Monday, June 18, 2007
WTF: Boston Ruins Want Mike Milbury?
by Jes
My future Hallowe'en costume
After canning Dave "Adolf" Lewis like chicken soup, the Bruins have narrowed down the list of candidates to take over the hopeless job of coaching the Bruins back into the playoffs ...
From the Boston Globe (via Mirtle):
Yeah, I did a double-take when I saw the name of MIKE MILBURY leap out of the screen and try to swipe my afternoon tea.
Mad Mike? The same guy that destroyed the Isles franchise and ensured their continual suckiness for over a decade?
Well, looking back on his coaching record, it's a real mixed bag:
When Milbury first started coaching, he was behind the bench of a very talented Boston Bruins squad that had Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Craig Janney, and Bob Carpenter. The Bruins were good, but Milbury lead them to a Finals appearance and a semi-finals appearance in the face of stronger competition.
Fast forward to his Isles days, when he put himself as a coach out of desperation. Each time, Milbury clearly did little but lose, thanks to the fact he helped build such an awful squad.
(As a note, how can a team with Tommy Salo, Tommy Soderstrom, Eric Fichaud, and Jamie McLennan as goaltenders expect to win anything?)
Boston obviously hopes that bringing back a familiar name will somehow fill the stands.
Right.
Bruins fans want 2 things
1. Jeremy Jacobs' head on a lance
2. Wins
How many Bruins fans will remember Milbury with utter fondness? When you hear or see that name, all you can think about is failure, and how much the guy fux0red things up on the Island.
Julien? He did a great job with the Devils and had a good track record that is RECENT! Milbury? He hasn't coached much in the "New NHL", and his best success came at a time when a GAA of under 3 was god-like.
Let's hope, for Bruins fans' sake, that Boston doesn't make the wrong decision.
My future Hallowe'en costumeAfter canning Dave "Adolf" Lewis like chicken soup, the Bruins have narrowed down the list of candidates to take over the hopeless job of coaching the Bruins back into the playoffs ...
From the Boston Globe (via Mirtle):
Ex-Bruin Mike Milbury and former New Jersey Devils coach Claude Julien, considered the leading candidates on Chiarelli's short list, were most recently employed by playoff clubs. In contrast, the 2006-07 Bruins stumbled to a 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference and will require a significant overhaul to make a postseason push.
Yesterday, Chiarelli confirmed that he has interviewed Milbury, whose last position was vice president of sports properties for the Islanders. New York made a late-season push to qualify for a first-round showdown with the Buffalo Sabres.
Yeah, I did a double-take when I saw the name of MIKE MILBURY leap out of the screen and try to swipe my afternoon tea.
Mad Mike? The same guy that destroyed the Isles franchise and ensured their continual suckiness for over a decade?
Well, looking back on his coaching record, it's a real mixed bag:
Season Team GM W L T .PCT PLAYOFF RECORD
-------------------------------------------------
1989-90 Boston 80 46 25 9 .631 Lost in Finals
1990-91 Boston 80 44 24 12 .625 Lost in round 3
1995-96 NYI 82 22 50 10 .329 Out of Playoffs
1996-97 NYI 45 13 23 9 .389 --
1997-98 NYI 19 8 9 2 .474 Out of Playoffs
--------------------------------------------------
When Milbury first started coaching, he was behind the bench of a very talented Boston Bruins squad that had Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Craig Janney, and Bob Carpenter. The Bruins were good, but Milbury lead them to a Finals appearance and a semi-finals appearance in the face of stronger competition.
Fast forward to his Isles days, when he put himself as a coach out of desperation. Each time, Milbury clearly did little but lose, thanks to the fact he helped build such an awful squad.
(As a note, how can a team with Tommy Salo, Tommy Soderstrom, Eric Fichaud, and Jamie McLennan as goaltenders expect to win anything?)
Boston obviously hopes that bringing back a familiar name will somehow fill the stands.
Right.
Bruins fans want 2 things
1. Jeremy Jacobs' head on a lance
2. Wins
How many Bruins fans will remember Milbury with utter fondness? When you hear or see that name, all you can think about is failure, and how much the guy fux0red things up on the Island.
Julien? He did a great job with the Devils and had a good track record that is RECENT! Milbury? He hasn't coached much in the "New NHL", and his best success came at a time when a GAA of under 3 was god-like.
Let's hope, for Bruins fans' sake, that Boston doesn't make the wrong decision.
Labels: Bruins, Claude Julien, coach hiring, Mike Milbury
Friday, March 02, 2007
Start Stocking Up on Eric Belanger Jerseys
by Greg
The trade deadline is in the past, the world has continued on its axis despite at least two Thrashers deals (Zhitnik and Dupuis) I was less than thrilled about. The flurry of activity was enough, at least, to earn the humble birds a place in the august pages of the New York Times today (thanks to reader Wayne for passing it along). The article centers around a sports theory I'm not sure I really buy into -- that deals reinvigorate a team on a mental level. Sure, I buy it (generally) that having Keith Tkachuk on the ice is a positive. But I'm not so sure that someone's going to say "holy crap, I've got a locker next to Alexei Zhitnik now. As soon as I get his autograph, I'm going to try harder."
With the Zhitnik and Tkachuk deals taken care of, that was enough for everyone to cite the "New Look" Thrashers winning over the Bruins earlier this week, but c'mon ... it was the Bruins. They've pretty visibly given up. Tonight's game -- against a team north of the Atlantas in the standings -- was a much better gauge.
And, hey, success. I had to listen on the radio -- couldn't pick up a televised broadcast at work -- but everything seemed to be going pretty well. Heard Tkachuk's name surprisingly little, but Eric Belanger's post-trade bounce continues, the announcers were very into saying Pascal Dupuis's name, and when they got up by one goal on the Senators, the Thrashers actually scored the next goal rather than giving it up. A new development, and a promising one.
I'll actually be in attendance for Sunday's game against Carolina -- who beat the Thrashers pretty soundly last time they met. It's on. My enthusiasm is rekindled. Folly though it may be, I've got some faith in this team again. (Check back in two days to see how that holds up.)
The trade deadline is in the past, the world has continued on its axis despite at least two Thrashers deals (Zhitnik and Dupuis) I was less than thrilled about. The flurry of activity was enough, at least, to earn the humble birds a place in the august pages of the New York Times today (thanks to reader Wayne for passing it along). The article centers around a sports theory I'm not sure I really buy into -- that deals reinvigorate a team on a mental level. Sure, I buy it (generally) that having Keith Tkachuk on the ice is a positive. But I'm not so sure that someone's going to say "holy crap, I've got a locker next to Alexei Zhitnik now. As soon as I get his autograph, I'm going to try harder."
With the Zhitnik and Tkachuk deals taken care of, that was enough for everyone to cite the "New Look" Thrashers winning over the Bruins earlier this week, but c'mon ... it was the Bruins. They've pretty visibly given up. Tonight's game -- against a team north of the Atlantas in the standings -- was a much better gauge.
And, hey, success. I had to listen on the radio -- couldn't pick up a televised broadcast at work -- but everything seemed to be going pretty well. Heard Tkachuk's name surprisingly little, but Eric Belanger's post-trade bounce continues, the announcers were very into saying Pascal Dupuis's name, and when they got up by one goal on the Senators, the Thrashers actually scored the next goal rather than giving it up. A new development, and a promising one.
I'll actually be in attendance for Sunday's game against Carolina -- who beat the Thrashers pretty soundly last time they met. It's on. My enthusiasm is rekindled. Folly though it may be, I've got some faith in this team again. (Check back in two days to see how that holds up.)
Labels: Bruins, eric belanger is my new favorite player, senators, thrashers, trades
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Petr the Great
by GregI didn't realize Hockey Rants was starting a global trend way back when, with unabashed Petr Tenkrat fandom.
But a commenter pointed out that over at HFBoards -- they've now got the Official Petr Tenkrat Appreciation Thread. I thought I was a big fan of the guy, but I didn't know half of that stuff.
How did Petr celebrate? By going right out and, uh, twisting his ankle. He'll miss tonight's Bruins-Panthers game. Fame is a cruel mistress.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Phil Kessel's Got Ball!
When I first heard the news about Phil Kessel and his testicular cancer, I got the same squeamish feeling that most guys probably got.
Pain + Groin Region = Major discomfort. Even talking about it or hearing about it causes me to shudder.
I mean, can a guy really read about how royal bodyguards in ancient China had to have their balls smashed with rocks so that they wouldn't go and play chase-the-snake with the princess without going 'oooooooohhhhhhhhh, man!' ?
You'd figure cancer would set a guy back for a long time, especially when it deals with such a sensitive area.
Low and behold, Kessel is already back practicing with his team.
Story Link:
Was his cancer small? Are treatments that good? Was this a cover-up for a STD he got screwing around with Boston bunnies?
I would have never expected him to be back playing full-contact hockey in just a month. That's some speedy recoverin'
Pain + Groin Region = Major discomfort. Even talking about it or hearing about it causes me to shudder.
I mean, can a guy really read about how royal bodyguards in ancient China had to have their balls smashed with rocks so that they wouldn't go and play chase-the-snake with the princess without going 'oooooooohhhhhhhhh, man!' ?
You'd figure cancer would set a guy back for a long time, especially when it deals with such a sensitive area.
Low and behold, Kessel is already back practicing with his team.
Story Link:
Bruins rookie forward Phil Kessel returned to practice Wednesday only a few weeks after undergoing testicular cancer surgery.A month? It took only a month?
Kessel participated in team workouts but avoided contact drills and said afterward he was feeling good about his progress. There is no set return date for Kessel, and he is expected to play Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I think I can [play], but it's whatever's best for the team," Kessel told AP on Wednesday.
Kessel had the operation on Dec. 11 and had been skating with team trainers for at least a week. He does not require radiation treatment but will make routine visits with his doctors for physical exams and blood tests.
"I missed it, because I love to play hockey," he told AP. "I watched some of the games, but it's hard to watch when you want to be out there playing but you can't."
Was his cancer small? Are treatments that good? Was this a cover-up for a STD he got screwing around with Boston bunnies?
I would have never expected him to be back playing full-contact hockey in just a month. That's some speedy recoverin'
Labels: Bruins, human interest, injuries, Kessel
Sunday, December 03, 2006
NHL Continues Destruction of Tradition
Here is the pictured concept design for the new 'streamlined' uniforms for the Boston Bruins.
Yea or Nay? I'm going with a big NAY! Why must they mess with Original Six teams? I know the Bruins have modified their designs, but the basic uniform always remained classy and crisp (The Cheerios Bear was a marketing tactic we'd like to forget).
This? Just...yuck...
Yea or Nay? I'm going with a big NAY! Why must they mess with Original Six teams? I know the Bruins have modified their designs, but the basic uniform always remained classy and crisp (The Cheerios Bear was a marketing tactic we'd like to forget).
This? Just...yuck...
Labels: Bad uniforms, Bruins, marketing, NHL, uniforms
