Well when else fails this season, we can still count on the fact that the Boston Bruins will not lose to the Toronto Maple Leafs travel to the Garden.
The B's (39-29-3) made it 5 for 5 against their Northeast Division rivals as they won a wild one 5-4 tonight at the Air Canada Centre. Boston gets a chance for a season sweep on March 19 when the Maple Leafs (30-29-7).
No matter if it's the Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs or Jets, beating Canadian teams is always a hell of a lot of fun.
Jordan Caron (2 goals, 1 assist) was the unlikely offensive catalyst for the Bruins while Tyler Seguin scored twice as well. Zdeno Chara and Benoit Pouliot both added two assists.
Tim Thomas (25 saves; 28-15-0) isn't himself but he made just enough stops to survive tonight against a desperate team that's currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The first and third periods weren't particularly notable but the second period more than made up for them since it featured six goals and two fights.
Carl Gunnarsson (3rd of the season) staked Toronto to a 1-0 lead 3:01 into the proceedings when his wrist shot found its way past Thomas.
Playing the best hockey of his young NHL career, Caron (5th of the season) tied it up at 13:58 when he pounced on a rebound from Jonas Gustavsson (28 saves). Pouliot and Joe Corvo had the assists. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's the first goal the three of those guys teamed up on this season.
John-Michael Liles (5th of the season) scored a power-play goal 57 seconds into the second that put the Maple Leafs back ahead at 2-1. Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel assisted.
A few moments later, Boston struck back with a pair of goals in 43 seconds. Seguin (23rd of the season) deflected a shot from Chara with David Krejci picking up the other assist. Then Chris Kelly (career-high 16th of the season) scored on another juicy rebound, from Caron and Pouliot.
On the ensuing face-off Shawn Thornton (who leads the NHL with 18 fighting majors) took on youngster Jay Rosehill. Thornton had stitches on Sunday vs. the Rangers after a fight so he got opened up there once again. Later Dennis Seidenberg stood up for a dirty hit by fighting Colby Armstrong. Seids rarely fights but he showed how tough he is by leaving Armstrong sprawled on the ice leaking blood from a cut.
Kessel (33rd of the season) tied it on the power-play at 9:52 with his great release on a snap shot. Caron and Seguin closed out the frame on a high note with Caron tipping a beautiful cross ice feed and Seguin getting all of a one-timer. Chara and Patrice Bergeron then Milan Lucic and Greg Zanon respectively had the helpers.
Things got hairy in the third period when Mikhail Grabovski (21st of the season) was sent in on a breakaway and scored with 6:47 left in regulation. However, Boston was able to protect its one-goal lead and walk out with two points. They snapped a two-game losing streak in the process.
By 12 p.m. tomorrow, we'll know if Marty Turco has cleared waivers and he'll be a Bruin or if another goaltender-needy team (Ottawa, Philadelphia) blocked it. The B's return to TD Garden on Thursday night to face the Buffalo Sabres. Another team on the outside of the playoffs, albeit one that has played itself at least into contention lately. They've beaten Boston the last two times they played after getting smoked twice earlier in the season. The Bruins need to put them back in their place, starting then.
UPDATE 3/7: Turco is at Bruins practice so he's officially part of the team now.
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