December 23rd. The Boston Bruins pre-Christmas schedule comes to a close and boy have they given us something to be happy about. A marvelous move by Pouliout, Marchand's first career hat trick and Tuukka Rask's second straight shutout led the way as the Bruins demolished the Southeast division leading Florida Panthers. The Bruins go into the break much in the same way they have gone into every game since the page turned leaving October in the rearview mirror. They made a statement. A loud, enthusiastic, and very clear statement. The Bruins completely outclassed the Panthers in a game that was even more heavily one way than the score may appear. All but four Bruins notched a point, Marchand leading the way with 5 and Bergeron chipping in with 3. Special teams continued to play a big role, the B's scoring on both the PP and kill. Tuukka turned away 31 shots for back to back shutouts for the second time in his career. The Bruins put on a clinic tonight, thoroughly dominating even strength, including a 4 on 4 goal. The layers they employ, the clogging of the neutral zone, the heavy fore check, and the board game are paying dividends, and in a big way. To make the night even sweeter, Philly came out with a losing effort at Madison Square Garden, moving the Bruins back into first place in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.
The Bruins 23 wins is the best in the NHL, and trail only the Chicago Blackhawks, by 1 point with 2 games in hand. The Bruins have an overall record of 23-9-1 and continue to be at the top of the power rankings. Now I understand the power rankings do not mean a whole lot, but here are some numbers and a statement you cannot argue with. The Bruins are the hottest team in the NHL. I don't mean this week. I don't even mean this month. They have overcome some injuries, a suspension to their top line winger, and have improved that power play (although I'll admit, it would have been tough to go backwards) without the ultra talented playmaker, Marc Savard. Since November 1st, the Bruins have gone an unbelievable 20-2-1 and have outscored their opponents 97-38. Tyler Seguin leads the league at a +26, and there are 5 other Bruins in the top 10. The Bruins are a +34 in the 3rd period. There is more distance between the Bruins and the second place team then there is between 2 and 23rd. The goaltending has been phenomenal. I challenge you to come up with any logical argument to support a claim of a better tandem anywhere in the NHL. Would you believe that Tuukka's numbers are actually better than Timmy's? Tukka has a GAA of 1.66, Thomas is coming in at a 1.84. Tukka has a slight edge is save percentage, .944 to Timmy's .943. Thomas is tied for the league lead with 4 SO's, Rask with 2. Maybe the most beautiful stat of all is starts. Tim Thomas is barely in the top 20, coming in at 19. That means that this team is playing at an elite level and resting the tenders at the same time. Timmy is a tank, pun fully intended, and has shown to be a horse that can carry a heavy work load. Imagine how good he could become time for a playoff run with fresh legs. This team seems to have fixed their problems with only playing well in front of Thomas.
Probably the biggest aspect of the game that has changed for this team, the killer instinct. They do not sit back and collapse on their goal or play a red line and dump game. This team ramps it up and once it smells blood, it goes in for the kill. Hopefully that Flyers series a couple years back has completely cured them of that game plan. As we wind down on the first third of the year, there are some really telling stats to look at. The Bruins only have 4 players with double digit goals, and only have two players in the top 20 there. The Bruins only have one player in the top 30 for total points. Yet this team leads the league in goals scored per game(3.52) and goals given up per game(1.88).This team is second in total goals scored(116), trailing the Flyers by 2, and number 1 in total goals given up(62). Is that not astounding? This team does not have an Alex Ovechkin. It is a team based on consistent production from all four lines and believing and playing within a system that starts in their defensive zone.
The Bruins will open up the after Christmas stretch on the road with a December 27th game in Phoenix before heading to Dallas and New Jersey. They then return home for four starting with the second night of a back to back against the Calgary Flames. After that, most of January will be on the road. Sandwiched in their will be three matinee games highlighted by a January 7th afternoon rematch with the Vancouver Canucks. While the schedule is not easy, this team is playing so well and seem so confident that I cannot wait to get back to hockey again. What a blast! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 'Til Next time, Let's Go Black and Gold!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Bruins Shine, Dominate Pens
The Boston Bruins are feeling pretty good about themselves right now, and Monday night proved once again why. The B's went into Pittsburgh to play the Eastern Conference's best team, the Crosby powered Penguins. Well, the Bruins took the measuring stick and beat the Pens up and down the ice, outhitting, out battling, and dominating play for long stretches. Tim Thomas stood tall on multiple occasions and the whole Bruins PK deserved first star honors tonight. After some egregious officiating, the Bruins were left to kill two separate 5 on 3's, one for 1:37 and another for a full 2:00. The Bruins came out strong, consistently gaining entry into the offensive zone and spending some big chunks of time down there. To go along with great play by the forwards, the defensemen have been joining in lately and have been letting shots from the blue line go with regularity. McQuaid let one rip that ended up in the back of the goal, but it was disallowed for a un-penalized goaltender interference (correct call). The Bruins set the tone early and often, but both teams left the ice after one without anything on the scoreboard.
The second period started great as well, and the hard work paid off less than 3 minutes in. A blue collar shift by the fourth line wielded an opportunity in front of Fleury that Campbell took a swat at, got blocked, but elevated his second attempt over Fleury's mitt. Great effort and will to win, which is a staple of this teams and we are fortunate to see night after night. Benoit Pouliot got in on the action a little while later when he roofed a beautiful shot from the slot, once again the opportunity provided via grit and toughness. Sandwiched between those goals was a spirited bout by Brad Marchand, who was on his way to the box for tripping, and old friend Matt Niskanen. I do not think this team needed a lift so to speak, but they play much better when they are angry and physically involved. Brad Marchand provided that, and lit a bit of a fire as opposed to simply serving his two. The guys were excited about it, and the PK took care of the rest. The chippiness picked up from there. The second ended with the camera fixed on Crosby, who was yelling at David Krejci, I believe for messing up his hair. Let me expand upon that comment real quick. I will say a few things about Sidney: He is phenomenal. He is excellent. He is the best offensive player in the NHL (Although I think Datsyuk is 1A). But the guy suffers from Tom Brady syndrome. He wants to push and shove and use some nifty stick work, but do not do it back to him because he immediately looks to the refs. He doesn't dive and I am not saying he is dirty or cheap, but he is certainly one of the biggest cry babies in the sport. I'm getting off my soap box now.
Tyler Seguin notched a PP goal, his 13th of the year, 1:07 in after an absolutely beautiful play and set up by Patrice Bergeron. Matt Cooke broke up the shutout halfway through the 3rd after an unfortunate bounce on Seidenberg but great pass by Joe Vitale, more on him momentarily. It is always an aggravating feeling to see Matt Cooke playing this game while Marc Savard is at home, probably sitting in a dark room because of him. The Bruins once again showed the character of their team and their willingness to play for each other. Vitale, for the second straight rush, invaded Timmy's crease, this time bumping him and actually pushing down on Thomas's head. Like usual, 5 white sweaters were there immediately, gloves and sticks littering the ice. From the scrum emerged a nice lengthy bout between Soupy (Greg Campbell) and Vitale. Both combatants exchanged big blows, Vitale landing the final one before the arm weary warriors toppled to the ice. Whether or not you consider it a win or a loss for Campbell, there is no denying what it says about him as a teammate and person. Tim Thomas postgame echoed the value of the act, saying that Campbell's willingness to stand up for him was much appreciated. He went on to add that with this black and gold team, these acts are unsolicited. The Bruins do not need to be called out in the media and will not be made to look timid in their resolve to be there for each other, and to a man, this team believes in that. While the Bruins were heavily outshot 46-27, thanks in majority to some lengthy home cooking calls and a 23 shot 3rd period, the two teams were dead locked at 16 scoring chances a piece. The defenseman did a great job of forcing shots from the outside and keeping the lanes open for Timmy to track the rubber. He is currently riding a career best win streak at 10 in a row. The Bruins are on a 15 game point streak, going 14-0-1, their longest since the club went 17 games in a row without a loss back in 1983. The Bruins will embark on a nearly 1500 mile trip to Winnipeg for a Tuesday battle with the Jets before returning to the Garden to host the surging Panthers. This 3 game in 4 night trip will certainly test the Bruins, but they appear to be up to the challenge. Later start time tomorrow night, puck dropping around 8:30. Lets hope the boys can keep playing well and go after a new record streak of their own. Let's Go Black And Gold!
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The second period started great as well, and the hard work paid off less than 3 minutes in. A blue collar shift by the fourth line wielded an opportunity in front of Fleury that Campbell took a swat at, got blocked, but elevated his second attempt over Fleury's mitt. Great effort and will to win, which is a staple of this teams and we are fortunate to see night after night. Benoit Pouliot got in on the action a little while later when he roofed a beautiful shot from the slot, once again the opportunity provided via grit and toughness. Sandwiched between those goals was a spirited bout by Brad Marchand, who was on his way to the box for tripping, and old friend Matt Niskanen. I do not think this team needed a lift so to speak, but they play much better when they are angry and physically involved. Brad Marchand provided that, and lit a bit of a fire as opposed to simply serving his two. The guys were excited about it, and the PK took care of the rest. The chippiness picked up from there. The second ended with the camera fixed on Crosby, who was yelling at David Krejci, I believe for messing up his hair. Let me expand upon that comment real quick. I will say a few things about Sidney: He is phenomenal. He is excellent. He is the best offensive player in the NHL (Although I think Datsyuk is 1A). But the guy suffers from Tom Brady syndrome. He wants to push and shove and use some nifty stick work, but do not do it back to him because he immediately looks to the refs. He doesn't dive and I am not saying he is dirty or cheap, but he is certainly one of the biggest cry babies in the sport. I'm getting off my soap box now.
Tyler Seguin notched a PP goal, his 13th of the year, 1:07 in after an absolutely beautiful play and set up by Patrice Bergeron. Matt Cooke broke up the shutout halfway through the 3rd after an unfortunate bounce on Seidenberg but great pass by Joe Vitale, more on him momentarily. It is always an aggravating feeling to see Matt Cooke playing this game while Marc Savard is at home, probably sitting in a dark room because of him. The Bruins once again showed the character of their team and their willingness to play for each other. Vitale, for the second straight rush, invaded Timmy's crease, this time bumping him and actually pushing down on Thomas's head. Like usual, 5 white sweaters were there immediately, gloves and sticks littering the ice. From the scrum emerged a nice lengthy bout between Soupy (Greg Campbell) and Vitale. Both combatants exchanged big blows, Vitale landing the final one before the arm weary warriors toppled to the ice. Whether or not you consider it a win or a loss for Campbell, there is no denying what it says about him as a teammate and person. Tim Thomas postgame echoed the value of the act, saying that Campbell's willingness to stand up for him was much appreciated. He went on to add that with this black and gold team, these acts are unsolicited. The Bruins do not need to be called out in the media and will not be made to look timid in their resolve to be there for each other, and to a man, this team believes in that. While the Bruins were heavily outshot 46-27, thanks in majority to some lengthy home cooking calls and a 23 shot 3rd period, the two teams were dead locked at 16 scoring chances a piece. The defenseman did a great job of forcing shots from the outside and keeping the lanes open for Timmy to track the rubber. He is currently riding a career best win streak at 10 in a row. The Bruins are on a 15 game point streak, going 14-0-1, their longest since the club went 17 games in a row without a loss back in 1983. The Bruins will embark on a nearly 1500 mile trip to Winnipeg for a Tuesday battle with the Jets before returning to the Garden to host the surging Panthers. This 3 game in 4 night trip will certainly test the Bruins, but they appear to be up to the challenge. Later start time tomorrow night, puck dropping around 8:30. Lets hope the boys can keep playing well and go after a new record streak of their own. Let's Go Black And Gold!
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
B's End Historic Month On High Note
The Boston Bruins have ended November with their franchise best month since December of 1969. They are without a doubt the hottest team in the NHL. The Bruins were sitting in the basement when the calendar flipped to November, and knew that this month was going to be pivotal for them if they had any pipe dreams of a repeat hoist come summer. The black and gold answered their critics and themselves going 12-0-1, giving up only one of 26 possible points, that going to the western conference's Red Wings. Last night opened a home and home series with the division rival Maple Leafs up in Toronto, league leading point getter Phil Kessel once again entangled in the story lines. There was a lot of talk about how much this game meant to Toronto, who had gotten throttled on two earlier meetings with the Bruins to the tune of 13-2, including a 7-0 slashing on home ice. Still, Toronto found themselves at the top of the Northeast Division heading into the clash.
Both teams came out strong, with Toronto notching a PP tally from Grabovski to get the scoring started. Milan Lucic added a PP goal of his own to tie the game in a fast paced first which saw the Bruins have a slight edge in possession and shots, 17-16. Tim Thomas was once again a major factor, in the process adding to a career best win streak at 9 in a row. David Krejci opened the second period scoring with his fourth of the year. Joffrey Lupul tied it up a few minutes later before a Zdeno Chara put the Bruins ahead for good who has been red hot as of late with his 5th of the year. Three third period goals by the Bruins, Pouliot(3), Lucic(10) second of the night, and Marchand(9) added an empty netter, finished off the Maple Leafs in front of a sellout crowd. The score was not completely indicitive of the type of game played. It was a fast, physical, and even game up until about halfway through the third period, where not many teams can play with the Bruins. It definitely had a playoff feel to it, and it think it is safe to say Boston wants no part of helping Kessel with any success as they seem to have his number pretty well dialed up. Boston will be home at the Garden for the second half of this home and home Saturday night. The Leafs will want to extract some revenge, and once again the division lead will be up for grabs. Phaneuf should be a bit fired up due to some late game physicality he came out on the short end of, and I would not be surprised to see Colton Orr sitting on the visitors side. I expect another physical matchup with these two original six franchises.
With that, November is gone and this team will need to continue their hot streak if they want to stay in a playoff spot. The division lead looks to continue changing hands due to whoever has a night off, and the eight Eastern Conference playoff spots are separated by a measly 6 points, with 9,10,and 11 less than 13. December has not started off to bad though. We woke up this morning and learned that Timmy has been named the NHL first star for the entire month of November. To go along with that David Krejci has been inked to a three year extension. The news conference will be held at 1:00pm on NESN. I think this is a great move by Cam and Peter. There have been a lot of trade rumors lately involving David due to his slow start. It was my opinion that he was a franchise player and someone to continue to build your team around. Apparently management felt the same, and maybe the security of the contract will take some pressure off of 46 and he will get back to his normal level of play. For everyone keeping track, that is a huge UFA taken off the to do list come the off season. Big decisions are still to be made with Rask, Marchand, Lucic, and Horton set to come off the books. Happy Holidays and here's to the boys making this holiday season even more magical. It all starts Saturday night at 7:07. Let's Go Black and Gold!!
Both teams came out strong, with Toronto notching a PP tally from Grabovski to get the scoring started. Milan Lucic added a PP goal of his own to tie the game in a fast paced first which saw the Bruins have a slight edge in possession and shots, 17-16. Tim Thomas was once again a major factor, in the process adding to a career best win streak at 9 in a row. David Krejci opened the second period scoring with his fourth of the year. Joffrey Lupul tied it up a few minutes later before a Zdeno Chara put the Bruins ahead for good who has been red hot as of late with his 5th of the year. Three third period goals by the Bruins, Pouliot(3), Lucic(10) second of the night, and Marchand(9) added an empty netter, finished off the Maple Leafs in front of a sellout crowd. The score was not completely indicitive of the type of game played. It was a fast, physical, and even game up until about halfway through the third period, where not many teams can play with the Bruins. It definitely had a playoff feel to it, and it think it is safe to say Boston wants no part of helping Kessel with any success as they seem to have his number pretty well dialed up. Boston will be home at the Garden for the second half of this home and home Saturday night. The Leafs will want to extract some revenge, and once again the division lead will be up for grabs. Phaneuf should be a bit fired up due to some late game physicality he came out on the short end of, and I would not be surprised to see Colton Orr sitting on the visitors side. I expect another physical matchup with these two original six franchises.
With that, November is gone and this team will need to continue their hot streak if they want to stay in a playoff spot. The division lead looks to continue changing hands due to whoever has a night off, and the eight Eastern Conference playoff spots are separated by a measly 6 points, with 9,10,and 11 less than 13. December has not started off to bad though. We woke up this morning and learned that Timmy has been named the NHL first star for the entire month of November. To go along with that David Krejci has been inked to a three year extension. The news conference will be held at 1:00pm on NESN. I think this is a great move by Cam and Peter. There have been a lot of trade rumors lately involving David due to his slow start. It was my opinion that he was a franchise player and someone to continue to build your team around. Apparently management felt the same, and maybe the security of the contract will take some pressure off of 46 and he will get back to his normal level of play. For everyone keeping track, that is a huge UFA taken off the to do list come the off season. Big decisions are still to be made with Rask, Marchand, Lucic, and Horton set to come off the books. Happy Holidays and here's to the boys making this holiday season even more magical. It all starts Saturday night at 7:07. Let's Go Black and Gold!!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Bruins Grind, Streak Up To Ten
I hope the Sabres organization and their fans had their note pads out last night, because that is what a real team does. Stand up for each other, go to battle for each other, and grind out a win for each other. The Bruins are not the most offensively talented team in the league, but their tight knit, vetern lead, non stop heart team mentality is what carries them through. Lucic's first shift showed everyone why there was no retaliation last week. Gaustad has talked for two weeks about how he was dissapointed in Buffalo's response and in particular in himself. He is a stand up guy and did what he had to, but ultimately just took a bullet for his team because Lucic wiped the ice with him. I understand the Sabres aren't built for that type of game, but I wondered what the point was. If not for some very obvious home cooking penalty calls, that fight could have served as great momentum for the streaking Bruins. A bit later in the period there was a scrum, 5 white sweaters coming to the aid of one of their guys. Chara picked a great time to drop the mitts and about 25 seconds later dropped Regeher. Somehow, the Bruins end up short handed. Not to be outdone, Andrew Ference made sure everyone knew there would be no fly bys in Timmy's crease. He grabbed Stafford on his second offense and took him to the end boards. I could see on my HDTV the white in Staffords Knuckles as he held on for dear life not letting Ference uncork his hands and make red cross donation via Staffords face. That is what a team does. That is why the Big Bad Bruins are who they are. That is why they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Oh yea, there was a pretty good game amidst those storylines as well.
Boston twice rallied from 2 goal defecits. Two first period power play goals by Buffalo put the Bruins in a huge hole, especially given the way the officiating was looking. Although I do have to say, it straightened out after the first period to almost even. Tyler Seguin scorched a power play goal of his own about 4 minutes into the second period, cutting the Sabres lead in half. About 7 minutes later, TJ Brennen put the Sabres back up by two with his first career point/goal. It was easy to see why the Sabres organizaton was high on him. He is a very quick player with a big shot. At the 16 minute mark, Brad Marchand was the victim of a big counter hit by Thomas Vanek, and was jeered by the Sabres bench. Marshy picked himself off the ice, fixed his helmet, found the puck on his stick and deposited it top shelf past Enroth, immediately jabbing back at the muted Sabres bench. Boston again cut the lead to one now heading to the 3rd period. The Bruins came out hard in their period, still head and shoulders above any other team in 3rd at +21, and some excellent puck posession rewarded the boys. On the PP, Horton and Krejci found themselves with decent scoring chances but both opted to make a pass to find something better. That led to a slot pass to Milan Lucic who spotted Chara alone between the dots and unselfishly set him up for the tying goal. Back and forth they went for the next 16 minutes trading chances and hits, but neither Enroth or Thomas wanted to give points away. End of regulation, tied 3-3.
A minute plus of 4 on 3 hockey for Buffalo did not equate to anything. Boston's PK did great and killed off the penalty. The last 4 minutes went by without any real good scoring chances for either team. It took 5 rounds of great goaltending before we found a winner. Thomas and Enroth went back and forth shutting the door on each attempt they faced. Emerging from the dog house at center ice was Benoit Pouliot. He snaked through the zone with speed and beat Enroth glove side giving Boston 2 points, sole posession of first place and even possibly keeping himself from the sky box for the next few games. It was a grind of a game and both teams played great but someone had to lose. Thankfully it was the Sabres. That team will be around all year and that could have really served as a momentum game for them, feeling like they stood up for each other and beat the champs. Boston found a way to win another and pushed their streak to double digits.
Next on the docket is a day after Thanksgiving matinee with the always top notch Detroit Red Wings. The black and gold will return home to the TD garden and play the first of back to back games. Detroit is playing pretty well right now as well, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. Sitting at 25 points, the Red Wings have considered this a mediocre start, which should speak volumes to the talent this team has and expects to maintain year in and year out. They have 2 players on their backend who will be game time decisions and are still trying to find the right combinations on the blue line since the retirement of Brian Rafalski last year. They have a very solid goaltender, but I think the Bruins can use their speed and heavy forecheck to put a lot of rubber on the net. This sure will be a measuring stick game and all eyes in the NHL will be watching this "Thanksgiving Showdown" on national television. Puck drops at 1:07. Let's keep the streak alive. Go Black and Gold!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with their loved ones!
Boston twice rallied from 2 goal defecits. Two first period power play goals by Buffalo put the Bruins in a huge hole, especially given the way the officiating was looking. Although I do have to say, it straightened out after the first period to almost even. Tyler Seguin scorched a power play goal of his own about 4 minutes into the second period, cutting the Sabres lead in half. About 7 minutes later, TJ Brennen put the Sabres back up by two with his first career point/goal. It was easy to see why the Sabres organizaton was high on him. He is a very quick player with a big shot. At the 16 minute mark, Brad Marchand was the victim of a big counter hit by Thomas Vanek, and was jeered by the Sabres bench. Marshy picked himself off the ice, fixed his helmet, found the puck on his stick and deposited it top shelf past Enroth, immediately jabbing back at the muted Sabres bench. Boston again cut the lead to one now heading to the 3rd period. The Bruins came out hard in their period, still head and shoulders above any other team in 3rd at +21, and some excellent puck posession rewarded the boys. On the PP, Horton and Krejci found themselves with decent scoring chances but both opted to make a pass to find something better. That led to a slot pass to Milan Lucic who spotted Chara alone between the dots and unselfishly set him up for the tying goal. Back and forth they went for the next 16 minutes trading chances and hits, but neither Enroth or Thomas wanted to give points away. End of regulation, tied 3-3.
A minute plus of 4 on 3 hockey for Buffalo did not equate to anything. Boston's PK did great and killed off the penalty. The last 4 minutes went by without any real good scoring chances for either team. It took 5 rounds of great goaltending before we found a winner. Thomas and Enroth went back and forth shutting the door on each attempt they faced. Emerging from the dog house at center ice was Benoit Pouliot. He snaked through the zone with speed and beat Enroth glove side giving Boston 2 points, sole posession of first place and even possibly keeping himself from the sky box for the next few games. It was a grind of a game and both teams played great but someone had to lose. Thankfully it was the Sabres. That team will be around all year and that could have really served as a momentum game for them, feeling like they stood up for each other and beat the champs. Boston found a way to win another and pushed their streak to double digits.
Next on the docket is a day after Thanksgiving matinee with the always top notch Detroit Red Wings. The black and gold will return home to the TD garden and play the first of back to back games. Detroit is playing pretty well right now as well, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. Sitting at 25 points, the Red Wings have considered this a mediocre start, which should speak volumes to the talent this team has and expects to maintain year in and year out. They have 2 players on their backend who will be game time decisions and are still trying to find the right combinations on the blue line since the retirement of Brian Rafalski last year. They have a very solid goaltender, but I think the Bruins can use their speed and heavy forecheck to put a lot of rubber on the net. This sure will be a measuring stick game and all eyes in the NHL will be watching this "Thanksgiving Showdown" on national television. Puck drops at 1:07. Let's keep the streak alive. Go Black and Gold!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with their loved ones!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Timmy Steals One, Streak At 9
Back to back shutouts. Over 222 straight minutes of scoreless play on the road. The reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe winner, and "Best Goalie On Earth" (Thank you Jack Edwards) looks like he has regained his magical form from last year. The Bruins weathered the storm early and capitilized on the only real mistake by the Habs at the Bell Centre Monday night. At 15:41 Andrew Ference potted his second of the year after some nifty back to back passes by Kelly and Peverley. Peverley found a wide open Ference crashing to the slot and a blown assignment by Yanick Weber gave the B's the 1-0 lead. Tim Thomas took care of the rest. He was steller, and the Bruins needed him to be. Despite doing a pretty decent job of keeping Montreal's scoring chances to the outside and not giving up a lot of real good opportunities, the black and gold were still heavily outshot 33-18. Couple that with a night of bad penalties, mostly by Benoit Pouliot who picked up a hooking and double minor for high sticking on PK Swan Dive, and theres a recipe for disaster against the quick puck moving Canadiens. A very good defensive zone game and some great shot blocking helped out a lot, but Montreal certainly carried the play and had some really good shifts in the offensive zone. A win is a win, and Boston has found a way to grind some of them out, but I do not think there is anyone who watched that game that could say the B's didnt steal that one. Carey Price had a very good game as well, figuring into the 3rd star spot for the evening. While his work load appeared to be less than Thomas's, he had to make some very nice saves in order to keep Montreal in it. With the win Boston moved themselves into 1st place in the Northeast Division and up to second in the Eastern Conference.
With what has become the most anticipated game of the year for Bruins fans, Wednesday night the boys meet up with Buffalo. Since "the hit heard round the world" and the lack of response, there has been a lot of talk about how the Sabres will extract their retribution. While I can say I do not believe Lucic will have a problem with either of the two in Buffalo who are willing to go, McCormick and Gaustaud, I am not sure what is going to happen. Lucic has been much less willing to drop the gloves since he has become an integral part of this offense and has been told by management to limit the occurences. That being said, I think if challenged, he has to answer the bell. In no way shape or form am I comparing his "hit" on Ryan Miller to the brutal cheapshot by Matt Cooke on Marc Savard, but when Cooke came back to Boston Shawn Thornton challenged him and he dropped the mitts. He is not in Thorty's league, not even in his wildest most outrageous dreams. But he answered for what he did. I think Milan will have to do that. I do not know who will be in net for the black and gold, but it really doesnt matter fom this aspect. If anyone, anyone, even gets what the Bruins deem to be too close to their goalie, the Bruins will clean them out. There will be a heightened level of security in our crease Wednesday night, and that doesnt boed well for the Sabres. The black and gold cannot lose sight of whats most important, and right after having each others backs are those 2 points. The two teams are tied with 24 points at the top of the division. Let the Sabres worry about retribution and let the Bruins worry about staying safe, avoiding injury, and being alone at the pinnacle. Lets hope for an entertaining game. Puck drops at 7:07 and the B's will be looking for a double digit streak. Go Black And Gold!
With what has become the most anticipated game of the year for Bruins fans, Wednesday night the boys meet up with Buffalo. Since "the hit heard round the world" and the lack of response, there has been a lot of talk about how the Sabres will extract their retribution. While I can say I do not believe Lucic will have a problem with either of the two in Buffalo who are willing to go, McCormick and Gaustaud, I am not sure what is going to happen. Lucic has been much less willing to drop the gloves since he has become an integral part of this offense and has been told by management to limit the occurences. That being said, I think if challenged, he has to answer the bell. In no way shape or form am I comparing his "hit" on Ryan Miller to the brutal cheapshot by Matt Cooke on Marc Savard, but when Cooke came back to Boston Shawn Thornton challenged him and he dropped the mitts. He is not in Thorty's league, not even in his wildest most outrageous dreams. But he answered for what he did. I think Milan will have to do that. I do not know who will be in net for the black and gold, but it really doesnt matter fom this aspect. If anyone, anyone, even gets what the Bruins deem to be too close to their goalie, the Bruins will clean them out. There will be a heightened level of security in our crease Wednesday night, and that doesnt boed well for the Sabres. The black and gold cannot lose sight of whats most important, and right after having each others backs are those 2 points. The two teams are tied with 24 points at the top of the division. Let the Sabres worry about retribution and let the Bruins worry about staying safe, avoiding injury, and being alone at the pinnacle. Lets hope for an entertaining game. Puck drops at 7:07 and the B's will be looking for a double digit streak. Go Black And Gold!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ugly 7's
In what was unarguably the ugliest, rustiest, lack of passion game of the year, the Bruins were taken all the way to round 3 of the shootout before putting the lowly Blue Jackets away. A 2nd period power play goal by Derek MacKenzie put Columbus up 1-0. A minute a half later the black and gold answered with a shot by Adam MacQuaid, who is credited with the goal as of right now. It appeared to redirect off of Rich Peverley, but regardless, it was all knotted up at 1. A post ringing, chance trading 3rd ensued but proved to do nothing on the score board. Columbus took a penalty about a minute into OT, and the Bruins power play looked great. The puck was moving well around the ice and the boys were being patient and waiting for lanes but firing on net when open. Still, the Bruins could not dent the twine and quickly took a penalty of their own. Andrew Ference was called for boarding, although the referee was not looking and just saw a player on the ice, and Columbus kept steady pressure for the final minute. End of regulation 1-1. Tyler Seguin was blanked but Peverley and Krejci scored setting the table for Tuukka Time. The games undeniable first star, and really only bright spot, came up huge all game and once again in the shootout. Antoine Vermette came up ice and actually made a really nice move but Tuukka stacked his pads and shut the door. The Bruins surrendered the first road point of the year to the Blue Jackets, but picked up 2 for themselves and upped the winning streak to 7 games. It appears that this was the trap game we were afraid of. The good news is it is over, and the black and gold found a way to grind one out. If Nashville can hold on against Toronto and Edmonton can overcome an early two goal lead by Ottawa, the Bruins will wake up tomorrow in 8th place, the final playoff spot.
Next on tap is Saturday night when the Bruins start a 3 game road trip on Long Island. As you saw last week, the Islanders are a desperate, young, fast, and talented team. They are very capable of giving the Bruins fits with their high octane energy. They are currently sitting in last place and that certainly sets up another trap. The Bruins will need to much better than they were tonight if they wish the leave the island with 8 in a row. I think Rask will be in net and hopefully our offense will produce and give this guy some support. He stood on his head tonight and I am sure he would love another 6 goal effort from the B's. Lets Go Black and Gold!
Next on tap is Saturday night when the Bruins start a 3 game road trip on Long Island. As you saw last week, the Islanders are a desperate, young, fast, and talented team. They are very capable of giving the Bruins fits with their high octane energy. They are currently sitting in last place and that certainly sets up another trap. The Bruins will need to much better than they were tonight if they wish the leave the island with 8 in a row. I think Rask will be in net and hopefully our offense will produce and give this guy some support. He stood on his head tonight and I am sure he would love another 6 goal effort from the B's. Lets Go Black and Gold!
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