Great comeback win against the Sabres last night. OK, now that we’ve discussed that, I have a question…Hey Bruins fans! Do you really want to see a Montreal Canadien starting in goal in the 2011 NHL All Star Game? I didn’t think so. However, as of this writing that is exactly what will happen if you do not begin voting for your favorite goaltender.
Canadiens goalkeeper, Carey Price, leads all players at his position in the all star balloting. Now, I admit Price is having a great season. He is one of the most improved players in the National Hockey League and he leads all NHL netminders in wins but Tim Thomas leads the league in goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. After struggling through last season, it is not a stretch to say, Thomas is THE most improved player in the NHL. So you ask, where does this place your team’s best player among NHL goaltenders in fan voting? Fourth! Yes, I said, fourth. Double T trails Price, Philadelphia Flyer rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, and Pittsburgh’s Marc Andre Fleury. Did you notice who is in second place in voting? Sergei Bobrovsky. If nothing changes, you will watch a Montreal Canadien and a Philadelphia Flyer start in front of Tim Thomas when the puck drops at the all star game in Raleigh, North Carolina on January, 30, 2011. Take a couple of deep breaths and drink some ginger ale, the nauseousness will soon begin to dissipate. We all know how important Thomas has been to the B’s up to this point. Stop the insanity. Vote here http://vote.nhl.com/ for Tim Thomas to start in this season’s all star game. Call, text, and email, your friends and family and tell them to vote and vote now. You can even vote often. This madness must end! The best goaltender in the NHL, your Tim Thomas, must be a starting goalie at this season’s NHL All Star Game. Of course, while you are voting, remember to vote for Thomas’ teammates, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and David Krejci, who are also on the ballot. You can write in another favorite player too. Go vote…after you read the rest of this blog, of course.
So far the Boston Bruins are 3-0-1 in December and seem to be back on the track that brought them to a great start out of the gate. My only concern is, excluding last night’s game, the team is still being out shot on a consistent basis. Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask are great goalies but at some point, they will need a game or two where they are not very busy. Maybe tomorrow night versus the New York Islanders?
It was announced earlier today, defenseman Mark Stuart has a broken hand. The man has the worse luck when it comes to injuries. When healthy, he is one of the steadiest, most complete, dmen in the NHL. He may never win the Norris Trophy but he can always be relied on to make the smart play and to stand up for his teammates, when the need arises.
Marco Sturm continues to be a man without a country. He continues to practice with the Bruins but knows he really is not in the team’s plans. Sturm is a classy gentleman and one hopes he can play effectively for which ever team he is traded to. The LA Kings are still interested and a deal may be completed once Sturm returns to action and can show that his knee will hold up under the stress of the NHL.
Milan Lucic continues to lead the club in scoring. He has 23 points in 26 games. People around New England want to equate Looch with Cam Neely but Lucic is really more like Terry O’Reilly. Neely was a much better skater than either Lucic or O’Reilly. Like O’Reilly, Lucic’s skating is not the best but he just gets the job done.
Sorry to see Jordan Caron go down to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League but with the return of Marc Savard, someone was going to pay the price and since the Sturm to Los Angeles deal fell through, Caron became the odd man out. No doubt he will return once Sturm departs.
How about the ageless wonder? Mark Recchi, who has a street named after him in Kamloops, British Columbia, just keeps going and going. Hard to believe he had four years of NHL experience under his belt when Tyler Seguin was born. Recchi may be 42 years old but he plays more like a 20 year old. Hey Mark, where are you hiding that fountain of youth? How great would it be to see him carry the Stanley Cup around the TD Garden ice? Is there a more deserving player than Rex?
You may go vote for Tim Thomas now http://vote.nhl.com/.
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Shawn Hutcheon can be followed on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/@shawnhutcheon. You can become his friend on facebook by going to www.facebook.com/shawnhutcheon.