bruins 3 - devils 4 (OT)

I was out for the early part of the evening, enjoying Johnny Walkers in a local watering hole (sadly, surrounded by Habs fans; happily, watching their club lose), and returned home only to see the 3rd period of tonight's Bruins game against the Devils, streaming online.

When I tuned in the B's were down 2-0, but came out flying in the 3rd period, showing the consistent speed and forechecking that has been missing from their game in recent weeks. Within five minutes Chuck Kobasew used his pace to capitalize upon a Scott Clemmensen turnover behind the net and, while bungling his wraparound attempt, was still able to get the Bruins first goal of the game.

The Bruins used that momentum to keep up the attack, and around the 7-minute mark Phil Kessel - back tonight after missing games with mono (these guys are kids, remember) - fed a puck from behind the net to Marc Savard at the right post. Savard buried it five hole and the game was suddenly tied.

A few minutes later, Devils forward Michael Rupp drew an interference call against Savard, and on the ensuing powerplay Dennis Wideman's point-shot found its way through the crowd to bulge the twine behind Clemmensen.

Oh, how everything is great at this point! It's raining amber beer and the two feet of snow outside has been replaced by fluffy white sand! Joy! What could possibly go wrong?

Needless to say, the Bruins were not able to hold the lead. While I only saw the third period, Tim Thomas looked to be fighting the puck on every shot and dump in, and his rebound control seemed out of whack. With only 1.45 left in the game, the Bruins let Patrik Elias drive the net and tie it up, and the game went to overtime.

In OT the Bruins kept up their attack, but unfortunately, as also happened in the third period, the defensive part of the Bruins' game did not match their offensive efforts. Just over a minute into the extra frame, Colin White put a slapshot on net, and Jamie Langenbrunner spun the rebound past a prone Thomas. Devils win it in OT.

I'm not really sure what to make of what I saw. In one sense, the Bruins stormed back against a stingy defensive club, potting three fast goals, and showing their dominance with the puck. They got the home crowd riled. They connected fast one-touch passes and broke out of their zone with confidence and speed.

In another sense they ended up losing a game that they had in hand with only a minute left. And I guess we shall see what Coach Julien has to say about it all (updates to come!)

Of Note: The Bruins again gave up the first goal in the game. Phil Kessel returned and looked solid. Milan Lucic played a far better game than he had against Washington and is hopefully returning to form.

claude julien statements on the bruins play

Here's a quote from Bruins coach Claude Julien that acknowledges their play in the win against the Capitals:

On the Bruins playing sloppy at times…
I think that we had a lot of turnovers and we forced a lot of passes. Obviously it wasn’t our best, but like I often say when I get up here, it’s about finding ways to win and we did that. Obviously we want to get better and hopefully the next couple of days, at tomorrow’s practice, and our morning skate [on Thursday], we will be a little bit sharper.

And an interesting view of Patrice Bergeron's heroic dive to keep the puck in play, leading to the second goal:

On Bergeron sacrificing the body to make an assist…
On that play right there it is not only his risk, but also what happens if he doesn’t get the puck. I thought that we tied the game on a bit of a lucky break. If he doesn’t keep it in then it is a 2-0 situation and instead of tying the game we go down three to one. From his end of it, I think he played without fear. Playing on the wing, he was along the boards a lot tonight. It didn’t seem to bother him. It was nice to see him back, not only for us but also for his teammates.

bruins 3 - capitals 2 (OT)

The Bruins spent tonight trying to find a rhythm while still shutting down Alexander Ovechkin.

Drawing a penalty seven seconds into the first, and giving up the first goal on the subsequent powerplay, the B's found themselves down early in the game. This seems to be a recurring theme in recent games.

Mid-way through the period, Shawn Thornton picked off an errant Ovechkin pass and dangled Theodore down, before roofing the puck of the goalie's right shoulder. Thornton showed remarkably soft hands for such a hard-faced man; this is the energy player's 4th goal of the season. 1-1 far past the midway part of the first period.

However, in a situation that I think summarized the game, the Bruins' soft defensive coverage allowed the Capitals to score with 20-something seconds left in the period. I'll return to this idea later, but it seems obvious that bonehead defensive coverage will eventually lead to goals-against, and sometimes losses. 2-1 Caps at the end of the first.

Patrice Bergeron made his return to the lineup (as did Ference and Lucic), and played a solid two-way game, as is his style. He showed no ill effects from his second concussion, and it was his play that led to the tying goal.

With about 5 minutes left in the period, Bergeron dove to tip a puck past Alexander Semin, and keep the play in the offensive zone. He then fired a pass through two defenders to Marc Savard, who feined a cross-crease pass and wristed it over Theodore's glove. 2-2 through the end of the second and through the third period.

As the first minute of the game suggested, the Bruins had penalty trouble all night, but it was Washington that drew the haunting whistle.

WoOoOooOo....!

Just as overtime got underway, Niklas Backstrom was called for hooking and the Bruins held a 4-on-3 advantage. It did not take long for the Bruins foursome to find passing lanes and push the Caps players in tight toward Theodore, but it was ultimately just a strange deflection off the leg of Capitals' defenseman Shaone Morrisonn that potted the winner.

The goal was credited to David Krejci, who looked to be trying to thread a pass through to Marc Savard on the far post. But the Bruins get a lucky bounce and take the win in OT.

This game marks the 20th time in 48 games that the Bruins have allowed the first goal. For a team with the record they have, this should not be the case. However it is precisely because they keep winning that they seem to get away with what is often scrambly, undiscliplined play. Case in point, they are now 14-4-2 when allowing the first goal, but they often look shaky for stretches in every game (especially recently).

As a recent post about Dennis Wideman suggests, the Bruins need all their players at full potential to really dominate a game. Without this the Bruins often show traits that a premier team in the league -- say in the Playoffs -- would fatally take advantage of.

If you give a team like Detroit or San Jose the first goal in each game, goals within the last or first minute of any period (the Bruins gave the Caps one of each tonight), regularly allow 30 or more shots a game, and put a long string of players into the penalty box, the best teams will beat you. Especially over a seven-game series.

Playoff runs are fickle things, as many teams can testify, and Bruins' history is littered with grand teams that scuttle in the first round. The Bruins need a return to the hard-hitting, actively forechecking game of early this season because it is their primary tool in dictating the game. By doing so, they'll be in a better position to control the puck, cut down on lazy errors and ponderous high-risk decisions that have littered their game since early December.

when wideman has a bad game...

Dennis Wideman looked pretty rough in the game against the Maple Leafs. He's spent most of a season building on the potential that he displayed at points with St-Louis, and in streaks last year. This season he has been more consistent with the puck - still delivering the first pass with accuracy and timing - but has been vastly improved in the defensive part of his game.

His overall plus / minus ratio is great (plus 26, third in the league), and he's amassed 31 points in 46 games.

But last night, he was fighting the puck the whole game. Turnovers leading to chances, and indecision (in an admittedly tough, two-on-one situation) leading to goals, showcased the Bruins overall reliance on Wideman playing at the top of his game.

Wideman represents a valuable commodity in today's NHL.

Like Montreal's Andre Markov, or Chicago's Duncan Keith, he is a tough defender who can also play pivot on the powerplay and be a large cog in the offensive wheel. Arguably, the downside of having one of these 'upside' defensemen is that a team comes to rely on that ability on a nightly basis. Therefore, when Wideman has a bad game, the Bruins have a bad game.

Andrew Ference is reportedly nearing a return to the Bruins lineup (after All-Star break, apparently), and he will offer another offensive weapon from the B's blue line, which should relieve the pressure on Wideman a little. Hopefully by cooling it out a bit, Wideman will rediscover his calm control with the puck.

And provide that confident push from the back-end that the Bruins offense requires.

bruins 4 - leafs 3 (SO)

The Bruins went into the All-Star break as they should have - with a determined win under their belt, and with a renewed confidence in the quality of their team.

However, that doesn't mean their win (last night) over the Maple Leafs was a given. The Bruins were down 3-1 heading into the third period, and quite frankly looked like they had their hands full with the (reportedly woeful) Toronto squad.

The Maple Leafs were obviously playing to the maximum of their ability, and the Bruins seemed to be surprised that they were not easily winning. However, this is the crux of the issue with this season's Black, White and Gold: they have been an extremely effective team when playing gritty hockey, but of late have been losing games by merely thinking about how they've previously won so many. Which is to say, rather than playing the game, they seem to be thinking about how they're going to win it. This seldom leads to positive results in the NHL.

Between the second and third periods last night, TSN interviewed Coach Julien, who said (and I'm paraphrasing) that the team needs to remember who they are, and that they need to grind out the victories in every game.

The Bruins subsequently played a better third period, finishing checks, fighting for loose pucks, and (inevitably) getting a couple of goals to tie the game. The scoreless overtime brought a shootout and Michael Ryder was the difference on a cross-body snap shot to the high corner on Toskala.

The thing that sticks with me after last night's game is the determined look on the faces of the Bruins. Tim Thomas, often a bit of a joker in nets, was uncharacteristically stoic between whistles. He stared into the middle distance and did not smile. Zdeno Chara, who again had a monster of a game, was the image of impassioned intensity when he scored the tying goal with about 4 minutes left in the third.

To me, that suggests that while the Bruins got off to a relatively slow start, they eventually recognized the need to play at their maximum potential and that brought about the win. Given the rollercoaster they've been on lately, this is a a positive step toward the post-season where nothing matters except gutsy, despite-the-odds wins.

And now they've earned a few days rest.

The full Bruins squad next play on January 27th, when they welcome the Capitals

blues 5 - bruins 4 (SO)

This afternoon's match between the Blues and the Bruins basically happened entirely in the third period.

The B's went into the third down 2-1 to the surprisingly tenacious Blues. The Bruins were then able to score 3 goals in under a minute and a half, and had two chances at an open net with Blues goalie Chris Mason on the bench. However both open-net chances missed the yawning cage.

With the Bruins up 4-2 with 3.05 remaining, the Blues scored a powerplay goal, and then tied it with another shot batted out of mid-air with 1 second remaining in the game, sending the game to overtime. A scoreless overtime brought a shootout, and eventually, the winning goal from (former Bruin) Brad Boyes.

This game did not display the skills of a Bruins team battling to retain first overall, nor a team trying to remain first in the East; this afternoon's game was far more about a team that is more streaky than consistent, and, by getting a couple of bounces one way or another, is often more lucky than good.

This has been a strange season for a Bruins fan, but the team's play of late is more consistent with what fans have come to expect -- recent games have tapped into the latent frustrations of the Bruins faithful, with the team inexplicably less engaged in one-on-one battles, and less able to connect passes and flow up the ice.

The Bruins have overachieved all year, but lately it feels like the players have taken their foot off the gas, and in so doing, begun showing some sloppy habits that make wins harder to come by. They seemed largely uninspired in this afternoon's match, and even when they did finally wake up and score three unanswered goals, they lost the focus necessary to finish the Blues off with an empty net goal.

I hope the Bruins can regain the precision and tenacity that they showed earlier this season, because right now, playing like they simply expect the wins to come without effort, they are being beaten by teams that should not be even challenging them.

The Bruins may have emerged with a single point, but given who they were playing, and the fact that they had several chances to put the game away in the final moments, the Bruins simply did not come to play.

capitals 2 - bruins 1

Last night's game was a battle between the two top-placed team in the Eastern conference, and the Bruins, despite some solid play and end-to-end action, came out on the losing end.

Ultimately, a single turn-over, and subsequent break going the other way, became the difference in last night's affair between the two clubs.

With the score deadlocked at 1 goal apiece, Alexander Semin was able to toe-drag the puck past Martin St-Pierre, and advance into the Bruins zone far enough to blast a shot past Tim Thomas.

With the loss, the Bruins have 70 points with 37 games left, and still retain first place in the Eastern Conference. But it is safe to say that injuries to a few key players (Bergeron, Ward, Kessel) are beginning to take their toll on the young squad.

The B's play again on Monday, in an afternoon affair against the St-Louis Blues.

bruins 2 - islanders 1

Arguably, the Islanders have all the materials they need to make a run at a post-season berth. However, their opponents last night, the Bruins, have two of the strongest goalies in the NHL. And that makes all the difference.

While the Bruins were awarded some great goals by Marc Savard (nifty top-shelf wrister) and Martin St-Pierre (mid-air puck batted home off a rebound), their number one star was undoubtedly Tim Thomas. Facing 17 shots in the first period alone, Thomas was the main reason the B's were able to stay in this game despite (yet another) unexplainably slow start.

Thomas was less than a minute away from a shutout, but a shot from (former Bruin) Bill Guerin bounced off David Krejci's skate and trickled past the Bruins netminder.

Post-game comments from the Islanders suggested they were happy with their effort in the loss, whereas Thomas neatly summed up the 2008-2009 Bruins with the following:

''There are about six reasons why this team is different from previous Bruin teams,'' Thomas said. ''One of the biggest things is that we're all on the same pages as the coaches are.''

And as a fan, slow start or not, I must say that this is good to see.

The Bruins' next game is Saturday, against the Capitals.

bruins 3 - canadiens 1

Montreal is currently under a crazy deep freeze, where any flesh left exposed while outside will freeze within five minutes.

Consequently, I avoided heading down to a local watering hole for last night's game, opting instead to watch the match online. The feed of the game was pretty funny - the typically chopping / stuttering video stream was punctuated by commentary, in abbreviated & profanity-laden, slang-heavy, text-message French, on the right side of the screen. It was nearly impossible to figure out what anyone was saying, but I gather, little of it was kind toward the Bruins.

Yet despite any problems on video playback, Zdeno Chara's dominance was clear. He had, quite possibly, his best game of the year.

Chara potted 2 goals, had only one minor penalty, leveled tons of hits and rebound clearances, and basically had one of those games that show how any top-flight NHL player, on any given night, can completely control a game. As repeat readers of this blog may know, I tend to be a little tough on Chara, feeling that wearing the C (and making $7 million a year) means having a dominant game every night. But last night, Chara proved why he is repeatedly in contention for the Norris Trophy at years' end.

The game itself was entertaining, featuring end-to-end action with Halak and Tim Thomas continually offering up goal-mouth craziness, and several passes threaded through unlikely lanes. The Habs were unable to capitalize on a 4-3 advantage, whereas the Bruins were able to score on their 5-on-3 powerplay (the Bruins were 2 for 5 on the PP last night).

However, while the game could have gone either way with one-less save, or a single unusual bounce, a dominant performance by the Bruins captain created a strong opportunity for the Bruins' win.

Coach Julien had this to say about Chara's performance:

"I think, first of all, there’s no doubt to me, he set the tone tonight. Physically, the amount of ice he had, he handled it well and he was strong in all situations: obviously scoring a couple of goals, defending, winning battles, everything, every part of it, the physical part of it. He was outstanding tonight. I cannot say enough about his performance."

Of Note: The Bruins were without Phil Kessel, who is suffering under mono; Aaron Ward left the game with an injury after being run into the glass from behind by (repeat offender) Andrei Kostitsyn; the Bruins enjoyed performing before a sell-out crowd.

bruins all-star selections

While every professional and amateur media outlet is busy complaining about the All-Star Game and its flawed selection system, I merely want to post to acknowledge those Bruins that were selected.

The Bruins boast three players that will be playing in the main portion of the All-Star Game - Marc Savard, Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas were all selected.

In the young-stars portion of the event, Blake Wheeler and Milan Lucic will be representing the rookie- and sophomore-level Bruins.

Joining these five players will be Bruins Coach, Claude Julien, who is automatically selected by being the number one coach in the Eastern Conference at the half-way point of the season. I am especially pleased for Julien, who has brought a consistent work ethic (and results!) to this squad, and, after being shuttled out of two clubs despite having winning records, is finally getting the respect he deserves as one of the League's best coaches.

That the Bruins are sending six individuals who boast the Black, White and Gold is wonderful. The All-Star Game is meant to be a showcase of the best talent in the league, and while the NHL's policy of including at least one player from every team counteracts this idea, the Bruins are having enough of a breakout year to warrant these six selections.

Not included in the game -- David Krejci or Phil Kessel -- both of whom have put up numbers far in excess of other players who are attending (and yes, Alexei Kovalev, I am looking at you) -- or Manny Fernandez, who is second overall in goals-against-average, and fourth overall in save percentage.

bruins 5 - hurricanes 1

The Bruins hosted their Conference rivals, the Hurricanes, this afternoon, in a match up that had the potential to go either way, given recent performances by each team.

Carolina had a loss in their last game, but had won 4-straight previously, and were riding a very hot Cam Ward and a (finally) warm-ish Rod Brind'amour in that span.

The Bruins, meanwhile, had won their last game, but lost their previous two, and had looked a little unorganized in their final three wins before the Holiday break.

In this afternoon's match-up, the Bruins brought in some younger players to fill in a few holes in the lineup. Byron Bitz had his first NHL start (registering an assist), Martins Karsums had his second NHL start (also recording an assist), and they joined comparative veterans such as Blake Wheeler and David Krejci (who registered a goal and two assists in the win).

Tim Thomas backstopped the Bruins, and he held a shutout until about mid-way through the final frame, and Michael Ryder continued his sharp-shooting ways, registering two goals in this afternoon's game. The Bruins are 14-0-0 when Ryder scores.

After the game, Coach Julien was asked about Michael Ryder's play and he offered the following:

"I don’t think his game is developing; he’s found his game. Put it this way, he’s just in one of those situations where, he is what he is right now. What I mean by that is, the Ryder you see right now is the Ryder that has been a player in the NHL and throughout his young career. He’s been like that for the most part. He’s a gifted goal-scorer, he’s a hard worker, he makes things happen when he’s at his best. We just have to keep pushing him and continue to help him move along in the right direction because he’s been a real helpful addition for our hockey club this year."

If I may offer a translation of Coach Julien's statements, suitable to my own reality here in Montreal: In your face, Canadiens' fans! You mocked this pickup in the offseason, and now you are forced to merely surround my building (with flaming torches!) every night.

The win brings the Bruins to a very impressive 31-7-4 record, tops in the NHL, as they pass mid-season and begin the home drive to the playoffs. Other than a 3-and-3 record against the Northwest Division, the Bruins hold a winning record against every other Division in the League.

Of Note: The Bruins brought Tuukka Rask up from Providence for tonight's game, in place of Manny Fernandez as backup; The Bruins welcomed a sell-out crowd for the matinee match-up; the Bruins chased Cam Ward from the nets, and are 8-0-0 when they play a team forced to change goalies.

bruins 6 - senators 4

The Bruins came out of the gates last night like a team that deserves to be in first place overall, however, by the end of the second period, they looked like a team merely hoping to stave off a third consecutive loss.

The first ten minutes of the match were absolutely dominated by the Bruins - they potted two goals in four minutes and controlled the play in the Senators zone by forechecking like mad, hitting anything that moved, and wearing down the Senators defense. They created chances and looked like a team playing with purpose.

But the Senators, to their credit, then began to play more like the team they seem to be on paper, using their speed and puck control to open up the play, and the Sens were able to tie it up at 2-all.

The second period shifted radically for the Bruins - for while they started the game in firm control, the momentum had clearly changed in the Senators' favour - mostly after a very even fight between Chris Neil and Shawn Thornton. Despite an equal number of jabs and hooks from each pugilist, the Senators really seemed to get a spark from the fight, and the Bruins continued to look sluggish. If not for some great saves from Manny Fernandez, the Bruins would have left the second period in a deficit. As it happened, they were able to get out of it locked at 3 goals apiece.

However, despite some tense moments in the third period, the B's were far more in control of their play. The sloppy passes, giveaways and choppy clearing attempts, while not as crisp and exact, more closely resembled the first period's play, and the Bruins were able to create a bit of distance between themselves and the Senators, going up 5-3.

But even then, the Bruins could not maintain their composure. The Senators kept buzzing around the net, and scored another goal with 30-ish seconds remaining. The Bruins potted an empty-net goal, but they would have looked stronger in the win had they not taken their foot off the gas.

Coach Julien offered the following after the game:
"I guess the win itself was important. The way we won it wasn’t so good. I think we’ve got a lot of things here that are challenging us. We’ve talked about some of them the other day. We certainly have some of our better players that are really struggling, finding their groove again. With the amount of injuries you have and some of your better players not playing as well as you’re used to seeing them certainly makes for a struggle."

Julien continued, "I thought our first six minutes or so of the game, the first half of the first [period] was pretty good and I thought after the fight [Thornton vs. Neil], Thornie [Thornton] stood in there and did a great job for us. Where I was disappointed is that we didn’t respond, (and) they did. That’s something that was disappointing and they kind of took the rest of the period over and came into the second and [there were] a lot of bad mistakes. If you look at the [turnover by Dennis] Wideman [that led to a Senators] goal; just forcing plays and turning pucks over. And tonight our fourth line struggled at times and gave up two goals that they should have been able to prevent. Those kinds of things put together made for a struggle."

The Bruins, it would appear, while retaining first in the League, are not yet out of the woods.

The B's next game is Saturday afternoon, at home, against the Hurricanes.

wild 1 - bruins 0

The Bruins suffered their second-straight loss, and first shutout of the season, in a game against the Wild last night. Jacques Lamaire's defense-first strategy kept the Bruins - boasting the NHL's best offense - goalless and earned the Wild their second-straight shutout victory.

The highlights I saw showed many a Bruin with shots on net and valid scoring chances, however, a hot Backstrom and a completely clogged neutral zone, kept the Black, White and Gold at bay.

Media focus is now on whether two straight losses equal a skid, and Coach Julien is expected to rip his team, promoting a harder work ethic to create more offensive success.

I find the loss to the Wild a little ironic, given that the Bruins have been labeled a "defense-first" team for the last couple of years. Now that this same team outscores more opponents than any other team in the league, they are seen as susceptible to the same stalwart defending that every other team faces against Minnesota.

Either way, the Bruins are back on home-ice on Thursday against the Senators. If the B's merely roll out of bed and don't even compete, I think we can expect some lineup changes as Coach Julien tries to light a spark under his squad.

sabres 4 - bruins 2

The Bruins were seeking their 15th straight home win yesterday afternoon, but met with stiff competition from Division rivals, the Sabres.

Tim Thomas got the start over (the more logical choice of) Manny Fernandez, who has won each of his recent games against Buffalo, whereas Thomas has lost three straight to the Sabres.

Goalmouth scrambles, deflections, and loose defensive coverage allowed the Sabres to get the lead and keep it throughout this game, and while Boston was able to respond with goals from Thornton and Kessel, it was not enough for the win.

Of Note: The Bruins home-win streak therefore ends at 14 games. This is the B's first home loss since October 23rd. They play again on Tuesday, when they welcome the Wild to the Hub.

bruins 4 - penguins 2

The Bruins continued their winning ways last night, beating the Penguins in the second half of a home-and-home series, and pushing their current win-streak to 10 games. This is the Bruins longest streak since 1973 (the '73 Bruins featuring Bruins greats Orr, Esposito, and Bucyk).

Manny Fernandez got the start in nets, remaining undefeated at home, and the win gave the Bruins possession of first-place overall in the League.

Bruins goals were scored by Krejci, Alexsson, Lucic and Savard, and despite a more than tw0-minute period where the Bruins were pinned in their own zone, the team came out skating and hitting hard. One notable moment came when 5'9" Vladmir Sobotka leveled 6'3" Jordan Staal at the Bruins blueline -- perhaps a tangible example of every Bruin playing larger than his frame suggests.

I am a little surprised that this Bruins club, despite nightly lip-service about how "hot" or "surprising" they are, still largely remains under the radar of the media and most sports fans. In the hockey-obsessed country I live in, it is far easier to find detailed information about several teams that are under-500 (Senators, Leafs, Oilers), or playing in a baseball stadium.

But perhaps this is a good thing; it is far easier for the Bruins to retain some underdog element of surprise if the media continues to ignore them. I just hope when the hardware is passed out at the end of the season, the efforts of Bruins like Chara, Kessel, Savard, Wheeler, Fernandez, Thomas, Wideman and, most importantly, Claude Julien, are recognized with individual awards -- and the most coveted team-wide award the League can offer.

The Bruins' next game is an afternoon match on Saturday against the Sabres.