Dougie Hamilton has gotten a lot of shit from Bruins fans this season. I always have a problem when people want to get rid of a young player, especially a young player still in development. Unfortunately sports is becoming a "what have you done for me today" type of mentality. If a guy doesn't mature into what his expectation is in a few years, he's a bust. It happens all over the league, but my examples are Seguin (who is flourishing in Dallas, by the way) and Hamilton. When you talk about trades, people always want to throw Hamilton into the mix.
Why?
The kid was a #10 pick and most people thought he was a steal at 10. I'm not ready to throw this kid into the trash pile because he's not defensively sound. You know who isn't defensively sound either? Torey Krug and people absolutely adore him for what he does offensively. All I'm saying people, cool ya jets on this "Trade Hamilton, he sucks" bullshit.
Last night the kid had three points, one goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers. This marks the first time since 1982-1983 that the Bruins have swept the Rangers in the regular season. I'm not going to lie, after the first period when I saw it was 1-1 and the Bruins had nine shots, I was worried about what kind of Bruins team we were going to see.
Ya know how the old saying goes friends, sometimes they don't ask how – they just ask how many…
– I already mentioned Hamilton's day. It was great to see the kid play well after struggling a bit in the first period.
His pinch is the kind of pinch you want a defenseman to take. Winger (in this case Iginla) gets wiped along the boards and Hamitlon notices that there's a lane – jumps in and gets rewarded. Sometimes an offensive minded defenseman is okay and it seems like Claude is allowing these guys to play to their instincts a little more. I'm sure that changes in the playoffs.
– After a couple of forgettable games from Iggy, last night he seemed to get his legs back from underneath him offensively. Iginla opened the Boston scoring and was the second assist on Hamilton's goal after getting wiped along the boards. Iginla's goal gives him 18 on the season and while 30 is probably out of sight, 25 is still a target.
You know what I like the most about Iginla's goals? Most of them seem to happen because he's driving the net. I mean, re-watch last night's goal. I feel like the Bruins have had a real "net presence" type player in awhile. Maybe I'm just star struck because I love Iginla so much – I'll admit I'm a fanboy – but it feels like most Bruins players just hang around looking to snipe a corner or two.
– As much as I think Greg Campbell is overrated, you gotta give the guy his props for his performance in last night's third period.
Goal #1:
Goal #2:
What a time to be alive.
(S/T to Ross for the photoshop)
– Carl Söderberg, how you doing buddy? This kid is impressing me with every passing game. I wish the idiot that called Felger and Mazz on Friday, asking for Söderberg to be traded, dropped his phone in a toilet or something. What a fucking clown that guy was.
That third line is starting to come together now. Eriksson seems like he's starting to carry over his Olympic play to NHL rinks with another two points last night. Eriksson and Soderberg could really make that third line dangerous when the playoffs roll around.
– Not having the Rangers defense
– This moment from Johnny Boychuk (I think) (turn the speakers up).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pirlgkWFa8w?list=UUOETXQi9q23hXMAwib3vTNg
– Bruins trade rumors. This is probably the worst time of the hockey world. Everyone and their mother loves to play armchair GM (self included) and comes up with the worst trades. Everyone was suddenly on board with trading Ryan Spooner to Ottawa for Chris Phillips – Chris fucking Phillips – whose only claim to fame is getting drafted first overall as a forward and being moved to defense.
That's it.
Stop with the idiotic "Jordan Caron and a 2015 2nd for Shea Weber" or whatever player you like. It's not going to happen. Stop it.
– ZERO power plays for the Bruins last night. Shockingly a team that never gets power play calls (176 opportunities so far this season) didn't get a single one on the road in New York. I mean, just sayin'.
– Why do people get so fucking uppity and stupid when you talk about Adam McQuaid being replaceable? Look, I know everyone has an emotional attachment to the guy, but let's be honest. He's a #6 defenseman – every bottom pair defenseman outside of Torey Krug is replaceable. Can we stop with this? Can we stop with the fucking boo-hooing? He's oft injured and Kevan Miller has stepped in and played at the same level of him. Enough.
– Did you need another reason to love Johnny Boychuk?
– If you want to trade Ryan Spooner, when is your exam to get your brain analyzed because you're probably fucking stupid.
– If you don't hear from me, it's because The Stick of Truth comes out tomorrow and fuck you that's why.
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