Late game lapse sends Bruins into All-Star weekend on loosing note

(Photo by AP)

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins lost their final game before the All-Star break, a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, by virtue of something that has become a regular occurrence in the Bruins recent meetings with the Colorado; the late goal.

The Bruins allowed two goals in the last two minutes of periods Wednesday night. Ultimately, they squandered a 2-1 lead in the third period when they allowed Ryan O’Reilly to score for Colorado with the goalie pulled and 1:45 left on the game clock.

The Avalanche, invigorated by their comeback, dominated overtime and scored the only goal in the ensuing shootout, winning the game.

“We played a good 58 minutes of hockey and killed a lot of good penalties,” said Bruins defensemen, Torey Krug. “(Rask) came up big for us in some key moments. They just out-battled us at the end and they scored the only goal in the shootout that mattered.”

The Bruins out-hit the Avalanche for all three periods of the game. They held onto the puck with ease, recording 0 giveaways and were gritty in the defensive zone with 27 blocked shots.

Their goalie, Tuukka Rask played well and, for the near entirety of the first period, held the Avalanche off the board. It was not until former Bruin, Jarome Iginla, batted in a rebound with 0.4 seconds left in the period that Colorado managed to draw blood.

The Bruins responded 4:47 into the second period when David Pastrnak’s shot ricocheted to Krug who proceeded to score his ninth goal of the season.

The Bruins played “competent” hockey Wednesday night but struggled with discipline. Even as they eventually took a 2-1 lead off of Brad Marchand’s first goal since his suspension, they were called for penalties. By night’s end, seven Bruins went to the penalty box.

“I thought  we played well the first two periods. We were moving the puck well and skating well for a back-to-back games and again, those penalties took their toll on us,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien.

Julien expressed frustration at an apparent discrepancy in penalty calling. Notably, Jarome Iginla, seemed to get away with an overt trip of Brad Marchand early in the game. No penalties were called and in fact, the Avalanche were called for just three minor penalties Wednesday.

“It's too bad. It's such a close game and to have an edge on us in power-plays is unbelievable,” Julien complained. “There were some blatant missed calls out there and its' getting frustrating. Because at the end of the day, guys work hard they kill penalties, they get burnt out and run out of gas at the end. That took its toll."

Still though, the Bruins seemed displeased mainly with the fundamental issues that took place within their own team; especially on O’Reilly’s game tying goal in the third period.

“We have to look at ourselves here,” Julian said. “It's poor management. We had the puck at least three maybe four times with 27 seconds left where we could have done something much better and we didn't. That's our own fault. And at the end of the game, we need to be a little more aware of when they pull their goalie, we have to collapse a little better and we allowed a guy to come into the slot there and score.”

With the NHL’s All-Stars competing in the All-Star game this weekend in Columbus, the Bruins are off for the next week. Though a loss to Colorado stings, they can seek solace in the fact that they enter the break having taken at least a point out of 12 of their last 13 games.

“It's pretty disappointing obviously but we battled hard and we had a lot of good penalty kills there,” said Tuukka Rask. “It's too bad we got scored on in the last two minutes, but we played a good game today.”

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Report: Bruins expected play Canadians in 2016 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium

(Photo by David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/File)

by Dakota Antelman

According to DJ Bean of WEEI, the NHL has finalized plans for the Bruins to host the Montreal Canadians in the 2016 Winter Classic at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium.

The WEEI report acknowledges that the league is yet to make a public announcement on the subject. However, it does not come completely out of the blue.

Last month, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported via Twitter that the Bruins were favorites to host the 2016 Winter Classic. Though no venue was specified in that report, both Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park were names mentioned as potential host venues.

Fenway hosted the game in 2010 when the Bruins toppled the Flyers 2-1 in overtime. The aura of Fenway as an iconic stadium combined with the rivalry between the Bruins and Flyers drew in the largest viewership that the Winter Classic had seen in its then three year history.

Six years later however, the NHL appears to be leaning towards bigger venues in its selection of Winter Classic hosts. Though the Red Sox organization expressed interest in getting the game back, the potential for nearly double the ticket sales at Gillette Stadium seemed to sway the scale in its favor.

In terms of the matchup, the NHL is positioning itself for a bounce back year after the ratings flop that was the 2015 Winter Classic.

The long engraved rivalry between the Bruins and Canadians will be a major story throughout the league as the game approaches while it will also likely draw in far more Canadian viewers than has been the case in the first nine Winter Classics.

The Canadians will be just the second Canadian team to play in the Winter Classic.

For Bruin Dougie Hamilton, the prospect of playing in this storied game is delightful. He is part of a brand drew generation of NHL players who have grown up watching the Winter Classic and dreaming of playing in it.

He spoke Monday on the topic.

“I think it would be awesome,” Hamilton said. “It’s something that you kind of follow every year. In [recent] years I watched the HBO show in juniors and kind of pictured what the NHL was like. Then watching the games, it’s obviously special with the different jerseys and the venue and the crowd and rivalries and everything; it’s something you’d really want to be a part of.

“I think when [speculation] came out last year and we kind of thought it was going to be this year, I think it was kind of disappointing that it wasn’t us. Hopefully we get it and have that chance. It [would be] something to really forward to next year.”€

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3 takeaways from Bruins 3-1 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins were dealt a painful loss Saturday night, losing by a score of 3-1. Carl Soderberg scored Boston's only goal while Tuukka Rask was good for much of the game.

Below are some takeaways from the loss...

Winning streak over

The Bruins were riding high going into this game. They had won five straight contests and taken points out of their last 13 games.

Though they played similarly to the way they have been throughout this streak, Saturday's loss ruined the absoluteness of their early 2015 run. The Bruins, having also watched as the Rangers beat the Blue Jackets the night before to reclaim the first wild card spot, now have their record drop to 24-16-6 on the season and will have to wait until Tuesday to get their next chance at leapfrogging New York.

Bruins absorb loss of Marchand

One of the biggest storylines going into Saturday's game was that surrounding the suspension of Brad Marchand for slew-footing Rangers forward Derick Brassard. Marchand was suspended two games by the Department of Player Safety Friday and spoke to media Saturday morning on the topic.

While there was little opposition to the suspension within the Bruins or even Boston as a whole, there was much to be said about how the team would absorb the loss of him vs Columbus.

Very simply, the Bruins seemed to play seamlessly without the grit of Marchand. Fourth line winger Danial Pallie was promoted to Marchand's normal line consisting of Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith. He and his line rattled off 10 shots and played normal ice time.

Though the Bruins definitely missed Marchand, Saturday's game seemed to settle some fluttering fears that his absence would devastate the team's momentum.

Milan Lucic dominates finesse game

Milan Lucic, who already had three goals in the new year, played one of his best fundamental games fans have seen out of him in a while.

He and linemates, David Krejci and David Pastrnak, were connecting on passes with showstopping consistency Saturday. Furthermore, Lucic himself put up five shots in the loss, more than he had in any game this season. Though he did not factor into the score sheet in a major way, Lucic was arguably the Bruins best offensive player vs the Blue Jackets; something that has not been true for a long time.

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Bruins, Brad Marchand speak on subject of suspension

by Dakota Antelman

Bruin forward Brad Marchand spoke to media Saturday for the first time since his slew foot on Rangers forward Derick Brassard earned him a two game suspension.

He and his coaches spoke candidly about the play and the suspension that resulted from it. Marchand appeared to accept the suspension as a natural consequence while insisting that the slew foot was not intentional.

“Going into the play, it wasn’t what I was trying to do,” he said. “I was just trying to make a hard hit. I was trying to throw him backwards, but I didn’t intend to kick his feet out. Things happen. It’s a quick game. Plays in hockey are going to happen that are questionable, and you’ve got to live with it.”

After all though, the NHL acted mainly on what they saw in the video they were presented with. That video showed a, textbook definition of a slew foot.

The NHL Department of Player Safety has revamped its approach in dealing with slew footing plays in just this season alone. What used to just earn a player a fine now gets them a suspension; similar in practice to either Marchand’s or Dallas Stars forward Ryan Garbutt who was suspended for an identical play to Marchand’s earlier this season.

Bruins coach Claude Julian touched on the topic of the crack down Saturday.

"The league made its decision. They're certainly trying to cut down on slew-footing, so we have to accept it and move on,” he said.

Beyond the suspension itself, Marchand devoted much of his statement to the topic of his growing reputation as a controversial or even dirty player. This suspension goes down as the third of his career and fourth time he has been penalized by the Department of Player Safety.

"It's a grave I've dug for myself and I've got to live with it," he acknowledged.

The NHL admittedly takes reputation into account when assessing whether or not a suspension is in order. Marchand understood that as his laundry list of infractions lengthens, his reputation might be playing a role in the frequency of these punishments.

“Maybe it played into it a little bit, but I have been trying to play within the rules and change my game,” he said. “Again, I play a hard game and I’m going to do things that are questionable at times. I’ve got to live it. The way that they discipline me, I’ve got to live with that.”

He was gracious in celebrating the fact that he will only miss two games with this suspension while keeping focused on his eventual return to game action next Wednesday vs. the Avalanche.

"They made their decision and I've got to live with that,” he said. “Hopefully the guys do well without me and I can get back in against Colorado."

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Why Brad Marchand's hit on Derick Brassard should start some conversations in Boston

(Photo by Winslow Townson/USA Today Sports)

by Dakota Antelman

When Brad Marchand slew footed Derick Brassard during Thursday night's game between the Bruins and Rangers, there was little opposition to the general assumption that he would be suspended in the coming days. 

So overtly illegal seemed the play, in fact, that the NHL Department of Player Safety went through a near ritualistic process Friday morning before swiftly punishing the Bruin forward with a two game suspension. 

This suspension will have Marchand sitting out both Saturday's meeting with Columbus and next Tuesday's clash with the Dallas Stars. More so, it will cost him $48,387.10 in forfeited salary money which will be funneled into the Players Emergency Assistance Fund.  

Such a punishment is almost benign. Marchand skates away from this incident largely unscathed as given the perceived severity of his hit on Brassard combined with his lengthy laundry list of supplementary discipline, it could have been understandable how and why a suspension of five or more games could have been in order. 

As described in the Department of Player Safety's video Marchand initiated the contact with Brassard by apparently kicking out Brassard's legs. As Brassard fell to the ice, Marchand came down hard with a forearm thrust to Brassard's shoulder and chest. As Marchand stood upright in the corner, Brassard landed dangerously, with the entire weight of the check on his shoulders and neck and his body pinned almost vertically up against the corner-boards. 

The possibility for severe injury was evident from the first replay of the hit. Brassard himself, understood that possibility best.

"The way I fell on the ice, I maybe could've missed the rest of the season if I hurt my knee there . . ." he said. "Marchand's a pretty good player, he's feisty, competes hard, but those kind of things, we don't want that in our game."

As much as Bruins fans love to celebrate the three time 20 goal scorer in Marchand, they have long sense come to terms with the near Matt Cooke circa 2010 hitman within him as well. 

This suspension marks the third of his career and the fourth instance of supplementary discipline for Marchand after just five seasons in the league. Notably, he was booked back in 2010 for what was deemed a "clip" or dangerously low hit to the knees of Vancouver Chanuk, Sami Salo. Before that, Marchand was ordered to sit for five games after an elbow to the head penalty. 

But perhaps the most glaring of these punishments is the one that was not actually a suspension. Before the Brassard hit on Thursday night, Marchand delivered a near identical slew foot against Pittsburgh Penguins pest Matt Cooke in 2011. He was fined $2,500 largely out of principle. That fine was a $2,500 slap on the wrist from the league that said "hey don't do that again." 

But he did. 

This time there was no coddling Marchand; from the Department of Player Safety or any of the other executives or even fans involved with the NHL. Two games is what he got, two games or even more were what he deserved. 

And now, as Marchand spends the next two games watching from the press box, Bruins fans will have time to cast him a glance, in all his sedentary observational glory, and rethink their judgment of him. 

Very simply, as hockey fans, we hate to see plays like the one that took place Thursday night. As Derick Brassard said, there is simply no place for that in our game. As Bruins fans, we especially like to call other teams out when they encroach upon that sacred no-mans-land of possible body contact into which none shall enter.

We still remember the rightful slandering of Matt Cooke's name after Mark Savard's career ended on his elbow. But what would we say if Marchand blew out Brassard's knee and ended his career like Cooke did Savard? Marchand would deserve the same kind of ridicule.

Which begs the question: is Marchand a dirty, cheap shooting player like Matt Cooke? Sadly, the answer could be yes.

Now this is not to undermine the great things that Marchand has done as a Bruin. He is an immensely talented scorer with arguably much more talent than any of the thugs mentioned above. But much like the kid in high school with "all that potential", Marchand keeps making immature decisions on the ice and as a result is well on his way towards having an assigned seat in the principal’s office.

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David Pastrnak to remain with Bruins past 9th game milestone

(Photo by Elise Amendola/AP)

by Dakota Antelman

Bruins general manager, Peter Chiarelli, announced Thursday that rookie forward David Pastrnak will not be returning to the Providence Bruins once his temporary call up ends following Thursday's game. 

In accordance with NHL regulations, his contract status will change to "professional" with his salary increasing as well. 

Chiarelli explained the deal in a press conference during the first intermission of Thursday's game. 

"We scrutinized his play in Providence and really felt that the NHL is a place where he is gonna get the proper physicality and skill of opponents," he said briefly.

Thursday marked Pastrnak's eighth start with the Bruins this season. He entered the game having scored four times while clocking nearly 15 minutes of ice time in each of those games. Still though, many were skeptical of his abilities as well as his longevity within the league. 

Notably, Pastrnak did not make it through preseason roster cuts due to fears from coaches that his small stature endangered him as he went against some of the bigger players within the NHL.  

After over 20 games in Providence, a tournament's worth of starts for Czech Republic at the World Junior Tournament in Canada, as well as eight starts with the Bruins though, those fears appear to have absolved from the Bruins' mindset. 

"He went down there and did what we told him to, that's play hard, play along the walls," Chiarelli said. "Definitely playing without the puck better."

Though Chiarelli admitted that Pastrnak does still have a propensity to put himself in somewhat dangerous situations given his size, the Bruin GM also insisted that his first round draft pick is rapidly gaining physical strength as well asweight.  

As for how often he will get to show fans that strength, that was left up in the air even after Chiareli's clarifying media talks. 

Speaking on the subject of the fluidity of Pastrnak's role with the team, he said "It dosn't mean he's in the lineup all the time, there may be times where his time dips a little bit, even times where he goes down to Providence for a game or two. But the big takeaway from this should be that he's staying with the team, practicing with the team and hopefully getting some playing time."

Though it remains unclear where among the Bruin’s offensive core Pastrnak will fit, there are few within the Bruins organization, or their fan base, who have much that is negative to say about the team’s youngest and most promising prospect.

"I feel he has done very well in his apprenticeship in Providence which has been huge," Chiarelli said. "He's a good kid."

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Thoughts on Bruins farm players: Anthony Camara, Zach Trotman, Jeremy Smith highlighted

(Photo by Rosina Vacchiano)

by Dakota Antelman

Recently, the Bruins AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, faced off against the Worcester Sharks, the San Jose Sharks affiliate, in a regular season meeting at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Go Titletown was there to observe. Below are a few thoughts on three Bruins prospects that fans might not have been given the opportunity to observe yet...

Anthony Camara 

- Most like...Brad Marchand

Overview...

Anthony Camara, a 21 year old Bruins prospect out of Toronto, is playing his second season in Providence after being drafted in the third round of the 2013 draft. In 92 starts with the team, Camara has scored 12 goals and has brought an intense style of play to the neutral and offensive zone game of the Providence Bruins.

At first look, Camara plays a very similar game to current Bruin, Brad Marchand. He is a sneaky, almost pest-like player who seems to get away with the kinds of arrant elbows and malicious forearm jabs that some of the best do with ease and satisfaction. Beyond that Camara, like Marchand, utilizes a high hockey IQ combined with his incendiary sped to help move the puck through the neutral zone swiftly and without effective resistance from an opponent.

The latter of those traits could benefit the Boston Bruins greatly in the future. Throughout this season a sore point for these Bruins has been their ability to gain and sustain pressure offensively. The fluidity with which Camara moves could remedy that.

Zach Trotman

 - Most like...former Bruin Andrew Ference

Overview...

Bruins fans got a look at Zach Trotman earlier in the year when he came up to the Bruins in the wake of Zdeno Chara's PCL tear. He returned to Providence after just 17 games though meaning fans did not get to see him settle into a lineup on a big stage.

As reflected by his performance in the AHL, a place where he has settled in, Trotman is a shutdown defenseman. He is a positional player who can make plays without putting his stick on the puck. Nevertheless, when he does step up on a forward, Trotman unleashes a devastating body check as well as pinpoint stickwork.

 Perhaps  the one shortcoming in his game however is his shot. Trotman lacks the power behind his slapshot that most Bruins fans are accustom to after watching the likes of Dennis Sidenberg, Zdeno Chara and even Torey Krug on a nightly basis.

Regardless though, Trotman adds immense depth to an already well stocked Bruins defensive core while also giving Peter Chiarelli a superior bargaining chip in the trade market.

Jeremy Smith

 - Most like...former Bruin Tim Thomas


Overview...

The name of Jeremy Smith is one Bruins fans have not heard much since he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Bruins this offseason.

However, playing backup for the Providence Bruins behind Malcom Subban, Smith has amassed a GAA of 2.15 and a save percentage of .929. He has won 10 of the 20 games he has played in and has a pair of shutouts in those games.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about Jeremy Smith is the stark similarity his style has with that of former Bruin great and current Dallas Stars goalie, Tim Thomas. Technically, Smith is a "butterfly" goalie meaning he drops to his knees to play shots. But even so, he often loses that form as rebounds are given up or shots are taken from close range. He becomes the kind of unorthodox goalie that Thomas is as, in such cases, Smith can be seen frantically diving across the crease to cover pucks and glove rebounds.

While the Bruins currently have little need for such a goaltender within their system (goalie depth chart currently has 3 capable starters on it in Subban, Tuukka Rask and Niklas Svedberg), like Trotman, Smith serves as an uncontested bargaining chip on the trade market as the Bruins seek the kind of goal scoring forward that could elevate their play.

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Underappreciated Patrice Bergeron finally recognized with All-Star nomination

(Photo by Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

Bruin forward Patrice Bergeron played ten NHL seasons before he was finally named to his first All-Star Game Sunday afternoon.

The sometimes underappreciated Bruin center has long since been an anchor of his team. As a player focused on defense, Bergeron brings a specialized blend of pinpoint offensive zone work and relentless back-checking to every situation he is put in. He scored with regularity and has, on four different occasions, ended a season with a +/- rating of over 20. That is a magnificent testament to the completeness of Bergeron’s game.

Bergeron had won two Selke Awards for best defensive forward. He had won an NHL +/- award, an Olympic gold medal and been named to the cover of the video game “NHL 15”. But through it all, he had never been named to the All-Star game. Sunday was his first nomination.

As a result, one can understand why even a person as cool headed and team oriented as Bergeron showed some overt excitement during and after team practice Monday morning in Wilmington.

“It’s a cool feeling. It’s an honor. It should be a fun weekend. It’s a first for me, so I’m excited about that and to say I’ve been there, and know what it’s like,” said Bergeron. “It’s good to sometimes have new experiences, and do something different. It’s also one of those things where you give credit to your linemates and teammates, and you’re just happy to represent the Boston Bruins.”

Bergeron will be the only Bruin present at this coming All-Star game. He does so fittingly as he currently leads the Bruins in assists, goals and overall points. Though much of that scoring has come in the last 11 games or so during a recent offensive hot streak, he has been the model of what the Bruins should be striving for all throughout this season.

While others have collapsed or struggled to return to form after minor to moderate injuries, Bergeron has powered through. He has helped keep the Bruins in a somewhat acceptable position throughout the season.

Bergeron, one of the best things Boston hockey has produced in the new century, has long flown under the radar of NHL voters. In 2014-2015 though, a season that will quite possibly go down as a lost one for the Bruins, he has jumped to the forefront, partially illuminated by the plummeting play of his teammates.

Coaches, fans and general Bostonians though are not surprised at the sudden declaration of number 37's skill.  They have known all that Bergeron can bring for a long time. The statistics speak for themselves.

“I think Patrice has deserved that honor for a long time. It’s his first time for a guy that’s done so much, not only for his team but for his league,” concluded Bruins coach Claude Julien. “He was good enough to play in the Olympics, and as good a two-way player as you’ll find. So it’s nice for him to get recognized.”

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Bruins in a free-fall as shots are taken from within

(Photo by Jared Wilkerman/Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins sit outside the playoff picture. Their season has been marred with miscues and the alarm has long since been sounded. After a tumultuous sequence of days, following their most recent OT loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, though, the Bruins have begun taking shots at themselves.

The statement is both literal and in part a sports metaphor. The two days between Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Carolina and Tuesday’s meeting with the Penguins featured some pointed comments by GM Peter Chiarelli and CEO Charlie Jacobs as well as a literal fight between teammates Torey Krug and Brad Marchand.   

Ticket sales are stalling, fans have begun raining “boos” down not upon the opponent but the lackadaisical Bruin struggling in the neutral zone. Calls of “Tuuuuukk” uttered for Tuukka Rask have at times been drowned out by satirical cheers while the media has begun to intermix their highlight reels with statements like “this was the best spin we could put on this.”

Frustration is commonplace within the Bruins system today as it has been for much of the season. As the team continues to stumble, even at the halfway mark of the season, the frustration within the team has permeated into the stands.

Fans who are still watching this team are doing so not for goals or playoff victories but for trades, firings and gritty overhauls that will help revert the organization to the state that delivered such things.

As they do so though, the byproducts of this systematic frustration are scrutinized and elevated to a platform of media focus as talk of division titles was in years past.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, January fifth, sixth and seventh, were days on which that scrutiny was revealed.

Tuesday morning in Boston, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli addressed the Boston Globe saying that players should “absolutely be uncomfortable about their job security.”

“It impacts the rest of the game,” Chiarelli said specifically of the Bruins flat first period vs Carolina. “We’ve seen a few those of periods in this three-game stretch. It’s disappointing. We’re still treading water, and that’s not acceptable. That’s the common denominator in those three games.”

He went on to say “It’s never fun to be in this situation — to try and improve your roster when you’re not in a real position of strength, there’s not a lot of activity going around. But you try and peck away and try to improve your team. At the same time, you hope these guys can string a couple games together. We have to watch this closely.”

Chiarelli certainly had faith in his team when he spoke. But saying that his players should absolutely be uncomfortable does not bode well for team confidence and or trust in one another. It blatantly tells players they could be on the move soon. “So don’t get to comfortable!”

Though some may argue it is a motivational tactic, the statement seemed more like an honest assessment that need not be vocalized.

Mere hours later, newly appointed Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs came out with much stronger words.

Describing a scenario in which the Bruins miss the playoffs as an “utter failure”, Jacobs said “I’d say without question this has been a very disappointing year. It’s unacceptable the way that this team has performed given the amount of time, money and effort that’s been spent on this team,” said Jacobs. 

“To see it delivered the way it has is unacceptable. I can tell you that at the moment it’s a very fluid situation that’s being monitored closely. I don’t have any answers for why we’re underperforming because if I did I would have tried them long ago.”

It is as if the Bruins are a distracted private school student whose parents are frustrated with his or her plummeting grades.

Needless to say, when your supreme boss says he is disgusted with your performance the result is a DIRECT shot to your confidence.

But the Bruins are professionals right? They would not be shaken by a little tough love. More so, they surely have their priorities straight.

They made it harder to believe those statements in turn mere hours after Jacobs’ chastisement.

During “battle drills” at Bruins practice, a fight broke out between teammates Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The scuffle apparently arose after Marchand made a joke about Krug’s height to a friend.

Krug gave a behind the scenes look minutes later at media availability time.

“He told one of my buddies that he was taller than me, and it pissed me off,” he said. “It’s just competing in practice, you don’t like something and tempers flare a little bit. It’s nothing crazy, and you saw afterwards that we’re fine with each other. Who knows? Maybe that is what this team needed a little bit.”

He then soured.

“I think it’s no secret that guys aren’t happy with where we’re at. It’s got to start somewhere, so why not in practice. I thought after that you noticed the guys were a little more intense, and having some fun. We’ll see. Maybe we can use that.”

Intensity is a good thing but a rare fight in practice does not seem so positive. There is a line between the good teams and the bad teams in the NHL and in recent years these types of practice fights have always occurred within teams on the wrong side of that line.

While it would be unfair to judge the entire roster on the occurrence of a hot tempered shoving match during a rough patch in the season, the trend is there and it definitely adds to this general perception that the Bruins are taking shots at themselves.

They face the Penguins Wednesday night Pittsburgh eager for a win against one of the NHL’s best teams. They do so motivated and positive; but perhaps they are not quite motivated enough.

The team has the players to win. The team has the coaches to win; yet they fail to.

Is it motivation? Possibly. But more, so these recent losses could be the product of incorrect priorities. The specter beseeching these priorities stands as the Bruins taking shots at one another.

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Takeaways from Bruins/Senators: McQuaid gritty in return, Chara continues alarming trend

(Photo by the AP)

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins fell to the Senators Saturday afternoon in Boston, loosing in overtime by a score of 3-2. The game was dotted with budding animosity and had fans watching closely as young stars, Tory Krug and Seth Griffith complimented a host of Bruins veterans working to get the game to overtime. 

Bobby Ryan's overtime goal sent ultimatly them home sad for a second straight game though as the Bruins fell to 19-15-5 on the season. 

Below are a few takeaways from the game. 

Bruins take it to overtime once again

As much as December was a down moth for the Bruins they did get to overtime in five of their fourteen games. Though they were not winning with consistency, they were snapping up meager points where they could get them.

The same was the case Saturday with Boston dragging the contest past regulation for the second straight game.

Boston battled hard, tying the game in the second period and jumping out to a lead midway through the third. Despite then conceding to Ottawa, the Bruins held down the fort in the final frame dominating in the face-off circle and forcing Ottawa's shots to the perimeter.

Though they did not get two points, the "looser's point" which came for their getting to overtime locked them into a tie with the Panthers for 5th in the Atlantic Division.

Adam McQuaid gritty, fundamentally strong in return

Adam McQuaid who had not played for the Bruins since November 18th, made his return for the Bruins Saturday afternoon. He bumped young defender Matt Bartkowski out of the lineup and returned to his rightful spot alongside veteran Dennis Sidenberg.

McQuaid played 17 minutes and 26 seconds in his return. He blocked a shot and worked on the Bruins penalty kill unit all afternoon logging over a minute of shorthanded time.

His main strong suit as a player and as a player in this specific game vs the Senators however is his physicality and battling spirit. McQuaid did not hold back in his return. breaking out the face washes and late jabs to the chest by the dozen. He cleared the front of the net all afternoon and repeatedly sent Senators players complaining to officials in search of judicial retribution for various sneaky infractions.

Only once however did the officials oblige as his sole violence penalty came in the second period in the form of a rough against Clarke MacArthur.

McQuaid's physicality worked for the Bruins and gave them impressive grit and fire especially in the first period. If he can sustain that kind of lead-by-example play, he could be soon working wonders for this team.

Tory Krug continues hot streak, getting more aggressive in offensive zone

Tory Krug scored again vs. the Senators when he ripped a second period slapshot past Craig Anderson to tie the game at 1.

Krug now has goals in back-to-back games and also has points in four of his last five games. He has been jumping into the attack with more and more confidence and seems to be earning the trust of his coaches who are letting him do so.

One of the best examples of his offensive activity vs the Senators actually came on a play that was not reflected on the score-sheet, in his favor, in any way.

On Brad Marchand's slick skated, elusively placed goal to start the third period, Krug, who started the play at the blueline, rotated in behind Marchand as he skated out from behind the goal. As Marchand brought the puck out beyond the tops of the face off circles, Krug slid into a screen position and in turn drew tight coverage from the Ottawa defense.

That left Marchand open enough to get his clear, goal scoring shot off before being taken down by Clarke MacArthur.

Krug's involvement in the offense has the Bruins rolling. The addition of his slapshot goal to his resume also gives Boston a defender with 7 goals this season. That aspect alone is one that they can brag about being one of the best in, in the NHL.

Zdeno Chara uncharacteristically struggling with positioning, keeping on opponents

In his 16th NHL season, Zdeno Chara is finally showing signs of age. He has just two goals and six assists this season and has a +/- of two.

Chara is also moving slower and is almost appearing less aware of where his assignments are on the ice this season. That was starkly evident Saturday.

The Bruins captain was on the ice with shutdown partner Dennis Sidenberg for the overtime shift that was eventually end with Bobby Ryan's OT winner for Ottawa. As the play that spawned that goal developed, Chara ended up chasing opposing captain Erik Karlsson into the corner. Karlsson spun out of the corner and, in doing so, felled Chara to the ice.

Chara hobbled on his knees for a split second as Bobby Ryan shook off his defenders and cut back towards the goal. Unfortunately, by the time Chara slowly found his feet Ryan was already in front of him enough so that when the puck came back to him, he was able to tip the puck into the net before Chara could play the body.

This marks the second straight game where Chara has been at fault for a goal. On New Year's Eve vs Toronto, he was caught moving in the wrong direction against James Van Reimsdyk and, as a result, gave up a clear breakaway that resulted in a then go-ahead-goal.

Finding his strength has been a spoken about struggle for a little while now with Chara; but the sudden appearance of these positional miscues has Bruins fans both worried and angry as their captain continues to cost them in key moments.

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Adam McQuaid progressing for Bruins, team hopes to play him in weekend games

(Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/Boston Herald)

by Dakota Antelman

Bruins defensemen, Adam McQuaid, who has not played since he broke his thumb on Tuesday, November 18, could be nearing his return.

The Bruin blueliner had neither practiced nor even spoken to reporters since the injury. His thumb,  was broken on a blocked shot gone awry vs. the Blues. It had kept him out of the lineup and effectively separate from the team for over a month and a half.

McQuaid had sat on the IR list and in turn the Bruins press box for weeks as he hoped physical therapy and time would get him back to hockey.

This week though he was given the “okay” to practice by doctors. Though he and his coaches were still cautious in their use of him in battling and other rough drills, he was back around the team and busy working on getting his skating legs underneath him.

“I felt pretty good out there today,” said McQuaid after Friday’s practice in Wilmington. “The shot is coming along better, getting the feel for the puck, and just getting into the flow of things. It’s definitely close. Every day there’s been pretty significant improvement.”

Despite the more laid out injury timetable that a broken bone gives a player, McQuaid has been waiting to get back to practice for a while and acknowledges being angry at the prolonged rehab process.

“We’ll have a talk with the trainers, and we’ll go from there. Originally I didn’t think it was going to be this long, but I found out afterwards that it would be, and that was disappointing," he said "But you play the hand that’s dealt with you, and the good thing is that I was able to keep skating.”

According to Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sports Net New England, Friday was deemed a ‘full contact practice’ for McQuaid. The consistent peeling away of restrictions put on McQuaid suggests an impending return to game action.

Bruins coach, Claude Julian however was tight lipped on the subject saying simply, “We’ll know more later on.”

Boston is set to take on the Ottawa Senators at 1pm Saturday in Boston. McQuaid is a possibility for that game but with little news breaking overnight and on Saturday morning, there seems to be an equal possibility that he will sit.  

If that is the case fans could see him back either Sunday in Carolina or later in the week in the team’s games against the Penguins or Devils. 

Whenever McQuaid returns he will bring his patented brand of reckless physical play in his own zone and on ice versatility back to a team in dire need of it.

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Bruins needing to change their shootout approach following loss to Maple Leafs

(Photo by Gregory Fisher/USA Today Sports)

by Dakota Antelman

As much as the NHL knows how much fans and players alike seem to hate the convention of the shootout, the absolute way of determining a winner in EVERY hockey game has it going nowhere.

As a result, the Bruins, who were most recently hurt by the shootout in New Year’s Eve game with the Toronto Maple Leafs, are in desperate need of an internal overhaul to their approach to the shootout. With it likely being a part of hockey for many years to come, the Bruins need to find out how to win shootouts. This is simply because right now, that is not happening.

Their December 31^st game that ultimately ended in the shootout loss began uneventfully. The Bruins fell behind 1-0 but kept pace when Tuukka Rask stopped a key penalty shot in the first period. The Bruins came back firing following the first intermission, tying the game and eventually trading goals with the Maple Leafs in the second period. They finished regulation tied with the Leafs at three goals a-piece.

After bouncing through overtime without a game winning goal, the game went to the shootout.

The TD Garden rang with boos of the shootout convention while its few supporters tried to explain its rules to still others who did not understand it.

As the Zamboni drove off the ice and the administrators of the dry scrape walked down the maintenance tunnel, the Bruins and Maple Leafs conferred with officials.   

The home Bruins elected to have Toronto shoot first as they finalized their own shooters.

Needless to say even that was not enough to stave off the shifty shootout goals and five round win enjoyed by the Leafs.

But it was not their talent that doomed Boston, it was the Bruins’ own mismanagement of their shooters that prevented them from closing out 2014 on a winning note.

Accounting for the sudden death rounds of the shootout, the Bruins sent five shooters to center ice. They started with Reilly Smith, then they sent Tory Krug, Brad Marchand, Seth Griffith and finally David Krejci who missed on a must-make shot that ended the game.

The lineup was bizarre to say the least with a defensemen taking the second shot and a 50% career penalty shot shooter in Patrice Bergeron never taking the ice. Of a fundamentally talented Bruins attack, Claude Julian selected a group of five players with a career penalty shot conversion percentage of 19%. Furthermore, he did so against a Toronto shootout attack that came in with some of the best numbers in the league.

Boston was swiftly embarrassed by Maple Leaf shooters who entered with a shootout conversion percentage of 39% and nailed two of five shots on Rask.

So what is the problem? How can this be fixed?

Well, not too long ago mind you, the Bruins were, hands down, the best team in hockey in terms of winning shootouts.

Two seasons ago, in the season of their dominant run to their second Stanley Cup in three seasons, the Bruins reaped the benefits of a near immaculate winning percentage in shootout games. That sterling reputation was the direct byproduct of their lights out shooting lineup.

Each time the shootout was needed, in almost painful repetition, the Bruins would send Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron and Davis Krejci to the puck.

Those players would constantly score on 40-50% of shots. They legitimately capped off hours of play with three minutes bearing three darting goals from the top of the opponents crease.

Things changed though after Seguin left Boston following the season. The Bruins started sending Marchand out in the top three and testing Loui Eriksson in the number two slot. They dropped Krejci out of the traditional shooting lineup and over time even let Bergeron fade.

And what for; so that they could let Seth Griffith shoot, so they could let a lucky Tory Krug pound a shot off Johnathan Bernier’s pad?

The Bruins need to rework their shootout approach. Bergeron needs to get back into the mix and we need to see somebody come through as a prime shooter for the team. 

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Matt Fraser claimed off waivers by Oilers

(Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

Bruins forward Matt Fraser, who was placed on waivers following the team’s 6-2 loss to the Blue Jackets Saturday, was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers Monday morning. The signing ended his short tenure with the Bruins.

Fraser came to the Bruins back in 2013 in the ill-fated trade that sent Tyler Seguin to Dallas. Since the trade he has logged 38 starts with the NHL Bruins and spent 44 games with AHL Providence. In two seasons, he scored 5 times for Boston and 20 times for Providence. In between goals though, Fraser struggled to produce.

The team plugged him in on the fourth line where he unfortunately lacked physicality and struggled to win battles along the boards.

“I would have liked to have produce more but maybe that opportunity wasn’t there as much. I just had a conversation with [coach] Claude [Julien] and he has kind of alluded to that but at the same time you’re in the NHL for a reason, you’ve got to find a reason to stay here,” Fraser said. “It didn't happen here as I had planned but at the end of the day you’ve got to move on and realize that this is a job.”

Very simply, Fraser’s place in the NHL does not lie on the fourth line of any team. He is a front of the net scorer, not a win-your-own-battles kind of guy. As good as he may be, his individual playing style did not cohesively match that of the rest of the Bruins. Such is likely why they made little effort to retain him.

Fraser understands that and is not bitter.

“For whatever reason it didn't work out but that’s not going to make me think anything different of this organization or anything like that,” Fraser said. “I have nothing bad to say about this organization, about the guys or anything like that. That’s just part of the business.”

The Bruins at times gave Fraser first team looks, greatly increasing the body of game film teams have to look at of him in the future. Also, though it did not work out, Fraser’s competence on the fourth line helped him discover versatility within a system while the Bruins’ willingness to put him into playoff situations helped create some key moments in his career.

With that, Fraser moves to Edmonton with hopes of getting starting time within a team currently focused on rebuilding.

Fraser is excited to play again. He understands the fit in Boston was never there and he leaves cordial, satisfied and eager to live the promising career ahead of him.

“At the end of the day, I feel like I have the best job in the world,” Fraser said after Edmonton snapped him up. “I really do. Every day that I came to the rink, I never took it for granted. With that being said, take the rest of the day and understand that you’re going back home and you’re going to play for the Oilers. You’ve got to make the most of it.”

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2014 in 8 Days: Top Bruins Moments

(Photo by USA Today Sports)

by Dakota Antelman

2014 for the Bruins started off great got rough in the middle months and ended even rougher. They ended the regular season with their second ever Presidents Trophy by virtue of their clinching the best record in the NHL. 

They rolled into the playoffs and promptly defeated the Detroit Redwings to move to the second round where, after seven games, the Bruins season ended in a game seven loss. 

From there the Bruins blew it up in the offseason. They did not pay Jarome Iginla and thereby lost him to the outbidding Avalanche. They drafted Czech forward David Pastrnak and then promptly traded Johnny Boychuck to the Islanders. 

What has that gotten them? Well, whatever way you put it, with just four days left in 2014, the Bruins are 18-14-3 and out of the playoff mix...

1) Bruins fall to Canadians in second round

After their dominant dispatching of Detroit in the first round, many favored the league best Bruins to easily topple their French Canadian rivals.

The long and the short is that many were wrong. 

The Bruins and Canadians split the first four games of the series. Though the Bruins then won game five to take a 3-2 lead, Montreal used superior speed and puck smarts to win Games Six and Seven.

2) Bruins trade Johnny Boychuck

On October Fourth, just days before the season began, the Bruins traded longtime defensive rock, Johnny Boychuck to the New York Islanders. Though they snagged a pair of second round picks and a conditional third round pick in either the 2016 or 2017 draft, many within the team and the fan base were unhappy with the departure of Boychuck. 

A Bostonian of six years, Boychuck brought physical defense to the top of the defensive zone and played smart up against his own net. Without him, the Bruins defense has been marked with youngsters and penalty kill misalignments. 

3) Zdeno Chara goes down with PCL tear

Without Boychuck, the Bruins needed their few experienced blue-liners to stay healthy. They took their first blow in trying to do that when Zdeno Chara delivered a hit on John Tavares and, in doing so tore his PCL, a ligament in his knee.

Chara missed over 7 weeks of play with the injury and even once he returned, he was nowhere near top shape

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Loui Eriksson elevating play of line as he improves his own

(Photo by Charles Krupa/AP)

by Dakota Antelman

Bruins left winger, Loui Eriksson has been streaky to say the least since he came to Boston in the Tyler Seguin trade of July 4^th, 2013.

Over the course 96 games with the Bruins, Eriksson has thrice put together point streaks of more than three games. Between those intermittent bursts of hope he has wallowed in goal-less droughts that have lasted for weeks.

As Eriksson celebrates his second Christmas since the trade to Boston though, his current hot streak seems to have the makings of a redefinition of him as a player rather than just a streak. In the eight games since the Bruins December 4th loss to the Sharks, Eriksson has scored six goals and assisted on two others. He is a +6 in these games. He has scored a power play goal. In the minds of many, Eriksson has found his grove.

He scored a pair of goals in a game last Tuesday; a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators.

"I’ve been feeling good," said Eriksson following the game. "We’ve been creating chances. When you get on a roll you usually get on a good scoring streak and it keeps coming. It’s what I’m feeling right now. I have my confidence up, making plays and scoring goals.”

With only three goals scored going into the month of December, Eriksson has tripled his scoring output for the year in these eight games. His points totals have soared to 21 total points making Eriksson now the fourth leading scorer on the team.

Needless to say, the vast improvements have not gone unnoticed.  

"Right now, a lot of it has to do with confidence," said Head Coach Claude Julien. "I think he’s skating better. When you’re confident, a lot of things come easy to you; when you’re not, you’re skating out there sometimes you feel like you’ve got a piano on your back and your sluggish and everything else."

Julian has rewarded Eriksson for his efforts with increased playing time. He has played at least 19 minutes of each of the last three Bruins games. That is only the second time that has happened all year.

"But right now I think he’s feeling it. Like all players in this league when they get on a roll, they feel good about themselves and I think, to me, he’s showing the kind of player we’ve always thought he was. He’s scoring some goals, he’s making some plays, he’s killing penalties. He’s a guy that you can use in all kinds of situations, so right now I think we’re seeing some of his best hockey."

Eriksson’s newfound consistency has also elevated the play of his linemates, Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg. Kelly scored his first goal in 22 games in game seven of Eriksson’s hot streak. He has also assisted on a total of six goals since December 4^th. On the opposite wing of Eriksson, Soderberg has hopped back into the points column with a goal and four assists in the last eight games.

Finally, Eriksson has helped open space for the defenders behind him. In that 5-3 win over Nashville, Eriksson shot a stellar feed, back to defender Matt Bartowski who ultimately took a wide open goal scoring shot. The Predators, who had done their research, had allowed Eriksson to catch the defense leaning his way, leaving the rest of the Bruins unmarked.

Bartowski’s goal through an open lane was the direct byproduct of one of the first instances of Eriksson being treated like the 30 goal scorer he was in Dallas.

For the longest time, Bruins fans worried they would never get that. The common fear was that young forward Reily Smith would be the best thing that came out of the Tyler Seguin trade. Though that fear has not been put to rest yet, Eriksson is playing fundamentally good hockey this month.

He is getting power play time. He is getting into the corners in all facets of the game; and, as a result, he is getting on the scoreboard.

“I’m just trying to play my game and try to help the team as much as I can here,” Eriksson said. “These past couple games it’s been really good, so hopefully I’ll continue doing that.”

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Why someone's to blame for Matt Bartowski hit on Brian Gionta

(Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images)

By Dakota Antelman

Sunday night in Boston, Bruins defensemen Matt Bartkowski was assessed a total of 20 penalty minutes following a brutal open ice hit on Buffalo Sabers forward right wing Brian Gionta. At first glance, the almost universal consensus was that Bartkowski was in for some supplementary discipline but as Sunday turned to Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced via Twitter that Bartkowski would not even be called in for a hearing.

In a series of Tweets published Monday morning, the Department of Player Safety said that the Bartkowski hit on Gionta was an “example of incidental contact on an otherwise full body check.”

The league put the onus on Gionta to avoid situations where contact to the head would be unavoidable. They decided that the fact that Bartkowski’s shoulder made contact with Gionta was the fault not of Bartkowski but rather Gionta. Furthermore, the Department of Player Safety’s also insisted that Gionta’s head was not the “PRINCIPLE” point of contact and therefore the hit did not classify as a head shot.

Very simply, the final answer the league reached on the question - should Bartkowski be suspended - was no.  

Understandably Bartkowski was satisfied with that conclusion.

"I watched the replay and I didn't see any head contact," Bartkowski said. "It's not like I was trying to hit him in the head or anything. I was just riding the [blue] line and it was just a play in the game."

Needless to say though, even if the Bartkowski hit wasn’t technically illegal, the ferocity of it was of the sort that solicits cringes and explicatory remarks aimed at trying to absolve the league of any blame for allowing players to be knocked down in the way that Gionta was. Gionta was hit hard by a 196 pound man in Bartkowski. He was flipped 180^o through the air and thrown in a way that ended up with him landing with the entirety of his own 176 pound frame upon his head and neck.

Gionta was injured, dazed, nearly knocked out by the hit. But in terms of the rulebook, the hit was 100% illegal. Thus the conclusion can be drawn that very obviously, the Department of Player Safety got the call right and the on ice officials got it wrong.

Bartowski was given a game misconduct, a fighting major and a major penalty for interference adding up to 20 total penalty minutes earned on one play. The officials saw grievance and malice in the hit and as a result emptied the bag on Bartowski.

However, in empting the bag they seemed to have gone too far. With little definitive evidence in favor of the hit being truly illegal, vilifying him with such a statistic as 20 penalty minutes is something Bartowski does not deserve.

The officials saw a brutal hit and immediately assumed that it was illegal. They saw Gionta lying on the ice, shaken up by the force of 372 pounds of human colliding at 10 miles per hour, cringed and assessed unearned penalties.

They did not account for the fact that a game that features big muscular men skating as fast as they can with the goal of ultimately slamming into each other, can see people get hurt in totally unassuming or in this case, at least legal ways.

The on ice officials calling of the hit cast an unfair precedence on the Bruins D-Man that seemed to create bias among many observers (myself included).

Ultimately, hockey is a rough game and when the roughness turns painful, we must not vilify the players involved. Rather, simply support the player collapsed on the ground. End of story. Matt Bartowski is playing Tuesday night.

***

Video of Bartkowski's hit on Brian Gionta. Comment or mention @GoTitletown on Twitter with your opinion on whether or not the hit was clean. 

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Bruins unsatisfied with lacking December effort

(Photo courtesy of the AP)

By Dakota Antelman

After going 1-1-1 on a three game road trip, the Bruins return home bedraggled and questioned. Things have not gone well for the Black and Gold this month and as we near the NHL Christmas break, they find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoff picture.

33 games into the season they have accrued just 35 points. They sit a point behind the Rangers for the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot and nine points behind the Canadians in the divisional race that they were favored to win back in the preseason. Big losses in marquee games against the Ducks, Blackhawks and Sharks this month have decimated what little momentum they built with their five game win streak back in November.

This free-fall has them angry but dangerously non-productive. Also, it is beginning to solicit anger and discontent from the fans.

Said discontent, if defended before this most recent road trip, was painfully validated by the 1-1-1 finish.

"I'm not happy,” said Bruins coach Claude Julian after the trip’s final game, a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. “Because we could have came back - the way we were playing - we could have came back with five out of six."

He extrapolated saying, "And if we're happy with that (three out of six points), we're going to be on vacation there in the beginning of April. We're going to need more than that, to be honest with you. We've got to string some wins together here and this was an opportunity that we missed [Friday night]."

The Bruins were outscored 6-7 on the trip; an unimposing deficit until the shot totals are noticed. In 190 minutes of play on the road trip, the Bruins were outshot 104-91. They struggled to sustain zone pressure and failed to capitalize on goal scoring opportunities directly in front of the net.

"You just have to look at the scoresheet - there's guys that end up with no shots and all that stuff and you say, with the amount of ice and positions they're put in, they should be getting shots at the net," said Julien of the lack of opportunistic play. "We need more out of certain players, no ifs or buts about that."

One image that will likely be a lasting one of this road trip shows Loui Eriksson with complete separation from the Winnipeg defense late in a then 2-1 game. He had the puck on his stick, one on one with the goaltender, yet he held onto the puck and simply never took the shot.

"I had too much time to do something there. I should keep it simple and try to get a shot quick there," Eriksson defended. 

Too much time, too many opportunities; with the exception of the Predators really, the three teams the Bruins played on their road trip were ones they had huge opportunities to beat. But they did not beat them, getting, in the words of many players, “too cute” with the puck.

"…the biggest thing for me is that we passed up on so many shot opportunities and looked for the cute plays and that's not our team," said Julien.

This lack of simplicity in play is evident across the board.

On the back end, Zdeno Chara, rather than elevating the play of the defensive unit in his return from injury, has taken a long time to get his timing back and cost the team any number of goals. The defense has struggled to clear pucks out of the crease leaving their goaltenders, who have not played half bad, to pick up the slack and steal the few games they have won this month.

Weak forechecking and lackadaisical coverage has forced the goalies to be perfect. That is simply not a good strategy.

For a team that prides itself in smart plays and logical strategy, loosing this kind of identity has been a talking point and omnipresent point of sadness for the team and its coach.

“Costly mistakes end up in our net and then the lack of wanting to put pucks at the net with a purpose versus trying to be cute, which is not our team, is what we struggled with," Coach Julian said.

The Bruins have been confessing their problems and confessing them again for weeks now but very little is changing in regards to the effort recognized by coaching. Goals are not coming for the Bruins and neither is timely shut down defense.

Things need to change for the Bruins who will be starting the second half of their season soon; because this is not the kind of team that misses the playoffs. 

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David Krejci out vs. Nashville Despite Progress Made During the Week

(Photo courtesy of John Wilcox, Boston Herald) 

by Dakota Antelman

Despite practicing for the first time in over a week Monday, Bruins center David Krejci will remain out of the lineup Tuesday vs. the Nashville Predators.

The absence will mark his 11^th straight and the 16^thin the last 18 games since he suffered a undisclosed lower body injury early last month. Since then, the Bruins have struggled noticeably with several forwards being moved around in an attempt to fill Krejci’s shoes.

The team, recognizing the detriment that his prolonged truancy has brought them, has been keeping a keen eye on Krejci anxiously awaiting the earliest possible point at which he could be plugged back into the lineup.

Earlier this week, Bruins coach Claude Jullian spoke about whether or not Krejci would make his return during the three game road trip that the Bruins kick off vs. Nashville.

“I hope so. I can’t guarantee that though. I hope so,” he said.

Julian’s wish was spurred by the sudden appearance of David Krejci at the Bruins practice on Monday. He jumped in midway through the practices and took part in rushes with his line-mates but did not finish the practice as he was replaced by rookie Craig Cunningham.

Though no official announcement was made, Krejci appeared to feel lingering soreness during the practice.

Said soreness during the practice likely contributed to the Bruins decision to hold him out of the lineup vs. Nashville. Needless to say, progress was made this week when Krejci practiced. His return could occur at some point during this three game road trip that concludes on Friday. The Bruins organization however has stood pat in its refusal to voice any actual dates.  

“Day by day, as far as I'm concerned. Not in today, so I can confirm that," Coach Julien said Tuesday

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Bruins offence continues slump in 2-0 loss to Kings

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night in LA. The game served as the middle portion of a three game Southern California road trip.

Johnathan Quick stopped 31 shots in his third shutout of the season while a first period goal by Tanner Pearson stood up as the game winner. Throughout the night, strong defense by the Kings stifled the Bruins attack. They defended their blueline with ferocity throwing 28 hits and confined the Bruins to the perimeter of the offensive zone with apparent ease. Though the Bruins did get 31 shots off from that position, they recorded far fewer scoring chances.

The latter of those statements bit the Bruins noticeably.

“We’ve done a lot of good things, but at the same time when we’re not scoring then any small mistakes turn into big ones,” said Bruin center, Patrice Bergeron. “We don’t make up for it on the offense. We’re playing a pretty stingy game when it’s 1-0, so defense isn’t a problem. We just have to find a way to score more goals.”

Furthermore, even though they forced more giveaways, more takeaways, and blocked far more shots than the Kings, Boston was still outshot as they failed to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

The Bruins inability to solve the Kings defense long enough to fabricate rebounds into additional shots was partially due to Quick’s dominance. Beyond Quick though, LA’s defenders backed their goalie up with clearances and physical back-checking in the corners and along the boards.

Quick and the defense were actually crucial in initiating the play that resulted in the King’s first goal. In his own end, Quick managed to usher a long Bruins shot wide of the net. He then watched as Kings defender, Jake Muzzin, hammered Bruins forward, Loui Erickson, off the puck in the neutral zone. Ultimately, Muzzin turned the puck towards Niklas Svedberg and the Bruins goal.  There, through crisp passing by Kings forwards, Anze Kopitar and Brandon McNabb, Tanner Pearson took a shot from open space that beat Svedberg.

The first goal demoralized the Bruins. They entered the game with LA with a purpose and saw the Kings as a team that they could jump on early. In the four games they played before the game with Boston, LA had been outscored 6-1 in the 1^stperiod. But after getting behind the ball early with a long 5 on 3 penalty kill, the Bruins were tired and disorganized in their defense. That defense was caught bunched up near the net and allowed the Kings first goal to play itself out without any of the Bruins getting a stick on the puck.

From there though, Boston tried and at times succeeded in generating shots. Beyond offence, goalie, Svedberg, played shut down hockey between the pipes stopping 20 straight shots between the Pearson goal and when he was pulled for the extra skater in the final minutes of the game.

"They've given us a chance to win hockey games,” Bruins coach Claude Julian said of his goalies’ performances in not only this game but Monday night’s meeting with the Ducks as well. “Again, we just can't find ways to score some goals here. It's hard to get mad at these guys when you see the effort being put in and the commitment and everything else.”

Despite strong efforts by the Bruins goalies, there has been little offensive support of late. That is because several players that the Bruins rely on for goals have fallen into simultaneous slumps. Reilly Smith has not scored in 10 games while Loui Erickson has gone 11 games without a goal. Even players who are dominating regularly this season and played well rounded games vs the Kings have struggled to win “puck luck” in recent weeks and days.

Carl Soderberg saw almost two fewer minutes of ice time Tuesday than is regular for him and failed to score on the one shot that he took on goal. He himself has gone 10 games without a goal. On a somewhat lesser scale, rookie David Pastrnak, despite leading the Bruins in CORSI, +/- and shots on goal since being called up from Providence, has yet to log an NHL point for the team.

The Bruins are struggling to score goals but will play Thursday night in San Jose looking to salvage some points from this three game West Coast trip.

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