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

 

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

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

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

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

Nobody Will Consistently Let You Down Like The B's Who Fell 4-3 To The Panthers In Game 7 OT

 

    In any playoff format-particularly the ultra marathon that is better known as the NHL playoffs-when you have the chance to knock out an opponent, you have to do it. Otherwise, you run the risk of an epic choke job like the latest one suffered by your Boston Bruins. The best regular season team in league history was up 3-1 in their first round series vs. Florida and then they proceeded to fall apart rapidly, culminating with tonight's soul-crushing 4-3 overtime defeat in Game 7 at TD Garden. The B's got what they deserved both this evening and in this series as they came out flat yet again and trailed 2-0 in the second period before they finally woke up. Boston admirably rallied to tie it and even go ahead 3-2 in the third period but obviously they allowed the backbreaking tying goal with a minute left in regulation. Center Carter Verhaegae's series-clinching goal at 8:35 in OT felt like a formality as the Panthers dominated the extra session and now they advance to play the Maple Leafs in the second round (who picked that second round matchup?) while the Bruins are left wondering where it all went wrong? 

    Boston head coach Jim Montgomery made a big change by starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman (27 saves) for the first time in the series and in a vacuum, I would not say that it blew up in his face (because Swayman was OK) but it certainly did not rally the team like I'm sure he hoped that it would. Instead, a group with so much experience and talent seemed to crack under the pressure of such high expectations after a perfect regular season. It is a credit to Florida as well since they were the exact opposite: they never flinched as they won the final three games at the Garden including the last two in overtime. They don't give out MVP awards for a first round playoff series but if they did, UMass alum and Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour would get it as he scored not once but twice in Game 7. He opened the scoring with a power play goal at 12:23 of the first period. Center Anton Lundell and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) had the assists on a backhander that Swayman probably should have stopped but it went in for Montour's fourth goal of the series. 

    Any thoughts of the Bruins coming out strong in the second period were quickly extinguished as center Sam Reinhart took a wide open drop pass in the slot and beat Swayman with a high shot at 1:14 for a stunning 2-0 Florida lead. Defenseman Eetu Luostarinen and Lundell provided the helpers on Reinhart's fourth goal of the playoffs. One of Boston's oldest players was the one to finally stem the tide as center David Krejci one-timed in a power play goal at 7:52 of the second period that cut the Panthers' lead to 2-1. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and center Pavel Zacha assisted on Krejci's first goal of the series. Boston still trailed though 2-1 entering the third period. 

    The B's tied it at two 55 seconds into the third as they scored another power play goal. Left wing Tyler Bertuzzi tipped in Orlov's shot for his team-high fifth goal of the series, assisted by Krejci. Boston soon after gained its only lead of the third period when Bobrovsky allowed a juicy rebound that right wing David Pastrnak was able to follow up for his fifth goal of the postseason and a 3-2 advantage for the Black and Gold. Defenseman Brandon Carlo and Krejci had the assists at 4:11 as the Garden went wild. It would have been great to see the B's build on that lead but they seemed to sit back and try to hang on for dear life rather than take the game by the scruff of its neck. Bobrovsky was out for an extra attacker and the puck deflected right to who else but Montour who put it in for the devastating tying goal. Center Aleksander Barkov and Verhaeghe notched the assists on the biggest goal in Montour's life and one of the biggest in Panthers franchise history. 

    Each team had five shots on goal in overtime but if you watched it, Florida completely dominated zone time and in terms of puck possession. Swayman actually stopped a breakaway by Panthers star left wing Matthew Tkachuk and made a few other quality saves as his petrified teammates mostly stumbled around their defensive zone. After captain and center Patrice Bergeron contemplated retirement for a long time last summer and Krejci returned from the Czech Republic, you have to wonder if they are both done after this latest depressing result. On the one hand, it feels like it would be impossible to go out on this pathetic note after such great Bruins careers but then again, both guys seemed extra emotional leaving the ice after this one. Who knows? It should not have ended like this for the 2022-23 Bruins, they should have done so much more damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs or maybe not since this follows an all too familiar pattern of postseason letdowns for a club that still has only won a single Stanley Cup since 1972 (in 2011). 

As We All Thought, The Bruins Are Getting The Band Back Together For One More Farewell Tour

 

    At long last, the Bruins finally confirmed the news that we all knew was sure to be coming for months now: hours apart this morning, their longtime centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci both signed bargain one-year deals to return to Boston for what has to be a final attempt to win another elusive Stanley Cup with the black and gold. The timing of it all is one of the most interesting aspects of this expected story since Bergy took forever to thankfully decide to avoid retirement for another season while Krej apparently had more than enough of his homeland (Czech Republic) in one forgettable campaign back there. You have to wonder how much of a factor Jim Montgomery being the new head coach of the B's these days rather than that meanie Bruce Cassidy had to do with it all. 

    While it is way too easy to make fun of these moves by the Bruins on the surface, you cannot say that GM Don Sweeney has left them with many better options if they do not want to commit to a full scale rebuild. Sadly, this is what happens when you do not draft and develop well for years on end, you are forced to cling to the glory days from way back when. To their credit, Bergeron and Krejci are each taking very team friendly contracts even by hockey players' normally selfless standards. Bruins captain Patrice will make $2.5 million plus another $2.5 million in (quite attainable) performance-based incentives. David gets $1 million plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives. It says something about the character, professionalism, leadership and competitiveness of these guys that they both chose to play another season with the only NHL club that they have ever known rather than spend much more time with their families and friends.

    After last season, we still have a good feel for what the 37-year-old Bergeron has left in the tank because he had a real nice 2021-2022 with 25 goals, 40 assists and plus-16 in 73 regular season games followed by seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in their seven game, first round exit vs. Carolina. Krejci is a year younger than Bergy and a bit more of a wild card since the Czechia League is a far cry from the overall quality of the NHL, sorry Jaromir Jagr! Therefore, his numbers from good old HC Olomouc are completely irrelevant. When we last saw him stateside, David had 44 points (8 goals, 36 assists) in 51 regular season games in the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season then nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 11 playoff games. Bergeron is probably going to end up in the Hall of Fame and Krejci has been a great Bruin-particularly in the postseason-so despite their ages, Boston is a much better team today than they were yesterday when we were not sure (yeah right!) that they would be back in the B's lineup starting next month when training camp and the preseason begin.

B's Signed Defenseman Charlie McAvoy To The Largest Deal (8 Yrs, $76 Million) In Team History

 

    On the eve of their 2021-22 regular season opener tomorrow night (7, NESN) at TD Garden vs. Dallas (1-0), the Bruins finalized the most important contract issue facing the team: they inked young franchise defenseman Charlie McAvoy to a huge eight-year extension worth $76 million. It is the biggest contract in team history and it shows just how much they believe in the 23-year old BU product who is about to enter his fifth season in the NHL. McAvoy finished fifth in the Norris Trophy (given to the league's best defenseman) last season and this deal makes him currently the fourth highest paid defenseman in the NHL. With that obviously comes more pressure and even higher expectations but that is nothing new for the former first-round pick (14th overall in 2016) who you will remember made his professional debut in the playoffs against Ottawa-the same year that he was drafted which is extremely rare these days in hockey.

    Hopefully B's captain Patrice Bergeron is around for many more years to come but whenever he retires from the Bruins (please don't make me picture him in another uniform), McAvoy looks like a great candidate to be the next captain of the Bruins. He's tough, he competes hard every shift, he is physical and does not shy away from very difficult matchups with the best players in the world while logging heavy minutes (average time on ice of 22:51 for his career). If we are nitpicking, his offensive game is what still needs the most work. McAvoy has never topped more than seven goals or 27 assists in a full season. His defensive game is more full grown since he has been at least a plus-14 in each campaign including a career-high plus-24 in 2019-20 and he has blocked a total of 382 shots and registered 421 hits. In 235 career regular season games, he has accumulated 24 goals, 98 assists and he is plus-80. In 65 career playoff games, he has five goals and 27 assists, 119 blocked shots and 147 hits. 

    Charlie will start this season once again as part of the top defensive pairing along with a member of the first power play unit (which should help bump up his offensive stats). He is not huge for a No. 1 defenseman (6 feet tall, 208 pounds) but he skates well and plays bigger than his size in terms of throwing monster hits and blocking plenty of shots. He has always been a natural leader dating back to his brief two years at BU and also playing on the U.S. national team that won a gold medal at the World Juniors in 2017. At least for now, Tuukka Rask and David Krejci are no longer here with the B's and sadly, Bergeron and Brad Marchand will not play for the Bruins forever either. The positive news is that the next generation of Bruins players should be in good hands with McAvoy locked in for a long time.

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. 

To Open Free Agency, B's Were Very Active But Did They Get Anyone That Will Make A Big Difference?

 

    When free agency opens in any professional sport, most fans just want to see their favorite team be active and engaged. When NHL free agency officially started today at noon, the Bruins were certainly as busy as any club in the league but when you run through all the names of guys that they signed, you are left wondering if any of them will have any type of major impact for Boston. Leaving out the four players that will most likely be stuck in Providence for most of (if not all of) next season, B's GM Don Sweeney brought in six legitimate NHL veterans. The most notable names are goaltender Linus Ullmark (formerly of the Sabres) and forward and former Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. In addition, depth forwards Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek are here too along with defensemen Derek Forbort and Mike Reilly (who was traded to the Bruins before the trade deadline last season).

    Haha is that it? For a team that likes to think of themselves as true Stanley Cup contenders every season, it sure feels like Sweeney was trying to shop at The Dollar Store to get what he needs rather than spending a little more to get some better players. Jaroslav Halak signed with Vancouver and free agent Tuukka Rask is out for awhile following hip surgery so the B's needed a veteran goalie to work with promising young netminder Jeremy Swayman. That's fine and Ullmark had actually put up respectable numbers somehow on the worst team in the league in 2021: 9-6-3 w/.917 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average. He's only 27 years old but did he really need a four-year contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million (faints)?

    Foligno feels a little bit like David Backes light and we all know how that went for the B's. A well-respected leader and dependable player that at 33 is definitely on the back end of his career after being traded to Toronto last season and not making many contributions to that loser franchise. In 49 games last season between the two teams, he had 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists). The former first-round pick (28th overall in 2006) got a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $3.8 million. Haula is truthfully a journeyman since this will be his sixth NHL team but he is coming off a pretty nice little season in Nashville: eight goals, 10 assists & plus-21. For that, the 30-year-old earned a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $2.375 million. Finally for the forwards, Nosek put up eight goals and 10 assists with a plus-seven rating for the Golden Knights in 38 games. Like Haula, he is 30 and he was signed for two years but with a lower annual cap hit ($1.75 million). Foligno could be insurance if David Krejci doesn't re-sign with Boston while Haula and Nosek should easily replace center Sean Kuraly who signed a four-year contract with his hometown team-the Blue Jackets-earlier today. 

    Reilly was a pleasant surprise in 15 games last season with the black and gold after being obtained from Ottawa as he notched eight assists and was plus-seven. In his first postseason with Boston, he slowed down to four assists and a plus-three rating in 11 games. On a good team (which the Bruins hopefully can still qualify as), he is a third-pair left-shot defenseman that is a solid puck-mover with some offensive ability. The fact that he's 27 is most likely why he signed a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $3 million. I can't say that I know much about Forbort besides the fact that he's big (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) which is something that Boston really lacks on the back end and he averaged over 20 minutes of ice time last season with Winnipeg. He is 29 and with a three-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $3 million, I'd guarantee that Sweeney expects him to be much more than Jarred Tinordi who signed with the Rangers this afternoon. 

    It would be dumb to make any sweeping conclusions already about this group since odds are that Sweeney still has some tinkering to do both in terms of additional signings and perhaps a few more trades (for instance, backup goaltender Dan Vladar got flipped to Calgary for a third-round pick this afternoon). You also have to remember that he signed Brandon Carlo, Taylor Hall-and to a much lesser extent Trent Frederic-in the past few weeks, who are likely to be more important moves this offseason in the long run when it's all said and done. I'll just leave this here: Jack Eichel is still on Buffalo and while it is probably a pipe dream that he'll ever be a Bruin, we can choose to hold out hope that Sweeney finds a way to acquire him for basically whatever it takes. Can you imagine your excitement level if Eichel was going to be a Bruin for a long period of time? 

In The Easiest Move Of The NHL Offseason, The Bruins Signed Taylor Hall To A Four-Year Contract

 

    After hearing days of reports that the Bruins and free agent left wing Taylor Hall were getting very close to signing a lucrative deal, the news dropped this evening that Boston had finally inked him to a four-year contract with a $6 million dollar annual cap hit. For a guy with his pedigree (former No. 1 overall pick in 2010, NHL MVP in 2018, etc) and in the prime of his career-he'll turn 30 in November-this was a relative bargain for the B's. By stealing, I mean trading for Hall from the Sabres last season, the Bruins showed him enough in just 27 games (16 regular season & 11 playoff) that he was openly raving about being on the team and his desire to stay here with a long-term deal. 

    This is Hall's fifth NHL club (along with Edmonton, New Jersey and Arizona) so his reputation naturally preceded him but from our limited experience watching him, he seemed like a model teammate and a player that understandably is sick and tired of playing for crappy teams in bad markets. Age-wise he also represents a critical bridge that the black and gold mostly lack: a star that is neither young nor old. One of Boston's main issues is that they have too many guys on either end of the spectrum in terms of age and not enough guys like Hall that have been productive NHL players for years but haven't been in the league for a million seasons already. 

    We have to admit that while Hall was amazing in those regular season contests for the B's with eight goals and six assists, he was noticeably bottled up in the postseason with only three goals and two assists. That didn't make him unique because pretty much all of Boston's top offensive players got shut down in the second round by the Islanders. It's not a question of work ethic, skill or desire with Hall when it comes to the playoffs, I think it's more about not having much experience there. Before this past campaign, he only had 14 total (5 with New Jersey and 9 with Arizona) playoff games on his resume and let's be honest, it's not like there was any pressure in either of those spots plus it wasn't like they were expected to go far. With some more playoff seasoning as a Bruin, there is no doubt that he can be the dominant force that he was immediately after getting traded here last season. 

    Now with Hall locked up, the Bruins need to do him a solid and either sign center David Krejci or some other quality passer that can get Hall the puck at the right time and where he needs it. There was a report today from The Fourth Period that the B's were looking into signing former Coyotes center Christian Dvorak who previously played with Hall in the desert. I'm not going to pretend to know much about Dvorak (haha who really does?) but I am pretty sure that even an aging Krejci is still better than him. I would hate to see Boston's GM Don Sweeney spend all this money on Hall and then cheap out in terms of getting him some linemates that are at least somewhat on his level. Free agency officially opens next Wednesday but with the NHL Draft beginning tonight, there have been a bunch of notable trades around the league.

Not To Alarm You But The Bruins Are In Big Trouble As They Now Trail The Islanders 3-2

 

    Don't look now but the Bruins are one loss away from another second-round exit in the playoffs for consecutive years. In the pivotal Game 5 tonight at the TD Garden, Boston outshot New York 44-19 and yet they still found a way to lose 5-4. How is that even possible? Well, the Islanders were 3-for-4 on the power play, they chased B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (12 saves, 4 goals allowed) after two frustrating periods and they held on as the Bruins tried to rally in the third period from a three-goal deficit (5-2). New York leads this series 3-2 and has won the last two games because they aren't making nearly as many mental and physical mistakes as Boston. It's almost like a rope-a-dope strategy as the Isles wait for the Bruins to shoot themselves in the foot and then they take advantage of it and unlike they B's, they don't waste nearly all of the great chances that fall into their laps. 

      Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (2 saves, 1 goal allowed) did not get to do much in his NHL playoff debut. I'm assuming that Rask will start in Game 6 on Wednesday (7:30) as the B's try to save their season and force a Game 7 on Friday back in Boston. After their worst game of the postseason in Saturday's 4-1 no-show on Long Island, the black and gold responded by coming out flying as right wing David Pastrnak blasted in a one-timer (his 6th goal of the season) from BU's Charlie McAvoy and left wing Brad Marchand at 1:25. I'm convinced that you can't rattle New York as they scored five of the next six goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead. After a terrible slashing penalty on Bruins center Sean Kuraly, the Islanders made them pay right away as center Mathew Barazal scored for the third game in a row. Remember when he was ice cold at the start of this series? That was fun. Defenseman Noah Dobson and right wing Jordan Eberle notched the helpers on the suddenly red hot Barzal's third goal of the postseason. 

    It was 1-1 heading into the second period and that's when the visitors took control with three goals in the frame including two more on the power play. B's killer and right wing Kyle Palmieri made it 2-1 in favor of New York at 4:49 of the second period and on the power play. Right wing Josh Bailey and defenseman Nick Leddy picked up the assists on Palmieri's team-high sixth goal of the season. Marchand tied it at one with a beautiful power move that showed off most of his immense skills. Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40 saves) didn't stand a chance as he stayed anchored in his crease while Marchand went by him and ended with a forehand shot for his sixth game of the season. Pasta and McAoy were credited with the assists on Marchand's sixth goal of the playoffs. This is when the roof started to collapse on the Bruins. A pretty little passing sequence around Rask worked wonders as the Isles took their first lead (3-2) on Bailey's momentum-stopping tally. Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and left wing Anthony Beauvillier had the helpers on Bailey's fifth goal of the postseason at 14:30. New York's last power play goal came from a snipe by Eberle that went over Rask's shoulder. Barzal and Dobson had the assists on Eberle's third goal of the playoffs at 16:38. 

    What's worse than a 4-2 deficit in Game 5 on your home ice? How about going down by three goals early in the third period of said game? The Bruins faced that nightmare scenario as center Brock Nelson fired in a pass from Beauvillier at 1:59. The whole play started when defenseman Adam Pelech jumped up in the air to grab the puck and keep it in the offensive zone. In the regular season, Boston had a bunch of fake comebacks where they would be down by a couple goals and they would begin to rally but fall just short. That's basically what happened for the rest of the third period as Pastrnak scored on another one-timer, this one was from McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron. Pasta's one-timer came at 3:48 to cut it to 5-3 New York. It felt like the Bruins had a chance to rally when Varlamov couldn't handle a simple flip shot by center David Krejci (his 2nd goal of the playoffs). Right wing Craig Smith and defenseman Mike Reilly rounded out the scoring with the assists on Boston's final tally at 14:43. 

    As Bruins fans, where do we go from here? The Bruins typically respond well to adversity, therefore I truly believe that they will throw everything they have left into Game 6. Fourth-line center Curtis Lazar left with a lower-body injury and never returned after a nasty collision near center ice. I assume that if he's out, Jake DeBrusk would be back in the lineup after he was a healthy scratch this evening. I want to believe that there's an outside chance that defensemen Kevan Miller and/or Brandon Carlo could also return to action but let's be real, that probably won't happen and for good reason (they both have serious injuries that have already caused them to miss multiple contests). You know that all the Strong Island bros will be out in full force on Wednesday shouting their silly chants so the B's have to be ready to go from the start once again. The Islanders are good but they should not be able to eliminate the Bruins in six games, that would be unacceptable from my perspective.

The Bruins Wasted A Great Opportunity To Take Control Of The Series As They Fell 4-1 To The Isles

 

    Whenever the Bruins have a frustrating loss, particularly in the playoffs, I like to say "the Bruins never making anything easy on themselves." It's not exactly ground-breaking stuff but I think that it applies all too often for the B's. Tonight was the latest example as they lost 4-1 to the Islanders in Game 4 of their second round playoff series. Another win at the Nassau Coliseum would have given them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and that might have meant that they wouldn't have to go back to Long Island. Instead, thanks to their uneven effort, the series is now tied 2-2 and it comes down to a best-of-3 series against the Isles who are the definition of gritty and tough to play against.

    The final score is very misleading, especially if you weren't watching the whole game since New York scored two empty-net goals. There were no goals scored in the first period but it was still pretty crazy since there were two fights (Taylor Hall vs. Scott Mayfield and Jarred Tinordi vs. Matt Martin) and B's star David Pastrnak hit the post on the most wide open look that he'll ever see with a goalie in net. Boston actually led 1-0 when center David Krejci put in a rebound for a power play goal at 3:57 of the second period. His first goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Brad Marchand and Pasta. Boston's lead lasted for less than three minutes as Islanders left wing Kyle Palmieri put in a close-range one-timer from center Mathew Barzal. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Palmieri's team-leading fifth goal of the postseason.

    Barzal is by far New York's best and most talented offensive player so it was surprising that he did not have a goal in their first eight playoff games this year. He is starting to heat up though at just the wrong time for the Bruins as he scored the lone Islanders goal in Game 3 and this evening he had the game-winner as he batted a loose puck out of the air to make it 2-1 at 13:03 of the third period. Mayfield and fellow defenseman Noah Dobson had the assists on Barzal's second goal of the playoffs. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 30 saves so he was one of the few bright spots in the loss for Boston. His counterpart Semyon Varlamov (who improved to 7-2 against the B's this season) had 28 saves but you have to say that the black and gold did not test him nearly enough. Centers Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted the empty-netters for the Isles as the Coliseum exploded at the end of this victory for their beloved home team. 

    Game 5 is on Monday (6:30, NBCSN) at the TD Garden and Game 6 (time TBA) will be back in Uniondale on Wednesday. Needless to say that Monday is the biggest tilt of the season for both clubs. To go up 3-2 thus giving yourself two chances to eliminate the other team is a huge advantage versus being down 3-2 in the series and having to win twice in a row at each venue no less. Don't be surprised if Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tinkers with his lineup a little bit on Monday. Nick Ritchie has been useless for much of this postseason so why not throw rookie Trent Frederic in there and see if he can provide some type of spark? If nothing else, he would bring energy and fresh legs to a group that looked understandably tired in Game 4 after taking so many tough hits from the Islanders all series long.

David Pastrnak Scored His Second Career Playoff Hat Trick As Bruins Beat Islanders 5-2 In Game 1

 

    After nearly a week off after dispatching of the Capitals in five tidy games, the Bruins opened up their second round playoff series with the Islanders tonight at a sold-out TD Garden (!!!). Boston did not look too rusty though in front of their biggest crowd in over a year as they used a strong third period to propel them to a 5-2 victory behind star David Pastrnak's second career playoff hat trick. The B's nearly doubled the Isles in shots on goal (40-22) and that constant pressure finally got to New York's rookie goaltender Ilya Sorokin (35 saves). The black and gold won their fifth straight game overall as they dropped Game 1 to Washington but so far, that's been their only loss in this postseason. 

    The regular season has little to do with this but we have to note that the Islanders won the first five meetings with the Bruins in 2021 before Boston took the final three. This made it four victories in a row for the B's against a very worthy second-round opponent who beat the Penguins in six games in their first-round series. The East Division foes traded leads as New York scored first in the first period before Boston answered; the Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the second period and then the Islanders responded. The third period is what separated them as the home team scored twice and then added an empty-net goal for good measure. 

    Both tallies in the first period came on the power play as Isles left wing Anthony Beauvillier tipped in a shot from the point by defenseman Noah Dobson at 11:48. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Beauvillier's team-leading fourth goal of the playoffs. Pastrnak tied it late in the frame as Sorokin kicked a big rebound right to him and he waited for a second before snapping it in. Centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron had the assists on Pasta's third goal of the postseason (3-game goal streak) at 19:36. Boston took its first lead midway through the second period as once again Pastrnak was able to corral a rebound and fire it in past a diving Sorokin. Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand notched the assists at 11:08. It was not 2-1 Bruins for long though as Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech unleashed a bomb from the point that went top shelf past a stunned Tuukka Rask (20 saves) at 12:34. Eberle and left wing Leo Komarov picked up the assists on Pelech's first goal of the postseason.

    Ironically, even though it was Pastrnak's night, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored the game-winning goal at 6:20 of the third period. His low but hard shot from distance found its way through traffic for his first goal of the playoffs, assisted by Krejci. You had a feeling that Pasta was going to get a hat trick and he finished the job with a pretty move using Taylor Hall as a screen to fire in a wrist shot at 15:50 for the 4-2 Bruins lead. Speaking of Hall, he had the last goal-of the empty-net variety-at 18:35. Krejci and defenseman Mike Reilly notched the helpers on Hall's third goal of the playoffs.

    Game 2 is on Monday night (7:30, NBCSN) and I think it is almost a given that the Isles will play better. They were very lucky to be tied this evening headed into the third period since the Bruins had outshot them by a wide margin (30-12). The major questions will be if their offense can match Boston's and perhaps most importantly, Sorokin has to be better with his rebound control. Rask was not great but he did not have to be. Late in Game 1, New York clearly tried to target Pastrnak physically to send a message moving forward that it won't be that easy anymore. He has seven points (5 goals, 2 assists) in his last three games going back to Games 4 and 5 vs. Washington so he's on fire right now with multiple points in each of those tilts. Can the Islanders contain the Bruins' top line? We shall see but Game 2 is an important one since being up 2-0 in a series is a much different story than being tied 1-1. The one injury from Game 1 was to Bruins right wing Craig Smith who left in the second period (lower-body) after an awkward collision with Islanders goon Cal Clutterbuck and never returned. If he can't suit up on Monday, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy will need to find a replacement for his second line.

Bruins Beat Islanders 3-2 In Overtime, Lock In Third Seed & First Round Matchup With Capitals

 

    Coming into tonight's regular season home finale vs. the Islanders (32-17-7 overall, 11-13-4 away), all that the Bruins (33-15-7 overall, 18-7-3 home) needed to clinch the third seed in the East Division was a single point. Boston got the job done by winning 3-2 in overtime thanks to a brilliant backhander by left wing Taylor Hall. The Capitals (35-15-5 overall, 16-8-3 home) are the No. 2 seed from the East Division so that's who the B's will face in the first round of the playoffs, starting on Saturday night (7:15, NBC). I don't think that the black and gold could have picked a more difficult opponent to see right off the bat than Washington but here we are. 

    The Bruins completed the regular season series with the Islanders sporting a .500 record of 3-3-2. This evening was another reminder what a complete steal Hall was from the Sabres (15-34-7). He opened the scoring with a sweet one-timer from center David Krejci and left wing Brad Marchand at 19:21 of the first period. Hall's ninth goal of the season was on the power play and it was from a tough angle since he received the pass basically parallel to the goal line. Maine native and BC's Oliver Wahlstrom tied it with a one-timer and power play tally of his own at 1:38 of the second period. His 12th goal of the season was assisted by center Mathew Barzal and defenseman Nick Leddy.

    Boston took a 2-1 lead later in the frame as Marchand re-directed a pass from Krejci at 6:15. His team-leading 29th goal of the season was also assisted by right wing David Pastrnak. Barzal is a great offensive talent that often gets overlooked on a team that generally struggles to put the puck in the net. He tied it with a sweet top shelf wrist shot over Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask's (16 saves, 15-5-2) shoulder at 8:31. His 17th goal of the season was assisted by defenseman Ryan Pulock and left wing Anthony Beauvillier.

    Isles head coach Barry Trotz pulled their starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov (25 saves) after the second period supposedly with a minor injury. Hall's overtime goal was another one of those instances where it has to be a very short list of Bruins teammates that could have successfully made a similar type play. He took a nothing drop pass from Krejci at center ice, zoomed by center Casey Cizikas, put the puck through Leddy's legs (!!!) then fired a powerful backhander past backup goalie Ilya Sorokin (10 saves). Defenseman Mike Reilly had the second assist on one of the best goals of the year in the NHL. Holy smokes, if I was B's GM Don Sweeney I would have had a contract extension written up for Hall and placed in his locker by the time he got done with his postgame interviews.

    Just by luck (and of course the pandemic), the last game of the regular season takes Boston to DC tomorrow night (7, NESNplus) where they will take on Washington in a completely meaningless dress rehearsal. The better question is will the Bruins remain there for Games 1 and 2 or return home only to go back again in a few days? We'll have to wait and see about that travel plan which is surely more interesting than what should amount to a preseason game in May with all the healthy scratch and taxi squad guys in the lineups for both clubs. It is also rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman's last chance to impress Boston's head coach Bruce Cassidy, granted I'm pretty certain that he's already won the No. 2 goaltender position for the playoffs.

The Bruins Skated Circles Around The Already Checked Out Rangers, Beating Them 4-0

 

    After back-to-back bloodbaths with the Capitals (34-14-5) earlier this week, the Rangers (26-23-6) limped into the TD Garden tonight and promptly dropped their fifth straight game, 4-0. The Bruins (32-14-7) are playing some of their best hockey of the season and rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (15 saves, 7-2-0) picked up his second career shutout in the victory. Boston scored two goals in the first period and then cruised from there as they took a firmer grip on third-place in the East Division. They are now three points ahead of the fourth-place Islanders (31-17-6) with a game in hand, two points behind the Capitals (34-14-5) and four points behind top-seeded Pittsburgh (36-16-3) with two games in hand. 

    Two of Boston's best and most reliable players helped stake them to that 2-0 lead. Center Patrice Bergeron took a one-timer from left wing Brad Marchand that went in at 7:11 for his 22nd goal of the season & his fourth straight game with a goal. On the power play, BU's Charlie McAvoy doubled the Bruins' lead as he slammed a one-timer from Marchand that went top shelf at 18:35. Right wing David Pastrnak had the second assist on McAvoy's fifth goal of the season. Things did not get better for New York as right wing Jake DeBrusk skated in on a breakaway and scored for a 3-0 lead at 14:01 of the second period. Center David Krejci and left wing Taylor Hall notched the assists on DeBrusk's fifth goal of the season. The final tally for the B's came from defenseman Brandon Carlo who saw his attempted pass deflected into the net when Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (30 saves, 15-14-3) accidentally kicked it in off his leg pad. Carlo's third goal of the season was also assisted by Krejci. 

    These same two clubs meet again on Saturday afternoon (3, NESN) at the Garden as Tuukka Rask (14-4-2) gets the start in net for Boston. With some more rest, New York should perform a little better but will it really matter that much? They have absolutely nothing left to play for this season while conversely, the Bruins are just getting everything finetuned before the postseason begins at some point next week. Boston is 5-2 against the Rangers in 2021 with that one matchup left to go between them.

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.

After Last Week's Loss, The B's Put The Sabres Back In Their Place-The Gutter-With A 5-2 Win

 

    I cannot get enough of these thrilling Bruins (29-14-6 overall, 15-6-3)-Sabres (13-31-7 overall, 7-15-3 road) games this season, who's with me? Haha just kidding, I am completely sick of watching Buffalo try to play hockey as I'm sure that you are too. Thankfully after tonight's 5-2 victory by the B's at the TD Garden, Boston improved to 6-1 against Buffalo in 2021 with only one matchup left on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN). Five different Bruins scored goals and goaltender Tuukka Rask (29 saves, 13-4-2) avenged last Friday's 6-4 loss in Buffalo with this victory. In the East Division playoff outlook, fourth-place Boston kept pace (only 1 point behind with a game in hand) with the third-place Islanders (30-15-5) who won 4-0 at the Rangers (26-19-6) tonight at Madison Square Garden. 

    The black and gold were all about the early and late goals in the first period as right wing David Pastrnak's one-timer gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:16. Center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand had the assists on Pasta's 19th goal of the season. Sabres center Casey Mittlestadt tied it at one when he put in a juicy rebound at 14:09 of the first period. Right wing Arttu Ruotsalainen and left wing Rasmus Asplund picked up the assists on Mittlestadt's 10th goal of the season. Buzzer beaters are typically present in basketball games and not hockey but that was flipped tonight as Krejci scored a one-timer with less than one second left in the first period. BU's Charlie McAvoy and Craig Smith had the assists on Krejci's power play goal (his 8th goal of the season).  

    After no goals in the second period, things got tense for a bit in the third period as the Sabres tied it again. Right wing Sam Reinhardt found himself alone in front of Rask and left wing Victor Olofsson hit him with a pass from behind the net thru traffic. Buffalo's leading goal-scorer didn't skip a beat as left wing Jeff Skinner added the second assist on Reinhart's 23rd goal of the season at 1:43. BU's Charlie Coyle picked a great time to break his 28-game goalless streak with a sweet individual move and finish at 7:58. His sixth goal of the season was unassisted which seems fitting with how much he's been a ghost this season. Krejci continued to play great as he dangled around two helpless Sabres defensemen before feeding left wing Taylor Hall for the easy one-timer. Hall's seventh goal of the season (5th as a Bruin) was also assisted by right wing Craig Smith at 16:43. Marshy's empty-netter and team-high 27th goal of the season at 1826 made it 5-2 in favor of the road team.

The Bruins Ended Their Five-Game & Two City Road Trip (3-2-0) With A 3-1 Victory At Pittsburgh

 

    After losing their last two games in regulation, Boston (28-14-6 overall, 14-8-3 away) looked much more like themselves in tonight's road trip finale-a solid 3-1 win at Pittsburgh's (32-15-3 overall, 20-4-2 home) PPG Paints Arena. It was nearly a shutout for goaltender Tuukka Rask (25 saves, 12-4-2) as the Bruins built up a 3-0 lead then gave up a meaningless garbage time goal to the Penguins with less than three minutes left in regulation. The game also served as a fitting last chapter for a regular season series that was won 5-3 by the B's. They now look ahead to the final eight games of the campaign with a real chance to catch the fading Islanders (29-15-5) who are only a point ahead of them for third-place in the East Division while Boston has a game in hand and one head-to-head matchup left. 

    After the Penguins won 1-0 on Sunday afternoon against the Bruins, it felt destined to be another low-scoring affair (hope you took the under!) as neither team scored in the first period and it remained scoreless late into the second period before center David Krejci potted a beautiful goal. On a play started by Rask, defenseman Charlie McAvoy hit Krejci with a breakout pass and the veteran did the rest by going forehand to backhand then beating Pens goalie Tristan Jarry (28 saves, 21-9-3) with a sizzling backhander. Krejci's seventh goal of the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 18:10 and that's where it would stand with 20 minutes remaining.

    After a spirited fight between B's defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and Penguins center Teddy Blueger, Boston scored twice more to put it out of reach. Jarry was forced into an awkward save on right wing David Pastrnak's shot which allowed left wing Brad Marchand to zip to the net and put in the rebound for his team-leading 26th goal of the season. Center Curtis Lazar had the second assist at 9:11. Left wing Taylor Hall turned out the lights on the Pens with a spectacular play that reminded you why he is a former No. 1 overall pick and NHL MVP. He took a pass from Krejci, worked around none other than one of the best players in the world (Sidney Crosby)-like he wasn't even there-then snapped a sizzling shot high blocker side on Jarry. Hall's sixth goal of the season (4th as a Bruin) was also assisted by defenseman Mike Reilly and it came at 12:18.  Center Jeff Carter caught Boston's defense in a messy line change and he blasted a shot off the post and in at 17:39. His 11th goal of the season was assisted by defenseman Kris Letang and right wing Kasperi Kapanen. 

    After more than a week on the road, the black and gold finally get to return home and who else will they see next but the Sabres (13-30-7 overall, 7-14-3 away) for two more games to close out their season series. The worst team in the NHL is at the TD Garden on Thursday (7, NESN+) and Saturday afternoon (1, NESN). After losing to them 6-4 on Friday in Buffalo, you can bet that the Bruins figure to be extra motivated to bank four more points and finish 7-1 against the Sabres in 2021. They have so much left to play for unlike Buffalo so I'd be shocked to see them fall again to that clown show of a hockey club. 

After Last Night's 5-1 Easy Win Vs. The Sabres, The B's Are Enjoying An Extended Stay In Buffalo

 

    Things couldn't be working out much better for the Bruins (27-12-6 overall, 13-6-3 road) at the moment as they are taking full advantage of all their games against the putrid Sabres (12-28-7 overall, 5-16-4) after last night's routine 5-1 victory for the black and gold at the KeyBank Center. That gave Boston a season-high six game winning streak which can become seven tonight (7, NESN Plus) as they play one more game in Buffalo against these scrubs. 12 different Bruins had points and rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (5-1-0) made 29 saves as the B's improved to a perfect 5-0 against the Sabres in 2021. There are three more layups, oops I mean games left to go with the worst team in the NHL.

    This installment was close for two periods since Boston led 2-1 going into the third before they broke it open with three goals in the final 20 minutes. It's hard to take too much from these glorified exhibition games but it was nice to see all five of the Bruins' goals come 5-on-5 while their penalty kill is a combined 11-for-11 in their last two meetings with Buffalo. Left wing Brad Marchand staked the B's to an early 1-0 lead when he put in a rebound past Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski (33 saves, 2-7-2). Center Patrice Bergeron and defenseman Mike Reilly had the assists at 12:36 on Marchand's team-leading 25th goal of the season. 

          Buffalo right wing Arttu Ruotsalainen tied it at 5:27 of the second period with his third goal of the season. It was the only highlight of the night for the home team as former Bruin Anders Bjork fed Ruotsalainen for the tap-in after center Dylan Cozens had stole the puck along the boards in Boston's defensive zone. BU's Matt Grzelcyk put Boston ahead for good with a wrist shot that Tokarski should have grabbed at 12:50 of the second period. Fellow Terrier alum Charlie McAvoy and right wing David Pastrnak registered the assists on Grzelcyk's fourth goal of the season.  

    You could feel Buffalo's souls leave their bodies in the third period as the Bruins ruthlessly ran up the score on them. Pasta's goal was a pretty one as he drove to the right then shot a low hard shot against the grain that Tokarski had no chance to stop. His 18th goal of the season came at 4:55 and it was assisted by Marchand and Grzelcyk. Left wing Nick Ritchie broke his cold streak with a goal at 6:01, his 11th of the season, from right wing Jake DeBrusk and BU's Charlie Coyle (300th NHL point). Poor Tokarski understandably wanted to be anywhere but there when defenseman Jeremy Lauzon's shot hit the post and center David Krejci touched in the rebound for the final tally. It was Krejci's sixth goal of the season and the secondary assist came from former Sabres great Taylor Hall at 18:02. How happy is he to be a Bruin after playing for so many terrible teams in his NHL career (Oilers, Devils, Coyotes and Sabres)? 

    No matter how much of a joke these Bruins-Sabres games appear to be, don't forget how important they are to Boston. The Rangers (23-18-6) have dropped their last two games which has allowed the Bruins to move eight points ahead of them with two games in hand. Barring a huge collapse, it looks like the Bruins will finish in the top four in the East Division but they can still move up with a strong push at the end of the regular season. The Islanders (29-13-5) are only three points ahead of them with the B's having two games in hand and one meeting left to go. The Penguins (30-14-3) are also just three points in front of Boston while the Bruins own two games in hand plus they play them twice in a row after they finally get out of Buffalo. Top seed Washington (30-13-4) is four points up on Boston but the black and gold have two games in hand and the regular season finale is against them so that could potentially mean something to both clubs. 

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. 

The Bruins Have Finally Figured Out The Islanders As They Beat Them For The Second Night In A Row

 

    It's amazing what the infusion of a three new quality players can do for a hockey team. Suddenly, the Bruins (24-12-6) have new life and are playing great, blanking the Islanders (27-13-4) 3-0 tonight at the TD Garden for their second win against New York in 24 hours. The B's were 0-3-2 against the Isles this season before Thursday and they totally flipped the script the last few nights by outscoring them 7-1. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (25 saves, 4-1-0) recorded the first shutout of his NHL career and I'm going to venture an educated guess that it won't be his last. Boston scored a goal in each period: including another from left wing Taylor Hall, right wing David Pastrnak snapped his goal drought and center Curtis Lazar's notched his first as a Bruin. 

    Boston's opening goal was a backbreaker as weird as that sounds on the surface because there was 2.4 seconds left in the first period when defenseman Mike Reilly threw a pass in front of the net, on the money to Pasta who roofed it over Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (11-4-1, 25 saves). Pastrnak's 17th goal of the season was also assisted by center Patrice Bergeron. That late momentum shift for the home team clearly carried over to the second period as Hall made it 2-0 47 seconds into that frame. He worked a give-and-go with center David Krejci, ending with Hall going to the net and blowing past New York defenseman Scott Mayfield before redirecting Krejci's pass through Sorokin's five-hole for his fourth goal of the season. Defenseman Steven Kampfer earned the secondary assist on Hall's second goal in black and gold. 

    Boston's penalty kill was outstanding as New York's power play went 0-for-5. Like any good goalie, Swayman was their top penalty killer as he made a bunch of quality stops. Tuukka Rask got the night off after beating the Islanders on Thursday so fellow rookie Dan Vladar served as Swayman's backup instead. It's not hard to picture that duo being Boston's goaltenders of the (near) future if they both keep this up. All three of the newcomers got on the score sheet so an empty-net goal for Lazar seemed like the perfect way to end this impressive performance. His sixth goal of the season was unassisted at 18:48 of the third period. 

    The B's have won their last three games-all since the trade deadline-and they are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. I'm not saying that they are going to catch the three teams in front of them in the East Division-Pittsburgh (57 points), NYI and Washington (60 points)-but at least now that is more than a pipe dream. After getting humbled 8-1 by the Caps (28-12-4) last Sunday on their home ice, Boston gets another crack at them on Sunday afternoon (12, NBC) back at the Garden. Anything can happen but I'll guarantee that the Capitals won't beat them by seven goals this time around.

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 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.