Random Puck

Well since my first post was about college basketball for the most part. I had to make a hockey post. I have a little bit of time before The LA Kings vs. Boston Bruins game so I might as well preview it. The Kings are a team I like but don't get to see a lot Anze Kopitar (18-27-45) and Dustin Brown (11-20-31 )are players I truly enjoy watching. Dustin Brown I have watched since his first year with the Monarchs in 2004-2005. He combines a hard hitting style, creating space on the ice. He plays a little like Milan Lucic (when Lucic is healthy). Though Brown focuses more on scoring and dishing then banging and fighting than Lucic does when Lucic is at his best. Kopitar is a terrific passer and makes everyone around him better he already is a very good player and I wouldn't be surprised if he develops into a 100 point guy by the prim of his career (he is a 1987 birth year). The Kings future is bright as along with Kopitar and Brown they have Drew Doughty (second overall pick in 2008) who I think is the best young defenseman in the NHL with the brightest future. In goal they have United States Olympian Jonathan Quick (1986 birth year) who has pretty much been rock solid since he entered the league. As well as Jonathan Bernier (1988 birth year) who has been the best goalie in the AHL this season (17-10-4, 2.05, .938). The Kings are a decent team this year (8th in the stacked Western Conference), but they could be a really dangerous team moving forward into 2010-2011 and beyond.

The Bruins team (my hometown team) have suffered through a lot of adversity this season. Underperforming players and a rash of injuries hasn't helped at all. Tim Thomas has been pretty average in net, he will probably be the starter in net, he is continually challenged by Tuukka Rask who boasts much better numbers this season (10-5-2, 2.05, .930 vs. 13-11-5, 2.38, .920). Thomas played his best game of the season in his last start against the Sharks so it should be interesting to see how he does tonight. The Bruins who recently got Milan Lucic back in the line up only to lose Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Marc Savard (all centers who account for 13.5 million dollars of capspace) around the same time or just after may get some help back tonight. Solid D-man Mark Stuart is a question mark along with Bergeron. Krejci is still considered day to day. Andrew Ference (who no one misses) and Marc Savard will take a little longer.

A little bit about Milan Lucic. I urge Bruins fans to be patient with him. The ripping of Lucic from non Bruins fans, and some fair-weather/negative nancy Bruins fans will be there while he comes back from injury. (Worst contract ever, he's overrated etc.) He will be a good player in the upcoming seasons as long as he's healthy. The key the rest of the season for himself personally will be to get healthy and ready to contribute for the playoffs/next season. You probably wont see the "ass-kicking" Lucic seen last year for at least a couple of months. There is a lot of jealousy in the Canadian media as well as among non Bruins fans about Lucic, they are bound to pounce on every opportunity to rip the guy (do you really expect them to cut him a break?). I don't really blame them though he's a standout one of a kind player when healthy so take the opportunity to bash the guy, I know I don't miss a chance to say how I feel about a player I don't like whatever the reason for the underperformance might be. (No he's not Cam Neely, I can't really even remember any Bruins fans saying he is just jealous fans of other teams saying he isn't). He doesn't have to be Cam though. When healthy he needs to be a player to create space by banging bodies for his skilled line mates, who when healthy wont be Steve Begin and Byron Bitz.

Gametime.