are a slight improvement over the D, which is saying so little, but it's something positive at least. Of course, Patrice Bergeron sticks out like a sore thumb on this roster. The guy has been one of the highest-touted prospects not only in recent Bruins' history, but in recent NHL history as well. Bergeron is going to be called upon to be one the leaders of the scoring lines, especially with Glen Murray questionable for the beginning portion of the schedule. Marc Savard was actually a tremendous signing, so there is still hope for this front office for the future. Savard finished with 96 points last year (22 G, 74 A), and will once again center the first line. Marco Strum and P.J. Axelsson are the best wingers on the team, and of course they're both left wingers, while Murray is right. Again, the whole "addition by subtraction" thing just has killed this team the last few years, and now they have very little to show for the moves they made. On a brighter note, Phil Kessel will center the third line. Kessel made a nice contribution last year after his future was in question when he was diagnosed with cancer. So, again, in looking for some positives, there's another one.

In goal will be Manny Fernandez, who made a name for himself back in '03 when the Wild made their run into the Western Conference finals. Now this is actually the best part of this team, which is hard to fathom considering that there hasn't been a consistent net-minder in Boston since Andy Moog. The Fernandez trade was crucial because it was obvious Tim Thomas, who is now the back-up, could not handle the responsibilities of being "the guy" in net. I definitely like Fernandez being able to pick up some of the slack, but with that defense, he might be up against 35-40 shots a night...seriously. So, it may be a tough first year for Manny, but overall, I think he will show signs that he is a top-class goalie, and that will likely keep the fan(s) curious as to what he could do with a decent defense.

Overall...look, I'm not expecting to get to the Finals. I'm being completely realistic in saying that if the B's make the playoffs, I will be ecstatic. The fact remains that the B's are one or two moves away from being a legitamate contender in the East. I expect Fernandez will be challenged often, but I also think that he's good enough to have around a 2.5-2.6 GAA and garner some Vezina Trophy consideration...no really, the guy could be that good. However, those wins are going to be hard to come by...I'm hoping for a .500 record. That would be a nine game improvement from last year. I also like Julien coaching this team. I think he's definitely going to go out there with something to prove after being axed from the second best team in the East last year.

Ok, now, something that I know will peak somebody's interest (that somebody does not disclude me, so I'm at least at an audience of one on this)...college hockey. I can't honestly believe it, but Notre Dame finished the regular season last year #1 in the polls. They of course lost to the eventual champions in Michigan St. in the second round, and are picked third in the CCHA. Despite being the defending champions, Michigan St. was picked second in the CCHA polls. Jeff Lerg was a unanimous pick to the first team. Despite a somewhat small stature, Lerg plays in the net like a true warrior, and was an inspirational leader for the Spartans in their title run. Lerg's cousin, Bryan Lerg, was an honorable mention The RedHawks of Miami, who have three first-team, pre-season selections, Ryan Jones, Alec Martinez, and Nathan Davis, who was a Hobey Baker finalist last year, are tops in the conference. Rounding out the top five are Michigan and Ohio St.

The Fighting Sioux from North Dakota enter the year has the favorite to win it all, and after last year's trip to the Frozen Four, along with three pre-season All-Conference players (Ryan Duncan, last year's Hobey Baker winner, T.J. Oshie, and Taylor Chorney), they are almost a lock to at least repeat last year's performance. In staying with the WCHA, Minnesota also looks to have a very strong team after finishing #2 in the polls last year, and don't sleep on the Badgers from Wisconsin, who now have the services of Kyle Turris. The freshman was drafted #3 overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, and is the overwhelming favorite for conference rookie of the year.

In the ECAC, Clarkson enters the season favored to recapture the title crown. The Golden Knights are led by Ryan Dodge, a second-team All-American last year, and David Leggio, the league's returning goaltender of the year. After getting upset by UMass in the first round of the tourney, Clarkson looks to be as strong, if not stronger than they were last year. Quinnipiac, St. Lawrence, and Cornell all finished within 12 points of the #1 spot, so this league will be a hotly-contested one.

Last but not least is the Hockey East. Last season, the league sent five teams to the tournament. BC once again is on top despite losing their starting goalie (Cory Schenider) and two All-Americans (Bryan Boyle and Joe Rooney). This marks the eighth time in ten seasons that the Eagles have either been alone, or at least shared the top spot in the conference. UNH shares the top spot. The Wildcats were the regular season Big East champions. In addition to returning most of their players from last year, UNH will also be welcoming James van Riemsdyk, who was the #2 pick by Philadelphia in the draft. The Black Bears from Maine are going to have to fix their holes in a hurry, as their entire first scoring line is gone. BU was also a victim to Michigan St. last year in the tournament, but they did manage to once again win the Beanpot, their 28th in school history. The Terriers are also going to need to fix a major hole right off the bat, as John Curry, last year's Hockey East player of the year, graduated. Curry also was one of the reasons BU bowed out so early in the tourney, as an injury he sustained late in the season caused him to miss that game. UMass rounds on the top five, and once again could be a sleeper as the season progresses.

Football picks and predictions are coming. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading. Peace.

~Mell-o

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