Game 32: Bruins 3, Canadiens 2

The Good

• Fantastic goaltending This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but last night's game was a terrific goaltending duel. Carey Price and Tim Thomas are two of the NHL's premier netminders, and both were on top of their games last night. One could argue that all five goals were either a bit fluky or that there was nothing either goalie could do. Both Thomas and Price made their fair share of highlight-reel stops as well. It's because of a goalie like Price that one can never count the Habs out: a talented goalie can get hot and steal a playoff series.
• My boy Benny Benoit Pouliot continues to endear himself to B's fans, scoring against his former team for the first time last night. Pouliot now has six goals, four of which are game-winners. I'm of the opinion that Pouliot has been getting better and better as his time with the B's has gone on. He's starting to show flashes of that top-five draft pick talent. Let's hope he keeps it up.
• Tough Soup Gregory Campbell returned to action last night, despite still having a broken bone in his foot. He played well, logging one shot in eleven minutes in TOI, including 1:24 in shorthanded TOI. Campbell also made a stellar play on the PK (as usual), diving to clear a loose puck to prevent a Montreal scoring chance.
• Zach attack I still think Zach Hamill has played extremely well since coming up from Providence. He's likely going back as soon as today (with Daniel Paille, Campbell, Rich Peverley, and Milan Lucic all returning, there's not really a spot for him), but I think this latest stint has revivified Hamill's prospect status. If he does go, he'll be back soon.
  

The Bad

• Zzzzzz... For a game that featured a desperate Habs team, this one was a bit of a snoozer. Sure, it was still fun to watch, but there were no fireworks. I think I counted the post-whistle scrums and shoving matches on one hand, strange for a B's-Habs game.
  
• Why no Emelin? A bit of a curious decision by the Habs coaching staff in scratching Alexei Emelin, Montreal's Russian defender. As far as I know, Emelin was a healthy scratch, with Chris Campoli playing in his place. Strange, because Emelin is pretty much the Habs' best physical weapon. He was a force against the B's earlier this year at the Bell Centre, and the B's play even more physically when at home. All of that combines to make that decision a bit of a head-scratcher, unless he was hurt.
• Powerless play Yes, the Bruins' power play woes have returned (for one night, at least). The B's failed to score on the man advantage last night, including coming up empty on a four-minute penalty to Louis Leblanc. Hey, I hear that Kaberle guy on the other team can help a power play...
  

What went right:

• Oftentimes, goals come off of pressure. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Last night's game-winner was no exception. Brad Marchand was in on the forecheck on Tomas Kaberle, who actually managed to get off a decent pass. However, Patrice Bergeron applied another layer of pressure, stealing the puck from Travis Moen. Because of his forechecking tenacity, Marchand was all alone in front to accept Tyler Seguin's feed. All of this resulted from putting pressure on the Canadiens, making them make decisions just a little bit quicker. It usually pays off, and last night the B's hit the jackpot.
  

Attaboy: I'll give it to my boy Benny, because I think he's starting to find his groove.

Providence shuttle: No fireworks. Zzzz...

Game 29: Bruins 3, Kings 0

The Good

• Tuuuuuuuuuuukka Rask was excellent tonight, as he has been for the majority of this season. A 41-save shutout is a big accomplishment, and Rask made it look pretty easy. He was extremely well-positioned all night, and rarely found himself scrambling around the crease. He may have benefited from one or two King blunders, but for the most part, Rask was fantastic.
• Brat Trick Brad Marchand was great last night as well, with two goals and more than a few chances at a third. He wasn't agitating much last night and avoided dumb penalties, which is good. All in all, a great game for 63. I'm guessing performances like this are what Claude Julien was referring to as "good brat."
• Hamill time! I'm a noted Zach Hamill defender, but I think even Hamill Haters would have to admit that the kid has looked pretty good this season. Hamill had an assist and was a +1 last night, while also adding two blocked shots. In his three games this season, Hamill has yet to be a "minus" player: his stat line reads 2A-2PTS and +4. Hamill may be starting to "get it." Here's to hoping the kid gets a chance to really take off.
  

The Bad

• The Kings Your coach gets fired, your GM rips you...and you respond by getting shutout 3-0? I know the Bruins are a good team and Rask played great, but there was very little desperation or urgency shown by the Kings last night. If I'm a Kings fan, last night's game concerns me greatly. Losing isn't the worst thing in the world; losing without any fight is usually a sign of a deeper problem.
• Kampfer To be honest, "bad" is a bit harsh. But I don't have a section called "The Shaky," so Steve-o goes down here. Kampfer was a plus-2, but he also took two penalties and only played around ten minutes. Kampfer only had three more seconds of TOI than Zach Hamill, a forward, as Julien leaned heavily on Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, and Andrew Ference. Kampfer will be out as soon as Zdeno Chara is ready, but he'll get another shot eventually. He's got to simplify his game, move past the mistakes he makes, and tighten up defensively, or he's not going to get more than those nine minutes. He's rusty and was playing on the off-side last night, so I think he'll get better. He just needs to get his confidence up.
  

What went right:

• Faceoff wins and forechecking were the keys to the Bruin goals last night. The first came when Rich Peverley collected a King miscue in the neutral zone; the second came directly off of a faceoff win; and the third came shortly after another offensive zone faceoff win. Winning faceoffs and controlling possession go a long way towards winning a hockey game. Throw in a solid forecheck, and you're going to have a good night like the B's did last night.
  

Attaboy: Tuukka. Good for him for earning the shutout.

Providence shuttle: The entire Kings team. Let the Monarchs come down from Manchester and play, they'd probably try harder.

Game 27: Panthers 2, Bruins 0

The Good

• No way Jose There's really no other way to put it: Jose Theodore is a Bruins-killer. Doesn't matter if it's with the Caps, the Habs, or the Panthers, the guy just loves playing the B's. As someone who still freshly remembers the dark days of '02 and '04, it pains me to say this, but Theodore played a great game last night. Posts don't necessarily mean luck; they can also mean good positioning by the goalie and mean all of the angles are covered. Gotta give credit where it's due, and Theodore was great last night.
• Rebuilding on the fly It's early still, but it's good to see the Panthers have turned things around. I said back in October that I thought they'd be good this year, and people laughed at me. Well? Dale Tallon essentially rebuilt this team in a single offseason, taking them from cellar-dwellers to top of the conference. It remains to see if they can sustain it, and they still have questions on D and, despite last night's game, between the pipes. But good things are happening down in South Florida.
  

The Bad

• Headaches The hit on Daniel Paille looked pretty clean, but it was a big one. Now that it seems that Paille has a concussion, it could have an even bigger impact. Paille is one of the B's most dependable players, and probably their second-best penalty killer after Patrice Bergeron. Jordan Caron will likely take Paille's spot, but he's not exactly the same kind of player. If Paille's out, Benoit Pouliot may be bumped down to the fourth line so Caron can ride with Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly. Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery for Paille.
• First line freeze The first line was on the ice for both goals, making them a combined minus-6. Yikes.
• Milan Lucic He was pretty bad last night. He had one of the B's best scoring chances late in the game, when he found himself all alone in the slot with the puck; Theodore gloved his wrister, but replays showed that the puck was likely going wide anyways. Then, Lucic's turnover led directly to the Panthers' game-winning goal. Rough night for 17.
• Hits are, in fact, legal I don't mind hockey fights, but I'm getting kind of sick of seeing fights after clean hits. Even Shawn Thornton's defense of Paille was a little unnecessary, though I'll give Thornton a pass because Krys Barch is known as a tough guy and because Thornton saw Paille was hurt. But Jack Skille's fight with Johnny Boychuk came after Boychuk decked Mike Santorelli with a perfectly clean, non-injury causing hit. Why fight after that? Checking is allowed, guys.
• PANIC! The B's are 14-2-1 in their last 17 games, but right now people only care about them being 0-2-0 in their last two. People: they lost to the second-best team in the East (FLA) and to a goalie who played the best game of his season (Pavelec). It's not like they played stinkers either. Sometimes the bounces (and posts) don't go your way. It doesn't mean the world is ending. Relax.
  

What went wrong:

• I Tweeted the other night about how Nathan Horton's passes on rushes up the ice almost always seem to be at the feet of his teammates, effectively ending the rush. Lo and behold, he makes a perfect pass to Lucic, giving his linemate a golden scoring chance. What does Lucic do? He muffs it, turning the puck over and leading to Florida's goal. Awful. The puck wasn't poked away from him; he simply gave it up. Offensive zone turnovers hurt, and they hurt even more in close games and when they negate beautiful scoring chances. Bad bad bad.
  

Attaboy: Theodore. Any team that wants to beat the Bruins should just trade for him, apparently.

Providence shuttle: Lucic. Bad mistake at a bad time, and it cost his team.

Game 26: Jets 2, Bruins 1

The Good

• Pavelec was great Ondrej Pavelec has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, and last night was as brilliant as he's ever been. Pavelec is pretty much the only reason the Jets were in this game, let alone leading in it. The Czech netminder made stop after stop on all kinds of shots: tips, backhands, deflections, and slappers. Were it not for his stellar play, the Jets probably would've gotten blown out of the arena.
• Loud crowd I mocked them repeatedly on Twitter, but it sure was loud at the MTS Centre last night. This was a great test for these Jets: a chance to play the Stanley Cup champions on home ice, and they passed the test. Not to rip on Atlanta, but it's good to see a team play in front of fans that appreciate them and will fill the stadium no matter what. (But if they do the wave again, all bets are off and I'll hope for them to go back to Atlanta. That's inexcusable.)
• Benching Seguin I'm all for this move. Seguin hasn't shown much to tell me that he's some kind of hotshot/diva, but he, like all young players, needs to learn the ropes. If you miss a meeting, you don't play. If it was the first time he'd done it, maybe I'd cut him some slack, especially considering the travel, back-to-back games, etc. But it apparently wasn't the first time this has happened. Seguin needs to follow the same rules as everyone else. Good for Claude, PC and Co. for laying down the law.
  

The Bad

• The wave Come on, Jets fans.
• Stu goes down I always liked Mark Stuart, so it was scary seeing him go down after being hit into the boards by David Krejci in last night's third period. Krejci had Stuart lined up, and Stuart turned at the last minute. It looked like Stuart knew Krejci was coming, and whether or not he turned to draw a call or not is unknown. However, it was good to see that he was OK and returned to the game. I don't expect anything to come from the hit it terms of a suspension, especially when one considers that the referee was literally 15 feet from the hit, looking right at the play, and didn't call a penalty.
• Fangirling The number of people saying Tyler Seguin not playing is the sole reason the B's lost angers me. A hot goalie and missed opportunities are the reasons why the B's lost, not because Seguin was busy packing lips in the press box. I understand that he's a great player and an exciting player, but rules are rules. Even he has to follow them, and Seguinistas should understand that.
  

What went wrong:

• Blown coverage led directly to the Jets' game-winning goal. It's rare to see the B's breakdown so badly off of a faceoff, but it cost them big. Off the draw, Joe Corvo and Rich Peverley both went forward, creating a de facto 2-on-1 with only Andrew Ference back. I'm not sure what Tuukka Rask was trying to do, but his unorthodox attempt at a save backfired, and the puck went in. The B's seemed to be gambling on a faceoff win; they lost, and paid for it.
  

Providence shuttle: Seguin. Set an alarm next time, kid.

Attaboy: Pavelec. He's a great goalie, and if he can sustain solid efforts over the course of a season, the playoffs are possible for the Jets.

Game 25: Bruins 3, Penguins 1

The Good

• Timmy Saves Tim Thomas hasn't had to steal many games for the Bruins this year, and I'm not so sure he "stole" last night's either. However, he was on top of his game, as he has been for about a month now. Thomas has now won his last ten starts in a row, a remarkable personal streak. He's got three shutouts in that span, and his save percentage is 0.946. Timmy's on fire.
• #MyBoyBenny I could tell from the beginning of the game that Benoit Pouliot had a lot of jump last night, and he proved me right with that second period goal. Pouliot was moving his feet and was physically engaged. That wrister he scored on was a thing of beauty, remarkably similar to his shootout-winner in Buffalo.
  
• Soup for you A great night for Gregory Campbell, including the first goal and a dandy of a fight with Joe Vitale. I've been mildly disappointed with the B's fourth line at times this season, but when they're on, they can wreak havoc on opposing teams. Last night, the grinders were hitting and were very involved, keeping the momentum going for their teammates. Campbell's defense of Thomas was admirable as well.
• Geno! Crosby gets the lion's share of the attention, but Evgeni Malkin is a joy to watch. I've liked him since I first saw him play back in the Turin Olympics, and last night was no exception. A very fun player.
  

The Bad

• Nastiness Two bits of "I don't like seeing that" from last night: Brad Marchand's slew-foot of Matt Niskanen is something that has no place in the game. It's only going to lead to injuries. I'm glad Marchand fought Niskanen, which to me was a bit of a "mea culpa," but I hope he doesn't do it again. Also, Joe Vitale tainted his fine bout with Gregory Campbell by throwing his last punch, the one that knocked Campbell to the ice (though it was more of a fall by Campbell) with a gloved hand, something reprehensible in hockey fights. Bad move by Vitale.
• Oops Orpik I thought Brooks Orpik, usually one of Pittsburgh's more dependable defensemen, was pretty terrible last night. His awful giveaway led directly to Pouliot's goal, and he wasn't really much of a physical presence either. An off night for Brooks.
• Matt Cooke scoring Come on. Really? It had to be him?
  

What went right:

• While Tim Thomas made the important saves, the biggest one of the night may have belonged to Dennis Seidenberg. During one of Pittsburgh's 5-on-3's, Steve Sullivan had a puck sliding his way with a wide-open net to shoot at. Seidenberg whipped his stick around and was able to deflect the puck away before Sullivan could get the shot off, saving a sure goal. The B's were up 2-0 at the time, and a goal there would've changed the entire complexion of the game (obviously). The B's PK came up huge in this one, as it's not often a team is forced to kill off two extended 5-on-3's. Seidenberg's stickwork was just one part of those PKs, but it was a big one.
  

Attaboy: Gregory Campbell. Scored a goal, stuck up for his teammate with a great fight. Good night for Soup.

Providence Shuttle: Matt Cooke. Because he's Matt Cooke.

Game 21: Red Wings 3, Bruins 2

I'm going to keep this brief, seeing as it's Friday night and I've got other stuff to do.

The Good

• These two should meet more often It's a shame that the B's and Wings don't play more often. Rumor has it that Detroit may be moving to the Eastern Conference in the near future, and that'd be great news for Bruins (and Wings) fans. This was a game filled with great end-to-end action, sublime displays of skill, and solid goaltending. Let's see it more often, OK NHL?
• D and Z It's always great to see Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg live, as they're two of the more skilled players in the league. Zetterberg made a terrific pass on the Wings' first goal, and Datsyuk was thrilling (as always) in the shootout. You could serve dinner on Datsyuk's saucer passes. Truly a treat to see those two play.
• Sitting down low Usually, I sit up in the balcony when I go to hockey games, up in the 300s with the commoners (I'm a commoner too, it's not an insult). Today, I got to sit down in the loge, five rows from the ice, right next to the Bruins' tunnel. It's always a treat to see the game from that close: the speed, size, skill, and sound are all on display. For example, sitting down there today, I was able to hear and see Angry Tuukka first hand when he skated off the ice after the loss. Pretty cool experience.

The Bad

• Bad moves Dennis Seidenberg and Rich Peverley had questionable days, with Seidenberg kneeing Corey Emmerton and Peverley slashing Jonathan Ericsson in the, um..."pucks." Certainly won't help the B's villainous image.
• Still nothing from Krejci David Krejci remains lost in a haze. It may be time to give someone else some reps between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton while Krejci finds his game.
• Red Wing gift-wrap Truthfully, this game could've very easily ended 2-0 Wings had they not had two egregious turnovers. The Wings didn't do a very good job of taking care of the puck today, but they still found a way to win, as good teams usually do.
  

What went wrong:
Too many missed opportunities. The B's had plenty of chances to put the puck in the net today, but passes skittered away or shots went wide. Zdeno Chara missed the net on a golden chance late in OT, Horton whiffed on a perfect one-timer, Patrice Bergeron passed up a golden shooting chance to instead make an ill-advised drop pass. In Bergeron's defense, he was angry on the bench, yelling at the d-man for calling for the pass when he wasn't open. In short, the B's had their chances, but they couldn't cash in. That's the way the puck bounces some time.



Attaboy: Pavel Datsyuk, just because it's very, VERY fun to watch him play.

Providence Shuttle: Krejci. This loss was far from his fault, but Claude's gotta be growing impatient with his lack of production.

Game 19: Bruins 1, Canadiens 0

The Good

• Tim Thomas As he did many times last year, Tim Thomas, to paraphrase Jack Edwards, saved the Bruins' bacon last night. Thomas was spectacular, and looked as good as he had at any point last season. He made a number of stellar stops, including a post-to-post stoning of Erik Cole and a juggling save towards the end of the third period. Thomas now has back-to-back shutouts, and appears to be heating up. Good news for the B's.
• Cole looked strong I was one of the people scoffing when the Habs signed Erik Cole to a four-year deal worth $4.5 million per season over the summer. I thought it was a lot of money for a guy who wouldn't put up the numbers. However, aside from Tim Thomas, Cole was probably the best player on the ice last night. Cole was able to use his size and speed to beat the B's defense on more than one occasion, and had what was probably the best Montreal scoring chance of the night. If he can keep playing like that, then the Habs will certainly be getting their money's worth.
• Playoff feel Last night's game certainly had a lot of anxiety and a lot of edge-of-the-seat action. Though it's November, that game felt like it was being played in April or May. Maybe it was because the B's were on such a great streak, or maybe it was because they hadn't beaten the Habs yet this season. Or maybe it's just because it was in Montreal, and the atmosphere is good. Who knows. But whatever the reason was, it sure was fun to watch.
• A physical Russian? You don't say! The Habs may have a good one on their hands in Alexei Emelin, the 25-year-old rookie Russian defenseman. Emelin comes in at 6'2" and 223 pounds, and seems to love using his size. He threw a number of big hits last night, giving Montreal someone who isn't afraid to throw some hits back at the Bruins. His defense may need some work, but he does bring an element of physicality to the Montreal game.

The Bad

• How do you say "high horse" in French? My French studies in high school tell me that it's "haut cheval," but I could be wrong. Montreal fans are frequently deriding the B's and their fans for being bullies and goons, while they're bastions of class and integrity. This video says otherwise:
  

• I'm not sure who was fighting who, or if this was Hab fan on Hab fan violence. But it just goes to show that there are goons in every fanbase; Montreal is no different.
• Lucic and Krejci were awful It appears that Milan Lucic's hot streak has come to an end, and David Krejci is still lost in the woods. Lucic made what seemed like a dozen turnovers at the defensive blueline last night. It seemed like he turned the puck over every single time he tried to move it out of the zone. Krejci, on the other hand, seemed like he was trying too hard and being too fancy. On more than one occasion, he tried to make the slick play instead of the simple one; the resulting turnover led to a Montreal scoring chance. Both of them were pretty terrible last night, and need to step it up. Lucic should be ready on Wednesday because he knows he'll be engaged physically by the angry Sabres; let's hope Krejci follows suit.
• Bad Benny Poor Benoit Pouliot. Just a few games after he was embraced by the B's fanbase for scoring the game-winner against New Jersey, he was benched for the entire third period and will probably not play tomorrow. Benny giveth, Benny taketh away. Pouliot took two bad penalties last night: one was retaliatory and dumb, the other was just careless. All told, Pouliot had 8:07 TOI last night; he had 6:00 in penalties. Not a good ratio. Just when it seemed like he was starting to get going, he falls back on bad habits. He'd better snap out of it, and soon: with Jordan Caron in the press box, Pouliot will find himself out of a job before long if this keeps up.

What went right:

• A smart play by Andrew Ference led to the only goal of the night. With a delayed penalty on the Habs coming up, Ference was able to join the rush without fear of getting caught in an odd-man situation. After all, if one of the Habs touched the puck, the play would've been blown dead. Barring a wacky bounce on a drop pass going into the vacant net, there's really no risk. So Ference did the smart thing and jumped into the play. Rich Peverley found him with a great pass, and Ference didn't miss. It looks easy, but it was really a great heads up play by Ference, and a great example of ice awareness.

Attaboy: Tim Thomas and his wonderful mustache get the accolades.

Providence Shuttle: Sorry Benny. I'm your biggest supporter, but you really did a lot of damage to your Bruin cause last night.

Game 17: Bruins 2, Blue Jackets 1

The Good

• Goalie duel Tuukka Rask and Curtis Sanford both played very solid games, making the big saves when called upon. Sanford was making his first NHL start in over two years, but didn't look a bit rusty. Truthfully, Rask was just one save better than Sanford, and that was the difference between winning and losing. But with Steve Mason suffering from mammoth confidence issues, it looks like Sanford may be ready to lend a steadying hand between the Columbus pipes. Rask was excellent as well, making a huge stop on Jeff Carter late in the game and stoning Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette in the shootout. Tim Thomas will probably be back between the pipes tomorrow, but Rask has been playing very well as of late.
• Good bout for Thornton Shawn Thornton and Jared Boll exchanged a flurry of punches in what was probably Thornton's best fight of the year so far. Boll has tangled with the B's before, and apparently this time his hit on Steven Kampfer prompted Thornton to come calling. The fight didn't look like a momentum starter; Thornton looked legitimately angry, so retribution for Kampfer would make sense. In any case, a good fight.
  

The Bad

• Everything else While Tuesday's win over the Devils could be called a solid, grind-it-out win (though I would call it a sloppy, somewhat lucky win), last night's game was just ugly. If there was a way that the game could end without either team getting a point, that would've been the best option last night. Scoring chances were few and far between, passes were muffed, turnovers were aplenty...ugly. I hope it was just a case of the B's playing down to their opponents, and not a sign of a slide to come.

What went right

• Excellent analysis from Andy Brickley on David Krejci's shootout winner. As an ex-player, Brickley often points out things I don't notice, but last night's was particularly cool: on the replay, he showed how Krejci, who was thinking "shot" all the way, waited until he saw Sanford's hand twitch to start a poke-check attempt, then he fired the puck past him. Great poise from Krejci, and great analysis by Brickley.

Attaboy: Rask (and Sanford, because he played pretty well too).

Providence Shuttle: Everyone else. Then again, I don't want to torture Providence with that kind of ugly hockey. Send them to Montreal instead, that's a worse punishment.

Game 16: Bruins 4, Devils 3

The Good

• Pouliot earns his stripes Notice that I didn't call him "New Ryder." Yes, Benoit Pouliot has finally earned his name, and he'll no longer be known as New Ryder. Pouliot's game-winner last night should take some pressure off of him, as he's finally got a good Bruin moment to call his own. I haven't had a problem with Pouliot's play so far this year. I think he's been playing physical and has been making good decisions, but the pucks haven't been going in. Let's see if this goal is the confidence boost that gets him rolling.
• Pretty play from the grinders Shawn Thornton's goal in the third period was one of the nicest Bruin goals of the young season, so I guess it's only fitting that it came from the gritty fourth line. Funny how that works, huh? All three forwards had a hand in that goal: Gregory Campbell making the pass to Jordan Caron, Caron throwing it to the net, and Thornton burying it. To be honest, I'm pretty sure Caron didn't know Thornton was there; that looked like a redirect attempt, not a pass. But hey, the result sure was pretty.
• Mooooooooooooose Despite the loss, Johan Hedberg (known as "The Moose") was pretty solid in net for the Devils. He robbed Nathan Horton in the third, stoned Brad Marchand in the first, and played an all-around solid game. With Marty Brodeur struggling this year, steady performances from Hedberg could make or break the Devils. If he keeps playing like he did last night, they should be in pretty good shape.

The Bad

• Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy I caught most of the first period and all of the third, and what I saw was some of the sloppiest play of the year so far. It seemed like each team was determined to "out turnover" the other. There was a sequence in the third when the Devils turned it over at their defensive blue line, and the B's got a scoring chance but couldn't cash in. The Devils brought the puck up ice, the B's took it back, and subsequently turned it over, leading to a Jersey chance. It was like watching hand grenade hockey out there: "You take it!" "No, no, YOU take it!" "I don't want it, you take it!"
• No more Kampf-chuk A few seasons back, a friend of mine derisively referred to the Dennis Wideman and Matt Hunwick defense pairing as the "H & W Comedy Hour" due to the duo's propensity for often comically bad turnovers. Last night saw the return of the Comedy Hour, this time starring Johnny Boychuk and Steven Kampfer. Boychuk's ill-advised pass back to his own blueline led to Kampfer getting turnstiled by David Henrique, which led to Jersey's third goal. It was awful. I like both players, but not together. I'd rather see Kampfer play with someone responsible like Zdeno Chara or Dennis Seidenberg, someone who can cover for Kampfer's inevitable youthful misadventures. Kampfer's a good player, but his lapses in his own zone concern me.

What went right

• Good things happen when players go to the net, and that's how three Bruin goals got scored last night: Chris Kelly drove to the net and pounced on a loose puck; Thornton and Caron both got to the front of the goal on Thornton's marker; and Pouliot and Kelly were both right in front of Hedberg on Pouliot's game-winner. Good things happen when players drive to the net and there's lots of traffic in front, as was evident three different times last night for the Bruins.

Attaboy: Gotta be Benny. NO LONGER A CHUMP, right Jack?

Providence shuttle: Kampfer. He looked downright silly on Jersey's third goal.

Game 13: Bruins 6, Islanders 2

The Good

• Finally, top-flight production Let's be honest: so far this season, the B's first line has been pretty awful, David Krejci and Nathan Horton in particular. Well they're starting to wake up, and it's no coincidence that the team is starting to win. Lucic has been playing well ever since the Montreal games, and Horton is showing signs of life. If Krejci can get going, that line will get back to being the formidable trio they were during the playoffs. In any case, it was great to see Lucic keep up his hot streak and Horton get going last night. Krejci also now has two multi-point games in a row. Is this the return of the HuLK line? Let's hope so...
• Best. Field Trip. EVER. On Twitter, I've tried to name the Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin trio "the field trip line," mainly because Patrice Bergeron is Saint Patrice, a responsible citizen, and is stuck riding with the two crazy kids on the team. Since they've come together as a triumvirate, they've been by far the most exciting line to watch. In fact, I'd say that they're currently the most exciting Bruin line I've seen since the lockout, with only the Lucic-Savard-Kessel line even coming close (though Boyes-Bergeron-Sturm was good too). The scary part? They might not have hit their peak yet. Seguin is starting to know where to go when his linemates have the puck, as was made quite clear by his goal last night. But there were still a few errant drop passes and a few miscommunications. It's awesomely frightening to think that this line might even get better. It's like one of those non-educational field trips to Canobie Lake Park or something. SO MUCH FUN!
• One in the bag for Rask Poor Tuukka Rask. He was probably starting to wonder if he's teammates really liked him. As was the case (for whatever reason) last year, Rask hadn't been getting much help from his black and gold buddies this season. He deserved a better fate in some of his starts, but was winless coming into last night. Finally, the team gave him some offense, and he held down the fort for his first win of 2011-2012. Rask played a pretty solid game, making a couple of big stops. The two goals he allowed were on a great tip by Matt Moulson and a wicked wrister by Michael Grabner, neither being Rask's fault. Hopefully Claude Julien gives him another start on Thursday and let's him get on a bit of a roll.

The Bad

• Paille's face Yikes. The picture of the inside of Daniel Paille's helmet was pretty troubling, but it was good to hear that he was walking around the locker room. If Lucic can joke about Paille's nose looking like his now, chances are he's not in any serious danger. But that play served as a gruesome reminder of how dangerous this sport can be.
• Turnovers... Last night, I made a purposely bad joke about the Bruins being able to open up their own bakery with the number of turnovers they were making last night (WAKKA WAKKA!), but it's true: they were pretty careless with the puck. There were a few times last night where the B's made mistake after mistake in their own zone, allowing the Isles to put on sustained pressure. If not for a bounce here and there and some key stops by Rask, the game likely would've been much closer. Those turnovers might slip by against a young team like the Islanders, but a better team will make them pay.

What went right:

• Milan Lucic is the engine that powers the B's: he's gotten going, and the wins are starting to come. When he plays with power, strength, and a bit of a snarl, he's hard to stop. Last night's goal was a perfect example: he simply out-willed Steve Staios, beating him to the puck, refusing to have his stick lifted, and putting the puck in the net.

Attaboy: The first line. I've piled on them in the past, so I have to give them credit when they do well, right? Right. They're coming around, and if they keep it up, the B's will be hard to stop.

Providence shuttle: Evgeni Nabokov didn't do much to help the Isles win. He probably should have dropped down to the butterfly on the first goal, and after that couldn't buy a save. Three goals on 12 shots in just under 15 minutes? Yikes.

Game 11: Bruins 5, Senators 3

The Good

• Puck movement=goals I've already said that I think the B's scoring problems this year are coming from the back end, not the front, and last night only furthered that point. Of the five Bruin goals, three weren't "special" goals (i.e. a power play goal and a breakaway). Of those three, two were the direct results of clean, crisp breakouts from the defensive zone. On Patrice Bergeron's goal, Brad Marchand won a puck battle in support of his d-men along the wall, and made a pass to Tyler Seguin. Seguin lugged the puck into space, hit Bergeron with a pass, and the puck was in the net. Boom: won battle, one pass, two passes, goal. The Kelly goal was similar, with Chara making a good outlet pass to Rich Peverley. True, finishing has been a problem, but it's hard to finish when rushes don't ever start. Last night was a marked improvement in that area.
• Pretty Filipin' good Get it? Because his name is Filip? Never mind. Filip Kuba played a hell of a game for the Sens last night, and if it wasn't for him, this one could've been pretty lopsided. The 34-year-old was a +1 and led all skaters with 26:52 TOI. He also blocked 4 shots, including a couple of point-blank defensive plays that prevented goals.
• Fourth line shows up Their struggles have gone unnoticed, either because they're usually so dependable or because everyone else has been bad as well. Prior to last night, the trio had just one point between them: a Daniel Paille goal in the second game of the year. They were also a combined minus-7, and had really not done much at all. That all changed last night, as the fourth line combined for three points, a plus-3 rating, two fights, and four shots on goal. The B's fourth line has, in recent years, been one of the best in the NHL. They'll need their grinders to play better if they want to keep winning, and last night was a step in the right direction.
  

The Bad

• Krejci and Horton are still missing I might just rename this section the "David Krejci and Nathan Horton Memorial Bad." They've been terrible. Horton wasn't as bad last night, coming a lucky bounce or two away from one or two goals. But Krejci has been downright terrible. He's got one point and is a minus-6 in eight games this year, and has really contributed nothing positive at all. One can't help but wonder if his core/abdomen injury from a couple of weeks back is still bothering him, because he's been awful. Milan Lucic has shown signs of waking up from his early-season slumber, but his two linemates are still snoozing the season away. ZZzzzzzz......
  

What went right

• Everything is easier when the puck is moved out of the defensive zone smoothly. When breakout passes connect, rushes develop. Rushes turn into scoring chances, scoring chances turn into goals. It might be a bit of an overstatement to say that everything on offense depends on the breakout, but it's also true. If the B's can combine breakouts like they had last night with the solid defensive effort they put forth, they'll be fine going forward.
  

Attaboy: The fourth line. The grinders finally put one in, and it's not a coincidence that the B's won the game.

Providence Shuttle: Horton and Krejci. Obviously a demotion would be absurd, but each of these two could benefit from a healthy scratch right now. Sleepwalking through the season.

Game 9: Canadiens 2, Bruins 1

The Good

• Price was right Carey Price was very solid when the Habs needed him to be. A lot of pucks seemed to "hit" Price last night, meaning he may have been looking elsewhere or screened, but he still stopped the puck. That's not luck, folks; it's good positioning. Price wasn't tested as much as the B's would've liked, but he was there when he needed to be.
• Subban finally dropped 'em From what I've gathered, B's fans' major beef with PK Subban is that he plays on the edge but never answers the bell. He answered it last night, and while it was a bit of a diminutive bell in the form of Brad Marchand, he still fought. Despite the disparity in size, I'd say Marchand and Subban is a fair match-up: they both play on (and sometimes over) the edge, both have a reputation for being problem starters, and neither is exactly master pugilist. Marchand hung in there pretty good, considering Subban probably had the strength to simply toss him around. Stick taps for both players.

The Bad

• Uhhhh... Notice how there's really no "good" up there for the B's, aside from Marchand dropping the mitts? Yeah, it was that kind of game. The B's, nine games into the season, still haven't put together a full 60 minute effort. They played inspired for a few shifts, then look lost. Case in point: they allowed 18 Montreal shots in the second period. 18! Passes weren't on target, dump-ins were off, checks were missed, assignments blown, etc. This was just an ugly, ugly game from a Bruin perspective. Let's hope they correct things before Saturday night.
• The race card Boston, rightly or wrongly, has a bit of a reputation when it comes to race. That reputation probably comes from the busing riots, but that's a story for another day. However, there are certain segments of people (read: fringe Habs fans) who can't help but bring up race when talking about Bruins fans' distaste for Subban. Are there B's fans who don't like Subban because he's black? Probably, just as there are probably Habs fans who don't like David Krejci because he's European. But is Subban disliked in Boston because he's black? Absolutely not. Boston sports fans, especially Bruins fans, can tolerate a lack of success due to a disparity in talent, bad luck, etc. But what fans here hate is bullshit, and Subban's game comes with a lot of it. The dives, the embellishment, the stapled-on gloves, etc. PK could be as white as snow, and if he played the same way, he'd still be hated here. Maxim Lapierre is a perfect example of that, but then Habs fans would claim B's fans are racist because he's French. Please. Subban's an immensely talented kid; I don't like him because he's good and he plays for the Habs. I could do without the diving, and I think he'll grow out of it. But do I dislike him because he's black? Absolutely not, and I'm pretty sure that's the way most other B's fans feel as well.

What went wrong

• Turnovers are costly. Turnovers in the third period are even more costly. Turnovers in the third period at the defensive blue line are killer, and that's what happened last night. Adam McQuaid's ill-advised breakout pass right up the middle of the ice got knocked down, and five seconds later, the Habs were ahead. The B's as a team have to do a better job of taking care of the puck. If they don't, things are going to go (even further) south in a hurry.

Attaboy: Tomas Plekanec. It's not often that a guy scores once for each team.

Providence Shuttle: The whole Bruins team. Inexcusably weak effort. Bring up the Baby B's! #Hamill4FirstLineCenter!

Game 7: Bruins 6, Leafs 2

I got a late start today due to being pretty tied up at work, so I'm going to keep this brief. No need for long ramblings at 1 PM the day after the game.

The Good

• Lucic and Horton woke up I'm not sure if it was the line changes, the shame, or just something that finally clicked, but for the first time since last spring, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton looked like forces to be reckoned with. Lucic in particular finally played his brand of big-body hockey, playing physically and doing an excellent job of creating space for this linemates. Let's hope these two can keep it up.
• Claude tinkers Claude Julien deserves a good deal of credit for making some pretty drastic line changes, and they appear to have worked. The new "first" line of Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin, and Lucic was excellent, as was the new "second" line of Brad Marchand, Nathan Horton, and Patrice Bergeron. Now that David Krejci is back, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line reunited, but for at least one game, the mix-and-match lines worked well.
• Seguin continues to shine Another game, another excellent performance from Seguin. The youngster had a three-point night, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Throw in the fact that this game was against the guy who brought him here (Phil Kessel), and that Kessel was held pointless, and B's fans had many reasons to be happy with Seguin's performance last night.

The Bad

• Still not a 60 minute effort For years now, the B's have struggled to consistently play full games at a high level. They were able to do it consistently last June, and were rewarded with the Stanley Cup. However, this year they've yet to string together a superb effort, and, despite the four-goal margin of victory, last night was no exception. The B's seemed to take their foot off the gas in the second period last night, allowing 14 Maple Leaf shots. Honestly, the B's were lucky to escape the second with their two-goal lead intact. True, they came back strong in the third, but need to work on playing all 60 minutes, not just 40.

What went right

• The B's had a functioning power play again, and it was a big boost. If a team goes 2-for-2 on the power play to start a game, that's going to give it a great chance of getting the win. They weren't able to cash in on any power play chances after the first period last night, but that strong start should give them some much-needed confidence.

Attaboy: Seguin. Fair or not, he's going to be compared to Kessel for a long time. Last night, the kid got the upper hand on the other (slightly older) kid.

Providence shuttle: Kessel, for going scoreless against his old team again, and Ron Wilson, for scratching Mike Komisarek. Come on, Ronnie. The fans wanted to see Lucic-KomiTurtle Round II.

Game 5: Hurricanes 4, Bruins 1

The Good

• A power play goal! The Bruins' power play woes were starting to get comical again: prior to Rich Peverley's third period strike last night, the B's had come up empty on their previous 22 chances. They scored on their first power play of the year, then didn't score again with the man advantage until last night. HA! Anyways, the power play actually hasn't looked all that terrible. They've moved the puck well, but the bounces haven't been there. Hopefully that goal last night gets the overall confidence level up a bit. The B's aren't going to go far with an abysmal power play two years in a row.

The Bad...where to begin?

• Zero support for Rask Poor Tuukka Rask has to be wondering whether or not his teammates even like him. Rask is now two starts into the year and has only gotten one goal of offensive support from his pals in black and gold. This was a problem for Rask last year as well, as, for whatever reason, the team just seemed to play better in front of Tim Thomas. Rask wasn't terrible last night (though Joni Pitkanen's slapper probably should've been stopped); he just didn't get any kind of support from his teammates.
• Trash throws trash Every fan base has morons, and the Bruins' fools got themselves a lot of attention last night. After a few questionable calls in a row went against the Bruins, some Mensa candidate fans decided, "hey, you know what will reverse these calls? Throwing trash on the ice!" I saw beer, bottles of water, and even a plate of nachos thrown on the ice. This type of behavior might be expected in Philly, but it just makes all Bruins fans look like a bunch of boorish neanderthals. If you were at the game and threw trash on the ice, do everyone a favor and don't go to another game this year.
• Did Milan Lucic play last night? Still invisible. It's getting more and more frustrating by the game. Mike Komisarek comes to town on Thursday; here's to hoping that the sight of his old foe wakes Lucic out of whatever slumber he's in.
• The kids aren't alright Matt Bartkowski had a rough game last night, failing to clear the puck on Carolina's first goal. Bartkowski looks like he's still having a bit of trouble adjusting to the NHL game, especially the speed of it. Jordan Caron has done pretty much nothing of note all season. His struggles have gone largely unnoticed due to the fact that pretty much everyone else has been awful as well, and he'll be back in the press box when David Krejci returns. But I'd consider bringing someone else up from Providence to give them a shot (Zach Hamill time!!!) while Caron finds his game.

What went wrong

• It might be a tiny bit unfair to pin this whole loss on the shoulders of Nathan Horton. But only a tiny bit. True, the Bruins were losing when Horton snapped, but it was also a one goal game. The building was loud, the B's had just scored on the power play, and they had all the momentum. So what does Horton do? Responds to a stick tap from Tim Gleason that was pretty much nothing by throwing him around the ice like a dog playing with a chew toy. Gleason showed no interest in fighting Horton, and I don't blame him. Gleason wasn't afraid of him, as he's a pretty tough customer himself. Gleason knew that the latter half of the third period of a one goal game on the road isn't exactly a wise time to drop the gloves. The crowd's already fired up; why risk getting them more fired up by fighting? No, Gleason did the smart thing, and Horton threw a fit. He looked like a child who's mother told him it was time to leave Chuck E. Cheese. "Embarrassing" is really the best word for it. So no, Horton didn't lose the game right there. But he sure as hell ended any comeback bid. Horton's clearly frustrated with his slow start, but throwing a fit and costing the team isn't the way to snap out of it.

Attaboy: Joni Pitkanen has now scored twice this season, and both goals came against the B's. His second period slapper that beat Tuukka Rask proved to be the eventual game-winner.

Providence shuttle: Horton. Go ride that bus and THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

Game 3: Avs 1, Bruins 0

The Good

• No rust on Rask Tuukka Rask, making his first appearance in a meaningful game in six months, looked very sharp. Rask and Tim Thomas are a study in contrasts: Thomas is the battlefly, Rask is the positionally sound one. Rask always looks very calm and collected between the pipes, and yesterday was no different. Despite facing an extended 5-on-3 power play and a total of 13 shots in the first period alone, Rask didn't budge until Milan Hejduk's shot deflected off of Zdeno Chara eight minutes into the third, a goal that was hardly Rask's fault. The Finn played better yesterday than Thomas did in either of the first two games, and deserves another start tomorrow night in Raleigh.
• Scrappy Avs Good on the young Avalanche to come into the Garden and put forth a 100% effort yesterday. People seem to have relegated this team to missing the playoffs, but efforts like yesterday's will go a long way towards making doubters into believers. This team has a lot of young talent, particularly in blue-chippers like Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. And if Semyon Varlamov can duplicate yesterday's effort between the pipes regularly, the Avs could make some noise out west.
• New Ryder solid For the second straight game, New Ryder put forth a pretty solid effort. He saw his TOI increase to 9:48, up over two minutes from his allowance against Tampa. He also led the B's with five hits, increasing the physicality he brought against the Lightning. New Ryder hasn't found the back of the net yet, but he's shown flashes of creativity and the high skill level people have been expecting from him for years. Let's hope he can start piling up the points.

The Bad

• Zzzzzzzzzz Very poor effort overall from the B's yesterday. Little jump, little jam, little hustle, little heartbeat. The game on the whole wasn't exactly a thriller, but the Avs seemed determined to put in the extra effort necessary for the win. While it could be argued that Hejduk's goal was a lucky one, the B's really didn't deserve to win. Lack of effort/an emotional hangover was excusable after the opener. The B's showed more life against Tampa, but fell right back asleep yesterday. However, it's early, and the team has plenty of time to turn things around.
• What first line? Another no-show from the top trio. Nathan Horton was particularly invisible, registering no shots, no hits, no blocked shots...nothing. Krejci and Lucic at least managed three shots apiece, but the effort was not good enough. Krejci is apparently now nursing a leg injury, meaning a shake-up of the top line may be required. Good. That might be what Messrs. Lucic and Horton need to get their games together.

What went wrong:

      It's hard to win when your first line manages just six shots and is a combined minus-3. And yes, I know it's early. The three combined to average around 13 minutes of ice time, however, showing that Claude Julien's patience may be waning already.

Attaboy: Semyon Varlamov. The Captial cast-off played a terrific game for the Avs.

Providence Shuttle: The entire Bruins' first line. Enjoy the Dunk.

Game 1: Flyers 2, Bruins 1

I'm going to try to do something similar to last year's "Good, Bad and the Rest," but keep it a little shorter: three or fewer good and bad points, then a "What went wrong/What went right" depending on a win or a loss. The "Attaboy" and "Providence Shuttle" will remain. We'll see how this works out; I'm trying to be more brief because some of last year's recaps got a little lengthy.

The Good

• Seguin-Kelly-Caron: This line was excellent all night, and gave the Bruins a speed element that this team hasn't had in a long time. Tyler Seguin was probably the best Bruin on the ice last night (thought best bro Brad Marchand could lay claim to that title as well), so his play may have elevated that of the entire line, but I thought Chris Kelly and Jordan Caron played well also. This trio seemed to have a bit of chemistry going, as tape-to-tape passes were frequent and there were numerous scoring chances. A very exciting trio; they should be fun to watch going forward.
• The aforementioned Marchand: The "veteran" looked fantastic last night, scoring the B's only goal and being robbed of another by Ilya Bryzgalov. Truth be told, Marchand could have had three or four goals last night had the puck bounced his way instead of Philly's. True, Marchand did get caught out of position a bit on the PK on the Flyers' first goal, but overall, he had a tremendous positive impact on the game.
  
• Rust-free Jagr: Despite having not played in the NHL since 2008, Jaromir Jagr looked like he never left, still possessing a wicked shot and those silky mittens. He made an excellent pass to set up Claude Giroux's goal, earning his 1,600th career NHL point in the process. The worry about Jagr is that disinterest could set in as the season goes along, but he looked good last night.

The Bad

• Top-line woes: If the B's are to challenge for the Cup again this season, they're going to need top-flight production from the first line of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic. They didn't get it last night. The trio was a combined minus-3, and managed just two shots (both by Horton). Lucic in particular seemed out of sync, committing a few turnovers and seemingly lacking energy. It's just one game, but they need more out of that line.
• Giroux's elbow: Sneakily dirty play by Claude Giroux as this one was ending. With the game all but over, Giroux elbowed Tyler Seguin in the face along the boards in a mini-puck battle, earning himself two minutes in the box in the process. Giroux wasn't facing Seguin when he threw the elbow, but you could tell he knew he was there. Seguin was no worse for the wear, and hey, hockey's more fun with a little animosity, right? Giroux will get his.

What went wrong:

• Missed opportunities. The B's came out flying, and looked like they were going to run away with this one. However, power plays fell by the wayside, passes weren't crisp, and legs weren't moving as the game went on. Tyler Seguin hit a post, Chris Kelly couldn't redirect a puck into the net, Brad Marchand got stoned by Bryzgalov, Nathan Horton couldn't lift the puck...the list goes on. Truthfully, the B's could have (and maybe should have) had four or five goals in this one, but the puck didn't bounce their way. A little more finish and a little more drive would go a long way towards winning. But hey, it's just one game. No worries.

Attaboy: Seguin. If he can consistently play like he did last night, he's going to be a blast to watch this year.

Providence Shuttle: Chris Pronger. He got his stick up on Seguin, repeatedly slashed Rich Peverley, and still hasn't gotten a helmet that fits. Let him go elbow people in Providence.

2011 Draft Recap

The 2011-2012 Bruins should be a good team, regardless of what happens with this year's crop of prospects. However, due to the gift that keeps on giving (the Phil Kessel trade), the B's were in a good position to improve themselves in this year's draft.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the draft? The B's managed to nab the 11th and 12th ranked prospects (as ranked by Hockey Prospectus, a site that focuses on stats and numbers to make its rankings). Not too shabby.

Here are the six players the B's drafted over the course of the draft's seven rounds:

• Dougie Hamilton (D - OHL)
• Alexander Khokhlachev (F - OHL)
• Anthony Camara (F - OHL)
• Brian Ferlin (F - USHL)
• Rob O'Gara (D - Milton Academy)
• Lars Volden (G - Espoo Blues)

The New England Hockey Journal's Kirk Luedeke is pretty much the go-to guy for all things Bruins prospects, and his immediate organizational rankings had Hamilton and Khokhlachev as the B's new number-one and two prospects.

Anything can happen, but it seems like it'll be a while before any of these guys makes an NHL impact. Common sense says Hamilton would be the first, as the B's can never have enough blueline help. But who knows, maybe Koko will impress at the development camp and get himself on the fast track.

Volden seems like a depth/throwaway pick to me, as the B's seem to be set up in goal for years to come with Tuukka Rask waiting in the wings, but again, one never knows.

The most intriguing name on this list (to me) is Anthony Camara, who was described by B's assistant GM Jim Benning as "a Shawn Thornton-type." Luedeke called Camara one of the B's "pet projects," a guy like Milan Lucic who they seek out in a draft as being "more than the sum of his parts." Verrrrrrrry interesting.

Kirk knows, so I'll take his word for it. As if B's fans needed any more reason to be excited, Luedeke gave the B's an overall grade of an "A" for the draft. The present looks bright, the future looks bright, hell now even the immediate PAST looks bright.

Better start investing in some sunglasses, B's fans.

Game 76: Bruins 3, Blackhawks 0

The Good

• "Vintage" Thomas Tim Thomas' shutout last night wasn't perfect, but it WAS perfect Tim Thomas hockey. The Bruin netminder was at his scrambly best last night, flopping around, diving back and forth, and ending up face down in his crease on more than one occasion. But the pucks stayed out, and that's what matters. Thomas has been heating back up as of last, having allowed just two goals in his last four starts. That doesn't bode well for the rest of the Eastern Conference, but it sure should make B's fans happy.
• Chara contributing Zdeno Chara has played some of his best hockey of the year since the Max Pacioretty incident, and he kept up his hot pace last night. In the B's ten games since that hit, Chara has 11 points (3G-8A) and is a +10. Chara chipped in with a goal last night, and also did a great job of shutting down Chicago's big guns.
• Seguin looked good again I've been watching Tyler Seguin's game a bit more closely over the past couple of weeks, and I think he's been playing some of his best overall hockey of the year lately. He and his linemates, Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley, seem to have at least two or three great scoring opportunities per game; they just aren't going in right now. Their line gives the B's an element of speed that fans haven't seen in years. Seguin looks like he's more interested in two-way hockey now, as if he finally understands that that's the route to more ice time. Good on him for getting the message and committing to improving his game.

The Bad

• Marchand's call The game was getting a bit chippy in the second period, and, as usual, Brad Marchand was in the middle of it. He was mixing things up with Patrick Kane, when after a whistle, he gave Kane a light slash on the stick, probably while he continued to chirp at him. This drew the ire of the referees, and Marchand was sent off for slashing. The call was absurd: not only was the "slash" little more than a love tap, but it was on the STICK of Kane, not on his arm/leg/chest/whatever. Marchand seems to be developing a bit of a reputation league-wide now; it'll be interesting to see if he's the recipient of more flimsy calls like this in the future.
• Thornton's cut Yikes. That's quite a mark there. Hopefully Thornton won't miss any time, and hopefully whoever chirped at him from the Chicago bench doesn't get ratted out by his teammates; Thornton will likely make that guy's face seem like Thornton's gash was a mere papercut.

The Rest

• Not much else needs to be said about this one. I'm pleased that the B's came out with a solid effort, even though they didn't need the points nearly as much as the Hawks did. They may have benefited from the Hawks' travel (they played Monday night in Detroit), but they put forth a solid all-around effort, and deserved the win.
  

Attaboy: Thomas and Recchi can share it. Thomas got the shutout, and Recchi passed some guy named Paul Coffey on the all-time points list. Not bad.

Providence Shuttle: The Bench Chirper. Thornton's coming for you, buddy.

Game 73: Bruins 7, Canadiens 0

The Good

• EVERYTHING I really don't have much to complain about after this game. Wow. I knew the Bruins could beat the Canadiens, but didn't think it would be that sound of a beating. This is one of those games where the game itself was even less close than the 7-0 score indicates. Case in point: the Bruins' sixth goal. Brad Marchand essentially skated around the Habs' end untouched, walked right into the slot and ripped a shot on net; Tomas Kaberle, equally untouched, knocked the rebound home. An unbelievable display of "nothingness" from the Canadiens. They and their fans will likely try to downplay this loss, saying it's only one game, etc. but let's be honest: this was the biggest game of the season for them, and they came out and laid an egg. Big time.

The Bad

• EVERYTHING THE HABS DID Blowouts are going to happen. Blowouts against your biggest rival are going to happen. But blowouts against your biggest rival in the most important game of the year? Those shouldn't happen, folks. The Canadiens have no excuses: the B's didn't bully them. This wasn't a huge hit and fight-filled affair. This was a hockey game. And the Bruins beat the Canadiens badly. BADLY.
  

The Rest

• What else needs to be said? This game was perfect, from a B's fan perspective. But what does it mean? The Canadiens did handle the Bruins pretty well this season, but the B's are 2-1 against them in the last three meetings after going 0-2-1 in the first three. If the two teams met in the playoffs, would the series be as one-sided as last night's game? Unlikely. But as much as athletes love to talk about "one game at a time" and having short memories, there's no way the Habs won't end up feeling a bit intimidated by this beatdown.

Attaboy: ALL OF THE BRUINS.

Providence Shuttle: ALL OF THE HABS. ALLONS-Y, TO PROVIDENCE YOU GO!

Game 69: Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT)

Quick Hits

• Last night was certainly the best Tuukka Rask has played this year, and was a game that should improve his confidence dramatically. Rask made several jaw-dropping, acrobatic saves, and essentially won the game for the Bruins on his own. Without that A+ effort from Rask, the B's would've lost that game in regulation. Rask's last few starts have been against what one could consider "lesser" opponents, or opponents who are out of the playoff race (with the exception of that debacle in Montreal). This game against a Columbus club that is still gunning for the eighth-seed in the West really tested Rask's mettle, and he passed that test with flying colors. Rask deserves to start now until he loses, which, if he keeps playing like he did last night, won't be for a while.
• Brad Marchand is probably going to get a call from the league today, and will likely be suspended for his elbow to the head of RJ Umberger. Marchand's hit was the precise type of play the league is trying to get rid of: it was high, it was unnecessary and it was dangerous. Some are saying that Marchand wasn't even looking at Umberger, or that Umberger ducked at the last minute; sound familiar, Bruins fans? I'm not saying the hits were the same, but they were certainly both avoidable. Marchand plays on the edge and gets under the skin of his opponents, and that's what makes him effective. But this time, he crossed the line and deserves to be punished as a result.
• Rough game last night for Dennis Seidenberg. It seemed like he got beaten every time me was locked in a one-on-one battle, and his giveaway at his own blue line led directly to the Jackets' second goal. Seidenberg is usually solid in his own end, but he was a liability last night.
  
• Good for Claude Julien for finally benching a slumping veteran. It must've been hard for Julien, as Michael Ryder is one of his favorites, but Ryder hasn't been producing lately and needed to have a message sent his way. One of the criticisms often thrown at Julien is that he's quick to bench/send a message to rookies, but often leaves his veterans alone. A good example was earlier this season when Tyler Seguin would be scratched after one off-night, but Nathan Horton kept his ice time when he went scoreless for what seemed like ages. It remains to be seen how Ryder's scratch affects him and whether or not other veterans may get a similar message sent their way soon, but scratching a vet like Ryder should put other veterans on alert: ice time is a privilege, not a right.
  

Game 68: Islanders 4, Bruins 2

The Good

• Another goal for Horton As I said before, I'm still skeptical because of Horton's notorious inconsistency. However, he appears to be rounding into goal-scoring form at the right time. His goal last night came on a stumbling backhand, and gave the B's an early one-goal advantage. The B's need Horton (and the whole top line) to keep producing if they want to go anywhere in the spring.
• Finally! Last night's power play goal was the Bruins' first in what seemed like years (it was actually the first since Feb. 18). The goal came on a 5-on-3 in the second period. Zdeno Chara took a semi-back door feed from David Krejci and unleashed his trademark slapper, beating a helpless Al Montoya. Hopefully that goal infuses the PP with a little confidence; they need it.
• The young Isles I know this has been another lost season on Long Island, but the Isles do seem to have a good core of young players. They still have questions in goal and on defense, but having players like Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, and John Tavares up front give the Isles something very solid to build on. Grabner's goal last night was his 28th of the season. Remember, this is a guy who was traded earlier this season to Florida by the Canucks. The Panthers then waived him, hoping to send him to the AHL, but he was claimed by the Islanders. Yes, THOSE Florida Panthers thought Grabner was a guy they didn't need on their NHL squad. Yikes.

The Bad

• Bad luck The B's rang a couple of posts in this game, and Jack Hillen's eventual game-winner came when his slapper bounced off of Dennis Seidenberg and went in the net. Luck certainly wasn't on the B's side last night, but how does the old saying go? You get the bounces when you work hard? Something like that, and the B's certainly didn't deserve many bounces last night.
• Another blown lead The B's, usually defensively sound, have now blown a lead in three of the last four losses. They were blown out in Montreal, but scored the first goal (and sometimes first two goals) of the game against Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and last night against the Islanders. Not having Andrew Ference (or Steven Kampfer, for that matter) in the line-up hurts, but it's still no excuse. The B's need to get back to making smart plays and winning one-on-one battles, two things that were conspicuously absent for most of last night.
• Get Seguin back in there I've been patient with Claude Julien's approach with Tyler Seguin, but he needs to be back in there. Daniel Paille has done little with his playing time, and Seguin isn't going to learn much more by watching from the press box. His speed could have helped last night against that fast Islanders team. I don't expect Seguin to blossom into a game-breaker this year, but he needs to play if he's going to get better.

The Rest

• I'm not ready to panic yet, mainly because the B's still don't have their full team. If, once Ference comes back, the struggles continue, then it might be time to be worried. All teams have rough patches, and luckily for the B's theirs came on the heels of a seven-game winning streak. Their still 7-2-2 in their last 11, which shouldn't be overlooked. Ference's steadying presence on the back end is missed, and I think the team will come around soon. Don't go leaping off the Tobin just yet.
• Interesting to hear Chara booed lustily on Long Island last night. And by "interesting" I mean "confusing and strange." Chara is usually booed in more familiar away arenas, like Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, and Ottawa, mainly because they know he's good. And because he's big, and in Ottawa's case, because they chose Wade Redden over him. D'oh. Long Island is usually an "indifferent" Chara Zone, but last night he was booed soundly. Has the incident with Max Pacioretty turned Chara into a league-wide villain? It certainly seems so. Countless posts on HFBoards reveal similar sentiments, as the B's seem to be one of the more disliked teams in the league now. Interesting. Hopefully the B's give opposing fans something to boo when they life the Cup in June.
• Which Bruins team is the real thing? Is it this listless lot that's lost four in a row or that barnburning bunch that stormed through a perfect six-game road trip? I tend to think the actual Bruins team is more like their Western Canada version, but perhaps the truth is more in the middle. I don't think they're as bad as they've played recently, but they may not be as good as they looked two weeks ago either. Inconsistency has been the theme for the B's this year. Two weeks ago, it looked like that inconsistency was a thing of the past, and that this team finally "got it." Now, that inconsistency is back with a vengeance, and the B's need to banish it before it sinks their season.
  

Attaboy: Grabner. Looks like he's going to be a great player, and that spin-around goal last night was pretty sweet.

Providence Shuttle: Brad Marchand. I didn't talk about it here, but that stupid penalty he took turned the tide of the game.

Game 67: Sabres 4, Bruins 3 (OT)

The Good

• The B's first goal ...was a thing of beauty. Excellent passing all around, and how did it start? With a crisp, clean breakout. David Krejci's sublime pass under the stick of a defenseman onto the tape of the streaking Milan Lucic was excellent, as was Lucic's cross-crease pass right onto the stick of Nathan Horton. Tic-tac-goal. That play doesn't happen without the net drive by Horton, who finally looks like he may be waking up (for real this time!).
• Chara showed no hesitation One couldn't fault Zdeno Chara for playing a bit tentatively after his incident with Max Pacioretty, but he didn't seem to be holding back at all. Chara had two assists and seemed to play every bit as physical as he usually does. The boarding call that went against him was a complete joke...I never knew it was possible to board someone from north of the goal line. Who knew? One can't help but wonder if refs are going have Chara on a shorter leash from now on, whether league-ordered or not.

The Bad

• Another blown lead The Bruins are a top-notch defensive team, but they blew multiple leads again last night, including an early two-goal lead. They also had a lead in the third period, a time when they're usually able to lock things down, but let that one slip away as well. Can't win late in the season with sloppy play like that.
• Thomas on the GWG I know that it was a "knuckler" and that it was hard to read, but I think if Thomas hadn't come out as far to challenge the initial shot he would have had more of a chance with the rebound. Can't really fault Thomas there though; his aggressive style is what makes him so good, and he saved the B's bacon a number of times earlier in the game.
• Still no power It was overlooked when the team was winning, but now that they've lost three in-a-row it's becoming an issue again: the B's power play still isn't clicking. Last night they got a goal right after the power play expired (in Jack Edwards' VULNERABLE MINUTE!), so that one can probably be counted as a power play tally in my eyes. But still, one goal on the PP since the arrival of Kaberle? Not good enough. Power plays take on even greater importance late in the season and in the playoffs. The B's aren't going to go far with a sputtering power play.

The Rest

• The B's enter tonight's game against the Islanders badly needing a win to end this mini-slide, but the Isles are no pushover of a team. The Isles are fourth-worst in the league, but have been playing better of late; they're a respectable 5-2-3 in their last ten games. They've got a lot of young players who are playing loose and a lot of other players working for jobs and paychecks for next year. Last time the B's visited Long Island, they steam-rolled the Isles to start their six-game road winning streak. This time, things won't go as smoothly if the B's don't bring their best effort.

Attaboy: Brad Boyes. Played a good game against his old team last night, including potting the OT winner.

Providence shuttle: Johnny Boychuk. He badly blew his check on the GWG, leaving Boyes all alone in the crease to tap the puck in.

Game 64: Bruins 2, Lightning 1

The Good

• Lucic's goal This one likely won't make national highlight reels, but Lucic's game-winner really was remarkable. To display that kind of poise and scoring touch from nearly below the goal line is incredible. Throw in the fact that there were no fewer than 5 bodies in the crease and Lucic's goal looks even better. By the way, Lucic's custom of raising both of his arms in a kind of "I rule" pose after he scores is one of the best goal celebrations on the B's. I'm also partial to Tyler Seguin's, because he, as a kid, looks genuinely thrilled when he scores.
• The PK saved the day The Bruins' PK has been as consistent as winter weather in New England. It was incredible to start the year, went through a miserable stretch, and now seems to be tightening up again. Last night's kill of a nearly two-minute 5-on-3 was the turning point of the game. Killing off a 5-on-3 is no small feat in and of itself, but when one's opponent rolls out a PP unit that includes Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Simon Gagne, it's borderline miraculous.
• Mike Smith redeemed himself Last time Mike Smith played goal at the TD Garden was probably one of the worst nights of his career: he allowed five goals on 22 shots, including one from the red line by Dennis Seidenberg. Last night, Smith played like a man who not only remembered that embarrassment well but was determined to erase it. Smith was immense for Tampa, making countless top-notch stops including a sprawling save on a Patrice Bergeron one-timer, a sweet glove stop on a Brad Marchand backhand, and a blocker save on a Nathan Horton breakaway. Dwayne Roloson may be the guy in Tampa now, but if not for Smith's performance last night the Lightning would have been blown out of the Garden again.

The Bad

• Dominic Moore goes swimming Terrible embellishment by Dominic Moore on Horton's tripping penalty. I saw the replay later, but Bob Beers was livid on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Beers is usually relatively even-keeled, but he was furious about the culture of diving in the NHL. He's right too: once a player feels a stick on his arm or leg, down he goes to draw the call.
• Still no luck on the PP I know, I know, "it's coming around!" But how long until that's not good enough? I know the B's have shown more jump and life on the PP since Tomas Kaberle arrived, and that it's hard to complain when a team's just won its seventh game in a row, but the PP still needs to produce if the B's are to be considered a true contender.

The Rest

• I've been a huge supporter of Claude Julien all year, but I don't get the decision to scratch Tyler Seguin last night. His reason doesn't really make sense to me either. I have no problem with scratching the kid if he isn't playing well, or scratching him to send a message that nothing's going to be given to him just because he's a hot shot rookie. But to scratch him after he's been playing a stronger all-around game lately just to "give the fourth line an identity" is pretty dumb. I also don't like that he told the media that. If that's his reasoning, fine; but I can't help but think that Seguin's confidence must be taking a bit of a hit at this point. Tell him that he's out for that reason, but tell the media that he needed a night off or had a sore ankle or something. Hopefully he gets back in on Saturday, but I doubt it.
  

Attaboy: Lucic for the game-winner, but an honorable mention for Mike Smith. He was incredible between the Tampa pipes.

Providence Shuttle: Scratching Seguin. I know I sound like an HFBoards nut, but it makes no sense to me. Sorry Claude.