February is here, meaning the NHL season and the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. This is also the last week of hockey before the Winter Olympic break.
Although the Boston Bruins will be in decent shape by the end of the regular season, they still would like to settle some internal huffing and avenge some bulletin board material.
The B's wrapped up their four-game homestand on Tuesday night when they played host to the Vancouver Canucks.
While the Bruins lead the Atlantic Division, the Canucks are holding pact in the middle of an intense and competitive Pacific Division. This game should have been all about the two points, but these two squads always play each other hard when they face off on rare occasions. This goes all the way back to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011.
With Canucks head coach John Tortorella being recently lifted of his 15-game suspension for his actions in a game against the Calgary Flames (the epic tirade after the five-fight, seven-ejection, 142 penalty-minute brawl), one would have assumed that he and his team would be on their best behavior.
Adam McQuaid (leg injury) will most likely not return before the Olympic break. David Warsofsky was recalled from Providence on Monday to fill the roster. Tuukka Rask was also back in goal for Boston.
In the first period, the Bruins got things started and never looked back. Milan Lucic netted a beauty on assists from his linemates David Krejci and Jarome Iginla. The top line played outstanding for Boston in this game. The B's also capitalized on two second period goals as they cruised to a 3-1 victory to hand the Canucks their fifth-straight loss. Both Lucic and Iginla recorded multi-point games.
This was probably not the type of game that fans were expecting, but the Bruins needed this victory and the Canucks were in the same boat. Both teams took the ice with business on their mind, only it played in favor of the Bruins on this night.
The Bruins will travel to St. Louis on Thursday night when they take on the Blues.
Gold Star: Tuukka Rask (27 saves on 28 shots, 1 goal allowed, .964 save percentage)...With a highway robbery of a save on Daniel Sedin (VAN), that was all the motivation he needed to outperform Roberto Luongo (VAN).
Black Star: Shawn Thornton...Even though this was a game against a heated rival, this was not a game that fit his style of play.
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