Later, dude….Oh Hi.

Another bites the dust on Causeway Street, after 11 years with the black & gold, PJ Axelsson has bit adieu to Boston. Axelsson signed a four year contract with the  Frölunda Hockey Club.

Axelsson, who played for Frölunda during the lock out, was quoted as saying, “I’ve always wanted to come back here.” Good luck, bro.  Thanks to The Hockey Blog Adventure for the scoop.

While one door closes, an one opens. Not too long after Aaron Ward was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, rumors started to pop up about free agent, Derek Morris, signing with the Bruins and low and behold it happened.

Morris, who finished the season in New York after being traded by the Coyotes, has played 793 games, scored 76 goals and has 264 assists.  Morris started off his career in Calgary, where he spent five years there and during that time period, played with Chuck Kobasew, Andrew Ference, Marc Savard & Steve Begin.

Later, dude.

Styling by Domenic Vacca

Old Man Aaron Ward is going back to where he won a cup with in 2006.  The now former Bruin(ouch), Aaron Ward, was traded back to the Carolina Hurricanes for right-wing Patrick Eaves(already placed on waivers) and a fourth round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft.

I understand they’re doing it to clear cap space and it’s just business, but I’m still bummed. I liked Ward, he was a good team guy. Oh well. Looks like Toucher & Rich will be looking for a new Wednesday segment.

So if you were in the B’s position, what would you do? Do you re-sign Kessel or go after another defenseman? It’s about to get a little more interesting on Causeway Street.

So that makes it’s ok to sucker punch someone?

Last week, after the Bruins left the ice and the Carolina Hurricanes blew(get it!*fart noise*) out of town – Joe Haggerty published on his Big Bad Blog that Scott Walker' found out his wife was diagnosed with cancer while the 'Canes were playing the Bruins. 

Hey Bruins fans – you know that guy you've been cursing? His wife has cancer! Congrats! You heartless, bastards! I'm sorry, but just because he was supposedly under stress doesn't excuse what he did. By the way, if he used that as an excuse when talking to Colin Campbell last week, that's BS. Am I coming off like a bitter douche, probably – but you check your personal shit at the door and it shouldn't affect the way you are at work.

Do I feel bad for the guy? Of course I do! I've lost people very close to me to cancer and it's something I wouldn't wish on my own worst enemy. But I'm not going excuse what he did, just because his wife is sick. Call me an asshole all you want, but cancer or not, Walker got off easy and should have been suspended end of story.  

Well, that was a trifecta of suck….

Yeah, so – I didn't see that happening. But then again, I should be use to disappointment. I am from Boston. Anyways, I've gone through the death stages already and I'm pretty much over it. I've done my best Rupert Pupkin and wished Cancer upon Scott Walker, I got teary eyed and had a boo-hoo, I've denied the goal was even scored and tried to convince myself that due to terrorist activities in the United State – Gary Bettman canceled the playoffs and we'll take it up next year.

But it did. So now what? Will I watch the rest of The Stanley Cup Playoffs? Probably. But I swear, if it's another Pittsburgh/Detroit series – I'm going to throw my tv out the window. I'm tired and over the same teams getting in the finals. No one wants to see that! My only hope is that The Chicago Blackhawks make it and win it all.

There's still the Red Sox. *snore* Baseball is getting painful for me to watch and the games are just a snoozefest. I'll save you from the David Ortiz rant. Listen, it was bound to happen one day. Whether we want to admit it or not, he is human.

Celtics? *eye roll* I'm over them. I was a big C's fans when I was a kid, but I have no emotional attachment to the team anymore. Well other than for Big Baby Davis. But somethings are left unsaid.  So godspeed to them.

So what am I going to do? How am I going to distract myself? I'm going to watch  The Memorial Cup ! The Cup starts tonight in Canada and thank GOD, the NHL Network is airing it. So if you live in one of the 16 houses that gets the NHL Network, cheers to you! You're in luck!  Go Windsor Spitfires! Plus The Providence Bruins are taking on the Hershey Bearsin the Eastern Conference Finals. So you can go heckle Simeon Varlamov, I know I will and maybe if we're lucky, Vladimir Sobotka will stab someone with their skate.

Game Seven

This is it, people. Game seven! Someone is going to be setting up tee times tomorrow and while the other will be prepping to play the Penguins. The momentum has shifted and the B's have won the last two games. So this will be easy, right? Who knows.

But after the performance we got during Game 6, I'm thinking the people in Boston are going to be very happy tonight. I cannot wait for the game – it's going to be amazing! I could say more, but it's already  been  said. We all know what they need to do.

LET'S GO B'S!!!

Mike Wendt made this great video – add him on Twitter!

If the Bruins needed another reason to win – do it for Mikey!

 

By the way, congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins who demolished the Washington Capitals last night! I recommendy you watch the video Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski, did. Mike Green was just not having it when it came to the handshake. I guess that's what happens when you get pulled in the third period for playing like crap. At least he has his sack to come home to.

One Game Can Change Everything

 

I posted the Kevin Millar comment from 2004 yesterday and I decided to take some liberties and put a Bruins spin to it. Lame….I know. But here ya go!

"Don’t let us win tonight. This is a big game. They’ve got to win because we’ve got Ward coming back today and then we'll  be back in Boston for Game 7 and then you can take that fraud stuff and put it to bed. Don’t let the Bruins win this game." – Jack Edwards, May 12, 2008

Go Bruins!!

So what are we going to do about this guy?

In classic NHL form, they've decided not to suspend Carolina Hurricane forward and super douche bag, Scott Walker, for sucker punching Aaron Ward in the third period and possibly breaking his orbital bone. Instead, Walker will have to pay a $2,500 fineand give up his tv viewing privileges for a week.

The NHL ruled that the punch was not a sucker punch(Really? did you even watch the video?) and seem to be find with the fact that someone could have been seriously hurt.  This is why I can't take Colin Campbell or any of the higher ups at the NHL seriously. They make rules and then they break them. Why did Donald Brashear have to serve a six game suspension and Walker is sent on his way with a balloon and gift cards to Arby's? But then again, these are the same fools who think calling a confirmed puck bunny  sloppy seconds, is worse than biting someone.

So what's going to happen to Walker tomorrow night? I personally would like someone to break his clavicle, but that's just me. Suggestions?

We Want It!

"Don't let us win tonight. This is a big game. They've got to win because if we win we've got Pedro coming back today and then Schilling will pitch Game 6 and then you can take that fraud stuff and put it to bed. Don't let the Sox win this game." – Kevin Millar, October 17, 2004

I remember hearing that and thinking he was crazy. But then again, who didn't think Millar was crazy? Red Sox fans knew Manny's former spokesperson was a bit of an attention whore, but no one knew he was also a psychic. If you told me what happened in '04 was going to, I was going to say you're crazy and need to lay off the pipe. But the Sox did win and went onto win the World Series. They did it again in '07 and that's when I started to be less pessimistic.

When the Bruins started their comeback last year against the Habs, I wondered if there was going to be another epic comeback – but this time on ice. Well, it didn't. But this year, it's different. The team that hits the ice now on Causeway Street is big, bad and would make Bruins fans of the past proud.

The black & gold were down 3-1 going into last night's game and the team who's been telling their fans on a nightly basis that they wanted it, weren't playing like they did. But last night was different. It was Carolina's game to lose and it was also the anniversary of when Bobby Orr flew through the air with the greatest of ease and lead the B's to winning the Stanley Cup. So no one wanted to see this day in Bruins history tainted.

There were signs everywhere giving encouragement and then there was one that spoke the truth: PLAY LIKE YOU WANT IT! We'll never know what was said before the game or on the plane, but whatever it was, it seemed to work and the boring series became a little more interesting. Everyone is saying the Milan Lucic's hit on DennisSeidenberg changed the momentum of the game and I would have to agree. Last night showed cracks in Cam Ward's armor and we saw what happens when the tables were turned. Tim Conboy desperately tried to turn the game around by attempting to fight with Shawn Thornton & Mark Stuart and failing miserably. Then there's Scott Walker. Who let's be honest, is a douche and has face that deserves to be beaten, took out Aaron Ward. Coach Claude Julien is reporting that Ward might have a broken orbital bone and Carolina Hurricane's coach, Paul Maurice didn't seem the slightest concerned for his team's bush league play.  Jussi Jokinen started it off, when he slashed B's captain, Zdeno Chara, with less than a minute left and sending Chara hobbling back to the locker room. But Chara did his best Paul Pierce impersonation and came back in the third. 

According to an AP story, Maurice reportedly laughed off the idea of repercussions in upcoming games and seemed to be more concerned with Walker's sore knuckles and with the idea thaving to sell his truck for any fines. Classy, Maurice. 

 I'm assuming Ward is going to be out. I know you should never assume, but if he is – can we please give Johnny Boychuk a chance? The kid is a beast! The B's are off until Tuesday and the next game is on enemy territory. They're down, but they're not out. Take it one game at a time and show the fans that they do in fact want it. Go Bruins!

Game 4

This time last year, the Bruins were already out of the playoffs, but a lot has changed since then. I know it's generic and I've said it over and over – but it's true. There's something special about this team and the fact they actually play like a team is refreshing.

I know there are tons of people out there who would kill to have that BIG name guy on the team - but we've got better than that. We've got guys who go out there and perform every night. We've got veterans guys who take the time and work with the youth of the team and help them become better players. Plus we have youth that'll give a veteran that spark they've been longing for.

We saw the resurgence of Michael Ryder with the thanks of David Krejci and Blake Wheeler. We saw the veteran take rookies like, Byron Bitz and Matt Hunwick, under their wings and look at the players they grew into this season. Almost everyone seems to walk of the ice at the end of the night with a point and they do whatever they can to make sure the team succeeds. I'd rather have that than a flashy 50 goal scorer. But then again, I like Sean Avery – so what do I know?

But anyways, back to the main topic. The B's haven't been in a position like this in while. So to put it mildly, tonight is kind of a big deal. So don't screw it up! No, kidding. No, I'm serious. Watch your tempers, score early and score often. Let them get the penalties and spend time in the box. Good luck, boys and Go B's!

Let The Games Begin!

Tonight's match up couldn't have come at a better time.  The vast majority of Sox fans are ready to jump off the edge, Doc Rivers just announced that KG is pretty much out of the playoffs- but who cares? There's hockey to be played!

For the 32nd time, the Bruins take on the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last year the Bruins barely made it into the playoffs and were stuck playing the Habs, who were one of the best teams on ice. We all remembers game 6, we remember the intensity and how the B's out scored the Habs. But we also remember the end of game 7. While Bruins fans sunk in their chairs and dreamed about  next year – Habs fans attempted to burn the city down in celebration.

But things have changed, the roles are reversed and the B's are looking like they could win this one. The Bruins have a great mixture of youth with experience and experienced veterans, while the Habs are filled with purse snatchers, divers and wannabe Russian gangsters. Michael Ryder, who spend last year's playoffs riding the pine for the Habs, will be on the ice as one of the Bruins's top players. There's no need for Coach Claude Julien to scratch Phil Kessel to prove a point – Kessel is a year older, more mature, more experienced and the B's top goal scorer. What a difference a year makes.

Although, if there is one thing the Bruins are going to do, it's watch their emotions. Yeah, we want the B's to play to win and give their all. We want to see Looch show everyone who's boss and Thornton send some well wished to O'Byrnein the penalty box, but who wants to see them blow their proverbial load in the first round like Montreal did last year? You want them to go far and bring back some missing hardware to Boston. Who doesn't love the idea of skipping work to watch the guys roll down

Comm Ave in duck boats, while being accompanied by Lord Stanley's favorite beer stein?  So the B's are going to have to ignore some of the Habs desperate attempts to get under their skin. Case in point,  Georges Laraque will be suiting up for tonight's game. Old Georges, who is old and has been pretty much useless this season for Montreal, will be doing everything in his power to get under the skin of whoever will fall for his b.s. in a black & gold uniform. As Cornelius Hardenbergh said on twitter, 'Beat em on the scoreboard, let em get some penalties.'

Everyone has their own opinion about tonight's match up and the series in general. Greg Wyshynski, better known to you and me as Puck Daddy, gives it to the B's and gave us this gem when wondering about Montreal's goalie situation:

"It's assumed Price will get the majority of the work, but we'll see Jaroslav Halak at some point. Both have been about as solid as a game of Jenga being played by drunks wearing boxing gloves."

Bruins beat writer, Matt Kalman of  The Bruins Blog compares the excitement to Steve Martin's enthusiasm over the new phone books. Remember when Martin was funny? Stanley Cup of Chowderbreaks it all down for you, Chris from HubHockey.com shared his predictions and revealed new shirts that are available to buy in honor of the playoffs.WickedBruinsFans gives her opinion on tonight's match up. Jesse Connelly talks about the potential lines and changes for tonight's game. If you're interested on what the other side is thinking, check out 25stanley.com . They're ready to tell us and everyone why the B's and their fans suck. It's actually really funny and I love the site, when I can understand it. And finally, Joe Haggerty was able to get some great blackboard material from Georges.

So that's it. Now all we can do is wait and see. Me? I'll be watching the game and twittering my thoughts and have a full re-cap in the morning. Oh yeah, Bruins in 6.