Thursday, January 22, 2015

Games 47-48: Brief Road Trip Before the Break

After having a much-needed two days off, the Boston Bruins resumed their schedule this week for a back-to-back set. They traveled to Dallas to take on the Stars on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

This past Saturday, the Bruins had their five-game winning streak snapped by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Not only that, but the B's were (and will continue to be) without Brad Marchand due to suspension. 

What do you expect? Teams never go through a season at full strength, and that is especially true for Boston's opponent on Tuesday night.

The Stars have not lived up to expectations placed on them before the season. Sure, injuries were a problem, but the chemistry did not happen right away. To go along with Tyler Seguin, they added Jason Spezza to lock up their offensive depth. Seguin is tied for the league lead in goals with 28 tallies. Why couldn't he do that when he was in Boston? Anyway, this was the first time this season the Bruins faced their former young stud. 

What a way to end the schedule before the All-Star break.

After a scoreless and penalty-filled first period, that is when the game really started to open up. The Stars have some fast guys, but the Bruins matched their speed all night long. In the midst of some entertaining bursts of rushes, the B's broke through with incredible/hard-fought goals. Loui Eriksson, who was a member of the Stars for several seasons, got some redemption against his former team by netting a second-period goal. In the third period, Tuukka Rask was unbeatable. He made 36 saves (nine on Seguin...just thought you should know....) in a huge road outing. Dougie Hamilton added a power play goal and an assist to cap the 3-1 victory. It was back to winning ways for the Black and Gold. 

As for Wednesday's game against the Avalanche and former Bruin Jarome Iginla, Marchand returned to the lineup after serving his two-game suspension...and netted his team-leading 13th goal of the season. How about that? In regards to the game itself, the two teams played fast paced and physical. Believe it or not, it is tough for a squad to possess both of those qualities; Boston and Colorado are of the like. For those who stayed up to watch the conclusion of the game, the Avs won in a shootout. However, taking three-out-of-four points on the trip was huge for the Bruins heading into a week layover. 

Enjoy the All-Star break and best of luck to Patrice Bergeron this weekend!

Gold Star (combined): Gregory Campbell...It has been too long since he has had a good stretch of games. His gritty effort displayed all season long got rewarded with a goal against Dallas. 

Black Star (combined): Adam McQuaid...There was only so much he could have done, but three minor penalties on Tuesday and a less-than stellar performance in the defensive zone on Wednesday made for a lackluster trip for him.

Game Forty-Seven Box Score

Game Forty-Eight Box Score





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