SB Nation - Marco Sturm

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

5 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)

Habs Spank Bruins, Celebrate Centennial In Style

Robert L — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:23:06 -0000

As it turned out, it was one of those games, and one of those days, that a fan could watch over and over, and relive many times again.

Like many of you, I watched much of the televison coverage and centennial tributes in the hours leading up to the game. Indulging in the Canadiens history will always be a riveting experience, and it is these moments that we as fans are reminded why it is so hard to separate past and present.

Perhaps it cannot be explained to fans of other teams. Maybe Leafs fans in the fifties and sixties can relate, but when watching reel upon reel of memories stream by, it's hard to remain unmoved. Your youth is flashing before your eyes, great times being relived.

I explained this to my kid, and you've maybe done this too, that I watched the Canadiens win the Cup for the first time when I was seven, and it made me interested in hockey. I saw them win again at age nine and eleven. During my four years of high school, the Habs won every year. I'm not sure if that experience can be conveyed to anyone who hasn't experienced the exact same thing.

But of course, the present is always in play. A successful past is a constant reminder of how things should be done right, a brutal loss to the Buffalo Sabres the night before is a wake up call, whose alarm sounds alert that the 2009-10 edition of the Habs are not the 1970's dynasty.

The scenario for the centennial game, the celebration to literally end all celebrations, had arrived at a very defining time.

Honestly, things looked bleak with the Canadiens riding a four game losing streak. A loss to Boston in the centennial game held the promise of things turning terribly ugly on the ice and in the stands. Blow this one, atop the stage of all stages, and the repercussions for the Canadiens seasons were scary proposition.

All day long, mixed in with visions of Stanley Cup triumphs, was a gnawing premonition that in a few hours, the Canadiens would be booed leaving the ice. Elongated pre-game celebrations tend to bring out the worst in the home team, and combined with a game the evening before in which the Habs were seemingly already at their worst, it appeared a script of doom was carved in stone.

By the middle of the afternoon, the centennial pre-game ceremonies were still a mystery. Little had been revealed as to how the Canadiens organization planned to celebrate the landmark. Soon, news came that the festivities would involve the retirement of Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard's jersey numers.

High time, I thought, for the Habs two oldest warriors to receive their due.

Former broadcasters Dick Irvin and Richard Garneau give a crash course in Habs history 101 as clips on the big screen played Peter Gabriel's "Salsbury Hill" and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Owners, coaches, managers and players who have departed, are listed through the strains of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". The first image is of J. Ambrose O'Brien, who found the club in 1909, and last two images are of Newsy Lalonde, the team's first Flying Frenchman, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard, its most heralded.

Intrigue soon grasped imagination, as I sat watching the procedings. I was captivated by the image of former long time Canadiens trainer Eddy Palchuk dropping buckets of pucks on the ice.

As an intro to a very special evening, such iconic subtlety had the desired effect. I can only imagine that fans inside the Bell felt their hearts swell when Patrick Roy, in full goalie gear, first stepped onto the ice.

I, myself, could not believe my eyes!

What came next tugged at heartstrings, as former Habs players, from legends to role players, strode out onto the ice, unnanounced. The images were jolting.

How better to celebtrate and summarize a glorious 100 years than with the actors who made it happen?

Roy was followed by Lafleur, Gainey, Robinson, Mike McPhee, Stephane Lebeau, Mike Keane, Odelein, Nilan, Claude Lemieux, Shutt, Lapointe, Savard, Richer, Eric Desjardins, Damphousse, Turgeon, Pete and Frank Mahovlich.

Ken Dryden, who had not worn goalie equipement since his last game on May 18, 1979 donned for goalie gear and joined the skate.

The oldtimers were in the pre-game warmup, passing the torch to today's players. Subtle, it didn't require an explanantion!

Current Habs soon joined in, and additional oldtimers and coaches were all introduced to the crowd. This is what the Canadiens do better than anyone else, they do not forget their heritage. In savouring it, they pass it on, reminding us all of the players in the play.

This is Doug Jarvis, NHL ironman....

This is Yvon Lambert, who scored the game winning goal in...

This is Karl Dyhuis....

Legends Lafleur, Savard and Roy introduced icons Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau.

Lach and Bouchard, who only found out in the realy afternnon that their jerseys would be retired as part of the festivities who brought out, treumpeted and feted. All gathered for a team picture that summed up a hundred seasons of glory.

There wasn't a burning torch to be seen, but in each of the multitude of players gathered, there were many still burning on this night. A subtle message, loud and clear.

Between the end of the ceremonies and the start of the game, it was later learned that one current Canadiens player made it a point to meet each of the past Habs legends and shake their hand.

His name - Michael Cammalleri.

As the game began, it was figured that the Canadiens would come out firing, and that if the Bruins were able to hold off an initial onslaught, they would be well placed to conquer.

It never came to be.

The Canadiens came out guns a-blazing, and it seemed that if they could only grab the lead early, scoring first for a change, the boost and the crowd would provide the needed lift.

Awarded a rare first powerplay six minutes in, the Habs were poised to convert early momentum into the man advantage and grab the lead, when the Bruins' Marco Sturm stripped the puck off a comprised Andrei Kostitsyn to break in alone on Carey Price. A Boston shorthanded goal early on would have been deadly, but Price came up big, kicking a leg out lying on his stomach to make the save.

It proved to be a first turning point, and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, with Max Pacioretty screening from the crease, made it 1-0 Habs, four seconds after the Bruins penalty expired.

The lead held up while Boston fought back. A little over five minutes into the second period, Maxim Lapierre and Spacek were sent off simultaneously, giving Boston a two minute 5 on 3.

It looked like doom scripted.

Habs defenders Paul Mara and Roman Hamrlik, aided by centers Tomas Plekanec and Glen Melropolit took turns creating an impenetrable triangle while Price held fort. The Bruins would not score.

The kill turned out to be turning point number 2, as the Canadiens went up by a pair on Cammalleri's first of the game, 45 seconds after the penalties expired.

The blow took all wind out of the Bruins, as Montreal went on to a second period in which they would score four goals in a 9:19 span, essentially putting the game away.

Cammalleri's second hat trick of the season, combined with former Bruin Glen Metroploit's sixth of the year sealed the deal on this game before the second period siren sounded.

Bruins breeze past Lightning 4-1

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

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

8 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)

New Jersey Devils Grind Out a Win over Boston Bruins with the Shootout, 2-1

John Fischer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

The New Jersey Devils celebrate after getting one past Boston's Tuukka Rask. Zach Parise was the goalscorer and turned out to be the only one for NJ during regulation. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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It wasn't an easy game at all for the New Jersey Devils. The Boston Bruins, who won their last four, were pressing hard early and in the third period. While the Devils outshot the Bruins 37-33, the Bruins had more possession, pinned the Devils back in their own end more often, and had better scoring chances. Yet, the score remained tied thanks to one man: Martin Brodeur.

Today, Martin Brodeur broke the all-time NHL record for career minutes played in the second period. That wasn't all. He wasn't just big in Boston, he was massive. Long shots, point-blank shots, shots from the slot, up high, down low, on the ground, while standing - Brodeur made every stop except for one. A shot right on Brodeur's flank right in front of the crease courtesy of Blake Wheeler. Nevertheless, Martin Brodeur prevented this one from becoming a Boston rout in the third period and for that alone, he should be praised. The Devils get nothing from today's game if it wasn't for Brodeur bringing his "A" game.

Credit should also go to Boston's Tuukka Rask as well; he had a busy afternoon with 37 shots against and he was only beaten by Zach Parise forcing a puck into the net. But the Bruins had more scoring chances in my opinion, more dangerous shots on net, and Brodeur was the sole reason the Devils got a point - much less two. Jamie Langenbrunner sealed the deal in the shootout and so the Devils win their second straight over Boston and in general. NHL.com has their recap up with a link to the boxscore and other stats.

Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder for his recap later on - he was at the game, as I understand it so it'll be up a little later. My recap continues after the jump.

First, an embedded video of the game's highlights via NHL.com. Expect a lot of saves:

The win didn't come easy at all for New Jersey. First, the Devils lost David Clarkson early in the game. Clarkson blocked a Zdeno Chara slapshot from point blank right on his right ankle. He had to crawl to the bench, he did not return at all, and that is definitely concerning. The last thing the Devils need is another injured forward. Unfortunately, per this postgame post by Tom Gulitti, Jacques Lemaire is already saying that the injury "doesn't look good." That could mean just the fact that another Devils is injured doesn't look good, but it could also mean the injury is serious. More will be available tomorrow, but I wouldn't expect Clarkson to play at the Rock.

Second, the Devils had to make a lot of heads up plays in their own end, leading them to be pinned back further. The Devils blocked a total of 17 shots, 4 by Bryce Salvador, but many of these blocks led to an errant clearance that the Bruins picked up in New Jersey's end or a clearance that got the Devils to change but Boston easily got so they could start again. Ultimately, the Devils got into too many cycles where they kept having to defend over and over. It's great that they made defensive stops, and it's great that Martin Brodeur made so many saves. But it's not great that the Devils essentially made it easier for the Bruins to attack over and over. In particular, the make-shift third line of Tim Sestito-Dean McAmmond-Matt Halischuk got worked over the most in the third period but this was true across all four lines.

Yes, all four lines. There was a Rod Pelley and Andrew Peters sighting in the third period. Not that Jacques Lemaire wanted to spread out some of the fatigue among the forwards. The top two lines got plenty of work with all of them playing at least 20 minutes today except for Nicklas Bergfors (18:28). As usual, the defensemen endured a disparity in time played. While Matthew Corrente got 10:52 of ice time, the workload was all over the top four with Andy Greene playing a mind-boggling 27:59 this afternoon. And to think, only Mike Mottau (26:52) made a fatal error - giving the puck right to Byron Bitz who fed Blake Wheeler for the goal. I really hope Greene gets a lot of rest tonight because the Islanders aren't going to give him a break tomorrow.

With respect to individual statlines, this may surprise you, but Brian Rolston had the most impressive set of numbers. He played 22:45, put 7 shots on net, attempted 10 (3 misses), and had 5 hits. Really. He had the second best scoring chance in the first period when he broke away on a breakaway, but was forced to the side by Dennis Wideman from behind and so Rolston's shot was on an angle and hit Tuukka Rask's helmet.

Going back to things that made this game difficult for New Jersey: the power play. The Devils didn't have too many of these, the refs let the players play today. But in the first period, Travis Zajac had a wide open net right in front and the shot was shanked during the Devils' first power play. The miss wasn't fatal, but it was regrettable. If only Zajac actually had the puck on his stick when he attempted to shoot it! Who knows how . Later on, during a power play late in the second period, Brian Rolston "slashed" Dennis Wideman (I'll give Dennis this, he knows how to sell a move - like a wrestler!) which led to a minor penalty that wiped that chance out early into the man advantage. I can't complain about the special teams too loudly, since the Devils' PK was solid, but it's still opportunities wasted.

Lastly, I have to praise the Bruins' for their balanced attack. 33 shots, Patrice Bergeron led with 5, but 5 other Bruins had at least 3 shots on net, and only Marco Sturm ended the game without a shot on net - and that's only because Matthew Corrente recovered from getting burned to stop him from shooting. The Bruins were better at faceoffs, winning 61% of all draws - further proof of Boston's advantage in terms of puck possession. It wasn't one line or one player that gave the Devils' issues - it was the whole team.

That all said, I would have been happy with just a point. But the Devils managed to hold steady in overtime and earn the win in the shootout. This reminded me of Stanley Cup of Chowder's recap of Boston's previous win: a game where the Bruins didn't look like the superior team, where the Bruins kept it close largely in part of their goaltender, and got the win (2-1, no less). The Devils will take the win; but they'll have to be ready for a tough one tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, they all get a good night's sleep - they'll need it after such a tight game today.

Thanks to Steve for the GameThread, the commenters in said GameThread, and you, for reading all this. Please share your thoughts, concerns, and such in the comments.

Scorned Lovers: The Ballad of Former Sharks

Mr. Plank — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:12:48 -0000

"All the old knives that have rusted in my back, I drive in yours"

- Phaedrus

A common belief held amongst Sharks fans (and sports fans in general) is that a player will haunt his former team in every game he plays against them after leaving. A crucial goal, a crucial play-- all of these are pointed to and obsessed over, taken to be the norm and not the exception.

For example, look no further than Marcel Goc. Twenty goals to his name in four seasons with San Jose, and yet in his first game back to The Tank he managed to notch a goal against Thomas Greiss that tied the game in the second period. Game, set, match. The curse is among us; it is sleeping in our living room.

But is this the entire story? Do ex-Sharks truly flourish when playing against San Jose, or is it a mere matter of selective retention on our part? With the following set of criteria, that is what I set out to find.

1) Goals, assists, and points were the metrics used to determine how well they have fared. When we think of Sharks killers (Modano, Iginla), we immediately think of goals and assists. This list is no different.

2) Players must be a forward, and have forty games played with the Sharks before facing them in an opponent's jersey. Defensemen were not included due to their small point totals, but I plan on taking a look at them later in the year. Forty games played is an arbitrary cutoff point, but manages to weed out rental players and those who did not sufficiently impact the team-- essentially, what we're looking at are players who would be considered true San Jose Sharks.

3) Players need to have played their final game with San Jose no earlier than the 1999-2000 season. I wish I could have done this for the Sharks entire history, but the seasonal splits from Yahoo! and ESPN only go back to 2000-2001. Yahoo! contains total splits since 1989, but these do not reflect the basis of this study-- how players fare after leaving the Sharks. For example, Teemu Selanne played against the Sharks both before and after he wore teal. We only want to see how he has fared afterwards.

4) Players need to have played at least one game against the Sharks after leaving. Self-explanatory.

With all of these fulfilled, we come to a grand total of sixteen forwards. These players are Niklas Sundstrom, Jeff Friesen, Todd Harvey, Dave Lowry, Owen Nolan, Mike Ricci, Marco Sturm, Matt Bradley, Teemu Selanne, Mark Smith, Scott Thornton, Alyn McCauley, Wayne Primeau, Nils Ekman, Steve Bernier, and Marcel Goc.

What follows is the raw totals of these sixteen players-- their regular season point totals with the Sharks, after leaving the Sharks, and against the Sharks.