Well, this one is a little bit long so I think I’m going to include a table of contents at the start. It’s not really a novel length blog but there are a few different pieces to it and not everyone will want to read everything (or maybe no one will want to read anything; I don’t know) and so I think it will be a service to the public to divide this. Before I continue, I’d like to welcome fellow Bruins Blogger Jesse Connolly to the Hockeybuzz fold. So, without further delay, I give you my complete thoughts on the Habs, the playoffs, the universe and everything (minus anything involving the Star Wars Prequels and any MetallicA album after the black album since they just shouldn’t exist). If you’re like me and you like a nice long article to bring into the, uh, throne room, then you’ll like this blog.

Table of Contents:
1. What the Bruins need do to give themselves a shot at beating the Habs.
2. What I do/don’t want to see from each individual Bruin.
3. Why I don’t think Patrice Bergeron should be back this season.
4. My prediction for the series.
5. My predictions for the rest of the first round match-ups.
6. Outro



1. WHAT THE BRUINS NEED DO TO GIVE THEMSELVES A SHOT AT BEATING THE HABS.


This is obviously a tough subject to approach. It’s just a bit less complicated than particle physics but just a little more awkward than telling a roomful of people that you’re a big fan of Stargate SG-1 and you think Richard Dean Anderson is probably the most underrated actor next to Leslie Nielsen while keeping a straight face. Just trust me on that one.

Let’s face it, if you had to do the traditional comparative breakdown for the Habs and Bruins, it would look something like this:

Offensive advantage: Habs
Defensive advantage: Even against the rest of the league but head-to-head advantage Habs.
Goaltending: Again, pretty even against the rest of the league but advantage Habs when these clubs go head to head.

So it would seem like things are pretty bleak for the Bruins and my time would be better spent alphabetically arranging my collection of Tom Waits albums instead of continuing this analysis. Well, you may be right. I may be crazy. But it just might be a lunatic you’re looking for. Yes, I just quoted Billy Joel. It just came out and I apologize.

The Bruins do have a few advantages. For one thing, the Bruins are tougher than the Habs. This is not to say the Habs aren’t tough at all and, indeed, there are a few guys that are quite tough on the Habs roster (mainly Mike Komisarek who is as tough as anyone in the black and gold with the exception of perhaps Chara). But let’s face it, the Bruins are definitely a more rough and tumble club. I don’t expect the Habs to crumble or be hit to death but toughness is definitely an advantage in the playoffs more so than in the regular season. If players know they don’t have to play another 50 games this season, they’re much more likely to leave it all on the ice.

The Bruins also have guile and a lack of pressure on their side. Both of these clubs have sort of Cinderella stories. Both were picked to be representing the basement of the North East division and both have exceeded expectations. The Bruins had to face more adversity in the form of injuries to do so. Now the Habs are the number one seed and they’ve beaten the Bruins every time this year. The pressure is usually greater on a number one seed to perform than a number eight seed and this time is no different. New England sports fans know just how tricky over-confidence and perfect records can be. Of course I’m referencing the Red Sox’s defeat of the Yankees in 2004. Why? What’d you think I was referring to? I won’t get into this too much more but as I outlined in my last blog, I firmly believe the Bruins have much more to gain than they have to lose in this series.

Another advantage the Bruins have, in my opinion anyways, is the coaching advantage. Claude Julien has done wonders behind the B’s bench so far and he is definitely a more experienced coach than Guy Carbonneau. Julien has coached in the playoffs before and he has coached three different clubs to the playoffs (not including any AHL or junior coaching). Of course he has been unceremoniously fired a few times right before the playoffs but Claude has never been fired for a really good reason. In the first instance, the Habs just wanted Guy and maybe wanted to stop with so much defensive hockey. In the second instance, Sweet Lou went nuts. In any case, Julien has much more experience coaching than Guy does and Julien’s assistants are all very seasoned people as well (it’s paprika). Obviously Carbo has done a great job with the Habs this year but just like neither team knows what to expect from its inexperienced players, I still consider Carbonneau to be somewhat of a question mark. Not literally though. I mean, he is a human being and not a question mark. It was just a metaphor.

So here are some things I think Claude Julien should be telling his team:

- When you’re out on the ice, don’t stop hustling. Not even for a second. This includes line changes. The Bruins should stand a very good chance if they can skate the way they did in the last game of the season between these two clubs. The Bruins have lots of guys with good foot speed on their forward lines so the forwards aren’t much of a problem. It’s more a matter of reminding the d-men that they shouldn’t stop skating and taking the fight to the Habs. Too often are the Bruins d-men caught flat-footed in the neutral zone when a Romulan Warbird, or Sergei Kostitsyn, blows by them and leaves them in their dust.

- The D-men have to be more physical in the defensive zone. Poke checks are a great play if you can pull it off for sure but 90 percent of the time, the d-men should be looking to take the body. How many of Kovalev’s goals against the Bruins this year wouldn’t have occurred if the d-men guarding him chose to take the body instead of staring slack-jawed at the puck? The Habs have some very tricky guys and so it’s important to get close to them, get physical with them and take their space away. If the Bruins d-men get caught giving the Habs space to move around and staring at the puck like they were a group of 12 year old boys who have just found their pop’s Hustler stash, then this series is going to end fast. This is the most important point that the Bruins have to emphasize.

- Don’t be afraid to get out of the box a little. Zone coverage and a constant, passive box formation may be great against a lot of teams and it’s the Bruins bread and butter. What it is not is effective against the Habs. We need to see more aggression and more attention from the Bruins d-men. By aggression, I mean what I was talking about in the previous paragraph. By more attention, I mean more man-to-man coverage and awareness. Don’t let Kovalev stand out in the open just because you’re supposed to be collapsing in a box formation. It’s a stupid thing to do. Every Bruin player should be aware of which Habs are on the ice at all times. In fact, I’ll make it easy for them: if the Hab in question has a last name that starts with the letter “K” then make damned sure you’ve got a man on him.

- The Bruins have to make sure they don’t take very many penalties and they have to make sure that the penalties they take are smart and necessary. Glen Murray, Marc Savard, I’m looking at you guys. All of the players need to keep in mind how deadly the Habs’ power-play is and they have to remind themselves that a single bad slashing the stick, hooking, diving, tripping or high-sticking call can actually cost them the game and potentially the series. If the Bruins limit the Habs’ power-play opportunities, then they’ve already reduced the effectiveness of the Habs’ offense.

- The next point is a concept that chess players are very familiar with. If the Bruins do take a matching penalty for fighting or roughing, they have to make sure that the player going off for the Habs is of equal or greater importance than the player going off for the Bruins. If I see Tom Kostopolous sitting in the box for the Habs and Chara sitting for the Bruins then I’ll freak out. The moral of this story: don’t trade a queen for a pawn…uh, I mean a king for a pawn. And while I’m on this topic, why don’t the Bruins try doing some agitating of their own for once? I say let Sobotka loose out there and see if he can get Komisarek into the box for a change. I’m not sure if this would be the old switcheroo or the what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

- The forwards have to make sure they don’t allow the Habs to play a smooth transition game. This has three aspects to it. Firstly, the forwards have to fore-check like they’ve never fore-checked before. Or, preferably, they should fore-check like they’re pros at fore-checking. That would actually work out much better on second thought. The second thing they have to do is make sure when they get the puck, they get the puck in deep and don’t cough it up in areas that the Habs can make clean breaks out of (like the slot or the sideboards by the blue line). I can’t stress enough how even things like failed scoring chances which rebound into the slot can result in a quick rush in the other direction for the Habs. Thirdly, the Bruins have to limit their giveaways altogether. No high risk passes should be made by anyone not named Savard or Krejci and when those guys do stuff like that, the Bruins’ defense should be aware of it and get ready to move like they were running from a giant boulder (watch out for the sunlight, it activates spikes).

- Tim Thomas has to be on his game. There’s not much more to say. Thomas just has to channel that competitive spirit but get rid of the frustration he feels when he plays the Habs. I don’t want to see him freak out when he gives up a goal. Stop flapping, Tim. You need to be unflappable. Flapper. Both Thomas and Price have to prove themselves in the NHL playoffs and both goalies have proved themselves in non-NHL playoffs. This should be interesting.

- Lastly, some of this stuff that I’m saying sounds contrary to the game that brought them to the playoffs. Coming out of zone defense, keeping the puck away from high risk areas of the offensive slot and playing a very aggressive style of defense, even on penalty-kills, all sound counter-intuitive to the system they’ve been playing all year. I don’t think these things and Claude Julien’s system are mutually exclusive. Players simply have to exercise sound judgment when determining when they should be following the simple box and zone defense and when they should break from it. If these aspects can be incorporated into the usual neutral zone clogging, conservative play of the Bruins then the Bs will be much tougher for the Habs to contend with. If the Bruins plan on using the same old game plan, they will lose without putting up a fight.




2. WHAT I DO/DON’T WANT TO SEE FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL BRUIN.


This is going to be a list where I name each Bruin and then I point out something I want to see from them and something I don’t want to see from them in the playoffs. I like most of these players but let’s face it, other than Gillian Anderson, no one is perfect.

P.J. Axelsson: What I want to see a lot of is good, defensive play and a cool head. I want P.J. to set the example and cover for the other forwards. A lot of this series will hinge on P.J.’s ability to kill penalties and play effectively against the Habs’ top line. What I don’t want to see from P.J. is his tendency to sometimes go through a stretch of nightmarish games where he just completely forgets how to play hockey on both ends of the ice. P.J. is usually as steady as they come but twice this season he has gone through a stretch of three or four games where he has just looked totally ineffective defensively. It can’t happen during this series.

Glen Murray: I’d like to see Murray continue to get shots on goal. What I don’t want to see from him is a lack of support for teammates along the boards as he tries to set himself up. I also don’t want to see any shots from a ridiculous length out which don’t result in a rebound.

Marc Savard: I want to see his continued offensive vision and his ability to run a power-play. What I don’t want to see is lazy skating back to the defensive zone. If Savard isn’t hustling then he shouldn’t be out there.

Phil Kessel: I want to see more speed and puck carrying from Phil. I don’t want to see him do his usual limp wrist shot or inside-out move every third time he comes over the blue-line.

David Krejci: More gifted passing and fast skating are what I do want to see from Krejci. What I don’t want to see is a lack of intensity or turtling under physical pressure.

Milan Lucic: I do want to see Milan smash a few Habs and I do want him to continue with his solid passing decisions. I don’t want Milan to be so unselfish with the puck at times. Lucic has shown he can score but I think to take his goal scoring to the next level he will have to hold on to the puck a little more.

Glen Metropolit: I do want to see good penalty-killing and energy from Glen. I don’t want to see Glen out there much when the Bruins don’t have a lead. Glen’s play must’ve stolen and installed a cloaking device because it has vanished over the past month. He hasn’t been scoring and he hasn’t been contributing much more than a responsible presence.

Petteri Nokelainen: I do want to see Petteri crash and bang. I would also like to see him do a little more agitating along with Sobotka. I don’t want to see Nokelainen on the fourth line trying to make up for other people’s defensive mistakes.

Jeremy Reich and Shawn Thornton: Let’s face it, they’re pretty much the same guy. I do want to see these guys running around and hitting everything in sight. I don’t want to see them make stupid defensive mistakes just for the sake of running around and hitting everything in sight. It affects their team-mates (see above paragraph).

Peter Schaefer: I do want to see Schaefer on the bench. I don’t want to see Schaefer on the ice. His play has picked up over the past couple of games but I’m not so sure he has earned himself playoff time.

Vladimir Sobotka: I do want to see Sobotka agitate and hit. I don’t want to see him hold on to the puck for too long. He’s good at retaining the puck against most teams but the Habs are the last team I want him to get pretty against.

Marco Sturm: I do want to see him continue his excellent skating. I don’t want him to revert back to old tendencies and disappear for entire games. I also don’t want him to shoot the puck into the goalie nearly as often.

Zdeno Chara: I do want to see Chara make solid first passes and take the body a lot more. I don’t want to see Chara stop moving his legs…even when he’s standing still, just to be safe.

Andrew Alberts: I do want to see Alberts take the body on Hab forwards. I don’t want to see him cough up the puck in irresponsible turnovers.

Andrew Ference: I’m pretty close to just copying Peter Schaefer’s paragraph.

Mark Stuart: I do want to see Stuart play his usual brand of responsible, smothering defense. I don’t want to see him quit on offensive plays since he has a very underrated shot and he clearly knows when to pinch in on plays.

Dennis Wideman: I do want to see Wideman skate with the puck as much as he can. I don’t want to see him have brain farts in the defensive zone when in front of his own net.

Aaron Ward: I do want to see Ward continue to be the tough, veteran gamer that he has been all year. I don’t want him to get injured.

Shane Hnidy: I do want him to agitate and get in the face of his opponents. I don’t want him to underestimate the speed of his opponents.

Tim Thomas: I do want him to stop the puck. I don’t want him to not stop the puck. What can I say? He’s unorthodox.




3. WHY I DON’T THINK PATRICE BERGERON SHOULD BE BACK THIS SEASON:


Firstly, I’m glad Patrice Bergeron is recovering as fast as he is and I’m glad he’s brave enough to want to step right up and get back in action. That bodes very well for the future. What I’m not so glad about is that he’s actually contemplating returning in the playoffs. Patrice Bergeron is a fine hockey player and when he’s at full health, he plays a very rough and tumble brand of hockey. Many fans don’t think of Patrice as a physical player but Bruin fans know better. Patrice likes to get his nose dirty and he doesn’t just sit back and watch plays happen.

The problem with that is Patrice hasn’t played a hockey game in months. He lost 15 lbs when he was recuperating and since he was never a fat guy, I’m going to assume much of that was muscle weight. On top of that, concussions can be very tricky and, truth be told, doctors do not always have a handle on when symptoms will recur or when concussions have fully subsided.

No matter what any doctor says (presumably the same doctors that okayed a trade for Fernandez despite his messed up knee), no matter what Peter Chiarelli says (who sounds very reserved about putting Patrice on the ice) and no matter what the stoic Bergeron says, I do not believe that intense playoff hockey is the best environment for a guy who has come off of months of inactivity to get his feet wet in. Why risk it? Even if Patrice is fully recovered, his timing just cannot be there unless he’s some kind of genetic freak. It is just not reasonable to expect anyone to go from a sedentary life to playoff hockey in that short a time frame. If it were, I would be lacing ‘em up somewhere.

It would be a great story if Patrice were to come back and valiantly battle the Habs. It would be a greater story if Patrice were to retire in a Bs uniform at the ripe age of 40 and with a C on his chest. I’m not willing to risk the latter for the former. Not even close.




4. MY PREDICTION FOR THE SERIES


Maggie the TSN monkey (or whatever the hell it is), the TSN panel, Ek’s dog and even - and this one really saddens me - Mike Milbury have all chosen the Habs to handily beat the Bruins. And who can blame them? Putting aside that Ek’s dog’s opinion is probably better than Milbury’s, I can’t blame Mad Mike for choosing the Habs even though we all know who he wants to win the series. People who don’t follow these two teams just look at the numbers and laugh at the Bruins. People who do follow the Bruins often just feel like the Bs have no chance to defeat their rivals unless Cam Neely decides to suit up for this series. Hell, I even asked my border collie whether or not the Habs would win and she said “bouff” then walked away. I don’t speak dog but I’m pretty sure that was a vote of confidence for the Canadiens.

I, on the other hand, am totally delusional and biased. I’m also too proud of my club to admit defeat before the series has even begun. But even more, I’m aware that the Bruins are capable of raising their level of play for stretches of time and showing flashes of what their young players really are capable of. At the start of the year - no matter what the incredulous Kevin Paul Dupont says - I picked the Bruins to make the playoffs. I was definitely in the minority on that one as every organization had them finishing out of the playoffs and every reporter I interviewed didn’t think they had a prayer. Well, I guess I’m not afraid to be the lone voice of lunacy and enthusiasm because I’m picking the Bruins again. Not only that, but I have a lot of confidence in them. I want to make it very clear that I’m not picking the Bruins out of some regrettable feeling of obligation. I’m picking the Bruins because I believe this team’s spirit and attitude are indomitable.

My prediction: Bruins win the series four games to two.

I’ve eaten crow before and since I’m brave enough to make this prediction, I’ll be brave enough to admit my lunacy if the Habs end up winning. I have a feeling I’ll be fine though. The Habs are a fine team to be sure but there’s something about the Bruins this year that gives me faith in them.

Also, if I’m wrong then I’ve got an alternate identity lined up. Say goodbye to Gerry Bourdeau and say hello to Geraldo Escobar.




5. MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE REST OF THE FIRST ROUND MATCH-UPS:


I figured I would throw this in here just for fun. Plus it gives fans of other teams something to yell at me about. This’ll be more interesting than the picks the TSN crew spewed out (apparently none of the underdogs will be winning this year).

Ottawa vs. Pens: I think Ottawa is going to win this one. I’m totally skeptical about Hossa factoring into this and I think Crosby’s return will somewhat stifle Malkin. I think the Sens are just too experienced to go down in the first round. I also think this match-up will come down to whoever has the least weak defense and I think that’s the Sens with Phillips and Volchenkov. Also, Commodore 64 is one of those guys who comes alive in the playoffs.

Washington vs. Philly: Alexander Ovechkin is, absolutely no contest, the best player in the NHL and maybe the best player since Lemieux. Alex combined with Huet and an underrated defense will be a tough bunch to beat in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Caps, I think Philly has too well rounded of a team and too many guys who are willing to die for a win. I think their intense mentality will get them through the first round and so I pick Philly.

Jersey vs. Rangers: I know the Rangers do real well against the Devils…and I really don’t care. I’ve got to pick Jersey because they have Martin Brodeur. It’s that simple for me. I will never bet against Marty in a first round match-up, ever.

Detroit vs. Nashville: I think Detroit will take this one. I know everyone is saying that if there would be an upset anywhere it would be here. I don’t buy it. This isn’t the same Red Wing team that’s filled with old fogeys who don’t care about winning another cup. Yes, there are some mainstays left over but this team plays too much of a polished puck-possession game to go down in the first round.

San Jose vs. Calgary: I’m picking Calgary on this because I like their style. I think Iggy is going to outshine Thornton and Phaneuf will outshine Campbell. I also think Kipper is going to step things up though Nabokov is the better goalie.

Minnesota vs. Colorado: My pick for this is Colorado. I like their well balanced team and I think Theodore will actually surprise in the playoffs.

Anaheim vs. Dallas: I don’t think anyone has a prayer against Anaheim. Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger are just too much to handle. I can’t see Dallas coming out of this one. My pick is Anaheim.




6. OUTRO


So now you’ve got my take, my advice, my predictions and plenty of fodder with which to rip me apart. I hope you enjoy all of those acquisitions to their fullest. In the words of the immortal Yoda (who tragically passed away):

“Just begun this playoff war has…”

-Gerz

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