Posted in Ponderings 3 Comments December 31st, 2008
Do any doubters remain?
Let’s put this in perspective. The Bruins were 5-3-3 at the end of October. With the win over the Penguins last night, they’ve been 23-2-1 since. A winning percentage like that is something you see in the NBA, where teams can be disproportionately better than others due to the presence of a franchise player (or more). A 23-2-1 record in hockey is almost unfathomable.
On Christmas day, the Globe ran an article that brushed on a topic I’ve been mulling…do the Bruins really need to do anything to the roster to make this team better? In times like this, and especially with a young team, you wonder if adding a veteran presence would be beneficial in the long run. I think that if this team were in, say, a three-way dogfight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference I’d say yes. However, when you’re blowing away nearly all of your competition, it’s hard to justify tweaking your roster with a trade unless they can do something only involving minor draft picks or minor leaguers. In fact, the only way I can see justifying a trade would be if they suffer any more injuries and need to add some depth.
I think Peter Chiarelli and staff have to be given due credit for the team that’s been put together. With the exception of Ryder, the team was mostly quiet in the offseason thus displaying confidence with the team currently on hand. Lord knows they haven’t disappointed. Even Ryder has been extremely productive of late with him now leading the league in game winning goals with seven.
There’s only been one very minor beef I’ve had with the Bruins this year (besides the Pro Shop). The good thing it’s been with marketing and it’s something I’ve forgotten about since October. What’s with the “They want it as bad as you” slogan? Hey, I want it bad, but shouldn’t the players want it MORE than me? Fortunately, the team has answered this question for me.
