Game 50: Penguins 2, Bruins 1

The Good

• Field Trip fun Despite not scoring a goal (though Joe Corvo's goal did come with the trio on the ice) the "Field Trip Line" of Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, and Brad Marchand was the most dangerous line on the ice today. The group had a number of top-notch scoring chances: Seguin's one-timer and breakaway, and Marchand's backhander late were just a few of the good looks this line had. True, none of the three put one in the back of the net; however, they were applying pressure and making plays, something that can't really be said for the rest of the team.
• Geno! I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Evgeni Malkin might be my favorite player to watch this season. The guy's a physical presence, a wizard with the puck, and just seems to know how to put it in the back of the net. His goal today came from a fortuitous bounce, but those bounces usually come from being in the right spot. At this point, Malkin should be a lock for the MVP award this year.
• MAF! Marc-Andre Fleury basically did to the Bruins what Tim Thomas did to the Penguins in Pittsburgh a couple of months ago: made the stops, and was stellar when he needed to be. Fleury came up huge late, stopping Seguin's mini-breakaway and Marchand's backhander in the game's final ten minutes to preserve the lead. Fleury is often left out of the discussion of the league's top netminders, but he's young, has a Stanley Cup ring, and, oh yeah, is pretty good too.
• Hitting is OK Glad to see no one on the Bruins go after Brooks Orpik after he sent Daniel Paille into orbit in the third period. Truthfully, Orpik didn't even look like he was trying to hit Paille; rather they were both going for the puck, and the bigger Orpik get the best of Paille. Paille got right up, and play continued. Too often in today's NHL, throwers of big, but clean, hits are forced to "answer the bell." It was good to see that this was viewed as just a good, clean collision by both sides.  

The Bad

• Clear the puck! Both goals the Penguins scored today came off of plays where the puck either went through a Bruin or off of a Bruins' stick. On Malkin's goal, the puck skidded through Dennis Seidenberg's legs; on Matt Cooke's goal, Joe Corvo attempted to clear a puck at the top of the crease and kind of fanned on it, instead sending it bouncing off of the body of a Penguin and onto Cooke's stick for the tap-in. You can't give a talented team like the Penguins second chances through bounces and misplays. They'll make you pay dearly more often than not.
• Really? Matt Cooke ended up with the game-winning goal. Come on, hockey gods. That's a low blow.
• Not tops The "first line" was invisible this afternoon, and it may be time for Claude Julien to do something about it. Rich Peverley is filling Nathan Horton's spot, but the line isn't clicking at all. When healthy and going, the line of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic is a force to be reckoned with; lately, with the absence of Horton, the line has been pretty much useless.
• Slow start Another game, another deficit for the Bruins. It seems like it's been forever since the B's consistently jumped out to leads, and as the overused saying goes, "catch-up hockey is losing hockey." Another game, another lack of a "full-60" effort for the B's. 

What went wrong 

• Cooke's goal was pretty much comedy of errors. Things got started when Tim Thomas, facing a bad-angle shot, failed to control the rebound. Instead of directing it into the corner or back at the shooter, the rebound kicked right into the crease. Beleaguered Joe Corvo tried to whack it out of there, but flubbed the bouncing puck right into the body of a Penguin. It landed on the ice and onto the stick of an uncovered Matt Cooke, as Zach Hamill failed to put so much as a stick on the most-hated Penguin of them all. From there, Cooke had a tap-in into the empty cage. Just an ugly, ugly series for the B's, as a number of breakdowns and gaffes lead to the game-winning goal for Pittsburgh. 

Attaboy: Evgeni Malkin, because he rules.
Providence Shuttle: I should give it to pretty much the entire Boston team, but Matt Cooke was in this game, so he gets it for being Matt Cooke.

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.

Game 41: Bruins 4, Penguins 2

The Good

• Sticking with it One can't entirely fault the B's effort in this game; in fact, it could be argued that they deserved to be in a better position than down two goals going into the third period. However, they kept at it, stuck with it, whatever you want to say, and got rewarded in the end. Zdeno Chara called this victory a "great character win," and it's hard to argue with that.
• Who was the throw-in again? Gregory Campbell was called a "throw-in" in the Nathan Horton trade by some, an added spare part to help get the deal done. I'm not going to claim Campbell is a better hockey player than Horton, but he's certainly been far more consistent this year. Campbell had three points in the last four minutes of the game last night: an assist on Chara's PPG, an assist on Brad Marchand's tying goal and an empty-netter to seal the deal. Campbell now sports a stat line of 4G-8A-12PTS and is a +3 on the year. For those keeping score, Campbell had as many points in the final four minutes of last night's game as Horton's had since Dec. 15. Just sayin'...
• Marchand and Bergeron ...are becoming the B's two most consistent players. In a season that seems to be rife with up-and-down play throughout the lineup, these two players have been fairly consistent bright spots. Bergeron has turned it up a notch lately and has quietly taken over the team lead in points, passing Milan Lucic. Bergeron had his second-straight two-point night last night, and has recorded six points in his last five games. Bergeron has points in nine of the B's last 12 games. Marchand, meanwhile, may not be putting up the same point totals as Bergeron, but he's making his impact felt in other areas. The youngster is responsible with the puck, tenacious on the forecheck and a very hard worker. He also has quietly recorded at least a point in five of his last eight games.

The Bad

• Rupp's goal The first Penguin goal is one that Tuukka Rask simply can't allow. Not only did it come from a grinder in Mike Rupp, but it came on a backhand that was nearly below the goal line. Those are the saves a goalie has to make.
• Haven't you done enough, Cooke? One could very convincingly argue that Matt Cooke has already done enough to Marc Savard. So why, then, did Cooke feel the need to take himself out of position and try to check the pivot during the B's game-winning power play last night (top-right of the screen at around 1:50)? Cooke's eagerness to throw a hit left Michael Ryder wide open in the slot; Ryder fired the puck on net, and Mark Recchi eventually batted it in for the game-winning strike. Cooke cost his team on that one.
• Where are you? Did the Bruins top-guns even play last night? David Krejci: no points, no shots; Milan Lucic: no points, three shots; Savard: no points, one shot (and an incredibly lazy slashing penalty). Not good enough.

The Rest

• The Penguins' second goal was a sublime display of skill from Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Malkin's saucer pass across the ice was a thing of beauty, only to be outdone by Letang's absolute laser beam of a shot. Rask had no chance on that one. The Pens will need Malkin to step up his game while Sidney Crosby's out with a concussion. Letang is quickly becoming one of the league's best young defenseman, as the 23-year-old has 37 points and is a plus-20 on the season so far.
• All in all, a decent big-league debut for Matt Bartkowski. The Pittsburgh (or technically Mt. Lebanon), PA, native had a lot to deal with in his first NHL game: short notice, a high-powered opposing offense, oh and yeah it's in your hometown. Good luck, kid! Bartkowski did fairly well, though he did get spun around pretty badly on Mike Rupp's goal and tagged with a somewhat lazy hooking penalty. The Ohio State product finished the night with no points and a minus-1 in 9:53 on the ice. Not perfect, but not bad for a kid's first game in the NHL.

Attaboy: Campbell. He seemed to be everywhere the B's needed him to be in the last four minutes of this game, and had a couple of great chances earlier on as well.

Providence Shuttle: The B's best players. WHERE ARE YOU? The All-Star break isn't for a few weeks, I think you guys went on vacation a little early.

Evander Kane KO's Matt Cooke

Matt Cooke may not have gotten the beating many felt he deserved from the Bruins, but he certainly got what many felt he had coming to him last night at the hands of Evander Kane of the Atlanta Thrashers. Coincidentally enough, the young Kane is named after Evander Holyfield, who undoubtedly approved of the right hook the Thrasher used to drop Cooke.

Best line of the Internet's reaction to the whole thing? "Evander Kane just made Marc Savard's Christmas Card list."

For those who are wondering, Kane isn't an RFA until after the 2012-2013 season.

League-Wide Playoff Preview

Well, it's been quite a while since my last post here, but thankfully the Bruins didn't take as much time off as I did. I've been doing a lot of writing for the school newspaper (www.suffolkjournal.net) and some for InsideHockey.com as well, but figured I needed to at least do a playoff preview for each conference, as well as some predictions. It won't be that in depth, as I may work on a more in depth B's-Habs preview for one of the aforementioned publications.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Come on, admit it. It had to come down to this. Same teams, a year later, in opposite roles. If last Thursday's game is any indication, this series will be a barn burner. It's hard to argue that the Bruins aren't better than Montreal in nearly all aspects of the game. The Bruins hold an edge in goaltending, defense, physicality and scoring, while Montreal may hold a slight edge on the power play. If the Bruins play their game and stay out of the box, they'll take this series going away. However, if the B's get complacent and take the Habs lightly, a surprise isn't out of the realm of possibility. Claude Julien isn't likely to let his B's slack off though. Bruins in 5

(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers
The Rangers played better hockey down the stretch under new coach John Tortorella, but they lack the offensive firepower to compete with the high-scoring Caps over the course of a series. The Rangers definitely have a wide advantage in goaltending though, and if Henrik Lundqvist gets hot, the Rangers have a fighting chance. Jose Theodore can be shaky in goal for the Caps, but they have more than enough power on the other side of the puck with Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Alex Semin. Expect the Rangers to put up a good fight in each game, but ultimately fall short. Caps in 5.

(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
This is going to be my first upset pick, and I'm sure hockey pundits would be aghast: how DARE I pick against Martin Brodeur in the playoffs?! Uh, well, simply: I think the Canes are one of the more underrated teams in the Eastern Conference, and are getting stellar play from goalie Cam Ward when they need it most. The Canes went an astounding 10-1-2 in March, proving that the team is coming together just in time for the playoffs. While I expect Brodeur, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Co. to play strong hockey, I think the Canes, on the back of Ward, will take this series in the end. Canes in 7.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
This battle of Pennsylvania is sure to be a wild one, with bad blood between the two teams closest to each other in the standings. Sidney Crosby and the Pens have played inspired puck under Dan Bylsma, and are starting to look like real Cup contenders again. They have a playoff-tested roster and a high-powered offense. While the Flyers also have plenty of firepower, I'm not sold on their goalies, Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki. I expect this one to be a close series, but one that the Pens pull out. Penguins in 6.

_________________________________________________

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks
Call me crazy, but I feel like this one may be a shocker waiting to happen. The Sharks have been one of the league's elite teams all year, and finished with the league's best record. The hockey experts hae all proclaimed this "their year", the year where the Black and Teal will finally get that playoff-choker monkey off of their back. I just think they're playing one tough group right off the bat. Like the aforementioned Penguins, the Ducks have plenty of playoff tested vets on the roster. They are a cohesive group, and feel that they have a good shot at knocking off Goliath. I won't go so far as to say that they'll do it, but expect a tight one. Sharks in 6.

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
Poor Columbus. The Jackets finally make the playoffs for the first time in the history of the franchise, aaaaaaaand what do we have for them? Only one of the best teams of the past decade. I think Steve Mason is the real deal, but he's facing too much talent against the Wings. If Rick Nash can seriously elevate his play to an otherworldly level, then the Jackets may have a chance, or if Mason can get his game rolling, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. The Wings will take this one, but it sure won't be easy. Wings in 6.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
I love this match-up for the Blues, and I'm not even sure why. There's something about their team that I like, and I think they can take this series. While Roberto Luongo is undoubtedly a stellar goalie, his playoff record isn't as shiny, and I'm not sold on the Canucks as a group, even though their one of my favorite non-Bruins teams. If Luongo plays as well as he is able to, then the Canucks should be able to win, but I think the Blues, led by their enthralling core of youngsters, will shock the NHL and take the series. Blues in 7.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames
The Flames, who were, as their name suggests, on fire after the trade deadline, have cooled signifcantly, and didn't exactly burst into the postseason in full gallop. The Hawks, led by youngsters Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, are ready for their first taste of late-spring hockey in years, and are primed to make a decent run out West. I think the Flames have plenty of talent, but are going to come up short barring consistently stellar play by Miikka Kiprusoff. Fans in the Windy City will get to enjoy an extended visit to the playoffs this year. Hawks in 6.


So there you have it. According to my predictions, the second round match-ups will be as follows:

Bruins vs. Hurricanes
Capitals vs. Penguins
Sharks vs. Blues
Red Wings vs. Blackhawks

Only time will tell how I do...any comments or predictions are welcome as well, and, as always, Go B's.

November Wrap-up

In my last monthly wrap-up post, I looked ahead to November, and projected the Bruins to finish the grueling month with 31 points, thereby earning 18 points out of the month's possible 26. Instead, the Bruins decided they'd go 11-1-1 and earn 23 out of the possible 26. Yikes.

The roll that this team went on in November is, to put it in a word, astounding. The team lost ONE GAME in regulation, a bit of a stinker last week in Buffalo, and ONE in a shootout, a game they, by all accounts, should have won against the Rangers.

The team is clicking on all cylinders right now, playing defense, scoring, passing, hitting...you name it, the boys in Black and Gold are doing it. Here are some stats from the past month:

Goals For: 53
Goals Against: 25 (including shootout)
Goals For Per Game: 4.08
Goals Against Per Game: 1.92

Here are some stats for the team, and their league rank in parentheses, as of December 1:

Wins: 16 (2nd)
PK: 82.3 % (15th)
Power Play: 23% (4th)
Total Goals For: 80 (t-2nd)
Total Goals Against: 51 (2nd)

The stat here that stands out the most has to be the penalty-kill. The Bruins were languishing at the bottom of the league in that department towards the end of October, killing penalties at an embarrassing 70-75% rate. However, they've gone on a penalty-killing tear lately, and have risen to the middle of the league in that ever-important category.

Basically, to put it in plain words, the Bruins really couldn't have asked for a better November. To make things better, they have a decently favorable December, giving the team a chance to keep on rolling and packing on the points.

DECEMBER AT A GLANCE:

Games: 13 (4 home, 9 road)

Key games: 12/10 at Washington, 12/30 at Pittsburgh

Like last month, there are 26 points up for grabs this month. Like last month, I expect the Bruins to pick up the majority of them. I do think the injuries to Andrew Ference and more recently Aaron Ward may start to hurt this team, but not in a huge way. Matt Hunwick has already filled in nicely, and I expect to see an appearance by Matt Lashoff or Johnny Boychuk in Tampa on Thursday, as reports are already saying Ward won't be making the trip. I'm predicting the Bruins to pick up 19 points in December, cooling off slightly but maintaining a great point-accumulating clip. I'm seeing a record of 8-2-3, thinking the losses would be to Washington and either Pittsburgh or Carolina, and at least one of the OTL's against Atlanta in a back-to-back home-and-home series. It's just hard to beat the same team back-to-back nights in this league. 19 points would give this team 55 points at the end of December with over three full months left to play, putting them on a torrid pace. The B's are likely to cool down at some point, but let's hope it's not for a while.

Go B's.