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June Issue Highlights

Inside the Den Blog

All year round New England Hockey Journal and hockeyjournal.com editor Matt Kalman never rests and always takes you behind the scenes with the B's. Kalman can be reached at editor@hockeyjournal.com.

Road split
Friday, April 20 | 9:51 p.m.

Well, the Providence Bruins will enjoy home cooking for three straight games now that they've earned a split on the road.

Tonight, Providence downed Hartford at the Civic Center, 4-2, in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division semifinals, as David Krejci dished out three assists and Hannu Toivonen stopped 22 of 24 shots.

The Boston Bruins would love to build a future around those two players getting the job done like that.

Sean Curry added a goal and an assist for Providence.

Check back Saturday night for complete hockeyjournal.com coverage of the Providence-Hartford Game 3 from the Dunkin' Donuts Center, as I'll be making the journey down I-95.

•When you read this story about how dealing Aaron Ward helped the New York Rangers by the New York Post's Larry Brooks, you wonder if the Rangers should send Peter Chiarelli a thank-you gift.

•The Vancouver Giants are in the WHL finals, and that means B's prosects Wacey Rabbit and Milan Lucic are on the cusp of a championship. Vancouver Sun report Ian Walker tells us that Rabbit and Devin Setoguchi of the Prince George Cougars will have to put their friendship on hold during the best-of-seven series.

•Sad news out of Long Beach, where the Ice Dogs of the ECHL announced they won't play in 2007-08. B's farmhands Mike Brown, Chris Collins and T.J. Trevelyan all sowed some oats with the Ice Dogs this season.

•San Jose Sharks scout Cap Raeder and "Miracle On Ice" goaltender Jim Craig will be guests on tomorrow morning's NEHJ Radio Show on 890-AM ESPN Radio here in Boston and streaming on hockeyjournal.com from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. We'll also have plenty of Bruins talk and trivia, when you can win tickets to a Boston sporting event.

Mara, Rangers on march
Thursday, April 19 | 10:33 p.m.

Remember when Paul Mara was traded to the Bruins last summer and talked about how he was fulfilling a lifelong dream to play for his hometown team.

Well, you know the Belmont, Mass., native was shipped to New York at the trade deadline at the end of February. Now, while the B's are on the links, Mara is headed to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Rangers swept the Atlanta Thrashers out of the first round Wednesday night, and Mara played a solid role. He recorded one assist (his first career NHL playoff points) and was a minus-1 over the four games during his first foray into the postseason since spring 2002.

He finished with five shots on net, three blocked shots, two hits and two takeaways for the series. Guess life's better when you're not living a dream.

•It'll be interesting to see how much attention B's assistant GM Jeff Gorton gets in the weeks ahead with openings now in Phoenix and Columbus. There are a lot of talented candidates out there, so Gorton has his work cut out for him.

•The Calgary Herald checked in on what some former Flames are doing during the playoffs, including B's defenseman Andrew Ference.

•Here's a Calgary Herald report on ex-B's center Wayne Primeau, who was almost the goat in the Game Three win over Detroit.

•Everyone who even has an inkling of interest in the B's should be interested to see how Hannu Toivonen responds after getting yanked in Game One of the AHL playoffs. Providence visits Hartford for Game Two Friday night.

Opening ouch
Wednesday, April 18 | 10:20 p.m.

Hannu Toivonen was actually pulled tonight in Hartford, as the Wolf Pack rolled, 5-1, in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal series.

The Finnish goaltender allowed a goal just 24 seconds into the game and stopped 17 of 22 shots before giving way to Jordan Sigalet, who made eight saves on eight shots.

Forward Jeff Hoggan and defenseman Jay Leach were both a minus-3. Game Two is scheduled for Friday night in Hartford.

•On a more positive note, B's draft pick Brad Marchard (third round, 71st overall in 2006) has led the Val-d'Or Foreurs to the QMJHL semifinals. He's led this team with 23 points (9-14) in just nine games. Game One of the best-of-seven series with Cape Breton is Saturday. The other semifinal series features the Lewiston Maineiacs and Rouyn-Noranda.

Forward thinking
Tuesday, April 17 | 5:42 p.m.

It's time for the last installment of my Bruins' position-by-position analysis: the forwards.

And any discussion of the B's wingers and centers has to start with one question: what's going to happen with Glen Murray?

The 33-year-old right winger has two years left on his deal at $4.15 million per season. He's coming off an injury-riddled season that featured him playing in just 59 games and scoring 28 goals and 17 assists. Without the groin injury that kept him on the sidelines from early March until the curtain fell on the 2006-07 season, Murray was on pace to equal his numbers from his last full, injury-free season (2003-04). But obviously, he was nowhere near reaching the heights he reached during his 92-point 2002-03 campaign.

For stretches when he was healthy, Murray looked like a perfect fit with playmaking center Marc Savard on the B's top line. But in the B's effort to become harder to play against, Murray has to be moved. Even when things were going good for Murray and Savard, things were predicatable. Savard had better chemistry and creativity with rookie Phil Kessel (when on the wing) and even P.J. Axelsson in terms of making different things happen in the offensive zone and causing a ruckus in the defensive zone.

For B's fans watching the playoffs, and especially those intent on the B's acquiring at No. 1 netminder, rooting for the Dallas stars to flame out in the postseason is in their best interests. Marty Turco has three years left on his deal and a $5.1 million cap number. If he fails to advance the Stars yet again, Dallas would consider moving him and turning the reins over to Mike Smith and maybe another goaltender (Tim Thomas might have to be moved to Texas to make the deal work). The Stars struggled offensively and could use Murray's sniping abilities, particularly if a new coach takes over for Dave Tippett and wants to open things up a bit more.

Other players would probably be part of the deal, and the B's would almost definitely have to part with a prospect or a high draft pick (maybe this year's No. 8).

Other teams might inquire about Murray, but none would match up quite as well for the B's needs. Of course, the B's could also go with the status quo. But you'd hate to see the B's get caught up in keeping players left over from the old regime, the old way of thinking and the old way of playing.

As for other forwards, obviously Savard, Kessel, Axelsson, Patrice Bergeron, and Marco Sturm are keepers. Shean Donovan and Mark Mowers are signed for next year, but if the B's could turn them into low-round draft picks and turn their roles over to cheaper, younger alternatives, that would be great.

Brandon Bochenski will be a fixture on the top two lines after he re-signs as an RFA, but the Chuck Kobasew concussion situation is troubling. The B's would be wise not to count on Kobasew, and then if they have him available, that'll be icing on the cake.

While Jeff Hoggan and Petr Tenkrat filled their roles well, the B's might again be better off going cheaper and younger in those slots. Ben Walter and Nate Thompson looked ready for primetime in brief stints in Boston, and I have no idea with Petr Kalus apprenticing as a third-liner until he's ready to graduate to top-line status. Stanislav Chistov is still young, and he's not going anywhere as long as he'll be rehabbing his surgically repaired right knee.

In order to avoid a repeat of this season's failures, the B's need a blood transfusion up front. Moving Murray would be a big boost to that process.

•Congrats to Bochenski, Kessel and defenseman Andrew Alberts for being officially named to Team USA for this month's World Championship in Moscow. Interesting that Boston College netminder Cory Schneider (Marblehead, Mass.) was also named. Could that be the first step toward Schneider leaving BC early and joining the Vancouver organization?

D's been decided
Sunday, April 15 | 11:10 p.m.

As poor as the Bruins defense was in 2006-07, there won't be much change in personnel on the club's blue line — barring a big-splash deal made by general manager Peter Chiarelli.

Zdeno Chara, Andrew Ference and Aaron Ward are all under contract. Andrew Alberts and Dennis Wideman are both restricted free agents who'll probably come to terms in a timely manner. Then you have the prospects who hung around for a cup of coffee — Matt Lashoff and Mark Stuart — and might be in for a longer stay come fall.

Jason York said he'd like to be back, but that's only going to happen if he wants to turn in his skates for a whistle and replace Marc Habscheid if the B's associate coach goes elsewhere for a head job.

Just about the only decision the B's have to make in the defense corps is, what to do about Bobby Allen? The Hull, Mass., native played on a one-year, two-way deal this season, and proved himself a capable fifth or sixth defenseman by playing 31 games and posting a minus-1 rating. Now he's an unrestricted free agent. Another minimum-wage contract might be in his future, but another club with more room on its blue line might be willing to commit to a one-way deal or maybe a little more than minimum salary to get a stay-at-home D who won't hurt you in his brief time on the ice.

The B's will have to decide if they want to ink a guy who's shown he's NHL-caliber and risk him blocking a prospect from making the jump to the NHL. Allen will have to decide if play for the hometown team is worth possibly not getting a fair shake. If I'm the B's, I try to sign him. And if I'm Allen, I go elsewhere to get more playing time.

Of course, any of the above alignment could change should Chiarelli deal from the depth he has in the organization with forwards and add a blue-chip defenseman to complement Chara. While the B's didn't score enough this year, some of the club's best prospects play up front.

If I had to pick one D to go in a deal, it'd be Alberts because of his age and experience — a team looking to get younger and cheaper would be willing to add him to its roste. He could be part of a package that brings back a goaltender as well.

•Congrats to the Providence Bruins on clinching the playoffs this weekend. They'll begin the Atlantic Division semifinals at Hartford Wednesday in Game One of the best-of-seven series. Mike Scandura will preview the series Tuesday in his AHL Journal. Check back often for coverage of the P-Bruins' playoff run.

What's the goal?
Saturday, April 13 | 9:09 a.m.

Well, if anyone still needs convincing that Tim Thomas is a No. 1 goaltender then they're never going to be satisfied. The Bruins practically played Thomas, who'll turn 33 next week, into the ground.

But amazingly there are some who still question Thomas' ability to carry a team. Some even don't want him around to play in a 1A-1B-type system with another veteran or maturing prospect Hannu Toivonen.

Well, wherever the B's turn for crease protection next year, I'm here to tell you that one player they shouldn't count on might be the most talented puck-stopper they own the rights to. As great as the reports from Finland are, Tuukka Rask will not be the answer in 2007-08.

While general manager Peter Chiarelli didn't rule out the former first-round pick of the Maple Leafs making it to Boston next fall, he didn't want to put odds on it happening during his season-ending press conference. Well Peter, let me put some odds on that: zero, if you're smart.

I have no doubts about favorable scouting reports and tales about his maturity (after all he's been playing against men in Finland, even at the still-ripening age of 20). But 20 is just too young to suddenly come across the Atlantic and take over as a No. 1 netminder in the NHL. Look at Rask's countryman Miikka Kiprusoff. It took him until he was 24 to crack and NHL line-up, and he was still in Sweden at 20.

At 20, Martin Brodeur (with four NHL games under his belt from the previous season) logged a full year at Utica (AHL) and posted a 4.03 goals-against average for a bad club. And Roberto Luongo made the jump from the QMJHL to the pros at 20, and split a year between the AHL and a rebuilding New York Islanders clubs.

Closer to home, Andrew Raycroft was in his first pro season at 20 and needed a couple of years of seasoning before he made the leap.

Only Patrick Roy famously led the Montreal Canadiens to a Cup at 20, in the spring of 1986. But the next year he split time with Brian Hayward. And does anyone really think the B's have another Patrick Roy on their hands?

No, Rask will need at least a year or two of seasoning at the AHL level after he signs with the B's this summer. So where does that leave the B's netminding situation? Well, in a perfect world, this team would trade both Thomas and Toivonen, use what little cap room it has to sign a J.S. Giguere-type No. 1, ink a veteran back-up and nurture Rask in the 'A.'

Unfortunately, the risk of trading Thomas before you capture a No. 1, and the value Thomas would lose if you sign a No. 1 before dealing Thomas, makes it more likely the former Vermont star will stay. And I'm in the camp that keeping Thomas can work if you get him a capable sidekick and use him much like Minnesota used to use Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson.

Like Raycroft before him, Toivonen seems destined for a draft-day deal out of town. And forget about Joey MacDonald, the veteran back-up who looked sharp down the home stretch. But he's only the answer if the B's strike out in their attempt to get someone with a better pedigree to share time with Thomas.

So there should be one new face and one old face in the B's crease when camp opens in the fall. The good news is the B's should have a No. 1 goaltender under their control and he should be skating around the Wilmington rink by then. The bad news is he won't be playing games with a spoked B on his chest for a couple of years.

•I'll look at the forwards and the defense in the days ahead.

Z for the money
Thursday, April 12 | 5:33 p.m.

Watching Ottawa smoke the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Wednesday night, and watching defenseman Joe Corvo quarterback the power play, got me to thinking.

Did Ottawa make the right move letting Zdeno Chara make a run to Boston and investing that money to build a defense around Wade Redden and some lesser-paid blueliners? Did the B's get the bang for the buck they expected when they added Chara for $7.5 million per season?

Well, the obvious answer is no: the B's didn't make the playoffs, didn't even come close to making the playoffs, and Chara was a pussycat compared to the physical monster he was billed as.

But what should the B's have done? Ottawa obviously got it right. The Senators re-signed Redden before he could enter the unrestricted free agent market July 1, inking him to a two-year deal for $6.5 million per season. Redden, slowed by injuries and limited to just 64 games, dropped from 63 to 50 points. Chara's departure allowed the Senators to trade Martin Havlat and get Tom Preissing in a three-way deal from San Jose, sign Corvo and then — when it became obvious they failed to make up for the offensive loss of Havlat — Ottawa was then able to bring in Mike Comrie from Phoenix.

Since the close of the regular season, Ottawa has inked Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips to contract extensions — meaning they have their top five to six D set for years to come. While Preissing might walk as a UFA, Christoph Schubert is waiting in the wings to fill this spot.

So, while no one can argue Ottawa did a better job of constructing a D without Chara than the B's did with the giant, what else could the B's have done? Who else was out there?

Here's a list of some of the D that changed teams:

Rob Blake (two years, $12 million)
Ed Jovanovski (five years, $32.5 million)
Pavel Kubina (four years, $20 million)
Brian Pothier (four years, $10 million)
Ruslan Salei (four years, $13 million)
Jay McKee (four years, $16 million)

I look at the above list and I say: "Good value from some, overpaid for most and ... there was no choice for the B's but to make the move for Chara."

Whether the B's overpaid for Chara, is debatable. Reportedly, the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers were as intent to get the Slovakian star and a bid less than the B's would've sent him to Hollywood or Gotham.

The other debatable point is whether the B's had to make a splash on defense. With the likes of Mark Stuart and Matt Lashoff waiting in the wings, and Brad Stuart and Paul Mara already in the mix (not to mention an up-and-coming Andrew Alberts and Milan Jurcina in the mix) perhaps the B's would've been better served to be patient and maybe sign a Salei or Blake as a veteran spot-holder.

But GM Peter Chiarelli determined a big splash was the way to go, and assistant GM Jeff Gorton did just that last July 1. So while the B's didn't get the bang for their buck this year, maybe they will in the years ahead if they can surround Chara with a better cast. And in the long run, as the salary cap continues to expand, the $7.5 million given to Chara won't be as hand-cuffing as one might expect.

•It's not just ex-B's players playing on while the hometown team plans for next year. It was great to hear B's TV voice Andy Brickley providing color during that Ottawa-Pittsburgh tilt, and radio commentator Bob Beers gets a badge of courage for working the sidelines during the four-OT thriller between Dallas and Vancouver. That's proof that while the B's might not always be great to watch, they're always interesting to listen to.

•In the days ahead, check back for my position-by-position breakdown of the B's, as well as other news and notes as they become available.

Playoff presence
Wednesday, April 11 | 6:39 p.m.

Who says the Bruins aren't in the playoffs? A look at the rosters of the 16 teams still play beyond the end of the regular season shows a distinct Boston Bruins flavor — that is, players discarded by the B's, who are out of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Some of the marquee names who used to where black and gold include: Joe Thornton, Bill Guerin and Kyle McLaren (San Jose); Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh); Michael Nylander and Paul Mara (NY Rangers); Brian Rolston (Minnesota); Sami Pahlsson and Sean O'Donnell (Anaheim); Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau (Calgary) and Tim Taylor (Tampa Bay).

So if you're a B's fan looking for a rooting interest, take your pick.

•My Stanley Cup finals pick: Vancouver over New Jersey in seven games, the baton is passed from Martin Brodeur to Roberto Luongo.

Eighth slot
Tuesday, April 10 | 9:01 p.m.

The Chicago Blackhawks were the lucky losers today.

They moved up from fifth to first after the Draft Drawing today to determine the order for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Chicago had an 8.1 % chance of moving into the top slot. The Bruins, meanwhile were relegated to eighth — right where they were supposed to be.

The last time the B's picked eighth, they selected Sergei Samsonov in 1997. Ray Bourque (1979) was also picked in the eight hole.

•The B's boosted Providence's playoff chances today by assigning forwards Jeff Hoggan, Petr Kalus and Nate Thompson to the AHL club. The P-Bruins are clinging to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division — three points ahead of Lowell. The Devils also hold a game in hand on the P-Bruins.

•Missing Don Cherry since the days of "too many men on the ice"? Well, he'll be making his U.S. television debut during NBC's coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals it was announced today. Of course, in Canada (and on the NHL Center Ice package) Cherry's "Coach's Corner" features on CBC are must-see TV every Saturday night.

News wrap
Monday, April 9 | 5:44 p.m.

The Bruins players reported to the TD Banknorth Garden today to clean out their lockers, take year-end physicals and meet with head coach Dave Lewis and general manager Peter Chiarelli.

After about an hour of locker-room availability the media was took part in a 30-minute Q&A session with Lewis and Chiarelli.

Most notable among Chiarelli's comments was that the contracts of Providence head coach Scott Gordon and assistant coach Rob Murray, originally set to expire at the end of this season, have been renewed. Chiarelli said that, while it's not a done deal, the club and the coaches have agreed to terms. Gordon will remain at Providence and will have a clause that allows him to leave for a head coaching position in the NHL, if he receives an offer.

Here's some more sounds from the last official day of the 2006-07 B's season:

•Winger P.J. Axelsson, out since March 6 with a wrist injury, will have a CT scan or an X-ray this week and maybe get his cast removed. The Swede is unavailable for the World Championships later this month in Moscow.

Axelsson skated most of the season on the B's top line with Glen Murray and Marc Savard. On how he'd rate his season, Axelsson said: “I was hurt way too much obviously. I’d say so-so. Playing with those two guys, I should’ve scored more goals.”

•Murray didn't play after re-aggravating his groin injury March 6. He has two years left on his contract with the B's, and he'd be more than happy to help Chiarelli bring in some new players.

“If they want to ask me or whatever, I’m sure that happens with teams now. If they think I’ve played with him before, a certain player, and might want to know if he’s a good guy or whatever … I never went to college now, but it’s a recruiting job now to get players," Murray said.

•While Axelsson won't be playing in the Worlds, Team USA will be stocked with B's players. Brandon Bochenski, Phil Kessel and Andrew Alberts will all skate for former B's head coach Mike Sullivan. Tim Thomas declined comment on whether he's going to go. Petr Tenkrat will definitely play for the Czech Republic. Team Canada has yet to send out it's invites, so the B's might have some berths on that roster as well. Patrice Bergeron, who earlier this week told a local paper he wouldn't play, now says he'll consider playing.

The End
Saturday, April 7 | 10:12 p.m.

Remember the last day of school (or the last two months of your senior year) when nothing counted against your grade and you kind of just counted the minutes until you could go home. Well, there's no report card for the Bruins after they lost their season finale, 6-3, to Ottawa at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Here are some closing notes:

•Captain Zdeno Chara admitted there was a learning curve for him in a leadership position.

"I learned a lot this year," he said after the game. "It was the first year as captain. It was a challenge, but I got support from the guys and the coaching staff."

•At 37 years old, defenseman Jason York still isn't ready to call it a career. He'd like to play again next year, and wouldn't mind a return to Boston.

"This game is all about skating and I can still skate well," he said.

•Winger Petr Kalus scored his fourth goal on just his fifth NHL shot on net. After the game he confirmed he's returning to Providence for the stretch run and, hopefully, the playoffs.

•Petr Tenkrat set a new career-high with his ninth goal.

•As usual, the B's postseason words were handed out before the home finale tonight. Here's a quick recap:

*The Eddie Shore Award, which recognizes the player who exhibits exceptional hustle and determination, was awarded to Tim Thomas.

*Marc Savard was awarded the Elizabeth Dufresne Trophy as the player voted on by the Boston Chapter of the PHWA to be the most outstanding player in home games.

*The John P. Bucyk Award, which honors the player who has contributed the most to charitable and community endeavors was awarded to Patrice Bergeron.

*The WBZ 3 Stars Awards were given to Savard (First Star), Thomas (Second Star) and Glen Murray (Third Star).

Savard took home the most hardware, but he was more concerned with scoring just one goal in his last 22 games.

"It's nice. It's always nice to win an award," he said. "But at the end of the day, I still feel like it's a disappointing season for myself. I struggled late. I take a lot of the onus here. I want to be one of the top guys in the league every year and I had a tough finish."

*The annual John Carlton Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding male and femal student-athletes went to Kevin McNamara of Belmont Hill School and Marissa Gentile of Tabor Academy. McNamara (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) was the ISL MVP as a defenseman,and Gentile (Groton, Mass.) was the captain and a 47-point scorer for Tabor.

•The season might be over, but Inside the Den will roll on. Check back often during the offseason for complete coverage of the B's wheelings and dealings.

Final feeling
Saturday, April 7 | 12:06 p.m.

The last morning skate of the 2006-07 season was executed by the Bruins today at the TD Banknorth Garden. The players seemed forlorn and disappointed they'd be hanging up their skates for the last time as a black and gold unit.

Winger Stanislav Chistov might be off skates a little longer than some of his teammates. The Russian, who's posted just 5-7-12 totals in 60 games, will undergo knee surgery to repair a tear in his right knee. He'll then rehab in the States for four to six weeks before returning to his native Russia for the rest of the offseason. Chistov, who played in his home country last season, said he plans on being back in North America for 2007-08. He has one year left on his two-year deal.

As for whether the knee, which he injured last season and (he said) made worse this year, hindered his game, Chistov figures it factored in a bit.

"If you're body's not 100 percent, something bothers you, you're not going to be 100 percent," he said.

•Winger Chuck Kobasew would love to get on skates, but he's still being held out of physical activity because of post-concussion-like symptoms. Kobasew said he might start exercising in the next day or two. Kobasew only appeared in 10 games with the B's, and scored one goal.

•Defenseman Andrew Ference (hand) is out tonight, as is center Mark Mowers (shoulder). Nate Thompson will be recalled to put the B's active roster at 20 tonight, and leave the P-Bruins shorthanded for their match with Lowell tonight.

•There was one surprise guest on the ice.

Winger Glen Murray, out since March 6 with a recurring groin injury, took a spin around the ice with his mates. While the B's alternate captain won't be making any surprise appearances in the lineup against Ottawa, he said he just wanted to get one last skate in. He'd been skating by himself lately, and noted that he could've been ready for the playoffs if the B's were going to keep playing after tonight.

•New England Hockey Journal correspondent Lawrence Goldstein checked out the P-Bruins at Bridgeport last night. Providence fell, 4-3, in a shootout, with Hannu Toivonen in net.

"I didn't play that great tonight," he added. "Gave up a few tough goals, and then didn't give my team a chance to win in the shootout," said the goaltender.

•Martins Karsums left the game with a hand injury, but said he'll be ready for Saturday's match with Lowell.

Early ending
Friday, April 6 | 3:55 p.m.

While the Bruins have one more game left in the 2006-07 season, forward Mark Mowers is done for the season.

The veteran injured his shoulder during the recent road trip and didn't play in Buffalo Thursday. He was headed to the doctor today for an evaluation after the B's practiced in Wilmington.

With five goals and 12 assists this season, the 33-year-old Mowers surpassed his career-highs by one in each category. His 78 games played is also a new career best. But Mowers isn't bragging about his accomplishments.

I asked him today if he felt he took a step forward in his career.

“It’s hard to say, just the way the season went – so many ups and downs," Mowers said. "I guess, personally I’m happy that I was able to be like a regular guy and contribute on the shorthand. But that being said, 5-on-5 I’m disappointed in my play. I know I can contribute more 5-on-5."

Mowers should have a chance to prove himself in black and gold because he has one more year left on his deal. So barring trade, he'll be back with the B's.

•Winger Jeff Hoggan looks headed to the playoffs — either with the P-Bruins or with another NHL club. The B's will probably attempt to assigned Hoggan to Providence for the AHL playoffs once the NHL regular season is over. But he'll have to clear waivers. If any team takes a flyer on him and his minimum-wage contract, they'd most certainly be looking to add his bulk for its playoff run.

Like Mowers, Hoggan doesn't feel like any personal strides he's taken toward establishing himself in the NHL has done anything to dull the pain of missing the playoffs with the B's.

“I was a little hesitant and afraid to make a mistake," said Hoggan about how he played after his second call-up to the NHL. "Defensively, I’ve got to be sound and lay on some hits. You always look to yourself when the teams not winning – what can I do better?”

•Defenseman Andrew Ference went to the doctor to have his injured hand checked out. If he can't play at the Garden against Ottawa Saturday, the B's will have to summon someone from Providence. That'll be a shame because the P-Bruins are in a fight for their playoff lives, with four teams in the AHL's Atlantic Division separated by four points in the race for two postseason spots.

•His job secure — at least until next season — head coach Dave Lewis today admitted there was "little bit of a learning curve" for him behind the B's bench. As I've written in the past, Lewis had the luxury of coaching a roster stocked with future Hall of Famers in Detroit, and thus this was a sort of rookie season for him as a bench boss.

Here's what Lewis said when asked if he agreed with my assessment: “A lot of times in Detroit you took things for granted. Here you assume a guy’s going to know something or the group is going to know something, and then they don’t react a certain way. I think that’s because you have to teach it in a different way.”

Like him or hate him, at least Lewis isn't above admitting he made mistakes and needs to improve along with the team in front of him.

•Lewis mentioned the play of Marc Savard, Andrew Alberts and Phil Kessel as a few of the positives from this season.

•Tomorrow's game may or may not be Jason York's last in an NHL uniform, but he was soaking it up today — skating after practice with his sons, Jack and Matt, and then letting them run amok in the dressing room. Jack boasts a pretty accurate wrist shot when shooting a roll of tape.

Joe still going
Tuesday, April 3 | 11:59 p.m.

While the Bruins were trying to salvage some measure of hope by giving Hannu Toivonen one more chance between their pipes, former captain Joe Thornton was gearing up for San Jose's playoff run.

The former overall No. 1 pick took part in a teleconference today, and talked about the criticism he's received about his lack of playoff production.

"I don't really listen to any of that stuff," he said. "I think we definitely have a good team that we can really go for the Stanley Cup, and I feel comfortable with this team and I have a lot of confidence in this team. Hockey is a team sport and it always will be, and I think it's a good shot. If we win the Cup, then I don't know if there will be anymore of that."

Thornton was the NHL's Second Star for March after he posted 5-19-24 numbers in 14 games. He's now second in the NHL scoring race, and the Sharks are trying to finish as high as fifth in the Western Conference playoff race.

•Toivonen's play in net against Montreal tonight was certainly a positive sign. We'll see how he follows up on that performance when he faces Buffalo Thursday before passing any judgment on the netminder.

•Can't say I looked into my crystal ball, but yesterday I did declare my impatience waiting for Dennis Wideman to drop the gloves. Then there he was tonight pounding away at Guillaume Latendresse, with his sweater over his head and everything.

•The Boston Bruins Foundation today announced it's parting ways with Director of Business Development Paul Stewart.

“I have been so fortunate to be in a job that allowed me to pursue my passion for hockey and my love for this community,” said Stewart in a statement. “While I will certainly miss the Bruins organization, I know that we will continue to work together on community projects in the future.”

Last hurrah for Hannu
Monday, April 2 | 8:08 p.m.

In a move that'd been rumored all weekend, the Bruins today recalled goaltender Hannu Toivonen from Providence (AHL).

Toivonen, 11-12-0 with a goals-against average of 2.36 in the AHL this season, last appeared in the NHL Feb. 24 in relief of Tim Thomas. Word is, Toivonen will get the start Tuesday night in Montreal and Thursday night in Buffalo before returning to aid the P-Bruins' playoff push.

•General manager Peter Chiarelli appeared on the Dale and Holley Show on 850-AM WEEI this afternoon and expanded on his reasons for retaining Dave Lewis as coach. Chiarelli, who added that Lewis' staff and the training staff will also be back for the start of the 2007-08 season, noted that it's only been eight months since Lewis took the job, and that's not long enough to give someone to prove their worth.

He also talked about looking to add more players who are "hard to play against" this summer, and he and his staff will determine what upgrades are needed in net and on defense to lower the goals against totals.

•We're still waiting for defenseman Dennis Wideman to drop the gloves.

The blueliner recently told me he had four fights last year, and when he played in Bantam he was fighting all the time. But when he moved up to Junior, he tried to fight as an underage (with Sudbury of the OHL) and the team's tough guy kept stepping in. By the time Wideman was starting to flourish as a player after a trade to London (OHL), he wasn't supposed to fight because the Knights were counting on him for 30 minutes of ice time a game.

It'd be great if Wideman could add some edge to his promising resume as an offensive defenseman.

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