Bruins Notes 02/12

This morning the Bruins recalled forwards Vladimir Sobotka and Martins Karsums from Providence of the AHL. The recalls come in the wake of Michael Ryder's broken face, Petteri Nokelainen's potentially missing right eye, (he's actually day to day) and Chuck Kobasew with a pair of mystery illness/injury. Personally, I think the Mother Chucker is suffering from a case of Fibromyalgia.

So what does this mean for the B's? They get a little less talented, a little less creative and that's decidedly not good for anybody. However, B's maestro Claude Julien isn't worried, after all he's dealt with injuries all season long, as has been mentioned in this space previously.

And despite losing out a little bit in terms of talent and creativity, you have to think you're getting a pair of guys who are going to be excited, energetic and up for the next couple of games. The tradeoff could be accepted if the pair can somehow come in and give the B's a jolt in the second and third period. It will certainly be something to watch.

Moving on, and possibly coming as a huge sigh of relief to Bruins fans all over New England... Patrice Bergeron will no longer be manning the point on the powerplay unit. After his atrocious game against the Sharks, Julien has smartly decided to put the once-crocked Bergeron in front of the net.

Claude breaks the Bruins's struggles on the powerplay to confidence, which I'm sure holds weight to some degree, especially after the clinic Nabby put on them Tuesday night. Whatever happened to letting Chara sit back there and fire 105mph blasts toward the goalie and anyone else stupid enough to stand in the way? Bergeron belongs on either the wing or in front of the net, not at the point. It's pleasing to see that Claude has changed this, but there's still work to be done.

That's it for tonight, unless something else comes along. Tomorrow the Bruins take on the Devils in Jersey, the start of a tough five game road trip. On the heels of back to back home losses, not exactly the position the Bruins would be looking to find themselves in. We'll see what they can make of it. I'll have another semi-live blog of the Bruins/Devils game tomorrow night, assuming that Jersey's trap does not put me to sleep.