The Bruins Defensive Preview - The Defense
Because of some criticism - which was not unfounded - of previous player previews, the Boston Bruins public relations team has decided it will adjust the team preview series as follows - an over view of the position (like this one), followed by the a review of all limited/no-action players. Next will be a preview of the fourth-liner or the platoon squad, if applicable. Following that, each of the first three lines will be reviewed individually, at least until we get bored of doing it. For the defense, which we begin today, we will group them by pairings. We hope the readers continue to enjoy our in-depth team prognosis, and apologize to Scott Balan's mother, who thought her baby would get a full page devoted to him.
The Boston Bruins made a series of moves in the offseason which was made in the hopes of dropping the number of goals given up, which was... excessive, to say the least. The team allowed 273 goals in the previous season, twenty-fourth worst in the league, besting only the Penguins, who somehow managed to win the Adams with a -30 goal differential); the Blue Jackets, who were not helped by a seven game skid at the end of the year; the Sabres and Senators, who both finished twelve points behind the Bruins; the Ducks, who collapsed late in the year as well and gave up on the GM prior to The Amazing Alex; and the Thrashers, who didn't even try.
Because it spent so much time in the defensive half of the ice, the team also struggled to score goals, finishing with the ninth worst goal differential in the league. Amazingly, the Bruins were in the Adams Division title hunt until the last two weeks of the season, which is more a testament to the mediocrity of the Adams than the strength of the Bruins.
Wholesale changes were made to the defense, and only four of last year's regular defenseman will return this year. Two of the departed are minimal losses - Bret Hedican and Matt Walker - while a third, Fran Kaberle, was dealt at the deadline for the best prospects available in the hopes of negotiating his return after the season. Contract talks stalled, though, and Kaberle will not return.
Five of the seven defenseman expected to see ice time in more than half the games this season are new to the Fleet Center. Whether that will be an improvement or lipstick on a pig remains to be seen.
The Boston Bruins made a series of moves in the offseason which was made in the hopes of dropping the number of goals given up, which was... excessive, to say the least. The team allowed 273 goals in the previous season, twenty-fourth worst in the league, besting only the Penguins, who somehow managed to win the Adams with a -30 goal differential); the Blue Jackets, who were not helped by a seven game skid at the end of the year; the Sabres and Senators, who both finished twelve points behind the Bruins; the Ducks, who collapsed late in the year as well and gave up on the GM prior to The Amazing Alex; and the Thrashers, who didn't even try.
Because it spent so much time in the defensive half of the ice, the team also struggled to score goals, finishing with the ninth worst goal differential in the league. Amazingly, the Bruins were in the Adams Division title hunt until the last two weeks of the season, which is more a testament to the mediocrity of the Adams than the strength of the Bruins.
Wholesale changes were made to the defense, and only four of last year's regular defenseman will return this year. Two of the departed are minimal losses - Bret Hedican and Matt Walker - while a third, Fran Kaberle, was dealt at the deadline for the best prospects available in the hopes of negotiating his return after the season. Contract talks stalled, though, and Kaberle will not return.
Five of the seven defenseman expected to see ice time in more than half the games this season are new to the Fleet Center. Whether that will be an improvement or lipstick on a pig remains to be seen.
posted by JB* at 4:20 PM
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