Boston Sports Then and Now

Boychuk punishes former Bruin Phil Kessel

The additions of Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin are certainly the Bruins biggest moves of the offseason but the re-signing of one of their own should have a big impact on the Bruins back end.

Johnny Boychuk was a revelation for the Bruins last season. After spending about a quarter of the season watching from the press box, the patient Boychuk got his opportunity as the injury bug hit the Bruins and his play earned him a permanent role on the Bruins blueline.

In his last full season with Providence, Boychuk scored twenty goals and sixty-five points in seventy-eight games. He did not approach those totals in his first season of active duty at the NHL game but he brought an all around defensive game that opened eyes around the league while showing flashes of why he was a dominate force in the AHL.

The former Eddie Shore award winner, awarded to the AHL’s best defenseman, netted five goals and fifteen points in 51 games for Boston, a decent total when you consider he had previously played in just five total NHL games.

His powerful slapshot always seemed to find it’s way to the net on the powerplay, although not in the net as much as he would have liked, and came to be respected and feared by the opposition.

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Brady’s hair outshines Rams

Since his appearance courtside during the NBA Finals, Tom Brady has drawn a lot of comparisons to Justin Bieber. They say it’s the hair. I’m not sure if that’s the case. I’ve never seen this Bieber kid, but from what I’ve heard, he’s the apple of the eye of every 12-year old girl whose mother thought Nick Carter was “dreamy” and couldn’t wait until marriage.

But last night at the Razor, it seems like Brady’s anti-fro got in his eyes. Or at least it must have seemed that way to the Rams’ secondary, who couldn’t get a read on anything that Brady was doing as he tore them up for over 270 yards and three touchdowns.

It seems the glare had its effect on the Pats’ defense, too, as they found themselves completely unable to stop anything, much less the laser arm of Sam Bradford, as the Rams defeated the Pats, 36-35 on a last-second Josh Brown field goal.

It all leaves one to wonder: Is Bradford the anti-Bieber? And if so, why hasn’t Jive records signed him to a deal?

Didn't he used to be so cute?

Red Sox continue to tread water in soggy Fens

This week at the YMCA, the “Tuna” group completed its first diving classes. The class is comprised mostly of once-members of the 2010 Boston Red Sox, and all 38 players passed with flying colors, although there were a few question marks during the class itself. Dustin Pedroia – once MVP and Rookie of the Year on the baseball diamond – spoke at length prior to the class about how he “invented the laser show” and didn’t “need no newfangled swimming lessons.”
Former Red Sox centerfielder and leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury complained that hitting the water “made [his] tummy hurt,” and some other whiny nonsense.

While the incapacitated version of the 2010 Red Sox were busy learning to swim, their able colleagues spent the week treading water in a rain-soaked Fenway Park against the soon-to-be Oklahoma City Mariners. Or Tornadoes. Well, whatever. Just don’t let the Starbucks guy near them.

Rondo leaves team USA, takes his Red Bull with him

Director of U.S. Basketball operations Jerry Colangelo is currently in talks with representatives from Five-Hour Energy, Monster and the Guys Who Used to Make Surge as he attempts to procure a method for giving his FIBA world championships team some motivation to win after stud point guard and Celtics poster-boy Rajon Rondo unexpectedly left the team, citing family issues. When asked about the circumstances surrounding his departure, Rondo noted that “one, I don’t play with no high-falootin’ Lakers and two, none of those guys are even close to 33. Didn’t Colangelo know I only play with guys who are past their prime?” He went on to amend his earlier statement, saying that “Glen Davis? He ain’t past his prime yet. But dude’s messed up something wicked.”

Colangelo’s attempts to procure another energy provider have not been terribly successful thus far. If talks with the energy beverage companies stay at an impasse, Colangelo has noted that he may pursue a relationship with National Grid because, while it may not give energy to the US team, it will also “knock the power out of those Canadian bastards, eh?” If all else fails, Colangelo has BP listed as his last resort.

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The greatest rivalry in hockey was a bit… lacking last season, for lack of a better description. When the Montreal Canadiens came to visit TD Garden there was of course the usual “USA” chants and a healthy dose of “Habs Suck!” but there was something missing about the atmosphere, on and off the ice.

The rivalry has admittedly been mostly one sided in favor of the Canadiens throughout the years as the majority of the Bruins most heart breaking memories came at the hands of the hated Habs.

An iconic photo that sums up the Boston-Montreal rivalry.

The bitterness of the rivalry throughout the years can probably be best summed up in a classic picture of Bruins goalie Jim Henry and Canadiens famed scorer Maurice Richard shaking hands, both looking especially battered and bloody, after Richard’s goal sent the Bruins home in the 1952 playoffs.

Between 1944 and 1988 the Bruins lost to the Canadiens in the playoffs 18 consecutive times. In the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs the Boston machine was derailed by a young goaltender named Ken Dryden.

In game seven of the 1979 playoffs, the Bruins held a 4-3 lead over the Canadiens as the third period was coming to a close. The Don Cherry coached Bruins were caught with too many men on the ice and the Canadiens went on the powerplay.

Seconds later a Guy Lafleur laser found the back of the Bruins net and the game was tied and a Yvon Lambert overtime goal completed another chapter in the Bruins book of heartbreak as Boston let yet another chance slip away.

Thirteen years after Dryden upset the Bruins, little known goalie Steve Penney started in the playoffs for Montreal and helped the Canadiens sweep a Bruins team that had racked up 49 regular season wins. Penny and Montreal’s three game sweep of the overwhelmingly favored Bruins left Bruins fans bitter once again.

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Thomas is ready to win back the starting job.

As the calender turned to August and Tim Thomas was still a member of the Boston Bruins, many fans began to groan. After Blake Wheeler re-signed following arbitration and Tyler Seguin signed his entry level deal the cries to trade Thomas despite a poor goalie market became even louder.

However, a healthy competition between Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask could be exactly what the Bruins need, despite the low salary cap room.

Thomas did not have a bad season when looking at his numbers, but much like the rest of the team he did not live up to the lofty standards he set in his Vezina winning campaign last season. Thomas let in his fair share of soft goals this season and was booed on occasion by the TD Garden crowd. He dealt with a broken hand early in the season, a hip injury late in the season and eventually lost his starting job to rookie Tuukka Rask.

But do not mention injuries to Thomas. He is the type of player that does not make excuses for himself and will be the first to tell you that injuries were not the cause of his down season. He talks of wanting to get back to his Vezina winning form and prove to everyone he is still a number one goalie.

And that is by far Thomas’ best trait. A goalie can learn to be better positionally, to take better angles, to learn traits of opposing players but the determination and fire Thomas possesses cannot be taught.

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Fred Cusick's dedication, and voice, will never be forgotten.

The Bruins are not defined only by the legends that have laced up the skates for this great organization or the men behind the bench commanding the boys in black and gold.

There are others, some who used only their voice, who helped make iconic moments in Boston Bruins history that much greater with their exuberant passion from the broadcast booth.

One of those men, perhaps the greatest, is the late Fred Cusick. Cusick who was the signature voice of the Bruins for over 40 years before retiring in 1997.

But Cusick was more than just the voice of the Bruins; he was not simply a man trying to earn a paycheck announcing games. He loved hockey and he loved the Bruins, a love so deep you could noticeably hear it in his voice during every call.

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Ryder's teammates need more from him this season.

The Florida Panthers generally do not top any NHL player’s wish list if you asked them which team they would like to get traded if they absolutely had to be traded. Chances are the Panthers would not even be in the top 25.

But Dennis Wideman is probably excited about Florida’s hurricane season, storms that may actually be less harsh than the boos rained down upon Wideman all last season from the TD Garden crowd.

Boston is a city starving for a Cup and has a zero tolerance policy for underperforming players, a fact Wideman can certainly attest to. With Wideman gone, Michael Ryder could soon become the new focal point of the TD Garden crowd’s wrath.

Like most of his teammates Ryder had a down year, his 33 points the second lowest total of his career. His 18 goals scored were also the second lowest total of his career, with two of those goals coming in a regular season finale in Washington in which neither team was even trying.

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