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Remember These Bruins?

Remember these Bruins? You should, as this took place only a year ago. It is absolutely baffling that the Bruins have lost so much heart and guts since last season. In this game against the Stars in November 2008, the Bruins were victims of multiple dirty hits, and they had each others' back every time. Check the 5:40 mark of this clip. Notice who the first person into the scrum was? Yup, Marc Savard. If I were him, I would be absolutely livid after last night's gutless performance. Although he probably wasn't allowed to watch the game, since he is still experiencing headaches and sensitivity to light after Matt Cooke's dirty hit. Sure, I'll give Shawn Thornton some credit for fighting Cooke last night, but that's Thornton's job anyway. He gets in a fight every other night. Where were the rest of the Bruins? Where was so-called tough guy Milan Lucic? Why didn't someone take a run at Sidney Crosby? Why was Cooke allowed to skate around the rest of the game without a worry in the world? Last night was a pathetic display by the Bruins. Not only did they lose the game, but they lost their pride as well. If they couldn't get up to play last night, then they don't deserve the playoffs. And even if they do make it, it is clear that they don't have what it takes to win.

The Bruins Better Sack Up Tonight

BOSTON -- Coach Claude Julien made it clear after the morning skate that fans should not expect any costly retribution Thursday night when the Bruins face the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be the first meeting between the teams since March 7, when Matt Cooke laid a blindside hit on Marc Savard, which resulted in a Grade 2 concussion that likely ended Savard's season.

"It's going to be a hockey game, guys," Shawn Thornton said. "You guys can keep building it up all you want, but it's going to be the same old, same old. It's going to be just another game. We need the two points and that's our focus."

If the so-called retribution doesn't occur tonight, Bruins players didn't sound too concerned with a negative response from fans.

"I've been here for three years. As far as I'm concerned, I've done my job here for three years," Thornton said. "The fans have been nothing but great to me, and to our team. I know what the expectations are, but it's not like it was last year when we had a 20-point cushion going into the last few games, so we need the two points. We're scraping for a playoff spot. As upset as [the fans] would be if they don't see bloodshed, I think they'll be more upset if we don't make the playoffs. At the end of the day, that's a bigger problem."

So, the Bruins are going with the philosophy that the 2 points are more important than retaliating for Matt Cooke’s cheap shot on Marc Savard. And realistically, that’s how they should be thinking. Every game is important as the Bruins are barely hanging on to the 8th and final playoff seed in the East. However, if the Bruins think that the fans will be happy if they beat Pittsburgh tonight, but fail to retaliate, they are sorely mistaken. Fans want to see the B’s go after Sidney Crosby, or Matt Cooke writhing on the ice in pain, or preferably both. According to an ESPN.com poll, 66 percent of fans would rather have the Bruins retaliate and lose the game, rather than win and not retaliate.

NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell will be attending the game tonight. Campbell could have perhaps prevented some of this tension if he did what was right and suspended Cooke (who is a repeat offender when it comes to dirty hits) in the first place. However, Campbell fucked up the whole situation, and now he might have a bigger problem on his hands after tonight. The NHL has also assigned its most experienced group of referees to the game tonight.

Hopefully, all this pregame talk from the Bruins is just for show, because if they don’t go after someone on the Penguins, I’m disowning them (with all the authority that I have). It’s time for the Bruins to sack up and play old school Boston hockey, where they play tough and physical and stick up for their teammates. As far as I see it, if the Bruins don’t try to get some retribution tonight, then it indicates that they don’t have what it takes to win in the playoffs anyway. Tonight, the whole league will be watching, and it is a chance for the Bruins to send a message, not only to the Penguins, but to the entire NHL. The Bruins need to show that they can play tough, inspired hockey, and prove to their fans and their opponents that they actually do have a little heart.

Don Cherry on Matt Cooke

One of the most respected men in the sport of hockey on that pussy Matt Cooke. Don Cherry puts it so perfectly I don't even need to vent my frustration.

Sidney Crosby hating America again

WASHINGTON -- Maybe Sidney Crosby is a fan of Jay's or maybe he was upset at not being invited to Dave's Super Bowl bash with Oprah, but folks around the NHL sure would be interested in learning even one of No. 87's reasons for rejecting David Letterman's invitation to host his Top Ten while the Golden Boy was in New York this week.
Upon learning of the snub, Slap Shots was told that this wasn't the first time Crosby, who last year declined to appear on NBC's "Today" show following Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup victory, had rejected a request from Letterman's "Late Show."

We only can imagine the demands on Crosby's time. Yet, in the days that hockey was front-page and back- page material after Canada gold, U.S. silver in overtime attracted more television viewers in the States than any game since the Lake Placid Miracle in 1980, it's difficult to understand why the NHL's most recognizable player and ambassador refused to spread the gospel.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sid_blows_nhl_golden_chance_22VH7UimsoimIdQfehXQTJ#ixzz0habQMa4f

Typical move by a hockey player that's on top of the world. This is why Sidney Crosby will never be the best player in the NHL. This is why he'll never be the face of the NHL. Most importantly, this is why the NHL will never compete with the NFL to be the best pro sport in America. Do you think Tom Brady or Peyton Manning turn down this type of opportunity after winning the Super Bowl and a gold medal?

This is his chance to promote himself, the NHL, and the team and he turns it down.

And that my friends, is exactly what the NHL needs. They need someone to step up and represent them. All Sid the Kid had to do was go on Leno say a few things about how the Olympics were great for hockey, talk about his experience growing up as a kid with hockey being the only thing and he cared about and he would of helped the sport.

Instead, he was a selfish scum bag. Claiming he had other shit to do. Give me a break, there is no way in hell you had something else to do that was more important to promote the game you love. So give me Alexander Ovechkin 10 times out of 10. He's a better person, a better player, and a better choice to be the face of the NHL.

Typical Bruins...or not?

So 3:00 p.m. came and went with no major moves made in the NHL that could be labeled as "huge." Those moves were made prior to the olympics with Ilya Kovalchuk and Dion Phaneuf being moved prior to New Jersey and Toronto, respectively.

As a Bruins fan as 3:00 p.m. approached I was started to get excited. We just traded our best defenseman, this year, to clear some cap space. This put me under the assumption we were planning to do something big.

We were doing one of two things:
1) Tank the season to solidify our chances at another top 5 draft pick in one of the deepest drafts in years.
2) Planning to make a major move for a bona fide goal scorer to pair with Marc Savard.

As you all know, that did not happen. So when 3:00 came, 3:30 came, and 4:00 came and no deals were announced I was beyond disappointed. I was furious.

Over the last two years the Bruins have improved each year. In year one we took it 7 games with the Canadiens. In year 2 we swept the Canadiens and advanced to the second round. Even though we lost to an inferior team we accomplished something that we hadn't in a long time. This year, the Bruins were featured on the cover of ESPN the magazine and Sports Illustrated. Both Magazines picked them to reach the Cup.

We had the winter classic in Boston. We had the olympics this year. Hockey was back in Boston. Ratings were up. Something was going to be done to improve our chances. Right?

....and then the trade deadline came and went. Nothing happened. Hence, my disappointment.

It's now 5:30 p.m., and two and half hours have since passed. When I look at the names that were moved today I realized Chiarelli had no options. Would you of wanted him to acquire a player like Raffi Torres, essentially another Michael Ryder? A guy who gets hot for two weeks then fades for three. Did you want him to trade for Keith Tkachuk? A guy who's on his way out of the league.

We have assests, or think we do, let's not waste them on a player that won't put us over the hump. The Bruins needed major help. Not some guy who could chip in a goal here or there. We weren't reaching the Stanley Cup. Not even the Conference Finals. Not this year.

I don't blame Chiarelli for failure to land a goal scorer. The type of player he needed wasn't there.

It's sad. It's disappointing.

What would of been worse though is if we panicked. If we traded our first rounders for a player Torres, Tkachuk. That's what we used to do. Not anymore.

It's time to pack it in for the season boys. Hope Chiarelli hits the draft right. Hopefully he can clear some cap space so we can sign a guy to play with Savard next year. We have the picks and a solid core now we just need to find the remaining pieces.

Get two goal scorers here, get a good defensive piece, name Rask the starter and hopefully next year hockey will officially BE BACK IN BOSTON.