It Finally Happened: The Bruins Signed David Pastrnak To An Eight-Year Contract Extension

 

    It took way too long to get it done but nobody will remember that factoid now that the B's and their franchise right winger David Pastrnak agreed to a long awaited contract extension on Thursday. Pasta-who is well on his way to a career best regular season-inked an eight-year deal through the 2030-31 campaign with an annual NHL cap hit of $11.25 million (making him the highest paid Bruin in team history and the highest paid right wing in league history). All in all, it was another fantastic day for the Bruins (48-8-5) who also traded for Red Wings left wing Tyler Bertuzzi this morning (a move that had to be made with winger Taylor Hall going on long term IR and winger Nick Foligno also going on IR this afternoon) then pummeled the Sabres (31-25-4) 7-1 this evening at TD Garden to reach 100 points faster than any other club in NHL history. Is it playoff time yet? 

    David is still only 26-years-old so theoretically just hitting the prime of his playing ability after being drafted late in the 2014 NHL Draft (25th overall) and competing all nine seasons of his career with the B's. He leads the runaway best team in the league in goals (43), assists (40) and points (83). It is his third career 40-goal season and the first 50 piece looks well within reach (it would be Boston's first since Cam Neely in 1993). For his career, he is in the rarified air of averaging more than a point per game with 283 goals and 304 assists in 571 games. 

    Like any great player, Pasta will ultimately be defined by what he does in the postseason and how many Stanley Cups he wins. People understandably get on him for some memorable no shows in the playoffs but 74 points (30 goals and 44 assists) in 70 career playoff games doesn't sound so bad, does it? The future for the B's is almost as bright as this current dream run of a regular season. Now they have Pastrnak, star defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm along with versatile forward Pavel Zacha signed to long term deals which paired with either Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman in net means that this team isn't going anywhere for awhile. 

    Boston GM Don Sweeney is having a hell of a few weeks with another sneaky good trade that didn't force him to lose anyone from his NHL roster. Bertuzzi was obtained for a 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a 2025 fourth-round pick. Detroit will also retain 50 percent of Bertuzzi's salary. He is a 28-year-old left wing with three 20-goal seasons on his NHL resume including a career-high 30 goals and 32 assists last year. Playing for the Red Wings since he broke into the league in 2016-17 sadly meant that he has yet to play in a single NHL playoff game. Barring injury, that will change next month as he figures to be in the lineup for the Bruins once the playoffs begin.

Red Wings Win Their Second Game In a Row vs. Bruins, Which For Them is a Huge Accomplishment

The Bruins (14-8-4) and Red Wings (12-11-3) have been in the same division (Atlantic) now for a little while, they even met in the playoffs a few years back but who could call it anything close to a rivalry other than the fact that they both happen to be Original Six clubs? That is partly because Boston has owned that ass while Detroit's absurd postseason streak finally ended and since then, they've faded into NHL mediocrity. Tonight's 4-2 win by the Wings at TD Garden gave at least a breath of life and a sniff of hope that this unnatural pairing of Boston vs. Detroit could turn into something which is better than nothing, am I right folks?

The Wings had beaten the B's 3-2 in overtime on Thanksgiving Eve and this represented their first regulation win vs. the Black and Gold since Valentine's Day 2016 (a 6-5 win in Detroit). Boston had been 15-1-2 in its last 18 games vs. Detroit including points in 11 straight contests (9-0-2). The Bruins outshot the Red Wings 40-27 but that hardly mattered since Detroit beat them up both physically and on the scoreboard (where it really counts, tough guy). 1-0 was the only lead that Boston would have all night as the Red Wings scored twice in the second period and then closed with the final two goals in the latter half of the third period to earn the all-important two points.

Tuukka Rask (23 saves) suffered his first loss in regulation since his brief hiatus but he couldn't be faulted for two of the three goals that he allowed which came via perfect deflections out in front of him. Maine alum Jimmy Howard (38 saves) was immense, other than a bizarre backhand flip by David Backes that went off his shoulder and into the net with 3.8 seconds left in the first period. Other than empty-netters, I doubt that Backes has scored many flukier goals in his long NHL career. His second goal of the season was assisted by John Moore and rookie Colby Cave (his 1st NHL point).

Keep in mind that Detroit had a goal waved off in the second period so it could have been an even worse frame for the B's if that stood (Rask was bumped trying to get in position). Tyler Bertuzzi tied it at 5:45 when Mike Green's shot from the point took an old double deflection off Michael Rasmussen then him for his ninth goal of the season. For the second time in three days, David Krejci took a big (clean) hit at center ice. At least this time he didn't require another emergency trip to the dentist for repairs. Joakim Nordstrom is far from a fighter but he stood up for his new teammate by dropping the gloves with Red Wings defensemen Dennis Cholowski-who had destroyed Krejci. That was nearly the undercard for a massive line brawl that would have included Rask vs. Howard but the no fun refs tied them up and wouldn't let them go. I think I speak for all blood-thirsty fans when I say boooooooooo. The only above average player on the Red Wings these days-Dylan Larkin-made it 2-1 at 17:36 by putting in a rebound on the doorstep. Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist (another former Black Bear) had the assists on his 10th goal of the season.

It wasn't a banner night for Boston's #2 ranked power play in the NHL (1-for-6) but they knotted it at two thanks to rookie Ryan Donato's tally at 5:31 of the third. His shot deflected off a Red Wing stick but regardless, it was still one of his patented snipes. Donato's second goal of the season was assisted by David Pastrnak and Torey Krug (5-game assist streak). After the shootout game-winner on Thursday and that, it's tough to see him going back down to Providence anytime soon. It looked like it would be another one-goal game that might possibly require overtime but Detroit had other plans as veteran Frans Nielsen tipped in Danny DeKeyser's shot from the point at 11:53 for the go-ahead tally. Nyquist had the secondary assist on Nielsen's first goal of the season. Nyquist completed his three-point night with an empty-netter at 19:33, DeKeyser had the lone assist on his fourth goal of the season.

No practice for the B's on Sunday-the Lord's day-as they'll get back on the ice at Warrior Arena on Monday before travelling to Sunrise, FL to take on the Panthers (10-10-5) on Tuesday (7, NESN). That kicks off a very busy week as the Bruins will be in Tampa (19-7-1) on Thursday (7, NESN) before coming back here briefly to host the Leafs (19-8-0) on Saturday night (7, NESN) before going to Ottawa (12-12-3) the following early evening (5, NESN). It helps when that tough stretch is bookended by doormats like the Panthers and Senators who they should usually beat. Right now, the Lightning and Maple Leafs are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference so both of those contests should be extremely difficult. B's defenseman Brandon Carlo returned this evening after missing the past nine games with an upper-body injury so hopefully between now and game time on Tuesday, nobody on the Bruins slips on a banana peel or falls out of a bunk bed.


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The Red Wings are the Latest Sacrificial Lamb to Visit TD Garden This Season as the Bruins Roll 8-2

It's understandable if you are more locked in on the Red Sox and or Patriots right now but take my word for it: you are going to want to tune in to watch the Bruins (4-1-0) this season when you get a chance. You can already tell that it's going to be a fun year as their top line remains the best group of forwards in the NHL and the rest of their lineup is still filled with intriguing young players and dependable veterans. Detroit (0-3-2) came to TD Garden this afternoon searching for its first win of 2018-19 but they found nothing but a serious beating as the B's destroyed them 8-2 (and it didn't even feel that close).

David Pastrnak scored his second career hat trick (also Boston's second in three games after Patrice Bergeron had one vs. Ottawa on Monday), Bergy had three assists and Brad Marchand added two assists while Jake DeBrusk scored his first two goals of the season. Did I mention that Charlie McAvoy, Anders Bjork and Sean Kuraly also notched their first tallies of the campaign? Yeah, it was that kind of dominant performance for the home team as everything went the Black and Gold's way. They improved to an absurd 15-1-1 in their last 17 games vs. Detroit including a current 10-game point streak (9-0-1).

It was a slow burn for the poor Red Wings (remember when they used to be good?) as Boston scored once in the first period, three in the second and they closed it out with four in the third. Detroit's backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier (31 saves) had the honor of allowing all eight of those goals since they apparently didn't want to have to use starter Jimmy Howard who played in their last tilt (a 5-3 loss vs. Toronto on Thursday). Tuukka Rask (32 saves) didn't get a shutout which is about the only real minor gripe that even the biggest Bruins hater could point out. Stats are for losers but there were a few notable ones for the B's: Pastrnak scored his 100th career NHL goal and Krejci's two assists gave him 400 in his NHL career.

Pasta opened the scoring with a snipe at 19:09 of the first period. His fifth goal of the season was assisted by Brandon Carlo and Chris Wagner. McAvoy doubled Boston's lead early in the second period (4:44) as he snapped in a quick shot after Bergeron's faceoff win went right back to him. DeBrusk's first goal wasn't a beauty but they all count the same as his backhander squeezed through Bernier's leg pads after a brief breakaway. David Krejci had the lone assist at 11:27. DeBrusk was moved to the right wing on Krejci's line today as Ryan Donato slotted back into the lineup as the left wing with those guys, meaning that Danton Heinen was a healthy scratch. Pastrnak put it out of reach for the hapless Wings with a one-timer at 16:20, from Bergeron and Marchand because of course.

Detroit had a two-man advantage from late in the second period into the third and they were able to mercifully avert the shutout with a power-play goal by rookie defenseman Filip Hronek 21 seconds into the final frame. His first NHL goal was assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi and Maine alum Gustav Nyquist. Boston didn't blink as they scored less than two minutes later (2:05) and it was Pastrnak completing his very predictable (but still quite enjoyable) hat trick. Another lethal one-timer was served up by Bergeron and Marchand (all 3 of them have a 4-game point streak). Other than Toronto's Auston Matthews, who in the league is hotter than those three stars?

Extended garbage time was filled with stat-stuffing as Dylan Larkin scored a shorthanded goal (the 1st that Boston has allowed this season) at 8:23. His third goal of the season was assisted by Frans Nielsen and Nick Jensen. Sadly 5-2 was as close as the Red Wings would get though as Bjork potted an unassisted goal at 10:12, followed by a redirect from DeBrusk at 15:15 (assisted by Carlo and Krejci) and finally, Kuraly beat Bernier from an impossible angle with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. Haha how embarrassing. Kevan Miller and Bjork had the assists on Kuraly's goal that gave the Bruins a snowman (8 goals).

After cleaning up at home on nothing but cupcakes (Senators, Oilers and Red Wings), the Bruins won't be back here until Oct. 25 when they host Philadelphia. In between now and then (also the name of a solid O.A.R. album), they'll visit Canada to play some more average to below average teams as part of a four-game road trip. They are in Calgary (2-2-0) on Wednesday (9:30, NESN) followed the next night (9, NESN) by a visit to Edmonton (1-2-0). Next up, they'll be in Vancouver (2-2-0) on Saturday night (10, NESN) and then they close things out in Ottawa (2-2-1) next Tuesday (7:30, NESN). Winning or at least earning points in three out of four of those matchups should be expected. A clean sweep is within reason too since which of those clubs remotely scares you at all? None, that's what I thought.

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The B's Are Suddenly Unbeatable In OT As They Sweep Another Season Series, This Time Vs. Wings

Without Patrice Bergeron (broken foot), Charlie McAvoy (sprained MCL) and Tuukka Rask (lower-body injury), the Bruins (41-15-8) are understandably a little lacking right now at least in terms of top-notch talent. Don't misconstrue that for lack of compete level as they continue to find ways to get wins (4 in a row), tonight they outlasted Detroit (26-29-11) 6-5 in overtime at TD Garden (3 of their last 4 have gone to OT) thanks to yet another Brad Marchand (3rd career hat trick, 2 assists; tying a career-high for points in a contest) game-winner (his 2nd straight game and 11th regular season OT tally of his career). It helps that they have been at home for the past week plus, a better location to stabilize things amidst all these changes to the lineup seemingly every game.

Boston swept the four-game season series with Detroit for the first time since 2008-2009 and improved to 14-1-1 in their last 16 games against the Red Wings who are destined for another spring without the playoffs in the place formerly known as "Hockey Town." Besides the extra hockey that they've been kindly giving their fans during this homestand, the B's are also rewarding those that are in their seats before the first puck drop. This evening, they scored two goals in the first 52 seconds and by the time the Firewagon Hockey first period was over, there were already five total goals on the scoreboard.

Torey Krug had a memorable performance as well, setting a new career-high with four points (2 goals, 2 assists) so he began the barrage of pucks into the net only 37 seconds into regulation. His blast from the point-his 12th goal of the season-was assisted by Nick Holden (3 assists in 3 games as a Bruin) and Marchand. Poor Jared Coreau was making his first start of the season for Detroit and it wasn't a long one since he got pulled early in the second period after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Before you could say "Where are You Chris Osgood?", the Bruins had made it 2-0. Jake DeBrusk's attempted centering pass deflected in off a Red Wings defenseman for an unassisted goal (his 14th of the season) which gave him a four-game point streak.

I will give Detroit credit for one thing: they might be mediocre at best and headed nowhere but the NHL Draft this summer but they play harder than you would think (or at least that was the case tonight). Bruins killer Frans Nielsen hopped on a loose puck for a power play goal (his 14th of the season) at 2:16 of the first period from Henrik Zetterberg who I believe has been a Red Wing for 40 years. Anton Khudobin (30 saves, 15-4-4) wasn't even that bad but without McAvoy and by taking too many penalties, Boston's defense was a mess. Mike Green tied it up with another shot from close range (his 7th goal of the season) at 7:53 thanks to a nifty drop pass by Anthony Athanasiou with the other assist going to Anthony Mantha (2 goals, 2 assists). Boston answered with its first of two power play goals: Krug from Marchand and David Pastrnak (3 assists-a career-high, including the 100th of his career) at 13:48.

If you thought that things might perhaps slow down a bit in the second period, well you'd be wrong my friend. Marchand's power play goal at 3:27 chased Coreau for Maine alum Jimmy Howard (19 saves, 2 goals allowed). Krug and Pastrnak had the assists on a beautiful play that ended with a wicked one-timer from Marchand. Those three guys had a spectacular game together, it felt like they were in on every scoring play for the B's (which basically they were). The Red Wings could have easily rolled over at this point but Mantha cut it to a one-goal lead for the home team when he gathered a rebound and put in a backhander at 12:05 after Green's blast was deflected. Seconds earlier, Detroit's power play had expired. Tyler Bertuzzi had the second assist on Mantha's team-leading 22nd goal of the season. 1:13 after that, Marchand comically banked the puck off of Howard's leg right after he had missed the net with another shot. Pastrnak and Riley Nash had the helpers on the tally that gave Boston a 5-3 advantage. Mantha produced another goal after the Bruins' defense was nowhere to be seen at 15:50. Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin had the assists as Boston only led 5-4 after two bonkers periods.

Boston blew its second two-goal lead when Detroit struck right after a power play went by the wayside yet again. Martin Frk who has one of the most interesting last names in the universe tied it at 9:46 on his 11th goal of the season from Bertuzzi and Mantha. As recently as the start of last week, the B's were a woeful 2-6 in overtime. Now, 5-6 doesn't look too bad does it? On the other end of the spectrum, the Wings fell to 3-10 (!) in OT including two losses to these Bruins. Unlike the individual masterclass put on by Marchand to beat Montreal (25-30-11) on Saturday night, this overtime goal was much simpler as Riley Nash drove to the net and dished to Krug. His initial shot was stopped but Howard left a juicy rebound on a platter for Marchand who waited for a beat then finished things off with a top-shelf backhander.

The Bruins can't afford this many mistakes on Thursday (7, NESN) when the Flyers (34-21-11) come for a visit. Unlike the Canadiens or Red Wings, Philadelphia is actually a legit playoff team this season and as such, they need to be respected (6-2-2 in their last 10 games). Unfortunately for the Flyguys, they have to host the Penguins (38-25-4) in their usual blood war on Wednesday (Rivalry Night bitches!) before taking the short trip up the East Coast to Boston (plus they will have to fly through the snow storm). Assuming that we all survive another New England weather spectacular, that should be an entertaining tilt. Haha the B's haven't faced the Flyers since Super Bowl 52 so maybe they can exact some revenge on a Philly team for their football brothers (Patriots). Too soon?

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These Aren't Your Father's Detroit Red Wings, This Edition is a Complete Gong Show of a Team

Make no mistake, the Red Wings' NHL record streak of 25 straight seasons of reaching the playoffs is remarkable. However, with that vaunted run finally coming to a crashing halt this spring, it's too bad that Detroit (25-29-11) has taken literally any intrigue that was left out of their last month of the regular season. On the second night of a back-to-back on the road, the Wings barely showed up this evening at TD Garden and that's being generous as the Bruins (35-26-6) destroyed them 6-1. Truthfully, it didn't feel that close as Boston could have won by 10 goals or more given the lop-sided nature of the tilt.

After losing 4-2 in Ottawa (37-22-6) on Monday, Boston needed a big bounce back victory and they got it as they pumped in four goals in the first period alone. Detroit backup goaltender Jared Coreau had only appeared in one of the last 13 contests and he was left to make just a cameo appearance on Rivalry Night (thanks NBC Sports) as he allowed three goals on eight total shots on goal. The Bruins exploded for three goals in a span of 2:25 in the first. David Krejci scored on a breakaway at 11:07 after Drew Stafford sprung him behind the Detroit defense. Zdeno Chara had the other assist on Krejci's 17th goal of the season.

Detroit continued to crumble as David Pastrnak flipped the puck ahead to Brad Marchand to beat Coreau for a 2-0 lead at 12:08. Chara once again had the second helper on Marchand's team-leading 31st goal of the season. The wheels fell off some more for the Wings as Stafford corralled a loose puck and roofed it by Coreau at 13:32 for his first goal as a Bruin (remember that he had one taken away in his debut on Saturday vs. New Jersey). Petr Mrazek had played in eight straight games for Detroit so I'm sure he was less than thrilled to have to come on in relief of Coreau, in the first period no less.

Boston had scored three 4-on-4 goals all season before they added two more in this laugher. Krejci scored his second goal of the game with 14.9 seconds left in the first, another unassisted goal as the B's took advantage of a loose puck in a dangerous area that bounced right to the Czech. Marchand bagged his second goal (8th multi-goal game of the season) at 16:55 of the second on a breakaway of his own, assisted by Colin Miller. The Red Wings showed they belonged in an NHL game for about the time it took them to score their lone goal of this blowout. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall showed some semblance of pride with his first goal of the season, assisted by Mike Green and Dylan Larkin at 17:35.

The good times continued in the third period for the black and gold as Pastrnak turned around in the shot to uncoil a missile of a low shot. His 27th goal of the season was assisted by Krejci (his 1st 3-point game of the season) and the best part (besides the awesome shot) was that his stick broke so in his goal celebration he tossed the stick to a fan in the crowd. When's the last time that you ever saw that in an NHL game? I'll wait. The Red Wings looked the part of the worst team in the Eastern Conference with the third fewest points in the league (in front of only Arizona and Colorado). Boston finished the four-game season series with Detroit at 3-0-1 and going back a few years, they are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games against their Original Six rival.

If only because you couldn't find a team put up less of a fight, I'm confident that the Flyers (31-26-8) will provide more resistance on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) when they come to the Garden. Still, the years go by but in recent memory Boston has completely owned Philadelphia who is currently three points behind the Islanders (31-23-11) for the second Wild Card in the East (and a date with top-seeded Washington). The Flyers are in Toronto (29-22-14) on Thursday so it would actually behoove Bruins fans to cheer for a Philly win in regulation vs. the Leafs (who are 4 points behind the Bruins with 2 games in hand).

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Pastrnak Saves the Day (and Maybe Claude Julien's Job) in 4-3 OT Win for B's vs. Wings

When you lose four straight games and see your season quickly going down in flames, there really isn't that much left to say. The Bruins (24-21-6) rallied to tie it in the third period tonight at TD Garden vs. the Red Wings (20-19-9) and won 4-3 in overtime on David Pastrnak's sublime one-timer from David Krejci and Brandon Carlo. Pasta's 20th goal of the season was also his first in 18 games but right now, who's counting? It's only one game and two points but you can easily conclude that was the most vital win of 2016-17 thus far for the B's. After their putrid 6-5 shootout loss in Detroit last Wednesday (where they blew not 1 but 2 three-goal leads), they owed the Red Wings this loss.

This being the Bruins that we're talking about, it obviously didn't come easily. Rather, they took a very hard route to end up victorious in front of a crowd far smaller than a sellout. They had previously been 1-16-3 this season when trailing after two periods while Detroit was 10-3-2 when leading after two. It was the final game of Boston's inaugural mothers' trip and Brad Marchand's mother in particular had plenty to cheer about as her son tied it at three in the third period with his second goal of the game. Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug assisted on Marchand's 19th goal of the season (which temporarily tied him with Pasta for the team-lead) at 8:20 of the third.

In a bizarre but totally true stat (take that alternative facts) Detroit has the NHL's best record in shootouts (6-0!) so the B's were smart to not let it reach that point (they are 2-2 in that goofy way to decide regular season games). Kevan Miller had missed the past four games with one of his endless injuries but he returned tonight and gave us all a taste of the full Kevan Miller Experience. He sniped a shot past Jared Coreau (45 saves) for his first goal of the season (and 1st in 42 games!) at 3:39 of the first period. Tim Schaller and Dominic Moore had the assists while Kevin Hayes (who had been a healthy scratch for the past 7 games) set a good screen in front of Coreau.

The Red Wings didn't record a single shot on goal for nearly the first 11 minutes but they made the first one count. Andreas Athanasiou burned Brandon Carlo and took an outlet pass from Mike Green that he finished on a breakaway with a forehand shot by Rask (23 saves) at 10:59. Niklas Kronwall had the other assist on Athanasiou's 10th goal of the season. Detroit is one of the lowest scoring teams in the league so it certainly didn't help that their top two scorers (Dylan Larkin and Thomas Vanek) were out for this evening's matchup. Marchand made it 2-1 late in the frame by putting in a rebound on the power play at 17:34. Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak had the assists as Boston's power play has connected for 10 goals in its last 11 tilts.

Green tied it at two at 6:25 of the second period as his slap-pass (intended to be tipped by a teammate) went off of Kevan Miller's skate into Boston's net. The ageless Henrik Zetterberg and Maine alum Gustav Nyquist had the helpers on Green's ninth goal of the season. Detroit is a long-shot to reach the playoffs for the 26th season in a row (it's really been that long) but their first three meetings with the Bruins this season have all been tight (Boston won 1-0 in Detroit on Oct. 29). Rask gave up a Malcolm Subban type weak one to Tomas Tatar at 10:51 of the second period that gave the Red Wings their first lead. Zetterberg picked up another assist on Tatar's 11th goal of the season.

It is a credit to Rask though (who left Sunday's blowout loss in Pittsburgh with a migraine headache) that he didn't fold after that. Instead, he never allowed another goal and made many quality saves later in the second, third and even two in the extra session. Boston closes the unofficial first half of its campaign (yes I realize they are well past the halfway point) on Thursday (7, NESN) as they host those high-flying Penguins (30-12-5) who fell 3-0 at home tonight to the Blues (24-19-5). The B's usually play entertaining and close games with Pittsburgh (excluding Sunday's debacle of course) so hopefully that is the case in two nights as they try to get back to .500 at the Garden (11-12-0) this season.

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With Their Backs Against the Wall, the Bruins Respond With a Big-Time 5-2 Win vs. Red Wings

For such an arbitrary number like 82, it is still amazing that the entire 2015-16 Bruins season comes down to Saturday's finale vs. Ottawa (37-35-9). After peeing down their leg in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Hurricanes (35-30-16), Boston (42-30-9) bounced back in a huge way with a 5-2 victory against the Red Wings (41-29-11) tonight at TD Garden. They picked a fine time to play their best home game of the season (17-17-6) since they had very little margin for error remaining.

Philadelphia's (39-27-14) 3-2 overtime loss to Toronto this evening means that the B's currently are the second Wild Card in the Eastern Conference. At the risk of giving you an ice cream headache, Boston is also tied with Detroit for points (93) but the Red Wings have one more regulation plus overtime win (39) than them which is the first tiebreaker. While the Bruins are playing the Senators on Saturday afternoon (12:30, NESN), Detroit will be at the Rangers and later on the Flyers host the Penguins (48-25-8). It's quite possible that nothing will be decided in terms of the second Wild Card until Sunday night when Philadelphia travels to Brooklyn to face the Islanders (45-26-9) in one of only two games leaguewide that day.

Haha got that all? Good, me neither. For once, it was nice though to see the Bruins play with some urgency. Hell, they scored more goals in the first 2:44 against the Red Wings than they did in 65 minutes vs. the Hurricanes. David Pastrnak broke free for a breakaway and tucked in a backhander past Jimmy Howard at 1:25. John-Michael Liles hit him with a stretch pass and Colin Miller had the other assist on Pastrnak's 14th goal of the season. Before you could say 2016 Bruins Seventh Player Award winner Brad Marchand (which he picked up before this game), he buried his team-leading 37th goal of the season at 2:44 on a one-timer from Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron.

Speaking of Krug, he broke an absurd 54-game goal-less stretch by making it 3-0 Bruins at 5:02 in the second period. His power play goal was his fourth tally of the season and first since Dec. 5, 2015 vs. Vancouver. Loui Eriksson and David Krejci notched the helpers on the goal that hopefully gets Krug back on track. Detroit clearly gave everything they possessed to pick up a vital 3-0 win last night vs. Philadelphia so they had nothing left for this one (as evidenced by their 15 total shots on goal). Defenseman Alexey Marchenko cut it to 3-1 Boston at 6:59 of the second when his shot from the point eluded Tuukka Rask (13 saves).

Boston was up 3-1 after two periods and they sealed it early in the third with another flurry of goals. Lee Stempniak put it a rebound 20 seconds in (from Krug and Marchand) for his 19th goal of the season and Eriksson deflected in Krejci's redirect from Spooner 25 seconds later for his 30th goal of the season. That ended Howard's outing and forced Detroit to use former starter Petr Mrazek for almost all of the final frame. Good luck figuring out which of those guys will start vs. New York. It's the second time in Eriksson's career (36 in 2008-09 with Dallas) that he's reached that plateau and it also meant that the Bruins have a trio of 30-goal scorers for the first time since 2002-03 (Marchand, Bergeron and Eriksson). Rookie forward Andreas Athanasiou potted a garbage time goal if I've ever seen one with 1:23 left in regulation that made it 5-2 Bruins.

So there we go, everything hinges on Saturday for the Black and Gold. To make things easier on themselves, a one-sided regulation win like this would keep that good mojo going for whatever it's worth (absolutely nothing). All they can control is themselves but Boston will need some more help to reach the 2016 postseason. Otherwise, to miss the playoffs for the second straight year (and to do it in the last possible game) would make for another brutally long off-season for everyone (players, coaches, front office, fans, media, etc). Plus, there is no way that head coach Claude Julien could keep his job, right? As the late great Raiders owner Al Davis always said, "just win baby!"

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Bruins Finally Put Together a Complete Effort At Home, Beat Red Wings 3-1

The Bruins were long overdue for another win at TD Garden, since their only one of the season came back on October 27 vs. Arizona (a 6-0 blowout). Detroit (8-8-1) had lost to San Jose 3-2 on Friday night in Motown then flew here late last night. They played like a team that was in the second half of a back-to-back as Boston (8-7-1) built a 3-0 lead in the second period and held on for a satisfying 3-1 victory.

The Red Wings only managed five shots on goal in the first period and eight in the second before Justin Abdelkader's power-play goal at 6:37 of the third period breathed some life into them. See, he was totally worth that insane seven-year deal! Tuukka Rask (22 saves) earned the No. 1 star of the game and he looked like himself, something which has rarely been this case so far this season at the Garden. Boston dominated in the first period with nothing to show for it but the second was their best frame at home this season and possibly overall as well.

It was the first time in nine games that Boston's top-ranked power-play didn't score a goal but that's not a bad thing since they'll need to be stronger 5-on-5 to get anywhere notable. Patrice Bergeron made it 1-0 at 7:18 of the first period by following up his own rebound and tapping it in. Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek (28 saves) stopped the inital shot but lost track of the puck which hilariously looped over him. Bergeron's sixth goal of the season was assisted by Matt Beleskey and Zdeno Chara.

David Krejci had slowed down a bit from his torrid start but he reminded us of how great he is with a slick move to cut around Detroit defenseman Jakub Kindl then shoot against the grain while Mrazek slid the other way at 11:10. His team-leading eighth goal of the season (he has points in 12 of 16 games) was assisted by Loui Eriksson and Zach Trotman (1st assist of the season).

Torey Krug surprisingly hadn't scored a goal in 2015-16, that is until tonight. You know that had to be extra enjoyable for the Michigan State alum and Michigan native. He was the recipient of a pretty backhand feed by Brad Marchand, that came on a 2-on-1 at 17:00 with Kevan Miller picking up the second assist. Detroit has made the playoffs in 24 straight seasons which is incredible but this might be the year that it finally ends because they are very average (for them).

Boston has three more games left on the this season-high five-game homestand so performances like this are just what Dr. Claude ordered. They host the Sharks (9-8-0) on Tuesday (7, NESN) as Joe Thornton returns to Boston for the millionth time. Patrick Marleau is reportedly on the trade block so the B's could get an up close look at a very good veteran winger who would certainly help their offense (when it inevitably slows down from this overachieving pace).

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The Bruins Used Four Special Teams (2 SH & 2 PP) Goals to Beat the Red Wings 5-3

To beat a quality team like Detroit (36-17-11), especially in the second leg of a back-to-back, Boston (33-22-10) needed its vaunted depth to show up in a big way. Luckily for the B's it did as they beat the Red Wings 5-3 at TD Garden for their second win in as many afternoons (they rallied for a 3-2 overtime win vs. Flyers yesterday). A four-point weekend against two Eastern Conference foes should give them plenty of confidence with 17 games left in the regular season.

Perhaps most importantly, Niklas Svedberg (36 saves) started and he was pretty decent in picking up his first regulation and non-shutout win of the season. 10 Bruins had points and their special teams were money with two power-play goals and two shorthanded goals against the No. 1 power-play unit in the NHL. Daniel Paille was scratched for two games a few weeks ago but he has responded like the professional that he is with four goals in his last six games, including two today vs. Detroit.

With Red Wings backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson also getting the start, you had a feeling that it would be far from a 1-0 game. Brad Marchand continued his excellent weekend with his third goal in a row going back to yesterday's contest vs. Philadelphia. To change it up, this one was a shorthanded tally just 4:15 into the first period. Stephen Weiss turned the puck over in Boston's zone, Marchand went in on a breakaway and deked Gustavsson out of his hockey pants. His team-leading 22nd goal of the season was unassisted. Marchand has a four-game point-streak (5 goals, 1 assist) along with 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) in the last 10 games.

University of Maine product Gustav Nyquist tied it at 7:01 with a wrist shot. His 22nd goal of the season was assisted by Kyle Quincey. Adam McQuaid had a game-high five blocks but he missed that out on that one and screened his own goalie in the process. No worries though, Boston answered with a power-play goal by David Pastrnak less than two minutes later for a 2-1 lead. His snipe from the left face-off circle was a bit of skill that you rarely if ever see from these B's. Pastrnak's eighth goal of the season was assisted by Milan Lucic and Reilly Smith.

Paille's pair of goals in the second period really opened things up for the home team. First, he had a breakaway and nothing went wrong for once. His fourth goal of the season was unassisted at 11:44 and it represented the first time in nearly two years (April 10, 2013 at NJ) that Boston scored two shorthanded goals in the same game. The Bruins are now tied with Toronto, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg for the third-most shorthanded goals in the league (7). After that highlight, Paille one-timed a pass from Max Talbot (game-high 7 hits) from in close for another goal at 18:39. Gregory Campbell had the second assist on Paille's seventh career two-goal game (1st since Dec. 14, 2011).

Jimmy Howard replaced Gustavsson (4 goals allowed, 19 saves) to start the third period and the blowout got interesting for a few seconds as Luke Glendening's routine shot found its way past Svedberg at 1:24. His ninth goal of the season was assisted by the magical Pavel Datsyuk. Boston's second power-play goal, this time from Loui Eriksson at 4:03 gave them back their three-goal cushion (5-2). Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Spooner (5-game point-streak) assisted on Eriksson's 16th goal of the season.

To conclude the special teams explosion, Detroit added their only power play goal of the affair. Newly acquired defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored his second goal in three games as a Red Wing. His shot from the point went top shelf on Svedberg; it was his sixth goal of the season with assists to Tomas Tatar and Datsyuk.

This good stretch (5-1-1 in their last 7 games) couldn't come at a better time for the Bruins with three of their next four games on the road: they are at Ottawa (29-23-11) on Tuesday (7:30, NESN) before hosting Tampa Bay (41-20-6) on Thursday (7, NESN). Then they have a back-to-back next weekend at Pittsburgh (38-18-9) on Saturday (1, NESN) followed by a game in Washington (36-21-10) the following night (7:30, NBCSN). With the Senators hosting the Flames tonight, Boston is currently seven points ahead of Ottawa which means that a win there could really bury them from the playoff discussion.

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B's Have Figured Out How to Play Well At Home, Consistency & The Road are the Next Steps

It's impossible to explain how a team that could beat Nashville 5-3 last Tuesday then Detroit 5-2 tonight (both at TD Garden) could be the same one that no-showed on Saturday in Columbus (a 6-2 loss that was the lowest point of the season). That's what makes the Bruins (19-15-3) so frustrating in 2014-15; when they are motivated and pulling in the same direction, they are capable of beating anyone. Then they have these frequent bizarre lulls where they are awful and get blown out by non-playoff teams.

Boston came into this evening without the services of Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic, who are both "day-to-day" with injuries picked up from the Blue Jackets debacle. They also lost Matt Fraser as he was picked up off waivers by his hometown Oilers. No problem, they've got Jordan Caron and Matthew Lindblad. Haha ugh. Therefore, it was shocking when the B's played their best first period of the season. They pumped in three goals (season-high) and took 19 shots (also a season-high). They got out to a 3-1 lead as Reilly Smith scored on a blast from the point at 2:44 then Gregory Campbell got a hustle goal on a rebound at 16:12 and Carl Soderberg (3 points) tapped one in from Loui Eriksson (2 assists) behind the net 1:13 after that.

Detroit's (19-9-9) opening goal came on Justin Abdelkader's diving backhander when he was falling down at 11:21 that tied it at one. Smith's goal was his ninth of the season, Campbell's was his fourth (first in over a month) and Soderberg grabbed his seventh. The Red Wings have the No. 3 power play in the league so it made sense when they cut it to 3-2 on Tomas Tatar's screened shot at 15:50 of the second period.

The B's bounced back though with a very solid third period of their own. Seth Griffith potted a sweet power play goal at 5:11, his sixth of the season, assisted by David Krejci. The youngster capped it off with a sweet celly but even cooler than that, he had showed off his skills by ripping a snap shot top shelf by Jimmy Howard (40 saves). Boston's season-high 45 shots came in handy and they clinched it with Chris Kelly's empty-netter at 17:34. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves, a much better effort than his sorry relief work on Saturday.

The stupid cliché that the next game is the most important one for the Bruins is actually true. Doubly so when they meet an Atlantic Division rival like the Red Wings or Maple Leafs on Wednesday (7, NESN) aka New Year's Eve. This mini three-game homestand is capped off by the Senators on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN). So while you're waiting for the ball to drop either at a bar or some friend's house, make sure to tune in what should be an interesting contest. Each team has a blowout win to their credit: Boston won 4-1 on Oct. 25 at the Garden then got smoked 6-1 in Toronto on Nov. 12. With tonight's results (Toronto lost 3-2 at Tampa Bay), the B's are only two points behind the Leafs and they have each played 37 games so a win by Boston would tie them up.

For the B's, a spot in the top eighth of the Eastern Conference should be all they are thinking about as the regular season nears the halfway point. They have thrown away too many points already to worry about anything bigger than that.

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Simon Gagne Will Lead the Bruins to the Promise Land & Other Hot Takes

It took longer than it should have but the Bruins (2-3-0) finally got the job done tonight at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (1-1-1) as they outlasted the Red Wings 2-0 in a shootout (David Krejci, Reilly Smith) for a 3-2 victory. Boston snapped a three-game losing streak and exacted some revenge on Detroit who had beaten them 2-1 at home last Thursday (sweet scheduling, bro).

Twice the B's took the lead only to have the Red Wings quickly answer. David Krejci scored his first goal of the season at 5:12 of the first period after Chris Kelly sprung him on a breakaway (something Boston is normally allergic to) and Krejci beat Jimmy Howard (37 saves).

Tomas Tatar took advantage of a turnover by Kelly to score against Tuukka Rask (18 saves) at 8:40 of the first period. Tomas Jurco and Riley Sheahan had the assists.

Even though they came into tonight with four goals as an entire team, Boston's second line has been pretty solid. They were rewarded for a ferocious forecheck as Brad Marchand stole the puck behind Detroit's net then moved it to Patrice Bergeron who tried a wraparound. Howard stuffed that but it popped right out to Smith who didn't hesitate to snipe it by Howard for his second goal of the season. That made it 2-1 Bruins at 13:31 of the second period.

After killing off the first three power plays successfully, Boston predictably allowed the tying goal. Maine product (so is Howard) Gustav Nyquist shot through traffic and by Rask at 2:56 of the third period.

There was plenty of time for the B's to end this earlier but Simon Gagne and Milan Lucic among others were stopped from in tight in the last minute of regulation. Speaking of Gagne, who made his Bruins debut in his 800th career NHL game, he was surprisingly pretty effective even on the fourth line with Ryan Spooner and Daniel Paille. They still don't have a legitimate top line right wing (they're still basically holding auditions every game) but Gagne over Caron and Robins is clearly an upgrade for a team that has scored six total goals (1 less than Arizona had tonight vs. Edmonton).

Things don't get any easier for the Bruins as they visit Montreal tomorrow night (7:30, NESN), the first meeting of the Original Six rivals this season. Boston played there in the preseason but that hardly counts, let's call it the first real game vs. the Canadiens since they won Game 7 last postseason at the Garden vs. top-ranked Bruins.

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Goodnight Red Wings, Bring On The Canadiens!

So it turns out that we all overestimated the Red Wings. Boston only needed five games in the first round to get rid of them. The B's knocked out the Red Wings 4-2 this afternoon at TD Garden to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Montreal. Even when they cut it to 3-2 late in the third period, you never really felt like Detroit posed that much of a threat to rally either in this particular game or in the series as a whole.

Tuukka Rask (31 saves) had another excellent start, he was one of the main reasons that Boston won so handily (outscoring Detroit 14-6 in the series). Jimmy Howard tapped out in Game 4 with the flu and was never heard from again. Don't blame Jonas Gustavsson though who only allowed three goals in each of his outings and received four goals of support from his overrated, mostly too young or too old teammates.

Boston made sure to never really let Detroit possess much hope in Game 5. Loui Eriksson scored on a backhander during a power play at 3:27 of the first period. His first goal of the postseason (and first since May 2008 with Dallas) was assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Rask.

One of the only Red Wings forwards to show up in the series-Pavel Datsyuk-tied it at 14:41 in the second period on a rebound also during a power play (only their second power play goal of the series). 5:15 after that, Zdeno Chara did what winning captains do as he scored a backbreaking power play goal with 3.8 seconds left in the frame. Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug assisted on Chara's second goal of the postseason.

Milan Lucic scored a goal for the second straight game, putting Boston up 3-1 at 4:27 of the third period. His third goal of the postseason was assisted by Krug who did most of the work by intercepting the puck on a lazy clear by Johan Franzen and passing to Looch who was wide open in front of Gustavsson (29 saves).

Henrik Zetterberg had the honor of scoring Detroit's final goal of 2013-14. It was another rebound after Rask had made an unbelievable save. I suppose that made for a few tense minutes at the Garden but Jarome Iginla kicked off the mild celebrations with an empty netter. All that was left was one of the best traditions in pro sports: the handshake lines after playoff hockey series have ended.

The series with the Canadiens won't start for a while, probably Friday or Saturday at TD Garden due to both teams getting out of the first round so early and Northeastern having graduation there on Thursday. We feared Detroit since they owned Boston in the regular season; Montreal was the only other team to dominate the B's consistently and their recent playoff history with Boston shows that they'll probably be in for another long and frustrating series. Let's get our rest before we lose our minds cheering against those extremely hateable losers.

UPDATE 4/28: Chara is a finalist for the Norris Trophy along with Nashville's Shea Weber and Chicago's Duncan Keith. It is the sixth time that Z has been nominated and he won it in 2009. When is the last time the Bruins had three players nominated for major awards in the same season?

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Bruins Take a Commanding 3-1 Series Lead on Jarome Iginla's 1st Career OT Winner

I would have said the exact same thing (well maybe worded a little differently) if the Bruins had lost Game 4: this was a huge result. By rallying for a 3-2 OT win over Detroit on Jarome Iginla's tip in, Boston goes back to TD Garden with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to eliminate Detroit in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon (3, NBC).

The first period was the best of the series for the Red Wings and conversely the worst for the Bruins. Niklas Kronwall gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 11:00 with a blast from the point on the power play that Tuukka Rask (35 saves) never saw. Without Rask, the B's could have found themselves down 2 or 3-0 in the first period as Detroit outshot them 15-5.

The team that had scored first won the first three games and the odds were even more in the Red Wings' favor when they went up 2-0 at 4:27 of the second period on Pavel Datsyuk's goal. Boston finally started to wake up and they received a huge goal by Torey Krug at 10:14 on the power play. His first of the postseason was assisted by Patrice Bergeron (or should I say Mr. Selke?).

Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard was in the pregame warmups but left with the flu so he was a last-second scratch. Red Wings backup Jonas Gustavsson (37 saves) was actually really good and I feel like he earned the start for Game 5 as well. It only took 1:15 in the third for Boston to tie it up. Carl Soderberg made an unbelievable pass from behind the net to Milan Lucic out front for an easy goal. That was Looch's second of the postseason and Dougie Hamilton had the second assist.

I forgot to mention that it shouldn't have been decided in overtime since Brad Marchand missed not one but two of the easiest goals he'd ever have in his career. It was scary in the extra session that Boston dominated so much (outshooting Detroit 12-3) but thankfully, Iginla tipped in Hamilton's shot at 13:32. Believe it or not, that was the first overtime winner in the playoffs in Iginla's illustrious career. Hamilton notched another helper on it as well.

Boston has won the last three games in the series so they have all the momentum plus Rask has allowed just four total goals in four games. He made the save of the game and one of the best in the postseason by stuffing Justin Abdelkader's breakaway attempt in the first minute of overtime. The B's have extra incentive to get rid of the Red Wings since the Canadiens are sitting around and waiting for their next opponent.

UPDATE 4/25: Another day, another major award nomination for a Bruin. Today Tuukka Rask was named one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) along with Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop and Colorado's Semyon Varlamov. I might be seeing this through my black and gold colored glasses but like Patrice Bergeron and the Selke Trophy, I feel like Rask is the favorite for this too.

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Bruins Begin to Assert Their Dominance over Red Wings with 3-0 Win in Game 3

You won't find a much more impressive or thorough road win in the NHL playoffs than the one turned in by the Bruins tonight in Game 3 of their first round series vs. Red Wings. Boston won 3-0 at Joe Louis Arena to take a 2-1 series lead. The B's have won the last two games and outscored the Red Wings 7-2 overall in the series. Tuukka Rask made 23 saves for his fourth career postseason shutout but truthfully, he didn't have to stop too many spectacular shots besides Justin Abdelkader's backhander in the third period.

Boston never really let Detroit get comfortable as they scored two goals in the first period. The Bruins continued their theme of different players stepping up every game as Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron (seriously) potted the first two tallies. Through the first three games, seven different Bruins have scored all their goals.

Hamilton's came on a rush at 9:00 when Detroit gave him way too much space so he roofed a shot past Jimmy Howard (31 saves). Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron had the assists. Every Bruins fan has made fun of Caron numerous times or just gotten tired of ripping him so it was nice to see him actually make a nice play. He came off the bench for a line change and bolted right to the net so he was there for the rebound after Shawn Thornton's shot at 15:48. It was his first career playoff goal. Kevan Miller had the second assist.

Much like the second period of Game 2, the Red Wings started to wake up in the second 20 minutes but they weren't able to score so it didn't matter all that much. With the way they dominated puck possession and in terms of quality scoring chances, the B's probably should have won by four or five goals. Patrice Bergeron's audacious empty-netter (from inside his own blue line) at 18:01 sealed it.

Red Wings fans took off after that so when the final whistle blew, the stands were nearly empty. The remaining stragglers were left stunned by the Bruins. Game 4 is on Thursday (8, NESN) and needless to say it is the most important one so far in the series. If Boston wins, I think they'll definitely close out Detroit in five at the Garden on Saturday. If Detroit wins, buckle up because this would probably go seven games. What's better than playoff hockey?

That killer strain of the flu that numerous Bruins picked up finally seemed to have left as Matt Bartkowski played in his first game of the series. That meant that Andrej Meszaros went back to where he belongs-as a healthy scratch in the lineup.

UPDATE 4/24: The three Selke Trophy finalists were named today: Bergeron, LA's Anze Kopitar and Chicago's Jonathan Toews.

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Bruins Even Series with Convincing 4-1 Win in Game 2

It only took one period (or more accurately half of one) for the Bruins to show that Friday was probably a mirage and they more closely resemble the squad that rolled to a 4-1 win over the Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. Boston evened the series at one heading back to dumpy Detroit for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday (7:30, NESN) and Thursday (8, NESN) respectively. The B's depth, top notch goaltending and superb special teams all added up to a relatively easy victory.

Just like the real Bruins appeared in Game 2, the true Jimmy Howard (25 saves) also made his presence felt. His brutal pass in a Detroit defenseman's skates led to an easy goal for Boston rookie Justin Florek at 7:28 of the first period. Fellow rookie Reilly Smith scored 3:07 after that on a power play (the first of two for Boston). He was on the doorstep and was able to sweep in a rebound, assisted by Loui Eriksson and Patrice Bergeron on his first career NHL postseason goal.

The normally stoic Red Wings clearly lost their cool, capped off by Brendan Smith (Reilly's brother) yapping with Zdeno Chara to end the first. Haha what was he thinking? He's just likely the linesman stepped in before Chara made like a National Geographic movie and destroyed him. All he could do was smile and laugh. Detroit cut it to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period as Tuukka Rask's (34 saves) rebound deflected in the net off of Luke Glendening's body.

No worries, Boston bounced right back with a very timely goal by Milan Lucic at 18:16 to regain their two-goal advantage. He finished a pretty passing sequence with Jarome Iginla and Torey Krug. Zdeno Chara's power play goal at 2:27 gave the B's a nice cushion in the third period. Iginla and Krug each picked up their second assists on Chara's goal that came after the captain parked right outside the paint vs. Howard and knocked in a loose puck. Boston's penalty kill is a perfect six-for-six this series including four-for-four in Game 2.

We know that there will be a Game 5 back at the Garden on Saturday, the question is if either team will be trying to eliminate the other that day. Rask has only allowed two total goals so he has to be feeling pretty good about himself. Kevan Miller returned for Game 2 and he definitely brings another physical dimension to Boston. Game 3 is another important one that could go a long way towards determining who takes this series and in how many games.

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Well The Bruins Aren't Going to Sweep the Red Wings, That's For Certain

This might be the easiest Bruins game recap that I've ever written. Tonight they dropped Game 1 of the first round to Detroit, 1-0 at TD Garden. The result wasn't that surprising if you watched the game because Boston took way too long to find itself and by the time they did, it was in the third period.

Red Wings superstar Pavel Datsyuk made an incredible move to get open then snap a shot past Tuukka Rask (23 saves) at 16:59 of the third period. He was assisted by Johan Franzen. That's all that Jimmy Howard (25 saves) needed as he posted his third career playoff shutout.

There is no need to panic (yet) for Bruins fans but I will say that I think Game 2 on Sunday (3, NBC) is basically a must-win. I had a hunch this series would go six or seven so I felt like the Red Wings would win a few games but the B's really don't want to be down 2-0 then going on the road.

Boston's top line was mostly non-existent and the second line was just ok. The defense pairings and last two forward lines were remodeled as Chris Kelly (back), Daniel Paille (concussion), Matt Bartkowski and Kevan Miller (both have flu, I think) were all surprisingly out. It's not like any of those guys is irreplaceable but losing them all at the same time means that the Bruins don't have the depth they normally display.

The B's will also have to change their gameplan a bit in later games too since they didn't possess the puck nearly enough or go on the power play (once). It's nice that they had eight more hits (34-26) than the Red Wings but Detroit didn't seem to mind at all as they owned the puck which is the most important aspect of hockey besides scoring goals which they could also improve on.

UPDATE 4/19: Milan Lucic was fined $5000 (most allowed under CBA) for spearing Danny DeKeyser in the groin last night, Happy Easter!

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Bruins Capture Their 2nd Presidents' Trophy

By virtue of their 4-1 win over the hapless Sabres on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, the Bruins (54-18-9) earned the Presidents' Trophy (best record in the NHL) for only the second time in team history. Neither the game against Buffalo (21-51-9) nor tomorrow's regular season finale in New Jersey (likely Martin Brodeur's last game) are relevant since the B's won't see either in the postseason.

Their focus shifts to Detroit (38-28-15) who they will meet in the first round of the playoffs, probably starting on Thursday in Boston. They couldn't have picked a tougher eighth seed since the Red Wings were 3-1 against the B's in the regular season and outscored them 15-7.

The only real news to come out of Saturday's game for the B's is that it appeared Daniel Paille suffered his third concussion of the season. Ugh, poor guy. That would be a sneaky big loss since everyone knows how valuable Boston's fourth line can be especially come playoff time when few teams can match their abilities. Plus, it also means that worthless Jordan Caron would be in the lineup and nobody wants that.

Boston will be not only the favorite in the Eastern Conference but in the NHL as a whole heading into the postseason. Anything can happen but they are in very good shape to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row and third time in the last five years. Cross our fingers that they get through the game with the Devils unscathed. There is no reason to test their depth any further when it matters most.

UPDATE 4/13: Game 1 is Friday at TD Garden (7:30), Game 2 is Sunday afternoon (3, yes Easter Sunday) in Boston then Game 3 is Tuesday (7:30) in Detroit and Game 4 is Thursday (8) in the Motor City.

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Admit It: the Bruins Were Due For a Loss in Regulation

If you are a realist like me and a Bruins fan to boot, you realize that as good as they are this season, 15-1-1 months like they pulled off in March are insanely difficult to do. That's why tonight's 3-2 loss to the Red Wings are Joe Louis Arena was a sobering reminder that they are human and yes they can lose from time to time (this was their first regulation loss since March 1). By taking the season series 3-1, Detroit (36-26-14) served notice that they'd be a true pain in the ass in the first round of the playoffs should Boston (52-18-6) have to face them.

With a 2-1 lead midway through the third period not to mention outshooting the Red Wings by a wide margin-(35-20) was the final count-this is a game that the B's hardly ever gag away. Credit to Detroit who honestly needed this way more as they try to hold on to a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. It helped them and obviously hurt the B's that Jarome Iginla didn't play (because of either a lower body injury or simply rest for his old bones).

Johnny Boychuk gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 16:50 of the first period with one of his patented Johnny Rockets that got by former Maine star Jimmy Howard (33 saves). Chris Kelly and Brad Marchand assisted on Boychuk's fourth goal of the season.

Detroit's Tomas Tatar tied it at 4:45 of the second period just as Patrice Bergeron's penalty expired. His shot was labeled for the corner, there was nothing that Tuukka Rask (17 saves) could do about it.

The action picked up in the third period as Carl Soderberg's power play goal at 1:10 wrestled back the lead for the B's. Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith assisted on the Angry One Eyed Swede's 16th goal of the season.

The Red Wings responded as another Tomas-Jurco-tied it at 11:06 after a huge pileup in front of Rask's crease. Tatar had the primary assist from kicking the puck over with his skate, all that Jurco had to do was tap it in. Detroit benefitted 1:42 after that from the brilliance of emerging star Gustav Nyquist (who also went to Maine). He was able to steal the puck after Soderberg failed to dump it in deep and then he used his speed to blow past Zdeno Chara who was flat-footed after a sloppy line change.

Boston had won their last nine games on the road (a franchise record) and picked up a point in 16 straight (14-0-2). It's a new month now so time to start some fresh positive streaks. The Bruins get a chance to bounce back right away as they are in Toronto (37-32-8) tomorrow night (7:30, NESN). What more motivation do they need besides the fact that they can shatter the Maple Leafs' postseason dream even further?

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My Name Is Jonas...........Gustavsson

Sadly, it wasn't a perfect weekend for Boston sports teams as the Bruins fell 3-2 to the Red Wings this afternoon at TD Garden. Boston (3-2-0) spotted Detroit (4-2-0) a 3-1 lead in the second period, the first time the B's had trailed by two goals this season, and it was too much to overcome.

For the Red Wings, it was payback for the humbling 4-1 loss the B's had dealt them on October 5. These two Original 6 rivals and new divisionmates will meet twice more: November 27 (night before Thanksgiving) and April 2 in Detroit. Is it too early to start preparing for the inevitable playoff matchup this spring?

Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard warmed up before the game but didn't play because of a bruised hand. His backup former Maple Leafs scrub Jonas Gustavsson (28 saves) played well in his first start of the season. Boston's piss poor power play (0 for 5 including a 1:54 two-man advantage) didn't help matters. Henrik Zatterberg and Pavel Datsyuk combined for a highlight reel goal with the former one-timing some backhanded sauce from the latter at 11:33 of the first period.

Loui Eriksson tied it at 14:12 after he deflected Johnny Boychuk's shot from the point. Reilly Smith-who played on the second line for struggling Brad Marchand-had the other assist on Eriksson's second goal of the weekend.

The game was won in a span of 2:20 in the second period as new Red Wing Stephen Weiss one-timed a cross ice pass from Johan Franzen then at 10:41 Dan Cleary potted a one-timer out front distributed by Daniel Alfredsson who was stationed behind the net. There was not much that Tuukka Rask (24 saves; 3-2-0) could do as it was Boston defensemen caught in loose coverage in all three tallies.

The aforementioned 5-on-3 was particularly frustrating since the B's peppered Gustavsson with quality chances yet somehow he kept the puck out of the net. Milan Lucic breathed some life into the Garden with his third goal of the season, cutting it to 3-2 with 1:20 left in regulation. Dennis Seidenberg and David Krejci had the assists. Rask was pulled for an extra attacker but time ran out on the Bruins.

It will be a while until the B's are back at the Garden. The circus is here so Boston heads to Florida on Thursday, Tampa Bay on Saturday and Buffalo on Wednesday for a three-game road trip against fellow Atlantic Division squads. They have only had one road game so far this season so being away for a little while should help them bond further with their new teammates. Also, playing terrible opponents like the Panthers and Sabres should wake up the Bruins' dormant offense (8 goals in 5 games).

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Hey Red Wings, Welcome to the Atlantic Division

It will take some time to remember that the Bruins and Red Wings are now in the same division (Atlantic) now, thanks NHL realignment! Boston's first meeting with Detroit went swimmingly as they rolled 4-1 tonight at TD Garden. Give me a game vs. the Red Wings over contests against bum teams like the Lightning, Panthers or Sabres any day of the week. Boston (2-0) scored their first two power play goals of the season and killed two more penalties, making their penalty kill unit 7 for 7.

Lost in the shuffle of four different goal scorers, the power play and penalty kill success plus the third line's emergence was the steady presence of Tuukka Rask. Ho hum, another 25 saves. The one goal he allowed was off a rebound to Henrik Zetterberg at 16:49 of the first period that tied it at one. Other than that, he wasn't tested that much but then again, we expect greatness basically every time that he starts.

The B's scored first as Torey Krug ripped a slap shot past Jimmy Howard (33 saves) with help from Zdeno Chara's enormous screen. Milan Lucic and David Krejci assisted on Krug's first NHL regular season goal. Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the season 36 seconds into the second period and it was a beauty. His wrist shot from the off wing (right side) went off the post and in. Johnny Boychuk had the lone assist on Marchand's goal. Later in that frame he got run over by Justin Abdelkader's cheap shot and retreated to the dressing room. Bruins fans had to be breathing a sigh of relief when Marchand returned, he led the B's in scoring last season.

Nobody would ever call me a founding member of the Jordan Caron fan club but he's starting (repeat starting) to win me over with some solid performances. He got jobbed out of a goal on Opening Night but this time he cashed in off a filthy backhand pass by Reilly Smith at 7:58 of the second period. Adam McQuaid had the second assist on his first goal of the season.

The Red Wings lost their cool in the third with a pair of lazy interference penalties. Boston made them pay as Chara scored a power play goal at 12:17 that you had to see to believe. It started with Krug intercepting the puck in Detroit's end and Lucic also had an assist but the big man did the rest. He beat Howard with an unreal backhander that left the former Maine star with a broken stick (after he smashed it in frustration).

The schedule makers obviously wanted the B's to enjoy a nice fall in New England since they don't return to action until Thursday (7, NESN) when they host the Avalanche (2-0). The Garden has the little booth between benches, where NBCSN's Pierre Maguire hangs out, so it'll be tough for Patrick Roy to really go after Claude Julien after he inevitably does something to set him off.

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