It's time to raise your colors and standards and to let trumplets blaze. Time to pick up your swords and shields and wield it in any way you see fit -- to cut down your enemy or protect your brethren.
For there is no tomorrow. There is no next time.
There is no dawn unless we get through the night.
Life offers no guarantee of a second chance, my friends. It makes no promises and holds no favorites. Glory is for those who earn it -- for those who sweat for it and bleed for it, who believe in it, and who scratch and claw away at every possible chance until -- through the soot and dirt -- they see that slight glimmer of hope. The diamond of life -- Opportunity.
It is only then can glory be harvested. It is only then can men leave the realm of myth and into legend. To see immortality before oneself can be an awe-inspiring experience.
Some men tremble, letting the soft earth beneath them quake and shake their very foundation untilt they're no more than a puddle of piss.
Other men -- men of mettle, of steel and of iron -- march forward through the fog of war. They see immortality as a precious jewel that belongs to them. They soar while others fall.
Songs and ballads are not sung for those who sit idly by and watch life pass them like a summer's breeze. They're reserved for the heroes and gods of this world -- for the men who raised themselves above the commonfolk and into the Pantheon of their choosing.
But it won't be easy. Nor should it.
It's time to see what mettle rests in our hearts, ladies and gentlemen.
I want to apologize right away for the Jennifer Lopez reference in the title. For some reason that shitty song is stuck in my head and I can't get it out, much like I can't get out the images of Game 6 out of my head. I've tried my hardest, but I can't. I especially can't get the image of those shitty Tampa fans throwing those stupid fucking clappers onto the ice after they won.
Before I talk about the game, I want to address the Tampa "fans" and their hypocrisy. Every since the Bruins were in the playoffs, people have criticized the Boston fans because they throw towel and empty beer cups on the ice after wins and especially after losses. It got to the point where the Days of Y'Orr staff, who don't condone this type of behavior, made a post mocking Bruins fans. That's right, we mocked our own readers because their behavior was out of line. Despite this mockery, people in other hockey markets and main stream media continued to verbally lash on the Bruins fans as classless. So what happens on Wednesday night? Tampa wins and their fans litter the ice, including hitting Boston players.
The reaction from most fans was unbelievable. They were okay with it. Tampa fans, Montreal fans, really anyone outside of the black and gold faithful were happy to see players get hit. After this acceptance, a video came out where Nathan Horton squirted water at a fan and suddenly the Internet was once again in a shit storm about how horrible the Bruins are.
This is the type of shit that brings my blood to a boil. It's not okay for fans to throw shit onto the ice until your team does it. Once your team's fans do it, it's okay. Then it's not okay for a player to defend his teammates after they are hit with the same shit that your fans are throwing. Interesting. Well, fuck you Tampa. Win or lose tonight it's clear to me that your nothing more then a bunch of fair weather fans who don't deserve a fucking hockey team, let alone any sports team.
This isn't going to be a debate on the fans. There's still a hockey game to be played tonight and it's do or die for the Bruins. Plain and simple. Sometimes I feel like this team doesn't want to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Sometimes I feel like these guys are scared of the pressure that's beginning to mount. Don't forget, the city of Boston hasn't celebrated a Stanley Cup in 39 years. That's a lot of pressure for a team to undergo and I don't think these guys are ready.
Look at Game 6. The Bruins let their frustrations get the better of them. Andrew Ference took a stupid cross checking penalty in front of the net, the Tampa Bay power play abused the Bruins to where Ike Turner was envious and Johnny Boychuk made a pinch that basically won Tampa that game. Basically, Johnny Boychuk has been awful this series. The staff at Days of Y'Orr has had a pants tent for Johnny Boychuk for the past two years, but there's no denying how bad he's been this series.
He's not the only one. I'm not sure if the Bruins are tired or what, but the defense hasn't been up to snuff in this series outside of Game 3.
With all that said though, it's time for the Bruins to lay it all on the ice tonight. If they lose, I don't know what will happen in this city. A lot of people (this blog included, obviously) have lived and died with the Bruins this season. Hell, I watched them in Prague sitting in my brother-in-laws hotel suite getting ready for his wedding. It ain't over yet folks, I believe the Bruins have what it takes to beat Tampa.
I think they're better than Tampa. For the Bruins to win, they're going to have to revert back to Game 3 where they slowed the pace and played their game. Don't worry about getting physical with the Lightning, worry about slowing down the game. Get the puck deep in the offensive zone. The defensemen need to roam the blue line in the offensive zone unless a pinch is open. Seidenberg and Chara are the best pinchers on the team, anyone else I'd discourage it at this point, especially because Tampa can rush with the best of them.
This is becomes a "pond hockey" style of game, the Bruins will lose. They're not in the same cateogry with Tampa when it comes to speed and skating, but defensively they're much better. Play disciplined hockey and don't allow Tampa to set-up in the zone on a power play. Once they set-up, the Bruins are dead.
I would say capitalize on the power play, but ya know.
Thanks my to bud Ian (@caffeinepower) for posting this on his Facebook.
Lastly, Claude needs to start mixing up lines. Mark Recchi isn't cutting it anymore. Time to bump him down to the fourth line and double shift Rich Peverley and Tyler Seguin. Both of those players add skill and speed to a second line that already has Patrice Bergeron, the best Bruin on the ice not named Tim Thomas, and Brad Marchand. I love Recchi and I think his leadership with this club is important, but the legs are gone. Let him skate with the fourth line, but no longer can he be useful on the second line our the power play.
There's not much else for me to talk about, so I ask you Boston Bruins, do you have your war face on? Let me see it. LET ME SEE IT.
The St. Petersburg Times reported on Twitter that Bill Daly, the NHL's deputy commissioner, said there will be no punishment for either Horton or the Tampa Bay Lightning for end-of-the-game incidents after Game 6 in Tampa Wednesday night.
This isn't exactly what Boston needs right before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals -- Nathan Horton spraying and throwing a water bottle at a Tampa fan. Guy deserved it.
Horton could be suspended for this. There's precedence and the League sent out preseason warnings about shit like this. He shouldn't be though. Not when there were retarded Tampa fans chucking plastic clapper give-a-ways at the team as they were leaving the ice. Remember -- Krecji got nailed in the head with one.
Horton was probably giving the guy a subtle hint on his lack of hygiene. Douche.
We're totally OK with Horton hosing the dude off. We've always been OK with players spraying fans who are giving them the business. Hate it when fans can dish it but then cry to mommy when the players dish it right back. We're surprised no one has showered the Vancouver Green Men yet.
Not like Horton beat the guy with a shoe or anything.
This pretty much sums up a lot of Tampa fans:
Tampa really is becoming the Montreal of the south... minus the heritage and hour long intra-period celebrations.
It's going to be an interesting Thursday evening/Friday morning while we all wait for the League's view of the situation.
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* Boychuk broke our hearts instead of Tampa's souls * PP is still the PP (but hey they got one!) * PK was horrible * Kaberle is still Kaberle * Thomas was off * Etc., etc.
Sucks that Krejci's hat trick got lost in all the muck.
Also, rookie move by Tampa fans chucking the Clappers onto the ice right after the game. One nailed Krejci right in the head; another almost boinked Roli. Good to know that chopbusting signs is not kosher with Tampa but throwing hard objects at players is.
Whatever. We're over last night. It's Boston's way to make things harder than it needs to be. This city feeds off drama. Last night's game doesn't matter anymore. Only tomorrow night does.
Tampa must be feeling like Kobayashi right now -- unbeatable. Game 7's gonna be a lot like this, though.
In fact, bring out the fucking bear. Let Rene ride out on it. Have it sit between the Bruins and Lightning benches -- it can take over for Pierre. It'll probably have something more useful to say.
The play-by-play just might be as ridiculous as the video.
There is a time to play fast and hard, and then there is a time to take a step back and slow things down. And then there is a time to just do whatever it takes to finish a team off for good. Hoping to see the Bruins to the latter tonight.
Our expectations were pretty high for the Bruins Monday night, and those expectations were largely not met. We've already said that the end result is what matters, which we still stand by, but it'd be REALLY nice to see the Bruins get more than four shots in the first period.
Thankfully, the team has shown that they are able to beat Tampa even when we're not at our best, thanks mainly to the unsolvable riddle Tim Thomas.
It wasn't pretty. You probably crapped your pants 18 times during the game. When Tampa Bay scored early thoughts crept into the heads of even the most faithful. Where we going to see the same Bruins team we saw in Game 4? When the Bruins had negative 3 shots halfway through the second period your heart was sinking. But the way Thomas was playing you knew there was hope. You just knew.
When the puck bounced to Downie in the third and you saw that wiiiiiiide open net you probably starting cursing immediately. Out of nowhere, Thomas dove to the rescue. Again. He made perhaps the most meaningful save for the Bruins in decades. The Bruins were on the ropes. If Tampa gets that goal they have all the momentum. But Tim F'ing Thomas demoralized them. The whole Tampa bench was stunned. Thomas just played it off like it was business as usual.
After the game, you built a shrine to Tim Thomas. You watch the clipped of him making that save on Downie over and over and over and over.
Yes, the Bruins are just one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Think about that. One win. Most of us were barely ten the last time anyone could say that.
But the series is a long way from over. Tampa was the better team for looooooooooong stretches of that game. Now it is win or go home for them. There are few things as dangerous as a team with its back against the wall. If you think for one second Boson is going to stroll in and take Game 6 with ease, you're wrong.
Don't listen to everyone complaining today. Wah the Bruins sucked, wah. Wah, if they make it to the Finals and face Vancouver the series will be over in four, wah. A win is a win. All you do now is enjoy it and hope they come out strong Wednesday and learn their lesson.
After the jump.... Steve Downie sucks, Tampa fans suck and we protest!
I want to apologize right away for the Jennifer Lopez reference in the title. For some reason that shitty song is stuck in my head and I can't get it out, much like I can't get out the images of Game 6 out of my head. I've tried my hardest, but I can't. I especially can't get the image of those shitty Tampa fans throwing those stupid fucking clappers onto the ice after they won. 
After the jump, the preview continues. 
