Bruins Report 3:

Five games, five points. In this report, we’ll recap the B’s performance over the last five dates from November 2nd through the 11th. All in all, the team did not pro-gress or regress. It was pretty much status quo, which is a disappointment. The natives are beginning to pound the war drums and calling for the new coach’s scalp, and we’re not even near the quarter pole yet.

Game 10 vs. Buffalo: 11/2/06:
This was a game that the Bruins had in their back pockets and let slip away in the third period. After a scoreless first, the B’s hit for three in the second. P.J. Axelsson scored (3) early on. After Buffalo tied it midway through, the Bruins’ power play –stop the presses- scored twice late in the period on goals by Marc Savard (2) and Murray (5). Early in the third, Mark Mowers (1) put the Bruins up 4-1. The lead held up until the 11 minute mark. when the roof fell in. Maxim Afinogenov scored twice and Ales Kotalik scored the tying goal with 1:35 left. It was as if all the air left the building. The Bruins spent the overtime killing a penalty, and proceeded to lose the shootout, as they always seem to do. It was certainly no way to inspire or attract new patrons to the turnstiles…

Two nights later, (Game 11 Sat. N. 11/4/06), Tampa Bay came to town and the goaltending woes continued for the Bruins. The only good news was that the goalies for the Lightning were one goal worse. The score was tied at one at the end of the first. Savard (3) scored early and the Lightning tied it on the power play. In the second the teams combined for seven goals; awful, just awful. Tampa scored four times off of Thomas. The B’s got goals from Savard (4), Kessel (3), and P.J. (4) on the power play. After forty minutes, just about everyone had seen enough of Thomas in goal, it was now Toivenen’s turn. The game turned from wide open to close checking in the third period. The B’s got two-man advantage with less than a minute and made hay. Chara (3) banged one in from the point with 47 seconds and Murray (6) scored 17 seconds into the overtime. While everyone went home happy with a 6-5 win, the goaltending issues continue…

On to Atlanta (Game 12, Tue. N. 11/7/06) for a match with the streaking Thrashers. Tonight’s bugaboo was the Penalty Killers, who failed at their job and killed the Bruins’ chances. Atlanta scored twice on the power play before the patrons even got to their seats. So it was catch up from the get go. The Bruins scored early in the second on Bergeron’s (3) power play goal. In the third, Ilya Kovalchuk struck twice more on the power play. Sandwiched between was a goal by Hossa to make it 5-1. The B’s scored two garbage time specials from Boyes (3) and Bergeron (4), in the last minute. By that time, the horse had long since left the barn. No one could really fault Thomas on this night, after all, surrendering four power play goals lies at the feet of the special teams.

After the game, the front office made a few moves. The front office assigned Wade Brookbank and Jeff Hoggan to Providence and recalled forward Petr Tenkrat. These guys weren’t getting any ice time anyhow, so it was time to start shuffling in some new faces, which will most likely be a recurring theme throughout the year. In somewhat of a surprise, Toivenen was sent down as well. He really hasn’t been the same goalie after getting hurt last season, and perhaps the thought was to allow him an opportunity to rebuild his confidence. Brian Finley (a former first rounder from Nashville) was called up to ride the pine (or so we thought)…

Two days later, the Bruins returned home (Game 13 Thu. N. 11/9/06) to face the Leafs. Brad Stuart returned to the lineup much sooner than expected, after having broken a finger. Hockey players are tough stuff. That was perhaps the only good news on the night. Former Bruin Rookie of the Year Andrew Raycroft made his first return to Boston after having been traded for Finnish sensation Tuuka Rask over the summer. Toronto blasted three goals in the first (exit Thomas, enter Finley) and one in the second before the B’s scored on Marco Sturm’s (2) tip-in. Toronto got that one back on Alexei Ponikarovsky’s goal less than a minute later. Shortly thereafter, Raycroft’s evening came to an abrupt halt when he pulled a groin muscle and couldn’t continue. The well-traveled Jean-Sebastien Aubin stepped in relief and was immediately tested by the Bruins who, now down once more by four, decided to show up. Savard scored (5) at the twelve-minute mark and the Bruins played the remainder of the game with tremendous intensity. Of note was the play of defenseman Andrew Alberts, who was digging for the puck and hitting anything in white and blue. In the third, P.J. scored (5) on the power play and midway through. Primeau (3) hit on a back hander. The score was 5-4, and the Bruins were throwing everything at Aubin short of the proverbial kitchen sink. With less than a minute, they pulled Finley and prepared for the final assault. The officials made a horrible call to which Chara took exception; he was tossed for his troubles. Antropov pushed in a empty netter, and there you have it, a 6-4 defeat. At least they gave the paying customers half their money’s worth…

On Saturday (Game 14, 11/11/06), the struggling Senators came to Boston. After a scoreless first, things turned wild in the second. Murray (7) hit on a power play right off the bat. Ottawa tied it on a power play of their own four minutes later. Later in the period, the Bruins went up 3-1 on goals by Tenkrat (1) and Murray (8).

Ottawa’s Designated Goon, chipped in a goal late in the second and then another early in the third to tie the score. The odds of someone like Chris Neil scoring consecutive goals are probably greater than hitting the Power Ball jackpot…unbelievable. Were it not for Bergeron’s goal (5) at 13:42, this one had the makings of another collapse. The Bruins weathered a late Ottawa power play to pull out a 4-3 win.

On Monday, the Bruins traded an ’08 third round pick to Anaheim for one-time phenom left winger Stanislav Chistov. Maybe it’ll amount to something, perhaps not. At one time, Chistov was a highly prized “can’t miss” prospect who never lived up to his star billing and fizzled out. He played in Russia last year before returning to the NHL for another crack. Boston’s a whole lot closer to Mother Russia than is Sunny California, so it’s either produce or “Bon Voyage”…

Then on Tuesday, according to wire reports, “the Phoenix Coyotes traded goaltender Philippe Sauve to the Boston Bruins for center Tyler Redenbach …” Another swap of former #1 picks who haven’t quite yet made the grade. At least neither of these guys were originally picked by Boston…who list of #1 Duds could fill an entire roster. That will be a topic that we’ll discuss in depth prior to our next Bruins Report.