Why Aren’t the Bruins the Most Hated Team in the NHL?

I’m not sure when exactly this began, but it’s pretty clear that the Vancouver Canucks are the most hated team in the NHL. We got more evidence of this when the recently retired Mark Recchi decided to offer this up:

(In) 22 years they are the most arrogant team I played against and the most hated team I’ve ever played against. I couldn’t believe their antics, their falling and diving. It was very frustrating, but at the same time as the series wore on we knew we were getting to them and we knew our physical play and our skating, I think it caught them off guard a little bit.

Mark Recchi is open to his opinion of course, and he certainly isn’t alone in his hatred for the Vancouver Canucks. But what I don’t understand is how the entire hockey world seems to be in agreement that the Canucks are a bunch of jerks while the Bruins get off Scott free.

Recchi cites the diving the Canucks were doing, which I believe is grossly exaggerated. What never seems to get brought up is the amount of cheap antics the Bruins employ. We’re all familiar with Brad Marchand’s punching bag job on Daniel Sedin in game 6 last year, but apparently that’s honourable. The latest example of a cheap shot by the Bruins came from Milan Lucic:

Amazingly, this didn’t receive any kind of a suspension. It’s a clear cheap shot on a defenseless player that resulted in an injury. Wait, isn’t that how they described Aaron Rome’s hit on Nathan Horton?

Has anyone in the NHL noticed that Nathan Horton is back playing hockey this season and hasn’t missed a single game? That’s interesting because his concussion was described as being ‘severe‘ last June. It’s also interesting because Horton himself admitted that he was symptom free on June 20, only 14 days after the Rome hit. Sounds like the Bruins may have embellished the injury to Horton in an effort to get Aaron Rome suspended (on a related note, read this article from March 23rd titled “Mark Recchi Says Canadiens Embellished Max Pacioretty’s Concussion in Effort to get Zdeno Chara Suspended).

Oh hey, Zdeno Chara was in the news recently. Here is his hit on Max Pacioretty last season in case you forgot about it.

If you noticed that Nathan Horton is back playing, you probably also noticed that Mason Raymond still isn’t. Raymond is still recovering from a fractured vertebrae. I think the entire hockey world has forgotten that Johnny Boychuk was the guy that delivered the crushing blow on a late hit.

But above every cheap hit by the Bruins that has resulted in a lot of injuries with few consequences, it’s the chirping they do that makes it worse. Mark Recchi has his Stanley Cup ring, but refused to take the high road this week. He also said that Max Pacioretty was embellishing an injury while he was out with a fractured vertebrae and a concussion. Milan Lucic was pretty unapologetic after giving Ryan Miller a concussion, and he basically called the Sabres a bunch of wimps in the process. And what about Nathan Horton? He voiced his displeasure about Aaron Rome sending him a text message, rather than phoning him, after his hit last June. You know how Johnny Boychuk apologized to Mason Raymond? Through text message!

I get that the Canucks are not the most liked team in the NHL, and that’s fine, but sooner or later logic has to prevail here. I don’t like the cheap shots the Bruins deliver, and I don’t like that they’ve gone unpunished. But enough with the whining that goes along with it!

34487 Response2011-11-20+02%3A20%3A57Rob to Why Aren’t the Bruins the Most Hated Team in the NHL?

mickey on November 20, 2011

I 100% agree with you. Mark Recchi is a hypocrite. He doesn't even mention how many chepashots the Bruins gave us during the Stanley Cup Final (slashes duirng the TV time outs, punches to the head, etc.) He taunts Lappiere with the finger wagging thing, how did Bergeron's finger get inside Burrows mouth is the first place? This makes me ashamed that Mark Recchi is from BC. Please go back to Boston and fade into retirement quickly Mark. Nobody here wants to remember you.
Reply
- Tom on November 21, 2011
  
  Wow you did not watch what i watched. The Canucks are a bunch of sissies. n
  Reply
  - mickey on November 22, 2011
    
    Go home and fuck your mom some more.
    Reply
anonymous bruin fan on November 22, 2011

Coming from a lifelong Bruins fan. n nIn all honesty, I do not intend to offend or blame anyone. But I was upset with the hit on Raymond by Boychuk. I was more disappointed and upset when I found out that some fans were yelling "flopper" to Raymond. Also, I can see that the Rome hit on Horton was a dirty hit, but at least Rome manned up to the hit and made an attempt to apologize. (Unlike that dirty little jerk Matt Cooke when he was unapologetic for the hit on Savard) n nAnother thing: Canucks are NOT divers. I have seen them play a few times, but never I have seen a single dive. n nCanucks deserve more than that. They are a good team and we need to accept that. n nIf I have offended anyone in any way, shape or form, I'm very sorry. I am just trying to state my opinion.
Reply
604 on November 22, 2011

I still maintain that Rome's hit on Horton was not dirty, albeit a bit late, and Horton only got injured because of little details like the way he fell, etc, but that's another story. n nThe Bruins did outplay us much of the series (how in the HELL did we get blown out so bad on the road?!), so in that regard, I can stomach them winning the Cup, but how does the hockey world not see what was plainly going on: it seemed as if the Bruins could throw punches as they please and not get called, but if a Canuck even so much as breathed too hard on a Bruin, there would be a whistle. I don't mean to mean to sound like the stereotypical crybaby, conspiracy-theory spouting Nucks fan, but seriously..that's bullshit.
Reply
NobodyYouKnow on December 13, 2011

The refs were determined that the Bruins would win.
Reply
darrell on December 19, 2011

Heres a theory-Bettman told the refs they would get a HUGE bonus if they can help the bruins win the cup to keep it in the US
Reply

Rob The Hockey Guy

Why Aren’t the Bruins the Most Hated Team in the NHL?

Related Posts

34487 Response2011-11-20+02%3A20%3A57Rob to Why Aren’t the Bruins the Most Hated Team in the NHL?

Leave a Reply or Cancel reply