The Bear in the Gang – A Christmas Spectacular

In this Bear and the Gang Christmas Spectacular, the team is all gathered in a cozy winter cabin where holiday hijinks ensue.

There are so many things that make me happy about this video, besides the high-cheese log factor and tin-canned laugh track.

This picture…I can’t.

“You mad, tree?”

Bergeron flashing those pearly whites before going of into the meadows to put that weedwacker to work.

Ricola?

Pocket-sized Lumberjack Torey Krug.  I hope you’re watching this, Dan Bylsma. Just give this kid a spot on Team USA already!

“It’s going down. I’m yelling TIMBER. You betta move. You betta dance!”

Dougie Hamilton as Reindeer #9.  You know Bartkowski made him wear this.  Speaking of..where is Barty in this video?  Seems like this would something right up his alley.

“Out of all the reindeer, you know you’re the mastermind.”

The Bear getting friendly with Iggy.  To be fair, if Iggy was sitting on my lap, I wouldn’t let go either.

“I’m going to love him and hug him and squeeze him!”

Carl Soderberg looking uber Swedish and confused.  Just through it in a gift bag with some tissue paper and call it a day.

Gift-wrapping? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Also confused – Loui Eriksson, lost in the snow.  Granted this video was shot before he was concussed by Brooks Orpik, but still…it’s kinda funny?  No?  Too soon?

Granted it was against the Carolina Hurricanes, who are taking a long ride on the struggle bus, but the effort was the Bruins’ most consistent of the season and they were rewarded with a 4-1 victory on the road.  Bruins were 0-3 on the road after starting the season 4-0.

Bruins forwards were working hard, creating opportunities, and running the Canes’ defense around. Two of the four Bruins goals came from defensemen, including Johnny Boychuk’s rocket, his first goal in 3, 586 games.  Okay, so not THAT many games but it has been a while since JB55 put on past the goalie.

Especially positive was the play of Soderberg/Kelly/Smith line.   Soderberg and Smith each had a goal and an assist.  This line seems to be finding some mojo as evidence by their nifty, quick passing in the offensive zone and it looks like Soderberg’s looooong road to the NHL might have been worth the journey.

Originally drafted by the Blues in the 2004 Entry Draft, this season will be the first full season for the 28-year-old Swede.  He’s got 8 points in 14 games and did we mention that he’s Swedish?

Marchand started on the 3rd line but by late in the 2nd period was taking shifts on the 4th line. Since the summer and his break-up with Seguin, he just hasn’t been quite the player that we expected.  Perhaps he spend too much time downing pints of ice cream, while listening to Sade and looking at photos of his lost love on his iPhone.

Sad Marchand.

After the game, Bruins had to jump on a plane to NYC where they’ll take on the Rangers tonight.  If I had to wager a guess, I think that Caron will be back in the line up, along with Thornton, with Marchy taking in the game from the press box.

Wonder if the popcorn at MSG is any good….

Swedish star forward Carl Soderberg and the Boston Bruins reached an agreement on a multi-year contract Tuesday.

Finally, I’ll get my very own Swedish!

 While not on the level of say Viktor Stalberg, Henrik Lundqvist, Gabe Landeskog or the countless other ridiculously attractive Swedes that populate the NHL, he does sort of have an Eddie Redmayne/Heath Ledger-thing going on, which I am digging.

What I’m also digging that he is having his BEST season in the Smokin’ Hot Swedish Elite League – 31 goals & 60 points in 54 games.

At 6-foot-3 & 210-pound, Soderberg will bring some desperately needed size and scoring to the Bruins’ corps of forwards. *fingerscrossed*

By all accounts this looks to be a done deal with the only thing left to iron out was for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association to approve his transfer to the Bruins and the NHL.

But after the Great Iginla Caper of 2013, I won’t actually believe it is happening until the man steps off the plane, arrives at the Garden, dons a Bruins jersey, and gets on the ice.

Despite his potentially joining the team with about a dozen games left in the regular season, Soderberg would be eligible for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, provided that he play in one regular season game (Bruins already had his rights and on their reserve list.)

According to Bruins President Cam “Seabass” Neely, the team wants to give him a shot to prove himself.  Most likely he’d see time on the wing, as opposed to his regular center position.

Bruins have courted Soderberg for a number of years, but he always elected to stay in Europe.  Last year, they weren’t even sure if he’d ever play in the NHL.

So what changed?

Who knows? Don’t care.

What I do care about is how Soderberg adjusts his game for the NHL.  He has the skill set but we all know the game is decidedly different in Europe.

How will he handle the physicality and the smaller ice surface? For sure, his size will help, as will his skating ability, but that all remains to be seen.   Should that happen it has the potential to significantly help the Bruins in the playoffs.

Wonder how he is on the power play…