Tag Archives: Tuukka Rask

Bruins vs. Flyers – Opening Night 2014

It is always nice to start the season off right with a win and the Boston Bruins did just that against the Flyers opening night. There were some tense rusty moments but that is to be expected so early on in the year. Chris Kelly (of all people) was the hero tonight with his late goal scored with under 2 minutes to go.

The Bruins started the night out strong with an early power play goal by Reilly Smith. in what was a fairly entertaining first period. However, it was clear early on that this was not going to be Dougie Hamilton’s night. He had a bad pinch in the closing seconds that turned into a quick 2-1 opportunity for the Flyers. Tuukka was able to bail him out, as he would most of the night.

In the second the Bruins had their backs up against the wall early and were forced to use their timeout due to multiple defensive zone turnovers, most by Hamilton. This meant that Chara and Hamilton were on the ice for the first 3 minutes of the period and were completely burned out. Bobby Robins also had his first career NHL fight in his first career game and is already earning points with Bruins fans.

After a scoreless third to start the Flyers were able to tie the game up. The Bruins continued to build momentum which culminated in a power play with a little over 6 minutes left in which the Bruins managed to do little to nothing on it. It wasn’t until the goal from Kelly gave the Bruins the lead to seal the deal.

Overall a solid start to the season and I am looking forward to the next 81+ to come. For now, we’re moving on to Detroit tomorrow. Check back here for all of your Boston Bruins News and don’t forget to follow me on twitter for all of my thoughts. Let’s Go Bruins!

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadians Round 2 Preview

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Bruins versus Canadians. It is the best rivalry in sports. Period. End of discussion. We now know that Game 1 will be on Thursday night at the Garden followed by a matinee at the Garden on Saturday. I can’t wait to get this series going. We all know how this series is going to go. It will grind us out, and kill us a little inside. Let’s pretend that numbers matter in this rivalry and take a look at how this series should play out.

Special Teams:

Traditionally we usually see a strong power play unit from the Canadians and a strong penalty kill for the Bruins. During the regular season and thus far in the playoffs we have seen the Bruins dominate in both areas of the game. The Bruins were 3rd in the league in the regular season on the power play while Montreal was 19th. On the penalty kill both teams were in the top 10 with the Canadians ranking higher than the Bruins. However, in the playoffs, the Bruins have been the best team on the power play while Montreal is the worst team remaining on the penalty kill. Advantage: Bruins

Forwards:

The Montreal Canadians had only 1 goal scorer over 20 goals this season, and that was Max Pacioretty with 39. The Bruins have a balanced attack and get great scoring production from all lines and from many different players. One advantage that the Bruins feasted on during the Detroit series that, most likely, will not be the case this time is third line production. The Canadians have a solid third line of Rene Bourque, Lars Eller, and Brian Gionta that will match up fairly well with the Bruins third line of Carl Soderberg, Louis Eriksson, and Justin Florek(?). The addition of Paille for Boston will be a huge help on the 4th line and in penalty killing. Advantage: Bruins

Defense:

This one isn’t even close. The Bruins have been great all year defensively and with the addition of Dougie Hamilton stepping his game up offensively, I don’t see any holes for the Bruins. The Canadians have P.K. Subban, who is a great offensive weapon but can struggle when he is caught in the back-end. Top to bottom it is a clean sweep. (Did I mention that Dennis Seidenberg started practicing with the Bruins in non-contact drills?) Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending:

Carey Price did not play a single game against the Bruins this season as the Habs went with Peter Budaj in all 4 games. The playoffs are a time where you have to ride your guy, and despite his struggles against the Bruins, Price will be the starter, but he could have a short leash. Tuukka Rask has had his struggles against Montreal especially in the Belle Centre. Ultimately, you can’t pick against Rask and what he has done for the last two seasons. Advantage: Bruins

Coaching:

Michel Therrien is no match for Claude Julien strategically or in any other sense. Claude Julien is coming off a terrific series where he took every punch from Mike Babcock and countered perfectly each time. Just think Montreal, Julien was yours, you had him, and you let him walk to Boston. Thanks! Advantage: Bruins

Other Factors:

Player You Will Hate: P.K. Subban. This is section writes itself. Just watch the video above and look for number 76. The embellishing, diving, and goating the Bruins makes him the most hated player on the ice by fans and players alike.

Player Who Will Haunt Your Dreams: Thomas Vanek. This guy has scored more goals and has more points against the Bruins then any other team he has played against. Although the Bruins have kept him in-check this year; I can’t help but think history will rear its ugly head at some point.

Series Prediction:

On paper this looks like the Canadians should be a team that the Bruins should be able to handle very well. But this is Boston vs. Montreal. This is different. Too many flukey things happen against Montreal. Made up calls, weird bounces, fans calling 911 on a player, there is never a dull moment. This series will be no different. A key for the Bruins is to get on the power play as often as possible without resorting to the embellishment and diving tactics. Special teams is the biggest advantage the Bruins have and they need to play to it this series. This one is going to go down to the wire despite the Bruins best efforts. Let’s enjoy the ride and get ready to be angry, annoyed, pissed off, and (hopefully) thrilled. Prediction: Bruins in 7.

As always follow me on Twitter for the latest Boston Bruins news and Lets Go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Game 4 Recap & Game 5 Preview

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Game 4 Recap

What a game and what a comeback!!! The Bruins pulled out the win in OT where they found themselves down by 2 goals at one point and came back to win. Tuukka Rask was huge and stole this game for the Bruins.

Detroit had their best period to start and the Bruins had their worst of the series so far. Tuukka Rask stood on his head and made a few ridiculous stops. Even though the Red Wings put on all of their pressure in the first, they were only able to score 1 goal in that dominant period. The Bruins could have had two goals with Marchand missing his first of 2 open nets and Reilly Smith hitting the post. In the second period, the Bruins got their act together and it was a very competitive period with each team netting a goal. The Bruins were in control for most of the third period with Lucic tying the game early in the period. And that momentum carried over into overtime with the Bruins dictating the tempo after successfully wearing down the Red Wings. After Tuukka Rask came up big with a huge stop on Justin Abdelkader, Iginla tipped the Krejci drive home to win it.

Game 5 Preview

I do not expect the Detroit Red Wings to lay down in Game 5 on Saturday. Detroit seemed to pull out all the stops to try and win Game 4 and the Bruins shouldn’t be surprised by anything they will see from Detroit on Saturday. Another solid defensive effort is needed and the Bruins will have the coveted last change to match up against the Zetterberg – Datsyuk line with Chara. Tuukka Rask is feeling it right now and it is hard to bet against the Bruins at this point. The Bruins take this game and series. Hopefully we’ll be getting ready for Montreal next week.

Follow me on twitter for all Boston Bruins news and my in game thoughts. Lets go Bs!

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Game 3 Recap & Game 4 Preview

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Game 3 Recap

Solid road game performance put in by the Bruins tonight. The Bs got on top early with a great power play goal by Dougie Hamilton who took the puck in alone and beat Howard with a heck-of-a shot. That was followed up by a goal by none other than Jordan Caron (YES, Jordan Caron!) that gave the Bruins a quick 2-0 lead in a dominant first period. For the remainder of the game, the Bruins played a great defensively and frustrated the Red Wings as the game went on. Tuukka Rask played a big role as well coming up huge more than a couple of times in the third period including on a crucial penalty kill. Patrice Bergeron sealed the game with an empty net goal with just under two minutes left to put the icing on the cake in the third. The Bruins have taken back home ice advantage and, more importantly, have left the Red Wings with a lack of confidence in their ability to beat Rask and the Bruins defensive layers.

Game 4 Preview

After another stellar defensive outing by the Bruins I would expect Detroit to make some drastic personnel adjustments. Mike Babcock was already showing late in this game that he was willing to juggle his lines in a desperate attempt to generate offense when he moved up Nyquist to play with Datsyuk and Abdulkater. I would expect more line juggling, as well as getting Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup for Game 4 on Thursday. Game 4 is a must win for the Red Wings and they will be pulling out all the stops at home. I can easily see this game going to overtime in a low scoring affair. I will stick with my original prediction of Bruins in 6 so I will give this game to Detroit which would even the series heading back to Boston. Anything is possible in this series and I am looking forward to it.

Follow me on Twitter for all of my in-game thoughts and Boston Bruins news. Lets Go Bs!

2014 Boston Bruins Playoff Preview – Round 1

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It is that wonderful time of year again, the weather turns warmer and playoff hockey begins. As a casual fan, you could not ask for a better first round match-up with the Boston Bruins playing against the Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs for the first time in over 60 years. With the Red Wings spending the majority of their time as a franchise in the Western Conference, there is not much to speak of as far as a rivalry is concerned. But, with their move to the Bruins own Atlantic Division, it was only a matter of time before these two Original 6 powerhouses clashed. Let’s get right down to it:

Special Teams:

For the past decade plus this category was a no brainer. But now, because the Bruins have improved leaps and bounds on the Power Play this year, it appears to be a no-brainer in the opposite direction. The Bruins had the 3rd best Power Play in the NHL this year while the Wings were only 18th. On the penalty kill the Bruins have their usual advantage where they were 8th in the league and the Red Wings were 12th. Advantage: Bruins

Forwards:

The Bruins had two 30 goal scores for the first time since 2004 in Jerome Iginla and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins also had 5 players score at least 20 goals while the Red Wings only had 1 in the young Gustav Nyquist with 28. Granted, the Red Wings were decimated by injuries throughout the year to key players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg; but their scoring production was way down over the course of the year. The Wings finished the year 16th in goals while the Bruins were 3rd. Even though the Red Wings have the flash, speed, and big names, I have to give this category to the Bruins based on numbers. Advantage: Bruins

Defense:

Even without Dennis Seidenberg for the entire second half of the season, the Bruins still managed to rank 2nd in the league in goals against average (2.08 goals per game). Normally in playoff situations I am wary of trusting young defenseman, but, all of the Bruins’ defenseman have Stanley Cup experience, including Finals experience. They know what it takes to get the job done in the playoffs and I would expect nothing less. Detroit is once again in the middle of the pack at 16th in goals against and don’t have anyone who stands out on the back line. Advantage: Bruins

Goaltending:

Not much needs to be said here. The Boston Bruins have the, soon to be Vezina Trophy winning Tuukka Rask going against the struggling Jimmy Howard. This is by far the biggest advantage in the series for either side. Think back to how bad the goaltending situation was for the Flyers against the Bruins during the Stanley Cup year and expect something similar from Howard and the Wings. Advantage: Bruins

Coaching:

I don’t know where I stand on this one. Mike Babcock is one of the best coaches in Red Wings history which says a lot. He is widely regarded as the best coach in the game. As the head coach of Team Canada at the Olympics this year he named Claude Julien as his top assistant coach. Their game plan against the United States looked eerily similar to the Bruins game plan against the Penguins the year prior. These are two of the best coaches in the game today and I am willing to give Claude a lot of credit in this one. Advantage: Push

Other Factors:

Player You Will Hate: Justin Abdulkader. Detoit doesn’t really have any guys that evoke hate, even in the playoffs. But, there is always that one player that gets under your skin. This guy would fit in perfectly on the Bruins. He is a top line guy for Detroit who isn’t afraid to go into corners and grind and even throw his weight around, a rareity for them.

Player Who Will Haunt Your Dreams: Tomas Tartar. He is one of those small, quick guys on Detroit who puts the puck in the net. Straight out of the Thomas Vanek mold. You will be sick of him by the end of the series, after he is done leading Detroit in scoring for the series.

“Fun Facts” You Will Be Sick Of: Did you know that Claude Julien and Mike Babcock were roommates in Sochi during the Olympics? Well if you didn’t, you know now and I am sure that the good folks at NBCSN will remind you a hundred times. The other fact that will become super annoying: Reilly Smith’s brother Brendan plays defense for the Red Wings so get ready for all of those stats about brother vs. brother playoff match ups and shots of Mom and Dad in the crowd.

Series Prediction:

On paper this looks like it should be a short and sweet series, get in, get out, kind of deal. Unfortunately, this is the NHL we are talking about and things never go according to plan, or easy. Two things that the Boston Bruins will find extremely annoying are the fast skating game and the lack of willingness to play physical from the Red Wings. The Bruins love to be the bullies and love it even more to be challenged physically. That is where the whole, “Don’t Poke The Bear” thing came from and make no mistake, the Red Wings will not do anything that comes close to poking. They are unemotional robots and won’t feed into the Bruins bully tactics. Bottom line, the Bruins get the job done but not as soon as we would all like it to be. Prediction: Bruins in 6.

As always follow me on Twitter especially during Game 1 as I will be there in Section 326. Tweet at me and come say “Hi”. The playoffs are here, let’s enjoy the ride, and, of course, Lets Go Bs!

2013-2014 Boston Bruins Regular Season Recap

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Another regular season is in the book for the Boston Bruins and what a season it was. The Bruins capped it off by earning the Presidents Trophy for the best record in the NHL for the first time since 1990. The Bruins relied heavily on the young defensemen to carry them through the bulk of the regular season after the Seidenberg Injury and that will need to be the case going forward if the Bruins want to accomplish the ultimate goal.

Let’s see how I did with my preseason predictions:

Predicted Boston Bruins Leading Goal Scorer: David Krejci. Actual: Jerome Iginla & Patrice Bergeron (30 each)

I was only off by a few in this one. While David Krejci did lead the team in points, he was 6th on the team in goals with 19. Iginla definitely surpassed any expectations that I had of him and showed that he has plenty left in the tank. It feels really good to see Bergeron putting the puck in the net with regularity and for only the second time in his career hit the 30 goal mark.

Predicted Boston Bruins 7th Player Award: Carl Soderberg. Actual: Reilly Smith The following is my exact writeup from my prediction blog: “If you are looking for a guy to break out this year this is it. From everything I have seen in camp and the preseason, Soderberg is primed to have a big year, even on the 3rd line. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sees power play time sooner rather than later.” I couldn’t have been more right. Many would argue that Soderberg should have been named the 7th player but I don’t have a problem with Smith getting it at all. Smith shined early on for the Bruins and was 5th on the team in goals with 20. He will need to get that goal scoring spark back come playoff time for the Bruins.

Predicted Boston Bruins Team MVP: Tuukka Rask. Actual: Patrice Bergeron Some could make the argument that I was dead on with Rask. One could easily argue that Rask was the best goaltender in the league and yet that might not be enough to be the MVP of the Bruins. When you consider everything that Patrice Bergeron does, face-offs, penalty killing, power play, Selke Award Winner for Best Defensive Forward, and all while leading the team in goals for the first time in his career. In my mind, the only answer is Patrice.

Predicted 2014 NHL MVP: John Tavares. Actual: ? While the award hasn’t been announced yet we know it will not go to John Tavares. Some have rumored that Bergeron could be in contention. I say just give it to Crosby again and let the Bruins knock him around as they always do come playoff time.

Predicted Presidents Trophy: Chicago Blackhawks. Actual: Boston Bruins How could THE Bruins Believer not see that one coming. What can I say, that was a spectacular season for the Bruins. The only good thing about the Blackhawks winning last season is that hopefully they stopped the curse of Presidents Trophy winners losing early on in the playoffs.

Predicted Vezina Trophy: Tuukka Rask Actual: ? It will be Rask, no doubt in my mind.

NHL Final Four: Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles

Overall, I think that I did pretty well with my predictions. I was either right on or pretty close (except for that Tavares pick). Truth be told, I could care less that the Boston Bruins won the Presidents Trophy, yes, home ice is nice, but the Bruins have shown time and time again that they travel well and are not afraid to go on the road. They have the 13 game road winning streak from January through March to prove it. All that matters, is that my final prediction will be correct. Stanley Cup Final: Boston wins in 6 vs. LA

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter to see my Red Wings playoff preview and as always, Lets Go Bs!

Overcoming Injuries & Still Winning

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I feel like at this point in the season I know most of the Providence Bruins roster, and that isn’t because I have been making the 40 minute drive down there. It is because of the obscene number of injuries that have befallen the Bruins, most of them since the Thornton suspension. Since his suspension, the Bruins have lost Loui Eriksson for an indeterminate amount of time, Chris Kelly for a few months and Dennis Seidenberg for the season. There were a few games where I thought we would see the Boston Bruins just throw in the towel and give up but, they powered through adversity, played hard, and earned victories all while giving their prospects some run and managing the minutes of Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask.

First, let’s start behind the blue line. Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuck, Dougie Hamilton, and Adam McQuaid have all missed a significant amount of time. In their place, the Bruins have called up Kevan Miller, David Warsofsky, and Zach Trotman and all of done pretty well in their brief stints. I was very impressed with the local kid Warsofsky, and not just because he went to BU. He showed a Krug-like flash of offensive skill that could be a huge asset in the future. Claude Julian was so impressed Warsofsky saw some power play time in the place of Dougie Hamilton. Kevan Miller has done so well during his time, that the Bruins have called him up on a permanent basis. He will remain on the roster for the remainder of the season which of course fuels the hot stove trade talk. With Dennis Seidenberg’s season ending knee tear (see above photo) I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bruins go out and make a move for a veteran defenseman.

The forwards had their own issues with two centers and three wingers out due to suspension and injury. Shawn Thornton, Loui Eriksson, Carl Soderberg, Chris Kelly, and Daniel Paille all missed time with either suspension or injuries. It was a hodgepodge of replacements called up for a game or two and then immediately sent down for the next. The list includes: Ryan Spooner, Matt Fraser, Nick Johnson, Justin Florek, and Craig Cunningham. Spooner has been tremendous and we have seen him grow up during his entire stay in Boston. Matt Fraser has also been a pleasant surprise and saw some time on the penalty kill.

What’s Next?

Now the Bruins are heading out west for tilts against the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks. Shawn Thornton’s suspension will finally come to an end against the Sharks on Saturday which will help provide an emotional boost in time for a division game back in Boston against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yours Truly will be there and I am pretty pumped about it because games against Toronto are always fun. Then, it’s off to visit Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars followed by a Stanley Cup Finals rematch against the Chicago Blackhawks. There are some really exciting games in this stretch of quality opponents and I am looking forward to watching every minute (yes even these late nights against the West). Follow me on twitter @BruinsBeliever and check back for updates. Let’s Go B’s!

Boston Bruins 2013-2014 Season Quarterly Report

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With last night’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins the Boston Bruins have secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference just after the quarter point of the season. So everything has been fine right? Well, Believe it or not I have found a few things that have concerned me moving forward with the Boston Bruins this year. Of course, those are coupled with many positives so lets run down the list, positive and negative.

Goaltending:

Positive: Tuukka Rask has picked up right where he has left off. There doesn’t appear to be a downturn or lax in his game at all. Some were worried about the big contract getting to his head. Others worried about fatigue from last year but neither of those have been a problem for Rask.

Negative: First, I don’t think Chad Johnson has played enough so far for my liking. I am a little concerned about the amount of playing time Rask has had this year and I would like to see more off-days for Rask. My other concern is more of a selfish concern from a Bruins fan’s prospective. Tuukka Rask had one of the best games of his career in New York a few nights ago against the Rangers and it probably wasn’t a coincidence. He was playing in front of scouts for the Finland National Team. It appears as though Rask may have played himself into a starting role for the Finnish Team; increasing his chance for injury (knocking on wood).

Defense:

Positive: The kids are no flukes. Dougie Hamilton has stepped up his game and has played big minutes so far down the stretch. Matt Bartkowski has emerged as a solid defenseman who has a great head on his shoulders. Torey Krug has continued to be a scoring machine and as of tonight is tied for the league lead in goals for a defenseman. And even Kevan Miller who has had to step up in place of the injured Dennis Seidenberg has been getting big minutes, including the last minute of the game against Pittsburgh last night.

Negative: Injuries have had a major impact on the Bruins defensemen this season. The non-contact ‘lower body injury’ for Adam McQuaid was a blow the Bruins were prepared to deal with by inserting Matt Bartkowski into the lineup full time. But, the more recent injury to Dennis Seidenberg has forced the Bruins to call up Miller from Providence. The bigger issue that these injuries have raised is the increased ice time for Zdeno Chara and with the Olympics this year, that is a bad recipe for the Bruins that I’d rather not discuss.

Forwards:

Positive: The Swedes are starting to find their groove. Loui Eriksson had a 5 point game against the Penguins last night and seems to be comfortable after his concussion. Carl Soderberg has been on fire recently. He has 6 points in 5 games that has coincided with the Bruins winning 4 out of their last 5 games. Milan Lucic has stayed engaged and kept his legs moving with the help of Jerome Iginla keeping him motivated. Reilly Smith has been a welcome addition to the team and has shown flashes of skill.

Negative: Brad Marchand has been under performing and goal scoring is still an issue. While the power play is much improved, the Bruins have yet to have an easy time putting the puck in the net. The play of Brad Marchand is frankly bordering on unacceptable at this point. I think the Olympic tryout has been in his head all year and he has been gripping his stick so tight he has completely lost any semblance of his game. My hope is that when the Bruins play the Canadians for the first time on December 5^th, P.K. Subban can somehow light a fire in Brad Marchand that he needs to play his style of game.

Coaching:

Positive: It pains me to say it but Claude Julien has done a lot of things right this year. My favorite move of his is to play very aggressively in OT this season. He has been playing 3 forwards and 1 defenseman for the majority of overtime minutes so far this season. I love seeing the Bruins using this strategy to do everything possible to avoid the shootout.

Negative: The only negative I have for Claude and the coaching staff is that they need to try and do a better job of managing minutes. The Olympic break plus the extended playoff run has me nervous about injuries and fatigue for the playoff run this year. I have seen enough improvement so far in the Bruins power play so far this season that I will get off their case…for the time being.

So there you have it. Am I picking nits? Probably, but at the same time a lot of these issues are contributing to the large problem the Bruins have had so far. They have been giving up too many goals in the final minute of periods and games. As of right now they have not shown the ability to ‘sweep the leg’. An issue that eventually came back to bite them against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season. I am very happy but not surprised to see where the Bruins are this season and I only expect that trend to continue. Keep Believing and follow me @BruinsBeliever on twitter for my in-game and quick thought updates. Let’s go Bs!

2014 Boston Bruins Season Preview & Predictions

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Finally, after a long summer Bruins Hockey is back! I know that I couldn’t be more excited for the season to start, even with the shortest off-season in NHL history. The best part is core of this team is intact and not going anywhere for a while. However, it will be a different team to watch; and not just because of these new jersey patches.

Changes:

While I am sad about the loss of Nathan Horton, I believe that Jerome Iginla can step in his place and fit in perfectly. In fact, he could be more valuable due to his penalty killing ability and leadership on and off the ice. With Iginla comes leadership and the hunger to win a Cup and win now. This is a guy who won’t take any nights off and, hopefully, can keep Milan Lucic’s skates moving during the regular season.

The Bruins also made a huge blockbuster trade, ridding themselves of Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley. Those two are guys who didn’t fit in the Bruins system. They are finesse guys who don’t like to get in the corners and grind. I do think Seguin will have great regular season success throughout his career but, I don’t see him being able to lead a team on a long playoff run. Does this story of a Boston Bruins former first round pick sound similar Bruins fans? Loui Eriksson has the makings of a guy who can go out and play Bruins Hockey. He ads some much needed size to the Bergeron line and will go into the corners and win the puck. Plus Eriksson has some moves too!

Boston Bruins 2014 Season Predictions:

Boston Bruins Leading Goal Scorer: David Krejci. This was a tough choice for me because I see this Bruins team being similar to last season’s where 4 or 5 different guys will be right around the same goal level. I decided on Krejci because he is the skill guy on a line with Lucic and Iginla who will feed the puck to the middle for him.

Boston Bruins 7th Player Award: Carl Soderberg. If you are looking for a guy to break out this year this is it. From everything I have seen in camp and the preseason, Soderberg is primed to have a big year, even on the 3rd line. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sees power play time sooner rather than later.

Boston Bruins Team MVP: Tuukka Rask. I know this isn’t a huge reach but with a lot of young defensemen out there night in and night out, Tuukka is going to have to continue to be the backbone of this team along with Zdeno Chara.

2014 NHL MVP: John Tavares. It’s time for him to get the recognition he deserves.

Presidents Trophy: Chicago Blackhawks. While the Bruins division was made much stronger with the addition of Detroit, Chicago’s was made significantly weaker with no challenger in sight.

Vezina Trophy: Tuukka Rask. I am trying real hard to not make this a homer pick but I can’t do it. The fact that Tuukka wasn’t even a finalist last year enraged me.

Boston Bruins 2014 Season Prediction: Stanley Cup Champions. (They don’t call me a Believer for nothing.) Let’s face it anything outside of a top 4 finish in the league would be disappointing. High expectations? Yes, but they have earned it with their recent success. The Boston Bruins have all of the necessary parts to make another cup run, most importantly, adding two veterans eager to win their first cup with Eriksson and especially Iginla. Yes, the division will be tougher with the addition of Detroit, the growth Toronto has shown, and the usual pains-in-the-ass up in Montreal but, the Bruins don’t necessarily need to win the division (in the regular season) to reach the ultimate goal. In recent Cup runs the B’s have shown the willingness and the ability to win big games on the road.

NHL Final Four: Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles

Stanley Cup Final: Boston in 6 vs. Los Angeles. You have no idea how much I struggled with the fact that I picked the Bruins to win The Cup. I was scared to type out those thoughts but I had to make a prediction. I don’t think Detroit can handle playing in the more physical Northeast Division (or whatever they are calling it now) over the course of the season and into the playoffs. The only reason I didn’t pick Chicago to go to the finals again is because no team has repeated in the NHL since 1997 and that’s no coincidence, in my opinion it is the hardest thing to do in sports.

There you have it. I am looking forward to a new season with this team. Don’t forget to follow BruinsBeliever on Twitter for quick thoughts and updates. Let’s Go B’s!

Boston Bruins Training Camp Report

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This past Sunday, I was able to attend both session of Boston Bruins Training Camp at the TD Garden. Which, I have to admit, is just not the same as it was going to Wilmington because yesterday felt more like a production. I was a little depressed (but not surprised) to find Jeremy Jacobs making money off of what was supposed to be a free event by selling concessions. I was pleased to find players taking the time to sign some autographs after the second session for the kids who turned out.

The Boston Bruins split up the team into 2 practice groups for Training Camp 2013. Group B went first for the 10 o’clock session. The guy who really stood out was Carl Soderberg. He scored 3 goals and hit 2 posts during the practice. 2 of the 3 goals were perfectly placed shots over the goaltenders shoulder, under the bar shots that are virtually unstoppable. That is a skill the Bruins have missed quite a bit throughout the years. From what I have heard, he has been lighting it up all camp long. He looks ready to breakout in the 2013-2014 Season. Soderberg had me wondering if Claude Julien would have to consider possibly moving Loui Eriksson or Jerome Iginla down to the third line to make room for Soderberg. Meanwhile, Iginla looked like he would fit in perfectly with Milan Lucic and David Krejci on that top line.

During the afternoon session, BruinsBeliever was able to watch Loui Erikkson interacting with future line mates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The first thing I noticed was his size. He is a lot bigger than I thought he was and seemed more than willing to go into corners to free the puck up for Bergeron quarterback. I think he will be a great fit for the Bruins and a much better fit than Tyler Seguin would have been. Erikkson did a great job back-checking throughout the session and even lifted a goal past Tuukka Rask during a drill. I am excited to see how these lines play out, especially if Soderberg plays anywhere near the level he has been practicing.

Overall, Believe it or not, I feel better about this team than I did about last years team during their brief ‘training camp’. This team just seems so meticulously put together and each piece seems to fit perfectly together. They lost a leader in Andrew Ference, but then traded for Loui Erikkson who was an Alternate Captain down in Dallas. Heck, Brad Marchand already called Erikkson a “great leader” during a post practice interview. They also signed Chad Johnson as a potential backup for Rask who is a great locker room guy as well. Not to mention the character and desire to win a cup with Jerome Iginla. This team is built to win now and take advantage of everything Zdeno Chara has left in the tank coupled with the younger players entiring their primes. It should be another awesome year. Especially when the preseason starts off with a Boston Bruins win in Montreal. Let’s hope for another great year. Keep Believing and don’t forget to follow me @BruinsBeliever. Let’s go B’s!

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