When you visit the TD Banknorth Garden, you see the numbers of the Bruins immortals hanging from the rafters, probably still caked with those stalactites of dust that gripped the ceiling of the old Boston Garden.

#2 - Eddie Shore
#3 - Lionel Hitchman
#4 - Bobby Orr
#5 - Aubrey “Dit” Clapper
#7 - Phil Esposito
#8 - Cam Neely
#9 - Johnny Bucyk
#15 - Milt Schmidt
#24 - Terry O’Reilly
#77 - Ray Bourque

But something odd is missing there. Where the hell is #6? You figure that the first nine numbers on this team would HAVE to be retired by now, right? Alright, the fact that there hasn’t been a #1 retired is odd too (why NOT HOF’er Tiny Thompson?), but wearing a #1 on a team has a sort of stigma to it…perhaps an overt implication that you’re the best player…so I can see why that number might be avoided. Either that, or a goalie sucked it up.

But why #6? You’re going to tell me that throughout this team’s storied history, there’s never been a player donning numero seis that’s worthy of having his number retired by the team? Happily, I recently discovered that The Internet Hockey Database now has jersey numbers logged on their website. Now I can finally go through the archives and scroll through the mediocrity associated with that number. So, tonight, let’s you and I take a whirlwind tour of Bruins players past who have worn the cursed 6.

First, a disclaimer. I’m limited by the stats posted over the IHDB and not every season has jersey numbers listed. In fact, the jersey numbers for the Bruins don’t even start until the 1929-30 season (which, actually, is pretty impressive itself) so some years I needed to make some assumptions. Sometimes they’re easy and a player’s jersey number is only listed once or twice, but he’s on the team for a dozen years. But other times I was staring at large gaps with no idea as to who was wearing the dreaded jersey.

So, let’s see who the culprits are…

1929-1934: Percy “Perk” Galbraith
1934-1936: Charlie Sands
1936-1937: Reginald “Hooley” Smith
1937-1939: Ray Getliffe
1939-1940: Unknown
1940-1950: Jack Crawford
1950-1951: Unknown
1951-1952: Walter “Gus” Kyle
1952-1957: Unknown
1957-1961: Bronco Horvarth
1961-1963: Unknown
1963-1972: Ted Green (famous for his Wayne Maki stick fight in which he fractured his skull and suffered brain damage)
1972-1973: Nick Beverley
1973-1978: Darryl Edestrand
1978-1982: Dick Redmond (thanks to an anonymous commenter!)
1982-1991: Gord Kluzak (the ultimate cursed player…almost a decade with that jersey and only 299 NHL games to show for it)
1991-1994: Glen Featherstone
1994-1996: Alexei Kasatonov (Russian legend who ended his career with the B’s)
1996-1997: None
1997-2000: Joe Thornton (changed his jersey in 2000! Was he feeling the curse?)
2000-2001: None
2001-2002: Gord Murphy
2002-2004: Dan McGillis
2004-2005: Season canceled
2005-2007: Brad Stuart (thanks #4bobbyorr!)
2007 - present: Dennis Wideman

So there you have it. At least since the “Percy” and “Reginald” years, they’ve toughened up a bit name-wise (Bronco). Funny how in the last couple of decades Sinden & company have WANTED someone to step up and claim that #6 for the rafters. Kluzak was taken 1st overall in 1982 and Thornton 1st overall in 1997. I’m sure it was no accident that both started out wearing #6.

Thornton would have been the closest to finally get that #6 up in the rafters, but a funny thing happened…he changed his jersey to #19 and his inability to meet management expectations got him shipped off to San Jose.

But enough about my excuses, back to the Bruins and Habs.  Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Bruins still gave them one hell of a fight in the series.  The youth of the team, like Lucic and Kessel, gained invaluable playoff experience…something to build on for the 2008-09 season.   But for yet another year, it’s going to have to be enough as the front office did only light spending in the offseason (see Michael Ryder).  Sadly, the team parted ways with Glen Murray, but that wasn’t without warning (performance vs. contract), and the team also extended the contract of Dennis Wideman (who’s better, but is still seriously lacking defensively, IMHO).

There’s a lot of optimism for 2008.  This is a team that played without Patrice Bergeron (concussion) and Manny Fernandez (knee) for the bulk of the season.   Reports are that Bergeron has been symptom-free all summer and, barring a setback, should be ready to go at the beginning of the season.  Fernandez’s return will be welcomed, but Thomas’ performance last year may have put an end to any further goalie platoon talk…or at least until Tuukka Rask is ready. You know, because we just can’t go a season without questioning Tim Thomas’ #1 goalie status.  (I plead guilty as charged)

Well, I’ll leave it at there right now.  I don’t want to rush right back into this blogging thing after a three month vacation…I might herniate something.

So this is it. After blowing ten straight regular and post-season games to the Habs this season, the Bruins now find themselves going to Montreal for game seven.

Let’s say that again. THE BRUINS NOW FIND THEMSELVES GOING TO MONTREAL FOR GAME SEVEN.

Our Bruins. The ones who the experts said wouldn’t make the playoffs. The one who people wrote off as easy pickings when they DID make the playoffs, especially the Bruins ineptitude against the Canadiens during the regular season. The team that seemed headed towards that predestined path after losing the first two in Montreal. And now this. I guess not many people counted on this team to play their balls off when it counted (sorry Phil). And Boston karma (who said that?).

At this point, the Bruins have won no matter the outcome of Monday’s game. If they win, they exorcise their demons (annual and perennial) in the Canadiens and stand a chance against anyone. If they lose, they showed the world that they weren’t going to simply roll over and submit to their archenemy, one that particularly had their number this year. All of this battling is fantastic experience to build on for the kids, and especially for Phil Kessel who’s seen himself go from goat to hero in the course of one series. One could argue that that’s a transition Joe Thornton was never able to accomplish while he was in Boston.

Lets see, we have a serious underdog who has a shot at upsetting the heavy favorite. A Rocky analogy is usually pretty tired in this scenario…especially since Rocky lost in the end…but don’t forget Rocky II when Rocky beat the dreaded powerhouse who traditionally wore red, white & blue.

And, especially, don’t forget the trunks that Rocky wore.

So what have we learned here today?  Kostitsyn + Kostitsyn + Kostopoulos ≠ Karma

One concern I have about all this is Tim Thomas.   Many of you out there are firm Thomas backers.  Some, like myself, are skeptical.  I have no doubt that he’s a damn good goalie and is one of the main reasons the Bruins are in the playoffs.  However, be it for reasons of age and/or the fact that he was a late bloomer, Bruins management has never been sold on him as “The Answer” and have habitually tried to bring in (or groom) other goalies in their quest to find that person (Hannu Toivonen, Tuukka Rask, and Manny Fernandez).   Now that he’s in the playoffs, Thomas needs to prove to the doubters…especially those in management who are deciding his future…that he can carry this team in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, starting off his NHL playoff career by giving up two goals in just over two minutes to the hated Canadiens isn’t going to impress anyone.

Let’s hope for a better performance on Saturday.

However, I’m not a matchup guy.  Here’s my take:  You play to win it all.  If you can’t beat everyone, you’re not the best team…period.   So bring on Montreal.  If the Bruins can beat Montreal in the first round, they can beat anyone.

That being said, here’s the reasons why we should think positively about this.

• Savard is due back soon.  Even Bergeron has a chance of playing in the postseason.  If anything, this team has gelled in the last couple of weeks without their offensive anchors.  The young guys are proving their worth.  Bring that to the 1st round and get Savard back sometime in the 1st few games and this team has a damn good chance.
• Tim Thomas has been hot, giving up no more than two goals in any of his last seven starts.
• The Canadiens can’t win EVERY game against the Bruins, can they?  If the Bruins can win a game, preferably Game One, then they might get the monkey off of their back.
• Boston karma.   Assuming Celtics playoff success this year, the Bruins are the last of the Boston teams to turn their franchises around.

And finally, the longtime underdog status.   Habs-Bruins are the Yanks-Red Sox of the NHL.  Historically, the Habs have had their number.   This year, the Habs are the 1-seed in the conference and the Bruins are the 8.  Few people expected the Bruins to make the playoffs and even fewer expect the Bruins to make it past the first round.   An upset in this series could mean the Bruins start riding the karma express.

We’ve got the bastards right where we want ‘em.

LET’S GET IT ON!!!

Good morning and welcome to Spoked B Airlines, official home of the Bruins playoffs hopes and…holy crap, folks…for the first time since 2004, we made it!

A hard fought battle in Ottawa cinched it last night and there’s still one more stopover in Buffalo to determine where our next playoff destination is. Your humble pilot is up for any city but, frankly, I’d love to avoid Montreal where, recently, we’ve had power problems with the plane. I mean, honestly, you know how you hear those stories about when a UFO flies over someone’s car and all their power goes out? It’s been like that over Montreal recently. Freaky.

(bing)

Good evening folks, and welcome again to Spoked B Airlines, your official airline of the Boston Bruins playoff hopes.

Sorry for the turbulence back there.  We were able to pick up some speed going through Toronto and Ottawa before bouncing around a bit over Buffalo and Newark, all that despite taking some heavy damage to our right wing which is going to take several weeks to repair.   That and, despite losing one of our engines earlier this year due to being unnecessarily slammed around in Philadelphia, our highest performance engine also appears to have also conked out.  We hope to have that one up and running pretty soon but in the meantime we’ve been pretty damn impressed with this neat-o Czech “Krejci” model engine that we’ve been using as a fill-in.

Still, while we’re on course, it’s going to take some more muscle to make it to the playoffs.  Due up next are stops in Ottawa and Buffalo.  Fortunately, it looks like Ottawa has lost some weaponry over in the Alfredsson section of the city so we have a better chance of making it through unscathed.

So hang on tight, we’ve got a damn good chance of making it to the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.  Remember, the air bags are directly in front of you.  If the choppy ride doesn’t get to you, the painfully contrived metaphors will.

Good evening folks, and welcome again to Spoked B Airlines, your official airline of the Boston Bruins playoff hopes.

Boy, it looks like we we’ve been sputtering along in the skies for almost a month now, haven’t we? We were cruising along in February but, once again, the month of March has left this bird in a questionable state. Of course, it didn’t help that the airline owner decided NOT to do anything to improve this plane since last year and the GM who runs this place apparently only checks in on it every couple of weeks (apparently something about family and work and whiiiinnne WHHIINNNNE whhiiiiiinnne).

Those French-speaking bastards from Montreal once again strafed our wings over the weekend but at least we finally hit SOMETHING in our return fire. There’s seven more cities to fly over before we find out our future and two of them involve the surging Leafs in the next week.

Stay tuned and remember, the air sickness bags are located directly in front of you.

It figures. Everything’s going well, the Bruins win their last six games, Dennis Wideman’s defensive woes haven’t been as obvious, and then this.

And to make matters worse, when prompted by a Caps blog on Sunday for a quote about tonight’s game, I go mouthing off. So, as it turns out there ARE other people on the Caps roster aside from Ovechkin. Like Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Cooke and Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich and even Donald frigging Brashear. It got so bad that, at the 8:29 mark of the 1st period, I was looking for the “reset” button on my Sega because that was about the last time I saw a Bruins game get so out of control, so fast. Way for me to give the opposing team something to post in their locker room.

If there are any positives to take out of this, one is the time-worn cliche that a 10-2 loss means the same in the standings as a 3-1 loss. And given their recent winning ways, this game can written off as an anomaly. So lets just pretend this never happened, coax Thomas and Auld out of their fetal positions in the corner, and just focus on Tuesday’s game in Florida.

Besides, who do the Panthers have on their roster besides Olli Jokinen?

Personal notes:

• I actually got to watch this game in near-real time! (slightly delayed since it was on my DVR and I got home an hour late). I’ve actually been able to watch the midnight replays on NESN recently since I splurged on DirecTV’s sports package that lets me see non-game NESN programming. Of course, it wasn’t a full blown “Center Ice” package splurge…just a little one…kind of like hopping into the shallow end holding my hose and wearing a ducky inner tube.
• I even drank a beer! I think I only have five Samuel Adams’ Octoberfest beers left from the fall and dammit if I didn’t drink one of them. If I’m lucky, I’ll have the Winter Lagers finished off by July. I never thought I’d say this, but I really need to drink more. And with another Bruins effort like the one last night, I see the pace picking up quickly.

Speaking of trade deadlines, it was somewhat amusing to see California Brad Stuart and his sun-loving wife traded from Los Angeles to Detroit. Let us know how the February surf is on Lake Michigan, won’t you Braddy boy?

In other news, John Paddock…former Chiarelli associate in Ottawa and once a consideration as Dave Lewis’ replacement…was fired from the head coaching job of the struggling Senators.