On the same day Bruins’ president Cam Neely told the Boston Globe he’s disappointed with his club’s performance, hockey insider Darren Dreger reports there could be major changes coming in the offseason.
Lucic: ‘It’s not like I hate the people of Montreal’
On Thursday night, Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic will enter Montreal’s Bell Centre for his 37th career regular season game against the Canadiens.
But following his last meeting with the storied rival, Lucic knows he needs to keep his cool.
In the final minutes of Boston’s 6-4 loss on Oct. 16, Lucic was assessed a boarding penalty and on his way to the box, made a lewd gesture and a cup raising motion. Upon exiting, he proceeded to argue the penalty and was assessed a misconduct and shown the gate.
He was subsequently fined $5,000 for his antics in Montreal – the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Lucic said following last month’s incident, Bruins’ President and Alternate Governor, Cam Neely, had a conversation with him.
“He understands there comes times when you can lose your cool and stuff like that,” Lucic said of the conversation, “but you have to suck it up and not react in a way like that where you’re doing something like that.
“That was kind of the main message that he had.”
For the 26-year-old, the incident at the Bell Centre was the epitome of his season to that point. Lucic said he’s struggled with his confidence in the early going following offseason surgery to his left wrist.
“It’s not like I was worried too much about that before,” said Lucic of worrying about his play between the whistles. “But coming off the injury and it being a wrist injury, (I was) questioning whether it was 100 percent and a little hesitant to go into the corners and all that type of stuff.”
Through 17 games, Lucic, a left-handed shot, says he’s still feeling the effects of the surgery especially when it comes to shooting the puck. However, a meeting with Chris Stewart and the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 30 has helped steer things in the right direction.
Lucic finished the night with two shots on goal, four hits, the fight and a minus-1 rating while logging 18:03 in ice time during Boston’s 3-2 win over the Sabres.
“That was a good test,” Lucic said of his first fight of the season. “Had a couple hits and got hit a couple times and everything was fine and I was able to just kind of relax and start playing my game again.”
Since his last trip to Montreal, Lucic has three goals and four assists in 11 games. He was pointless and a minus-1 prior to the visit to Montreal.
In 36 career games against the Habs, Lucic has seven goals and 10 assists to along with 92 penalty minutes.
Lucic knows the building will be electric tonight.
“It’s just the nature of the rivalry and there’s a lot of hatred between the two teams. Obviously being in the same division and the way that the playoff standings work now, you’re fighting for every point and every divisional game means that much more,” he said. “Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve played them four times in the playoffs and I think that adds to it as well.”
Lucic infamously got into a verbal altercation with Canadiens players in the handshake line following Boston’s seven game second-round loss to Montreal last spring.
“I do enjoy going there, it’s fun, it’s part of being a competitor,” Lucic said. “It’s great to be a part of rivalries like that. It’s not like I hate the city and it’s not like I hate the people of Montreal. Its just when you’re on the ice, it’s a different animal than when you’re off the ice.”
With a young family to consider, the Vancouver native admits he’s begun thinking of pending contract negotiations.
Lucic has one more season after this on his three-year, $18 million contract. Afterward, he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Lucic’s agent and the Bruins aren’t allowed to begin negotiations until next summer under the new rules in the CBA.
“I’d be lying if I told you that I hadn’t thought about it, but I’m just… I think the best way to think about it, is not to think about it and just focus on taking care of things on the ice,” said Lucic. “If you play well and do your thing on the ice, the contract stuff will take care of itself.
“I’m just focused on having a good season this season this year and good season next year and we’ll see what happens. My plans are to remain a Bruin and I hope it goes that way.”
Could Lucic see himself in another jersey?
“It would be tough… I think it would be tough,” he said.
What about the Red, White and Blue of the Canadiens?
“Never… I don’t think so… I don’t think so about that,” said Lucic chuckling. “Crazier things have happened. Who knows what the future holds.”
PHT Morning Skate: Roberto Luongo shares his halloween costume
PHT’s Morning Skate takes a look around the world of hockey to see what’s happening and what we’ll be talking about around the NHL world and beyond.
There’s never a dull moment when you follow Florida Panthers’ goaltender Roberto Luongo’s popular @Strombone1 Twitter account. On Sunday night he posted his halloween costume. In case you can’t make it out, Luongo is posting alongside a woman, who appears to be his wife Gina, in a “deer in headlights” ensemble.
Good news for fans of the movie Dumb and Dumber and Cam Neely – the Boston Bruins executive is reprising his role of Sea Bass in the upcoming sequel Dumb and Dumber To. (TSN)
Seattle has long been rumored a destination for either NHL expansion or relocation. According to a report, expansion fees for a Seattle-based team would be in the $400 million range based on the recent sales of the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes. (Seattle Times)
Montreal Canadiens P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher compete in bobbing for apples – there’s a lot of cheating going on here:
Until Sunday’s games, the NHL was enjoying a suspension-free start to the season; however, thanks to the Sharks’ John Scott, who appeared to leave the bench to start a fight Sunday night, that could be all over. As Greg Wyshynski points out, until last night, more beat writers had been suspended. (Puck Daddy)
There’s an old running joke that players in a contract year tends to produce at a higher pace than a player in the middle of a deal. Well now there’s some numbers to break it down. (The News & Observer)
PHT Morning Skate: Rest coming soon for Varlamov
PHT’s Morning Skate takes a look around the world of hockey to see what’s happening and what we’ll be talking about around the NHL world and beyond.
The Colorado Avalanche are essentially locked into a first round match-up with the Chicago Blackhawks. Avs coach Patrick Roy will use that as a reason to rest goalie Semyon Varlamov as the season comes to a close. (The Denver Post)
Editor’s Note: Pro Hockey Talk’s partner FanDuel is hosting a $1,000 Fantasy Hockey league for Friday’s NHL games. It’s $10 to join and first prize is $200. Starts Friday at 7pm ET. Here’s the FanDuel link.
The Boston Bruins weren’t exactly happy with some of the calls (and non-calls) in last night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. (CSNNE.com)
The Winnipeg Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night after losing to Pittsburgh. Pour one out for the gang from Manitoba. (Winnipeg Sun)
Bobby Ryan is enjoying Ottawa and wants to stick around town. (Ottawa Sun)
Bruins VP Cam Neely wants to see the league add a trophy for the league’s best offensive defenseman. Bobby Orr Trophy, anyone? (CSNNE.com)
T.J. Oshie’s new baby daughter is recovering after having surgery for a birth defect. (Today Show)
Lost in all the craziness in Toronto last night, James Reimer is now likely the man back in charge of trying to get the Maple Leafs into the playoffs. (Sportsnet)
Cam Neely admires Patrice Bergeron’s toughness
One thing that came out of Boston’s loss in the Stanley Cup Final was just how badly Patrice Bergeron was hurt. The litany of injuries he dealt with through the postseason was enough to make Bruins president Cam Neely gush with pride.
CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty was on the scene at today’s wrap-up with Bruins executives and Neely spoke proudly of Bergeron’s efforts to keep playing through pain.
“What he did certainly speaks volumes about Patrice as an athlete and as a human being,” Neely said. “He’s recovering and doing well, and will have a full recovery. All of the guys will do a really good job of resting, recovering and obviously keeping themselves in great shape for training camp.”
Bergeron and the Bruins are taking some heat for allowing Bergeron to play through such injuries, to which his agent defended his client’s choice to play vehemently. If there was ever a guy in the Bruins organization to take up for Bergeron, it would be Neely. After his years of injury problems and playing through them, he knows the sacrifice well.
