Tuukka Rask makes Islanders suck his stick

The Bruins might have made their final trip to Uniondale, NY (although, if the season ended today, the B's would be playing the Islanders in the first round). The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn next season, and the Bruins are trying to move up in the standings this season.

The Bruins won 5-2 behind a stellar performance by Tuukka Rask. But as stellar as Rask was, for some reason his efforts did not merit being named the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd star. Nevertheless, the Bruins goalie stopped 43 of 45 shots, a season high in saves. And one of those saves might be the stop of the season.

That save was a cold-blooded stoning. I can't even imagine how demoralizing it was for the Islanders. You have an open net to shoot at, and Tuukka Rask just goes "SUCK MY STICK!" Yeah, that's a big wide paddle, and he knows how to use it.

The Bruins have 33 games left on their schedule. They're 7 points behind Tampa Bay for the division and conference lead. That's a very surmountable deficit. Right now the focus has to be on making the playoffs. So for the Bruins it's all about points. Two points on Long Island is pretty good (the Islanders are 17-5-0 at home this year). Next the B's host the Kings on Saturday, who aren't very good this year and have only won 5 road games.

This is the time to accumulate points. The Kings struggle on the road, so beat them.

Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

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

Stanley Cup Roundup*

As always, there are some seriously good series being played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All Original Six teams made the playoffs, the top two markets in the country (New York, LA) each have two teams in the mix, Canada was well-represented, and there are no teams from truly poor hockey markets like Phoenix or Nashville. And we're already rid of the Vancouver Canucks.

Sharks 4, Canucks 3 (OT) - Sharks win series 4-0

Vancouver went with Cory Schneider and it didn't really work out. This was a matchup between teams that perennially choke in the playoffs, so one of them had to advance and one had to be embarrassed. I had to post a pic of a hot girl in Vancouver colors, since I won't have a chance to post anymore in the upcoming weeks.

Blackhawks 3, Wild 0 - Blackhawks lead series 3-1

Chicago only lost 7 games in regulation this season, and Minnesota doesn't appear to be much of a match for them. The Wild aren't healthy and the Blackhawks have Patrick Sharp, who had 2 goals in the game and has 4 in the series.

Senators 3, Canadiens 2 (OT) - Senators lead series 3-1

Only 8 penalty minutes in this game. There were about 30 times as many penalty minutes in the previous game. Montreal got conservative in the 3rd period and it screwed them. Ottawa grinded out a pair of goals. Carey Price appeared to hurt his groin at the end of the 3rd and backup Peter Budaj allowed the Kyle Turris game-winner. Ottawa scares me more than any other team in the East. They're getting 110% from their talent and they've been working their asses off all season. Every game they played against the Bruins was close and they got better and better against the B's as the season progressed.

Islanders 6, Penguins 4 - Series tied 2-2

The Penguins have the best skaters in the NHL. No doubt about it. They're stacked. Unfortunately, their goalie is Marc-Andre Fleury. He allowed 6 goals on 24 shots. One fourth of the shots on goal went by him. And some of them were hideous. He's allowed 14 goals in the last 3 games, and Vokoun might get the start in Game 5.

Tonight's games...

7:00pm - Bruins @ Maple Leafs - Bruins lead series 2-1 - NESN/NHL Network
The Bruins need to remain consistent. Tonight they have an opportunity to start burying Toronto's grave. They also have an opportunity to give Toronto a second life.

7:30pm - Capitals @ Rangers - Capitals lead series 2-1 - NBC Sports
The Rangers were up against it and Game 3 and came through. Washington looks good, they have Ovechkin, they have depth, and the Rangers don't seem to know how to win playoff series. However, the Caps will have to find another gear to knock them out.

9:00pm - Kings @ Blues - Series tied 2-2 - CNBC
The defending Champions don't look as sharp as they did last year. I haven't seen much of this series but St. Louis has looked good from what I have seen. And Jonathan Quick has looked human.

10:00pm - Red Wings @ Ducks - Series tied 2-2 - NBC Sports
This series is a big reason why Detroit will be moving to the Eastern Conference. A fanbase in the Eastern Time zone is forced to watch playoff games at 10:00pm. On weeknights. Not good for business. One good thing is if Detroit wins they could face Midwest rival Chicago in the next round. And if Anaheim wins they could face California rival LA.

Bruins Bad Habits Bite Back

Before last night the Bruins had won 5 of 6, and yet their fans were unhappy. Why? Because their play was uninspired, relaxed, inconsistent, and sometimes careless. They played the same way last night, against a decent team struggling for a playoff spot, and it bit them.

When is Milan Lucic going to get a healthy scratch? Or be once again demoted for the 3rd line (for longer than a game)? Claude Julien had the balls to scratch Phil Kessel in the playoffs. He kept Tyler Seguin on the bench as he developed. And this season he's moved Seguin to the 3rd line. Is Julien afraid of Lucic? This guy is playing with half a heart for almost all of his shifts.

The Bruins wore camouflage warm-ups pre-game, Lucic seems to wear camouflage during games because he is invisible on the ice.

And he makes the most obvious and dumbest mistakes with the puck. In his defensive zone he attempted a BLIND, slow, backhanded pass across the width of the ice. Of course it was intercepted. Lucic has no conception of where he is on the ice, and how careful he should be in certain spots.

Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch. Because Adam McQuaid came back. I guess Matt Bartkowski is better than Dougie Hamilton these days. If solid, mistake-free hockey is so important to Julien, why does Bartkoswki get rewarded for it and Lucic evades punishment for lack of it?

And has Hamilton been making mistakes? Has he been costing this team goals? He's been helping them score goals. He's been playing very sound at his position, especially considering his age. Hamilton was a healthy scratch. Why? Because taking care of the puck is vital. Unless you're Milan Lucic.

I apologize for my vexed frustrations. This team is like a rock band that has a great drummer, good guitarists, a capable bassist, and lead singers that sound like cats being anally raped. They ruin the whole act. And the manager seems to favor the singer over everyone else.

The B's travel to Raleigh to play the godawful Hurricanes. That should be a win, despite how crappily Lucic plays.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Tim Thomas's Contract Sent to Long Island

The Bruins have traded Tim Thomas to the Islanders. So instead of not playing in Boston, Tim Thomas will not be playing in Uniondale. The Bruins received a conditional 2nd round pick in either 2014 or 2015. What pick the Bruins get will depend on if Thomas plays for the Islanders this season.

So the Bruins no longer have to bear Tim Thomas's $5 million cap hit. And the Islanders were able to reach the minimum salary cap number without paying a player. That's a nice little loophole the Islanders found.

And maybe finally, Bruins fans can stop being melodramatic about what Thomas did, since he no longer has an impact on the salary cap. The word from Thomas's agent is that things are still "status quo" for the now former Bruins goalie. At the moment, he seems just as uninterested in playing for the Islanders as he was to play for the Bruins.

The Bruins no longer have to carry the burden of his cap hit. So it's time to get over it, people.

And if you want to accuse Thomas of being selfish, and not putting his team first, the Bruins were very honest with him that they were looking to move him to another team. So is Thomas disloyal to Boston and the Bruins because he didn't want to stick around and be traded away from Boston and the Bruins? He should have been loyal to the team that didn't want him?

Of all the selfish things athletes sometimes do, deciding to take a year off, and forfeit $3 million in salary to do it, does not seem to be high on the scale. I have yet to hear or read a coherent argument that what Thomas did is especially selfish and deserves as much crap as some Bruins fans enjoy heaping onto him.

The level of criticism he's been the subject of has greatly outweighed what he did.

And if you think Thomas wasn't a good teammate, remember this?

And for the surly and sour people out there who still dislike Thomas, please don't wear any Bruins Stanley Cup hats or t-shirts. You wouldn't have those without Thomas.

Bruins 8, New York 4

The Bruins clinched the Northeast Division, clinched the #2 seed, and did it all in a weekend on Long Island then Manhattan.

The Bergeron line absolutely dominated the Islanders, combining to score 3 times in the 3rd. That line is loaded with talent. Seguin and Marchand each have 27 goals, Bergeron is one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, and he's scored 22 for himself. When that line gets hot, the Bruins get hot.

The win against the Rangers was very impressive. It was a close game, a physical game, a game of mistakes. It was very much like a playoff game. The Bruins made fewer mistakes. They also did a good job capitalizing on the Rangers' mistakes. And Thomas was the better goalie, stopping 33 of 34. Thomas hadn't beaten the Rangers since November 17th, 2010.

The Bruins likely won't face the Rangers until the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bruins are definitely the #2 team in the East, and the Rangers are a point away from clinching the #1 spot. It's good to know that the Bruins can beat that team, and do so on their ice.

Ottawa will most likely be the Bruins' first round opponent. The Senators have 4 point cushions ahead of them and behind them. With only 3 games left, it's hard to imagine them passing New Jersey for 6th or falling below Washington to 8th.

Boston is up 4-1 in the season series against Ottawa, with a game on Thursday (which I am going to).

The Bruins host the Penguins Tuesday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

This Could Be a Big Week for the Bruins

Photo borrowed/stolen from Days of Y'Orr

The Bruins can clinch the Division by Saturday afternoon. And they don't need much help to do it. After beating Winnipeg 6-4 last night, the Senators are a mere 3 points behind the B's. However, the Bruins have 7 games left, and Ottawa has 5. The Bruins play twice before Ottawa plays their next game on Saturday.

Tonight the Bruins host Tampa Bay. The Lightning zapped the B's a few weeks ago. Vengeance is a powerful motivator. I think they'll dispose of the Lightning in convincing fashion.

Then Washington comes to town. That will be a tough one. The Caps are in playoff mode already. They're vying with Buffalo for the 8th spot. So every inch of ice and every loose puck will be fiercely contested. Thankfully, Washington is 14-20-4 on the road.

If the Bruins win these two games, they'll have a 7 point lead over Ottawa. These two games are the "games in hand" the Bruins have had for a few weeks now.

On Saturday, the Bruins will play the Islanders on the road. That's a shabby team that will be limping to the golf course. No excuse to lose to that bunch again.

And Ottawa will be in Philadelphia. The Senators haven't won a game in Philly since December 2009.

If the Bruins win tonight, Thursday, and Saturday, and Ottawa loses to Philly, the Bruins would have a 9 point lead. Both teams would have 4 games remaining, which means the Senators couldn't catch the Bruins and the B's would clinch the Northeast Division.

It'd be nice to get that over and done with as soon as possible.

Although I am going up to Ottawa to see the Bruins on April 5th. And part of me hopes that the game means something. A very small, childish, selfish part of me. I'd much rather the Bruins clinch the division on Saturday, have a chance to rest Thomas and Chara for a game or two and prepare themselves for the Playoffs.

Bruins Lose to New York, Then Lose to New York

You can't help but respect the New York Rangers. Their style and strategy is so similarly to the Bruins. Excellent goaltending, mistake-free defense, offense from multiple sources, and an unwavering willingness to drop the gloves and fight. There's no blueprint to beat them. No schemes or tricks. You have to out-execute them. You have to make more plays, win more battles, commit fewer errors.

Yesterday afternoon the Bruins made fewer plays, won fewer battles, and committed more errors. Even if the B's had gotten a few bounces and won, I wouldn't have been happy with their performance. They're inconsistent. They've been inconsistent all season.

Some might gripe that bad luck cost the Bruins. A puck ricocheted off Greg Zanon's stick then his body and into the Bruins' net. Another puck bounced around behind Lundqvist without crossing the line. Oh and there was that weird non-icing call in the Islanders game on Saturday. And don't forget about the injuries to Peverley, Horton, and now Paille, Rask, and Ference.

These are the types of excuses you'd expect from Yawkey Way, not Causeway Street. And they are just that, excuses.

Did the Bruins play at their best, or even close to their best against the Rangers? Maybe for a 20 minute chunk of the game. The other 40 minutes were a display of mediocrity punctuated by the occasional bad decision. Chara passing to Kelly in the middle of the ice and with three Rangers in the area. New York's second goal saw Carl Hagelin streak down the ice, burning the Bruins' defensemen and making them look like they played free safety for the New England Patriots.

The timeout was effective. The Bruins played much better after that. The Rangers played much worse. Then the Rangers answered the Bruins' wave of momentum with one of their own. And the B's never answered back.

It's been a long time since we've seen 60 consecutive minutes of quality hockey from this team. Even during their winning stretch, they'd play 40 minutes of so-so hockey, turn it on in the 3rd period, and win. And we praised them for it.

I don't doubt they'll be able to advance past the likes of Ottawa or New Jersey in the playoffs, even if they're not stringing together more than 40 straight minutes of good hockey. But when it's time to face Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh, or the Rangers, there will need to be more consistency.

Bruins are in Toronto tomorrow night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Eight Straight, Mate

How dominant have the Bruins been in this 8 game win streak? They've outscored their opponents by 28. They still only have the 13th best record in the NHL, but their goal differential is the highest in the NHL. They're +25. The second best differential is Philadelphia's +13.

Their 6-0 win against the Islanders was a product of solid defense preventing the Islanders from getting anything going. New York managed 2 shots on goal in the 1st. Just 2.

Then the Bruins scored opportunistically. Bergeron finished a Seguin and Marchand breakaway. Seguin is now a point shy of his TOTAL from last season. Horton put in a Power Play goal and Kelly was given an early Christmas present from Rick DiPietro.

After that, the Bruins didn't play with 110% intensity, but they didn't screw around either. And in the 3rd period, the floodgates opened again. Ference scored just after the end of a Power Play, Kelly scored an effort goal, and Chara had a rare (for him) breakaway goal.

The fact of the matter is, the Bruins are a good team that played like a good team and the Islanders are a bad team that played like a bad team.

Next on the schedule is a decent team. If the B's want to extend their winning streak, they'll need to play with a bit more fire. That shouldn't be a problem considering they'll be in Montreal. The Canadiens, by the way, were the last team to beat the Bruins. Twice. I'm sure the Bruins will want a measure of revenge.

Tonight, Bruins @ Canadiens.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Bruins Win Third Straight

After starting the season 3-7, the Bruins have won 3 straight. They pummeled the Islanders 6-2 thanks to some hot streaks that were extended.

Horton scored twice, Krejci and Lucic scored, and Seguin scored a goal. In his last 7 games, Lucic has scored 7 goals and 5 assists. Sometimes Lucic goes through frustrating slumps. But when he pushes himself, when he skates, the goals come in bunches. And he leaves an imprint on the game.

Did you know Tyler Seguin is 7th in the NHL in scoring? He's scored 8 now, and has 69 games to score 3 goals in order to match his total from last season.

The Seguin-Bergeron-Marchand line was fierce last night. They were a few inches from scoring 3 goals instead of just 1.

And last night, the Penalty Killing was tenacious. Speaking of the PK unit, Paille's face will be examined by a specialist after he took a slapshot from Steve Staios.

The B's beating the Islanders shouldn't be much of a surprise. The Islanders kind of suck.

The Bruins have a slightly tougher test on Thursday when they host the Oilers, who lead the Northwest Division.

Photo Credits:
AP Photo

BRUINS INCH CLOSER TO #2 SEED

The Bruins are only 2 points out of 2nd in the Eastern Conference after beating the Islanders 3-2 last night. It was a game without stakes, without consequences, and wasn't very interesting. But it was a win.

What drew my attention most was the Bruins' special teams units. They continue to struggle. The PK unit allowed a goal. The Power Play unit failed to move and failed to score, even with a 2 minute 5-on-3. They even allowed a shorthanded goal. But give Michael Grabner and Josh Bailey credit for that one. The Bruins may have won 3-2, but they lost the special teams battle 2-0.

Special teams are so vital in postseason play because most playoff games are played against the boards, within tight coverage, and very little open ice play. When power plays come along, they're a rare opportunity to play with space and time. If the Bruins can't get their PP unit to score, they need to at least tighten up their PK.

I was puzzled to see Seguin, Kampfer, and Hnidy all scratched. This seems like a great chance to give minutes to all three. Perhaps over the weekend.

Daniel Paille has played himself onto the playoff roster. He's been doing all the little things and some big things the past few weeks. He had another excellent game last night.

And how cool is it to see Shawn Thornton score his 10th goal? He, along with Gregory Campbell, are among 6 NHL players to score 10+ times and fight 10+ times this season.

The Bruins play back to back games this weekend, hosting Ottawa Saturday afternoon, and travelling to Jersey on Sunday. Look for guys like Thomas, Chara, Lucic, Recchi, and Bergeron to get at least one game off. Look for Paille, Campbell, Ryder, Thornton, Kelly, and Seguin to get a chance to earn a spot in the starting lineup with some additional ice time.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

THE BRUINS LOST TO WHO?

This is why during the Bruins' 6 game road winning streak, I was maybe the least excited B's fan in Boston. Not just because I'm a burnt out, soulless pessimist. But because this team has a history of moodiness. I wouldn't say their streaky. Streaky implies an ability to be somewhat consistent for prolonged stretches. The Bruins, however, fluctuate period by period, shift by shift. They have mood swings.

Scoring 2 goals often isn't enough to win. Unless you have a soon-to-be 2 time Vezina winner in net, an imposing defense, and are playing one of the worst teams in the League. You have to be able to go to places like Nassau, and win 2-0 or 2-1. So even though the Bruins need to score more goals, I'm more upset about the goals they allowed in this one.

The penalty kill has been steadily deteriorating. It was a late in the period power play goal that revived the Islanders. The PK has been confused by opponents who move bodies around, not just passing the puck to each other from fixed points (like the Bruins do on their power play). And in the past few weeks, they've been overly eager to trigger shorthanded breakaways, instead of simply smacking the puck down the ice for a clear. That's what happened Friday. Bergeron hesitated, failed to clear, and eventually the puck found the back of the net.

The PK unit has fallen to 18th in the NHL, killing 81.5% of penalties. That absolutely must turn around for the postseason, where special teams can decide a series.

The Islanders simply outworked the Bruins in the 3rd period. While the Islanders hustled to get to loose pucks, the Bruins looked lost, like they'd never played hockey before. A puck would find their stick, and they'd gently bat it 8 feet away in some random direction, allowing an Islander to scoop it up again.

Even when the Bruins were up 2-0, they were hardly the superior team. After the game, Fraud Julien claimed that with a bit of luck the Bruins might have scored more goals. What he failed to mention was that if not for Thomas, the Islanders would have scored more goals. Timmy had one of his best games of the season.

The Bruins might start another hot streak. Maybe Bergeron and/or Marchand will catch fire again. Horton's been producing lately. But tha won't last. The B's might sail their way out of this storm, but what does that matter when the commander of the ship is a fool?

Right now, this team's chances of winning a Cup are 0%. At least while Julien's behind the bench.

Bruins @ Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

THE ISLANDERS SUCK

The Islanders have a handful of quality forwards, and some delicious ice girls.

That's it. They don't have a defense, and certainly don't have any good goaltenders. They've had 6 different guys start in net for them. They don't have a starter and backup, they have an entire rotation.

What can you say about a 6-3 win over a team this bad? I'm not impressed. I hardly care. I'm glad Rask didn't completely blow the 5-1 lead he was given, allowing Thomas a proper night off. Where are all those Tuukka Time twits now?

Seguin had a nice game. He skated with determination and gusto. He was rewarded with a goal. With the great Chris Kelly in the mix now, Seguin will be competing for ice time. Instead of say, learning how to play pro hockey in Providence and getting 20 minutes a night. Seguin did have a nice statement game for himself last night, at least.

Every game, Nathan Horton reminds me more and more of Glen Murray in his final days. Crafty enough to find space for himself, good enough to be in the right place at the right time. Then missing every shot. He's not even getting pucks on goal. When will it be scratch time for him?

The B's play another struggling team in Ottawa tonight.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo