The remaining 3 series kicked off last night. There was some exciting, close hockey.
MONTREAL CANADIENS 2, BOSTON BRUINS 0 Montreal leads series 1-0
Turnovers by the Bruins, quality goaltending by the Habs. The only good thing about Montreal winning is I get to post pictures of their female fans.
BUFFALO SABRES 1, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 0 Buffalo leads series 1-0
The Philadelphia media gave James van Riemsdyk the #1 star of the game. Yeah right. Ryan Miller was the star, stopping 35 shots. Patrick Kaleta scored the lone goal of the game, off a rebound. Buffalo is not to be underestimated. But I still feel like Philly will wake up by Game 3.
I went to bed before the conclusion of the Kings/Sharks game. Sorry.
Tonight's games: 7:00 PM - Lightning @ Penguins (Pittsburgh leads series 1-0) 7:30 PM - Rangers @ Capitals (Washington leads series 1-0) - Versus 10:00 PM - Blackhawks @ Canucks (Vancouver leads series 1-0) - Versus 10:30 PM - Predators @ Ducks (Nashville leads series 1-0)
The most exciting postseason in pro sports begins Wednesday. Here's a preview of the first round Eastern Conference matchups:
#1 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. #8 NEW YORK RANGERS Ovechkin had an atypical year, only scoring 32 goals and 53 assists. The Capitals found some defensive discipline, and guys like Semin and Knuble contributed on offense. The Rangers won the season series, thanks in no small part to Henrik Lundqvist, who allowed 4 goals in 3 games against Washington. If guys like Marian Gaborik wake up for New York, it might be another early exit for Washington. I'm picking the Rangers in 7.
#2 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs. #7 BUFFALO SABRES The Flyers limped down the stretch, having clinched their division long ago. They boast some serious playoff experience, and a number of dangerous forwards. Buffalo also have some weapons. Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford each surpassed 30 goals. And an ex-Vezina winner in net always helps. I think Buffalo takes an early lead in this series, then the Flyers wake up and win in 6.
#3 BOSTON BRUINS vs. #6 MONTREAL CANADIENS Strength vs. speed. I'm not very optimistic about the Bruins in the postseason, but I think they'll be able to instill fear in the Canadiens. Montreal doesn't have the high flying offense they once had, and Tim Thomas will help shutdown the Habs' power play. Bruins in 6.
#4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. #5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING No Crosby, no Malkin, no problem. The Penguins have been playing playoff calibre hockey for months now. They grind out every battle, turn every inch of the ice into a war zone, and make opponents pay for everything. Tampa Bay falls down too easily, their offense is too reliant on the power play (less penalties are called in the playoffs), and Pittsburgh's goaltending is far superior. Penguins in 5.
I actually think Pittsburgh will win the East. We'll preview the Western Conference tomorrow.
It's not about seeding, it's about matchups. This weekend, we'll find out who will matchup against the Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. It could be one of four teams: Montreal, Buffalo, the Rangers, or Carolina.
Right now, it'd be Montreal. They're nearly a lock to be the 6th seed. And despite losing the season series to the Habs, this might be the best matchup for the Bruins. The Canadiens have been a terribly streaky team. They're 6-6-1 since the Pacioretty/Chara incident. They're very fast, but they wilt against physical teams.
But the Bruins might not finish 3rd. They have a very good chance at earning the #2 seed. The Flyers are currently 2nd. They're 4-4-5 in their last 13, and have lost 4 straight. So the Bruins might face the 7th seed.
Which is currently Buffalo. The Sabres and Bruins have had mixed results against each other this year. And while you might feel confident about meeting Buffalo in the postseason again, remember one key fact: Thomas Vanek was injured in Game 2 of that series. And Vanek owns the Bruins. In 6 games against the Bruins, he's scored 4 goals, and added 3 assists this year. Not to mention Drew Stafford, who scored 7 times against the Bruins this year. And 6' 8" defenseman Tyler Myers will not be pushed around by any Bruin forward.
While the Bruins would be the favorites against Buffalo, it'd be a very tough series.
Then there's the Rangers, who are perhaps the worst matchup for the Bruins. The Rangers have an excellent goalie who has frequently frustrated the Bruins. They play disciplined defense. And now they have some guys who can score. I haven't felt good about a Rangers/Bruins game for 3 years now, and I don't want to see the Rangers somehow sneak into 7th and face the Bruins.
The longshot opponent would be Carolina. The Hurricanes are currently 9th, but have won 7 of 9 to get close. The B's won their season series with the Hurricanes 3-1. All three of those wins came within a 16 day span. Cam Ward isn't as good as he was in 2009, so I think the Bruins would win this series. But the odds of Carolina making it up to the 7th seed are so astronomically slim that it's hardly worth thinking about.
So, I'd prefer the Bruins met the Canadiens. Then the Sabres. Then the Rangers. If the Hurricanes make it, then they'd be better to play than Buffalo or New York.
I rarely blame officiating for losses. And certainly the Bruins might have found a way to win this one despite the referees. But it's difficult to beat a good team like Buffalo, when you're shorthanded for an entire period.
The Sabres had 7 power plays, including a pair of lengthy 5-on-3s. And the calls still make me facepalm. Zdeno got 2 minutes for being stronger than Steve Montador. The refs laughably called it boarding, even though it was a good 15 feet from the boards. How does that work? Seidenberg got 2 minutes for playing like a defenseman in the crease. Meanwhile, the Sabres figured out what was up, and proceeded to go down whenever a Bruin stick was near their feet.
The Bruins certainly could have played better. Their breakout was inconsistent. When they made smart moves through the neutral zone, they scored goals, or at least got a shot on net. They only got 7 shots on net in the 3rd period. With all the bad calls, it's easy to forget that the offense was truly inconsistent.
Part of that inconsistency was due to Ryan Miller. Both he and Thomas put on a clinic. The fights and refereeing overshadowed it, but both were superb. Ryan Miller just doesn't allow goals on the first shot. It has to be off rebounds.
I'm usually angry when the Bruins blow 2-0 leads. But what can you do against goalies like Ryan Miller, and referees like that. Hopefully, this isn't the start of a trend in officiating. Bruins @ Islanders tonight.
The Bruins fell on their collective faces last game, which is becoming an alarming trend with this team. They can play well for a couple games in a row, but then they come out some games looking disinterested. That might be ok if you're the Celtics, but it is not ok for a team that hasn't proved a damn thing and had a chance to put some distance between them and the Canadiens.
Sabres leading scorer Thomas Vanek is questionable after being scratched Tuesday with the flu, which should make things easier for the Bruins. My big fear tonight is two things. First, is Tim Thomas hurt? There have been rumors since he sat out that game in Montreal, and I really hope that it's not true. It could've also been that he doesn't have very good numbers against the Canadiens. The second is that Chara doesn't let the Pacioretty hit effect his game. He still needs to bang, and not let up. There have been reports that he is really shaken after what happened, but he needs to leave that as an off ice problem and not let it change the way he needs to play.
The Sabres are going to come out hard tonight as they are fighting just to be in the playoffs, so the Bruins better come out with a lot more energy then they did last game. Boston has struggled to put the puck in the net recently, so running into a guy like Ryan Miller is never a good thing. Still, the Bruins are a much better team, so I give them the nod.
Bruins win 3-2 Player of the Game: Horton Game starts at 7pm on NESN
Ryan Miller reminded us that he's still the holder of the Vezina Trophy. He stopped the Bruins a season high 38 times. Some of the saves were spectacular. One of them was very very timely. His point blank stop of Mark Recchi's shorthanded bid was the turning point of this game.
So give a tip of the cap to Ryan Miller. However, the Bruins hardly looked comfortable in this high-paced, occasionally frantic game. They gave pucks away because they weren't fully aware of their surroundings. Vanek's breakaway came when Krejci and Kampfer got a bit too aggressive in a breakaway.
The Bruins aren't built or coached to be a North-South, high octane, up and down the ice team. They're built to be methodical, orderly and deliberate. When they get involved in these kinds of games, they lose pucks too easily, they fail to generate enough scoring chances, and they frequently lose.
I think Julien should let this team get more experience, and therefore more comfort playing a more fluid and faster paced game. I can just imagine in practices, that all the drills are orderly, all the matchups are organized, all the playing standardized and regular. Julien seems like the kind of guy who's eaten the same breakfast everyday for 23 years.
In the playoffs, the Bruins will meet teams that have good goaltenders, and can play this faster game. If they can't learn how to play it themselves (it'd be especially nice for the Power Play to get move quicker), the B's need to at least learn how to stop it, and how to slow the game's pace down. Playing more physically is a good place to start doing that.
Bruins at Colorado on Saturday afternoon. The Aves have scored the 4th most goals in the NHL, but allowed the 4th most. So with the Bruins' tremendous defense/goaltending, and inconsistent offense, it'll be strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness.
The Boston Bruins have won five of six while scoring 29 goals (scored six goals or more in three of its last five games), which is a great sign that this offense is finally turning the corner. Yet, the Bruins are still not playing to their potential. Guys like Horton, Krejci, and Savard need to bring their game to the next level if the Bruins want to join the "elite" class of the NHL.
Buffalo has picked up 13 points in its last nine games, but is still 8 points out of the playoffs. They have a great goalie in Ryan Miller, but the rest of this team isn't very exciting at all. Still, the Sabres are a threat as they have won their last two game again Boston (both in Buffalo).
Still, I think the Bruins win tonight, because they are just a way better team (and are finally playing like it). Miller will keep the Sabres in the game, but in the end the Bruins will get just enough offense to get by.
Bruins win 3-1 Player of the Game: Krejci Game starts at 7pm on NESN.
I'm getting tired of Patrice Bergeron. It's kind of sad when the best he performed in the game, was in the post-game scuffle. He's adept at faceoffs, he's an excellent defensive forward, and you'll never see him make a mental mistake. But he's slow. My God is he slow. And when he gets a shooting lane, he'll either miss the net completely, or hit the goalie's chest, right in the logo.
He made the Canadian Olympic team because he does the little things. However, the Bruins don't have enough guys that do big things. I wouldn't mind trading Bergeron in the off-season, even if it were just for a draft pick. He belongs on a team that already has scorers, not a team that severely lacks them.
The refs were a bit iffy last night. Then again, killing 5 penalties is not a tall order. It is frustrating, though, that the 2 goals the B's allowed on the PK came from the 2 most questionable calls.
The most inexcusable goal was Buffalo's 2nd, which was a 5-on-5 goal. Thornton made an ill-advised pass in the neutral zone that got picked off. Then Boychuk failed to mark Drew Stafford, leaving him open for a one-timer in the slot. It was an unfair position to put Tuukka Rask in. Only Tim Thomas, or possibly Jesus, could have stopped that shot.
The Bruins' offense will struggle, which is why it's so important for the defense to not screw up like they did on that goal. I don't know why Shawn Thornton (of all people) is trying to thread the needle with low percentage passes like that.
Speaking of Thornton and his line, I like how regularly Claude Julien plays them. At the same time, it's not a scoring line. When you've held the puck for a minute in Buffalo's zone, and there's a faceoff in there, don't send out Thornton's line. Send a line that has a chance to score a goal. Send Krejci's line. This happened in the middle of the 1st period, and it baffled me.
I'll end on a rare positive note. 22 year old call-up Steve Kampfer (in German, his last name means "fighter") has acquitted himself nicely these last few games, replacing the injured Mark Stuart. He's not making mistakes, he's fast, and he's confident with the puck. He got an assist in this game, and genuinely earned the 20 minutes of ice-time he got.
The Bruins travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens tonight. In this 8 day stretch of tough games that started Saturday (Exam Week), they still haven't won yet. Tonight's a good time to change that.
The Bruins have beat the Sabres the two times they have played them this season, and are 4-0-2 in their last six overall, pulling within two points of first-place Montreal in the Northeast Division.
With the Bruins seemingly starting to get on a roll it is a bad time for the Sabres to run into them, since their star goalie has not been very good lately letting up 10 goals while going 1-1-1 in three starts since posting back-to-back shutouts against Columbus and Ottawa.
It should be a low scoring game, but my hope is that Savard is starting to get his legs under him. Since his return he only has 1 assist and 0 goals. He needs to be a productive player for the Bruins to turn into the team I think they can be.
Buffalo sucks, and the Bruins take care of business. It won't be a blowout, but they will outplay them all game.
Bruins win 3-1 Player of the Game: Savard Game starts at 7pm on NESN.
While watching the 3rd period, when the Bruins were trailing 2-1, I was going to mention in my recap how Mark Recchi hasn't done much for the offense this year. And how that entire line of Recchi-Bergeron-Wheeler was comprised of non-scorers. And just like every other time I've dared to doubt Recchi, he reminds us that senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.
Recchi's tip-in goal was the culmination of a well-executed comeback. A comeback that was sparked by a Buffalo turnover of Favre-ish proportions which gave Horton a gift goal, and a comeback made possible by Tim Thomas, who also got a one-punch TKO on Patrick Kaleta.
Thomas caught the charging Kaleta flush with a left jab. He also made 28 Saves, including a ridiculous poke-check in the OT that allowed the game to continue.
Nathan Horton has returned as a goal scoring threat. He's scored twice in the last 2 games, and has 4 points in the last 3. At the start of the season, his quick release, and his best-on-the-team accuracy helped propel the Bruins to an 11-5-1 (8 goals, 10 assists in that period) record. And since his drought began on November 20th, the Bruins went 3-3-2 (1 goal, 1 assist for Horton).
Thursday night, the Bruins host the Islanders, who a firm grip on the NHL's worst record, so hopefully the B's can take advantage. Because after that, there's a tough stretch of games.
The Bruins offense has been hit or miss lately, but Tim Thomas has been so good that it hasn't hurt them too bad. That could end tonight with the Sabres' Ryan Miller in net, who has posted consecutive shutouts, and is one of the best goalies in the game.
Savard should be getting more comfortable every game, and I believe the Bruins have the offensive tools to start putting a lot more points on the board. All that is well and good, but the Bruins need to find a way to do it consistently. The Bruins are only 3-3-2 in their last 8 games, which is kind of a waste with the way Thomas has been playing.
So for Boston it is all about getting their offense going. Boston is 5-2-0 in its last seven games against Buffalo, winning the most recent matchup at home3-1 on April 8.
I think the Bruins get it done tonight, and Thomas has another MVP-like performance.
Bruins win 2-0 Player of the Game: Thomas Game starts at 7:30pm on Versus.
Tim Thomas improved to 7-0 last night, which is the best record for any Bruins goalie to start a season. Kind of amazing for a guy the Bruins couldn't beg teams to take this offseason.
The Bruins came out of fire scoring 3 goals in the first period against the Ryan Miller-less Buffalo Sabres. Bruins got goals from Ryder, Wheeler, Bergeron, Marchand, and an empty netter from Lucic.
The Bruins penalty is just unreal, not only are they shutting teams down, but last night they popped in two goals, while a man down. They're pressuring the puck well, hitting, and obvious Tim Thomas has been the anchor.
I really can't say a bad work about how anyone has been playing, and what is really scary is that this team is doing all this without Savard even being involved. I do have some concerns that when Sturm and Savard come back they could throw off the groove they are in, but then again they could just get better.
Buffalo is not a good team (0-5-1 at home), and with Ryan Miller out they are a terrible team, but how can you argue with 7-2 record. What is even more amazing is that they are undefeated on the road (5-0), but then again they had a better record on the road last season then at home.
Anyways, Bruins get back at it Friday when they once again play with the Washington Capitals.
The Bruins get back at it tonight, and early reports suggest that Tim Thomas will between the pipes once again. If you have been keeping up with the Bruins at all you would know that Tim Thomas is the hottest goalie in the NHL. He has stopped 182 of 185 shots while compiling a 0.50 goals-against average which is easily the best in the NHL.
Going into the game I thought this could be a fantastic goalie matchup, as Ryan Miller is one of the best in the game, but from the reports I have been reading he will not play tonight, which is great news for the Bruins.
Boston has been dominate is basically every way. They lead the lead in GAA, penalty kill, and are in the top half of the NHL in scoring. Considering Boston was awful in putting the puck in the net last year you have to be encourage that they are doing this well, even with guys like Savard and Sturm still out.
Boston is going to crush this team tonight, and I expect Horton to get his scoring streak back going.
Game starts at 7pm on NESN. Player of the Game: Tim Thomas/Horton
"Advancement." Such a simple word for such a glorious achievement. The Bruins haven't advanced in the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 1992.
And we can thank a few principles for this feat: Tuukka Rask, David Krejci, Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron, Dennis Wideman, and Zdeno Chara most of all.
"Here we go Bruins, here we go. TUU-KKA!" That's the anthem, get your damn hands up. And it's been well earned. Tuukka made several huge and timely stops in this game. Two minutes before Krejci's first goal, Rask made a crotch-save, and alertly smothered the puck with his glove. When the game was 2-1 in the 2nd, Rask made an excellent ankle save as the game shifted violently from end to end. Then late in the 2nd, he stopped Vanek at point blank range. Early in the 3rd, after a Hunwick giveaway, Rask made the stop, firmly holding the post. Rask came through several times in the 3rd.
Then there was Krejci. At the end of the regular season, he came into his own once again, showing sparks of 08-09. His first goal was something I've seen in college hockey quite a bit this season, particularly from the BC Eagles. Krejci was in the high slot, above the compressed defenders near the crease. Recchi perfectly executed a shot-pass, which is something that is essentially a shot away from the net, but toward that player in the high slot. Krejci whiffled it into the net. It was the first time the Bruins took the initial lead in the series.
In the 3rd, Krejci's goal came from Lucic's triumph over two Sabres behind the net. Lucic found Krejci in the crease, and it was an easy goal from that range.
I already mentioned Recchi, but his goal came from a Dennis Wideman decision. On a 4-on-3 power play, Wideman crashed the net, which disturbed Buffalo's triangle defense. This gave Bergeron a clear passing lane to find Recchi, who shot at a near 90 degree angle past the committed Ryan Miller.
Satan's goal turned out to be the game-winner. He was spotted by Wideman, who snuck a pass through traffic, found Satan, and the scorer dangled, deked, and toyed with his ex-teammate Miller.
Now, all three of Buffalo's goals were extremely preventable. The first came after a Wideman giveaway, as he attempted a fadeaway breakout pass into the center of the ice. Ryder Three Stooged the puck, giving it away to the dangerous Nathan Gerbe. This resulted in a goal right after Krejci's 2nd made it 3-1.
Even though Wideman's giveaway resulted in a goal, at least he had a great game otherwise. The same cannot be said for Michael "The Saboteur" Ryder. I praised Ryder after his Game 2 performance. But he's back to being a premature ejaculating (figuratively speaking) fucko. He was hesitant and tentative with the puck in all three zones last night.
Special teams achieve new emphasis in the postseason. The Bruins, who struggled on the power play all year, were 6 of 22 (27.3%) in this series. Meanwhile, the B's killed all 19 of Buffalo's power plays. That's sheer dominance in the special teams category.
Now there's much work to be done by the Bruins. They made plenty of mistakes in this series. Mistakes that were rescued by Rask's goaltending, and saved by Buffalo's offensive ineptitude (especially without Vanek for most of the series).
But let's enjoy this upset victory. This is a 6 seed upsetting a 3. The Bruins were the only team to win a road game in this series. And they'll face a foe from Pennsylvania in the next round, dependent on the outcome of the Montreal/Washington series.
If the Canadiens win, the Bruins will play the Flyers (and have home-ice advantage). If the Capitals win, the Bruins will play Matt Cooke and the Penguins.
Both team could be getting a boost tonight. As I wrote earlier the Bruins are awaiting word from doctors on Savard's latest head test. If he passes he could be playing tonight. The Sabres already got their good news, as they got word Thomas Vanek will be in their lineup. We will get you an update on Savard as soon as we hear something.
As for the actual game tonight. Boston fell on their face in game 5, but it was bound to happen. The Bruins are putting this series away tonight, even if Savard cant be apart. I expect that there is more excitement in that locker room right now then there has been all season. They know with Savard on this team they have a chance to not just win this down, but maybe make it keep into this dance. The Bruins use this, and the home crowd and beat the Sabres tonight.
The key is to keep the pressure on Miller. He is outstanding, but you have to keep him on heels and crash the net. The Bruins are at their best when they are being physical in front of their net, and let guys like Krejci and Bergeron run the offense.
Rask has a weak game last time out, but you know he will bounce back, and he is a fiery guy I expect big things from him tongiht.
As you may have read earlier, I've been away for the past few days, so I was unable to do the Stanley Cup Round-Ups. So here's a refresher on where the Eastern Conference playoff series stand.
BOSTON LEADS BUFFALO 3-1 Stellar goaltending from both teams along with classic physical hockey has generated a much tighter and exciting series than the 3-1 standing would indicate. Tuukka Rask has spearheaded Boston's efforts, while Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron, and even Dennis Wideman have been the heroes for Boston. The series swung last night on a 2OT Boston win. The Sabres are without Vanek, their best scorer. And that devastating loss might just push them over the edge of the cliff.
WASHINGTON LEADS MONTREAL 3-1 This series has not seen stellar goaltending. Both teams have resorted to their backups. 31 total goals in 4 games. But Washington's offense is simply more potent than Montreal's. Backstrom has 5 goals and 4 assists, Ovehckin has 4 and 4. #1 seeded Washington should advance (2 of remaining 3 games in the series are in Washington), but some glaring weaknesses have been exposed.
PHILADELPHIA LEADS NEW JERSEY 3-1 The surprise of the Eastern Conference? Not really. Philly handled the Devils in the regular season, and have good numbers against Brodeur the past couple of years. The much maligned Brian Boucher has turned it up in the postseason, registering a 1.98 GAA (3rd best). But the Devils haven't been able to shoot the puck much. 26.8 per game (13th).
PITTSBURGH LEADS OTTAWA 3-1 This 3-1 series lead is perhaps the most dominant. Pittsburgh crushed Ottawa 7-4 Tuesday night. Crosby leads all playoff players with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists). Ottawa's goaltending has been dreadful, while M.A. Fleury has settled down a bit from his Game 1 meltdown. Pittsburgh should finish the job tonight.
So as it is, the 1, 4, 6, and 7 seeds would advance. Which would set up 2nd round match-ups of: #1 Washington vs. #7 Philadelphia, and #4 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Boston. Hmmmmmm. Pittsburgh and Boston? Didn't they have a little drama a few weeks ago? And isn't there speculation that Marc Savard might return? Very interesting.
The Bruins took the 2-1 series lead on the Sabers and Ryan Miller, and tonight is a very important game because if the Bruins win they have the series in hand, however, if they lose they give up home court(Ice). Tuuka Rask has been playing extremely well and the defense has been tenacious and have put an extremely physical effort.
The key question heading into Game 4 is whether Buffalo’s leading goal scorer Thomas Vanek (out since the second period of Game 2 with an ankle injury and spotted wearing a boot around the rink) will return to action. Buffalo has scored only twice in the last 100 minutes, and also could be without forward Matt Ellis, who took a solid check from Johnny Boychuk the other night and reportedly did not practice on Tuesday.
I expect an extremely chippy game and for it to be physical because a lot is on the line.
I believe Miller straightens out and Buffalo retakes home ice. Buffalo: 4-2 Tommy Award: Ryan Miller
The three stars from Monday night's win were Patrice Bergeron, Vladdy Sobotka, and Dennis Wideman. I'm flabbergasted that Tuukka Rask did not make that list. Then again, it's not as if Bergeron, Sobotka, Wideman, Recchi, Boychuk, Chara, Hunwick, and Rask didn't deserve spots in that grouping. There can only be three "stars" in the game. But the Bruins were stellar as a team.
Where would this team be without Mark Recchi? At the country club. Nuf said.
Vladimir Sobotka and Johnny Boyhuck have both earned spots in the lineup for the 2010-11 season. Sobotka seems to be involved in every pivotal play. And Boychuk seems to be part of every turning point.
I was absolutely stunned to see that the Bruins only had 29 shots on goal in this game. It seemed like they had 40. Time of possession is an NFL stat, but the Bruins dominated in that area as well. The puck was almost always in Buffalo's zone, and Miller was always threatened.
This was a perseverance win for the Bruins. They played hard, then good things happened. And the passes that set-up both goals were nothing short of marvelous. Sobotka slipping a sandbagging pass to Wideman in the slot. Recchi instantly finding Bergeron in the same space.
I loved seeing the Sabres' emotionality after these goals. This is an opponent that isn't accustomed to playoff hockey, not used to struggling. They seem close to being unhinged. A physical effort from Sobotka, Boychuk, and hopefully Lucic in Game 4 can push them over the edge.
The Bruins took home ice advantage when they beat the Sabres last game, to keep it the Bruins are going to keep up their winning ways. The Bruins were able to score 5 times in the last game, and for a team that was 2nd lowest in the NHL in scoring that is a big deal.
How did they get it done? Crashing the net, and being in the right place at the right time. Ryder played his best game of the season, and his entire line was flying towards the net. If the Bruins are going to have a chance in this series they have to keep that up.
Boston does have some things I want to see improvement in. Stupid turnovers have haunted this team all season. During the regular season it was Wideman, and Ryder being shitheads, now it is Lucic. He needs to get his head out of his ass. I know he is hurt, but that doesn't excuse being a complete retard.
The Sabres got bad news earlier this week when news came out that they have lost their leading scorer (Vanek) for at least game 3. Boston has all the momentum on their side, and if they can win this game they will be in really good shape.
I say it will be low scoring, but the Bruins take control early and cruise to a win.
The Bruins needed a lot of character to win Game 2. And goals. They got the character from expected sources, but the suppliers of the goals were a bit surprising.
I've ridden Michael Ryder all season. I've called him "Appendix" (because he serves no purpose), I've called him "Bystander," I've lobbied to get his linemates credit for shorthanded time on ice because playing with him is like playing a man down. Michael, I'm sorry.
Ryder scored twice. And granted, they were "right place, right time" goals, but he usually finds a way to screw up in those situations. Saturday afternoon, he was poised and calm when the puck found his stick near the net. Oh yeah, he also destroyed Andrej Sekera with a freight-train neutral zone hit.
Zdeno Chara continually proves why he is the Captain of this team. He's initiated the physical play in this series, he's gotten into the Sabres' heads, and he's gotten into the offensive play. He's probably the best finisher on the Bruins, which is good for him, and kind of sad for the forwards. His first goal came thanks to Ryan Miller's aggressiveness, and some crafty positioning, 22 feet away near the faceoff circle. His 2nd goal was a 60 footer from the blue-line, vintage Chara. It was his first career 2 goal playoff game.
Recchi's empty netter was his 52nd career goal in the playoffs.
It wasn't all roses, though. Milan Lucic nearly blew the game. Buffalo's first score came when Lucic left his side of the defensive zone, giving Tyler Myers a clean shot at the net. The puck took an unfortunate deflection off Begin's skates, but Lucic should have never left his man and his zone so empty.
Buffalo's 3rd goal, which turned a 2-2 tie (with Boston having all the momentum) into a 3-2 deficit, came off a Lucic turnover. It was wretchedly awful, he aired on the puck in the corner, giving Jason Pominville a wonderful gift. Rask may have done more to shorten the angle, but Lucic could have done a lot more to keep possession. And that's not Rask's style anyhow.
Lucic hasn't looked himself this season or this series. Part of it is excusable, what with the laundry list of injuries he's played with. But these were mental errors. The Hockey Gods have a way of punishing mental errors in the playoffs. He needs to sacrifice an ox to them and thus atone for his sins.
The evil spirits once possessing Dennis Wideman have been exorcised, but it seems as though they've taken refuge in Lucic.
Marco Sturm has been a ghost this series. Ein Geist in German. He's been adequate on the penalty kill (which as a unit has killed all 9 of Buffalo's power plays). But he led the Bruins with 22 goals. He hasn't come close to smelling his first playoff goal. He's got to use his speed to create space for himself, or draw attention and create space for others. He can be an excellent fore-checker due to his speed, if the Bruins decide to dump and chase, which they probably should more often when he and Satan are out there.
Speaking of Satan, he's had two nice games. He won the battle that led to Chara's 2nd goal. He, like Sturm, will get better scoring chances if they utilize his skating skills better. Lining up 3 or 4 on the offensive blue-line, then trying to carry the puck in doesn't seem to be working for him. You need to enter the zone with momentum, and that's something Satan and Sturm could really hurt Buffalo with.
The best line for the B's has been Wheeler-Sobotka-Ryder. Sobotka has impressed the hell out of me. The little big guy has left his mark on more than one Sabres' jerseys. He's crashing the net, and letting Ryder and Wheeler have some space. Wheeler was unbelievable Saturday night. He remembered how to play hockey. He made two beautiful passes to set-up Ryder's goals.
Andrew Ference's biggest contribution was a mistake. Had he not mishandled Wheeler's centering pass, Ryder doesn't get a golden opportunity to score. Other than that, Ference has been forgettable.
Daniel Paille has functioned properly on the penalty kill. Apart from that, he's been dust in the wind.
Johnny Boychuk has had a hell of a series so far. The Bruins needed him to step up with Seidenberg and Stuart out. He's been smart on defense, and aggressive on offense, following Chara's lead in both zones.
Boychuk took a wise hooking call in the 3rd, chopping down Thomas Vanek by the knee. Vanek missed the rest of the game, and his status is unclear with a "lower body injury." You hate to revel in an injury, but the reality is that any absence of Vanek is a big hit to the Sabres. Vanek's always owned the Bruins. In 36 career games against the B's, he's tallied 20 goals and 19 assists.
I saved the best for last. And you thought I wouldn't mention Tuukka Rask. While the stat-sheet says Rask was mediocre, and had an ugly 1st period (10 saves, 12 shots), the game is played on ice. He rebounded from some unfortunate play by his teammates, and settled in. It was like a pitcher allowing some unearned runs in the early innings, then nevertheless getting into a groove. He made some monstrous stops in the 1st to keep it a 2-0 game. And when the Bruins' momentum waned in the 2nd and 3rd, it was Rask who saved the day.
The series ships back to Boston tonight, which is a mixed blessing for the Bruins (18-17-6 at home).
