Boston Bruins

Fantasy Hockey: Right Wing Rankings

There isn’t a ton to like about right wing.  To say it is shallow is an understatement.  Joe Pavelski didn’t even sniff our top 40 centers, yet finds himself as…

Bruins’ Superlatives for 2010-11 Success

By Mike Miccoli, Boston Bruins correspondent

First things first. The Boston Bruins roster, as it stands now, can not be considered as a Stanley Cup contending team. This is perfectly normal. In fact, I can only think of maybe three teams in the entire league that are legitimate threats to win the 2010-11 Stanley Cup; two of which are in the Western Conference. Can the Bruins follow up on their late season success while trying to discard all memories of the four-game collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals? That might be a trickier question to answer.

Great Expectations: 2010-2011 Boston Bruins

As the calendar quickly races towards the start of the 2010-2011 NHL campaign, the Boston Bruins are still feeling the lingering effects of disappointment. A year ago the expectations for this team were so great, that anything less than a Cup would be virtually unacceptable. Now, coming off the heels of a record breaking postseason meltdown, Bruins fans are trying their very best to mask the uncertainty that has quietly crept into the Hub.

But the time for speculation is coming to a close. Soon all the talking will stop, at least momentarily, as the 2010 Boston Bruins try and separate themselves from last season, and turn their focus onto this year.

The team that will take the ice on October 9 is not last year’s team. There are new faces, new roles, and new expectations. Here I’ll try and break down what Bruins fans should expect from this year’s group.

Top-10 Hockey Teeth

It’s no secret that hockey players lose a lot of teeth. Some guys sacrifice their bodies in front of the net, others catch a random high-stick, and sometimes guys are just made the better of when the gloves drop. Here’s a list of some of the most memorable mugs of the NHL.

Boston’s needs call for Hall

By Mike Miccoli, Boston Bruins correspondent

In a perfect world, the Edmonton Oilers select Tyler Seguin with their number one pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. That leaves the Boston Bruins to select Taylor Hall number two. Hall goes on to sign a multi-year deal with the Bruins, wear number 14, and slide right into the winger position on line with either skilled playmaker, Marc Savard or David Krejci. Hall scores 30+ goals in his first year, wins the Calder Trophy and leads Boston to their first Stanley Cup since 1972 causing all Bostonians to have a memory lapse on whether a player named Phil Kessel actually ever played here.

As you might be able to tell, I’ve been playing this scenario out now for the past few weeks.

The 2009-10 Bruins are History

By Mike Miccoli, Boston Bruins correspondent

The Bruins won’t be remembered for upsetting the Sabres in the first round nor for their inspired play through the first three games against the Flyers. Instead, until Boston wins a Stanley Cup or another team pulls off this horrible feat, the Bruins will be associated with being the latest NHL team to choke (epically) in the playoffs. This is what we get to hear about all throughout the offseason and whenever the Bruins next hold a comfortable lead in a playoffs series. Being up three games? That’s just not enough anymore.

Three Crazy Ideas for the Bruins

By Mike Miccoli, Boston Bruins correspondent

The Boston Bruins winning streak remains at four as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver pauses all NHL action. Yes, you read that right. The Bruins are on a four-game winning streak; second longest in the NHL below the basement-dwelling Carolina Hurricanes’ five-game streak, just as the Olympic break goes into effect. And while maybe just one or two of the victories seemed legitimate, the Bruins were still able to secure an important eight points in four games (10, in six games, if you count the previous two overtime losses) placing them right in playoff contention in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference. The big question for when play resumes in Boston on March 2 is how will the Bruins be able to carry over that same success seen in the previous few weeks? I’m glad you asked because I have some ideas. As crazy as they may seem…

My Turn as the Bruins’ Armchair-GM: Part One

By Mike Miccoli, Boston Bruins correspondent

“If I were running the Bruins…”

How many times have you uttered that one this season? Countless, I’m sure. There are a lot of aspects of the Bruins that could be fixed via a trade: more goals on offense, better leadership, consistent energy, you name it.

I wouldn’t want to be Peter Chiarelli 90% of the time but for now, that 10% is looking awfully tempting. Below, I’ve listed some trades that I might make if I had that General Manager title engraved onto my business card. Some trades are downright outrageous, while others might make some sense. I’ve listed the pros and cons of each trade as well as how the swap would affect each team’s payroll.

Keep in mind, these trades are in no way, shape or form any type of rumor—just pure speculation on my behalf. Some of these are half-baked ideas while others were given a bit of thought. In the current rumor mill, there are some players who the Bruins should stay far away from (Ray Whitney and Marek Svatos come to mind first and foremost) and therefore I won’t even attempt a trade offer here. I’m thinking of players who MIGHT be able to help the team. Keyword, MIGHT. And as far fetched as an Ilya Kovalchuk swap might be, I certainly gave it a shot. I mean, why not, right? I wouldn’t be a true armchair-GM if I didn’t.

The Running Diary of the 2010 Winter Classic

The Winter Classic is slowly becoming the Super Bowl of the NHL. Problem is, there are no trophies awarded and everyone knows who’s playing more than two weeks prior. But the hype is there, most importantly. We’ll see the same amount of commercials (so it seems) for the same repeated products or the spots for the same TV shows that the network is trying to push, but moreover, the same excitement, especially since hockey is making its mark yet again in America.

Living in Boston, it’s nice to see everyone wearing their Bruins gear and throwback Classic jerseys. This game, as important as it is to the NHL, is also pretty important to the B’s. What a lot of media outlets and fans are forgetting is that the game is still a, well, game. The win counts in the standings despite all of the glitz and glamour as much as any game played in the Garden this season. The Bruins are in the midst of a division race with the Buffalo Sabres leading and the Ottawa Senators close behind the B’s while the Flyers are attempting to inch into the playoff hunt.

With everyone who’s everyone actually being at the game, here’s a running diary of what those 38,112 in attendance at Fenway missed at home.

The Bruins Running Diary: Volume II, the Montreal Canadiens

I’m 1-0 on running diaries for the season when the Bruins are playing an opponent from last season’s playoffs. Or at least I was before Thursday night’s shootout loss against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Bruins celebrated their first goal in 192 minutes and 6 seconds, a baffling amount of time between tallies if you think about it. In that stretch, the Bruins only allowed four regulation goals, a sign that their defensive abilities have strengthened. But the overall game play of the team? Not the best, especially when injuries are becoming more popular with each passing day now that Byron Bitz and David Krejci have been added to that list