Ugh, Not Again: The Bruins Blow Another 3rd Period Lead & Lose 3-2 In Overtime to the Flyers

Right before their bye week, the Bruins (27-17-7) played like a team that was ready for a break. Since they have returned from nine days off, they have been the same team that cannot get out of its own way as they dropped to 1-2-3 in their last six games with a 3-2 overtime loss this evening to Philadelphia (22-23-6) at TD Garden. The Flyers have won six straight games including a pair against the Bruins eight days apart. Losing 4-3 to the Jets (33-16-2) in a shootout on Thursday also hurt but the gift point from that one combined with the point tonight meant that Boston pulled ahead of idle Montreal (28-18-5) for third-place in the Atlantic Division.

It started off as a nice performance for Boston's special teams as they scored a power play goal in the first period but it ended in flames as the Flyers scored a tying goal in the third period on the power play and then defenseman Travis Sanheim won it with a snipe on the power play in the extra session. Did I mention that Philadelphia entered with the worst power play in the NHL? Tuukka Rask (14-8-4) returned to action from his concussion and he made 38 saves so it's tough to pin this loss on him since his team was outshot 41-25 (28-15 in the last 2 periods and 5-0 in OT).

Boston's top line has not skipped a beat but just like earlier in the season, secondary scoring has become a major issue for the B's. David Pastrnak gave Boston a 1-0 lead just 3:05 into the contest as he slammed in a one-timer from Torey Krug. Brad Marchand (6-game point-streak) had the other helper on Pasta's 29th goal of the season. It feels like the Bruins have allowed way too many breakaways lately and that burned them as Claude Giroux got behind their defense and tied it up at 19:16 of the first period. Jakub Voracek had the lone assist on Giroux's 15th goal of the season.

With such elite stick skills not to mention plenty of speed, Pastrnak isn't known for getting too many greasy goals (ie. right in front of the net) yet there he was in the second period, tipping in Patrice Bergeron's shot past Flyers rookie goaltender Carter Hart (23 saves; 8-5-1). Zdeno Chara had the second assist on Pasta's 30th goal of the season. It's the third straight season that David has scored 30+ goals and he's the fastest Bruin to reach that mark since Cam Neely (30 goals in 27 games) way back in 1993-94. Pasta had 34 goals two years ago and 35 last season so I think it's a good bet that he'll surpass both of those marks and he has a very realistic shot at 40 for the first time in his NHL career.

I didn't think that it deserved a penalty let alone a penalty shot early in the third period but the referees disagreed as they awarded the latter to the immortal Scott Laughton after he got breathed on during a breakaway (or hooked by John Moore). Rask made it a moot point though with a blocker save on the penalty shot. Boston hadn't been called for a penalty all game until Sean Kuraly was nabbed for holding the stick later in the frame. Oskar Lindblom tied it at two with a power play goal that ticked off of Kevan Miller in front of Rask at 10:36. Voracek and Sanheim assisted on Lindblom's seventh goal of the season.

Take your pick which is the more depressing stat: the Flyers were 1-20-3 when trailing after two periods this season or the fact that they were 1-6 in overtime? Philly always seems to go on these crazy win streaks at various points of every campaign but then again, they are just as liable to lose six games in a row. Marchand was called for tripping in overtime and he was one second away from stepping back on the ice when Sanheim ripped in his fifth goal of the season at 2:56. Sean Couturier (who was 16-7, 70% on faceoffs) and Travis Konecny had the assists on Sanheim's memorable tally in his 100th NHL game. For the Bruins, it was David Backes' 900th NHL game and Brandon Carlo's 200th.

No practice for the B's tomorrow as they try to regroup mentally. They'll be back on the ice for practice on Saturday morning before flying out to our nation's capital. They play Washington (27-17-6) on Sunday afternoon (12:30, NBC), a nice appetizer before Celtics-Thunder and Super Bowl LIII (Patriots vs. Rams) later that night. Boston has lost roughly 54 consecutive games to the Capitals so I would say that they are long overdue for two points against the defending champs. What better way to get out of this rut than by clearing that hurdle that has dogged them for years now ? Boston returns to its home ice next Tuesday (7, NESN) vs. the Islanders (29-15-5) who lead the Metropolitan Division and have the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Who saw that coming?

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The Bruins Return from Their Long Break, Go Toe-to-Toe With The Jets But Lose 4-3 In a Shootout

The Bruins (27-17-6) hadn't played a game in over a week and David Pastrnak was the only member of the team that went to the All-Star Game in San Jose last weekend so the team was understandably energized in their first game back tonight at TD Garden. Winnipeg (32-16-2)-the No. 2 team in the Western Conference-had lost 3-1 in Philadelphia (21-23-6) on Monday but they bounced back with a 4-3 shootout win against the B's. It hasn't been long or deep enough to be termed a tailspin but Boston is in a slight funk (1-2-2 in their last 5 games).

20-year-old Trent Frederic, Boston's first-round pick from 2016 (29th overall), made his NHL debut and it was a memorable one as he destroyed Brandon Tanev in a second period fight thus endearing himself to Bruins fans even if he never does a thing for the rest of his career (slight exaggeration but not really). Boston's first line was still dominant and they scored all three goals but it wasn't enough as the Jets rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits before surviving a third-period tying goal and overtime to come out with the two points. UMass-Lowell's Connor Hellebuyck (36 saves, 22-14-1) showed why he's thought of as one of the best goaltenders in the NHL while young left wing Kyle Connor scored two goals for Winnipeg plus he bagged the only goal in the shootout.

Tuukka Rask is on IR (concussion) but it sounds like he could return later this week. They need him too since Jaroslav Halak (24 saves, 13-8-3) lost for the fourth straight game that he's appeared in (including the relief outing for Rask after he got hurt vs. Rangers). It didn't take long for Patrice Bergeron (2 goals) to make his presence felt as he one-timed a pass from Brad Marchand (3 assists; 5-game point streak) and David Pastrnak for a 1-0 Bruins lead at 9:49 of the first period. Hellebuyck had stopped a similar shot initially but he had no chance on Bergeron's 15th goal of the season. The teams traded power play goals later in the frame as Josh Morrissey blasted a shot through traffic at 13:53 to make it 1-1. The criminally underrated Mark Scheifele had the lone assist on Morrissey's sixth goal of the season. The B's went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead though thanks to Pastrnak's one-timer from Marchand and Torey Krug. Pasta's team-leading 28th goal of the season wasn't that different than the snipes that helped him win the shooting accuracy contest at the All-Star Game.

It took a little while for Winnipeg to find their legs (they were outshot 20-8 in the first period) but they woke up in the second period thanks to a pair of bouts: Kevan Miller vs. Adam Lowry and Frederic vs. Tanev. The Jets outshot the Bruins 9-5 in the second and that shift in momentum carried over to the third thanks to Connor. He scored a pair of goals 34 seconds apart, a swift kick to the groin of the Black and Gold who had three chances to pick him in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft but they passed each time, ugh. First he split the Bruins defense and finished a breakaway with a snap shot past Halak at 4:27. His 20th goal of the season was assisted by former Sabre Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot. Next, he found himself alone and front where he was able to roof a shot in from Scheifele and old friend Blake Wheeler (who is 2nd in the NHL with 53 assists!).

Bergeron saved the day as usual with another goal, this time at 11:39 which tied it at three. Marchand and Pastrnak had the assists on his one-timer that he didn't get much wood on but it still somehow went in. Boston had been 4-5 in overtime while Winnipeg was 6-1 but neither team generated too many great chances. In the shootout for Boston, Jake DeBrusk (picked ahead of Connor), Pastrnak (Hellebuyck made a beautiful stop with the toe of his skate) and Marchand were all unable to find the back of the net. Connor went first for the Jets, scored and that's all that they needed.

The B's get a chance at revenge on Thursday (7, NESN) as they host the Flyers (21-23-6) who beat them 4-3 on Jan. 16 in the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia is still way behind Pittsburgh (26-17-6)-10 points to be exact-for the second Wild Card spot but they have won five games in a row after Tuesday's 1-0 victory at Madison Square Garden vs. Rangers (21-21-7). Hopefully, Rask is cleared to play and picks up where he left off. Halak isn't getting the job done right now and as we've seen for years, the team has less than zero confidence in Zane McIntyre (who was just called up from Providence on an emergency basis) to do anything at the NHL level.

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The Bruins Lose to the Rangers In Their Last Game Before the Bye Week & Rask Suffers a Concussion

Well it is safe to say that this was not how Boston (27-17-5) wanted to go into its bye week. They lost 3-2 to the Rangers (21-20-7) tonight at TD Garden, meaning that against the Flyers (19-23-6), Blues (21-21-5) and New York in the span of four days (with two games at home), they were only able to walk away with two out of a possible six points. The All-Star Game is next Sunday in San Jose and unless Patrice Bergeron gets voted in, David Pastrnak will be the only Boston representative there which is actually a good thing in terms of rest.

Slumps and bad results will happen from time-to-time but the main issue stemming from this evening was that Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (6 saves) was concussed on a scary play in the first period. Up 1-0, Boston gave up the tying goal 1:04 after that as Rangers rookie left wing Filip Chytil went flying towards the net and stickhandled around Rask before barrelling into him. Chytil's ninth goal of the season was unassisted but nobody cared. Rask lay on the ice for a long time then was gingerly helped up then off the ice balanced by the arms of some teammates. Backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak (11 saves, 13-9-2) was summoned with 1:23 left in the first.

New York is 3-0-1 now in its last four games vs. Boston but things looked positive earlier on as Danton Heinen redirected a pass from linemate Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson at 17:28 of the first period for a 1-0 B's lead. The Bruins had been 17-4-3 when they scored first this season but that didn't hold up in this one. Before Heinen's sixth goal of the season, the Bruins showed a nice little tribute video for defenseman and Stanley Cup champion Adam McQuaid who was traded to the Rangers during training camp in September. Boston's power play was a mess all night (0 for 5 including a double-minor where they could barely generate anything). What made that even more painful is the fact that New York came in with one of the worst penalty kill units in the league (27th).

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves, 15-12-7) has always been a Bruins killer as evidenced by his 28-13-2 career record against them. This matchup was no different as he made a bunch of quality saves and it also helped that his teammates blocked 12 shots while Boston missed the net a whopping 15 times as well. Mika Zibanejad gave the Rangers their first lead of the contest when he tipped in Brady Skjei's shot at 5:22 of the second period. Mats Zuccarello had the second assist on Zibanejad's 16th goal of the season.

Boston fell to 1-14-2 when trailing after two periods despite the fact that they tied it up early in the third period. Brad Marchand one-timed a Pastrnak feed from close range, 2-2. Patrice Bergeron had the other assist on Marchand's 19th goal of the season. Again, New York had a timely response as Zibanejad bagged the game-winning goal on the power play at 9:05. With a screen in front of Halak, he was able to whip a hard shot past him, assisted by BU's Kevin Shattenkirk and Zuccarello. Not much else transpired after that besides McQuaid beating the hell out of Chris Wagner after he mistakenly thought that the Bruins' fourth-liner had taken a run at right Jesper Fast (sadly, he hadn't).

The other nice part about the break for the B's is that when they return-their first practice back here is a week from Monday-they get two more games at the Garden. They host one of the NHL's best teams-the Jets (31-15-2) on Tuesday (7, NESN) before they get a return meeting with the Flyers on Thursday (7, NESN). Let's all think good thoughts for Rask who was 6-0-1 in his last seven starts and on the verge of setting Boston's franchise record for wins (he's stuck on 252). Halak was great at the beginning of the season when Tuukka was shaky but lately he's been much more the journeyman that his NHL resume would seem to indicate.

Stay safe in the snowstorm everybody in New England and root on the Patriots tomorrow (6:40, CBS) at top-seeded Kansas City in their eighth straight AFC Championship Game. We all need a little break from hockey for a bit before coming back for the final 33 games of the regular season that will surely fly by as it always does.

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The B's At Least Temporarily Get Rid of Their Blues (Sorry, Had to Do It), Dispatching St. Louis 5-2

There wasn't a cause for major concern but the Bruins (27-16-5) were having a frustrating week that began with Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal (26-17-5) followed by last night's terrible 4-3 loss in Philadelphia to the tanking Flyers (18-23-6). Going back to last week's latest setback to Washington, the B's were getting tons of shots on goal and scoring chances but not converting those into enough goals to win. Enter the hapless Blues (20-21-5) who are going nowhere and figure to soon be selling off players like you read about. It was far from perfect but the final result was all that matters as the black and gold picked up a closer than it looks 5-2 victory against St. Louis tonight at TD Garden.

Former Blues captain David Backes was a healthy scratch on Wednesday and he took that demotion about as well as anyone with his NHL resume possibly could. That's what made it a truly special moment when the pro's pro scored the tying goal (2-2) in the second period on the power play that ultimately helped the Bruins end the contest with four straight tallies. B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (28 saves, 14-8-3) continued to play his best hockey of the season as he's gone 6-0-1 in his last seven starts. He also tied the franchise record for wins (252) with my man Tiny Thompson.

It was a balanced attack for the B's since five different guys each had a goal and 11 in total registered a point. Boston improved to 17-6-1 at TD Garden this season and 17-4-3 when they score first. Those statistical trends are great but what is most impressive to me is their mastery of the second legs of back-to-back sets (now 7-1-1) and Game 2s of three games in four days (now 7-1-2). Those are all marks of a mature team that doesn't let tough losses get to them or linger into long losing streaks.

After a scoreless first period that was only notable for the rare Zdeno Chara fight (he briefly took on Patrick Maroon), things picked up in the second period as both team scored a pair of goals. David Krejci (5-game point streak) was handing out apples aka assists all game long, beginning with a pretty feed to Torey Krug who was left wide open in the slot for an easy goal at 3:31. Rookie Peter Cehlarik (who had a pair of goals in his season debut vs. Philly) had the second assist on Krug's fifth goal of the season.

Boston is picking up a bad habit of allowing goals shortly after they score and that continued as former Sabre Ryan O'Reilly tied it 52 seconds later. There was a big pileup by Rask in Boston's crease which allowed O'Reilly to flip the puck into the net. His 17th goal of the season was assisted by Jordan Kyrou and David Perron (13-game point streak, currently the longest in the league). St. Louis used seven defensemen and 11 forwards for this tilt, something you rarely see in the NHL. It paid off as the extra defenseman-Carl Gunnarsson-made his presence felt with his first goal of the season. Jaden Schwartz hit the former Leaf for a one-timer that he hammered at 13:36, also assisted by supposed Bruins trade target Brayden Schenn. 2-1 was the only lead the Blues could muster though as Backes tipped Chara's missile from the point at 16:00. Krejci had the other helper on Backes' fifth goal of the season.

Every point is precious with the Bruins, Maple Leafs (29-15-2), Canadiens and Sabres (24-17-6) so tightly bunched in the Atlantic Division so it was nice to see the B's put away the sad-sack Blues (haha what a fitting team name for those bums). Walpole, MA native Chris Wagner scored the game-winning goal with what I'm confident was the prettiest goal of his life. BU's Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson chipped the puck ahead to Wagner who skated in on a breakaway and beat Jake Allen (22 saves, 15-15-4) with a forehand shot-his sixth goal of the season (7 is his career-high, from last season with Anaheim). Charlie McAvoy (game-high +3) wheeled around the St. Louis net and found Brad Marchand for a roof job at 13:12, the insurance tally that sealed the eventual two points. Patrice Bergeron had the second assist on Marchand's 18th goal of the season. Wagner almost bagged a second goal on an empty-netter but his shot hit the post and then he couldn't jam it in. Ah the life of a fourth liner. His buddy Sean Kuraly was able to put it in at 19:08 which made it 5-2 Bruins. Krejci and Wagner had the assists on Kuraly's sixth goal of the season.

The rebuilding Rangers (20-20-7) are here on Saturday night (7, NESN) before the snow is going to bury us all alive on Sunday. It's also Boston's final game before their bye week which is followed by the All-Star break (so far only David Pastrnak is slated to travel to San Jose for the festivities). Former BU head coach David Quinn is in his rookie season behind the bench in the NHL and predictably there have been some growing pains with such an incomplete roster. Before the players get out of town to some warm location, another win would serve them well and get their minds right before the last 33 games of the regular season which are sure to fly by.

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The Bruins Outplay the Canadiens For the Most Part but Still Find a Way to Lose 3-2 In Overtime

After closing the regular season series in style vs. Buffalo (23-17-6) and Toronto (28-15-2) respectively, Boston (26-15-5) had a chance to similarly finish 3-1 vs. Montreal (25-17-5) with a win at TD Garden this evening. Instead, their Original Six rivals managed to survive a barrage of pucks (the B's outshot them 43-22) and a last-second tying goal to come away with a 3-2 overtime victory thanks to Jeff Petry's game-winner just 15 seconds into the extra session. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (18-13-4) did his best Braden Holtby impression as he improved to 26-13-5 vs. the Bruins in his career.

Entering tonight, Boston had been 16-6-0 at the Garden and they increased their likelihood to win as Brad Marchand gave them a 1-0 lead at 14:09 of the first period. His beautiful snipe was a bar down shot on Price with Patrice Bergeron and Matt Grzelcyk picking up the assists on his 17th goal of the season. The Bruins were 16-3-2 when they score first this season but Montreal quickly answered when Marchand Jr. aka Brendan Gallagher tipped in Jeff Petry's shot at 18:27 of the first. That little rat's 18th goal of the season was also assisted by Phillip Danault who won the faceoff (against Marchand after Bergeron was mysteriously kicked out) and passed it back to Petry at the point. Between those goals was one of the best fights that you'll ever see in the NHL these days: Kevan Miller vs. something called Nicolas Deslauriers (a 4th line right wing). If you like hockey fights (and what red-blooded American doesn't?), you have to check that one out on hockeyfights.com.

For all the fun and excitement of the first, there was little of either in the second. Boston owns the No. 3 power play in the NHL which is all well and good but they have also allowed 10 shorthanded goals which is the most in the NHL. Yuck. Paul Byron skated in on a breakaway and beat Tuukka Rask (19 saves) with a backhander at 17:09. Byron's 10th goal of the season was unassisted and it's hard to fault Rask on that one. Tuukka had won his last five starts so I suppose that he was due for an off-night although this loss hung on many shoulders, not only his.

Donning their Winter Classic jerseys, the black and gold had more shots than the Canadiens in every frame but the third was by far the most lopsided (17-4 good guys). Montreal looked like it would survive with a Claude Julien special (a 2-1 win where you get dominated) but the immortal Michael Chaput-a fourth line center-that was out there in crunch time had other ideas. He was called for delay of game with 2:05 left in regulation when he put the puck over the glass in his defensive zone. Boston couldn't score on the power play until Rask was pulled for an extra skater. With a 6-on-4 advantage and time running out, David Krejci blasted in the tying goal with 37.6 seconds left on the clock. Krejci's 10th goal of the season (3rd game in a row with a goal) was assisted by Marchand and David Pastrnak.

The B's were 4-4 in overtime while the Habs were 2-5 but that proved to be a useless stat as Montreal won the opening faceoff and Boston never touched the puck before they lost. Max Domi took the original shot that was saved by Rask but Petry was on the doorstep to bat it in (without the use of a high stick) for his 10th goal of the season. Byron had the second helper on Petry's 200th career NHL point. It was a stunning end to a game that at times was a thriller but also a complete bore (thanks Claude!) for long stretches as well.

It's a practice day tomorrow at Warrior Ice Arena for the Bruins before they travel to Philadelphia. The Flyers (17-23-6) have the second fewest points in the NHL but for some reason, the geniuses at NBC Sports thought before the season that this matchup would be worthy of their coveted rivalry night spot on Wednesday (7:30). From there, Boston rushes back to meet the lowly Blues (20-20-4) on Thursday (7, NESN) at the Garden. Finally, the unofficial first half of their campaign comes to a close here on Saturday night (7, NESN) as they host former BU head coach David Quinn and the rebuilding Rangers (18-20-7). The schedule czars were definitely Boston's friend in this instance because they head into their bye week which leads directly into the All-Star break which is the following weekend. That means that their next game following New York isn't until January 29 vs. Winnipeg (29-14-2). Even that is at the Garden so theoretically, the Bruins don't have to leave the Boston area for over two weeks and really where else would you rather be at the end of January than this frozen tundra?

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At This Point, I've Accepted the Fact That I'll Never See the Bruins Beat the Capitals Again

It is getting quite comical at this point: no matter how well the Bruins (25-15-4) are playing (winners of 5 straight and 8-2-0 in their last 10 games), they simply cannot find a way to defeat the Capitals (27-12-4). Tonight at TD Garden, they tried their best but couldn't get the job done as Washington skated out of town with a 4-2 victory. The B's dropped to a hard-to-believe 0-11-3 in their last 14 games against the defending champs. Their last home win vs. the Caps was almost five years ago (March 6, 2014).

Backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak (18 saves, 13-7-2) got the start despite the fact that Tuukka Rask (12-8-2) has won his last four outings and is finally playing like the better option that he should be. Boston had a much better performance than the 7-0 Opening Night (Oct. 3) beating that they took in D.C. Still, when you nearly double your opponent in shots on goal (41-22) and win almost twice as many faceoffs (42-22), how do you lose? Halak was not at his best but neither were his teammates that managed to somehow turn a whopping 74 shot attempts (41 on goal, 18 blocked, 15 missed net) into just two goals. I'm no Will Hunting but that's not good enough. Haha sorry, had to do it.

On the other side, the best players from the Capitals all showed up. Captain Alex Ovechkin had two goals, Nicklas Backstrom added another and goaltender Braden Holtby (39 saves, 17-10-2) looked nothing like the guy that's had an uneven first half of 2018/19. In the process of standing on his head against the black and gold, Holtby improved to 16-2-0 in his career against them. The Bruins gave up an early first goal, never led and each time that they scored, they allowed a quick and painful rebuttal by the Capitals.

22-year-old left wing Jakub Vrana is one of the young players that is stepping up for the Caps. He's already reached a career-high in goals (15) and he scored on a breakaway at 6:38 of the first period. T.J. Oshie had the lone assist as Washington led 1-0 after the first despite getting mostly dominated (outshot 17-5). Ryan Donato has been scuffling for much of this season in Boston so it was encouraging to see him score on a beautiful snipe over Holtby's glove at 14:11 of the second period. Torey Krug and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson had the assists on Donato's sixth goal of the season. While the PA announcer was talking about that tally, Washington made it a moot point as Ovi slipped loose in the slot 39 seconds later for his NHL-best 31st goal of the season. The NHL's public enemy No. 1 Tom Wilson had the lone assist on the backbreaking goal.

Boston fell to 1-12-1 when they trail after two periods so when they were down 2-1 headed into the third, we should have already given any fleeting hope that we had left. The B's had 1:53 of a power play that carried over from the second but they couldn't convert on that one. Luckily the Capitals were called for too many men on the ice (served by Ovechkin) shortly after that and the Bruins' No. 3 ranked power play finally cashed in on its fifth opportunity. David Krejci blasted a shot by Holtby at 4:37 that tied it at two apiece. Danton Heinen and David Backes provided the assists on Krejci's eighth goal of the season. This time it took the Caps just over a minute (1:09) to respond. Backstrom beat Halak with a low-hard shot from some distance that truthfully, he would stop when he was on top of his game (he admitted as much afterwards). Oshie and rookie defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler had the assists on Backstrom's 11th goal of the season.

Halak actually made a bunch of quality saves after that to keep the Bruins in it but they never really tested Holtby too much more. Ovechkin ended any suspense that remained as he put in an empty-netter from a faceoff circle in his own defensive zone at 18:25. The good news for the Bruins is that they won't see the Capitals again unless it is in the postseason this spring. We'll worry about that if and when it occurs.

For now, they're onto Toronto (28-13-2) on Saturday night (7, NESN). It's a huge Atlantic Division showdown and the last meeting of the regular season for those Original Six rivals. The B's lead it 2-1 but Toronto is four points ahead of them for second-place and they have a game in hand. Rask will be back in net and it looks like defenseman Charlie McAvoy could make another return from his latest mysterious injury (foot). It's a difficult few days as they come back here to host Montreal (23-17-5) on Monday (7:30, NESN).

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B's Win Their Season-High Fifth Straight Game, 4-0 vs. Dog-Tired Wild As Rask Picks Up 1st Shutout

In the sports business (I feel like a complete tool saying that), this was a perfect example of what is known as a scheduled loss for the Wild (21-18-3) who arrived late last night after a 1-0 victory in Montreal (23-16-5). Every team has to go through these brutal stretches so Boston (25-14-4) showed no mercy as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and coasted to an easy 4-0 win. With that result, the Bruins have won five games in a row-their longest stretch since last season's six-gamer (Feb. 27-March 10).

B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (12-8-2) has returned from his personal abyss earlier this campaign as he posted his first shutout with 24 mostly routine saves. This seems to follow his usual routine of early-season struggles followed by returning to form in the middle of the calendar. Now, the B's hope that he can play better down the stretch than he normally does. It was another big game for Boston's special teams unit as their power-play (currently ranked 4th in the NHL) continues to dominate. They scored two power-play goals and the penalty kill unit went a perfect 3-for-3. They are 12th in the league but continue to show signs of improvement.

Hockey players always talk about bounces and for this game, they all went Boston's way as they scored what many would call a trio of fluky tallies. Danton Heinen decided to appear for once and he scored his first goal in nearly a month (Dec. 11 vs. Arizona). He tipped in John Moore's shot at 5:23 for his fifth goal of the season with Torey Krug picking up the second assist. Brad Marchand made it 2-0 Bruins at 11:29 as Patrice Bergeron's shot caromed off the back boards right to him. You also must give Marchand credit for getting the shot off while multiple Wild swarmed him. Moore had the second assist (his 1st career multi-point game as a Bruin) on Marchand's 16th goal of the season. Boston had an abbreviated power play late in the first and they cashed in as Bergy's shot that was going wide of the net once again went off Jake DeBrusk's chest (think of a soccer player) and by the immortal Alex Stalock (23 saves). DeBrusk's 14th goal of the season was also assisted by Marchand-his 30th of the season.

There was one last weird goal that went the black and gold's way as Marchand's pass to Bergeron during a second period power play went in off his skate. It wasn't on purpose so Minnesota head coach Bruce Boudreau didn't even see a reason to challenge it. This was the 14th multi-point game of the season for Marchand, 12th for Bergeron and seventh for Krug. Rask's shutout was the 42nd of his long NHL career plus it was also his 250th win. It took 23 games but Boston finally notched a goose egg vs. Minnesota, leaving Nashville and Vegas as the only other active clubs that they have not shut out yet.

This win-streak and all the good feelings around the team gets put to the test on Thursday (7, NESN) as the defending champs-the Capitals (26-12-4)-are here for what looks like a huge tilt. Washington has completely owned Boston for years and who could forget the embarrassing 7-0 beating that they threw the B's back on Opening Night (Oct. 3)? Thus far there has been no Stanley Cup hangover for the Caps who lead the Metropolitan Division and are tied with Toronto (27-13-2) for the second most points in the Eastern Conference.

It's a fitting way to close out what has been a wildly successful homestand for the Bruins (3-0). Head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn't commit to a starter vs. Washington but he sounded like he was leaning towards Jaroslav Halak (13-6-2) who last played on Thursday and hasn't started against the Capitals as a Bruin. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is expected to skate with the team instead of on his own tomorrow, another step closer to his eventual return to action. He and Joakim Nordstrom (broken leg) are the only Bruins regulars that are out at the moment, therefore they are mercifully close to that elusive full lineup that we all dream about.

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B's Hold Off Sabres 2-1, Earning Their 4th Straight Win While Finishing 3-1 vs. Buffalo This Season

It wasn't exactly the most exciting game of the season but you can't argue that the Bruins (24-14-4) continue to get results. Tonight, they outlasted the Sabres (22-14-6) 2-1 at TD Garden in a contest that carried plenty of weight for both sides. With the two points, Boston is now two points ahead of both the Islanders (23-13-4) and Buffalo who dropped down to the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference while the B's got a little tighter grip on third-place in the Atlantic Division.

Former BU star Jack Eichel has missed the past two games with a dreaded upper-body injury but I'm not going to use that as an excuse since the Bruins have faced an absurd amount of injuries to key players throughout the first half of the season. Boston outshot Buffalo 41-32 and it was a relatively easy outing for Tuukka Rask (31 saves, 11-8-2) who won his third start in a row. Boston also improved to 15-5-0 at the Garden this season while Buffalo dropped back to .500 on the road (9-8-3). This closed the book on the season series with the Bruins winners of three games to just one for the much-improved Sabres. Keep that in mind if they should meet this spring because the Bruins no doubt will feel confident in that scenario.

Secondary scoring has been an issue for the B's most of this season but not this evening as both goals came from lines other than their flawless top trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Nope, just two good-old fashioned even strength goals by a fourth liner (Chris Wagner) and a new second liner (David Backes) who returned from his three-game suspension. Ironically enough, Wagner actually appeared to score a goal 20 seconds into the tilt but it was called no goal due to his linemate Sean Kuraly bumping into Linus Ullmark (39 saves, 9-2-3). Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy challenged it for kicks but of course it was confirmed: no goal.

No worries, Wagner scored at 10:10 of the first period after a turnover by Buffalo in its own defensive zone. Wagner's other linemate Noel Acciari bumped the puck ahead to him and he beat Ullmark for his fifth goal of the season. Boston led 1-0 after the first period and 2-0 two minutes into the second period as Backes sniped a shot by Ullmark as he had no choice but to do that as the Sabres gave him a wide open lane to shoot. Backes' fourth goal of the season was assisted by Rask (his 1st of the season), meaning that Boston's goalies have now combined for four assists this season (Jaroslav Halak has 3, 1 shy of the franchise record for goaltenders).

There were only three penalties in the entire game-Buffalo's PP was 0-for-2 and Boston's was 0-for-1-but there would be no shutout for Rask (he hasn't had one yet this season). One of Buffalo's young standout defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen ensured that his team wouldn't get blanked though as he put a beautiful shot top shelf over Rask's glove at 17:22 of the third period. His fifth goal of the season was unassisted. Marchand and Pastrnak had a couple 2-on-1s that surprisingly didn't result in goals but it hardly mattered. Buffalo used its timeout with 1:17 and pulled Ullmark for an extra skater but they weren't going to tie it up anyway. Rask's best save came against Jeff Skinner flying down the wing.

This win-streak should continue at least for a few more days as Boston is off tomorrow before practicing on Monday and facing the Wild (20-17-3) on Tuesday (7, NESN). Minnesota is in Montreal (22-15-5) on Monday so the B's figure to see a tired opponent while they are well rested. Things should be much harder on Thursday (7, NESN) when they play the Capitals (24-12-4)-a team that currently owns them like no other in the NHL-but we'll worry about that starting on late Tuesday night. Until then, be happy that this club continues to make strides and earn points.

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Bruins Beat the Flames At Their Own Game, Outgunning Them 6-4 For Their Third Straight Win

Somehow the Flames (25-13-4) rolled into Boston as not only the top team in the Pacific Division but also the club with the most points in the Western Conference. With their better goaltender (David Rittich) scratched with an injury, Calgary had to rely on Mr. Unreliable in between the pipes-Mike Smith (12-9-1). Boston (23-14-4) took advantage of that lopsided matchup as they beat the Flames 6-4 at TD Garden in a very entertaining contest. Coupled with their thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in Buffalo (22-13-6) on Saturday night and Tuesday's awesome 4-2 Winter Classic win vs. Chicago (15-21-7) at Notre Dame Stadium, the B's have won three games in a row.

I believe that Jaroslav Halak (33 saves) deserves All-Star consideration this season and although the highlights from this back-and-forth affair probably won't help his cause, keep in mind that he did way more than Smith (21 saves) and actually made some big stops despite allowing four goals. David Pastrnak (goal, assist) rightfully earned his first All-Star bid and Patrice Bergeron (2 assists) is a nominee for the NHL's first-time "Last Man In" initiative. Why isn't Brad Marchand (2 goals) an All-Star? I'll hang up and listen. Former BC star Johnny Gaudreau (goal, assist) showed why he's considered one of the most dangerous forwards in the world while his fellow Eagle Noah Hanifin added two assists.

Boston improved to 14-5-0 at the Garden this season but they didn't make it easy on themselves as they allowed a shorthanded goal to Michael Frolik early in the first period. After Halak made multiple saves on PC's Mark Jankowski, Frolik flipped in a backhander for his ninth goal of the season at 7:46. The battle of the special teams (somewhere Bill Belichick drools) was on as John Moore tied it at 9:02 with a power-play goal. The BU brothers-Matt Grzelcyk and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson-each had an assist on Moore's second goal as a Bruin. Boston took a 2-1 lead at 14:19 of the first as Jake DeBrusk tipped in a shot from David Krejci. Ryan Donato had the second assist on DeBrusk's 12th goal of the season. For such a young guy that's not particularly imposing in size, he has already shown that he's great at getting deflections in front of the net.

Calgary appeared to have the refs on their side as Elias "Sports Bureau" Lindholm got credited for a goal after it looked like Halak had covered it up at 1:05 in the second period. Instead, it was called a goal on the ice and withstood a challenge by Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. Gaudreau and Hanifin had the assists on Lindholm's 20th goal of the season (how much does he love playing with Johnny Hockey and Sean Monahan?). Once again, the Flames' invisible defense let the Bruins answer back right away as Marchand tipped in Torey Krug's shot from the point just 36 seconds later. Bergeron had the second assist on Marchand's 14th goal of the season.

If you thought the final score would be 3-2, you were delusional. The Black and Gold were just getting warmed up as they bagged three more goals and the Flames added two of their own. Pasta scored a power-play goal off a beautiful set play with Krug: Torey slammed the puck off the end boards behind Calgary's goal and it took a hometown bounce right to David who weaved around Smith and scooped in a backhander for his team-leading 25th goal of the season-halfway to 50! Halak notched the other assist (his 3rd of the season!) which is notable since it's only one behind the franchise mark set by Eddie Johnston and Gerry Cheevers in the mid-70s. Gaudreau had many better chances but it figured that his tally came on a no-angle shot that he banked in off Halak's leg pad at 9:27. Johnny's team-leading 23rd goal of the season was assisted by Monahan and Hanifin which sounds like a douchey law firm in Southie. DeBrusk's backhander at 13:46 made it 5-3 with another assist credited to proud papa David Krejci (his wife gave birth to another child this morning). Mikael Backlund's backhander rounded out the scoring for Calgary at 16:27, his ninth goal of the season was assisted by captain Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson. Marchand bolstered his All-Star replacement resume with an empty-netter at 18:10, assisted by his linemates Pastrnak and Bergeron.

This was a great way to kick off Boston's four-game homestand as Buffalo (22-13-6) comes here on Saturday night (7, NESN). That is a huge matchup since the Bruins and Sabres are tied with 50 points apiece (Boston has more regulation plus overtime wins so they're in 3rd place while Buffalo is the top Wild Card) exactly halfway through the season. For you non-mathematicians, that means that the Bruins are on another 100-point pace for what it's worth. The B's are 2-1 against Buffalo this season and surprisingly, that will already close out their regular season series. Don't be surprised if they meet in the postseason either. After that, Minnesota (19-17-3) is here on Tuesday (7, NESN) and Washington (24-12-3) wraps things up on Thursday (7, NESN). Tuukka Rask (10-8-2) has won his last two starts-including in Buffalo last weekend-so I would expect him to get the nod again vs. their Atlantic Division foe. Also of note, David Backes' three-game suspension is officially over now so he'll be back in the lineup with I'm guessing either JFK or Colby Cave coming out.

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