In terms of personality among NHL head coaches, Bruins Claude Julien skates a reserved line. After last nights 4-3 regulation loss to touted rivals the Montreal Canadiens, Julien was a bit more fired up than usual during his post game press conference. All teams find themselves on the receiving end of a bad call, sadly it’s part of the game; some teams tend to ’embellish’ more than others. When Boston and Montreal hit the ice, it always seems as though Boston gets the short end of the stick.
While Twitter was a flurry claiming Julien had a “meltdown” and his remarks were unwarranted, others were quick to side with his post game comments. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, we’ll let you decide. Full video can be seen via the official Boston Bruins site.
Julien was clearly and understandably frustrated by the lack of a penalty from a blatant cross check to forward Tyler Seguin late in the second period.
“Oh, it looks like nobody saw it,” exclaimed Julien.
Captain Zdeno Chara quickly came to the defense of his teammate and received a fighting major for his actions. The Bruins certainly suffered during the third period as a result and perhaps had the call been made the game could have had a different result.
The remark that had most people either strongly agreeing or disagreeing with the Bruins’ coach;
“It’s frustrating because, you know, tonight as everybody saw there was a lot of embellishment. And this is embarrassing for our game – the embellishing – and right now they’ve got over 100 power plays so far and it’s pretty obvious why,” said Julien. “And we’re trying to clean that out of our game, and it’s got to be done soon because it’s not about tonight it’s about the game, and the embellishment embarrasses our game. And we need to be better at that.”
In games past, Montreal has been quick to play the ’embellishment’ game when it comes to facing the Bruins. Some players more so than others have a certain notoriety for drawing penalties from non-existent situations.
“It’s pretty obvious, you know, when PK [Subban] gets hit and he throws himself into the glass and holds his head,” said Julien. “You know what if we start calling those penalties for embellishment maybe teams will stop doing it. But until we take charge of that it’s going to be an issue.”
While the comments were strong in nature, it certainly wasn’t a “meltdown” of any sorts. It was a coach defending his team, voicing his frustrations and calling the shots the way he saw them. Roles reversed, the Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien may have had similar if not the same sentiments. Fans will need to wait until March 27th to see what kind of game unfolds for this rivalry match up.
In hockey there is something special when two original six teams hit the ice, especially when its two teams that have exemplified the term rivalry in every sense of the word. Perhaps one of the largest rivalries in hockey history would be that of the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens.
The energy at the TD Garden on any given game night is among the best in the league. When the Montreal Canadiens hit the ice in Boston the fan participation is magnified and the players transition that added energy to the ice. With both teams battling for the top spot in the east, it’s no surprise that fans were given the show they were looking for. But before the puck dropped, it didn’t matter what team you cheered for, players and fans were united as Sandy Hook Elementary teacher Natalie Hammond was honored for her efforts during last years tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. All proceeds from the Bruins charitable game night endeavors were donated to the Newtown Youth Academy and it’s programs. With the ceremonial puck drop out of the way, it was time for old time hockey to hit the ice.
Michael Ryder was an instrumental player for the Bruins during their 2011 cup run and reaped the rewards when he hoisted the Stanley Cup with his teammates that season. Ryder signed with Dallas the following year and most recently found himself traded to the Montreal Canadiens just last week. Familiar with the Bruins system, Ryder was on the ice to assist alongside P.K. Subban during the power play goal and first of the game for Montreal from Tomas Plekanec at 9:57.
It was a quick time on top for the Canadiens, as Tyler Seguin put the puck in the net for Boston at 10:47 for his 5th of the season from Bergeron and Marchand. Seguin who struggled to produce during the start of the season is finally finding his stride; scoring a similar goal on Saturday during Boston’s win over Tampa Bay. Nine seconds later, David Desharnais fired one past Tuukka Rask putting the Canadiens on top 2-1.
In a reoccurring turn of events Boston began the second period behind a goal and looked to capitalize and even the score quickly. While it didn’t happen as fast as they had hoped Boston’s first line made a continued drive to the net and Patrice Bergeron evened the score at 4:06; assisting on the goal, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand giving all three players a multi point night. Marchand-Seguin-Bergeron have been a consistent line as of late, finally finding the chemistry that eluded them at seasons start.
A new player to the roster this season, Bruins Dougie Hamilton has been exemplary since hitting the ice opening night.
“If I need to sit out to be a better player, I’ll sit out,” said Hamilton. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to be here and yo be a better player.”
The young defencemen net his 2nd goal of the season and his NHL career at 9:20. In addition, Marchand and Bergeron continued on their point train tallying assists and putting both players at 3 points after roughly 30 minutes of hockey. Despite a 3-2 lead on Montreal, the Bruins found themselves in a precarious spot with McQuaid and Ference in the sin bin,giving Montreal a 5-on-3, although Boston effectively killed off both penalties.
With five minutes remaining in the period, play skated into a familiar territory and the gloves began to fly as Bruins Milan Lucic and Canadiens Brandon Prust found themselves fist to fist in the first fight of the night and setting the tone for the remaining minutes of the period. In a duel of the fists Bruins captain Chara and Canadiens Alexei Emelin dropped the gloves in retribution for a particularly nasty uncalled cross check to the ribs on Bruins forward Tyler Seguin. Seguin skated off ice and didn’t return to finish the remaining minutes of the period.
A trucker is driving down the road in Boston and spots two guys wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys walking on the side of the road. He swerves at the last second intentionally and hits them both. One goes flying into someone’s front yard and the other comes flying in through his windshield and lands in the passenger seat. A cop witnesses what happens and pulls him over.
“You hit those two guys”
“Yeah I know, I guess you’ll need to make an arrest right?”
“You bet, I’ll charge one for trespassing and one for breaking and entering!”
The New York Rangers (9-8-2, 20 points) host the Buffalo Sabres (9-12-1, 19 points) tonight at Madison Square Garden, the first of three meetings between the two teams this season. The Sabres are coming off a shootout win against the New Jersey Devils yesterday, while the Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning back on Feb 28. The latter win broke a four-game losing streak for the Blueshirts.
Coming off a few different injuries, the Rangers were down key players last week including Rick Nash and Ryan McDonough. Now all the Rangers are healthy, minus forward Aaron Asham who has missed the last four games due to back spasms. And, it’s no surprise that “The King” Henrik Lundqvist will start in goal. (P.S. wish the tender a happy birthday, he turned 31 yesterday!)
Now, the hope is that these guys can stay healthy and get in some big W’s. The team won’t have two consecutive days off again until the end of March. McDonough told the Daily News‘ Pat Leonard that the Blueshirts will have to work on staying healthy. He said, “We’re all pros, and we know what it takes as far as what our body needs and wants.”
Sharks fans slept easier last night after the team was able to pull out a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators without overtime, without a shootout. It was a clean 2 points at the end of a 3 game home stand that saw them win in a shootout against Colorado then fall to Detroit on Damien Brunner’s slick shot past Niemi during another shootout.
The team looked sharper out the gate, as Coach Todd McLellan shook up the lines again, this time putting Pavelski, Marleau and Tim Kennedy together, a fast combination who brought in 14 of the 39 shots the Sharks totaled. The team clearly heard the message from the coaching staff – shoot the puck and shoot it some more as the Sharks plowed through Nashville’s defense to get 16 shots on goal in the first period, one of which found it’s way past Rinne during the power play. Pavelski formed the perfect screen in front of the net for Dan Boyle, receiving a pass from Thornton, to rip one through traffic putting the Sharks up 1-0.
The power play once again made a difference for the Sharks in the second period. Pavelski, a playmaker throughout the game, jammed the puck in the corner as he spun around from behind the net, making it 2-0.
Both goals came within the first 30 seconds of the power play, an area the Sharks have struggled this season. Although the power play looked sharper offensively, defensive miscues at the blue line once led to a breakaway by the Preds Erat, which Niemi contained. The second, a bobbling puck that Matt Irwin couldn’t control, led to a shorthanded goal by Gabriel Bourque giving the Predators hope late in the third period.
The waning minutes of the third period showed a flurry of activity around both ends, with Marleau cruising for his 400th career goal and the Predators hoping to force overtime with an extra attacker in. As the final seconds ticked down, Logan Couture took two for the team, blocking a shot from Shea Weber with his wrist and then followed up with Roman Josi’s shot off his right foot denying the Predators any chance at tying things up. After the game Couture, reflected on his defensive play. “When you’re dying for a win, really whatever it takes. I’m happy to block shots just as long as we win.”
When you think March, most people will think NCAA Basketball March Madness. In Upstate New York, however, March can mean rivalry Division III Hockey. The State University of New York Athletic Conference, SUNYAC, will hold their championship game this Saturday on the campus of Oswego. Whoever comes out the winner of this game will then automatically get a chance to go to Lake Placid and play in the NCAA Division III Tournament, which takes place this year on March 15 and 16. For the 5th time in 6 years, Oswego will play Plattsburgh in hopes of finding another SUNYAC title and getting redemption at the NCAA Tournament.
Since the 1960’s, Oswego and Plattsburgh have grown to be huge rivals and every year the two teams battle it out in points, finding the perfect players, winning their games, and making it to the SUNYAC Final. Back in 1980 Herb Hammond, who had been the coach at Oswego for the previous 12 seasons, became the coach at Plattsburgh. The two schools already had a small rivalry brewing and since the school didn’t want to hate Hammond, since he was such a good coach at Oswego, they decided to hate the school he was now coaching for. While he only lasted two years at Plattsburgh, the rivalry would grow to become bigger than anyone had anticipated. In 1990, Plattsburgh decided that they wanted to take the game against Oswego to a whole new level and after their first goal, they threw tennis balls onto the ice. They were bright yellow, signifying the color of the road jersey of Oswego. The coach of the Oswego team, Don Unger, happened to also be the coach of the Tennis team. In retaliation, the next game played at the Oswego rink would see bagels being thrown onto the ice after Oswego would score their first goal, signifying that Plattsburgh would have zero goals. This tradition would go on until 2007 when Oswego moved into a new rink on campus and instead of the hassle of bagels being thrown, they started a new tradition of a “white-out game.” Plattsburgh would follow suite the next season and stopped throwing tennis balls onto the ice during their games. This tradition would prove to be a problem on several occasions, since if a tennis ball or bagel was thrown after the team’s first goal, the team would be penalized. Each team would get in trouble, on more than one occasion, and the penalties would eventually cost them the game.
When you show up to watch an NHL game, you expect to see players that came from one of the three major junior leagues in Canada (OHL, QMJHL, or WHL) and you probably would expect to see former college players as well. Those are the typical paths for the North American hockey players; in the AHL, you usually expect to see players with similar backgrounds. Things are different outside of North America though, with European and Russian elite leagues. Sometimes, Russian and European players decide to come to North America to follow their hockey dreams. Rookie forward Daniil Tarasov did just that and is currently playing for the Worcester Sharks, the AHL affiliate of San Jose. The unusual part, he played in the IJHL.
Most of you had probably never heard of the International Junior Hockey League and won’t hear of it going forward. The IJHL was a tier III junior A hockey league in New England and the mid-Atlantic. Tarasov’s team was located on Cape Cod and he only played in 10 games, registering 6 goals and 6 assists. After that, he signed with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL and only dressed in 2 games for the rest of that season. Despite being in a relatively unknown league in a foreign country, the Moscow, Russia native has fond memories of his time early on in the US.
“For the first three or four months, it was really hard. But the guy that I lived was a really nice guy. He helped me a lot and would always point out when I said something wrong and how to say it right,” Tarasov said. “That was probably the biggest thing. Everyone was so nice to me, like the coaches too. It made it easier.”
Although Tarasov went scoreless in his two games with Waterloo, he started the 2010-2011 season with the Indiana Ice in the USHL and really took off. During his first season, he led the team in goals and was second in points. The next season he impressed even further, registering 47 goals and 41 assists in just 60 games. Right behind him in all scoring categories was Sean Kuraly. Kuraly was a member of the 2013 gold medal World Junior Championship US team. He is also a draft pick of the San Jose Sharks. So, it might not be surprising that the Worcester Sharks noticed Tarasov and signed him to his first pro contract, an AHL contract during the summer of 2012. Tarasov had been considering going back to Russia to play, but was excited for the opportunity.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s what I had been working so hard for,” Tarasov said of signing the contact. “The opportunity with the Sharks now is great and it seems like Coach trusts me so I’m just proving myself.”
At the beginning of the 2012-2013 season, it was apparent that Tarasov was struggling to adjust to the style of play in the AHL. He did not get to dress for the first nine games of the season, finally getting into the tenth game. Despite having had a lot of success in the USHL, Tarasov looked very unsure of himself. That lack of confidence resulted in him not getting to play in the next five games either. Then, towards the end of November, the Worcester Sharks sent Tarasov down to the ECHL to play for the San Francisco Bulls. It was a chance for him to improve and that’s exactly how he saw it.
“I just got my confidence back because I didn’t play in Worcester much in the beginning of the year and I didn’t really make the line-up,” Tarasov said. “But I got a lot of ice time down there and it helped my mindset. I worked really hard to get back.”
Instead of being depressed about being sent down, Tarasov embraced the opportunity to improve himself. He got back the speed that he had in the USHL. Beyond that, he also added a little bit of a physical edge to his game, even getting in a fight. It was something that had clearly been missing from his game before. Tarasov also notched 3 goals and 11 assists during his 17 games with the San Francisco Bulls. When the NHL announced the lockout was over and camps were opening, Tarasov got his chance to return to the AHL.
“I’ve been keeping my game simple and working hard. I’ve been trying to be good on the defensive side of the puck,” Tarasov said of his success this time around. “I hope my chance will come and when it does come, I have to bury the puck.”
Daniil Tarasov absolutely has not wasted his second chance in the AHL. There have been 18 games since the call-up and has 7 goals and 6 assists to show for it. This time around, Tarasov has really looked like an all-new player. He has become an incredibly valuable member of the Worcester Sharks. Although Tarasov has been held to just one assist in the last three games, his impact is undeniable. At the end of the year, the Sharks will have a decision to make as his contract was only for one year. If they are basing it on his play since his call-up, though, it should be clear that the twenty-one year old has been working hard.
“If you stop working, that’s when you might find yourself somewhere else,” Tarasov said of his teammates and himself. “You always have to work hard, be the first guy on the ice or the last guy off the ice. We’re always working after practice. That’s what helps us do well in games.”
After an overall successful road trip, the Bruins returned to home ice for the first of their 3 in 4 weekend. With match ups against Tampa Bay on Saturday and Montreal on Sunday, the Bruins looked to keep themselves in the win column as they closed out February against the Ottawa Senators.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s been Tuukka time between the pipes for Boston and despite the heavy workload Rask seems to be flourishing, getting the nod again Thursday evening. The Senators took a different approach putting recently recalled Robin Lehner in net. It was the battle of two hot teams, with the Bruins riding a 4 game win streak and Senators having taken their last 5.
The Senators have suffered excessive injury as of late and currently have found success with the call ups from their AHL affiliate based in Binghamton, NY. Defencemen Eric Gryba and previously mentioned Lehner were both AHL All Stars during last months festivities held in Providence, RI.
The first period held a slow start for both teams, with Boston unable to connect in their offensive zone. Senators were the first to hit the power play when Bruins Peverely was called for tripping at 6:54. Shortly thereafter Ottawa’s Dave Dziurzynski found himself in the penalty box for goaltender interference at 10:09. Both teams were unsuccessful on the power play respectively. Chris Bourque left the Bruins shorthanded again at 14:43 for a hooking penalty. Fans were left disappointed as the seconds ticked down and neither team found themselves with an opportunity to be the first on the board with the score remaining 0-0. Lehner was strong in net facing 11 shots, while Rask saw only 5.
Montreal is heading into dangerous frozen waters tonight at the Air Canada Centre with blowout revenge on their minds. Rivals Toronto have taken all three match-ups this season, the last a whopping 6-0. It’s a big game for both teams who are fighting for points in the standings. Added to the Montreal mix is recently acquired Michael Ryder who started his career back in 2003 with the Habs. Ryder is expected to play in tonight’s game. Toronto’s physically dominant presence against their rivals has given them the advantage this season. And there was definitely no love lost in last game’s fisticuffs – Max Pacioretty accused Mikhail Grabovski of nipping him in a scrum. Ben Scrivens will make his eighth straight start in goal for the Leafs with James Reimer returning as his backup. Tonight’s show down promises to be an intense battle as Montreal attempts to ‘bite back’ at the Leafs.
The Buffalo Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lighting met for the first time this season last night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The Sabres were on a 4 game losing streak and have won just 3 games in their last 10, leaving them holding on to 14th place in the standings. Tampa Bay is not looking much better with a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games but are still clinging to a 3rd place spot in the conference standings.
Buffalo has been struggling all season long and even with a coaching change has not been able to battle for a full 60 minutes and win a game. Their last win came on February 15 against Boston and since then, they have been on an extreme downward spiral. Fortunately, they found a little bit of magic in Tampa and were able to come out with a 2-1 victory.
Tampa was looking to snap their bad luck over the last 10 games and thought they would have a for sure win over the struggling Sabres. Only 1:24 into the game, they had Buffalo on their heels with a Steven Stamkos wrist shot, his 14 goal of the year. With no other significant production from their top forwards, that would be Tampa’s only goal of the game and their losing streak has gone to 2 in a row and 7 in the last 10.
In terms of personality among NHL head coaches, Bruins Claude Julien skates a reserved line. After last nights 4-3 regulation loss to touted rivals the Montreal Canadiens, Julien was a bit more fired up than usual during his post game press conference. All teams find themselves on the receiving end of a bad call, sadly it’s part of the game; some teams tend to ’embellish’ more than others. When Boston and Montreal hit the ice, it always seems as though Boston gets the short end of the stick.
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