Five for fighting will appear on the site every Thursday for the rest of the season, with five topics related to either the Bruins or the NHL in general. Here’s your’ inagural edition.
5. Will Shawn Thornton remain in Boston after this season?
Since arriving in Boston in 2007, Thornton has garnered the respect of his teammates and coaches, but his contract runs up after this season. Will the B’s re-sign him? It’s hard to find an enforcer as good as Thornton who has the ability to reach double digits in goals, like he did last season. Thornton gives up inches and pounds on a regular basis and still wins the majority of his fights. Come to think of it, have you ever seen him lose a bout? I haven’t. Boston should re-sign the winger after the season and they will.
4. Will the Bruins trade David Krejci?
In a word: no. In two words: Hell no. Krejci lead all players in goals last post season, and he’s the most skilled offensive player in the Bruins’ line-up. He’s great at the face-off dot, his vision is second to none, and he has the best set of hands in hockey. Peter Chiarelli would be asking for a riot on Causeway Street if he traded Krejci.
3. Does Chiarelli re-sign Rask?
Tuukka Rask has the best numbers for a goaltender in the league so far this season, but his contract, like Thornton’s, runs up this season. The back-up goalie has stated over and over again that he wishes to remain a Bruin. He’s accepted his role as Tim Thomas’s back-up, although he plays more often than any other second stringer in the league. But Thomas is 37 years old. He’s undoubtedly nearing the end of his career, although he’s currently in his prime. Boston will need Rask in case Thomas’s age catches up to him in the near future. The only way the Bruins will let Rask go elsewhere is if they were able to trade him for a top 15 skill guy in the NHL, such as a Corey Perry or a Rick Nash.
2. Thomas/Rask: best duo ever?
Earlier this week, CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty suggested that the goaltending tandem of Thomas and Rask may be the best the league has ever seen. Either Rask or Thomas has finished at the top of the league in goals against average and save percentage each of the last three years, leading me to believe that Haggs is dead on. The league has never seen a duo like Thomas and Rask, and when Thomas retires in a few years, they will more than likely have cemented themselves in history as the best tandem ever.
3. Would the Bruins be a good fit for 24/7?
Many have speculated that next year’s Winter Classic could take place in Detroit between the Bruins and the Red Wings. This would be the first Winter Classic between teams from different conferences, taking the aspect of a rivalry out of the game. But with two original six teams, this game would be extremely marketable. One question that has arisen is whether or not the Bruins would be must see TV on HBO’s 24/7, which annually documents each team taking part in the outdoor game in the weeks leading up to New Years. While Boston has some characters on their roster (I’m willing to bet that Brad Marchand would steal the show), the majority of these guys are quiet professionals. Tim Thomas has already stated that he’s not sure if he would like to be on the show, saying that he doesn’t want everybody to see how “weird” he is, a shot at Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov no doubt. However, last night’s premier of NHL 36: Patrice Bergeron was a success, and although Bergy is a quiet guy, the show was pretty interesting, so who knows whether or not 24/7: Bruins-Red Wings would be a success.
