Not a bad Monday morning coming off a Patriots win despite a brutal performance from Randy Moss. I'm not going to pile on the guy any more than the majority of the Boston media already is...he had a bad game. Let's see how he does against Buffalo first. But, I do so enjoy watching Wes Welker play.
Bill Belichick was effusive in his praise of the diminutive receiver who had 10 catches for 105 yards in helping the Pats to a 20-10 victory over Carolina and became the 4th player in NFL history to post three consecutive 100-catch seasons. The ball coach even compared Welker to a hockey player in his postgame comments, likening him to the invaluable blue-collar type who goes into the corners for pucks and then succeeds in digging them out. Hat tip to you, coach- Welker has gotten more out of his talent than any Patriots player since Troy Brown. (Another receiver I enjoy watching play is Miles Austin of the Dallas Cowboys- you have to pull for a guy who played college at Monmouth State in New Jersey and shows such unbridled joy for the game as he does week in and week out)
OK, enough of the pigskin talk. The Bruins have a winnable matchup against the sinking Philadelphia Flyers tonight. It should be Brian Boucher in net for the Flyers, but they did go out and sign old pal John Grahame, who played for Peter Laviolette in Carolina.
Here are the updated pick positions for Boston. Toronto has quietly crept into position to jump over some teams at the bottom, so don't know how much longer the Bruins will be firmly in the Taylor Hall/Cam Fowler/Tyler Seguin sweepstakes, but we'll keep a close watch on the standings so you don't have to.
1st Round
2nd overall- Toronto (29 points; 11-14-7)
19th overall- Boston(38 points; 16-9-6)
2nd Round
31st overall- Toronto
36th overall- Tampa Bay (31 points; 11-12-9)
49th overall- Boston
So: 5 picks in the top-50 at 2, 19, 31, 36 and 49.
Even with a win over Philly tonight, the B's will stay in 2nd place in the Northeast Division, as Buffalo would have 19 wins to Boston's 17 while both would have 40 points.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
B's Lose Out on Point, Leafs Smack Caps
OK- I admit I'm a little gassed after my Rob Schremp manifesto, but it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to highlight the pitfalls of placing too much hope in an inexact science (like drafting).
THAT SAID- The Bruins dropped a tough game in OT to the Islanders, tonight. It was one they should have won, but former UMass-Lowell star Dwayne Roloson outperformed Boston's Tim Thomas tonight and was the key difference-maker in getting that extra point. "Roli" seems to have Boston's number lately, though. He's been outstanding against the Bruins this season, going 2-0-1 against them. Thomas was really hung out to dry on the Franz Nielsen OT breakaway goal when Dennis Wideman and Andrew Ference both moved up on offense and failed to get back into the play when Nielsen broke. That kid can play, btw. I watched him net a pair of goals against the Capitals in Washington earlier this season, and he's got some hands.
Michael Ryder and David Krejci set each other up on their goals tonight, the only two the B's could manage, but it is nice to see them both going.
If there is a silver lining to the loss, it is that the Isles gained the extra point to keep two points up on Toronto. It's only one game's worth of cushion, and the Leafs are still at No. 29 as of now (tied with Philly in points with 29) but they're just two wins away from vaulting up nine spots in the standings. Tank Nation watchers take heed!
Speaking of the Leafs, they beat the Eastern Conference-leading Caps tonight, 6-3. It was some serious weak sauce of a performance by Washington, who has looked lousy in their last two games against Toronto after taking the Leafs to the woodshed in the Caps' home opener way back in early October.
The Caps blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2, thanks to what I thought was some shaky goaltending from Czech goalie Michal Neuvirth. Leafs fans can certainly relate to that, but tonight, they got a solid performance from Vesa Toskala, Phile Kessel got off his four-game scoreless schneid (and added a couple of assists) and got a pair of goals from Matt Stajan.
Soooo...to recap. The Caps are good enough to top the Eastern Conference, but blow it against Toronto, the Bruins drop a point they should have had on Long Island, and the Leafs could surge up the rankings next week if they can string some wins together.
Not good news for Bruins fans.
THAT SAID- The Bruins dropped a tough game in OT to the Islanders, tonight. It was one they should have won, but former UMass-Lowell star Dwayne Roloson outperformed Boston's Tim Thomas tonight and was the key difference-maker in getting that extra point. "Roli" seems to have Boston's number lately, though. He's been outstanding against the Bruins this season, going 2-0-1 against them. Thomas was really hung out to dry on the Franz Nielsen OT breakaway goal when Dennis Wideman and Andrew Ference both moved up on offense and failed to get back into the play when Nielsen broke. That kid can play, btw. I watched him net a pair of goals against the Capitals in Washington earlier this season, and he's got some hands.
Michael Ryder and David Krejci set each other up on their goals tonight, the only two the B's could manage, but it is nice to see them both going.
If there is a silver lining to the loss, it is that the Isles gained the extra point to keep two points up on Toronto. It's only one game's worth of cushion, and the Leafs are still at No. 29 as of now (tied with Philly in points with 29) but they're just two wins away from vaulting up nine spots in the standings. Tank Nation watchers take heed!
Speaking of the Leafs, they beat the Eastern Conference-leading Caps tonight, 6-3. It was some serious weak sauce of a performance by Washington, who has looked lousy in their last two games against Toronto after taking the Leafs to the woodshed in the Caps' home opener way back in early October.
The Caps blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2, thanks to what I thought was some shaky goaltending from Czech goalie Michal Neuvirth. Leafs fans can certainly relate to that, but tonight, they got a solid performance from Vesa Toskala, Phile Kessel got off his four-game scoreless schneid (and added a couple of assists) and got a pair of goals from Matt Stajan.
Soooo...to recap. The Caps are good enough to top the Eastern Conference, but blow it against Toronto, the Bruins drop a point they should have had on Long Island, and the Leafs could surge up the rankings next week if they can string some wins together.
Not good news for Bruins fans.
Rob Schremp: A Cautionary Draft Tale
Watching the game tonight, I couldn't help but notice No. 13 (interesting number choice) skating in the blue and orange of the Islanders, and how Syracuse, New York native Rob Schremp represents the dangers of overhyped "can't miss" NHL draft prospects who sometimes do.
Schremp got his first NHL goal tonight by swooping in and banking a rebound of his initial shot lying next to the post into the cage off of the back of one of Tim Thomas's skates. It was a nice move for sure- the kind of play you could easily call a "goal scorer's" kind of goal.
But, when you go back and look at Schremp's checkered past, you have to ask the big question: Why hasn't he done more to date?
I'm having a harder time accounting for a player who was more overrated before he'd even been drafted than Schremp was. I remember that the Hockey News had a story about him back when he was a 14-year-old skating for the Syracuse Jr. Crunch and scoring goals in bunches. The book on him was that he had phenomenal hands and offensive instincts, but his skating needed work.
Schremp eventually went to the OHL's Mississauga Ice Dogs (hardly a model franchise at the time) and scored 26 goals in his rookie season (2002-03). The following year he essentially forced a trade to the powerhouse London Knights where he went on to post a decent but not eye-popping 28 goals and 69 points in 60 contests with Dale Hunter's team.
Now, to hear the buzz on him all year (during his 03-04 draft season), you would have thought he was scoring at a clip like John Tavares, and you could surf the internet and find legions of Robbie Schremp fans defending his honor and lashing out at anyone who raised concerns about his lack of top-end speed and questionable attitude during the season and as the draft approached.
It was the first real experience I had with a powerful publicity and lobbying machine as it applies to a hockey prospect. Here was a guy who, when you look back at it, wasn't all that remarkable a player, yet he had an almost mystic aura building around him as the draft approached. Now, before you accuse me of MSU (making sh** up) understand that I remember seeing him with his entourage and meeting him at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in Raleigh, N.C. (we stayed at the same hotel). Just the brief interaction I had with him and one of his handlers there simply reaffirmed what I had been hearing about him for the several years leading up to his draft: That he was a lot of sizzle, not much steak...and woe be to anyone who dared to question his path to NHL stardom.
When Edmonton grabbed him 25th overall, I still remember how so many in the media (or at least some of those sitting around me when the pick was made) tut-tutted the fact that he fell so much lower than anticipated. Many of those covering that draft rushed to declare the Oilers "winners" for spending two of their top draft picks on Schremp and huge goaltender Devan Dubnyk (14th overall) 24 hours after the event wrapped up and the teams went home for the summer.
Almost six years later, Schremp is a bit player on the Islanders and Dubnyk still hasn't made it (although he recently made his NHL debut with the Oil and is still a work in progress). The Oilers' 2004 draft class, which has produced exactly one NHL player on their current roster (Liam Reddox played a few games earlier this year but is back in the AHL as of now), has been by all accounts a complete and total bust. No. 146 overall pick Bryan Young played 17 scoreless games over parts of two seasons with the Oilers, but looks like he no longer fits into their plans. Schremp, who was in and out of the Edmonton lineup a few times for a cup of coffee (7 games, 3 assists), was placed on waivers at the beginning of the season and claimed by New York. Coming into tonight's game, he'd played in just 9 games, posting three assists. Even when he was on waivers in early October, I remember reading numerous teams' fans having debates on claiming him, even clubs with established depth up front. You see, almost six years after being drafted and despite a mediocre career in the AHL since he turned pro in 2006, Schremp's draft hype still lingered.
So, why bring any of this up at all?
Because it just goes to show you that sometimes, all of the buzz and excitement of an NHL team's draft class can wind up being meaningless. If you jump into the wayback machine and travel to June and July 2004, you'd be hard-pressed to find many,whether they were professional media or hockey fans posting on the net, who were critical of what Edmonton had done in Raleigh. They had two first-rounders, and both of them seemed destined for major success. However, given that five-year window that many NHL scouts use to judge the success or failure of their drafts, the Oilers' efforts from that year have fallen woefully short.
On the other hand, a team like Boston, who didn't even have a first-round pick, got very little press and attention outside of their regional coverage. In retrospect, the Bruins crushed Edmonton in that draft: they landed David Krejci late in the 2nd round, used Martins Karsums as a package to land Mark Recchi and what looks like an early 2nd-rounder in this year's draft, and then signed fifth overall pick Blake Wheeler as a free agent (even though that has nothing to do with what Boston did in '04, it speaks to their scouts, who kept tabs on him and advised Peter Chiarelli to make the pitch to sign him in '08). In the later rounds, they selected Kris Versteeg ('09 Calder Trophy finalist for Chicago) and defenseman Matt Hunwick. They even used another late-rounder, Ben Walter, to acquire that draft's 16th overall selection, Petteri Nokelainen, from the Islanders. Although Nokelainen couldn't keep his job in Boston (and was flipped to Anaheim for Steve Montador last spring), it was another example of the Bruins managing to get some That's what you call getting bang for your buck when you consider what Edmonton did with their top-two selections, both in the top-25.
So, one team with two picks in the top-25 and three in the top-45 (Roman Tesliuk), comes away with bupkus, while the other, with no picks until after 60 land their second/third line center, an impact 5/6 defender with some upside, and, had the GM been a little more patient, a solid 2nd/3rd line winger in Versteeg had he not been dealt to the Blackhawks.
In this day and age of a salary cap, drafting and developing players is everything. Missing in an entire year will come back to haunt you, as evidenced by their non-playoff finish last year and their current 17th-standing in the 30-team NHL.
Maybe Schremp gets it together and becomes a late-blooming NHL star, but to me, he's a cautionary tale of anointing these kids before they've ever skated a single shift at the highest level. As good as your team's draft looks the day after because perhaps they landed some "sexy" names or plucked the "can't miss" kid who inexplicably fell into your club's lap much later than expected, remember Rob Schremp and the '04 Edmonton Oilers. Completely missing in that draft has contributed to some of that team's recent struggles and underscores the importance of hitting with your draft picks, no matter how many or how few a club has.
Schremp got his first NHL goal tonight by swooping in and banking a rebound of his initial shot lying next to the post into the cage off of the back of one of Tim Thomas's skates. It was a nice move for sure- the kind of play you could easily call a "goal scorer's" kind of goal.
But, when you go back and look at Schremp's checkered past, you have to ask the big question: Why hasn't he done more to date?
I'm having a harder time accounting for a player who was more overrated before he'd even been drafted than Schremp was. I remember that the Hockey News had a story about him back when he was a 14-year-old skating for the Syracuse Jr. Crunch and scoring goals in bunches. The book on him was that he had phenomenal hands and offensive instincts, but his skating needed work.
Schremp eventually went to the OHL's Mississauga Ice Dogs (hardly a model franchise at the time) and scored 26 goals in his rookie season (2002-03). The following year he essentially forced a trade to the powerhouse London Knights where he went on to post a decent but not eye-popping 28 goals and 69 points in 60 contests with Dale Hunter's team.
Now, to hear the buzz on him all year (during his 03-04 draft season), you would have thought he was scoring at a clip like John Tavares, and you could surf the internet and find legions of Robbie Schremp fans defending his honor and lashing out at anyone who raised concerns about his lack of top-end speed and questionable attitude during the season and as the draft approached.
It was the first real experience I had with a powerful publicity and lobbying machine as it applies to a hockey prospect. Here was a guy who, when you look back at it, wasn't all that remarkable a player, yet he had an almost mystic aura building around him as the draft approached. Now, before you accuse me of MSU (making sh** up) understand that I remember seeing him with his entourage and meeting him at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in Raleigh, N.C. (we stayed at the same hotel). Just the brief interaction I had with him and one of his handlers there simply reaffirmed what I had been hearing about him for the several years leading up to his draft: That he was a lot of sizzle, not much steak...and woe be to anyone who dared to question his path to NHL stardom.
When Edmonton grabbed him 25th overall, I still remember how so many in the media (or at least some of those sitting around me when the pick was made) tut-tutted the fact that he fell so much lower than anticipated. Many of those covering that draft rushed to declare the Oilers "winners" for spending two of their top draft picks on Schremp and huge goaltender Devan Dubnyk (14th overall) 24 hours after the event wrapped up and the teams went home for the summer.
Almost six years later, Schremp is a bit player on the Islanders and Dubnyk still hasn't made it (although he recently made his NHL debut with the Oil and is still a work in progress). The Oilers' 2004 draft class, which has produced exactly one NHL player on their current roster (Liam Reddox played a few games earlier this year but is back in the AHL as of now), has been by all accounts a complete and total bust. No. 146 overall pick Bryan Young played 17 scoreless games over parts of two seasons with the Oilers, but looks like he no longer fits into their plans. Schremp, who was in and out of the Edmonton lineup a few times for a cup of coffee (7 games, 3 assists), was placed on waivers at the beginning of the season and claimed by New York. Coming into tonight's game, he'd played in just 9 games, posting three assists. Even when he was on waivers in early October, I remember reading numerous teams' fans having debates on claiming him, even clubs with established depth up front. You see, almost six years after being drafted and despite a mediocre career in the AHL since he turned pro in 2006, Schremp's draft hype still lingered.
So, why bring any of this up at all?
Because it just goes to show you that sometimes, all of the buzz and excitement of an NHL team's draft class can wind up being meaningless. If you jump into the wayback machine and travel to June and July 2004, you'd be hard-pressed to find many,whether they were professional media or hockey fans posting on the net, who were critical of what Edmonton had done in Raleigh. They had two first-rounders, and both of them seemed destined for major success. However, given that five-year window that many NHL scouts use to judge the success or failure of their drafts, the Oilers' efforts from that year have fallen woefully short.
On the other hand, a team like Boston, who didn't even have a first-round pick, got very little press and attention outside of their regional coverage. In retrospect, the Bruins crushed Edmonton in that draft: they landed David Krejci late in the 2nd round, used Martins Karsums as a package to land Mark Recchi and what looks like an early 2nd-rounder in this year's draft, and then signed fifth overall pick Blake Wheeler as a free agent (even though that has nothing to do with what Boston did in '04, it speaks to their scouts, who kept tabs on him and advised Peter Chiarelli to make the pitch to sign him in '08). In the later rounds, they selected Kris Versteeg ('09 Calder Trophy finalist for Chicago) and defenseman Matt Hunwick. They even used another late-rounder, Ben Walter, to acquire that draft's 16th overall selection, Petteri Nokelainen, from the Islanders. Although Nokelainen couldn't keep his job in Boston (and was flipped to Anaheim for Steve Montador last spring), it was another example of the Bruins managing to get some That's what you call getting bang for your buck when you consider what Edmonton did with their top-two selections, both in the top-25.
So, one team with two picks in the top-25 and three in the top-45 (Roman Tesliuk), comes away with bupkus, while the other, with no picks until after 60 land their second/third line center, an impact 5/6 defender with some upside, and, had the GM been a little more patient, a solid 2nd/3rd line winger in Versteeg had he not been dealt to the Blackhawks.
In this day and age of a salary cap, drafting and developing players is everything. Missing in an entire year will come back to haunt you, as evidenced by their non-playoff finish last year and their current 17th-standing in the 30-team NHL.
Maybe Schremp gets it together and becomes a late-blooming NHL star, but to me, he's a cautionary tale of anointing these kids before they've ever skated a single shift at the highest level. As good as your team's draft looks the day after because perhaps they landed some "sexy" names or plucked the "can't miss" kid who inexplicably fell into your club's lap much later than expected, remember Rob Schremp and the '04 Edmonton Oilers. Completely missing in that draft has contributed to some of that team's recent struggles and underscores the importance of hitting with your draft picks, no matter how many or how few a club has.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
So Easy A Caveman Can Do It
Mark Stuart's point blast has put Boston up 1-0 over Toronto in the 1st period.
He teed up a perfect cross-ice pass along the blue line from Johnny Boychuk for his 2nd goal of the season and first point in 23 games.
Never known for his offense, he's a solid defensive presence who plays with toughness and courage. In fact, I was talking to Providence Bruins head coach Rob Murray the other day, and he compared current P-Bruin Adam McQuaid to Stuart. If McQuaid ends up being a player similar to Stuart for Boston, then the B's will have done well.
Tonight's goal is extra special for Captain Caveman, as he was presented with that flag from the group of Army NCOs before the puck drop. There's always something to be said for a little extra motivation, and you know that Stuey was thrilled to see the puck go past Vesa Toskala like that.
Tuukka Rask in net again for Boston, and I'll post more after the game.
UPDATE: Stuart just dropped the gloves with Jamal Mayers in a rematch from their fight on Saturday, but Mayers lost his footing and the B's defender let up after pulling the sweater over his head. Two minutes each for roughing early in the second.
Derek Morris with a power play bomb for his 3rd on the year, 2-0, Bruins.
UPDATE: Scratch that on the first dust-up. The two come out of the box and a fight ensues. Pretty even with both exchanging rights and Stuart with the takedown at the end. Five for fighting. Classy move not to pummel Mayers when he initially lost his balance but help him up so they could throw 'em. Stuart is indeed...Caveman Strong!
UPDATE: Final score: B's 5, Leafs 2...thanks to a pair of late goals by Mark Recchi to put it out of reach. I'll have more on the game tomorrow, but you have to wonder if Stuart will be having the roast duck with mango salsa tonight...
He teed up a perfect cross-ice pass along the blue line from Johnny Boychuk for his 2nd goal of the season and first point in 23 games.
Never known for his offense, he's a solid defensive presence who plays with toughness and courage. In fact, I was talking to Providence Bruins head coach Rob Murray the other day, and he compared current P-Bruin Adam McQuaid to Stuart. If McQuaid ends up being a player similar to Stuart for Boston, then the B's will have done well.
Tonight's goal is extra special for Captain Caveman, as he was presented with that flag from the group of Army NCOs before the puck drop. There's always something to be said for a little extra motivation, and you know that Stuey was thrilled to see the puck go past Vesa Toskala like that.
Tuukka Rask in net again for Boston, and I'll post more after the game.
UPDATE: Stuart just dropped the gloves with Jamal Mayers in a rematch from their fight on Saturday, but Mayers lost his footing and the B's defender let up after pulling the sweater over his head. Two minutes each for roughing early in the second.
Derek Morris with a power play bomb for his 3rd on the year, 2-0, Bruins.
UPDATE: Scratch that on the first dust-up. The two come out of the box and a fight ensues. Pretty even with both exchanging rights and Stuart with the takedown at the end. Five for fighting. Classy move not to pummel Mayers when he initially lost his balance but help him up so they could throw 'em. Stuart is indeed...Caveman Strong!
UPDATE: Final score: B's 5, Leafs 2...thanks to a pair of late goals by Mark Recchi to put it out of reach. I'll have more on the game tomorrow, but you have to wonder if Stuart will be having the roast duck with mango salsa tonight...
Tough Night for Tank Hopes
The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to have a pulse.
After their thrashing at the hands of the Bruins last Saturday, the Leafs returned home, where they posted back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Thrashers Monday and New York Islanders last night.
Although Phil Kessel's hot scoring hand has cooled, but others have stepped up, like Kessel's linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky, who tallied his 10th and 11th goals against Atlanta. Last night, Jason Blake did his old team in with the clinching score in the last five minutes after the Isles scored twice in the third to pull even.
Most encouraging for Leafs fans of late has been the play of goaltender Vesa Toskala, who has posted .917 and .938 save percentages in his last two starts while going 2-0. The Leafs are now 10-13-7.
The Buffalo Sabres blanked offensive juggernaut Washington last night, to re-take the Northeast Division lead, so that was a double whammy for the B's faithful.
On the brighter side, Tampa Bay lost to the Edmonton Oilers (meaning that second-round pick looks better for Boston; it would be 37th overall if the season ended today), while St. Louis, Minnesota all won to keep the Leafs in the rearview mirror a bit.
Tonight, the Leafs are back in Boston. A win could leapfrog them over both Florida and Anaheim, who are just one point ahead in the standings, and tie them with Philadelphia and the Isles with 29 points. So, huge game in the standings for the B's tonight.
Oh, and there will be a nice pre-game ceremony tonight. A group of Army Soldiers will present a Bruins flag to defenseman Mark Stuart, who recently purchased a sizeable amount of tickets for servicemen and women and their families at military appreciation night. The flag was taken on missions with a unit from the 25th Infantry Division while operating in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This is the kind of thing that you don't see enough of, and it's nice for the troops to recognize Stuey as an embodiment of the kind of values they admire most in a hockey player, and take the time to appreciate his efforts on behalf of those who serve.
After their thrashing at the hands of the Bruins last Saturday, the Leafs returned home, where they posted back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Thrashers Monday and New York Islanders last night.
Although Phil Kessel's hot scoring hand has cooled, but others have stepped up, like Kessel's linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky, who tallied his 10th and 11th goals against Atlanta. Last night, Jason Blake did his old team in with the clinching score in the last five minutes after the Isles scored twice in the third to pull even.
Most encouraging for Leafs fans of late has been the play of goaltender Vesa Toskala, who has posted .917 and .938 save percentages in his last two starts while going 2-0. The Leafs are now 10-13-7.
The Buffalo Sabres blanked offensive juggernaut Washington last night, to re-take the Northeast Division lead, so that was a double whammy for the B's faithful.
On the brighter side, Tampa Bay lost to the Edmonton Oilers (meaning that second-round pick looks better for Boston; it would be 37th overall if the season ended today), while St. Louis, Minnesota all won to keep the Leafs in the rearview mirror a bit.
Tonight, the Leafs are back in Boston. A win could leapfrog them over both Florida and Anaheim, who are just one point ahead in the standings, and tie them with Philadelphia and the Isles with 29 points. So, huge game in the standings for the B's tonight.
Oh, and there will be a nice pre-game ceremony tonight. A group of Army Soldiers will present a Bruins flag to defenseman Mark Stuart, who recently purchased a sizeable amount of tickets for servicemen and women and their families at military appreciation night. The flag was taken on missions with a unit from the 25th Infantry Division while operating in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This is the kind of thing that you don't see enough of, and it's nice for the troops to recognize Stuey as an embodiment of the kind of values they admire most in a hockey player, and take the time to appreciate his efforts on behalf of those who serve.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Bruins Sweaters of the Past #5: Raymond Bourque
RAYMOND BOURQUE (#7, 77)
Defense
BORN: December 28, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec
BOSTON BRUINS 1979-80-1999-00
Games Played: 1518 Goals: 395 Assists: 1111 Points: 1506 PIM: 1089
This sweater was worn by the incomparable Raymond Bourque during the 1989-90 season when the Boston Bruins went to the Stanley Cup final series, losing to Edmonton 4 games to 1 after the B's won the President's Trophy as having the best regular season record.
Bourque was Boston's first pick, eighth overall in the greatest draft of all time: 1979. It was the first of two selections in the top-21, the second of which was another defender, Brad McCrimmon. The B's owned the early pick thanks to a trade in which they sent goalie Ron Grahame to Los Angeles for the King's first-rounder.
The rest as they say, is history. Bourque won the Calder Trophy in 1979-80 as the NHL's top rookie and spent the next 21 seasons in Boston, winning five Norris Trophies along the way, with numerous NHL All-Star accolades and becoming the team's all-time leader in games, assists and points. He also leads the team in the following playoff career categories: games, assists and points.
He retired after 22 seasons in the league, and after helping the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2001. Many Bruins fans were left wondering what might have been had he been able to do so in Boston.
This sweater has obvious game use, including stick tape marks (including one nice streak on the upper portion of the crest's 'B'), several unrepaired holes, and one small repair. There is a gold Custom Crafted stamp on the rear hem, consistent with what the North Attleboro company did to the sweaters in that 89-90 set (the previous season had highly visible black Custom Crafted stamps on them.). The 1990 Stanley Cup Finals Patch is sewn onto the right upper front, the second year that the NHL went to patches for the two teams reaching the championship series. Bourque's captain's 'C' made permanent for him in 1988 until his trade to Colorado 12 years later, is sewn onto the left breast.
This sweater is no longer in my collection, but it lives on through the photos I took of it and the memories it evoked from almost 20 years ago. It's hard to believe it has been so long since the Bruins were able to reach the final round of the playoffs.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Boston Bruins 1st, 2nd Round Draft Picks Updated Dec 7th
It's Monday, so I'm back with the updated draft slots for Boston's first five picks in next June's draft.
It's also Pearl Harbor Day- 68 years ago, Japanese naval aircraft attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at anchor in Hawaii. I always take time to remember those who lost their lives that day, and in the war's ensuing years.
In the world of hockey, the Anaheim Ducks lost to Ottawa last night via shootout, so they gained an extra point on Toronto, giving them 26. The Maple Leafs face the Atlanta Thrashers tonight at home and a win pulls them within one point of Anaheim for 28th in the NHL.
OK, here are the picks (if the season ended today, lottery issues aside)
1st Round
2nd overall- Toronto (8-13-7; 23 points)
22nd overall- Boston (15-9-5; 35 points)
2nd Round
32nd overall- Toronto
42nd overall- Tampa Bay (11-9-8; 30 points)
52nd overall- Boston
The Bruins don't play until Thursday, when they host Toronto again, while the Leafs play the Thrashers tonight, then face the New York Islanders at home again Wednesday as a tune-up before their rematch with Boston, where the B's await and their fans can't wait to heckle Phil Kessel again.
It's also Pearl Harbor Day- 68 years ago, Japanese naval aircraft attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at anchor in Hawaii. I always take time to remember those who lost their lives that day, and in the war's ensuing years.
In the world of hockey, the Anaheim Ducks lost to Ottawa last night via shootout, so they gained an extra point on Toronto, giving them 26. The Maple Leafs face the Atlanta Thrashers tonight at home and a win pulls them within one point of Anaheim for 28th in the NHL.
OK, here are the picks (if the season ended today, lottery issues aside)
1st Round
2nd overall- Toronto (8-13-7; 23 points)
22nd overall- Boston (15-9-5; 35 points)
2nd Round
32nd overall- Toronto
42nd overall- Tampa Bay (11-9-8; 30 points)
52nd overall- Boston
The Bruins don't play until Thursday, when they host Toronto again, while the Leafs play the Thrashers tonight, then face the New York Islanders at home again Wednesday as a tune-up before their rematch with Boston, where the B's await and their fans can't wait to heckle Phil Kessel again.
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