Conference diver1::boston_bruins

    
    
    Amen!

    ....this is just GREAT for the B's, the fans, the media, win-win
    all around...if at the very least, this brings back what was so lacking
    with that STOOGE that was B-hind da bench: RESPECTABLITY....spell it,
    Kasper!!  SPELL IT, damnit!!!!!!!!
    
    I'd like to see the entire press-conference, ala what the Celts did
    with Pitino....anyone know if NESN carried the entire thing?  Looks
    like ol Pat put on a few pounds whilst B-hind the microphone.....
    
    man, I wonder what the ol' Montreal Gazette has to say about this?
    Think they're pissed we stole Burns from right under their noses??
    
    
    HA!
    
    :^o
    
     gooooo, B's!
    
    (man, that felt good to say again!)
    

    
    
    mac, I heard the press conference yesterday, it was nothing
    special.  Burns did say that when he drove across the border for his
    first meeting with Harry the guy at the patrol asked him where he was
    going and he told him Boston.  The guy asked why and he said I had to
    tell him I was meeting a friend  :-)
    
    Anyways, his goal for next season (obviously) is the playoffs.  I
    don't see it happening.  Hope I'm wrong but even with the new
    coach they don't have any scoring punch and they desperatly need
    to protect Carey so he can get his confidence back.
    
    CF

    .....hey, CF!
    
    IT's gonna take a while to make the playoffs, and tell you the truth,
    I'm not in any big hurry....if the team starts playing like Burns wants
    them to, they'll be back in ~ 3 years....to me, and this is IMHO, if
    they start playing more aggressively, get the two Rooks to play up
    their potential, and pick up some free-agents, I'll B a happy camper...
    
    mac

    
    year 3 is where I would like to see a legitimate contender on
    the ice.  For next season I want to see the defense improve and 
    McClaren and Aitken (is he signed?) show me something on the
    blue line.  I can't agree more with letting them build the team.
    Thornton and the #8 will help but it's the FA pieces that are
    filled in around them in a couple years that will make or break
    this team.
    
    Burns is a step in the right direction but the light at the
    end of the tunnel is still a long way away.
    
    CF

    Apparently, Burns is a very demanding coach; demanding to the GM that
    is. He likes to 'push' his GM into improving his team. He'll only go w/
    the "wait'n see how it goes.." attitude for so long before he kicks
    Harry's ass to wake him up. He's VERY close to the fans but is not
    afraid to tell a reporter "that's an irrelevant question, next question"...
    
    In other words; You guys in here will love him.
    
    Andy
    

    
    Sort of like Parcells?

I agree with previous sentiments,, a good choice on the surface.
Pat Burns has always impressed... you know a good coach
when he's coaching another team, and you hate him as much
as the team he coaches!  (aka-canadiens)

and he does show alot of emotion when he's behind the bench, but he 
never seems to turn it on his players (unlike Kasper...)  I think if 
anyone can wake up the sleeping junk-yard dog in the Bruins, it's
Pat Burns, -- and if the B's need anything right now, it's a mean 
streak and some guys who can finish on "O" .  Pat can give them
the attitude, but Harry's gotta give them the tools..

and could it be that Sinden is prepaired to up the stakes ?
I heard the deal was,, he's giving Burns  3mill for 3 years...  
What was Kasper makin ?   Doubt it was even close.

As far as the B's in the playoffs,, this years B's would look like 
they were standing around with their  skates untied.  clearly, they 
deserve to be golfing...  and they're not even close to what they
need to make it to the finals.

If the B's can't skate with teams like Hartford and Buffalo (Which they
could not this year),, they're  never going to survive teams like 
Philly,  Detroit, Coloardo, that have so many ways to beat you.

Burns can only do so much, there's a real lack of depth there.
That should be Harry's focus,, but it's probably takin a back seat
to the JB and water at the 19th hole..

There's a lot of work left to do...  time will tell..

/pelksta..

    	Burns is a good first step, but it's just that, only a first step.
    The B's need a lot more talent if they really want to run with the big
    dogs. I'd like to see them sign Thorton, maybe get another player or
    two from free agency and plug them all in and hopefully by the all star
    break we know what else we're going to need. On Sports Final on Sunday
    night Orr was saying that Cameron Mann could also be ready this year. 
    
    	It probably will take three or so years to actually become
    competitive again. Unfortunately, that's about how long it is until a
    coach starts to lose his effectiveness on his team.
    
    	Burns can whip these guys into shape. He runs a tight ship and I
    like that. Hopefully he can wake Don Sweeney up and get him playing to
    his potential again. Sweeney has looked like he's been asleep out there
    on the ice for the past two years. Hopefully Burns can bring back the
    old Don Sweeney.  
    
    	Has anyone heard anything about who his assistant coaches will be?
    
    Barry
    

    It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Sinden and
    Burns develops.  This is the first time in a long time (over 30 years?) 
    that the Bruins hire a coach with lots of NHL experience.
    
    Bernie.

    
    
    >>>>>>>It will be interesting to see how the relationship between
    >>>>>>>Sinden and Burns develops.
    
    
    	Or deteriorates, which could be the more likely scenario.
    
    
    	CF
    

    Burns better be impervious to petty bull---- or they WON'T
    get along!  

 In response to a few back about Burns making $3 mil for 3 years...

 Papers have him making $2 mil over 4 years... Anybody got the real deal?


 Lil Ed

    ...He's Canadian....He's Irish....He's a tuff sonava-B...
    
    even if it only lasts the 3 years, it's a helluva improvement over that
    stiff we had for the last two years...hmmmm..still can't remembah
    his name....hmmmmmm....
    
    Ok...who's got vacation plans for this weekend?  mac and his_ol'_lady
    are a-headin' up to Old Orchard Beach, known for it's B-eeeautiful
    7-mile stretch of beach, AND for a large population of Frenh-Canadian
    visitors....mac'll haftya get into the Burns discussion with a few o'
    them, let you guys know what they think next week...if yer in the Old
    Orchard Beach area, look mac up......
    
    
    4_Day_Weekend_mac

    
    I agree with the assessment that Burns will be good for the Beany Bears
    but how long will he last with Harry and his illegitimate son Mike
    O'Connell (sp?). One big plus is that Burns isn't from the Ruins family
    like sssooooo many other coaches have been...then again, look what
    happened to the last non-family member to coach them, Mr. Sutter. No 
    matter how good Burns is he is starting this job with 5 strikes against
    him. 
    
    Mac, Pat Burns will never see the end of his contract and the Ruins
    will never get back on the road to respectability unitl Messrs. Sinden,
    O'Connell (sp?..hey, I'm consistant at least), and last but not least,
    Jacobs, are out of Bawstan. Burns' style, both coaching and
    personality, do not measure up to what your buddy Harry wants (aka a
    lap dog).
    
    I wish him well. Anyone want in on the pool as to when Burns' last day
    with the Ruins is???????
    
    Jerry

    "Don't rememember the coaches  name"
    His name I believe was LEAVE CRAPSTER!!!!!!!!
    I think that is how most of us will remember!

    Hmmmm...Capitals just let Schoenfeld go.  I would have liked to see him
    behind the Bruins bench.  I'm happy with the Burns hiring, but it would
    have been a tough call if both had been interviewed for the position...

    In my opinion, it's a no brainer. Just compare their records.  Burns
    record is way better than Schoenfeld.  I don't see what many see in
    Schoenfeld as a coach. 
    
    Bernie.