2010-2011 Boston Bruins Puck Drop

…The Second Half Begins

Game 51 at Carolina (2/1/11):

The B’s (28-15-7-63) kicked off February and the second half in Raleigh for a date with the ‘Canes. Tim Thomas started in goal against Cam Ward. Daniel Paille was called for hooking at 1:14, putting the B’s on their heels right off the bat. Thomas made four quick stops as the ‘Canes hacked at the puck directly out in front. Paille exited the penalty box and broke in alone on Ward but hit the post. Ryder went off for interference midway through the period and the B’s PK unit held the ‘Canes power play without a shot. Late in the period, Lucic and Harrison had a heavyweight bout out in front of Ward after the B’s crashed the net and tempers became frayed. Ward stoned Wheeler’s chance after Thornton made a perfect feed from behind the net. Ward came back with a sensational stop of Recchi’s one-timer from between the circles. At the end of the period, Kampfer leveled Skinner with a beautiful body check and his teammates took exception, leading to the usual pushing and shoving but no penalties were called.

The second period started out at a decidedly less frantic pace than the first. Daniel Paille then put the B’s ahead at 4:14 on a tip in of Chara’s blast from the left point. Wheeler went off for delay of game at 6:07 after he knocked the puck over the glass. The B’s killed off the power play and Paille then had a quality chance breaking in alone that Ward knocked away. Thomas then made a brilliant stop of LaRose’s shot out front. Jamie McBain tied the score at 11:25 on a deflection from Samsonov’s shot in front of Thomas. The B’s defense broke down in front, allowing Samsonov a great chance that McBain tipped in. After the goal, all the momentum swung in Carolina’s direction as they peppered Thomas with several shots.

The ‘Canes came out flying to open the third and pressed hard in the B’s zone, creating a number of chances. Thomas made a great stop off of Staal’s attempt coming out of the crease to deflect away Staal’s shot. Nathan Horton then put the B’s ahead at 3:54 when he one-timed Krejci’s pass from behind the net past Ward. Bergeron then put the B’s up 3-1 at 5:06 on a slap shot from the top of the right circle as he grabbed a loose puck and fired the puck home. Marchand was then caught holding at 6:14 and banished to the box, giving the ‘Canes their fourth power play of the night. This time the ‘Canes succeeded as Joe Corvo scored at 8:05 on a blast from the blue line with Samsonov and Cole screening Thomas out in front. Carter and Tlusty broke in on a 2-on-1 and Tlusty’s shot hit the post. The ‘Canes then went into desperation mode, as they threw everything they had in the B’s direction. Thomas then robbed Cole and Sutter on back-to-back chances as the ‘Canes attacked furiously. Ward was pulled with 1:30 left and the ‘Canes maintained the attack, but the B’s defense hung tough and came away with the points. That was one exciting game…

Game 52 v. Dallas (2/3/11):

The B’s returned home for a Thursday night date with the Stars (30-16-5). Tuukka Rask started in goal against former Bruin Andrew Raycroft (who was traded to Toronto for Rask in 2006). Campbell and Ott got into it right off the opening faceoff with Campbell taking the worst of it, heading for the dressing room with his face beaten to a bloody pulp. Another fight broke out a second later as Thornton and Barch had a heavyweight go with Thornton won on points…one second later, McQuaid pummeled Sutherby with three quick rights. Four seconds in and three fights. Lucic scored at 35 seconds on a pass from Krejci and he easily fired a wrist shot past Raycroft. 45 seconds later, Bergeron made it 2-0 on a backhanded tip on a beautiful feed from Marchand. Kari Lehtonen immediately replaced Raycroft at that point. Rask then robbed James Neal with a kick save at the right post. Andrew Ference then punched out Burish with a quick burst of rights. Marchand went off for holding at 6:30 and Krejci had a shorthanded bid on which Lehtonen made a nice save. Ott had a break on the power play and Rask denied his shorthanded bid. Bergeron made it 3-0 at 9:35 as Recchi fed Marchand up the middle, who flipped the puck to Bergeron who buried it…Thornton made it 4-0 at 16:01 on a bullet from the top of the right circle. The B’s went back on the power play at 17:49 as Robidas went off for interference but the Stars’ PK unit successfully moved around the puck out of harm’s way.

Seguin nearly scored in the first minute of the second but Lehtonen held the left post at the last instant. Chara and Ott then went off for 10-minute misconducts after some pushing and shoving in front of the B’s net. McQuaid then scored but it was waved off after the refs ruled that Wheeler interfered with Lehtonen. The crowd let the referee have it with the famous barnyard cheer. Dallas got on the board at 10:36 as Karlis Skrastins wheeled around and fired a backhander through a crowd that squeaked past Rask. Paille leveled Sawada with a (sort of) blind side hard shoulder check and a scrum ensued. Paille received a five-minute major for a head shot and was tossed from the game. Rask made a couple of nice stops before Gregory Campbell’s stick was broken and, essentially down to a 5-on-3, Rask came up with another great stop. The Stars ended up with 10 shots on goal during the extended power play.

Brendan Morrow scored a shorthanded goal at 45 second on a nice pass from Ott, firing a wrist shot that beat Rask high to the right. Brad Richards came back to make 4-3 at 3:33 on a beautiful one-timer on a pass from Loui Eriksson. The B’s immediately called a timeout after the goal to regroup. Tyler Seguin scored a big goal at 5:31 on a wrist shot from the right circle that snuck through Lehtonen’s pads. The B’s went on the power play at 8:21 when Niskanen was called for hauling down Ryder. Bergeron and Chara each had quality chances that Lehtonen turned aside as the Stars killed off the penalty. Rask then came up with a big stop of Daley’s shot. Lehtonen was pulled with 2:43 left and Marchand scored at 17:40 after Bergeron nearly scored, picked up the rebound and fed Marchand directly out in front of the empty net. Eddie Shore would’ve been proud as Old Time Hockey was alive and well on this night.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the B’s announced that Marc Savard would be shut down for the season after suffering another concussion when he was shoved face first into the boards on January 22nd in Colorado. He subsequently returned home to Ontario for rest, but the B’s definitely acted in everyone’s best interests by putting Savard on the shelf until the fall. It may be a case where Savard ultimately retires as a result of repeated brain injuries. For the time being, former #1 pick Zach Hamill was recalled from Providence to fill his spot in the lineup.

Game 53 v. San Jose (2/5/11):

This was a disturbing performance by the B’s as they played without much effort or passion and lost 2-0. It seems the case that every time the B’s come out with an inspired performance, they follow it up with a dud. Tim Thomas started in goal against Antti Niemi, who backstopped Chicago to a Cup last year. The B’s were caught with too many men on the ice at 5:37 and Logan Couture on a backhander at 7:22 following a great shorthanded bid. Later in the period, the B’s had a power play that was a waste of time. McQuaid and Eager got into a scrap with Eager getting the extra minor and the win on points.

The Sharks scored midway through the second, but it was waved off due to “incidental contact” with Thomas. It was more like “steamrolling the goaltender”. The B’s generated a little pressure on Niemi during the course of their next power play but the Sharks continued cutting off the lanes and making things difficult for the offense to generate a sustained attack. Moving into the third period, Recchi had a quality long-distance chance that Niemi scrambled to knock away. Thomas was pulled with about 1:30 remaining but Setoguchi scored an empty-netter with two seconds left and that was that.

Game 54 v. Montréal (2/9/11):

The B’s were looking to rebound from Saturday’s lackluster effort against the Sharks. Jordan Caron was recalled from Providence while Tyler Seguin was given a seat in the press box. Canadiens are only two points behind the B’s with 65 points, so this game had big implications for the playoff race. Carey Price started in goal against Tim Thomas. Desharnais had a great chance early on that Thomas kicked away. Midway through the period, Caron rang a wrist shot off the post. Marchand put the B’s ahead at 13:16 on a backhander on a pass from Bergeron that beat Price cold. Seidenberg scored 12 seconds later on a bullet from the top of the right circle as he jumped up into the play and took Horton’s pass and banged it home. The goal was the result of PK Subban falling and turning over the puck. After Lucic and Moen were sent off for a minor scuff, Gomez went off for tripping setting the B’s up with a 4-on-3 power play but the B’s couldn’t do much with the opportunity. Price then stoned Krejci and Marchand on back-to-back chances. The period ended with the B’s on the power play where Lucic shoved Price as time expired and there was a scuffle in front of the net.

Lucic started the second period with a double minor and Price was hit with a minor for roughing and then Brian Gionta scored at 25 seconds as he picked up a rebound of Wisniewski’s shot and banged it past Thomas. The B’s defense completely broke down on the play and allowed Gionta to enter the zone uncontested. Habs went back on the power play midway through as Horton went off for hooking and Subban scored at 8:30 on a hard drive that deflected off of Ference’s skate and the game was tied. The goals then came fast and furious. Adam McQuaid quickly put the B’s back on top at 9:48 as he took a short pass from Horton and ripped it past Price. Yannick Weber then came right back and fought through traffic to score at Ryder then scored 31 seconds later as he took a perfect backhanded pass from Hamill and tucked the puck past Price. Lucic then scored 59 seconds later on a rebound from Krejci’s shot. A brawl then took place behind the Habs’ net at 12:36 as everyone got into it, including the goalies. In particular, Chara went after Pacioretty for a smoldering grudge from the last time the teams met. By the time the referees separated the combatants, both penalty boxes were filled and the B’s ended up shorthanded. Desharnais then scored at 12:48 on a bang-bang play directly out in front of Thomas. Lucic scored again at 14:49 on a pass from Krejci from behind the net. Kampfer was called for a cross-check at 17:52 and Habs went back on the power play, but this time the B’s killed off the penalty. That was about as wild a period of hockey as anyone has seen in quite a while.

Chara plastered Wisniewski into the boards to start the third period. After controlling the puck in the B’s zone for practically all of the first five minutes, Habs went back on the power play as Horton went off for tripping at 6:40 and Pacioretty scored at 7:06 on a beautiful pass from Wisniewski to make it 6-5. Desharnais went off for dumping Hamill at 8:06 as the B’s looked to generate (a little) offense in the period. Ryder scored but the referee waved off the goal because he saw Marchand collide with Price. What he apparently didn’t see was Weber shoving Marchand into Price. The crowd went ballistic over the bad call. But Ryder got the last laugh as he scored at 10:01 (this one counted) on a pass from Seidenberg. Marchand was responsible for setting up the goal with a rink-wide rush into the Habs’ end, advanced the puck to Kampfer, who passed to Seidenberg and Ryder banged the pass behind Price. Horton made it 8-5 at 14:54 on a pass from Krejci, as he rang a wrist shot that hit the pipe and banked in. It was Horton’s fifth point of the night and his best all around game in months. Another scrum ensued when Horton antagonized Subban (they’d been chirping and shoving at each other all night). Krejci and Pouliot fought and Krejci got pummeled. With 40 seconds left, Ference and Moen got into it and all parties on the ice got into another series of brawls that littered the ice with sticks and gloves. After the debris cleared, McQuaid beat up Pacioretty as Pacioretty turtled and then scored with 14 seconds left to make it 8-6, big deal. All in all, that was a well-executed game plan by the B’s all night long. Old Time Hockey lives!

Game 55 v. Detroit (2/11/11):

The B’s opened a home-and-home weekend Original Six set with the mighty Red Wings at the Garden on Friday night. The Wings came into this one in second spot in the Western Conference at 32-16-5- 70. For the second straight game, Tyler Seguin was a healthy scratch along with Mark Stuart, who hasn’t dressed for a game in quite some time. In a bit of a surprise, Tuukka Rask got the start in goal against Jimmy Howard. Todd Bertuzzi scored at 1:10 when he rang a slap shot low short side off the post and into the net. Cleary made it 2-0 at 3:10 when he took a pass from directly out front and fired it past Rask. Two shots…two goals. Later in the period, Cleary broke in alone with the puck but fired high and Rask deflected it away. Adam McQuaid went off for hooking at 15:29 and the PK unit responded well to the Wings’ power play (22.7%). Rafalski went off for hooking a minute later setting up a 4-on-4, where the Wings used their speed advantage to create opportunities. With a brief power play, Krejci scored at 17:53 on a pass from Lucic as the B’s offense showed more life in those brief seconds than the entire period. Datsyuk had a great chance in the final seconds that went just wide. After a really shaky start, the B’s responded and played much better in the final minutes of the period.

Jiri Hudler made it 3-1 Wings at 1:09 on a one-timer after the B’s defense broke down in front of Rask. After the goal, the B’s forechecking picked up and the offense picked up their game. Brad Marchand had a golden opportunity to score on a wide open net but the puck bounced over his stick. Bergeron went off for high sticking Datsyuk at 8:02 and the PK unit kept the Wings from putting any shots on Rask. Marchand broke alone with a great chance that Howard turned aside and then Howard stopped Bergeron’s one-timer on the rebound. Ryder was then hauled down by Kindl at 13:55 putting the B’s on the power play for the second time, but it didn’t last long as Recchi was called for hooking down Helm on a breakaway and Zetterberg scored at 16:14 on a back hander over Rask’s shoulder. Bertuzzi came right back to make it 5-1 at 16:38 when he banked a shot from behind the net off of Rask and into the net. The B’s stunk in the second period and found themselves in an intractable hole.

Tim Thomas replaced Rask to open the third period and the Wings continued peppering the B’s net. Over the next ten minutes, all the B’s did was chase after the Wings, as Detroit continued to use their speed to skate rings around the B’s. Marchand went off for roughing at 12:18 for trying to stir the pot with Eaves, but like everything else on this night it didn’t work. Chara then hooked Zetterberg 51 seconds later, setting up a 5-on-3 power play for the Wings. Lidstrom’s blast from the point hit the post before Holmstrom scored at 13:51 on a pass from behind the net and the rout was on at 6-1. Best to put this one in the books and move on.

Game 56 at Detroit (2/13/11):

The B’s tried to recover from Friday night’s disastrous outing with the Wings in a return engagement at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday afternoon. Tim Thomas started in goal against Jimmy Howard. The B’s got off to a quick start when Tyler Seguin scored at 1:29 when Blake Wheeler circled around the net with the puck and Seguin popped a backhander behind Howard. After the goal, Wings found their skating legs and intensified the pressure in the B’s end. Bertuzzi scored the tying goal at 6:09 as the Wings crashed the net, Marchand turned over the puck and Bertuzzi flipped a backhander over Thomas’ shoulder. The B’s then went on the power play and Marchand made up for his earlier gaffe as he took a pass from Ryder directly in front of the net and slid a wrist shot past Howard. After that, it was all downhill for the B’s.

Pavel Datsyuk tied the score at 3:54 of the second as McQuaid collided with Thomas, they both fell down and Datsyuk had a wide open net. Wings then used their speed and talent advantage and took control. Kris Draper scored the go-ahead goal at 12:44 when he took a perfect pass from Eaves, skated up the middle and roofed one behind Thomas. Minutes later, Thomas made a spectacular stop off of Datsyuk’s chance directly out in front.

Moving into the third, Wings maintained the edge in play, as they were able to keep the B’s from advancing the puck beyond the perimeter. Lucic took a slap shot off the leg and limped off the ice. Halfway through the period, the B’s had a couple of chances that Howard turned aside. Krejci howled at the referee when his stick was knocked out of his hands but no call was made. Bertuzzi then put the game out of reach at 13:35 when he came down right wing on a 2-on-1, took a pass from Datsyuk and slid the puck behind Thomas. Late in the game, Franzen then dumped Ryder as he broke in alone and incurred a trip to the penalty box, but the B’s power play couldn’t get much traction. Thomas was pulled with about a minute left but the Wings crowded in front of Howard and the B’s couldn’t muster a shot. These two games with Detroit were a slap in the face to any pretensions the B’s may have held as Cup contenders. Without any significant offensive upgrades via trades, this team won’t get too far in the playoffs.

Game 57 v. Toronto (2/15/11):

After the lost weekend series with the Red Wings, the B’s returned home for a date with the Leafs (who are in full sell off mode and are looking for picks). James Reimer started in goal for Leafs against Tim Thomas. Lucic had a chance 30 seconds in that Reimer turned aside. A minute later, Dion Phaneuf hit the post with a blast from the point. Ryder came back and fired a wrist shot from the right circle that damaged Reimer’s mask. Daniel Paille put the B’s ahead at 8:04 on a deflection from the side of the net that bounced between Reimer’s legs. Every time Kessel went near the puck the Garden crowd let him hear their displeasure. Lupul then had a great chance that Thomas dove to knock away. Leafs went on the power play at 15:18 after Krejci was called for hooking Grabovski. Thomas came up with a couple of big stops on shots from Lupul and Phaneuf before Chara plastered Grabovski into the boards, and Chara was called for interference. Kessel the scored his first goal against the B’s when he batted in a shoulder high rebound into the net at 17:22. McArthur nearly put Leafs ahead as Thomas turned over the puck and McArthur’s deflection went just wide of the open net. The B’s started out pretty well but Kessel’s goal was deflating.

Leafs took to the attack directly off the faceoff to start the second and Grabovski scored at 4:35 on a backhander that beat Thomas cleanly. Following the goal, the B’s couldn’t get out of their way, turning over the puck and going nowhere fast. The B’s finally applied some pressure and Lucic hit the post on a pass from Krejci. Phaneuf went off for slashing at 8:37, putting the B’s on the power play for the first time. The B’s went back on the power play at 12:26 as Aulie went off for hooking. Once more, the power play unit created a lot of smoke without much substance. Krejci took an inadvertent stick in the face from Grabovski at 16:44 and the B’s power play was back in business. Third time was a charm as the B’s crashed the net and Campbell scored on a backhander at 18:34 while Marchand was being taken out of the play by Aulie.

After both sides went back and forth for half of the third period, Bergeron put the B’s ahead at 9:08 on a wrist shot battling through a crowd following a nice pass from Recchi. The B’s were fortunate as the Leafs rung the iron twice in the opening minutes. Reimer made a great stop off of Ryder’s shot from directly out in front. Leafs went on the power play at 13:09 as Seidenberg was called for cross-checking Phaneuf in the out in front of the net. Kessel scored again ay 13:27 after he skated around Ference and popped in a shot through Thomas’ legs. Aulie went to the penalty box at 14:14 for hooking down Ryder, but the B’s power play couldn’t do much. Grabovski scored at 18:59 to put Leafs ahead as he skated past Ference and Seidenberg and roofed one over Thomas’ right shoulder. Thomas was pulled directly thereafter and Krejci had a golden chance with the extra attacker and Reimer slid across to block. The B’s lost their third straight game and now hit the road for six games. With the Canadiens’ win over Buffalo, Montreal took over first place in the Northeast, what a disappointing night.

After the game, the B’s acquired forward Chris Kelly from Ottawa for a #2 pick in the upcoming draft and there were rumors that one or two additional moves were in the works.

Game 58 at NY Islanders (2/17/11):

The B’s opened a crucial six-game road trip starting on the Island. The Islanders come into this one having won their last four straight while the B’s have gone down in flames in their last three. Chris Kelly did not join the team due to “visa problems” but will presumably play tomorrow night in Ottawa. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Nathan Lawson. There were a ton of empty seats at the Coliseum, which is a shame considering the fact that the Islanders were the class of the NHL not so long ago. But that was before Wang bought the team and the franchise has been a train wreck since. Blake Wheeler put the B’s on top at 1:52 on a backhander from a pass from Seguin. It was Wheeler’s first goal in 16 games. Adam McQuaid and Konopka had a heavyweight tilt that was a draw. Konopka was deemed to be the aggressor and picked up an additional two minutes. The power play did nothing as Rask was called on to make a tricky stop of Moulson’s shorthanded bid. Recchi made it 2-0 at 7:03 when he drove to the net, took a pass from Bergeron and the puck deflected off his skate and into the net. Daniel Paille made it 3-0 at 9:04 when he crashed the net and knocked in a rebound of Campbell’s shot from the right point.

The B’s went up 4-0 at 55 seconds of the second as Krejci banged in a rebound of Horton’s shot. Tavares finally put the Isles on the board at 1:50 as he ripped a wrist shot behind Rask. Seguin made it 5-1 at 2:49 on a pass from Thornton and Al Montoya immediately replaced Lawson in the Isles’ net. Haley was sent off at 3:33 for a ten-minute misconduct for trying to provoke a fight with Campbell, who wisely declined. Josh Bailey made it 5-2 at 5:36 on a one-timer directly out in front that Rask never saw. Just as the Isles grabbed the momentum, they were caught with too many men on the ice and the B’s went back on the power play. Lucic made it 6-2 at 7:17 when he grabbed a rebound of Chara’s bomb from the point and tucked it past Montoya.

Moving into the third, Tavares nearly scored on a deflection on a wide open net but his tip in attempt went just wide. Tavares made up for that earlier gaffe and scored at 12:57 on a rebound as the B’s defense collapsed. Montoya made a spectacular glove save on Seguin’s shot from directly out front. Two much needed points for the B’s.

Wheelin’ & Dealin’:

Prior to Friday night’s game in Ottawa, the B’s dropped the hammer with a couple of big trades. First, the long-speculated trade with Toronto for puck-moving defenseman Tomas Kaberle came to pass. In exchange, the B’s parted ways with ‘08’s first-round pick Joe Colborne, this year’s #1 pick and a conditional second-round pick in 2012 if the B’s make it to the Cup finals and/or Kaberle signs a new deal with Boston.

To make Kaberle’s salary fit under the cap, Chiarelli had to make a second trade, this one involved shipping Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart to Atlanta for forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik (Providence). Wheeler and Stuart are scheduled to be RFA’s next year while Peverley is signed through ‘11-12.

Are these moves sufficient to make the B’s Cup contenders? No, probably not (after what we saw last weekend against Detroit). Nonetheless, these trades make Boston a more competitive team. It’s sad to part with young, talented players like Wheeler and Stuart (who had been a healthy scratch in nine of the last eleven games). But it was apparent that this team wasn’t going to have a fighting chance moving forward without a top-of-the-line PMD (Kaberle) or more speed up front (Kelly and Peverley). The Bruins could play like serious contenders one night and the following game not even show up. A serious shake-up was in order and Chiarelli made the right moves to improve this team.

As far as losing the draft picks and Colborne, the B’s still have Toronto’s first and Minnesota’s second in the upcoming draft. Colborne was in his first pro season in Providence and has a long way to go before cracking into the Leafs’ lineup (though he’ll probably get to the NHL more quickly there than had he remained in the B’s organization). The B’s have drafted well in recent years and have stockpiled a number of highly talented young players. At a certain point, having an abundance of picks creates organizational redundancy if they can’t occasionally be used as trading chips.

Game 59 at Ottawa (2/18/11):

The Senators have gutted their roster in recent weeks as they have fallen to the bottom spot in the Eastern Conference. Kaberle and Kelly were in the lineup for this one while Johnny Boychuk was a healthy scratch. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Robin Lehner. Over the course of the first period, the Senators outplayed the B’s but Rask was sharp when called upon. The B’s played like they had lead in their pants in that period.

Bobby Butler scored at 2:50 of the second on when he flipped in a wrist shot from directly out in front of Rask. The B’s went on the power play shortly thereafter and Marchand tied the score at 6:47 on a quick counterattack when he rang a wrist shot off the left post and into the net. The play was started by Ference, who fed Seguin streaking up right wing. Seguin saw Marchand driving toward the net and made a nice pass that Marchand one-timed into the net. To refer to the first forty minutes as “lackluster” would be an understatement…

The B’s started the third on the power play that ended quickly as Recchi went off for tripping at 30 seconds. The Sens had two great chances from Spezza in the early going. Rask then robbed Foligno on a tip-in attempt. The B’s then came back up the ice and Ryder nearly scored. Nathan Horton then ripped a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that Lehner never saw and the B’s took a 2-1 lead at 9:47. Horton then went off for holding at 11:38. The only quality chance came when Ryan Shannon nearly tipped in a shot from Spezza. Shannon then went to the box for a slash at 13:45 and Seidenberg banged in a slap shot from the right circle at 15:20 to make it 3-1. Marchand made it 4-1 at 15:52 when he tapped in Bergeron’s pass from behind the net. Kovalev scored on the power play at 18:30 on a feed from Kuba to tighten things somewhat. Lehner was pulled with 1:15 to go and the Sens had a couple of chances with 30 seconds left but Rask held down the fort. This was a night when the B’s didn’t play especially well overall, but came through when it mattered against a poor team.

Game 60 at Calgary (2/22/11):

After a few days off, the B’s winged west to Alberta for a date with the Flames at the Saddledome. Calgary is coming off a big 4-0 win over Canadiens in the Heritage Classic played on Sunday night at McMahon Stadium, where a huge crowd braved bitter cold temperatures to cheer on the home team. Tim Thomas started in goal against Mikka Kiprusoff. Thomas was called upon to make a great save off of Brendan Morrison in the first 20 seconds. Milan Lucic then scored at 59 seconds on a beautiful pass from Krejci coming down right wing. Rich Peverley made his B’s debut playing on a line with Chris Kelly and Ryder, who went off for hooking at 2:30. The first ten minutes were played at an especially brisk pace with both sides having a few quality chances.

Five minutes into the second, Tanguay broke in alone but Chara chased him down and knocked away the puck with his stick. Ten minutes in, the Flames poured the pressure down on Thomas, but he was able to hold down the fort. Ference then turned over the puck at the blue line and Iginla scooped it up and broke in but McQuaid was able to scramble back into position and knock Iginla off the puck. Kiprusoff made a nice save off of Kelly’s attempt on the 2-on-1. Glencross went off for a double minor high stick at 17:34 and the B’s went on the power play for the first time, but other than shots by Krejci and Horton that power play didn’t muster much steam.

Brad Marchand made it 2-0 at 5:55 of the third on a one-timer wrist shot from Bergeron’s behind the back pass from in front of the net. Curtis Glencross tightened things up at 17:27, but after Kiprusoff was pulled with a minute left, Lucic scored an empty netter at 19:13 and the B’s came away with a highly satisfying 3-1 win over a tough opponent.

Game 61 at Vancouver (2/26/11):

After four days off in the wilds of Western Canada, the B’s took to the ice against the Western Conference’s top seed at Canadian Media Conglomerate Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks are a real powerhouse, and much like the two games with Detroit, this matchup will provide the B’s with a test to compare how they can fare against the NHL’s best. Prior to the game, the B’s announced that they signed defenseman “Sheriff” Shane Hnidy to a contract. Hnidy had been with the B’s a couple of years ago and is a take-no-prisoners blueliner. He’ll probably go down to Providence to get back in game shape before moving to the big club as insurance for the playoff stretch.

Three of the Canucks’ regular defensemen were out with injuries. Tim Thomas started in goal against Roberto Luongo. Raffi Torres had a chance after Peverley turned over the puck but Thomas was able to stop his hard blast. Jannick Hansen went off for goaltender interference at 2:14, but other than a jam attempt by Horton, the power play was ineffectual. Ballard and Marchand had a little scuffle at center ice but no punches were thrown. Marchand was sent off for holding the stick and the Canucks went on the power play. The B’s PK unit did a good job, preventing Vancouver from putting any shots on goal. Thomas robbed Daniel Sedin on a quick shot from directly out front. Manny Malhotra put Canucks on top at 16:58 after Kaberle turned over the puck and Malhotra stuffed it in.

Andrew Ference suffered a “lower body injury” in the first period and would not return. Christian Ehrhoff went off for tripping Bergeron at 2:57 of the second but other than Recchi’s tip-in attempt the power play produced nothing. Midway through the period, the Horton-Bergeron-Marchand line put forth the best shift of the night so far, as they buzzed about Luongo and put a couple of quality chances on net. Horton then tied the score at 9:56 as he took Lucic’s pass from behind the net and chipped in a rebound of his first shot. Kaberle picked up his first assist as a Bruin on the play. Marchand went off for slashing shortly thereafter and Daniel Sedin had a great chance that Thomas stopped. After the Canucks’ power play, the game became much more wide open as Samuelsson had a breakaway off of Lucic’s turnover and Thomas made a very nice stop.

Henrik Sedin nearly scored on a tip-in in the first minute of the third. Salo then ripped a blast from the point that Thomas knocked away. Samuelsson then had a clean break but fired a shot that went over the net. Moments later, Samuelsson had another great chance but Thomas and Seidenberg chipped the loose puck out of danger. While Canucks had the edge in play in the early part of the period, momentum shifted in the B’s direction midway through. Gregory Campbell was then sent off at 11:10 for holding, and other than a couple of shots from the point by Salo, the PK unit held down the fort. Lucic put the B’s ahead at 15:32 on a rebound of Seidenberg’s shot from the point. Krejci started the play by breaking into the Canucks’ zone, circled the net and fed Seidenberg at the point. After Lucic’s goal, Canucks poured on the heat in the B’s end and Luongo was pulled with 1:30 left. Patrice Bergeron then banged in an empty netter from the red line to “put a dagger in Vancouver’s heart.”

Game 62 at Edmonton (2/27/11):

One night after the big win in Vancouver, the B’s made their way to Edmonton for a date with the last-place Oilers at Rexall Place. This game featured the first confrontation between last year’s first and second overall picks in the draft, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. Tuukka Rask got the start in goal against Devan Dubnyk and Stephen Kampfer filled in for Andrew Ference, who was injured in last night’s game. The Oilers have taken to wearing their sharp uniforms from their glory days in the ‘80’s. Too bad Gretzky and Messier aren’t coming through that door. Ales Hemsky scored at 1:05 on a rebound from a shot from the point as Rask continued his disturbing trend of allowing an early goal. Seguin then blocked a shot and limped to the bench. Horton and Theo Peckham then had a scrap with Peckham definitely was the worse for wear. Ryder tied the score at 15:30 on a rebound from McQuaid’s shot from the point. Nathan Horton put the B’ ahead at 18:39 on a one-timer from Krejci’s pass as the B’s worked the triangular passing in front of Dubnyk to perfection.

Edmonton started the second period on the power play that was ineffectual and then the Oilers’ Jason Strudwick was called for tripping McQuaid, holding out his leg as McQuaid attempted to skate past him. The Oilers picked up their physical play and things got chippy as Hall was sent off for roughing, but the B’s power play didn’t do much. Rich Peverley scored his first goal as a Bruin at 19:08 on a give n’ go from Chris Kelly to put the B’s up 3-1 after two.

Thornton nearly scored on a tip in but then Gilbert Brule came right back to score at 3:14 on a slap shot from the left circle. Marchand and Cogliano had a go at center ice after a bit of pushing and shoving away from the puck. Lucic and Vandermeer then had a heavyweight bout with both pugilists trading a series of blows though there was no clear victor. Both teams got a lot of energy off the bout as Gagner nearly scored the tying goal when he picked Bergeron’s turnover and then Linus Omark fired a shot that went across the crease. Jordan Eberle then nearly tipped in Hall’s pass but Rask smothered the puck. Hall streaked up left wing and found Eberle breaking toward the net. Hall then ripped a shot from left wing that sailed just wide. Dubnyk was pulled with 1:30 left, but the B’s defense held tight and limited the Oilers’ chances to a minimum.

Game 63 at Ottawa (3/1/11):

The B’s opened the month of March with the final game of their six-game road trip back in Ottawa, where they last played two weeks ago in the early stage of the trip. In that game, the Sens played the B’s tough for about two periods before imploding in the third. With the exception of Alfredsson, Philips and Spezza, Ottawa management has traded away all of their top stars as they’re looking to rebuild via the draft and, like Florida, have accumulated a ton of picks to hasten the process. Tuukka Rask (8-11-1) started in goal against Craig Anderson (16-16-3). Perhaps it was a case of jet lag, but the B’s really misfired coming out over the first eight minutes before quality chances by Ryder and Krejci. The B’s continued their ragged play as Rask was tested by shots from Spezza and Gonchar. Kaberle then turned over the puck and Foglino scooped it up and Neil nearly scored on a tip in that Rask dove to cover. Colin Greening then made a goal-saving sweep of Bergeron’s attempt with a wide open net with about a minute to go.

Neil and Winchester had quality chances on Rask early in the second as the B’s slowly came to find their skating legs. Recchi nearly scored on another practically wide open net on a pass from Bergeron but Anderson was able to kick away the puck at the last instant. Rask then made the save of the night on Spezza’s attempt. Spezza then went off for tripping at 14:02, putting the B’s power play out there for the first time and Chara had three great chances from the point but the Sens’ PK unit otherwise did a great job keeping the puck away from Anderson. In the final minute, Ottawa buzzed the B’s net and had a couple of key chances, the closest being Butler’s drive that hit the post.

Nathan Horton put the B’s ahead at 1:43 as he picked up a loose puck in front of the net and banked it in, as he and Marchand crashed the net and Anderson was overpowered. Gregory Campbell then went off at 3:24 for charging after a hard hit. Marchand made a beautiful diving block of Kuba’s blast from the left point and the B’s killed off the penalty. Rask made another great kick stop off of Shannon’s drive from directly out front. The B’s then went back on the power play at 6:50 as Condra went off for hooking. Horton nearly tipped in Seidenberg’s shot from the point, but that was the only opportunity on the power play. The Sens maintained the pressure in the B’s end, buzzing about Rask before Marchand went off for holding at 16:23. Bergeron and Campbell each had shorthanded bids before the Senators crashed the net and things got nasty between Foligno and Seidenberg. For the second time, the B’s PK unit held the Sens’ power play without any shots on goal. Anderson was pulled with less than a minute remaining and Gonchar’s blast from the point was deflected setting up a shot in front, and Butler followed that up with another, but Rask held and the B’s came away with the hard-fought 1-0 win. The last time the B’s won six straight on the road was back in 1972. And that was a very, very good year for the Bruins. A sign of things to come? Maybe, just maybe…