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.