Bruins Ultimately Tame Wild in Shootout

Tonight's game was one the Bruins had no business winning.

The B's came out hard against the Wild in the 1st period, and then played with less and less steam as the game progressed. They got into penalty trouble in the 2nd, had their offense dry up through the latter 2/3rds of the game, and were forced to rely more and more on their goalie as they limped toward the shootout.

If not for the goaltending heroics of Tuukka Rask, this game would have been out of the Bruins' reach by the midway point of the 2nd period. Despite being outplayed in the opening period, the Wild came out in the 2nd and 3rd periods far more energized than the B's, and as the Wild's offense increased, the Bruins' diminished.

The Bruins stopped shooting the puck, and somehow thought they could still beat All-Star goalie, Nick Backstom, with only 16 shots on net (including overtime). It was very frustrating to watch an endless stream of Bruins forwards try to stick-handle through a maze of defensively-sound Wild players, without letting any shots go.

However, the Bruins were able to hold the Wild to a 1-1 tie, and pushed the game to a shootout, which David Krejci won for the Black, White and Gold. I'm not convinced the Bruins deserved to win this game, but there it is: they did.

Despite my negativity, there were some good things to take away from the Bruins' game tonight. Their passing was crisp, their physical play was (for the most part) up to par, and, as mentioned, their goaltending was outstanding.

But, the game really held more bad than good for the Bruins, even with the win. Most notably, with about 4 minutes left, Milan Lucic was slew-footed at the offensive blue line and collapsed awkwardly, twisting his knee as he fell. He left the game, went to the dressing room (with assistance), and did not return. Other negatives, the Bruins powerplay is still an abomination, and the penalty trouble and low-shot-count were devastating to the B's chances of controlling the game.

Having said all that, the Bruins' 4-game road-trip ends with 4 wins, and they return to Boston with a respectable record (12-8-4) to prepare for their matinee game against the Devils on Friday afternoon.

Let's see which Bruins team turns up against the Devils - the one that dominated the Blues on Monday, or the one that limped to a win against the Wild, tonight.

Bruins Play Wild Tonight

After winning their third-straight game (for the first time this Season) the Bruins continue their road-trip in Minnesota, with a game tonight against the Wild.

The Bruins are coming off a solid performance against the Blues on Monday night, where the B's fought down two comebacks from St-Louis to ultimately add two unanswered goals and win 4-2.

Monday night's game was Marc Savard's first game back from injury, which is obviously a boost to the Bruins offense, but also to my chances in the hockey pool I am currently being slaughtered in.

Milan Lucic continued to return to form, scoring again against St-Louis and creating shockwaves from his relentless hitting, and Patrice Bergeron had assists on every Bruins goal. Man, talk about having an impact.

My hope is that the injuries to Lucic and Savard, and the trials the Bruins faced in their absence in trying to maintain at least a .500 standing, will make the Bruins a better club overall. Perhaps these injuries were a bit of a wake-up call for a team that has high expectations placed upon it, but started the Season rather sluggish.

Tonight should be a good test for the Bruins, and for Tuukka Rask, who is still managing goaltending duties in the wake of Thomas' injury.

wild 1 - bruins 0

The Bruins suffered their second-straight loss, and first shutout of the season, in a game against the Wild last night. Jacques Lamaire's defense-first strategy kept the Bruins - boasting the NHL's best offense - goalless and earned the Wild their second-straight shutout victory.

The highlights I saw showed many a Bruin with shots on net and valid scoring chances, however, a hot Backstrom and a completely clogged neutral zone, kept the Black, White and Gold at bay.

Media focus is now on whether two straight losses equal a skid, and Coach Julien is expected to rip his team, promoting a harder work ethic to create more offensive success.

I find the loss to the Wild a little ironic, given that the Bruins have been labeled a "defense-first" team for the last couple of years. Now that this same team outscores more opponents than any other team in the league, they are seen as susceptible to the same stalwart defending that every other team faces against Minnesota.

Either way, the Bruins are back on home-ice on Thursday against the Senators. If the B's merely roll out of bed and don't even compete, I think we can expect some lineup changes as Coach Julien tries to light a spark under his squad.