Boston Bruins

At least for one day, Brad Marchand's Twitter skills were sharper than his shootout skills.

The Boston Bruins star had a Monday night to forget as he skated past the puck in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers. Because he touched the puck and it moved marginally forward, Marchand's attempt counted and the Bruins suffered a 6-5 defeat.

The B's, second in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, fell to a woeful 0-7 in shootouts this season.  

Lol Brad Marchand.

There was an attempt! Sorta. Not really. pic.twitter.com/ZA32SRFiuo

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 14, 2020

Marchand, sixth in the points this season with 63 points in 47 games, had a message to the haters Tuesday, sharing a picture from Boston's Stanley Cup celebration in 2011:

https://twitter.com/Bmarch63/status/1217142971126206464

He then shared a harsh response to one fan in particular:

Brad Marchand is not taking the Marchand Miss very well

Calls a fan a peasant on Twitter pic.twitter.com/5IH6ZodiPg

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 14, 2020

Just keep that in mind the next time you want to revel in one of Marchand's misfires on the ice. Don't reply to him directly unless you're ready to face the possible consequences.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask suffered apparent leg discomfort at the end of his team's 4-3 road win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, according to Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston.

"Tuukka Rask looking like he had some left leg discomfort at the very end of tonight's game," Haggerty tweeted. "Had to be helped off the ice by his teammates after spending some time down in the crease. Didn't look great."

However, Bruins fans could breathe a sigh of relief after Rask told reporters postgame that he was cramping because of the heat in T-Mobile Arena.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy also noted that Rask didn't suffer a serious ailment.

"He either had a little bit of a muscle pull or some dehydration, or both," Cassidy said postgame. "I don't think there's anything structurally wrong."

Rask made 31 saves (including two in the final 11 seconds) en route to Boston's third straight win to start the season. After the final horn, David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk assisted him off the ice, per video provided by Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal.

Rask, 32, has played 13 seasons in a Bruins uniform. He saved an NHL-leading 93.1 percent of shots in 2009-10 and won the Vezina Trophy in 2013-14.

Rask backed up Tim Thomas in the 2010-11 regular season en route to his team's Stanley Cup win. He was the starter during Boston's run to the Cup in 2012-13, which ended with a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

After helping the Bruins to an Eastern Conference title last year, Rask started hot this season, making 28 saves in a 2-1 road win over the Dallas Stars.

The Bruins, who are just one of four teams to go undefeated through their first three games, will finish their four-game Western Conference road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The team returns for its home opener on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

While the St. Louis Blues will take the ice on Wednesday to open the NHL 2019-20 regular season against Washington, the team they defeated in the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Final is caught up in the rumor mill. 

The Boston Bruins figure to be competitive yet again this season, but they have two very important question marks in forward Charlie Coyle and defenseman Torey Krug to reconcile along the way.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division, the 2013 third overall pick has an even more uncertain future in Montreal.

Below is a deeper look at both rumors.

Charlie Coyle and Torey Krug's Futures Remain Unclear

The Boston Bruins have yet to commit long-term to Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle, and according to Boston Hockey Now's Jimmy Murphy, the two players "had still not heard from team management on a potential contract extension" as of Sept. 27.

Coyle and Krug are both entering the final season of their current contracts. The Bruins acquired Coyle in a trade with the Minnesota Wild in February, while Krug has been in Boston his entire NHL career. 

"I've liked his camp," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said recently, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. "He's done a good job and the numbers back that up on the scoresheet, but also just watching him every day in practice, he’s dialed in and ready to go.

"Maybe being here now from the beginning will give him more confidence. I think the playoffs gave him confidence. He was a big part of our success, he scored goals. It looks like he’s taking off. He might just be that guy who needs a little time to settle in."

Earlier this month, on Sept. 15, the Bruins re-signed restricted free agent Charlie McAvoy to a three-year, $14.7 million contract. Following that, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney addressed the question of whether Krug's extension was the team's next priority (h/t Boston Hockey Now): 

"Everybody has their place on our hockey club. Torey is an important part of our hockey club. We have some forecasting to do. We have some conversations that have to take place and they will. I have indicated to each of our players that we will have those [contract discussions]. Once I have the ability to forecast a little more accurately, then I will have those conversations accordingly."

Krug has told ESPN's Emily Kaplan that taking less in order to stay with Boston is "something I'm interested in."

Coyle, meanwhile, told WEEI's Matt Kalman last week: "Yeah, well, I mean I'm under contract now, I'm playing, we're getting going here, so that's my main focus. And that stuff will take care of itself whenever it happens, whenever we decide to talk and all that."

It seems Boston isn't in a hurry regarding both Krug and Coyle, as the only deadline that truly matters is July 1 when both would become eligible to explore other options as unrestricted free agents. 

Jonathan Drouin Could Be Headed for Third Team in Six Seasons

There are conflicting reports on whether Jonathan Drouin is part of the Montreal Canadiens' future. 

On Sept. 25, SportsNet's Eric Engels reported that an anonymous Eastern Conference executive had texted him that the 24-year-old winger's "name is definitely out there." However, the following day, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin dismissed any trade chatter surrounding Drouin:

#Habs Bergevin on reports about Drouin suggesting he’s on the trading block: “Most of those reports are coming from somebody’s basement in Toronto.”

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) September 26, 2019

Bergevin's joke doesn't mean that Drouin won't be dealt, but Montreal would ideally want to garner quite the return for a player they signed to a six-year, $33 million contract extension once acquiring him from Tampa Bay in June 2017. The question is two-fold: is the appropriate market is there and, if not, can Drouin play well enough moving forward to justify the Canadiens keeping him?

Last season, Drouin scored 18 goals and assisted 35—fifth and third on the team respectively. "But the 24-year-old closed out the 2018-19 season with just six points over his last 26 games and four of them came in an 8-1 laugher against the hapless Detroit Red Wings," Engels wrote, to give proper context as to why Montreal may be frustrated.

Through two seasons in Montreal, Drouin has 31 goals and 68 assists (99 points) across 158 games.

The Boston Bruins announced Wednesday they reached an agreement with head coach Bruce Cassidy on a multiyear contract extension.

Cassidy led the Bruins to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final before losing to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. Financial terms of his new deal were not immediately released.

The 54-year-old Ottawa, Ontario, native has guided Boston to a 117-52-22 regular-season record (.670 points percentage) across three seasons since taking over on an interim basis following the departure of Claude Julien in February 2017. He was promoted to the full-time role in April of that year.

Boston has posted a 22-20 mark in the playoffs during his tenure.

Cassidy said Tuesday he's not interested in talking about last season's success ahead of the 2019-20 campaign:

🎥 Bruce Cassidy on last season: "I hope we're not talking about it after Day 1. It's done, it's over...now we've got to work on getting back to that position." pic.twitter.com/THkW7ZR6yM

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 10, 2019

The former Blackhawks defenseman previously served as the Washington Capitals head coach from 2002 through 2004. The Caps qualified for the postseason during his first year in charge, but he was fired 28 games into the following season after earning just 18 points.

He guided the Providence Bruins, Boston's American Hockey League affiliate, for five years starting in 2011 before getting promoted to Boston's staff in 2016. The Baby B's won 40 games or more in four of his seasons.

The Bruins kick off the 2019-20 season Oct. 3 when they play at the Dallas Stars. Their first preseason game is Monday against a New Jersey Devils split squad on the road.

The NHL draft was less than a week ago, but with trade season heating up, it's become but a speck in the rearview mirror. 

Teams who had a draft pick capable of changing their entire franchise, as the New Jersey Devils did in selecting forward Jack Hughes No. 1 overall, have still been active on the trade market; they also pulled off a megatrade to acquire defenseman P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators. 

And for those teams whose draft prospects may never see top minutes...well, their fans can still dream of greatness via trading for a talented player. 

The Boston Bruins had to endure losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in heartbreaking fashion to the St. Louis Blues and then selecting at No. 31 overall in this year's draft. They chose center John Beecher, who has the physical maturity to develop into something special but could also very well turn into a bottom-six player. 

While the jury remains out on Beecher, the Bruins know all too well now which shortcomings they need to address on their squad in order to make another run at the Cup in 2020.

Some of these moves will need to come from within their own roster and some could be filled by external candidates. Let's break down the latest buzz surrounding the B's. 

      

Marcus Johansson Extension Talks Continue

Just before the NHL draft commenced, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported talks between Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and player agent JP Barry were set to begin regarding an extension for Marcus Johansson.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney expected to connect with JP Barry, agent for pending UFA F Marcus Johansson, over next few days. But Sweeney wants to get official salary cap number before being able to throw a number at the Johansson camp

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 20, 2019

The forward, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, joined the Bruins at the trade deadline this season and brought valuable production down the stretch. Playing on the third line, he netted 11 points in 22 playoff games, including two power-play goals and one game-winning goal.

Understandably, Sweeney (and every other general manager in the league) wanted to get a better sense on the NHL salary-cap number for next season before opening up contract talks for Johansson.

Now that figure ($81.5 million, $1.5 million lower than projected, per ESPN) has been revealed, the Bruins GM should be able to bring about a resolution on the 28-year-old Swede before he becomes a free agent.

This Bruins team got so much production from its bottom six forwards, playing a crucial role in reaching the Stanley Cup Final. 

         

Bruins Have Interest in Rangers Forward Chris Kreider

It appears all but certain the New York Rangers will deal forward Chris Kreider this summer; the team has been actively shopping him around. 

Reportedly, the Bruins could be one interested buyer. 

According to NBC Sports Boston's Joe Haggerty, "The B's have interest in Kreider, who would be a strong power forward fit for the Bruins at the right price."

The Bruins have a self-described need for a top-6 forward. It appears the Rangers are moving on from Chris Kreider. The B's have interest in Kreider, who would be a strong power forward fit for the Bruins at the right price https://t.co/eKduSKsRqM

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) June 21, 2019

Anyone who watched even one game in the Stanley Cup Final series against the St. Louis Blues knows the Bruins could use another top-six forward. Team president Cam Neely knows it perhaps better than anyone. 

"Yeah, well, obviously I know it's been talked about at length about another top-six forward, so we'll see where that ends up," he said, per Haggerty. 

Kreider would be a pricey acquisition, with one year left at $4.625 million on his contract and likely looking for $2-3 million more than that in his next contract.

His production doesn't lie, though; the 28-year-old netted 28 goals and 52 points this season on a career-high 201 shots on goal. The former Boston College Eagle would be yet another hometown-hero-returns story, as well. 

It's unclear how much Boston would be willing to give up to land a player like Kreider; Haggerty guesses that one of their prospects and their 2020 first-round pick, assuming it's once again late in the round, could get a deal done.

           

Bruins Kicking the Tires on Wild Forward Jason Zucker

The Bruins already knocked it out of the park trading with the Minnesota Wild once this season, acquiring Charlie Coyle at the deadline in time for a long playoff run. 

Why not go back to that well?

According to The Fourth Period's Shawn Hutcheon, the Bruins were asking around about Jason Zucker right before the NHL draft. Perhaps their interest was only tied to their ability to move assets in this year's draft, but with the 27-year-old still in Minnesota, a move remains possible. 

Zucker scored 21 goals and had 42 points in 81 games last season en route to winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his humanitarian work. 

General manager Paul Fenton was asked about moving the forward this summer, and some felt he could have answered the question better. Zucker's wife, Carly, for instance, put the team on blast, causing something of a stir on Hockey Twitter:

https://twitter.com/CarlyAplin/status/1142290880553988097

If the Bruins are looking to get involved in the Jason Zucker sweepstakes, they'll have to pay up. His deal runs through the 2022-23 season, with a $5.5 million cap hit.

Boston Bruins star Zdeno Chara on Friday revealed the extent of the damage done to his jaw during the Stanley Cup Final.

Chara told reporters he had multiple fractures in his jaw that required plates and wiring to hold it together for the final three games against the St. Louis Blues.

Per the Bruins, Chara's expected recovery time is five to six weeks.

Per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa, Chara was "mostly on a liquid diet" because of his injury.

Chara was injured during the second period of Boston's 4-2 Game 4 loss when a shot from Blues center Brayden Schenn got deflected into his face. He didn't return to the game, though he was present on the Bruins' bench in the third period.

During media availability on June 6, Chara had to provide answers by writing them down because he couldn't talk or open his mouth. The 42-year-old was in the lineup for Game 5 despite originally being listed as a game-time decision.

Chara even scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final in Game 6, an empty-netter in the Bruins' 5-1 victory.

Boston's quest to win the Stanley Cup came up short, with a 4-1 Game 7 loss giving the Blues their first title in franchise history.

Brad Marchand couldn't conceal his heartbreak after his Boston Bruins fell 4-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Wednesday's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.  

"It's a heartbreaker," the 31-year-old said, according to WEEI's Ken Laird. "Tough to describe. They took our dream, our lifetime dream from us. Sixty minutes away from that. You can't describe it."

Marchand also likened the defeat to Boston losing the Cup to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013: 

Brad Marchand won't be over this loss anytime soon pic.twitter.com/Zt2qgaO9gC

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 13, 2019

Marchand can hold onto the Cup he and the Bruins won in 2011, but the sting of letting this year's title slip through their hands permeated throughout the team:

Brad Marchand w/tears in his eyes and says it’s worst loss of his career. Says he’ll never get over it. Charlie McAvoy was speechless for a number of questions. Jake DeBrusk just sat w/a towel on his head, dejected. Most stunned locker room I’ve covered since 2010 loss to Flyers

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) June 13, 2019

Sad Marchand pic.twitter.com/O2AHzqRYuf

— Dan Riccio (@danriccio_) June 13, 2019

Devastated Bruins locker room. Brad Marchand calls it the worst loss of his career.

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) June 13, 2019

Throughout the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchand co-led all players with 23 points alongside Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Reilly. The winger contributed nine goals and 14 assists. 

However, the Bruins had no answer for the Blues Wednesday night. Marchand couldn't connect on any of his three shots on goal, which was a theme for all players trying to get through St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, as the rookie saved 32 of 33 shots on goal.

Marchand specifically drew ire for a decision he made in the last seconds of the first period. As Jaden Schwartz charged down the ice, he opted to make a line change. He explained to reporters after the game that he thought Schwartz was alone, but Schwartz found Alex Pietrangelo to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

No one player is responsible for the Bruins' loss. While it's uncommon in championship-laden Boston, sometimes it just isn't your night.

Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been cleared to return from a concussion to play in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy announced the update and noted Grzelcyk "looks like he'll go in" the lineup in the place of Connor Clifton.

The 25-year-old Boston native suffered a concussion in Game 2 on a hit by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, who received a one-game suspension for the play that caused the injury.

Grzelcyk missed the last four games, including the Bruins' 5-1 road win in Game 6 on Sunday to force a seventh and deciding game for the NHL championship.

The Boston University product tallied three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 66 games during the 2018-19 regular season, his second full year in the NHL. He had seven points in 19 playoff appearances before suffering the injury.

Although he hadn't been cleared for full contact, he's been practicing with the Bruins since last Wednesday with hope he'd receive the green light before the end of the Final.

"The toughest thing is just not being out there with the team," Grzelcyk told reporters last week. "Having to sit and watch is obviously tough when you get to this stage. I'm just happy to be back around the guys. I'm feeling a lot more like myself and hopefully I get cleared to play."

His expected return should bolster the already-favored Bruins' chances of raising their seventh Stanley Cup and first since 2011. They are listed as -175 favorites (bet $175 to win $100) in Wednesday's game, per Vegas Insider.

Faceoff for Game 7 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on NBC at TD Garden in Boston.

After their 5-1 win in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins are now favored to win the decisive Game 7 on Wednesday:

Opening Game 7 odds, via @CaesarsPalace

Blues: +150
Bruins: -165 pic.twitter.com/bKa2nK5YUy

— br_betting (@br_betting) June 10, 2019

The Bruins were on the brink of elimination Sunday while trailing the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in the series, but they bounced back behind another outstanding performance by Tuukka Rask. This was enough to keep the series alive and force Game 7 at home in TD Garden.

Oddsmakers clearly believe they will keep the momentum going as the favorites for the final game, listed at -165, which means a $165 bet will only win $100.

One of the keys for the upcoming game will be Rask, who is coming off a huge performance where he saved 28 of 29 shots:

So far, best performance of the series by Tuukka Rask.

— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) June 10, 2019

Just give Rask the Conn Smythe regardless of who wins this series

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) June 10, 2019

No matter what happens, I think we can all agree that Tuukka Rask is a very, very good goalie.

I mean, I got there a while ago, but not every did.

— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) June 10, 2019

He has been nearly unbeatable in net throughout the playoffs, entering Sunday's game with an NHL-best 1.97 goals-against average in the postseason.

Meanwhile, skaters like Brad Marchand will play a big role after totaling a goal and an assist in Game 6, bringing his postseason total to 23 points.

There will also be a lot of energy from the home crowd, although the Bruins have been a bit inconsistent in Boston as of late. The squad is just 7-5 at home in the playoffs, including back-to-back losses to the Blues.

St. Louis has also been able to answer any challenge so far this year, and the squad has the talent necessary to get one more win.

The Bruins will be favored, but there are no guarantees in a winner-take-all matchup.

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy can expect a hefty fine following his comments about the officiating during his team's 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 5 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. 

Cassidy said the officiating has been a "black eye" for the NHL during the playoffs, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

The comment was a reference to what proved to be the winning goal for the Blues in the third period. David Perron's shot bounced off goaltender Tuukka Rask's pads and into the net to give the visitors a 2-0 lead but only after officials appeared to miss a tripping penalty on Tyler Bozak earlier in the play.

David Perron put the @StLouisBlues up by 2⃣ after Tyler Bozak tripped Noel Acciari, and the @NHLBruins were not happy about it. ⬇️#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/qBqwjaYLtJ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 7, 2019

NHL vice president and director of officiating Stephen Walkom released a statement to a pool reporter after the game, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: "We don't make comments on judgment calls within games. There are hundreds of judgment calls in every game. The official on the play, he viewed it and he didn't view it as a penalty at the time."

The coach wasn't done criticizing the refs with just one remark:

“What was being said on the bench is that ‘you missed the effing call,’ that’s what was said.” - Cassidy on the missed trip on Blues’ second goal.

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 7, 2019

Bruce Cassidy on the refereeing, specifically the non-call: “It was egregious.”

— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) June 7, 2019

While the missed tripping call proved crucial considering the Bruins lost by a single goal, there is no guarantee they would have won in overtime if the game had been tied at one. St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington was best player on the ice, saving 38 of the 39 shots he faced.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, his nine road wins in these playoffs represent the most in postseason history for a rookie.

His showing won't be overshadowed by the officials, but the apparent missed call continues a theme of controversial refereeing decisions in the playoffs.

The Blues lost Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to the San Jose Sharks after the Sharks scored the winning goal in overtime on a play that included an illegal hand pass.

Against Boston, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin scored a goal in the second round after the puck hit the netting above the glass. The officials missed the development, and the goal stood.

Elsewhere, the Sharks prevailed over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 in the first round when Cody Eakin picked up a controversial major penalty on a cross-check of Joe Pavelski. San Jose scored four times in the five-minute power play and won in overtime.

The Sharks also won Game 7 of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche after a potential game-tying goal from Colin Wilson was waved off for a close offside call.

St. Louis was the beneficiary on Thursday and is now one win away from the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.