Cracking the code…
Cracking the code
Cracking the code
And so, all along, it appears as though it was a conspiracy of the highest order:
The Bruins simplywereintentionally limiting their scoring output until Marc Savard was back among his teammates in the starting lineup.
It must have been..
Solidarity akin to a Players' Union strike? A concussion-awareness statement? A screw-you' to Gregory Campbell's dad for the nasty anti-Savard e-mail debacle? ..Well?
I mean, seriously, YOU explain the 8-1 smoke-and-lasershow they put on "Stevie Stamkos andthe Tampa Bay Lightning Experience" on Thursday. Whoa.
Tampa Bay had previously made the B's look horrible back on the 22nd, but that score was still only 3-1. This one was just a different level of payback.
OK, in all seriousness, a good portion of this can be attributed to the main achilles heel of Tampa Bay this year. Goaltending.
Ask Timmy Thomas how important goaltending is. No, actually, ask the rest of his team.
Thomas had already registered another shutout (his 5th of the year already) back on Wednesday against the Flyers, and followed it up by winning tonight 8-1 and even getting himself an assist in the process. The team showed great effort all around for the second game in a row (the Flyers game the previous night was gritty and well played too), and this is quite the refreshing change from the horrendous Lightning/Hurricanes/Thrashers destruction suffered right around the Thanksgiving holiday week.
Having said that, it was great to see Marc Savard return. With the rumors currently swirling about the possible trade of Marco Sturm to LA, and the previous trade this week of Matt Hunwick, it was expected Savard would be back soon as the salary cap room had been cleared. However it was anticipated that he would return on Saturday against the slumping Leafs, rather than throw him right into the fire against a team as up-tempo as the Lightning are. It was a pleasant surprise to see him back in the fold a little early and up for the challenge.
For a quick redux of the days leading up to this game, here's the state of things that recently transpired on Causeway:
- Matt Hunwick was traded to Colorado for former BU Defenseman Colby Cohen. This transaction, as mentioned, was primarily done for salary cap considerations. Hunwick's cap hit was $1.45 million, and with Marc Savard (and his $4 million cap hit) returning, something had to give. He was a decent puck-moving defenseman, which the B's really are sorely lacking, however he took a few too many chances and his skating ability could never quite get him back into position fast enough when problems occurred. It should be noted that with Hunwick gone, this means Adam McQuaid will be seeing some significant ice time now. He is a much more stay-at-home defenseman, and really likes to throw it around too, so this may in fact turn out well for the B's if he can step up on his end of the bargain.
- Marco Sturm is rumored to be going to the LA Kings. This however has apparently hit some snags, most reports are that there are questions regarding his medical clearance. He has blown out both knees, the second one on a quick turn that looked fairly innocent at the time. This is probably a combination of a salary cap consideration ($3.5 million), plus the uncertainty of his knees going forward now. Unfortunate but realistic from the B's standpoint.
- The Bruins had previously been shut out by the Hurricanes (3-0), and lost badly to Atlanta (4-1), so there was a bit of trepidation among the fan base before these last two victories. Here's hoping Savard will be a much-needed morale (and points) boost, and the lines can start solidifying and finding chemistry as they do so. It's only a one-game sample size, but he and Seguin seemed to be finding each other very well out there for starters.
- Shawn Thornton has been a force. He has been tough, edgy, willing to fight regardless of whether his team is winning or losing, and Kevin Paul Dupont makes a point that is laugh-out-loud awesome and totally worth repeating:
At this point in the season, the Total Goals Scored tally is: Ilya Kovalchuk: 4, Shawn Thornton: 5.
However, just in case the rose colored glasses are fitting a bit too comfy this morning, there is one nagging issue that's been impossible to miss in too many recent games. I'm not suggesting anything drastic here, but let's monitor this situation. To make things interesting, I'd like to wrap it up with a little tip of the hat to Jeopardy:
Answer: The figure who is most responsible when a team comes out flat in the beginning of games, and seems ill prepared for the first five minutes or so?
Question: Who is "the coach," Alex?
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