For many teams in the NHL or sports in general, they would understandably struggle when their two best players don't play in a game.
Apparently the Boston Bruins aren't most teams as they didn't need either the best goaltender in the NHL-Tim Thomas-or best defensemen in the NHL-Zdeno Chara-as they dispatched the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 tonight at TD Garden without the services of either superstar.
Everybody's favorite Finn-Tuukka Rask (41 saves, 6-4-1)-proved why he's the best backup goalie in the league and probably better than half of the starters with his first shutout of the season and ninth of his career.
Brad Marchand (2 goals) and Patrice Bergeron (2 assists) were the two foremost offensive stars for Boston (19-9-1), who scored a goal in each frame.
Los Angeles (13-13-4) fired its head coach Terry Murray last night but interim coach John Stevens didn't change the tide at all as the Kings dropped their fifth straight contest.
Rich Peverley (6th of the season) scored at 6:32 of the first period thanks to some great work from his makeshift linemates Zach Hammil and Benoit Pouliot. It all started with a nice forecheck behind LA's goal and goaltender Jonathan Quick (19 saves).
Hammil stole the puck, fed Pouliot on the halfboards who gave it back to the recently promoted Hammil. He might never be a great player for the B's but Hammil has already proven in a few games this season that he can put a pass with as much sauce on it as you like. He fired it on Peverley's stick and Pevs one-timed it past Quick.
In the second period, Marchand's (10th of the season) goal at 7:43 made it 2-0 and Jack Edwards noted that the Bruins are 13-0-0 with two-goal leads so far this season. Bergeron won the face-off back to Marchand who snapped it past a possibly screened Quick.
He had an earlier chance on a breakaway to pot his second tally but Marchand erased that bad memory by lifting a backhander over Quick at 5:35 of the third period, again from Bergeron.
Rask had to work for his clean sheet as he helped Boston kill off three consecutive penalties in the second and one in the third.
It will be a late night for the B's as they fly to Ottawa but the flight should feel much better thanks to this solid win. Boston is back at it tomorrow night as they meet the Senators for the second of six times this season.
Boston's 5-3 win over Ottawa, their Northeast Division rival, back on Nov. 1 kicked off the 10-game winning streak and nearly perfect November.
Gregory Campbell will miss his second straight game but Chara is making the trip so he could play and Thomas is expected to get the start.
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