And yet, they’re in Round 2 of the playoffs and seem to be meshing at the right time.
The Bruins went through a mild crisis at a crucial position before emerging with perhaps the NHL’s best rookie in Tuukka Rask manning the pipes (who ironically wasn’t even nominated for the Calder Cup).
The B’s also had problems on offense, which plagued them the entire year (sound familiar?), but their lockdown defense got them into the playoffs, and the Black and Gold suddenly have become a team that lights the lamp consistently.
So what lessons can the Red Sox take from the Bruins? Let’s find out.
Injuries may break bones, but they can’t break spirit.
The Red Sox opened the season without Daisuke Matsuzaka, then watched starting outfielders Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury bite the dust.The Bruins can sympathize.
While kicking off the season, the Bruins had to deal with the losses of David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Marc Savard for extended periods. Savard returned but got knocked out (literally), and only was just cleared to begin playing again.
As the season progressed, Mark Stuart, Patrice Bergeron, Andrew Ference, Marco Sturm and Dennis Seidenberg all hit the injured reserve. And yet the Bruins chugged on and are in the playoffs even as Seidenberg remains out and Stuart will not play in the upcoming round.
It’s not pretty to lose such integral components of a team as the BoSox have — but the Bruins have proven that you can get by.
Use criticism as motivation
The Bruins were hammered left and right all season for a wide variety of issues. They didn’t replace the goal-scoring prowess of Phil Kessel, or players (Dennis Wideman) were pegged with the stamp of underachievement. They did well in killing off power plays but were incompetent on the other side of special teams play. Consistency problems plagued the team as did its inability to light the lamp frequently.
When the Bruins were heavily criticized for their lack of response after the Penguins’ Matt Cooke clocked Savard — did they fold, lose their temper or implode?
Did the Bruins quaver under the heat of the hot camera lights and let off steam at a prowling media member? Did they turn on their followers after groups of boobird fans heckled their every motion at the TD Garden during rough times?
No. They banded together, addressed their issues and now have a very real shot at the Stanley Cup.
The Red Sox need to do the same. Instead of taking out frustrations on the media, prove to the fourth estate that the concerns are unfounded.
Don’t be afraid to tap into the fountain of youth
Winning the Vezina Trophy as a goaltender is akin to winning the Cy Young Award in baseball. That’s exactly what 36-year old Tim Thomas did in the 2008-09 season.Thomas is now the second-stringer, replaced by the 23-year-old Rask. While there were some pains in the changeover, the switch was relatively stable for the most part, and Rask ended up leading all qualifying goalies in save percentage and goals- against average.
Other youngsters proved to be valuable as well: Defenseman Matt Hunwick played in 76 games after appearing in 13 and 53 games the last two years, respectively. Krejci is in his second year of full-time status and is one of the few who has proved he can get the puck into the net.
In his rookie year, Johnny Boychuk began the season buried on the bench and healthy scratch list and quickly emerged as one of the go-to players on defense.
While the Red Sox are waiting for their next stable of heralded prospects to join the parent club, there is no shortage of youngsters. Jeremy Hermida has turned heads in the early going, and Daniel Bard already has become a crucial cog in the bullpen. Clay Buchholz firms up his spot in the rotation with every start.
The young players are what will pave the way for future success.
Veteran leadership goes a long way
Speaking of the Thomas-Rask situation, the veteran goaltender was nothing but supportive of Rask even as he saw his job being usurped. Jason Varitek can relate, and he also has been nothing but supportive of new catcher Victor Martinez — even as Tek paces the team in OPS and is second in home runs.
The Red Sox have lots of veterans, and some have had to adjust to diminished playing time, most notably David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. The two have shown nothing but class and support to each other — even as they take playing time from each other — and the team. Tim Wakefield is heading to the bullpen to make room for Matsuzaka and Buchholz as the rotation’s No. 4 and No. 5 starters.
The Bruins proved that a delicate situation can be managed. The Red Sox are on their way to doing the same, and should take note from the hockey squad that it can be done.
An ugly duckling can turn into a beautiful swan
Wideman struggled this season, in what many agree was his most disappointing campaign since joining the squad. After a sensational 2008-09 season, the boobirds were out in force and targeted Wides early and often.
But going from a zero to a hero can happen in mere seconds. Wideman’s play lately has been the catalyst to the Bruins’ resurgence.
So while players like Ortiz and J.D. Drew struggle at the plate for the Red Sox, remember: Things can change with one swing. Don’t you recall a certain $14 Million Grand Slam that propelled the Lansdowne 9 to the World Series in 2007? Of all things occurring in the 2007 season, this was perhaps the most improbable. As ESPN’s Bill Simmons said, “I haven’t been this floored by a sports moment since [Larry] Bird stole the ball from Isiah [Thomas].”
I remember watching the ball leave Drew’s bat and clutching my friend’s shirt tightly as the ball wound its way through the heavens. It landed, and bedlam ensued.
Drew can do that again — he did, in fact, just the other day. But if not Drew, someone else who has been much-maligned can and will step up. Dennis Wideman did. J.D. Drew did.
Sometimes the best move is no move
Rewind to the NHL trade deadline.
The Bruins were far from a sure thing to make the playoffs. They desperately needed a sniper. Defense wasn’t the main issue. It was goal scoring.
The Bruins traded for Seidenberg, and based on the reactions from around town, general manager Peter Chiarelli wasn’t exactly the king of the Hub.
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein can sympathize.
But despite not making a move for an offensive playmaker, the Bruins — with tight defense — disposed of the Buffalo Sabres in six games of their first-round playoff series.
Sometimes, it’s not about shuffling deck chairs. It’s about playing with what you have and believing in what you have. Remember, these are athletes, not chess pieces.
Games are played on the field, not on paper
The Buffalo Sabres were the No. 3 seed with perhaps the best goalie alive in Ryan Miller, who thoroughly dominated the competition during the Olympic Games.
No sweat. The Bruins took care of business in six games.
The Red Sox need to realize this. So far this season, the team has looked inept against the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees and Twins were in the playoffs last year while the Rays are two years removed from the World Series.
Yes, they are imposing opponents. But the Sox can’t just hope to beat up on the hapless Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays and hope to get away with it. As Ric Flair is fond of saying, “to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man!”
(“Woooooooooooo!”)
The Bruins weren’t fazed by what the Sabres had on paper — the Black and Gold went out and showed they were the better team. The Red Sox need to do the same.
Defense really does win
The Bruins boasted one of the best defenses in the game as well as one of the best penalty-killing units.
The Red Sox chose to build around defense this offseason, importing Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron most notably. The two are among the premier defenders at their position, and it was thought that a run saved is just as good as a run scored.
That notion still remains even though the club ranks 20th in fielding with 15 errors on the season. Just because the defense gets off to a slow start doesn’t mean it’s still not a strength of the club.
Heck, even the Bruins went out and upgraded the defense at the trade deadline because it’s an important part of winning games. Just because it’s a relatively new concept to baseball — building around defense — doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
That’s not even to mention that Cameron hit the disabled list after playing in 11 of a possible 21 games so far, and Ellsbury in just six. Once the team gets to full strength, the defense will shine.
The best way to play is the Dirt Dog way
This is a hard-hat, blue-collar town that loves its dirt dogs. Dustin Pedroia embodies this spirit, while Brian Daubach and Trot Nixon paved the way.
In recent years, the team has become more businesslike. While they haven’t lost their dirt dog roots, they’ve been a bit obscured. The Red Sox need to take a page out of the Bruins’ book and realize that lying down and rolling over isn’t how it’s done. Stick up for yourself, stick up for the team.
The Red Sox have united over this in the past. Whether Coco Crisp imitating a boxer, Jason Varitek introducing Alex Rodriguez to what a catcher’s mitt feels like or Pedro Martinez wondering just who the heck Karim Garcia is, sticking up for one another brings the team closer together.
The Bruins and Sabres had a very physical series, and that won’t change in the second round.
The Red Sox need to make sure they’re just as adamant about making sure they’re not walked over.
It’s not how you start, it’s how you end
Who cares if the Red Sox stumble to a below-.500 record in April if they’re hoisting the World Series trophy come November?
The Bruins were 23-22-11 on Feb. 7 after snapping a 10-game losing streak. Sixty-eight percent of their season was done, yet they ripped off a 16-8-2 record to close out the season, nab the No. 6 seed and (if you haven’t heard) beat the Sabres in the first round of the playoffs.
The defense is clicking for the Bruins, and while the club isn’t exactly a tour de force on offense, they’ve made big strides and figure to only get better with the return of Savard.
It’s never pretty to get off to a slow start, but the Red Sox are far from done.
Just ask the Bruins.
