Well it was an interesting weekend in Prague to say the least. I am sure glad that will be the last of the games that are on at 11AM. For a team that is thought by many to be a serious contender this season, the Bruins didn't waste any time reminding fans of how awful they can play as they did in the second half of the Philadelphia series. On Saturday, after being outplayed and out hustled for 2 periods the Bruins turned it on in the 3rd period of the 5-2 loss and carried that momentum into Sunday's 3-0 shutout. They looked like 2 completely different teams, and for the sake of all of the Bruins faithful, lets hope that second team shows up more often than not.
Here is a recap of some of the events that happened in Prague over the last week.
B's Extend Bergeron and Chara: After having a successful off-season this summer, Chiarelli and Co. didn't waste anytime getting to work on next year's agenda by locking up the two biggest upcoming Free Agents on the roster. These signings show me two things. First, by signing both these players the Bruins will continue to be a defense first club. Chara shows no signs of slowing down, so I don't mind the extension for 7 years, but would have been ok seeing 2 or so less years. The Bergeron signing was a good deal for the Bruins as well. He may not command that much on the open market, but for a team that values multi-faceted forwards, especially centers, the Bruins couldn't afford to let Patrice test the open market. Secondly, and most importantly, these signings along with other recent extensions mean that the core Bruins players are going to be locked up for at least the next 3 seasons for what hopes to be multiple cup runs. Savard, Lucic, Bergeron, Chara, Seidenberg, Seguin and Horton are all going to be wearing the black and gold for those 3 years. Krejci and Rask will most likely continue to be in Boston, but the rest of the supporting cast can be overhauled by bringing in new talent or promoting from within. This off season Ryder, Sturm, Recchi and even Wheeler (restricted) will all be Free Agents providing Chiarelli with ample amount of room to make key acquisitions on the wing.
McGrattan Inks 1 year Deal: He isn't going to change the face of the organization, but he is certainly worth the price of admission. I am not going to try to hide the fact that I enjoy fighting in hockey. It is probably the only sport that allows the players to police themselves to some extent and that has always appealed to me. McGrattan is one of the best heavyweights around so I was definitely intrigued when he was brought into camp this year. I only expect him to be around once in awhile, but since he is on a 2-way contract I will certainly be sure to check out his work in Providence this year. To me, this move has Cam Neely written all over it.
Return on Investments: The much anticipated debuts of both Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin did not disappoint. Horton went off this weekend scoring 3 goals and 1 assist. He looks at home with Krejci and Lucic as that combination accounted for 4 out of the 5 goals this weekend. The other goal was of course the work and speed of Tyler Seguin as he was able to bury a breakaway goal. Surely that first goal has lifted a lot of pressure and will go along way to boost Seguin's confidence. They both have done what they were brought here to do, and seeing that this early in the season is a great sign of things to come.
Thomas/Rask- I wouldn't look too far into the move to start Thomas over Rask on Sunday. Yes, Rask gave up 4 goals but he also had to face a ton of shots including a few breakaways. The score could have been much worse if he wasn't up to the task. I think the switch to Thomas for game 2 was more of a move to get both goalies on track and in the lineup early in the season. It was a very reassuring sight to have Thomas return to his old form.
Early Season Test: For me, one of the keys to the Bruins season this year is how quickly they start and can find their game. Last season saw the B's stumble out of the gate at home and never seemed to get things going. This season, however, the B's spent/will spend some time on the road to get things started, which can go a long way to develop the chemistry needed. In facing Phoenix (2x), New Jersey and Washington(2x) to start the season, the Bruins are going to be tested early against playoff opponents. How they fare during this tough stretch could help define this year's team and set the tone and pace going forward.
Bruins Powerplay- Going a combined 1-8 on the man advantage over the weekend is not going to cut it this year. Simply put, the Bruins need to score on the power play. While Savard should be able to help ease the pain, it still is unknown how long he will be out for. The B's need to quickly fix this or else we are in for a repeat of last year.
Providence Recap: I was at the game on Friday and it was a great crowd on hand, over 10,400 which was 3rd in attendance in the AHL for opening night. But that is where the good news ends. P Bruins looked solid in the first period as they controlled most of the action but then gave up 4 goals in the second period (3 within 5 minutes). Really, no one looked good during this game especially the power play as they gave up 2 shorthanded goals. Providence has a lot of youth on the team, and it definitely showed on Friday losing 5-1. However, youth was forgotten the next night as Max Sauve led the team to a 6-5 win over Springfield as he recorded a hat trick. Sauve was impressive with his speed both within camp and during the game Friday. Hopefully he can continue that momentum forward. 3 games this weekend...Worcester Sharks come to the Dunk on Sunday.
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