Peverley Out 4-6 Weeks

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli announced Friday that forward Rich Peverley will miss 4-6 weeks with a third-degree MCL sprain in his right knee. Peverley injured his knee in a collision with Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill Wednesday night and returned to Boston for testing Thursday.

God Hal Gill still finds ways to piss me off. I hated him when he was with the Bruins, he is in trade rumors with the Bruins, and now he took out my favorite player onthe Bruins. Die Hal Gill Die.

The Bruins are going to be hurting without Horton and Peverley. This could push them to make some kind of deal for a winger.

Will Bruins Make A Trade?

The NHL trade deadline is Monday, February 27, 2012, and the Bruins have been talking like they are going to make some kind of move. Last year they brought in Kaberle (bust), Peverley, and Kelly. Those Peverley and Kelly were steals and played huge parts in their Cup run. This year the Bruins could be looking to do the same.

There are two rumors going around today. The first one is started because Rick Nash reportedly listed the teams he'd be willing to do to (he has a no trade clause). The list includes the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs. The cost will be high for a guy like this. Blue Jackets are rumored to want "at least one young roster player along with a combination of top prospects and quality draft picks". Nash is only 27 years old, so maybe it would be worth it, but I don't see the Bruins doing it. He is really good, but I don't think the Bruins need to go out and change there team/future this dramatically.

Another name that has come up is 41-year-old Ducks forward Teemu Selanne. When I read this I have to admit I was pumped. I love the older guys I knew as a kid. The thing with Selanne is he is still damn good. He has totaled 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points this season, which is 4 more points then the Bruins leader (Bergeron). I also think the cost could be lower. He is the face of the Ducks franchise, but he is nearing the end and might be interested in making one more run (like Rechhi). He also has a no-trade clause, so they would have to sell him on the idea. There is no word on what the Ducks might want, but my hope is that they continue to slide in the standing (currently 8 points out of playoff spot) and then will be "forced" to make some kind of move for the future.

If you go by the stats the Bruins actually could be more interested in bringing in another defenseman, because they are actually 1st in the East in goals per game, yet 14th in goals against. Yet, I really like the Bruins defense and if they could make a move to bring in a guy like Selanne to replace a guy like Benoit Pouliot, who I have had just about enough of even though he had a goal last night, I think it could be a huge upgrade. As always it's all about cost, but if they could give up a prospect (Caron, and maybe some kind of pick) I would be very interested.

Bruins 4, Canadiens 3 (SO)

I was a little puzzled by Claude Julien's decision to start Thomas in back-to-back games. But he was 6-2 in his previous 8 starts before last night. Meanwhile, Rask had lost 4 straight, including that 6-0 Buffalo debacle. Thomas also had a 1.26 GAA against the Canadiens and a .964 SV% this season. So that's probably why he started.

It was how he finished that was most impressive. He's undefeated in shootouts this year, and he was stellar in last night's.

The Canadiens are a team in disarray. 6 points behind Toronto for the last playoff spot, with 3 teams to leapfrog over. They don't have a team identity, they don't seem to have any sense of direction. Are they a finesse power play focused team, or are they defensive and opportunistic? It's a little of both, but not enough of either.

The B's took advantage of Montreal's attempt to copy the Rangers by giving up the points on defense. The Habs collapsed and allowed the Bruins' defensemen plenty of time and space to shoot. Eventually Ference took advantage and scored.

The Bruins got careless and lackadaisical at times. That's how Montreal scored their shorthanded goal.

The 3rd period was especially unfortunate for the B's. They tried to play a prevent defense and run out the clock, and there's just no such thing in hockey. Montreal took advantage. The most painful play was Chara's giveaway a few feet from Thomas.

Chara looked out of sorts all night after taking a puck to the chin. And how about those high and mighty Montreal fans applauding his injury? These are the same rabid jerks that complain about hockey not being played the right way. Stay classy, les scum.

The Bruins dominated overtime, though. Seguin froze Carey Price in the shootout, and Tim Thomas did the rest.

This team is having it's good stretches and bad stretches. They haven't strung together 60 minutes of good hockey for a long, long time. But the capability is there.

Hopefully Thomas can re-find his groove. And Marchand is a few posts and crossbars away from scoring a few goals lately.

The Bruins are in Winnipeg Friday night.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Canadiens Preivew

The Bruins are just 6-7-1 in their last 14 games, and have been shut out in 3 of their last 6 games. Now the Bruins have to start their season high 6 game road trip against their rival Montreal.

The good thing about the Bruins is that they usually win the game after they lose. It is going to be tough playing on back-to-back tonight, and I would assume Rask will be starting tonight.

The Bruins goaltending hasn't been as good lately, but I am more concerned about the offense. Price is a hell of a goalie, and I think this will be a low scoring game.

The good news is the Bruins have this teams' number. They have won 3 in a row, and I think they pull one out late tonight.

Bruins win 3-2
Player of the Game: Seguin (really needs to show back up)
Game starts at 7:30pm

Bruins Give Boychuk 3 Year Extension

Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk has agreed to a three-year contract extension. The deal is worth an annual average value of $3.36 million.

Let me start by saying I like Boychuk a lot. He is tough, and has the 4th highest +/- on the team. Still, the Bruins really overpaid here in my opinion. Boychuk is replacable, and I don't see anyother team throwing around this kind of money for a middle of the road defenseman. Maybe I am wrong, because I don't have the best handle on what NHL players are worth, but the fact is he is 28 years old and is just now starting to be a full time player. He has (in my opinion) peaked, and is the best he is going to be, and now you're going to pay him 3.36 million/year? Seems high to me.

Rangers 3, Bruins 0

Do the Rangers look familiar to you? They remind me of the Bruins. Excellent goaltending, a stalwart and systematic defense, and offense from multiple lines. This is the blueprint that Julien and the Bruins took to the Cup last year, and the Rangers are remarkable similar.

When two similar teams face each other, the difference between winning and losing comes down to a few plays. For instance, on the Rangers' second goal, Brad Marchand just passed the puck out of his zone into space. He didn't pass to a teammate. And the quick-striking Rangers reclaimed the puck, and soon put it past Thomas.

To be blunt, if the Bruins meet the Rangers in a playoff series, I'd have to favor the Rangers. It'd be close. It'd be a 7 game series. With a few going to overtime. But right now the Rangers are executing the Bruins' gameplan better than the Bruins are.

The Bruins set out on a 6 game road-trip. And this is a good time for them to return to their core strengths and string together a few wins. They haven't won consecutive games in over a month.

They're in Montreal tonight.

-The Commodore

Rangers @ Bruins Preview

Big game for the Bruins tonight, as they take on the Rangers at the Garden. The Rangers are in first place in the East, leading the Bruins by 7 points. These teams were only separated by a point or two for awhile, until the Bruins hit a recent rough patch.

Bruins haven't won back to back in over a month, they have a chance to do so tonight, and send a message to the rest of the league that they are not starting to fall off. The Rangers have won three in a row at Boston, and Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has owned the Bruins in his career going 17-5-2 with a 1.51 GAA and five shutouts.

I am hoping Thomas is in net tonight, but there is no official word yet (will update when there is). I wish I could say I have a good feeling about this game, but the Bruins just haven't looked very good, and going against a hot goalie isn't going to help. One thing no one seems to be talking about is how much Seguin has fallen off. In his last 6 games he has 1 point. You have to wonder if he is losing his legs. He didn't have to play much last year, and has had to log some serious ice time this year. It is not talked about much in hockey, but you have to wonder if he has hit the wall at all.

Rangers win 2-1 (OT)
Player of the Game: Henrik Lundqvist
Game starts at 7pm

Bruins 4, Predators 3 (SO)

The Bruins needed to win this game. They've been struggling for a month now, entering the game on a 5-6-1 slump. They were utterly dominated by the Sabres in their previous game. They needed to skate hard, play physical, and take care of the puck. They needed to win. And they did all that.

The goals they allowed were the result of unfortunate mistakes, not bad habits. Tim Thomas, for instance, could have stopped Nashville's 3rd goal. But he got up out of the butterfly too early and opened up a huge gap for Mike Fisher to score. Other than that, though, Thomas was fine.

Marchand and Bergeron were playing hard, especially in the 1st. And it eventually resulted in a shorthanded goal. Lucic was skating around like a madman all game and it paid off with the game-tying goal scored 67 seconds away from another loss.

Seguin and Bergeron scored nifty goals in the shootout and it was over.

The Bruins outworked and outplayed Nashville. If not for the occasional miscue, they would have won the game in regulation by 2 goals.

We know how good this team can play. They don't need to be lights out for the remaining 29 regular season games. They just have to be good and continue to practice good habits. Then turn it on in the playoffs.

Bruins host the Rangers Tuesday night in a meeting between the two best teams in the East.

-The Commodore

Nathan Horton Has Major Setback

We wrote earlier that Horton was getting closer to making a comeback. He was able to ride a bike, and had even gotten a little time of the ice...

"He's been pulled back," Julien said. "He's got some symptoms, so we pulled him back. That's why I said as far as for me to come out every and [say there's a] step forward, a step backward. He's back to square one and we're giving him some time here. Those symptoms, once he got back on the ice, came back."

Terrible news, but that's what happens with these concussion, which we know all to well with what happened to Savard. There is obviously no timetable now, and to be honest I would be shocked if we saw him again this season. Once again, this is something the NHL has to figure out how to control. You'll never stop it, but this is happening too much, to too many good players.

This Tim Thomas Story Is Getting Annoying

Tim Thomas is at it again, this time he is doing it through his Facebook page...

“I Stand with the Catholics in the fight for Religious Freedom.

‘In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

-- by Martin Niemöller, prominent German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor, best known as the author of the poem First they came....’”

He seems to have something on his mind, but when reports ask him about it he says "That's my personal life,” he said. “I won't be talking about that. It has absolutely nothing to do with the game of hockey.” Of course he is right, and it really sounded like what the Bruins wanted him to say. I can actually picture Neely going to him and saying, "Listen, you can believe whatever you want, but keep it out of the locker room".

The problem here is that once again he has to know how this is going to go with the media. His teammates are now going to be asked about him everyday the rest of the year. Very little of that will have to do with his play. It'll be what do you think of this view and that view. Once again, he has the right to do this, but if you're asking me what's best for the team, I don't think this is it.

On top of that it's really never a good idea to compare things to the Holocaust. America is not turning into Nazi Germany. I will admit my bias here, because religion in general pisses me off when it has anything to do with government, and in general I hate everything about the bible belt.

Thomas has the right to do this. I have less of a problem with this (other then stupidly comparing this to the Holocaust) then I had with him ditching the team at the White House appearance. It's his Facebook page, he can right whatever he'd like, but as a team leader he should know what comes next, and this is just a stupid distraction and in my opinion again is a selfish act. I am sick of having to talk about his politics and how if affects the team, and their poor play of late isn't going to make this story go away any faster.

Sabres 6 Bruins 0

I found it odd that Rask started this game with the success Thomas has had against Buffalo, and that feeling didn't go away as Rask let up 3 goals on 10 shots and was pulled (dropped to 0-3-1 in his past four games allowing 13 goals). Thomas wasn't great either letting up 3 goals on 19 shots, but you can't really blame him for that since he really didn't think he would be playing tonight.

Ryan Miller made 36 saves to earn his third shutout of the season and second in three games. He is on fire right now, and you just knew he would play the Bruins tough after the incident with Lucic earlier in the year. What did surprise me is the Sabres came out fighting, and for the first time all year the Bruins really didn't find a spark from it. Usually the second the gloves drop, from that point on the Bruins are in high gear.

I worry the Bruins have hit a wall. They don't seem to be playing with the same speed and accuracy they had earlier in the year (5-6-1 in their past 12 games). I have said it many times that it is really tough for a team to play this many games in a year after going to the Cup. The Bruins legs might just be tired, but they are going to need to find a way to get over that before the playoffs.

The Bruins are off until Saturday with they play Nashville.

Bruins @ Sabres Preview (UPDATED)

The Bruins are just 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, and are running into a Buffalo team that has a red hot goalie right now. Miller has won three of his last four starts with a 1.18 goals-against average and one shutout. He should have all the fire he will need tonight, as this will be the first time he is back in net since Lucic knocked him out on Nov. 12.

The good news is that I think Thomas will be back in net tonight, as he seems like he is starting to roll again. Thomas has won four of his last five starts, and is -0-2 in his last six meetings with the Sabres.

Boston was going to hit some kind of wall at some point. You can't play this many games over the course of a year and not hit it. I hope they can pull this game out tonight, but I am pretty worried that this is kind of a trap game. Buffalo is going to be all fired up for this game, and I hope the Bruins are too. I actually think the dumbest thing the Sabres can do is come out and start a fight early, because that seems to light a fire under the Bruins. Either way, it's gonna be a close one.

Bruins win 3-2 (OT)
Player of the Game: Seguin
Game starts at 7:30pm

***UPDATE***

Rask is in net. Don't have a good feeling at all anymore.

Bruins lose 3-2.

Nathan Horton Finally Getting Better

We have been waiting to hear when Horton will be able to return the Bruins from his most recent concussion. The latest report says that he is back on the ice skating, but there isn't an exact timetable.

"He's starting to skate," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "The next time you see him with full equipment practicing on ice is when you'll know he's made the next step after that. That's basically it. He's starting to skate, which is another step in the right direction. It's all the protocol of the league. He needs to be symptom-free of the headaches, and then you go from the bike, to the ice, and to contact."

I wouldn't expect him back with the team for another month, but that's really nothing more then a guess. You just never know if the symptoms around going to come back. I worry about Horton. He wasn't the same player when he came back this year, and I just worry about he will be after his 2nd. We saw Savard retire over this, and Bergeron it took a good 2 years for him to get back to being the player he was. I hope that it doesn't take that long for Horton.

Bruins 4, Capitals 1

I didn't see the Bruins game on Sunday. On Saturday, they played with some bad habits. They turned the puck over, the defense didn't play actively in the 3rd, and all the forwards seem to be slumping. The goalies are cold too.

So while I didn't see the 4-1 win against the Capitals, I think the Bruins have improved some of their bad habits. Certainly Tim Thomas' 35 saves on 36 shots is a good sign. And the forwards have once again decided to get involved on offense. Lucic, Marchand, Seguin, and Peverley scored the goals on Sunday.

The B's are in a mid-season funk. Winning 4-1 is a good way to start getting out of it.

Bruins at Sabres Wednesday night.

-The Commodore

Hurricanes 3, Bruins 0

It's official. The Bruins are in their mid-season doldrums.

For the first time in the history of the Whalers/Hurricanes, they have swept their season series with the Boston Bruins. And that's unfortunate for the Bruins because the Canes are 14-25-9 against the rest of the NHL and 4-0 against the Bruins.

The B's have allowed 3+ goals in five straight games. They're not doing the little things. And their success is based on their ability to excel at the little things.

They're not playing physical. And I don't mean big hits and fights. I mean going into the corner for a puck and physically earning it from your opponent.

And when they do win battles, there's no puck support. Carolina's 2nd goal was scored after Marchand won a battle in the offensive zone. But it was a Hurricane that got to the loose puck and triggered a breakaway. Ference fumbling around for the puck didn't help much either.

The Bruins are in a 4-4-1 stretch and it's because of basic fundamentals. Turning the puck over. Winning battles. Puck support. Clearing the puck out of the zone. A team with less talent might be 2-7 in this stretch. But by the same token, the Bruins aren't talented enough to just show up and win. They need to execute the fundamentals, do the little things, and physically outmatch their opponents.

They haven't been doing that since that Vancouver game.

Bruins host the Penguins Saturday afternoon.

-The Commodore

Hurricanes @ Bruins Preview

There are very few teams in the NHL that can say they "own" the Bruins, Carolina is one of those few. The Hurricanes are 3-0 against the Bruins this year, but Carolina is going to have to hope that stays true, because the rest of the stats point to a Bruins win.

Boston is 5-2-2 on home ice since the end of October, while the Hurricanes have dropped 17 of 20 on the road since a 4-1 victory over Boston on Oct. 18. Carolina also right now is the worst team in the Eastern Conference, while the Bruins are just 3 points out of 1st.

I do think this game will be close though. Rask will most likely be in net, which I actually think could be a good thing (Rask is 8-0-2 with a 1.46 GAA in 10 home starts since losing to the Hurricanes on Oct. 18), because Thomas hasn't been playing up to his high standards lately. Also, the Bruins in general haven't been as good consistently. It was bound to happen, you can just streak all season. Still, they should come out angry tonight after going 0-3 vs this team, so I expect them to win the game. Plus, having Ference back can't hurt.

Bruins win 3-1
Player of the Game: Rask (if he plays), if not then Marchand
Game starts at 7pm

Bruins' Horton Not Getting Better

"Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the team's morning skate Thursday that forward Nathan Horton has not progressed this week in his recovery from his latest concussion, and still is not riding the stationary bike.

"He's still where he was a few days ago," Julien said. "Feeling better, but not well enough right now to get to that stage of working out."

Horton suffered the injury on Jan. 22, when he was hit by Flyers forward Tom Sestito (WEEI)."

The NHL really has to find a way to limit these concussions. We have already seen it with Savard, now we are seeing it with Horton, and arguably the best player in the league Crosby. Better helmets, new rules, I don't know what it will take, but they have to find a way because they are getting out of control.

Horton wasn't the same player he was last year, and even if he does make it back I don't see him having a major impact, which is really just too bad. Thank God the Bruins have built a deep team.

Bruins 4, Senators 3

There was some speculation that Thomas wouldn't start last night. This speculation came from the same "experts" who concocted the Thomas trade rumors. They thought that the Bruins were so perturbed at Thomas' snub of Barack Obama that the B's would trade the reigning Vezina and Conny Smythe winner. It's amazing how much power a media fabricated story can think it has.

It would be ludicrous for the Bruins to trade Thomas, and silly of them to not put him in net last night, especially considering his 16-3 record against the Senators. Ottawa haven't beaten the Bruins since November 2010 and Thomas has been a key reason.

Thomas wasn't stellar, but his teammates were in the 3rd period. Once again, the B's stole victory from the jaws of a shootout or defeat, thanks to their unwavering effort in the 3rd period.

The Bruins won battles in the 3rd. They didn't turn the puck over. They once again conquered the final period, and that's been the key difference between them and all the other top Eastern Conference teams.

Bruins host the Hurricanes Thursday night. They're 0-3 against Carolina, so this could be a good test.

-The Commodore

Sens Drop 4th In A Row

The Sens lost their fourth in a row Tuesday night, dropping their first game after the All Star break 4-3 in Boston after taking a 3-1 lead in the 2nd period. The Bruins scored 3 unanswered to take the valuable 2 points for their divisional rival. The Sens were on the bad end of some poor luck (Anderson let one in from centre ice) and worse officiating, again. Something has to be done, as the Bruins went the whole game without being shorthanded, which is a big deal considering they are the NHL's most penalized team. One of the refs was Dan O'Rourke, who was the one who called Karlsson a diver in the Anaheim game.

Other thoughts from the game:

• Loved to see Jason Spezza getting a bit physical tonight. A motivated Spezza is a great thing.
• Anderson was sloppy tonight I thought. He kept them in the game early but otherwise I thought he looked kinda shaky, especially on the centre ice goal, which ended up costing us the game. I think he may be too tired and playing too much.
• Our pace was a lot better tonight than it past few games. So was the effort level.
• The Bruins are really good. They're mt favorites for the cup.
• Phillips can't be out muscled by the tiny Marchand on the game tying goal.
• The Foligno-Turris-Alfie line was a force most of the night.
• Nice to see Colin Greening getting back on the scoreboard.
• Michalek had a rare assist tonight as well.
• This was the first time we've lost 4 in a row in regulation this season

Thoughts?

Senators @ Bruins Preview

First game back for the Bruins tonight as they take on the Senators. They have beat this team both times they have played them this season, and the fact the Bruins are 14-2-2 at TD Garden since Nov. 1 makes me pretty damn confident they will come out with a win tonight.

The Bruins need to get back on track. They seems to slip a bit going into the All-Star break (3-3-1). Before the season started I worried about the middle of the season, because of how many games they played last year. Some people think that this is fall out from Tim Thomas not going to the White House. I don't think it is at all, I think it's that these legs are getting tired. Another people weren't looking at is that 3-3-1 record game during just 11 game span. That's a lot of games to be playing in a short time.

Look for the Bruins to crush this team tonight, since they will have fresher legs, and are just a better team.

Bruins win 5-2
Player of the Game: Bergeron (should've been an All-Star)
Game starts at 7pm