When
forward Gregory Campbell returned to the Boston Bruins dressing room
earlier this week hobbled by his famous broken leg, teammate ShawnThornton welcomed him back by razzing him about his white pants.
"You
don't want to give him a break just because he is on crutches,"
Thornton said. "We are still boys in here. You don't get a free
pass."
It
was the Bruins' way of showing affection for a player who kept
defending on a penalty kill after suffering a broken fibula when he
blocked a shot in the Eastern Conference Final. Campbell became an
internet sensation as thousands watched video of him struggling to
rise to his feet and placing himself between the shooter and the net.
He stood on the leg for more than 40 seconds.
"They
always give me jabs about the way I'm dressed," Campbell said.
"Doesn't matter if I'm playing or not. It was a tough week, not
because of surgery, but just because I didn't feel part of the team.
You naturally feel a little bit excluded and helpless. So to walk in
yesterday and see the guys, that was a great relief for me to know
they still recognize me."
The
Bruins believe chemistry has played a role in their postseason
success, particularly lately when they have won seven consecutive
home games.
"We
take pride in being a blue collar team," coach Claude Julien
said. "We don't care about calling certain guys superstars on
this team. We all want to be on the same level."
The
roster boasts 17 players who were with the Bruins when they won the
Stanley Cup in 2011.
"We
are all family in here," said Bruins forward Brad Marchand.
This
is a team that very much identifies with Boston. "It's a small,
big city," said Thornton who was wearing a Red Sox cap when he
met with the news media Tuesday.
Some,
like Thornton, live year-round in the city. "Once you get to
know people, they'll do anything for you," he said. "So
that helps. Sam Adams, too. Harpoon. Good beers."
Boston
players don't like to talk about the Boston Marathon bombings, and
the impact that it had on the team because it seems wrong to them to
discuss sports in connection with the tragedy.
They
almost cringe when they are asked if their success helps Bostoniansrecover. "It's a tough question — I'm not going to lie,"
Thornton said.
He
says he only hopes the Bruins' success helps. "We come to the
rink everyday, and we love this city," Thornton said. "If
it helps, then amazing. We're a pretty tight, good group of guys. If
that's helping, we're extremely happy to be giving a little bit."
This
is a sentimental group, although you wouldn't know that by the way
they roughed up Campbell in his return to the dressing room.
"It's
good to see him," Thornton said. "I'm glad he's been
working on his tan while we were in Chicago."
Campbell
has become the symbol of the Bruins' postseason success because he
tried to play on one leg. He had no quit in him, which is how the
defensive-minded Bruins like to play. They keep their legs moving and
don't give up any ice easily.
"I'm
not going to put myself in front of anybody else and say I'm the
picture of the Bruins," Campbell said. "This Original Six organization goes back a long way. It represents the city, a
blue-collar hard-working city with honest people. When I got traded
to Boston, I thought it was tailor-made to my game, the way this team
represents the heart and soul of what a hockey player should be made
of."
Campbelldoesn't see his play as special, and that offers a glimpse of why the
Bruins are chasing their second title in three years.
"There's
18 other guys in that room that would do the same thing,"
Campbell said. "That's what makes us successful, and makes us a
hard team to play against."
Source:
usatoday
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