Unlike the other bloggers that I’m sure you’re enjoying, I am a much newer fan to the sport of hockey, therefore, my posts will probably come off as a bit more naïve and uneducated with the finer details and the stronger historical precedence. Sorry, but it is always fun to get an awkward someone confused perspective, isn’t it?
So the Boston Bruins, defending Stanley Cup Champions, another picture perfect case of how Boston sports teams work. It’s no secret that every team across every sport goes through dry spells, and it is even less of a secret that Boston teams are notorious for rising to the occasion just to fall flat on their faces inches before the finish line. However, in recent history, every Boston sports team has, in some sports miracle, crossed the yellow tape and won the trophy. This past season, the Bruins’ win was no less of a shocker than Tom Brady taking the Super Bowl in 2002, the Red Sox breaking the “Curse” in 2004, and the Celtics coming out of nowhere in 2008.
Unfortunately, this past season appears to be somewhat of a fluke as the Bruins have fallen back into the traditional Boston sports team fashion of showing up big and going home broken. We started off our home season opener with a beautiful banner raising ceremony, filled with all the enthusiasm and excitement that comes with a championship. The game started off strong, as Brad Marchand managed to score a power play goal, a miracle in itself based on last year’s PP performances, and started the Bruins off on top. Of course, tragedy quickly ensued as our welcome back to hockey season concluded with a Bruins heart breaking 2-1 loss to the Flyers.
As the season slowly got going, there was a small glimmer of hope that the Bruins were starting their engines as well, with Marchand, Chara, and Seguin playing just as masterfully as last season, if not even better, and leading the Bruins to a 4-1 victory over the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. While Thomas still hasn’t had a shutout, he is looking pretty good between the pipes, especially in the second victory, a shoot out against Chicago. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Rask and the rest of the Bruins, as he has lost both appearances he has made and the team on the whole is 2 and 4, and already having to fight their way back into the top of the division.
On the whole, the Bruins haven’t started off this season nearly as strong as they ended last season. The men aren’t moving as quickly and forcibly on the ice as they should be, passes are missed, hits not as hard, and discipline is simply lacking. That has never been clearer as it was last night in the embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. While the Bruins were able to get in some serious punches during multiple brawls throughout the night, most notably the one with about 5 minutes left in the second period, they were not bringing that strength and energy to the actual game on the ice. With 70 minutes in penalties and numerous 5 on 3 PP given to the Canes, it is almost surprising that the Bruins weren’t beaten even more on the scoreboard. And the disgust by the fans did not go unnoticed. After back to back penalty calls in the middle of the third period, the ice was covered in trash, including an empty whiskey bottle, as the fans not only showed their impatience with the Refs’ calls, but with the lackluster effort of the Bruins as well.
The Bruins have the talent in every aspect of the game. We have a beast between the pipes with Timmy Thomas, a monster of a defender in Chara, young talent in Seguin, Marchand, and Horton, as well as experience in players like Peverley. There is a lot of other talent spread across the team, so we have the potential for a cup repeat, we just need to get back the passion and discipline of the sport, the true heart of the game that matters just as much as the ability to shoot a puck at 106 mph or to pass across the blue lines to set up a perfect shot on goal.
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