Bruins Roll Out Two More Wins with Thomas in Nets

The B's have racked up two more wins in their games against New Jersey on Saturday night and Washington, just last night.

For me, the fun part of these wins is how solid the Bruins looked against teams playing radically opposing styles. Against the Devils' stifling defense the Bruins were able to crank out a 4-1 win, and against the Capitals' much-vaunted offense, the B's pushed a tenuous 2-1 lead into a 3-1 win, getting big contributions from Horton, Krejci and Lucic in both games.

Thomas had both starts and looked like the Vezina winner he was a couple of seasons ago. There's a very fine line between being able to react in time to get into position, and looking silly while flopping around, and Thomas' off-season hip surgery seems to have made him more nimble. Pretty critical for a goalie who, despite having a great sense of angles, seems to be a "reaction" style goalie.

Overlooking a blatant giveaway or two, the B's top defensive pairing of Chara and Seidenberg seems to be causing the opposing offense fits, keeping Parise and Zajac off the board on the weekend, and keeping Ovechkin without a point last night.

The Bruins have their home opener against the Capitals on Thursday. Given that the Caps and Bruins were the top-two road teams last season, it should be interesting to see how well the Bruins are able to set themselves up for a win.

I would suspect that Rask will get the start on Thursday, just to keep the goalie rotation going. For Bruins fans, the ideal scenario is that both Rask and Thomas push each other to play at the top of their game.

Let's see what Thursday brings.

Bruins Beat Philly in OT - Take Game 1

The Bruins opened their playoff series against Philly with an overtime win, this afternoon in Boston. They may have given up 2-goal leads three times in the game, but the B's eventually won it in OT with drama.

Marc Savard played his first game back since his concussion, and was eased into the lineup by coach Julien, who kept Savard's ice time low until the overtime period.

In the overtime, the Bruins held the play for long, frantic stretches in the Philly end, and Brian Boucher's reputation (gained from besting Brodeur in the last round) was shown to be well-earned.

As is often the case with frantic offensive attacks, defensemen pinch in to help push the offense, and as a consequence the Bruins gave up odd-man rushes and had to rely on Tuukka Rask to stop a few breakaways.

But the Bruins kept up the pressure, wearing down the Flyers, and Marc Savard scored the game winner on a mini-slapper. His celebration was pretty great, and he tossed his stick into the crowd.

Bergeron, Satan, Chara, Recchi and Ference played very well. Wideman got schooled on Briere's goal, but kept the puck in at the blue line to set up Savard's goal, so what does that mean? He played okay?

Rask, despite letting in 4 goals, played incredibly, but I got the feeling the Flyers were starting to figure him out a little based on where they were testing him.

Finally, it looks like the B's will be without Marco Sturm for awhile. He tweaked his knee 26 seconds into the game and had to be helped off the ice. Will the Bruins call someone up, or just activate Thornton or someone, I wonder.

Today's game could have been a nightmarish loss for the Bruins, but instead it is a triumphant victory - it's odd in hockey how close those two poles are.

Game 2 goes Monday in Boston.

Bruins Down the Sabres in Double OT

Tonight's match up was as hard hitting as playoff hockey should be. The Sabres and the Bruins both played like they realized what was on the line.

This game had so much to enjoy, its hard to know where to begin. Ooof.

The Bruins were down 2-0 going into the third. They had carried the play for long stretches of the first two periods, but they had also needed Rask to bail them out.

Early in the 3rd period, the Bruins got a powerplay goal, and then scored another soon after, to tie the game with about 10 minutes left. Back and forth chances finished out the game, and the first overtime solved nothing.

In the second overtime the Sabres took a Too Many Men penalty (in the 2nd overtime!), and on that powerplay, Michael Ryder skated out of the Bruins' end, dodged an open-ice hit and gained the Buffalo zone along the boards. He then threaded a perfect pass to Miro Satan floating down through the high slot.

Satan basically out-waited Miller, dipping to his right as Miller dropped and sliding a backhand into the net (which was oddly stuffed with 3 players). Satan's celebration included a little jump, which was nice to see.

It is pretty crazy that the Bruins came back to win this game. They've been down at least 1-0 in every game in the series, and came back from 2-goals-down twice.

Also, for a team that had one of the worst powerplays in the league all year, it seems bizarre that they'd get 2 powerplay goals tonight (including the overtime winner).

Bergeron was superhuman all night, as was Chara. Rask, obviously, kept the Bruins in the game all night with crazy acrobatics - including a diving blocker save late in the 3rd. Mark Recchi again played like a man half his age but with all 42 years of hockey wisdom. Sobotka, of all people, was strong tonight, too.

Krejci, Begin and Sturm especially need to be playing at a much higher level. The Bruins really need the second and third line players to be contributing if they are going to have continued playoff success.

Now up 3 games to 1, the Bruins will look to finish out the Series in Buffalo on Friday. Should be an amazing game!

Bruins Response to Penguins - Total Indifference

Tonight's game was obviously the Bruins' first against the Penguins since Matt Cooke ended Marc Savard's season.

Sadly, the Bruins' response was lacklustre.

Though the liberal media would have you focus on Cooke and Thornton fighting in the first period, or Chara and Rupp in the third, the real storyline is around the Bruins' lack of desperation when points are so valuable in the playoff hunt.

With the Bruins barely hanging on to 8th place in the East, and the Rangers and Thrashers within striking distance, I was hoping the Bruins would be more motivated. But they were out-chanced and out-hustled throughout the game, especially in the second period.

This Bruins team is at its best when it plays a heavy-forecheck, defensive-press type of game - always hurrying the puck carrier and finishing checks. They haven't played that way with any consistency and consequently they haven't been winning.

That sound you hear is the playoffs, slipping away.

"Terrible night for the Boston Bruins, quite frankly." Bob McKenzie for TSN.

The B's next game is Sunday afternoon against the Rangers, which is surely another game that the team should be motivated for. Let's see what level of competition they can offer, now that they don't have to avenge a fallen teammate.

I seriously hope there are a few 'players-only' and 'closed-door' meetings between now and then, because something has to give or the season is effectively over.

Bruins Post-Olympics

It was a weird Olympics for the Bruins:

• Bergeron was under-used and then injured for Canada
• Krejci looking great for the Czechs
• Chara looked good, Satan okay, on an inconsistent Slovak club
• Sturm led the plucky charge of the Germans, and finally
• Thomas didn't have a single game for the USA

Now that the B's have played two games, it is fair to say they are not playing very well, post-Olympics. The 4-1 loss to the Canadiens was a fate they deserved after ringing shots off of posts and then surrendering 4 straight goals. Last night's win over the Maple Leafs was pretty disorganized and the Bruins looked like they lacked depth in the line up.

The play of Matt Hunwick has really slid on the games bookending the Olympic break. He got burned twice by the Habs because he was just standing there as the play developed around him, and last night he gave the puck away all night - most notably in the final minutes of the game, straight up the slot, only to be bailed out by Thomas. I know he's young, but he's making far too many mistakes to warrant the ice time he gets.

Thomas has been a bright spot though. He was sharp against the Leafs and played as well as he did last year. It was the first time Thomas has looked like himself in months. Let's hope it continues - you always want your number 1 guy to play at his best, no matter how good the backup is.

It will be interesting to see how these guys respond during the season's final stretch. Every game is a must-win, or they risk missing the playoffs, which start in 20 games.

Bruins Shut Senators Out

Sorry for my absence here on Black, White and Gold. I've been working a writing contract that has kept me really busy and unable to do regular updates. Although, maybe that's for the best, given that the B's last four games have all been losses, and nobody really wants to read my stream of invectives.

Tonight's game against the Senators was what you could euphemistically call a 'defensive battle', but more accurately position as a game between two teams that cannot score.

Tim Thomas got the start tonight (which makes sense), but I was startled to see that Timmy is one game under .500 in his wins and losses, and his GAA is creeping up. It has not been a bad season for Thomas, but it certainly has been inconsistent, and his play of late has added a touch more heart-in-mouth-syndrome than usual. Tonight, however, Thomas was his usual spring-loaded self, and gained the shutout despite a couple of close calls.

The game was tied 0-0 going into the third period, when Patrice Bergeron was finally able to capitalize on a fat rebound to put the Bruins ahead by a goal. About 4 minutes later, Marco Sturm was given a great breakaway feed by Marc Savard, and he potted the Bruins' second of the night. It was all the B's would need for the win.

The Bruins' powerplay was, again, absolutely abhorrent. They went 0-3 and only looked marginally dangerous on one of the man-advantages. I know I know nothing about what actually happens in NHL practices, but are the Bruins even trying to improve this powerplay? I mean, it has been over 30 games and they are still nearly last in the league, run each powerplay at half-impulse-power and look totally disorganized nearly every time out.

Maybe the Bruins need some quality time with Coach O'Connor, my Pee-Wee hockey coach, who taught our team how to run a decent umbrella-style powerplay. We got to the finals that year! Then we lost by two goals. But we had an effective powerplay! But still lost by two goals.

Regardless, Zdeno Chara looked great tonight, and the team welcomed Dennis Wideman back from injury. It turns out they didn't need a good powerplay to win, but man....it sure would be nice to say they had one anyway.

The Bruins play again on Wednesday against Atlanta, and then bundle up for the Holiday break, hoping that Santa brings them some powerplay goals.

Bruins Make Savvy Move

TSN is reporting that the Bruins have locked up forward Marc Savard to a 7-year contract, with an average annual cap hit of $4.2 million. This is great news for the Bruins Nation, as Savard has continued to be an over-achieving / under-appreciated asset in the NHL, and the Bruins clearly want to retain his services long-term.

One of the darkest days for me as a Bruins fan (and there have been quite a few) was the day that Joe Thornton was traded away. At the time (and now!), Thornton was in the top five in scoring, and in exchange the Bruins received players who are simply not in the upper ranks - only one of whom still plays for the club (and before anyone considers this an insult, I will say again that I am big fan of Marco Sturm, but everyone must acknowledge that he does not put up the points that Thornton does). It was yet another example of the Bruins scuttling the quality of the team for some short-term gains.

Conversely, one of the happiest days for me as a Bruins fan came on July 1st, 2006, when the B's signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, ending a looooooong drought where the B's chose the bottom line over on-ice performance. They've both been outstanding Bruins.

As Savard approached unrestricted free agency, I was pretty concerned that the team would decide to shop around, once again bringing in role players and mid-level talent for an elite set-up man. Fortunately, the Bruins decided to stay-the-course they chose a few seasons ago, and re-up Savard for the long haul.

A great move for the Bruins, a great opportunity for Savard, and hopefully, a move that puts Savard onto the radar of the Team Canada management, who have thus far criminally overlooked Savvy for the Olympics.

Welcome back, Savvy.

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 Fall to Red Wings - 2-0

The Bruins' loss tonight pivoted on two minutes of poor play, where the Red Wings were able to pot a powerplay goal and then follow up with a quick even-strength tally in the 1st period, leaving the Bruins unable to respond for the rest of the game.

It was a very frustrating night for this Bruins fan, simply because the B's had chances to score - there were several shots rung off posts and at least one goal-line-trickler - all of which go toward making Chris Osgood look better than he actually is. That actually hurts me.

What also hurts is the Bruins' dismal powerplay, which ranks 29th in the league and went (by my count) 0-for-4 tonight. Coupled with the B's scoring only 3 goals in their last 4 games, the Bruins offense is looking pretty anemic right now and they need some guys to boost their play.

Not helping things? David Krejci, who actually played okay, but only okay, and frankly that's not going to be good enough with the contract he's sitting on and the injuries the Bruins have sustained. Krejci needs to be a force on the ice every time he's on it, and right now he's only causing a few surprises every 10-or-so shifts.

Also in my doghouse is Marco Sturm who was only notable tonight for taking the penalty that led to the first Red Wings goal, and Mark Recchi who seemed ineffectual at best and completely invisible at worst. For some reason, Recchi was awarded ice time in the final 2 minutes of the game and it was the first time I'd noticed him in 2 periods of play.

Frustrating also was the play of Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ference who each looked out of their respective positions for most of the night. I don't know if the Detroit speed caught them off-guard, but they looked like they were caught being reactive, rather than proactive, all game.

It was not a total washout for the Bruins though - I thought Patrice Bergeron looked really strong, I was impressed by Brad Marchand's energy and grit, and both Chara and Morris looked good as the number-one defensive pairing.

Tim Thomas also had a really strong game, snagging pucks out masses of bodies, and keeping his team in contention. Obviously, Detroit are known for how hard they crash the net, and Thomas did not look particularly phased by the activity in front of his net tonight.

But by far the strongest Bruins player of the night was Shawn Thornton, who created scoring opportunities and created chaos every time he hit the ice. Along with Steve Begin and (call-up) Trent Whitfield, Thorton's line seemed to be the one the Red Wings had the most trouble controlling.

And that's terrible.

When a team like the Bruins, rich in talent and depth (even with their injuries), has to rely on their 4th line for leadership and goal-scoring prowess, there's something not right in the line up.

Having missed the last few games for obvious reasons, I am going to reserve judgement on the Bruins so far this season, but tonight's game seems to echo reports of their most recent and Claude Julien has his work cut out for him: address the (awful) powerplay, improve the play of the top six forwards, and perhaps spend some time with Ference, some video footage, and a cattle prod.

The Bruins next play the Canadiens, this Thursday.

bruins trade aaron ward, sign derek morris

Sometimes the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes of NHL clubs make little sense to outsiders such as you and me.

Yesterday the Bruins traded Aaron Ward back to Carolina (where he won a cup), for Patrick Eaves and a late-round draft pick. The Bruins then put Eaves on unconditional waivers, seemingly with no intention of having him join the club.

All of the above seemed to be an effort to clear some space under the salary cap, and left the blogosphere (read: normal humans who do not work for the Bruins) suspecting this salary dump was to enable GM Chiarelli to re-sign Phil Kessel.

Hang on to your hat: the blogosphere got something wrong.

The Bruins went out this morning (or, late last night if your sleep-patterns match my own) and signed free-agent defender Derek Morris.

Morris, as you may remember, was one of the names being thrown around at last year's trade deadline as a potential pick-up for a team looking to bolster their back line with an offensive-defenseman. He ended up signing with the Rangers, because apparently, at some point every NHL player has to.

Now Morris, the former first-round draft pick (Flames in '96), comes to the Bruins on a one-year deal.

The reality is that Morris has a truly great first pass out of the zone, he's solid on the powerplay, offering a right-handed shot and enough playmaking to play pivot from the blue line with the man advantage. So there are skills there, for sure.

On the other hand, without Aaron Ward, the Bruins are far more suspect defensively. Partnered with Zdeno Chara last season, Ward was responsible for making sure Chara looked Norris-worthy, covering up for defensive gaffs by the Bruins captain.

Ward blocked shots, dished out hits, and played with a nasty streak that inspired a similar attitude in other Bruins. He played injured for nearly two seasons, but unfortunately, that meant that with his salary ($2.5 million) and age, he became a player on the bubble as the Bruins moved forward under salary cap constraints.

Derek Morris is simply not a replacement for Ward's presence in the defensive zone, and frankly none of the remaining Bruins defenders are stay-at-home types who can pick up the slack. This absence will remain an issue for the Bruins as the season approaches, and getting a legitimate defensive-defenseman will become more pressing if the Bruins wish to build on last season's achievements.

...Arguably more pressing than re-signing Phil Kessel.

chara, thomas and julien win top awards

It may not be the Stanley Cup, but Bruins' Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Claude Julien all won top honours in their respective categories tonight at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Chara walked away with the Norris, Thomas the Vezina, and Claude Julien won the Jack Adams Award.

Julien was presented the Adams by Pat Burns, whose career path aligns with Julien's: coaching in the same cities (the same junior team, then Montreal, Boston, New Jersey) and now winning a Jack Adams award as well. Let's hope there's a Cup in Julien's near future too.

Thomas' speech was pretty incredible. He was emotional and said he has spent more time worrying about just getting his name on a roster than the Cup, and was humbled to be included in the names of his heroes. Very cool.

Overall a great night for the B's.

bruins - season wrap up - award nominations

Well, enough time has passed since the Bruins were eliminated in overtime of Game Seven against the Hurricanes (themselves ousted by the Penguins, en route to the Finals and the Cup) to get a sense of the Bruins' season.

Which is to say, I've pulled out of the several-day funk.

And I'll begin by addressing those Bruins nominated for awards this year.

First, Bruins coach Claude Julien was named The Sporting News' coach of the year, and is nominated for the NHL's Jack Adams award for coaching excellence. He led the club to the top of the Eastern Conference in the regular season (with a record of 53-19-10), and amassed 116 points, marking the first time the club has broken 100 points since 2003-2004.

The B's went out in the second round, and I think Julien was out-foxed a bit by Paul Maurice. However, I don't think the team played particularly well for their coach in games two or four and he certainly cannot be blamed for the exit from the Playoffs. He's a good guy, well liked and respected, and given his history of sometimes getting a raw deal despite maintaining winning records, I would be pleased if he won the Jack Adams award.

Tim Thomas was always solid, and often brilliant, in nets this year. He posted up a record of 36-11-7 with a smoking 2.10 Goals Against Average in the regular season, and went 7-4 with a 1.85 GAA (which seems crazy low to me) in the playoffs. He won the Roger Crozier Saving Grace award (which I'd never heard of) for Best Save Percentage, and (with Manny Fernandez) won the Jennings Trophy for lowest GAA in the NHL. He has also been nominated for the Vezina, which would be a phenomenal achievement for Thomas, given his journeyman rise to the NHL. Most importantly, he has been re-signed to a multiyear deal, allowing him to continue to achieve while prospect Tuuka Rask develops (more on Manny Fernandez in a subsequent post).

Finally, Zdeno Chara was nominated for a Norris Trophy, the (second-most) coveted prize for defenders. The Bruins captain had 19 goals and was a ridiculous plus -23 in a season where he was a dominant force, game in, game out. Chara's previous two seasons with the club had him, at times, looking for an identity on the ice - questioning whether he should he be offensive, or be looking to keep it simple - ultimately having defensive lapses in the middle ground. But this year, Chara really seemed to find a comfortable groove doing almost everything right. He played a much simpler game that allowed his mean-streak to shine through, and I think the good people of the Bruins' nation have come to embrace him (by linking arms). Chara is also a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which goes to the player with active community involvement.

These awards will all be handed out on Thursday, I believe, but regardless of the outcome, it is important to recognize these Bruins players for their nominations and growth as a team this season. Next, addressing free agencies!

bruins eliminated in game seven, overtime

The Bruins came back from a 3 - 1 series deficit, and fought back in tonight's game to force overtime after being down 2-1 , but ultimately, their season is over. The Hurricanes won in OT tonight, 3-2.

The Bruins had chances to win this game, as did the Hurricanes (including a goal-line-and-post roller that Aaron Ward fished away at the last moment), and despite my obvious preference for a Bruins win, I enjoyed this game immensely. The play was fast, chippy, with some stellar goaltending and big hits. Lucic was incredible, Bergeron was unlike any Bergeron I've seen play before, Thomas stood on his head, and Chara was dominant force. Ultimately, it was not enough though, and the B's will clean out their lockers.

I'll write more about the Bruins' season in the next few days - it has been a remarkable year - and I don't have the capacity to do a roundup right now.

The strange thing is that while I am very disappointed, I guess I've been somewhat aware that the Bruins could be put out for awhile (that's what being down 3 - 1 in a Series will do, I guess), so I'm not as frustrated or as upset as I was after, say, Game Four when the B's just didn't show up. I would very much have liked the B's to continue on, but I've understood what odds they were facing for about a week now, and thought they did an amazing job battle back against those odds.

Still - I think this Bruins club opened a lot of eyes in this year's Playoffs. My goal for the team this year was to make the Second Round (thus improving on their accomplishments from last year). To win the First Round in a sweep of Montreal was awesome, and to push the Second Round to a Game Seven overtime is an incredible development for a team that missed three Playoffs in a row, just prior to the last two. This also means that next year, I will expect them to make the Conference Finals.

And planning for that should begin tomorrow. No pressure.

My congrats to a Bruins club that entertained me all year. My condolences on a loss in a game you probably deserved to win.

bruins win 4 - 0 - bring the series to three games to two

The Bruins endured about five minutes of the Hurricanes' assault before simply taking over tonight's game. Phil Kessel had two goals and Zdeno Chara had two assists in what could be his best game of the playoffs.

I'm not sophisticated enough to know what changes Claude Julien brought in for Game Five, but I do know that the Bruins came out flying, winning the physical battles with the Hurricane forwards, and bringing back the all-attack-defense that made the Bruins successful all season.

Tonight's game was the first time the Bruins have played the Hurricanes at their full potential, and the difference between Game Five and Game Four was remarkable. The Bruins kept the 'Canes pinned in their zone for long stretches and hit everything that moved, frustrated the speed of the Hurricane forwards, and rushed the Carolina defenders into making mistakes with the puck.

The Bruins also activated their defenders, who were pinching on the side walls for loose pucks whenever they had a chance, or to maintain constant body-contact on the 'Canes players, which began to wear them down as the game progressed. By the end of the game, Eric Staal was a step slower than he has been all series, in large part due to the constant wear and tear. On top of all this, Tim Thomas, who was great when he needed to be, recorded his first career playoff shut out.

With any luck, the Bruins will bring this same intensity to Game Six, and will continue to play with the angry edge that they had tonight. It brings results and forces Carolina into playing Bruin hockey, and gives the B's a distinct edge.

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 lose 3-2 in overtime as carolina takes the series lead

Ultimately, this Bruins club and these Hurricanes are evenly matched and the games have been unbelievable. The goaltending in this series has been stellar and there are enough hits (cheap, illegal and otherwise) to keep a certain vegetarian Montrealer very happy.

Tonight's game could have obviously gone either way. The Bruins opened the scoring, but went down 2-1 within a 1:09 span in the second period. Deep into the 3rd the B's were able to tie it up and send the game into overtime, where the 'Canes got the winner (after about 7 quality Bruins' chances on Cam Ward). Thomas stood on his head the entire game and just barely missed the game-winning goal with his stick.

Steve Montador is deeply in my bad books after a ridiculous giveaway on the goal-line to Eric Staal on the 'Canes' first goal, and then allowing Samsonov to walk in and shoot on Carolina's second, but he salvaged himself a bit with some nice point play on the B's tying tally in the third. Still, I'd like to see Sheriff Shane Hnidy in game four.

Sending this game to OT was really all I could ask of these guys (well, before the game I asked for a 6-0 blowout, but it was clear that wasn't going to happen) given how hard-fought the game was. While a few players had some bad shifts, the Bruins battled for every puck, got the shots on net and dug for rebounds. We lost some people to injury (notably, Andrew Ference, whose absence would again increase the pressure on Montador), but more often than not, had players return for their next shift, bloodied but not broken.

For my part, I squeezed the corner of a couch cushion for three straight hours and now have a hand cramp that makes typing excruciating. But soft! I shall battle through it.

The Bruins and Hurricanes renew their (increasingly hostile and bloody) acquaintances on Friday night, again in Carolina. It's a cliche to say that Game Four is the most important game in a series, because Games One, Two and Three are just as important. However, the Bruins really need to take Game Four and return to Boston with the series tied.

Of Note: Apparently, the Bruins do not read my blog - there was only marginally more traffic in front of Ward tonight, but both goals came from players in front capitalizing on rebounds; the game unraveled quickly when Chara was not on the ice to check Staal (a consequence of Carolina having the last change); I have invented all-new profanity for the playoffs, and after tonight's very tense game, my neighbours are now very familiar with it - désolé mes voisins!

bruins lose 3-0 as carolina evens the series

Over the season I've watched different Bruins teams hit the ice. Sometimes the team shows up and dominates (as per Game One), and sometimes they come out really flat. However, the Bruins club we saw tonight was a rarer beast - one that gets outplayed into making mistakes.

Mostly known for their discipline and adherence to Coach Julien's system, the Bruins tonight put themselves into positions for blocked shots, errant passes and giveaways. The giveaways were particularly costly, as Chara's blind cross-blueline pass on the powerplay was picked off and led to a goal against.

It should be noted that the Hurricanes were expecting that pass, I suspect because their coaches told them to, and also that on the Bruins' powerplay in the 3rd period, Chara played down low, screening the goalie - something I've not seen him do since playing in Ottawa. And it's a good plan to place Chara in front of the net, because:

Cam Ward will stop everything he can see.

I know it's tempting to always have a 105 mile an hour slapshot on your point, but if the shots are not getting through, or being easily seen, something has to change for that shot to be successful. Big bodies in front would help.

Incidently, I have been a little underwhelmed with the play of Blake Wheeler, a hulking monster of a kid with great speed. Given that Ward is playing so well, I think the B's should focus on getting more action in front of him, and consider Wheeler and Lucic for the role. If the 'Canes are expecting those D to D passes, and there is a clear line of sight on every shot from the point:

Cam Ward will stop everything he can see.

Too much is made in the media about the battle between Eric Staal and Chara. The bigger battle is between all the Bruins and Cam Ward. Hopefully Game 3 will bring a little bit more intensity from the Bruins, and create more chances for ugly goals down low.

Of note: This is the Bruins' first loss of the playoffs, and ends their home-ice winning streak at 11 games going back to the regular season; the Hurricanes have never lost two playoff games in a row; Mark Stuart had an excellent game, I thought, quietly making smart, tough plays; the photo at top is Thomas making four saves while being pushed into his net - he was not at fault for any of the goals against.

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 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.