Happy Halloween Everybody From the Best Team in the National Hockey League-The Bruins (9-1-2)

I don't root for people to get fired but honestly, the effort submitted by the Sharks (4-8-1) tonight at TD Garden vs. the Bruins (9-1-2) was downright disgraceful. Playing in their fifth and final game of a road trip, San Jose might as well have just skipped the game altogether as they lost 5-1 and got outshot 41-17. Picking up its fourth win in a row, Boston will obviously take it but you have to wonder if Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer will still have a job on Friday when his current club begins a six-game homestand.

To beat the B's right now you have to play your best game and if you take a bunch of lazy penalties, you are utterly doomed. It didn't even matter that San Jose came in with the top ranked penalty kill in the NHL since Boston's number two ranked power play scored twice in the first period and never looked back en route to the comprehensive beatdown that was complete with Brett Richie beating the stuffing out of poor Barclay Goodrow (which sounds like the name of a WWF jobber from the 90s).

After missing the last five games with an upper-body injury, Bruins center David Krejci returned to the second line and made an immediate impact with a power-play tally of his own and an assist. In total, five different guys scored goals for Boston which was a welcome sight for a team that's been overly reliant on its incredible first line last season and into this campaign as well. The new rule is that David Pastrnak has to score in every single game for the Black and Gold and yet again, he didn't waste any time getting his sixth first period goal already in 2019-2020. Patrice Bergeron had an excellent fake shot that forced two Sharks to dive to block it but he slid the puck over to Pasta for a one-timer that went top shelf and hit Martin Jones' (36 saves, 2-6-1) water bottle. 1-0 Bruins at 7:49 of the first period on Pastrnak's NHL-best 12th goal of the season, tying him with Charlie Simmer for the second-most October goals in team history (trailing only Phil Esposito's 14).

Krejci's power play goal was quite similar to his fellow Czech Republic native's (Pastrnak) goal. He was also set up in the left slot and in this case, Torey Krug fed him for a one-timer that he got by Jones. Brad Marchand picked up the other assist (11-game point streak and 10-game assist streak, both career-bests) at 17:51 for the 2-0 Bruins advantage. San Jose's only goal came early in the second period on the power play as well as Brent Burns cranked a shot that seemed to deflect off of somebody or something in front of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (16 saves, 6-0-1). Even though they got run out of the building, you have to respect Burns who remains one of the NHL's toughest matchups on either end of the ice. Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl assisted on his third goal of the season at 1:31 of the second period. Would you believe that he still played a game-high 26:19 (including 6:24 of shorthanded time)? The guy is Rob Gronkowski type freak of nature with the wacky personality to match.

The B's put this one in the win column with three goals in the second period to close out a really dominant frame where they outshot the Sharks 18-6. Charlie Coyle scored his second goal of the season (and 2nd in as many games) by tapping in Krejci's back-door pass at 5:21. Danton Heinen had the second assist on the goal that came seconds after Hertl exited the penalty box. Jones had been the backup for San Jose's last game and he is their (awful) No. 1 goaltender so he stayed in there despite allowing a breakaway goal to Chris Wagner (his 1st of the season) at 8:31. David Backes had the lone assist (his 1st point of the season) on Wagner's patented backhand move. That was nothing though compared to the embarrassment that Jones must have felt when Brandon Carlo's soft serve floater from the blue line somehow found its way past him and into the net. 5-1 Bruins at 16:50. Wagner and Zdeno Chara notched the assists on Carlo's second goal of the season.

It looked like we were going to get another taste of that delicious Chara-Evander Kane blood feud in the third period but the former Sabre understandably wanted no part of the scariest 42-year-old in the universe. It took until the 11th game (welcome to the new NHL) but Boston finally got its first true fight under its belt. Nobody could have predicted Ritchie (8th fighting major in the NHL) vs. Goodrow (12th fighting major in the NHL) but you knew that somebody was going to drop the gloves in garbage time after there were so many borderline hits and constant chatter after the whistles.

After their first back-to-back of the season last weekend, the Bruins have no practice tomorrow then they'll get back to work on Halloween but their next game isn't until Saturday night (7, NESN) vs. Ottawa (3-7-1)-the second worst team in the Eastern Conference. I'm thinking that Jaroslav Halak will get the start and regardless of who is in net for Boston, they will be huge favorites (not that anybody bets on regular season hockey games). The Senators have been off since beating these same disappointing Sharks 5-2 on Sunday so there will be plenty of time to have these Bruins populating their nightmares. Be afraid NHL, be very afraid.

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In Their First Meeting Since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final In June, the Bruins Handle the Blues 3-0

The Bruins (7-1-2) will never be able to rewrite their franchise's history. Yes, that was the Blues (5-3-3) that captured the Stanley Cup on Boston's home ice just a few short months ago. Losses in pro sports don't get much more bitter than that but all the B's can do now is move forward and focus on this season that looks quite promising for them. The players, coaches and front office for the Bruins along with their fans will sadly always remember that empty feeling but at least they didn't dredge up more of that bleakness when St. Louis came back to Boston for a much-anticipated early regular season showdown. Tonight in front of a hyped crowd, the B's blanked the Blues 3-0.

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (26 saves, 5-0-1) notched his second shutout of the season and the 47th of his NHL career. It was also the second time that Rask has shut out the Blues in his career, the last one coming on November 18, 2014. B's captain Zdeno Chara set the tone right from the start as he rocked Blues hack Oskar Sundqvist with an open ice hit 38 seconds into the contest. As you would expect, it was a chippy affair with both sides picking up six penalties and truthfully, there could have been even a few more whistles.

Boston scored a goal in each frame as they slowly wore down St. Louis. The Bruins won the special teams battle as they scored a power play goal and their penalty kill unit was a shiny 4-for-4. B's right winger David Pastrnak continued on his absolute offensive tear to start 2019-2020 as he potted his NHL-best 11th goal of the season. His power play tally at 14:59 of the first period was assisted by Torey Krug (6 assists in his last 5 games) and Brad Marchand (career-best 8-game assist streak along with a 9-game point streak as well). Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (21 saves, 4-2-3) should have stopped the shot but he wasn't in position in time so he got a piece of the puck but it still managed to trickle over the goal line.

Pasta is now tied with himself from last season for the third most goals in October for a Bruin. Only Phil Esposito (14 in 1973) & something named Charlie Simmer (12 in 1985) had more than him and considering that David has two more games left in the month, I feel like he at least has a good chance to pass his previous best. The Bruins' second goal of the night was undoubtedly their most important in terms of the big picture for this group. Left wing Anders Bjork was one of their top prospects a few years ago but since then, he's suffered a litany of injuries. Still, at 23 he has plenty of time to get his career back on schedule. His first goal in over a year for the Black and Gold (Oct. 13, 2018 was the last time he lit the lamp) was pretty as he skated in on a 3-on-2 and finished a one-timer from Matt Grzelcyk and Danton Heinen.

After getting marginally outshot in each of the first two periods, the Blues doubled up the Bruins in the third (10-5) but it didn't matter one iota because they could never solve Rask or Boston's outstanding team defense that combined for 11 blocked shots (including 1 that briefly hobbled Chris Wagner). With Halloween right around the corner, it was a drunken good night for B's fans capped off by Brandon Carlo's empty-netter with 48.1 seconds left in regulation. Time will tell but I feel like in a few years, the Blues will be one of those random one-off teams that come about every so often in sports, particularly hockey (the Ducks or Hurricanes come to mind). They win a championship that nobody saw coming then are never really heard from again. Likewise, I doubt that Binnington will become a star but hey, who could have predicted what he and his team pulled off last postseason?

The Bruins have their first back-to-back set of the season as they travel to New York tomorrow night (7, NESN) to play the lowly Rangers (3-4-1) at Madison Square Garden. Nothing like October hockey on an NFL Sunday, am I right folks? Jaroslav Halak (2-1-1) gets the start against a bad team that granted is coming off by far their best showing of the year (6-2 vs. Buffalo on Thursday). Boston-New York is always a rivalry no matter the teams but not so much in the last few seasons since the Rangers have completely fallen off of the map. Boston returns home on Tuesday (7, NESN) for their third game in four nights as they take on the underachieving but talented Sharks (4-6-1).

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Bruins Do Enough to Beat the Weary Maple Leafs, 4-2 In the Second Part of a Home-and-Home Set

In any sport, particularly ones with grueling travel schedules like the NHL there is a common phrase of "schedule loss" that refers to any time a confluence of factors can understandably trip you up. Tonight was just such an occasion for the Maple Leafs (5-4-2) against the Bruins (6-1-2) at TD Garden. Toronto was playing in the second part of a back-to-back as well (losing 4-3 in OT to Columbus on Monday at Scotiabank Arena) as its third game in four nights so Boston's 4-2 victory seemed like a forgone conclusion before the opening faceoff had even occurred.

I'll give the Leafs credit though, they made this way more competitive than you would expect it to be especially considering that backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson (35 saves; 0-2-1) got the rare start for them. Even though they lost 4-3 in overtime at Toronto on Saturday night and have needed seven games the past two springs to squeak by them in the first round of the playoffs, I am still confident in stating that the Bruins are simply a better all-around team than the top-heavy Maple Leafs. Two guys outside the first line scored for Boston in the first meeting and they matched that this evening with Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm of all people scoring the game-winner and insurance marker in the third period.

It was a night of milestones for the Black and Gold: goaltender Tuukka Rask's (28 saves; 5-0-1) 500th NHL game, Bruce Cassidy's 200th game as Bruins head coach and David Pastrnak reached 300 NHL points. The first two numbers were very notable in their own right but Pastrnak is currently the hottest goal-scorer in the league so he deserves the most attention at the moment. He did not disappoint the home crowd with another highlight reel goal along with an assist. In the meantime, he became the fourth Bruin to reach 300 points in fewer than 350 games played, joining Barry Pederson, Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque. Ever hear of them? The NHL's reigning First Star of the Week got his First Star of the Month campaign going by extending his point streak to seven games (10 goals, 7 assists) while also scoring a goal in four straight games (8 total goals) which ties his career-best goal streak.

Pasta actually had an earlier first period goal overturned after the play leading up to it was deemed to feature a naughty Bruins player in an offside position. No worries, that just gave him a few more minutes to think of a more creative goal as he took a pass from Brad Marchand (career-best 7 game assist streak), spun towards the net and flicked a shot with his stick between his legs. Hutchinson got a piece of the puck but it still slipped over the goal line at 17:15. Pastrnak's NHL-best 10th goal of the season was also assisted by Torey Krug (5 assists in his last 4 games) and it came on a power play.

As the contest went along, you figured that Toronto would start to lose their skating legs but it took until the third period for their fatigue to fully set in. They trailed 1-0 after the first period but the Leafs tied it at 4:23 of the second period as Kasperi Kapanen unleashed a rocket of a one-timer from Harvard's Alexander Kerfoot. Rask had no chance to stop it as Justin Holl had the secondary assist on the young Finn's third goal of the season. The teams continued to trade goals as Boston took a 2-1 lead 1:26 after that with Pastrnak switching roles with Marchand and becoming the feeder. David showed his underrated vision to quickly turn his body and hit Brad on the tape of his stick with a pass that Marchand quickly deposited top shelf via a wrist shot. Charlie McAvoy had the other helper on Marchand's fifth goal of the season. Brad's point streak has reached eight games with five goals and nine assists in that span.

Kerfoot struck again with his second goal in as many games against the Bruins to make it 2-2 at 12:54 of the second period. Another blown coverage allowed him to skate right down the middle on the power play and tee up a one-timer from Kapanen. William Nylander provided the second assist on Kerfoot's fourth goal of the season. After going to a shootout against Tampa Bay (4-3-1) last Thursday and overtime with Toronto on Saturday, Boston had no interest in playing beyond the allotted 60 minutes.

Ritchie scored in the season-opener against his former team-at Dallas (3-7-1)-on October 3 and hadn't been heard from much since then. David Krejci is on IR with an upper-body injury and Karson Kuhlman broke his leg blocking a shot on Saturday so he's expected to miss at least a month of action. This elevated Ritchie to the second line tonight. He had an assist against the Leafs on Saturday and he topped that with the goal that put the B's ahead for good, 3-2 at 6:35 of the third period. Jake DeBrusk's shot bounced off a Leafs defenseman and Ritchie was able to knock in the loose puck for his first goal at the Garden as a Bruin.

Sean Kuraly took a high-sticking penalty with under five minutes left in regulation that could have spelled doom with the Bruins nursing a slim 3-2 advantage. Luckily for his sake, Boston killed off the infraction and he made everyone forget about his mistake by jumping out of the penalty box into a 2-on-1 with Lindholm. Hutchinson stopped Kuraly's initial shot but the Swede followed it up with a backhander on the rebound for his first goal/point as a Bruin at 17:57. The Bruins had a few cracks at an empty-netter (which would have made those that took the over at 6.5 goals very happy) in the closing minutes but they couldn't help the degenerates cash those tickets.

With practice scheduled for Wednesday-Friday, the B's will have plenty of time to focus on their next opponent-the Blues (4-2-3)-who come here on Saturday night (7, NBCSN) for their first meeting with Boston since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in June. Clearly a matchup in late October is nothing compared to the highest stakes in June but with that said, it promises to be a memorable event for the Bruins who are trying to turn the page on that unforgettable loss. The weekend is jam-picked for the Bruins since they go to New York on Sunday night (7, NESN) to play the lowly Rangers (2-4-1) who lost their fifth game in a row tonight. Couple that with the fact that Patriots (7-0)-Browns (2-4) kicks off at 4:25 on Sunday afternoon and you can understand that way fewer eyeballs around New England will be fixed on that Original Six tilt.

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The NHL In October Doesn't Get More Exciting Than That 4-3 Shootout Loss for the B's to Tampa

No matter what time of the year it is (fall, winter or spring), you can always bet that whenever the Bruins (5-1-1) and Lightning (4-2-1) meet up, it is going to be a hell of a game. Yes, it was the end of a road trip for Tampa Bay and Halloween is still weeks away but tonight at TD Garden it felt like an Eastern Conference Final contest instead of game seven of the regular season for both clubs. Boston coughed up a pair of one-goal leads but also rallied late in the third period to tie it before a crazy (but scoreless) overtime followed by a four-round shootout. The Lightning came out on top 4-3 in this first of four meetings between arguably the two best teams in the Atlantic Division, maybe Eastern Conference and possibly the entire NHL.

The B's were going for a 3-0 start on their inaugural homestand of the season but Tampa had other plans. Boston's top line (all 3 goals) and power play (3-for-5) continued to produce at an incredible level but conversely, their secondary scoring not to mention quality scoring chances that they allowed continued to be real issues for them. Coming off a career-high four goals on Monday vs. Anaheim (5-2-0), Pasta picked right up where he left off with a power play strike at 9:34 of the first period for an early 1-0 Bruins lead. Bergeron found the loose puck and sent it over to him for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Torey Krug had the secondary assist to what is guaranteed to be the NHL's first star of the week. Tampa Bay answered with the dictionary definition of a back-breaking (regular season) goal. With 0.8 seconds left in the opening frame, Brayden Point got behind Boston's defense and used a forehand shot to go top shelf on Tuukka Rask (33 saves, 3-0-1). His third goal of the season was assisted by Yanni Gourde and Victor Hedman.

Brad Marchand hit his second post of the contest in the second period before Tampa Bay made the unfortunate mistake of putting Boston's lethal power play unit back on the ice. This time Pastrnak was the playmaker as his pass towards the net was redirected in by Bergeron at 7:26 for the 2-1 advantage. Marchand had the second assist on Bergeron's second goal of the season. It didn't take long though for the Lightning to strike back (sorry) as Mathieu Joseph collected a rebound on the doorstep and put it in the net at 10:32 for his second goal of the season. Harvard's Alex Killorn and Eric Cernak had the helpers there.

In the third period, Tampa Bay took its first lead of the game at 15:13 as former BU star Kevin Shattenkirk's shot went through Zdeno Chara's giant legs and past a screened Rask. Already up to four goals on the season, Shattenkirk has gotten his Lightning career off to a very fast start. Steven Stamkos and Point had the assists on the go-ahead goal that left the Garden pretty quiet for a few moments. Somehow Tampa Bay made another mental error as Anthony Cirelli was called for tripping which led to the tying power play goal by Pastrnak. Andrei Vasilevskiy (34 saves, 4-1-0) was under siege and couldn't do anything to stop Pasta's quick release from in close and through a host of bodies. Marchand and Krug had the assists at 16:55.

Boston's first overtime of the season did not result in a goal but it continued the theme of end-to-end high level action. The B's outshot the Lightning 5-3 but Tampa Bay held on to get to the shootout. The first three shooters for both teams (Hedman, Charlie Coyle, Point, Pasta, Nikita Kucherov and Marchand) all failed to score before Stamkos finally beat Rask up high with a filthy shot. Jake DeBrusk had a chance to tie it with a shootout goal on his 23rd birthday but he flubbed his shot so no presents for him.

The schedule does no favors for the Black and Gold the next week as they go to Toronto (4-3-1) on Saturday night (7, NESN)-their first matchup since Game 7 of the first round last spring-then the Maple Leafs come here on Tuesday (7, NESN). The next game isn't until Saturday night (7, NESN) but it's another doozy as the Blues (3-1-3) return to the scene of their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. I would assume that Rask will play one of the Toronto games with Jaroslav Halak (2-1-0) getting the other. The Leafs have allowed twice as many goals as the Bruins this season (28-14) so this weekend is a good time for Boston's struggling second and third lines to get untracked and build their confidence back up.

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B's Fast Start to the Season Continues as Pastrnak Scored a Career-High 4 Goals In 4-2 Win vs. Ducks

Columbus Day afternoon home games are a New England tradition for the Bruins (5-1-0) and thanks to star right wing David Pastrnak, they made sure that the 2019 version was extra memorable for fans at TD Garden and across the world. Pasta notched his fifth career NHL hat trick which is nice and all but he topped that with his first career four-goal performance en route to a 4-2 victory against Anaheim (4-2-0). Like his linemates (Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand), Pastrnak didn't exactly have the greatest Stanley Cup Finals in June but the shortened summer break seems to have helped them all turn the page rather quickly.

The Ducks entered as one of the early surprises in the NHL as they had won the first three games of the season but they predictably started slow in this the finale of their first road trip (4 games) of the campaign. The B's made the most of their body clock advantage (this would feel like a 10 am start for the West Coast Ducks) as they jumped out to 2-0 lead midway through the second period which ballooned to 4-1 early in the third. Pastrnak scored twice on the power play and twice even strength as the trio of Bergeron, Krug and Marchand were credited with all the assists on his goals. Talk about top heavy: 11 of Boston's last 14 goals this season have been scored by their top line. David Krejci leaving twice today with an undisclosed injury (groin?) and eventually not returning doesn't bode well for the sputtering second line to get untracked anytime soon.

When you score four goals in a single contest, I would assume that they are all sexy in their own right but for my money, the first one was the best. Krug shuttled the puck to Bergeron in the slot who fed Pasta for a one-timer that he straight up obliterated (witness how fast it bounced back off the net) at 4:18 of the first for his third goal of the season. Boston led 1-0 after the first period and made it 2-0 at 11:38 when Brad and David worked a 2-on-1 shortly after a successful Bruins penalty kill (4-for-4 on the day). Anaheim goaltender John Gibson (19 saves; 3-2-0) wasn't able to slide across in time as Pasta one-timed a quick snap shot. The Ducks woke up in a big way in the second though as they outshot the home team 16-6 and were finally rewarded at 17:52 as Rickard Rakell's shot was touched by Jaroslav Halak (30 saves; 2-1-0) but he couldn't keep it out of the net. Rakell's second goal of the game was assisted by Adam Henrique (playing in his 600th career NHL game) and Cam Fowler. Up until then, Halak was playing incredible as he made multiple five-star saves that defied logic and left the Ducks in disbelief.

Boston's penalty kill unit had to start the third period nursing a one-goal lead (2-1) but soon it became 3-1 after Bergeron won an offensive zone faceoff that caromed off an Anaheim defenseman's skate directly to Pastrnak. Gibson was no match for Pastrnak's incredible release from that type of close range. That goal was unassisted for Pastrnak at 2:20 but the fourth and final one came from Marchand and Krug at 4:34. On the power play, Marchand slid the puck to the far post where Pasta was stationed to redirect it in. Halak suffered an unfortunate gaffe (that was something out of a soccer game) as Nick Ritchie (Brett's brother) stole the puck from him next to the net and passed it to Henrique for an easy one-timer from a short distance away at 16:08. Henrique's second goal of the season and second point of the day cut it to 4-2 but that's as close as it would get for Anaheim. Who could blame them at that point for wanting to get on their team charter back to Cali (Biggie voice)?

These first two home games against overmatched teams-New Jersey stinks and Anaheim will come back to Earth right about now-were merely an appetizer as the Bruins have their first marquee home tilt of the season when Tampa Bay (2-2-1) comes here on Thursday (7, NESN). The Lightning will almost certainly be one of the top contenders in the Atlantic Division, the Eastern Conference and NHL in general and their meetings with the Black and Gold tend to almost always be physical, emotional and entertaining affairs. Boston is off tomorrow and returns to practice on Wednesday. According to head coach Bruce Cassidy, that's when they'll have a better feel for Krejci's status. If he can't go vs. Tampa, Par Lindholm (a healthy scratch for the last 4 games) would slide in since he's naturally a center.

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Bruins Return Home to Blank the Devils 3-0 In Their 2019-20 Regular Season Home Opener

There is no such thing as a homecoming game in the NHL, that's more of a high school or college football term (where the home team presumably takes on a cupcake opponent that they can blow out in front of their adoring alums) but if such a thing existed in hockey, the Devils (0-3-2) would be one of the most fitting choices these days. Boston (4-1-0) went 3-1-0 to start this campaign on a very difficult West Coast road trip to Dallas, Arizona, Las Vegas and Colorado before coming back to the newly redesigned TD Garden. Things couldn't have gone much better for the home team on the ice for the first real contest since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final vs. St. Louis in June. How did that one end again? I forget.

The Bruins scored twice in the first period and added a power play goal in the second which is about what you would expect against New Jersey-who is still one of the true bottomfeeders not just in the East but in the entire league. B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (3-0) made 31 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 46th of his NHL career. He made his presence felt the most in the second period when the Devils actually controlled play and outshot the Bruins 15-9. Coming off of their first loss of the season (4-2 against the Avs on Thursday), the Black and Gold predictably got back on track in front of their extra lubed up Saturday night crowd.

It only took Boston 3:33 to take a lead that turned out to be too much for Dirty Jersey to overcome. Brad Marchand wheeled around with the puck near the blue line and fired a shot on net that actually deflected in off a Devils defenseman before Patrice Bergeron could tip it. Marchand's team-leading fourth goal of the season (4-game point-streak with 4 goals & 3 assists) was assisted by David Pastrnak who has a team-high four helpers. Marblehead native and BC alum Cory Schneider (0-2-0; 29 saves) was basically on his own as the Bruins' reunited fourth line had another strong performance. Playing in his second game of the season, Joakim Nordstrom was able to put in a loose puck in front at 11:22. His first goal of the year was assisted by his linemates Chris Wagner (aka the Mayor of Walpole) and Sean Kuraly.

Marchand nearly made it 3-0 later in the first with what would have been a highlight reel tally for the ages. With his team shorthanded, he blocked a shot in his own zone then skated in on a breakaway but his shot was stopped by Schneider. For the contest, New Jersey's pathetic power play was 0-for-4 which is bad but nothing compared to their neutered season output (0-for-15, yuck!). I get that they have a bunch of scrubs around them but how has that happened to a team with offensive talents like Taylor Hall (former MVP), rookie Jack Hughes (June's No. 1 overall draft pick) and P.K. Subban? It's mystifying but then again, who really notices in North Jersey besides director Kevin Smith and maybe Bruce Springsteen?

The best chance for the Devils to score came early in the second period as Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo coughed up the puck right in front of his own net and Hughes was able to pounce on it but his shot hit the post. Too bad, it would have been neat to see his first NHL point/goal of what should be a long and fruitful career (he's only 18 years old!) for one of the most exciting American prospects in decades. The Bruins penalty kill got better as the game went along and of course-as any hockey coach will tell you-the goaltender can be the best penalty killer when he is locked in like Rask already is this fall (he's only allowed 4 goals in his 1st 3 starts).

Boston's power play is working out the kinks but after going 0-for-2 on their first two chances tonight, they cashed in on the third thanks to Patrice Bergeron. It was a similar tally to Nordstrom's as he battled in traffic in front of New Jersey's net and was rewarded when the puck popped out to him on his backhand. Jake DeBrusk and Marchand had the assists on Bergy's first goal of the season. Other than Canton's own Kevin Rooney (a proud NCAA champion at PC) missing a check on DeBrusk along Boston's bench then suffering the indignity of Jake pushing his skates over the side as well, that's about the only other notable thing to transpire for the rest of the rather routine defeat.

There are two games left on this homestand for the B's: their usual Columbus Day matinee (1, NESN) has them facing the Ducks (4-1-0) before the Lightning (2-2-1) come here on Thursday (7, NESN) for what should be a great early season showdown between's last season's top two teams in the Eastern Conference (haha in the regular season before Tampa had an epic choke job in Round 1 vs. Columbus). Any thoughts of a Stanley Cup hangover for the Bruins has already been put to bed and also importantly, they are racking up the points which is a good thing when you look at how hard the rest of October looks like for them: home and home with Toronto, St. Louis and San Jose are all looming ahead.

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