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.

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 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 21: Red Wings 3, Bruins 2

I'm going to keep this brief, seeing as it's Friday night and I've got other stuff to do.

The Good

• These two should meet more often It's a shame that the B's and Wings don't play more often. Rumor has it that Detroit may be moving to the Eastern Conference in the near future, and that'd be great news for Bruins (and Wings) fans. This was a game filled with great end-to-end action, sublime displays of skill, and solid goaltending. Let's see it more often, OK NHL?
• D and Z It's always great to see Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg live, as they're two of the more skilled players in the league. Zetterberg made a terrific pass on the Wings' first goal, and Datsyuk was thrilling (as always) in the shootout. You could serve dinner on Datsyuk's saucer passes. Truly a treat to see those two play.
• Sitting down low Usually, I sit up in the balcony when I go to hockey games, up in the 300s with the commoners (I'm a commoner too, it's not an insult). Today, I got to sit down in the loge, five rows from the ice, right next to the Bruins' tunnel. It's always a treat to see the game from that close: the speed, size, skill, and sound are all on display. For example, sitting down there today, I was able to hear and see Angry Tuukka first hand when he skated off the ice after the loss. Pretty cool experience.

The Bad

• Bad moves Dennis Seidenberg and Rich Peverley had questionable days, with Seidenberg kneeing Corey Emmerton and Peverley slashing Jonathan Ericsson in the, um..."pucks." Certainly won't help the B's villainous image.
• Still nothing from Krejci David Krejci remains lost in a haze. It may be time to give someone else some reps between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton while Krejci finds his game.
• Red Wing gift-wrap Truthfully, this game could've very easily ended 2-0 Wings had they not had two egregious turnovers. The Wings didn't do a very good job of taking care of the puck today, but they still found a way to win, as good teams usually do.
  

What went wrong:
Too many missed opportunities. The B's had plenty of chances to put the puck in the net today, but passes skittered away or shots went wide. Zdeno Chara missed the net on a golden chance late in OT, Horton whiffed on a perfect one-timer, Patrice Bergeron passed up a golden shooting chance to instead make an ill-advised drop pass. In Bergeron's defense, he was angry on the bench, yelling at the d-man for calling for the pass when he wasn't open. In short, the B's had their chances, but they couldn't cash in. That's the way the puck bounces some time.



Attaboy: Pavel Datsyuk, just because it's very, VERY fun to watch him play.

Providence Shuttle: Krejci. This loss was far from his fault, but Claude's gotta be growing impatient with his lack of production.

Game 17: Bruins 2, Blue Jackets 1

The Good

• Goalie duel Tuukka Rask and Curtis Sanford both played very solid games, making the big saves when called upon. Sanford was making his first NHL start in over two years, but didn't look a bit rusty. Truthfully, Rask was just one save better than Sanford, and that was the difference between winning and losing. But with Steve Mason suffering from mammoth confidence issues, it looks like Sanford may be ready to lend a steadying hand between the Columbus pipes. Rask was excellent as well, making a huge stop on Jeff Carter late in the game and stoning Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette in the shootout. Tim Thomas will probably be back between the pipes tomorrow, but Rask has been playing very well as of late.
• Good bout for Thornton Shawn Thornton and Jared Boll exchanged a flurry of punches in what was probably Thornton's best fight of the year so far. Boll has tangled with the B's before, and apparently this time his hit on Steven Kampfer prompted Thornton to come calling. The fight didn't look like a momentum starter; Thornton looked legitimately angry, so retribution for Kampfer would make sense. In any case, a good fight.
  

The Bad

• Everything else While Tuesday's win over the Devils could be called a solid, grind-it-out win (though I would call it a sloppy, somewhat lucky win), last night's game was just ugly. If there was a way that the game could end without either team getting a point, that would've been the best option last night. Scoring chances were few and far between, passes were muffed, turnovers were aplenty...ugly. I hope it was just a case of the B's playing down to their opponents, and not a sign of a slide to come.

What went right

• Excellent analysis from Andy Brickley on David Krejci's shootout winner. As an ex-player, Brickley often points out things I don't notice, but last night's was particularly cool: on the replay, he showed how Krejci, who was thinking "shot" all the way, waited until he saw Sanford's hand twitch to start a poke-check attempt, then he fired the puck past him. Great poise from Krejci, and great analysis by Brickley.

Attaboy: Rask (and Sanford, because he played pretty well too).

Providence Shuttle: Everyone else. Then again, I don't want to torture Providence with that kind of ugly hockey. Send them to Montreal instead, that's a worse punishment.

Game 3: Avs 1, Bruins 0

The Good

• No rust on Rask Tuukka Rask, making his first appearance in a meaningful game in six months, looked very sharp. Rask and Tim Thomas are a study in contrasts: Thomas is the battlefly, Rask is the positionally sound one. Rask always looks very calm and collected between the pipes, and yesterday was no different. Despite facing an extended 5-on-3 power play and a total of 13 shots in the first period alone, Rask didn't budge until Milan Hejduk's shot deflected off of Zdeno Chara eight minutes into the third, a goal that was hardly Rask's fault. The Finn played better yesterday than Thomas did in either of the first two games, and deserves another start tomorrow night in Raleigh.
• Scrappy Avs Good on the young Avalanche to come into the Garden and put forth a 100% effort yesterday. People seem to have relegated this team to missing the playoffs, but efforts like yesterday's will go a long way towards making doubters into believers. This team has a lot of young talent, particularly in blue-chippers like Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. And if Semyon Varlamov can duplicate yesterday's effort between the pipes regularly, the Avs could make some noise out west.
• New Ryder solid For the second straight game, New Ryder put forth a pretty solid effort. He saw his TOI increase to 9:48, up over two minutes from his allowance against Tampa. He also led the B's with five hits, increasing the physicality he brought against the Lightning. New Ryder hasn't found the back of the net yet, but he's shown flashes of creativity and the high skill level people have been expecting from him for years. Let's hope he can start piling up the points.

The Bad

• Zzzzzzzzzz Very poor effort overall from the B's yesterday. Little jump, little jam, little hustle, little heartbeat. The game on the whole wasn't exactly a thriller, but the Avs seemed determined to put in the extra effort necessary for the win. While it could be argued that Hejduk's goal was a lucky one, the B's really didn't deserve to win. Lack of effort/an emotional hangover was excusable after the opener. The B's showed more life against Tampa, but fell right back asleep yesterday. However, it's early, and the team has plenty of time to turn things around.
• What first line? Another no-show from the top trio. Nathan Horton was particularly invisible, registering no shots, no hits, no blocked shots...nothing. Krejci and Lucic at least managed three shots apiece, but the effort was not good enough. Krejci is apparently now nursing a leg injury, meaning a shake-up of the top line may be required. Good. That might be what Messrs. Lucic and Horton need to get their games together.

What went wrong:

      It's hard to win when your first line manages just six shots and is a combined minus-3. And yes, I know it's early. The three combined to average around 13 minutes of ice time, however, showing that Claude Julien's patience may be waning already.

Attaboy: Semyon Varlamov. The Captial cast-off played a terrific game for the Avs.

Providence Shuttle: The entire Bruins' first line. Enjoy the Dunk.

Game 69: Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT)

Quick Hits

• Last night was certainly the best Tuukka Rask has played this year, and was a game that should improve his confidence dramatically. Rask made several jaw-dropping, acrobatic saves, and essentially won the game for the Bruins on his own. Without that A+ effort from Rask, the B's would've lost that game in regulation. Rask's last few starts have been against what one could consider "lesser" opponents, or opponents who are out of the playoff race (with the exception of that debacle in Montreal). This game against a Columbus club that is still gunning for the eighth-seed in the West really tested Rask's mettle, and he passed that test with flying colors. Rask deserves to start now until he loses, which, if he keeps playing like he did last night, won't be for a while.
• Brad Marchand is probably going to get a call from the league today, and will likely be suspended for his elbow to the head of RJ Umberger. Marchand's hit was the precise type of play the league is trying to get rid of: it was high, it was unnecessary and it was dangerous. Some are saying that Marchand wasn't even looking at Umberger, or that Umberger ducked at the last minute; sound familiar, Bruins fans? I'm not saying the hits were the same, but they were certainly both avoidable. Marchand plays on the edge and gets under the skin of his opponents, and that's what makes him effective. But this time, he crossed the line and deserves to be punished as a result.
• Rough game last night for Dennis Seidenberg. It seemed like he got beaten every time me was locked in a one-on-one battle, and his giveaway at his own blue line led directly to the Jackets' second goal. Seidenberg is usually solid in his own end, but he was a liability last night.
  
• Good for Claude Julien for finally benching a slumping veteran. It must've been hard for Julien, as Michael Ryder is one of his favorites, but Ryder hasn't been producing lately and needed to have a message sent his way. One of the criticisms often thrown at Julien is that he's quick to bench/send a message to rookies, but often leaves his veterans alone. A good example was earlier this season when Tyler Seguin would be scratched after one off-night, but Nathan Horton kept his ice time when he went scoreless for what seemed like ages. It remains to be seen how Ryder's scratch affects him and whether or not other veterans may get a similar message sent their way soon, but scratching a vet like Ryder should put other veterans on alert: ice time is a privilege, not a right.
  

Game 63: Bruins 1, Senators 0

The Good

• Rask looks sharp The big story from this road trip is that the B's won all six games, but arguably as important is the fact that Tuukka Rask won four of them. Rask has been struggling all year, but due to the stellar play of Tim Thomas, the B's haven't really suffered. However, Thomas' fatigue was beginning to show recently, so Rask's play became even more important. He's responded by playing his best goal of the season, a good sign for the Bruins.
• Horton's heating up Nathan Horton's goal last night was his 18th of the season, and he may be quietly heating up at the right time for the B's. Let's not get carried away, as we've seen Horton look like he was going to go on a tear then just disappear more than once this season. But Horton's been physically involved in every game, and with Milan Lucic playing some of the best hockey of his career, Horton's points have been piling up. Horton has goals in three straight games and seven points in his last six games.
• Power play is coming around While no power play goals were scored last night, the Bruins power play continued to threaten, something B's fans haven't seen in years. Last night, Zdeno Chara took so many shots on the B's first power play that I was afraid his arm was going to come off. Tomas Kaberle just kept feeding Chara the puck, and he kept ripping it on goal. If the power play stays as crisp as it has been, the goals will come.

The Bad

• Rebuilding in Ottawa Not necessarily "bad," as the rebuild is definitely warranted; but the number of youngsters and unknowns on this Ottawa roster is stunning. The only names most people would recognize are Spezza, Alfredsson and Gonchar, maybe Chris Neil and Chris Phillips as well. The Sens certainly are a long way away from their Stanley Cup Finals appearance back in '07.

The Rest

• While the Bruins faced some tough teams on this trip, the road isn't going to get any easier back in the friendly confines of the TD Garden: the B's next three games are against teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff pictures, two of which (Tampa and Pittsburgh) have better records than the Bruins. Next Tuesday's clash with the Canadiens looms large as well, as it will have huge implications within the Northeast Division. While the good feelings of this road trip are well-deserved, the B's can't spend too much time patting themselves on the back.

Attaboy: Rask. Has fought back from his early season struggles, and should get some more starts going forward. Thomas remains the number-one goalie, but Rask has vastly improved.

Providence Shuttle: The excitement factor of this game. ZzzzzzZzZzZZZzZ...

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 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.

Game 39: Wild 3, Bruins 1

The Good

• Strong game for Bergeron Patrice Bergeron had an excellent game for the B's, despite spending most of the night skating on Tyler Seguin's wing, something Bergeron hasn't done with any regularity in a while. Bergeron's tenacious forechecking directly led to the Bruins' first goal, and his puck pressure caused a couple of other Wild turnovers in the game as well.
• Can't blame Tuukka It seems like Tuukka Rask can't catch any breaks this season: whenever he plays well, the team in front of him generally lets him down, and that was the case last night. Rask certainly deserved a better fate than suffering his eighth loss of the year, but that's not much consolation. The Finn had no time to get set on Cal Clutterbuck's game-winnner, and simply got beaten by a slick backhander from Martin Havlat on the Wild's first goal. While he must be frustrated, Rask seems to have gotten a little of his swagger back with the win in Toronto. Let's hope that continues and that Rask gets at least a spot start or two in the next couple of weeks.
• Vintage Theodore José Théodore is already reviled in these parts for his playoff performances in 2002 and 2004, when he led underdog Montreal Canadiens teams to first-round playoff upsets of the Bruins. With his win last night, the Québecois netminder improved to 8-0-1 in his last nine starts against the B's. There must be something about playing in or facing Boston that Théodore likes: he also went 4-0-0, won the Best Goaltender award, was named a Tournament All-Star and led Team Canada to the gold medal in the 1996 world junior tournament held in...you guessed it: Boston.

The Bad

• Savard's turnover Simply an inexcusable play both at that point in the hockey game and from that point in the defensive zone. I understand what Savard was trying to do: his line needed to get off the ice, and he was trying to flip the puck into the neutral zone to facilitate a line change. However, if a player is going to use the center of his own zone to clear the puck, that puck MUST get out of the offensive zone. If the clearing attempt is flubbed or whiffed on even slightly, it's going to cause serious problems, as was made quite clear last night. Had Savard elected to make the safe play and go up the boards instead, the turnover would have been slightly less harmful. An inexcusable play from a player who usually takes great care of the puck. I'm not concerned about Savard's confidence; I'm glad Claude Julien sat him down. He sent a clear message with that benching: everyone's held accountable for poor decision making, not just rookies like Tyler Seguin.
• First line goes missing again It was good to see the first line of Milan Lucic, Savard and Nathan Horton carry over the momentum they earned from Monday's win in Toronto. What's that you say? They finished the night with no points and were a combined minus-five? Oh. Never mind then.
• Power play needs help At this point, I don't know if it's a matter of strategy or personnel, but something needs to be done to fix this woebegone Bruins power play. The B's haven't scored a power play goal in their last ten chances, making the power play more of a momentum killer than a weapon. Julien attempted a bit of a shift later in the game by putting Zdeno Chara in front of the net, but I don't like that for two reasons: you miss his booming shot from the point and Chara is far too valuable to this team to be hurt taking a shot off the leg or ankle during the power play. Changes need to be made to the power play, and quickly. The B's looked more dangerous last night shorthanded than they did with the man advantage.

The Rest

• Obscure fact time! The Wild have never lost to the Bruins in Boston. They're now 6-0-0 at the TD Garden, and 9-2-0 against the Bruins all-time.