Bruins Maul Panthers

In a weird twist, last night I went looking online for the Bruins-Panthers match, only to find out that the game was finishing at 7.30. I didn't realize the game was a matinee and with the time zones, I completely missed the boat.

However, I caught what I could of the game, and was pleased to see the Bruins win.

Florida started (backup) Scott Clemmensen, who played a solid game, and Tim Thomas, after letting in a soft goal at the 4 minute mark, played incredibly well through the rest of the match - especially in the final moments, when he stopped a Florida forward with the tying goal on his stick, from point-blank range.

Marco Sturm and Michael Ryder scored for the Bruins, who have won 3-straight, and now improve to a respectable 19-11-7.

By far the biggest distraction for the Bruins right now is the upcoming Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year's Day. With all the hype and media attention, it would be easy for the Bruins to let games like yesterday's against the Panthers simply slide by.

Given that the Bruins usually have a major dip in January, it is very important that they rack up as many points as possible now against the League's "have-not" teams, as that cushion will help them in the playoff race. It's a cliche to say that every win counts, but given how tight the race will be in the Eastern Conference, the cliche is true.

The B's face Tampa Bay tonight, and the Thrashers on Wednesday before facing off against the retro Flyers at Fenway on Friday.

It is a busy week for the Bruins, but if they are able to continue to get wins, they should be in good shape for that push between New Years and the Olympic break.

For Bruins, Frustrations & Losses Mount

Unless you've only been a Bruins fan for a single season (in which case, let me be the first to tell you that there are far more robust bandwagons to hop on), you'll know that a big part of being a Bruins fan is negotiating the frustrations that come along with the job.

In my lifetime, the Bruins have not won a single Stanley Cup, despite making the Finals 5 times. Equally frustrating, they've also missed the playoffs 5 times. Hence, the radical dichotomy that exists inside all B's fans.

Witness the last two games for the Bruins as examples:

Against Florida on Thursday, the Bruins peppered Tomas Vokoun with 40-something shots, extensively outplayed the Panthers, received great goaltending from Tim Thomas, yet ended up in a 1-0 loss.

Last night against the Penguins, the Bruins were down 2-0, battled back into the game, exchanging goals with Crosby & Co., and ended up taking the lead with a little over a minute left in the match. However, the Bruins were unable to shut the Penguins down, and gave up the tying goal with 0.3 seconds left (less than a second from victory), ultimately losing in overtime.

It has been that kind of season thus far for the Bruins and the Bruins faithful. The Bruins scoring touch may have returned against the Pens, but the result was still a loss. The offense may have been going on all cylinders against the Panthers, but the result, again, was still a loss. Marc Savard and Milan Lucic may have resumed practices with the Bruins, but the results, for now, are more losses.

The most frustrating part, of course, is that the Bruins have basically looked pretty good in these games. They are playing well, and just haven't been getting the wins. While that may be some comfort to B's fans, generally speaking, teams are not given access to the post-season because they've almost won games.

With the season one-quarter over the Bruins need to find those small differences that make close games into wins. It is what they were able to do last year, and those small differences are what ultimately wins games in the playoffs.

Until then, Bruins fans are stuck pondering the what-ifs - the same way we did in the years we only made the finals, or missed the playoffs entirely.

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 4 - panthers 0

The Bruins came out swinging in their tilt against the Panthers last night. Manny Fernandez got the start in nets facing down a resurgent Craig Anderson, but despite any angles that would suggest this being a tight contest, the Bruins simply rolled over the Florida club.

Phil Kessel extended his point-streak to 11 games, notching a goal, and David Krejci has quietly extended his point-streak to 8 games as the Bruins won this game 4-0.

The two notable storylines in last night's game were around Fernandez, who has been stellar in a sort of One-B role, whose shutout marks his seventh consecutive win, and the recurring significance of the Bruins' depth of scoring.

The B's got goals last night from four different scorers, across the top three lines. Blake Wheeler and David Krejci in particular have emerged as legitimate offensive threats, and Phil Kessel has simply not been the same player since being benched by Coach Julien in last year's playoffs. He's been focused and gritty in every game since, and came into this season with a renewed focus. Chuck Kobasew seems to have finally found a home, using his speed to generate opportunities, and Michael Ryder, while still being a streaky goalscorer, has been playing with a tenacity that produces turnovers -- a tenacity he was missing last year with the Habs -- meaning that even in games where he is not producing points he's having an impact.

Florida Coach Peter DeBoer:
"We were overmatched. We would have needed everything to go right and we didn't get it. They took advantage of our roster and dismantled us fairly easily. We could have been out there for three days and still not scored."

Of Note: The Bruins welcomed back Dennis Wideman last night. Patrice Bergeron drove the net, but unfortunately slid into, and injured, Craig Anderson who had to be replaced by Tomas Vokoun. The Bruins improve to 17-4-4 -- going 16-2-1 over their last 19 games -- good enough for 1st Place in the Eastern Conference.

bruins 4 - panthers 2

Given the amount of attention that will be paid to the Bruins game here tomorrow night (coupled with the retirement of Patrick Roy's 33 at the Bell Centre), it would be pretty easy for the Bruins and Bruins faithful to overlook tonight's match against the Panthers.

But a strong effort from the Bruins managed to secure another home win for the Black, White and Gold.

Marc Savard, David Krejci and Dennis Wideman all left the game for short spells with injuries, but fortunately returned and continued to make their presence felt. Savard had a goal and an assist, while Krejci and Wideman had a goal and assist respectively.

I should mention that while I harbour no ill feelings in particular toward the Panthers, I take great pleasure in watching (former Hab) Richard Zednick lose. I don't really know why...I think it's because of the playoffs in 2001-2002...which had some good moments too.

At any rate, this was a solid, up-tempo game from the B's, and brings them within two points of first in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand.

The image is taken from Flickr, where a fan has posted some images. Thanks!