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This is the second, and final, part of the Bruins Round Table Discussion. If you have not read the Part I, you can view it here. Again, this was a discussion with Sarah Connors from Tea Party Throwdown, Cornelius Hardenbergh from The Hockey Blog Adventure and Chris Crawford from Hub Hockey.
Cornelius H: He will break before his time the way he plays.
Greg E: Pink hair and all?
Sarah C: The game where he laid out JStaal was my first game ever, and I was wicked impressed by the little big man. And yes, the pink hair just adds to the effect.
He's already broken once, back when he played in the Czech leagues!
Chris C: Sobotka and Wheeler at times can dominate and at other times look like Phil Kessel clones trying to tip toe through entire teams alone
Sarah C: I think if he stays smart about the way he plays, he'll be fine. What about Krejci? He's seemed fairly invisible until lately...
Chris C: But both together along with a two-zone player like Bergy would be unbelievable.
Greg E: I agree with Sarah. Sobotka's shown he can play with the big boys.
Chris C: I think Krejci was just still recovering from his injury. Simple as that I mean it took Bergy almost a full season to get his game back (which he may still be doing in one way or another).
Sarah C: I want to take Krejci's puck handling, and Sobotka's physicality, and smush them together and create a Super Czech.
Cornelius H: If Bergeron's game isn't fully back yet then I will just be the happiest when it is
Greg E: Krejci played the entire season hurt last year and he may be doing it again.
Chris C: I mean hip surgery is a huge thing for hockey player to have done during the off season and come back the next year playing like you should be 100%
Sarah C: Yeah I'm not sure he should have started the season.
Greg E: Was it a mistake for him to start the season as soon as he did?
Sarah C: As impressive as that seemed at the time, I think Kessel had the right idea about sitting out for a few months before starting. Make sure everything's 100% good to go. And Kessel weathered that huge hit his first game back, and seems fine...
Cornelius H: so do you sit him now?
Chris C: I don’t think so, I think playing will only bring back his hockey sense and prepare him for when everything clicks again. I mean if you can play... play but I just think fans are being too quick to judge on someone who obviously needs some time to fully get everything he had last season back.
Cornelius H: Boston fans? Quick to judge? NEVER
Chris C: He isn’t hurting us being in the lineup...
I know who would have ever guessed....
Sarah C: I'm not sure. I think it depends on what his injury situation is. If he's re-injured his hip? Take care of it. If it's just rust/kinks that need to be worked out, then fine, keep working at it.
Greg E: It ultimately comes to the question of "does krejci in the line up hurt the team or out of the line up hurt the team". I think he does more damage out of the lineup.
Sarah C: Truth.
Chris C: I think its more rust and kinks with him. I mean your hip is a big part of making moves in this league which is a big part of Krejci's game. Agreed, Greg.
Sarah C: And since we don't have any evidence that he's sustained some sort of re-injury, I think yeah, he just needs time.
Greg E: He showed in space that he still has it, as he totally undressed Vesa Toskala the other night on a break away.
Cornelius H: Yeah, but that's Vesa Toskala
Sarah C: I don't want to talk about how that goal made me feel. :D Poor Toskala.
Greg E: Point Cornelius!
Chris C: Look at Bergy once again, people saying he was "done" at the end of last season and start of this one. Saying the injury hurt and ended his career but now he’s been the most consistent presence on the ice. It’s all about time in this game. Time to recover
Toskala can be undressed from the other end of the ice
Greg E: Well since we turned to talk about injury, what will be the effect of Milan Lucic going on the IR?
Sarah C: I mean, he's essentially been there most of the season anyways. It sucks to not have him on the ice, but now at least they can call up some extra bodies?
Chris C: Nothing. Simply a move to create roster space and clear up some cap space. He wasn't expected to return in the next 7-days anyways so no big deal really in my mind.
Sarah C: It seems sort of retroactive, esp. with the 3 game road trip coming up
Chris C: But I do think it means either Wide's or Stuart is hurt.
Greg E: With that, the Bruins called up defenseman Adam McQuaid and Andy Wozniewski. Thoughts on those guys coming to Boston?
Cornelius H: The only thing I can think of about that is "Are you shitting me, Andy Wozniewski?"
Sarah C: This will be McQuaid's NHL debut.
Chris C: Looking forward to seeing McQuaid play.
Sarah C: And I'm really excited to see what he can do - he's been an incredibly solid stay-at-home defenceman for the Peebs. (Providence Bruins)
Chris C: Heard a lot about the kid and honestly can’t wait to see what he bring to this team.
Greg E: I'm looking forward to it too. Young stay at home defender.
Sarah C: He played with Marc Staal on the Sudbury Wolves, and sort of got overshadowed, which is a shame.
Chris C: I haven't kept up with the AHL all that much so I don't much about Wozniewski. What’s the word on him?
Sarah C: He was leading the AHL in points for a while early in the season. Which is...sort of ridiculous.
Cornelius H: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOcAtAOkj9g. I don't really follow the AHL much, so I can't say otherwise
Greg E: I have a friend who is a Leafs fan and laughed at me when the Bruins signed Wozniewski. From what he's told me, Woz is slow and spends time out of position. Remember, he's a LEAFS fan, so he could just be jaded.
Cornelius H: Depending on the Leafs fan, they might know their hockey. a lot of them are Canadian, after all
Chris C: True... wish I knew more about the kid but from what I hear about him I think he is going to end up being more of a practice squad player this week and be sent back down before Fridays game.
Greg E: Which player’s injury is a bigger impact on the defense? Wideman or Stuart?
Sarah C: I'd say Stuart. I really like the way he's played this year.
Chris C: Even with his recent shortcoming I would say Wide's... simply because of his presence on the PP.
Greg E: I'm going to say Stuart. He's been the bruiser on that D this year.
Cornelius H: Wideman plays an average of 6 minutes more per game than Stuart and while I really like Stuart and he's pretty steady I think Wideman being out will have a bigger effect
Chris C: No question really for me on this one, Wide's will be missed. I mean who will be our scapegoat now?
Cornelius H: Ference
Greg E: Ference or Thomas, ha-ha, basically anyone not named Tuukka Rask or Marc Savard
Cornelius H: Or Patrice Bergeron
Chris C: I'm going to go with the soon to be Winter Jurassic... Recchi himself ha-ha (did the pun thing again, on a roll)!
Sarah C: T-Recchs?
Greg E: I think its time to take that act on the road Chris. Well I think that wraps it up for our first Bruins Round Table Discussion. I want to thank you guys for taking time out of your night for doing this.
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The four of us will continue to do this once a month to provide some insight to what the Bruins blogging community (a small piece of it) thinks on certain topics.
I've received good feedback on this and I am glad it is well received within the community.
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