Bruins 1, Senators 0

This had "trap game" written all over it. A game against a bad team sandwiched between big wins over the weekend and big games yet to come. Still, I'd like to think that since this was an obvious potential trap game, the Bruins would show up and play well. Or maybe have a shaky 1st period then settle down. Instead, they played about as well as Ottawa and escaped with a slim 1-0 win.

I must have forgotten who the head coach is. One of the things that's plagued this Bruins team under Julien is a false sense of achievement. Every hot streak seems to end with efforts like this one. Bland, uninspired, directionless.

I know, I know. A win is a win is a win. And six game road trips don't usually end with 12 points in the bank. Why am I being Robbie Downer? Because I've seen this pattern before.

A 6 game road winning streak is impressive. Until you remember that 4 of those games were against the bottom 3 teams in the NHL (Islanders, Senators twice, and the Oilers). The Vancouver win was impressive. The others were standard.

Then we get to last night. For the most part, the Bruins and Senators looked evenly matched. That's not supposed to happen against a last place team that's just traded away most of its roster. The Bruins weren't sharp, they weren't quick. They were indecisive, and they didn't skate. There were a few exceptions, like Horton, but it only takes one or two saboteurs on the ice at a time to slow things down.

We've seen it before, so many times. This team rips off a few wins, then they crap the bed. In the 2009 playoffs, they sweep Montreal, then beat Carolina in Game 1. They ease up on the throttle, allow Carolina to stick around, and suddenly they're on the losing end of a Game 7. And we all remember the Flyers series last spring. The Bruins' MO is to do well, get cocky and complacent, then let a near-death opponent cling to life. That works against Ottawa. It won't work in the playoffs against Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

So the B's are 6 points ahead of Montreal, with a game in hand. They're tied for the 2nd seed in the East and have an unreal road record of 22-7-4. But I'm not convinced that they're much different from the chokers I've seen in the recent past. Not until they can go to places like Ottawa, give 100%, and outplay bad teams.

Being able to win at home would also help to make me optimistic. The Bruins have the best road record in the NHL, and the 21st best home record.

The next week is a good test for the Bruins. They host Tampa Bay on Thursday, then Pittsburgh on Saturday. They're in Montreal next Tuesday, and host Buffalo two days later. Some home games, some good teams, and then they'll probably lose a 3-2 game in OT to the Islanders after that.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Senators Preview

The Bruins are "en fuego" right now. They now have a 6 point lead in the Northeast Division, and are only 2 points behind Tampa Bay for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. You can credit it to the Bruins recent acquisitions, or you could credit it to them playing on the road. It has been well documented that the Bruins are an outstanding road team (21-7-4 on the road, 15-12-3 at home), so I guess we should be thankful they are once again on the road tonight.

Boston will be looking for 6th win in a row, and it sounds like Rask will be in net tonight. I actually really like that, because I want to see him in net more to keep Thomas fresh. Thomas has been playing a lot better since he has gotten more time off. Plus, this is Ottawa and the Bruins should beat them even if Blaine Lacher was in net.

Ottawa has had a real tough year. They are only 21-32-9 on the season, and have already shipped off a good chunk of talent on their roster. Look for any easy victory for the Bruins tonight.

Bruins win 5-3
Player of the Game: Lucic
Game starts at 7:30pm on NESN.

Penguins Trade For Alexei Kovalev

"The Pittsburgh Penguins added another top winger Thursday, acquiring Alexei Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators, sources said. The Senators get a seventh-round pick in return for Kovalev, according to sources. The trade comes days after the Penguins, who have been decimated by injuries, picked up James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen in exchange for defenseman Alex Goligoski (ESPN)."

You knew the Penguins were going to have to do something after losing Malkin for the year. This doesn't replace him, but it could soften the blow. Kovalev has been a disappointment this year with 14 goals and 27 points in 54 games, but that could have a lot to do with the lack of talent around him.

Even with this move I don't think the Penguins have much of a shot at winning the Cup this year.

Bruins @ Senators Preview

There is a good chance that Tim Thomas is in net tonight, but as Rob and I were talking about earlier I think the better choice is to get Rask some playing time. Thomas could use the rest (just 1-2-0 with a 4.55 goals-against average in his last four games), and the Bruins should be winning these games against shitty team regardless of who is in net. If they can't, what does that say about this team?

Last night the Bruins did what they needed to do. It wasn't a flawless game, but a win is a win, and right now that's what the Bruins need to do against the weak teams. Ottawa has been flat out terrible lately (1-7-2 in their last 10), so Boston needs to take advantage. I get nervous sometimes with back-to-back games, especially against "bad" teams, because there is always that "trap game" feeling, but Ottawa is so bad the Bruins should roll over them.

Plus, the Bruins are a fantastic road team, so I expect an easy win tonight.

Bruins win 5-2
Player of the Game: Lucic
Game starts at 7:30pm on NESN

Bruins Get Chris Kelly

"The Bruins traded for Senators forward Chris Kelly, the team announced Tuesday night. The B's will send their own second-round draft pick to Ottawa in the deal (WEEI)."

So what was my reaction to this trade? Well, it went something like this "Oh, so who the fuck is Chris Kelly", after looking him up, "Oh, he has 12 goals this year, the Bruins better do way better then this".

Kelly has 12 goals and 11 assists this season for 23 points in 56 games for Ottawa. He has another year remaining on his contract, but it's not like he is really going to improve since he is already 30 years old. He has never scored more then 15 goals in a season. The Bruins recently have been scoring, but playing no defense, so maybe they will make a move to get a defenseman, but all I can say is this better not be it.

I will say that it doesn't sound like it will be after reading Peter Chiarelli's comments yesterday...

"I've been pretty public with saying I'd like to get a defenseman. That's still in the works," said Chiarelli, who added there are nine defensemen the team is seriously considering. "I've had discussions on a number of fronts. I would say a couple of them are closer, but I don't have anything imminent."

When asked later by a reporter if he thinks he'll make a trade for a defenseman, Chiarelli paused contemplatively and responded, "Yeah. Yeah, I think I will (WEEI)."

They better.

Big Trade Coming For Bruins?

Now that Savard has been shut down the season the Bruins have some cap room to play with. Yesterday general manager Peter Chiarelli was on WEEI and he sounded like a guy who was about to make a move...

"Sure. I'd look at [trading the pick]. Sure, I would. I've had discussions involving that pick," said Chiarelli. "I would certainly look at it. We've got a lot of assets, so we can be creative about things, also. But I would look at it."

"There's been one [trade] that we've thrown around here internally. I don't know that I would do it, but it's something that warrants further discussion (ESPN)."

That "pick" is another first round from Toronto, which looks like it will be a top 5 pick.

Chiarelli was later asked if fans should expect a trade and he said "I would bet on it". The question is what kind of move they will make. Will it be for another forward? Or will it be for a "puck moving defenseman" that has been rumored throughout the year.

One name that is being floated around is Brad Richards. I don't see it happening, because I just don't see Dallas wanting to deal the 30 year old center. If they did get him it would be unreal, but I wouldn't bet on this.

What is much more likely for someone like Tomas Kaberle, who is interestingly enough is from Toronto. He fits that mold of a "puck moving defenseman". Kabarle has been rumored for 2 years now, so one would think this is the most likely.

Another named being rumored by ESPN is Sergei Gonchar, who spent a short time with the Bruins back in 2003.

Bruins 6, Senators 0

There's really not much to analyze and discuss from this game. Ottawa is a bad team, that's in the middle of playing poorly, even for their standards. It's good to see the Bruins take care of business against teams like this. The last time they played Ottawa, the Bruins lost 2-0.

Patrice Bergeron is without a doubt the Bruins' best offensive player at the moment. 8 goals in his last 13 games, along with 9 assists. He's +11 in that stretch. He had the chance to celebrate scoring a hat-trick twice last night, as a goal initially credited to him was actually Marchand's, and was eventually switched. This was Bergeron's first career hat trick.

While he's this on fire, I'd like to see him be a center on the Power Play. He's been used at the point, which is fine, but the Bruins have plenty of defensemen who can get offensive on a Power Play (Chara, Seidenberg, Boychuk, and Kampfer). I'd like to see Bergeron center one of the PP lines, maybe with Krejci as a winger. He's sniping the puck, and it'd be nice to get him closer to the net on the Power Play.

I'm glad to see Marchand promoted to the 3rd line with Bergeron and Recchi. He's not just an agitator, he's got some talent. Nothing against Thornton or Campbell, but they're not exactly playmaking forwards that will help Marchand score 15 to 20 goals. I wouldn't mind seeing Wheeler on the 4th line, where maybe he can use his size as a physical player. For now, though, Paille's earning his spot on the roster, and gelling with Thornton and Campbell.

I guess there was some stuff to analyze and discuss after all. The Bruins host the Flyers on Thursday in a pretty big game.

-The Commodore

Senators @ Bruins Preview

The Bruins start a 4 game homestand tonight, and although that sounds like good news the Bruins have been anything but stellar at the Garden this year (9-7-3). The good news is the Bruins have earned at least a point in eight of their last nine going 5-1-3 during that stretch.

The Senators are not a good team, so one would think the Bruins would take care of business, but you just never know what kind of effort you are going to get from them (one of the reasons I'm not a big Julien fan). Ottawa has only scored 7 goals during their current 5 game losing streak. Offensive improvement may be difficult for the Senators against Boston, which has allowed an NHL-low 88 goals (2.15 per game). Likely starter Tim Thomas is 12-3-1 with a 1.52 goals-against average in his last 16 starts against Ottawa.

Usually, I say that the Bruins offense is the key, and it is against tonight, but 2-3 goals should be enough. So, I see a win once again for the Bruins tonight.

Boston wins 3-1
Player of the Game: Tim Thomas
Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

Stanley Cup Series Updates: Eastern Conference

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 Commodore

Senators 5, Bruins 1

The excuses are many, but still insufficient. Were games like this one uncommon, perhaps such excuses could be accepted as valid. But the Bruins have built themselves a new reputation this season. In last year's playoffs, the team's PR motto was: We Want It As Bad As You.



The slogan for the 09-10 season? We Play As Bad As You.

Injuries can forgive losses in close games, like we saw on the 1-1-1 Westcoast trip. And certainly players who have been hurt, like Bergeron and Krejci, can receive occasional hall passes for poor play.

But unhealthiness can't explain Blake Wheeler's inability to maintain posession of the puck. Blake's new nickname: Vonda Mahoney (the name of the "easy girl" in Family Matters that tried to repay Steve's tutoring with sexual favors. Only for Steve to convince her to be a prude) because he gives it up as easily as she did.



I'm convinced more and more that the Bruins acquired Satan to at least partially replace both Wheeler or Ryder.

Hopefully, losses like this one will ignite a fire under the asses. I've been kind of hoping for a bad streak of losses. The Bruins' bipolar, on-and-off efforts need to stop. The team has to hit bottom. And only then, coupled with the return of injured players, will give them a chance to achieve Springtime significance.

Bruins get the BJ's Thursday night.



-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Senators 1

Tim Thomas continued his domination of the Senators, and the Bruins won their 3rd and final game in Ottawa this season.

All the Bruins' scoring came in the 1st. Blake Wheeler notched 2 goals and an assist, finally doing something useful. I listened to some of this game on Ottawa's radio feed, and they kept talking about how big he is (6' 5", 205 lbs). But he still rarely plays that big, sort of in a Joe Thornton vein.

Krejci had a goal and assist in the 1st, as did Mark Recchi. Boychuck added 2 assists.

This was a key win for the Bruins within the division. These wins against Ottawa have kept the B's in 2nd place, instead of 3rd.

But the bad news is that Andrew Ference has an "undisclosed injury" and the already depleted Boston blue-line can ill afford more lost ice time.

Speaking of ice time, Miroslav Satan made his Bruins debut and logged 14:06. He took one shot, was +2, and had 2 takeaways.

Bruins host the 30-10-3 Blackhawks Thursday night. Be sure to check in on this game during Bama/Texas' commercial breaks. The last time these teams met, it was a thriller.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Senators Preview

The Bruins are 3-0 against Ottawa this year, but the Bruins are dealing with some injuries, so this game should be close. Bergeron hurt his thumb yesterday and now looks to be out 2-6 weeks. You add that to the fact that they already lost Lucic, and the Bruins are a little thin up front.

With Patrice out the Bruins are going to need offensive guys like Wheeler and Savard to really pick up their game. Boston has been playing well on defense, and getting great effort from their goalies, but their offense is one of the worst in the NHL.

I would say with all their missing, and the lack of offense they should lost tonight, but with this team you just never know. Some games they look like the team last year that took the NHL by storm, and then other nights......

Game starts at 7:30pm on NESN.

Bruins 2, Senators 0

Tim Thomas has 8 wins this season. And 4 shutouts. That speaks to how good he's been, and how inconsistent the Bruins have been for him. Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov are the only other goalies in the NHL with 4 shutouts. Miller has 20 wins, Bryzgalov has 19. Tim Thomas has 8. Can you say statistical anomaly?



Timmy got some help in this one. Boychuck gets an assist on this shutout. Wideman returned and had a very good outing. And scoring 2 goals was the biggest help of all.

The Bruins didn't commit any stupid penalties and leave themselves shorthanded. It wasn't until 18:31 into the 3rd that the Bruins committed any penalty at all, and it was part of double-matching-minors. Yesterday, I stressed how much silly penalties can handicap an offense. I'm glad the Bruins were listening.

It was nice to see some variety between the Bruins' goals. Bergeron got his off a rebound, which came about due to a strong forecheck. Sturm got his on a breakaway, keyed by Chara and Savard.

Bergeron and Sturm, who combined for 15 goals last season, have already amassed 19 between them. Sturm's 10 lead the team, and Bergeron's 9 are 2nd best. I know the offense has struggled, and some might argue that Phil Kessel is sorely missed, but the scoring from these two guys have helped fill the offensive void left by Kessel.

It was a big road win against a key divisional opponent, and the Bruins are now 3-0 against Ottawa. 3 points from this 3 game trip is a decent result.

The Bruins engage the Southern Division for a few games, hosting Atlanta on Wednesday, then travelling to play the Panthers and Lightning, then back up to Boston to once again host Atlanta.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Senators Preview

The Bruins who were flying up the ranking quickly over the past couple of weeks have slid back down to 3rd in the Northeast. The main reason for the slide is the lack of offensive production, you add that with the injuries the Bruins have had on defense you got yourself a problem. Boston should have Wideman back on the ice, so that should help, but Boston needs is offensive stars to step up their game.

Too many times over the past couple of game the Bruins are getting out worked on the boards. That is nothing more then effort. We have seen them be able to play with the best, but they are so fucking inconsistent you just don't know what team is going to show up, and if they will show up for the entire game.

The good news is that Boston has had a lot of success against Ottawa the past couple of seasons, and even with all the injuries Boston is dealing with I still expect them to win this game (side note - Thomas should be in net tonight).

Game starts at 7:30 on NESN.

Bruins 4, Senators 3 (SO)

After falling behind 2-0 to the Senators Saturday night, I was already writing a post in my head. I was going to talk about Lucic's injury deflating the team, and the Bruins' puzzling inability to win at home.

But a 3 goal rally, capped off with exemplary shootout efforts from Tim Thomas and Michael Ryder thankfully forced me to make some rewrites.

The Bruins have gone 5-0-1 in their last 6, earning 11 of the available 12 points. They won Saturday's game despite Ottawa's good fortune (their 2nd goal was due in large part to an injured Patrice Bergeron, turning a 5-on-4 power play into a 5-on-3; and their 3rd goal was a lucky bounce combined with a rusty Tim Thomas). And Friday afternoon, I think they stole a point from that game because Marty Brodeur was on his A-Game. And that guy's A-Game is otherworldly.

The B's sit atop the Northeast Division (although 2nd place Buffalo and 3rd place Ottawa have played fewer games). Their penalty kill unit has improved dramatically since October's struggles, and is now the 2nd best in the NHL at 84.9%. The power play has also been steadily getting better. All 3 of the Bruins' goals came with a man advantage on Saturday.

After a few days off, the B's host the surprisingly solid Lightning Wednesday night before travelling to Montreal on Friday.

-The Commodore

Bruins 4, Senators 3 (SO)

Mixed emotions about this game. On the one hand, the Bruins scored 2 goals in the last 88 seconds to force an overtime, and eventually triumph in the shootout. On the other hand, they NEEDED 2 goals to force an overtime.

If this were just an isolated game, it would be a thrilling victory to be celebrated and enjoyed. But the Bruins have developed an awful habit of inconsistency. They played a solid 1st period, a fantastic 2nd period, and for 18 minutes in the 3rd they let the Senators dominate them. It's got to stop.

Tim Thomas was Jedi-like in this game. His stat line isn't impressive (27 saves on 30 shots), but without him this game would've been 5-1 or worse. And that's not an exaggeration. He made some inhuman saves, staying in plays that no other goalie could stay in.



Derek Morris has another good game. But not many Bruins did. Blake Wheeler scored a goal, but also had some dreadful giveaways. Bergeron, Ference, Stuart, and Wideman all made nervous looking passes.

This team's problem isn't a lack of fire, it's a lack of focus. They don't have that workmanlike attitude that characterized their regular season play last season. They'll be too casual for 15 minutes at a time, trying to make cross-ice passes that are broken up by a defender literally 2 feet from them. They'll lose battles along the boards, and make moronic decisions with the puck. Then after 15 minutes of this, and an opponent's goal or two, they'll have fire and play with a fury for 10 minutes.

They don't need a fire lit under them. They don't need players traded to "send a message." They need veteran guys like Chara, Sturm, Savard (when he returns), and Rechhi to play with a collected passion and an even keel. When Aaron Ward and PJ Axelsson left, this team lost some of its calm and confident character. That needs to be replaced from within. And I think eventually it will be.

The Bruins have 6 power play goals. They've allowed 3 shorthanded goals. They'd better find that character.

Almost a week off until the B's host the Devils on Thursday.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Senators

Well if the Bruins want to win the Presidents trophy then they are probably going to have to win their last three remaining games. To be honest, that means little to nothing to me, and I hope the Bruins feel the same. What the Bruins do need to focus on is getting healthy and figuring out what the lines will be. Boston gets Kessel back today, and that is a big step to getting their offense going 100%. Kessel at one point this season was on pace to score 50 goals. He has had a shoulder problem, but if it is healthy, he should be well rested and ready for the playoff grind.

Ottawa's season is over, but they will look to avoid being swept by the Bruins this season. Even though the Bruins are really playing for very little I think they are just so much more talented that they will win this game (though I think it will be close). Hopefully the Bruins are smart and start Fernandez, because they are going to need Thomas rested, since it looks like he will be playing every playoff game.

Game is at 7:30 on NESN.

Senators @ Bruins Preview

If the Bruins win tonight they eliminate any chance of New jersey taking the top spot in the Eastern Conference. As I said in my last post they will once again have to do it without Kessel. May people are writing this game off as an automatic win, but many people don't notice how well Ottawa has been playing lately. They are currently on a little slide (losing 3 of 4), but before that they had won 9 of their last 10 games.

Ottawa has to be happy Kessel is not playing as he has destroyed them this year four goals and three assists against them in four games (all Bruins wins). Tonight's game I expect to be close, yet Boston will prove once again they are the much better team.

There are a lot of things I want to see from the Bruins tonight. One is that they keep dumping and chasing. They have gotten back to that recently and that has them playing better offensively and defensively. I would also like to the Bruins keep limiting other teams shots. This they have not been able to do consistently. Having Tim Thomas make 40 saves in a game is really asking a lot, and though he has been up for the task it is a big risk to be doing that every night. The last thing I want to see is the Bruins continue to be physical. Boston beat the shit out of Tampa Bay the other night, and they have the guys to do that every night.

Game is at 7pm on NESN.

Bruins 5 Senators 3

Boston really needed a win and they got it for the 4th time this season against the Ottawa Senators. The game looked to be over before it even started as the Bruins were up 3-0 ten mins into the game. Yet, Ottawa refused to go down easy, and battled back. In the end the Bruins were able to stay on top. Still, I am not sure how I should take this game. Part of me says it might be the game that gets them back on track. The other part of me still thinks they are showing a lot of alarming holes in their game.

The Good:
A win is a win, and the Bruins are now up by 6 points over New Jersey for first place in the Eastern Conference with only 13 games left in the season. Kessel was amazing in this game. He was all over the ice, and just looked like a man on a mission. He scored two goals (1 was an open net), and looked like the guy who was on pace to score 50 goals earlier in the season. Savard also looked great adding two assists. Another guy I am gaining more and more respect for with each passing game is Chuck Kobasew. He crashes the net every time down the ice, and his style of play I think will be great for the Bruins as they enter the playoffs.

The Bad:
Boston is still trying to be too fancy. A lot of times they try to go around the defense instead of just playing dump and chase. Guys like Ryder, Recchi, ect, should be battling on the boards. Boston seems to have lost some of their toughness when it comes to powering into the offensive zone. The Bruins also need to learn how to finish a game. It seems like when they have a lead they sit back a little bit, and let a team back in. In short, if you do that during the playoffs you are not going to make it out of the first round. Also, Ference needs to step up his game. He was horrible last night, and it did not surprise me at all when I looked at the stat sheet after the game that he was out there for all 3 Ottawa goals.

In the end you have to take the good with the bad. Boston needs to build on this, and over the next 13 games get ready for the playoffs. Right now with the way they are playing they will not make it very far, but they do have the talent to do very well. Hopefully Julien and Co., can get them back to the way they were playing earlier in the season.

Senators @ Bruins

I thought they would step up last game and they let me down. The Bruins do have a chance to end their funk tonight, because they have owned Ottawa all season, and are just a much better team all around.

Boston is 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, and just seem to have no luck of late. From Thomas breaking his mask, to Manny Fernandez forgetting how to play goalie, losing a puck in his pads and scoring on himself. The good news is Boston is still 6 points up on New Jersey for first place in the East, and they are 3-0 against Ottawa this year. Kessel and Krecji will be playing, and you would hope that they have to get hot again soon.

Tim Thomas has won his last five starts versus Ottawa, two of them shutouts at home, compiling a 0.99 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage in those outings. I would think he would be in net, but we shall see.

The bad news is Ottawa is actually playing really well of late winning four straight. Still, I just believe this Bruins team is too good to stay down for too long, but we will see at 7pm on NESN.