The Bruins have to be happy with much of what they were able to accomplish this past season, returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence and coming back from a 3-1 game deficit to force a Game 7 with Montreal. But that can't hide the fact there's work to be done.
And, every time people talk about next season -- about building on whatever gains were made in the crowded and wildly successful Boston sports scene -- the same name seems to surface.
Marian Hossa.
The unrestricted free agent-to-be, never known as being a goal scorer in big games, scored two in a Game 5 elimination of the Rangers, giving him five (and 10 points) in nine playoff games as the Penguins headed into the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia.
The Penguins, who acquired Hossa from Atlanta for the stretch run, would appear to already have too much in the way of big-name players and money, which could make Hossa a true rent-a-player. It could also make him highly desirable to several teams, including the Bruins.
"It's always nice when you can do that if you have the room to do it, but in the same sense we proved that this year we (already) have guys that can do it," said Bruins center Marc Savard, Hossa's teammate in Atlanta, on the day the Bruins packed up and went home. "But any time you can make your team better, that's always a positive and if that happens, that'd be great -- but if not, we know what we have in here and we're capable of doing good things."
The Boston Globe reported May 4 that Dallas and Los Angeles could go heavily after Hossa, but you have to wonder if the Rangers, who will have money to spend, might be in the mix, too.
For his part, Hossa told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "I'm not a pure goal scorer. I'm not like (Alexander) Ovechkin or (Ilya) Kovalchuk. I'm not in that category. I'm more of a two-way guy."
A "two-way guy" who, at age 28, has 299 goals and 648 NHL points in a 701-game (regular season) career that's seen him amass a plus-85 rating. Sounds like all the things the Bruins are looking for.
SEASON HIGHLIGHT When you haven't made the playoffs the last two seasons, the highlight is the night you made the playoffs, and the Bruins did that with a 2-1 win at Ottawa in Game 81 of the 82-game season.
TURNING POINT This was a battle throughout, but Bruins' folks point to a weekend home-and-home series with the New York Rangers, Jan. 19-20. The Bruins won at home, 4-3 in a shootout, Saturday and then went down to New York and won 3-1 the next day. It started a streak of five wins in six games.
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I just want to start a one stop thread about everything Bruins!
Just trying to make one thread for those who post here regularly so we don't have to open 10 threads everytime we visit. Especially when a lot of the threads end up talking about the same things. Wouldn't it be easier to just go to the same thread
I was in an argument in some thread on here about a few guys saying Lidstrom is hands down the best defenseman ever, next to bobby orr..........i was like you have to be kidding. he's NOT better then Bourque was.
some said on offense maybe but not all around.........all around??? Bourque was great on both offense AND defense............my guess is these were young guys who didnt see
Just our luck, but its what I wanted. Another Bruins and Canadians playoff matchup. I'm sure everyone will be picking Montreal to prevail, and probably sweeping the Bruins and making it 12-0 on the year against our Bruins. I see it diffrent, I truly believe the Bruins will win. Heres why; 1968 the Bruins were the 3rd seed in the East, Mont
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Just happened to be looking at the Candians message board and among other demeaning and insulting things . . . saw a Habs fan (Loyal_Hab) who said that American arrogance is responsible for the 9/11 attacks . . . his message apparently was in response to a Bruins fan who had the temerity to say that if the Bruins won this year . .
I am 16 and I never watched a NHL game untill last night.........It was amazing. I loved it and I am not gonna stop watching. My dad is a Bruins fan since the late 1950's. He always thought I would like hockey but I never gave it a shot. So now my 3 favorite sports are football, basketball, and hockey. I wanna get into baseball but I don't
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I can tell you this as a fact that every one in Toronto who is a leaf fan or what not is cheering on those Bruins, were loving those guys right now and are pulling for you guys in game 7, screw those Habs. leafs nation for ever, go B's go do us this favor please lol.
I come to your message board torn.. as a Ranger fan and a born and raised New Yorker ... I hate you Boston.. no disrespect but its in my blood my dad hated you, my grandpa hated you.. well ya get the point... and I am sure you feel the same way about me lol... but I come in peace and to wish you good luck in game 7 as a Ranger Fan Message Board Embassador (no clue how to spell that im only 18)&nbs
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I guess we will have to hope the Bruins can do what the canadians did to them in 2004..still have faith in the B's! they are playing well but some goals would help!
The Boston Bruins lost last night, the Montreal Canadians did not win. Reich and Thornton and the rest of the team has to be more discipline. We dominated that first period last night, and we have to come out attacking. No way we go down in Boston tonight if we play like we did yesterday, Bruins 3-2.
