Déjà vu’ all over again…

Why are Bruins’ fans up in arms at 54 points through 51 games? When was the last time we were in such a state?? Well, it was WAAAAY back in the season of 2007-08. You remember, the second season of the Claude Julien reclamation project. That was the year, still staggering from the Dave Lewis era the Bruins backed into the playoffs in 8th place, fell behind to the Habs quickly, and rallied to stage a dramatic series comeback including the famous “This building is vibrating” game 6 thriller, pushing the Habs to an unexpected game 7. It was also the season that star center Patrice Bergeron missed all but the first 10 games of the season with a devastating head injury. It was the season that was to be the building blocks for a young club to learn how to look adversity in the face and laugh. It was the season that set the stage for the overachieving season of 2008-09, which left fans dreaming of duck boat parades and a Disney movie of Tim Thomas drinking from Lord Stanley’s Cup.

If this season had come directly on the heels of 07-08 it might be easier to manage the expectations of the fans, management, and players. After all, last season the Bruins had 80 points after 51 games and in 07-08 they had 59 points after 51 games. Last season Sturm missed the bulk of the season with a torn ACL, this season has seen Milian Lucic play in only 19 of the 51 games and premier set-up man Marc Savard play in only 28 of the team’s 51 games. Two of the team’s biggest catalysts, Lucic for his physicality and Savard for his offensive skill set have been physically absent for 32 and 23 games respectively. While Lucic has been back for a few games from his high ankle sprain, anyone who expected him to immediately have his skating legs beneath him has clearly never skated after suffering an injury of that magnitude.

Let’s be clear, I hate statistics, they never paint the whole picture and are often slanted to tell the story of the author. With that in mind, I share with you a couple of statistics that made me cringe…

2008-09 Season, Bruins were led by Michael Ryder’s 7 game winning goals (GWG), tied for the NHL lead in that category. In 2009-10 Michael Ryder, through 51 games has exactly the same number of GWG’s that Milan Lucic does after 19 games, ONE! Just because Michael Ryder has been a huge disappointment, especially with the injuries to Savard, Sturm, and Bergeron I call attention to Ryder’s line of 12-8-20 through 51 games. Savard is 9-13-22 through 28 games and Bergeron is 12-21-33 in 45 games and Sturm is 15-9-24 through 46 games. Ryder has spent the majority of the season with his face on a milk carton, and as a seasoned vet has not stepped up when the team, leaning heavily on Providence call-ups, has needed him most. Color me unimpressed by his performance so far this season, if I was GM (which I am clearly not) I would be shopping him to the likes of the Avs, Blues, or Stars in the Western Conference. He really does NOT scare me enough wearing the opposition colors not to deal him in the Eastern Conference, but given our defensive woes (to be highlighted in a bit) he would likely light the lamp and give Timmay or Tuukka a sunburn.

I did say defense…Lots of analysts like to point to the fact the Bruins were among the league’s leaders in goals scored a year ago, and are the cellar dwellers at 30th this season with goals scored, as the reason for their demise. I know you need to score to win, but I honestly believe it was the Bruins stifling team defense, especially through the neutral zone, that led them to odd-man rushes, and the break out pass that utilized their team speed. Many fans want to blame GAA on Timmah (and of course hardly anyone thinks Tuukka Milkcrate ever gives up a softy * cough topshelf cough *) but here are two numbers sure to have fans scratching their heads…Dennis Wideman, poor Dennis the Menace, the darling of the first half of last season, leaving fans shrugging their shoulders that they ever worried about losing Brad Boyes in the Wides deal. Some (deranged) experts even touted him as a Norris candidate, clearly those who only watch the box score and not the games. Last season Wides was a +/- +32, difficult to fathom as after his -4 against the Canes leaves him at -12 for the season. Wunderkind Matt Hunwick who thrilled fans with timely pinches, and a pension for the important PP tally last season finished last season at +/- +15. This season he has not been paired with stay at home dman Mark Stuart as often, due in large part to Stuart missing several weeks with a broken sternum, the result has been Hunwick struggling with his positioning and not sealing his man on the crease. Hunwick is chasing Wideman with a -9, Claude please do not continue to put them on the ice together, both are STRONG candidates for the press box, but with Andrew Ference, usually low man on the +/- totem pole (not in a good way) out with a groin injury, Julien is probably not thrilled at the prospect of another Baby B in the line-up not necessitated by injury, but by ineptitude. If I were GM, and Chia might only wish that on his worst enemy at present, I would be shopping Wideman to anyone who would take him, with the knowledge that the best he could hope for in return would be a low round draft pick. More signs the defensive apocalypse is upon the Bruins, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Zdeno Chara is a plus 4, but is second on the team in penalty minutes (behind Shawn Thornton), not exactly what you hope for from your best blueliner who is skating around like he is carrying a dozen eggs and is afraid to scramble a few. I absolutely REFUSE to use, site, or compare “hits” statistics as they are arbitrary, undefined, and honestly the most misleading statistic the league pretends to log. But it is fair to say Chara has not doled out punishment as he did a season ago.

So what is wrong with the Bruins?? I am not sure it is anything that the struggling New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, or Montreal Canadiens haven’t been asking themselves of late. The Flyers struggled early, and seem to have righted the ship but the Bruins have been bitten by the injury bug, and the load has been made heavier by the team’s stray from what they did best last season…play with high energy, play for each other, and play with a chip on their shoulder the size of Steve Ott and Sean Avery.

They have had a week to heal, and with some luck Savard is tired of sitting in the press box eating yogurt and watching his team getting eaten alive. Lucic will be another week stronger, and another week angrier, and Sturm and Steve Begin another week closer to rejoining their club that has struggled mightily in their absence. Hopefully the team will not be playing like individuals afraid of getting traded, but will start fighting for their playoff lives. More than a few Eastern Conference teams had the opportunity to help dig the hole even deeper for the B’s, but none seemed to have the parts and pieces necessary to close the deal. The Bruins have had a week to digest where their efforts, or lack thereof, have left them after 51 games and on Friday night we get to see if they will skate with the fire and passion that fans expect from the guys who wear the spoked –B or if they will continue to wallow in self-pity for not fulfilling the promise of the season. As a native New Englander, I prefer my teams to be underdog, pull themselves up by the bootstrap, mudders (if you are not old enough to know what any of that means, use Google to look it up)…I am not familiar with my teams being front runners and gliding to the finish, so it is time for this team, MY Bruins team, to roll up their sleeves, grab their lunch pail, don their hard hat and come out swinging!