These are the playoffs for the Bruins, and they're losing

For the Bruins, the playoffs started Thursday night, because they're staring elimination in the face. If they didn't realize this before losing to the Panthers 4-2, they realize it now. The B's no longer control their own playoff fate. They need help or they're out. They could even be knocked out before they take the ice against the Lightning Saturday night.

Before this loss to Florida, the Bruins were standing next to the electric chair. By losing, they've sat down in it. Now they need a call from the Governor, or a last-minute power outage to escape.

It's a good thing Claude Julien gave so much rest to guys on Tuesday night in Washington. It's a good thing that Chris Kelly and Gregory Campbell were given so much ice time Wednesday. Because the B's really looked sharp and energized in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Speaking of Chris Kelly, the goalless streak extends to 26. And he had 12:26 of even-strength ice time in this game. David Pastrnak had 9:52.

You're playing back-to-back games. You have a 34-year old who hasn't scored since Valentine's Day. You have an 18-year old who has scored 10 goals since re-joining the team in January, and is +13 in that time. Which player will bring more energy? The 34-year old, or the 18-year old? Which will bring more offense and make more plays? The slumper or the scorer?

You have a coach who plays a man who hasn't scored in 25 games, over a man who has been scoring. Not just in Thursday night's game, but in the 3rd period of Wednesday night's 3-0 loss. In the 3rd period, down 3 goals, Julien gave Kelly 4:40 of even-strength ice time, and Pastrnak only 2:54.

Maybe Julien is planning on murdering someone, and he's trying to establish an insanity plea. He's certainly driving me crazy.

So here's the situation: The Senators have 97 points, the Penguins 96, the Bruins 95. The Sens and Penguins are in, the Bruins out. The Senators have 1 game left, the Penguins 2, the Bruins 1. If the Penguins win Friday night against the Islanders, they clinch their spot. If the Penguins lose in OT or a shootout, they can still clinch with 1 or 2 points on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, the Senators are in Philly. The Bruins need them to lose in regulation to take their spot. If Pittsburgh wins either of their games (or loses both in OT/shootout), and if Ottawa wins, the Bruins will be eliminated before their game against Tampa Bay at 7:30 Saturday night.

And even if they get help, the B's will need to help themselves against the Lightning.

The Bruins were once in the driver's seat of their playoff destiny. Now they're outside of the car, and they need either the Senators or Penguins to give up their seats, or they'll get run over.

Photo Credit: Robert Mayer/USA Today Sports

Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo Endure Painful Separation

Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo were teammates for mere hours, but I don't think either will forget the experience. Thomas was traded to the Dallas Stars just before the NHL Trade Deadline on Wednesday. Thomas will backup Kari Lehtonen as the Stars push to make the playoffs. Dallas currently has the 8th best record in the West.

Thomas and Luongo were teammates for less than a day, although Luongo probably flew to southern Florida for the Panthers next game at home against Buffalo. Thomas was up in Boston playing in net for the Panthers, who lost 4-1 to the Bruins. I doubt the two were ever in the same room. However both goalies were able to make light of the situation, and poke fun at the other. Luongo's unverified Twitter account posted this on Tuesday:

And on another note me and Tiny Tim are gonna rip it up the rest of the year!!!!!!! #dreamteam
— Strombone (@strombone1) March 5, 2014

Tim Thomas, after Tuesday night's Bruins-Panthers game, was asked about being teammates with Luongo...

"It looked like [Florida GM Dale Tallon] went kicking some tires and found one that needed to be pumped."

Thomas also seemed to think that his time with the Panthers might be nearing an end, as he continued to say "I don’t know how things are going to work out assuming I stay in Florida, it will be interesting."

Once Thomas was traded, Luongo's Twitter reacted with this:

@TSNBobMcKenzie NOOOO!!!!!!!!
— Strombone (@strombone1) March 5, 2014

So no reality TV show in Sunrise. There will not be a second dream team in South Beach. No Twitter vs. Facebook debates. All of this makes perfect hockey sense, but it is disappointing that there will be no Bobby and Timmy Show.

Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas To Be Teammates in Florida

Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas are now reportedly teammates. In the summer of 2013 I wrote a post imagining the hilarious, reality-TV style drama that would ensue if the Vancouver Canucks signed Thomas, making he and Luongo teammates. Now Luongo will be taking his whining and choking to South Beach.

Florida is where Luongo wanted to go. He used to play there, still has a house there, and who wouldn't want to spend the winter in Florida?

It also seems like the perfect place for him to avoid pressure. He's going from a hockey obsessed market to southern Florida, where they don't even know they have a team. He's going from a franchise that expects to be in contention for Stanley Cups, to a club that's happy just to qualify for the playoffs. The less pressure there is, the better Luongo plays.

Here was how his unofficial/unconfirmed/but-everyone-knows-it's-him Twitter account announced the news Tuesday afternoon:

The move makes sense for Vancouver. They're reportedly getting goalie prospect Jacob Markstrom in return. They'll shed themselves of most of Luongo's salary cap hit, and all of his drama.

Florida gets an experienced quality goalie. I love Tim Thomas but I think his career as a starter is coming to a close. Luongo is 5 years younger. In the games I've seen this year, Thomas has been sluggish, and easily rattled. Maybe in a backup role Thomas can maintain his quickness, and get less frustrated.

For Bruins fans this is great. Bobby Lu is now in the same division as the B's.

For the record, Luongo did apologize for his criticisms of Thomas after the 2011 Cup Finals. As long as Luongo sticks to Twitter and Thomas to Facebook, things should remain professional in the Florida Panthers locker room. And if two goalies clash, and there's no fans around to care about it, does it make a sound?

Tim Thomas Throws a Nutty

I'm a big Tim Thomas fan. What he did for the Bruins was amazing. I like him because his career path was so untraditional, and required hard work and determination. The guy played all over the US and Europe before getting a chance as an NHL goalie. And in his two Vezina winning seasons, he began each campaign as the backup then earned the #1 spot.

I don't like what he did Tuesday night, slashing Bruins forward Carl Soderberg on the neck. It was a dangerous play.

I did enjoy Jack Edwards' indignation. After years of orgasming every time Thomas aggressively "protected" himself in the crease, Edwards now wants Thomas suspended. I used to think Edwards was just another homer announcer, only more exuberant than most. Now I think he's more of a hypocrite with double standards for the B's and the 29 other teams.

And you Bruins fans should measure your anger at this play. Listen to the TD Garden crowd chant Thomas' name after this slashing incident in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals...

You loved when Thomas did this stuff for you. You don't get to act like you have moral high ground when he does this wearing a different uniform.

After the game Thomas joked about the State of the Union being less painful for him to watch then allowing 6 goals, and claimed that his slash of Soderberg was a response to something Soderberg did to him on a previous play.

Thomas has always actively defended himself. A slash to the neck is significantly worse than a slash to the leg, and I think a suspension or hefty fine would be appropriate disciplinary action for the League to take.

But I still like Thomas. I like him because of that fire he brings to the game.

And unlike Wes Welker, Thomas didn't injure one of his former team's most important players.

You People Need to Get Over the Tim Thomas White House Thing

The Florida Panthers are in town tonight to play the Bruins. That means Tim Thomas... will likely be inactive due to lower body issues. The former Bruins goalie, who won two Vezinas and a Conn Smythe in Boston, won't be between the pipes. He made the trip but we'll see if he even dresses.

Look, I think criticizing Thomas for the way he de-activated himself is a legit criticism. And I can even understand blaming his on-ice performance for the team's struggles in 2011-12. Those are rational. They make logical sense. In my opinion I think what he did for this team overshadows that lackluster 2011-12 season. And I think the way he exited the team shouldn't dictate how we view his entire Bruins tenure. You may not like how he left, but you have to appreciate what he did while he was here.

However, when you continue to criticize him for not going to the White House, you're venturing away from logic. You need to get over that. It was years ago. He made a political statement. Who cares? People make political statements all the time and we ignore them.

The people who criticize Thomas then go on lectures about him being "selfish" and creating a distraction for his team. Several more logical leaps and bounds later and suddenly Thomas' absence at the White House is responsible for the team's struggles that season. Media people, like Tom Caron on WEEI today, blame Thomas for forcing his teammates to answer questions about the event. Then they blame that distraction for the team's difficulties.

There is nothing more outrageous to a member of the media than refusing to answer their questions. It appalls them. And media people will invariably find a way to turn your lack of cooperation with them into something with a broader impact. In this case, Thomas didn't talk to the press about the White House, so that forced his teammates to talk (because I'm sure the media would not have asked them questions had Thomas talked), and that distracted a team of grown men from playing hockey at 100%. Thomas' selfishness was the reason that a Championship winning team wilted in the First Round a year later.

Thomas was the reason Bergeron and Lucic failed to score in that playoff series. Thomas is the reason Krejci and Marchand only scored one goal apiece. Rich Peverly was somehow immune because he scored 3 goals. Maybe Pevs was a member of the Tea Party.

I will blame Thomas' on-ice performance for the team's struggles in that series and that year. That's a fair complaint. He was not the same goalie in 2011-12 as he was in 2010-11. He looked kind of like he looks this season. Slower. Clunky. Borderline clumsy. Thomas could only manage to play in 59 games that year. And in 2011 he only played 57 regular season games. Then 25 playoff games. He was worn out.

I'm tired of the White House non-visit being blown out of proportion. I'm tired of media people getting sanctimonious whenever an athlete dare refuse them an interview. I'm tired of Thomas doing something off the ice being blamed for a team's struggles on the ice.

Tim Thomas was a great goalie. He was a weirdo. He left town in a selfish way. And once he didn't want to go to the White House. The end. Get over it.

Bruins Get Revenge on Tim Thomas the Traitor

The Bruins finally got the opportunity to exact revenge on Tim Thomas, the goalie who abandoned them last season, and forced them to carry his large cap hit on their books for almost three whole weeks before his contract was traded to the Islanders. That extended period of Thomas' contract being on the books most likely was the difference between the Bruins winning the Cup this summer and not winning it.

Oh, and don't forget that Thomas was the reason the B's didn't go deep into the 2012 playoffs either. Because his politics became a distraction.

Thankfully, the Bruins got their chance to avenge themselves on this saboteur, this rambunctious loudmouth whose political beliefs completely and totally hijacked the 2012 Bruins season and turned it into a farce. Nobody, especially not the media who begrudgingly discussed Thomas' political views, knows why Thomas' psychotic agenda didn't derail the 2011 season. Perhaps because it wasn't an election year. And perhaps Thomas' influence was countered by leaders who weren't around in 2012 to do the same thing. Evidently, Mark Recchi wasn't just a force on the ice, he also kept Thomas' insane views from distracting the team.

Thomas was the only athlete in the history of sports to refuse to visit the White House after winning a championship. I don't need to double-check that fact because the reaction to his not meeting and greeting Barack Obama speaks for itself. Why would the media and fans react with such uproar if such a thing has happened before or since?

Tim Thomas' tenure in Boston was marked with his desire for nothing but personal glory. His two Vezinas and his Conn Smythe trophy are exhibits A, B, and C of his scheming to draw all the attention on to himself.

His departure was one of the messiest exits in the history of sports in this town. He was, brace yourself, disloyal to a team that was shopping him around the League. He took off the final, lowest paid year of his contract in a season that nobody was sure would even be played. His actions seriously hamstrung his team. Even though Cam Neely was actively trying to get rid of him, he still should have been loyal to the team that gave him so much. After all, the Bruins were the team that put Thomas on their NHL depth chart behind Manny Fernandez, Tuukka Rask, Steve Shields, John Grahame, Andrew Raycroft, Hannu Toivenen. The B's are the team that gave Thomas a chance, once everyone else had a chance and sucked.

Thomas threw the loyalty and faith of that relationship in the proverbial toilet when he didn't stay in Boston to be traded somewhere else. That selfish bastard decided to take the abbreviated season off, instead of allowing his benevolent team to send him anywhere in the NHL. How could you be so disloyal to a team that had consistently tried to get rid of you and give you a new home, from before the 2010-11 season, to after the 2011-12 season? It's just so appalling that he wasn't loyal to the Bruins, and to the fanbase that only criticized him for half a season because of his political beliefs.

Thankfully, the Bruins got their revenge on the traitor Thursday night with a 3-2 victory.

Tim Thomas Invited to Try Out for Panthers

It might be a perfect match for Thomas and for the Panthers. Thomas wants back in the NHL, the Panthers could use a veteran goalie to bolster 23-year-old starter Jacob Markstrom. Timmy will practice with the Panthers today after being offered a PTO contract (professional try out). He'll have competition, though. The Panthers also invited Tom Gilbert. Gilbert is 30-years-old, and he actually played in the NHL last year.

I'd like to see Thomas succeed. He's still one of my favorite Boston athletes of all time, up there with Pedro and Brady. He's a weirdo. And speaking as a Conservative, even I find his political views to be strange. And I don't care. I didn't like Thomas because of his politics, or even his personality. I liked him for his hockey playing, for the difficulty of his path to success, and for what he did for my favorite team.

And if Thomas makes the Panthers, he'll be in the same division as the Bruins. The B's will play Florida 5 times this season, with the first home game against them on November 7th.

Would Thomas get booed or cheered? I hope he'd get cheered. I understand why people don't like how he left Boston, but I can't understand people disliking him overall just because of that. The Bruins were trying to trade him, yet fans demand that he show loyalty to a team that's seeking to send him elsewhere? Do these unreasonable fans still hang on to their grudge?

People never really loved Thomas in this town. They liked him when he won the Vezina in 2009. When Rask put a few good games together in 2010, however, it became Tuukka Time. Fans liked Thomas again during the 2011 playoffs. Then a year later accused him and his political beliefs of being a distraction and disrupting team chemistry in a locker room full of Canadians. And as soon as he wasn't winning Vezinas and Conn Smythes, the team was ready to get rid of him. And so were the fans. Until Thomas wanted to get rid of himself. That, for some reason, was unacceptable, and that's when people who didn't love Thomas wanted him to stay, and were enraged when he didn't.

I'll always remember Joe Haggerty calling Colorado "more politically conservative" than Massachusetts in his article about Thomas and his family moving there. Obama won Colorado twice and the state recently legalized marijuana. Haggerty and others couldn't resist repeating the political storyline, even when it wasn't there (Although I'd agree that CO is more conservative than MA, then again EVERY state except for Vermont is more conservative than MA).

Back to hockey, I wouldn't be shocked if Thomas loses to Gilbert. Gilbert played 43 games last year. He's younger. Then again Thomas might have lower contract demands. Maybe the Panthers want a backup goalie who will also act like a coach to Markstrom, and not competition for his job. And if there's one thing I've learned from Thomas' career path, is that when he's doubted the most, he performs the best.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 11*

The first round is over. The Champions are out. The President's Trophy winners are out. The top seed in the East was nearly knocked out. We have teams from Phoenix and Nashville, but also two teams in the New York metro area, along with Philadelphia.

RANGERS 2, SENATORS 1 - (Rangers win series 4-3)

Going to a hockey game with Spike Lee would be something to write an entire book about.

Alfredsson scored, and maybe had he participated in the entire series things would be different. But another Swede came through big for New York. Henrik Lundqvist allowed a mere 13 goals in the series. We all saw last year what a defensive minded team can do with a red hot goalie. Maybe the Rangers will be this year's Bruins.

They'll face the Capitals in the Conference semifinals.

DEVILS 3, PANTHERS 2 (2OT) - (Devils win series 4-3)

22 year old Adam Henrique hadn't scored in this series. He scored twice in Game 7, including the game-winner. Florida wasn't expected to make this an interesting series, but they did. And it was actually because of their Power Play which scored 9 of their 17 total goals in the series. New Jersey had the best PK in the NHL in the regular season.

The Devils will face Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia in the Conference semifinals.

Tonight's game:
9:00pm - Predators @ Coyotes

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 10*

There will be three Game 7s in the Eastern Conference. Thanks to what the Devils did last night.

DEVILS 3, PANTHERS 2 (OT) - (Series tied 3-3)

This game probably shouldn't have even gone into overtime. The Panthers fell behind 2-0 in the 2nd. And despite only 3 shots on goal in that period, they were able to tie it. They took advantage of Martin Brodeur's age (not the first time Florida has taken advantage of old people) and scored some less than impressive goals. They only managed 16 shots in net for the whole game. Scott Clemmensen held his own but could only stop 39 of 42 shots.

Game 7 will be Thursday night in southern Florida.

Tonight's game:
7:30pm - Washington @ Boston - NESN/NBC Sports - Series tied 3-3

A Good Reason to Root for the Florida Panthers Tonight

The Panthers have a chance to eliminate the Devils tonight. And not only would that mean that a team from New Jersey would be knocked out, it would also mean that one of the best goal-callers in the NHL would be happy.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 7*

More overtimes, more injuries, more suspensions. I can't decide if these playoffs are the best I've ever seen or the worst.

PANTHERS 4, DEVILS 3 - (Panthers lead series 2-1)

What makes the NHL Playoffs so compelling to watch is their unpredictability. Everyone figured New Jersey had the easiest draw in the playoffs. They'd roll over the 94 point Panthers. People were even pointing to this matchup as a reason to change the playoff system. But the game isn't played in theory, or by "experts." It's played by players on ice.

The Panthers were down in 3-0 less than 7 minutes into this game. They came back thanks to 3 Power Play goals. The Panthers are 6 for 10 on the PP. 6 Power Play goals against the best PK in the regular season (89.6%). The Devils only allowed 27 PP goals all season long, or about 1 every 3 games. Now they've allowed 6 in 3 games.

Game 4 Thursday night in Jersey.

PREDATORS 3, RED WINGS 1 - (Predators lead series 3-1)

Another example of how regular season trends mean nothing in the playoffs. Detroit had the best home record in the NHL, with 31 wins. They've lost to Nashville twice on their home ice.

All the scoring occurred in the 3rd. The Predators have preyed on Detroit's defensive lapses. The Red Wings are all chasing the puck carrier, not protecting the area in front of the net or covering other players. The Wings outshot Nashville 41-17, but Pekka Rinne did his job, stopped 40 shots, and gave the Predators a chance to win.

Game 5 Friday night in Nashville.

COYOTES 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT) - (Coyotes lead series 2-1)

All three games of this series have gone into overtime but the big story of this series have been the hits to the head and the suspensions. In this game, Chicago's Marian Hossa was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher after Raffi Torres checked him in the skull. Here's the hit:

He targeted the head, he launched himself, and it could be argued that it was a late hit and a charge. Torres has an extensive history of dirty play. Exactly one year ago to the day, he did this:

Torres was suspended once already this season. Last year he was suspended for 5 games at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Given the nature of this hit combined with his history, he should be banned for the remainder of the playoffs.

Honestly, I don't think players like Raffi Torres belong in the National Hockey League. I don't think the League should tolerate them, merely slapping them on the wrist as they repeatedly misbehave.

Game 4 Thursday night in Chicago.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Rangers @ Senators - CNBC - Rangers lead 2-1
7:30pm - Penguins @ Flyers - NBC Sports - Flyers lead series 3-0
10:00pm - Canucks @ Kings - NBC Sports - Kings lead series 3-0

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 5*

Things are getting nuts out there. Bad blood, rats on the ice, and a sad octopus. It was a very entertaining weekend of hockey.

PREDATORS 3, RED WINGS 2 - (Predators lead series 2-1)

The Red Wings only lost 10 times at home in the regular season. The Predators, however, won a huge game in Detroit yesterday afternoon. The Preds have been able to get early leads and force the Red Wings to chase the game. And with Pekka Rinne, any lead is a very safe lead.

Game 4 Tuesday night in Detroit.

FLYERS 8, PENGUINS 4 - (Flyers lead series 3-0)

I hate the Penguins more and more every game. James Neal levels a dirty and late hit on Sean Couturier, injures him, then gets absolutely no penalty for it. The Flyers tried to take care of business themselves (Neal, right after Couturier had been helped off the ice, was messing with Claude Giroux), which got messy. Then Crosby looked like he was trying to initiate a fight with Brayden Schenn, then refused to drop the gloves. Moments later, Crosby tried pulling Hartnell off Neal. Hartnell went after Crosby as if he were anyone else, then Craig Adams becomes the 3rd man in (automatic game misconduct), then fights Hartnell, then pulls Hartnell's hair.

In short, a Pittsburgh player dishes out a dirty hit and injures an opponent. He doesn't get penalized (we've heard this story before, haven't we). Then the Penguins fight dirty. That's if they're willing to fight at all.

Game 4 Wednesday night in Philly.

Go Flyers

PANTHERS 4, DEVILS 2 - (Series tied 1-1)

Nobody took Florida very seriously. They were used as an example of the NHL's imperfect playoff system. Stephen Weiss, who's getting his first taste of playoff hockey in south Florida, scored two Power Play goals. That's pretty impressive against the Devils' PK unit, which was the best in the NHL in the regular season.

Game 3 Tuesday night in Jersey.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Rangers @ Senators - CNBC - Tied 1-1
7:30pm - Bruins @ Capitals - NESN/NBC Sports - Tied 1-1
10:00pm - Blues @ Sharks - NBC Sports - Tied 1-1

Bruins Retire in Florida

For the first time in a few weeks, the Bruins outdid their opponent in an aspect of the game. Unfortunately, that aspect of the game was which team was trying hardest to lose. The Panthers made so many mistakes, from giveaways in their own zone, to Theodore's trapezoid penalty. The Bruins failed to capitalize, and made more than a few mistakes on their own.

The difference between a clean breakout pass and a giveaway that results in a goal is just a foot or two. The Bruins have found ways to turn these simple plays into game-changing mistakes.

I'm tired of seeing Joe Corvo's name on the box score, I'm tired of seeing his screw ups on the ice, and I'm tired of hearing his name. He scored a goal last night, but he was on the ice for three Panther goals. One of his giveaways directly resulted in Florida's 3rd goal. His blue-line passes suck, his breakout passes suck, and I never see him make a big defensive play.

Corvo's not the only problem. Nobody on the Bruins is playing well. And if they do, it's just for one or two shifts per game. Right now, the Bruins best player is Shawn Thornton. No offense to #22, but that's sad.

Bruins host the Flyers Saturday afternoon. And if Ottawa beats Montreal tonight, the Bruins will be in 2nd place in the Division, and 7th in the Conference.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Start Their Southern Road Trip

The Bruins have dominated most of the Eastern Conference this season, going 11-2-0 within the Northeast Division, and 6-1-0 against the Atlantic. But the Southeast has given them problems. The B's were 4-4-0 against that division before starting this trip.

The Hurricanes have been the most troublesome, even though they're struggling to stay in the playoff picture. They beat the Bruins twice earlier in the year, and completed the hat-trick on Saturday night.

The Canes are fast. The Bruins struggle against such speed. It's not that they can't keep up, it's that they underestimate how quickly these fast opponents can close passing lanes, get to loose pucks, and make plays.

On Saturday, for instance, Gregory Campbell thought he had all the time and space in the world to skate with the puck in his own defensive zone. A fast Hurricane caught up to him, took the puck, and eventually the puck found its way into the net.

In that same game, the B's frequently panicked in their own zone and flicked the puck into space. That's rarely a good thing to do, and it's even worse when facing a speedy opponent who will inevitably get to that loose puck first and make a play.

Ultimately, the Hurricanes outworked the Bruins. The B's were a bit too comfortable, a bit too complacent, and Carolina didn't ease up and let them come back and win it in the 3rd.

The Bruins rarely lose a 3rd period, but they did Saturday night in Raleigh. So I expected to see them come out firing in the 1st last night. They didn't disappoint. Bergeron scored 80 seconds after the puck dropped.

Then more bad habits reappeared kept the game interesting. The Bruins struggled with their entry, frequently losing possession at their offensive blue-line. If not for Rask bailing them out, this game could have been ugly.

Krejci, Seguin, and Bergeron eventually gave the Bruins a lead on a 5-on-3. Krejci won a puck battle, then Seguin circumnavigated the entire zone. It was refreshing to see the Bruins moving bodies on the Power Play, not just playing connect the dots by standing still and passing the puck around. Seguin's shot/pass was adeptly tipped in by Bergeron, who was unnoticed lurking in the slot while the Panthers were mesmerized by Seguin's orbit.

But the lead was short-lived. Florida scored on a post-PP breakaway. And if it weren't for Rask, the Bruins might have lost this game in the 3rd.

Rask kept them in the game with 38 stops. Krejci eventually scored the shootout winner. So while officially his point-streak is over, he still won the game by shooting the puck into the net. Odd how that works out.

The Bruins play the Lightning tonight. Tampa Bay are dead last in the Southeast and have allowed more goals than any team in the NHL.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Put Up a Snowman Before Christmas

The Bruins scored a touchdown and then a two point conversion Friday night, taking full advantage of a Florida team that was visibly exhausted. The Panthers had played the night before in Ottawa, had played 3 games in 4 days, and were missing 7 forwards. So anything less than a Bruins win was unacceptable.

What I liked most about this win, apart from the TD Garden crowd chanting "Merry Christmas," was how the Bruins continued to apply pressure. In years past, the B's would get a 2 or 3 goal lead, then try to cruise for the rest of the game. And it frequently bit them in the ass. See: 2010 playoff series vs. Philadelphia.

But this season, we're seeing the Bruins improve once they get a lead. They smell blood and the water and it excites them like piranhas. That's why we've seen them score so many goals within a single minute.

Obviously Brad Marchand was the star of the game, netting his first career hat-trick. Give Seguin some additional credit for that assist on Marchand's third.

What might be a bit overlooked is that Tuukka Rask stopped all 30 shots he faced. That's 2 straight shutouts for Tuukka, plus the clean 3rd period he played in net in Columbus. That's 7 periods and 155 minutes since he allowed his last goal, 4:50 into the 3rd in Winnipeg on December 6th. And he's this team's backup goalie.

The Bruins are 20-2-1 since the end of October. And it's because they're getting contributions from Marchand, from Rask, from Seguin, from everyone.

They don't play until Wednesday night in Phoenix. It's the start of a 3 game road trip that will stretch into 2012.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

A Blog Post About Hitting Posts

The Panthers are atop the Southeast Division for a reason. Unfortunately, they're also 21st in attendance. This is a pretty good team, and it doesn't belong in Miami. It belongs in Quebec or Hamilton. Even Hartford.

Anyway, it took Jose Theodore having the game of his life, plus numerous dents on the posts, for Florida to win this game. I don't like attributing posts to bad luck, but they certainly are near-misses. The Bruins have one goal in their last 120 minutes, but it hasn't been because they've been playing poorly. They haven't finished, haven't gotten the bounces, but they are creating the opportunities.

I look at a game like this one like a baseball game when all the hard hit balls are right at an opposing fielder. It's just one of those games. The Bruins aren't a team of snipers. They're going to have nights like this.

The B's are in Columbus Saturday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo