SB Nation - Tim Thomas

Festivus: Boston Bruins Style

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:39:39 -0000

December 23rd marks the celebration of Festivus. For those of you that don't know what Festivus is, check out this brief video explaining the story of Festivus and its traditions.

The Airing of Grievances

"Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with The Airing of Grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people and now you're gonna hear about it!"

This is the part where I tell members of the Bruins how they have disappointed me in the past year.

The '08-'09 Team
You bastards spend all year looking like contenders. You made us all think that maybe this year would be the year that Lord Stanley would come to The Hub. Then you ran into an inferior team that figured out all they had to do to beat you guys was forecheck. You couldn't smooth a silk sheet if you had a hot date with a babe... I lost my train of thought.

Andrew Ference
You're too small to be a physical defenseman and you're not skilled enough to be a puck-mover. What do you bring to this team...besides a global consciousness?

Tim Thomas
Stop (allegedly) punching walls. You see that shadow creeping up on you? That's a small Finnish lad looking to steal your job. You can't afford to be doing stupid things.

The Power Play
My readers tell me you stink!

Milan Lucic
Stay healthy damn it! This team is so much better with you in the lineup.

Shawn Thornton
OK, we get it. You are a real hockey player. You're more than just an enforcer, but there has been something missing the past few games. Drop those mittens and throw some haymakers!

Dennis Wideman
Who is that guy out there wearing #6 for the Black & Gold? It certainly isn't the guy we saw last year. Right now you are just some guy in a Gord Kluzak jersey.

The Jacobs Family
I'll admit this franchise is heading in the right direction but that doesn't excuse you from a few indiscretions this year. The first hint of success and you raised ticket prices through the roof and priced out the average fan. Then you go and do something nice for the kids. You donate 200 tickets to youth hockey team, which is a nice gesture and all...if you did it out of the goodness of your heart and didn't plaster your tax write-off all over the Bruins website.

Marc Savard
If the players around you can't put the puck in the net, start looking for your own shot!

#81
Don't even get me started on Mr. October.

The Feats of Strength

"Now as Festivus rolls on, we come to The Feats of Strength."

Until you pin Big Z, this holiday is not over!

The Festivus Poll

Poll

If you are Claude Julien and you are faced with a must-win situation, who do you start?

Senators shut out by Thomas, Bruins win 2-0

PeterR — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:29:23 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

2 days ago: Ottawa Senators' Chris Kelly, left, get pushed around by Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara, of Slovakia, as Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas keeps his eyes on the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

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A 2-0 loss was certainly not the result the Ottawa Senators wanted when they were set to take on the Boston Bruins Monday night, but it's the kind of thing Ottawa has probably come to expect when facing Tim Thomas in nets. It was a very tight game, for the most part, with both teams exchanging shots, scoring chances, and big saves, until Boston broke it open in the third period. The Senators couldn't beat Thomas to get back into the game after going down, and that was all she wrote.

Sens killer: Tim Thomas
There is only one tonight. The Level 12 ogre-mage* continues to shut down the Senators whenever he plays them, and has now won the last ten games he's played against Ottawa. He stopped all 29 shots he faced tonight, none of the saves standing out as highlight-reel stops, but huge nonetheless. He's become legendary amongst Senators killers, and could enter the category reserved for Ed Belfour and Gary Roberts if these teams ever meet in the playoffs. It's true that Chara could probably also be classified as a Sens killer, but doing so would downplay the amount of killing that Thomas inflicted.

Sens heroes: Brian Elliott, Alex Kovalev, Jarkko Ruutu
For the first two periods, Elliott was among the Senators' strongest players against Boston. He was making strong saves, with 12 in the first alone, and kept Ottawa in the game through the second period when it looked like they were being brutally outplayed. Neither goal was particularly awful, although the team needed Elliott to stop the very stoppable second goal. Still, Ottawa had no business staying in that second period, if not for Elliott.

Kind of looked like Kovalev enjoys the physical challenge of going up against Zdeno Chara tonight, which seems like the opposite of what you'd expect. Of particular note was a play in the first period, where Kovalev rushed to beat Chara and kind of did, before being taken down hard by Chara behind the net. And, near the end of the game, he even got into a sort-of fight with former teammate Steve Bégin. It was an uncharacteristically gritty, hard-working game for Kovalev, and perhaps if Ottawa got a powerplay opportunity (more on that later), he would have made some magic happen for the Senators' offence.

Of all Senators, Ruutu had the best scoring chances. He had a great opportunity short-handed after Patrice Bergeron coughed up the puck, he was sent on a breakaway by Chris Phillips late in the game. Obviously, he couldn't convert any of the chances he had, but it was a strong game for the pest nonetheless.

(Read more... )

Sens zeros: Josh Hennessy, Erik Karlsson
Might not be fair to put Hennessy in this category considering he only had 5:02 in ice time, he gave the puck away for what would ultimately be the decisive goal. He didn't do much else on the night, and that makes it even uglier for the guy. If it's any consolation for him, though, it wouldn't matter how well he played tonight; when Chris Neil returns to the lineup on Wednesday, Hennessy is (in all likelihood) right back to Binghamton.

One kid who's not going to be going back to Binghamton, though, is Karlsson. He was softer on the puck tonight, for whatever reason--maybe he was hesitant because the Bruins are pretty big, or he was just tired after an emotional game last game, or maybe he's sick of playing with Filip Kuba while Kuba drags his ass all over the ice (seriously, the veteran has to pick up his game). Karlsson was soft in front of the net on Bergeron's game-winning goal, and that's why the rebound went in instead of getting cleared harmlessly to the corner.

Why does this keep happening: Zero powerplays
For the third time this season, the Senators played a saintly team, and were therefore given no powerplays on the night. I could bring up instances where Boston should have been assessed powerplays, we could talk about whether or not the Senators are getting in positions to draw penalties, or whatever else, but we could also mention an old cliche: One is an event, two is a coincidence, three is a trend.

Ugly stat of the night: Jesse Winchester 5-for-21 in faceoffs
I guess the faceoff magic Winch had in his stick for his first couple games on the top line had worn off before tonight, because he was absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle tonight, with a 24 percent faceoff win number. You've heard it before, but it's not easy for his line to get offence going without the puck, and that's even more devastating because it meant the puck was away from Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek. No one else on Ottawa was below 50 percent in faceoffs.

Commenter of the night: Dany Hea-Traitor
Partied like a rock star who's mildly funny at times.

* - Nickname explanation: Ogre because he's short, mage because he wears a mask/cage hybrid he calls a 'mage', and Level 12 because it makes it even nerdier.

Mark's take: I didn't see this game, but the way Tim Thomas plays against Ottawa, I'm not surprised. I would, however, like to point out that Filip Kuba was a team worst minus two on the night. Kuba's last three games: minus three, minus one, minus two. His December reads like a first grader learning subtraction. I realize plus/minus can be a deceptive stat, but it's not unfair at this point to ask for more defensively from him. At the very least, if he is going to be on the ice giving up goals, he needs to provide some kind of offensive support to balance it out. Isn't that why Bryan Murray signed him?

Thomas and Bruins shutout Ottawa 2-0

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:27:36 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

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Tim Thomas turned aside all 29 shots he faced to earn his fourth shutout of the season as the Bruins finished off their 3-game road trip with a 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

After over 43 minutes of scoreless hockey, Patrice Bergeron finally scored the game's first goal 3:19 into the third period, when Bergeron cleaned up Shawn Thornton's rebound.

Marco Sturm gave the Bruins some insurance with 6:53 left in the third period when he found the back of the net after Marc Savard's pass sprung him on a breakaway. Sturm carried the puck in from the right wing wall, cut in front of the net and beat Brian Elliot with a forehand shot for his team-leading 10th goal of the season.

Final - 12.21.2009	1	2	3	Total
Boston Bruins	0	0	2	2
Ottawa Senators	0	0	0	0

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- The Bruins were extremely disciplined tonight. They did not take a penalty until 18:31 of the third period when Steve Begin was tagged with a double minor (slashing and roughing) for his part in a little dust up with Alex Kovalev.

- Tim Thomas now has 16 career shutouts (only 88 behind Martin Brodeur).

- I was a little nervous when Johnny Boychuk left the game briefly after blocking a shot in the first period. The Bruins can not afford to lose defensemen right now. Fortunately, he returned the game.

- There were 32 blocked shots in this game (16 by each team).

- Dennis Wideman returned after missing the last 2 games with an undisclosed injury. Wideman logged a game-high 28:55 and was on the ice for both goals.

- Mike Fisher finished the night with 6 hits. I guess he isn't getting enough body contact from his new finance Carrie Underwood.

- With the win, the Bruins jumped ahead of the Senators for second pace in the Northeast Division.

- The Bruins are back in action on Wednesday night when they host the Atlanta Thrashers in a Festivus showdown.

This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic - Hawks 5, Bruins 4 (SO - Hawks win shirtless slap fight)

McClure — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:09:48 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Hey! Is that a ninja up there?

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The biggest United Center crowd of the year got to see the Hawks' most entertaining game of the year, outside of the obvious asterisk that the Calgary comeback ever shall be.

The Hawks' lineup looked quite a bit different on Friday, with Antti Niemi starting in net, Niklas Hjalmarsson sitting out because of feeling under the weather (rumor has it he hurt his knee in the Peterborough game), and Ben Eager sitting out presumably because he's a steakhead. Personally, I would have sat Tomas Kopecky again in favor of Eager, but I'm not the guy with the mustache...YET. Both teams traded chances in the opening minutes of the first, with the Hawks once again moving the puck very well, but only seemed to be able to manufacture shots from the perimeter against Tim Thomas, who appeared to be on in the early going with his Hasek-esque style. In their own zone, however, the Hawks were an adventure. Joel Quenneville very quickly into the game rearranged his defensemen, pairing Jordan Hendry with Brian Campbell in order to keep two pairs consistent in Hammer's absence- a result which paid dividends. It did not prevent David Krejci from opening the scoring, however, as Niemi failed to smother a dump in with his catch glove (which was suspect all evening), and the puck came to Krejci out front to poke home.

Early in the second, Kris Versteeg potted the Hawks' equalizer off of a careless pass from Andrew Ference which VERSTEEG! alertly snapped past Thomas. The ice then began to tilt in the Hawks favor, as Patrick Sharp gave the Hawks the lead banging home a rebound crashing the left post. After having some issues with the referee in the corner at the other end of the ice Brent Sopel (at his Sopel-est tonight), coughed up a turnover that led to Daniel Paille tying the game at two. However, in the waning moments of the second, Troy Brouwer threw a goal line pass from the corner to Jonathan Toews, who harpooned the puck between Thomas' legs to give the Hawks the lead after 40. All three Hawks' goal scorers in the period potted their tenth goals of the year.

The Hawks' assault on Thomas continued into the third, but Boston once again drew even, as Johnny Boychuk slapped a cross ice feed undereath Niemi's right arm. Less than two minutes later, Andrew Ladd received credit for redirecting a Brian Campbell point blast into the net after some fine perimeter puck movement by Campbell, Hendry, and Sharp. It would not be a lead the Hawks would hold onto. With less than three minutes remaining, the Bruins found themselves on a 3-on-2, with both Sharp and Marian Hossa late to return on their backchecks, which let Krejci pot his second of the night to tie the game up. After relatively uneventful OT, the contest needed to be decided with a couple rounds of rochambeau, with Q deciding to let the B's shoot first. Patrice Bergeron ran out of room on Niemi, and Toews made him pay with the now trademark snapper at the other end. Blake Wheeler got Niemi down and out but drew iron, which made Patrick Kane's backhader at the other end hold up as the winner. Hawks win.

Observations

Outside of Sharp and Hossa's lackadaisical backcheck, Niemi's glove, and Sopel being Sopel, I found very little to complain about from anyone else. No passengers for this game whatsoever. Even Tomas Kopecky's general invisibility was not for lack of effort.
I was very impressed with Jordan Hendry's ability to step in and play with Brian Campbell, one of the more difficult defenseman in the league to partner with, arguably the most. Credit to Quenneville as well for realizing very quickly that Cam Barker simply does not have the foot speed to recover in time to be paired with Soup at even strength, and making the change. As Sam said, why screw up two pairs with Hammer out?
The Hawks dominated in shots in the second and third, and give credit to the Bruins for capitalizing on the opportunities they got. This game could have been a case of water finding its own level with Antti Niemi, who did make some very good saves when they counted, but a couple of the B's goals - Krejci's first and Boychuck's - could and should have been stopped.
Apologies for the obtuse headline. I know it's a reach, but please bear with me. See what I did there?
I know the Hawks have two games in hand, but how the fuck are they only two points ahead of goddamn Nashville? That Barry Trotz really is something.
Credit the Hawks for not shying away from the monster that is Zdeno Chara. I witnessed Kane, Toews and VERSTEEG! initiate contact with that pituitary case, with Toews retaliating a bit on Versteeg's behalf at one point near the benches, and at one point Troy Brouwer and Chara came to within a hair on my sack from scrapping. It would have been a fight that Our Boy Troy would have been destroyed in, but the courage is admirable.
All eight goals came at even strength. For the top two PK units in the league, I know that's a shock.
Thanks to you, the reader, who now seems to understand that if there's a game on a weekend evening, it's pretty well implied that the wrap isn't coming until the following morning due to this blog's propensity for getting itself banged up before, during, and after games. The fact that the weekday games are now a coin-flip as well could be cause for concern, however. Knowing us, though, we'd make the inevitable intervention an open invite event at the Whirlaway.

Player of the Game

While this award could have gone a number of ways, I'll give it to everyone's, including seemingly Q's, favorite $7 million dollar whipping boy. Even with his Swedish security blanket out of the lineup, Brian Campbell managed to be a +1 with an assist during nearly 28:00 minutes of ice time in a back and forth game. Campbell created opportunities in the offensive zone, had an assist on a redirected slap shot, and was solid in his own end.

Blackhawks down Bruins 5-4 in shootout

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:36:56 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

5 days ago: Boston Bruins left wing Steve Begin, left, watches his shot on-goal get deflected by Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi during the first period of their NHL Hockey game Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Patrick Kane scored the game-winner for the Chicago Blackhawks in the shootout on Friday night to beat the visiting Bruins 5-4. The B's tied up the game with 2:43 left in regulation on a goal from David Krejci, but the home team would ultimately prevail in the shootout.

David Krejci got the Bruins on the board 9:22 into the game, ending the Blackhawks' hopes of a third straight shutout. Krejci put a soft wrist shot on goal from the right half wall that Chicago goalie Antti Niemi deflected behind the net. Wheeler gained possession of the puck and found Krejci driving to the net in the slot for the game's first goal.

Andrew Ference handed Kris Versteeg a goal on silver platter when his unforced turnover gave Versteeg the puck right in front of the net. Versteeg was able to beat Tim Thomas to knot the score at 1-1 1:55 into the second period.

The Blackhawks made it 2-1 at 8:22 of the middle period on a goal from Patrick Sharp. Thomas got a piece of Brent Seabrook's shot but left the rebound out front and gift-wrapped for Sharp, who had an empty net to shoot at.

Daniel Paille evened the game up at 2-2 when he hammered home a shot from deep in the offensive zone at the right circle off a nice feed from Mark Recchi with 3:28 remaining in the second.

Chicago re-gained the lead just 3 minutes later when Troy Brouwer slid a nifty pass from the right wing boards to a wide open Jonathan Toews at the doorstep.

Johnny Boychuk tied the game at 3-3 with 14:00 left in the third period on a hard slapper.

The 'Hawks re-claimed their lead just 1:40 later when Andrew Ladd tipped in Brian Campbell's drive from the right point.

David Krejci got his second goal of the game when he put home a rebound in front with 2:43 left in regulation to tie the game at 4-4.

With the game tied after 60 minutes of hockey, the teams headed for overtime. The overtime session featured some frantic moments, good scoring opportunities, and scrum after the final whistle, but no goals.

Shootout

Patrice Bergeron skated inand Niemi kicked up his bid with a left pad save.

Jonathan Toews beat Thomas stick side. 1-0 Chicago

Blake Wheeler rang his shot off the post.

Patrick Kane beat Thomas with a nifty move and tucked the puck into the net through the 5 hole. 2-0 Chicago wins

Final - 12.18.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Boston Bruins	1	1	2	0	0	4
Chicago Blackhawks	0	3	1	0	1	5

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- The Bruins were out-shot 44-29

- Tonight was probably Johnny Boychuk's best game in a Boston Bruins uniform. Boychuk finished the night a +3 with a goal in 30:07 of ice time and made plays at both ends of the ice.

- The 4th line of Shawn Thornton, Steve Begin, and Vladimir Sobotka looked very good tonight. They showed a lot of energy all game long and were constantly putting strong forechecking pressure on the Blackhawks' puck carriers.

- If you are going to loss in the shootout, you might as well do it against a Western Conference team.

- Byron Bitz was a -3 in just 12:29 of ice time.

- The Bruins will be back in action tomorrow night when they travel to Toronto to play the Leafs.

Building Blocks: Flyers earn solid victory in Boston

Travis Hughes — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:57:23 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Look at that face.

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[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Boston Reaction]

The Boston Bruins hadn't lost a game all season after scoring the first goal, the best mark in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers had a 2-11 record when allowing the first goal of the hockey game, the worst mark in the NHL. So you can imagine how fans of the orange and black felt when Vladimir Sobotka scored a lucky, ugly goal in the latter stages of the second period to break a scoreless dead lock.

Same old story, right? It didn't matter that the Flyers had worked hard all game, or that the offensive pressure was there, or that the defense had been quite solid throughout, or that Brian Boucher continued to play like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Nope, bad luck would bite them this time, and a cheap goal would lead this ill-fated team toward yet another loss.

That's what overreacting sounds like when, in the end, the opposite actually happens.

The Flyers didn't give up. When the third period started, they continued to apply the pressure, not giving up. Hard work by Claude Giroux forced a power play, which they were unable to capitalize on, but you could feel it coming. Boston couldn't get out of their end except for a few futile little rushes the other way, which were quickly stomped out by the Flyers defense. With Philly again pressing in the Bruins end, Arron Asham was able to feed James van Riemsdyk in the slot, where he poked the tying goal through the pads of Tim Thomas.

The Flyers didn't stop there, though, continuing to control the pace for the next eight minutes, until a drive from Kimmo Timonen at the point deflected off a Bruin and found its way behind the net. And just like that, Philadelphia had a third period lead. Hard work rewarded.

Scott Hartnell would take a dumb penalty in the waning minutes, but on the ensuing kill, Kimmo Timonen lifted a shot from the far corner all the way down the ice into an empty net to seal the victory. It doesn't get any easier tomorrow in Pittsburgh, but this was an excellent victory tonight. Baby steps. Building blocks.

After the jump, a few more thoughts on this solid Flyers victory, questions with answers, highlights & pressers, and the comment of the night.

Some assorted thoughts...

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen left the game after the first period with a knee injury. He's reportedly going to be out two to three weeks, and Danny Syvret is on his way to Pittsburgh to meet the team. He'll play tomorrow night.
Boston fans are livid about a few questionable calls in this one, proving that everybody -- not just a select few Flyers fans -- believes the NHL is out to get them. Here's a quote from the game thread at Stanley Cup of Chowder...

Stuff like that makes me wonder. With the Classic coming up and Philadelphia clearly not being up to snuff as a team, it’s a little convenient that a game would be called this bad, with much of it in their favor, in the last matchup before the big one.

...you can snuff out the absurdity there, I'm sure. The commenter is referring to a non-goal call in the first period. The Bruins crashed the net and the puck wound up in it. There was no review, justified by the officials because Boucher never had a chance to make a plau. Jack Edwards probably had a heart attack on NESN, and if we can get a clip of that, we'll pass it along.
The Flyers peppered the Bruins with 38 shots, a nice little picture of how much offensive pressure they created. Not all of them were quality, but still.
The power play still looks terrible, though. They're not generating any movement, not getting creative with passes, and opting to take only low-percentage shots through traffic. It has to change.
There was a reported brawl during the Mites on Ice game in the first intermission at TD Garden. And they say we like fighting in Philly. If we get video, we'll be sure to pass it along as well. If you have video, please shoot us an email ASAP, because this has to be hilarious.
JVR broke a 12-game goal-less drought.
Giroux and Hartnell showed a ton of chemistry, and Carcillo looked really strong on the top line. In fact, the entire team put in an excellent effort tonight. They truly earned this one.
Hartnell did take a ton of penalties, though, and you can be sure Peter Laviolette will make him pay in practice.

Questions With Answers

Tim Thomas hasn't won a game since the 2nd and hasn't been great this season. Can the Flyers take advantage? Thomas didn't look particularly weak tonight.
Claude Giroux has scored the Flyers' last three goals. CAN SOMEONE ELSE SCORE, PLEASE? Giroux played fantastic hockey again, but yes! JVR and Timonen had Flyer goals.
Can the Flyers get the first goal and gain some momentum early? No, but they certainly stole the momentum out of the gate in the third and rode it to victory.
Power play. Goals? Nah, don't ask too much, now...
How's Tollefsen look now that he's back in the lineup? Poor guy. Another injury. It's almost funny, in a sick sort of way.
Does Carcillo noticeably hold back at all, fresh off his four game suspension? He didn't take any dumb penalties and even drew one or two, but from an aggressiveness standpoint, he didn't seem to hold back. He put together a nice little game.

Comment of the Night

Everyone remember what clothes they have on RIGHT NOW so you can wear them again tomorrow…

>> NoalB

Highlights

Laviolette Press Conference

Boucher, JVR, & Timonen Post Game

Bruins fall to Flyers 3-1

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:32:49 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

9 days ago: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Ian Laperriere, rear, raises his arms as he celebrates a goal by teammate Kimmo Timonen in the third period of their NHL hockey game in Boston, Monday, Dec. 14, 2009. In foreground are Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, left, and defenseman Andrew Ference. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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The Bruins lost 3-1 on Monday night in a physical game against the Philadelphia Flyers that featured plenty of controversial calls (and non-calls).

The Bruins appeared to jump out to an early lead just over 2 minutes into the game when Vladimir Sobotka put the puck past Brain Boucher at the right post, but the goal was quickly waved off by the on-ice officials due to the net being off its moorings. The replay showed that the puck crossed the goalline before the whistle blew, but the call on the ice stood. According NESN color analyst Andy Brickley, who spoke with the league's review office in Toronto between periods, the play was not reviewable and the goal was waved off because Boucher did not have an opportunity to make a save since one of his players was pushed into him. Whatever the reason, the score remained 0-0.

Sobotka was able to find the back of the net for real when he set up at the top of the crease and deflected Shawn Thornton's shot past Brian Boucher for the game's first goal with 1:28 left in the second period.

UNH product James van Riemsdyk tied it up at 1-1 2:48 into the third period when he re-directed an Aaron Asham shot for his 7th goal of the season.

The Flyers broke the tie with 9:32 left in the third period on Kimo Timonen's shot from the blue line directly in front of Tim Thomas' net. The puck appeared to graze off of Blake Wheeler's glove and change direction enough to get past Thomas for the 2-1 Philadelphia lead.

The Bruins had an opportunity to tie the game up when Scott Hartnell took an ill-timed high-sticking penalty late in the third period. However, Kimo Timonen ended the Bruins hopes of winning and sealed the victory for the Flyers with an empty net goal with 40.3 seconds remaining in the game. Timomen cleared the puck the length of the ice from just in front of his own goal line all the way into the back of the Bruins net almost 200 feet away.

Final - 12.14.2009	1	2	3	Total
Philadelphia Flyers	0	0	3	3
Boston Bruins	0	1	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- Dennis Wideman left the game with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

- I don't often complain about the officiating, but Chris Rooney and Rob Martell did not call a good game tonight: the early wash-out of Sobotka's goal, Chara getting tripped in the third, Briere being able to hold Krejci's stick and skate the length of the ice, etc, etc.

- Apparently, the "3 Minutes of Fame" youth hockey game during the first intermission got a little physical:

"Some heavy hitting during first intermission between the two youth hockey teams on the ice. More punches thrown during intermission than in the first period."

- Fluto Shinzawa, Boston.com

This prompted the following text exchange between Timmy and me:

Me: was there a fight during the youth hockey game during intermission

Timmy: yea it was f__ing awesome

Me: i wish i had video

Stanley Cup of Chowder, SB Nation, and it's sponsors do not advocate violence among children blah blah blah, but if you do have video of this please shoot me an email stanleycupofchowder@gmail.com

- The next time the Bruins and Flyers will meet is on January 1st at Fenway Park for the NHL Winter Classic.

- Daniel Carcillo returned to the lineup for the Flyers after serving his suspension for his actions during a fight with Washington's Matt Bradley. Carcillo's showed his presence throughout this game and recorded 8 hits.

- The Bruins were out-shoted 38-27.

- The Bruins did win 59% of the face-offs tonight, but as Bill Belichick would say "stats are for losers".

- I hope the Bruins goalies don't wear winter hats over their masks during the Winter Classic like they did in warm-ups tonight. That is a straight up goofy look.

- Bruins are off until Friday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks.

- For more on tonight's game from a Flyers' fan perspective check out Broad Street Hockey

Bruins host Flyers in Winter Classic preview

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:04:09 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

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The Philadelphia Flyers are in town tonight to take on the Bruins in what will be a preview of the 2010 NHL Winter Classic. The Bruins are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday. While the Flyers are looking to get their act together after losing 10 of their last 12 contests, a slump that partially lead to the firing of head coach John Stevens and the hiring of former Boston Bruins assistant and Providence Bruins head coach Peter Laviolette.

Know Your Enemy

Philadelphia Flyers (14-15-1; 29 points; 5th in Atlantic Division, 13th in East)

Head Coach: Peter Laviolette (1-4-0 since taking the Flyers job)

SB Nation's Flyers Blog: Broad Street Hockey

Leading Scorer:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Richards	13	12	25	5	40

Probable Starting Goaltenders:

Tim Thomas

#30 / Goalie / Boston Bruins

Height: 5-11

Weight: 201

Born: Apr 15, 1974

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tim Thomas	18	1077	7	7		45	2.51	507	462	.911	3

Brian Boucher

#33 / Goalie / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 02, 1977

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Brian Boucher	11	592	3	7		25	2.53	259	234	.903	0

Injury Report

Boston Bruins Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	ankle	11/26/2009

Philadelphia Flyers Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dan Carcillo	other-excused	12/14/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Blair Betts	shoulder	11/22/2009
Darroll Powe	shoulder	11/21/2009
Simon Gagne	abdomen	10/27/2009
Ray Emery	abdomen	12/06/2009
Braydon Coburn	ankle	12/12/2009

Notes:

- Tim Thomas was the first goalie off the ice for the Bruins at the morning skate.

- Rhode Island native Brain Boucher will likely get the start in goal for the Flyers as Ray Emery is on the shelf after having abdominal surgery. The Flyers have called up Johan Backlund from the Adirondack Phantoms. The Flyers have also signed former Bruins goalie John Grahame to an AHL tryout contract to help solve the organization's goaltending woes.

- Members of the Bruins and Flyers got a special tour of Fenway Park yesterday and met with NHL ice guru Dan Craig (video below).

- The Bruins are 2-3-4 against the Atlantic Division this season

- The Flyers have been whistled for the most penalty minutes per game of any team in the NHL (17.8 minutes per game).

- These two teams last met on October 22nd with the Flyers beating the Bruins 4-3 in a shootout.

- Injured Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn will be replaced in the lineup by Ole-Kristian Tollefsen.

- The Bruins are giving away Winter Classic fleece helmet hats to the first 10,000 fans tonight. (H/T to Hub Hockey for the link)

- For more on tonight's game from a Flyers fan perspective, check out Broad Street Hockey

- Game starts at 7:00 and can be seen on NESN and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Public Skate open thread starts a half hour before puck drop at 6:30.

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Flyers Fan YouTube Video

That's a classic right there. I like how the idiot that jumped in to the penalty box wasn't even the guy that got squirted with the water.

Bruins fall to Islanders 3-2 in disappointing OT loss

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:12:38 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

11 days ago: New York Islanders' Frans Nielsen (51) waves to the crowd as he is called back onto the ice after being named the star of the game after scoring the game winning goal in overtime at an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. The Islanders won the game 3-2. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

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Despite out-shooting the Islanders 32-19 and controlling the play for most of the game, the Bruins fell to the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum. Frans Nielsen got the game winner for the Islanders with a breakaway goal 24 seconds into the extra session.

Michael Ryder and David Krejci were the goal scorers for the Bruins. Tim Thomas got the start in goal and gave 3 goals on 19 shots in the loss. Thomas is now 7-7-4 on the season.

The Bruins will be back in action on Monday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden.

Bruins set to face Islanders

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:44:50 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

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The Bruins are on Long Island to face the New York Islanders tonight. The Bruins are looking for revenge after a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Islanders back on November 16th. The B's enter tonight's game looking for their third straight win after two impressive victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Isles will try to stop a three game skid.

Know Your Enemy

New York Islanders (11-13-7)

Head Coach: Scott Gordon

Bruins record vs. Islanders this season: 1-1-0

Leading Scorers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - John Tavares	15	11	26	-1	6

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Matt Moulson	14	9	23	5	16

Projected Starting Goaltenders:

Tim Thomas

#30 / Goalie / Boston Bruins

Height: 5-11

Weight: 201

Born: Apr 15, 1974

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tim Thomas	17	1016	7	7		42	2.48	488	446	.914	3

Dwayne Roloson

#30 / Goalie / New York Islanders

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 12, 1969

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Dwayne Roloson	18	1079	9	4		50	2.78	585	535	.915	0

Injury Report

Boston Bruins Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dennis Wideman	other-excused	12/12/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Byron Bitz	other-illness	12/12/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Milan Lucic	ankle	11/26/2009

New York Islanders Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Radek Martinek	knee	11/07/2009
Andy Sutton	groin	11/29/2009
Doug Weight	other-excused	11/07/2009

Notes:

- The Islanders have only played 11 games at home this season, but have looked relatively good in their own building (6-3-2).

- Bruins are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.

- The Islanders and Bruins are both 18.3% on the power play this season.

- The B's now have the best penalty kill in the league with 86.4%.

- It will take more than an SUV to stop Brendan Witt

- Byron Bitz and Dennis Wideman both skated in the morning skate.

- For more on tonight's game, check out Lighthouse Hockey

- Game starts at 7:00 and can be seen on NESN. Public Skate open tread starts at 6:30.

Today's Obligatory Embarrassing Islanders Fan YouTube Video