Bruins Nation

On Sunday afternoon the Bruins dropped another game to a Canadian foe. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Bruins 4-3 in front of just under 10,000 in Halifax. The Canadiens jumped out to an early lead when forward Tomas Plekanec scored a natural hat-trick. Down 3, Chuck Kobasew scored. Then Higgins put the Habs back up by 3. The Bruins played great in the third period, with Murray and Savard scoring but it wasn't enough. Manny Fernandez ended his first full game with the Bruins with 33 saves, one of them on a penalty shot. There are no highlights though, there is nothing remotely good about losing to the Canadiens. It doesn't matter that it's preseason.

Also, it is official now: Mark Mowers has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks for defensemen Nathan Saunders and Brett Skinner. Both defensemen were immediately assigned to Providence. Mowers was just not needed. David Krejci, Peteri Nokelainen, Glen Metropolit, Nate Thompson, Phil Kessel, Patrice Bergeron, and Marc Savard are all in camp competing for four center jobs. I still have no idea who is going to be centering the fourth line. I am assuming Kessel, Savard, and Bergeron will all have their jobs come October. In my eyes right now, the 4th line job is between Metropolit and Krejci. Krejci because he absolutely lit up the AHL last season, and Metropolit because of his age (he's 33, if he wasn't good he would have already been cut). Thompson may surprise me though, and Nokelainen (who has been playing all three forward positions) may get a job as a winger for the Bruins.

Just announced: Cam Neely has been hired by the Boston Bruins as vice president.