Bruins did right
BOSTON MEDIA OK WITH TRADE
They’re ready to storm the harbor.
‘‘ I think tomorrow night could be chaotic at the FleetCenter,’’ one Bruins fan told cable outlet NESN on Wednesday night after the Joe Thornton trade. ‘‘ A lot of people could be going there just to throw things maybe at the players or whatever. There could be a lot of trouble there tomorrow night. . . . O’Connell better not show up.’’
It was that way all over talk radio, but a sampling of media outlets shows most seem to side with the Bruins.
Kevin Paul Dupont, Boston Globe: Joe Thornton and California.
That just seems to fit, doesn’t it, dude?
Joe Thornton and Boston.
Somehow, it just never worked. Not the way anyone hoped, or expected.
Teen angels, fanboys, and stat geeks will mourn Thornton’s trade last night to the Sharks, because he was considered the franchise savior even before he was drafted in 1997, as well as the fact he put up some strong offensive numbers. Even this year, when he often appeared to be playing in a fog, for the most part disengaged and lackluster, Jumbo Joe flirted with the top 10 scorers in the game.
. . . The lasting image of Thornton in Boston will be his final moments in the spoked-B Tuesday night in New Jersey. On a faceoff to goalie Andrew Raycroft’s right, he was undressed by Devils center John Madden, who pulled the puck directly to Alexander Mogilny behind him. Mogilny ripped it home for the 3-2 win with just over 30 seconds left on the clock. Two points down the drain.
A dismayed Thornton, looking like the guy in Times Square who just found out his pocket was picked, stared up to the rafters in total dismay. Not even 24 hours later, O’Connell sent him packing to Silicon Valley. He will be remembered on Causeway Street not for what he was, or what he did, but for what he wasn’t and what he failed to do. The work forever in progress now can try to get it done somewhere else.
Stephen Harris, Boston Herald: Thornton stopped by TD Banknorth Garden during the second half of the Celtics’ game and exited with some of his belongings. According to a source, Thornton also stopped in the North End late to relay news of the trade to friends. At the Greatest Bar, where a friend and former roommate works, Thornton sat outside in his truck and appeared to be in tears.
Terry Frei, ESPN.com: It comes down to this: The Bruins are blaming Joe Thornton.
Their new-world, post-CBA strategy seemed to be waiting for great free-agent players to fall into their lap because of a love for Dunkin’ Donuts, Bobby Orr, the North End, Legal Sea Foods, the Green Line, Phil Esposito, Faneuil Hall, Ray Bourque and maybe even the wit and wisdom of Carla Tortelli.
It didn’t happen, despite Mike Modano’s angst- filled negotiations and flirtation.
This organization was one of the militants in the lockout, seemingly poised to take advantage of a new system that put a cap on ambition and rewarded what passed for tight wallets in the big-money world of pro sports. Now they discovered it wasn’t going to be that easy. It wasn’t going to be that easy to win, and more important, win back the fans in a market that long has deserved something better than dimesqueezing inertia.
Blame Joe.