Short And Sweet

I feel like I've been running around like a crazy person this week so this post is not going to be anything special, just a little recap of the two games this past week. Two Garden favorites came back this week, Shawn Thornton and Andrew Ference.

Thornton made his return to the Garden after being traded this past summer and was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd (but of course).  The Bruins then went on to beat Thorntons new team (The Florida Panthers) 2-1 with goals from Bergeron(2nd period) and Marchand(OT).

Next up: the Edmonton Oilers who were missing their captain, Andrew Ference due to a suspension. Ference was suspended for three games because of an illegal check to the head on Zack Kassian. So with both teams captains sidelined the Bruins came out on top. The Bruins won 5-2 with goals from Riley Smith, Loui Eriksson, Carl Soderberg, Dougie Hamilton, and Milan Lucic. Now that's what I'm talking about! Bruins are bringing the fire power and I love it! 

Boston has four games on deck this week:

New Jersey Devils(Monday-Home)

Toronto Maple Leafs(Wednesday-Away)

Montreal Canadiens(Thursday-Away)

Carolina Hurricanes(Saturday-Home)

"Never Quit"

Just in case no one already realized how absolutely flawless Andrew Ference is, we do now. Recently Ference gave us yet another reason to love and respect him when he had a part in overturning the NYC Marathon organizer's decision to not allow Matt Brown and Lucas Carr to participated in the marathon. 

If you haven't heard Matt Browns Story, you really should. He is truly inspiring.  Matt Brown suffered a paralyzing hockey injury when he was 15 years old. Since then Brown has participated in many marathons and half-marathons with the help of Veteran Lucas Carr. Two years ago the pair participated in the Boston Marathon, but when they tried to sign up for the NYC Marathon this November, the two were turned away. The organizer's issued a statement to WBZ-TV saying,  "The NYC ING Marathon welcomes the largest and most diverse group of AWD entrants of any major marathon.  Given the logistical complexities of hosting more than 45,000 runners on the course each year, there has been a long-standing policy that entrants must participate in the race under their own propulsion.  We work very hard to accommodate hundreds of participants overcoming great odds and we are looking at potential options in this case." To say the least this statement caught the attention of many Brown/Carr supporters. 

If you recall, before Andrew Ference left Boston he gave Matt Brown the army ranger jacket that the Boston Bruins gave to the MVP of the game in the 2013 playoffs. 

Andrew Ference has been rooting for Brown ever since he heard about him and his situation. 

So when Ference heard about Browns recent obstacle he took to twitter .

And after some heavy persuading the NYC Marathon organizer's changed their decision. They issued a statement saying, "We work very hard to accommodate participants overcoming great odds to compete in the ING New York City Marathon, and NYRR is allowing Mr. Carr and Matt Brown in the race this year given our special efforts to recognize and show solidarity with Boston. We are working on details on how best to accommodate them and ensure the safest and best race for all of the more than 45,000 participants." 

So once again Ference showed us what a little determination, persistence, and sarcasm can accomplish. Ference is such a unique, genuine person and I am really sad that the Bruins could not resign him. 

Farewell Ferry

My first post I am dedicating to Andrew Ference. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers after six full seasons with the Bruins. On the ice Ference was known for his blue line support and blue collar grinding, but off the ice he was the green guy. Ference was always out and about in the city, riding his bike, climbing the stairs at Harvard Stadium, or playing in the park with his two beautiful daughters. He was featured in a National Geographic web series called Beyond The Puck which offered an inside look into Ference's green life style. Ference shared the tile of assistant captain with Chris Kelly in the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. In the locker room Ference thought of clever ways to inspire his teammates. He found a vintage Boston Bruins jacket that the team awarded to the MVP in the 2011-2012 playoffs. He also had a heavy chain made with a Bruins lock and most recently the team sported an Army Ranger jacket to show support of the first responders during the Boston Bombings. Ference was very involved in the community and was a true Bostonian at heart. Once a Bruin always a Bruin. You will be very missed Andrew Ference, good luck in Edmonton and thank you for everything!