Last year, New England got walloped with a freak, late October snowstorm, and I lost power for almost an entire week. I remember it ‘cause it was a ridiculously cold week that followed, with trips to the Garden to cover games becoming my power source for charging cell-phones, laptops, and the like. To be honest, it really sucked.
This year? Sandy strikes with some wind gusts and rain, and yet another loss of power in my suburban, northern Massachusetts neighborhood. But unlike last year, there weren’t any cell-charging Garden trips on the agenda, so naturally this one seemed like it was going to suck even more than the year before. The good news? Power restored literally moments after I woke up this morning. I’ve (thankfully) got the power, HockeyBuzz.
But as I sat in darkness last night, I couldn’t help but feel that “Hey, this is fitting.”
When it comes to the NHL lockout, I think most of us undoubtedly feel that we’ve been left in the dark by the NHL and NHLPA. We truthfully don’t know what the hell to expect from either side given their legendary spinning whenever the other one opens their mouth, and it’s hard to imagine our favorite clubs and athletes hitting North American ice any time soon. I’d like to say that I’m not a pessimist, but there’s nothing from either camp that’s led me to believe that being an optimist is worth the time and heartbreak I’d (inevitably) be forced to deal with as an optimist.
Frankly, I’m sick of people saying “I still think we have hockey this year,” or the other “The NHL’s got too much on the line to not play hockey this year,” gem. While these points are painfully obvious, it’s not something that can necessarily be disputed, and therefore, even if subconsciously, pave the way for false hope.
In essence, I’m done with the we-should-have-a-deal-soon crowd, and I’m undeniably done with “league sources.” I’d like to just wake up in a world without posturing, PR spin, and focus groups to just learn that hockey’s coming back. Sadly, that looks like a mere pipedream on my behalf. In fact, at this incredibly disappointing rate, it’s kinda hard to imagine this sides agreeing on anything in time for the 2013-14 season.
Now that’s enough about that, let’s talk about (less depressing) hockey stuff.
Suffice to say that the Bruins dodged a bullet with the injury to franchise goaltender
Tuukka Rask, huh?
Leaving after the first period of Plzen HC’s game against Slavia Praha HC with an apparent groin injury, but stopping all 10 shots he faced, the return to the rink has been been surmised as OK for the 25-year-old Rask. In two games since, Rask is 2-0-0 for the Blue-and-White, but has an .898 save-percentage, surrendering five goals on just 49 shots faced. Overall, however, Rask has been an immensely strong presence for first-place Plzen with his 1.97 goals-against-average and .929 save-percentage, but just how do you feel about the ‘minor’ injury to Rask? Personally, it set off a bit of an alarm given the state of the Bruins’ goaltending depth.
At the core of the issue, it’s honestly nothing to fret about, but with the reins officially handed to the Finnish-born goaltender, the last thing you wanna hear about is
another groin injury. After all, this is the same Rask that was injured late in 2010-11 with a knee injury, and was sidelined from March ‘12 on with a groin injury. If Rask goes down (again) during the lockout, you’re potentially talking about a return to NHL ice with
Anton Khudobin leading the B’s out to the ice on a nightly basis.
On a directly related note, does anybody still have
Marty Turco’s number?
Krejci: Goal-scorer, animal, dope
Yet, the Czech League isn’t
completely full of doom-and-gloom for the Bruins, as the move to Pardubice HC has worked wonders for one
David Krejci. Well, at least on the ice, anyways. In ten games with the club, the Bruins’ No. 1 center has seven goals and has added four assists, and while the goal-scoring is more than welcomed for the typically pass-friendly Czech, it shouldn’t come off as a surprise to anyone given the career-high 23-goal output Krejci checked in with during last season’s “off year.”
Make no mistake about it, Krejci, despite being pegged as the team’s problem child a bit too often, has the ability to be a goal-scoring threat for any club he’s on. Dual threat, in this instance, also refers to his ability to spit hot fire on the mic.
National Hockey League players, are in Krejci’s mind, treated like animals.
Provided with limitless equipment by sponsors? No, David Krejci’s been told that the elephants in the circus were given their own Beats by Dre headphones. Chauffeured around the continent on a private jet to land city-to-city to eat at five-star restaurants and sleep in the area’s best hotel? Krejci has on good information that the orangutang from “Dunston Checks In” had his own hotel floor. Playing a game you love for millions of dollars, complete with the admiration from fans and aspiring players? Don’t be stupid, ‘cause Krejci’s seen the money and chicks the kids from Madden Nation used to get.
Oh, I’m sorry, let me clarify that these are Krejci’s thoughts when the recorders are off.
Krejci didn’t expect his comments to be published and shared with the world, and probably feels pretty stupid after reading them. Stupid enough that he felt the need to clarify them in an email to Comcast Sportsnet New England
last week.
“I regret my recent comments about the lockout which were made flippantly in the locker room after our last game. I did not intend for them to be recorded,” said Krejci. “Specifically, I have been treated very well by the Boston Bruins and wish to confirm that my comments should not reflect on my club in any way. I regret any inference to the contrary.”
As blunt as I can be here: Krejci, shut up and play the game of hockey for the millions of dollars the ringleaders of this circus have deemed you undeniably worthy of.
Kids in Switzerland: Kane’s arrival to Biel doesn’t spell end of Seguin sobriety
I’m not sure where this belief developed, but people seem to have this image of budding superstar
Tyler Seguin as a clean-faced, 20-year-old kid that’s never known anything outside of hockey. On the other side, people seem to think of the Blackhawks’
Patrick Kane as hockey’s equivalent of a drunken father that tells everybody in sight about the “glory days” at your local Chili’s.
Truthfully, I don’t find either to be accurate, making everything we’ve seen and heard since Kane’s lockout signing with EHC Biel and its effect on Seguin to be downright silly.
As many have seemingly forgotten, Seguin, like most NHL players, also parties. Heck, you’re probably instantly reminded of those shirtless pictures featuring linemate
Brad Marchand and him following the Bruins’ Stanley Cup victory in 2011. Kane, on the other hand, has had moments that are less celebrated, headlined by a picture of him allegedly passed out as a bar during the offseason.
But follow me here: Kane deciding that he wants to play hockey during the lockout does not mean that alcoholism is going to be Seguin’s newest award. Chill out, world.
Other B’s in Europe notes
Weird stat? Sparta Praha,
Zdeno Chara’s lockout club, is winless since the 6-foot-9 Chara joined the club. They’re 0-6-2 over that stretch, and Chara has tallied two goals and added three assists with the club. Like I said, weird.
Forward and defending Selke Trophy winner
Patrice Bergeron, sidelined in Lugano’s last game with an ‘upper-body injury’, returned to action today with a goal and an assist.
Playing for first place JYP,
Rich Peverley’s lockout resume is headlined by nine assists and ten points in just 11 games.
Source: Ty Anderson really sick of deciphering Czech, German, and Finnish websites to learn how locked out NHL players are doing.
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