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.

Game 58: Bruins 6, Islanders 3

The Good

• Team-wide effort Claude Julien is a coach who loves to roll four lines, and when the B's can get each line going they're tough to beat. Last night was one of those occasions, as each line scored at least one goal and everyone seemed to be producing. If the B's can perform like that more consistently, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.
• Seguin keeps responding For those keeping score, Tyler Seguin now has three points in three games since his healthy scratches last week. For those who say Claude Julien is killing the kid's confidence, it looks like it may have had the opposite effect: Seguin looks more motivated and has an extra jump in his step. Maybe Claude made the right choice? Just sayin'...
• Solid start for Tuukka Aside from the Islanders' third goal, Tuukka Rask had a solid game and even made a couple of sterling stops. John Tavares' first goal was a thing of beauty and Josh Bailey's goal was an absolute rocket that Rask never saw. The Isles' third goal was a bad rebound given up by Rask, but it was really his only mistake of the night. Games like this should go a long way towards rebuilding the youngster's confidence.
• A power play goal and a point from Nathan Horton in the same game! "Somebody call the devil and see if Hell is still frozen."

The Bad

• Mike Milbury rips the Isles After the first period last night, Mike Milbury went off on the Islanders for dressing goons, playing like thugs, etc. And while I agree that the team's display against the Penguins last Friday was an embarrassment, this is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. Milbury ripping people for playing like goons? He went into the stands and beat up a fan. WITH A SHOE. Milbury ripping the Isles for playing scrubs? It could be argued that he's a major reason why the team is in its current state of disarray personnel-wise (though some argue it was ownership that pushed for some of his worst trades). It just seemed a little unnecessary and misplaced for a guy like Milbury to be ripping the Isles for issues of that nature.
• Weird second period After the B's played an excellent first period in which they dominated the Islanders up and down the ice, things got a bit wild in the second. Call it a push-back from the Islanders if you want to, but allowing 22 shots on goal in a period to a struggling team like the Islanders is borderline inexcusable. Luckily for the B's, the Isles didn't exactly climb back into the game, but the B's will need to tighten things up against better teams (which is something I feel like I've been repeating all season long, but whatever).

The Rest

• Trade speculation continues to swirl, as Mark Stuart was a healthy scratch last night and multiple parties are reporting a Tomas Kaberle trade is nearly complete this morning. Stay tuned, this could be a busy Friday for the B's.

Attaboy: Seguin. He had a great game tonight and has looked good since being a healthy scratch.

Providence Shuttle: Milbury. Stop criticizing something that's partly your fault, Mike.

Game 53: Sharks 2, Bruins 0

The Good

• Logan Couture is the real deal This game marked the first time I've really been able to watch Couture play, and he's as good as advertised and seems like a virtual lock to win Rookie of the Year. Jeff Skinner will challenge him (and Brad Marchand could too if he keeps putting up points like he has been), but right now I'd give the edge to Couture. While the goal he scored wasn't pretty (Tim Thomas probably could've saved it, but those backhanders are tricky), he showed great offensive instincts cutting to the net and flipping it on goal. San Jose looks to have a good one in this kid.
• McQuaid doesn't back down Good for Adam McQuaid for fighting Ben Eager, who's a pretty tough customer. During his brief NHL career, McQuaid has shown that he isn't afraid of anyone, even if the opponent is bigger or tougher than he is. Eager looked like he got a shot in on McQuaid before he had even dropped the gloves, but it is what it is. McQuaid hung in there pretty well with Eager.

The Bad

• The power play remains awful I keep reading stats saying that the B's haven't scored on the power play since Marc Savard was re-injured, but it's not like the power play was a model of efficiency and power when he was in the lineup either. Let's face it: the power play has been a weakness for the B's all season, and it killed them in this one. They went 0-for-4 on the power play and managed just one shot on goal. Yes, ONE SHOT on four power plays. Great teams capitalize on their opportunities, and the B's had a huge one when Joe Thornton went to the box for tripping with eight minutes left in the game and the B's trailing by a goal. The power play continued to sputter, and the B's didn't really threaten to score. Game over. Great teams also have to make their opponents pay for mistakes made. The B's were called for Too Many Men on the Ice in the first period; San Jose scored the eventual game-winner. San Jose's bench was called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct for barking at the ref midway through the second period; the B's did nothing. There's your game.
• Where is the top line? The Bruins seemed to play this one without a "top line," as the trio of David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic was invisible throughout the game. Lucic had a golden opportunity to tie the game on the power play late in the first, but he batted a rebound wide. That was about it. Horton seemed to lose a number of individual battles and had a couple of giveaways, as did Lucic. Krejci wasn't making many plays. Truth be told, the entire line was terrible, and all three players need to be better if the B's are going to beat good teams.
• Niemi's rebounds I know this seems like nitpicking considering he got a shutout, but Antti Niemi's rebound control was terrible in this game. It seemed like even routine shots from the point turned into adventures for the Finnish netminder, as he routinely spilled rebounds out into the slot or into other danger areas. Just something to keep an eye on moving forward.

The Rest

• Zach Hamill's first game of the season wasn't much to write home about, but it wasn't terrible either. The rookie finished the game with zeroes across the board in 10:35 of ice time. He made a couple of good passes to set up Michael Ryder, and also made an ill-advised pass that led to an icing call. All in all, however, not bad for a kid playing in just his second NHL game. But if you want to complain, how about this: Hamill was chosen seventh by the Bruins in the 2007 Entry Draft. Who was chosen eighth? Logan Couture. Yeah, hindsight is always 20/20 and we still don't know what kind of player Hamill will turn into, but that's looking like the wrong pick at this point.
  

Game 52: Bruins 6, Stars 3

The Good

• Wow... Yeah, that's pretty much all I have to say after that game. Wow. Good for Gregory Campbell for sticking up for himself after Steve Ott leveled him a couple years back. Good for Shawn Thornton for accepting Krys Barch's offer to fight, even though his teammate had just fought. Good for Adam McQuaid for absolutely pounding Brian Sutherby. And good for the Bruins for keeping their foot on the gas after the fights, scoring four straight goals.
  
• Strong breakouts lead to good things Both of the Bruins' first two goals were the direct result of smooth, strong breakouts from their defensive zone. It was one or two quick passes, and then the B's were on their way. The B's coaching staff harps on breakouts, and it's easy to see why: when they work, goals (or at least scoring chances) usually follow.
• Tyler Seguin's instincts Good on the kid for scoring his first goal in quite a while last night, but I'm more impressed by the fact that he shot that puck right away and not only got it on goal but put it in a good spot. Kari Lehtonen probably should've saved that one, but Seguin's ability to fire that puck five-hole while turning around and to put it where it needed to be was impressive.

The Bad

• Andrew Raycroft Raycroft had a chance to show B's fans that he wasn't a bust last night, and to make them think that one of the more laughable trades in recent memory wasn't as bad as one would think. Truth be told, Raycroft's gone on to have a decent career post-Boston and Toronto, but one wouldn't know it from watching that game last night. Raycroft's night was over after two shots: he allowed a goal on each, giving him a save percentage of 0. Yikes.
• Paille's hit A bit irresponsible in my opinion. Paille's not a dirty player, but he didn't really HAVE to clean out Sawada there. He could have tried to go for the puck instead, but he decided to go for the big hit. He caught Sawada from the blindside, and while I'd argue that the hit didn't target the head, I'm sure the NHL will disagree. Either way, Paille will be (and deserves to be) suspended. He was remorseful about the hit, and hopefully Sawada will be OK.
• Terrible goalie interference call Lost in all of the fights, hits and the eventual B's win was the horrendous goalie interference call on Blake Wheeler in the second period. Adam McQuaid had the first "home" goal of his career waved off last night after Wheeler was whistled for making contact with Lehtonen. Replays showed it was a bogus call, and it would have been an embarrassing mistake for the league had it come back to haunt the Bruins. Luckily for the B's (and the league), it didn't end up mattering much.
• Morrow's goal Brenden Morrow's goal started the Stars mini-comeback in the third period, but it never should've happened. The Bruins were on the power play at the time, and there were two bad mistakes on the play: Steve Kampfer gave Morrow way too much space at the blue line, and Tuukka Rask should've made the save. Kampfer should've attacked the puck carrier; instead, he sagged back and gave him about five feet of space to get a shot off. Rask had a clear view of the puck and it wasn't tipped or deflected, he just missed it. Morrow's got a great shot, but that's a save Rask should've made.
• Come on, Patrice! How are you gonna miss that empty net with a chance to get your second hat trick of the season? BENCH HIM!
  

The Rest

• It'll be interesting to see if the Bruins can go on an "08-09-esque" run after this game. The "2008 Stars Game" served as a team-building game and a rallying point for that squad. After that game, the B's went 22-2-1 in their next 25 games. While an otherworldly run like that is unlikely, it'll be interesting to see if the B's can use this complete team effort to build momentum down the stretch.
• It was good to see the Bruins condemn (albeit a bit lightly) Paille's hit. No one likes a hypocrite, and it would've been ridiculous if the Bruins were OK with Paille's hit while condemning Matt Cooke's. Andrew Ference spoke out against Paille's hit, calling it a "bad hit."
• The Stars had three players injured in this game: Sawada, Barch and Adam Burish. All three of those players will not be available for the Stars' next game. Burish looked like he may have fractured an orbital bone in his fight with Andrew Ference. If you watch the video of it, it looks like he gets caught square around the eye with a punch then holds his face as he's on the ice.
  

First half "Wides4Norris" Text

The official "Wides4Norris" log was getting a little long, so rather than make an entirely new webpage for a part of the site that I'm pretty surely only myself, Wides and Mama Wides read, I decided I'd just paste it all here. Below is the full-version of the "Wides4Norris" log for the first half of the season.

You can still keep up with Wides' second-half exploits at the official Wides Norris Trophy Watch page.


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• 10/16/10: Wides buries Florida's first-power play goal of the season and his first of the year/as a Panther in Florida's 6-0 drubbing of the Lightning.
• 10/21/10: A tough night for Wides, as Florida loses to the Dallas Stars, 4-1, and Wides finishes the night -2. One can only assume that Wides' teammates are throwing him under the bus at this point, as they know he's essentially running away with the Norris. He did have a fight, however, against the Stars' Adam Burish that I can't find video of yet. (EDIT: Found it...not the best scrap for Wides.) Looks like all those daquiris and beach days on South Beach have made Big Money Wides a bit aggressive. Watch out, NHL.
• 10/23/10: Wides had an assist and was a +1 in Florida's 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Wides now has a point in three of the last four games. It's only a matter of time before he cracks the 100 point barrier.
• 10/26/10: Wides buries another power play goal, this time against the Leafs. He ends up at a -1 on the evening, as he was on the ice when Phil Kessel scored on the breakaway. Wides didn't want to chase him; he's an offensive defenseman now.
• 10/28/10: Wides had a nifty assist on Florida's first goal last night, leading the rush up ice before slipping a sweet feed to Bryan McCabe, who buried a slapper. Being the good man that he is, Wides felt so bad about burning the Ottawa defense that he elected to be on the ice for two of their five goals, putting himself at a -2 for the evening. Say what you will about Wides and his cold-hearted goal scoring abilities, but he's nothing if not a gentleman. The Panthers eventually lost, 5-3.
• 10/30/10: Wides decided to take a game off from getting any points, but still managed to finish Florida's 3-1 win over Montreal at +1. That Wides, he can do anything! Including successfully making the middle name "Earl" cool. (Yes, I just found out about the "Earl" thing. Awesome.)
• 11/8/10: Wides now has points in three-straight games, a stretch in which he is a +1 while the Panthers are just 1-2. Can Wides get some HELP down there?
• 11/10/10: Another assist for Wides! And against the Leafs, no less! That's points in four-straight games. "Big Money" indeed.
• 11/13/10: Another reason to hate the Flyers: Wides' valiant five-game point streak came to an end in Philly on Saturday, as the Panthers fell, 5-2. Wides was also a -2 on the evening. One can't help but wonder if Wides is getting tired from carrying the Panthers all of the time...
• 11/17/10: A ho-hum game for Wides, as he finished at -1 with no points in a 2-1 Panther win over the Atlanta Thrashers; one can't help but understand if Wides wasn't fully into this game though. He's busy planning his scorched earth assault on the B's tomorrow night. Hide the women and children.
• 11/18/10: Wides' Norris chances took a big hit tonight with his -2 showing against the B's. Wides wasn't at fault on the goals, and had Chris Higgins simply buried Wides' epic half-ice length pass, he probably would have locked up the Norris last night. But alas, it wasn't meant to be, and now Wides must step it up.
• 11/20/10: Wides didn't record any points, but did finish the Panthers' 4-1 win over the Islanders at +2. BACK TO EVEN FOR WIDES.
• 11/24/10: Wides with the excellent assist on Florida's lone goal against the Bruins. WIDES STRIKES BACK!
• 11/29/10: Wides must really miss Boston; since playing in Boston back on Nov. 18, Wides has just 1 point and is a -4. Norris chances are taking a huge hit right now; the situation is critical.
• 12/3/10: The Panthers are now 0-2 on their current West Coast swing, with Wides putting up just one point and a minus-1 rating over the two games. Coach Peter DeBoer called his team "men against boys" against the Anaheim Ducks, and Wides is disgusted as well. Don't worry, Wides. We know you can't do it alone. Wait, what's that? Wides criticized the team's offensive strategy in that article too?

"We're doing a little bit more of that,'' DeBoer said of the dump-and-chase strategy. "Dennis isn't a coach. He's a player and
if he's got a solution for it then he should speak up.''

• DeBoer brings up a good point: Wides isn't the coach...FIRE DeBOER! WIDES 4 COACH! WIDES 4 JACK ADAMS AND 4 NORRIS IN THE SAME YEAR! HE CAN DO IT ALL!
• 12/4/10: Wides took a penalty in Florida's 2-1 win over Phoenix. That's it. No goals, no assists, an even plus/minus. One can't help but think that Wides is still stewing from DeBoer's comments, and that an offensive outburst of epic proportions is coming soon...beware, NHL. Beware.
• 12/13/10: Wides is having a rough December: he's a -4 with just one assist, and Florida is just 3-3. However, one of those three wins was a 3-0 shutout of the Caps, so don't despair! There's hope for Wides yet. He's probably just thinking ahead to the next time he plays the Bruins and how he'll score 12 goals in that game alone.
• 12/20/10: Wides was a +1 in Florida's 6-2 whipping of Buffalo on Friday night, and he has registered a point in three of the Panthers' last four games. WIDES IS HEATING UP, LOOK OUT!
• 12/28/10: Wides had a decent game against the B's, making a number of supreme outlet passes, but he ultimately finished without any points and an "even" plus-minus rating. Wides is probably just happy to be back to even: he went a combined -5 in two games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo last Wednesday and Thursday nights. The Norris Trophy people aren't going to like this, Wides. It's time for some more rocket goals.
• 12/31/10: Wides ended 2010 with an assist and a plus-1 rating in a 3-2 OTL to Montreal, the Panthers' second 3-2 extra time loss in a row (the other being to the B's on Monday). Chances are Wides' New Year's resolution was to stop holding himself back so he doesn't make his teammates look bad, so I'm expecting anywhere from 20-80 points for Wides in January. Get on board now.
• 1/2/11: Wides had an assist, a blocked shot and three shots on goal in Florida's 3-0 win over the Rangers on Sunday. Wides' New Year's resolution (see 12/31/10 above) has begun!
• 1/3/11: Wides continued his assault on 2011 last night, scoring a goal and finishing the game at plus-1. Wides now has points in three-straight games, and is an even plus/minus or better in four straight. Let the Norris talk resume...
• 1/10/11: Wides has now recorded a point in three of five games in 2011. YES. And, he's also "even" in terms of plus/minus in 2011. DOUBLE YES. Of course he's still a minus-12 on the season, but who cares?! That's in the past!TURNING IT ON IN 2011!
• 1/11/11: Wides had a huge game against the Caps, assisting on a goal in regulation then BURYING THE GAME-WINNER IN OVERTIME. YES, WIDES. But somehow, Wides managed to win the game, record two points AND STILL FINISH AT -1. COME ON, WIDES. NORRIS VOTERS REALLY LIKE THAT +/- STAT!!!
• 1/13/11: Wides didn't score, but he managed to finish Florida's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators at +1. As my grandfather used to say: progress, not perfection. THAT PLUS/MINUS NUMBER IS SLOWLY COMING DOWN! SLOWLY, BUT SURELY!
• 1/18/11: Five points in his last four games! Eight points since the start of 2011! Three goals in his last four games! That sound you hear is the Norris Trophy Committee knocking on Wides' door to deliver the trophy already. CALL OFF THE FIGHT! (Even though he scored a goal, Wides went -1 last night. COME ON WIDES!)
• 1/19/11: The Panthers have now blown third period two-goal leads in two games in a row. Fortunately for Wides, he emerged from the most recent debacle unscathed: 0 goals, 0 assists and an even plus/minus. Way to be, Wides.
• 1/26/11: No points and a minus-1 for Wides in his last game of the season against the Bruins. However, Wides heads into the All-Star break with25 points, just four points fewer than Nathan Horton. Wides will catch him by Valentine's Day. MARK IT DOWN.

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