Bruins Show True Selves in Loss

Seems as though if you have a bag of skin for a neck, there's a lot of room for sour grapes.

Claude Julien last night, after the hard fought loss was quick to lay blame as so many a puzzled coach has done before at the foot of the referees. Oh, but it wasn't really their fault, because how are they really to deal with all the diving?





This is the tired line from Boston. It's been repeated by every fan and coach for as long as I can remember. It wasn't that long ago that Max Pacioretty was labelled a diver for watching a movie after having his neck broken.

But don't be naive. This tactic is common for teams that play it rough. How else after all to get away with treading on the wrong side of the rules nearly all the time? The best way to set about it is to set your own team up as victim, if not to too strict an interpretation, then too loose a standard on embellishment. It's a position of last resort, and it's one that has worked in the past.

I have lots of issues with their position. First of all, it's a little too much for a team that bases its up-against the wall tactics on bullying and rule-bending to call another team a disgrace. Second, such a team has to learn to eat the sour grapes even if another is getting away with a secondary foul to their primary. To be straight-faced with the complaint (well as straight as the bloated mug can get) is hypocritical to the utmost. And I detest a hypocrite.

Claude Julien left the press conference with the notion that embellishment is an embarrassment to the game. Well what of his gamesmanship? His sour grapes and his employed tactics? It goes without saying that the veil of his comment thinly veils the true embarrassment of the night, and that took place in front of Dunkin Donuts signage.

Brad Marchand can count himself too as one of the biggest hypocrites, and indeed cowards around. His response to Subban's hitting treatment is silliness.

“Three or four guys asked to fight him, and he’s running scared from [Nathan Horton],” Marchand said after the game. “But he comes after the smallest guy on the team. It just shows you what kind of character they have there.” NESN

He of backhanded tactics expects no recourse to come to his door because he is small? Even a medium sized player on the opponent's team must first make his way through his 18 oafish bodyguards. This is complete hogwash. You play like Marchand, you expect some repercussion. I didn't see Desharnais and Gallagher complain for their treatment, even though they have less history to warrant the attention.

Not to mention his primary skill happens to be diving.


The Bruins lost and deservedly. I am not surprised they didn't take it well, they rarely have. But let's be clear about who embarrasses who here.