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 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.