Montreal Cops to Interrogate Chara

The Montreal Police plan to interview Zdeno Chara regarding his hit of Max Pacioretty on March 8th. This will be part of their ongoing investigation into the incident. This interview has been delayed due to Chara's involvement in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, along with other "witnesses."

The involvement of police in this incident is one of the silliest sports stories of the year. While the circumstances around Pacioretty's injuries were unique, other big hits in the game weren't investigated by law enforcement officials. And there's a longstanding precedent in the sporting world, that what happens between the lines (or on the field, or within the boards) is governed differently. Fighting in hockey, for instance, doesn't result in arrests for disorderly conduct or assault.

It's a joke. And Canada is getting a reputation for whining and sour grapes. I love how passionate they are for the game, I was happy to see Winnipeg get a team, but look at the temper tantrum that Vancouver threw (again) after losing Game 7. And the uproar in Montreal after this hit. This Canadian crybabyism is preposterous.

I seriously doubt that Chara will be punished in any way. But just the fact that Montreal cops are spending their time looking into this is a massive joke.

-The Commodore

The Bruins: Looking Ahead

The joyful exuberance doesn't have to stop, but as the hockey games have stopped, we can look forward to next season. And there's quite a bit to look forward to. The core group of guys will return. In other words, Tim Thomas will return. Will he duplicate his awe-inspiring performance from this past season? That might be tough. There's no reason to think that he won't be close to it, though, and I'd bet on him having at least one more top quality year left.

Chara, Seidenberg, Ference, Boychuk, and Mcquaid all return. Thankfully. And Tomas Kaberle is an unrestricted free agent. Thankfully. I doubt the Bruins will make any efforts to keep him here. The defense is the strongest part of this team, apart from Thomas. The Bruins don't need to improve much here. The whole idea of a "puck-moving defenseman" has always bugged me. Offense comes from forwards, defensemen can contribute to that, but it shouldn't cost them defensively. I like defensive defensemen that can also play the puck.

I wouldn't mind Kampfer being the #6 defenseman, but I imagine the Bruins will bring in a more experienced hand. And it probably won't be a big name, or a "puck mover."

In the forwards department, the Bruins will likely say goodbye to Michael Ryder. Although he sporadically provided memorable playoff moments, his lack of consistency has been the one consistent part of his career. Mark Recchi is also gone, going out with ring #3.

The top line of Krejci-Lucic-Horton should remain intact. The word from Horton's camp is that he's not experiencing any post-concussion symptoms. So let's be optimistic and assume that this line returns.

Marchand and Bergeron are on the 2nd line and will need a winger. Peverley is the ultimate utility guy and can slot in there. But I'd rather have Peverley on a grinding 3rd line with guys like Chris Kelly.

The Bruins have some cap room available. They have $52.2 million committed to players, and the cap will be $64.3. So that's $11.1 million they'll be able to commit to filling the few roster holes they have. There might be more, depending on what happens with Savard.

I'd like to see them acquire Erik Cole, who is a free agent. Every time the B's play the Hurricanes, Cole impresses me. He's a hard player, he can score (26 goals last year, 184 in his career), and he plays the power play. He's solid. He'll turn 33 in November. He's not a game changer by himself, but I think if he's on a line with Marchand and Bergeron, all three of them become very good players.

The 4th line of Paille, Campbell, and Thornton is a sturdy group, with Paille and Campbell providing invaluable PK minutes. And we all know what Thornton can bring.

I'd like to see Seguin start the year in the AHL, getting plenty of ice time to learn the NHL style of play. I also wouldn't mind him being on the 3rd line with Peverley and Kelly.

Brooks Laich might be the best free agent that the Bruins look at. He can play wing, and he can turn that power play around. I personally think Cole, at a lower price, is a better value.

As we saw in the playoffs, the game isn't played on paper. For the Bruins to repeat, they need the same quality defense and goaltending. They could use a more potent offense, so long as it doesn't lose it's physicality. Scorers get cold. Forecheckers don't.

The whole idea of needing a 40 goal scorer to win is a bit flimsy. Let's look at the 40 goal scorers from last year:

Corey Perry
Steven Stamkos
Jarome Iginla
Daniel Sedin
Ryan Kesler

Iginla's team didn't even make the playoffs. Perry's was out after Round 1. Stamkos made the East finals, we know about Sedin and Kesler. That's a wide range of team results from these 5 guys. Having elite scoring threats is nice, but they can get cold, they can get shut down. Relying on offensive production isn't enough. The Bruins need to improve by adding grinders who can also score.

-The Commodore

Why Not?

Hilarious.

Bruins 4, Canucks 0

It didn't truly feel real until I saw Tim Thomas holding the Conn Smythe trophy. I've seen Thomas before, many times. I've seen the Conn Smythe as well. But when I saw that man and that thing together in the same frame, that's when it fully hit me what had happened.

The Bruins are Champions. Not Adams Division Champs, not Conference Champs. They didn't win the Presiden't Trophy, they won the Stanley fucking Cup. For the first time since 1972. For only their 6th time in history (remember, for a few decades there were only 6 teams in the League). The redheaded stepchildren of Boston sports are now the center of the Hub.

It started and ended with Thomas. His Finals numbers were unreal. A 1.15 GAA, and a .967 SV%, with two shutouts. All this against the best offense in the NHL. Thomas' season will go down as one of the best in the history of his position. The kid from Michigan whose career bounced around from Vermont to Houston to Finland to Hamilton to Sweden to Detroit to Providence and finally to Boston. What a great story, what a great player.

Then the defense. How monstrous were Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg in the postseason? Chara was a +16 in the playoffs and a +5 in this series. That's against the best players in the League. Against the Sedins, against Stamkos and St. Louis. He was +16!

Every forward contributed at some point. Horton's big game-winners. Ryder had a few huge games. Seguin's breakaways. Marchand's introduction to the NHL as a grinder and a scorer. Bergeron, Recchi, everyone had at least one big, vital performance in one game. And guys like Marchand and Peverley seemed to repeatedly come through in the clutch. 11 playoff goals for Marchand.

The same goes for defensemen like Boychuk, Ference, and McQuaid. Kaberle's biggest contribution was probably holding the Cup while his teammates drank from it. But who cares?

This is just a surreal feeling. This wasn't supposed to happen, right? Even when every other team in Boston was winning, the B's were lousy. They were the butts of jokes. They were the ones who couldn't get it done. And now they're part of the club, part of the best decade for any city in the history of sports.

On June 16, 2001, the Red Sox were on their way to another 2nd place season behind the Yankees. The Patriots had just used the 6th overall pick to draft Richard Seymour, and were hoping to recover from a 5-11 season under 2nd year head coach Bill Belichick. The Celtics were reeling from a 36-46 season that saw the departure of Rick Pitino. Boston sports were in a dark period.

Now look at where we are on June 16, 2011. We're preparing for another parade. Our Police Department has more experience in controlling Championship rioting than any other in the country. The longest active title drought belongs to the Patriots, who haven't won since all the way back in 2004. What a time to be from Boston.

Thank you, Bruins.

-The Commodore

Canucks 3, Bruins 2 (OT)

It's still annoying. I'll start my post with how I'll conclude my first set of thoughts. Alexandre Burrows was a major factor in all three Vancouver goals. After his bizarre biting incident in Game 1, he didn't deserve to be on the ice in Game 2. At the same time, he is a member of the Vancouver Canucks, and this series is between the Canucks and the Bruins. He and his team won Game 2 fair and square, even if I think his team should have been deprived of his services. But it's still annoying.

It's also aggravating to see guys like Maxim Lapierre getting cute by sticking their fingers in Bergeron's face. It's all a joke for the Canucks. And why not laugh? They're up 2-0.

And they deserve to be. As pissed as I am about Burrows' 3 point night, did the Bruins play their best game? Did they take care of the puck? Were they aggressive at the right times and careful at the right times? Nope.

Giveaways. Turnovers. Failing to get the puck deep into the zone. It's the same fundamental struggles that have been plaguing this team all year long. The Bruins are keeping themselves in these games, then pushing themselves out with these bush league mistakes.

Even when a giveaway doesn't lead to a goal, it's still extra time chasing the puck, it's still extra work for the defensemen. The Bruins rely on their defensemen not only to keep guys like the Sedins from scoring, but they're also a huge part of the offense. And if Chara and Seidenberg are gassed because David Krejci or Gregory Campbell makes a dumb pass in the neutral zone, you can't expect the big men to pinch from the point and contribute on offense.

But the defensemen are hardly innocent bystanders. They didn't take care of the puck either. In Game 1, an intercepted Boychuk pass led to Vancouver's late game-winner. In Game 2, Ference failed to clear the puck out of the zone, and Vancouver scored a Power Play goal. Then Chara was unable to find the puck, and Vancouver tied things up in the 3rd. And Burrows' OT goal came thanks to a Ference pass that went astray in the neutral zone.

The goal itself saw Thomas and Chara screw up. Thomas was too aggressive, Chara wasn't aggressive enough. Thomas should probably stay at home a bit more often, especially when there's traffic. It's a good way to get lost. All game, he was getting into hogpiles 5 feet from the crease and was bailed out by his teammates.

Chara had a mediocre game in general. He struggled to make plays to get the puck out of the zone. Most of the Bruins struggled with that.

The Bruins aren't going to be able to push around the Canucks, like they pushed around the Habs and Lightning. The Bruins aren't going to be able to abuse Luongo like they abused Philly's goalies. They MUST execute these fundamental plays. Get the puck out of the zone with a purpose, don't just clear it. Get the puck in deep either by carrying it or dumping it. Make Vancouver earn possession, and don't just surrender the neutral zone to them.

Johnny Boychuk is looking more like Mark Stuart every game. He's playing a hard physical game, and screwing up on the fundamentals. The Bruins need him at his best as a defenseman, not just a hitter.

Michael Ryder had his strongest game since the outset of the Tampa series. If that continues, the Bruins' PP gets better, the 3rd line becomes a factor.

It's not a coincidence that when Chara moved back to the point on the Power Play (and Seguin was on the ice), the Bruins scored. Chara is infinitely useful on the point. His slapshot, his passing, his ability to sneak up to the dots, his wingspan preventing opponents from clearing, et cetera.

Lucic showed up in Game 2. He was physical, he was skating, he was strong. His rebound goal was the type of stuff he's done all year to reach 30 regular season goals. But guys like Horton, Bergeron, and Marchand need to score. Not only that, they need to shoot. These three scored the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most goals for the Bruins this year. They combined for 3 shots on goal in Game 2.

Meanwhile, Krejci, Seidenberg, and Boychuk combined for 11 shots. These guys were 8th, 13th, and 17th in goals scored this year.

Horton had his worst game of the playoffs. His success against Montreal, Philly, and Tampa Bay helped carry the Bruins this far. They need him now more than ever. He registered 1 forgettable shot, and that was on a play that he should have passed to an open Lucic, who would've had half the net to shoot at.

These Bruins are so close. But with a 2-0 deficit, they need to take 4 of 5 from the best team in the NHL. They need to play as close to perfect as humanly possible. They need to execute the fundamentals, then take it from there. If they play their absolute best then lose, well that's life sometimes. But how they've lost Games 1 and 2 is inexcusable and embarrassing.

Game 3 tonight in Boston on Versus.

-The Commodore

The Captain's Bruins Recap

As heart wrenching as last night's loss was, I'm actually fairly optimistic. The Bruins went toe to toe with their opponent, and barely lost. The one goal they allowed was barely onside. Defensively, you can't expect much better from the Bruins.

The offense, on the other hand...

Let's start with the power play. I'm not a big fan of Chara playing in the crease. Even when a puck comes his way, the simple physics of his large stick make it difficult for him to get to it. A forward who's accustomed to playing down low, who has a shorter, quicker stick, would be better suited for that role.

Plus, Chara wins the hardest shot competition every year. Why are we waisting that rocket slapshot? He scored 14 goals this year, 8 on the PP, and all of those came from the point or when he'd rotate down from the point. Not from inside the crease.

Another problem is Kaberle. He's simply not contributing to the Power Play. His passes are bland. He's not a shooter. And when he does get clever, it's too clever, and often results in a turnover.

In the 1st period, the Bruins' Power Play was able to get shots on Luongo. But all the shots came from Kaberle, Seidenberg, and Krejci. These guys are not scorers. 23 total goals scored by this trio. A shot on goal is never a bad play, but these guys simply aren't going to score. Yet all of them are on the ice at the same time, and they're the only ones getting shots on net.

And when you put Chara in the crease, that's 3 defensemen on the ice, one of them never scores (Kaberle) plus a forward who only scores when he's set up by other forwards (Krejci), it's not an equation that will result in many goals.

The Bruins beat the Lightning by grinding for 60 minutes, and waiting for Tampa Bay to make a mistake. The Canucks aren't going to make mistakes. The B's are going to have to make their own luck against them.

But I'm optimistic. The Bruins have recovered well from tough losses in this postseason. Thomas gets an extra day off to recuperate from his stellar performance. The NHL gets an extra day to decide if Alexandre Burrows is a zombie or a vampire.

I think it takes a lot to be suspended in the Stanley Cup Finals, but grabbing hold of an opponents arm, jamming their finger in your mouth, then chomping down warrants at least a 1 game suspension. It's just too weird.

And I wasn't crying over Dan Hamhuis not being able to return to the game. His hit on Lucic was within the rules, but a hipcheck to the knee area is kind of sketchy. I was glad to see Krejci stick up for his teammate.

I'm also sick of the Roberto Luongo talk. He hasn't gotten the respect that other goalies get because of an inconsistent playoff record, because he whines if he doesn't get to start 70+ games, because he's a prima donna and a baby. He's a Quebecois goalie that plays for a team north of the border, he gets plenty of respect already.

Game 2 Saturday night. I like our chances.

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Finals Preview

It's June. The weather is beautiful. And there's a Bruins game on tonight. What a great way to start the summer.

The Canucks are the best team - on paper and on the ice - that the Bruins will face this postseason. They have fast forwards like Tampa, but their forwards are also strong. They have stalwart defensemen like Montreal. They have a Vezina nominee in net.

It's nice to see two traditional hockey markets in the Finals again. Last year saw Chicago vs. Philadelphia, which was a refreshing break from the streak of southern and Californian teams that just don't seem to belong in the sport. And in case you were wondering, Vancouver is as hockey-obsessed as Montreal and Toronto, as this video of the Vancouver skyline reacting to their OT win over San Jose demonstrates:

Frankly, I think Roberto Luongo is a bit overrated. He's Canadian born, plays on a Canadian team, and that's a formula for the hockey media to give him more praise and credit than he's due. But he's still very good. He does tend to get overly aggressive at times. And unlike Tim Thomas, he's sometimes not able to recover and make the save. He's also susceptible to being rattled.

I lost all respect for Luongo's character in the opening round of the playoffs. He was pulled twice, and in Game 6 the Canucks started backup Cory Schneider. Luongo didn't even sit on the bench with his teammates. He watched the game on TV from the locker room. Thanks to a Schneider injury, he found his way back between the pipes.

The strength of the Canucks is their top two lines. The Sedin twins will likely win back-to-back Hart (MVP) Trophies. Only five players scored 40+ goals this season, and two of them play for Vancouver: Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks can get offense from beyond their top 2 lines, but these units have to be the focus of the Bruins defensemen. Not only do Chara and Seidenberg have to continue their epic level of play, Boychuk and Ference need to be almost as good. Boychuk was hit-or-miss against the Lightning. He's capable of so much better.

The Canucks' defensemen also contribute to the offense. Kevin Bieksa's 5 playoff goals are 4th on the team. Christian Ehrhoff is also a weapon, and should be healthy enough to start Game 1 tonight. Their defensemen also play some pretty solid defense. The grinding battles between forechecking Bruins' forwards and the Vancouver d-men will be very fun to watch, and will determine who wins these games.

The numbers are all on Vancouver's side. #1 in goals scored, #1 in goals allowed, #1 power play, #3 penalty kill. So what do the Bruins have?

Tim Thomas. He's the key. If he plays at his best, the Bruins have a good chance to win this series. He can keep them in every game.

Also, neither team has much Stanley Cup Finals experience. So as talented as Vancouver is, they're just as likely to succumb to nerves as the Bruins are.

For the Bruins to win, they need guys like Thomas, Chara, Seidenberg, Bergeron, Horton, and Krejci to continue playing at the level they've been playing at. They need contributions from Seguin, Paille, Peverley, and McQuaid. They need Michael Ryder to step up for more than two games per series. Mark Recchi also needs to show up and make an imprint on the game. Tomas Kaberle needs to be benched.

The power play MUST be productive. I'm not a huge fan of Chara playing in the crease, because it takes away his fearsome slapshot, and also his ability to sneak in to the faceoff dots from the backdoor. I don't mind if he rotates to the crease once and awhile, but don't like him starting there.

Horton should be the distributor on the halfwall, not Krejci. Although Krejci is a better passer, the threat of Horton shooting is much more imminent. Opposing penalty killers must respect that shot, which will open up space for the forwards down low.

I like the idea of rotating a forward into the very high slot, essentially at the blue-line. This is a good place to put Bergeron or Peverley. Vancouver will either have to stretch themselves to defend against it, or leave the points ample space to shoot.

The key to a successful power play is to make the opposing team work their asses off. Don't make it easy with perimeter passes. Don't make it easy with giveaways, forced passes, or low quality entries. Move bodies, not just the puck. These are simple concepts.

I think the Bruins will win this. I think Luongo will have a flustered game at some point. I think Thomas will steal a game. Bruins in 6.

-The Commodore

Bruins 5, Flyers 1

No need for anxiety. No need for panic. The Bruins took care of business Friday night and let all their fans relax a little bit.

A few weeks ago, I stressed the importance of improvement in the playoffs. From game to game, from series to series. And the reason the Bruins are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 is because they've improved.

Remember those painful turnovers in Games 1 and 2 of the Canadiens series? Remember Marchand and Horton playing with the jitters?

The turnovers stopped. Marchand and Horton were the Bruins' best forwards in the Philly series. The Power Play actually scored a 5-on-4 goal (eventually). Chara's fully hydrated. And Lucic scored twice in Game 4, ending a long drought.

It was a sweep, but it wasn't utter domination. Thomas stole Game 2. Game 4 was a nail-biter until the late stages. And in those tight games, the Bruins showed some character. They fought the tough battles, won most of them, and that's why they are where they are.

And it's nice sweeping, not just because it's easy on the nerves. Thomas gets a few extra days to rest. Chara and Seidenberg will be worked like mules, and they could use some time to recuperate. Unfortunately, there's not enough time for Bergeron to recover from a concussion. That's a huge loss.

Bergeron is the best defensive forward, best penalty killing forward, best faceoff taker, and he's become an offensive playmaker with Marchand and Recchi.

And against the Lightning, a defensive forward would have been nice to put on the ice against Stamkos. That will be an interesting series. Tampa Bay has some of the most talented forwards in the NHL. The Bruins have some of the best defensemen and the best goalie.

The series will start when the two Western series are decided.

-The Commodore

Bruins 5, Flyers 1

Well I won't sleep for the next 48 hours. Last year, the Bruins beat the Flyers 4-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. It was May 5th. And we know what followed.

However, last night we saw some of what makes the 2010-11 Bruins different from the 2009-10 team that choked so badly. Here are those differences:

#1 Tim Thomas:
Timmy has stopped 80 of the last 81 shots he's faced. He extended Game 2 for the Bruins, allowing them to win, even though they weren't the best team on the ice. Rask allowed 14 goals in the last 4 games of the series last year. He wasn't awful, though he wasn't that good. And he was nowhere near Tim Thomas' level.

#2 Health:
Last year, Seidenberg was out. So was Krejci. And Lucic was nursing an injury. This year, the Flyers are hurt much more. Without Pronger, they're a different team. I'd be shocked if Pronger doesn't play in Game 4, but how effective can he be? The Bruins have the good fortune of health at the moment.

#3 Marchand and Horton:
Horton has 2 goals and 3 assists in this series. Marchand has 2 goals and 2 assists. Last year, Marchand was a healthy scratch on the extended Bruins' playoff roster. Horton was golfing in Florida. This is the first postseason for both of them, and it doesn't show.

#4 Chara is Playing Like Chara
He's healthy. Whatever dehydrated him against Montreal has left his system. And so far, he looks much better than he did against the Flyers last year. His goal last night was classic Chara. Versteeg doesn't position himself right, Chara slips into the gap vacated, and fires a bullet over Boucher's shoulder.

But, we haven't seen the Flyers at their best yet. The 3-0 series lead is much closer than it suggests. One fortunate bounce for the Flyers on Monday and it's a 2-1 series lead. And at times on Saturday and last night, the Flyers looked listless and out of focus. Their 1st period last night was a joke.

History suggests that facing elimination, they'll bring their best effort. And we've yet to see how the Bruins will face serious adversity in this series. Rebounding from bad luck and bad games was what the B's failed to do last year.

And how will the Bruins deal with the inevitable pressure Philly will put on them. Last year, they relaxed. Will guys like Chara bungle a few plays? He did last year. It's up to the Bruins to execute, and truly put last year's collapse behind them.

Game 4 Friday night in Boston, on NESN.

-The Commodore

So Chara Really Is A Bitch?

I have called out Chara since he sat out due to "dehydration", but I really didn't mean a lot of it. I was just pissed he was out, and I haven't heard a lot of players having to sit out for that sort of thing. I mean, an IV would seem to fix that pretty quick. Seems I'm not the only one who found it odd, and some people are digging deeper...

"There is a sense around the Bruins that Chara is bothered by more than just a virus. Montreal fans who tweeted his illness was 'karma' will have little sympathy, but the feeling is Chara is mentally torn by the injuries he caused to Max Pacioretty and Ryan Callahan. While the monstrous defenceman looks like a killer, guys who've played with him say he's very sensitive about this kind of thing. From what I've heard, the phone conversation with Pacioretty was very emotional, and seeing Callahan get hurt by a slapshot really upset Chara (Elliotte Friedman of CBC.ca)."

I have heard before that Chara is a gentile giant, but I think this is complete bullshit. We saw Chara before the game on TV and he was as white as a ghost. I mean I know he is sick and I question if he could play through it, but to say he isn't playing because he hurt someone is fucking stupid. He isn't that soft, and I think we all have to sit back and remember this is a Canadian journalist, so you know he hates the Bruins, and is just trying to start shit.

FUCK CANADA.

Bruins 4, Canadiens 2

The Bruins looked so much looser last night in Montreal. Maybe that's why they're so good on the road. They made a few mistakes (a too many men penalty, for instance), but nothing as grievous as their giveaway gifts in Games 1 and 2. The offense played with more intelligence, and the defense was sound. The result was a 4-2 victory.

The offense wasn't amazing. They just made better decisions. They didn't let Price play the puck too often. And the one time they did, Peverley did a great job of charging the net, and was in perfect position to capitalize on a rare Price error.

The B's didn't score highlight reel goals. In fact, they squandered three different 3-on-1 opportunities. The goals were opportunistic, and a bit lucky at the end. Though that luck came after some solid play. That's how it works in the playoffs. Montreal's 2 goals were similarly fortunate, a pair of seeing eye backhanders that found Thomas' minuscule 5-hole.

The defensemen were excellent on the other side of the ice. Chara returned, and wasn't as physically commanding as we're accustomed to, but was still solid. Ference, Seidenberg, and Boychuk were all excellent. As was Bergeron.

Krejci finally did something, scoring thanks to a perfect pass from Bergeron and some good play by Seidenberg. Horton got a right place, right time goal. I'm still waiting for Lucic to show up. He had a nice steal off Subban which gave him a breakaway opportunity. But he's still drifting around, hoping for something to happen, instead of making it happen.

The power play has yet to score. Last night, the Bruins either struggled with entry, or made silly plays in the offensive zone, not valuing possession. Marchand's no-look pass behind him, which allowed Montreal to clear, for example.

Thankfully, Montreal's power play hasn't been very effective either. They've scored once in 12 chances. Last night Bergeron, Paille, Boychuk, Campbell, Chara, Seidenberg, Marchand, and Kelly all played great on the PK. It's no coincidence that two of the Bruins goals came just after big penalty kills. Now if only the PK can maintain that, and the power play contribute just an occasional goal here and there, this series would flip on its end.

I'm tired of seeing Michael Ryder on the ice (and have been for 2 years). Why not give Seguin a shot?

The officiating in the series has been dreadfully inconsistent. But that's what happens in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The refs are still figuring out what to call and what not to call. Holding is never called (except on Recchi last night). The leeway for interference expands. But negligible hooks still get called. It is what it is. Thankfully, the refs didn't buy all of Montreal's diving last night, and swallowed their whistles in the last 5 minutes.

So the good news is the series will come back to Boston. Maybe that's bad news too, considering the Bruins' road record. Game 4 is in Montreal on Thursday night.

-The Commodore

Canadiens 3, Bruins 1

Fundamentals. Protecting the puck. Breaking out of your zone. Hard wraparounds. This stuff's not complicated. But to Claude Julien's Bruins, it's rocket science.

Every Montreal goal in this series has come thanks to a Bruins' defenseman giving the puck away in a dangerous area. Five times. And it's been a problem with this team, no matter who the defensemen have been, since Julien took over. I still have nightmares about Carolina's forecheck in the '09 playoffs.

The Bruins don't seem to realize that the Habs are trying to intercept the puck from them. Not only are the Canadiens skating faster than the Bruins, they're thinking faster.

On the other end of the ice, Recchi, Marchand, and Bergeron finally got one past Price. That's not too complicated either. Get him to move side to side, and block his vision. One thing you can't do is lazily dump the puck into an area that he can play it or smother it. Hard wraparounds, and cross-corner dumps. And someone apart from the dumper has to be skating into the zone with speed. Too many Bruins' possessions ended with soft dumps that Price easily fielded.

And the power play. Special teams are extremely important in the postseason, and are often the difference between losing a series and winning it. The B's are 0/7 on the power play, 6/7 on the kill. Had Chara been on the ice Saturday night, maybe they'd be 7/7 on the kill. I'll get into that later.

David Krejci is not a playoff forward. He's not a scorer. He's not a grinder. He had a golden chance to slip a backhander over Price in the 2nd, which would have made it a 2-2 game, and would have swung all the momentum to Boston's side. But he dangled, whiffed, and was generously rewarded with a shot on goal in the box score. Krejci also found himself completely owned by P.K. Subban on the boards (unless Subban was trying to induce a call). Krejci can't score. He can't win battles. There aren't any great point-guard, "distribution" type players in Stanley Cup history. Those players get 50 assists in the regular season, then disappear in the playoffs.

At least Krejci is trying, though. Where was Milan Lucic? I saw him drifting around the faceoff dots as Krejci was struggling behind the net. Lucic has become the Bruins' best scorer, but he needs to remember his physical roots. He shouldn't be trying to slip into a seem while Krejci's 178 pound frame is being manhandled. Lucic has been a ghost this series. That's okay for the Michael Ryders of the world, but Lucic is better than this.

Now to Chara. Getting medical information during the Stanley Cup playoffs isn't easy. All we know is that he has a virus, and he was dehydrated. He skated in warmups on Saturday, then the coaches decided to bench him, deeming him unable to play.

What's the virus? It better be serious. Because Chara is the heart of this team. He doesn't have a good playoff record. But without him, this team cannot win anything. He's my 2nd favorite player behind Thomas, but if I find out that he just has a touch of flu, I'll never forgive him. Nothing short of the Hantavirus will suffice.

The B's go up to Montreal tonight. Chara's still questionable. The Bruins play better on the road, but Montreal plays good with a lead. Whoever scores first will win Game 3.

-The Commodore