Book Review: Nemesis (48 in 2012? #14)

As much as I enjoy Joe Nesbo’s style of writing, this book left me wanting much more then his previous work that I have read.  It has a good mystery that kept me turning the pages but ultimately it lacked in many areas.  A lot of the characters and the situations they found themselves in started to feel like clichés.  It also became one of those stories with three or four endings; just when you thought things were solved or wrapped up Nesbo through is a twist and opened things up again.  I feel like I would have enjoyed the book with out the twists and found the final ending to be somewhat of a cop out.

            All that being said, I plan on continuing to read Nesbo’s work.  His style is enjoyable to read and the dark world his characters work in is fun to jump into.  Plus, he built up enough credit with Redbreast, that one so so novel will not turn me off.  Here’s to hoping the rest of his work is closer to Redbreast then Nemesis.

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Seven (Capitals)

     The Achilles heel of the Bruins game finally bit them in the ass.  Some how they were able to make it through last season's playoff run with one of the worst power plays I've ever seen.  This year they weren't that lucky.  It's probably not fair to boil down this loss to one power play, but it's hard to ignore.  With two minutes and change left in the game and possibly the season, the Bruins got a man advantage and couldn't even get the puck into the offensive zone.  It was embarrassing.  If this team is going to become a perennial power they are going to have to fix the power play.  There is no excuse, with all the offensive weapons this team has, for not being able to put a competent power play on the ice.  Chiarelli needs to hire a coach to just work with the power play because Julian obviously has no clue how to fix or coach the problems this team has had for over a year now.  It's not a small problem and needs to be addressed in the off season or we won't be seeing another Cup in Boston any time soon.
     Beyond the power play, the Bruins were just physically dominated by the Capitals.  It's an odd thing to say about a team that has supposedly prided itself with their physical play, but it's the honest truth.  The Bruins couldn't get any presence at all in front of the net and all their offensive play was confined to the perimeter of the zone.  As much praise as Holtby has received for his performance, the Capitals defense should be the real story of this series.  Holtby was proven to be less then spectacular in game seven as he seemed to bungle ever puck that hit him, but that Capital defense wouldn't let the Bruins through to capitalize.  The B's certainly missed the physical play of guys like McQuaid and Horton, but there are enough big guys on the roster that this team shouldn't have been so over matched.
     Some other notes on the game...
          -- There is a fine line between toughing out an injury and hindering your team by playing hurt.  This might seem like a blasphemous question but, wouldn't the B's have been better off playing Thorton then Bergeron?  Bergeron was more then a none factor in these last few games and the team was obviously missing physical presence.  We needed Thorton on the ice and could have done without an injured Bergeron.
          --  Taking things into consideration like the benching of Thorton, the horrible power play, the shuffling of centers in the power plays, I have to say, Julian isn't a great coach.  He's good and obviously has a successful defensive system when everyone buys in, but he lacks in a lot of areas that prevent this franchise from becoming a dynasty.  I don't think I'm calling for him to be fired, but maybe there needs to be a shuffle with the assistants that surround him, bring in some people that can better make up the areas he lacks.
          -- I grew more appreciation for Chara, his game and his leadership last year during the playoffs, but still, is there any question who the best defensmen on the team is?  Dennis Seidenberg was brilliant during this series like he was most of the year and continues to do so totally unnoticed.  The Norris finalists came out today and once again Chara's name is on the ballet, but for my money the award should go to Seidenberg.
          --  I guess you can't win a seven game series with only one line working at a time.  The top line yesterday seemed to be the only one that could put any pressure on the Capitals and it just wasn't enough.  You had to be hoping for a full team effort if the B's expected to walk away with a win and all we got was one line.  Oh well, there's always next year!

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Six (Capitals)

     The tone of these playoff posts tends to be a little negative.  I look for places where I think the Bruins can improve and that tends to come off as complaints.  At times I'm sure it seems like I'm being a little hard on the players, quicker to knock them down then lift them up when all I'm trying to do is point out where things can be fixed to get a win.  I realize not every player is going to be a force every game and the nature of sports is that players are going to go through ruts, they are human after all.  What made the Bruins team that won the cup last year so special and what we can only hope is still present, is the depth of big game players.  If the first line isn't clicking, the third line will be there to pick it up.  It seems like almost every game has a new MVP, a new guy ready to step up as hero.  I've been really hard on Tyler Seguin, Milan Lucic and the rest of the top 6 for not showing up so far in the series and in true Bruin spirit the third and fourth lines have been there to pick up the slack.  In game six Tyler Seguin made a triumphant return and stepped up to the plate to save the Bruins season.  It would be nice to see the kid turn out a huge performance every game, but it's great to know others will pick up the slack until he can figure things out.  It has to be a situation that will help his development.
     The game winning goal was a thing of beauty and hopefully a sign of things to come.  The way Krejic and Lucic moved the puck, finding open ice, the way Seguin burst through the gap, used the slightest of deeks to through Holtby off, and buried the puck in the back of the net was exactly what the Bruins top line has been missing.  Even the third goal was a sign the B's might be figuring out a way through the tough Washington defense, the way Seguin just threw the puck at Holtby and Ference stepped in the attack to grab the rebound.  Now, if they could just figure out of to make the power play work!
     Thomas wasn't brilliant, but he had a couple amazing saves and did what he needed to get the win.  It wasn't the Thomas we came to expect from last year, so there is still room for improvement, but it was certainly better then any goaltending seen in the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia series.  If the Bruins are going to avoid elimination once again, Thomas needs to step up in game seven like Seguin did in game six.  If there is one thing you can't take away from this Bruins team, it's that they are going to fight until the last second, that when things are at there toughest they are going to show a ton of heart.  Let's hope they have enough heart for one more win against the Capitals.

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Five (Capitals)

     I've spent the last week or so complaining that The Bruins weren't playing hard enough,that they needed to crash the net more, that they needed to jump all over Holtby's rebounds, but maybe I haven't been giving the Capitals their due.  We are now heading into game 6 and the Bruins still seem unable to get things started down low.  One game might be a bad effort.  Two or three games might be a rut.  Fives games tends to suggest the Capitals have a game plan that's working.  The amount of shots they are blocking is staggering.  The way they tie up every Bruin stick that comes below the face off circle is impressive.  As a kid I never bought into the idea that Patrick Roy was the best goalie in the world.  He use to give up a ton of rebounds and always left the top of the net open.  All you had to do was elevate the puck or jump on the rebounds and Roy would be discovered to be human.  Except, my theory seemed to be harder to put into practice because those rebounds were always just out of reach and the puck could never get just high enough.  The reality of things was the Montreal defense didn't let you get the rebounds.  It was frustrating as hell to see that puck sitting in front of a wide open net, yet no Bruin there to knock it in.  That's how I've been feeling all series.  Yeah, Holtby seems beatable, just get to those juicy rebounds, except the Washington defense isn't letting it happen.
     The Bruins are down to their last chance, so they are going to have to figure out the Washington defense fast.  They may have to do it without Bergeron.  The fact of the matter is Washington is playing stronger and faster right now and the Bruins want to win they are going to have to turn the tables.  Last year, this was where the B's were at their best, with their backs against the wall.  I hope this team has the same moxie.  Seguin needs to wake up and figure out how to get a puck in the net.  Thomas needs to find some of that magic he uses whenever people say he can't.  The Bruins defense needs to figure out how to tie up the Capitals in the same fashion they have been tying up us for 5 games.  I don't feel this team is doomed, but if they don't pick up the intensity, today will be the last Bruins game we get to watch this year.
     Some other notes...
          -- I hate to blame the refs for wins and losses, but this is the second game in a row the refs helped Washington win.  Last game was with a horribly weak call on Bergeron that gave the Capitals the power play that led to the final goal.  In this game I can't say Pouliot shouldn't have been called for slashing, he took two good whacks at Backstrom's leg, but if you're going to call that then you have to call tripping on Denis Wideman a minute later.  Wideman clearly low bridged Paille as he tried to skate the puck into the Capital's zone.  That penalty would have negated the power play and might have prevented the final goal.
          -- I guess it's legal for the Capitals to elbow people.  Not sure when the rule was put in place, but Chara gets elbowed in the head, drops to the ice and lays there for a minute and the refs don't even stop play, forget about calling a penalty.  Then Bergeron takes an elbow and only plays a couple shifts the rest of the game.  Again, nothing.  So, I can only conclude that it's now legal for the Caps.
          -- Might be without Bergeron and Corvo in game 6.  Would have been nice to have a day between games.  Can anyone explain to me why these teams got two day between games 3 and 4 which were both in Washington and required no travel, but get no rest between games 5 and 6 which required the teams to head south?  Thanks for that scheduling gem NHL!

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Four (Capitals)

     Braden Holtby is looking like he is going to be the story of this series.  44 more saves for the rookie goaltender last night.  I don't want to take anything away from the kid, to be brought up right at the end of the year and then carry your team in the most pressure filled games imaginable is impressive, but as much as the Bruins carried the play for almost all 60 minutes of the game and seemed to pepper Holtby none stop he had to make very few big saves.  The Bruins are making a habit of hitting him in the chest and missing all the juicy rebounds.  If the Bruins want to make it to the next round they need to put more pressure on Holtby.  44 shots from the point or the face-off circles obviously isn't going to cut it.  They need to drive the net more and get a hold of the rebounds Holtby has been prone to give up.  I haven't been Nathan Horton's biggest fan the last couple of years, but this is where the Bruins miss him the most.  Horton had no problem recklessly crashing the net and always seemed to find a wide open net to stick a rebound. 
    If there is any player who shouldn't have a problem with this style of play it's Milan Lucic, but he has been almost invisible so far this series.  This team is at it's best when Lucic is skating around hitting everything in site, but he's not do anything.  There was one moment in the second period when he led a rush up the ice that became a three on two.  He pushed the puck to Bergeron on the wing and then just stopped skating instead of skating hard to the open ice in front of the net.  It would have been the perfect give and go, but instead Bergeron got caught to deep on the side of the net with no option to to take a bad angle shot.  I'm pretty sure I said the same thing last season, but I can't help but think he's hurt with the way he's playing so tentatively.  A Washington player called him a cry baby in front of a national audience and we got no reply.  Something just isn't right.
     If the Bruins are going to take back this series, something has to change.  They have to get to the net and get to the net hard.  As good as Holtby has been, they haven't been making things difficult for him.  It's time, in front of the home crowd, to make the young goalie a little uncomfortable in that crease.
     Some other notes...
          -- Is it me or does it look like Ovechkin charges every time he hits somebody?  It could just be that he's really fast and strong, but every time I see him going to hit somebody it looks like he came from the other side of the rink at full speed right into the guy.
          -- It took until the third period for Julian to finally put Bergeron, Marchand, Krejic and Lucic back where they belong together.  Switching the centers was a stupid experiment.  Let's hope it didn't cost us the series.
          -- I made a mistake last blog.  The Bruins top 6 forwards had two points.  Rich Peverly had a goal I didn't count.  I don't think of him as a top 6 but with Horton out that's the role he's been playing.  Still not very good and after last night they still only have 3 points for the whole series.  They can't win unless Krejic and Lucic and Marchand start doing something.
          --  Washington had one penalty last night!  I find it really hard to believe they only committed only one penalty.  Add in that Washington won the game on a questionable at best power play and it looks like Dale Hunter's complaining did some good for his team.

How I Met Your Mother: Now We're Even

     I'm not sure exactly when HIMYM became more about hitting you with an emotional punch then a comedic one, probably last season when they tried to deal with Marshal losing his dad and Barney trying to find his, but it could go back a little further, either way it's made the show almost unwatchable.  Instead of enjoying all the jokes about Barney trying to make each night legendary, stuff that should have been making me laugh, all I kept doing was wait for the inevitable reveal of WHY Barney was suddenly acting this way.  After each night's title page, instead of laughing or even chuckling, all I could think was, "What lame reason are they going to come up with Barney doing this."  In the old days of HIMYM, the reason would have been presented up front; there wouldn't have been a weak attempt at a big reveal, just a focus on making the viewer laugh.  The HIMYM writers have gotten to clever for their own good.  Every episode needs to have a big ending, some emotional punch to the stomach, but all they are delivering is a slap to the face.
     That being said, there was a lot of funny stuff in this episode.  I wish we could push the drama to the side so we could be left to enjoy what sitcoms are supposed to be all about, comedy.  I loved the idea of Ted finally enjoying the freedom of having his own place.  And hopefully we aren't done with that joke because there is a lot to mine there.  The reveal that Lily's sex dream was about Ranjit was the first time I've laughed out loud while watching HIMYM in a long time.  And like I mentioned before, Barney's attempts to make each night legendary were great.  They were sometimes silly, sometimes call backs, and each one had at least a small chuckle that would have been attached if I wasn't worried about what laid behind each joke.
     Let's be honest, Marshal being OK with Lily's sex dreams because he realizes that each man was a great father was stupid and Barney's behavior being caused by the fact he was dating a stripper was obvious.  If the writers could just stick to what makes this show worth watching, comedy, things could still be saved, but until then the losses will just keep adding up.  5-14-2.

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Three (Capitals)

     I should mention up front that the Bruins won this game and are now up 2 games to 1 because the tone of the rest of this post might not convey that fact.  As I've said before, in the playoffs, a win is a win and this win has put the Bruins two wins away from moving on.  That being said, there was very little that happened last night that made me confident about the rest of this series.  The only thing us Bruins fans have to hang our hats on is that we have somehow managed to win two games with our top six forwards recording one measly point.  If those guys decide to show up in the next few games, this should be a breeze.  I couldn't disagree more with Julian's attempt to wake them up by switching centers on the top two lines.  The lines looked even more out of sorts playing with guys for the first time ever.  Lucic and Krejci, Bergeron and Marchand have spent the last two years playing with each other.  Why would you suddenly, in the middle of the playoffs, separate these pairs for the first time in two seasons?  If he wanted to shake things up, why not use pairings that worked earlier in the season.  Swap Seguin and Peverley and you would be adding a new element to a pairing that is familiar with how each other play.
     For the past month or so, my Dad's answer has been sit Paille.  While he has a point about Paille's talent (let's be honest, if Paille wasn't super fast he wouldn't even be minor league worthy), switching him out with Caron doesn't make much sense at this point.  If Paille has any benefit to the team it's eating up short handed minutes and Caron wouldn't play in those situations, so essentially you would be adding ice to a top forward in a situation where they are unlikely to score.  I say play Caron, but how about sitting down Seguin or Marchand or Lucic?  Let's make a statement early on in what I hope will be a long playoff run that these guys need to step up and make things happen.  Give them a shot to look at things from above and maybe they can come back make a difference on the ice.  Seriously, three games and one assist from our top six forwards.  That is awful!  Some one needs to wake these guys up.  I hope Karl Alzner's little cry baby gesture will wake up Lucic.  I'd like to think that Nicklas Backstrom's cheap shot will wake up the rest of the team, but then again he's had the whole team angered for three games and it's had no effect.  Maybe they just need to realize that everything doesn't rest on their shoulders, it is possible for the B's to win with them scoring only 1 point in three games, relax, and play the game they are capable of playing.
     Here's some more notes from game three...
          -- Seidenberg vs Ovechkin is becoming one of the greatest playoff battles of recent history.  These guys are going at each other with huge hits and big plays.  The best part is their battles have all been total hard nosed but completely legal.  Watching these two go at each other is what playoff hockey is all about.  While all the cheap shots, fights and dirty plays are getting all the media attention, these two are putting on a show for the ages.  Hey national media!  How about talking about this a little!  Put the focus on what makes the sport so great, not what makes it so trashy!!
          -- I never played hockey, so I have no practical knowledge about face-offs.  I've never really understood nor have been totally explained the rules that go with how people are supposed to line up, why someone gets kicked out, etc.  That being the case, I find it interesting that Jay Beagle is winning so many face-offs when are more then one occasion the Boston centers have complained to the linesman about something he is doing and then gotten themselves kicked out of the face-off.  What is he doing that is getting the Bruins upset?  Why are the linesman kicking them out?
          -- Dale Hunter knows more about targeting other players heads then anyone in hockey history, so you would think that we should listen when he starts talking about players targeting heads, but I find his claims about the Bruins targeting Backstrom ridiculous.  Like I mentioned in my post for the last game, Backstrom has been trying (and succeeding) to get under the B's skins.  As we all learned in last year's finals, when Bergeron grabs your face shield you're doing something you shouldn't.  To say that his cross check to Peverley face was because the B's have been taking shots at his head is just silly.  That cross check was indicative of the type of play Backstrom has been showcasing for three games now and any shots to his head have been in response to his dirty tactics
          -- This game gave us further evidence of poor officiating.  1) How could you claim that Holtby didn't throw his stick in the first period?  That was as clear an example of a thrown stick as you will ever get and it should have been a penalty shot for the B's.  2) As dirty as Backstrom has been playing, the cross checking call he got in the final minutes against Marchand was silly.  There were at least ten more violent and dirty plays that weren't called in that game and to have the game come down to that call was horrible.  3)  Dennis Wideman takes a shot at Lucic, Lucic gives a shot back, Hendricks steps in and Lucic and him start to fight but the linesman jumps in which give Alzner the opportunity to come over and mug Lucic from behind and somehow Lucic gets 4 minutes for roughing and Wideman and Alzner get nothing.  First of all, why the hell was the linesman stepping into the Lucic/Hendricks fight?  He should have let the two go if that was what they wanted to do.  Second of all, Alzner instigated the tussle we had with Lucic, how does he walk away without anything?  The refs hate Lucic.  I don't care what anyone says, there is enough documented proof that they give him undeserved extra minutes any chance they get. 

My Soap Box: Flyer/Penguin Lessons

     I learned three lessons (or had old lessons supported) from the Flyer/Penguin blood bath yesterday.  I would like to think NHL and its fan based got the same things out of it, but that might be asking to much, especially from the NHL.  Here they are...

Lesson 1:  Pittsburgh is (probably) the dirtiest team in the NHL
     This was a three team race in my mind.  Over the last 4 or 5 years, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Vancouver were easily the three dirtiest teams in the league.  The things these three teams get away with over the course of a game are unbelievable, yet year after year the refs and the league do nothing to punish them for the behavior.  Yesterday Pittsburgh pulled ahead.  They somehow were able to make Philadelphia look like victims, and I didn't think that was possible.  The mess that yesterday's game became was solely on the shoulders of the Penguins and their actions.  And this from the team owned by a man who said if dirty play is a reflection of the league "I need to rethink whether I want to be part of it."  I think you should look at your own reflection, Mario, because your team is the worst example of the worst of the NHL.  Clean your house before you start pointing fingers.

Lesson 2:  Mike Milbury was right, Sidney Crosby is a little punk
     Sidney Crosby is now responsible for two brawls between these two teams.  I don't care how big a star you are, there is no excuse for the type of behavior Mr. Crosby showcased yesterday.  I would like to see him try to pull hitting a Boston Bruin's glove away with Milan Lucic on the ice.  You'd think a guy whose been out for more then a year with concussion problems would play a little smarter.  I also think all the people who blasted Milbury should make a collective apology to the man.  Just because he had the balls to call a spade a spade doesn't mean he should get blasted.  Crosby proved he is everything Milbury claimed.

Lesson Three:  The NHL Refs suck
     The whole third period mess could have been avoided if the on ice refs made the calls that needed to to be made.  Going in to the series every ref should have been on high alert that there could be problems.  These teams hate each other and there have been a number of situations, one included the coaches almost going at it.  So, when things started to get ugly in the first period they should have grabbed control with strict punishment.  Sidney Crosby should have gotten at least 10 minutes if not a game misconduct for shooting the Flyers glove out of his reach.  It was an uncalled for, unsportsman like, dick move that launched a round of fights.  It could easily have been called instigating.  If the refs threw down the hammer right then maybe they put a kibosh on everything that happened after.  I don't care how big a star Crosby is or how important he is to the Penguins and the refs needed to send a message that they don't care either.
     Even with that not happening, they could have easily prevented the third period mess from happening.  James Neal should have been kicked out of the game when he blindsided a player who wasn't involved in a play, but they didn't even call a penalty.  So what happens?  Neal spends the rest of his shift running around the ice taking shots while the Flyer players mugged people in retaliation.  Re-watch the minutes after the Neal blindside; it's 10 guys skating around trying to hurt each other.  Why didn't they make that call?  It was as dirty and obvious as it can get.
     As of right now, there has been no further discipline handed down.  The league needs to step up and suspend Asham and Neal for the rest of the playoffs and, if the Penguins get knocked out, into next season.  Crosby needs to be suspended too.  He was as much responsible for what happened as anybody and the league needs to send the message that safety is more important then star power.

     Don't get me wrong, I've loved watching this series and the more fighting the better, but the league needs to take the opportunity to send some messages and teach the refs what they should be doing to control the violence on the ice.  So, here's to some strong punishments and one more game of hard hits, big fights and poor defense.
    

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game Two (Capitals)

     I wasn't born yet, but I've heard enough stories to know the emotional scar left on the Bruin fan psyche when a young Montreal goaltender named Ken Dryden popped up out of nowhere to shut the Bruins down in the first round of the '71 playoffs.  Although not as jarring, a similar thing occurred in '86 when rookie Patrick Roy shut down the Bruins in on his way to a Stanley Cup championship as well.  Now, I'm not suggesting that Braden Holtby is going to be a Hall of Fame goalie.  And I really don't think the Capitals have a shot at winning the Cup this year.  What I am pointing out is the Bruins franchise seems to have a problem beating rookie goalies in the playoffs.  Holtby's performance in the first two games has been stellar.  He looks calm and composed for a guy with 21 career starts (14 last year, 7 this year) playing in his first playoffs.  It's not like the Bruins haven't been taking the play to him either.  He made 28 saves in the first game and 43 in game two.  The Bruins could be doing a bit more to make things uncomfortable for Holtby, having more of a presence in front of the net, driving stronger and frequently to the goal, but it wouldn't be fair to Holtby to take away what he's accomplished in these first two games.  I'm not sure why Washington was waiting on this kid.  Why sign Vokoun when Holtby proved last year in 14 games with a 10-2-2 record that he was capable of playing in the NHL?  Why put him in the minors and not at the very least have him backing Vokoun up?  It looks to me that the Bruins have once again run into a future franchise goalie in the first round of the playoffs.  Fingers crossed that he isn't enough to knock them out.
     As far as the Bruins go, the first two lines need to take a cue from Kelly, Rolston and Pouliot and step up their game.  Since the Bruins picked up Rolston as the trade deadline, this line has carried the team.  They skate harder, the dig deeper in the corners, they make things happen.  They are the third line yet they are by far the best Bruins on the ice game after game.  If we are going to get out of the first round, the rest of the team is going to have to elevate their level of play to this line.
     A few other notes after game three...
          I nominate Johnny Boychuk as the best open ice hitter in the NHL.  The way this guy lays out people legally in the middle of the rink is awesome.  And man did he lay out Nicklas Backstrom in this one.
          Speaking of Backstrom, boy was he getting under the skin of the B's in this game.  It was interesting that he ended up with the game winner after all the anger he seemed to be causing on the Bruins bench.  It seemed like every whistle when he was on the ice ended with a Bruin in a physical confrontation with him.  Bergeron grabbed his face shield, Krejci wrestled him to the ice, Thomas punched him in the face, and that's just a few.  Something to look for the rest of the series.
          I get that Marchand is a pest and has a bad reputation with the league, but does that give the Capitals the right to beat the crap out of him?  I know one of the cross checks got called, but Marchand was mugged all game and that was all that came of it.  Capital players went out of their way to slash and cross check him, mostly after whistles, and the refs did nothing.  I'm sure he brought some of this on himself, but the refs need to call penalties penalties no matter who they are being inflicted on.
     Game three is Monday night.  Let's hope the Bruins figure out how to score goals on the plane ride to Washington.  (By the way, if you aren't watching the Flyers/Penguin series you are missing playoff hockey at its best!)

Boston Bruins: 2012 Round One Game One (Capitals)

     The Washington Capitals have to be one of the scariest 7th seeds ever.  This team has all the offensive talent it had from when they were a number one seed.  But for whatever reason, it hasn't worked for them all season.  As much talent as they have, they played most of the 2011-12 season like a team not even worthy of the playoffs.  And that scares the crap out of me.  This team feels like a ticking time bomb and the last thing I want is for them to suddenly pull it all together in round one of the playoffs.
     Game one certainly wasn't an explosion from the Caps, but it didn't do anything to alleviate any fears I have of the Bruins not making it out of the first round.  Washington is playing with what is essentially a third string goalie and they needed more then 60 minutes to put one behind him.  Boston dominated play from the drop of the puck and for the first two periods peppered the Cap's goalie, Braden Holtby, to no avail. That's not a good sign.  Holtby had to walk away from this game with a strong sense of confidence even after giving up the game winner in overtime and the one thing Boston needed to do was shake the young goalies faith.
     But, in the playoffs, a win is a win and the Bruins now only need three more to move on, so there's no need to be totally negative.  What can I say about Chris Kelly?  He's the type of player that turns a good team to a great team, the type of guy who does everything asked of him at the highest level and mostly does so unnoticed by the rest of us.  You can't win a cup without a Chris Kelly on your team.  That third line has been great for the Bruins down the stretch and could easily be credited with pulling the team out of the funk it had found itself in.  Kelly is the guy who does a little of everything.   Rolston is the willy veteran who brings a ton of experience to the table, not to mention a  rocket shot.  For you old school Bruin fans, Pouliot reminds me of Rosie Ruzica, you won't even notice he's on the ice for most of the game and then he suddenly dances through four players or makes an unbelievable pass.  Luckily for us, he's been more noticeable then not recently.
     Of course Thomas was as great as ever.  People talk a lot about winners, players who are able to turn things up a notch when it matters most, names like Montana, Jeter, Jordan, Brady, Bird.  I don't want to jump the gun of this one or jinx things, but if the Bruins are able to make another cup run I think Thomas could be mentioned in the same breath.  Some of the saves he made last night were incredible.  He just seems to have that higher gear he can put his game into when it matters most.  As much as I may fear the Capitals, or the Penguins or the Rangers, at least we have Thomas between the pipes.
     It's still super early, but one game down, one win closer.  Let's hope the Bruins can make quick work of Washington because there is still a long road ahead.

Book Review: The Orphan Master's Son (48 in 2012? #13)

     Adam Johnson's North Korean epic, The Orphan Master's Son, is my favorite book so far on the quest to read 48 books this year.  This tale about identity, the quest for truth, and the trials of living in North Korea is extremely compelling, deeply moving and endlessly interesting.  Johnson pulls the reader into a setting so odd and unfamiliar it might as well be science fiction with great characters and a subtle depiction of life in a country none of us are familiar with, not subtle because the events aren't horrific or over the top, at times they certainly are, but subtle in the way everyone just excepts the events as normal.
     I'm not sure if Johnson set out to write a book about North Korea or if the setting fit for the story he wanted to tell, but it's the setting that makes the novel feel so epic.  Much like my comments on Joe Nesbo's work, I have no idea where Johnson's depictions of North Korea leave true life and start to become part of his fiction, but in this case if doesn't much matter.  North Korea in The Orphan Master's Son could just as easily be a made up world and the theme's would all remain the same.  Johnson's North Korea is a land of made up realities all aimed toward each individual's survival.  What is true and what is a lie changes from day to day, if not hour to hour.  This duplicity becomes fertile ground for the growth of deep compelling characters that both move and confuse the readers on their search an identity of their own.
     This novel is well written and never for a moment hard to get through.  It takes the first 50 pages or so to get used to the world Johnson is writing from, but once you become accustomed to what is going on it doesn't stop pulling you through to the end.  Johnson style is never wordy, yet never feels simple either.  This is a great book and a wonderful read.

How I Met Your Mother: Trilogy Time

     I'm not going to waste my time or yours by giving this horrid episode any more then a few sentences.  It was the same terrible joke plus a fart joke for 25 minutes.  It's insulting to the Star Wars franchise to have made the trilogy a part of the episodes frame work and that's saying a lot with all Star Wars has done to insult itself over the last 10 plus years.  This was as big a waste of 30 minutes as you could find on television.  So much for a strong run at the end of the season.  5-13-2.

Book Review: The Marriage Plot (48 in 2012? #12)

     The Marriage Plot is the latest effort from Pulitzer Prize winning author Jeffrey Eugenides.  I was a huge fan of the prize winning novel Middlesex and was looking forward to this follow up written nine years later.  To say I was disappointed with The Marriage Plot isn't really fair.  I certainly didn't find it as engrossing or interesting as Middlesex, and that was a small let down, but there was plenty about the novel I found entertaining.  Eugenides deserves a spot next to Jonathan Franzen and Michael Chabon on the list of the best authors of this era and while this book probably won't be held up as the perfect example of that placement, it has done nothing to hurt his standing.
     Much like Middlesex, as well as Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Franzen's The Corrections, The Marriage Plot plays with time, constantly taking us back in time for long periods of text to fill in storyline in the present.  It's a technique Eugenides seems to have perfected as the book is never more interesting then when it steps back into the character's past.  It's where we are given the most from the characters, where we feel the most depth.  I found the longer the book went on and the more the reader is fully established in the present, the more I found myself not caring.  The novel as a whole seems to be a coming of age story, but I became annoyed with the characters transformed states and the decisions that got them there.
     Even with it's shortcomings, there is something about the novel that keeps you reading.  As annoying as the characters became Eugendies was still able to make the reader concerned with their outcomes.  Eugenides spends time, including the title of the novel, talking about the Victorian idea of a marriage plot, and in many ways this novel is a modern take on the concept.  The actual idea is outdated and wouldn't be accepted in this day and age, but Eugendies has tweeked it to the sensibilities of the world we now live in.  If for nothing else, the need to see how he wraps up this modern marriage plot is compelling enough to keep one reading.  The idea of carrying old ideas into a new post-modern world is also an important theme of the novel.  How the characters deal with this dilemma, what to hold on to, what to let go, what to assimilate, is a high point of the work.
     The Marriage Plot won't go down as one of my favorite novels of all time, it will probably have a hard time finding it's way on my Top 5 reads of 2012, but it isn't without it's worth or merit.  If you enjoy literature, it's probably a must read, just don't go in looking for genius and you will probably be able to enjoy it for what it is.

Book Review: Brave Companions: Portraits in History (48 in 2012? #11)

     So, March wasn't a great reading month.  I got a little busy and fell behind the pace I need to maintain to get 48 books read.  This book should have been finished a week ago, but what are you going to do.  Things tend to slow down work wise during the summer, so hopefully I can make up some time in the middle months.  Until then, here's book #11.
     Brave Companions is a collection of essays written by David McCullough made up mostly of short character studies of little known yet important historical figures.  McCullough is easily the most famous chronicler of American history and he didn't come by that reputation on accident.  His work has that rare ability to be both informative and entertaining.  McCullough has a way of not just reciting facts but bring the periods he writes about to life.  Unfortunately, this collection doesn't really live up to the standard McCullough has set in his longer pieces.  I'm not sure if it's just the limited space he had to write about his subjects, but most of these pieces weren't as interesting as McCullough's other stories.  I was never really pulled into the worlds the subjects inhabited. 
     The best essays came in the last section of the book titled "On We Go."  "Washington on the Potomac" is a wonderful ode to our nation's capital and all the many wonders within that any American should read.  "Extraordinary Times" is a great essay on how much history has advanced since 1936.  The crazy thing is it was written in 1986 and the theme is how fast things have started to happen, a theme that is almost out of date because of things accelerating even more since then.  I would love to see him write a sequel essay on everything that has happened since 1986.  "Recommended Itinerary" is an address to a college graduating class imploring them to travel abroad to get a better appreciation and understanding of American and its history.  "Simon Willard's Clock" is about Congress and how neglected it is in many of our history books.
     The one essay not in that final section that I enjoyed was "Steam Road to El Dorado."  It talks about the building of the first transcontinental railroad in the Americas, the Panama Railway, and the role it played in the eventual Panama Canal.  The completion of the railroad, when taken in context of the era it was built, is easily on of the greatest industrial accomplishments ever and is an incredibly fascinating story.
     It's not the greatest collection of historical essays, but it's still McCullough and thus still informative.  I may not have been pulled into every story, but there are enough gems here to make the book worth reading.