By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The Bruins return home to the Garden tonight with high expectations following their Game 5 setback in Buffalo on Friday night. The Sabres cut Boston’s series lead to 3-2 with a convincing 4-1 victory, but the Bruins still have two more cracks at upsetting the Northeast Division champions and moving on to a matchup with either Pittsburgh or
Philadelphia, depending on the outcome of the Capitals-Canadiens series.
Here’s 5 things to consider as we gear up for Game 6:
1. Is Thomas Vanek set to return?
While possibilities of Marc Savard’s return by the end of the series are the hottest rumors around town these days–some are speculating that he’ll swing down from the Jumbotron James Bond-style in time for the opening faceoff, while others swear they’ve already seen Boston’s best offensive player using the alias “Ryder” a few games back–he likely won’t be available until next round, should the Bruins advance. On the other hand, Vanek’s return is much more imminent; coach Lindy Ruff even stated that his Austrian sniper can return “whenever he feels ready.” Which could mean trouble for the Bruins.
But in regards to Ruff’s comment, how the hell could a player nearing health not be ready for an NHL playoff game if given clearance to make the decision himself? [...]

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
It’s no secret that the Bruins have been gliding on thin ice for weeks now, fighting to maintain their wobbly grasp on a spot in the Eastern Conference’s top eight–a spot that even the most skeptical of fans thought was guaranteed heading into the season.
But after a humiliating 5-1 loss to the bottom-feeding Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, the ice has officially cracked. In fact, the Bruins have fallen straight through to the bottom with a resounding thud.
Losers of five straight overall, Boston has now slipped from fifth in the conference to ninth in a matter of one week. More damage is possible during the next four days–the Bruins are idle until Friday night and could potentially be leapfrogged by four more teams over that span. Yes, that means that it is entirely feasible that the Boston Bruins will be thirteenth in the Eastern Conference come Friday, an absolutely stunning fall from grace for a team that once harbored Stanley Cup expectations.
Assessing the carnage is a lengthy task. Defensively, the Bruins are a mess, starting with the captain. Zdeno Chara has just four goals on the season and has struggled in all aspects of his defensive [...]

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Picking on the 3 “M”s: Time for Mark, Michael, and Marco to Put up or Shut up
Since I’d rather not explore the abyss of Boston’s embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Islanders last night–and since Dennis Wideman is just way too easy to pick on–I figured I’d analyze our most underachieving, high-profile offensive players not currently injured or named “David Krejci.”
At the quarter mark of the season, none of the following are on pace to crack the 40-point barrier. Viewed as key forwards heading into the campaign, all three will certainly need to pick it up over the last 3/4 of the season if the Bruins hope to overcome their dismal start. Along with pinpointing their struggles, I provided an appropriate “Bermanism” for each player (for you sports fans who grew up under a rock, those are nicknames punning off of the player’s last name):
Mark Recchi: He’s morphed into the second coming of Glen Murray during his final stages with the B’s–an old, tired, and frequently invisible spare part. While Recchi is a highly respected member of the NHL community and an extremely tough cookie–he played Game 7 within 24 hours of kidney stone removal last [...]