Bruins notebook: 2011 Stanley Cup winners return to Garden

When his team was getting ready to take the ice for Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals against the last gasp of the Big, Bad Bruins team, Philadelphia Flyers coach Fred Shero he uttered a phrase that has lived on in hockey circles.

“Win today,” said Shero before what turned out to be the clinching game, “and we walk together forever.”

As the members of the Bruins’ 2011 Cup champions gathered at the team’s morning skate at the Garden on Thursday, it seemed truer words had been never spoken. It was a team that had lived through the heartbreak of losing a 3-0 series lead to the Flyers the season before and then had to come back from two different 0-2 deficits to snap the club’s 39-year Cup drought.

And togetherness was what long-time captain Zdeno Chara highlighted when reminiscing about that team.

“We built something together. We held each other accountable. We loved each other, we played hard, we practiced hard, we cared so much about how we played and how we wanted to be remembered. And we did it together,” said Chara. “It took some challenges, it some upsets before we were able to overcome some of those things and we finally reached (our goal). But I think that we all realized that we need each other to accomplish it.”

One of the architects of the team, coach Claude Julien, was also back for the final “Eras” celebration held in conjunction with the team’s Centennial season. He took over a team in 2007 that had finished out of the playoffs and slowly built a powerhouse that was built on strength on the blue line and down the middle, as well as a Vezina Trophy-winning goalie in Tim Thomas.

Julien, who had a 10-year run with the B’s, said he and his family still consider Boston home to a certain extent.

“Seeing your players that you had an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup with and seeing the transition we’re all making in life, some still in hockey and some in other areas, it’s just great to catch up,” said Julien. “As they say, when you win together, you’re together for life. It’s amazing the conversations and it’s a comfortable situation to be in, right now from our dinner (Wednesday) night and after-hour activities and catching up, it’s been great. To the Jacobs family and the Bruins organization and Cam (Neely) and (Don Sweeney) and all that stuff and (director of community relations) Kerry (Collins) and her group getting this organized has made a lot of happy people. Everyone’s been excited to be here and that includes me.”

When speaking of the 2011 team, Julien echoed some of the same sentiments as Chara.

“It was the fact that, as a team, there was nobody who was more important, and there was nobody that wasn’t important,” said Julien. “Having said that, young players were expected to have the same approach and same responsibilities as the veteran players. There were no free passes like ‘You’re a young player, it’s OK if you don’t show up tonight.’ There was an obligation. And that was built not necessarily from the coaching staff but also the players inside that dressing room. That’s what they expected from each other and that’s what made it special and it’s what made us a Stanley Cup team, the expectations from the first player to the last were high.”

One of those young players on the team, of course, was the current team’s captain, Brad Marchand. While the young agitator had to be brought in line at times by Julien, the former coach is not surprised that Marchand is now wearing the “C”.

“When (Patrice Bergeron) retired and his name came up, I really thought he was going to be the candidate,” said Julien of Marchand. “What most people didn’t see from Brad is that from Year One, when it came to game time, he would show up at the rink…he was always very professional and serious about his preparation for games. He would come in the room and he’d be stretching, and he’d be watching videos and listening closely. He was a real pro. He’s a great example for the team now to see what it’s going to take because he’s had the opportunity to learn from the Zdeno Charas, the (David) Krejcis, the Bergerons, the (Mark) Recchis, guys we talked about who were great leaders. He has the chance to carry tat now into this group and hopefully build some players like the players before built him. Not surprised, and I think deserving.”

But some things never change.

“Yeah, I’m still te guy that gets picked,” said Marchand. “It’s funny. I’m the old guy in here but when we all get together, I’m the young guy again. So the bullying continues.”…

Derek Forbort, who had been scratched in four of the previous five games, did not take part in the morning skate. Coach Jim Montgomery said he was day-to-day with some minor aches and pains.

Hampus Lindholm (lower body) participated in the morning skate but he was not yet ready to return. He was set to miss is ninth straight game…

As of Thursday afternoon, the B’s had not yet pulled the trigger on a trade ahead of the Friday’s deadline. One player to whom they were linked, rugged depth defenseman Joel Edmundson, went from Washington to Toronto for a 2024 third round pick and a 2025 fifth round pick, a steep price for a third pair defenseman….

Julien will turn 64 in April but looks fit and tanned. And he said he’s got the itch to coach again. He was last behind the bench with the Montreal Canadiens in 2020-21 when he was let go.

“To be honest, I do,” he said. “I think I really needed to take a year off. Last year was my year off. The year before I was asked to do some Team Canada stuff, the Olympics and World Championships and stuff. After I left Montreal, I actually felt like I needed a break. I’d been coaching since ‘94 and, after I left Montreal, I told my wife ‘I need to take a break.’ It was more of a mental break. Like anything else, mental health. Not burnout but more the demand of it…It’s amazing how re-energized and sharper (you get), seeing things happening in hockey. Again, it’s not the end of the world. I’d love to get back into coaching. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll have no regrets because I feel like I’ve had a very good career. And it’s easy to say my best years and fun times were here in Boston.”

He said he wouldn’t mind a rebuilding situation or a team that’s ready to win. He just would want to be on the same page as management. One situation that he’d seem perfect for would be his hometown team, the Ottawa Senators, who had a lot of skill but haven’t been able to pull it all together. We shall see.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/H0QnWDa