The Bruins Off-Season - Drafts, Trades and Deals

Now that the sting has worn off from this year's version of the Great Bruins Playoff Failure, it is time to assess the Bruins' off-season maneuvering.

The obvious stuff first:

Drafted Tyler Seguin: considered the 1a (next to Taylor Hall) in this year's draft, Seguin is apparently an "Yzerman-like Centre". The Bruins are so confident in the 18-year old's abilities, they are already making moves based around acquiring him (see below).

Traded Dennis Wideman (and picks) for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell: I'm one of the few Bruins fans that liked Wideman, and thought the fans gave him a rough ride for performing a difficult job. Admittedly, sometimes more poorly than you'd like, but far more often solidly and reliably. Nathan Horton is a solid pick-up, and provides some needed relief on wing - he's a perennial 20 to 30 goal scorer.

Craig Ramsay takes Head Coaching job with the Thrashers: Ramsay is a very cool guy, he reminds me a little of William S. Burroughs, and preaches a solid defense. I believe the Bruins will miss Ramsay's ability to really connect with players and stick to the game plan. Chara has undoubtedly learned a great deal from Ramsay and I wish him all the best in Atlanta, because he got a raw deal in Philly and deserves the opportunity.

Bruins re-sign Boychuk and Recchi: Jonny Boychuk re-upped for 2 years and Recchi for 1, each bringing something good to the Bruins. Smart signings with minor cap hits.

Bruins trade Sobotka to St. Louis: This just happened before the free-agency opened. Sobotka was a restricted free-agent, and I suspect this is a cap pressured situation, because after years of waiting for him, Sobotka finally started coming into his own in last year's playoffs. Too bad he's now a Blue. In exchange the B's get a Boston College player named David Worsofsky, a puck-moving defenseman. And so, the circle of life completes itself - out goes Wideman, in come Worsofsky.

The Rumours:

There are rumours that the B's are dangling Marc Savard as trade bait, now that they've drafted Seguin. I don't know what the Bruins want in return, but I hope they realize players of Savard's ability are very hard to come by. He's got Adam-Oates-ian vision and skill, and he makes mediocre wingers better. Imagine him setting up Horton?

There are also rumblings that the Bruins are willing to trade Tim Thomas, and that Thomas has waived his no-trade clause. Again, I don't know what the Bruins think they need, but to trade away a Vezina-winning goalie after a half-season of being outplayed by a rookie seems a bit rash. The Bruins' road to hell is paved with one-year wonders. They must have believed in Thomas at some point - did they think he was the greater risk of being the one-year wonder than Rask?

I'm not really comfortable with trading away your top Centre and a freshly Vezina'd heroic goalie for mostly-unproven talent. They are shedding contracts but not really looking at the dead wood.
Which brings me to the...

Questions:

Why isn't Ryder's name coming up in trade talks?

Why isn't Sturm's name coming up in trade talks?

and:

What's happening with Blake Wheeler? Are they shedding the big kid, or are they going to continue to invest in his development?

While this isn't the most homoerotic photo of Tyler Seguin I've seen, it is in the top three:

It could be an interesting few days in the Bruins nation if trade or free-agency deals get done. I get the feeling a salary dump is coming on.

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 Drop 10th Straight Game - Aim for 11 Today

Not only have the Bruins lost 10 straight games, they've lost their last two games in the shootout after surrendering a 2 goal lead.

People talk about teams being "fragile" when they go on losing streaks, but I honestly can't imagine how damaged the Bruins players must be feeling right now.

And my response?

I do not care.

The Bruins are playing well enough to win these games - at least the defensemen and goalies are. The reality is that all the chances that guys like Marco Sturm, David Krejci and Blake Wheeler are getting down low have to be buried. If you are a top six forward, it is not enough to be 'contributing' unless your contributions are goals. The Bruins do not need multimillion dollar backchecking forwards - just ask PJ Axelsson (if you can find him....I think he's somewhere in Sweden).

When a 42 year old Mark Recchi is out-hustling guys TWO DECADES his junior, then something needs to happen to shake things up.

One more point: can someone explain the idea of doing chip & chase (or dump & chase) on the powerplay? Like, you already have possession of the puck, and you have one more player than your opposition. What is the logic behind consistently throwing the puck away into the corner, to then go to try to retrieve it? It is not working, and it is a ridiculous idea to begin with. You already have the puck! Jeez, skate the damned puck in, curl back and set it up. Obviously. Just look at any team with a successful powerplay for examples of how it is done. Man.

The Bruins enter this afternoon's game against the Canadiens one game short of their all-time losing streak record of 11 games. Unless they improve some fundamental things right away, they're going to lose today as well. It pains me to say - especially against the Canadiens - but I can't expect the Bruins to win if their last two games are any indication of where the team is headed.

An absolutely brutal streak will be on the line this afternoon.

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.

Pre-Season NHL - Bruins 3 - Leafs 2

Another scrambly, somewhat disorganized pre-season game tonight, this time between the Black, White and Gold and the Maple Leafs.

I watched tonight's game online, amidst an alarming number of homophobic trolls pumping out the commentary on the PM sidebar. I spend enough of my life online to know how common this is, but man, it can be a real drag when you are just trying to watch a game. On the plus side, some Francophones logged in and allowed me to practice my French.

For tonight's match, the Bruins put Dany Sabourin in net, who, like Tuukka Rask is fighting for the backup slot behind Tim Thomas. Sabourin played alright, but looked like he'd have a lot of trouble facing a full (ie: not mostly prospects) NHL team, and will probably start the season with Providence. Too many shots just squeaking by the post in the final moments to keep Claude
Julien a young man.

Also positive for the B's was the play of Brad Marchand - one of my "underwhelmers" from yesterday's game really stepped up and played well, scoring the Bruins' second goal. Same thing with Jamie Arniel, who was another "underwhelmer" last night, but tonight played a far quicker game and created opportunities.

Weirdly, it was returning players Byron Bitz and Blake Wheeler who looked a step behind tonight. Hopefully this pre-season rust flakes off quickly, and they can both return to last year's breakout form.

Matt Hunwick, unfortunately, had a brutal game. Hunwick was one of my favourites last year before his season ended with his spleen being removed (off-ice, of course). In tonight's game he was turned inside out on the Leaf's first goal and looked pretty shakey throughout the game, putting shots into shins and missing passes.

Likewise for new Bruin free-agent Derek Morris, who mangled three clearing attempts in the same shift. I truly hope this guy improves because his contract is what's keeping the Bruins from re-signing Kessel.

On the whole, however, I was fairly pleased with the Bruins' win. Despite some sloppy play and a few scary moments in net (and online), it was fun to watch Patrice Bergeron, Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman playing at their customary level, and also, much like yesterday, it was just fun to watch the B's on the ice again.

bruins free agents, salary cap and next year's plans

This weekend's NHL Draft (taking place just a few minutes away from my house, in fact) has brought a spotlight on the Bruins' players who are not locked to long-term contracts.

In particular, a rumour was circling yesterday involving Phil Kessel, who becomes a Restricted Free Agent as of July 1st, that would see him go to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle. The deal seems to have broken down due to nobody really understanding whether it was Kessel and draft picks for Kaberle, or Kaberle and draft picks for Kessel.

Ridiculous.

This reminds me of how, a few years ago, the Bruins announced they had signed Jonas Hoglund only to have the deal annulled due to a faulty fax machine, or how Ray Shero agreed to become GM only to then change it up and sign with Pittsburgh while the Bruins were organizing the press conference to announce his arrival (on the other side of that, while Shero has the Cup, I think Chiarelli has done the better work as GM).

Regardless, what this all suggests is that the Bruins will probably try to move Kessel rather than ink him to a long-term deal. The money that Kessel will probably demand on the open market (somewhere around $5 million, when he's probably at a stage of his development that should garner $2.75 - $3.5 million) was better spent by the B's on David Krejci - who, while less explosive than Kessel, is a more consistent player in both ends of the ice and is at a different stage of development.

Kessel reminds me of a young Marian Hossa, who entered the league as a legitimate offensive threat but would disappear for long stretches of games. While Kessel had a far better season than last year, and has shown a tremendous amount of character in both his professional and personal life, he does seem to be one of those players that simply needs more experience to fully bloom into a well-rounded NHL player. I have no doubt it will come, but the reality of today's NHL is that the Bruins only have a certain amount of time and cap room to wait for Kessel to become the player he can be.

Having said that, Chiarelli has stated he'll match any offer put forward for Kessel, but given the team's salary cap concerns, I would expect that Kessel will be moved shortly thereafter, regardless of how much they want to retain Kessel.

When the season ended, the B's had several important pieces remaining unsigned - including the aforementioned Krejci and Kessel, but most importantly, Vezina Trophy winning goalie, Tim Thomas. The Bruins made the right move and ensured Thomas will remain with the club for the next four years by inking him to a $20 million contract. Props to Chiarelli for getting this deal done.

This means that backup Manny Fernandez will be allowed to walk (or, more reasonably, hobble) into free agency, and that Tuuka Rask will probably be brought up for NHL seasoning. It should make for an interesting and emotionally explosive goaltending tandem. Hopefully, the Bruins have maintained their stick sponsors through next season.

Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz are also RFAs this year, and both are young enough and played well enough in the playoffs to warrant contracts. I expect the Bruins will find a way to bring both these guys into the fold. These two are the Bruins' primary concerns after Kessel as they represent high quality prospects with tremendous size and desire to get dirty.

Coming up on Unrestricted Free Agency are defensive stalwarts PJ Axelsson and Stephane Yelle, and ironically, the less-defensively-sound Steve Montador. I believe Axelsson is the longest-serving Bruin but I doubt the B's will be able to retain him with the other players they have to bring under contract. In fact, I would be surprised if, after money is allocated to Bitz and Hunwick, the Bruins have any budget room for another big-ticket UFA, so I suspect they'll all be set free (including Shane Hnidy and the handsome Mark Recchi).

If the Bruins lose / set free Hnidy and Montador, but are able to bring Hunwick under contract, that will mean that he and Mark Stuart will see increased responsibilities next season. I would suspect that Chiarelli will also try to bring in another veteran with a mean streak, as that would retain the identity of the team and offer some mentorship to younger defenders without over-burdening Chara with yet another responsibility.

Prospects Wacey Rabbit, Carl Soderberg and Martin St. Pierre are also Restricted Free Agents with Soderberg being the priority signing. Should those kids all come on board they could serve with the Big Club in limited roles, potentially replacing Yelle and, through group-effort, Axelsson.

I sort of feel like the Bruins can reel in Hunwick and Bitz, give them a bigger role, and try to sign Kessel in order to deal him for other young guns. If they can do the above, and let the other UFAs they have coming up walk away, then they will experience a drop in team depth, but they could get lucky and have some kids fill in admirably (it happened this year with nearly every young kid on the team, with Krejci, Wheeler and Stuart having wonderful years), and still be a very competitive team next year, while building toward the seasons that follow.

On that score, the bigger concern for the future is what to do at the end of next season when Wheeler, Lucic, Mark Stuart and Marc Savard all come up as Free Agents. Ugh. Headacheville.

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 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 3-0 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 - 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 - hurricanes 1

The Bruins lumbered into last night's tilt with the Hurricanes having lost a season high 4-straight games, and promptly gave up the first goal of the game. That shuddering noise you heard was me...raging and slamming my hand into the table.

However, Blake Wheeler tied the game with quick hands on a rebound, and the game winner came from unlikely sniper Shane Hnidy, who's point-shot found the back of the net.

The 2-1 lead was holding fast through the 2nd and into the 3rd period, thanks to some outstanding goaltending from Tim Thomas (who seems to have re-found his form) and hard-fought one-on-one battles along the perimeter. The turning point of the game came with David Krejci's shorthanded breakaway, which seemed to open the gates for the Bruins' goalscorers - the B's quickly added three goals in the final five minutes of the match.

It was a much needed win for the Bruins, who went 2-for-3 on the powerplay against the 'Canes, despite having a powerplay that went 2-for-36 in their previous 9 games (that's 5.5% for you statisticians).

Personally, I thought the game was important simply because the team looked good, and displayed the tenacity that represented them in the earlier part of the season. They battled from a goal deficit and then maintained the pressure after snatching the one-goal lead until they could break the game open.

All good signs, especially in light of their recent skid.

bruins 4 - hurricanes 2

The Bruins ended the holiday break with another game against their Conference rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite being heavily out-played in the second period (where the shot totals through two periods amounted to 25-12) the Bruins were able to withstand the Hurricane(s) and pull out a win.

Blake Wheeler had two goals, Michael Ryder had one, and Chuck Kobasew added an empty net goal to seal the win. Tim Thomas got the victory in nets, proving that the B's have a legitimate One A-One B goaltending tandem.

With the win, the Bruins pull themselves to within 2 points of the league-leading San Jose Sharks, who seem to get all the attention this year.

Of Note: The Bruins play litmus-test-rivals the Atlanta Thrashers tonight; with last night's win, David Krejci's point streak extends to seven games; the win was the Bruins' seventh-straight over the Hurricanes.

bruins 6 - st. louis 3

The Bruins rolled into St. Louis last night and rolled right over the Blues.

The match was hard-fought, and saw the Blues tying it at 2-2, and 3-3 before the Bruins finally broke it open in the third period. The difference could be the result of the Bruins' years of incompetance / draft picks finally coming to fruition. Which is to say, given another couple of years, the Blues may be as competitive as the Bruins this season -- all the key elements are there.

Blake Wheeler had an impressive night, scoring twice in the first 5 minutes (one, a highlight-of-the-season thus far, where he stickhandled through four Blues players to score shorthanded), and David Krejci continued his impressive play with three assists on the night.

Michael Ryder scored the go-ahead goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass from Axelsson, and Dennis Wideman and Marc Savard rounded out the scoring for the Black, White and Gold.

With the win, Manny Fernandez improves to 11-1-1, giving Coach Julien good reason to keep returning The MF to the nets instead of Tim Thomas. We Bruins faithful hope that when Thomas does get another start he continues his dominant play from earlier this season. The ideal situation would be two strong goaltenders pushing each other toward excellence (think 1989-90 Bruins, with the Reggie Lemelin and Andy Moog combo), rather than consuming each other like distinct cancers (think 2007-8 Senators with Ray Emery and Martin Gerber).

Of Note: Phil Kessel's point streak is now at 18 games; Patrice Bergeron's outlook after receiving another concussion this weekend looks better than expected, and the Bruins' training staff is optimistic; the Bruins are off to their best start since the 1929-30 seaon.

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 3 - canadiens 2 (SO)

In a game where Patrick Roy "came home" to partially make amends for how he departed from Montreal, where Georges Laraque shadowed Milan Lucic, trying to instigate a fight that would somehow make amends for Lucic's pummeling of Komisarek on November 13th, and where the Canadiens tried to make amends for their big loss against the B's in their last game, only one reconciliation stands out - the Bruins, this year, are making amends for last season's losses against the Habs.

I watched part of the game at home, and part of it in my favourite watering hole, surrounded by the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge faithful. They cheered every hit, every shot (and there were a lot in the third, where Boston was outshot 18-5), and ultimately the tying goal from Koivu. And rightly so, I should add.

However, when Blake Wheeler potted the lone goal in the shootout, I was the only one in a crowded bar clapping. Ever to their credit, the Habs fans simply turned and glowered...no swearing in either official language or throwing of things in my direction. At least, not that I noticed in my minor revelry.

When Thomas ultimately stopped Koivu, the last of the three shooters, there was only one voice cheering in the thick silence of the bar, above the announcers on RDS. Despite how it may sound, I wasn't trying to be "showy" about the B's win - I was just very pleased to see them continue their winning streak against their oldest rivals.

In the win, I think Tim Thomas' comments aptly summed up my feelings:

"To come in here and get a win feels really good, especially in a shootout. I've seen Saku score on that last shot and him being the one walking off the ice with his arms raised and all happy. I was happy to be the one with my arms raised and all happy."

And so, a sense of making amends for previous games, and perhaps continuing to reconcile this season's play against les Habs with last years'.

The Bruins now retain sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, and are within three points of San Jose for first in the League.

The Bruins play again on Wednesday, against the Sabres.

bruins 5 - leafs 2

Well, the Bruins made up for their horrible game from a few nights hence, with a more resilient effort against the Maple Leafs.

Despite a third period lag, where they B's were vastly outshot and needed to kill off a 5-on-3 disadvantage, the Bruins were able to rely on the stellar - and need I say All-Star-Nomination-Warranting - performance of Tim Thomas, and the first career hat-trick by Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler, who was apparently not quality enough to play for the Phoenix Coyotes (wha...?) added a well-timed empty-net goal to his evening's output, registering his first 3-goal game for the Bruins.

Of note, Wheeler also changed his uniform to Number 26 before last night's game. By wearing 26, he joins the company of such Bruins luminaries as Don Awrey, Mike Milbury, Mike Knuble, and Bill Goldsworthy. Good company to keep, and given his luck wearing the number, probably a good sweater to keep too.

Honourable mentions for last night's game: Mark Stuart, who laid out Jason Blake and sent him flying into the players bench, and Sean Thornton, who brought a surprisingly soft set of hands to last night's game.

Good show. The Bruins improve to 7-3-3 with last night's win.

flames 3 - bruins 2

The Bruins completed their Western road swing with an unfortunate loss against the Flames in Calgary.

The one-goal difference suggests a much closer game than the Bruins actually produced. The second period was dominated by the Flames, outshooting the Bruins 20 - 9, and Boston was lucky to come out in one piece, quite frankly.

A long streak of penalties also stacked the cards against the B's, especially given the team's anemic penalty-kill (am I the only one seeing this? Where are the 'busy sticks'? Where's the puck pressure and shifting umbrella?), and the team apparently was ripped by coaches in the second intermission.

Alas, it was not enough to elevate the Bruins to a win.

On the positive side, Blake Wheeler continues to impress, and Tim Thomas, while not registering a third-straight shut out, was still his outstanding self, giving the Bruins a chance to win in the game when they only competed in fits and starts.

The Bruins play Dallas on Saturday. Let's hope for more effort.