Okelly-Dokelly Bruins Blog
First things first here, best wishes for a quick recovery and return for Florida Panther and frequent Bruin tormenter Richard Zednik (despite Kyle McLaren's attempted decapitation of him in the '02 playoffs. Ironically, the attempt at intimidation galvanized the Habs and propelled them to the series upset). Zednik's neck was horrifically and freakishly gashed Sunday night when teammate Olli Jokinen got upended by Sabre Clark MacArthur and his airborne boot severed Zednik's carotid artery. Leaving a trail of blood that took 15 minutes to clean off the ice, Zednik managed to skate to the bench and get right to an ambo. After surgery, he's in stable condition and is already asking how soon he can come back. Typical hockey player. The guy comes within inches and/or minutes of calling it a night forever and a few hours later wonders where his ice time went. It was also a brutal reminder that, even with the best crop of young talent in the league in ages, of how dangerous an often majestic sport can become in the blink of an eye. Zednik could be any guy on any given night. Get well soon Richard. Hockey fans are pulling for you. Even if we may have cursed at you once or twice...
The Bs continue the playoffs before the playoffs by playing a game just about every other day for the next two months. The 27 remaining games are all versus Wales Conference teams, most of whom are also clawing for a playoff spot. Should the Bs get to the dance this year, the playoff-like intensity of the remaining games could steel the team for those tight, one-goal games that are so common in the playoffs. The team controls its own destiny and it's very simple---if they win enough, they're in; if they let chances slip away, they break out the clubs. Either way, Claude Julien has done one hell of a job with the personnel he's had this year and the fact that his team has lost over 230 man-games to injury thus far this season.
Though they're the 8th seed right now, the Bs have four games in hand on the 7th seed Rangers but the suddenly surging Sabres are just a point behind the bears, having also played 55 games. However, the team has anywhere from one to three games in hand on the 10 through 15 spots. Ironically, it's the SouthLeast division (not least talent-wise but points-wise) that may offer the best race for a playoff spot as it looks as though only the division winner will make the playoffs, with all five teams still in contention for the top spot.
But this team can't do the 'win one, lose one' thing and expect to get to the postseason. Getting Muzz back after his lengthy hiatus could be huge for this club. I know that he's become a whipping boy for some segments of Bs fans though I don't get why. It's not his fault he got older---we all do every day. But he's a pure scorer, a well-liked veteran presence, and prior to this season, averaged nearly 34 goals per season since being reacquired by Boston. Once he gets his timing back, Muzz could just end up good for 25 tallies on the year. And despite his hiccup Saturday night, Tank Thomas hasn't shown signs of wearing down like last season. Just goes to show how important a reliable back-up is in the league. Speaking of reliable back-ups, here are the stats of a guy who is not one: 4.07 GAA, 2-8-4-1, and a .868 SP. That particular sieve is former Calder Trophy winner and Bruin Andrew Raycroft. If Tukkaa Rask is even half a good as touted, that trade could someday rival the Cam Neely trade in lopsidedness.
A few more buds for your bowl...
*As for the accompanying picture with today's blog, that's the back of Colorado goalie Peter Budaj's mask. An eagle-eyed pal of mine called to see if I was watching a recent Avs game (I wasn't) and thought he noticed Ned Flanders on Budaj's helmet and a DVR frame-by-frame confirmed it was.
Apparently, he's a devout Christian that happens to be jacked...just like Homer's do-gooder neighbor. No doubt that was a locker room nickname and Budaj apparently has a good sense of humor as well as hometown pride as Flanders is waving the Slovakian flag. (I love how the North American boys transform former eastern block names like Vaclav and Ruslan into 'Vinny' and 'Rusty'). However, the mask to beat, for my money, is Ricky D's tribute to American servicemen (he's the son of a Vietnam Vet):
http://i.cnn.net/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0707/gallery.nhl.goalie.masks/images/dipietro.jpg
The worst I've seen is this fiasco by Ottawa's Ray Emery who was ordered by management to paint over the rapist on his mask:
http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Senators/2006/02/01/58mask2.jpg
*I wish no ill will toward Simon Gagne and hate to see guys get their heads rocked in a damaging way. But maybe it's just the hockey gods administering a little karma Philly's way after the needless damage their team has administered thus far this season. Bs fans can only wonder what seed the squad would be in today with a healthy Bergeron firing on all cylinders all season, as he certainly seemed poised for a true breakout season.
*As a lifelong gambler, I know that a 'mortal lock' is a mere mirage. But a shoo-in? That's a different story. I know hockey bettors are rarer than college virgins but if you want to buy your lady something nice for Valentine's Day, lay the 7.5 to make 5 on the Red Wings tonight. They're not losing their 4th in a row to a team 23 points behind the in the standings.
*Non-Bruins blog item of the week. While nobody was paying much attention in the fall, the Farrelly Brothers latest flick, "The Heartbreak Kid" (an 'update' of a 70s movie of the same name), cranked out another hysterical flick that flew under the radar. I guess a cringefest like "Fever Pitch" can do that. Anyways, this flick cracks the RI funnymen's Top 4 list joining "Dumb and Dumber", "There's Somthing About Mary", and "Kingpin". Ben Stiller treads familiar territory here (the put-upon, dorky schlub) but he delivers the goods. And the movie might just have one of the funniest sex scenes ever put in a R-rated movie. If you're a Bros. Farrelly fan, check it out. It almost erases the memory of "Fever Pitch". Almost.