BBS Awards: Jack Eichel wins Agganis-Flutie Award for College Athlete of the Year

The Boston Blood Sox Awards (or Bloodies) are awarded for great success and/or pitiful failure in the 2014-15 sports year.

In years past, this was known the Doug Flutie Award. I think with BU freshman hockey player Jack Eichel winning it, it's a perfect time to add Harry Agganis' name to this honor. Agganis was an All-American quarterback at BU, and also played baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the Browns in 1952, but decided to play baseball for the Red Sox instead. He died tragically in 1955 at the age of 26.

BU's hockey arena is named after Harry Agganis, and that's where Jack Eichel dominated Hockey East opponents in the 2014-15 season. In 40 games he scored 26 goals and added 41 assists. He won the Hobey Baker (college hockey's Heisman), becoming only the second freshman to do so. He was also drafted 2nd overall in in the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Not a bad freshman year. My freshman year was all about D.P. Dough calzones and playing Madden.

Canadiens Acquire Bruins Killer Thomas Vanek

While the Boston Bruins didn't do much at the deadline, acquiring Andrej "Meh"-szaros, up in Montreal the Habs traded for Thomas Vanek. Vanek, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres, absolutely killed the Bruins.

In Vanek's career against the Bruins he's played 53 games, scoring 30 goals with 31 assists. He's +21. 14 of those 30 goals came on the power play. Which Montreal needed to improve, and the Bruins have had difficulty defending since Dennis Seidenberg's injury.

Vanek has a 20.0% career shooting percentage against the Bruins. Which is ridiculous. He scores every 5 shots he takes against the B's.

Vanek also has decent numbers against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Lightning. With the new divisional formatting of the NHL playoffs, the Habs will likely have to go through these teams. If the season ended today, the Canadiens would play Tampa Bay, then face the winner of a Toronto/Boston series.

I mentioned Montreal's power play. Typically the Habs bring a frightening power play to the table, but this year it's been a disappointment. They're 13th in the NHL with a 19.7% scoring rate with a man advantage. They're tied for 8th with 41 power play goals.

Vanek hasn't been great on the power play since leaving Buffalo. However, a few seasons ago he routinely scored 10+ power play goals a season, including 20 in 2008-09. If he can find that form in Montreal, it might be time for Bruins fans to have a Vanek-panic attack.

The B's have lost both their games against Montreal this season, and will play the Habs next Wednesday up at the Bell Centre and again on March 24th in Boston.

Photo Credit:
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Bruins Lose to Buffalo, Torey Krug Should Have Been on Team USA

The Bruins could have won this game. They should have. They didn't. Let's start with the reasons why they didn't, then move on to the reasons why they could have.

They lost because Chad Johnson is a backup goalie. They lost because of rusty players in their first game after a long break. Neither of those two reasons is cause for much concern. What is cause for concern is that the B's allowed yet another power play goal. Since losing Dennis Seidenberg, the penalty kill has gone from a strength to a slight liability.

There were two Buffalo goals in regulation that could have been prevented with stronger play from the defensemen. The Bruins need to acquire a defensive defenseman. They need a guy who can do the basics of the position and play the penalty kill.

On the bright side, there were plenty of reasons that the Bruins could/should/would have won this game. The power play was amazing. Chara scored a power play goal by camping out in front of the net. And his net-front presence helped Milan Lucic score another power play goal.

Torey Krug also played a big part on Lucic's goal. Krug used the space behind the net to set up a play. Chara and Jarome Iginla kept the Buffalo penalty killers occupied in front of the net. Lucic was wide open on the point and slammed it home.

Maybe Team USA could have used Krug. Not as part of the regular 6-man defensive pairs, but as a specialist on the power play. Krug's 2 power play assists in this game give him 18 PP points on the season. The Bruins have scored 37 power play goals as a team, Krug has been a factor in almost half of them. Among defensemen, he's 10th in power play points. Among American defensemen his 6 PP goals are the most, his 18 points are 5th most. Then again Team USA didn't select the top two US defensemen in power play points (Keith Yandle and Dustin Byfuglien), so what chance did Krug have?

Team USA had plenty of offense when they played Canada and Finland. Ugh.

It's going to be a long time before I get over the Olympics.

Anyway, the Bruins looked much more energized and in rhythm in the later stages of this game. They came back from a 2 goal deficit, took a lead, and Buffalo needed a lucky deflection off Johnny Boychuk's skate to set up their tying goal. This game is not an indicator of the beginning of a poor stretch of play.

The Bruins host the Capitals Saturday afternoon.

Photo Credit:
Gary Wiepart/Associated Press

Bruins Lose, Boston Wins

The most important parts of last night's game were the moments before and after the game itself: The National Anthem and the players' salute to the crowd.

As far as the game goes, the Bruins played a strong, emotional game. They weren't lackadaisical as they've been in recent memory. Tip your cap to the Sabres, who are fighting for a playoff spot. And give an extra tip of the cap to Ryan Miller who played an excellent game. Let's not forget that the Sabres have a few Boston connections on their roster, and this game must have been emotional for them as well. Brian Flynn, who took the opening face-off, is from Lynnfield, MA. And Nathan Gerbe played at Boston College. The B's clinched a playoff spot. And that's good news. With 6 games left on their schedule they are tied at the top of the Northeast Division, with a game in hand. The Penguins are in town Friday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Vanek Attack

The Bruins need to sign Thomas Vanek, or bribe some Western Conference team into signing him, because he absolutely kills the B's. He had 3 goals, 2 assists, and was +4.

As good as Vanek was, the difference in this game was the goaltending. Ryan Miller made some absurd saves in the 3rd period that kept the Bruins stuck at 4 goals. On the other side of the ice, Tuukka Rask wasn't responsible for most of Buffalo's scoring. But on Buffalo's 4th goal, scored by Alexander Sulzer, Rask's glove was just a little bit heavy. You're seeing teams attacking him high glove-side, and it's because he's somewhat slow.

To be clear, I'm not blaming the loss on Rask, I'm just saying the goaltending was a major factor in the outcome of this game. Ryan Miller was great, Rask let up a goal that was possibly due to a weakness of his.

Speaking of weaknesses, the Bruins were 0 for 4 on their power play. They didn't get much going.

Buffalo was skating like it was a playoff game, the Bruins were playing like it was the 7th game of the regular season. Buffalo had lost 4 straight, they were playing a team that's given them trouble in the past, they were motivated. This was Game #7 of the regular season for the Bruins, the Sabres played it like a Game 7.

The Bruins need to recover and regroup. The next two games are also within the division. They're in Toronto Saturday night then Montreal Wednesday night. And they have 2 more against Buffalo in the near future.

I love divisional games.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Ought To Win in Ottawa

Even though the Bruins lost Friday night, it wasn't a bad performance. Few mistakes. Give credit to Ryan Miller for being a great goalie. And maybe if Thomas were in net for the shooutout, the Bruins take home 2 points instead of 1. Rask was very good during the game, but Thomas is just slightly better.

Beating Ottawa was more important. The Senators are the only team currently within striking distance of the division leading Bruins.

The B's look to be back in business. After it seemed like everyone was slumping, Marchand has gotten hot. Bergeron scored twice Saturday night, and Chara ended a goalless drought in Buffalo.

The fact that the Ottawa game got as close as 4-3 was unfortunate. The Bruins were the superior team for all of the game until they forgot to cover Daniel Alfredsson. He, Jason Spezza, and Erik Karlsson took advantage of bad Bruins defending. The B's collapsed too low in their own zone, giving Spezza and Alfredsson free reign to move the puck around the ice, get Thomas to commit to a shot from Spezza, then pass to Alfredsson and score.

But Bergeron's empty-netter sealed the deal. It was a smart play, as he shot from his own blue line. Either Seguin would receive the shot/pass, or the shot would go in the net, or Seguin would have a good chance to win the race to wave off the icing.

Things turned nasty in the 3rd period. There was Neil's big hit on Boychuk, which was a shattering check, but a clean check. Later Kyle Turris left his feet to hit Joe Corvo in the head. There was a boarding penalty, but the NHL has decided not to discipline Turris further. Boychuk might be out for a few games. Corvo is fine.

These teams meet Tuesday night in what should be an entertaining and physical game.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Back Where They Belong

It took a little more than two weeks for the Bruins' to get back into the mix atop the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference standings. It took a stretch of extraordinary play in order to atone for the lackadaisical start to the season. The Bruins have won 11 of 12, and accumulated 23 points in that stretch. That was after earning only 6 points in their first 10 games. It's almost December, but it sort of feels as though the season is starting over. We're back to Square 1.

The three games over the holiday weekend exemplified some of the Bruins' best qualities, and why they've been able to go on such a run.

Wednesday night Buffalo wanted revenge, both physically and on the scoreboard. The Bruins beat them in both departments. Milan Lucic isn't much of a fighter anymore, but he can still throw down.

The B's fell behind but Seguin scored, then added an assist, then Chara scored on the Power Play. Thomas was unreal in the shootout and the Bruins outlasted the Sabres.

The winning streak came to an end Friday afternoon against Detroit. But it was hardly due to lack of effort. The B's dominated most of the game, Detroit scored a few breakaways, and the Bruins couldn't get any bounces near the net.

Saturday night the Bruins needed two Winnipeg goals and a timeout before waking up. Once they did, they won the battles on the boards, ground out their offense, and played excellent shutdown defense on Winnipeg's talented forwards. Rich Peverley's astute puck-carrying set up a pair of Chris Kelly goals (he has 9 already, his previous career high was 15). Tim Thomas did the rest.

Excellent goaltending, a stingy penalty kill (85% in November), a productive power play unit (22.8% in November), lots of scoring by Seguin (8 goals in November), some timely offensive contributions from Chara (14 points in November), and getting production from guys like Kelly.

That's how the Bruins have gone from the cellar of the Conference to contending for the top spot. They have a big home-and-home series against the Maple Leafs starting Wednesday night in Toronto. They've beaten Toronto twice by a combined score of 13-2, so let's hope that trend continues.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Slice Sabres

The Bruins extended their winning streak to 5 and also ended Buffalo's at 4. I think it's safe to say that the Bruins turned a corner on November 1st against Ottawa. Since then, they've scored 30 goals, and allowed only 10.

One of the biggest reasons for the onslaught of goals is Tyler Seguin and the Seguin-Bergeron-Marchand line. They were +3 Saturday night and Seguin has already matched his 2010-11 total with 11 goals. He's on pace for 60. The only Bruin to ever score 60+ goals in a season was an Italian guy named Phil. He did it three times. The last Bruin to score 50+ was Cam Neely in 1993-94.

It's not just one line, though. While Seguin is scoring the pretty goals, Lucic and Horton are generating ugly ones. They've combined for 8 goals during this streak. Neither of these guys were producing at the start of the season and it was killing the team. But now they're both playing physical, and allowing the game to come to them.

Apart from Seguin, this team doesn't have a pure scorer. They rely on depth, and being able to grind their opponents down. Right now they have two lines playing very well, a third line that's producing (Chris Kelly had a goal and an assist) and the 4th line is doing what the 4th line is supposed to do. Not only that, the defensemen are contributing with timely pinches and breakout passes.

Everything is clicking right now for the Bruins. This level of play is difficult to maintain for very long, but the Bruins just need a few of these parts playing well at the same time in order to succeed. As opposed to back in October when it was just Thomas and Seguin playing well.

Bruins host the Devils Tuesday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Season Preview

That seemed like the shortest off-season in history. That's a good thing. The Bruins look to defend the Cup and become the first repeat winners since the Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998. And they have most of the same pieces in place as they did last year.

Both goalies return, 5 of 6 defensemen are back, and so are 11 of 13 forwards. The Bruins lost Tomas Kaberle, Mark Rechhi, and Michael Ryder. They've brought in veteran defenseman Joe Corvo, and winger Benoit Pouliot.

The loss of Rechhi hurts. The Bergeron-Marchand-Rechhi line carried this team during a tough stretch in the regular season, then scored 22 goals in the postseason. Not only do the Bruins lose Rechhi's production, he made things so easy for Marchand. Peverley could fill-in and is a solid enough player to allow Bergeron and Marchand to make plays. But nobody can truly replace Mark Recchi.

The top line of Krejci-Lucic-Horton should be back to form. This line struggled with consistency, particularly from Horton. But they came through in the playoffs, especially Krejci. I've often criticized Krejci for not being a true #1 center because he's not a scorer. 12 goals in 25 playoff games shut me up.

Tyler Seguin showed sparks last year. Will those sparks ignite into a fire? I think that will take time to happen. He's talented, he's learning how to play defense, and he's learning how NHL players play defense against him. Seguin scored 11 goals last year and it's not out of the question that he score 20+ this year. The question is: which line does he play for? He's not consistent enough to be on the first line, but that's the level of talent he needs to be surrounded by. He's too talented to be on a grinding line. Maybe he could play with Marchand and Bergeron. But he has to earn that spot.

The true strength of this team is its defense and goaltending. And both of those should be as good as they were last year.

I was reading something about the Top 10 Stanley Cup contenders, and the fucking San Jose Sharks were listed as #1. The Bruins were third, behind the Penguins. ESPN.com canvassed their 8 experts and 6 of them picked the Sabres to win the Northeast. 1 picked the Canadiens. 1 picked the Bruins. Thank you, Scott Burnside.

Really? The Sharks? The Sabres? Did people not see what Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, and Dennis Seidenberg did to the NHL's best offensive players? Then again, none of those ESPN.com experts picked Thomas to win the Vezina this season, and none of them picked Chara to win the Norris.

18 players on the Stanley Cup Champions have returned, and this team isn't the favorite to win it all?

The Bruins return their best 5 defensemen, got rid of their worst, then added one who can not only score (which Kaberle had never been able to) but can play solid on defense. This is an elite group of blue-liners. And there's depth, too. Bartkowski and Kampfer, who were both solid when called upon last year, are waiting in the wings in case of injury.

Then there's the goalie. Tim Thomas is perhaps the most important player in the League to any team's success. He is 37 years old, but he looked healthier than ever last season. That being said, he played in 57 regular season games, plus 25 postseason games. He played about 4,900 minutes in net. 2,660 shots came his way. He's only had 16 weeks to recover from all this.

So this year, expect Rask to play a bigger part during the regular season. He started 27 games last year, expect just under 40 this year. It's not going to be a 1A/1B situation. Thomas is clearly the best goalie on this team. This will be an effort to keep Thomas fresh and frisky.

Stanley Cups aren't won on paper. This team is almost identical to the team that won it all last year. The Cup is won with execution and effort and that has to come out in the postseason. Regular season results are easy to predict, but the playoffs come down to a few plays here and there.

Buffalo is going to be tougher to beat. They added scorers to an already talented offense. And they have Ryan Miller.

Montreal is pretty much the same team. But remember, they played the Bruins the best in the playoffs.

Ottawa is still rebuilding.

The Leafs might be more respectable, but they're not a threat.

The Flyers dumped their offense and they're going to try to follow a model similar to the Bruins': Defensemen and goaltending. Pronger's great, but Bryzgalov is no Tim Thomas.

The Rangers are finally picking good talent, and they'll be strong. They have a goalie and goal-scorers.

The Lightning still allow too many goals.

The Penguins will always be contenders. And if they get Crosby back, they'll be serious contenders.

If the Capitals get stellar production from Ovechkin once more, their defense might be strong enough for them to do damage in the playoffs.

Out West, Nashville is just a few goal scorers away from being a Stanley Cup contender. Detroit is old but still deep.

San Jose has names. ESPN says they have "all the ingredients," but it takes more than correct ingredients to cook a good meal. And goalie Antti Niemi might have a ring, but he wasn't the big reason Chicago won that title.

And Vancouver... well, we know their weaknesses.

My prediction for the season: Bruins win the Northeast with 110 points, are the #2 seed in the East, and let's be optimistic and say that they win another Cup.

STANLEY CUP ROUNDUP: DAY 2*

The remaining 3 series kicked off last night. There was some exciting, close hockey.

MONTREAL CANADIENS 2, BOSTON BRUINS 0
Montreal leads series 1-0

Turnovers by the Bruins, quality goaltending by the Habs. The only good thing about Montreal winning is I get to post pictures of their female fans.

BUFFALO SABRES 1, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 0
Buffalo leads series 1-0

The Philadelphia media gave James van Riemsdyk the #1 star of the game. Yeah right. Ryan Miller was the star, stopping 35 shots. Patrick Kaleta scored the lone goal of the game, off a rebound. Buffalo is not to be underestimated. But I still feel like Philly will wake up by Game 3.

I went to bed before the conclusion of the Kings/Sharks game. Sorry.

Tonight's games:
7:00 PM - Lightning @ Penguins (Pittsburgh leads series 1-0)
7:30 PM - Rangers @ Capitals (Washington leads series 1-0) - Versus
10:00 PM - Blackhawks @ Canucks (Vancouver leads series 1-0) - Versus
10:30 PM - Predators @ Ducks (Nashville leads series 1-0)

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: EAST PREVIEW*

The most exciting postseason in pro sports begins Wednesday. Here's a preview of the first round Eastern Conference matchups:

#1 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. #8 NEW YORK RANGERS
Ovechkin had an atypical year, only scoring 32 goals and 53 assists. The Capitals found some defensive discipline, and guys like Semin and Knuble contributed on offense. The Rangers won the season series, thanks in no small part to Henrik Lundqvist, who allowed 4 goals in 3 games against Washington. If guys like Marian Gaborik wake up for New York, it might be another early exit for Washington. I'm picking the Rangers in 7.

#2 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs. #7 BUFFALO SABRES
The Flyers limped down the stretch, having clinched their division long ago. They boast some serious playoff experience, and a number of dangerous forwards. Buffalo also have some weapons. Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford each surpassed 30 goals. And an ex-Vezina winner in net always helps. I think Buffalo takes an early lead in this series, then the Flyers wake up and win in 6.

#3 BOSTON BRUINS vs. #6 MONTREAL CANADIENS
Strength vs. speed. I'm not very optimistic about the Bruins in the postseason, but I think they'll be able to instill fear in the Canadiens. Montreal doesn't have the high flying offense they once had, and Tim Thomas will help shutdown the Habs' power play. Bruins in 6.

#4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. #5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
No Crosby, no Malkin, no problem. The Penguins have been playing playoff calibre hockey for months now. They grind out every battle, turn every inch of the ice into a war zone, and make opponents pay for everything. Tampa Bay falls down too easily, their offense is too reliant on the power play (less penalties are called in the playoffs), and Pittsburgh's goaltending is far superior. Penguins in 5.

I actually think Pittsburgh will win the East. We'll preview the Western Conference tomorrow.

WHO WILL THE BRUINS MEET IN THE PLAYOFFS?

It's not about seeding, it's about matchups. This weekend, we'll find out who will matchup against the Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. It could be one of four teams: Montreal, Buffalo, the Rangers, or Carolina.

Right now, it'd be Montreal. They're nearly a lock to be the 6th seed. And despite losing the season series to the Habs, this might be the best matchup for the Bruins. The Canadiens have been a terribly streaky team. They're 6-6-1 since the Pacioretty/Chara incident. They're very fast, but they wilt against physical teams.

But the Bruins might not finish 3rd. They have a very good chance at earning the #2 seed. The Flyers are currently 2nd. They're 4-4-5 in their last 13, and have lost 4 straight. So the Bruins might face the 7th seed.

Which is currently Buffalo. The Sabres and Bruins have had mixed results against each other this year. And while you might feel confident about meeting Buffalo in the postseason again, remember one key fact: Thomas Vanek was injured in Game 2 of that series. And Vanek owns the Bruins. In 6 games against the Bruins, he's scored 4 goals, and added 3 assists this year. Not to mention Drew Stafford, who scored 7 times against the Bruins this year. And 6' 8" defenseman Tyler Myers will not be pushed around by any Bruin forward.

While the Bruins would be the favorites against Buffalo, it'd be a very tough series.

Then there's the Rangers, who are perhaps the worst matchup for the Bruins. The Rangers have an excellent goalie who has frequently frustrated the Bruins. They play disciplined defense. And now they have some guys who can score. I haven't felt good about a Rangers/Bruins game for 3 years now, and I don't want to see the Rangers somehow sneak into 7th and face the Bruins.

The longshot opponent would be Carolina. The Hurricanes are currently 9th, but have won 7 of 9 to get close. The B's won their season series with the Hurricanes 3-1. All three of those wins came within a 16 day span. Cam Ward isn't as good as he was in 2009, so I think the Bruins would win this series. But the odds of Carolina making it up to the 7th seed are so astronomically slim that it's hardly worth thinking about.

So, I'd prefer the Bruins met the Canadiens. Then the Sabres. Then the Rangers. If the Hurricanes make it, then they'd be better to play than Buffalo or New York.

SABRES+REFS 4, BRUINS 3

I rarely blame officiating for losses. And certainly the Bruins might have found a way to win this one despite the referees. But it's difficult to beat a good team like Buffalo, when you're shorthanded for an entire period.

The Sabres had 7 power plays, including a pair of lengthy 5-on-3s. And the calls still make me facepalm. Zdeno got 2 minutes for being stronger than Steve Montador. The refs laughably called it boarding, even though it was a good 15 feet from the boards. How does that work? Seidenberg got 2 minutes for playing like a defenseman in the crease. Meanwhile, the Sabres figured out what was up, and proceeded to go down whenever a Bruin stick was near their feet.

The Bruins certainly could have played better. Their breakout was inconsistent. When they made smart moves through the neutral zone, they scored goals, or at least got a shot on net. They only got 7 shots on net in the 3rd period. With all the bad calls, it's easy to forget that the offense was truly inconsistent.

Part of that inconsistency was due to Ryan Miller. Both he and Thomas put on a clinic. The fights ad refereeing overshadowed it, but both were superb. Ryan Miller just doesn't allow goals on the first shot. It has to be off rebounds.

I'm usually angry when the Bruins blow 2-0 leads. But what can you do against goalies like Ryan Miller, and referees like that. Hopefully, this isn't the start of a trend in officiating. Bruins @ Islanders tonight.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

MILLER GENUINE DRAFT

Ryan Miller reminded us that he's still the holder of the Vezina Trophy. He stopped the Bruins a season high 38 times. Some of the saves were spectacular. One of them was very very timely. His point blank stop of Mark Recchi's shorthanded bid was the turning point of this game.

So give a tip of the cap to Ryan Miller. However, the Bruins hardly looked comfortable in this high-paced, occasionally frantic game. They gave pucks away because they weren't fully aware of their surroundings. Vanek's breakaway came when Krejci and Kampfer got a bit too aggressive in a breakaway.

The Bruins aren't built or coached to be a North-South, high octane, up and down the ice team. They're built to be methodical, orderly and deliberate. When they get involved in these kinds of games, they lose pucks too easily, they fail to generate enough scoring chances, and they frequently lose.

I think Julien should let this team get more experience, and therefore more comfort playing a more fluid and faster paced game. I can just imagine in practices, that all the drills are orderly, all the matchups are organized, all the playing standardized and regular. Julien seems like the kind of guy who's eaten the same breakfast everyday for 23 years.

In the playoffs, the Bruins will meet teams that have good goaltenders, and can play this faster game. If they can't learn how to play it themselves (it'd be especially nice for the Power Play to get move quicker), the B's need to at least learn how to stop it, and how to slow the game's pace down. Playing more physically is a good place to start doing that.

Bruins at Colorado on Saturday afternoon. The Aves have scored the 4th most goals in the NHL, but allowed the 4th most. So with the Bruins' tremendous defense/goaltending, and inconsistent offense, it'll be strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

BRUINS GO NUTS IN BUFFALO

For the first time in team history, 4 defensemen scored goals. It was part of a 6 goal night for the B's, and they still failed to leave Buffalo with two points.

Most of the blame can be focused on Tuukka Rask, who made some poor decisions trying to play the puck a few times, and also allowed some soft goals. Now, it was his first start in 16 days, so a little rust is excusable. But he flat out didn't have it Saturday night. I'll give Julien some credit for pulling him after the 1st.

Even though they led 3-1 at one point, it wasn't as if the Bruins were dominating the Sabres. They were taking shots from the point that were finding holes through Ryan Miller. Then the well dried up, and Buffalo scored their share of the fortunate goals. Everything was going in.

The Bruins took a 6-5 lead in the 3rd, and how they blew that really pissed me off. For 3 minutes, they were pinned in the defensive zone, icing the puck three times, desperately trying to survive. Then Buffalo pulled their goalie, and playing 5 on 6, both Savard and Recchi attacked the puck carrier at the point. This left 3 Bruins to defend against 5 Sabres.

When games get frantic, and other teams get desperate, the Bruins' positional discipline and situational awareness simply breaks down. Claude Julien receives a great deal of praise for the well organized defense the Bruins play. But maybe there's too much focus on careful and logical play. Maybe the players need to play with more instinct, and less contemplation. At least in those furious moments at the end of a close game.

As this road trip moves north, it's starting to turn south. Buffalo isn't a good team. And neither is Toronto, whom the Bruins play tonight. Anything short of 2 points tonight is inexcusable.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

DREW STAFFORD 3, BRUINS 2

I'm getting tired of Patrice Bergeron. It's kind of sad when the best he performed in the game, was in the post-game scuffle. He's adept at faceoffs, he's an excellent defensive forward, and you'll never see him make a mental mistake. But he's slow. My God is he slow. And when he gets a shooting lane, he'll either miss the net completely, or hit the goalie's chest, right in the logo.

He made the Canadian Olympic team because he does the little things. However, the Bruins don't have enough guys that do big things. I wouldn't mind trading Bergeron in the off-season, even if it were just for a draft pick. He belongs on a team that already has scorers, not a team that severely lacks them.

The refs were a bit iffy last night. Then again, killing 5 penalties is not a tall order. It is frustrating, though, that the 2 goals the B's allowed on the PK came from the 2 most questionable calls.

The most inexcusable goal was Buffalo's 2nd, which was a 5-on-5 goal. Thornton made an ill-advised pass in the neutral zone that got picked off. Then Boychuk failed to mark Drew Stafford, leaving him open for a one-timer in the slot. It was an unfair position to put Tuukka Rask in. Only Tim Thomas, or possibly Jesus, could have stopped that shot.

The Bruins' offense will struggle, which is why it's so important for the defense to not screw up like they did on that goal. I don't know why Shawn Thornton (of all people) is trying to thread the needle with low percentage passes like that.

Speaking of Thornton and his line, I like how regularly Claude Julien plays them. At the same time, it's not a scoring line. When you've held the puck for a minute in Buffalo's zone, and there's a faceoff in there, don't send out Thornton's line. Send a line that has a chance to score a goal. Send Krejci's line. This happened in the middle of the 1st period, and it baffled me.

I'll end on a rare positive note. 22 year old call-up Steve Kampfer (in German, his last name means "fighter") has acquitted himself nicely these last few games, replacing the injured Mark Stuart. He's not making mistakes, he's fast, and he's confident with the puck. He got an assist in this game, and genuinely earned the 20 minutes of ice-time he got.

The Bruins travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens tonight. In this 8 day stretch of tough games that started Saturday (Exam Week), they still haven't won yet. Tonight's a good time to change that.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

RECCHING CREW

While watching the 3rd period, when the Bruins were trailing 2-1, I was going to mention in my recap how Mark Recchi hasn't done much for the offense this year. And how that entire line of Recchi-Bergeron-Wheeler was comprised of non-scorers. And just like every other time I've dared to doubt Recchi, he reminds us that senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.

Recchi's tip-in goal was the culmination of a well-executed comeback. A comeback that was sparked by a Buffalo turnover of Favre-ish proportions which gave Horton a gift goal, and a comeback made possible by Tim Thomas, who also got a one-punch TKO on Patrick Kaleta.



Thomas caught the charging Kaleta flush with a left jab. He also made 28 Saves, including a ridiculous poke-check in the OT that allowed the game to continue.

Nathan Horton has returned as a goal scoring threat. He's scored twice in the last 2 games, and has 4 points in the last 3. At the start of the season, his quick release, and his best-on-the-team accuracy helped propel the Bruins to an 11-5-1 (8 goals, 10 assists in that period) record. And since his drought began on November 20th, the Bruins went 3-3-2 (1 goal, 1 assist for Horton).

Thursday night, the Bruins host the Islanders, who a firm grip on the NHL's worst record, so hopefully the B's can take advantage. Because after that, there's a tough stretch of games.

Photo Credits:
AP Photo

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: EASTERN CONFERENCE*

It's playoff time in the NHL. Thankfully, there's only one Southleast Division team in the mix, and it's Washington. In the East, we've got a couple Original Six teams, and some nice big markets involved.

#1 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. #8 MONTREAL CANADIENS
The Capitals claimed the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season record, a staggering 121 points. In fact, they're the first non-Original Six team to register 120+. For my money, Washington is the best team in the League. But Montreal won the season series against them, 2-1-1. But all the games were close. I have no respect for the Canadiens this season, then again, Jose "Spaz" Theodore might get all emotional and even more spasmodic up at the Bell Centre, his former home. I think Ovechkin and the Caps are too good to be defeated by a team as mediocre as Montreal, but it'll be a struggle.

Capitals in 6.



#2 NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs. #7 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
The Flyers got in thanks to an exhilarating 2-1 shootout win over the Rangers in game 82. Kudos to the NHL Network for carrying the feed, as well as the feeds to other key games down the stretch. The Devils don't score goals, they prevent them. They were the only team to limit opponents to fewer than 200 goals. The Flyers struggle to prevent goals (they've had goalie issues all season), but they can score them. So it's your basic irresistible force meets an immovable object. But the Flyers won the season series 5-1-0.

Philly has some excellent centers in Richards, Jeff Carter, and Briere. They have an adequate penalty kill, but an outstanding power play unit (21.4%, 3rd in NHL). The Devils have Brodeur, and his immense experience. The Flyers have Boucher (2.83 GAA, .898 SV%) and Emery (2.64, .905). And that's New Jersey's biggest advantage. But Philly has beaten Brodeur this season (and last season, for that matter). Marty was 1-4-1 against the Flyers, with a 3.34 GAA.

For that reason, I'm picking the Flyers in 7. I don't want to, but I have to.



#3 BOSTON BRUINS vs. #6 BUFFALO SABRES
As a Bruins fan, this match-up pleases me. The B's were 4-2-0 against Buffalo. Tuukka Rask was 4-1-0 against them, with a 1.43 GAA and .954 SV%. While Ryan Miller was 2-0-2 against the Bruins, with a 1.71 GAA and .954 SV%. The numbers are pointing to a low scoring series, and I believe they're right. Both these teams have excellent goalies, both have anemic offenses. Derek Roy led Buffalo with 68 points. Patrice Bergeron led the B's with 52.

The key to this series is David Krejci. If he's on, he can beat Miller. He's the best playmaker the Bruins have. Without him, the power play dies (it's already on life support), and nothing will get started. At least the Bruins look hungry. Buffalo's backed into the postseason, and they've been on cruise control for some time now.

Bruins in 8 (it'll be 7 games, along with 3 periods worth of overtime mixed in).



#4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. #5 OTTAWA SENATORS
Yeah, Ottawa made the playoffs. They quietly compiled a solid season, based mostly to a solid home ice record of 26-11-4. Unfortunately for them, their road record was 19th in the League. This is a great match-up for the Penguins, who give up an above average amount of goals. Because Ottawa struggles to score goals. The Senators only have four 20+ goal scorers, and none of them have more than 25. They're also without Alexei Kovalev, who tore his ACL. Pittsburgh's goaltending and defense are suspicious, but they don't need them in order to advance past Ottawa.

Penguins in 5.

TOKEN BRUINRY

The 5-0 win over Calgary was quickly forgotten last night as the Bruins once again changed directions. Were I a professional sports gambler, I'd NEVER bet on a Bruins game, because they come out amazing, or come out dazed.

The simple-minded Bruins fans out there can blame Tim Thomas for the Sabres' 3 unanswered. They can question Julien for starting Thomas at all while Rask has excelled against Buffalo.

It does seem as though the Bruins play more inspired when Rask is in net. Which is extremely sad and pathetic. But even if true, the B's didn't display anything like that in their 5-0 victory on Saturday. And with back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday, you'd need to use both goalies anyway. Rask has good numbers against Buffalo, Thomas had yet to play against them this season. But against New Jersey, Thomas is 0-2, with a 3.80 GAA. I have no problems choosing to use Thomas to start this game.

And where was the offense. It's true the Bruins got 42 shots on net, but how many of them were of any quality? I'm not asking for Mario Lemieux calibre stuff.



A quality shot is one set-up by quality puck movement. There's nobody on the Bruins who's capable of beating Ryan Miller straight up. You get him to move around, which opens up the holes in the wall. Krejci's goal was a result of persistent movement and pressure, which drew Miller (who like all good tenders, is prone to aggressiveness) out of position, and Krejci bounced it off the goalie's skate and in.

It speaks to how good Ryan Miller is that both Bruin goals were odd bounces off Miller. He was never flat out beaten.

The Bruins remain in 8th, 2 points behind Philly and Montreal, but only 2 points ahead of Atlanta. They're at New Jersey tonight. The Devils are struggling lately, only winning 2 of their last 6. But their record at home is impressive (25-10-2).

Source:
ESPN

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa