Bruins End Season On Positive Notes

The Bruins were literally playing for nothing but pride on Thursday in Ottawa and on Saturday against Buffalo. And they should be proud of how well they did.

Anton Khudobin stood on his head, making 44 saves on 45 shots against Ottawa. The Bruins were without Thomas, without Chara, and without Bergeron, but they still managed to beat a team that was already in playoff mode. The Bruins gave key players a rest and still managed to win. Which made one B's fan in Section 325 very happy.

Saturday was a tune-up game. You don't want to sit players for too long, especially goalies. The lineup looked more normal. The Bruins surged from 3-1 down to tie it, Thomas didn't allow a goal in the shootout, and the Bruins ended the regular season with a win.

Now it's playoff time. Against Washington, not Ottawa.

That series begins Thursday night in Boston and we'll have a full preview of it later in the week.

Cue the beards.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

BRUINS WIN TWO STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a significant improvement compared to Tuesday's win. One 1st period mistake cost the Bruins a goal, but for the most part they were solid in the first and second periods. They were then great in the 3rd.

This game reminded me of some of the Bruins' wins in November and December. Not utterly dominant, but they didn't get significantly outplayed at any point. And Thomas made some huge saves to keep it a 1-0 then a 1-1 game. And eventually, the B's overwhelmed their opponent.

Boy did I miss Johnny Boychuk. He dispensed a few big hits, then scored what wound up being the game-winner. He hasn't scored in about 40 games, and with so many forwards either injured or struggling, the B's need a guy like Boychuk to occasionally contribute on offense.

Speaking of defensemen getting involved, it was Chara who helped trigger the Bruins' 3rd goal. It was just a simple pass to get out of the zone, but with the speed of Lucic, Krejci, and Seguin, a goal soon resulted.

The B's play back-to-back games this weekend. They host 8th place Washington Saturday afternoon, then are in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Penguins are technically in 4th place, but they have the 2nd best record in the East. I'd expect Turco to start Saturday, then Thomas on Sunday.

The Bruins remain 3 points ahead of Ottawa with 3 games in hand.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo