2010-2011 Boston Bruins Puck Drop

…Heading Into The Stretch

Game 64 v. Tampa Bay (3/3/11):

Fresh off their best road trip in 39 years, the B’s returned home for a key matchup with the Lightning, who are tied with Boston for second place in the Eastern Conference with 81 points (37-19-7). Mike Smith started in goal for the Lightning against Tim Thomas (who just took top spot in TSN’s player rankings).

Tyler Seguin was a healthy scratch and Daniel Paille took his spot on the fourth line. The Lightning’s Vincent Lecavailer was also out of the lineup for this one. In the early going, Smith made a spectacular stop on Bergeron’s drive on a 3-on-2 break. Minutes later, Smith made another great stop of Marchand’s backhander from in close. Thomas then robbed Mattias Ritola and Lucic went off for a cross-check on the play. Stephen Stamkos (leading the league in power play goals) rang a wrist shot off the post but Thomas snared the rebound. Moments after the B’s killed off the penalty, Adam Hall was sent off for holding at 10:47. The power play didn’t produce much beyond Chara’s shot from the point and an attempt by Horton that went just wide left. Recchi nearly scored but his shot trickled through Smith’s pads and hit the post and was cleared away. With a minute remaining, Lucic’s shot from between the circles hit the post as the B’s maintained heavy pressure in the Lightning end. Even though the Lightning out-shot the B’s 10-8 in the period, B’s definitely had the edge in play.

The B’s started out the second a little sloppy in their end and Sean Bergenheim nearly scored after picking up a turnover. Eric Brewer put Tampa Bay up 1-0 at 4:04 on a slap shot that deflected off of Kampfer and into the net. Kampfer then tied the score at 6:06 on a shot from the right point that rang off the pipe and behind Smith. The goal was set up by Chris Kelly’s digging in the corner and finding Kampfer waiting at the point. Campbell then crashed the net and Downie took exception. Thornton became fed up with Downie and both were sent off for misconducts. Recchi was sent flying into the post by Martin St. Louis which caused a minor scuffle among the players. Ritola then leveled Kampfer with a heavy check as it looked like things were ready to explode. Mattias Ohlund was then sent off for roughing at 8:17. After the power play expired, Horton tripped Domimic Moore and tried to pick a fight but Lucic and Brewer had a tilt in which Lucic ultimately prevailed. Tampa Bay ended up with a 5-on-3 for nearly two minutes. Simon Gagne had a great chance that Thomas snared at the left post as the B’s did a good job killing off the penalties. Smith then made a brilliant stop on Horton’s breakaway attempt coming out of the penalty box. Seidenberg went off for cross-checking at 15:23 but the B’s once more held down the fort. Chara then knocked Bergenheim down with a heavy check and Bergenheim tried to milk it for a penalty but the referee wasn’t buying.

St. Louis had a good chance in the early moments of the third that Thomas knocked away. Smith then made a ten-bell stop of Marchand’s wrist shot from directly out in front as Bergeron made a perfect setup pass from right wing. Johnny Boychuk then sent Nate Thompson flying with a classic hip check against the boards. Brewer went off for high sticking at 9:46 but the B’s failed to register a shot on goal. The B’s then crashed the net and Lucic scored the go-ahead goal at 16:18, shooting a wrist shot over a pile of players who were clogging the net. On the play, Smith saved Krejci’s initial shot and then he, Krejci and two defensemen fell down in the crease. Lucic pulled the puck out of the pile and fired the puck high into the wide open top corner. Smith was pulled with less than a minute to go but the B’s did a great job of playing keep away and the Lightning were unable to get any shots on Thomas.


Game 65 v. Pittsburgh (3/5/11):

The B’s looked to continue their long winning streak at home against the Penguins on Saturday night at the Garden. It was another frustrating afternoon for the B’s as they lost 3-2 in overtime. Tim Thomas started in goal against Marc-Andre Fleury. Patrice Bergeron was unavailable for this game as his grandmother passed away while Matt Bartkowski filled in for Steven Kampfer, who was out with a mild concussion. The Penguins’ big gun, Sidney Crosby, also remained out of the lineup with a concussion. From the opening faceoff, Penguins aggressively forechecked the B’s and limited their offensive momentum. Shawn Thornton and Mike Rupp had a go early on and Rupp had the better of it. After a scoreless first period, the B’s got on the board first on Zdeno Chara’s goal at 7:26 but the Penguins came right back to take the lead on goals by Jordan Staal at 10:09 and Dustin Jeffrey at 11:19. The B’s came out at a high tempo to open the third period but the Pens did a great job on the forecheck to maintain the lead. Thomas was pulled with just over a minute to go and Krejci scored at 19:27 on a wrist shot from directly out in front on a perfect pass from Horton to tie the game. Moving into overtime, the B’s had a couple of early chances before Jeffrey skated around Seidenberg like he was a pylon and fired a wrist shot past Thomas to win the game for the Pens.

Game 66 at Montreal (3/8/11):

All eyes were focused on Bell Centre on Tuesday night, as the B’s came to Montreal for a big Northeast Division showdown with Canadiens. With 84 points, the B’s were five points ahead of the Habs and only two points behind conference-leading Philadelphia. The last time these teams got together (February 9th) the B’s prevailed 8-6 in a brawl-filled bloodbath. There was tremendous speculation in the media regarding this matchup and what style of play each team would employ. Tuukka Rask started in goal against Carey Price. From the outset, the B’s brought a physical style as was expected. Johnny Boychuk and Ryan White had a decent tilt at center ice at 3:11 setting the stage for the physical play which ensued. Whit was assessed the instigator though the B’s did nothing with the power play. Lars Eller put Habs on top at 8:21 when he popped in a rebound of a broken play in front of Rask. With the lead, Canadiens then aggressively forechecked forcing the B’s into dump n’ chase mode (which has proven to be generally ineffective). Late in the period, Bergeron put a shot on Price that was promising but Price scrambled to knock it away. Eller scored again at 17:37 as he was directly out in front of Rask and took a pass from Moen and fired it top shelf, 2-0 Habs. Gionta then hit the post on a drive from in close as the B’s defense collapsed on the play. The B’s had their chances in that period but didn’t finish them.

The B’s went on the power play early in the second when Tomas Plecanec went off for kneeing Lucic. The power play continued its anemic output as they were only able to muster one shot on Price. Chris Kelly was sent off for a high stick on Mara at 6:41. In true Habs’ style, Mara took a dive…and Canadiens scored on the power play at 7:15 as Gionta banged in a loose puck that trickled through Rask’s pads to make it 3-0, what an embarrassing goal. Hamrlik went off for tripping at 9:26 and once more, the power play failed to deliver. The B’s went right back on the power play as Canadiens were caught with too many men on the ice and this time managed a grand total of one shot on goal. Habs then went on the power play and scored at 15:09 as James Wisniewski fired a bullet from between the circles that blew past Rask in a blink. In the closing seconds of the period, Chara shoved Pacioretty against the board with a very rough check. Pacioretty’s head struck the stanchion that separates the bench area from the stands and was rendered unconscious. Medical attendants immediately rushed to his aid and he had to be removed from the ice by stretcher. Not that it matters, but Chara received a five-minute penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Chara is not a “dirty” player but there has been “bad blood” between Chara and Pacioretty since the last time the B’s visited Montreal and Pacioretty shoved Chara after scoring the game-winning goal. On this play, Chara did not attempt to injure Pacioretty, but his hit against the boards came in an area on the ice where players are most vulnerable.

In the midst of killing off Chara’s penalty, Marchand was hauled down while breaking in alone on a shorthanded bid and was awarded a penalty shot, a feeble attempt that Price easily turned aside. Both teams were clearly spooked by the injury as the third period closely resembled a senior men’s no-check league. The B’s finally got on the board at 13:21 as Lucic ripped a wrist shot short side that zipped through Price’s pads and into the net. Late in the period, Lucic took exception to a hit from Pouliot and was sent off for his trouble. There’s a time and place to stir the pot, but not tonight, just get this miserable game over and done with.

L’Affaire Chara:

The following day the NHL conducted a disciplinary review of Chara’s hit on Pacioretty and ruled that Chara would not be subject to suspension or a fine. Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and non-displaced vertebrae fractures. Certainly, fans of both teams wish Pacioretty nothing but a speedy recovery. The incident was hotly debated in the media, talk shows and HF Boards but it was a freak accident, not a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. It happened so fast that it could not have been otherwise. Predictably, the Montréal media whipped the fans into a frenzy over the incident sparking outrage among the fans of the bleu, blanc et rouge. Where was the outrage when Plecanec attempted to take out Lucic’s knee in the second period, eh? There’s nothing wrong with having a bitter rivalry, but a sense of perspective appears to have been lost. Some of us have better things to do than engage the hysteria. For a moment there, it looked like we’d have another Richard Riot in the streets of Montréal.

On Thursday, things took a ridiculous turn as the Sûreté du Québec announced that they would open a probe into the matter. It appears as if the police caved in to political pressure (and Pacioretty’s whining) in a matter in which the appropriate governing body has already made a determination. In aberrant incidents such as Bertuzzi-Moore or McSorley-Brashear, there was sufficient malum in se to warrant the exercise of judicial intervention. Pacioretty’s injuries did not result from a blind-sided head hit such as occurred last year when Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke leveled Marc Savard (from which there was no suspension or fine). There was nothing (as buttressed by the NHL’s ruling) remotely close to requisite ill intent on Chara’s part to trigger a criminal investigation. This was not a vicious battery of a defenseless victim or the overzealous actions of a designated goon. Hockey is a violent activity conducted at high rates of speed fraught with risk. Professional hockey players are handsomely compensated to participate in this activity and players accordingly assume a risk of injury. Judicial intervention into activities on the ice is warranted only in extreme circumstances when a player commits such a blatantly wrong act of deliberately intending to injure an opponent (e.g., Bertuzzi, McSorley) that is beyond the bounds of fair (and rough) play.

Game 67 v. Buffalo (3/10/11):

Can we get back to hockey, please? Buffalo has 72 points and holding onto the final playoff spot in the East for dear life. In light of the stale offense of late, the coach shook up the lines, putting Marchand, Bergeron and Peverley on the second line and moving Recchi, Kelly and Ryder onto the third. Tim Thomas started in goal against Ryan Miller. The crowd gave Chara a rousing ovation when he stepped on to the ice for the first time. Horton had a great chance two minutes in after stick handling the puck around a defender and firing dead on but Miller knocked it away. Gregory Campbell and McCormick got into it at 2:54 and McCormick put a whuppin’ on Campbell. Thornton went off at 6:31 for interfering Gaustad. The power play lasted all of five seconds as Tyler Myers tripped Marchand and was directed to the penalty box. Leopold broke in alone on a 2-on-none after a turnover and Thomas made a really nice stop. Boychuck’s backhanded attempt then went over the net. Horton scored at 9:54 on a breakout where Krejci carried up the middle, fed to Lucic streaking down left wing and Lucic passed to Horton at the last second. Chara turned over the puck leading to a chance by Vanek that Thomas turned aside. Thomas then robbed Pominville, who had a wide open left corner that was quickly closed off.

The B’s nearly scored off the opening faceoff of the second as Recchi attempted to chop in a rebound of Kelly’s wraparound attempt. The Marchand-Bergeron-Peverley line skated well in their first shift, creating a terrific opportunity in front of Miller that went just wide. Lucic’s attempt on a 2-on-1 break with Horton that went over the net. McQuaid then turned over the puck in front of Thomas, who made two great stops in a row. The boys then scrapped in front of Thomas, with McQuaid and Mike Grier getting sent off for roughing at 5:43. Chara bopped Montador, who fell and slid into the boards and was called for boarding. After Vanek was denied by Thomas on the doorstep, Seidenberg was called for cross-checking, setting up a 5-on-3 for 1:11. Thomas made a great save on Pominville’s blast from the point and then stopped a close shot by Boyes. The Sabres were then called for too many men on the ice at 9:17 and Recchi made it 2-0 at 11:26 as Chara broke in from the blue line, passed to Ryder and Recchi tipped in the rebound. Tyler Ennis made it 2-1 at 11:53 as he popped a wrist shot over a pile and the Sabres were right back in the game. After a flurry of action in front of Thomas, Boychuk was sent off for hooking at 14:11 on a highly questionable call. Kaberle then was called for tripping at 17:08 as the officials were looking for the slightest excuse to penalize the B’s. Tomas Vanek then tied the score at 18:52 as he chipped a loose puck into the pile and over Thomas’ shoulder. McQuaid and Gaustad then had a serious go at 19:12 with both fighters landing a series of blows with no clear victor. In the closing seconds, there was another scuffle behind the Buffalo net as Lucic knocked McCormick silly (shades of Neely).

The B’s started out the third on the power play and Recchi had a great chance from in tight that Miller smothered…and that was the only chance on the power play. Campbell then put the B’s ahead at 2:18 as he knocked in the rebound of Chara’s blast from the point. The play was the result of Thornton’s digging in the corner and finding Chara alone at the blue line. Recchi was then called for a high stick on Myers and moments later, Marchand was called for tripping at 3:42, setting up yet another 5-on-3 for 1:44. The coach was thoroughly disgusted with the officiating. Thomas robbed Vanek again on a shot from in close but Tim Connolly scored at 5:05 on the two-man advantage when he tipped in a rebound of Boyes’ shot that deflected off of Chara’s skate. After the goal, the B’s had trouble trying re-establish even strength rhythm. McCormick then blatantly cross-checked Chara and there was no call. With 2:30 left, Grier had a great chance to put Sabres ahead on a 2-on-1 but the pass went just over his stick. There was another scrum in front of the B’s net as Gerbe stirred the pot with Marchand. In the closing seconds, Krejci had a chance but his shot was blocked out in front by Tyler Myers and the game went on to overtime…Peverley then had a chance from directly out in front that hit the post and then on the following sequence Gerebe fired a shot that bounced off of Thomas and Boyes was directly out in front to pop the rebound home. That’s the third time this year that Buffalo has beaten the Bruins in OT.

Game 68 at NY Islanders (3/11/11):


“Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island…”—Leon Russell

The B’s returned to Long Island just three weeks after their last appearance. The B’s are coming off yet another disappointing overtime loss as they opened a four-game road trip before a sparse crowd in Uniondale. Tim Thomas started in goal against Al Montoya. The B’s went on the power play at 3:25 as Justin DiBenedetto went off for tangling with Seidenberg. The only threat came when Chara’s shot from the point hit the post. Bergeron then fired a quick shot on Montoya that was turned away nicely. Matt Bartkowski was caught hooking midway through the period and the B’s PK unit did a good job of keeping the puck away from Thomas, allowing only Jack Hiller’s shot from the point. Things got a little rough as Okposo and Hamonic double-teamed Lucic up against the boards and Okposo was sent off for boarding. After the power play fizzled again, the B’s went ahead on Nathan Horton’s 20th goal of the year at 16:29 when he backhanded a rebound of Lucic’s shot past Montoya.

Thomas started off the second period with a nice leg save off of Matt Martin’s shot, skating around Johnny Boychuk on the play. The Isles came out at a high tempo and had the B’s on their heels in the first few minutes. Montoya then made a nice glove save off of Boychuk’s wrist shot as he broke in alone on a feed from Chara. Milan Jurcina went off for holding at 11:28 giving the powerless power play another crack. Halfway through, Frans Nielsen cross-checked Chara from behind into the boards giving the B’s a 5-on-3 for about a minute. Bergeron was tackled in the crease by Hamonic causing a small ruckus. Chara then made it 2-0 at 13:02 on a laser from the point on a pass from Krejci. Marchand then went off for interference at 18:45 and Matt Moulson scored at 19:58 as he stood at the left post and waited for a pass from Tavares and banged it home to make it a 2-1 game after two periods.

Bergeron opened the third with a great chance that Montoya smothered. Michael Grabner then tied the score at 1:28 on a shot from the right circle. Islanders then went on top at 5:58 as Jack Hillen’s shot from the left point went through a crowd and past Thomas. Horton and Hillen then got into a minor scuffle with Horton getting a seat in the penalty box. After the B’s killed off the penalty, Krejci and Seidenberg each had shots that Montoya scrambled to save. Thomas was pulled with about a minute left but could do little with the man advantage as Bergeron hooked down Parenteau and the referees awarded Parenteau an empty net goal. This was the first time all year that the B’s blew a lead after leading after two periods. Something is seriously amiss with this team.