Bruins Losing Players Quicker Than Games

Last night's blown lead and eventual loss to the Blackhawks will cost the Bruins more than just the 2 points, as Marc Savard joined the long list of injured Bruins. Here is a brief recap of who the B's are missing:

Marc Savard: Injured knee in the first minute of last night's game, will undergo MRI tomorrow, and will hopefully only be out of the lineup for 2-3 weeks.

Patrice Bergeron: Broken finger (in three places!), and will miss another 2 weeks if the projected recovery time is correct.

Byron Bitz: Injured back, status unknown (at least by me - I'm sure someone knows. Possibly his doctor, maybe his wife).

Andrew Ference: Was slammed into the boards by Chris Phillips in the B's game against Ottawa, and will miss at least 6 weeks with a groin injury.

Mark Stuart: Broken sternum. I have no idea what the cause of the injury was, but it must have been craaaazy painful. Broken sternum? Damn, girl...

The only positive news for the B's lately is that Milan Lucic made his return from his second extensive injury of the season. But if you look down the list of players, above, you'll notice the Bruins have lost their top three Centres and two Defensemen who eat up a lot of minutes.

I get the feeling the annual January Slide is about to begin.

On the internet, nobody can hear you sighing loudly.

Sigh.

Bruins Rattle Sabres - Win In Overtime

The Bruins opened their 4-game road trip with back-to-back games against the Thrashers and Sabres, and were able to get wins in both.

Last night's game against Buffalo saw the Bruins offering a very gritty effort, and showed how the addition of a single player can sometimes open up several offensive options.

Milan Lucic has been hailed as the second coming of Cam Neely since he was first drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, and while there are some similarities, the biggest difference between the two players is that Neely was a regular 50-goal scorer, while Lucic, as of yet, is not. Not even close (17 goals last season, 8 the season before).

However, in just his second game back from injury, Lucic had a major impact on last night's action. His physical presence and solid checking kept the Sabres players honest (and paying attention!), and he also potted the Bruins' tying goal on a great cross-ice feed from Byron Bitz. He was hitting everything that moved, and, being one of the hardest checkers in the league, this offensive weapon brought a physical element that seemed to influence the entire Bruins squad. One player, full-team impact.

In fact, Lucic's style of play seemed to directly bring out the speed and size of linemate Byron Bitz, who has been playing well lately, but seemed to be an entirely different player last night. Maybe he was inspired by Lucic's play, or maybe he just gained more open ice because of Lucic's impact, but the twin-engine attack of Bitz and Lucic generated a lot of chances, balanced the offense, and allowed players like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to use their finesse skills more.

Tuukka Rask got the start in nets, his first back-to-back action in the NHL, and he looked very strong. He has now won 4 of his last 5 starts, and looks comfortable with the increased action. Tim Thomas' injury is still undisclosed, but the Bruins' management maintains it is not serious and he will return to action shortly. Either way, the team must feel comfortable knowing they have solid goaltending in Rask, in the interim.

Patrice Bergeron got the winning goal in overtime, perfectly deflecting a Chara point shot past Ryan Miller. Bergeron is easily the Bruins best all-around player, and it is striking how much of a game-changer he can be while just quietly playing his game. A healthy Bergeron equals a stronger Bruins club.

Coach Julien was positive in his post game comments, talking about the Bruins strong effort - especially through the 2nd Period - and the importance, going forward, of remembering the effort that was needed to get these two wins. Hopefully, these wins, and the return of a few key players from injury, will help the Bruins re-gain a piece of last season's form as we head toward the pivotal, pre-Christmas, stretch of the season.

The Bruins' road trip continues to St-Louis, to play the Blues on Monday.

Bruins Powerplay Beats Buffalo

On Saturday night, the Bruins limped into another game against a Division rival - this time against the Sabres and the red hot goaltending of Ryan Miller.

The Sabres may not represent the same level of Bruins-Killer that they did in the 80s and early 90s, but they still field a strong team that matches up well against the Bruins, especially when the Bruins have just finished consecutive games where they are unable to score, and have lost three straight.

However, on Saturday night, the Bruins and Sabres both played their backup goalies - Tuukka Rask and Jhonas Enroth - possibly because they both sound like Jedis or United Nations chairmen - and the Bruins were able to pull out a 4-2 win over Buffalo.

Most important in the Bruins win is that they broke their 0-for-20 goal-less run on the powerplay, and that a few players who had been struggling lately were able to score.

Zdeno Chara got his first goal of the season, Marco Sturm scored for the first time in about a month, and Byron Bitz, recently returned from injury, was able to help out as well. The B's scoring was rounded out by Mark Recchi, who, by my estimation, has been ice cold so far this season and has yet to regain that "inspiring veteran" status that he has been known for over the last four or five years. Hopefully, Saturday night's game was an indication of Recchi warming up a little bit.

Coach Julien's post-game comments touched on the team's effort lately, and how finally getting some bounces to match the Bruins' work ethic finally led to a win:

We talked about trying to get the team to relax a little bit and have confidence in their skills knowing eventually you are going to score goals. I felt that our team has been working hard in the last couple of weeks and probably deserving a better fate. When you don’t score and you don’t win games you have to find a way to keep your team focused, being believers, and knowing that if you stick with it someday it will turn. Hopefully it is a start tonight. We all know that we have a much bigger game against Pittsburgh, but right now you have to enjoy a win and enjoy the way you did it.

That "bigger game against Pittsburgh" comes this Tuesday for the Bruins. Hopefully, Saturday night's win will rejuvenate the B's a bit, and they can carry some momentum into the game against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Bruins Rally to Beat Islanders in SO

Well, the Bruins again chose to only play a one-period hockey game, but unlike their game against the Ducks, it resulted in a victory.

In their last game, against Anaheim, the Bruins had a great first period and then fell apart for the next two periods, finally losing 6-1. However, against the Islanders last night, the Bruins spotted their opponents a 3-0 lead heading into the third before finally turning on the jets mid-way through the final frame.

With about 16 minutes remaining in the game, Marc Savard got the B's first goal. A few minutes later, Byron Bitz scored to make it a one-goal game, and with about 2 minutes remaining in the match, Matt Hunwick's point shot found a way through the traffic to beat NY goalie, Dwayne Roloson, tying the score. With each goal the audience became more electrified and the team seemed to start believing they could pull out a win in the game.

Overtime solved nothing, and eventually Savard scored the winner (top shelf) in the shoot-out.

The positive, of course, is the win. The negative is that it had to be in a come-back situation, and was against an opponent that the Bruins - at their best - should not have had any trouble dominating.

Still, this early in the young season, this win was a good test for the mettle of the Bruins club who clearly need to bring their ability to deal with adversity back up to last year's levels.

Tuukka Rask got the start and won his first NHL game. One of the game highlights for me was seeing how totally pumped he was after making the final stop in the shootout. Bruins fans will come to love that level of competition from the young Finn.

Of Note: Dennis Wideman left the game in the second period with a shoulder injury - sorry - undisclosed upper body injury - and did not return. No word yet on his status.

Pre-Season NHL - Bruins 3 - Leafs 2

Another scrambly, somewhat disorganized pre-season game tonight, this time between the Black, White and Gold and the Maple Leafs.

I watched tonight's game online, amidst an alarming number of homophobic trolls pumping out the commentary on the PM sidebar. I spend enough of my life online to know how common this is, but man, it can be a real drag when you are just trying to watch a game. On the plus side, some Francophones logged in and allowed me to practice my French.

For tonight's match, the Bruins put Dany Sabourin in net, who, like Tuukka Rask is fighting for the backup slot behind Tim Thomas. Sabourin played alright, but looked like he'd have a lot of trouble facing a full (ie: not mostly prospects) NHL team, and will probably start the season with Providence. Too many shots just squeaking by the post in the final moments to keep Claude
Julien a young man.

Also positive for the B's was the play of Brad Marchand - one of my "underwhelmers" from yesterday's game really stepped up and played well, scoring the Bruins' second goal. Same thing with Jamie Arniel, who was another "underwhelmer" last night, but tonight played a far quicker game and created opportunities.

Weirdly, it was returning players Byron Bitz and Blake Wheeler who looked a step behind tonight. Hopefully this pre-season rust flakes off quickly, and they can both return to last year's breakout form.

Matt Hunwick, unfortunately, had a brutal game. Hunwick was one of my favourites last year before his season ended with his spleen being removed (off-ice, of course). In tonight's game he was turned inside out on the Leaf's first goal and looked pretty shakey throughout the game, putting shots into shins and missing passes.

Likewise for new Bruin free-agent Derek Morris, who mangled three clearing attempts in the same shift. I truly hope this guy improves because his contract is what's keeping the Bruins from re-signing Kessel.

On the whole, however, I was fairly pleased with the Bruins' win. Despite some sloppy play and a few scary moments in net (and online), it was fun to watch Patrice Bergeron, Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman playing at their customary level, and also, much like yesterday, it was just fun to watch the B's on the ice again.

bruins sign steve begin, re-up bitz, recchi, boychuk

Two years ago the Bruins made major headlines during the Free Agency period by signing Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard.

At the time, the Bruins club had been eviscerated by a dismal managerial gamble going into the lock-out year (ie: allowing pretty much everyone to walk away on the ill-conceived belief that suitable replacements could be found cheaply and easily in a salary-capped NHL), and the team were left searching for an identity after missing the playoffs in successive seasons. Hence, the signing of two big, splashy players who could both contribute right away and establish the character for the club.

Since that time, the Bruins have largely tried to improve their fortunes by successfully stewarding their younger players, and bolstering them with veteran talent (largely playing specific roles).

The Bruins decided to allow Stephane Yelle to leave via free agency, and in his place comes former-Hab Steve Begin. I make no bones about my dislike of Begin, who once blindsided Savard with a cross check 20 metres away from the play that ended Savard's season, but he is the kind of player the team can use in a variety of situations. He adds grit, some PK ability (which I guess is why he differs from fan-fave Shawn Thornton), and had his best season under Coach Julien in Montreal. Frankly, he's the kind of player that most would rather have as a team-mate than an opponent. Hopefully he stays out of the box and doesn't hurt the team from the inside out.

In other news, the B's also re-upped Mark Recchi, who proved his value throughout the playoffs, chipping in timely goals and leading by example. I am a big fan of Recchi, who, while he has aged, has been rejuvenated by his recent tenures in youth-heavy Pittsburgh and Boston, and provides some guidance for the aforementioned younger players to follow. Welcome back, Mark.

Additionally, the Bruins re-upped Byron Bitz to a multi-year contract (which is very good news, especially in light of Steve Montador leaving via Free Agency), and also came to terms with prospect Johnny Boychuk. I don't know much about Boychuk, but he is one of those players that Bruins faithful have been hearing about for a few years - named the AHL's Defenseman of the Year last season - but remains in the minors. Is this his year to play with the Bigs?

Finally, it looks as though PJ Axelsson will explore the Free Agent market after all, but true to his classiness as a person and a player, will keep the Bruins in consideration as he searches for a potential fit for his services.

bruins free agents, salary cap and next year's plans

This weekend's NHL Draft (taking place just a few minutes away from my house, in fact) has brought a spotlight on the Bruins' players who are not locked to long-term contracts.

In particular, a rumour was circling yesterday involving Phil Kessel, who becomes a Restricted Free Agent as of July 1st, that would see him go to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle. The deal seems to have broken down due to nobody really understanding whether it was Kessel and draft picks for Kaberle, or Kaberle and draft picks for Kessel.

Ridiculous.

This reminds me of how, a few years ago, the Bruins announced they had signed Jonas Hoglund only to have the deal annulled due to a faulty fax machine, or how Ray Shero agreed to become GM only to then change it up and sign with Pittsburgh while the Bruins were organizing the press conference to announce his arrival (on the other side of that, while Shero has the Cup, I think Chiarelli has done the better work as GM).

Regardless, what this all suggests is that the Bruins will probably try to move Kessel rather than ink him to a long-term deal. The money that Kessel will probably demand on the open market (somewhere around $5 million, when he's probably at a stage of his development that should garner $2.75 - $3.5 million) was better spent by the B's on David Krejci - who, while less explosive than Kessel, is a more consistent player in both ends of the ice and is at a different stage of development.

Kessel reminds me of a young Marian Hossa, who entered the league as a legitimate offensive threat but would disappear for long stretches of games. While Kessel had a far better season than last year, and has shown a tremendous amount of character in both his professional and personal life, he does seem to be one of those players that simply needs more experience to fully bloom into a well-rounded NHL player. I have no doubt it will come, but the reality of today's NHL is that the Bruins only have a certain amount of time and cap room to wait for Kessel to become the player he can be.

Having said that, Chiarelli has stated he'll match any offer put forward for Kessel, but given the team's salary cap concerns, I would expect that Kessel will be moved shortly thereafter, regardless of how much they want to retain Kessel.

When the season ended, the B's had several important pieces remaining unsigned - including the aforementioned Krejci and Kessel, but most importantly, Vezina Trophy winning goalie, Tim Thomas. The Bruins made the right move and ensured Thomas will remain with the club for the next four years by inking him to a $20 million contract. Props to Chiarelli for getting this deal done.

This means that backup Manny Fernandez will be allowed to walk (or, more reasonably, hobble) into free agency, and that Tuuka Rask will probably be brought up for NHL seasoning. It should make for an interesting and emotionally explosive goaltending tandem. Hopefully, the Bruins have maintained their stick sponsors through next season.

Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz are also RFAs this year, and both are young enough and played well enough in the playoffs to warrant contracts. I expect the Bruins will find a way to bring both these guys into the fold. These two are the Bruins' primary concerns after Kessel as they represent high quality prospects with tremendous size and desire to get dirty.

Coming up on Unrestricted Free Agency are defensive stalwarts PJ Axelsson and Stephane Yelle, and ironically, the less-defensively-sound Steve Montador. I believe Axelsson is the longest-serving Bruin but I doubt the B's will be able to retain him with the other players they have to bring under contract. In fact, I would be surprised if, after money is allocated to Bitz and Hunwick, the Bruins have any budget room for another big-ticket UFA, so I suspect they'll all be set free (including Shane Hnidy and the handsome Mark Recchi).

If the Bruins lose / set free Hnidy and Montador, but are able to bring Hunwick under contract, that will mean that he and Mark Stuart will see increased responsibilities next season. I would suspect that Chiarelli will also try to bring in another veteran with a mean streak, as that would retain the identity of the team and offer some mentorship to younger defenders without over-burdening Chara with yet another responsibility.

Prospects Wacey Rabbit, Carl Soderberg and Martin St. Pierre are also Restricted Free Agents with Soderberg being the priority signing. Should those kids all come on board they could serve with the Big Club in limited roles, potentially replacing Yelle and, through group-effort, Axelsson.

I sort of feel like the Bruins can reel in Hunwick and Bitz, give them a bigger role, and try to sign Kessel in order to deal him for other young guns. If they can do the above, and let the other UFAs they have coming up walk away, then they will experience a drop in team depth, but they could get lucky and have some kids fill in admirably (it happened this year with nearly every young kid on the team, with Krejci, Wheeler and Stuart having wonderful years), and still be a very competitive team next year, while building toward the seasons that follow.

On that score, the bigger concern for the future is what to do at the end of next season when Wheeler, Lucic, Mark Stuart and Marc Savard all come up as Free Agents. Ugh. Headacheville.

bruins lose 4 - 1 as hurricanes win third straight game

The Bruins looked sloppy on the ice all night, and eventually lost this game because of it.

The B's went down 1-0 within the first three minutes of the game, and continued to have an awful first period, repeatedly turning pucks over and playing far out of position. However, they came out more calm and effective in the second period and, in direct opposition to Game Three, dominated the play along the boards and down low through the middle frame, and were able to tie the game up.

All elements were poised to have a Big Third Period, full of energized attacks and dogged checking. But it never materialized. Zdeno Chara took a penalty in the first two minutes of the third period and the 'Canes scored on the ensuing powerplay. It is the first time Tim Thomas has allowed a third period goal in the playoffs, but it would not be the last: the 'Canes scored two more times in the final frame to put the game out of reach. In the end the Bruins didn't scrap, didn't get any ridiculous close-calls, didn't generate any last-minute hits and therefore didn't send any kind of positive message going into Game Five. They went out with a whimper.

This was a very, very frustrating game if you are a Bruins fan. While there was finally some traffic in front of Cam Ward, the Bruins threw so few pucks at the net (and the Hurricanes blocked a lot of point shots) that the scrambly "garbage goals" that the playoffs are built upon were never really available to the players taking their licks in the crease.

At this point, I feel like the Bruins are being out-coached in the Series, or are simply not acting on the directions coaching staff are giving them. Longtime readers of Black White and Gold will know that I'm a fan of Claude Julien, but the fact is, the 'Canes made an adjustment to their playing after Game One and have won three straight games. The Bruins have not really adjusted their style to what they are seeing from the Hurricanes (they've merely been more or less effective at playing it), and they've paid the price.

The Hurricanes are not playing some crazy system that you cannot figure out - they often utilize a "pick" style play where a secondary player skates in front of a defending Bruin to create space for the puck-carrying player. It's a play often used in basketball and in hockey is better known as "obstruction" or "interference". However, it is not being called by the referees and the Bruins have not altered their play to either a) counteract the pick or b) use it themselves.

My feeling is that unless the Bruins shake up their system in Game Five, they should not expect to win. I think this Series has gone beyond just playing harder or with more heart and expecting their techniques to work. Other than Game One, the Bruins have never really held the play long enough to warrant the belief that their system will be ultimately effective if executed properly.

The Bruins should be looking for more traffic, garbage goals, uglier plays and a general level of chippiness that can lead to turnovers and "flukey" goals, because as the old saw goes: in the playoffs they never ask how, they only ask how many.

Of Note: My inside-source was incorrect, and Blake Wheeler did end up playing in Game Four - however, Byron Bitz was also inserted at the expense of Shawn Thornton; Bitz had a very good game, generating offense through his physical play and paying the price in front of the net; David Krejci had a brutal game, whiffing on clearing attempts at least three times, losing checks and being kept to the perimeter on offense; Steve Montador had another rough game, though with admittedly less drastic consequences; Shane Hnidy was also inserted into the lineup and had a solid, if unassuming, game - nothing wrong with keeping it simple as long as he's keeping it mean.

Game Five is scheduled for Sunday.

bruins 2 - senators 1

The Bruins probably should not have had as much trouble as they did, trying to pot goals against the Senators in last night's match, but in the end, they got one more and that's how hockey games are decided.

Alex Auld was very good for the Senators, stopping multiple chances in close as the B's kept the pressure on the Sens for long stretches at a time. On the other side of the rink, Tim Thomas was tested early and often by an Ottawa club with nothing to play for but pride (and the rights to John Tavares).

As has been the case in some Bruins games this year, the B's ended up pinned in their own zone, unable to clear the puck due to arms made of surgical tubing (or something similar - possibly noodles), as Thomas literally dove around inside the crease stopping everything thrown his way. Some players looked great for the B's (Bergeron, Chara, Wheeler, Bitz), while others looked TERRIBLE (Ward, in particular, offered up awful floaters-as-clearing-attempts that kept the heat on his Bruin teammates, and sort of counter-acted that idea of experience bringing veteran leadership).

David Krejci had a good game, which is notable as he's been relatively invisible in recent games, and Michael Ryder was a force every time he was on the ice.

The win brings the Bruins to 50 wins for the season, and puts them one win away from retaining home ice advantage through the entire Eastern portion of the playoffs (should they advance that far).

Last night's game was a nail-biter, for sure, but the win marks the B's 6th in a row. Great stuff!

bruins 6 - ducks 0

The Bruins had one of those games where every bounce went their way, and practically everything they threw at the net found the twine - regardless of which goalie the Ducks were relying on at the time.

Matt Hunwick returned from the AHL to get the B's first goal, and the torrent started shortly thereafter: Michael Ryder for two, Chuck Kobasew for two, and Bitz getting a nice goal top shelf, while being harrassed by defenders.

It was also quite a chippy affair - George Parros scrapped with Shawn Thornton, and a few minutes later, Lucic got punched and then laid a few to the head of Mike Brown. I don't know if that counts, because he's basically just punching a helmet, but it certainly looked impressive.

I guess that's the point - I really don't know...

Despite all of this, the story of the night, so often the case, was the play of Tim Thomas. His shutout brings his total to four for the season, and even with the Bruins' recent losses, he still leads the league in both save percentage and goals against average.

Some footage of tonight's game can be found here.

bruins 6 - panthers 1

For those of you who were checking the blog for my comments on the Bruins' recent losing skid (at last count, 6 losses in 7 games), I apologize for my silence. Chalk it up to suffocating rage!

No, I actually had the computer version of a massive losing skid, having my laptop seize up like the Bruins' powerplay. I am presently using my old system, which runs on unicorn oil and children's dreams, and emits a high-potency dumbening ray that makes everyone within a 50 foot radius as smart as a Lindros. My apologies for letting you down....take it out of my salary.

The biggest issue in the recent losing skid was the the Bruins' effort, which alternated between sub-par and no-par. Their recent 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay and 2-0 loss to the Panthers were actually far better performances than the B's had offered in their previous games. It was a positive to build on (jeez, any more talk like that and I'll end up coaching the Senators...or worse...Tampa...).

Last night's rebound game against the Panthers was, hopefully, another step toward an all-team, all-zone performance. The Bruins scored earlier (Bergeron within the first minute) and supported the puck in all three zones.

Byron Bitz (pictured above, clubbing Panther goalie, Craig Anderson) became the story of the night, scoring two goals and having the hometown crowd chanting his name. I forget that guys like Bitz (and Sabotka, and Hunwick, etc.) are rookies because I've known about them for so long, but last night's match up with only Bitz's 20th NHL game. He's got good size and as the season has unfolded, he's looked more comfortable out there, better able to anticipate the play and get into the grit of the game (note: I just double-checked and this kid is 6 foot 5...damn!).

To me, the bigger story in last night's game was the return of Michael Ryder, who missed the previous 7 games with an orbital bone fracture. When was the last time YOU had an orbital bone fracture? Hurts, don't it?

Ryder had a goal, and an assist, and I have some stats somewhere that talks about the Bruins' record when Ryder scores....I'll see if I can dig it out.

Regardless, last night's game was a far stronger effort from a team that should be as dominant on the ice as they appear to be in the standings. Their 15 point lead over the second-place Capitals has dwindled to 6 points, due to the Bruins' skid and the mounting wins by the Ovechkins....oh, I mean, the Capitals.

Tim Thomas was his heart-stopping but stalwart self, and the B's will now continue a several-game home stand, hopefully regaining some momentum as the playoffs (and the NHL trade deadline approaches).

The Bruins next play the Ducks on Thursday. Surely a duck is no match for a bear. Surely!

bruins 3 - canadiens 1

Boston met their long-time arch rivals in an up-tempo afternoon game yesterday, and enjoyed a return to early-season form in the win. Les Canadiens took the ice in their throwback "escaped convict" / "barbershop nightmare" sweaters, and were able to get the first goal against Bruins' keeper Tim Thomas. Robert Lang wristed home a shot on a Canadiens' powerplay.

Giving up the first goal fits with the Bruins' recent profile, however, in a reversal of story lines, it was the Bruins scoring in the final seconds of the period to knot the game up at one-goal-apiece. Dennis Wideman got the goal by picking off a Komisarek pass, and walked in from the blue line to get the puck on net. It crossed the goal-line with 0.6 seconds left in the period.

In the second period, Shawn Thornton made his impact felt for a second time (Thornton fought some random Canadiens' call-up in the first period), by potting the eventual game-winner. Byron Bitz fed a pass from behind the net to Thornton in the crease, and he pushed home his 5th goal of the season past Canadiens goalie Price. The goal was just-deserts for a Bruins fourth-line that had been battling hard for every loose puck all game.

In the third period, the Bruins were able to gain a bit of breathing room, with Marc Savard's empty net goal. Savard held his ground at centre, blocking a chip in attempt, and making sure any miss would not be ruled Icing, he hit the empty net for the final goal. The Bruins take the victory.

With the win, the Bruins become the first team in the League to reach 80 points. This was the Bruins 4th win in five meetings against the Canadiens.

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.