I know I have said this in the previous three entries related to these two teams, but the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes are teams that are on opposite ends of the spectrum (the spectrum being the Eastern Conference in this case).
The Bruins, ranked second in the conference, took on the last place Canes for their fourth and final meeting this season on Thursday night. Carolina has swept the season series thus far (3-0-0) and has been a bad match-up all the way for Boston. On paper, the Bruins should have blown out this team in every meeting. To quote a sports legend, "That's why they play the games."
Andrew Ference made his return to the lineup after serving his three-game suspension. Nathan Horton missed his third straight game due to lingering concussion symptoms. Tuukka Rask got the nod in goal for Boston in this game. Okay that is enough of updates. Game time!
The Bruins dominated the opening period by racking up 22 shots on Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward. They were able to turn some defense into quick offense as they forced several turnovers. The problem was that they just could not finish. Eric Staal put Carolina on the board for the lone goal of the period.
During the scoring play, Johnny Boychuk got hit awkwardly into the boards and had to leave the game. He returned in the second period.
The physical play really began to pick up as the game went on. The forwards began to press the Carolina defense even more to get those scoring chances. At the other end of the ice, Rask was superb as he came up with some great stops. However, the Canes grabbed another goal off the stick of Tuomo Ruutu. The puck took a weird bounce off the boards that got Rask to commit. Ruutu had an open net to shoot at as a result.
The Canes got another goal in the third period and that was when the Bruins began to show frustration. They have done this several times this season when they fall behind and it does not look good. When Boston went on the power play, Brad Marchand took a stupid slashing penalty negating any man advantage opportunity. Just not a smart game played by the B's.
The Hurricanes knocked off the Bruins by a score of 3-0. This marked the first time that the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes franchise swept a season series against the Bruins.
The B's will be back on the ice Saturday afternoon when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Gold Star: Patrice Bergeron (4 shots on goals, 77.8% face-offs won)...He did all he could at the face-off dot to give his team the best chance to win.
Black Star: Brad Marchand...He finished with a minus-2 and his frustration got the better of him.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Game Forty Eight: Bruins Win First Game Back From All-Star Break
Well, here we are. The second half of the 2011-12 NHL season is upon us as 26 of the 30 teams were back in action on Tuesday night. Among them were the Boston Bruins who were back at home to kick off a three-game homestand.
Even though most of the players enjoyed the All-Star break, they were eager to get back to business. Speaking of the All-Star break, the two captains from the All-Star game were reunited at the TD Garden on this night. Daniel Alfredsson and his Ottawa Senators looked to get their first win this season against Zdeno Chara and the B's.
Nathan Horton was ruled out for this game due to lingering concussion symptoms. Rich Peverley took his place on the top line. Andrew Ference served the final game of his three-game suspension on Tuesday night as well. He was replaced in the lineup by Steven Kampfer
The Senators are a team that has been a pleasant surprise for the league. They were picked by some experts to finish last in the Eastern Conference. Currently, they hold on to sixth place and sit only four points out of first place in the Northeast Division heading into this game. They are a contender, not a spoiler.
Now lets get to the game. Ottawa came out strong in the opening minutes, controlling much of the possession and producing better scoring chances. As the period went on, the Bruins began to find their rhythm. Benoit Pouliot had two near misses and Tyler Seguin set up Brad Marchand twice with some nifty passing.
Chara put Boston on top while they were on the power play by blasting a slap shot from the top of the zone. Colin Greening tied the game after Milan Michalek centered the puck on goal and he tapped it past Tim Thomas.
There were two fights in the opening twenty minutes. Shawn Thornton and Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves with Chris Neil and Zenon Konopka respectively. Did anyone miss hockey during the break? All of the energy in the opening period made everyone remember what they had missed.
The Senators netted two goals in the second period. Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson were the goal scorers. Both of the tallies came as a result of a couple of Bruins players cheating too far up ice in the offensive zone. At the same time, Boston had several good chances on Sens goaltender Craig Anderson. They just could not find the back of the net until Milan Lucic scored with less than a minute remaining in the period.
Marchand and Dennis Seidenberg each recorded a goal for the B's in the final 20 minutes. From that point on it was all Boston. Thomas finished the game with 27 saves on 30 shots and Joe Corvo had two assists, just a couple of the bright spots in the Bruins first game back from the break. Boston defeated Ottawa by a final score of 4-3.
The Bruins will be back in action on Thursday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gold Star: Milan Lucic (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal, 2 hits)...He was a force along the boards and provided the scoring touch to cap off the game.
Black Star: Zach Hamill...He was not strong when he had the puck, hence why his minutes dropped as the game went along.
Even though most of the players enjoyed the All-Star break, they were eager to get back to business. Speaking of the All-Star break, the two captains from the All-Star game were reunited at the TD Garden on this night. Daniel Alfredsson and his Ottawa Senators looked to get their first win this season against Zdeno Chara and the B's.
Nathan Horton was ruled out for this game due to lingering concussion symptoms. Rich Peverley took his place on the top line. Andrew Ference served the final game of his three-game suspension on Tuesday night as well. He was replaced in the lineup by Steven Kampfer
The Senators are a team that has been a pleasant surprise for the league. They were picked by some experts to finish last in the Eastern Conference. Currently, they hold on to sixth place and sit only four points out of first place in the Northeast Division heading into this game. They are a contender, not a spoiler.
Now lets get to the game. Ottawa came out strong in the opening minutes, controlling much of the possession and producing better scoring chances. As the period went on, the Bruins began to find their rhythm. Benoit Pouliot had two near misses and Tyler Seguin set up Brad Marchand twice with some nifty passing.
Chara put Boston on top while they were on the power play by blasting a slap shot from the top of the zone. Colin Greening tied the game after Milan Michalek centered the puck on goal and he tapped it past Tim Thomas.
There were two fights in the opening twenty minutes. Shawn Thornton and Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves with Chris Neil and Zenon Konopka respectively. Did anyone miss hockey during the break? All of the energy in the opening period made everyone remember what they had missed.
The Senators netted two goals in the second period. Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson were the goal scorers. Both of the tallies came as a result of a couple of Bruins players cheating too far up ice in the offensive zone. At the same time, Boston had several good chances on Sens goaltender Craig Anderson. They just could not find the back of the net until Milan Lucic scored with less than a minute remaining in the period.
Marchand and Dennis Seidenberg each recorded a goal for the B's in the final 20 minutes. From that point on it was all Boston. Thomas finished the game with 27 saves on 30 shots and Joe Corvo had two assists, just a couple of the bright spots in the Bruins first game back from the break. Boston defeated Ottawa by a final score of 4-3.
The Bruins will be back in action on Thursday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gold Star: Milan Lucic (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal, 2 hits)...He was a force along the boards and provided the scoring touch to cap off the game.
Black Star: Zach Hamill...He was not strong when he had the puck, hence why his minutes dropped as the game went along.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Game Forty Seven: Failure To Execute Results In Loss For B's
In the midst of all of the Tim Thomas/White House boycott controversy, the Bruins returned to the nation's capital once again to take on the Washington Capitals. This was the final Bruins game before the All-Star break.
I wonder if Thomas had played in this game, would he have been booed by the home crowd? Either way, everyone needs to let this situation go.
With that being said, Tuukka Rask did get the start in goal for the B's. Andrew Ference sat out game two of his three-game suspension and Nathan Horton was ruled out due to a mild concussion. He is listed as day-to-day.
Rich Peverley took Horton's spot on the line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic while Zach Hamill took Peverley's spot on the third line. Steven Kampfer replaced Ference in the lineup yet again.
Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin did not play in this game as he began to serve a three-game suspension of his own. He will also not participate in this year's All-Star game. Perhaps Patrice Bergeron can take his place? I have only been saying he deserves an All-Star roster spot for the past season and a half now? No big deal.
Lets focus on Tuesday night's game for now. The first 20 minutes went by at a brisk pace. The puck was constantly moving up and down the ice. The Caps had two great chances but their shots went wide of the net. Peverley had the lone goal of the period when he bounced the puck off of Washington goaltender Tomas Vokoun and into the net.
Krejci blocked a shot off of his foot in the opening period, causing his minutes to be briefly limited.
The second period was all about the scoring. The Caps got three goals on Rask, two of which were scored by Mathieu Perreault. For the B's, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand scored beautiful goals that came as a result of great defensive work. Bergeron and Dennis Seidenberg each had two assists in the game. The game was tied at three after two.
The third period was much like the opening period as there was continuous play without many stoppages. When the puck was in play, it was Washington who controlled much of the possession. What really hurt the Bruins in this game was turning the puck over.
It was one of Washington's 15 takeaways that allowed Perreault to complete his first career hat-trick. Dennis Wideman added an empty net goal to seal a 5-3 victory over the Bruins
You have to give credit to the Capitals. They put significant pressure on the B's all game long. They got the lucky bounces and won key face-offs. Boston could just not dig deep enough to pull this one out.
Boston's next game will be next Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. In the meantime, enjoy the All-Star break.
Gold Star: Tyler Seguin (1 goal, plus-1 rating)...He had a great defensive game. His defensive work eventually resulted in a goal for himself.
Black Star: Adam McQuaid...Too many turnovers and too much sloppy play for anyone's liking.
I wonder if Thomas had played in this game, would he have been booed by the home crowd? Either way, everyone needs to let this situation go.
With that being said, Tuukka Rask did get the start in goal for the B's. Andrew Ference sat out game two of his three-game suspension and Nathan Horton was ruled out due to a mild concussion. He is listed as day-to-day.
Rich Peverley took Horton's spot on the line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic while Zach Hamill took Peverley's spot on the third line. Steven Kampfer replaced Ference in the lineup yet again.
Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin did not play in this game as he began to serve a three-game suspension of his own. He will also not participate in this year's All-Star game. Perhaps Patrice Bergeron can take his place? I have only been saying he deserves an All-Star roster spot for the past season and a half now? No big deal.
Lets focus on Tuesday night's game for now. The first 20 minutes went by at a brisk pace. The puck was constantly moving up and down the ice. The Caps had two great chances but their shots went wide of the net. Peverley had the lone goal of the period when he bounced the puck off of Washington goaltender Tomas Vokoun and into the net.
Krejci blocked a shot off of his foot in the opening period, causing his minutes to be briefly limited.
The second period was all about the scoring. The Caps got three goals on Rask, two of which were scored by Mathieu Perreault. For the B's, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand scored beautiful goals that came as a result of great defensive work. Bergeron and Dennis Seidenberg each had two assists in the game. The game was tied at three after two.
The third period was much like the opening period as there was continuous play without many stoppages. When the puck was in play, it was Washington who controlled much of the possession. What really hurt the Bruins in this game was turning the puck over.
It was one of Washington's 15 takeaways that allowed Perreault to complete his first career hat-trick. Dennis Wideman added an empty net goal to seal a 5-3 victory over the Bruins
You have to give credit to the Capitals. They put significant pressure on the B's all game long. They got the lucky bounces and won key face-offs. Boston could just not dig deep enough to pull this one out.
Boston's next game will be next Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. In the meantime, enjoy the All-Star break.
Gold Star: Tyler Seguin (1 goal, plus-1 rating)...He had a great defensive game. His defensive work eventually resulted in a goal for himself.
Black Star: Adam McQuaid...Too many turnovers and too much sloppy play for anyone's liking.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Game Forty Six: Wait! There Was A B's Game On Sunday?
Did anyone know that there was a Bruins game on Sunday? With the other happenings existing in the world of sports, it was understandable if it slipped the minds of B's fans. Their opponent? The Philadelphia Flyers.
Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference was suspended three games for his hit on New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh Saturday afternoon. He was replaced by Steven Kampfer, who brings a much more fast-paced, puck-moving style to the lineup. It turns out he was nothing more than a target in this game.
The game was physical as physical can be. Even though the B's blanked Philadelphia 6-0 in their last meeting, this was a different team they were facing. The Philly roster was heavily different since they lost five players due to injury. They are dropping like Fly-er-s. Har Har Har.
Milan Lucic and Chris Kelly had fights in the opening period. Kelly responded to Brayden Schenn's beautiful hit on Kampfer in the defensive zone. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov got involved in the action when he roughed up Brad Marchand, who got pushed into Bryzgalov by a Flyer.
Shawn Thornton beat up on Jody Shelly in the second period. Once again, Thornton provided a spark for the Bruins by dropping the gloves.
At the end of two periods, Philly had a 4-3 lead. Scott Hartnell recorded a natural hat-trick in the second period to put the Flyers on top for the first time in the game. Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, and Lucic had the three goals for Boston.
Nathan Horton left the game at some point in the third period for unknown reasons.
Fatigue began to set in for both teams as the physical play slightly continued. At the same time, both teams had several chances to score. It was David Krejci that tied the game at four after tipping the puck in off of a shot by Rich Peverley. Gregory Campbell later poked a goal in to put the B's back on top.
The Flyers tied the game up once again with the help from the power play. The game ended up going into overtime. After a scoreless overtime, Tim Thomas came up huge in the shootout by stopping two shots. Krejci and Seguin had the shootout goals for the Bruins. Boston won this game by a score of 6-5
The Bruins have one last game before the All-Star break. It will be this Tuesday night on the road against the Washington Capitals.
Gold Star: Milan Lucic (Gordie Howe hat-trick)...Solid game for the winger.
Black Star: Joe Corvo...When is enough enough already?
Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference was suspended three games for his hit on New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh Saturday afternoon. He was replaced by Steven Kampfer, who brings a much more fast-paced, puck-moving style to the lineup. It turns out he was nothing more than a target in this game.
The game was physical as physical can be. Even though the B's blanked Philadelphia 6-0 in their last meeting, this was a different team they were facing. The Philly roster was heavily different since they lost five players due to injury. They are dropping like Fly-er-s. Har Har Har.
Milan Lucic and Chris Kelly had fights in the opening period. Kelly responded to Brayden Schenn's beautiful hit on Kampfer in the defensive zone. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov got involved in the action when he roughed up Brad Marchand, who got pushed into Bryzgalov by a Flyer.
Shawn Thornton beat up on Jody Shelly in the second period. Once again, Thornton provided a spark for the Bruins by dropping the gloves.
At the end of two periods, Philly had a 4-3 lead. Scott Hartnell recorded a natural hat-trick in the second period to put the Flyers on top for the first time in the game. Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, and Lucic had the three goals for Boston.
Nathan Horton left the game at some point in the third period for unknown reasons.
Fatigue began to set in for both teams as the physical play slightly continued. At the same time, both teams had several chances to score. It was David Krejci that tied the game at four after tipping the puck in off of a shot by Rich Peverley. Gregory Campbell later poked a goal in to put the B's back on top.
The Flyers tied the game up once again with the help from the power play. The game ended up going into overtime. After a scoreless overtime, Tim Thomas came up huge in the shootout by stopping two shots. Krejci and Seguin had the shootout goals for the Bruins. Boston won this game by a score of 6-5
The Bruins have one last game before the All-Star break. It will be this Tuesday night on the road against the Washington Capitals.
Gold Star: Milan Lucic (Gordie Howe hat-trick)...Solid game for the winger.
Black Star: Joe Corvo...When is enough enough already?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Game Forty Five: B's Battle For Eastern Conference Supremacy
The TD Garden played host to matinee hockey on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins took on the New York Rangers in a battle for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers stole this victory with four seconds remaining in overtime to cap off a 3-2 win.
After a scoreless first period, both teams scored two goals each in the second period. Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik netted the goals for the Rangers and Andrew Ference and Adam McQuaid had the goals for the Bruins. It was not until Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves with Mike Rupp that Boston finally woke up.
Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist were brilliant in this contest. They set the tone for how the game was going to be played throughout. The game was fast-moving and physical, which was expected in a game that featured the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
In the overtime, Ference got called with a charging penalty and a game misconduct. There was no need for him to lay out Ryan McDonagh the way he did. We should expect a suspension coming from the NHL because he deserves one. Now we will finally get the chance to see Steven Kampfer play, under an unfortunate circumstance of course.
The B's will be right back in action Sunday afternoon when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers.
Gold Star: Tuukka Rask (30 saves on 33 shots, 3 goals allowed, .909 save percentage)...Yes he did give up the three goals, but the way he played in this game was superb. Do the Bruins fianlly have a goalie controversy?
Black Star: Dennis Seidenberg...He was on the ice for two of the three Rangers goals. He always falls out of site in big games and today was no different.
After a scoreless first period, both teams scored two goals each in the second period. Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik netted the goals for the Rangers and Andrew Ference and Adam McQuaid had the goals for the Bruins. It was not until Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves with Mike Rupp that Boston finally woke up.
Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist were brilliant in this contest. They set the tone for how the game was going to be played throughout. The game was fast-moving and physical, which was expected in a game that featured the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
In the overtime, Ference got called with a charging penalty and a game misconduct. There was no need for him to lay out Ryan McDonagh the way he did. We should expect a suspension coming from the NHL because he deserves one. Now we will finally get the chance to see Steven Kampfer play, under an unfortunate circumstance of course.
The B's will be right back in action Sunday afternoon when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers.
Gold Star: Tuukka Rask (30 saves on 33 shots, 3 goals allowed, .909 save percentage)...Yes he did give up the three goals, but the way he played in this game was superb. Do the Bruins fianlly have a goalie controversy?
Black Star: Dennis Seidenberg...He was on the ice for two of the three Rangers goals. He always falls out of site in big games and today was no different.
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