It seemed like yesterday that the Bruins’ season was just shooting out of the starting gate, and Boston was still ignoring the Black and Gold — despite the excitement stirred up by last season’s seven-game playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens.

People needed to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and shoved into boards like a Milan Lucic body check to again care about hockey, and that’s exactly what’s transpired over the last seven months.

Well, now the Stanley Cup playoffs are just around the corner and this will be the final Hagg Bag of the regular season before the most compelling postseason in all of pro sports — yes, I mean the march to the Cup — gets started in earnest on April 15.

As things stand right now, the B’s will be hosting either the Canadiens, Rangers or Panthers on Thursday, April 16 for Game One with a likely Game Two scheduled for that Saturday. (With the Celtics playing their final home game of the season on the parquet April 15, it had to be Thursday.)

The Habs look like they’ve finally found whatever it was that eluded them for most of the season and don’t look like they’ll be dropping back from their comfortable seventh slot. And I refuse to believe that a talented, playoff-hardened Rangers unit won’t be able to fend off a last-ditch rush by the inexperienced Florida Kitty Kats for that eighth and final seed.

So, I’m running under the assumption a seven-game series against the Original Six Rangers awaits in the first round, and that means three things: low-scoring games, a heaping bowl of gutless antics from Sean Avery (like the puck punk episode that we witnessed the other night perpetrated on Tim Thomas), and the danger that an All-Star goaltender like Henrik Lundqvist might snatch a game or two.

I personally thought playing the Habs in the first round might be the best thing for the Bruins, because it wouldn’t allow them to potentially overlook a seeming postseason pushover like the Panthers. But the ill will drummed up by Avery along with the potential threats posed by guys like Chris Drury and Scott Gomez might be just enough to get the Top Dog B’s locked in and engaged for that crucial first series. I say bring on the Blueshirts…and another chapter in the never-ending Boston/New York rivalry.

With that, let’s move on to the newest installment of the Hagg Bag and — as always — feel free to direct any questions or Sean Avery hate mail to me at jhaggerty@weei.com.

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Did your brother just win the fan version of the 7th player award ?

Graig Woodburn

JH: I got a couple of e-mails like this one, so apparently some extremely handsome dude with the last name Haggerty won the Dodge Ram truck fan prize that went along with David Krejci winning the 7th Player Award last week prior to the Tampa Bay Lightning game at the Garden. It would seem like the perfect bag job where I could set up a brother or a cousin with a sweet new red truck courtesy of the Bruins. But — after going to the tape — I’ve never met the guy before in my life and I’m certainly not related to him.

I also got a few e-mails campaigning for Dennis Wideman as a sort of cult pick for the 7th Player Award this season, but if I had a vote it would have gone toward the Czech puck magician, Krejci. The 22-year-old essentially came out of nowhere to be an 80-point scorer — he will be close to that figure when the Bruins finish out the four final games left on the regular season docket — and serves a crucial role on offense, the penalty kill and the power play unit for this Bruins team targeted for the postseason. If the B’s hope to win at least a couple of rounds — the bare minimum to appease a fan base hungry for some playoff success after a decade full of postseason frustration — Krejci must be a point man making things happen.

I wrote about this last week and stumbled across this unbelievable nugget while researching the young center: The Bruins are 19-0-1 when Krejci scores a goal this season and an amazing 37-2-5 when the Czech Republic native notches a point this year. When Krejci and his linemates give opponents a second legitimate scoring line to worry about behind Marc Savard, the Bruins win games. It’s as simple as that, and his sizeable impact made him a shoo-in for the 7th Player Award.

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Hey Haggs,

Montador looks like Will Ferrell in night at the Roxbury and his head rocks back and forth every time he loses a fight just like Will’s did in the movie.

Fitz

JH: You know what, Fitzy, I’m going to give Steve Montador a huge amount of credit for being exactly what the Bruins were hoping for when they dealt for him. He’s willingly scrapped in a few games when the Bruins needed a physical spark — or if one of  Boston’s skill players needed one of the B’s big, tough guys to stick up for them.

His adeptness at playing both a grinder-type forward position along with the big, physical defenseman role has also allowed the team to have depth at both spots when/if injuries hit once the playoffs begin. Andrew Ference hurt himself in Saturday’s game against the Rangers — an injury that could be pretty serious — and the fact that both Montador and Matt Hunwick can play forward and defense gives Claude Julien all sorts of options if the Ference injury is something that continues into the playoffs.

This is why Peter Chiarelli went looking for D-man depth at the trade deadline, and why the B’s were a big winner on March 4 even if they didn’t nab the Big Fish likes of Chris Pronger or Keith Tkachuk.

When you add in the bonus that Montador is an absolute dead ringer for Ferrell from “A Night at the Roxbury” — right down to the dark-colored bangs hanging over his face — then it’s a win-win-win all around. Let’s just hope that Hunwick doesn’t start to look like a head-bobbing Chris Kattan alongside Montador, and that they don’t lose themselves in the beat of the “Chant” music every time a goal is scored at the Garden this spring.

Perhaps the technically savvy editors here at WEEI.com can wrangle up a side-by-side shot of Montador and Ferrell (from the Roxbury movie), so everybody out there can see the stunning resemblance that Fitzy has stumbled onto. Or, then again, maybe they won’t. (Ed. note. We have the next best thing -- here's Montador and here's Ferrell's character, the immortal Steve Butabi.)

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Hey Joe,

Loved you on the static station with Felger. Nice to see your getting some pub on WEEI. I consider you my go to guy to the B's right now. Kevin Paul who? Anyway was wondering if you had any inside info on when the B's playoff strips are going on sale to the general public.

I know the window for season ticket holders has expired, any info would be great. I have a feeling all these bandwagon morons will eat up all the tickets, so I’d like to stay a step ahead of the game. Keep up the great work, and I consider you and Felgy one of the better bromances in Boston sports media. It’s right up there with Michael Holley and Michael Smith.

Lachlan Burgess

JH: A Chronic from the 890 days? Welcome to the Hagg Bag! For my money, any other bromance out there in the Boston sports media simply pales in comparison to the kind of bro-tastic chemistry that Holley and Smith earned from years of throwing verbal bouquets at each other. Felger and I aren’t even in the same zip code of cool as either of those guys.

If anything, Felger and I have a dysfunctional bromance where we simply get on each other’s nerves. He rags on me for my weird “Goth” goatee with no mustache, which was grown because it, A) does an exactly job of hiding the second chin, and, B) in some cruel twist of genetic fate I can’t grow a Burt Reynolds-style ’stache despite being the hairiest Irish guy in all of Massachusetts. I rail on against him all day because he’s a pretty boy TV anchor guy who knows more about hand creams at the Burlington Mall than he does about baseball.

So is that a bromance?

As Butch Stearns would say, I’m not so sure about that.

Especially when you compare it to the Golden Age of the Holley/Smith bromance. You could practically envision the glass fogging up between the studio and the control room when they were hosting a mid-day show together. Now, that was some serious on-air chemistry.

As far as the season tickets go, here’s some info straight from the Bruins:

Only season ticket holders have access to the full playoff strips for all potential games. That includes current 08-09 season ticket holders and those who put deposits down on season tickets for the 09-10 season (so if you are a season ticket holder for all games during the regular season, you are a season ticket holder for all games during the postseason).

Non-season ticket holders can purchase seats to playoff games on an individual game by game basis, which were the Game 1 and Game 2 sales you referenced last week. Assuming there are more games available in the first round, we will put Home Playoff Games No. 3 and No. 4 on sale when those dates draw closer.

Hope that clears things up for you, Lachlan, and good luck locking up those playoff tickets. I have a feeling it’s going to be one tough ticket to secure when/if they venture deeper into the playoff rounds.

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Haggs,

This guy Sean Avery, as Pete Sheppard would say, is a Turd. He should have never been let back into the league. He is not what the NHL needs to advance the game. Other than Elisha Cutbert what has he given to the NHL. How does one explain his antics to their 6 year old Puckhead? Nick don’t worry he is a Turd, doesn’t fly. He should be bounced out because one of these “incidents” is gonna hurt someone eventually. Your thoughts Spartan boy?

Chach

JH: I agree with Pete the Meat’s assessment that Avery is a turd. I’d go one deeper on the Sheppard scale and say he might even be the corn in the turd. But, back in the day when you and I were chasing Wakefield girls, weren’t Claude Lemieux and Ulf Samuelsson both Bruins-hating turds to a certain degree as well? I, for one, am always watching what Avery is going to do next when he’s on the ice, and that Bruins/Rangers game was a tad bit boring until the Avery/Thomas fireworks kicked up. The tension of wondering when Lucic is going to break Avery’s face is worth the price of admission.

I actually wish he hadn’t been suspended for that “Sloppy Seconds” Flames game earlier this season, and Dion Phanueuf had been allowed to beat the living tar out of him that night. That’s Old Time Hockey straight out of “SlapShot.”

Avery will be Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston by the end of a seven-game series against the Rangers, and that’s good for the general interest of hockey around the Hub. And we’ll hear the “Avery is a turd” speech from Pete at least six times before a playoff series is over and done with.

That’s alone makes it all worth it.

I know after the game Claude Julien was a bit critical of Tim Thomas for reacting to Avery’s antics in the third period, but I thought “Tank” was well within his rights to chase Mr. Cosmo Intern halfway across the ice and give him a face-full of angry goalie glove. I just wished Henrik Lundqvist had dropped the pretty boy Swedish act for two minutes, and we could have seen an old-fashioned throw down between goalies at center-ice.

Thomas said he’s never been in a fight while tending net in all his years of playing hockey. In the words of Mr. T, I pity the fool that takes on the tough guy goalie from Flint, Michigan. Something tells me Thomas can handle himself against all these imports from Finland and Sweden if that moment does finally transpire.

The real interesting thing to watch in the playoffs is how much Avery will be backed up by his Rangers teammates once the real bullets start flying.

Belmont native and former Bruins defenseman Paul Mara had to skate in and grab Zdeno Chara during one of Avery’s numerous dust-ups during last weekend’s game, so at this point he has some level of backing by the rest of the guys on the Blueshirts bench.

Will that continue? Stay tuned.

As far as Nick goes, that’s easy Daddy Chach. Just tell him that people from Reading don’t play hockey like that. I would think explaining “Sloppy Seconds” to a six-year-old would be a lot more difficult than the Facts of Avery.

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Haggs,

Everything will be fine. They have enough money to keep Krejci and Kessel. I’m glad they signed Thomas now, so they can focus on Kessel and Krejci later.

Bruins Fan

JH: Really? Everything is going to be fine?

Have you really worked the salary cap numbers running under the assumption that the cap will come down slightly next season? If you do that, you’ll find that they don’t have enough money to sign Krejci and Kessel (and Hunwick and Bitz and Axelsson or a suitable replacement) and keep the rest of their team intact. I don’t think Thomas is getting overpaid by any stretch, but I think you either give him the $5 million per season or you give Thomas the four years of contract security, but you don’t give in to both requests when negotiating a deal prior to a 35-year-old heading out on the open market.

Let’s also not forget that we’re talking about an open NHL free agent period that’s going to endure a market correction this summer, and Thomas may not have even reached the $5 million level that the Bruins will be paying him. Forget about where he ranks among current NHL goaltenders because the free agent price tags will be going down across the board as the salary cap number also goes down.

The Bruins have roughly $47 million on the books for next season, and it’s widely accepted that the $56.7 million cap limit will be dropping by at least $1-2 million for next season amid the difficult economic times

I think Krejci and Kessel are getting deals closer to $4 million than $3 million for a minimum of three years, Hunwick will be brought back for something between $1 million, and $2 million and add in the $3.2 million cap number that Tuukka Rask represents for next season as well. That’s roughly $12 million that the Bruins will be adding to the payroll next season, and that’s not even counting the money it takes to replace Axelsson, Stephane Yelle, Shane Hnidy or Bitz on the books.

The Bruins simply don’t have enough cap space to accommodate all of salary needs on their roster as currently constituted. One of Bergeron, Sturm, Kobasew, Savard or Ryder will have to be traded to make it happen. Sorry, but that’s exactly what is happening here.

Add to that the fact that Savard and Sturm both have “no movement clauses” and there aren’t a ton of options for Peter Chiarelli and the rest of the front office here.

My best guess: the Bruins are going to think long and hard about trading Kessel. This seems a more attractive option rather than giving him big bucks for three or four years and simply hoping that he starts playing hard, two-way hockey all the time without prodding from management and coaches. Kessel's name was in the mix for deals with the Blues and the Ducks during the days leading up to the trade deadline, and those talks can easily be rekindled this summer. If they decide against dealing Kessel, then Sturm or Bergeron will be next on the list of tradable commodities. But the Bruins will be getting pennies on the dollar for Bergeron after his down season offensively, and Sturm’s value is likewise down coming off a serious knee injury.

Saying “everything is going to be fine” doesn’t make it so. The money isn’t there to keep this whole team together. Stop taking the Bruins’ pills and start getting real with the Brave New World of the NHL salary cap.

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Haggs:

The salary cap is crazy stupid, yo. They should take it behind the Garden and pop a cap in its ass.

Silly Fresh DJ

JH: Thanks Silly Fresh … maybe somebody can take the salary cap out back, and smack it up, flip it and then rub it down BBD-style.

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Haggs,

Props to you and for doing a bang-up job subbing for Dale and Holley last week. Non-stop puck talk that day was a welcome change.

My only question: What's it gonna take to convince Bob Essensa to chain Thomas the Tank to his goalposts so he stops trying(badly) to play the puck???? Argh... He's been a rock for the Bruins this year and that's been the only hole in his game.

-Ron in Windham CT.

JH: Thanks, Ron. I always appreciate talking sports with Dale and/or Michael on the air. Always loved their show even before I started co-hosting it, and I've grown to appreciate what they do even more since I've worked with them. Thomas is well aware that playing the puck around the net isn’t the strongest part of his game, and he’s said multiple times that he adopted a style similar to Ed Belfour prior to the rule changes that introduced the trapezoid behind the net.

Instead, it’s something that he’s worked on over the years and developed to the point that he can at least slow the puck down. Setting things up for his defenseman on the breakout during dump-ins is the least a goalie can do.

Is he ever going to be Rick DiPietro capable of making plays and acting like a third defenseman playing around with the puck in the D-zone? Absolutely not, but his first responsibility is stopping the puck and he’s the best goalie in the NHL when it comes to GAA (goals against average) and save percentage. If a guy is up for Vezina Trophy consideration, then who cares if he’s a little lacking in the puck-handling department. Last time I checked Rick DiPietro was sitting on the sidelines cashing checks with bad hips and knees while Thomas just keeps on trucking.

Quick aside: I also must admit that I love the nickname “Tank” for Thomas. It fits him on so many different levels.

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BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

--Jack Edwards’ Laughter

JH: Well played, Edwards, well played. Back to the Jack Edwards Bingo for you, and don't forget to spoon it up the river in Gretzky's Office.

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Joey Haggs!

I heard you mention closer music. (Haggs Note: when I co-hosted Dale and Holley last week I mentioned that “Man in a Box” by Alice in Chains would be my closer’s theme if I were ambling out of a big league bullpen to shut down a game. I think Huston Street might have used it at one point out in Oakland, but nobody has really taken ownership of this perfect song before that. “I’m the Man in the Box”, “Won’t you come and save me?”…how perfect is that?)

If I am stepping out of the pen, I expect nothing but the opening strains of "Stranglehold" by the Motor City Madman himself, Mr. Ted Nugent.  Three outs later, the Coors light is gonna be flowing like wine.

You know Joe, I am not a man that resorts to violence lightly.  I does take quite a bit of provocation for me to toss the mittens.  That being said, after a few shifts I'd be shocked if Mother Theresa wouldn't want to forcibly remove some of Sean Avery's Chicklets. 

 That cheap shot whacking Timmy in the back of the head was pure bush league. That gutless rodent even checked to make sure nobody was looking at his antics.  Timmy had every right to go Oglethorpe after that type of douchebaggery.

 And you knew Avery wasn't going to drop the gloves afterward, especially not when Montador grabbed him.    Hell, the Devil's David Clarkson threw Avery around like he was cleaning a throw rug and Sean still wouldn't knuckle up.  I know a 1-0 game in the third period isn't the time and place for it, but if Avery refuses to answer the bell, at what point does he get some Tie Domi vs. Ulf Sammuleson-type karma?

Getting back to our net-minder, I have to go on record and say I am not a fan of the Thomas signing.  Let me preface this by saying I am a Thomas fan, love his story and wouldn't want anyone else manning the mesh for us in the post season.  But in the cut-throat sports world of today, 99% of the time I want nothing but heartless reasoning and cold, calculated decisions.  And this was one of those times.   With the amount of good young talent this team has, including in the net, you simply cannot commit Martin Brodeur money to a 35 year old goalie not named Martin Brodeur.   This will hamstring this team when Krejci and Lucic and Kessel come looking for cash.  And it also sets an awful precedent.  If you’re willing to pay a 35 year old Goalie top dollar after a career year, can you expect Krejci and Kessel to take anything less than top money, not to mention anyone else this club want to retain. 

I want to see this team flourish, not make irrational decisions that make me wonder if they have taken Isaiah Thomas on as a consultant.

While where on the subject of irrational take a look at the similarities between this photo and this one, and recent in game "events" become much easier to understand.

And finally, you want to know the real reason why the 99 left the Ground Round in Carthage-like ruins? Three simple words: Cheese and Crackers.  The 'Round could have had Hannibal and his elephants bring the food directly to your table and I still would have taken Wisconsin's finest as I waited for my King Tips. A quick trip around the Fresh Pond Rotary is all you need to realize the power of cheese.  

Mike

Attleboro

JH: To sum up what has already been stated. Avery is indeed a punk — and perhaps even a piece of corn — but I think he’s exactly the kind of villain that the NHL needs when it comes to playoff time. Watching Bruins/Rangers without Avery involved might be like catching a Wild/Devils Trappist masterpiece on ESPN Classic when both teams were in their snooze-fest defensive primes. Nothing says Rip Van Winkle classic like the 1-0 goaltending exhibitions that we’ve seen in four of the last eight games between Boston and New York.

Avery stirs the pot, and that’s exactly what the mild-mannered Bruins need to snap them out of the “nice guy mode” that they can fade into for long stretches of hockey. The Black and Gold play their best hockey when they’re carrying around a little bit of an emotional edge, but they don’t have any real “agitators” that drag them into that state of emotional being. The Bruins, while known for the moments this season when they showed their Big, Bad tendencies amidst knockdown drag-out games against the Stars and Ducks, have the fifth-fewest PIMs (961) in all of the NHL. Interesting given that Boston has certified tough guy brawlers like Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton lurking on the squad, but it's a testament to their overall discipline.

So a guy like Avery could be the perfect “DB” cocktail to bring out the best of the B’s during the first round of the playoffs, much like a standoff with Mike Komisarek and the rest of the hated Habs would also bring out Boston’s best.

As far as the whole 99/Ground Round Debate goes, the Ground Round — though they had some of the best Baby Back ribs and Apple Crisp ever made — clearly lost their fastball when they got rid of “Pay what you weigh” and stopped allowing people to just simply smear peanut shells all over their floors while old black and white Marx movies played on the wall.

The “Round” tried to clean things up and become respectable, and the 99 stormed in with their cheese and crackers and Country Fried Chicken and crushed them like a bunch of Really Big Pretzels.

Yes, I eat at way too many chain restaurants. See you in a couple of weeks.  

Joe Haggerty covers the Bruins for WEEI.com.