Insert Applicable Line from "The Mighty Ducks (1-3)" Here

If you missed the game and you just see the score or a few highlights (mostly Anaheim's) at some point tomorrow, you'd think that the Bruins got run over tonight in a 5-2 loss at the Honda Center. The truth is that Boston (28-13-2) played an excellent first period but couldn't score, gave up three power special teams goals and trailed 3-0 before rallying to make it 3-2.

However, from there Anaheim (32-8-5) did what championship teams (or at least ones with those lofty expectations) do: they crushed the B's with two late goals. Oh, the Ducks are now the team with the most points in the NHL (yes even more than Chicago) and they remained unbeaten at home (18-0-2) this entire season. I know they play in the West Coast and a lame market but it's time to start paying attention to this wagon.

The B's were already an underdog before Milan Lucic was a late scratch with the flu. I guess he just can't handle that beautiful California weather. That meant that Boston chose to use seven defensemen rather than the usual six. Turns out, that completely backfired.

Trust me when I say that Jonas Hiller (30 saves) stood on his head in the first period as Boston outshot Anaheim 16-3. His best stop was robbing Brad Marchand with a fantastic glove save. For some reason, the Bruins typically go to sleep in the second period and this night was no different as Mathieu Perreault and Corey Perry scored power play goals (that Tuukka Rask had no chance on) then Andrew Cogliano had a shorthanded goal after a wretched turnover by Reilly Smith manning the point during a Bruins man advantage (can't remember him doing that before).

I'm sure many that had stayed up in frozen New England at that point turned it off and boy did they miss so much! Seriously though, the B's actually made it a game for a while. Daniel Paille scored on a backhander with 16 seconds left in the second, cutting it to 3-1. Justin Florek (1st NHL point) and Gregory Campbell each had assists.

An even more unlikely source provided the second goal for Boston as Dougie Hamilton used screens by Jarome Iginla and Carl Soderberg to beat Hiller at 7:19. Hamilton's fourth goal of the season gave the Bruins hope for approximately 6:04, that is until BU product Nick Bonino scored Anaheim's third power play goal. The Ducks sealed it with another tally from Perreault (3 of his 9 goals this season have come in 2 games vs. Boston).

The middle game of Boston's tour in the Golden State is actually the most winnable: Thursday vs. Kings (26-13-5, 3rd in Pacific Division). Jonathan Quick is back but the Kings are just 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. It sounds like Lucic should be able to play which would be a big help (no pun intended) against a grinding team that plays a similar style to the B's.

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Happy Halloween from the Bruins, Courtesy of the Ducks

The Bruins were in danger of losing their third straight game and second in as many nights when Zdeno Chara came to the rescue. He scored a power play goal, his second goal of the season, with 2:50 left in regulation. Boston (8-4-0) still had some work to do but after surviving overtime, Jarome Iginla potted the only strike in the shootout as the Bruins outlasted the Ducks (10-3-1) 3-2.

Tuukka Rask (21 saves) started again even though he took the loss in Pittsburgh last night but he didn't seem fazed by the heavy workload. His teammates on the other hand looked dead for the most part (zombie alert!) as they managed one shot on goal in the first period, one! Devante Smith-Pelly had given Anaheim a 1-0 lead 1:52 into the game on a one-timer from Mathieu Perrault and Dustin Penner, before the crowd could settle into their seats with their elaborate costumes.

Carl Soderberg could have found himself back in the press box (as a healthy scratch) soon if he continued to coast but he bought himself some time by scoring his first NHL goal, at 12:45 of the second period to knot it at one. Chris Kelly had sent him in alone and he jammed it over the line past Jonas Hiller (21 saves). With the second assist, Ryan Spooner picked up his first point in the NHL.

The B's fell asleep again, late in the second period as Perreault turned and shot low by Rask who might have been screened. Smith-Pelly and Cam Fowler had the assists. Chara's goal came only eight seconds into the power play that he drew (tripping on Patrick Maroon). David Krejci was on the doorstep but he passed it to Chara who shoveled it in, Torey Krug had started the sequence by keeping the puck in Anaheim's end and shuttling it to Krejci-always a good plan.

It was the first overtime game for the Bruins this season and they normally struggle in shootouts but they got it done. Spooner was stopped, Nick Bonino was denied, Iginla scored, Corey Perry was stopped, Soderberg was stuffed and Ryan Getzlaf shot it off the post to end it. Considering the caliber of opponent and the fact that Anaheim had more rest, this was a very nice two points for the Bruins who lost Johnny Boychuk in the second period and had to play with five defensemen for the rest of the game.

Boston finishes this tough couple days (three games in four nights) at the Islanders (4-5-3) on Saturday (7, NESN). Despite their less than impressive record, New York is much improved (they pushed the Penguins to seven games in the first round of the playoffs last spring) but that's usually a place that the Bruins roll and put up big goal totals.

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Marty Turco Might Not Be So Worthless After All

I can't think of a much better way for the Boston Bruins to wrap up their last significant road trip of the 2011-12 regular season.

Not only did they get Rich Peverley back on the ice but backup goaltender Marty Turco (25 saves; 1-1-0) survived more than four minutes as the B's (44-28-3) held on for a 3-2 win tonight against the Ducks (32-33-11) at the Honda Center.

Boston has righted the ship, winning four out of its last five games after losing a season-high four in a row.

Boston went 2-1 in California, including consecutive wins on back-to-back nights. With only seven games left in the regular season (and due to the fact that he's ineligible for the playoffs), this at least showed that Turco should get another start or two down the stretch.

The offensive revelation for the Bruins the last few weeks, particularly on this trip, was the third line of Chris Kelly, Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. Tonight, they combined for two goals and four assists.

Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period and a 3-1 lead in the third but they had a few anxious minutes when Lubomir Visnovsky (6th of the season) scored an unassisted goal with 2:29 left in regulation.

Zdeno Chara (12th of the season) potted the first goal at 4:37 of the second on an unassisted slapshot past Jonas Hiller (22 saves). Before the Honda Center game ops guys could cue up Weezer's "My Name is Jonas,"-they really play that-Pouliot (13th of the season) finished a pretty pass from Kelly and Rolston at 5:59.

My hero, 41-year-old Teemu Selanne (24th of the season) got the Ducks on the board at 9:11 of the second thanks to a power-play goal. He tipped Cam Fowler's shot from the point with Ryan Getzlaf picking up the other assist.

If Pouliot's goal was pretty, Rolston's (7th of the season) in the third was a work of art. He blasted a one-timer from Kelly that was all started thanks to Pouliot's breakout pass before he got crushed along the boards in Boston's own defensive zone.

The regular season is rapidly ending, the Bruins only have seven more games. Four at home, three away, all against Eastern Conference teams (5 playoff teams, 2 that will miss out). A busy week (four games) begins on Tuesday as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning. When last seen, the Lightning hung a 6-1 loss on the B's in Tampa on March 13. It was probably the low point of the season (not including October) so Boston shouldn't need much motivation.

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All I want for Christmas is a new head coach for the Boston Bruins

It's a good thing most people were stuck in traffic last night during this winter's first snowfall (haha only two or three inches) or simply forgot the Boston Bruins had a home game against the Anaheim Ducks (on Versus).

Hopefully you missed the latest horrorshow in a season that is totally resembling last season in terms of its lack of consistency. The Ducks blanked the Bruins 3-0 at the TD Garden in front of a lifeless crowd, Boston's (17-11-4) fourth loss in its last five games.

I brought it up last Thursday when they lost to the Canadiens but it's time to really examine whether Bruins head coach Claude Julien is the right man for this job anymore. The team appears lost and there's no excuse because they have too much talent (especially in goal) to be this average.

Anaheim (18-15-4) scored a goal in the first period and two in the second period but the real hero was goaltender Jonas Hiller (45 saves), who played the best game by an opposing goalie so far this season.

Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made 22 saves in one of his most invisible performances of his epic season thus far.

Something named a Brandon McMillan gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead off a rebound at 5:57 of the first period. Luca Sbisa and Teemu Selanne assisted on that tally.

Gregory Campbell fought Kyle Chipchura early in the second period but it didn't get the Black and Yellow fired up or anything.

Anaheim defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky made it 2-0 (from Saku Koivu and Selanne) while Corey Perry ended it with a short-handed goal from McMillan and Andy Sutton.

Short sidenote: the Ducks top line of Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan is the NHL's best. Just three young studs that can do it all.

We shall see if the Bs will bounce back on Thursday night when they host the red-hot Atlanta Thrashers (who kicked their ass in Atlanta a few weeks ago). Another no-show by his team and Julien is one step closer to a long vacation.