Game 48: Bruins 4, Senators 3

The Good

• Third period dominance I could be off by one or two, but I believe the B's are now an astounding plus-38 in the third period this season. They won the game in the third tonight, scoring two goals to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. So what is it about the third? I have no idea, to be honest. But one needs to remember that this is a championship team, a team that had its back against the wall three times in the postseason and responded with a win each time. Simply put this group knows how to win, and opposing teams have to know that no lead is save against these Bruins.
• No boo birds I honestly didn't think this would be an issue, but it was good to hear that no one booed Tim Thomas tonight. Thomas was making his first appearance since his White House no-show, and apparently said that the possibility of being booed was in the back of his mind. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and Thomas got his usual ovation.
• Hustle hard Excellent work from Brad Marchand led to the Bruins game-tying goal, a gritty, greasy goal that Mark Recchi would be proud of. Marchand found himself wrapped up by a defenseman out front, but fought through his check to get a few whacks on the loose puck, eventually batting it past Craig Anderson. Marchand certainly has plenty of skill, but it was his work ethic and determination that got him on the scoresheet tonight.
• Blueline scoring The B's got their first power play goal from a defenseman since Dec. 17 when Zdeno Chara opened the game's scoring with a slapper from the point, and Dennis Seidenberg ended up getting the winner when his center-ice skip job eluded Craig Anderson. Two goals from the blueline, and both went a long way towards winning. In fact, Seidenberg, Chara, and Joe Corvo combined for six points tonight.

The Bad

• Still not a full 60 I feel like a broken record at this point, but the B's can't keep playing with fire by falling behind or simply not skating for large portions of the game. The B's were OK in the first, pretty awful in the second, and dynamite in the third. They ended up emerging with the two points, but were probably lucky to do so.
• Anderson's Toskala moment Yikes. A rough night for Craig Anderson, particularly on Seidenberg's game-winner. Something usually goes wrong when a goalie whiffs on a shot from center ice, and it looked like Seidenberg's shot may have hit either a Senator's stick or a puddle/divot in the ice. Whatever the case may have been, the puck took off like a frisbee, ticked off of Anderson, and ended up in the back of the net. A wonky shot for sure, and it's hard not to feel for Anderson, but that's one he needs to stop.

What went right:

• Remember last week when I talked about driving to the net, and the good things that usually follow? The B's second goal was another prime example of why that net drive is so successful. The B's, taking advantage of a bad change by Ottawa, entered the zone on a 3-on-2; Rich Peverley carried the puck along the wall and David Krejci drove to the net, taking a defender with him. With no backcheckers in sight, Milan Lucic found himself with plenty of space; Peverley found Lucic, who ripped a wrister past Anderson to cut the Ottawa lead to one with under a minute to to in the second period. A huge goal, and one that the B's used as momentum to start the third. And to think, it all started with a strong net drive by Krejci. Go figure.

Attaboy: The blueliners. Six points from a team's defensemen will go a long way towards winning games.

Providence Shuttle: Anderson. I know it was a weird bounce, but he's gotta make that save.

All-Star Weekend Wrap-Up

• My favorite part of the entire weekend was Chara's record-breaking slapper, followed by the Breakaway Challenge. Chara's a team guy, and not one to put individual accolades over his own. However, I can't help but feel that he enjoys having the hardest shot title, and wanted to not only defend his title, but break the record as well. His smile and stick raise to the cheering crowd after hitting the 108.8 MPH mark proves that it was something he wanted, and I was happy to see him get it.
• As for the Breakaway Challenge, my brother and I disagree here. He thought it was stupid and a waste of time; I thought that, while hokey, goofy, and a little bit cheesy, it was also a lot of fun. Patrick Kane's Superman slide and exploding puck trick was great. Carey Price, who was arguably the star of the entire weekend with his antics, facing the wrong way and watching the shooter's reflection in the glass was hilarious. Corey Perry pulling the little goalie stick out of his pants (wait, what?) was like something out of "Slapshot." Sure, the moves were silly and were nothing like what one sees in a standard hockey game, but that's the point: let the players come up with something creative, and let them show off their personalities a bit. To that end, the event served its purpose well.
• Speaking of personalities, the whole Skills Competition does a great job marketing the league's players. There isn't much face time in a typical NHL game, save for intermission interviews and occasional "mic'd up" segments. However, the ASG events allow the players to show off their more casual sides, be goofy, and act like the big kids most of them are. Hell, even Scott Hartnell, a player I can't stand on the ice, came off as intelligent and friendly. FIX THIS, NHL. Kidding, of course, but my point is that the ASG is usually a means of selling the game to fans. It works because fans get to see the NHL players with their hair down (literally, in the case of Kris Letang), a side of them rarely seen on the ice.
• I know it's an honor to be chosen and blah blah blah, but there was really no point in having the rookies be there. They each got to partake in the occasional Skills event, but with the Rookie Game getting shelved, that was pretty much it. Either bring back the Rookie Game, or don't invite the rookies. Simple.
• If the NHL is looking to boost ratings for the NHL Network, have a reality show called "Evgeni Malkin Stickhandling," and make it just an hour of, well, Evgeni Malkin stickhandling. I'd watch it, DVR it, and then watch it again. He's a magician with the puck.
• My father thought it was dumb, but I actually liked the draft too. I can't help but feel a bit bad for the players sweating it out towards the end, but then I remember that they're all millionaires and suddenly I don't feel so bad. But it's cool to see the mini-alliances that are formed. For instance, Chara chose all of the Slovaks, all of the Bruins, and no Canucks. His assistant, Joffrey Lupul, chose the Maple Leafs. It's also cool to see the respect the players have for one another, with Chara complimenting Pavel Datsyuk when he chose him, and things like that. Again, showing personality, something the NHL often lacks.
• Overall: a great weekend. The game itself really wasn't anything special, but the Skills Competition and the draft were enjoyable and fun to watch. Good job, NHL.

Game 47: Capitals 5, Bruins 3

The Good

• Go go Perrault A very active night for Mathieu Perrault, the Caps' youngster who had been a healthy scratch fairly recently. Perrault was involved in all aspects of the game, notching his first career hat trick and also taking two penalties. All told, the kid had three goals (including the game-winner), five shots, and four penalty minutes in just under 14 minutes of TOI. Not too shabby.
• Clever girl... Rich Peverley had a goal tonight, extending his point streak to four games. Raptor Rich now has 1G-3A totals in his last four games.
• Wiiiiiiiiiiiiides Future Norris Trophy winner Big Mofney Wides was honored with a nice ovation from Caps fans in recognition of his 500th career NHL game. He celebrated by scoring the empty-net dagger to sink his old team. Wides now has 34 points on the season. 

The Bad

• Not-so-clutch It's hard to criticize Patrice Bergeron's face-off prowess, but he had a rough third period. Bergeron is usually one of the most reliable face-off men in the game, but he lost at least three key face-offs in the game's final five minutes alone. It certainly wasn't what doomed the B's, but it didn't help.
• Team-wide malaise Overall, this just wasn't a very good effort from the Bruins. How bad was it? Team stats usually aren't great when five goals are allowed, but the B's didn't have a single plus player last night. That's really a sign of no one having a good night. Sure, a couple of guys had multi-point games, but they weren't solid on the other end. To sum it up: not good.
• Running on empty? To be honest, the B's, as a team, looked drained tonight. I can't really blame them. In the past four days, they played a wicked, battering-ram game against the Rangers and a fight and hit filled game against the Flyers. Both of those games went to extra time, and there wasn't any real rest in between. Oh, and on Monday, their "off day," the B's faced a media circus at the White House. What I'm driving at is that the B's looked tired and worn down, and I don't necessarily blame them. The All-Star break will do these guys good.

What went wrong

• To be honest, this was just a bad effort team-wide. However, it was particularly bad on the defensive end of things. Too many chances to clear the zone ended up on Washington sticks, too many passes were picked off. Case in point: the B's had a couple of chances to keep possession and clear the zone on Perrault's game-winner. Instead, they were beaten to loose pucks, and then outworked in front of the net as Perrault batted the rebound home. Just not a good effort tonight. Plain and simple.

Attaboy: Perrault, for his first-career hat trick. And Big Money Wides too. Duh.

Providence Shuttle: Everyone on the Bruins. Get into the break, rest up, and get ready for the stretch run.

Game 44: Bruins 4, Devils 1

The Good

• Merlot! The fourth-line was spectacular last night, combining for a fight, three shots, five points, and a plus-5 ranking. Gregory Campbell in particular was excellent, as he lead the way with the line's lone goal and the Gordie Howe hat trick. The fourth line hasn't been as productive this year as they were last year, but last night was a perfect example of how they can wear opposing teams down, and strike when given the opportunity.
• A power play goal! At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but lo and behold, the Bruins actually scored on the power play last night. Making the feat all the more impressive is the fact that the goal came against the Devils' PK unit, the best in the NHL. The goal was silky smooth, and came off of terrific puck movement and a beauty of a pass from Nathan Horton.
  
• Bounce back! I was surprised to see Tim Thomas get the start last night. Truthfully, he was pretty average (and maybe even sub-par) in the Tampa game; however, Thomas has great career numbers against the Devils, and I assume Claude Julien wanted to give him a chance to right the ship immediately following a bad game. It worked out, as Thomas made a couple of big stops and earned himself another win.
• Marty! I thought Martin Brodeur was pretty much washed up, but he looked pretty good last night. The future Hall of Famer made a number of fantastic saves, including robbing Benoit Pouliot with his glove. Brodeur is probably on his way out and certainly isn't the goalie he used to be, but he's still got a few dandies up his sleeve.
  

The Bad

• Another slow start... Last night marked the fourth time in the last six games that the B's either allowed the first goal or didn't score at all in the opening frame. I know the team has owned the third period this year, but playing from behind or starting out slowly isn't usually the recipe for winning.
• Take back those rubles... It's early in his deal, but the contract Ilya Kovalchuk signed looks pretty bad right now. The Russian sniper signed a 15-year, $100 million deal about a year ago, and he's making $6 million this season. The cap hit averages out to $6.667 million, but Kovalchuk will get paid $11 million next year. Yes, you read that correctly. $11 million for a guy who currently has 40 points (19 G, 21 A) and is a minus-9. While those numbers aren't awful, keep in mind that Kovalchuk recently went on a bit of a tear, netting ten of those points in his last seven games. Things aren't so bad this year, as he's only getting $6 million. However, if he puts up similar totals next year with his new $11 million price tag? Yikes.
  

What went right:

• Most NHL goalies are going to stop shots that they can see. That's why net-front presence is so important, and it was key for the B's last night. All of the B's goals (excluding the ENG, obviously) came from a player being directly in front of the net, usually on the very edge of the crease. Brodeur never even saw Ference's shot due to the screen in front; Nathan Horton was camped out in the slot right at the top of the crease waiting for David Krejci's pass; and Campbell's goal came in the "dirty area" of the ice, right at the top of the crease, where Mark Recchi made a career out of pouncing on rebounds. The pretty goals get the highlight reel time, but the dirty work counts just the same. It sure paid off for the B's last night.
  

Attaboy: The Merlot Line, and Campbell in particular. They were outstanding.

Providence shuttle: The Devils' home crowd. ZZzzzzzzZZZZzzzz. That arena is incredibly boring. No life whatsoever.

Game 43: Lightning 5, Bruins 3

The Good

• Two strikes for Horton I was hearing that Nathan Horton got a bit of a talking to from Doug Jarvis on the bench after his line was on the ice for a Tampa goal, and it was good to see him respond. This came just after Horton was publicly criticized by Claude Julien after his lackluster effort Monday night against the Panthers. Calling out players usually will do one of two things: fire them up, or make them malcontents. It's good to see Horton used the critique as fuel instead of sulking.
• Humble Paille I mocked Daniel Paille for his propensity for failing to score on breakaways last night after he missed on another one, and then he went a scored just a few minutes later...on a breakaway...with a fantastic move. *Insert foot in mouth*

The Bad

• Weak effort Maybe it was just me, but the effort didn't seem to be all there for the B's last night. Losing battles for loose pucks, getting outskated, outhustled, etc. When the Bruins are on top of their game, they very rarely get outworked by the opposition. The hustle is there, the grinding is there, and the effort is there, and that's what makes them hard to play against. However, the last three games has seen that usual grit and sandpaper give way to floating and loafing. Perhaps it's the condensed schedule, perhaps it's fatigue, or perhaps it's just a case of the midseason doldrums. Whatever it is, Julien isn't going to let it stand for long.
• Circus in the back end The Bruins defense was pretty terrible again last night. Like really pretty terrible. Bad. Turnovers, hopeful passes, bad positioning. Just bad. Speaking of bad...
• Joe CorvOH NO!!! Joe Corvo has had his struggles this season, and I don't want to pile on the guy. But yikes, he's been bad in the last two games. Occasional turnovers need to be forgiven, because every player makes mistakes. But Corvo's mental error on Tampa's second goal last night is borderline inexcusable. (See below for more.) I literally have no idea what he was thinking on that play. Corvo may need a pep talk from one of the coaches, or maybe a game in the press box to get his head on straight. When he's on, he's perfectly serviceable and great at moving the puck. When he's off, he makes Dennis Wideman look like Zdeno Chara (#Wides4Norris).
• Powerless again Another o-fer on the power play. Say, have we heard that before?

What went wrong:

• As I said before, the defense has been bad lately. Lots of scrambling, lots of weird passes and just downright strange decision making. Here's the worst of it from last night:

1) Ok, not so bad. Corvo was in a battle along the wall. Now, retreat to the net-front area, or stick with Downie. Either is OK.

2) Oh, you stuck with Downie. Good decision. Way to get your stick in there and break up the play.

3) Wait...where are you going? There are two teammates there, and only one Tampa skater. Leave it for your forwards and get back down low...

4) WHAT THE HELL? WHY ARE YOU ALL THE WAY AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ZONE? THERE IS NO ONE WITHIN 15 FEET OF DOWNIE. HE'S IN YOUR SPOT.

5) Nice pass by Gilroy. Sure would be nice if there had been a defenseman near Downie. Just a suggestion.

6) The end. And Corvo is still not really in anything close to the right position. SCENE.

• Like I mentioned above, I can excuse occasional turnovers. But seriously Joe Corvo, WHERE ARE YOU GOING ON THIS PLAY? WHERE? Did he forget that he left the iron on in his hotel room or something? Just a bad, bad play by Corvo. Certainly this loss can't be pinned entirely on him, but this was an egregious (and downright weird) mistake.
  

Attaboy: Dominic Moore. Kevin Paul Dupont's favorite player had himself a strong game last night.

Providence shuttle: The Bruins defense. There's no defending this defense. GET IT?! HA!

Game 42: Bruins 3, Panthers 2 (SO)

The Good

• All Patrice While I'd argue that Zdeno Chara is probably more valuable to the Bruins' overall success as a team, Patrice Bergeron is probably their best all-around player. Last night was the most effective I've seen Bergeron be in quite some time. This isn't to say he's been slacking lately; rather that his contributions usually go more unnoticed: a nice chip pass, strong backcheck, good read of a play, etc. However, Bergeron was a force every time he touched the ice last night, and his line was by far the Bruins most dangerous. Truthfully, the Bruins probably didn't deserve to win last night, but thanks to Bergeron's Herculean efforts, they managed to pull it out anyways.
• Fast-paced I was ridiculed earlier this season (and as recently as late November) for saying that I thought Florida would make the playoffs this year. Well they're making a strong push not only for a playoff spot but for the top spot in the Southeast Division. I liked what I saw from the Cats last night, specifically the fast-paced, fairly uptempo style they were playing. I expected a Dale Tallon team to be slightly more defense-oriented, but the Panthers were fun to watch last night: a lot of end-to-end rushes, a lot of home run passes, and a lot of young talent.

The Bad

• Big holes The Bruins gave up at least four breakaways last night, including one in the final 30 seconds of overtime. Inexcusable. I don't know if it was blown assignments or just cherrypicking by the Panthers, but the B's can't let that happen. They only got burnt once last night, but a team with more high-end skill will bury the B's if they keep giving up chances like that.
• No defending defense There were more than a few Bruins who had "off" nights last night, but Joe Corvo and Dennis Seidenberg stood out. A rare off night for Seidenberg, not so rare for Corvo. A lot of it did seem to be bad bounces, however, as the puck wouldn't really sit flat for anyone all night.
  

What went right:

• Using the real estate The biggest asset on a 5-on-3 power play is the amount of space a team has at its disposal. Too often, teams will simply set up in their normal power play offense and attempt to solve the three-man triangle. The Bruins did this last night, and it wasn't working. It wasn't until Tyler Seguin picked up the puck and essentially skated around the zone untouched that a play opened up. Seguin used the space and his skating to create a passing lane, them feathered a perfect pass on to Bergeron's stick. Stationary power plays are unsuccessful power plays. The B's moved well in that instance, and were rewarded for it.
  

Attaboy: Saint Patrice be praised!

Providence shuttle: Bad Bruins defense. No early bird special for you.

Game 39: Bruins 5, Jets 3

The Good

• Good for 22 Shawn Thornton is undoubtedly one of the B's best character guys, and the work he does is usually the unappreciated grunt work: the hard forechecking, the dogged backchecking, the occasional fight, etc. With all of that usually going unnoticed (fights being the exception, obviously), it was great to see Thornton get (and seize) his moment in the spotlight last night with his beauty of a goal on the penalty shot. Thornton has long insisted that he can actually play and that he isn't just a pair of fists, and he proved it last night.
• Net drive The B's scored two of their four goals last night directly off of strong drives to the net. Nathan Horton actually scored both of these goals, and they were remarkably similar: a teammate carried the puck up the wing, and Horton drove down the slot, got his stick on the centering pass, and knocked it past Ondrej Pavelec. Driving to the net will almost always lead to something good, as it either opens up a direct opportunity for the driver (like Horton last night) or it takes a defender to the net and opens up space for another player.
• Strong third again The B's have been excellent in the third period all year, and that trend continued last night. The B's have now outscored the opposition by a margin of 60-23 in the final frame this year. +37 in the third period? That's going to go a long way towards winning games.
• On fire Speaking of Nathan Horton, he's on quite a roll. Horton now has four goals and six points in his last four games. In fact, the entire first line had a strong game last night, combining for six points (though they did put up a minus-3 as well).
  

The Bad

• It's like watching siblings fight! I didn't like the fight between Mark Stuart and Thornton, strictly because I liked Stuart when he was with the B's and it was just a bit awkward. It was kind of like watching two good friends or two brothers fight. Also, Stuart kind of got beaten pretty handily, so that didn't help things. CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
• No Kane Evander Kane, who will be forever beloved in Boston for KO'ing Matt Cooke, had himself a pretty awful game last night. Kane is one of the Jets' best young players, but he found himself benched for a significant stretch and criticized by his coach after the game. Kane finished the night pointless and minus-1, but he did land three shots on goal. Jets coach Claude Noel simply wants more out of his young star, and it's up to Kane to get the message.
• Both penalty shots I've seen people complain that Thornton's penalty shot shouldn't have counted, and they may have a point. However, things essentially evened out, as the penalty shot awarded to Chris Thorburn earlier in the game was a pretty weak call too. Truthfully, the refs had a tough night last night, with the two penalty shots and the phantom "hit to the head" call against Thornton. But hey, it happens. This time, the B's capitalized on their chance, while the Jets didn't.
  

What went right:

• For years, speed was a serious concern for the B's. No, not going to fast; rather not having anyone on the team with wheels. Marco Sturm was the B's biggest speed threat for a while, but that was about it. Now, this team has plenty of speed, and they put it to good use last night. On the game-winning goal, Patrice Bergeron made a great play in the neutral zone, chipping the puck ahead. However, he didn't really chip it to anyone. Instead, he just chipped it into space, and gave Tyler Seguin the chance to skate onto it. He did, he scored, and that was the game. If you've got it, use it, and the B's did last night.
  

Attaboy: Thornton, of course. Here's to hoping he had a hearty postgame celebration in Charlestown (after sparring with Tony Gallagher, of course).

Providence shuttle: The refs. Questionable calls galore, including one that really changed the momentum of the game.

Game 37: Bruins 9, Flames 0

The Good

• Spread the wealth Getting nine goals is great, but the fact that the B's spread the scoring around was even better. I believe that depth will always win out over individual talent, especially in a playoff series. Last night, the B's got points from 66% of their skaters, and got nine goals from seven different players. Some nights, the stars are on for the B's; other nights, it's the secondary scorers who get things done. The B's are beating opponents in a variety of ways right now, and it's fun to watch.
• Two U's, Two K's, no goals Tuukka Rask was good again last night. Let's be honest: he didn't have to be spectacular, considering he only faced 23 shots. However, he stopped 'em all, and earned his 11th career shutout in the process. Rask has been stellar as of late, winning eight of his last eleven games and allowing just one goal in his last five games.
• Pretty much everything else Black and Gold Yup. Another night of good feelings and hugs and fuzziness at the Garden.
  

The Bad

• Everything Calgary Just terrible.
• Minus-17 I don't want to pick on just three players, but: Chris Butler, Mikael Backlund, and Jay Bouwmeester went a combined minus-17 last night. MINUS-17!!! They were led by Butler's minus-7. Yikes.
• Throw away game? I said this last night on Twitter, but I'll repeat it: I think Calgary head coach Brent Sutter essentially declared this game a loss before it even started. I know they play the Wild tomorrow and that it's a divisional game, but why, why, WHY would you start Leland Irving, he of the three prior NHL starts, against the best offensive team in the league? Just a curious (and really, really BAD) decision from sutter.
  

What went right:

• Everything. Literally. Nine goals, no one got hurt...the only bad part was that Zach Hamill still didn't score.
  

Attaboy: Bergeron. He's been on fire lately, and kept it going last night.

Providence shuttle: Sutter. I know it's just one game, but he essentially threw it away before it even started. Weak.