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Post by rocky on Dec 10, 2002 10:25:09 GMT -5
NO PLAYER POS HT WT 12 Rolston, Brian C 6-2 205 42 Stock, P.J. C 5-10 192 16 Stumpel, Jozef C 6-3 225 19 Thornton, Joe C 6-4 215 NO PLAYER POS HT WT 34 Berard, Bryan D 6-1 203 44 Boynton, Nick D 6-2 202 25 Gill, Hal D 6-7 235 46 Girard, Jonathan D 5-11 192 21 O'Donnell, Sean D 6-3 230 32 Sweeney, Don D 5-10 186 NO PLAYER POS HT WT 47 Grahame, John G 6-2 214 31 Shields, Steve G 6-3 215 NO PLAYER POS HT WT 11 Axelsson, P.J. LW 6-1 174 23 Brown, Sean LW 6-3 205 36 Huml, Ivan LW 6-2 195 14 Samsonov, Sergei LW 5-8 180 17 Zamuner, Rob LW 6-3 203 NO PLAYER POS HT WT 22 Grosek, Michal RW 6-2 207 26 Knuble, Mike RW 6-3 222 20 Lapointe, Martin RW 5-10 205 10 McInnis, Marty RW 5-11 187 27 Murray, Glen RW 6-3 225
Ok there are a few stars on this roster Thornton, Murray, Samsonov,Rolston but Thornton is by far the best. The rest of the line-up looks very average to me. Is it coaching, are they over-achieving? This is the #1 team in the NHL right now, I'll give em full marks, but how are they doing it?
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 10, 2002 10:53:36 GMT -5
I have been asking myself the same question for weeks
Their goaltending has been excellent(who woulda thunk it?)
The defence is much better than last year and they have a PP QB now with Berard
Up front, the forwards are big and they are work very hard
and of course Thornton is just a stud...
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Post by darz on Dec 10, 2002 11:16:04 GMT -5
the bruins are getting excellent goaltending, the d has improved, and the forward may not have as many stars as other teams, but they have some great role, and depth players. robbie must be pushing the right buttons right now. i wonder what boston's record would be with MT coaching the team ;D
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 10, 2002 11:38:02 GMT -5
He would probably put Big Joe in the press box after a bad game or two......
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Post by BillPickles on Dec 10, 2002 13:39:15 GMT -5
their regular season will be meaningless when they get knocked off in the first round again. ;D
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Post by habwest on Dec 10, 2002 17:05:24 GMT -5
Strength down the middle, both literally and figuratively. Any team to be good has to have talented centers. And these days sheer size counts as well. The bruins have both.
Plus the goaltending.
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Post by UberCranky on Dec 10, 2002 19:06:33 GMT -5
How they are doing it? Because they are playing as a TEAM.
There is not Audettes and Cz's whining and crying from the press box. There is no controverise sourrounding their plays. They come to play for sixty minutes.
Ftorek also has them doing all the little things right. Their backchecking is a lot better then what we saw at last years playoffs.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 10, 2002 19:07:23 GMT -5
Apparently when they are on the road the whole team goes to eat at the restaurant together That is one united bunch
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Post by habwest on Dec 10, 2002 21:38:38 GMT -5
I don't disagree that team unity is important. Quick, group hug ( sorry, couldn't resist ). But no matter how much unity you have you need the talent and the size. Rocky's list outlined the size advantage. And when it comes to talent, the habs have nobody within hollerin' range of Thornton, not to mention Murray who countinues to rack up the points this year. Take Thornton out of that team and see how long they continue to dominate. They'd still be a good team but a lot closer to the pack. Unity is easy when you're winning. And one of the big reasons they're good is the goaltending: Grahame- 13 games, 1.92 GAA, .930 save% Shields- 13 games, 2.34, .914 Thomas- 2 games, 2.50, .928 Ref the Habs: Hack- 12 games, 2.37, .932 Theo- 16 games, 3.83, .881 !!! (think of where the Habs would be if Hack had played another 6-8 games) Add in Boynton and Berard who can move the puck, to cover up for the slug footed amongst the other blue liners, and good coaching and voila! What you see is a good team with a fair amount of talent, one great dominant player to lead them, excellent goaltending and a repaired defence responding with discipline to good coaching. I really don't understand why anybody should be that surprised. (I wasn't one of those predicting the demise of the Bruins although I certainly didn't expect them to be this dominant, just good, so I get to be smug for a second ;D) In this league, you get one dominant player and some talent to fill in around him, some significant size throughout the lineup, good goaltending and a good coach who the players listen to and you've got a chance to have a pretty good team. The Bruins had all of that, barring the question mark in goal, to begin the year. That's where I think the surprise should be, with the goaltending. As far as the Habs go for once I agree with Fischer "Show me the players !!" And the coaching.
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Post by Thanatos on Dec 10, 2002 22:32:12 GMT -5
As decent as Boston's been playing, does anyone truly believe that they have a team that should rack up 120+ points this season? Personally, put me down for the B's over-achieving.
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Post by seventeen on Dec 10, 2002 22:46:00 GMT -5
Well, I picked them to miss the playoffs, and while that might be difficult to achieve, I still think they're playing way over their heads. Thornton is elite, and that's about it. Some players in the level of above average (Samsonov, Murray every 2nd year, Rolston). The big difference is goaltending. It's been very good, but will it keep up. None of their goalies have ever proved anything and if you offered them up for nothing to every team in the league, but to be their #1, I doubt you'd have any takers. Berard, I haven't seen, but when you can't make the Rangers defense, look out. As far as coaching goes, Ftorek had success in the minors, but I can't figure out why he's been tossed off so many teams, including when he had a winning record. Rubs someone the wrong way? Anyway, I don't think he's long term for the Bruins, but then again, knowing how weird that team is, maybe he'll be there forever.
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Post by saku on Dec 10, 2002 23:28:29 GMT -5
their regular season will be meaningless when they get knocked off in the first round again. ;D What if we don't make the playoffs?
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Post by Ged on Dec 11, 2002 0:26:31 GMT -5
No need to worry about the Booins. There problem is an ownership that isn't willing to belly up to the bar. And as long as they have that, they have nothing but #4's memories.
They actually had a decent goalie in last year's playoffs, and they got beat beat by a suspect team with hot goaltending. The Booins are going nowhere, mark my words. What really rubs my rhubarb is the absurd performance they put on in '98? when they played to get Thornton. Yes, I'll say it, it looked like they threw the season just to get their hands on him. He deserves better than a piss-ant franchise that will never win anything. If I was a Booin fan I'd be disgusted, but as it stands I'll have to be a disgusted Habs fan.
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Post by habwest on Dec 11, 2002 0:46:01 GMT -5
Thornton just signed a one year contract extension for pretty big $ and the club threw in some more money for this year while they were at it. Maybe they've just figured out who's really expendable and who isn't.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 11, 2002 8:39:56 GMT -5
Yeah in 1997 they tanked it to get Thornton.
I think they had made the playoffs for 30 years before that...and *poof* last place all of a sudden...hmmm...
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Post by Ged on Dec 11, 2002 9:33:30 GMT -5
Thornton just signed a one year contract extension for pretty big $ and the club threw in some more money for this year while they were at it. Maybe they've just figured out who's really expendable and who isn't. O'Connie had no choice. He's got the best player in the league, and yet he's paying a role player 5 mil plus. I have no idea why Savard offered Lapointe that much. He'd never be worth that much on a month of Sunday's. But then again, Brisebois isn't worth as much as he's getting in a year of Sunday's.
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Post by JFM on Dec 11, 2002 22:06:08 GMT -5
Just a side note on the Bruins or any other team tanking to finish last. With the lottery system in place, it would be pretty risky to tank. In fact, if I remember correctly the last place team hasn't won the lottery in 3-4 years.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 11, 2002 22:19:38 GMT -5
But if you finish 30th you get a top 2 pick...
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