SB Nation - Derek Morris

Savard's hat trick helps Bruins skate past Toronto 7-2 in #81's return to The Hub

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:44:37 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

19 days ago: Boston Bruins' Marc Savard, center, celebrates his hat trick in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Boston. The Bruins won 7-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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The Bruins were able to skate past the Toronto Maple Leafs with ease in a game that featured 9 goals and plenty of rough stuff. This game was supposed to be all about the Leafs off-season addition, but it was former Leafs property Tuukka Rask and newly-extended Bruin Marc Savard who shined the brightest tonight. Savard recorded his third career hat trick, while Rask (31 saves) continuously shutdown the Leafs all night long.

The Bruins jumped out to an early lead 5:28 into the game when Derek Morris' shot from the blue line was tipped by Patrice Bergeron and then deflected again by Marco Sturm for Sturm's 9th goal of the season.

Shawn Thornton and Colton Orr dropped the gloves immediately on the ensuing face-off. The heavyweight bout fittingly ended in a draw. The only losers in this one were the hometown fans that were exposed to Colton Orr's creepy 'stache.

The Leafs' attempt to swing the momentum with fisticuffs didn't pay off as the B's found the back just moments later at 6:01 when Marc Savard jumped on a juicy rebound just lying in the slot and put it home for the early 2-0 lead.

The rough stuff continued a few moments later when Mark Stuart and Jamal Mayers shed the mittens as they were trailing the play. Mayers landed some quick shots and took Stuart down to the ice. Stuart got back up and wanted to continue the bout, but the linesmen quickly stepped in. Somehow the combatants only received 2 minutes each for roughing.

The Bruins extended their lead to 3-0 2:09 into the second period after #81 turned the puck over in his own zone and Zdeno Chara uncorked a slapper from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Leafs defenseman Francois Beauchemin and past Joey MacDonald.

Early in the middle period, Blake Wheeler pushed Ian White from behind into the endboards. A few shifts later, Colton Orr tried to send a message to Blake Wheeler and jumped him. Orr was tagged with 2 minutes for roughing and two minutes for interference for his actions.

The B's made it 4-0 with a power play goal with 5:15 remaining in the second period. Michael Ryder had the puck in "Gretzky's office" and a fed a pass out to Marc Savard, who found the back of the net for his second of the night.

After giving up 4 goals on 23 shots in the first two periods, Joey MacDonald was lifted in favor of Vesa Toskala to start the third period.

Mark Recchi's 550th career goal made it 5-0 Bruins at 6:36 of the third period. Patrice Bergeron weaved his way through the Leafs defense and left a short pass for Recchi near the crease before Recchi directed the puck past Toskala for the milestone marker.

Johnny Boychuk's first NHL goal on a one-time slapper made it 6-0 at 12:26 of the third period.

The Bruins struck again just 19 seconds later when Marc Savard's shot from the right wing half wall found the back of the net for his 3rd career hat trick and a flurry of hats came raining down on the ice at The Garden.

Steve Begin and Jamal Mayers squared off as soon as the puck drop after Savard's goal. Mayers got in a few early scoring blows, but Begin scored the takedown.

Toronto finally got on the board with 4:14 remaining to take the shutout away from Tuukka Rask. Matt Stajan set up behind the net and sent a pass to Niklas Hagman at the right circle, who beat Rask for the first time on the night.

Andrew Ference and Lee Stempniak got into after Stempniak ran Johnny Boychuk from behind and Ference came to the aid of his teammate. Ference and Stempniak each received double minors for roughing, while Wayne Primeau received a 10 minute misconduct, presumably for being the third man in on the altercation.

The Leafs cut the lead to 7-2 with 2:02 left in the game as Mikhail Grabovski deflected a Luke Schenn shot past Rask to account for the final score.

Final - 12.5.2009	1	2	3	Total
Toronto Maple Leafs	0	0	2	2
Boston Bruins	2	2	3	7

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- #81 was booed and jeered by The Garden fans every time he touched the puck tonight.

- #81 finished the night with 16:28 of ice time and was a -3 on the night with 1 shot on goal and 2 take-aways, including one that led directly to Zdeno Chara's goal.

- Is there anyone left out there that doubts that Tuukka Rask is ready to play at the NHL level?

- Marc Savard became the first Bruin since #81 to record a hat trick.

- Zdeno Chara was +4 on the night with a goal and an assist

- 5 Bruins had multi-point games (Savard, Chara, Bergeron, Sturm and Bitz)

- Patrice Bergeron dominated in the face-off circle again tonight winning 75% of his 20 draws.

- Tuukka Rask got his 2nd assist of the season on Mark Recchi's 550th career NHL goal.

"Obviously, we didn't play well tonight. I didn't play well. I don't know what else to say... There was pressure, but that was probably the worst game I have played in a while."

- #81

"I love our fans, so give it to him more. I could care less"

- Shawn Thornton on B's fans booing #81

- In a scheduling quirk, the Bruins will meet the Maple Leafs again at TD Garden on Thursday night. The B's are off until then, but the Leafs will travel home for two games against the Thrashers and Islanders before heading back to Boston for a re-match with the B's.

3 Stars (as selected by 98.5 The Sports Hub)
1st Star: Marc Savard (Hat Trick)
2nd Star: Patrice Bergeron (2 assists, +2, 75% on face-offs)
3rd Star: Tuuka Rask (31 saves on 33 shots, assist)

Bruins breeze past Lightning 4-1

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:00:44 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

22 days ago: Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) reacts after scoring against Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Mike Smith and center Steven Stamkos (91) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Marco Sturm (2 goals), Patrice Bergeron (1 goal, 2 assists) and Mark Recchi (3 assists) led the way offensively for the Bruins, while Tim Thomas held down the fort with 39 saves on 40 shots as the B's downed the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 at TD Garden.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead 8:05 into the game when Marc Savard potted his 200th career NHL goal on a backhand wrap around, which Savard admitted was actually a pass attempt that found its way into the back of the net (that's what you call "Puck Luck"). Derek Morris and Zdeno Chara picked up helpers on the power play goal.

Patrice Begeron made it 2-0 with 5:57 left in the opening period when he put home a rebound off Chara's shot from the point.

Marco Sturm made it 3-0 when he jammed home a puck that Bolts goalie Mike Smith couldn't cover up. Mark Recchi and Sturm were hacking away at the puck and it was hard to tell who got a stick on the puck, but the official scorer credited Sturm with the goal. Recchi and Begeron added assists on the goal.

Marco Sturm extended the Bruins' lead to 4-0 just 2:31 later when Patrice Bergeron carried the puck on the right wing side of the ice along the goalline and fed a beautiful centering pass to Sturm, who was going hard to the net.

The Lightning pulled to within three 1:27 into the third period on a put-back in front by Jeff Halpern.

The Bruins were able to hold the lead the rest of the way and skated away with a 4-1 win.

Final - 12.2.2009	1	2	3	Total
Tampa Bay Lightning	0	0	1	1
Boston Bruins	2	2	0	4

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- The teams combined for 79 shots (Boston: 39 Tampa Bay: 40)

- Marco Sturm put 9 shots on goal.

- The Bruins won the battle at the face-off dot 34-24. Patrice Bergeron won 14 of 19 (74%), while Marc Savard won 12 of 15 (80%).

- Sturm, Bergeron, Recchi, Chara, and Morris were all +3 on the night.

- Vladimir Sobotka left the game with a presumed injury and only logged 7:14 of ice time.

- The B's have a big weekend ahead of them. They will travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Friday night in their 100th anniversary game (apparently the Quebecois calender considers January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010 to be one year). The B's will then return home to take on #81 and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

3 Stars (as picked by 98.5 The Sports Hub)
1st Star: Marco Sturm (2 goals, +3, 9 shots)
2nd Star:Patrice Bergeron (goal, 2 assists, +3)
3rd Star:Mark Recchi (3 assists, +3)

Game 23 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins - 11/27/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:45:08 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Will it be Martin Brodeur to make saves like this in Boston tonight? Or will it be Yann Danis? One thing for certain is that no Devils fan would want to see two Bruins wide open in front like this. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The Time: 12 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG on the TV, 660 AM WFAN on the radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (15-6-1) @ the Boston Bruins (12-8-4)

The Last Devils Game: The Ottawa Senators won their last four games coming into the Rock and played a tightly checked game. A great opportunity from a bad bounce and a deflection by Patrik Elias were enough for the Devils to best the Senators. The Devils won 3-1, which ended a winless streak of their own. My recap of the game is available here.

The Last Bruins Game: The Bruins took on the Minnesota Wild and basically had to grind out a result. While the Wild outshot the B's, Tuukka Rask made big saves to keep the game tied at one. The Bruins eventually got the W in the shootout. The win marks the fourth straight for Boston and places them at the top of the Northeast Division. Stanley Cup of Chowder recapped the game as such here.

The Last Devils-Bruins Game: This game was also in Boston and close, but generally sloppy and I felt the Bruins were better in terms of possession. The Devils eventually broke through Tim Thomas with shots that trickled through him and two Devils (David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus) that knocked it into the net. Yann Danis made his first start and did quite well in the 2-1 victory. The downside to the win was that Johnny Oduya was injured during the game.

The Goal: Forecheck for success. The Devils are an interesting team at forward in that all 12 forwards aren't shy about going into the boards to get the puck. From Zach Parise to Brian Rolston to Patrik Elias to Tim Sestito, the Devils will go after the puck if they feel they have a shot at that. Given that in the last Devils-Bruins game, the Bruins were able to control and move the puck better, leading to more possession on their side, a solid forecheck could disrupt that. With the Devils on the road and coming off a win, it would be best if they can establish some pressure on their forecheck and set the tempo that way in getting off a good start. I think it'll build momentum and throw the Bruins off their game more than a little bit. This is what I would like to see, outside of another victory over a hot Boston team - didn't the Devils just play a Northeastern Division team that won 4 straight and was leading the division?

Read on for further thoughts, a guess at the lineup, and some insight into the Bruins thanks to Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Now, on Wednesday night, some Devils had some good nights. Patrik Elias got his first goal of the season and according to this Tom Gulitti's postgame post, he's feeling better after the recovery. Though, I'm not so agreeable with the notion of moving him to center permanently, given that he won 4 out of 13 faceoffs against Ottawa. But that's an argument for another time. I didn't think Zach Parise had such a great night, but still managed 4 shots on net and an assist. Nicklas Bergfors scored a goal and got 3 shots on net. Per this postgame post by Rich Chere, Jacques Lemaire was pleased but he's not fully satisfied yet - citing long shifts as something to work on. I guess he wants Bergfors to come off the ice faster, fair enough.

But overall, the Devils could stand to shoot more. They only got 21 through to Brian Elliott and were blocked 11 times. Boston's pretty good at allowing shots, only letting up an average of 28.9 per game so far this season. Given that Rask has been playing well this season, the Devils will have to take more chances at shooting rather than setting up great plays unless Boston's D is just asleep. As mentioned prior to the jump, a good forecheck could go a long way at pressuring the defense and allow the Devils to go forward more often on the attack.

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tuukka Rask	10	619	7	2			22	2.13	289	267	.924	1

With respect to the lineup, I'd expect the same with a possible change for starting goaltender. At time of this writing (Thursday evening), it's not at all certain who will start for the Devils given that they play their next two games back-to-back. It could be Martin Brodeur. After all, the Bruins have played better than the Islanders and so playing the superior goaltender may be the better option. On the other hand, Yann Danis has come into Boston before, played well, and got the win. He'll know what to expect out of Boston's attack.

In terms of injuries, according to Rich Chere, Rob Niedermayer has actually went through his first full practice, but he didn't travel with the team up to Boston. This is still good news. The return of Niedermayer would strengthen the Devils at center and solidify the role on the third line. With the number of injuries the Devils have, any sign of improvement has to be lauded. Alas, it will not mean a thing for today's game. As such, here is my guess at the Devils' lineup:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Dean McAmmond - Tim Sestito - David Clarkson
Andrew Peters - Matt Halischuk - Tyler Eckford

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Matthew Corrente

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

As much I'd like to see Rod Pelley back into the fold, I'm growing more doubtful. I also think Danis will get the start because, as mentioned earlier, he's won in this building before plus his start will mean Brodeur is fully rested for Saturday. Of course, this is all just a guess, so don't be surprised if I'm dead wrong.

Now, let's discuss the Bruins. I asked five questions to Stanley Cup of Chowder to get some insight into today's opponent:

Question #1. The last time the Devils played the Bruins, the Devils won with a late goal. Did anything stick out from that game that you feel the Bruins need to more of or avoid in tonight's game?

SC: The Bruins looked pretty sharp in the first game against the Devils, but surprisingly Yann Danis was able to shut them down. The one area that concerned me during that game was their inability to move the puck through New Jersey's aggressive forecheck late in the game.

Question #2. One of the big signings for the Bruins in this past summer was defenseman Derek Morris. On paper, he looks to have been a good signing. Are you pleased with how he has performed so far? Can he improve in any part of his game?

SC: I have been pleased with what Morris has brought to this team. He seems to be a good fit on the 1st pair with Chara.

Question #3. Let's talk goaltenders. Tuukka Rask has a good goals against average of 2.13 (2nd best in NHL) and a save percentage of .924 (4th best in NHL) and now has more wins than Tim Thomas. Is there a goaltender duel in the making in Boston?

SC: I think it is more of a duo than duel. Tim Thomas has never really been called on to be the definitive starting goaltender and he needs to have a backup that can give him some rest and share some of the workload between the pipes. Rask has proven this season that he is ready to play at the NHL level. The B's have done a great job of taking their time with Rask and not rushing his development. I think at some point in the next few years Rask will be an elite goalie in the NHL. Right now, I'm happy with him being a solid back-up/1A option with Tim Thomas.

Question #4. One of the more surprising team stats about the Bruins is their power play. It ranks 26th in the league with a success rate of 14.5%. Is the result of a fairly unproductive Bruins offense (2.29 goals per game average - 27th in the NHL) or is the lack of power play goals related to something else entirely?

SC: The Bruins were without playmaker Marc Savard for most of the season, but you can't really use that as an excuse. Every team is dealing with injuries right now. The power play has been struggling and I can't really put my finger on what it is that they are doing wrong. Whatever they do, it doesn't seem to work. I think it is a situation where they are struggling and they are starting to grip the stick too tight and are trying to make that extra pass. The power play did show some signs of life on Monday night against the Blues going 2 for 3, which hopefully was a step in the right direction.

Question #5. Lastly, do you have a prediction for this afternoon game?

SC: 3-2 Bruins in the shootout.

Big thanks to Stanley Cup of Chowder for his responses. I wasn't aware of the Bruins actually getting power play success recently. Sure, the power play percentage isn't so good but so was Nashville's and their power play actually got an important goal against New Jersey last Wednesday.

Nevertheless, notice that Stanley Cup of Chowder cites the Devils' forecheck as a reason why the Bruins struggled late in their last game. Again, a good forecheck even if it doesn't intercept passes or take the puck away can still be effective just by throwing off the opposition. That's why I think it'll be important that the Devils make an effort to beat the Bruins today.

Steve will hit you up with the GameThread. Stay in on Black Friday and join the both of us by watching some New Jersey Devils hockey. Feel free to discuss the game in advance in the comment. Go Devils!

Minnesota Wild vs. Boston Bruins: Game Recap

nathaneide — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:30:49 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Minnesota Wild 1-2 (so) Boston Bruins

Outshooting a team 29-16, only scoring once and not getting the two points brings a feeling of deja vu across the Wilderness.

Yes, the Wild were missing Brent Burns, Antti Miettinen, Martin Havlat, Petr Sykora and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to injury and Guillaume Latendresse to visa issues and still dominated the Bruins, but once again, they couldn't find the back of the net.

Tuukka Rask was outstanding tonight. He made at least four saves that he really had no business making, which could have easily busted the game wide open. Conversely, Niklas Backstrom made two exceptional saves in the third period and overtime that were worthy of end of the season highlight reels to keep the Wild in it.

The Wild came out like a team well-rested, even though they were missing five regulars. They controlled the play and outshot the Bruins 11-2 in the first frame. Unfortunately they just ran into a brick wall in Rask and Byron Bitz made the most of the only good scoring opportunity Boston had, tipping home a Derek Morris attempt.

The locker room in the first intermission must have been one of disappointment for not scoring on 11 shots, but the guys had to feel good that they were able to take it to one of the best teams in the East. The Wild came out firing again in the second period. They didn't quite get as many shots in the second as the first, but they were still controlling the play, and at 10:23 of the second, Andrew Ebbett brought the Xcel Energy crowd to its feet with a gorgeous redirect of a Kyle Brodziak shot and finally beat Rask. This power play goal was the kind that would normally open up the scoring. The Wild were dominating play and had finally broken through the wall. However, Rask was simply too tough tonight.

The third period was one in which the Wild controlled play early, then suddenly Boston seemed to realize that they were tied and took over the game, penning the Wild deep in their zone for most of the last ten minutes and until Dennis Wideman finally was whistled for high-sticking (he got away with another high-stick and a sucker punch earlier) then the Wild brought the pressure again, but it was too little too late as the Wild took too long setting up the power play and not enough time and effort on getting the puck to the net. When they finally did, they caused some problems for the Bruins and Andrew Brunette was staring a wide-open goal in the face, but couldn't control the puck and the Bruins cleared, ending the overtime.

The shootout was the most bothersome part for me. Mikko Koivu used pure power to put the puck through Rask to open the shootout, but Marek Zidlicky came up second and was stuffed (why is he in the shootout?), then Eric Belanger's attempt was gloved and Chuck Kobasew was stopped by Rask, making the David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron goals good enough to give the Bruins an undeserved two points.

It was a frustrating loss, considering how well the Wild played, until it came time to actually put the puck in the net. They seemingly don't have the finishers. Too many playmakers, not enough goal scorers. Maybe the return of Havlat and Sykora and bringing in Latendresse will alleviate this problem, but I haven't seen enough from Marty and Petr to make me think that is going to be the case.

Have a good Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Friday at 1:00 for the first of a home and home with the Avalanche.

Please read the game recap over at Stanley Cup of Chowder

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Tuukka Rask (2 G)
Andrew Ebbett (1 G)
Byron Bitz (1 G)

Questions to Answer

How is Andrew Ebbett going to fit? One nice power play goal and great shifts tonight. Love the way this kid came out and brought it tonight. Let's hope he continues to do so.
How are Chuck Kobasew and Shane Hnidy going to react to playing against their old squad? Hnidy played with a bit of a mean streak tonight and looked solid. Kobasew had the chance to dagger the B's, but couldn't pull it off in the end.
Will Patrice Bergeron stay on his hot streak? Bergeron terrified me all night. It seemed like every time he was on the ice, he was ready to score. Let's hope Pierre-Marc Bouchard can look like this when he comes back from his concussion. That said, the Wild did a nice job keeping him off the scoresheet.
Can Andrew Brunette continue to play well and add to his point streak? (6 points in his last 6 games) Not sure how Bruno didn't score on the powerplay in overtime, but he just couldn't control the puck with a yawning cage in front of him.
Can the Wild get to Tuukka Rask? Afraid not. Rask was fantastic tonight. Absolutely fantastic.

Bruins grind out 2-1 shootout win over Wild

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:22:09 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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On a night where the Bruins were out-shot 29-16, Tuukka Rask (28 saves) made some big saves and gave his team a chance to win.

The Bruins got off to an early 1-0 lead 6:50 into the game when Byron Bitz deflected Derek Morris' point shot past Niklas Backstrom off of a face-off win by Marc Savard. The Bruins were out-shot 11-2 in the opening period, but were still able to head to the dressing at the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

The Wild got a power play goal to knot things up at 1-1 with 9:37 left in the second period when Andrew Ebbett tipped in a wrist shot by Kyle Brodziak from the left dot.

After a scoreless third period and overtime session, the game went to a shootout.

Shootout

Boston 1st Shooter: Patrice Bergeron stickhandled in tight and slid the puck past Backstrom. 1-0 Bruins

Minnesota 1st Shooter: Koivu beats Rask up high on the stick side. 1-1

Boston 2nd Shooter: Backstrom kicks out Blake Wheeler's bid.

Minnesota 2nd Shooter: Rask gloves down Marek Zidlicky's shot.

Boston 3rd Shooter: Savard comes in wide and his forehand attempt is stopped by Backstrom.

Minnesota 3rd Shooter: Rask gets a piece of Belanger's shot that misses wide.

Boston 4th Shooter: David Krejci gets Backstrom to commit and roofs a backhander. 2-1 Bruins

Minnesota 4th Shooter: Rask stops Chuck Kobasew with a right pad save to seal the win. Bruins Win!

Final - 11.25.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Boston Bruins	1	0	0	0	1	2
Minnesota Wild	0	1	0	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Milan Lucic left the game late in the third period after falling awkwardly and twisting his left knee. It looked pretty ugly, but we will have to stay tuned to see how serious the injury is.

- Byron Bitz scored the first road goal of his NHL career.

- Mark Recchi tied Steve Yzerman for 12th place on the all-time NHL games played list with 1,514 games.

- Minnesota blocked 23 shots.

- The Bruins need figure out what they are doing with line changes. This many too many men on the ice calls is inexcusable at this level.

- The Bruins now sit atop the Northeast division after tonight's win.

- The B's are back on the ice on Friday afternoon when the host the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden.

Bruins look for 3rd straight win tonight vs. Panthers

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:33 -0000

by Lynne Sladky - AP

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When the Bruins take the ice at TD Garden tonight to face the Florida Panthers, they will try to accomplish something that they haven't been able to achieve this season: win three straight games. Florida enters tonight's game with a 5-9-1 record. The Panthers are trying to bounce back from back -to-back loses to the Washington Capitals in a home and home series over the weekend.

Know Your Enemy

Florida Panthers (5-9-1)

Head Coach: Peter DeBoer

Leading Goal Scorer:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Steven Reinprecht	9	5	14	2	4

Goaltending:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tomas Vokoun	12	703	3	8			35	2.99	419	384	.916	2

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Scott Clemmensen	4	187	2	1			16	5.13	99	83	.838	0

Injury Report

Boston Bruins Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	fingers	10/17/2009
Marc Savard	foot	10/21/2009

Florida Panthers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dominic Moore	other-excused	11/08/2009
Gregory Campbell	other-excused	11/09/2009
Kamil Kreps	foot	11/08/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Tarnasky	other-excused	09/26/2009
David Booth	concussion	10/25/2009
Radek Dvorak	knee	10/25/2009

Florida has so many question marks with injuries entering tonight's game that I don't even want to attempt to speculate what their lines and D-pairs will look like.

Notes:

- The Panthers signed free agent tough guy Steve MacIntyre this week.

- Derek Morris missed practice on Wednesday due to an illness. Morris also sat out the morning skate on Tuesday, but still played Tuesday night vs. Pittsburgh. Unless, his condition worsened after Tuesday night's game, I would expect Morris to be in the lineup again tonight.

- Mark Stuart has put up his own money to buy tickets to tonight's game for members of the military and their families. If you would like to help honor our military heroes, you can purchase discount tickets for $50.50 that will be donated to USO New England. Fans that donate tickets will be entered into a drawing for tickets to the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. To find out how you can donate tickets to The Seats for Soldiers program, visit www.bostonbruins.com/seatsforsoldiers

- For more on the Panthers, check out Litter Box Cats

- Game starts at 7:00 and can be seen on NESN and heard on 98.5 FM "The Sports Hub". Public Skate open thread starts a half hour before puck drop.

Today's Obligatory Embarassing Panthers Fan YouTube Video

Wearing a jersey with your wife's name on the back has to be the ultimate jersey foul. Also, unless you are Phil Mickelson or work the drive-thru at Dunkin' Donuts, it is unacceptable to be a grown man who wears a visor. Scratch that, it is unacceptable for a grown man to wear a visor. Can you imagine a guy wearing a jersey with his wife's name on the back handling out cowbells on the balcony of The Garden?

Looking at the Boston Bruins

MrNorrisTrophy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:36:40 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

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Extremely pressed for time, this is about all I've got for the "Looking at..." feature prior to this game.

Boston Bruins: 6-6-1, 13 pts

Key wins: 7-2 over Carolina, 3-0 over Dallas, 2-0 over Edmonton

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	2.38	26th	Scorer (Points)	8 (4G, 4A)	Patrice Bergeron
Goals against per game	2.62	9th	+/-	+3	Sturm/Stuart
Power play	12.2%	29th	Hits	33	Zdeno Chara
Penalty kill	78.3%	20th	PIM	22	Zdeno Chara
Shots per game	29.2	18th	Shots	31	Zdeno Chara
Shots against per game	29.7	16th	Blocked Shots	20	Derek Morris
Faceoffs	50.8%	13th	Faceoffs	56.2%	Patrice Bergeron
PIM per game	11.8	9th	Wins	4	Tim Thomas
Penalties drawn	49	23rd	GAA	2.41	Tuukka Rask

Stanley Cup of Chowder for all Bruins related topics.

Petr Prucha enjoying fresh start in Phoenix

Jim Schmiedeberg — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:51:20 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

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At the trade deadline last year, the Rangers traded young wingers Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes to Phoenix for defenseman Derek Morris, in the hopes of getting a little more physical on defense, and also looking for Morris to help their beleaguered power play.

When Morris provided neither of those things, he was allowed to walk away during free agency, signing with the Boston Bruins, and leaving the Rangers with nothing to show for trading away two young players.

While Ranger fans were mostly divided on what Dawes' potential was, most would agree that Prucha's talent was wasted under the Tom Renney regime. Prucha was often misused, skating on the third and fourth lines with the likes of Blair Betts and Ryan Hollweg as Renney continuously favored veteran players that were no longer worthy of such distinction.

While Prucha is not off to a great start numbers-wise this season, the former thirty goal scorer with the Rangers is playing on the first line with the Coyotes, along with Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata in a new version of a "Czech-mate" line. The three have played well together in the early going, and provided solid play at both ends of the ice, often asked to shadow the other team's top scorers. Prucha is also getting plenty of power play time, taking regular shifts with the man advantage.

Despite his early scoring drought, Prucha has impressed new Coyote coach Dave Tippett:

"I like the way Prucha goes to the net hard," he said. "He's not a big guy. He's scored a couple goals for us just like that that have been big for us. He had one in the Pittsburgh game and then one tonight. They're goals that are hard to score. You have to go into hard areas, so I compliment him on that."

Sounds like Tippett expects Prucha to be the type of player he never really got the chance to be in New York.

I also spoke to Paul (also known as "cityhockeyfever" to our radio show listeners) over at Five for Howling, the SBNation home of the Phoenix Coyotes, and got his thoughts on Prucha so far this season:

Petr Prucha, so far in this young NHL season, has shown that he's a scrapper and has an innate ability to score when his skates are not on the ice. He scored a goal in the second game of the season against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins from his back and then he was lying on his stomach as he pushed the puck past Detroit Red Wings netminder Chris Osgood Thursday night. Both goals were scored in scrums in front of the net, in the crease, and were a result of hard work and tenaciousness, both qualities that the Phoenix Coyotes need plenty of in this pivotal season in the franchises history.

He's currently playing on the "Czech"ing line with fellow Czech Republic teammates Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata, and this line has been instrumental in many of the Coyotes 6 victories so far this season. Whether it's as an energy line, a checking line or a scoring line, this group does it all.

Prucha, has been a shot in the arm for Phoenix. Something tells me, before this season is over, Petr Prucha will prove to be a focal point for this team, and a measuring stick for the success of the Coyotes."

Senators lose 4-3 (SO) to Bruins in frenzied finish

PeterR — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:26:09 -0000

More photos » by Fred Chartrand - AP

2 months ago: Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara (33) of Slovakia, David Krejci (46) of Czech Republic, Michael Ryder (73) and Mark Recchi (28) celebrate Krejci's game-tying goal against the Ottawa Senators late during third period NHL hockey action in Ottawa Saturday Oct. 24, 2009. The Bruins won 4-3 in a shootout. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand)

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I guess after coming back and getting a point out of a game the Ottawa Senators had no business being in against the Nashville Predators, we could have expected karma to come back and bite us. After carrying much of the play against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the Senators lost their 3-1 lead with less than two minutes left and came out on the losing side of a 4-3 shoout loss.

Although they benefited from the strong games of Mark Recchi and Derek Morris, the only reason Boston was anywhere near Saturday's game was goaltender Tim Thomas. He stopped 27 of Ottawa's 30 shots on the night, plus three more in the shootout, including some spectacular come-across saves, particularly against Daniel Alfredsson in the second period. Brian Elliott was good, but Thomas was out-of-this-world.

Not to make an untoward excuse out of it, the Senators can be upset with the referees after this loss. Not because of any missed calls or ghost calls, but because, just before the Bruins tied the game, after Bruins coach Claude Julien had already used his timeout, and despite the referees having signaled for both teams to line up for the faceoff twice, all members of the Bruins remained at the bench for an "unofficial" timeout. NHL rules indicate that, whether or not both teams are lined up, the puck should be dropped, but the referees didn't follow the rules; they waited for Boston to find their tactical plan, and then get set up for the drop of the puck. Ottawa coach Cory Clouston was, for good reason, incensed, but to no avail. The play went on, the Bruins were ready, and David Krejci scored the game-tying goal on the ensuing play.

But the bottom line is that Ottawa carried the play handily for the vast majority of the game, couldn't pad their lead enough, and--due to a couple of poorly-timed defensive gaffes--gave up their lead, and lost it in overtime.

(Read more... )

Although Ottawa only outshot the Bruins 30-28, they must have out-scoring-chanced them by a margin of at least two to one. Alfredsson said it best:

"They had no business winning that game," Alfredsson said. "They get one goal and then get a little bit lucky. We failed to clear and (Anton) Volchenkov loses his stick and they score."

The game-tying goal had a couple of mistakes on the play, which combined with Anton Volchenkov losing his stick to get Boston their scoring chance. First was Mike Fisher being unable to clear the puck after turning it over just inside the defensive blue line, which had the opportunity to relieve the pressure. Second was Chris Phillips against the boards in the corner, where--instead of eating the puck or finding a way of clearing it high off the glass--Phillips just shuffled it up along the boards, where, without Fisher's puck support, Patrice Bergeron gained control of the puck and set up Morris. Morris, who set up the second and third goals, spotted Krejci across the ice and slap-passed it to him, and that was all she wrote for regulation time.

Final - 10.24.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Boston Bruins	0	1	2	0	1	4
Ottawa Senators	0	1	2	0	0	3

Complete Coverage >

Not much happened in overtime, except a Volchenkov tripping penalty, which was cut short when the OT frame ended. In the shootout, Alex Kovalev hit the left post, Alfredsson hit the right post, and Jason Spezza was stopped. Bergeron scored the only goal Boston needed, which barely trickled past Elliott.

Although Phillips and Volchenkov were on the ice for all three of Boston's goals, I actually think they both had pretty solid games. Particularly offensively, as both of the Senators' top shutdown defencemen were routinely pinching in on the play (without sacrificing defensive positioning) and keeping offensive pressure on the Bruins. Volchenkov hadn't checked Recchi well enough on the second goal, and Phillips failed to clear the puck on the third, but both of those had other errors on the play.

On NHL.com, Milan Michalek was given first-star honours, but he might not even have been Ottawa's best player--and he certainly wasn't as influential as Thomas. Michalek had a great game, though; scored Ottawa's second goal by powering past a Boston defender and tucking the puck under Thomas, had five shots on net, a hit, a blocked shot, and some solid defensive support. Alfredsson was dominant at times, though, and had one goal--a short-handed marker, thanks to an incredible (or maybe lucky) pass from Fisher--and should have had one or two more, and four shots on the night. Ottawa's third league-elite, Spezza, kept his assist streak alive, extending it to five games, and kept up his solid two-way play.

Considering how well the Sens played on the night, it's a disappointing loss for the Senators, and they can't even take any solace in being able to say they let off on the pressure--they didn't, really, they just lost when Boston decided to get back into it, perhaps thanks to some luck, definitely thanks to some tenacity. On the plus side, it shows the Senators that, despite a strong start, they can't stop getting better.

Fights:

Matt Carkner v. Byron Bitz

Matt Carkner v. Shawn Thornton (fight of the night)

Chris Neil v. Steve Bégin

Bruins stage 3rd period comeback, win in SO

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:54:19 -0000

More photos » by Fred Chartrand - AP

2 months ago: Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (30) makes a shoot out save on a shot by Ottawa Senators' Jason Spezza (19) during NHL hockey action in Ottawa Saturday Oct. 24, 2009. The Bruins won 4-3 in a shoot out. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Fred Chartrand)

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The Bruins scored two goals in the final 1:28 of the third period to tie the game up at 3-3 and force overtime. Patrice Bergeron finished off the comeback for the Bruins with a shootout goal and Tim Thomas did his part but shutting down the Senators in the shootout.

After a scoreless first period, the Bruins struggled to get things going offensively early in the second period. The Bruins had just two shots on goal in the first 11:14 of the second period when the Senators' Jonathan Cheechoo was whistled for hooking. With Cheechoo in the box, the Bruins had a chance to get something going on the power play but coughed up the puck in the attacking zone. Mike Fisher's pass sprung Daniel Alfredsson for a breakaway and the first goal of the game at 11:31 of the second period.

The Bruins evened things up at 1-1 with 2:54 left in the second period when Blake Wheeler's shot from the left circle off a good cycle beat Brian Elliott for his 3rd goal of the season.

Milan Michalek gave the Sens a 2-1 lead with 10:46 left in the period when he went five hole to beat Tim Thomas.

Mike Fisher made it 3-1 Ottawa when his tough angle shot from the along the right wing boards on the goal line changed directions went it deflected off of a skate and made its way past Tim Thomas.

With 1:28 left in the third period and Tim Thomas on the bench in favor of the extra attacker, Mark Recchi tipped home Derek Morris' shot to give the Bruins new life at 3-2.

The Bruins weren't done yet. With 22 seconds remaining in regulation, David Krejci slipped the puck past Brian Elliott with a quick off a feed from Derek Morris for the game-tying goal.

Both teams had several scoring chances in the overtime session, but couldn't find the back of the net. After 65 minutes of hockey, it was off to the shootout for the second straight game.

Shootout

Senators 1st Shot:Alex Kovalev rang the puck off post.

Bruins 1st Shot: Wheeler tried to tuck the puck past Brian Elliot on the backhand but couldn't elevate the puck and Elliott made a right pad save.

Senators 2nd Shot:Daniel Alfredsson's shot hit the post on Thomas' glove side.

Bruins 2nd Shot:Bergeron fakes a shot and gets Elliot to bite and Bergeron's shot slowly tickles past the goal line under Elliott. 1-0 Bruins lead

Senators 3rd Shot:Jason Spezza is denied by Tim Thomas with a right pad save. B's WIN!!!

Final - 10.24.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Boston Bruins	0	1	2	0	1	4
Ottawa Senators	0	1	2	0	0	3

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Derek Morris factored into both of the third period goals and has his second straight 2 point night.

- Mark Recchi played in his 1,500th game (most of any active NHL player).

- Tim Thomas made 27 saves, including one cross-crease dive that almost gave Jack Edwards an aneurysm.

- Byron Bitz had his first fight of the season when he traded punches with Matt Carkner.

- If you are Steve Begin's teammate, you have to appreciate how willing this guy is to stick up for the boys in black & gold.

- Vladimir Sobotka recorded 7 hits.

- Patrice Bergeron was the only Bruins' skater not to record a hit tonight (33 hits for the B's tonight).

- Patrice Bergeron looked very good in the faceoff circle (69%).

- Bruins will return to game action on Thursday night when they host the New Jersey Devils.

Marco Sturm	Patrice Bergeron	Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler	David Krejci	Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton	Steve Begin	Byron Bitz
Daniel Paille	Trent Whitfield	Vladimir Sobotka

Zdeno Chara	Derek Morris
Matt Hunwick	Dennis Wideman
Mark Stuart	Andrew Ference

SB Nation - Derek Morris

Savard's hat trick helps Bruins skate past Toronto 7-2 in #81's return to The Hub

Bruins breeze past Lightning 4-1

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Bruins grind out 2-1 shootout win over Wild

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Boston Bruins Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Florida Panthers Injuries

Questionable

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Bruins Projected Lines & D-Pairs

Looking at the Boston Bruins

Petr Prucha enjoying fresh start in Phoenix

Senators lose 4-3 (SO) to Bruins in frenzied finish

Bruins stage 3rd period comeback, win in SO