Game Twelve: Yup, We Have A Star

For the first time this season, the Boston Bruins won back-to-back games. They did so by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight on the road and they did it in most convincing fashion. The final score was Boston 7, Toronto 0.

Despite the one-sided score, the Maple Leafs had more shots on goal (25-20), they won more face-offs (29-24), and they had more scoring chances as crazy as that may seem.

Tyler Seguin had his first career hat trick. Seguin had the only goal of the first period and it was a power play goal assisted by Rich Peverley and Patrice Bergeron. His second goal should be a candidate for goal of the year. He slapped the puck out of mid-air with his stick and carefully placed it over the left shoulder of Leafs goaltender Ben Scrivens into the goal. His third goal came later in the second period.

The Bruins had it going on all offensive fronts tonight, not just with Seguin. Milan Lucic had two goals and an assist in this game. Bergeron had three assists. Zdeno Chara had two assists. David Krejci had a goal and two assists. Every player was getting involved but it was overshadowed by Seguin's career night. The fact that they forced Toronto to change goaltenders was lost in the mix as well.

Tim Thomas stopped all 25 shots he faced and he shut the door down against the Maple Leafs. He robbed Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on several occasions. However, the defense in front of him was shaky at times tonight. Dennis Seidenberg is beginning to become invisible and Johnny Boychuk turned the puck over three times on one shift.

It would not surprise me if Boychuk does not return here next season. Steven Kampfer is NHL ready and he is just waiting for something like a trade or (god forbid) an injury to take place in order for him to get his chance.

Jordan Caron has had a great stretch of games lately. He is winning the battle against Benoit Pouliot, a player we went out and signed. I said from the beginning that Bruins management did not need to go out and get another winger to replace Mark Recchi because Caron has every attribute he had. He is proving the organization wrong and myself right. Thank you.

The Bruins next game will be Monday night at the TD Garden against the New York Islanders.

Gold Star: Tyler Seguin (3 goals, +2 rating, 3 shots on goal)

Black Star: Nathan Horton...Now we have a better understanding as to why Horton has not played that well thus far. His concussion has healed, but the memory still lingers and he is still afraid to expose himself too much on the ice.