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 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 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 11: Bruins 5, Senators 3

The Good

• Puck movement=goals I've already said that I think the B's scoring problems this year are coming from the back end, not the front, and last night only furthered that point. Of the five Bruin goals, three weren't "special" goals (i.e. a power play goal and a breakaway). Of those three, two were the direct results of clean, crisp breakouts from the defensive zone. On Patrice Bergeron's goal, Brad Marchand won a puck battle in support of his d-men along the wall, and made a pass to Tyler Seguin. Seguin lugged the puck into space, hit Bergeron with a pass, and the puck was in the net. Boom: won battle, one pass, two passes, goal. The Kelly goal was similar, with Chara making a good outlet pass to Rich Peverley. True, finishing has been a problem, but it's hard to finish when rushes don't ever start. Last night was a marked improvement in that area.
• Pretty Filipin' good Get it? Because his name is Filip? Never mind. Filip Kuba played a hell of a game for the Sens last night, and if it wasn't for him, this one could've been pretty lopsided. The 34-year-old was a +1 and led all skaters with 26:52 TOI. He also blocked 4 shots, including a couple of point-blank defensive plays that prevented goals.
• Fourth line shows up Their struggles have gone unnoticed, either because they're usually so dependable or because everyone else has been bad as well. Prior to last night, the trio had just one point between them: a Daniel Paille goal in the second game of the year. They were also a combined minus-7, and had really not done much at all. That all changed last night, as the fourth line combined for three points, a plus-3 rating, two fights, and four shots on goal. The B's fourth line has, in recent years, been one of the best in the NHL. They'll need their grinders to play better if they want to keep winning, and last night was a step in the right direction.
  

The Bad

• Krejci and Horton are still missing I might just rename this section the "David Krejci and Nathan Horton Memorial Bad." They've been terrible. Horton wasn't as bad last night, coming a lucky bounce or two away from one or two goals. But Krejci has been downright terrible. He's got one point and is a minus-6 in eight games this year, and has really contributed nothing positive at all. One can't help but wonder if his core/abdomen injury from a couple of weeks back is still bothering him, because he's been awful. Milan Lucic has shown signs of waking up from his early-season slumber, but his two linemates are still snoozing the season away. ZZzzzzzz......
  

What went right

• Everything is easier when the puck is moved out of the defensive zone smoothly. When breakout passes connect, rushes develop. Rushes turn into scoring chances, scoring chances turn into goals. It might be a bit of an overstatement to say that everything on offense depends on the breakout, but it's also true. If the B's can combine breakouts like they had last night with the solid defensive effort they put forth, they'll be fine going forward.
  

Attaboy: The fourth line. The grinders finally put one in, and it's not a coincidence that the B's won the game.

Providence Shuttle: Horton and Krejci. Obviously a demotion would be absurd, but each of these two could benefit from a healthy scratch right now. Sleepwalking through the season.

Game 1: Flyers 2, Bruins 1

I'm going to try to do something similar to last year's "Good, Bad and the Rest," but keep it a little shorter: three or fewer good and bad points, then a "What went wrong/What went right" depending on a win or a loss. The "Attaboy" and "Providence Shuttle" will remain. We'll see how this works out; I'm trying to be more brief because some of last year's recaps got a little lengthy.

The Good

• Seguin-Kelly-Caron: This line was excellent all night, and gave the Bruins a speed element that this team hasn't had in a long time. Tyler Seguin was probably the best Bruin on the ice last night (thought best bro Brad Marchand could lay claim to that title as well), so his play may have elevated that of the entire line, but I thought Chris Kelly and Jordan Caron played well also. This trio seemed to have a bit of chemistry going, as tape-to-tape passes were frequent and there were numerous scoring chances. A very exciting trio; they should be fun to watch going forward.
• The aforementioned Marchand: The "veteran" looked fantastic last night, scoring the B's only goal and being robbed of another by Ilya Bryzgalov. Truth be told, Marchand could have had three or four goals last night had the puck bounced his way instead of Philly's. True, Marchand did get caught out of position a bit on the PK on the Flyers' first goal, but overall, he had a tremendous positive impact on the game.
  
• Rust-free Jagr: Despite having not played in the NHL since 2008, Jaromir Jagr looked like he never left, still possessing a wicked shot and those silky mittens. He made an excellent pass to set up Claude Giroux's goal, earning his 1,600th career NHL point in the process. The worry about Jagr is that disinterest could set in as the season goes along, but he looked good last night.

The Bad

• Top-line woes: If the B's are to challenge for the Cup again this season, they're going to need top-flight production from the first line of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic. They didn't get it last night. The trio was a combined minus-3, and managed just two shots (both by Horton). Lucic in particular seemed out of sync, committing a few turnovers and seemingly lacking energy. It's just one game, but they need more out of that line.
• Giroux's elbow: Sneakily dirty play by Claude Giroux as this one was ending. With the game all but over, Giroux elbowed Tyler Seguin in the face along the boards in a mini-puck battle, earning himself two minutes in the box in the process. Giroux wasn't facing Seguin when he threw the elbow, but you could tell he knew he was there. Seguin was no worse for the wear, and hey, hockey's more fun with a little animosity, right? Giroux will get his.

What went wrong:

• Missed opportunities. The B's came out flying, and looked like they were going to run away with this one. However, power plays fell by the wayside, passes weren't crisp, and legs weren't moving as the game went on. Tyler Seguin hit a post, Chris Kelly couldn't redirect a puck into the net, Brad Marchand got stoned by Bryzgalov, Nathan Horton couldn't lift the puck...the list goes on. Truthfully, the B's could have (and maybe should have) had four or five goals in this one, but the puck didn't bounce their way. A little more finish and a little more drive would go a long way towards winning. But hey, it's just one game. No worries.

Attaboy: Seguin. If he can consistently play like he did last night, he's going to be a blast to watch this year.

Providence Shuttle: Chris Pronger. He got his stick up on Seguin, repeatedly slashed Rich Peverley, and still hasn't gotten a helmet that fits. Let him go elbow people in Providence.

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 68: Islanders 4, Bruins 2

The Good

• Another goal for Horton As I said before, I'm still skeptical because of Horton's notorious inconsistency. However, he appears to be rounding into goal-scoring form at the right time. His goal last night came on a stumbling backhand, and gave the B's an early one-goal advantage. The B's need Horton (and the whole top line) to keep producing if they want to go anywhere in the spring.
• Finally! Last night's power play goal was the Bruins' first in what seemed like years (it was actually the first since Feb. 18). The goal came on a 5-on-3 in the second period. Zdeno Chara took a semi-back door feed from David Krejci and unleashed his trademark slapper, beating a helpless Al Montoya. Hopefully that goal infuses the PP with a little confidence; they need it.
• The young Isles I know this has been another lost season on Long Island, but the Isles do seem to have a good core of young players. They still have questions in goal and on defense, but having players like Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, and John Tavares up front give the Isles something very solid to build on. Grabner's goal last night was his 28th of the season. Remember, this is a guy who was traded earlier this season to Florida by the Canucks. The Panthers then waived him, hoping to send him to the AHL, but he was claimed by the Islanders. Yes, THOSE Florida Panthers thought Grabner was a guy they didn't need on their NHL squad. Yikes.

The Bad

• Bad luck The B's rang a couple of posts in this game, and Jack Hillen's eventual game-winner came when his slapper bounced off of Dennis Seidenberg and went in the net. Luck certainly wasn't on the B's side last night, but how does the old saying go? You get the bounces when you work hard? Something like that, and the B's certainly didn't deserve many bounces last night.
• Another blown lead The B's, usually defensively sound, have now blown a lead in three of the last four losses. They were blown out in Montreal, but scored the first goal (and sometimes first two goals) of the game against Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and last night against the Islanders. Not having Andrew Ference (or Steven Kampfer, for that matter) in the line-up hurts, but it's still no excuse. The B's need to get back to making smart plays and winning one-on-one battles, two things that were conspicuously absent for most of last night.
• Get Seguin back in there I've been patient with Claude Julien's approach with Tyler Seguin, but he needs to be back in there. Daniel Paille has done little with his playing time, and Seguin isn't going to learn much more by watching from the press box. His speed could have helped last night against that fast Islanders team. I don't expect Seguin to blossom into a game-breaker this year, but he needs to play if he's going to get better.

The Rest

• I'm not ready to panic yet, mainly because the B's still don't have their full team. If, once Ference comes back, the struggles continue, then it might be time to be worried. All teams have rough patches, and luckily for the B's theirs came on the heels of a seven-game winning streak. Their still 7-2-2 in their last 11, which shouldn't be overlooked. Ference's steadying presence on the back end is missed, and I think the team will come around soon. Don't go leaping off the Tobin just yet.
• Interesting to hear Chara booed lustily on Long Island last night. And by "interesting" I mean "confusing and strange." Chara is usually booed in more familiar away arenas, like Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, and Ottawa, mainly because they know he's good. And because he's big, and in Ottawa's case, because they chose Wade Redden over him. D'oh. Long Island is usually an "indifferent" Chara Zone, but last night he was booed soundly. Has the incident with Max Pacioretty turned Chara into a league-wide villain? It certainly seems so. Countless posts on HFBoards reveal similar sentiments, as the B's seem to be one of the more disliked teams in the league now. Interesting. Hopefully the B's give opposing fans something to boo when they life the Cup in June.
• Which Bruins team is the real thing? Is it this listless lot that's lost four in a row or that barnburning bunch that stormed through a perfect six-game road trip? I tend to think the actual Bruins team is more like their Western Canada version, but perhaps the truth is more in the middle. I don't think they're as bad as they've played recently, but they may not be as good as they looked two weeks ago either. Inconsistency has been the theme for the B's this year. Two weeks ago, it looked like that inconsistency was a thing of the past, and that this team finally "got it." Now, that inconsistency is back with a vengeance, and the B's need to banish it before it sinks their season.
  

Attaboy: Grabner. Looks like he's going to be a great player, and that spin-around goal last night was pretty sweet.

Providence Shuttle: Brad Marchand. I didn't talk about it here, but that stupid penalty he took turned the tide of the game.

Game 64: Bruins 2, Lightning 1

The Good

• Lucic's goal This one likely won't make national highlight reels, but Lucic's game-winner really was remarkable. To display that kind of poise and scoring touch from nearly below the goal line is incredible. Throw in the fact that there were no fewer than 5 bodies in the crease and Lucic's goal looks even better. By the way, Lucic's custom of raising both of his arms in a kind of "I rule" pose after he scores is one of the best goal celebrations on the B's. I'm also partial to Tyler Seguin's, because he, as a kid, looks genuinely thrilled when he scores.
• The PK saved the day The Bruins' PK has been as consistent as winter weather in New England. It was incredible to start the year, went through a miserable stretch, and now seems to be tightening up again. Last night's kill of a nearly two-minute 5-on-3 was the turning point of the game. Killing off a 5-on-3 is no small feat in and of itself, but when one's opponent rolls out a PP unit that includes Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Simon Gagne, it's borderline miraculous.
• Mike Smith redeemed himself Last time Mike Smith played goal at the TD Garden was probably one of the worst nights of his career: he allowed five goals on 22 shots, including one from the red line by Dennis Seidenberg. Last night, Smith played like a man who not only remembered that embarrassment well but was determined to erase it. Smith was immense for Tampa, making countless top-notch stops including a sprawling save on a Patrice Bergeron one-timer, a sweet glove stop on a Brad Marchand backhand, and a blocker save on a Nathan Horton breakaway. Dwayne Roloson may be the guy in Tampa now, but if not for Smith's performance last night the Lightning would have been blown out of the Garden again.

The Bad

• Dominic Moore goes swimming Terrible embellishment by Dominic Moore on Horton's tripping penalty. I saw the replay later, but Bob Beers was livid on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Beers is usually relatively even-keeled, but he was furious about the culture of diving in the NHL. He's right too: once a player feels a stick on his arm or leg, down he goes to draw the call.
• Still no luck on the PP I know, I know, "it's coming around!" But how long until that's not good enough? I know the B's have shown more jump and life on the PP since Tomas Kaberle arrived, and that it's hard to complain when a team's just won its seventh game in a row, but the PP still needs to produce if the B's are to be considered a true contender.

The Rest

• I've been a huge supporter of Claude Julien all year, but I don't get the decision to scratch Tyler Seguin last night. His reason doesn't really make sense to me either. I have no problem with scratching the kid if he isn't playing well, or scratching him to send a message that nothing's going to be given to him just because he's a hot shot rookie. But to scratch him after he's been playing a stronger all-around game lately just to "give the fourth line an identity" is pretty dumb. I also don't like that he told the media that. If that's his reasoning, fine; but I can't help but think that Seguin's confidence must be taking a bit of a hit at this point. Tell him that he's out for that reason, but tell the media that he needed a night off or had a sore ankle or something. Hopefully he gets back in on Saturday, but I doubt it.
  

Attaboy: Lucic for the game-winner, but an honorable mention for Mike Smith. He was incredible between the Tampa pipes.

Providence Shuttle: Scratching Seguin. I know I sound like an HFBoards nut, but it makes no sense to me. Sorry Claude.

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 45: Bruins 7, Hurricanes 0

The Good

• Zdeno Chara is actually happy That was nice to see today, eh? Most players look pretty happy when they get hat tricks, but Zdeno Chara isn't usually a guy who shows much happiness on the ice. To see him actually smile and perform Peter Bondra's celebration was awesome. Big Z had been taking some heat in the Boston media lately, especially after walking out on the media after the B's meltdown in Montreal. However, he remains the most important player on this team (by far), and it was nice to see the big guy show some emotion and childlike joy on the ice.
  
• Bergeron keeps on producing Another game, another multi-point effort from Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins' leading scorer has recorded two or more points in five of his last six games, and has been on fire since the start of 2011.
• Power surge The Bruins went 2-for-5 on the power play yesterday, with both goals coming from Chara: one on a 5-on-3 and one in the third period on a 5-on-4. True, Carolina looked like a defeated bunch early yesterday, but getting production from what has been (at times) an abysmal power play is certainly a good sign. The B's have been moving the puck better and showing more confidence with the man advantage lately; it's only a matter of time before the results start pouring in.
• Thomas as good as he needed to be Tim Thomas made two or three huge saves in the first period yesterday when the game was still close. He stopped made a couple great stops on Eric Staal, and then pretty much enjoyed the rest of the game as his teammates gave him all of the support he needed. Thomas wasn't anything special in this game, but he didn't need to be, and he made the big stops when he had to.
  

The Bad

• What was Justin Peters doing? I know that Carolina back-up Justin Peters doesn't play much with Cam Ward playing in front of him, but did he forget what sport he was playing? Two penalties (roughing and holding) in the same game? For a GOALIE!? Peters' tackle of Blake Wheeler reminded me of playing snow-football as a kid: you'd have to grab the leg of the bigger kids and basically hang on for dear life until they fell down. But what was Peters trying to do? Clearly he knew it was Wheeler's leg he was holding on to...why was he trying to tackle him? Then later in the game Peters lunged furiously at Tyler Seguin, much like Tim Thomas did to Jason Blake a few years back. I assume it was just frustration, but it was weird. Peters probably isn't going to earn himself more playing time by acting like a linebacker out there.

The Rest

• At least one person, 'Canes PR guy Mike Sundheim, wasn't happy about the B's pouring it on yesterday (see post #38). I actually saw this on Twitter yesterday afternoon and just went to link directly to the Tweet, but he deleted it. Strange...I wonder if someone affiliated with the team made him delete it. It's a valid point, however: the B's did have their top power play unit out there in a 6-0 game. However, I have no problem with it for two reasons: they wanted to get Chara the hat trick and the power play still needs a lot of work. It'd be different if the B's power play was one of the tops in the league and they were simply trying to pad their stats. But making changes and practicing the power play in game situations is always going to help more than simply practicing the power play in practice. It's a rare occasion when a team gets a power play and really doesn't need to score; yesterday happened to present a couple of those chances, and I have no problem with the B's trying to work on things. If the roles were reversed and the 'Canes did the same thing, I'd have no problem with that either. But it'll be interesting to see how the 'Canes respond tonight. It's not often that you get beaten by a team 7-0 then play them the very next day in your own barn. I expect the 'Canes to come out with a lot more effort on Tuesday and to actually make a decent game of it.

Attaboy: Chara. The only other Bruin I've seen look that happy on the ice this year is Tyler Seguin when he scores.

Providence Shuttle: Peters. What are you doing, Peters? You try that leg tackle on me in snow football and you're getting a snowy glove to the face.

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.
  

Game 37: Sabres 7, Bruins 6 (SO)

The Good

• Solid showing from the rookie An excellent game from Tyler Seguin, who finished the night with a goal, an assist, a team-high six shots and a plus-2 rating. Seguin looked like the most dangerous Bruin on the ice throughout the game. I think this was his best game as a professional, and a game that should earn him more ice time in Monday's game at Toronto.
• Points from the blueline As I mentioned on the main page, this was the first time in Bruin history that four different defensemen scored in a single game, no small feat for a franchise that had names like Orr and Bourque patrolling the blueline in the past. All of the Bruin defensemen seemed to be very active offensively in this game, something that carried over from the Atlanta game. It's good to see the blueliners create offensive chances, but...

The Bad

• Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy ...not when they come at the expense of good defense. Andy Brickley alluded to the fact that the Sabres like to send a guy to the offensive blue line in hopes of generating odd-man rushes, and it worked to perfection in this game, especially with the B's newly-active D. The Sabres had what seemed like a dozen odd-man rushes, and they managed to score on a couple of them. I'm all for having the defensemen more involved in joining the rush and creating scoring chances, but not when it comes at the expense of sound defensive hockey. There's a happy medium somewhere, and the Bruins need to find it.
• Concern for Rask I know Tuukka Rask is a professional, and supposedly he and Tim Thomas have a great relationship. But I'm beginning to get a little concerned with how the Bruins are handling him this season. While Thomas is the goalie of the present, Rask is certainly the goalie of the future. I'd be much more concerned with the team "losing" a young goalie of Rask's caliber than I would be of them "losing" a veteran like Thomas, who thrives on perceived slights against his ability. I've been an ardent supporter of Claude Julien, but pulling Rask in this game was ridiculous. Yes, he'd given up three goals, but look at them: the first came when a shot from the faceoff dot got knocked down, changed direction and landed right on the stick of a Sabre in the slot; the second goal came when Thomas Vanek got away with a blatant tripping penalty that resulted in him having the puck alone right in front of Rask. Tuukka went for the poke check, and Vanek, a proven goal-scorer, deked around it and slipped the puck in; and the third goal I'd put squarely on Rask. He failed to hold the post on a weak shot that nearly came from below the goal line and allowed the Sabres to whack it in with just 40 seconds left in the first period. Rask was irate that the whistle wasn't blown, but the fact of the matter is that he must hold the post there. Of the three goals, I'd place one squarely on Rask's shoulders, blame one on a bad bounce and the other on poor officiating (of which there was plenty in this game). Julien seems to know that Rask is struggling with his confidence, so how is pulling the kid in a game the team is winning 4-3 going to help? Especially after just one period? Now the B's say they'll have Rask work with their goalie coach, but let's face it: he's not going to regain his confidence in practice. The youngster needs to play, and Julien needs to let him finish what he started.
• Where are the netminders? Going into this game, one would've been right in assuming it'd be a low-scoring affair. It was going to feature Ryan Miller, one of the best goalies in the league, and either Tuukka Rask, who matched Miller save for spectacular save in last year's playoffs, or Tim Thomas, who is at or near the top in every major statistical category for goalies this year. So what happened? 12 goals were allowed in regulation, and Miller and Thomas, arguably the two best American goalies in the game (throw LA's Jonathan Quick in there for consideration too), combined to allow five goals on six shootout attempts. Yikes.

The Rest

• Where's the top line? Boston's "top line" of Marc Savard, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton went a combined minus-4 in this one, and none of the three recorded a single point. The trio combined for nine shots, just three more than Seguin had on his own. Not good enough from a unit with that much skill, a line that simply hasn't been getting it done: Horton hasn't scored in nine games, while Lucic hasn't scored in seven.
• Seguin must be rewarded If Claude Julien is going to limit the rookie's ice time when he doesn't play well, the opposite must be true too: Seguin deserves more ice time Monday against Toronto. I have no problem with benching the kid when he messes up or making him watch a game or two from the press box as long as he's rewarded with more time when he performs well.
• While the last two games (against Atlanta and Buffalo) have been disappointing, the B's have a chance to make the road trip an overall success with a win against the Leafs. If the B's leave Toronto with the W, they'll have finished the trip 3-0-2, grabbing eight points out of a possible ten. Not bad for a five-game road trip, especially when the B's had been struggling as of late.

Attaboy: Seguin. The rookie showed all of his skills in this one, and his saucer pass to set up Kampfer's third period goal was a thing of beauty.

Providence shuttle: The handling of Rask. Completely senseless to pull the youngster after just one period. At least give him a chance to figure things out, then pull him in the second if he struggles.

Game 23: Bruins 3, Flyers 0

The Good

• Thomas is a brick wall again This one got off to an ominous start: Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara had a botched exchange behind the net in the game's first 20 seconds, leading to a sterling Philly scoring chance. Fortunately for Thomas and the B's, the Flyers failed to capitalize; unfortunately for the Flyers, that's about as close as they would get. Thomas was excellent tonight, and I think it was his strongest outing of the season. He made plenty of grade-A saves, controlled his rebounds well and bailed his teammates out when they made mistakes. Also, he got two penalty minutes to punching Scott Hartnell in the head. An all around great night for Thomas.
• Nice hands from Seguin Tyler Seguin's goal in the second period was a thing of beauty. A great pass from Michael Ryder followed by a sublime wrister from Seguin, who roofed the puck in the blink of an eye. I didn't think Seguin would have enough time/space to get the shot off, but that just goes to show why he's the second-overall pick and I'm a lowly blogger, right?
• Big game from Big Z Thought it might not show up on the stat sheet, Zdeno Chara had a great game last night. He was physical and had an active stick, poking the puck away from Flyer players with regularity. He also had a couple of key blocked shots, including one that left the big man hunched over in pain. Great display from the Captain last night.

The Bad

• Roller-coaster ride Yes, the Bruins won, but the Flyers really took it to them for portions of the second and third periods. One had to expect that the Flyers would turn up the intensity, but there were parts of the game where the B's struggled mightily to make a play out of their own zone. If it wasn't for the excellent play of Thomas, this game may have had a different result.
• 3-0 leads The team could hold onto one now, but not last May? Come on, guys...

The Rest

• Where's that Phamous Philly crowd? I missed the beginning of the game on TV (caught it on radio), but I didn't hear many chants or derision from the crowd. A 3-0 collapse in the playoffs is perfect fodder for chants, taunts and heckles, but I didn't hear any of that from the crowd last night. It could have been that it just wasn't audible on TV, but it was a bit disappointing. I expected better from the Philly fans.
• The B's are right back in action on Thursday against Tampa. The Lightning really took it to the B's last time, so I hope the B's show up ready to play this time.
  

Game 18: Kings 4, Bruins 3 (SO)

I missed a lot of this game due to work, but here are some "Quick Hits:"

• Overall, a "questionable" shootout for the B's. I question both the shootout order and the shooters' choices. Claude Julien sent out, in order, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, Milan Lucic, Michael Ryder, Nathan Horton and David Krejci. Why he put Ryder and Lucic before both his best goal scorer and arguably his most-skilled player is beyond me. I have no issues with Bergeron or Seguin, but would have preferred to see Bergeron-Seguin-Krejci-Horton.
• The attempts by the Bruin shooters were feeble at best. No, I probably couldn't have done any better (well I probably could have done better than Dustin Brown), but I'm not getting paid millions to play. The only shooter who looked like he knew what he wanted to do was the rookie Seguin. Shootouts have been tough for the B's for years now, and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.
• Good character shown by the B's to come back and tie the game after falling behind 3-0, but what were they doing falling behind by three in the first place? Sloppy neutral zone play led to the first LA goal and a horrible play by Mark Recchi led to the third Kings' goal. Recchi turned the puck over at his attacking blue line, then made zero effort to backcheck. Not surprisingly, the Kings had a wide-open 3-on-2 rush and scored a beautiful goal. Rough play there from Recchi. Fortunately for the veteran, he made up for it in the third when he had a great shift after losing his helmet. Probably Recchi's best single shift since his tête-à-tête fracas with Chris Pronger in last year's playoffs.
• Great shift from the fourth-line on Gregory Campbell's goal. Not surprising, considering that bunch has arguably been the B's most consistent line so far this season.
• Strange stat line of the day: the Bruins are 2-3-2 so far this season on Saturdays. Weird. They're 3-1 on Thursdays and undefeated on Sundays (1-0), Mondays (1-0) and Wednesdays (3-0). One can only assume the younger B's are doing too much partying on Friday nights. Shame on them!
  

Game 16: Bruins 3, Rangers 2

Like I said, I missed the first period entirely and caught the second on the radio due to work, so I don't have nearly enough to go on for a full reaction. Here are a couple of "quick hits" instead:

• Great individual effort from Tyler Seguin on his second period goal. Seguin hasn't had much of an impact on recent games, but he also hasn't been playing poorly. He felt that he had been mired in a slump, but had the backing of his coach and his teammates. Seguin really showed his speed and his wicked wrister on the play, two of his biggest assets. Great goal by the rookie.
• The B's have been uncharacteristically sloppy in their own end for the past few games. The B's are usually one of the more defensively-responsible teams when it comes to taking care of the puck in their own zone, but have been committing numerous turnovers ever since the Montreal game last week. Last night, there were more than a few occasions where a Bruin had a chance to get the puck out of the zone but instead made an ill-advised pass or simply turned the puck over. Tim Thomas stepped up to save his mates' skins on more than one occasion last night, but it won't always end happily.
• I liked the new jerseys the Rangers wore last night. The jerseys are being worn as the team celebrates its 85th anniversary this year, and while they aren't all that different from the Rangers' usual attire, I liked the darker blue and the "NEW YORK" on the front. A nice, simple look for one of the NHL's earliest clubs.
• Wides returns tomorrow night, and I can't go to the game. Major disappointment.

Like I said, I didn't see much...I get points for writing something though, right?

Monday Musings, 11/8/10

Boy, things sure can change quickly, huh? After Wednesday, the B's remained on fire. They were 7-2-0, Tim Thomas was 7-0-0 and the team seemed to be firing on all cylinders.


Now, on Monday, the team is 7-3-1, Tim Thomas got pulled from a game against the Caps, Tyler Seguin got benched, David Krejci looks like he'll miss more than a couple of games and some fear that there are choppy seas ahead for the S.S. Bruin.


Come on, it's just two games. And the team has still taken points in 8 of 11 games this year. Here are some thoughts on this windy Monday afternoon in Boston:

• Admittedly, the Krejci injury is worrisome. The Czech pivot was really buried by Oshie, and the fact that his head slammed off of the dasher made matters worse. Krejci looked out of it, despite skating off with some assistance. Word came down earlier that he'd be out at least a week, while GM Peter Chiarelli termed Krejci's concussion "moderate," and said that he was experiencing headaches and some amnesia, according to Matt Kalman's Bruins Blog. I have no problem with the hit by Oshie; it was a clean, hard play, one that the somewhat slight Krejci might want to avoid in the future. He's not the biggest guy as is, and initiating contact with a guy like Oshie, who is the same height but nearly 30 pounds heavier than Krejci, probably isn't the best idea.
• The biggest immediate issue is who will fill the number-one center spot in Krejci's absence. Marc Savard remains a long way off, so it appears, according to ESPNBoston's James Murphy, that Patrice Bergeron will be stepping in on the top line, playing between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. It also appears that Blake Wheeler is getting at least a bit of a look at center, as he was between Jordan Caron and Mark Recchi this morning. Daniel Paille will likely see his first game action since the season opener, and Brian McGrattan was waived down to Providence, a move that is, in all likelihood, a precursor to the B's calling someone up from the Baby B's. Tyler Seguin and Gregory Campbell remain in their third- and fourth-line center sports, respectively.
• Speaking of Seguin, the youngster was apparently (I say "apparently" because I missed the game) benched for much of the third period of Saturday night's loss to the St. Louis Blues. According to Kalman, Claude Julien wasn't really trying to punish the rookie, but trying to shorten his bench as the B's pushed for the tying goal. The "benching" was the first real bump in the road this year for Seguin, but he appeared to get over it pretty quickly: he scored the B's only goal in that night's shootout.
• Some are concerned that Tim Thomas' miracle run to start the season ended in a hurry on Friday night, as Thomas was pulled after the second period with the B's down 3-0. However, the fact of the matter is that Thomas pretty much kept the B's in that game; were it not for his effort, it probably would have been 5-0 after two. Claude Julien said as much after the game: he was pulled to spark the team, not because he played poorly. Thomas looked decently solid, and was beaten on a screened point shot, a wicked wrister by Mr. Faux-Hawk himself and a beautiful 3-on-1 passing play. It certainly wasn't Thomas' fault that the B's lost in D.C.
• Will Tuukka Rask ever get a win? The young Finn must be wondering that himself at this point. Rask has taken the loss in all four games in which he's appeared this year. His current record requires a strong stomach if one wants to look at it: 0-3-1. However, his other numbers are much more reassuring: his save percentage is .921, while his GAA has fallen to a more respectable 2.66. Also, according to NESN.com, he hasn't lost his confidence yet, something that is key to a goalie's success. From what I've read and seen in highlights, Rask played pretty well against a good St. Louis team on Saturday. On Friday, the one goal he allowed in relief of Tim Thomas came from a point shot off that he probably never even got a clean look at. The thought here is that Rask is simply a victim of poor circumstances so far this season; he'll pick up the pace soon.
• Check the main site later on for another "Behind Enemy Lines" piece, this time a "Washington, D.C." version. Not a bad trip, despite the B's loss.
  

Game 8: Bruins 4, Senators 0

The Good

• Tim Thomas Do I even have to write anything?
• B's Youth Movement The Bruins certainly do have a decent amount of depth in their system, as they have a couple of skilled youngsters on the team right now and a number of them waiting in the wings in Providence. The youth movement was on full display in Ottawa, as Jordan Caron and Tyler Seguin, the B's two brightest rookies, both scored in the 4-0 win. Caron showed great skill on his breakaway goal, and Seguin turned on the jets and burnt past two Sens defenders to score a power play goal on a beautiful pass from Mark Recchi. Seguin now has a goal in two-straight games. If these two freshmen continue to play like this, the future will be now for the B's, not later.
• Penalty Kill The B's were perfect on the penalty kill again, killing all three of Ottawa's power play chances. The Bruin PK ranks first in the NHL with a 93.1% success rate.
• Big Money Seids Strikes Again! Another solid game from Seidenberg, who got in a late scrap with Chris Neil and recorded an assist. Big Money Seids now has three assists in the last three games and eleven blocked shots in the last two.

The Bad

• Marchand Might Never Score The poor kid just can't seem to bury one, despite having a number of great chances. This isn't really bad, but I needed something to complain about, right? It's getting almost comical. But the thought here is that Marchand will get of the schnide soon, and will have an epic goal celebration when he does.

The Rest

• B's Rookies Celebrate Halloween Check out some video of the younger B's bringing some Halloween cheer to some local kids at Children's Hospital.
  
• Next game for the B's is a playoff rematch against the Sabres in Buffalo on Wednesday night.
  

Attaboy: Tim Thomas. Again.

Providence shuttle: Halloween parties that start at 9. I had to miss most of the third period. Good thing it was a blowout.

Game 3: Bruins 4, Devils 1

The Good

• Tim Thomas: It was only natural that Thomas got the nod in goal tonight, as he earned the right with last week's shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas didn't disappoint, allowing just one goal while making 31 saves, some of the highlight reel variety. The goal he allowed was more the fault of his defenseman failing to pick up Dainius Zubrus at the top of the crease as opposed to Thomas himself making a mistake. The starting goaltending job was essentially handed to Tuukka Rask by many pundits before the season began, but early on Thomas appears to be doing his best to make Claude Julien lose a little sleep at night. If he continues to play like this, goaltending will likely become the biggest hot-button issue for the B's (if it isn't already).
• Jordan Caron's first goal: The rookie impressed many during training camp, and managed to stick with the big club through their European excursion. While he was scratched in the team's first game of the season, he made his NHL debut in the B's 3-0 win over the Coyotes last weekend, and played pretty well. Caron was dressed again in tonight's game, and, again, didn't disappoint. He scored his first career goal nearly six minutes into the second period, a goal that tied the score at 1 and jump-started the B's. Caron's goal was indicative of one of his better attributes: his willingness to go to the "dirty areas" of the ice and put in work. Caron parked himself in the slot in front of Martin Brodeur, and was there to bang home a big rebound. (Video of Caron's goal here, thanks to dafoomie.)
• Krejci's wrist: There was some concern going into the season that David Krejci would need some time to shake the rust off of his injured wrist; that he wasn't going to be able to perform all of his stickhandling and passing magic right away. So far, however, Krejci looks excellent, and was a wizard with the puck again in tonight's game. His beautiful flip-pass to Milan Lucic was his fourth assist this season, giving him a total of four points in three games. Krejci protected the puck beautifully all night, at times seeming to dare Jersey players to try to take it from him. Yes, it's early, but Krejci's injury appears to have healed nicely, and he looks to be in midseason form.
• Fourth line: The fourth line of Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell and Brad Marchand was excellent again tonight. Usually, a coach wants his fourth line to play responsible hockey and to make hustle plays and wear down the opposing defensemen with physical play; if the fourth line can chip in some offense, that's just icing on the cake. The B's got that icing last night when Thornton scored the third goal of the game on a great pass from Campbell. Marchand took a silly kneeing penalty that put the B's down two men, but other than that the fourth line was very effective, cycling the puck, finishing their checks and grinding out good shift after good shift.

The Bad

• Hunwick still looks shaky: It seems like many B's fans were quick to blame Matt Hunwick's troubles of last year on Big Money Wides, his defense partner and constant scapegoat. After all, Hunwick had performed terrifically during the '08-'09 season, and few people expected such a regression. However, even though the "W" half of the "H & W Comedy Show," as my friend termed the Hunwick-Wideman pairing last year, is gone, Hunwick continues to make shaky play after shaky play. "Bad" might be a little harsh here, more like "troubling;" Hunwick wasn't awful, but he made his fair share of headscratching plays and turnovers. The young defenseman is a great talent, but needs to tighten up his game and play more consistently.
• Martin Brodeur: His team's four goals allowed can't all be placed squarely on the future Hall of Famer's shoulders, but he certainly didn't help matters. Michael Ryder's wrist shot was a laser that Brodeur was helpless to stop, while Lucic's goal came from a sublime Krejci pass. However, the Caron goal came as a result of a "juicy rebound" and Thornton's goal came when Brodeur badly misread Campbell's intentions behind the net (though in fairness to Brodeur, Campbell did make a great play). Brodeur looked shaky throughout the night, seemingly out of position many times. The only reason the game wasn't 5-1 or 6-1 was because Brodeur made a number of huge stops to bail himself out. It's early, but he certainly hasn't set the world aflame so far.
• Still no "power:" The power play remains an issue. The B's had a couple of good looks on the man advantage, but were unable to convert. All in all, they had just four shots on three power plays. It's hard to find fault with a 4-1 win, but the power play still needs work.

The Rest

• It remains to be seen whether or not Tyler Seguin remains with the B's for the rest of the season, but so far it seems like he's doing little to suggest he should be sent back to juniors. While Mike Milbury may not think Seguin will be an "impact player" this year, he's made his presence felt in the B's past two games, scoring his first goal in the B's second game against Phoenix and assisting on Ryder's strike last night. It seems that at this point, Seguin would have to be a detriment to the team for him to be sent back to juniors; he doesn't have much left to prove there, and won't really improve his game playing against junior competition. The thought here is that he will remain with the B's this year, and will get better with each game.
• I'm going to write about the whole road-trip experience in a separate article to be posted on the main site, but I was hugely disappointed with the Jersey crowd. The arena was beautiful, the transit to and from NYC was very easy and the whole trip was a really fun time, but the crowd was absolutely terrible. The arena wasn't even close to half-full, and seemed to have an atmosphere more appropriate for a wake or a library than that of a hockey game. I know the Devils haven't gotten off to the greatest start, but it's sad to see the fans not come out and support the team. Where's Puddy when you need him?

Attaboy: Caron...gotta give it to him when he nets his first career goal, right?

Providence shuttle: The entire pro-Devils crowd at the Prudential Center tonight. It'd probably only take 5 or 6 Megabuses to get them all up there too, but more on that later.

Game 2: Bruins 3, Coyotes 0

The Good

• Tim Thomas: What can be said? Thomas did exactly what was asked of him, making big saves when called upon and playing a solid all around game. No matter what he's said, losing the starting job must have eaten at Thomas all summer. A motivated Thomas will have a two-fold impact on the B's: first, he'll push Tuukka Rask, making them both better; second, having a competitor like Thomas burning with a desire to prove himself again will only make him better.
  
• Mark Recchi: Old-Man Frozen Pond played with the energy of a rookie today, winning a great one-on-one battle to set up Nathan Horton's goal, the B's second of the game. Recchi had an iffy first game, including a turnover at the blue line that led to a shorthanded scoring chance for the Coyotes. However, today Recchi played an outstanding game, finishing the day at +1 with one assist and four shots on goal.
  
• Brad Marchand: The B's number-one agitator definitely got under the skin of the Coyotes today, but not by playing on the edge: instead, he played a terrific all around game. Marchand was tenacious on the forecheck, created a number of turnovers and even created a couple of fantastic scoring chances. One example of his stellar play came when he won a battle for the puck on the boards, fended off a Phoenix defenseman and wheeled a no-look pass to Zdeno Chara, who was streaking into the slot. Chara had a prime scoring chance thanks to Marchand's hustle and persistence.
• Zdeno Chara: Big Z's got one of the most feared shots in the league, but it loses a lot of its effectiveness when he can't get it on goal. Today, Z's slapper was right on target, and he finished the game with seven shots on goal. At one point, I remember Jack Edwards remarking that Chara's first four shots of the day landed on net. Chara was also very active offensively, jumping into the rush at times and driving to the net to create space.

The Bad

• Oliver Ekman-Larsson: The Swedish defenseman had a rough game on the Phoenix blue line, coughing the puck up a number of times and creating a number of scoring chances for the B's. The youngster is a high-level prospect, but he's just 19 years old and will likely have a number of games like he did today while he develops. He finished the game at -2 (along with Shane Doan and a couple of others). Ekman-Larsson will definitely benefit from having veteran players like Doan, Derek Morris and Ed Jovanovski on his team, as these guys who have been around the block will certainly be able to give the kid some pointers.
• No, YOU'RE supposed to score, Not Them!: For the second game in a row, the B's at times seemed to be more prepared to give up a goal on the power play than to score one. Yes, shorthanded bids are going to be allowed at times, due to blocked shots, broken sticks or other fluky happenings. However, the rate that the B's allowed shorthanded bids in these two games is somewhat alarming. There was a breakaway and at least one two-on-one during today's game, along with a ton of shorthanded bids on Saturday. Admittedly, it's only been two games, but right now the B's special teams need some work.

The Rest

Frame this picture and put it on your wall, Tyler. Hopefully there are plenty more where this came from.

• We saw a bit of Tyler Seguin's skill yesterday, but we really saw flashes of his brilliant potential today. Early in the game, Seguin really turned on the jets and nearly beat both Ilya Bryzgalov and a Phoenix defenseman to a loose puck. Seguin's speed turned what looked like a routine dump-in into a scoring chance. On his first NHL goal, Seguin's speed was again on display, along with great hand-eye coordination to catch the puck in flight and stickhandle in stride. He also showed his fantastic finishing ability when he flipped the puck over Bryzgalov while falling down and being pursued from behind by a defenseman. All in all, a pretty memorable first goal for the rookie.
• An interesting note: Recchi was on the ice for Seguin's goal. I'm not sure what the largest age difference between two teammates who are on the ice when a goal is scored is, but Recchi's 24 years on Seguin must be up there.
• I have to agree with Thomas, who said in a NESN interview after the game that Prague was one of the most beautiful cities he'd ever visited. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days there back in 2008, and everything about the city is awesome, from the architecture to the history to the rest of the sites. As I remember reading somewhere (can't remember for the life of me where it was), Prague's kind of like Boston in that it's full of history and everything's old. But whereas "old" here is 375 years, old there is thousands of years.
• The people in Prague seem great, but someone has to get the 02 Arena staff some new tunes. A sampling of the songs I heard played there during NESN's telecasts: I Love Rock and Roll, Sk8er Boi and Rock You Like a Hurricane. As B's fans know, no hockey game is complete without some Mötley Crüe, and while I know they're a few years behind the American music trends, someone's got to help them get some current music. Actually, their old school taste in music means they probably don't have Lady Gaga or Ke$ha over there...sounds like heaven.

Attaboy: Marchand. The grinder was probably the B's most effective all-around player today, creating turnovers and numerous scoring chances. If he continues to play like this, he'll make for some hard decisions when Marc Savard and Marco Sturm today.

Providence Shuttle: Ekman-Larsson. Again, all part of the learning curve for the rookie, who will undoubtedly have a few more bumps in the road during his development.