Boston Bruins Games 61-82

Comin’ Down The Home Stretch

GM Peter Chiarelli was pretty active at the trade deadline, acquiring Greg Zanon from Minnesota as well as Brian Rolston, and Mike Mottau from the Islanders. In return for Zanon, the Bruins traded Steven Kampfer. The Islanders received prospects Marc Cantin and Yannick Riendeau, who were both toiling in the ECHL.

The final month of the regular season went by in a blur. The B’s were playing mediocre, .500 hockey during the early part of the month, beating the Devils in overtime, losing to the Islanders and the Rangers before wins over the Leafs and Buffalo. Tuukka Rask went down in the Islanders’ game with a groin injury and was lost for the balance of the regular season. The team brought in Marty Turco, who had played this year in Europe to back up Thomas.

In the middle of March, they lost four games in a row to the Caps, Penguins, Lightning and Panthers. That stretch featured their worst sustained performances of the year, especially the two games in Florida. At one point, Ottawa overtook them for first place in the Northeast and they briefly fell to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

They then rebounded quite nicely, winning five out of their next six, including beating the Kings and Ducks out on the Coast. After soundly beating the Lightning at home, they lost again to the Caps in a shootout. The B’s then moved on to the Island, where they handily dispatched of the Islanders before beating the Rangers 2-1 at Madison Square Garden. After coming out flat against the Penguins at home, the B’s downed the Senators 3-1 in Ottawa before wrapping up the regular season with a thrilling shootout win over Buffalo.

Now it’s on to the Playoffs!