With An Eye Toward The NHL Playoffs, Today The Bruins Made A Shrewd Trade With The Capitals

 

    The NHL Trade Deadline is still a week away (next Friday at 3 pm) but Bruins GM Don Sweeney is already making things happen as he swung a three-team deal tonight along with the Capitals and the Wild. Boston acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right wing Garnet Hathaway while in return Washington received right wing Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round draft pick, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round draft pick. Additionally, the Caps will retain 50% of Orlov's salary. Minnesota sent the rights to forward Andrei Svetlakov to the B's and they will retain 25% of Orlov's salary in exchange for Boston's 2023 fifth-round pick. 

    After tonight's awesome 6-5 comeback win in Seattle (32-20-6), the Black and Gold (44-8-5) continue to earn points at a record setting pace which is nice and all but the postseason in hockey is all that really matters. If you have seen any Bruins-Capitals games in recent years, you are well aware of who Hathaway (a Kennebunkport, ME native and Brown alum!) and Orlov are since they both seem to always play well against Boston. From all accounts, Smith is a great guy but his time here was pretty forgettable with only 33 goals and 45 assists over parts of three seasons. Boston is tight to the salary cap so his name had floated around recently in many trade rumors since he was the most obvious part of the NHL club that could be moved.   

    A left-shot defenseman in the prime of his career at age 31, Orlov is capable of being on a second pairing for a playoff team. The Capitals (28-26-6) have been a bit of a mess so far this campaign but Orlov has not been the issue with three goals and 16 assists in 43 games. He was a second-round draft pick in 2009 (55th overall) and in 686 regular season games, he's amassed 60 goals and 196 assists with a very impressive plus/minus of plus-104. He also as a ton of playoff experience (74 games) with two goals and 21 assists in that time. Perhaps most importantly, he is big enough (5-foot-11 and 214 pounds) to withstand the grind of playoff hockey. 

    Speaking of which, Hathaway at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds is just the type of guy that you hate to play against when the games count the most. He is tough and competes with an edge which the Bruins can always use. After being undrafted, he has carved out a nice little NHL career with four seasons in Calgary followed by parts of four in our nation's capital. He only missed one game for the Capitals this season and put up nine goals and seven assists along with a plus/minus of plus-6. He is not afraid to drop the gloves as evidenced by his 52 penalty minutes in 2022-23 and 473 in his NHL life. Boston's bottom six forwards have been solid (along with basically every other facet of this juggernaut regular season team) but Hathaway is undoubtedly an upgrade over Smith in like every possible way. 

    Sweeney could make another move(s) but if he does not, this is at least a step forward from where their roster was before today. Boston has been said to be in the mix for Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov but needless to say, it will take much more to obtain probably the two most coveted guys outside of Blackhawks icon Patrick Kane. This evening was the start of a four-game West Coast/Canada road trip for the Bruins that continues in Vancouver (23-30-5) on Saturday night (7, NESN) followed by a back-to-back in Edmonton (8:30, NESN) on Monday then ending with a visit to Calgary (27-20-12) on Tuesday (9, NESN). Either way the team will look different when they return home to TD Garden to take on the Sabres (29-23-4) on Thursday (7, NESN). 

After 15 Seasons As A Bruin, David Krejci Is Headed Home To Play In The Czech Republic

 

    After weeks of speculation about what he would be doing next season-playing in Boston or perhaps retiring from the NHL altogether-longtime Bruins center David Krejci surprised the hockey world as he publicly revealed today that he will actually be leaving here along with his young family to return to his homeland-the Czech Republic-to continue his playing career there this fall. In his statement that was shared by the black and gold, there was no mention of the word retirement leading a few people to think that he is leaving the door open perhaps to a return to the B's at some point in the near future. For a guy that was a second-round draft pick of Boston in 2004 and who made the big club in 2006-07, it will be strange not to see him on the team at least to begin the 2021-22 campaign.

    There was a good reason why fans and the media would refer to "playoff Krejci" since he has that special ability to bring his game to another level in the biggest tilts of the season. He twice has led the entire NHL in postseason scoring as he had 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and then two seasons later as they made it back to the Final, there was Krejci with 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists). In 156 career playoff games with the B's, he has 124 points (42 goals, 82 assists) and he is plus-23 including two overtime goals and two postseason hat tricks. I hope that he comes back to the Bruins if only for the fact that he should get the respect and admiration that he deserves for being such a dependable pro for so long. 

    His regular season numbers are very good not great with 730 points (215 goals, 515 assists) in 962 career games. What stands out most to me (besides the stellar postseason resume of course) is his remarkable durability for a guy that is neither huge (6-feet tall, 188 pounds) in stature nor blessed with eye-popping skills. Instead, he is an incredible passer (fans would get upset earlier in his career that he didn't shoot the puck more often) that seems to process the game at a faster speed than most others, he's sneaky tough and he protects the puck really well. He is not the fastest guy by any means but you always know when Krejci has the puck on his stick because he appears to be operating at a different speed than everyone else. He only has four 20+ goal seasons but he has reached 50+ assists on three occasions along with another season with 49 helpers. 

    Patrice Bergeron is a future Hall of Famer and he certainly has earned all the praise that he has gotten over the years but with that said, Boston would not have had as much success without all the contributions of Krejci-their superb second line center for all that time. He has been somewhat of an iron man too, appearing in all 82 regular season games twice, in 81 and 80 once and 79 twice. Nobody does that anymore, that is remarkable consistency in terms of games played at the NHL level. When the Bruins re-signed Taylor Hall last week, I think many (myself included) assumed that meant that Krejci would be returning as well since those two guys plus Craig Smith built such good chemistry when they were put on a line together late last regular season. That also leaves a huge void on the second line for this upcoming season with no obvious replacements especially considering that Charlie Coyle just had knee surgery. Those are issues to worry about for another day though because if that is it for Krejci in a Bruins uniform, we have to applaud one of the great (and more underrated) players in recent history with the team. 

Marchand Scores In OT As The Bruins Beat The Islanders 2-1 In Game 3 To Take A 2-1 Series Lead

 

       The Bruins regained their home ice advantage as they won Game 3 tonight 2-1 at the Nassau Coliseum thanks to left wing Brad Marchand's no angle snipe 3:36 into overtime. Boston now leads the series 2-1 and they improved to 3-2 in OT this postseason (1-1 vs. NY). As you can guess from such a low-scoring affair, both goaltenders were fantastic: Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves before he made his only real mistake of the night while B's goalie Tuukka Rask (28 saves) wasn't quite as busy but he still had a bunch of huge stops. The only real lowlight of Game 3 for Boston was that defenseman Brandon Carlo took a huge hit to his head from Islanders hack Cal Clutterbuck in the third period and he never returned. For a guy with a history of concussions, it was horrifying to see him clearly struggling to get off the ice after his head slammed into the glass.

    After missing Game 2 with a lower-body injury, right wing Craig Smith was back in the lineup for the B's and that paid immediate dividends. He took a sweet pass from left wing Taylor Hall and snapped a high shot over Varlamov's glove hand at 5:52 of the first period. BU's Matt Grzelcyk had the second assist on Smith's second goal of the postseason. Just when it looked like the black and gold might escape with a 1-0 road win, Islanders center Mathew Barzal used a quick wraparound move to tie it at one. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Pulock had the assists on Barzal's first goal of the playoffs at 14:34 in the third period. From that point on, New York dominated and it continued into the extra session as they outshot Boston 5-2 in that. No matter though as it only takes one shot to end it and credit to Marchand for taking that chance. Long Island's own Charlie McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron assisted on Marchand's fifth goal of the postseason overall and his second overtime tally (joining Game 2 vs. Washington).

    The B's have an optional practice on Friday and then these teams will meet again on Saturday night (7:15, NBC) where the stakes will be pretty high: Boston can take a 3-1 series lead or New York will tie it up at two games apiece. In his postgame press conference this evening, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy noted how Carlo said that he was feeling "pretty good" while he caught up with his teammates in the locker room. With that said, I'd be really surprised if he is cleared to play in Game 4. If Carlo is out, defensemen Jakub Zboril or Jarred Tinordi seem like the most logical replacement for him although they are both left-handed shots meaning that somebody would have to play on their weak side for a whole entire game which is never preferred. It's also a little quicker turnaround after they had an extra day off between Games 2 and 3, so we'll have to see who recovers best from another intense and physical matchup. 

For The Third Straight Game, B's & Caps Went To OT But This Time, Craig Smith Won It For Boston

 

    This is getting silly: the last 12 playoff games between the Bruins and Capitals have all been decided by one goal with now eight of those ending in overtime. Tonight at the TD Garden for Game 3 of their first round series, Boston outlasted Washington 3-2 in double overtime with veteran right wing Craig Smith doing the honors with his second career playoff overtime goal which gave the B's a 2-1 series lead. Once again, the Bruins found themselves trailing in the third period before tying it then winning it in the extra session. All three contests in this series have gone to overtime which is crazy. This is a very tough way to live but it is somehow working so far for the black and gold. 

    The big news right before Game 3 started was that Washington's goaltender Ilya Samsonov would start while Pheonix Copley served as the backup and Craig Anderson (who started Game 2) did not even dress. For a guy who had not played since May 1 (due to being in the Covid-19 protocol), Samsonov (40 saves) did not show many signs of rust. Well except for the play that decided the game: he had a chance to the touch the puck behind his net but he hesitated which allowed Smith to swoop in and use a wraparound shot to stuff it in the net at 5:48. Fittingly Smith-who was Bruins GM Don Sweeney's only real notable free agent signed last off-season-was credited with an unassisted tally since nobody on his team helped him per se, that was all thanks to his hustle, speed and determination. 

    After a scoreless first period (which Boston dominated, outshooting Washington 10-4), the Caps built a pair of one-goal leads in the second period which they could not protect. Captain Alex Ovechkin made it 1-0 for the visitors with a one-timer from right wing Anthony Mantha at 8:21. It came on the power play and it was Ovi's first goal of the series. It took the Bruins 56 seconds to respond as left wing Taylor Hall scored a beautiful goal. He took a pass down low from Smith (with UVM's Kevan Miller picking up the other helper) and went backhand to forehand then he put the puck in the top shelf. Very few other B's could have pulled that entire sequence off that he made look so easy for his second goal of the series. Center Nick Dowd put Washington back in front 2-1 at 18:15 as he tipped in a shot from Brown's Garnet Hathaway. It was Dowd's second goal of the series as Boston's goaltender Tuukka Rask (35 saves) was victimized by another tip (or deflection) in the early going of this series. 

    The Capitals turned up the heat in the second period (outshooting the Bruins 16-11) and they tripled Boston's shots on goal total (9-3) in the third period but the black and gold probably did not care one bit since they tied it on left wing Brad Marchand's amazing reaction play. BU's Charlie McAvoy (who played a game-high 33:52) started it by shuttling the puck to captain Patrice Bergeron in the bumper position on the power play. Bergy's shot was deflected but Marchand was there to bat it out of mid-air and straight into the net at 11:32. His second goal of the series made the Garden explode with excitement.

    The B's will have an optional practice tomorrow before they hit the Garden ice on Friday (6:30, NESN) for Game 4. Obviously, that's a huge tilt as well since the difference between leading the series 3-1 or being knotted at two games apiece is enormous. I've accepted that most likely every game in this series will be close like this and perhaps more overtime will be needed to help settle things. Center Evgeni Kuznetsov returned as well this evening from his Covid-19 battle (he had also been out since May 1) so there really aren't any other big moves left for Caps head coach Peter Laviolette to make. It would be nice to see the Bruins carry the momentum from these back-to-back overtime triumphs into Game 4 but then again, I won't hold my breath for that.

Behind Craig Smith's Hat Trick, Boston Beats Buffalo 6-2 To Finish 7-1 Vs. The Sabres In 2021

 

    After playing Buffalo (13-32-7 overall, 7-16-3 away) approximately 25 times in the past few weeks, selfishly I am happy to report that I don't have to say anything else about the worst team in the NHL for a long time after Boston (30-14-6 overall, 16-6-3 home) easily dispatched them 6-2 this afternoon at the TD Garden. Right wing Craig Smith recorded his second career hat trick, center David Krejci added three assists and the B's closed out the season series (7-1 Boston) in dominant fashion. The Bruins inched closer to clinching a playoff spot plus they are only one point behind the Islanders (31-15-5) and three points in back of the Capitals (32-14-5) for third-place and second-place respectively in the East Division. 

    The black and gold never really gave the Sabres much hope all game as they outshot them 43-19, led 2-1 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third period to cruise to the valuable two points. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (17 saves, 6-2-0) could have taken a nap in the crease for most of the contest and it wouldn't have changed the final outcome. With the recent addition of left wing Taylor Hall, Boston's second forward line has really taken off. Playing with Hall and Smith, Krejci's career has been revitalized. That trio combined for a pretty goal at 1:21 of the first period as Smith re-directed in a pass from Krejci with the secondary assist going to Hall. Sabres center Riley Sheahan responded with a shorthanded goal at 12:35 as he found himself on a breakaway and beat Swayman for his fourth goal of the season, assisted by PC's Jacob Bryson and center Casey Mittelstadt. B's center Sean Kuraly helped put his team ahead again when he knocked in a rebound at 16:38. Left wing Nick Ritchie had the lone assist on Kuraly's third goal of the season. 

    Captain Patrice Bergeron had the lone tally of the second period and it was a similar one to Kuraly's: he followed up a rebound and used a backhander (unlike Sean) to hit the puck over the goal line. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and left wing Brad Marchand provided the assists on Bergeron's 19th goal of the season that turned out to be the game-winner. Not surprisingly, the wheels came off for Buffalo in the third period. Ritchie tipped in a shot from defenseman Matt Grzelcyk for a 3-1 Bruins lead at 3:18. Fellow defenseman Kevan Miller added the other assist on Ritchie's 12th goal of the season. Smith's second goal was another pretty one when defenseman Mike Reilly (what a pickup he's been as well!) fed him in front for the simple tap in. Krejci had the other assist on Smith's second goal of the game that helped Boston's lead balloon to 5-1. 

    Sabres right wing Arttu Ruotsalainen scored the other useless goal for Buffalo that cut it to 5-2 at 7:02. He was on the doorstep and therefore in good position to sneak a rebound through Swayman's five-hole. Left wing Rasmus Asplund and Mittelstadt were credited with the helpers on the young Finn's fifth goal of the season. All that there was left to do was get Smith his hat trick and he did just that thanks to one last assist from Krejci. Smith basically put his stick on the ice and Krejci was able to fire the puck right on the money so Craig could redirect it in at 14:05. BU's Charlie Coyle notched the second assist on the memorable power play goal that resulted in Smith's first ever hat trick as a Bruin. 

    We are only a few weeks away from the start of the playoffs. In fact, the B's remaining schedule is down to six games as they head to New Jersey (17-27-7 overall, 6-17-3 home) to play the Devils on Monday (7, NESN Plus) and Tuesday (7, NESN Plus). For some bizarre reason, the Bruins have struggled against New Jersey all season (2-3-1) who are the second worst team in the East Division and one of the worst in the entire league. By now, New Jersey must want to get this miserable campaign over with ASAP so hopefully the B's can take advantage of their collective disinterest and win this back-to-back to collect four more points.

B's Showed How Far They've Come in A Week, Beating The Caps 6-3 In Their Fourth Straight Win

 

    The Bruins (25-12-6) have picked a wonderful time of the regular season to start playing their best hockey in 2021. This afternoon at the TD Garden, Boston outlasted Washington (29-13-4) 6-3 thanks to a pair of goals from left wing Brad Marchand (2 assists), center Patrice Bergeron (assist) and center David Krejci. Like most meetings with the Capitals, this turned out to be a wild one complete with cheap shots and plenty of blood but sadly no Zdeno Chara (undisclosed) who hadn't missed a game before that for Washington. Boston scored twice to start the game, Washington responded with three goals in a row from late in the first period to the early in the second period to take a temporary 3-2 lead. Finally, the black and gold shut the door by scoring three more times in the middle frame then adding an empty-net goal late in the third period. After bottoming out in their 8-1 beating at the hands of Washington last Sunday night at the Garden, the B's have completely turned it around since this was their fourth straight victory. Boston took a 1-0 lead at 12:02 of the first period thanks to some great hustle by Marchand. He deflected an attempted pass behind his own net by Capitals defenseman John Carlson (game-low minus-5!) and the puck ended up right on Bergy's stick in front of goaltender Vitek Vanecek (22 saves, 17-9-3). He went around him so easily and finished with a backhander for his 17th goal of the season. Less than two minutes later, Krejci doubled the Bruins lead by going to the net and redirecting a pass from defenseman Connor Clifton. Right wing Craig Smith notched the secondary assist on Krejci's fourth goal of the season at 13:56. Washington got on the board with a goal at 19:50 of the first period. Center Nicklas Backstrom skated in on a breakaway that was stopped by B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (30 saves, 10-4-2) but right wing T.J. Oshie followed it up to knock in the rebound for his 15th goal of the season. 

    As good teams often tend to do, the Caps took advantage of the situation when Clifton was called for his second high-sticking penalty (double minor) of the game early in the second period. First some tic-tac-toe passing led to a sweet one-timer for Oshie right from the slot. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom had the assists on the tying goal at 3:48. The newest Capital right wing Anthony Manta fired in a screened shot at 4:54 of the second period for another power play tally. His 15th goal of the season (and 4th as a Cap, he's scored in every game so far) was assisted by defenseman Dmitry Orlov and center Lars Eller. Marchand tied it at three with his a nifty move by Vitacek that resulted in his team-best 22nd goal of the season at 6:33. Pasta and Bergeron had the helpers with Brad possibly taking the puck off David's stick, oh well! Krejci's second goal was a vintage edition: he deked around a Capitals defenseman before slowly roofing a shot for his fifth goal of the season at 16:02. Smith and left wing Taylor Hall provided the assists on that game-winner. Late in the second period, Boston's top line combined for a gorgeous goal: Marchand and Pastrnak raced in on a 2-on-1 with Pasta eventually dropping the puck back to Bergeron for a one-timer. The captain's 18th goal of the season came at 17:45 of the second period and it gave his club a 5-3 advantage. 

    Marchand closed out his great performance by bagging that empty-netter at 18:16 of the third period, assisted by Pastrnak. Boston has earned at least a point in six of their seven meetings (4-1-2) with Washington this season; they take on the Capitals one more time-the regular season finale for both teams on May 11 (7, NESN) which will probably have some type of playoff implications in it. Winning four out of five games last week was nice and all but I think the Bruins have a good chance to really make a move in the East Division since they play their next three games against the wretched Sabres (12-26-7) at the KeyBank Center: Tuesday (6:30, NESN), Thursday (7, NESN) and Friday (7, NESN). The long five-game road trip concludes with a pair of games in Pittsburgh (28-14-3) next Sunday afternoon (3, NBC) followed by Tuesday's finale (7, NESN). The Bruins are only six points behind the first-place Caps, four points in back of the Islanders (28-13-4) and the Pens lead them by three points. They also have at least two games in hand over all those teams. Boston must pay attention to the Rangers (23-16-6) though who have won four games in a row to remain four points behind the Bruins in fifth-place and show no signs of letting up (7-1-2 in their last 10) anytime soon. 

It Only Took Them Six Tries But Thanks To Taylor Hall, The B's Finally Beat The Isles This Season

 

    Thanks to the return of goaltender Tuukka Rask (22 saves, 9-4-2) who missed the past 11 games, two goals from left wing Brad Marchand and a highlight reel first goal as a Bruin for left wing Taylor Hall, Boston (23-12-6) was finally able to beat the Islanders (27-12-4) this evening at the TD Garden. Far more than any other club in the East Division, the Islanders had given the Bruins fits this season before tonight: beating them three times in regulation, once in overtime and once in a shootout. The B's were determined to change that narrative as they had an awesome first period by outshooting New York 23-7 (their most shots on goal in a frame this season) and building a 2-0 lead then never looking back. 

    The importance of getting their No. 1 goalie on the ice can't be overlooked as Rask happened to pick up his 300th career NHL win in the process. Rookie Jeremy Swayman (3-1-0) has been a great story but if the Black and Gold are going anywhere this season, their best chance is with a healthy and motivated Rask in net. This is the 10th time in Marchand's NHL career (and 8th in a row) where he has scored 20+ goals. He made it 1-0 just 1:49 into the contest when center Patrice Bergeron's wild shot deflected off his linemate's back and past Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (41 saves, 16-9-3). Another one of the three newest Bruins-defenseman Mike Reilly picked up his first point with Boston by grabbing the secondary assist there. Right wing Craig Smith doubled Boston's lead with a power play goal at 17:55. He was in Bergy's famous bumper position and was able to one-time a shot through traffic for the tally. Center David Krejci and defenseman Charlie McAvoy had the assists on that key strike.

    Center Travis Zajac scored his first goal as an Islander to cut it to 2-1 early in the second period at 2:56. New York's star left winger Mathew Barzal and right wing Jordan Eberle had the assists on the eighth goal of the season for the former Devil who was acquired at the trade deadline. Barzal changed directions behind the net and used a nifty pass to find Zajac in front for the one-timer that he got all of. Hall's goal was definitely a wow moment and a refresher for why he was once the No. 1 pick (in 2010) and the NHL MVP (in 2017). Right wing David Pastrnak sprung him for a partial breakaway and he sealed off his defender before firing a perfect low shot by Varlamov for his third goal of the season at 1:52 of the third period. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that there are only a few guys on the Bruins that could have pulled that move off and most importantly, had it result in a goal. Marchand wrapped up the huge two points with an empty-netter at 18:24 from Pastrnak. 

    In a true 2021 scheduling quirk, these same clubs meet again tomorrow night (7, NESN) at the Garden. The only thing about the game that I can say with any certainty right now is that I'm sure Swayman will face the Islanders backup goalie Ilya Sorokin (11-3-1). New York still has a nice cushion of six points separating themselves from Boston but if the Bruins can win on Friday, they would make it especially interesting because they still have two games in hand over the Isles with one final meeting left to go. It should be a grind and both teams don't shy away from fighting so don't be surprised if you see a few guys drop the gloves. 

The Bruins Earned Two Points The Hard Way: With A Gross Shootout Win Over The Hapless Sabres

 

    Typically beating the worst team in a given sport isn't a cause for celebration. However, I will grant the Bruins (22-12-6 overall, 11-6-3 home) a little slack since they need as many points as possible in their current situation therefore a 3-2 shootout win against the lowly Sabres (10-25-7 overall, 6-12-3 away) tonight at the TD Garden will have to suffice. All three of Boston's trade deadline acquisitions were in the lineup for their Bruins debuts: left wing Taylor Hall, center Curtis Lazar and defenseman Mike Reilly are all legitimate NHL players which is more than you can say for some of the scrubs that have been forced into action lately with all the injuries and Covid-19 issues for the B's. 

    Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (21 saves) improved to 3-1 as he stopped both Buffalo shooters (Victor Olofsson and Tage Thompson) in the shootout while each Boston shooter-center Charlie Coyle and left wing Jake DeBrusk-found back of the net behind Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski (29 saves, 0-4-2) who relieved starter Linus Ullmark (3 saves) after he suffered an unknown injury less than five minutes into the game. Buffalo led 1-0 at 1:52 of the first period as former Bruin Colin Miller fired a bomb from the point for his fourth goal of the season. Center Dylan Cozens and left wing Anders Bjork (obtained from Boston in the Hall trade) had the assists on Miller's tally. Bruins center David Krejci tied it at one at 13:20 of the first period as Tokarski left a rebound in a dangerous spot and Krejci swept in a backhander for his third goal of the season with defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and right wing Craig Smith notching the helpers. 

    Speaking of Smitty-who was playing in his 700th NHL game-he gave the Black and Gold a 2-1 lead early in the second period at 5:29. The puck had rolled off of Hall's stick when he tried to make a backhand pass but this being Buffalo, they failed to clear it and instead sent the puck right to Smith who fired in his ninth goal of the season. The second period was also notable for a pair of fights: Nick Ritchie took on UMass' Matt Irwin (another former Bruin) before Smith's go-ahead goal and later, Kevan Miller absolutely destroyed poor Tage Thompson. 

    2-1 is an unlikely way to win, even when you're playing Buffalo. The Sabres hung around long enough to tie it at two in the third period on defenseman Rasmus Dahlin's screened shot from the point. Defenseman Henri Jokiharju and left wing Jeff Skinner registered the assists on Dahlin's fourth goal of the season where he found himself wide open before shooting through traffic. Bjork of all people had a great chance to end it in overtime but after making a beautiful move to deke Swayman, he ran out of room and skated past the net because of course he did. The Bruins are 3-0 vs. the Sabres with the gift of five more meetings this season including three in four days next week. 

    Needless to say, the B's will have to be way better if they hope to finally solve the riddle that has been the Islanders (27-11-4 overall, 9-9-2 away) for them in 2021. Boston has lost three times in regulation, once in overtime and once in a shootout against the Isles. They get three more chances to beat them in the regular season starting with a rare back-to-back (against the same club) at the Garden on Thursday (7, NESN) and Friday (7, NESN). New York is eight points ahead of Boston (B's have 2 games in hand though) and in second-place in the East Division. I certainly don't think it'll happen given how the first five contests have turned out but if the Bruins can somehow sweep them this week, that would make the playoff race much tighter all around them.

The Bruins Close The Season Series Vs. The Flyers With Their First Loss In Regulation To Them In '21

 

    Playing in their fourth game in the last six days, I can't blame the Bruins (21-11-6) for losing this afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center against the Flyers (19-15-6). Boston scored first and later tied it up at two but they eventually fell 3-2 as they closed the season series with Philadelphia with a more than solid 6-1-1 record. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (20 saves; 2-1) suffered the first loss of his NHL career as he made his third start in a row. This game meant a whole bunch to both clubs and their postseason aspirations but Philly understandably played like the more desperate group which makes sense because they entered outside the playoff picture. These two points pulled them within four points of the Bruins although Boston still has two games in hand over them.

    B's center Patrice Bergeron (6 goals, 3 assists) has been on fire lately with a seven-game point-streak that he extended with a power play goal at 5:38 of the first period. Right wing Craig Smith and left wing Brad Marchand had the assists on Bergy's 16th goal of the season. He had set up in the slot and even though Smitty's pass was in his skates, he took his time to gather the puck and fire it past Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (30 saves, 11-5-1). Philadelphia tied it at one as right wing Travis Konecny put in a juicy rebound from defensemen Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim. It was Konecny's ninth goal of the season and it came at 11:51 of the first period. The Flyers took their first lead when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere tipped in a shot from Konecny at 17:46 for a power play tally. UNH's James van Riemsdyk added the second assist on Gostisbehere's seventh goal of the season. 

    Boston scored the lone goal of the second period as left wing Jake DeBrusk roofed a shot by Elliott at 11:45. Smith and BU's Charlie Coyle had the helpers on DeBrusk's fourth goal of the season. It's been a brutal season in terms of injuries for B's defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and unfortunately his bad luck continued as he left late in the second period with an upper-body injury and he never returned. Ugh. Philly center Sean Couturier scored the game-winning goal at 6:59 of the third period as Swayman got caught out of position leaving most of the net for Couturier to shoot at. His 12th goal of the season was assisted by BU's Joel Farabee and van Riemsdyk.

    This hellacious stretch finally ends tomorrow night (7, NESN) for the Bruins as they host the Capitals (26-11-4) at the TD Garden. Boston is 2-1-1 so far this week which includes a 4-2 home win against Washington on Thursday. Washington is in a dead heat with the Islanders for first-place in the Eastern Division as both teams are eight points ahead of the Black and Gold although the Bruins have three games in hand over both of them. Boston is 3-0-2 meaning that they haven't lost yet in regulation vs. Washington in 2021. The other rookie goaltender Dan Vladar is a lock to get the start tomorrow since Swayman needs a break while Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak remain out with an injury and Covid-19 respectively. 

Suddenly The Bruins Are Flush With Quality Goaltenders As They Beat The Capitals 4-2 In DC

 

    Based on who was in the lineup and who was not, plus the quality of the opponent and the fact that it was on the road are some of the many reasons for why I felt like tonight's 4-2 victory by the Bruins (21-10-6) at the Capital One Arena against the Capitals (25-11-4) was their best win of the season. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (2-0) made his second NHL start and it ended with another win as the University of Maine alum made 31 saves to beat one of the top teams in the league. Left wing Brad Marchand scored his 30th career shorthanded goal while rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and rookie left wing Anton Blidh each picked a fine time to score their first goals of the season. 

    Defenseman Charlie McAvoy remains out with a unknown upper-body injury so UVM's Kevan Miller stepped up in a big way, playing a game-high 25:18 with five hits and five blocked shots. Boston never allowed the Caps to get comfortable as they built a 2-0 lead in the first period, made it 3-0 in the second period then held on as Washington made it tight with a pair of power play goals. Capitals rookie goaltender Ilya Samsonov (28 saves, 9-3-1) was not at his best or maybe he's simply no Jeremy Swayman. Lauzon's goal was such a fluke as his nothing shot from the point somehow snuck past the young Russian. Marchand and right wing Craig Smith had the assists on the tally that came only 33 seconds into the game. Blidh's goal was unassisted at 16:02 but the full story is that a turnover behind Washington's goal and a lucky bounce meant that the puck came right to Blidh who was by there to knock it in. 

    What those goals lacked in physical beauty, Marchand's more than made up for with a brilliant shorthanded goal. I'll give you one guess who had the lone assist on his team-leading 19th goal of the season at 4:09 of the second period. It was center Patrice Bergeron of course who registered the only helper on his BFF's insurance tally. Washington made it a one-goal game with a rapid pair of power play goals that were 19 seconds apart later in the frame. They were essentially the same goal as Caps superstar left wing Alex Ovechkin parked himself at the left face-off dot and hammered in a one-timer at 10:08. Defenseman John Carlson and right wing T.J. Oshie picked up the assists on Ovi's 20th goal of the season that also gave him the second most power play goals in NHL history. On the next shift, Oshie scored on a one-timer of his own from the same location. Carlson and center Nicklas Backstrom were credited with the assists on Oshie's 12th goal of the season. 

    Boston held on to that 3-2 lead for much of the third period before Smith thankfully gave them a little breathing room. His power play goal came at 16:55 with center Charlie Coyle and rookie defenseman Jakub Zboril assisting on his seventh goal of the season. With the win, the B's improved to 3-0-2 against the Caps in 2021. They have three more matchups left with the Capitals including on Sunday night (7, NESN) back at the TD Garden. Before that, the Black and Gold head to Philadelphia (18-15-6) for a matinee on Saturday afternoon (2, NESN). It's their last tilt with the Flyers in the regular season which is a shame since they are 6-0-1 against them-after an overtime loss and win earlier this week. As I've said lately, it really doesn't matter which Bruins goaltender starts for them especially against Philly. One more win would be a sweet way to end the extremely lopsided season series with the Flyers. Boston is six points ahead of the Flyers for fourth-place in the East Division with two games in hand. 

The Bruins Beat The Penguins 7-5 In Easily The Most Entertaining Game Of The Season For Boston

 

    The Bruins (19-10-5) and Penguins (24-12-2) staged an instant classic of a game this afternoon at the TD Garden. The Penguins scored first and led 1-0 after the first period but then the Bruins erupted for five goals in the second period and they held on for a 7-5 victory that snapped Pittsburgh's five-game win streak and also improved Boston's record vs. them in 2021 to 4-2 with two matchups remaining in the regular season. Left wing Brad Marchand scored his fourth career hat trick and added an assist while right wing David Pastrnak handled his "demotion" to the second line well enough by scoring two goals and adding an assist of his own. The only people who probably didn't enjoy this scintillating tilt were the goaltenders: neither Boston's Jaroslav Halak (23 saves, 9-5-3) nor Pittsburgh's Casey DeSmith (21 saves, 9-4-0) were exactly bombarded by pucks but neither guy got pulled as all their season statistics slowly went down the drain. 

    PC's Mark Jankowski tipped in a shot from BC's Mike Matheson for his third goal of the season and a very early (3:24) 1-0 advantage for the Penguins in the first period. We should have known that the second period was going to be bonkers when Boston put in a pair of goals less than a minute into the middle frame. Center Patrice Bergeron bagged an unassisted goal 11 seconds in-fittingly his 11th goal of the season-then Pasta gave Boston its first lead (2-1) 34 seconds after that. Left wing Nick Ritchie and center David Krejci had the assists on Pastrnak's 15th goal of the season. The Pens answered with a pair of goals that helped them regain the lead at 3-2. Left wing Jake Guentzel put in his team-leading 16th goal of the season at 2:45 from center Sidney Crosby and BC's Brian Dumoulin. Center Jared McCann grabbed a power play goal at 5:11 that put Pittsburgh back in front. Guentzel and Crosby notched the assists on his ninth goal of the season. 

    Boston exploded in the final five minutes of the second period as Marchand tied it at three at 14:56: his 15th goal of the season was mostly a result of a great pass by BU's Matt Grzelcyk who patiently wheeled around the net then found his teammate. Right wing Craig Smith (who got to be on the 1st line for the day) was credited with the second assist. From there, the B's used a power play goal of its own to regain the lead for good. Krejci redirected a brilliant look from Marchand at 18:29 for his second goal of the season. Pastrnak got the second assist on his fellow countryman's tally. Marchand was heating up in a hurry as he made it 5-3 at 19:40. Smith and defenseman Charlie McAvoy recorded the helpers on a goal that gave the home team a two-goal spread heading into the final stanza. 

    Pittsburgh never gave up as defenseman Cody Ceci fired in a tricky shot at 4:38 of the third period. Jankowski and center Sam Lafferty had the assists on his third goal of the season that cut it to 5-4 Bruins. After Richie made a great play to knock Matheson off of the puck then he sauced it over to Pastrnak for the one-timer that restored that two-goal lead (6-4 at 13:28). That still didn't deter the Penguins as Crosby scored a shorthanded goal at 18:45 that trimmed Boston's slim lead to 6-5. Guentzel had the only assist on Pittsburgh's captain's 15h goal of the season. Before we could worry for too long that the Bruins were going to blow it, Marchand slid in his third goal of the afternoon at 18:59 into an empty net. BU's Charlie Coyle set up Marchand for the last marker of a truly wild and unforgettable meeting. 

    On paper, next week looks like the toughest one of the season for the Black and Gold: they have five games in seven days including three dates with the Flyers who in case you forgot, they have owned this season to the tune of 5-0-0. Still, the B's are only up four points on them for the all-important fourth spot in the East Division (granted they have 2 games in hand). The Bruins host Philly (17-14-5) on Monday (7, NESN) then they go to the Wells Fargo Center the next night (7, NESN). On Thursday (7, NESN) they travel to the Verizon Center to play the first-place Capitals (24-9-4). After that, the Bruins head back to Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon (2, NESN)-seriously they do-before finally returning to the Garden for another back-to-back when they take on the Caps on Sunday night (7, NESN). I'm exhausted just writing and reading about that insane stretch so I can't imagine actually taking part in it. Just like I would tell the Bruins, rest up and enjoy your Easter, I'll see you all on Monday. 

2.5 Months Later, The Bruins Finally Beat The Devils Once Again-In A Shootout Of Course

 

It only took five tries but the Bruins (18-9-5) rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits (3-1 and 4-2) to beat the Devils (13-16-5) 5-4 in a shootout this evening at the TD Garden. After losing 1-0 to New Jersey on Sunday night at the Garden, the offenses each exploded tonight as the Devils' was clicking early and Boston's only answer to that was a pair of clutch third period goals by its BU defensemen. There were plenty of scoring chances in overtime but nobody could end it so it went to a shootout where center Charlie Coyle & right David Pastrnak both scored for the B's while goaltender Jaroslav Halak (31 saves, 8-5-3) got better as the game went along, not allowing a goal after late in the second period. Boston improved to 2-3-1 against New Jersey with two more meetings left to go in the regular season. 

    Before the game started, the Bruins got a boost as both left wing Brad Marchand (Covid-19) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (concussion) were each able to return to action after they missed some time recently. Other than the late goals though, it was a game to forget for Boston's defense which turned the puck over a couple times in its in own zone that directly resulted in goals for the Devils. That began right away as Jeremy Lauzon's bad pass went into center Patrice Bergeron's skates and led to New Jersey defenseman P.K. Subban knocking the puck to left wing Miles Wood who fired it in. It was the BC product's 11th goal of the season (he's scored 3 times against Boston in 2021) and it came at 1:28 of the first period.

    New Jersey goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (44 saves, 9-9-2) earned a shutout on Sunday but he returned to Earth in a hurry after his recent success against the Bruins. Left wing Nick Ritchie's wrist shot through traffic beat him at 5:55 of the first period for a 1-1 tie. Ritchie's 10th goal of the season was assisted by center David Krejci and right wing Craig Smith. Illustrating how much trouble they'd had with the Devils, that was the first even strength goal of the season (16+ periods at that point) for Boston against them. The B's got caught flat-footed when center Michael McLeod blew past them for a breakaway then he tucked a backhander into the net at 9:34 of the first period. Right wing Jesper Boqvist and defenseman Ryan Murray had the assists on McLeod's fifth goal of the season. 

    The Devils started the second period on a high note as well when center Travis Zajac tipped in left wing Jesper Bratt's shot for the 200th goal of his Devils (the only team he's ever played for) career. Murray provided the secondary assist on Zajac's fifth goal of the season. Marchand tapped into some frustration by body slamming Bratt a few minutes later then cutting it to 3-2 Devils at 15:48 of the second period. He ripped a wrist shot out of Blackwood's reach for his 13th goal of the season (also his 1st in 9 games but who's counting?). Bergy and Krejci had the assists on his momentum swing of a tally or so we thought that it was at the time. Following a face-off win by Bergeron in his own defensive zone, Lauzon's pass went to New Jersey's right wing Kyle Palmieri who put in his eighth goal of the season (5th against Boston!) at 17:06 of the second period.

    The Black and Gold really couldn't afford another loss to the Devils two days later so it was reassuring to see their great young defenseman Charlie McAvoy step up to put in a juicy rebound at 10:22 of the third period that trimmed New Jersey's lead to 4-3. Smith and Marchand had the assists on McAvoy's fourth goal of the season. A few minutes later at 16:00, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk's wrist shot seemed to catch Mackenzie up high by surprise. Just like Ritchie's goal-except in reverse order-Smith and Krejci notched the helpers on the Charlestown native's third goal of the season. 

    I guess that the only way that the Bruins can beat the Devils this year is in a shootout (which is so weird!) since they are 2-0 in those but 0-3-1 in regulation and overtime combined. Halak went a perfect 2-for-2 in the shootout, stopping center Pavel Zacha and Palmieri's attempts. One of the hottest teams in the NHL-the Penguins (23-11-2)-come to the Garden on Thursday (7, NESN) and Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) for another two-game set which is all that the B's and Pens have had against each other this wacky season: one in Boston then one in Pittsburgh now another here before one last brief series in Pittsburgh at the end of April. Boston is 3-1 vs. Pittsburgh in 2021 but the Penguins have won four games in a row coming into this and they are 7-2-1 in their last 10. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy hopes to get goaltender Tuukka Rask into the lineup later this week but we'll have to see how his creaky back is feeling.

The Bruins Barely Survived What Would Have Been A Very Embarrassing Loss & Beat The Sabres 3-2

 

    The Covid-19 outbreak on the Bruins (17-8-5) is still alive as star left wing Brad Marchand was the latest guy to miss a game due to the NHL's Covid protocols. Left wing Jake DeBrusk and center Sean Kuraly are still out since they went on the Covid list last week. No matter if it had to be the Providence Bruins that faced the hapless Sabres (6-23-4) this afternoon at the TD Garden, there was no excuse not to beat a club that entered on a 16-game losing streak. Buffalo played what I'm assuming was one of their better games during this Scarlet Letter of a slump (now the second longest losing streak in league history): they scored first and were up 2-1 after two periods. However, Boston finally woke up in the third period-outshooting the Sabres 15-3-and scored twice to escape with a less-than-satisfying 3-2 "victory." Look, with all the guys that have been in and out of the lineup lately for the B's due to Covid or injuries, I'll never complain about two points but I have to admit that this was about as ugly a win as you'll ever find.

    Bruins rookie goaltender Dan Vladar made his second career NHL start and surprise, it didn't go quite as smoothly as his nearly flawless debut against Pittsburgh (22-11-2) a few weeks ago. The Sabres took a 1-0 lead 2:01 into the afternoon matinee as Vladar's pass was picked off by Buffalo center Sam Reinhart who stuffed it in for his 12th goal of the season. It was the rare power play goal that was unassisted. The Sabres led 1-0 after the first period before Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk's screened shot from the point found its way past Buffalo goaltender Linus Ullmark (33 saves, 5-5-2). The BU alum's second goal of the season was assisted by right wing David Pastrnak and center Patrice Bergeron at 11:41. Buffalo regained the lead moments later (at 14:12 to be exact) as right wing Kyle Okposo was in the perfect spot to backhand in a juicy rebound by Vladar. Center Steven Fogarty and defenseman Henri Jokiharju had the helpers on Okposo's second goal of the season. 

    Left wing Nick Ritchie tied it for the Black and Gold at 5:22 of the third period. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy (game-high 26:32 ice time) made the play happen as he wheeled around the net before passing it to Ritchie in front to knock in his ninth goal of the season. Defenseman Jakub Zboril provided the other assist on Ritchie's ninth goal of the season. With Trent Frederic taking Marchand's place on the top line, Boston's second line picked up the slack as they bagged the game-winning goal. Right wing Craig Smith did the honors as center David Krejci poked the loose puck in front to Smith to fire into the net. Ritchie notched the other assist on Smith's sixth goal of the season at 16:10. 

    This was also a must-win because the Bruins are right back in action tomorrow night (5:30, NESN) against the Devils (12-16-4) at the Garden. For whatever unexplainable reason, Boston has struggled vs. New Jersey this year (1-2-1) including a sleepy 1-0 shutout loss three weeks ago in a similar spot. Boston couldn't ask much more from its schedule right now as they also face the Devils on Tuesday (7, NESN) at the Garden as well. New Jersey has a shocking 8-5-2 record on the road this season so that's another good talking point for B's head coach Bruce Cassidy to hammer home to his team before these next two tilts. You can thank me later Butch! Goaltender Jaroslav Halak gets the start tomorrow and he could use a win as well.

The Bruins Finally Discovered First-Hand What A Joy It Is To Play Against The Sabres This Season

 

    The Sabres (6-19-4) are really lucky that there isn't a relegation system in the NHL because they are the worst team in the league by a wide margin this season. Tonight at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo head coach Don Granato's (brother of Tony and Cammi) debut, the Bruins (16-8-4) easily dispatched them 4-1 in their first of eight meetings in 2021. It was the 13th straight loss for the Sabres, a once proud franchise that has become a laughing stock in recent years and a place where good hockey players go to die. Boston won its second game in a row for the first time in over a month (February 12), so you can bet that they are psyched to be playing these bums at just the right time. 

    This morning, it looked like this game might not even happen today since a Bruins player (later revealed to be center Sean Kuraly) entered Covid-19 protocols and the morning skate was promptly cancelled. Not to be outdone, Buffalo didn't have a morning skate either since a member of their hockey staff had entered Covid protocols as well. On a lighter note, it's always a good day when you get to say Greg McKegg's wonderful name and wouldn't you know, he was in the lineup this evening for Kuraly and he tipped in a shot from the point by defenseman Matt Grzelcyk for the first goal of his illustrious Bruins career (2 games and counting!) at 2:56 of the first period. 

    Buffalo's lone highlight of the whole game was early in the second period when right wing Kyle Okposo tied it at one with a shorthanded goal. His shot deflected off Grzelcyk's stick, causing the puck to elude B's goaltender Jaroslav Halak's (23 saves, 7-4-2) glove. PC's Jacob Bryson had the lone assist-the first of his NHL career-on Okposo's first goal of the season. No problem as Boston responded with two goals later in the frame to regain control. First, left wing Jake DeBrusk made the most of some power play time to bat a rebound out of the air and past Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton (33 saves, 1-10-1). Right wing David Pastrnak and center David Krejci (who reached 700 points on the play, only the 8th player in Bruins history to do that) provided the assists on DeBrusk's third goal of the season at 9:15. The real backbreaker for the home team was the next goal as right wing Craig Smith put in a low shot from the slot that Hutton should have stopped. Smith's fifth goal of the season came at 18:36 and it gave the B's a 3-1 lead with Krejci and defenseman Connor Clifton recording the assists.

    Pasta added another power play goal at 4:44 of the third period. His team-leading 14th goal of the season was a rocket of a one-timer from Krejci and left wing Brad Marchand. The shot was hit so perfectly that it went into the net then bounced out. Even in an easy victory like this, the Black and Gold can't seem to avoid injuries right now as left wing Trent Frederic blocked a shot in the first period and didn't return due to a lower-body injury. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said that X-Rays were negative on that so he shouldn't miss much if any time. This evening also marked the NHL debut of undrafted (out of St. Cloud State) free agent defenseman Jack Ahcan. From what I can tell, he's a dollar store version of Torey Krug (remember him?): 5-foot-8, 178 pounds, left shot. In 17:55 of ice time, he had three shots on goal, blocked two shots and had a hit. Who knows what will become of him in the NHL but the Bruins GM Don Sweeney definitely has a very specific type of defenseman (Krug, Grzelcyk, Ahcan, etc) that he is obsessed with. 

    These same clubs meet on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) and I honestly hope that Cassidy gives his temporary backup goalie Dan Vladar his second career NHL start. Think about it, he'll never have a better spot to follow up his amazing debut on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Even if Tuukka Rask is ready to return, I would hold him out for another game since why would you waste him against this checked out opponent? Ditto for Halak, let him rest up after a very busy stretch for him. Give the rookie another chance to show what he can do/increase his potential trade value down the line.

UPDATE 3/19/21: Four more Bruins (David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Craig Smith and Jake DeBrusk) went into the league's Covid-19 protocols today so tomorrow's rematch in Buffalo and Tuesday's game vs. the Islanders have both been postponed. Ugh, we still can't have nice things in 2021. 

Tied Going Into The 3rd Period, The Bruins Epically Collapse Vs. Isles & Fall To 0-3 Against NY In 2021

 

    What is it about the Islanders (10-6-3) that has caused so many problems for the Bruins (11-4-2) early this season? For the third time in 2021, Boston visited Nassau Coliseum and they left with an ugly 7-2 loss that dropped them to 0-3 against New York during this campaign. Things looked promising as Boston scored first and then tied it at two in the second period before falling apart in Celtics-like fashion in a trainwreck of a final frame. The B's have only lost four times in regulation so far this season and three of those have come against the Isles. Boston will get five more chances (including four at TD Garden) to beat New York but regardless of how those turn out, this is not a club that they want to see in the playoffs. 

    Left wing Nick Ritchie staked Boston to a 1-0 lead just 1:02 into regulation. Like most of his goals, this one came by sitting next to the net and simply re-directing a pass. Defenseman Jakub Zboril and center Charlie Coyle had the assists on Ritchie's seventh goal of the season. 1-0 was the only lead of the night for the Bruins and it fittingly didn't last long as New York defenseman Adam Pelech put in a rebound at 3:16 to tie it (his 1st goal of the season was unassisted) and center Mathew Barzal sniped a shot past Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (30 saves, 4-2-1) at 12:39. Defenseman Nick Leddy and goaltender Semyon Varlamov (34 saves, 9-4-2) had the assists on Barzal's seventh goal of the season. 

    Boston had the lone goal in the second period as right wing Craig Smith worked his way into New York's defensive zone and tried to feed it in front to rookie center Jack Studnicka but the puck instead deflected off an Islanders defenseman's stick and past Varlamov. Smith's fourth goal of the season came at 11:36 and it was assisted by right wing Jake DeBrusk and rookie Urho Vaakanainen. The Isles aren't known for an explosive offense but you could have fooled me with their absurd third period barrage of five unanswered goals. It all started when left wing Anthony Beauvillier stole the puck from rookie left wing Trent Frederic close to Halak and used a backhander to put in the go-ahead goal at 5:41. Another odd-man rush led to an insurance tally for the home team as right wing Jordan Eberle beat Halak up high at 10:45. His eighth goal of the season was assisted by Barzal and left wing Anders Lee. The wheels officially fell off for the Black and Gold at 12:24 as center Jean-Gabriel Pageau got a shorthanded breakaway and put the puck through Halak's five-hole. His eighth goal of the season was assisted by Pelech and it gave the Isles a 5-2 lead as Halak understandably smashed his stick (and broke the blade off) against one of the helpless goal posts. 

    Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy had no choice but to leave Halak out to dry since Boston has a game tomorrow (7, NESN) against the Rangers (6-8-3) at Madison Square Garden and he already confirmed before tonight's game that Tuukka Rask would start in NYC. Lee and BC's Oliver Wahlstrom-the rare Maine native in the NHL-rounded out the scoring for the Isles. The Bruins have dropped three of their last four games overall so the Rangers feel like the perfect antidote to help them get back untracked. The B's also take on the Rangers in a rare Sunday afternoon matinee (12, NBC) so hopefully they can win both installments just like they did two weeks ago in the Big Apple. The Rangers are 3-5-2 at home while the Bruins are 6-3-2 on the road after tonight's defeat in Long Island.

The Bruins Are Our Only Hope & Thankfully, They Are Just The Team To Carry That Unfair Burden

 

    As I just wrote on the post below this, the Celtics are suddenly going nowhere fast this season, the Patriots don't have much hope unless they can unearth a legitimate quarterback in free agency, the draft or via trade and the Red Sox are sure to be awful once again just like last year which no one watched and/or will remember. That leaves the Bruins (11-3-2) to shoulder the weight of expectations for Boston sports teams right now while all the other ones sputter at best. The good news is that at least in the regular season (get back to me when they are ready to win another Cup), they are not only going to win a bunch of games but they are also going to have fun doing it: see the above picture filled with fantastic 90s outfits that they all wore this afternoon to the rink. Tonight at Lake Tahoe (yes that one), they pummeled the poor Flyers (8-4-3) 7-3 in the NHL's latest outdoor game. It wasn't even that close as B's superstar David Pastrnak potted a hat trick as Boston improved to 5-0 against Philly this season with three more meetings left to go with their East division punching bag.  

    With no fans in this spectacular setting, except a few randoms in boats and kayaks floating nearby, the Bruins had to manufacture their own excitement and boy did they ever particularly in the second period where they took a 2-2 tie and turned it into a 6-2 blowout. Pasta understandably will get most of the attention but plenty of other Bruins did good things too: left wing Nick Ritchie had a goal and an assist, left wing Brad Marchand and right wing Craig Smith along with defensemen John Moore and Connor Clifton each had two assists, left wing Trent Frederic scored his first NHL goal and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen recorded his first NHL assist/point. 

    As you can imagine, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (16 saves, 7-2-1) was barely required to do anything while the Flyers goaltending duo of Carter Hart (17 saves, 6 goals allowed before he was pulled) and Brian Elliott (11 saves, 1 goal allowed) still can't figure out a way to beat Boston this season. Perhaps the most promising aspect of this victory for the Black and Gold was that they only scored one power play goal meaning that six of them came 5-on-5. It was also a hell of a night for Boston University hockey since they had three guys (Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle on Boston; Joel Farabee on Philadelphia) all score goals in this event that the entire hockey world was watching on national TV during an otherwise sleepy Sunday night sports-wise. Somewhere former Terriers head coach Jack Parker was surely smiling while he thought about how much this will help recruiting efforts for future teams on Comm. Ave. 

    Pasta scored 34 seconds into the game because of course he did and from there, Philadelphia briefly led 2-1 (haha for 39 seconds!) before McAvoy tied it up at two heading into the first intermission. Boston could no wrong in the second period as Pastrnak, Coyle, Frederic and Ritchie (on the PP) all tallied goals with the final three coming in a span of 1:39. It might have been the thin mountain air but the Flyers' collective heads were no doubt spinning by that point. UNH's James van Riemsdyk (goal, 2 assists) would be in the Hockey Hall of Fame if he only played the Bruins, the guy always seems to show up against them. All that was left to do in the third period was for Pasta to get his 10th career NHL hat trick. He also paces the B's with nine goals in only nine games. 

    With a long flight home late tonight, Boston will return for a few days and then they will go back to New York for the weekend just like they did two weeks ago. That sounds like a cruel joke, with the only difference being that they play at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday (7, NESN) vs. the Islanders (8-6-3)-who have won both meetings in 2021-before a two-game set at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers (6-7-3) on Friday (7, NESN) and Sunday afternoon (12, NBC). With no practice tomorrow, they can catch up on their sleep and become reacclimated to the Eastern Time Zone before getting back to work. They should also savor all the sweet pictures and memories that they created these last few days in Lake Tahoe; if they do win that elusive Cup this summer, you can bet that this bonding trip will be prominently featured in the DVD celebrating the championship season and often cited in numerous stories as a key moment.

UPDATE 2/24/21: More bad news for Boston's defensive corps as Jeremy Lauzon broke his left hand on Sunday, he had surgery today and he's expected to miss at least the next four weeks. 

B's Rallied From Another 3-0 Deficit But This Time They Handed The Caps Their 1st Regulation Loss

 

    No lead is apparently safe when you are playing the Bruins (6-1-2) this season. The Capitals (6-1-3) managed to hold off Boston 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night after blowing a 3-0 lead but they weren't so lucky in the second leg of their series at Capital One Arena this evening. Once again, Washington built a 3-0 lead in the second period and the B's came back to tie it in the third period but the plot changed dramatically as they scored twice more in regulation for a bonkers 5-3 victory. Boston's superstar right wing David Pastrnak scored his first two goals of the season, defenseman Brandon Carlo potted the first game-winning tally of his NHL career and the Bruins improved to 5-0-1 in their last six contests while taking three out of a possible four points against one of the NHL's top clubs and their new East Division rivals. 

    Things did not look so hot for the Black and Gold in the first period as the Caps had a goal wiped out for offsides but then they exploded for a pair of goals just 11 seconds apart. Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara made it 1-0 for the home team with a blast from the point. His second goal of the season (and 8th in his career vs. Boston) was assisted by Brown's Garnet Hathaway and center Nic Dowd at 13:26. Shortly after that, something called Daniel Sprong doubled Washington's lead with his second goal of the season. Left wing Jakub Vrana and defenseman Nick Jensen both added assists on Sprong's second goal of the season. 

Boston's power play (0-for-4) could never get going in this game and when they couldn't score on a 5-on-3 for 58 seconds in the second period, you felt like that could have been a fatal mistake. Capitals defenseman John Carlson's bardown snipe turned out to be the thing that finally woke up the Bruins. His fourth goal of the season was assisted by Vrana at 8:35. In his second game of the season, Pasta showed why he tied Caps legend Alex Ovechkin for the most goals scored in the league in 2019-2020. His first goal came at 12:37 when left wing Brad Marchand found him in the slot for a one-timer that he shot by goaltender Vitek Vanecek (28 saves, 5-1-2).  B's defenseman Brandon Carlo had the second assist on the classic Pasta goal.

    Trailing 3-1 going in to the third period, Boston wasted no time making it interesting as Pastrnak cut it to a 3-2 Capitals lead at 6:08. Somehow when he came around the side of the net, he had tons of time and space so good on him for firing a low shot that Vanecek couldn't stop. Rookie defenseman Jakub Zobril and defenseman Charlie McAvoy had the assists on Pasta's second goal of the season/night. That was nothing as the Bruins scored three more unanswered goals to wrap it up. Another rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon showed off his (mostly unknown) offensive skills by driving to the net then throwing a backhand pass across the crease to right wing Craig Smith who blasted a one-timer in for a sweet tying goal at 13:07. Left wing Nick Ritchie had the secondary assist on Smith's third goal of the season. At that point, the B's were flying so it was no surprise when they went ahead (albeit thanks to an unlikely guy) on Carlo's roofed one-timer from center Sean Kuraly and right wing Chris Wagner at 17:23. Carlo has never been known for his offensive skills but in his fifth season in the NHL, he is growing more comfortable by the day on that end of the ice. Marchand sealed the best win of the young season for the Bruins with an empty-net goal at 18:34. Center David Krejci had the lone assist on Marchy's team-leading sixth goal of this campaign. 

    You'll notice that I didn't mention Boston's goaltender Jaroslav Halak (23 saves, 3-0-1) until now. After he was bombarded with shots in the first period (15-8), his teammates started to put the clamps down on the home team for the last two frames (outshooting the Caps 25-11). He improved to 3-0-0 in his last three starts and he has only allowed a combined five goals in that time. Rookie winger Trent Frederic made his presence felt in the third period as he fought Washington's Tom Wilson-one of the toughest guys in the league. After the game, multiple Bruins players and head coach Bruce Cassidy all mentioned that moment as being a big part of the win as it understandably fired up the club. The B's stay on the road as they traveled to Philadelphia (7-2-1) to play the Flyers-the top team in the East Division-on Wednesday (8, NBCSN) followed by another meeting on Friday (7, NESN). The Bruins just swept a two-game set vs. Philly at the Garden last weekend but the Flyers have won four games in a row since then so expect a better showing by them.

The Bruins Blew 2-0 Lead In The 3rd Period But Recovered To Beat Pens 3-2 In OT On Smith's Goal

 

    For nearly 50 minutes of game action tonight at TD Garden, the Bruins (4-1-1) had a near perfect performance. Left wing Brad Marchand scored a shorthanded goal (the 28th of this excellent career) in the first period and Boston's secret power play weapon Nick Ritchie added a goal on the man-advantage for a 2-0 lead in the second period. Pittsburgh (4-2-1) entered as the league's hottest team as they came in on a four-game win streak after going 0-2-1 to start 2021. The Penguis predictably wouldn't go down that easily as they scored a pair of goals in the the third period-by left wing Jason Zucker and right wing Kasperi Kapanen-to tie it at two and eventually send it to overtime. Luckily for the B's, the newest Bruin-right wing Craig Smith-was able to win the game when he finished a 2-on-0 with center David Krejci, there was a little over 10 seconds left in overtime.

    This could have been a disastrous loss for the home team but instead, it turned into their third straight victory. Goaltender Tuukka Rask (28 saves, 3-1-0) shook off an injury scare to grab his third win of the season. The only real bad news to come out of this contest for the B's was that right wing Jake DeBrusk left in the first period with a lower-body injury and never returned. The play that seemed to cause the discomfort was a textbook hip check by Penguins captain Sidney Crosby delivered near center ice as DeBrusk tried to get into Pittsburgh's defensive zone. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk took warm-ups with the team before the game but ultimately he was a last-minute scratch as he nurses a lower-body injury of his own. 

    Marchand is one of the best shorthanded goal-scorers in the history of the NHL. He took a pass from defenseman Charlie McAvoy (3 assists) and used Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (game-high 29:57 of ice time) as a screen then he ripped a shot by Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry's (33 saves, 2-2-1) glove at 7:41 of the first period. McAvoy had the lone assist on Marchand's team-leading fourth goal of the season. Boston only received three power plays all game long (as opposed to Pittsburgh's woeful 0-for-6 showing!) but they made the most of one in the second period as a 5-on-3 expired. Marchand fired a pass across the crease to Ritchie who was stationed next to the post and simply had to sweep it in. We don't have to complain about what he did in the bubble anymore because Ritchie looks like a different guy with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in his last three games. All three of his tallies this season have come on the power play as well. 

Speaking of the postseason, the Pens have been eliminated early in their last few playoff appearances which means that while their high-scoring games may work in the regular season, once it changes to the playoffs, it's been a different story lately. After a mad scramble by Rask (and a few saves in the sequence), Pittsburgh finally got on the scoreboard at 9:47 of the third period as veteran forward Jason Zucker was able to find the loose puck and whip it past Tuukka. Center Jared McCann and left wing Drew O'Connor (first NHL point in the NHL debut for the Dartmouth alum) were credited with the assists on Zucker's first goal of the season. Things got a bit sketchy for the Bruins when they allowed the tying goal to Kapanen at 16:44. His first goal of the season was assisted by center Evgeni Malkin and Zucker. The former Maple Leaf was able to use his speed to leave McAvoy in the dust then he went to the net and slid a backhander under Rask. 

    Boston evened their overtime record to 1-1 thanks to a complete defensive breakdown by the Pens (shocking, I know!) that left Krejci and Smith all alone on a breakaway with almost too much time and space to make the correct decision. They passed back and forth before Smith put the puck through Jarry's five-hole for his second goal as a Bruin. You could say that he was due for the goal since he managed to accumulate a game-high seven shots on goal. In another mini-series, these same clubs meet at the same place on Thursday (7, NESN). I'd expect a battle of backup goalies with Jaroslav Halak taking on UNH's Casey DeSmith. Hopefully Grzelcyk can return for the B's and maybe DeBrusk's injury isn't that bad, otherwise those are two sneaky important holes that head coach Bruce Cassidy will have to fix in the lineup.

Bruins Sweep The Flyers Behind A 6-1 Blowout, Easily Their Best Performance Of The Early Season

 

    Who said that the Bruins (3-1-1) had any offensive struggles whatsoever? Those seem like a distant memory as Boston dispatched Philadelphia (3-2-1) for the second straight game, this time much more decisively to the tune of a 6-1 laugher tonight at TD Garden. After scoring three combined goals in their first three contests, the B's scored four in Thursday's 5-4 shootout victory vs. Philly then topped that with a six-pack of goals this evening led by the incomparable center Patrice Bergeron (2 power play goals, assist) and left wing Brad Marchand (2 goals-1 PPG, assist). Goaltender Jaroslav Halak (1-0-1) got the start for the Bruins but he didn't have to do much of anything beyond staying awake since the Flyers only landed 17 total shots on him. 

  B's defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was out with a lower-body injury but the usually reliable Connor Clifton (plus-1, 4 hits, blocked shot in 18:12) filled in well for him in his season debut. As usual, Bergy and Marchy earned the majority of the headlines with plenty of highlights of their own but there were some notable achievements by other Bruins as well: rookie forward Trent Frederic (plus-2, 3 shots on goal, 2 hits and takeaway in 14:31) and rookie defenseman Jakub Zboril (2 shots on goal, hit and blocked shot in 19:41) each earned their first NHL points/assists while winger Craig Smith (assist, plus-2, 2 shots on goal in 15:00) scored his first goal for the Spoked B. BU's Charlie Coyle found the back of the net for the second straight game, helping Boston win two games in a row for the first time in 2021. 

    Rather than being down by two goals heading into the third period (like they did on Thursday), the B's took a new and much easier approach as they scored first and then closed things out with five unanswered goals. Bergeron got the fun started with a power play goal (his 2nd goal of the season) at 8:09 of the first period. Winger Nick Ritchie (2 assists) and center David Krejci had the helpers as Boston created plenty of traffic in front of Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (20 saves, 2-2-1) which allowed Bergy to brush a tough-angle backhander by him. Up 1-0 after the first period, the only real adversity that the Bruins faced all night-if you can even call it that-was when BC's Kevin Hayes tipped in a shot by right wing Jakub Voracek 1:14 into the second period for his third goal of the season. Just 1:16 after that, Smith nabbed his first tally in the Black and Gold thanks to a sweet spin-around pass from Coyle that left him with a wide open net to shoot at. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon had the second assist on Smith's goal, his first point of the season. Coyle was repaid for his great feed with an equally beautiful look from Frederic. The pride of Weymouth tipped it in for a 3-1 advantage at 17:50 of the second period with Smith notching the other helper. 

    After a few days in Boston where they probably couldn't do much of anything besides play hockey (because of the pandemic and freezing temperatures) and sit alone in their hotel rooms, I'm sure that Philadelphia was understandably ready to get home by the time that the third period came around. Truthfully, they played like a club that was halfway on the bus to the airport for much of that extended garbage time. Marchand made sure of it as he potted his pair of goals 3:46 apart in the frame. First he was the recipient of a ferocious forecheck by Bergeron that led to an easy tap-in at 4:13 for his second goal of the season. The top line's latest right wing-Jake DeBrusk-got the second assist. The wheels completely fell off at that point for the Flyers as they continued to take penalties and the Bruins were more than happy to pay for them. Marchand ripped in a wrist shot at 7:59 for a power-play goal, assisted by Ritchie and Zboril. Bergeron fittingly wrapped it up with a very similar goal to his first one except this time-at 13:33, assisted by Marchand and Charlie McAvoy-it came on the man advantage. 

    As you probably guessed, Boston earned a day off from practice tomorrow so they'll be back to work on Monday morning at Warrior Ice Arena for their first practice ahead of two games at home vs. Pittsburgh (3-2-0). The B's host the Penguins on Tuesday (7, NESN) and Thursday (7, NESN), their first two matchups of the season with superstar Sidney Crosby and his team who are temporarily in the same division (East) as the Bruins. After losing their first two games of the year vs. Philly, the Penguins have rattled off three straight wins. They still score plenty of goals (18) but they also allow even more (21) so expect some high-scoring tilts when these sneaky rivals meet once again in Boston.

We Remain On Taylor Hall Watch & B's Signed RW Craig Smith To A 3-Yr Deal For $9.3 Million Dollars

 

    If the first two days of NHL free agency are any indication, it's going to be a very quiet off-season for the Bruins unless they make some legitimate trades. At least they did something notable today rather than just watching one of their best players (defenseman Torey Krug who got an extra large bag full of money in St. Louis) leave for way more money on a team that's just as good if not better than them. Unless you are a Predators fan, you are the rare person that plays fantasy hockey (you should, it's a blast!) or maybe you like college hockey, you are excused if you've never heard of Craig Smith before now. Boston fans will get familiar with him soon enough as the veteran right wing signed a three-year contract worth $9.3 million dollars.

    He was never a star in Nashville but when you look at his career stats-all nine seasons were with the Predators-you can start to understand why B's GM Don Sweeney targeted him once he hit the market. We all saw in the bubble how overly-reliant Boston had become on the power play leaving their 5-on-5 play to be described as rough at best. The 31-year-old Smith has scored 162 career goals in the NHL and 120 of them came when it was even strength and 42 of them were on the power play. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy doesn't have to decide his lineup anytime soon but you figure that Smith would fit well on the third line at right wing with Charlie Coyle at center and who knows at left wing (Anders Bjork?). 

    Smith has scored 20+ five times with a career-high of 25 in 2017-18. He's not just a goal-scorer either since he has also registered 168 career assists. He has notched 20+ assists four times including a career-high 28 in his rookie year (2011-12). His career plus/minus is plus-67 which is very solid with seven consecutive positive plus/minus seasons in a row including his best ever (plus-20) in 2017-18. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, he lived the life of a hometown hero as he played at the University of Wisconsin before getting drafted in the fourth round (98th overall) by Nashville in 2009. Under Sweeney, the Bruins have a great track record of finding the right college hockey alums who tend to be mature and dependable beyond their years (Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Coyle, Sean Kuraly, Matt Grzelcyk, etc.). 

    The Smith news dropped before noon today giving the B's plenty more time to make a bigger move, except they didn't. At Sweeney's press conference, he was asked about the two best free agents who still remain unsigned: defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and left wing Taylor Hall. Sweeney basically said that he hasn't talked to the former Blues' camp so he is not coming to the black and gold. However, Sweeney's Harvard businessman side came out in full force when he vaguely referred to Hall without saying his name but implying that they're working on it. Okay! I'm not saying that it's going to happen and honestly, Smith is a fine player but man these last few days have been mostly a wet fart for the Bruins. Oh and did I mention that Cap Friendly-the best NHL salary cap website-projects Boston to have $12.295 million dollars worth of cap space even after Smith's deal? Here's an idea Don, USE IT!