Five Minute Major – 10/16

This weekend’s pair of games for the Bruins will have a different feel than the first five contests of the season as the B’s are on the road for the first time this season. The usual long road trip the Bruins head out on at the beginning of the season was scrapped in favor of a big homestand and the Bruins appeared to be unsure of how to play in Boston before October reached double digits in days. With a mediocre 2-3 record checked with the luggage and equipment, the B’s are down in the Southwest for games against Dallas and Phoenix. For everyone who cashes a paycheck from Jeremy Jacobs, this is a good thing. With the recent developments in the Boston sports scene (Sox and Patriots gut-wrenching losses) and the stumbling start on Causeway St., the venomous fangs of the Boston sports fans are out and ready for action. Getting out of town for a few days to right the ship is just what the doctor ordered.

Not that the Bruins are heading out on a cupcake cruise this weekend, though. The two teams that await Boston in the Southwest both have more points than the Bruins and are playing much more inspired hockey. Fancy hotels and a change in scenery are just a part of what makes a good road trip. The enjoyment of the minibar and nightclubs fluctuates in direct relation to the amount of points picked up that night.

Before we go opening cashews and looking for some local ladies to celebrate a pair of wins with, let’s take a look at the five keys heading into this weekend with today’s Five Minute Major.

1. Over on my own personal Bruins-Fest at Boards and Blades, I threw my support behind Julien’s line juggling. I am a big Milan Lucic fan and am excited that he is locked up and ready to develop in Black and Gold. However, at the moment his skill set is not suited to play with Marc Savard and Marco Sturm. Those two thrive on quick passes and even quicker shots. Looch is best suited to crash and bang in the corner. Michael Ryder, on the other hand, possesses a nasty wrist shot and has regained his scoring touch over his run in Boston. I think he will be a perfect fit as an added weapon for Savard to dish off to in high-speed rushes. At the same time, Lucic moves down to play with two players who are comfortable playing a puck-possession game in David Krejci and Blake Wheeler. Krejci’s slick skills on the perimeter and behind the net are going to benefit from Lucic’s forechecking. I also have a feeling that the trademark snarl in Lucic’s game was tempered a bit with the pressure of playing on the top line. The combination of a “demotion” and not having to stay out of Savvy’s way could boost his compete level this weekend.
2. The Bruins need to find a power play. They have four PP goals over five games on 29 chances. All four of those man-up goals came against Carolina. Other than that, bagels. My main concern is that the first unit has spent time focusing on getting pucks to the point for shots when they don’t have a true net presence. So far, Sturm has been positioning in the slot on the first unit and he isn’t a big body that causes a stir in the crease. If you are working on shots for Derek Morris or Zdeno Chara, I think you need to go with Recchi in the slot. Allow either Sturm or Ryder to work the boards with Savard moving around to find the passing lanes. On the second unit, Andrew Ferrence needs to be bounced from power like he was on the NHLPA. He brings nothing to the table, has no discernable offense in his game and allows more pucks out of the zone than he does keep them in. With Wideman out, the pickings are slim for the second point group on the power play right now. I say put Patrice Bergeron back there as he has been the last few years. I am also in favor of Matt Hunwick getting a chance there as well. He does a good job moving toward the net and opens some room for the rest of the group. Another way to get Lucic involved in the game is to get him some time on the power play. He is another option for a widebody in the slot and will divert some attention from the goalie and defense. Not to get too far ahead, but if he is to be a $4,000,000 player, he needs to be on the power play.
3. This year was supposed to be one of transition for the Dallas Stars. A lot of the cornerstones of the franchise – Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Daryl Sydor, are either old or gone from the team. Others who were supposed to have been great contributors over the recent years had struggled and weren’t counted upon to pick up the mantle. However, five games into the season the Stars are 2-0-3 with all three losses coming in shootouts. Along the way, Dallas has beat down the chic choice to win the West (Calgary, 5-2) and most recently opened up a can on Nashville (6-0 drubbing on Wed.) Those players who had underperformed so far in Big D? They lead the team in scoring. Brad Richards (9 points), Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro (7 points each) and Marty Turco (2.12 GAA) have all regained their form and are leading an otherwise young team in a tough Pacific Division. All this with Mike Modano out for all but one game. The active highest-scoring American will not play tonight, but is close to a return. The key for Dallas has been even-strength dominance. Only four players are in the minus on the team, and defenseman Nicklas Grossman is a ridiculous +10 after five games. On the flip side, the Bruins have only 11 players at even or better and their best player in this category is Mark Stuart who is +4. The Bruins, who really need to play better in all areas, must focus on getting back to the success in even-strength situations that made them a dangerous team last year.
4. Anyone who paid attention to the Bruins in the early parts of last season remembers the widely entertaining game the Bruins and Stars played last year. Steve Ott laid out some dirty hits, drew the ire of the Bruins and refused to atone for his actions. Sean Avery answered the bell honorably for his teammate but then laid a cheapshot on Looch that ignited a fun 5-on-5 brawl. This is widely pointed to by the Bruins’ players and those who follow the team as a true “glue moment” that solidified this team’s willingness to battle for one another. While it is natural to wonder if similar activities will ensue tonight, it isn’t a sure thing. One reason against any shenanigans is that Ott is injured and Avery is annoying people on Broadway (like everyone else does there) for the Rangers. The two main catalysts in the fight between teams who play once a year are non-factors. Interestingly enough, the fact that the Bruins have played like 20 guys who haven’t met each other and don’t have much interest in each other could play a role tonight. After five games of non-energetic play, I would bet that Shawn Thornton, Steve Begin, Lucic, Chara, Stuart, even Tim Thomas could be looking to get into it. The fact that it is the opposing tag team from last year is more than likely a coincidence.
5. After tonight’s skate with the Stars, the Bruins head to Phoenix for a game against the mess that is the Coyotes. With a new coach hired about ten minutes before the season because the “owners” didn’t know what to do with their head coach (who is the best forward to ever play the game) and no real idea where this team will play after this season, the Coyotes were not expected to really show up this season…ever. Instead, the ‘Yotes are 3-2-0 (again, more points than the B’s) and have defeated defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh, last year’s best regular-season team San Jose and a plucky L.A. team. Three wins is about 1/10^th of what many experts would have put as the maximum this team could win prior to the season. They have been carried by inspired play from goalie Ilja Bryzgalov, who has a 3-1-0 record with a 0.98 GAA and a .960 save percentage. He has made up for any defensive liabilities this team has and allowed the Coyotes to take some chances. They haven’t scored a lot of goals, so they have needed Bryzgalov’s wall-like play. Besides the six scored in the opener, the ‘Yotes have four regulation goals over four games. Radim Vrbata scored two against the Kings in the opener and has three goals overall to lead the team. Peter Mueller is in his third year at only 21 years of age and has 35 career goals. However, he has none this year and is struggling to find his game. He is a future star and must be marked when he is on the ice. A familiar face to watch is Keith Yandle, the former Cushing Academy star. He is a defenseman for Phoenix who has struggled early this year but has offensive skills from the back end. Normally, looking at a date with a young, downtrodden franchise would be nothing more than an afterthought for a team such as the Bruins, but already this year Boston has struggled with similar teams such as the Islanders and Colorado. The Bruins have to understand they aren’t playing well enough right now to overlook any team.

The Bruins have to go into this mini road trip expecting to come home with four points. Both opponents are playing well, but there is no question that, at their best, the Bruins are better. This is a great opportunity to re-establish your team identity and pick up momentum for this season. The Bruins have done a good job making sure no one around the league thinks they are true contenders to win in the East – let alone capture the Cup. This can be a good thing. Instead of fighting to prove how awesome they are, now the B’s can go back to being the team no one believes in and take that out on the team lining up against them. It is time for this team to either find what it had last year or reinvent themselves as a new team. A few games away from Causeway St. will help make that a reality.

Finally, today’s post begins the season-long countdown towards the #1 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft.  As you may or may not know (probably not), the Bruins own Toronto’s first round draft choice in the next  NHL Draft as part of the compensation from the Phil Kessel trade. So far, the Maple Leafs have the worst record in the NHL at 0-5-1. Their one point came via an overtime loss to Montreal in the first game where the Leafs blew a late lead and allowed an OT goal with 13 seconds left in the extra period. As currently constituted, this Maple Leafs team will be very bad. Kessel will not be back until around December. Even then, there is no one on that team that can make him a real good player. Their goaltending is miserable. It will not be a shock if the B’s find themselves with the top pick in the draft next year. At the least, they will be in the lottery. So, as of today, the Bruins are kindof 0-5-1 with 1 point and 48.2% chance of selecting first in June. This will be a fun subplot throughout the season. While the Bruins are chasing the Cup, they are also keeping a keen eye on how bad the Leafs are.

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