Two Days Before The Trade Deadline, Bruins Help Their Defense By Trading For Hampus Lindholm

 

    After an uninspiring start to the 2021-22 regular season, the Bruins (38-19-5) have played some great hockey particularly in the last few months. With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching on Monday afternoon (3 pm EST), GM Don Sweeney was a little ahead of the rush as he made a significant move this evening: he traded three draft picks (2022 first-round, 2023 second-round and 2023 second-round) along with defensemen Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore to Anaheim (27-26-11) for defensemen Hampus Lindholm and minor leaguer Kodie Curran. To sweeten the deal, the Ducks will also retain 50% of Lindholm's salary. He is a free agent after this season so plenty hinges on whether Sweeney can retain him with a long-term deal (they are rumored to be working on an 8-year extension with an average annual value of $6.5 million) otherwise this move will be mostly a waste (except if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup this summer).

    Other than head coach Bruce Cassidy, the Bruins player that figures to benefit the most from this move (assuming that they are paired together) is their franchise defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Ever since Zdeno Chara left in free agency two seasons ago, McAvoy has yet to find a consistent defensive partner that can keep up with him on both ends of the ice. At age 28 and already in his ninth full season in the NHL, Lindholm profiles as just that type of guy that can be a top defenseman on a good team. He was the sixth overall pick by Anaheim in 2012 and if he played either not on the West Coast or for a better club, he would likely be more of a household name. 

    The Swede is that coveted left-shot defenseman and puck mover with prototypical size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds). He probably won't win a Norris Trophy at this point and he won't be the top scoring defensemen in the league but he is on a tier just below those highest levels. His numbers won't wow you this season but keep in mind that the Ducks are basically a .500 team that isn't going to the playoffs: five goals, 17 assists, plus/minus of zero, 42 penalty minutes and four power play points (1 goal) in 61 games. His career-highs are 13 goals (in 2017-18), 27 assists (in 2014-15) and plus-29 in his rookie season (2012-13). For his career, he has 57 goals, 165 assists, 57 power play points (12 goals) and he is plus-74 in 582 regular season games. In 55 career playoff games, he has four goals, 17 assists, five power play points (1 goal) and he is plus-11.

    As for what they gave up, I really don't believe that it's that much. Vaakanainen was a first-round pick in 2017 (18th overall) but he's barely made an impact at the NHL level thus far, playing in just 31 games (only 15 this season that has been affected by injuries). Moore is a journeyman and the draft picks don't bother me that much considering how poorly Sweeney has drafted for most of his time in charge here. This is a win now move which is nice to see for an older team that is still led by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand while also hopefully building something for the future when those guys will be long gone and the team is led by McAvoy and possibly goaltender Jeremy Swayman who has firmly taken over as the No. 1 goalie for the B's. Lindholm's Bruins debut could come on Monday (7, NESN) when they visit lowly Montreal (17-36-9) at the Bell Centre.

UPDATE 3/20/22: Before he has even played a single game for the B's, this afternoon Lindholm signed that reported eight-year extension with the average annual value of $6.5 million per year). Wow! 

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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B's Snap Nine-Game Losing Streak (0-8-1) & Beat the Ducks For The First Time In Over Five Years

It has to be the hideous Christmas suits, right? In one of the sneakiest droughts that I can remember, before tonight the Bruins' last win against the Ducks had come on Oct. 21, 2013 (a 3-2 shootout win at TD Garden). After nine fruitless matchups since then (0-8-1), Boston (19-12-4) finally broke that long slump with a complete all-around game in a 3-1 victory at the Garden vs. Anaheim (19-13-5). Coming off Monday's eye-opening 4-0 win at Montreal (17-13-5), the B's followed that up with another solid performance against a fellow playoff contender.

Jaroslav Halak got the start once again and nearly notched another shutout as he made 24 saves in his 11th win of the season. After a scoreless first period, the Bruins scored a pair of goals in the second period and an insurance tally in the third before the Ducks avoided the shutout with a goal in garbage time (late in the 3rd). Interestingly enough, three Bruins recorded career milestones in the win: Torey Krug's assist was the 200th of his NHL career, passing Mike O'Connell for the most by a U.S.-born Bruin; David Backes reached 300 NHL assists and David Krejci hit 600 NHL points.

Boston improved to 12-4-0 at home this season while they cooled off Anaheim (8-2-0 before tonight in their last 10 games) who ended a five-game road trip on a low note. It was all about special teams as the Bruins' power play went 2-for-4 and their penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4. Pasta fittingly enough gave them a 1-0 lead at 8:19 of the second period with a one-timed laser from Krug and Backes. David's team-leading 22nd goal gave him twice as many goals as the next closest Bruin (Marchand with 11). The power play unit was the catalyst again as Krug one-timed in a beautiful pass by Marchand at 18:05 of the second for a 2-0 Black and Gold advantage. Pastrnak had the second assist on Krug's fourth goal of the season.

The B's are now 14-1-0 this season when they have led by 2+ goals so the Ducks might as well have gotten on the plane at that point. It was another one-timer that beat John Gibson (28 saves), this one from Krejci (has he ever had a harder shot?) at 5:21 of the third period. Pastrnak and Marchand assisted on his seventh goal of the season which also extended his point-streak to a whopping eight games (5 goals, 6 assists). Just when I tried to compute how long Halak's shutout streak had lasted in terms of game minutes, Anaheim made that a complete waste of my time. Rookie defenseman Josh Mahura's shot from the point sneaked by Halak, assisted by Carter Rowney at 15:44 which cut it to 3-1.

There are two more games left for the Bruins before they can enjoy a brief Christmas break (Dec. 24-26): they host Nashville (22-12-2) on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) and they follow that up with a visit to Carolina (14-14-5) on Sunday night (5, NESN). It seems like it would be tough to sit down Halak at this point but regardless, you can bet that Tuukka Rask (8-7-2) will make an appearance at some point this weekend. The Predators are one of the best teams in hockey but they have been scuffling a bit lately (5-4-1 in their last 10 games) after losing 2-1 at Philadelphia (14-15-2) this evening. Any second game of a back-to-back is difficult but the B's have excelled in them this season and the Hurricanes are having another blah campaign so I expect some sort of result there for the Black and Gold as well.

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The Bruins Better Hope That They Don't Meet the Ducks In the Stanley Cup Final This Summer

They sadly dropped the Mighty part from their team name ages ago but whenever the Ducks (25-17-9) have met the Bruins (29-11-8) in recent years, they still resemble that youth hockey juggernaut from the Disney movies of our youth. Anaheim kicked off the second half of the regular season with a 3-1 win at TD Garden this evening that laid to rest Boston's remarkable 18-game point streak (14-0-4) which was tied for the second longest in franchise history. The Ducks swept the two-game season series with Boston, outscoring them 7-2 so I'd say that neither result was what you would call a fluke. In fact, the B's are winless in their last eight games against the Ducks (0-7-1) with their last victory coming on October 21, 2013 (3-2 in Boston).

In many ways, the Ducks are a throwback to a bygone era in the NHL: they play what everybody and their mother terms a "heavy game" meaning that they have many bigger players that like to be physical. Besides them the Kings (27-18-5) and Blues (31-18-3) are two other notable clubs to favor that style that used to be so ingrained into Boston's DNA. There is a reason that no team in NHL history has ever earned a point when they have allowed the first goal in eight straight games. That was the mountain that the Bruins built for themselves right off the bat as they allowed a pair of goals in a lifeless first period for the home team. Oddly enough, the B's had a power play 27 seconds into the contest (slashing on Ryan Kesler) but couldn't generate any shots on goal from it (their PP was 0-for-4 in the game). Anaheim's first goal was downright ugly as Anton Khudobin (24 saves) dropped a routine backhand flip into his glove which allowed the puck to bounce in the net off of Zdeno Chara's skate at 9:04. Jakob Silfverberg was credited with his 12th goal of the season (which had to be the easiest of his life), from Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell. Adam Henrique (6-game point streak)-who has been a great pickup for the Ducks-made it 2-0 with a power play tally at 13:59, an absolute snipe (his 14th goal of the season) that was assisted by Rakell and Fowler once again.

After they were outshot 15-5 in the first period, Boston flipped a switch and outshot Anaheim 13-4 in the second but they simply couldn't find the back of the net as they missed some of their top-end talent. The same was true for much of the third period as John Gibson (25 saves) didn't allow any goals but left late in the frame (for the 2nd straight contest) with an injury. Backup goaltender Ryan Miller allowed a goal to birthday boy Ryan Spooner with 40.7 seconds left in regulation when Khudobin was off for an extra skater but Henrique sealed it with an empty-netter from deep in his own end. Spooner's goal was his eighth of the season, assisted by Torey Krug and David Pastrnak (6-game point streak). The point streak had to end at some point for the Black and Gold but they had nobody else to blame for such an uninspired start that ultimately cost them two points.

Brad Marchand was serving the second game of his five-game suspension, Charlie McAvoy remains out after his heart procedure (the good news was that he skated this afternoon for the first time since last week's surgery) and Noel Acciari (lower-body injury) is also sidelined. Boston lost two more guys during the game as Anders Bjork (upper-body injury) left early in the first after a slight cross-check by Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin to what I guess was a vulnerable spot in his back. Late in the third period, Ducks left wing Nick Ritchie caught David Backes up high with a shoulder right to the face that dazed Backes. It was a dirty hit that should be looked at closely by the NHL's Department of Player Safety. That set off a chain of events that included Zdeno Chara crushing Henrique with a borderline check in the neutral zone followed by Ryan Getzlaf slashing Chara in the legs. Both captains barked at each other as they went to their respective penalty boxes. For what it's worth, you rarely ever see Chara that fired up about anything. He was clearly upset with the officials for the no-call on Ritchie.

Coming directly off of the All-Star break, the Bruins are well-rested since only Marchand was a part of the festivities in Tampa Bay this past weekend. They'll need that extra reserve of energy as two more quality teams visit the Garden later this week: St. Louis is here on Thursday (7, NESN) before Toronto (28-18-5) stops by on Saturday night (7, NESN). The Maple Leafs game is especially important since they are really the only team that can realistically catch the B's in terms of second place in the Atlantic Division: Toronto is five points back with two more games played. Plus the Leafs swept the home-and-home with the Bruins way back in November. Tuukka Rask will make the start in both games which is always a good thing, Khudobin was noticeably rusty against Anaheim particularly in the early going.

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Nevermind Playing Hockey Games, The Worn-Out Bruins Desperately Need a Rest Like Right Now

In any professional sport, every team will face a rough stretch with tons of games (and travel) condensed into a short amount of time. That's why it is pointless fodder (although always a favorite crutch for my fellow lazy media members) to whine about such circumstances since at some point, everyone will have to deal with it. With all that said, the Bruins (16-13-3) have to be happy that they finally get two days between games for the first time in nearly a month (Nov. 20-21). After getting three out of four unlikely points with a 2-1 overtime win in Montreal (19-6-4) on Monday and a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh (20-7-3) last night, they returned to TD Garden and lost 4-3 to the Ducks (16-10-5) this evening.

The season-long trends for the B's of losing in Game 2 of back-to-backs (1-5-0) and Game 3 of three-games-in-four-nights (3-5-0) continued along with the even more troubling poor play when anyone not named Tuukka Rask (15-5-3) occupies their net. Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin (1-5-0) clearly isn't the same guy he was in his first go-around with the Bruins back in 2013 but it doesn't help that his few starts are usually marked by team-wide shitty outings.

A new wrench was thrown into Boston's usual script for home losses as they actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period only to see Anaheim quickly erase that. Boston dropped to 11-2-0 this season when they lead by 2+ goals. The Ducks went up 3-2 early in the second period and the Bruins tied it up but once again, Anaheim had the last laugh. The game got off to such a crazy start that it was a shame to see it end in such an anti-climatic fashion (with 0 goals in the final 34:58). It was a battle of backup goaltenders with Khudobin (23 saves) facing your boy Jonathan Bernier (6-2-1) who finished with 31 saves.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara blasted home a shot from the point at 12:07 of the first period. David Backes and Brad Marchand assisted on Chara's second goal of the season (his 1st goal in 22 games and 1st point in 8 games). Only 13 seconds later, Austin Czarnik doubled Boston's advantage with a one-timer from Ryan Spooner and Riley Nash. The rookie has slowly started to find his legs in the NHL with two goals and two assists in the last six games. It turned into video game hockey as Andrew Cogliano cut it to 2-1 just 24 seconds after Czarnik's strike. The three goals in 37 seconds was the most in a Bruins game since Boston and St. Louis combined for three in 34 seconds on Dec. 19, 1987. In truth, it was an own goal as Cogliano passed it to Jakob Silfverberg but the latter whiffed while David Krejci accidentally put it in his own goal. Woof.

Earlier in the frame, Khudobin had stopped a partial breakaway on Silfverberg but then Kevin Bieksa tied it up at two by jumping out of the penalty box and taking a stretch pass by Ryan Getzlaf (his 23rd assist, 2nd most in the NHL) before he beat Khudobin. Former Northeastern Husky Josh Manson went to the net and was rewarded with a juicy rebound right on his stick with Khudobin way out of position. His 1st goal of the season came 55 seconds into the second period with Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell picking up the assists. Krejci scored one for his team which was nice (his 6th of the season), depositing a power-play goal from Backes and Torey Krug at 2:06.

Rakell put in a rebound at 5:02 of the second period which turned out to be the game-winner. Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler assisted on Rakell's 12th goal of the season (he was also named the 1st star of the game). The B's will have no practice tomorrow and then probably a light workout on Saturday before they host the Kings (15-12-2). Los Angeles is in Pittsburgh tomorrow night so unlike many of their recent contests, Boston will be waiting for someone to visit them rather than the other way around. Tonight's loss dropped them to under .500 at the Garden (7-8-0) in 2016-17. The Kings are hanging onto the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference but without star goaltender Jonathan Quick (what up ZooMass?) out until March with a groin injury, it's doubtful that they'll be able to hang on to it. The B's will have to take advantage of playing a West Coast team on Sunday afternoon (1, NESN), granted the Kings' bodies should be used to the Eastern Time zone by then.

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In the First Half Finale Before the All-Star Break, Bruins Fall Flat Against Ducks, 6-2

In their third and final chance of the regular season, the Bruins (26-18-5) finally solved the Flyers last night in Philadelphia (3-2 win). This evening, Boston returned home to face Anaheim (22-18-7) who had been off and hanging around here since Saturday night. You can guess what happened next since the B's were simply out of gas while the Ducks improved to 10-3-1 since Christmas break with a 6-2 victory.

The final score made it seem much worse than it actually was since Anaheim scored an empty-netter and added another garbage time goal with 32 seconds left in regulation. Still, it was yet another chance that Boston had to reach the .500 mark at TD Garden (11-13-2) but they failed to do so once again. Jonas Gustavsson (14 saves) made the start for Boston, however he was pulled after the first period and transported to Mass General Hospital for further observation with an undisclosed illness. Hopefully it's not the heart condition that marred his earlier NHL career. Tuukka Rask (19 saves) played the final two periods and took the loss.

The B's actually struck first, just 40 seconds into the contest as Zach Trotman scored his first goal of the season. His blast from the point was assisted by David Krejci and former Duck Matt Beleskey. Anaheim tied it less than eight minutes later as Corey Perry was the beneficiary of a giveaway by Trotman behind his own net. David Perron stole the puck and fed Perry for his 20th goal of the season at 7:54. After Patrice Bergeron was called for tripping, the Ducks took a 2-1 lead on Shea Theodore's power play goal at 14:27. His wrist shot through traffic was assisted by Perry and Sami Vatanen.

The second period was what won it for Anaheim as they outscored Boston 2-0 to take a commanding 4-1 advantage into the third. Perron (acquired from Pittsburgh on January 15 in the Carl Hagelin trade) backhanded in a rebound at 11:06. Chris Stewart and Ryan Getzlaf assisted on Perron's sixth goal of the season. The Ducks put it out of reach with a late tally as Kevin Bieksa wired one in from just inside the blue line. Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler assisted on his second goal of the season.

Boston showed some signs of life early in the final frame as Zdeno Chara wristed a shot past Frederik Andersen (32 saves) at 2:04. Ryan Spooner and Beleskey assisted on the captain's seventh goal of the season. It really could have gotten interesting if the B's had potted another but Torey Krug's shot hit the crossbar and they couldn't convert a power play (they were 0 for 4 on the night). Kesler scored the empty-netter and Santorelli poked a loose puck in to round out the scoring.

Bergeron will be going to Nashville this weekend for the All-Star Game but the rest of the team figure to scatter around the globe since their next game isn't until a week from tonight vs. Toronto (17-21-9) at the Garden (7, NESN). Boston has 33 games left and believe it or not, they currently sit in third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Granted, they are only a point ahead of both the Lightning and Islanders (who have both played fewer games). Other than Washington at the top and Buffalo, Toronto and Columbus at the bottom, the rest of the East is very muddled. That should make for an exciting trade deadline and last few months before the playoffs start in April.

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Bruins Blow Late Lead, Fall 3-2 in Overtime vs. Ducks

With Ottawa getting blown out 5-1 by the Rangers tonight, the Bruins had the perfect opportunity to go back ahead of the Senators if they could just hang on for a 2-1 win vs. Anaheim tonight at TD Garden. Predictably, Boston (36-25-13) gave up the tying goal to Corey Perry with 39 seconds left in regulation when the Ducks (47-22-7) had Frederik Andersen (27 saves) on the bench for an extra skater. Their other superstar Ryan Getzlaf won it with an absolute snipe at 3:09 into overtime. The Senators and Bruins both have 85 points but Ottawa has played one less game.

After a scoreless first period, Anaheim stuck first as Patrick Maroon (great name) made Matt Bartkowski look silly. He blew by him then beat Tuukka Rask (29-19-12; 29 saves) for the 1-0 Ducks lead at 10:18. Clayton Stoner and Sami Vatanen assisted on Maroon's ninth goal of the season. Boston's power play goal helped them tie it up less than three minutes later. Rookie Ryan Spooner shot the puck through Andersen's five-hole for his sixth goal of the season at 13:07. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci (playing for the first time since February 20) had the assists.

Boston's power play struck again 27 seconds into the third period. Andersen left a juicy rebound that Loui Eriksson was able to knock in for his 19th goal of the season. Torey Krug had the primary assist and Krejci picked up his second helper of the evening. Perry's goal was a classic goal-scorer's tally as he parked himself in front of Rask and tipped in Getzlaf's shot. Cam Fowler had the other assist on Perry's 32nd goal of the season.

The Ducks only had two power plays in the entire game but when Zdeno Chara got called for a bogus hooking penalty 38 seconds into overtime, you had to think that Anaheim would end it right there. It's a credit to the B's that they were able to kill off that 4-on-3. Getzlaf's game-winner came off a pretty innocent play as he skated in basically by himself against two Boston defensemen. He uncorked a very hard shot from a few strides inside the blue line that went up and under the crossbar.

Boston is off tomorrow before they host the Rangers (47-19-7) on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) then they travel to Carolina (27-36-10) on Sunday night (5, NESN). Needless to say, the Bruins can't afford to leave anymore points on the table like they did tonight.

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Insert Applicable Line from "The Mighty Ducks (1-3)" Here

If you missed the game and you just see the score or a few highlights (mostly Anaheim's) at some point tomorrow, you'd think that the Bruins got run over tonight in a 5-2 loss at the Honda Center. The truth is that Boston (28-13-2) played an excellent first period but couldn't score, gave up three power special teams goals and trailed 3-0 before rallying to make it 3-2.

However, from there Anaheim (32-8-5) did what championship teams (or at least ones with those lofty expectations) do: they crushed the B's with two late goals. Oh, the Ducks are now the team with the most points in the NHL (yes even more than Chicago) and they remained unbeaten at home (18-0-2) this entire season. I know they play in the West Coast and a lame market but it's time to start paying attention to this wagon.

The B's were already an underdog before Milan Lucic was a late scratch with the flu. I guess he just can't handle that beautiful California weather. That meant that Boston chose to use seven defensemen rather than the usual six. Turns out, that completely backfired.

Trust me when I say that Jonas Hiller (30 saves) stood on his head in the first period as Boston outshot Anaheim 16-3. His best stop was robbing Brad Marchand with a fantastic glove save. For some reason, the Bruins typically go to sleep in the second period and this night was no different as Mathieu Perreault and Corey Perry scored power play goals (that Tuukka Rask had no chance on) then Andrew Cogliano had a shorthanded goal after a wretched turnover by Reilly Smith manning the point during a Bruins man advantage (can't remember him doing that before).

I'm sure many that had stayed up in frozen New England at that point turned it off and boy did they miss so much! Seriously though, the B's actually made it a game for a while. Daniel Paille scored on a backhander with 16 seconds left in the second, cutting it to 3-1. Justin Florek (1st NHL point) and Gregory Campbell each had assists.

An even more unlikely source provided the second goal for Boston as Dougie Hamilton used screens by Jarome Iginla and Carl Soderberg to beat Hiller at 7:19. Hamilton's fourth goal of the season gave the Bruins hope for approximately 6:04, that is until BU product Nick Bonino scored Anaheim's third power play goal. The Ducks sealed it with another tally from Perreault (3 of his 9 goals this season have come in 2 games vs. Boston).

The middle game of Boston's tour in the Golden State is actually the most winnable: Thursday vs. Kings (26-13-5, 3rd in Pacific Division). Jonathan Quick is back but the Kings are just 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. It sounds like Lucic should be able to play which would be a big help (no pun intended) against a grinding team that plays a similar style to the B's.

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Happy Halloween from the Bruins, Courtesy of the Ducks

The Bruins were in danger of losing their third straight game and second in as many nights when Zdeno Chara came to the rescue. He scored a power play goal, his second goal of the season, with 2:50 left in regulation. Boston (8-4-0) still had some work to do but after surviving overtime, Jarome Iginla potted the only strike in the shootout as the Bruins outlasted the Ducks (10-3-1) 3-2.

Tuukka Rask (21 saves) started again even though he took the loss in Pittsburgh last night but he didn't seem fazed by the heavy workload. His teammates on the other hand looked dead for the most part (zombie alert!) as they managed one shot on goal in the first period, one! Devante Smith-Pelly had given Anaheim a 1-0 lead 1:52 into the game on a one-timer from Mathieu Perrault and Dustin Penner, before the crowd could settle into their seats with their elaborate costumes.

Carl Soderberg could have found himself back in the press box (as a healthy scratch) soon if he continued to coast but he bought himself some time by scoring his first NHL goal, at 12:45 of the second period to knot it at one. Chris Kelly had sent him in alone and he jammed it over the line past Jonas Hiller (21 saves). With the second assist, Ryan Spooner picked up his first point in the NHL.

The B's fell asleep again, late in the second period as Perreault turned and shot low by Rask who might have been screened. Smith-Pelly and Cam Fowler had the assists. Chara's goal came only eight seconds into the power play that he drew (tripping on Patrick Maroon). David Krejci was on the doorstep but he passed it to Chara who shoveled it in, Torey Krug had started the sequence by keeping the puck in Anaheim's end and shuttling it to Krejci-always a good plan.

It was the first overtime game for the Bruins this season and they normally struggle in shootouts but they got it done. Spooner was stopped, Nick Bonino was denied, Iginla scored, Corey Perry was stopped, Soderberg was stuffed and Ryan Getzlaf shot it off the post to end it. Considering the caliber of opponent and the fact that Anaheim had more rest, this was a very nice two points for the Bruins who lost Johnny Boychuk in the second period and had to play with five defensemen for the rest of the game.

Boston finishes this tough couple days (three games in four nights) at the Islanders (4-5-3) on Saturday (7, NESN). Despite their less than impressive record, New York is much improved (they pushed the Penguins to seven games in the first round of the playoffs last spring) but that's usually a place that the Bruins roll and put up big goal totals.

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Marty Turco Might Not Be So Worthless After All

I can't think of a much better way for the Boston Bruins to wrap up their last significant road trip of the 2011-12 regular season.

Not only did they get Rich Peverley back on the ice but backup goaltender Marty Turco (25 saves; 1-1-0) survived more than four minutes as the B's (44-28-3) held on for a 3-2 win tonight against the Ducks (32-33-11) at the Honda Center.

Boston has righted the ship, winning four out of its last five games after losing a season-high four in a row.

Boston went 2-1 in California, including consecutive wins on back-to-back nights. With only seven games left in the regular season (and due to the fact that he's ineligible for the playoffs), this at least showed that Turco should get another start or two down the stretch.

The offensive revelation for the Bruins the last few weeks, particularly on this trip, was the third line of Chris Kelly, Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. Tonight, they combined for two goals and four assists.

Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period and a 3-1 lead in the third but they had a few anxious minutes when Lubomir Visnovsky (6th of the season) scored an unassisted goal with 2:29 left in regulation.

Zdeno Chara (12th of the season) potted the first goal at 4:37 of the second on an unassisted slapshot past Jonas Hiller (22 saves). Before the Honda Center game ops guys could cue up Weezer's "My Name is Jonas,"-they really play that-Pouliot (13th of the season) finished a pretty pass from Kelly and Rolston at 5:59.

My hero, 41-year-old Teemu Selanne (24th of the season) got the Ducks on the board at 9:11 of the second thanks to a power-play goal. He tipped Cam Fowler's shot from the point with Ryan Getzlaf picking up the other assist.

If Pouliot's goal was pretty, Rolston's (7th of the season) in the third was a work of art. He blasted a one-timer from Kelly that was all started thanks to Pouliot's breakout pass before he got crushed along the boards in Boston's own defensive zone.

The regular season is rapidly ending, the Bruins only have seven more games. Four at home, three away, all against Eastern Conference teams (5 playoff teams, 2 that will miss out). A busy week (four games) begins on Tuesday as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning. When last seen, the Lightning hung a 6-1 loss on the B's in Tampa on March 13. It was probably the low point of the season (not including October) so Boston shouldn't need much motivation.

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All I want for Christmas is a new head coach for the Boston Bruins

It's a good thing most people were stuck in traffic last night during this winter's first snowfall (haha only two or three inches) or simply forgot the Boston Bruins had a home game against the Anaheim Ducks (on Versus).

Hopefully you missed the latest horrorshow in a season that is totally resembling last season in terms of its lack of consistency. The Ducks blanked the Bruins 3-0 at the TD Garden in front of a lifeless crowd, Boston's (17-11-4) fourth loss in its last five games.

I brought it up last Thursday when they lost to the Canadiens but it's time to really examine whether Bruins head coach Claude Julien is the right man for this job anymore. The team appears lost and there's no excuse because they have too much talent (especially in goal) to be this average.

Anaheim (18-15-4) scored a goal in the first period and two in the second period but the real hero was goaltender Jonas Hiller (45 saves), who played the best game by an opposing goalie so far this season.

Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made 22 saves in one of his most invisible performances of his epic season thus far.

Something named a Brandon McMillan gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead off a rebound at 5:57 of the first period. Luca Sbisa and Teemu Selanne assisted on that tally.

Gregory Campbell fought Kyle Chipchura early in the second period but it didn't get the Black and Yellow fired up or anything.

Anaheim defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky made it 2-0 (from Saku Koivu and Selanne) while Corey Perry ended it with a short-handed goal from McMillan and Andy Sutton.

Short sidenote: the Ducks top line of Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan is the NHL's best. Just three young studs that can do it all.

We shall see if the Bs will bounce back on Thursday night when they host the red-hot Atlanta Thrashers (who kicked their ass in Atlanta a few weeks ago). Another no-show by his team and Julien is one step closer to a long vacation.

Is Goldberg (the goalie) still alive?

As the Bruins embarked on a three-game West Coast road trip, I wondered why am I even going to watch these miserable games since I know the outcome (no wins)?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results so I guess I'm insane for the Black and Gold.

Boston (22-16-7) actually played a very entertaining game (with two great fights) and showed a lot of heart-which is all you can ask for right now-but still lost 4-3 to the Ducks (21-19-7) last night at the Honda Center.

It was Anaheim's fifth win in a row as they rallied from a 3-2 deficit entering the third period.

Dan Sexton scored a power-play goal with 46 seconds left in the first period to give the Ducks the 1-0 lead at the first intermission.

In one of its most inspired periods of the season, the Bruins pumped in three second period goals, giving them a precarious 3-2 lead heading into the third.

Zdeno Chara started it off with a blast from the point, his fourth goal of the season, from David Krejci and Michael Ryder. Believe it or not, Big Z actually leads the Bruins in points despite the fact that he's having a pretty ho hum offensive season thus far.

A little over three minutes later, the B's grabbed the 2-1 lead as Matt Hunwick scored his sixth of the season from Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm.

Somebody named Matt Beleskey tied it up for Anaheim after B's goalie Tukkaa Rask (28 saves) fumbled with the puck behind the net. Puck-handling is most certainly not the talented Fin's strong suit.

Next, Sturm tipped home a wrist shot by Recchi. Miroslav Satan also assisted. Since the Bruins have absolutely no goal-scoring prowess (have I mentioned that before?) a vast majority of their goals come from tip-ins (hello Recchi) and rebounds around the net. As my friend likes to say, "it's all about mucking and grinding!" Just thought you'd like to know that.

Rask's crazy Tim Thomas-style deflected save fell basically on the goal line and Ryan Getzlaf pounced on it early in the third for the Ducks. Then Steve Eminger's first NHL goal turned out to be the game-winner as Boston could not get one more by Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller (27 saves).

Boston travels to San Jose tonight to take on former star Joe Thornton and his all-star team of studs. It could get ugly which is precisely why I'll watch.

Good thing nobody cares about the NHL in October

For the second time in three games to start the 2009-2010 season, the Boston Bruins submitted a complete clunker.

Last night they went down 6-1 to the Anaheim Ducks at the TD Garden, in a game that the Bruins strangely enough led 1-0 after one period and looked fine.

The B's no-showed against the Caps in the season-opener (4-1), smoked the Hurricanes (7-2; I was there, maybe that's the missing ingredient) and then last night's pathetic display while everyone in New England waited for the Sox game to start.

Marco Sturm put the Bruins (1-2) up 1-0 in the first with a goal from Marc Savard and Dennis Wideman.

Anaheim (1-1-3) popped in three goals in both the second and third periods leaving the Garden quiet and empty by the end of the proceedings.

99-year-old Teemu Selanne started it off with two power-play goals 1:13 apart early in the second period. Corey Perry gave the Ducks a commanding 3-1 lead later in the second.

Evgeny Artyukin and Bobby Ryan put it out of reach and finally Perry notched a short-handed goal that was initially stopped by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas but then bounced off Perry's helmet into the goal. Haha, it was that kind of night.

Backup goalie Tukka Rask deserves a start tomorrow night at the Garden as the Bruins take on the New York Islanders.

Bruins back to drinking beer and kicking ass

The Boston Bruins' season hit a major roadblock in the last few weeks as they slogged through their most uninspired performances of the season.

In the last two games, however, the Bruins have returned to form and then some as they've thrown two major beatings at teams that are currently battling for playoff spots in their respective conferences.

Last night at the Garden, the B's (42-12-8) shutout the Anaheim Ducks (30-28-5), 6-0.

Between last night and Tuesday night's 6-1 dominance over the Panthers, Boston fans have been able to calm down with the trading deadline (next week) and playoffs looming on the horizon.

Was the absence of Michael Ryder during that tough stretch, the reason Boston struggled so bad? That sounds pretty far-fetched but it's hard to argue with his results: a goal and assist vs. Florida and two goals and a helper against the Ducks.

Anaheim tried to push Boston around, especially as the result of the contest seemed inevitable. A great sign for the B's is that they fought back. There were two fights (Shawn Thornton vs. George Parros and Milan Lucic pummelling Mike Brown) and a small skirmish with mild-mannered Marc Savard and Scott Niedermayer all in the second period.

Defenseman Matt Hunwick gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the first period, scoring his fourth of the season from Blake Wheeler and Ryder.

The Bruins erupted for four goals in the second period. Ryder (21st; David Krejci, Wheeler), Chuck Kobasew (13th; Zdeno Chara), Ryder (22nd on a power play, from Tim Thomas) and Kobasew (14th on a power play, from Dennis Wideman and Andrew Ference) had the tallies.

Ducks goalie Jean Sebastien-Giguere was yanked after allowing Kobasew's first goal. Backup goaltender Jonas Hiller wasn't much better as he also allowed three goals.

Rookie Byron Bitz rounded out the scoring with his fourth of the season from Ference and Hunwick in the third period.

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas made 35 saves while he recorded the shutout.

It's perfect that the B's have built a little momentum back up as Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Captials come to the Garden tomorrow afternoon. The top two teams in the Eastern Conference have already had some memorable games this season and it seems predestined that they'll meet deep in the playoffs this spring.