Training Camp Underway, Expectations Remain High For Bruins
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Bruins have been skating together for the last couple of weeks, but on Wednesday their quest for another Stanley Cup officially got underway with the opening of Training Camp.
The Bruins reclaimed the TD Garden on Wednesday, with every player reporting to duty passing their conditioning tests, much to the delight of head coach Claude Julien.
"I like the feeling of our hockey cub right now, these tests today just kind of solidified what I thought," the coach said. "Guys are in great shape and it would have been easier for guys after finishing so late to just kind of shut it down for the summer but they've kept themselves in great shape and they look excited to get off to a new start here."
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After losing a tough six-game series to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins are ready to get back to the promised land. Much like after they won the Cup in 2011, the Bruins are turning the page from last year and focusing on the task in front of them.
"It's got to be a fresh start. I think when you win the Cup you got to turn the page and say we got to do it all over again. That doesn't change when you lose in the finals," said Julien. "I think we have to turn the page and create ourselves another opportunity here. So you can't sit and dwell on what happened at the end of the year. If anything you should take what was positive about it, and I think our play was very good at the end, and you got to hopefully bring that at the beginning of the year."
New Forward Loui Eriksson:
Bruins players know they come into this new season with expectations higher than ever, but they welcome the challenge.
"We all know the expectations of this team are high and every team is going to give us their best, so we have to be ready for that," said captain Zdeno Chara. "It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You can look at that, but we did a lot of good things last year. But the most important thing is that we're going to get up, and go for it again this year. Hopefully we can do great things again."
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"We have a great team again so I expect to compete all year long and into the playoffs and hopefully make a run. Once we get through camp you'll see how this shakes out, but on paper I like where we are," said forward Shawn Thornton. "That has to translate onto the ice, but I like the character that we have here and I'm excited."
The Bruins underwent an off-season of change, trading Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley to the Dallas Stars for forward Loui Eriksson and prospects. First-line forward Nathan Horton also skipped town, and was replaced with 16-year veteran Jarome Iginla.
Both players are looking forward to a new start in Boston, especially Iginla, with this year's training camp his first with a team other than the Flames.
"I'm excited about this; it was nice to come in early and get settled, get accustomed to some of the roads and how to get around," said Iginla, who says he still relies on a GPS to get around Boston. "(I got to) practice with the guys in a relaxed setting before we get going and it's business. You can tell being around the guys they enjoy being together and have had success together. They work very hard and it's good to be a part of it. I feel a little more comfortable every day."
"It feels like a new start a little bit," said Eriksson. "It's a different environment and a different town. It's not the same as in Dallas. It's fun to be here and it's going to be fun to get going."
The Bruins "get going" very soon. They'll hold an actual practice on Thursday, and begin playing pre-season games next Monday night in Montreal.
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