Boston Bruins: The Best Offense Is A Stellar Defense

Having an imposing defense is one thing. When your defense displays its prolific capabilities at not only stopping the best offensive team in the league but is simultaneously capable of putting up points as well, you have a team that can’t be underestimated in any scenario.

While the Boston Bruins were adequate at goal scoring and abysmal at making the most of power play opportunities during the regular season, their defense proved to be their saving grace time and time again.  Now, after a decisive game one victory over the immensely talented Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference finals the Bruins have made it clear that they can effectively stifle high-octane scorers such as Sidney Crosby while also making the most of offensive opportunities whenever they have a clear shot at the goal. 

However, the prime example of their superior defensive abilities wasn’t the recent battle against the Penguins; it was the emotionally explosive comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs that displayed the Bruins potential at being an offensive force to be reckoned with.  The spark that ignited this unforeseen attack was none other than the Bruins skilled center Patrice Bergeron.  Even when it seemed that the Bruins had been completely demoralized by the Maple Leafs, Bergeron singlehandedly rejuvenated his team’s confidence that enabled them to erase a three-goal deficit nearly halfway through the third period.  It was Bergeron’s game tying goal with less than a minute in the final period and eventually his game winning score in overtime that allowed this team to harken back to their nostalgic Stanley Cup aptitude. 

Eventually, the rest of the Bruins roster stepped up to do their part in the subsequent series against the New York Rangers. Between Zdeno Chara and Gregory Campbell making critical goals when they were needed most, or even Tuukka Rask with his clutch saves that allowed this tenacious team to stay competitive, the Boston Bruins utilized nearly every facet of their talented repertoire.  Even when the team was down a goal in the third period for the second consecutive time against the New York Rangers in the opening game of the series, they never gave up and always believed that as long as there was time left on the clock that they still had a fighting chance at making the impossible a reality.  And they did.

Not even the dominant offensive attack of the Penguins could deter the Bruins from implementing their own innovative schemes.  The Bruins didn’t let the heat of the moment intimidate them to the point where their roster became mentally debilitated because of the immense pressure that was on them.  Instead, the Bruins thrived on a foreign ice rink with die-hard fans uttering hometown cheers for a team that had earned the right at being considered a favorite to the win the Stanly Cup.  The Bruins came out with a massive chip on their shoulder and played valiantly to prove to the world that they deserved the limelight and could silence a united home crowd just as well as anybody. And they did.

Even though the Bruins have only won a single game in what appears to be a highly competitive series in the anticipated days to come, the Bruins came out firing on all cylinders and right out of the gate put the pressure on the favored team to earn their chance at a highly coveted spot to compete for the Stanly Cup.  If Pittsburgh wants to hoist the massively desired trophy above their heads in the presence of their devoted fans, they’ll have to get through the stubborn, never say die Bruins who won’t give up without a fight for the ages where only one team will come out alive and battle hardened for the ultimate playoff series that they seek to reach.

While Boston still has to keep up this exhilarating style of play while remaining disciplined at all times, they have unquestionably displayed a desire to not only win, but to dominate any opponent that attempts to prevent them from obtaining the Stanley Cup.  The road ahead is still perilous and they have an arduous opponent in front them in the Pittsburgh Penguins, but if any team can overcome this type of insurmountable adversity it’s the Boston Bruins.

Titus Young: A Broken Man

When it comes down to it there are some people that can be saved from their plights.  While the old adage “everyone deserves a second chance” has been used time and time again to relieve the guilty of any remorse from their past transgressions, it can also be a sentiment that can effectively save a life.  While it’s impossible to save and relieve every individual of their internal malice, this shouldn’t insinuate that people who are lost and afraid to face themselves should be neglected as just another lost cause.

Enter Titus Young; A once highly touted second round draft pick who had the potential to be a dominant offensive player for a team that desperately needed a spark to revamp a debilitated franchise.  From the time of his inauguration into the NFL, Young appeared to be the dynamic edge the Detroit Lions needed at the wide receiver position.  Coupled with the innately gifted Calvin Johnson, Young was an essential component to the Lions rejuvenated offense as he caught six touchdowns for 607 yards.  As a result, the dominant offense of the Lions was valiantly able to lead their organization to an impressive 10-6 record and a highly coveted playoff berth for the first time since 1999.  Despite losing in the first round to the New Orleans Saints, the Detroit Lions and Titus Young appeared to be a match made in heaven.

Unfortunately, the prospect that could have been mentally imploded and regressed into a sad and self destructive man who seemed to thrive off of instigating conflicts, particularly within his own team.  During the offseason, Young allegedly punched safety Louis Delmas during one of the team’s offseason workouts.  While the altercation resulted in Young being banned from the team’s voluntary workouts, he eventually exhibited remorse for his violent outburst.  “I felt personally it was important for me to get it off my chest and get the burden off my heart,” he said.  “Just seeing the guys just coming back and kind of feeling uneasy.  Just kind of feeling that it’s not quite right, praying and feeling in my spirit.”

While Young acknowledged his mistake publically, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz essentially declined to comment on the matter altogether. “This is the voluntary part of our offseason program,” he said.  There is no need to comment. It sort of entails that it is not voluntary.”

Looking back on this moment, nearly one year later, it’s easy to pose a number of inquiries about how the situation was empathically brushed under the rug.  If the Lions organization had acknowledged Young’s initial out lash, would it have prevented the young athlete from committing the various legally troubling disputes that were to eventually follow?  If teammates or close family members had spoken out sooner, specifically about how uncomfortable they were with the incident and his presence thereafter, could Young have avoided a life that was driven by confrontation with the law time and time again?  Whether the answers to these questions would have been helpful to Young’s overall well-being is now sadly irrelevant.  What it comes down to now is that Young has already taken a tumultuous tumble down the rabbit hole. At this point, only one question becomes important to answer sooner rather than later; Is Titus Young worth saving from himself?

Brandon Marshall, a receiver for the Chicago Bears once dealt with similar issues that came as the result of him being undiagnosed with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder).  Before being diagnosed and treated properly, Marshall has involved in several legal disputes mainly involving a variety of domestic disturbances.  However, once Marshall was properly diagnosed and received treatment for the disorder, he not only stayed out of trouble he also became an advocate for treatment as well.

After hearing about Young’s transgressions, Marshall confessed that he wished he could have talked with the troubled athlete sooner.  “…I wanted to get my hands on Titus, just sit down with him and possibly walk him into the doors of the same program I was in,” he said.  But I think there were some things in the way that kept us both from moving forward.  And I’m disappointed in that because, since then, it’s just gotten worse and one of the things I stress was without the proper treatment, it’s just going to make things worse.”

With this notion in mind, it becomes abundantly clear that Young is in desperate need of help and without the right people and proper treatment program to save him he could not only cause irreparable damage to his career as a professional football player, he could also destroy the relationships he has left with the people who still love him.

Young’s father, Richard Young, is desperately concerned for his sons mental well being and has personal accounts that warrant an intervention for this distraught athlete who is on the brink of losing what control he has left of his life.

“When he’s around us, his mind comes and goes,” he said.  “He can’t really defend himself, and I don’t want y’all thinking he’s a bad person.”