Im going to avoid commenting on the Montreal Canadiens scandal because it all sounds like a tempest in a teapot to me. Plus Im sure none of the readers here care much either way.
The real bad news this morning is this.
RC made a comment last night that Keenan looked like "a man who'd just had to shoot his dog" at the presser when he was relaying the news of Bourque's injury to the gathered scribes.
Keenan's response is an appropriate one. It's hard to overemphasize what Bourque has meant to the club this year. In many ways, Bourque has been what Iginla was supposed to be: the Flame's difference maker at ES. Through 58 games, Bourque currently sits 11th in the league in terms of ESP with 38. That ties him with Marian Hossa and is 3 more than the Flames Captain.
Bourque has probably the best underlying numbers on the squad. He ranks first in terms of quality of competition (0.06), ESP/60 (3.20) and ES plus/minus (+20). True, there has been some luck involved, but let's not crash the guy's coming out party - he was propping up the Flames sagging top 6 in a lot of ways and his absence is going to take a big, wet bite out of Calgary's ES effectiveness. And Keenan knows it.
Bourque may have had the bounces this year, but it's hard to ague with the quality of his work. His puck pursuit and ability to win possession along the boards is top-notch. He has a hard shot, is a quick skater and often makes smart, simple plays. Even if his production wasn't what it is, Bourque has proven to be a useful, versatile forward by virtue of his good decision making and work ethic.
Given the recent slide by the club in terms of corsi and outshooting, Im honestly quite concerned about the Flames fortunes for the remainder of the regular season absent Bourque: they've lost a very good - and thus far very lucky - player. Thank god the club has a nice buffer between them and the rest of the division, because unless Iginla or Bertuzzi suddenly and dramatically improve, Calgary's top end has an ugly hole in it going forward.
