Dozens Of Area Girls Going To Their "Boyfriend's Game" Tonight As Tyler Seguin Faces Bs For First Time
It’ll old home week at the Garden as the Bruins host three teams that feature former Boston stars in prominent roles playing for their second team. The long-gone Phil Kessel, who finally began to reach his potential, and his fellow Leafs meet the Bs on Saturday for the first time since the fragile squad pissed down its leg in Game 7 of the first round. 2011 playoff savior Tim Thomas will be in town with the Florida Panthers on Thursday though it’s unsure if Tank will get the nod as he’s been battling a groin issue. And tonight, Dallas Star Tyler Seguin returns to the city where, despite winning a Stanley Cup, he left a bigger legacy off the ice than on.
Given his tabloid-fueling social activities, high pedigree, and surprise blockbuster trade, Seguin’s return to Boston is, naturally, big news in Boston. At the end of the day, it’s just another game versus a Western Conference team. But for that one game, it’ll be interesting to see what should be a highly-motivated Seguin going against the team that wasn’t sold on him long-term. Playing a bigger role in Big D, Seguin has put up a nice 6-9–15 line in 14 games but that’s but one element to a centerman’s game. He has been getting beaten at the dot 63% of the time and Lindy Ruff called out his “compete” on draws. Sounds familiar—he’ll get his points but will be deficient in the physical/checking aspects of the game (at least until he’s not anymore).
Regardless of how many points Seguin puts up tonight or this month or this year, the jury will be on the trade for years to come, mostly due to the youth involved. Of course he’s gonna get his points—that’s what he’s always done. But, it’s about more than just points. Is he going to bring the Stars to the next level, as is the expectation with his salary and the bounty paid to land him? And is he going to learn to play both ends and become a complete player? These questions, among a few others, also factor into a trade scorecard. Also, let’s talk in April and see where both teams are. Rich Peverley, whose money the Bruins were looking to dump after realizing they didn’t like how much they were giving him, also makes his return to Boston but it’s safe to say most eyes will be on Seguin.
As for the Bs end of the trade, Loui was starting to get some good chemistry with Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith until he was head-shotted by the useless John Scott. So rather than hitting his stride right about now, he’s just trying to get back into the line-up. Smith has been a nice surprise and a solid NHL forward so far on the young season.
If the recently concussed Eriksson does indeed return to the line-up tonight, as has been widely speculated, then expect him to be equally motivated because he was also traded by the team that drafted him. Additionally, Smith should have a little bounce in step in trying to stick it to his old team. Regardless if you’re a Seguinista or not, tonight’s game at the Garden should be an entertaining tilt.
A few more buds for your bowl…
*So long, Murray Chadwick. Farewell to the great Ed Lauter.
*Episode 3 of “Behind the B” was good shit and the closest we’ve seen to “24/7”. A lot of chatter on the bench, the ice, and in the room. Iginla telling DeKeyser he’s available to dance if the Red Wing would like. Chris Kelly absolutely burying Niklas Kronwall (textbook interference) then the defenseman asking, “Was that really necessary?”. Plenty of behind-the-scenes stuff that got better once the games started.
*The NHL had the perfect opportunity to bring the hammer down and send a message that head shots will no longer be tolerated but again dropped the ball in the discipline department. John Scott was given a seven game suspension for his elbow to the head of Eriksson when a minimum of 10 was called for. But 20 would’ve been a shot across the bow of the league’s too many weasels. Ironically, the suspension will actually help the Sabres because they’re now forced to ice an actual hockey player’s in Scott’s stead. The league’s excuse of ‘no priors’ is really just a crock of shit because, much like Faber College’s constitution, there’s a little-known codicil in the NHL CBA where the commish can call an audible and mete out discipline as he sees fit. Alas, they gave that stiff Scott seven games and the next dirtbag hit is lurking, just around the corner.
*Despite what a couple of rubes wrote on some website, Ray Emery punching the snot outta Braden Holtby was not a hockey fight—it was a bully taking out his anger like a pissed-off older brother beating on his overmatched smaller sibling. It was a bush league move, pounding a guy who never dropped his gloves nor did anything to warrant Emery skating the length of the ice (goalie fights are typically the final one in a line brawl but Emery’s goonery ensured that wasn’t the case). Holtby is a goalie in an era when not even every forward or defenseman even needs to be equipped to fight anymore—let alone a puck-stopper. Emery is a trained fighter who once pissed off his Ottawa bosses for having Mike Tyson painted on his mask. Equally embarrassing were the actions, or lack thereof, of referee Francois St. Laurent. St. Laurent made no effort to stop Emery from getting at Holtby and, even worse, he waved off Holtby’s teammates coming to his rescue while Emery pounded away at the Capital’s melon behind him. It was insult to literal injury and made the ref look incompetent. And it’s not just me saying it. Bettman says there is nothing in the rulebook regarding fighting when it comes to further discipline so he can’t dole it out (as Wyshynski pointed out, the league used the same reply when Matt Cooke effectively ended Marc Savard’s career). Of course, there was never a rule in place about talking shit about ex-girlfriends but that didn’t stop him from suspending Sean Avery. I love a good scrap as much as the next guy. But that was no fight—Emery Pearl Harbored him and will get away with it because of the NHL’s unique brand of selective discipline. In the meantime, the league ends up with yet another black eye.
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