Islanders Shit All Over New Year's Eve for the Bruins

The older you get, the more you accept that some things in life just won't make sense. For instance, the fact that the Islanders-the second worst team in the Eastern Conference-have already clinched the season series for the first time since 2006-07. Tonight at TD Garden, New York (13-21-7) used the strength of four power play goals to score four unanswered in a 5-3 victory over Boston (26-12-2). The Isles had won 3-1 on November 2 at home and they'll meet January 27 in Long Island.

The B's are allowed a hiccup every now and then, it is still technically the holiday season, but this was just one of those games where nothing went their way after they built a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.

The numbers will look ugly for Tuukka Rask (26 saves) but given the dumb penalties and a shot that went off Brad Marchand's skate, you can't really blame him. For a while, it looked like Boston would be popping bottles as David Krejci scored 4:25 into the first period on a juicy rebound by Evgeni Nabokov (35 saves). His ninth goal of the season (and 100th of his career) was assisted by Jarome Iginla and Milan Lucic, giving them all a five-game point streak.

Frans Nielsen's power play goal at 5:56 of the second period tied it when Thomas Vanek screened Rask. Patrice Bergeron answered with a power play goal at 12:33. His 10th goal of the season was assisted by Ryan Spooner and Reilly Smith. 25 seconds later, Daniel Paille tipped Zdeno Chara's shot from the point for his fifth goal of the season.

Nielsen added another power play tally at 16:30, after the puck went off a Bruins skate in the slot leaving Nielsen there to collect the trash. Kyle Okposo's power play goal with 2.6 seconds left in the third was a punch in the balls since it went off Marchand's skate and past Rask to tie it at three.

All that momentum stayed with New York as Tavares scored 32 seconds into the third for their first lead of the game (4-3). The four-point night for one of the top players in the NHL and somebody that will lead Team Canada at the Olympics was complete when Tavares notched the final power play goal at 13:17.

There would be no comeback for the Bruins as Milan Lucic was called for the stupid trio of penalties: boarding, unsportsmanlike conduct and 10-minute game misconduct. With that, people headed out to their silly New Year's parties and overpriced bars. The B's will be back in action on Thursday (7, NESN) vs. Nashville (18-18-4). It'll be a new year and they'll look for new results after the Islanders snapped their 15-game point streak (13-0-2) at the Garden and kickstarted a two-game losing streak.

UPDATE 1/1: Bruins sent Nick Johnson back to Providence. Carl Soderberg and Dougie Hamilton are expected back in the lineup tomorrow night (weather-permitting) vs. Nashville.

UPDATE 1/2: Bruins recalled goaltender Niklas Svedberg and he's expected to get his first career NHL start tonight vs. Nashville. And yes, as of now the game is still on.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

The Bruins Really Need Bergeron & Marchand On The Ice Or Else They Won't Go Anywhere

Not that they wanted to offer them up but the Bruins had plenty of excuses for playing poorly tonight at TD Garden. They lost 2-1 to the Islanders in their third game in four nights. Thankfully, it was their last back-to-back game (they were in New Jersey last night) of the season. Making things that much more difficult, they are playing now without two of their top offensive players-Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand-who are both out with "mild" concussions.

New York (21-16-4) is going to be in the playoffs this season, you have to get used to that weird sight. The Islanders picked up a point in their sixth straight game as they are building some real momentum towards their first playoff berth in six years.

The immortal Josh Bailey scored both goals for the Islanders while Tyler Seguin notched the only tally for the B's. Evgeni Nabokov (30 saves; 20-11-4) was better than Tuukka Rask (34 saves; 17-7-4) which is not something I expected to ever write in my blogging lifetime.

It looked like the teams were going to skate into their dressing rooms scoreless after the first period but Bailey had other plans. He sniped a shot over Rask's glove, his eighth goal of the season, from the underrated Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo at 19:39.

The equivalent of a solar eclipse happened for the B's and yet they still lost. Seguin's goal (his 14th of the season) was on the power play, meaning that Boston has power play goals in consecutive games for only the second time this season (Feb. 15 & 17). He roofed one past Nabokov after he had loads of time and space, Gregory Campbell and Jaromir Jagr-haha that dynamic duo-had the assists at 3:41 of the second period.

Bailey's game-winner was pure luck since his not very hard shot somehow trickled through Rask's pads and just over the line at 13:12 of the second period. Frans Nielsen and Streit provided the assists, it was Bailey's fifth multi-goal game of his storied career.

By virtue of this loss and Montreal's 5-1 thrashing of the Sabres, the B's got to enjoy first-place in the Northeast Division for a little less than 24 hours. The Canadiens go back ahead by a point with each team having eight games left.

Boston's next game on Saturday (7 p.m., NESN) is a gift since they play the coldest team in the NHL: the Carolina Hurricanes who have lost seven games in a row. You might remember Carolina from their pathetic 6-2 beating at the hands of the B's on Monday. It doesn't have to be that one-sided but the Bruins could really use another easy two points like that.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Business As Usual: Bruins Own Islanders, 4-1

The Bruins (12-2-2) are on quite a roll, they completed their season-long five-game (4-1) road trip tonight against the Islanders (8-11-1) with the Black and Gold walking away with a 4-1 win at Nassau Coliseum. They last played at TD Garden on February 12, a 4-3 shootout loss vs. Rangers. With the blizzard wiping out their game with the Lightning, they only have two home games in February.

Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask (10-1-2) was immense with a season-high 36 saves while 10 Bruins recorded points, including a pair of assists for Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. Just like Chris Kelly potted his first goal of the season on Sunday in Florida, Adam McQuaid snapped his bad luck at 6:43 of the first period. Seguin and Bergeron had the assists on a blast from the point that eluded Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov (30 saves).

New York responded at 15:49 as Casey Cizikas redirected a centering pass from Josh Bailey. The Islanders took a page out of the Rangers' playbook (since they did a similar thing against Boston earlier this season) by starting from behind their own goal then perfectly executing a set play: they chipped the puck along the boards then Bailey threw it to Cizikas who was behind Boston's defense. Andrew MacDonald had the second assist at 15:49 of the first period.

Sadly for New York, that was the lone highlight of the game for them. They actually had tons of chances but Rask was spectacular, he stopped not one but two shorthanded breakaways by Michael Grabner.

Boston scored two goals in the second period to take control. Brad Marchand notched his 10th of the season on a rebound only 38 seconds into the frame. Andrew Ference and Bergeron had the assists on that one. Then David Krejci (5th of the season) scored one of the prettier goals of the season for the B's. Nathan Horton was on the side wall, he passed it to Lucic who found Krejci. He one-timed it top shelf, it actually made the Gatorade bottle go flying.

The Islanders dominated stretches of the third period but they couldn't solve Rask again. Boston probably experienced some fatigue as they daydreamed about heading home for the first time in two weeks. Gregory Campbell's empty-netter at 18:55 sent the crowd to the exits, just kidding. It was nowhere near sold out to begin with so who could tell? Seguin and Dennis Seidenberg had the assists. Speaking of Seidenberg, him and Ference are the only Bruins regulars not to score a goal yet this season so that's something to remember.

It's going to be a great couple days of hockey in Boston as the Bruins return to TD Garden for three juicy contests: they host the Senators on Thursday (7 p.m., NESN), Lightning on Saturday afternoon and Canadiens on Sunday night. Ottawa (12-6-2, 2nd in Northeast Division) has been decimated by injuries to its two best players: defenseman Erik Karlsson and center Jason Spezza not to mention goaltender Craig Anderson but at least so far, they are finding a way to stay afloat.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Islanders Beat Bruins 3-2 But More Importantly, Tuukka Rask Might Have Been Seriously Hurt

So today could have gone better for the Boston Bruins. Not only did they lost to one of the NHL's bottom feeders-the New York Islanders-at home, but even worse goaltender Tuukka Rask might be out for a while after leaving early in the second period with a "lower body injury."

The B's (38-22-3) fell 3-2 to the Islanders (27-29-9) this afternoon at TD Garden and Rask didn't make the trip with Boston to New York for tomorrow's game against the Rangers after landing awkwardly when he tried to make a save. Plus, he won't be with them in Toronto either.

As a further kick in the balls, John Tavares (26th of the season) scored a shady goal for the game-winner at 15:21 in the third period. The play appeared to be dead when the Islanders seemingly touched the puck for an icing call on the Bruins. Boston's players stopped for a second but there was no whistle. Tavares was able to get an advantage but truthfully, his tip-in (from Matt Moulson and Andrew MacDonald) still should have been stopped by Tim Thomas (11 saves).

Daniel Paille also went down with what looked like a shoulder injury in the third period and he didn't return either. After the loss, the Bruins recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson and forward Lane MacDermid from the Providence Bruins.

Boston hasn't won two straight since January 10 & 12 and now they've dropped five of eight. Every time they picked up a good win in the last month and a half, they follow it up with a poor effort like this. It's easy to blame injuries (Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley) but it's more than that. At least Johnny Boychuk returned today from his minor concussion so he's ok.

Milan Lucic (22nd of the season) gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 15:10 in the first period from Brian Rolston (facing his former employer) and Joe Corvo.

Josh Bailey (10th of the season) tied it at one a little over two minutes later. Boston's defense was caught watching the puck and he was able to slip through them and wrist a pass from Frans Nielsen. David Ullstrom had the other assist.

Moulson (28th of the season) inched closer to his third straight 30-goal season when he scored at 15:35 in the second on a snap shot. It was a power-play goal with Nielsen and Tavares notching assists.

Tyler Seguin (22nd of the season) electrified the usual quiet Saturday afternoon Garden crowd with a sick backhander past Evgeni Nabokov (32 saves) at 7:29 in the third. It was all thanks to a sweet indirect pass off the boards from Zdeno Chara that sprung Seguin. David Krejci had the second assist.

The Bruins lead the season series over the Islanders 2-1, it'll wrap up March 31 in Long Island.

Boston hits the road for two: at New York tomorrow afternoon and Tuesday night in Toronto. The Rangers and Bruins are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference but New York won the first two meetings, both in Boston, including the most recent contest 3-0 on Valentine's Day. Banged up or not and playing back-to-back afternoon games, the B's need to prove they can beat the Rangers. Otherwise, they'll go into the playoffs with a psychological disadvantage.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate