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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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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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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Struggling Seth Griffith demoted, David Pastrnak scores after promotion

(Photo by the Associated Press)

by Dakota Antelman

When David Pastrnak was not included on the Bruins opening day roster, the general understanding within the Bruins organization was that said exclusion was temporary. When Pastrnak scored two goals in a 3-1 win over the Flyers, his first game since being called up to the team, the general consensus was that he was here to stay.

Such a fact is a happy one for Bruins fans who have witnessed this team struggle through multiple stretches of time without a consistent goal scoring winger. For one specific Bruin though it marks the probable end to his time with the team.

As Pastrnak celebrated his two goal outburst vs the Flyers, rookie winger Seth Griffith was demoted to the AHL Providence Bruins.

Despite playing 30 of the first 43 games of this season for the Bruins, Griffith’s recent slump, which saw him score just 1 goal in 15 games, proved him too much for the team to carry; especially after Pastrnak’s emergence.

Griffith will likely play on the first line in Providence; but barring any unforeseen injuries to any of the Bruins wingers; it could be a while before fans see him again in Boston.

In the meantime, Pastrnak will be enjoying his first extended stint in the NHL. He has surely earned it. After spending much of this season maturing in Providence and dominating on a world stage over in the World Junior Classic, his coaches recognize the vast improvements he has made to his game even since this year’s preseason.

“He's been skating well and he makes things happen. He's starting to feel a little better around David Krejci and understanding how David plays,” said coach Claude Julien.

Pastrnak played a lights out game on the Bruins second line consisting of David Krejci and Milan Lucic vs the Flyers. Both his goals came on pinpoint, cross crease passes from Krejci while throughout the game he and the seasoned Bruins center were connecting to move the puck up the ice.

“They're both smart players and they always get themselves in positions where they can make things happen," Julien said. "(Krejci) is going to find guys that are open, Pastrnak is a guy who knows where to go, so it was nice to see. He skates well, puts Ds on their heels with their speed. And at the same time, he's showing he's really coming around with his game without the puck.”

Things will only get better for Pastrnak and Krejci who are both team players who benefit from time spent with each other.

“The last game (against New Jersey) was the first one for us together, so we just had to take the time to get used to each other and find each other on the ice,” said Pastrnak on the subject of his second goal vs the Flyers. “I think every game it will get better, but he found me. It wasn't that hard to score that second one.”

Much of the Flyers game seemed effortless for Pastrnak. He hit with ease and pinpointed possession grabs like some of the defensive forwards the Bruins cherish. He logged 16 minutes of ice time and showed extreme athleticism in his skating and his endurance late in the game.

Though there is still room for improvement in the future, the present Pastrnak looked pretty good vs Philadelphia. A prolonged stretch of the kind of scoring he brought to the table in that game would work wonders in helping move the Bruins up in the NHL standings. 

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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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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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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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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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Tuukka Rask bails out slow Bruins offense: Bruins beat Jets 2-1 on Hamilton OT winner

November 29, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

The Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets engaged in a gritty, up and down game Friday night that ultimately culminated in an overtime decision in favor of the Bruins.

The Bruins, fresh off back to back losses to Montreal and Pittsburgh entered the game rested and revamped after a week of tough practice.

But after all their preparation, things did not get off on the right foot for Boston. An early penalty kill situation in the first period was not executed adequately by the Bruins and resulted in Jets forward, Dustin Byfuglien scoring with just four minutes left in the opening frame.

The late goal served as a bit of a slap in the face for the Bruins. They had spent most of the week addressing their scoring problems and stressing the need to work harder defensively in the middle portions of the ice. Of course, none of that happened.

“Everything we talked about (yesterday) morning didn’t happen in the first period,” said Julien.

The Bruins did manage to turn things around following the Byfuglien goal however. Bruins goalie, Tuukka Rask stopped a seemingly endless quartet of breakaways while stuffing countless shots on any number of the ensuing power plays that the Jets got.

“Tuukka’s one of the best goalies, if not the best goalie, in the league,” said forward Reilly Smith. “Sometimes we rely on him too much, but he does a good job handling the pressure that’s put on him.”

Rask ended the game with 35 saves, several of which came in some key moments during a four minute penalty kill at the end of regulation and the beginning of overtime. 

As for the goal that got the Bruins to overtime; that came from big bodied left winger, Milan Lucic.

After Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said earlier this week that the Bruins needed more size and physicality in front of the net, Lucic demolished Jets forward Mark Scheifele by skating hard to tip teammate Carl Soderberg’s pass into the net.

Finally, something they had worked on in practice paid off for Boston.

“We worked on that this week – going D-to-D and up, and that’s what we did,” Soderberg said. 

“Looch skated to the middle and left the puck for me, and I drove the net. So that’s how we scored.”

With the game tied, the onus was put back on Rask to at the very least keep it that way. Things were complicated in the final three minutes of the game though when Bruins pest, Brad Marchand, took a double minor penalty for high sticking.

Even then though, Rask stood tall once even gloving the puck down to his stick and clearing it out of the zone on his own.

“You’re just in survival mode there,” laughed Rask after the game. “You’re trying to secure that point.”

His work was finally rewarded by the rest of the team roughly four minutes later when defensemen Dougie Hamilton smacked a wrist shot from the hash marks into the net to win the game for Boston.

The goal was yet another product of a Bruins odd man rush that seemed to get better and better as the game went on. Carl Soderberg took the puck in the neutral zone and skated with it into the Jets end as Lucic and rookie David Pastrnak curled in towards the net. Rather than passing it to them though, Soderberg turned towards a trailing Hamilton and slid the puck to his stick.

Hamilton, using the screen of Pastrnak and Lucic let rip a screaming shot that decisively ended the game for Boston.

“Obviously, it felt pretty good. I don't know if I ever scored an overtime goal before, so a pretty — pretty good feeling, and a pretty good feeling to get the win after the start that we had.”

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No rest for Bruins during Thanksgiving layoff: David Pastrnak skates with first line, Chara, Kelly making progress after injuries

November 28, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

During a time while many were out digging out from this week’s snowstorm or relaxing ahead of their holiday feasts, the Boston Bruins were hard at work at their Wilmington practice facility, the Ristuccia Arena.

This three day period without any games has given the Bruins a chance to step away from the drama and competition of the NHL season and address some of the internal issues that have plagued them for much of the year.

Among the biggest and most publicized of those issues has been the injury bug that has bitten the Bruins badly this season. Going into the break they had five players on the injury report with at least three out long term.  Names like Zdeno Chara, Adam McQuaid, Chris Kelly and David Krejci were all among those listed.

During the break however, considerable progress was made with milestones reached by several of those players.

Chara and fellow defender David Warsofsky were both skating for the first time since their injuries Tuesday morning. The next day, Kelly returned to practice and was seen running drills with the Bruins fourth line.

Kelly suffered an undisclosed injury last Friday vs Columbus and had been out of the spotlight since. When speaking to reporters on Wednesday however, he detailed the plan that the team training staff had set out for him. He spoke on the subject of how caution was an important quality in his rehab plan.

"I think we thought [it was] better to be on the cautious side of things," Kelly said. "It was exactly kind of how we thought it would be. And it felt good today [Wednesday], and we'll see how it feels again [on Thursday]."

Bruins fans and coaches alike were excited to see the returns of so many big names this week. But at the same time, Krejci, whose injury has still not been announced, was not present at any practices. Krejci, who might very well miss Friday’s game, has currently sat out three straight games. This recent absence comes during a stretch where Krejci has missed 9 of 11 games.

Bruins coach Claude Julian was non-descript in his discussing the terms of Krejci’s injury or his recovery plan.

“[we have to] Get the situation fixed so he's not in and out, in and out [of the lineup]," Julian said.

Beyond injuries, a myriad of transactions with AHL Providence saw rookie sensation Seth Griffith return to the team while Alex Kohoklachv and Jordan Caron were both sent back down. Among those who stayed with the Bruins, was first round draft pick David Pastrnak.

Pastrnak was promoted to the first line for Wednesday morning’s practice. He was seen skating alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

Pastrnak made his NHL debut Monday vs. Pittsburgh skating 10 shifts for a total of 7 minutes and 53 seconds of ice time. He provided a presence in front of the net but did not manage to get a shot on goal.

The Bruins, who currently rank 20^th in the NHL in goals per game (2.5), are searching for a spark offensively and understand the need to put a flashy Pastrnak in a scenario where he can score. The first line, with Bergeron dishing out passes from the center position might very well be that perfect scenario.

"You try not to put him in a situation that may be too much, but at the same time, he's a good player, we know he's a good player - he showed that the other night, too," said Julien. "Offensively, he's a real good player, explosive, makes plays and he's pretty dynamic, and he'll only get better, so we need to continue to give him that opportunity to grow in the right environment."

Though experimenting with various positions in the lineup are definitely a positive for Pastrnak, with each new position comes a sort of acclamation period. The team is hoping Pastrnak can get into a grove on the first line as quickly as possible. 

The team's lack of scoring has definitely been noticed just as it has troubled team management.

“…The goal scoring, the offensive chances, the nature of the chances — getting better, but still has to get better,” GM Peter Chiarelli said. “I’m talking about heaviness on the puck, about competing, about not being stripped,” he said. “It’s a collective team thing.”

The Bruins understand that it takes goals to win hockey games. The Pastrnak move, as well as the Griffith call up, are both examples of the Bruins taking strides to give their team the best chance to get those goals.

Boston does currently hold a playoff spot; but with stalling goal scoring and nagging injuries, any number of teams currently breathing down their necks could very well come up and knock them out of that spot.

That is why nobody was resting within the Bruins organization this week. With the exception of a three hour Thanksgiving Day Dinner at Milan Lucic’s house, it was all work – top to bottom.

“I think what’s important with this group is that even with all of the injuries and everything, it can be easy to say we’re in a good spot right now,” said defensemen Torey Krug. “We’re happy with where we’re at, but we’re not a satisfied group, so I think that’s really important — especially when guys start to return. We’re a hungry group looking to move up in the standings, and that’s where that sits.”

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Dennis Sidenberg goal catalyzes Bruins comeback: 4-3 final on Kokhlachev shootout winner

November 21st, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

A slow start proved to be nothing that could not be overcome by a resilient Bruins team Friday night.

After falling behind 2-0 early in the first period, the Bruins scored three times in the final 20 minutes of the game to eventually tie things up and secure at least a point . From there they stumbled through a tight OT period and a seven round shootout before finally rookie forward Alex Kohlachev ended things for Boston. 

For those present, the polar changes made between the first two periods and the third were so drastic that they seemed to break Friday’s game in two.

“As a team we kind of let go of our 1st period problems and started going hard in the 3rd period,” said Bruins goalie Niklas Svedberg.

The Bruins were outshot, out hit and generally outplayed early on with Svedberg himself making key positional mistakes. Both of his goals allowed came on deflected shots taken when he was deep in his own net. 

 Beyond that, the Bruins defensive core was physically lacking with younger defenders Matt Bartowski and Kevin Miller surrendering the neutral zone to Columbus’ rushes with frequency.

But however bad as things seemed, the coaching staff seemed to diagnose and remedy their problems with ease and decisiveness during their address to the team during the second intermission.

“We were doing good things in the first two periods but in the end it was those little things that were getting us,” Bruins coach Claude Jullian said of his addressing the team at the break. “Little things we had to get better at. Those being just getting some presence on our shots, we were taking these shots with nobody there for rebounds. We just needed more net and that’s what we got in that third period.”

The Bruins, ignited by whatever was specifically said in that second intermission, saw their 

competitive spirit fanned into a roaring bonfire when Dennis Seidenberg hammered an 80ft slap shot past Sergei Bobrovsky to break the shutout. The goal which was scored just over a minute into the third period was the catalyst of the eventual comeback.

“Those first two periods were kind of boring, but that third period must have been fun to watch!” Said Svedberg.

Svedberg would surrender a late goal that sent the game to overtime but was generally strong. He stopped 8 of 9 third period shots. For him though, the dominance was most notably felt in the shootout where he stopped all of Columbus’ seven shots.

Jullian glowed about his goalie’s performance after the game.

“They got some pretty good shootout players on their team and Svedberg stood tall and really played great in that shootout,” he said.

Needless to say, some sort of scoring must be achieved to win a hockey game. In the end it was another rookie who got the job done. Alex Khokhlachev, who still does not have an NHL goal, grabbed his first shootout winner when he slipped a wrist shot under the pad of Bobrovsky in the seventh round.

The goal served as Boston’s walk off for the night with the Bruins skating over to congratulate Kokhlachev before immediately turning their focus to Saturday’s meeting with the Canadians.

All and all, the team was happy with how they exhibited their ability to turn games around when they seem surely lost.

"That was a good comeback win, knowing we're down two goals going into the third," said Julien. "To be able to get that short-lived 3-2 lead was a good sign from this hockey club."

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Seth Griffith excels as Bruins snap two game skid: Bruins top Hurricanes 2-1

November 15th, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

After a disastrous two game Canadian road trip in which the Bruins were outscored 11-2, the team came home to Boston with a sense of urgency. In their matinee game Saturday, the Bruins made good on their urgency, beating the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1.

The Bruins had fallen from grace this week after their five game win streak was snapped and soured by 6-1 and 5-1 losses to the Maple Leafs and Canadians respectively. They played soft making mistakes by the dozen and watching as their goalie, Tuukka Rask uncharacteristically fell apart vs the Maple Leafs.  

They understood the mistakes they made in those games and came home with a brand new will to win.

"I think it's probably the most important part of going into today's game, was upping our competitive level, emotional level and physical play," said Bruins winger Milan Lucic.

Coach Claude Jullian eluded to a subliminal reigniting of the competitive flame after those losses.

"What you've gone through the last two games, I don't think you're automatically going to turn the page. We've got to build ourselves back up there, and today was a good start."

Yet with all their preparations, things seemed to get off on the wrong foot for the Bruins. They were outshot for most of the first period and eventually fell behind when Juri Tlusty banked in his 7^th goal of the year.

"We started on time for sure. But for whatever reason, we didn't have 60,"said Carolina head coach Bill Peters.

As he suggested, the Bruins turned things around soon after the Tlusty goal. They killed a near two minute 5 on 3 man advantage for the Hurricanes that started mere seconds after the goal.

"That always comes back to haunt you. It gives you momentum if you can kill it, and it hurts you a little bit mentally if you don't score," Peters said of his team’s losing momentum from the 5-3 failure. "It would have been nice to get one."

Eight minutes after the 5 on 3, a strong hustle play by Bruin rookie forward Seth Griffith combined with a weak pass in front of the net by Andrej Sekera led to an awkward goal for the Bruins that tied the game at one. The goal was Griffith’s fourth of the season and signified yet another moment where a younger Bruin stepped up to make a huge play for the team

“These games are about the veterans leading the way,” said Bruin center Patrice Bergeron. “But with all the injuries, the young guys have to seize the moment and come up huge; and that’s what they did today.”

Bergeron himself scored with 49 seconds left in the first period giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

From there the team managed to hold down the fort. Rask made 33 saves and the Bruins hit hard and often to keep the Hurricanes out of the zone for much of the second and third periods.

 All and all Saturday was a much better effort for the Bruins as it also featured the 60 minute consistency that was lacking on their recent road trip.

“It was good,” Bergeron said. “Everything was a step in the right direction. The second was one of them as well. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely better. It’s definitely something we can build from and keep working on, but that being said, we’ve been able to keep the lead and that’s something that you can definitely build from.”

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Bruins blue liners target November returns: Zdeno Chara, Tory Krug have both been out since late October

November 8th, 2014
by Dakota Antelman

Bruins defensemen Tory Krug and Zdeno Chara have been absent from the Boston blue line for over a week now with various injuries.

Chara has missed seven games since he tore his PCL on October 23^rd but was reportedly in good spirits when he was made available to the media Tuesday. Chara claimed to be alright and despite wearing a brace on his knee said he had been able to keep up with upper body workouts during the week.

As for when he might return, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli ‘conservatively’ estimated between four to six weeks from the date of the injury as being a possible time for Chara’s. In calendar dates that translates to a return anywhere between Thanksgiving weekend and the first week of December.

On Tuesday, Chara refused to detail any recovery plan or recalculated return day.

“I wish I could tell you guys exactly when I'm going to return," said Chara. "But as this point, it's really such a slow process, that who knows when the day is going to be."

The obvious good news that came out of Chara’s recent interactions with the media has been the reassurance that he still will likely not need surgery.

“It's always nice to be able to avoid surgery, so we'll see how it goes and obviously it was good news," he said.

The Bruins have been indecisive about Chara’s condition and what they tell the media about it. Understandably, his situation is fluid. Knee injuries like his, especially at his age have been known to take very long stretches of time to heal.

Krug’s injury however is much simpler from a medical standpoint. Krug was injured in an October 28^th game against the Wild when a hard slash broke his left pinky finger. He was seen with the finger immobilized for roughly a week after the injury before he was able to practice with the team Friday.

"It's doing well. It's coming along nicely, made some good progress the last couple days," Krug said. "And it's great to be back on the ice with my teammates, and competing and everything like that, so it's feeling better, that's for sure."  

He was seen in immense pain after the slash but was laughing it all off Friday evening.

"It's not a good feeling - obviously you could see my reaction on the ice, but it's alright. It's feeling good, feeling better and hopefully I'll be back soon,” he said.

One possible reason for his mirth might be the fact that he could very well be active for Monday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. What it will come down will be if the Bruins trainers felt confident enough in Krug’s recovery after Friday’s practice to let him play.

“…if he's given the OK by the medical staff, I'll be more than happy to put him in,” Bruins coach Claude Jullian said. “But I haven't been given the OK yet. I keep saying that - I don't anticipate anything until somebody tells me something."

If Krug does not manage to sneak into the lineup Saturday, it will actually be partially good because, as he detailed Friday, he is still struggling to get a good grip on his stick without a fully healed pinky.

“You never realize what big part your fingers play I guess, but it's just one of those things you have to get comfortable with moving on and taking those baby steps," Krug said.  

He said that most of Friday’s practice was just him trying to get his skating game back up to speed no matter when he returns.

"A couple of drills today, there was a lot more skating for the forwards and obviously being out for a week, they wanted me to get my skating legs underneath me," Krug said. "But yeah, maybe work on the hands a little bit more [too]."

The Bruins injury ridden defenders are working relentlessly to get back into game shape in the shortest time possible. The team needs that now more than ever as, not even one quarter of the way through the season, their players are suddenly getting bitten by the injury bug.

Beyond Chara and Krug, Warsofsky, Kevin Miller and center David Krejci are all battling injuries.

“Those injuries don’t always come at the greatest of times,” Julien said. “[But] we’ve just got to live with it, and adjust.”

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Life without and life with collide: A look at Shawn Thornton's return to Boston

November 5th, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

Standing amidst a crowd of reporters Tuesday afternoon was a familiar Boston face.

Former Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton played seven seasons of hockey in the Hub and attracted city-wide respect as well as league wide fear during that time. He was a brute force on the ice, knocking bodies around like bowling pins and tossing off gloves like they were vile creatures. With his physical presence, will to stand up for his teammates, and still present goal scoring skill set, Thornton drew comparisons with some of the most legendary Bruins of all time.  

Just like the Terry O’Reily and Mike Milbury like players scattered throughout Bruins history, Thornton laid down a legacy of broken teeth, frequently uttered profanity and knuckle bruising helmet shots. Just like those players, he was loved by fans of the team dearly and deliriously. But above all and as has been commanded by the legal changes to the NHL rule book since O’Reily and MIlbury played, Thornton walked a line that he very rarely crossed. 

He lived by the code of hockey, rarely even attracting a second look from the department of player safety’s discipline committee and never falling onto the blacklist of hatred that many of the NHL’s top enforcers eventually land on.  

It was hard to hate Shawn Thornton and so, when Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced this summer that salary cap contains would force the team to part ways with Thornton, there was almost universal sadness.

In a statement released that day, even Chiarelli acknowledged that.

 “I told him [Thornton] that he was one of the most significant acquisitions that we made — one, for the role that he played, and two, for the person that he is,” Chiarelli said. “It was nice to rehash his time. It was sad to tell him he wasn’t coming back.”

Soon after that though, Thornton was gone from Boston with his locker cleaned out and his legacy no longer an ongoing one. Further completing the detachment from his seven year home, he then signed a two year, $2.4 million deal with Florida.

Since then the Bruins have managed. Boston recognized the need to bring in somebody to play the role of a gritty fourth line thug and tried out quite a few such players during a rather chippy preseason.

Due to his performance and expansive body of experience, longtime AHL fighter Bobby Robins was promoted to the NHL squad. Robins was thrown into the lineup in the place of Thonrton and quickly gave fans a bit of consolation when he and Luke Schen threw down on opening night.  

Robins has actually done pretty well in the sheer fighting aspect of what the team is asking him to do. But needless to say he lacks the kind of unrivaled, leave-it-all-on-the-ice kind of leadership attitude that Thornton blessed his teammates with.   

Though he was never even considered to be a captain, Thornton was the recognized catalyst to many of the Bruins greatest moments while he was on the roster. He was the player that behind the scenes shows revealed to come into the locker-room barking encouragement and insisting that no game’s score was final until the final buzzer sounded. Beyond that, he was the kind of player and the kind of person who could, after applying generous helpings of roundhouse punches to opponents, completely change personas and become a soft spoken well-mannered member of the community.

The love for Thornton was omnipresent. The love for Thornton, solicited by any one of his actions on or off the ice, was shown when he finally returned to Boston albeit in a different sweater.

In a ceremonious gesture, Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant included Thornton in the starting lineup. That meant that he was able to have his name announced at the start of the game the act of which drew fourth the first loud cheer from Bruins fans of the night.

“It’s pretty touching, you know,” Thornton said. “To get a standing ovation in a visiting arena is pretty special and I appreciate it. The fans have always been great to me here and again tonight. It’s pretty nice.”

Among a Bruins team that has already seen several player homecomings this season, the general consensus was that this one was by far the loudest.

“Every time someone’s come back to town that’s been on our team they get one, and it was great,” Bruin winger Brad Marchand said. “He was here for a long time and the city loves him. He was a good teammate, so it was good to see and it was fun to play against him.”

Bruins coach Claude Julian agreed with his players.

“It’s nice they paid tribute to him,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We’ve always liked Thorty, he’s an honest player and a hard-nosed player who understands his role and has always been very positive in everything he’s done. To me, he’s been a good asset to that Florida team.”

The game proceeded and Thornton went on to play a career high 16 minutes and 3 seconds. He took one shot on goal and, despite ending the night with a plus/minus rating of -1, played relatively well.

The Bruins would go on to win the game on Brad Marchand’s second overtime goal of the season. 

An honest team player, Thornton acknowledged his dissatisfaction with that result.

“I just wish we would have won but as far as getting it over with, I enjoyed it. I was looking forward to it and it was everything and more.”

For a moment, it seemed like those seven years of the Shawn Thornton fight club had never ended. He stood speaking to reporters in front of a TD Garden logo with humility in his voice and a faint bruise glistening on his cheek. But when one looked none too much further they saw the all red Florida Panthers cap atop his head and the nylon jacket with the pouncing cat upon his shoulders and chest.

As a result Bruins fans simply cheered for the one game, not the 82, that they got to see him play.

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Bruins extend head coach Claude Jullian

November 3rd, 2014
by Dakota Antelman

Late Sunday night the Bruins came to a contractual agreement with their head coach, Claude Julian. The deal will keep the long tenured Boston boss with the team for at least the next three seasons.

In eight seasons with the team, Julian has gone 310 and 163. He has led Boston to seven straight playoff berths and two Stanley Cup Final appearances. Furthermore, his leading the team to their 2011 Stanley Cup victory was the first time such a thing had happened in Boston for 39 years.

As a result of the success his team has had under his rule, Julian has earned team wide respect and loyalty.

"We have worked at this for a few months, but there was never any doubt in my mind that this would get done," Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said in a statement today. "Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning through his coaching.”

Julian has developed a “pass-first” mantra that he has in turn passed onto his players. Under him, the Bruins have consistently been one of the NHL’s top 10 teams in terms of goal scoring. Furthermore, the team has balanced their offensive abilities with defensive prowess. The latter is reflected by two the Norris trophy nominations for Bruins captain Zdeno Chara as well as the pair of Selke Trophy wins for defensive forward Patrice Bergeron.

“Coaching is a difficult profession at the best of times and what Claude does in implementing structure in his systems, and having a solid defensive foundation while allowing freedom in offensive play is no easy task,” Chiarelli said later in his statement.

This extension is Julian’s third in the Bruins organization. As with the other two extensions, Jullian’s actual salary has not and will not be disclosed.

Needless to say, the Bruins are willing to keep their coach at any cost. Up and down the lineup and beyond, his work is recognized.

"He's a great coach, obviously," said Bruins forward Brad Marchand. "His record shows it, and he really makes it easy out there.”

Marchand has improved statistically in each new season under Julian and is now among the Bruins top goal scorers. He is one of the biggest stories of Julian managed player development.

“He's always working with guys and trying to improve players' game,” Marchand said. “I get along with him really well, and we have a good working and personal relationship, so it's been great."

The Bruins are appreciative of how Julian has managed their team’s day to day proceedings. They understand what good things he has brought to Boston, both material and conceptual, and are a big reason why Julian has since climbed close to the likes of Mike Babcock for the title of longest tenured coach in hockey.

“We've had success, and it didn't take too long to get his system going, and it's paid off over the years,” said Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. “If that's the case, that's he's going to be here longer, it's good for the Bruins."

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Up and down Bruins top Sabers in OT thriller, Brad Marchand gets back on track

October 31st, 2014

by Dakota Antelman

The Bruins moved back to 500 on the season with a 3-2 win over the Sabers in Buffalo.  The victory was their first sealed in the overtime period this season and, like so many other games, it seemed to reassure fans of the team’s integrity. 

After a painful late game collapse earlier this week in Minnesota, the Bruins entered this game suddenly lacking the services of not only Zdeno Chara but also Tory Krug. Furthermore, great worries were spawned during a Wednesday practice when reports began circulating that Brad Marchand had left practice with an apparent injury.

But when the team travelled to Buffalo, they filled the void left by Krug with AHL’er Joe Morrow and Marchand was revealed to be healthy enough to start the game.

In fact by night’s end, Marchand had, by virtue of his sheer actions, proved his health.

He scored two goals in the contest. The first came midway through the third period and ultimately tied the game while the second ended it in overtime. 

"Brad has been having a slow start to the season and, again, in the third period he just showed his true colors and what he can do when he decides to play the way he can," coach Claude Julien said. "He's got good speed and he can be pretty slippery, but he's been playing a lot on the outside with the puck and without it and it doesn't bode well for him. So it's nice to see him get rewarded with the things that he needs to do, so hopefully that encourages him to do a little bit more."

Marchand’s goals were just his second and third of the season. The winning goal, a cross bar down wrist shot from the hash marks was hailed by many of his teammates as one of the best of the year.

Marchand however digressed and heaped some of the praise on his teammates.

"It was a great play by Dougie [Hamilton] to get it over to [Reilly]," Marchand said. "[I] saw him coming off the bench and I just tried to pop open for [Smith] and he made a great pass and I was just lucky it went in."

Beyond Marchand, defender Adam McQuaid scored his first goal in over a calendar year while Niklas Svedberg stopped 13 of 15 shots and made several clutch saves late in regulation.

“This was a game that we really wanted to win,” Marchand said. “We didn’t want to go down two games below .500, especially with the way we finished last game. We wanted to make sure we had a big effort tonight, and we came out with a win.”

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Bruins survive without Chara, Hamilton ties career high in points

October 26th, 2014

By Dakota Antelman

One day after learning that their captain Zdeno Chara had suffered a torn PCL and would be missing the next 4-6 weeks of games, the Bruins took to the ice in Toronto with a lot to prove.

Present Saturday night were new call-ups, Joe Morrow and Zach Trotman as well as several incumbent Bruins blue liners who were looking to make an impression in Chara’s absence. The Bruins were well aware of their need for those players to preform but prior to the puck drop there was certain fear that they simply would not be able to.

Needless to say, those Bruin defenders silenced the doubters against Toronto and proved that the sky was not yet falling.

"I think it's just a lot of focus and everybody knew without him, everyone had to step up,” said a cool headed Dougie Hamilton after the game. “So I don't think it's one guy - it's everyone as a team and our D corps and everything, and I thought we did well. Probably our best defensive game this year."

While the rest of the team may have played their best game of the year, Hamilton played one of his best games of his career Saturday.

He tied his career high in points with three. His assists on goals by Carl Soderberg and David Krejci helped put the game out of reach early while his stunning break-away goal in the 3^rd period earned the deserved praise of the Bruins fan base.

Such was a common theme Saturday as beyond Hamilton; the defense would fire off eight shots on goal sustaining the offensive minded presence that Chara would always bring to a game.

"I was just playing, and things happened, and wasn't really thinking about it. I just knew that we were facing a good line with Kessel and me and Seids had to play good defense and play solid,” said Hamilton. "And I think it's just a bonus that you get the offense."

Partially due to a stand out game by Rask but also due to a strong performance in the neutral zone, the Bruins allowed just one goal which was scored with only five minutes to go in the game.

"I thought defensively, we kept most of the shots to the outside. They did get some great chances, but Tuukka was up to the task,” said coach Claude Jullian.

All and all, the Bruins stood tall in a game that they could very well have lost. They silenced many who were in states of crazed panic after the Chara injury and played an all-out, leave-it-all-on-the-ice type of game.

"It should be that all the time, but when you lose a guy like Zdeno, you have to rely on it a lot more and it's got to be a total team effort,” Jullian said.

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Zdeno Chara to miss 4-6 weeks with PCL tear

October 24th, 2014
by Dakota Antelman

The Boston Bruins will be without their captain Zdeno Chara for the next four to six weeks. The veteran blue liner suffered an “isolated” tear to his Posterior Cruciate Ligament Thursday against the Islanders.

The injury was suffered when Chara laid a hard but clean hit on Islanders star John Tavares. At the time, Chara showed no signs of distress and played out the remainder of his late first period shift. However, immediately after getting to the bench, he was escorted back to the locker room from which he would not emerge for the rest of the game.

Late Friday morning, Peter Chiarelli announced that Chara had suffered an injury to his PCL, a ligament located in the back of the knee, opposite the ACL.

"Good news is it's isolated to that ligament. Bad news is he's out four to six weeks," Chiarelli said. "It might be a little bit earlier than four weeks, but a conservative time frame would be four to six weeks."

The 37 year old Chara will be sorely missed on the Bruins blue line. His high ice time and league renowned slap shot are appreciated by the Bruins meaning that their absence will be painfully felt.

As a result the Bruins are well aware of the fact that they will need to up their game to fill the void left by Chara. The play of defenders like veteran, Dennis Sidenberg as well as young blue liners like Zach Trotman, Tory Krug and Dougie Hamilton will be crucial in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, the Bruins front office, one that takes pride in the depth it creates at each position insists that the many players remaining will be able to make things work for the next month or so.

"There's no discouragement in that room. There's no issues there at all, to be honest," coach Claude Julien said. "It's more about it's opportunities for players, and if we become that bad of a team because of one player, it's not a real good sign for our hockey club. ... You've got to hope that your team is strong enough as a whole to overcome these things. Did we lose a good player? We did. Is he a big part of our team? Yes, he is. But I'd like to think we're better than that, than feeling sorry for ourselves, or be discouraged. That's not the case in our dressing room right now."

Chara’s injury comes as a big blow to a Bruins team that had just this week gotten back to a .500 winning percentage. But the Bruins believe that they can fill his role until he returns and are appreciative of the quick diagnosis.

Speaking in regards to his personal logic regarding time missed, Chiarelli said, "He's one of the premier defensemen in the league, but I'd rather have it four to six weeks than four to six months."

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