Well that was a disheartening loss. Bruins came out sticks blazing in the first. If Fleury had started over Vokoun it would've been 20-0 Bruins five minutes in.
But then much like a Buffalo Sabres playoff run, the Bruins just faded down the stretch. What made the loss even worse was that the Penguins were playing without Crosby, Malkin, Neal and Martin. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, it is NOT a good sign that you had trouble hanging with your top competion while they were missing four of their best players.
We can only hope they get their shit together in what little time is left before the playoffs.
[UPDATE: Bruins say the game is tentatively moved to tomorrow at 12:30pm}
We were really looking forward to Iginla vs. Jagr, but this is more important. We'll take catching this fucker over a hockey game any day of the week. We'll worry about hockey later.
If you're new to DOY, then you have no idea why this is here. We have always equated hockey and wrestling. For some reason, they seem to fit well together. Ever since the Iginla thing went down - the Bruins/Penguins have acted like a WWF storyline so we figured we would actually write it like a WWF storyline. Enjoy today's preview - I worked hard on it, ha.
MARCH 25, 2013
The crowd was restless as they awaited word from either manager. For days now, the two factions battled one another for the right to acquire the prize piece. It was down to them, the two who were above the cut of the rest, dominating on and off of the ice as they wheeled and dealed to make their clubs better. There were rumors that he had been had, that the ink was dry and the paperwork was done.
The crowd waited.
And waited.
Until...
Jack Edwards: HERE WE GO, IT'S RAY SHERO!
Shero walks out from behind the curtain as the crowd begins to boo. He smiles and holds up a sign that read "NHL Fears Pittsburgh". Shero slides into the ring and grabs a microphone.
Ray Shero: You see this sign right here? You ingrates see this sign that says "NHL FEARS PITTSBURGH"? Do you know what this means? This means that the Pittsburgh Penguins are better than you!
The crowd boos as a wider smile flashes across Shero's face.
Ray Shero: Go ahead and boo me. I'd boo me too. I'd boo the fact that I traded a bunch of nobodies for James Neal. I'd boo if I had to watch Evegni Malkin...
The crowd is a mix of cheers and boos
Marc Andre Fleury...
The crowd boos a little more than they cheer
And Sidney Crosby...
The crowd erupts in a sea of boos and "Cindy" chants
Show some respect for the greatest! I said...and Sidney Crosby dominate the NHL year after year. Last year I added James Neal and Matt Niskinan to the Penguins. Well that was last year. Did you think I was finished NHL? Did you think I was going to stop last year? Nothing can stop me.
I'm Ray fucking Shero. I'm the greatest trading GM this league has ever witnessed. And guess what, I did it again. I added more gunmen to the firing squad, more gravy to the feast. I've added more...balls to the cannon.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce to you the newest addition to the PENGUINS. WORLD. ORDER. I want to introduce to you, that captain of the Dallas Stars and newest Pittsburgh Penguin, Brenden Morrow!
The crowd boos as Brenden Morrow walks out from the curtain. He panders to the booing crowd as he slowly walks down to the ring. He high fives some black and Vegas gold clad children sticking their hands out beyond the barrier. He slides into the ring and hugs a smiling Ray Shero.
Brenden Morrow: Last night I was asked by the pathetic management in Dallas if I wanted to play in Boston or in Pittsburgh. This was an actual question proposed to me. They actually thought that I would want to go play for the Boston Bruins - a team that can't compete with the bottom feeders in the NHL.
It took a quick conversation with Ray Shero to know that this is the place to win. Boston is a secondary market. A secondary hockey team. They're the fat kid (er, Lucic?) on the bench of the Little League team because they paid enough money.
Pittsburgh is the place to be to win a Stanley Cup. It was a no brainer.
Jack Edwards: Is there anything Ray Shero can't do? First James Neal in 2012 and now Brenden Morrow in 2013? The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't playing around.
Ray Shero: But I'm not done! No, no! You think that I'm going to let my stars walk around without an protection? Do you think I would allow my Hart Trophy winners, my MVPs and my Stanley Cup Champions mill around with peons like you? People who want to run my players? People who wants to see my players on the disabled list because they think it will further their cause?
Tonight, I acquired a giant. I acquired a living, breathing hit machine. Ladies and gentlmen - Douglas Murray.
The crowd boos as Murray walks out from behind the curtain. He stands at the top of the stage and overlooks the booing sea of people and lets out a loud roar. The crowd quiets down as he continues to the ring, a smile slapped on his face. He walks up the metal stairs and over the top rope. Shero pats Murray on the back and hands Murray the microphone.
Douglas Murray: I will eat you all.
Murray hands the mic back to Shero.
Ray Shero: Welcome to the takeover NHL. You think the Bruins were the world order? The Bruins aren't shit. Welcome to the PENGUINS! WORLD! ORDER!
Apparently the NHL has released a bunch of the "Because It's The Cup" commercials for teams that are in the playoffs. They released Boston' yesterday (or presumably last night when the team clinched) and if you haven't seen it yet...enjoy!
Trying to keep this recap positive because the fans and the pre-game ceremony were A+ tonight. Beautiful stuff, so if you think we're sugar coating the game recap tonight, you're probably right but we don't care.
Tough loss (again) to the Buffalo Sabres and another late third period lead blown. It's been the unfortunate rallying cry of the Boston Bruins all season. But it felt like ol' times, eh?
It would've been great to see the Bruins win because of the Marathon Bombings and all. It would've been a story book moment for the city, but we all know that's not how life really works. Life isn't so simple or neat. But the team played hard. They were emotional and there was a lot of effort coming from the Boston bench. It's not easy to play well while having that much emotion coursing through you and the players were absolutely downtrauden about losing tonight. They wanted to win for the fans. They wanted to give the city something to smile about. And for a few hours the Boston Bruins helped give fans a sense of normalcy again. Thanks, Bruins. We appreciate it.
There was a lot more going on than just a W or L. And don't think that a win or loss tonight defines this city post-bombing. In the long run no one will remember the score but they'll remember everything else that happened tonight. The Bruins are a part of Boston but they aren't the city. We are. And we saw that in the pre-game ceremony montage. We saw that during the US National Anthem. We saw that during the chants during the game. We saw that when first responders and fellow runners sprinted to the aid of their fellow man after the blasts. We saw that when runners kept going to donate blood.
That is Boston. People helping people. People caring. People giving a shit about strangers they may never see again. It's beautiful. Hopefully that feeling can extend past the Boston borders, too.
Yes, the team might've lost but the city won tonight.
Boston Bruins nailed the opening to tonight's game but the shining pearl of a moment was the US National Anthem. Rene Rancourt started it and then let the fans do the rest.
Few things beat a crowd singing in unison like that. So loud. So good.
"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life." - Ronald Reagan
Tonight will be the first time that Boston will watch one of its major sports teams take part of their game in this city. It will be the first time that people will be able to put this attack in the back of their mind for one night to come together and heal.
Hockey isn't just a sport tonight, hockey is therapy. Hockey is happiness. Hockey will bring this city together tonight. Tonight we will focus our energy on cheering the 8 spoked B, a symbol that has been part of the Boston landscape since the team's existence in 1924. Whatever anger, frustration and stress that has plagued this city for the past two and a half days will more than likely culminate in an atmosphere of appreciation and love.
Boston is strong and tonight it'll prove to whoever did this just how strong it is. The city has endured so much in it's existence that this will be just another notch on it's belt in fighting the good fight.
Tonight's game is meaningless in terms of outcome. If the Bruins win, it'll be an added bonus, but the routine and normalcy that this hockey game provides tonight will be head and shoulders one of the most important things. Tonight will be about bonding, about love and about celebration.
Sports has a wonderful way of healing people when they're down. For 9/11, it was the New York Jets and New York Giants. For the Boston Marathon bombings, it will be the Boston Bruins and it will be tonight.
They may lose.
They may win.
But the most important thing they'll do tonight is heal.
We're waiting to find out if the Bruins will be sending out new tickets for that game or if fans can just use the ones from yesterday. Assuming the former, but we'll see.
This means the Bruins will be playing 7 games in 12 days. What a way to end the regular season. If the team is worried about fatigue now...
I'm not going to talk about yesterday's events in Boston. I can't. I've shed enough tears and worried about enough people that I literally don't have the energy this morning. After everything that went down, it was amazing to see the response from people on social media who you have "rivalries" with.
Last night the NHL cities that hosted hockey games (as Boston's game was canceled) had a moment of silence for those affected by the evil that took place in Boston. In case you missed them, here they are. Also, I cried during Chicago's National Anthem. It was powerful.
Awful shit in Boston right now. Team DOY is all safe and accounted for. Thoughts with everyone who are less lucky. And huge respect to everyone who ran toward the smoke and fire to help the injured.
