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ATR: Bruins Starting to Take the Next Step

It is late Saturday night as I write this, and I am currently basking in the glow of yet another Bruins victory. “Bruins in 2″ is on NESN right now, and I’ve been crunching numbers and reading various Bruins-related blogs since the horn blew around 9:15 pm earlier this evening, marking the Bruins third straight win.

Is this unusual? Certainly not for me; I’ve always enjoyed reading whatever I can get my hands on regarding the B’s, regardless if they win or lose. That being said, I can’t remember a time I’ve had this kind of enthusiasm and hope for the Bruins. When Hall of Famers Cam Neely and Ray Bourque were running this town back in the early 90’s, I was a young pup, more enamored with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than I was with the boys on Causeway St (true story, I actually cried when I was about 6 years old because I had to go to hockey practice and couldn’t watch the TMNT on Saturday morning).

Since Neely’s early retirement and Bourque’s trade to Colorado, there hasn’t been much to cheer about for Bruins fans. The past decade or so has been marked by unattainable expectations (I’m looking at you, Sergei Samsonov), trades of star players (Bourque, Joe Thornton), and essentially a realization of Murphy’s Law; whatever could go wrong, did go wrong.

In the earlier part of this millennium, the Bruins had a strong organization, and the product on the ice reflected that. Players like Bill Guerin, Jason Allison, and Thornton exemplified the lunch-pail attitude that B’s fans loved and identified with. They finished 1st in the Eastern Conference twice (2001-2002 and 2003-2004), but both times were upset by the Montreal Canadiens. The 2004 NHL lockout came next, and I’d rather not rehash the two years Mike Sullivan and Dave Lewis almost buried this franchise forever.

Obviously, the Boston Bruins haven’t exactly exemplified greatness in the last few years, but things are looking up. Any hockey fan with half a brain could see the potential in the 2007-2008 Bruins team. They battled hard all season long, and took the #1 seed Canadiens to seven games before bowing out in the playoffs last season.

Still, did anybody expect the Bruins to be this good? The prognosticators certainly didn’t, as many “experts” picked them to miss the playoffs. Nevertheless, they’re led by arguably the best defenseman in the Eastern Conference in Zdeno Chara, and Marc Savard is unarguably one of the top 5 playmakers in the NHL. They have a handful of young players close to making the jump to stardom (Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel, Dennis Wideman, Milan Lucic) and a number of other young, cheap players oozing with potential (Blake Wheeler, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask). They have a goaltending situation many teams would kill for; Tim Thomas leads the NHL in save percentage, is 3rd in GAA, and is tied for 2nd in shutouts. Manny Fernandez is a more than capable “backup” who could start on a number of teams. Add in veterans like Marco Sturm, Michael Ryder, and Andrew Ference and you have a club with the potential to do some serious damage. They hinted at that potential towards the end of last season, and this club is miles ahead of where they were last year.

Barring injuries or a colossal misstep by the front office, I’d wager that the Boston Bruins will win the next championship for the city of Boston. You (might have) heard it here first.

Youth Movement in Boston

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this Bruins club is how pivotal the team’s youth has been to its success. Patrice Bergeron is a known commodity around hockey circles and in this town, but lost in what he brings to the rink every night is how young he really is. Bergeron turned 23 in July, and yet he’s been playing professional hockey for 5 seasons. That is remarkable, and he’s only going to get better. The pivot from Quebec, Canada has two 70-point seasons under his belt, and very few players his age possess as complete a game as Bergeron does.

Phil Kessel may not be two-way player that Bergeron is, but his ability is undeniable in its own right. Kessel was touted as “the American Sidney Crosby” when he was an amateur in the US National Development Program, but his stock dropped a bit due to perceived “character issues.” He fell to 5th in the 2006 draft, and the Bruins have been reaping the benefits since. Kessel got off to a very hot start this season, notching 6 goals in his first 6 games, and although he’s slowed a bit as of late, the speedy winger is just 21 years old and is perhaps Boston’s most dynamic forward game in and game out. Statistically, the sky’s the limit for Kessel, as I could see him scoring 50 goals and winning the Rocket Richard trophy before his career is done.

Milan Lucic is perhaps the player more fans are attached to than any other. The young, hulking winger tips the scales at 6′4, 230 lbs, and the way he plays the game reminds many fans of another Bruins forward known for his punishing hits and goal-scoring prowess. I don’t think Lucic will ever be the game breaker that Neely was, but he’s an impressive player in his own right, and might actually end up being a more feared player than Neely was.

One needs to look no further than last night’s game against Buffalo, as 20-year veteran Teppo Numminen went into the corner to touch up an icing, saw Lucic barreling toward him, and literally curled off and allowed the Bruins winger to get to the puck first instead of becoming permanently fused to the end-boards at TD Banknorth. Lucic scooped up the loose puck and found Marc Savard for a one-timer which almost beat Miller stick-side high. It was a thing of beauty, and just punctuates the type of respect Lucic is earning around the league. Teams will begin to gameplan specifically for Lucic, as there aren’t many defenders in the league who can contain him. He leads all NHL forwards in hits, and racked up an eye-popping 8 in Saturday night’s contest, most of which were of the punishing variety. Lucic has the chance to join the ranks of O’Reilly and Neely when his time is done in Boston, and based on the sample size thus far, I think he’s well on his way.

It’s a true testament to this team’s youth that I can write four lengthy paragraphs on the topic before mentioning Dennis Wideman. Although not as young as his contemporaries listed above, Wideman has had as great an impact on this club as anyone this season. Originally a Buffalo prospect, Wideman made his NHL debut in St. Louis, perhaps becoming most famous for an epic shootout blunder, where he lost his footing and tumbled into the boards. Although he performed admirably in his stint in Boston in ‘06-’07, most casual fans saw the 40 goals Brad Boyes scored in ‘07-’08 and were quick to label the trade an “L” for Boston. Lost in all of this was Wideman’s strong play last season, where he routinely led the Bruins in ice-time and quarterbacked the power play.

Wideman parlayed his strong play into a new contract this off-season, but there’s been no hangover to speak of yet, as Wideman has perhaps been Boston’s best defenseman this season. Including his goal last night against Buffalo, Wideman now has 4 goals and 4 assists in 13 games this year, to go along with his +7 rating. Extrapolated over an 82-game season, the young defender is on pace for 23 goals and 23 assists to go with a +41 rating. Those are Norris Trophy caliber numbers. Will Wideman approach figures like that? It’s unlikely. However, there’s no doubt he’s been a boon to the Boston Bruins since the day he arrived, and it’s safe to say the Boyes-Wideman deal is one of the rare moves which benefits both clubs. A true win-win situation.

Bruins Roll 4 Lines Deep

One of the lesser-discussed storylines regarding the Bruins is Claude Julien’s propensity to roll four lines consistently, as evidenced in last night’s game, where every single forward averaged over 11 minutes of icetime. Take last night’s 4th line, for example. Stephane Yelle, a veteran of 13 NHL seasons and 2 Stanley Cups, centered the unit, with two-time 20 goal-scorer Chuck Kobasew on his right wing and Shawn Thornton on his left. Thornton is more known for racking up PIMs than points, but the tenacious wing has shown this season he can play a little, too. He registered 4 shots last night, and brings an infectious attitude to every game and is reportedly one of the most well-liked players in the dressing room. That line went on to contribute two goals in last night’s effort, and it is a rarity in today’s NHL to see any contribution beyond fisticuffs from a team’s 4th unit.

What’s more, NHL-ready talents like Petteri Nokelainen and Vladimir Sobotka (both contributors in last season’s playoff series against Montreal) have been healthy scratches for much of this young season. Sobotka, just 21, has been lighting up the AHL, scoring in overtime last night against Albany. The forward depth on this team is remarkable, and it’s truly fun to watch a team roll four lines who can contribute on the scoresheet every night.

Week in Review

• The Bruins went 3-0 in the last week, outscoring their opponents 13-4 in the process. Last Saturday night, the Bruins played perhaps their most spirited game in years, beating the Dallas Stars both on the scoreboard and with their fists. The game will probably be most remembered for Steve Ott’s antics and subsequent humiliation at the hands of Andrew Ference, and the animated commentary from Bruins announcer Jack Edwards. Much has been made of Edwards’ commentary regarding Ott, namely his “pretty little boy” remark about Matt Niskanen and calling Ott “Brave Steve” as the Stars forward continually ducked any offers to fight from the Bruins. Many have called him unprofessional, but in the end, NESN is a regional station, and Edwards is a homer. I have no qualms with Edwards, and personally I find him immensely enjoyable to listen to.
• Quite the performance from the goaltenders this week, as Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez both posted strong showings in their respective outings. Thomas recorded a .958 save percentage in his games, stopping 69/72 shots in wins against Toronto and Dallas. Fernandez turned away 32 of 33 shots in a victory over the Buffalo Sabres last night, for a .970 save percentage. Not bad for two guys not on the All-Star ballot.
• Blake Wheeler had quite a week for himself, recording 5 points in 3 games played, including his first career hat-trick against Toronto on Thursday. He also picked a new number, choosing no. 26 in honor of former University of Minneosta and current NHL goal scoring leader Thomas Vanek. Coincidentally, he’s the first Bruin to wear the number since Brad Boyes was traded to St. Louis.

Looking Ahead

Tags: Around the Rink, Bruins, Claude Julien, Dennis Wideman, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel