The Staals, Seguin, and Neely

Almost. The Boston Bruins were trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins by two goals after just 41 seconds had elapsed in the second period of their game Saturday afternoon and the popular feeling was, “…we’ve got them right where we want them.” The Bruins had come from behind earlier in the week in Pittsburgh when they erased a two goal deficit only to win by two goals but it was not meant to be Saturday. The B’s did what is becoming their quick strike attack routine on goals by Dennis Seidenberg and Michael Ryder in a span of 13 seconds in the second period to tie the game at 2 goals apiece but Penguins goaltender Marc Andre Fleury took over and dominated Boston. He stopped all 20 Boston shots in the third period and Jordan Staal scored to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win. Staal was the other dominant force for the Pens. The 22 year old center scored a goal and an assist in 21:31 of playing time and was strong in all three zones throughout the game. Staal is another young player in the National Hockey League who is quickly becoming a star and will be an impact player for years to come.

Come the middle of this coming week, the Bruins will have seen enough of Staal family members. The black and gold will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a home and home series Monday and Tuesday. The Hurricanes are led by captain Eric Staal. Younger brother, Jared, is learning the rigors of the pro game with the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. Twenty-six year old Eric Staal will bring his 22 goals and 24 assists with him and he will certainly be looking to expand on those totals in both games against Boston. In his seven NHL seasons, Staal has played 523 career games and amassed 474 points. He is a threat to score every time he steps on the ice. I witnessed Eric’s ability to take over a game when I coached against him in a minor/youth hockey tournament when he was 12 years old. My son played on the team I coached and after the game, my son said to me, “…that Staal kid is going to play in the NHL some day…” Obviously, my son’s prediction came true. He also said that about a certain 11 year old goalie who was from Quebec City, during a different tournament. A certain Marc Andre Fleury. It is a shame my son couldn’t predict the lottery.

Memorabilia collectors will be excited to see rookie Tyler Seguin has passed inspection at the Upper Deck Rookie Boot Camp. Seguin was among twenty-three NHL rookies who took part in filming skits that promote Upper Deck’s new 2010 NHLPA Rookie Showcase collectible cards. The skit the B’s forward appears in is titled, “Give the Fans What They Want.” It includes three young fans asking for a little more than an autograph. You can see it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roeu-HZvw04

Do you like to skate? Do you like to make a difference in the lives of others? If you answered yes to both of those questions or even just one then make plans to participate in The Neely SK8 Challenge presented by Liberty Mutual. Beginning February 4, 2011 The Neely SK8 Challenge will kick off its annual event to raise funds for families that have children fighting cancer. Five public skating events have been scheduled at five different rinks throughout Massachusetts. Every skater will receive a t-shirt and the skater who raises the most funds at each rink will receive a free autographed Cam Neely jersey. Other prizes to be awarded at each skating session will be four tickets to a Bruins game where the winners will sit in a private suite and meet Cam Neely. Other great prizes will be awarded to other top fund raisers and they all include going to a B’s game. For more information on the prizes, dates, times, and locations, of the skating sessions visit http://bruins.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=58397.

After the two games versus Carolina, the Bruin will welcome the Buffalo Sabres to Beantown then embark on a two game western road trip that will take them to Colorado and Los Angeles before returning home to skate against the Florida Panthers. The B’s skates will be sharpened as part of their preparation for those games with the hopes of defeating all of those opponents . Now, go get your skates sharpened and prepare to raise as much money as possible to help children defeat cancer.

For all news pertaining to the NHL in general…..please visit  Too Many Men on the Site – Fansided`s excellent coverage of the Greatest Game on Ice !

Shawn Hutcheon can be followed on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/@shawnhutcheon. You can also become his friend on facebook by going to www.facebook.com/shawnhutcheon.