The Bruins Began Their 2023-24 Regular Season Campaign With A 3-1 Victory Vs. The Blackhawks

 

    It seems like only yesterday that the Bruins were choking away a 3-1 series lead and losing another excruciating Game 7 on their home ice, this time to the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs last spring. You cannot blame Boston's fans for having even more PTSD after the Bruins made the best regular season in NHL history nothing but a useless footnote. With that said, it is time to move on with our lives and focus on a new season for the Black and Gold. Additionally, with how terrible the Red Sox and Patriots are these days, we need the B's and the Celtics to be the title contenders that we believe them to be. Tonight, the B's hosted the Blackhawks (1-1-0) at TD Garden and they turned in a solid performance that resulted in a satisfying 3-1 win for the home team. 

    The league schedule makers did the Bruins a favor since Chicago had played last night (an unexpected 4-2 triumph in Pittsburgh). The Blackhawks received an early boost by their young phenom and the No. 1 overall pick center Connor Bedard who scored his first career goal at 5:37 of the first period with a nifty wraparound. Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (20 saves) was a little slow to react and the baby-faced 18-year-old Canadian corralled a rebound and quickly twisted around the cage to net what will be the first of likely hundreds of goals in the NHL. Former Bruins Taylor Hall-who later left with an upper body injury following a check from B's defenseman Brandon Carlo-and Ryan Donato (the pride of Harvard) provided the assists on Bedard's historic tally. Chicago's lone lead was brief though as Boston tied it up less than six minutes later. Left wing Trent Frederic deftly tipped in Carlo's shot from the point at 11:22. Rookie center Matthew Poitras picked up the second assist, the first career point for a 19-year-old who burst onto the scene at Boston's training camp and earned himself a surprise spot in the opening lineup. 

    It was knotted at 1-1 after the first period but the Bruins slowly started to take over against the understandably tired Blackhawks in the second period. They took a 2-1 lead midway through the frame that served as an early dose of Bruins porn for their always thirsty fans. Old friend and left wing Milan Lucic made his triumphant return to the Garden with a nice backhand assist to right wing David Pastrnak who ripped a low shot past Chicago's backup goalie something named Arvid Soderblom (30 saves) at 13:09. After scoring a career-high 61 goals last season, it is unlikely that Pastrnak will reach that lofty height this time around but as long as he can bag 40+ goals, the Bruins will take it. Boston led 2-1 heading into the third and you had a feeling that Chicago was gassed out. 
    Each club was 0-for-3 on the power play so the B's had to wait until the Blackhawks pulled Soderblom for an extra skater to finally put this one to bed. In his first official contest as captain Bruins left wing Brad Marchand won a puck battle along the wall and unselfishly gave up the puck to Pastrnak for an easy empty-net goal at 19:04. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy registered the second assist on David's second goal of the night. Overall, it was a fun game for the B's who saw two of their recent draft picks make their NHL debuts: center John Beecher and right wing Jakub Lauko who teamed up with Lucic on the very effective fourth line.

    Boston will practice for a few days before their next matchup-on Saturday night (7, NESN)- Nashville (0-1-0) pays them a visit. Following that matchup with another Western Conference club, the B's are off to California (San Jose, LA then Anaheim) and a return date with Chicago as their first road trip of this season is four games long. We are a few weeks away from Halloween so the weather is still pretty decent in New England and unless you are a hardcore fan, it is hard to focus on the Bruins this early. However, winter will be here soon enough and the Pats could be the worst team in the NFL so local sports fans need a team to put our unrealistic hopes on. Hello Bruins (and Celtics)! Longtime Bruins centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are now retired plus there is a decent amount of new faces on this roster. Last season was a forceful reminder that the regular season in hockey is mostly useless other than qualifying for the playoffs. Regardless, the NHL postseason does not start for a long time so we need entertainment until then and this likeable group should fill that void very well indeed.

Another Outstanding Bruin Calls It Quits As Center David Krejci Retires After 16 Seasons With Boston

 

    For whatever weird reason, it will not get nearly the same amount of fanfare that captain Patrice Bergeron retiring did but the news this morning that fellow Bruins center David Krejci is also hanging up his skates after 16 great seasons with Boston is undoubtedly another big moment in the franchise's long history. Like Bergy, Krech only ever played for the B's in the NHL and he was a 2011 Stanley Cup champion along with a member of the teams that fell just short in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals vs. Chicago and in 2019 vs. St. Louis. Bergeron is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame and while Krejci probably will not reach that pinnacle, he is a no-brainer to have his number in the rafters at TD Garden which is no small feat given all the excellent players that have competed for the Bruins over the years. 

    After going back to his homeland (Czech Republic) for one season during the pandemic to be around his extended family more, Krejci returned last season for one last go-around with the Bruins. Ever reliable, David totaled 786 career points (231 goals, 555 assists) and was plus-166 (!!!!) with 203 power play points (54 goals, 149 assists) in a whopping 1032 regular season games but what separated him in my eyes was the way that he usually seemed to take his game to the next level in the postseason. If you like clutch players in modern Bruins history (and who does not?), the soft-spoken and unassuming Krejci was likely one of your favorites. In 160 career Stanley Cup playoff games, he had 128 points (43 goals, 85 assists) and he was plus-20 with 37 power play points (13 goals, 24 assists). In addition to that, he twice led the NHL in playoff scoring including in 2011 when he put up 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) on the way to the Cup and in 2013 when he was arguably even better with 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists) in three less contests (22). Krejci was never flashy and especially early in his career, he drove Boston fans crazy when he did not shoot the puck enough in their learned eyes but we came to love him very much in due time.

    I will remember David for his underrated toughness and dependability as well. He was not the biggest or the most physical guy but he managed to suit up in so many games despite battling the typical injuries that accumulate during a normal NHL season. He twice played in 82 games, once in 81, once in 80 and three other times in 75+ games. That speaks to a person that truly loved his craft and took a certain pride in being available as much as he could. In addition to all that, he is one of the best players in the history of the Czech Republic which is a solid hockey country in Europe. When B's star right wing David Pastrnak came to Boston, getting the opportunity to play with Krejci was a dream come true since Krech had been one of his hockey idols growing up as a young Czech. How cool this past season that those two teamed up with their fellow countryman Pavel Zacha (at left wing) for an All-Czech second forward line. Not just a novelty, it was often Boston's most effective line and it had to have helped that they could all speak another language to each other while they were on the ice together. 

    Not to be a downer (however it is my blog so I will say what I want to!) but this is yet another sobering reminder that only a few players remain on the Bruins (or in the NHL for that matter) that were part of their last championship team in 2011: left wing Brad Marchand (who should be Boston's next captain) and left wing Milan Lucic who has been on a bunch of other teams before re-signing here earlier this summer on a cheap one-year deal. To paraphrase former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino, "Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas are not walking through that door fans, and if they do, they will be old and grey." Indeed, 12 years is a long time between titles for a proud Original Six club. Let's hope that the B's do not become a pathetic club like the Canadiens who last won a Cup in 1993 but still hopelessly cling to that since they have done very little that notable since then. Reliving past glory is fine in small doses but it is time for the Black and Gold to add some new positive chapters to their overall spotty resume.

Taylor Hall Is Sent To Chicago So Boston Can Get Some Salary Cap Relief Before Free Agency Starts

 

    With very little money left available under the salary cap, the Bruins needed to make some moves to clear some space that they hopefully can use on key free agents like winger Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston got what is sure to be a very busy week started this afternoon-with the NHL Awards show, the NHL Draft and NHL free agency all happening-by trading left wing Taylor Hall along with the rights to impending unrestricted free agent left wing Nick Foligno to the Blackhawks. In exchange, the B's received restricted free agent defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula who I had never heard of before now and truthfully, you have no clue who they are either. This was a good old fashioned salary dump plain and simple and hey maybe one of those guys gives Boston some quality depth in Providence (AHL) which they have lacked for years.

    After playing in Black and Gold for parts of three seasons, it is safe to say that Hall's time here was not all that memorable hence why it is fine to say goodbye to him at this juncture. There is a reason why Chicago will be the former No. 1 overall pick in 2010's sixth NHL club. He perhaps surprisingly proved to be a team-first guy with the Bruins but clearly, wins for the most part have not been a big aspect of his career and save for his random one-off Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) season in 2017-18 with the Devils, he has never really lived up to the hype and the eye-popping skills that show up from time to time. In 158 career regular season games with Boston, Hall had 44 goals, 67 assists and he was plus-37 with 12 power play goals. Those are perfectly respectable numbers but in what should be the prime of his career at age 31, he was relegated to the third line last season with the Bruins which is just not good enough no matter how you spin it. If he had showed more consistency, there is no doubt that they would have kept him since his cap hit for the next two years is only six million dollars for each season. 

    Ironically, Hall was one of Boston's few players that really showed up in their very depressing first round exit vs. Florida a few months ago where they lost in seven games after leading the series 3-1. Taylor had eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) against the Panthers and 17 overall (10 goals, 7 assists) in 25 career playoff games for the Spoked B. Foligno was obviously just a throw in to this deal but he might actually bring a little something to the rebuilding Blackhawks as well if they can sign him. He looked washed up in his first season as a Bruin but bounced back last year with twice as many points (26) on 10 goals and 16 assists. The former Blue Jackets captain is a great leader-at least that is what NESN's "Behind The B" has led us to believe-and if he is still interested in playing, he should be helpful for whatever time he spends in Chicago which will soon have Canadian phenom center Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick on Wednesday. 

    One last gut punch for the 2022-23 Bruins occurred tonight in Nashville at the NHL Awards as Boston came away with not one, not two but three major awards as expected. Center Patrice Bergeron extended his league record by winning a sixth Selke Trophy while goaltender Linus Ullmark won his first Vezina Trophy and head coach Jim Montgomery captured the Jack Adams Award in his first year in charge of Boston. Whatever became of their former head coach Bruce Cassidy anyway? Only the Bruins could pull off that nearly impossible feat and yet not advance out of the first round in that particular postseason. Ugh, they will never have a more loaded team than that as Ullmark and right wing David Pastrnak (runner-up to Connor McDavid for the Hart Trophy) were both named to the NHL's First Team while defenseman Hampus Lindholm (remember him?) was on the NHL's Second Team. No matter who is on the roster next season, Boston will still be one of the favorites to win their first Stanley Cup since 2011 but the PTSD caused from last season is sure to last for a very long time with true Bruins fans. 

UPDATE 6/27/23: This morning, Chicago signed Foligno to a one-year deal worth $4 million dollars. It turns out that being Bedard's babysitter is not such a bad life as you try to hang on in the NHL.

After A Brief Comeback, Tuukka Rask Officially Retires With One Very Complicated Bruins Legacy

 

    In my time as a Boston sports fan, I cannot recall a more polarizing figure than Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. No matter if you thought he was great or if you believed he was a complete choke artist, odds are that you were pretty dug in with that particular opinion. I bring this up tonight since earlier this afternoon, Rask put a pin on his ill-fated comeback attempt (which lasted just four starts) and he retired from the B's after his surgically-repaired hip didn't respond like he wanted it to. There are a few things that we can at least all agree on when it comes to Rask's career: Boston's trade for him-flipping mediocre goaltender Andrew Raycroft to the Maple Leafs in 2006-was one of the great steals in franchise history and he was an outstanding goalie at least when it came to the regular season. 

    Tuukka had the tough task of backing up then following a legend-Tim Thomas-but over parts of 15 seasons (all with Boston), he put up some wonderful numbers in the regular season: 308-165-66 with 2.28 goals against average, .921 save percentage and 52 shutouts. He was a two-time All-Star (in 2014 and 2020), won the Vezina Trophy in 2014 and combined with Jaroslav Halak to capture the William M. Jennings Trophy (lowest combined GAA) in 2020. Still for many those stats and accolades feel rather hollow since he never won a Cup as a starter (he was Thomas' backup for Boston's last title in 2011 vs. Vancouver). It's tough to blame him for losing in six games to the better Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final but 2019 vs. the Blues was the one that will sting him and his teammates forever since they lost Game 7 at TD Garden to what should have been an inferior St. Louis club that played over its head all postseason long. 

    Being Finnish also probably helped Rask in some ways to survive here for so long but it also didn't help his cause after tough regular season or especially postseason losses. Other than a well-publicized freak out when he was with the Providence Bruins (AHL) and a few random little incidents in the NHL, Rask was pretty even-keeled on the ice and almost flat-line in postgame interviews immediately after some brutal results. This is another instance where following Thomas who was so emotional was a bit of a curse for Rask. He took his job seriously but unlike many other pro athletes, it was clear that it didn't keep him up at night after he left the rink. While that is a healthy lifestyle choice, it didn't lend itself to desparate Bruins fans that wanted to see a guy that they believed was as passionate about the team as they are, as goofy as that might sound to an outsider. 

    Reputation can be a strange thing since when you look at Rask's playoff numbers, they are way better than you probably remember: 57-46 with .925 save percentage, 2.22 goals against average and seven shutouts. The ironic part about the heartbreaking loss to the Blues is that he had been Boston's best player throughout that postseason and he seemed to be exorcising many personal demons that is until the entire club fell flat on its face in the worst possible moment. Another thing you must consider when you think about Rask's legacy is that he was here for so long and also during such unprecidented success for both the Patriots and Red Sox. Suddenly, championships were all that mattered and we dumped on any players and teams that couldn't get them, even though the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports. I feel like time away from Rask will make us appreciate him at least a little bit more. We are all excited about Jeremy Swayman's potential but he is unlikely to match what Rask did in his long journey with the B's. Thanks for all the good times Tuukka, we just wish that you had gotten it done against St. Louis and then your whole career in Black and Gold would have a completely different final grade to it.

B's Use Up All Their Luck Rallying From Down 3-0 in 3rd, Losing 4-3 On Controversial Toews OT Goal

You can only tempt fate so much in sports and in life and lately, the Bruins (20-3-6) had been living on the edge (at least your lame uncle got that very dated Aerosmith reference). Time after time, they pulled points and more than a few wins out of thin air during the eight-game win streak. That came to an end though on Thursday at TD Garden as they fell 4-3 to lowly Chicago (11-12-5) in overtime as Jonathan Toews took down David Pastrnak (legally, I guess) then broke in a breakaway that ended with him sliding the puck under Tuukka Rask (27 saves, 13-2-3) with a backhand shot 54 seconds into the extra frame-the only shot on goal for either team. Connor Murphy had the lone assist on Chicago's captain's fifth goal of the season.

The game could be broken down into three chewable segments: 1) where Chicago jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the third period; 2) Boston rallied for an epic comeback with three goals in the third; 3) the no-call and wet fart of a way to end what turned out to be a pretty entertaining contest between two teams going in completely different directions. Fear not, for even though the Bruins' win streak is over, they still managed to breath more life into their overall point streak (9-0-4) and they remain unbeaten at home in regulation this season (12-0-5)-only four games back from their best home start ever (19-0-2 in 1973).

Looking back, this probably served as a classic trap game for the Black and Gold both because of the weak opponent on the schedule this evening and the true Stanley Cup contender coming to visit on Saturday night (7, NESN)-Colorado (18-8-2) to close out their season-high five game homestand. Regardless of the excuse that you choose, they should have been better against the ghost of those great Blackhawks teams from earlier this decade with only Patrick Kane, Toews, Duncan Keith (out with a groin injury), Brent Seabrook, Brandon Saad and Corey Crawford (backup goalie tonight) left over from those powerhouse clubs that won Cups in 2010, 2013 (no Bruins fan sadly will ever forget that one) and 2015.

Rask was also outplayed by Robin Lehner (37 saves, 6-5-3) which should never happen in 2019 or really any year for that matter. Chicago struggles to put the puck in the net (among many other issues) but they somehow scored twice 37 seconds apart late in the first period thanks to their special teams units. Ryan Carpenter put in a rebound at 18:14 off of a save by Rask on Murphy's initial shot. Carpenter's first goal of the season was the third career shorthanded goal of his NHL career and first shorthanded goal allowed by the Bruins this season. After missing the last four games with an injury, the Blackhawks' promising young center Dylan Strome doubled their lead by tipping in a shot by Erik Gustafsson on the power play. Strome's sixth goal of the season was also assisted by Kane who has 11 goals and 14 assists in his last 17 games which is all the more impressive considering the nobodies that dot Chicago's current roster.

Boston's number two ranked power play in the NHL had plenty of chances but they ultimately finished 0 for 4 which is never going to get it done, particularly when you allow a power play tally to the 27th ranked man advantage in the league. Ugh. When Alex DeBrincat (6th goal of the season from Strome and Calvin de Haan) sniped a shot past Rask 17 seconds into the third period for a 3-0 Blackhawks lead, I wouldn't blame you if you decided to change the channel or turned your TV off altogether (who cares about Bears-Cowboys anyway?). It just didn't feel like the Bruins' night, that is until Joakim Nordstrom of all people gave everybody at the Garden something to cheer about with a goal at 1:49 of the third period. Nordstrom's third goal of the season was his first since Nov. 12 vs. Florida but who's counting? David Backes had the primary assist after Lehner stopped his shot but kicked the rebound right to Nordy to put in with Charlie McAvoy getting the other helper.

At that point, it only looked like the Bruins would avoid the embarrassment of a shutout. Pasta got drilled by a possibly suspendable hit from Zack Smith that led to John Moore (making his 2019-20 Bruins debut after off-season shoulder surgery) dropping the gloves in his defense and getting knocked down in the first round. He went right to Boston's dressing room but thankfully returned shortly after that. It would have been pretty depressing if he got a fresh injury that soon, after all he was just doing the right thing by standing up for his star teammate.

Chicago finally looked like one of the worst teams in the NHL when the Bruins applied a little game pressure to them. The Blackhawks were on the power play after a roughing penalty on Charlie Coyle but Chris Wagner broke out for a shorthanded chance that turned into a breakaway when Gustafsson comically blew a tire (lost his footing And-1 mixtape style). Wagner skipped his usual backhand move for a strong forehand into the top corner, his second goal of the season (1st since Oct. 29 vs. San Jose) was assisted by Sean Kuraly and Matt Grzelcyk at 15:01. It almost feels routine but at that point, you pretty much knew that Boston would at the very least tie it up. Lo and behold, Torey Krug did the honors as he smashed in a one-timer into the corner of the net after a sweet behind the net feed by Jake DeBrusk. Krug's fourth goal of the season came at 17:27 and it ended up giving Boston that precious point.

It was inevitable that Boston would lose again sometime soon and truth be told, they would always prefer to have that happen against a Western Conference team rather than an Atlantic Division or even Eastern Conference foe. The Bruins currently have the fewest losses in regulation this season and you have to go back nearly two months (Oct. 10 in Denver) for when the Avalanche tagged them with one of those rare defeats (4-2). Colorado has battled through a ton of injuries to some of their better players (Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Andre Burakovsky to name a few) but they should have close to a full lineup for Saturday's showdown with the Bruins. It is the end of a three-game road trip for the Avs but they should have plenty of juice since they have won five straight games (3-2 tonight in Montreal) and they are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games with a 10-5-1 record on the road. Center Nathan MacKinnon (18 goals, 26 assists) is one of the best players in the NHL pushing for a Hart Trophy (regular season MVP) while UMass Amherst product defenseman Cale Makar (8 goals, 20 assists) has to be a front-runner for the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year). In other words, you don't want to miss this game even if you have to DVR it cause you have other plans on a Saturday night-what a concept!

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Who Needs Pastrnak? The B's Double Up the Hawks 6-3 As They Win Their 3rd Game In 4 Days

However it happened (drunkenly?) late on Sunday night somewhere in Boston, the end result was that Bruins (32-17-8) star David Pastrnak (31 goals, 35 assists) is out indefinitely following thumb surgery. This was all revealed to the world on Tuesday morning after morning skate so naturally, the B's weren't affected by this shocking news in the least bit as they thumped the Blackhawks (23-25-9) 6-3 tonight at TD Garden as they have earned points in eight games in a row (5-0-3). No matter that Chicago was the hottest team in the league, having won seven games in a row before this. Eight different Bruins recorded points led by Brad Marchand (goal, 3 assists), David Krejci (2 goals, assist), Jake DeBrusk (goal, 2 assists), Danton Heinen (goal, 2 assists) and Patrice Bergeron (2 assists). Tuukka Rask (23 saves, 18-8-4) gave up a howler of an opening goal but still managed to extend his point streak to 12 games (10-0-2).

Earlier in the season, Alex DeBrincat's "goal" that Rask somehow wasn't able to stop despite the fact that it was right at him from a mile away would have derailed the entire team. That was DeBrincat's 29th goal of the season (9-game point streak), assisted by Dominik Kahun and Dylan Strome at 4:22 of the first period. Boston quickly picked themselves up off the ice by scoring three goals to close out the first period and they added another in the second for a commanding 4-1 advantage. Krejci fittingly tied it with a power-play goal from Pasta's office. His one-timer (13th goal of the season) was assisted by Bergeron (5-game point streak) and DeBrusk at 14:47. 49 seconds later, the Bruins went ahead for good on Heinen's tally. Bumped up to first line for the last few games, Heinen has predictably been a totally different player (who wouldn't be with Bergy and Marchy?). His ninth goal of the season was assisted by Marchand (5-game point streak) and Chara. Before Merrimack College's Collin Delia (31 saves, 6-3-3) knew what hit him, Marchand made it 3-1 at 18:59. Heinen and Bergeron notched the assists on Marchand's 22nd goal of the season.

Boston survived a 5-on-3 penalty kill in the first and Chicago did the same in the second before DeBrusk finally picked up his first goal in over a month (Jan. 8 vs. Minnesota). He deflected in Krejci's pass just as a Bruins power play ended, for his 15th goal of the season with Marchand adding the other helper. Duncan Keith (game-high 23:25) cut the deficit to 4-2 with a blast from the point with 23 seconds left in the second period. Connor Murphy and Kahun had the assists on Keith's third goal of the season. It got interesting for a few minutes in the third as the Bruins allowed Erik Gustafsson to walk right into the slot and fire a snipe by Rask at 4:48. Keith and Patrick Kane (15-game point streak!) had the assists on Gustafsson's 12th goal of the season.

It was a big night for Boston's special teams as their power play scored two goals against Chicago's league-worst penalty kill while the Bruins PK was a flawless 3-for-3. Rookie Peter Cehlarik (4th goal of the season) put in a pretty pass from Heinen and Torey Krug for the other goal on the man-advantage at 7:18. Krejci officially sealed it at 6-3 with another nice goal at 15:42, assisted by Marchand and DeBrusk. This was Bruce Cassidy's 100th win as Bruins head coach (in 166 games) and he did it faster than everyone except good old Tom Johnson back in 1971-72 (138 games).

The B's won't be in the Garden for two full weeks as they head out on a five-game West Coast road trip. They are in Anaheim (21-26-9)-the worst team in the Western Conference that just fired their head coach Randy Carlyle-on Friday (10, NESN) followed by a game in LA (23-28-5) the next night (10:30, NESN). The difficulty should pick up on Monday (10, NESN) as they take on old friend Joe Thornton and the Sharks (34-16-7). After that, they are in Vegas (31-22-4) on Wednesday (10, NESN). It all ends in St. Louis (28-22-5) a week from Saturday afternoon (4, NESN). The Bruins' next home game is two weeks from tonight vs. San Jose (7, NESN). Load up on Red Bull or the energy drink of your choice since there are a bunch of late nights coming up for the Black and Gold.

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"Apparently You Need to Score A Goal(s) to Win Hockey Games At Home, Who Knew?"-The Bruins

The Bruins (23-20-6) were shut out by the lowly Islanders (18-17-8) on Monday and they blew a pair of three-goal leads at Detroit (20-19-7) in Wednesday's crushing shootout loss so naturally they slinked home to TD Garden and lost 1-0 to the Blackhawks (29-14-5) this evening on Causeway Street. What made this loss even more rough (besides the fact that the Bruins were shut out in back-to-back home games for the first time since 2003) is that Chicago's Marian Hossa scored the game-winning goal with 1:26 left in regulation. Is that it for Claude Julien, the NHL's longest tenured head coach? It probably should be but judging by the way that he's skated by consecutive non-playoff appearances, he'll probably get an extension by the end of the weekend.

As usual, the Bruins had way more shot attempts (61-42) but that means little when you can't hit the broad side of a barn with a majority of said shots. The first period was a classic Boston fruitless frame from the last few seasons as they dominated (outshooting Chicago 17-6) but had nothing to show for it. Neither power play made an impact as Chicago was 0-for-3 and Boston was 0-for-2.

This was the end of a long road trip for the Blackhawks and you can bet that this proud team will be squarely in the Western Conference playoff mix this spring as they have been for the better part of the last decade. Corey Crawford had started the last five games so former University of Maine goaltender Scott Darling (12-4-2) made 30 saves for his second shutout of the season and fourth of his career. In the battle of Original Six rivals, Chicago notched its 42nd all-time shutout of Boston but only 12th here. More interesting, the Blackhawks' previous shutout in Boston was turned in by Tony Esposito on Jan. 17, 1970 (just 13 years before I was born).

If it feels like Boston has played an inordinate amount of one-goal games (10-8-6), you are correct my friend. This was the second time in this campaign that the B's dropped a 1-0 decision with the game-winning goal being allowed in the last two minutes of regulation (Nov. 17 vs. Minnesota). It certainly wasn't Tuukka Rask's fault (22-11-4), he made 21 saves and no goalie in the world would have stopped Hossa's sweet one-timer. People named Tanner Kero and Vinnie Hinostroza (which sound completely made up) had the assists on Hossa's 17th goal of the season.

The Bruins wasted a great defensive effort as they nullified the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin, etc. To not get at least a point from that contest seems cruel but somehow fitting with how this season has begun to circle the drain with three straight losses. Will we see any changes behind Boston's bench or on their roster by the next time that we see them on Sunday afternoon (3, NESN) at Pittsburgh (29-11-5)? Time will tell but look out for the Penguins who hung a TD & PAT at Carolina (21-17-7) tonight in a 7-1 whitewashing. The defending champs are an NHL-best 19-2-2 at PPG Paints Arena and they have scored the most goals (164) in the league. Haha maybe it'll be the old reverse lock for Claude and his boys?

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Just As We All Predicted, The Bruins Picked Up Their Best Win of the Season vs. Blackhawks (4-2)

Just when you think that you have the 2015-16 Bruins (36-23-6) figured out (well sort of), they pull a really impressive 4-2 victory against the Blackhawks (40-21-5) out of thin New England air. Chicago (bandwagon) fans will undoubtedly use the excuse that they were playing in the second game of a back-to-back (after winning 3-2 last night in Detroit) and their average backup goaltender Scott Darling (21 saves) got the start but such are the breaks in a laborious 82-game regular season.

Boston picked up consecutive home wins for the first time since December 18 and 20 while head coach Claude Julien tied Art Ross for the most regular season wins in franchise history (387). Finally, Patrice Bergeron's assist was the 606th point of his Bruins career, tying him with Boston legend Terry O'Reilly for eighth-place on the team's all-time points list. The B's led basically from start to finish as the defending Stanley Cup champs lacked their usual jump and could only knot it at one before Boston put it out of reach with three goals in a row.

It has only been two games but Lee Stempniak's Bruins career has begun on a high note as he had two assists tonight. He adds the veteran experience and all-around game to the excellent Bergeron-Brad Marchand line that was lacking when they had to carry the useless Brett Connolly for much of the season. Bergeron opened the scoring only 1:18 into the contest as he wrapped around Chicago's net and roofed a shot past Darling. Marchand and Stempniak assisted on Bergeron's 25th goal of the season.

Rookie Noel Acciari was called for two bogus hooking calls in his second NHL game (Welcome to the Show!) and the Blackhawks took advantage of the first one when captain Jonathan Toews popped in a rebound at 14:14 of the first period on the power play. Some of Chicago's newest players-Andrew Ladd and Christian Ehrhoff-had the assists on Toews' 23rd goal of the season. Like a good team, Boston closed the opening frame with an important goal by Marchand. His snipe from some distance beat Darling with 22 seconds left; Torey Krug and Stempniak had the helpers on Marchand's team-leading 33rd goal of the season.

For once at home, the Bruins took some momentum and seemingly carried it over to the following period as Ryan Spooner scored a power play goal at 2:31. His screened shot (nice job by Eriksson) beat Darling for his 12th goal of the season. Krug and Bergeron picked up multiple points with those particular assists. Loui put it out of reach with a gorgeous goal at 15:24 of the second. The other new Bruin John-Michael Liles tossed a beautiful saucer pass that Eriksson redirected with his backhand. David Krejci had the second assist on Eriksson's 24th goal of the season.

Chicago's final tally came from former Canadien Tomas Fleischmann who shot a rocket over Tuukka Rask's (25 saves) shoulder at 19:10 of the second. Teuvo Teravainen and Niklas Hjalmarsson had the assists on Fleischmann's 11th goal of the season (1st point as a Blackhawk). The Blackhawks put plenty of pressure on the Bruins in the third, outshooting them 11-2 but Boston blocked 17 shots and Rask did the rest. It was nice to see them show that they can still put together a successful defensive game-plan from time to time that mostly shut down one of the league's truly elite teams.

Speaking of top-notch clubs, the one with the most points-Washington (47-12-4)-will be here on Saturday (7, NESN) to serve as another playoff-like test for the Black and Gold. It will be the third straight time that a visiting team comes to TD Garden in the second night of a back-to-back. The Capitals host the Rangers tomorrow before getting into the Hub late night on Friday, perhaps hitting last call at The Harp before they tuck themselves in? Alex Ovechkin is having an MVP-type campaign and Braden Holtby has been the best goaltender in the NHL so it's well worth your time to tune in to see Washington. Boston will bid for that elusive .500 mark at the Garden (15-16-3), something simple which they stil haven't tasted so far in 2015-16.

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Just As Nobody Predicted: Bruins End Nightmare Road Trip with 6-2 Blowout Win in Chicago

There are a million reasons why we watch sports: the competition, escape, entertainment, etc. However, today's Bruins-Blackhawks game was another underrated point: the unexpected. Riding a season-long six-game losing streak (0-4-2) into Chicago (35-20-5), Boston (29-21-9) closed out its brutal five-game road trip with a thrilling 6-2 victory this afternoon at the United Center. To say that no one saw that result coming would be the understatement of the season. Also, I really don't think that it is hyperbole (something I despise) to say that this win could have saved (at least temporarily) Boston's season.

So how did the B's do it? They knocked off one of the top teams in the NHL by getting the type of team-wide production (six different goal-scorers, 12 guys with points) that they have been missing for most of this up and down campaign. Boston scored a season-high in goals and tied for their biggest win (4-0 at Buffalo on Oct. 18) while tying the most goals that Chicago has allowed and their largest margin of defeat. The amazing part is that they did all that without the services of David Krejci who is out with his "upper-body" (knee?) injury.

The Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the game as Patrice Bergeron crashed the net to re-direct a beautiful spinning backhand pass from Reilly Smith. Brad Marchand had the second assist on Bergeron's team-leading (tied with Marchand) 17th goal of the season. It was 2-0 at 14:03 as Loui Eriksson tipped in Torey Krug's shot for a power-play goal. Dougie Hamilton had the second assist on Eriksson's 14th goal of the season.

Everything has been a chore lately for the B's so naturally we expected the worst when Tuukka Rask (26 saves) took a penalty with eight seconds left in the first for delay of game (going outside of the lines behind the net). Jonathan Toews scored with two seconds left, the power-play goal cutting it to 2-1. What felt even more frustrating (maybe) was that Rask was tagged with yet another penalty after slamming his stick against the post following Toews' 17th goal of the season (assisted by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith). Kris Versteeg took a Canadiens-like flop after Rask's stick barely touched him. Honestly, he should be fined for that garbage.

Luckily Boston killed off that second penalty on Rask and they used that momentum to hit Chicago with four goals in the second period. That's right, the Bruins outscored the Blackhawks 4-0 in the second on their home ice. Shocking, I know. Milan Lucic snapped a seven-game goalless streak by batting the puck in from close range at 6:18. His 12th goal of the season was assisted by David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner (who was called up today from Providence while Malcolm Subban was sent down). Adam McQuaid and Daniel Carcillo had a lengthy bout shortly after that but it didn't spark Chicago one bit. In fact, Gregory Campbell scored from the slot (his 6th goal of the season) at 12:19 from Brian Ferlin and Dennis Seidenberg which ended Corey Crawford's day (10 saves) a tad early.

Poor Antti Raanta (14 saves) wasn't much help either as he gave up a soft goal to Dougie Hamilton at 17:27 (his 10th of the season, 5th on the PP) from Bergeron. Then Smith answered Chicago's last-second goal from the first with his own with four seconds left in the frame. His 12th of the season, from Bergeron, gave Boston an incredible 6-1 lead after two periods. Haha still given the way that they had blown a three-goal lead earlier in the trip at Calgary, B's fans didn't feel safe until there was only a few minutes left in regulation.

Bryan Bickell had a garbage goal in the third period for the Blackhawks but nothing at that point could derail some long overdue happiness for the Black and Gold. The trade deadline is a week from tomorrow so who knows if this saved any Bruins' jobs or not? After two weeks away, they finally return to TD Garden on Tuesday (7, NESN) to play Vancouver (34-22-3) who blew them out 5-2 to start the trip on Feb. 13. However, their star goaltender Ryan Miller got hurt today vs. Islanders so it looks like he'll miss that one. After that, Boston goes to New Jersey (24-26-9) on Friday (7, NESN) then hosts Arizona (20-32-7) on Saturday (5:30, NESN). I'm not predicting a win-streak here for the Bruins but let's admit this looks like a favorable week for them-on paper at least.

Florida is three points behind Boston for eighth-place in the Eastern Conference and Philadelphia has closed to within four (although they've played one more game) so every point is vital from here on out. Today was proof that the B's still have something left, now the question is how to bring that type of effort more consistently.

UPDATE 2/24: Many injuries to report for the Bruins. Kevan Miller is done for the season after shoulder surgery, Krejci is out for 4-6 weeks with a partially torn MCL in his left knee and Gregory Campbell is out for a week (or more?) with an upper-body injury.

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Chara Returns but Nothing Stops the Chicago Steamroller from Winning Its 8th Straight Game

I still can't get over how enjoyable it has to be these days for Blackhawks fans. Their team has it all: skill, brawn, speed, depth, good goaltending, solid coaching, etc. Further proof that Chicago (20-8-1) is a machine was proven tonight at TD Garden as they held off Boston (15-13-1) 3-2. The Blackhawks opened up a 3-0 lead in the second period and were able to withstand a ton of pressure by the desperate B's who saw the return of captain Zdeno Chara after nearly two months away (knee injury).

Chicago won its eighth straight game (longest streak in the NHL this season) and the fact that the immortal Scott Darling (32 saves) was the No. 1 star (and deservedly so) shows that they can put virtually anybody in the net and he'll succeed. Starter Corey Crawford is out with a leg injury but it clearly hasn't slowed his team down one bit. Oh and the Blackhawks first two goals were scored by something called Klas Dahlbeck and former BC Eagle Ben Smith.

Dahlbeck's one-timer from Smith and Marcus Kruger at 9:10 of the first period was the Swede's first career NHL goal. I can't wait to tell my grandkids about that, haha "I saw Klas' first NHL goal, I was there!" Like any good fourth-liner, Smith hunted down a rebound at 18:43 and snapped it by Tuukka Rask (18 saves) before he had time to react. Goon Dan Carcillo and Kruger assisted on Smith's third goal of the season.

The Bruins started to wake up in the second period (outshooting the Blackhawks 10-7) as Patrice Bergeron hit the post but when Patrick Kane roofed it for a 3-0 lead at 13:19, you knew it was over given Boston's typical struggles to score against quality opponents or anyone really. Kane's 13th goal of the season was assisted by Kris Versteeg.

For the B's to have any sliver of hope, they needed a goal before the second period was over and Reilly Smith delivered at 18:37. Brad Marchand's pass from behind Chicago's net hit the outside of the goal before Smith banged it home. That deflection was probably enough to throw Darling off the scent. Patrice Bergeron assisted on Smith's seventh goal of the season.

The third period was one of Boston's best of the season (outshooting Chicago 10-2) but like so many other times already, they fell short despite a ton of effort and glorious chances. Torey Krug cut it to 3-2 Blackhawks at 12:17 after an awesome individual play by Milan Lucic (who earlier in the frame had hit the post). Looch split two defensemen then passed it back to Krug for the one-timer, his fifth goal of the season. Andrew Shaw wasn't amused as he cross checked Lucic well after the play which resulted in a fight with Chris Kelly. Wait what? Haha yes mild-mannered Chris Kelly dropped the gloves for the first time since the 2010-11 regular season.

Jonathan Toews was hit awkwardly into the boards by Dennis Seidenberg midway through the second period but even though he clearly had a concussion (apparently nobody remembered his history) the Blackhawks let him stay out there. It was stunning then but quite predictable when he didn't return to start the third period. Hopefully he's ok. I don't think Seidenberg deserves to get suspended but we already know that player safety will take a look at it. He's so strong and Toews was caught in an awkward position that the hit ended up being worse than I'm sure it was intended. On Seideberg's side is the fact that he's never been fined or suspended.

After nearly two weeks between home games, Boston is at the Garden once more-on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) they face Ottawa (11-12-5) who is a complete mess after firing head coach Paul MacLean earlier this week. Then it's off on another week-long three game (Nashville, Minnesota and Winnipeg) road trip for the Black and Gold. They need points before they start falling too far behind all the Eastern Conference teams that are playing well.

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Are the Bruins the Team to Beat Heading Into the Playoffs?

After watching the Bruins calmly dispatch the Blackhawks 3-0 tonight at TD Garden, my first reaction was "man, that was easy." Chicago (42-17-5) is missing Patrick Kane but on a team that deep and at the start of a road trip, they had no excuse for getting beat so soundly. Boston (50-17-6) has a 14-game point streak (13-0-1) and Tuukka Rask (28 saves) picked up his seventh shutout of the season (NHL best) and 23rd of his career.

Patrice Bergeron has been absolutely on fire lately and he potted two more goals bookmarking this thorough domination. At 11:50 of the first period, he tipped in Matt Bartkowski's shot from the point past Corey Crawford (20 saves). Daniel Paille assisted on Bergeron's 24th goal of the season.

One of the reasons this game seemed to go by so fast, unlike Bruins-Canadiens on Monday, is that there were only three combined penalties. Boston scored twice in the third period to put away two of their most impressive points of the season (also avenging a 3-2 shootout loss in Chicago on January 19 that you might have missed since it was right before Patriots-Broncos).

Carl Soderberg continues to build his campaign for the Seventh Player award, he followed a juicy rebound for his 14th goal of the season at 5:28. Chris Kelly and Johnny Boychuk had the assists. In Game 6 of last season's Stanley Cup Final, Chicago famously scored their last two goals in 17 stunning seconds. The Bruins got them back just a little bit this evening as Bergeron added his second goal 13 seconds after Soderberg. It was pretty hilarious too since Crawford looked like Goldberg from the Mighty Ducks movies as he intentionally pulled the net off its mooring so the puck wouldn't go in. I can't remember ever seeing an NHL goaltender do that. Brad Marchand assisted on that odd goal for Bergy.

I hadn't noticed until tonight that even though Boston has nine games left in the regular season, only two of them (April 5 vs. Flyers and April 12 vs. Sabres) are at the Garden. They are on the road for over a week and for the next four games beginning with a back-to-back this weekend in Washington (34-27-12) on Saturday (12:30, NESN) and Philadelphia (38-27-7) on Sunday (7:30, NBTC).

The Atlantic Division crown is a formality at this point and the President's Trophy is a real possibility since the Bruins are only one point behind the Blues. We'll see how they play it since they are also going to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference sooner rather than later (up 9 points on the Penguins).

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Before the Pats Lost In Denver, Bruins Lost In Chicago

Odds are that you didn't really focus all your time and energy on Bruins-Blackhawks this afternoon while you got ready for Patriots-Broncos and that's a shame because it was way more entertaining. Boston (30-15-3) also came up on the short end, with a 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago (32-8-11) at the United Center but unlike the Pats, there is plenty to build on with many games left.

The biggest positive for the Bruins was Brad Marchand. I say this not just because he scored both of their goals but he's finally playing like himself. He is prone to disappearing for weeks since he's not overly talented or big but when Marchand is on top of his game, look out.

Marian Hossa gave Chicago a 1-0 lead at 4:13. He scored on a one-timer from Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Marchand tied it with 19 seconds left in the frame. After forcing a turnover at center ice, Marchand picked a corner around Corey Crawford (34 saves). Patrice Bergeron and Adam McQuaid had the assists on Marchand's 13th goal of the season.

Marchand made it 2-1 just 50 seconds into the second period after he beat Crawford with a nifty move. Reilly Smith and Johnny Boychuk assisted on Marchand's breakaway.

Boston's lead was short-lived though as Tuukka Rask (35 saves) gave up a goal as soft as a dirty diaper at 9:44. Goon Brandon Bollig snuck one into the net on the short side which should basically never happen in the NHL against someone of his limited ability.

You hate to see a great game like this decided in a shootout but it's the regular season so what can you do? Jonathan Toews scored, Marchand answered it but Patrick Kane said good night.

I wish we didn't have to wait more than two months for the next Bruins-Blackhawks encounter: Thursday, March 27 at TD Garden. And while we're at it, can the NHL rig it like the NBA to get these teams back in the Stanley Cup Final again? Please and thank you.

UPDATE 1/19: The Bruins called up defenseman Zach Trotman on an emergency basis. He'll be available vs. Kings after Adam McQuaid left the game vs. Blackhawks with an undisclosed injury.


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Bruins Make Tuukka Rask The Highest Paid Goaltender In The NHL

Ever since the Bruins' 2013 season ended a few weeks ago with a loss in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Chicago Blackhawks, it's been assumed that Boston would load up the brinks truck and deliver it to Tuukka Rask's door. Today, he got paid in a major way to the tune of an eight-year contract worth $56 million. That annual cap hit of $7 million ties him with Nashville's Pekka Rinne as the highest paid goaltender in the NHL.

Handing out any monster deal, especially to a goaltender, is a scary proposition but I think Rask is as close to a sure thing as you'll find at hockey's most important position. He's young (turned 26 in March) so he's just starting to enter his prime and he doesn't have many miles on his body so far in the NHL plus he's very fundamentally sound (unlike Tim Thomas) and he's skinny to begin with so I don't think you have to worry about him getting fat and out of shape. The great unknown is if getting set for life like this will make him complacent and lose some of his edge. I hope that is not the case since he has only been the starter for two seasons in the NHL and he finally got to show everyone what he was all about in 2013.

The B's smartly let last season play out to see if they should hitch their wagons to Rask or perhaps move in another direction since he became a free agent last week. I don't think you could have reasonably expected a better performance from him: 19-10-5 in the regular season with 2.00 goals against average, .929 save percentage and five shutouts. I'd argue (and most would agree) that he stepped it up even more in the postseason: 14-8, 1.88 goals against average, .940 save percentage and three shutouts. If Boston was going to upset Chicago and win the Cup, they needed him to play great and for the most part he did. Nobody expected Corey Crawford to match him but don't get that twisted, the Bruins didn't lose because Rask fell short. The Blackhawks simply were a better team from top to bottom so there's no shame in losing to a juggernaut like that.

Moving forward, the pressure from this contract is another factor on Rask that we'll have to watch out for the next few seasons. When you get paid like this, you are fair game for much more criticism by fans, media, coaches and teammates. Also, Rask will become the face of the franchise with Zdeno Chara being much older than him and not at the absolute peak of his career anymore. Scoring is so low in the NHL which in some ways means that you can stick any schmoe in there and be OK for a while (James Reimer anybody?). However, one of the reasons that Rask was rewarded like this is because he can be one of the top goaltenders (if not the best) in the league and that still counts for something. He showed the ability last season and now he'll be expected to be that guy for the duration of this contract (fair or not).

The Bruins are in great shape for the next decade, starting with the fact that they have Rask locked up for the near future. This is a great day for Rask and Bruins fans, next up will be a long-term extension for Patrice Bergeron-another huge part of the franchise. They need to decide on a suitable backup for Rask in 2013-14 as well because Anton Khudobin is now on the Hurricanes.

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Blackhawks Stun Bruins With Last-Minute Rally To Capture The Stanley Cup

There have been so many brutal losses in the last few years by Boston sports teams: Patriots Super Bowls in 2007 and 2012, Celtics losing Game 7 to Lakers in 2010 NBA Finals and the Bruins Game 7 loss to the Flyers in 2010. It's almost impossible to crack that unwanted starting lineup but tonight's 3-2 loss in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden to the Blackhawks was a very painful new chapter for the B's and their dedicated fanbase.

Chicago won its second Cup in four years and Patrick Kane was the third straight American (joining Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick) to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). The Blackhawks were the better team-by a slim margin-in this series and they are about as likable an opponent as you can imagine but the Bruins and their fans will be left wondering for years what could have been after they blew a 2-1 lead with less than 1:30 left in regulation.

Bryan Bickell tied it at two at 18:44 on a one-timer from Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. It was Bickell's ninth goal of the postseason and it came after a bunch of incredible plays by his teammates to win the puck then find him.

Before the TD Garden PA announcer could even mention that goal, Dave Bolland scored the Cup-clinching goal only 17 seconds later. Yes, Dave Bolland. Michael Frolik's shot went off the post and Bolland was there to sweep in the rebound past Tuukka Rask (28 saves). Johnny Oduya had the second assist on Bolland's third goal of the postseason. He has to be one of the most obscure players to get the game-winner in a Cup-clincher.

Not to say the Blackhawks didn't have injuries but the Bruins were extremely banged up which is part of the reason that their loss felt so rough. Chris Kelly made it 1-0 at 7:19 of the first period as Daniel Paille chipped the puck to Tyler Seguin who gloved it down then sauced it over to Kelly for his second goal of the postseason.

Boston absolutely dominated the first period, outshooting Chicago 12-6, and they should have forged a bigger lead. I was thinking that even before Toews tied it at one at 4:24 of the second period. His 2-on-1 snap shot beat Rask through his five-hole for Chicago's captain's third goal of the postseason, unassisted.

Milan Lucic looked to be the hero for Boston as he put the B's up 2-1 with 7:49 left in regulation. His seventh goal of the postseason was assisted by David Krejci who stationed himself behind Chicago's net and Corey Crawford (23 saves). Looch was out in front to poke in the rebound that he had created.

After the shocking loss, Patrice Bergeron admitted that he had a broken rib and torn cartilage in his ribs from Game 5 on top of a separated shoulder he suffered tonight. It is incredible that he suited up in Game 6 and wasn't a liability by any means. Expect to hear about many more injuries for both teams in the coming days now that the season is finally over.

It's a strange feeling, there won't be any Bruins games until October but it might take a little while to realize that depressing fact. They took us all on an incredible journey this spring/early summer and further bolstered their resume as the most likable squad (by far) in Boston. They survived three rounds of playoffs and went toe-to-toe with the best team in the NHL. Chicago outscored Boston 17-15 in the Final with four one-goal games (3 OT games) and a pair of two-goal games showing how close this series was and also how difficult it is to win a Cup (making us appreciate 2011 even more).

Thank you Bruins, we can't wait for next season!

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Blackhawks Win Game 5 3-1 to Take 3-2 Series Lead In The Stanley Cup Final

The Bruins have run out of options, to win their second Stanley Cup in three seasons now they'll have to win their final two games after they fell 3-1 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at the United Center to the Blackhawks. Chicago will have a chance to capture their second Cup in four years on Monday (8, NBC) at TD Garden. Boston won Games 2 & 3 but Chicago has rallied to win Games 4 & 5.

It would be bad enough to be facing elimination at the hands of a very worthy opponent but the B's also have to worry about the health of one of their most invaluable players-Patrice Bergeron. Between the second and third period, he left the arena in an ambulance and after the game it was reported that he has a spleen injury. Yikes. The only solace for Boston is that if Bergeron can't play in Game 6, his Chicago counterpart Jonathan Toews also seems unlikely to suit up after he suffered what appeared to be a concussion from a hit by Johnny Boychuk in the second period.

Chicago won Game 5 because of the offensive brilliance of Patrick Kane who had their first two goals. Corey Crawford (24 saves) was good but Kane showed that there's a reason he's known for more than his bozo mullet and late-night antics.

Kane opened the scoring at 17:27 after Johnny Oduya's shot broke Dennis Seidenberg's stick then deflected off Toews to Kane who was able to shovel it in past Tuukka Rask (29 saves). It was Kane's eighth goal of the postseason.

He showed off more of his world class skill in the second period as he roofed a backhander over Rask at 5:13. Bryan Bickell and Toews assisted as the former wrapped around the net and Kane once again found himself in front of the net for the rebound.

Boston never had a power play in Game 5 and Bergeron's absence certainly didn't help their sputtering offense. Rask kept them in the game with a couple top-notch saves and Zdeno Chara cut it to 2-1 at 3:40 of the third period. His one-timer from David Krejci and Milan Lucic was such a rocket that it immediately came back out of the top corner of the net.

The Bruins didn't get that much pressure on the Blackhawks for the tying goal but they did take their timeout and won a faceoff in Chicago's end with time running out. Torey Krug tried to keep the puck in the zone at the point but he got blatantly tripped. This led to a Chicago rush and empty-netter by Dave Bolland with 14 seconds left. Look, the B's didn't lose because of that no-call but I just wanted to mention it since it was so obvious.

Carl Soderberg made his NHL playoff debut and believe it or not, he didn't look bad at all. It makes you wonder why Kaspars Daugavins had been playing since Gregory Campbell went down because the Dog man is atrocious. Soderberg started on the fourth line with Rich Peverley and Shawn Thornton but moved up to Bergeron's spot after he left. Something to keep an eye on in Game 6. I shudder to think who would be in the lineup without Bergeron (most likely Jordan Caron or Daugavins).

Aside from our own rooting interest, I hope that the Stanley Cup Final goes the distance (seven games) since this has been such a wonderful series for the sport. It's impossible to predict what exactly will happen Monday but you have to feel like the B's will throw everything they've got at the Blackhawks after coming this far.

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Blackhawks Win A Wild Game 4, 6-5 In OT To Even Stanley Cup Final At 2

The Blackhawks proved that like the Bruins, they have the ability to bounce back from crushing losses and that's what makes this series an instant classic. For the third time in the first four games, it took overtime to settle things. Chicago ended up outlasting Boston 6-5 in overtime tonight at TD Garden. Brent Seabrook's game-winner gave the Blackhawks a split in Boston (mirroring the split the Bruins earned in Chicago). Now it becomes a best-of-3 with Game 5 on Saturday (8, NBC) at the United Center.

It's hard to believe since they scored five goals but the B's never actually led in this absurd affair. The Blackhawks blew leads of 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4 but that will be forgotten because they picked up their second overtime victory of the series. On the bright side for Boston, similar to Game 1 they get an extra day of rest heading into Game 5 which served them well before.

This was an NHL game straight out of the 1980s with tons of goals and little resistance from the respective defenses and goaltenders. There were four special teams goals as Chicago scored a power play goal and a shortanded goal while Boston potted two power play strikes.

Michal Handzus converted a turnover and 2-on-1 from Brandon Saad 6:48 into regulation. That was just the start the Blackhawks needed after they were shut out in Game 3 (2-0).

Rich Peverley began the barrage on Corey Crawford's (28 saves) weak glove hand with a power play goal at 14:43 of the first period. His second of the postseason was assisted by Andrew Ference and it was Boston's third power play goal of the series.

Chicago continued to use their speed and skill, beating Tuukka Rask (41 saves) twice more early in the second period. Captain Jonathan Toews finally did something, tipping in Michal Rozsival's shot from the point at 6:33. Patrick Kane scored on a rebound at 8:31, prompting Bruins head coach Claude Julien to use his timeout to settle his team down.

Milan Lucic answered with a backhander off a rebound at 14:43, his sixth goal of the playoffs was assisted by Zdeno Chara. Chicago's third line responded with a goal 49 seconds later and Marcus Kruger got past Rask then jammed it home from the side of the net. The B's refused to go away as Patrice Bergeron cut it to 4-3 with a fluky power play goal at 17:22. Bergeron's eighth of the postseason was the result of the puck bouncing off the glass then the top of the net, Zdeno Chara and Jaromir Jagr got the assists.

Jagr and Bergeron teamed up once again at 2:05 in third period to tie it at four. Jagr controlled the puck behind Chicago's net for a while before finding Bergeron out front where he went glove side.

Chicago snapped its 0 for 14 slump on the power play as Patrick Sharp scored on yet another rebound. The Blackhawks had a two-man advantage for 22 seconds, Jagr's penalty was up but they scored with David Krejci still in the box.

The Bruins did their best Blackhawks impression as they tied it 55 seconds later on Johnny Boychuk's blast from the point, you know where it went by Crawford. Boychuk's sixth goal of the playoffs was assisted by Nathan Horton and Krejci.

Boston had some wonderful chances in overtime: Brad Marchand and Bergeron both shot wide while Rask made a glove save on Kane and Adam McQuaid blocked a shot. Seabrook's goal came on a rather innocent play as the Bruins had a couple chances to either take control of the puck or clear it but they couldn't do it. His shot from the point was low and hard plus Rask might have been screened a bit.

The Bruins shook off a triple overtime loss in Game 1 so this loss hopefully won't rattle them too much. My wish is that they don't reflect on this lost opportunity to really take control of the series and put all the pressure on the Blackhawks.

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We've Seen This Before: Bruins Impose Their Will On More Talented & Overhyped Opponent

The Bruins are a couple lucky bounces away from a 3-0 lead in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final after they blanked the Blackhawks 2-0 in Game 3 tonight at TD Garden. Unlike the first two games, this one didn't require overtime as Boston led from start to finish and basically choked the life out of Chicago. Game 4 is Wednesday (8, NBC) back at the Garden.

You know things are going well for the B's when Chris Kelly (who had zero points in the entire postseason coming into Game 2) has now recorded points in back to back games. And did I mention that Daniel Paille has the game-winner in consecutive Stanley Cup Final victories? Haha yes it is true. Just like in the previous three rounds, Boston's bottom-six forwards are playing better than Chicago's and the Bruins' lockdown defense has taken care of the Blackhawks' stars thus far.

I can't believe it took me this long to mention him but I guess that's an indication of how much we take Tuukka Rask's (28 saves) brilliance for granted at this point. He recorded his third shutout of the playoffs (in the last 7 games) and during this incredible stretch-that's better than any sustained period that Tim Thomas had two seasons ago-he's allowed one goal in three of those other four games. Holy crap!

He's not a one-man team by any means, and it's a team effort to make his job easier, but Rask is certainly giving the Bruins a chance to win in every single contest. Paille broke the deadlock at 2:13 of second period from Kelly and Tyler Seguin. A ferocious forecheck by the new third line resulted in a turnover and the goal, there wasn't much Corey Crawford (33 saves) could do about it.

Besides owning the faceoff dot (24-4 which is unheard of, even for him-the NHL's best), Patrice Bergeron found time to pot his seventh goal of the postseason. It was a power play strike at 14:05 in the second assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Zdeno Chara. Jagr's pass across the goalmouth, confident and at just the right speed, was a glimpse into how he became the fifth leading scorer in NHL playoff history this evening.

With no Marian Hossa (groin injury) and a power play that would make the Rangers cringe (0 for 5 tonight, 0 for 11 in the series), the Blackhawks didn't show much of a pulse until it was too late. Bryan Bickell hit the post right before the final whistle and the hate came from both sides as Chara wailed on Bickell and Brad Marchand wrestled with Andrew Shaw.

Game 4 serves as a de facto must-win for the Blackhawks since I think it's asking too much to have to beat Rask and the Bruins three times in a row with the way that they're rolling. Expect Chicago's best effort (that they can muster) on Wednesday night. Chicago is happy to see no more Game 3s: they fell to 0-4 in them this postseason while Boston is 4-0. What's more, the Bruins are 13-1 in Game 3s under Claude Julien.

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Daniel Paille: Stanley Cup Finals Hero

One aspect that makes the NHL playoffs so uniquely excellent is that random guys step up in nearly every game. Take for instance Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals at the United Center. Boston rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory over Chicago thanks to Daniel Paille's first career OT winner (in regular season or playoffs). The Bruins evened the series at one and head back to Boston for Game 3 on Monday (8 p.m., NBCSN).

For many reasons, the B's definitely gained confidence since they were able to withstand an incredible amount of pressure by the Blackhawks in the first period (outshooting Boston 19-4) and only trailed 1-0. From that point on, Boston started to play their game and their constant hits on Chicago (50-34) started to take their toll.

They are still miles away (3 wins) from another Stanley Cup but if the Bruins do beat the Blackhawks four times, I can basically guarantee that Tuukka Rask (33 saves) will earn the Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP). He has been brilliant all postseason and he improved to 4-0 in starts after he allowed four plus goals in the previous game.

Boston has the only winning record on the road in the playoffs (6-3) and this one snapped Chicago's six-game win streak at home. Patrick Sharp gave the Blackhawks a well-deserved 1-0 lead at 11:22 of the first period after a crazy sequence of saves by Rask. His ninth goal of the playoffs (tied for NHL lead with David Krejci) was the only time in the first two games that Chicago has led Boston. Technically, the Bruins never led in Game 2, the same way the Blackhawks were never ahead in Game 1. Bizarre.

Nobody has been a bigger dog this postseason for the B's than Chris Kelly but tonight he took a time machine back to 2011 when he had five goals and eight assists in Boston's Cup run. He was paired with Daniel Paille and Tyler Seguin during this game and would you believe me if I told you that they were the best line on either team? Seriously. After Paille's steal and wraparound attempt, Kelly followed up for the rebound which turned into his first goal of the postseason at 14:58.

After Wednesday's soul-crushing 4-3 loss in triple overtime, I can't imagine many Bruins fans were thinking positive thoughts when Game 2 went to overtime but they calmed our nerves by winning a franchise-best fifth overtime game of the 2013 playoffs.

Poor Jaromir Jagr can't buy a goal no matter what he does, he rang the post early in overtime with a laser of a wrist shot. Paille's goal, his third of the playoffs, was a beauty at 13:48. Adam McQuaid kept the puck in Chicago's zone, Tyler Seguin found Paille and the underrated left wing sniped it off the post but past Corey Crawford (26 saves) and in the net.

For a while it wasn't pretty as it looked like Chicago was going to run Boston out of the United Center but when it came time to wake up, the Bruins showed they are right in this series.

I wish it was Monday night already, the atmosphere at the Garden should be nothing short of incredible. These are two great teams and I expect the rest of the series to be this competitive (albeit not all ending in OT). The B's have a chance to really take control with the next two games at home but it would be silly to underestimate the Blackhawks.

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There Is No Way To Sugarcoat Losing The 5th Longest Game In Stanley Cup Finals History

It's been hours since Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals but honestly my brain is complete mush after witnessing the longest game of the postseason. I can't even imagine how the players feel after Chicago rallied for a 4-3 triple overtime win over Boston, the fifth longest contest in Finals history. The Blackhawks snapped the Bruins' five-game win streak by coming back from a pair of two-goal deficits (2-0 and 3-1) and getting all four goals by role players: capped off by Andrew Shaw's game-winner at 12:08.

Game 2 is thankfully an extra day away, Saturday (8 p.m., NBC) back at United Center. B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (career-high 59 saves) was superb but victimized by a pair of fluky goals: Johnny Oduya's goal at 12:14 in the third period went off Andrew Ference's skate and Shaw's goal was the result of the dreaded double deflection.

Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford (51 saves) wasn't as busy as Rask but he held the fort while the B's controlled play in OT (outshooting Blackhawks 29-24). The problem for Boston in the extra sessions is that the best chances went to the last guys they'd want with the puck on their stick: Kaspars Daugavins, Shawn Thornton and Tyler Seguin among others. Of course, Crawford also earned the win by stoning David Krejci (2 assists) twice. Oh and Jaromir Jagr's tip of Zdeno Chara's shot from the point in the last seconds of double overtime went off the post but not in.

True to form, Boston's power play ended up being one of the main reasons they lost. You see the B's got the only two power plays in overtime (too many men on the ice for Chicago in the first overtime and end of the second overtime which ended in the third) but couldn't cash in either of them. The Bruins penalty kill deserved better as they held the Blackhawks to 0 for 3 on the power play including a two-man advantage for 1:17 in the second period.

The B's couldn't have asked for a better start as Milan Lucic scored a pair of goals to give Boston a 2-0 lead early in the second period. It was the fifth straight game that the Bruins had scored first. His first came after tic tac toe passing from Nathan Horton and Krejci, leading to Lucic's fourth goal of the playoffs at 13:11. The best line in the NHL (during the postseason) flexed its muscles again with Lucic causing a turnover in the neutral zone then Krejci dropping off a pass to him to shoot past Crawford 51 seconds into the second period.

Blackhawks rookie Brandon Saad answered at 3:08 with his first goal of the playoffs, from Marian Hossa. A turnover by the Bruins behind the net gave Hossa the puck and he found Saad who buried it past with top-shelf. Great shot.

All seemed to be right though for the Black and Gold as Patrice Bergeron made it 3-1 with a power play goal at 6:09 in the third period from Tyler Seguin and Lucic. Bergeron hammered a one-timer that pinged the inside of the post.

Bruins rookie defensemen Torey Krug didn't do much in the Penguins series but tonight was his first real bad game in the playoffs. His brutal giveaway in Boston's zone led to Chicago's second goal, by another nobody-Dave Bolland at 8:00 from Andrew Shaw. Krug's mistake left Rask out to dry with little chance to stop the odd man rush.

The B's had been 4-1 in OT and the Blackhawks were 3-1 but this was a friendly reminder that A) Chicago is mentally much tougher than Pittsburgh and B) anything can happen in overtime.

The result was depressing enough but the Bruins could be in for worse news tomorrow since Horton left in the first overtime with an upper body injury and never returned. It was bizarre since he wasn't hit, it just looked like his shoulder popped out of the socket or something. Yikes, I'd feel awful for him if he had to miss most of the Finals for the second time in three years. He's been excellent in the postseason and it would leave a huge hole on Boston's top line. I'll guess we'll worry about that later though (fingers crossed).

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I Can't Wait For The 2012-13 Bruins Regular Season To Start

With the NBA postseason concluding tonight (I forget who won), there's nothing but MLB from now until September when the NFL regular season starts. Of course, there are welcome diversions like Euro 2012, the College World Series, Wimbledon, London Olympics, Little League World Series etc. but today the Boston Bruins gave us something else to savor this summer: their 2012-13 regular season schedule.

At first glance, it's a very appealing start to the season for the B's as they open with three games on the road against Eastern Conference foes. The season starts on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center, from there Boston visits the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils two nights later before taking on the Montreal Canadiens October 16 at the Bell Centre.

The NHL didn't wait long to get its money's worth out of the superb Bruins-Canadiens rivalry as the teams actually play a home-and-home series in the first week of the 2012-13 season. TD Garden will be electric for the home opener on October 18 with the Habs in town.

Boston will get its first crack at the Washington Capitals-the team that unceremoniously knocked them out of the 2012 playoffs-on November 2 as the B's visit the Caps. Too bad Tim Thomas will miss that one, no word on if his bunker gets NESN.

Other highlights include the Rangers visiting the afternoon following Thanksgiving (November 23) then the Penguins coming to Boston the next night and the Devils will be here two nights after that.

The Original 6 meetings with the Red Wings (December 10 in Detroit) and Blackhawks (January 12 in Boston; February 17 in Chicago) are always superb, I always wish they played them more often. Those games are 10 times more interesting and exciting than the usual Northeast Division games vs. the Maple Leafs, Senators or Sabres that seemingly take up half of the schedule.

The Stanley Cup champs-the LA Kings-only play the Bruins once, December 17 at TD Garden. Ditto for the Canucks although Boston will have to go there on December 29. The Blues visit on January 29 and Boston goes to Nashville on February 18.

For my money, Bruins-Flyers (March 9 in Boston, March 30 in Boston and March 31 in Philly) and Bruins-Canadiens (January 19 in Montreal, February 28 in Montreal, March 4 in Boston and March 27 in Boston) are usually your best bets for most intense regular season matchups involving the B's.

Boston's schedule is front-loaded with long homestands early in the season: six games in October and November/early December plus seven games in December. That means they will be paying for it in the second half on a long road trip: seven games in February (which feels like an annual occurrence before the trade deadline).

Three of the Bruins last four regular season games are on the road and they wrap it up April 12 in Buffalo against the Sabres.

Stay tuned for the NHL draft which begins tomorrow night in Pittsburgh then free agency officially starts on July 1. After that, it will be a very slow couple of months for hockey.

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