Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Baker

Boston Bruins: Five Things We've Learned in 10 Games

Matt Baker — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:17:52 -0400

If the regular season ended today, we would once again have a Bruins-Canadiens first round playoff series. However, this time the Bruins wouldn’t be the eight seed, but the fifth. And, unlike years past, the Bruins would enter the playoffs with the same amount of points as the Habs.

But unfortunately, we are just 10 games into this young NHL Season, and though there may be a lot of hockey left to be played, we sure can gather a lot from the first week and a half. Here are five things we have already learned about the Bruins.

1. Patrice Bergeron Will Be Fine

The fact that Patrice Bergeron is even still playing hockey is a small miracle. But it is so refreshing to see him skating well and not playing timid or scared to start the year. After the hit he took and the injuries he suffered, I don’t think anyone would have blamed him if he was a little hesitant.

Bergeron has started all 10 of the Bruins games so far, and you would never know he missed mostly all of last season. Anytime you miss that much time from the game, it is easy to fall a step behind, but he clearly has not, and has looked great centering the Bruins first line. Look for him to keep up his solid play, and have a great year.

2a. The Young Talent Is Developing Nicely

Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel are all playing great hockey. Lucic is hitting harder than Scott Stevens used to and also scoring more than expected.

Krejci is moving his way right up the line chart and is doing a great job pitching in on the Bruins power play and penalty killing units. Blake Wheeler has yet to show us his great scoring ability, but is sure showing he belongs in the NHL and can help this team win some hockey games this year.

Most impressive so far this season is Phil Kessel, the team’s leading goal scorer. Kessel is showing he has the skills to be a top goal scorer in this league for a long time to come. It is impressive seeing as how coach Claude Julien didn’t even dress Kessel for two of the playoff games last year because of his poor play. Kessel sure learned from being benched and used it as motivation to get better, and has he ever.

These four players are looking very promising to start the year, and are sure making Bruins fans forget about Glenn Murray rather quickly.

2b. Glenn Murray Will Not Be Missed

You would be lying if you said that during any of the Bruins first 10 games this year you actually thought to yourself: “We could really use Glenn Murray right now.”

Listen, I love Glenn as much as the next guy. He is a class act and has helped the Bruins in more ways than we can count, but taking him out of the lineup simply did not affect the Bruins that much. Although we will miss seeing the No. 27 sweater on the ice, seeing the aforementioned players perform the way they have will make us forget Glenn Murray.

3. Tim Thomas Should Be the Starting Goalie

If he didn’t prove anything with his great run at the end of last year to propel this team into the Playoffs and then again being a major factor in beating the Canadiens in three of those games last April, Tim Thomas has certainly proved he should be our No. 1 goalie this season.

Thomas is 3-1 with a 1.77 Goals Against Average and two Shutouts thus far. Manny Fernandez is 2-1 with a 2.96 Goals Against Average, and has given up four goals in two of those starts. Thomas has made more than 30 saves in four of his starts, while Fernandez has yet to face more than 28 shots in a game. Tough to argue if you ask me.

4. Marian Hossa Would Have Instantly Made This Team One of the Best in the Eastern Conference

Anytime you add a guy who scores 30 goals a year with a guy like Savard to get him the puck, your team can only get better. How much better? I truly believe the Bruins could have been serious contenders for the Eastern Conference Title just by adding him. He is one of the top players in the NHL, and in my book, anytime you can add one of those players, you are instantly a force to be reckoned with.

5. The Bruins Are Irrelevant in Boston

Sad to say, but it is true. Ask 10 random people walking the streets of Boston when the Bruins season starts and you’d be lucky to find five who didn’t think the NHL was still in a lockout. But I have lived here my whole life and now know what it takes to earn respect in Boston. A championship.

Sure people liked the Pats before 2001. But winning that Super Bowl instantly put them to the top. And then, after their 2nd Super Bowl Win in 2003, the Red Sox got pissed about being the second favorite team in town, and won a Championship in 2004 (as did the Pats, but anyways...

So then the Red Sox win again in 2007, and this frosts the Celtics balls. So they get KG and Ray Allen and waltz their way to a Championship, and like that, they are as popular as they were back in the 1970s after being irrelevant for 20 years.

It is unreal. This town used to be a hockey town, and until the Bruins win one, hell maybe even two Stanley Cups, they will be just a nice carry over from the end of football season to the start of Spring Training.

There is still a lot of hockey to be played, and sure a lot can happen in the 72 remaining games, but so far things look promising for the Bruins. Let's just hope they can keep up the good, consistent play for more than 10 games and make this a successful, enjoyable season.

Will Marian Hossa Sign with the Bruins?

Matt Baker — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:23:32 -0400

Back in February, at the time of the NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins were right in the midst of the playoff hunt, but were lacking the top-notch goal scorer that seemingly every other Eastern Conference contender had.

The Bruins had been in deadline talks with the Atlanta Thrashers about a deal for Marian Hossa, but since the Bruins were not ready to part with 20-year-old center Phil Kessel, the deal fell through, and Hossa was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hossa's contract expired at the end of the season, and all indications were that he would re-sign long-term with the Penguins.

But, as of yesterday, according to a few different published reports, the Bruins have apparently contacted Marian Hossa about signing in Boston. The official Free Agent signing period in the NHL starts July 1.

Hossa has a few ties to the Bruins that may play a key role in his future, come negotiating time. Fellow countryman Zdeno Chara is the Bruins captain, and the two are good friends dating back to their time in Ottawa together. Also a tie from Ottawa, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was the assistant GM there while Hossa was a Senator, and reports are that the two have a good relationship.

Hossa scored 29 goals during the 2007-08 regular season (which would have led the Bruins) and added 12 goals and 14 assists for the Penguins during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He was second on the team in scoring only to Sydney Crosby during that time.

Hossa has 299 career goals in nine full NHL seasons. He has also proved to be very dependable, as he's averaged 77 games per season. Hossa has scored 30-plus goals in six of his nine seasons, and hit 29 goals in two of the other three years. The only time he was under 29 was his rookie season, when he scored 15 times.

Hossa is a proven scorer in the NHL, and, my God, the thought of him on the opposite wing as Patrice Bergeron with Marc Savard centering is flat out mouth-watering for Bruins fans. Savard chalked up 63 assists last year to lead the Bruins, and that was without his top scoring threat.

With some slick negotiating by Chiarelli, and some convincing by Chara, maybe Hossa will come at a cheaper price than some have predicted. All we can do is wait, and hope, that the Bruins can add what many thought, and still think, can be a top-notch goal scorer for this team in the years to come.

NHL: Canadiens-Bruins Series Preview

Matt Baker — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:02:32 -0400

Last week I stated that I would feel comfortable with any first round playoff opponent for the Bruins except the Montreal Canadiens.

Well, here we are on the verge of kicking off the playoffs, and the Bruins have to bust out the passports and head north of the border.

I think I speak for all Bruins fans in saying that I would have rather faced Pittsburgh in the first round, but beggars can’t be choosers.

After all, the Bruins could have avoided the dreaded matchup with Montreal had they taken care of business Saturday night against the Sabres.

The Canadiens beat the Bruins in all eight meetings between the Original Six squads this season. In only one of those games did the Bruins even manage to earn a single point—a shootout loss in Montreal on March 22nd.

As cliché as it may sound, those games mean nothing now. The Bruins could essentially lose the overall season series eight, nine, 10, or even 11 games to four and still advance in the playoffs.

I’m sure nobody would be talking about the regular season series at that point.

The Bruins hope to have back two of their top offensive threats in Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron at some point in this series.

Savard skated in practice today, but wore a red "non-contact" jersey. Bergeron has been practicing with the second line, but has already ruled himself out for Game 1 on Thursday night.

I don’t see Bergeron playing in the first two games in Montreal. If he were to return at all, I think it would be in Game 3 in Boston. I expect Savard to be back in Game 1.

As far as how effective the duo will be, that is tough to say. If they are to return, expect Savard to be a lot more productive than Bergeron, who hasn’t played since October.

One of the biggest factors in determining how long this series will last will be the Power Play/Penalty Kill. The Canadiens had the NHL’s best Power Play in the regular season, while the Bruins Penalty Kill was brutal, ranking 28th in the NHL.

The Bruins' ability to stay out of the penalty box could go a long way. (That means no sucker punches to the side of the head in front of the net. I’m talking to you, Aaron Ward.)

Of course, the Bruins will have to play shorthanded at some point. But the key will be to minimize the time Montreal can spend on the Power Play, and playing consistently on the Penalty Kill.

As far as the goaltending goes, Carey Price reminds me of Andrew Raycroft. Raycroft was in a 2004 Playoff Series between the top-seeded Bruins and the eighth place Canadiens.

The Bruins held a 3-1 series lead in 2004 as the top seed versus the Canadiens. I remember it quite well. Raycroft looked like a wall in the first four games, but he folded in the last three, and the Bruins lost in seven games.

Raycroft was a rookie that year. Price is a rookie this year. You see where I am going with this? Price could ultimately alter this series in a very big way. Let’s just hope it is in the Bruins' favor.

The big question looming around Boston is if the Bruins stand any chance at even winning a game in this series.

Here’s my take. It will be imperative for the Bruins to win a game in Montreal.

Coming home in a 2-0 hole would have the Bruins and their fans thinking that there really is no chance they can beat Montreal this season. And in a 2-0 hole, losing 10 straight to this team would all but put the nail in the coffin of the Bruins' season.

In the end, I see this series lasting six games. If it goes to seven, the Bruins will have a very tough time winning in Montreal after what will have been an already grueling six games.

I also don’t think they will finish the year without beating Montreal at least once, therefore eliminating the possibility of a sweep. And five games just sounds so boring and uneventful.

The 4-2 series win will go to the Canadiens if they continue to dominate the Bruins on the man advantage, and keep their high-powered offense at the pace at which it finished the regular season.

The 4-2 series win will go to the Bruins if they can play consistent team defense, reduce the amount of time spent in the penalty box, and get solid goal tending from net-minder Tim Thomas.

In the end, I am from Boston, I do have Bruins season tickets, and I will be in attendance for Game 6. So in that case...

BRUINS IN SIX.

Bruins Win North of the Border, Clinch Playoff Berth

Matt Baker — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:36:21 -0400

Bruins Officially Clinch Playoff Berth; Will Jockey for Position Tomorrow

Somebody call Jim Mora and let him know we want to talk about the playoffs. It is now official. The Boston Bruins are headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 season. With their 2-1 victory over Ottawa tonight, the Bruins have locked up a spot in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s cup, and now have just one game left to improve their final seed.

As it stands right now, the Bruins are tied with the Senators for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 94 points. The Senators season is over, and the Bruins have one last game tomorrow night back in Boston against the Sabres. If the Bruins win tomorrow night, they will lock up the six seed. However, the Bruins could potentially still fall to the eight seed if they lose tomorrow, all depending on what happens with the Flyers/Penguins game on Sunday.

The six seed is no doubt where all Bruins fans want the team to end up. Besides the obvious reason of being a higher playoff seed, holding the six spot will guarantee that the Bruins will not face the Canadiens in the first round. This would be good news seeing as how the Habs have beaten the Bruins all eight times they have faced them this year.

I do not think there is any way the Bruins will lose tomorrow night. Buffalo is out of the playoff hunt, and must have no desire to even get on a plane to come to Boston. The Bruins should be running on the emotion of tonight’s win, knowing they can lock up the six spot with a win. It will be their final home game, but I expect them to treat it as their first playoff game.

There is no telling yet on who the Bruins will face come Game 1 of the playoffs. So until we do, (on Sunday), let’s just sit back, enjoy tomorrow nights game, and prepare ourselves for the intensity and excitement that comes along with finally being back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Wow, that really sounds nice.)

Boston Bruins: The First Annual BAKY Awards

Matt Baker — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:42:17 -0400

The First Annual BAKY Awards

So with just five calendar days left in the regular season, and no game until Wednesday, I felt it was time to hand out a few regular season "Baky" (bay-kee) awards for the Bruins. I will touch on a few different categories, and try to make these as interesting as possible. I won’t have a game to write about until Wednesday night after the Bruins visit New Jersey, so I felt this was a good chance to announce my awards. I know you have all been sitting on the edge of your seats all season, so without further ado..

Most Amazing Stat

The BAKY goes to: P.J. Axelsson, LW

P.J. Axelsson has played in 72 regular season games this year, and somehow, someway, has only served 15 penalty minutes. How does this happen? I mean, there has to be at least two or three times a game when you trip, slash or elbow somebody by accident, let alone all the times you purposely slash someone for mouthing off at you. And he has only been caught 8 times? This is simply amazing considering all the terrible officiating taking place in the NHL.

Honorable Mention: Dennis Wideman, D. Wideman scored 12 goals all season, 8 of which came on the Power Play.
Player Who Looks Most Like A Celebrity

The BAKY goes to: David Krejci, C

David Krejci is a spitting image of John Heder.

Worst Game

The BAKY goes to: March 3^rd - Capitals 10, Bruins 2

Not since D2: The Mighty Ducks have I seen a goalie be pulled, then return to the game later on. Now if Alex Auld had knocked Gunner Staal and Alexander Ovechkin on their asses before a face-off, he would have an excuse. But he didn’t, and he doesn’t. Auld replaced Thomas half way through the first after Thomas gave up 4 goals in 10 minutes. Thomas then replaced Auld and started the second period. Ovechkin scored a hat-trick in fifteen minutes, and the Capitals scored six times in the first period. I like to pretend this game never happened.

Honorable Mention: March 6^th - Maple Leafs 8, Bruins 2. Toronto scored 4 power play goals, and the Bruins suffered their second straight loss by six or more goals.
Best Game

The BAKY goes to: March 8^th vs. The Capitals (2-1 Win)

Just five days after the Caps ruined the B’s 10-2, the Bruins made sure it was known early they would not let anything like that happen again. Just four seconds into the game, Milan Lucic dropped the gloves and handed a beating to Matt Bradley. Ten seconds later, Shawn Thornton took it to Donald Brashear. The Bruins found themselves down 1-0 late in the third period, but scored two Power Play goals in the final five minutes to earn a hard fought 2-1 victory.

Honorable Mention: October 13^th - Bruins 2, Sharks 1. OK so this is a stretch, but anytime you can beat the Sharks in San Jose is a good thing, even if it is only the fifth game of the season.
MVP
The BAKY goes to: Marco Sturm, LW

In 77 games so far, Sturm has scored 27 goals and added 29 assists to total 56 points. His 27 goals is best on the team, and his point total is second only to Marc Savard. Sturm has been a very consistent player for the Bruins this year, playing on the first line all season and also contributing regularly on the Power Play and Penalty Kill. He has scored 10 power play goals, and 5 game winning goals, both of which lead the team. He is arguably one of the fastest skaters on the team, and also isn’t afraid to play physical when need be. Sturm brings his intensity and passion for the game to the ice with him every night, and it seems to rub off on many of his teammates. Sturm is the type of player that coaches want on their team, and players want on their line. The fans in Boston have taken a liking to Sturm ever since he came here in 2005 in the Joe Thornton trade, and he has emerged as a fan favorite. Sturm is a very exciting player to watch, and will hopefully continue his strong play as the Bruins make their final push towards the playoffs.

Honorable Mention: Marc Savard. Savard leads the Bruins in points and assists. The first line center is certainly a cornerstone to the offense, and one of the best assist men in the NHL.
Honorable Mention Part 2: Zdeno Chara, Chuck Kobasew

Bruins Newly Formed Line Continues To Lead Offense

Matt Baker — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:51:26 -0400

Krejci, Murray and Sturm stay hot, B's win third straight

Many Bruins fans, including yours truly, questioned how the already slumping offense would perform upon losing two of their top scorers earlier this week.

Many figured that without Marc Savard and Chuck Kobasew, the Bruins were doomed to drop right out of the playoff hunt and miss the post-season for the fourth straight year. David Krejci and his new linemates had different plans.

The line of Krejci, Murray and Sturm has accounted for seven of the Bruins' 14 goals in the last three games. Krejci alone has had two goals and five assists over the three game stretch.

Krejci was a bit shaky at first, but has become more comfortable as of late playing with Glen Murray and Marco Sturm. So comfortable that head coach Claude Julien also has Krejci centering the first unit Power Play and Penalty Kill.

Trust me when I say that you cannot just throw three guys onto a line and expect them to produce points right away. Each line has its own chemistry, and it is not something that develops over night.

I mean, take Brady and Welker out of the Patriots' offensive attack and there are only so many times Matt Cassel can throw a deep route to Randy Moss effectively.

In the Bruins' case, put a twenty-one year old onto a line with a veteran who has played in over 1,000 games, and the teams leading goal scorer, and you might expect discomfort on both sides.

Many expected Krejci to be a step behind his wingers, and not many were sure if the two veterans would be able to work well playing with a young center. But they have played very well since Krejci joined the first line and, all in all, have scored seven of the teams 14 goals in the last three games.

This is turning out to be a very productive line, and it will need to stay that way in order to set the pace for the rest of the team as they move closer to securing a playoff spot.

Bruins Sweep Home and Home, Inch Closer to Playoffs

Matt Baker — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:19:35 -0400

Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2

No Marc Savard, no Chuck Kobasew, no problem. The Bruins earned a 4-2 victory Thursday night to sweep a home and home series with the Maple Leafs, improving their playoff hopes and officially ending the Leafs’. The Bruins were once again impressive on offense without Savard and Kobasew, getting goals from Glen Murray, Phil Kessel, Marco Sturm and Peter Schaefer. David Krejci also added two assists for his second straight two point game.

Now this is the way playoff hockey teams play. The Bruins have been on fire this week and now sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. They are just three points behind Ottawa, New Jersey and New York in the ever-so-tight Eastern Conference. (Ottawa comes to Boston Saturday).

This is exciting to all Bruins fans, because we are so very close to seeing playoff hockey again for the first time since that dreadful collapse to Montreal in 2004. The very thought of the Bruins being in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s cup is enough to get all the hockey fans here in Boston absolutely giddy. With the way they are playing come season's end, we have every right to be.

Everyone always talks about teams getting hot at the right times. Take the New York Giants or Colorado Rockies of recent memory. The Giants smoked Buffalo on the road in Week 16 but then lost a nail biter to the Pats in Week 17. However, this loss was viewed by many as a moral victory and confidence booster for the Giants. The Rockies won something ridiculous like 21 out of 23 to end their season and rode the hot streak right into the Fall Classic before being swept by the Red Sox.

The Bruins have all the signs of pulling off a similar run as they near the end of their season. After a tough 3-2 shootout loss in Montreal, the Bruins seemed to gain a lot of confidence that carried over into Toronto Tuesday night by earning a win, then winning again Thursday night, both times without two of their top scorers.

The way the offense is playing, along with the solid defense and strong penalty kill/power play, and not to mention the recent play of Tim Thomas (30 saves Thursday), the Bruins look to have themselves geared towards a strong finish and a strong playoff run.

With five games left in the regular season, three of which are versus teams currently above the Bruins in the standings (Ottawa twice and New Jersey), we should get a good teaser as to what playoff hockey feels like in Boston again. Let’s just hope they continue to play strong, and we can experience the real thing come April.

Bruins Offense Decides to Show up to Toronto

Matt Baker — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:16:22 -0400

Bruins 6, Maple Leafs 2

It's about time. The last time the Bruins scored 6 goals was in late November, and the last time they even scored five was a month ago. And they did it without top scorer, Marc Savard and second leading goal scorer Chuck Kobasew (left after 2nd shift with a leg injury). Now this is the way the Bruins need to play in order to finish the season strong and make the playoffs. If only they had been playing like this for the past couple of weeks, we could have been looking at home ice advantage at the Garden in the first playoff series. But that is most likely not going to happen, and what the Bruins do need to worry about is how to secure a spot in the playoffs within the next week. And it starts tomorrow night, when they face off against the Maple Leafs again to finish a home and home. A win would put the Bruins in sole posession of the 7 spot in the East, as they would own the tie-breaker with the Flyers. With a win, the Bruins would also only be one point of the 6th spot, and only three out of the 5th spot. That team in the 5th spot now (Ottawa) comes to Boston Saturday in which could turn out to be one very important match-up, and could propel the B's to within one point of 5th place. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Ah What the hell, let's. Let's say they win tomorrow and win Saturday, the Bruins could be very close to getting that home series in Boston. Let's just hope they don't lose tomorrow and Saturday, then we could have the Hannah Montana Ice Show coming to Boston in April. But for now, let's just hope that same offense that showed up in Toronto last night can find its way to Causeway Street tomorrow night.