Bruins off season off to a good start

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Despite the hurt still being there, here I am am writing a quick blog about the Bruins. If you ask me, this is the most important off season the B's have had for quite some time as they look to bounce back from the worst play off loss in team history.

With that being said, Peter Chiarelli has wasted no time bringing back incumbent players he wants on this team. Last week he resigned Shawn Thornton to a two year deal, and most importantly signed Dennis Seidenberg to a 4 year deal over the weekend. After coming over in a deadline day trade, the left handed defenseman was simply amazing while being paired with Zdeno Chara. Despite playing on 17 games for the Bruins, he had a +9 and helped solidify the blue line for the Bruins.

The new 4 year deal costs the Bruins $13 million and averages a $3.25 million cap hit per season. That's a relatively cheap price for a top 2 defenseman, especially since Dennis Wideman is going to cost you $3.97 million for each of the next two season. Yuck! The signing pretty much finalizes the position for the team as they now have Chara, Seidenberg, Ference, Wideman, Boychuck, Stuart and Hunwick. Thankfully, this should provide Chiarelli plenty of time to deal with Bruins lack of scoring. With the draft coming up, hopefully the Bruins can assure themselves of taking Taylor Hall. I'd even be open to Bruins using their other first round pick this season in a package to get them the #1 overall pick just to make sure.

There was a Bruins Game on Thursday?

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Apparently Thursday night's opener at the TD Garden was unbearable to watch. Luckily for myself and all other Directv subscribers the game was televised on (Comcast owned) Versus Network. For now, Directv does not air the Versus Network.

Comcast and Versus are currently engaged in a noisy publicity campaign to distract attention from the fact that they are trying to take advantage of Directv and customers like myself. Directv has posted this message on their website.

Unfortunately, Versus is no longer available on DIRECTV. Comcast, the largest cable company in the U.S. and our largest competitor, owns the channel and has forced us to pull it down. Here is the situation.

DIRECTV was already paying Comcast more than any other non-Comcast distributor to air Versus — and now Comcast is demanding an overall rate hike of 20% on top of that. Comcast also forces DIRECTV to make Versus available to a much larger portion of our customer base at our own expense than they require from other TV providers — most notably, DISH Network. We simply cannot accept these unfair and outrageous terms. All we're asking from Comcast is equal treatment.

If the negotiations don't get hashed out soon there will be many NHL fans that will not be happy. The Bruins alone have 7 regular season games, including last Thursday's opener, that are not available to Directv subscribers. This doesn't even include the playoffs, which Versus has the rights to a portion of games.

Comcast is coming of as very hypercritical. The NFL Network and Comcast had been in a battle for nearly 3 years until an agreement came this past May. Before a deal was struck Comcast wanted the NFL Network on a higher tiered level so it could charge the customer a higher price. Of course, the NFL was not willing to compromise on this stipulation as this would bring down the amount of possible viewers.

Now that Comcast has a Network, and I use the term loosely, that it can distribute it is choosing to bend Directv and its customers over. Comcast has always been angry that Directv has exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket and this is just one way they can get back at Directv. I'm sure the NHL wishes it had a real TV deal with a real sports network, ESPN for example. Although this goes along everything the NHL has done this decade.

Hockey Season is Here!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It absolutely amazes me that hockey season has already arrived. The Bruins have already started camp, and pre-season games, and the college hockey season starts in just a few weeks. I, for one, am really looking forward to it. It's still a bit early to start focusing on the college scene, but I do want to touch on a few things about the Bruins.

1. What are the B's going to do with Phil Kessel? If you believe the rumors, it looks like he's headed to Toronto for 2 first round picks and a third rounder. As much as I'd like to keep Kessel in Boston, I seriously doubt it'll happen. Kessel wants too much money, and the Bruins don't have the room under the cap. Kessel, 21, should have taken the deal the Bruins offered him that was similar to the one David Kreiji signed. According to reports, Kessel was insulted by the offer. I would hate to lose a proven goal scorer like Kessel, especially since he's so young, but if he maintains his current position, the Bruins need to deal him and get the most they can. While Kessel is a better pure scorer than Kreiji, he's not nearly the total package of Kreiji. David Kreiji is a good scorer, a better play maker, and actually plays two-way hockey.

2. How much playing time should Tuuka Rask get this season? It's pretty apparent Rask will be the backup to Tim Thomas. If you've read any of my Bruins coverage, you know I'm not the biggest Tim Thomas fan. While he proved he can be a #1 goalie, I still think he needs enough rest throughout the season. That's why I think Tuuka Rask should play a minimum of 20 games this season. Despite signing Thomas for a 4 year extension last year, Rask is still the goalie of the future for this team.

That's it for right now. More to come as the pre-season moves on.

Moving an American team to Hamilton is a no-brainer to everyone...except Americans

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

On Monday, an Arizona bankruptcy court blocked the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to billionaire and BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie, a man Hell-bent on bringing a seventh NHL team back to Canada. For the umpteenth time, this is going end up a lose-lose situation for the league.

At this point, nothing should surprise us with these clowns. This is the same league that has a 15-year contract on an unproven, raw goalie from Winthrop; a Director of Hockey Operations job to a 25-year-old kid whose previous job was covering the Red Sox for the Globe; and just two years ago -- at the same time Balsillie was trying to move the Nashville Predators to the Kitchener/Waterloo area -- was contemplating expansion into Las Vegas and Kansas City (you obviously didn't see how that worked the first time, knuckleheads).

(Quick side-note...my favorite sports conspiracy theory has to be this: In the early 90's, when the NHL was beating out the NBA in ratings, hockey was looking for a new commissioner. David Stern recommended his worst assistant -- Gary Bettman -- for the job, and the rest is history.)

Make no buts about it. Even in these times of recession, Bettman is firmly enveloped in his idea of making hockey an "American" sport. Even as these southern "hotbed" markets show no interest in a sport they can't play in the winter time. No matter that south Florida and southern California have more teams with minimal fanfare than a hockey hotbed like Wisconsin -- which is dying for a professional hockey team -- Bettman is fixaded on keeping square pegs in round holes. Even if the said peg has lost $60 million in the last two years.

Americans can sweat all they want about how "devoted" and "passionate" they are about their team, but at the end of the day they will never hold a stick to Canada’s hockey culture. Other parts of the world have "futbol". Canada has one sport among all others, and it is treated with religious zeal -- hockey. Unlike Nashville, Atlanta, or Phoenix, Canada has the world’s best grassroots system.

If and when the Coyotes move, about seven people will cry. Do you know how many Winnipeg fans are still pissed-off about the Jets' move?

(Another side-note…came across a column on About.com a few weeks back claiming the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs only selling 5-6,000 seats a night means an NHL team wouldn’t sell well there. This is akin to saying Los Angeles isn't a football town because the Avengers don't sell out; and for all intents and purposes we’re going to pretend there aren’t humans on Earth this stupid, and ignore this argument. On a related note, I'm never going to About.com again.)

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't made the playoffs in five seasons, yet they sell out every game at the Air Canada Centre. If you were to put a team back in Quebec City, Quebec-Montreal would be the most intense rivalry in hockey -- think Celtic-Rangers, not Red Sox-Yankees.

Bettman ignores all this because he wants to appeal to large demographics like Phoenix. First off, Arizona is Suns country, followed by Arizona State football and U of A basketball. The Cardinals are catching up, now that they're operating like professionals, as are the Diamondbacks, if not for simply its (you guessed it) grassroots baseball culture. Coyotes tickets invokes the same reaction as Clippers tickets -- "who they playing?"

Secondly, if market size is what he's going for, let's look at population. Phoenix has a metro of roughly 4.5 million. Southern Ontario, over a larger landscape, has a collective population of seven million.

But how many people would be willing to travel a great distance to see a professional hockey team? A good chunk, as it turns out. A few months ago, Balsillie canvassed deposits of between $50-150 on season tickets for a potential NHL team in Hamilton, and within days had 12,000 deposits. That's just based on RUMORS.

Even in these times of recession and the Flying Loon, Bettman ignores a gold mine in an effort to stay true to his mission of "Americanizing" hockey. At this point, that's just plain wrong.

Something tells me Balsillie will eventually get his way. Hopefully by then, Bettman will be out of office.

Win gets Penguins more than just back into the series

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You didn't really think this was going to be a sweep, did you?

The home fans conducted a "white out" while hoping their team wasn't white washed in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals and early in the first period, it looked like that was going to be the precice result. But the Pens bounced back and with a 4-2 victory on home ice, the Penguins not only got themselves back into the series. They found they can do the things they need to to get back in this series.

1) Evgeni Malkin had to come through.
After his cheap shot raised controversy as a one-game instigator ban was erased by the NHL, Malkin had to make a statement with something other than some late-in-the-game unsportsmanlike conduct to pick up his team. He did so, notching three assists as the general of the second line.

2) The Penguins need to get others involved in the offense
While Crosby and Malkin potted over 25 percent of Pittsburgh's goals during the regular season, they can't score every goal for the Penguins if they hope to win this series. On several occasions Crosby proved he was the most skilled player on the ice by drawing two Red Wings to creat opportunities for teammates. The great first period chance when he split the defense, then sent a pass in front of the crease to a wide open Bill Guerrin (a native of a Springfield, MA suburb, if you didn't know) set a very good precedent for the remainder of the game.

3) Sergei Gonchar must be a factor
Gonchar should have been given an assist on Henrik Zetteberg's goal in the first, it seems like a million years since Gonchar had registered a point. He remains the Penguins' best option offensively on the blue line and he picked a heck of a time to be a veteran leader and record his first multi-point game of the playoffs.

4) Exploiting the Detroit penalty kill is a must
Detriot's penalty kill has been more than suspect all year long, with a dismal 78.6 rating on the year and a 73.3 mark in the playoffs. While the Penguins' power play was less than stelar this season, this was a weakness that HAS to be exploited. Two power play goals in three tries sets a pretty good tone for the rest of the series.

To say the Penguins have an advantage at this point with home ice is stretching it. Detroit was one of the best road teams in hockey. The Wings and your Boston Bruins were the only two teams in the league to record 24 wins on the road. But hope is rising once again in Pittsburgh. But they have to keep doing what they did tonight to have a chance.

Dirty play doesn't matter to the NHL

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

So the NHL has decided to waive the manditory one-game suspension on Evegni Malkin after his cheap shot in the Stanley Cup Finals second game last night.

But honestly, can we really be surprised?

If the league is going to be lenient on such players as Scott Walker, do we honestly think that they'd bring the hammer down on one of the biggest attractions to this series?

Let's be clear - Malkin's actions in the Penguins' second-straight 3-1 loss was blatantly dirty It was after the whistle and happened with seconds left and deserves serious punishment. It's clear what Malkin was trying to do. His team has been punched in the mouth and completely dominated twice in a 24-hour period. Someone needed to do something to light a fire under their asses. Fine. That's easy to see. But there are ways to do that within the rules of the game. Malkin went outside those rules to try and send a message.

By letting it slide, the league is also sending a clear message - they don't really care about the rules if it means better ratings.

There's nothing wrong with good, hard-nosed hockey. But dirty, punk moves cannot be allowed. What is it going to take? Is someone's career going to have to end before the league starts upholding its own rules?

The NHL wants players like Malkin on the ice, regardless of whether they violate the rules or not. Why? Because they want the sport to be talked about and without superstars, that's not going to happen. But just wait until someone dies from a cheap shot. Then everyone will have lots to talk about.

Redemption Time for the Penguins

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Once the Bruins were knocked out of the playoffs, which seems like months ago, I knew there would be a Stanley Cup Finals rematch from a year ago. The Eastern Conference Champion Penguins, after a hard fought seven game battle with Washington, swept the Hurricanes with ease, propelling themselves back to the finals. The Wings, in my opinion, have had the tougher road getting to the finals. Detroit squeaked past the Ducks in the second round with a 4-3 win in game seven and had three overtime games against the Blackhawks which ended in five.

The biggest factor in this series has to be age. The Penguins are led by the 2 best offensive players in hockey, Sidney Crosby (age 21) and Evgeni Malkin (22). Pittsburgh also has a great young goalie in Marc-Andre Fluery (24). Detroit has pretty much the same team as last year's Cup winning team. They are a team comprised of old veterans that know how to win playoff hockey games. The major problem the Wings are dealing with is that their age is catching up with them and they are starting to break down physically.

Detroit, who won in six games last year against Pittsburgh, is looking to become the first NHL team with back-to-back championships since the Red Wings did in 1997 and 1998 with several of the same players. The Wings, who have won four titles in the last 11 seasons, are built on a foundation experienced (or old) players such as captain Nicklas Lidstrom (39), Tomas Holmstrom (36), Kris Draper (38), and Kirk Maltby (36). But Detroit does have some "younger" players in Pavel Datsyuk (30) and Henrik Zetterberg (28), the two led the team in scoring in the regular season. Not to mention the raised from the dead goaltender Chris Osgood (36 years young) who has come back from obscurity to have a good playoffs.

The banged-up Red Wings expect to have Lidstrom back on the blue line Saturday night after he was forced to sit out the last two games against Chicago because of an undisclosed lower-body injury, who do they think they are the Patriots. Draper, sidelined for all but four games during the postseason, should also return along with defenseman Jonathan Ericsson just a few days removed from surgery following an appendicitis. Datsyuk is still the biggest question mark, will be a game-time decision. The Red Wings clearly could have used more time off, but now face playing four games in six nights and five in eight, advantage Pittsburgh. My prediction for the series is Penguins will win the Cup at home in Game 6 dashing the hopes of another Detroit repeat.

Hockey Note: Red Wings forward Marian Hossa will be playing in second straight Cup Finals. Last year he was a late season acquisition by the Penguins and helped them to the Finals against Detroit. Hossa decided to turn down an offer from the Penguins in the off-season and sign with more experienced Wings team at a lower salary. Now he faces his old team. Karma?

Ho hum...Pens sweep away Canes

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

They never stood a chance.

Against a team that matched their skating ability and far surpassed their scoring prowess, the Hurricanes looked like the pretenders we all knew they were, even after they beat the Baby B's.

The difference -both on the ice and on paper - was absurd. We won't get into all the gritty details because the basic ones paint enough of a picture - the Penguins outshot the WhalerCanes 137-118 and outscored them 20-9 in the four-game laugher.

Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury did exactly what you would expect young superstars to do - dominate. Malkin, who often is overlooked because of Crosby had a sensational series, which included a hat trick in game two's dismantling of Cam Ward and a three-point effort in game three that pretty much put the boot on Carolina's throat.

The Canes' big star, Eric Staal, however, disappeared. When the guy who provided almost 20 percent of your team's goals over the course of the season records two points and a minus-seven plus-minus, hang up the skates and don't even take the ice because you don't have a chance. Hey, Miroslav Satan (whose player number on Yahoo is actually 666) only played 17 games all season had a better series than Staal. That's not to say the series flop was all Staal's doing. It's hard to carry a team that essentially has no elite talent besides yourself. However, some glimmer of leadership, some kind of spark would have been nice for his teammates to see.

So while Boston fans a cheering the end of Scott Walker's playoff run, the NHL is also breathing a sigh of relief that the far superior team didn't lay an egg in this series. And with Detroit poised to knock out the Blackhawks after trouncing them, the stage is all but set for a rematch of last year's Cup final.

The Hurricanes deserved to win the series!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Yes, that's right the Carolina Hurricanes should be the team moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals. They outplayed, out shot, and out hit the Boston Bruins throughout the seven games series. The Boston Bruins should be ashamed of themselves. They were supposed to be the better team, and they were supposed to have more depth on offense. Both showed to be false throughout the series. 

The worst part of all was seeing Scott Walker score the game winner in overtime of Game 7. I haven't felt that sick to my stomach over a sports loss since the Patriots lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. I still maintain that Colin Campbell should have suspended Walker for the remainder of the series, much less one game, so it feels like a total slap in the face to see him clinch the series for the Canes. 

I guess there's not much else to say other than the Bruins blew it. This was supposed to be the year they get back to the Cup finals. Now the season just seems to be an utter disappointment. The Bruins front office has a tough off season ahead of them with a couple of major decisions to make. I am sick and tired of being let down by this organization year after year. Unfortunately for me, I'll be right back in front of the television come the Fall.

Bruins Take Control of Series

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

After two periods the B's lead the Canes 4-1. Boston dominated the 1 on 1 battles which created great scoring chances and costly penalties for Carolina. The Hurricanes looked more like the Canadiens a series ago taking bad penalties and making bad decisions with the puck. Boston kept their composure and continued playing their game, securing a 4-2 win forcing game 7 back in Beantown. If the Bruins can start game 7 like they did in game 6 then Carolina won't have a chance.

The keys to the game were team defense and great goaltending from Thomas. The forwards were the reason the defense played so well. Every time there seemed to be a 3 on 2 opportunity for the Canes a forward would get back to cover one of the men breaking in the zone. Tim Thomas was my player of the game with 31 saves. Thomas was on his game last night with multiple dramatic saves, some looked very unorthodox lunging forward to stop the puck but he got the job done.

I have a feeling that the clicker will be getting a lot of use around New England tomorrow night with two elimination games on at the same time. Well not the same time but close enough, Celtics to start at 7(TNT so closer to 7:30) and the Bruins at 8 or a little after. What will you be watching?

Aaron Ward is a Tough Son of a...!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You know what I like best about hockey players? They literally get their face punched in and play the next game. It's amazing really? Reports have Aaron Ward with either a contusion or a fractured orbital bone. Either way, it shows extreme toughness and grit to get on the ice tonight, and that is why he's one of my favorite Bruins. 

I first started to notice Ward through his weekly appearance on WBCN's morning show, Toucher & Rich, and he won me over with his honesty about the game. It's also nice to see a professional athlete who can laugh at himself as well. I am also a fan of his because he's my type of player. He's a tough veteran with a ton of playoff experience and 3 Stanley Cup rings with the Red Wings (2) and Hurricanes (1). I also happen to be a big fan of right handed defenseman.  I guess it's because I was right handed and defense is my favorite position. 

Yes, I know I sound like a complete suck up right now, but I don't care. He has to be a bit crazy to get on the ice without a shield, or cage, tonight. Hopefully he won't suffer any effects of that hit and the Bruins bring the series back to Boston for Game 7.

Colin Campbell & Gary Bettman Are Smoking Crack!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I was 100% shocked when I heard that Scott Walker was only receiving a $2,500 fine and no suspension. Shortly after hearing that, I called my father and had a very interesting conversation with him. I was not aware of a specific rule that both Campbell and Bettman overruled or simply didn't care about. Please see below:

47.22 Fines and Suspensions – Instigator in Final Five Minutes of Regulation Time (or Anytime in Overtime) - A player or goalkeeper who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at anytime in overtime, shall automatically be suspended for one game. The Director of Hockey Operations will review every such incident and may rescind the suspension based on a number of criteria. The criteria for the review shall include, but not limited to, the score, previous incidents, etc. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent offense. This suspension shall be served in addition to any other automatic suspensions a player may incur for an accumulation of three or more instigator penalties.

That is taken directly from the NHL rule book, which can be found using this link. http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26336. I can't believe there is a specific rule that demands and automatic one game suspension and the NHL brass decided it didn't matter. Like my father said, this is one of the major reasons why the NHL, and professional hockey, is a joke compared to the other major sports. They are gutless for not removing a marginal Hurricanes player from their lineup for even 1 game. Ridiculous. I really can't believe it. 

What's impressive though, is that Aaron Ward is going to play tonight. Of course he'll have a cage, but that is just pure guts and determination. Aaron Ward must be the anti-JD Drew. The Bruins need to keep their heads tonight and not go after Walker. I know that's hard for most hockey and Bruins fans to hear, but they can't go out and put a bounty on Walker and lose a player for the remainder of Game 6 and potentially Game 7. If they can do that, they will withstand the ear shattering RBC Center and come back to Boston for Game 7.

Once again, Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell are spineless. Here's to hoping the B's win tonight, blow out the Canes in Game 7 and finish the series with a face pounding for Jason Walker.

Bruins Back in the Series!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Boston Bruins Game 5 performance was a B's fan dream. The Bruins got a great game from goalie Tim Thomas, strong defense throughout and the return of a physical, aggressive offense. The Bruins finally got back to what they did during the regular season. Tim Thomas played extremely well. The defense was in position to deal with rebounds and not let the Canes get second scoring chances. Phil Kessel and Marc Savard finally played well together during this series, and David Krejci was all over the place creating scoring chances. The most important part of the night was the B's penalty kill. They played much better a man down, and never allowed Carolina to get their power play rolling as they had in game 4. 

Over the weekend several Bruins players mentioned they needed to manufacture aggression and hatred towards the Hurricanes. They successfully did that Sunday night, but by the end of the game, real hatred had been created. First Jussi Jokinen gave Zdeno Chara a vicious slash to his ankle while the referees weren't looking. Down went Chara towards the end of the 2nd period, but luckily he was back for the 3rd. Next came one of the biggest cheap shots I've seen in a long time. While Aaron Ward was engaged with Matt Cullen, Scott Walker entered the fray, grabbed Ward and landed a huge sucker punch that may have fractured his orbital bone. Scott Walker should be suspended for at least the remainder of this series, if not the rest of the playoffs if they should move on. 

If Ward is lost for the playoffs, the Bruins lose half of their first defensive pair and a solid leader with three Stanley Cup rings. They also get even thinner at a position they're already two men down with the loss of Matt Hundwick and Andrew Ferrence. They'll need to call up a rookie defender from Providence with practically no games played in the NHL, much less playoff experience. This does concern me, but believe the Bruins are that much better of a team and one who's extremely motivated to exact their revenge through wins, not violence. That is the key now for winning the series. They need to maintain discipline and play like they did last night. They can't be run by their emotions and blood lust. If they can do that, then the Bruins will win Game 6 on the road and take Game 7 at home.

Stay tuned for Matt's view on last nights' game and the road ahead.

The 2009 Bruins are back!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It's the 2nd intermission now, but I wanted to jump on and say it's nice to see the Bruins playing like they did during the regular season. They're playing a physical style of hockey with good defense, good goaltending and are finally crashing the net. I've been texting Matt and Chad all night saying the Bruins will win this series. It might be a tad premature, but if the Bruins play this style of hockey, I have no doubt they'll win the series. 

More to come tomorrow!

The Bruins are Back!

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


Last night's debacle was one of worst played games I have seen in the last 20 years of Bruin hockey. To lay an egg like that in a pivotal game four was reminiscent of the Joe Thornton , Sergei Samsonov (scored Carolina's third goal last night to put the game out of reach) era. But all is right with the world now, this is the Bruins team that I remember. A team that shows no grit, no desire, no passion, and no sense of urgency.

In the third period, the most crucial period of their season, nobody was skating hard if even skating at all. It took me back to the Bruins of the 90's with the old dump and chase mentality. Why try to setup any plays just dump it in the zone and see if you can chase it down before the defenseman get to it first. This can work for some teams, not this team though. The Bruins form of dump and chase consisted of one guy dumping the puck in the zone, two forwards chasing it, and the other forward standing around the blue line just in case the defense gets there first. The problem was the Bruins were actually getting to the puck first but the third forward was never around to help the offense. There were multiple times that Boston got to the puck in the corner and just threw it in front of Canes goalie Cam Ward, but no one was there for a shot. This created easy brake-outs for Carolina into neutral ice.

The one stat that you need to look at is the shot total: Hurricanes 31, Bruins 21. In the third period the Canes out shot the B's 14-7, but it was not all the offense fault. The turnovers in their own zone have cost them dearly in the series and last night was no exception. The scoring started last night with a horrible pass from Mark Recchi back to Mark Stuart stolen by Ray Whitney creating Eric Staal's first of two bookend goals(his second goal wrapped up the game late in the third).

If the Bruins want to play hockey past Sunday night they have to get back to basics. The B's have to create turnovers in their defensive end leading to odd number rushes, this has been their game all year. Another key is pressure, pressure, pressure. They must put more shots on Cam Ward, they're making him look like an All-Star out there, he's not.

I hope Zdeno Chara and the rest of the Bruins have that sick feeling in their stomach because I almost threw up in my mouth last night by the end of that game. Let's hope that they show some balls out there and take it to the Canes. If they don't then so be it, another season will end like so many have in the past.

Hot Goalie alert!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Bruins fans beware of a hot goalie.  The old saying is a hot goalie can steal a series.  The Boston Bruins got flat out beat last night, but Cam Ward was the real reason behind the loss. Ward looked shaky during the Carolina Hurricanes' Game 1 loss, but was reminiscent of the 2006 Ward, when the Hurricanes took home the Cup.  This doesn't mean that Bruins fans should hit the panic button.  It was only one game after all, but the Hurricanes did steal the momentum and are returning to home ice for the next two games.  

We'll have to wait until Wednesday night to see if Ward remains hot, but he did look fantastic last night shutting out the beleaguered Bruins.  Despite not playing all that well, The Bruins did have a ton of good scoring chances, but the 26-year-old goalie stopped all 36 shots.  He would've faced even more scoring chances, but the Carolina defense did a good job of clogging the passing lanes for most of the night.  I did predict the Bruins to win this series in 6 games, so it's not like I expected them to sweep.  

They do need to play better and not look so flat in Game 3. I expect Claude Julien to have his team prepared for Wednesday night and come out swinging like they did in Game 1 of this series.  

B's Downgrade 'Canes to Tropical Storm

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


There were a few major stories that play out through game 1; loose pucks, turnovers and goaltending. Each played a vital role in the Bruins 4-1 victory over the 'Canes.

Boston nabbed a 1-0 lead just 1:34 in when Michael Ryder chased down a loose puck behind the Carolina net and passed it to Aaron Ward at the point. Ward, a former Hurricane, shot it toward Carolina goalie Cam Ward, and David Krejci tipped it home.

Throughout the rest of the 1st period the B's lacked the urgency you need in a playoff game. It finally bit them in the seat of their pants when Mark Stuart turned the puck over at the 'Canes blue line creating a 3 on 2 going towards the Bruins' zone. Ryan Bayda carried the puck over the blue line, then dropped it to Jussi Jokinen who, with 1:10 left in the period unleashed a slap shot that snuck between Thomas’ pads. An instant later, Bayda steamrolled Thomas, earning a visit to the penalty box for goalie interference. Carolina had seemingly taken control of the game after Jokinen tied it at 1.

Boston took the reins back and the lead at 7:21 into the second when Milan Lucic tipped a Phil Kessel shot, setting up a room service rebound for Mark Savard. He cleaned up the loose puck for his first goal of the night.

Then at 12:41, Ryder stole a Tuomo Ruutu pass in the neutral zone and broke in on a 2-on-1 with Blake Wheeler. Ryder, who is on fire in the playoffs, chose to keep it and whistled a wrist shot over the left shoulder of Ward.

The latter part of the second period and the beginning of the third period became a flurry of turnovers. The Bruins coughed up the puck multiple times causing Tim Thomas to show why he is a Vezina Trophy finalist. “Realizing that goal was a little ugly, I wanted to do everything I could to save everything else to redeem myself,” Thomas said. He did with two phenomenal game saving saves. The first was a kick save on a Ryan Bayda tip at the end of the second period. The second was with a pad save on an Eric Staal backdoor play early in the third. Thomas continued his stellar goal play the remainder of the game finishing with 26 saves.

Sloppy played led to the final Bruins goal. Lucic stole the puck at center ice he dropped it for Kessel, which got stolen by Matt Cullen. Cullen turned it over to Savard, then tipped it up to Kessel, who brought it into Carolin's end, Savard took a drop pass from Kessel and beat Ward, who gave little effort to protect the net to ending the scoring for the evening.

The Bruins created their goals from fore checking and great center ice transitions into the offensive zone, but if the B's continue to turn the puck over to the 'Canes, Thomas won't be able to stop them all.

Perfect Day for Game 1

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


May 1, May Day. May Day is synonymous with international workers day, the perfect day to start the second round of the Bruins Playoffs. The history of the Boston Bruins has always been of a blue collar team that works hard, is physical and creates their own opportunities. That is the reason why May Day is the perfect Holiday for the Bruins; they are the ultimate hard working team. The B's are the best team in the Playoffs as shown in the Montreal series that concluded 9 days ago.

Aaron Ward was on WEEI yesterday morning describing the makeup of the club,"We are a group of guys that are hard workers, we're not based on talent alone. We don't have a Hossa, Datsyuk and Zetterberg. We have four hard working lines and three great defensive pairings and a goaltender that -- goaltending duo that stand on their head." Don't get me wrong, the Bruins have talent in Phil Kessel, Mark Savard, and David Krejci. Without players like Aaron Ward , PJ Axellson and Shawn Thornton the B's wouldn't have the grit to advance very far.

Puck drops in 30 minutes, let's listen for the "Mayday" calls from the Hurricanes.

Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


Chicago vs. Vancouver

The Blackhawks' last game against the Canucks featured a third-period brawl that had everything from WWE-style body slams to hair pulling. Clearly they won't have to wait for the hatred to build when their second-round playoff series starts Thursday night in Vancouver.

Physical play will be nothing new for the young Blackhawks, who saw plenty of intimidation attempts from the more experienced but injury-riddled Calgary in the first round. The Canucks will have to continue the intense, hard-nosed style that marked their four-game sweep of St. Louis in the first round to get by the youthful Hawks. They need to stop taking as many penalties as in the prior round, although Vancouver did killed off 23 of 24 of those.

Chicago's youth will come through to beat Vancouver in 7 games.

Detroit vs. Anaheim

The Ducks used the same formula they used in winning the 2007 Stanley Cup -- clutch goaltending, timely scoring and one of the deepest blue lines in flawless fashion to neutralize the top threats from the Sharks. With the Shark series in the rear view mirror, the Ducks must find a way to neutralize the defending Cup champion, a team that seems to be hitting its stride. The Wings dispatched a game Columbus Blue Jackets club in the first round with a champion-like display of overall team hockey and good goaltending from Chris Osgood, who had a pedestrian regular season.

Detriot has an assortment of perennial All-Stars and NHL award winners. Their coach has led the team to four straight 50-plus win seasons, they can play a speed game or exhibit some muscle in the trenches, and they are the defending Stanley Cup champion.

Even with the great defensive hockey that the Ducks play, Detroit will be too much to handle and will win the series in 5.


Washington vs. Pittsburgh

This is the matchup NHL fans has been waiting for all season. This series brings together the NHL's top three scorers during the regular season -- Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, plus two of the three Hart Trophy finalists in Malkin and Ovechkin. Now factor in some harsh words between Crosby and Ovechkin during the regular season and this series becomes must-see TV. What I think the real story of this series will become is goaltending.

After Jose Theodore allowed four goals in Game 1 against the Rangers, a 20-year-old rookie from Russia named Simeon Varlamov was called upon in Game 2. He wound up winning four games for the Caps, including two shutouts, and limited the Rangers to just seven goals in six games. He turned 21 Monday -- he looks it -- but he doesn't play like it.

Marc-Andre Fleury stole Game 4 with a 45-save effort and kept the Penguins in Game 6 once the team fell into a 3-0 hole. He wasn't spectacular, but he gives his teammates the confidence that he'll make all the important plays.

Varlamov's young skills won't be enough to stop the extremely deep offensive Pens after 6 games.


Boston vs Carolina series preview coming soon...

Bruins sweep! Put the beatdown on the Canadiens

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Boston Bruins put together about as complete a series as possible while sweeping the Montreal Canadiens.  Despite the fact that Montreal was the 8th seed, it's never easy for the B's to play, and beat, the Habs in the playoffs.  What they did in the four games was firmly establish themselves as a sure fire threat to take the Stanly Cup.  

Montreal is never an easy place to play, and the Bruins showed the pressure wasn't going to affect them.  The Canadiens played exceptionally well in the first period of games 3 & 4, but were only able to come out with a tie at best during each game. That in and of itself, helped break the Canadiens as the Bruins dominated the last two periods in both games.  

The series itself was a hard fought, chippy and intense series with many great performances by the Bruins. Both teams did a good job of playing physical and finishing their checks. My co-MVP's are goalie Tim Thomas, who finally showed he can win in the postseason, and former Canadien Michael Ryder, who scored 4 goals and 3 assists during the series.  The Bruins used good goal tending, a solid defense and an effective offense to beat the Canadiens soundly in all 4 games. 

John C, one of our loyal FFS readers, has pointed out several times that the Bruins have won this series thanks in part to their amazing discipline.  I totally agree with him.  With the exception of Milan Lucic in game 2, the Bruins only took the Canadiens bait after the game was essentially won.  In my mind, the real reason the B's swept the Habs has to be their play on special teams. The Bruins didn't allow a power play goal at all during the series as the Canadiens went 0 for 8. On the power play, the Bruins were only 4 for 16, but just happened to go 0 for 6 in game four drastically reducing their percentage.  

The next round should be much more of a challenge.  For now, Bruins fans need to sit back and wait to see who the next opponent will be.  On a side note, the Bruins announced the signing of former Bemidji State goaltender Matt Dalton.  Dalton had an great season for the Beavers helping them reach the Frozen Four for the first time in school history.