HJS {l Wrote}:Stay classy Boston.
http://chirpstory.com/li/6781
It was 24 hours later...
HJSleepatthewheel
HJS {l Wrote}:Stay classy Boston.
http://chirpstory.com/li/6781
claver2010 {l Wrote}:Everyone I've met from Duxbury sucks
HJS {l Wrote}:Stay classy Boston.
http://chirpstory.com/li/6781
HJS {l Wrote}:claver2010 {l Wrote}:Everyone I've met from Duxbury sucks
Even Billy and Mickey Curley????
Endless Mike {l Wrote}:HJS {l Wrote}:Stay classy Boston.
http://chirpstory.com/li/6781
Funny how one of the first posts you see is a guy with a Red Wings logo as his avatar. Top notch reporting there.
bignick33 {l Wrote}:Just to try to smoke her out of hiding, in reverse chronological order:Eagledom {l Wrote}:Its pretty simple. It takes more than one guy to win a hockey playoff series. Semin, the overall Power Play, lack of focus on Defensive play, and a hot goalie are why the Caps lost last year.....it wasn't because OV didn't show up He will win a cup. Your over-the-top hatred for him clouds your senses. His team will be in the next round. The mighty Bruins will not.Eagledom {l Wrote}:Tim Thomas wishes the B's could score more than 1 fucking goal in 2 playoff games. What an offense he has in front of him. Looks like maybe he could use, I don't know...maybe a guy like OV who can actually put the puck in the net.
See ya Bruins.Eagledom {l Wrote}:flyingelvii {l Wrote}:Eagledom {l Wrote}:nice start for this crap bruins team. This is fun to watch. Especially without the cheapshot artist in the lineup.
Ovechkin isn't on the Bruins so they haven't been dressing the cheapshot artist all year.
no he's not. the bruins can only wish they had someone with his skill, attitude, and will to win. I guess that's why it is very possible the Caps will be playing the Habs in round 2.Eagledom {l Wrote}:wow. I knew the rangers sucked, but they can't even get a sniff against this Caps team. Unbelievable. Caps are playing some TREMENDOUS hockey right now. Its gonna be good to get an early out in the quarterfinals. and by the way, keep it up Gionta against that fucking awful Bruins team.Eagledom {l Wrote}:It has nothing to do with seeds. The Caps have a great shot because they are a better team this year compared to 2010 and play a style more suited to the playoffs. The Bruins won't make it because they suck. Great 1st game against the Habs by the way.Eagledom {l Wrote}:Haha...don't look now, but the #1 team in the East is....THE CAPS! Yup, that's right. Their best dman has been out for a month and yet, they are by far the hottest team in hockey and have just overtaken the flyers for the top seed. Arnott is the addittion they needed to win the cup. Sorry, bruins fans.
There are plenty of other goodies, so maybe I'll post those later if I'm still bored.
With Tim Thomas‘ no-trade clause set to expire on July 1, rumors about the Boston Bruins moving the great (but aging) netminder keep building. (It doesn’t help when news surfaces that Thomas moved his family to Colorado.) Another rather strange possibility surfaced via Pierre LeBrun during a rumor-packed “Insider Trading” segment on TSN, though: Thomas might even consider sitting out the 2012-13 season entirely.
It’s hard to imagine such a scenario, especially since a) he’s not getting any younger at 38, b) it’s a contract year and c) he fought so hard to become an NHL regular – not to mention elite – in the first place.
That being said, LeBrun is correct in calling this past season a tumultuous one for Thomas. The unorthodox goalie has had a strange way of following up Vezina-winning campaigns with shaky encores; he was usurped by Tuukka Rask in 2009-10 and then dealt with the White House controversy this season.
Thomas would get a break from a tough year and some might point out that it would be a way of “sticking it” to the Bruins in the process. Even if he doesn’t play next season, his $5 million cap hit would take a chunk out of Boston’s budget because he has a 35+ contract (barring CBA changes, naturally). They wouldn’t actually be forced to pay Thomas that money, yet the Bruins wouldn’t be able to bolster their lineup with it either.
Again, this is far from confirmed, but it would add another huge wrinkle to a staggering falling-out between a Vezina, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup-winning goalie and his team just a year after a dazzling peak.
Experienced Cross taking a leadership role among B's prospects
June 30, 2012, 4:15 pm
WILMINGTON, Mass. – Tommy Cross is finally ready for his Bruins Development Camp graduation.
The Boston College defensemen and Connecticut native was a part of the first development camp six years ago that included Milan Lucic and David Krejci, and has been tracked by the Bruins through his hockey career at the Heights.
In fact Bruins third round pick Matthew Grzelcyk remembered Cross being on the ice as he sat in the Ristuccia Arena stands a couple of years ago watching development camp as a 16-year-old Bruins fan.
That kind of makes Cross feel like the old guy at prospect camp, doesn’t it?
“Really…[Grzelcyk] said that?” said Cross. “Wow, I guess that does make me feel a little old. Thanks for telling me that.
“[Development] camp has been a great learning tool for me. It just so happened that I came to the first one when I was 17 years old and went to college for four years. I wouldn’t change that experience at all.”
In truth that’s the kind of veteran presence that a strong, tough, stay-at-home defenseman prospect like Cross needs to exhibit, and will suit him well in the world of pro hockey after getting two AHL games under his belt at the end of last season.
Now the 22-year-old Cross is signed, sealed and delivered to the Bruins, and he’s likely headed to the Providence Bruins for some AHL seasoning while preparing for a run at an NHL job. Cross helped the Eagles to a pair of NCAA championships and overcame knee injuries that hampered his development in college, and now the Bruins are hoping that the 6-foot-3, 195-pound bruiser develops that same winning aura in the pros as he did in college.
“The guys in the AHL are older and it’s a little bit of a controlled style,” said Cross, who put up 24 points in 44 games for Boston College last season. “College hockey was a great place to learn, grow and prepare myself for a new level.”
Much of that starts with attitude. Cross showed plenty of that in Saturday’s practice session as he got tangled up with Jared Knight by the boards during a battle drill, and both players got in a little stick-work and shoving before heading back toward the benches.
Cross gave Knight a long glare at the end of the exchange, and that’s exactly the kind of physicality, grit and attitude the Bruins are looking for out of the physically impressive defenseman.
“It’s good for Tommy. For him to be a National Hockey League player he’s going to have to develop a bit of that edge. Knight is a guy that naturally bowls his way toward the net. That’s just the way he plays and Tommy is going to have to stop those kinds of players,” said Cassidy. “It’s good for him to show some push-back and if he develops that side of his game that will be a good thing for him.”
Providence Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he’d encourage Cross to watch video of Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg if he’s looking for directions to take his on-ice game.
“His first [AHL] game he was a little tentative, and we had a little chat about what he had to do better. That second game he was crisper, he was snapping passes and physical when he needed to be,” said Cassidy. “It was night and day, but it’s too small a sample size to say what we’ll be getting out of him. But we need more of that second game guy.
“He’s a very mature guy, he’s a winner and I think he’s going to figure it out. Whether he’s good enough, who knows? But that’s the game he needs to bring to us. Because he’s a big-bodied guy he can be a Seidenberg-type player where he physically moves guys and can make that good first pass.”
Nobody is expecting Cross to immediately show signs of German engineering in his game like Seidenberg, but that’s a pretty lofty goal to shoot for a Boston College kid looking to make an impact in the B’s organization.
Tommy Cross’ time has come
Bruins’ 2007 pick ready to embark on pro career
By Steve Conroy
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 - Updated 1 hour ago
WILMINGTON — In one sense, Tommy Cross seems much older than his 22 years.
The roster from his first Bruins [team stats] development camp, in 2007, includes several players whose names are engraved on the Stanley Cup: Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, Adam McQuaid, David Krejci.
It feels like a long time ago.
“I was 17 years old and you look at the roster of that camp and a majority of guys have played games in the NHL and a lot of them are regulars in the NHL in the Bruins organization,” Cross said. “So to be around those guys when I was young definitely made an impression, and I still remember a lot of things from that camp.”
But now, after a four-year career at Boston College and three right knee surgeries that threatened to derail him, Cross is ready to start his professional career. And he’s beginning to once again resemble the prospect he was in ’07, when the B’s traded up a few spots to select him with the 35th overall pick.
During camp, he used his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame to his advantage and, in yesterday’s scrimmage, he even sneaked a point shot past his old BC teammate Parker Milner for a goal.
“It’s just great to see him healthy,” said assistant general manager Don Sweeney, adding that Cross is learning to do the maintenance work to keep the knee healthy. “That’s something that he’s going to fight forever, but he understands it better now and it’s translated onto the ice in his game. You saw the physical presence that he has and he has that patience on the blue line, to wait that extra second so his shot gets through.
“Tommy is looking forward to moving up in the pro game now. He’s a guy that likes to complete what he started. He did it in prep school and he certainly did it as a captain at BC, and now I think he’s really excited about getting into the pro game and seeing where he stacks up.”
Cross was healthy his senior season, in which the Eagles won the national championship. He played in all 44 games, notching 5-19-24 totals.
“My team had a good year and I felt I had a really good year for myself. But ultimately what I cared about was winning, and we did that,” Cross said. “I think I’m in a good spot to have a good summer heading into camp. I need to keep working on a lot of things and keep learning.”
At the end of the season, he also got in a couple of AHL games for Providence.
“I picked up a lot,” Cross said, adding that he needs to work on puck retrieval, defensive-zone coverage and one-on-ones. “It was good to get a taste of pro hockey, learn the system, watch video on the system, and then play in it, figure out what my role is and what my responsibilities are on the ice.”
The games were on back-to-back nights at the end of the season, and Providence coach Bruce Cassidy liked the way he took to coaching.
“His first game, he was a little tentative,” Cassidy said. “We talked about what he needed to do to be more of an impact player. The second game, he was crisp with the puck, snapping passes, physical when he needed to be in terms of one-on-one confrontations . . . so (it was) night and day between the two games.
“But (with) such a small sample size that it’s hard to say which one you’re going to see more of, but we need more of the second game and I think Tommy will bring that. He’s a very mature guy. He’s a winner and he’ll figure it out. Now whether he’s good enough, who knows down the road with any of them? But that’s the game Tommy should bring to us, or Boston — however it shakes out for him.
“Because he’s a big-bodied guy. I don’t think he’s a fighter, but he can be like a (Dennis) Seidenberg-type player where he can outmuscle guys and move the puck, make a good first pass. That’s the kind of comparison I would use for Tommy if he ends up in Providence.”
And if Cross can turn into another Seidenberg, then the Bruins [team stats] will really have something.
Cross is a seasoned rookie
By Fluto Shinzawa
Globe Staff / July 3, 2012
WILMINGTON — When the Bruins’ development camp kicked off last Thursday, Tommy Cross had barely strapped on his gear when the jokes began to fly.
The camp, which concluded at Ristuccia Arena on Monday, was the sixth such gathering since 2007. Cross has been present for all of them. The most popular dig is that the camp should be renamed in the 22-year-old Cross’s honor.
“He wins the award for longevity here,” cracked assistant general manager Don Sweeney.
The camp’s honorary graybeard – 23-year-old invitee Justin Courtnall was officially the elder statesman — is finally entering the next phase of his career.
During each previous camp, Cross had to practice caution to retain his NCAA eligibility. That meant, compared to the CHL players, paying his own way at the team hotel to even forking over his own cash for lunch. After each camp, Cross was either preparing to return to the classroom at either the Westminster School or Boston College.
Now, hockey is a job instead of an amateur pursuit. This September, for the first time in his career, Cross will attend training camp in his chase for a spot on the varsity roster.
“Just doing the best I can to get ready for training camp in the fall,” said Cross.
Cross ended his NCAA career as an oxymoron: a four-year collegian. Cross wrung the most out of his college experience. As a sophomore, Cross became a national champion. As a senior, Cross (five goals, 19 assists in 44 games) captained the team that won its second title in three years. Cross majored in communications, minored in international studies, and is proud to consider himself a college graduate. Cross’s Chestnut Hill buddies (classmates include Barry Almeida, Paul Carey, Edwin Shea, and Chris Venti) are friends he’ll have for life.
“One, I wanted to win a national championship,” said Cross when explaining his decision to stay for four years. “We didn’t accomplish that my junior year. That’s something I wanted to do. Two, I didn’t feel like I had maxed out at that level. I felt I had some new levels to reach in the college ranks. Three, I made a commitment to them for four years. I honored that commitment.”
Cross’s four-year stay at BC, however, was partly out of necessity.
Even before the Bruins drafted Cross in June of 2007, the defenseman was struck with knee injuries. On June 23, 2007, when the Bruins traded second- and third-round picks to Chicago to draft Cross at No. 35, he approached their draft table on crutches.
Cross was limited to 24 games as a BC freshman in 2008-09. During his junior season, Cross dressed for 28 games.
In hindsight, Cross needed all four college seasons to overcome his injuries and fulfill his amateur development.
“I thought about it, absolutely,” Cross said of turning pro early. “But in the end, I thought it was best for me, as a hockey player, to be there to learn, continue to play, get my degree, then take the next step.”
Those injuries have changed Cross from the player the Bruins traded up for into the player he is now. Before Cross’s knee troubles, the Bruins believed they were drafting a dynamic-skating, hard-hitting, high-character two-way defenseman. Five years later, the Bruins acknowledge that as a pro, Cross probably won’t have the explosive mobility he once expected to have.
“It’s really hard to track him in that context because of the injuries,” Sweeney said when asked about Cross’s development at BC. “When we drafted him, you sort of see the athleticism and the dynamic skating aspect of his game. That’s changed a little bit. That’s just the facts he’s been faced with to change his game along those lines. He makes better reads in terms of his transitional passing. Whereas before, he might have been able to skate himself out of those situations. He’s done a good job. I think I’ve tracked that a little bit tighter the last two years, because that’s certainly going to have to be upheld at the next level as the game picks up more and more speed, and how he’s going to react to that.”
By his senior season, Cross matured into a safer, more reliable defenseman. Cross should be the same as a pro. Cross, who should start 2012-13 in Providence, projects to be a bottom-pairing, stay-at-home NHL defenseman. His coaches will expect Cross to play a conservative and physical game.
In that nature, Cross could become a defensive defenseman in the mold of ex-Bruin Mark Stuart. The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound Cross likes to lean on forwards and plays with some bite. Cross will have to hone that edge as a pro. He will be expected to fight when necessary.
“The physical component of his game, I think, will continue to get better and better in the pro environment,” said Sweeney. “In the college environment, as a forward, I think you’re involved a little more physically. As a defenseman, it’s probably a little harder, except down low and in front of the net. Tommy seems to understand when to step up in the neutral zone and pick his spots. Physically, I think he’s looking forward to the challenge of what bigger and stronger guys at the pro level represent.”
claver2010 {l Wrote}:A black goalie to Boston? What could possibly go wrong?
eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
apparently the Flyers have frontloaded it absurdly to the tune of 26 Million dollars. Forbes valued the preds at 163 million dollars in 2011. That's almost 15% of the franchises total value.
bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
apparently the Flyers have frontloaded it absurdly to the tune of 26 Million dollars. Forbes valued the preds at 163 million dollars in 2011. That's almost 15% of the franchises total value.
Shouldn't the Flyers focus on getting a competent goalie rather than spending $100 mil on a d-man and forfeiting four 1st round picks in the process?
eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
apparently the Flyers have frontloaded it absurdly to the tune of 26 Million dollars. Forbes valued the preds at 163 million dollars in 2011. That's almost 15% of the franchises total value.
Shouldn't the Flyers focus on getting a competent goalie rather than spending $100 mil on a d-man and forfeiting four 1st round picks in the process?
Don't know, how much does a sick 1st pairing make a goalie?
eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
apparently the Flyers have frontloaded it absurdly to the tune of 26 Million dollars. Forbes valued the preds at 163 million dollars in 2011. That's almost 15% of the franchises total value.
Shouldn't the Flyers focus on getting a competent goalie rather than spending $100 mil on a d-man and forfeiting four 1st round picks in the process?
Don't know, how much does a sick 1st pairing make a goalie?
bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:bignick33 {l Wrote}:eagle9903 {l Wrote}:Flyers sign Shea Weber to a 14 year 100+ million dollar offer sheet. Will Preds match?
That's very similar to what Suter got on the open market. I think Weber is the better player, and I think the Preds will/must match. They came pretty close to those numbers with their final offer to Suter.
apparently the Flyers have frontloaded it absurdly to the tune of 26 Million dollars. Forbes valued the preds at 163 million dollars in 2011. That's almost 15% of the franchises total value.
Shouldn't the Flyers focus on getting a competent goalie rather than spending $100 mil on a d-man and forfeiting four 1st round picks in the process?
Don't know, how much does a sick 1st pairing make a goalie?
If you're illustrating that having good denfesemen is better than not having good defensemen, you'll obviously find no disagreement from me. What I was getting is that $100 mil and 4 first round draft picks is a very steep price to pay for Weber, despite that he is obviously one of the best d-men in the league. This is especially the case when the team he is playing for has had a rotating cast of clowns in net (including a current one who is compensated handsomely for little to nothing) who go through stretches of struggling to stop even the easiest of shots with any consistency. This is not to discount that Ilya has them by the balls. He does. However, if I were Holmgren, I would be throwing a crazy amount of resources (draft picks, $$ for coaches throughout the system, time, etc) at young goalies to try to end this increasingly long-standing Achilles Heal. Moreso than the $$, forfeiting the four first round draft picks would hamper this effort.
eagle9903 {l Wrote}:are there hockey nerds in boston like there are here? the best flyers blog (for information purposes) is filled with advanced stats geeks and cba quoting weirdos.
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