Time to get Grizzley
"David Krejci has swine flu and I'm kind of glad! They should suit up Krejci tonight and have him sneeze on the Montreal bench!"
- Michael Felger
Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli joined the Felger and Massarotti show today for his weekly update on the state of the Bruins. Earlier in the day, the team announced that forward David Krejci has been diagnosed with swine flu. Krejci, 23, has recorded just one goal and four assists in 14 games this season, after signing a three-year contract worth more than $11 million last June.
The Bruins have been shut out in their last two games, and have not scored a goal in over 133 minutes. In tonight's tilt with the Canadians, they will try to avoid being shut out for the third straight time, something that last happened to the franchise in 1927. A rash of injuries, and now illness, is partly to blame for the Bruins slow start this season.
Felger: "So we find out today that the Boston Bruins have suffered yet another loss. David Krejci has the swine flu and I'm kind of glad! This way we actually know there's something wrong with him. I mean his numbers have been awful. One goal and four assists in 14 games so far this season. There's an excuse for why he hasn't looked so good this season so I'm kind of half glad that this is the case. This is the time for these things to happen. I'd much rather have injuries and sickness at this time of the year when there's plenty of time to recover as opposed to heading into the playoffs. I think the Winter Classic will be the start of the season for this team. After the Winter Classic they will find themselves and just take off."
Mazz: "I hope your right Michael and that the Bruins won't have to deal with any of this later in the season. They have paid their debt right now. Its one thing to lose players to injury, but it's another thing to lose all your best players and that's what's happened. However, you're right. This is the time for this stuff to happen. The team the Bruins are putting out on the ice right now is nothing like the team that finished the season last year. It's amazing. You're missing the centers from your first two lines (Marc Savard, David Krejci), and your starting left wing (Milan Lucic). It's unbelievable. Can anything else go wrong at this stage for this team? It's bordering on comical right now."
The Collin-tary: The Bruins sudden rash of injuries is partly to blame for the team's lack of goals this season, but not entirely. There is no excuse for being shut out on consecutive occasions despite key injuries to Marc Savard and Milan Lucic. The B's have been generating plenty of scoring chances, but have struggled to convert them. Prime examples of this inability to finish were on display Tuesday night in the Bruins 2-0 loss to the Red Wings. Marco Sturm had two point blank chances to beat an out of position Chris Osgood, but couldn't lift the puck over the fallen goaltender. Later in the game, Michael Ryder cleanly beat Osgood, only to hear his shot ring off the crossbar
With that said, the Bruins are a +2 in goal differential when playing 5 on 5. The problem the B's have is their lack of success on the power play. Boston's power play ranks dead last in the NHL converting at only an 11.5% clip (6-52). Of their six power play goals this season, four of them came in one game against Carolina. If the Bruins are to turn their season around without Savard, Lucic, and now Krejci, they must improve drastically on the power play.
Being snake bitten is occasionally part of hockey, but with a rash of injuries the Bruins have no room for error. They must find the back of the net when given the opportunity. It's time for proven goal scorers such as Ryder, Sturm, Patrice Bergeron, and Blake Wheeler to pick up the slack. It's time to stop being satisfied with a "good effort", and time to be held accountable. There would be no better time for this team to break out than tonight at the Garden against the hated Montreal Canadians. A game of this magnitude could be just what the doctor ordered to awaken the slumbering Bruins. Now is the time to step up gentleman, no excuses.
Do you think the Bruins can turn it around this season? What possible changes in strategy or personnel might improve their offense?
