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 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 32: Bruins 3, Canadiens 2

The Good

• Fantastic goaltending This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but last night's game was a terrific goaltending duel. Carey Price and Tim Thomas are two of the NHL's premier netminders, and both were on top of their games last night. One could argue that all five goals were either a bit fluky or that there was nothing either goalie could do. Both Thomas and Price made their fair share of highlight-reel stops as well. It's because of a goalie like Price that one can never count the Habs out: a talented goalie can get hot and steal a playoff series.
• My boy Benny Benoit Pouliot continues to endear himself to B's fans, scoring against his former team for the first time last night. Pouliot now has six goals, four of which are game-winners. I'm of the opinion that Pouliot has been getting better and better as his time with the B's has gone on. He's starting to show flashes of that top-five draft pick talent. Let's hope he keeps it up.
• Tough Soup Gregory Campbell returned to action last night, despite still having a broken bone in his foot. He played well, logging one shot in eleven minutes in TOI, including 1:24 in shorthanded TOI. Campbell also made a stellar play on the PK (as usual), diving to clear a loose puck to prevent a Montreal scoring chance.
• Zach attack I still think Zach Hamill has played extremely well since coming up from Providence. He's likely going back as soon as today (with Daniel Paille, Campbell, Rich Peverley, and Milan Lucic all returning, there's not really a spot for him), but I think this latest stint has revivified Hamill's prospect status. If he does go, he'll be back soon.
  

The Bad

• Zzzzzz... For a game that featured a desperate Habs team, this one was a bit of a snoozer. Sure, it was still fun to watch, but there were no fireworks. I think I counted the post-whistle scrums and shoving matches on one hand, strange for a B's-Habs game.
  
• Why no Emelin? A bit of a curious decision by the Habs coaching staff in scratching Alexei Emelin, Montreal's Russian defender. As far as I know, Emelin was a healthy scratch, with Chris Campoli playing in his place. Strange, because Emelin is pretty much the Habs' best physical weapon. He was a force against the B's earlier this year at the Bell Centre, and the B's play even more physically when at home. All of that combines to make that decision a bit of a head-scratcher, unless he was hurt.
• Powerless play Yes, the Bruins' power play woes have returned (for one night, at least). The B's failed to score on the man advantage last night, including coming up empty on a four-minute penalty to Louis Leblanc. Hey, I hear that Kaberle guy on the other team can help a power play...
  

What went right:

• Oftentimes, goals come off of pressure. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Last night's game-winner was no exception. Brad Marchand was in on the forecheck on Tomas Kaberle, who actually managed to get off a decent pass. However, Patrice Bergeron applied another layer of pressure, stealing the puck from Travis Moen. Because of his forechecking tenacity, Marchand was all alone in front to accept Tyler Seguin's feed. All of this resulted from putting pressure on the Canadiens, making them make decisions just a little bit quicker. It usually pays off, and last night the B's hit the jackpot.
  

Attaboy: I'll give it to my boy Benny, because I think he's starting to find his groove.

Providence shuttle: No fireworks. Zzzz...

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 27: Panthers 2, Bruins 0

The Good

• No way Jose There's really no other way to put it: Jose Theodore is a Bruins-killer. Doesn't matter if it's with the Caps, the Habs, or the Panthers, the guy just loves playing the B's. As someone who still freshly remembers the dark days of '02 and '04, it pains me to say this, but Theodore played a great game last night. Posts don't necessarily mean luck; they can also mean good positioning by the goalie and mean all of the angles are covered. Gotta give credit where it's due, and Theodore was great last night.
• Rebuilding on the fly It's early still, but it's good to see the Panthers have turned things around. I said back in October that I thought they'd be good this year, and people laughed at me. Well? Dale Tallon essentially rebuilt this team in a single offseason, taking them from cellar-dwellers to top of the conference. It remains to see if they can sustain it, and they still have questions on D and, despite last night's game, between the pipes. But good things are happening down in South Florida.
  

The Bad

• Headaches The hit on Daniel Paille looked pretty clean, but it was a big one. Now that it seems that Paille has a concussion, it could have an even bigger impact. Paille is one of the B's most dependable players, and probably their second-best penalty killer after Patrice Bergeron. Jordan Caron will likely take Paille's spot, but he's not exactly the same kind of player. If Paille's out, Benoit Pouliot may be bumped down to the fourth line so Caron can ride with Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly. Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery for Paille.
• First line freeze The first line was on the ice for both goals, making them a combined minus-6. Yikes.
• Milan Lucic He was pretty bad last night. He had one of the B's best scoring chances late in the game, when he found himself all alone in the slot with the puck; Theodore gloved his wrister, but replays showed that the puck was likely going wide anyways. Then, Lucic's turnover led directly to the Panthers' game-winning goal. Rough night for 17.
• Hits are, in fact, legal I don't mind hockey fights, but I'm getting kind of sick of seeing fights after clean hits. Even Shawn Thornton's defense of Paille was a little unnecessary, though I'll give Thornton a pass because Krys Barch is known as a tough guy and because Thornton saw Paille was hurt. But Jack Skille's fight with Johnny Boychuk came after Boychuk decked Mike Santorelli with a perfectly clean, non-injury causing hit. Why fight after that? Checking is allowed, guys.
• PANIC! The B's are 14-2-1 in their last 17 games, but right now people only care about them being 0-2-0 in their last two. People: they lost to the second-best team in the East (FLA) and to a goalie who played the best game of his season (Pavelec). It's not like they played stinkers either. Sometimes the bounces (and posts) don't go your way. It doesn't mean the world is ending. Relax.
  

What went wrong:

• I Tweeted the other night about how Nathan Horton's passes on rushes up the ice almost always seem to be at the feet of his teammates, effectively ending the rush. Lo and behold, he makes a perfect pass to Lucic, giving his linemate a golden scoring chance. What does Lucic do? He muffs it, turning the puck over and leading to Florida's goal. Awful. The puck wasn't poked away from him; he simply gave it up. Offensive zone turnovers hurt, and they hurt even more in close games and when they negate beautiful scoring chances. Bad bad bad.
  

Attaboy: Theodore. Any team that wants to beat the Bruins should just trade for him, apparently.

Providence shuttle: Lucic. Bad mistake at a bad time, and it cost his team.

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.