To: Mr. Colin Campbell, Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL
From: A Bruised and Boiling Bruin

Dear Mr. Campbell,

It is with great disappointment that I am forced to write this letter. I am sure that this will be one of many letters concerning Mr. Matt Cooke’s hit on Mr. Marc Savard on Sunday, March 7, 2010, some of which will praise you for your choice made on Wednesday to not suspend Mr. Cooke and others rebuking you. Unfortunately, this letter falls into the latter category.

As a Bruins fan, the hit Mr. Cooke delivered on Mr. Savard initially evoked only one emotion: anger. Seeing one of the stars, leaders, and offensive catalysts of my team crumple to the ice after such a violent hit is a picture I am unlikely to forget anytime soon, especially seeing he has been the victim of three concussions, and it’s an image that infuriates me unlike anything else. Continue reading A Letter To NHL Disciplinarian Colin Campbell Regarding Matt Cooke »

Without the services of center Marc Savard, the Bruins marched forward on Tuesday night as they continue their pitiful push toward the playoffs. Savard, arguably the best player on the team, will likely be out the rest of the season with a serious Grade 2 concussion after a hit at the hands of Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke on Sunday.

Mark Recchi did his best Savard impersonation, playing parts in all three Bruins goals on Tuesday. He scored in the first period, and then assisted on goals in the second and third, but the defense (and goaltending) couldn’t hold off the punchless Leafs in a 4-3 loss in overtime. Continue reading Bruins Move on Without Savard, Lose to Leafs »

We’re back, after the first week of action following the Olympic break. We’ve seen Pittsburgh open up a nice-sized lead over New Jersey in the Atlantic Division. Washington is still looking like the President’s Trophy winner, but Chicago is closing the gap on San Jose for the top spot in the West. The East’s bracket features three Northeast vs Atlantic match-ups, while the West has three divisional series in place. And the Hurricanes, once the league’s worst team, are now into the third from last spot in the East. Nine points from a playoff spot? It could happen. With so much volatility on tap, let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, March 9 at 11:30pm (sans the late games):

West:

#1 San Jose Sharks vs #8 Calgary Flames

Calgary knocked off Detroit on the road Tuesday to retake the last Western spot. San Jose finds themselves in another battle with Chicago almost immediately after opening up a comfortable lead. San Jose isn’t exactly known lately for doing well with the #1 seed, and Calgary’s three-game win streak looks to continue that trend, which means San Jose will need to rely on their 52-3 goal differential edge. Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NHL Week 21 »

According to Bruins coach Claude Julien, center Marc Savard “definitely not feeling better” after suffering a Grade 2 concussion at the hands of Penguin Matt Cooke.

“The only update I’ve had is that today, he’s definitely not feeling better,” Julien said. “It’s been a little hard on him. So obviously it’s a pretty serious concussion.”

I wouldn’t expect Savard back this season. With around 20 games to go, and the team clinging to an eighth and final playoff spot, it doesn’t really make sense for him to return to action. He’s had a concussion in the past, and a season full of other injuries this year.

The road trip continues tonight for the Black and Gold, as the Bruins (29-24-11) make their third stop on their current seven-game trip, this time in Toronto to face the lowly Maple Leafs (20-33-12). These two teams should know each other pretty well by now, having faced each other four times already, including less than a week ago, last Thursday in Boston.

Most of the Bruins news in the last 48 hours has revolved around the condition of center Marc Savard, arguably the team’s best player. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since Sunday, you have probably seen the hit to the head that Savard suffered in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Penguins. Savard, who lost consciousness at the time, was carted off the ice on a stretcher, and has since been diagnosed with a grade two concussion. He has been flown back to Boston to rest, and a timetable for his return to action has not been determined. Continue reading Ice Breakers: Bruins-Maple Leafs, Tuesday 3/9 »