Dabura

Lucic is such garbage.

Thing is, the Habs always play the Bruins really tough these days. (For reasons I can't understand, Rask is pretty much incapable of beating them at TD Garden.) And, as good as the Bruins are, the Blackhawks are the class of the league, no question. I think the Habs are better than the Rags and would be the tougher out for the Blackhawks, sure. Realistically, though? If one of the remaining teams can knock off the reigning champs, it's the Kings or Ducks.

Mantha is awesome, but I hope we're going to be reasonable with our expectations. Dominating in junior is one thing. Dominating in the NHL, that's quite another.

I get that. I've been banging that drum around here for some time now. But Z, D, and K are our core. Moving any one of them would be an incredibly big deal.

All hail P.K. Subban, the NHL's modern-day Ric Flair [The Hockey News] (Written yesterday, FTR.)

To be fair, though, the Habs were about 50,000 times more physical and "gritty" than we were against the same team. We don't need to blow up our roster and "just be like the Bruins!!!" but we do need to get bigger, stronger, more tenacious, more capable and sure of ourselves when it comes to all the non-skill stuff. The Habs brought all that to this series plus the speed and skill, and that gave them the confidence and swagger they needed to actually pull this mother off. Having Price in net also helps.

My thoughts exactly. He is my hero right now. That's life for a perennial favorite, though. Anything short of the Cup is unequivocal failure. That's one of the things I don't like about this "Boston is the new model" thing. To steal that title from the Wings, you need to be a legitimate contender for a couple decades straight, which entails learning everything there is to know - and more - about crushing disappointment, unequivocal failure. And maybe, maybe winning a couple Cups.

They did it. Holy s***, they did it.

It'd have to be a mindblowingly good return.

How clutch is Briere in the playoffs? Pierre doesn't understand that he was trying to pass it.

The captain and alternates are pretty untouchable. Beyond them, though, yes - I'd be willing to move anyone in the system for the right return. Even Mantha.

Nyquist is a stud. But I don't consider him untouchable.

Any time I think of Hampus Melen I think of Hampus Lindholm and then I think of Elias Lindholm and then I think of Elias Lindholm's late cousin Calle Jarnkrok (RIP) and then I think of David Legwand and then I think of Stephen Weiss and it's at this point that I get mad at Valtteri Filppula because he doesn't remind me of anyone even though he was our second-line center for, like, 20 years though he does look kinda like Lauren Bush who I think has great legs and what were we talking about again oh yeah Hampus Lindholm. Hey, you know who Hampus Lindholm reminds me of?

I'd say Crosby is one case where you do have to think about adding an enforcer, or at least a player or two who will largely fight his battles. Crosby should only have to focus on scoring. He doesn't play on the PK, he's not remotely physical. If he's having to grind it out against someone whose sole purpose in life is to make him absolutely miserable on every shift he takes, he's not going to be very effective. Even if he manages to produce, it's going to take a lot out of him.

I bet Jacques Martin gets promoted to head coach, if he's up for it. I wouldn't mind Bylsma behind our bench as an associate coach, if he'd be up for it. Though, I don't think he'd serve under a less experienced guy in Blashill.

Holy crap, end-to-end-to-end-to-end action!

Minny ties it! 1-1, early in the second.

How nuts would an LA-NYC SCF be.

I think teams have simply figured out how to deal with Crosby. It's all about the fourth line.

Two words: f*****' right.

fixt. blah blah blah

"It's going to be great. I can't wait for the crowd, the noise, the energy in the building. I can't wait to take that all away from them." - P.K. Subban I love P.K. Subban. Always have, always will. Wait, you're actually serious with this Bruins love.

Datsyuk (5'11, LH) will be gone soon. Ideally, Z (5'11, LH) plays wing, as it's easier on his body and allows him to be a bigger scoring threat. (Wing isn't an especially difficult position to play. If you're a top-end forward, you can play wing just fine. Case in point: Babs generally prefers to play young centers on the wing.) Weiss (5'11, LH) isn't quite on Spezza's level, and that's when he isn't a zombie. Helm (5'11, LH) is a third-liner with no hands. Sheahan may become a good 2C. We have no one on the farm. So, while we don't need an elite center...

I expect us to make a very strong push for him when he hits the market. Broken record, but I just don't understand this mindset. There are players out there who would be upgrades over what we have (Kronwall, Ericsson, DeKeyser, Smith) and who wouldn't cost the farm, and we're deep in attractive young assets and complementary pieces.

Bertuzzi Cleary Cleary over Nyquist Colaiacovo Ericsson's six-year extension Franzen's lifetime contract Howard's six-year extension Legwand Quincey Samuelsson Tootoo Weiss (?) It certainly hasn't been all bad, and I do think we're still lucky to have him at the helm. But he's been slipping.