There were good reasons to watch last night's Bruins - Rangers game. First, there was the chance that the Rangers could lose, which always makes the universe seem like a logical place, following a divine plan. Also, any chance of the Rangers losing increases the likelihood of watching their coach, John Tortorella, go apoplectic behind their bench. This, as they say in the industry, makes for good TV.
However, it was not meant to be. The Rangers beat the Bruins, Tortorella looked even more like Fonzie and kept his cool, and the universe now seems hazardous, random and prone to crying jags. Or maybe that's just me.
The Bruins, for their part, tried to play a 3 minute hockey game, and (unfortunately) it nearly worked. Being badly outplayed for 50-or-so minutes, the Bruins were unable to string two passes together without a giveaway, let alone generate any offensive pressure, and were down 2-0 deep into the 3rd period.
Sadly, when the Bruins did start skating with 5 minutes left in the game, they were immediately rewarded with 2 quick goals to tie it up. I say "sadly" not because I wanted the Rangers to win (re-read my opening paragraphs) but rather because I hate the idea of the Bruins being rewarded with a win for a game they didn't really ever compete in. Seriously, if you are making millions of dollars a year, the least you could do is try for more than 3 minutes a game. Even I skate hard for longer than 3 minutes a game.
Last night, the B's played like their pre-game meal was everything I ate over the holidays, stacked up and served to them in one sitting. They were lifeless and loose, disinterested and slow. It was a very frustrating game to watch.
My usual companions for Bruins games - our two cats - learned all sorts of new words last night. Ever seen a cat's ears catch fire? Missed Bruins pass - WHOOSH! Soft Bruins backchecking - WHOOSH!
To make matters even worse, one of the few B's who played well - Patrice Bergeron - took a slapshot off the wrist (shot by his own defenseman, of course), and left the game. The extent of his injury is unknown, but it almost certainly marks an end to the Bruins' already dismal offense.
Yes, it was awful all around for the Bruins last night. Fortunately, they have a chance to redeem themselves tonight when they take on the Senators.
It will be interesting to see how the Bruins respond after such a brutal outing. Hopefully, Coach Julien used the post-game briefing to rip into his players, and lit up their ears like a couple of unsuspecting cats.
Maybe that's what it takes to make the Bruins come out motivated tonight. Certainly that pre-game meal didn't do them any favours.
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