I have to say that there are a lot of questions about this team. It really begs the question why Haggs and the NHL power rankings are so bullish on the B's. I get that they had a lot of guys overseas and have a great core of players....but there are a lot of question marks.
Things I am pretty sure about:
Seguin will emerge as a dominant offensive player
Bergeron and his line will continue their success
Chara will be Chara, Seids will be Seids.
Things I question:
Nathan Horton...even if healthy he will be rusty
Lucic...slow start
Rask....this one I am questioning just a little bit. He has proven himself in the past, but I still find myself concerned.
Depth at both fwd and D. There will be injuries and we are very thin.
Dougie.
I have to say that there are a lot of questions about this team. It really begs the question why Haggs and the NHL power rankings are so bullish on the B's. I get that they had a lot of guys overseas and have a great core of players....but there are a lot of question marks.
Things I am pretty sure about:
Seguin will emerge as a dominant offensive player
Bergeron and his line will continue their success
Chara will be Chara, Seids will be Seids.
Things I question:
Nathan Horton...even if healthy he will be rusty
Lucic...slow start
Rask....this one I am questioning just a little bit. He has proven himself in the past, but I still find myself concerned.
Depth at both fwd and D. There will be injuries and we are very thin.
Dougie.
I'm really rooting for Bourque. Would love to see him find his niche and stride after battling hard to make the NHL. He looked hungry as **** during the scrimmage and what better linemates to have than Kelly and Peverley?
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Rick Nash
Marian Gaborik-Derek Stepan-Ryan Callahan
Taylor Pyatt-Brian Boyle-Chris Kreider
Michael Rupp-Jeff Halpern-Brandon Segal
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Anton Stralman
Michael Del Zotto-Stu Bickel
Henrik Lundqvist
Should be interesting to see how Claude Julien plays his matchups. Usually, Zdeno Chara shadows Marian Gaborik. But with Gaborik and Rick Nash skating on different lines, Julien will have to deploy different matchups … Johnny Boychuk turns 29 today"
It's Tiki Time, It's Tiki Time, It's Tiki Time, It's Tiki....TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI!
I hope Tiki barber isn't playing tonight. or you are watching way too many disney videos ala the jungle book...... In the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room.....
1.) is horton healthy and ready...YES!
2.) Is this seguin better than the one last year...YES!
3.) is chris Bourque better than pouliot...No!
4.) can Dougie contribute more than corvo ior any other 6 man we have had, can he be better than kaberle towards the end of the year?...No!
5.) Can tuuka compete hard like timmay...Unknown!
if these 5 things come true I expect a long run
Regarding item 4, I think some folks will have a tendency to over rate Hamilton's potential as it relates to actual performance. He's Seguin as a defenseman. And defense is likely going to be tougher for him in Claude's system than offense was for Seguin. Corvo and Kaberle may have had their suck on big time during their time with the Bruins, but they also had years of experience playing in the NHL as NHL defensemen, and Kaberle's career -- regardless of how derailed it got with the Bruins -- was quite successful. Dougie has a big job ahead of him. Hope for the best; expect maybe not the worst but nothing stellar.
My worry with item 5 is can Tuukka keep the opposing team out of his head? Timmy could and that was one of his strengths. Tuukka seems to lose it from time to time, and that won't be helpful. I know folks are amused by his milk crate tantrum, and I know a lot will disagree with me here, but that's a sign of weakness, not strength. He needs to remain calm and cool and let that stuff go. If he doesn't then we will see a lot more of Khudobin than we'd like.
My questions for the season.
1. Can a team that thrives on their structure make do with lack of practice time?
2. Can Tuukka be as tough and hungry as Thomas?...NO NO AND NO.
3. Will Bourque be adequate on wing?
4. How will Hamilton do? Will the d pairings affect chemistry postively or negatively?
5. How fast will Lucic regain his conditioning?
[QUOTE=Bruwinz37;57832861]I have to say that there are a lot of questions about this team. It really begs the question why Haggs and the NHL power rankings are so bullish on the B's. I get that they had a lot of guys overseas and have a great core of players....but there are a lot of question marks.
Things I am pretty sure about:
Seguin will emerge as a dominant offensive player
Bergeron and his line will continue their success
Chara will be Chara, Seids will be Seids.
Things I question:
Nathan Horton...even if healthy he will be rusty- Big Yes! Likely to Dissappoint!Lucic...slow start- Yes. We will continue to see defensive turn-oversRask....this one I am questioning just a little bit. He has proven himself in the past, but I still find myself concerned. Yes. Big concern if he doesn't come up Big.Depth at both fwd and D. Yes. Lucic & Horton success hinders the depth. As well, Bourque and the success of the 4th line. They didn't do so well last year in the playoffs. The defense is thin as well. Dougie.- Big expectations and there are going to be many growing pains for a young defenseman.
Wow Bourque is 5'8 174? Which means he's probably really 5'7 168. Last Bruin that small? Samsonov? No Samsonov was slightly bigger. That's super small.
It doesn't really bother me. My spelling / typing is often "off" ...I blame my Maine coon cat who is often stepping on the keyboard while I type.
