Do you know Marchand's stats after 33 NHL games?  Please check that.  Also, check their AHL stats.  Also, check their size.   Also, read other posts that followed as I qualified the comparison.   Read about Martin St. Louis.    Bourque is older than Marchand but he is not 35.  They are both still very young.   

The above is in response to the previous post

In response to lucdufour's comment:

Bourque's stats at 27 years old: 45GP  2-5-7

St. Louis's stats at 27 years old: 282GP  71-94-165

Marchand's stats (24 years old): 185GP  57-49-106

The only thing they have in common: Bourque 5'8"  St.Louis 5'8"  Marchand 5'9".

Marchand only had 1pt in his first 20 games. People need to stop jumping all over bourque kid was on the capitals then Pitt and now the bs it took him a while to work his way into the league who cares if he is 27. He has played 12 games and has 3pts for a third liner in what world is that bad. As long as he keeps playing a tight d I don't care if he only has a helper every 3-4 games. The bruins are the best team in the east I can live with the third line not scoring every night if they did we would be blowing teams out. This isn't a video game we aren't going to find someone to come in and score a load on the third line, live with it. 

In response to heyoo's comment:

The bruins are the best team in the east I can live with the third line not scoring every night if they did we would be blowing teams out. This isn't a video game we aren't going to find someone to come in and score a load on the third line, live with it.

_________________________________________________________________________
The Bruins were the best team in the east Pittsburgh and New Jersey have surpassed them. That for me is why allot of Boston fans are wanting a better 3rd line or at least the 3rd line get back to what it used to do. Which was providing offense, it isn't a major overhaul we're asking.

In response to heyoo's comment:

 

Marchand only had 1pt in his first 20 games. People need to stop jumping all over bourque kid was on the capitals then Pitt and now the bs it took him a while to work his way into the league who cares if he is 27. He has played 12 games and has 3pts for a third liner in what world is that bad. As long as he keeps playing a tight d I don't care if he only has a helper every 3-4 games. The bruins are the best team in the east I can live with the third line not scoring every night if they did we would be blowing teams out. This isn't a video game we aren't going to find someone to come in and score a load on the third line, live with it. 

 

The Bruins are currently 5th in their conference and tied for second in their division.

 

In response to jmwalters' comment:

 

In response to heyoo's comment:

 

Marchand only had 1pt in his first 20 games. People need to stop jumping all over bourque kid was on the capitals then Pitt and now the bs it took him a while to work his way into the league who cares if he is 27. He has played 12 games and has 3pts for a third liner in what world is that bad. As long as he keeps playing a tight d I don't care if he only has a helper every 3-4 games. The bruins are the best team in the east I can live with the third line not scoring every night if they did we would be blowing teams out. This isn't a video game we aren't going to find someone to come in and score a load on the third line, live with it. 

 

duplicate.

 

 

 

In response to jmwalters' comment:

 

In response to jmwalters' comment:

 

In response to heyoo's comment:

 

Marchand only had 1pt in his first 20 games. People need to stop jumping all over bourque kid was on the capitals then Pitt and now the bs it took him a while to work his way into the league who cares if he is 27. He has played 12 games and has 3pts for a third liner in what world is that bad. As long as he keeps playing a tight d I don't care if he only has a helper every 3-4 games. The bruins are the best team in the east I can live with the third line not scoring every night if they did we would be blowing teams out. This isn't a video game we aren't going to find someone to come in and score a load on the third line, live with it. 

 

duplicate.

 

 

Yet it's still a better post than the one you replied to.

 

In response to jmwalters' comment:

Games in hand needs to be taken into account.  They are two points out of first in the conference with three games in hand on the leader.

In response to goodnewsbears' comment:

First 45 games in the NHL...

Bourque 2 goals 5 assists   7pts

Marchand 3 goals 7 assists  10 points

St. Louis 2 goals 10 assists 12 points

More in common than you think....

 

In response to lucdufour's comment:

 

First 45 games in the NHL...

Bourque 2 goals 5 assists   7pts

Marchand 3 goals 7 assists  10 points

St. Louis 2 goals 10 assists 12 points

More in common than you think....

 

[/QUOTE]


It took Joe Thornton 55 games to reach the 7 point plateau (3-4-7 in his first season).  Thornton is one of the few active point/game players in the game.  You're right.  The sky's the limit for young Chris Bourque.

In response to lucdufour's comment:

Luc, only one of those players got almost half of his career points in the last 17 days. Believe me, I'd love to see Bourque turn into a real NHLer but I just don't see it. He often seems lost positionally although I have to admit that could be in part a result of him being shifted around a lot. No word of a lie, I truly hope he has a breakout game soon and that he goes on to a long career in Boston. Go Bruins!

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

They just skipped over the fact that the bruins have played the least amount of games in the east.  Nice job jm and sandog Jumping the gun. 

Being 100% accurate is now apparently "jumping the gun". Who knew?

 

 

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

 

Just for the record, I never said Bourque would turn into St. Louis or even Marchand as he could end up being the next "insert obscure Bruin forward name" .  Given Bourque's dominance in his most recent stint in the AHL--- I'm just saying to be patient just in case he is even ends up to be a shadow of these two guys.  I'm sure very few (even Stanley) predicted the careers of Marchand or St. Louis early on.  Some people want to quickly put Bourque in the pressbox or replace him in the lineup without truly seeing what he can do when given a legit shot.  He did not appear lost last game. 

In response to lucdufour's comment:

Since others have already pointed out that your using poor comparisons.  I will let you know you should research the career of Jason Krog who twice lead the AHL in scoring and now plays in the SEL. 

OrrtheBest...For every 3 guys you name who didn't pan out...I can name one guy who did after a slow start.  More guys don't pan out than do, I get that.    Some guys get off to a fast start and some don't.  I also get that some guys are great in the AHL and have crappy NHL careers...others have great NHL careers after dominating the AHL. CBourque could suck and never score a point again or he could have a very good NHL career.  None of the above was my point.

My whole point was to exercise patience.  I picked St.Louis and Marchand due to their size, relative skill set, and slow start to adjusting to the NHL.  I think that is fair.  Many people forget (probably you included and "others" that point out my poor comparisons) that Marchand and St.Louis started off very slowly; the stats after 45 GP are evidence of this.  These are the same people ("experts") who probably talked about benching Marchand or St.Louis prematurely--you are probably in this camp as well.    

In response to lucdufour's comment:

You obviously don't know me, I've defended Marchand, I've defended Hammil, I defended Caron.  Why? Because they are all young players with time to develope.  Bourque is 27 and an offensive player and most offensive forwards have peaked by the time they are 27.   I would love it if Bourque could turn into a valuable NHL forward but there is zero and I repeat zero evidence to think he will.  I have never once said he should be put on waiver or sent to Providence.  If management thinks it is best to have him in the lineup so be it, I am sure they have their reasons.  But if he is in the lineup come playoff time then I will be screaming mad.

What my objection is to is the Hyprocracy of those who have defended Chris Bourque as if he was their own child.  If he wasn't named Bourque you would have want him run out of town by now.

Everyone deserves a chance, TT.  Youth must be served in a league where players do not have long careers. (http://www.quanthockey.com/Distributions/CareerLengthGP.php ). So I think Caron should be given a chance mid season.  Pandolpho raised the competition level for Bourque imo.  Yet bothoth are not long term answers for the third line.  Caron if he plays well enough just might be an answer, if he is not then I say "Hamill" him next year.  Time to move on.  I like Sandog's Spooner suggestion, looks like Marchand a few years ago.  I am ego tripping at the gates of hell now.  

In response to Orrthebest's comment:

I'm glad that you preach patience as well with the younger players; many who posted do not.   I, too, wish his last name was not Bourque because people expect him to be Ray during his first month in a B's uniform.  This guy will be forever stigmatized. I don't understand the repeated zero evidence thing when you say that "most" offensive forwards have peaked by the time they are 27.  So there are exceptions, right???

In response to Orrthebest's comment:

I don't understand this.  The Anti-Bourque faction here keeps going back to Ray, as if some of us are so blinded by love for Ray Bourque that we would prefer to see the team fail with his son than succeed without him.  Do you see how incredibly stupid that sounds?  Do you really think I'm like that?

The Bruins are a top NHL team right now.  Chris Bourque is a part of that team.  Even with his linemate Kelly being unable to put the puck in a lake, the B's are winning games.  Bourque has played well enough over the last couple of games to earn praise from his biggest detractors here on the BDC boards.  More to come, I hope.

 

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

 

In response to Orrthebest's comment:

 

What my objection is to is the Hyprocracy of those who have defended Chris Bourque as if he was their own child.  If he wasn't named Bourque you would have want him run out of town by now.

 

I don't understand this.  The Anti-Bourque faction here keeps going back to Ray, as if some of us are so blinded by love for Ray Bourque that we would prefer to see the team fail with his son than succeed without him.  Do you see how incredibly stupid that sounds?  Do you really think I'm like that?

 

The Bruins are a top NHL team right now.  Chris Bourque is a part of that team.  Even with his linemate Kelly being unable to put the puck in a lake, the B's are winning games.  Bourque has played well enough over the last couple of games to earn praise from his biggest detractors here on the BDC boards.  More to come, I hope.

 

 

LIAR! Bourque played just well enough in is last (one)game to say he might not be totally useless. What colour is the sky in your world? Trust me, nobody is surprised at you're claim of not understanding.

 

In response to heyoo's comment:

"The Bruins were the best team in the east Pittsburgh and New Jersey have surpassed them. That for me is why allot of Boston fans are wanting a better 3rd line or at least the 3rd line get back to what it used to do. Which was providing offense, it isn't a major overhaul we're asking."

This is what I said and I'm well aware of the games in hand. Saying that the Devils and Pittsburgh are playing better hockey right now is not jumping the gun.

In response to SanDogBrewin's comment:

I would say it is as they have a larger sample size to pick from. When they have played the same amount of games then we can judge and say that they are playing better. I think especially after last nights game that the Bruins are playing better than the Penguins.

Or at least are goalies are anyways...

Tim Thomas just posted on Facebook that you're all idiots for doubting a 27-year-old, destined-to-be-career-AHL'er!