End of the line for Fernandez?

If he doesn't "have to", ie doesn't need the money, then why doesn't he do what Junios Seau does- hang out for half a season and wait for the call from his favorite coach, if he's needed.

As I sit here with a tweaked back that's going to force me to sit out my amateur league's opener tonight, I can't help feel for Manny. I'm sure it's extremely frustrating to reach that level of athleticism only to have your body let you down, so to speak.

A goalie has to play regularly (not once every 7 to 10 days like Manny did after he returned from his back injury) in order to stay even close to the top of his game. A team can't wait for you to get your game back if you're a goalie -- there's just too little forgiveness for mistakes in that position.

You bet it's frustrating ! We know what Manny can do when he's feeling good. He's
worked for more than 20 years to be a top goaltender in the NHL -- and when he is healthy, he is among the top ten in the League. So he and his family have some serious thinking to do. I just hope he gets top quality medical advice so that decision is the right one.

And selfishly I hope the right decision turns out to be that he continues his career as a goalie. I enjoyed watching him play for the Wild and then for Boston. I would have loved to have seen him and Timmy continue to play together because the Bruins as a whole was an amazing team this year. However, that's not even remotely realistic.

Good luck, Manny! And thanks for a great ride so far -- may it continue only if you can still have fun.

Please. Some team will offer him a mill a year and he'll be back playing, sore back or no sore back.

I will miss the chest bump he and Milan did after every win. Back pain is the worst.

Best wishes to Manny, whatever he decides. Anyone who's ever suffered back pain can sympathize. It's a killer.

Thanks for the solid goaltending that put us over the top in the regular season and gave Tim Thomas the rest he needed--with VERY little drop off.

Al the best for Manny where ever he winds up!

His numbers do not even reflect his lack of consistency. His numbers more reflect the fact that he had a great team in front of him this season. Fernandez' best days are behind him and when he came here he was on the tail end of his career. He will either retire or play in Europe, but there are no teams in the NHL that want him. If there were he would've been out of Boston sooner and the Bruins would have gotten something in return, there were plenty of times where he was part of an offer the other team said "NO thanks". Believe me there are not too many, if any, in the NHL that will be hounding Fernandez to play for them. This is not a knock on him, just the cold hard truth. His best decision may just be to lace them up and retire.

Good riddance. That cap space would have been delicious this year...

If Fernandez's BACK is problematic, he can play on without surgery. He WILL play somewhere next year. He's not done yet.

"His numbers do not even reflect his lack of consistency. His numbers more reflect the fact that he had a great team in front of him this season"

In real life, Fernandez, when healthy, played at the elite level that he displayed his entire career in Minnesota. Its the other goalie who went from a Beer-league backup in Finland, to last-choice emergency starter, to overpaid, overrated superstar goalie this year, simply due to Julien's system.

I would love to have seen a healthy Fernandez and his in-control professional style out there vs. Cam Ward, another pro. The B's would still be playing.

Good luck, Manny. You acted like a true pro here.

One of the poorest signing decisions by Chiarelli. Never sign a goalie with a bum knee - remember, that killed his previous 1.5 seasons. Turned out to be a huge waste of dough that could've gone elsewhere.

Always has to be someone tinkling in the cornflakes.

I often wonder - are such people miserable ALL the time, or just on message boards? And what did they do before the Internet? Crab at their families?

duinne, i think the answer is "most all of the time they are crabby."

They started out crabbing at family, then the family disappeared (kids grew up and went to college; then wife left sine no reason to stay), and then they were all alone, and now the internet is here so they have years of crabbing to express with no other outlet.

first of alll thomas did absoultley amazing we could have did so much with the money we spent on him maybe coulda piked up pronger or another defensmen instead of montador its ridiculous there nooo way hes better than thomas get rid of him and lets pick up another veteran goal scorer

"And what did they do before the Internet?"

Won the cup with Blades of Steel on their Nintendo more times than Montreal and then became the be all end all hockey expert!

No...?

duinne -- I always look for your comments because I know they'll be calm and thoughtful. Today, they were hilarious -- tinkling in the Corn Flakes?!! What a fabulous expression. I completely agree about the tendency to bash.

I think there are plenty of other teams that would sign Manny. It's the injury issue, if anything. They're going to want some assurance -- as he does himself -- that he can play the full season. Othewise, he's better than a lot of other goalies playing today.

fernandez was wildly inconsistent, and overall a giant waste of money. But, there was absolutely no way of telling that thomas would turn into a vezina like keeper. while manny was frustrating at times, giving up some really bad goals, there were other times where he was the one who looked like george vezina. it's too bad. he's actually a complement to thomas as a second goalie, but he's the type of guy who has to for his own sanity, play a full season, and i think he's expressed that at times too. still, i thought he was a very good teammate during the final stretch. i often felt he was pulling for his mates, from the bench. so merci manny for this year's jennings run.

Good riddance

Manny and Looch would do the chest bump on the way down the tunnel before each game, too -- it was pretty entertaining and something I'll miss, too.

i wish goalie manny fernandez would turn around and come back and stay with the bruins until end of 2010.for at least one more year with the bruins and stay in boston to live.please stay manny.gonna miss seeing you practice at willmington arena.i dont like tuuka rask.if you are not going to practice at willmington again.then i wont go up there or watch the bruins enymore.so please get healthy and stay.

hope and please you again practice at willmington this year2009 and 2010 to.
LOTS OF LUCK ALWAYS.
LOVE YA