Canucks 1, Bruins 0

The Bruins have allowed 6 goals in 5 games, they're getting stellar goaltending from Tim Thomas, outstanding defensive play, an unbelievable penalty kill, and they're down 3-2 in this series. Why? The defensive designs of Claude Julien are being executed well by Chara, Seidenberg, Ference and McQuaid. Boychuk's also improved compared to last series. And of course, there's Thomas. These guys are doing exactly what they need to do to put this team in a position to win.

But the offense is missing. The Power Play sucks, only looking good in that 8-1 drubbing that saw the Bruins dominant no matter what the manpower situation was. Kaberle doesn't deserve PP time, let alone the 4:08 he got in Game 5. He has no shooting ability. His passes only compound one of the Bruins' biggest problems on the PP: they pass the puck too much instead of moving bodies.

I'd rather see Boychuk out there (0:00 PP time in Game 5), as he actually has a decent shot that other teams need to respect. He moves his feet, he's physical.

And I'd like to see Bergeron and Recchi playing in the high-slot, almost in between the two defensemen (or even replacing them, especially replacing a pinching Chara). These guys can shoot from up there, they can drive to the net, they can force the Canucks to either defend high or low. Peverley would also be a good guy to have up there. He might be the best net-driver on the team.

And why no Seguin? He's the most offensive-minded player, the most naturally talented shooter on the team, he can pass, he can skate, he's always moving with or without the puck. 0:12 of Power Play time in Game 5. Why? Why doesn't Julien get interrogated for that?

The Bruins had three Power Plays in the 1st period. Those were golden opportunities to get ahead, to instill some doubt in Luongo, and maybe most importantly: to make Vancouver think twice about physical play. The Canucks matched then surpassed the Bruins in physicality Friday night. They out-hit the Bruins 47-27. And in the 1st period, they were a bit too eager to play physical. Torres tripping Campbell, Sedin punching Boychuk in the back, Alberts going after Thornton. These were all stupid penalties, and had the Bruins made them pay for them on the scoreboard, some Canucks might have eased off the physical play for the rest of the game.

But they didn't. They continued the intensity and were the better team. The Bruins hurt their own offense with giveaways. Every time Krejci tries to toy with the puck by the blue-line, I get nervous. He really needs to learn the geography of the ice. You can do that fancy crap deep in the zone, but not by the blue-line. Location, location, location.

Ryder went from having one of his strongest games in Game 4, to one of his weakest. That's been a theme for him in this series, in the postseason, in the regular season, in his career.

Kaberle doesn't deserve to dress. Dress Hnidy, or Kampfer, and play them in an emergency. He's awful. He's a negative influence on all aspects of the game. He was born to be a Maple Leaf.

This was a great opportunity to win the series. Had the Bruins won out there, I have no doubt that they'd win the Cup. Now, the task in front of them is pretty tough. They had Luongo on the ropes, but allowed him to build confidence in that 1st period, and now the overrated, greasy, Quebecois prima donna is feeling cocky. Here's what he said about the goal Thomas allowed:

"It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen. He might make some saves that I won't, but in a case like that, we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we're in a good position to bury those."

Wow. A goalie criticizing another goalie. Goalies are in a unique brotherhood, they're all comrades out there, even on different teams. You remember that farcical "fight" between Thomas and Price? Thomas and Rask, despite being in direct competition with each other, are buddies. But Luongo's arrogance goes beyond the Fraternal Order of Goaltenders.

And who is he to criticize Thomas' style? Thomas has stopped 102 of the last 104 shots he's faced. The goal was perhaps a result of Thomas' aggressiveness, but the 165 shots he's stopped in this series weren't goals because of his aggressiveness. Luongo has stopped 141 of 155.

Luongo tried to qualify his remarks the next day:

"I said he might make some saves that I don't. I was just saying, on that particular play, I would have played it different. That's the difference between me and him. I have been pumping his tires ever since the series started. I haven't heard one nice thing he had to say about me. That's the way it is."

So has Roberto been spending his off-days scouring the media for Tim Thomas saying nice things about him? Thomas' response to this sums up how much more character, quiet confidence, and sheer dignity the Bruins goalie has compared to his counterpart:

"I guess I didn't realize it was my job to pump his tires. I guess I have to apologize for that. I still think I'm the goaltender on the union side and I stick with all the other goalies. In being one and knowing what it takes to perform at this level and with this amount of pressure, I understand to a certain extent what every other goaltender is going through. I guess that's that."

There's just so much not to like about the Canucks. I didn't hate them before this series, but I guess that's because I didn't know them. Burrows' biting, then his trying to draw a call by stepping on Lucic's stick. The Aaron Rome hit on Horton. The Sedin twins falling down with ease. Maxim Lapierre's taunting. Pretty much everything Lapierre did in Game 5. His dive was vintage Canadien. Once a Hab, always a Hab.

It's gone beyond wanting to see the Bruins win. An extra incentive would be to rob these Canucks of glory. Game 6 tonight in Boston.

-The Commodore

Bruins 1, Lightning 0

Surreal (adjective): Having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic.

When the puck grazed against the blade of Nathan Horton's stick, and softly slid into the net, all the theories, all the "what-ifs" came into focus as reality. What I mean is, after years of wondering what it would be like to watch the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals, it's all become real. And the reality of it is so surreal.

Up until that goal, my nerves were frayed and tattered. There seemed to be some invisible force working against the Bruins. Brad Marchand came within millimeters here and there of a hat-trick in the 3rd period. The Bruins were playing the better game, but pucks weren't going in. They weren't even getting to the net.

Then the puck went in. It wasn't a magnificent play. It was just smart. Smart entry by the Bruins against Tampa's 1-3-1. Ference waited until he was close to center-ice and challenged by Tampa's frontman in the 1-3-1. Both Krejci and Horton were on the far-side boards. This was a 2-on-1 for the Bruins caused by the shape Tampa's formation. Two men attacking the area guarded by one. Krejci entered the zone with the puck, and was engaged by the final man or "strong safety" of the 1-3-1. As Krejci carried straight toward the corner, Horton cut inward to the net. Through the slimmest of lanes, Krejci passed to Horton.

It wasn't ingenious. It wasn't that tricky. It was smart. It was executed well. And it took advantage of minor mistakes made by Tampa's defenders. Horton was allowed to get position, Krejci was allowed entry without any harassment. In short, the Bruins couldn't have done better on the play, the Lightning could have done slightly better. And that's hockey. The difference between two teams in a 7 game series can be the fraction of a second that Krejci's pass window was open.

And for the next 7 and a half minutes, I was supremely confident. The game was over. If I were Red Auerbach, I would've lit a cigar. I was more confident in that 1-0 lead than I've ever been with any 3 goal lead the Bruins have ever had. After going up, they played even better. They kept attacking, kept fore-checking. They valued possession of the puck, made Tampa Bay fight to win it back, made the Lightning carry it 200 feet each time. It was a thing of beauty.

None of the Bruins had amazing individual nights. And that's why I enjoyed their effort so much. Thomas didn't have to stand on his head. Chara didn't have to throw people around all night. Seguin didn't need to break anyone's ankles. Everyone did their job. Everyone played well. Horton wound up with the goal, Krejci and Ference with the assists, and Thomas with a shutout, but no superhuman individual feats were necessary to win. The whole team showed up, guys like Peverley, Ference, and McQuaid were just as important as Krejci, Chara, and Seidenberg.

And it was also nice that the refs didn't call any penalties. Keeping the game 5-on-5 was a huge edge for the Bruins.

And now, for the 18th time, the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup finals. It's surreal how real this dream feels.

Game 1 Wednesday night in Vancouver.

-The Commodore

Lightning 5, Bruins 4

So many playoff games seem "stolen." Games are so closely fought, every inch contested. The smallest edge can be the difference in a shift, a period, a game, and ultimately a series. Tim Thomas' goaltending stole Game 5 for the Bruins. Tampa Bay's special teams "stole" Game 6.

The Bruins' struggles on the Power Play had been tolerable before last night. Because they don't need their Power Play to win. And while the B's weren't scoring with a man advantage, neither were the Lightning. Tampa Bay entered Game 6 with a Power Play that was 2 for 18. That changed last night. The Lightning were 3/4 with their Power Play.

Give credit to the Lightning for having excellent special teams. Give credit to the ref for that interference call on Peverley, which was a play I've seen go uncalled several hundred times this postseason. Give credit to some poor Penalty Killing before Teddy Purcell's goal, as all 4 Bruins committed to a battle below the goal-line.

I do like how the Bruins played in the 3rd period. They were frenzied. If not for that late breakaway goal (which was partially Boychuk's fault as he made an unwise pinch), the game goes to OT. Krejci wound up with a hat-trick, the first playoff hat-trick for a Bruin since Neely did it in '91. And the 3rd period reminded Dwayne Roloson that the Bruins have his number.

One silver-lining to this game is that the Bruins were nowhere near at their best, yet they were only a few plays away from winning. They didn't value the puck, they didn't make plays, they committed some silly penalties, like Ference's cross-check on Stamkos. But they were still close to victory.

Why is it that Michael Ryder's quality of play deteriorates, and Tyler Seguin pays for it by seeing his ice-time curtailed (fancy word for reduced)? Why is it that Kaberle continues to get so much ice-time, especially on the Power Play? Maybe he's the problem with that unit. The Power Play has been awful since he was acquired. Yet we see him out there every time.

Kaberle truly is a Toronto Maple Leaf. He's a moderately talented guy that disappoints when it matters. He's a regular season player whose reputation far outweighs his actual worth. I'm tempted to kidnap him for Game 7, Celtic Price style, just to ensure that Julien can't play him for 19:46 like he did last night.

Game 7 is Friday night. The Bruins need every player to bring their absolute best game. Ryder needs to stop trying to handle the puck through 4 guys. Recchi needs to contribute. Kaberle needs to get kidnapped. To be honest, this is the Bruins' game to lose. Would you rather have Tim Thomas or Dwayne Roloson start between the pipes in Game 7? Would you rather have Chara-Seidenberg or Hedman-Brewer? Would you rather be the best 5-on-5 or on special teams?

-The Commodore

Lightning 5, Bruins 3

It's a game of mistakes. Tomas Kaberle is a 6' 1" 198 pound mistake. I don't know much about the Czech language, but I'm pretty sure that their word for mistake is "Kaberle." And at this point, it might be a mistake to even dress him for Game 5.

But Kaberle wasn't alone in the mistake department. Tim Thomas, Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Michael Ryder joined him.

Every goal, except maybe Tampa Bay's empty-netter, in this game was the result of a mistake. Victor Hedman forgets that Patrice Bergeron is on the ice, and it's 1-0 Bruins. Chris Kelly forces a Neutral Zone turnover, Michael Ryder knocks a puck toward goal, it deflects off a Tampa stick and it's 2-0. Then shorthanded, Stamkos gives up the puck to Bergeron, and he scores a soft shortie that forces Roloson out of the game.

Just a sidenote on Victor Hedman: He's looked awful in this series and the Bruins should attack him like his name were Wideman. The NBC announcers were talking him up, saying that he'd gained a "reputation" for "playing well in big games." The kid's 20 years old, and this is his first tour in the playoffs. Reputations have to be earned with a little more than that. Moreover, he doesn't deserve those digits. #77 belongs to defensemen who don't make game-changing mistakes and aren't liabilities, son.

So the Bruins were up 3-0 despite not looking that good on offense. If they just played the same quality of defense, and took care of the puck like they did in Game 3, then it was in the bag.

But the 2nd period was a thorough demonstration of the Bruins' shortcomings in the 2010-11 season. The Power Play failed utterly. The Bruins look better 5-on-5 than they do 5-on-4. And I think it's because even when it's 5-on-4, the Lightning are the superior open ice team. On the Power Play, the Bruins got away from the boards, and consequently didn't even put pressure on the Lightning.

Just one Bruins Power Play goal makes it a 4-0 game and drains all of Tampa's energy.

Then the mistakes came. Tim Thomas started the festivities when he hesitated with the puck behind the net. A bit of miscommunication with Chara, then suddenly two Lightning were upon him, and Teddy Purcell scored. Blame Thomas for that one.

Then Michael Ryder got a little bit zealous in the Neutral Zone. He dove for a puck that was well beyond his reach. The result was a Tampa Bay 3-on-2. My complaint with Ryder's play is that he risked too much for such a minuscule reward. He risked a 3-on-2 breakaway (against a team built for 3-on-2 breakaways), in order to gain maybe a few seconds of Offensive Zone time, maybe a token shot, and a 1 in 100 chance of a goal.

The Bruins defended the 3-on-2 well, but had to collapse to their net to do so. Even Seguin blocked a shot next to the post. This opened up space and allowed Purcell enough room to adjust his shooting angle ever so slightly, and beat Thomas to the high side.

The third Tampa Bay goal was truly a Bruins team effort from a pair of countrymen. It started with David Krejci, who carried the puck into the Offensive Zone. He was surrounded against the boards by a pair of Lightning. Then he decided that since he was in danger, the best thing to do was to take the puck to an even more dangerous location. He moved back to the blue-line, then tried a pass. The pass was intercepted, with tragic results.

The impact of a giveaway depends on where it happens on the ice. Give the puck away behind the opponent's net, and not much bad can directly occur from that turnover. But give it away on your offensive blue-line, and much pain will follow. Because not only is it a dangerous location, not only are your defensemen thinking offense (or changing out), but you're giving the puck to the opponents' forwards.

So Krejci's little expedition back to the blue-line was absolutely moronic. And for someone renowned for his puckhandling, his "Hockey IQ," his and awareness, it was inexcusable.

Tomas Kaberle made sure that Krejci paid for his mistake. Sean Bergenheim completely bitched Kaberle behind the net. Bergenheim is about the same size as Kaberle, but Kaberle was in far better position to at least move the puck away. Still, Kaberle was manhandled by a man his own size. David Krejci offered little support. Then Bergenheim beat Thomas.

Tampa's winning goal came when Lucic inexplicably passed the puck to center ice in the Neutral Zone when he had an open lane of ice in front of him. It was intercepted by Ryan Malone, who passed it to Gagne, who scored.

The whole game was mistakes, miscues, errors, and brain farts. The Bruins were given a gift of 3 goals, then decided to re-gift the same to the Lightning. But that wasn't enough, so they gave Tampa one more.

The whole idea of zonal play for which I applauded the Bruins in Game 3, really melted down on Saturday. In the Neutral Zone, Ryder made a play suited for the Offensive Zone. The Bruins didn't make plays out of their Defensive Zone. They were careless in the Neutral Zone. And they didn't get the puck deep into the Offensive Zone.

Oh, and thank goodness Julien didn't waste his timeout in the 2nd, when Tampa scored twice in two minutes. It's a good thing Julien got to use it when... Well he didn't use it, but at least he can save it for Game 4... Well, he can't.

The series is 2-2 coming back to Boston. But I feel as though the Bruins gave Tampa a win in Game 4. This could/should be a 3-1 series if not for unforced errors.

Game 5 tonight in Boston.

-The Commodore

Bruins 6, Lightning 5

Have you caught your breath yet? The Bruins' 6-5 victory over Tampa had enough action to fill two games, with enough left over to start a third. So many big goals, big saves, big hits. And a little bit of luck for the Lightning. They got some favorable bounces, maybe even a few favorable calls and non-calls that helped keep them in this game. But also give credit to them for taking advantage of such opportunities.

Tyler Seguin is an assassin; an errand boy sent by grocery clerks. To collect a bill. He finally got a chance to play, and play with some skilled players. And it worked out. His speed, his skills, his shot. He's only 19, but he's the fastest skater and best shooter on the Bruins. He is simply a stud. Thank you, Mr. Kessel, wherever you are.

He was assisted by Michael Ryder, and he also assisted Ryder. Ryder was excellent in all three zones. His defensive play was actually better than his offensive play, even though he scored twice with an assist. I've never doubted Ryder's skill or his potential. It's just the inconsistent application of that skill. When he's motivated and focused, he's a top-flight player in this League. He just needs to maintain that effort and focus for an extended period of time.

David Krejci had one of his best games in a Bruins uniform last night. The stat-line shows that he scored and was -1. But he played over 24 minutes. And he played 24 tough minutes. He was called on to replace Bergeron on the Penalty Kill, and he did a good job of it. No other Bruins forward came close to him in ice-time (Lucic had just under 21 minutes, Horton was under 19, then Kelly had 16:28).

Lucic and Horton were keys to turning the Power Play around. Their net-front presence disrupted Roloson enough to allow that first PP goal. And of course Horton had a 3 point night.

Even though he allowed 5 goals, Tim Thomas had a good game. He allowed one or two softies, most notably a big 5 hole goal in the 2nd period. But he also stoned many Tampa Bay breakaways.

Tampa's first two goals came thanks to funny bounces. One off the boards, one off Boychuk. Tampa also scored a goal that rebounded off Timmy's face, which is why his sweater and face had blood stains on them for the remainder of the game.

I don't know the NHL's review rules by heart. But I do know that there are several things that can be reviewed "in theory." For instance, in review, a play can be deemed dead before a whistle was blown, if the reviewer deems that the referee "intended" to blow the whistle before it was blown. Also, goals can be allowed even if the goal slips off its pegs, if it's deemed that the puck would have gone in anyway, and the goal was dislodged by a defending player.

Typically, refs blow the whistle when a goalie's helmet comes off. And while the ref may have missed Thomas' helmet being removed, the replays showed that he was without a mask when the puck went in (after ricocheting off his face). Then again, I can't find any rule stipulating that a whistle should be blown if a goalie's mask comes off. Maybe there should be one as the unwritten rule has been enforced for some time.

The Bruins still struggled with neutral zone giveaways, although nothing on the level of Kaberle's in Game 1. Mark Recchi, of all people, seemed to be unable to get the puck deep into the Tampa Bay zone.

But the Bruins showed discipline in the post-whistle scrums. And I actually think they were unfairly penalized more than once when they held their temper. Ference, for instance, sprayed Roloson with some snow (which I've seen countless forwards do countless times in the playoffs), then he gets decked to the ice, but somehow winds up with a matching minor. Steve Downie blatantly antagonized Chara. Chara kept his hands down, until Downie face-washed him and Chara returned the favor. And to be frank, the fact that Downie survived the confrontation is evidence that Chara didn't intend any significant harm. But again, there were matching minors.

The Bruins did take some stupid penalties. Horton took an interference, and an elbowing call, that were both unnecessary. The B's are up against the best Power Play left in the playoffs. They don't need to be doing Tampa any favors.

One thing that helps is the penalty killing of guys like Daniel Paille. Paille only played 8 minutes, and 2:37 shorthanded. But what a 2:37 they were. His PK forecheck in the 1st was highlight reel material for true fans of the game. One man tying up a stellar Power Play for about 25 seconds. Contributions like that can be the difference between winning and losing.

Game 3 is Thursday night, and I can't wait. We saw the Lightning get a little flustered at times last night. We saw the Bruins pin them and the puck to the boards for extended stretches. The best way to stop open ice breakouts is to keep the puck and the opponent up against the boards. We also saw the emergence of Tyler Seguin as a weapon.

-The Commodore

Bruins 3, Flyers 2 (OT)

#46 may have scored the game-winner, but it was the 46 straight saves made by Tim Thomas that truly won this game for the Bruins. The Flyers dominated the 3rd period and the Overtime, outshooting the Bruins 32-12 in that span. But Thomas was impenetrable. Finally, a miscue by Kimmo Timonen, plus plenty of open ice because half of each team was changing, gives Krejci the chance to win the game. And it was a perfectly placed shot.

Krejci and Thomas were obviously the stars of the game, but let's not forget Dennis Seidenberg. He was a well deserved +3, on the ice for all three of the Bruins' goals. In Game 1, he made an impact on offense. Last night, he made an impact on defense. So many big clears, poke checks, hits, battles won. He's +7 in this series, and there's a reason for that.

Krejci has been producing. As are the 2nd and 3rd lines, which each provided a goal last night. Horton's been an OT hero. Now, if only we could find Milan Lucic. Where is he? It's been 9 playoff games without a goal. And he ended the regular season riding a 10 game scoreless streak. 6 assists in his last 18 games. And it's not as if he's focusing on his physical game, either. He's just a ghost on the ice. He was out there for 24 minutes. I noticed him for maybe 24 seconds.

And the Power Play is just sad to watch. Marchand scored his goal because he moved around, opening a passing lane for Bergeron to find. The Bruins' forwards need to move around, not just shift within their little zones of operation. Especially since the Flyers are focused on taking away the points. Sending Recchi or Bergeron up to the high slot might not be a bad idea, either. It'd either create room for the forwards down low or the defensemen on the blue-line.

I know, I know, I'm being negative. The B's just took 2 games from Philly in Philly. They've won 6 of 7. But I've seen this team go 2-0 up on the Flyers before.

Then again, we didn't have Tim Thomas before. Goaltending, by itself, cannot win an entire series. But it can steal a game. Thomas stole one last night. Thankfully it wasn't played in Quebec, or the Montreal PD would be after him.

Playoff series are frequently won by the slimmest of margins. Think about where Boston would be if they didn't score 3 OT goals against Montreal. Think about one OT shot by P.K. Subban bouncing off a skate and past Thomas. The Bruins would be golfing.

This series will be determined by something like goaltending (which favors Boston) or special teams (which favors Philadelphia). At the moment, however, Tim Thomas is the difference between these two teams.

Game 3 Wednesday night in Boston.

-The Commodore

Bruins 5, Canadiens 4 (OT)

The Bruins spent the week in Lake Placid, NY. Then came out placidly last night, taking 30 minutes to properly wake up. During that time, Montreal unleashed 30 shots against Thomas and took a 3-1 lead. In the second half of the game, they beat Montreal 4-1. It was far from pretty. It was quite painful at times. But you had to love the ending.

I was fed up with Ryder being in the lineup. He hadn't contributed anything and I wanted Seguin to get a chance. I like being wrong sometimes. Ryder scored twice. His breakaway goal in the 2nd might have been more important than his OT winner, because it kept Montreal from pulling too far away.

For both his goals, Ryder was beautifully set-up by his teammates. Kaberle made himself useful and found Ryder with a zone stretching pass to trigger his breakaway. And linemates Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley ground out the possession that resulted in Ryder's second score.

Kelly now has 2 goals, 2 assists, and is +3 in this series. He's the type of guy that randomly has a huge impact in the playoffs. He's accustomed to physical play, he's an adept penalty killer, and he's always involved.

But give Ryder credit for the quality of his shots. His first goal was a snipe over Price's glovehand. His second shot came after he hesitated a fraction of a second. Price stretched his legs wide to get to the post, opening up the hole that Ryder shot through.

Bergeron continues to be the best Bruins' skater in this series. 5 points so far. Another great night in Game 4.

Andrew Ference is the type of guy who can decide a series for you. He can be that bad, and be that good. We've seen him make boneheaded mistakes, and brilliant plays. From shift to shift, the Bruins' fortunes have turned based on what guys like him have done. Last night he took a few hits to move the puck, then wound up in the high slot, and blasted a bullet past Price.

The PK unit may have allowed a goal, but they were excellent in their one kill of the game. Montreal had a golden opportunity to win it late in regulation, thanks to an iffy interference call on Seidenberg. But the PK was intelligently aggressive. Chris Kelly again having an impact.

I'm still waiting for the first line to show up. Lucic, Krejci, and Horton have combined for 2 goals, 0 assists, and are each -2 in this series. Last night, Krejci deked himself out of an unbelievable scoring chance. It was actually three chances in one play, and he messed up all of them. He could have one-timed at a half-empty net, instead he curled toward the crease. He could have forehanded a shot between Price's widely stretched legs, instead he went to the backhand. He could've backhanded a shot over Price's legpads, instead he lost control of the puck.

Then there's Lucic, who looked half-dead on most his shifts. When he did skate, he was electrifying. But for the most part he's still drifting around, barely noticeable on the ice. He played about 17 minutes last night. Do you believe that? How often did you notice he was out there?

So now it's a best-of-three series. The B's need to protect their house. They need to do something on the Power Play. The first line needs to score, or at least grind out good possessions. Guys like Bergeron and Kelly need to continue their good play. And Chara needs to bring his physical game. It doesn't get easier from here.

Game 5 Saturday night in Boston.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Canadiens 2

The Bruins looked so much looser last night in Montreal. Maybe that's why they're so good on the road. They made a few mistakes (a too many men penalty, for instance), but nothing as grievous as their giveaway gifts in Games 1 and 2. The offense played with more intelligence, and the defense was sound. The result was a 4-2 victory.

The offense wasn't amazing. They just made better decisions. They didn't let Price play the puck too often. And the one time they did, Peverley did a great job of charging the net, and was in perfect position to capitalize on a rare Price error.

The B's didn't score highlight reel goals. In fact, they squandered three different 3-on-1 opportunities. The goals were opportunistic, and a bit lucky at the end. Though that luck came after some solid play. That's how it works in the playoffs. Montreal's 2 goals were similarly fortunate, a pair of seeing eye backhanders that found Thomas' minuscule 5-hole.

The defensemen were excellent on the other side of the ice. Chara returned, and wasn't as physically commanding as we're accustomed to, but was still solid. Ference, Seidenberg, and Boychuk were all excellent. As was Bergeron.

Krejci finally did something, scoring thanks to a perfect pass from Bergeron and some good play by Seidenberg. Horton got a right place, right time goal. I'm still waiting for Lucic to show up. He had a nice steal off Subban which gave him a breakaway opportunity. But he's still drifting around, hoping for something to happen, instead of making it happen.

The power play has yet to score. Last night, the Bruins either struggled with entry, or made silly plays in the offensive zone, not valuing possession. Marchand's no-look pass behind him, which allowed Montreal to clear, for example.

Thankfully, Montreal's power play hasn't been very effective either. They've scored once in 12 chances. Last night Bergeron, Paille, Boychuk, Campbell, Chara, Seidenberg, Marchand, and Kelly all played great on the PK. It's no coincidence that two of the Bruins goals came just after big penalty kills. Now if only the PK can maintain that, and the power play contribute just an occasional goal here and there, this series would flip on its end.

I'm tired of seeing Michael Ryder on the ice (and have been for 2 years). Why not give Seguin a shot?

The officiating in the series has been dreadfully inconsistent. But that's what happens in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The refs are still figuring out what to call and what not to call. Holding is never called (except on Recchi last night). The leeway for interference expands. But negligible hooks still get called. It is what it is. Thankfully, the refs didn't buy all of Montreal's diving last night, and swallowed their whistles in the last 5 minutes.

So the good news is the series will come back to Boston. Maybe that's bad news too, considering the Bruins' road record. Game 4 is in Montreal on Thursday night.

-The Commodore

Canadiens 3, Bruins 1

Fundamentals. Protecting the puck. Breaking out of your zone. Hard wraparounds. This stuff's not complicated. But to Claude Julien's Bruins, it's rocket science.

Every Montreal goal in this series has come thanks to a Bruins' defenseman giving the puck away in a dangerous area. Five times. And it's been a problem with this team, no matter who the defensemen have been, since Julien took over. I still have nightmares about Carolina's forecheck in the '09 playoffs.

The Bruins don't seem to realize that the Habs are trying to intercept the puck from them. Not only are the Canadiens skating faster than the Bruins, they're thinking faster.

On the other end of the ice, Recchi, Marchand, and Bergeron finally got one past Price. That's not too complicated either. Get him to move side to side, and block his vision. One thing you can't do is lazily dump the puck into an area that he can play it or smother it. Hard wraparounds, and cross-corner dumps. And someone apart from the dumper has to be skating into the zone with speed. Too many Bruins' possessions ended with soft dumps that Price easily fielded.

And the power play. Special teams are extremely important in the postseason, and are often the difference between losing a series and winning it. The B's are 0/7 on the power play, 6/7 on the kill. Had Chara been on the ice Saturday night, maybe they'd be 7/7 on the kill. I'll get into that later.

David Krejci is not a playoff forward. He's not a scorer. He's not a grinder. He had a golden chance to slip a backhander over Price in the 2nd, which would have made it a 2-2 game, and would have swung all the momentum to Boston's side. But he dangled, whiffed, and was generously rewarded with a shot on goal in the box score. Krejci also found himself completely owned by P.K. Subban on the boards (unless Subban was trying to induce a call). Krejci can't score. He can't win battles. There aren't any great point-guard, "distribution" type players in Stanley Cup history. Those players get 50 assists in the regular season, then disappear in the playoffs.

At least Krejci is trying, though. Where was Milan Lucic? I saw him drifting around the faceoff dots as Krejci was struggling behind the net. Lucic has become the Bruins' best scorer, but he needs to remember his physical roots. He shouldn't be trying to slip into a seem while Krejci's 178 pound frame is being manhandled. Lucic has been a ghost this series. That's okay for the Michael Ryders of the world, but Lucic is better than this.

Now to Chara. Getting medical information during the Stanley Cup playoffs isn't easy. All we know is that he has a virus, and he was dehydrated. He skated in warmups on Saturday, then the coaches decided to bench him, deeming him unable to play.

What's the virus? It better be serious. Because Chara is the heart of this team. He doesn't have a good playoff record. But without him, this team cannot win anything. He's my 2nd favorite player behind Thomas, but if I find out that he just has a touch of flu, I'll never forgive him. Nothing short of the Hantavirus will suffice.

The B's go up to Montreal tonight. Chara's still questionable. The Bruins play better on the road, but Montreal plays good with a lead. Whoever scores first will win Game 3.

-The Commodore

Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 3

What happened to the defensively minded Bruins? You know, that team that struggled to score goals, but were at the top of the NHL in goals allowed and penalty killing? I miss those guys.

The B's have allowed 22 goals in their last 4 games. And in the last 5 games, they've allowed 9 power play goals, in 22 attempts (a 59.1% kill rate). They're PK unit has plummeted to 14th in the NHL and 10th in the East.

And that's just the first problem this team's been having. They don't care for the puck. Last night, they tried so many low-percentage passes, trying to sneak it past Toronto's players, as if they didn't realize they were playing against another team.

The defensemen haven't been playing their best. We saw Grabovski score the game-winner when he was by himself against both Seidenberg and Ference. How does that happen? Chara helped Toronto score earlier when he tripped Tim Thomas. Missed assignments, lack of communication, lack of physicality, these problems have plagued the blue-liners for about a week now.

Either Fraud Julien isn't the defensive genius we once thought he was, or his soldiers have stopped listening.

And the power play unit, which scored another breakaway goal, needs to adjust its philosophy once they've entered the offensive zone. As it is, Chara and Recchi camp out on the blue-line, Krejci by the halfwall, Lucic and someone else in the slot. Then they hover in their little territories. There's no movement, no bodies cycling around, causing disruption and confusion, or at least getting open for a pass. On a power play, Zdeno Chara should not be moving around more than the forwards.

Then there's guys like Blake Wheeler. What does he contribute?

Then there's guys like Daniel Paille. He does his job as a role-player, but the ratio of role-player to playmaker on this team is way off balance.

David Krejci simply isn't a top line center. You have to be able to score in order to be on of those. And to score, you have to be able to shoot. He's on pace to finish the season with 12 goals and 56 points. That's simply not good enough.

Maybe Lucic-Bergeron-Marchand for a top line? Recchi-Krejci-Ryder for the 2nd? Wheeler-Seguin-Horton on the slump line. Thinking about this, should the Bruins get a puck moving defensemen with forwards like these? To me, if they can't get a decent enough forward to supplement this group, then they should keep Toronto's pick and hope to build for 2011-12. Because one more defenseman won't turn David Krejci into a 30 goal scorer, nor will it give Blake Wheeler a purpose.

Bruins at Islanders Thursday night.

-The Commodore

Bruins 8, Canadiens 6

14 goals and 176 penalty minutes. That's not bad for a 60 minute game of hockey. This was pretty much the best a regular season game can get. These teams are vying for a spot atop the division, they don't like each other, and they all have personal histories. I don't know why the NHL made the schedules more balanced and reduced divisional games from 8 to 6 per opponent. Rivalries like this one have fueled hockey for decades, and I wish we could see the Bruins play the Canadiens 8 or 10 times a season.

I've been attacking Michael Ryder all year. Two years, really. Last night was perhaps his best game in a Bruins uniform, though. In the 1st period, he had numerous plays that were slightly positive. Little stuff like getting the puck to an open space in the offensive zone when there's no clear passing or shooting lanes, thus allowing a teammate to win a battle for the puck. I normally would never notice something like that, unless it was from a perennially negaitve player like Ryder.

In the 2nd period, he really came to life. And he basically scored three times, having one goal disallowed because the referees called Marchand for goalie interference when he was shoved into Price.

Horton put forth a quality performance as well. On NESN, they showed some iso-shots of him winning battles against Subban. So even without the 1 goal and 4 assists, Horton was already doing his job. But the 5 point night was also very special.

Krejci rebounded nicely from the San Jose game. I ripped him quite a bit after that one. The thing is, when Krejci has a bad game (which is rare), you get the feeling like it costs the Bruins so much more than if say Blake Wheeler has a bad game. Krejci is such a vital cog to the Bruins' offense, that when he breaks down, the machine breaks down.

Milan Lucic has scored 7 goals in his last 7 games. That's staggering. I think his going after Price was a bit silly, but why tinker with something that's working? 23 goals for Lucic this year. He only had 34 career scores coming into this season.

It's difficult to gain any perspective on games such as this, until some time has passed. Then again, this was the first time the Bruins have beaten Montreal since September 24. So that's substantial. The Bruins are also 4 points ahead of Montreal, with a game in hand. That's also substantial. This game could be a keystone on which to build a foundation of success.

The Original Six fun continues Friday night when Detroit comes to town for the front end of a home and home.

-The Commodore

Sharks 2, Bruins 0

After the Bruins' hard-fought (literally) win over Dallas, you couldn't help but feel optimistic. But as they've done with frequency for the past 3 years, the B's followed a strong performance with a flat one.

They absolutely dominated the Stars, and if not for Rask and the refs, the score would have been closer to 8-1 as opposed to 6-3. Then they give us 60 minutes of mediocrity against San Jose. They managed 26 shots on Niemi, very few of which came from good scoring positions. The thing about Niemi is that he'll give up some juicy rebounds. The Bruins didn't collect any of them. Give credit to the Sharks, who usually had 4 bodies positioned around Niemi at all times, and clearing those rebounds. They outmanned and outmuscled the Bruins down low.

They outmuscled the Bruins everywhere, and that's been a repetitive theme of Sharks/Bruins games. The Sharks are bigger, they skate with power, they win battles.

The Bruins had 4 power plays, and failed to get a shot on goal for 3 of them. That's simply sad.

Krejci played like an utter turd. I don't know how he received the 3rd Star. Maybe it was a typo. Maybe it was a joke. I wouldn't be surprised if I heard he played the game drunk, he was that careless with the puck. It was the worst game I've seen him play. He was by far the worst player on the ice. His shorthanded foolishness cost the Bruins a goal, and who knows how many scoring chances he cost Lucic and Horton with his giveaways.

It's the same old story with this team. Ups and downs. Fighting for 60 minutes, then a few days later relaxing for 60. Playing with intensity and focus, then making stupid mistakes. And simple adjustments fail to be made during the game. Niemi gives up rebounds, so why not try some bad angle shots? Bad angle shot=good angle rebound, as this kindergarten level diagram illustrates:

I just don't expect much from this team. Not with these same repeating lapses in focus and intensity. Not with this coach. This cast of characters. This GM. Guys like Thomas, Lucic, and now Bergeron and Marchand have carried this team. Along with the defense. But they've been undermined by the likes of Michael Ryder, Blake Wheeler, Nathan Horton, and Claude Julien.

We have a good team in Boston, but they're too good at self-sabotaging themselves.

A few days off, then a short but tough stretch of games. The Bruins are 2 points ahead of Montreal and host them Wednesday night. Then it's a home and home with Detroit, the #2 team in the West. Time for the B's to bring their A-Game.

-The Commodore

Bruins 3, Panthers 2 (SO)

This game wasn't as exciting as Thursday night's. But it could be more important. The B's are starting a 5 game road trip, and they got it off to a good start with a win, despite having never led the game.

The two goals they allowed were unfortunate and maybe a bit unlucky. Kampfer made a bad decision and gave the puck away, which David Booth turned into a goal. Florida's 2nd came off a freaky deflection that probably came off a high-stick, but we'll have to wait for the Zapruder Film to be declassified to determine that with certainty.

Krejci scored both the Bruins' goals, giving him 7 on the season. Which is a little low. Hopefully, as he continues to gel with new linemates Wheeler and Ryder, he'll be able to make more plays for himself. He scored 22 in 08-09, and 17 last season. There's no reason he shouldn't be scoring 20 goals every year. He has the awareness, he has the skills.

The Bruins still need to improve their neutral zone play, particularly their breakout. On Krejci's 2nd goal, the forwards did a good job of coming back to the defensemen, like receivers cutting back to their pressured quarterback. That opened up space in the zone, and allowed for a great entry, with possession, with speed, and with angles.

Guess what, the Bruins are now tied with the Canadiens atop the division, which elevates them from the 8th seed to the 3rd seed. They have a big test tonight against the Southeast leading Lightning.

-The Commodore

Bruins 8, Lightning 1

I'm going to begin my recap of an 8-1 victory by discussing goaltending and defense. Yes, I really am.

This wasn't one of those "closer than the score" games, the 8-1 fits because the Bruins utterly dominated, and it all started in the defensive zone. Remember, this was a 1-0 game 19 minutes in, and a 3-1 game 37 minutes in.

It's time for me to gushl over Tim Thomas again. He stopped 37 shots tonight. Many of those came early (15 saves in the 1st) before the game was decided. He just sees the puck so well, even in traffic. His puck vision really impresses me. If Whitey Bulger dressed up as a hockey puck, Tim Thomas would find him in 17 minutes.



Now to the defense, who were the real story in this game. Zdeno Chara was on Stamkos like a second jersey. Not only that, his stick-positioning all night was superb, and he cracked a few skulls early on. Seidenberg, Boychuk, and Stuart all had flawless defensive performances. Ference and McQuaid were no slouches either.



The defensive work, along with Thomas, kept it a 0-0 game, then kept it a 1-0 game, then kept it a 2-0 game, then a 3-0 game. A bit of misfortune with a broken-stick turnover allowed it to reach 3-1, then the defense resumed its clamp on Tampa Bay's skill players, and on it went.

When the Bruins got the big lead, the defense didn't yield any easy plays. And that's what allowed the score to inflate up to 8-1.

Marc Savard returned, and although he wasn't on his A-Game, he and Krejci's sudden reappearance must bring some comfort to the team, as players resume their regular duties. Bergeron goes from a #1 center to a #3, and more situational center. Blake Wheeler doesn't have to be a center at all. Seguin can log some time on the wings. Jordan Caron can log some time as a healthy scratch.



Krejci's return has reignited the top line. 3 goals and 6 points from Lucic-Krejci-Horton last night. Both Krejci and Horton were +4. They understand each other so well, it's as if they've been playing together for years, not months.

Speaking of returns, the relatively unheralded return of Johnny Boychuk in mid-November has bolstered the Bruins' defense. He's as physical as Stuart, makes great decisions, is good with the puck, and can really bomb it from the blue-line.

How cool was Seidenberg's goal?



Seven different Bruins scored goals. 12 different Bruins registered points.

Lucic netted his 12th of the season. He's only 5 shy of his career high. Michael Ryder returned to the stat sheet with a nice blocker-side snipe and a pair of assists. Shawn Thornton scored his 5th of the season. His career high is 6. Tim Thomas assisted on the Thornton goal, which gives him 2 on the season, which is a new career high.



And you can say that Thornton's goal was a gift, and it was. And Seidenberg's, although clever, was also a goaltender miscue. Recchi's goal featured some beneficial bounces, and Krejci's second was slightly deflected. Blah blah blah.

The Bruins put themselves in good positions all night. Their defense shut down a prolific Tampa Bay offense, their counter-attack was executed well, and they didn't make many mistakes. Some Lightning errors may have let the score reach 8-1 instead of 3-1 or 4-1, but Tampa Bay NEVER stood a chance in this game after the 1st period. Not even close.

I loved the intensity that the Bruins came out with. Starting the game with the Thornton line was a nice touch.

However, it's difficult to maintain that level of intensity for 82 games. They need to find a middle-ground between last night's sheer ferocity, and some of their lackadaisical efforts in November.

But hey, I'll take it. Bruins play the Leafs in Toronto on Saturday night.



-The Commodore

Bruins 3, Flyers 0

One thing the Bruins lacked in their painful collapse to the Flyers a few months ago was Tim Thomas in net. It's not that Rask had a bad series, he just didn't have a very good one. But last night, Timmy shut down the Flyers, stopping all 41 shots (including a penalty shot) for his 5th shutout of the season.

Fun fact: Thomas didn't collect his 5th career shutout until 13 years after he was drafted. Now he has 22.

But it was really a team shutout. Thomas played his part, but the Bruins as a team blocked 16 shots, 4 each by Boychuk and Chara. They also did something they hadn't done in 6 straight games: score first.

The return of David Krejci has reignited the Bruins' #1 line, and the Power Play. When he was on the ice, the Bruins' entry into the zone was just so much better, so much smoother. That's how Bergeron got his PP goal (technically unassisted, but it was Krejci and Lucic who set events in motion).

Seguin scored on a breakaway. It was nice to see both he and Ryder do something on offense once more. Ryder's settled into a nice drought of production. After 4 goals and 6 assists in his first 12 games, he's contributed 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 11 games. That's Michael Ryder for you. Unreliable and occasional offense.

Lucic's empty-netter was his 11th of the season, and that leads the team. It's both good for him that he's atop the stat sheet in the category, and also kind of scary for the rest of the forwards.

The Bruins now have the best road record in the NHL at 9-3-1. If only they could figure out how to play at home.

Hopefully, they learned a few lessons from this game. They adjusted their neutral zone play and their breakout. They were more fluid on offense. The forwards still aren't physical enough, though. Look at the Flyers. Their top-scorers are also their top penalty-minutes guys. They're big, aggressive, and punishing. There are some forwards on the Bruins like that, but not many. And for a team that struggles to score, they need physical players to win battles on the boards, wear opponents out, draw penalties, et cetera.

Bruins host the Lightning tonight.

-The Commodore

David Krejci's Concussion

"David Krejci suffered a concussion during Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues, and there's some speculation that it might be keep him out long-term. A source told CSN's Joe Haggerty that Krejci "couldn't remember what day of the week it was while undergoing testing at TD Garden following the hit (ESPN)."

Terrible news for the Bruins and Krjci since he has been playing really well this year, especially when Horton is playing win with him. The good news for the Bruins is that Savard should be back soon, and this could also buy them a little time with their cap trouble (if he has to go on the IR). The Bruins seem to have tragic injury problems every year, but with so many centers on their roster and the comeback of Sturm and Savard just around the corner I think they can weather the storm. We will let you know when his test results come back.

At least it was a clean hit.

Breaking News: Bruins Lose Krejci For Playoffs

David Krejci will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken right wrist in last night's first period. Krejci was injured when he was blasted in open ice by Mike Richards, it was clean and no one can complain, it is just unfortunate. The Bruins have already lost Sturm for the playoffs, and it just seems every time they really get rolling they lose another guy. I am sure they will still beat the Flyers in the series, but you can't have too high of expectation of beating Pittsburgh. Still, it only takes a hot goalie, and Rask right now is en fuego.

Bruins @ Sabres Preview

The Bruins finally ended their 10 game losing streak last game when they shutout the hated Montreal Canadiens. Tonight is a tough one as the Sabres are in first place in the Northeast Division. The Bruins and Sabres have met 3 times this year, Boston one the first 2, but Buffalo came back and won their last contest 2-1. I think Boston matches up well against this team, and will win tonight.

Buffalo has been heading downhill lately. They are only 2-7-1 int heir last 10 games. To be honest I don't know how they have been so good all season. I really don't see a lot of talent, and maybe this is just that catching up with them finally.

I expect Rask to be in net again tonight. He has been hot of late and when he is on he can really shutdown just about any team. The Bruins also got some good news earlier today as Krejci's injury is not serious and he is also expected to play tonight.

Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

David Krejci Injury Update

I was wondering when we were going to hear how bad Krejci's injury was, and finally today the news came out. Don't worry it's good news, Krejci has a right leg injury. He didn't practice today, but he did receive treatment, and he seems to think he will be able to play tomorrow against the Sabres (he is listed as probable).

Krejci has been playing better of late, but hasn't been nearly the same player he was last year when he put up 73 points and was a +37 (this year he only has 30 points and is -4). If the Bruins are ever going to turn this season around this guy has to step up and get over this seemingly endless slump.

B's Be Back in Business, Baby

Last Monday I was cautiously optimistic after an 0-1-1 weekend. So as you can imagine, I'm thrilled after a 1-1-0 weekend. With an OT loss Saturday and a shutout win Sunday, the Bruins have collected 4 points in 4 games. The sun isn't high in the sky just yet, but it's starting to peak over the horizon.

I'll focus more on Sunday's 3-0 shutout win over Montreal because it's much more pleasant to write about.

It was a game of firsts. The first Bruins victory since January 14th. Adam McQuaid scored his first NHL goal. And Blake Wheeler got into his first NHL fight.



It wasn't an epic debut for Wheeler into the world of fighter, but just the fact that he felt scrappy enough to drop the gloves, and was actually the only one in the fight who threw a punch, is a good sign.

Tuukka Rask is the hot goalie, and you have to ride him while he's hot. I'm still not completely sold on him, but the results don't lie. Besides, goaltending isn't this team's biggest concern, so why not let Rask play until he starts losing?



David Krejci left the game early with an undisclosed injury. The good news is that the Olympic Break commences soon. And honestly, I'm not going to miss Krejci's ghostlike presence on the ice, or lack of presence. He might be available for Tuesday's game in Buffalo.

To be perfectly frank, I was hoping Krejci would be out for a few weeks. Ryder too. I'd much rather have a forceful line with Sobotka and Bitz out there. Krejci's looked fine his last few games, but he's been lacking in every department all season long.

The Bruins bring their roadtrip to Buffalo Tuesday, then Tampa Bay Thursday and Florida Saturday. Then it's Olympic time. Hopefully a strong series of games will give the B's some positives to reinforce over the break.

-The Commodore