Bruins hold practice; Lucic demoted again

Jaromir Jagr conducts the team's stretch prior to the close
of practice.

It was back to work for the Boston Bruins, as they held practice this morning at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. Each Bruin was accounted for. Claude Julien unveiled his newest rendition of lineup that has been in constant flux these past few weeks.

It was Milan Lucic, Kaspar Daugavins, and Jay Pandolfo sporting the green forward jerseys. The green signifying Boston's 5th line or likely healthy scratches. The three rotated in with their teammates during line rushes.

Gold jersey line: Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
White jersey line: Danny Paille-David Krejci- Nathan Horton
Grey jersey line: Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Jaromir Jagr
Merlot jersey line: Greg Campell-Rich Peverley-Shawn Thornton

Playing without Milan Lucic Friday night is not out of the realm of possibility. It's actually quite likely. The bruiser has been in a slump for a significant amount of time now. Hopefully his recent free-fall in the lineup will serve as a wake up call as the postseason nears.

Bruins beaten by the Isles, 2-1

The Islander bench congratulates Josh Bailey after scoring
one of his two goals. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Boston Bruins, plagued by fatigue, fell to the New York Islanders Thursday night. The Isles defeated the B’s, 2-1. With the victory, New York improved to 5-0-1 in their last 6 games and avoids the dreaded season sweep. Boston lost its top spot in the Northeast and moved back into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. It was a night full of missed opportunities. The Black-and-Gold seemed to be a step late all evening long.

Josh Bailey was the difference in this hockey game. The 23-year old winger scored both Islander goals and it was all that they would need. His first tally came with just 21 seconds remaining in the first period. Boston turned the puck over, Bailey gobbled it up, and ripped one top shelf by Rask on the glove side. The Isles would take a 1-0 lead to the dressing room and into the second frame.

Boston opened up the scoring in the second. Tyler Seguin notched a power play goal at 3:41 of the period.  Jaromir Jagr and Greg Campell both picked up assists on the play. It was the B’s second PP goal in as many nights. The final scoring strike of the game came at 13:12 of the period. Josh Bailey was unopposed on a strong net drive and ended up beating Rask for the game winner. 

After playing 3 games in 4 nights, Boston’s finest seemed to fade away as the game progressed, as tired legs caught up to them. The Bruins started out like a house on fire, heavily outshooting the Isles in the opening twenty-minutes. New York tilted the ice in their favor at a steady clip following that. Boston was unable to convert on numerous scoring chances and it ultimately cost them two points.

Excuses aside, the game was there for the taking and Boston failed to capitalize. For some odd reason, Claude Julien decided to tinker with the lines once again and it proved costly. Playing without leading scorer Brad Marchand, the B’s offense looked invisible at times, especially in the third. In the games most crucial moments the Bruins seemed to fumble the puck away and misfire.

Lets not take anything away from the phenomenal blue collared effort the Islanders put forth in this one. New York knew what they were up against and showed up ready to roll. Chasing a playoff spot, the Isles put their skills to the test and left the Garden feeling excellent about their chances moving forward. They played a sound defensive game, stifling the Bruins top scorers from finishing off plays that should have been finished.  Evgeni Nabokov was a huge contributing factor in the success New York had. The veteran net minder turned away 30 of 31 shots.

For Boston, Tuukka Rask kept his club in the game for the full sixty. Rask made 34 saves and withstood several series of sustained Islander attacks in which several shots were fired toward him. The loose defensive play exhibited by the Bruins defensemen has become a highly unsettling trend, as they have looked beatable for weeks now. If it wasn’t for the elite goaltending the Bruins tenders have been turning in nightly now, things would look much worse.

The B’s will get a day off, rest, and regroup before traveling to Carolina Saturday night. In the mean time, many aspects of their game need to ironed out. Most importantly, Claude needs to find functional line pairings and stick to them. This Bruins team may be winners of 5 of their last 7, but that is largely due to the spectacular goaltending they have gotten. With Marchand and Bergeron out with concussions until further notice, the B’s must to dig deep and believe in one another.

By no means should the Bruins push the panic button. The Islanders are formidable opponents who were hungry and desperate for a win. Obviously the lack of production is a cause for concern, but it’s nothing that a veteran savvy group cannot work out. The continued success Tyler Seguin, Jaromir Jagr, and Gregory Campell are having is more than encouraging.

Bruins deadline assessment

Jagr is expected to be in the Bruins lineup tomorrow.

Heading into the trading deadline, Boston was in need of a few minor tweaks, not an overhaul. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli pulled the trigger on three trades, headlined by the acquisition of the legendary Jaromir Jagr. The B’s also brought in veteran blue-liner Wade Redden and AHL prospect Robert Flick. With many of the pieces left in place from the 2011 championship team, Chiarelli bolstered his team with an elite offensive talent and a durable depth defensemen without jeopardizing the existing comradery within the dressing room. 

Many people will criticize the Bruins for not doing enough at the deadline. Could Boston have done more? Of course, many big name players were made available this year all across the league. Unfortunately several of those guys being shopped all had multiple years left on their contracts. Boston will have 5 unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. The most notable of which are Anton Khudobin, Tuukka Rask, and Nathan Horton.

Peter Chiarelli clearly did not want to be tied up with any long term, big money acquisitions. He cannot be faulted for keeping the future within close vicinity, as it is clear he has plans for the offseason. Also one cannot rule out unreasonable asking prices. Therefore he took the most logical route of acquiring rental pieces for another run at Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Critics can second-guess all they want. The deadline has come and gone. Now it’s time to take a closer look at what Jaromir Jagr, Wade Redden, and Robert Flick bring to the B’s.

Jaromir Jagr:

The statistics speak for themselves. MVP, Cup champ, Art Ross winner, Hart Trophy winner, 12 time all-star, and an Olympic gold medal. That’s not to mention the 600+ goals and 1,000+ assists Jagr has recorded throughout the course of his career.

It will be easy for people to say he’s old or Iginla would have been better. To that I say, wait and see. Jagr has totaled 14 goals and 12 assists this year playing in Dallas. Jagr’s 26 points will put him in a tie for fourth most on the Bruins with Tyler Seguin.

Jagr excels in several different aspects of the game. He is strong on the puck and is nearly immovable from it when he gets a head of steam. The 6’3, 240 pound winger is physically powerful along the boards and can single handedly keep possessions alive. Jagr is a magician when it comes to passing the puck. His terrific vision and pinpoint accuracy will help set up several Boston goals. He can score in several ways, whether it is on a net drive or a snipe from the wing.

Jagr is a naturally gifted offensive phenom that will make each and every Boston player better with his presence alone. He will likely be slotted alongside David Krejci or Tyler Seguin, assuming Tyler plays center with Patrice Bergeron out. Jaromir’s versatility gives Claude Julien many options, but his biggest impact will be felt on the power play. Jagr’s creativity and silky smooth skating ability should boost a struggling Bruins man advantage.

Wade Redden:

Redden, a two time all-star, is a more than serviceable defensemen. Granted his glory days are behind him, Wade can still pack a punch in many areas. He tallied 2 scores and 3 helpers playing for the Blues this season. He will provide great depth to a Boston defensive corps that has been banged up of late. The experience he brings will be invaluable come playoff time.

The blue-liner plays a highly physical game and possesses a heavy shot. Redden does not back down from any confrontation and is not afraid to lay the lumber. His bruising play will fit in perfectly with an already rough and rugged bunch. If given an opening, Wade will let the puck fly without hesitation.

Once upon time, Redden was paired alongside Zdeno Chara in Ottawa. Peter Chiarelli and Big Z are familiar with his game from their days as Senators. Redden is a responsible two-way defensemen. Because of his willingness to do just about anything, Wade could be paired with any of the Bruins d-men. Though it is very likely he could be reunited with Chara, especially with Johnny Boychuk having a down year.

Bottom line on Redden is he brings grit, toughness, and veteran savvy to a Bruins lineup that should embrace his charisma. In the long run, Boston fans will grow to like this newcomer.

Robert Flick:

Flick was acquired from the Blackhawks organization in an AHL level trade for Maxime Sauve. He is a guy likely to be at least a few years away from seeing NHL action.

I personally am a supporter of the Bruins deadline moves and hope things work out well in the long run.