Do You Want Me to Thank Your Wife, Manny?

Well the awards show is over...THANK GOD, and if you don't know what my title means then you definitely missed the only funny thing that happened. I am happy all three of the Bruins won their awards, respectively, but the show was a mess. (good article on that, read here: http://bit.ly/gIAog )

Alright, so I'm going to start with the Calder Trophy, also known as "Rookie of the Year". The nominees up for this one all had amazing seasons, but I knew who I wanted to win and I knew who was GOING to win. Steve Mason, hands down, had this award. He is probably 90% of the reason Columbus earned themselves a playoff berth. I'm glad for him.

Now on to the Lester B. Pearson Award, which is given to the player most outstanding in regular season. I wanted Evgeni Malkin to win this because I feel as though he works so hard, and sometimes goes unnoticed just because of how amazing Alex Ovechkin is. I love Ovechkin, but everybody already knows how great he can be. So as you can tell from what I just said, Ovie did end up winning this award. Yay for Ovie.

I'm skipping out of order from when they were given out simply to get all the Pavel Datsyuk ones out of the way. I'm a big fan of Datsyuk, his play, and skills but think one of the awards he won could have also gone to another nominee. That award being the Frank J. Selke Award given to an outstanding defensive forward. The other two nominees were Ryan Kesler and Mike Richards, both who deserved this as well. The other award Datsyuk won was the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which he's won several times before. This one I think he deserved more than the other nominees in Marty St. Louis and Zach Parise. Jeez, Datsyuk wins all these awards yet; his English still isn't that great? Oh well, next award.

Time for the MVP. I probably should have saved that for last, but I'm doing the Bruins hat trick last seeing as how it was my favorite part of the night. OK so the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) went to whom else but Ovie once again! This is another one Malkin could have won, but he has the Stanley Cup so I guess that's all that matters.

Masterton Trophy is one of my favorite trophies because it's awarded to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." Players who win this always deserve it and last nights winner was Steve Sullivan from the Nashville Predators. I was really hoping he'd win and not Richard Zednik. I know Zednik went through a tramatic time when he was cut with a blade of a skate, but I've always had a random grudge against this player since his days in Montreal. Enough about him though, it's time for the boys of Boston.

I was very proud to have my Bruins take home four awards. The Jennings Trophy I already knew they had won, since it's given to the pair of goalies who allow the least amount of goals in regular season, so that's not what the best part about it was. It was the humor of Tim Thomas, which Bruins fans usually only understand. Last night he was thanking the organization, coaches, team, and his family which is basically the same people Manny Fernandez would need to thank. So casually he turned to Fernandez and said "Do you want me to thank your wife, Manny?" There you have my title of this post!

Thomas also was awarded the Vezina Trophy for outstanding goaltender. His speech for this was what I thought was the best of the night; hopefully I'm not being too biased there. I can't explain how excited I was for him. He deserved this award. Zdeno Chara finally won the James Norris Memorial Trophy awarded to the most outstanding defenseman. He was nominated last year, but favorite Nick Lidstrom had won it again. Not this year, it was Chara's turn. Last, is the Jack Adams Award. It’s an award for the most outstanding coach. Bruins bench boss, Claude Julien, won for turning this Bruins team in the right direction. This made my night complete, and it was a hat trick for the Boston Bruins.

(see video of Tim Thomas & Manny Fernandez here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JINCxuG-Fgw )

And the Nominees Are...

The NHL Awards Ceremony is only a day away and hopefully this year some awards will be brought home to Boston.The 2008-2009 Bruins roster was successful, hard working, and overall determined. Those three qualities definitely deserve some recognition from the NHL and the writers who vote for the winners. There are three Bruins up for awards, including Coach Claude Julien, goaltender Tim Thomas, and six-foot-nine defenseman Zdeno Chara, Chara being up for two.

Starting with Chara, what else can you say about this man besides he's a big impact? Well, he's up for the Norris Trophy once again which is given to the best defenseman. Chara is more than deserving. He is a hard hitter, who's strong on the puck, with that touch of being an offensive threat. On the power play, goalies must prepare themselves for his one-timer from the blueline. A four time All Star, he defended his Hardest Shot title for the third straight year at the All-Star SuperSkills competition, breaking the Skills all-time record with a mind blowing 105.4 mph. Since being with the Bruins, he's done nothing but improve. In his first season in 2006, he recorded 11 goals earning 43 points. This past season he recorded 19 goals with a total of 50 points. He also ended the season being a reasonable +/- of 23. Chara is up against defending Norris Trophy winner Nick Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, and Capitals' Mike Green.

The other award Chara is a finalist for is the Mark Messier Leadership Award, where he is up against the face of the NHL in Sidney Crosby from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and also Flames' forward Jarome Iginla. The Messier Award is an award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society. It honors a player who leads by a positive example in their on ice performance as well as their motivation to teammates and the community. All three finalists easily deserve this. Chara supports the Right to Play Program which works with volunteers to use sport and play to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage. During the 2009 All-Star Game, Chara set up a competition with fellow hockey players participating in the Hardest Shot. Each player donated $1,000 and their teams matched it with the league adding on an extra $6,000 making the total come to $18,000. The winner of the event got to donate the money to a charity of their choice, Chara of course, being the winner. As captain of the Bruins, he is also a great example for teammates and young guys. His work ethic is one to envy, and I think this award was made for him.

When I found out that the goalie I watch play every game was up for the Vezina Trophy, I was probably almost excited as Tim, himself. The Vezina Trophy is handed “to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position.” Bruins net minder, Tim Thomas, is phenomenal with his acrobatic saves and the intensity he brings every night. Thomas is a two time All-Star and has recorded two win in his appearances. Since the 2002-2003 season, Bruins fans knew there was something about Thomas' style of goaltending that was unlike the usual. Over the years he has become the starting goaltending for the B's and this past season; he earned himself a career high in wins with 36. Both Thomas and back up goalie, Manny Fernandez, were rewarded the William Jennings Trophy for allowing the least amount of goals scored in the league. Thomas has a good shot of winning and he is up against Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom and Columbus rookie Steve Mason.

Finally onto the brilliant bench boss of the black and gold, Claude Julien. Without him, I believe the Bruins would still be the 13th placed team they were before he arrived. He turned this team in the right direction with his effective system. Julien turned many of his players into an all-around player by making each play defensivley first and then offensively. He has also given all of his young players in the system the chance to prove a spot on the team and bring this team to a new level. Julien, hands down should win the Jack Adams Award which is annually awarded to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success. He is up against San Jose's Todd McLellan and St. Louis' Andy Murray.

In my opinion I think the most deserving of these three would be Zdeno Chara for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, even though it is really hard to pick just one because all three of these Bruins deserve to win their awards respectively. From 7:30-9:00, the NHL Awards Show will be held in Las Vegas on Versus. It'll be a successful night in my opinion, if at least one Bruins can take home a prize.

A Look Back at This Years Playoffs

Yes, I watched the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, I watched just about every Stanley Cup playoff game in 2009. Although this is true, today is really the first day I got a chance to sit down and think back to all the good and bad this year's playoffs brought, including my second favorite team hoisting the Cup.

First Round: My personal favorite moment was the sweeping of the rivaled Montreal Canadiens by the team I call my own, Boston Bruins. It's been a long time coming for something as bittersweet as this to happen, and after the Bruins almost pulled an upset in last year's playoffs, this was just about the best thing that could have happened. Also grabbing some headlines was the brilliant work of a hot-tempered coach. During game five versus the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella acted as a hypocrite for his actions just after benching Sean Avery for the same reason. Washington fans sitting behind the bench insulted him and his team also pouring a beer on him, which caused him to snap. Tortorella, being an NHL coach and all, should definitely know better to keep his composure, but hey, it made for great TV. He then turned around to spray the fans with bottles of water, and throwing it into the crowd hitting a woman. Professional, right?

One last thing to remember of round one, is the Carolina Hurricanes versus the New Jersey Devils. Just this season goaltender Marty Brodeur broke the all-time record of wins and is known to be one of the best goalies ever. Well in a hard fought seven game series, he was outplayed by Carolina's net minder, Cam Ward. Twice Brodeur let up last second goals that decided the game, one being in a series deciding game seven. Carolina scored two goals in the remaining 1:20 of the game, to move onto round three. First goal came from Jussi Jokinen to tie it, and then with 31.7 seconds to go, Eric Staal put the game away.

Second Round: NHL fans know that when Sidney Crosby is in the picture, all media attention goes straight to him and his Penguins. Now add super star Alex Ovechkin to all that. It's a battle of the best. This second round series consisted of the league's top talent when the Caps faced off against the Pens. They sure didn't disappoint. In game two of the series, both Crosby and Ovechkin scored hat tricks, with Ovechkin's team winning that game. Other notables would be the Scott Walker-Aaron Ward situation. In game five, the Bruins had a 4-0 lead with only minutes remaining. Walker sucker punched Ward and he received a match penalty which means an automatic suspension. The suspension was waved off and this irked Bruins fans. Let's just say that if Walker got his two game suspension as he deserved, the Bruins probably would have made the third round...just saying.

Third Round: The Carolina-Pittsburgh series was fun to watch for me, being the Bruins and Penguins fan that I am. It was fun as a Bruins fan to simply see the Hurricanes get swept, and to see Gonchar lay out bad-guy Scott Walker. Even better than this though, was the back-handed goal scored by Evgeni Malkin. He was a one man team in this play. After the puck was dropped, Malkin got the puck through the legs of an opponent and to the corner where he was the first player to reach it. From there he skated around the net, and flipped the puck passed Cam Ward. (see goal here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLLHFRoVoKo) Malkin got a hat trick this game.

Finally, onto the Stanley Cup Finals. What a great series it was. Detroit fans must have thought it was all over once their team went up two games to none. That wasn't the case however, because on home ice, the Pens tied the series and secured themselves a game five and six. Pittsburgh was blown out in game five, losing 5-0 but went on to win 2-1 at home in game six. At this point in the series, the team at home hadn't lost in their building. This all changed in a thrilling game seven, where the Pittsburgh Penguins earned themselves their third Stanley Cup in their franchise. My favorite moment personally, was seeing Malkin win the Conn Smythe trophy, because it was well deserved. I also enjoyed seeing the youngest captain in history raise the cup. I am sad that the season is over, but it's one I will always remember.

Krejci Signed, Others Waiting

The Bruins have a lot of work to do this off season. Atop of the list is signing key components to this Bruins team, including Phil Kessel, Matt Hunwick, and Byron Bitz. Already signing David Krejci to a three year deal worth $11 million, they have to decide who is going and who is staying in order to keep their top free agents.

Krejci was phenomenal throughout the entire 2008-2009 season, establishing career highs in different aspects of his game. He played in all 82 games this season, although he suffered through injury for the better part of it. Krejci also had a new career high in goals, assists, and points as well going 22-51-73. Most Boston fans figured this top young forward would be first priority to sign. So does this signing leave room for other top young forward, Phil Kessel? I'm sure Peter Chiarelli would love to keep Phil the Thrill in Boston, but Krejci and Kessel were both outstanding through regular season and playoffs that it might just cost too much.

One advantage the personnel in the Hub of Hockey have is the injuries to both of these player and the surgeries they had. Chiarelli & Co already signed Krejci, for a reasonable amount and now it's on to Kessel. It's an advantage that Kessel had to have surgery simply because he won't be ready for the start of the season which might scare off buyers and lower his cost for the Bruins to be able to afford him.

There are some minor changes that would have to be made to this roster in order to keep Kessel and also defenseman Matt Hunwick and forward Byron Bitz. One decision needing to be made is to trade net minder, Manny Fernandez. He may have started the season off on a good note, but his nagging injury and inability to play consistently has caused him and his goaltending not wanted in Boston. Whether he retires or the B's trade him, they need to get rid of his $4.75 million contract and bring up Tuukka Rask from Providence whose price is about $850,000. Also, free agents like long-time Bruin, P.J. Axelsson, and Shane Hnidy probably won't be back next year if the Bruins are serious about signing their young players.

On the need to go list is also defenseman, Steve Montador, who did nothing to wow Bruins fans when he was acquired at the trade deadline. However, Mark Recchi who was also aquired at the trade dead line was the complete opposite. Whether or not the Bruins will re-sign him is still up in the air. With a small amount of $1.25 million, it's possible he could be suited up in a Black and Gold uniform come next October.

The roster for the 2009-2010 campaign may be completely different if the Bruins can't figure out a way to re-sign the three very important free agents in Kessel, Hunwick, and Bitz. Hopefully they don't let them all wait until July 1st, because they just might be gone. Either way it's an exciting time of year and I can't wait to see the outcome.

Game Three: Series Shifts to Pittsburgh

It was a weird sight in Mellon Arena Tuesday night. The Detroit Red Wings actually looked like they were chasing after pucks and not making picture perfect plays. Oh wait, that was only the first five minutes. Well both teams did battle and the "White Out Crowd" at the Igloo was loud and ready to criticize Marian Hossa.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. First period: Mostly back and forth play and the score is tied at two. Pittsburgh tallied first with a goal from Max Talbot. Detroit struck back to tie with a goal from Henrik Zetterberg. The Pens then found themselves down by one when Johan Franzen put it behind Fleury on the power play. It did eventually get tied up when my personal favorite Penguin, Kris Letang, scored on a Pens power play to even the score.

Second Period: Was scoreless, but not boring. There were some big hits and some good scoring chances. No goals however, so the score is still tied at two.

Third Period: Pittsburgh broke the tie about half way through the third period with a Sergei Gonchar power play goal, the Penguins second power play goal of the night. After that goal was scored, players started scrambling on both sides. Detroit because they needed to make a a comeback and Pittsburgh because they needed to hold onto their lead. Pittsburgh won that battle and the empty netter went to Max Talbot for his second of the night.

Pittsburgh went on to win 4-2 on home ice. It was a beautiful sight for Penguins fans as their team cut the series lead in half. Game five will be necessary.

Best Player of the Game: Kris Letang.

Game Two: Detroit Dominates Again

Back to back games didn't seem to tire the Detroit Red Wings. It seems as if nothing can stop them once the puck hits the ice at the start of a game. The Pittsburgh Penguins did, however, keep up most of the game. Although the game started off kind of sloppy and neither team seemed to be able to get the puck into the opponent's zone cleanly, it did pick up.

The game picked up a bit, and Detroit got some good scoring chances. Young gun, Darren Helm, did what he did best by making fools of the Penguins defenseman, and opening up space for himself. He didn't score, but did get the shot off. Detroit spent most of the first half of the opening period in the Penguins end, and shots were 6-1 in their favor. The Red Wings kept the pressure and controlled the neutral zone very well. When the Pens did finally get the puck out of their zone, Ruslan Fedotenko, who had the lone goal for his team in game one, had a good chance but was denied by Chris Osgood. The Penguins got the first power play of the night and about 40 seconds in, Evgeni Malkin put it behind Osgood after many attempts. This put the Pens up 1-0, their first lead of the series.

The second period started off with a lot of energy. Pittsburgh seemed to be a lot better along the boards and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury looked more confident. As energetic as the period was, with the Pens forcing an icing, they had some tired legs out there. Off the draw, Jonathan Ericsson took a shot from the point to tie the game up at one, assists going to Jiri Hudler and Darren Helm.

All the momentum was with Detroit and to add to that, Evgeni Malkin took the Penguins first penalty of the night. No goals were scored on the power play; however, Valtteri Filppula scored 14 seconds after it ended with a pretty goal to put Detroit up 2-1. After that goal, the game was really fast paced and non stop play. Shots by Detroit kept coming all the way until the very last second of the period.

In the beginning minutes of the third period, Sidney Crosby, who had been quiet most of the game, had a really good scoring chance out in front Osgood. He even had a second chance, but the puck bounced off the post and went under the pads of Osgood who held for a whistle. A little over two and a half minutes in, Justin Abdelkader scored his second NHL playoff goal and second of this series. This put the Red Wings up 3-1, gave Detroit all the confidence, and made the Pittsburgh bench a little tense.

Fans started chanting "Ozzy" for their goaltender at about six minute mark, as he made saves to keep the score 3-1 Detroit. He was a key component because the last five minutes was all Penguins as they tried to come back from the two goal deficit they put themselves in. The Jordan Staal line was the hardest working for the Pens and that consisted of himself, Tyler Kennedy, and Matt Cooke. The hard work didn't end up paying off as the Pens went on to lose this one 3-1.

Best Player of the Game: Jordan Staal.

Game One Goes to Detroit

The anticipated series between the Detroit Redwings and the Pittsburgh Penguins has begun and game one is in the books. Detroit took this game 3-1, and it seemed as though only a few players on the Penguins decided to show up to the game.

The first period was pretty calm for a Stanley Cup Final game and it was for the most part evenly played by both clubs. There were good chances early but defenseman Brad Stuart started off the scoring by putting the Red Wings up 1-0. About five minutes later, the score was tied when Ruslan Fedotenko found the rebound from an Evgeni Malkin shot at the point to put it in the back of the net. The score at the end of twenty minutes was 1-1 with shots at 11-7 in Detroit's favor.

The Penguins got back to back powerplays in the first ten minutes of the second period, but capitalizing on chances in neither. Although there were no goals, they created some beautiful scoring chances and the game had picked up a bit. The crowd erupted when goaltender Chris Osgood saved a breakaway opportunity for Malkin, keeping the score tied at one. With about seven minutes remaining, the Pens seemed to apply more pressure than they had the whole game, but quickly the momentum shifted to the Red Wings side. The last four to five minutes was all Detroit, and they were rewarded for their hard work with a goal, with less than a minute left to play in the period. Johan Franzen put them up 2-1 with his eleventh of the playoffs. Besides a few, typical scrums, this game hasn't been nearly as physical as I thought it would be.

Detrot kept the pressure heading into the start of the third and what do you know, within 2:46 they have a two goal lead on the Pens. Justin Abdelkader scored his first NHL goal, with the assist going to Ville Leino, who scored his first NHL point. The blame shouldn't be put on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury himself though, because it was the whole team who kept breaking down defensively. After the Abdelkader goal, it was mostly back and forth action until about the ten minute mark when Pittsburgh kicked it up a notch, spending some time in the Red Wings zone.

Even though the Penguins are a highly offensive team, watching the game it seemed as if they were nervous. I knew if they couldn't get back within one goal before there was under five minutes left, that it was going to be tough. The signs just weren't going the Penguins way, as they got many scoring chances and just couldn't capitalize. Sure enough, Detroit won their eighth straight game one. Game two is Sunday night, same place and same time. Fleury stopped 27 of 30 shots while Osgood made 31 saves.

Best Player of the Game: Chris Osgood.