Ugh, the Bruins Continue to Pathetically Fold at TD Garden Against the NHL's Worst Teams

Question: how many last-place teams can come into TD Garden in a short amount of time and all leave here with wins? Answer: three (Colorado, Toronto and Islanders). Tonight, Boston (17-14-3) spotted New York (12-14-6) a 3-0 lead in the second period before they finally decided to show a pulse in the third period. By that time it was too late as the Islanders snapped a five-game losing streak (0-4-1) to take the 4-2 decision. It was a nice homecoming for two former Bruins defensemen: Dennis Seidenberg (playing in his first game back in Boston since signing with NY in September) and Johnny Boychuk were both a game-high +2.

Tuukka Rask (16-6-3) has been stellar all season so I guess he was due for an off-night of sorts. He was victimized by two fluky goals and ended up getting pulled for the first time since April 3, 2015 (at Chicago). He finished with 10 saves and three goals allowed. Anton Khudobin made 15 saves in his appearance that began at 13:42 of the second period. He actually picked up his first career NHL point (an assist) but he allowed an Islanders power play goal in the third period that effectively closed the curtain on this one. New York goaltender Thomas Greiss (7-5-0) made a career-high 48 saves as Boston had a season-high 50 shots on goal (95 shot attempts!).

The B's hadn't played since Sunday afternoon's 1-0 win vs. LA, so they were sitting around at home since then and thus there really is no valid excuse for coming out so slow once again. Rask and Brad Marchand ran into each other behind Boston's net, allowing Anders Lee to knock in an early Christmas present at 3:05 of the first period. Lee's team-leading 11th goal of the season was unassisted. Another rare mistake happened a few moments later as Patrice Bergeron got caught up ice, leaving New York with a 3-on-1. Thomas Hickey beat Rask glove-side with a shot at 5:40 for a 2-0 lead. Josh Bailey and Lee had the assists on Hickey's tally.

Boston's offense had two near misses in the second period as Patrice Bergeron and Austin Czarnik each hit the crossbar in quick succession. New York took a commanding 3-0 lead at 6:18 on yet another bizarre strike. Boychuk dumped the puck in Boston's zone, it bounced off the end boards (and eluded Kevan Miller's stick) before Rask got handcuffed by it on the goal-line. Nikolay Kulemin was there to smack it in for his fourth goal of the season.

As we all predicted, Bruins rookie Anton Blidh sparked the comeback attempt when his centering pass intended for goal-machine Jimmy Hayes deflected by Greiss off of Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy's skate. The first goal of Blidh's NHL career was assisted by Brandon Carlo and Khudobin just 3:04 into the third. After rightfully booing the Bruins off the ice to end the second, the Garden crowd finally had something to cheer about and they really got loud for a few minutes after Dominic Moore tipped in Zdeno Chara's shot from the point at 7:12. Moore's eighth goal of the season was also assisted by Hayes (his 1st helper of the season).

New York head coach Jack Capuano (a Rhode Islander) sensed his team falling apart and smartly took his timeout to settle them down. It worked as they were able to hold off the Bruins and get the insurance goal they needed when Lee received another easy tap-in at 13:02. Khudobin lost the puck in his pads with the assists going to Bailey and Leddy. Boston ended up outshooting New York 23-9 in the third. It seemed like they had a power play (a good one though, not theirs) for almost the entire 20 minutes and they put tons of pressure on the Isles but they never completely cracked like you hoped that they would.

The good news for Boston is that they get to go on the road where they are much better (9-5-3) than at the Garden (8-9-0) so far in 2016-17. The B's are in Florida (15-13-5) on Thursday (7:30, NESN) before they wrap up things (sorry) before a brief Christmas break (Dec. 24-26) on Friday (7:30, NESN) in Carolina (13-11-7). Boston is clinging to third-place in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of both the Lightning (16-14-3) and Panthers. Needless to say, Christmas will be much more enjoyable for the entire team if they can get three or four points on their mini-Southern road trip.

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The Bruins Continue to Find Ways to Lose at TD Garden This Season

I wish I had an explanation for Boston's mind-numbing woes at TD Garden this season (1-5-1) while they have looked like a really good team on the road (6-2-0). Their puzzling play continued tonight as they began a crucial five-game homestand (their longest of the 2015-16) against Colorado (6-9-1) who has been one of the worst teams in the NHL. Boston (7-7-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 5:51 into the contest then proceeded to cough that up then never come back as they lost 3-2.

This was supposed to be a positive night for the B's as veteran defenseman Dennis Seidenberg made his unexpected debut and actually looked like himself (15:34, game-high 6 hits, 2 blocked shots) for the most part. Tyler Randell stood up for his new teammate after Cody McLeod took a run at Seidenberg, they fought at 7:34 of the first period. There was no excuse for Boston to lose, given the two-goal lead and the fact that the Avalanche lost arguably their best player-captain Gabriel Landeskog at 5:46 of the second period after an illegal hit to the head (of Brad Marchand) that resulted in a match penalty (it'll be reviewed by the NHL's player safety committee). For someone that had a concussion earlier this season, Marchand was lucky to have escaped seemingly alright (granted, who knows).

Zdeno Chara gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 1:12 as Reto Berra (25 saves) was flopping in his crease and Boston's captain was able to blast a shot from the point for his second goal of the season. It was called a goal on the ice and stood up to a review, Matt Beleskey and Brett Connolly had the assists and the former was judged not to have interfered with Berra. It looked like it'd be an easy night for the home team as Ryan Spooner scored a power-play goal at 5:51, Boston's top-ranked power-play came through for the eighth straight game (their longest streak since Dec. 2006). Patrice Bergeron assisted on Spooner's fourth goal of the season, a simple tap in with Berra down and out of position yet again.

Former Bruin Carl Soderberg cashed in this summer with a crazy deal from the Avalanche and while he predictably hasn't lived up to that so far, he cut it to 2-1 Bruins at 12:08 with one of the best shots that I can ever remember him taking. He went top shelf on Tuukka Rask (27 saves) for his second goal of the season, assisted by Blake Comeau and Jarome Iginla (another former Bruin that they miss). A lucky bounce went Colorado's way late in the first period as Francois Beauchemin's shot from the point took a huge deflection off Joonas Kemppainen that changed it from a fastball to a knuckleball. Rask couldn't glove it and Beauchemin's second goal of the season tied the game, assisted by Erik Johnson and Matt Duchene.

Boston didn't do much offensively the rest of the way to test Berra. Duchene was the subject of trade rumors on the interweb today but he didn't seem to be affected at all by them. He scored the go-ahead goal at 6:49 of the third period. His seventh tally of the season was assisted by Mikhail Grigorenko but it might as well have been credited to Kevan Miller who gave the puck away in his own end (that seems to happen to him every game in Boston). He has played in all 15 games this season so it is time for him to take a seat especially since Zach Trotman and Joe Morrow were both healthy scratches this evening.

Detroit (8-6-1) hosts San Jose (7-8-0) tomorrow night before the Red Wings travel to Boston for Saturday night's game (7, NESN), meaning they should get in late tomorrow night. The Original Six and Atlantic Division rivals are right on the same level and only two points apart so even though it is still early, that game will mean more than most in mid-November. Regardless of the opponent, the B's have to find a way to play better at the Garden more consistently or else they'll be no better than .500 this season and potentially out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

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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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Anything Goes On A Friday Night In Columbus

Being such a hopeless creature of habit, I will admit that I was completely thrown off by having the Bruins play on a Friday-something which happens about as often as Kim Kardashian covering up his gigantic ass. For two periods tonight at Nationwide Arena, Boston (13-8-0) was terrible as they fell behind host Columbus (6-11-2) 2-0.

Thankfully, the B's had just enough resiliency to rally in a bonkers third period and then eventually win 4-3 in a shootout. Nobody scored through six rounds so rookie Anton Khokhlachev ended it in the seventh with the lone goal in only his second career NHL game. It had all the makings of a trap game with Montreal and Pittsburgh waiting on the horizon not to mention Thanksgiving break.

Beginning tonight, Boston has three games in four days so head coach Claude Julien elected to sit Tuukka Rask in favor of rookie Niklas Svedberg (25 saves). The move was a no-brainer, even when Svedberg gave up a pair of soft goals in the first period. Ryan Johansen blocked Kevan Miller's shot in his own zone then skated on a partial breakaway before letting loose a shot that Svedberg got plenty of but couldn't keep from crossing the line at 9:52. Johansen's seventh goal of the season was unassisted.

Just 1:38 after Johansen's goal, the Blue Jackets went up 2-0 on Nick Foligno's deflection which actually went off his body. Jordan Leopold took the shot and Johansen had the second assist on Foligno's team-leading 10th goal of the season. Earlier in the frame, Patrice Bergeron's shot was swept off the goal line by a Columbus defenseman.

Svedberg's gaffes had nothing on Sergei Bobrovsky (38 saves) who breathed life into Boston by allowing one of the worst goals you'll ever see in the NHL. To the left of the faceoff dot, Dennis Seidenberg decided to put the puck on the net at 1:28 of the third period and somehow it went in despite not bouncing or doing anything wacky. Matt Bartkowski (who went to nearby Ohio State) and Chris Kelly received the joke assists.

That turned out to be the spark that the B's needed as they tied it at 9:33 on Matt Fraser's re-direct of Bartkowski's slap-pass. Fraser's third goal of the season (1st in 8 games) was also assisted by Bergeron who played it back to Bartkowski at the point. Before you could say full meltdown, the B's were up for the first time (3-2) 1:59 after Fraser's tally. Daniel Paille picked the perfect time to break his slump (1st goal in 37 games!) as he took advantage of the turnover created by Carl Soderberg.

Boston enjoyed that lead for a grand total of 1:15 since Jack Johnson (please read his tragic bankruptcy story) one-timed a pass from Johansen and Foligno. The Bruins quickly bounced back from that devastating goal as they outshot the Blue Jackets 7-1 in overtime. Bobrovsky made up for his poor play by owning overtime. The shootout went on for way too long with not enough goals but you can't argue with the final result.

Columbus is a train wreck so for that reason alone, Saturday (7, NESN) vs. Montreal figures to be way harder. Boston has suffered two humbling defeats (6-4 on Oct. 16 & 5-1 last Thursday) already this season in Montreal so they owe the Canadiens a beating at the Garden. It is a given that the atmosphere will be great, hopefully the game follows suit. Rask has to prove that he can beat Montreal and likewise, his teammates (looking at you Lucic) need to stay focused and not get caught up in the Canadiens' usual garbage.

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Bruins Go Back Over .500 Thanks to 2 Goals from Matt Fraser In 4-2 Win Over Senators

The Bruins were dealt another injury at the strangest time: David Krejci took pregame warmups tonight at TD Garden vs. the Senators but couldn't play so Matt Fraser was in the lineup for the first time since October 18 at Buffalo (only his 2nd game in the last 10). Things worked out for Boston (7-6) though as they beat Ottawa (5-3-2) 4-2 behind the first career multi-point and also multi-goal game by Fraser.

Tuukka Rask also played well, making 29 saves as he improved to 5-4-0. He hasn't been himself for the first month of the season, far from the main reason why the B's have struggled but a key thing to note going forward. For the eighth time in their last nine games, the B's scored a first-period goal, this might explain why they've gone 5-2 in their last seven games (something that caught Rask off guard in the locker room afterwards).

Brad Marchand stayed hot with his third goal in the past two games, and fourth of the season (which sadly leads the team), at 18:54. Patrice Bergeron won the faceoff (not exactly breaking news since he leads the league in faceoff percentage) and pulled it back to Marchand. His shot wasn't that great but it still managed to trickle through Robin Lehner's (26 saves) pads.

As quickly as they grabbed the lead, Boston coughed it up as Dennis Seidenberg turned the puck over in his own end and the immortal Mark Stone went in alone and deked past Rask at 19:32. The Bruins should have been ahead after the first period after they outshot the Senators 10-5 but they weren't.

They took control in the second period thanks to Fraser's big game. Loui Eriksson caused a turnover and then Fraser was there for the rebound at 11:14. Carl Soderberg had the second assist on Fraser's first goal of the season. 1:28 later, Fraser did it again by picking a corner after assists from Soderberg and Zach Trotman. That was the third game in a row (Seth Griffith vs. Minnesota and Marchand at Buffalo) that a Bruin had two goals.

One of the only things about as unlikely as seeing Fraser score a pair of goals was Seidenberg putting one in but that's exactly what happened at 2:08 of the third period for a 4-1 B's advantage. A loose puck went back to him at the point and he fired it into the far side lower corner past Lehner. That was Seidenberg's first goal of the season as well leaving only Daniel Paille, Trotman, David Warsofsky and Joe Morrow as the only Bruins in tonight's contest without a goal this season. Obviously the three young defensemen have an excuse since they were just recently called up from Providence.

Ottawa made the final result slightly more respectable as Mika Zibanejad (a member of the current NHL All-Name team) potted a goal at 15:43 after a turnover by Milan Lucic. BU's Alex Chiasson had an assist while fellow Terrier Eric Gryba played in his 100th NHL game. Somewhere Jack Parker smiles.

This was the start of an important month for the Bruins since they play 12 games overall including nine at the Garden. What's more, most of them are against bottom feeding teams. Boston is home for the next week plus as they have three more games here starting with a matchup with Shawn Thornton and the Panthers (4-2-3) on Tuesday (7, NESN). After that, they host the Oilers on Thursday then the Devils on Monday. I hereby dub it reunion week with Andrew Ference on Edmonton along with Jaromir Jagr and Michael Ryder on New Jersey.

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Bruins Re-Sign Matt Bartkowski for Another Season

In pro sports, it's all about where you play. Meaning that a mediocre player on a good team often gets exposed while nobody notices the same player on a bad or average team. I bring this convoluted thought up because the Bruins avoided arbitration today and signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million.

We all know Bartkowski's strengths (moving the puck) and weaknesses (decision making) after a full season with Boston in 2013-14. In 64 games, he had zero goals, 18 assists and he was +22 with 30 penalty minutes and 91 shots on goal. In eight postseason games (he was a healthy scratch a few times), he had zero goals, one assist and was +2 with 10 penalty minutes and 12 shots on goal.

He'll never be a star but it's not hard to see Bartkowski having a long and respectable NHL career, he just turned 26 in June. He has decent size (6-foot-1, 196 pounds), he's durable and you know what you're getting from him. With Dennis Seidenberg and Adam McQuaid out with major injuries for much of last season, that gave Bartkowski an opportunity for consistent ice time with the B's and a ticket out of Providence.

With Seidenberg and McQuaid both expected back by training camp in September, Bartkowski could find himself back on the fringe of the roster. Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton, Seidenberg and McQuaid are all better than him. Still, much can change between now and the regular season starting in October: injuries, trades, playing poorly, etc.

There are many teams in the NHL that Bartkowski would be a top-4 defenseman for, the difference is that will hopefully never happen with the Bruins unless they are in a serious rebuilding mode. He provides quality depth and this contract is certainly affordable for them going forward.

UPDATE 7/16: If that Bartkowski news didn't get you fired up for this season, I know what will: the Bruins re-signed Jordan "I'm totally useless" Caron to a one-year deal worth $600,000. If I have to explain how dumb that decision is, stop reading this blog and log off forever, friend.

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Who Didn't Predict that Reilly Smith Would Lead the Bruins in Goals?

The Duck Boats aren't even being gassed up yet but you have to admit that the Bruins are playing really well at the end of 2013. They went into Christmas break by rolling 6-2 at Nashville on Monday then they came back tonight to paste Ottawa 5-0 at TD Garden. There are many reasons that Boston (26-10-2) is rolling, let's start with the obvious: Tuukka Rask (33 saves) is the best goaltender in the NHL, their power play is finally lethal (No. 5 in the league, goals in three straight games), they are unbeatable at home (8 wins in a row and 13-0-2 in their last 15) and Reilly Smith (team-leading 14 goals) has been incredible.

Did I miss anything? The Senators' (15-18-7) upset of Montreal in the first round of the playoffs last spring seems like a distant memory, same with their crazy regular season last year despite numerous injuries. Now with a full lineup, what are they? I don't know if it's good news or not that they get the Bruins again, tomorrow night (7, NESN) at Canadian Tire Centre. I haven't heard anybody talking about Paul MacLean being an incredible coach this season, funny how that works.

The ironic part about this blowout is that the B's actually started slow, getting outshot 15-5 in the first period and looking pretty listless. That turned around in the second when Jarome Iginla scored a power play goal at 16:29 from Milan Lucic and Torey Krug. However, Iginla's 11th goal of the season was the only goal of the frame though as Boston took a 1-0 lead into the third.

Oh right, the third. It had to be the best period of the season thus far for the Bruins who completely ran over the helpless Senators. David Krejci used some of his usual magic to be in the right place for a carom off the end boards 38 seconds into the third. His eighth goal of the season was assisted by Matt Bartkowski and Adam McQuaid.

Boston really pounded Ottawa in the last 10 minutes as Smith scored his pair of goals (7th game in a row that a Bruin has done that) 7:06 apart, his 13th and 14th of the season, then Marchand sent the crowd into a frenzy with a shorthanded tally with 27 seconds left. We want all the goals! His ninth of the season gave him a multiple-point night, he had an assist on one of Smith's goals and Patrice Bergeron notched helpers on both.

Everything could feel different in 24 hours if the Senators knock off the Atlantic Division leading Bruins but would you bet on Ottawa at the moment? It looks like Niklas Svedberg will make his NHL debut because he was called up from Providence today and served as Rask's backup. Finally, Dennis Seidenberg might have suffered a serious injury late in garbage time. Fingers crossed that it doesn't turn out to be as serious as it appeared. Bruins head coach Claude Julien already ruled the German out from tomorrow's contest.

UPDATE 12/28: David Warsofsky and Nick Johnson were recalled from Providence since Seidenberg and Carl Soderberg (who seemed to suffer a concussion last night) stayed back in Boston.

UPDATE 12/28: Devastating news for the Bruins as Seidenberg will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and MCL. You can't overstate the importance of their second best defenseman who always pairs with Zdeno Chara for a true shutdown line in the playoffs. Zach Trotman was called up from Providence and Svedberg went back to Providence (don't ask me why they brought him up?).

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Is There a Bruins Fan Out There That Hasn't Fallen In Love with this Team Yet?

Granted they aren't exactly playing the iron of the much deeper Western Conference but the Bruins are finding ways to win when common sense tells you they shouldn't. Boston held off Edmonton 4-3 tonight at Rexall Place for their fourth straight victory. Backup goaltender Chad Johnson made a career-high 39 saves, Jarome Iginla scored two goals and the B's (22-8-2) built an early 3-0 lead that was too much to overcome for the awful Oilers (11-19-3).

This being Edmonton, home of the worst goaltenders in the NHL, Dennis Seidenberg scored a very weak goal (not that he'll complain) at 10:35 in the first period. His first of the season was a knucklepuck that the immortal Devan Dubnyk had no chance to stop. Iginla doubled the lead at 16:11 when his blast from near the boards (and blue line) went past Dubnyk. His seventh goal of the season was assisted by Seidenberg and David Krejci plus Milan Lucic screened Dubnyk.

The Oilers had given up the most short-handed goals in the NHL so naturally they had to let the Bruins nab one. Brad Marchand one-timed a pass from Patrice Bergeron at at 18:17. It was Marchand's fifth goal of the season.

David Perron might be one of the only guys on the Oilers with any type of fight or character. He battled back with a pair of goals to cut it to 3-2. His wrist shot went top shelf on Johnson at 3:25 then the Bruins' goaltender got caught too far out of the net so Perron wrapped around it and poked in a loose puck for an ugly goal (if you root for Boston) at 17:27.

Maybe the highlight of the whole contest (assuming you don't mind fighting) was Lucic brawling with Luke Gazdic (great name). Iginla couldn't get the empty-netter on Tuesday in Calgary when the whole crowd wanted it but he delivered tonight at 19:16 from Krejci and Kevan Miller (1st NHL assist).

I didn't really notice him much but I guess former Bruin Andrew Ference (now Edmonton's captain) had a good game: +1, one shot on goal, three blocked shots and two hits. I wish him nothing but the best, he was one of my favorite Bruins from the last few seasons.

Boston wraps up this four-game road trip on Saturday (10, NESN) at Vancouver (18-10-5, 4th in Pacific Division). The Canucks have won their last five games heading into tomorrow night vs. the Oilers.

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Four More Years of Dennis Seidenberg is Alright With Me

There weren't many key Bruins left to lock up after this season concludes but GM Peter Chiarelli took care of business the same day as their 2013-14 season opener vs. Tampa Bay. This afternoon Boston signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a four-year extension worth $16 million.

Seidenberg turned 32 over the summer and the deal includes a no-trade clause, like most contracts in today's NHL for important players. Fans of other teams probably don't realize how good Seidenberg is but B's fans are well aware of how dominant he can be, especially in the playoffs when they pair him with Zdeno Chara for their top shutdown line.

He's been in the NHL for 10 years and last season in 46 games he had four goals, 13 assists and he was plus 18. He had played in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Carolina and Florida before being traded to the Bruins in 2010. It's safe to say that he's made a name for himself in the Hub while becoming one of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL. Thanks Panthers!

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Ready Or Not Bruins, Here Come The 2013 NHL Playoffs

If we're being honest here (which is what I strive for besides entertaining the unwashed masses), the Bruins didn't really deserve to win the Northeast Division this season. They were so terrible down the stretch that even though Montreal was in the same boat, the Canadiens won their last game (4-1 on Saturday night in Toronto) while the Bruins couldn't hold up their end of the bargain as they lost 4-2 to the Senators tonight at TD Garden.

The makeup of the Patriot's Day game against Ottawa and the final game in the 2013 NHL regular season determined that the Bruins will be the No. 4 seed which still means that they get home ice at least in the first round. Game 1 is Wednesday at the Garden and Game 2 is Saturday, times TBA.

Not winning the division probably won't mean much because facing Toronto (the No. 5 seed) rather than the Islanders (No. 8 seed) or Senators (No. 7 seed) somehow feels less daunting. Still, if Boston (28-14-6) continues to play like this (3-5-2 in their last 10 games) with two goals in seven of their last eight games, then the opponent they face is ultimately meaningless.

With the margin for error so small when you're scoring two goals or less, the B's really put themselves in a bind as Eric Condra gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead on a rebound at 16:59 of the first period then Jared Cowen's blast from the point at 10:33 of the second period found its way past Tuukka Rask (18 saves).

The B's showed some life as Rich Peverley beat Robin Lehner (34 saves) with a power play goal at 19:56 of the second period. Peverley's sixth goal of the season was assisted by Wade Redden (4th assist) and Dennis Seidenberg (13th assist). Redden's stretch pass allowed Peverley to use his speed along the boards and his low shot beat Lehner to the far post. Plays like that are why you'll see Redden in the lineup when the playoffs begin, not all the Bruins defensemen have that ability to make those types of passes/plays.

Seidenberg tied it up only 14 seconds into the third period with a top-shelf rocket past Lehner. Milan Lucic (20th assist) and Kaspars Daugavins (3rd assist; 1st point as a Bruin) had the helpers on Seidenberg's fourth goal of the season. Lucic is starting to look like himself again, he had a major heavyweight bout with Chris Neil late in the first period.

Boston had to win in regulation to face the Islanders or in OT/shootout to get a rematch with the Senators so Jean-Gabriel Pageau's (great name by the way) game-winner at 16:26 ultimately decided the first round matchups in the Eastern Conference. Kyle Turris scored an empty-netter with 37 seconds left to send the crowd streaming toward the exits like it was a Lakers playoff game.

The good news for the B's is that they can erase all the mediocre play of the last month with a strong showing in the playoffs. I still stubbornly believe that they can beat anyone in the East, except maybe Pittsburgh. They went 3-1-0 against Toronto in the regular season which I get is meaningless now but the Maple Leafs (who hadn't made the playoffs in 9 years) shouldn't scare anyone if the Bruins show up and play their style complete with more than two goals a game.

UPDATE 4/29: Game 1-Bruins vs. Leafs, 7 p.m. on Wednesday; Game 2-Bruins vs. Leafs, 7 p.m. on Saturday; Game 3-Bruins at Leafs, 7 p.m. on Monday; Game 4-Bruins at Leafs, 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

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Bruins Blank Lightning 2-0, Inch Closer To Northeast Division Crown

If the Bruins played only Florida teams, at TD Garden, they might never give up a goal again let alone lose. Haha unfortunately the suckbag Panthers and shitbum Lightning's seasons end this weekend. For now though, Boston will take all the points they can get against the Southeast Division Sisters of the Poor. Tonight, the Bruins beat the Lightning 2-0 at TD Garden.

Boston and Montreal both have 61 points but the Bruins have two games left while the Canadiens only have one. Tuukka Rask (30 saves; 19-9-4) earned his second shutout in as many starts and his fifth of the season (which ties his career-high from 2009-10). The Bruins' (28-13-5) offense was still MIA for the most part but this time, their requisite two goals was more than enough against Tampa Bay (18-25-4) who probably mailed it in weeks ago.

For the first time in a while, this felt like a Bruins type of game since everyone on the team seemed to be throwing their body around. Plus, Andrew Ference dropped the gloves with former Bruins great Benoit Pouliot and Milan Lucic played his best game in weeks (maybe months) complete with a beating thrown to poor Keith Aulie. Looch even created some scoring chances with his physical play.

Rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch (get used to it, that might happen in the playoffs too) but that didn't stop him from winning the Seventh Player Award as voted on by the Black and Gold fans. It is given out to the Bruins player that goes "above and beyond the call of duty and exceeds expectations." He's had a nice season but it really should have gone to Daniel Paille. I didn't vote so maybe that would have made all the difference.

Boston notched both its goals in the second period. Dennis Seidenberg took a drop pass from Brad Marchand and fired in his third goal of the season at 4:22. Tyler Seguin had the second assist. Paille reached double digits in goals (tying him with David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron!) at 13:31 thanks to a sweet one-timer from Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton. Fribbles for all!

It's only right that this absurd schedule wraps up with games in back-to-back nights for old time's sake. Boston travels to Washington (26-18-3) on Saturday night (7:00 p.m., NESN) then they makeup the Senators game that was supposed to be on Patriot's Day on Sunday night (7:30 p.m., NESN) at TD Garden. The game on Saturday means plenty to Boston but the Capitals clinched the Southeast Division so expect them to rest Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby (if they're smart). The Senators are in the playoffs (they clinched a spot tonight) but their seed is still up in the air. The final game in the NHL's regular season and the only one on Sunday could go a long way toward determining the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

UPDATE 4/26: Rookie defenseman Matt Bartkowski was assigned to Providence, who are getting ready for the AHL playoffs to start this weekend.

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If Only The Bruins Could Play The Hurricanes In The Playoffs Or At Least Every Week

That was exactly what the Bruins needed: after playing tight, low-scoring games almost all season, they exploded for a season-high six goals tonight in a 6-2 beatdown of the lowly Hurricanes at TD Garden. Boston (25-9-4) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second period so I'll forgive them for allowing two meaningless goals in the third to Carolina (16-20-2).

Ironically, Tuukka Rask (17-6-4) was the first star on a team with 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) because he was forced to make a season-high 40 saves. The Hurricanes showed their only signs of life in the very beginning as they outshot the Bruins 7-0 in the first few minutes. That meant nothing though as Rich Peverley (1 goal, 1 assist) followed up his own rebound that fittingly went off the glass, for his fifth goal of the season at 3:51 from Dennis Seidenberg (career-high 3 assists) and Andrew Ference (1 goal, 1 assist).

Brad Marchand (2 goals) stuffed in a rebound from Gregory Campbell (2 assists) and that was the end of Justin Peters' (4 shots, 2 goals) night at 7:58. Things didn't get much better for Dan Ellis (4 goals allowed) as Marchand potted his second goal (team-leading 16th of the season) at 17:20 after Jaromir Jagr went around the net and threw it in front.

You knew it was Boston's night when Ference deflected a shot in (his 3rd goal of the season) off his hand and Jordan Caron scored his first goal of the season in the second period for a commanding 5-0 lead that might as well have been 10-0.

Something named Patrick Dwyer and another anonymous bum called Drayson Bowman ruined Rask's shutout in the third period after some sloppy rebounds but the Bruins fans went home happy since Nathan Horton's goal (his 13th of the season) was the last one of the contest. He tipped in Dougie Hamilton's perfect pass that was right to his blade at 16:56.

It is a busy week (like always this season) for the Bruins with three games in four nights but their opponents aren't exactly a murderer's row: they go to New Jersey (15-14-10) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network) then return to the Garden on Thursday (7 p.m., NESN) to play the Islanders (19-16-4).

No matter how those winnable games go, they can take heart in the fact that they play the Hurricanes again-on Saturday in Raleigh, NC. Since they scored five goals against them the first time they met in January, put me down for seven this weekend.

UPDATE 4/9: It appears that the Bruins have signed their Swedish man of mystery, winger Carl Soderberg to a multi-year deal. Still waiting for the team to actually make it official, can't just trust the slob beat writers.

UPDATE 4/11: Nevermind, the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation blocked Soderberg's move to Boston. Thanks guys.

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Bruins Pick Up Great 2-1 Win At Ottawa

It's no secret that the Bruins haven't been themselves lately, they have suffered a rash of injuries and forgot how to put the puck in the net with any regularity. For one night at least, Boston had plenty of reason to be happy since the B's (20-6-3) won 2-1 against the Senators (16-9-6) at Scotiabank Place.

Dennis Seidenberg prevented overtime by scoring a clutch goal, his first of the season, with 1:04 left in regulation. His slap shot from the point was assisted by Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. Ottawa goaltender Robin Lehner (27 saves) played well but all we'll remember is that he didn't make the timely stops when he needed to.

Anton Khudobin (6-2-0) continued to solidify his role on the team with 27 saves. He's won four of his last five starts and this victory helped snap Boston's two-game losing streak which doesn't sound like a big deal to most clubs but the B's were pressing a bit this past week or so.

Props to David Krejci for playing through what had to be immense pain. He only missed one game after taking Johnny Boychuk's slap shot right off his knee on Sunday. I didn't know he was that tough, this proves plenty to me and all the other doubters. No Euroweenie in there Felger. Rich Peverley was a healthy scratch for the first time in his Black and Gold career as head coach Claude Julien tried to shake things up with his team that had scored one goal in each of the last two contests. Ryan Spooner started in Peverley's place on the third line.

The Senators broke the boring deadlock at 4:55 of the second period when Kaspars Daugavins wristed a shot over Khudobin's glove. Daniel Paille responded with a much needed goal (his 6th of the season) for the Bruins before the period expired. Boychuk and Gregory Campbell had assists on Paille's wrister that trickled over the line after it ate Lehner up like you read about.

This was the third time that Ottawa has lost by one goal to Boston this season, at least this version didn't include overtime or a shootout (both of which they've tasted before). These Northeast Division "rivals" will meet twice more, April 2 & 15 at TD Garden.

The B's close their four-game road trip (that has felt like a month) on Saturday (7 p.m., NESN) at Air Canada Centre against the Leafs (16-12-3). Toronto is 0-2-0 against Boston in 2013.

UPDATE 3/22: Matt Bartkowski was called up from Providence on an emergency basis, for Boychuk.

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Tuukka Rask, Rich Peverley & Dennis Seidenberg Next Wave Of Bruins En Route To Europe

With this NFL referee nonsense being the biggest story in sports, the mere mention of the word hockey gets me excited.  So anything that remotely involves the Bruins is going to get covered here on Boston Bias until the NHL and their owners decide to come to a fair agreement with the players.

Last week, Tyler Seguin, David Krejci, Anton Khudobin and Andrew Ference signed contracts with various European teams. Today goaltender Tuukka Rask, winger Rich Peverley and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg have all followed suit, taking their talents overseas to Europe.

Rask, who was slated to be Boston's starting goalie by default, will join HC Pizen of the Czech Extraliga. According to reports, he will most likely miss their first two games but be available for their September 30th matchup against HC Sparta Praha. HC Pizen won the coveted tipsport Hockey Cup in 2011 but is currently sitting in eighth place.

Peverley has signed on to play in Rask's home country of Finland, agreeing to terms with JYP Jyvasklya. JYP has a talent exchange program so to speak with the Bruins since 2010, meaning that certain players are able to train with each clubs' farm system. JYP also won their league's championship last season.

Finally, it was rumored last week that Seidenberg would play in Germany (his home country) and he has done so formally, signing with Adler Mannheim. He will be joining his younger brother on the roster and has played previously for the squad from 1998-2001.

Who's next? Patrice Bergeron and Shawn Thornton have also been in the latest batch of rumors to be thinking about joining their Black and Gold teammates in Europe.

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Bruins Start To Leave The Hub: Seguin, Krejci & Ference Set To Play In Europe

One day after the NHL announced that they are canceling preseason hockey in September, three prominent members of your Boston Bruins have reportedly signed contracts overseas.  Can Kathryn Tappen join the KHL Network?

Tyler Seguin, who just signed a monster extension that keeps him in Boston for six more years, has signed with EHC Biel, a club in the Swiss League.  Seguin would have been entering his third professional season, and a year overseas should help his production (depending on the party scene out there).

Joining Seguin in European action is defenseman and environmentalist Andrew Ference.  Ference, a Bruin since 2007, will report to HC Ceske Budejovice on October 7th, a team that I will hopefully never have to type again on this blog. It's in the Czech Republic.

David Krejci is also close to an agreement with HC Pardubice, a team in his native Czech Republic.  Goalie Anton Khudobin has joined HC Atlant Moscow Oblast (awesome name) of the KHL.  Dennis Seidenberg also told Joe Haggerty that he is planning on playing in Germany as well on a team with his younger brother.

Many players are flocking to Europe to play (and get paid) with leagues like the KHL who cover up to 65% of players salaries.  I for one am glad that players are staying active, however lets hope there are no injuries or any other nonsense.  Actually scratch that, I hope the NHL comes back before these guys get a chance to fall in love with Europe.

UPDATE 9/24: The mass exodus continues as Tuukka Rask will sign with HC Plzen of the Czech Republic and forward Rich Peverley will head to Finland to play for JYPin.

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Capitals End Bruins' Season With 2-1 OT Win In Game 7

In many ways, an exit like this was bound to happen. By losing Game 5 on home ice and going down 3-2 in the series, the Boston Bruins effectively took away any leverage they had in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Washington Capitals. They won Game 6 in overtime but still, all the pressure was on them. The Caps had absolutely nothing to lose and nobody believing in them and that's what fueled them to an improbable upset.

Following the familiar pattern from the rest of the series, Game 7 turned out to be a one-goal game (for the seventh time, an NHL record) and it also went to overtime (for the fourth time). Unfortunately for the B's and their fans, the Caps ended their season with a 2-1 OT win tonight at TD Garden.

After Patrice Bergeron couldn't shoot a fluttering puck past Braden Holtby (31 saves), moments later Joel Ward (1st of the playoffs) followed up a rebound by ex-Bruin Mike Knuble and put it past Tim Thomas (25 saves) at 2:57. The whole play started when Benoit Pouliot failed to properly dump the puck into the Washington zone. Knuble was able to block it with his body then skate in on an odd-man rush.

Seeing your favorite team's season end is never easy, especially when you feel like they left money on the table so to speak. Yes the Caps played better than the B's in the series, that's a fact since they went 3-1 on the road. Still, I find it hard to accept that the Bruins aren't a better team when they put it all together. Sadly, they never really looked like themselves for most of this series. That's what happens when you score one goal in four different games.

This series followed some weird patterns: three 4-3 games, three 2-1 games, one 1-0 game. Boston went 2-1 in Washington. The two main reasons that Boston lost were its beyond pathetic power play (2 for 23 in the entire series) and the disappearance of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Brad Marchand for long stretches of games.

The Bruins lost three of the last four games (two on home ice); they were outscored 16-15 while the first and last two games of the series all went to overtime. Boston won the first game but lost the all important final one which meant everything.

Another big factor was that Holtby vs. Thomas was a wash at best, actually check that. The 22-year-old rookie was a hair better than the guy that won the Vezina trophy and Conn Smythe award last season.

The alarming part about Game 7 was that the Bruins came out with hardly any emotion or jump, it was like they forgot this was such an important game. Sitting Shawn Thornton in favor of Jordan Caron for the second straight game probably didn't help in that regard either.

Washington took advantage as Matt Hendricks scored his first career playoff goal by tipping John Carlson's shot from the point at 11:23 of the first period. Jason Chimera had the second assist although it should have gone to Looch who started the whole Benny Hill play by overskating the puck along the boards in his own end.

Other than Dennis Seidenberg, who was Boston's best player all series, Tyler Seguin had a very solid Game 7. He punctuated it with the tying goal at 14:27 of the second period, his second of the series. He followed Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk's shots as Holtby left the rebound in the crease and Seguin swooped in to tap it before he was crushed.

There hasn't been a repeat Stanley Cup champion since the Red Wings in 1997-98. The Bruins followed suit of recent history as they became the seventh winner in the last nine years to bomb out in the first round of the playoffs.

I think the only way to look at that is it has become such a grind to survive and win a Stanley Cup that teams naturally have big hangover effects at some point in the next season. Once the playoffs roll around, that squad is naturally more beat up and fatigued mentally and physically.

Don't get me wrong, this is not an excuse. The Bruins should have beaten the Capitals mainly because they are a superior team. The problem was that they didn't show that at any point. They never had a two-goal lead and rarely had a one-goal lead for that matter which only fed into Washington packing it in and playing the defensive game that they wanted after they grabbed a lead.

It will be a much longer and probably more interesting offseason for the Black and Gold. I wouldn't be shocked to see them try to trade Thomas to get some high-end offensive talent. Lord knows they could use it at this point. I love Thomas but how many more great years does he have left in him? Plus, they have Tuukka Rask waiting in the wings and how much longer will he be content as Thomas' backup?

After winning three Game 7s in their magical run last spring, this felt exactly like 2008 (losing Game 7 to Montreal), 2009 (losing Game 7 to Carolina) or 2010 (losing Game 7 to Philadelphia) for the Bruins. Most of all, I'm just sad to have no more rooting interest left in the NHL playoffs. There's nothing better than them in any professional sport; I will still watch but it will only frustrate me when I see all the teams continue to advance that I know the Bruins could have potentially gotten past.

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Capitals Put The Bruins On The Brink Of Elimination

Coming into this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, on paper it looked like Boston's biggest advantage over Washington was in goal. Surely, Tim Thomas could outplay a third-string rookie (Braden Holtby). Turns out (so far) that we were all wrong.

Once again, Holtby (34 saves) was better than Thomas (28 saves) this afternoon and the Caps took a 3-2 series lead with a 4-3 win at TD Garden.

Every game this series has been decided by one goal and the Capitals have scored first four out of five times.

Washington opened up the first two-goal lead of the series but Boston battled back with a pair of goals in 28 seconds. The Capitals went ahead 3-2 in the third period but the Bruins responded with their first power-play goal of the series. Troy Brouwer (2nd of the playoffs) ended any thoughts of another overtime session as he snapped a shot over Thomas with 1:27 left in regulation. It was extremely deflating since it appeared to be a shot that Thomas would normally stop. No traffic or tips means that there were no excuses. That wasn't the only weak goal that Thomas allowed either.

The B's hit the post twice in the first period: Zdeno Chara rang the crossbar on a power-play and Daniel Paille skated in on a breakaway while Boston was short-handed but he also ended up unlucky.

After no goals in the first, Alexander Semin (3rd of the playoffs) scored on a rebound at 11:16 of the second. Dennis Wideman and Marcus Johansson assisted on the goal. Thomas made a good initial save but neither he nor his defense could clear it out of danger. Despite many bodies between him and the goal, Semin was able to squeeze it through.

The Capitals doubled their lead at 14:27 as Jay Beagle notched his first goal of the postseason. His shot was tipped on the way in but it also went right off Thomas' glove so I think it was one he should have stopped.

Just when it looked like the Bruins had flatlined, Milan Lucic found Dennis Seidenberg (1st of the playoffs) for a pretty goal at 17:21. David Krejci had the second assist. Everyone came out of witness protection (well except for Tyler Seguin) as Brad Marchand (1st of the playoffs) tied it at 17:49. Rich Peverley and Johnny Boychuk assisted on Holtby's token weak one of the contest. Marchand barely poked it but the puck found a hole through Holtby's leg pads.

The difference in the game was the third period. Thomas gave up two bad goals (for him) while Holtby made unquestionably the best stop in the series-a full split to deny Seguin. Old friend Mike Knuble (1st of the playoffs) put Washington up 3-2 at 3:21 when Thomas kicked Joel Ward's shot right to him. John Erskine had the second assist.

Boston snapped a woeful 0-for-16 start on the power play in these playoffs with Boychuk's blast from the point at 8:47. Seidenberg and Marchand picked up the assists. It was surprising to see Holtby get beat on a relatively routine shot from distance like that.

Game 6 is tomorrow afternoon in D.C. (3 p.m., NBC). Patrice Bergeron and Joe Corvo both left with injuries today so who knows if they'll be able to play. Boston has no choice but to win, otherwise it will be an extremely bitter end to a postseason that was filled with so much hope. It starts with Thomas, he needs to be much better. Likewise, their offense needs to show up as well. They can't go out like this.

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By Beating The Rangers (Finally), The Bruins Win The Northeast Division & Secure No. 2 Seed In East

Within reason, it is hard to ask for much more than what the Boston Bruins accomplished tonight at Madison Square Garden.

The B's (47-28-4) not only found a way to finally beat the Rangers (50-22-7) 2-1, for the first time in four tries, but they also locked up the Northeast Division snagged the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

All in all it was a great night as Boston picked up one of their most meaningful wins of the season, on the road no less.

Did I mention that Tim Thomas (33 saves; 34-19-1) is playing his best hockey since December? He's allowed two goals or less in seven straight games so it shouldn't come as a shock that Boston has found its way out of the muck in that same time frame.

Thomas held the fort in the third, protecting a 2-1 lead as the Rangers bombarded the Bruins in shots (19-3 advantage) but couldn't tie it up.

The Bruins have won five out of six and gained points in each contest. After losing the first three times this season to the Rangers (once in a shootout), Boston proved to themselves and the rest of the NHL that the East still goes through them even if New York has the top seed and the best record.

Adam McQuaid (eye) and Gregory Campbell (lower body) were scratched but that just paved the way for Dennis Seidenberg and Daniel Paille to return from brief hiatuses.

Marian Gaborik (40th of the season) walked in on a strange breakaway and scored 4:33 into this one. It all started when Zdeno Chara's shot bounced off of teammate Jordan Caron. The carom went to Gaborik and nobody could catch him.

Boston rallied with a pair of goals in the second as they solved Henrik Lundqvist (19 saves) just enough. Seidenberg's (5th of the season) slap shot tied it at 4:00 on assists from Chara and Brad Marchand.

Patrice Bergeron (22nd of the season) scored the game-winner on a power-play goal at 11:52 that was classic Bergeron and the stuff of Seilke (defensive forward) award winners. After getting stripped of the puck behind New York's net, Bergeron got it back and wrapped it around the post before Lundqvist could react fast enough. Tyler Seguin had the assist.

Thankfully this is the last week of the regular season. Boston hosts Pittsburgh on Tuesday before heading to Ottawa on Thursday then wrapping things up at the Garden on Saturday vs. Buffalo. Since they've lost their last two meetings with the Penguins, it would be nice to see the Bruins knock off one of the Eastern Conference's (and NHL's) best.

Thomas has earned more of a break and he'll probably only play once this week, against the Senators, with Marty Turco getting two more starts before he's ineligible for the playoffs. Might as well get full use out of him.

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The Black And Gold Are Finally Playing Well, At Just The Right Time

With the playoffs only two weeks away, the Boston Bruins are finally starting to resemble the dominant team from earlier in the season and of course during last spring's Stanley Cup run.

It had been three months since the B's (45-28-3) had won three games in a row but that's what they accomplished tonight as they beat the Lightning (35-34-7) 5-2 at TD Garden.

The season series ended 2-2 and there will be no Eastern Conference Finals rematch between these teams this May since Tampa Bay is all but guaranteed to miss out on the playoffs. The Bruins on the other hand have won five out of their last six and they look like they'll win the Northeast Division and grab the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Fittingly on a night when the B's honored captain Zdeno Chara for his 1000th game (this being his 1002nd, he was in LA for the 1000th), he made it particularly memorable as he had three assists.

Five different Bruins scored goals and Tim Thomas (16 saves; 33-19-0) had an easy night except for two more goals by superstar Steven Stamkos.

Tampa Bay actually led 1-0 as Stamkos (54th of the season) took advantage of a Boston giveaway and snapped one past Thomas 5:03 into the first. UVM alum Martin St. Louis had the assist.

It didn't take the Bruins long to tie it up as enforcer Shawn Thornton (5th of the season) showed that he can score the occasional goal. Chara made a nice move to the net and Thornton was there for the rebound at 10:54.

Another unlikely goal-scorer for the B's stepped up as Dennis Seidenberg (4th of the season) made quick work of another juicy Dwayne Roloson (33 saves for the ex-UMass-Lowell River Hawk) rebound at 15:05 of the second. Chara and David Krejci had the assists.

Stamkos earned a bogus power-play as he went down a little too easily and Johnny Boychuk got called for a tripping penalty. Stamkos tied it at 2 just 5:46 into the third. Victor Hedman and St. Louis assisted on Stamkos' rocket one-timer.

Boston had enough so they pumped in three goals in the last 8:30 of the third. Benoit Pouliot (14th of the season) had the go-ahead tally at 11:34 thanks to a nice wraparound pass from Brian Rolston. Chara had the second assist.

Brad Marchand (26th of the season, tying Tyler Seguin for the team lead) put it away at 15:50 after Patrice Bergeron passed it to him then set a perfect screen on Roloson. Seguin had the other assist.

Rich Peverely (10th of the season) rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter from Krejci when seven seconds remained. It was a nice reward for a good performance from him, only his second game back after missing 19 with a knee injury.

Temporarily stuck in ninth place in the East, the Washington Capitals will be here on Thursday. They are 2-1 against the Black and Gold this season including a 4-3 win on March 10 in DC (which kicked off Boston's four-game losing streak). The Bruins will need to bring this same type of intensity and full team effort that they demonstrated tonight if they want to beat the Caps.

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Seidenberg's Long-Range Bomb Helps Bruins Score 3 Unanswered Goals, Knock Off Senators

It felt good to have NHL hockey back tonight, didn't it?

The Boston Bruins started the post-All-Star break portion of their schedule by hosting the Ottawa Senators tonight at TD Garden. The B's (32-14-2) spotted the Senators (27-20-6) a 3-1 lead in the second period but the home team rallied for three unanswered goals themselves, capped off by an absurd game-winner by Dennis Seidenberg to win it 4-3.

I'm not sure if Seidenberg saw Craig Anderson leaning or what but his slapper from center ice (really) beat Anderson (26 saves) at 7:09 of the third period. It took a hop off the ice and seemed to curve in-Bend It Like Seidenberg?-but come on, an NHL goaltender can never give up a goal like that, especially in that spot.

Whatever the case, Boston will take it since they mostly struggled through the first and second periods to get their legs back.

Captain Zdeno Chara (8th of the season) gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 11:57 of the first on a screened blast from the point on the power play. The tireless Chara, who was everywhere at All-Star weekend, was assisted by David Krejci and Milan Lucic (who set a perfect screen on Anderson).

Ottawa tried to show that they are a legitimate threat in the Northeast Division by setting a physical tone against one of the toughest teams in hockey, who had beaten them the first two times they met this season. Pumping three straight goals in didn't hurt either.

After Shawn Thornton fought Chris Neil, Adam McQuaid traded blows with Zenon Konopka. Then the Senators tied it at 1 thanks to Colin Greening's (12th of the season) tip of Milan Micalek's pass at 18:40. Filip Kuba (2 assists) had the other helper.

Ottawa poured pressure on Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (30 saves; 21-9-0) in the second period and they were able to score twice more. Kyle Turris (5th of the season) made it 2-1 with a snipe at 7:43 from captain Daniel Alfredsson then Erik Karlsson (8th of the season) beat Thomas between his leg pads, from Neil and Kuba at 13:28.

Milan Lucic gave the B's a big momentum swing by scoring his 18th of the season with 45 seconds left in the second. For once, Lucic showed off good hands by stickhandling into a better shooting position then ripping one past Anderson. Rich Peverley and Chara had the assists on the goal which got the stunned crowd back into it.

Boston finally woke up in the third as Brad Marchand (18th of the season) tied it at 3 with 2:20 gone by with the team's second power-play strike. It was a classic Marchand goal, the result of supreme effort and skill around the net, assisted by Joe Corvo (2 assists) and Seidenberg.

Carolina comes to the Garden on Thursday and it's time that Boston beat them. I guarantee that you didn't know the Hurricanes are 3-0 against the Bruins so far this season. That has to be one of the most shocking numbers in the NHL at the moment. I expect the B's to bring a more complete effort than tonight and finally pick up two points against a team that's going nowhere.

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