Bruins To Resign Chris Kelly

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The Boston Bruins appear close to signing Chris Kelly to a new contract. CSN's Joe Haggerty reports that both Kelly and fellow UFA Gregory Campbell are near multi-year deals, while there's been no progress in talks with Daniel Paille.

I don't really understand how the Bruins are going to fit these guys under the cap, but I am really happy Chris Kelly is back. He is a great player, and comes at a very managable price. I wish I understood the NHL cap more, because I would think the Bruins have to be close and I think they still have to resgin Rask.

Irrational Hatred of Tim Thomas

While I can understand why people don't like Tim Thomas taking a year off, leaving his team hanging, and making himself next to impossible to trade, what confuses and amazes me is how much people have turned on Tim Thomas as a player and a person. There's some serious hatred out there for a guy who won a Conn Smythe and two Vezinas in black and gold.

I don't like what Thomas did. I would have preferred he play for the Bruins. He's also made it more difficult for the Bruins to improve themselves for the 2012-13 season and beyond. But I'm seeing a tremendous amount of rancor and outrage directed squarely at him, not what he did, but at him. These people personally don't like this guy. This rage forgets all the other things he did while playing here. It's childish and sounds like the complaints of spoiled children who didn't get everything they wanted, and are now complaining about somebody else doing what he wants.

These are some of the comments from the Anti-Thomas Brigade that I've found most entertaining and illustrative of the kind of irrationality that is guiding the people who have turned on Tim Thomas. Some are from Thomas' Facebook page, some are from this very levelheaded piece by Obnixious Boston Fan, and others are from a solid column from Kirk Minihane about why the Boston Sports Media dislikes Thomas

Some people seem happy he's gone. Which is weird because they're also angry at him for leaving. The phrase "good riddance" is popular among these folk.

"youre a fuckin loser i hope you never come back"

"Timmy, until this point I have respected you for all you have accomplished and the fact you speak your mind without fear or allowing intimidation... however now you've crossed the line. You shouldn't have signed a 3-year deal if you didn't want to play 3 more years. You are abandoning your commitment to the team and leaving the franchise and your teammates in a really bad place in doing so. Thanks for the cup and good riddance."

"take a year off and never come back, thanks for nothing. He has got a contract right, bruins pay him right? u dont play we dont pay. this needs to be over."

The guy actually said "thanks for nothing" about an athlete that won the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP.

"See ya Timmy. Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out."

"You are a self centered, worthless, overpaid piece of garbage. Crawl into your little hole and stay there. Bruins will be better without having to deal with the cancer you caused in the locker room this spring."

Apparently Timmy the Tumor only became malignant sometime after June 15, 2011. The new reputation that Thomas has as a selfish player has given his haters something to talk about and criticize him with. I really don't know if Thomas is selfish or not. He certainly goes his own way. Most goalies do. And what if he were selfish in 2011? That was only a year ago. Did his selfishness hurt the team then? What about now? Was his selfishness responsible for the woefully inept Bruins' Power Play unit this past postseason? Did his selfishness turn Braden Holtby into Ken Dryden?

"Tim, you're being a selfish ass and you should do the right thing and retire! The reason why there is a statue of Bobby Orr is because he gave his best and never did anything to hurt the team or the fans! Causing the Bruins to take the cap hit for your salary does both; no doubt about it! You will forever be remembered as that asshole who helped the Bruins win a cup!!! I suspect you are too self-centered to care what the fans think which is a shame!"

"Thanks for hand cuffing the B's you self centered prick"

"again shows that hes all about himself, his ego, and whats best for HIM. not his team, the city or the teammates who have supported him throughout the years, good riddance."

"Is this how you treat your friends (teammates)? You want to stick them with a $5M cap hit? Have you been chewing on lead paint chips, Tim?"

"Good job screwing over the ONE nhl organization who believed in you, gave you a chance, and rewarded you handsomely. Did you repay them? Absolutely you did....but now you are destroying the image that you worked so hard for, because of what...world issues that you cant do shit about. Congrats Tim, you are a dope."

"why didn't you take the season off in 2008 then? You are just a big baby, you HATE the Bruins front office for trying to trade you 2 years ago, and don't want them to decide your destination for the next year. You can spend all the time you want with Family etc. at the end of your contract that you signed. Just another selfish act by the guy that every knows is a selfish player."

"unless you file your retirement papers to get your cap hit off the books, you're a shit teammate and have no loyalty to your organization. if i was a member of the bruins organization (player or not) and you expected to come back the next year as if nothing ever happened, you would be kidding yourself. you've disgraced yourself by potentially handcuffing your "team" just so you can take a year off. it doesn't matter about you winning the conn smythe, vezina or the cup, you've made one of the worlds most team orientated sports all about you, especially during the cup finals. you shouldn't be welcomed back, you shouldn't expect the rest of the money on your deal, and you should submit your retirement papers yesterday. your arrogance, conceitedness and desire to back it all up by bringing your own political views into it shames an organization, the league, and possibly the sport. disgraceful behaviour from a "professional"."

This guy seems to think that if Thomas retired, the Bruins would no longer be responsible for the $5 million cap hit. Which is simply not true. The Bruins are responsible for it, even if Thomas retires.

Of course, this guy isn't alone in holding this incorrect belief. And the Boston Sports Media that begrudge Thomas because he doesn't answer their questions in person and instead uses Facebook to communicate with the public, have been reluctant to fully disclose that even if Thomas retired, the cap hit would still be there.

I had to go through the CBA itself to learn that the Bruins were responsible for the $5M cap hit. It wasn't mentioned at all in stories when this all broke on Sunday. Even now, I've only seen this fact mentioned in three columns/articles about this decision. It's one of the most important yet least discussed facts of this story. I wonder why the Media barely mentions it at all.

"In league where a stunt like this hand cuffs a team, due to a salary cap. I have no choice as a fan of Boston to infer that Thomas is doing this intentionally. To which I say, enough of the b.s. put that nasty Finnish goalie in the net and let's win the Cup."

"And your not that important either...retire you clown. Tuukka is more of a man."

"well if u really felt that way u wouldnt screw the bruins with that cap hit."

"I don't know how anyone can rationalize this decision (besides the jesus freaks). If you don't want to play hockey then retire, or are you some how entilted to be paid for not working? Some of us actully struggle to make $25,000 a year by working everyday, slap in the face to the 9-5 world."

Many of these anti-Thomas people allude to the White House incident. They point to that as an example of selfish, anti-team behavior. And among these people, a narrative is developing that when the Bruins had their White House visit, Thomas' absence became such a distraction that it undermined the team. After all, the Bruins were 31-13-2 before the incident, 18-16-2 after.

The anti-Thomas people fail to point out that the good pre-White House record was due mostly to a 21-3-1 run in November and December. Even the Power Play was scoring. Leading up to the White House visit, the team had already cooled off. And was in a 5-3-1 stretch of hockey. But for some, Thomas became the scapegoat for their struggles after the visit. Not the inconsistent Bruins' forwards like Krejci, who had 2 goals and 0 assists in February, or Lucic who had 3 goals and 2 assists in February, then 3 goals again in March. It wasn't their fault. Thomas' "controversial" remarks had become a distraction. Or so the Media and the anti-Thomas people are still trying to convince us to believe.

The Media pounced on Thomas' decision to not visit the White House. They started a fire then accused Thomas of being inflammatory. Maybe the smartest thing for Thomas to have done would have been to keep quiet and go to the PR event. But the best argument I can make for him foregoing his convictions is that it would have been the smartest way to avoid irritating a ravenous Media that was hungry for a story.

"Here's the difference between Thomas and a real sports "hero".
Thomas didn't do what he did for the team, he did it for himself, which is a recurring issue for him apparently. He ditched the team when it recieved one of the highest honors because he felt his own political views were too important to waste on something like comraderie and team unity. Thomas is out for himself, he did what he did for himself. His fans are just mindless followers not realizing they're being pulled about the collar by Thomas' massive ego. Sad fools."

"Dosent know how good he has it..respected him once..but after he turned his back on his teamates w Obama visit could care less. Just trying to force a trade...only problem no team wants a 40 yr old has been. THOMAS IS JOKE...he ll be playing in germany 2nd div in a years time...good buy you selfish bum!"

"They went to the White House to accept an honor from an office, not a man. TT is to dumb to realize the president was honoring a team and not him individually. That offense alone was perhaps forgivable given what he accomplished. But to screw over his fans and his teammates is classless. To hide behind the three Fs is cowardly."

"Fans were not outraged Kirk, what planet were you on during that time? Good riddance to him, hope he can keep his mouth shut and opinions to himself where ever he lands."

"Why doesn't he just come out and ask for a trade instead of pulling this garbage? That I could respect more than this nonsense. Sorry the Bruins had the nerve to explore trade options for an aging goalie with a balky hip. Or that they weren't happy that he chose to publicly skip a team event. What a *-bag."

"Tea Partiers are Republicans who think they're some sort of new party. They're all generally nuts. TT didn't get criticism for his "political views", but his revealing that he's sort of nuts. It's like if he said he was skipping the White House ceremony because Obama believes that dinosaurs existed. People wouldn't be upset at his "religious views", they'd be upset by his lack of coherent, rational ones."

Some anti-Thomas people have gone so far as to accuse Thomas of being a racist. To me, this is the ultimate extremism of the irrational hatred that some have for Mr. Thomas.

"Joel Ward wants to be friends on Facebook (Confirm) (Later) Dear Timmie, sorry I scored the goal that sent your crossburning ax into retirement. Please forgive me, and let's be friends. Sincerely, Joel"

"Why did I 'like' Tim's FB page? Because I wanted to see what he was all about after he snubbed the office of the presidency of the United States. I know, Ii know, I'm Canadian so what would I know - enough at least to respect the office even if I disliked the man. Now that I understand the man (Thomas) that is, I can see that the rumours of his KKK sympathies are probably well founded. He hates Obama because he's black and he hates the Jews because they control the money. See ya Timmy, I still say you are a goofball."

This guy is referring to a quote Thomas posted on his Facebook page. The quote was made many years ago by a British banker, who was also Jewish, about the control of the money supply being the true source of power in a country.

"I'm not disputing the quote, everybody knows that he/she who controls the purse strings rules the world. I'm just saying Tim is a racist and his rants would have more credibility if he didn't color it (get it, color it) with his racist remarks. If he hadn't mentionned the 'banking cartlel' I would be fine with it. His statements are always inflammatory."

Thomas says stuff, people get inflamed over it, then they call him "inflammatory." But who is starting the fire? The person speaking his opinion or the person in the crowd getting overly enraged and hearing everything as racist?

Thomas' apparent streak of selfish behavior, inflammatory rhetoric, and being a distraction to teammates has inevitably led to him being compared to other Boston athletes: Curt Schilling, Randy Moss, Manny Ramirez, even some beer swilling Sox pitchers.

"TT is pissed, because Bs told him he is NOT in their future plans, due to his political/religious views. Mngmt. does not appreciate rebels. It's all about $$$$, TT give R Moss a call he'll fill you in."

"Tim Thomas = Manny Ramirez."

"And when Manny decided that baseball wasn't that important on any given day, he heard about it. Thomas deserves no different treatment. And please, if this doesn't scream "contact shenanigans!' I don't know what does. If Thomas is such an upstanding and principled man, he'd honor his contract."

"Hey Tim...Jesus didn't violate his Conract with Man now did he? You are the Hockey version of Curt Shilling."

"It's time to trade this selfish bum. It's all about him. He has poisoned the teams chemistry. The Bruins didn't make it past the first round due to his mediocre play and the teams lack of urgency and fire in their bellies. It was not fun to watch. The Bruins paid him well and what does he do?.....goes out and acts like a lone wolf and disrespects management and the team at every turn. No player is above the team. Get his butt out of town now! Another ingrate who forgets who pays him big bucks to play a sport! We see too many of these jerks already in Boston like jerky Beckett, Kessell, Lackey, Mannny!!!"

That last one really covers all the bases for the Anti-Thomas Brigade. It blames him for the team losing this year, calls him selfish, alludes to the White House incident, and compares him to other problematic athletes. And apparently, Thomas disrespected "management and the team at every turn." That was my favorite part of the quote. It makes me imagine Tim Thomas walking by Cam Neely's office every day and flipping him off, not making a new pot of coffee when he's drank the last of the old, leaving 3 drops of milk in the carton instead of getting more.

Tim Thomas was never reported to be chronically late or absent to practice like Moss was. Nor did he take portions of games off as Moss did.

Tim Thomas never slapped a teammate in public, or shoved an elderly team employee, or constantly beg to be traded then recant, or take performance enhancing drugs. He is not Manny Ramirez.

Do I even need to point out how different Kessel and Thomas are?

Thomas did not, as far as we know, drink beers in the room when Rask was in net. He's not Beckett or Lackey. And he's always been in prime physical shape.

Thomas did not call sports radio to declare his political beliefs. He did so on his personal Facebook page, which you can either choose to look at or not. Thomas also never asked a state government for money to fund a video game company.

For me, I'm simply amazed at how some people have turned on Thomas. It started in January, with the White House thing. Which became controversial as the team struggled through February. Thomas was blamed by some. And now people have completely turned against him.

I fully agree with those who don't like Thomas' decision. It hurts the team. But if you're going to judge the man, or the player, then judge them as a whole. Calling him selfish neglects what the team was able to accomplish in 2011, even with an allegedly selfish goalie in net. Comparing him to other troubled athletes doesn't quite work because what he's done is different from what any of them did. And it's irrational to be angry at someone for leaving but also happy that they're gone.

Sports are emotional, and sports fandom is about emotional responses. But that doesn't excuse someone for leaving their reason behind as they form and express opinions. And these people I quoted above are still trying to use reason to rationalize their emotional responses. 'He's selfish,' 'he's a cancer,'

"Hey Tim, seems you've done a great Job pulling the wool over the Eyes of the Peeps that come in here. However, you and I both know that this is about Money...Not God or Country! Cut me a break will ya? You can fool some of the People some of the time, but not all the People all of the Time!"

"I think uve lost ur brain Tim"

"Dude, you had a nice career, just retire and fade away gracefully. Wtf? You must love the attention, what did you expect would happen??"

These people genuinely dislike Tim Thomas the man and Tim Thomas the hockey player. And their justification of it demonstrates how misguided and irrational their opinions are. They portray him as a selfish player who hurt them in 2012, but somehow not in 2011. They are angry at him for not putting the team first, even though the team was apparently trying to trade him.

Tim Thomas doing what he's done the last few days hurt the Bruins and their fans. But overall, the goalie has given more to the Bruins and those same fans than any single player has since 1972. It's okay to be upset with him for this week's actions, but for people to turn their backs completely on what Thomas has meant to this franchise, is moronic.

-The Captain

My Take On Tim Thomas

The Captain just wrote his thoughts about Tim Thomas and did it with a passionate sympathetic heart for a man who won his favorite team in Boston the Championship. However, I see things a bit differently.

Thomas doesn't owe the fans, the ownership or the city of Boston ANYTHING! But he does owe his teammates a lot more than this. All year, his teammates had to withstand distractions by the media, and created by Tim Thomas.

Tim Thomas as a player is incredible, Tim Thomas as the man is a douche. The Captain brings up that he should be celebrated for spending time with his family and whatnot. I don't buy for 1 second that this is the real reason Thomas left the Bruins, why? Because why would he plug some business in his farewell address, kind of weird. Tim Thomas was upset with the contract that HE SIGNED 4 years ago that was front loaded and is upset that the Bruins now won't commit a couple more years to the 38 year old. Instead of fulfilling a contract HE SIGNED, he would rather take his puck and go home.

With doing that this hurts the Bruins with them being on the hook for 5 million dollars against the cap. Some may say that's not a big deal, however, it's a deal. None of this would have happened if 1. He retired, 2. He openly asked to be traded. He is trying to stick it to the management and by doing this he is hurting the Teammates that helped HIM raise the cup. Way to go.

If you said 2 years ago that Tim Thomas would almost be a villain in Boston, I would call you crazy. But how he has acted tarnishes his should be gaudy legacy.

What Tim Thomas Did to the Bruins

He's won two Vezinas and a Conn Smythe here. And he's the player most responsible for the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup Championship. Yet some people in this town accuse him of "putting himself above the team." Why? Because he didn't pose for a picture with Barack Obama and because he wants to spend a year with his family. How horrible and selfish of him.

Tim Thomas is taking a year off from hockey. He announced it yesterday on his Facebook page. He's not retiring. And so the Bruins are still responsible for the $5 million cap hit, even if the team suspends him. Legally, he still owes the Bruins a year of hockey, and they still owe him $3 million of salary (the cap number is the average yearly salary of the entire contract). The Bruins can "toll" Thomas' contract, which would mean taking the cap hit now, then having Thomas play for them in 2013-14 without a cap hit.

In any scenario, the Bruins still have to assume the $5 million cap hit. It's a stupid stipulation of the NHL's overly simplistic salary cap. It's a silly rule made to protect the poorly constructed cap from being taken advantage of. Sort of like duct-tape used to hold together rusty iron girders that support a skyscraper.

Why not just retire now? That's a question that some are asking. And then following up with a "he's putting himself above the team" type of statement.

The problem is, even if Tim Thomas retires, the Bruins are still responsible for $5 million against the cap. At least that's what a clause in the NHL CBA seems to read. It's a clause for players signed to deals when they're 35 or older:

“All Player Salary and Bonuses earned in a League Year by a Player who is in the second or later year of a multi-year SPC [standard player contract] which was signed when the Player was age 35 or older (as of June 30 prior to the League Year in which the SPC is to be effective), regardless of whether, or where, the Player is playing, except to the extent the Player is playing under his SPC in the minor leagues, in which case only the Player Salary and Bonuses in excess of $100,000 shall count towards the calculation of Actual Club Salary;”

I haven't gone to Law School, but I think what this part of the CBA states is that if a player who is 35+ years old signs a deal, the team's cap number must include his salary for the duration of the contract, even if he's retired (that's the "regardless of whether, or where, the Player is playing..." part).

The point of this rule is to prevent teams from signing close-to-retirement players to big long-term contracts that are frontloaded. You don't want a team signing a 39 year old player to a 20 year, $20 million deal ($1 million cap hit per season), that pays him $9 million each of the first two years, then he retires after getting paid $18 million, but the team only had a $1 million cap hit.

Tim Thomas signed his current contract on April 2, 2009. That's 13 days before he turned 35. But the rule has a stipulation. If the player is 35+ when the terms of the deal take effect (the start of 2009-10 season for Thomas' deal), then the rule is in effect. Thomas was 35 at the start of the 2009-10 season.

So Thomas' $5 million cap hit was going to be in effect even if he retired. It would only not affect the Bruins if he were traded. Of course, his desire to take a year off severely reduces his trade value. I'm sure the Bruins will try to make a deal with other teams, but it's going to be hard to get much value for a 38 year old goalie who will be hanging out in Colorado for a year until he's 39.

So Thomas did put something ahead of the team. He admitted as much in his Facebook announcement. He wants to focus on his family. On his life off the ice. And because of that, the Bruins will struggle more to trade him. To tell the truth, though, his trade value wasn't incredibly high to begin with. He has one year left on his deal, he's 38 years old, he peaked in 2011. Struggling teams would want a more longer-term solution in net, and almost all of the contending teams already have their goalies in place.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm fine with Thomas putting himself and his family ahead of the Bruins' ability to trade him. And if he doesn't want to play, he doesn't want to play.

What he is taking from the Bruins now is so small and trivial compared to what he gave the Bruins and their fans last spring and summer. Only two Bruins have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Bobby Orr is one of them. Tim Thomas is the other. I think the balance sheet of what Thomas has given the Bruins and what he's taken away by taking a year off shows that the B's are well in the black.

So good luck, Timmy.

-The Captain

Tim Thomas Will Not Play Next Year

On his Facebook page, Tim Thomas said this today:

"From the earliest age I can remember, I've wanted to be a hockey player. I've been blessed in my life to not only be able to live that dream, but to achieve more than I ever thought possible.

"The singleminded focus that is necessary to accomplish a dream of this magnitude entails (by necessity) sacrifice in other areas and relationships in life.

"At the age of 38, I believe it is time to put my time and energies into those areas and relationships that I have neglected. That is why at this time I feel the most important thing I can do in my life is to reconnect with the three F's.

"Friends, Family, and Faith.

"This is what I plan on doing over the course of the next year.

"On top of this, I will continue to train using the ARP/POV system www.ultrafitevosport.com and work with G-Form www.g-form.com in the development of protective equipment.

"What does this portend for the future?

"We'll see….God's will be done."

In other words, Tim Thomas will be taking his talents to Colorado to spend time with his family and friends. He's got three kids and a wife. He's already accomplished some amazing things in his hockey career. I have no problem with this. He says he's taking a year off. Will he come back? I think he'll make a decision on that in about a year.

And anyone who criticizes him for this move is soulless. We live in a sports society that puts salary above all else. Then we criticize athletes for chasing money. Thomas says he wants to spend time with his family. Call me corny, but I think that's nice. His profession does demand a lot of time on the road and in the rink, and does require considerable sacrifices. It sounds like now he wants to sacrifice hockey for family, and that's commendable.

And any sportswriter who wants to mock Thomas' using the word "portend" should look at their own writing. They'll see that they too occasionally use that odd flowery word to make their writing sound more important than it is. It's part of the writing milieu.

We'll have more on this tomorrow.

-The Captain

Tim Thomas Might Not Play Next Year

"A source told ESPN.com Thursday that the 38-year-old Boston Bruins netminder was contemplating taking next season off. Which doesn't mean he will, but it's something he's apparently raised (Pierre LeBrun, ESPN.com)."

Tim Thomas won't sit out, but one has to wonder if this is a strategic move by Thomas. No team will want to deal for him if they run the risk of Thomas just sitting out the year. Also, it could be to put pressure on the Bruins to give him a longer deal.

Honestly, I don't think it's a very smart move by Thomas. The Bruins and their system have made him a star. He is getting paid well next year, and the Bruins have good backups behind Thomas to be able to withstand the loss.

I don't know how true this story is, but I doubt much will come of it.

Captain's Thoughts: Tim Thomas Moving to Colorado

CSN New England has reported that Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas "abruptly" moved his family to Colorado in the middle of the season.

I love how Joe Haggerty added the word "abruptly," which makes Thomas' move seem like he bolted in the night, having the movers tip-toe as they hauled away their furniture in covert silence.

Haggerty, and now others in the sports media, have jumped to the conclusion that Thomas decided his future in Boston wasn't going to extend past the 2011-12 season. Thomas has a no-trade clause which expires on July 1st, next year is the last on his contract, and the Bruins could use the cap space. And that's why he moved his family to Colorado.

I'm not saying that I think Thomas will be here next season. Because I don't. But I seriously doubt that his uncertain future with the Bruins was the motivation behind this move. It doesn't make sense. If he didn't think he'd be a Boston Bruin in the fall, why not wait and see what team he'd wind up with, then move there?

I think he got tired of living in Boston. The White House story set sports radio on fire. People insinuated that he was racist, some blamed him for the team struggling after that, some guy from TSN made a joke on Twitter about his three children all having names that start with K ('KKK').

His three children are 12, 7, and 6. Which means they were going to school with the sons and daughters of Bruins fans who were angry with Thomas for being a distraction. If I were a father, I'd get tired of my kids taking crap in school because someone else's parent was mad at me for not attending a White House photo op.

In Haggerty's column, he called Colorado "more politically conservative" than Massachusetts. Name me a state (apart from Vermont) that isn't more politically conservative than Massachusetts. It is impossible to move from Massachusetts and not move to a more politically conservative state.

Haggerty makes it seem as though Colorado is in the Deep South. Obama won Colorado in 2008. Both Senators from Colorado are Democrats. Three of the seven Representatives are Democrats. The Governor is a Democrat. It's a moderate state.

I think Thomas got tired of the incessant questions and aggravations he and his family dealt with in their daily lives in suburban Boston. Haggerty points out that his source mentioned Thomas might have wanted to be near Team USA's headquarters in Colorado Springs. Haggerty then dismisses this quite reasonable explanation because of that word "abrupt" I mentioned earlier. Why so quickly?

Again, how abrupt was it? Is there any way to know how long Thomas might have been planning to move and just didn't want to say anything because he was already trying not to talk about his personal life with the media?

Haggerty got a weird bit of info and jumped to the most sensational and exciting conclusion possible. He didn't bother to consider other alternatives to the conclusion he reached. He didn't even bother to look at a Wikipedia page about Colorado's Congressional Delegation. He just went with it.

Good job, Joe. Responsible journalism at its finest.

No wonder Thomas moved away from here.

-The Captain

Evidence Tim Thomas Is On His Way Out?

According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com, several sources report Thomas "abruptly" moved his family from their Boston-area home to Colorado ... mid-season. The alleged change in residence might be considered extra weird since Thomas had been relatively rooted in Boston -- and New England in general -- for several years. And Haggerty suggests the move could speak volumes to the 38-year-old's current intentions.

"... His move to the more politically conservative state of Colorado might explain why Thomas has been so noncommittal when asked about retiring as a Bruin. He also wasn't very forthcoming in declaring his happiness as a member of the Bruins organization after the team fell to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs this season ... (ESPN)"

I think this has more to do with Thomas knowing that no matter what next year is his last with the Bruins. There is no way they bring him back, as long as the resign Rask. I have been saying it all offseason, but I think the best move is to move Thomas. He is the best player on the the Bruins, but it's his last year and we either trade and get something for him or risk losing him for nothing. Plus, if you are going to resign Rask, it's going to cost a decent amount, and it would just be too much money wrapped in two goalies, and the Bruins will have some holes to fill.

Bruins Trading For Rick Nash?

"... Most expected that the Blue Jackets would be looking for Tuukka Rask in any Nash exchange given Columbus' dreadful performance between the pipes, but indications to CSNNE.com from several places are that the Blue Jackets are looking for either Milan Lucic or Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton as their desired price tag. Seguin is an untouchable for the Bruins coming off a sophomore NHL season where he blossomed into an All-Star performer, but Lucic appears to have his name coming up more and more often in trade discussions ..."

Instead, Haggerty proposes a Jackets/Bruins deal could go down if Columbus GM Scott Howson is willing to accept a package including forward David Krejci and picks/prospects in return (CSNNE.com's Joe Haggerty).

I have said before I am totally opened to trading Krejci and/or Lucic. I am guess from this article that they wouldn't just do a deal for Thomas, which makes sense since they were the worst team in the NHL last year and Thomas is too old to grow with that team. If I was the Bruins Seguin and Hamilton would be untouchable, but if they could do a deal that was either Krecji or Lucic and prospect picks for Nash I think it would be a good deal. The problem here is money. Nash makes almost 8 million a year for the next 6 years. His age is right (27), but that is a lot of money tied in one player and my thinking is that the Bruins would have to deal Thomas as well in another deal to clear the cap space to be able to bring in Nash and resign Rask.

Nash is really good, I know his numbers have declined over the past coupe years, but I really that has more to do with him playing on a shitty team. This is something very interesting to keep an eye on and I am starting to here the Bruins mentioned in a lot of trade rumors.

Nathan Horton Injury Update

As far as his agent is concerned, Nathan Horton (concussion) should be ready to go when the Boston Bruins return to the ice in late summer.

"Nathan is coming along," Paul Krepelka told CSNNE.com via text message. "We would hope he is good to go at the start of training camp (ESPN)."

Horton missed the last 36 games last season (plus playoffs) with a concussion. Although the status of these types of injuries can change at anytime, the Bruins do sound like he should be ready to go when camp opens. This could be huge for the Bruins. Unless some major moves are made (trading Thomas/Krejci/ect) the Bruins are going to lose Chris Kelly to free agency. It's not they don't want him back, but they just don't have the cap space to bring him back. With Kelly gone, the Bruins will likely finally make the move to put Seguin at center, so you would have Krejci, Bergeron, and Seguin in center, and it would leave a glaring need for a wing to step up.

When the Bruins signed Horton I really thought he would be a 30+ goal scorer every year. I still think he has the skills to do it, and hopefully he can come back healthy and have a shot to do so. This is a big year for Horton, as this is the final year of his 6 year $24 million deal.

I'm Disgusted With Boston

So this is some bullshit right here. After Joel Ward scored the game winning goal Boston Tough Guy asshole fans took to twitter and facebook to drop N Bombs. None of this shit should be surprising, because I have said it from day 1, that most hockey fans are racist because it's meant for rich white people that have no interaction with other races and the Bruins by far have the biggest trashbag scumbag fans than the Red Sox, Celtics or Patriots. Listen, I'm not going to sit here and act like I have never partook in any racist jokes or laughed at racist shit. But dropping hard Ns over a game is fucking bullshit and is embarrassing as shit. You want to know why people think our city as racist, here it is. I really wish these fucking douchebags said this shit to Joel Ward's face and see how tough they are. The Bruins lost, big deal, but this I have no tolerance for.

Capitals 2, Bruins 1 (OT)

On the bright side, I get to trim my beard. That's good because it was getting a bit unruly. Some tomato sauce got caught in it and since my beard has a reddish hue, I was never certain that I got all the sauce out.

Anyway, to the game and the series.

The Capitals played to 100% of their potential. The Bruins fluctuated between 80% and 100%, mostly hovering around 90%. Rarely reaching 100%.

We're going to here the theories. It's amazing how small minded people come up with the biggest and most complex explanation of things. They'll blame the so-called "Cup hangover." They'll say the Bruins celebrated too much in the off-season. They might even point to Tim Thomas not visiting the White House.

I'm more simplistic. I see David Krejci not scoring goals and just think that he's not a very consistent player. I see Milan Lucic skating up the ice before he has full possession of the puck, turning it over on his own blue line. That's something the Bruins have done many times, both before and after winning the Cup. I see brad Marchand trying too hard to make plays on his own.

These aren't complicated things. The Bruins didn't execute. It happens. It happened in the 2011 Cup run too. Just not 4 times in a 7 game stretch.

Krejci and Lucic made the right plays at the wrong time. They'd fling the puck in front of the net, but not when the Bruins had any bodies in front. They didn't do much in the offensive zone that had any purpose. Only Seguin did a good job supporting the play. Only Seguin looked dangerous in the offensive zone.

I missed Mark Recchi in this series. His timing to get to the front of the net was something the Bruins were sorely missing all series long. Holtby was giving up rebounds, struggling to smother loose pucks, and frequently made mistakes with his glove. But there were no Bruins hovering around the net, pouncing just as the shot got in, and getting body position to capitalize on rebounds.

Holtby was the story of this series, but not the star. He did a great job, but the Bruins did a poor job of making him work to make saves. No traffic, no second-chance opportunities. Lots of perimeter shots that he was able to see clearly.

Anyone who wants to blame Thomas for this series loss is a fool. He wasn't godlike, as he was in 2011. But how perfect would he have needed to be last night?

Defensively, the Bruins did a good job shutting down the Caps. But most of the top 6 Bruin forwards did nothing on offense. Kelly's line produced at the start of the series. Then the defensemen took over. Seguin and Peverley combined for 5 goals, which is 1/3 of the Bruins' total offensive production. Bruins forwards only scored 11 goals. The top 6 scored 7 goals, and 5 of those were Seguin's and Peverley's

Krejci had 1 goal. Marchand had 1 goal. Lucic had 0 goals. Bergeron had 0 goals.

One of these guys needed to produce. Just one.

The Bruins needed their scorers to score. They were never going to outmuscle the Caps. These aren't the Canadiens, the Lightning, or the Canucks. Alex Ovechkin is 230 pounds. He doesn't shy away from physical contact, he initiates it.

So now comes a long off-season. Will Thomas be back? Will the Bruins get a "scorer?" Will they try to construct a true top line. We have plenty of time to find out.

-The Captain

BMack's Take

The closest series in the history of the NHL came to an end last night, and ever fittingly it happened in overtime. Joel Ward slammed home a rebound at 2:57 of overtime to give Washington a 2-1 victory over Boston in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. No team has repeated as Stanley Cup Champions since Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98.

You really can't point the finger at any one thing. This series was so close. All games decided by a goal, four of the games went to overtime, and 2 others were decided with less than 2 minutes left in regulation. A puck bounces a different way and this series could've gone different. Give credit to the Capitals though, they really changed their style for this series and it worked.

This is a tough pill to swallow as a Bruins fan, but before we start saying "choke" or anything like that remember that these team were only separated by 4 points in the standings, and like I mentioned before no one seems to ever repeat.

We will get to all the offseason stuff later, but I guess there is one more topic we are going to have to cover, because I am sure there is going to be a ton of press about it in the coming days. After the game last night "Boston fans" took to twitter and let out a bunch of racist comments, and it is not making our city look very good. Boston has always had a stigma of being racist and this is just another check mark next to that.

If you want to actually see what was said and reaction you can read it HERE.

Capitals @ Bruins Preview: Game 7

The Bruins forced game 7 by winning in Washington in game 6, and to be honest I thought they were a little bit lucky. The Bruins have outplayed the Capitals almost the entire series, but near the end of that 3rd peroid I thought the Capitals were playing better, and in particular Ovechkin was starting to take over. It doesn't matter now, but that scared the hell out of me.

This series is the closest series of all time. There has never been a series that went 7 games where every game was determined by just 1 goal. Yet, I have come away from basically every game in this series thinking the Bruins were the better team. The better team doesn't always win in playoff hockey, so this is really up in the air.

The Bruins won 2 Game 7's in Boston last year in the playoffs. They are used to this atmostphere. The Capitals have a young goalie that might not be able to handle it, plus the Capitals seem to fizzle out every playoffs early. Is this the year they finally break through? Or is this just what "Bruins hockey" is now where we expect every series to go 7 games?

Thomas has been solid, not great, but not bad either. There are so many storylines heading into this game, but one of the most interesting (and/or upsetting) is the fact that this COULD BE TIM THOMAS' LAST GAME AS A BRUIN. It's really odd to think about, but he has a big salary, the Bruins need to commit money to Rask in the offseason, which makes Thomas very likely to be traded.

That doesn't matter tonight, but it's hard to get off my mind. I think Thomas is going to come up huge tonight. I think the Capitals are going to fall apart, and although I don't see a blowout I think the Bruins do what they did so many times last playoffs. WIN GAME 7.

Bruins win 4-1
Player of the Game: Thomas/Peverley
Game starts at 7:30pm

Bruins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)

The Bruins weren't going to win this series unless some of their key forwards woke up and scored. Krejci scored yesterday. Lucic had two assists. And Seguin scored the game-winner.

Seguin was dangerous all game. It was only a matter of time before he scored. He threatened frequently in the 1st, and he helped set-up Peverley's goal in the 3rd. Finally, the opportunity came for him in OT. He was confident, he was patient, he was Tyler Seguin. He waited for Braden Holtby to commit, then he attacked. And as good as the media has made Holtby out to be, Seguin is ridiculously more talented than him. And don't forget that Seguin has to practice against Tim Thomas. That might be part of the reason why he's becoming such a good player.

I thoroughly enjoy Eddie Olczyk's mis-analysis of Tim Thomas during the playoffs. He spouted the same crap last year. The NBC guys frequently critique the two time Vezina winner for his aggressiveness. I think Mr. Olczyk believes that if he laced up his skates today, he'd be able to score on Thomas with ease. But he has just a good of a chance to score on Thomas as he does of pronouncing a player's name correctly.

Thomas was great. Washington's first goal was a deflection off Zanon's leg. Their second goal came when the referees didn't call interference or high-sticking and the Caps had a de facto Power Play. Ironically, after the play Marchand couldn't return to the ice due to the flowing blood from the non-penalty. He got a stick to the face and Washington scored. Then again, the refs were primarily focused on clamping down the toughest, fiercest player in the NHL: Benoit Pouliot.

How much attention are the referees giving Pouliot's play? Pouliot has 6 penalty minutes this series. Ovechkin has 4. Who do you think has played rougher, pushed the rules further?

Speaking of penalties, the Washington fans properly displayed their ignorance when booing the 4 minute high-sticking call on Ovechkin. Stick to face equals a penalty. And blood makes it a 4 minute penalty. There's little grey area. What the hell were the Caps fans booing?

Then again, the lack of penalties on Ovechkin isn't new. He was 21st in the NHL with 215 hits in the regular season. He only received 26 penalty minutes. That's not a typo. He was only penalized 26 minutes. 21st most hits, 393rd most penalty minutes. It's impossible to be involved in so much physical play and not be penalized more. Clearly the refs have a different rule book for him.

The Bruins' Power Play looked much better than it's been in the first 5 games. The B's scored a PP goal in the 1st. And they were much better at entering the zone and maintaining possession. The next step is to move some bodies away from the puck. That makes it harder on the penalty killers. It opens up passing and shooting lanes, creates 2-on-1 situations, and forces the goalie to move around. And we've seen Holtby struggle when he's forced to move from post-to-post.

The Bruins' penalty killing is back to form too.

So we have another Game 7. This is familiar territory for many of the Bruins. If they can continue to grow on the Power Play; if Krejci, Seguin, and Lucic can contribute; and if Benoit Pouliot's rampaging can be harnessed, the Bruins should win.

I can't wait until Wednesday.

-The Captain

Capitals 2, Bruins 1

The series is tied 2-2. And as much as Braden Holtby will get praised for this, it really is the Bruins' fault. They're not playing at the same level as Washington. Just look at the Bruins' top scorers (Seguin, Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, Marchand). These 5 guys have combined for one assist. The top 5 Bruins scorers have one assist in this series.

Then there's the turnovers, which are frequently erased by Thomas, but not always. Then there's Ference falling down. That resulted in a Washington goal.

Defensively, though, the Bruins have been pretty tight in this series. Even when they've made mistakes, somebody has made a play to minimize those errors.

Offensively, this team is lost. Lucic looked like a fucking fool last night. How many times did he give the puck away, or struggle to gain possession?

Then Krejci. How perfect do passes have to be for Krejci to settle the puck?

The 4th line is doing what the 4th line is supposed to do, the 3rd line is scoring, and at least the Bergeron line is generating chances. The Krejci-Lucic line is playing horribly right now. And I think they're the biggest reason this series is tied.

Strategically, the Bruins need to stop throwing shots high on Holtby. He's good with the glove. He's very cocky with the glove, actually. Low shots, generate rebounds, get inside position and try to score. Make him question himself. He's too secure right now.

And the Power Play needs to be simplified in some areas and made more dynamic in others. Two defensemen on the blue-line. No need to have forwards on the point (unless it's Rolston). Move bodies without the puck.

And in all situations, build traffic in front of Holtby.

How much traffic did Thomas deal with last night? How much did Holtby deal with? Thomas had I-93 at 4:45pm on a Friday. Holtby had Route 24 at 2:00am on a Tuesday. Make Holtby struggle to make these saves.

Game 5 is Saturday afternoon in Boston. It's time for the Bruins to show up and play as well as they can play. We haven't seen that all series.

Bruins @ Capitals: Game 4

Must win game for the Capitals, and they are going to have to do it with Nicklas Backstrom not playing (suspension). All 3 games during this series have been decided by a goal.

The Capitals have done a good job converting themselves into a defensive first team. The Bruins are just better at it, and that's why I think they will win this series, but there is still one thing that kind of scares me.

I am expecting a tightly called game tonight, as the NHL tried to control the chaos. If that's the case and there are a bunch of power plays, I think that benefits the Capitals a lot more than the Bruins.

Still, I just don't pick against Tim Thomas and Chara in the playoffs.

Bruins win 4-2
Player of the Game: Marchand
Game starts at 7:30pm

Backstrom Suspended One Game

The NHL upheld the automatic 1 game suspension handed down to Nicklas Backstrom for his match penalty Monday night. Capitals' coach Dale Hunter tried to claim that Backstrom was acting in self-defense out of fear of receiving another concussion. But cross-checking someone's face is hardly a defensive act.

However, compared to some of the other stuff we've seen the past few days, Backstrom's transgression seems relatively harmless. He got the same discipline as James Neal, who was much more aggressive, much more reckless, much more menacing in his violation.

I'm not saying that Backstrom shouldn't be suspended. Just that the NHL needs to issue more serious penalties for the more serious crimes.

This is a big advantage for the Bruins that they must press. Backstrom has a goal and an assist in the series and was winning 56% of his faceoffs. The Bruins can now reestablish themselves at the faceoff circle.

It's time to put this team away.

-The Captain

Backstrom Has Hearing Scheduled

"According to a tweet from TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Capitals have been informed that center Nicklas Backstrom will have a hearing with the NHL, likely on Wednesday, over his cross-check to the face of Rich Peverley Monday.

After the final seconds ticked off the clock in Boston's 4-3 victory over the Capitals in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Backstrom cross-checked Peverley in the face and was given a match penalty, which carries with it an automatic suspension pending review of the league (WEEI)."

This is actually going to be a real good test for the NHL. We are going to find out if "superstars" get special treatment. This is blatantly something that should carry a 1 game suspension, I don't think he should get any more than that, but he should get that 1 game. The league needs to get rid of these head blows, especially when the guy isn't expecting it. We should find out sometime tomorrow if he is suspended, so we'll keep you posted.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 6

Tempers are flaring in just about every series. These games are close, physical, and every inch is being fought for. Best time of the year.

RANGERS 1, SENATORS 0 - (Rangers lead series 2-1)
Henrik Lundqvist was a wall, stopping all 39 shots he faced. With no Alfredsson, the Senators have no offense. And no chance of winning this series. The NHL suspended Carl Hagelin 3 games for the hit that concussed Alfredsson, but Hagelin may have won the series with that hit. Alfredsson is listed as day-to-day but if he doesn't come back, the Senator's won't either.

Game 4 Wednesday night in Ottawa.

BRUINS 4, CAPITALS 3 - (Bruins lead series 2-1)

Speaking of suspensions, it'll be interesting to see if Nicklas Backstrom gets one for cross-checking Rich Peverley's face at the end of last night's game. Backstrom was issued a 10 minute match penalty for "deliberate injury" and given the timing and nature of the penalty, I think at least a 1 game ban is in order.

Game 4 Thursday night in D.C.

BLUES 4, SHARKS 3 - (Blues lead series 2-1)

This game wasn't as close as the score might suggest. St. Louis entered the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead and made it 4-1 in less than a minute. Joe Thornton got 2 of his 3 assists on late goals and was awarded #2 star of the game in a token gesture of homerism. The Blues scored 3 of their 4 goals on the Power Play. They've scored 5 PP goals in the series, and limited the Sharks to just 2.

Game 4 Thursday night in San Jose.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Panthers @ Devils - NHL Network - Series tied 1-1
7:30pm - Predators @ Red Wings - NBC Sports - Predators lead 2-1
9:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Series tied 1-1

-The Captain

Bruins 4, Capitals 3

I didn't truly hate the Capitals until last night. Don't get me wrong, I still respect them. They're good, strong, and most are willing to accept a physical challenge. But some seem more willing to engage in childish antics, not actual hockey.

I'm speaking, of course, of Karl Azner. Who bravely tried putting Milan Lucic in a headlock while Lucic was already tangling with Matt Hendricks.

That same courageous Capital then made a cry-baby gesture to Lucic. The refs didn't give Azner a penalty for being the 3rd man in an altercation. They didn't give him a penalty at all. In fact, Lucic got the extra minor and a Bruins' Power Play became a 4-on-4.

NHL refs rarely make such obvious mistakes. 99.9% of the time they do an excellent job. And when they screw up, like they did last night, the Hockey gods intervene and make things right again. The Hockey gods smiled on the Bruins and they scored.

The Hockey gods also smile on 6' 9" defensemen, and their German partners.

Speaking of which, Dennis Seidenberg had the game of his life last night. He was a huge part of 2 goals, helping to keep plays alive in the offensive zone. He held his own against Ovechkin (who has 24 pounds on Seidenberg), he had 4 hits, and blocked 4 shots.

Somehow Brooks Laich got the #1 star. Not Thomas. Not Chara. Not Seidenberg. Laich had a 3 point night, but so did Chara. And Chara also played 26:29 of excellent defensive hockey.

Whatever.

The Bruins were good in the first two periods. But good doesn't cut it in the playoffs. In the 3rd period, however, they were great. Apart from allowing Laich to stretch the zone, the B's were clearly the superior team in the 3rd.

They have good enough goaltending and defense to keep them in every game. Even as the top two lines struggle to produce anything offensively. The Bruins have not played at their peak capability, and yet they're up 2-1 in this series.

What will happen if they reach that peak?

Game 4 Thursday night in Washington.

-The Captain