Ok, wow

Getting stuck at work for a B's/Habs home game is bad enough. Why did I have to miss this one? I was lucky enough to attend the 8-6, 187 PIM, Iron League like battle last month. Last night, through the TV, that building sounded like it was going to fall down. Remember when the NHL series on Sega Genesis used to show you the highest decibel attained for the crowd? I would love to see that statistic or even an average decibel level from last night. It sounded louder than a Slipknot concert. Did it feel great to beat the Habs to a bloody pulp? Wasn't it wonderful to watch the Pea Soup Eaters legs turn to rubber halfway through the third and look like a typical Bruins team as the real B's skated circles around them? Could Jack Edwards ask for a better birthday present? Yes, yes, and no.

BUT.......as I am a typical New England sports fan, here's my real spin on this game. We're in trouble. If the B's/Habs match up does happen in the playoffs, the B's and their fans are screwed again. Those of you in the building last night, I have to think you just watched the Bruins win their Stanley Cup. The mentality of this team (i.e. we made the second round of the playoffs two years in a row!!) is akin to bringing home a C+ to your parents and asking them to hang it on the fridge. They will ride this win for at least two weeks, thinking they have the affection of Boston fans because, hey, we beat Montreal and their stupid 911 abusing fans. Prove me wrong Bruins.

God I hope I'm wrong and this is the spring board they need to get their sh*t together for a playoff run that would cost me a crap ton of money. Here's to hoping that my tax return is spoken for this April/May/June.

B's win

The B's woke up from their slumber and beat the Devils, 4-1.

• Goals by Lootch, Recchi (en), Chara, Thornton. Since Chara knocked out Pacioretty, he has been on a bit of a scoring tear. Okay, I just checked. Maybe not. 2-5-7 +4 totals in the last 7 games.
• Thought we were in for another Devils/B's snoozer, you know, with teams combining for 25 shots the entire game. Not to be had, as the Devils outshot the B's something like 503 to 3 in the 1st period. Most of the Devils shots did not produce rebounds, Thomas just gobbled them up and got faceoffs.
• BUT we finally scored a PP goal, now we're 2 for our last, what, 4,905. Lootch set up Chara with a nice pass. Bergeron also made a bit of a circus pass to Lootch for Lootch's goal, making the pass against his own momentum.
  
• Mahk Recchi, stirring the shitstorm yesterday on Felga & Mazz. (Mazz is not funny, btw. He is the worst of typical nerdboy hangers-on. Never good enough to start for the high school football team (or even make the team), he decided to write about it so he could get in close on the action, get close to the players. sycophant, he is. That's what so weird about sportswriters these days - trying to be as big as the players themselves. It reminds me of Lester Bangs and how he make rock 'n roll journalism better than rock 'n roll itself at times. HE was the rock star, not the clown he was writing about. The difference being that Bangs is good and Mazz, et al. are less than good. Also, ESPN really sucks. Really, who GIVES A SHIT about college ball??? Just that d-bag in your office who still reads Bill Simmons (and not ironically, either) and still talks about his bracket. Look, no one cares about the bracket unless they're in the money and the only reason they're in the money is pure luck. "gee I really thought State University of Basketweaving was gonna beat CU of North Texas". College hoops and College football are hugely retarded. But I did fill out my frozen four bracket with NDAK going all the way.) What was I talking about before going on some convoluted, incomprehensible, baseless rant? oh yeah. Recchin ball alleged that the Habs exaggerated Pacioretty's (sick of typing that name) injury in order to get Chara suspended. Yeah, probably their abilities for diving/embellishment extend right up from the ice to ownership & management.
• I don't think there will be any funny stuff tonight. Maybe 1 or 2 fights or something, but it'll be closely officiated (first four penalties on the B's, easy) with the B's being shorthanded most of the game.
  

B's Lose

The B's are something like 1-100-3 in the past 7 games and it's time to hit the panic button. Remember in 2007, when the Devils sacked Julien with a week left to the regular season, despite a first place standing, because they felt that he didn't have the team ready for the playoffs?

• Horton & Phaneuf simply hate each other. Horton was ready to kill him in the 3rd period tonight. They fought, Phaneuf hid behind his visor, nothing much came of it.
• Seguin with 5 shots tonight, robbed twice by Reima. Seguin had a jump in his step tonight but still doesn't play the body or fight hard enough for pucks.
• Garbage time (19.8 seconds left) goal by Paille (been calling him "Pie-nay" instead of "Pie-yay" at the games since we don't want him out there), time for everyone to pick him up on your fantasy teams.
  
• Quaider did a pylon impression on the Schenn goal, but redeemed himself with a hustle goal a few minutes later. Then the game pretty much went awful from there as Reima stopped everything that was shot at him and the Leafs buried every chance that came their way.

Here's McQuaid on the Schenn goal.

• Tim Thomas is rockin' some serious mustache there.

Marchand Suspended

Brad Marchand got 2 games for hitting R.J. Hamburger to the head. No surprise here - the league's getting goofy about this stuff and here was just wrong place/wrong time for both Marchand/Umbergah. Marchand's 5'-9" in hooker heels and Umberger's 6'-2"...

If you can't get enough of Marchand's hit, here ya go, courtesy of the Youtube Bruins Jesus, Dafoomie.

B's win

B's won in a shootout last night, 3-2. Seguin with the OT goal, Rask with some great saves in the 3rd period and during the shootout.

• As you probably know by now, Habs fans have been protesting outside the Bell Centre. The league has decided not to do much about headshots, etc. really, except keep an eye out for boarding/charging. For those of you who can't get enough, follow Pacioretty's twitter here. He liked the movie "Hall Pass".
  
• Long-awaited display of Peverley's skill last night on his sweet shorthanded goal.
• Ryder finally given a seat. Accountability, etc. seen as the reason, as Ryder has been slacking the past few weeks after heating up for awhile and showing some skillz. Seguin played in his place, didn't do much, but got the game-winner during the shootout. Seguin needs to drink a little of that dunks coffee he pimps during the hi-energy play schtick on NESN.
  
• Last night was the franchise's 2800th win.
• Scottie Updouche continues to kill the B's, scoring a goal last night. Maybe the Habs will figure this out and sign him someday, have him skate on a line with Plekanec.
• The B's got about 5 seconds? or something of PP time last night, whereas CBJ had, like, hundreds of power plays. Curious to see if this is a trend...Islanders game featured 4 penalties on the Isles and 3 on the B's...11 penalties on the B's and 7 on Buffalo...that's, what, +8 on the Bruins since the Chara hit. Might have to watch this to see if there's a trend...
  

Don Cherry HNIC

Nilan Butt-end

Check about 1:30 of the video.