Posts Tagged ‘Atlanta Thrashers’

Now that I have had almost two days to fully absorb the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup, I wanted to express some thoughts…

1. I really want to be a sore winner and bash the Canucks, but I won’t because Brett over at My Hockey Card Obsession and Michael at Collecting For Kicks are solid dudes and if the tables were turned, I think they’d do the same for me.

2. This was a really great Finals and whatever the outcome, I was already anticipating next season’s matchup, which I think will be in Boston; there will certainly be some personal scores to settle and you all know I dig that.

3. I have to eat some crow; I have never been a big Tim Thomas fan. I have gone as far as to say that the Bruins would never win a Cup with him as a goalie because he always seems to let in the big goal at the wrong time. Boy, was I wrong. Not only am I drinking the Tim Thomas kool-aid, I am pouring a big cooler of it over my head. I know Brian over at Just a Bit Offsides and Waxaholic thinks Thomas winning the Conn Smythe is egregious, but he is a Habs fan and therefore, irrational.

4. Speaking of Habs fans and Brian, earlier this year the B’s and Habs got into quite a dust up. Brian blogged about it and I, of course, had to respond. A briefly heated discussion followed between myself and reader Craig, in which he said:

“…I’d like you to show me how being goons on the ice and kicking the shit out of their opponents with their fists is going to lead to a Stanley Cup!”

Well, I believe the Bruins just showed you. All season, the B’s have been playing old time hockey. They have played physical, with an edge, and have, on occasion, gooned it up. In the Finals, one of the keys to their victory was physically punishing the Canucks and intimidating the bejeezus out of them. Maybe not all of the Canucks were timid, but the Lawn Gnomes known as the Sedin twins, were clearly out of their element.

5. I don’t know if I can properly express what this championship means to me. I have been following the Bruins for about 25 years now and have seen them fall twice to the Oilers, choke away series to the Habs and Flyers, come up short in countless others, and seen them take a back seat in Boston to the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots.

As we all know, Boston sport fans have been spoiled over the last decade. They’ve seen three Super Bowl wins, two World Series victories, and a hoops title. The Bruins have often been looked at as the weird cousin, a team with a stingy owner who can’t get the job done. Sports radio barely paid them attention, columnists like Dan Shaughnessy would bash them whenever he was bored, and fans spoiled by the success of the other three sports teams would brush them off. The lockout didn’t help. Jeremy Jacobs didn’t help. Goalies like Jeff Hackett, Steve Shields, and Manny Fernandez didn’t help.

But I still watched. I watched because I loved hockey. I watched because my childhood was spent watching games with my grandfather (who played a game on the old Garden ice) and my father. I watched because of Steve Kasper, Craig Janney, PJ Axelsson, Doug Doull, Adam McQuaid, and all other guys who laced them up for the B’s. I watched because I believed. Even after a disappointing exit from the playoffs. I watched because hockey fans, and I don’t mean the casual ones, are a unique group of fans that stick with teams through the good and bad.

When Chara hoisted that Cup over his head, I felt vindicated for spending countless hours sitting in front of the TV, waving a towel, cursing at the screen, punching my couch, and hootin’ and hollerin’. And if the Bruins take another 39 years to win their next Cup, health willing, I’ll be watching nearly every game until then.

6. And now, a retrospective of B’s rookie cards that I have in my collection from the STANLEY CUP WINNING TEAM!

2002-03 Upper Deck SPx #R7 Shawn Thornton

Most will say that the hit on Horton galvanized the team. I would agree to an extent; Thornton’s insertion back into the lineup helped give the B’s their toughness back and ultimately beat the tar out of the Canucks.

2007-08 Upper Deck Black Diamond #158 David Krejci

A monster in the first three series who cooled off a bit in the Finals. Overall, though, a playmaker who provided more than a couple dazzling passes. If only he didn’t get knocked out of last year’s playoffs…

2003-04 Topps #335 Nathan Horton

Most, myself included, thought he’d score more goals this season, but I’ll sacrifice a handful of goals for what he brought in the playoffs: three game-winners and grit. I wish he were healthy for the rest of the Finals but hey, these things happen.

1996-97 Upper Deck #374 Andrew Ference

Jannik Hansen, you may want to sleep with one eye open…

2010-11 Upper Deck SP Authentic #213 Adam McQuaid

…and the other one, too. Canuck fans, you know what’s up.

1990-91 Upper Deck #178 Mark Recchi

Old man Recchi goes out the same way he came in, with a Cup victory. Hall of Famer? I’m not 100% sure.

1996-97 Upper Deck SP Authentic #186 Zdeno Chara

100% man.

2002-03 Topps Chrome #162 Tim Thomas

Sorry I ever doubted you, Timmy. You voyage to the not just the Cup, but to the NHL was a long and arduous one, but you’ve reached the very pinnacle. Enjoy it, brotha’!

2003-04 Topps #331 Patrice Bergeron

There was no other Bruin I wanted to win a Cup more than Patrice. He is one concussion away from probably never playing again. In my opinion, he is the best all-around player on the Bruins. He plays all three zones, can shoot, pass, hit, kill penalties, win timely face-offs and lead. He is everything the analysts thought Kesler would be in the Finals.

I still remember meeting him as a rookie coming out of camp; nothing more than a fresh-faced 18 year old looking for a ride home. He signed my index card (with the number 56, no less) and I remember thinking to myself, “Jeez, he is just a kid.” He has come a long way and has overcome a lot.

Congratulations, Patrice.

7. Hip, hip, hurrah to Paul over at Card Boarded for winning my contest. It is with great pleasure that I get to award him his prize for having the Bruins!

8. One last time…

Oh man, these past couple days have been bananas in the hockey world. The 2010 Hall of Fame class was announced, some BIG trades were made, a retirement, and some awards were dished out. So let’s review the week that was and is and see who/what failed and who/what won…

2010 Hall of Fame Class Announced, Part 1

For the first time, some ladies were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. I won’t pretend to know anything about women’s hockey. Personally, I find it boring and ridiculous; when you take a sport that is like 80% physical and remove it from the game, I can’t take it seriously. Same goes for women’s lacrosse. Whatever. I know who Cammi Granato is and she appeared in more than one issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids when I was younger, so she must be important. Angela James? Never heard of her. I’ll take your word that she is Canada’s greatest female hockey player. So,while I am unsure how I feel about this personally, I think overall it’s good for hockey and the HOF. (Sort of) Gender equality gets a…

2010 Hall of Fame Class Announced, Part 2

On the dude side, two builders and one player got it. Jimmy Devellano or Doc Seaman go in as builders. I guess I’m okay with these two, but if Doc was so important, why not induct him while he was alive? Looks like more of a sentimental pick than anything. But whatever, they must have been the best available to pick from, right? More on that in a moment.

My man Dino Ciccarelli got in but the more I think about it, the more I don’t like it. Yes, he scored 600 goals and that is certainly impressive. But no Cups, no awards, no All-NHL team selections. Was he the best at his position? Nah, not even for any one specific season. He may not have even been the best player on his team for any season. Add some on and off ice issues to the mix and it becomes a tough pick to justify for some. BUT, there are worse players in, so I don’t HATE this selection. I just hope that there were not better players overlooked, which I’ll get to next. For these three, I give this class a…

2010 Hall of Fame Class Announced, Part 3

So, the HOF is telling me that Dino is better than these guys?

And that these two guys shouldn’t be in the Builders section?

And when will they finally recognize the tough guy?

Hockey Hall of Fame, you get a big ol’…

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Night

Couple of big retirements on the blue line.

Future Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer got a lot of ink for hanging up the skates, but fellow future HOFer Rob Blake called it a career as well. Some Cups and Norris Trophies between these warriors; they could play for my team any day.

A big…

for their careers, but for the NHL losing couple of stand-up, hard-nosed players, a…

Bruins Trade For Nathan Horton

The Bruins sent embattled d-man Dennis Wideman and the 15th pick in this years draft to Florida for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell.  I liked Wideman but man, he played like a drunk toddler this season; it was like he forgot how to skate. The 15th pick hurts, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Horton. Finally, a goal scorer who I predict will net 37 goals this year. Campbell is whatever. Could be nice having the son of the league’s disciplinarian on the team.

Bruins Agressively Shopping Savard

Nooooooooooooooo! Horton needs Savard like whoa! Yes, Savard takes dumb penalties. And yes, Savard is a bit injury prone but the ENTIRE offense runs through him. Trade Thomas, trade Wheeler, but the B’s gotta keep Savy.

I hate this rumor.

2010-11 Schedule Released

Bruins open the season with a “home/away” series versus the Coyotes IN PRAGUE?! Ugh! I hate hate HATE this. First off, the effin’ Coyotes? I understand the NHL wants some of that sweet Gretzky action abroad, but c’mon? These teams aren’t rivals. Why not throw, oh I don’t know, the STANLEY CUP winning Blackhawks versus the Coyotes? And I have wait TWO MONTHS for a B’s vs. Flyers rematch?! Scheduling gods, you get a…

Blackhawks Win Cup, Mess With Success

Chicago, you will rue the day you dealt Byfuglien. RUE!

Hey Atlanta, take Wheeler and Thomas for Byfuglien?

NHL Dishes Out Some Hardware

Most of the winners weren’t too shocking. Miller taking the Vezina was a no-brainer. I’m more than fine with Myers winning the Calder, but wouldn’t have been surprised if Howard had taken it. I was hoping Doughty was going to get the Norris, but he may be a year away. Rest assured that once he wins it the first time, it won’t be his last time.

I guess the biggest surprise was Ovechkin winning the newly named Lindsay Award but Sedin winning the Hart. Sedin is a good player and finally put it all together to have a great season, but I don’t think he is Hart worthy, not when there are two 50 goal/1oo point scorers on winning teams in the mix. All three of the finalists were on teams that had disappointing playoff runs, so we can’t take that into consideration. I can’t bring myself to care enough to make a huge stink about it.

Also, in more boring news, Datsyuk won the Selke, St. Louis won the Lady Byng, Theodore won the Masterson, and Tippet won the Adams.

New Cards Added To Collection

And to wrap it up, I grabbed a couple of on-card autographs of HOFers.

2008-09 ITG Bleu Blanc et Rouge #A-JL1 Jacques Laperriere Bleu Version (/40)

Laperriere is sort of a tough signature, so this was a nice one to get especially for the price I paid.

1997-98 UD SP Authentic #m4 Bryan Trottier /560

I thought finding a Trottier auto would be easy, but there were never any on eBay. Saw this and immediately had to have it. Great signature and I dig the hand numbering on the back.