Game 60: Bruins 3, Flames 1

The Good

• Tim Thomas was sharp Jack Edwards made sure we understood that Tim Thomas was well-rested last night, but it did show. Thomas appeared sharper than he's been in a while, and one can't help but wonder if two straight starts by Tuukka Rask had anything to do with it (the answer is probably "yes"). If nothing else, a start like this shows that Rask is still as important as ever to the B's. They'll need him to step up and spell Thomas to give him a few breaks down the stretch.
• Milan Lucic was a beast A huge game last night for Lucic; maybe it's something about being back in Western Canada that brings out the monster in him. Lucic was a force on the first goal, driving to the net with complete disregard for the Calgary defender trying to stop him. He also created a number of other scoring chances last night and was the most effective Bruin on the ice.
• Kaberle was selfless A big but overlooked play by Tomas Kaberle at the end of this one. With the goalie pulled, the Flames dumped the puck in. Kaberle went back to retrieve it and took a big hit to move the puck along the wall where Mark Recchi sent it out and Lucic eventually slid it into the empty net. If Kaberle doesn't take the hit to make the play there, that entire possession changes. A great play from Kaberle.
• Breakouts were smooth The B's had a ton of very crisp, tape-to-tape breakouts last night, something fans surely aren't accustomed to seeing this year. Maybe it all stems from the influence of Kaberle, but last night's breakouts were often perfect.
• Faceoffs were won I remember hearing a stat on NESN late in the third period that the B's had won 11-of-12 faceoffs in that period; that's precisely why Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley were brought here: they can win faceoffs and they play responsibly.

The Bad

• Calgary fans or Habs fans? The Flames fans in attendance sounded like Habs fans last night, booing every time a Flame was hit or fell to the ice. What's up with that?
• More PK issues I don't really have much to complain about after this game, but the PK remains an issue. The B's had a huge penalty kill leading 2-0 in the third period, and allowed a goal that let the Flames back into the game. I'm not sure what it is, but something's wrong with this PK unit, a group that was among the NHL's best for most of the season.

The Rest

• All in all, a good debut for Peverley. He didn't do much (all three shots he attempted were blocked), but he played sound hockey and made a couple of good plays. He also showed off his speed a couple of times last night, an asset that the B's don't possess much of. He and Kelly showed signs of "gelling" with Michael Ryder last night, so let's hope that continues.
• Tyler Seguin played his best all-around game in a while last night. He was backchecking hard, winning 1-on-1 battles and making smart, responsible plays with the puck. Seguin looks like he'll be "relegated" to fourth-line minutes for the rest of the season (barring an injury) and Daniel Paille will be the odd-man out. With his performance as of late, Seguin deserves to play, and if he keeps performing like he did last night he should see his minutes increase as well.

Attaboy: Lucic. He was the engine behind the B's last night, and seemed to have an extra jump in his step from the opening faceoff.

Providence Shuttle: The booing. STOP BOOING, FLAMES FANS. YOU ARE NOT HABS FANS.