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 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 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 injury updates - prior to game four

I got confirmation from my sources (saw it on TV) that the Bruins will be without the services of Andrew Ference and Blake Wheeler in Game Four. Ference re-injured his lower body - man, I hate it when that happens - and Wheeler was hit by a puck in Game Three.

This means that we probably will see Shane Hnidy in for Game Four, but not at the expense of Steve Montador, as I was hoping earlier. Regardless of who the fill-in might be, the Bruins are simply not as strong with Ference out of the lineup given the player he's become. But the B's do have enough experience with his absence (again, he re-injured his lower body) to probably be comfortable playing without him.

Wheeler's absence is a little trickier. He is 6'5" and 205 pounds with a tremendous upside. However, he's been under effective in this round, becoming invisible for long stretches of games (and Julien usually rolls 4 lines).

Coming into the lineup will most likely be Byron Bitz, who has played less games than Wheeler, but has logged far more games than the next nearest player. Bitz is 6'3" and 200 pounds, so if he's able to at least come in and move some bodies around, he could be effective.

One big difference though: in the Regular Season, Bitz was even on his plus / minus; Wheeler, however, was a plus 36.

We'll see what line combination Coach Julien puts together with his roster tomorrow night. Please tell me Cam Neely is suiting up for the game...we could use a little jam.

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 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.

summer with zee

Since the Bruins have had a few days lay-off (ominous words in such troubled financial times) I thought I'd post about "Summer With Zee", a documentary I saw on the NHL Network last week.

This past summer, Bruins cap'n Zdeno Chara climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, as a fundraising effort for the Right to Play organization.

Chara is typically shown to be a semi-human, test-tube created man-giant with a supernatural impetus to work out. So it was refreshing to me to see him in a more honest light, talking openly about what he's gained from sport and his effort to give back. He came off as humble and generous, I found.

Coupled with Andrew Ference, the B's may have the most socially aware back line (to say nothing of their plus minus). I'm sure the opposition will respect that as they try to gain the zone...

You can watch "Summer With Zee" here.

And do as I did: enjoy watching someone climb a mountain as you eat potato chips.

bruins 5 - stars 1

The Bruins, in their most successful incarnations, have been a team that combines the nimble skills of the elite, with the back alley services of the brawler. At their best, the Bruins have had players that can dangle and score, create amazing opportunities with their passing, and also level the opposition with hard checks and, when necessary, bare-knuckle fighting (sometimes these skills are all found in the same player – a la Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, or perhaps in time, Milan Lucic).

Last night’s home game against the Stars showed the Bruins at their (historical) best, against their polar opposite. In a game that saw 146 minutes in penalties, the B’s faced down the “agitator” antics of Sean Avery and Steve Ott with guts and camaraderie. When Ott delivered a low-bridge hit on Stephane Yelle, or Avery ran Milan Lucic from behind (or any number of other cheap plays through the game), they were met with the willing fists of Bruins stalwarts Sean Thornton, Shane Hnidy and Milan Lucic, but also the unlikely pugilists Marc Savard and Andrew Ference.

Ott and Avery were repeatedly invited to back up their questionable (borderline league-suspension) play with their fists – again, a characteristic of “old-time hockey” and quality NHL clubs of the past – but these two players instead chose to cover up and not be drawn into a fight that would be the logical outcome of their cheap shots. It is a decision that has been noted by media, opponents, and even teammates:

“I don’t know what’s going on here. If this is what we’re going to be about here, just give me a front office job right now.” -- Future Hall of Famer Mike Modano, as quoted here.

However, in the end, the Dallas club received a fitting justice, losing badly to a Bruins team that retained its composure and defended each other. Given the Bruins’ recent history with teams taking liberties with its star players, resulting in concussions and hundreds of man-games lost, it was heartening to see the Black, White and Gold show heart and stick together, while also filling the net.

The highlight of the night, for me at least, saw Andrew Ference fighting Sean Avery. Ference is one of the few NHL players that I can personally relate to (environmentalist, bike enthusiast, social activist, smaller defenseman), but through last season I was always a little disappointed by his play in the defensive zone. This season he seems to have stepped his game up considerably, looking assured and solid with his defensive play, and while he wasn’t able to deliver the K-O that I feel Avery most deserves, Ference showed himself to be a dyed-in-the-wool Bruin, landing a series of lefts (before Avery’s slew-foot take-down), and trying to get past referees to deliver more.

This kind of action shows the heart of Ference as he develops into a more complete player, the cohesiveness of the Bruins as they become a more formidable, tougher team, but probably most significantly, an entire NHL (and its fans) recognizing the gutless, selfish play of Avery, Ott, and a Dallas club that fosters and apparently accepts such behavior.

Also of note, Krys Barch taking on Sean Thornton - it is unfortunate that Barch is left to clean up the mess that his teammates start, but cannot finish.