The preseason was an unmitigated disaster, but that may have been by design. Starting goalie Robert Esche only played a few games, crash and bangers Doull, Stock and Cummins spent time on the 1st line. Its safe to say that GM Dan Fillion did not take things to seriously. But he did find some lines and defensive pairings that clicked.
Forwards:
1st line: Joe Thornton centering Mark Recchi and Keith Tkachuk. This line has the potential to be one of the best in the league. All 3 players are star quality, Thornton and Tkachuk bring a real physical presence. Speed, size, intensity, goal scoring, mixed in with some defensive ability, what more could you ask for?
2nd line: This line could spend some time playing 1st line this season when the big boys get tired. Daymond Langkow is the spark plug in the middle with the twin towers, Glen Murray and Mike Knuble flanking him. A very solid 2nd line, or really a 1B to the Thornton trio. This group will be asked to spend more time banging and crashing and the hope is they can take some checking pressure off the big boys. I think its safe to say that some secondary offence is expected out of this group.
3rd line: Brendan Morrow highlights this group with Adam Deadmarsh on the other flank and Jeff Halpern in the middle. It is the humble opinion of this writer that this trio may be the best all around 3rd line in the league. Lots of crash and bash with Brendan and Adam, the group will play a very strong defensive game and chip in the odd goal. I think its safe to say they could be a solid 2nd line on some teams.
4th line: Things come crumbling down here. Recently acquired Mike Ricci will anchor this unit with journeymen such as Micheal Grosek, Mike Eastwood and Doug Doull splitting the time. There is little depth or offence here, and these guys will be expected to play certain roles on the team when called upon. It is safe to say that GM Fillion will be spending time this season to improve the depth of this group.
Forward recap:
The Boston Bruins are very proud of this group. Overall they have one of the better defensive top 9 forward groups, but the outstanding thing is the combination of size and skill. Players like Tkachuk, Thornton, Murray, Knuble, Deadmarsh and Morrow will be banging the boards while speedsters Recchi and Langkow wreck havoc. This should be the strength of the team.
Defence:
1st pair: Sergei Gonchar and Derian Hatcher. Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. Sergei is one of the best offensive players in the league, and Derian one of the best physical defensemen. They seem to work well together and will get allot of ice time to work out the wrinkles.
2nd pair: Hall Gill and Sean Hill. A solid pair, not nearly as glamorous as the 1st grouping. Good size and defensive play, they will get allot of ice time and be expected to shut down the other teams top lines.
3rd pair: Jiri Slegr and Mark Eaton. Not much glamour there, but they have a role to play. Eaton is an unheralded defensive dman who will be counted on to kill penalties and mop up ice time when the top 4 are resting. Jiri Slegr has a nice offensive touch and will get some power play time.
4th pair: Bryce Salvador and Nolan Pratt. Some very nice depth here, and the team is toying with playing 4 pairs to start the season, but only dress 10 forwards. Both plays have a solid defensive game and will be relied upon to kill penalties.
Defence recap: Solid group, kind of top heavy. Each player has their strength and weaknesses. A possible move may be made with this group to add depth to the forward ranks.
Goaltending:
Well, this may be the Achilles heal of the team. Robert Esche is a young guy with allot of upside, he will get the most minutes. He is coming off a very good season and if he can repeat that he will quickly climb into the upper echelon of goaltenders. Jamie McLennan will be the backup adding a veteran presence to take some pressure off.
Team overview:
Very good forwards, solid defence and suspect goaltending. That about sums things up. As it sits now, the team is about 4 million over the cap, with Mike Ricci eating up about 3 million of that. He may or may not survive the season, as the trading deadline spells the decision day. Strength: top to bottom this team is very strong defensively, very underrated in that regard in my opinion. To go along with that the size and skill level is impressive. Weakness: The team better be good defensively because they do not have a stud goalie to carry them. The forwards will be relied upon to get back and help out, and 8 dmen may be rotated to keep things fresh. Forward depth and goaltending are the main concerns.
Overall I would expect this team to finish in the top half of the division, but concerns abound about the playoffs with the young goaltenders being asked to handle