Bruins Win Two - Retain Final Playoff Spot

At this point in the season, it's a cliche to say that every win is a big one. But for the Bruins, last night's win over Atlanta, and Sunday afternoon's win over the Rangers, have huge implications for the Bruins' playoff chances.

Not only were the B's able to claim 4 very valuable points (keeping them solidly in 8th, and only one point out of 6th place), they were also able to beat the two teams immediately behind them in the standings.

What alarms me a little is that the scoring is coming from guys like Begin and Satan, instead of Wheeler and Krejci (in Krejci's defense, he's played far better lately). However, given the lack of scoring punch due to the absence of Savard (and Ka$h-Grab Kessel), I guess the B's should take scoring from wherever they can get it. Hell, if Thomas thinks he can pot a couple, put him in the lineup.

The Bruins' next game is against the Lightning on Thursday night. The Lightning obviously have nothing to play for - not even pride - but are still capable of putting pucks in the net. The Bruins need to keep the pressure on every team they play if they expect to make this year's "second season" (which starts in less than a month!).

bruins 3 - lightning 1

The Bruins rolled out their fourth-straight win tonight against the Lightning, and Manny Fernandez recorded his first respectable win in a while for the Black, White and Gold.

Zdeno Chara registered a Gordie Howe hat-trick (fight, goal and assist) in a larger than life performance, and players like Lucic, Wheeler and Bergeron showed themselves in fine playoff form.

While it may not feel like a major accomplishment to dominate a team so far outside the playoff picture (Tampa Bay currently has 24 wins in 76 games this season), it is very important for the Bruins to come out flying in every game as the playoffs approach.

While I admit that tonight I was also watching the Panthers / Senators and the Blackhawks / Canadiens games in an effort to see who the B's may play if they lock up the first place in the Eastern Conference, I feel more comfortable with the Bruins simply playing well enough to decide their own fate.

And other sports cliches.

Either way, it was great to see the Bruins (and Fernandez) play such an impressive game - especially after the two wins this weekend.

The Bruins welcome the Senators to Boston on Thursday night.

bruins 5 - lightning 3

Winter has officially descended on Montreal. The temperature fell to minus 15 yesterday, shocking our systems and encasing the city in ice. Today the snow has continued unabated since beginning in the wee hours, long before the sun emerged to flow diffuse light through the brittle air. We wake up and alternate between appreciating the wonder and beauty of the snow, and hating every moment it dictates in its dominion over our lives.

This is the time of year when hearty Canadians bundle up, pull on multiple layers, and unleash an endless stream of merciless profanity for six straight months, as we dream of cities with perennial warmth and sun.

And so, the Bruins continued their road trip through Florida last night, with another game against Tampa Bay.

Tim Thomas got the start against Rick Tochet's recently-inherited club, who are entrenched in lacklustre performance, despite an embarrassment of on-ice talents. The Bruins took a 3-0 lead into the third period before the Lightning began making the game interesting. 4-1 became 4-2, and with 17 seconds left, the Lightning scored again, making it a one-goal game (before Axelsson's empty netter).

In so doing, the Lightning nearly toppled the B's (and their critics), coming from behind and showing more tenacity than most expect from them.

However, the Bruins insulated themselves against this come back by continuing their strong play. Milan Lucic made his presence felt early, forechecking and hitting everything he could, before potting a goal.

The real story of this game, as has been the case in recent weeks, was Phil Kessel. He has obviously emerged as a go-to guy, with his 12 game point streak continuing last night with a goal, but he's also displaying a wider variety of skills than we've seen from him. He's still a threat with his speed, but his footwork, ability with the puck, and just plain-old trickiness are opening the eyes (and defensive systems) of teams across the league.

The Bruins will board planes and head back East while this snowstorm continues, emerging into a landscape that more strongly suggests Hockey Season. However, despite the warmer environs, it is important that the B's were able to capture as many points as were available from their sunbelt roadtrip.

They are now in 2nd Place Overall in the League.

bruins 3 - lightning 1

Despite getting scored on about 80 seconds into the game (a disturbing trend in recent weeks, I've found), the Bruins were able to rely on stellar goaltending (surprise!) to come from behind and win their first game of December.

Tim Thomas made an unbelievable save in the final seconds of the first period, and a diving save from post-to-post in the first minute of the second period to keep the game close. From there, the Bruins' scoring depth lead the come back. Marc Savard threaded an unreeeeal pass through a defenders' legs to Phil Kessel in the slot, and the score was tied.

Shane Hnidy drew a minor penalty, but on the penalty-kill Blake Wheeler anticipated a D-to-D pass attempt, and lobbed a pass up to a streaking David Krejci. Krejci executed what has to be one of the most extreme inside-out moves this year, and tucked the puck past (Lightning goalie) Mike Smith, for the lead.

In the final moments, Phil Kessel potted an empty-net goal, and the Bruins rolled on past the Tampa Bay club.

Of Note: The win brings the B's to 17-4-4, tied with the Redwings; Phil Kessel's two goals bring his point-streak to 10 games, which is awesome for the Bruins and great for my standings in the Hockey Pool.