Bruins Close Out November With 2-1 Overtime Win Against the Jets

With all their injuries and poor individual performances, it is remarkable that Boston still managed to go 8-3-1 in November. The Bruins (14-9-1) wrapped up the month with a sometimes thrilling but mostly dull 2-1 overtime triumph vs. the Jets (12-9-4) at TD Garden. Dougie Hamilton's first career overtime goal was the difference as Boston left for a critical four-game West Coast trip on a high note.

None of that would have been possible if the B's penalty kill hadn't been successful at the end of regulation (and 30 seconds into OT) after Brad Marchand took a high sticking double minor. Tuukka Rask (35 saves) also was a hair better than former Providence Bruin Michael Hutchinson (36 saves) who has emerged as Winnipeg's No. 1 goaltender this season.

The Jets took a 1-0 lead at 16:24 of the first period on monster Dustin Byfuglien's power play goal. His shot from the point got by Rask after it deflected off Matt Bartkowski's knee pad. It was Byfuglien's fourth goal of the season, assisted by Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele.

There was some question as to if Boston would ever answer this evening but Milan Lucic tied it 3:05 into the final frame. For the second straight game, he scored a goal as he gets used to life on a line with Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. Soderberg threw it in front and Lucic drove the net so he was able to redirect it past Hutchinson for a pretty tally, his fifth of the season. Hamilton had the second assist on that goal.

Hamilton's goal was also a good one as Soderberg worked it back to him and his shot fluttered past Hutchinson up high. It was his fifth goal of the season and Eriksson had the other assist on it.

Boston is off until Monday but that comes with a major caveat since their game in Anaheim (10, NESN) kicks off a three-games in four-nights stretch and four-games in six-days. It is a brutal trip against the Ducks (14-5-5), Kings (12-6-5), Sharks (10-10-4) and Coyotes (9-11-3). San Jose and Arizona are both pretty mediocre but unfortunately those come at the back end of their week in California and Arizona. Maybe they can shack up with the Patriots who will be hanging out there before their meeting with the Chargers?

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Bruins Spot The Jets An Early 2-0 Lead But Eventually Rally For A 4-2 Win

After their 10-game winning streak was snapped yesterday afternoon against the Detroit Red Wings, it was predictable that the Boston Bruins would suffer a bit of an emotional letdown as the Winnipeg Jets made their first visit since the franchise moved from Atlanta.

It was a homecoming of sorts as former B's Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart returned to TD Garden after getting shipped out before last season's trade deadline. The Jets (9-10-4) scored two goals halfway through the first period for a 2-0 lead but the Bruins (14-7-1) woke up in time to notch a 4-2 win thanks to four unanswered goals.

Boston has now picked up points in 12 straight games, their longest streak since 2004.

Chris Kelly was the first star thanks to two goals and nearly the hat trick on an empty netter. Tim Thomas (11-4-0) shook off the rough start to record 40 saves.

Evander Kane (10th of the season) gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 9:31 by driving to the net and tucking a pretty backhander past Thomas. Dustin Byfuglien and Wheeler had the assists.

39 seconds later, Byfuglien (5th of the season) made it 2-0 with a seemingly harmless shot from the point. The problem for Thomas was that he was screened and probably never saw the puck until it was too late. Jim Slater (great name) and Jason Jaffrey had the assists.

At that point, Bruins head coach Claude Julien smartly took a timeout to settle his team down. They had completely sleepwalked through the first 10 minutes and paid dearly for it. Thankfully, the B's woke up after that.

Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec (32) is one of the worst starters in the NHL so it wasn't a shock that Boston eventually found some holes in his pads. Winnipeg actually outshot Boston 42-36 but after that early flurry, it felt like the Bruins had way more chances.

Zdeno Chara (4th of the season) cut it to 2-1 at 16:38 with a power-play goal from David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. In live action and when I saw the replay, I thought Milan Lucic tipped it but regardless, he got in Pavelec's way which was good enough. It was big for Boston to get a goal before the period ended so they didn't have to stare at a 2-0 deficit any longer.

The B's went ahead with a pair of goals in a great second period. Another special teams tally, this time shorthanded at 7:28 tied it up as Chris Kelly (8th of the season) was the beneficiary of some great individual work by Rich Peverley. Peverley worked around a Jets defenseman, went to the net and while his shot was saved, the rebound popped right out to Kelly. All he had to do was tap it in.

Kelly scored the game-winner at 16:26 thanks to a one-timer. Benoit Pouliot had the main assist, finding Kelly with a cross-ice feed that he slammed in. Peverley notched the second assist.

In the third, Thomas kept his team in the lead with a couple outstanding kick saves before Brad Marchand (8th of the season) ended it with an empty netter at 18:51.

Boston closes out November (crazy right?) on Wednesday with a game in Toronto. Then the Maple Leafs come to the Garden on Saturday night. In their two previous meetings so far this season, the Bruins are 2-0 and have outscored the Leafs 13-2. We can only hope they keep that insane pace up against Phil Kessel and Co.

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Bruins clinch Northeast Division, start printing the useless t-shirts and hats

The Boston Bruins fought through a Saturday afternoon game (one of their least favorite things) to get a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers yesterday at TD Garden.

It was very meaningful too since it let the Bs (44-23-11) clinch the Northeast Division and with it, the number three seed in the Eastern Conference.

With only four games remaining in the regular season, Boston looks locked into the third spot and (hold your breath), Montreal appears similarly set at No. 6.

In such a strange game against Atlanta (33-33-12), it is only fitting that Mr. Jekyll and Hyde himself, Michael Ryder, turned out to be the biggest hero.

With the score knotted at 2-2 in the third period, Ryder was hauled down while he broke in alone on Thrashers goaltender Ondrej Pavelec (21 saves).

Ryder was 0-for-1 on penalty shots in his career but that didn't matter as he went top-shelf for his 18th goal of the season at 12:31. The game-winner shows how hard it is to sit Ryder. He's usually a bum but he can pull shots like that out of his ass from time to time. Something to keep in mind in the playoffs.

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (28 saves; 10-13-2) made the lead stick. It was nice to see him be a part of such an important win since he's been so snake-bitten all season.

Mark Recchi gave the Bs a 1-0 lead with a classic Rex goal at 4:34. It was a rebound from out front, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand (who deservingly won the Seventh Player Award yesterday).

Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored his 20th of the season at 11:11 of the first period. It was on a power play, from Zach Bogosian and Bryan Little. The shot deflected of Rask's back and into the net.

Evander Kane put Atlanta up 2-1 at 1:37 of the second period from Nik Antropov. Kane was in the right place, in the slot, as the puck bounced right to him and Rask didn't have a chance.

Daniel Paille of all people tied it at 2 with a shorthanded goal (of course), his fourth of the season at 6:18 (unassisted). Paille stole the puck in Atlanta's zone and beat Pavelec with a close-range snipe.

Boston travels to New York City tomorrow night to face the Rangers.

It's only one game but what a response from the Boston Bruins

With all the dark clouds surrounding the team and head coach Claude Julien, it's hard to imagine a much more promising result than they one the Boston Bruins turned in last night at TD Garden: a 4-1 beating of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Whatever happens, this will go down as one of the best games of the season as an unsung hero (Shawn Thornton) netted two goals and even better, the whole team stood up for each other late in the third period when Atlanta scrub Freddy Meyer took a run at Bruins star Milan Lucic.

After losing four of five and looking mostly terrible for the last month, it was a good sign that the players haven't tuned out Julien and for once, they played with a little heart and didn't stand by idly when an opponent took a cheap shot at one of their teammates.

Patrice Bergeron got the game off to a rousing start when he potted a short-handed goal just three minutes into the contest. Dustin Byfuglien couldn't keep the puck in the offensive zone so Bergeron stole it and skated in on Thrashers (19-13-5) goaltender Ondrej Pavelec (32 saves) and waited him out before tucking it behind him.

Boston (18-11-4) exploded for two more goals early in the second period. Michael Ryder joined Lucic and Nathan Horton in double digits with his 10th goal of the season. It was a rocket snap shot on the power play from Bergeron and Dennis Seidenberg.

From there, it was the Shawn Thornton show. He had begun the night by fighting Eric Boulton two seconds into the game (really). The only true old school tough guy on the roster reached his career high in goals with a pair of sweet ones. First he one-timed a pass from Adam McQuaid (and Daniel Paille) at 5:00 (less than a minute after Ryder's goal).

Byfuglien got Atlanta's only goal a few moments later, from Evander Kane and Bryan Little.

This was Thornton's night (and he could have had a hat trick since he almost tapped one in during the first period) and he capped it with a goal-scorer's move (forehand to backhand) to make it 4-1 Bruins 4:54 into the third period.

Tim Thomas made 26 saves in a relatively quiet night by his standards. Truth be told, if Pavelec hadn't stood on his head, this could have easily been 6-1 or 7-1.

Go to hockeyfights.com if you didn't catch the insane ending of the third period. It will probably go down as Boston's biggest fight of the season. Kane fought Lucic in a heavyweight bout. Little and Marc Savard (who had his best game since last season pre-concussion) squared off. Andrew Ference took on Anthony Stewart and got a face full of blood but earned plenty of respect.

Looch could get suspended since he took a late shot at Meyer while he was tied up with the refs. Although as Jack Edwards hilariously pointed out, "his legs were jelly right there." Indeed, Meyer seemed to embellish it, with any luck the NHL agrees.

All we can hope is that this intensity and passion carries over to after Christmas. They begin a five-game road trip in Florida on Monday night.