RIP Boston Bruins

After a soft and gutless performance last night, I have officially declared the Boston Bruins dead for the 2009-2010 season.

Yeah - they might make a late season push.

Yeah - they might make the playoffs as a low seed.

Yeah - they might even play well enough to try an convince me that they have what it takes down the stretch.

But after watching the team's play last night, several things became abundantly clear to me.

One, they are not the united group of guys they were last season. If you remember, it was an early season west-coast road trip that brought the team together in '08. Throughout the course of this season the Bruins have constantly played like individuals, and it was crystal clear last night. I expected someone to go out and mix it up with a goon from Toronto. Nothing. Not even a scuffle.

Two, the Bruins are content to let others walk all over them. No one is willing to step up and stand up for the team. Cheap shots were everywhere last night while the B's seemed to care less.

Three, I know the Bruins will try and corral their fans back on the band wagon with a couple of decent performances as the season winds down. The trouble is, this is only an act. It has never been and never will be "real". The bruins are simply destined for mediocrity this season. As difficult it is for me to simply ride them off, it is the best course of action in the long run.

So long Bruins, there is always next year.

Groovy Tuesdays

With a couple of minutes of free time, I want to get in my picks for tonight's set of games. At this point my record has plummeted to 44-38, barely keeping my head above water. With nine games played tonight, I will only focus on a couple of personal interest.

Boston @ Toront0 - The Bruins pulled off a nice little shootout victory last week against the Leafs but will get the job done in regulation this time around. After losing their playmaker to a vicious cheap shot from Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke, the B's will come out with energy against Toronto. If they do not, I will stop hoping in a Bruins playoff miracle this season. This game is bigger than the two points at stake. Bruins win 4-2. Kessel finally scores against the Bruins.

Calgary @ Detroit - Look for the Red Wings to continue to make a real playoff push. Calgary trails Detroit by only a point for the final playoff spot out west but the Wings have looked good since the Olympic break. Both have won two straight leading up to this showdown but given the location of the game (Joe Louis Arena), I give Detroit the edge 4-2.

NY Islanders @ Philadelphia - On paper this seems like an easy one to call in favor of Philly. However, the Islanders are playing with nothing to lose and seemingly having fun doing it. They are a quick and energetic bunch that can give anyone a tough time on any given night. Tavares, Park, and Moulson have been fantastic recently and are combustible. I still like Philly in this matchup, but in a close contest 3-2.

Tampa Bay @ Montreal - Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The Canadiens are on the inside looking out while the Lightning are stuck on the outside looking in - only 4 points back. I will tag this game my upset special. I hate the Canadiens and would love to see them drop points at home. Vinny Lecavalier nets two goals in a 5-2 Tampa victory.

Rusty

The fact I have not picked games in the last three months really showed last night when I went 1-5...abysmal. I will give myself a break since last night's games were tough ones to pick coming off the olympic break. It is hard to tell how teams rebound from such a prolonged break. However, there were still some surprises from this slate of games.

I was impressed with Minnesota's performance against Calgary. Mikka Kiprusoff appears hungover from his olympic woes and it showed last night.

Vancouver put up a six spot against Detroit at Joe Louis Arena - an impressive feat no matter the year Detroit is having. They look good and are a real contender out west.

Almost as impressive were the Panthers hammering the Flyers 7-4 in Florida. Philly had been playing well prior to the break but Florida gave them all they could handle.

Finally, Colorado showed they are still full of energy, passion, and desire in their close 4-3 win over Anaheim. While they may not take the top seed in the conference, they will be a tough out come playoff time.

Tonight's game of the night: Toronto at Boston. Although the Leafs are bottom of the division they would like nothing more than to drag the Bruins down with them. The Bruins looked like a sorry bunch against the Canadiens two nights ago and it looks like their scoring woes might have returned. This will be an important game for the Bruins, the Leafs are playing with nothing to lose. I want, no...I need the Bruins to find a way to win this one. Bruins win 3-2.

The Return

After a long lay-away, I am back to (hopefully) picking the home stretch of the NHL season. Coming off an incredible olympic tournament, the NHL has set the bar pretty high for itself. Now that we all know how hard these NHLers can really play, I doubt we will settle for any sub-par performances. I realize that there might be a let-up following the emotional roller coaster of the tournament but it is crunch time baby!

In the East, seeds 6-12 are separated by a mere 9 points while out West only the Edmonton Oilers are packing it in with no hopes of the post-season. Most teams have around 20 games remaining, making every game and every point that much more critical. Now for tonight's games:

Washington @ Buffalo - Both have olympians returning to their squads; most notably Ovechkin and Miller. I suspect both will look to carry their teams to the finish line that is the post-season. This is a tough one to pick considering the Caps ended a 12 game winning streak end just prior to the olympic break. The Sabres are looking to make the jump into the elite class of the conference, and are pretty close. Sabres win 4-3.

Philadelphia @ Florida - Philly is making a nice post-season push and playing well at the best time of the year. Florida is fading fast but will make a the Flyers earn this victory. Flyers win 3-2 in a shootout.

Vancouver @ Detroit - The Canucks continue their epic road trip in Detroit where the Red Wings hope to take another step toward securing a playoff spot. Despite the "down" year the Wings are having, I expect them to make a late-season push here and win 5-2.

Edmonton @ Chicago - If there was one game on which I would be willing to bet my life-savings, it would be this game. Since I am not a gambler, I won't but this one is in the bag. The Oilers have been a major disappointment this year and have not shown any signs of promise. The Hawks are at the other end of the spectrum and are looking toward building confidence for the playoffs. Playing at home only amplifies things. Chicago easy winners 6-3.

Minnesota @ Calgary - This is a tough one to call. Minnesota plays great at home but just as bad on the road. Calgary plays .500 hockey at home and slightly better on the road. Both teams are hoping for a playoff push in this home stretch. I also have reservations about Mikka Kiprusoff's performance following a rather lame olympic performance. My heart says Minnesota my head says Calgary. I hope my head is right...Calgary 4-2.

Colorado @ Anaheim - The Avs seem to be fading after a terrific early season push. Their youth may be running low on energy but also perspective and leadership. I look for the Ducks to give the Avs everything they have before finding the game winner in overtime. Ducks win 4-3 in OT.

One final note, I tallied the results from boxing day and my record now sits (not stands yet) at a mediocre 42-33 and .560 winning percentage. New year, new picks, new record?