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F Troop
By Matt Kalman
Sep 11 2008 8:07 PM
Boston Bruins training camp officially opens Sept. 19. Hockeyjournal.com will analyze different aspects of the projected 2008-09 club over the next week.
A 1-0 loss at the TD Banknorth Garden to Montreal in Game 4 of his club’s Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series last spring forced Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien to re-
insert three-time healthy scratch Phil Kessel into his lineup.
Kessel responded with three goals over the next two games – both victories – before the entire Boston team took the night off in a 5-0 Game 7 loss.
In the short term, Julien’s motivational tactics lit a fire under Kessel and benefited the team. But if generating more offense would’ve been that easy throughout the winter, Julien’s lineup would’ve resembled a revolving door. Unfortunately for the bench boss, he was limited in his maneuvering by injuries to Patrice Bergeron and Chuck Kobasew and injuries/ineffectiveness in regards to Peter Schaefer and Glen Murray.
In 2008-09, Julien should have a potpourri of offensive options – and, of course, it all depends on Bergeron. The Bruins would’ve undoubtedly finished higher than 24th (2.51) in goals per game had the center not been knocked out for the year by the Randy Jones hit form behind in late October. Not only did Bergeron’s absence remove his goal-scoring and playmaking prowess, but the club’s forecheck took a hit that it took a while to recover from. Bergeron had been combining with wingers Marco Sturm and Kobasew to form a line that resembled Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots in the opposing zone without the puck. Bergeron’s presence over the faceoff dot and on the power play was also sorely missed.
Whatever line Bergeron centers should automatically become the Bruins’ “defensive stopper” – a role that too often fell to Marc Savard’s line last season. That should free up Savard to focus more on setting up his wingers and keep him fresher. David Krejci will have less pressure as the third-line center, assuming he continues his progression as an offensive presence he began late last season. Facing third defensive pairs will help Krejci as well.
Basically, after Bergeron went down last season Julien had his hands tied. In order to shake up the lines, his only options were to move up the likes of the struggling Glen Metropolit or Schaefer, or turn to the then-unproven likes of Vladimir Sobotka. With Bergeron aboard everyone gets knocked down a rung and there’s more ways for the Bruins to align. Bergeron could even move to the wing next to Savard if Julien decides he wants a juggernaut of an offensive line. And on the power play, Bergeron can play down low or man the point opposite Zdeno Chara.
So if post-concussion syndrome is in fact in Bergeron’s rearview mirror and he’s ready to be the player that was scraping the surface of All-Star status in the aftermath of his AHL season during the lockout, the Bruins will not only be better, but tougher to prepare for, up front.
Forwards at a Glance
Who’s back: Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, Chuck Kobasew, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Peter Schaefer, P.J. Axelsson, Petteri Nokelainen, Vladimir Sobotka, Shawn Thornton, Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, Jeremy Reich.
Who’s gone: Glen Murray, Glen Metropolit.
Who’s new: Michael Ryder, Stephane Yelle.
Rookies to watch: Blake Wheeler, Brad Marchand, Zach Hamill, Mikko Lehtonen.
Other camp storylines:
●Is Wheeler ready to make the jump straight to the NHL?
●Will Axelsson finally get to fill a full-time defensive role or will he to continue to be miscast on a scoring line to be the defensive conscience of said trio?
●Can Ryder do what Murray couldn’t and turn Savard’s magical passes into goal-scoring gold?
●Will Krejci, Sobotka and Nokelainen be able to avoid a drop-off after their solid performances from last spring?
●Can Kobasew give the Bruins a full, healthy season?
●Will Schaefer continue the fine play he displayed in the playoffs or will he return to his ghost-like existence of the 2007-08 regular season?
●What’s the ceiling for Lucic as far all-around play in addition to his doling out of physical punishment?
●Will the third year be the charm for Kessel, who’s shown sparks of brilliance and stretches of ineptitude, or will his proverbial seat on the trading block finally heat up and fire him off to another club?
Matt Kalman is the managing editor of New England Hockey Journal and hockeyjournal.com and he can be reached at editor@hockeyjournal.com.
F Troop
By Matt Kalman
Sep 11 2008 8:07 PM
Boston Bruins training camp officially opens Sept. 19. Hockeyjournal.com will analyze different aspects of the projected 2008-09 club over the next week.
A 1-0 loss at the TD Banknorth Garden to Montreal in Game 4 of his club’s Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series last spring forced Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien to re-
 |
| Patrice Bergeron |
| Getty |
Kessel responded with three goals over the next two games – both victories – before the entire Boston team took the night off in a 5-0 Game 7 loss.
In the short term, Julien’s motivational tactics lit a fire under Kessel and benefited the team. But if generating more offense would’ve been that easy throughout the winter, Julien’s lineup would’ve resembled a revolving door. Unfortunately for the bench boss, he was limited in his maneuvering by injuries to Patrice Bergeron and Chuck Kobasew and injuries/ineffectiveness in regards to Peter Schaefer and Glen Murray.
In 2008-09, Julien should have a potpourri of offensive options – and, of course, it all depends on Bergeron. The Bruins would’ve undoubtedly finished higher than 24th (2.51) in goals per game had the center not been knocked out for the year by the Randy Jones hit form behind in late October. Not only did Bergeron’s absence remove his goal-scoring and playmaking prowess, but the club’s forecheck took a hit that it took a while to recover from. Bergeron had been combining with wingers Marco Sturm and Kobasew to form a line that resembled Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots in the opposing zone without the puck. Bergeron’s presence over the faceoff dot and on the power play was also sorely missed.
Whatever line Bergeron centers should automatically become the Bruins’ “defensive stopper” – a role that too often fell to Marc Savard’s line last season. That should free up Savard to focus more on setting up his wingers and keep him fresher. David Krejci will have less pressure as the third-line center, assuming he continues his progression as an offensive presence he began late last season. Facing third defensive pairs will help Krejci as well.
Basically, after Bergeron went down last season Julien had his hands tied. In order to shake up the lines, his only options were to move up the likes of the struggling Glen Metropolit or Schaefer, or turn to the then-unproven likes of Vladimir Sobotka. With Bergeron aboard everyone gets knocked down a rung and there’s more ways for the Bruins to align. Bergeron could even move to the wing next to Savard if Julien decides he wants a juggernaut of an offensive line. And on the power play, Bergeron can play down low or man the point opposite Zdeno Chara.
So if post-concussion syndrome is in fact in Bergeron’s rearview mirror and he’s ready to be the player that was scraping the surface of All-Star status in the aftermath of his AHL season during the lockout, the Bruins will not only be better, but tougher to prepare for, up front.
Forwards at a Glance
Who’s back: Marc Savard, Marco Sturm, Chuck Kobasew, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Peter Schaefer, P.J. Axelsson, Petteri Nokelainen, Vladimir Sobotka, Shawn Thornton, Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, Jeremy Reich.
Who’s gone: Glen Murray, Glen Metropolit.
Who’s new: Michael Ryder, Stephane Yelle.
Rookies to watch: Blake Wheeler, Brad Marchand, Zach Hamill, Mikko Lehtonen.
Other camp storylines:
●Is Wheeler ready to make the jump straight to the NHL?
●Will Axelsson finally get to fill a full-time defensive role or will he to continue to be miscast on a scoring line to be the defensive conscience of said trio?
●Can Ryder do what Murray couldn’t and turn Savard’s magical passes into goal-scoring gold?
●Will Krejci, Sobotka and Nokelainen be able to avoid a drop-off after their solid performances from last spring?
●Can Kobasew give the Bruins a full, healthy season?
●Will Schaefer continue the fine play he displayed in the playoffs or will he return to his ghost-like existence of the 2007-08 regular season?
●What’s the ceiling for Lucic as far all-around play in addition to his doling out of physical punishment?
●Will the third year be the charm for Kessel, who’s shown sparks of brilliance and stretches of ineptitude, or will his proverbial seat on the trading block finally heat up and fire him off to another club?
Matt Kalman is the managing editor of New England Hockey Journal and hockeyjournal.com and he can be reached at editor@hockeyjournal.com.
