Taking Inventory: The 2007-2008 Boston Bruins
A fly ball to the outfield warning track... a buzzer-beating jumper that clangs off the rim... a crucial fumble on the goal line... few things in sport compare to an NHL Game 7 loss, but that is what Bruins fans are faced with this evening. It was no doubt a hard-fought series, but one team has to go home and it turned out to be the Black and Gold. Some fans will choose to blame the GM for not making a deadline deal; others will blame a lackadaisical effort in Game 82 versus the Sabres; and yet others will even blame the Canadiens, who had this series locked up all along. I'm here to say that it was none of these things that made us lose this series; it was the fault of the Bruins. They beat themselves, which essentially has been the story all year. There were costly turnovers in critical games and we featured a fly-by-night offense from week to week. However, the one thing they did have in droves was heart and work ethic; did they EVER show how much they had in this series. Kudos for sticking in this long, because better teams with less heart might have lost in four straight...
So, let us look back on the year that was in three phases:
Offense: The 2007-08 Bruins were led offensively by Marc Savard (78 points), Marco Sturm (56 points) and Zdeno Chara (51 points). These totals are far from overpowering and not one player cracked the 80 point barrier. Some would say we had a "balanced" scoring team, but I would argue that a balanced scoring team might have 10 guys with 50 or more points. The youth of the AHL saved the Bruins' rears this year... the youngsters like Sobotka, Krejci, Lucic and Kessel all have shown so much, but we all have to remember they are all not even old enough to drink yet...
Defense: I have a feeling this is where Barry Melrose, Brian Engblom and the other hockey analysts will say the Bruins were the weakest, but I would disagree. As a whole, this team made defensive stops when they needed them. I cannot remember another club that blocked so many shots or punished single rushers up ice by slamming them into the boards or poke checking in the neutral zone. This was not only a season about the emergence of guys like Dennis Wideman (who deserves a nice raise and an extension in my opinion), but it was about the two-way play of guys like Axelsson, Savard, Metropolit, Sobotka, Thornton and all the other muckers who pestered the league's top talent night after night.
Goaltending: I was skeptical at best to start the year, but boy did TT ever come into his own this season. Everyone in Boston assumed Fernandez would grab the #1 spot, but Thomas would not let that happen (and his stranglehold on the position was helped by Fernandez tearing his ACL). He played out of his mind this year, posting a 2.44 GAA and a somewhat respectable .921 save percentage. Granted, the guy is not Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur, but he was the backstop this club needed this year... a scrappy veteran who got results. Alex Auld was a smart acquisition and proved to be a nice change of pace net-minder... who knows how long his tenure as the backup might be (I would assume not very long if Manny comes back)?
And now, a look into the FUTURE:
Offense: The AHL's talent at the center and forward positions is simply staggering: Hamill, Pelletier, Karsums, Trevelyan, Rabbit, and so on... There are too many men to fill positions than we have room for at the NHL level (think trades to acquire veteran talent down the road). These are the new wiz kids whose names you had better learn, because they will be flying past you on the way to the net... mark my words, 2008-2009 will be a year of the Bruins Youth Movement...
Defense: In regards to the Baby B's D core, it is not as stacked with talent as the flashy speed guys, but there are a few bright spots in guys like Hunwick, Lashoff and Sigalet. All three are offensive minded defensemen who have logged brief NHL time in their careers. Once the Shane Hnidy's and the Bobby Allen's of the world leave for greener pastures, the youngins' time will come, and I predict that our PP will be a force to be reckoned with...
Goaltending: The final piece of the puzzle is the steal Chiarelli pulled off by prying away Tuukka Rask from the Leafs. Granted, the Bruins have not had good success with young Finnish goaltenders, but this kid is the real deal, folks... how about a 27 win season in Providence in his first full year in the States PLUS a 2.33 GAA? Yeah, sounds good to me. Obviously he has room to grow as a tender at the age of 21, so once Timmayyy decides he's done, this kid will be ready. Additionally, the two Providence backups are capable AHL #1's elsewhere... try Kevin Regan the UNH wonderboy on for size. He is a big kid who has a nose for the puck and has played on the big stage many times before. Jordan Sigalet is another one; the former BGSU savior has shown great development in his three years between the pipes in Providence. Yessir... I think we should be juuuuuuust fine.
So, Bruins fans... on this night that we say goodbye to the 2007-2008 Boston Bruins, does anyone have any doubts that we will be back in the playoffs next year?
PitchMaster is a senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
So, let us look back on the year that was in three phases:
Offense: The 2007-08 Bruins were led offensively by Marc Savard (78 points), Marco Sturm (56 points) and Zdeno Chara (51 points). These totals are far from overpowering and not one player cracked the 80 point barrier. Some would say we had a "balanced" scoring team, but I would argue that a balanced scoring team might have 10 guys with 50 or more points. The youth of the AHL saved the Bruins' rears this year... the youngsters like Sobotka, Krejci, Lucic and Kessel all have shown so much, but we all have to remember they are all not even old enough to drink yet...
Defense: I have a feeling this is where Barry Melrose, Brian Engblom and the other hockey analysts will say the Bruins were the weakest, but I would disagree. As a whole, this team made defensive stops when they needed them. I cannot remember another club that blocked so many shots or punished single rushers up ice by slamming them into the boards or poke checking in the neutral zone. This was not only a season about the emergence of guys like Dennis Wideman (who deserves a nice raise and an extension in my opinion), but it was about the two-way play of guys like Axelsson, Savard, Metropolit, Sobotka, Thornton and all the other muckers who pestered the league's top talent night after night.
Goaltending: I was skeptical at best to start the year, but boy did TT ever come into his own this season. Everyone in Boston assumed Fernandez would grab the #1 spot, but Thomas would not let that happen (and his stranglehold on the position was helped by Fernandez tearing his ACL). He played out of his mind this year, posting a 2.44 GAA and a somewhat respectable .921 save percentage. Granted, the guy is not Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur, but he was the backstop this club needed this year... a scrappy veteran who got results. Alex Auld was a smart acquisition and proved to be a nice change of pace net-minder... who knows how long his tenure as the backup might be (I would assume not very long if Manny comes back)?
And now, a look into the FUTURE:
Offense: The AHL's talent at the center and forward positions is simply staggering: Hamill, Pelletier, Karsums, Trevelyan, Rabbit, and so on... There are too many men to fill positions than we have room for at the NHL level (think trades to acquire veteran talent down the road). These are the new wiz kids whose names you had better learn, because they will be flying past you on the way to the net... mark my words, 2008-2009 will be a year of the Bruins Youth Movement...
Defense: In regards to the Baby B's D core, it is not as stacked with talent as the flashy speed guys, but there are a few bright spots in guys like Hunwick, Lashoff and Sigalet. All three are offensive minded defensemen who have logged brief NHL time in their careers. Once the Shane Hnidy's and the Bobby Allen's of the world leave for greener pastures, the youngins' time will come, and I predict that our PP will be a force to be reckoned with...
Goaltending: The final piece of the puzzle is the steal Chiarelli pulled off by prying away Tuukka Rask from the Leafs. Granted, the Bruins have not had good success with young Finnish goaltenders, but this kid is the real deal, folks... how about a 27 win season in Providence in his first full year in the States PLUS a 2.33 GAA? Yeah, sounds good to me. Obviously he has room to grow as a tender at the age of 21, so once Timmayyy decides he's done, this kid will be ready. Additionally, the two Providence backups are capable AHL #1's elsewhere... try Kevin Regan the UNH wonderboy on for size. He is a big kid who has a nose for the puck and has played on the big stage many times before. Jordan Sigalet is another one; the former BGSU savior has shown great development in his three years between the pipes in Providence. Yessir... I think we should be juuuuuuust fine.
So, Bruins fans... on this night that we say goodbye to the 2007-2008 Boston Bruins, does anyone have any doubts that we will be back in the playoffs next year?
PitchMaster is a senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
Comments