Witty title here - B's and Leafs in review

First off, I would like to point out that I WAS RIGHT. Not too long after posting my rant about how Wilson is ruining Schenn by breaking his confidence, and how he pretty much sucks as a coach, a former player under Wilson, Jim Thomson, went on Off the Record, and said the exact same damned thing. 

Off The Record guest Jim Thomson, who played for Wilson with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks during the 1993-94 season, lashed out at his former coach on Thursday, saying that while Leafs general manager Brian Burke is a "good hockey man", Wilson was lacking.

"Ron Wilson is not a good coach," Thomson told OTR. "Where it breaks down is he can't motivate players, he doesn't know what to do with players when there's controversy and they are losing."

Thomson also took Wilson to task for his handling of young blueliner Luke Schenn, who struggled during the Leafs 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on October 6.

"When he calls out Luke Schenn three games into the season, a young player who's their future, and starts beating the hell out of him...You don't call a player out in the media, you go behind closed doors," Thomson stated.   "I watched him do it to Oleg Tverdovsky in Anaheim, and he ruined the kid's career."

I really want to gloat about how I was right, but case in point is, it's nothing to gloat about. This once again raises my battle cry to fire Wilson. Keep Zettler though! He's helping Luke find his game. And someone find Tim Armstrong and bring him in as head coach for the Leafs.

While on the subject of the Leafs, I was fascinated watching the last half of the game last night. This team DOES know how to play hockey. Why it took them 7 or 8 games to realise that, I've no idea. I couldn't tear my eyes away, nor could I help but be filled with glee that the 'Nucks hit the post 3x on an empty net. Fate? Only until they potted that last attempt.

Luke Schenn, if you happen to read this... I need to give you a quick education in fighting:

Kiddo, you keep holding your fist like that and it's only a matter of time before you break your damned hand. I was very pleased with the few great lefts he did get in on Glass (best last name EVAR for a fighter?), but that is a damned tragedy waiting to happen. Here is how to properly make a fist while punching someone:

Hand loosely curled, upper fingers tucked with the thumb over them, lower fingers flat, and you hit with your lower fingers. If you hold your thumb on the side of your index finger, there's nothing to keep your hand in position and voila - broken finger or hand or wrist. Watch Fight Club, or one of the many Lucic fights, for further illustration. You're welcome.

Moving onto the Bruins... I have to share this simply due to the hilarity. Last night I was flipping between the B's and Leafs, and I was captivated by the Leafs' ability to play hockey at the end of the third, and I missed the B's tying up the Sens. And this happened:

[21:32] me: i'd like to see krejci start doing something with his game.
[21:33] ****: ..... >:-(
[21:34] me: oh haha who scored? i was watching the leafs ACTUALLY PLAYING HOCKEY!!! IMAGINE!!!! the mind. it boggles.
[21:34] ****: fucking Krejci!!! :P!!!!
[21:35]: me: LMFAO NO WAI!!!!!

And what a beautiful goal it was. It's like I'm magic or something. Then I said in OT I'd like to see Sobotka score, and I believe he rang his next shot off the pipe. Thanks for the goal, Krejc. My fantasy team thanks you, and I thank you for a great win on my birthday!

The Bruins are playing surprisingly well despite the rash of injuries they're suffering through right now (and when I say rash, what I really mean is, their entire top line for most of last season is gone). They're still having a bit of a time delivering a full 60 minutes consistently, but they get down and dirty when it counts. And I can't complain, considering they're almost dead even with their stats from the same time last year. The biggest problems right now for them are goals allowed (2.9 v 2.4 last year) and the power play - 15%? Really? REALLY? I know Savvy was really their power play guy, but it shouldn't matter. Now that Krejci's gotten his first goal, I'm hoping he'll really step it up to be the QB on the PP, and get things going. Is 15% the worst in the league? That's just sad. Especially with Big Z on the point. Come on now, Bruins. Work it out.

I would like to thank Sean at my favourite Leafs blog - Down Goes Brown for making me follow up every mention last night of "Kyle Wellwood" with "is fat." Go give him a read if you haven't yet. He's possibly one of the best bloggers I've ever read, and that's saying something.

Six more days til Halloween - what are you going as?

Preorder Luke Schenn Mcfarlane!

So I got a Google alert about there now being a Luke Schenn McFarlane figurine - available for pre-order! It ships in 01/10, but you can pre-order now to guarantee you get yourself one! The best price I've found for it is $11.99USD + shipping, on BigBadToyStore.com - click the link to go to the details page. There's no photo there, but I managed to find one for you!

Badass, eh? There's also another Bobby Orr in that set (Orr 3), also available from BigBadToyStore.com for $11.99 pre-order.

You're welcome!

To be posted later - the Leafs get rough in a game of shinny, the Bruins hand the Preds their 6th loss in a row while only playing a 40 minute game, and Brad Marchand scores his first NHL point in his first NHL game.

Also, my fantasy team sucks. I'm destined to be in last place every year I play this dumb game. Clearly I'm a shitty GM.

Summing up the morning's Bruins news

Guillaume Lefebvre was sent back to the P-Bruins.

Johnny Boychuck's staying in town even though D-Wides should be able to play in Wednesday's game.

It was revealed Looch had a metal pin put into his finger during surgery - how will that affect his fighting?

(Mass) State Lottery has debuted a Boston Bruins scratch-off, with prizes including cash and season tickets.

Chowdaheadz is having a contest for a new slogan, you could win a $200 shopping spree! You can only enter one slogan a day, but have at it!

Kobasew might make his debut with the Wild tomorrow night.

I really want to see Sobotka on Krejci's wing, and I hope he sticks with the team. This kid is a GREAT player, and for such a small (comparatively speaking) player, he hits like a brick wall. I love his work ethic and his grit. For all the grief Euros get for being ... shall we say, elusive? This guy plays like he was born and raised in Boston. We'll see him debut tomorrow night. Fingers crossed he stays up.

Inside outside upside down

Or something like that, given all that happened in the past 24 hours. Let's see...

• Kobasew traded to Minny for 2 minor leaguers and a draft pick
• Lucic put on Long-Term IR (3-4 weeks)
  
• Sobotka and Marchand called up from Providence
• Looch had surgery to repair broken right index finger
• Savard, Thornton, Lefebvre missed practice today

Well I'm a little mind boggled. Why did Savvy and Thorty miss practice? Was Kobasew traded to clear cap space for Sobotka et al? Isn't that the purpose of putting Looch on LTIR? Was Chia clearing space to re-sign Savvy and Wheels? Will Sobotka play with Krejci, or will Bitzy keep on keepin' on there? Where will Marchand fit in? Wednesday's game v. Nashville should be interesting, to say the least. It IS v. Nashville, right?

Schenn shirts now available / Leafs analysis

Having done about a thousand Google searches of my own for Luke Schenn shirts, I'm pleased to share with the world that they're now available for purchase through the ACC Centresports Store. You can either go in to purchase one, or have it shipped to you. It's the regular blue shirt with white TML logo, and SCHENN / 2 on the back. Cost is $32.59CDN, plus $20 shipping if you need it shipped. If you're in the US, that works out to $50.43USD. You can purchase by calling the Centresports Store at 416/815.5746. M-S 10:00-17:00, U 12:00-17:00.

In semi-related news, I'm thinking about slapping this on a shirt and having them printed up:

Possibly with SCHENN/2 on the back. Thinking it over. Obviously that one would be for the laaaadies. I'm trying to find a good picture for the general public. And I'm also trying to figure out how to manipulate the Obama blue/red into Toronto Blue/White and also Bruins Black/Gold so that I can make some Bruins ones. I mean, hello? Who wouldn't want LOOCH SMASH? Mmmhm.

Analysis: What's Wrong With the Leafs?

Anyway I said I was going to get into what's wrong with the Leafs today. I'll stick with my former assessment and say "everything." They really do need to sit down as a team and watch Miracle, because the legs DO feed the wolves, gentlemen, and from the drop of the puck last night, they team almost consistently skated as if they were in mud. If it's spring, if they're playing in a warmer city, that's almost acceptable. But it's nearing winter, and they're playing on home ice. It was nearly painful to try and watch - particularly the part where Sean Avery mentioned how every team he's on plays above .500. Am I the only one who wanted to beat him with a shoe? Obviously not, that was a rhetorical question.

What I think is really wrong with the Leafs is Ron Wilson. Very likable man, but not a good coach. I'm almost never one to say "FIRE THE COACH!" but in this instance, I think that's really the only thing that can be done to turn this team around. All the pieces are there in terms of cog in the team wheel, although I'm still LMFAO that they thought Garnet Exelby would be a good addition to their d-corps. Another huge problem, last night at least, was playing Schenn on the left. Don't put a young D-man on his off-side just so you can pair him up with a different partner. That's how you ruin an up-and-coming player's confidence, and the skill they've built thusfar. A winger is one thing, because the wingers are constantly switching sides as the plays develop, but a defenceman's another story entirely, especially a teenager. Let him get used to the system, let him re-find his NHL legs, let him get used to all the new d-men he's got on the team before you go rattling him and moving him to the off-side. Unsettling your players is the last thing you want to do when you're working your way towards the lifetime achievement of "worst start in the history of the NHL" (although, are the Isles up there too, poor JT). Shaking up the lines and pairings is one thing. Switching players to their off-wing, off-side, or unnatural position is another thing entirely, and is, dare I say, stupid. Tonnes of Leafs fans are hoping and praying Phil Kessel is the saviour they want Schenn to be and I hate to break it to them, but without a quality centre, which they STILL don't seem to have, considering the last 7 games, Kessel is just going to be another struggling player in a system already full of them.

In summation: Keep your young star D-man on his correct side, find a really amazing centre (I'm thinking Kadri here), fire the coach, set the lines and let them fucking be. And have those boys bag skate and stickhandle through an entire rink of cones, until they puke, because the stickhandling and skating is just out-of-control bad.

You're doing it wrong.

Apparently last night, Milan Lucic broke a finger. Halfway through the 2nd. And kept playing. But is out of the line up. And on the bench. For probably 2-3 weeks. Maybe more, maybe less.

So Lucic-less Bruins to take on Soon-to-be-homeless Coyotes. But Guillaume Lefebvre, not to be confused with Bret Favre, will be stepping in for Looch. Not sure on what line, or who's going where or really, whether to wind my butt or scratch my watch, but hey the Leafs are only down by 1 after the 1st! So there's that.

Maybe tomorrow I'll talk about what's wrong with the Leafs. It could be a long post. Maybe a short one. Maybe I can do it now: Everything. Someone make that team watch Miracle.

Get well soon, Looch. Can you splint that thing and play anyway?

The B's took out Big D

My personal 3 stars of the game (having not seen the official ones):

1. Marc Savard - two awesome goals, great PK work, a lot of hustle and instant chemistry with Mike Ryder proved to work to his advantage. And Savvy is now 1 goal away from 200 career goals. Who was hoping for a hat-trick? This girl! And apparently Coach, since he had Sav out at every opportunity in the last 5:00.

2. Tim Thomas - do I really need to explain why?

3. This one was hard, so I'm awarding a two-way tie to Andy Ference and Matt Hunwick. Andy for his hustle, great forecheck, endless work on each PK shift, throwing the hits out like rubbers at a bachelor's party, and just irritating the Stars in general. Matt for basically the same reason AND trying to play goal when Timmy was caught out of net. Once a year it seems one of the D-men doubles up as unprotected goalies, and I think they should starting giving extra hardhat consideration for that. Particularly considering THEY'RE NOT WEARING CAGES.

Now that those are out of the way, onto the game.

Obviously I'm not going to be the first person to say BEST GAME OF THE YEAR despite that 7-2 blowout over the Canes. But with Bergeron taking the first penalty of the game :18 into the 1st, my heart sank. And then... and then... THEY KILLED IT! With APLOMB! And as the seconds ticked by I stopped wanting to chew my nails and throw things. I wouldn't let myself be optimistic though. I kept checking the time, I kept checking the PK time, but most of all I really liked watching the boys playing in the attacking zone most of the night. I'm thinking the NHL's "Event Summary" stats are somewhat incorrect as they're listing Ference with 1 hit and Hunwick with 0, and I saw them hit a lot more than that. This was an awesome, hit-filled game played with confidence, played with consistency, and played by the Bruins everyone is used to seeing play. I was also very impressed with Johnny Boychuk, who did NOT impress me too much in his first NHL game, but this time out, he made well-timed plays, had some nice hits, was a lot more calm and collected on the blue line, and was only caught out of place once or twice. Very worth noting - NO ONE on the team had <10:00 TOI, so no bike riding for anyone last night.

In the end, the boys in black and gold walked (flew) out of Big D with the TKO. And Timmy's first shutout of the season. Well done, boys. Keep it up in Phoenix.

I was going to post some photos, but neither Getty nor AP have any really great ones. What's up with the weak photo representation there, photographers? I'll put up flickr feed on the sidebar to rep the fans that are picking up the slack of the professionals.

Lastly, I don't get anything out of this, no discounts or anything, but Chowdaheadz has a new Bruins shirt. I ordered one last night, and at the low-low price of $12.99, you should consider it too, cause how wicked cool is this?

Click the image to go to the purchase page.

I'm selling some of my stuff! You want to buy it!

I've put some of my hockey stuff up on eBay in order to raise funds for rent, and avoid being homeless. You don't want me to be homeless do you? Buy my stuff! The prices are super low! Tell your friends! Everyone reading must know SOMEONE who'd want some of this!

Autographed Sergei Kostitsyn Canadiens Home (Red) Replica Jersey

Autographed Rob Schremp Oilers 3rd (2006) Replica Jersey

Unforgettable Knights: 2005 Memorial Cup Champions - Collector's Edition Numbered Coffee Table Book

I also have an Atlanta Thrashers Parka for the low-low price of $60, and a Thrashers fleece-lined vest for $30. They're both size XXL, and are waaaaaay too big on me. If anyone's interested, leave a comment, and I'll send you some photos of it.

Thanks for buying my stuff!!

It's autumn, the Leafs must be falling

First off, I'd like to congratulate the Leafs on being the WORST incarnation of this team since the team's inception. That is some kind of special. I honestly can't really remember any team starting off the season with a 6 game losing skid. I mean, like ever, in my 20+ years of hockey watching. I'm sure there might've been. Phoenix maybe? Columbus! The Caps sucked for a long time. Which brings me 'round to something...


See I have a particular affinity for the Ron Wilson coaching staff, particularly one Tim Hunter. Mostly cause they're seriously cool guys, and Tim let my friends and I wear his Stanley Cup ring once, and I've never felt so cool in my life. Plus that's the closest I'll ever get to a Stanley Cup ring unless I steal one. Which I wouldn't. I mean, where would I wear it? But I really like Crazy Ron and Hunts and Zettler.  But... like does no one remember the years AFTER the Caps went to the Cup final with them? You know, the... what, 7, 8 years when the Caps SUCKED? When the cheers in the stands when the other team scored were "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah HEY! WE SUCK!" ? When we booed our own goalies? When everyone came to games dressed as empty seats? When the team was so bad that while sitting in our seats, my mates and I would discuss the potential cities the team would be moving to, and what their names might be? (Seattle Lattes was my personal favourite.) In a way, Wilson, Hunter and Zettler remind me of Jose Theodore and Johan Hedberg. Each had one REALLY GREAT SEASON in their respective positions, and ever since then they've been failing at living up to that legacy.

I'm not a huge Leafs fan. I love Luke Schenn and Nazim Kadri, I hate Mike Komisarek, even though my girlfriend wants to climb him like a redwood and do things to him that are illegal in most of the lower 48. Of course I hate Mike Komisarek, I'm a Bruins fan. But I watch the Leafs for the sake of Schenn. And in hopes that Kadri won't inherit the worst team EVER. My hopes are falling just as are the autumn leaves leafs.

Woe.

Photo courtesy AP, all rights reserved

But here's a gripe I have that has nothing to do with the shitty play of the team on the ice. Last night's game was broadcast exclusively through Leafs TV, even on Center Ice down here in the states, and for the first, oh, 45 minutes?  There was one second of sound for every 7 seconds of silence. Literally. I sat and counted as I watched for about 10 minutes. I considered muting it because really, the game was kind of better that way. The Avs hadn't scored in the first 10 minutes, but I was too lazy to press play, and I asked around to some friends who all have Center Ice on different cable and satellite carriers. They ALL had the same sound problems. Which means it came out of the Leafs TV broadcast central.

You know, it's not bad enough the team is this bad, but it adds a lot of insult to injury that they can't even get the SOUND to work on an exclusive broadcast. About 10 minutes into the 1st, I gave up and watched Ghost Hunters on DVD. After half of an excellent episode (Ghostly Conversations, if you're wondering), I turned the DVD off and lo and behold - sound! Oh, but Colorado had scored twice to the Leafs once. And remembering the Caps of yore, I knew that meant the Leafs were just going to roll over, give up, and hope no one came out of it dead.

Poor Luke Schenn. Poor Maple Leaf Fans. I'm still going to buy a Luke Schenn shirt as soon as one comes out, and I'll still refer to him as OLAS, but I don't think even Luke can turn around this trainwreck of a season. Like I said, let's just hope no one comes out of this dead. And hey, there's still the Christmas and March trade deadlines to look forward to.... or uh, something.

Seems the flying V still works

So... yeah I don't really have much to say about last night's game. Well, I was really excited to see Milan Lucic featured in the Pop Culture segment during the 1st intermission (awwww, Armageddon makes him tear up!), and also to see him featured so much because of his BIG FAT CONTRACT extension. And it was nice to find out Mark Stuart is the new player rep in the NHLPA for the B's - after Andrew Ference declined to repeat as team rep (fueling further speculation that he might be on his way out after this season?). But other than that, uh, well, I was discouraged to say the least. Jack Edwards put it best when he said the B's didn't lose ONCE at home last season by more than 3 goals, and 3rd game in, they lost by 5.

I saw a lot of problems with the play, and maybe it's due to the new guys adjusting to the system, but in a lot of cases, it was the team veterans who were out of place. No one was in front of the net to direct in a bounce, no one was there to catch a pass, no one was there to crash the net, passes went into the wild blue yonder, and for the love of the lord, why did Looch or Thorty not drop the gloves with SOMEONE at some point in the third? I mean, hello? What's another expression for a fight? "Momentum shifter." That was desperately needed by the middle of the 2nd, let alone through the 3rd. So what happened? Who knows. Four days off after a great win. A lot of hub-bub surrounding Looch's extension, the Sox playing the Angels in the playoffs (OK OK that game didn't start til 9:37, but isn't it kind of ironic that both the hockey and baseball teams were playing the Anaheim teams?). No idea.

Hopefully Julien is currently instituting his kind, loving, fatherly manner of gently nudging his players back onto track, and helping them find their zen, their groove, their asses with both hands. Let's be real, hopefully he gave them a double practice today and tomorrow's game-day skate's mandatory. Because that shit on ice last night was unacceptable from this team. Apparently 2/3 of the team forgot the system they've been playing for the past 3 years, and they damned well better remember by tomorrow night.  And despite them being pretty good friends, I kind of hope that John Tavares' "Welcome to the NHL" moment comes from Milan Lucic pounding him into the boards during that game.


I'm starting to think I really am a jinx. When I make it public that I like a team, they just start to suck. We'll see how it goes, but maybe I should just give up on hockey blogging and stop publicly admitting my love for a team - any team. We''ll see how it goes.

Anyway, here's some pictures from last night (photos courtesy AP, Getty, or whomever. All Rights Reserved.):

And cause I totally love burning images on peoples' brains... may I present to you Zdeno Chara, naked:

Because I'm an equal opportunity believer in sharing naked (or mostly naked) photos of great hockey players, I was going to oblige all three of my readers with a great mostly-naked photo of Looch, who, by the way, has a body that would put Z to shame. However last time I backed up my computer, I archived the photo and took it off the hard drive. Tear.

The ability to make a guy bleed pays $4.083m/yr

The stunningly fit, heavy-fisted, soft-handed, almost fleet-footed Milan Lucic, the new found cult hero of the working class fans of Boston Bruins everywhere, was finally rewarded today for his years of never-say-die attitude, and awarded a contract extension for 3 years at $12.25m.

Just a reminder to the naysayers, Jeremy Jacobs wouldn't pay $4m a year to someone who serves only as a pugilist. For proof, just ask PJ Stock.

Congrats, Looch. Keep it up, can't wait to see you wearing the Red and White come February.

And the funniest commercial you might not have seen:

Confession and format change

Good morning, loyal readers (all three of you. Assuming I lost one due to their apparent dislike of tattooed ladies). I just wanted to drop a quick FYI/Confession to everyone that I've decided my heart is no longer in following and chronicling the Thrashers. My adoration and respect for Kari Lehtonen was the main reason being the beginning of this blog, and with his constant injuries and illnesses, in addition to the (as of last season) poor play of the team around him, I just can't drum up the interest to keep writing about the Thrash. Once Kari returns to form, I'll be more than happy to write about and post photos of him critiquing his play and  providing the accolades he so well deserves.

However, my heart has returned to its roots in New England, and the Northeast Division. Instead of chronicling the Thrashers and their mishaps, I'll be turning instead to writing about the Bruins and their methodic destruction of every team in the league (that loss to the Caps doesn't count). I'll also periodically be dropping a blurb or two about the Leafs, and my favourite up-and-coming defenceman Luke Schenn.

I'm aware that by doing this, I'm likely to lose quite a few readers, and that's okay. I never started this blog to get public attention, or kudos, or get my name out there in the blogosphere. I started it to chronicle the careers of the teams and players I love. And my New England roots won't ever let me forget my love for the Hub of Hockey, especially with Mr Milan Lucic quickly becoming the most feared and respected fighter in the NHL. Fighting is what got me into hockey in the first place - a great late-night game on ESPN (oh those were the days) between the Kings and some other team not featuring Luc Robitaille, and blood was spilled, and LEFT ON THE ICE! How awesome is a game where they can beat the crap out of each other and leave the evidence right there for everyone to see, as a reminder? Granted they no longer leave the blood on the ice, and there's ads on the boards now, and all over the ice surface, but at the heart of it, the game is the same, and I have to be honest - I bleed Black and Gold.

I have informed the New York Times of my decision to no longer cover the Thrashers, and as such have recommended Waldorf and Stadler over at Blueland Chronicle to take my place, as I feel they're the best independent Thrasher bloggers out there.

Thanks for sticking with me the past two and half seasons, and I hope some of you will continue carrying on with me once I switch over to writing about the B's. If not, no hard feelings. After all, this blog is mostly for me, and my memories, not for anyone else.

Take it easy, kids.

MY news IS fit to print!

Apparently, someone (The New York Times) thought my blog was insightful, witty, and intelligent enough to invite me to be on this year's panel of Hockey Night in Blogdom - 30 independent hockey bloggers covering each team. Wow, I'm totally honoured. Like, fuhrealz. I'm in the NEW YORK TIMES! *gasp*

Anyway, check out installment number one - 30 teams in 30 minutes - Eastern Edition.

SERIOUSLY I'M IN THE NEW YORK TIMES!

I have to go tamp my enthusiasm by watching the Leafs/Habs game now. Cause Luke Schenn is a God, and as I may have mentioned earlier, I can't watch the Bruins game til 4am. Do not even THINK about emailing me to tell me what happens!!! The gaggle of Kessel jerseys in the ACC had me gagging.

I'M IN THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!