Now, on Monday, the team is 7-3-1, Tim Thomas got pulled from a game against the Caps, Tyler Seguin got benched, David Krejci looks like he'll miss more than a couple of games and some fear that there are choppy seas ahead for the S.S. Bruin.
Come on, it's just two games. And the team has still taken points in 8 of 11 games this year. Here are some thoughts on this windy Monday afternoon in Boston:
- Admittedly, the Krejci injury is worrisome. The Czech pivot was really buried by Oshie, and the fact that his head slammed off of the dasher made matters worse. Krejci looked out of it, despite skating off with some assistance. Word came down earlier that he'd be out at least a week, while GM Peter Chiarelli termed Krejci's concussion "moderate," and said that he was experiencing headaches and some amnesia, according to Matt Kalman's Bruins Blog. I have no problem with the hit by Oshie; it was a clean, hard play, one that the somewhat slight Krejci might want to avoid in the future. He's not the biggest guy as is, and initiating contact with a guy like Oshie, who is the same height but nearly 30 pounds heavier than Krejci, probably isn't the best idea.
- The biggest immediate issue is who will fill the number-one center spot in Krejci's absence. Marc Savard remains a long way off, so it appears, according to ESPNBoston's James Murphy, that Patrice Bergeron will be stepping in on the top line, playing between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. It also appears that Blake Wheeler is getting at least a bit of a look at center, as he was between Jordan Caron and Mark Recchi this morning. Daniel Paille will likely see his first game action since the season opener, and Brian McGrattan was waived down to Providence, a move that is, in all likelihood, a precursor to the B's calling someone up from the Baby B's. Tyler Seguin and Gregory Campbell remain in their third- and fourth-line center sports, respectively.
- Speaking of Seguin, the youngster was apparently (I say "apparently" because I missed the game) benched for much of the third period of Saturday night's loss to the St. Louis Blues. According to Kalman, Claude Julien wasn't really trying to punish the rookie, but trying to shorten his bench as the B's pushed for the tying goal. The "benching" was the first real bump in the road this year for Seguin, but he appeared to get over it pretty quickly: he scored the B's only goal in that night's shootout.
- Some are concerned that Tim Thomas' miracle run to start the season ended in a hurry on Friday night, as Thomas was pulled after the second period with the B's down 3-0. However, the fact of the matter is that Thomas pretty much kept the B's in that game; were it not for his effort, it probably would have been 5-0 after two. Claude Julien said as much after the game: he was pulled to spark the team, not because he played poorly. Thomas looked decently solid, and was beaten on a screened point shot, a wicked wrister by Mr. Faux-Hawk himself and a beautiful 3-on-1 passing play. It certainly wasn't Thomas' fault that the B's lost in D.C.
- Will Tuukka Rask ever get a win? The young Finn must be wondering that himself at this point. Rask has taken the loss in all four games in which he's appeared this year. His current record requires a strong stomach if one wants to look at it: 0-3-1. However, his other numbers are much more reassuring: his save percentage is .921, while his GAA has fallen to a more respectable 2.66. Also, according to NESN.com, he hasn't lost his confidence yet, something that is key to a goalie's success. From what I've read and seen in highlights, Rask played pretty well against a good St. Louis team on Saturday. On Friday, the one goal he allowed in relief of Tim Thomas came from a point shot off that he probably never even got a clean look at. The thought here is that Rask is simply a victim of poor circumstances so far this season; he'll pick up the pace soon.
- Check the main site later on for another "Behind Enemy Lines" piece, this time a "Washington, D.C." version. Not a bad trip, despite the B's loss.
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