The title might be a little bit of a force but you have to start to wonder if this is really happening to the Boston Bruins. A Stanley Cup hangover? Some might call it frustration and some could call it bad luck. Whatever the phrase may be, its aurora is surrounding the B's at this point in time.
In arguably the most frustrating game played thus far in the season, the Bruins fell to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-1. However, the final score is a side note compared to what happened during this game tonight.
The first period was nicely contested between the two teams. Anthony Stewart put Carolina on the board early by sneaking the puck past Tuukka Rask. Brett Sutter shoved Bruins defenseman Joe Corvo hard into the boards. It did draw an interference penalty, but this was the incident that triggered something in the minds of the B's. It woke them up.
With about six minutes elapsed from the second period, the fans at the TD Garden witnessed a donnybrook. Zdeno Chara received 17 minutes worth of penalties (two minute instigator, five minute fighting major, ten minute misconduct) for sticking up for his teammate Nathan Horton. Jay Harrison was roughing Horton in front of the net by giving him shots to the head. Keep in mind that Horton is recently removed from a concussion. The captain had seen enough and decided to step in.
In the third period, Chris Kelly dropped the gloves for a rare fight against Sutter. Horton, Milan Lucic, and Brad Marchand were all giving ten minute misconducts. At that point of the game the referees were literally abusing their power by handing out misconducts for minor incidents. Were they trying to get the game back under control? That is a possibility, but a far-fetched one at that.
Even head coach Claude Julien was ejected from this game. Now I have a huge problem with this. This is not like basketball where referees can hand out technical fouls to coaches for showing them up from the bench. However, in hockey the referee has to go out of his way and skate over to the bench to hear what the coach has to say. He could have gave his explanation on the calls to Julien and simply skated away. Head referee Paul Devorski did not do that. A terrible case of an official abusing his power.
Oh yes there was still a hockey game to finish up. Joni Pitkanen put the Canes up 2-0 during the midst of all of these scrums. Rich Peverley added a goal for Boston. He now leads the team with three goals scored. Eric Staal and Tuomo Ruutu each added five-on-three power play goals late in the game, capping off the victory.
The Garden ice was littered with bottles and trash thrown onto the ice by frustrated Bruins fans. I know it is a difficult task to control your emotions as a fan. With that being said, one should not do that to their team's home ice or any ice for that matter. Reacting like that only makes the city of Boston look bad.
Getting back to the game itself, Julien tried switching up the lines several times tonight. Benoit Pouliot and Patrice Bergeron got some ice time on that first line. Even switching things did not prove to be affective for this game. Tuukka played decent, stopping 19 shots on 23 attempts. You can not really blame him for the last two goals because by then the game was already taken away from the B's by the calls on the ice. He also received a minor penalty for leaving his crease during one of the scrums.
The Bruins won more face-offs (35-32) and out-shot (34-23) their opponent. When you accumulate over 70 penalty minutes, that is where the game is lost. On a side note, David Krejci and Adam McQuaid did not play but they are both listed as day-to-day. The Bruins will be back in action on Thursday night as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Gold Star: Gregory Campbell...As the penalties started coming, he was ready to take on a bigger role as the game went on. Even though he finished with a -2 rating, he played tough. Not much else he could have done.
Black Star: Nathan Horton...I understand when a player like Tim Gleason (CAR) gets under your skin. But he took a double minor penalty and a misconduct when the Bruins were only trailing by one goal. An overreaction after a small tap on the leg.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Game Five: Shootout In Chi Town
The two previous Stanley Cup champions took the ice tonight as the Bruins traveled to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. A game between two original six teams brings back memories of good old school hockey. The league should figure out a way to schedule more games between the original six teams, even though the Bruins see two of those teams (Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens) six times each per season.
It took a shootout, but the B's prevailed over the Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. This victory was Claude Julien's 300th career win as a head coach in the NHL.
Boston seemed to play better in this game without a doubt. They needed something to get them going early and they seemed to respond after Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves with Jamal Mayers for the first fight of the season.
I am not the biggest fan of fighting in hockey and I have just grown to accept it as part of the game. However, even I was getting restless about when the team was going to get the first one out of the way. The last time a Bruins team started the first five games of a season without a fighting major was the 1997-1998 season. So, this one was a bit overdue to make sure history did not repeat itself.
Chicago grabbed the lead first after Andrew Ference turned the puck over to Bryan Brickell which led to a break-away goal. Boston tied it up when Chris Kelly scored on a pass from Rich Peverley when they were on the penalty kill. The Bruins now have just as many short-handed goals as they do power play goals (one). Go figure.
Patrick Kane put the Hawks back on top just 1:18 after Boston tied the game. He moved the puck around the front of the net and sniped it past Tim Thomas. I guess making the move from wing to center is working out just fine for the former number one overall draft pick.
Nathan Horton scored his first goal of the season after receiving a pass from a hustling Johnny Boychuk in front of the net. After a scoreless five minute overtime, Thomas shut down the Hawks in the shootout. All it took was a lone shootout goal from Tyler Seguin. The kid now leads the team with five points. Usually a number one center is a point-per-game player. The season is five games old and he has five points.
The puck seemed to be skipping around a lot tonight. The ice did not look to be up to full playing conditions. It affected both teams as they tried to keep the puck in their respective offensive zones. Playing on a surface like that could alter the way a team plays, but it was not bad enough that the ice itself cost a team the game.
The B's will head back home for a Tuesday night game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
On a side note, defenseman Matt Bartkowski took the place of defenseman Adam McQuaid in tonight's lineup. McQuaid was suffering from concussion-like symptoms. Center David Krejci also missed his second consecutive game due to a core injury.
Gold Star: Johnny Boychuk (1 assist, +2 rating, 3 shots on goal)...This was by far his best game thus far this season. He hustled all night and showed true toughness after suffering an apparent arm injury but continued his shift. His hustle also led to the tying goal.
Black Star: Andrew Ference...Costly turnover in the first period that led to the first goal of the game scored by Chicago.
It took a shootout, but the B's prevailed over the Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. This victory was Claude Julien's 300th career win as a head coach in the NHL.
Boston seemed to play better in this game without a doubt. They needed something to get them going early and they seemed to respond after Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves with Jamal Mayers for the first fight of the season.
I am not the biggest fan of fighting in hockey and I have just grown to accept it as part of the game. However, even I was getting restless about when the team was going to get the first one out of the way. The last time a Bruins team started the first five games of a season without a fighting major was the 1997-1998 season. So, this one was a bit overdue to make sure history did not repeat itself.
Chicago grabbed the lead first after Andrew Ference turned the puck over to Bryan Brickell which led to a break-away goal. Boston tied it up when Chris Kelly scored on a pass from Rich Peverley when they were on the penalty kill. The Bruins now have just as many short-handed goals as they do power play goals (one). Go figure.
Patrick Kane put the Hawks back on top just 1:18 after Boston tied the game. He moved the puck around the front of the net and sniped it past Tim Thomas. I guess making the move from wing to center is working out just fine for the former number one overall draft pick.
Nathan Horton scored his first goal of the season after receiving a pass from a hustling Johnny Boychuk in front of the net. After a scoreless five minute overtime, Thomas shut down the Hawks in the shootout. All it took was a lone shootout goal from Tyler Seguin. The kid now leads the team with five points. Usually a number one center is a point-per-game player. The season is five games old and he has five points.
The puck seemed to be skipping around a lot tonight. The ice did not look to be up to full playing conditions. It affected both teams as they tried to keep the puck in their respective offensive zones. Playing on a surface like that could alter the way a team plays, but it was not bad enough that the ice itself cost a team the game.
The B's will head back home for a Tuesday night game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
On a side note, defenseman Matt Bartkowski took the place of defenseman Adam McQuaid in tonight's lineup. McQuaid was suffering from concussion-like symptoms. Center David Krejci also missed his second consecutive game due to a core injury.
Gold Star: Johnny Boychuk (1 assist, +2 rating, 3 shots on goal)...This was by far his best game thus far this season. He hustled all night and showed true toughness after suffering an apparent arm injury but continued his shift. His hustle also led to the tying goal.
Black Star: Andrew Ference...Costly turnover in the first period that led to the first goal of the game scored by Chicago.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Game Four: Road Opener
"With the second pick the Boston Bruins select, from the Plymouth Whalers, Tyler Seguin."
Those words were uttered by Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He selected the 18-year old Seguin as the second overall pick after receiving that pick from the Phil Kessel trade to Toronto. By the way, thank you Kessel.
Why do I mention this before I discuss tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes? Tonight was Seguin's first opportunity to center the first line. Regular first-line center David Krejci missed the game after suffering a core injury in practice yesterday. It was the kid's chance to shine in this game and to skate on Claude Julien's top line. Hey, that is why Boston drafted him number two overall am I right?
This was a tough one for the Bruins tonight as they came away with a loss, falling to the Hurricanes by a score of 3-2. They now possess a 1-3-0 record. Two Conn Smythe Trophy winners, Tim Thomas and Cam Ward, really stood out in this game for their respective teams. Thomas stopped 31 shots on 34 attempts with a .912 save percentage. Equally as impressive, Ward stopped 26 shots on 28 attempts for a .929 save percentage.
Seguin tallied a goal for the Bruins tonight in his professional debut as a center. After the game, the hockey media were saying how Seguin looked more comfortable as a center. No kidding. That is his natural position. If anything, he looked somewhat uncomfortable all of last season playing right wing. Either way, he also racked up four shots on goal and continues to lead the team in assists (three).
Overall, it was a frustrating night for the B's. They had great opportunities the whole night but were unable to capitalize. Joni Pitkanen, Anthony Stewart, and Jiri Tlusty had the goals for the Hurricanes tonight. Brad Marchand also scored for Boston, his second of the season.
The Bruins did have a very physical edge, which they clearly lacked in the first three games. Perhaps this mini road trip will create a spark for this team. They will travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
A couple of side notes: Bruins defenseman Joe Corvo and Hurricanes defenseman Tomas Kaberle each faced their former teams for the first time since switching teams during the offseason (Corvo via trade, Kaberle via free agency). Also Rich Peverley signed a three-year extension yesterday worth up to $3.25 million per year. What ever the B's plans are for the future, they want Peverley to be apart of it.
Gold Star: Tyler Seguin (1 goal, 4 shots on goal, +1 rating)
Black Star: Shawn Thornton...Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the biggest fan of fighting in the NHL. But something needs to get this team going. I know Thornton is trying every game to fight with someone. He needs to find a dance partner quickly to give this team some spark.
Those words were uttered by Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He selected the 18-year old Seguin as the second overall pick after receiving that pick from the Phil Kessel trade to Toronto. By the way, thank you Kessel.
Why do I mention this before I discuss tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes? Tonight was Seguin's first opportunity to center the first line. Regular first-line center David Krejci missed the game after suffering a core injury in practice yesterday. It was the kid's chance to shine in this game and to skate on Claude Julien's top line. Hey, that is why Boston drafted him number two overall am I right?
This was a tough one for the Bruins tonight as they came away with a loss, falling to the Hurricanes by a score of 3-2. They now possess a 1-3-0 record. Two Conn Smythe Trophy winners, Tim Thomas and Cam Ward, really stood out in this game for their respective teams. Thomas stopped 31 shots on 34 attempts with a .912 save percentage. Equally as impressive, Ward stopped 26 shots on 28 attempts for a .929 save percentage.
Seguin tallied a goal for the Bruins tonight in his professional debut as a center. After the game, the hockey media were saying how Seguin looked more comfortable as a center. No kidding. That is his natural position. If anything, he looked somewhat uncomfortable all of last season playing right wing. Either way, he also racked up four shots on goal and continues to lead the team in assists (three).
Overall, it was a frustrating night for the B's. They had great opportunities the whole night but were unable to capitalize. Joni Pitkanen, Anthony Stewart, and Jiri Tlusty had the goals for the Hurricanes tonight. Brad Marchand also scored for Boston, his second of the season.
The Bruins did have a very physical edge, which they clearly lacked in the first three games. Perhaps this mini road trip will create a spark for this team. They will travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
A couple of side notes: Bruins defenseman Joe Corvo and Hurricanes defenseman Tomas Kaberle each faced their former teams for the first time since switching teams during the offseason (Corvo via trade, Kaberle via free agency). Also Rich Peverley signed a three-year extension yesterday worth up to $3.25 million per year. What ever the B's plans are for the future, they want Peverley to be apart of it.
Gold Star: Tyler Seguin (1 goal, 4 shots on goal, +1 rating)
Black Star: Shawn Thornton...Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the biggest fan of fighting in the NHL. But something needs to get this team going. I know Thornton is trying every game to fight with someone. He needs to find a dance partner quickly to give this team some spark.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Game Three: Matinee Hockey
Matinee hockey. It is definitely a love-hate thing around the NHL. For a fan, it is a great feeling and a great atmosphere to watch a game in the afternoon. For a player, why would they not want to play in the afternoon? No morning skate. No afternoon nap. No extended post-game press conferences into the late hours of the night. They show up, play, and get the game over with.
The Boston Bruins took on the Colorado Avalanche on this Columbus Day afternoon at the TD Garden. A team like Colorado is not expected to do much this season, since they finished near the bottom of the NHL last season and made no key acquisitions during the offseason, with the exception of goaltender Semyon Varlamov. However, those are the teams you have to be extra cautious about.
The Avalanche defeated the Bruins today by a score of 1-0. The only goal of the game came at 7:57 of the third period. Milan Hejduk slid a shot under Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask after receiving the puck on a face-off.
Rask made his season debut today. Head coach Claude Julien made it clear that Rask will be taken much of the load off of Tim Thomas' shoulders this season. It is time for Rask to prove that he belongs on the ice. Keep in mind that it was Rask who was in goal for Boston during the entire 2010 postseason and he was also the opening day starter last season.
The first period heavily favored Colorado, primarily due to the fact that they had three power play opportunities. Boston was not disciplined whatsoever throughout the first 20 minutes. Were the calls questionable? Possibly. You still have to play through it. Rask kept the Bruins in the game during the penalty kill and throughout the period by making 13 saves. The game was scoreless after one period.
Boston's fourth line of Gregory Campbell, Daniel Paille, and Shawn Thornton played very well in the second period. They may not have a big role, but when they get the ice time they produce the spark the Bruins may need at that point in time.
Ironically, the Bruins first line of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic have played less than stellar thus far in this early season. In fact, the other three lines each started a period. Interesting move by the head coach right there.
The Bruins will hit the road for the first time this season on Wednesday as they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.
Gold Star: Joe Corvo...He did not do anything that would show up on the stat sheet, but he was arguably the Bruins best defenseman today. He controlled the puck and shut down the Avs forwards at the same time.
Black Star: Zdeno Chara...What was up with Big Z today? He did not come to play today. Plus, he shielded Rask on the play that led to the goal. If anything, he helped Colorado win this game.
The Boston Bruins took on the Colorado Avalanche on this Columbus Day afternoon at the TD Garden. A team like Colorado is not expected to do much this season, since they finished near the bottom of the NHL last season and made no key acquisitions during the offseason, with the exception of goaltender Semyon Varlamov. However, those are the teams you have to be extra cautious about.
The Avalanche defeated the Bruins today by a score of 1-0. The only goal of the game came at 7:57 of the third period. Milan Hejduk slid a shot under Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask after receiving the puck on a face-off.
Rask made his season debut today. Head coach Claude Julien made it clear that Rask will be taken much of the load off of Tim Thomas' shoulders this season. It is time for Rask to prove that he belongs on the ice. Keep in mind that it was Rask who was in goal for Boston during the entire 2010 postseason and he was also the opening day starter last season.
The first period heavily favored Colorado, primarily due to the fact that they had three power play opportunities. Boston was not disciplined whatsoever throughout the first 20 minutes. Were the calls questionable? Possibly. You still have to play through it. Rask kept the Bruins in the game during the penalty kill and throughout the period by making 13 saves. The game was scoreless after one period.
Boston's fourth line of Gregory Campbell, Daniel Paille, and Shawn Thornton played very well in the second period. They may not have a big role, but when they get the ice time they produce the spark the Bruins may need at that point in time.
Ironically, the Bruins first line of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic have played less than stellar thus far in this early season. In fact, the other three lines each started a period. Interesting move by the head coach right there.
The Bruins will hit the road for the first time this season on Wednesday as they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.
Gold Star: Joe Corvo...He did not do anything that would show up on the stat sheet, but he was arguably the Bruins best defenseman today. He controlled the puck and shut down the Avs forwards at the same time.
Black Star: Zdeno Chara...What was up with Big Z today? He did not come to play today. Plus, he shielded Rask on the play that led to the goal. If anything, he helped Colorado win this game.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Game Two: Eastern Conference Finals Rematch
The Boston Bruins had a tough defeat on opening night against the Philadelphia Flyers. They said that they were going to go out there and spoil the night for the Bruins and that is exactly what they did.
Boston drops the opener. The world is over.
Well that is not the case but no one should be content with last year's Stanley Cup Championship. Sure it was a great victory for the city of Boston, but that was then and this is now. A new season is upon us. The black and gold crest stitched onto their sweaters might as well be painted red because they are targets now. The B's should embrace that and come out fighting every game.
They may have failed to do that on opening night but tonight they came out playing like champions. In a rematch from last year's Eastern Conference finals, Boston took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Boston out-shot the Lightning 15 to 9 in the first period, yet neither team could produce a goal. Instead, both teams took turns alternating three minor penalties each.
Rich Peverley scored two goals for the Bruins in this game. He put Boston on top 1-0 after having the puck bounce right in front of him from a shot by Brad Marchand. Johnny Boychuk also picked up an assist on the play. Tampa Bay tied the game when Martin St. Louis beat his college teammate Tim Thomas on a break away. Ryan Malone and Vincent Lecavalier had the assists.
Daniel Paille put the B's back on top after deflecting a shot by Adam McQuaid into the net. Peverley and David Krejci added to the score sheet in the third period. Boston defeats Tampa Bay by a score of 4-1. Marchand and Tyler Seguin each had two assists. Thomas made 25 saves on 26 shots and recorded a .962 save percentage. Benoit Pouliot made his Bruins debut tonight, racking up two shots on goal and two hits.
The Bruins next game will be Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the TD Garden as they welcome in the Colorado Avalanche.
Gold Star: Rich Peverley (2 goals, +2 rating, 5 shots on goal)
Black Star: Nathan Horton...For a first-line winger, he was no where to be found tonight. He really did not try to make himself available for David Krejci to get the puck to him.
Boston drops the opener. The world is over.
Well that is not the case but no one should be content with last year's Stanley Cup Championship. Sure it was a great victory for the city of Boston, but that was then and this is now. A new season is upon us. The black and gold crest stitched onto their sweaters might as well be painted red because they are targets now. The B's should embrace that and come out fighting every game.
They may have failed to do that on opening night but tonight they came out playing like champions. In a rematch from last year's Eastern Conference finals, Boston took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Boston out-shot the Lightning 15 to 9 in the first period, yet neither team could produce a goal. Instead, both teams took turns alternating three minor penalties each.
Rich Peverley scored two goals for the Bruins in this game. He put Boston on top 1-0 after having the puck bounce right in front of him from a shot by Brad Marchand. Johnny Boychuk also picked up an assist on the play. Tampa Bay tied the game when Martin St. Louis beat his college teammate Tim Thomas on a break away. Ryan Malone and Vincent Lecavalier had the assists.
Daniel Paille put the B's back on top after deflecting a shot by Adam McQuaid into the net. Peverley and David Krejci added to the score sheet in the third period. Boston defeats Tampa Bay by a score of 4-1. Marchand and Tyler Seguin each had two assists. Thomas made 25 saves on 26 shots and recorded a .962 save percentage. Benoit Pouliot made his Bruins debut tonight, racking up two shots on goal and two hits.
The Bruins next game will be Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the TD Garden as they welcome in the Colorado Avalanche.
Gold Star: Rich Peverley (2 goals, +2 rating, 5 shots on goal)
Black Star: Nathan Horton...For a first-line winger, he was no where to be found tonight. He really did not try to make himself available for David Krejci to get the puck to him.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Game One: Opening Night
A video montage. A motion picture. A chronological review. Call it what you will. A trip down memory lane of the nearly nine month season the 2011 Boston Bruins had endured was displayed on the Jumbotron prior to face-off tonight. Center ice in the TD Garden at 7:00pm tonight was the place to be. The Stanley Cup Championship banner was raised with the help of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Andrew Ference, Tim Thomas, along with other Bruins legends.
The crowd was loud and the Garden was filled with tears of happiness and joy. What made everything more emotional was three-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Recchi rejoining his team that he retired with. Andrew Ference presented him with the "starter jacket" that the Bruins passed around last season at the end of every game to the player they thought played above and beyond on that night.
An emotional start to the night without a doubt. However, there was still a hockey game to be played.
Before the game it was announced that defenseman Andrew Ference and forward Chris Kelly will share the second alternate captaincy throughout the season. Ference will wear the second "A" at home the first half of the season and Kelly will wear the second "A" on the road the first half. Midway through the season, they will simply switch.
Jordan Caron beat out Benoit Pouliot and started on the third line with Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin. Adam McQuaid was scratched tonight due to an ongoing illness. Matt Bartkowski replaced him as one of the top six defensemen. Zdeno Chara was not paired with Dennis Seidenberg tonight because, according to head coach Claude Julien, they are "looking to spread around the minutes more this year."
The first period started with Boston coming out very strong. There was a point where the Bruins were out-shooting the Flyers 5-1. Tyler Seguin hit the post and he almost assisted on a goal scored by Chris Kelly. The kid did eventually contribute to the scoring on the power play. He sent a length-of-the-ice pass to Brad Marchand and he slid the puck past Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI) to put the B's on top 1-0.
Before the period ended, the Flyers scored two goals in less than a minute. Claude Giroux scored on the power play and Jakub Voracek scored a goal with traffic in front of Tim Thomas. On Voracek's goal, long time NHL veteran Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,600th career point. Flyers had a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.
Boston had a very sloppy second period. They had the opportunity to score by having two man advantages and yet Philly out-played them. They did not have a clear scoring chance. Zdeno Chara sent Claude Giroux shoulder first into the boards, which triggered a minor altercation. The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Flyers to start the third period.
In the third period, Boston had two more attempts at a power play. They worked the puck around the net much better, but they still could not score. Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin had great chances. The Philly defense and goaltender just got the better of them. The Flyers spoil opening night for the Bruins and their fans. They take the game by a score of 2-1.
Boston will be back in action Saturday night at the TD Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a rematch from last year's Eastern Conference Final.
Gold Star: Brad Marchand (1 goal, 4 shots on goal)...he came out with a huge burst of energy by constantly putting the puck on net. He did have a late penalty called against him in a crucial point in the game, but overall not a bad game.
Black Star: Dennis Seidenberg...he finished with a -1 rating and put six shots on net. The problem was that he had several turnovers and was bumped off the puck often. Not playing with the captain made him feel out of his element.
The crowd was loud and the Garden was filled with tears of happiness and joy. What made everything more emotional was three-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Recchi rejoining his team that he retired with. Andrew Ference presented him with the "starter jacket" that the Bruins passed around last season at the end of every game to the player they thought played above and beyond on that night.
An emotional start to the night without a doubt. However, there was still a hockey game to be played.
Before the game it was announced that defenseman Andrew Ference and forward Chris Kelly will share the second alternate captaincy throughout the season. Ference will wear the second "A" at home the first half of the season and Kelly will wear the second "A" on the road the first half. Midway through the season, they will simply switch.
Jordan Caron beat out Benoit Pouliot and started on the third line with Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin. Adam McQuaid was scratched tonight due to an ongoing illness. Matt Bartkowski replaced him as one of the top six defensemen. Zdeno Chara was not paired with Dennis Seidenberg tonight because, according to head coach Claude Julien, they are "looking to spread around the minutes more this year."
The first period started with Boston coming out very strong. There was a point where the Bruins were out-shooting the Flyers 5-1. Tyler Seguin hit the post and he almost assisted on a goal scored by Chris Kelly. The kid did eventually contribute to the scoring on the power play. He sent a length-of-the-ice pass to Brad Marchand and he slid the puck past Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI) to put the B's on top 1-0.
Before the period ended, the Flyers scored two goals in less than a minute. Claude Giroux scored on the power play and Jakub Voracek scored a goal with traffic in front of Tim Thomas. On Voracek's goal, long time NHL veteran Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,600th career point. Flyers had a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.
Boston had a very sloppy second period. They had the opportunity to score by having two man advantages and yet Philly out-played them. They did not have a clear scoring chance. Zdeno Chara sent Claude Giroux shoulder first into the boards, which triggered a minor altercation. The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Flyers to start the third period.
In the third period, Boston had two more attempts at a power play. They worked the puck around the net much better, but they still could not score. Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin had great chances. The Philly defense and goaltender just got the better of them. The Flyers spoil opening night for the Bruins and their fans. They take the game by a score of 2-1.
Boston will be back in action Saturday night at the TD Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a rematch from last year's Eastern Conference Final.
Gold Star: Brad Marchand (1 goal, 4 shots on goal)...he came out with a huge burst of energy by constantly putting the puck on net. He did have a late penalty called against him in a crucial point in the game, but overall not a bad game.
Black Star: Dennis Seidenberg...he finished with a -1 rating and put six shots on net. The problem was that he had several turnovers and was bumped off the puck often. Not playing with the captain made him feel out of his element.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Preseason Game Six: Finale
Before we get to the final preseason game, just let me share some updated news on injured Bruins defenseman Steve Kampfer. The results of his MRI show that he has a sprained MCL and will miss only two to four weeks. He is really lucky that he walked away with only a minor injury, although his injury will all but seal up Matt Bartkowski's new role as the seventh defenseman.
Kampfer has had his share of injuries. Last year when he was with Boston, he suffered a mild concussion and he also suffered a serious knee injury down in the minor leagues. Hopefully this young kid will not be too fragile as his career moves on.
As far as tonight's final preseason game, the Bruins went on to defeat the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2. Dennis Seidenberg scored the winning goal with only eight minutes left to go in the game. Boston actually trailed in the game 2-0 on goals scored by John Tavares and Marty Reasoner. However, the Bruins scored three straight goals to steal the game. David Krejci and Tyler Seguin scored less than 90 seconds apart from each other in the second period to tie the game. Tim Thomas was productive in goal tonight, stopping 25 shots.
Boston finished the preseason with a record of 4-1-1 and that is good for nine points, which is tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Benoit Pouliot and Tyler Seguin had really strong preseasons. Pouliot has pretty much won the battle over Jordan Caron for a roster spot and Seguin looks like that he can crack the 30 goal mark this year. With Chris Kelly in between, those three could be a very productive third line. Look for veteran forward Chris Clark to push for a roster spot as the next few days elapse.
The preseason has concluded and now the next time the Bruins take the ice for a game will be the real deal. Opening night for the 2011-2012 season will be this Thursday, October 6th at the TD Garden. Boston will face the Philadelphia Flyers on the same night that the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship banner will be lifted into the rafters. It will be a special night.
Kampfer has had his share of injuries. Last year when he was with Boston, he suffered a mild concussion and he also suffered a serious knee injury down in the minor leagues. Hopefully this young kid will not be too fragile as his career moves on.
As far as tonight's final preseason game, the Bruins went on to defeat the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2. Dennis Seidenberg scored the winning goal with only eight minutes left to go in the game. Boston actually trailed in the game 2-0 on goals scored by John Tavares and Marty Reasoner. However, the Bruins scored three straight goals to steal the game. David Krejci and Tyler Seguin scored less than 90 seconds apart from each other in the second period to tie the game. Tim Thomas was productive in goal tonight, stopping 25 shots.
Boston finished the preseason with a record of 4-1-1 and that is good for nine points, which is tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Benoit Pouliot and Tyler Seguin had really strong preseasons. Pouliot has pretty much won the battle over Jordan Caron for a roster spot and Seguin looks like that he can crack the 30 goal mark this year. With Chris Kelly in between, those three could be a very productive third line. Look for veteran forward Chris Clark to push for a roster spot as the next few days elapse.
The preseason has concluded and now the next time the Bruins take the ice for a game will be the real deal. Opening night for the 2011-2012 season will be this Thursday, October 6th at the TD Garden. Boston will face the Philadelphia Flyers on the same night that the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship banner will be lifted into the rafters. It will be a special night.
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