Death of the Bruins
The death of the Bruins’ season was swift, sudden, and unexpected, like Tommy D’s whacking of Stacks Edwards in “Goodfellas”. After resiliently battling back from a self-inflicted 3-1 series hole, the Bs were seeking their first Game 7 win in 15 years. But the never-quit Hurricanes snuffed out a team’s and a fan base’s hopes. After 8 months of emotional (in the sports fan sense, not the ‘sensitive male’ sense), financial, and time investment, to have it all wiped out in such a fashion---an OT mid-air swat by the series’ bad guy who was open for a rebound of an essentially harmless, routine shot---was just a true kick in the balls to believers this year. I had never seen the TDBankofNorthAmericanShawmutFleet Center go so limp so quick; like an octogenarian on an eight-ball.
Very few predicted this series would to go seven games. But the Bruins fell into whatever bear trap that Paul Maurice set for them and went into a three game hibernation from Games 2 through 4 and that turned out to be the difference. Had the Bruins showed the fire of Games 5, 6, and 7 back in 2, 3, or 4, they’d probably be running a plate on the #71 truck that just ran them over (holy shit is Geno Malkin a man possessed). At the same time, all due credit is due to the Whale Tail. They had been on fire for two months and knocked off the #3 and #1 seeds in consecutive seven game series; that’s not a fluke, that’s a well-oiled machine. After Eric Staal and Cam Ward, it’s not a star-littered roster. It’s also why the phrase ‘on paper’ means just that---on paper. About half of Carolina’s 2006 Cup-winning roster remains on today’s version. And that might have been why they seemed to be just a bit hungrier than their greener counterparts, allowing them to overcome the talent disparity among skaters to win what became a coin flip---OT in a Game 7.
Either way, I guess this is the part where I have to determine whether the season was, all together now, a “success”. The regular season was great. The playoffs ended quickly and terribly. Hence, the season was a collective major disappointment. The Cup appeared to be within reach just two weeks ago. Now, you’re getting up to speed on Jason Bay’s numbers. But as a fan, I’m goddamned proud of the team. Unfortunately, it took having their backs to the wall to induce their best effort. Yet they replied by laying it all out there for three straight but coming up just a cookie hair short. None of those guys has to hang their heads. That said, it doesn’t make it any less shitty. Here are a few other factors that led to yet another Memorial Day weekend without a Bruins game while fans in Raleigh, Tampa, Dallas, and Anaheim admire the sunshine AND a Cup win in the last 37 seven years…
1. Like football, injuries aren’t used as an excuse in hockey either. Every team has them, particularly by now. However, the Bs had more than your run-of-the-mill nicks and bumps and explains why certain players may have looked out of synch (like David Krejci) or not as sharp (#1 center Marc Savard after the leg-on-leg check). And the Bruins were all sorts of banged-up. Restricted free agents to be/budding All-Stars Krejci and Phil Kessel went immediately into long term sick bay upon their playoff exit for hip and rotator cuff/labrum injuries, respectively. Krejci was hurt all year long yet still managed to have a breakout season and lead the NHL in with a +37. Kessel was hurt several months back yet finished the year with the torn cuff (yeah, he’ll never be Chris Nilan but that’s still tough).
Additionally, Chuck Kobasew was playing with broken ribs for the last two games. Savard’s leg injury would’ve put him on the regular season bench but not in May. But what Mark Recchi did will hopefully have the longest, most lasting effect on the young Bruins in the room, to show them just how much you have to be willing to lay on the line in the quest. The 41-year-old had a fucking kidney stone removed the night before Game 7. He went home, slept, went to the rink, got shot up, and played 30 shifts and 21:49 of ice time. That is a goddamn warrior.
The prior injuries to mobile D-men Andrew Ference and Matt Hunwick forced the Bs to rely on too many stay-at-home types and put them in positions they otherwise wouldn’t have found themselves in (i.e. Steve Montador manning a point during Game 7 power plays) and having to make plays that a younger, quicker guy makes better.
Yeah, everybody’s hurt to some degree this time of year. But having five of your top nine forwards and two of your quickest d-men with IR qualifications is going to put a dent in your Cup chase.
2. The three game hibernation from Games 2 through 4 proved to be the difference. Had the Bs played whistle-to-whistle in just one of those games, they win the series. For whatever reason (the coaching chess match, Montreal being a bigger pushover than Ned Flanders resulting in inflated confidence, lack of experience…take your pick), the team that we watched all year suddenly stopped doing what had become routine---going all out for 60 minutes. And it bit them in the ass. Again, it can only help this team in the long run. You don’t and you can’t take a game, period, minute, shift, or second off in the playoffs.
3. The Bruins are still learning how to win. Despite having four Cup winners on the roster, a quick glance at the Game 7 line-up reveals that the team may not be quite as seasoned as we thought. Excluding Aaron Ward, Shawn Thornton, Stephane Yelle, and Mark Recchi, Big Z’s 63 playoff games leads the team It averages out to less than six per season for the giant Slovak. After Ference’s 61, Axelsson’s 54, and Kobasew’s 44, the roster hasn’t seen a shit ton of postseason play.
There’s the oft-told tale of the ’82-’83 Oilers catching a peek of the just-victorious Islanders in their locker room, covered in ice from head to toe after winning the Cup. It was then that the Oilers realized that they’d need to find that extra gear (and find it they did) if they wanted to lift the Cup. And the NHL’s version of the Patriots, the Detroit Red Wings (perennial contenders with excellent drafting, scouting, and coaching that makes great players want to play for them because they represent the player’s best chance to win) scraped their knees when their training wheels got taken off by the Devils in the Devils ’95 Cup sweep. But it taught both teams what was necessary to get it done, as evidenced by their combined nine Cups in the immediate years following their growing pains. And it’s unlikely any of the younger Bs will witness again what they did with Rent-A-Recchi. Hopefully, that is one of the lasting images they’ll store for future battles.
As for the immediate future, GM Peter Chiarelli, who has certainly earned a new contract for himself, has a few chores to tend to over the summer. First up is signing restricted free agents Kessel, Krejci, Hunwick, and Byron Bitz. If, as some suspect, Kessel is looking for big bucks, he could find himself wearing a new sweater when he returns to action in November. But it’s not a given that the Bs have to make a move to make room for the budding sniper, despite what is written. However, should he go, his production can be somewhat replaced by the affable German, Marco Sturm (remember him?). Krejci is not going anywhere---you can mark that down. The sky’s the limit for that kid right now and to think he had the year he did while hurt bodes well for the Bs going forward. Hunwick will get a nice raise from his $750,000 last year. But the best surprise of this year’s playoffs was the play of Bitz. Playing on the 2nd line, Bitz not only proved himself as a bona fide NHL player, he showed the exact type of gritty game the Bruins are looking for. Expect Bitzy to be a fan favorite in due time. P.J. Axelsson, Mark Recchi, and Stephane Yelle are all unrestricted free agents and all or none could be brought back, depending on how the restricted free agent signings pan out.
With tough guy, great character defensemen Shane Hnidy and Steve Montador bound for unrestricted free agency, look for Harvard Pete to fill their slots with a little more puck-handling pizzazz, whether it be a P-Bruin or a free agent. And if he decides to move Kessel, expect an offensive d-man in return. Either way, with Chara, Ward, Wideman, Ference, and (hopefully) Hunwick back next year, the backline looks sturdy and shouldn’t see any dropoff.
In the pipes, Manny Fernandez will be plying his trade elsewhere next year. The veteran rounded into form quite nicely around mid-season but never quite recovered his game after tweaking his back in January. Regardless, the promotion of Tuukka Rask assures that Fernandez has played his last game as a Bruin. However, the Bs will have over $8M committed to Rask and Tim Thomas next season---quite a bit for one position. If Rask delivers on his career projections, that could make Thomas expendable. And plenty of teams will be willing to pony up $5M for a #1 goalie and soon-to-be Vezina winner. Or they could keep both and have another two-headed goalie monster next season (Chicago committed over $12M to two goalies this season). Whatever the case, they’re all set in their most important position
The good news is that the core of the team will be back next year, barring any major moves. They’ll be carrying the sting of this year’s loss. They’ll be a year older and a year wiser. Milan Lucic, who once again showed that he raises his game when the stakes are raised, will be better. A repaired Krejci could be good for 100+ points. Marco Sturm and his 30 goals will be back. The talent in the cage is at or near the top of the league. Given his track record, there’s no reason to believe Chiarelli won’t provide the necessary fixes. In short, the 2009-10 Bruins will have the same expectations that this year’s version did---anything short of a Cup Finals appearance will be considered a disappointment. For now though, the Bruins have inherited the Red Sox’ old mantra of “wait til next year”. Yet again.