It’s Brad Marchand’s Month

I went to college with a whole bunch of meatheads and guidos.  Jersey Shore was huuuuge – bigger than Ronnie huge – and it was considered cool to drive a bright yellow hummer, purchased with daddy’s wall street money, and to wear too-tight Ed Hardy shirts.  I despised every moment of this blowout trend.  But there was something charming about it, something endearing.  It was like watching a lost puppy running around peeing on and humping everything.

Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far

I’ve developed a trend with the Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far (POFTOFWSF) posts .  Go ahead and guess what each one has in common.

Jam Sesh

Today’s jam: Kurt Vile – I’m an Outlaw

Bruins Play of the Year of the Week (So Far) Ed: 3

Name three aspects of hockey that are just….beautiful.  I’ll give you a minute to think about it before I tell you my list.

Ready?

Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far: ED.2

Ahh, my old nemesis; the  dump and chase.  Doesn’t it seem like a give-up play? “Hey, other team, here’s the puck!”  Why would you ever willingly give up the puck? Wouldn’t it be easier to drop a pass back to a defensemen and start the breakout over again?  Now before you get all Goon on me and smash my face in, I get it – it’s good against a trapping defense or high defensemen if you have aggressive, turnover-causing forwards.  Perhaps my time spend watching Gregory Campbell repeatedly dump the puck in with a near zero percent retrieval rate has scarred me from ever enjoying a good dump and chase.

With that in mind, this week’s Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far ™ will either be “he got a lucky bounce” or “see? Just like they planned it”.

Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far (TM)

As a handful of you might have already gathered, I enjoy breaking down game film.  I hope you can join me on this wonderful journey.

This week’s Bruins Play of the Year of the Week So Far (™) begins with Loui Eriksson.  The play, coming from the game on 12/26 at home against the Buffalo Sabres, starts around 5:43 into the second period, and resulted in the Bruins’ first goal of the period and game.  If you’re reading this and saying “I already know who scored here and the exact sequence”, you either have an intense, possibly photographic memory, or else you’re the NHL.com/stats page come to life.  Either way, please leave me alone, you’re frightening me.

Let the brilliance wash over you.