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 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.

sabres 4 - bruins 2

The Bruins were seeking their 15th straight home win yesterday afternoon, but met with stiff competition from Division rivals, the Sabres.

Tim Thomas got the start over (the more logical choice of) Manny Fernandez, who has won each of his recent games against Buffalo, whereas Thomas has lost three straight to the Sabres.

Goalmouth scrambles, deflections, and loose defensive coverage allowed the Sabres to get the lead and keep it throughout this game, and while Boston was able to respond with goals from Thornton and Kessel, it was not enough for the win.

Of Note: The Bruins home-win streak therefore ends at 14 games. This is the B's first home loss since October 23rd. They play again on Tuesday, when they welcome the Wild to the Hub.

sabres 3 - bruins 2

The Bruins let the Sabres jump out to a 2-0 lead and ended up trying to play catch up because of it.

Generally, the B's play an attacking style of game, forechecking and pressing the play into their defensive system (which naturally then fuels the offense). Because of this aggressive style, the Bruins were able to overcome their sluggish first-period play, and began mounting a comeback - clawing back into the game with goals from Matt Hunwick and Phil Kessel.

However it was a shorthanded goal from Jochen Hecht, scored 30 seconds after Hunwick tied the game, that finished the Bruins night.

This was the first time in the last 10 games, where the Bruins have finished without gaining at least a point, but Kessel extended his point streak to 7 games.

Image swiped from Flickr, here.

bruins 7 - sabres 4

Like many Bruins fans, I'm fair chuffed about the team's winning streak, but I am also wary of any signs that a calamitous slide may be on its way. Last night's game against the Sabres certainly started in a way that suggested that the wheels may be loosening, en route to falling off completely.

Starter Manny Fernandez (henceforth known simply as the MF) allowed 3 goals on 6 shots, and the Bruins found themselves down 4-2 early in the match. However, the MF was able to regain his focus, and the team was able to staunch the bleeding and mount a comeback.

The comeback was pretty monumental. Savard and Chara each potted a goal to even the score, and then continued to produce. Chara added a second goal, and Savard ended the night with 4 points, bringing him to 600 points in his career, while simultaneously saving my ass in the hockey pool. After being down 4-2, the Bruins scored 5 unanswered goals and came out with the win.

The Bruins are now 7-0-1 in their last eight games, and have enjoyed their longest winning streak since 2002. As I say, like all prudent Bruins fans, I'm cautious about this streak, but when a team can fall behind and keep battling as they have, finding ways to win as they go, it's hard to not feel good about their effort.

Note: Chuck Kobasew is back from his "lower body" injury, and in 7 games this year, he has had four multiple-point nights. The Bruins have killed off 33 of 35 penalties in the last 8 games (94.3% on the PK). They retain first place in the NE Divsion, and are two points out of First in the Eastern Conference.

bruins 3 - sabres 1

In the late 80s, I hated the Buffalo Sabres.

When the Bruins were unrolling a team with top stars that would reach the Finals in 1987-1988 and again in 1990-91, they seemed to always be losing to the Sabres during the season.

And while the Bruins ended up vaulting over the Sabres in both the playoff rounds for the seasons mentioned above, I still grew to use the Sabres as a barometer of how good the Bruins really were. The Sabres provided a guage of whether the Bruins were "the real deal" or not (I still do this the Bruins play the Thrashers or Canadiens).

And though the game has changed and the Sabres are no longer a specific measurement of Bruins success for me, last night's 3-1 win was significant for showing what the Bruins are capable of:

• With the win, the Bruins pulled themselves into a tie with Buffalo for 1st place in the Eastern Conference;
• The Bruins improve to 7-3-3, and have won 3 straight at home;
• Manny Fernandez got the start and proved himself to be a more-than-reliable 1a or 1b keeper in tandem with Tim Thomas;
• Chuck Kobasew returned to the Bruins lineup, after missing every game since the opener with a broken leg. He immediately made an impact, registering a goal and an assist.

The Bruins have, over the course of their most recent run, been competitive in every game and been fun to watch. Given how effort has brought the wins for this team, I just hope that the effort continues.

The Bruins play Chicago on Wednesday.

The image above is of PJ Axelson and Manny Fernandez, photo by Lisa Hornak.