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.